Happy Easter!

Peace be with you.

With all due respect and veneration

In every parish all over the Philippines (I'm freely generalizing here), it has become a Catholic tradition on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday -- even on the dawn of Easter Sunday -- to do the prusisyon (procession) of Santo's and Santa's and revered images of Mama Mary and of Jesus Christ in various of the stations of the cross. around town.

For me who's got a fervor for fashion, it's unmistakable not to notice the dresses the Santa's.

So I've figured out that if only I were Zara's Amancio Ortega's trustafarian bastard (hi, half-sis Marta!), I'd dress Saints Mary Magdelene, Martha,Veronica and Mary Salome, and Mary Mother of Jesus Christ in Couture: Valentino, for one.

Or if I were family with Lolo Henry Sy, I'd go local and vocal and have the ladies in Jesus' passion in a collection of couture-worthy creations by the likes of Cary Santiago and Jojie Lloren.

March 28-29

For lack of a better title. Hmmm, Or I'm Like Half-asleep While I Write This

Alay Lakad 2013

With less fanfare than before (due to the youthful folly we *still* got) in my 6 consecutive years of participation, this was our group's most solemn over-night Way of the Cross to date! The unusual traffic jam (a great number of the walking crowd + lots of jeepneys, motorcycles, other vehicles, and even a bus doing their Alay Gulong version + only one officer in sight managing everything and resolving the cray cray incident) we met in Bombon (the third town -- east of Naga -- which the annual Way runs) was but a challenge (A was the first the point it) to 'keep the faith' (a mantra I then suggested) and reach the goal -- to visit and pray to Amang Hinulid (Father laid to rest). 

© Aphet R.

Alay Lakad Year 6 is a success. 

Hashtag Shallow

Part of the Walk was the usual time for good conversations from Station to Station with some friends I haven't seen/talked with intently in a year -- the Alay Lakad is also a reunion/face time of some sort with some high-school and college friends who have since become busy professionally. Very personal highlight of the night: I got compliments (not one but two jeje) from my walking companions about me looking like I've gained weight. Cannot tell because I haven’t weighed myself since January. But that made my day.. night.

Oh, just say it with me: tumaba ako!

From two separate posts in my Fezbook which was then edited for clarity.

Lenten reflection song

Bastille is a British band and possibly my newest favourite band. 

Oh where do we begin? / The rubble or our sins? which the lead vocals guy soothingly asks and which he then repeats with background singing can potentially stick to one's reflective mind.

KJMS

KJMS stands for Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, a GMA-& weekly magazine-format show hosted by Jessica Soho.  runs a gamut of features which appeals to the Filipinos' tastes.

Last Sunday, they showcased a themed special report: SUMMER -- to officially welcome this exciting time. Segments ranged from hit Pinoy games played during vacation time, like sipa and patintero, kids these no longer play (sadly) to international vacation destinations local celebrities have visited and, of course, our very own must-visit hotspots.

A couple of DYK's I collected from their fruit basket segment:

1. Did you know that the popular milk tea flavor Winter melon is in the Bahay-Kubo song?

via

Its local name: Kundol/Kondol.

2. Did you know that I didn't know that fruit fellow Bicolanos in Sorsogon call hagis. Is it the same with duhat? What is hagis called in English?

Oh, I'm bummed I'm nowhere near a tea shop. On my mind: Winter melon.

I dreamed a dream

Sometimes we remember our Adventure Time-like twisted dreams. But most of time, they get lost in our subconscious. 

There was one morning when I woke up and remembered a pretty interesting moment I dreamed. Lo and behold: I was fitting a Valentino-red strapless ball gown not on me (frankly, I don't recall a dream where I'm wearing women's clothes) but to, no less than thinspo 5va, Kim Chiu. It was, I believe, around the time in my life when I'm thinking a lot about parlaying my bookish (or shall I say magazine-ish) fashion knowledge into the fashion styling/editorial realm. Circa 2012.

