Su-poor-market

Near SSC is a quaint, neighborhood supermarket called Fortune Mart. It's one of my go-to places, especially when I need to get a quick breakfast before going to my early morning class. I usually get my VitaMilk Choco and Magnolia Chocolait there.

Convenient as it may be, that supermarket is also quite odd. One of the sources of that oddity is the absence of brands that I like. Consider these two separate incidents at that supermarket:

INCIDENT # 1:

ME: Excuse me, meron kayong Oreo?
GUY: Wala ho, eh. Cream-O, meron po.
ME: Bakit wala kayong Oreo?
GUY: Pang-mayaman lang ho kasi 'yon.

INCIDENT # 2:

ME: Saan ang chocolates ninyo?
GUY: Kasama po ng mga candy, eto po. (He ushers me to the candy section)
ME: (after looking around) May Kitkat ba kayo?
GUY: Ay wala ho. Pang-mayaman kasi ang Kitkat.

The funny thing is, this happened almost a month apart and with 2 different sales clerks.

Sometimes, I'm tempted to comment:

"Bakit? Pang-mahirap lang ba itong supermarket ninyo?"

Fits me to a T

The truth is, I was never the perfume type of guy. 

When I was in high school, all the guys in LSQC would reek of either Drakkar Noir or Kouros. Some would go through great pains to buy the original, and others would settle for the more inexpensive version. (The most popular being Charmis' Boyfriend.)

Later on, the perfume du jour became Davidoff's Cool Water, then Polo classic, then Polo Sport. I still remember the time when the perfume "Aspen" was a huge hit - mainly because it smelled like Cool Water.

While my classmates sprayed and spritzed left and right, I would try to avoid them because I found the smell of perfume too strong. That's the main reason why I avoided it like an olfactory plague. For me, the best scent is the natural scent the comes from soap, shampoo and water. Another scent that I liked was the smell of freshly laundered clothes and sheets. 

If I had to wear a scent, my preference would lean towards the light, Spanish colognes that Tita Evelyn would bring from Spain. This was the era of Nenuco, DeNeNes, and Baby Gal.

This was a habit I carried with me from high school to college to my career days. Yes, I'd get a lot of perfume as gifts or pasalubong, but it was very rare that I'd use them. Most often, they'd be on my dresser, waiting for an uber-special-occasion to be used.

That was until I discovered this perfume that smells exactly like the things I wanted - soap, shampoo, water, and freshly laundered clothes and sheets. It was a brand called "Clean."

I first discovered this in HKG, at a small shop beside the building where our client's office was. Vincent and I were checking out perfumes, and I got a whiff of "Clean Men," and got hooked. The scent was that perfect "just got out of the shower" scent. Needless to say, I bought a bottle, and used it sparingly. And that bottle is still on my dresser up to this very day.

During my last birthday, Mona added another bottle to my Clean repertoire. I asked her if she could buy a bottle of Clean Cotton T-shirt, and she did! And she gave it to me as a birthday gift! Woot!

The scent of this perfume is fantastic. It's like smelling a shirt that was laundered using a detergent with fabric conditioner, then thrown into a dryer, then brought out. It has that warm, comforting smell that's not overpowering, and has that feel-good vibe to it. Just like a favorite cotton t-shirt.

Now here's one shirt that I wouldn't mind wearing everyday.

Setting the Tablea

It's always nice to give food as gifts during Christmas. More so when the food has a sense of history.

This year, I'm giving my 2 bosses a food gift that's part of my childhood. I'm giving them a jar of "tablea" from my Mom's hometown in Bicol.

I remember those tablea well. When we were kids and spend our summers in the sleepy town of Malinao, Albay, I'd often see these tablea being made at my grandfather's house.

I'd wander into the dining area and find some of my aunts and helpers carefully forming chocolates into balls and putting them on the big dining table. The smell of cocoa would waft in the air and I was delighted by the scent.

Then, they would prepare some for merienda, and I'd dip the bakery bought pandesal into this thick, chocolate-y concoction. And it was divine.

I'm happy that Mom always brings home tablea whenever she comes home from Bicol. And I'm happier that I'll get to share this experience with some other folks this Christmas season.

Wonderfully said...

Just like millions of people around the world, I was in a state of shock and disbelief when the news about Sandy Hook Elementary School came out.

