Another Piso-ffering

You know you've crossed "Tito-world" when you go goo-goo over groceries. Which I do.

Especially those piso deals!

I've written about some of my piso deal finds from Robinsons Supermarket. 

Now, it's time for Landers Supermarket to join the league.

Potato Chips and 4 bars of Johnson's Baby Soap! Both for one peso!

One!

Peso!

Judging by my reaction and enthusiasm, yes, I'm a Tito.

Printed Matter: Mapping it out

Even as young as 4 or 5 years old, I've always been a cartography nut.

I'd always buy maps at National Bookstore and Alemars Bookstore. While my siblings would have posters of pop stars, I'd have maps as posters. Heck, one thing I saved up for as an elementary school kid was a globe.

That's why it comes as no surprise that whenever a map print comes along, I gravitate towards it. Just like this print.

This map isn't on a poster or a postcard. It's on this dress from Plain & Prints' "Femme Power" collection. It's inspired by Amelia Earhart, thus the airplane, compass along with the map. And they've turned this print into a midi-dress with a puff-sleeved faux jacket.

You can't get lost with a fashionable choice like this.

Color Story: Orange you glad

Considering that orange is the colour of enthusiasm, I'm quite surprised that fast fashion brands don't gravitate towards orange that much.

It's quite rare that you see clothes in this happy, citrus hue. That's why whenever there are pieces that pop-out in stores - both physical and on-line - they catch my eye and automatically get purchased.

Just like these 2 pretty dresses:

The first one is from Surplus Shop.

It's a kaftan-type dress that's cut a bit closer to the body. It has a deep-V neckline and bows on the sleeve that make the dress feel easy and breezy.

The second is from the Zanzea online shop.

This is literally an orange dress because of the happy orange slice print that covers the whole dress. This was a joy to look at on the computer screen, and that joie-de-vivre perfectly translates to the actual garment.

These 2 dresses will surely make Ate feel glad.

I do like Mondays

Yes, I'm referencing Biboy's favourite song from The Boomtown Rats entitled "I don't like Mondays."

But this is the flip side, with me saying that I do like Mondays.

Especially if it's Cheap Monday.

This is one of the earlier "indie" denim brands and they're known for their very young, carefree and nonchalant approach to fashion.

Which is exactly what this dress from Cheap Monday is about.

The sweater dress is young, carefree and nonchalant. From the fabric - a cotton, sweater-y fabric without the heft, to the ultra-loose and boxy silhouette, to a nice touch of string to cinch in the waist.

It's definitely something nice and cool to wear on a Monday.

Sailing (Sun)Day

After what felt like an hour, going back and forth, spraying on paper then spraying it on my wrist, I finally decided on this bottle of Maison Margiela Replica.

It was a close call between 3 scents. But after letting it stay on my skin for a couple of minutes, it was Sailing Day that ticked all the boxes. It had to be light, it had to smell like second skin, and it had to have that shower smell.

The fact that this reminds me of the Clean scents that I have was probably the deal-breaker. I'm not a perfume kind of guy, so having one that doesn't smell like perfume is a plus. Quite ironic because it's perfume that doesn't smell like perfume.

Despite choosing this bottle, the 2 other scents still linger in my mind. And if it stays in my scent memory, I might have to go back to Rustan's and get those bottles as well.

It's getting Hut in here

You know you're old when one of the brands you frequent as a kid is now being called a "nostalgic brand" on the internet.

Such is the case of Tropical Hut.

The past weeks, the internet has been on fire as thousands and thousands of people were posting about Tropical Hut Hamburgers. These posts helped renew interest for the brand, and now, the news is that the branches are happily dealing with a sudden surge of customers. 

Personally, I'm glad that people are rediscovering this under-the-radar fast food brand because it's really, really, REALLY good!

My siblings and I grew up eating Tropical Hut, thanks to Lolo Iking who was a fan of the brand. We'd usually get our groceries in Tropical Hut Quezon Avenue, and once we've loaded our groceries in the car, we'd stop by Tropical Hut for an afternoon snack.

Their burgers are legit! You know that they're made fresh and that they're pure beef. Lolo would always order the burger, while my go-to was the chicken sandwich.

