Glamazon Attack

It's happening more and more each day. They can be seen riding MTRs, taking trams, walking along Nathan Road and Central, looking around in malls, shopping in Time Square, and yes, eating at McDonald's.

They're the Glamazons!

Tall, lithe, mostly Latin and European, and ALL SO GORGEOUS, they're fast becoming a fixture in Hong Kong life. According to my friend who owns a casting agency, these girls fly in from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Eastern Europe in the hopes of landing a modeling gig in Asia. I've seen some in Manila, and a number of them have actually prospered and made our country their base. I've worked with one of them, a girl named Christina from Germany.

After watching the Glamazons for the past few months, I've actually been able to make a quick profile of them. Even if their 18 and in a strange land, they use weapons that render most people - both men and women - defenseless:

1. Unbelievable good looks - They've got very symmetrical faces, beautiful colored eyes, aquiline noses and beautifully sculpted jaws. Their hair is usually long and slicked back, highlighting their excellent features.
2. Killer bodies - Being models, they're at least 5'9", zero body fat, flat tummies, long and lean legs, and evenly colored skin. Whether their white, mulatta or dark, it looks like their color was airbrushed on.
3. Black leather books - These house their precious portfolios is their first line of offense and defense.

They never fail to take my breath away each time I run into them, or sit beside them on a moving vehicle. It feels like sitting beside Kate Moss or Carmen Kaas or Giselle Bundchen (who I saw at Central once.) Often I wonder if any of these girls will be the next supermodel, and I think: "Heck, I just might have sat beside someone uber famous in the future."

Maybe I should bring a digital camera with me everyday and have my photo taken with some of them the next time I get the chance. I'm hoping they wouldn't mind, after all, being photographed is what they do for a living.

I just might end up having my photo with the world's next top model.

The Expressionists

Being surrounded by people of different nationalities, I'm used to hearing different expressions everyday. Each person's expression would vary based on their country of origin. For example, my colleagues from London would often say "Bugger", while the Singaporeans would say "Bloody Hell" and the Malaysians would say "F***ing Crap." Of course, my Chinese colleagues will be often heard saying: "Aiyah" and "Waaahhhhh." As for myself, I can often be heard saying: "Oh God", which might be a by-product of my predominantly Catholic upbringing.

Another thing I miss about the Philippines are the different expressions I hear everyday. One fabulous thing about working in advertising is that people just love twisting words and suddenly there's a new catchphrase circulating around town. But hearing new and funny expressions isn't limited to ad people. I hear them even from my college friends, my former McDonald's crew mates, my students and yes, even our househelp.

And out of those many, many words, there are a few that I really miss hearing. They're expressions that make me smile each time I think about them, just like these:

1. KOORAZ - This means "correct." Lisa Girl often mutters this when she agrees with what you're saying. The ways she says it is just stellar: there's a bit of airiness in her voice and the "OO" and "A" are extended like there's no tomorrow. So when I ask her: "Did I get the address right?" she'd answer: "Koooorrrraaaazzzzzzzz!"

2. NGIYAAA - This is an expression of surprise which was probably borne out of Aiza Seguerra's "Ngiye" expression during her Eat Bulaga days. When I was working at McDonald's Commonwealth decades ago (when working at McDonald's was still cool and classy), the crew people would say "Ngiyaaa" whenever a blooper occured. I miss the way Teng would say this because in my mind, that's the proper way to say it.

3. GANON? - This is almost a substitute for "really?" Often used when in doubt, Rommel is one person who says this a lot. That's why when I think of this expression, my mind replays Rommel's voice saying: "Maganda daw siya? GANOOONNNN?"

4. NAMAN! - This is an affirmation of something. Whenever someone agrees wholeheartedly about something that is said, the best way to express that is to utter these words. Sheilah delivers this word the best way possible: with passion and conviction and just a hint of sarcasm.

And the best of the lot is:

5. AYPRAISEBETHENAMEOFJESUSANDMARY - This is a classic. Back in Adformatix, our pantry girl - Lotlot - would say this whenever she'd be startled. I have no idea how she can recite something as long and as holy when she's surprised, but this is really what she says. In fact, everybody there had such a blast hearing her say this, they'd often startle her on purpose just to hear her shout: "aypraisebethenameofJesusandMary!" After which we'd shout: "nowandforeveramen!"

I wonder when I'll get to hear these things again.

Garden(ia) of Delights

Thanks to Joannah who flew in from Singapore this weekend, there are now 2 loaves of Gardenia Fruit and Nut Loaf in my fridge, and i've been noshing on them since I woke up this morning.


The first time I tried these was during my trip to Singapore last year. Some of my fondest memories then was just vegging out in Jo's apartment, watching TV and eating Fruit and Nut Loaf plus a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream. That, to me, is the way life should be lived. Hahaha.

When I got back to Manila, I checked the Gardenia line of products and was disheartened to know that they didn't carry the Fruit and Nut variant. (We have Ube-Cheese and Choco-Mocha loaves, though, and that's worth a few brownie points.) Thus, I had to be content with the memory of that delicious loaf of Gardenia from Singapore.

At the risk of sounding like a print ad for Gardenia, this loaf really is excellent. There are apricot and raisin slices, as well as 2 or 3 different nut varieties mixed generously in the loaf. Generously means that you'll get at least a couple of raisins, a couple of apricots and nuts with every bite. The experience reminds me of eating a fruit cake, sans the liquour-y taste and half of the calories.

Even without any spread, this bread stands well on its own. But for added kick, I toast it and put on orange marmalade. And that makes one awesome breakfast and makes me one happy boy.

