Grape Expectations

This morning, I woke up with a craving for Goober Grape! This has to be one of the best bread spreads ever created. It has that perfect combination of flavors: the peanut butter is a bit sweet and savory, while the grape jelly is tart.



Goober Grape also reminds me of my childhood. Aside from getting Goober Grape from my grandparents in the U.S., we also bought the local variety, Lady's Choice Stripes! That was yummy as well.

Good thing they had this spread available at Rustan's. I went there to buy a jar, then went to Pan de Manila to get hot pandesal.

Hot pandesal + Goober Grape = A great, grape breakfast!

Gourmet, I

Tucked in one corner of the Rustan's Fresh Supermarket in Greenbelt 1 is a small kiosk with a good selection of gourmet sandwiches. The sandwiches looked so good and so yummy, I couldn't help but buy one for lunch today.



Aside from the usual gourmet sandwiches like Pastrami on Rye and Ham with Brie cheese, I found some interesting and new combinations like the Chicken Galantina sandwich, as well as the Chicken with Cranberry. (They had me at Cranberry.)

What's surprising is that their Gourmet Sandwiches are priced like fast-food items. Well, if you compare it to a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder, that is. But hey, given a choice between a healthy, gourmet sandwich and a big, greasy burger, I think gourmet is the way to go. (Incidentally, the name of the place is "Gourmet-to-go.")

I think I found another lunch source.

Forever. Surprising.

The intention was to buy a new couch for the house. And I did that.

With that "mission" accomplished, it was time to drop by Forever 21. After all, what's a visit to Megamall without a visit to the new mecca of fast fashion.

Walking through the racks, I found a dress which I thought was misplaced. Aside from the fact that it was hanging from a rack of tops that aren't related to it, there was only one piece. (And Forever 21 is known for mass production, so seeing just one is a bit odd.) It was this dress:



I picked it up, and found out that it had no price, as well as no size. Since it was an interesting dress, I began going around the store trying to find which rack it came from. But after 2 rounds (which took about 20 minutes given the size of the store) there was nothing like it in store.

So, I went to the cashier, showed them the dress while explaining my predicament, and they went to work. One girl entered the code that was inside the dress, and in a matter of minutes, the answers to my questions came. It was a medium, and it was ON SALE! In fact, it was super cheap! What a pleasant surprise!

The right size and the right price? We all know what happened next.

What makes this dress a winner? Aside from the obvious answer (read: price), it had a very pretty ikat print in pastel colors.



Also, it had a draped neckline which is very flattering.



And did I mention the price? Harhar.

Oh, Forever 21, you never cease to surprise me!

View from the Top

Despite his fear of heights, Mark went up to the penthouse of Lancaster Suites to check out the pool (which was more of a mini-pool)and the view of Mandaluyong. After a quick scout around the area, we made a couple of discoveries:

1. Mandaluyong is a "green" city. There was a patch of property near the Libertad area which was full of trees. It was almost like a mini-forest within the city. We didn't know what area that was, but my guess was it was NMH. Also, the side facing Greenhills had the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club. So that was another vast expanse of green.

2. Most of the houses in Wack-Wack villages have swimming pools. Once again proving that Wack-Wack is the Forbes of Mandaluyong.

3. On a clear day, you can see Antipolo from Mandaluyong. We were around 34 floors up, and the air was clear. It was nice to see all the mountain ranges of Antipolo, and the properties that dot it.

4. Things look better from a higher vantage point. The cities - Mandaluyong, Makati, Quezon City, and Manila - look nice when viewed from this high. Everything looks so peaceful and orderly.

Ah yes, the things you learn when you start seeing things from the top.

Chicken. Transform!

If there was an award for "best use of chicken in 1000 ways," I'd nominate KFC. And they'll most likely win!

They take the most basic product - let's say, the fun shots - and transform it into different food items. Aside from being a "fun shot", it's also a "hot shot", a "bbq rod", and now, "shakin' shots."

The chicken strip, aside from being a regular chicken strip in the snack box, can also be on a rice meal, in a go-go sandwich, and now, in a twister.

Even the twister has its different incarnations. First, there was the regular twister, then, it was the hawaiian twister, followed by the pizza twister, and now, a California Maki twister.



I tried this, and it was really good. Being a huge fan of vegetables and fruits, I'm glad that they load this twister with cucumber and mangoes. The fried chicken stick is a bit out of place, but hey, you gotta take the not-so-good with the good.

Now, I'm wondering what their chicken will transform into next.

Let the countdown begin!

It's all over Facebook today, and that's the only time I realized it.

ONLY 100 DAYS TO GO BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!

Yes, it's time to get into the Holiday spirit!

Lumang Lomo

A few years ago, everyone - including their mothers - were into Lomography. That time, it was "cool" to be seen with a lomo camera and having your lomo photos developed at your neighborhood Kodak store.

Among the most popular Lomo cameras was the "fish eye" camera. The lens makes it look like the photo was being looked at through a sphere, and it was distorted in a very aesthetic way.

When I saw those "fish eye" photos which were so "now", it reminded me of something I'd see back "then."

When we were kids, we had a lot of "fish eye" photos at home. They would be in picture frames, in photo albums, even inside paperweights. We'd have fish eye photos of the family in front of the house, inside the room, even while at a picnic.

