Meals with Mark: Here comes the San (Gines)

Now that the long lines have dissipated, it was finally time for Mark and me to try San Gines at The Podium!

It's definitely worth the hype it's been given. 

The churros are so soft and crispy, and the chocolate is so decadent.

And their Pan con Tomate is so nostalgic!

Adding this place to our "regulars" list.

Color Story: Haute Chocolate

If we use fast fashion as a barometer, it's safe to say that Chocolate brown is having a moment.

All the major brands are churning out clothings, shoes and other accessories in this colour, and i'm on board!

There's something very elegant about chocolate brown, just like black, but not too severe or heavy. It's a great alternative for an evening ensemble, especially with the right fabrics and materials. Just like this outfit.

It's chocolate brown from head to toe, but what makes it visually interesting is the mix of materials to complete the look. 

The top is a cotton jersey sleeveless top from Zara.

The skirt is a combination of satin and lace, and this one is from Surplus Shop.

Finally, these mock croc flats from The SM Store.

This chocolate is both served and serves!

They're the bomb!

Literally!

Passed by Ali Mall last Sunday and caught the sSexbomb girls doing a performance.

Apparently, they have a coffee table book. and the book signing was that night. And yes, there was a big crowd cheering them on and dancing to their songs. 

Clearly, they haven't lost their magic.

Mi-Law(son)

Looks like everyone's trying to get into the Milo game.

Now, Lawson also has RTD Milo as part of their drink mix!

It's slightly cheaper than the 7-11 one, but it's a bit light on the Milo flavour. So, while I'd reach for it in case there are no other options around, it won't be my top choice.

But it's good to have options.

Curry in a hurry

That was the name of one of our fave Indian restaurants in HKG. My colleagues and I would go there whenever we had our Indian food cravings.

But this isn't about that restaurant.

It's about the joy of being able to enjoy a SG-style curry puff, right here in QC.

Yup, today was another Hong Lim curry puff day. Thanks, Trinoma!

While it's still not 100% the same experience as getting it at Hong Lim Square in Chinatown in SG, this is a good alternative.

Until the next SG trip, of course.

What a (trick or) treat!

Once again, Halloween descends upon Park Avenue Townhouses.

And the residents came prepared!

Ate Juliet's house decor looks so original! According to Louie, most of it was made by hand!

We didn't have elaborate decors at home. But we had loot, which was important.

It's always a treat doing this every year.

FMM: Das it!

Funny how our rides home from the office trigger a Friday Magic Madness post.

Yesterday, the Grab ride was playing 80s songs, and a German song suddenly came on, and it brought me back to 1978!

"Das Model" by Kraftwerk is a pop-synth-electornica song that was popular during parties in the 80s. And I"m not surprised. It's so catchy and danceable. 

It was so popular, they also had an English version.

Das why I'm listening to it again.

McCat

Chanced upon this moment at McDonald's in Strata, and ha to take it!

The golden arches look like the cat's ears!

Love ko 'tong photo na 'to!

Hop to it!

Another Thai brand is landing on Philippine shores!

Yup, that popular bag brand that a lo of Pinoys line up for will open in Trinoma soon. Now, people won't have to fly to BKK to get their House of Little Bunny fix.

I'm surprised that they came here ahead of Gentlewoman.

Decor Deja vu

The Christmas decor theme of all SM Department Stores this year is "Christmas Circus."

Their decor in front of SM Araneta Center is super cute! I'm so tempted to bring home those little elves.

But can I just say, I thought of that theme first. Back in 2018, my Christmas wrapping theme was circus as well.

As they say, great minds think alike.

Oreo excited?

Because that's what I felt after Ate Lissa sent me this photo!

It's the special Halloween/Fall Oreos in the US.

Oreo Chicken & Waffles? I'm intrigued! And excited!

Send me one line

No, this isn't a Spyro Gyra post. 

But don't be surprised if they suddenly make an appearance on next Friday's FMM.

This post is about this line:

Yup, that's the line for Toni's bazaar at Gateway.

It's just 10:10am, and it's already this long!