I'm trying to ration the bread so that it'll last me as long as possible. (I hope it doesn't get mouldy soon. But hey, the expiry date is September 1. 2 days to go.) Once again, thanks Jo for carrying these with you all the way from SG. You've certainly made my breakfast a very delightful experience.

Sniffer boy

On my way to meet Joannah this afternoon, I was sitting beside the MTR with a dad and his approximately-2-year-old-boy. The boy was the usual spritely, perky kid. He was sitting on his dad's lap and was squirming around just like kids his age.

Then he did something unusual. He leaned towards me, buried his nose on my chest, and sniffed me. Then he looked at me, and smiled, then he buried his nose on my chest again, and sniffed me.

His dad was mortified and put his son down. I smiled and said "It's ok." Then the kid climbed up his dad's lap, then buried his nose on my shoulder, and sniffed again!

That made me wonder if I smelled like something that kids like: maybe a chocolate bar, or probably a sandbox! Yikes!

I'm on my way to meet Joannah again. I wonder who'll be sniffing me this time.

Shoerprise!

Since the weather was nice and sunny, I decided to venture off to Tung Chung to meet my friend and give her a long overdue pasalubong. The atmosphere around that area is so nice and relaxed, quite the opposite of TST where I live. Whenever i'm there, it feels like i'm in some park in Berlin or a street somewhere in Den Haag, and that "European feeling" is always a good reason to go there.

After lunch, it was off to Tsing Yi to meet a colleague of mine and get some DVDs. Got to check out Maritime Squre - Tsing Yi's biggest mall - and it was ok, but nothing out of the ordinary. Whereas Citygate Mall in Tung Chung has recently been transformed into an outlet mall, with Nike, Adidas, Bauhaus and Esprit having impressive outlet stores there.

It was still early in the afternoon and Tung Chung is just a station away, so I called up another friend of mine and we decided to meet up at Citygate to check out the stores.

The Nike Factory Outlet looks like the ones in the US and the Netherlands. The Bauhaus outlet has a lot of nice GStar jeans, but they don't have sizes. The Esprit outlet looks like its Middle Road and Mongkok brothers. And the Aji Ichiban outlet has Haw Flakes!

I wandered into the Adidas outlet with my friend and we started checking out shoes. It wasn't as impressive since the outlet in North Point has more choices and cheaper prices. But there was a pair of shoes that caught my eye - a special edition Carlo Gruber pair of sneakers. It was green and white, and had built in socks! Just by visual impact alone, this pair gets a perfect score of 100.

Add to that, it was cheap, and they had my size! So there I was, with the ideal pair of shoes in my hands. What did I do? I walked away.

I told myself to stop buying shoes, jeans and shirts since there are more than enough in my closet here in HK. In fact, I can afford not to wear the same thing for 3 months because of the amount of clothes I have. So as much as the pair of shoes were so tempting, my resolve won over me and my decision NOT to buy the shoes was made.

But like a child trying deciding whether to buy the toy of his dreams, I kept on coming back to the shelf, looking at the pair of shoes, trying them on, and putting it back. I must have done that 3 times.

This prompted my friend to approach me and ask: "If you like those shoes so much, why don't you buy them? They're cheap, and they fit your personality." After telling her my "reason" she quickly nodded and said: "Well, it's your decision. Sayang naman yung shoes."

A few minutes later, we left the Adidas store, and I was empty handed.

While I was buying groceries at Taste, my friend had to excuse herself for a few minutes. During that time, my grocerymania kicked in and filled my basket with fruits and Doritos. After 10 minutes, my friend came back carrying a silver plastic bag. She walked towards me with a huge smile on her face, extended her arm and gave the plastic bag to me saying:

"Here. I got this for you."

When I looked inside, it was the green-uber-cool-Carlo-Gruber-pair-of-shoes-from-Adidas! My jaw dropped and my eyes popped. It was a state of utter shock and surprise! So I asked:

"Why?"

She said that she noticed how much I wanted it - which was evident from how I went back and forth and forth and back for it, she decided to buy it for me. It was such a sweet, sweet thing to do.

As we were walking towards the train station, she said that seeing the excitement in my eyes was well worth the price of the pair. Tonight, I arrived home with a big smile on my face, and a brand new green-uber-cool-Carlo-Gruber-pair-of-shoes-from-Adidas!

Here he is:


Here's the funky built in sock:


And here's another shot of him!


I'm going to wear these tomorrow!

Stuff it, ok?

My colleagues are big on "Tea Time." That's the HK version of "Merienda". Sometime between 2:30 to 6:30, someone calls this magic number and in a few minutes, our common area looks like this.


Open styrofoam boxes fill the table and the smell of deep fried goodies waft through the corridor. And like rats attracted to the Pied Piper's hypnotic melody, everyone follows the smell to the common area.

The nicest smelling of the lot would be the Fried Squid Legs. It's battered and deep fried, making the exterior crunchy and the exterior soft and rubbery.


The fried tofu is the favorite among those who want "healthy, Chinese food." That's an oxymoron, according to my colleagues. My favorite part of this dish is the sweet sauce. I make sure to smother it in that.


And of course, the sweets! I love this "glutinous ball filled with bean paste and dipped in condensed milk" creation. The interplay of tastes and textures add up to one very satisfying way to cap tea time.


I shouldn't stuff myself silly this afternoon. I still have a dinner to attend.

June 19, 2006

Fiesta sent me a questionnaire over the net and this question struck me:

"When was the last time you cried?"

