Apocalyptic!

Going to and being inside Divisoria on a holiday be like...

And that's the truth!

The other Mary

It's been well-established that I'm a huge fan of religious films. From the old ones like "Jesus of Nazareth," to the more recent "Risen."

I'm also a fan of religious films that present a narrative that's not as common. Things that we don't normally read in the bible.

Just found the trailer of one such movie.



Mary Magdalene was always a complex character. Hopefully, this film will shed more light to who she was.

(And it stars Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix. Bonus!)

She takes the cake

During her advanced birthday celebration in HKG, Glenda brought not just one - but two cakes - to the celebration. Well, one was for her, and the other was for all the other October and November celebrators.

Now, on her actual birthday, my wish for my sister will also be in twos (like the cakes): double the happiness, health and blessings.

Happy Birthday Ate Bullet!

When Anna met Miranda

Stop everything! We have Anna Wintour and Meryl Streep in one frame!

I can watch this over and over and over again. (Especially, the veiled reference to "Devil Wears Prada. Hahaha!)

Vita(l) signs!

The last 4 days in HKG were hectic. So hectic that I wasn't able to do any shopping.

But there was one thing that I made sure I'd bring home.

Yes, I brought home about a dozen bottles of Vita Lemon Tea!

It's heavy, but it sure is worth it!

Not Ruined

When the sibs said that we'll head off to Macau on Saturday, it was greeted by excitement on their part. And dread on mine.

Saturday trips to Macau can be chaotic, as I've experienced personally when I was still living in HKG. Usually, on weekends, tourists from HKG, Mainland China, and the rest of the world, descend upon the small island. That's why everything becomes difficult - getting ferry tickets, finding cabs, moving around, the whole shindig.

Despite those worries, we decided to push through and enjoy the sights, sounds and free grub in Macau.

At the onset, there were already hitches and glitches. When we got to the China Ferry Terminal at 11:00am, it turned out that the earliest ferry tickets we could get was at 5pm! Which meant we'd lose an entire day.

Experience taught me, though, that there are scalpers who sell ferry tickets, albeit more expensive. We found one, and he was selling a one-way ticket for HK$250! (The regular price is HK$170.) Not one to be fooled, I looked around for other scalpers until I found a guy who sold tickets for the 12:15pm sailing for only HK$180. Not bad.

We got there past 1pm and decided to go straight to The Venetian. And my gosh! The crowds were just wild! It was like there were tens of thousands of people crammed in one casino! Jostling, pushing and herding became the norm. Thankfully, we were able to get out in one piece.

Next Stop, Senado Square and The Ruins of St. Paul.

Again, tens of thousands of people in one small area. Even Biboy and Liz were shocked at the sight of so many people. The crowd was so thick and unruly that we almost weren't able to find Ate Bullet and family. Thankfully, we were able to locate each other, and we all made our way to the ruins.

It was super difficult to find a spot to have a decent photo taken since there were so many people. We then decided to wait it out, and after half an hour, the crowds thinned, and we were able to have our group shot taken.

By 7:00pm, Biboy and family, as well as myself, were on a ferry back to HKG.

It was a short, frenetic and tiring trip. But because it was a short, frenetic and tiring trip with family, it was all worth it.

FMM: Happy Friday

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by 2 things.

First, it's inspired by the Christmas display at Times Square in Causeway Bay. Second, it's inspired by the fact that I'm traveling around HKG with my siblings and other family members.

In these circumstances, you can't help but feel "Happiness."



Being with family and listening to this classic song from "You're a good man, Charlie Brown."

It's truly a Happy Friday.

Sib Love!

Last year, we had a mini-sibling reunion in Atlanta with 4 of us present - Kuya Marv, Ate Lissa, Biboy and myself. Ate Bullet wasn't able to join due to the fact that she wasn't able to get her US Visa renewed in time.

This year, another mini-sibling reunion just happened, and Ate Bullet is now in it!

Ate Bullet, Biboy and I planned this HKG trip a little over a month ago, and now we're here!

I just love mini-reunions like this!

Get into the League!

I've missed a number of Superhero films of late, but I'm definitely watching Justice League!

Since I was a kid, I've always been a Justice League fan. That's why Saturday mornings were sacred because that's when "Superfriends" would come on.

And seeing some of my favorite Superfriends as live action characters is more than enough to bring out the DC geek in me.

As in! Super!

Daiso yummy!

Whenever Mark and I did our snack runs in Tokyo, there were 2 items that would find itself in our shopping bags - Caramel Corn and Tongari Corn.

And whenever I have cravings for these 2 in Manila, I immediately head over to Daiso because I'm sure they have in in their shelves.

See?

Japanese snack cravings - fulfilled!

Pretty Stylish!

Look who's back on the cover of InStyle!

Julia Roberts, stylish as ever, fronts the December 2017 issue of InStyle. I always look forward to the year's last issue, particularly their 100 style moments of the year.

