Loafing Around

Back in the 80s, when most of the kids wore the lace-up Gregg shoes in school, my siblings and I wore something very different.

We wore loafers. Or, penny loafers as they were called back in the day.

These were leather shoes that Tita Evelyn would bring us from Spain. Some were patent leather, some were matte. She would bring one for each one of us, and we'd always enjoy wearing these super comfy shoes.

But because they were uncommon back then, our classmates would sometimes tease us for wearing them. There was a time that my 2 Ates said that their classmates in St. Joseph's College would laugh at them because they were wearing "boy shoes." But that didn't matter to them.

A few years later, particularly in the 90s, loafers became a big thing. You'd be popular in school if you wore "Haruta" shoes, which were loafers from Japan. You could only buy them abroad, although sometimes, Tokyo Hanna in Greenhills would sell them.

Now, more than 40 years after they first came to my consciousness, loafers are back!

Most fast fashion brands have an iteration of these iconic shoes, and people are starting to wear them again. Actually, Ate Bullet was looking for a nice pair of loafers, and thankfully, they had them in Memo. And they had them in her size. And it was an automatic buy!

You really can't loaf around when it comes to trends.

Hei you!

One of the traditional dishes served during Chinese New Year get-togethers is Lo Hei. 

It's like a salad, but with the addition of raw fish like Salmon. It has different options for the dressing, but the more popular one is a sweet and sour, vinaigrette type of sauce that you pour over it.

After the sauce has been poured, the people around the table do what is called as the "Prosperity Toss." 

They all toss the salad together, and the belief is that the higher you toss it, the more good luck everyone gets.

It's been 4 years since I've last had Lo Hei, which was in SG. I've never tried looking for Lo Hei in MNL, although given the number of Cantonese restaurants here, maybe there's one that serves it.

Hey, I should look for that.

FMM: Great Hole of China

Because it's Chinese New Year this weekend, today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by this country where the celebration originated.

No, it's not a Canto-pop song or a traditional Chinese song. It's actually a song from my fave 80s diva, Cyndi Lauper!

This song wasn't as big a hit as her other iconic ditties like "Girls just wanna have fun" or "Time After Time," or even "She Bop." But the first time this song played on-air, it caught my ear and led me to buy a cassette tape back in 1988. It's a song that'll only sound familiar if, like me, you're a Cyndi fan.

"Hole in my Heart, (all the way to China)" has the same upbeat instrumentation and energy of Cyndi's songs. And the premise of having a hole in your heart that goes all the way to China was quirky and clever.

That's a classic and another great song from Cyndi!

Reese’s Piece

Fact: Reese Witherspoon is great with romantic comedies.

She’s just a joy to watch! With her bubbly personality and great timing, she can carry a rom-com with ease. Problem is, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her in one.

Thankfully (said in her high pitch Elle Woods voice) that’ll change this February 10.

She’s coming out in a new Netflix rom-com!

Make it February 10 now, please! I so want to see this piece of film,

LFTAT: Triple Double

Compared to their Purple Sales, this year is a bit of a “slim pickings” scenario. The items that caught my eye aren’t available in Ate’s size, and the ones that are in her size are items that she already had.

There was this one piece in Plains & Prints Ali Mall that caught my eye and was a great buy. It’s a two-piece set consisting of a shift dress and a tulle skirt, and it can be worn in three different ways:

First, it can be worn as a drew with an outer skirt made of tulle. This gives it a slight peek-a-boo feel.

Second, the tulle skits can be worn underneath to give the dress a drop-waist, flapper vibe.

Third, for a casual weekend, the shirt dress can be worn on its own.

Imagine getting 3 looks for less than a thousand. Now, that’s a great deal!

Va-va-villains

On its onwnthe film "Shazam" and the upcoming "Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods," isn't really something I"m into.

Then, I saw the trailer:

Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as the villains?

Where to I line up for tickets.

Period

As someone who has always been interested in history, period shows are always on top of my Netflix watch list.

Even before Netflix, in terms of books and other reading materials, stories of ancient civilizations have always been my staple. From Edith Hamilton’s “Mythology” to books on Egypt and Perisa - those were my go-tos.

That’s why this series is something appealed to me when it first played in the trailer suggestions on Netflix.

