The Carnival

Today we went to Chini's school for their annual fund-raising carnival and it was bigger and better than I expected. Everything was there, albeit on a smaller scale- food, rides, entertainment, a pit full of donated toys for sale that Chini was crazily digging through for that perfect toy (each one being perfect until you find another one and then another..) and kids. Chini has an easy, confident friendliness that is so grown-up, calling out school-mates not for attention but because she was simply glad to see them.

I don't have fond memories of childhood school carnivals. The one memory I have was being held in the carnival jail and because I didn't really have any friends who could come forward to bail me, the jailers grudgingly let me out. Funny thing is that those childhood experiences of loneliness and of being bullied didn't really affect me at all. I knew innately that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me, that the world was composed of friendly people and assholes and that at some point, you had to choose which of the two was most likely you. 

I looked around at all the kids having fun, enjoying the uncomplicated, carefree concerns of childhood and thought, it was really good while it lasted.

Eye test

Beginning in the early to mid-40s, many adults may start to have problems seeing clearly at close distances, especially when reading and working on the computer. This is among the most common problems adults develop between ages 41 to 60. This normal change in the eye's focusing ability, called presbyopia, will continue to progress over time.

My first memory of my mother reading anything other than her teaching stuff was in elementary school when she came home one day with a whole stack of paperbacks from the book-bargain bin Book Sale. By the time I was in high school and she was in her early 40s, she had started wearing glasses. She blamed her deteriorating eye-sight on those paperback books and cautioned us to never read in dim light; to never go to bed with wet hair (not sure if she really said this lol) and sealed the argument with the claim that blindness ran in the family (I actually only know of one, my grandmother's younger brother Ely who had been blind for as long as I can remember growing up).

Initially, you may need to hold reading materials farther away to see them clearly. Or you may need to remove your glasses to see better up close. Print in the newspaper or on a restaurant menu may appear blurred, especially under dim lighting.

Over three years ago, I started having problems focusing on my computer screen. I even blamed it on the fact that it was a PC and even requested for a new one, a bigger and brighter 27-inch iMac. But the problems persisted. There were times later in the day when I would feel slightly faint, my vision blurring. One day my colleague asked me why I was adjusting the distance between myself and the computer screen and I told her that the screen didn't seem to be that clear as I thought it would be. Really she said surprised. Could it just be the fact that maybe you might need glasses? The thought that it was probably my eye-sight all along didn't occur to me at all. You watch out for wrinkles (a good 10 years away I think) or that tell-tale shot of pain in your joints, but you never quite realize that your eye-sight is getting bad, dismissing it as simply part of your exhausting day's side-effects. So off I went and had my first eye-test with local optometry chain OPSM. I remember the day I got my first 'proper' glasses. We went to a cafe for brunch after picking the glasses up and there was that startling moment of realization staring at the food in front of me looking as clear as an HD image, that you hadn't been really looking at the world the way you used to. Something had irrevocably changed and it didn't need your permission or approval. I felt a bit sad but comforted myself with the thought that at least, I got a really great-looking pair of Rayban frames.

During these years, schedule a comprehensive eye examination with your optometrist at least every two years to check for developing eye and vision problems. Don't rely on the limited driver's license vision test or other insufficient vision screenings to determine if you have an eye or vision problem.

Adults over 40 who have the following health or work issues may be particularly at risk for developing eye and vision problems:

• Chronic, systemic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
• A family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration.
• A highly visually demanding job or work in an eye-hazardous occupation.
• Health conditions related to high cholesterol, thyroid, anxiety or depression, and arthritis for which you take medications. Many medications, even antihistamines, have vision side effects.

So I'm like over a year overdue for the required two-year re-test and at the back of my mind, it's the same strange consistent denial of those little signs- the eye fatigue, shot proof-reading levels as you miss out on words, little twinges in your head at 4pm. So after two cancellations, I finally made it back to the OPSM branch in Papakura which is easier commuting to than the other branch where I had my first test. I've only learned recently that when you go for an eye-test, your results- or your script- is yours; you're not obliged to order your glasses from the tester. OPSM has always been the most expensive one of the chains because they carry high-end labels. Woe to you if you're a label whore. Woe to you if you couldn't afford it. But I can- and would I wear anything else but Raybans??? I must admit though that after two glasses with them, I could feel a slight burn in my pocket (each pair with the lens cost well over $500). 

