Dali... Dali...

Today I decided to hie off to Central and have lunch there. It was a nice, sunny day - the perfect weather for walking outside and catching a few rays. During my last visit to Manila, people have been pointing out that my skin is a bit fairer than the usual, so I'm doing the European thing and soaking up the sun whenever it decides to make an appearance.

Being a habitue of IFC, I usually notice if there's something out-of-the-ordinary in the vicinity. Today, there was something new in the area, something scarily new:


Yup, there was a huge and eerie statue at the front of Two Exchange Square. It looked like a reject from the Hell Raiser movie, and upon closer scrutiny, everything became clear. This statue was the work of the master of the macabre, the sultan of surrealism - Salvador Dali.


I was first exposed to the work of Dali by a cousin who was also a surrealist painter. It started with me asking him why all his subjects were distorted, and he explained the history of the style and the artist who inspired him. This resulted in a sudden interest in surrealism as an artform, and soon after, I dabbled in surreal art as well. But since I was very young then, my fascination waned, but my appreciation of Dali's darkness remained. And if you look at the details of this particular sculpture - entitled "Woman Aflame" - you see how dark he was.


The sudden presence of Dali's sculptures at Central is courtesy of an exhibit of his work that coincides with a charity event. His work, along with some other famous - and dead - artists, are strewn all over the area. I'm not sure how many there are, because I only saw two. First was "Woman Aflame" and second is this:


Though not as disturbing as the first one, this piece of steel is still a bit different. Interestingly, it has Dali's "Melting Watch" by the woman's neck. There was also and egg over her dismembered waist, and an ant crawling somewhere around her torso. If I were to give a title to this piece, i'd call it: "Chicken Lays an Egg on a hot & sweet Manananggal." It's a bit long for a title, but at least, every bit of the sculpture is acknowledged.


It's a weird title, I know. But then again, Dali's work is weird anyway.

Un-shoe-ccessful

Gosh, a word play. My former colleague hates using word plays in headlines, so I can imagine him tearing out his hair after reading this.

The shopping-powers-that-be must be in cahoots against me today. My shopping plan was simple: buy brown and black shoes for my sisters. They liked the last pairs I brought, so I thought of getting some similar pairs - but this time, in black patent and chocolate brown.

When I got to the shoe store, there were so many wonderful looking pairs and this would've made my job easy. I gathered round-toe patent heels in cream, black, tan and metallic gray. Then I picked up a pointed faux croc shoe in chocolate brown and burgundy. Then some peep toes in black and red. After the harvest, I quickly went to the sales girl who immediately recognized me and asked: Size 38 or 39? (Yup, they know me so well.)

Unfortunately, only 2 out of the 6 pairs I asked for were available - and they weren't even my favorites. The brown croc heels were in the wrong size, the black peep toes were the last pair, and the laser cut cream shoe with the wooden heel was also out of stock.

Whenever I shop, I have an all-or-nothing attitude. So since the other 4 pairs I wanted weren't available, I decided not to buy anything.

This is one of the few times I left that shop empty-handed and disappointed. Heck, I've prided this place as THE shoe store to shop in. When Mona was here last week, she was so delighted to buy 3 super nice pairs of shoes there. Now, even the shoe she wants is not available. It's SO disappointing.

Hopefully, they'll have new stocks next weekend and they can redeem themselves.

Back at the Bat

Good batting average today. Out of 4 concepts, 3 have been approved and will be sent to the higher ups.

And the reason they witheld the last one? It's too good and too creative that they're saving it for last.

Not bad for a rush job and a day's work.

Le Fami

I was arranging files in my computer when I stumbled onto this photo. This was taken more than a year ago during my parents' surprise 40th anniversary party. That means it's been more than a year since I last saw Biboy and almost 9 months since we were with our parents.

Hopefully, they'll ALL be able to come home this Christmas so we can have a reunion again. I miss being with everyone.

Thai-ed up

I've seen the edits of the two commercials I did for Thailand. The first one is going on air this week, while the other one is coming out this April.

They're both really nice! And hopefully, they'll be as well-received as the first ads I made for them.

To a Tea

It's hard to believe that after 2 years as a Hong Kong resident, this is the first time I tried this staple of a drink.

Vita Lemon Tea is almost a part of the local culture. Everyday, I see gajillions of people holding either a bottle or a carton of this tea. Even my colleagues drink this like water, and that always perplexed me. Being a big fan of Nestea, I've never felt the need to try any other product. Nestea - particularly Nestea Ice Rush - is good enough for me.

Then, I tried Vita Lemon Tea last week.

