When I was a kid, we used to hang at my dad’s music room and listen to The Carpenters and Sergio Mendes on his hifi stereo, with matching bulky headphones.
When I was older, I’d hear his Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan from his hi-tech speakers, till I ended up borrowing his CDs and knowing the songs by heart.
Now my dad simply gives me an iPod with thousands of his songs. I love Tony Bennett and Burt Bacharach along with Tears For Fears and Depeche Mode.

This summer my sons have been hanging out in my room the whole day, playing Minecraft. So I started playing Tears For Fears music videos, to hopefully brainwash them into liking my kind of music.

I told them I nearly married Roland Orzabal—the one my son Ben described as “buck-toothed.” LOL

I was kidding of course.
“But mommy, don’t you find him ugly?”
“No. I really don’t. Talent is better than beauty. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” I said.
My husband just shook his head.
To add to that craziness, I do the Mad World dance, which never fails to make Markus, 9, crack up.

Then there’s the Change dance which is like a mini-workout

Ben and I then fell into a discussion when I told him Tears For Fears was the greatest band on earth. He quickly said they can’t be because Psy it.
Say hwatt??
I was horrified. I cannot stand Psy anything.
“His music is insignificant,” I told Ben. “It’s just a fad song. It won’t matter years from now.”

But how can you explain that to an 11-year-old who knows that Psy has the numbers. His YouTube channel alone has 2,572,486,091 views as of this minute, while Tears For Fears doesn’t even have an official YouTube channel.
How sad if you compare this:

to this:

I know. I can’t win.
But I’m not gonna stop until they start humming along. Then we move on to Depeche Mode, Lotus Eaters, etc…

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

“Instagram is the new jologs.” —Carlo German

Hopefully, Gretchen Barretto’s contrived speech in yesterday’s The Buzz will be the last we’ll hear of the Barretto saga.
But before we post the video, many people have been asking, what exactly triggered the very public family feud?
It seems to have started in the jeje’s new social medium, Instagram.
Instagram used to be a cool and novel app, until it became available to Android, and was no longer exclusive to better educated Apple users (no offence, I am an Android user too).

As early as April 13, I became aware of the brewing Barretto feud when Fashion Pulis posted these screen caps which are no longer existing on Instagram.

Gretchen was apparently reacting to a troll’s Instagram hating on her niece Julia.
Gretchen seemed to assume the troll was none other than her youngest sister Claudine.
These comments triggered the official war when their mother Inday pledged allegiance to Claudine in an open letter published in Ricky Lo’s column in the Philippine Star.

(To be continued)

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

So here’s the last letter Inday sent to Ricky Lo. (Really hope it’s the last one.)

It was never my intention to prolong it into the World War III level.
I am back for the last time, now the target of vicious lies and allegations, a leading lady to a teleserye of made-up stories.
I was warned that it is hard to win a war against those evil unless one is evil, too.
I should be afraid having no money and power to get legal assistance. Many offered to talk on my behalf, people not related but have been part of and witness to our family life.
And so having no need for a Limping Cockroach* to come out from a hole for a glimpse of light, I stand up unafraid to correct these vicious lies.

To Tania:
You say you respect me. Please don’t—keep it—you need that for yourself. I don’t need respect from someone like you. I have plenty of it from where I come from.
I know who you are, what you are, but you shocked the world at how you could face the camera so professionally comfortable in lying to tell a story of more than 30 years ago as if you were there when it happened, as if you were part and parcel of our household when not even our cats and dogs know you—tsk, tsk, tsk!—lying to the hilt without batting an eyelash. Unless you were coached to read a prepared story.
1) No, Tania, it is never true that Gretchen’s tuition was not paid. School is top priority of our payables.
2) No money for recess and lunch? I don’t even want to dignify you on that since you are not a dignified one.
3) So you saw Gretchen with a bruise of black and blue? Do you want to insinuate that we did that to her? We have no history of violence. Don’t be dramatic. People might ask you to convince them some more and all these events of 30 years ago, huh?

