Mantakin Mong May Binebenta Pa Palang Slumbook!

Wala na atang pinaka-swak pang pwedeng i-feature ko sa site ko ngayong Agosto, Buwan ng Wika, liban dito sa pinaka-kwela at mainit-init pang bagong produkto mula sa mga gumawa ng “Not The Planner 2010.” Alam nyo to, wag nyo ng i-deny pa. Dahil sa mga to kung bat tayo napasma nung mga bata pa tayo. Ito ay pinamagatang “akala mo lang wala nang slumbook pero meron, Meron, MERON!” Title pa lang, patok na patok na!

Dati-rati, ‘kala ko Pinoy ang may pasimuno ng mga slumbook. Sa US pala meron din nito pero slam book sya kung tawagin. Kajologan lang na biglang slumbook na sya sa colloquial. Taragais na ‘yan. Para sa mga hindi alam kung ano ito, dahil malay ko ba kung sing sira-ulo pa rin gaya naming Gen-Xers ang mga kabataan ngayon, ang tinatawag na slumbook ay usually isang notebook kung saan nakasulat ang mga imbentong tanong ng mayari nito na ginawa para pasulatan sa kanyang mga natatanging kaibigan. Andyan yung usual na Name, Address, Motto, Favorite Color, at mga kagaya pang “blanks.”

Kung marami kang slumbook na nasulatan noon, sikat ka. Kung marami kang napilit na sikat sa school mo na sumulat sa slumbook mo, mas sikat ka. Kung naka-yeba-yeba mo ang marami sa mga nauto mong sumulat sa slumbook mo sa murang mong edad na highschool, makati at pokpok kang haliparot ka nung bata ka pa. Ganun lang ka-simple yun.

Mapa-lalaki o babae dati ay may mga slumbook. Yung mga mayayaman, bumibili lang yan ng ready made at hard-bound na journals na magaganda ang design ng cover. Slumbook pa lang, may imaginary socio-economic divide na dati. Imaginary in a sense lang naman kasi wala namang mga matapobre sa school namin noon. Ang swerte ko nga eh. Yung mga naghihikahos naman sa buhay, yung notebook nila sa PE na wala namang nasusulat buong taon ang usually nacoconvert bigla para maging slumbook. Tinitiyaga lang nila itong sulatan ng mga katanungan, nilalagyan ng papel na overlay ang itsura ng mga artistang tulad nina Romnick at Sheryll as cover, tatahiin ang spine, at PRESTO! Instant slumbook!

Ang kina-iba siguro ng “akala mo lang wala nang slumbook pero meron, Meron, MERON!” slumbook na ito dun sa mga dati na nating nabili o nagawa ay mas bebenta to sa generation natin ngayon. Gawa itong Pinoy para sa Pinoy. Marami sa mga katanungan at blanks dyan ay nakasulat o may Filipino captions. Titigilan ko na pagsulat kasi alam kong dumudugo na ilong nyo kababasa nito.

On with the photos! Yung description ng specs, how to order, website, at FAQs ilalagay ko na lang pagkatapos nitong mga pics.

Maganda ang material ng slumbook. OK rin sa binding. Makakapal ang papel at alam mong de-kalidad. P200.00 lang sya. Mahal sya para sa kabataang nag-aaral pa lang pero sisiw na sisiw sa mga tanders na may mga trabaho na’t gustong gunitain ang days of our lives nung tayo’t mga virgin pang lahat.

Eto ang iba pang details na marahil gusto mong malaman tungkol sa “Akala mo lang wala nang slumbook, pero meron, Meron, MERON!” Notebook/Slumbook:

Size: 6in x 6in
Thickness: 1in
Cover: Chipboard covered with Red Cloth with black stamping
Paper: Bookpaper 60
Leaves: 123 leaves (246 pages)
Print: 90 pages 1 –color print
Price: PHP200 only.

Slumbook: 20 friends can sign!
Notebook: There are 90 leaves of notebook!

Website: Witty Will Save The World, Co.’s multiply page
Facebook page: Witty Will Save The World, Co.
More photos from the makers: please click here. (kung ako sayo, wag mo i-clock para may suspense ka pag natanggap mo ang bibilhin mong slumbook. Payong kaibigan lang, mamser)
FAQs on the slumbook and how to order: please go here.
Transact via text or email: through text 0906-4652191 or email wittywillsavetheworld at gmail dot com.

