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Someone in the US get me a copy of V60!
Screencap of her shoot...(taken from V's official site)
And she's coming to Manila on the 11th of August.
Sweet.
What is the most valuable lesson your father taught you? Bonus points if you show us your dad.
My Dad taught me, by example, the importance of dedication - the type that survives the shifting sands of everyday and gets better with time.
If his excellent work throughout five presidencies isn't dedication enough, I wouldn't know of any better example.
(I don't have a pic of him handy, but I have his symbols of dedication all over.)
This song, I discovered as a free track on the Nokia phone I acquired some years ago. I love love love.
Now, I wonder who will sing this to me. Lol.
Strange Transmissions
Norah Jones and The Peter Malick Group
I believe, you say
Don't think, we'll stay
Drawn through the ebb
Lost in the flow
Beneath my breath, I confess
My world, loveless
The devil held the proof for me to know
I could only fight for the longest while
But with the truth out baby
I belong to you
I stoop, to find
My place, entwined
I took it to the bottom one more time
I could only fight for the longest while
But with the truth out baby
I belong to you
I could trip and I want you to know
Every time I think that I think I should go
I receive strange transmissions
Real America voted for Guy Next Door over Guyliner.
Olivia was back in town for a whirlwind vacation, the way she quickied last year.
Prior to her emigration in 2007, I barely spent time with her. There was a rather long period of non-interaction that ensued between her last few days in the same company we worked for and the day she flew to the middle east. The good thing about our relationship, though, is that we barely need time and space to reassure each other of the corny-cheesy-gooey things well-meaning friends are prone to. The corny-cheesy-gooey part has been hurdled way before (world) geography had separated us, the tearful phone call I made a day before her flight only being a sediment of all that goo.
It doesn't take much to bring our dynamics back to that familiar groove. Seeing her Saturday night after a year only seemed like seeing her a hiatus from our once-frequent all-nighters. We hugged, got ourselves drinks, and began our intellectual-slash-mundane ruminations - something we'd do on a normal day anyway (except that she was in opaque tights and peeptoes).
I appreciate our twisted union, which we share with a few more friends. I appreciate most of all the comfort that comes from not having to worry about how the other person feels, or how our relationship is untainted by schema or personal shit, or how there's no need for adjustments of any sort. Much like home.
Last weekend, it wasn't just her who was back in town.
One hour to live. What do you do?
Submitted by Jeff Zie.
Gee, I'd hug everyone (those within reach) I love.
Or.
I'll say that I've only an hour to live. They should be able to take it from there.
One of the more substantial Facebook quizzes I took this week inspired me to blab more about my top five fragrances of all time for now.
In no particular order:
Allure Homme by Chanel - After succumbing to the olfactory peer pressure that was Cool Water, this was my first grown-up scent. I discovered it while window shopping in Hong Kong back in 1999, the same year it was launched. Having no money at that time, I asked my Dad to buy me a bottle during his own Hong Kong trip a month after mine. I love how citrusy this scent is and its longevity. (Or I may have just put on too much everyday.) This scent reminds me of college, of summers spent studying taxation and philosophy, and 'oh you smell good' compliments from classmates.
I should get myself a new bottle soon.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Citron Zest
Middle Notes: Jamaican Pepper
Base Notes: Vetiver, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean, Labdanum
Clinique Happy for Men - This scent, in my opinion, belongs to the new breed of classics. Even GQ likens it to a blue oxford shirt - something every man must have in this lifetime. While Allure opened my nose to the smell of citrus, Happy (which I've been using since 2002) cemented my love for it. No fragrance could be more ideal for tropical weather. Works as a great bad mood beater, too. I alternate this scent with the next fragrance on my list.
Top Notes: Kaffir Lime, Kalamanzi Fruit, Mandarin, Yuzu
Middle Notes: Green Notes
Base Notes: Cedar, Mediterranean Cypress, Guiacwood
L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme - Every stylish guy I know from my teenage years wanted their own Issey Miyake badly. This was one of my dream scents even back in high school, but I only had the chance to have my own bottle this year. (Thanks to my Aunt who was on ask-and-you-shall-receive mode when I was vacationing in the US.) Less citrus and more spicy, Issey evokes discreet elegance and works whether I am in jeans or dress up mode. I think this is what contemporary Asia smells like.
Top Notes: Yuzu (Japanese Citron), Cypress, Coriander, Mandarin, Clary Sage, Fresh Verbena
Middle Notes: Blue Water Lily, Nutmeg, Saffron, Bourbon Geranium, Ceylonese Cinnamon
Base Notes: Tobacco Amber, Musk, Indian Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver, Cypriol
Marc Jacobs Men - I asked for this for my birthday two years ago because it was Marc Jacobs, and I love both the guy and the brand. It was an acquired taste (or smell), something that grew on me the more I used it. This is probably the most mature, woodsy, musky scent I have in my stash, something I'll wear into my forties. It gives off initial hints of fig, coconut, and other fruits I will probably not eat in my lifetime. Abrasive at the onset but turns sweet in the long run. I only wear it on some dressy nights out, or if I feel like being alpha on some work days.
Top Notes: Cumin, Cardamom, Ginger, Cedar
Middle Notes: Fig
Base Notes: Vanilla, Tonka Beans, Musk
Halston 1-12 - This reminds me of the eighties in a good way. My Dad wore this scent everyday and even sprayed it on his handkerchief and spare shirt. Halston was my first memory of a good men's fragrance and was the first adult scent I sprayed on myself. Not bad for playing grown-up. And Elsa Peretti designed the bottle.
Top Notes: Green notes, Bergamot, Basil, Lemon, Mandarin, Galbanum
Middle Notes: Pine, Lavender, Juniper, Jasmin, Carnation
Base Notes: Moss, Cedarwood, Musk, Amber, Vanilla, Tonka
Thanks to www.basenotes.com for the images and specs.
Annie Leibovitz does Paul Rudd and co. in the tradition of Tom Ford, Scarlett, and Keira in the latest Vanity Fair. Kudos to VF for elevating Paul to comedy legend status!
