Oh, (Aqua)man!

Aquaman is a memorable film for me.

When the 1st Aquaman film came out, we were in the US spending Christmas with the family. 

Biboy planned a movie date with the whole family, and the film was "Aquaman."

So, we all went to Avalon to watch the film. The film was fun and enjoyable - and the company that evening made it even more so.

It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years since we watched it. That means, it took 4 years for the sequel to come out.

Hope this is as good as the first one. Better watch it just to be sure.

A tale of 2 Cities

When I bought these 2 shirts on SheIn, it was mainly because of the color and that vintage touristy print.

Then it struck me once the shirts were delivered. These 2 cities have a role in our lives. Ate Lissa and family live in Houston, while Biboy and family have been living in Atlanta the past 20 years.

How’s that for happy coincidences?.  

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.

Bi(rthday)boy

It’s Biboy’s Birthday today!

Last year, he was supposed to come home so he can celebrate his birthday with us. But back then, the vaccinations haven’t started and travel was still quite restricted. This year, the whole fam is planning to come home in May so they can have a belated celebration here with the whole clan.

And while waiting for that, he’s celebrating his birthday with the fam. And hopefully in a few months, our faces will be in this photo as well.

Happy Birthday Biboy!

Let’s make it a Point

North Point Mall in Alpharetta is one of our go-to places in GA. Mainly because it’s quite near the house of Biboy.

It’s been 2 years since we were last there, and while I was searching for one of the mall tenants, this popped on my feed.

They’re going to have (or already having) a redevelopment. And it looks like they’ll be more outdoorsy, similar to Avalon, also in GA.

I can’t wait to visit GA and North Point Mall soon. And hopefully when we go there, it’ll look like this already.

Bow Wow!

Presenting the latest addition to our family in the U.S.

Presenting Ash Morales. Biboy and Liz's adorable new Boston Terrier.

This terrier is so fly, he even has his own IG account. (He even beat me, his Tito. I don't have one!)

Wow. Just Wow!

Fine Vines

A few months ago, when we were in the US, I saw this store in Avalon called "Vineyard Vines."

It was a brand that was new to my ears and eyes. And judging from what they displayed on their windows, the brand aesthetic was very preppy.

Then, my sister-in-law Liz, gave me the 411 on the brand.

Apparently, it's a high end brand that's plugging in the void at Abercrombie and Fitch left. A&F, which used to be the bastion of preppy, upscale fast fashion, was losing its ground. Americans started to see A&F as pedestrian, and were leaving the brand en masse.

In came Vineyard Vines, which provided the same preppy, upscale aesthetic and image. Liz said it was pricey, but it was super popular among Americans. Browsed through the store, and it was okay. Nothing groundbreaking, but it was definitely preppy. Think Ralph Lauren during its early days.

So, why did I remember the brand all of a sudden? I've heard through the grapevine that they have an interesting collaboration coming up soon.

And due to the dearth of collaboration news, this is a fine development.

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!

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.

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!

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?

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.

Lolo Love

Being Lolo to this adorable little boy is one of the best feelings. Ever!

Hope to hold you again soon, Baby Noah!

FMM: Mind you!

Starting Sunday, Georgia won't just be on my mind, it'll be part of my holiday routine.

Time to bring out this Friday Magic Madness song from the 70s, from the great Ray Charles.



See you, Georgia!

Gonna shake it up!

Here's something I'm looking forward to next week!

After 2 years, I get to eat at Steak and Shakes again!

I'm shaking with excitement!

The Counter strike

Most people know I'm a sandwich guy.

I can make and eat sandwiches the whole day. That's why my eyes are always on the lookout for good sandwich joints.

On my last day in ATL, Biboy decided to bring us to one of their favorite burger restaurants in the neighborhood - The Counter. It's a build-your-own-burger place which they swear by. And for good reason.

Their burgers were stellar! From the size, to the presentation, to the right mix of flavors, it all just worked together beautifully.

I ordered for the Turkey Chipotle burger after finding out that it had cranberries in it. This combination created that perfect blend of sweet-savory-spicy that was just mind-blowing. It was just one of the many, many, many choices they had on their menu.

Along with the sandwich, we had fries, onion rings, fried pickles (!), and a rootbeer float. This added up to the perfect soda-pop-ish lunch to cap off my trip to Georgia.

It was a perfect encounter with The Counter.

Gimme Moe!

In my few days in Atlanta, I tried to avoid eating at the same place twice. But I actually broke the rule in favor of Moe's Southwest Grill. I ate there twice.

What can I say? I'm such a huge fan of Tex-Mex food. Always have, even as a kid. Then, during my Mexico stay, the love for it grew even more.

Imagine my thrill after finding out that Moe's is actually in Manila! Apparently, they opened their first branch in BGC quite recently. Awesome news, since I don't have to fly to the U.S. to get my favorite Ancho Lime. (Which I hope they have here.)

Better Moe-sy along there soon!

Oh, lympics!

Watching the Olympic games on-line reminded me of something. I was actually at a former Olympic venue a few months ago!

One place that I wandered around in GA was the Olympic park. It was downtown and was at the center of almost everything. From there, I was able to go to the World of Coca-Cola, check out the Georgia Aquarium, and see both the Philips Arena and CNN Center.

Among locals, their favorite spot is the Olympic fountain. During summer, kids gather here in their swimsuits and beat the heat. It really looked like fun! If I were dressed for it, I might have joined in!

All-in-all, I'd say the Atlanta Olympic park deserves a gold medal for providing fun.