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Showing posts from 2011

7 Famous people who are also half-something

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(Guest post by Brooke Stafford) Here at halfwhiteboy , there are no qualms about what race your are, or in some cases what races you are. Because the United States alone is such a melting pot, there are many races blending together making for interesting people. To that end, we thought it would be a good time to list some of the more famous people who came from differently raced parents. 1. Barack Obama – The first black president of the U.S. definitely makes the top of the list for his historic place in America's progress. However, simply referring to him as “black” is inaccurate. He is the son of a Kenyan father and a white American mother. Another interesting fact about the 44th president is that he is actually Barack Obama, Jr., as his father is considered Barack Obama, Sr. 2. Booker T. Washington – No, not the wrestler. This historic figure proves that mixed race in America is not a new thing. He was born in 1856 to a black enslaved mother and a white farmer who

Couldn't resist a green bag

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I was really restraining myself yesterday while waiting for My Bibe getting her hair done. I went in and out of several stores and so far, so good. But after dinner whiling away time before our scheduled massage, I couldn't resist this piece from Zara: I just loved it the moment I saw it. I inspected it, put it down, picked it up again, walked away, and came back for it in the end. I initially couldn't choose between green and red but I went for green anyway. It's not really expensive, so there's less guilt. Can't wait to use it.

Celebrity lookalike

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We were having dinner last night at John and Yoko in Greenbelt 5 last night and noticed something new with the chairs. Various Japanese faces were plastered on the back rest of each one of them ( Geez, it really has been a while since we last dined there. ). But look at this one chair: Can't help but think that the face resembles that of someone from the local showbiz scene...

Matt Damon covers GQ January 2012

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I just got my January 2012 GQ yesterday. And it always pisses me that January issues are always really thin, I feel shortchanged even if all those extra pages were just ads. Anyway, Matt Damon is on the cover and he's wearing some really good polo shirts in this issue. Go get your copy now. Source Last few days of 2011...

[Project Look Book] Friday, December 23, 2011

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This was taken last Friday, officially my last working day of 2011. I'm taking the remaining four days off. So I'm arms wide open, thankful for the work year that was, and for completing my yearlong self-glorification project that is Project Look Book . Yes, I did it. If there's going to be a Year 2, I still have a couple more days to decide on that and if ever, how I intend to do it this time around. I'm wearing here the second of two Randy Ortiz for Bench polo shirts I bought last month (the first one I wore more than a week ago ). It's got the same banded hemline at the bottom and the same narrow neon collar, only this time it's orange instead of yellow. Wore Topman jeans and Zara sneakers and I was good to go.

[Project Look Book] Thursday, December 22, 2011

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Sorry for the late post; been both busy and really tired. So here I simply put on a pullover that I paired with black pants and black shoes. To dress it up, I brought a black blazer as well. Works well with our black Christmas-themed office space.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, December 21, 2011

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I finally shaved, not for anything but because it became a little uncomfortable already at times. Although I would have wanted to try a really scruffy look for once. Maybe some other time. Today I paired blue with brown. I think I haven't tried this shirt with brown pants before (it's hard to keep track if I did) because I tend to pick gray and blue. For shoes, I tried these metallic ones instead of brown. And in keeping with the striped details on the collar and cuffs of the shirt, I also wore a striped belt. So there.

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, December 20, 2011

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It was our department's Christmas party today. This year we had it differently and veered away from our usual nighttime soiree with a program and all. Instead, we had a "sparty" where people enjoyed foot spa and back massages. However, it was far from the usual relaxing spa experience because it was noisy like any typical gathering. Well, no one was really expecting a zen-like ambiance in the first place. There were card and board games, a videoke (karaoke) and a Wii station set up. The pool was also available although no one really cared for a dip. So I was just in jeans and a t-shirt, then I slipped on a pair of Sanuks. It was my first time wearing this tee, though. It was our team's collective Christmas gift for everyone in our department last year. I like the fit but I wasn't happy with the printing. Oh well. After lunch I changed to shorts and flip-flops.

