Un-Weisz decision

Today was a slow day so I decided to bring out my old DVD copy of "The Mummy" and watched the film that spawned 3 parts.



As many friends and critics have repeated, the 3rd version of the film is the absolute worst. In terms of story and action (or lack thereof), this is the weakest link. And after watching the original film again this afternoon, I found another reason why the 3rd installment bombed.

They replaced Rachel Weisz! In the first 2 Mummies, she played Lynn Carnahan-O' Connell with such aplomb. Her combination of great acting, good comic timing and action credibility added up to a character that was part Lara Croft and part Lucille Ball.



The girl they got to replace her - Maria Bello - didn't live up to the first two performances. As one magazine said: "She was trying too hard to be British that she forgot how to act."

During the last minute of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," John Hannah's character hinted on a sequel - probably set in Peru. (Hmmm... I could smell a lost Incan civilization story here.) If they do make a sequel, try and get it right this time. And try and get Rachel Weisz back in the film.

Still the brightest

Yes, the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was visually stunning, but it still doesn't compare to my all time favorites. Especially the part when the torch is lit.

Hands down, the best torch lighting ceremony award goes to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.



The 1996 Atlanta Olympics comes second, and is my sentimental favorite. I remember watching this and I was holding back my tears as Muhammad Ali - afflicted with Parkinsons - lit the torch with a combination of grace and difficulty.



Coincidentally, my family has roots in both Barcelona and Atlanta. So there's an element of home grown pride in it.

Economies of Sale

Fast fashion and high street brands usually have simultaneous sales around Asia. When they put up the "sale" sign in front of Zara in Glorietta, I know that they're unfurling the same beautiful sign in front of stores in IFC, Emporium, Ngee Ann City and in Shinjuku.

When I was in Tokyo last July, people were scampering inside Zara because the sale had begun. As much as I wanted to join in the fray, I didn't. I'd be in HKG a few days after, so it would be better to shop there. It turned out to be a wise decision.

This afternoon, Mark and I went to Trinoma and we found ourselves - coincidentally - in front of Zara. To find out whether my loot from HKG is cheaper here than there, I decided to check out the place. The TRF jeans were more or less priced the same - the difference being a negligible P20-P50. But the Zara Collection dresses were way, way cheaper in HKG - by half! Realizing how much my savings were made me smile with pride.

Meanwhile at Mango, the sale items in Manila are cheaper than HKG. There was this floral frock designed by Penelope and Monica Cruz that I was eyeing at Gateway a few weeks back. Thinking it would be cheaper in HKG, I decided not to buy it yet. But after seeing the same dress at their store in IFC, it turned out to be around HK$80 more expensive. That HK$80 is enough to buy another shirt or two. Needless to say, I passed on that one. (I hope that dress is still available at Gateway.)

These realizations allowed me to look at my sale trip from an economic perspective. The savings I got from shopping in HKG was enough to cover the price of the ticket and food for the entire trip. Ergo, the whole exercise of going there and raiding the malls was worth it. Economically.

Then again, maybe this is just me justifying my actions.

Un viaje muy bien

Easy come, easy go. A few days after waking up with an urge to go to Hong Kong, I'm now back in sunny Manila. (The weather in HKG was crappy the whole time I was there, ergo, seeing the sun is such a welcome sight.)

Even if it was a very short trip, it was a very fruitful one. I've accomplished the "missions" that I came there for. Got my mail, went to the bank, and I was also able to have dinner with Alex and Ella at El Taco Loco last night. The funny thing about this dinner was the topic of conversation. We were talking about plane malfunctions and traumatic flights. The funny thing? I was flying the next day! Harhar.

Then there's the shopping. Yes, the shopping. Really, the shopping.

Went home with major loot from Zara, H&M and Mango. I swear, the Zara stuff I got was dirt cheap! I had to restrain myself! Then there's the unbranded skirt that looked and felt very, VERY Issey Miyake. Finally, I took a quick trip to Lane Crawford and was pleasantly surprised to see two familiar - but haven't seen in a while - brands.





In Barcelona, these brands are as frequent as Bench is in Manila and Giordano is in HKG. My cousins are big fans, and I've seen how "happy camper" they get whenever we go to La Illa and raid their stores. Strangely, I haven't noticed these Spanish brands in store before - maybe I was too focused on Proenza Schouler and Lanvin.

Entonses, it was useless to resist. Now, there are pairs of Castaner shoes and a Don Algodon blouse just waiting to be unpacked. And I should really start doing that... pronto!

Closed to you

As I told Ron, this is the first time I've experienced something like this in HKG.

There's a storm in town (Igme, probably) and the typhoon signal has been raised. As a precautionary measure, everything is closed! The bank - which is the reason why I'm here - is closed. Malls are closed. Coffee shops are closed. Supermarkets are closed! Thankfully, McDonald's and 7-11 are still open. It's so comforting to know that some things in this world stay the same.

Looking around me, all I could see were closed metal doors, glass panes with big X marks made of packaging tape, small tree branches littered along the pavement, and empty streets. Yup, HKG looks like a ghost town today. The place looks emptier than it does on Chinese New Year. (The emptiest season of the year.)

In fairness, the rains are quite strong. This morning, I stepped out to buy breakfast across the road. By the time I got to the other side, by clothes were semi-drenched! And to think I was carrying a huge golf umbrella. Sheesh!

Making matters worse, I've planned the entire day today like clockwork. Now, it's as if my clock ran out of batteries and just stopped.

Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.

Just another panic Monday

I've been trying to schedule a trip to HKG, but thanks to the cool weather in Manila (and the sales), I was reluctant to leave. But yesterday morning, upon waking up, I thought: "I'm going to HKG today."

Called PAL and the reservations agent proudly declared: "The 2:50pm flight is still wide open." So, at 8:30am, I got a seat and decided to fly off on a Monday.

