20 Vision

And just like that, my blog is 20 years old!

This is one of the 2 posts I made on May 19, 2025. 

So much has happened since then, and I'm glad that this blog is around to let me go back, relive and learn from 2 decades worth of experiences.

Happy Birthday Blog!

Memorable

This Sesame Street sketch pops in my head during grocery runs.

It's probably 40 years old by now, and the visuals are very telling of the decade it was done. But the story itself - remember things - is so timeless. And the way it was executed is both intelligent and child friendly.

Now, it's time to go to the grocery to get a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter!

They haven't folded

We were just talking about this a few weeks ago.

We were wondering what happened to Folded & Hung.

This clothing brand was the rage in the 00s to 10s. They had a lot of edgy, fashion-forward clothes that teens and young adults used as their fashion uniform.

They also had collaborations with designers, as well as campaigns fronted by huge celebrities.

They had stores in all the major malls, with some stores being bigger than the more entrenched local fast fashion brands. So, it was clearly a success.

Oh, and proof of its success can be seen in the origins of the store. It started out in a dental clinic, and the dentist would bring out clothes and show them to his patients right after their treatment. Yup, it's a true story - the dentist/owner is a friend of my sister's. And she experienced this first hand.

Then, the stores started to dwindle. And the stores I'd frequent started to close one-by-one.

So, we thought the brand was completely gone.

Apparently not:

They still have this kiosk inside The Landmark in Makati.

Glad to know that they haven't folded just yet.

Blast from the past!

Seeing this store suddenly transported me to the early 2000s.

There was a time when the Gozum group of stores was the go to for clothes that were unique and fashionable. One of their flagship brands was YRYS, and it was one of the stores where you could find a lot of agency people buying their outfits.

Nest time, I'll go inside and see if they still have that strong 00s vibe.

Getting back to (the new) normal

As we get ready to welcome the new year, it's always nice to look at the year that was.

"New Normal" is a term that's been around since the later part of 2020, but it was this year that it felt like we were really moving in to it.

With the travel rules easing, masking becoming optional, and more people going out, it started to feel like the world was going back to what it used to be. But of course, there were still indicators of the pandemic - people still wearing masks, the reluctance to remove masks in public places, the practice of social distancing, and the feeling of overall cautiousness.

Personally, we started to go to the office more often. Our shoots were a bit more relaxed, sans the face shields but still with a lot of swab tests. Meeting up with friends became a tad (just a tad) bit more frequent. And yes, this was the year that I was able to travel again.

First, it was to Bicol with the family. That was the first domestic trip. 

Second, Mark and I were able to go to Seoul before the year ended. That was a special trip in a lot of ways.

And as 2023 comes rolling along, it feels like we'll start to do a bit more "normal" things. Hopefully, with more confidence and less reluctance.

Thanks for easing us to a new sense of normalcy, 2022. And we're hoping for a better a more "normal-normal" 2023!

Arby darned!

Yes, this was something i’ve talked about more than 2 years ago. 

When we were kids, one of the regular errands we’d do with Lolo and Lola was getting their medicine at Casman Drug and groceries at Top’s Supermarket.

Both these establishments were along Quezon Avenue and were just a few meters away from each other.

Sometimes, we’d park at Casman then walk to Top’s. Other times, it was the other way around.

But whenever we’d walk, we had a quick stop at this American fast food brand that was located in between those 2 places. That fast food was Arby’s.

Arby’s came to the Philippines in the 80s. The branch nearest to,us was the Quezon Avenue branch which was located at the building across St. Mary’s College. They were the first fast food place to introduce Roast Beef sandwiches, and they were also famous for their horseradish sauce.

Unfortunately, they were way ahead of their time. And after a few years, their branches shuttered one by one, until they were no more. That made me bummed because they were so darned good!

Why did I remember them all of a sudden? It was because of this new “Mexican Moms try...” video.

Fas

Gosh! I have to go to Arby’s the next time I go to the US!

Looking for the Subway

Suddenly, I have a craving for Subway sandwiches!

