Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I was almost going to write this blog off as defunct, but as it turns out, it's proving to be harder to sever the umbilical cord than I had thought it would be (sorry about the squishy visual!)....I've got lots to report, but for now I just wanted to share what has got to be one of my more important self-discoveries: mussed-up morning after hair=good hair day!!!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
This might be of interest to some, an article I wrote on Fil-Can talent, Cherylyn Toca, which came out in the last issue of the FF:
“I’m so terribly sorry for not calling back” so Cherylyn Toca profusely apologized on a voicemail she had left me in reply for the Filipino Forum’s request for an interview. I couldn’t possibly hold this against her. The talented young lady’s only “wrong” if one wills, that of simply being a typical energetic, dynamic and gregarious 21-yr-old. Typical perhaps, but by no means ordinary. In fact, Ms. Toca is extraordinary.
Cherylyn certainly hasn’t rested on her laurels after winning the Fil-Can Idol singing competition back in 2006. She has since completed her secondary education at the Fine Arts Core Education (F.A.C.E) which as this school’s name denotes, offers a unique fine arts program that focuses on both instrumental and vocal music, visual arts and drama. Ms. Toca had also attended the Montreal School of Performing arts and had participated in acting workshops and boot camps at the Dynamic Theatre Factory. Furthermore, she studied under the tutelage of renowned American singer and songwriter, Barbara Lewis. All of this training has groomed her to become the performer she is today.
“I’m organizing a concert. You should come!” Cherylyn excitedly announces her new project and brainchild. And that was it, my curiosity and interest was piqued and held from that point of the interview on. “Just how does one go about planning such a feat?” I asked her. “Well, the most important detail is the menu, I mean venue! She laughingly corrected herself. “Once that’s chosen and booked, everything should just fall into place. I’ll put together a band; enlist the help of some of my musician friends. My pianist would have to be exceptionally good, though. As for publicity, it will be by word of mouth. I want to have a modest number in attendance, to keep it intimate and expect even less people, so if we actually have a larger turn out, we’ll be able to say that we’ve “sold out,” you know, marketing strategy!” She winked.
Possessing good business sense and flair, Ms. Toca is in her final year of undergraduate studies at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. “I went into this particularly, because of the constant demand for professionals in this field. It’ll open different options for me. It’s like a safety net. I would love to work as a buyer for let’s say Walmart or Holts. And right away, I understood where she was going with this. “Clothes” I suggested, “Yes!” She beamed. “My parents – my dad especially- think I spend way too much on clothes” Cherylyn contritely reveals. Indeed, quite the fashionista, she arrived at the interview, clad in an ankle grazing maxi dress and simple flat sandals. A Louis Vuitton “Speedy” satchel slung over her forearm. She also sported a beautiful tan, having just come back from a trip to Florida which included visits to the Aventura Mall and an interesting celebrity sighting. “After getting the experience of working for a company, I would definitely, love to start my own business, launch a clothing line, maybe or open a retail store.”
However those plans might have to wait, as Cherylyn continued to explain, immediately after graduation she would like to go on a (well-deserved!) sabbatical of sorts from school and just devote herself to travelling and singing. “I seem to appeal to an older crowd – a more mature audience.” “Everyone says I have a Broadway-calibre voice. It’s funny because people tend to think that Broadway/musical popularized songs are harder to sing than your average pop song. I actually find that the opposite holds true, well, at least, I do! She lists Eva Cassidy, Lara Fabian and Barbara Streisand – all adult contemporary singers, as her favourites.
“So going back to the concert, have you come up with a theme?” I ask. “No, not yet, I would need to see the actually stage first, and then I’ll go with my gut. It won’t be so much, a theme – more a feeling- if you know what I mean! As for her repertoire, it would definitely include both English & French songs, some Italian, and of course, one in Tagalog.
Although, I am thoroughly convinced that she could definitely hold her own against current popular international artists, in fact, eclipse them even, I still asked Cherylyn whether she had ever thought of moving to the Philippines and giving the showbiz there a shot since it would seem like an easier industry to break into, relatively speaking. “Yes, I have considered it, and am not ruling out the idea altogether, not yet. But I’d really like to establish myself here” She replies. “This” she continues, gesturing to her immediate surroundings “is what I know.” Without a doubt, with her family, friends and fans rallying by her side, Cherylyn will be going places.
And all too soon, the interview concluded. She graciously thanked and bade us goodbye and I for myself, couldn’t help but marvel at how many talented individuals there are within the Filipino community that we can truly be proud of.
“I’m so terribly sorry for not calling back” so Cherylyn Toca profusely apologized on a voicemail she had left me in reply for the Filipino Forum’s request for an interview. I couldn’t possibly hold this against her. The talented young lady’s only “wrong” if one wills, that of simply being a typical energetic, dynamic and gregarious 21-yr-old. Typical perhaps, but by no means ordinary. In fact, Ms. Toca is extraordinary.
Cherylyn certainly hasn’t rested on her laurels after winning the Fil-Can Idol singing competition back in 2006. She has since completed her secondary education at the Fine Arts Core Education (F.A.C.E) which as this school’s name denotes, offers a unique fine arts program that focuses on both instrumental and vocal music, visual arts and drama. Ms. Toca had also attended the Montreal School of Performing arts and had participated in acting workshops and boot camps at the Dynamic Theatre Factory. Furthermore, she studied under the tutelage of renowned American singer and songwriter, Barbara Lewis. All of this training has groomed her to become the performer she is today.