Way to go, Toni!

Galactic Judge

Since we're on the subject of things that are "Far out," the theme of this year's Digital Young Creators competition is "Intergalactic."

And we had our final judging last Thursday.

It's interesting to see how young digital creators approach an advertising brief, and you can see the advantage of content creators with an advertising background.

In the end, 2 of the 3 winners were from advertising agencies, while the 3rd one was a full-fledged content creator.

And yes, their talents were out of this world.

FMM: Out of this world

When you say "The Carpenters," you think of songs that are soft and romantic. No surprise, because that's the vibe of most of their songs.

But they have one song that veered away from their usual. It veered so far away, that it went to outer space!

"Calling occupants of interplanetary craft," is out of this world in so many ways. From the intro alone, you know that it's not going to be the usual song. 

Then, you have the lyrics like: "O please, Mr. Interstellar Policeman, can you give us a sign, give us a sign, that we've reached you." If that's not far off, I'm not sure what is. 

Another amazing thing about this song is the fact that it's celebrating it's 50th year this 2026! Yup, it was first aired in 1976, and was way ahead of its time.

As one of the popular sayings in the 70s best capture my feelings about this song:

It's far out!

Oysho you

Without much hype or fanfare, Oysho opened its first store here in MNL.

Their store is located in Greenbelt 5 and took over the old Marks & Spencers area.

Oysho is a Spanish brand under the Inditex group. So, it's the sister brand of Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Stradivarious, Bershka and Lefites. They specialize in athleisure wear, so it's Spain's answer to Alo and Lululemon.

Didn't have enough time to explore the place, but I'll see to it that I do so soon.

In the clear

Another thing remarkable about our beaches in Bacacay is the fact that the water is so clear!

You can really see everything happening under water.

It's another clear reason to spend more rime here.

Sun, sea and sand

Was fortunate to spend last weekend in Bicol with my parents, and it's always a goy to sake up to this view.

Spent the morning strolling by the beach, and this view of the sun, sea and sand followed me wherever I sent.

Makagomahon.

Tickled Sphinx

Had to take a snap of this super cute cat:

Because he reminded me of this:

We might have Egyptian royalty in our midst.

Like Daughter, Like Mother

Seriously, the resemblance between Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber is mind-blowingly uncanny!

They have the same career path. They both because cover girls. They're both faces of major make-up brands. And gosh, they look so much alike!

If Kaia had a mole where Cindy has hers, that would've been the ultimate!

FMM: Another Pillow talk

While typing the title of yesterday's blog entry, a very old song suddenly played in my head and the lyics resonated clearly in my head:

"Ooh, you can't find love on a one-way street, It takes two to tango, it takes two to even compete."

These lyrics are part of super catchy song that first played on air in 1973, by a singer named Sylvia Robinson.

Everything about "Pillow Talk" feels deliberate and thematic. From the soothing, R&B melody, to the enticing lyrics, all the way to the sultry way that Sylvia sang the song. It's gives peak bedroom vibes, which is just what the song is about.

Thanks to this song, now I've got something to talk about.

Pillows talk

Oh, the things you find on Shopee.

I'm a fan of Pillows, particularly their chocolate flavour. 

But apparently, there's a bigger universe of Pillows out there. Particularly in Vietnam.

They have Hazelnut and Coconut flavours! 

And yes, they taste as good as you'd imagine.

Gotta hoard more of these soon.

Sweet as Sugarhouse

It was one of the places that we'd frequent way back in high school and college.

Sugarhouse was a bakeshop and cafe that was a go-to destination back in the 80s and 90s. The ambience was nice, the food was really good, and the vibe was giving. (Yes, I'm talking like a Gen Z.) Suffice it to say, it was like the Mary Grace of their time.

One of the things that Sugarhouse was also known for was the fact that they sold sugar-free desserts. I'd remember how we'd buy Sugarhouse treats for our diabetic friends.

Memories of that bakeshop suddenly flooded in because of this:

Sugarhouse is opening in Ali Mall!

Sweet!