Na-excite ka ba? Aminin mo na! Give in! Uuuuuy, magte-text na yan! LOL. Sa mga utak sa likod ng Witty Will Save The World Co., galeng ‘nyo!

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Robinsons Place Manila Midtown Wing Stores (Part 2 of 2)

Not to be misconstued as a norm, taking photos inside store premises is almost always not allowed. The photos featured in both Parts 1 and 2 of my “Great Finds from Robinsons Place Manila Midtown Wing Stores” posts were taken with a special arrangement from the management of Robinsons Malls and participating featured brand name stores.

The hunt continues. The next three stores in our line-up are an interesting mix: 7 For All Mankind, TopMan, and Florsheim.

7 For All Mankind. 7 For All Mankind proves to have the priciest articles of the stores we got to visit Sunday. Some people have the propensity to go for the brands they trust while others with what works plus gut feel, depending on the look they’re going for. Some others, however, go for status associated with the brands. With owning premium articles comes the luxury of being adorned by someting onlookers might swoon over not necessarily because it compliments the proud owner but also because of the cult status the brand manufacturer has managed to achieve. Well known brands speak for themselves. Well known PREMIUM brands might as well shout loud and proud and you don’t even have to do anything more than wear them.

While going through 7 For All Mankind’s clothes, we chose the Java Jacket because of these details: zipper front with buttons, fine corduroy fabric, rich brown color, slim cut, and the subtle leather detail on the right above the cuffs that compliments the overall look quite well. For 7 For All Mankind to pull that off without shouting redneck or ukay was a big plus. We had that on a long sleeved white polo and washed dark jeans. For the second set, we chose the hooded striped jacket because of its material (perfect for casual wear in the tropics because it is not too thick) and faded washed jeans.

Java Jacket PHP20,998, Dark Blue washed jeans PHP10,498, White Long Sleeved Polo PHP7,498, Faded Washed jeans PHP10,998, Jacket Hoodie PHP9,498

TopMan. Have you seen that music vid where all the members of a KPOP boy group all had faded jeans and jackets on? When I first did, I went “stab me now, please, if that’s going to make a comeback.” When I heard that animal prints are being worn by men on magazines, I went, “Give me those denims STAT. I’d rather those than be caught dead with these!” mahahahaha! It’s may be a common conception that TopMan clothes are made for the metrosexual and gay man because of the cut: skinny jeans, plain flat canvas sneakers, slim fitting shirts, and slimmer fitting jackets. Even the ties they sell are slim. No, super slim.

Looking around the store, seeing that they have different cuts and fit for both jeans and shirts, observing the shirt design and patterns, and having the two shirts I bought from TopMan before as basis, we can safely say that this allegation is not entirely true. Just get clothes that are not too tight fitting like those straight cut jeans and comfortable fitting shirts and jackets. It’s the person wearing and not the clothes that make the man, after all.

Another great thing about TopMan is the material of their shirts. They’re comfortable and the cut and design are current.

Having said that, Josh hand picked one statement shirt for the shot while I gave him a denim jacket. They say silver will highlight just about any color and those grey jeans did just that. Next is a zip up black jacket with a rockstar vibe about it. Can’t get a better shot of the full frame since we can only shoot inside the fitting room. Still, it’s all good. A fitting room’s actually a good place to shoot because they’re always well lit.

Statement shirt PHP1,295, Grey Jean Jacket PHP3,195, Light Washed Jeans PHP2,495. Black jacket is PHP3,195 (shades, photographer’s own).

Florsheim. Men’s leather shoes are much more expensive than women’s because we commonly seldom buy more of one kind for a particular purpose. One formal shoes, one rubber soled shoes, a sneaker, and sandals or flip flops and we’re a happy camper. It was fascinating to find these in Florsheim. The formal brown shoes, in particular, I would have definitely gotten if only I didn’t have brown formal shoes yet. They’re like clouds on my feet. Yes, MY because those are my feet you’re looking at right there. Horray!

Casual Shoes (Black, 65073-101) PHP6,890. Formal Shoes (Brown, 65068-102) PHP7,190.

That’s it! Thanks Robonsons Place Manila for letting us have the ultimate window shopper’s experience with the stores at your Midtown Wing. Until next time!