“I’m organizing a concert. You should come!” Cherylyn excitedly announces her new project and brainchild. And that was it, my curiosity and interest was piqued and held from that point of the interview on. “Just how does one go about planning such a feat?” I asked her. “Well, the most important detail is the menu, I mean venue! She laughingly corrected herself. “Once that’s chosen and booked, everything should just fall into place. I’ll put together a band; enlist the help of some of my musician friends. My pianist would have to be exceptionally good, though. As for publicity, it will be by word of mouth. I want to have a modest number in attendance, to keep it intimate and expect even less people, so if we actually have a larger turn out, we’ll be able to say that we’ve “sold out,” you know, marketing strategy!” She winked.
Possessing good business sense and flair, Ms. Toca is in her final year of undergraduate studies at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. “I went into this particularly, because of the constant demand for professionals in this field. It’ll open different options for me. It’s like a safety net. I would love to work as a buyer for let’s say Walmart or Holts. And right away, I understood where she was going with this. “Clothes” I suggested, “Yes!” She beamed. “My parents – my dad especially- think I spend way too much on clothes” Cherylyn contritely reveals. Indeed, quite the fashionista, she arrived at the interview, clad in an ankle grazing maxi dress and simple flat sandals. A Louis Vuitton “Speedy” satchel slung over her forearm. She also sported a beautiful tan, having just come back from a trip to Florida which included visits to the Aventura Mall and an interesting celebrity sighting. “After getting the experience of working for a company, I would definitely, love to start my own business, launch a clothing line, maybe or open a retail store.”
However those plans might have to wait, as Cherylyn continued to explain, immediately after graduation she would like to go on a (well-deserved!) sabbatical of sorts from school and just devote herself to travelling and singing. “I seem to appeal to an older crowd – a more mature audience.” “Everyone says I have a Broadway-calibre voice. It’s funny because people tend to think that Broadway/musical popularized songs are harder to sing than your average pop song. I actually find that the opposite holds true, well, at least, I do! She lists Eva Cassidy, Lara Fabian and Barbara Streisand – all adult contemporary singers, as her favourites.
“So going back to the concert, have you come up with a theme?” I ask. “No, not yet, I would need to see the actually stage first, and then I’ll go with my gut. It won’t be so much, a theme – more a feeling- if you know what I mean! As for her repertoire, it would definitely include both English & French songs, some Italian, and of course, one in Tagalog.
Although, I am thoroughly convinced that she could definitely hold her own against current popular international artists, in fact, eclipse them even, I still asked Cherylyn whether she had ever thought of moving to the Philippines and giving the showbiz there a shot since it would seem like an easier industry to break into, relatively speaking. “Yes, I have considered it, and am not ruling out the idea altogether, not yet. But I’d really like to establish myself here” She replies. “This” she continues, gesturing to her immediate surroundings “is what I know.” Without a doubt, with her family, friends and fans rallying by her side, Cherylyn will be going places.
And all too soon, the interview concluded. She graciously thanked and bade us goodbye and I for myself, couldn’t help but marvel at how many talented individuals there are within the Filipino community that we can truly be proud of.
Friday, June 24, 2011
X-Men: First Class: Compelling!
Faced with a couple of film choices to see at the theater last night, I found myself drawing the conclusion that you know that a man's *whipped* when he's coerced by his girlfriend/wife to watch Bridesmaids. I could never subject my husband to such torture. I honestly believe that an important key to keeping the romance alive in a relationship is to constantly offer choices e.g.Sushi or Steak, Cuba or Mexico, grey or beige, uh, top or bottom - which may require a great deal of compromise, downright relinquishment of personal preference/ forfeiture of rights, concessions, sacrifices but give rise to interesting decisions like "Chinese," "Greige," etc. With Hangover 2 being another movie option and after hearing that its writers relied too heavily on the mass appeal of tasteless, what we will just call, "kinky" "monkey jokes" that they forgot to actually write, to see X-men First class was a no-brainer (and a mutually acceptable choice!)
As it is the case for any movie for that matter, but especially so for prequels of hugely successful sagas and virtual "institutions" such as X-men, Batman or Star Wars, the challenge is to create something compelling. I think X-men was veeerrryy compelling. The incorporation of the mutants' own reality into humankind's true atrocious past and pop culture is seamless and is not just incidental. It's a fine tapestry of fiction "gold."
The casting was impeccable with James McAvoy as mutant adoptive patriarch Xavier whose bluest limpid pools for eyes I had never resurfaced from since The Last King of Scotland! Kevin Bacon as the antagonist Shaw whose smirk you've been wanting to effectively wipe off with a sledgehammer since Riverwild, January Jones as Emma Frost who is the *real* motivation for Kumee's Madmen marathons besides its male cast's classy skinny-tied fashion, of course. German actor Michael Fassbender as the emotionally scarred Magneto, who made my husband feel threatened when I asked him "who's that"??? Academy award nominee Jennifer Lawrence as the young Mystique to whom I give the credit for recalibrating and lifting ideal body image for girls and women back to normal proportions - literally - when she said that she'd rather appear "chubby onscreen than look like a scarecrow in real life" and the rest of her youthful up and coming peers who play other mutant proteges that officially lauched me into midlife crisis....but then again, you kinda know you're pushing mid-thirties and up when you find yourself absolutely giddy with excitement, as I was, as everything came together and I began to understand the inception of the X-men "Freshmen," if you will.
