beach boulevard

 (first two photos by Kristel Punu, last photo by me)

Walking along the long stretch of the Rizal Boulevard never fails to calm the mind. It also doesn't fail to take away the boredom and the stress and it's true to anyone who's walking around here to the point that I'm envying a ton of the people that have decided to either hold picnics and study periods around the place. Spotting someone with a huge book propped open on one knee and a notebook on the other as he frantically took notes for exams, maybe study notes for a test the next day (and yep, finals is just a couple or so weeks away) made me want to use the place for daytime studies and some writing. Heaven knows I have a ton of papers to write, poems and short stories to examine and yep, tons of individual readings to finish. It's the befitting consequences of someone enrolled in the Literary Studies masters course in university.  

I was hoping to get a garden pizza c/o Mooon Cafe today but then electricity was out and the generator at the place couldn't handle the pizza making process. I was hoping a whole of it would carry me through to dinner time.

It's an old fad (note, the '90s) but I recently got caught by the denim bleaching fever and the shorts here is one of its few victims. There were a few others that didn't escape the bleach not so long ago and I still have a few others to bleach, too. I'm putting those off for the sem break...if I manage to get a break from school anyway. (It's all thanks to the ton of schoolwork I have to finish, I figure I am not going to get any sleep tonight as I try to finish a paper or two.)

Jasminkka is a fashion blogger that recently caught my attention. She can apparently wear prints like no other. I like to think prints aren't exactly my strong suit save perhaps the flower prints, ugly or not whatsoever. I hardly have anything with prints in my current closet, to be honest. I'll think about getting a few things there some time.

Never meant to flash anyone with the top but I got this at an XL hoping it could pass for a dress or that it would be comfortably loose. It achieved the latter but I can never seem to go out in it without anything to put over it which is why the thrifted cardigan was brought out despite the searing heat.
   

Shorts, DIY Gap cutoffs; netted jacket/coat, vintage; ankle boots, forever21; top, Never Been Kissed at Robinsons Department Store; bag, vintage

NYFW spring 2013 RTW favorites part 1

 Rag and Bone

 BCBG Max Azria 

 3.1 Phillip Lim

Diesel Black Gold

 1. layers at Rag and Bone SS 2013; 2. laces, harnesses and bursts of color at BCBG Max Azria SS 2013; 3. Sheer plaids, flower prints, patch work, crochet and vests, jackets at 3.1 Phillip Lim SS 2013; and 4. black and white at Diesel Black Gold SS 2013

Inspiring stuff going on at NYFW SS 2013. 

(collages by me, photos from style.com)

university event diary: the dance of two left feet

Went to see the indie movie, "Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa" (English trans. The Dance of Two Left Feet) last night with a friend. Jean Garcia, at some point of the movie, in that black dress reminded me of Natalie Portman in the Black Swan somehow. Now, it may have started as a requirement for class with my Philippine Literature 31 teacher but it turned out to be an insightful and fun night of Filipino indie flick watching and discussion---there was an open forum by the end of the movie my dorm mate and I stayed in until the event was concluded and the night in Luce Auditorium came to a close---with some known people in the indie film industry and a literature teacher in the English Department of the university. Drinking (of non-alcoholic beverages) in the nearby Mooon Cafe followed. 

Beyond the knee-length flowery bohemian dress from Thailand, I thought, was appropriate for the occasion and the only vintage clutch I brought with me from back home put to good use too. 

My only black socks I brought with me from home only had one of a pair left so my shoes+socks = ankle boots experiment failed and I ended up using the ankle-high stockings instead. I wonder if anyone noticed. It was night time anyway. And yes, the vintage evening clutch is Chanel.'

I haven't had anything alcoholic in excess since my late college years so instead of anything with alcohol, I ended up with Mooon's "stress relieving" smoothie. I should probably try the green tea my dorm mate had next. I'm a huge fan of green tea.

We capped the night off with a mandatory late evening walk back and fourth the boulevard and then were back in the dormitory before 12 midnight, minutes before the dormitory curfew. My roomie was also in the auditorium with a classmate but she never made it home last night. 

