False Alarm?

After the huge hullabaloo caused by the news of Marks & Spencers' exit in the Philippines, this piece of news comes out.

So, should we stop hoarding lotions and digestives?

We shall see.

Well-suited

I've been seeing a lot of suit sets in fast fashion stores of late. It's such an easy and elegant way to look put together. Plus, it gives major boss energy.

That's how this look got put together.

This is a nice suit set because the top is a vest rather than a blazer. It has a modern shape, thanks to the extended shoulders. The pants also provide a contrast to the structure of the top, thanks to the flowy shape. Also, the beige colour makes it versatile for any occasion. And the belt gives it a fashionable punctuation mark.

Whether it's a day at the office, or a casual weekend out with friends, this ensemble is suited for both occasions.

P.S. The suit is an on-line find, the shirt is from Regatta, and the shoes are from ForMe.

FMM: Seeing Colors

When we were planning our parents' 60th wedding anniversary, we knew that music was an important part of the celebration.

Dad got his favourite band - Beats and Pieces. They were his fave because the members were more or less his age, and the songs they play are right up his alley.

But of course, we wanted a band that also played more modern songs for the younger attendees. Ate Bullet asked me if the band played "Opalite." Which they answered to the negative. But they did say that they played modern songs. 

When asked for specifics, like what type of "modern songs," they play, the reply of the lead singer was "Never mind."

Yes, their idea of a modern song is a 1985 classic from "Colors," an Italian band who had this song as their global hit.

Not quite modern, but hey, they'll make for a great Friday Magic Madness song today.

Disappearing Mark(s & Spencers)

And the unthinkable is about to happen.

After 40 years in the Philippines, Marks & Spencers will shut its doors. This is the 2nd SSI British brand that's shuttering, the 1st being Debenhams.

Gosh! What will Christmas be like without their cookies?

Model class

On this edition of "random things that pop out of your feed."

Can't believe this photo is already 13 years old! This was taken during my stint as adviser of the batch yearbook in school. Maica, our EIC, is the one standing in this photo.

This was a proud moment because we were able to release the yearbook even before the graduation. It was very rare that this happened, but we pulled it off.

Maybe it's time for the editorial team to have a reunion and recreate this photo. That's going to be fun!

Glad we MET

The venue for the Side A concert was a bit different. Unlike the usual concerts which is usually held in MOA Arena, Araneta Coliseum and even Samsung Theater, their concert was held in a place steeped in history and culture.

The Metropolitan Theater.

Was telling Mark that the last time I watched something here was way back in high school. We watched the play "Noli Me Tangere" at the MET, and it was such a memorable experience. When we were in grade school, we also watched "Peter Pan" here, and I was simply amazed that Peter Pan could really fly! (With harnesses, of course.)

So many memories. And I'm glad to have relived them.

Meals with Mark: Hold my Bir(yani)

A new place to visit necessitated a new place to eat.

Before our Side A concert, we decided to have early dinner at SM Manila. Since there are a number of restaurants there that aren't in other SM Malls, that was the jump off point for our dinner venue.

Mark said that he saw an interesting biryani place. Since we're both fans of biryani, it was the natural choice.

And that's what led us to Biryani Boys.

They serve Middle Eastern food, from our favourite hummus and pita, to tikka, to kebabs and their biryani. With so many appetising choices, we ordered a little bit of everything.

We had the nachos - made with pita, the chicken tikka with biryani rice, the falafel platter, and they gave us free chicken soup!

Everything was so good! The soup was hearty and generous with the ingredients. The falafel had the right crunch. The nachos were interesting because of the crispy pita. The chicken tikka and biryani had bold flavours that complemented well.

This was a great choice, and thanks to Mark for spotting and suggesting it.

Hope these boys have a branch closer to us.

The right Side

Today was a day of firsts.

While Mark and I have watched a lot of movies and some musicals, we haven't really watched a full-on concert. And thanks to his friend - Gelo - we were able to.

We spent Sunday night together, enjoying the music that defined our generation. From that moment they sang "Tell Me," it was clear that the night was going to be rife with memories and nostalgia.

And it was!

From their iconic hits like "Eva Marie," and "Forevermore," to their upbeat encore of "'Di pa huli," Mark and I just sang and swayed the night away.

I'm so happy we were able to tap into this side of us tonight.

Prep work

Uniqlo called it. 

The preppy-era is back, yet again.

Time to bring out those polos, cardigans and sweaters.

But here's a reimagined way of looking at preppy.

Put together this ensemble using pieces that are normally preppy, but with little twists here and there. The top is a knit polo, but with a slightly exaggerated shoulder and a drawstring at the bottom. Got this at Landmark. 

The SHEIN skirt has an asymmetric waist detail and an off-centre hem.

