Special K

Nope, this isn’t about the Kellog’s Cereal. Admittedly, thoug, i’m a huge fan of that.

This is about the sub-group of D’ Frendz who are K-drama fans. After telling them that i’ve started watching K-dramas on the regular, they’ve gladly welcomed me into their fold.

And Maricar’s Christmas gift definitely made me feel like i’m truly a part of this special group.

It’s a box of Korean goodies!

She told me that I should munch on these the next time I binge-watch a K-drama.

Advice taken, Maricar.

From Baking to Biking

It was sometime in 2020 - the start of the pandemic - that Ate Bullet, Ray and the 2 boys started talking about opening a coffee shop for bikers. 

Ray is an avid bike enthusiast, and part of their trips would be looking for good coffee apres riding. One of their usual haunts was a place in Makati called Kohi Coffee. It was during those rides that they planned of having their own coffee shop one day.

In 2022, that dream finally became a reality with Kuro. And in a few days, they'll celebrate their 1st year.

The shop is located beside the old bakeshop owned by Ray, which is great because they've already built a loyal clientele there. Now, with the influx of bikers, their old bakeshop habitue has expanded. So, it's a good mix of old and new.

Looking back at how they were just discussing this shop, to reading about it here, it's clear that their passion for both baking and biking is what will make Kuro even more successful in the future.

Lilly of the Valley

From the time she appeared in "Lost" in 2004, I've liked Evangeline Lilly.

There's something enigmatic about her personality. It's something that she carries with her in the TV shots and films she's appeared in.

When she appeared as "The Wasp," in "Ant Man" in 2015, the geek in me was thrilled. And seeing that she'll be back this year to reprise her role, well, it's an even bigger thrill.

Please fast forward to February 17 so we can see her on the big screen again!

Cousins x Cousins

Our family is blessed to have cousins who are very close to us. We're so close that even if we haven't seen each other in decades, we catch up as if we just met last week. We pick up where we left off, and it feels like we were never apart.

Yesterday, we had lunch that represented 2 generations of cousins. 

First, Dad & Mom with their cousin, Tita Sally.

Second, Kuya & me with our cousin, Victor.

Victor and I were constant playmates when we were kids. I'd spend weekends at their house in Merville and we'd often bike from Merville to Moonwalk and back. After college, they moved to Canada, and didn't see each other for decades. Actually, last year was the 1st time I saw Victor in more than 30 years.

But as the conversations flowed, it didn't feel like that at all. Again, it felt like picking up where we left off. Both for us and for our parents.

That's the great thing about close cousins.

FMM: Twin Peaks

No, this isn't a post about the Kyla Maclachlan and Sherilyn Fenn series from the 90s. After all, this is a Friday Magic Madness post, so it should be about music.

What this is about it that iconic 80s duo who churned out hit after hit during that time. They were fixtures in America's Top 40 and Top of the Pops.

The Thompson Twins.

My Kuyas would listen to them a lot, that's how their music became familiar to me. Eventually, I'd listen to them on my own.

They had lots of nice songs that are still on my playlist now, but this is the one that's played most often.

"Doctor, Doctor" has that nice combination of a catchy beat, a relaxed rhythm, and well-written lyrics. Just like a lot of 80s ditties.

This is really the time when music was at its peak.

Color Cacophony

The minimalist in me likes monochrome outfits. But there are times when the want to insert many complementing colours in an outfit is so great that it just has to be done. Just like this ensemble:

First, a pair of flat sandals that have 6 different colorus in one design.

To up the colour ante, here’s a pleated skirt from Plains & Prints. The print is composed of varying shades of pink, plus a smattering of Orange, brown and white. This echoes some of the colors on the sandals, which make them a great pair.

The item that will bring it all together is this plain, pink shirt with an interesting sleeve detail.

So much colour. So much chicness!

Yeoh go girl!

Although this happened a few weeks ago, it's still worth mentioning and bannering.

Michelle Yeoh wins her 1st Golden Globes!

It's the first time a Malaysian Actress won this award. And the fact that she won it at 60 years old breaks so, so, SO many glass ceilings.

Certainly, this is just the 1st of many awards for her.

Furry Frenemies

When it's time to visit Ate's house to check on the 2 dogs, this is the sight that usually greets me.

