Birthdays, Barkadas and something that's Bastos

If I lived in Sesame Street, this Sunday may have very well been brought to you courtesy of the letter "B." In one day, i've been running around from one engagement to the next, and this definitely made my day a big B.

BLUR!

But now that i've been able to slow down and my mind has been able to digest everything that happened, these Bs definitely made my weekend a most memorable one.

BIRTH!

Kicked off the day by visiting one of my closest friends at Medical City. Elsie gave birth last Saturday, so I went to visit and see the newest addition to the Dormiendo family.

Welcome Marcus Jose!


He's such and adorable kid. The first time I saw him, it was amazing how he looked like a month old. He's big, with lots of hair, and his facial features were so well developed. Most often, babies look the same after birth, but little Marcus looked really distinct.


Marcus is Elsie and Mac's 3rd baby, after Gabriel Luis and Ella Beatrice. If memory serves me right, I was there during Elsie's 3 births, much like Shashie Friend. Same goes for all her kids' 1st birthdays. Elsie's family is pretty much like an extension of mine, that's why I'm so looking forward to Marcus' 1st birthday as well.

BARKADA 1!

After Medical City, I quickly went home because there was a lunch celebration at my sister's place. It was a despedida party for one of her best friends - Happy - who is leaving for the U.S.

When I got there, my sister's posse was complete. Way back in college, she had 3 super best friends who formed her barkada: Annalis, Carol and Happy. Now, Almost 20 years after they graduated, they're still together and act like college kids most of the time.

It's amazing how true friendships never age. Despite the distance, the changes in status, the ups & downs, true friends stand by each other and support each other. Not only that, they also hit each other on the head if they're doing something wrong, kick each other in the butt if they need a wake-up call, and give them a good slapping just to put their lives into perspective. True friends are there both for the good and the bad, and these girls have been there for each other for that.

When I look at the 4 of them all cramped in one couch, talking about everything from the latest fashion to the most recent bout of depression, it renews my faith in real friendship. And I'm sure that 20 years down the road, i'll still see these 4 girls the same way I'm looking at them now.

BIRTHDAY!

From Cubao, I rushed off to Makati to attend a Royal Celebration. Two of my favorite little royals were celebrating their birthdays and this was a "must not miss" event.


It was the birthday celebration of Prince Waji and Princess Jela - the adorable children of King Jeff and Queen Ninette. The party was held at this really nice place called Makati Park, and since it was my first time to go there, I almost got lost. Good think the cab driver had more bearings than me.


Prince Waji was dashing in his royal outfit: A princely white shirt, black pants, a royal red cape and a crown.


Princess Jela looked every bit a princess in her orange ball gown and tiara. I haven't seen her in 6 months, and she's grown so much. Last time I saw her in February, she'd let me carry her around. But because of the half-year gap, I'm back to being a "stranger" in her eyes. Here she is wondering: "who's the terrorist with the moustache?"


I've always been attracted to deep hues, that's why I loved the party venue. The table cloths were in rich, colored satin. There were silk lamps scattered around the venue, with colors varying from burgundy, emerald green, rust and deep navy. And the loot bags also echoed the same color scheme, making it so eye-catching! I just couldn't help but take a few photos.



One of the activities lined up for both kids and adults was a "make your own crown and mask." Jaybee and Reissa were manning the reception booth giving away white crowns and masks, and they had a wide array of decorative items to choose from. There were feathers, gems, beads, glitter glue, sequins and so many others. It was fun seeing both parents and kids working intently on their little projects.

Here's a sample of what the kids did. They were personalized crowns, each one carrying the name of the prince who owned it.


Of course, I got into the party spirit and started making my own mask. I snatched a couple of tubes of glitter glue, some beads and sequins, and a couple of feathers. Then I plopped down on one chair and started to work on it. Initially, I drew some diamond patterns, reminiscent of venetian masks. This was the main element of the design.


Then I started putting on a couple of beads, and a couple of sequins, giving it a bit of bollywood vibe. Then to cap it all off, I put three multi-colored feathers on the right side, and voila! It was a mask fit for a royal ball! I was so proud of my creation that I took photos and more photos. I never got to wear it, though, since the glue was still wet.



Onee, the party's host, was dressed like a jester. He was a great host because he really communicated with the kids without being too cutesy or irritating like some hosts and magicians i've seen before. The kids obviously enjoyed his balloon-twisting antics, and the "name that tune" game.



One thing that caught my attention was how he had a "text-in" game! He asked some questions about Waji and Jela, and he asked the audience to "text" him the answer. And the first message he receives gets the prize! While I was standing behind Jeff, I couldn't help but remark: "Wow! A text-in game at a birthday party. The SMS craze has really taken over everything!"


After a lot of games and dozens of excited kids shrieking, it was time for the other highlight of the party - the birthday candle blowing. Waji, being the party veteran, had an easy time blowing the candle. And like each and every party i've been to, all the kids wanted to get into the action and blow the birthday candle first. Good think Onee was there to rein in the kids.



As much as I wanted to stick around for the magic show, I had a couple more things to attend to, so I had to take a French leave and skitter off. Of course, I had to carefully wrap my royal mask and Ninette gave me a couple of royal goodies to bring home. On the whole, this birthday party really made me feel like royalty.

BALINGKINITAN!

From the party, I had to drop by the church to hear mass before my next appointment. While looking for a seat, I ran into Rodel, our former IT person. He approached me to say hello, then asked: "Sa E-Telecare ka pa rin ba nagtra-trabaho?"