As it is the case for any movie for that matter, but especially so for prequels of hugely successful sagas and virtual "institutions" such as X-men, Batman or Star Wars, the challenge is to create something compelling. I think X-men was veeerrryy compelling. The incorporation of the mutants' own reality into humankind's true atrocious past and pop culture is seamless and is not just incidental. It's a fine tapestry of fiction "gold."
The casting was impeccable with James McAvoy as mutant adoptive patriarch Xavier whose bluest limpid pools for eyes I had never resurfaced from since The Last King of Scotland! Kevin Bacon as the antagonist Shaw whose smirk you've been wanting to effectively wipe off with a sledgehammer since Riverwild, January Jones as Emma Frost who is the *real* motivation for Kumee's Madmen marathons besides its male cast's classy skinny-tied fashion, of course. German actor Michael Fassbender as the emotionally scarred Magneto, who made my husband feel threatened when I asked him "who's that"??? Academy award nominee Jennifer Lawrence as the young Mystique to whom I give the credit for recalibrating and lifting ideal body image for girls and women back to normal proportions - literally - when she said that she'd rather appear "chubby onscreen than look like a scarecrow in real life" and the rest of her youthful up and coming peers who play other mutant proteges that officially lauched me into midlife crisis....but then again, you kinda know you're pushing mid-thirties and up when you find yourself absolutely giddy with excitement, as I was, as everything came together and I began to understand the inception of the X-men "Freshmen," if you will.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A tip I've gotten to improve one's writing is to actually read more than you write...i've been slacking off in this regard. I've so much reading to catch up on, and by reading I don't mean fb gossip fodder! I think this fact is becoming sorely evident in my posts in their increasing lameness...(and parentheticals!). I think I might just go back one day, to what this blog was all about originally, that of handing out one-liners: ok, so what do you call a green Birkin??? A gherkin!!!! Hahahaha (howling with laughter). 'See what I mean????
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Yeah, so finding the perfect of shoes: priceless, well, maybe not exactly *price-less*! *Found* myself at Aldo's at lunch today, due to an emergency situation that arose this morning involving my Guess sandals which, when I come to think of it, I had only worn for like the mere third time this season, I mean, talk about shoddy craftmanship, pretty to look at but fall apart just like that, well, I might have subjected the right foot to too much strain by buckling the strap on the first hole so that, not only was it chaffing my ghastly still pale (from underexposure!) ankle raw, but they were impeding my braking and accelerating capabilities. Ok, so I managed not to inadvertently commit suicide or accidently manslay fellow motorists/pedestrians. But at the office, to refresh my eyes from my computer screen, I glanced at my feet to admire my own sandals lol how vain! And upon closer scrutiny and to my horror, I noticed how the strap had ripped within an inch or more accurately, a millimeter of it's life. And so yes, that's how I found myself at Aldo's to rectify my little situation. Well, I know that every self-respecting female keeps a back-up pair at the office, "Because you just never know, right? Contingency plans, they're called, but what you don't understand is that I had my favorite tan belt that I got from H&M for ten bucks a few years back if I may add, to cinch around a pink Zara button down shirt worn over my five bucks forever 21 tights lol, so I specifically needed a tawny tan pair of shoes. The intent really, was for me to get me some cheap ballerina flats, but unfortunately, the size seven's were too snug and the eight's were just humongous...So I just picked up the beckoning slingbacks with a platform sole at the ball and a nice stilletto heel perched on the shelf at my eye-level. Ahhhh, Cinderella moments, got to love them!!! I had been chatting with the dropdead gorgeous salesclerk the whole time, and we got talking about commissions and I had mentioned about kumee's working in retail himself. "We said 70$, eh" I asked her. "Well, I could give you a 10% percent discount" she replied "it's reserved for special customers." I'm telling ya, there seems to be this tacit solidarity between retail folk, in a mall coppy kinda way, and yes, so I scored a small discount by virtue of being kumee's wife lol.
I was skeptical about the inexhaustibility of things you could blog about man-purses, but I was proven wrong, now how much less is running
the risk of reaching the saturation point when it comes to shoes??? My friend Farah has a blog wittingly called "Will Sing for Shoes" cute,
definitely and realistic, too! Really, what lengths would you go to for a pair of shoes???
I was skeptical about the inexhaustibility of things you could blog about man-purses, but I was proven wrong, now how much less is running
the risk of reaching the saturation point when it comes to shoes??? My friend Farah has a blog wittingly called "Will Sing for Shoes" cute,
definitely and realistic, too! Really, what lengths would you go to for a pair of shoes???
Thursday, May 26, 2011
On Ice Cream Cakes....