Wouldn't it be nice, nay, feelz so good to help in dressing a celebrity -- plus points if he/she is someone you really adore, or, which is something I like better, to create an fashionistic (that's fashionably-fantastic) editorial in an awesome location, say in Croatia, or to be vocally local, in Batanes?

Recently, Philippine Daily Inquirer's Cheche V. Moral did a two-parts feature about the "new “It” career for many ambitious young things," likely to not only give words of wisdom to the hopefuls, but also to honor our very own a la THR's list of Top 25 Power Stylists and share their fascinating stories.

(1/2 1.1 1.2)

(2/2)

Life is exciting (Also: I am an overthinker)

I think I'm being held to give Naga another chance. There is actually an ongoing war on my mind whether or not I should stage a coup with my easy life here -- near my parents and basically my family.

When I have been entertaining the thoughts of getting another education (more on life frankly) but this time in Manila, I suspect the universe is holding me just so I can stay and do what has come my way: worthwhile and exciting local projects/collaborations, which spells my lips are sealed for this subject.

Anyhow, with my 100% commitment to Mr. Kengkoy, I got some things up my rolled-up sleeves -- and would still be coming up with more -- so we at Mr. Kengkoy can move forward and up. I really think that being  involved with social change is oh so totes amazing, I'm learning a lot and doing something that breeds creativity and the passion I get from people I work with.

Lulundagin ko to, you guys!

We have a Pope

A wish come true actually! In my tumblr, almost a month ago, I wrote: "Here’s hoping that the next Catholic Church leader is a Jesuit."

The first ever Pope Francis is Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina. A pope of a few firsts: first to adapt the papal moniker Francis or Francesco, after Francis of Assisi; first to originate from South America/Latin America, breaking the convention of having European popes; and first, the most rad and thrilling for Ateneo-educated me, from the Jesuit order.

AMDG!

Word of the day: phlegmatic

The Pierley/Redford test ↳

My diagnosis:

I swear "facility with the physical world [...] dexterity" does not apply to me. Motorcycling or hang gliding, what the!

Touchy-feely

'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get I What Want' bends, as always, towards the sentimental, reflective feeling. I heard the Elefant cover via The Carrie Diaries Episode I-forget. 

The original is, of course, sang by The Smiths. Below is Morrissey singing the song in 2007, in which he replaced the lyrics to So please, please, please, let me, let me, let me, let me HAVE WHO I want this time.

Peppered with good taste

BFC initially planned to just go to *bux but I was already famished so I told him that we go check the comebacking Chili Pepper. As we'd found out, it was their soft opening. So, Welcome back home, Chili Peps!

Homegrown Chili Peppers is back in town, erm, in the city. People were of course craving for their 'Classics' a.k.a. their Favorites -- one of which is the famous Baby Come Back Ribs, which was practically on mostly every table around us.

We were about to jump on the bandwagon until we transferred from the long table (when there's just the two of us: me and BFC) to the only round table inside and caught another duo near us where one was having a pasta meal. I sometimes hate conformity. We had to ask the lady server if they serve any pasta dishes since it can't be found on their menu. Surprise, they have!

Kiwi Shake. Which tasted healthy. Blech. I'm kidding!

It looks like buko shake, no? The real taste: first sip was not so sweet, and then got just fine in the process. It must due to the kiwi seeds for the added texture.

I-forgot-the-name red-sauce pasta. Which tasted so non-Pinoy (read: not sweet-spicy).

The real taste: the flavors of the seafood and those meat-looking-and-tasting ingredient (Is that bologna? I think it's bologna!), which is ironic because the idea was to order a non-meat dish because it's no-meat Friday for us Catholics, blended with real tomato sauce created, as BFC unbecomingly suggested, the Italian flavor by way of Yellow Cab (Oh, fast food junkie us!), interestingly now located on Chili Peppers's former spot.

We have yet to come back and down for that Baby Come Back Ribs meal. It looked nicer with that grilled corn.

An honest-to-goodness letter

06 March 2013


Dear Catherine Bautista,

Can I call Kakai? Well, I already have, so there. And, well, this letter is not addressed to Catherine Bautista, but to Catherine Bautista the Kakai we know, you know what I mean.

