For the fee

Banofeee, to be exact.

Here's another discovery from SG.

Yup, Nissin has Banoffee wafers!

While it's not as good and flavourful as the Banoffee pie of Banapple, it's a good snack if you want a lighter version of that.

On Cloudz

Nope, this isn't about the shoe brand.

It's about this Skittles permutation.

Discovered this during our trip to SG last month, and I"m so glad I was able to buy a few packs. It's so good!

But I'll take the Wild Berry Skittles anytime.

FMM: Hook-ed, Line and Sinker

In the continuing saga of "Why don't we have more Dr. Hook songs on Friday Magic Madness."

The other Dr. Hook song that's on repeat on my playlist is this 1979 hit.

It's one of those songs with a long title. "When you're in love with a beautiful woman" is a nice, chill and Sunday-vibe kind of ditty. But it's also something that you can play every day and anytime.

Guess that's what happens when you love a song.

Crazy Commute

Maybe it was because of the sudden rains, but commuting was cray-cray yesterday.

This was the MRT chaos that greeted me in Ayala Station.

Decided not to even attempt riding the MRT and just took the bus carousel. Surprisingly, that commute was much easier and faster.

Lyli echoed this sentiment and told me that their commute home yesterday what crazy, too.

Hope this is just a glitch.

A Walk in the Parqal

After seeing it on YouTube so many times, we finally got to visit Parqal.

It's a nice and spacious mall, much, much different from what we think what malls are supposed to be.

Then again, it's very far and requires investing time to visit.

But once stores are open, I'm going to go back and visit this place again soon.

That's Brave

Shin Hae Sun is one of the most versatile and fun to watch actresses in KDrama land.

Whether she's doing a lead or a support role, she really stands out and makes her mark.

She was awesome in "Still 17" and "Mr. Queen," and it showed her ability to shine in dramas and comedies.

But look, she can also do action!

Hope they bring "Brave Citizen" to Netflix soon.

Fresh Pomelo

So, it's true.

Pomelo is now in MNL!

This popular Thai fast fashion brand opened its first branch in Glorietta, and it's a spacious store with a lot of good stuff.

Will drop by and pick some stuff from this brand soon.

It's the S!

No, this isn't a post about Skechers.

It's about this funny bag.

You'll know it when you see it.

Yes, one letter can make all the difference.

My name is Lucca

No, this isn't a Suzanne Vega post.

It's about my current go-to buy at Landers.

As a fan of both berry flavours and wafer sticks, this Cafe De Lucca Mixed Berry wafer sticks is totally up my alley. It has the right amount of crunch, and the berry flavour is both sweet and tart at the same time.

Berry nice indeed!

FMM: Yes, you May

While OPM during the 80s was top tier, the 90s also had their share of glory days.

That decade could be described as the decade of the belters. There were so many singers with extremely powerful voices filling the airwaves. They would sing pop songs, jazz songs, even ballads, and they used their powerful pipes to give their unique touch to the songs.

One of my personal faves was Ella May Saison. Yes, the lady who popularized this iconic ballad:

"Till my heartaches end," is a study in contrasts. The lyrics were heartbreaking, but the melody was uplifting. The story was quiet, but the singer was powerful. No surprise that this was one of the biggest hits of 1996.

Gosh! That means this song is almost 30 years old. It feels just like yesterday when we were listening to this on a CD!

I'm so glad that this ditty is on youtube. So we may listen to it again.

Throwback Travel Thursdays

Was cleaning my bookshelf and saw this!

It's the travel article I wrote for Mabuhay magazine almost a decade ago.

Gosh! It's been years since my last visit to the places in this article. I've been to HKG several times, but never had the time to go to the outskirts (where these 3 places are.)

Makes me wonder if these places are still there. 

(The Lane Crawford outlet in Ap Lei Chau is still there, according to my friend.)

Coming in for a Landing

Thought of watching this film on Netflix since it appeared on the homepage.

Boy, it was a great decision!

"A Balloon's landing," is a Taiwanese film that's set both in Taiwan and HKG, two places that are close to my heart.

And heartfelt this film was.