I’ve been interested in the Viking culture since Asterix. And this series shows the intricacies of the Viking culture in a vivid - and sometimes violently dramatic way.

Which makes it so interesting to watch.

Denim Duo

It’s been about 2 months since I snagged these items from Plains and Prints. Then I realized they haven’t been given the acknowledgement they deserve.

Denim is a big part of their Holiday collection. And it’s not the overly heavy denim, but the light, almost chambray one’s that can be sculpted and molded into more fashionable pieces. Like these two:

First is a denim dress with front buttons like a shirt dress.

What’s nice and different about this is the extended sleeves that really up the design a notch.

Second, this vest and shorts ensemble.

Ate has been eyeing this since she saw it on the Lookbook. Thankfully Jhoan was able to find me a pair! It’s a take on the tailored suit, but more casual and daily wear worthy.

This dynamic duo is definitely a worthy addition to Ate’s closet.

FMM: What's in a name

Thanks to my post about Toni yesterday, a Friday Magic Madness song suddenly popped up in my head.

Particularly because of the lyrics: "Toni, Toni, bo-boni, Banana-fana, fo-foni, Me, my, mo, mo-ni, Toni!"

That song, of course, is Laura Branigan's 1987 hit: "Name Game."

This is no game. This song is so catchy! And LSS-inducing as well.

Class Act

It feels just like yesterday when the semester started.

And yesterday, one of my classes wrapped up!

As always, i’m Impressed by the level of knowledge and talent my students possess. And to think they;re just 2nd year students!

This class has a bright future ahead of them.

Toni Award

It would be an understatement to say that my heart was swelling with pride after seeing this poster online.

My niece, Toni, is an advertisement! And as an advertising practitioner, this is such a thrill to see a family member in an allied field in advertising.

Toni has actually been making waves for years now on Tiktok. We knew she was popular, but it was further cemented by these 2 instances:

One, a number of my officemates are followers and are pretty much updated about the goings-on in Toni's life. Sometimes, they know more than I do! (Mainly because I'm not on Tiktok.)

Two, some of the sales people at Forever 21 in SM Megamall know her. Last October, when I was buying a gift for her at the store, I showed them Toni's photo to confirm her size. One of the sales people said: "Si Toni Rose po yan, di ba? Bakit niyo siya ibibili ng gift?" It was odd to have to explain to a stranger why I'm buying a gift for a family member.

Then again, even as a kid, she had a personality that you know would really thrive and make it big. And her many projects, including this recent one, is just proof of that.

What the "F" - yet again

You'd think that "platform" is an easy word to spell, right?

Apparently not.

Proofreader, please!

LFLTAT: Fashionable slant

Jeans with interesting details always catch my eye. Whether it's a pair for men or women, anything out of the ordinary - from the fabric, construction and style - is sure to make me buy that pair.

Case in point is this pair of blue jeans from Surplus Shop. It's a classic, straight-cut jean with a dark blue wash. But if you think it's your typical pair, check out the slanted waist band that's on top of another waist band.

It's such an interesting detail. I've had similar jeans from HKG before, but they usually look like 2 layers of denim. This one goes beyond the usual, and the slant makes it more fashionable.

To make that detail pop-out, I got this dark coloured top, also from Surplus Shop.

Great thing about this pair is that it just cost P850 in total!

Shiok value!

Roti has long been a favourite. From the first sample of this classic SG/MY staple, it's become a craving whenever my travels take me to these 2 countries.

In the Philippines, the satisfaction of my Roti fix usually comes from Banana Leaf. They have really good Roti and curry dip, and it's the default order when we eat at that resto.

Last week, Mark and I discovered a new place where we can indulge in Roti.

Roti Shop is a new place we discovered at The Podium. It serves different types of Roti, as well as the usual SG and MY staples. These include Mee Goreng, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Bak Kut Teh, Milo Dinosaur, among others.

It's so awesome to have something like this so close to the office. Or, as they say in SG, this place is so...

Fantastic at 57

To quote Fr. Xavier who officiated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary: “Sa mga nagsasabing walang forever, Eton, mamatay kayo sa inggit.”

Today, my parents are celebrating their 57th Wedding Anniversary!