Gosh! Now I know why HK is crazy about this drink. It's just DEEEEE-LICIOUS! It's like the usual "old-school" brewed ice tea that they serve in tea houses, but with a bit more sweetness. So, it doesn't just deliver the kick of tea, it also has enough sweetness to satisfy my sugar craving. I tried drinking it when it was uber cold, and it was simply the pinnacle of refreshment!

Ok, i'm gushing. But really, this tea is SOOO gush-worthy! I do not believe it took me so long to discover Vita. And now, i'm making up for lost time by chugging it like there's no tomorrow!

I'm exaggerating, of course.

Finally trying this tea out is one of the best decisions I made. Maybe tonight, I'll just chuck out the Nestea in my fridge and replace it with a chocfull of Vita Lemon Tea.

And i'm not exaggerating.

Frendz on a weekend

Finally, a member of D'Frendz has finally reached HK and stayed with me. After missing her the last time she was in the territory, Mona and I finally met up and she stayed with me for 2 days.

I spent the whole day of yesterday and a part of Friday and Sunday with 6 lawyers. It was such a welcome break from being surrounded by Advertising people for days no end. One of them was the Philippine representative to the Humanitarian Law contest in France. How cool is that.

I hope I was able to put some order in the house this weekend. Lawyers sure know a thing or two about that.

Back on Top

It's been more than a year since I last bought jeans from TopMan. After discovering D Squared and Energie, their designs suddenly felt too plain. Their cuts - Minder, Charger, etc. - looked too ordinary.



But today, I saw this pair - two actually - of TopMan jeans that had really funky details. The fit - the Worker type - never really did it for me because it was too loose. Thanks to the extra pockets and stitches, though, I ended up falling in love with these Worker Jeans. Aside from the cut, the washes of both denims were equally interesting in different ways. Needless to say, it was jean-love at first sight again.




I can't wait to wear them.

First Foray

Despite the dauntingly long queue and the fact that I had to wait 20 minutes just to get in the store, I decided to check out the new H&M store in Central last night. Yup, I gave in to hype and went there to join the throngs of fast-fashion hungry Hong Kongers who are bent on getting a piece of H&M on their hands.

Compared to the H&M stores I visited in Europe, the one here is huge. It has 4 floors: 2 dedicated to women's wear, 1 for men and the last 1 is for kids and maternity wear. Despite the size, there were still a lot of people elbowing each other over an M by Madonna dress or a bejeweled caftan. Cashier queues were also long, but that's always the case in all "just opened" stores here.

Their men's line is much cheaper than Zara or FCUK, but then again, the quality is a bit different. As Arnie mentioned in her blog, H&M = Halatang Mura. Which should be no problem because it really is cheap. The basic pair of jeans at Zara costs HK$459, while at H&M, it's only HK$200. Their shirts are nice, but nothing spectacular. I still prefer the designs of Zara, or even Uniqlo.

There wasn't anything interesting for men, and the women's area was in an advanced state of disarray that discouraged me from even going there. So where did I end up? The kids section! And what did I end up buying? Clothes for Javier!


It would've been uber easy to go loco over all the funky kids clothes, but I had to choose just 4 pieces. I got a pair of jeans, a pair of cargo pants, and 3 shirts. (One of them was a 2 pack, so I counted it as one piece.) There was a polo shirt that was so cute, but I was already in the cashier when I saw it, and I didn't want to queue up all over again.


Well, there's always Saturday.

Match made in Hong Kong

A few days after attending my first Christening in Hong Kong and getting my first "imported" godson, there was another big event that was another first for me:

I attended my first wedding here!

Ginger, an uber good friend and co-member of the Marvelous Mexican Mafia, got married to Dave in the TST wedding registry, just a few minutes away from where I live. Hong Kong holds a special place in both their hearts, and early this year, they decided to make their vows here. The entire ceremony was very intimate, with only 11 people in attendance. I feel so fortunate to have been one of them. I wouldn't miss Ginger's special day for anything.


The weather that morning was a bit cold, and i've always found cold weather a bit romantic. It also drizzled a bit that morning, and they say that's a sign of blessings from above. Thankfully, we were already inside the Intercon when the heavens decided to really pour on all the blessings. It happened just a few minutes after this fun moment.


Here's the bride with her brides' men. Jaime and I were the only two people who didn't fly in for the event. Both Ginger and Dave's family all arrived a day before, and were able to enjoy the HK atmosphere. It would've been great if Beng and Beth were here as well, that way the Mafia would be complete. It would be a "Married to the Mob" kind of celebration.