Since it was an early afternoon flight, I had enough time to do some errands in the morning. Come 11:30am, I was packed and ready to go to the airport. The usual Monday traffic was nowhere to be seen, and by 12 noon, I was in NAIA 2. That gave me 2 hours and 50 minutes to laze around and surf the net.

Or so I thought.

As I checked in, I realized that I forgot my HKID at home. Although this wasn't a big deal since I could always use my passport, carrying it around would still be a better thing to do. For 10 minutes, I was panicking and trying to figure out what to do. It was either: just go without my ID, or go back home and get it. After all, the flight was more than 2 hours away.

I took the risky route and decided to go back home. Thankfully, there were a lot of metered airport cabs and they were more than willing to do the impossible. We had a maximum of 1 hour and 15 minutes to go from NAIA to Cubao then back. The driver knew my predicament, so he went on "super driver mode" and took on the challenge.

Throughout the journey, my heart was pounding. "Will we make it?" To further irritate myself, I formulated a timetable in my mind. We had to be in Cubao by 1:15pm and the airport at 2:00pm. The self-imposed deadline added to my anxiety.

By 1:10pm, we were in Cubao. So far, so good. On the way back to NAIA, there were bottlenecks in Santolan and Shaw. Panic mode! But as we exited the Shaw Underpass, it was clear roads from thereon in. And by 2:00pm, we were at NAIA 2. Timetable followed. Crisis averted.

I was at the waiting area by 2:10pm, with 20 minutes to spare. The flight boarded and left on time. By 5:00pm, I was in HKG. Woohoo!

Since it was still early, I proceeded directly to Harbour City to see the remnants of the sale season. First stop was Zara, of course. And when I got inside, another panic attack!

They were on their final markdown and the goods were really cheap. Really, really cheap. It was slim pickings, though, since they've been on sale for a month already. But thankfully, there were still some nice items at even nicer prices. This led me to go panic-buying for about half an hour. Then it was off to H&M where - fortunately - there wasn't too much to panic about.

Gosh! Too much panic in a day! I hope it won't be as bad tomorrow. I'll be visiting the other branches of Zara and H&M.

Making the Moss out of it

The last time I really took time to explore Topshop/Topman was during Xtine's Manila visit last February. While waiting for Princess Shash, Little Fiesta and Kuya Ers, we went to the Greenbelt 3 branch of Topshop and did some serious retail therapy. But after that - strange as it may seem - I haven't been shopping there again.

This August, the UK high street brand is having their "End of Season Sale." Seeing it as a perfect opportunity and excuse to go, I finally set foot inside their store.

After a 15 minute walk around Topman, nothing caught my eye. Maybe I outgrew the "Topman style." Nothing appealed or called to me. This is unlike Zara and H&M where something always "calls to me" whenever I visit. Anyway, after my short trip, it was off to the next door neighbor, Topshop. It was a very wise decision because they had more - much more - covet worthy items. Most of them are from her.



Hands down, this is my favorite sub-brand of Topshop. I've always liked Kate Moss' laid back and "I-didn't-give-much-thought-to-this-get-up" style. And unlike other celebrities who have their own fashion lines, Kate designs clothes that reflect her personality and stuff that she'd actually wear. Like these:



There were so, so many fabulous finds, and the sale price made it even more covet worthy. There was a silk and tulle tunic (or dress if you dig the micro-mini look), an asymmetric tunic (or dress) with a zigzag pattern, a charmeuse silk dress, and my favorite, the beaded t-shirt.

Gosh! The workmanship behind this shirt is amazing. But not as amazing as the price I paid for it.



So many finds from just one store. Now I'm tempted to scour every branch that carries the Kate Moss line and make the most of this sale.

Gone haywire-less

This is one sight that I just can't get used to.



Since Bayantel - then PLDT - introduced their wireless landline service, I've seen a couple of people carrying their landlines in public places. Honestly, it feels more like "brandishing" than "carrying" because they often lug it around like it were a mobile phone. (Well, technically it is a "mobile" phone.)

Once, we were having lunch at Chicken Bacolod and the ladies seated on the next table had a landline alongside the plates of pa-a, pecho and garlic rice. Another time, there was this guy riding the jeep and a ring came from his backpack. He took out the wireless landline and answered it. Bizaare!

Yesterday, two ladies were walking along Araneta Center. One was carrying the receiver and the other was carrying the handset. How's that for cooperation.

I'm not sure if this wireless landline is easier to get than a mobile phone. But judging from all the phone stalls in St. Francis Square, Greenhills and Ayala Center, I doubt it. I hope this kind of phone won't become a trend because there's just too much of it that I can handle.

Still more cheap thrills

After watching "The Mummy", Mark and I decided to have dinner (or pre-dinner) at Super Bowl in Glorietta 4. They had a promo on Crispy Noodles with Seafood and Mark just loves Crispy Noodles.



We ordered the Crispy Noodles (which was a big portion), an order of siomai and house tea. Then, as Super Bowl always does, they threw in the complementary bowl of crackers.

After the hearty dinner (or pre-dinner), we asked for our bill. The tab came up to P199.00. A filling Chinese meal for two for less than P200 is definitely a thrill. Maybe we should eat here more often.

Trained

Although it isn't as extensive as the train network in Tokyo or Barcelona, our 3-line LRT system offers the same convenience as the first two. (The efficiency part needs a lot of improvement, though.)

Thanks to these lines, I was able to go from Cubao to a meeting in Manila, then to an errand in Ortigas, and another errand in North Avenue, then back to Cubao in 3 hours. Yup, I rode all 3 trains in one day.



Among the 3 lines, the LRT-2 - or the line that goes from Santolan to Recto - is the cleanest and most efficient. The train arrives at regular intervals, the stations are well-maintained and orderly, and the crowd isn't as huge or aggressive. In terms of trains, the LRT-1 has the most modern looking ones - thanks to its new and spacious coaches. (The old ones are still there, though. But I didn't ride any of them today.)