Photos by me and Kristel Punu

I'm currently going to give the turmeric tea a try. I got it from Cang's and then contemplate going elsewhere today. I'll be reading the rest of the day in and then writing my reaction paper and report for next week. It's a Sunday, it's supposed to be a break but I've already had enough of a break yesternight. 

I'm proud of the central Visayans and specks of Mindanaoans in the auditorium, btw. When the audience was asked who they liked between Marlon and Dennis, most said Dennis. I thought Rocco Nacino in the movie was exceptional in his role as well. And...should I dare say, cute and convincing, too. The movie is basically a subtle touch to boys' love. Since it's an indie flick, it is artistic in cinematography and style laced with poetry given Jean Garcia's character in the story is both a dancer and a Philippine literature teacher. It's very different from the more pronounced boys' love in some radical form of the shounen ai manga genre in Japan. It's definitely an indie flick worth watching as the end leaves a ton for the mind to ponder on. The flick's ending note was open to interpretation. This, of course, was what prompted discussions between me and the dorm mate, movie-watching companion.

impromptu shoot on an errand run

 

 (photos by Kristel Punu)

Had a full day today running errands from one bank to another. The dorm mate and I went by the Research Development Center office and passed by this beauty of a site which then prompted an impromptu shoot. Such a place exists in Silliman University, yes and we didn't mind that there were students sitting around the benches on some parts of the place. I walk by here a ton of times when I go by the main gate to the Katipunan Hall. 

tshirt, Hollister; shorts in faux leather, What a Girl Wants; shoes, Primadonna; bag, vintage; cap, random

shoe addiction

(my photos)

Say 'hello' to the current state of my mini shoe collection in Dumaguete. Black and white is a recurring theme except for the pop of silver and deep purple. I've never been assertive on non-neutral colors when it comes to shoes. Probably never will be, even. 

Flatforms from Mags are entirely a not-so-recent acquisition. Got them at half the original selling price a few days before I left for home during the long break from school. Mags had recently opened here last year. I remember going into their old store venue somewhere in Divisoria in Cagayan de Oro with a girl friend from my early years in college. They've expanded exponentially in terms of branches now and I'm glad they reached Dumaguete City (and even Metro Manila) now. They're my current go-to for shoes along with Rusty Lopez while I'm here in Dumaguete seeing as there is a serious lack of a branch of Primadonna and Parisian c/o SM Department store here. Going to SM in Cebu for a quick look at what shoes they have is not an option seeing as I'm eternally stuck here at the moment with schoolwork and all. I'm not fond of a ton of things from Mags but they have decent footwear offerings and some dresses I like. It's nice to know a bit of home followed me to where I am today. Mags actually had its early beginnings in my home city hence the brief mention of the small store they had that I frequently visited in the past. SM Cagayan de Oro and Lim Ketkai branches of Mags has, since then, become even more classier from their humble beginnings. Information on Mags can be found in their site here and their rarely accessed and updated Twitter here.

Shoes will always be my addiction it seems. It overrides anything else I obsess with minus fandom where it's mostly a momentary obsessions zone from one fandom thing to another.

Ah, it's time to get productive. There are a ton of things to finish today. My to-do list is full to the brim. Class begins again tomorrow and I have readings to finish. State of life is eternally chaotic with literary papers to start and finish, reports to deliver and all things like them. All I've really done most of yesterday and today is gawk at things on ebay. I'm currently adding a ton of non-fiction books to the watchlist thinking about when I can get most of the things---books and everything else---in that said list.     

looking back on LiveJournal

Pulling out some old stuff from my LJ. I loved it there until I decided to pull the plug on the thing since it drove me crazy with spam messages and what not. This post never came to me until I looked into old LJ posts and then looked into old posts from my eternal favorite blogger. You already know who that is. Haha.

