WATN: Can't get a (Strong)Hold of him

I'm a superhero nut.

I've always been into superheroes ever since I was a kid. From the mainstream heroes like "Superfriends," to the more obscure ones like "Super 6," to the ones that are a bit on the campy side like "Mighty Isis," "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl," and "The Greatest American Superhero."

I'm a superhero nut.

It's something I never really outgrew. That's why even now, I'd line up for films from mainstream heroes like the ones from the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universe. And even more obscure ones like "Kick Ass," "Paper Man," and "TMNT."

In 2005, there was a superhero comedy film which I really, really liked. It was a Disney film called "Sky High," and it was one of those hybrid films that brought together a coming-of-age story with a family-story with a friendship-story and a superhero-story.

Needless to say, I was sold.

SO SOLD.

So Sold that I think I watched it more than 10 times in 3 different countries. (I kid you not!)

This film had a powerhouse cast which included Kurt Russel, Kelly Preston, Cloris Leachman and - gasp! - Lynda Carter! Yes, the original Wonder Woman.

But the titular role of Will Stronghold went to this rising teen star named Michael Angarano.

Back in the early 2000s, he was one of those teens who had the chops to make it as "the next big thing in Hollywood." Heck, he was up there with Josh Hutcherson! (That's another WATN story, though.)

But as the 2010s rolled in, we started seeing less and less of him until - well - we didn't see him in Hollywood films at all. Which is a waste because he's a good actor with good comedic timing. He was even on "Will and Grace."

Maybe Disney should do a reboot of "Sky High" and have him as one of the professors this time. I'd definitely watch that movie again.

Color Story: You say “Tomato” and I say “Zalora”

Among the dresses - and there are quite a lot, actually - that came from Zalora are 2 contrasting dresses from one of their imported brands - Chancery.

From what i’ve researched, Chancery is an Australian brand that Zalora carries, especially in their SG and MY markets. That’s why when I ordered these items, the bags are actually labeled Zalora SG and Zalora MY, indicating that they didn’t come from the local warehouse and are imported.

The 2 dresses have another thing in common, aside from the brand. And that is the bright, beautiful hue of tomato red.

The first dress is a draped, shift dress that’s very chic and elegant.

The second dress is a wrap dress with interesting ruffled sleeves that make it look so young and fun.

This is a bright, celebratory hue that’s eye-catching, eye-pleasing, and would be a welcome color of celebration once all this uncertainty is over.

FMM: Working together

Starting Monday, life is going to be "semi" and "new" normal as some offices and businesses begin to reopen.

After more than 2 months in quarantine, people are understandably very worried about this situation. There's that feeling that everyone will all storm out en masse. There's that feeling that the crowds will re-appear, discipline will be set aside, and the former chaos the city has lived with is set to make a comeback.

And those worries are very much founded.

But there's this old, favourite Sesame Street song from the 80s (which makes it a good Friday Magic Madness song) that I think will help in ensuring that our fears won't happen. It's a very simple, very old word that is almost a mainstay in Sesame Street.

Cooperation!



The first time I heard this song as a very young boy, it really stuck. Not just because of the catchy tune, the cool muppets in it, but the basic premise of the song. A premise that's needed now, more than ever.

"Cooperation makes it happen. Cooperation, working together!"

Pan-tastic!

I'm so glad that my brother-in-law decided to start baking their Pan de Coco again!

I've been craving for this type of bread for some time now, and it's hard to come by because of the quarantine. So, imagine my thrill when Ate brought home a whole bag for us.

Cravings satisfied! Pan-tastically!

Bling it on!

Or, “Things you find when you’re not looking for it. Part 4.”

The leftmost part of my closet is for clothes that I don’t use as much. That includes suits, leather jackets, winter jackets, Barong Tagalog, and the like.

While I was fixing that area last night, I found out that aside from those articles of clothing, there were other items there that wasn’t mine. They were my sister’s clothes! I think they were inadvertently placed there when my Ate Lissa was preparing to move to the US and sorting out what she’d bring and what she’d leave here.