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Great Finds from Robinsons Place Manila Midtown Wing Stores (Part 1 of 2)

Robinsons Place Manila’s Midtown Wing, the latest addition to the mall and the zone where you can find shops of popular brand name apparel, invited 10 hand-picked individuals with impeccable taste in clothes (ha!) for a chance of a lifetime: scour the area for great fashion finds with the license to shoot anything we find interesting point blank (with a camera, of course, silly LOL). To help us with the challenge, we were told to bring with us one avid reader of our blogs. Since we’re doing clothes, I thought, “hmmm, I’ll need a male model.” Long story short, Josh Collins came to the rescue! He has the height, build, look, and the moves that’ll give those clothes justice.

We weren’t required to do a fashion shoot with props, lights setup, make-up, hair, and stylists with us but the chance to shoot the latest clothes from all those brand name merchandise was too perfect for this “idea” I once floated on plurk (the details are still to be finalized but it’s a big photographer-model-designer collaboration that’s sure to be a hit!). Five stores in three hours. Enough time for a field day at the mall! In this post, I’ll be featuring Salsa and Girbaud. In Part II, I’ll show you stuff from 7 for all Mankind, Top Man, and Florsheim. We were limited to stores from the Midtown Wing which didn’t feel limiting at all. That place was long, spanning three floors. They even have free WiFi!

Girbaud. Girbaud’s very friendly and accommodating store personnel were telling us things like, “You’re not going to shoot items for women? OK, here are our latest items for men.” And I was like, “do you still have that bag that turns into a jacket? Really? GREAT! Is that still from the latest collection? COOL! I’ll need two: one that’s opened up as a jacket and one that’s still in bag form. I don’t want that color jeans because those will get muted by the jacket at this kind of light. Give me faded and washed ones please. Also, we’ll be needing shoes. And a wallet.” Spoken like a veteran, I know LOL. Aaaaaaaaaaaand this is how the articles looked on Josh.

The jacket is called Music Head. It’s features the WearABag design that I first saw on the net sometime in May 2010 that I’ve wondered how it looked up close since. The design looks well put together and the material felt comfortable worn. So those are two Music Head articles Josh is wearing, the jacket and the bag. They retail for P6,500 a pop. The jeans are called Snaker, priced at P12,650. The shoes, not in the photos, are Externes, P1,990, and the Thor wallet goes for P1,300. In the next photo, Josh does a hand stand (look at it sideways and you’ll see).

Next up, Salsa. Honestly, I have never heard of Salsa before Sunday so I had to look them up on the Internet the night before for an idea. The store personnel were just a friendly as those in Girbaud, always assisting and answering our inquiries with a smile. Salsa we’ve been told has three different lines of clothes: there’s the “1st Level” or the premium collection, “Collection” or the line that changes every season, and the “Basic” which is more like a classic collection that never goes away nor changes. They have belts, shoes, jeans, and shirts. It’s a unisex brand but we only focused on things that we guys can wear. Cuts and washes of the clothes are current and the details really make it look premium, justifying the price. When we were there, they even had some items at 50% off.

Second photo: “1st Level” T-Shirt (from P3,808.50, now on sale at P2,665.95). Third Photo: “1st Level” Jeans (from P9,902.00, now on sale at P7,921.60). Fourth photo: “Collection” Polo (from P3,428, now P1,714.00). Fifth photo: “Collection” Shoes (from P6,903.50, now on sale at P3,046.75). Of all the things here, I liked those shoes best.

OK ba? That’s it for Part I. Watch out for Part II of this post.

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Rainy Day Tip: Saving Your Wet Leather Shoes

Other that tearing a door knob down and that Photoshop tutorial, I’ve something else up my sleeve. This age old tip is quite timely, too, for the rainy days. I’ll share with you steps on how to save your rain soaked leather shoes and I’ll show them to you with institutional lighting lit visuals. The header pic shows how this pair looked back in the day.

If your shoes have leather soles, get them off the fridge coils after around 12 hours to prevent them from deforming. The best thing about stuffing them shoes with paper preserves its form versus just drying them out plain.

Text on the images are reproduced below if they’re too small to read:

So my leather shoes got drenched from the rain a while ago. In this post, I’ll let you in on the “first aid” that can potentially save your pair from imminent death. The process is fairly simple, really, but you’ll have to act fast. Do this as you get home or say goodbye to thousands of pesos spent on quality footwear. Also, finding a perfect pair can be a bitch, yes? Do I have your attention now? Good. Now get a Sunday edition newspaper and we’ll get you started.