So maya coined the portmanteau for a cross between an elephant and a dolphin: a delephin, lol! Speaking of elephants, did I ever mention that Maya has a memory of that of an elephant, I'm not sure whether my analogy is correct, I figure, as the adage goes "they never forget" - I'm not sure either whether this makes her unique among her peers or if sharp memories are characteristic of and common to all kids anyways. Maya's a tad precocious but I don't think that necessarily elevates her to child-prodigy-ish levels lol. Ok, so she never forgot our promise we made that we would buy her an ice cream cake on our next trip to DQ just to appease her after denying the poor child some two weeks ago. And sure enough, after Kumee and I had finished sharing a Banana Royale Blizzard and the kids had polished their sundaes, we headed home with Maya's molded ice cream cake listing around in the trunk of our car as we negotiated Henri Bourassa...(it was intact when we got home, in restrospect, I'm not too sure why I didn't just carry it on my lap!)
And this is the problem with kids, the cake was just visually appealing like eye-candy to them, as it turned out, ice-cream in cake form isn't their cup of tea after all...so what do you do with 14/16th's of a DQ Ice cream cake? Well, you assume another incidental and yet veeerrryy important parental role - that of kid's leftovers finisher-designate!
And this is the problem with kids, the cake was just visually appealing like eye-candy to them, as it turned out, ice-cream in cake form isn't their cup of tea after all...so what do you do with 14/16th's of a DQ Ice cream cake? Well, you assume another incidental and yet veeerrryy important parental role - that of kid's leftovers finisher-designate!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Anyone who has ever followed me for any length and at any given period of time would likely know that facebook is one of things I keep harping on and on about...it's gotten so old and it's so lame and yet here I am...time and time again I've asked myself why I even bother, I mean just what is the appeal??? Maybe it's how it's proven itself to be an excellent (if second-rate) resource for a quick low down on the world's state of affairs...how did you think I learned of Osama's unceremonious death? From a friend's status update, of course, a news lede summed up into one neat sentence!
Am I addicted? Nah, I'm not enslaved, I can quit anytime I want, I've only like done so some, uh, ten times....
Am I addicted? Nah, I'm not enslaved, I can quit anytime I want, I've only like done so some, uh, ten times....
Friday, May 13, 2011
Quick post to give Deb of PIX me Photography, the credit she sooooo deserves, for her wonderful talent as seen in her generous photo contributions e.g. shoe pic above! I really like our unique collabo. Yup, so 52 Weeks got a makeover, because he's vain, and the Inside Skinny got insanely jealous, so I had to give her one, too, I hope you like it! (and that the new color motif won't trigger migraines)
Haven't had the time to write something original and specifically for this blog, so here's something from the other one, 52 Weeks. I know, I know, I'm so lame....sorry!
So I followed a friend's (who happens to be a writer) advice to "find a niche" and so yes, this blog was born out of a need to kinda narrow down the things I write about. And naturally, after winnowing off all the chaff, Kumee/men's fashion is the grain that remained. Now, just when I thought that this was niche enough, I came across a site devoted to satchels and only satchels, lol. Just how much blogging can one do on satchels alone? Plenty...apparently, lol! On that site you'll find anywhere from the latest styles and innovations in satchels (e.g. ones with neat built-in battery chargers!), references to them in the media (e.g. protagonists "Indiana Jones wears one" or more recently "Jack Bauer wears one" (wazzz uppp???) and literature, to sightings of notable people sporting satchels a.k.a the man-purse.
I'm grateful to have stumbled upon that blog because honestly, personally, all I had on them is that Kumee has a handsome Cole Haan one (that I would totally use if only it wasn't such a pain to switch bags and transfer my personal effects each and every time, uh, forget that!!!) which doesn't make for a very interesting blog post, and yet satchels, are a metro staple, that certainly deserves some mention.
If I had concluded on two posts back, that there couldn't be anything else that is the "object of so much scoff from the self-professed "machosexual" (what a ridiculous term, lol!) other than the pink shirt," then, the man-purse definitely takes the cake as the runner up!!!
So I followed a friend's (who happens to be a writer) advice to "find a niche" and so yes, this blog was born out of a need to kinda narrow down the things I write about. And naturally, after winnowing off all the chaff, Kumee/men's fashion is the grain that remained. Now, just when I thought that this was niche enough, I came across a site devoted to satchels and only satchels, lol. Just how much blogging can one do on satchels alone? Plenty...apparently, lol! On that site you'll find anywhere from the latest styles and innovations in satchels (e.g. ones with neat built-in battery chargers!), references to them in the media (e.g. protagonists "Indiana Jones wears one" or more recently "Jack Bauer wears one" (wazzz uppp???) and literature, to sightings of notable people sporting satchels a.k.a the man-purse.
I'm grateful to have stumbled upon that blog because honestly, personally, all I had on them is that Kumee has a handsome Cole Haan one (that I would totally use if only it wasn't such a pain to switch bags and transfer my personal effects each and every time, uh, forget that!!!) which doesn't make for a very interesting blog post, and yet satchels, are a metro staple, that certainly deserves some mention.
If I had concluded on two posts back, that there couldn't be anything else that is the "object of so much scoff from the self-professed "machosexual" (what a ridiculous term, lol!) other than the pink shirt," then, the man-purse definitely takes the cake as the runner up!!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Source Code Spoiler
Re: Source Code. Think of it as an action movie version of Groundhog Day. Without criticizing Bill Murray himself or his acting (because we like Bill Murray!) whatever luster his character in the movie lacked was definitely compensated for (and more!) in Lost in Translation, and whatever sensory stimuli Groundhog's plot gipped us of, is definitely supplied in Source Code. Protagonist Colter Stevens is the guinea pig for a military project, developed around the existence of the "source code" - the brain's "black box" record of an individual's last minutes. He is made to re-live this eight minute window of an ill-fated Chicago commuter train passenger, over and over again, with the hope that he will recover info as to the identity of the train's bomber. With his photographic memory, everytime, Stevens is able to pick up more and more details and ultimately uses them to devise a plan to alter what happens, "thwarting" the unspeakable tragedy.
