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

Oscar Wow

This is quite possibly the best book I've read this year. That's all.

--Morx

Optimism

Bright colors say optimism, and in these days of economic gloom, we all need a bit of color. Cardigan from Topman.

-- Morx

"torn leaves, crushed twigs, flowing sap, fallen branches, old leaves, green moss, fir, pine and tiny mushrooms"

I love how enumeration can sometimes produce poetry inadvertently, as the title of this post does. Imagine a bottle that contains the scents of these poetic-sounding and -smelling things, and you get a variant of CB I Hate Perfume perfume.

Read about Christopher Brosius, his peculiar sense of smell and the scents he sells here.

-- Morx

Huamin Health Massage Socks

7/11 is not where you'd ordinarily buy your socks. But when you get cold feet from walking in the rain and getting your socks soaked, well, thank God they sell them. And not only do they sell socks, they sell the health massage kind.

What, you ask, in heaven's name are health massage socks. The beautiful nugget of wisdom on the tag says it all:



I don't know about my feet's "sympathetic spots," but reading the English labels on Chinese products always has a stimulating effect on my brain. Plus I'm just happy my feet are warm and dry.

Thank you, 7/11! And thank you, Huamin! Haha.

--Morx

Solitary Lunch October 10, 2008

Went out to eat lunch alone, as all my lunch mates from the office are in Boracay. I don't mind eating by myself when in public. But eating alone in the office means I have a personality problem, which I'm not saying I don't. Haha.

--Morx

Simple Times by Joshua Radin

It's Joshua Radin weather outside, gray and rainy. Which means it's the perfect time to listen to his new CD, Simple Times. There's always an ineffable sadness to Radin's songs, even the upbeat ones, that makes me feel like I'm about to cry. And times like this, it helps to delude yourself that the sky's commiserating with you.

--Morx

Toni & Guy Haircut

For years now, nobody has touched my hair but the wonderful, talented Cherry Reyes, who is the managing director of the Toni and Guy franchise in the country, and wife of Talk n Text coach, Chot Reyes.

She's known my hair from the time it was waaaay fuller and she could style it any which way she wanted (sometimes, almost too funky) until now that it's grown sparser. She cuts hair with an almost fanatical meticulousness, which makes the price seem cheap. That's why although etiquette tells me not to tip a stylist who's also the salon owner, I still do. I just don't give it to her directly, but leave it with the receptionist.

To make the money and the trip worth it, I make it a point to grow my hair to an uncomfortable length before having a haircut, as shown in this photo taken at Chicane. I feel queasy looking at myself looking like this, really.




And this is me after the haircut. What a relief.





See what a haircut can do? Lots.

--Morx

Chicane September 27, 2008

This was my third Chicane gig so far. The first one, held years ago at Casino Filipino in Paranaque, was very fun and memorable. Last year was unbearable, because of the extreme heat at World Trade.

The ticket was courtesy of Corinne, who got it as sponsor at Nokia. Here she is with fiance, Nico.

Hyc in "these days de rigeuer for her" headband came with her fiance Nino. Such is life these days; I'm surrounded by affianced couples.

Thank God the always-sleepy Che, here in her beautiful gold ves,t allowed herself to be forced to go that night, and so even out the number.

The first few songs were mostly blah, and the sound system conked out in the third song, I think. I hear it conked out again a few songs after, but we weren't there anymore.

The night's highlight for me was bumping into the gang I haven't seen in months: Kate, Chinkee and Matt (who I just heard are also engaged to be married next year) and pareng Jezer. I miss those guys.

--Morx

Wagyu Love

No receipt for this (how shall we put it?) uh, "black market" purchase. Underground economy's more like it, but anyway. Lok at these. Any lover of beef will agree with me that these pieces of wagyu are beautiful. And at P2000, a steal.

The resulting surf and turf meal was delicious. The meat was just seasoned with salt and pepper, and the shrimps were basted with lemon butter sauce.

Friends, this is a great way to have a wonderful meal at a fraction of the cost at a restaurant. I can bring my very portable grill if you want to hold the dinner at your place.

--Morx

Olats

Olats na naman. Sigh. But Thursday's another day. There's hope, if nothing else. Animo!

Kilgour Spring/Summer 2009

The New York Fashion Week for SS09 ended last week. One collection that screams and screams and screams my name is Kilgour. It's the one collection that I would buy in its entirety if I had the money. I want ALL. OF. IT.

Partial Redemption

Last July 6 was a double heartbreaker. I watched Ateneo beat La Salle in Araneta, live. That night, Rafael Nadal walloped Roger Federer in the finals of the French Open.

An almost exact repeat happened on my birthday, two months later. Last Saturday, La Salle again lost to Ateneo. But that night, Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic in the US Open semifinals. And yesterday, I got the only thing I wished for for my birthday: Federer beat Andy Murray to get his fifth consecutive US Open championship.