I've discovered that there a million cheaper but stylish frames out there. There is a site called clearly where you simply send in your script and they make your glasses for you with nice frames starting at under $65. I got a pair from them once, but either I got bits of my script entered incorrectly (I'll make sure I get the script typed as opposed to written down by hand and then photographed with a phone camera!), or the quality was simply not there because the lens view was all wrong. Plus, I chose a frame shape that I later realised didn't really fit my face shape. 

I've been asking around and I think you get what you pay for. The very thorough 45 minutes I spent at OPSM was apparently vastly different (according to co-workers) from the hurried, somewhat fast-food orientated operation of the other competitor chain (Tommy Hilfiger, honestly?). There were a lot of steps- photographing, examination of the inside, heaps of quick-flashing lights; the eye-ball pressure test involved a slightly stinging application of a desensitising liquid followed by yellow dye which I feared, dyed my eyeballs an alarming shade of hepatitis-yellow. 

And when it was all done, my eyes rested on a pair of frames I was actually praying not to see in the shop- Rayban Wayfarer frames; a perfect match to my Rayban Wayfarer sunglasses. 

Now that's a sight for sore eyes...

Belated Happy Birthday Bobeth!

When your birthday is an endless (Halloween!) party..

Happy Birthday Jong!

Birthdays = Korean buffet! All photos taken by the iPhone x (unretouched).

X and the 6th

Some people are one or the other and in my choice of phones, I have always been the Apple other. I started with the 3Gs, then the 4s, the 5, the 6 Plus, the 7 Plus and now my 6th one, the X (ten).

I had a brief fling with Android for a bit (for research purposes only lol) but it was more for nostalgia (remember Sony-Ericsson? They had the dopest phones back in the day when the word dope meant something else) and the camera (which was 50-50 for me).

But I'm a creature of habit so I've gone back to Apple, will stay committed to it and will continue to buy every worthy new iteration that comes out because that's just the way it is. 

My thoughts on the new iPhone:

1. Just when you thought they couldn't make it any more beautiful, they do. The trade-off with its looks is that it's fragile. It has never been a phone you can use sans case without risking scratches and dents. I ordered a case and a screen-protector prior to pre-ordering and put them on the phone the moment I took it out of the box.

2. I hate dimmed devices and I sometimes become a source of distraction when riding with friends in darkened cars as I would have my phone at full brightness. But maybe its the OLED screen? Or the so-called True-Tone display? But at something like 40% brightness, text has never been truly crisper, more well-defined which makes me think, Retina display was never really what it claimed it to be; that this is the true superior display.

3. People complain about the lack of this, or what Apple has taken away and I think, they've probably haven't used Apple devices enough. I've had Apple devices for over a decade and the evolution of their ecosystem has been so consistent and controlled that changes improve your experience and use of them. Sure, there will be the odd annoying feature, but overall, the change is tremendous but never announces itself in an unnecessary aggressive fashion. Just barely half a day since I started using the iPhone x, handling my iPhone 7 Plus seems like several steps backward. The home button proved itself to be a significantly unnecessary tedious step. To be able to simply swipe away app windows within the screen area itself makes for a faster, smoother control of the phone.

4. Even before I realised it, my main phone usage is photography. I have taken to picture taking as my de facto note taking, my daily journal. I had high hopes for the camera, especially for the front-facing ones. But the promotional photos aside, photos taken from the rear of the camera are better. I have this beef with iPhone cameras, perhaps my only beef with it- I don't think I ever looked good in photos taken by them, hence the lack of selfies even if I am apparently, super vain.  But I'm not vain enough to ditch it for Android just because I'm not happy with how I look.

5. I love the animojis!

Better selfies

Had high expectations of the front-facing camera with the portrait mode, but results have been meh. I can hear my sisters telling me, it's really your face, your face!

