*gush* Right now, I'm listening to local band Imago's fantastic-sounding debut album 'Probably Not, But Most Definitely'. Imago is comprised of four 20-something musicians with varying tastes and influences and has long been a standout in the club scene because of their unique sound which, as manager Candice sums up, "crosses over from world and folk influences to rock bearings." If you live in the Philippines, run to the nearest record store and get yourself a copy -- it'll be worth it, I promise. Here's a bonus, the CD is only P250 a pop (roughly US$5! -- yeah I was surprised myself. I guess Viva Records is bent on promoting original Filipino music, and that's a good thing.)
Oh, but don't overlook ultra-popular rockers sandwich's sophomore album 4-Track Mind which was also released this week by BMG Records. Very powerful music, as always! I'm now in the final phase of revamping their website.
...Incidentally, I designed the packaging for both albums. (:
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Wow, thanks for the link, Erna! Erna happens to be the editor of the hip online art zine MaArte, and is the girflriend of talented web designer Brian. I met her during the launch of The Lost, a book Arnold-baby illustrated.
Friday, June 29, 2001


Whew
Bad, bad Icom. They were down for 24 hours and I was so afraid they shut down on me. I wouldn't have known if Jim hadn't told me (thanks). Anyway it's great to be online again.
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Oooh, Arnold & I discovered this cozy art gallery-antique shop-cafe at the U.P. Bahay ng Alumni called 'Odd Manila'. They carry vinyl albums, vintage clothing, knick-knacks, and lots of other curious thingamabobs, and they have a mini-library where you can lounge and read all you want all day (provided you order from the cafe, I guess). Now, what really caught our attention was the 'White Wall' where artists contribute works based on a given theme. Interesting!
The place is so unassuming you would think it was just an artsy neighbor's sala in the '70's. In fact, it felt home-y all the more since we ran into some U.P. Fine Arts co-alumni who told us they hang out there often. Plus the cafe manager, Rose, was nice enough to let us try her chocolate cake, on the house! Yum.
Yup, we'll be back.
Wednesday, June 27, 2001

...board?
Arnold & I are mababaw when it comes to having fun, and one of our pasttimes is playtesting the board & card games in Comic Quest. Okay...so far the clear winners (judging also from their respective boxes' state of dilapidation) are Upwords (stack-em-up Scrabble), Apples to Apples (a comparison/perception game), and Mind Trap (sort of like 20 Questions). A delightful discovery are the Cheapass Games. True to their name, the games cost from $3 to $7, and you can even get some for free. A basic game set includes a 'rule book' (bond paper with typewritten instructions, folded down the middle), a 'gameboard' (a set of cards that you lay down side by side on a table), a pad of score sheets, and small plastic pawns and die (if necessary). Everything comes packaged neatly in a clear zip-loc bag. Favorites include Space Wars (fight other cars for parking space -- sound familiar?) and Kill Dr. Lucky (a more aggressive Cluedo), but we haven't really gotten around to playing the rest of the titles. Will keep you posted on that.
By the way, my friend Candy just told me that she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Clarissa Jae, last June 7. Gosh, so many friends are either infanticipating or giving birth this year. Incidentally, Candy's best-kept secret is that she was once the vocalist for the group of guys that would eventually become the Eraserheads. Hehe.
Sunday, June 24, 2001

Six degrees in the City
I've been enjoying Cheesedip for weeks so I wrote to tell Lia that I was gonna link up. When she wrote back, she said that our boyfriends are actually pals! (And so they are -- I finally found out who The Boy is, teehee). What a nice surprise. Let's definitely meet up soon, Manila is a small city (:
The concept of six degrees of separation is mind-bogglingly realistic. In case you haven't yet, sign up here, watch your lists grow and see who you're connected to. I haven't looked at my stats in ages, but my claim to fame is that I'm 2 degrees away from Pope John Paul II: my friends Tippi & Ito got married in one of the chapels inside St. Peter's Basilica in 1997 and they were among those who got a blessing from him! (...okay, maybe I'm pushing it)
Friday, June 22, 2001

Ads and Ends
Wow, David Guerrero, my boss in the ad agency I used to work with, just won a Gold Lion at Cannes 2001. Now that is awesome news! I'm not the least bit surprised because he has been changing the face of Philippine Advertising since he moved to Manila from London in 1995. And I had the privilege of working with him ever since. Yup, I owe my successful ad career to the man because he plucked me out of Nowhereville and had the bright idea that I should handle our then company's biggest brand Pepsi. I was dumbfounded because I was but a 23-year-old aspiring art director in the visualizer's pool back then. That was the biggest challenge in my early 20-something life, but winning a Clio shortly after was the biggest reward. Years and several other shiny happy 'rewards' later, I decided that the freelance life was more suited for me. So as my colleagues continue collecting golds, silvers and bronzes, I'll cheer them on from my side of the fence, hand in hand with the greatest reward in my life, my Arnold baby. (:
Wednesday, June 20, 2001

Finally got the chance to do some spring-cleaning in my room, and what did I find? My autographed Menudo poster circa 1985! Uh-huh, a 12-year-old Ricky Martin signed it too! So, do you kids think I should put it up for bidding?
Please help me decide.
Tuesday, June 19, 2001

Spinning from my post yesterday, found this aptly-named source for collectible (and not just commercial) Harry-related merchandise.
Still a bit drowsy from watching the 12-5am HBO Sex and the City marathon with Arnold last night. We really intended to watch only 4 episodes but we ended up finishing the entire thing. Well worth it.
Tuesday, June 18, 2001

Potter-y
One of the movies I'm eagerly awaiting is Harry Potter. I've read all the books -- my Arnold-baby gave me the entire set last year (: -- and I can say that I'm a devoted fan. I just saw the trailer and gosh, seeing the flying owls burst into the screen was enough to send shivers down my spine. Hogwarts looks just like how I imagined it, and they did a pretty good job in the casting too. They're showing the trailer soon in theatres all over Metro Manila, but if you don't wanna miss it, you can catch it here.
By the way, there's another sorting hat in this site. This old Harry fan site put me in Ravenclaw months ago, but hey I'm not complaining (: (lucky Arnold's in Gryffindor).
Monday, June 18, 2001


...schmalternative
Okay, I have so much e-mail backlog that I just saw the announcement for the Zine Con happening (since June 8) at the Surrounded by Water gallery. "A month long event of forums and discussions on zines and underground comics, plus music, crafts, films and food!," the invite says. Wellie-well... Scanning thru the events I was delighted to find out that my twin brother Quark Henares' 'A Date With Jao Mapa' -- starring...Jao Mapa -- is one of the shorts they'll be showing. Arnold and I had the privilege of viewing it on Quarky's giant-screen flat TV last year and it had us in stitches!
To digress, the Con, I suppose, will mostly tackle issues re the underground and DIY culture. Gee, now I wonder how many Filipino kids are into this kind of thing. I admit to liking music by some 'independent' artists, but only because I happen to like the music and certainly not because it's the hip genre to like. There is, however, that extra feeling of respect for them because they don't compromise their principles for marketability, but I still won't give up my mainstream favorites for any reason, mind you. (:
Monday, June 18, 2001

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