Maybe it's because this is the 1st time Kuro has had another dog live with him, but majority of their time together is spent dog-fighting. Literally.

Kuro often bullies Chunky by biting his ear or legs, or whenever Chunky tries to approach me, he bites Chunky's leg to keep him from coming near me. Then, Chunky retaliates by pouncing on him, since he's the bigger and heavier dog. Methinks it's their way of cementing their friendship.

Ah yes, boys will be boys. Even if they're both furry dogs.

Free the Frida

Even before going on my exchange program in Mexico, I've always been a huge fan of Frida Kahlo and her art.

Being an art fan even as a grade schooler, I'd already look at art books and was always enamoured by her paintings. The colours, vibrance and the occasional surrealism - they were so unique and creative and was uniquely her.

The 2002 film "Frida" was something that I re-watched so many times. And the icing on the "pastel" was going to Mexico and seeing some of her works in person.

Imagine my thrill when Shein came out with a Frida Kahlo collection!

This is so unique and it's the first of its kind in my eyes. Needless to say, several items from this collection have already found itself home.

Further proof that fashion is art.

Loafing Around

Back in the 80s, when most of the kids wore the lace-up Gregg shoes in school, my siblings and I wore something very different.

We wore loafers. Or, penny loafers as they were called back in the day.

These were leather shoes that Tita Evelyn would bring us from Spain. Some were patent leather, some were matte. She would bring one for each one of us, and we'd always enjoy wearing these super comfy shoes.

But because they were uncommon back then, our classmates would sometimes tease us for wearing them. There was a time that my 2 Ates said that their classmates in St. Joseph's College would laugh at them because they were wearing "boy shoes." But that didn't matter to them.

A few years later, particularly in the 90s, loafers became a big thing. You'd be popular in school if you wore "Haruta" shoes, which were loafers from Japan. You could only buy them abroad, although sometimes, Tokyo Hanna in Greenhills would sell them.

Now, more than 40 years after they first came to my consciousness, loafers are back!

Most fast fashion brands have an iteration of these iconic shoes, and people are starting to wear them again. Actually, Ate Bullet was looking for a nice pair of loafers, and thankfully, they had them in Memo. And they had them in her size. And it was an automatic buy!

You really can't loaf around when it comes to trends.

Hei you!

One of the traditional dishes served during Chinese New Year get-togethers is Lo Hei. 

It's like a salad, but with the addition of raw fish like Salmon. It has different options for the dressing, but the more popular one is a sweet and sour, vinaigrette type of sauce that you pour over it.

After the sauce has been poured, the people around the table do what is called as the "Prosperity Toss." 

They all toss the salad together, and the belief is that the higher you toss it, the more good luck everyone gets.

It's been 4 years since I've last had Lo Hei, which was in SG. I've never tried looking for Lo Hei in MNL, although given the number of Cantonese restaurants here, maybe there's one that serves it.

Hey, I should look for that.

FMM: Great Hole of China

Because it's Chinese New Year this weekend, today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by this country where the celebration originated.

No, it's not a Canto-pop song or a traditional Chinese song. It's actually a song from my fave 80s diva, Cyndi Lauper!

This song wasn't as big a hit as her other iconic ditties like "Girls just wanna have fun" or "Time After Time," or even "She Bop." But the first time this song played on-air, it caught my ear and led me to buy a cassette tape back in 1988. It's a song that'll only sound familiar if, like me, you're a Cyndi fan.

"Hole in my Heart, (all the way to China)" has the same upbeat instrumentation and energy of Cyndi's songs. And the premise of having a hole in your heart that goes all the way to China was quirky and clever.

That's a classic and another great song from Cyndi!

Reese’s Piece

Fact: Reese Witherspoon is great with romantic comedies.

She’s just a joy to watch! With her bubbly personality and great timing, she can carry a rom-com with ease. Problem is, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her in one.

Thankfully (said in her high pitch Elle Woods voice) that’ll change this February 10.

She’s coming out in a new Netflix rom-com!

Make it February 10 now, please! I so want to see this piece of film,

LFTAT: Triple Double

Compared to their Purple Sales, this year is a bit of a “slim pickings” scenario. The items that caught my eye aren’t available in Ate’s size, and the ones that are in her size are items that she already had.

