Flooded

On Friday I'm going home to the Philippines. I am of course excited to be going home but at the same time saddened by the fact that a lot of my fellow Ilonggos are still suffering the effects of the dreadful typhoon Frank and the deadly flood it brought with it. As I scan the many pictures of 'Waterworld', I somehow felt disconnected. It's as if I'm so far away. Am I coping by denying that I am not part of it? This is a new feeling for me. I know I should feel something strong about it but being away for only 6 months have transformed me into somebody who's alienated from the place where I come from. I must admit it was hard for me to relate to all the drama at first since I know my family were safe. It's very easy for me not to care. Looking back I did care since I helped a friend locate his mom, calling all our friends in Iloilo to make sure that she is safe (She was found on the rooftop of a 3-storey building. The 2 storey house of my friend got flooded up to the 2nd floor). It's just that I can't feel that I really cared. There's that feeling of hopelessness in my heart. How can I help, anyway? What can I do? Even the ones who are in the thick of the scene during the havoc of Frank couldn't muster a word but only to weep as they witnessed the strong current capsizing a house with 3 people on the roof going down with it. I guess the only way to cope is to go numb.

Al Gore's 'Inconvenient Truth' makes so much more sense than ever.

Lunch

Blue swimmer crab spaghetti. I love this dish. I love crabs but I hate removing it from its shell. Too, messy and smelly especially if you are eating in a resto. I only eat it by hand if I'm at home.

Salmon with bean sprout salad and potato chips. Fresh potato chips I consider my junk food. It's a feel good food especially if I'm feeling down and crabby from lack of sugar. Being pesco vegetarian, I think my palate has developed greatly where it can taste the nuanced, delicate flavors of vegetables. I so hated bell peppers before but now it's one of my fave vege especially if it's grilled in olive oil with some pepper and salt. Yummy!

Wala lang...

Many things are going inside my head, many actual things I need to finish but I am so lazy and tired of doing it. I would start one thing and trail off to another ending up not finishing a lot of things. Ewan ko ba, I guess this unknown thing that bothers me is just boredom with a capital B.

Talked to a friend just now through YM and I told him I've been missing my old life in Iloilo. Nope, not the work but the stuff I love doing there. Thrift shopping, dinner with friends, coffee, magazine hunting... My life seems so predictable now. But I'm still happy naman.

I love how my designs are improving because I can check on the production of it since my seamstress is at home. I don't understand why I feel so restless.

Maybe I need sugar.

Victoria dinner

Seafood platter

moi

Lay-out of Angkor Wat

Victoria Hotel

Delish! Stir fry Morning Glory (Kangkong)

My fave dish in Pho de Paris.

LV sighting: Keepall

Guess who owns it?

Strike the pose in thrift shop tank

I think it was with my friend Rhea when I bought this drape-y vest from a thrift shop in Sakrolay. I kinda like how it frames the shirt and make it less 'waiter-ish'.

Costume: shirt by Yves Saint Laurent paired with the tank.

Fashion Diary & Interview for TNT

Fashion Diary

Opening of Angkor Children Hospital's visitor center

Shirt: Wangwonu
Shorts: thrift shop find, no brand
Belt: Giordano Concepts
Shoes: leather gladiator by Don Protasio Spring/Summer 2008

Opening of Lucky Seven fastfood (the Jollibee of Cambodia)

Shirt: Y's Yohji Yamamoto (top), Giordano (under)
Belt: f&h
Pants: Balenciaga
Shoes: Converse
Eyewear: Spy red Wayfarer
Bag: Prada nylon back pack

Day-off look

Shirt: Jil Sander button down
Pants: True Religion
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Shoes: Muji sneakers

At the office

Shirt: Claiborne
Pants: Givenchy Homme
Shoes: Litmus

Night-out, casual look

Shirt: DKNY tee
Scarf: from Backstage
Pants: ONLY jeans

Watching a magic show

Shirt: Hermes
Jacket: Muji
Pants: bespoke pants
Shoes: K-Bond

Answers to Questions:

Most Admired Designer: A lot! But I'm still constantly obsessing over Helmut Lang - his past works, his philosophy, his move into the art world, everything about him. If he releases a book I'd be the first one to buy but I think it's unlikely because he is too cool for that, but who knows.

Whose closet you'd like to raid: Nobody comes to mind...maybe Johnny Depp's closet. Or the closets of Hedi Slimane or Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga.

Scent of the Moment: Higher Dior by Dior Homme, my scent for years now.

Design Philosophy: Quality over quantity

Fashion extravagance: Fashion to me is never extravagant. I buy only what I like to wear and I keep it for a very long time.

Fashion Icon: 'Elegance is refusal' - Coco Chanel

Fashion Must have: A good bar of soap. Even though how fab you dress if you don't smell nice I don't think you will ever be fashionable.

Best Dressed: Locally, I think Joan Bitagcol (model, photographer) and Cecile Zamora van Straten (writer, fashion designer) are best dressed. They both have that certain quirkiness I find intriguing.

Best Dressed: Internationally, I think Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester is very well dressed. I can imagine myself wearing what she's wearing. Fashion writer Martin Webb looks very dapper to me.

Fashion No-no: I really don't like rules especially in fashion. I don't want to limit myself to what I can wear.

Fashion Cheap thrills: Thrift shopping is my kind of thrill. I once found a Comme des Garçons tee for less than a dollar. I was ecstatic. Everytime I find something I like I get a natural high.

Favorite Destinations: Thrift shops in Phnom Penh, ukay-ukay in Iloilo, bookstores in Singapore, shopping in Hong Kong, getting lost in Bangkok, etc.

Current Occupation: art gallery director by day, clothes designer by night and freeloader during days off

Fashion Advice: I don't like dispensing fashion advice. I like the diversity of style that people come up with. I guess, being true to yourself is some sort of advice, I don't know.

Handicap of Tears - antique shop

This is their mini shop.

But we usually go to their warehouse across this pond. There, the real treasures are hidden.

They call the place Handicap of Tears. Poetic, no?

Fate

And yes, that's Loven hoarding antiques.

And this is what I bought. A wooden maleta.

Nice, no?

Buying antique stuff

We drove 30 minutes out of town to this place that sells antique stuff.

Most items in town are so overpriced especially in the night market. So to get a bargain and to make a nice profit we seek out out-of-the-way suppliers because they tend to give a better bargain.

And it's a nice escape, also.

They have a nice pond with lilies and insects flying around.

One can stop to smell the flowers.

Everybody is welcome.

One Shop

Select ceramic pieces from Prolung Khmer

A mix of pieces from the Philippines, Laos, Bali, etc.

artwork by Loven Ramos

Loven's Saffron Spirit series

Strike the pose in LV shopping bag

Couldn't get the real thing so I settled for the shopping bag (Loven's when he bought a Keepall).

Costume: Comme ça du mode tee, unlabeled shorts, Bench gold foil tote, Nike Air Rift and LV shopping bag. lol!

Steak

for Ms. Chuva, I took a shot of the steak my friend had. She said it's delish. Funny, I'm always reminded of you whenever I see a steak.

Dinner, shrimps

Shrimp and ravioli with pine nut sauce

assorted bread and butter

tropical mix of papaya, orange and lemon salad with sesame crusted shrimps

Lazy day

Khmer House Resto

I ordered this for lunch...

here! Amok fish is a joy.





At the children's table : Brews, Brice and Brandon, 3 B's! One is isip-bata while the other 2 are real kids. hehehehe!

Rhea, Jessie and Kathy

Blady, Cielo and Irish

moi