Face Cover Fashion

Aside from tourism, airline and restaurant industries, one of the badly hurt industries smacked by the ongoing pandemic, I believe, is the lip-cosmetic industry.  With the mandate (at least in my country) that everyone needs to wear facemask and face shield when in public, only a few people would venture into putting lipstick on.  Also, my poor country being at the end of the queue among the countries where Covid19 vaccine would be made available, a totally different apparel has evolved during this time of contagion. 

The style and fashion of wearing face covering has been born!  Sorry to those who still do not believe the existence of Covid and would aver and persist for their freedom to choose not to wear one, I particularly is in favor of wearing a face covering.  It is not for the mere fact that it prevents the spread and snagging the virus, it is also the thought of having to wear a stylish kind of facemask and face-shield.

Here in my country, in fact, the type or quality of facemasks and face-shields one wear characterizes his and her social status.  The more stylish and expensive it is, the higher that you belong to the social hierarchy! Hahaha!

With the dawn of this new gear and apparel, I have actually amassed quite a quantity already.  These are either personally purchased online, bought from a department store, gifted by a friend/colleague or shipped from (no less) abroad!

got these to choose from! i use a “mask bracket” for easy breathing!

my face shields! i think, it is only here in my country (the Philippines) where face shield is required to be worn aside from the face mask

While I await the available vaccine, which would still be way way far away in the future (no thanks to the slow government bureaucracy here and no thanks too to the President, his security group and his cabinet secretaries who were the first to get injected with illegally smuggled vaccines here), I would rather enjoy the wearing and the flashing of some chic and stylish facemasks and face shields in public! Haha!

The Misfits, Redundant & Useless

Let me be brief about this post. I was stuck in Manila during the 4-day no-work Catholic Holy Week. There was basically nowhere to go to nor do anything in Manila during the holy observance of holy week.
Out of boredom, I decided to clean, clear and organize my dresser cabinet. For the record, people who may wonder how big my dresser cabinet is, well, it is basically the size of my whole condo unit. I consider my whole apartment as my dresser cabinet because (except for the space inside my ref) you will basically find a piece of apparel, vestment and clothing everywhere.
The 4-day no-work Holy Week holiday has concluded but I have yet to finish with my dresser’s clearing operation. I was not surprise to find out that there has been eight humongous grocery bags that I was able to fill with old, used and outdated pieces of clothing.

So as to get rid of these bags full of misfits, redundant and useless articles, I went on Easter to the nearest H&M store and took part in their Close the Loop Project. I was just super glad that H&M got such a super worthy program. I am at least confident and assured that my old apparels will not end up in a noxious landfill.
Thanks H&M! Now my dresser can breathe…
Aleluya! May speys ulet!

A Retro Party Video That Deserves 680 Views

Does a person who signed-in or owns a YouTube account can already be considered a YouTuber or does it take a certain degree before someone be considered as one?  I for one owns a YouTube account and I have signed-in my account for more than 5 years already, but still, I don’t consider myself as a legit YouTuber.  For me, a rightful YouTuber is someone who has at least a couple of hundreds of subscribers, posts videos on a regular basis and the number of views of their videos are in thousands (if not in millions).

I have high regard and admiration to these group of internet geniuses.  I am continuously boggled by the fact that these YouTubers were able to tap and has been consistent in tickling the interests of the video viewing public. I have yet to grasp and discover their seemingly elusive formula.  And I’m clueless on how the hell they do it!  Like a pathetic old fool, I have been doing YouTube but one video has yet to reach a thousand views!

Anyway, let me post the latest YouTube video that I did with the help of my officemate (Rey Ferrer) who introduced me to a new world of video editing.  This video is about the recent company party that I organized.  With the hardships and challenges of organizing a company party attended by 680 people, this video I suppose deserves to reach at least 680 views.  Enjoy…

peace!

Kapag ang bidyong ito naging bayral, maanlilibre ako ng miryenda! 

Channeling a Retro Fashion Passion

As soon as it was agreed that the theme of the company that I worked with was Retro 60s & 70s, I channeled on the personas of Billy Preston, the Jackson 5, Angela Davis, Jimmy Hendrix and the Supremes.  I plumped into the idea of donning into the so called afro fashion which became a fad during the 70s.

