FMM: Wilde Child

Kim Wilde was one of the wildly successful British female singers in the 80s. Quite a rarity during that time, and that made her special.

Her music was a mix of Pop and Rock, so much like Patti Smyth and Chrissie Hynde in the US.

While I was still a wee, little kid when she stormed the airwaves, I found myself enjoying her songs. Most likely reason was the fact that I was indeed a little kid, and her 1981 hit song was about kids as well.

"Kids in America," at least. And that time, I was a kid in Manila.

This song was so iconic that it was eventually remade in the 90s for some teen film. But even after hearing that, my opinion was that the original sounded much better.

Even now, 40 years later after she first sang it, Kim Wilde's hit still sounds fresh and new.

Great - and wild - music is like that.

Printed Matter: Boutique Batik

Having stayed in Indonesia for short assignments several times, I've always appreciated the intricacy and art that goes into their Batik prints.

During my trips there, I'd always bring home a few yards of that fabric. Whether it's for a men's shirt or a dress for Mom or the Ates, the beauty of the print would always shine through and make the garment be much more visually interesting.

That's why the first time this print popped up on my feed, my eyes were drawn to it. 

It had a batik feel to it, albeit more modern. It's like a traditional batik with a California boutique vibe.

That print, of course, is the material for this Elizabeth and James dress which is still part of the stash that Ate Lissa and Biboy sent early this year.

It's a perfect print - and dress - to welcome summer.

Tim work!

Nope, i’m not a huge fan of TimTam.

Really, i’m not.

(Grabs a pack and munches...)

Go West!

As a kid, I'd always watch "The West Side Story" on TV. It would be shown as part of the afternoon movie offerings, and whenever it would be on, I'd catch it.

There was a lot to enjoy in that film. From the characters, to the acting, to the songs. Especially "Somewhere."

Then, there's Rita Moreno who won the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in 1962 for her role as Anita. The same awards night where she wore a Pitoy Moreno dress. Pinoy Pride! Woot!

This year, they're remaking "The West Side Story" with Steven Spielberg at the helm!

Part of me wants to watch this, just like I'd watch the original version on TV. 

Part of me, though, is reluctant. You know how it is with originals and remakes. Sometimes, they're not as good.

Well, we still have a few more months to decide.

Found it!

 Out of the blue, this appeared on my feed.

Of course, I couldn't help finding them.

And I did!

Woot!

Feel the Thunder!

Yesterday, with a few hours free before going back to doing school stuff, I decided to check out Netflix for a film to watch.

Honestly, my aim was to look for that old film "13 going on 30." Excerpts of it have been popping on youtube and it made me want to see it again.

Alas, it wasn't on Netflix.

But there was a new film which looked like it was a force to reckon with. And it wasn't just a force, it was...

A superhero slapstick comedy with an Oscar winner and an Oscar nominee? Yes, please!

And needless to say, this film didn't disappoint.

It was a Thunder Force to reckon with.

Late Night Special

Whenever i’d go to Seoul, one of the first things i’d buy at the grocery or convenience store is my go-to snack, Doritos Late Night - Oven Roasted Chicken.

It’s one of those local Doritos flavors that are exclusively sold in Seoul. And i’d Always buy it because of that unique, Smokey Chicken flavor that you get with each bite. It was a great midnight snack since my flights would usually arrive at night, so the name was really apt.

And as it turns out, it’s available at the Korean grocery store near the house. And they deliver!

Late Nights will definitely be better - and yummier - nowadays.

FMM: Never too young

Back in the 80s, there was this very catchy tune that would play on the radio a lot.

It was a song from a group from Australia and New Zealand called "Koo De Tah." They had a song which was a huge hit, and - aside from the radio - was a mainstay in grade school events. (Go figure!)

That song was called "Too Young for Promises."

It was such an infectious ditty that it still plays in my mind right now, even if it's about 35 years old.

Yup, this song is 35 years old! But listening to it now, it still sounds current, right?

Guess I was never too young to appreciate good music.

Wrong Bulletin

As a Journalism teacher - and as a reader at large - seeing wrong information while reading online newspapers make me shake my head and do a face palm.

And yes, I've seen my fair share of wrong information posted online. Even by legitimate news outlets.

Just like this one that I saw on the online version of Manila Bulletin today.

The headline says that "Bicol logs 166 deaths in 1 day." Quite alarming.

But when you read the article, it turns out that they logged 166 cases, not deaths.

Gosh! How can the online editor miss something as big as this. Not only is it misleading, again, it's alarming!

Proofreader please!