[Project Look Book] Monday, December 19, 2011

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Go ahead, laugh. I was goofing around here because I didn't know what else to do in front of the camera, standing against that familiar blank wall in the office. I was clearly running out of ideas already. But I'm glad I'm nearing the end of my yearlong personal project that is Project Look Book. Can't believe I'm nearing the end of the year, which had me mulling over whether or not I should do a Year 2. Anyhow, I'm so black today, head to toe. I haven't worn this shirt in a while. It's my "bullseye" shirt ( notice the circular details in front? ). And with a seemingly absolute want of creativity, I wore black pants and black shoes. And it's Christmas season. But last Friday's natural disaster that is Typhoon Washi (locally named Sendong ) makes me rethink how I should feel, with nearly 700 dead and 900 still missing. And the President has not yet visited the affected areas and instead chose to drop by the PSG's (Presidential S

[Project Look Book] Friday, December 16, 2011

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Busy day. But everything's alright because it's Friday! It's that day of the week when people at the office usually enjoy going out for lunch more than on any other day. Well, today I did just that with a couple of my colleagues. We were basically just spending our little prize money from that Christmas decorating contest  we just won; sort of a celebration if you may. As for today's outfit,  it's pretty simple and relaxed. I wore my black Collezione polo shirt with the Philippine map on it paired with light blue jeans from Topman, and then Chucks to complete the look. But I went a bit crazy with my shoot...

[Project Look Book] Thursday, December 15, 2011

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Big day tomorrow as SMART launches the iPhone 4S here in the Philippines. There's this huge event happening at the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell, Makati City from 10PM till about 4AM the next day. So everybody's going gaga over it. Meanwhile, it was Day 2 of our strategic planning session and so my day was pretty tiring in a cerebral fashion. Funny that just sitting around thinking and arguing makes one really tired by day's end. But it does make one tired. At least I got to relax with my outfit: jeans and a t-shirt. Awesome!

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, December 14, 2011

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Was out for the first of a two-day planning session today, so I got to wear something more casual. The polo was something I got from Bench while shopping for some gifts a few weeks ago (of course, I also gotta have mine!). I love the narrow neon collar and the banded hem at the bottom. It's from a collection by local designer Randy Ortiz for Bench. So this whole designer-retailer collaboration trend has now reached Philippine shores. From the likes of Lanvin and Versace for H&M, Missoni for Target, here we have Rajo Laurel for Wharton, and M Barretto and Ortiz for Bench. So who's next?

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, December 13, 2011

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Got to wear my new shoes today. In a vapid attempt at justifying my purchase, I always say "It's meant to be" to somehow ease the guilt that comes with shelling out money. And this is why I say that this pair was meant to be: I originally spotted them at Prima Linea in Greenbelt 3, which were also available in another color but I loved this one better. Unfortunately, they didn't have it in my size, so maybe it was not meant to be, I thought. A week later while I was in Cebu, I saw them at a Linea Store in Ayala Center -- and they had it in my size! Meant to be after all!

[Project Look Book] Monday, December 12, 2011

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I feel like I'm overdressed today looking at this photo. But really I'm not. A blazer can really work wonders in dressing up any outfit. And how could I be overdressed when I'm only wearing a short-sleeved shirt underneath?

[Project Look Book] Friday, December 9, 2011

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Attack of the gigantic me! Sorry for the late post. I've been busy last Friday because of our little Christmas decorating contest at the office. The atmosphere was so festive, I didn't have time to blog. My weekend, on the other hand, was restive and I still didn't have time to blog. The least I was able to do was sift through megabytes upon megabytes of images to use in this post. Festive as the day was last Friday, I was clad in black that day. My colleagues in our group all wore black to be consistent with our black Christmas theme. Here's how it looked:

[Project Look Book] Thursday, December 8, 2011

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Sorry but I've been busy decorating yesterday. Like I've said , we have a Christmas decorating contest within our department and we had to put everything up by Friday for judging. It's nothing really big and it's all in the spirit of fun but bragging rights are priceless. I'll show photos of what became of our office in another post. And since I've been too busy to blog, picking my Thursday outfit was done on auto-pilot. I also had to be comfortable because I would be dealing with lots of tape, glitter and nylon. Hence, the pink pullover and pinstripe pants. But just to add a bit of flair, I wore this feather necklace from Topman.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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Nearly everyone here at the office is busy decorating for Christmas. There's a small contest within our department, that's why. Clusters of cubicles were grouped to form teams, and judging will be this Friday. We're four in our group, and our rather ambitious concept has been constantly met with challenges. We're going for an elegant black Christmas with silver and plum accents. There will also be some Christmas art printed on transparencies. But would you believe we've been to several bookstores and shops already, and every single one of them ran out of stock for black colored paper? Major problem. So far we've only managed to hang a single transparency sheet and we need to complete everything by tomorrow night. Good luck to us! Today I wore mint green on gray, and for leather, I went for black. The whole outfit's pretty basic and safe. The gray blazer was in hand for warmth whenever the AC got too cold for comfort. It actually doesn't match the

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, December 6, 2011

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The local weather bureau said we have a rainy week ahead. That doesn't sound so pleasant, what with Christmas coming and everybody's out shopping and attending parties. But we gotta deal with it. Today was a lazy day with just a gray pullover and black pants. Good thing I decided just before leaving the house to throw this scarf around my neck. It may not be freezing outside but inside the office it can be. Even with the scarf's basic black, white and gray color combo, it instantly brought life to my outfit. At least that's what I think.

