ManiLag*

* ManiLag - The same effect as jetlag, but only occurs during my MNL-HKG trips.

This is strange since i've always been immune to jetlag.

My friends from Europe, Mexico and the US have always been amazed at how my body is never caught up in that funk. Surprisingly, my body adapts automatically to my surroundings - whether here or there. One time, I flew about 22 hours from Mexico, arrived in Manila at 1am, then reported to work at 7am. Everyone was amazed at how "Energizer Bunny-ish" I still was the whole day, and they said that the jetlag will kick in after a day or so. But it never did.

But whenever I come back to Hong Kong from Manila, there's this feeling of exhaustion that hangs around for a day or two. This afternoon, Kath came into my room and asked: "Are you alright? You look absolutely tired." My reply was: "I flew in from Manila this morning." She gave that knowing smile and said: "That figures. You're all partied out."

That's partly true. Since my move here, I've noticed that every Manila trip is a race to make every minute of the day count. Everyday is spent trying to see as many friends, go to as many places, watch as many movies, and spend as much quality time with my family. And this usually requires me to wake up very early in the morning, and sleep so late at night. It's as if my system wants to take in as much Manila as it can so it'll survive the next 3 or 4 weeks of seeing nothing but HK.

On a typical homecoming weekend, I wake up at around 6:30am to hang out with my folks, siblings and the little ones. When 10am strikes, and the malls are open, I quickly hie off to my favorite haunts to do some serious window shopping. Must-not miss places include Robinson's Galleria, Ayala Center, Megamall and Greenhills - in that order. Somewhere in between, there's a schedule to meet up with former colleagues, classmates, friends, the Melrose gang, and of course, D' Frendz. Then in the evening, it's movie time. I prefer watching movies here because my eyes don't have to be distracted and contend with the ubiquitous Chinese subtitles. If there are a lot of good movies, I find myself watching 2 to 3 a day, but if not, 1 will suffice, and that's usually during the last full show.

Given this packed schedule, I go home past midnight. That is unless friends still want to meet up for coffee, and that will require me to come home around 2am. The result, an average of 4 hours of sleep a day for the whole weekend. Now, it's no wonder why i'm this exhausted. But of course, I don't mind because there's really no experience like being home. No matter how sophisticated, how modern, or how first world the cities I go to are, there's really no place like Manila.

I feel a song coming...

"Hinahanap-hanap kita Manila, ang ingay mong kay sarap sa tenga.
Mga jeepney nagliliparan, Mga babae mong nag-gagandahan,
take me back in your arms, Manila.
And promise me you'll never let go. Promise me you'll never let go.
Manila. Manila."

Whilst ManiLag leaves me feeling so tired for 2 days, I definitely don't mind subjecting myself to this every week. Feeling tired is one thing, but feeling tired because you spent so many wonderful hours seeing wonderful people and places back home is well worth the exhaustion.

During my trip to Manila 2 weeks ago, I was so ManiLagged that upon arriving home after work, the only thing I was able to do was put down my bag, then it was off to dreamland. That evening, I fell asleep wearing the exact same clothes worn on the trip from MNL to HKG, and the exact same clothes worn to work. That means, that night's sleepwear consisted of a shirt, pullover, jacket, jeans, and hi-cut Chuck Taylors.

Tonight, i'll make sure I change to my boxers and white shirt before I go anwhere near the bed.

Say Cheese

This conversation could very well been an excerpt from a ultra-cheezy Tagalog, Korean or even American teeny-bopper movie:

CHARACTERS:

C1 - Character 1
C2 - Character 2 (but of course!)

SCENE: C1 and C2 just finished watching a film and decided to eat dinner. While at the restaurant, they decide to talk about the film:

C1: How did you find the film?

C2: It was great!

C1: Which part is your favorite?

C2: The part when I was holding your hand...

*insert mushy music here. my suggestion: "Getting to Know Each Other."

Drawn

When we were planning for Joannah's Filipiniana wedding, we looked at photos from different florists on how they interpreted the theme. There were a couple of nice arrangements, but then I thought: "if you've seen it in photos, that means it's been done." My creative instinct didn't want a rehashed arrangement on my friend's wedding, so I did something that I haven't done in a while.

I drew something.

Admittedly, my drawing skills are - pardon the pun - sketchy. But one has to be intrepid in a situation like Jo's wedding. After all, she's the last wedding in her family, and I organized both her siblings' weddings. This had to be the proverbial coup de grace, the pinnacle of creation, the big bang, yadda yadda. So I quickly grabbed my Pilot Hi Techpoint V5 and sketched away.

Since the wedding was Filipiniana, I was inspired by some of the indigenous local materials that we often take for granted. Some of the guests are from Singapore, India, the US, and some other part of the globe, so it would be nice to introduce these materials to them. Instead of one centerpiece, I decided we should have 4: abaca, bamboo, banig and capiz. Each arrangment would have a touch of the chosen material, as well as flowers.

After sketching, and throwing the sketch away, to sketching again, I made 4 sketches that made me stop and smile. It definitely wasn't a Degas, Van Gogh or Gauguin, but if the florist understood what I was trying to express, heck, that's fine by me. And after showing it to my favorite florist in Dangwa, she said those magic words: "Kayang-kaya 'yan."

Today, I saw the final product, and it was everything I imagined it to be. While they were fixing the tables and the ballroom, I felt all happy and giddy seeing my vision turning into reality. Even the florist told me that this is probably the best arrangement she's done in years. This inspired me to drag the photographer up to the ballroom and have the arrangements photographed before the guests come in and start bringing them home.

During the reception, one of our friends remarked at how beautiful the centerpieces are. And she also noticed that each table had a different centerpiece. She even went as far as asking the waiter to enumerate how many centerpieces there are, and she'd sneak around to see how each one looked. Of course, I was silently smiling at the knowledge that my work was appreciated.