Most of it were her designer dresses. But i’ll talk about that another time. What struck me among the lot was this very chic, and very blinged out dress.

I remember this dress. This was from River Island when the brand still had their stores in the Philippines. This is a neoprene dress in a refreshing pomelo color, all decked out in stones, gems, and paillettes, in colors both complementary and contrasting.

It’s a nice dress because it’s one of those designs that was “party on top, business on the bottom.” And yes, I remember this dress was on sale, around 80% off, which made it even more attractive.

Give the situation now, I don’t think my sister will wear this dress anytime soon. But it’s good to know that when there’s an occasion that needs a chic dress with a lot of bling, it’ll be right there, waiting.

Ham it up!

Here's another discovery thanks to the Zalora Essentials ordering and delivery system. It's on top of the Juss juice that I wrote about a few days ago.

And no, it's not a garment.

They're chips!

Just like Juss, it's my first time to hear about "Real Hand Cooked Crisps," which is an English brand of Potato Crisps. Aside from it being very light and crunchy, what drew me to it are the unique flavours that they offer.

I bought the Ham and English Mustard, plus the Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Later on, I found out that they have other flavours like Sweet Chilli, Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar, Steak and Ale, and - get this - Roast Ox!

ROAST OX!

Quality-wise, they're really good. They feel and taste very gourmet, like Terra Chips. So they get a two-potato crisp covered thumbs-up from me.

And like Juss, something tells me I'm ordering more of these yummy potato crisps from Zalora soon.

(Oh wait! I already did!)

Z the deliveries!

A few weeks ago, I was talking to 2 of my Creative Directors and the topic was missing working at the office.

One of the reasons why we miss Raffles is its proximity to a lot of the big malls like The Podium, Robinson’s Galleria and SM Megamall. And of late, I also rediscovered the joys of Ayala 30th and Estancia.

Back then, whenever lunchtime came along, we’d simply walk to the malls to give our eyes a breather. Also, to drop by the supermarket to,get supplies for our Batcave. Also, to do a bit of retail therapy.

Now, since we’re all confined to the house, the only way to do that is on-line. And I made a joke that once the ECQ is relaxed, our home might be deluged with packages from Zalora.

Mark sometimes says: “Jokes are half-meant.” And in the case of that Zalora joke, we’ll, he might be right.

Here’s what we have so far.

(This photo doesn't include the first few packages that came in several weeks ago!)

And I’m pretty sure there are a few more on their way.

Afri-can!

It was in the film "Coming to America" when my attention was really focused on the beauty and vibrance of African prints. Although the African nation in that film - Zamunda - was fictitious, the style and fashion definitely was not.

There started my love affair with the color and stylings of these types of prints. In Africa, they would wear it everywhere - on dresses, tunics, headdresses and such. But as it left Africa and entered into more mainstream fashion, it became more subdued.

Soon, these prints were seen in fashion houses and everyday wear. But the silhoutte might be different, but the impact of that the prints created is still the same.

When Duro Olowu had a capsule collection for J.C. Penney back in 2012, I was hoping to snag a piec or two from his brightly colored, African-inspired collection. Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to get any. I think it's because no one in the family was really into shopping at JCP, so this collection became a hard pass.

This year, Dior did an entire collection that was inspired by Africa and its textiles. There was this documentary on Maria Grazia Chiuri and how she was inspired by the wax prints in textiles. After discovering a book entitled "The Anthology of African Printed Fabrics" she took inspiration from it and gave it her own point-of-view, giving birth to this Cruise 2020 collection.

Because of that, my interest in African prints was once again piqued. But in the current quarantine set-up, I can't just go to my favorite fast fashion haunts and find something that will satisfy this interest. So, I thought, it would take months before I can go out and finally look for an African-print garment.

Or so I thought.

Enter Zalora, and this gorgeous dress!

The print - from the pattern to the color - is very African. The play on the geometric shapes and lines, coupled with the earthen colors, plus a modern "Coming to America" shape, this dress ticked all the boxes and captured everything I was looking for.

Thanks to this dress, my sister can now African!