**BUZZ** Wrong person!

After telling him that i'm not exactly the call center type, he realized he had me mistaken for someone else and said: "Uy, sorry Lester. Sa DY&R nga pala tayo nagka-work. Hindi ko agad naalala kasi may nagbago sa'yo." And this prompted me to ask: "Ano yon?" And he replied:

"Mas Balingkinitan ka ngayon."

Gosh! This is probably the first time in YEARS that I've heard that word again.

BARKADA 2!

After squeezing in a movie after mass, it was off to Metrowalk for the evening's biggest celebration - Grace's Homecoming! She's back! And I am supremely envious of her because she is.



It was more than a year ago when we both left for our overseas posting and now she's back. Life in Laos wasn't exactly to her liking, which isn't a surprise since she's always been a big-city type of girl. I actually admire her because if it were me living in Laos, I'd probably last 4 weeks and I'm off!

The funny thing about the get-together is where it was held. Bonique told me that we were meeting at this place called "Yahoo". Because we usually meet at a cafe/restaurant, my assumption is that Yahoo is within that category. So, I texted everyone to proceed to "Yahoo Cafe and Restaurant."

Imagine my surprise when I found out that Yahoo was a carinderia-esque Barbecue joint in Metrowalk. It was such a shell-shock to see my friends all sitting in a carinderia. Especially after seeing Tintin and Lezyl dressed so spiffily.


It's been 4 months since we've all gotten together like this. Too bad Maricar, Mona and Rona missed it. But the rest of D' Frendz were there: Alfie, Bonique, Grace, Tintin, Lezyl and Wena. It was also nice to see faces that we've haven't seen in a while, and people who we haven't been hanging around with lately, like Vince and Dip and Jeff. Work has been keeping them off the D' gatherings lately, but it was great to have them back on board.



Like most "balikbayans", Grace brought chocolates as pasalubong. The bag of Lindt chocolates were quickly devoured, and Bonique went home with the bag. But my favorite pasalubong was this pack of cigs that Grace bought in Laos. Which brings me to the last B of the evening.

BASTOS!

Yup, there's a cigarette brand called "Bastos." Eventhough no one smokes in our little circle called D' Frendz, she purchased a pack just for kicks. Needless to say, we all had a blast with that pack. I even ended up bringing it home! (Oops... I think I didn't tell Grace. I'm sure she's wondering where it went.)




The evening ended at around 11pm. Grace had to go home and meet her dad, and I had to go home and pack my things. Whilst I already had more than enough Bs that night, I'd best describe that Sunday with another B word. After spending quality time with family and friends, after witnessing Births and Birthdays, after being called Balingkinitan and seeing something Bastos, the day can be summed up as:

BLOCKBUSTER!

Traveling Light

Tonight, it took me 2 minutes to pack for my trip back to Hong Kong.

Ok, I exaggerate. It took me 1 minute and 35 seconds to pack.

Standing in my room with an open bag, I looked around for things to bring. All I was able to put in my bag were the following:

- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 travel size bottle of Warm Vanilla Sugar Lotion (courtesy of Superfriendster Madzie. Welcome back, Madzie!)
- 1 starbucks tumbler (courtesy of some stranger who thought I needed one.)
- 3 DVDs
- 1 Apple Pie (Thanks, Ate!)
- 1 Upside Down Cake (Thanks, Ate!)
- That's it. Seriously.

Looking at it, I think the weight of my luggage is heavier than what's inside.

Adios, Tito Agustin

Whenever my Mom calls me up early in the morning (Atlanta time, of course), it's either she's homesick, or there's bad news. The fact that she called me up at 5:30pm, (that's 5:30 am where she lives), made me a bit worried.

Her voice didn't sound odd, but I could tell she just woke up. She started with the usual "how are you's" and "aren't you glad to be home? Thinking you're there makes me homesick." Then just as things were cruising at a normal pace, the words finally came out of her mouth.

"Tito Agustin passed away already."

Tito Agustin is my favorite uncle. He lives in Barcelona with Tita Evelyn and my four cousins and is one of the reasons why I love visiting Spain. He's this very jolly fellow: tall, big and round, bald to the degree that he has no hair and no eyebrows, too, and always has a big smile to share with everyone.


Growing up, it was hard to miss Tito Agustin. He was like a cross between Kojak and Santa Claus. Whenever he's in Manila and we'd go to Manila Hotel for lunch or dinner, the kids outside would call him: "Kalbo, kalbo!" His answer, in his Spanish-accented Tagalog would always be: "Di bale. Guwapo naman ako." And we'd all laugh out loud.

He treated all of us - 24 nephews and nieces in all - like his own children. Everytime his family would visit from Spain, all 24 of us would have new shoes, new clothes, new toys and bags of gummi bears and turrones de jijona. And that made him really, really popular with the Morales kids.

Their visits were few and far between. Maybe once in 3 to 5 years. But each time they came back, it felt like they were there all along. That's how strong their presence was.

I have many fond childhood memories with Tito Agustin. Like how often we'd have lunch at Esperanza's with Tita Evelyn and Yoly. How he'd love to go to hotels and listen to bands. Whenever they'd go to the disco, he'd bring me along - despite the fact that I was 10 years old. I once overheard him saying the word "condom" to my uncle, and when i asked him what "condom" was, he said it was short for "condominium." And because of that, I used to call condominiums, well, condoms.

Imagine me saying: "I heard Marj lives in a really huge condom."