After seeing hundreds of big weddings, I must say that the charm and solemnity of a small, intimate one makes it feel as grand. This wedding will definitely hold a special place in my heart, not only because it was my first wedding in Hong Kong, but also because its a wonderful story of love and friendship that i'm glad to be a part of.

Behind the Seen...

Countless hours of not doing anything + bored boy with a camera = scenes that aren't seen once the commercial goes on-air.

Pre-Fabric-Cated. A few rolls of fabric among the plethora of concoctions that flooded the set.

Eye in the sky. The camera guy going way up high to capture the right angle.

Sketchy personalities. Something straight out of Project Runway. All we need now is Heidi Klum.

Talk to the hand. Entertaining myself while everyone is busily mulling around.

The long wait. My 6-year old Chucks enduring a 6-hour wait.

Sinful Sunday

After mass, there was a piece of sin waiting for me at Unitel. This hard-to-resist-temptation had 4 layers and was really a recipe for (diet) disaster. Just one slice of it is enough to channel envy, jealousy, gluttony and - after eating it - sloth. Here's the slice of sin:



KC, being the wonderfully sweet girl she is, gave me this equally wonderfully sweet creation. It was a cross between an ice box cake and a brazo de mercedes. The first layer was a graham cracker crust with nuts, the second layer was mango ice cream, on the third one was a pastillas/yema layer, and there was an soft meringue on the top most layer. Just a small forkful was enough to send a sugar rush so intense, I think I needed to be tied down or else i'd be bouncing off walls!

...hmmm... being tied... sounds familiar...

But really, being a dessert connoisseur, this cake is unbelievably and utterly fabulous - maybe even a little slice of heaven. But it really has to be eaten in moderation, or else the sugar overload just might send him or her to heaven. Harharhar.

Through the eyes of a child

Today I heard my first Children's mass at Sacred Heart Church. When I went to church at 4pm, the huge amount of kids were noticeable. The lector was a little boy, the readers were kids, even the choir was composed of very young, and very gregarious singers who were less than 12 years old. (Which explains the uber high pitched voices - castrata choir, anyone?)

Admittedly, it was a bit disconcerting for me. The most obvious difference between a regular mass and a children's mass was the absence of a homily from the priest. In lieu of that, there was a stage play - led by kids, of course - that explained the essence of that Sunday's gospel. For an adult, it was really odd hearing the gospel being interpreted using the words: "mga berks," "sobrang hindi cool" at "doncha forget that."

The couple seated beside me - also greenhorns in this "children's mass" biz - were equally perplexed. But they obviously had less patience than I did. In the middle of the homily, they both decided to leave, and the husband said that he'd rather have a priest explaining the essence of the gospel rather than trying to decipher kids' speak.

It just goes to show how different adults and kids think. What's simple for adults can be difficult for kids, and what seems easy and entertaining for kids turns out to be difficult for adults. And while the children's mass really might really be more engaging and enlightening for kids, I'm way beyond the age limit of 12. In advertising parlance - i'm no longer their target market.

Next time, i'll wait for the 5pm mass.

Oh shoot!

It's been more than a year since I last attended a photo shoot here in Manila. Compared to a TV shoot, a photo one is much more relaxed and people are more laid back and a bit off-kilter.

After sitting through today's long-ish session, i'm definitely glad that I decided to drop by the studio and join in. There were a number of things that - as Dunkin' Donuts used to say in their old slogan - made it worth the trip.

- Seeing Trisha and Harvey again after a long time. It felt so good to lounge around the empty space beside the studio talking about old friends in DY&R - their quirks and what made them such memorable characters.

- Hearing Harvey deliver jokes with expert precision. I thought my lungs were going to burst because of laughing to hard at his Mang Ness jokes. Mang Ness was the "oldest" art director in our agency that time, and Harvey had a plethora of Mang Ness that time. My favorites are:

"Mang Ness, ang galing niyo naman mag-layout. Saan kayo nag-train? Sa La Solidaridad?"

"Huwag niyong gagalitin si Mang Ness. Baka isumbong niya kayo sa mga close friends niya na sikat. Dati nga, nung nagalit siya, nagsumbong siya kay Moses."

- Meeting someone who I've always wanted to meet. Patrick is a wedding photographer whose name I've heard for ages, thanks to my sister and brother-in-law and their involvement in weddings. I've always admired Patrick's work because he's so good in capturing candid moments. While in the studio this afternoon, I found out that the place we're using belonged to Patrick, and he was there! I had to meet him!