It's a beautifully crafted and melded story of love, heartbreak, heartache and a dash of magic. It was well written and well acted, and it's worth watching again. And again. And again.

Yup, this film definitely landed.

All about the Bass

No, this isn't a Meghan Trainor post.

It's about this hat that I've been seeing everyone wear these days.

Yes, it's cute and retro and all, but must EVERYONE wear it at the same time?

Monday Mood

This cat outside the studio captures the mood for the day.

Oh, if we could only be as carefree and cozy as this cat.

LFLTAT: Calliope calling

Was finally able to visit Calliope in UP Town Center again, and it feels like ages since my last visit there.

Maybe because it really has been ages.

The visit did not disappoint.

They still had a sale rack with items up to 70% off, and this ensemble is a product of that sale.

The dress is this classic striped shirtdress in a cotton material. The side ties give it an edge and lifts it. 

The sandals are these Grecian-flats which goes well with the relaxed vibe of the dress.

This outfit is perfect for a place like Santorini. And it's less than a thousand!

Two tones of style

Unpopular opinion: I'm totally onboard with the Canadian Tuxedo.

While some people might find denim-and-denim too much, I'm from the belief that it's actually cool and a great easy-reach outfit.

Plains & Prints - with their recent DNM studies collaboration - has its own take on this trend.

It's a denim top and skirt. The top is a jumper-style top with buttons in front. The strap can be brought up or to the side to give it 2 look options. The skirt has two-tones of denim, which is a good breaker.

Here's another proof that denim-on-denim is a look you can pull off with style.

FMM: Burnettes have more fun

As a kid, there was a song that was often featured in commercials. The most notable one was for a shampoo brand for kids, and there was a little girl having fun while the song in the background played.

The lyrics were "you're all ribbons and pearls, oh what a girl, eyes that sparkle and shine, you're 16, you're beautiful and you're mine."

Turns out that this song was a hit song from 1956 by a singer named Johnny Burnette. 

"You're sixteen, you're beautiful and you're mine" is such an iconic and fun song. It's so fun and iconic that it was later remade by a lot of artists, including Ringo Starr.

But like many songs, the original is often still the best.

Organized chaos

Whoever said that you can't mix too many prints have obviously not seen this dress.

This maxi-dress is so pretty! Despite the fact that it's covered in so many random prints, it doesn't look garish or chaotic  The prints actually work with each other to give this dress a modern and fashionable boho vibe.

See, chaos can be beautiful.

Color Story: Life's a Peach

Here's a nice example of a high-low combination, brought together by one of my fave colours - Peach.

The top is from Zara. It's a cable knit top with a nice organza ribbon detail on the neck. The skirt is from Plains & Prints, and is an A-line skirt with an overlap detail and an interesting print.

This combination lends itself well to either a party or a casual weekend. Whilst the designs look a bit party-ish, it's the peach colour that grounds it and makes it feel more like an everyday outfit.

Perfect!

Purr-esh picks!

When Mom and I went to Farmer's Market to buy fruits last Sunday, this scene automatically caught my eye.

Yup. This cat is the boss of the fruit stand.

With the way the cat is positioned on top of the fresh fruits, I'd say this shot is Purr-fect!

A (quick) change will do you good

One of the best pieces from the Plains & Prints x Raxenne collection is - get this - a freebie!

Yup, one of the perks of buying pieces from this collaboration is the fact that you'll get this denim bag.

What's amazing about it is the fact that it isn't just a denim bag. With a quick zip, it turns into this:

A vest!

Now, this gives the term "two-in-one" a totally different meaning.

Blue & Blooms

This is one of the ensembles that instantly caught my eye from the Plains & Prints x Raxenne collaboration.

The pants are made of soft denim and has botanical prints on it. The top is a muscle shirt made of this washed denim looking material.

With this pairing, you get an outfit that's feminine but not too girly, floral, but with an edge. Any way you wear it, you'll surely look blooming.

Bayo metrics

There was a time when the clothing brand Bayo was all the rage and all the girls wanted to wear clothes from this brand.