To Mother Lily:
Yes, Mother Dearest, it is true that I was the one who used to pick up Gretchen’s checks because she was a minor, remember? But it is not true what you said that you know that not a cent went to her.
The cents went to pay for:
1) car
2) driver
3) yaya
4) gasoline
5) food
6) clothes
7) and others (kulang pa).
I hope you understand being a mother, too. And by the way, we still have the contract we signed with you.

To Robbie Tan:
Thank you, Robbie, for having given Gretchen more work because you thought she needed money for the family.
But for your information and correction, at age 18 she was no longer with us because she was already living in with Joey Loyzaga and our family was already in Iloilo. We did not use her money, period, same way you made good business from the projects you made for her. More power to you.
For the last time on Gretchen being the bread winner, this much I can say: How can she be when her father and I were alive and still are?

Accusations and lies that I want to address:
• Gretchen sent her siblings to school? Three of them were already out of school when she joined show business at age 14. The projects she had when she was still under my care were never enough to pay for our:
1) rent
2) electricity
3) food on the table
4) pay for the schooling—all of them on that meager income?

• The bill for Mr. Barretto’s first heart attack was paid for from a health insurance. The second heart attack that required a bypass, yes, was paid by Tonyboy Cojuangco, something which Gretchen never made us forget. I went to the billing section to settle the bill. I was told that it had already been paid from a PLDT account.
We are eternally grateful to Tony for that sincere generosity.

Gretchen, yes, I am letting you go to set you free from the burden of being a part of our family.
Whatever else you want to exact from us to buoy up your portrayal of a damsel in distress that got you the sympathy and brought you to where you are now? Be happy. At least from this squabble, the truth has finally come out from the talks that have been going on behind our backs about you being an abused child admitted by you when you made sumbat through what you made Jayjay sign.

Thank you that we are able to correct the lies before dad and I close our eyes and give back to your father the dignity he deserves for he really is an honest and principled person.
Again, for your sake, to remind you with no apologies for the lack of classy cars, bodyguards and bling-blings, our house, our home was what gave you these: A roof over your head, food in your stomach, clothes on your back and the love and care that you think is lacking when you were a nobody and had nothing. God be with you, as He is with us, now that the truth has set us free.
(Signed) Inday Barretto

*Special thanks to Ana Zamora for the limping cockroach drawing.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Gretchen reacts to her mom’s last letter (we hope).

My thoughts:
1) Ang corny.
2) Crocodile tears? Kailangan ba talaga umiyak?
3) You’re lying na naman. Of course you love publicity.
4) Who wrote your speech?
5) “Maaalala ni Dominique na, my mom never fought. And that’s what’s important to me, Boy. Yun ang important. That’s what I want to leave behind.” (Duwag?? Parang it’s wrong?)
6) She’s back on The Buzz?
7) You had me at Mary Katranzou. I prefer this dress to Toni’s. Or Boy’s.

That’s it. We’re done! Out of here!!

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

The first set of headphones I ever saw were my dad’s. I was about 3 or 4 years old. We would go down to his music room in our old house in Quezon City and listen to his music. I even remember the song, it was Sergio Mendes’ The Waters of March.

The very first pair of headphones I owned were from a gift from my dad. It was 1979. The Walkman had just come out and he gave me one for my birthday. I like to believe I was one of the first to have it in Manila, because I remember wearing these headphones and people staring at me. It didn’t bother me at all.

Here’s what I listened to

In the ’80s I turned to vinyls. In the ’90s, I switched to CDs. I was never really into iPods.
All this time I didn’t need earphones or headphones. But when iTunes and YouTube were invented, suddenly they were important again.
My husband, our kids, all need headphones.
The boys use them to Skype with their friends, while my husband uses them to shut out all the noise in the house.
I use them late at night when everyone is sleeping.
In the beginning, we all used the earphones that came with our iPods. But I find them painful after a while.