I've read the news and watched a lot of news reports and commentaries on youtube. Some added to the shock while others made me a bit teary-eyed. But one video stood out because of the power of the message and the no-nonsense way it was delivered.

This was from Gov. Mike Huckabee:

(video from youtube)

Wonderfully said, Gov. Huckabee. Wonderfully said.

Word of the Day

My students and I were discussing the concept of Simbang Gabi in class when one of them uttered a word that was actually new to my ear.

She said: "These days, people don't go to the Simbang Gabi. They go to the Simbang Gababes."

"Simbang Gababes," now that's a new word.

It apparently refers to young folks who go to the midnight mass and turn it into a soiree, making it a venue to meet potential girlfriends and boyfriends.

Ah, kids...

The Christmas rush isn't through...

This morning, I asked my class this question that almost everyone I know has been asking:

"Why has the past 2 weeks been so crazy-busy?"

In my case, for example, there was the usual work load, 6 theses to read, 4 groups to advise, 1 MTV to edit, 1 number to pseudo-choreograph, 2 Christmas parties to prepare for, and 3 classes to hold today!

Yes, it's that kuh-ray-zee!

It's really a good thing that I've done most of my Christmas shopping. At least I can concentrate on the other things I need to rush.

FMM: Chan's encounter

Whenever the holiday season comes along, one iconic personality pops in my head.

No, it isn't Santa Claus.

It's Jose Mari Chan!

He always comes up with the nicest, happiest and most heartwarming Christmas songs. One of the most sung holiday tunes is "Christmas in our Hearts," which was composed by Jose Mari Chan. And no holiday will ever pass without someone radio stations playing his songs.

My personal favorite? Perfect Christmas, of course.

(video courtesy of youtube)

It's less than 2 weeks before Christmas, and looking at how the holidays are shaping up, it looks like it's going to be a perfect Christmas indeed.

Wellcome to the Philippines!

When I was still living in HKG, one of my favorite places was Wellcome. It was one of the two big supermarket chains in that country, the other one being Park and Shop. Although there was a Park and Shop just below my flat, I'd walk all the way to Wellcome because they had a better selection.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a Wellcome store in Farmer's Plaza in Cubao on my way home! Apparently, Rustan's Express Lanes have been renamed Wellcome. I guess this means they've franchised the supermarket chain.

I haven't checked it out yet, but I'm excited already. Wellcome will definitely be a welcome addition to our supermarket shopping habit.

You've been Warmed

With an overload of films and television programs that deal about the supernatural and the undead, it's nice to see one that looks at the subject with fresh eyes.

Not just fresh, but eyes that have a sense of humour as well.

Just like this upcoming Zombie film, "Warm Bodies."



And did I mention it has Teresa Palmer? And Analeigh Tipton, too!

Here's another movie to look forward to next year.

Dad's Incredible

That was an event name I did for Robinson's Malls many years ago. And I was pleasantly surprised to know that they're using it until now.

Today, that line has more meaning because it's the birthday of my incredible Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Here's to more hip and happy years ahead.

I'll trek for this one!

Being a long-time Star Trek fan, (heck, I even dressed up as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard for one Christmas party!) I've been searching and searching for the trailer on-line for a few months now. Usually, I end up viewing a fan-made trailer.

But today, I found the real thing!



I'm SO going to watch this!

I've been Stung!

At the onset, we knew that this was a concert for our generation.

While we were walking from Starbucks to the Araneta Coliseum gates, we kept on bumping into people we knew. There were former classmates, former colleagues, clients, celebrities who were from our generation - we were all there for one reason.

Sting!

As predicted, he didn't disappoint. His voice is still as crisp and clear just like when he started with "The Police." And he could still get the crowd to stand up and dance!

It was a great repertoire of old favorites and new songs. And one of the old favorites he played was one of my old favorites from The Police.



As the song says: here's all I want to say to you:

Sting rocks!!!

So far, So good.

We didn't have classes today due to the Immaculate Concepcion feast, so I had time to finish reading my students' theses, correct them, do some errands, and wrap Christmas gifts!

Yes, I'm working double time to fulfill my earlier promise to finish wrapping before December 22. And today, I was able to wrap all my gifts for school, and some gifts for my godkids.