Thanks to my Ate Lissa, I was able to see those "fish eye" photos again after a few decades. Here's one of them:



Here's the family a couple of decades ago. And yes, I'm the little, itty-bitty baby being carried by my Mom. Of course, I was too young to remember when or why this photo was taken, but it looks like another of our many family portraits. (Yup, we have quite a lot.)

My comment on this photo is that everyone looked so well-dressed and stylish. From my parents to my siblings, everyone was so retro-chic! Just like the fish eye effect. (Which was supposed to be new.)

Just goes to show that some of the best and newest things - like fashion and Lomography - can actually come from something that's old.

A real life "Bring it on"

In the movie "Bring it on", the football team of Rancho Carne Toros could never win a game were the punchline of the game. But then again, they had a champion cheering squad, and that's more than enough reason for people to watch the game.

This UAAP season, the UP Fighting Maroons lost every game they played. (I was looking at the ranking one time, and we had 0 wins and 12 losses. Woohoo!)

But even if our team sucked this year, at least the UP Pep Squad is the 2010 Cheerdance Champions! Harhar.



That's the spirit!

Dress for Jess

For a time, I knew Jessica Simpson as the pop star who mangled my favorite Nancy Sinatra song "These boots were made for walking." Then, she became the comedienne who cornered the "dumb blonde" market with her movies like "Major Movie Star". (Which I actually found funny.) After that, she became an accessories maven with her line of shoes and bags - which were surprisingly good.

Today, I learned something new about her. Aside from her shoe and bag line, she also has a clothing line.



I saw them while passing through SM on my way home. There were a couple of jersey dresses that caught my eye, and only upon closer inspection did I find out that they were under the Jessica Simpson logo.

One was a black jersey number with diagonal ruching and draping, then punctuated by ruffled sleeves. It's actually long enough to be a dress but also good as a tunic.



The other was a tank with ruffles sporadically placed all over the dress.



Then, there's this dolman sleeved top - also in jersey - with a studded belt.

Curious about her fashion cred, I checked out her website and found out that she has a number of good designs. They've got a lot of fashionable touches but still made wearable.

Looks like Jess has an eye for good design, and I think she should really continue with her apparel and accessory career.

But as for "These boots are made for walking," it's better that she leaves that to Nancy Sinatra.

Say hi to high fashion

Let the smizing begin!



Cycle 15 of America's Next Top Model premiered yesterday and it looks like another competitive batch this cycle.

Of course, what's an ANTM cycle without a "gimmicky" contestant, right? Cycle 7 had the Babin twins, Cycle 10 had Heather, the girl with Aspergers, and Cycle 11 had a transgendered contestant in Isis. This cycle, they have sisters - Terra and Chris, who Mr. Jay fondly calls the "comedy routine." Methinks they're good for a few laughs, but neither of them can be a model.

In an effort to up their fashion ante, ANTM is going high fashion this cycle. They've got a couple of quirky faces in the roster - Rihanna, Ester, Lexi and Ann - all have very distinct faces. (And Ann is 6'2" with a 22" waistline to boot.) Not only that, the winner of this cycle is not going to be on Seventeen magazine, but on Vogue Italia!

Yes, Vogue. That's how high fashion they're making Cycle 15. So the winner gets to be the cover girl of Beauty in Vogue, has a 6 page spread in Vogue Italia, aside from the usual Covergirl cosmetic contract and the IMG model management prize. Yup, they're serious about going high fashion.

Let the battle begin! I'm going to get a high watching that.

Blessed birthday to you

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary! And thank you!



You truly are an extraordinary woman.

Lumpia Lovin'

Polland's fresh lumpia is the perfect afternoon snack! The fresh veggies and the dried noodles add the perfect crunch, then the peanuts, garlic and kuchay add different levels of flavors. Plus, the lettuce and lumpia wrapper provide the much-needed neutrality to the entire dish. What's not to love about it?

Good thing they have it a few buildings away from the office. I can't get enough of it!

I can see the lines forming already...

So it's true! The next designer collaboration of H&M will be with Alber Elbaz of Lanvin! This is fast fashion at its finest! Judging by Alber's interview, it'll be more "fashion" than "fast." He mentions that the focus will be more on luxury, so I'm expecting it to be a bit more expensive than the regular H&M item. (I still remember how shocked people were at the HK$2,000 dress from the Robert Cavalli for H&M collection.) Even if it's expensive, it's LANVIN for crying out loud! I'm sure lines at the H&M stores in HKG and Tokyo will be snaking around the block on November 23. I can't wait to see what he came up with!

Do you remember?

And just like that, it's September already.

Looks like 2010 is just zipping us by like a passenger rushing to catch his flight at the airport. Before we know it, it'll be Christmas already! (But not before we celebrate the birthdays of Mark, Kuya Marv, Kurt, Kevin, Ate Bullet, Mom, Dad and Ate Lissa.) And then, it'll be 2011!

But before all that happens, let's all remember to enjoy September!

Whatta Cheap Thrill

One local food brand that never fails to impress me is Lemon Square. They're cheesecakes are awesome (reminds me of elementary school), their Munch Mallows are divine (especially the strawberry variant), and the Inipit is irresistible.

And everything they make is less than P10 a piece, so it's cheap!

Now I'm adding something new to the list: Lemon Square's Whattatops!