I was really hoping to find headphones similar to the Walkman headphones I used to have—headband-style and lightweight, with foam covers. I finally found them at Urbanears in Podium, Ortigas Center.

I bought the yellow Tanto initially. It became my favorite headphones.

They come in lots of colors.

Aside from Tanto, Urbanears offers other models to suit your different needs.

Urbanears releases two collections of headphones each year for spring/summer, fall/winter. In each collection new colors are introduced in limited quantities. This Spring-Summer 2013, the new colors are Olive, Coral and Petrol.
Once sold out, the new colors may not be produced again.

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Urbanears makes headphones that fit your everyday life.
In the Philippines, they are distributed by Digits Trading, and available at Urbanears Podium, Astrovision, Automatic Center, Avant, Beyond The Box, Bratpack, Buzz, Complex, Digital Hub, Digital Walker, Egghead, Electroworld, Gadgets in Style, Gui, iCenter, iGig, iStudio, Mobile 1, Power Hub, Power Mac Center, ROX, Switch, Technoholics, Toby’s Arena and Urban Athletics.
To know more, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

It’s three days before elections and I’m scared.
I just downloaded ABS-CBN’s Halalan app from the Google Play store.

Upon clicking My Status, here’s what I got:

I don’t remember missing an election, unless it happened when I was studying in New York???
I voted in the last presidential election and the one before that.
Here’s a picture I took last May 10, 2010 at Xavier School, Greenhills, San Juan, where I’ve been voting since I was 18.

I really hope this is just a glitch in the Halalan app. Otherwise, I’m going to be very disappointed on May 13th. (please let me know if you have the same problem)
The app is great to download now because you it acts a handy cheat sheet on who to vote for.
Here’s mine (feel free to copy):

You don’t have to vote for 12 senators. If you vote for more than 12, your ballot may be considered spoiled. So don’t screw this up.
For party list, I decided to vote in favor of the teachers, who need to get paid properly, in my opinion because they care for our children and shape their minds. It’s a tough job.

I tried to click on the other buttons of the app, but couldn’t see any entries for congressman, mayor, and vice mayor of San Juan. (Please let me know if you have the same problem)

If you’re voting in San Juan, please consider Ronny Zamora. He happens to be my favorite uncle, very brilliant, funny (ask Teddyboy Locsin), and the best man for the job (I know, shameless plugging).

Please also consider my kinakapatid, Alan Peter Cayetano for Senator—someone I trust and believe in (tried and tested by me. I tested him and he passed, without his knowing it. Sorry I can’t elaborate, but I know he’s looking out for me.)

I was at lunch earlier with my friends talking about who we’re voting for and why. I told them to vote for Alan in exchange for one of the senators they’re voting so they told me to vote for Angara. A twitter follower also convinced me to vote for Hontiveros so I added her.
JC delos Reyes is my cousin and a good guy! I know it’s a long shot for him to win, but if you have space in your top 12, please consider him too.
So here’s a copy of my ballot so far. Please me know how the app works for you in the comments section.

To know more about the app, click HERE.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Smart Parenting‘s May issue brings together eight modern moms who are “empowered, hands-on, truly inspiring, smart, and discerning about the choices they make,” says Smart Parenting editor-in-chief Mia Fausto-Cruz.

On the cover are Amanda Griffin Jacob, Chesca Garcia-Kramer, Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Rissa Mananquil Trillo, Rhea Santos-de Guzman, Ria Tanjuatco Trillo, Bianca Araneta-Elizalde, and Amina Aranaz Alunan—together with their kids, as they generously share their own parenting and motherhood tips.

Get the May issue of Smart Parenting at newsstands, bookstores, and supermarkets for only Php 125.
To know more, go to http://www.smartparenting.com.ph or like them on Facebook.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

For many months now, my husband has been raving about the SM Aura opening this week in Taguig.

