Let sleeping cats lie and escape

Good thing our car wasn't going anywhere this morning. It would be a shame to wake up this extremely asleep and extremely cute cattater.

Makes you want to go back to the house and sleep some more.

WATN: Great Danes

Whilst she's doing some TV work on a regular basis, I do miss seeing Claire Danes on the big screen.

Hey Hollywood! We need to see Claire Danes on the big screen!

How G?

Yes, Virginia, the perils of misspelling are everywhere.

Was watching this video on YouTube, and one frame caught my eye. And not in a good way.

Isn't "regular" a pretty regular word? How can you misspell that?

Proofreader please.

Fabrication

Whenever I get that feeling that I want to see pretty fabrics, one go-to place is Fanbi in Greembelt 1.

Ever since I was working in Makati, this was a haunt whenever my Mom and sisters needed fabric for a gown or party dresses. Compared to other shops, they always had a wide selection of luxe fabrics - think flows silks and jacquard. And what made it even more amazing were the prints. Yes, their prints are just tres chic!

I dropped by Fanbi this weekend, and it did not disappoint. Immediately, I was drawn to this printed jacquard with a beautiful nature print,

I'm going to think if something to make out of this fabric. Then, I'm buying it!

See you soon!

Color Story: The non-color edition

There was once a debate whether black should be counted as a color. So was gray. And white.

Some people thought that these hues weren't colors, but the absence of colors.

But hey, if they're in the 64-box of Crayola, then they're colors in my book.

And black and gray is the inspiration for this ensemble.

The gray top is from Uniqlo's T-shirt collection. It's such a classic cut that goes with everything.

But in this ensemble, I've paired it with a belted, paper bag skirt with an asymmetric slit and pockets. It's from Stella and it's mind-bogglingly chic!

This might be a black and gray ensemble, but it's coloring me happy.

More English blooms

This one is courtesy of The Landmark Department Store. They really have lots of gems there.

 This dress hits the ball out of the park.

The neckline is lovely. The color and print - both divine! And it's neoprene, so it's super comfy!

Ate is surely going to bloom in this dress.

FMM: Take it...

"Easy" by The Commodores. That's the type of Friday Magic Madness song that's worth listening to after a hectic week at work.

This is my anthem for the weekend.

English blooms

Last November, I saw this beautiful silk dress at Debenhams.

It was a Dark green dress, bursting with big, bold colored flowers. It had a high neck, long sleeves and the length was mid-calf. It was a dress that would be perfect for an English tea party. (Heck, I can imagine the Duchess of Cambridge wearing that dress.)

Since I was busy arranging my US trip, I never got around to buying that dress.

Then today, I saw the dress again. And it was 70% off!

We all know how this story ended, of course.

From the Block

Prichy was the first person I met in college. She was our block head, and she was a strong and fun presence on our first day of school.

Shash was a blockmate who later became an officemate, and somewhere in between, we became awesome friends.

Mareng Kitel was my constant barkada from freshman year to our senior year. We've shared many shenanigans, movies, life changes, and there are no signs of stopping.

I'm so glad we were able to catch up for lunch yesterday.

And as Prichy pointed out, this year is the 30th year since we became blockmates!

This calls for another reunion!

Super Supper

Whenever I go and visit Biboy's house in the US, there's one house fixture that never fails to put a smile on my face when I see it.

This Last Supper has been in the family for generations. 

It was in our Grandparent's house. Then it went to our house. And now it's with Biboy. 

If my mental math is correct (but don't trust me when it comes to math,) this Last Supper might be nearing 100 years old!

Super!

Sweet!

I'm a huge fan of "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. It's one of the best songs from the 80s.

Today, I stumbled onto this video where the hosts of "The Voice UK" sang their own take on the ditty:



Honestly, seeing Tom Jones rendering a Eurythmics song is worth the price of admission!

I'm loving the song now even more!

On-the-Job Train-ing

Lookie! They're now running the new MRT trains!

This is most likely a dry run and we'll be riding the super old trains for a few more months. But in the meantime, it was a thrill to ride this new, shiny and fresh train.

The Name Game

What do you call a shop that people just ignore?

Yes, this is a shop at NAIA Terminal 3.

'Nuff said.

FMM: Goodbye, Dolly.

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is a tribute to one of Hollywood and Broadway's most effervescent stars - Carol Channing.

She passed last Tuesday, leaving with her a legacy of musicality and quirk that made her a darling for decades.

And while she's remembered many ways because of her rich Filmography and Discography, I'll always remember her for this:



Hello, Dolly. And Goodbye, Carol. The lights of Broadway will be a bit dimmer without you.