Before, Subway was an integral part of my lunch repertoire. Twice or thrice a month would be Subway day. I’d often have it at the old Podium at the 5th floor. It’s the kiosk at the middle of the Cinema and Madeca, and my usual order would be the chicken sandwich, 2 cookies and bottled water.

I’d also get Subway Sandwiches abroad. Mark and I would eat at Subway in Japan. Whenever i’d go to the US, it’s a usual stopover. During my trips to SG and Seoul, i’m Often there to try their “local” sandwiches.

There used to be a Subway branch in Shopwise Cubao and that’s where i’d get my sandwich fix on weekends. Heard they closed that down, though.

Gosh, reminiscing about Subway is making me crave for it some more. Gotta check if they have it on Food Panda or Grab Food.

Gotta take the Subway again soon!

Baker’s backtracking and box

Seems like I’m determined to go back to my baking roots!

Trivia: I started baking when I was in high school. I’d make cakes, brownies, cookies and tarts. Two books served as my baking guides:

“Let’s Cook with Nora” was Mom’s cookbook. But there was a section on cakes and pastries, and that’s what I would usually concentrate on. So, if you see fingerprints of flour, cocoa and oil, those would be mine.

“The Maya Baking Book.” Was the 2nd book. I bought that from my own allowance, and I remember trying to make silvanas for the first time (it was a failure) and cashew caramel tarts (it was a resounding success!)

I continued baking throughout college, and even when I was already working in Adformatix as a copywriter. In fact, I remember one Christmas when I gifted my bosses with cookies that I baked myself!

Eventually, life as a creative became so hectic that I stopped baking. Then, my culinary interests shifted from Sandwich-making which I enjoyed, especially when I made sandwiches for my students (Panini Palace in the house!) making breakfast for Mark in Tokyo, making Mexican food like Quesadillas and Fajitas (Muchas gracias a mis anfitriones en Mexico por ensenarme,) to making s’mores and waffles for my creative Kaniguans.

Then, a few weeks ago, I started baking again. Starting with brownies, then cookies, then a brownie and cookie hybrid.

And today, I decided to have a dedicated food box for all my baking ingredients! That’s to make the, easier to find, and it’ll make baking easier to do when I feel like doing it again.

Looks like i’m seriously going back to baking.

Hello again, HKG

That's 2 visits in less than a month.

Just like old times!

Throwback Throwbook

Last Saturday, I found this book while I was cleaning out my space in the faculty room.

I remember this book vividly. This was the year when I went back to teaching, and the subject I handled was Principles of Mass Communication.

The assignment was to creatively report on the different eras of communication in Philippine History. This was the report of the group assigned to the Spanish era, and they did a Dora the Explorer skit which I found both entertaining and informative.

One of the members of this group - Andy - is now in the same industry where I'm in. That's why we sometimes bump into each other during industry events.

It's always gratifying to look back at where your former students started, and see how far they've gone.

And in this case, they all started with this book.

Back to school

UP is one place that never grows old.

Even if I spent more than 4 years of my academic life here, and even if it's been decades since I graduated, there's always a feeling of thrill whenever I visit.

Maybe it's because UP is the perfect melange of old and new. It's a place that's steeped in history, yet never feels old. It's a place where there's always something new, yet it never feels forced or trendy. Simply put, it's a classic that never goes out of style.

That's why when I visited the campus today, it felt both new and familiar. Yes, the haunts that we usually stayed are still there, but the energy and vibe has changed a bit.

The Sunken Garden is still as I remember it - always full of people lazing and lounging around.

There were baristas practicing their routines, and it was interesting to see them do their thing.

Of course, the compulsory visit to UP Shopping Center had to be done. And no visit there would be complete without stopping by Rodic's. It's a university institution that's been around since 1949!

While their menu has changed since my college days (they didn't have sisig and liempo back then,) the classics like the tapsilog, tocilog and longsilog are still very much around.

What's peculiar is that because UP changed it's academic calendar already, the campus and the dorms were very quiet - almost deserted. So, it's nice to see UP without the hustle and bustle.

UP is definitely one school I don't mind going to everyday. Even on weekends.

Oh my how they've grown! Part six!

Last weekend, our little Kurt Paturt graduated from High School!

Gosh! My baby nephew is now a college student!