Everybody deserves an apple

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Yesterday at work, apples were given away to interested individuals at the lobby. It's a cute gesture to herald the arrival of the iPhone 4S here in the Philippines (finally!). Local wireless provider SMART is offering the iconic iPhone for the very first time starting on December 16, practically ending the exclusivity previously enjoyed by Globe with the phone's first four releases. The iPhone 4S will be available in both postpaid and prepaid packages. "We believe everybody deserves an apple." is SMART's campaign slogan for it's maiden iPhone offering, something I find both clever and cute. And seeing all those apples yesterday at the lobby was a visual treat, very much in tune with the colors of Christmas. The overall vibe was quite festive and uplifting. And cute! (God, I can't stop saying cute.) Here are a few snapshots from yesterday:

[Project Look Book] Monday, December 5, 2011

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I'm back to work after a brief visit to Cebu, and look what we've got at the lobby just before the day ended: Lots and lots of apples! They were giving one each to anyone interested. It's but part of efforts to drum up anticipation for the arrival of the iPhone 4S here in the Philippines (and the end of the exclusivity erstwhile enjoyed by another carrier with the iPhone's first four incarnations). "We believe everybody deserves an apple." is the campaign, which I find cute. Now on with today's outfit. I wore a vest from Penshoppe that I got while shopping for gifts to bring to Cebu. Sorry but every time I shop for someone else, I can't resist the urge to get something for me as well. Anyhow, I love it's light brown shade, something I don't think I have in my wardrobe. Plus it was on sale! I wore a plain white shirt underneath paired with light gray pants and brown shoes. I kept it clean and simple.

REVIEW | Parklane International Hotel, Cebu City

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Oops! Not a good way to start a review but my three-night stay at Parklane International Hotel in Cebu City ended up just like that. I booked the hotel for my just-concluded visit to Cebu to see my folks because it's relatively new and because of its proximity to Ayala Center. Reservation was a breeze. Unfortunately, check-in was not. We were standing in line for a good 15 minutes or so when there was only one guest in front of us. It was really nothing, I thought; just a minor inconvenience. I booked a smoking room and it smelled bad. I've stayed in many smoking rooms before in other hotels but none had such an unpleasant smell. Eventually we got used to it, I guess. My Bibe was sick and she was my primary concern. The room was small but I wasn't really complaining. It had a TV, a personal fridge, a dresser, closet, safe, a coffee table and a chair. It also had complimentary internet but wired. Good enough. The bathroom had a tub and everything was squeezed into s

Man of style: Ryan Gosling

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Source Man of the hour Ryan Gosling has really evolved in terms of style. Never mind that he wasn't named Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine; the dude looks really good right now, good enough that a lot of people, groups, and magazines alike take notice. In fact, it's hard to think that he was once like this:

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, November 29, 2011

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This was yesterday's outfit. Apart from a busy day at work yesterday ( Why do I always feel harassed the day before I go on leave for a vacation? ), My Bibe 's really sick and she's got me worried. We're already in Cebu right now to visit my mom and sister but My Bibe's still sick, so I really couldn't enjoy this trip. I just hopes she gets better by tomorrow. Anyhow, after black and brown last Monday, it's black and blue for Tuesday. The blue isn't jeans, though, and no, I wasn't trying to pull off a Steve Jobs. I was just a bit lazy, that's why. Good thing I had this jacket on hand to break the walking boredom that is my outfit.

[Project Look Book] Monday, November 28, 2011

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Was just being silly here. I mean, I need to be what with all the stress at work. Although it's been a long day -- and it really felt freakishly long -- it's all good.

[Project Look Book] Friday, November 25, 2011

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Late post. I was too tired yesterday to even bother but my day was definitely productive work-wise. Anyhow, today I wore a tee about where I'm going to Wednesday next week. It's going to be a family visit: my mom, my sis and her family, my gramps.

