Crabby

There are folks with interesting names.

And there are folks like these:

At least, you won’t forget her name.

Following a calling

One of the things that we first researched on was the mass schedules in JKT.

Apparently, their anticipated masses are on Saturday at 3:30pm, way earlier than the usual 6:00pm mass that we're used to.

Luckily, that church was near our hotel, so we decided to hear Mass at Gereja Santa Theresia on Saturday.

The church was a very quaint, very peaceful place of worship, which made it a joy to visit.

Definitely one of the high points of this trip.

Meals with Mark: Fridays on a Saturday

We have this tradition.

When we'd go out to a different country, we have to go and eat at a TGIFriday's.

We went to several locations in Japan, including Yokohama. We ate at TGIFriday's in HKG, and in BKK.

And because traditions must be honored, TGIFriday's JKT was our venue for dinner tonight.

Here's the traditions!

Meals with Mark: Bread and Breakfast

On our first day in Jakarta, Mark and I decided to walk around our neighborhood - Gajah Mada.

As we traversed down the road, we encountered a lot of Padang Padang, street food stalls, and quaint, little restaurants.

But when Mark saw Suisse Bakery, he said that he read about that ,and it was one of the oldest and most popular bakeries in Jakarta. So, risking life and limb, we crossed the busy highway to get there.

What Mark read about is true. It was around 9am, and the bakery was packed! And it was packed with people who looked like regulars, because they're buying a lot, and their purchases are carefully curated. It's the handiwork of long time Suisse bakery fans!

Mark eventually got the quiche, while I went to the blueberry bread. Then, we decided to share a cinnamon roll.

And that was our first breakfast in JKT.

FMM: Anggun-a get you!

Since Mark and I are spending the weekend in Indonesia, I thought today's Friday Magic Madness song should be inspired by that.

Indonesian Pop will never be complete without Anggun! The first time I heard her in the 90s, I was already enamoured by her voice and style. It had this otherworldly, yet regal sound to it. And one of her biggest hits - Snow on the Sahara - captured that perfectly.



Listening to this song, it's difficult to believe it's already 22 years old!

Then again, great music is timeless.

Do the Hustle!

We're back in a shoot today, and some of the people I'm working with are people I've been working since Friday last week!

One of them is Grant, our tireless producer who's running everything from sun up to sun down.

It's a lot of work. But you just gotta hustle!

Hey Sister!

For the record, one of my all-time, most favorite films is "Sister Act." When I first saw the film, I had to watch it again. And after watching it, I had to buy the soundtrack!

One of the songs I love from "Sister Act" was their rendition of "Hail Holy Queen." It was beautifully sung, and with the broadway twist in the end, it was just perfection.



I can't get enough of that song then. And I still can't get enough of it now.

The provincial life

When you’re stuck in the middle of a rural market with nothing to do, you end up acting - and hanging out - like the locals.

We look pretty convincing.

Skeleton in the closet

Among the 20th Anniversary collaborations of Target, one thing i’m Most excited about is the one with Rodarte.

When they launched that line 20 years ago, there were a lot of beautiful pieces. But personally, none of them were as pretty as this rib cage dress.

If they’ll re-issue this, i’ll definitely find a way to get one. This is one skeleton that you wouldn’t mind in your closet.

Cover rewind

In celebration of their 25th anniversary, InStyle has a digital series where they ask their covergirls to look back at all their covers and react to it.

Needless to say, it was a joy to watch. Especially Jennifer Aniston!



I'm still waiting for the Julia Roberts version.

This has me on Target

So, apparently, this year is the 20th year since Target started doing designer collaborations!

And how are they celebrating it? With a special 20th Anniversary collection featuring all the designers they've ever collaborated with!

I'm excited to see what pieces Rodarte, Zac Posen and Proenza Schouler will re-issue.

Take my money, Target! Take it!

FMM: Shirley, one of the best

It might be the effect of all these singing contests, but there's a resurgence of interest in Shirley Bassey's songs. After all, her songs are awesome contest pieces, and if the contestant can get that raw, rasp of Shirley's voice, they've got it in the bag.

Just like what Rose Fontanez did in X-Factor Israel some years back.

Since I'm a huge Shirley Bassey fan, I'm all up for this resurgence! Heck, I've been writing about her for many years, and writing about her again is always a welcome thing to do.

The Shirley song du juor, her classic "This is My Life."



No one, no one comes close to THE Shirley Bassey.

Little Women, Big impact

When I first saw the film "Little Women" way back in 1994, the film left such an imprint in my heart and mind. It immediately became one of my favorite films.

The stories of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy were so heartfelt and current, it was hard to believe this was a period film. The film was also acted very beautifully by - at that time - up and coming actresses like Trini Alvarado, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst. Then, of course, there was Susan Sarandon as the matriarch.

I still remember the rage in my heart when Amy threw Jo's manuscript into the fireplace, and how my heart broke when Beth said "I, too, can be brave" on her deathbed.

It's been 25 years since the film came out, and Hollywood decided to release a new version this year:



This, too, has a powerhouse cast. (Hello, Meryl Streep!) And I'm sure they'll give justice to the roles.

But for me, the 1994 version is still the standard.

Cutenesaurus Rex

This midweek cuteness is brought to you by my grandnephew, Baby Noah!

He's growing up so fast! I wish I could see him more often.

Pole Positioning

And just like that, school is opening again!

This weekend, I went to SSC to gather some books for my subject for this semester, a foundation course on the business of advertising.