The fact that the florist understood my drawing and was able to execute it the way I envisioned it must mean that my drawing skills aren't that bad. This, of course, has inspired me to draw some more. Now all I need to do is find another friend who's planning to get married.

"May state of emergency... tara, nuod tayong movie!"

I flew in this morning for a meeting, but upon arriving at our Makati office, it was noticeable that only a handful of employees were there. Apparently, a "State of Emergency" was called because of an impending coup. Our local office, which has always been a model for paranoia, hit the panic button and sent everyone home. There was even an email that asked all employees to bring all important files home in case Makati would be reduced to rubble and a make-shift office has to be rebuilt. (Told you they were paranoid.)

Needless to say, my meeting was cancelled, and I found myself at the office doing nothing. My computer won't connect to the local server, so there was no point working. Hanging out at the secretaries' area, I could hear them planning an afternoon shindig since there wasn't any work. Same thing happened when I called my friends who work in Makati, they were all saying:

"May state of emergency, so pinag-half day kami. Gimmick tayo! Tara, nuod tayong movie tapos dinner sa Casa Armas, tapos Absinth."

After EDSA 1 and 2, this is how seriously people take these "revolutions." We've made it an excuse to go home early and party hearty! This is good, because it shows how resilient the Filipinos are, and it just reinforces the fact that we can laugh and enjoy in the face of adversity.

A few friends from Singapore also flew in today because a friend of ours is getting married tomorrow. Out of the 6, 5 were first time visitors to the Philippines. Ergo, my worry was they'd freak out given the country's situation upon their arrival. Surprisingly, they were totally cool about it. And why? It's because they see that everything is functioning normally despite this "state of emergency." Malls are packed. Restaurants are full. Everyone's partying like it was a weekend (which it was), so they were oblivious to this supposed turmoil.

While having dinner, they said that their relatives and friends from Singapore started calling them up to ask how they were, and their replies ranged from "we're ok," "we're shopping," and "this is such a cool country!" The most interesting and candid remark was: "hey, if this is how a state of emergency looks like, i wonder how much fun it is when everything's normal."

Shirt Tale

This shirt has been long sitting on the shelf of Structure - my favorite shirt and jean haunt in Glorietta and Greenhills. In fact, it's been more than a year since I first saw it. For some strange reason, it didn't attract me that much - then, at least. And I do remember trying it out, along with a couple of Abercrombie & Fitch shirts, and needless to say, it was A&F that joined me home.

Around December last year, Keat and I came across a similar shirt at Lane Crawford. Same brand, same adorable penguin stitched on the upper left hand pocket, but again, it didn't strike me as a must have. Whilst Keat was going all gaga over it, (too bad they didn't have his size) my reaction was simply, "it's ok."



Last Sunday, I dropped by Structure Glorietta. Because of the lack of nice A&F shirts this season, I toyed with the idea of fitting one of the Munsinwear shirts. Took one in small and another in medium, head off to the dressing room and tried it on.

It was perfect! The fit was perfect. The fabric was light yet able to give enough coverage. It skimmed the body without hugging it. The fall of the sleeve was just right. And the whole design had this retro-cool fit to it. (Which I believe is the look they're gunning for.)

I ended up trying another color:


Until I ended up buying all of these. (Some colors I had to get at the Greenhills shop!)



I love this shirt!

Simple Joyce

The Joyce store in Central never fails to come up with window displays that are eye-catchingly elegant while being so unassumingly simple. They usually have one focal point and just play with colors and textures. This is such a welcome change from the usual bling-bling cluttered and high concept windows that I usually see in Lane Crawford or Harvey Nichols.



This season's window display is a hand painted canvas, draped around a mannequin free-hand, creating a Monique Lhuillier-esque gown. The color of the cloth is off white, with gray and light brown prints, and this matches perfectly with Joyce's stark off-white and peach walls.



Draped around the mannequin's waist is a peacock-blue sash that's thicker than a belt but slimmer than an obi. The fact that it's tied around 3 or 4 times before it's ribboned is what gives it a lot of flair. Added zing is brought about by the beading on the edges of the sash, and peacock feathers hanging on the end. Monique had a gown with this similar effect, but her's was in bronze and green.

I'm going to show this pic to my sister and our modista. This would make a great inspirational piece when they collaborate for another evening dress.

In today's Philippine Daily Inquirer

Uh oh. Looks like the proof reader was a bit sleepy last night. He missed a letter, and a very important letter at that. Now, I'm imagining that they're either "math wizards" or "math lizards." Hey, they both can be true.

Reminds me of that time that my art director misspelled "airconditioner" to "airconditoner." If the wrong spelling flub wasn't bad enough, he had to misspell the product name!

Give the proofreader some coffee!

Wonderful weekend

After 3 days and 3 nights in Manila, I was able to:

- Spend quality time with my siblings
- Hear them "oooh" and "aaah" after seeing all the goodies I brought them. (Thank heavens for the Zara and Mango sales!)
- Carry my 8 year old nephew and use him as a barbell
- Eat Go Nuts with my sister and nephews
- See my nephews' eyes widen with excitement as I bought them WWE shirts. (Plus, I got a free poster!)
- Find out who Rick Flair, Mysterio and Triple H are. And to think they were just names I read whenever I'd buy them wrestling DVDs in HK.
- Have breakfast, lunch and dinner with my friends
- Watch 3 movies
- Meander around Glorietta, Greenbelt, Gateway, Galleria, Podium and Megamall. (Dang! I missed doing Rockwell and Market! Market!)
- Visit St. Scholastica's, hang out with my co-professors, eat that quail egg covered in orange flour concoction, chat with my former students and see my former student who openly told me that she had a big crush on me.
- Go to Quiapo Ilalim and buy props for Joannah's wedding
- Go to Dangwa to visit Gemma and order flowers
- Eat at McDonald's, Jollibee and Wendy's
- Buy 5 new shirts in Greenhills
- Wear my Antik Denim jeans and have strangers come up to me and say how much they liked it
- Plan a summer trip to Europe
- Make my sister feel like Sharon Stone
- Check out new stuff at SM and Rustan's
- Ride the LRT-1, MRT and LRT-3
- Ride a jeep (eventhough I've forgotten how much it cost, thereby creating a mini-scene)

Amazing how much you can cram in a day! This is fun, albeit way, way exhausting. Let's see what I can do next weekend:

- Attend Joannah's wedding
- Go to Araneta Coliseum with my sisters as their kids and hubbies watch WWE Raw Live...