I am a fan. I love funny people. You are witty, I see, and you have that hearty laugh that induces others to laugh as well. But admittedly, upon the advent of the 'blogtroversial' rumor, I'm one of the many who rolled eyes and went "Huwhatt? You've got to be kidding!" And there lies a collective bias.

For starters, you are in the entertainment business, a public figure, and then knowingly one who's barely a conventional beauty -- you're no Anne, Bell, or not even an Erich. Not that I'm being mean, just being honest to goodness. But acknowledge that you have character with a capital C; what you lack in physical attractiveness has gone to your bank of natural talent. (You know those strange looks being thrown at native Filipinas who went abroad and then come back home already or going Mrs. [Japanese or Caucasian surname]? I digress: But hey, the genetic engineering of the offspring tend to be artista-potential. End of digression. "Exotic," as they would be called. And that word was what you were called and what was assumed to be Mario Maurer's liking. Allow me to digress again: Any everyday Pinay would not at all seem exotic to our Southeast Asian neighbors as we in a way or two share the same Asian lineage with our Thai friends; I've also read we practically have the same bipolar weather.) Knowing your pep and energy, I can't blame the heartthrob. It's likely that there's never a dull moment when you are together.

While you have already debunked the rumor via Twitter so it would just stop, it continued that last Sunday, on The Buzz, Tito Boy rallied his support for your happiness to the extent of him declaring that "you're a beautiful girl." I PFFFT. C'mon Tito Boy! On second thoughts, though, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Now you couldn't possibly care about what I think. You do not know me, I do not know you on a personal level. Better yet, I'm not here to become a poor judge of character.

But hear me out: news, nay, gossip about a small town lady dating an adorable internationally-famous piece of man meat is certainly always going to 'route: talk of town.' You both work in an industry -- you in the local stage, him in the international stage -- that's always going to be complicated. Gossips are expected. Even you are not alone with some of the foreigner linking. It just happened that you are Kakai (no offence) and the guy is THE Mario Maurer.

And so, pangs of jealousy from beautiful girls and feeling-beautiful-Mario-would-have-you-instead girls alike result. This is your effect, my dear: you're just being there for the poor rich guy, you don't mean any effect you're being there would cause and you're just happy to be there for your friend, then to the equation the circumstance of your good friend's recent break-up and exhibits evidenced by Instagram and then suddenly Are they, Aren't they? questions are being hurled at you.

Fret not, Rapunzel. Just do what you do, because I see you're doing fine, doing well. Don't mind some of us who judged you and/or your closeness and those latent sacks of crap who still do. At the end of the day, the adage "You're own happiness is what's more important" matters most. I'm happy for you. Potential Lover Mario or Just Really Close Friend Mario, dating or friendzone-d, keep calm and be happy with what you have.


Hugs for you -- and kisses to Mario,

Egay V.


P.S. I have misspelled your name in my previous post. Won't change it though just because.

So What?!

Admittedly, while on Twitter Thursday night, my eyes laid on these: "Match or Mismatch: Mario Maurer and Cacai Bautista" by Fashion Pulis blog, I got all, Ooooooohh!

From Cacai's IG page

Mario Maurer, a Thai actor, is famous for his portrayals in movies like Love of Siam and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Cacai is a Filipino comedianne, singer and actress -- a multihyphenate, whom I am personally fond of (I love funny people.)

In November 2012, during Mario's guesting on (my favorite Sunday primetime show) Gandang Gabi Vice, how the two have gotten to become close friends over the course of the filming of the Mario- and Erich Gonzales-starrer Suddenly It's Magic was revealed. Cacai was part of the supporting cast of the Star Cinema-produced movie.

Recently, Mario Maurer and long-time girlfriend actress Gudgib reportedly have broken up, and when Cacai posted some photos of her time with Mario during her BKK trip on Instagram, followed by a series of I'm-inspired tweets, the Are they? rumors that they are dating started to spread.

Now, if it were that they're dating, So what?! to us, right?

Go Cacai, PURSUE! Mario Maurer na yan.