Even after Lolo passed, the family still frequented Tropical Hut. My parents and I would have the occasional Tropical Hut run in Greenhills - another sentimental favourite branch. 

Now that the younger audiences are discovering the brand, I'm sure they'll appreciate how good their food is and that they'll be back more often. Because their tagline really tells the truth about Tropical Hut:

"Sarap na babalik-balikan."

FMM: More Musika-lity

Of course, a series of posts regarding the Metropop Music Festival isn't complete without the grand prize winner of its 8th edition in 1984.

True to the concept of celebrating music, the winner that year both celebrated and thanked OPM. It's a song that uplifted our local music industry, and sung by a multi-talented comedienne and singer.

So, for today's Friday Magic Madness song, here's Nanette Inventor - best known as Dona Buding - in her role as a singer, a contest-winning one at that.

Such a beautiful melody and lyrics, that's a fitting thanks to our very own music.

Salamat, Nanette Inventor. Salamat Danny Tan. 

Salamat, Musika!

Like a what?

Like, like, like a Circus!

With flavours like Swirly Megapop, Toffee Apple and Raspberry Snowcone, this has to be good!

Yes! The Circus is coming to town.

Specs-tacular

Olivia is growing up to be a cheeky little girl.

She snagged Ate Lissa's specs and gamely modelled it in front of Ate.

Spectacularly cute kid!

Scent Memory

There are certain scents that trigger a particular memory. It can be a memory that's recent or far back. 

Personal examples:

- The scent of freshly cut grass reminds me of childhood, spending our summers in Bicol and Lolo would ask the caretaker to mow the grass around the house.

- The scent of plastic balloon reminds me of my playmates in Tomas Morato and how we'd buy plastic balloon at Aling Ensa's store. Then we'd blow the balloon and make it burst on our foreheads.

- The scent of Nina Ricci L'air du Temps reminds me of Lola Dita since that's her favourite perfume.

- The scent of Caesar Salad dressing reminds me of Tita Evelyn and how she would make this from scratch - using anchovies, mustard, parmesan, among others.

That's how powerful scents are in triggering memories.

And that's the spirit behind these perfumes from Maison Margiela called "Replica." 

Each scent is designed to trigger a memory, aside from making you smell good. The first time I smelled this was in SG at the Margiela store, and I'm glad that they finally have this in the Philippines.

I'm actually not a perfume user, preferring colognes and clean scents. That's why I gravitate towards something like "Bubble Bath," which is a barely there scent.

Reminder to myself - buy that the next time I go to Rustan's.

Meals with Mark: Temple feels

It's been almost 5 years since Mark and I went to Tokyo. That's why it's always part of our conversation, particularly, when we'll be back to visit again.

In the middle of those conversations, we compensate for missing Tokyo by eating at Japanese restaurants. And tonight, we tried a new one in Vertis North.

"Asakusa" is a tempura place named after the area that's close to our hearts. After all, we'd often visit the Sensoji Temple, especially if there are visitors who are first-timers in Japan. Because a trip to Tokyo isn't complete without a photo with that gigantic red lantern at the entrance of the temple.

Mark ordered the prawn tempura with chahan, and my order was the vegetable set with the cold soba. Our verdict, the food was legit and it brought us back to Japan. Even for a night.

Bonus: there was a nearby Japanese store pop-up and was able to get these snacks that we'd usually buy in Tokyo.

It's so nice to spend Monday night being transported to Tokyo. By way of QC. Harhar!

Cheers, Dad!

Dad spent most of his professional career in San Miguel Corporation.

Growing up, we always had San Miguel products in our fridge. It was always teeming with Coke, Royal Tru Orange, Magnolia Ice Cream, Magnolia Chicken, among others.

Some weekends, Dad would bring us along with him to Polo Brewery where Biboy and I would camp out at the kitchen in the 1521 Center to drink all the Choco Vim we wanted.

Summertimes, I'd be tagging along with him when he travelled around the Philippines for "Balikbanda." This is where I got to meet Pinoy music icons like Sampaguita, Florante, and that's how Bert "Tawa" Marcelo became my honorary ninong.

When there's a birthday in the family, we'd drive to the Magnolia plant in Aurora and he'd order the iconic Magnolia Ice Cream cake with flowers and fruits as topping. One time, I rode the conveyor belt that delivers the products from the freezer to the customer. Of course, I got scolded for that.