There was this one piece in Plains & Prints Ali Mall that caught my eye and was a great buy. It’s a two-piece set consisting of a shift dress and a tulle skirt, and it can be worn in three different ways:

First, it can be worn as a drew with an outer skirt made of tulle. This gives it a slight peek-a-boo feel.

Second, the tulle skits can be worn underneath to give the dress a drop-waist, flapper vibe.

Third, for a casual weekend, the shirt dress can be worn on its own.

Imagine getting 3 looks for less than a thousand. Now, that’s a great deal!

Va-va-villains

On its onwnthe film "Shazam" and the upcoming "Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods," isn't really something I"m into.

Then, I saw the trailer:

Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as the villains?

Where to I line up for tickets.

Period

As someone who has always been interested in history, period shows are always on top of my Netflix watch list.

Even before Netflix, in terms of books and other reading materials, stories of ancient civilizations have always been my staple. From Edith Hamilton’s “Mythology” to books on Egypt and Perisa - those were my go-tos.

That’s why this series is something appealed to me when it first played in the trailer suggestions on Netflix.

I’ve been interested in the Viking culture since Asterix. And this series shows the intricacies of the Viking culture in a vivid - and sometimes violently dramatic way.

Which makes it so interesting to watch.

Denim Duo

It’s been about 2 months since I snagged these items from Plains and Prints. Then I realized they haven’t been given the acknowledgement they deserve.

Denim is a big part of their Holiday collection. And it’s not the overly heavy denim, but the light, almost chambray one’s that can be sculpted and molded into more fashionable pieces. Like these two:

First is a denim dress with front buttons like a shirt dress.

What’s nice and different about this is the extended sleeves that really up the design a notch.

Second, this vest and shorts ensemble.

Ate has been eyeing this since she saw it on the Lookbook. Thankfully Jhoan was able to find me a pair! It’s a take on the tailored suit, but more casual and daily wear worthy.

This dynamic duo is definitely a worthy addition to Ate’s closet.

FMM: What's in a name

Thanks to my post about Toni yesterday, a Friday Magic Madness song suddenly popped up in my head.

Particularly because of the lyrics: "Toni, Toni, bo-boni, Banana-fana, fo-foni, Me, my, mo, mo-ni, Toni!"

That song, of course, is Laura Branigan's 1987 hit: "Name Game."

This is no game. This song is so catchy! And LSS-inducing as well.

Class Act

It feels just like yesterday when the semester started.

And yesterday, one of my classes wrapped up!

As always, i’m Impressed by the level of knowledge and talent my students possess. And to think they;re just 2nd year students!

This class has a bright future ahead of them.

Toni Award

It would be an understatement to say that my heart was swelling with pride after seeing this poster online.

My niece, Toni, is an advertisement! And as an advertising practitioner, this is such a thrill to see a family member in an allied field in advertising.

Toni has actually been making waves for years now on Tiktok. We knew she was popular, but it was further cemented by these 2 instances:

One, a number of my officemates are followers and are pretty much updated about the goings-on in Toni's life. Sometimes, they know more than I do! (Mainly because I'm not on Tiktok.)

Two, some of the sales people at Forever 21 in SM Megamall know her. Last October, when I was buying a gift for her at the store, I showed them Toni's photo to confirm her size. One of the sales people said: "Si Toni Rose po yan, di ba? Bakit niyo siya ibibili ng gift?" It was odd to have to explain to a stranger why I'm buying a gift for a family member.

Then again, even as a kid, she had a personality that you know would really thrive and make it big. And her many projects, including this recent one, is just proof of that.

What the "F" - yet again

You'd think that "platform" is an easy word to spell, right?

Apparently not.

Proofreader, please!

LFLTAT: Fashionable slant

Jeans with interesting details always catch my eye. Whether it's a pair for men or women, anything out of the ordinary - from the fabric, construction and style - is sure to make me buy that pair.

Case in point is this pair of blue jeans from Surplus Shop. It's a classic, straight-cut jean with a dark blue wash. But if you think it's your typical pair, check out the slanted waist band that's on top of another waist band.

It's such an interesting detail. I've had similar jeans from HKG before, but they usually look like 2 layers of denim. This one goes beyond the usual, and the slant makes it more fashionable.

To make that detail pop-out, I got this dark coloured top, also from Surplus Shop.

Great thing about this pair is that it just cost P850 in total!