And those memories kept on pouring in even in my adulthood. How he'd always worry about me getting lost in Barcelona's subways. Even if he had work at their restaurant, he'd take a few hours off to drive me off to the Miro and Dali Museums. How he showed me the fort where Jose Rizal was imprisoned in Barcelona. Then when Roland and I stayed with them, he'd make sure that Roland felt comfortable and treated him like family. I remember Roland telling me that he feels at home with Tito Agustin more than he does with his own family. That to me says a lot about his caring, nurturing character.

Like many cancer battles, Tito Agustin's was a short but well-fought battle. We found out about his condition less than a year ago, and less than 6 months after his last visit to Manila. He was brave enough to make a joke about it, saying: "I'm not afraid of chemotherapy. I've got no hair to lose anyway." Everyone, especially our family, was hoping that he'd pull through and respond to treatments.

But he didn't. According to Tita, the last month was very difficult for him. He was in and and out of the hospital. Dependent on his morphine shots which oftentimes just wasn't enough. Tito was a shadow of his tall, round bodied, jolly self. This was the Tito I would have seen if he'd still be alive by the time I visit Barcelona next March.

But I won't be able to see him anymore. I won't be able to hear his reminder to take care when riding the train and go down at "Les Corts" station. I won't be able to hear him call me: "Hoy, payat!" There won't be that jolly, boisterous laughter when we'd have lunch at that Italian restaurant across their apartment. And there won't be a Tito Agustin to meet me and see me off at the airport.

After Mom told us, Ate Lissa and I talked about it, and maybe it's good that we didn't see Tito Agustin in his frail and weak state. He wouldn't have wanted that. Like Tita Lon, he would have wanted his nephews to remember him as who he was, not who has become after battling cancer.

He would have wanted us to remember him as the jolly, kalbo, Castillian Tito who had an infectious laugh and spoke near perfect Tagalog - albeit with a Spanish accent. And that's how I remember him. In my heart, that's how I'll always remember him.

Vaya con dios, Tito Agustin. Descanso en Paz. Nunca te Olvidate.

Spider-man joins the X-men

Here's something interesting that Melvin and I saw on our weekend visit to the Peak. The intricacy of the web it wove was spectacular. The X pattern was so pronounced, we swore that it was the spider's way of asking the X-men to recruit him.

The best lunch $12 can buy

There are days when i'm lazy to eat lunch. My colleagues are actually baffled by the concept of "lazy to eat lunch." But yes, there are days when I can't decide what I want to eat, and am lazy to even try and figure out what to eat.

On days like this, there's one place I always go to... Ikea!

I've been a big fan of the Ikea Cafe since Roland and I started eating there after looking for home stuff at Ikea in Amsterdam. The cafe there is much like a restaurant: tables and chairs, set meals with rice and salmon, different desserts - all at Ikea prices. Of course, the one here in Hong Kong is just a fraction of that. They only sell 4 or 5 food items, but that doesn't stop people from going there during lunch. That includes me, of course.

And my lazy day lunch usually consists of:

- Hotdog set
- Popcorn

The grand total: $12!

That beats any value meal that any food store can offer.

When all else fails...

Wear Chuck Taylors!

These shoes are such a blessing for the fashionably challenged. Whenever I feel like my clothes for the day don't match or are just dog gone ugly, I don one of these babies and everything feels so right. Pretty much like today.

Good thing I've got 7 pairs - that means I've got each day of the week covered in case things get really bad.

Who you?

Snagged this from 3sha's blog and had so much fun reading it. In fact, I HAD SO MUCH FUN, I had to answer it, too. I like little quizzes like this:

. . . your name
There are 2 stories behind my name: Lester Edgard.

First: According to my Mom, I was named after that famous child actor named Mark Lester. (He played Oliver in Oliver Twist. He was one of my mom's favorite big screen kids.

Second: While I was browsing through my Dad's magazine collection as a young lad, I dug up a pile of FBI Crime Magazines. And in one of the issues, the back page featured America's (then) Most Wanted Criminal named: Lester Edward Browning. So I thought: "hmmm... that explains my killer tendencies." Harharhar.

Edgard has always been seen as an odd name. I guess it's the middle ground of my Dad's name: Edgardo.

FUN FACT:
At one point, my nickname was "Jake." Which wasn't really odd because 3 people in my immediate family have nicknames that are nowhere near their real names. Enrique is Biboy. Maria Teresita is Bullet. And Antonio Martin is Noah. How's that for strange?

. . .your parents
My parents have an amazing love story that I can tell over and over and over and over and over again. It involves a lot of plane rides, a high-powered wedding that included a chartered flight, and 5 wonderful kids! (Me included!)

. . .your last birthday
It was a triple celebration: Maricar's wedding, Grace's birthday and My birthday. Needless to say, it was 3 times the fun.

. . .your first love
Not counting the "loves" below the age of 18, it was with a co-crew at McDonald's who eventually became one of my best friends. She was the first girl who made me cry. *sob*

. . .your room
White walls, red and yellow curtains, dark wood bed and tables, and colorful bedsheets. I only have a fan and an airconditioner in my room. No TV sets, No radios, No closets. I want it to be as bare as possible so all I can do when I go inside is sleep.

. . .last Christmas
Spent it at home with the family, like we always do. It usually involves a big potluck, relatives from my Dad's side, and excited kids getting loads of goodies.

. . .your last valentines
Since it isn't really a big deal in Hong Kong, I can't remember what I did then.