Missing the time they MET

Back in "ordinary" times, the first Monday of May was a red-letter day for anyone interested in fashion.

That day is better known as "The MET Gala," and it's the day when the uber-fashionable set would all descend on The MET Museum, dressed in their most elaborate garb based on the year's theme, and celebrate fashion and art. It was also a fund-raising activity for the museum, and they would raise millions of dollars every year, thanks to this event.

This year, of course, is an extraordinary time. So, The MET Gala was put on hold because there are more pressing issues facing our world today.

But that didn't stop Vogue's EIC and The MET Gala's fashionable organizer - Anna Wintour - from keeping the philanthropic event from doing its sworn duty. That is, to raise money for the museum, and for all the people behind fashion who are now in danger due to this pandemic.



Amazing what she can do given the circumstances. There are expectations, and thanks to her, these expectations were MET. (Sorry, couldn't help myself. Harhar.)

She's proof that you can't put a worthy and fashionable cause down.

FMM: Turn it back to 15!

Let me "Turn back the Clock" a little bit. It's a Friday Magic Madness after all.



The first time I heard of blogging was through Arnie. She's a close-friend, creative-collaborator and co-writer, and she told me about this on-line journal where you can jot down your thoughts and keep them for future use. It was called "Blogger."

It was in the early 2000s when I first tried to blog. If memory serves me right, I was still with DY&R-Alcantara that time, our office was still in Vito Cruz, and I tried blogging on my rickety old Mac computer. After an entry, I forgot all about it.

Then, I tried it again, this time when I was with Y&R Manila, and our office was already in Wynsum Corporate Center in Ortigas. I tried blogging on a slightly upgraded Mac computer. After an entry, I forgot all about it.

Cut to 2005. I was now with Harrison Communications, and our office was in LKG Tower in Ayala Avenue. I was fairly new with that agency, and didn't have any projects assigned to me yet. So, out of boredom, I opened another blog. My third, actually, and wrote this first entry.

After that entry, thankfully, I didn't forget about it!

Now, it's 15 years since that fateful day, and I'm still blogging! Imagine that!

One of the reasons why this blog lasted as long as it did was the fact that 2005 was also the year that I moved from MNL to HKG for work. Since I was living alone in such a high-speed city, blogging was a way of having someone to "talk to", and slowing me down. That HKG life lasted for more than 3 years, and led to SHG, led to a job for a company on Guam, and led me back to MNL.

Needless to say, those 15 years were very colourful and eventful, which is why I was able to write consistently for all those years. Aside from jotting down those events that happened, those blog entries helped me look back and track what I've been doing, where I've been going, - and what I've been shopping for - for a decade and a half. Which is fun to read and look back at.

So, since my blog is now on its 15th year, let me celebrate it with another semi-Friday Magic Madness song. "Semi" because the song isn't that old yet (it's 12 years old) but is tres relevant and tres apt. Plus, it's a song that I also wrote about twice in this blog! Talk about a recurring theme (song)!



Hey blog! You're fifteen!

Color block-buster! - The return!

It was the same month last year when I wrote about this bevy of color blocked dresses that I got from Zalora. They were classic dresses with details and shapes in contrasting colors that "lifted" the dress. (I can still hear Anna Wintour in my head saying "lift it.")

Now, a little over a year after, another color blocked beauty was delivered at home by Zalora. Particularly, this pretty and fashionable piece.

The detail in this dress is more ornate. Unlike the dresses last year where the contrasting colors were just blocks or panels, this dress has the contrast on the top part, creating this bustier illusion for the whole dress.

If that's not enough to make the whole thing look interesting, there's a flounce at the bottom to add a touch of movement to the dress.

Overall, it has that element of classy classic and hint of fun. Which is why I thought this dress was a blockbuster to begin with.

WATN: Wednesday on a Wednesday

A thought that's both timely and peculiar popped into my head this Wednesday.

Where is Wednesday Addams?

Better yet, where is Christina Ricci now?