And I'm glad to see how he's growing up to be such wonderful young man.

Congratulations, Paturt!

Mass action

It was the year 1995. Pope John Paul II was in the Philippines to celebrate World Youth Day, and I was a delegate.

Throughout the 5 days of the event, I religiously (no pun intended) attended all the events. The last one - the Papal mass - was scheduled January 15, 1995. Since we were delegates, we were there the night before, camped near the Grandstand where the altar was located.

On the evening of the 14th, I fell asleep along with tens of thousands of delegates. When I woke up, there were millions of people around me. They were all standing up and anticipating the arrival of Pope John Paul II.

Suddenly, after seeing the millions of people around me, I had a moment of claustrophobia. The thought of being in the middle of millions overwhelmed me, and I decided to leave the event. Slowly, I inched my way out of the multitude, until I found myself along Taft Avenue.

Needless to say, I wasn't able to attend the Papal Mass. I just watched in inside a restaurant along U.N. Avenue.

Today, Pope Francis I will say mass in Quirino Grandstand. The exact place where the World Youth Day was held 20 years ago.

They're expecting an attendance of 6 million faithful, 1 million more than in 1995. And this year, I'm going to do what I wasn't able to do 20 years ago, hear and finish mass along with millions of Catholics.

This time, there's no turning back.

FMM: A very telling song

Now that Pope Francis has arrived, people can't help but reminisce about the last time a Pope was in the Philippines. It was way back in 1995, and Pope John Paul II was in Manila for the World Youth Day.

The official song that year was "Tell the World of His Love," and I remember how we had to memorize the song and the actions to the song. (I was a World Youth Day delegate back then.)

I listened to the song again, and it feels just like yesterday when we sang this.



Beautiful things - just like this song - never grows old.

Has it been a week?

It's hard to believe that it's been a week since I came back from Tokyo. It feels like just yesterday when Mark and I were scouring the streets of Ginza, Shinjuku, Roppongi and Nakano. And now, I'm back scouring the streets of Ortigas, Makati and Cubao.

It's a week that just whizzed by so fast. And I'm glad to have photos like this - our birthday breakfast at Italian Tomato Cafe - to look back at and remember how great the trip was.

I wish there was a way for time to slow down. Seriously.

Blast from the past!

Yesterday, I visited Lorenz's stall at an art market in Escolta. It's been decades since I was last in that area, so I took a few minutes to walk around the neighborhood.

Lo and behold, a sight that was so magical, I heard "hallelujahs" in the background after seeing it.

Syvel's!

This was a huge department store back then, even bigger than SM. They also had shoes as their main product, and I remember how Mom would buy her shoes in the Cubao branch.

Alas, all their stores are closed now. But at least their memory continues to live on with this sign.

Force Majeure

It gave me such a thrill to see this photo while browsing the internet. It features two of my favorites, combined in one photo.

The Dagobah plotline in "The Empire Strikes Back" was one of my favorite parts of the story. It was so inspiring to see Luke trying to master The Force with Yoda.

Then, there are The Muppets. As a kid, "The Muppet Show" was one of my favorite TV shows and I wouldn't miss an episode on TV. Mainly because of the two main characters, Kermit and Miss Piggy.

And now, we have Luke Skywalker and Yoda in Dagobah, being visited by Kermit and Miss Piggy. How awesome is that?

This photo is really a show of force!

Ain't he Grand?

Last Friday, Ate Lissa posted this photo in honor of our Grandfather's birthday. It's a photo of Lolo Iking when we was named Chief of the MPD, ushering the force to the era when they were called "Manila's finest."

It was a grand day for an equally grand man.

Cats Love

During my daily conversations with Mark, these cute little cats usually find themselves in the middle of the conversation.

Every time they pop in, I can't help but think "Awww... adorbs!"

I've always loved cats. When I was a kid, we had 3 pet cats named Nimitz, Firefox and Kitty Hawk. (They were named after planes and aircraft carriers, which is quite geeky.) Despite always being scratched by these cats, I'd always play with them. That's how much I loved them.

Even in the realm of comics, my favorite characters were cats. I had a vast Garfield collection and had Heathcliff comic books.