He’s been there to set up Pepper Lunch’s 16th store, opening at Food on Four on the 4th level (where else?).
Here’s a sneak peek inside. It’s going to be amazing

Yesterday @thesmstore started tweeting about a Hollywood celebrity who’s flying in for the opening

I heard they were considering Jennifer Lawrence, so I tried to guess.
But based on @thesmstore’s tweets today, signs point to Sarah Jessica Parker.

Confeermed! Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Oscar dela Renta, in Marie Claire

I’m excited to be there during the preview and blessing.
Can’t wait to be floored by SM!

To know more, follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Last May 10, 2010, I voted for Manny Villar at Xavier School, Greenhills and took this photo with my Blackberry.

That same day, I hosted a Losers dinner party at home because most of my friends were either for Gibo or Villar.
This was the delicious lechon I served that day.

Many people came to the house to wait for the results. There were people in my living room, courtyard and roof deck.
One of my friends, Catherine Aquino, was there. She was the only one who voted for Noynoy.
All these people can attest that I voted last May 10, 2010.

On May 14, 2007, I also voted at Xavier School, Greenhills and took this picture.

Check out my ballot:

As a believer of plastic surgery, I voted BANAT. I also voted Victor Wood, for old time’s sake (Photo: Manila Mommy)

This year I was hoping to vote again in Greenhills, even though ABS-CBN’s Halalan app doubted that I could

I had to find out for myself.
So I left the house at 3 PM and made it to Xavier School with no traffic.
My name could not be found on the bulletin boards even as I double checked all the lists

The following Zamoras, I found.

But not me. So they wouldn’t let me vote.
On the way out I checked with these women who had another list—they found my name!

One of the women, Memia, escorted me to a help desk inside the gym where they also found my name.

But I still couldn’t vote. So one of the men at the help desk called up Comelec San Juan to ask why my name wasn’t showing in the my precint 0217A.
The Comelec people said my name wasn’t there because I didn’t vote in 2010! Which is ridiculous because I was there!! I swear to God, why would I take a picture and not vote?

All the guests in the Losers Party knew I voted for Villar!!
So yes, I am disappointed, though I know I’m not the only one. I feel sad for everyone who tried to vote but couldn’t.
Meanwhile, there are people who are registered and didn’t vote for whatever reason, and people who are dead and are still registered!
Missing one or two elections shouldn’t disqualify you from voting. What if you were sick or having chemo?
My husband hasn’t voted in the Netherlands for the last 10 years, yet he was still registered to vote this 2013!
So who the hell decides who can and who cannot vote in the Philippines and what will they do to fix it??

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

I’m still bitter that I didn’t get to vote. But I am monitoring the results, and I am going to turn a bad thing into a good thing. Yesterday I heard they had set up a precint in our village clubhouse. So I checked it out and found a very civilized setup with airconditioning! After voting all my life in San Juan, I shall finally register in Pasig.

Still on the election, I can’t get over what Senator Chiz Escudero wore yesterday when he came out to vote for himself. Seriously, this picture makes me crave for Kentucky fried chicken.

It’s a good thing senators aren’t elected based on their fashion sense. Otherwise Chiz would never make it to Top 12.
He could use new glasses

This shirt reminds me of Tropical de Hilo (maybe it is)

I don’t understand

He is begging for a stylist

Love is truly blind

There seems to be a pattern….I just can’t put my finger on it

We’ve always known Chiz needed help, so in 2006 we actually styled him for a photoshoot.
Chiz in Dior Homme and Team Manila (Photo: Jo Ann Bitagcol)

Chiz in Dior Homme jacket, Fred Perry T-shirt, Springfield pants, Y-3 shoes. (Photo: Jo Ann Bitagcol)

Look, I’m not asking to style him. I’m just saying, what the hell was he thinking??

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Last November 2012, I found out over shabu-shabu in Ginza, that Charice was planning to come out on the Ellen show.
But I promised my friend I wouldn’t blog it.

