Creative Learning

Since I teach creative courses, I try to put a creative spin in all aspects of the class. "Learn by example," as the adage goes.

So, when I started formulating the course outlines for this semester, I made 2 versions. First is the "official version" which the school asks for. This is basically 5 pages of plain text on a legal sized bond paper. Then, I made a second version which I distributed in class - a "creative version."





This course outline is inspired by scrapbooks. Since the course is a creative writing course which puts together milestones and memories on paper, it's pretty much like building a scrapbook, albeit using words. There were different cover versions for this one, and this is among my favorites.



The copywriting course is inspired by tea. Not only is this the trend, it's also reminiscent of how copywriters brew words to come up with something refreshing.



For the Creative Advertising class, I looked for magic slates and brought back the "clean slate" idea. As a creative, the mind must be a clean slate each time you do a project. And this captures that thought perfectly.



I hope that these outlines help the students be bring with them that creative attitude as we face another semester of learning.

FMM: Let's Go, Go!

Last October, Belinda Carlisle had a concert in Manila. I wanted to catch it, but thought that the concert wouldn't be that fun because she's sharing the spotlight with two other artists - Human League and Howard Jones.

So, as much as I wanted to hear her sing: "Heaven is a Place on Earth," I skipped the concert altogether.

But, if Belinda Carlisle came to Manila with the Go-go's in tow, that would be a totally different story.



Calling the Go-go's. You should have a reunion concert and go-go to Manila.

L.A.L.A. Land

And now it's down to the final four. And although I'm a bit miffed that my favorites didn't get this far (Alexandra. Shannon and Kayla were my favorites), I'm pretty pleased with the last 4 all-stars standing. Each one has her own "brand" that Ms. Banks can milk dry.

Lisa, the loose cannon.


Angelea, the sassy New Yorker.


Laura, the country cutie.


And Allison, the kewpie doll oddball.


One thing I learned about this cycle is that it's anybody's ball game. The models who were eliminated were actually eliminated for the lamest of reasons. So, given this top 4, it's hard to predict who'll be facing off as top 2.

It might be the battle of the cute, blonde, first runners up, (Allison and Laura), or the battle of the big personalities, (Angelea and Lisa).

Who'll land the top spot and win it all? We have 2 more weeks before all is revealed.

Pretty Mean Queen

Yes, "Snow White and the Huntsman" looks like a magnificent movie. And yes, Charlize Theron looks astoundingly wicked as the Evil Queen.

But my heart still goes out to Julia Roberts' snarky, cooky and comic portrayal of the Evil Queen in "Mirror, Mirror."



Pretty please, show "Mirror, Mirror" here next year!

Vera Modern

For as long as I remember, Vera Wang was all about grace and femininity. Her designs are very classic and lady-like. Her clothes were all about luxurious fabrics like silk, chiffon and jacquard. Then she adds tasteful embellishments like beadwork, metal or paillettes. In short, something Jackie O would usually wear.

While browsing through her website, I was pleasantly surprised to see her Spring/Summer 2012 collection. From the first piece to the last, it felt like I was looking at someone else's website and not Vera's. The reason? Everything looked so modern and a bit space-agey.



Her cuts are now more experimental. The fabrics are a bit more abstract. The details are more cutting edge. And the tailoring is a bit more sharp. It's actually a nice departure from her signature look, but I'm on the fence whether I prefer this direction or her usual "classic chic."

I guess I'm just an old-fashioned kind of guy.

Let it snow!

Caught the trailer of "Snow White and the Huntsman" on-line, and all I can say is:

"Magnificent!"



It looks like a dark, medieval retelling of a classic tale. And I'm really digging the darkness of it all.

Can't wait to see the trailer of Julia Roberts' version.

Father Dave's humor

Today, I heard mass at the Megamall Chapel, and luckily, Fr. Dave was officiating the mass.

It's funny because when the lector said: "And the officiating priest for this Mass is Fr. Dave Concepcion..." the lady behind me let out a silent shriek and said: "Uy! Si Fr. Dave! I love it!" Further proof that Fr. Dave is a rock star. Hahaha.

One reason why I enjoy listening to his homilies is the fact that he injects humor into his stories. But his humor is really relevant to the gospel and really gets the point across.

Today, he was telling us about how, at times, we expect too much results without putting anything in.

His example was how some ladies try so hard to catch a bouquet during the wedding reception. They want to catch it because they believe that the girl who catches the bouquet next will get married next.

To this, Fr. Dave said: "Gusto ko nga sabihin sa kanya, Hija, kahit isang daang bouquet ang masalo mo, kung wala ka namang manliligaw, at kung hindi ka naman tumatanggap ng manliligaw, aba, hindi ka ikakasal! Huwag mo i-asa sa bouquet ang buhay mo."