Taken with my 'old' iPhone 7 plus

Taken by the iPhone X

A little bit lighter. Just

Taken with the iPhone 7 Plus

Taken with the iPhone x

Dual camera 6mm f/2.4/ exposure 1/100sec; ISO 125

Dual camera 6mm f/2.4/ exposure 1/35sec; ISO 640

Ghost/s

When I was at the UP, I was friends with this girl who one day, stopped being friends with me for reasons she didn't really say. Just simply stopped talking to me or even acknowledging my presence even if I was literally in front of her face.

I was literally, dead to her- a ghost. I would Google her years afterward; sneered at her face (she was never the sort you would describe as pretty even if you forced yourself to be nice); judged her job, her hair and her life in general (that's why I left Facebook because I felt that all the incessant judging I was doing was internally toxic). Yup- I literally haunted her with some sort of half-expectation that the answer as to why she stopped being friends with me would reveal itself.

Having been someone who came to friendships late in life, I've developed an independence that I think, sometimes borders on the extreme-I really wouldn't give two shits if I lived alone, or died alone. I find some sort of satisfying fulfillment and peace with my routine, my self-involved interests and my lack of social obligation save for family which to me, are not obligations at all, but commitments. That's why living in New Zealand is perfect- I hardly know anyone and that suits me just fine.

But this is not to say that I've had a lack of opportunities to form strong friendships which in this day and age of numerous digital interconnections, would have been an easy thing to do. 

But not for me; I think I've grown too fond of being invisible, of being rooted to one spot, unable to leave it, to move on. 

Night Out: Hola

Where: Little Mexico Cantina & Tequila Bar

What: 3-litre jugs of Pina Colada or sugary Margaritas for $60 and cheap, unpretentious platters of the usual suspects (nachos, tortilla chips and saucers of chili paste, guacamole, pico de gallo..). 

People think it's more of a restaurant than a bar which suits us just fine in all the times we tried to get into another Mexican themed restaurant/bar, only to be turned off by the crowds so we end up here, our annoyance eased by the easy smiles of their Spanish-speaking wait-staff. We promise that next time, it won't be our back-up choice.

By 10pm, the dinner crowd disappears and if you've commandeered the side-walk tables, forgiving the fact that it's on a sloped surface, you would have called it a night too even if the streets are telling you it's just starting- a pitcher of Margarita is very deceptive.

 

How do you start...

..the day when this study says skipping it could be good for you (okay, fine; Huffington Post is not exactly a credible source) and some would say that the effects are exactly what I'm looking for- lowered blood pressure and cholesterol.

Eggs

Good for you today, bad for you tomorrow, I've stopped caring. Cheap, filling and nutritious, I've bought into the whole free-range thing simply because it's cheaper now and I wouldn't feel conned if it turns out that there's nothing beneficial about it at all.

Poaching versus frying

I haven't mastered it yet, but weekends offer enough time to make the effort for poaching.

Shouldn't be eating bacon

But wait- I'm on cholesterol medication so it should be fine. Kidding. I've reduced it to just twice a month.

Could 'cereals' be healthy?

As I grew older, I tended to favour the savoury over the sweet. The only concession that I make for a sugary breakfast with cereal or granola is when the product promises substantial amounts of protein. Still, this brand is 18% sugar so I don't have it often

Shake it away

A smoothie a day keeps the hunger at bay. Sometimes.

Cafe breakfast

Filipino breakfasts I miss

Tapsilog

Boneless bangus

Tuyo and eggs

Alaminos longganisa

Run. For your life

I've never been fat. I've maintained my weight and my waist-line for the last 20 years. I'm fit and toned and I wouldn't be embarrassed at all if, for some weird reason, I would need to take my shirt off in public (!!!???).

But my actual fitness level is atrociously bad. My blood pressure remains quite high in spite of medication, breathing apps, goddamned pitchers of hibiscus tea and garlic tablets. Sure, I'm genetically predisposed to be hypertensive, but that's not an excuse to try and look for a solution. 

I think you have White Coat syndrome said my cover GP the other week. So I had to stay in his office for about 20 minutes, lying on my back to relax while he tried to get another reading. It did go down quite significantly, but inwardly I seethed; I always did significantly well on things that I set out to do and I was losing this badly in spite of what I thought were my best efforts.