Tear off about an eighth of a broad sheet and stuff it into the tip of your shoe (if it’s a pointy as mine. Have it sized bigger as needed). Be sure to pack it in. You will want to get as much paper in there as possible. Then tear some more paper and stuff that shoe, leaving nothing between each layer by jamming everything in. This process (1) will facilitate the efficient transfer of water from the leather to the paper and (2) prevent mildew from forming on the damp inner sole and hide.

Remember to pack that paper in with your hands. Nothing can be as yucky as your feet now so having your hands in those shoes for just a few minutes won’t hurt. Won’t hurt as much as the cost you’ll have to spend buying a new pair if you don’t. Just take a shower as soon as you’re done. You’re doing a splendid job!

Don’t let that face stop you from stuffing. Not now! The shoes need saving! Show no remorse!

Pack it to the brim. Feel the sides of the shoe from the outside. If it feels “tender” in some parts, you know what to do… stuff it some more! Very good!

There’s a fairly good reason why that “Job Finder” page was left unscathed. It will do more good to you in that state than crumpled. Just in case…

… uhm, moving on…

Do the same with the other shoe. Do not use the glossy magazine style pages. They’re not as absorbent as the non-glossy recycled paper. The “Job Finder” page and the glossy magazine are all that’s left of the Sunday paper. WHODATHUNK THAT?! Now, you’ve one thing left to do…

If your refrigerator has those heat emitting coils on the back side, hang your shoes by the sole on them. The soles should touch the coils like so. If you don’t have ‘em coils, have the shoes air dried with an electric fan, instead.

Take the paper out after 24 hours. If the insides still feel damp, let it dry in front of an electric fan at low.

You shall have fully resuscitated them shoes after this round (after 48 hours, max).

Before wearing, get some baking soda and put some inside the shoes. It has the magical powers to remove the smell. Repeat as needed.

Shine, buff, and wear.

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Sexy, Sleek, and Feature-Packed: Canon IXUS 300 HS

The day I got the Canon IXUS 300 HS for a test drive, I brought it to the wall climbing gym and showed it around. That same night, long-time wall climbing monster buddy, Eloisa, said she can’t get it out of her mind. Can’t blame her. I mean, who can? The test unit is sleek, feels sturdy, definitely a looker, and it’s a shiny bright red. Ferrari red, I must say. Come to think of it, the contour of this camera reminds me of a well designed sports car exterior. Hot and fancy.

I skimmed through the cam specs and found these notable:

• f/2.0, 28mm, 3.8x lens with IS
• 240 fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode
• HD 720p movie recording (1280×720)
• ISO Sensitivity up to 3200
• 3.7 shots/sec at 10MP or 8.4 shots/sec at 2.5MP

Click here for a full list of specs and features

I have to warn you that what you are about to see could well be the best photos of the IXUS 300 HS on the Internet at this time and I wish I was kidding. For your safety, after the photos are links to the more trusted tech review sites on the web for a more in-depth say on this camera.

As I’ve mentioned, the f/2.0 on this camera got me interested. It gives the user a faster lens and the capacity to compose dramatic portraits and macro with noticeable depth of field to play with.

Now, I’ll spin around the cam for your viewing pleasure.

The last image above shows the battery and the SD/SDHC card slots. Below, you’ll notice the minimalist back-side of the cam with a “wheel” that you can use to navigate around the menu and saved images. The screen, I noticed, is a marvel to look at even under direct sunlight.

To compare, I fished out my Lumix ZS3 and positioned it along side the IXUS 300 HS, both 10 megapixel snappers (only, the ZS3 has 12x optical zoom while the 300 HS has 3.8x).

HS stands for “High Speed”. High Speed because the IXUS 300 HS boasts having a 240 fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode feature. I never knew about this during the test so I searched youtube for a sample vid and found… holy sh*t I must try this out for myself!!! It’s like watching a footage of somebody moving at zero gravity!!!

And here’s another:

Yes, it delivered on the Slow Motion but something in the quality of the video doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s the low light or just that in order to deliver on the 240 fps, the video had to be sized small. Like QVGA small, it seems.