Thank God for some redemption.

--Morx

"Something I simply cannot abide"

I had to laugh when I read this in Haruki Murakami's The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, because it reminded me so much of myself. Spoken by a character named Nutmeg Akasaka:

I do not like it when people wear the wrong thing. That is all. It is something I simply cannot--cannot--abide. I at least want the people around me to dress as well as possible.... I feel a personal, almost physical, revulsion for messy clothing.

--Morx

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

I've had The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, for quite some time, but every time I'd consider reading it, I'd feel daunted, as I am really more a fan of realism than magic realism or surrealism in fiction. What made me finally give it a try was a beautiful Murakami passage quoted in a fine blog called alphabetical.

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is a gigantic jigsaw puzzle whose pieces consist of episodes that deal with the unspeakable horrors of war, the reverberations of history in personal lives, the search for identity, the alienating forces of the modern world, among others. It is a tribute to Murakami that regardless of how many topics the writer juggles in this book, one comes away from it with a deep conviction that they are all meaningfully connected. And through all the surreal and magical episodes in the novel, one always has the sense that they're all rooted in reality or psychological truth--making Murakami a true metaphysical writer.

--Morx

Boracay, July 2008

Went to Bora last July. The roundtrip ticket cost only P2,999, and the lodging was free. We stayed in this hilltop house owned by Nini, my friend's friend.



The house was impressive, beginning with the main door's ornately carved frame.



One flight of stairs led to my very own spacious room.



Another flight of stairs led to the living and dining areas, which featured this beautiful custom-made coconut chandelier. I loved it.



These areas overlook a beautiful view of the backside of Boracay.



I was ostensibly invited in this trip to "chaperone" two balikbayan teenagers, because they were with a bunch of adults and I would be closer to these kids' ages than the other adults.

But it turned out these kids weren't allowed to drink, or do anything remotely adult-like, that the only chaperoning I did was to jetski with one of them. I thought I'd die of fright, the speed this kid was going.

I had more babysitting duties with this adorable little boy, and became great friends with him in just four days. Meet Mikey. We have the same name.

Mikey's back in the States now, along with the rest, and will be back two years from now. Hope he'll remember me when he's 5 years old.

--Morx

I Saw It Twice

And not because it was a cinematic masterpiece. Far from it. But, friends, we all know who's the masterpiece in it. So there.

--Morx

Freebie Moment! Panic! At the Disco

I was almost resigned to not seeing it, but Len texted the day before to say we had tickets. I was elated, to say the least. And it was even more fantastic when we got to Araneta and learned that our tickets were for the 4th row.

Now, with that kind of view, it was infuriating that I did not have my camera. Hence, no photos.

I am one with the throngs of screaming girls in saying that the concert was fun, but at just one hour (or 11 songs), it was also really bitin.

Much love to Len for the ticket!

--Morx

A Receipt Soon...

I have been wanting to own a double-breasted tux for quite a while now, and when I saw this ad of Bottega Veneta, I found what I was looking for. Of course, I will only be able to afford a facsimile of it, but Joey Samson is a good tailor, so I think he can do it.

This is for Corky's wedding in November. I wonder if I'll still get the itch to have another suit made for Angie's wedding in January. And if I do, what I'll have made next.

Oh, and I'd love to copy that tie too.

--Morx

The Dark Knight

In The Dark Knight, visual and technical brilliance are in stark contrast to the unrelenting bleakness and madness of its content. Its heart is not the Batman (the stoic Christian Bale), but the Joker, the most insidious character of evil in recent memory, played with so much conviction by Heath Ledger, he literally jumps out of the screen. The Joker's madness has no rhyme and even less reason. In the movie, this self-proclaimed agent of chaos holds an entire city hostage, making it a personal playground for his demonic and bloody games.

By turns appalling and riveting, this superhero movie plunges us into darkness deeper than any other movie of its genre has. But nearly two and a half hours later, I found myself increasingly bothered by the onslaught.

It is difficult not to question a movie that seemingly celebrates such a sinister creature. I thought it behooved the film to offer even one small, but genuine, ray of hope at its end. But in the end, while the evil seemed so genuine, the redemption felt a little too... cinematic.

--Morx

Freebie Moment: Rick Astley

The year in free concert tickets continues! Thanks, Lucille, for mentioning me. And thanks, Mona, for the ticket.



Rick Astley has aged very well. His voice is still syrupy. And although he didn't dance, he had great rapport with the audience.



(A shot of the colorful stage lighting)

Too bad the arena wasn't even half full, but no matter. Those who were there had a lot of fun revisiting the Rick Astley brand of the 80's. Even Timmy, dragged along by Mells, thought it wasn't bad.

--Morx