To paraphrase Carl's message some 7 years back, Mom and Dad really set the bar high when it comes to long-lasting relationships. They're both an inspiration and a benchmark that the Morales kids aspire for.

How fantastic is that?

LFLTAT:A surprise underneath

This might look like your regular denim skirt and blouse ensemble that’s less than a thousand bucks.

The top is a GU shirt with flutter sleeves that I got from one of my haunts. The denim skirt is from Lazada.

So, what’s surprising about this look?

Tadaa! The skirt is actually a skort!

That’s more surprising than the fact that this look is just P700 in total.

FMM: Not imagining things

When Gywneth Paltrow came out with her "Duets" album back in the year 2000, one of the most played tracks for me was "Just my Imagination (Running away from me). It was her duet with Babyface, and it made for this very soothing R&B track.

It was a few years after that I found out that the original singer of this track was the iconic group from the 60s - The Temptations.

After listening to their version of the same song, it became one of those moments when the original was def much better than the remake. That's why it's today's Friday Magic Madness song.

The original version from the 70s had a lot more soul and emotions. Might be because they were the original artists, but they understood and its mood a lot more than Gywneth and Babyface.

And I'm not just imagining that.

Scents of Christmas

Seems to me like my friends has the same thought when they were buying my Christmas presents.

These bottles of perfumes were all gifts!

Looks like it’s going to be a very fragrant year,

Or two. Or three.

Long overdue, part trois

Here’s another overdue get together that finally happened during Christmas break.

Before the pandemic, we’d often go out for lunch - either at Aysee’s, JT’s Manukan, Hainanese Delights or any restaurant with unlimited Korean BBQ. Aside from creativity, we all shared a passion for food, travel, funny stories, and just plain old Kaniguan.

It’s been almost 3 years since we last saw Miggy. While the last time that Ed and Migs joined us for lunch was Christmas 2021.

Great to see these kids again. And what’s even greater is how our creative bond has flourished even if we’re in different agencies now.

Long overdue, part deux

It was Christmas 2019 when D' Frendz last got together at Mona's house.

Now, as we welcome New Year 2023, we were back at Mona's house with some of D' Frendz who I haven't seen in more than 2 years!

Gosh! The kids are all grown-up now! Especially Lucas and Becca!

It took time before we saw each other, so thanks to the New Year for allowing us to meet each other again.

Utterly Fabulous

This is the Kdrama series I've been watching that inspired last week's Friday Magic Madness song.

"The Fabulous" is a series set in the fashion world. The 4 main characters are all in the fashion industry.  Ji-eun works for a PR agency handling luxury brands, Woo-min is a photographer and a retoucher who works with fashion shoots, Seon-ho is a Supermodel, and Joseph is a fashion designer.

After watching the first episode, I was hooked! In fact, it took me just 2-3 days to finish the 8 episodes in this series.

What made this show even more watchable was Park Hee-Jung. Her role as Supermodel Seon-ho is so natural to her, mainly because she's a real-life Supermodel.

This is such a fun series to watch that I've re-watched it once. And I have no plans of stopping just yet.

So, like the FMM song, this series is: "Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fabulous!"

Wheeee! It's 2023!

Another year is upon us! And we face it with renewed hope that we'll have an even better year than 2022.

As promised, the family celebrated in varying shades of Pantone's colour of the year - Viva Magenta!

May we all have a more blessed and bountiful 2023! Happy New Year!

Getting back to (the new) normal

As we get ready to welcome the new year, it's always nice to look at the year that was.

"New Normal" is a term that's been around since the later part of 2020, but it was this year that it felt like we were really moving in to it.

With the travel rules easing, masking becoming optional, and more people going out, it started to feel like the world was going back to what it used to be. But of course, there were still indicators of the pandemic - people still wearing masks, the reluctance to remove masks in public places, the practice of social distancing, and the feeling of overall cautiousness.

Personally, we started to go to the office more often. Our shoots were a bit more relaxed, sans the face shields but still with a lot of swab tests. Meeting up with friends became a tad (just a tad) bit more frequent. And yes, this was the year that I was able to travel again.

First, it was to Bicol with the family. That was the first domestic trip. 