From the camera review gurus’ perspective, below are ratings given by more notable gadget review sites on the net:

• CNET Asia: 7.8 (out of 10)
• Trusted Reviews: 8 (out of 10)
• Photo Review Australia: 8.5 (out of 10)
• Photo Radar: 4 (out of 5)
• Wired UK: 7 (out of 10)

For users who are after camera features housed in a thing of beauty, then this one’s for you. At PHP24,950 SRP, however, the budget conscious may have second thoughts. The IXUS has for years been beefed up as the most compact and stylishly sleek line of Canon cameras. It came to no surprise that after ten years, they’ve still got game. The IXUS 300 HS comes in matte black, gloss white, and high gloss red. The gloss white model reminds me of Storm Troopers. Just saying.

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Four New Fragrances from Benetton’s Colori 2010 Collection

Last time I knew of, or smelt, a Benetton fragrance was during the Hot and Cold fragrance era, those that came in rectangular bottles with screw caps that look like faucets. During the week, Benetton launched four new EDTs (eau de toilette) for their Colori 2010 line up: Verde, Rosso, Giallo, and Blu, all for the budget friendly price of P1,350.00 per 100 mL bottle and available at SM Department Stores nationwide. This coming from somebody who won’t get out of the house without spraying something on, I’d stake my rep to say that the hifalutin descriptions of the top, mid, and base notes for each variant in the press material really translates to fresh, uncommon, pleasant, and lasting scents that quite a huge age group range would love to be caught wearing.

Verde (Green) and Blu (Blue) are the colors guys could choose from and there are the Giallo (Yellow) and Rosso (Red) variants for the ladies. It’s curious to find words printed at the back of the ETD box representing different ideas or things we would normally associate with each of the colors. Kept me busy reading some for a while there. Moving on, on intuition but owing to the citrusy top note (as attributed by lemon and lavender infusions, I only later on found out), I got the Blu variant. Luckily, as I’ve worn it two days in a row already, Blu’s base note (white cedarwood, patchouli, cocoa bean) is a fresh, lingering scent with an unmistakable masculine character, subtle enough for daily wear. I’m glad I brought the bottle yesterday for after wall climbing, after shower use.

The colors, we’ve been told, reinforce the notion that “Benetton is color: color celebrating the diversity of the world, color speaking to every culture, color as a universal means of communication. Like color, fragrance is a universal language, communicating through intuition, emotion, and evocation. Color and fragrance come together in a collection of scents inspired by Benetton’s legacy – a legacy of creativity, universality, and youthfulness, with color at its heart.”

Want a bottle for FREE? The United Colors of Benetton Perfumes Philippines facebook page just announced something special for those watching the UAAP: “It’s your CHANCE TO WIN A BOTTLE OF COLORI PERFUME by United Colors of Benetton! IT’S EASY! TAKE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF & UP TO 3 OF YOUR FRIENDS WITH THE ROLLTEC during UAAP Season 73 basketball game! Just POST YOUR PICTURE in OUR FB WALL! You and your friends will get free COLORI PERFUMES!” Like them for more updates on contests like this, upload those photos, and get a change to win a free bottle of your choice. Easy like Paris as pie!

Below are more images from the launch.

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Happy 7th Anniversary, UNO Magazine!

“Whoa, Sarah Meier!” Month on month, I’d catch myself blurting out exclamations of praise for one thing that’s always been consistent during the past year. “OMG, is that Cindy Kurleto?!” Although they’ve been in the business for 7 years, last year’s revamp was a welcome change to the look, feel, and content of UNO Magazine with RJ Ledesma as EIC. “ORNUSAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Six gorgeous ladies, all of them blessed with extraordinary abilities and beauty, all of whom have at least once graced the cover of UNO, partied with guests during the magazine’s 7th Anniversary celebration. Amanda Griffin (October 2007), Karen Pamintuan (March 2009), Aiza Marquez (July 2007), Chesca Garcia-Kramer (April 2005), Ellen Adarna (March 2008), Sarah Gaugler (December 2009) all looked like visions of elegance from the 30s down to the classic hair style. To better show an era devoid of color photography, I took shots in monochrome. Huzzah!

Before the portraits, if you don’t know who the next model is for the July 2010 UNO, head over to the UNO Magazine website and be prepared to say “AUBREY MILES!!!” while crying happy tears. Congratulations to Team UNO! I take your dispatches to heart, being a discerning man myself.

Do hover your cursor on the images for the caption.

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