So how often does one need to exercise in a given week? Apparently, not enough; walking to and from work from the train station/bus stop, 100 push-ups every other day, the occasional gym.

So I guess I need to step it up.

“The American College of Sports Medicine has two basic recommendations for cardio exercise. The first suggests 30 minutes of moderate cardio five times per week, and the second recommends 20 minutes of intense cardio three times per week. Each is adequate for general health and weight maintenance.”

— ACSM

I wish I lived near a better gym but lately, I've learned to stop complaining and to pay attention to the treadmill.

Tools to make the run better; get an Apple Watch!

Tools to motivate; get really great cushioning like Nike Zoom All Out Low

Find the perfect ideal place to run; New Zealand as it turns out, is that place.

A long urban weekend

I know for a fact now that given the choice between a scenic hike and three hours roaming a luxury mall, I would definitely pick the latter. I don't mind hiking, but if you get the same health benefit walking up and down the aisles, your heart-rate picking up at the price of an Armani sweater you thought looked great with your jeans, then why not.

Auckland is not by any means, a worthy competition to Melbourne, Honolulu or even Manila, but I've learned to accept what I can get. You just have to learn how to navigate the city's  nooks and crannies to look for what you want. And sometimes, you even find stuff you don't expect to find like Moscot eyewear, tucked away in a small shop inside the Queens Arcade; quirky sweatshirts by Paul Smith inside iconic Smith & Caughey's; or a thousand and one beauty products at any of those Asian shops that sprout and disappear like mushrooms all over the city.

And you don't have to buy anything- perusing and filing the knowledge of what's available, or what's possible (better skin for middle-age?), is the whole point. 

Better Burger

I wouldn't care if I never eat at McDonald's again. Just a handful of menu items, but they give you the best- actual NZ Angus beef done medium-rare and locally sourced, fresh ingredients

Christmas brought to you by Smith & Caughey's

There is something comforting about really Western Christmas decor; crystal snow globes, Victorian-themed vintage ornaments, French country figures with animal heads. All terrifyingly unfamiliar lol

KFC

KFC gets a classy make-over for its Fort St branch with less of the crowds and self-ordering kiosks

Melting-pot of cultures

Matryoshka dolls of varying sizes and designs at a Russian shop at Queen's Arcade

View from Smith & Caughey's

Was so upset, ended up buying shoes

I'm truly a New Zealander now, to the bone. I voted in the last elections with a passion I hadn't felt in a long time. I care about issues and my future in a country where I can definitively say would be the place I would die and be buried in. I'm also upset that today, the party I voted for didn't take their place in government as I had been hoping.

I was so upset that I ended up buying a pair of sneakers I had some doubts buying. 

Suffice it to say that I was efficiently distracted by the whole experience (a first for shoes) of being the first to get a pair with the imminent possibility that the size and colour I wanted would run out. It was like getting Adele concert tickets all over again.

I was put on a queue and in suspense as I waited for over 15 minutes wondering if I would get it. If I were, to be honest, I didn't really care. It's just shoes I thought, or just a phone, or just Adele (no one else is like Adele really). But I guess we need these 'little wins'; that feeling that all the effort and the waiting are somehow worth it, even if all our expectations have yet to be proven.

We wouldn't know would we until we get it, until we try it out and take our first steps in it. 

It could all go terribly wrong and wait- I'm talking about the shoes I bought and not Jacinda Ardern and her Labour-New Zealand First coalition government. 

Nike shoe of the week

I remember when I was working for the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, there were these so-called calamity loans that everyone scrambled to get because the interest was so cheap that it was almost-nearly free money. As the name suggested, it was supposed to be something that you used to fix whatever the typhoon had damaged. Well, I used it to fix my Nike craving, haha. 

I accumulated really good and rare pieces and learned the sad truth that you didn't really seriously train in Nikes; they didn't last long (the pairs I had left in the Philippines had all nearly disintegrated) and if you wanted them to last, you just have to use them as something that complemented your outfit (or showed the shoes off), or to not use them at all- I think I'll never be entrepreneurial nor rich enough to just admire them in their box. What good is beauty or perfection if you just admired it from a distance? (I think this may also mean there's something wrong with your head).