* In reply to my fave writer Jessica Zafra's question, "since when did Jake Gyllenhaal get so hot"??? Easy-peasy: since Prince of Persia!
* In reply to my fave writer Jessica Zafra's question, "since when did Jake Gyllenhaal get so hot"??? Easy-peasy: since Prince of Persia!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
One of my earliest recollections of what has become a life-long love for clothes, clothes, clothes, is of when I received a "Disco" Barbie. She had roller-skates and was dressed in no less than a gold *lamรฉ* bell-bottom jumpsuit lol. I clearly remember wanting an identical outfit for myself soooo bad that in my little girl's mind, I thought, if I willed for it hard enough, my doll's flashy metallic number would by some uncanny superhuman force transform into a kid's size seven! Needless to say, it never happened - disgruntled - I now have a compulsive shopping habit (and a shoe fetish!) as a result. But I also have loads of fun these days dressing up my own daughter!
Once upon a time, little boy outfits were limited to pint-size overalls and the sailor costume, reserved for special occasions. Generation X-ers, though, have so much at their disposal and like to dress their own progeny the very same way they dress themselves, rendering their little ones, tiny mini-me's that it's almost scary! Jaden, the sole heir of Kumee's tie hoard, might be too young to actually want Ken's clothes and "will" for them to fit him, but already, he's being groomed to be dapper like his Daddy.
Once upon a time, little boy outfits were limited to pint-size overalls and the sailor costume, reserved for special occasions. Generation X-ers, though, have so much at their disposal and like to dress their own progeny the very same way they dress themselves, rendering their little ones, tiny mini-me's that it's almost scary! Jaden, the sole heir of Kumee's tie hoard, might be too young to actually want Ken's clothes and "will" for them to fit him, but already, he's being groomed to be dapper like his Daddy.
Friday, April 1, 2011
A few days ago, I was on a grocery run at Maxi's and was standing just short of catatonically in the middle of the toiletries aisle, fruitlessly racking my brain as to the need for what exactly had brought me there...a good five minutes later, I gave up trying, cashed my provisions and took off. Of course I remembered the very minute I got home and stepped through the door, "shavers, d'oh, shavers"!!!!
The next day, Sheryl and I went on one of our whirlwind shopping lunches. I was relating to her that incident from the day before, "Shavers, shavers -that's what I needed" I recounted, a bit loudly as we entered Pharmaprix. Two employees stocking up the shelves had caught the tail-end of our convo, and one of them enthusiastically chimed in: "Yes!!! Shavers!!! Because it's summer"!!! Yup, summer's coming indeed!!!
*note to self: Good Housekeeping says to "make lists in order to increase productivity." Wise words to live by!
The next day, Sheryl and I went on one of our whirlwind shopping lunches. I was relating to her that incident from the day before, "Shavers, shavers -that's what I needed" I recounted, a bit loudly as we entered Pharmaprix. Two employees stocking up the shelves had caught the tail-end of our convo, and one of them enthusiastically chimed in: "Yes!!! Shavers!!! Because it's summer"!!! Yup, summer's coming indeed!!!
*note to self: Good Housekeeping says to "make lists in order to increase productivity." Wise words to live by!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
I don't think I really look like the typical Led Zeppelin fan let alone a groupie, but I just had to look up the lyrics of this amazing song (which is like the ultimate choice for a first dance!) that our friend Mark C. covered so awesomely at a friend's wedding last Wednesday - yes, you've read correctly, Wednesday - just one of the unconventional details of the occasion, which to describe in one or two (?) words, was sooooo *anti-establishment* and yet soooo cool! Congrats & Best Wishes, Cedric and Becky:
"Thank You"
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.
Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more.
Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
together we shall go until we die. My, my, my.
An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look... see.
And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness....I'm glad.
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.
"Thank You"
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.
Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more.
Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
together we shall go until we die. My, my, my.
An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look... see.
And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness....I'm glad.
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Ok, so I'm quite relieved that some two weeks after his hair mishap/"Bieber gone disaster"/it's called the one who cut it (who we won't mention here!) lacks the dexterity to cut a straight line/it's jaden's fault for not holding still, Jaden's looking half-decent, with a little help of course from my friend/pro/my very own hairdresser, Lyne, who I heart, heart, heart!!!!
I'm also glad that some three weeks after Jaden's bout of the flu, he has finally beefed up again after having lost all of his chub from going on a self-declared hunger strike for an entire week. Somehow, his doctor's reassurance that "kids won't starve themselves to death" and that "he'll eat at some point" didn't offer me any comfort and did very little to allay my fears. I'd say his "taking up" ice cream at grandma's had a lot to do with his weight gain, though, which is really a typically grandma-ish thing to do: spoil and indulge the grandkids with things they'd never imagine giving their own children back in the day or even now!