It's so, SO good! The cupcake is soft and light, the filling is creamy and sweet, the chocolate topping is thick and - uhm - chocolatey, and the sprinkles add an element of fun. It's so, SO good, I had to stop myself from eating the whole pack! And this little piece of chocolate heaven is just P5.00!

Whatta bargain!

A new source

Last week, a new, international brand opened its doors in Manila. But unlike Forever 21 (who came in with a big bang, complete with 2-hour queues) this one was more low key and quieter.

What brand? It's the best source of shoes whenever you go to the U.S.



I passed by Megamall and noticed that Payless is now open and took over Centropelle's old site. It was smaller compared to most of the Payless stores I've visited in the U.S., but the layout and look was exactly the same.

Stock-wise, they've got a nice selection. Aside from the usual suspects like Dexter's, Aerosoles and Montego Bay, they also have the "designer" brands like Zoe and Zac, Fioni and Alice + Olivia for Payless. Most of the shoes were on the cheap side, but there were some that were P3000.00.

The men's selection was very small, but I saw a couple of suede loafers that I might buy for Grace's wedding.

While I was there, the manager asked me if everything was alright. He was a white guy who flew in from the U.S. to supervise the opening. We talked about the store a bit, and he told me that they're opening a new one in Ali Mall this week.

Great! Now there's a better source of shoes in Cubao!

Sadness. And fear.

When I opened my facebook account tonight, my heart sank after seeing the profile pages of my former colleagues from HKG. My former colleagues who've been to the Philippines and enjoyed their stay here. My former colleagues who told me that they'd love to come back and visit whenever they have a long weekend.

Now, they have black ribbons as their profile pictures. Some of them have lit candles. While others are just black squares. The photos may vary, but the meaning is the same.

They also have words of disgust for the country and how it handled the situation that killed 8 of their countrymen. I could feel their sadness, their anger and their frustration. And frankly, I feel it, too. And I feel it more because I'm here where it all happened.

I also read the profile of my close Filipina friend who's living in HKG. She said that the friendly stall owner at the market is no longer friendly to her. That people who know she's Filipina now look at her with disappointment and disgust. That she's now ashamed to talk to her Chinese friends, and how she'd just like to lock herself up in her flat and stay there for a long time.

So while there's a feeling of sadness for the people of Hong Kong, I also feel fear for the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos working there. I can imagine how easy it would be for HK nationals to pick on, berate and even physically harm the domestics camping out at Statue Square and the HSBC building on Sunday. Or how easy it will be for them to fire them because of this incident.

I hope the situation doesn't reach that level. The situation is sad and scary enough as it is.

Shame

When I arrived from HKG this Monday morning, the first news I heard on the radio was that a bus load of tourists from Korea and Hong Kong were being hostaged in Manila. The first thing that came to my mind was: "I wonder if the Hong Kong tourists who were on my flight have heard of this piece of news."

By the time I got home at around 8pm, it turned out that things went from well to worst. There were around 8 Hong Kong tourists who were killed along with the hostage taker.

For the first time, I felt ashamed of my country. How could we have failed to resolve this situation and protect the lives of these tourists? They were families trying to take a break and make the most of the last week of summer. And this is what they get in and from the Philippines?

Having been a resident and regular traveler to Hong Kong, I know how much they try to protect their tourism industry and their tourists. Heck, a few months ago, when there were acid attacks in Mong Kok, our hotel concierge constantly reminded us and warned us against venturing into the Mong Kok area. When we were stubborn and pushed through with our shopping trip, there were policemen around the area shielding us from where the last attack happened. That's how protective they were.

And what did our authorities do to protect these tourists?

But I'm glad to know that there were around 10 tourists who survived the ordeal. Although I don't expect them to ever come back to the Philippines. Ever.

I'm a very patriotic person and love our country with a passion. So much passion that I don't see myself ever leaving this place. So much passion that whenever I'm out of the country, I talk about the Philippines with so much pride.

But there comes a time when even the most patriotic person will feel a bit of shame for the country and something that we did.

And for me, that time is today.

That's what I like about you

Nope, this isn't about the song of the same title. Although I must say that it's one of my favorite songs ever since I heard it from the movie "Freaky Friday."



I just arrived in HKG and I realized that one of the things I like about this place is that there's no downtime and you can work from practically anywhere.

The immigration queue was super long (as usual), but since there was free wifi at the airport, I whipped out my laptop and started answering emails while waiting for my turn. It's so convenient! (Although holding my Powerbook with one hand and typing with the other is definitely not!)

So, after the 20+ minute wait before I could reach the immigration officer, I was able to answer 10 emails, and type this entry.

I like it!

Landmark find!

I found Giziku at the Landmark supermarket! It was the last big pack, and I got it!

Woot!

Creative clotheshorse

Fashionistas dream of having a new dress everyday. And one fashionista is making that dream come true, while spending just $1 every day!

While blog hopping, I stumbled upon this blog by a pretty American girl named Marisa. In her introductory page, she said she was in a "creative funk" and wanted to push her creative boundaries while quenching her thirst for fashion.

So what she did was to embark on a year-long project where she'd take a piece of old clothing, usually bought from thrift shops or flea markets, and use her trusty sewing machine and imagination to reinvent the old dress and transform it into a new one.

She's now on her 262nd day, and so far she's been coming up with some interesting outfits. Lucky her, a lot of the outfits she found had nice fabrics, so it makes the job simpler.