After reading that, an episode of my life suddenly replayed back in my mind vividly. Of course I can remember when the last time I cried was.

It was June 19, 2006.

That day, I was fying back to Hong Kong and my parents were flying back to Georgia. There was nothing really unusual about these departures. After all, I fly in and out every month and my parents come and go every 6 months. What made this day different was the fact that my parents were flying back with my 2 eldest nephews - Jul and Carl.

After a few months of deliberating, my sister finally allowed the 2 boys to go the the U.S. to study and live there. The days leading to their departure were difficult, especially for Jul who was really close to my sister. When I left the house that day to attend a meeting, everything seemed calm and normal at home, so I figured out that the departure would be bereft of the usual drama.

That evening, I arrived at the NAIA with Mark, only to find out that my flight would be delayed by 2 hours. Meanwhile, a couple of kilometers away, at the NAIA 2, my parents and nephews were checking in as well. I decided to call up my Mom, and she said that they're all settled inside and that my sister went home already. That's when I thought of calling her just to see how she's doing.

Rang home, the maid answered, and I asked if Ate Lissa was home. A few seconds later, my sister was on the other line. I asked her: "How are you?" Then she just broke down.

In between sobs and her quivering voice, two phrases reached out and just crushed my heart:

"My kids are leaving me. Wala na akong magagawa." and "Why do you have to leave? Can't you just stay here first?"

After hearing these words, I, too, broke down.

That moment, I felt that my sister was so helpless, and I was so useless. If I haven't checked in yet, I would have cancelled my flight and rushed home just to hold her hand. Needless to say, I couldn't. So, at the waiting area of NAIA's gate 5, a grown man was sobbing like a little boy. That grown man, of course, was me.

I put down the phone, sat on the bench, and spent the next few minutes with my face buried in my hands while sobbing. It's a good thing that the other passengers were out having dinner that time, so there were only a few witnesses to my crying frenzy.

It took me about 15 minutes to gather my wits and composure. Then, I decided to call my other sister and ask her to check on Ate Lissa occasionally. I dialled her number, the maid answered, and in a few seconds, she was on the line. We had a few minutes of decent conversation then her voice started to break. All it took was that millisecond break, and tears began to roll down my eyes yet again.

So, at the waiting area of NAIA's gate 5, a grown man was again sobbing like a little boy. That grown man, of course, was me.

My other sister and I were crying and conversing on the phone at the same time. At that point, the people in the area must be thinking: "What the hell is that guy's problem? He's just crying, and crying, and crying, and crying." But I guess that's how close my siblings and I are. We are sensitive to each other's pain, and we feel each other's pain.

Earlier, I was telling Ate Lissa if she remembered how painful it was for us to see our parents leave for the U.S. the first time. That pain, multiplied by 5, was probably what her kids were feeling that day they left. And just trying to imagine how much pain they must have felt drove me to tears yet again.

Even in the plane, while I was replaying my sister's voice in my head, I started to cry. This prompted the flight attendant to actually approach me and ask: "Is everything alright, sir?" To which I replied: "I just miss my family." Honestly, I must have cried 5 times that evening. And I reached the flat past midnight, physically and emotionally exhausted.

It's funny, but whenever I tell this story to other people, a few tears still roll down my eyes. And somehow, they sense the same emotions, too. Rona was a bit teary-eyed when I recounted this story to her and Alife. My colleague also had to stop me mid-way into the story because he felt like crying, too. That's how powerful the emotions were. That's how intense the feelings were.

And it was then that I realized how connected my siblings and I are.

I'm actually starting to get teary-eyed while I write this now. I should stop now, lest I change my answer to that question and make it: August 23, 2006.

The Big O

I have a new favorite munchie.



Double Delight Oreo in Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

This actually isn't new since i've tried it once or twice in Manila. But somehow, after tasting it again, i've suddenly become addicted. I think i've finished a box in two days. (It's just a box of 9 packs, though.)

Move over Double Stuff Oreo, there's a new favorite in town.

Enjoy the show

Since I got my own flat, I’ve developed this bad habit of doing house chores in my underwear. (Emphasis on “doing house chores.”)

Considering that most of the flats here in HK are built so close to each other, I shouldn’t be too bold (pardon the pun) to do that. After all, the view from my window is my next-door neighbor, so if I can see them, they can definitely see me.

That’s why my curtains are closed 99% of the time, especially during weekends when it’s housecleaning time.

This is the view of my neighbors building from my flat.


Today was chore day, and since I was in Manila last weekend, the flat was a bit messier than usual. After lunch, I quickly (un)dressed for the job and proceeded to clean my room like an obsessive-compulsive madman.

It was while sweeping the floor when it hit me: I forgot to close the curtains!

And to make matters worse, my neighbors from the building across were looking out of their windows, and presumably, into mine. By neighbors, this means that there were two sets of on-lookers.

If these neighbors were on the same floor as mine, it wouldn’t be as alarming since my windows were only half of the total length of the wall. Doing the math, that would mean they could only see my upper body.

But horror of horrors, they were actually on the 9th and 10th floor. This can only mean that they could probably see more than they needed to. This is where they were standing and watching me:


Stunned, I froze in place. Holding the broom with both hands, my eyes blankly gazing outside, right into my neighbor’s windows. The man on the 10th floor balcony quickly went inside after realizing that I’ve discovered my folly.

Presumably, the two ladies on the 9th floor would follow suit. But in a turn of events that can be best described as bizarre, they started waving at me. And if my lip reading skills are correct, they said “hello” and “hi.”

