The 2012 Year-in-review: Top 12 of 2012

The last day of the year is the same day when all networks air their yearend special Whether it's a local news channel, or an international news agency, there is no shortage of programs that count down the top events of 2012.

In keeping with that theme, my last post for 2012 is a look at the 12 events this year which I will always remember and be grateful for. Unlike the big and grandiose events that news outlets usually report on, my 12 events are small in scale, but big in impact. So, here they are in chronological order:

1. Complete New Year - The first day of 2012 was a complete day because our family members from abroad came home. On our side, Biboy and family came to Manila, so the 5 siblings in the Regalado-Morales clan were home. On Dad's side, Tita Evelyn came home from Barcelona, at Titos Orestes and Hector flew in from Bicol. So, after a long, long time, the Murillo-Morales siblings were complete.

2. Travel first class - This year, I had my first travel to HKG with my entire Feature and Technical Writing class! It was stressful because I had to watch over a group of gregarious girls, but it was fun since it was educational in more ways than one.

3. Church duty - During the school's baccalaureate mass for batch 2012, I was asked to be an acolyte. Despite being out of the acolyte circles for decades, I took on the task. It turned out that I was going to be an acolyte for Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle! (Who's now Cardinal, by the way.)

4. Back to School - After a long time, I participated in an international learning conference which was hosted by RNTC from The Netherlands. It was fun being a student again after a long time.

5. Back to Japan! - After 4 years, I said "Konnichiwa" to Japan once again. Mark and I spent 2 weeks in Tokyo, which is the longest I've stayed in the big city. During those 14 days, we were able to accomplish a lot of things, both new and familiar. We tried out new restaurants, made new friends, heard mass at a new church, met up with old friends, and finally went to an onsen! Sugoi!

5. Life begins - This was the year when a lot of my friends marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Needless to say, fun, fabulous and frou-frou celebrations were in order.

7. Back to my regular programming - After a few years out of the local advertising industry, I went back to agency work!

8. Back to bowling - One of the things that the new office made me do was to play bowling! And it turns out that I'm still good at it. I ranked number 4 out of more than 50 players!

9. Museum hopping - This year, I was able to go around a number of museums - more than I ever did in one year. From the old National Museum in Manila, to the new Mind Museum in Taguig, it was fun to immerse myself in different exhibits after a long time.

10. Teaching a new subject - I used to produce a lot of Audio-Visual Presentations in my former jobs. So, when Chally asked me to teach AVP, I took on the job with much gusto. It was definitely a great decision as my students came up with so many good productions in one semester.

11. By design - Last November, Ate Bullet had their family portraits taken and I was on-hand to help in the layout and styling. Before the photo session ended, the photographer asked the two of us to pose like a "designer and muse." After photo came out, some of my friends in HKG and SG thought that this was my new career! One of them even sent me a lengthy email saying that if only she knew that my new career path was in design, she would've asked me to fly to New York and make her wedding gown. Alas, the "designer" photo was just conceptual, and I couldn't make her wedding gown even if I wanted to. (I'll take that free trip to New York, though. Harhar.)

Then again, I did do a couple of design jobs this year. These include designing accessories for Mona and her sisters-in-law, and designing a dress for Ate Bullet, which she also wore for that shoot.

12. Christmas missions accomplished - This year was also the year when I was able to do a lot of the Christmas-related activities that I set out to accomplish. This included sending out Christmas cards early, buy and wrap gifts (most of it, at least) a week before Christmas, celebrate Christmas with family, celebrate Christmas with Mark in Manila, spend time with our friends from both sides, and just savor the spirit of the season. This 2012, Christmas was truly, truly Merry!

Like most countdown shows, I'll end by saying that I'm very grateful for all the wonderful events, experiences and people that shaped 2012. And I'm looking forward to the even more wonderful events, experiences and people that will arrive in the new year.

Multiplying Memories

Upon Rona's reminder that Multiply is closing down its social networking function, I proceeded to the daunting task of exporting all the photos that I've kept on the site. 

As usual, it's a bit last minute as it was announced more than 4 months ago, and the exporting tools have been made available since November. Maybe it's because i'm still in denial that the multiply site that I opened last September 2007 will no longer be in existence. For more than 5 years, Destraido's multiply site was a repository of photos of a lot of happy moments in my life. So it's naturally difficult to accept that it's about to go away.

Today, as I began exporting some 1,500 photos, I couldn't help but smile and feel nostalgic as I looked at the events that I've shared with my family, loved ones, frendz, colleagues and friends. It was like watching a flashback of the best moments of my life.

There were weddings - from my parents' 40th wedding anniversary to the nuptials of Bonique and Vince, as well as Ivy and LJ. There were trips - like the journeys that Mark and I took to different parts of Japan, to my solo sojourns to Shanghai and Singapore. From fun family events such as outings, parties, dinners, Christmases, and reunions, to many D' Frendz events such as the baby shower of Bonique, our welcome party for Becca, and birthday parties galore.

So, so many happy memories, all packed in this one page that has been part of my life for 5 years. Heck, it was enough to make me misty-eyed at certain points of the downloading process.

As Multiply's social networking function takes its final bow, I'd like to thank multiply for multiplying the memories, and making sure that the years don't divide nor subtract the feelings and emotions from these milestones.

Christmas with Frendz!

Another Christmas, another year of celebrating with Frendz! There are so many things about this photo that I like: the colors, the composition, the couples - it was such a happy shot! (Audrey might disagree with me on this one, though.)

Here's to another year of Frendzhip!

FMM: In the swing of things

Anyone from my generation would agree with me when I say that Swing Out Sister is one of the best musical acts from the late 80s and early 90s.

For years, their songs invaded the airwaves, parties, proms and all occasions that called for great music. When they had a concert in Manila, it was such a big thing and tickets were sold out in a matter of days. (Note that there wasn't any on-line ticket purchase that time, so people had to go to the ticketing office to buy concert tickets. Effort!) Too bad I was too young to watch concerts back then. I definitely would've queued and watched their concert.