Louie introduced me to Patrick, and we spent a few hours taking about things ranging from weddings, coordinators from hell, things that go wrong duing the big day, travel, and of course, how wonderful the Philippines is. My impression about Patrick is correct, he really is a fascinating person.

- Being mistaken for a foreigner over and over again. It felt like Groundhog Day.

- Hearing someone call Vanessa a "Mahaderang Nanay."

All these fun things in less than 10 hours. Moments like these make me happy that i'm in advertising. And it's moments like these that make me wish I can attend more photo shoots here in Manila.

Kindred Children

"It's hard to improve yourself if you don't even know who you are."

This phrase started our long-ish conversation between breaks during the shoot. She said this in a recent interview for a magazine and it was the line that hit me the first time I read it. Thanks to this line, plus the spirited conversation, it dawned on me how much we have in common.

It's a realization that's a bit Johnny-come-lately considering that we've been working together for more than 3 years. Maybe it's because those 3 years came in little bits and pieces, and the stories and information came in small, unrelated links. It's only now that i've started to connect this little links and pulled back to see the bigger picture.

Through the course of our many conversations, it's only now that i've noticed how we have some quirky little similarities - in the way we think, we live, and up to a certain extend - in the way we love.

We both live away from home, and away from the people and places that we hold dear. We similarly feel the longing each time we step in our parallel life, but at the same time, we find excitement in being a different place as a different person. We also have that same fervent wish to come back home and pick up where we left off in this wonderful life that we left here in Manila.

The good news is, she'll be getting her wish very, very soon. She's due to come back home in August, and she said that the thought of starting her life anew is both an exciting and intimidating proposition. Intimidating because after more than 3 years of independence and anonymity, it's back to the familiar comforts (and setbacks) of home. Exciting because she has so much to look forward to when she comes home.

I'm looking forward to the day that i'll be in the same position - back here at home, being together with the people I love, and starting our lives together forever. For me, it would definitely be more exciting than intimidating.

And when we're both continuing our lives here, we'll have another thing to talk about during the break of our next shoot.

Feliz Cumpleano, Abuelo

Happy Birthday, Lolo Iking!

Thank you for always looking after us from up there.

Face Value

While waiting for the LRT-3 train to arrive, I decided to sit indian-style on the station floor. The train was due to arrive in 6 minutes, and I saw it as opportunity to rest my knee.

A minute had passed and a guard walked up and stood beside me. Thinking that what I'm doing might be against station policies, I asked him if there was a problem.

HIM: Good afternoon, sir.
ME: Good afternoon. Bawal po ba na maupo dito?
HIM: Hindi. Dahil guwapo ka, puwede mong gawin kahit anong gusto mo.

Gosh! How superficial can you get? It was more insulting than anything because it just goes to show how other people value appearances and that people really stereotype others based on how they look.

Now, on hindisight, maybe I should've told the guard:

ME: Talaga ho, kahit ano? Bigyan ko kaya kayo ng flying kick in your face. Puwede yon, diba? Sabi mo kasi, kahit ano.

I should've. I really should've.

Suddenly Stranded Signals Surreal Saturday

It's the schedule I follow almost everytime I go home to Manila. Take the last CX flight which departs at 10:00pm, arrive in NAIA around midnight, then get home before 1 am. Since it's something i've been doing once a month for about 2 years, it's almost like a routine.

Well, the routine was disrupted last night.

The pilot announced that we were about to begin our descent to NAIA in 5 minutes. Twenty minutes had passed, and I couldn't feel the plane descend one bit. A few minutes after this observation of mine, the pilot's voice went on air once again.

It turns out that a Cessna 2-engine plane made an uber sloppy landing in NAIA. It was so sloppy, the plane wrecked its wheels and was stranded in the middle of the runway. Airport personnel have to do two things: one: tow the plane, and two: clean the debris that the Cessna left. Now these two little things will take more than an hour to accomplish. Until then, we couldn't land in NAIA.

So, we were diverted, then we landed in Mactan International Airport in Cebu.

Yes, we landed in Cebu at 12:30 am.

Yes, it was surreal. We landed in Cebu at 12:30 am.

To add to the surreal-ness of the situation, the Mactan International Airport was already closed. We had to stay inside the plane until they can call a skeleton crew to open and operate it. So there we were, 500 sleepy people inside a plane on a tarmac of a closed airport.

Thank goodness Martin was just beside me, so we entertained each other with stories, as well as entertained the thought of jumping ship in Cebu and spending the weekend at Shangri-La Mactan

Cathay Pacific - ever the gracious "host" - gave out free soda, beer and wine to all the passengers. And by 12:45, the plane felt like a huge open bar. People were standing on the aisles - beer and wine on hand - and happily chatting away. The plane became one big soiree as people interacted like they knew each other.

