Masa Mondays

Well, I did say that a series was in the offing.

Today's Monday mood photo is the embodiment of the Pinoy saying: "Masandal lang, tulog na."

Gosh. This cat must've been exhausted!

And to think it's just a Monday.

Coco(pan)-tastic

Aside from their breads, this is the other reason for my regular runs to Cocopan.

Their Milo Overload is worth the trip back. It has the right amount of sweetness that complements the malty goodness of Milo. 

Price-wise, this is also the most value-for-money compared to other stores that sell Milo drinks.

Because of that, my Cocopan trips can now be filed under: "Come for the breads, stay for the Milo."

How sweet it is

Nope, this isn't a James Taylor post.

It's about Toni's latest creation.

I'm amazed at the creativity and work ethic of my niece. Since she introduced her Sweet Tones brand, she's been working non-stop, taking orders, making cakes and chocolates, all while continuing her content creation.

Her latest product - her chewy cookies - are a hit. Heard that it sells out quite fast, so I'm lucky to have gotten a few pieces for the house and to give to a student.

After trying it, I'm not surprised why it's popular. It's really, really good!

Here's to more sweet, successful products like this!

FMM: What's in a name?

Listening to music for decades, one of the things that would always amuse me are songs whose titles aren't "obvious."

Most songs would have titles that reflect their chorus. Or an opening line. Or a repetitive stanza. 

But some are totally left field, which makes the ditty more interesting.

Case in point is today's Friday Magic Madness song.

Because the words "Hey, you're such a pretty boy" is repeated over and over, you'd think that would be the title. 

But no.

This ditty is "What's your name?" which is another iconic hit from Depeche Mode.

Pretty cool, eh.

Meals with Mark: Meals with Mak

Having eaten at Mak's noodles in HKG several times when I was still living there, I wanted to try their first branch here. With Mark, of course.

Knowing how the original tastes like, was curious to see if they could accurately replicate it here in MNL. 

In summary, they did.

The broth was rich. The noodles, firm and bouncy. The wonton, packed with both filling and flavour.

What was different, though, was the price. Compared to HKG, Mak's here was on the pricey side.

While this won't be a regular for us, it's probably going to be a place we'd go to once or twice a year.

(Terence) Stamp of Approval

I was today years old when I found out that Terence Stamp was in the 1st Superman film.

Yup, he's General Zod. And if not for this video that crossed my feed, I wouldn't have known.

Imagine, he went from General Zod to Bernadette Bassenger in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert."

Now that's super!

Curious combination

I'm fond of lemonade.

I'm fond of caramel.

But would I be fond of them together?

I'm interested - yet reluctant - to try this.

Maybe next time.

Sidewalk sleeper

Another Monday, another shot of this adorbz office cat.

Seriously, this cat can sleep pretty much anywhere. 

Today, he found himself nestled comfortably on the sidewalk in front of our office steps.

Can't we all be just cats?

Friends of Long Standing

I've read somewhere that you meet some of your best and most lasting friends in High School. 

Gary was one of those friends for me.

We met in freshman year. I was new to LSQC, having just transferred from Claret the year before. Was also part of the cream section, and most of the students in that section already knew each other since grade school. Initially, it felt like I'd be the odd man out.

But thanks to Gary, that feeling never happened. He welcomed me and we instantly became friends. 

We'd hang out in school, and we'd hang out after school. His house was near LSQC, and we would sometimes hang-out at their house. Eventually, Dimpy joined us and the 3 of us would be constants. Dimpy's house was the other place we'd hang out after class.

Aside from their homes, our adventures would take us far. Well, far considering that we were in high school and in our early teens. Among my fond memories with Gary and Dimpy was the time we went to Makati and geeked out at the big National Bookstore there. Gary and I would also go to Quiapo to have photos developed and to buy magazines.

When college came, we both ended up in UP, albeit in different colleges. Despite that, we'd find ways to see each other on campus. During our CMT, we we're both in the Sunday battalion, which meant hanging out more often.

Then, we graduated. While we didn't see each other as often, we'd find time to meet up.

Eventually, Gary moved to the US. Despite the difference in time and distance, we always kept in touch. (Thank you, technology!) Whenever he was in Manila, we had to meet up. When we did, he'd usually have a stash of pasalubong, or he would bring the stuff that I'd ask him to buy from the US.

In 2019, Gary asked me to organise his parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary. Since he and his 2 sisters were al in the U.S., and the celebration was here in MNL, he trusted me enough to put everything together. And that meant a lot.

Last time we saw each other was before Christmas. He was home for a visit, and we had our usual Christmas get together. He brought a stash of Trader Joe's mini totes. We talked the possibility of meeting up in the U.S., and maybe even get together with another H.S. friend, Arvin.

Unfortunately, those plans won't push through. 

Last Friday, Jing Jing messaged me asking if she could call. I already felt that what she'd be calling about wasn't good news. When she eventually called, she asked if I was sitting down. Yet another indicator.

That's when she broke the news. Gary was gone.

It was a shock. It still is a shock. There was no inkling that our December lunch would be the last. Part of me is sad that those get togethers won't happen again. But part of me is glad that we were able to see each other last year.

Thanks for being a friend, Gary. For being one of my first friends in LSQC HS, and in the decades after. You'll be missed.

Vaya con Dios.

Saturday Surprise

Went to school on Saturday, and was supposed to ask where my trophy could be claimed.

But instead of me looking for the trophy, it was the trophy who came to me. Delivered by my students from both last semester and this semester.

It was such a pleasant surprise! And it came with a cake, too.