Another reason why I find this blog interesting is because Arnie and I had thought of a similar project before. I'd scour flea markets in HKG and Japan, and Arnie will use her New York fashion training to transform it into something new and chic.

We haven't gotten around to making this project real, but after poring through this new dress a day blog, I think it's about time to resurrect the project and finally get it off the ground.

Haw about it?

Aside from Giziku wafer sticks, another constant craving that I have is for Haw Flakes!

Yes, those little red discs that were part of our childhood back in Morato. I still remember buying Haw Flakes from Aling Ensa and Aling Leony's store (Mommy Gallegos didn't sell them in their sari-sari store), and we'd pretend that they're hosts. We'd all line up and the "priest" would give us one piece each.



More than 2 decades after, Haw Flakes is still very much here. The classic ones are the small ones and you can easily buy them in grocery stores. There are smaller and bigger ones at Aji Ichiban. And there's the Fat and Thin brand of giant Haw Flakes at SM's snack counters. That's the one that I'm into right now.

Unlike Giziku, I hope they never run out of Haw Flakes anytime soon.

Giziku, where are you?

Went to Robinson's Galleria today to buy Giziku at the supermarket, and they're all gone!

There's no more Giziku on the shelves!

Catastrophe!

Express yourself

It was a scene that reminded me of my life in HKG.

This afternoon, I went to The Enterprise Center to buy my favorite chicken sopas. Once there, a familiar sight greeted me - a tiangge! And in that tiangge was one of my "old reliables" in terms of fab finds.

Hidden among the racks of ho-hum clothes was this banded sequin dress from Express.



Despite it being covered in sequins, the dress looked very chic and classy. It was able to escape the "Las Vegas trap" and passed off as something very subdued and wearable. This is the type of dress that would look good under a blazer.

Another reason why it caught my eye was because it reminded me of this Herve Leger sequinned dress I saw in SG. If you remove the straps, the Express dress looks exactly the same.



So while I walked in to The Enterprise with the intent of buying a bowl of piping hot Chicken Sopas, I walked out with that, and something way hotter.

Singular and floral

And just like that, Grace's wedding is less than 6 months away!

While most of the major preps have been done (church, reception venue, wedding gown), it's the details that really take time to sift through and finalize. We chose an "English Garden" theme for the event, so I've been poring through botanical prints and glass gardens the past month or so. Everything should fall into that single theme.

Aside from the wedding details, I'm also attending to D' Frendz's sartorial needs. Being a garden wedding, I told the ladies that they should be dressed up in florals. Most of them are going to be dressed up by Aling Bright, so I'm confident that they'll look smashing. The challenge is to find the right kind of floral fabric - something bright and pretty, but not too chintzy or "kukur".

My peg for their floral looks is Cat Deeley in Matthew Williamson.



This is how florals should be done. Simple, fresh, clean and elegant. We already have a couple of nice floral fabrics in our archives, but I think it's still necessary to go to the fabric garden and pick a few more.

Going nuts

One Filipino candy that I find myself craving for occasionally is the sweet and salty panutsa. It's a heavenly concoction of sugar that's generously sprinkled with nuts. (Or is it the other way around?)



As a kid, I remember going up to Tagaytay to Tita Zeny's house and passing by stalls and stalls of fruit vendors, and these vendors would usually have panutsa sold among their other offerings.

Now, whenever we go up to Tagaytay, I make it a point to buy a few packs of this sinfully delicious delicacy. The best ones are at Rowena's Tarts and at Loumar's Tarts. When we went to Loumar's with D' Frendz a month ago, I remember buying 4 big packs of panutsa, and it lasted only 2 days at home.

When we went up to Tagaytay with the IUJ gang, the carinderia at the back of the palengke also had a lot of panutsa vendors. I remember how Raul mentioned that he saw how panutsa was made in one of the expose shows, and the vendor went on the defensive and told Raul that he shouldn't generalize panutsa makers and vendors.

There are 2 kinds of panutsa: the glossy one and the matte one. Personally, I prefer the matte variety since the sugar is more crumbly and the texture is better. The glossy one is a bit too sticky for my taste.

Whenever I get the craving while I'm here in Manila, I'd go to Market, Market because one of the stalls there sell excellent panutsa. It comes in bite sized pieces and it has the same color and texture as the Tagaytay made ones.

This morning, I discovered that there's a stall in Farmer's Market that sells the same bite sized panutsa. I bought 2 packs, and finished one even before reaching the office. They're also sold at the pasalubong shop at The Enterprise - but it's the glossy kind so it isn't as enticing for me.

At least now there are different places to buy panutsa whenever the craving kicks in and I'm in Manila. I mean, eventhough it's a candy that I really, really like, I wouldn't go up to Tagaytay or Batangas just to buy one.

Now that would be nuts.

Happy - and lucky - birthday!

Yesterday was August 8, and when I was living in HKG, this date was considered the luckiest date ever. The number 8 is considered lucky, so having double 8s meant double luck.

For the chinese, being born on August 8 is auspicious. And in our immediate family, we don't have just a single birthday celebrator - we have doubles as well!

So, happy birthday to my 2 cousins: Cristina in Spain and Harold who's right here in Manila right now. (Though I have no idea where he is.)

Have a lucky birthday to you both! We're lucky to have you as cousins.