This British pop group had it all. They were good looking, had wonderful voices, and their music was so infectious. They were definitely the full package, so it was no wonder that they hit it big in the UK, and eventually, around the world.

What I find fascinating about Swing Out Sister is the fact that they built their success on songs that I would describe as "happy-sad."

If you listen to the songs, you'd find yourself bobbing your head and swaying along to the beat. They're definitely fun to listen to and perfect to dance along with. But if you pay attention to the lyrics, you'll find out that the stories behind the songs are actually quite sad. You never notice it, though.

For instance, 3 of my favorite SOS songs fall under this happy-sad category:

"You on my mind" is an upbeat pop song that talks about the singer's need to get over a lost love, but can't.


"Waiting Game" is the quintessential story of someone who is pining and waiting for someone, and even if she knows that waiting might be for naught, she waits anyway.


And of course, their biggest hit EVER, "Breakout!" Paying close attention to the lyrics reveals the story of someone stuck in a rut, and just wanting to get out of that cycle. This is such a karaoke staple and it always brings the house down and puts everyone in a happy mood. Even if the song's story isn't.


Lyrics and story notwithstanding, Swing Out Sister's songs never fails to get everyone is a swinging mood. And I think that's what the group always intended to do.

Apples of my eye

There are certain things that say "Christmas." Once you see then at home, in shops or in the street, you automatically know that the holiday season has arrived. The most common ones are the "parol," "belen," and the staple "Christmas tree."

Growing up, there was another object that heralded the coming of the Christmas season. They're no other than Washington apples.

A bit of context. During my growing up years, American made products and goods (also known as PX,) weren't as easy to come by. There were no huge malls and supermarkets that are flooded with imported goods. Back then, the only way you could get "Made in U.S.A." products was if you had relatives in the U.S. who would send them to you. (Thankfully, my maternal Grandparents were Filipino-American.)

Yes, there was a time when it was hard to find Pringles, M&Ms, Taster's Choice coffee, Nesquick, Planter's peanuts, Libby's Vienna Sausage, Hormel Corned beet, and of course, Washington Apples.

These apples were quite rare that they were actually expensive. And you couldn't find them in the fruit stalls in wet markets. No, you had to go all the way to Unimart or some other major supermarket chain just to buy some of these big, red beauties. That's the reason why it was such a thrill to see Washington apples on the table during noche buena.

Of course, it's a different story these days. Apples have become very common that people pay no mind to it. Also, there are so many apple variants these days, including the fuji apple, Chinese apples, Granny Smith apples, and even mini-apples.

It's come to a point that kids don't even pay attention to apples anymore. It's become such a commodity that no one minds whether they have apples or not.

Thank goodness I'm no longer a kid. At least I still appreciate having apples in the middle of our noche buena table while the entire family shares that all-important Christmas meal.

Yup, I might not be a kid, but whenever I see those big, shiny and red Washington apples, I suddenly feel like one.

Serving left over fun

It's a tradition of sorts.

After Christmas, D' Frendz usually have a leftover party where we bring the food left over from our Christmas celebrations. This year, we had it immediately after Christmas, and not only did we bring leftover food, there was also some leftover gifts, and a lot of leftover fun.

Too bad I forgot my camera at home. There were a lot of fun and funny moments from the party. There was the White Elephant gift game, Becca and Audrey's gift giving, and the classic "letter G" moment.

I hope Vince posts the photos he took soon. It would be nice to look at those leftovers all over again.

Merry Christmas!

In the words (or lyrics) of Sheena Easton:

"It's Christmas all over the world tonight."



Merry Christmas everybody!

Almost... but not quite

On the positive side, I was able to fulfill a lot of my Christmas gift and card plans this year.

I was able to send out my cards before the first week of December, and they reached their destinations before Christmas day. (Well, most of them, me thinks.)

Second, I was able to buy gifts for my family, friends and loved ones before December 22. So, there was no more of that last minute scampering for gifts which usually happens during Christmas eve.

So, I was able to accomplish the goals I set for the holidays.

Well, almost.

This afternoon, I met up with Mark to give him his Christmas gifts. And while we were at SM, I realized that I don't have gifts for our maids yet! Good thing there was Watsons there, and I was able to score some great goodies for Tess and Ate Nini.

And while we were there, we were able to squeeze in a movie as well! Mark, Patrick and I watched "Ruruoni Kenshin," which is such a visually spectacular Japanese movie. Incidentally, when I was in Tokyo with Mark last July, they were promoting this film in Roponggi.



When I got home, we had the traditional Noche Buena dinner, and it was quite a spread this year! Everyone brought out their best dishes, including Kuya Marv's Grilled Salmon, Ate Lissa's Chili Cheese crabs, Ate Bullet's Tuyo pasta, and my fruit salad. Mom made her signature potato salad and buko pandan, while Dad was our bartender for the night.

Now, after the noche buena and 2 hours before Christmas, I'm in my room wrapping the gifts for my family. Yes, I might not have done last minute shopping, but I'm still doing last minute wrapping.

Oh well, at least I have another goal to set next Christmas. No more last minute gift wrapping! I mean, everyone's downstairs having fun and catching up, while I'm stuck in my room with boxes, wrappers, and "Love Actually" in the background.



I almost accomplished everything in my Christmas list.

Almost, but not quite.

Two Brogue girls

Ate Lissa and Ate Bullet now have a growing collection of brogues in their shoe racks. And I have Parisian shoes to blame for that.

The past months, they've been coming out with all these beautiful designs. Some were rendered in leopard print, others had see through cut-outs, some were in patent pastel, and the others were in bright colors. Heck, I bought 2 pairs of each style!

What's good (or bad) about it is that they release the new styles in 2 week intervals. So, I find myself in SM every so often, and it came to a point that the salesladies already know me. (Hi Sir! Wala pa pong bagong style. Baka next week po.)

This week, they released their bright colored brogues, and got 2 pairs again. The sales lady said that it would be the last pair from their brogue collection.

That's great. I wouldn't want to go broke on brogues.

Say that again...

It's probably because of too much Christmas music blaring everywhere.

The past 2 days, I've ridden cabs whose drivers seem to be hard of hearing.