Most of my interaction was with a group of Koreans who were worried that they'd miss their connecting flights to Iloilo and Bacolod. They were supposed to arrive in Manila at 12 midnight, check in a nearby hotel, and fly out again at 5:50 am. Now it was already 2:30 am and we were still stranded in Cebu. Needless to say, they were worried.

My inner Mr. Helpful went into action and talked to one of the flight attendants about the Korean group's problem. The FA said that she'll talk to the ground staff about it. A few minutes later, the pilot announced that the airport was open and that we could disembark and stretch our legs. Suddenly, the "soiree" moved to the airport.

That was when I was able to talk to one of the ground personnel. He explained to me that if the flight leaves on or before 3:30 am, the Koreans can catch their connecting flights. If not, they'll be asked to stay in Cebu and go to Iloilo and Bacolod from there. (Personally, I thought this was the better option since those two provinces are closer to Cebu.) After giving me the "scenario", I gathered the Korean contingent and explained to them both Plan A and Plan B. After talking to them, one Korean lady came up to me and said: "Are you from the army? You're very good at this."

*duh*

At 3:15 am, we all heard the words we wanted to hear. The NAIA runway is open, everyone should board and we're about to take off as soon as possible. And we did.

We arrived in Manila at 4:30 am. Thankfully, we were the first of the 4 diverted planes to arrive. Ergo, the airport wasn't crowded and everything went smoothly. Amazingly, it took me less than 15 minutes from disembarking to exiting immigration. I guess the immigration people knew that everyone was already harassed, so they were easy on everyone. It took about 30 seconds to 1 minute to process our passports. If only it were like this everyday, i'd be a happy man.

I thought the surreal situations would end there.

But no!

Just as I was about to leave, the Korean contingent chased after me and asked me why I was leaving them. Apparently, they were under the impression that since I talked to the ground staff on their behalf, I'd also bring them to the domestic airport. One of the Koreans even held my arm to keep me from leaving.

Ground staff to the rescue! He lassoed the Korean posse and asked them to follow him so they can be ushered to their connecting flight. The relieved bunch went with the ground staff after saying their goodbyes to me.

I got home at 5:30 am, 5 and a half hours delayed from my usual routine. By that time, Javier was already awake and I spent the next hour just playing with him. At 7 am, the bed finally beckoned and off to slumberland I went.

Yup, it was indeed a Surreal Saturday today. But there was one good thing that came out of this surreal situation. I told Martin that it has been 4 years since my last visit to Cebu. At least I was able to go there again. Albeit by accident.

Now that's surreal, but nice.

Dars the way... *uhuh-uhuh* I like it... *uhuh-uhuh*

Yup, today is definitely a sweet day because i've been noshing on sweets the whole afternoon.

After Mike and Ike, it was time to get my fill of chocolates. And we're not talking about regular chocolates, but an uber special one, like this:


This is special chocolate from Mark who sent it from Japan. This is the first time i've tried Dars chocolate, and it turned out to be an uber, uber yummy experience. The white chocolate is rich and creamy, but it isn't too sweet. It's got that predominantly milky taste, but with a hint of vanilla embedded inside. The combination isn't overwhelming, so you could finish one bar in one sitting.

And that's what I did. Well, almost.

Before I finished the last piece, I remembered to take a photo of another cool quality of Dars. Unlike the usual full bars that you have to break up with your hand, this one is already pre-cut and comes in neat little bars. So you just need to pop open the foil, sit back, and enjoy. Ah yes, the Japanese are good at making life more convenient, eh.



My favorite white Chocolate used to be Nestle's Milky White. Stress on the "used to be." Thanks to Mark, Dars is now my white chocolate of choice. (As well as bitter chocolate and milk chocolate, too.) Dars the best!

I like...

Mike and Ike was an indispensible part of my diet during my stay in the U.S. some years back. I'd pop them in my mouth as often as my anfitrion in Mexico popped Prozac. Mike and Ike is somewhere between Jelly Belly and Skittles - the texture being that of jelly beans, but the flavors are richer and more distinct. With a combination like that, it's no wonder I was addicted to it.

Unfortunately, Mike and Ike wasn't available in Manila, so once I got back, my interest for it immediately waned. And strangely, I never craved for Mike and Ike again.

Until today...

Yup, they have it at City Super and I bought a pack this afternoon. The taste and experience was the same, and the pack was gone in 5 minutes.

Looks like i'm going to like Mike and Ike all over again.

