Lux Life

After running out of shower gel and discovering that both Rustan's and SM don't have Ivory Simply Aloe on their shelves, it made me want to run off to Subic and go to Puregold and hoard a few bottles. Alas, it was 9pm and it was too late to go to Subic. Harhar.

Ergo, I had to check out whatever was available on shelf and choose from that stash. Unfortunately, my other favorite - Olay Shower Cream with Ribbons - was also out of stock. So I was left to choose between the usual Dial, Irish Spring and St. Ives.

Then in one corner of the shelf, there was a bottle of Lux Glamourazzi.



I've known that Lux has a shower gel line because we studied their competitive reel when I was still working in HKG. But I've never seen their products here in Manila. They had several variants in SM, some with interesting combinations like "pomegranate seeds and coco oil", but my eyes were drawn to their "Mandarin and Loofah" combination.

After buying and trying the product, it isn't bad. It lathers nicely and the smell stays without being too overpowering. And true to the Lux mission and vision, it really does make skin feel luxurious after use.

I think I've found a new addition to my shower gel armada.

Ann a roll!

And with this photo, Ann gets her 5th consecutive first call-out, which according to Tyra is a first in Top Model history.

Tyra also said that Ann is making Top Model "boring and predictable" because of her excellent photos. Part of me agrees, and part of me is excited at the thought of who will dethrone her as top photo in the next few weeks. My guesses would be Kayla or Chelsey.

With Ann's winning streak, I'm doubtful whether she'll get the top prize. It'll be TOO easy. And something tells me she'll have difficulty with the Cover Girl challenge.

I'll just have to wait Ann see.

Yes, Yes, Yo(gurt)

Way, waaaaayyyyy before the Fro-Yo invasion in Manila, I was already a fan of yogurt.

My first recollection of yogurt was when Tita Evelyn, Tito Agustin and my cousins from Spain would come to Manila for their vacation. Tita would always buy and stock up on yogurt, and one time, Yoly asked me to try it. I didn't like it the first time (it was the plain variety, so it was like eating sour cream), but it left me curious about it and why my Spanish relatives liked it so much.

In high school, I'd buy and eat yogurt occasionally, and liked it because they started coming out with flavors. When I went to Europe in 2001, that's when my love for yogurt went full blast!

Yogurt was cheap in Europe, so it was a healthy, yummy and cheap snack that I could buy at Albertheijn, El Corte Ingles, and Carrefour. My favorite brand was Danone and my favorite flavor was black cherry. They sold them in packs of 4, and I could finish all 4 in one day!

In Manila, Nestle yogurt is my hands down favorite. Their berry mix flavor is awe-to-the-some!

And when the yogurt ice cream stores started popping up, it just added to my fondness for this creamy, sweet/sour concoction.

Just when I thought that I've tried everything yogurt-y, I discover this concoction from Kenny Rogers!



Kenny Rogers' yogurt shakes are DA BOMB! I saw them preparing it, and they just add fruit, yogurt and ice! No added ingredients, no added sugar, just the healthy goodness of fruit and yogurt. And the result is divine! I tried the grape one for lunch, and ended up buying another glass in the evening for dinner. And that's just one flavor! There are 3 more just waiting to be tried.

And the yogurt obsession continues...

Ann top

Ann is on a roll! The ANTM Cycle 15 contestant who's best known for her tall height (at 6'2") and tiny waist (22") is consistent in coming up with great photos this cycle.



If ANTM is true to its mission of finding someone that's very high fashion and has a European flavor, I think Ann fits the bill. She's very gamine and has a sexy androgyny to her. Especially after the makeover. And yes, being 6'2" helps.



My only worry about Ann is how she'll do in the Cover Girl shoot. Let's face it, Cover Girl is looking for pretty-pretty and not awkward-pretty. While she's stunning, Ann isn't the conventional kind of beautiful. As Matthew Rolston described her 2 episodes ago, she's got very strange features that just work.



And those strange features are really going for her. Ann is the first model in ANTM Cycle history to have 4 consecutive best photos. Week after week, she's been surprising photographers and the judges. And audiences, too, like myself.



Will this propel her all the way to the top? Let's wait and see how the cycle will turn out.

Seeing a better world through round spectacles

Today should've been John Lennon's 70th birthday. Google and YouTube dedicated their landing pages to John Lennon, incorporating that iconic scribble which featured his unforgettable round eye glasses.





It's sad that we lost a genius at such a young age. John Lennon was a brilliant song writer and an influential musician. But what made him different is that most of his songs brought home a strong message. One that fervently and genuinely hoped for a better world: through equality, peace, love and positivity.