F-P Deficiency

"Scarf" is a pretty simple word to spell, right?

Apparently not.

Proofreader, please!

Georgia (still) on my mind!

As Ate Bullet expressed it correctly, you can't help but miss those days when the whole family was together for the holidays in GA.

Good thing that in a few weeks, a lot of people from that GA trip will be in MNL soon.

That's something to look forward to.

Deck the Hall

Regina Hall is headlining her own movie!



It's about time!

I've been a big fan of her since time immemorial, and she was the best part of the "Scary Movie" series as Brenda Meeks.

When is this showing in Manila. I'm SO in!

Makes my blood Boyle

When we first saw Susan Boyle on the stage of "Britain's Got Talent," we fell in love with her immediately.

That's why I was quite disappointed that she just finished 1st runner up on her season.

While browsing youtube, I came across a video that shows one important thing:

Susan Boyle is back!



I hope she wins this time. I really, really do!

Yello Fever

Here's yet another postscript from my recent Christmas holiday trip in the U.S.

Of course, I couldn't leave the U.S. without getting a bottle of my favorite Mello Yello.

Bring this back to the Philippines. Please!

All eyes on me...

The new year has begun, and I realized I wasn't able to post about my Christmas wrapper theme for 2018.

After last year's very subdued and grown-up avian theme, I decided to tap my inner child once more.

It started with these Circus-themed gift wrapper that caught my eye during the middle of last year. (Yes, I started that early.)

The wrapper was filled with primary colors, so my ribbon followed suit. To accent the red background, my ribbon colors were blue and red.

To add a bit of child-like whimsy, I used this rocking horse pin that had some Circus-feels to it as well. That, plus a very Big-Top gift card, and we were all set.

It's funny, but some malls also had "Circus" as their theme for their Christmas decor. Looks like everyone's taking a page off the P.T. Barnum playbook.

But as for me, Britney will always be the reason why I gravitate towards the Circus.

FMM: Pizza, puto, kutsinta

Today's office conversation was funny and interesting at the same time.

It was about "songs whose lyrics sound like something but is actually something else."

A good example, how "Funk Phenomena" is usually sung by people as "sabog ka na naman."

And with that as an example, you know that the "pizza, puto, kutsinta" song can't be far behind.



Thank goodness it's a Friday. It's a good excuse to play this 90s ditty on repeat today.

(And yes, the real title of that song is "The Bomb," by The Bucketheads.)

Panda-monium again!

One of the places that I made sure to visit during my short US trip was - gong, please - Panda Express!

I just could leave the US without my fill of Orange Chicken, Chow Mein, Fried Rice and the Fortune Cookie!

We got to eat there twice. Once with Ate Bullet, Kevin and Kurt, and the 2nd time with the whole family!

I heard that they're opening Panda Express in the Philippines, soon! Orange you gonna be glad when that happens?

They've got each other's back...

...for the past 53 years!

This has got to be one of the most adorable photos of my parents of late.

Happy 53rd wedding anniversary, Parentals! Here's to more years of love!

Sisters and Students

Since we're on the subject of students, there's always an amazing feeling when you get to meet and teach siblings from different years. And in my career as a teacher, I've had several instances when I had this honor and privilege.

Yesterday, I had the honor and privilege of running into 2 of my students - sisters - who I taught 13 years apart.

Nell was my student and thesis advisee in 2001. I remember traveling all the way to Vigan with them to supervise their thesis on "Tahanang Walang Hagdan." Since she graduated 17 years ago, I haven't seen her. Until today.

And I saw her with Marla, her sister, who was under the Advertising program which I coordinated.

Being with both of them in one photo is inexplicably cool!

From beside Orlando Suites to Orlando, Florida

Any teacher will attest, it's a genuinely gratifying feeling whenever we see students blazing a trail and making a difference in the world. It's a feeling that grows exponentially when you see a student doing it internationally.

Keith first became my student when she was in 2nd year. It was such a joy to handle their batch because they were filled with the best and brightest Mass Comm students.

I particularly remember Keith because she was a very insightful and creative student. And in advertising, these 2 qualities are important - knowing how to mine and understand insights, and translating it into creative work.

Aside from that, she was smart, kind-hearted, and from Bicol! Now that's a winning combination.

Before the 2018 ended, I had the wonderful opportunity to have lunch with Keith. In Orlando! Yup, after many years and thousands of miles, I had the opportunity to connect with her, and meet her husband.