Back in the 90s and 00s, Christina was one of Hollywood's hottest stars. As a child star, she was hailed for her timing and talent. She appeared in multiple movies every year. Her performance in "Mermaids" as Cher's youngest daughter was heartwarming and endearing. This proved she could do drama. Then, as Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family," and as Casper's love interest in "Casper," she proved that she can do comedy as well.

As she grew older, her roles became more mature and showed much of her depth and complexity. She was a joy to watch in "Ice Storm," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and "The Opposite of Sex." Christine returned to her "horror-slightly-comedy" roots with Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," then did more dramatic turns.

For me, one of her best - and most disturbing - turns is in "Monster" with Charlize Theron in 2003. Charlize won the best actress award that year, and I think Christina should've been nominated, too.

After that, I haven't seen Christina as often as I used to. Except maybe for "Speed Racer" in 2008. But in the 2010s-onward, her big screen appearances have been few and far between. And that's why I miss her depth and talent so much.

Hey Hollywood! Let's bring Christina Ricci back on the big screen soon!

On the dots

Previously, whenever i’d buy clothing from Zalora, it would be under their house brands - Zalora, Something Borrowed, Zalora Basics, and the like. They’ve got great designs, they’re very affordable, and they reach your doorstep in days. (Pre-ECQ, of course.)

Lately, though, i’ve discovered the joys of other brands on their website, particularly the imported ones. Brands like Willa, Tussah, Cali, among others. The designs are classic with a fashionable twist, the fabrics are nice, and the price points - very Zalora in its affordability.

One such find is this dotted dress from Tussah.

It’s a silk dress with kimono sleeves, with a knotted waist highlighted by a tortoise-shell detail. Very chic and stylish!

And when I got this on Zalora, it was 70% off with an additional 40% thrown in! Imagine how ridiculously cheap that is!

Dots another reason to love this dress even more.

Seeing Double: Frances is Vera familiar

There's a long list of actresses in Hollywood that are often mistaken for one another.

There's Amy Adams and Isla Fisher, Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jessica Chastain, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Morrison, Jaime King and Jaime Pressley, and so on and so forth.

Heck, I've even written about the last two here.

Now, I've added a new pair to the list.

Presenting:

Was watching a clip of Vera Farmiga in one of her films when I had that "a-ha!" moment. She reminds me a lot of Frances McDormand!

They're both great actresses, and I enjoy watching their films - Frances McDormand in Fargo, Vera Farmiga in Source Code - among others.

I wouldn't mind seeing them both in one film as sisters! That would be a double treat!

So near, yet so far part 2

With the MECQ now up, SM Megamall is now open.

SM Megamall is now open, so H&M Megamall is now open, too!

They posted this photo, and I just can't help but want to go there and get that Johanna Ortiz x H&M dress on the window. The rightmost one!

Methinks this is the nearest H&M that's open now. Gateway and UP Town Center is still closed, upon checking.

Despite that, I don't think I'm going there anytime soon. Far from it, actually.

Shirt Order

Now, here’s what came with the 2nd batch of items that I ordered from Zalora.

Since it’s summer (yes, hard to imagine it is when we’re just in our homes), I got some items that are breezy and cool to wear during the warm weather. And what can be cooler and more classic than t-shirts.

Zalora had a few of nice t-shirt dress options on their website, but these 2 were what really struck me,

First, this beige shirt with an exaggerated pocket. It also comes with a belt in case you want to dress it up.

Second, this army green shirt with an interesting knot detail in front. It’s what elevates it from being too plain, to fun and fashionable!

These are cute and cool dresses to wear this summer. And as soon as people are actually allowed to go out, these shirts will be able to have their debut as well.

FMM: Cascading

The storm swerved off and passed Bicol - which is a big "whew!" since Dad is in our beach house there. But I think it decided to pass by and hang around Manila first.

Since this lunch time, all we could hear is howling wind and rain.

Which inspired today's Friday Magic Madness song from the 60s, and from The Cascades.



Yes, it looks like we'll be listening to the rhythm of the pouring rain the whole night tonight.