Friday two or three weeks ago around Silliman University campus with the Hibalag festival going on in the field may or may not have caused this shoot. This was the night before I left for home, Cagayan de Oro City, through the Dipolog bus route. Kristel, a dorm mate and fellow random stuff enthusiast, and I concocted this one somehow. She's also a fan of photography apparently. Glad to find a kindred soul this semester in the dormitory. She has been my lunch and dinner companion, walking around town buddy and soon will be my jogging partner along with another dorm mate who also happens to be new. Life in Krosskat Dormitory has just become interesting.

On a side note, I left this denim shirt at home and bought myself another from my current favorite thrift store in Dumaguete City. Now I have two of them and are likely to acquire a few more if I find more of things like them around. Soft denim in the perfect oversized fit happens to also be one of my addictions.

Bo's cafe about a year ago with Jan Michelle (JM Dumlao) and Mimi. JM documents for me when I'm back home and it's always good to be back home. Now I'm missing Bo's by Rosario Arcade. I hardly buy coffee out these days unless and at the rarest times, they're iced from either McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts and brewed and hot from McDonald's. Most of the time, I just obsess on Kopiko in the dorm or at home. I find it more potent than Nescafe which I happen to be immune to already.

There was a time when self-shots were called for and this was it. The dress here got shortened a few months later. One of my favorites from before until now although I can't seem to wear it out anymore without any shorts or some tights. It didn't really need shortening and I was an idiot for customizing it that way.

Seeing those boots a couple times in this post makes  me want to bring them out again and wear them with or without people staring me head to toe. Not a lot of people here are into outrageous footwear like I seem to be into. I'll figure out a way to incorporate this one into my traveling gear so I'd have to swap it from time to time with the overused and overly beaten ankle boots I got awhile back from Forever 21 Cebu.

Hanging out at home could lead to more outfit photoshoots and this was what Candice and I did when we were in my home. Yes, I have an eternal obsession with ankle boots, shorts and oversized shirts. Vintage belts and other such accessories included. You can only imagine what my closet and room looks like back home.

Plaid shirt from Forever 21 bought online that came with a really cute fringed tunic top had not seen the sun since I've been leaving it at home thinking I could survive Dumaguete City with minimal functional clothes. It's still one of my favorites. It's already a staple considering it's overuse. Acquired something like it in a different color from a thrift shop near McDonald's Dumaguete that stole my heart away. Photo on top was shot by JM, below is a self-shot.
 

I can't seem to stop bringing back home things I consider fun when I'm somewhere else. It includes the wolf headgear pictured here. There's a bear headgear too, lying in my closet at home. Baguio has a lot of these things. Too bad I'm not into anything else quirky like Spongebob Squarepants because they really had even that there.

A ton of things ensue when girls get together in a house party. This one came from the November Halloween-themed birthday party we had for those of us who had birthdays in the said month. This perhaps was the first time this 15 Php flowery vintage Rampage number from the weekend-ly night market had seen light of day. Some people on Chictopia commented this made me look like a fairy. I was shooting for a wood or flower nymph but I guess with the right wings, I'd easily morph into a fairy here. The second time this dress had been brought out was on my mom and dad's second wedding. They renewed their wedding vows last May 8. Received a ton of compliments from people who attended the event and liked the dress but they only seemed to notice what was wrong with it when I pointed at the eternally present light stain in it's front. For the occasion, the internal shoulder pads were really annoying so I ripped it out gently, utilizing a pair of scissors and it worked to give me the proper draping fit. This couple of photos were shot by JM. This one comes last because come October, semester break for most of us girl still stuck in the academe, we're getting together again to celebrate a ton of things, birthdays being only one of them. This time, Masquerade is the theme. It's going to be a ton of fun figuring out what kind of photos we'll come up with that time.

***

Most of my clothes come from thrift stores and I find that looking into thrift stores or ukay-ukays (it's the local term for vintage/second hand stuff on sale) here is teaching me a thing or two about personal style---figuring out exactly what goes on in my individual style. I do have some new things on my closets (because there's one in Cagayan and there's another here with me in Dumaguete) but most times, I find myself wearing vintage. There's just nothing like them around. I like to think my personal wardrobe is a home for the rejected or the ignored. Not a lot of people buy the things I find I like in thrift shops and the weekend-ly night markets---the local version for flea markets that operate at night. I often end up giving the ignored lovely pieces a home in my closet.