And he interjected a funny realization:

"Naisip ko nga, bakit hindi ginagawa sa libing yan? Kunwari, pagkatapos ng libing, ihagis din ang korona ng patay. Kung sinong makasalo, siya ang susunod!"

The chapel roared in laughter. And I laughed out loud along with the congregation. And after the laughter, everyone was nodding and saying: "Oo nga, tama si Father."

And that's how effective Fr. Dave - and his humor - is in bringing the message of the Gospel across.

Clearly cool

I'll make one thing clear, I'm not a big fan of clear shoes. I've always thought there was something off putting about them. I've read an article once about how clear shoes give you that "barefoot effect." And my initial thought was, "if you want a barefoot effect, why not go barefoot?" Harhar.

Almost all major shoe brands have come up with a clear, glass looking shoe. Including Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. They say they're inspired by Cinderella's glass slipper. But reports that Cinderella's glass slipper is all that is nothing but a fairy tale.

I didn't think I'd find a clear shoe that would change my mind.

But I also didn't think that I'd see this:





Chanced upon these teal brogues at The Ramp and I thought they were so cool. Actually, it caught my attention from afar, and when I came closer, I was even more wowed by the design. Particularly, the fact that these brogues had clear sides.



It's so chic the way this shoe was designed. It combines patent leather with clear plastic, and it's done in a chic and cool way. It's classic yet modern. It's edgy yet wearable.



Again, I'm not a big fan of clear shoes. But this one is clearly an exception.

FMM: Back to school

Today was the first day of school, and it was great to see my class. It looks like Friday and Saturday are the busiest days for the Department since most of the faculty come in during these 2 days. Coolness!

One of my favorite songs as a kid was "What's it like to be in School?" It was a sketch on Sesame Street, and I distinctly remember wanting to ride a big yellow school bus after watching this. Unfortunately, we had a white Ford Laser bringing us to school. Hahaha.



It's good to hear this song again, especially on a Friday. It reminds me of how things should be done in my classroom. After all, my goal is to have a class where they can laugh, they can shout, and it's inside and it's out.

That's what's it like to be in school.

And on an unrelated note:

Today is 11-11-11!

Cool.

Friends of long standing, part 2

The first time I met Prime and Kitel, I was a 15 year old freshman in UP. They eventually became my project team mates, mall companions, kumares, and a long list of things.

More than 20 years later, we're still here, meeting up and eating at malls, talking about our crazy college projects, and marveling at how fast our godchildren are growing up.





Times may change, but thankfully, friendships don't.

Chip thrills

I wonder why it took so long for me to discover this.

While I was at SM Supermarket looking for Jovy's Banana Chips, I chanced upon Leslie's Thin and Crispy Banana chips on the shelf. Since they had a small pack, I thought of buying one and trying it.



Gosh! It's really, really good banana chips. The slices are very thin and cripsy (as the name implies), and it has the right amount of sweetness. I was so thrilled, I went back immediately and bought a bigger bag.

Ah yes. Cheap, chip thrills!

One big, happy family

Quite often, I celebrate my birthday twice in one day - one with family, and the other with friends. (Except last year when there were actually 3 celebrations, thanks to my Advertising students.) But sometimes, these two celebrations merge into one, big, happy birthday get together.

Yesterday was one of them. My family was also at B'Fast for the Big Brunch Buffet, and this was another reason why we practically hogged all the tables at the restaurant. And eventually, the crowd spilled outside, and my family had a relaxing after-lunch coffee al fresco.



The boys enjoy the brew.


And the girls ham it up with Javier.


Three generations of Morales boys. (And look-alikes at that.)


Nephews and nieces who are all-grown up all of a sudden. (Signs of getting old, methinks.)


Dad with his look-alike grandchildren.


More chilling out.


It's always great to have joint celebrations such as this, primarily because it blurs the lines between families and friends. After all, your family should always be your friend, and your friends are also your family.

Big Birthday Brunch at B'Fast

One indicator that your circle of close college friends is getting bigger is when you can actually fill up a small restaurant. And that's what we ended up doing at our Birthday lunch at B'Fast in Ayala Triangle. We got 2 long tables, and there was almost no room for other diners to sit!

Another indicator is when you can't fit in one photo anymore. The solution, divide the group into two.





Maricar said that Grace and I were like a married couple jumping from table to table. Hahaha.

A big hearty brunch with a group of Frendz that's constantly getting bigger. It's part of what makes a birthday a big and special celebration.