And among his many wonderful songs, my favorite has to be "Imagine." Because he captured the world as it should be. He was spot on in describing the simple things that will make our world a better place. He didn't sing about complex things, but very basic things that we can do to make lives easier and better for our fellowmen. It's almost like he's telling us: It's not difficult to create an ideal world. It just takes compassion. And hope. And belief in ourselves that we can go beyond our differences and work together towards this goal.



Yes, it's sad that we lost a genius at such a young age. But I'm glad that his songs were able to live on and flourish even after he's gone.

Happy 70th birthday, John Lennon.

I hope someday, you'll join us. And the world will live as one.

Speedy semester

And just like that, the 1st sem in school is over. It zipped by so fast that even I am surprised. It's such a cliche, but it seems just like yesterday when I was giving the class orientation, and tomorrow, I'm giving the class synthesis.

Well, as the adage goes, "Time flies when you're having fun." And considering how fast time flew, it just meant I had a lot, lot, lot of fun.

Pollo Loco

Before my Seoul trip, my impression is that there would be a pajeon or kimchi store in every street corner. Much like there's a siomai or noodle place in Manila, or there's a Vlaamse Frites place in Amsterdam, or even a Shawarma place in Prague.

Well, there aren't pajeon or kimchi stores in every street corner. But there's one food item that you can find in almost every street in Seoul, and it's something that I totally didn't expect to be uber popular there.

Fried Chicken!

A block away from my hotel, there were 2 fried chicken stores which were full most of the time. And while I was going around the different parts of the city, all these other brands kept popping up.






Yes, Koreans are crazy for fried chicken. That's why the business is not only flourishing, it's making a killing!

According to reviews, Bon Chon is the best of the lot. But since I was pressed for time, I wasn't able to try it.

Good thing they're opening a store here in Greenbelt 1. I'll have to try that out just to see what everyone's so crazy about.

Why Andy Sachs might NOT move to Seoul...

Andy Sachs: So none of the girls here eat anything?
Nigel: Not since two became new four and zero became the new two.
Andy Sachs: Well, I'm a six...
Nigel: Which is the new fourteen.

- The Devil Wears Prada

During my Seoul trip, one of the items that I saw a lot was the tapered, slightly cropped and tailored khaki pants. It's one of the hotter fashion items in the US, and everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Rihanna have been seen rocking this pair of pants.



The fashionable women of Seoul wore it with either a crisp shirt, a billowy blouson, or a t-shirt and a jacket. Footwear ranged from platforms to boots, and the occasional sandal. They were so effortly chic!

It was so chic that I decided to buy a pair for my sisters. So off I went to aPM Mall since there were a lot of them on display on the ground floor. After browsing, I finally found one with the right mix of classic and edgy. My sisters sizes are small and medium, so I asked the sales lady for those two sizes.

When she arrived, the "small" looked more like "minute" and the "medium" was more of "tiny." It turned out that their small is size 25 and their medium is size 26. Their largest size is a 27, and the size 28 automatically qualifies as an XL, but they don't carry that size.

Since when did size 28 become extra large?! And since when did they stop producing pants over size 27?! Gosh, no wonder the girls in Korea are so thin! That's the only way they can fit into the clothes they sell. Harhar.

The thing about these tapered pants is that they fall on the 2nd hip and not the waist. Thus, it should be at least 2 or 3 inches bigger than the waist size. Ergo, it would be difficult to find a pair that would fit my sisters.

Or so I thought.

At Migliore, there were shops that had the sign "Big Sizes Available." And those big sizes were size 28 to 30! Whoa! Size 28 is considered a "big size" in Seoul? How would they classify Western women whose waist sizes reach up to 36? "Humongous" or "Gargantuan" perhaps?

Anyway, I was able to find a pair for my 2 sisters at one store, and they're both large sizes. Since the fabric and construction of the 2 pairs are different, the sizing was different as well. So while they're both "L", one pair is cut and fit smaller than the other.

Now let's not get into the technicalities of sizing. What's important is that I was able to buy a pair of these chic, tapered, and tailored khaki pants for my sisters.

But would Andy Sachs be able to find a pair for herself? That I'm not too sure about.

Palace Place

Apart from interesting street food and cool clothes, Seoul has beautiful palaces. A LOT of beautiful palaces.

Three of the biggest ones: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Changgyeongung are all in the same area, so it was easy to visit all three.

Some Koreans actually don't like how these palaces were restored. They feel that it's too commercial and looks like a movie set. (Well, this is where they shot a lot of the historical Korean novellas like "Jewel in the Palace" and "Queen Seon Deok", so it's technically a movie set.) In any case, these are breath taking "movie sets."