Good Show

The past few months, whenever we’d eat lunch, Mom would tune in to the noontime show on TV5 entitled “Lunch out Loud!”

One thing I noticed about this show is that it’s remarkably different from the usual noontime shows that we’re used to.

For one thing, they usually greet their guests and contestants with “God Bless.” In every show, they acknowledge the presence and contributions of the Lord. They have a segment where they talk about what they’re thankful for today. 

That makes for good and refreshing noontime television. Plus, their segments and contests are fun to watch, too.

Then, on one episode this week, they did something that was new and wonderful. They had a closing prayer before their episode wrapped up.

Good show, Lunch out Loud. Good show.

Turning over a New Leaf

Since I've been walking around the compound regularly now, I've been beginning to notice the verdant environment.

One of the things that caught my eye was this particular leaf with a pretty interesting shape.

The leaves are turned over, pretty much like a bowl. It's the first time I've seen a leaf like this. It makes me want to get guacamole or cheese dip and put it in this leaf bowl.

Oh, the things you notice these days.

I'm so Franzzi

Nope, this still isn't an Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX post.

What it is, though, is another snacker discovery post. Or rediscovery, more of.

The first time I tasted Franzzi biscuits, it was when I went to Shanghai for work. 

It was one of the things in the supermarket that caught my eye and eventually tried. It turned out to be a good choice because the combination of the crumbly biscuit and the creamy feeling was a one-two yummy punch. 

Vanilla-Lemon was my entry point to this snacker. And on my trip back, my bag was packed with different flavors.

It's been more than a decade since my last Franzzi haul. But that changed today because it's available in my snacker haunt! 

Now, Franzzi is back in our snack shelf!

Welcome back, Franzzi!

Sketchy Stories: Claire Bear

For Claire's birthday, Melrose decided to go a little crafty.

Claire is and has always been known for her creativity in crafts. When we were colleagues in Adformatix, I'd always marvel at the creations that were often on her cubicle. Whether it was a handmade paper creation or her wonderful handwriting, it was always a joy to see. 

When she left agency life and applied at Kamiseta, she showed me some of the handmade bags she created and was simply floored! There was one particular bag - made of silk and with chopsticks as handle - that was super memorable. After finding something similar in HKG, it became part of one of my sister's ensembles when she attended a wedding.

And last year, she shared with me her blog about her crafting projects. Since then, I've been a regular reader and can't help but be inspired by Claire's creativity and joie-de-vivre.

So, for her birthday, I decided to go back to traditional sketching using a pen and paper, then used my Kurecolor pens to add some life into the drawing. And here's the result of the quick 10-minute sketch.

The choice of what I'd sketch - a bear - is actually an inside joke that Claire and I had back in Adformatix, particularly the word "oso." So, it was fitting that this was my crafty project for her on her birthday.

I wish you an OSO wonderful birthday, Claire! We'll celebrate it together soon!

Hopia feel it!

"Hopia connoisseur."

That's one of my former students called me after passionately talking about the different types of Hopia I've tasted and which ones are my favourites. She was quite amazed at how my Hopia discussion was akin to talking about the most precious item on Earth.

But there's truth in that since I'm really a huge fan of it. In fact, when I was still living in HKG, I'd cross islands (Kowloon to HKG) just to go to the Filipino stores in Worldwide house to get Hopia. Usually, the MTR fare is more expensive than the Hopia! Go figure.

My feelings for it are tied to my childhood. Whenever Lolo Iking and Lola Dita would go to Ongpin for their usual visit to Po Heng to buy jewelry they'd often bring home packs of Hopia from Holand or Polland. And we'd devour it with gusto.

Growing up, the repertoire expanded to other brands like Marby, Baker's Fair, the freshly cooked hopia at Baker's Kingdom in Rustan's, Salazar, Eng Bee Tin, Bee Bee Tin, among many others.

Later on, I discovered the traditional "Tipas Hopia" which is a mainstay in Jollijeeps in Makati and canteens in Ortigas.

Then eventually, I discovered the Echague Buttercrust Hopia, which is Elsie's fave and eventually became mine, too. Whenever I'd find myself in Trinoma, the Landmark Food Court was a stopover because they had a kiosk there. Eventually, I introduced Echague to the creative team, which they loved as much as I did.

Lately, I found out that they were available for delivery! Which is such a treat because I've been craving for it for quite sometime. In fact, whenever we'd go to Trinoma, I'd pass by the food court to check their kiosk out. (Closed since the start of the CQs. Boo!)

Now, thanks to their Fisher Mall branch, and Pearl and Mayla, this crusty, soft and heavenly item is readily available whenever the cravings hit.

