Eleventh Hour

Of course, no trip to Japan would be complete without the mandatory 7-11 food shot.

While at Shisui Outlets, saw a 7-11 tucked in one of the corridors. After realising that I haven't had a 7-11 meal yet, it was clear that this was the time to do it. Ended up with a sandwich, onigiri and - of course - Fanta Grape!

Convenience really is more delicious in Japan!

Just my Luck

Another cool discovery during this trip to Japan.

We saw this store called "Luck Rack" at the Aeon Mall near Kaihinmakuhari station. It was a big store with racks and racks of different types of clothing. In addition, there are shelves and shelves of shoes, accessories and what-have-yous.

Going through the racks, they sold Japanese brands, including iconic ones like Edwin Jeans. The prices are very low, with most of the items being 70% off the original price.

Upon asking, the staff told me that this is where the Japanese stores send their off-season items to be disposed. So, it's pretty much like the Marshall's or Ross of Japan.

There were so many nice items that it was difficult to choose what to buy. Eventually, the blouses they had were so cool and chic that the bag in the photo ended up being packed with blouses. That included 2 sheer blouses, 2 bomber jackets in tulle, and a two-fer blouse.

Next time I'm in Japan, I'll try my luck here again.

FMM: Harp-ing on it

When you think of harps, first thing that comes to mind are classic and historic scenes. When you watch films about Greek gods and Greek times, you'll usually find a harpist somewhere.

When you think of harps, you think of classical music. Something very high end and elegant.

But Tadao Hayashi changed that. This Japanese harpist who made the Philippines his home was one person who made the harp very hip, young and accessible.

Dad had a cassette tape of Tadao Hayashi, and we'd often play it on weekends. 

One of my faves is "Wave," which is a very complicated piece. But with Tadao's expert hands, he made it sound so effortless.

And that's why this classic from the 80s is today's Friday Magic Madness song.

Meals with Mark: Tako-yummy

Well, this isn't really our first meal. It's more of a first appetiser.

At Aeon Mall, we spotted Gindaco at the food court. Since Takoyaki is one of our go-to snacks in Japan, it's what we decided to have.

Just like how we'll never get enough of traveling to Japan, we'll also never get enough of Takoyaki.

Hope Springs

Nope, this isn't about that Meryl Streep film.

It's about the fun of staying somewhere new in a familiar place.

Like Hotel Springs Makuhari.

On this trip, Mark and I stayed at Makuhari for the first time. It's an area nearer Narita Airport, and it's a pretty quiet but complete. It has a lot of restaurants, a big supermarket, a major train station, and an outlet mall.

Yes, an outlet mall just 5 minutes away from the hotel.

This place is so nice, we wouldn't mind staying here again. And hope that happens very soon.

Bot first, coffee

Talk about automation taken to a new level.

Now, there's even a robot barista!

Found this kiosk at SM Megamall, and saw people ordering out of curiosity.

Can a robot make coffee as good as a person can? We have to try it out first, though.

Meal with a view

It's been a while since my last Tagaytay trip.

Thanks to an ocular meeting a week ago, was finally able to have lunch with this view again.

Tagaytay never grows old.

When life gives you Delimons

This is one of my core memories from my childhood days in Bicol.

We went to a nearby sari-sari store and there was a big jar of multi-coloured candies covered in sugar. The bright hues made it instantly attractive, and my curiosity was piqued.

It turned out that they were candies called "Delimon."

I'm not sure where the name came from. Maybe because of the lemon-y undertones of the candy. But since then, I'd go back and forth to that little store near Lolo's beach house and buy these candies. The tindera would carefully roll a phone directory page and put the delimon inside.

Haven't been to a sari-sari store nor seen delimon in my recent trips to Bicol. But next time I'm going there, this will definitely be part of the agenda.

Filling the fashion GAP

Here's today's discovery from YouTube.

Zac Posen is now the Executive Creative Director for GAP!

And we're talking about the GAP group - Banana Republic, Old Navy & Athleta.

It would be interesting to see where Zac is going to take these iconic brands. But admittedly, his entry comes at a good time since these brands need to up their fashion game - especially against the H&M and Inditex groups.

Can't wait to see his first collection when it drops here in MNL.

FMM: The real McCoy

This Friday Magic Madness thing has been going on for more than a decade. After looking back, there was one surprising revelation.

One of my all time fave songs hasn't been featured as an FMM yet!

That changes today.

Presenting Van McCoy!

"The Hustle" is such an iconic song, especially for the dancing set. It's a must-play ditty whenever there are dance parties - both then and now. Hard to believe that this song is turning 50 this year.