Ultra Kool

I was so excited to see the March issue of Marie Claire's UK edition. For starters, they had the supremely great Cate on the cover. But the real reason was somewhere in the first half of the magazine:


Here it is! The ad I did for Palmolive shower gel made its debut in the UK! Originally, this ad was written and shot only for Australia, but the response was so positive, they thought of running it in selected European countries.


This is the second time that a "local ad" I did got rolled out internationally. The Palmolive Anti-Dandruff Shampoo "Little Black Dress" campaign which I did for Manila also made it to Australia. That - according to my former boss, Ompong - means the idea is good enough to travel.


This is so cool! At least now, I can tell everyone that i've written an ad for London.

Holy & Moley

Here's the reason why fashionable Hong Kong is in a tizzy these days. In 2 weeks, the anticipated opening of Sweden's foremost fast fashion feast is finally pushing through. Yes, Hennes & Mauritz is finally opening its doors.

H&M is one of my favorite cheap thrills. I remember when I was still in Amsterdam, there were about 3 H&M branches near where we lived. So, whenever there was free time (which was every hour, every day), I'd often find myself going through the racks and trying to find something nice - and under 20 Euro - to take home. Unfortunately, Roland never shared my passion for H&M. He complained that their clothes aren't well made, the materials weren't nice, and overall, he felt that H&M was cheap. I'd often reply: "What's the problem? They are cheap."

Despite his constant discouragement, I'd still go there and buy a shirt for myself and the occasional tie and polo for him. But it's been 2 years since my last trip to Europe, so that means it's been 2 years since I last stepped in an H&M store.

But all that's going to change starting March 10. The signs are all there, and I couldn't agree with them all.




To launch the brand in Hong Kong, they're debuting Madonna's "M" collection as their centerpiece. All over the MTR stations, you can find posters of Madonna donning her collection, using H&M's signature layout of having the low-price festooned prominently on the material. Judging by the giddy responses of the women who stopped and stared at the posters, it looks like there's going to be a riot when they open. Thank goodness i'm not a huge fan of her, nor the clothes she designed.




Too bad the capsule collection of Viktor & Rolf didn't make it here on time. Now it that were on sale here, then I'd be uber interested. One good thing about that designing duo is that they design for Men and Women, so there's enough fashion to go around. It's unfortunate that a lot of the nice capsule collections are only for women: Proenza Schouler for Target, Roland Mouret for Gap, and Kate Moss for Topshop. I did hear that Derek Lam and Philip Lim will be designing for Uniqlo, and hopefully their capsule collection will reach HK's fashion-hungry shores.

In the meantime, I'll wait two weeks to see if the H&M here is as good as those in Europe in terms of choices. (Hopefully, they'll have H&M Logg and Divided here.) And if it is, then Zara has found a worthy competitor in my book.

Runway Reminiscing

Watched the season finale re-run of Project Runway 3.

I noticed that the final 2 - Uli and Jeffrey - deserved their places because they did have their own vision and flare.

Michael Knight looked too Cavalli, while Laura (though I love, love, LOVE her) created looks that were too Armani-ish.

Uli and Jeffrey's designs were very original. Especially Jeffrey's.

But I still would've wanted Uli to win.

Let them eat cake!

Chocolate cake, to be exact!

My colleagues were in a tizzy this afternoon when I announced that I brought Ate Bullet's chocolate cake with me. It was last year when I introduced everyone to this sinful concoction of Dexter's, and they've been raving about it since then. Everybody gave it two thumbs up, and they spewed superlatives each time they get to eat a slice. And without fail, they ask me: "when are you bringing that cake again?" each time we finish eating and all that's left of the cake are crumbs and bits of icing.

This afternoon, Lilia and Pearl even treated everyone to drinks and squid legs when they saw me bring out the cake. What transpired was an impromptu party, and everybody gathered near the center of the office enjoying the food, music and the usual nonsensical talk. When someone asked what the celebration is about, Pete said: "It's the chocolate cake! That's what's special about today."

And indeed, this chocolate cake is really special. Aside from it being a secret, special recipe, this chocolate cake has a lot of fond memories attached to it. It's part of every Morales celebration! Christenings, Anniversaries, and Birthdays, of course. The last time this cake figured in a big birthday bash was during Mark's surprise last September. This cake went all the way to Japan because he wanted a chocolate cake for his birthday. Apparently, his friends liked it, too. Last Sunday, Ivy told me that she normally doesn't like chocolate cake, but she really liked this one.