I was surprised to see how LRT-1 has improved. Some of the stations have been renovated and are now more spacious and less grimy. The ticketing system is more efficient, and the crowd isn't as thick as it used to be.

Likewise, the 3 lines now have a more efficient "interchange system." A footbridge and connecting tower has been built in between Recto and Doroteo Jose Stations. The entire walk is clean and covered, which makes up for the not-so-clean view. Taft Avenue and EDSA stations are connected via the MetroPoint Mall - the mall fondly called the "poor brother of the Ayala Malls." And of course, the Cubao Stations of the MRT and LRT-3 are connected via Farmer's Plaza and Gateway.

Thanks to these interchanges, transferring from one train to another is easier - rain or shine. Incidentally, there was rain and shine today, but I couldn't care less because there was a roof over my head the entire time.

According to the news, the LRT-4 which connects North Avenue to Monumento will be built soon, along with the Northrail which connects Monumento to Pampanga. At the LRT-3 station, there are signs that claim that a train system to Alabang will soon follow suit.

I hope these plans materialize soon. That should make it easier to go around Mega Manila - from the Northmost to Southmost parts. In particular, to Robinson's Pampanga and Alabang Town Center.

SM is Sosyal Much

Once upon a time, SM was synonymous to "so masa." People who saw themselves as "discerning" and "fashion conscious" wouldn't touch SM with a 100 foot pole, much less be seen within a 100 foot radius of the store. The stuff they sold were either made with low quality fabrics, or the designs were more divisoria than divine.

Last year, when we finally stepped on the massive mall that is SM Mall of Asia, the first thing I noticed was the merchandise of SM Department Store. Their in-house brands had designs and fabrics that could very well go up against Zara. In fact, they had a number of dresses that were Zara knock-offs. (Now there's a thought. A knock-off of a knock-off.) But unlike the usual knock-offs which are usually of lower quality, the ones at SM were at par. It was like buying a Zara for 1/4th of the price.

The past few months, I've been marveling at the continuing quality upgrade of SM's clothes. Each visit, a new surprise would be sprung -- and I'd instantly text Arnie. Surprises like seeing Jojie Lloren and Dennis Lustico's diffusion lines being sold exclusively at SM. Or how Vittorio Barba and Cesar Gaupo have set up their brands there. Or how the latest dress of their SM Studio Line is SO Lanvin.

Another day, another surprise.

While waiting for Mark, I wandered off to SM Department Store Makati, which I think is now better than any Rustan's store I've seen. There was one part of the 3rd floor that looked refurbished, and upon closer examination, I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't seeing things.



SM Makati now carries BCBG by Max Azria. Gosh! In Hong Kong, this brand is being carried by Seibu and Lane Crawford - two of the shopping capital's most posh department stores. And now, you can find the same brand at the same place that used to be "so masa."

Add to that, they also now carry Max and Cleo - which is Max Azria's younger (and cheaper) line.



This means that SM is really serious in changing their image and making them THE go-to store for every Filipino - masa or fashionista alike. At the rate their going, they'll be seen as the country's answer to Seibu very, very soon.

Spanglishalog

After Dad found the Ikea clothes hamper that I brought home from HKG, he asked if I wanted to put the "ropero" in my room.

Ropero. Now there's a word you don't hear anymore. But when we were kids, I'd hear that word a lot. From my grandparents, from my parents, even from Lolo and Lola's mayordoma - Aling Sianang. (Bless her soul.) Nowadays, people just call them "clothes hamper" or the generic "lalagyan ng labada."

Suddenly, I missed the days when I'd listen to my grandparents and parents converse using a mix of Spanish, English and Tagalog. There was a certain elegance when Lola Dita would call our attention by saying "Oye, hijo" or the "Ven acqui." At times, she'd point something out to her maids by saying: "mira." One speaking habit she had that Tita Evelyn still carries with her now is punctuating her Tagalog sentences with "eh" or "vale."

Growing up, there were certain words that I thought were Tagalog because my grandparents would use them in a tagalog sentence. But when I'd use those words in front of my friends and classmates, their reaction would often be: "ano yun?" Later on, I realized they were Spanish words that would be inadvertently mixed in.

Words like "vajillas", "cubiertos," "pequeno" and "alli." Once, while eating at my classmate's house in Sto. Domingo, I told him and his Mom that their "vajillas" were very nice. They looked at me strangely then asked what part of the food I was referring to.

Plus, I miss how they'd say tagalog words in their original spanish pronounciation. Just like how they'd say "ventana," "arroz," "mantequilla," and "favor."

Spanish really is such an elegant language to listen to and speak. It makes me wonder why we've removed it from our curriculum and why we've stopped speaking it. Times like these, I wish that I listened to Lolo and Lola more during my youth. That way, mi Espanol would be maravilloso.

Bus boy

Another day, another surreal experience.

I rode a bus today. (Nope, that's not the surreal part.) Since it was fairly full, I took the first available seat - it was on a 3-seater row where a guy already occupied one seat. While the bus was traversing EDSA, the guy beside me (Guy 1) started talking to the guy seated at the row across us (Guy 2). From what I gathered from their short and staccato conversation, the 2 guys were friends and Guy 2 was asking Guy 1 to pay for his fare.

The conductor reached our row and immediately reached out for the money that Guy 1 took out.

GUY 1: "Dalawang Letre, ho. Estudyante."

Since I was the one sitting beside Guy 1, the conductor looked at me, then looked back at Guy 1. He glanced back at me, and with an authoritative voice ordered Guy 1:

CONDUCTOR: "Patingin nga ng I.D. mo!"

While the guy was fishing his I.D. from his wallet, the conductor got the tickets and gave them... to me! At that point, the guy and I were both surprised.

GUY 1: "Hindi po siya ang kasama ko."
CONDUCTOR: "Eh sino?"
GUY 1: "Siya po." (pointing to the other guy across.)