At that point, all I could do was smile, wave back, and skitter away to the other room. After a minute, I went back to the room, but lo and behold, they were all gone. They probably thought: “Oh, the show is over. Let’s go.”

This whole fracas makes me want to put a big sign on my door that says: “Make sure the curtains are closed before you clean.” I’m hoping that this lapse of judgment will never happen again.

But today it did. And all I can say is: Thank goodness Bench makes really cute boxer briefs.

Night Moves

Finally got to watch “Lady in the Water” today, and what struck me about the film was how uncharacteristic it was of an M. Night Shyamalan film.

I’ve watched all this films after his first successful outing, “The Sixth Sense.” That film was very memorable for me because it was the first time someone threatened me with bodily harm.

Here’s the story. My colleagues and I were at Robinson’s Place Ermita watching the film. Mid-way into the film, after all the screaming and giggling, I had an epiphany. An epiphany so great, I had to blurt it out:

“Oh my gosh! Bruce Willis is dead! That’s why the kid can see him!”

At that point, all my colleagues gave me dagger looks and shouted: “SSSHHHHHH!” And from behind our row, someone said: “Sisipain ko ‘to. Wala nang suspense.”

Needless to say, I escaped from the clutches of the aggressor.

“Unbreakable” was a big let down. It was the “sophomore curse”, and threatened to make M. Night a “one hit wonder.” He tried to put in a bit more star power in “Signs” by signing up Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. That, too, proved to be a big disappointment.

Then came “The Village” which all my friends hated, but surprisingly, the film grew on me. Plus, it was the only M. Night film that I couldn’t guess the ending. The twist was a genuine surprise.

With “Lady in the Water”, M. Night has turned in his old bag of tricks for presented a well written, well paced and well thought of film. And of course, it helped that it was a story centered on a legend, which is always a big plus in my book.

It was introduced as a bedtime story, and indeed, it had all the elements of one. Mythical creatures interacting with humans, ordinary people with unusual powers, gods and monsters with the ability to transform – they were all there. The great thing about this film is that not one character is wasted. Although there were a lot of people living in “The Cove,” each one was given an important role, and in the end, they were all relevant to the story.

Another interesting point in the film is that M. Night now plays a major role as opposed to his first 4 films where he only made cameos. His role here was pivotal – the vessel that the Narf must awaken. And I must say, he has the chops for acting. He should do a Mel Gibson and star in a film that he himself directed. (Nope, I wasn’t referring to the drunk-driving-Jew-bashing-episode.)

Bryce Dallas Howard was enchanting as the Narf. She had the childlike-innocence look down pat. She reminded me of The Little Mermaid’s Ariel, especially when I saw her little collection of “human things.”

But the big bonus was seeing Sarita Choudry on the big screen again. Last I saw her was in Mira Nair’s “Mississippi Masala” way back in college. And her performance was worth the wait.

The usual suspense and shocking moments were there. I’ve never been shocked by water sprinklers prior to this film. And the grassy dog really seemed ominous. But on the whole, this film was really a feel-good fantasy. It was a story about faith, hope, believing in others and believing in one’s self.

Throughout the film, I felt like a child being read a bedtime story by my Grandma. And in that respect, the film did live up to its promise. This really was a bedtime story by M. Night Shyamalan. And like most bedtime stories, I wouldn’t mind hearing this over and over and over again.

While “Lady in the Water” didn’t surprise me as much, this film was able to do something that M. Night’s first 4 films: It moved me.

Quote for the day

"You should add 'Genius' to your business card because that last work you did was simply brilliant."

Yup, today is a good day.

Doing Debbie

Thanks to Vincent who sent me a chock-full of Debbie Gibson MP3s, i'm now stuck in the 80s and enjoying a Debbie Gibson moment. I've spent the past few hours playing back her songs, and it brought back so many memories. (Including the fact that I actually memorize the lyrics of Electric Youth!)

Right now, though, since it's night time and there's a nice, romantic view of the Hong Kong skyline outside my office window, i've decided to slow down the tempo and go for a more mushy-wushy song.

Ick! I hope this Debbie Delirium doesn't stick this whole week. I wouldn't want to be stuck in the 80s for so long. (That's Dave's job. Hahaha.)




LOST IN YOUR EYES
(Debbie Gibson)

I get lost, in your eyes
And I feel my spirits rise
And soar like the wind
Is it love that I am in?
I get weak in a glance
Isn't this what's called romance?
And that's what I know
Cause when I'm lost
I can't let go

(Chorus)
I don't mind
Not knowing what I'm headed for
You can take me to the skies
It's like being lost in heaven
When (and) I'm lost in your eyes

I just felt
Don't know why
Something is there
We can't deny
Ooh, when I first knew
Was when I first looked at you
And if I
Can't find my way
If salvation
Seems miles away
Oh, I'll be found
When I'm lost in your eyes

(Repeat Chorus)

I get weak in a glance
Isn't this what's called romance
Oh, I'll be found
When I am lost
In your eyes.

Birthdays, Barkadas and something that's Bastos

If I lived in Sesame Street, this Sunday may have very well been brought to you courtesy of the letter "B." In one day, i've been running around from one engagement to the next, and this definitely made my day a big B.

BLUR!

But now that i've been able to slow down and my mind has been able to digest everything that happened, these Bs definitely made my weekend a most memorable one.

BIRTH!

Kicked off the day by visiting one of my closest friends at Medical City. Elsie gave birth last Saturday, so I went to visit and see the newest addition to the Dormiendo family.

Welcome Marcus Jose!


He's such and adorable kid. The first time I saw him, it was amazing how he looked like a month old. He's big, with lots of hair, and his facial features were so well developed. Most often, babies look the same after birth, but little Marcus looked really distinct.