But Charice has been giving signs that she really wants to come out.
First, the drastic change from this to this:

Second, lovelorn tweets such as this!

I love you, Ayie. Soon people will know why I love you so much.

— Charice(@OfficialCharice) October 24, 2012

Third, news that she has eloped with X-Factor contestant, Alyssa Quijano.

Four days ago, Charice’s mom Raquel actually gave her permission to come out.
So Charice, come out na! Because, hey, you are bagay!

But just because you’re in love doesn’t mean you have to look like this! #chizzy!

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Special thanks to Kester Ford for creating my Chuvaness app for Android!

The app is now available for free on the Google Play store.
It works well on my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and other Samsung phones, including S4.
Please let me know if it works other Android phones, in the comments section.

If you were one of the first ones to download the trial version, please delete that before downloading this updated version.
iPhone users, please wait a little more as we develop one for Apple.
Special thanks also to Jiki Lim, James Acuña, Yodel Pe, Jeroen van Straten, AJ Dimarucot, Samsung Philippines, Odette Velarde, and Bridges PR for making this possible!

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

ARTWORK, one of the country’s leading T-shirt brands invites you to a silkscreening tee party on May 18, 2013 at the Cinema Lobby of Trinoma in Quezon City.

To join, just buy a silkscreening kit for Php 299 at any Artwork store or during the event.
The kit includes a plain T-shirt and color stubs.
At the event, choose from a variety of designs and colors. Or buy plain tote bags to print on.
And while you’re at it, enjoy a live performance by Up Dharma Down.

Hate lines? You can purchase a VIP kit:

This real people campaign was photographed by Everywhere We Shoot, featuring creative friends of Artwork.
To know more, go to http://www.artwork.ph/

https://www.facebook.com/artworktshirts

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Last Thursday, everything was all about Sarah Jessica Parker opening the new SM Aura mall in Taguig.
Almost everyone I knew was going to be there, including my husband who opened the 16th Pepper Lunch store at Food on Four.
I was invited by SM’s Millie Dizon to SJP’s press conference at 6 PM.
I left the house around 5 PM and got there at 5:30 PM.
Here’s what greeted us: massive but moving traffic.

It was well-organized.
A couple of days prior, everyone was asking if I would be attending, and some asked if I could bring them in, like Paulo and Jujiin who are known to dress crazy, even on a regular day.

I told Jujiin, “If you go, can you please not wear a costume?”
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw them all dressed up like this:

L-R: Jake Galvez, Matt Gozun, Jujiin Samonte, Paulo Castro

We all went in for the presscon, but it was crazy crowded. I have to thank these guys and Elmer Lapeña of SAGA for helping us get through security. Joey Mead was hosting.

Everyone was there

I’m so grateful I was able to secure a front row seat, but the presscon was crazy. Not a good idea to mix the press with the fans, because this was my view:

Behind me: Saab and Maxene Magalona with Mary Ann Tinio and Teddyboy Locsin, who patiently tried to listen through the noise

Seriously. The fans would not stop chattering, we could not hear a thing.
Anyway, Sarah Jessica Parker was a vision in a simple black dress, no vulgar jewelry, just simple hair and makeup.

She is much more beautiful in person, I just can’t put my finger on why as she is not a conventionally beautiful woman.
We are the same height, but she is probably 30 lbs lighter.

I wish I had better pictures, but butts were in my face.
These pictures I borrowed from Instagram. She is really beautiful.

Photo: Liza Ilarde

Photo: Deneb Villanueva

Photo: Deneb Villanueva

Photo: Kat Malicsi

I wasn’t able to look inside the SM Store with its new look, but I’ll be back when the crowd thins out.

Tried to eat at Pepper Lunch but it’s been packed since it opened at 11 AM on Thursday.