Fortified with a deep thought as funneled by these iconic 70s Afro-American icons that “with right fashion passion everything would be aflame” this is how my retro-party-look ended up:

with malou domingo…

your clothes should be as important as your skin…

i#bighair

It was super fun dressing up for a retro party!

Ang sarap pumorpa mga repapips! Bukas susuotin ko ulit yan pag-pasok ko sa opis!

Retro 60s and 70s Party Teaser

In the company that I am working for, Employees’ Night Party is held yearly.  Instead of the annual Christmas Party as observed by other companies, we prefer to hold the party after the season has simmered down.  It is because during the Santa Holiday Season out group of restaurants are the busiest entities in the metro.  We are actually the servers in others’ Christmas Parties!

And after the busy service during Christmas season, we seem to be ready for a Halloween Party because everybody looks like a zombie by the end of the season.  Nevertheless, during the kris kringle season, I would publish posters counting down the number of days prior to the day of the Employees’ Night so as to build up some excitement.

a collage of “countdown” posters i published in the office

Employees’ Night is held usually on the second or third week of January.  And every year, a theme is appointed.   This year’s theme is Retro 60s and 70s.  The styles, fashion and music of the 60s and 70s era.

Every year my co-employees looks forward to our Employees’ Night.  Almost all of employees would participate in donning in an outfit based on the party theme.  I am just as excited as the rest of them.  And to add more excitement, I created a cute video which features some of my co-employees who has lived during the cool 60s and awesome 70s…

Thank you peeps for submitting your cute cool retro photos! I love them all.  Let show everyone how an awesome party should be done.  See you at the party!

Eksayted na ko…

The Imaginary Flaming Torch of Miss Philippines World 2016

The recently concluded Miss World 2016 beauty pageant shall be remembered as one of the pageants in history in which the best deserving candidate who gave the best answer was not bestowed the crown.

All top five candidates during the final Q&A portion of the contest – considered to be the ultimate component that will determine who shall be crowned as Miss World – gave pretty good responses to the question thrown at them by previous Miss World winners.  These past winners including the lady host (Miss World 2013 from the Philippines) who carried the imaginary burning torch of the pageant were still impressively beautiful.

During the final Q&A, one lady stood out to be the best among all these pretty candidates.  The whole world in fact loved the answer articulated by Ms. Philippines.

catriona gray: a big loss for the miss world organization

It was sincere, gentle and well composed.  It was so damn good, genius and impressive.   I could not see myself being able to organize such a metaphoric, to the point of poetic, type of thinking.  Too bad judges settled for a shallower and simpler type of response.  Thus, the crown goes to Ms. Puerto Rico.

I heard and read in social media, that Filipino netizens were truly upset about the outcome of this year’s Miss World pageant.  A lot of Filipinos tagged the pageant as this year’s the best cooking show in the world.

I guess, we Filipinos have the right to feel such.  I know we Filipinos will not berate or react this way if we know that the winner truly deserves to win.  Cases in point were the close wins of Shamcey Supsup the Miss Philippines during the 2011 Miss Universe pageant as won by Ms. Angola and that of Ariela Arida’s time during 2013 Miss Universe when the crown was given to Ms. Venezuela.  We Filipinos simply accepted the fact that these ladies were indeed deserving of their title and can indeed continue carrying the pageant’s flaming torch.

But we were similarly upset, annoyed and agitated when Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon who gave an impressive answer than Ms. USA but the latter was adjudged as 2012 Miss Universe.

And for this year’s version of Miss World, it was truly disappointing.  And being so upset and putting a pinch of metaphor on my disappointment, I would love to grab the imaginary flaming torch that Miss Philippines was talking about and throw it so freaking hard at the judges so as to burn them to smithereens!

Booo! Nasaan ang hustisya?!

Nengkoy’s Snail Mails

I have one seem-to-be-odd and old-fashioned question.

I won’t be asking you what your wishes this Christmas are.  Neither would I ask where are you gonna spend it.  I won’t inquire whom your gonna spend it with or what look are you gonna don with on that joyous day.  My question would be: Do you remember when was the last time you sent a Christmas card to a friend or a relative through the classic postal mail?

With the advent of the internet, convenience of the social media and the availability of modern day apps, I’m pretty sure you cannot remember.  Or maybe, if you’re really young and part of the millennial generation, I guess you haven’t even sent yet a letter through snail mail.