CAB # 1:

One Saturday morning, I took a cab from 20th avenue in Cubao:

Driver: Saan po kayo?
Me: Greenhills.
Driver: Ang layo naman!
Me: Diyan lang ho 'yon, Manong.
Driver: Malayo ang Fairview.
Me: Bakit ho sa Fairview?
Driver: Banda doon ang Litex.

CAB # 2:

It was after our team Christmas party and it was past midnight. I was dropped off at P. Tuazon corner EDSA and was planning to take a cab going home:

Me: Boss, sa 20th po.
Driver: Saan?
Me: Sa 20.
Driver: Bocaue? Huwag na! Ang layo!

It must be something in the air. Christmas air, that is.

FMM: Here's to them

As the Christmas celebrations come full steam and as shoppers fill the malls and cash registers ring non-stop. As revelries intensify and gifts pile up under the tree. As the season of joy reaches it's peak, let's remember those who might not have celebrations, or means to shop, or revelries, or gifts that pile under the tree.

To those who might not know that it's Christmas, here's to you!

Su-poor-market

Near SSC is a quaint, neighborhood supermarket called Fortune Mart. It's one of my go-to places, especially when I need to get a quick breakfast before going to my early morning class. I usually get my VitaMilk Choco and Magnolia Chocolait there.

Convenient as it may be, that supermarket is also quite odd. One of the sources of that oddity is the absence of brands that I like. Consider these two separate incidents at that supermarket:

INCIDENT # 1:

ME: Excuse me, meron kayong Oreo?
GUY: Wala ho, eh. Cream-O, meron po.
ME: Bakit wala kayong Oreo?
GUY: Pang-mayaman lang ho kasi 'yon.

INCIDENT # 2:

ME: Saan ang chocolates ninyo?
GUY: Kasama po ng mga candy, eto po. (He ushers me to the candy section)
ME: (after looking around) May Kitkat ba kayo?
GUY: Ay wala ho. Pang-mayaman kasi ang Kitkat.

The funny thing is, this happened almost a month apart and with 2 different sales clerks.

Sometimes, I'm tempted to comment:

"Bakit? Pang-mahirap lang ba itong supermarket ninyo?"

Fits me to a T

The truth is, I was never the perfume type of guy. 

When I was in high school, all the guys in LSQC would reek of either Drakkar Noir or Kouros. Some would go through great pains to buy the original, and others would settle for the more inexpensive version. (The most popular being Charmis' Boyfriend.)

Later on, the perfume du jour became Davidoff's Cool Water, then Polo classic, then Polo Sport. I still remember the time when the perfume "Aspen" was a huge hit - mainly because it smelled like Cool Water.

While my classmates sprayed and spritzed left and right, I would try to avoid them because I found the smell of perfume too strong. That's the main reason why I avoided it like an olfactory plague. For me, the best scent is the natural scent the comes from soap, shampoo and water. Another scent that I liked was the smell of freshly laundered clothes and sheets. 

If I had to wear a scent, my preference would lean towards the light, Spanish colognes that Tita Evelyn would bring from Spain. This was the era of Nenuco, DeNeNes, and Baby Gal.

This was a habit I carried with me from high school to college to my career days. Yes, I'd get a lot of perfume as gifts or pasalubong, but it was very rare that I'd use them. Most often, they'd be on my dresser, waiting for an uber-special-occasion to be used.

That was until I discovered this perfume that smells exactly like the things I wanted - soap, shampoo, water, and freshly laundered clothes and sheets. It was a brand called "Clean."

I first discovered this in HKG, at a small shop beside the building where our client's office was. Vincent and I were checking out perfumes, and I got a whiff of "Clean Men," and got hooked. The scent was that perfect "just got out of the shower" scent. Needless to say, I bought a bottle, and used it sparingly. And that bottle is still on my dresser up to this very day.

During my last birthday, Mona added another bottle to my Clean repertoire. I asked her if she could buy a bottle of Clean Cotton T-shirt, and she did! And she gave it to me as a birthday gift! Woot!

The scent of this perfume is fantastic. It's like smelling a shirt that was laundered using a detergent with fabric conditioner, then thrown into a dryer, then brought out. It has that warm, comforting smell that's not overpowering, and has that feel-good vibe to it. Just like a favorite cotton t-shirt.

Now here's one shirt that I wouldn't mind wearing everyday.

Setting the Tablea

It's always nice to give food as gifts during Christmas. More so when the food has a sense of history.

This year, I'm giving my 2 bosses a food gift that's part of my childhood. I'm giving them a jar of "tablea" from my Mom's hometown in Bicol.

I remember those tablea well. When we were kids and spend our summers in the sleepy town of Malinao, Albay, I'd often see these tablea being made at my grandfather's house.

I'd wander into the dining area and find some of my aunts and helpers carefully forming chocolates into balls and putting them on the big dining table. The smell of cocoa would waft in the air and I was delighted by the scent.

Then, they would prepare some for merienda, and I'd dip the bakery bought pandesal into this thick, chocolate-y concoction. And it was divine.

I'm happy that Mom always brings home tablea whenever she comes home from Bicol. And I'm happier that I'll get to share this experience with some other folks this Christmas season.

Wonderfully said...

Just like millions of people around the world, I was in a state of shock and disbelief when the news about Sandy Hook Elementary School came out.

I've read the news and watched a lot of news reports and commentaries on youtube. Some added to the shock while others made me a bit teary-eyed. But one video stood out because of the power of the message and the no-nonsense way it was delivered.

This was from Gov. Mike Huckabee:

(video from youtube)

Wonderfully said, Gov. Huckabee. Wonderfully said.

Word of the Day

My students and I were discussing the concept of Simbang Gabi in class when one of them uttered a word that was actually new to my ear.

She said: "These days, people don't go to the Simbang Gabi. They go to the Simbang Gababes."

"Simbang Gababes," now that's a new word.

It apparently refers to young folks who go to the midnight mass and turn it into a soiree, making it a venue to meet potential girlfriends and boyfriends.

Ah, kids...

The Christmas rush isn't through...

