The Saturday Agenda: Vintage Find

I love my routines but I do sneak in some variations every now and then.

 

My Saturday agenda at Angel and Islington today - the usual suspects plus a few twists:

• After having my hair cut at Hair Base Islington (Cut was okay but I really miss my Filipino hairdressers and stylists in Manila!), I found out that it was raining quite heavily. I decided to grab a cup of coffee for warmth.
• On my way to one of my usual coffee stops (Coffee Works), I bought fruits from several stalls along Chapel Market, a new discovery of fresh finds and my own small steps in supporting local.
• After warming up over a cup of flat white, I bought my protein at Turner & George -- sirloin steak for my Chipotle recipe.
• Another slight twist to my weekend routine: I wandered through Camden Passage and finally gave in to buying this vintage find. Scroll down to see what I found!
• Finally, the endnote to my Angel & Islington weekend routine: I bought my flowers, this time from the stall in front of the Angel Station.

Cheers and enjoy the remaining bits of the weekend! Stay dry!

 

Vintage clip-on earrings with Swarovski crystals:
These would be lovely for a special occasion :)

The Weekend Agenda: No Agenda

My daily morning view from my bedroom

"Happiness is not having to set the alarm for the next day."

Agree. The happiness in Saturdays indeed! And Sundays. And long weekends :)

22-23 April

• Last week's Saturday was a no-agenda Saturday. I stayed in and cooked my lamb moussaka --- lovely brunch and dinner with the usual good helping of rice. Please check out my latest The Skinny Eats post and see how high this dish ranked in my list.
• Sunday came. It was the celebrated London Marathon, but I only craved for blueberry muffins, haha. I went out briefly to check out the marathoners who passed by Limehouse and headed to Lidl for my muffins.

Click "Read more" for the rest of my 'No Agenda' weekend.

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 9

#theonethatgotaway

I thought I saw you today
Or maybe it was just someone who looked like you.
I wonder if you also remember me on days like this
When you see mundane reminders through someone who looks like me.


When you see someone with the same set of bags like mine
The same red coat, the same little black dress, the same pair of shoes
Does your heart skip a beat only to find out it wasn't me?
But I've changed my ensemble and some things are not the same
Not consciously to erase memories, or for reasons of that sort
I just changed...


When you see a familiar silhouette or a smile
From the crowd in your daily commute or weekend trails
Do you crane your neck to see if it was me?
Do you ever wonder if you would run into me ever again, and what would you say?


I think this city, this world, is big enough though,
Big enough for us to keep our distance from each other.
And I guess that's for the best, the safest for us.
No expectations, no closure,
Just  ellipses...


I guess there are such things as moments
That remain to be moments.
Perhaps memorable, but painfully so
Because they never ended; they were fleeting
Such as bubbles that burst like ghosts of summer
When they could have faded slowly away, more beautifully.


It was painful to watch;
It takes a lot of strength from my end
To just be present
Each time I find a piece of my everyday
Which takes me back to a memory of you
Or us, or me and you.


You had a hundred chances
But you never took any one of them
And no, you cannot take them back.
They are gone, they've passed
And lost their flutter and innocence
They've grown up and left us for good.


We were almost there
But maybe some things are not meant to be 
Maybe you blew it,
Yes, maybe I am the one that got away.

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 8

#ThatPerfectMoment



I want that 'Perfect' moment. That one night. 
Under this 'Dreamworks' slice of moonlight. By the riverside.
When he finally realises that this is it. Ours is the real thing.
When his gaze catches mine, and the milliseconds of silence would say it all.
We'd stand up from our seats, still speechless.
Our two pairs of left feet, trying to make sense of this lovely song:

"Dancing in the dark. 
With you between my arms. 
Barefoot in the grass.
Listening to our favorite song. 
When you said you looked a mess.
I whispered underneath my breath. 
But you heard it darling.
You look perfect tonight."

I would be my usual nervous self. 
Expect that, whenever I get close to this precipice.
Even after all that life has showed me, I still have fears.
Heights, traps, love.

I am not perfect.
He won't be perfect.
But we would be perfectly right for each other.
There'd be odds and doubts.
But the timing would be surely right by then.
He'd see through my quirks,
Bear with the mess and randomness
And find the logic to understand these
However complex I get to be;
I will appreciate the chapters, 
All the empty and profound pages
That made up what he became
Beneath that beautiful hard-bound shell.