Time to hustle again.

Cat-chy cuisine

Speaking of cats...

When we had lunch at Kodawari a few weeks ago, this poster automatically caught my eye:

The whole thing is SO Japanese! From the text, to the layout, to the cute dish with a cat-shaped rice, looking at it transported me to Tokyo.

Mush as I wanted to order this, ended up going for a noodle dish.

But I'll be back for this plate of cuteness.

Watch it!

During my cleaning session during the Holidays, one of my discoveries was the fact that there were a lot of watches scattered around the room.

So, this weekend, I was able to go to the watch shop to get new batteries for them.

Now, I've got 6 watches to add to my rotation.

LFLTAT: Rocking it!

For this year's first LFLTAT, here's an ensemble that I've put together for Mother Lyli.

Being one of the original fashionistas in DY&R-A, she's always been partial to interesting outfits. She's also into jeans. So, this look is right up her alley.

The jeans are the classic wide-legged jeans in dark denim, bought at Penshoppe. And the top is a rocker-chick chic top with a mesh overlay and a rock-band graphic, snagged at The SM Store.

Putting together LFLTATs really rock!

Super Cat!

Started the week with this super cute sighting outside the office.

It looks like a cat in flight.

Or, it can look like a cat stretching after a nap.

Either way, the cat must be feeling super.

Blackpink

Nope, this isn't about the wildly popular Korean girl group.

It's about this find from the Purple Sale at R.A.F.

The interplay of colours of this piece make it interesting. The sweetness of the pink and the strength of the black provides a visual counterpoint that elevates the look.

And if you think that's all this piece has to offer, think again:

Yes! A reveal! 

The pink part of the dress is actually a playsuit!

Being a fan of two-fers, this dress was definitely a must buy.

Whether you're feeling pink or black, R.A.F. has it!

One pant, two ways: Jean-etics

There's this pair of jeans from Terranova that's been sitting in "the stash" for a time. Mainly because there wasn't a perfect top to go with it. That time, at least.

But after a weekend at the mall, this pair finally found its perfect top.

Two actually.

First is this denim button down from Black Sheep. The collar detail elevates the look of this one.

Second is this knitted turtle neck to from Memo. It looks so luxe and classy.

And with a change of the top, this pair jeans went from youthful to lady-like.

FMM: Stoned

Been seeing a lot of Cyndi Lauper on youtube these days.

She's been doing the rounds to promote her farewell tour. It was a surprise at first, but when she mentioned that she's already 70 years old and just wants to choose her gigs, it was totally understandable.

Let me just pause for a moment to marvel at the fact that she's 70 years old! And she doesn't look it!

So, for today's Friday Magic Madness song, let me play one of her underrated songs from 1992.

"The World is Stone," isn't as popular as her mega hits. But there's something about this song that's both haunting and lyrical. And it showcases her vocal prowess beautifully.

This is one of the reasons why I'm such a huge fan of her.

Best Beth

Dad has been binge-watching "Yellowstone." And since I'm in close proximity to the TV while working, it can't be helped to watch along with him.

It's a very riveting series. Whilst the plot is very American - cowboys in Montana - the plot and characters are very relateable.

One of the characters that makes this series so great to watch is Beth Dutton. 

She's the only daughter of John Dutton. She's a headstrong woman who doesn't take anything from anyone. She has a bad temper and a foul mouth. She's very confrontational. But if you look at where all this is coming from, it's coming from a place of love, which makes her character very endearing.

It was great to see her growth from the 1st season to the 5th, and her character arc was so well-made. And her acting gave justice to that.

Kudos to Kelly Reilly for this character. Beth is definitely one of the best things about "Yellowstone."

Sale away

Me: I'm just going to take a quick peek inside Plains & Prints' Purple Sale.

Also me:

Can't blame me, though. Their sales are always top notch.

H-bomb

"Spaghetti" should be an easy word to spell, right?

Right?

Makes me wonder where the "h" went. Was it his day off? Did he fall into the spaghetti?

Proofreader, please.

City of confusion

Had to go back and look at this frame from an online video that passed through my feed.

Had to look at it again, then screenshot it just to be sure.

After much examination, my hunch is correct. The city that they identified as "Bangkok" is actually Hong Kong! Having lived there for 4 years, those neon signs jutting out from office buildings are quintessential HKG.

The editor must've been confused.

Sweet Memories

Seeing this photo on-line just gave me so much feels.

These are the sweets that I grew up with. 