Second, Mark and I were able to go to Seoul before the year ended. That was a special trip in a lot of ways.

And as 2023 comes rolling along, it feels like we'll start to do a bit more "normal" things. Hopefully, with more confidence and less reluctance.

Thanks for easing us to a new sense of normalcy, 2022. And we're hoping for a better a more "normal-normal" 2023!

FMM: Life IS better

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by a Netflix series that I've recently been binge-watching. But I'll talk about that in another post. Today is about the song.

This song was a huge, huge, HUGE hit in 1998. It was a dance club anthem that they would often play in places where there are people dancing. That includes music halls, clubs, videoke joints, company parties, birthday perties, Christmas parties - the whole shebang!

It's a song from The Tamperer featuring Maya, and the title is a cheeky one that encapsulates the experience of listening to the song:

"If you buy this record, your life will be better."

Gosh! The title itself is worth gushing over. It's so fun and cheesy! 

And the song - it's so happy, peppy and danceable. Plus, it samples "Material Girl" from Madonna, which makes it even more appealing to 80s kids like me. And yes, this song was played non-stop at the office whenever we worked overtime.

Listening to this song again after a long time, I can say that my life had definitely become better.

Feeling Randy

After my pre-New Year lunch with Mark at Shangrila Mall, I dropped by True Value on the 6th floor to get some LED bulbs.

Lo and behold, a few feet away from the hardware store, there was a Randy's Donuts kiosk!

I've been wanting to try this since they opened in BGC early this year. And it's so awesome that they finally opened one near the office.

Tried a dozen donuts and went for the premium ones. They had flavours like Red Velvet, Coffee, Hazelnut, Oreo, S'mores, among many others. The one that really caught my eye was the Raspberry-filled Glazed donut. And yes, it did not disappoint.

The donuts are really good! Not too sweet, the right amount of doughiness and chew, and the size is definitely bigger than the usual donuts. Which should be expected given their price point.

This is going to be a great addition to my donut repertoire.

Make mine Magenta

It's no surprise that fashion brands are suddenly bringing out their best magenta outfits. After all, Viva Magenta is Pantone's Colour of the Year for 2023.

Because the family wants to welcome the new year wearing this coming year's colour, it was off to the mall to find outfits for Mom. Luckily, there were 2 outfits that fit the bill.

Outfit # 1 is from Stella at Robinsons Department Store. 

It's a loose cotton jersey shirt and pants combo that's as comfortable as it is colourful.

Outfit # 2 is a combination from 2 shops.

The Susan Graver top is made of jersey and has a mock turtle neck and extended sleeves. The pair of jeans is from The Landmark.

Okay, Pantone! We're ready for 2023!

Closing a Chapter

It’smso sad to see this piece of news online,

National Bookstore in Greenbelt holds so many memories for me. And seeing the, close is like closing a chapter.

He’s coming to town

This year's Christmas wrapping theme was actually a case of reverse engineering.

It all started with these Santa Claus clips. 

These clips are almost 5 years old. Mark and I bought these in Tokyo, at one of our favourite black holes, Flying Tiger. It was near Christmas that time, that's why they had holiday stuff out. My purchase that day included 6 boxes of these clips.

After unearthing it in my closet, it was clear that this had to be part of 2022's Christmas wrapping theme.

Luckily, National Bookstore had Santa-themed wrappers out early. Believe it or not, these wrappers were on display as early as July this year. It was a sign!

The Santa Claus print in this wrapper had a bronze scarf against his classic red suit. It was natural that the ribbons for the year would echo these 2 colours.

Then, there were the tags. I designed these with different Santa Claus prints, from the classic to the whimsical.

With all these elements in place, this is how this year's Christmas wrapped gifts looked like. It's a mix of something very traditional with touches of colour and whimsy.

After many years, Santa Claus has finally come to town!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas has always been about family. So, on Christmas Day, our family, both near and far, came together to celebrate this most joyous day.

And when the clock struck 12 in the US, we had another virtual Christmas gathering with the US family as well!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Chill

It’s Christmas Eve, and the whole house is ready for Noche Buena. All the peeps have been made, so we’re just sitting by the gazebo, enjoying the company of family and some neighbors.

And yes, i’m not doing any last-minute Christmas gift wrapping! Woot!

So yes, Christmas is very chill this year.

And amidst the chill and calm of waiting for the day that Christ is born, I think it’s best that we wait for it in silence and reflection, and a Christmas Carol that embodies that.

Oh the beauty of a chill and silent Christmas Eve.

FMM: Remember her name

Every 80s kid knows Irene Cara.

From her memorable voice to her wonderful songs to her stellar performances, she was an artist who transcended one medium. She was a singer, an actress, an activist and an icon. Her presence and personality was so big, her absence is felt.

It’s been almost a month since she’s passed, and the musical world isn’t the same without her.

But just like her iconic song, while she might be gone, everyone will remember her name:

Her iconic “Fame” is the perfect Friday Magic Madness song to celebrate her life, her legacy, and of course, her fame.

It’s a Wrap

It’s official!

I’m done with all my Christmas wrapping this year! With 2 days to spare.

It’s going to be a very chill Christmas Eve.

Decade and decades

For the 1st face-to-face Christmas Party in 2 years, we decided to go back and relive the different fashion decades.

Our theme was “Fashion Flashback,” and we were encouraged to dress up in clothes from 1920s to 1990s. And the ManCom was very diverse, dressing up in different decades. From the dapper 40s to the fab 50s, from the swinging 60s to the flashy 70s. to the colorful 80s to the grunge-y 90s. (That’s me!)

And the term “decade” had a special significance for me as I celebrated my 1st decade in Catalytx this year! Whoa! This is my longest stay in one agency, and i’m thrilled that I marked this milestone at Catalytx!

That’s a perfect 10!

Hot Rod-ic’s

Now, there’s no need to go all the way to UP for my Rodic’s fix.

They opened a branch nearby!

This branchnin White Plains is near the Bakeshop and Coffee Shop. If the weather is pleasant, it’s actually possible to just walk there from Dexter’s!

Hey Rodic’s! Here I come!

Ca(n’)t be bothered

This made my Monday on-site work at the office SO worth it!

Seeing this cat looking at me like he can’t be bothered us cuteness overload!

Tree-at

For reasons that escape me, we didn't put up our Christmas Tree last year.

That's why this year, we made sure that it was up and lit by November.

And now, almost all the gifts for the year are also under the tree!

Now, that's a treat!

The Boss

Nope, this post isn't about Diana Ross' iconic song. 

But hey, I wrote about that already.

This is about our neighbour's adorable cat.

His name is "Bossing." Which is truly an apt name for him since he's super bossy. He bosses around the neighbourhood cats. He walks around as if he owns the compound. And when he "Meows", his voice is round and booming.

Yup, just like a boss.

FMM: Anticipating His Coming

One thing that I always look forward to during Christmas Masses are the Christmas songs that they play as Communion and Recessional Hymns. 

Today, at the online Anticipated Simbang Gabi, they played a song that's a personal fave even as an elementary school kid.

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is true-blue Friday Magic Madness worthy song. Its history dates back to the 1800s, and its still played until today. Talk about longevity, and a timeless classic! That's why as a kid, and until now, I eagerly anticipate whenever they play this song.

Just as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ this Christmas Day.

And the tradition begins...

Another year, another start of Miss de Gallo.

As much as i’d like to go back to attending it in person, i’ll have to do what i’ve been doing the past 2 years and attend on-line.

Can’t wait to complete the 9-days again.

Little goes Big!

Little Quiapo has always been our go-to halo-halo and palabok place since I was in grade school. It’s most likely because of its proximity from my old grade school - Claret. We’d sometimes go there after school and have our merienda.

It’s so much part of our lives that even as an adult, i’d still go to Little Quiapo. Nowadays, the Little Quiapo crew is usually composed of Maricar, Mona and Bonique.

We haven’t been to that restaurant in 2020. We’ve always wanted to go back, but haven’t gotten around to doing it. But after seeing this post, we want to go back!

Looks like there’s a big change at Little Quiapo. And i’m here for it!

Painting the town

Today, while in transit to a meeting and headed home, I noticed something similar in 2 different places.

This was along EDSA.

This was at Araneta Coliseum.

Guess people are painting the town these days.