This morning, I asked my class this question that almost everyone I know has been asking:

"Why has the past 2 weeks been so crazy-busy?"

In my case, for example, there was the usual work load, 6 theses to read, 4 groups to advise, 1 MTV to edit, 1 number to pseudo-choreograph, 2 Christmas parties to prepare for, and 3 classes to hold today!

Yes, it's that kuh-ray-zee!

It's really a good thing that I've done most of my Christmas shopping. At least I can concentrate on the other things I need to rush.

FMM: Chan's encounter

Whenever the holiday season comes along, one iconic personality pops in my head.

No, it isn't Santa Claus.

It's Jose Mari Chan!

He always comes up with the nicest, happiest and most heartwarming Christmas songs. One of the most sung holiday tunes is "Christmas in our Hearts," which was composed by Jose Mari Chan. And no holiday will ever pass without someone radio stations playing his songs.

My personal favorite? Perfect Christmas, of course.

(video courtesy of youtube)

It's less than 2 weeks before Christmas, and looking at how the holidays are shaping up, it looks like it's going to be a perfect Christmas indeed.

Wellcome to the Philippines!

When I was still living in HKG, one of my favorite places was Wellcome. It was one of the two big supermarket chains in that country, the other one being Park and Shop. Although there was a Park and Shop just below my flat, I'd walk all the way to Wellcome because they had a better selection.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a Wellcome store in Farmer's Plaza in Cubao on my way home! Apparently, Rustan's Express Lanes have been renamed Wellcome. I guess this means they've franchised the supermarket chain.

I haven't checked it out yet, but I'm excited already. Wellcome will definitely be a welcome addition to our supermarket shopping habit.

You've been Warmed

With an overload of films and television programs that deal about the supernatural and the undead, it's nice to see one that looks at the subject with fresh eyes.

Not just fresh, but eyes that have a sense of humour as well.

Just like this upcoming Zombie film, "Warm Bodies."



And did I mention it has Teresa Palmer? And Analeigh Tipton, too!

Here's another movie to look forward to next year.

Dad's Incredible

That was an event name I did for Robinson's Malls many years ago. And I was pleasantly surprised to know that they're using it until now.

Today, that line has more meaning because it's the birthday of my incredible Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Here's to more hip and happy years ahead.

I'll trek for this one!

Being a long-time Star Trek fan, (heck, I even dressed up as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard for one Christmas party!) I've been searching and searching for the trailer on-line for a few months now. Usually, I end up viewing a fan-made trailer.

But today, I found the real thing!



I'm SO going to watch this!

I've been Stung!

At the onset, we knew that this was a concert for our generation.

While we were walking from Starbucks to the Araneta Coliseum gates, we kept on bumping into people we knew. There were former classmates, former colleagues, clients, celebrities who were from our generation - we were all there for one reason.

Sting!

As predicted, he didn't disappoint. His voice is still as crisp and clear just like when he started with "The Police." And he could still get the crowd to stand up and dance!

It was a great repertoire of old favorites and new songs. And one of the old favorites he played was one of my old favorites from The Police.



As the song says: here's all I want to say to you:

Sting rocks!!!

So far, So good.

We didn't have classes today due to the Immaculate Concepcion feast, so I had time to finish reading my students' theses, correct them, do some errands, and wrap Christmas gifts!

Yes, I'm working double time to fulfill my earlier promise to finish wrapping before December 22. And today, I was able to wrap all my gifts for school, and some gifts for my godkids.

After seeing the bag filled with wrapped gifts, all I could say was: "So far, so good!"

This calls for a Sheena Easton song!

FMM: Last Christmas

As the first week of December comes to a close, I can really feel the spirit of Christmas wafting in the air. It's in the mood of the people, the bright lights around the office building, the crowds inside the mall - they all add up to one thing.

Christmas is here!

And one of my favorite Christmas songs from decades back is this Tagalog ditty from Kuh Ledesma entitled "Nakaraang Pasko."

(video from youtube)

This song reminds me of our Christmases back in Tomas Morato. I was still a young boy then, and we had a cassette tape of this song. I remember how it was Ate Lissa's favorite, and she would play it every so often.

Nothing like "Nakaraang Pasko" to liven up this Christmas season.

Head in the Clouds

If there's one type of film that never fails to attract me, it's an epic film.

And if there's one type of epic film that never fails to excite me, it's a multi-generational film.

Now, there's a film that's showing that has both an epic quality, and a mutli-generational plot. It's the latest film by the geniuses behind "The Matrix Trilogy," the Wachowski Brothers. (Well, now more of Wachowski brother and sister, since one of them is now a transgender.)

Presenting, Cloud Atlas.



There are a lot of negative reviews about this film. Despite that, there's the fact that it's an epic, multi-generational film. Then, there's the cast which includes the one-two punch of Tom Hanks and Halle Berry.

Needless to say, I'm going to watch this.

Convincing portrayal

So, I decided to dress up like an Indian during our Christmas party. I wore a white Kurta with white pants, and a gold-beige-ish scarf with paisley prints.

While going around the ballroom, I saw a client of mine and said "Hi." She just glanced at me and left.

A few minutes later, she comes back and says: "Lester, ikaw ba 'yan?Akala ko foreigner ka talaga! Nagulat nga ako nung nag-hi ka sa'kin. Sabi ko, 'bakit nag-hi sa akin itong bumbay na 'to.'"

Yes, I guess I look like an Indian guy.

A picture of tragedy

Just on the heels of the Australian Metro ad, here comes a shocking story that happened in the New York subway system.

It turns out that a commuter was pushed off the platform by a deranged man. As the train approached, the man desperately tried to lift himself off the tracks.

He failed, though. And the man in this picture died after being run over by the on-coming train.

A freelance photographer was able to take a photo of this soon-to-be-grisly-scene, and the New York post made it their lead story. Needless to say, citizens and netizens were up in arms about it.

Why did the photographer take a photo instead of helping the man? Why did the NY post even buy or run this photo?

This became an issue of journalistic duties versus human compassion. Does the photojournalist fulfill his duty as a news man first? Does it take precedence over his being human? This is a topic that's sure to be fodder for our Journalism classes in the weeks to come.