We'd either buy them at Unimart, at the Camp Crame commissary, and some of them were available at our neighbourhood sari-sari stores owned by Mommy Gallegos and Aling Ensa & Aling Leony.

Luckily, a lot of these are still available now. My super faves aren't available anymore, though. That's Bensons eclairs, Big Boy bubble gum, Bazzoka Joe with the free comic, and Eisbon Cola.

Hopefully, some company will bring them back.

Be-mused

When we met up for our post-Christmas D' Frendz get-together at Mona's house, this very chic sight caught my eye.

Mona and Maricar as muses!

Incidentally, they were both wearing fuchsia blouses that I gave them. Both Mona and Maricar have a strong and fun sense of style, so it's always a joy finding outfits for them.

Like their outfits, true friendship never goes out of style.

FMM: A Propaganda piece

Whenever Friday Magic Madness comes along, it's inevitable that the 80s will be mentioned with it. After all, there's so, so, SO much great music from the 80s.

From the mainstream artists to more obscure singers and groups, there's such a breadth of awesome musical talent going around.

One of my fave 80s songs is this very memorable ditty from an lesser-known 80s group called Propaganda. In 1985, they had this hit song entitled "Duel."

Until know, the lines "the first cut won't hurt at all, the 2nd always makes you wonder, the 3rd will have you on your knees, you start leaving, I start screaming," is still etched in my mind. Mainly because it's so visual and beautifully written.

This is a propaganda material that's worth getting into.

Layered Mousse

Here's another way to wear Mocha Mousse.

Dropped by Surplus Shop last week and saw this cool dress.

It had this layered effect, with an overskirt wrapping around the waist of a shirt dress. But it's just one piece, so it's not fussy to wear. 

To keep the colour story going, the shoes are chocolate brown loafers from The SM Store.

It's layers upon layers of chic!

Styled with Mousse

Not hair mousse, though.

It's all about Mocha Mousse this year.

Was digging through "the stash" during the Christmas break, and found this uber fashionable combo that has Mocha Mousse as the main colour.

The dress is from Stella, and this dress is almost a decade old. But look at how chic and classic this design is. Then, the gold accessory is from Forever 21, also almost a decade old.

True style is really timeless.

Bringing Bahru

Gosh! It's been 5 years since my last SG visit.

This year will definitely be the year I'll go back.

In the meantime, let me have my fill of SG feels.

Yup, Tiong Bahru bakery is finally open.

Delicious, lah!

Squid-ding aside

Netflix is serious about marketing.

For the launch of Squid Games 2, they turned Robinsons Galleria into a Squid Game hallway.

Well played, Netflix. Well played.

No(kia) kidding

After seeing this New Year greeting, it was clear that this had to be the one I'll be sending out to my friends.

For those who know Nokia and was part of that generation, this was the exact same way we'd send out our New Year greetings.

Those days were fun.

F&F

Nope, this isn't about the in-house fast-fashion brand of Tesco.

(Gosh, it's still a bummer that they don't have that brand in MNL anymore.)

It's about how today was spent.

Still on Christmas mode, today was a get-together day with 2 groups of people who have been part of my life - and holiday celebrations - for ages.

FRENDZ!

We were almost complete today. We gathered at Mona's house - per usual - and marvelled at how the kids have grown and how many stories we missed in the years we haven't seen each other. (This was my first time to see Rona and TinTin in 5 years!)

FACULTY!

It;s also been a while since our last get together as a Mass Comm faculty. This was actually the first time in a long time that we were able to gather this big a group. 

Of course, we all had our share of classroom stories to tell. And admittedly, the half day we were together wasn't enough to talk about all the shenanigans.

So, to sum up today, I'll also use an F word.

FANTASTIC!

FMM: Something New

How about something "new" for the New Year?

Let's bring out one of the definitive boy groups of the 80s - New Edition!

"Cool it now" is one of the biggest hits of 1984, and it was all over the place! It was on radio, being performed on TV shows, and of course, in America's Top 10.

Can't blame them, though.

This song is definitely cool.

Tapsi-Truvy

An important realisation on the 1st day of work:

Lyli hasn't tried Rodic's TapSiLog yet.

Say no more:

We went to the nearest Rodic's so Lyli can sample the restaurant that sustained me and other UP students during our Diliman days.

As expected, they did not disappoint.

This really is the taste of nostalgia.

Back at one

Today, we usher in another year.

It's day one of month one.

As we start another new year, we start more opportunities to better ourselves, be more generous, be a blessing to other people, and make 2025 the best year for us.

Happy New Year!