Shining through

I've recently been watching the FB channel of this guy named Josh. He's an American who goes around the US and helps random people in need. It's always a joy to watch his content because it's both inspiring and heartwarming. It's something I'd love to do given the opportunity and resources.

Watching it again this week, one particular post caught my attention. 

If you notice in the background, you'll see the tail livery of Philippine Airlines!

Judging by the video, this was taken at LAX, and it's one of the airports that PAL uses. So, seeing a PAL plane there isn't a surprise.

But given the context of this video, and how Josh loves to surprise people, it's providential.

It's a surprise within a surprise.

Hello, Kitty!

While Kuya Marv and I were chatting near Toni's stall in Trinoma, a lady in red approached us.

"Marv?"

Kuya instantly recognized her.

"Kitty!"

Yup, it was my sister's best friend, Kitty!

She was one member of Ate Lissa's life constants. Throughout her college life, Ate would always be with Kitty and Nenette - her college besties who are her besties until now. Whether they'd just be hanging out at home, or going to Petit Four, or even Nenette's Tagaytay home, they were inseparable.

That's why they're also part of our extended family. The last time we saw Kitty was during Ate Lissa's surprise 40th birthday party!

Yup, almost 2 decades have past. But seeing her yesterday, it felt like we just saw each other recently. Which is one of the hallmarks of true friendship.

Women achievers

We have 2 of those in the family this Sunday.

First, Ate Bullet just finished her first half marathon!

She finished 1st in her age category. Woot!

Second, Toni just wrapped up another successful bazaar!

I'm always amazed at the number of loyal customers she has. Loyal customers that are willing to line up just to buy her cakes. Woot! Woot!

It's such a joy to see the achievements of these successful women!

Avengers, Assembly!

Today was the general assembly of the Comm Soc in school. 

It's always attending events like these since you see your students in a more relaxed state.

Their theme was "Avengers Assemble" and encouraged everyone to come as a hero. Of course, Iya and I didn't have costumes, but I had a ready answer if they asked me who's the hero I dressed up as.

That answer would have been: "Myself. Because I"m my own hero."

Too bad they didn't ask me the question, though.

FMM: Loss of breathing

Among D' Frendz, we all have our "signature songs" whenever we go to videoke joints.

Mine is this 1996 Grammy Award winning song from Duncan Sheik.

"Barely Breathing" is such a beautifully written and sung song. It's lyrics are emotional, but balanced with the fast-paced melody. This contrapunto is what makes me like this song so much. Not just to sing, but also to listen to.

So, it's sad to hear that the singer has joined the big concert hall in the sky. Another musical talent who's gone too soon.

Gown town

True to his red carpet aesthetic, a big chunk of the Elie Saab x H&M collection will be gowns!

Looking back their past collabs, it looks like it's the first time they'll really feature this many gowns in one collection. While their Roberto Cavalli and Erdem collections had long dresses, Elie Saab has full-on, red carpet worthy gowns!

I'm sure these will be the first ones sold out when the collection drops this month.

You've got Malle

As a fan of scents that smell like fresh laundry, one brand of perfume kept on popping up my feed.

The brand is Acne Studios by Frederic Malle, and it's supposed to smell like clean, soapy clothes that just came out of the dryer. Conceptually, it should be like Clean Warm Cotton, Clean Cool Cotton and Clean Fresh Laundry - 3 scents that I'm a fan of and have bottles of.

Since they have it in Rustan's, might as well drop by and check out what the hype is all about.

Verdict: the hype is real.

So real, I eventually got a bottle.

Now, I'm going to smell like a hamper of freshly laundered clothes.

And I'm here for it!

Simula at Wakas

No, this isn't an SB19 post. But their songs are nice. Especially "Mapa."

But I digress.

Almost 2 years ago, we welcomed our new writer - Claire - with lunch at Lechoneria in Robinsons Galleria.

Today, we send her off in the same restaurant, as she embarks on a new stage and phase in her professional life.

We thought it was providential that we were the same group, in the same restaurant, in the same table! How cool is that!

Good luck, Claire! May this be the start of a world of new adventures for you.