Self-service

My class got delayed by a good 30 minutes today because the equipment just won't cooperate.

First, my classroom's computer won't play Quicktime files. And all of my video support for today's class was in Quicktime.

I tried asking the computer center for help, but the sleepy eyed guy was no help at all. He kept on saying: "Hintayin na lang natin si..." for every request I made. Bad thing was "si..." never actually came. Talk about service!

Tried calling AVC to ask for a new CPU, and their reply was: "Maghanap na lang po kayo diyan." Now how's that for service?

So I ended up getting a CPU from the other room, carried it all the way to our classroom. Thankfully, it had a VLC player, so my lesson was able to go as scheduled. Hurrah for self-service!

Ah yes, the joys of teaching.

Middle school

Just read Chally's email reminding us that next week is the start of the mid-term exam week.

MID-TERMS ALREADY?!

It feels like the semester just started, and now we're halfway? And in a few more weeks, it'll be the end of the semester and a new one will begin?

Where does time go these days?

Watch, I'm confused

I've finally decided to send my automatic Fossil watch to the repair shop for cleaning. It'll take 3 weeks before they get all the gears cleaned are running like new, so in the meantime, I'm wearing the new Fossil watch that Biboy gave me.

Wearing a new watch feels a bit weird and confusing. For one, my new watch is lighter than the old one, but despite that, it's much bigger in size. Also, this one is battery operated, and I'm used to wearing an automatic watch. I find myself swinging my wrist (I used to do this to keep my watch in motion) even if I don't need to.

Dang. My wrist better get used to this new watch soon, or it'll be confused the next 3 weeks!

Raisin' the bar

Raisinets is one of my all time favorite chocolate snacks. I used to hoard them whenever I go to the supermarket, and when a local version came out (Raiseens from Kean's), it was double the delight.

On our trip to Subic a few weeks ago, I discovered two new variants that made me love Raisinets a bit more.

First is the dark chocolate version. Dark Chocolate is healthy, raisins are healthy, so this snack is double the healthy goodness!



Then there's the Cranberry variant. I'm also a big fan of dried cranberries. When I was still living in HKG, I'd always have a few packs of dried cranberries at home. The creamy sweetness of the chocolate is a perfect foil to the tart taste of the berry.



I wonder if they have these at SM or Landmark. My stash is almost gone! And I don't want to go all the way to Subic just to buy some. (But if worse comes to worst, I definitely will!)

Sunday with siblings

With Biboy in town for a few weeks, we had to make sure that the traditional sibling portraits were taken. It's been raining the past few days, but we still thought it would be fun to have our photos taken outdoors - and we did!

The weather cooperated and it didn't rain. It was a bit warm and humid, though, but better that then soaking wet. We found a nice garden in MMLDC and did our usual thing - making fun of ourselves in photos.





Not only were we able to gather the Morales siblings, the in-laws, nephews and nieces were there. The result - a huge, happy, and hilarious portrait session.



Next portrait project - the siblings with Dad and Mom!

High school's musicals

Last night, my dreams were on "musical" mode as there were songs involved. Not just any ordinary song, but songs that I used to sing in high school, when I was still part of our choir. (Or "glee club" as people call them nowadays.)

The first song was "One Tin Soldier." It's a song about treating people fairly and not stealing or killing - especially over material things. A very adult subject delivered in a very child-like way. This is also a very "catholic school" song to sing.



The second song I dreamt of was "Corner of the Sky". This song has "musical" written all over it. Heck, it was written for "Pippin."



I think this dream is my subconscious' way of missing my musical past. Harhar.

Hindi malimot

"Moulin Rouge" is one of my favorite films. It's such a conceptually solid and executionally decadent piece of film. Everything just fell into place perfectly, from the story, to the costume, to the songs. The film was so spectacular, I was hoping that it would win the Oscar that year.

Among the many memorable scenes in "Moulin Rouge", this is one of the ones that I'll never tire watching. This was the opening night of the play, and the ensemble sang "Hindi Sad Diamonds."



Everything is going right in this scene. Elaborate costumes - check. Breathtaking stage - check. Beautiful choreography - check. Excellent music - check. Nicole - bonus!

It's this combination that makes it simply unforgettable.

Soup-er cheap thrill

I'm a big - make that HUGE - fan of sopas. There's something about it that reminds me of childhood. Memories like going to Unimart with the family, and Lola Dita would buy Royco Chicken Sopas and serve it at home. Or how Uncle Rolly would prepare Royco Chicken Alphabet Noodle Soup and spell our names on the plate. Fun times, indeed.

That's why Sopas is one of my all time favorites, especially the one with elbow macaroni and milk.

I've always been on a "quest" to find good Sopas. Jollibee has one, but it's too thick and it feels like sipping gravy. My friend told me that they have good ones at the "Jollijeep", but when I tried it, it had more bones than macaroni. Then, today, I wandered off to the food court at The Enterprise Center and got this:



It's really, really good Sopas from Lola's Kitchen.

It doesn't look like much, but believe me, it's DA BOMB! The soup is very milky, and you can actually taste the fresh milk they used on it. The vegetables are very crunchy. And there's a whole egg in it! Best part is, it's got no meat, which is a big plus for me.

And this baby costs P39! It's way cheap considering I'm willing to pay much, much more for a good bowl of Sopas.