My friends and I ended up checking out what’s open. Digital Walker has a gorgeous store on the 4th level

Forever 21 had a crazy queue when it opened to the public yesterday

Passed by Cotton On

Spotted: Yvette Fernandez after a shopping spree

Passed by briefly at the cocktails, where I saw Robby Carmona, Cedric Cid, Dong Ronquillo, and Tim Yap

Ended up at Uniqlo to buy the lounge pants I’m wearing now

Overall an exciting experience. Haven’t seen so many people in suits in Manila, and SM Aura has the aircons to accommodate them, even in this heat.

I’m scared of crowds, so I’ll be back to check out the rest of the mall—maybe next month.
Watch this!

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Nina Garcia—fashion expert and creative director of Marie Claire—is set to arrive in Manila to promote JAG Origins, a fashion and design advocacy program to benefit Filipino design students and budding fashion entrepreneurs.
On May 24, 2013, the celebrated Project Runway judge will be at Philippine Fashion Week at the SMX Convention Center, to lead a forum-type discussion that will focus on global style, design, and fashion trends worldwide.

Sharing her global perspective on fashion, Nina will give guests a sneak preview of what’s to come for JAG Origins 2014.
During the forum, Filipino designers Jerome Salaya Ang, Normal Noriega and Jeffrey Rogador will present special collections that will highlight Filipino artistry.
The forum will culminate in JAG’s Holiday 2013 fashion presentation, featuring JAG’s Ankle Cut Jeans for women and JAG Stretch Denims for men.

Do you want to see Nina Garcia in Manila?
I’m giving away ten pairs of VIP tickets to the JAG Origins forum at SMX. That’s 10 winners of two VIP tickets each.
Plus, 20 pairs of JAG ankle-cut jeans for women or JAG stretch jeans for men will also be given away.

Here’s how:
1) Open to anyone with a Twitter or Facebook account.
2) Follow @Jagjeans76 on Twitter or like them on Facebook.
3) Click on the Tweet or Like button at the bottom of this entry.
4) Register HERE.
5) Contest runs from May 21-23, 2013.
6) Winners will be raffled electronically and posted here on Chuvaness.com.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

After 396 valid entries to our recent promo, here are 10 winners of two VIP tickets each, to see Nina Garcia at the JAG Origins fashion and style forum at SMX:

1) Karen Aligato
2) Vanessa Angela Reyes
3) Eunika Fernando
4) Victoria Benedicto
5) Jonalyn Salo
6) Ralph Gregor L. Castillano
7) Kaye Lantoria
8) Celine Mallari
9) Rowena Barazon
10) Pearl villamor

The following will each receive either a pair of JAG ankle-cut jeans for women or JAG stretch jeans for men:

1) Christian Ilisan
2) Kristine Joy Diaz
3) Romy Antonette Pena
4) Ilene Rina Biong
5) leo garcia
6) Anthony Garcia
7) Pearl Joy Manalili
8) Thea Marie J. Moreno
9) Cheska Que
10) Miraflor Cipriano
11) Fiona Nesse Tindugan
12) Regine Anne Sibayan
13) Kylie Shayne Go
14) Patrick Dimaranan
15) John Xandre Baliza
16) Cel Baltazar
17) Celine Mallari
18) Brian Brandares
19) Chrystal Ventura
20) Michelle S. Lugasan

Winners, please wait for a confirmation email from JAG with instructions on how to claim your prizes.
Thank you and enjoy!

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to Japan without having stopped at Family Mart—usually late at night when most shops have closed. My favorite Family Mart has to be the one at Daikanyama T-site

Family Mart is like a Japanese 7-11, but way cooler—because of the Japanese magazines, the Crunky chocolate, the packed meals, and the Muji stationery!

Now, Family Mart, Japan’s largest convenience store chain, has opened its first branch in the Philippines at Glorietta 3—without the stuff I mentioned above. But it does offer a lot of other options not found in your typical convenience store.