The waiting game

For a change, today's cat isn't sleeping.

He's waiting.

You can make up so many stories with this one photo.

Is the cat's hooman inside and is he waiting for him to come out?

Is he reading the menu and deciding what to order?

Is he waiting for someone to open the door so he can dash inside?

So many possibilities...

Shades and shapes

It was one of those muni-muni moments during our shoot last Friday. Was outside the studio, looking up, then saw something that needed to be photographed.

As a fan of shapes, there was something about this combination of the building's roof and the dusky sky that created something graphic. It's that ubiquitous combination of hard and soft, light and dark.

Amazing how we can find beauty in random things.

Ca(ugh)t in the act

Caught this cat who looks like he's so deep in thought.

Thus, it was worthy of a snap.

Moments like these make me adore cats even more.

FMM: Another Maneuver

Aside from "Sahara Nights," another song that super reminds me of Friday Magic Madness is this 1982 hit from Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. 

There's something about "Secret" that's so 80s. 

It might be instrumentation, it might be the whispery way the female singer sang the word, or it might be the overall vibe of the ditty. 

Whatever it is, this song will definitely maneuver its way into my mind now.

Who am I to judge? Part deux!

For the 2nd time this year, I've had the privilege of sitting as a jury for another creative competition.

What's exciting for me is that most of my co-jurors are people who I'll only meet for the first time. And it's always great to expand my creative circle.

Judging by the agenda and people, it's going to be fun!

Gail Storm

Speaking of trailers for Hollywood films, this suddenly popped up on my feed:

"Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" looks like one of those slapstick yet smart comedies. It also has a fairly newbie cast, at least for me.

That said, it looks like an interesting film.

Unfortunately, this film doesn't look like it's going to be shown in the Philippines.

Let's wait for it on Netflix.

Never forgotten

There's so much hype around "Forgotten Island," and reading about it on Rotten Tomatoes and seeing the trailer, I'm not suprised:

It really captures the Pinoy culture - from the characters to the folklore to the karaoke - it's all so familiar!

Must not forget to watch this film!

Meals with Mark: Boom boom (kra) pao

Wasn't able to join Mark during his BKK trip a few months ago, so we decided to make it up through his birthday salubong dinner last Wednesday.

We went to Thai Streat in Ortigas, and ordered these:

Of course, we had to have noodles, so we ordered the Pad Thai. But we also wanted something spicy, and we went with the Phad Kra Pao.

Being a fan of Thai food, it's safe to say that this food is legit! And seeing the owner behind the counter - a Thai lady - confirms how legit this pace is.

How's it hanging?

While the current term for this fashion piece is "crop top," once upon a time, we called it "hanging." (Short for "hanging blouse.")

And it seems like it's making a comeback.

Exhibit A, this skirt and top pair from Plains & Prints.

This style is really up Ate Bullet's alley. This ensemble is composed of a hanging top and a detailed skirt. The material is like soft denim, the shape is loose and relaxed, and it has fashionable details like the stitching and the sleeve.

This is actually a departure from the usual Plains & Prints style

And I'm liking it.

Sudden Speed Shopping

Today's class was about Target Audiences, and my lesson talked about how psychographics play a very important role in a consumers' psyche.

To demonstrate, we had an exercise. A fun one, at that.

The students were all given P100 which they should spend within 20 minutes. And just like that, they were all out shopping.

When they got back, we reviewed what they bought, and how much they spent.

Despite everyone being in the same demographic profile, their shopping habits clearly showed that they were all very different psychographically. 

Hopefully, this first hand experience made the lesson easier to understand.

FMM: Pick up that hanky

This is as obvious as it gets.

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by Wednesday's post!

"Hanky Panky" is actually one of Madonna's underrated songs. 

Launched in 1990, this song was a departure from Madonna's signature pop sound. This song had more of a jazz and swing sound which was fun to listen to. It was always on repeat on my playlist back in the 90s, but was buried under all the other memorable songs that have been featured on FMM.

But thanks to a fashion post, it's now going to have a resurgence.