Biz-y Busy

With no time wasted in walking and commuting, there are actually more hours in a day to work. Although the downside is, this Work-From-Home arrangement basically throws Work-Life balance out of the window. (How can you balance work and life when work and life are now one and the same? Harhar!)

The upside is, there's actually more time to do work. And there's more work that's done. So, above the usual workload that I've been doing, I'm able to do some passion projects during downtime. Projects like layouts, logos and other design projects I can sink my teeth into.

Just like these ones I did for my sibs' businesses:

Because of all these, it seems to me like work is more busy now that I'm working from home.

And I'm liking it that way.

Just Juss

One of the discoveries from Zalora's Essentials item list is this juice brand that I've heard of for the first time.

It's called Juss, and it's apparently the top brand of juice drinks in Turkey.

I've never seen this brand on supermarket shelves. I'm more familiar with my "usuals" like Del Monte, Tipco, The Berry Company, and Local. So, when I saw this on-line, there was a bit of hesitation. But since the craving for juice was so intense, I decided to give it a try. (Plus points - they had Sour Cherry juice! My fave!)

And yes, I'm glad I did. This Juss brand is yummers! Not to sweet, bursting with real fruit flavor, and super refreshing.

Needless to say, I'm ordering another batch from Zalora!

WATN: Branching out

For some strange reason, I have this need to listen to Michelle Branch today. And considering I haven't heard a song from her in a while, it begs the question, "Where is she now?"



She was one of my favorite singers in the 2000s. She had that same angst as Alanis Morisette, but the same charm as Natalie Imbruglia. So, she's an angry, sweet girl.

Michelle should really come back to singing. I miss her "Branch" of music. Harhar.

Fresh Prince

One of my favorite Disney animated films is "Aladdin." In fact, I had a VHS tape (VHS? Look it up, kids!) of that film bought in the U.S. so I could watch it over and over and over again.

Despite the fact that I've seen it so many times, I would still laugh at the same parts, sing the same songs, laugh at the same jokes, and feel the same thrill in the end.

This love for the animated film makes me feel quite odd that I never got to watch its live action version. I don't know why I never got around to watching it, but I never did. Curious.

Seeing this clip, the "Prince Ali" song, made me even more curious about the film. And yes, Will Smith is the genie in this film, and Will Smith was the lead in "The Prince of Bel Air." A Prince singing about a Prince? Interesting...



Maybe I should look for it and watch it while we're still stuck at home.

And yes, I'm sure I can't find it on VHS.

Mother's Yay!

Usually, we spend Mother's Day eating out with family - which means that we give Mom a break from cooking for us. So, we usually hie off to the nearby mall, look for a good restaurant, and enjoy a meal that has no effort needed from Mom.

Today will be different, though. With the Quarantine still in place, we can't go out and we have to stay at home and celebrate Mother's Day here. But of course, we still tried to free Mom cooking duties by just ordering food to go and fixing it here at home. It's a different approach, but hey, it works!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! It's an unusual celebration this year, but once this is over, let's celebrate again the proper, Mother's Day way!

Green and Greek

So, here are some of the first items that came in from Zalora while we're still on Quarantine.

They were 3 pieces, and all imported ones at that. The reason it took them a long time to deliver it - in contrast to some items that they can deliver 24 hours after you order them - is that they had to ship the items from SG and MY. The airport shutdowns around the SEA regions made it difficult for the items to arrive. But eventually - almost 2 months after - they did.

The first item is this one-shouldered fitted dress in a beautiful shade of Emerald Green.

It's very streamlined and modern, and it has grommets! There's 1 in front and 2 at the back, and that's where you attach the separate straps.

Then, there's this flirty, flouncy dress with a lot of ruffles, a lot of joie-de-vivre, and a lot of attitude. And yes, it's also a one-shoulder dress in Emerald Green.

Just as the title states, these are 2 fairly different dresses with 2 things in common. And I'm so glad they finally made it here.

FMM: Give them a hand

What really stands out during situations like this is our spirit of cooperation.

Whether it's as basic and small as cooperation within our compound, to something bigger like our community, to a much bigger scale like a region or a country, it's heartening to see people working hand-in-hand to help out and make things better for those who need it most.