You know you've been gone too long when...

This happended while riding a jeep going to the LRT-3 station in Anonas.

Me: Manong, bayad po. (gives him the money)

Driver: (pauses) Ser, P7.50 po.

Me: (aghast) Pero sa Anonas lang po ako.

Driver: (miffed) P7.50 nga.

Me: (grumbling)

Seatmate: (looks at me) Ah, P7.50 na ang pamasahe ngayon.

Me: ...oh...

I paid the driver P4.50, which was the fare I paid the last time I rode a jeepney. Obviously, I haven't been reading all these articles on the rising prices of oil and fares.

P.A.L.U.S.O.T.

Philippine
Air
Lines
Unusually,
Surprisingly
On
Time

I'm surprised at how the PAL flights are efficient and on-time these days. Most of my flights with them leave on-time, whether i'm coming from HK or MNL. While I love flying CX because of their entertainment system, (and prettier flight attendants), flying PAL has a lot of perks, too. The most obvious is that the airport is more convenient. From experience, it takes less time for me to check-in and check-out of the airport when i'm flying with the national carrier. After all, I have the airport all to myself, as opposed to the old NAIA where you have more than 3 flights arriving at the same time.

Note to myself: tell friends who always bash PAL for being Plane Always Late to try flying it these days. They're bound for a PALeasant surprise. (Yes, Sir Conrad doesn't like puns and wordplay, but hey, I can't resist. Hahaha!)

So sew me!

After searching for a sewing kit for the past few weeks, I finally found one in Japan Home Center.

It's about time! My sleep shirts have gone from bad to worst these past few weeks. What started out as a little tear has extended across the shoulder area, making my white hanes shirts look like Dolman sleeved tops with shoulder slits to pump up the sexy factor. If this happened to a girl, it would actually be a good thing.

It's been ages since I last sew. My last project were a couple of throw pillow cases, and I was still living in Morato that time. That makes it more than a decade since my last thread and needle project. But hopefully, this will be just like riding a bike, and once I know it, i'll never unlearn it.

And true enough, my two shirts were mended in less than half an hour, and now, they look like shirts again. Thank goodness I listened to my home economics teacher way back in grade school. You'll never know when those skills will come in handy.

Star Blazer!

I found a great looking blazer at Granville tonight!

It was made of a pseudo-corduroy material similar to G-Star's cargo pants and Mango's cropped pants that I bought my sister. From afar, it looks like it's made of a fine, pinstripe material, but upon closer inspection, you'll see that it's actually a 3-dimensional pattern.

Two details that make this blazer totally cool.

1. It has gold buttons that channel "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band." So it feels like an epaulet, but more classic.
2. The edges of the entire blazer are fitted with wire. Ergo, the blazer has this very solid shape that conforms well to the body.

The moment I saw these babies, it was sold. But I didn't buy one though.

I bought two!

I love...

Mr. Softee Ice Cream - If you walk around Tsim Sha Tsui or Star Ferry Terminal in Central, you'll see these vans that sell one of the best soft serve ice creams in Hong Kong. The consistency is light and creamy, but the flavor is thick. It tastes like real vanilla ice cream that was mashed and put on your cone. I love it, especially with the chocolate waffle cone.


My U2 pullover - I bought it early last year, and considering it was cheap, i'd say this pull over is way worth the money I spent. It's navy blue, so it goes well with jeans and chinos, it's ribbed, which means it cuts close to the body, it's just the right thickness, so I can use it in winter (under a jacket) or spring (alone.) Plus, the ribbing is vertical, so it makes me look thinner. This is actually my default top whenever I can't decide what to wear.


Red Chuck Taylors - I've had this pair for more than 5 years, and it's still up and running. That's the beauty of buying originals! These babies are what I call "classics with a twist." I've worn it with jeans, cords, slacks, yup, even a suit, and they look at home with any of those outfits. Just gotta love it!


My H&M Belt - I bought these in Amsterdam 3 years ago, and i thought it'd just be one of those trendy things that i'd forget about after a few months. But it grew on me, and i find myself carrying it with me wherever I travel. It adds an extra oomph to my jeans whenever it feels boring and blah. Plus, it helps that a stylist, and more than 10 shop owners have actually stopped to ask where I bought them, then tell me that it's gorgeous.


Acca Kappa Muschio Blanco - Thanks to Arnie who introduced the magic of Acca Kappa to me. This is somewhere between a cologne and a perfume. It's got a very light scent that almost feels like shower gel or lotion, but it stays for a time and even heightens under the sun. It has that "just showered" scent that you usually get with baby cologne.


Sleeping in Spring - This is the time of the year when you wish you could just stay in bed and hide under the comforter. The air isn't as cold as winter, but it still has this coolness to it. Think "low cool" on your airconditioner. It's during this season that I welcome the weekend because it means i can just laze in bed for 10 hours straight, have breakfast, then go back to bed for a few hours more.

Happy day of Love!

My latest portrait

Since it has been more than 6 weeks since my last haircut, I now look like a Lego man. Yup, that helmet-looking tuft of hair that's rigidly put on his head, that would be how my hair looks like. Heck, if you draw a goatee on this toy, and change his clothes from a waiter's uniform to blue jeans, a t-shirt and a track jacket, it would definitely be me.