But coming from a foreigner with a fresh set of eyes, each of the palaces have a certain charm. While it isn't as grand or massive as the Forbidden City (which left me wide eyes and mouth agape after visiting it for the first time), it feels authentic. While I was inside, I could almost feel the King, Queen, Empress Dowager, Ministers and Court Ladies walking all over the palace grounds.

These visits also made me more interested in Korean culture and history. Good thing I was able to read some history books while in Seoul. And maybe I should buy boxed sets of "Jewel in the Palace" and "Queen Seon Deok" to brush up some more. It would be nice to read up and relive life behind these palace doors.

Gres Matter

When I first noticed the billboard that advertised Randy Ortiz's capsule collection of Kashieca, I wasn't too keen about it. Probably because his collection for Plains and Prints was quite blah, and the fact that Kashieca isn't really a brand that I look at. Randy Ortiz is really good, and I bought some of his stuff at his Myth store, but his first collaboration with a local ready-to-wear brand didn't really live up to the hype.

After buying gelato in Greenbelt 5, I noticed that the Kashieca store in front was displaying the Randy Ortiz collection already. The 3 pieces on the window display immediately drew me into the store. Actually, "drew" doesn't quite capture it, "suctioned" may be more apt.

The clothes are just fabulous!

One major difference of his Kashieca line with his earlier Plains and Prints line is the material. In this new collection, he used cotton jersey and some silk jersey. It makes the clothes classic and easily wearable.

Then, there's the matter of construction. Each dress was draped beautifully, and it reminded me of Madame Gres - that 40s fashion icon who loved jersey fabric and was excellent in making draped masterpieces. Not surprisingly, after reading the tag on the dress, he was indeed inspired by Madame Gres.

The dresses were so nice, I bought 2 pieces straight out of the box. Literally. The time I purchased these Madame Gres inspired beauties, they just unloaded it out of their stock box.

First up was a calf length, plum colored dress.



It's constructed in a way that the drapes fall all around the body when worn. I asked one of the sales staff to put it on a mannequin and the result was magical.



Then there's the knotted detail on the shoulder. This is connected to a long drape that cascades down the left shoulder.



The next piece is a dress that's a bit Madame Gres and a bit of Lanvin. It caught my eye because it reminded me of the Tilda Swinton "hefty bag" dress. Albeit more form fitting.



Again, nice draping action going on all over the dress.



Another common theme present in this collection is this rolled fabric. It looks and feels like Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza! Harhar. But it adds a nice texture and flavor to the dress.



It's very rare that I buy something immediately after I see it. Oftentimes, I'd come back for it after a day or two. But this collection is so nice - and so true to its Madame Gres inspiration - that it became an exception. And something tells me this isn't the last time I'm going to Kashieca for these creations.

Why Becky Bloomwood might consider moving to Seoul...

In Dongdaemoon, there are 4 different buildings that are filled with the latest clothes and accessories. It's a melding of Greenhills, Tutuban Center, MBK and Mong Kok - and that combination can only be described as "shopping heaven." Another apt description can be "shopping black holes," because when you get inside, believe me, it's almost impossible to get out.

And if 9 floors of shopping (per building) isn't enough reason, here's one that might be of added interest:



Yes, the malls are open until 4:30 am! Heck, aPM is open until 5:00 am! Imagine, 17 full hours of shopping. That's enough to turn anyone into a shopaholic.

She did it again!

In between visits to palaces and malls, I'd stop over at the hotel and watch a bit of Korean TV.

While tuned in to MTV Korea, I caught Kylie's newest single from her "Aphrodite" album. The song is entitled "Get Outta my Way" and it has HIT written all over it!



The video is cool, but the song is way cooler. It's got that catchy beat and infectious arrangement that just plays in your head over and over again after listening to it once.

Some of her best songs have this pattern. There's "Spinning Around," "Can't get you out of my head," "Wow" and "Did it again."Honestly, I like this 2nd single more than the first single she released. Similar to how "Red Blooded Woman" was better than "Slow" and "Wow" was way catchier than "2 Hearts."

And it's also cool how the title of the song references her older hit "Can't get you out of my head."

Speaking of which, something tells me this song won't get out of my head for a while.

Get me to the church on time

Among the first things I researched before my Seoul trip was the location of the nearest Catholic Church. Since I was spending Sunday there, hearing mass was an imperative.

Luckily, the Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of Catholicism in Seoul, was just 3 stations away from where I was staying. Further research revealed that there's only 1 English mass at 9:00 am, so the date and time were set.

This morning, I left the hotel early to give a bit of time to find the place. By 8:40 am, I was in Myeongdong, then 10 minutes after, I found the place, quietly walked into the area that said "For Foreign Visitors" and took my seat. Picking up the literature, it said "Seoul Presbyterian Church."