[Project Look Book] Thursday, November 24, 2011

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My day was entirely spent on one of several planning exercises for next year. Tomorrow we'll have another one. That said, I feel so drained by day's end. So I have to brace myself for another round tomorrow. And because I wasn't really going to spend my day doing my usual workload, I decided I'd wear jeans (and I was the only one in our group who did although few noticed). I definitely still had respect for Thursday, so I dressed the jeans up a bit with a long-sleeved shirt and leather shoes. I also chose dark jeans because they tend to look more formal than those in lighter shades. I accessorized with a necklace and some beads.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, November 23, 2011

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Some people can really get on one's nerves. They're like mosquitoes that, no matter how many times you shoo them away, they still insist on pestering you. And so there's no other solution left but to spray insecticide on them. But of course we can't do that with humans. I don't want to think about it anymore. Move on with happy thoughts...happy thoughts... Today I was hoping for the same cold weather as yesterday. Unfortunately it didn't come. But at least it was still cooler than what we normally have in this tropical country of ours. The office air conditioning was still cold, though, so the scarf (which I just recently bought from Bench) came in handy in the absence of a jacket. It's a simple outfit, actually, with the shoes being the only item that gives this ensemble some oomph. But then it's also a good thing to have just one statement piece while keeping everything else understated.

GQ Men of the Year 2011

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November's almost over and I hope to grab a copy of GQ's December 2011 issue this weekend. Consistent with tradition, it's the mag's annual Men of the Year issue. The usual four different covers are made up this time of a wacky duo, the customary sex siren, and two "serious" shots.

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, November 22, 2011

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I woke up to a rainy Tuesday morning and was pleased with the considerable drop in temperature. The only problem was that I didn't want to get out of bed at all. But eventually I did. Today I'm wearing blue with brown. Pardon me for my insistence on brown because I simply am too lazy to change bags at the moment. So yes, my outfit is entirely anchored on my bag, which, ironically, I really don't get to photograph and include in my Project Look Book posts. While the blue worked perfectly in lighting up an otherwise gloomy day, the trench was a last-minute addition. I mentioned the temperature drop, so I expected the AC in the office to be colder than normal. And of course, I was right.

[Project Look Book] Monday, November 21, 2011

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It's a new week, and one of the last few left in the year. Next week I'll be visiting my mom and my little sister in Cebu. It's been more than a year now so I guess it's time to check on them. Today I'm in a lot of purple. The shirt's something from Rajo Laurel for Wharton. I'm happy with this shirt because I get to wear cuff links (yay!). So I'm a bit more "corporate" today, hence, the tie, which is actually from an old office uniform set. I wore blue pants since blue goes well with purple. Then brown shoes and belt, of course, for a more formal look. I keep on saying I'm more corporate and more formal today. Until you see the socks...

[Project Look Book] Friday, November 18, 2011

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Oh how I love Fridays! Tomorrow's gonna be full, though. Need to wake up early for that $#^@! child's follow-up visit with the doctor, catch Breaking Dawn with My Bibe ( Yeah, every guy in a relationship has to oblige ), have a massage, and run some errands in between. So there's only one day left for actual rest. :( It's a typical Friday outfit for today's Project Look Book post: jeans and t-shirt. The shirt, by the way, is something really old, like, 6 or 7 years already. I remember getting it from Cinderella, a small chain that carries a hodgepodge of different brands including Esprit. It caught my eye as I was scouring my closet last night, and I thought, why not?

Bench Body is going places

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Philippine powerhouse brand Bench is on a roll! I finally got to watch the much-publicized (at least locally) episode of America's Next Top Model All Stars earlier (originally shown last Monday) where the models did a shoot wearing Bench underwear. Consistent with the brand's propensity to infuse fun and color in their undergarments, the ones worn by the models looked more like bikinis or swimsuits than lingerie, an observation shared by some contestants and even by Andre Leon Talley. While classic styles are still the best for a lot of people, I think it's also good to have fun with your undies once in a while. Here's a clip I found on YouTube on the said episode: Meanwhile, the posters of Michael Trevino (of The Vampire Diaries ) for Bench Body are already out. I wrote last month that following Bruno Mars, Trevino was the brand's latest endorser, but this time for the brand's underwear line. While Bench has some really crazy designs for briefs and b

