A Surprising Fashion Statement in Metro Manila

When the wife and I came back from the US, the temperature in Metro Manila was in the mid-teens (60F). I greatly enjoyed that since I really, really love the cold. (As a matter of fact, I love winter!)

One of the first thing I noticed was there were some people wearing winter hats (or beanie) and scarves. I thought, "well, it is cold for the Metro" so I didn't think much of it then.

But now that it has warmed up, I am still surprised to see people still wearing winter hats, or what's locally called as bonnets, and scarves! In 35C temperatures with a heat index of 40C! (95F and 104F respectively.)

So the thing that entered my mind was, "Why?!?"

I don't know if this is a new fashion statement or what not, but this is certainly mind-boggling to me! I even saw one wearing both a scarf and a beanie but who was sweating profusely. He kept wiping his sweat with his hanky, something that is usually in Filipino's pockets.

It left me wondering why bother wearing those two things if he was so hot! And why not use his scarf to wipe his sweat? It was already drenched anyway.

Another thing, I see men wear beanies while women wear scarves, though there was a time when I saw a man wear both...

The ironic thing is, in my combined 7 and a half years of living in Princeton, New Jersey and Chicago, I, and most people living in those two places, do not even wear these things in early fall and late spring! 

A friend of mine suggested that it may be because of the Korean-novellas (Korean TV soap) that influenced this fashion trend. I can understand people wearing those in Korea where they have winter season, but I still don't get why people wear it here.

And these things are sold everywhere!

Which brings me to another ironic thing... When the wife and I went to San Francisco, CA, we were met with the unpleasant surprise of the cold "summer" days there. Coming from a Chicago heat wave (100F ~ 38C), we thought that San Francisco would also be hot. Hey it was summer then! So, we went there with only a light sweater with us, something that will keep us warm on the plane.

It turned out San Francisco summer is anything but...

We tried to buy a scarf and a beanie but the store clerk said it's not sold that time of year because it's "summer".

"Summer!", I said, "It's in the low-50s outside!" "Yes," the store clerk said, "Summer." (50F is 10C).

So, scarves and beanies are sold in the Philippines where it's in the low- to upper-80's majority of the year, but it's not sold in San Francisco during the summer season even if they only have two summer days in a year! Ok, I exaggerate, they have three summer days (I define summer as temps in the 80s. 80F is 27C)

I am a child of the 80s when big hair, big shoulder pads and loose pants were in vogue. Back then, leg warmers were also very popular among women.

So, are scarves and bonnets today's leg warmers?!?

Photos taken with the Olloclip and my favorite iOS camera app, Hipstamatic:

#TheShyPhotographer at @officialtoycon 2014

All photos taken using the iPhone and edited using the following iOS apps.

Dining in the Philippines

Dining in the Philippines had always been a great experience. You will never want for anything.

But after being away for almost 8 years, I am pleasantly surprised to find that there are now more choices than ever before.

Want Italian? You have several choices. Japanese? Vietnamese? Thai? Yes, yes, yes! And, of course, Chinese food of every level, from the fanciest to the most affordable.

Two things surprised me when the wife and I came back after being away.

One, there are now so many ramen and katsu places whereas, there is only one in Princeton (if I remember correctly) and only one (definitely) in downtown Chicago. And this makes me extremely happy! I love katsu! And katsu can be had for cheap or for something close to $12 US.

How I wish that this is not just a fad: I hope the presence of katsu places persist for a long, long time!

Second, I notice that, with the proliferation of so many food types, which includes Mediterranean food, there is not a lot of Mexican food. I like Mexican food because it affords me to have a high protein diet (ie beans, instead of rice; yes I limit the rice!). For rice substitutes, I eat tofu but I can only eat so much of one kind of food in a given time. So, I wish there will be a proliferation of Mexican food. And no, I don't really consider Taco Bell (healthy) Mexican food... Neither here, nor in the US...

I am happy that three are now more choices and this will prevent me from getting hungry. (Yeah, I already gained a couple of kilograms... Or several pounds if you, dear reader, are into the English system.)

Oh, a final note, almost all restaurants deliver, so you don’t even have to dress up to eat! Just make sure the order taker got your food correctly. And your address and contact number. Otherwise you will be waiting for food that will never come.

Photos taken with my favorite iOS camera app, Hipstamatic:

Flores de Mayo

There was heavy traffic when the wife and I went to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. It turned out that there were Santacruzan for each barangay that we passed through, hence, the heavy traffic. Santacruzan, for those not familiar, is an annual pageant held at the end of May to honor the founding of "the true cross in Jerusalem." It is an event full of pageantry, devotional singing, and of course a lot of spectators. And the parade is done on city and town streets so, if you happen to pass by that street at the time of the parade, then be prepared to spend several hours doing nothing in your vehicle.

These are some of the photos that I took. The wife and I were ensconced inside our bus and, instead of doing nothing, I decided to take some photos.

Traffic aside, we were treated to a great spectacle! At least it made the traffic worth the hassle...

All photos taken with Hipstamatic, an iOS app.

A Weekend at Laiya

The wife and I wanted to squeeze in a weekend getaway before the craziness of the school year starts. One of the advantages if living in the tropics is it's almost always beach season! So, we took a bus ride, a tricycle ride, and walked on the sands of San Juan, Batangas, a province south of Metro Manila.

These are some of my photos all taken with my trusty iPhone 5s. I never even needed my G15!

Filtered photos made with the Hipstamatic App for the iPhone: