Metrowalk to remember

It's my first time to pass through Metrowalk since the announcement of its closure.

There are so many good memories here. 

This was where they had "Brazil, Brazil." This churrasco restaurant was the first of its concept, with the waiters bringing different barbecued items to your table. Our family would usually go there on weekends because the food was good and the value was great.

This was also the place where D' Frendz would hang out. Mainly because there were a couple of unique retail stores at Metrowalk, including stores that would sell hard-to-find imported goods.

They would often live bands at the open area, and we'd usually go there to listen to live music.

Then, there was the GoodAh!!! store where our office would often go to be test subjects for new menu items.

While its sad to see Metrowalk quiet and empty these days, the memories created will surely fill that void.

It's in the Mix(ue)

Presenting one of my current guilty pleasures.

Mixue has been popping up like mushrooms recently. It turns out that it's a Chinese brand of ice cream and tea that's been making inroads in the country. Their main draw is their price, with ice cream being sold at P30 and brewed iced tea at P40.

My current go-to is the Hawaiian Tea, which has a lot of goodies inside. It's similar to Yi Fang's fruit tea, but a lot cheaper. The big size is only P95, compared to P190 of other similar products.

Considering all these, it's no surprise that Mixue is part of my beverage mix these days.

Hello HLA

My first encounter with the HLA brand was in Robinsons Manila. 

From afar, their logo had this strong "GIU" vibe. From the outside, their merchandise looked like stuff that you'd find in SPAO. Upon doing some research, it turns out that the brand is a Chinese brand, and the company wants HLA to be a "Chinese Uniqlo."

Despite the curiosity, I wasn't able to check out their store. But recently, they opened a branch very near us - Gateway Mall in particular.

This brand is unique because it only sells men's clothing. Yup, it's a one gender clothing brand. That's a rarity these days as almost all of the fast fashion brands are diversified. That little factoid makes the brand more intriguing.

Now that it's jus tin the neighborhood, I'll probably pop in and say hello.

Blanket Observation

Was watching a Canadian documentary on the environmental effects of fast fashion. At one part of the program, the host was wearing something that made me stop, grab the remote, then pause the screen.

It was this shirt.

After observing it for a few minutes, the reason why it looked familiar dawned on me. The fabric looks exactly like the iconic Pinoy blanket I've been talking about. The same blanket that we also have at home.

This is another thing we can have made with those iconic blankets.

FMM: Lean on Marlene

One of the most popular Jazz clubs in the 80s was just a few blocks away from our house.

"Birdland" was located at the corner of Timog and Morato, and we'd see it when we'd pass by that area. Sometimes, we'd pass there by car, sometimes, by foot. Later on, the name was changed to "Birds of the same feather," but remained a Jazz club.

They would always have big posters of their featured singers, and that's where my familiarity with local Jazz singers began.

The club would host Jazz greats like Annie Brazil, Richard Merk, Vernie Varga and Marlene Dela Pena.

Most of the Pinoys know the first 3 Jazz singers, but the 4th wasn't a household name. In the Philippines, at least.

Marlene Dela Pena is a Filipina Jazz singer who was a big name in Japan. In fact, she was more popular in Japan than she was here. But that didn't stop her from holding concerts here, which were always well attended.

One of her songs that I'd hear a lot on the radio was this Jazzy ditty from 1983:

"Zanzibar Night" is a great showcase of her singing prowess. She's got the voice. She's got the Jazz way of singing down pat.

No wonder she was popular in Japan. And eventually, in the Philippines, too.

Rebisco redux

When we were younger, one of my fave snacks was Rebisco Cream Sandwich. 

It was such a delish cracker sandwich. The cracker itself had the right texture and crunch, and the filling had this light, citrusy taste. Somehow, it reminded me of the filling of Jolly, but this had more dimension.

The packaging was ubiquitous. It was a white pack, with blue, orange and red stripes. It was made of a plastic-like material, and I'd recognize it from afar when we'd go to the grocery. 

Imagine my thrill when that same packaging from my childhood was brought back for Rebisco's anniversary!

And suddenly, I'm back to my younger self.

Bonito es abierto

Had to see it for myself to believe it!

Woohoo! Love, Bonito is finally open. It's just below the escalators at Greenbelt 3, same row as the Power Mac Center and across Urban Revivo.

Didn't have time to go in and check it out. But I'm definitely going to go back soon.

Nan(yang)chalant

Whenever I'm craving for the taste of SG, Nanyang is one of my top go-tos.

Thankfully, they now have a branch at The Podium. It's Prawn Mee and Iced Lemon Tea FTW!

I'm going to have this lunch again - hopefully in SG - soon.

Doggone bossy!

That would best describe this dog who nonchalantly took his place at the top of the escalator in the elevated Ortigas Park.

No matter how many people passed him by, he wouldn't budge. So, everyone - including myself - had to side step in order to pass.

Meanwhile, he was unbothered.

That's boss!

Ines' last-ing impression

Apparently, the fall collection of the Uniqlo x Ines dela Fressange collaboration is the last.

Among their many collaborations, this one seems to be the longest running. Season after season, Ines came out with beautiful pieces that capture her French joie de vivre.

It was indeed an impressive run.

One shirt, three ways

Plains & Prints came out with another Barbie collaboration. It's inspired by country club chic, and it's reflected in most of the pieces of the collection. There are a lot of pieces inspired by tennis, some sportswear inspired pieces in tweed, plus some preppy items.

Despite all the colours and prints that it has to offer, my fave piece is this classic white shirt.

It's a crisp and clean white shirt with a standing collar. The overall shape is very unique, having this oversized silhouette, a longer back hem, and the sleeves are both cuffed and dropped. So much chic details!

While it's unique, it's also very versatile. Here are 3 ways to wear it, each with its own vibe.

First, it's paired with a flared denim skirt with buttons in front. The skirt is from Dockers, and it makes the look very carefree. It's something that you can do weekend errands with, but in an elevated way.

Second, with a long, denim skirt with a high side slit which is from The Landmark. This gives the shirt a casual yet sultry vibe, but still keeping the classic shirt and denim combo.

Third, it's paired with a classic, straight cut jean from Muji. This is the quintessential classic - but lifted.

Three cheers for this versatile piece!

FMM: Sooth Sayer

He definitely ha sone of the more unique voices in 70s pop.

Leo Sayer's voice is so iconic It's both soothing and upbeat. And he showcases it best in his massive 1976 hit, "You make me feel like dancing."

Of course, the younger folk remember this song because of its role in the more recent"Charlie's Angels" films.

Either way, I'd have to say that it's a worthy Friday Magic Madness song for today.

When work follows you around...

Literally!

This is one of the projects the team worked on for one of our clients.

We dressed up the Robinsons Supermarket robot and did the video that’s playing in its “face”.

And it followed me around during my grocery run.

Maybe it recognized me.  

That’s so Fetch!

“Stop making fetch happen. It’s not gonna happen!”

But no, this isn’t a “Mean Girls” post.

It’s about the pretty denim dress from Marc Jacobs. 

Available on Far Fetch! (Wink)

Perking up the office

Call it "adulting" or just being a "Tito," but I'm finding it extremely gratifying to regularly fix up our little coffee corner at the department.

So far, it's effective in making the team a bit perkier than usual.

Pay your way

Looks like Zara is upping its retail game.

Just like stores in the Spain and Japan, the Zara branch at Trinoma now has a self-pay kiosk!

Tried it for myself and its very easy to use. Not to mention efficient.

Now, there's another reason to go to Zara. (As if I need another one.)

Blanket Approval - Part Daux

The saga of the iconic Pinoy blanket continues.

While the design itself is nice on its own, it's also nice to have a play of contrasts and textures, which is what we did for Ate's latest ensemble.

We mixed the orange blanket with dark denim for this top and skirt combo. 

The bright orange blanket was a refreshing breaker from the denim. And it's that contrast that made this ensemble more visually interesting.

Ate approves!

Pardon my French

Today is the big day!

Paris 2024!

Let me get into the French bandwagon. Just for today.

Gosh, this was almost 20 years ago!

Time to back to France. (After the Olympics, of course.)

FMM: French Flashback

In honour of the upcoming opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, it's time for a French-themed Friday Magic Madness song.

And who better to represent the French but the OG French chanteuse, Edith Piaf!

"La Vie En Rose" was released in 1947, which makes the song 76 years old! 

But listening to it today, it's still as beautiful and haunting as she first sang it.

C'est Magnifique!

These Olympians are Stella(r)

Call it the MET Gala of the sporting world.

Aside from the athletes, people look forward to the uniforms of each country participating in the Olympics.

After seeing dozens of uniforms, this has to be one of my faves.

Haiti's uniform is so colourful and vibrant, just like their country. And it turns out that the uniform is designed by one of my equally favourite designers - Stella Jean!

Stellar, indeed!

Putting the "Wed" in "Wednesday."

Further proof that "time flies so fast."

It's been 8 years since we went to GA to attend the wedding of Jul. His wedding was the first of his generation, so we made sure not to miss it.

Happy Anniversary, Jul and Jen! 

Water the odds

We were busy shooting inside the studio.

We could hear the strong rains outside, but it wasn't strong enough to be a concern.

We stepped out during a break, and we saw this:

And to think we just went out to go to 7-11 about an hour ago.

That was quick.

One of Four

It's going to be a "good kind of busy" week .

Today is the 1st day of 4 days of shooting. We have today and tomorrow, then Thursday to Friday.

It's going to be a lot of fun! 

(And the studio for the Thursday and Friday shoots have a Lawson in the same building.)

Oh, Deng!

This is my current cheap thrill.

This Odeng set plus iced tea art Lawson is just P135! It's filling enough to be a meal, but light on the flavour and tummy.

Oh, Lawson. You never fail me.

Feeling peachy

What do you do when you find out that they have a buy 1 take 1 sale on canned peaches at the nearby supermarket?

You make peach-mango-sago! (And when I say "you" it means "me.")

While there was no recipe followed, it turned out to be really good!

If they still have those peaches on sale, this is going to have a part 2. And part 3. And part 4...

FMM: Join the Convention

"Silver Convention" seems to be an odd name for a singing group. But, fun fact, there was a group with that name in the 70s.

The reason why I'm familiar with this group? No surprise, my Dad's cassette tape collection.

This group had a string of hits in the 70s, but one of the most popular, and my personal fave, is "Fly, Robin, Fly."

This 1975 song is great. It managed to extend two lines of lyrics to a full song that runs for more than 5 minutes. Amazing!

And the cheese factor of this music video is even more amazing.

It's a flight of fancy, IMHO.

Capsule collection

Call it "adulting" or "Tito-fying," but since we put up that coffee corner at the creative pantry, I've been into searching for and buying coffee capsules.

It's amazing how many brands and flavours of coffee capsules are out there. They even have hot chocolate capsules, too.

This is one of the perks that the creative folk like about our pantry.

And when we say "perk," it means figuratively and literally.

Blanket approval

Pinoys know this ubiquitous blanket.

It's a part of almost every Pinoy household, especially in the provinces. It's about as common as the wooden spoon and fork , last supper, dogs playing cards, and crocheted table cloths.

The fame that it's enjoying has made this blanket go beyond the bed and bedroom. Now, people are starting to wear this as a fashion piece.

Yup, there are now polos, pants, skirts and dresses made of this blanket. And while it may be odd at first thought, it actually works!

So much so that we got a few packs of the same blanket and had several things made.

First up, this skirt and blouse ensemble.

In the masterful hands of Joy, the pair looks so chic and cheery. That's because she took the time to really find the right parts of the blanket, and place them strategically in key points of the pieces.

For added oomph, the back of the blouse has a bit of a surprise. It has a cut-out detail with a bow.

Ate Bullet was thrilled when she saw this and wore it immediately.

Needless to say, it has her approval.

Come to my Ade

Because our office building is surrounded by Korean stores, I've discovered the joys of their packed drinks.

These drinks are fixtures in convenience stores in Seoul. You buy them, you buy a glass of ice, you pour it and enjoy.

Looks like 7-11 got wind of this because they're now selling ice cups.

So, Korean store + 7-11 =

These drinks - while in tetra packs - taste very natural! This one really tastes like squeezed grapefruit. And this is just one of the many, many, many flavours available.

One down, more to go.

Patch it up!

Speaking of pasalubong...

The limited edition Oreo x Sour Patch Kids collab is now here!

Actually, Ate Lissa sent 3 packs, but there are only 2 in the photo because we already finished one pack.

Yup, it's THAT good!

I’m Fine(ry)

Today is a fine day.

Thanks to these!

My Fine'ry loot has arrived. Thanks to Ate Lissa who bought it at Target, and Kuya Marv who brought it from TX!

The "Without a Trace" smells so good! It's a fine scent that I'm going to be using quite often.

D Squared

No, this isn't about the Canadian fashion brand.

But I'll get to them in a moment.

This is about how fun and fashionable a denim on denim look can be. Especially with the right pieces.

This ensemble is from 2 of my go-tos. The top is from Human, and the cargo jeans are from The SM Store. And let me just say, the jeans are super cool. The multiple pockets elevate it!

I'm amazed how these 2 denim pieces from different brands managed to come together seamlessly, as if it were just from one place.

FMM: Bear it!

Speaking of bears, one of my fave 80s shows suddenly came to mind. 

The show was entitled, "BJ and the Bear," and their theme song is today's Friday Magic Madness song.

Even after more than 3 decades, this song is still embedded in my head and can still sing it. Strange, but true.

Even stranger? The "bear" in "BJ and the Bear" is actually a monkey.

The 80s were sure a lot of fun.

Bear-able

While the main characters of the old Thundercats cartoon show were awesome in their own right, the characters that I'd often wait for to appear aren't the cats.

I'd wait for the bear.

Robear bill and Robear belle, in particular.

They were a touch of cuteness in the usual action-packed cartoon series. 

You can say that they made the show more, uhm, bearable. Harhar.

More Doggone cuteness!

We interrupt the series of cute photos of sleeping cats with...

Sleeping dogs!

This puppy was at our shoot yesterday, and he's so unbelievably cute!

Maybe we can give him a role in the commercial.

WATN: Where's Warren

Seeing posters and trailers of the new "Planet of the Apes" film got me to thinking:

"Where's Estella Warren?"

She was part of the 2001 version of the film, and she was a stand-out there. After that, she came out in a number of Hollywood blockbusters and was one of the most promising actresses of that decade.

But of late, it's hard to find her both on the small and big screens.

We need to see her on-screen again soon.

Bonito Begins

After much anticipation, the first Love Bonito store finally opens in the Philippines this weekend!

To go, or not to go. That is the question.

Meals with Mark: Bok-buster

Since we were already in the South, Mark and I went out to try the Korean Chicken restaurant of my cousin Pichon.

Bok Korean Fried Chicken is conveniently located at the corner of one of ATC's newer buildings. It's easily accessible, it's bright and spacious, and has that very casual, family vibe.

The chicken is good and crispy. The fries are well-seasoned. And overall, the value is great!

Something tells me this won't be the last time we'll be eating here.

One shoe, two ways: You know the (Espa)drille

The CLN branch at Ali Mall is renovating soon. And you know what that means...

Renovation Sale!

Saw this pair of platform espadrilles and it was around 70% off its original price! It was too good to pass off. 

It's a very cool and versatile pair. It gives this very Castillian vibe and is a comfy way to elevate a look. 

LOOK # 1: Utilitarian chic

The main piece here is a cargo skirt made with twill, snagged from Surplus Shop. It has a dark khaki colour that works well with the espadrille. The top is the same hue of the shoe (it rhymes!) and it's from Memo.

LOOK # 2: Dressy & daring

This dress is from Straightforward. The sides have an interesting cut-out, and the back is open, with just a few straps. It might come across as casual, but the details make it dressy.

Given that you can wear it 2 times in an instant, it's proof how this shoe is such a good buy.

FMM: Take Note

Sergio Mendes has been popping up on YouTube of late. Which is good because I'm a fan.

What's nice about it is the fact that I'm rediscovering a lot of their songs. One of the songs that played was a catch ditty that deserves to be today's Friday Magic Madness song.

"One Note Samba" shouldn't be confused with the Basia version. This one is more uplifting, more perky, and is a mood-lifter. Bonus is the fact that there are parts of the song that have been sampled by Sesame Street songs.

This song is def going on repeat!

Feeling Joyful

Been binging on choir videos on YouTube recently. Being a choir boy in grade school and high school, seeing videos like this hit different.

I've featured many a choir video here, and let me add another one to the pile. This one is the finale song from "Sister Act 2: Back in the habit."

Seeing his reminded me of those times when our HS choir would perform with choirs from different Catholic schools. Though they weren't competitions, there was a feeling of pressure to perform better than the other choirs.

This "Joyful, Joyful" number is a good reflection of what we used to do. That's why it brings me so much joy watching it over and over again.

Talk Back

Back in the 2000s, this was a fixture you would see everywhere. It was the most convenient way to call and talk to people when you were out of the house and didn’t have a mobile phone.

Now, these are just relics of the past. Unused. Unnoticed. 

Amazing what technology does.

Let it B

No, this isn't a Beatles post.

It's about this brand that caught my eye.

"Nissin" is the leading brand in wafers. They wanted to go up agains "Nissin." So, they thought of a name that's can confuse people and one that will rub off some of the category leader's equity on to their brand.

You have to be clever to come up with something like that.

Putting the "Pan" in Spanish

One food item that never fails to bring back a flood of memories is the "Pan con Tomate."

This was something that Lolo Iking used to prepare. He'd take a slice of french bread, crush a fresh tomato on top, then drizzle it with olive oil.

This turns out to be a Spanish thing. When I'd go to BCN to visit Tita Evelyn and my cousins, they'd also prepare this for breakfast or a snack.

Imagine my thrill upon seeing this at The Marketplace in Shangrila Mall.

Not only is it a Pan con Tomate derivative, it's also from El Corte Ingles, which is the quintessential Spanish brand.

Time to relive those Spanish pan memories.