. . .your current clothes
Blue Abercrombie & Fitch shirt, Zara Jeans, Chuck Taylors

. . .the 1st time you saw your crush
I was a crusher, so I can't remember the first time. I was probably 3 by then.

. . . you and your best friend
Gary and I were inseparable in High School. He's now in Texas and I haven't seen him in almost 5 years!

. . .the last place you went to
McDonald's!

. . .the last time you cried
A couple of days ago, I think.

. . .your greatest achievement so far
Living my life exactly the way I want to. I think it's safe to say that i'm living my dreams.

. . .the last movie you watched
Crying Ladies, thanks to Direk Mark who gave me an autographed DVD copy. And yes, I cried while watching that, too.

I'm kreme-ing

Spent the early part of the afternoon walking around Times Square and checking out if Zara had any cool, new stuff for fall. I'm looking for a new pair of boots, at least similar to those mid-thigh beauties I was lusting for - but didn't buy - last year. On my way out, I heard this ruckus across the street, and saw that it was some noisy group of people carrying a big placard that had the number 4.



Initially, it was difficult to decipher, but once I saw the familiar colors, my heart skipped a beat! I went up and looked closer, and my suspicion was confirmed!



Krispy Kreme donuts is opening its first store in Hong Kong this coming week! That news is definitely worth a lot of noise. No wonder people were all ogling at the sign, those carb and sugar coated sins from the US have arrived. For the longest time, it was said that the Tantoco group wanted to buy the franchise for Krispy Kreme, but it was supposedly very prohibitively priced. Often, i've seen people lug around big boxes of donuts from LA to Manila, and really, the hassle is well worth it.

But now, with Krispy Kreme in Hong Kong, the wait won't be that long! Everyone in Manila can get it in less than 2 hours.

I can't wait for the store to open and try it out for myself. Yum!

Give me a boot!

Since the rainy season has arrived in Hong Kong, i've been looking for suitable shoes that i won't mind walking through floods with. The thing is, it's so rare to find nice looking rubber rain boots this part of the world. They often look like street sweeper wear. There was one that I saw in In Style that was from Old Navy, but my brother says it's not available anymore.

This morning, I saw someone wearing a nice pair of rain boots. I saw the brand and it's Aigle. There's an Aigle store near my flat, so it looks like i'm going to haul my butt off to that store tomorrow.

Hope I can get a pair as nifty looking as these.

You're the dish!

For lunch today, my colleagues and I decided to have Yam-Cha (or Dim-sum as it's commonly called) at our favorite restaurant near the office. I've been craving for Lausa Pao, and this place definitely has one of the best.

When we got there, we were met by this very nice, very gregarious girl who directed us to a corner table. In Yam-Cha places, the corner tables - especially the ones near a window - are coveted. And despite the place being packed, and with other people waiting, our group was lucky enough to be given a prime spot.

Joe was starting to write down our orders when the girl started suggesting some dishes. The girl turned out to be the Assistant Captain in the restaurant. Joe said that these people usually wait on tables of important people, and that we'd be in good hands.

Since she spoke in Cantonese, I had no idea what she was saying. But I did hear a familiar term "pangyao" which means "friend" and she pointed at me a couple of times. When she walked away, I asked my colleague why she was refering to me, and he said that she was actually suggesting dishes that she thinks I will like. Along with that, he was teasing me that the girl had her eye on me.

"Yeah right!" I told him.

So we proceeded to order, and we also ordered the Crab with Fried Noodle dish that the Captain said i'd like. She was the one distributing the portions and she gave me a big plate with a lot of noodles and a lot of crabs. She gave me the plate, looked at me, smiled and said: "Eat slowly and enjoy it." To which I said, "Thank you." My colleague was complaining that he had fewer crabs than me, and our other colleague said that the Captain put more crabs on my plate on purpose because "your friend will surely like this."

As our orders slowly came in, I noticed that she was there to explain each one and tell my Chinese friends that "your pangyao will surely like this one." And when the Lausa Pao arrived, she asked me to try it because it was their specialty. When i said that Lausa Pao was my favorite, she was so obviously delighted and giddy.

During most of our lunch, we'd see her hovering around the table, serving us tea, and talking about the Yam Cha we ordered. It was really THE VIP treatment we were getting, and we just felt lucky.

After the hearty lunch, we asked for our bill and it was still the Captain who gave it to us. After paying, we stood up to leave, and she gave her usual: "I hope you enjoyed your lunch and please see us again" spiel. To which I replied: "Thank you. It was really an excellent lunch."

I took a few steps away, then suddenly cornered me as my colleagues started to move along. She handed me her calling card and said: "This is my name card and that's my name. These are our numbers: phone number, fax number and my mobile phone number. The next time you want to eat here, just call me on my mobile so I can reserve a corner table for you and suggest the best dishes on our menu. And i'll also give you a 20% discount."

To this, my reply was: "Gee, thanks! That's really so nice of you." And it was followed by my trademark and default smile.

Then she said: "It was really my pleasure. Don't worry, i'll remember you the next time you go here. You're a very handsome man. I'll recognize you anytime, anywhere." This, of course, made me blush a bit. I hate getting attention.

After leaving the restaurant, my colleagues started to burst into laughter.

One said:

"Did you see the twinkle in her eye while she was talking to you. It looked like she was talking to a star."

The other said:

"I told you she likes you."

And the other one said something that best described what just happened, as well as our entire lunch experience. He said:

"Lester. You're the dish!"

7-up Bite Bites!

I'm very adventurous when it comes to sodas. Ergo, whenever an interesting new variant pops in Park & Shop or Wellcome, I make it a point to buy a bottle and test drive it.