Marcus is Elsie and Mac's 3rd baby, after Gabriel Luis and Ella Beatrice. If memory serves me right, I was there during Elsie's 3 births, much like Shashie Friend. Same goes for all her kids' 1st birthdays. Elsie's family is pretty much like an extension of mine, that's why I'm so looking forward to Marcus' 1st birthday as well.

BARKADA 1!

After Medical City, I quickly went home because there was a lunch celebration at my sister's place. It was a despedida party for one of her best friends - Happy - who is leaving for the U.S.

When I got there, my sister's posse was complete. Way back in college, she had 3 super best friends who formed her barkada: Annalis, Carol and Happy. Now, Almost 20 years after they graduated, they're still together and act like college kids most of the time.

It's amazing how true friendships never age. Despite the distance, the changes in status, the ups & downs, true friends stand by each other and support each other. Not only that, they also hit each other on the head if they're doing something wrong, kick each other in the butt if they need a wake-up call, and give them a good slapping just to put their lives into perspective. True friends are there both for the good and the bad, and these girls have been there for each other for that.

When I look at the 4 of them all cramped in one couch, talking about everything from the latest fashion to the most recent bout of depression, it renews my faith in real friendship. And I'm sure that 20 years down the road, i'll still see these 4 girls the same way I'm looking at them now.

BIRTHDAY!

From Cubao, I rushed off to Makati to attend a Royal Celebration. Two of my favorite little royals were celebrating their birthdays and this was a "must not miss" event.


It was the birthday celebration of Prince Waji and Princess Jela - the adorable children of King Jeff and Queen Ninette. The party was held at this really nice place called Makati Park, and since it was my first time to go there, I almost got lost. Good think the cab driver had more bearings than me.


Prince Waji was dashing in his royal outfit: A princely white shirt, black pants, a royal red cape and a crown.


Princess Jela looked every bit a princess in her orange ball gown and tiara. I haven't seen her in 6 months, and she's grown so much. Last time I saw her in February, she'd let me carry her around. But because of the half-year gap, I'm back to being a "stranger" in her eyes. Here she is wondering: "who's the terrorist with the moustache?"


I've always been attracted to deep hues, that's why I loved the party venue. The table cloths were in rich, colored satin. There were silk lamps scattered around the venue, with colors varying from burgundy, emerald green, rust and deep navy. And the loot bags also echoed the same color scheme, making it so eye-catching! I just couldn't help but take a few photos.



One of the activities lined up for both kids and adults was a "make your own crown and mask." Jaybee and Reissa were manning the reception booth giving away white crowns and masks, and they had a wide array of decorative items to choose from. There were feathers, gems, beads, glitter glue, sequins and so many others. It was fun seeing both parents and kids working intently on their little projects.

Here's a sample of what the kids did. They were personalized crowns, each one carrying the name of the prince who owned it.


Of course, I got into the party spirit and started making my own mask. I snatched a couple of tubes of glitter glue, some beads and sequins, and a couple of feathers. Then I plopped down on one chair and started to work on it. Initially, I drew some diamond patterns, reminiscent of venetian masks. This was the main element of the design.


Then I started putting on a couple of beads, and a couple of sequins, giving it a bit of bollywood vibe. Then to cap it all off, I put three multi-colored feathers on the right side, and voila! It was a mask fit for a royal ball! I was so proud of my creation that I took photos and more photos. I never got to wear it, though, since the glue was still wet.



Onee, the party's host, was dressed like a jester. He was a great host because he really communicated with the kids without being too cutesy or irritating like some hosts and magicians i've seen before. The kids obviously enjoyed his balloon-twisting antics, and the "name that tune" game.



One thing that caught my attention was how he had a "text-in" game! He asked some questions about Waji and Jela, and he asked the audience to "text" him the answer. And the first message he receives gets the prize! While I was standing behind Jeff, I couldn't help but remark: "Wow! A text-in game at a birthday party. The SMS craze has really taken over everything!"


After a lot of games and dozens of excited kids shrieking, it was time for the other highlight of the party - the birthday candle blowing. Waji, being the party veteran, had an easy time blowing the candle. And like each and every party i've been to, all the kids wanted to get into the action and blow the birthday candle first. Good think Onee was there to rein in the kids.



As much as I wanted to stick around for the magic show, I had a couple more things to attend to, so I had to take a French leave and skitter off. Of course, I had to carefully wrap my royal mask and Ninette gave me a couple of royal goodies to bring home. On the whole, this birthday party really made me feel like royalty.

BALINGKINITAN!

From the party, I had to drop by the church to hear mass before my next appointment. While looking for a seat, I ran into Rodel, our former IT person. He approached me to say hello, then asked: "Sa E-Telecare ka pa rin ba nagtra-trabaho?"

**BUZZ** Wrong person!

After telling him that i'm not exactly the call center type, he realized he had me mistaken for someone else and said: "Uy, sorry Lester. Sa DY&R nga pala tayo nagka-work. Hindi ko agad naalala kasi may nagbago sa'yo." And this prompted me to ask: "Ano yon?" And he replied:

"Mas Balingkinitan ka ngayon."

Gosh! This is probably the first time in YEARS that I've heard that word again.

BARKADA 2!

After squeezing in a movie after mass, it was off to Metrowalk for the evening's biggest celebration - Grace's Homecoming! She's back! And I am supremely envious of her because she is.



