Great Danish!

In the Harajuku eki, there's this nice stall that serves different types of Danish pastries. It's called "Danish Bar," and we often get some snacks there whenever we pass by.

The great news is, they're now open in Manila!

I saw their stall in Shangrila Mall, though I didn't get a chance to buy anything yet.

But I'll be back for that. Soon.

In gear!

Everywhere you go in Tokyo, they have earthquake gear ready for use. And after seeing the one in Mark's school, I couldn't resist but try it on.

Now that's preparation.

A.I. am impressed

No matter how often I come back to Tokyo, there's always something that surprises me.

On my last trip, this was our surprise.

An A.I. mall receptionist!

Gosh! We were astonished at how lifelike she was. But she still has some improvements, like the sync of the voice to the movement of the mouth.

But other than that, I'm very impressed.

Park that, part 2

Here's another thing we were able to do at the park. A spring picnic!

This was taken on my last day, and we went to Omiya park to enjoy the nice weather. With takoyaki, ramen, sweet sake and a whole lotta cheesecake on hand, we were able to enjoy the initial burst of spring.

Sugoi ne!

Park that

While the sakura trees weren't in full bloom - not as full as they were when I caught them last year - I'm glad we were able to find some trees to take a photo with. This particular one was at Nakano Park, just a stone's throw away from the eki where we usually ride.

Good thing I was able to snap a pic before I flew back to Manila.

Unbreakable break

One of the things we were able to do during this Tokyo trip was to binge-watch. And the series that kept us glued to the screen was this gem of a sitcom that Mark introduced me to.

This was the first time I heard about "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." But after seeing one episode, I was so taken by it that I had to watch it again and again and again. Next thing you know, we finished one season.

Everything about it is hilarious. The plot, the acting, the characters and the script - they all play on each other wonderfully. And with Tina Fey on the helm (and in some episodes), it's no wonder why it's this good.

FMM: We'll make it here!

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by where we had lunch yesterday.



Mark was looking for this American-style restaurant that they tried before. And after about an hour of trying to find it, we finally landed at Bubby's American Cookery. This is a family-style restaurant with roots in New York.

They serve a lot of breakfast fare, as well as burgers and other sandwiches. That led Mark and I to order the Turkey plate (for him) and the Chicken jerk sandwich (for me.)

They were both very nice. Again, it reminds me of American family-style restaurants. And the highlight of the visit - dessert! We had the Mile High Apple Pie and Warm Cherry Pie.

The pies were perfect! So perfect that it's a perfect excuse to come back here the next time I'm in Tokyo.

MmmmmMagnolia!

When Mark told me that the famous NYC bakery - Magnolia - opened in Tokyo, I knew it was one of the places we had to go to.

So, on a cool and sunny Wednesday afternoon, we found ourselves in Omotesando to enjoy their signature cupcakes and cakes.

Red velvet cupcake is one of their specialties. But instead of going for the cupcake, we went big time and ordered the red velvet cake. Since we also wanted to sample their cupcakes, we got the caramel one, too.

The caramel cupcake was sublime! It had the right combination of density and fluff, plus there were chewy bits that added a layer of texture. The red velvet cake was just okay. I missed the cream cheese flavor in their icing.

There were 2 other cakes that we wanted to try but weren't able to. That's okay. I'm sure this won't be the last we'll see of Magnolia Bakery.

Blooming!

Presenting, the first sakura bloom of the season. (In GRIPS, at least.)

Looking forward to seeing more of your kind soon!

Very Vegan

 When deciding where to eat, it's always a toss up between the old reliables and something new.

For lunch yesterday, we decided to try something new.

It was a quaint, vegan cafe in Roppongi, and it served most of the regular fare, but with a vegan twist.

 They had vegan burgers, vegan rice bowls, even vegan desserts!

I tried the vegan teriyaki burger, and it was pretty good. The sauce was a bit salty, though, but overall, it didn't feel like eating veggies. Then again, I'm used to eating vegetarian burger, and I think Triple O's still makes the best one.

On to the next new restaurant!

Taking a brekkie!

Now, on to one of the highlights of every trip to Tokyo... cooking breakfast!

For this morning, there's double chocolate pancakes, links, ham and tea.

Time to plan for the rest of the week's menu.

Oh what fun(nel)!

Last night's dinner at ABC Canteen was so good, we forgot to even take a photo of it. But at least we got a photo of dessert!

We had two kinds of funnel cake: green tea and red bean, and mixed berries. And they were both good!

Here's to more great food and dessert the next few days!

Quiet Time

Narita Airport is usually one of the busiest airports that I see. Whether I'm arriving or leaving Japan, it's often that I see thousands and thousands of people mulling around.

So, it was quite a surprise to see this scene when I arrived this morning.

It's quite eerie. But it's a nice sight.

FMM: Funky!

For today's Friday Magic Madness, I'm playing a song that was such a huge hit in the 90s, but people didn't know the title of it.

All they know is that the lyrics sound like: "Sabog ka na naman."




And that, my friends, is the "Funk Phenomena."

Blow your Oreo!

Here's another winning discovery from our Subic trip last weekend.

Birthday Cake Oreo!

Gosh, it really tastes like those marshmallow cream frostings that we enjoyed as kids.

I wouldn't mind blowing my money on these Oreos!