After giving Guy 2 a once over, the conductor barked at him:

CONDUCTOR: "Patingin nga ng I.D. mo?"

The two guys showed their Identification cards, and all was well and good.

When it was my turn to pay, I gave the conductor my money and told him where I was going. At this point, he said:

CONDUCTOR: "Estudyante ka, diba?"

Intricacies

Caught this feature on Bea Valdes and her creations. It's amazing how much intricate work, creativity and love goes into each of her bags. I've said this before and I'll say it again - this woman is a genius.



During a visit to Harvey Nichols, I was able to catch one of her bags up close. They are price-y, but they're definitely worth it.

Aldo the right thing

I've never been drawn to Aldo shoes. After having seen their stores in the U.S., Mexico, Shanghai, Bangkok and Singapore, I found the stuff for guys too generic, and the stuff for girls too "Nine West-y" and a bit cookie-cutter. Their accessories are an altogether different thing, though. I think their AIDS awareness pendants were very novel.

Since they opened shop in Manila, there hasn't been an urge for me to visit their stores. But this weekend, an unknown force caught me like a tracking beam and drew me to their Galleria branch. (Honestly, the "unknown force" was a huge sale sign.)

My perception of Aldo was changed, thanks to that visit. (At least for the women's shoe side) Beyond the "Nine West-y" stuff which is still there, Aldo has a number of edgy and surprising pairs. Two of which were so edgy and surprising, I had to bring them home for Ate.

The first was a black patent pump with huge, metal studs up front. At first glance, it looks like your regular black pair. But upon closer scrutiny, the interesting details start popping out.



Among them are pleats on the side.


Plus metal bands on the heel. This gives the pair a "rock-star-meets-secretary" vibe.


Then there's this pair of seemingly normal black patent D' Orsays. The workmanship is also commendable, although I've seen equally nice shoes for less than what Aldo sells them for. But a quick look at the side springs the surprise.



Architectural heels. Yup, that's definitely worth the price of admission.


These pairs have given me a renewed interest in the brand. Renewed to a point that I'd like to check out the other stores in the vicinity. And if they have more good stuff like these two, then Aldo it all over again.

Meryl Streep can do no wrong...

Mamma Mia was a joy to watch. ABBA's music was obviously one of the reasons behind this,(after all, Mark and I were bobbing our heads to the songs at some part of the film) but the acting was also equally noteworthy. For me, Meryl Streep's turn as Donna Sheridan made the movie as well.



Whether she's cash-strapped and singing "Money, Money, Money" or lamenting a lost love to the tune of "S.O.S." or giving it up for girl power with "Dancing Queen" or seeking closure while saying "The Winner Takes it All", Meryl Streep does it with such vulnerability and sincerity.

As I was telling Mark after the film - and even throughout the time it was showing - she deserves another Oscar nomination for this. She delivered a winning performance, and as the song aptly says: the winner should take it all.

Soaking it all up

Oishi Sponge crunch is so good. So deliriously good. So "I've-got-to-control-myself-lest-I-eat-2-bags-in-one-sitting-good."



Yes, Oishi is living up to it's name in coming up with really yummy snacks.

Yeoh Girl

I've always enjoyed watching Michelle Yeoh, even during her earlier days as a martial arts actress in virtually unknown Hong Kong films. My admiration for her solidified after watching "The Soong Sisters" - a Chinese film that my Chinese colleagues were shocked to know I watched. And when she finally "made it" to Hollywood via "Tomorrow Never Dies" - her James Bond flick - I was happy to know that the whole world was in love with her as well.

While in the queue to buy tickets for "The Dark Night" at Greenbelt, I was able to check out some movie posters. And Michelle Yeoh doesn't have one, but two big Hollywood films coming up. There's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" with Brendan Fraser, and "Babylon A.D." with Vin Diesel. This comes right after a string of hits like "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Sunshine" - both of which I've seen, of course.

Two more new movies with her. Two more reasons to look forward to watching movies.

More Cheap Thrills

And the list goes on. Here's something I discovered at Watson's while trying to buy something just to break my P500 bill. And it turned out to be one of my best "accidental purchases" ever!



1. Oishi Bread Pan (all leading supermarkets) - P5.95 - Can I just say that this is one of the best tasting "wholesome snacks" I've ever encountered. The cheese and garlic variant ROCKS!
2. Turon (St. Francis Square) - P10.00
3. Tourist Orange Wafer (SM department store) - P8.95
4. Hai Mint Candy (Salazar bakery) - P6.00 for 2

I'm sure there's a lot, lot more to be discovered, so I better get crackin'! I just love this city!

It's quite easy being green

Arnie will be pleased.



During my last visit to H&M, I bought a pair of organic denim jeans, and I'm wearing the pair today along with my Zara shirt that's made with fair trade cotton. While fashion is largely considered as lofty and promotes excess, it's good to know that fast-fashion companies are doing their bit in making the industry green.

I'm not sure how far Asia has gone in embracing this cause. Hong Kong, for one, is such a wasteful society and people have no qualms about buying and throwing stuff away. That penchant for throwing stuff is the reason why there are so many HKG clothing in local ukay-ukays - which means the Philippines is doing its share by recycling. Harhar.

I read about this clothing shop near Unitel which uses only organically produced fabric, and Mamu told me that they have gorgeous stuff. But they're supposedly uber expensive - mainly because organic processes are expensive. Then again, what's important is someone takes the first step in introducing earth-friendly fashion in the country. And really, there's more to it than Cinderella copying Anya Hindmarch's bag or people introducing "recyclable shopping bags" that no one uses for shopping.

Rick and Dick; Dayana and Alicia

Talk about "Retro in the Metro."



Rick Astley is coming to Manila for a concert on the 1st of August. Yes, Rick of the "Together Forever" and "Never gonna give you up" fame is having another concert here. If memory serves me right, he already performed in Manila a couple of years back.

