And another year of wanderlust begins

It's the first foreign trip of the year. And I kept crossing my fingers that I'd make it to the airport on time. I rushed there after my second class, and it's a good thing that traffic wasn't that bad.

And if the aircraft I took looks like Cathay, look again.

It's the new Philippine Airlines plane!

Yup, their new 777s are the same ones that Cathay Pacific flies, ergo the personalized TV screens (touch screen, mind you), and personalized entertainment.



Plus, the seats also recline by sliding forward and not moving back, so it's such a relief.



Flights that are now mostly on time, econolight fares, and now this! Looks like I'm going to want to fly PAL more often. And it looks like another year of travel ahead.

Prints Principle

The good thing about taking the MRT going home is I get to pass by Surplus Shop everyday. On good weeks, they've got troves and troves of great buys on display. There was a time when they had Express dresses and H&M shirts. And a few weeks ago, they had this pair of printed pants from J. Crew.

Prints are going to be big this season, although the prints are louder and more colorful. The prints on these pants are very classic and low key. Like this black damask print. I've always liked damask.


Then there's the blue toile de jouy. It's got this rich, French vibe to it that really catches the eye.



Because the pants are already printed, the trick here is to just add a solid top, and you've got an outfit with "oomph" without being too loud.



And that's how prints are done.

Maybe the old songs...

My Dad is a huge music fan. When we were kids, there was a portion of the house where he'd keep all his cassette tapes and label them. The fact that he had a catalogue was ample proof that he was serious about music.

Thanks to Dad, I learned to appreciate different types of music at a young age. It was then that I was introduced to Seawind, Shirley Bassey, Richard Clayderman, Ferrante and Teicher, Earth, Wind and Fire, The 5th Dimension, and a host of other artists that I'd normally not be familiar with.

This is where my affinity for old songs came from.

As much as I appreciate current pop stars (Britney Spears! Yeah!), there's still that need to listen to music from the 70s and 80s.

There's something about the music from that decade. Each song had a story. The lyrics were beautifully crafted. The melodies were simple but haunting. And when you add them all up, the result was pure musical magic.

One of my favorite old songs from the 80s was this virtually unknown song from an unheard of but very musically gifted singer, taken from an obscure movie. It was entitled "Desire (Hello Joe, Goodbye)", and the song still sounds a beautiful as I first heard it as a little boy.

For the longest time, I've been trying to find a CD of old songs that included it, but my efforts were for naught. Good thing there's youtube.

This is MaJor!

Finally saw the much talked about dance number by the Cebu inmates that was choreographed by Michael Jackson's very own choreographers. And I must say, it's mind-blowing!



The snappy moves, the formation, the "slow mo marching" - I don't know where to start. It's a dance number that Michael Jackson would definitely be proud of.

New Cheap Thrill

Thanks to the ladies at the fifth floor office, I discovered a new cheap thrill.



Spanish Bread from Fortune Bakeshop!

Of course, Dexter's Bakeshop is still my top favorite spanish bread of all time, but this comes a close second. The bread is soft and has a lot of crumbs on top, and the filling is soft and melts in your mouth. The entire thing practically dissolves the moment you bite on it. One should be careful when buying this bread because it's totally addicting!

And at just P5.00 a pop, it's great value! I wonder what other cheap thrills are hiding in that bakery. Must discover them soon.

This week's LSS

Lanca perfume can now take a short break. I've got a new song playing in my mind, over and over again.



It's such a nice videoke song.

Must go to a videoke place soon.

Just Heath it

We got a big box from the U.S. and it was filled with all sorts of imported goodies. There were cans and cans of Planters nuts, jars of Skippy, different types of Rocas (Almond, Mocha and Candy), and of course, bags and bags of chocolates.

And among those bags is a chocolate bar that I haven't seen in ages!



I used to really like Heath. It's like Almond Roca with less almonds and creamier chocolate. My favorite part was when you reach the toffee center and the texture of the ground nuts add to the flavor. But I somehow lost touch with this chocolate bar and forgot about it.

Now that it's here, and now that I've eaten a few bars already, my liking for Heath is back!

Channeling Mr. Blackwell

It was Saturday night, and I found myself in Aquaknox to attend the midterm event of my Advertising seniors. Entitled "Masquerada", it was an evening that showcased the talents of students from SSC, UST, AMA and DLSU.

Just like in previous years, I'm impressed at how the Advertising students conduct events. There's a lot of creativity, attention to detail, and that ever-elusive X-factor. As the night progressed, it was easy to see how successful the entire party was.

My favorite part was the fashion show. Coco - the floor director - did a great job in conceptualizing this segment. First, the models appeared on an aquarium like area of the bar, and everyone looked up in delight as they realized what was happening.




Then, the models went down using a stairwell on the side, and gracefully walked down the small catwalk. At the rate flashbulbs were popping, it felt like a real fashion show.



They had a good mix of designers. The 3 female designers from DLSU had very fashion-forward designs. And their finale was a small collection from Project Runway Philippines runner-up, Veejay Floresca. It was nice to see my Trish, my former student, work that runway.


(Trish is the 2nd girl from the right.)

Also, same as last year, I was asked to name the best dressed couple of the evening. After channeling my inner Mr. Blackwell and craning my neck for an hour or so, I spotted this girl wearing a "fierce" ensemble. She had a floral top and mixed it with ripped liquid leggings. I liked the contrast of her outfit, so she got my vote. For the best dressed guy, I chose this dude who wore some of the current trends for guys: skinny jeans, skinny shirt with a skinny tie - skinny everything!



The girl turned out to be one of our seniors at SSC. Maybe she can wear that to school on "Corporate Fridays." I mean, that'll pass off as corporate in an Advertising Agency. Or a bar. Hahaha.