It was more than a year ago when we both left for our overseas posting and now she's back. Life in Laos wasn't exactly to her liking, which isn't a surprise since she's always been a big-city type of girl. I actually admire her because if it were me living in Laos, I'd probably last 4 weeks and I'm off!

The funny thing about the get-together is where it was held. Bonique told me that we were meeting at this place called "Yahoo". Because we usually meet at a cafe/restaurant, my assumption is that Yahoo is within that category. So, I texted everyone to proceed to "Yahoo Cafe and Restaurant."

Imagine my surprise when I found out that Yahoo was a carinderia-esque Barbecue joint in Metrowalk. It was such a shell-shock to see my friends all sitting in a carinderia. Especially after seeing Tintin and Lezyl dressed so spiffily.


It's been 4 months since we've all gotten together like this. Too bad Maricar, Mona and Rona missed it. But the rest of D' Frendz were there: Alfie, Bonique, Grace, Tintin, Lezyl and Wena. It was also nice to see faces that we've haven't seen in a while, and people who we haven't been hanging around with lately, like Vince and Dip and Jeff. Work has been keeping them off the D' gatherings lately, but it was great to have them back on board.



Like most "balikbayans", Grace brought chocolates as pasalubong. The bag of Lindt chocolates were quickly devoured, and Bonique went home with the bag. But my favorite pasalubong was this pack of cigs that Grace bought in Laos. Which brings me to the last B of the evening.

BASTOS!

Yup, there's a cigarette brand called "Bastos." Eventhough no one smokes in our little circle called D' Frendz, she purchased a pack just for kicks. Needless to say, we all had a blast with that pack. I even ended up bringing it home! (Oops... I think I didn't tell Grace. I'm sure she's wondering where it went.)




The evening ended at around 11pm. Grace had to go home and meet her dad, and I had to go home and pack my things. Whilst I already had more than enough Bs that night, I'd best describe that Sunday with another B word. After spending quality time with family and friends, after witnessing Births and Birthdays, after being called Balingkinitan and seeing something Bastos, the day can be summed up as:

BLOCKBUSTER!

Traveling Light

Tonight, it took me 2 minutes to pack for my trip back to Hong Kong.

Ok, I exaggerate. It took me 1 minute and 35 seconds to pack.

Standing in my room with an open bag, I looked around for things to bring. All I was able to put in my bag were the following:

- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 travel size bottle of Warm Vanilla Sugar Lotion (courtesy of Superfriendster Madzie. Welcome back, Madzie!)
- 1 starbucks tumbler (courtesy of some stranger who thought I needed one.)
- 3 DVDs
- 1 Apple Pie (Thanks, Ate!)
- 1 Upside Down Cake (Thanks, Ate!)
- That's it. Seriously.

Looking at it, I think the weight of my luggage is heavier than what's inside.

Adios, Tito Agustin

Whenever my Mom calls me up early in the morning (Atlanta time, of course), it's either she's homesick, or there's bad news. The fact that she called me up at 5:30pm, (that's 5:30 am where she lives), made me a bit worried.

Her voice didn't sound odd, but I could tell she just woke up. She started with the usual "how are you's" and "aren't you glad to be home? Thinking you're there makes me homesick." Then just as things were cruising at a normal pace, the words finally came out of her mouth.

"Tito Agustin passed away already."

Tito Agustin is my favorite uncle. He lives in Barcelona with Tita Evelyn and my four cousins and is one of the reasons why I love visiting Spain. He's this very jolly fellow: tall, big and round, bald to the degree that he has no hair and no eyebrows, too, and always has a big smile to share with everyone.


Growing up, it was hard to miss Tito Agustin. He was like a cross between Kojak and Santa Claus. Whenever he's in Manila and we'd go to Manila Hotel for lunch or dinner, the kids outside would call him: "Kalbo, kalbo!" His answer, in his Spanish-accented Tagalog would always be: "Di bale. Guwapo naman ako." And we'd all laugh out loud.

He treated all of us - 24 nephews and nieces in all - like his own children. Everytime his family would visit from Spain, all 24 of us would have new shoes, new clothes, new toys and bags of gummi bears and turrones de jijona. And that made him really, really popular with the Morales kids.

Their visits were few and far between. Maybe once in 3 to 5 years. But each time they came back, it felt like they were there all along. That's how strong their presence was.

I have many fond childhood memories with Tito Agustin. Like how often we'd have lunch at Esperanza's with Tita Evelyn and Yoly. How he'd love to go to hotels and listen to bands. Whenever they'd go to the disco, he'd bring me along - despite the fact that I was 10 years old. I once overheard him saying the word "condom" to my uncle, and when i asked him what "condom" was, he said it was short for "condominium." And because of that, I used to call condominiums, well, condoms.

Imagine me saying: "I heard Marj lives in a really huge condom."

And those memories kept on pouring in even in my adulthood. How he'd always worry about me getting lost in Barcelona's subways. Even if he had work at their restaurant, he'd take a few hours off to drive me off to the Miro and Dali Museums. How he showed me the fort where Jose Rizal was imprisoned in Barcelona. Then when Roland and I stayed with them, he'd make sure that Roland felt comfortable and treated him like family. I remember Roland telling me that he feels at home with Tito Agustin more than he does with his own family. That to me says a lot about his caring, nurturing character.

Like many cancer battles, Tito Agustin's was a short but well-fought battle. We found out about his condition less than a year ago, and less than 6 months after his last visit to Manila. He was brave enough to make a joke about it, saying: "I'm not afraid of chemotherapy. I've got no hair to lose anyway." Everyone, especially our family, was hoping that he'd pull through and respond to treatments.