The peculiar thing is: whenever I tell people that Rick Astley is performing here, they often have the same reply:

"Baka naman si Roderick Paulate lang yan, ha."

Hmmm... his "Never Gonna Give you up" production number in "Tonight with Dick and Carmi" must've had such a strong impact that it's practically seared in the mind of Generation X. And it's true! Even I can still hear Dick's nasal voice in my head.

And speaking of "people who remind you of other people", I had another case of that after watching the replay of Miss Universe 2008.

The eventual winner, Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, reminds me of Alicia Machado - the last Venezuelan who was named Miss Universe.




Both girls have that carefree and I-don't-care-if-I-win-this-or-not-attitude that's so refreshing to watch. Dayana and Alicia are both bubbly and possess an innate joie-de-vivre which the judges must have picked up on.

Look at them giggle, they're like little girls.





It's amazing how girls from Venezuela always do good in these contests. Just like how amazing it is that people co-relate Roderick Paulate with Rick Astley.

Bunso Bonding

It's been more than 20 years since the "Morales Bunso Club" was last complete. We had a grand family reunion at our old house in Tomas Morato and all the Morales cousins from Manila, Barcelona and Bicol were in attendance. The highlight was a huge, huge group picture taking session at the veranda, and I saw that photo on display in Tita Evelyn's house in Spain.

Whenever the Spanish side of the clan visited the Philippines, the 5 bunsos would normally troop together. Back then, Troy was still part of the group, but he seceded his claim when Jake was born. But since Jake was still too young back then, we'd still hang out with Troy.

Last month, Trixie flew in from California, and 4 of the 5 Morales Bunsos had a long overdue reunion. While it would've been perfect if Yolanda was here, it was still a reason to celebrate and take a picture.



This is actually the Morales Bunso Club plus. Aside from the Bunso cousins: Trixie (Bunso of Tito Ting and Tita Dolly), Marcia (Bunso of Tito Hector and Tita Moring), me (Bunso of Daddy Edgar and Mommy Tess) and Jake (Bunso of Tito Linden and Tita Lon), we also have Tito Linden (Bunso of Lolo Enrique and Lola Trinidad) and Ruby (Bunso among out Titas.)

Although I see Yoly during my trips to Spain, it would still be cool if the 5 of us could get together again - just like we did 20 years ago. It's an event I'm willing to wait for, even if it takes another 20 years.

Cheap Thrills

One of the things I love about Manila is the abundance of cheap thrills. Especially now that a lot of the malls and shops are on "Mid-Year Sale" mode. (Probably in response to all the sales happening Asia-wide.) It's increasingly difficult to stay away from shops these days, especially with their huge SALE signs bannered outside. The biggest I've seen is the sale sign of Crossings Department Store in TriNoMa - I'd say it was 12 feet high!

Nowadays, you can get a pair of VNC shoes for P300, an ultra-chic wood and leather platform sandal for Charles and Keith at P700, and a structured skirt from Bayo for P250. But the cheap thrills I've been indulging in aren't clothes or shoes (but I did buy the abovementioned items... har...) since their state of being "cheap" can be questioned. After all, one can get a pair of shoes or a mondrian-style shift in HKG for about P150.

The past week, I've been raiding malls, sidewalks and even train stations for cheap eats. When it comes to that, Manila trumps HKG, definitely. Aside from the P10 turon near The Podium and the P15 Green Tea drink at St. Francis Square, I've come across more goodies at very appetizing prices. Among my favorites are:

1. Mister Donut Donuts (every corner has one)- P10.00
2. Large Buco Pandan Drink - with real buco and pandan jelly (Cubao MRT station) - P15.00
3. Mini-empanadas (EDSA MRT station) - P4.50
4. Hong Kong style noodle with siomai (St. Francis Square) - P25.00
5. Gummy Thai Tamarind Candy (SM Department Store) - P13.75

These finds make me miss my teaching days at St. Scholastica's. I remember how Prichy and I would walk around campus and discover all these little restaurants serving good food. (There's Miggy's in front of school, and another restaurant near Nursia whose name I can't remember now.)

Now that I have spare time, I should go back to that area and look for more cheap thrills to add to my list.

Barry distressing news

Say it isn't so!

They can't! Steve and Barry can't be closing. Heck, it's on the list of my "destinations" for my planned US trip in a few months. Along with Century 21 - the department store, not the real estate company - after Arnie told me about the Badgley Mischkas on sale there. Ever since I saw a feature on this store on ABC, I've been itching to fly over and ransack the place.



A month back, my brother and niece were singing praises at Steve and Barry's "nothing more expensive than $8,99" pricing. Plus, Amanda Bynes has her clothing line there, which is why the shop is on top of Princess' mind. Then there's SJP's clothing line, Bitten. Imagine, she wore an $8.99 dress to a premiere of SATC. How's that for an endorsement.

Please Mr. Steve and Mr. Barry, don't close anytime soon. You're going to make a lot of people barry, barry sad.

Life is shorts

Maybe it's a case of "sabbatical-chic." For more than a month now, I've been wearing shorts everyday. Yes, every single day. (Well, except for days when I'm traveling because I can never get myself to wear shorts during a flight. Looking shabby during a flight is so not cool.) If memory serves me right, I was in shorts most of the time in Japan. (The exceptions were Mark's graduation and the trip from Urasa to Tokyo.) And I'm liking this short lifestyle. It also helps that the weather nowadays is conducive to this kind of attire.

I've had a variety of comments from people who are sartorially familiar with me. One said: "You look so relaxed." The other said: "Para kang turista sa Pilipinas." And another quipped: "I wish I could dress up like that everyday."

Not surprisingly, my recent shopping trip in HKG yielded shorts as opposed to the usual jeans. Was able to get 2 pairs at H&M and 1 at Zara. Whenever I meander around Glorietta or Galleria, I'm drawn to shops that have shorts in their window display. Even at home, my shorts have been "promoted" to the top shelf of my closet.