I need to go back to Manila and get a hair cut really, really soon.

I JOINED THE HONG KONG MARATHON!

6:00 am, Sunday. I was roused from my sleep by the sound of a collective “WOOOHOOO” from downstairs. Looking out my window, I discovered that the sound came from hundreds and hundreds of runners turning from Nathan Road to Austin Road.
Runners on the bend...

Thanks to all those “nose for news” lessons from Prof. Teodoro, Prof. Domingo and Ma’am Tessa, I quickly washed up, jumped in my jeans, grabbed Deegee, and made my way downstairs. The stream of runners continuously flooded the streets, further piquing my curiosity as to what was happening in Tsim Sha Tsui this quiet Sunday morning.

The answer was in between Granville and Cameron road (the fashion holy ground), and it was lime green and sky blue.

As it turns out, the 10th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon was happening not too far away from my doorstep. The streamers and transit ads for the event were all over HK the past month or so, but not knowing how to read pin-yin, the date of the event wasn’t too clear to me. Until today, at least.

I quickly made my way to the starting line where another set of marathoners were preparing to run. Two hosts’ voices were blaring on the speakers, and my journalist’s instincts tuned in to the 5Ws and 1 H. There were more than 5,000 runners from HK and other countries, including Nairobi, Kenya, and other African countries who are known to dominate competitions like these.

My attention was quickly diverted at the sight of a lady wearing a Standard Chartered vest with the Philippine flag sewed on to the upper right area of her garment. As much as my congenial side wanted to say “Hey there, Kababayan,” I feared that she might scream “weirdo stalker with bed hair!” Ergo, I chose to just focus my attention on the cute buggy with the clock on the roof.

The time buggy...

It said: “5:00”, meaning, in less than 300 seconds, the marathon was set to begin. At this point, I stood on top of the flower box for a good view of the runners. Suddenly, this nice Chinese lady gives me a plastic with “pong-bongs.” Intrigued by what a “pong-bong” was, it turned out to be an inflatable thingamajiggy that made a “pong-bong” sound when you hit them. Coolness!

The hosts then called the audience’s attention to the stage where HK Chief Executive Donald Tsang was welcoming the runners. In my stay in HK, I’ve actually seen Mr. Tsang about 5 times already, some up close, others – like today – from about 50 feet away.

Yup, Donald Tsang is somewhere there...

After all the niceties, the token dragon dance, and two eerily cute ant mascots appearing on stage, the marathon was about to begin. The clock began counting down, 30…29…28…27… and everybody was pong-bonging like mad! Suddenly, a pistol shot, fireworks, and the runners were off!

Running...
Running...
And more running...

Noticeably leading the pack were the Africans, then I saw a guy wearing a jersey with the Philippine flag! A Pinoy front runner! That made me go Wooohooo myself. Shots of the runners came out blurred since these people were really zip-zap-zooming away like anything. This is the reason why I didn’t get a good shot of the Pinoy runner.

Wanting to get into the pong-bong spirit, I started pong-bonging my pong-bongs. Instinctively, instead of a random pong-bong, mine was the DLSU cheer:

ORIGINAL: Go-La Salle-Go-Go-La Salle-La Salle
MY VERSION: Pong-Pong Bong-Pong-Pong Bong-Pong Bong

This was strange considering my alma mater is UP Diliman. But heck, I don’t even know UP Naming Mahal, so don’t expect me to know what our school cheer for the UAAP is. Better just play something familiar to me.

Then surprise of surprises! The girl beside me taps on my shoulder and asks: “Are you a La Sallite?” Of course, my reply was “No” and she continued by saying: “Oh, I just noticed that you were playing the La Salle chant, so I thought you were a La Sallite. Anyway, are you Filipino?”

Me and my pong-bongs...

Ah, yes. The proverbial question.

After some small talk with the Filipina, I decided to finish my instant “participation” in the Hong Kong Marathon. The arc was being deflated and transported to Wan Chai (site of the finish line), and the crowds were quickly thinning out. It was time to go home.

Time to move...

Now, like a journalist trained by CMC, I’m writing my account of the event that just passed me – literally! And it’s about time this article is put to bed. In a few minutes, I’m off to have breakfast with Joey in Causeway Bay. That should be another newsworthy event.

Drool...

Abercrombie & Fitch's Spring/Summer 06 catalogue is out! My friend once said that this catalogue to me is the equivalent of a porn magazine to every average joe. After all, both A&F catalogues and Playboy have centerfolds and they're both eye candy.

Last season's catalogue were all about bulky jackets and long sleeved henleys, which was nice but not so appropriate for tropical countries like the Philippines. Yup, they'd work in Hong Kong, but you can only wear them for 2 months a year. That, fashion-wise, isn't very versatile. So it's so nice to see the short sleeved shirts and polos back on the pages, plus the noticeable return of shorts and sandals.

The shorts this season are divided into cargos and board shorts. The cargos are made of canvas and twill, with the signature padded pockets and drawstrings. The colors are all earthen, which makes pairing easier. The board shorts are cool, if you're a beach bum and/or live in Boracay. But wearing these in the city will be so off-putting.



The polo shirts are drool-worthy, as expected. Having a few of these babies in my closet, I know how great they fit, how comfortable the fabric is, and how eye-catching the colors and destroyed details are. On record, my red A&F polo shirt must be the most used shirt in my closet!

I'm so glad that there aren't any A&F stores in Manila or around Asia. If they had, i'll probably blow all my money there. After all, if their catalogue alone is enough to get my adrenaline pumping, what more if I could actually see, feel and fit the entire thing.

The Week that Was

This is a cliche, but time DOES fly by so fast.

