austerity measures

My Chinese New Year's resolution (yez, Chinese New Year-- not January 1st, which for me does not feel like New Year at all since I work all throughout the holidays) is to stop spending money on unnecessary albeit pretty pretty things.

So now I must content myself with just looking. All temptilicious pictures borrowed from NET-A-PORTER.com.

Before I met the Mulberry Alexa in person in Singapore, I had a lust affair with the PS1. I still want it, especially in this new fabulous green shade. I just have to remind myself that it's the price of a secondhand car.

Proenza Schouler PS1 large leather satchel in green.

I think I may be over the Alexa. I'm really liking the Bayswater now, and the shiny patent leather brings me back to elementary school. Hmm, I would probably wear this bag with a crisp long-sleeved white shirt-- with cufflinks!-- and a tie. And just for fun, plaid pants and a newsboy cap.

Mulberry Bayswater patent leather laptop bag.

my new look 3

Today, I suddenly decided to change my blog's template. All my life, I've been True Blue. I thought I would try going verdant for a change. After years of believing that eagles are naturally colored blue, it's not easy being green, I tell ya.

My old look.

These new templates are really so interesting!

food porn @ pia y damaso

I love food. Am I a foodie? I dunno. What's a foodie, anyway? All I know is that I love to eat, and even though I'm not a very good cook, I like to know what's in my food and what makes it taste the way it does.

Nowadays, when I eat out, I make right-off-the-bat judgments about restaurants based on two things: The food must be tasty and it must be value for money. The ambience and service merely enhance or exacerbate the food's flavor and cost. It's always about the food.

I love taking pictures of good-looking food. I get really TURNED ON, no kidding. For that one reason, I think I may be falling in love with Restaurante Pia Y Damaso. But thank gadness, (most of) their pretty pretty food is yummy, too.

We joined a group of Ladies Who Lunch on 28 January 2011, and we all got to try a variety of dishes. I've always liked Pia Y Damaso's desserts, but I'd never tried the savory part of the menu. We started with some Crisp Cones. Light, refreshing and fun to eat.

Crisp cones with crab, corn, tomato relish. Sautéed crab meat, corn and onions stuffed into fried cones with fresh tomato, cucumber, cumin, cinnamon, parsley and lemon juice.

i feel a change comin' on

Herodotus wrote in "The Histories": For many very wealthy men are not happy, while many who have only a moderate living are fortunate. In truth the very rich man who is not happy has two advantages only compared with the poor man who is fortunate, whereas this latter has many as compared with the rich man who is not happy. The rich man is able better to fulfill his desire, and also to endure a great calamity if it fall upon him; whereas the other has these advantages over him-- he is not indeed able equally with the rich man to endure a calamity or to fulfill his desire, but these his good fortune keeps away from him, while he is sound of limb, free from disease, untouched by suffering, the father of fair children and handsome himself. If in addition to this he shall end his life well, he is worthy to be called that which you seekest, namely a happy man; but before he comes to his end it is well to hold back and not call him happy yet but only fortunate.

hangover

Kalibo is the capital of Aklan province. It's a sleepy little town with a very laid back populace. There's no McDonald's, no KFC, no Starbucks. By 8PM, the streets are deserted. There are no taxis, only tricycles. Many buses and trucks pass through the town, but they almost never stop, their drivers hurrying to their final destinations-- either Boracay, the crown jewel of Aklan, or Iloilo, the commercial hub of this region.

Once every year, during Ati-atihan in January, the whole town wakes up and goes nuts.