When Sprite Ice came out, I immediately bought a bottle and tried it. The cooling, minty sensation that follows the lemon-lime taste was awesome. At the same time, 7-up Bite came out, but I didn't try it yet since I was enamoured by Sprite. (And besides, my sister in law works for The Coca-Cola company.)

Today, after a spicy Laksa lunch, I finally decided to try it. Aside from the fact that they had their Fido Dido billboards spread all around Hong Kong, the bottle had this nice, lemon yellow tint that really jumps out. So, I passed by 7-11 and got a bottle.

All I can say is... EWWWW!

7-Up Bite tastes like lemon scented liquid detergent. It felt like I was drinking Zonrox or Lysol. It had this rancid, acid taste that scrapes your throat, not like Sprite Ice that slides on down easy. (How's that for a commercial.)

Well, now that I know that 7-Up is a fluke, it's on to the next soda.

Now even my subconscious is homesick...

Had three different dreams last night. Three different locales and three different cast of characters.

But they all had the same theme: me being homesick and me crying about it.

The tears and anguish felt so real, even in my dream. I could feel how I was trying to catch my breath in between sobs, and how warm the tears felt around my cheek. I was actually expecting myself to be in tears when I woke up, but luckily, I wasn't.

My sadness in the dream was left there.

Time to book another flight home.

Two for the road

Despite having more jeans that i know what to do with, I found myself buying another two pairs today. They just looked so nice and they were begging me to buy them. Because of my innate weakness for poor, helpless jeans that are begging to be bought, these two babies went home with me today.

The Levi's Red Loop


In an effort to further funkify and make their brand more appealing to the young, Levi's launched their new Red Loop series which has a more streamlined fit and a funky detail - a Red Loop on the belt. Duh! That's why it's called Red Loop. I tried the slim fit, and it fits perfectly. It reminds me of my favorite 513s, but this one has a more Japanese colored denim.


The Paint Splash D Squared jeans


Aside from the fit, which D Squared does perfectly, this pair has two details that immediately caught my eye. First, they have paint splotches that are embroidered rather than just painted. (Well, my friend says they look like something obscene, but hey, that's just him.) Plus, the hem has this stepped on effect, and it has a contrasting colored denim inside. It's such a subtle design, which makes me love it even more.



There's this 3rd pair I almost bought, a Paul Smith pair, but I decided to be a good boy and just buy two.

I'm such a jean junkie.

Presents Perfect!

Playing host and tour guide is fun enough as it is, but there are things that make it more enjoyable.

Like presents from the people you showed around!

Some friends were in town this week, and I took time out in the evening to join them for dinner, show them around the Tsim Sha Tsui area (which i've mastered already) and gave them the low down on where to shop. They were particularly taken by Granville and its myriad of outlet shops and funky clothes stores.

The night before they left, we met up for one last drink. And that's when they sprung the surprise!

Knowing that i'm so, SO much into clothes, my 3 friends decided to get an article of clothing each.

First up, I got this really, really nice zip up cardigan from Zara! I love the color. (It's darker when you see it in person.) And the fit is simply, simply great.


Next up, two belts from FCUK. I don't know what possessed them to buy two of the same thing (in different colors, though). But then again, it's a gift, so I have no right to complain. (And besides, who'll complain about getting 2 FCUK belts, eh?)



And the super grand daddy of them all...

CROIX JEANS!

This is a funky brand found at LCX, and I haven't been there in a while. These jeans have got to be the funkiest i've seen in a while. First of all, I love the color. Again, it's darker in real life. (Dang camera flash!) It has this dark denim wash that reminds me of the first generation of Levi's Engineered Jeans. Plus, it has funky details.


There are oversized buttons on the pocket, and the zipper goes all the way up to the waist, and is covered by yet another huge button.


The back is also uber detailed. Of course, the buttons are back, but there's also a zipper and a bit of garter sewn in. The result is a streamlined leg that really hugs and flatters. I tried it once, and it felt like a glove.



So that's why my friends have been asking me those leading questions last Thursday. Questions like: "So, what's your size at Zara? You have the same body type as my friend." And the suspicious: "You're so thin! What's your waist line? Are you a medium or a large?"

Ah yes! Oh happy day!

Face off!

Went to this cool website called heritage.com to check out their "Celebrity Face Recognition" program. What it does is it analyzes your face, and gives you a list of celebrities who share your same facial features and qualities. Oftentimes, people say that I look like Steve Martin, so I was curious to see if the Stevester will appear as my face-sake after subjecting myself to the program.

So I sent a photo of me, then the site went on its way to studying my face. And the results were amusing!

First up, i have the same face as:


JOHN WOO!

Yup, I supposedly look like the king of slam bang action films like Face-off and the earlier Mission Impossible movies. Hmmm... maybe this is also the reason why i'm fascinated by white doves.

Next up, I have the same face as:

CHOW YUN FAT!

Yup! That great Hong Kong Chinese action star who was excellent in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Anna and the King, and totally cool in Bulletproof Monk. I'm actually glad that we look alike because he's one of my favorite Asian actors. And of course, he ain't bad looking, so that means that I ain't that bad looking, too, eh?



I looked at his younger photos, and reckon we have the same eye shape, and maybe a bit of the face.

So after John Woo and Chow Yun Fat, I thought my next face-sake would be another Asian guy. And that would prove my theory that I really do have very Asian features. (Eventhough i'm often mistaken for a Spaniard or Portugese.) The third person who supposedly looks like me simply shocked me:



CONDOLEEZA RICE

Yes! I have the same features as Condi! So that throws the whole Asian argument out of the window, huh.