But he didn't. According to Tita, the last month was very difficult for him. He was in and and out of the hospital. Dependent on his morphine shots which oftentimes just wasn't enough. Tito was a shadow of his tall, round bodied, jolly self. This was the Tito I would have seen if he'd still be alive by the time I visit Barcelona next March.

But I won't be able to see him anymore. I won't be able to hear his reminder to take care when riding the train and go down at "Les Corts" station. I won't be able to hear him call me: "Hoy, payat!" There won't be that jolly, boisterous laughter when we'd have lunch at that Italian restaurant across their apartment. And there won't be a Tito Agustin to meet me and see me off at the airport.

After Mom told us, Ate Lissa and I talked about it, and maybe it's good that we didn't see Tito Agustin in his frail and weak state. He wouldn't have wanted that. Like Tita Lon, he would have wanted his nephews to remember him as who he was, not who has become after battling cancer.

He would have wanted us to remember him as the jolly, kalbo, Castillian Tito who had an infectious laugh and spoke near perfect Tagalog - albeit with a Spanish accent. And that's how I remember him. In my heart, that's how I'll always remember him.

Vaya con dios, Tito Agustin. Descanso en Paz. Nunca te Olvidate.

Spider-man joins the X-men

Here's something interesting that Melvin and I saw on our weekend visit to the Peak. The intricacy of the web it wove was spectacular. The X pattern was so pronounced, we swore that it was the spider's way of asking the X-men to recruit him.

The best lunch $12 can buy

There are days when i'm lazy to eat lunch. My colleagues are actually baffled by the concept of "lazy to eat lunch." But yes, there are days when I can't decide what I want to eat, and am lazy to even try and figure out what to eat.

On days like this, there's one place I always go to... Ikea!

I've been a big fan of the Ikea Cafe since Roland and I started eating there after looking for home stuff at Ikea in Amsterdam. The cafe there is much like a restaurant: tables and chairs, set meals with rice and salmon, different desserts - all at Ikea prices. Of course, the one here in Hong Kong is just a fraction of that. They only sell 4 or 5 food items, but that doesn't stop people from going there during lunch. That includes me, of course.

And my lazy day lunch usually consists of:

- Hotdog set
- Popcorn

The grand total: $12!

That beats any value meal that any food store can offer.

When all else fails...

Wear Chuck Taylors!

These shoes are such a blessing for the fashionably challenged. Whenever I feel like my clothes for the day don't match or are just dog gone ugly, I don one of these babies and everything feels so right. Pretty much like today.

Good thing I've got 7 pairs - that means I've got each day of the week covered in case things get really bad.

Who you?

Snagged this from 3sha's blog and had so much fun reading it. In fact, I HAD SO MUCH FUN, I had to answer it, too. I like little quizzes like this:

. . . your name
There are 2 stories behind my name: Lester Edgard.

First: According to my Mom, I was named after that famous child actor named Mark Lester. (He played Oliver in Oliver Twist. He was one of my mom's favorite big screen kids.

Second: While I was browsing through my Dad's magazine collection as a young lad, I dug up a pile of FBI Crime Magazines. And in one of the issues, the back page featured America's (then) Most Wanted Criminal named: Lester Edward Browning. So I thought: "hmmm... that explains my killer tendencies." Harharhar.

Edgard has always been seen as an odd name. I guess it's the middle ground of my Dad's name: Edgardo.

FUN FACT:
At one point, my nickname was "Jake." Which wasn't really odd because 3 people in my immediate family have nicknames that are nowhere near their real names. Enrique is Biboy. Maria Teresita is Bullet. And Antonio Martin is Noah. How's that for strange?

. . .your parents
My parents have an amazing love story that I can tell over and over and over and over and over again. It involves a lot of plane rides, a high-powered wedding that included a chartered flight, and 5 wonderful kids! (Me included!)

. . .your last birthday
It was a triple celebration: Maricar's wedding, Grace's birthday and My birthday. Needless to say, it was 3 times the fun.

. . .your first love
Not counting the "loves" below the age of 18, it was with a co-crew at McDonald's who eventually became one of my best friends. She was the first girl who made me cry. *sob*

. . .your room
White walls, red and yellow curtains, dark wood bed and tables, and colorful bedsheets. I only have a fan and an airconditioner in my room. No TV sets, No radios, No closets. I want it to be as bare as possible so all I can do when I go inside is sleep.

. . .last Christmas
Spent it at home with the family, like we always do. It usually involves a big potluck, relatives from my Dad's side, and excited kids getting loads of goodies.

. . .your last valentines
Since it isn't really a big deal in Hong Kong, I can't remember what I did then.

. . .your current clothes
Blue Abercrombie & Fitch shirt, Zara Jeans, Chuck Taylors

. . .the 1st time you saw your crush
I was a crusher, so I can't remember the first time. I was probably 3 by then.

. . . you and your best friend
Gary and I were inseparable in High School. He's now in Texas and I haven't seen him in almost 5 years!

. . .the last place you went to
McDonald's!

. . .the last time you cried
A couple of days ago, I think.

. . .your greatest achievement so far
Living my life exactly the way I want to. I think it's safe to say that i'm living my dreams.

. . .the last movie you watched
Crying Ladies, thanks to Direk Mark who gave me an autographed DVD copy. And yes, I cried while watching that, too.

I'm kreme-ing

Spent the early part of the afternoon walking around Times Square and checking out if Zara had any cool, new stuff for fall. I'm looking for a new pair of boots, at least similar to those mid-thigh beauties I was lusting for - but didn't buy - last year. On my way out, I heard this ruckus across the street, and saw that it was some noisy group of people carrying a big placard that had the number 4.