When I was living in HKG, I considered taking in a cat as a pet. This was after I saw my colleague's big, fat cat. But since I was out of the house most of the time, I decided against it.

So yes, cats and I have a long history. And seeing these cutie cattaters during our conversations feels like reliving that history. And it never fails to make me smile.

The 2012 Year-in-review: Top 12 of 2012

The last day of the year is the same day when all networks air their yearend special Whether it's a local news channel, or an international news agency, there is no shortage of programs that count down the top events of 2012.

In keeping with that theme, my last post for 2012 is a look at the 12 events this year which I will always remember and be grateful for. Unlike the big and grandiose events that news outlets usually report on, my 12 events are small in scale, but big in impact. So, here they are in chronological order:

1. Complete New Year - The first day of 2012 was a complete day because our family members from abroad came home. On our side, Biboy and family came to Manila, so the 5 siblings in the Regalado-Morales clan were home. On Dad's side, Tita Evelyn came home from Barcelona, at Titos Orestes and Hector flew in from Bicol. So, after a long, long time, the Murillo-Morales siblings were complete.

2. Travel first class - This year, I had my first travel to HKG with my entire Feature and Technical Writing class! It was stressful because I had to watch over a group of gregarious girls, but it was fun since it was educational in more ways than one.

3. Church duty - During the school's baccalaureate mass for batch 2012, I was asked to be an acolyte. Despite being out of the acolyte circles for decades, I took on the task. It turned out that I was going to be an acolyte for Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle! (Who's now Cardinal, by the way.)

4. Back to School - After a long time, I participated in an international learning conference which was hosted by RNTC from The Netherlands. It was fun being a student again after a long time.

5. Back to Japan! - After 4 years, I said "Konnichiwa" to Japan once again. Mark and I spent 2 weeks in Tokyo, which is the longest I've stayed in the big city. During those 14 days, we were able to accomplish a lot of things, both new and familiar. We tried out new restaurants, made new friends, heard mass at a new church, met up with old friends, and finally went to an onsen! Sugoi!

5. Life begins - This was the year when a lot of my friends marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Needless to say, fun, fabulous and frou-frou celebrations were in order.

7. Back to my regular programming - After a few years out of the local advertising industry, I went back to agency work!

8. Back to bowling - One of the things that the new office made me do was to play bowling! And it turns out that I'm still good at it. I ranked number 4 out of more than 50 players!

9. Museum hopping - This year, I was able to go around a number of museums - more than I ever did in one year. From the old National Museum in Manila, to the new Mind Museum in Taguig, it was fun to immerse myself in different exhibits after a long time.

10. Teaching a new subject - I used to produce a lot of Audio-Visual Presentations in my former jobs. So, when Chally asked me to teach AVP, I took on the job with much gusto. It was definitely a great decision as my students came up with so many good productions in one semester.

11. By design - Last November, Ate Bullet had their family portraits taken and I was on-hand to help in the layout and styling. Before the photo session ended, the photographer asked the two of us to pose like a "designer and muse." After photo came out, some of my friends in HKG and SG thought that this was my new career! One of them even sent me a lengthy email saying that if only she knew that my new career path was in design, she would've asked me to fly to New York and make her wedding gown. Alas, the "designer" photo was just conceptual, and I couldn't make her wedding gown even if I wanted to. (I'll take that free trip to New York, though. Harhar.)

Then again, I did do a couple of design jobs this year. These include designing accessories for Mona and her sisters-in-law, and designing a dress for Ate Bullet, which she also wore for that shoot.

12. Christmas missions accomplished - This year was also the year when I was able to do a lot of the Christmas-related activities that I set out to accomplish. This included sending out Christmas cards early, buy and wrap gifts (most of it, at least) a week before Christmas, celebrate Christmas with family, celebrate Christmas with Mark in Manila, spend time with our friends from both sides, and just savor the spirit of the season. This 2012, Christmas was truly, truly Merry!

Like most countdown shows, I'll end by saying that I'm very grateful for all the wonderful events, experiences and people that shaped 2012. And I'm looking forward to the even more wonderful events, experiences and people that will arrive in the new year.