Just like when she was a student, Keith remains that insightful, creative, smart and kind-hearted young lady from section 202A of SSC. And it's gratifying to know that she's using these qualities as she blazes a trail in digital marketing in Miami.

So, from the school beside Orlando Suites to Boi Brazil in Orlando, Florida, we've definitely come a long way.

And I'm sure this is just the beginning of an even longer, more fruitful career for Keith in the near future.

Super-lative!

If you go by the etymology, it would be easy to figure out when this group of ours began.

Our group name: "The Superfriendsters."

So yes, we became friends when "Friendster" was still en vogue, and asking for "testis" was the norm.

We all became friends at the Y&R office in Wynsum, which carried over to RCBC when we moved there in 2004. Then, some of us left the company, one after the other. But despite that, we've remained in contact, we've remained together, we've remained Superfriendsters.

While we only see each other once a year - sometimes less - whenever we see each other, it feels like we're picking up from where we left off yesterday. While some of us are in a different country, connections aren't lost. And when that time comes when we do get together, it feels like we're back in Y&R again.

And that's super!

Frenzy at 37,000 ft.

The moment I stepped in the plane for our flight from ATL to DOH, I knew it was going to be a busy, busy, busy flight.

For one, the flight was full. Second, there was too much carry-on luggage that the overhead cabins couldn't accommodate them anymore. This resulted in a lot of hot headed passengers and frustrated flight attendants.

"This is going to be a really long flight," was what I thought to myself.

Thankfully, I slept through most of it.

But when I woke up - with less than 4 hours into the journey - I saw just how frenzied the flight was.

Yup, no one even had the time nor opportunity to clean the galleys.

And to think I dreamt of being a flight attendant once.

FMM: Sound of Travel

One thing that Biboy and I talked a lot of during the course of my stay in ATL was traveling.

Erika was going to do a lot of traveling this January and February, and Biboy was flying to MNL this February as well. And in both cases, we're checking if we can travel together somewhere.

So, it looks like 2019 will be the year of travel!

And when I think of travel, this classic ditty from Perri in the 70s is the first song that comes to mind.



I'm not sure why I equate this song to traveling. Maybe it's because the song talks about flying and escaping somewhere. But apart from that, the instrumentation, the pace, the vibe and the singers - they all give out that "I'm out to escape" feeling.

I just got back, and I'm thinking of traveling again.

Loud and Clearance!

Before I flew back to Manila, we decided to make one more Target run. Just in case we forgot something.

(Let's be honest. We just wanted to shop some more after finding out there's still some space in our luggage.)

When we arrived, we found out that there was a clearance sale that started that day. They placed Christmas goodies, along with other off season items, at the back. All clustered together for easy access.

Since it's been just half a day since the clearance started, we thought that we could get some good picks.

When we got there, though, this is what we saw.

Biboy said that it's like a mini-Black Friday!

Americans do love their clearance sales.

American home. Filipino tradition.

At first, I thought someone dropped some dollars on the floor.

As I moved my way up the basement to the ground floor, then the second floor, I realized that the $1 bills were scattered all over the house.

Then it dawned on me.

Just like in our old house in Morato, and our place now in Cubao, it was the "scattered money for good luck." Although in the Philippines, we would scatter coins all over the place. Now, in the US, they're dollar bills! Holla for the dolla!

You can take the Pinoy out of the Philippines, but you can't take the Philippines out of the Pinoy.

Family First

On the first day of the year...

The last time the OG Regalado-Morales family members were ALL together in one house was in 1990. This was the year when Ate Lissa got married. After that, she moved out. Followed by Ate Bullet the year after.

By 1996, the house was almost an empty nest. It was just my parents and me. So, the once super noisy and super frenetic home in Morato was quiet and, well, empty.

Now, 28 years later, we found the OG Regalado-Morales family ALL together in one house again. With the addition of spouses, children and grandchildren.

As expected, the noise, laughter, stories and frenetic activity were back! And amplified much, much more. For the past 2 weeks, the house was filled with catching up, cooking breakfast, lunch, dinner, special dishes, and Javi's cooking show. There was a lot of cleaning, doing laundry until 3am, and watching kids-who-are-no-longer-kids drinking wine while playing board games.

Then, there were the conversations. Much missed and much changed after 2 decades.

Now, we talk about seeing kids enter the workforce, the pride of seeing kids already working and advancing in the journey of life, facing the signs of aging, missing home, and planning ahead. It makes me smile seeing how far we've gone, but how we've remained together despite the distance and time difference.

On the first day of the year, I'm thankful to Him for allowing all of us to start the year with family. Because that's one constant that should be celebrated on the first day of the year, and every day of the  year.