Tag Archives: style

My 28th Day Hurdle of Breaking the Smoking Habit

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superfriends

my super friends

It is believed that it takes 28 days to form or break a habit.  Last Saturday, January 26 was actually my 28th day of being cigarette free.  Ironically, it was the toughest test of my being a smoke-free mortal.  This was the day I caught-up with my super friends who knows that I am a notorious smoker every time we would go out.

We convened at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel I did not smoke.  We had dinner at a Filipino restaurant in Resorts World I did not smoke.  And the hurdle of all hurdles, we went to a smoke-filled dance club along Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig later that same night and  I surprisingly did not lit a cigarette.  I’m even proud to say that I never psychopathically craved for it the whole time I was with my great buddies.  No drooling, no chills, no big cold sweats.  I was normal and simply had pure fun.

With this, I can superciliously announce that I passed the test, emerged triumphant and totally broke the noxious smoking habit.

Aym pretty shur gradweyt na ko sa yosi. 

Goodbye Marlboro Man

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Goodbye Marlboro Man.  My being with you wasn’t my best experience in life and I hope not to meet you again.

As much as I want to keep it to myself and prevent myself from bragging, I could no longer help but make it known that I have stopped – as in totally ceased – from SMOKING.  Yeah, for exactly 3 weeks now my pair of lungs has been free from the dangers of tobacco.  Exactly 3 weeks now I have not lighted a single cigarette.  And luckily, exactly 3 weeks now I have not craved for even a single puff.

Don’t get me wrong but I am not a chain smoker.  Though I have been smoking for the past 20 years whose only apparent reason for lighting cigarettes is because of my high-flying zaniness, I actually consider myself a “sosyal” (social) smoker.

my vaping gadget courtesy of Bautina

my vaping gadget courtesy of Bautina

The kicking-off of my smoking habit was actually not planned.  It was not a new year’s resolution for I believe New Year promises are actually made to be broken.  It was a simple unexpected circumstance.  Thanks to my younger sister Joy (I call her Bautina) for gifting me a special gadget for Christmas, i.e., an electronic vaporizer otherwise known as e-cigarette.

I started with a tiny container of e-juice with high nicotine content.  Now I’m on my second vial that has medium content of nicotine (6 mg).  Upon finishing this, my third vial is ready to vaporize with zero nicotine content.  All provided for free by my sweet sister Bautina.

Surprisingly, I have yet to experience the symptoms of withdrawal and have yet to feel what the terrifying cold turkey would be like.  I am glad that I just simply feel better.  I am free from the trappings that come with it — no more coughing, no more gasping for air, no more choking-stench of breath and fingers.  And more importantly, I will no longer have to cringe at the thought of my being impolite for being the lone smoker in a group of non-smokers.

To those who happen to bumped upon this article, congratulate me!  I can proudly say that this silent personal holocaust is over.

Nakaw!!! Pano na yan?! Lalong mas magiging malinamnam na ako nito ngayon?!

Japanese Shower Room Boots

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Prior to Christmas I promised myself that I would blog about all the gifts and presents I received.  But I guess that would now be next to impossible because thankfully I was able to receive quite a ton of it.  Writing each and every item I received would be too much for a task.  For sure readers would get bored to dullness.

But last Christmas – receiving presents from a simple picture frame to lavish high tech gadget – there is one item I can’t resist writing about.  It’s about the Japanese Shower Room Boots.

a unique christmas gift from denden... my own japanese shower room boots!

a unique christmas gift from denden… my own japanese shower room boots!

My nephew Den Den gave it to me after noticing that I have been so insanely fascinated by these boots.  The first time I saw these type of footwear was during the first night of my family’s stay in a hotel at Osaka, Japan last year.  I was so transfixed because we don’t have those in the Philippines.

my outrageous fashion statement! LOL

my outrageous fashion statement! LOL

The first pair I saw (inside the hotel shower room) was plain white in color.  I thought it was some sort of a plastic arinola (piss potty).  But when I figured it out, I tried it on, laughed out loud and pondered if I can kick-off a fashion trend in Manila.

I think the purpose of these boots aside from keeping yourself from slipping on the floor tiles while doing your shower is to prevent the soles of your feet from touching the frigidly cold stone tiles of the shower room (especially during winter).

Though it will be silly to wear those here in Manila, these slippers will be an awesome keepsake on how I turned bonkers when I first encountered it.  Until this plastic shower shoes becomes a fashion craze, it will for now be kept inside my treasure chest.