Then, as an adult, he convinced me to try working in SMC. He told me to send my CV to his friend, Ric, and in a matter of weeks, I was part of the Corporate Affairs Office - the same office where he worked for decades.

Funnily, some of the staff under me where Dad's staff, too. And they'd joke how they feel like they've gone full circle because they have 2 generations of Morales men supervising them.

And because of those many San Miguel stories, let me raise this virtual San Miguel Beer to greet Dad a Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Dad! And to Kuya Marv, Biboy, Jul, Carl, Ray, and Bob, too!

Yes way, Jose!

While hearing on-line mass at Santuario de San Antonio last week, I noticed someone familiar behind the lectern. 

Yes! The Lector during that mass was no other than Jose Mari Chan!

I've been fortunate enough to work with him a few times, and he's really a super cool, funny, down-to-earth guy. And of course, his singing voice is the stuff of legends! 

During our last shoot, it was my birthday and he sang for me! That definitely made my day.

Hopefully, we'll get to work with him again soon.

FMM: Oooh, Child!

It's often said that - at times - you don't have to win in order to achieve success.

That's true in the case of today's Friday Magic Madness song. A song that's still part of my series of the Metropop Music Festival.

In the maiden version of the competition in 1978, one of the entries is a heartfelt ballad about a parent and child. It's a song masterfully written and interpreted by Freddie Aguilar. Those factoids are enough to confirm what's on your mind.

That song is "Anak."

It didn't win the derby. It didn't even figure as one of the runners-up. It was just one of the finalists.

But it's the finalist that could. And did.

"Anak" became a worldwide phenomenon. A song that was wildly popular not just in the Philippines, but in countries both in the East and the West.

In Japan, people always say "Anak," when they find out I'm Filipino. And it's a staple song in Karaoke joints, being sung even by Japanese singers. Same goes in the US, and even in Germany when I visited there.

This song was even translated to English. That's how powerful it was. And it's now part of Philippine music history as one of the most widespread and most sung Filipino song in the world.

This finalist ended up being a winner.

Ube-be-baby!

While my obsession over the Deka Wafer Roll peanut butter flavour hasn't waned, here's another discovery that amped up my snack excitement!

Deka Wafer Roll has Ube flavoured rolls!

As a huge fan of anything Ube, this is def a must try!

When Pocky met Pepero

This is what came out:

This must be said, though. What it lacks in originality, Pockero makes up for size. The sticks of this snack are huge! My estimate is that it's 12" in length, and about 1" in diameter. Just one stick is enough to fill you up.

Amazing what snacks you meet when you browse on-line.

Make it Works!

Do my eyes deceive me?

Is my all-time favorite store finally opening in mainstream MNL?

Apparently, it is:

Bath and Body Works is finally making it here! It’s going to open in SM Megamall!

Now, I don’t have to go to the US, SG and ID to get my scent fix.

Eggzoited!

Doggone cuteness!

Spotted this adorbz cutie during Liz's birthday party yesterday.

He's (or she's, we never got to ask) such a nice and playful doggie - constantly running around, climbing our chairs and legs, sitting and shaking hands on command. 

Kuro would definitely have a great time playing with this doggie.

Search for Independence

Trust Google to be the first to celebrate the country's 124th Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day, Philippines!

Two wonderful

Two years!

That's how long it took for Biboy, Liz and family to finally come home and visit.

They were originally scheduled to be in MNL in May-June of 2020. But we all know what happened. And we all know how that pretty much derailed travel plans around the globe.

But thankfully, and finally, they were able to travel to the Philippines! Aside from spending time with us, they were lucky enough to spend time with Liz's relatives in Cebu, our relatives in Bicol, and have a quick stop at Boracay while they were at it.

And today, the two-year delayed celebration of Liz's birthday finally happened!

It was great to see the Inciong family again after so many years. It was awesome that Liz finally got to have her celebration surrounded by family and friends. And it was even more awesome that 6 out of 7 of the Regalado-Morales gang were finally together!

Looking forward to next year when Ate Lissa will finally be able to come home, too! That would be even more wonderful!