After seeing the bag filled with wrapped gifts, all I could say was: "So far, so good!"

This calls for a Sheena Easton song!

FMM: Last Christmas

As the first week of December comes to a close, I can really feel the spirit of Christmas wafting in the air. It's in the mood of the people, the bright lights around the office building, the crowds inside the mall - they all add up to one thing.

Christmas is here!

And one of my favorite Christmas songs from decades back is this Tagalog ditty from Kuh Ledesma entitled "Nakaraang Pasko."

(video from youtube)

This song reminds me of our Christmases back in Tomas Morato. I was still a young boy then, and we had a cassette tape of this song. I remember how it was Ate Lissa's favorite, and she would play it every so often.

Nothing like "Nakaraang Pasko" to liven up this Christmas season.

Head in the Clouds

If there's one type of film that never fails to attract me, it's an epic film.

And if there's one type of epic film that never fails to excite me, it's a multi-generational film.

Now, there's a film that's showing that has both an epic quality, and a mutli-generational plot. It's the latest film by the geniuses behind "The Matrix Trilogy," the Wachowski Brothers. (Well, now more of Wachowski brother and sister, since one of them is now a transgender.)

Presenting, Cloud Atlas.



There are a lot of negative reviews about this film. Despite that, there's the fact that it's an epic, multi-generational film. Then, there's the cast which includes the one-two punch of Tom Hanks and Halle Berry.

Needless to say, I'm going to watch this.

Convincing portrayal

So, I decided to dress up like an Indian during our Christmas party. I wore a white Kurta with white pants, and a gold-beige-ish scarf with paisley prints.

While going around the ballroom, I saw a client of mine and said "Hi." She just glanced at me and left.

A few minutes later, she comes back and says: "Lester, ikaw ba 'yan?Akala ko foreigner ka talaga! Nagulat nga ako nung nag-hi ka sa'kin. Sabi ko, 'bakit nag-hi sa akin itong bumbay na 'to.'"

Yes, I guess I look like an Indian guy.

A picture of tragedy

Just on the heels of the Australian Metro ad, here comes a shocking story that happened in the New York subway system.

It turns out that a commuter was pushed off the platform by a deranged man. As the train approached, the man desperately tried to lift himself off the tracks.

He failed, though. And the man in this picture died after being run over by the on-coming train.

A freelance photographer was able to take a photo of this soon-to-be-grisly-scene, and the New York post made it their lead story. Needless to say, citizens and netizens were up in arms about it.

Why did the photographer take a photo instead of helping the man? Why did the NY post even buy or run this photo?

This became an issue of journalistic duties versus human compassion. Does the photojournalist fulfill his duty as a news man first? Does it take precedence over his being human? This is a topic that's sure to be fodder for our Journalism classes in the weeks to come.

Personally, I think the photographer should've helped him. Then this tragic photo would never have happened.

Smart. Very smart.

Once in a while, a viral commercial storms the internet and catches my attention. Being from the ad industry, that's actually a very difficult thing to do. After all, I'm quick to identify ads in all their forms. But there are some that are so pleasantly surprising, I don't know it's an ad until it reaches the end of the story.

One such ad is this wonderfully crafted piece on train safety. It was created by McCann Erickson Australia, and it's a perfect example of what a PSA should be.



As of press time, it's still on top of youtube and itunes, and everyone has this song as their last song syndrome. If that isn't a testament to how memorable it is, I don't know what is.

"Dumb ways to die," is actually very smart.

Two birthday girls!

It's 12-2-12 and 2 members of my family are celebrating their birthdays today.

First up, it's Mom's birthday. And we celebrated it by having a really good dinner at Isabelo's.

Second, Audrey is also celebrating her natal day today. For her celebration, we had lunch at Max's in SM Masinag.

Happy Birthday Mom and Audrey!

Christmas countdown!

It's officially December! And we're down to 25 days before the big Christmas celebration.

This year, my goal is to send out all my Christmas cards by next week. Plus, I'd like to get my Christmas shopping done by December 20 at the latest. (If the world doesn't end, that is.)

The Christmas cards are slowly being filled up, and I've gone through more than half of my Christmas list. So, I've got more than 2 weeks to complete everything.

Let the countdown begin!