Ah yes, cheap thrills make life so much more flavorful.

Ferosh-shoes

Trust Isuma to always have fun, funky and ferocious shoes on its shelves. I dropped by today and found these 2 beauties for my sisters.



First is a black cut out bootie. It's got very nice detailing and the heel grounds the look.



Second is a gray, jute heeled shoe with an open back. It looks so chic from all sides.



These shoes will definitely look good with boyfriend jeans or shorts. And since both my sisters have lots of those, I'm sure these booties will add much needed fierceness to their look.

Marc Jacobs and Mee

A few hours after arriving in HKG, I've already ticked off a number of things off my checklist:

1. Deliver pastries to Aaron and Monna

2. Say hello to our former student's Mom

3. Go to my favorite Prawn Mee place at Landale Street and order my usual Seafood Prawn Noodle soup


(So much goodness in just one bowl!)

4. Buy a couple of Marc Jacobs shirts at my favorite haunt




(The print on this one is so cute!)

It's amazing how you can do so many things in a matter of hours. That's the big plus of HKG - it's so compact, it's easy to do a lot of things at once.

Next stop, look for Mark's Crocs.

Doesn't quite bring home the bacon

After going ballistic over Marty's, I thought I'd have the same reaction to Baconette Strips - Oishi's next foray into "vegetarian friendly snacking."

I tried a bag when Mark and I went to Subic more than a month ago, and it didn't quite do it for me. After trying one again tonight, I therefore conclude that it's not as awesome as Marty's.

In fact, the snack isn't very original. Jack and Jill already came up with Bacon strips a few years ago. Unfortunately, it didn't fly.

Let's hope that the same thing won't happen to Baconette. Or else that little piggy will cry wee-wee-wee all the way home.

Wild about it

Out of curiousity, I picked a pack of Wild Berry Tootsie Pops during our Duty Free soujourn last weekend just for the heck of it. Now that I've tasted it, I realize that I should've gottem more. Much, much, much more!

It's phenomenal! And the Wild Cherry Berry pop is divine!

I hope they have it here in Manila. I'm gonna buy some more!

Gene pool

Last Sunday, the family was able to go on a quick weekend getaway to Subic. Biboy flew in last Friday, and since we haven't seen him in almost 2 years, we thought that this was a perfect time to catch up and bond.

The getaway turned into one big slumber party with the kids staying up until 3am and the adults awake and cooking by the time it was 6am. In between, there was a lot of eating, playing, iPad-ing, and the favorite activity - swimming!

We were able to gather most of the best genes from the family and place them in a pool. I say "most" since some of us were conspicuously absent. My folks are in the US, Kuya Marv was shopping with Rose, Biboy went biking with Raymond, and I - well, I was the photographer.



It was a hectic weekend, but it was all good. There's nothing like a coalescence of the family's dominant genes.

Pops goes my world

One great thing about going to Subic is duty free shopping! A lot of my favorite food stuff from the US isn't readily available in Manila. But in Subic, it's easy to get them. Among them, my favorite lollipop - Tootsie Pops!



Eating Tootsie Pops brings me back to my childhood when my Lolo and Lola would come home from the US and this would be part of their pasalubongs. I love how the fruity and sour taste of the candy mixes with the rich, chocolate taste of the the Tootsie Roll. It was such a treat!

My favorite flavor has always been cherry, and thankfully, they had it at the Duty Free store. Plus, they had this Wild Berry combo, which I also bought.

Ah yes. Going back to my childhood is sweet!

Dangerous Crossings!

As if to add insult to injury, The Ramp at Crossings has also decided to put up their sale sign and join the plethora of fast fashion brands who are bannering the four letter word onto their store windows.

This week, Zara further marked down their prices (bad news), Mango replaced their 50% signs with 70% signs (more bad news), and now this! The excruciating part is that the two super chic dresses that caught my eye at United Pop are now at 20% off! You can almost translate that sign to "Buy me! BUY ME!"

Maybe I should stay away from Crossings first. Good thing our family will be in Subic this weekend. That should get shopping off my to-do list.

But wait a minute. There's duty free in Subic!

This bites!

It was bound to happen.

After the deluge of Vampire movies and Vampire themed TV series, someone actually came up with a Vampire spoof!



This looks like it's going to be a corn-fest, just like "Date Movie" and "Dance Movie." But hey, Vampires suck, so why shouldn't this movie.

I hope they show it in Manila!

Viva Espana!

And Spain wins the World Cup!!!

It's their first ever appearance in the finals, and they took it all the way and grabbed the championship!

This is solid proof that dedication and passion (and the presence of King Felipe and Queen Sofia) can turn an ordinary team into a team of champions!

Enhorabuena!

Here's to Honesty!

Ayala Cinemas are the best! Not only do they have the best seats and screens, they also have the most honest security personnel. Mark and I proved that today.

Here's to the Ayala Cinema security and management! More power and success to you guys!

Forever in the Philippines

From afar, the bright yellow Forever 21 shopping bag looks just like the ones you'll get in Singapore or the US.



But when you look at the details, that's when you'll know that it's quite different from what you're used to. It has unique touches that you'll find - as they say - only in the Philippines.

First, our bags are biodegradable. The Forever 21 franchise in the Philippines is owned by the SM group, and they're active stewards of the environment. Like their SM shopping bags, the Forever 21 plastic bag is earth friendly.