Monday Morning

It seems just like yesterday when we were welcoming Monday morning with WIP meeting and suits running around shouting: "we need this for tomorrow." My colleagues and I were complaining how the week would be packed and how long it will be. Over lunch at CPK, we'd complain about systems and how things can be better but won't be. During long walks to North Point, we'd talk about projects we'd love to do and work we'd be proud of.

Friday Afternoon

Now, a couple of scripts, storyboards and meetings after, it's Friday again. The sun is setting on another week, and tomorrow we'll be waking up late and hitting the malls again. "Munich" is showing, which means it's a good time to go to IFC. The Zara sale is over, which means the "Primavera/Verano 06" collection will be in stores. Time to meet friends flying in from Manila and some who are taking the train from China.

So much to look forward to, so little time on weekends...

Well, there are a few hours left in Friday, so let me sit back, drink Moet Chandon and eat cake (It's Joe's birthday! Happy Birthday, Joe!), finish a few more scripts and storyboards, then it's goodbye to the week that was.

Here's to Friday!

Happy Weekend!

Wallowing in Cyn...

Yesterday, after my daily visit to HMV in the hopes that they'll finally have the February issue of In Style available, I came across a copy of "Twelve Deadly Cyns... and then some..." This was Cyndi's greatest hits album that came out sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s. My copy of this CD was lost due to the numerous office moves I had those years (from Makati to Vito Cruz to Ortigas to Makati), so I took this as a sign to buy this copy again.



During her heyday, Cyndi was my favorite female singer. She was pitted against Madonna (just like Duran Duran was pitted against Spandau Ballet) and I knew that Madge's star would outshine Cyndi's. After all, she wasn't as sultry, seductive and sexy as Madonna was during her prime. Cyndi was more quirky, more fun, she couldn't pronounce her Rs right, and she was SO rive gauche. With her technicolored hair, one side shaved for "Time after Time" and her affinity with Capt. Lou Albano, she lived up to the title of her first album "She's So Unusual."

Her songs and lyrics were somewhere between playful to somewhat risque. It was an anthem of liberation for many, as it touched on sensitive issues in a way that'll make your head bob up and down and your feet tap. "She Bop" was supposedly about mastrurbation, and "True Colors" was about closet homosexuality. Some people thought that all these undertones were her way to enter Madonna's niche, because that time, she was singing "Like a Virgin" and "Over and Over."

I shuddered when she tried to do a "Madonna" on her 2nd album. Her MTVs for "True Colors" and "I drove all night" featured Cyndi in her naked glory, which to many was a bit off-character. This didn't work for her as well as we hoped it would. It might actually have worked against her because the sight of her unclothed body snatched the attention off her beautiful voice.



When she had her concert here in Manila, I lined up to watch it even if I had to watch it alone. (None of my siblings were Cyndi fans, and all my high school friends who were couldn't be reached.) That time, her star was has faded away, but that didn't deter me from seeing the love of my high school life up close. (Yes, I had a number of Cyndi Lauper shirts from Top 40 Apparel.) That time, she already had 3 albums out, though only 2 really did well on the charts and in the stores.

While her biggest hit still is "Girls just want to have fun" which spawned the reggae-ish remake "Hey now, Girls just want to have fun," my favorite Cyndi Lauper song still has to be "Change of Heart" from her 2nd album "True Colors." After buying the CD yesterday, i've been listening to this song over and over and over and over again. I exaggerate not when I saw i've listened to it more than 60 times already today. In fact, the lyrics are now etched in my mind, leading me to memorize the song and sing it unconsciously. This song has such a catchy beat to it, and showcases her vocal range, from low to shrilly high. And like many of my favorites ditties, this is also a break up song:

CHANGE OF HEART
Cyndi Lauper
True Colors

Here I am
Just like I said I would be
I'm your friend
Just like you think it should be
Did you think I would stand here andlie
As our moment was passing us by
Oh I am here

Waiting for your change of heart
It just takes a beat
To turn it around
Yes I'm waiting for you change of heart
At the edge of my seat
Please turn it around

Days go by
Leaving me with a hunger
I could fly
Back to when we were younger
When adventures like cars we would ride
And the years lied ahead still untried
While I stand here

Waiting for your change of heart...

Blind leading blind
Never hear the laughter
Search through time
Nothing reveals the answer
If it's truth that you're looking to find
It is nowhere outside of your mind
I bide my time

Waiting for you change of heart...

Finds!

Historically, i've got a penchant for finding nice things. During my trips abroad, i'd find these little nooks and crannies that sell fab stuff at even more fab prices. When I was in Mexico, my friends were astonished at my talent in picking out a shop at random and finding all sorts of treasures there. Even my anfitriones were shocked because I could get bargains using my limited Spanish. (I actually got 50% off on one painting by offering the sales lady a cigarette!)

Even here, my colleagues who are Hong Kong locals are astonished at the things I find, and/or the prices I pay for them. In one conversation, KC told me that a lot of Parisians haven't been to the Eiffel Tower just like a lot of Pinoys haven't been to the Rizal Monument. The reason being people tend to ignore what they know is there. This is my theory why my local colleagues haven't discovered my "discoveries."

The past few weeks, I've been collecting a couple of ULTRA FABULOUS FINDS from places as obvious as Pacific Place to odd spots like Yip Fat in Kwun Tong. Whilst I might have more than 10 finds, let me present the top 3 of the moment:

1. Macintosh Quality Sweets Chocolate


My lola used to bring us these sweets way back in the 70s. I'm not sure if it came from the US or Europe that time, but what struck me most was its packaging. The old one was a square tin which was white and with a purple border. There was a soldier and dame painted on it, along with a street scene which to me looked like London. Now, the packaging is still made of tin, but it's purple and round. Good thing it still had the soldier and dame, so they kept the important piece of the branding puzzle.


Inside you get an assortment of chocolates and toffees. Surprisingly, my old favorites are still in production. The choco-coconut eclair is still there (imagine a chocolate covered bukayo), and the orange choco crunch is still as orange-y and crunchy. They still come in brightly colored foil which remind me of those jewelry boxes in Little India. Another thing that hasn't changed is the "catalogue" where they identify and describe each sweet. This is SO vintage!