There were several others, but I just took the first three to post here. So aside from having the same facial features of these three folks, there are other things about them that i'd like to have as well.

I'd like the talent of John Woo, the looks and earning capacity of Chow Yun Fat and the power of Condoleeza Rice.

Now THAT would be awesome.

Pick up sticks

The bamboo scaffoldings in Hong Kong are amazing. I've always been in awe each time I see a multitude of people balancing on a couple of bamboo poles while they're renovating or repainting a building. Imagine, while people in first world countries would use metal and bolts, they use bamboo and plastic string. Imagine, something so basic can perform a task that's so Herculean! And they never break, they never collapse, they never give in.

Because of these traits, I've always been a big fan of these scaffoldings.

Until I saw this:



Just across the building where I live, a scaffolding was erected to fix a broken, plastic signage. The winds were pretty violent, and we just had a bad case of rain a few hours ago. While I was walking near this area, I could already see the scaffolding as it teetered dangerously. Then suddenly, it all just fell down.



Good thing I brought my trusty digital camera, so like a UP trained Journalist, I took photos of the "event." A few minutes after it collapsed, the HK Police were already on the scene, cordoning the area. (Actually, it happened just in front of the TST Police station, thus the prompt response.) They cleaned up the mess in no time, so people who didn't see the accident won't even know it happened, and they'll still have that great amount of faith on bamboo scaffoldings.

But of course, I saw it and I know. And yes, my faith in them has diminished greatly.



Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Things people say...

...when they think you don't understand them.

I'm always amazed at how people will always mistake me for something else other than a Filipino. This is frustrating at times, but amusing as well. Today, I've had about 4 run-ins with Filipinos who had something to say about me, and said it within earshot. Of course, they assume i'm not Pinoy and I can't tell what they're saying.

Well kids, I do! Harharhar.

Here's what I heard today:

1. "Tignan mo yung binti niya, ang puti-puti!" - Said by a woman sitting beside me on tram on my way to Central.
2. "Sige na, tanong mo kung saan niya nabili yung t-shirt niya. Ikaw ang magaling mag-Ingles, diba?" - Said by a lady while I was at Giordano in TST.
3. "Ang suwerte naman ng GF niya, siya pa mismo ang bumibili ng damit para sa kanya." - Heard a woman telling this to her male companion while I was shopping for clothes at Mango)
4. "Ayan... ayan ang tinatawag na low waist." - Remarks by the man sitting behind me -- in church!

If they only knew I understood them.

Then again, maybe next time I should let them know.

The Language of Sales

From June 30 to August 31, Hong Kong is celebrating its annual Sale season. This is a bit of an overkill considering that someone, somewhere in HK is having a sale all year round. Take one of my favorite local brands - http://www.izzue.com - as an example. They have a sale every three months, that's why locals don't buy there until they see the sale sign up front.

There are 3 levels of sales here, and the amount of stuff you buy should depend on which of these 3 signs you see:

1. Sale - This means prices are down 20-30% off. If you're looking at popular brands like Zara, FCUK and Mango, you should buy things that you really, REALLY lust for this early because chances are, someone's going to snap it up if you don't. That's the difference I noticed with shoppers here, when they want something, they buy it immediately.

2. Further Sale - At this point, you can expect a 40-50% discount on items, and you can expect stocks to disappear even faster. That's why you should stand outside the shop early and get first dibs on everything. The downside of Further Sales is that most of the "popular sizes" are already out of stock. Now unfortunately, my waist size (30-31) is popular here, so I lose out on a lot of jeans and trousers. Thankfully, my feet are big by HK standards (10-11), so I can still get the shoes I want!

3. Final Sale - That's 70% off on the retail price, while some can even go down to 80%. Expect mayhem at this stage and expect Zara Man to have just a few pieces left on their racks. People snap up Zara here like they buy pancit canton at the Jolli-jeep in Makati. But for local brands, you can still wait until it reaches 70% because they'll have a lot of styles and sizes on stock anyway. For ladies stuff, wait until final sale because you get more for your money and yet still have more to choose from.

At this stage, most of the the stores here are on "FINAL SALE" mode. Makes me wonder how much they'll have left in August, considering that the sale should be until August 31. The people who'll go in August will probably be disappointed because of the lack of choices - but then again, if they're looking for good and cheap clothes, they can always go to Shenzhen.

Hair Suit

Amazing how a hair cut can drastically change the way people look at you.

Since my cropped mane made its debut this week, i've had 4 comments that came up every so often.

1. You look like a college boy.
2. You look like a surfer.
3. You look Portugese.
4. You look chiseled.

If I were to take these comments seriously, then I can conclude that hair does have an amazing transforming power.

From an untidy guy last Saturday, i'm not a Chiseled, Portugese College Surfer boy.

I'm going to have this haircut set in gold...

Realization while walking through Victoria Park

I want to go back to the Philippines.

I want to go back to my life.

This is SO fly!

This was a pleasant surprise. I guess homesickness has its benefits.





Now I can fly a bit more comfortably.

Hair raising part deux

I asked Ron if there's a Filipino Barber shop in HK where I can go. I need an honest to goodness Filipino barber because the stylists here want to give my hair the Japanese anime treatment.

He asked me to go to Li Yuen street or what locals call "alley-alley" or "ale-ale". It's called as such because aside from it being an alley, there are a lot of ales who offer different beauty services such as manicures, facials, and yes, hair cuts!