The second, and more interesting one, is an indication that this Forever 21 store is located in a Catholic country.



Yes, there's a bible passage hidden at the bottom of the bag. And methinks the supplier of the bag is a devout Catholic who would like to thank God for giving him this big business opportunity.

Of course, John 3:16 one of the most famous and often quoted verses in the bible. "For God so loved the world that, He gave us his only begotten Son, and whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

Considering the fact that tens of thousands of Filipinos shop at Forever 21, this is such a novel way of spreading God's word.

Looks like Lanvin

While perusing the racks at The Ramp in Glorietta, I chanced upon this little black number from Details. Even from afar, it succeeded in drawing me in. I think the big, black "SALE" sign helped, too.



When laid flat, it doesn't look like much. Good thing they had one on the mannequin. The dress, when worn, looks something like Tilda Swinton's Oscar dress. (The dress fondly known as "hefty bag.")



The material of the dress is stretch jersey, but with a shiny coating, making it look like the washed silk material that Tilda's dress was made of. What gave it added oomph is the gathered details on the neck of the dress. It lets the entire dress drape diagonally denoting dimension. (Aye! An alliteration!)



And because it was on the sale rack, the dress was also unbelievably cheap! Now that's the look of Lanvin, for much, much less.

Sweet!

Katy Perry's "California Girls" is our network song for CW4 this season, and the first time we heard it, we got hooked! The beat is infectious, Katy's voice is spot on, and the chorus sticks in your head and doesn't go away. Now, THAT'S a pop song.

But if you think the song is great, wait 'til you see the music video. It's mind blowingly AWESOME!



Talk about whimsical. The entire "Candy Land" concept fits Katy Perry's image: a bit sweet and a bit 40s burlesque. There were a lot of funny little touches throughout, like the "bad gummy bears" who gave her the finger, the candy cane snakes, the gingerbread man who got eaten, and of course, Katy's "weapons of mass destruction by icing." Then there are the "candy queens" being unwrapped one by one. It's so campy - it's cool!

It was so entertaining, I didn't notice that the video was inverted until the 2nd time I saw it. But whether it's inverted, upside down, right side up or even askew, I'll keep on watching this video. It's sweet!

Visual songs

There are certain songs that can transport you to another place just by listening to the lyrics. I call these "visual songs" because the words are so evocative, they go beyond words that you listen to and become pictures you see in your mind.

Among my favorite songs of this "genre" is a very old but multi-awarded song by Michel Legrand. It's entitled "Windmills of your mind" and it's such a beautifully written song with lyrics like: "Keys that jingle in your pocket. Words that jangle your head." It won both the Oscars and Globes in 1968, and was featured in the film "The Thomas Crown Affair."

It's a song that's been interpreted by so many artists, among them, Petula Clark. But I must say that my favorite rendition is the more modern one by Swing Out Sisters.



Listening to this song is like looking at a surrealist painting. It's full of intrigue and every second of it sends your mind into a tizzy. And that's how great visual songs should be.

Memories of Bicol

Among the Regalado clan, our family was the only one who planted its roots in Manila. Mom moved to Manila after marrying Dad, while the rest of her 9 siblings stayed on in Bicol, then 4 of them moved to the U.S. eventually.

Because of that, my memories of Bicol aren't as abundant as my other cousins who grew up and lived there. My memories of Bicol are the short summer vacations we'd spend there. We'd usually live in Lolo Iking's beach house in Bacacay, then spend a few days a week at Lolo Doring's house in Malinao. During summer, my sisters would join the Santacruzan and would usually get the top spots (Reina Elena and Reina Emperatriz), then we'd sometimes sneak out at night to go to the "baraylihan" at the Malinao plaza.

Eventhough I didn't see Lolo Doring and Lola Pining as often as I should have, I have so many fond memories of them. They were both politicians - being both Mayor and Vice-mayor for several terms. Both Lolo and Lola were very eloquent, principled, and very good with people - trademarks of politicians during the olden days, or the glory years. Whenever I'd drop by the Malinao Municipal Hall, I'd always marvel at Lolo and Lola's portraits as they hung on those hallowed halls.

Lolo Doring would have this habit of gargling his water before drinking it. Lola Pining would dress up in her proper church attire before crossing the street to hear mass. We would always have lunch and dinner together on that long table in the dining room. And we would always end up at the "palitada" after dinner to just talk and bond with our cousins.

Another memory of Bicol consists of the photos that were on the wall of Lolo and Lola's house in Malinao. Since they were both politicos, they had photos with Ferdinand and Imelda, photos when they were sworn in, photos of their projects, and of course, photos of their families. I found a couple of those photos on my sister's facebook account, posted by one of our cousins who was still in Bicol.

Here's a photo that I always found interesting. It was a photo of my Mom's family sometime in the 60s. It shows Lolo and Lola, Mom and her 9 siblings, and 8 of my cousins who were already born that time. It wasn't unusual in Bicol to have large families, and my Mom's family was large.



The other photo is something that I've seen for the first time. It's Lolo Doring with the late President Ramon Magsaysay. As it turns out, Lolo was a member of the Nacionalista Party. Makes me wonder if he would've voted for Villar if he were still alive today.