Yup, wrong church.

After quietly sneaking out, off I ran and looked up to try and locate the bell tower of the cathedral. And after 5 minutes, I saw it!

Good thing it was just a few blocks away.



Got inside a few minutes after the mass started. For a Catholic Church on a Sunday, it wasn't very full. After seeing Catholic Churches in Hong Kong, Bangkok, China, and Japan, it was a surprising sight. Churches - even in North Asian countries - are usually packed to the rafters. But not so much in Seoul.




Another surprise is that there aren't too many Filipinos. Unlike in the church in Yotsuya, Japan, where there are multitudes of Pinoys - plus the occasional Pinoy vendors - there were only a handful here in Myeongdong.

The interiors of the church was very nice. It's reminiscent of the interiors of the Notre Dame in Paris. The interiors and exteriors were very European in look and feel.



The only Asian elements I saw were the statue of the first Korean saint, and this very nice portrait of the 79 beatified martyrs in Korea. Looking at the photo inspired me to read up on their story - which I'll probably do after this.



After mass, it was off to Myeondong for breakfast, then a bit of shopping before heading off to the temples. And writing about that episode is something I'm saving for next time.

Seoul Food

Aside from checking out museums, churches, malls and supermarkets, another thing I like to do whenever I'm in a foreign country is try their street food. And that's what I placed on top of my checklist today.

Myeondong - aside from being a popular shopping district - is also littered with street food stalls that sell everything from safe (like cotton candy) to the shocking (grilled octopus tentacles - which were about 2 feet long!).

To help me decide which to try, I looked around and checked out what most of the locals were eating. And after about 20 minutes of observing, there were two items which were clear winners.

First, the potato sausage!



I tell you, just a whiff of this is enough to send a person's blood pressure skyrocketing! Harhar. It's a sausage (your choice of fish, chicken or beef) that's dipped in the usual corn dog batter, then rolled in french fries, then deep fried. Despite the cholesterol and calories, it's really, really good! And it's a multi-tasker's snack since you can now have your sandwich and fries at one go.

Second was this dessert they call the "super long ice cream." And here's the reason why:



Looked like it was more than a foot long, and it was quite heavy. But it was AWESOME! This Mango-Strawberry combination was simply divine! Good thing the weather in Seoul right now is cool, so it didn't melt that fast. This is so good, I'm thinking of getting another one tomorrow after mass. After all, the ice cream place is just near Myeondong Cathedral. (Or so I think.)

Now, it's time to look for some bibimap.

Firsts time

Over dinner last Thursday, Mark reminded me of that small bit at the side of my blog that said: "Must visit a new place every year." It turned out that I didn't visit a new place last 2008. It's the last quarter of 2010, and even though I've traveled out of the country every month this year, they're usually to places I've been to already - HKG, SG, China, and Guam.

So, it's time to put that "mantra" to action again.

Time to go Seoul searching.

Yup, it's my first time in Seoul. Like the other "first" trips I've made, there was a feeling of excitement the moment I boarded the plane and went on the flight that totaled 8 hours. (Because I had to transit in HKG.)

And now, I'm here! I'll reserve my first impressions for later. Let me write about the other "firsts" first:

FIRST ACTIVITY: RIDING A TRAIN.



I've always loved trains since the "Bicol Express" took us from Paco to Bicol as kids. Whenever I visit a new country, I make sure to take the local train to get a glimpse of the local culture. So the first thing I researched on before my trip was the Seoul Metro. It wasn't as complicated as the JR system, although it isn't as simple as HKG's MTR, too. But thankfully, I was able to find my train and my stops.

FIRST PURCHASE: TRAIN TICKETS!



After computing the cost, I was surprised that the train ride from Incheon to downtown Dongdaemoon was cheap. It was around P200, and considering the distance we traveled, it's value for money. It's definitely much cheaper than the Airport Express or the Narita Express. The only thing is, Incheon is quite far from downtown Seoul. The train ride took 2 hours.

FIRST MEAL: LOCAL FOOD.



Ok, so it's fast food. But hey, it's local fast food! Lotteria is to Korea what Jollibee is to the Philippines. There's almost one in every corner. In fact, there were around 5 Lotteria branches around my hotel - and no McDonald's or KFC! (Actually, I've only seen 1 KFC and 1 Burger King branch in Myeondong.)



FIRST LOOT: BREADS!



The first thing I do whenever I go to a new country is check out their groceries. Since it was late, I went to a convenience store called GS25, and bought breakfast for tomorrow. This consisted of a strawberry tart and cheese bread.

Whew! That's a lot of firsts. And it's just my first day.

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.