I have sent a couple of merry Christmas greetings already via social media for the past few days, but Nengkoy still settles for the classic and traditional mode.  Just 2 weeks ago, she showed me a bunch of envelopes filled with Christmas cards to be sent to relatives in USA and Canada via old-style and old-fashioned postal mail.  And while taking photos of these classic form of greetings, out of nowhere, I suddenly wanted to receive a Christmas card sent via snail mail.  It would be one earnest feeling, I guess.

nengkoy’s snail mails

3 generations: neil, nengkoy and my nephew gabby, a millennial who I guess has not yet sent a letter via classic postal mode

Though I no longer remember, I have sent letters and greeting cards via postal mail in the past.  And I know how much time and effort that is poured in handwriting as well as the time and effort of going to the nearest postal station.

Handwritten letters and classic greetings cards for me is a beautiful thing.  Merry greetings received through this mode, I guess, is warmer, sincerer and more heartfelt.    It is one art, culture and tradition that is unfortunately on its verge of extinction.

But going back to my question if you happen to remember when the last time you sent a snail mail was. Nengkoy for sure can easily answer such an odd and old-fashioned question.

Klasik ng lola mo!

Seoul’s Autumn Soul

The beauty of autumn continues to fascinate me.  This is especially true this year because I got to spend some cool autumn time in Seoul, South Korea. My recent visit in Seoul can be summed up into three fascinating tenets:  the weather, the wardrobe and the verdure.  These I consider as the souls of my recent Seoul visit.

nice!

Autumn, is one strange type of season for an earthling like me.  The temperature, the climate and the cool breeze of the air is so atypical.  Growing up in a perennially clammy tropical country like the Philippines, autumn is such a wonderful novelty for me. I’m entranced every time some cloud would come out from my mouth each time I speak!

Aside from the cool weather, I also got to wear sweaters, scarves, gloves and leather jacket which I cannot wear in hot and humid Philippines.  I would be a laughing stock among the locals if I would don some leather jacket in Manila.

Lastly, aside from the weather and the clothes, you got to see some striking colors of bountiful vegetation during autumn.  Nature is so beautiful during this cool season, Koreans even have “Chasing the Autumn Foliage” as a past time.

red colored tree

cool colors

bright!

selfie muna

 

And because it’s autumn, I enjoyed every bit of my stay in soulful Seoul, South Korea! Kamsahamnida!

Owtum! Wagas na tag-lagas!

China Blue Makes My Blog Look Expensive

Let me add some class, sophistication and culinary elegance to this blog by posting photos of the interiors, table set-up and a couple of tasty food dishes of China Blue.

China Blue Manila

the set-up (especially the beautiful plate chargers) speaks a lot about elegance

Thin Crispy Beef… my personal favorite

elegant interiors… round chandelier in manila, square chandelier in tokyo…

Steamed Truffle Mushroom Bun… the most “sosyal” and ostentatious “siopao”

inside Conrad Hotel Manila

China Blue Manila inside Conrad Hotel (the newest five star luxury hotel in Manila) is not the first on the planet.  The first China Blue, a classy modern Chinese cuisine restaurant is in Conrad Hotel in Tokyo.

O ‘di ba? Ang sosyal sosyal ko!

Keeping Up To The Pinoy Underwear New Year Tradition

Late in the morning today, Jan 1, a new friend whom I met in New York shared/posted in his Facebook page a video and article that highlights the tradition of what underwear color men wears when welcoming the New Year.  Interestingly enough my country, the Philippines, is included in the video feature.  And I was not surprised to find out that men in my country wears polka dots!

get lucky!

The researchers of The Underwear Expert really did their homework.  To support this claim, I am exactly one of those who wore polka dot last December 31^st and when I welcome the year 2016.

nice booty!

The round shape being a symbol for money, wearing anything polka dotted in the Philippines during New Year’s Eve is believed to bring prosperity all year round.

This tidbit of a tradition has been instilled upon me by my beautiful and fashionista grandmother, Lola Teray (Nengkoy’s mom).  I remember during the early years when Lola Teray was still alive, she and her sisters (Lola Sario and Lola Beheng) would make sure to wear polka dot “daster” (house dress) every New Year’s Eve believing that it would bring good fortune in the coming year.

Pwet kung pwet!