I walked past a sign that said "Filipinas Barber Shop" and thought, *BINGO!*

Or so I thought.

The "barber shop" was actually a beauty parlor and the "barber" turned out to be a woman. When I asked the guy if they had male barbers, he assured me that the women there can cut as well as a guy barber. So he asked me to sit down for a few minutes because all the "female barbers" were busy.

Once seated, i looked around the parlor and it was really a disturbing sight. There were 8 chairs - all occupied, there was a karaoke machine with some shrilly voiced girl singing some tagalog song, there was a pot simmering and it smells like sinigang, and overall, it was like a bad salon in Tondo.

Therefore, I left. I'd rather keep my hair long than have it cut in a place like this.

But that isn't where the story ended.

While walking along Nathan Road, I saw someone familiar. It was Ness - one of the hairstylists I worked with in Manila. It turns out he's (yup, Ness is a (s)he) here on an editorial project and today was his day off. So I gathered all the courage I could muster and asked: "did you bring your things? can you cut my hair?"

And now, I am happy to announce, that I have nice, short hair again. Thanks, Ness! This is the first time i'm having a haircut in Hong Kong by a Manila stylist (in a hotel, at that.)

Ahhh... Happy day.

Hair raising

I need a haircut.

I wasn't able to get one in Manila 2 weeks ago because I was too busy.

I wasn't able to get one in Bangkok last week because the stylist and I couldn't get what each other wanted to say.

I wasn't able to get one in Hong Kong this afternoon because the stylist insisted that I have the sides of my hair shaved and have it colored brown. (I will never have my hair colored to preserve its "virginity." A hairstylist told me that i'm one of the .0001% of people he knows who has "virgin hair" or hair that has never been colored or treated or anything of that sort.)

I won't be able to get one in Shenzhen because Melvin is Guangzhou.

Now I feel unkempt and disorganized and just plain icky.

I need a hair cut.

Going Down

Zara just marked down its items some more today.

The $319.00 shirts are down to $129.00. The jeans are now within the $189.00 vicinity. There are blazers that go for $379.00. Unfortunately, the shoes are still the same price, and that's what i've been eyeing since I got back last Tuesday. Hopefully in a few weeks or so, even the shoes will get more markdowns, and hopefully again, they'll still have sizes for me.

But in the meantime, I have to be content with 3 new pairs of jeans and 2 cable knit sweaters that I can use for my trip to Europe next year.

Fancy Pants

Got these Taverniti So jeans at Sheung Wan a week back. The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew it was mine. And anyone's eyes will definitely be locked in because of the wonderfully intricate detail this pair has.



Silver buttons!

There are about a hundred silver buttons sewed onto the pockets and waist of this pair. The buttons vary in size and design, creating a merry mix-up that just begs to be noticed. Even the belt loops have buttons, which makes me want to tuck my shirt in for added impact. Unfortunately, this type of jeans shouldn't be worn with a shirt, ergo, I just chose to wear my plain Giordano tee that's short enough to expose the loops.



While I was in MBK, a group of caucasians, 2 boys and a girl actually came up to me and asked if they can look at my jeans. When I said yes, the guy actually lifted up my shirt to get a better view. The girl had to slap his hand and told him not to look at it THAT closely. Hahaha. Then they asked where I bought it, and wheh I said Hong Kong, they offered to buy the pair of jeans I'm wearing. (The guy and I were both size 30.)



The only setback of this pair is that it's difficult to sit down, especially on fiberglass seats like the ones on the MTR and BTS. Aside from the fact that it's hard on the butt, it also makes a crinkly noise everytime I shift seats.

But hey, that's a small price to pay for a fashion item as big as this.

I went to Bangkok and all I bought was...

... an international phone card.

Yes, it's strange but true. But after 4 days in the land of shopping and cheap stuff, I found myself taking out my wallet only once, and it was to buy this phone card so that I could call my parents in the U.S. and Mark in Japan.

This will make a great dent on my reputation as a serial shopper.

That's Suite

Whenever i'm in Bangkok, I usually prefer to stay at the Pathumwan Princess due to its proximity to the mecca of all things cheap and funky, Mahboongkrong or MBK. With an elevator that goes directly from the hotel to the heart of the mall, it's enough reason for serial shoppers to make treat this hotel as if it were an Aman resort.

For this trip, we were booked in another hotel: The Emporium Suites. Actually, it's a serviced apartment rather than a hotel. The place is connected to The Emporium, Bangkok's posh mall, and that's a plus. The lobby was very modern - with Philippe Starck looking chairs, and that's another plus. But once I got out of the elevator en route to my room, it was one plus sign after another.

First, the lobby was very imposing. They used dark wood and cream walls which gave the whole place a spa feel. One nice touch is that every floor has a different lobby configuration. I was on the 26th floor last Friday, and on the 29th floor today. The 26th floor lobby was T-shaped, while the one on the 29th was more of a complicated fork.


My floor has a foyer leading to the room. It was a nice balinese painting framed in between two glasses. It reminded me of the painting I bought in Mexico and framed the same way. So immediately, it felt like home.



Here's my room. Number 2904, which is at the end of the corridor. Being the only room, it assured me of a quiet evening. That's exactly what I need after 5 days of sleep deprivation.



Once inside, the first thing that greeted me was a full service kitchen. It also followed the dark wood theme of the lobby which made it look tres classy.