Design of 2 decades

Yes, the title is inspired by another title. Particularly, the greatest hits album of Janet Jackson which was launched in 1996.

But no, this isn't about Janet Jackson.

It's about Mark's birthday!

This birthday marks the 2nd decade that we're spending his birthday together. That's 20 years worth of birthdays!

I still remember our very first birthday together like it was yesterday. It was the surprise birthday visit in IUJ, which was also an adventure in many ways. That day, and the days leading to that, are core memories that will always be with me.

Happy Birthday, Mark! Here's to the next decade!

Hanky Panky

It's been a while since handkerchief skirts made an appearance in fast fashion.

So, after spotting this checkered, handkerchief hem skirt at The Landmark, it was an automatic buy.

The colour and pattern is giving modern Filipiniana - like a saya, but elevated. It's a skirt that has a lot of details, so the top had to be simple and more classic. And this brown knitted vest with assorted gold buttons was perfect. And to cap the look off, knitted ballet flats from Solemate.

When you're hankering for fashion, this ensemble is just what you need.

Carefree Cats

As this blog has attested, there are a lot of those here in Ortigas.

Here's another one.

This was taken around 2pm, and in that time when you're supposed to be busy, this cat is living the carefree life and just sleeping on his back, probably dreaming of cat food and scratching posts.

If only we could all be as carefree as this.

Creativity in bloom

A few months ago, Biboy and Liz showed me a photo of a sampaguita-themed brooch that a friend of theirs wanted to use for a Filipiniana wedding in GA.

After scouring different suppliers and shops for it, we couldn't find it. 

Then, a friend suggested a person who does 3D printing. 

And he came up with this.

With the right technology, creativity can really bloom.

Dress with character(s)

Thanks to one of my creative directors at work - Noel - I've developed a new fashion habit.

Printing characters on to dresses.

Noel has a printing shop that can print photos on fabric, and I've been working with him on a few projects the past months.

Our latest project is this:

Saw this very pretty and very classic denim dress at The SM Store. Made of dark denim and with a flattering halter neckline, it's a great canvas for a creative printed design. And that design is this sketch of 4 Filipina characters, wearing different styles of Filipiniana.

The dress came out better than my initial vision. 

Further proof that execution is as important as the concept.

Victor would

Yesterday, Mother and I found ourselves in Bridgetowne for the usual "pagpag."

While we've both been to Opus, this is the first time we were in the back part of that township. And it turned out to be a really nice place.

There were wide spaces, sports facilities, modern looking buildings, and, of course, the statue of "The Victor."

We both agreed that this place had that SG vibe, and it would be great if they could maintain it.

They'd score a victory if they're able to do that.

FMM: Singing Surgeon

When my colleagues and I were talking about 80s OPM singers, the name Nonoy Zuniga came about.

That name immediately rang a bell because of two things.

First, he's a surgeon aside from being a singer. And back then, that was a huge deal. Imagine, he's a not only a good doctor, he's a good singer, too!

Second, he's the brother of my grade 2 teacher, Mrs. Munoz. She would often talk about him, and he actually went to our lass one time.

It was after that meeting that the class learned about his songs. And they turned out to be really cool songs! They were well-written, the lyrics were deep and insightful, and the melodies were easy to listen to. Ballads were his forte, and he sang them with an emotion that you can easily feel.

So, for today's Friday Magic Madness, let me play Nonoy Zuniga's most iconic hits

"Doon lang" was released in 1981, and became one of the most played songs on-air during that time. It also became one of the usual singing contest songs that would be sung. That's who impactful it was.

Let's just say the doctor wrote the prescription for a hit!

Bjorn this way

While we're all familiar with the songs of ABBA, this quote from one of their members - Bjorn Ulvaeus - was new to me.

No wonder they had so many unique and memorable songs. They're testimonies of the life lived by all the 4 members.

Creativity really does run in their groups' blood.

Double Take

Two things that have been well established on this blog.

I'm a fan of Ovaltine.

I'm a fan of Take it.

And now, we have this:

Take it with Ovaltine!

Solid!