It's been a while since I experienced true-blue shoe lust and I felt it again with these Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit SEs. Apparently, an initial version of these (how did I miss it??) came out early in the year in collaboration with Japanese fashion label Comme des Garcons. While I think most collabs with high-fashion labels are more misses than hits (a lot of them are downright ugly), the VaporMax CDGs present that clean but avant garde aesthetic that Rei Kawakubo is known for. The shoes get rid of messy shoelaces (which means a tighter fit that is perfect for my narrow feet) and there's this rectangular strip that runs on both sides of the uppers for that streamlined look. 

I've obviously trolled through YouTube doing research on the shoes and it's not something that everyone will like instantly- but then that's fashun for you; it's truly not for the faint-hearted. Or the budget conscious for that matter- this one costs $320....

The future is now

I came out of a screening for Blade Runner 2049 with a profound sense of familiarity and that for me, is the weakness of a film belonging to a genre that is supposed to reposition your mindset of the future. It fails this and this is the bleakest realisation- that future is actually already here. 

1. Society is prepared for fully-conscious Artificial-intelligence because it has been treating non-conventional people as if they just only recently came to life. So if you're a replicant, a gender-fluid teen, a 65-year old transgender woman or a pugnacious Democrat, expect to be embraced, vilified, tortured, celebrated or murdered, all depending on the timing and mood.

2. Patriarchy is an old God that refuses to die. You've knocked down someone like Harvey Weinstein, but there is a long way to go (how many lifetimes will it take to get there?). It's women versus ideology, versus religion, even versus themselves.

3. Climate change is real and all you need to confirm it for some of us who have been around longer, is to believe what your gut tells you. And mine is telling me, winter is probably coming.

4. What is the opposite of dystopian? Why isn't anyone writing or making movies about that?

5. If the future is here, don't be the fool who persists in clinging to the past. Yield yes, but don't bend too much. 

“This is the first age that’s ever paid much attention to the future, which is a little ironic since we may not have one”

— Arthur C Clarke, 1976

The future is...embrace it, use it

The future is floral

Embellished jacquard blazer by Zara men

The future is a clean aesthetic

Jacket from NEED in Olive. Spread collar. Full zip front closure. Dual entry patch pockets with flap and snap button closures. Interior chest pocket. Adjustable snap button cuffs. Tonal stitching. Straight hem. Insulated fill. Lined. Relaxed, straight fit.

The future is a device with emotion

Our vision has always been to create an iPhone that is entirely screen. One so immersive the device itself disappears into the experience. And so intelligent it can respond to a tap, your voice and even a glance. With iPhone X, that vision is now a reality. Say hello to the future.

The future is tradition

Since 1915, the Moscot family has been selling eyeglasses in New York. And over 100 years later, there are still generations of Moscots waiting for you at Orchard Street when you need some new spectacles or shades (COMMON PROJECTS + MOSCOT TYPE ONE collab)

The future is science made wearable

The slim-fit Nike Sportswear Advance 15 Men's Joggers are made with soft cotton-blend fabric for lasting comfort.

The future is your health

Dealing with multiple medications can be a hassle. Pill Pack aims to make it as painless as possible. This online full-service pharmacy delivers a personalized roll of pre-sorted medications to your door each month. Each sachet of pills is labeled with the time, date, and any notes on how to take them, and is stored in a convenient dispenser. Other medications that can't be placed in packets, such as liquids or inhalers, are also included in each month's package, and an online software platform called PharmacyOS makes it easy to manage your various prescriptions, refills, and renewals.

The future is black

Oral health just got a whole lot more aesthetically pleasing. With a limited edition gloss and matte finish, the All-Black Goby Electric Toothbrush Kit is combining the benefits of an electric toothbrush and a sleek, minimalist design. The battery lasts two weeks on a single charge, keeping those unsightly cords in your drawer and off your sink. Better yet, the USB charging cable makes for easy charging, both at home and on the go. Sign up for their subscription service and they'll automatically send you a new brush head when its time to change it out. If you're still afraid of commitment, you can try it out for 60 days, no strings attached.