FOUND AT: 7-11, Yau Ma Tei

2. Adidas Y-3



Yohji Yamamoto's initial designs for Adidas really didn't do it for me. But when I saw these pair of red leather, orange soled Y-3s, it was love at first sight. Being a scorpio, red is really my color of choice. The degree of red on this pair is just right: not too deep but not too bright either. The orange sole gives it just the right oomph for people to stop and give it a second look. Instead of the 3 stripes, it has Yohji Yamamoto's signature on the side. The total package screams: A-TT-I-T-U-D-E!

And yes, they're ultra comfy. It's so soft, it feels like i'm wearing pillows!

FOUND AT: Adidas, North Point Store

3. Antik Denims



The first generation Antik Denims were pretty boring - at least the men's line. The back pockets had the traditional "Antik" stitching which wasn't too exciting. I think their women's line which had felt, rhinestones and embroidery had a lot more oomph and aaaaahhhh. But when I saw these babies, my Tough Jeans almost dropped and walked out by itself! The cut is the usual Antik Denim: low rise, boot cut, roomy around the thigh and calf. The white stitching on the hem was also present, which made me feel like it was "the usual suspect." But when I looked at the back pockets -- WOW!



The right pocket is made of leather and horsehair - which makes for an odd but eye-catching combination. It helps further the "cowboy" concept that Antik is trying to champion, but unlike Wrangler or Levi's which is very Wyoming, this pair is like Las Vegas gone western. This pair makes a statement whether you're looking at it from the front or behind, ergo, whether you're coming or going, you can expect one or two people to stop and check it out.

FOUND AT: Seibu, Pacific Place

Tomorrow's a weekend. That means i'll be off to forage for new fashion finds and surprise my colleagues all over again.

At a floss for words...

Presenting my "favorite of the moment." Seaweed Crispy Floss. Blame it on Kent who made me try one of these babies, now i've spent the couple of days noshing on these, and often, it's a substitute for a decent meal for a day.

Floss me up!

This isn't new to me, though. I remember as a grade school kid, we'd buy Mahu at that preserved food stand inside Unimart on Sundays. Initially, the thought of eating Mahu freaked me out because it looked like cobwebs and dust combined. It was too dirty and stringy looking to be food. But once my brother asked me to try it - MAN! - it was great. Then came the wet version, which was Twin Cow, which was much sweeter, but just as delectable.

Floss is pretty much like Mahu, but this one is basically seaweed and seafood residue. Bread talk introduced Pork Floss bread in Manila, which was undoubtedly a huge hit. There's this floss and bean bread I buy from the bakery in front of the office, and that's great, too.

Aji Ichiban has a wide range of floss products. From seaweed to pork, to floss wrapped in nori and floss spring rolls. Lately, i've been binging on the floss stuffed nori and the XO sauce flavored floss rolls. Given the amount of floss i've been eating the past few days, I imagine myself to be all flossed out by the end of the week.

Floss while you work!

I found that my taste for food has been very fickle the past few months. My "favorites" usually become an unfavorite after a week or so, and I suspect that this floss craze will be one of them. But until that moment comes, these icky, cobweb plus dust looking babies are keeping me happy.

Rude Awakening

It was one of those multi-dreamed nights. The dreams weren’t connected to one another, and they numbered quite a lot. I couldn’t remember all of them, although I remember one involving a Minotaur who was trying to help me escape a house. There were a couple of people in my dreams: Erwin was there, so was a nephew. One of the dreams involved me living in the house of Tita Tere – a close family friend. It was night time, and she was about to lock the house, but I needed to go out and get my toothbrush. So out I went, and saw some of my childhood friends playing in the yard, and realized I missed them. Blank. Then it was a new dream where Erwin and I were walking in some dark alley of some remote province and he was telling me which places to visit. Blank. Another dream where I was immobilized and was trying my best to move, but found great difficulty in doing so.

Then I woke up. It was 5:30 am, which means 5 hours of sleep.

Tossed and turned and tried to go back to sleep. Couldn’t. So off to the living room to read some magazines, hoping that it would lull me back to slumber land. Sheesh! I shouldn’t have left my computer at the office. It would have been a good time to watch the other DVDs that Melvin lent me. Ended up reading more magazines.

Then, it was 6:45 am. It must be because it’s winter, but it was still very dark outside despite the time.

Decided to lie in bed again. Then fell asleep. A dreamless sleep this time.

Then, I woke up again. It was 9:00 am, which means I’ll be late for work today.

Prolific. Terrific.

In 2 days, I was able to come up with 12 new concepts for 2 projects i'm handling.

After presenting them, they liked 3/6 for project 1, and 6/6 for project 2. One of the suits told me that the ideas were terrific considering I only had the night to think about them. Not a bad batting average, eh?

Times like these make me realize my love for this job!

Hmmm... Pretty accurate!

I'm impressed. If I were a monster, i'd definitely be this baby...

Your Monster Profile

Psychotic Beheader You Feast On: Hot Dogs You Lurk Around In: Shopping Malls You Especially Like to Torment: Boys Who Wear Make-up

What's Your Monster Name?

Hermit the Blog

Today has been amazing. I've been camped inside my flat for the past 11 hours, only in my boxer shorts, ratty t-shirt and socks. I'm supposed to finish 2 projects and was only given this weekend to work on it. Ergo, it's a good excuse not to go out and go shopping.

I did go out twice. First, to buy a newspaper, second to go and buy water at Park & Shop. I didn't make an effort to dress up, though, just slipped on my sneakers, jumped into denim shorts and wore a track jacket.

For someone who's used to going out for 18 hours a day, staying at home for more than 11 hours makes me feel like a hermit already.

