Congratulations and Best Wishes

My great friends Nico and Corinne (both in Joey Samson) had a beautiful, romantic wedding last Saturday. It was not dampened one bit even though there was a blackout midway through the reception, and the generator could only restore the lights.

My friend Angie (also in Joey Samson) was candle sponsor; I wore Ivar, and placed the cord on the newlyweds.

Cheer Up

Life being the pits these days, I decided to wear the most cheerful things I have.

(Candy-colored stripes from Tyler and Randy Ortiz bowtie from Myth.)

Atrocity

You'd think the shirt-and-belt combination was groan-inducing enough. And yet, and yet, he was also clutching a Burberry wallet in his hand. Oh, and he was attending a wedding in this outfit.

Lavazza Coffee

Between Starbucks and Mister Donut, I chose Mister Donut. But now, I have no choice. A coffee shop just opened around the corner, a few steps away from the office. Called Servito de Cafe Enzo, it serves the best coffee I know: Lavazza.

Never mind that a cup costs fifty bucks more than the humble Mister Donut coffee. It's worth it.

The Fix

Feeling the onset of a bad day and in need of a fast fix yesterday, I made a quick trip to the nearest National Bookstore, where I found the paperback edition of Alice Munro's The View From Castle Rock. Munro happens to be one of my favorite writers of all time.

It gave me an instant lift. Books never fail. Nothing else is so cheap but also so essential.

Can't Complain

You can't complain about lunch when lunch is...

1) at Fely J's in Greenbelt 5, which, like its sister restaurants, serve consistently excellent food
2) with officemates and bosses who are also good friends
3) less than P600 a person for this much delicious stuff



2 orders Ensalada ni Nanay (with bagoong dressing)



2 orders Dilis-cious Rice


2 orders Kangkong sa Gata

1 Stir-fried Clams in Garlic Chili Sauce

2 orders Lola Ising's Adobo

and 1 Crispy Pata

Some Sublime Tennis

So Federer lost to Andy Murray in the Shanghai Masters Cup, but only barely--and while playing with an injured back. All this says is that if he recovers his health next year, the form will be scary. I believe he will break Sampras' Grand Slam record in 2009. I believe.

Breakfast Fare

Breakfast for me every day consists of three strips of bacon, two breakfast sausages, three pieces of toast, a poached egg and a glass of milk. (I take coffee in the office.)

Usually, I watch some news during breakfast. But today, I mulled over this challenge in Alphabetical, which was to come up with a super edited wardrobe consisting of 12 pieces. It wasn't easy, and I had to repeat to myself this Australian aboriginal saying which serve as the epigrpah of those useful Chic Simple books that I used to collect: "The more you know, the less you need." This is what I came up with.

1-2 Black and white shirts

3-5 Black, white and khaki trousers

6 Slim dark denim

7 Cream cardigan

8 Gray vest

9-11 Black, white and navy blazers

12 A black two-button suit

And if I could have only three pairs of shoes and just one bag, they will be:

Black John Lobb in Hemby

Brown John Lobb boots in Woburn

White multi-lace John Varvatos for Converse Chuck Taylors

and of course, the Louis Vuitton DAmier Icare carryall

Next time, I'll think about what will go inside my super-edited accessories drawers.

Friday Lunch

No, I didn't eat a bear for lunch. What I had instead was a bowl of really tasty shrimp and pork wanton noodles and an order of delicious pork gyoza in East, the eatery inside Rustan's Makati.

My officemate, S, fumed a bit from having our Friday lunch plans--Nanbantei, and a quick browsing detour in LV, after--scuttled. She was placated with a slice of really good chocolate cake in the end.

Anyway, I find East to be a great sanctuary, an oasis of unfussy, flavorful and well-priced food amidst the crazy sea of merchandise. If like me you get frustrated by too much wants and too little cash inside the department store, this place provides excellent respite.

The bear, meanwhile, stands sentry by the entrance of Rustan's, which explains the picture above.

Thursday Lunch

Grilled Seafood with Curry Sauce at M Cafe.

I didn't know the curry would be so strong; I would have requested it served in a separate bowl. Cumin is such an overpowering spice; it really just drowns out most everything else.

Dream: LV Icare

I've been visiting this bag in Greenbelt for a few weeks now. I go the LV store just to say hi to it, and dream of the day it would become mine, mine, miiiiine.

The only reason I can restrain myself from getting it already is that I still can't afford it. But when I manage to put together the cash (all 81K of it), it's goodbye liquidity, hello bag.

Next year it is.

--Morx

Black Magic

A truly insipring image, this, from the The SartoriaList: that gaze; how light falls on the face and is absorbed by the dark clothing; the all-black outfit; the accessories; and how all these together is rescued from becoming too contrived by the obtruding shadow of a person on the right, as well as by the casually tucked pages of a notebook in the man's hand.

Did I mention the outfit? If style could be bought--wholesale and off the rack--this guy's would be the one I'd shell out money for. I really wouldn't mind looking this sharp every day.

--Morx

Song and Dance as Transport

High School Musical 3 is a sublime piece of entertainment. To judge it by normal movie standards is, I think, cynical. That it bears no resemblance to actual high school life is not only beside the point, it is the point. The entire movie's premise is an innocent dream, a fantasy. And I think that for a film meant for a generation of kids and teens that these days is growing up too soon, the film's steadfast hold at wholesomeness is not only a good thing, it almost feels like a political statement.

The songs may be mediocre (indeed, the music may be the movie's most cynical element, so eager to please only the average ear), but the set pieces and the choreography are honestly awesome. And the eager performance of the entire cast is infectious.

By the end of the movie, the cast actually sang the exact thought in my mind: I wish life were like a musical. And that is what I mean by transport: to be caught up in the wish/dream despite willingness or inclination.

--Morx