The future is (faux) leather

Faux leather biker jacket with metal details, zip-up front, side zip pockets, zips on the cuffs and a belt detail along the hem with metal buckles. Zara.

The future is your body

Scales are necessary for basic fitness tracking. Those a little more concerned might take monthly photos to track their progress. The ShapeScale 3D Body Scanning Scale combines these two concepts in a far more convenient, helpful manner. It has a 3D scanner mounted on an arm that rotates around your body, building a high-fidelity 3D model in under a minute. Using heatmaps, it can instantly show you where you've been gaining, and where you've been losing, as well as localized lean and fat mass numbers. It lets you keep track of your goals visually, gives precise body measurements, and, of course, keeps track of your actual weight, too.

The future is everyone watching

Live streaming is a great way to share your experiences with friends and family. Unfortunately, when you're holding your phone up recording, you're not experiencing as much as you should. The FrontRow Wearable Camera by letting taking the camera out of your hands. It's powered by Android, with a small, discrete body, built-in Wi-fi and Bluetooth, and an eight-megapixel main camera.

Question Of The Day

“Is every single day a sort of struggle or are we just imagining it? ”

— Me, today, while looking at my pile of clothes

1. There are always dishes on the sink

2. I looked bad in a photo, and it was an Android one with a 'beauty filter'

3. I can never seem to organise my clothes

4. I try to picture myself in 10 years and all I see is NOTHING

5. I actually managed to save enough in just 4 months to pay off a credit card (in the low five figures), and here I am planning to spend it again

6. I really need to have an above-average fitness regimen

7. I feel that 75% of what I do online is a complete waste of time

8. I logged back in again to my old Facebook account for a peek and realised that I made the right decision to get out of it.

9. Where is my place in this world?? I am here, but it seems that my feet are not planted firmly on anything

10. I need to re-organise. Again. And then again. I feel that if I stop, it's all over. 

11. Expression is not all about an image. I've made my camera-phone a crutch for far too long. 

Off Day

A cold starts with that tell-tale tickle in your throat and the scary thing is this- there's no warning. You were fine when you woke up. You were fine the night before. But suddenly, just before you get up from your desk for morning break, you feel the tickle. You clear your throat once, twice. You go to the bathroom to muffle the sound of more aggressive clearing and it doesn't go away. 

In the past I didn't know any better and as the day progressed, I would feel the tickle grow like a warm, tingly diaphanous web inside my body. My face would feel hot and then cold. I would feel light-headed, my eyes watering. By evening, an explosion of sneezes fills my lungs, my nose with mucus. I get to bed knowing that something out of my control has gained possession of my body.

But I learned by accident that you could arrest this- first sign of that tickle and you literally bombard it with everything and anything- anti-bacterial lozenges, a hot drink made of 650 mg of paracetamol (an analgesic), and 10 mg phenylephrine hydrochloride (a decongestant), cold and flu tablets, cough syrup, mug after mug of hot lemon juice and honey. It wouldn't hurt if for dinner you had something really spicy- all that capsaicin (and approx 239% vitamin C).

And it works- kind of. The tingle would be gone the next day, but you sort of realise, this thing doesn't give up without a fight. It's been arrested, but it's not dead. The barest of signs linger; a still throaty, stuffed sounding voice, the occasional sniffle.

But it drives home the point- you're mortal. Your efficiency as a human being depends on the state of your body. Health is not wealth, it's life itself. Nothing else matters- I did a few emails, vacuumed, washed whites- was I working or was I not? My mind, stilled probably by all the medication swirling in my body, said it didn't really care and just after noon, I turned off my email notifications and had a blessed nap. 

I turned off stuff, but I'm still here.

Had that blood test today for lipids. if medication works, do you keep on eating the way you do? 

I would make a sizeable batch of adobo- a mix of chicken breasts and thighs cooked in apple cider vinegar and Kikkoman soy-sauce and nothing else,  and would just take portions out for lunches and sometimes, for midnight snacks because why not?