Now, their cover girl is another reason to look forward to the issue!

Fur Real!

This will probably go down in history as the hairiest pageant ever!

Doggone it! This is a must watch!

Scorpion Nights, the sequel!

In the Melrose group, there are 4 of us celebrating our birthdays in November, and just a few days apart. For example, LG is November 4, I'm November 6, Rommel is November 8, and so forth.

That's why we make it a point to get together for our version of Scorpion Nights. And that's what we did tonight.

I must say, Scorpions are really a fun bunch!

FMM: For the Butter

Since we're on the subject anyway...

Friday Magic Madness presents "The Foundations" and their super duper hit song in the 60s, "Build me up."



This song is making me crave for another Butterfinger Cup!

Build me up...

Butterfinger Cups!

I spotted this product at 7-11 and had to give it a try. After all, it brings together 2 of my favorites - Butterfinger and Reese's Cups.

Gosh! Why didn't I discover you earlier.

Something fishy!

Of course, you can't leave Cebu without passing by Taboan Market.

Amazing how this place never changed after many, many decades.

Fiesta in Cebu!

Back in Adformatix, (and back in the mid-90s), one of the first work trips I took was in Cebu for a radio launch. There were 3 of us who went there - me, Fiesta and Erwin. And I remember that it was such a fun trip!

Now, about 2 decades after that, Fiesta and I are back in Cebu!

Funny thing is that this was an unplanned meeting. It just so happened that I was in Cebu for a shoot, and Fiesta was there for research. What an awesome coincidence!

All we need now is Kuya Ers!

Bursting with goodness!

When in Cebu, eat as the locals do!

And one of my favorite homegrown Cebuano restaurants?

Sunburst chicken, of course!

Hands down, this is one of the best chicken dishes I've tasted.

Scorpion Nights!

Coincidentally, 3 of us Creative Directors are all Scorpios! That's why we had a triple celebration last Friday night which was filled with food, drinks, and a lot of jokes. As well as a showcase of talents, including cheese ball basketball and corny joke sharing.

I guess talent runs in the zodiac sign, too.

The A- Team!

It was awesome that I was able to have a belated birthday celebration with one of my thesis groups from last semester.

The "Tsuper Lakas" team was all accounted for, and it was a lunch filled with reminiscing about the past and planning for the future.

Just like how they did an excellent job in their thesis (A- baby!)  I'm sure they'll also do an excellent job in their professional careers.

Here's to our next "tsuper" get together!

FMM: Dressing down

Out of the blue, without warning, this song started to play in the creative department:

It was one of Roxette's biggest hits - Dressed for Success!

Well, it's a Friday today, so why not?

Bite me!

The packaging design we did for Egg Bites is finally out!

It's so purrrty!

You only had one job...

This board up inside The Podium immediately caught my attention.

Because it was installed upside down.

Classic!

Just Add Cher

This year's Christmas decor theme for SM Megamall's Fashion Hall has to be their most ostentatious yet!

Look at all that glitz!

Look at all that glamour!

Look at the horse with a feathered head dress!

All this decor is missing is Cher descending from the steps.

Fun and Food

Whenever the team descends to the batcave, you know there's going to be a lot of food, and even a lot more fun. Much moreso during my impromptu birthday celebration.

I guess that's why we spend more time in the batcave than we should.

Fly high!

Another year, more opportunities to soar!

Happy Birthday Kev! Keep on flying high!

Go for Brocade!

There are some fabrics that make you just stop and gawk. Fabrics that you see from the window display, and it gives you the urge to go inside, examine it closely, and marvel at how awesome it is. Suddenly, you find yourself buying a few yards because you can't, just can't, leave the store without a piece of it.

This beautiful, blue, bird-print brocade (so many Bs) is an example of that. It called out to me from Fanbi, and I immediately heeded the call.

I just had to have it. And I'm so glad I have it. And I know exactly what to do with it.

You're a Starr!

It's one of those Fridays that you want to just be transported back to the 80s.

And you need a Starr to do that. An Atlantic Starr, to be exact.



This is one of those songs that's so cheesy, it's actually good!

Always!

Oh, lace!

Carolina's has always been a go-to when it comes to lace. After all, their full name is "Carolina's Lace Shoppe," which immediately underlines their strength.

What's nice about the store is that it has more than the usual corded, chantilly, French and Belgian varieties. They have lace fabrics that I haven't seen in my other fabric haunts like Divisoria.

Two examples of super unique lace fabrics:

First, this printed, crochet-looking lace with a baroque pattern. Very old-world chic!

Second, another printed lace, but the pattern is made up of interconnected circles. Ultra unique and modern!

These pretty lace fabrics will definitely become even prettier dresses by the time we're done.

Something a-miss

Because of the rains, we weren't able to visit Lolo and Lola in Loyola today. But even if we weren't there physically, our prayers are and will always be with them.

Even though it's been more than 2 decades, I still miss my grandparents.