Brought in by Stores Specialists, Inc. and Ayala Land Inc. together with foreign partners Itochu Corporation and Family Mart Corporation, Family Mart is set to open 40 stores this year across Metro Manila.
Stores at Glorietta 5, Ayala Avenue MRT Station 3, and Exchange Regency in Ortigas are currently in progress, while Eastwood City, Pasay City, and Cavite are also in the works. The brand aims to open 300 stores in the next five years.

Some of their offerings include healthy fruits and salads

Sandwiches

Sushi plates

Cha Soba

Katsudon in the cute packaging

Chicken Teriyaki roll

Japanese snacks

and drinks

Plus Filipino favorites, like Pancit Canton and Malabon

Fried chicken meal and fries, and so much more!

During the opening at Glorietta 3, Family Mart Executives observed the customary Kagami Biraki, where they opened a cask of sake as a sign of celebration and good luck.

Participating were (from L-R): Isamu Nakayama (President, FamilyMart Japan), Fernando Zobel de Ayala (Chairman, Ayala Land), Anton Huang (President, Philippine FamilyMart), Junji Ueda (Chairman and CEO, FamilyMart Japan), Yoshihisa Aoki (Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and President Food Company, Itochu Corporation), Masaaki Kosaka (Managing Director and Managing Executive Officer, FamilyMart Japan), Tony Aquino (President and CEO, Ayala Land), Kenichiro Koreeda (Deputy Head, Japanese Embassy)

Fernando Zobel de Ayala (Chairman, Ayala Land) and Anton Huang (President, Philippine FamilyMart)

Crickette Tantoco, Tony Aquino (President and CEO, Ayala Land), Zenaida Tantoco (President, Rustan Commercial Corporation)

Jaime Pineda and Catherine Huang

The Unilever team: Terri Sy, Freida De-Guzman, Betsey Isla, Ralph Umali, Pat Gan, Trishia Cu, Clint Raypon, Elo Siccion, Fredy Ong, Carl Cruz, Janmar Roque

Isamu Nakayama (President, FamilyMart Japan), Bobby Dy (EVP and COO, Ayala Land), Junji Ueda (Chairman and CEO, FamilyMart Japan), Anton Huang (President, Philippine FamilyMart), Junichi Yamashita (Chairman, Philippine FamilyMart)

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Yodel Pe and I were looking at the Monocle pop-up store at Univers, One Rockwell last Wednesday night.
The pop-up store would only be there for one night, and I was wondering what I should get.

Ethan Hawkes-Pippen of Monocle

Monocle scents by Comme des Garçons

I thought of getting the cute Monocle bag by Rootote, but it cost Php 8,000. The price includes a magazine subscription, CD, and notebook.

Then I thought, do I really need another bag? I am severely backlogged on my reading. So I ended up buying this cool Monocle tech case by Porter.

I handed my credit card to Monocle’s Ethan, who was cashier for the night. It took him a while to do the transaction and I waited. He apologized a couple of times, while I mumbled to Yodel, “How can I get mad kung ganon siya ka guapo??”
The waiting paid off. Ethan gave me a free Monocle tote, which made me feel giddy the whole night. (Read: so kilig)

The week before I had received this invitation by email.

The Monocle team was stopping by Manila, Taipei and Jakarta as part of their summer Asia-Pacific tour.
Put simply, the idea was to meet readers and fans face-to-face and expand the Monocle community.

When editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé decided to come here, he asked a Filipino friend in Hong Kong, who’s the best person to call in Manila? The Filipino recommended her friend, Margarita Forés, who would host a Filipino dinner for the team at Grace Park. Margarita also recommend Univers at One Rockwell as a perfect venue for the event.

Rumor had it, Tyler dislikes the color purple, so I skipped the purple eyeshadow on my Shu Uemura Mon Shu palette and went for brown instead. Of course I wore black.