Chini Rae kept me company via her mother's phone

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WATCHING: DR FOSTER

We've all had drama, but we never realise how harrowing emotional upheavals/betrayals are - at least that's what BBC One drama series Dr. Foster wants us to actually picture, or remember. Every drawn breath, surreptitious glance and loaded word has the heft of a metal hammer, the slice of a hidden blade or the surprise firing of a gun at close quarters. But there is barely any physical violence here, none that I've seen so far anyway through three episodes of season two. Beyond the ugly crying and the endless rationalisations, unfaithfulness is about that awful punch to the gut- and that for some of us, the only resolution is punching right back.

A year ago today according to iCloud

Honestly, if I didn't cull my photos, I would literally have a photo for every day of the year. What this means or accomplishes, I have no idea. I have given up trying to understand why I reflexively take a photo of something. Is this the diarist in me, but by photos instead? Possibly.

So a year ago today I was in Auckland city. It wasn't an all-nighter and that I had just seemingly emerged from the Forte bar at 10am- I was just passing through a deserted alley-way on a Sunday morning to get to Queen Street.

Had a browse at Louis Vuitton because why not? High-end shops are the epitome of perfect customer service even if you're not buying anything. The whole point it seems of someone actually interested in explaining to you how an expensive product is made is to show you that what you're paying for is actually worth it.

And apparently I also went to Prada which was even friendlier and more accommodating than Louis Vuitton. 

And this was dinner which was fried camembert and some other stuff.

Sunday's Ultimate Life Tips list

I don't know why the first thing I do in the morning is to reach for my phone as if Im expecting to find something life-changing in it. Like free money? Not. 

Saw this list in the NZ Herald and it made me smile.

1. Use olive oil instead of extra-virgin olive oil when cooking with heat. It has a higher smoke point and is cheaper. Use your nice oil for finishing dishes, not for preparing them.

2. When you break a glass on a hard floor, shine a flashlight parallel to the floor so you can see the shadows of tiny pieces you would otherwise miss.

3. Unless you like soggy wet toast, buy butter/margarine with the highest grams of fat per serving.

4. When ironing clothes, don't start from the front side. Leave the front side to the last to have an excellent finish.

5. When cleaning mirrors or windows and have no window cleaner in hand, use newspaper with water.

6. If you want to avoid pocket dials, move your recent calls icon into a separate folder.

7. Bees hate CO2. If one is bothering you, gently blow on it and it will fly away.

8. Tourist with a camera? Take a picture of your contact details. This would make it easier for someone to get in touch with you if you ever lose your camera.

9. If you are given a prepaid debit card as a gift, save it after you spend the money. You can use it to sign up for free trials online without worry of being scammed.

10. If your printer is out of black ink and you need urgent printout, change the color of the font to #010101, which is 99 per cent grey, it will help you quite a lot.

11. Let someone know you're picking up the tab for a meal after they've ordered. This allows a considerate friend to order what s/he wants freely and also prevents a colleague/acquaintance from taking advantage of your generosity.

12. If your other half can't make a decision about where to eat, play the 5-2-1 game. You give them five restaurants, they pick two, and you pick from those.

13. Whenever you travel abroad bring a new soundtrack for each place you visit, preferably one you have never heard before. In the future, every time you listen to each soundtrack again they will bring you vivid memories of the places you have visited.

14. If Word crashes or shuts down and your document didn't save, search ".asd" in the file Explorer under "This/My PC". It should be there.

15. When you're about to cry, think of words that rhyme or count backwards from 100 in sevens. Engaging the logic part of your brain shifts blood flow away from your emotional centres and helps you maintain your composure.

16. If you are buying headphones/speakers, test them with Bohemian Rhapsody. It has the complete set of highs and lows in instruments and vocals.

17. If you want to "vacuum seal" food, put it in a ziplock bag and submerge it in a bowl of water with the bag open above the water. The water will push the air out of the bag, and you can close it without any left inside.

18. When you sign up for anything online, put the website's name as your middle name. That way when you receive spam/advert emails, you will know who sold your information.

19. If an indoor cat gets outside and lost, put their litter box outside. They can smell it from up to a mile away and find their way home.