I figured I'd allow him a considerable amount of latitude with the whole ice-cream thing, temporarily, that is. And bought us some on the next grocery run. But there's a reason why I don't buy ice cream and keep it in the house: because I will decimate it in no time. And sure enough, we finished the whole tub between the three of us (Maya) within a day. At one point, Jaden od'd on it and was shivering from the cold - I guess that officially makes me an evil evil mom!!!
I'm also glad that some three weeks after Jaden's bout of the flu, he has finally beefed up again after having lost all of his chub from going on a self-declared hunger strike for an entire week. Somehow, his doctor's reassurance that "kids won't starve themselves to death" and that "he'll eat at some point" didn't offer me any comfort and did very little to allay my fears. I'd say his "taking up" ice cream at grandma's had a lot to do with his weight gain, though, which is really a typically grandma-ish thing to do: spoil and indulge the grandkids with things they'd never imagine giving their own children back in the day or even now!
I figured I'd allow him a considerable amount of latitude with the whole ice-cream thing, temporarily, that is. And bought us some on the next grocery run. But there's a reason why I don't buy ice cream and keep it in the house: because I will decimate it in no time. And sure enough, we finished the whole tub between the three of us (Maya) within a day. At one point, Jaden od'd on it and was shivering from the cold - I guess that officially makes me an evil evil mom!!!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Profile: Lim Collao, for the FF
As a self-admitted “workaholic,” Lim Collao is not one to lounge around on the couch, wielding the remote control for hours on end like some of his contemporaries. At his ripe age of 69, one might think that by now he had certainly earned the right to relax as he pleases, but Lim chooses otherwise. He presently holds a part-time position at Avis, which satisfies his need for meaningful occupation, the pay, of course, is just an added benefit!
Industry runs in his veins. His late father, Raymundo Collao was a hardworking elementary school teacher. Lim recalls how his father would, day after day, diligently and meticulously prepare lesson plans for the following day late into the wee hours of the morning, after which he would snatch a few winks of sleep, arise, and while still dark, ride his bike almost fifteen kilometers to the neighboring city where he taught.
Raymundo Collao taught his children, both by example and word, the importance of hard work. He also helped them to appreciate the necessity of a good education. The pay off? Limneo and the rest of his siblings completed their studies and were all presented with the opportunity to work abroad. His late sister Adelina Collao Malumbres, a nurse, was the first to leave the Philippines. In the mid-sixties she immigrated to Canada. She worked at a hospital in a little- known-of town called Cupar in Saskatchewan. A few years later she decided to move east and settled in Montreal. It was here that she filed an application for the sponsorship of her brother Lim.
At the time, Lim was working as a soundman at the Manila Hilton Hotel, after which he was hired to work abroad, in a similar capacity, as a sound equipment technician/road manager for an entertainment company serving the American bases in Saigon, Vietnam. Upon arrival in Canada in 1974, being the responsible family head he was, Lim did not hesitate to take on odd jobs. “As long as they were a decent and honest way to eke out a living, it was okay with me.” He explained. Eventually, he secured the position as a photocopier service technician for Office Equipment Co. of Canada. In 1975 he accepted an offer as an assistant supervisor of technical services from Saulton Business Machines Co. But his career did not stop there when he made a 180 degree and took a completely different line of work as a seaman in 1978 where his mechanical ability was tapped and put to good use. That career ended in 1987 when he decided to take another job as a general maintenance person for the Baker Textile Co that preceded his final full-time employment in the maintenance department at the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, in charge of the locksmithing. He retired in 2006.
Over the years, Lim earned himself the reputation of being a dependable and honest employee and all of his employers valued him and held him in high esteem. Every single one of them would be reluctant to accept his resignation, and would assure him that his position would still be waiting for him, “should you change your mind.” But Lim always insisted on never passing up opportunities for growth.
Being a workaholic can carry a somewhat negative connotation, conveying an imbalance, or a failure on one’s part to set their priorities straight. Perhaps, even implying the tendency to relegate the more important things in life such as family to the back burner, so to speak. This hasn’t been the case with Lim. He has always been a devoted family man and an exemplary and very involved member of the Filipino community, of which, he and his wife, Siony have become beloved and well-respected “fixtures.” Lim was at the helm of the FAMAS from 1991 to 1992. He founded and served as the first President of the Bicol Association of Quebec. He also served terms as both Vice President External and Trade and Commerce Director of the FFCAQ. He is currently the President of the Filipino Golden Agers of Quebec.
Lim pursues many hobbies like fishing, hunting and gardening among others. And much to the delight of his better-half, is extremely handy around the house, from doing minor repairs like fixing leaking taps to finishing much more ambitious projects. Not too many years ago he surprised Siony with a deck that he built single-handedly from scratch while she was away on a two-week European tour, and rewarded himself after with a well-deserved brand new barbecue grill!
These days, Lim divides his time between work, the community and most importantly, his only granddaughter, Kaya, age 3 years – the apple of his eye!
Industry runs in his veins. His late father, Raymundo Collao was a hardworking elementary school teacher. Lim recalls how his father would, day after day, diligently and meticulously prepare lesson plans for the following day late into the wee hours of the morning, after which he would snatch a few winks of sleep, arise, and while still dark, ride his bike almost fifteen kilometers to the neighboring city where he taught.