Really, I can get used to this. But I know that somewhere in my closet, a hundred pairs of jeans are getting restless.

In Tens Sale

Looks like inflation is also hitting fast fashion brands.

When I checked out the Zara sale in IFC this weekend, the was one glaring difference. The prices have gone up by HK$10.

The past 3 years I've been checking out (and participating in) the Zara sale, their initial price points were:

HK$69
HK$99
HK$189
HK$259
HK$389

Looking at this sale's price range, the blouses were at HK$79 and HK$109, the dresses were at HK$199, HK$259 and HK$399. Not surprisingly though, this hasn't deterred the shoppers. The queue at Zara last Saturday was crazy-long! After all, around the Asia region, Zara Hong Kong is the cheapest during sale season. Heck, they even mark down a HK$499 dress to HK$59 on the 5th or 6th week.

When I shared this little factoid with a friend who was also in HKG this weekend, she furrowed her brows and said: "Why do you even remember the prices from 3 years ago?"

As I've told Mark before, I think I've got sales down to a science.

Because I want to free my soul...

Thanks, Sheilah Marie for putting this on your site. It made my day. Better yet, it made "all my seasons."



And thank you, Ate Vi, for the wonderful production numbers. It's campy, but it's wonderful.

You really are the Star for all Seasons! Yes!!!

Move over, Royce...

... Caramel Corn is my newest, favorite-est sweet product from Japan.

I think it started when I found a pack at the 6th floor lounge after Mark's Catholic/Christian farewell party. After opening the pack, I was hooked. So hooked that I bought a couple of packs when we went to the supa. So hooked that I bought some for the trip from Urasa to Tokyo. So hooked that I bought the milk variant at the supa near Shinjuku Washington. So hooked that I bought 4 packs near Saizeriya. (In 4 different flavors: cream soda, rootbeer float, almond and classic.) So hooked that I bought ANOTHER 4 packs before we flew out of Japan. So hooked that I ate the Cream Soda one at the airport. (Fizzy much?)

So hooked, I'm planning to eat another pack after finishing this entry.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Arigato Gozaimashita

For allowing us to experience the magic of four seasons
For inviting us to see loads of new things
For being Mark's adoptive home for 2 years
For being my "occasional-adoptive-home" for the same period
For Saizeriya
For Mos Burger
For Pepper Lunch
For Caramel Corn
For all those great finds at Hard Off and Sofmap
For our accommodations at the Washington chain of hotels
For the rush of the Shinkansen (figuratively and literally)
For Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza and Akihabara
For Urasa, Niigata and Nagaoka
For Osaka, Kyoto and Nara
For Ghibli Museum
For the Yurikamome
For those fabulous buffets at The Oven, and most recently, Sizzler
For Denny's and Royal Host
For the 3 hour bus rides
For our Karaoke nights
For the ski trips and snow festivals
For sleeping-in and breakfasts in bed
For getting into trouble
For the all-nighter Mahjong sessions
For Kabuki-cho
For Tokyo Disneyland
For goods with weird prices
For reconnecting with Cathy and Paul
For the 100 yen shop
For Father Bruno
For a lot more things in between
For letting us grow
For watching us grow
For all the wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL new friends I've made
For a trove filled with memories that will last this entire lifetime

Arigato Gozaimashita, Japan.



No sayonaras, just see you again sometime.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Top of the World

If there's one place in Tokyo that Mark and I visit most frequently, it must be the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. We've both been here a couple of times together, and a couple of times individually. Mainly because it's just across Shinjuku Washington Hotel - the place where we usually stay.

I'm not certain if it's THE tallest building in Japan, but it's definitely one of the tallest. From the top, you can see a complex maze of buildings, streets and the odd tourist landmark here and there.



They say that on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from TMG. Even though I've been here a lot of times, I haven't been lucky enough to see Japan's most famous natural landmark. But one nice thing about visiting this place quite often is seeing this building under construction. The first time we saw it was when it was just a bunch of frames. The second time, it was half-finished but still covered in a protective net. Now, it looks like it's completed. (Actually, we thought it was. But when we passed by this afternoon, we found out that it's still a work-in-progress.)



Another reason why TMG is worth visiting is because of the cool toy and gift shop on the top floor. Mark bought his Mickey Mouse watch here and the reason for this visit was because he needed to buy another watch for his friend. He got what he wanted (a nice Mickey Mouse watch with a yellow strap) and I got a picture with this huge machine that dispensed rubber bouncing balls.



I've definitely had a lot of fun and have a lot of fond memories from TMG. So among the many places that we've visited here in Japan, this has got to be among those at the top.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Window Shopping

Walking along Ginza is always a creatively refreshing experience. It houses some of the most prestigious brands from Japan, Europe and the U.S. and each of these brands are in visually spectacular buildings. From turn-of-the-century style architecture (Takasaki) to sleek and modern structure (Apple store), Ginza's got it all.

Despite the glum and rainy day yesterday, our walk along the street was brightened up by these two stores.


Lanvin's quirky, comic yet still tres chic window dressing.


Swarovski's irregular metal strip facade that looked like platinum icicles falling to the ground.

I wish we can come up with innovative and visually stunning shop fronts in Manila. Hopefully, Greenblet 5 can pioneer that, too.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Tokyo Dangerous

These are dangerous times here in Tokyo. Since we got here last Thursday, we've been to Shinjuku, Akihabara, Odaiba, Ueno and Ginza, and these places had one thing in common. They had these signs emblazoned on their shop windows, facades and ceilings.






Yes, the summer sale season in Tokyo has started. And everyone from Gap to Uniqlo to J. Crew is on sale. And if I recall correctly, Bebe said that it would intensify starting the 1st of July!

Maybe we should just stay in the hotel until this entire thing blows over.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: The Graduate

After two years of hard work and hard time in IUJail. After two years of long nights at the library studying, at the computer center writing papers and at the 6th floor lounge playing mahjong. After two years of being away from home but being closer to us. After two years of making us proud.