It's this cooperation that inspired my choice for today's Friday Magic Madness song.

This is a song from 1988, and it's actually the theme song of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.



Even if you listen to it now, 32 years later, the song's melody and lyrics still resonate, and the message is still current. And that makes the song a classic.

Hearing an Olympic theme song makes me sad that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics isn't pushing through this July, though. I'm sure they prepared an awesome opening number and theme song as well.

Fashionable food

It was a few weeks ago when I discovered that Zalora could do more than satisfy your taste and hunger for fashion.

They could also satisfy your hunger and taste. Period.

Yup, they started selling imported juices, milk, chips, cookies and the like a few weeks back. And being a big fan of the site, I went ahead and ordered from their selection.

They finally delivered my goodies today! Now, I have a fresh stock of fruit juices, strawberry milk, gourmet potato chips, cheese, cheese spread and some condiments.

This must be Zalora’s most satisfying delivery yet.

So near, yet so far

Upon seeing this post from The Podium, my mind went into a tizzy and my tummy suddenly craved for Naan and curry!

Yes, New Bombay at The Podium delivers!

As tempting as it may seem, considering The Podium is just 15 minutes away from the house, i’m just worried that it might not taste as great if it’s not freshly cooked. In fact, it might be far off from the fresh, Indian cuisine goodness that Mark and I enjoy whenever we eat there.

That said, i’ll give this one a pass. Will just wait when Mark and I can actually go there, get a seat, and enjoy our Indian classics fresh from the kitchen.

Hopefully, that time will be near.

Why so serious?

Looks like my nephew and grand nephew are busy and seriously watching something on the small screen. Their intensity makes me wonder what is it their watching.

Wish I could be there with them in Utah. Hunched down and seriously watching with them, too.

Rice, Vader, Rice!

What better way to celebrate Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you) than with these absolutely adorable - and absolutely yummy - rice cakes from Dolor's Kakanin. Shaped like Darth Vader and the Millennium Falcon, of course!

Gosh, if Dolor's Kakanin in SM Megamall was open, i'd rush right there to get some of these!

Take your peak

As much as I love Zalora, their teaser ad leading to their anniversary gets my goat.

I've said this many times on my blog. "Sneak Peak" is wrong. "Sneak Peek" is the correct way of saying it.

Proofreader, please!

Maroon in Multiples

Or, "Things you find when you're not looking for it, part 3."

This weekend's find came about while I was looking for a book I bought sometime last year. I knew it was in the attic, so that's where I went. And while the book was found, there was another item from the attic that saw the light.

It was this long, maroon jersey dress from The Florence Fling, bought sometime in September last year.

The nice thing about this dress - aside from the fabric and the color - is the cut. It's a classic t-shirt dress with a high, round neck, short sleeves, and as an added "oomph," it had a cascading sash at the back which flowed nicely in the wind.

Here's the thing with that sash. Initially, it was just created as a nice design detail for the otherwise straightforward dress. But while I was trying to fold the dress, the realization came that the sash could actually be used in different ways to make the same dress look different.

Observe:

The sash can be a belt to accentuate the waist, a "sweater sleeve" to wrap around the shoulder, creating that cardigan look, and finally, a full scarf that could cover the entire arms and bodice in case things get a bit chilly.

Yes, all these just came to me while I was trying to fold the dress.

Oh, the things you think of when you're just at home.

FMM: Counting on each other

Another thing that's very important these days is having someone to count on. Sometimes, the days can be trying and you can easily get weary. And during those times, it helps to have someone you can count on - family, friends, faith, even complete strangers, at times.

That's one of the things that this situation has taught us. That we can count on people, and people can count on us. In may be things that are small or mundane, but what's important is knowing that someone has your back, and there's someone you can count on.

This leads me to this Friday Magic Madness song from the 90s - a classic, feel-good ditty from the combined powerhouse voices of Whitney Houston and Cece Winans.

Yes, let's thank the people we can count on. And let us be someone that other people can count on, too.