Cubao Expo Adventure: 360 Degrees of Cuteness in My Breathing Space

Welcome to Boho Heaven! (Photo from AITSalimbay.wordpress.com)

So here I was just walking off the beaten path in Cubao when I chanced upon an area that I haven't visited in years. The place used to be a dusty center called the Marikina Shoe Expo but sometime during the turn of the millennium, it was transformed into a Boho hub with quaint little shops of curios, collectibles, and vintage stuff; comfy and affordable eating/drinking nooks; and since it was a shoe place before, it retained some of the old shoe stores with products hailing from Marikina.

Even its name underwent a minor transformation to complement its actual location -- the Cubao Expo.

It was early evening, and Cubao Expo was bathed in mellow light. I passed several small restos hoping for a quick bite before going home when this shop literally called my attention:

My Breathing Space Collectibles and Gifts, where having an eyeful is an
understatement. (Photo from personal archive)

The display window was just teeming with the cutest stuff ever assembled in front of any display window I have ever seen!

That night, I just parted with a relatively big sum of money so my budget was already teetering on the red side. However, it was not everyday that I could visit the area so my curiosity urged me to enter this shop.

Lo and behold! An eyeful of nifty treasures literally greeted me as I stepped inside. I was still trying to digest the cuteness overload of the place when my head panned to a corner near the window. And there it was: a whole section dedicated to my favorite predator, the cat!

I finks I just dieded and went to Kitteh Heavun! (Photo from personal archive)

Something tiny and shiny caught my eye - a small note holder in the shape of a black cat. I asked the friendly store assistant how much it was and I was surprised to find out that it was worth a reasonable P150. Despite my tight budget, I just HAD to purchase it.

And now, my new acquisition stands among my other cat collectibles on my office desk.

I iz da nu meow on da block, er, deskz. (Photo from personal archive)

While paying for my black cat with the rhinestone eye, I got into a pleasant chat with the cashier who, I realized after a while, was actually the owner of the place. Introducing the proprietor of My Breathing Space Collectibles and Gifts, Mr. Gard Calub!

The blogger with the owner himself, Mr. Gard Calub. Calub is the one on the
left, in case anyone asks. (Photo from personal archive)

Who would have thought that someone with a background in science (The man is a full-fledged chemist, mind you!) would end up putting together this menagerie of items and opening a shop as lovely as My Breathing Space? Gard would only laugh at what the Fates have brought him and say, "It's my passion. You just got to have passion to get into something like this."

Even the ceiling is adorned with various mugs and chimes. (Photo from

personal archive)

During our chat, Gard related that he started out as a hobbyist, collecting stuff like figurines, posters,
pins, and other small items. This hobby slowly grew on him as he became more aggressive in finding hard-to-find collectibles. When he already had enough to fill a store, he opened My Breathing Space. And Cubao Expo is probably the perfect spot in the city to open a shop such as this!

It's amazing how Gard managed to maximize every bit of space in this shop with strategically placed items. The curious visitor like me will be pleased to see a certain space dedicated to a specific theme - just like the cat section.

Of course, if there are cats, there also must be dogs.

Woof! We haz our cornur too. (Photo from personal archive)

Then there are owls...

Hoo...wants to bring us home? (Photo from personal archive)

And Harry Potter takes his spot among the small breakables and timepieces.

No horcruxes here; just Harry. (Photo from personal archive)

Gard's Coca Cola vintage collection is epic!

(Photo from personal archive)

(Photo from personal archive)

The observant visitor will notice that many of Gard's collections, especially the more fragile and rarer ones, are elegantly and thoughtfully displayed in glass cabinets like these. 

Not for touching - unless sold. (Photo from personal archives)

I was not able to ask Gard why he named his shop, My Breathing Space. I could only surmise that despite the shop being filled to the hilt with attractive and delicate stuff, these same items never fail to put a smile on every visitor's face. One is guaranteed to find an item he/she will fall in love with among his menagerie, and even if the visitor does not manage to purchase anything, he will leave My Breathing Space with positive vibes. Positive vibes = symbolic space to breathe and relax. My Breathing Space. Legit? Legit.

So next time when you are in the Cubao area, veer away from the malls and get lost in Cubao Expo. And if you need an extra pick-me-upper, be surrounded by 360 degrees of cuteness and visit My Breathing Space.

It's a high like no other.

(#)

Note: I would like to thank Gard Calub for allowing me to take pictures inside his beautiful shop of collectibles and other nice stuff. This is the kind of trust he does not usually bestow on others after an unfortunate past encounter inside the shop several years ago. Once again, thank you.