Initially, it was difficult to decipher, but once I saw the familiar colors, my heart skipped a beat! I went up and looked closer, and my suspicion was confirmed!



Krispy Kreme donuts is opening its first store in Hong Kong this coming week! That news is definitely worth a lot of noise. No wonder people were all ogling at the sign, those carb and sugar coated sins from the US have arrived. For the longest time, it was said that the Tantoco group wanted to buy the franchise for Krispy Kreme, but it was supposedly very prohibitively priced. Often, i've seen people lug around big boxes of donuts from LA to Manila, and really, the hassle is well worth it.

But now, with Krispy Kreme in Hong Kong, the wait won't be that long! Everyone in Manila can get it in less than 2 hours.

I can't wait for the store to open and try it out for myself. Yum!

Give me a boot!

Since the rainy season has arrived in Hong Kong, i've been looking for suitable shoes that i won't mind walking through floods with. The thing is, it's so rare to find nice looking rubber rain boots this part of the world. They often look like street sweeper wear. There was one that I saw in In Style that was from Old Navy, but my brother says it's not available anymore.

This morning, I saw someone wearing a nice pair of rain boots. I saw the brand and it's Aigle. There's an Aigle store near my flat, so it looks like i'm going to haul my butt off to that store tomorrow.

Hope I can get a pair as nifty looking as these.

You're the dish!

For lunch today, my colleagues and I decided to have Yam-Cha (or Dim-sum as it's commonly called) at our favorite restaurant near the office. I've been craving for Lausa Pao, and this place definitely has one of the best.

When we got there, we were met by this very nice, very gregarious girl who directed us to a corner table. In Yam-Cha places, the corner tables - especially the ones near a window - are coveted. And despite the place being packed, and with other people waiting, our group was lucky enough to be given a prime spot.

Joe was starting to write down our orders when the girl started suggesting some dishes. The girl turned out to be the Assistant Captain in the restaurant. Joe said that these people usually wait on tables of important people, and that we'd be in good hands.

Since she spoke in Cantonese, I had no idea what she was saying. But I did hear a familiar term "pangyao" which means "friend" and she pointed at me a couple of times. When she walked away, I asked my colleague why she was refering to me, and he said that she was actually suggesting dishes that she thinks I will like. Along with that, he was teasing me that the girl had her eye on me.

"Yeah right!" I told him.

So we proceeded to order, and we also ordered the Crab with Fried Noodle dish that the Captain said i'd like. She was the one distributing the portions and she gave me a big plate with a lot of noodles and a lot of crabs. She gave me the plate, looked at me, smiled and said: "Eat slowly and enjoy it." To which I said, "Thank you." My colleague was complaining that he had fewer crabs than me, and our other colleague said that the Captain put more crabs on my plate on purpose because "your friend will surely like this."

As our orders slowly came in, I noticed that she was there to explain each one and tell my Chinese friends that "your pangyao will surely like this one." And when the Lausa Pao arrived, she asked me to try it because it was their specialty. When i said that Lausa Pao was my favorite, she was so obviously delighted and giddy.

During most of our lunch, we'd see her hovering around the table, serving us tea, and talking about the Yam Cha we ordered. It was really THE VIP treatment we were getting, and we just felt lucky.

After the hearty lunch, we asked for our bill and it was still the Captain who gave it to us. After paying, we stood up to leave, and she gave her usual: "I hope you enjoyed your lunch and please see us again" spiel. To which I replied: "Thank you. It was really an excellent lunch."

I took a few steps away, then suddenly cornered me as my colleagues started to move along. She handed me her calling card and said: "This is my name card and that's my name. These are our numbers: phone number, fax number and my mobile phone number. The next time you want to eat here, just call me on my mobile so I can reserve a corner table for you and suggest the best dishes on our menu. And i'll also give you a 20% discount."

To this, my reply was: "Gee, thanks! That's really so nice of you." And it was followed by my trademark and default smile.

Then she said: "It was really my pleasure. Don't worry, i'll remember you the next time you go here. You're a very handsome man. I'll recognize you anytime, anywhere." This, of course, made me blush a bit. I hate getting attention.

After leaving the restaurant, my colleagues started to burst into laughter.

One said:

"Did you see the twinkle in her eye while she was talking to you. It looked like she was talking to a star."

The other said:

"I told you she likes you."

And the other one said something that best described what just happened, as well as our entire lunch experience. He said:

"Lester. You're the dish!"

7-up Bite Bites!

I'm very adventurous when it comes to sodas. Ergo, whenever an interesting new variant pops in Park & Shop or Wellcome, I make it a point to buy a bottle and test drive it.

When Sprite Ice came out, I immediately bought a bottle and tried it. The cooling, minty sensation that follows the lemon-lime taste was awesome. At the same time, 7-up Bite came out, but I didn't try it yet since I was enamoured by Sprite. (And besides, my sister in law works for The Coca-Cola company.)

Today, after a spicy Laksa lunch, I finally decided to try it. Aside from the fact that they had their Fido Dido billboards spread all around Hong Kong, the bottle had this nice, lemon yellow tint that really jumps out. So, I passed by 7-11 and got a bottle.

All I can say is... EWWWW!

7-Up Bite tastes like lemon scented liquid detergent. It felt like I was drinking Zonrox or Lysol. It had this rancid, acid taste that scrapes your throat, not like Sprite Ice that slides on down easy. (How's that for a commercial.)

Well, now that I know that 7-Up is a fluke, it's on to the next soda.