For the meantime, my feet will have to settle on the comfort of my indoor slippers which by the way is also Japanese branded.

my super comfy Muji indoor slippers

my super comfy Muji indoor slippers

Sana ma-uso! LOL

Got Hooked By Kiehl’s

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My first purchase of Kiehl’s products was actually not for me.  It was a bunch of Kiehl’s that I gave as Christmas presents to three ladies whom I consider to be the hardest to buy for in my list last Christmas.

the facial fuel sampler, it's so effective i want to spread it on my bread and eat it

the facial fuel sampler, it’s so effective i want to spread it on my bread and eat it

Good thing about these purchases is that Kiehl’s store gives out generous samplers.    These are the testers packed in small vials and sachets I personally tried for myself.  And guess what?  I was hooked.

It’s not too long ago that I have realized that nobody’s going to take care of my skin but me.  Thus, any skin product that will come my way and given to me for free for sure will be applied and tested on my supple young looking skin.

As for Kiehl’s samples, I got a miniscule jar of Facial Fuel Anti Wrinkle Cream; a vial of Orange Flower & Lychee Aromatic Mist; a tiny bar of Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap; sachets of Ultra Light Daily UV Defense; and, Rare Earth Pore Moisturizing Lotion.

The facial fuel which has a light minty feel was perfect.  It felt like nourishment is being fed directly on my skin for it is absorbed easily.  I know this because finding a good moisturizer for an oily skin like mine and at the same time living in a hot, humid tropical country would be like finding the holy grail.   It’s so effective “gusto ko ipalaman sa tinapay”.

I love the super texture of the bar soap, it cleans well and doesn’t dry out my skin. The “perfumista” in me was hooked by the scent of the aromatic mist particularly the Orange Flower & Lychee.  It is an awesome concoction that I can truly rave about.  I have tried numerous scents available in the market but the smell only last for a couple of hours.   the aromatic mist can amazingly last the whole day and it sits well with my skin chemistry.

However, I have yet to try the moisturizing lotion and the UV defense formula samplers. Pwede bang ihalo na lang sa kape ang mga yan?

my bunch of kiehl's

my bunch of kiehl’s

And since these amazing samplers have run out, I can no longer pretend not to hear my skin screaming to me saying it misses Kiehl’s.  Thus, I purchased Kiehl’s products today which I will be using for myself in the next couple of months.   Though Kiehl’s here in the Philippines is quite pricey I am nevertheless convinced that they got some awesome merchandise.

Walang ibang mag-aalaga ng balat mo kundi ang sarili mo. Tapos!

Toot toot! Happy New Year!!!

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Happy New Year!!!

Cheers to another year of awesomeness!

me blowing a 5-year old trumpet

me blowing a 5-year old trumpet

One interesting anecdote that can be derived from the photo above is the torotot (party horn).  It’s a five-year-old bugle which Nengkoy brings out annually from her precious storage chest.  It’s the same bunch of paper trumpets that me and my relatives would use to welcome the New Year.  These hooters are only replaced when it is deemed damaged, pauperized or no longer toots and tootles when blown.

As I’ve observed from the malls recently, today’s party horns are modernized.  It’s made of hard colorful plastic and need not be blown using the strength of your breath.  It is simply pumped by both hands to produce a honking sound.  Also, modern horns seem to have a different sound.  It sounds more like the vuvuzela of South Africa used during the 2010 World Cup.

But Nengkoy’s horns still sounds the classic New Year paper-made trumpets.  Because the mouthpiece that produce the tooting sound (attached inside the nozzle) when I checked is still made of a piece of small hallow bamboo.  Last night, when I sampled the horns, the first thing I uttered was, “Tunog sinauna” (It sounds old and ancient).

Me and my family do not light up fire crackers (like what others would habitually do) to drive away the bad chi of the coming year.  Maybe my family is too clever to play with the dangers of lighting fire crackers and rather smartly chose to be in the safe zone.  Instead, we would usher the welcoming of the New Year by blasting confetti cannons and of course by blowing Nengkoy’s carton-made party horns.

After the New Year revelry, Nengkoy would simply collect all these trumpets, test each if it is still working and store it again in her storage box for next year’s celebration.  Next year for sure I will be blowing the same old yet reliable party horns.

Tut tut! Hapi Nyu Yir!!! 

Janine Tugonon: She Grows In You

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janine tugonon

janine tugonon

Odd as it may seem, but I could equate Janine Tugonon, this year’s Philippine representative to the Ms. Universe pageant, to a Hot & Sour Soup.

At first sip of this Asian soup, you wouldn’t like it.  The hot and sour taste would swiftly burst into your mouth which could result to some contortions on your face.  But when you would have your second and succeeding sips you will start to realize that this soup is actually very tasty and delicious.  Your taste buds would simply crave for more.

Just like Janine Tugonon.  She would simply grow in you.

Here in the Philippines, at the early stages when Tugonon won the right to represent the Philippines in this year’s most coveted beauty pageant, a lot speculated that it is not going to be a 3-consecutive-year feat for the country (in 2010 Venus Raj placed 4th runner up while last year Shamcey Supsup placed 3rd runner up).