A bonus because this one was supposed to go on the shop I used to have in Multiply.

 

Some thought the denim shirt was separate from the skirt. It's in my favorite color and came with the dress above it at 15 Php, too. In this typical tropical Philippine-heat, I'd wear it out with sleeves rolled up to the elbows or the arms. I'm currently contemplating cutting off the sleeves to an acceptable length but I probably won't dare try destroying this one. It's already perfect. RIP vintage ankle boots. The sole of one of it came loose. It needs nailing but I doubt I can do it any moment here in the dorm.

Top photo by Kristel Punu, the rest are a mix of JM's, Candice's and mine. 

And before I officially end this, Kristel and I have found some good places around here to shoot in so here's to more outfit posts soon. 

I'm so sorry to a ton of Jpop/rock-culture fan folks I've been letting down on LJ and here recently. I'll get stuff up on that here soon. It's been a very busy semester catching up to readings and reaction papers and a few others recently. It doesn't help that midterms has just passed and school work seems to be accumulating. I haven't the time to catch up to a ton of things on Japanese TV. I'd really like to make some progress with Kamen Rider Fourze and check on some good Japanese dramas airing this season but time is limited. I'll be using most of it for catch up reading.

currently

 (my photos)

 1. Guava Jelly from Kablon Farms and Skyflakes Fit; 2. iPad and Nikes :); 3. snow white animal print seriously comfy lounge/sleep wear I tend to bring out as a dress at times; 4. Amuse's stage actor/gen. actor Mizuta Kouki ringing in September :D (because he might be lonely at home and unused, I brought him along to Dumaguete City XD)

Listing down an electronic kettle as a need this month. I can't survive without one seeing as I need my coffee in the afternoons or the mornings. It's so hard to keep myself awake without any coffee, at all. I can't even concentrate on my readings. Currently reading Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth with Saeki Yusuke playing in the background. Perfect Sunday afternoon spent on academic and leisure readings, coffee and easy-going Jpop music.

Last night, two dorm mates and I got together for dinner and a long walk from the famed Rizal Boulevard to the dorm and from the dorm to Silliman Beach which had people hanging out, drinking themselves merry and drunk. We headed there just for random chatter and well, looking into the sea and sky which was lovely when the full moon came out. It was a cloudy night. There was talk of pirates, their ships, ghosts, monsters from local lore and psychopaths (thanks to one of my companions during the long walk having had studied Psychology---abnormal psychologically specifically, before shifting to Biology here) which was pretty typical us, weird thoughts, weird topics for chatter. Mostly fantastical because, I suppose, at least 2/3rds of the three of us are typical dreamers. We also talked of birthdays. I ended up dreading how I would celebrate my 25th this year with new-found friends. I'm currently thinking a birthday cake and organic wine is mandatory. I'm celebrating it twice. Once with friends here, then a second time with bffs back home with Masquerade as a theme.   

And yep, I've been around Dumaguete City since Thursday. Now going back to regular Literature Studies life. I'm off to finish some reading in my lonesome self in the dorm room my room mate just momentarily vacated. 

Also about the 7.9 earthquake around Eastern Samar last Friday...a ripple of it was felt around Dumaguete City and neighboring Visayas islands. It went even as far as Manila and my home city, Cagayan de Oro although true to the ripple effect, the earthquake felt in those areas were weaker as the ones felt around Eastern Samar's neighboring islands. Since living a large fraction of the past couple of years in Dumaguete, I don't remember a year devoid of strong earthquakes anymore. Last year, there was one around the same time with the epicenter around La Libertad and Guihulngan causing the destruction of some infrastructures. It's becoming worrisome how earthquakes have been growing stronger and occurring more frequently now.