20. Learn to read food labels. "Made from 100 per cent ..." is not the same as "Made with 100 per cent ..."

21. If somebody comes to your door selling a home security system and asks if you have one, always say yes. You never know if you're talking to a potential burglar.

22. When walking your dogs, make them sit and wait before crossing streets. This will make them hesitate about running into roads if they ever get loose.

23. If you want to learn a new language, figure out the 100 most frequently used words and start with them. Those words make up about 50 per cent of everyday speech already and should be a very solid basis.

24. Go to the zoo when it is a little cool outside. The animals will be active trying to warm up.

25. Bring a healthy snack to work. If you're looking for a snack but don't feel like eating the one you brought, you're not hungry, you're bored.

26. There is a visible difference between not working out at all and doing 15 pushups every day. Make 15 pushups your new "not working out".

27. If you can hear them but they can't hear you, you're the one with the weak signal.

28. Leave the washing machine lid open after every load of wash to allow moisture to escape and dry it out.

29. If you have a clogged drain use baking soda and vinegar to dissolve the clog and flush with boiling water to avoid buying expensive drain cleaners.

30. After you assemble furniture, use duct tape to attach things like hex keys, that came with the furniture, to the underside. You won't have to look for it when you have to disassemble the furniture.

What's in your fridge?

Filipinos use the word 'ref'. I still almost always say 'ref' but get to remember it in time to change it to 'fridge'. I cleaned out the fridge simply because it was too damned full. I threw out stuff like half-used jars of salsa, pesto, plastic tubs of tomato paste and soft-squeeze Japanese mayo. The weirdest thing I threw out was a five-month old box of organic dates that I meant to use for baking. After the cull, I wiped the shelves down with soapy water. The fridge has four seperate freezer compartments but I'll probably do a cull of that next time.

Funny how your fridge resembles your closet in so many ways:

1. You buy too much and never get to use them all
2. You buy one item and realise you didn't like it after all, but..
3. ..you think it might come in handy so you don't throw it out
4. You think the time will come in when you'll eventually use it and it's there
5. Needs some organising
6. Needs some planning
7. Needs a budget
8. You think it's good for you but it's not

Some more items not in photo but are on the refrigerator shelves on the door:

1. Organic eggs
2. Water
3. A bottle of Moscato
4. Heinz ketchup
5. Coke Zero

Sneakers of the Week: Raf Simons + Adidas Stan Smith →

I have a pair of the regulation plain white Stan Smiths, but would I fork out NZD$ 460.90 for a pair of Raf Simon designed ones?

The editor's notes on Mr Porter describes it as: 

Mr Raf Simons puts his unique stamp on one of adidas' most iconic shoes: the 'Stan Smith'. This collaboration replaces the sneaker brand's signature perforated stripes with the revered Belgian designer's initial, and is made from a premium leather that's polished to a glossy lustre. The heel tabs and tongue are coloured in black, as opposed to the usual green, creating a bold contrast. 

While $NZ 400+ is not outrageous for shoes (I have custom Nikes that cost over NZD$ 380), I would tend to make sure that exclusivity aside, I'm getting something else for my money. You can cross out comfort; Stan Smiths are not the most comfortable of shoes as the leather gets painful on your feet at the end of a long day. And white sneakers are worn because they provide a clean contrast to an outfit. The whole point of them is that they make you look young and subtly casual without drawing attention to themselves. Sure, you get a small thrill when someone recognises a brand you're wearing, but Raf Simons isn't exactly in that level of label recognition even if his work is in so many ways more superior than a whole lot of these brands.

So that leaves you with having to decide what really floats your boat- a standard one, or a designer version that costs 3X as much? I admire Raf Simons (when he was at Dior and more so now that he's putting some much necessary wit to Calvin Klein), but I may have to pass on this one; unless it goes on sale for half the price lol.

I would wear them with:

KENT & CURWEN Checked Wooo-Flannel jacket, NZD$ 2,038

SANDRO Terry appliquéd Loopback cotton-jersey sweatshirt NZD$ 297

ACNE STUDIOS Nalon wool sweater, NZD $471.17

JAMES PERSE Slim-fit stretch cotton poplin cargoes, NZD$ 501