Finally, the shoes are a cross between sneakers and ballet flats, with very preppy primary colours. This is also from SHEIN.

See? Looking preppy AND modern doesn't take a lot of work.

FMM: Not often enough

Saw some of my high school classmates today. 

In the case of my 2 classmates, Juliet and Marose, the last time we saw each other was during our HS graduation. And that was more than 3 decades ago!

Needless to say, there was a lot of catching up. Stories about our teachers, our high school retreats, our after school shenanigans - these all suddenly came flooding back. 

Then, we eventually talked about our HS choir - our performances and out-of-school concerts, and that's when this song suddenly popped in my head.

"Sometimes" was a song that none of us knew that time. But Mr. Ortega taught the song to us, and we preformed it several times. The more we performed it, the more we fell in love with this Carpenters song. Until now, this song is always on my playlist.

Sometimes, it just takes a mini-reunion to bring back memories like this. 

This Singer is a Driver

Chanced upon this photo on the internet that instantly resonated with me.

We had this exact Singer sewing machine at home, and I'd often pretend to drive using the sewing machine wheel. So, I'm basically the kid in the photo.

This made me miss the good old days of my childhood.

Yeoh a Star!

And she keeps on breaking barriers!

Now, Michelle Yeoh has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

She's the first Malaysian actress to receive this honour.

Yeoh go, girl!

Marry old time

Had dinner with Mark and his friends last night, and the conversation was about KDrama recommendations.

Peter and I shared our faves - some of them they've watched, some of them were new. Some of the recommendations were old, some were new.

On my way home, I remembered one of my faves that I wasn't able to recommend.

"Marry my husband" was a KDrama that aired on Prime Video in 2024. It's about marriage and revenge, and a bit of fantasy thrown in.

It's actually quite campy, which adds to its charm. I've re-watched this twice, and still like it.

Time to re-watch it again.

Sleeping Sphinx

For a change, this Monday's sleeping cat isn't lazily sprawled down a surface.

If last week's cat was a "masa" cat, today's cat is an example of the other Pinoy saying: "Puwedeng matulog kahit saang puwesto." 

This cat might not be a sphinx, but he sure sleeps like one.

Speak of the Devil

Here it is!

The full and official trailer of "The Devil Wears Prada 2."

So many questions. So much curiosity piqued. 

Can't wait to see this on screen in a few months.

Sweet students

Today's class fell on a Valentine's Day. So, it started with a quote from my UP Professor: "Valentine's Day is just a social & consumerist construct."

But of course, that didn't stop us from exchanging some Valentine's Day treats.

Two of my students handed me these heart-shaped and sweet treats.

Yes, it might be a social & consumerist construct," but it shouldn't stop us from being sweet.

FMM: Rankin the hits

Kenny Rankin has so many hits, I'm surprised that I've only featured one in the history of my Friday Magic Madness posts.

So, here's another one.

"Hiding inside myself" was released in 1988, and back then, people loved to sing this song. Whether it was a party, a variety show, or just a random get together of friends with a guitar, this song would always be part of the repertoire.

Not surprised, though. 

A song this nice shouldn't be kept hidden.

Chews childhood

This chewing gum brand bring so many childhood memories.

Hubba Bubba was one of the American chewing gum brands that was all the rage in the 80s. This, along with Bubble Yum, was part of every cool ikds' lunch box. And because our grandparents lived in the US, we'd get this a lot.

There were also PX stores that sold this. Like Hyacinth, Orobelle and Casman drug. So, if our US stash would run out, we'd rush to these stores to get some.

I'm so glad these are readily available now. It's like going back to my childhood, one chew at a time.

Printed Matters: Florality

We have an art director at the office - Logie - who's a master at sketching. 

While he does a lot of different subjects, one of his works that really caught my eye was his floral sketches. And no, it's not spring yet, so this should be groundbreaking. Harhar.

One time, he sketched this pretty rose bouquet, and I told him that it would look great as a print on a piece of garment.

So that's what we did:

Noel, our creative director, has a printing business. So, when asked if he could print Logie's flower sketch on a denim skirt, he said yes. And that's how this piece came about.

Since we're in the mood for florals, the skirt was paired with this top. It's a vegan leather top with floral embroidery.

Together, this pair of florals make this outfit bloom.

(Okay, enough with the floral references.)

Closing the Gap (and Old Navy)

So, this is what has become of the big Gap and Old Navy store in Shangrila Plaza mall.

Used to enjoy visiting here since it was massive! Two floors of all things Gap and Old Navy!

But the past year, their stocks and selections were meh, so this store closing shouldn't be a surprise.

Hope Gap and Old Navy gets to pivot and be relevant again soon.