It's been a long time since I last went to Bicol, and there are times when I think that I should go there more often and get to know the place where my Mom was born and grew up. Get to know the place where my Lolo was Mayor and Lola was Vice-mayor, and when their terms ended, my Lola became Mayor and my Lolo became Vice-mayor. Get to know my cousins and catch up with them.

Yup, I think it's time to get to know Bicol a bit more.

Team Alice

Last night, Mark and I watched "Eclipse" at Gateway. Since it was a block screening, we were spared from the kilometric lines and jostling crowd that usually meets anyone who wants to watch the flick.

Inside, we were surrounded by "Twi-hards" who would swoon, sigh and clap at all of Edward, Bella and Jacob's antics. The biggest applause of approval came from Jacob's "Admit it, I'm hotter than you." line.

Yes, the film was cheesy, but I found it bearable to watch. Mainly because of Ashley Greene - aka Alice Cullen!



I like her character - headstrong, fun, frivolous, fashionable, eager beaver and of course, psychic. From the first movie until the 3rd, she's the sass and pizazz of the film. And when she kicked "newborn a**" in the forest, it was awesome! (So was the other Cullen kids - and parents, too.)

This film makes me wonder how Alice's character will evolve in the last book. So, bring it on, Breaking Dawn!

Of kith and Kin

Today, one of my closest friends is celebrating her birthday.



It's been more than a decade since I met her in San Miguel. She was the well-dressed, extremely gracious, undeniably classy and indescribably nice girl who ran Kaunlaran. She was difficult to miss, because aside from her commanding yet quiet presence, she had this accent that was part-British, part-American. She became one of my first friends in the office, along with Ampi, Dada, Elsie, Marla and Jo.

She is one of the nicest people I know. She loves organizing celebrations for friends, and was a consistent partner in our "Megamall-crimes". She always has something nice to say, even if the situation or person isn't really that great. She can talk about corporate culture, travel and fashion - three topics that fascinate us both. She always has a ready smile that brightens up everyone's day. And she always brings with her an air of positivity that infects everyone and leaves us with good vibes.

When I was living in HKG, I'd bump into her in the strangest of places. Once, we saw each other in Disneyland; she with her family and I, with Prichy and her kids. Another time, I was busy perusing the racks at H&M in Central. Lo and behold, she was there with Anton and Nic. We immediately exchanged pleasantries, while exchanging the "finds" we got.

During my last retreat (which was a long time ago), she wrote me a beautiful Palanca letter. Not surprising, really, since she's a brilliant writer. It was about finding and coming to terms with our own spirituality, and finding Him in everything we do. It was such an inspiring letter from a person who's equally inspiring.

They say "friends are family you choose for yourself", and more than a decade after we first met, I'm still glad and honored that she's part of my family, and that she'll always be a Kin.

Happy Birthday, Kin!

Red letter day

If the 30th of June is a red-letter day for a lot of people, it won't be because of the Presidential Inauguration.

First up, Twilight:Eclipse is opening on the 30th. So young girls and boys will be seeing red in the form of blood - vampire and werewolf blood to be exact.



Since it's a holiday, I can imagine all the tweens marching in to movie theater en masse as early as 10am. This reminds me of how we used to line up under the scorching sun to watch "Superman 1" and "Star Wars: A new hope" in Circle theater along Quezon Avenue, and the old Greenhills theater.

Then, we have fashionistas who'll be seeing red as well. The red "Sale" sign at Zara.



Zara has its first sale of the year every June 30, and they do this Asia-wide. I remember how when I was still living in HKG, my colleagues and I would have lunch at IFC so we could go check out the sale immediately after.

That said, it looks like Wednesday will be a very busy day for me.

Chicken lot-tle

If you see a lot of people forming a long queue outside Max's restaurant every evening, it's because of 4 simple words:

Chicken-all-you-can.

Max's is letting all its customers eat all the chicken they want between 6pm and 10pm. And knowing the Filipino's love affair with "eat-all-you-cans", this one will be a huge, huge hit.

I just hope we don't have a chicken shortage, or an increase in obese people the next month or two.

For whom the (Taco) bell tolls

This might be tantamount to an obssession.

I've been eating at Taco Bell for 2 days straight.

It started yesterday. After the MRT ride from Ayala to Cubao, I found myself so famished and the first place I saw was Taco Bell. Since they have rice and bean burrito (frijoles is love!), it was an obvious choice. Frijoles has the power to bring me back to my exchange days in Mexico. (Viva Mexican Mafia!)

Today, I found myself back there again. Right after call, I went back to the same branch, this time for the cheese quesadillas! The great thing about Taco Bell quesadillas is teh fact that it's huge! And the dipping sauce is awesome. I can go back and eat it again and again.

Then there's the part about it being cheap. A full meal at Taco Bell nets somewhere between P69 to P99. That price is enough to ring anyone's bell.

Wonder what I'll have tomorrow.

Today's episode is brought to you by the letter T

Disney has 2 new movies coming up, and both start with the letter "T."

First, there's "Tron Legacy." I'm a huge, huge, HUGE fan of the original tron, so this one is a movie that I'll definitely watch out for. The fact that it has Jeff Bridges again just raises the cool factor a few notches higher.



Then, there's this new fairy tale comedy that's a fresh take on Rapunzel. The trailer alone is hilarious. It feels like "Enchanted" with a kick.



Great job, Disney. You're giving me two more reasons to look forward to the movies.