Another year, another fashion show. I wonder what we have in store for us next year.

Sentimental favorite

Another personality has joined Farrah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze and Michael Jackson in that big 80s party up in the sky.



Teddy Pendergrass passed away, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful and heartwarming songs. My favorite Teddy song is "In my time." This was sung around the late 80s, and it was an inspiring song set against a sad melody.

What I remember most about it is the MTV. Teddy was singing on stage from his wheelchair. At the time he recorded the song, he was already paralyzed from waist down due to a car accident. Despite that, he went on singing, and coming up with more soulful ditties one after the other.

Even up to now, I get sentimental when I hear "In my time." And now that the singer has passed on, it gives me another reason to feel sentimental about it.

Discount doesn't count

The latest Zara sale is a bit of a letdown. Maybe it's because the sale has only been on for a few days, but the discounts are a bit lame.

I saw a top that went from P1,950 to P1,750 and a pair of jeans that went from P2,450 to P2,250. Come on, you can do better than a P200.00 discount. If we were in HKG, everything should initially be half price!

Then again, maybe it's because the sale has only been for a few days. Hopefully, the price slash in the next round is big enough to count.

Candyman

I've always been a huge fan of Marks and Spencer's candies. Particularly the mint assortment.



When I was still working in SMC and things got quite stressful, my "escape" would be to go to M&S Megamall and buy a pack of these. After that, the world suddenly became a better place. Harhar.

My friend once told me that - at P145 per pack - these candies were too expensive to be candies. Her argument was that, with that kind of money, you can get 6 packs of Potchi. What she didn't understand was Marks and Spencer mints ARE NOT Potchi. Harhar.

Yesterday, I suddenly had a craving for these, so it was off to M&S Gateway. Unfortunately, they didn't have it in stock. The sales clerk told me that during Christmas, people hoard these candies and give them away as gifts.

Thankfully, there was still one pack of Butter Mints on the shelf. This should tie me over until the candy supply at M&S normalizes this month.

I see the signs!

When I entered Zara in Greenbelt 5 this lunchtime, I started seeing the signs.

- Racks were packed to the rafter with clothes. The usual spaces in between were all filled up.
- Tables were filled with shoes, and each style had all the sizes displayed.
- Items that were previously off the rack were put back again.
- Stockmen were bringing out the ubiquitous black plastic bag.

This can only mean one thing.

THE ZARA SALE STARTS TOMORROW!

Woohoo! Time to shop! (Ok, browse... then shop.)

LSS: Lanca Song Syndrome

It's been two weeks and the song is still playing in my head. I'm so, so into it that I've spent a day just searching for different permutations of the song and its videos. And after sifting through a lot, I've decided to set aside my favorites for easy reference in the future.

1. Rita Lee (acoustic) - She performed this a few years ago, which means she's around 50 years old at this time. Despite her age, the voice is still the same. I like the way this version sounds - a bit of ska, a bit of reggae, and all fun.



2. "Idolos" contestants - In one episode of Brazil's version of the "Idol" franchise, they were asked to perform the song. And it's interesting how each contestant had a different take on the song.



3. Adriane - I don't know this artist, but methinks she's an upstart pop singer in Brazil. Her version is also easy on the ears - taking the essence of the original and adding a bit of electronica to it. I'm not digging her MTV, though. It's too pop tart. She's trying too hard to Britney-fy the song.



4. Rita Lee vintage - Again, the original. She's such a performer! I'm digging the crazy faces and even crazier moves. No wonder she's called the Queen of Rock in Brazil.



One thing I've learned after looking at all those videos is that Lanca Perfume is a Rita Lee anthem. Whenever she sings it, people go bonkers! And this bonker reaction happened in the 70s, 80s, 90s and even in 2008.



It's probably her signature song, much like "Never gonna give you up" is Rick's,"Staying Alive" is the Bee Gees' and "I should be so lucky" is Kylie's. It's a classic! That's why I don't think I'll tire of this anytime soon.

Another Clash

The more new trailers for "Clash of the Titans" come out, the more excited I am to see the film. This new spot shows the story in more clarity, and it also highlights more of the scenes I'm more familiar with.

Among them:
1. Andromeda on the sacrifice cliff awaiting the Kraken.
2. Perseus on Pegasus flying around Kraken.
3. Danae being locked in a box and thrown to sea



At this point, all I can say is: the new Kraken is SOOOO Cool!

Show this film in Manila. QUICK!

Trick or Threat

One afternoon, while passing through SM Department Store in Cubao, I saw a precocious boy running around, much to the chagrin of his Mom. The boy was dangerously weaving in and out of the glass displays, so you can imagine how worried the Mom must've been.

In an effort to stop her son from doing damage, the Mom shouted:

MOM: Huwag ka ngang masyadong magulo! Sige ka, pag nakabasag ka, pupugutan ka nila ng ulo!

Whoa! Now THAT'S what I call a threat. Whatever happened to the "huhulihin ka ng pulis" and "kukunin ka ng guard"?

A Grey-t start

What did I do on the first day of 2010?



Sat on the couch and watched Grey's Anatomy!

While channel surfing around 10am, I found out that one station was having a Grey's Anatomy marathon. Initially, my plan was to watch just 1 episode. But the story got interesting and more interesting, and next thing I knew, it was already 8:00pm! Needless to say, I ate my lunch, afternoon snack and dinner in front of the TV.

It's been a while since I last saw this series. For a time, it was the "drama du jour", and everyone could relate to Meredith's relationship problems. They didn't show this series in HKG, so I kinda lost track. But thanks to the marathon today, I'm back on the Grey track.

Now, it's time to look for DVDs of the past seasons.