[Project Look Book] Thursday, November 17, 2011

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Busy day. Today's outfit started out with the chinos. It's Thursday already so I thought I had to relax things a bit. But while picking the right shirt to go with such (relatively) casual trousers, I thought I could go with something I don't normally wear with chinos -- and so this shirt. Personally I'm quite pleased with my decision to pair a rather casual item with something more formal. Mixing and matching clothes can prove to be fun, actually.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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Runny nose by day, clogged sinuses by night. This is just so not the way to go. If it's any consolation, though, I'm quite happy with the not-so-warm weather today. It makes staying inside the office so friggin' cold -- and I'm enjoying every bit of it! Well yesterday was quite the fiesta in the local news scene: former President gets a TRO from the Supreme Court, former President tries to board a plane for Singapore (for medical treatment), Justice Secretary defies Supreme Court and orders Bureau of Immigration to bar former President from leaving the country, former President leaves airport and proceeds to local hospital for the time being, and then everybody weighs in on the issue. Whew! Maybe the former President should have just left through another airport north of Manila, the one that's been named after her father (the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga), and not through the one that's been recently dubbed as one of the worl

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, November 15, 2011

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A little bit under the weather today with a runny nose. With the rain and relatively cooler weather, it really is best to simply stay at home and probably enjoy some chicken noodle soup. But then there's really lots of things to do at the office, and I was on leave already yesterday. So bring it! Outfit-wise, there's nothing much going on today; just a mix of stripes and some sheen. The shirt's Paul Smith, pants are from Merger, shoes from Traffic, and watch by Jeremy Scott for Swatch. Hope you enjoy the rest of the week!

Zara November 2011 Lookbook

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I just checked out Zara's November 2011 Lookbook and I really want a couple of pieces and looks. Too bad I need to hold on to my wallet at the moment. This blazer is my favorite of the lot, probably because of the color. I love its richness and elegance. Awesome leather jacket in brown; love the slim fit.

[Project Look Book] Friday, November 11, 2011

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11.11.11 it is, huh? To me it's just another date except that after the first twelve years of this millennium, we won't get to see such a curious pattern again until the next century on January 1st, 2101 (01.01.01). So okay, it is special because it doesn't come by often. And our last chance to revel in such an occurrence would be on December 12th next year (12.12.12), at least for those reading this post today (unless you get to live beyond a hundred years). Moving on, I'm motioning "crazy" with my hands in the photo below (moving in a circular pattern) for no particular reason other than the fact that I'm wearing a tee from local brand Mental . Maybe I'm going mental. If my memory serves me right, I think  My Bibe  got it for me last year at some bazaar. Mental has their own stores, though, scattered across several malls here.

[Project Look Book] Thursday, November 10, 2011

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I realized that today is my dad's birthday. I don't really know where he is right now; perhaps somewhere in Copenhagen. I don't have any communication with him and I haven't seen him since I was, like, seven or eight.  After my parents's divorce, my single piece of communication with my dad was a letter from him back when I was a freshman in college (I wrote him first). I still remember how I felt then. But when I wrote back, with high hopes of reconnecting with him, I never got an answer. I guess that was it.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, November 9, 2011

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As Sheldon (of The Big Bang Theory ) would say, dear Lord! Lots of things to do. The Holidays are also fast approaching and before we know it, the year's over. Dear Lord! Anyway, I have a little affair with red today. There's the bow tie, the belt, and the socks. Red goes well with pink anyway. And brown.

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, November 8, 2011

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I'm not really the type of person who has problems sleeping. I can sleep even after coffee, when there are people around, stuff like that. Last night, however, I don't know what's up with me but I had a really hard time drifting into slumber. Worse, I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Then my bladder needed emptying, I grew hungry, I don't even know what time I actually fell back to sleep. So this morning I was so groggy and all, I didn't feel like going to work. But I had to because I had a meeting, only to find out it had to be rescheduled. Oh well.

The cats of Ko Phi Phi

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Follow my blog with Bloglovin On our first day in Ko Phi Phi in Thailand ( see posts here and here ), My Bibe and I had the pleasure of meeting this little fella: He was such a gorgeous cat with a relatively thicker fur than most local cats here in the Philippines. We were instantly charmed. We got to pet him a bit and take photos before he sauntered off the beach like it was his domain. Little did I know that it would be the start of several more encounters with his kind, and I'm glad to show them all to you. There's a lot of them, and I mean a lot!

[Project Look Book] Friday, November 4, 2011

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I am the Mighty Thor! Clearly I don't have the guns, though. Haha! I'm sensing a growing fondness for cartoon superhero t-shirts here. After The Green Lantern on Halloween , now it's someone from the Marvel universe. And I'm planning to buy more!