True to form, the cake almost vanished 10 minutes after I brought it out of the box. Just like the last time, I heard the same superlatives spewed and thumbs raised. They say chocolate brightens up everyone's mood and makes people happy. And I must say, this chocolate cake did just that.

Dining at Denny's

On this trip to Tokyo, Mark and I were able to do something we missed last September -- dining at Denny's! I've been telling him about how my trips to the U.S. were made more special by the diner-style comfort food at Denny's. I remember how opening their menu would take my breath away as huge, coloured pictures of breakfast plates, huge mounds of onion rings and slabs of grilled chicken would pop out of their menu.

Thankfully, there was a Denny's just beside the hotel where we were staying. Last Saturday, that's where we decided to have lunch. Since it was a weekend, the place was a bit packed. Thankfully, we got a table in 5 minutes. Then, a Japanese lady in an American diner outfit came to our table and gave us the menu.

Strangely, the menu was a bit different from the one i've been used to seeing in the U.S. Instead of ribs and rteak, there were noodles and tempura. Instead of chicken fingers, they had kara-age. Thankfully, my favorite Denny's item was on the menu - French Toast!

Although French Toast was an odd choice for lunch, that's what I had. To balance it off, I also ordered Tuna Spaghetti and Mark ordered Fried Chicken and fries. My order did not disappoint me. The slices were thick, the toast was soft, the batter was creamy, and the maple syrup was perfect. I was hoping they would have a choice of side dish but they didn't. I miss their chicken ham and potato tots.

The entire Denny's experience brought me back to happy times in the U.S. when Biboy, his family and I would stop over at the first Denny's en route to outlet malls. We'd always have big plates of food in front of us. We'd listen to my nephew and niece argue over a piece of chicken. We'd share wonderful stories of childhood and look to the future. We'd laugh hearty laughs and have fun the entire time.

That's what dining at Denny's means to me: good food shared with very special people. And on my first dining experience at Denny's in Japan, I got the exact same thing.

Lazy and Lai-see

LAZY...

Like many holidays, the long Chinese New Year weekend just zip zap zoomed by. After five fantastic days in Japan and 2 brief stopovers in Manila, I found myself on the first flight back to Hong Kong this morning. Now i'm back at the office, poring through the deluge of emails that came in, and the gamut of work that has to be attended to.

Although I've already written 2 scripts and attended another teleconference with the Thai office in the past 6 hours, I still feel i'm not working at my full-potential. Yup, there's a part of me that's a bit lazy.

Who wouldn't be? For the past 5 days, I was just lazing around and drifting along. The weather in Japan - both in Tokyo and Urasa - was uber conducive to lazing. Days were spent just lazing in bed tucked under a thick comforter, then preparing breakfast in the room, then lazing on the carpet watching movies or playing the searching game that Mark taught me. In the evening, we'd have dinner with friends, talk about the different terms for the male and female reproductive organs (pretty interesting after-dinner conversation - I must say), then watch more movies! After that, it's back to bed tucked under a thick comforter, lazing around until sleep comes along.

Ah yes, bliss!

No deadlines. No meetings. No teleconferences. Just day after wonderful day of quality time. Of course, there was no work, too. Athough I attempted to bring work just in case advertising inspiration kicked in. But given the state of pure bliss I was in, advertising - and anything work related - was suddenly tucked away in some far recess of my mind. All that mattered was the moment I was in, and as Aerosmith put it:

"I just want to be with you, right here, right now, just like this."

Yup, that pretty much summarizes it.

But as the old adage goes, "time flies when you're having fun." (Or Mark's version: Time flies. I can't, they're too fast.) So now, i'm back in front of my computer typing this entry after a 2 and a half hour meeting. At the same time, i'm looking back at those wonderful lazy days and hoping that days like those come along again soon.

LAI-SEE...

One nice thing about going back to work is that they've been giving away these little babies:


In-deed! The lai-sees are back! Just like last year, our married colleagues, as well as the top management members give us red packets filled with moolah! And i've received 7 lai-sees so far, and i'm expecting to get a few more the next few days.


Last year, I was able to buy a pair of jeans, a shirt and a jacket with my lai-see money. I wonder what goodies I can get with this year's stash.

Ice Cream Sunday

Last year, I celebrated my first Chinese New Year in Hong Kong and realized that it was quite a boring affair. So this year, I decided to spend my 5-day weekend back in Japan. Three of those 5 days were spent in Urasa with Mark, and one of the more important things on the agenda was to try out one of the most popular food stuff in town - Ice Cream!