Raymundo Collao taught his children, both by example and word, the importance of hard work. He also helped them to appreciate the necessity of a good education. The pay off? Limneo and the rest of his siblings completed their studies and were all presented with the opportunity to work abroad. His late sister Adelina Collao Malumbres, a nurse, was the first to leave the Philippines. In the mid-sixties she immigrated to Canada. She worked at a hospital in a little- known-of town called Cupar in Saskatchewan. A few years later she decided to move east and settled in Montreal. It was here that she filed an application for the sponsorship of her brother Lim.
At the time, Lim was working as a soundman at the Manila Hilton Hotel, after which he was hired to work abroad, in a similar capacity, as a sound equipment technician/road manager for an entertainment company serving the American bases in Saigon, Vietnam. Upon arrival in Canada in 1974, being the responsible family head he was, Lim did not hesitate to take on odd jobs. “As long as they were a decent and honest way to eke out a living, it was okay with me.” He explained. Eventually, he secured the position as a photocopier service technician for Office Equipment Co. of Canada. In 1975 he accepted an offer as an assistant supervisor of technical services from Saulton Business Machines Co. But his career did not stop there when he made a 180 degree and took a completely different line of work as a seaman in 1978 where his mechanical ability was tapped and put to good use. That career ended in 1987 when he decided to take another job as a general maintenance person for the Baker Textile Co that preceded his final full-time employment in the maintenance department at the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, in charge of the locksmithing. He retired in 2006.
Over the years, Lim earned himself the reputation of being a dependable and honest employee and all of his employers valued him and held him in high esteem. Every single one of them would be reluctant to accept his resignation, and would assure him that his position would still be waiting for him, “should you change your mind.” But Lim always insisted on never passing up opportunities for growth.
Being a workaholic can carry a somewhat negative connotation, conveying an imbalance, or a failure on one’s part to set their priorities straight. Perhaps, even implying the tendency to relegate the more important things in life such as family to the back burner, so to speak. This hasn’t been the case with Lim. He has always been a devoted family man and an exemplary and very involved member of the Filipino community, of which, he and his wife, Siony have become beloved and well-respected “fixtures.” Lim was at the helm of the FAMAS from 1991 to 1992. He founded and served as the first President of the Bicol Association of Quebec. He also served terms as both Vice President External and Trade and Commerce Director of the FFCAQ. He is currently the President of the Filipino Golden Agers of Quebec.
Lim pursues many hobbies like fishing, hunting and gardening among others. And much to the delight of his better-half, is extremely handy around the house, from doing minor repairs like fixing leaking taps to finishing much more ambitious projects. Not too many years ago he surprised Siony with a deck that he built single-handedly from scratch while she was away on a two-week European tour, and rewarded himself after with a well-deserved brand new barbecue grill!
These days, Lim divides his time between work, the community and most importantly, his only granddaughter, Kaya, age 3 years – the apple of his eye!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
On Three Piece-Suits...
Shortly before I graduated from school, they held the usual annual career week to help place students into jobs and equip them with the necessary job-hunting skills, etc., etc., Instructors would play the role of potential employers and conduct mock interviews where we would have to dress up accordingly. I clearly recall a male Italian (yes, his background is totally relevant!) classmate of mine who showed up in a three-piece suit. Our teacher kindly but not so discreetly pointed out to him within plain sight and earshot of all of us that the "right" to wear such a suit is "earned." Poor Joe (or was it Tony?) never challenged this, and neither did I rebutt - I guess, it is because I silently agreed with her assertion. It kinda made sense to me at the time that one would need to have a title attached to his name to pull off a three-piecer - either that or you would need to be plain metro, like Kumee...or both!
Ok, so any self-respecting, self or otherwise proclaimed "fashionista" must have read Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series or at the very least have seen its screen adaptation. There's a scene in there where our darling protagonist Rebecca Bloomwood, is re-touching in the ladies room right before a function. She notices a thread sticking out of her copiously bead-embellished bolero and with one swift yank, sends the beads a skittering and scattering, leaving the floor strewn with a million of the shiny tiny orbs, rendering the jacket unwearable. She deftly and heroically breaks a middle-aged woman's nasty fall from slipping on the beads that could very well have resulted in a fractured hip requiring a replacement, and yet after all of what had transpired, unfazed, Becky, heads out without her bolero, in a black and white dress which bears a striking resemblance to the banquet servers' uniform, and naturally, in a funny turn of events, gets mistaken for one...
Why did I take pains to relate this to you? Because whenever a man decides to wear a three-piece suit outside of the cold and imposing confines of the boardroom, and especially at a wedding or another formal event or soiree (where cocktails are served!) sans his jacket perhaps feeling too warm after an energetic cha-cha-cha number or two (lol) he is venturing a risk of being mistaken for the hired help. To make this possiblility as remote as, uh, possible, and avoid yourself some needless embarassment, forget the good 'ol white shirt this time, and pair the suit up with a jauntier one and a good-quality (must I even say it??) complementing tie so that at the very least, you'll be known as the "well-dressed maitre d'."