Personally, I think the photographer should've helped him. Then this tragic photo would never have happened.

Smart. Very smart.

Once in a while, a viral commercial storms the internet and catches my attention. Being from the ad industry, that's actually a very difficult thing to do. After all, I'm quick to identify ads in all their forms. But there are some that are so pleasantly surprising, I don't know it's an ad until it reaches the end of the story.

One such ad is this wonderfully crafted piece on train safety. It was created by McCann Erickson Australia, and it's a perfect example of what a PSA should be.



As of press time, it's still on top of youtube and itunes, and everyone has this song as their last song syndrome. If that isn't a testament to how memorable it is, I don't know what is.

"Dumb ways to die," is actually very smart.

Two birthday girls!

It's 12-2-12 and 2 members of my family are celebrating their birthdays today.

First up, it's Mom's birthday. And we celebrated it by having a really good dinner at Isabelo's.

Second, Audrey is also celebrating her natal day today. For her celebration, we had lunch at Max's in SM Masinag.

Happy Birthday Mom and Audrey!

Christmas countdown!

It's officially December! And we're down to 25 days before the big Christmas celebration.

This year, my goal is to send out all my Christmas cards by next week. Plus, I'd like to get my Christmas shopping done by December 20 at the latest. (If the world doesn't end, that is.)

The Christmas cards are slowly being filled up, and I've gone through more than half of my Christmas list. So, I've got more than 2 weeks to complete everything.

Let the countdown begin!

FMM: Anggun-a get you!

Last night, during Mona's Rockeoke party, we went up on stage to sing a group song for the Birthday girl.

As we were going up, the host started calling members of D' Frendz by different names. She called Rona "Janet Jackson" because he felt that she gave out that vibe. When Prichy went up on stage, the host said: "Aba, at nandito si Anggun!"

Well, Prichy is Malaysian and Anggun is Indonesian, so there might be a connection there. But my initial reaction after hearing his wisecrack was:

"Gosh! Anggun! That's a name I haven't heard of in a while!"

Good thing it's Friday today. I can turn back the musical clock and listen to Anggun's biggest international hit again.



This makes me wonder where Anggun is now. She should be making more music like this.

Oh snap!

There have been a number of events the past week that I've wanted to write and post photos about.

One would be Ate Bullet's pictorial last Saturday, my first round of gift wrapping, the birthdays of Mona and Ate Bullet, and a host of other mini-events.

Unfortunately, since I haven't cleaned up my picasa just yet, I haven't been able to do add snapshots to my posts.

I have to fix this soon.

Ultimate joy

It's actually quite strange. I really enjoy organizing surprises (much to the chagrin of Mark,) but I don't like getting surprises.

In the past few years, I've been successful in organizing a number of surprises. Among them were my parents' surprise 40th anniversary wedding, Dad's surprise 70th birthday party, Ate Lissa's surprise 40th birthday party, my surprise trips to Japan to surprise Mark, as well as the surprise birthday parties of Bonique and Rona.

So it comes as no surprise that one of my favorite shows on-line is yahoo's Ultimate Surprises. It's a wonderful program featuring real people getting real surprises that change their lives. Some lives change that moment, and some change for a lifetime. And for some, it's both!

(video courtesy of youtube.com)

I remember when I went to Tokyo last June for another surprise visit to Mark. We were looking for something to watch on the computer and I told him that I wanted to watch Ultimate Surprises. He just rolled his eyes and said: "Seriously. Ultimate Surprises?" Harhar.

Why am I not surprised at that reaction.

Bloody good humour

There's something about British humour that appeals to me.

Even as a kid, I'd watch British shows more than American or Filipino shows. I'd even watch The Benny Hill show - even if I was too young too watch it. (It was full of green jokes, so I'm not sure how I got away watching that show. Harhar.)

Among the more current crop of comedy shows from the UK, one of my favorites has to be "Little Britain." I got to watch it a lot when I was living in HKG, but now, I don't get to watch it that often. It's not available in any local channel, nor can I find it on cable.

Good thing there's youtube.



One of the great things about Little Britain is how they bring in big named stars to do cameos in their sketches. This one with Robbie Williams is just one. They also had Elton John and George Michael in other sketches. Same as Catherine Tate - the star of the other British comedy show that I love.

I wonder if they have British shows in St. Francis Square. There's a long weekend coming up, so it might be a good opportunity to catch up and get my fill of dry humour.

The kid who almost made me cry

Saturday, 8:40pm.

I was outside Dexter's Bakeshop waiting for someone to open the locked gate.

While waiting, a little kid on a bike arrived. He was a scavenger, and the side car of his bike had black bags that were filled with odds and ends that he could sell. From my estimate, the kid looked like he was less than 10 years old. He was scrawny, had a harelip, was shirtless and wore a pair of shorts that looked like it belonged to his Dad.

Carefully, he started opening the big, black trash bags which were left outside by Dexter's. One by one, he sifted through the trash and started setting aside things that he could sell. Plastic bottles, soda cans, discarded boxes - he was bringing to life the adage "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

He glanced at me once and proceeded to collect more trash from the big, black bags. That's when I had the opportunity to strike a small conversation with him.

ME: Kumain ka na ba?
HIM: Hindi pa po.
ME: Late na, ha. Bakit hindi ka pa kumakain?
HIM: Mamaya na lang po, tatapusin ko muna ito. Para makadami din ho.

At that point, tears were welling in my eyes. Part of me admired his hard work and the fact that he'd forego dinner just to gather as much trash to sell. Part of me felt sad because it's almost 9pm and he hasn't eaten dinner yet. Then I thought, when was his last meal? Was he able to eat lunch?

Suddenly, I saw the lady who was about to unlock the gate so I could go in. Before she arrived, I instinctively took my wallet and handed over some money to him. He look surprised and a bit baffled, and I told him:

ME:  Pagkatapos niyan, kain ka muna, ha.
HIM: (eyes wide and with a smile) Salamat po, Kuya.

Then, I left to meet Ate Bullet, and the kid continued to gather as much useful trash as he could.