Sweet Valli High

When news of Giambattista Valli's capsule collection for Macy's came out, I didn't think there would be that much excitement since he's not that big a household name in the U.S.

But I've always liked his designs. He likes to play with color, texture and prints - all at the same time. One might think this cacophony is confusing, but he has a way of putting them together in a chic way. Like this dress that plays with black and white, print and texture:



His Macy's collection has one dress that has the same spirit as the one above. This one plays with black and red, plus two animal prints. Again, that might be confusing for some, but for Valli, it all comes together perfectly.



Maybe I should ask Biboy to hunt down this animal for me.

FMM: Going West

While walking through Paseo Center, Grace, Tintin and I saw a poster that brought the 80s back all over again. It was a poster for Go West's concert on November 11 and 12.

We immediately switched to 80s mode and sang Go West's hits while walking to Grace's car. And the top of mind song was no other than:



"We Close our eyes."

By the time we got to Grace's car, we decided that we'd open our eyes next week and watch "Go West" in their free concert.

Hello 80s, here we come!

I saw the sign

I was sorting photos from my HKG trip 2 weeks ago and I saw a photo that I took that made me smile. It was the shop window of Club Monaco in Harbour City. And the reason I smiled wasn't because of the nice display, but because of this sign on their window:



My blog name is their F/W2011 theme.

Woot!

Losing its value

Dropped by Wendy's on my way home and noticed that they've removed the Super Value Menu off their board.

In fact, the Side Salad that used to cost P29.00 last week is now P40.00! That's an P11.00 difference in less than a week. And to make matters worse, their side salad is dwindling in terms of volume. I mean, it's ok to raise your prices, but they should also keep or increase the amount of salad in their side salad.

But now, they've it's more expensive and there's less salad. Boo!

Where's the value in that?

Hello Lolo

Just like the rest of the Philippines, we spent a day during the long weekend to be with our Grandparents and Tita who have gone ahead in this journey of life.

Loyola Memorial Park is like a circus during All Saint's Day. Aside from the multitude of people setting up tents, playing music and celebrating reunions, you also have dozens upon dozens of stalls sprouting out everywhere. I spotted Yellow Cab, Shakey's, Greenwich, Lapid's Chicharon, Selecta, California Berry, Mang Inasal - it was practically a food court. But hey, at least you won't go hungry.

Since this is Marikina, there's also a tiangge where they had shoes on sale. Then, of course, you also have a lot of Angry Birds floating around.



Good thing the crowds weren't that thick when we arrived. We got to enjoy Loyola's peace and quiet.



When we were younger, we'd set up tents and stay there overnight just like the rest of the folks in Loyola. But when it started looking less like a memorial park and more like a mall, we decided to just visit when the place wasn't crazy busy.



In a few days, it'll be the 22nd Anniversary of Lolo's passing. Two decades have passed, and I still miss him.



Lola already celebrated her 22nd Anniversary. She and Lolo passed away the same year. And a few days before Lolo's anniversary, Ate Lon will mark her 17th year.



It's a good thing we were able to go before the crowds poured in. It's nice to remember and say hello to the family members who have gone ahead in an environment of solemnity and peace.

YSL for less

One of the most iconic fashion pieces of this century was the Mondrian dress created by Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s. It represented the mod spirit of that decade, but rendered it in a classic shift. The material was also very classic, made of blocks of wool jersey.

This dress has been around for 50 years, and the look is still current today as it was back in the 60s.



The original dress must be worth a fortune now. After all, it's archived at the Met Museum.

Now if you want the same essence of the dress without the super high price tag, then you should hang around Plains and Prints this November and December and watch out for this dress to drop.



Visually, I think it's a very good homage to YSL's Mondrian Dress. I'm sure the material isn't as luxurious, but if it's visual impact you're looking for, this dress is good enough.

Scary, but true.

Heard mass at 13th Avenue today, and the priest's homily made the congregation both laugh and think. He recalled that a few days ago, he ran into a group of kids doing the usual trick or treat at Ali Mall. Most of the kids were dressed up as little devils, and these little devils would snarl and scare the passers by, including the priest.

He said:

"Kapag Halloween, ang hilig-hilig natin bihisan ang mga bata bilang demonyo at diablo. Gustung-gusto natin at cute na cute tayong gawin silang maliliit na demonyo. Tapos, pag sinagot tayo, pag sinuway tayo, pag nagpapakita na ng masamang asal, iiyak-iyak tayo. Tatanungin natin, bakit ganyan ang anak ko?

Aba, huwag kang magulat kung hindi magandang asal ang pinapakita ng anak niyo. Eh kayo mismo, kayo mismo, ginagawa niyo silang maliit na demonyo."