But after watching the preliminaries of Ms. Universe 2012, you would start to realize that the Tugonon-bashers in the past could actually be very wrong.  One YouTube commenter even wrote that there’s a bit of Raj, Supsup and Quiambao (1999 1st runner up) in her.

If you want to see what I mean, watch this goosebumping video and let Ms. Philippines grow in you…

Wow! The crowd’s gone crazy when it’s her turn!  I hope she won’t bring home the bacon for I wish that she bring home the crown. Hahaha!  Good luck Ms. Philippines!

May laban ang bruha!

Multo Inspired Collection

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photo from interaksyon.com

Major Fail.  That is what I can say about the recent Lesley Mobo fashion show (being part of the recent Philippine Fashion Week).  The video’s first frame dated the show October 29, 2013.  This made me confused.  Was the snobbish-looking event held last October 29, 2012 was just a rehearsal?

The first frame also indicates that the designs would be for the 2013 Spring and Summer collection.  I was expecting for a more upbeat background music to be used in the show since spring and summer seasons usually brings a more festive and cheery mood.  Instead, music used was a chilly dirge-like sound.  The music used made me expect that anytime in between gaiting models, a dead soul would appear and would scream at the top of its lungs to scare off the wits of the audience.

This was the first fashion show that I have seen that the catwalk was not in the hub and midpoint of the venue.  The models were made to walk on a stage and along the borders of the venue.  It felt like the event’s highlight was the classy candle-lit dinner while the actual fashion show was just a prying disturbance.

The event was held last October 29, two nights before the Halloween.  The designs in the collection were indeed multo-inspired (ghost inspired).  The show’s title should have been “Kaluluwa Ni Morticia: Babaing Itim, Babaing Puti”.  Those designs were nothing but Halloween-y.  Not in a fun Halloween sense but in a more creepy terrifying angle.  Those designs had nothing to do with either the colorful spring or the joyful summer.  Those audiences who graced the show for sure now know what it feels like dining inside the house of the Addams Family.

It was too over-thought to the point of being pretentious.  It’s no longer stylish or classy.

Hindi kasi ako inbayted.

Receiving Flyers is a Measure of Looking Rich

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recent flyer i was handed with

Distributing flyers inside a mall or out on the street is such a daunting task.  But are you the type who easily gets pissed off when a stranger tries to hand you a piece of flyer when all you wanted to do is to proceed to the nearest coffee shop to grab your espresso?  Or are you the “deadma type” (feigning unawareness type) who would just proceed with your hasty pace so as to carry on with your weekend shopping of your essentials?

I’m neither both.  In fact I am pleased when a stranger hand me a flyer.  This is especially true when the leaflets or brochures being handed over are about offerings for platinum credit cards, exclusive gym memberships, condominium units, 3-bedroom houses or even luxurious cars.

I fancy being handed with these brochures and flyers because it looks like I am perceived to be a capable soul of buying and paying for these expensive products.  In short, I look rich!

That is why I hate it when I am with Ate Gaying (my elder sister) inside a mall because every time we come across a distributing Flyer Dude or Dudette she is the one being handed over with these well printed brochures.  She would simply utter and tell me, “Ay, ako ang binigyan.  Mukha ka kasing mahirap” (Translation: “Oops, I’m the one given.  It’s because you look poor”).  This would simply be the moment I would execute my villainous stare with angry gritting teeth towards the flyer-giver.

So, every time you are handed with a promotional flyer, accept, smile and be glad about it.  It’s because you simply look rich.

Kahit sa pagtanggap ng flayer, pinapasosyal ko sarili ko. Hahaha!

Ironing Board Cover: A New Pinoy-LV Merchandise

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Louis Vuitton is known to be an irrationally expensive leather bag.  The most expensive LV bag so far is actually equivalent to a fully furnished 1-bedroom condo unit here in the Philippines.  LV actually has diversified in terms of its products.  They no longer just vend eclectic leather goods.  They also sell timepieces, accessories, apparels, shoes, fine jewelry and even luxurious condoms.

lv condom (is this haute couture?)

After looking into the website of genuine and authentic LV, their fashion house actually has yet to feature one product that is however already circulating here in the streets of Metro Manila.  It’s the LV Ironing Board Cover!

a new pinoy-lv merchandise (available only in the streets of metro manila)

I purchased myself a piece and replaced the old and grubby cover of my 10-year old ironing board.  It snugly fits the wooden plank and gives a perfectly smooth and even ironing surface because of the triple-layer construction.  What’s more, unlike the usual LV merchandise, it’s cheap.  The toothless street vendor is selling it at 100 pesos (US$ 2.35), but using my impeccable charm in haggling I got it at eighty pesos (US$1.88).

Read this aloud the way a jolly Home TV Shopping voice-over does it: “Put fashion into your ironing!  LV Ironing Board Cover, it brightens up the ironing! It brightens up your home!”

It’s platsa taym…