While walking away, my mind was racing, asking myself if there's anything more I could do for this kid. If only Dexter's was still open, or if there was a nearby restaurant, I would've bought him dinner myself. I'm sure he was hungry after pushing his bike and going from store to store, opening each trash bag and looking for something of value.

But I wasn't able to. And I'm just hoping that the money I gave him was enough for him to buy a good, warm dinner.

It's the least a hardworking kid like that deserves.

Spaced Out

As I was about to upload some photos from Ate Bullet's photo shoot, I came face to face with a surprising reality.

I'm out of photo space!

According to blogger, I've reached the 1GB free photo space on my blog.

So now, I've got 2 options. Start cleaning my picasa and removing some photos, or try to buy additional space.

What to do, what to do.

The Nutty Professor

Yes, sometimes I feel like a nut for keeping the kind of schedule I have every Saturday. Much more so today!

There's class the whole morning, then a meet-and-greet with parents the whole afternoon, then it was off to the yearbook meeting and photo shoot in the evening. 

It was fun to see the editorial team of Pax all geeked-out for our group photo. Actually, I was in such a hurry that I wasn't able to see the shots, but thanks to my students Maica and Ai, I have outtakes!

(Ai and I looking like a nerdy father-and-daughter team. Digging the matching shirt and ties.)

(Maica, our tireless and enthusiastic Editor-in-Chief)

Yes, it's a nutty schedule. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

FMM: Styx and Stones

Bands were big in the 80s. Music lovers were spoilt for choice since there was a band for almost every genre.

One of the bands who defined and dominated the 80s was Styx. What made them distinct was their versatility, and the fact that their lead singer had a kick-ass voice! Dennis De Young was an awesome lead vocalist, and it was no surprise that he had a successful solo career. He sang "Desert Moon" which  was my FMM a few weeks ago.

Styx had a lot of hit songs, like these iconic ballads "Babe" and "Don't let it end." But their iconic song has to be this awesome electronica-pop song which was an anthem in all of the parties of the 80s. The song that gave birth to the ubiquitous "robot dance."



Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto. Now, I can't help but do the robot dance all over again.

The Magic of Fashion

Recently, Barneys New York got into a little fashion fracas when it launched their holiday ads which featured "model-lified" Disney characters. They made over some of our favorite Disney characters and changed their proportions from cartoonish to chic.

A lot of people were up in arms saying that it was a travesty to turn these icons of childhood into these unreal and unreachable characters. It's not as if we don't have enough dysmorphic problems with adults, and now they're going to affect kids as well.

Some fashion insiders went on the defense saying: "fashion is fantasy, and this is just a fantasy in the minds of the Disney characters." I totally agree with them. Fashion is supposed to have a touch of fantasy and whimsy. Disney is all about fantasy and whimsy. So, why can't we combine these two together.

After seeing the promotional video of Barneys New York which features this concept, it's obvious that these two can blend together seamlessly.



See, it isn't as bad as people thought it would be. And again, it's just fantasy! Who wouldn't be thrilled to see Minnie Mouse in Lanvin and Daisy Duck in D&G.

Disney and fashion are two of the most magical things in this world. It was just a matter of time that they'd come together.

Resting on her Lauras

The fact of the matter is that ANTM lost me at "British Invasion." After hearing about that cycle, I kinda lost interest in the whole thing. Unlike cycles 6 to 17 where I watched at least half of the cycle, I never bothered to watch one episode of cycle 18, and only caught 2 episodes of cycle 19.

Although, in those 2 episodes of cycle 19, I already had an inkling of how it would all unfold. In my mind, it would be Laura and Leila as the final 2, with Laura eventually taking the title. My prediction was close, but not accurate, as Leila only made it as far as top 3. Kiara was the surprise runner up of the cycle.

But as I expected, Laura is America's Next Top Model.

How can't she be? She's tall and statuesque, she's fun and all-American, she's calm and drama-free, and of course, she has pedigree. Imagine, she has a former Miss World runner-up and model for a Mom, and her Dad is a famous soap opera star. She can get by on her parents' laurels alone.

But as ANTM will tell you, she won on her own merits. And that's the truth. She really made a big first impression, and she was able to take that all the way to that fierce finish line.

(Another interesting thing about "Laura" and ANTM is that she's the first "Laura" to actually win the title. Previous to her win, 2 "Lauras" had to settle for 1st runner up positions. First was Laura Kirkpatrick of Cycle 13 and then there was Laura LaFrate of Cycle 18.)

Bursting with goodness!

Way, way before Sugus and Fruit tella, there was Starburst. In the US, Starburst was one of the most popular fruit chews and delivered what it promised - a burst of fruity goodness with every chew. I remember how Lolo Doring and Lola Pining would send us Starburst from the US, and it was such a thrill and joy whenever they did.

Unfortunately, Starburst isn't readily available in the Philippines. The only place I'd see them would be at S&R or in duty free stores in Subic. But that changed today when I found out that they also sold Starburst in Greenhills, and in different variants, too.

Today, I picked up a box of FaveREDs, which is a collection of their berry flavors.

Cherry and Fruit punch in one box! Gosh, my heart almost burst in joy when I found this!

Awesome Frendz

While in the middle of lunch at Isabelo's, Audrey came over and gave me a gift bag and ever-so-meekly said: "Happy Birthday, Tito Lester."

When I opened the gift bag at home, I was delighted by what I saw:

They gave me 3 white v-neck shirts!

Just a week back, I lost 3 white v-neck shirts in that strange MRT experience. Apparently, Bonique read about it and got these as replacement. My reaction to this was the same as Mark's reaction when I told him about this gift. He said: "Awww... Sweet."

Yup, I definitely have the most awesome Frendz!

Garden of delights

Another Sunday, and another get together with D' Frendz. Last week's brunch was courtesy of Grace, and for today, it was my turn to treat everyone.

I told them that we'd go off the beaten track and go somewhere they haven't been to before. I've been to Isabelo's Garden Restaurant a couple of times, and surprisingly, none of them have. So, it was the perfect opportunity to bring them somewhere nice and new.