Ok, so any self-respecting, self or otherwise proclaimed "fashionista" must have read Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series or at the very least have seen its screen adaptation. There's a scene in there where our darling protagonist Rebecca Bloomwood, is re-touching in the ladies room right before a function. She notices a thread sticking out of her copiously bead-embellished bolero and with one swift yank, sends the beads a skittering and scattering, leaving the floor strewn with a million of the shiny tiny orbs, rendering the jacket unwearable. She deftly and heroically breaks a middle-aged woman's nasty fall from slipping on the beads that could very well have resulted in a fractured hip requiring a replacement, and yet after all of what had transpired, unfazed, Becky, heads out without her bolero, in a black and white dress which bears a striking resemblance to the banquet servers' uniform, and naturally, in a funny turn of events, gets mistaken for one...
Why did I take pains to relate this to you? Because whenever a man decides to wear a three-piece suit outside of the cold and imposing confines of the boardroom, and especially at a wedding or another formal event or soiree (where cocktails are served!) sans his jacket perhaps feeling too warm after an energetic cha-cha-cha number or two (lol) he is venturing a risk of being mistaken for the hired help. To make this possiblility as remote as, uh, possible, and avoid yourself some needless embarassment, forget the good 'ol white shirt this time, and pair the suit up with a jauntier one and a good-quality (must I even say it??) complementing tie so that at the very least, you'll be known as the "well-dressed maitre d'."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Finding a niche topic for my other blog has considerably narrowed down the subjects that I write about, well, that was kinda like the whole point! Seriously though, whereas before, I would blog about pretty much everthing and anything under the sun from random things like my little rubber thimble thingy at work which really, as I had explained in the past, is quite insignificant in the grander scheme of things, but in the office assistant's paper-filled world, has got to be the next best thing to sliced bread! to my shopping escapades, ok, so I have a compulsive shopping habit, so what? I kinda still do, blog on diverse subjects, that is, here at least, but my other blog is devoted to all things exclusively Metro, with Kumar being the star. It's a good thing especially in this information age, where everyone's just inundated with so much, where there exists real and not just imagined afflictions like writer's (and reader's!) block and people have more reading material at their disposal in a day, than individuals once had in their entire lifetime.
I personally find women's fashion to be quite daunting a realm to navigate, it's vast and "ever-expanding" kinda like the universe itself! Men's fashion on the other hand, is a lot more forgiving with its relatively smaller scope. That works for me! Don't get me wrong, though, there's still so much to learn and explore and it's humbling - between the Donegal, Herringbone and Prince of Wales tweed. French cuffs and single cuffs, spread and military collars. Ties - skinny ones, bowties and ascots, etc, etc. Then there are the different labels and designers, from the younger set like the Fayed brothers behind Bespoken, up and coming ones that I've never even heard of before and whose work I have had the pleasure to (eye-candy!) discover like Ovadia and Sons, etc., to the members of fashion royalty which I could attempt to enumerate but can't possibly exhaust.
I personally find women's fashion to be quite daunting a realm to navigate, it's vast and "ever-expanding" kinda like the universe itself! Men's fashion on the other hand, is a lot more forgiving with its relatively smaller scope. That works for me! Don't get me wrong, though, there's still so much to learn and explore and it's humbling - between the Donegal, Herringbone and Prince of Wales tweed. French cuffs and single cuffs, spread and military collars. Ties - skinny ones, bowties and ascots, etc, etc. Then there are the different labels and designers, from the younger set like the Fayed brothers behind Bespoken, up and coming ones that I've never even heard of before and whose work I have had the pleasure to (eye-candy!) discover like Ovadia and Sons, etc., to the members of fashion royalty which I could attempt to enumerate but can't possibly exhaust.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
John Galliano/The Sartorialist
Dior's decision to suspend iconic designer John Galliano from his post as creative director of the French fashion powerhouse for passing anti-Semitic remarks which they have zero-tolerance of has sent shockwaves through the fashion industy and has sparked quite the debate as seen by the differing reactions to the Sartorialist's recent post on his thoughts on what had transpired.
I don't think the Sartorialist rigged his post to display only the comments subscribing to his position on the matter as one person alluded he might. In fact, there were many comments of those scoffing at Schuman's suggestion to the fashion world to perhaps take a cue from the sports industry in how they tend to loyally support anyone of their own who find themselves in hot water, steeped in controversy over allegations until they are proven guilty or otherwise.
Although, I agree to a certain extent that such a display of (self-serving?) solidarity is commendable, serious crimes as rape as in the case of Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers are things that definitely shouldn't be glossed over! In the same vein, Galliano's action and resulting suspension from Dior raised the issue of freedom of speech and put into question the fairness of Dior's corporate policy in this regard, but I think that the weightier matter here is the ugly ugly racist streak it revealed....uh, seriously!
I don't think the Sartorialist rigged his post to display only the comments subscribing to his position on the matter as one person alluded he might. In fact, there were many comments of those scoffing at Schuman's suggestion to the fashion world to perhaps take a cue from the sports industry in how they tend to loyally support anyone of their own who find themselves in hot water, steeped in controversy over allegations until they are proven guilty or otherwise.
Although, I agree to a certain extent that such a display of (self-serving?) solidarity is commendable, serious crimes as rape as in the case of Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers are things that definitely shouldn't be glossed over! In the same vein, Galliano's action and resulting suspension from Dior raised the issue of freedom of speech and put into question the fairness of Dior's corporate policy in this regard, but I think that the weightier matter here is the ugly ugly racist streak it revealed....uh, seriously!
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