Feel the Energie!

I've been wearing the same pair of jeans for the past 4 days. They're this pair of Energie jeans that are low rise, straight cut, dark washed with a spattering of whiskers.



It's such a comfortable pair, snug enough to create an illusion of height, but loose enough that it doesn't cut off circulation to your brain. The hem is just the right size, which is such a welcome change compared to all the skinny hemmed jeans proliferating in Hong Kong these days.

The jeans also have 2 very interesting details: the backpockets and a hem fold. The hem has a thick fold then stitched with a thick, white thread. So it has that Antik Denim feel to it.


The back pockets have this olive green twill and leather flap which actually secures your wallet in the long run.



Another plus is that this jean is so versatile. I've worn it with 4 different types of tops, and it looks different each time. So whether it's paired with a pull-over and a velvet blazer; a track jacket; a striped shirt; or a simple polo, it manages to pull
the look together.

I've been wearing the same pair of jeans for the past 4 days. And for someone with more than 40 pairs in his closet, that means these jeans are really something special.

Lai-See Days...

Here's one good reason to look forward to Chinese New Year in Hong Kong -- Lai Sees!

Lai-See, or Ang Pao in the Philippines, are those little red and gold envelopes that contain money inside. Here in HK, it is customary for married people to give Lai-Sees to their single friends, and in turn, the singletons give the married people good wishes for the coming year. Also, bosses are supposed to give their subordinates a packet for good luck in business. Needless to say, single subordinates have a good reason to wish it were CNY everyday!

I received my first 3 Lai-Sees last night, and another 2 today. Nope, I'm not hoarding major bucks because of this. These babies usually contains a crisp $20 bill, and it can go higher if the person feels generous enough. Unfortunately, i've only been receiving the minimum from the first few ones I got.

I'm hoping to get a couple more, though. And once they're all in and accounted for, I'm also hoping that there's enough Chinese New Year money for me to buy a new pair of jeans this weekend. Once I get my hands on that D Squared dark denim, then it'll really be a Happy New Year!

I have no friends...

For the past few days, Hong Kong has been reveling in Chinese New Year. Seeing the celebration for the first time as a “local”, I must say that the vibe is similar to that of Christmas back home. During the days leading to the Lunar New Year, the country’s “friendlier side” appears.

All around me, people were celebrating friendship. There would be groups of them having their photos taken in one of the hundred cherry blossom trees that mushroomed around the country. Some would be buying inflatable what-nots in the New Year’s Fair in Victoria Park. Still others would be lining up outside that popular sushi restaurant along Granville, chatting animatedly to while away the time.

Surrounded by so much joy and friendship, I had an epiphany. It was like a scroll falling from the sky and unraveling a message engraved in gold. The message read: “I have no friends in Hong Kong.”

After living here for more than half a year, I stopped to count how many people would fit in my definition of “friends.” And really, there is none. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Zip.

A revelation of this magnitude usually deserves one of two reactions. One, the token hug and pat on the back followed by a comforting voice saying: “don’t worry, everything’s going to be alright.” Two, someone stamps the word “Loser” on my forehead and parades me around town while thousands of cretins point their fingers and laugh.

The good news is, I don’t need a pat on the back or a stamp on my forehead. This current state of “Friendlessness” is more of a choice rather than a consequence.

Grace, a friend who’s also in a foreign posting, and I once had a spirited discussion on living abroad and making friends. It was the usual “OFW talk” on homesickness and lack of people to talk to. My question to her that time was: “why don’t you go out and make new friends?” Being in a new country, this would be the perfect opportunity to widen her social circle.

Her answer was simple. Her answer was: “I don’t need new friends here because I’m happy with the ones I have back home.”

On the surface, that statement felt a bit stubborn and so anti-social. “Who wouldn’t want new friends?” was the thought that kept on regurgitating in my mind. Once again, Shash’s oft-repeated quote became relevant. She said: “You can never have too many friends, just like you can never have too many black and brown shoes.”

Add to that, I can’t imagine Grace not wanting to make new friends. She is, after all, Miss Congeniality back in Manila. She has a built-in “UP radar” and could spot an alumnus 1500 meters away. She would always make the first step and say: “You’re from UP, diba?” She could always chat them up like long, lost chums.

In essence, that’s what I’ve been trying to do here for the past 7 odd months. After dusting off my own “UP radar” (which isn’t too trusty, anyway) and adding the supplementary “Pinoy radar” which is in use during my trips to Europe and the Americas, I’ve been on a continuous quest for new and renewed friends.

(N.B. As it turns out, the “Pinoy radar” is completely useless here because one is likely to bump into a fellow Filipino at any given time of the day, and at every nook and cranny of Hong Kong.)

This quest was not for naught. I’ve met a lot of really swell people here. For starters, my colleagues are really nice folks. We hang out during lunchtime and talk about our homes, families and the requisite bitching about work. We travel on the same wavelength, which always helps. Funny, but I even missed them during my 4-week stay in Manila during the holidays.

Then there are the long lost acquaintances who, after decades of not seeing one another, I bumped into here. Like Tanya, who was my co-business manager for our college yearbook. In my record book, she’s the catalyst to my living in Hong Kong.

There’s Glenda, a province-mate who found it hard to believe that man standing in front of her was the short, pudgy runt who’d hang out in their house in Malinao, Albay.

There’s Mr. X (sorry, I forgot his name, which is really, really bad of me) who sat beside me in church. After we exchanged signs of peace, I realized we were in the same battalion in UP ROTC, prompting a 10-minute walk down memory lane.

These people, along with a handful of others, are people I’ve had the good fortune of meeting and interacting with. But as Kris Aquino once said: “Just because magkakilala kayo, suddenly friends na kayo?”

While it is harsh, and as much as it pains me to attribute words of wisdom to Kris, what she said is true. There’s this notion that once you’ve met a person, made a few interactions, you become friends. And this really isn’t the case if you take a long, hard look at it.