All the other guests seemed to wear the same color scheme of black, white, blue, and khaki

Anders Braso, Monocle Advertising Director

Mano Lotho, Press Relations officer of Univers with Ethan Hawkes-Pippen of Monocle

Fashion Designer Joey Samson

Univers Managing Director Jappy Gonzalez with Lucia Restelli, Head of Sales for Peter Pilotto

Monocle’s Tyler Brûlé with architects Ed Calma and Chut Cuerva

It felt like a man’s party

Chambray: color of the day

L-R: Elaine Domingo, Tere Henson, Tadi de Leon, JoAnn Bitagcol, Tina Ong

As soon as I came in, Jappy Gonzalez of Univers introduced me to Tyler Brûlé, whom I had encountered in Hong Kong in 2006. Ack!! The Tyler I remember is a dream boat, extremely well-dressed and intimidating.

I don’t really get starstruck, but tonight I was just super intimidated beyond words.

That night Tyler made a short speech about things you don’t need to change, like paper. Even though we’re in the digital age, there are things that don’t have to be obsolete. And these things we pay for. Not everything should be free and downloadable because it costs money to produce the things we consume.

Personally, I love paper. I don’t own a Kindle. I prefer books and the smell of bookstores, the feeling of going through the shelves, seeing book covers, turning pages.
Dinner followed at Grace Park, where Margarita Forés served lechon and lamb adobo, among other dishes.
I heard traditional chicken/pork adobo had to be whipped up last minute as a special request by Tyler, who thoroughly enjoyed it.
Wish I had stayed to witness it, but my shyness got the better of me.

Monocle magazine is available at Univers, One Rockwell East Tower, Makati City.
For back issues, just ask the sales assistants.
To know more about Monocle, go to http://monocle.com/magazine/.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Hello!
I did something crazy last Friday, which amounted to two liters of fat. I’ll spare you the details, but this is what I saw before I went home that night.

I’ve been homebound since that time, been very sleepy, and this is the time I think I can sit up and catch up on my work before I fall asleep again.
Apart from fatigue, the reason why I sleep so much is because I want to escape the itching I feel from the healing under the skin—also to make the day pass by more quickly. I can’t wait to recover and see the end result.
That said, I’ve had a chance to watch a lot of movies during my time in bed—some cheesy and some worth seeing.
The first one is Stuck, which I highly recommend to those who have adopted a child or thinking of adopting one.

It follows the stories of American couples and individuals trying to adopt children from other countries, all the trouble and heartache they go through, in order to bring their loved ones home.
This is a 15-tissue documentary, which I hope our lawmakers get to watch to make the adoption process less frustrating.

http://buy.stuckdocumentary.com/

The Housemaid (2010) is a creepy Korean melodramatic thriller, a remake of a 1960 Korean movie of the same title.

The lifestyles of a rich Korean family change drastically when a young housemaid is hired and leads the man of the house to commit adultery. Things go from bad to evil when the women of the house discover the maid is pregnant and plot to get rid of the baby.
The stylish movie makes me intrigued with Korea’s wealthy, and makes me want more and more to visit Korea.
I don’t recommend watching it alone, and please don’t watch it with the youngsters due to very graphic sex scenes.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/thehousemaid/

As a child I loved Disney-esque stories about little creatures and how they creatively convert everyday objects, such as a matchbox into a bed, or an empty spool into a sidetable.
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) is another masterpiece by Studio Ghibli, creator of Grave of The Fireflies and Spirited Away.

Arrietty is a 14-year-old “borrower” or 4-inch-tall creature who lives with her mom and dad, under the house of human “beings.”
They survive peacefully by “borrowing” ordinary things such as sugar and biscuits, until they are discovered by a lonely and sickly boy named Sho who wishes to befriend Arrietty.
When Sho’s evil caregiver finds out about the borrowers, Arrietty’s parents are forced to leave and find another dwelling place in order to find other borrowers and survive.

Watch this especially if you have kids. It will warm your hearts.
http://disney.go.com/arrietty/

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.