Just like now! (Yup, I had it delivered. So, excuse me while I nosh on some Hopia.)

FMM: Suddenly Summer

And just like that, it's summer once again.

Usually, we'd be planning for our company outing around this time. Or, we'd be planning the creative outing. Or, we'd be planning an outing with D' Frendz or Melrose.

Better yet, Mark and I would probably be in Tokyo, or traveling somewhere.

But like last year, summer will mostly be spent indoors, staying safe. Despite the change in the way we do it, there are still a lot of reasons to love summer.

Which inspired today's Friday Magic Madness song from the musical "Grease" from the 70s.

We might be stuck at home, but that shouldn't stop us from enjoying summer nights. And days, too.

Larson for Less

Back in 2017, Brie Larson had the pictorial wearing this coral-colored Carven dress.

First time I saw this, I really liked the entire dress. From the colour to the cutout, from the asymmetry to the gathering, from the length to the pockets. It's one of those dresses that were deceptively simple, yet very rich in details.

Early last year, I had a flashback after visiting the R.A.F. store in Shangrila Mall. It was because of a dress that they had for their new collection (back then), and the dress looked smashing, but somehow familiar.

Today, after seeing the dress again on their website, the reason why it looked familiar was clear:

Same dress, different brands, different years. 

Well, at least there's a Carven-esque dress that's affordable and accessible in case you want that Larson look for Less.

J. Lo and behold!

This is just a hunch, but i've got this feeling that J. Lo is the celebrity that appeared on the cover of InStyle most times. 

I've got a lot of issues at home with her fronting the magazine, and she's fronting it again this May!

Even if Julia Roberts is my favourite cover girl, J. Lo comes a close second. After all, it was J. Lo on the cover of the issue where I made a small appearance. (Harhar!)

As much as I'd like to buy this issue and expand my J. Lo cover repertoire, I'm not sure where it's available these days.

Major-Major(ico)

Another day, another snacking discovery.

Since way, way, way back then, from the time of Giziku and Stik-O, I’ve been a huge fan of Wafer rolls. Especially Giziku which I would just devour!

When Wafer rolls started, it was usually just chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

But as time went by, more and more flavors were introduced. And from my usual chocolate and strawberry, I, too, have expanded my Wafer Roll repertoire to include these flavors from Majorico which I found at my online Snacker haunt:

Yup, Matcha and Milk Vanilla!

Was it good? 

Yes, Major(ico) good!

Mall-most. But not quite.

Instant gratification.

That’s one of the reasons why i’m such a Mall Rat.

Whether I was in HKG, SG, JPN or here in MNL, the mall was always my happy place.

Back when we were still going to the office, i’d spend a lot of lunch times going to the mall. Then, on my way home, i’d pass by the mall, too. Often with Mark.

Usually, these mall runs would end up with me carrying a bag, or 2, or 3, or 4. Because when i’d see something nice, i’d buy it immediately.

Instant gratification.

That’s why I never got a hang of these shopping sites like Shopee and Lazada. It usually takes too long for it to arrive. And I don’t have patience to wait.

But of course, since the whole CQ situation started, I learned and started to like online shopping. Aside from my default Zalora, of course.

Recently, i’ve been shopping at Lazada, and while some vendors take time to deliver, some are actually very fast. Just like Bench.

After ordering the VB-esque pair of jeans through Lazada, it actually arrived a day after!

It’s not as “Instant Gratification” as a mall, but it’s pretty close.

Mark his expertise

 Here's something that really made my day.

Knowing how hard he worked for his PhD and how hard he works making these presentations and policies, it's always great to see his expertise recognized and shared with the public at-large.

Yup, he's definitely Ichi-Ban!

Elizabeth and James Rocks

So, it;s been more than a month but I still haven’t gone around to write about the Elizabeth and James haul that I got from the US.

Since this collaboration with Kohl’s was announced, i’ve been constantly lurking and hoping to get pieces from the collection. Was hoping to go to the US to get pieces on my own. But since travel has been restricted the past year, that was delayed.

Thankfully, Ate Lissa And Biboy we’re able to get me some pieces from the collection. Then, Biboy sent it to us last February, and now it’s here! Well, it’s been here for months now.

Here’s the first installment of that haul.

It’s an ensemble that rocks. Literally.

The top is a loose David Bowie shirt. (A Pop-rock icon!)

The bottom is a pair of faux-leather paper bag shorts. (faux-leather rocks, too.)

Now, if this doesn’t rock, I don’t know what does.

FMM: Just Be

With so much happening in the world today, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Especially nowadays with so much information - whether we want to see it or not - it's easy to be concerned or worried with what we read and see.