But as more international fast fashion brands rolled in, local brand, including Bayo, seem to have lost its footing. This is true in my case as well. Before, a mall trip would be incomplete without dropping by a Bayo store. But now, trips to their stores are few and far between.

Out of curiousity, I dropped by their Shangrila Mall store just to see what's inside. First to catch my attention was a sale rack, and it had this fab find hidden in between skirts and blouses.

It's a maxi dress with a unique print which turns out to be an artwork by an artist named Ella Pangilinan. It had a nice material, design and length, and price, of course. Plus it has this very chic detail.

Yup, it's an open back.

With all these going for it, the dress was suddenly in a bag, and a few days later, with Ate Bullet.

This is my sign to visit Bayo more often.

FMM: Beguine here

Since we talked about Ella Fitzgerald during last week's Friday Magic Madness feature, let's continue the topic and talk about another one of her popular songs.

In 1956, she released an album entitled "Ella Fitzgerald sings the Cole Porter Song Book." 

Cole Porter was a popular songwriter in the 1930s, and one of his most famous hits was also popularized by Ella Fitzgerald.

"Begin the Beguine" has been sung and performed so many times through many decades by so many big artists. From Artie Shaw's instrumental version, to Perry Como's laid-back version, to Julio Iglesias' Spanish version.

But thanks to her voice and vocal styles, Ella Fitzgerald's version is still the best for me.

Carpe(t) diem

The carpet in Terminal 1 of Changi Airport is super pretty!

It's like a celestial pattern, and it almost feels like its moving. 

Amazing how a simple carpet can elevate an airport.

Meals with Mark: To bee or not to bee

Initially, we were planning to try Saizeriya in SG. But because the bus we rode passed another route, this is where we ended up having dinner.

Jollibee in SG!

They've been in SG for a while, and we've had trips here before. But we never got around to trying the SG version of this Pinoy icon.

Verdict. The spaghetti in the Philippines is much, much better. The SG version lacks the sweetness, cheesiness and meatiness of the Pinoy version. But the chicken - according to Mark - is spot on.

Ergo, we still prefer Jollibee at home.

Meals with Mark: Rico Nando's

Only 80s kids will get the reference.

While we're in SG, one of the restos that was in my list for Mark to try was Nando's.

This restaurant is wildly popular in South Africa, and serves peri-peri style chicken. What makes them popular is the choice of sauces that you can pair with your chicken.

I've tried this before and was very happy with their meals. The chicken is super tender and flavourful, and the sauces give it a different zing.

That's why the next time we're in SG again, we'll have this battlecry:

Just Nando It!

We're gonna Saur

There wasn't a set agenda when we decided to go to SG this weekend. But for me, there was one thing that we had to check out.

The Jurassic World exhibit at Gardens by the Bay!

I'm a dinosaur geek. My dream as a kid was to be an archaeologist and dig up dinosaur bones. My book shelf had dinosaur books and toys. There would be the occasional dinosaur poster on wall. So, yes, I'm that guy.

Having seen "Jurassic Park" countless times, the thought of seeing these dinosaurs live - albeit animatronic ones - was an exciting proposition. So, that's how Mark and I spent our Saturday morning - hanging out with these prehistoric giants.

It made my geeky heart soar!

Meals with Mark: Bollywood Breakfast

For our first breakfast in SG, we thought of having something local.

There are a lot of Indian restaurants and canteens around SG, and luckily, there's one at the corner of our hotel. So, it was settled. Breakfast was Indian food.

Mark had chapati while my choice was roti with egg. Of course, both were served with curry. Mark had coffee, while it was my go-to Iced Milo for me.

This was a great way to start our SG weekend soujourn.

FMM: Ella, ella, eh, eh,

Nope, this isn't a post about Rihanna's "Unbrealla." After all, this is a Friday Magic Madness day.

It's about Ella Fitzgerald. Yes, the iconic Queen of Jazz.

Since we had records and cassette tapes of Ella at home, her music made an impression on me even as a little boy. Her voice, vocal stylings and songs impressed me - even as a kid.

One of the songs I'd always replay is this 1950s song that she sang with Louis Armstrong.

"Dream a little dream of me" is a song that's just like its title. 

It's dreamy in more ways that one.