Even during my first visit here in September, I've already heard of the name "Yummy Ice Cream" from Raul. (He's one of the Filipinos here, and as i've found out yesterday, there's a good chance that we're somehow related.)Mark has also been telling me how "yummy" it really is and how they have some off-kilter flavours - including Squash and Sakura - both of which he tried. I missed my opportunity then, so I made sure the opportunity won't pass me by now. So there we were at Yummy Ice Cream on a Sunday.



Yummy Ice Cream is a quaint little shop which reminds me of those tiny helado shops in Dolores Hidalgo in Mexico. Yesterday, they had about 13 flavours on display, some were familiar and others were somewhat far out. (Although not as far out as the Chicharron and Mole ice cream in Mexico.) Mark, Hazel, Jocie, Angel and I tried two flavours each, and my choices were strawberry (familiar) and soybean (far-out.) Here's the soybean ice cream, and it was - as the brand name suggested - yummy! It tasted like Mocha with a hint of Gold Label's Double Dutch. And the interesting twist was that it had tofu strips. And as William Thacker said: It was surreal, but nice.



After the whole ice cream Sunday experience, it's easy to see why the gang here keep on coming back here. (Aside from the fact that it's the only place to go.) The ice cream and the experience are both of the same quality:

Yummy and Cool.

Calling... Calling...

What should they call a big gathering of people wearing clothes made of shiny, transparent fabric?

An Organza Extravaganza!

Seeing red

And it's not because of Valentine's day.

Then again, it's the 14th of February today, so Happy Valentine's Day, world!

Just like Christmas, it would be great if everyone had the Valentine's day spirit every single day of the year. That way, everyone would be loving, and mushy, and giving away chocolates everyday. And the world would be filled with swooning, overweight people. Hmmm... maybe it isn't such a good idea. Harharhar.

But the red i'm seeing today is our office building lobby. Since Chinese New Year is only 3 days away, they've brought out all the red lanterns, red firecrackers, red laisees and coupled it with mandarin orange trees and prosperity coins. The result is a festive and supposedly-prosperous look for AIA Tower.





Right now, the whole of Hong Kong is awash in red. From buildings to malls to shops to flats. Good thing my bedroom has always been bedecked in red, that way i'm participating in the celebration. Plus, red is my all-time favourite colour! Seeing that hue makes me happy. And at the rate they're bringing out all the red decorations around the city, it looks like i'll be very happy the next few weeks.

Love is...

1. Something hand made.
This is the perfect muffler. The colors are nice earth tones. The width and thickness is just right. And what makes it even more perfect that it was hand made! Yup, it wasn't bought off the rack at Gap or Uniqlo - it's made from scratch. Amazing!

Putting a lot of effort into something makes it much more valuable. When we were kids, our parents taught us the value of putting your heart into everything you do - and everything you give. It can be as simple as home-baked empanada for merienda (Mom), macaroons for a visiting suitor (Ate Lissa), or Sweet and Sour Pork for lunch (me). I've brought this philosophy with me through the years, that's why I try to put a lot of effort into every gift I give. Sometimes it's in choosing, other times it's in wrapping - but in each case, I know effort when it's in front of me. And yes, this gift in front of me is a product of a lot of effort.

2. Chocolates!
Everybody loves chocolates. And everybody loves to receive chocolates, too. There have been gazillions of stories how chocolates have always been the favorite pasalubong item. Whether a person comes from Switzerland, San Francisco or Sorsogon, they'll often bring chocolates to people waiting for them back home.

I love chocolates from Japan. Unlike their western cousins, they're less sweet and has a bit of bitterness that reminds me of the tablea that my Lolo in Bicol used to make. Even as a young boy, i'd prefer bitter, dark chocolate over Nestle Crunch or Butterfinger - it feels like semi-sweet chocolate has a lot of mystery and magic in it. And this particular box definitely has a hint of mystery (because I don't know what's inside just yet) and a whole lot of magic!

3. Toppo! (And Pocky, too!)
My love for Toppo has been well documented. From the first time we met at the Shinkansen station on my way to Mark's school, from the time a box of Toppo found its way to my flat in HK. It's been a while since I had my last taste these wonderful snacks because it isn't available in Okashi Land. That's why when I saw two boxes of Toppo (and a box of Pocky), I instantly knew that the week would definitely be a good one. You can never have too much of these, but then again, I have to make these two boxes last.

4. Getting all these the same time.
Yup, you know that it's going to be a great day (and week) when you get all these (and more) in a pack. The past week has been quite tiring at the office and receiving these gifts this afternoon made all that go away. More than that, it makes me look forward to the coming days.

Relaxing at home eating chocolates and Toppo while wearing a hand-made muffler around my neck, yup, I'd love doing that.