This situation reminds me of a song from the early 90s that we sing a lot in Adformatix videoke sessions. A song from Des'ree which has a very uplifting sound and equally uplifting lyrics. 

It's something that we can listen to and draw inspiration from these days.

The song: "You Gotta Be."

Because these days:

"You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger.

You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm,

You gotta stay together.

All I know, All I know, is Love will save the day."

Love and Faith in Him. Those will save the day. Those will save us.

Checkered. Fast.

Admittedly, whenever someone mentions checkered or tartan dresses, it's Vivienne Westwood that first comes to mind. Especially that tartan dress that she created for Sarah Jessica Parker.

But then again, while she's the top of mind, she doesn't have a monopoly on the print.  

Case in point, these 2 dresses from the Simone Rocha x H&M collaboration.

The first one has very strong Vivienne Westwood vibes. The second one, it's more Simone than Vivienne.

Well, if these dresses don't sell out fast, I just might get them for the Ates.

Fifteen First

This year, Javier celebrates his fifteenth birthday and his first birthday in TX!

Happy Birthday Javi Boy! We look forward to visiting you in Houston soon!

Orange your glad

 This afternoon felt like "eat something orange" day.

My afternoon snack: bright orange Cheese Rings, plus Sola Orange Iced Tea!

Orange you glad I'm having this snack?

I definitely am!

Bench it like Beckham

Upon checking emails, my usual alerts from the Victoria Beckham clothing line popped up. It was an email that introduced their latest collection of denim.

Looking at it closely, it sparked a memory in my head. 

That memory was a pair of denim jeans from Bench which had the same feels as the VB one.

In case you didn't notice, there's a P26,201.00 price difference between the two. That's considering the 2 pairs actually look pretty much the same!

This pair from Bench has been popping up on my screen for some time now. After seeing the VB option, this might be a good time to buy it!

I just might.

Wait. I just did!

Arise!

Today is Easter Sunday!

Arise! Jesus Christ is risen.

This is one of my favourite Bible passages about Easter. My earliest recollection of this as a young adult was in High School during our of our Bible studies in LSQC. This gave me goosies back then, and it still does until now.

Speaking of rising, today also reminds me of one of the songs we'd sing in the choir that I still love until now.

Arise! Shine out,  for your light has come! The Glory of Yahweh is rising on you!

Happy Easter!

Of Biblical Proportions

One of the things that I look forward to during Holy Week are all the religious-themed shows that are airing on Free TV.

As kids, we'd often watch "Jesus of Nazareth" and "Ben Hur", as well as "Jesus Christ Superstar."

Today, I was able to catch the newer version of "Ben Hur." Aside from that, there was a mini-series on-air that which retold Bible stories. 

It was great to relive all the stories again, and this Holy Week is a great time to do it.

FMM: Faith on a Friday

Today is a Good Friday. And it's the 2nd Good Friday that the faithful are remembering the Passion of Christ from our homes.

Normally, Good Friday is spent doing the Visita Iglesia and attending the "Siete Palabras" mass in Churches. 

When we were kids, we'd often spend Good Friday in my Mom's hometown of Malinao, Albay, and we'd walk to the church just across the ancestral home to hear the "Siete Palabras." One of the highlights of that mass in Malinao is how the image of Christ on the cross passes on at the strike of 3:00pm. It's a poignant sight for all the mass goers there.

But while we can't go inside the Church during this time, one thing that this pandemic taught us is that faith is where we practice it. And even if it's been more than a year since I've last heard mass inside a proper Church, hearing it and participating in it online makes our home the House of God as well.

Faith should be boundless, and that's a truism these days. Wherever we may be, if we have Faith, if we practice our Faith, and if we share our Fatih, then He is with us.

This reminds me of one of my favourite Church hymns about Faith. A hymn that we used to sing a lot when I was part of the Grade School and High School choirs. And a fitting Friday Magic Madness song this Good Friday.

As we commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, let's us also keep the Faith.

Humbling

Today is the official start of the Holy Week. 

Maundy Thursday masses usually include the washing of the feet. This is one of the acts that really highlighted the humility of Jesus Christ, as he washed each of the apostles' feet prior to the last supper.

It's a sacred act that also reminds me of the masses that Mark and I attend at the Franciscan Chapel in Ropponggi. They would also have a washing of the feet where the lay ministers would ask the congregation to step forward to have their feet washed.

Humility is really one of the qualities that Jesus lived by that we should also bring into our daily lives, as much as we can.

After all, a little humility can go a long, long way.