FMM: Musika-lity

Yes, I'm still on a Metropop Music Festival streak for my Friday Magic Madness song for today.

Aside from the fact that this song was the winner of the very first Metropop derby in 1978, it's also an apt song because it celebrates Filipino music and takes pride in it. Timely because this weekend is Philippine Independence Day - the day when we celebrate and take pride in being Pinoy.

The song is an OPM classic, sung by an OPM legend.

"Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika" by Hajji Alejandro. The title alone evokes so much pride and celebration of Filipino Music. The same pride and celebration that the Metropop Music Festival embodied.

No wonder this was the very first winner!

Shake things up

Thanks to my conversation with Kai and Noah last night, I suddenly missed the Steak N Shake restaurant in Alpharetta.

This place is very memorable for me. 

During my first visit to GA, this is where Biboy and Liz brought me for a midnight snack. We came to Steak 'N Shake straight from the airport, and this was the first restaurant I set foot on in Alpharetta.

Then, in 2018, this is where the whole family had lunch after hearing Christmas Day mass. Because of our sheer number, we occupied this really long table and the staff were pleasantly and happily surprised to see a family this big.

Hopefully, I'll get to visit GA again soon. And Steak 'N Shake will definitely be part of my itinerary.

Tostitos of Manila

One of the key takeaways that I learned during my stay in Mexico in the early 2000s was this: 

Authentic Mexican nacho chips and salsa are incomparable.

While there are a lot of Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants here in MNL, I still find myself longing for that legit crunch, subtle flavour and texture.

When that happens, my go-to brand is - for me - the next best thing.

Tostitos!

That's why it's no wonder that we never run out of it home.

Extra "S"-tra

No, the word "feedback" doesn't have a plural form.

Funny how putting an extra, single letter like "s" can turn a sentence into a mistake.

Proofreader, please!

Suddenly Sketching

It’s something that I haven’t done in ages!

But this weekend, I found myself bringing out my Pilot pens and sketching again.

While sketching this, the actual materials and accouterments are already playing in my head! 

Hopefully, this sketch will go from paper to an actual garment.

All Claire!

It may be a few months late, but it doesn’t make it less fun!

Finally, we had our Zoom Birthday celebration for Claire! The theme was “Claire Appreciation Day” which is super apt because she’s really a blessing to Melrose!

From all of us here - Belated Happy B, Claire!

Pisoffering

A few years ago, my concept of "cheap thrills" would be finding clothes from my fave fast fashion brands at 70% off. Or more!

Nowadays, it has shifted to finding P1 grocery items from my usual on-line supermarket haunts.

And this is today's little haul:

These 4 items only cost me P4! Antibacterial wipes, Cadbury Chocolates and Soy Sauce.

Yes, they're random. But that's what fun shopping is supposed to be.

Aside from the fact that they're just ONE. PESO. EACH.

FMM: Makes me smile

The more I'm reading about the MetroPop Music Festival, the more I learn that a lot of my go-to tunes are either winners, or finalists in this song writing derby.

One of these gems is this song which dominated the airwaves in the 80s. This is also a song that the whole family loves. Aside from me, this ditty is something that my Kuya and Ates listened to a lot when we were younger.

For today's Friday Magic Madness song, we have the grand prize winner in the 1984 MetroPop. Beautifully written by Rene Novelles and aptly interpreted by Jam Morales - "A Smile in your Heart."

True to its title, this song never fails to put a smile on my face. And in my heart.

Family size

When my cousins from BCN visited last March, one of the things that amazed them is how our Coca-Cola products come in a wide range of sizes.

The 1.5l bottles is something common place in Spain. But what they really found cool are the Swakto bottles. They found it so cute, they had to bring some home!

Whether it's for a fam of five, or just one person, there's definitely a Coke product for each member of the family.

Marni, Marni, Marni

Yes, Abba is sampling in my mind while writing the title.

But no, this post isn't about "Money, Money, Money." It's about the recently launched Marni x Uniqlo collaboration.

After writing about it a few days ago, I was finally able to buy a few pieces from the collection!

True to the brand's aesthetic, the shirts I got were colourful, graphic, and teeming with joy. Two shirts were for me, while Mom has one shirt, too.

These will be perfect for summer!