Isabelo's recently opened their brunch service called "Rustic Mornings at Isabelo's." They sent me the menu and I was sold! After quickly whipping up and invite, we found ourselves in this delightful venue on a nice and sunny Sunday.

Rustic is the best way to describe the newly opened dining area of Isabelo's. It was the ultimate in shabby chic! Ornate mosaic tiles, beautiful wooden furniture, homey paintings - all these elements came together in one homey and cozy atmosphere.

The blue and white motif was carried everywhere, all the way to the place mats. Everything was so beautifully put together, which isn't a surprise because Isabelo's is known for that.

Their breakfast/brunch menu is extensive and impressive. Mona was the first one to order, so we had the chance take photos of her breakfast fare. It was something we weren't able to do with the food we ordered, basically because we were famished!

Here's the crispy waffle with strawberries. True to its name, it was delightfully crispy and buttery. Portia said it was one of their best sellers, and I can see why.

Here's another best seller, the crispy tawilis plate. The wansoy salad was awesome! I wish the tawilis was crispier, though. I'm sort of used to the ultra crunch tawilis that they serve at home.

One by one, D' Frendz arrived, and everyone started to enjoy the food.

Here's Maricar showing us her Michael Jackson shoulder action.

We also learned that Audrey is now in a "photographer" phase. She prefers to take photos instead of being in them. Cuteness overload!

There were so many cameras around that day that we had to take one shot 4 or 5 times. You can imagine how many photos came out that day. But bar none, my favorite photo has to be this one! It's the "Hi, I'm Lucas and this is my party" shot.

By the time the afternoon rolled in, everyone was stuffed and happy. I was glad to find out that everyone was completely satisfied with the Isabelo's experience, and everyone swore that they'd be back soon. I told them I'd be back sooner because we're planning to spend Mom's birthday here.

Delightful venue. Delightful food. And delightful company. It was really a delightful Sunday with D' Frendz and Isabelo's Garden Restaurant.

There's a fruit cake for everybody...

For as long as I can remember, there's a long running joke about fruit cake and Christmas. Some people say that fruit cake is the "gift that keeps on giving." That's basically because if you give someone fruit cake, chances are they'll give it away to another person.

Fruit cake is also said to taste better as it ages - which isn't a bad thing. That's basically because it's going to be stuck in the freezer for who knows how many years!

Needless to say, everybody seems to be shying away from fruit cake during Christmas.

Everybody except me, of course. I just adore fruit cake! Especially the one that Dexter's makes! (And I'm not just saying this because Raymond and Ate Bullet makes these fruit cakes.) 

I still remember the first time I tasted Dexter's fruit cake. It was in 1990, and Raymond was just courting Ate Bullet that time. Raymond brought fruit cake at home, and when I tried it -- divine! The texture was very dense, there was fruit and nut with every bite, and there were a lot - a whole lot - of cherries. And as everyone knows, I'm a big fan of cherries.

It's been 22 years since I tried this fruit cake, and I still like it as much now as I did back then. That's a good gauge of how awesome Dexter's fruit cake is.

Everybody should try it!

FMM: Cole me maybe

Successful father-and-daughter singing tandems are quite rare. Most of the time, when a daughter follows her father's footsteps in front of a microphone, she doesn't reach the same level of success that her father did.

Nancy Sinatra had a couple of hits, including my favorite "These boots were made for walkin'," but she didn't quite become as legendary as Frank. Carnie and Wendy Wilson made worldwide hits as member of Wilson Philips. But their father, Brian Wilson, was a global phenomenon as member of The Beach Boys.

There's one exception to this rule that I know of, though. She's one of my favorite singers from the 80s, and until now. And yes, she's the daughter of a famous singer as well.

She's Natalie Cole.

Like her uber famous father, Nat King Cole, she's been singing since she was young, she's churned out hit after hit, she's famous globally, and her career has longevity. I think it's been more than 3 decades, and she's still singing and entertaining audiences worldwide. In addition, her songs have become "anthems" of sorts, and they're still being sung and used today.

Among my favorite Natalie Cole songs include this fun and soulful song that she did when she was still quite young. "This Will be" has to be one of the most upbeat (and most difficult to sing) songs I've heard:


In the 80s, when I was in grade school, I remember hearing this song on the radio as we were driven to school. It's funny because our car that time was this big, gold Buick we dubbed "The Batmobile," and inside the car, we'd be listening to Pink Cadillac.


Then, there's her "signature song," which has been used in movies both here and abroad. It's also a favorite song in videoke joints.

Apart from these 3 Natalie Cole songs that I really like, she had dozens of more hits that are part of our popular culture. And that makes her someone that both Natalie and Nat King Cole have described aptly through song.

She's "Unforgettable."

Color Story: Neon na 'yon

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Stabilo boss. These were the highlighters that most students used to highlight their books and notes. They usually came in 5 colors: neon pink, neon orange, neon blue, neon yellow and neon green.

Being the imaginative kid I was, my Stabilo was used for jobs other than those academic in nature. In fact, I used to color my coloring books using my Stabilo stash, and this made for a very bright and distracting coloring book. But what can I say? Neon colors are my thing.

Today, I went to Regina's to buy some special Skittles. As anyone familiar with Greenhills knows, Regina's is a wasteland! It's a place where you go to buy one thing, but end up staying in the store for hours and buying things that you initially hadn't planned on buying. Just like what I did.

And what were those items I bought? 

Stabilo Boss colored t-shirts!

Yup, the colors that I enjoyed as a kid are now on shirts! They're shirts for girls, though, so I bought a couple for my sisters. Then again, even if these shirts were for guys, I don't think I'd buy them for myself.

This first one registers neon orange on camera. But it's actually neon pink!

There's neon green as well.

And finally, a happy neon yellow shirt.

Because I bought them at Regina's, they're uber affordable, too. They cost less than P200.00 each!

Not only are these shirts comfy, I'm sure they'll brighten the day of the person wearing it.

Neon colors can definitely do that.