It just gets better and better.

FMM: Teacher's Special

Since we're talking about teaching, this classic 1984 song suddenly popped in my head.

It would make a great FMM song for today.

This song by "38 Special" was a song I'd hear back when I was still a kid. Back then, I didn't pay attention to the lyrics or the message. Was just hooked by the beat at the repetition of the title "Teacher, Teacher."

Watching it again now, I learned that this is from a film entitled "Teachers." Gosh, I didn't see that coming. Hahaha.

Now that I'm a teacher, this song hits different.

One of the best surprises

It began with a message from Vanie. She asked if I've been told about my nomination as Best Lecturer in the school's institutional awards for faculty. My reply was" "No, this is the first time I'm hearing this."

Cut to the next day. This happened.

Apparently, I'm the Best Lecturer! This is such a cool and awesome surprise!

Too bad I wasn't able to receive the award since there was a work meeting at that same time.

Actually, teaching and interacting with students, school faculty and our school administration is reward enough. So this award is icing on the cake.

Elements of a celebration: The Invite

When we finally decided to have a celebration for my parents' 60th wedding anniversary, one of the first things Dad asked me was if I'd do the invite.

Of course I'm doing their invite!

Using my advertising background, my parents suddenly became clients and my role went from being their son to being their creative director.

Dad and Mom had different visions for the invite. Dad wanted something casual and fun, and his mandatory was a moustache graphic. Mom said that it was still a wedding, so it had to look elegant.

So, the brief was clear. Casual, fun yet elegant.

And after 3 studies, this is what they both approved.

Compared to their 40th and 50th wedding invite, this one is a lot more fun! And it captured what Dad and Mom wanted. 

Client approved!

Color Story: Foxy Browns

Brown is a colour that always has a space in my shopping basket, and eventually, Ate Bullet's closet.

For me, it's just like black and white clothes - you can't have too much of it.

That said, here's another outfit inspired by this hue.

The top is an interesting piece. It's made of a suede-like material, and it has a boxy fit. Trust Zara to come up with something as fashionable as this. The skirt is from Landmark, and it has an interesting texture - it reminds me of those foldable Chinese lanterns. And the sneakers are also from Zara, a pair of brown sneakers that have a soccer vibe.

This mix of textures and shades make this brown ensemble a standout.

LFLTAT: Nylon is now!

From kids wear to teens wear to adult wear, it looks like the nylon-ish fabric is making its presence felt in fast fashion.

At first, this utilitarian fabric was used for streetwear essentials like parkas. Then, it transitioned to more every day wear, like the nylon dress at Uniqlo. Then, they started showing nylon coords for kids. Then, there was nylon everywhere.

Recently spotted this nylon skirt at The SM Store. It was a parachute style skirt made of nylon material. It had cargo details, and the bottom half was detachable. Very well-thought of details. 

The best part is, it was 50% off! So, even after pairing it with this muscle shirt from Human - also 50% off - the total outfit rand up to just around P700!

Further proof that a little nylon, and a thousand bucks, can go a long way in fashion.

Feeling great!

It's always great to go back to Bicol, even if it's for a very short, weekend trip.

It's also great to be able to hear mass at the church that holds a lot of history and memories for me.

St. Gregory the Great Cathedral is where we used to hear mass when we'd go to Legazpi as kids. This is also where my uncles and aunties got married. 

Another great thing? The officiant of today's mass was my classmate in UP! Fr. Raleigh was my classmate in MA, and our class was BC201 under the late Prof. David. Those were fun times.

Needless to say, it was a great weekend.

Aye, Aye, Admiral!

Mark had this week-long planning at The Admiral Hotel, and went there yesterday to have breakfast with him.

It's been ages since my last visit to this hotel, and was so surprised at how much it has changed!

Now called "The Admiral Hotel M Gallery," they've renovated and - true to their name - it's now like a gallery filled with art. 

The ceiling alone is a work of art - a stained glass masterpiece with different iconic Philippine scenes. And cascading down from the ceiling are paper pieces with the baybayin. Splended!

The rooms are super nice, too. Mark's room had this metal artwork of Sagada. 

We should go back and have a staycation here soon.

FMM: Ring the Alarm

My youtube feed has recently been suggesting a lot of 80s, new wave ditties. 

And I"m not complaining. I've said this before, the 80s is my golden decade of music.

One of the songs that recently popped up is this 1985 hit from this British Group called "The Alarm."

"Absolute Reality" was one of those songs that we'd wait for while watching "Video Hit Parade." Not only was the song very happy and uppity, the MTV was equally fun.

Will this song be playing on my Mac the whole day today?

Absolutely!

High School High

One of the friendships that I admire is the friendship of my Dad and  his high school barkada.

Imagine, their high school days were about 7 decades ago, and they still hang out and get together now as if they were in Letran.

They usually have their Sunday get togethers at Pancake House in E. Rodriguez, and Ninong Tino would usually call up Dad and Mom to have their random lunches at Gateway.

And of course, they had to be there during Mom and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary!

Dad's original Letran circle includes Ninong Tino, Danny and Bodjie, and their extended group includes Tito Boy and Bobby.

Now that's a high school friendship worth emulating.

The Seconds time around

If Gindaco isn't reason enough to go to Megamall more often, they're adding this:

Yup! This Korean fast-fashion brand which is one of my usual Seoul stops is going to be just a few minutes away. They're going to be on the 2nd floor of the Fashion Hall, where American Eagle used to stand.

After Top 10, now there's 8 Seconds!

And not a second too soon.