For me, friends are people who are worth more than a handshake and a casual conversation every now and then. They are people that I seek out and want to be with every so often. My heart aches and yearns for them whenever months pass without any contact. My heart jumps whenever I receive an email from them – even if it’s some forwarded wish that will cause me great misfortune if I don’t pass it on to 15 people within the next 30 minutes.

Friends are people who I spent defining moments of my life with. Like when Emin celebrated her 18th birthday and we all holed up in one suite after, walking from Hotel Intercon to Dunkin’ Donuts in our cotillion outfit. That was my first “adult slumber party” and it’s an event that will forever be etched in my subconscious.

Friends are people who we share joyous moments of our lives with. Like spending Christmas with Shash and Melvin in PGH and having an impromptu Noche Buena celebration to welcome Justine into the world. Or staying in the same hotel as Maricar’s on her wedding day, join them for breakfast and check out her wedding suite the morning after. Or having a joint birthday party with Grace year in and year out.

Friends are people who’d go the extra, extra, extra mile just so I’d be able to fulfill my sincerest wish. Like Kin and Elsie who pooled their money together so I can buy my ticket to Europe and leave the same day. And of course, Maricar who gladly drove me around to collect the money, give it to the travel agent, and grab the ticket.

Friends are people I’d like to surprise every now and then. Like D’ Frendz’s home-makeover-birthday-bonanza for Alfie, which required me to sit through an earthquake and still remain calm. (Now that was surprising!) Or my often unscheduled visits to Sir Conrad, Minnie, Jojo, Joji and Liane.

Friends are people who I still feel connected to, even if we don’t see each other in years. Like X’tine who I met in California after not seeing each other for 5 years or so. The moment we saw each other, there was no awkward silence or animosity. We just picked up where we left off, and suddenly started speaking the same language again. Or Tine and Emin who, despite the 3-year gaps in our meet-ups, talk to me like we were with each other yesterday. Or Joannah, who's been in Singapore for about 5 years now. Despite the distance and lack of frequency of our conversations, each time we talk or text, or see each other, it feels like a familiar tete-a-tete at the Newsbreak studio back in SMC.

Friends are people I’ve grew up with, who saw me at my best and at my worst, and still rode out each and every wave with me. Like Prichy who’s seen me transform from an irresponsible student to a semi-responsible professor, yet still thought I was deserving to be part of her family as Paolo’s ninong. Or Kuya Ers who saw me get promoted from a temperamental copywriter to an even more temperamental ACD, yet he still worked alongside me in 3 agencies. Or Fiesta, who I must commend. Because despite all my follies and failures, she still calls me her friend.

I could go on and on and on and on with this, and it’ll probably take me 3 weeks, 5 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes and 23 seconds to stop. This is precisely the reason why I don’t have any friends in Hong Kong. I can’t imagine sharing my life with anyone here the way I’ve been sharing my life with my friends back home.

Better yet, I’d rather share my life with my friends back home than share it with anyone here.

Upon writing that statement, I’m reminded of my advice to Grace during that chat. “Be open. Try something new. Start Fresh. Give yourself a chance to make new friends.” Yes, this is the proverbial “you’ll eat your own words” moment, and I’ll be brave enough to admit that: “chomp, chomp, chomp, mmmm… my own words don’t taste that bad. In fact, it tastes like chicken!”

“Be open.” Let me state for the record that I AM open to making new and lasting friendships here. The thing is, whilst my heart is open, it’s also filled to an estimated 97% capacity. Filled with all those wonderful memories, voices, faces and experiences that I’ve accumulated from my family and friends throughout the years.

“Try something new.” Yes, I do try something new everyday here. More often than not, that “something” is a pair of jeans. But really, I’ve tried a lot of new things and tried meeting a lot of new people. The thing is, the “something new” pales in comparison when it’s placed beside “something familiar” i.e. my friends back home. Yes, it’s unfair to compare, but as Reese Witherspoon said in a movie: “You can’t help it. You just can’t.”

“Start Fresh.” Fresh is a tricky word. People automatically equate “fresh” to “brand new.” But fresh can also mean something old through new eyes, ergo the phrase “fresh perspective.” I’m a work in progress, and so are my friends. Everyday, there’s something new happening in our lives. Wena sent an email about her first Christmas as a newlywed and what a new experience it is. That story really cracked me up, just as it did every member of D’ Frendz. It was great not just because it was funny, but because it allowed us to see a different facet of Wena. A new facet, at that. So rather than “starting fresh”, I’d rather “start looking at my friends with a fresh perspective.”

“Give yourself a chance to make new friends.” Heck, I did, and the people here are in no way near the kind of friends I have back home. It must be the fact that you’re in a different country that people don’t act as “normal” as they usually would. People here don’t look for friends, they look for benchmarks or players in the game of “one-upmanship.” Yes, this might be a hasty generalization, but it’s one that I’m not taking the time out to disprove.

Call me stubborn. Call me anti-social. Call me a jean-hoarding-son-of-Edgar. (Wait a minute, I AM a jean-hoarding-son-of-Edgar!) But at this point in my life, I’m more inclined to agree with Grace’s point of view on making friends.

Yes, people will find it pathetic that I meander inside malls all by my lonesome, or eat at restaurants with only a magazine to keep me company. People will find it sad that I’d rather sit in front of a computer and email my friends instead of going out to Lan Kwai Fong and make new ones. People will find it strange that the only two friends I have in Hong Kong are named Ronald McDonald and Zara. And people will find it pitiful that instead of hanging out with a group of friends doing all those wildly exciting and deliriously happy “friend things,” I’d rather spend my time alone.

Yes, they may be right. But then again, it’s during these moments of being alone that make me realize one very important thing: It’s not that I have no friends here, it’s just that I have so many wonderful friends back home.