Thomas the Tank Engine
I think majority of those who enjoy the holiday season are kids. The reasons are many - there’s vacation from school, lot of parties, lots of delicious food and yummy desserts, not to mention the tons of gifts they anticipate to get.
I remember that the time that I graduated from college and started with my first job was the year that I stopped getting gifts for Christmas. My mom buys gifts only for the kids and just brings food for the adults.
When you go to the malls, the one place that is almost always packed would be the toy store - Toy Kingdom, Toys R Us - the next would be the gift-wrapping section. 
I found myself in one of those toy stores looking for a gift for my 4 year old. He has always been hankering for a toy train, specifically Thomas. Do you know how much those cost? It amazes me how expensive kid’s toys are these days. One Thomas tank engine costs about P350 to P900. That would only give you one vehicle. Getting the tracks, buildings and other accessories for a train set will set you off about P5K to P6K. You would think this is a toy for an adult rather than a child who is able to tear down your P5K gift into a million pieces before you can even say Merry Christmas.
7 Comments so far
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By Thomas the Tank Engine - PinoyBlogoSphere.com - Pinoy Bloggers Society (PBS) on 12.24.07 7:15 am | Permalink
[...] felt Christmas for three years now. Its not the decreasing number of gifts that I receive (less gifts as you get older). Its not the decreasing number of parties that I attend or the food that I eat. It is because two [...]
By The meaning of Christmas | Personal | personal blog of a Filipina mother of 2 on 12.29.07 8:33 am | Permalink
Toy companies are evil! I have the same regard for them as Oil Companies and HMOs! I am not sure how they function in the Phillipines but here they will bring out an exclusive toy and market so many of them, just so they can raise the price of them and keep the demand high. They will advertise more pre-holiday so that kids will see these gifts and help feed into the guilt that parents feel on supplying enough money for a fulfilling Christmas. This is why I am big fan of gift cards! I give all my neices and nephew gift cards so that by the time they can use them, most items have gone on sale and they will get more for their money.
The true problem lies when children grow and their taste for toys changes to more expensive electronics. Black Friday is truly justified in it’s name. I find it humorous to watch these drones act like mad men in the malls fighting over toys and gadgets that their children will easily lose interest in when all it takes is a football and a couple hours a week to entertain thier children.
By crazy4pinays on 01.02.08 11:21 am | Permalink
crazy4pinays - I do not know what its like in toy companies here but there are a lot of cheaper toys out here that I can buy. But my son wanted a train - the MRT to be specific and that is more expensive than Thomas. Hehe.
I get what you mean when you say that children easily lose interest in toys and are really into spending more time with their parents. Thankfully, I have not gotten a toy for my kids that actually cost an arm and a leg (I think Im too stingy).
By ApplesH on 01.04.08 3:15 am | Permalink
my son also loves thomas the train, i think the vcd/dvd of thomas had something to do with it, hehe. i bought him his first set (medium) two years ago in a toy sale and it, instantly, became a favorite. he has his own collection now, when he turned 4 last december, we forgone the usual bday party and fullfilled his bday&xmas thomas and friends wishlist.
the look on his face was and still is priceless. nice post, by the way.
By pinkqueen on 02.23.08 2:45 am | Permalink
pinkqueen - Thanks for visiting. Its actually funny that now the favorite thomas has been relegated to the toy box of his younger brother (who is barely 2 years old). Interesting how unattached kids turn out to be.
By ApplesH on 02.23.08 8:30 am | Permalink
[...] kids eating. Mostly he would ask me to buy something for him, like “Moo” or Yakult or a Thomas train, or Hot wheels, or a Barney CD but never to buy something for someone else. He even said he wanted [...]
By Making friends | Kids | personal blog of a Filipina mother of 2 on 03.13.08 8:39 am | Permalink
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