Scary close

Yesterday night, Kevin came home and told us that one of his batch mates in UST committed suicide within the campus area. Apparently, he was distraught due to the passing of him father, the ailment of his mother, and the fact that he was failing his subjects. At that point, the only thing he felt he could do was jump off a building, which he did.

This morning, just as I entered our office building, I heard an eerie scream from outside. It turns out that a woman leapt off the 27th floor of the building beside ours. People began running towards Garnet road and my colleague dragged me to the area. That's where we saw the victim's body, covered by a tarpaulin, obviously mangled.

News like these are scary enough on its own. But when it happens within close proximity, it just gets even scarier.

Of florals and pastels

The abundance of floral prints and pastel colors in department stores nowadays makes it feel like Spring rather than Fall. Then again, we don't have the Fall season here in Manila, so maybe it's Spring in our 2-season calendar. 

This floral and pastel combination might be too frou-frou for some, but there's something refreshing about pairing a bold, floral shell with light colored pants.

What's nice about this floral rendition is the bold, thick lines that are used to draw the flowers. It makes it more graphic and less girly and sweet. The interplay of neon and citrus colors also make it stand out while still being cool to the eyes.

The salmon color of the pants echo some of the petals on the shell. This brings the look together and makes it look more cohesive.

This is such a nice combination and will definitely make the person wearing it bloom.

D' Frendz of Decades

Some people still find it amazing whenever I tell them that my friends from my freshman year of college are the same people I hang out with today. 

Within the Block I-1 circle, I still see about half of my batch mates regularly. There's the "academic circle" composed of Prichy, Wowie and Dyra. There's the "barkada circle" which is also composed of Prichy, Wowie, with the addition of Kitel and Lhorie. There's the "Hong Kong/China circle" composed of Shash, Ovvian and Darryl. Then, of course, there's "circle of D' Frendz," composed of Grace, Mona, Rona, Tintin - all of whom were the first people I met in UP.

There are times when our lives feel like a slow-mo montage that you often see in Hollywood movies. 

It would start during our first day in UP and our first group pictorial in front of Quezon Hall. Then, it would transition to our days as classmates in Journ 101 all the way to Journ 199. Fade in to our Journ club days when we'd have a cake raffle to raise funds to buy - of all things - linoleum! This would then lead to our graduation day, then our first jobs, birthdays, weddings, baptisms, and so many fun and memorable moments.

A wonderful reminder of those days came in the form of a box full of old photos that Grace brought yesterday. And one particular photo that caught my eye was a photo of myself with Grace and Lezyl which was taken during one of the D' Frendz celebrations after college.

We looked at the photos and saw how much we've changed, and how much we've stayed the same. To prove that point, we decided to do this:

While some of us have less cheeks and more facial hair (me), more hair and more face powder (Grace), less curls and more decibels (Lezyl), it's nice to know that at the core of it all, we're the same people we were decades ago.

Happy Frou-frou to you!

Grace and I usually celebrate our birthdays together. Whether we're in Manila or abroad, we always activate our Wonder-twin powers on the 6th of November so everything will be twice the fun.

This year, though, since Grace is celebrating her big 4-0, she decided to go stag and celebrate it in a way that's uniquely hers. That simply means her celebration is undeniably Frou-frou!

She masterfully transformed one area of Sweet Pea restaurant into a pink and perfect world. Complete with pink pinwheels and sweet treats in brown paper packages. (Not tied up with strings, though.)

Yes, there were flowers everywhere. That's Grace's signature. Way back in college, and even until today.

There were sweets inside the bag, and there were sweet quotes outside. In true frou-frou fashion, all the messages were handwritten by Grace. That curly-cursive writing is undeniably her own.

And because she requested that everyone come in something sweet, we saw a lot of bright and happy spring colors and cute prints. From Rona's light blue garden dress, to Audrey's pink polka dot frock, to Becca's Lanvin-inspired dress to Alfie's watercolor print top, to Maricar's sunshine yellow skirt - everyone was in theme.

Plus, almost everyone was there. The only one missing was Mark, and his stand-in in this photo is Tito Fidel. Harhar.

Sweet birthday girl. Sweet pea. Sweet smiles from everyone. It doesn't get any sweeter than this!

Happy and Frou-frou birthday to you, Gracie Lou! Enjoy your "life begins" moment!

Strangest. Saturday. Ever.

On my way home from school, I dropped by The Landmark in Makati to buy white inner shirts. They've got this great brand in their bazaar section . The white, v-neck shirts are comfy, fit well, and they're just P119.75 per piece. I ended up buying 3.

Since it was a Saturday, I didn't think the MRT was uber crowded, so that's what I took going home.

Boy, was I wrong. It was packed to the rafters. But since I was in front of the line, I was able to ride the first train that arrived. With my backpack and plastic bag from The Landmark in my hand, I found myself inside the crowded train.

By the time packed train arrived in Guadalupe, there was a sea of people rushing in and pressing against everyone else. Because of that volume of people, my body was being pushed and contorted too much that it felt like they were turning me into a pretzel. My arm was outstretched and extended to my side, while my body was twisted the other way.

When the train reached Ortigas, the door opened and people started rushing out. This was the only time I was able to get my body in the normal position. That's when the strangest thing happened. When my arm was able to reach the proper position, I checked my hand carrying the plastic bag from The Landmark and this is what I saw:

(Ta-daaahhhh!)

Yes, the force and impact of the people in the trained ripped the plastic bag in my hand and it was nowhere to be found. Actually, when most of the people got off at Cubao station, I even stayed behind to check whether the plastic bag was stepped on or thrown off somewhere. But alas, the bag was gone. Along with my 3 v-neck white shirts.

(This is all that's left of my white shirts.)

Harrumph!

Honestly, (and maybe even naively), I thought that this was a freak accident. As freaky as my Freaky Friday last May. But while I was talking to Mark tonight, he told me that it was possible that someone stole the bag and its contents. And on hindsight, it is possible. I mean, the MRT has been witness to a lot of petty crimes, and this one definitely qualifies as one.

Strange, but true.

So, if ever it was stolen by another person, my only hope at this point is that he's a size medium, that he likes white V-neck shirts, and that he needs those shirts more than I do.