One book that really taught me a lot about advertising was "Positioning" by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This was almost like the bible for advertising. It taught me how important it is to be on the consumer's "top of mind," how important it is to "Cherchez le creneau" and that advertising is all about mental shortcuts.

That's why this book is a must-read for my class.

It's an updated version of the original book, but this one's by Jack Trout.

I'm so excited to re-read this. And for school to start.

Frutos of the Loom

My liking for sampaloc started at a very young age.

Our house in Tomas Morato had a sampaloc tree inside, and we'd often wait for the fruits to grow and fall from the tree.

I remember hanging out at the rooftop of the house, which was accessible through the fire exit in my room, then pick-up all the sampaloc fruits that fell from the tree. Quickly, I'd shake and tap the fruits, and if it had a hollow sound, it meant that it was ripe enough to eat. Then, while indian sitting on the roof, I'd finish my sampaloc haul.

After that, I've taken a liking to sampaloc in all it's incarnations. I've written about some of them here, and now, I'm writing about my latest sampaloc discovery.

Frutos Chewy Sampaloc!

This one tastes so good and so legit, it's hard to believe that it's not fresh sampaloc. It's so good, I'd usually go through half a pack in one sitting!

Thank goodness for new discoveries!

Unbearable cuteness of being. Cats.

Suddenly, this album of cat photos popped up on Facebook.

It's a series of photos from a Japanese photographers to takes photos of stray cats in Tokyo and in the neighboring areas.

Gosh! They're super cute!

If stray cats here were this adorbz, I'd probably be feeding them everyday.

Moore of my favorite!

As September approaches fast, I'm curious to know who the cover girls are for the US's biggest fashion magazines. Particularly, InStyle!

And it thrilled me to see that it's one of my favorite actresses, Julianne Moore!

Julianne has a long history with InStyle. I remember when I was in HKG in 2006, she headlined an issue and I read that issue voraciously. Particularly because I could relate to her stories, particularly her insights on living alone.

She's appeared on the cover of the magazine several times since then, the last time being 2017, and it would be interesting to see how much she's changed since then.

Gotta. Find. This. Magazine.

FMM: I came, I (Latti)saw, I listened

Today's weather - plus the fact that it's Friday - calls for a Stacy Lattisaw song.

It's just one of those days.

And what's the perfect song to play today? This very classic - and very popular - song from 1985. I present "Can't stop thinking about you."



You really can't go wrong with the 80s.

I can rel8!

Today is August 8 or 8-8, which is an auspicious date for the Chinese.

But 88 has a lot of other meanings for me.

The house number of our first house was 88.

I have 2 cousins - Cristina and Harold - who are celebrating their birthday on 8-8.

So yes, it’s a good date. A very good date.

Catnappers

Caught this comfortably catnapping cutie beside the ATM machine I was using.

I think we all want to do this at 2pm on a weekday.

Lucky cat!

Smells like H&M

Out of curiosity, I checked out the “T-shirt” Eau de Toilette from H&M this evening.

It’s awesome!

Too bad they don’t have it in big bottles. I bought a small one and feel that it might not last a month1

Sarte-rial Choice

The moment I saw their poster at the Plains and Prints branch in SM Megamall, I was instantly intrigued.

Having been a watcher - and buyer - of Plains and Prints collaborations for many years, their "Beyond 25" was an ambitious project. Imagine, 15 designers - both young and seasoned - designing 30 pieces for this capsule collection.

I was on board.

When the collection hit the stores, I made a conscious effort to look at the garment and not the designer. Although it was easy to guess some of the pieces and who made them, but some were a bit hard to figure out.

Among the 30 pieces, the first one that caught my eye was this dress which, in my observation, looked like something that Charina Sarte would make.

It's a wrap dress with strategically placed ruffle details. I've seen something similar in her Greenbelt 5 store, which made me suspect that this was her design.

And it is!

For me, this is the money piece of the collection. That's why it was the first one that I got for Ate.

The first of several, given how nice the capsule collection is.

Looking for Lapagayo

About 2 decades back, Lapagayo was a go-to brand among the preppy crowd in the Philippines.

Known for their ultra-colorful clothing - from shirts to windbreakers - this brand from Holland was a ubiquitous sight in universities and offices.

Then suddenly, it disappeared.

I remembered the brand today, and decided to search for it.

Apparently, you can still buy a lot of Lapagayo items on sites like Shopee, but I don't see any stores around the region.

I guess ultra-colorful windbreakers and shirts aren't as popular as they used to be.

Sweater dressing

Since it's been raining, and the weather has been cool and comfy, it's sweater weather.

But heavy sweaters and rains don't really go that well. Imagine if the sweater gets rained on, that would be damp and heavy.

So, I thought of this ensemble that approximates sweater dressing, but in a lighter, rain friendly way.

The dress is from SM Department Store. It's cozy enough to mimic a sweater, but light enough to wear during the rains.

To keep the casual vibe, pair it with the So Fab sneakers from Cebu!

Together, it's sweater dressing that's more casual.

Ate is ready for the rains.

FMM: Weathering through song

The rain was pouring hard and furious when I woke up in the middle of the night. It was the type of rain that made you glad that you're indoors and nicely tucked in bed.

But when I woke up around 6:30pm, the rains were still as heavy. And it continued throughout the day.

Which is the inspiration for today's Friday Magic Madness song from the 60s. A B.J. Thomas classic that almost everyone knows.



Yes, raindrops have been falling on our heads the whole day today. Thank goodness tomorrow is a weekend.

Oh, August!

Just like that, we're at the tail end of the 3rd quarter!

Time really flies when you're having fun. (And busy at work.)