Omedetou Gozaimashita, Mark!

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Chef-fing up

To celebrate Mark's Dean's List accomplishment, I did something that I haven't done in quite some time. Cook.

We decided to cook breakfast for the Pinoy senpais, which is great because breakfast is my specialty of sorts. So while Mark was getting his haircut at Family Cut Yours (yes, there is such a shop in Japan), I went to Harashin to buy ingredients. This is when I started missing the supermarkets in Manila and Hong Kong. I couldn't understand any of the aisle signs since they were in Japanese characters. Plus, asking anyone was out of the question. It took me about 4 rounds in the supermarket to confirm that they didn't have Spam. Gosh! What kind of supermarket doesn't have Spam?

The menu consisted of French Toast, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Bacon, Ham and Sausages. Caramelized Spam would've been in the list, but again, we couldn't find Spam anywhere. Not in Harashin. Not in Gran Depot. And the one at Yamazaki was gone, too.

While Mark and I were cooking, I remarked that we might be cooking too much. In addition to the above menu, we added in garlic fried rice to the fray. "What a combination. French Toast and Garlic Rice." Mark said. At this point, I was wondering if we cooked too much. To call this a "big breakfast" might be an understatement.

Surprise, surprise. The group finished everything! (Well, there was one french toast and about a cup of fried rice left.) Seeing how everyone enjoyed the meal, I'm glad that we decided to cook for everyone instead of just buying a gallon of ice cream or a bucket of KFC.

And seeing how everyone enjoyed the meal made me miss the days when I'd cook or bake every weekend as a means of de-stressing, as well as doing one of the things I'm passionate about.

I should really do this more often.



P.S. That same afternoon, Mark and I cooked an omelet and more french toast for Nino, Josie and Mabelle.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Top Mark

When Mark told me that he got the scholarship in Japan two years ago, I greeted the news with equal amount of excitement and sadness. Excitement because I knew he would be doing the country proud and proving how great Filipinos are, but sad because he’d be leaving the country for a long-ish period of time. It was the same mix of emotions that D’ Frendz felt when Mona got her scholarship in Michigan.

Despite the excitement and sadness, one thing was clear in my mind. Mark would accomplish great things. Given his unbelievable talent in Math, his passion for learning, and his smarts – he had the complete formula for reaching the top of the class. He was definitely destined for “ichi-ban-ness.”

Two years has now passed, and my belief has been validated. Yesterday, I accompanied Mark to receive his Dean’s Certificate for being one of the top students in his graduating batch. After all the grades were ranked, he finished 3rd in the entire IR program. That’s no easy feat considering how difficult the program was. And is.



Congratulations, Mark! I never had a doubt that you’d hit the mark.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: Close to Nature

If you love nature, you'll love Urasa. In fact, I remember saying once that if you're living in Urasa, it's not enough that you love nature, you have to be obsessed by it. Surrounded by mountains, ricefields and small houses reminiscent of sleepy towns, it's a perfect place to relax and unwind. For the past 2 years, I've stayed in this place -- IUJ in particular -- 6 times, and as Raul so accurately told me, living here is like living in a retreat house.

The downside to living in such an environment is the presence of a lot of "natural" inhabitants. The place abounds with insects and frogs that can climb walls. (Spiderfrog, is that you.) There were also occasional bear sightings on campus, though I haven't experienced it personally. (I'm still trying to decide whether I'd like to.)

The upside is that Urasa is the perfect place to enjoy a range of outdoor activities, including barbecues. With a vast carpet of green grass below, and the forest mountains behind, it's the perfect setting for an afternoon picnic. And that's exactly what we did this past weekend.



The kohais feted the senpais with a barbecue party, and fortunately, I was in town to join the celebration. The girls prepared a virtual buffet of goodies to grill: beef, pork, chicken, fish, veggies, the works. On the other hand, the guys manned the grills, fanning and turning until everything was cooked to perfection. Not surprisingly, everyone ate faster than we could cook. But it was the perfect sign that everyone enjoyed the food.





After eating, everyone ran off to have an impromptu photo session. The postcard perfect vista of IUJ brought out the photographer - and model - in everyone. By virtue of having nifty SLRs, we had 2 professional photographers that evening - Josie and Byron. The entire shindig was reminiscent of location shoots that I attended in UP Sunken Garden and other nature parks. And if this was a photo shoot, this would be the group shot that would always cap a day of shooting.



The first time I visited IUJ was a few days after the arrival Mark and his batchmates. This week, I arrived to watch Mark and his batchmates graduate from their respective Master's programs. In between, I was with them for ASEAN night, the snow festival, as well as other campus and off-campus events. Mark told me that I even have photos in their yearbook. It makes me feel like I went to school with their batch. (Maybe I can apply for an "adopted student" status.)



I'm glad that I came in time for this barbecue party for class 2008. It made me realize that in my 2-year stint-of-sorts in IUJ, I got close to nature, as well as got close to a lot of wonderful people.

Konnichiwa Chronicles: The First Pass

Because my wanderlust has recently been on overdrive, it took only around a year and a half to get all the pages of my passport filled up. During my past 3 trips - Macau, Singapore and Manila - I had to contend with immigration officers asking me when I'll replace my passport and where they could put their chop in. My standard reply would be: "There's probably a small space somewhere in between pages 30 and 32.

So, my first agenda when I got back to Manila this June was to get a new passport. And thanks to Louis, the process was so much simpler and less taxing. And before the 2nd week of June, I got my new, maroon and machine readable passport.



Since I got my new passport, wanderlust soon kicked in again. And the country that had the honor of putting the first stamp on my new, maroon and machine readable passport was ---



Japan! (The blurry yellow thingie is their immigration stamp.) Yup, I'm in Japan for a couple of weeks to attend Mark's graduation, go to Tokyo Disney Sea, live the "Lost in Translation" life, and buy Wonka Chocolates. (Of course.) Right now, I'm in Mark's "IUJail cell" which has a 360 degree view of mountains and ricefields.