Hello Hildies!

Last week, we had our annual Hildegarde Awards in school. And I must say, it's the most thematic and organized Hildies yet.

And apparently, due to the Hildies, I was on TV. A couple of people contacted me to ask if I was the person they saw in the show "Investigative Documentaries."  (Yup, that was me.)

I'm glad that after a decade, the Hildies just gets keep on getting better and better.

Where are they now? Where's Marla and Marley

Back in the early 2000s, there were 2 teen stars who I liked a lot because of their comedic chops. They came out in a lot of rom-coms, and they were some of the brightest stars of their generation.

First, there's Marley Shelton.

Second, Marla Sokoloff.

Imagine my thrill when these 2 appeared in one film. The hilarious cheerleader-caper film, "Sugar and Spice." (BONUS: Mena Suvari was in this film, too. That makes 3 funny Ms!)



After their successive hits, they laid low for a while. I'd see them occasionally on TV, but not too much on the big screen.

Maybe they should do "Sugar and Spice 2."

A shower of stuff

I went to Subic, and this was the only thing I bought.

What can I say, I'm a shower gel junkie.

(Fine, I bought chocolates, too.)

She's still with the Crew

Thanks to The Haunt, this colorful cotton pique dress from J. Crew went from an out-of-stock dress to Ate Bullet's closet.

She liked it so much, she wore it immediately.

That's what the crew can do.

Blogging in

This talk about blogging - composed of a panel of "celebrity bloggers" - was an interesting way to end the seminar.

I've always been a fan of blogging. I mean, I've had this blog for more than a decade already.

One of the panelists said something that really resonated. He said that first and foremost, you should blog for yourself and not other people. That way, your blog sounds more genuine.

I couldn't agree with him more.

FMM: Breaking Bread

The hotel where we're staying must also be on Friday Magic Madness mode.

I walked into the lobby and this song was playing.



It's good to have Bread for breakfast.

Sitting on the other side

After giving lectures on a weekly basis for the past decade, I must say it feels refreshing to be on the other side for a change.

Suddenly Subic

If memory serves me right, the last time I attended an advertising industry function in the Philippines was in 2003.

Now, 13 years later, I'm back!

This is going to be fun!

After the jump...

It's obvious that Ate Bullet is a fan of jumpsuits. You can easily see it in her closet, and in how much she wears it on a weekly basis.

That's why when I saw this denim jumpsuit at SM, it immediately went to the cart and to Ate's closet.

Everything about it screams comfort chic. From the light denim, the buttoned straps, and the loose pant - it all adds up to something that she can wear in summer. Add that lace blouse underneath, and you have an ensemble which is a mix of the 60s and 70s.

You can never go wrong with jumpsuits.

The 106th

Today should've been Lolo Iking's 106th birthday. If he were still alive, I'd imagine that he'd still be as active and sharp as he was in his 70s.

Happy birthday, Lolo! Thank you for always looking after us and we miss you!

Jesse's One-derful day!

It's Baby Jesse's first birthday today! Woot! And for his Madagascar-themed birthday party, we gave him this birthday cake that was lovingly made by Raymond.

Jesse and his guests had a wonderful time during the party. For one, Jesse was having so much fun with the balloons, and whenever music would play, he would start dancing. Just like this instance when he was on-stage.

This is just one of the many birthday parties that Mark's adorable nephew will have. And until the next one comes along, Happy 1st Birthday Jesse!

The old songs. (And singers, too.)

 

Looking at the upcoming concert acts in Araneta Coliseum, one can't help but sing that old David Pomeranz ditty: "The Old Songs."



Oh and look, David Pomeranz is having a concert here, too.

FMM: Nice to know

I'm getting an 80s vibe today, so I thought of putting on some vintage Whitney Houston for today's Friday Magic Madness.



This is how I'll always remember her. Fun, energetic, upbeat and with powerful vocals.

The frizzy hair, maybe now. Hahaha.

Getting piggy with it!

This shot of our "talent" was taken more than a month ago. It was our second shoot for the year, and it was one of the noisiest shoots we did so far.

And after more than a month, that commercial is finally airing!

It's another pig - I mean big - moment for our client.

My not-so-little Peony

When I saw this peony-print dress on the rack, I knew it was a keeper!

The 40s silhouette was already a good reason to buy it. After all, that's a classic style that will transcend seasons.

But the clincher for me was the beautiful peony print, and how it was set against this bright, yellow background. It was visually sublime!

The print reminds me of those Chinese prints that I would see in Shanghai and Beijing. And that gives this dress a very Empress Dowager Cixi kind of vibe.

Prints such as these make me love prints even more!

(In)Style evolution

The first time I noticed this was in the November issue of InStyle featuring Drew Barrymore. 

There were some changes in the cover, particularly the background and the masthead.

And in the March 2016 issues, the changes have gone full blast. And it's easy to see because you can make a direct comparison. (Thanks to Shailene Woodley.)

Here's the June 2014 issue:

And here's this month's issue:

InStyle's usual spartan white background has given way to something colored. Since Drew's November issue, the colors have been changing from cool brights to warmer tones.

The masthead - which used to be inside a solid, block color, now stands on its own.

And now, I noticed that even the fonts have changed!

It's a fresh, new look for InStyle, And it's equally fresh and new to the eye, which I like a lot.