Shiok value!

Roti has long been a favourite. From the first sample of this classic SG/MY staple, it's become a craving whenever my travels take me to these 2 countries.

In the Philippines, the satisfaction of my Roti fix usually comes from Banana Leaf. They have really good Roti and curry dip, and it's the default order when we eat at that resto.

Last week, Mark and I discovered a new place where we can indulge in Roti.

Roti Shop is a new place we discovered at The Podium. It serves different types of Roti, as well as the usual SG and MY staples. These include Mee Goreng, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Bak Kut Teh, Milo Dinosaur, among others.

It's so awesome to have something like this so close to the office. Or, as they say in SG, this place is so...

Fantastic at 57

To quote Fr. Xavier who officiated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary: “Sa mga nagsasabing walang forever, Eton, mamatay kayo sa inggit.”

Today, my parents are celebrating their 57th Wedding Anniversary!

To paraphrase Carl's message some 7 years back, Mom and Dad really set the bar high when it comes to long-lasting relationships. They're both an inspiration and a benchmark that the Morales kids aspire for.

How fantastic is that?

LFLTAT:A surprise underneath

This might look like your regular denim skirt and blouse ensemble that’s less than a thousand bucks.

The top is a GU shirt with flutter sleeves that I got from one of my haunts. The denim skirt is from Lazada.

So, what’s surprising about this look?

Tadaa! The skirt is actually a skort!

That’s more surprising than the fact that this look is just P700 in total.

FMM: Not imagining things

When Gywneth Paltrow came out with her "Duets" album back in the year 2000, one of the most played tracks for me was "Just my Imagination (Running away from me). It was her duet with Babyface, and it made for this very soothing R&B track.

It was a few years after that I found out that the original singer of this track was the iconic group from the 60s - The Temptations.

After listening to their version of the same song, it became one of those moments when the original was def much better than the remake. That's why it's today's Friday Magic Madness song.

The original version from the 70s had a lot more soul and emotions. Might be because they were the original artists, but they understood and its mood a lot more than Gywneth and Babyface.

And I'm not just imagining that.

Scents of Christmas

Seems to me like my friends has the same thought when they were buying my Christmas presents.

These bottles of perfumes were all gifts!

Looks like it’s going to be a very fragrant year,

Or two. Or three.

Long overdue, part trois

Here’s another overdue get together that finally happened during Christmas break.

Before the pandemic, we’d often go out for lunch - either at Aysee’s, JT’s Manukan, Hainanese Delights or any restaurant with unlimited Korean BBQ. Aside from creativity, we all shared a passion for food, travel, funny stories, and just plain old Kaniguan.

It’s been almost 3 years since we last saw Miggy. While the last time that Ed and Migs joined us for lunch was Christmas 2021.

Great to see these kids again. And what’s even greater is how our creative bond has flourished even if we’re in different agencies now.

Long overdue, part deux

It was Christmas 2019 when D' Frendz last got together at Mona's house.

Now, as we welcome New Year 2023, we were back at Mona's house with some of D' Frendz who I haven't seen in more than 2 years!

Gosh! The kids are all grown-up now! Especially Lucas and Becca!

It took time before we saw each other, so thanks to the New Year for allowing us to meet each other again.

Utterly Fabulous

This is the Kdrama series I've been watching that inspired last week's Friday Magic Madness song.

"The Fabulous" is a series set in the fashion world. The 4 main characters are all in the fashion industry.  Ji-eun works for a PR agency handling luxury brands, Woo-min is a photographer and a retoucher who works with fashion shoots, Seon-ho is a Supermodel, and Joseph is a fashion designer.

After watching the first episode, I was hooked! In fact, it took me just 2-3 days to finish the 8 episodes in this series.

What made this show even more watchable was Park Hee-Jung. Her role as Supermodel Seon-ho is so natural to her, mainly because she's a real-life Supermodel.

This is such a fun series to watch that I've re-watched it once. And I have no plans of stopping just yet.

So, like the FMM song, this series is: "Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fabulous!"

Wheeee! It's 2023!

Another year is upon us! And we face it with renewed hope that we'll have an even better year than 2022.

As promised, the family celebrated in varying shades of Pantone's colour of the year - Viva Magenta!

May we all have a more blessed and bountiful 2023! Happy New Year!