The past few days, we've been going to parties and barbecues, we've been busy in the kitchen and with karaoke, we've gone to Koide and Nagaoka, and we've tried playing mahjong with a deck of cards, and with the real thing. Despite the flurry of activities, the trip has so far been relaxed and laid back. Then again, this is Urasa. It's probably the relaxed and laid back capital of Japan.

Little Hotel of Horrors - A postscript

As I lay on my tiny bed waiting for the sandman to come, a familiar sound broke the silence in my tiny room.

*drip*
*drip*
*drip*

I looked up and the airconditioner was leaking, and it was dripping near my pillow.

Good thing I was too sleepy to even mind it.

Little Hotel of Horrors

This story goes up there with Grace's "Hotel-from-Hell-in-Bangkok" experience.

Since my trip to HKG was last minute, my hotels du jour were fully booked. Since Asiarooms has always served me well, I thought of looking for instant accommodations through them. And I did.

It was a hotel - albeit 3 star - along Nathan Road. Location wise, it was good. The rooms in the photos looked fine, and some of the reviews looked promising. So, it was click, book, print and go.

There must be some asterisk I didn't see because the hotel, photos and reviews were all inaccurate! I'd say lies, but that would be too harsh. Well, ok. They were lies! Then again, I work in advertising, and I should know that advertising has a way of even the most appalling things sound appealing. In this case, though, the appealing thing turned out to be appalling.

The first room they gave me was at their topmost floor. When I got inside, the room was big. BUT! Since it was raining hard in HKG, there was a leak from the ceiling. A leak so big, there was an indoor pool in my room! Unfortunately, I had no choice because it was the only room they had for the night. With the promise of a new, leak-less room in the morning, I fell asleep to the sound of water dripping on the floor.

This morning, they kept their promise to move me to a new room. It was cleaner and had no leaks. BUT! The room was so small. As in SOOOO SMALL! Imagine, the bed was propped up by the room's 3 walls. It was like the bed was suspended in the air. And since it was suspended, the area below was where I was supposed to keep my things. Gosh! The bodega in my old flat is much bigger than this!

Thank goodness I'm flying out early tomorrow morning. There's only so much of this horror I can take.

The Patriot Family

My Lolo Iking was a patriot. A general who served with Manila's Finest until his retirement. A general who kept his vow to serve and protect the people. A man who loved his country with much fervor and never thought of leaving it - even if he could've easily hied off to Spain and rejoin his roots there. A grandfather who talked to me about love for country so passionately, it's something I've been carrying with me wherever I go.

My Dad is a patriot. Despite living the picture pretty picket fence life in Georgia, he still looks forward to and loves coming home to his little house in front of a beach in Bicol. In one of our many conversations, he told me how he wasn't keen on giving up his being a Filipino despite his long-ish stay in the U.S. Each time he comes home, he tells us that he'd rather be home than anywhere else.

With two generations (probably more, if I got to meet my Vio Abuelo Ramon and our ancestors before him) of patriots, it doesn't come as a surprise that my sentiments about the country are the same. Despite all the county's faults, and even if we don't have the conveniences that other first-world countries offer, this is home. And it's hard to imagine living life away from home. Especially with elders such as Dad and Lolo Iking.

Last night, I found another patriot in the Morales bloodline.

My now-Castillian Tita Eve (pronounced Ehh-vehh) has been living in Barcelona for more than 50 years. After leaving Manila when she was in her teens, she planted her roots there, fell in love and got married there, raised her family there, and who can forget the "did-a-lot-of-things-and-bought-lots-of-apartments-there." That said, I'd assume that she's now a full-blooded Spaniard who'd complain about how the Philippines is such a dump compared to Barcelona, or Amsterdam, or Paris, or Andorra, or Lisboa, or any of the plethora of cities she's visited. After all, I've met a number of people who - after having lived in another country for a year or two - would talk about this country as if it were the most hopeless place in the world.

While having an after-dinner conversation, I was pleasantly surprised by her point-of-view regarding the Philippines. It began with our trip to Tagaytay where she had a spa treatment and lunch at Sonya's Garden. She was telling us how they'd go to Tagaytay with Lolo Iking as kids, and how it's still as beautiful now as it was 50 years ago. She went on by saying that the Philippines is such a beautiful country and that we have everything here - beautiful places, great food, excellent shopping (yup, it runs in the family) and so many perks that you don't get in Spain.

But she also said that despite having everything, the country also has its downsides. Like how Manila is so crowded and can be quite dirty (she compared it to Damascus, I think) and that the cab drivers tend to prey on unsuspecting foreigners. When her Spanish amiga visited Manila, her comment was: "I'm sorry Eve, but I don't think I want to visit that place again." Her reply to that was: "I understand."

She understands the faults of the country, but the good thing is, she hasn't given up on it. Part of our conversation was about what more the country can do in order to make it more tourist friendly. Barcelona, she revealed, is heavily reliant on tourism and is the 2nd most visited city in Europe after Paris. Still, she thinks that the Philippines has more to offer than Barcelona. And she's hoping that we can get our act together because a lot of people should visit our country and see how beautiful it is and how much it has to offer.

And like Dad and my other relatives living in other continents, she said that if she had the means, she'd fly to Manila (via Business Class) every month and go to the spa, go to Nail Spa (her new favorite place), eat Filipino food, and be with the family she temporarily left more than 50 years ago. I think that's a very good reflection on how she's still very much a Filipina at heart.

Oh, she also added that she'll come back every month for the shopping. She goes berserk over the pearls in Greenhills everytime she visits. After her visit to Rustan's a few days ago, she had bags and bags of abanikos, shoes and other Filipinana goodies. Proof that aside from patriotism, shopping also runs in the family.