Father hit the nail on the head. What he said was true.

Scary, but true.

Come on, Brogue...

You'd think that after 2 years, the trend would've faded away. But judging by the number of new styles coming out every month, it looks like the brogue trend is showing no signs of fashion fatigue. In fact, each time a new incarnation comes out, it becomes more and more interesting.

Take for example these three pairs that I chanced upon at the strongholds of fast fashion - SM Department Store and Landmark. They're pairs that give the classic oxfords a feminine twist.



This pair pretty much adheres to the look of brogues, but renders it in bright blue patent leather. Plus, it makes the edge pointy to soften the look.



Color is always a perfect way to breathe new life to a trend. And this two-tone pair balances the masculine and feminine elements by blending blush and navy.



Florals are often seen as too saccharine. But if you render it in gray, and anchor it with gray leather, you have a girly-edgy pair that will look great with jeans, khaki, and even a nice, flowy dress.



These little details are good come ons and make brogues even more appealing. And if they come out with more interesting details such as these, I wouldn't be surprised if this trend stays around for 2 more years.

FMM: In the swing of things

There was a "Hits of the 80s" CD at home, and while I was looking at the playlist, I saw this song that I liked a lot but haven't heard in a long time. It's a song that everyone wants to slow-swing to, and it's such a retrolicious song by Odyssey.

Today's homage to Friday Magic Madness is "Native New Yorker."



There's something about this song that just transports me back to the 80s. It might be the beat. Or the instrumentation. Or the synths. Or it can be the voice of the singers. Or it can be all these things combined.

Just gotta love the 80s!

Double Whammy!

After the "non-elimination" episode 2 weeks ago, Ms. Banks decides to pull out another surprise and calls for a double elimination this early on in the game. (Previously, the double elimination came when there were only 4 girls left.)

And who were the two unlucky models who were booted out of the ANTM house?




Bianca and Kayla.

I'm glad that Bianca's out. She was too mean and combative. But I'm sad that they let go of Kayla. I liked her in Cycle 14, and was hoping she'll make it to top 4.

But hey, at least Kayla is now free.

Dressed for excess part un

With less than a month before the Versace for H&M collection drops, their look book has been floating all over cyberspace. I've seen some of the pieces, and they're very Versace. And I'm talking about the "Gianni Versace era" when excess was the order of the day.

When I say excess, I do mean EXCESS! For example, their men's collection isn't for the faint of fashion heart. It'll take a lot of guts and a pinch of panache to go out wearing something like this:


Gianni Versace was known for loud prints. He was the one who brought us the medusa head, the Florida-esque palm trees and sunsets, and the baroque style motifs.And with this collection, it feels like these loud prints are amplified by a 100,000 watt speaker!

I mean, you already have a loud print to begin with. If that isn't enough, you have to cover it all up with clear sequins.


Then, they've got some print-on-print action going on. But this isn't the subtle, same family type of print pairing that Etro does. We're talking about a clash of prints that's designed to shock the eye.


Overall, I think this collection is a good foil to last year's detailed minimalism from Lanvin. They're very brave pieces that require a lot of panache to carry.

But brave or loud as it seems, it still is Versace. And I think that's enough to get people rushing to the stores and buy an excessive amount of these pieces.

When's it our turn?

Nope, this isn't about The Little Mermaid singing "Part of your world."

It's about this:



So, H&M opened in Singapore this year. And they've officially announced that they're opening in Bangkok and Jakarta in 2012.

What? They decided to open in Jakarta before opening in Manila? Oh the pain!

Come on, H&M, open a store in Manila. Now!

Modern Mannequin

Since I'm on a window display streak, let me talk about the star of the window display - the mannequin. Another thing I like about shop windows in HKG is the fact that they use a variety of mannequins. Some stores use mannequins that are very lifelike. Others look very industrial. While others look very conceptual.

One thing is for sure, though. You won't see those retro, scary mannequins with painted faces such as this.



A few years back, this was the mannequin du jour in many Philippine shops. Yes, they would even paint the lips blood red. And it freaked me out because it reminded me of "Marsha" from "Twilight Zone."

Zara has nice mannequins this season. When I dropped by their Harbour City store, the first thing that caught my eye was their window display. Aside from the interesting clothes, I found their mannequins equally interesting.



The caricature-type faces remind me of Lanvin mannequins, particularly from last year. The exaggerated lashes and thick brows seem to be a nod to their look last year. The only thing missing was the quirky expression.



This pop of color set against the stark, white physique of the mannequin gives it a very modern look. And this just further strengthens the fact that when it comes to visual styling for retail, HKG really is ahead of its neighbors.