Then it was my work area. A dinner table for two. A work table. A flat screen TV, DVD player and CD player. There are speakers all around the room for that Dolby feel. Good thing I brought the Sergio Mendez CD that Alfie lent me, i'll be listening to that as I go to bed tonight.



And i'm going to sleep in this large, comfy bed. I love the fact that it didn't have a headboard. It gave it a very modern loft aura. The pillows are fluffy but firm, and the comforter is warm but not too bulky. Yes! The ideal sleeping combo.



The shower was nice. (Although the one in Discovery Suites is much better.) What caught my attention was the shower head which was the same one in my hotel in Shanghai. The nice thing about it is it makes me feel like i'm taking a bath under the rain because the water is light and diffused. Looks like i'm in for another long bath the next 2 days.



The view from my window further emphasizes my observation that Bangkok looks exactly like Makati, albeit with cursive letters rather than your usual ABCs.



There's a pool downstairs which I won't check out since I left my trunks at home. It has a nice design, but then again, people can easily watch you swim. Not cool.



Then, near the exit, there's this nice Balinese sculpture. This theme is predominant in the whole Emporium Suites property, and i'm getting the hang of it. My colleague - an avid collector of Balinese inspired art - will love this. I wonder if I should stash it in my bag and bring it to him.



...Maybe not.

At the risk of sounding like a brochure, The Emporium Suites is luxurious without costing that much. They've got fabulous suites (Grace has photos of my other suite, and I should post that once she sends it to me) which is ideal for resting, working and partying. It's near a mall, near a BTS station, near the Philippine Embassy, near Queen Sirikit Park and near a McDonald's. (Always a plus!)

And with that, it's official. Emporium Suites is now my new favorite place to live in.

Post from the lobby of a creepy hotel

Sawasdee Krup!

Today we arrived at Pakchong, Thailand. This is about 3 hours away by land from Bangkok, and it's past Pattaya. Considering that i've always found Pattaya a bit far, that can only mean this place is in the middle of nowhere.

Pakchong feels like Tagaytay with a little bit of Escolta thrown in for good measure. The area is surrounded by mountains and a lot of greenery. There are resorts and spas all over the place, but most of them look a bit run down and reminds me of all those "accommodations" in Los Banos. The buildings are a bit old and run down, and majority are low to mid-rise buildings. Stalls scatter the streets and there is no McDonald's store anywhere in sight. (This, in my opinion, is the true sign of how non-progressive this city is. Heh.)

Right now, i've just checked in my hotel which is supposedly the best hotel in Pakchong. "Best" is a relative term, of course. My room is old and has that musty carpet smell. The TV only has 4 Thai channels (no HBO, the horror!). The bathroom has mold and mildew all over. The mini bar has two cans of beer. And the building looks haunted.

The lobby looks like Manila Hotel's lobby 20 years ago. High ceiling, old furniture, white walls - it's supposed to channel grandeur but fails miserably. I feel as if i'm at the lobby of the haunted film center in CCP. (This is a major let down considering I just came from an excellent suite last night.) The hotel restaurant feels like CASAA in UP, and the corridors feel very "The Grudge."

And yes, there's no in-room internet. Since I had to check my email, I asked where there business center was. Alas, there isn't one. But they were kind enough to let me use their office computer for a few minutes. And because they were nice enough to do that, i'll stop ranting about this place and be thankful that they let me go on-line.

Country Confusion

I've spent 3 different times of the day in three different countries today.

I woke up in Manila after spending 5 days for a shoot. And no matter where in the world i've been, nothing compares to waking up in your own country. It's so nice to look out the window and watch the early morning rush at Ayala.

Then I had to fly out before lunch back to Hong Kong. The reason being I had to go back to the office to pick up some documents and my ticket that would take me to Bangkok with later this afternoon. So my afternoon was spent running from the airport to the airport express station to the MTR to the flat to the airport express station to the airport. Made it on time, actually I arrived a bit earlier so I was able to send more emails.

Now, it's almost 11 in the evening and I'm in my room in Bangkok. (Nay, it's not a room, it's a gorgeous suite! Must take photos and post them for posterity.) I'll be ending my evening here, and have to get up at 4:00am to go to Pakchong for more work.

One day, three airports, three countries. I should really be getting used to this because i've been living this life for the longest time. But somehow, I still get disoriented each time.

And of course, it makes me miss home so much more.

Kate and Kamiseta

Passed through Guadalupe on my way to Greenhills today and saw a billboard that made my eyes pop, jaws drop, heart stop, belly flop, mind bop... oh, that should sum up how excited I felt.

Kamiseta has a new endorser. She's no other than America's RomCom princess, Kate Hudson.

That's right:

KATE HUDSON IS THE NEW KAMISETA GIRL!

Wow. Wow. WOW!

I thought Alicia Silverstone and Natalie Portman were tough acts to follow, but this very much does the job. I was so excited after finding out that I went mental and started talking to everyone about it. First, my officemates from Hong Kong, then our producer, then when I got back to the studio, I proceeded to tell the production designer, director, assistant director, choreographer... the whole lot!

Then I called whoever was in my mobile phonebook who knows about fashion, and they all shared my enthusiasm. This was definitely my high for the day. Seeing one of my favorite actresses endorse a local clothing brand.

Working in advertising, i'm often jaded by celebrity endorsers and they never affect my purchasing decisions. But let me just say that Kate and Kamiseta will change that just this instance. In fact, i'm off to Kamiseta tomorrow morning to buy stuff for my sister. (And hopefully see more of Kate in the process.)