But a girl can dream, right? About that perfect moment.
I don't know, but I have an almost clear picture of this dance by the garden.
Sometimes, it does not feel like a dream anymore. 


Credits: Lyrics in italics from Ed Sheeran's song, Perfect

The Saturday Agenda: Why I Keep Coming Back to Angel and Islington

Hey there, sweetie! How well have you spent your weekend?
It is rarely warm and sunny in London that whilst I originally planned to stay in my flat this Saturday (no Saturday agenda with friends this weekend), I wasn't able to help it but I just had to go out and bask in the precious warmth and sunshine!! Is spring coming soon? Please do come already :)


Hmm, what's my default weekend place? Angel and Islington. I never quite understand why this place seems to beckon to me whenever I need somewhere else to just be. Just be. Quiet. By myself. Mindless and mindful of solitude all at once.


As I have mentioned in previous posts here and in Instagram, this all started when I was looking for a butcher shop after finding the frozen meat at supermarkets too bland and quite tasteless. I found Turner and George and went there almost every Saturday to buy my fresh meat, and then sort of fell in love with Angel and Islington in the process.


2017 came and I decided on a (mostly) pescetarian diet. I had no excuse to go back to Islington anymore. :( Until now.


So why do I keep coming back to Angel and Islington? I tried to find answers to this question this Saturday.


Click to "Read more".

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 6

#coffeenamefails


You know the drill in these coffee shops, right? You order your cup of joe, and then the barista gets your name and writes it on the takeaway cup.


In my case --- almost always, like 99 % of the time --- the barista will never get my name right. It's usually "Jennifer", "Jenifel" or some other variation. I can perfectly understand this since my first name is quite unique. But even if I say just 'Gen', it will more likely be translated into "Jen" or "Jane". Trivial as this may seem, it can be frustrating sometimes.

So, yeah, #coffeenamefails.


Some days, I decide to have fun and be "another name". Like "Pocahontas" (That one went right - the rare 1%). Or "Isabel" (but ended up weirdly with something like Yezzabel). Strange.


Some days, they may have taken notice of the increasing trend of the #coffeenamefails hashtag, and go the extra mile of requesting you to kindly spell out your name. Another of those rare 1%. I say, definitely do that when there is no queue. But otherwise, have to live with the #coffeenamefails.


On hearts' day, I was in a really good mood and decided to be a "queen". Smiled at the barista as I paid for my mozzarella pesto baguette, and ordered my short Americano. Today, I am Victoria. :)

Cosmopolitan Notes

Some interesting factual notes from last night's dinner with the ladies from my team:  a 25-year old lady from India and a newly married lady who grew up in Brazil and worked in Ireland. We talked about cultures and things that surprised us in our first few weeks here in London (random and verbatim):

1. If we don't get married by 25, we will be considered an outcast. 
2. We still observe the tradition of paying the dowry for the man to marry a woman. 
3. You can talk to somebody for two hours, and he can act like he doesn't know you the next day / time you meet. (Thanks for the heads-up!)

Some more interesting takes here:

1. In my country, there are more women than men. Not verbatim: Men tend to be "clever" and take in more than one relationship.
2. In my country, there are more men than women. Again, not verbatim: Men still have the upper hand because they get to choose even if they have less options.

We are citizens of the world. We are different but we are similar in many ways. Then again, we are similar but we have to respect our differences; understand them first before we expect others to behave as we thought they should. That's just that. No judgment here.

 

 

 

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 4

#somedaysaturdays

Someday...

There will be more time to stop and smell the flowers.

There should be more time to stop and smell the flowers.

Someday...

These will mean much more

Than to cheer me up for a week.

Someday...

These will mean much more

Than a thoughtless 'default'

To celebrate an occasion

Someday...

They will arrive at my doorstep

To make me feel special momentarily

And then forever, maybe.

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 3

#bucketlist


I am not really a bucket-list person. But sometimes, you just have to write them down --- your dreams, aspirations and plans --- however vague, silly or pointless they may seem at first. Sometimes the universe listens, and sometimes it indeed conspires with you.


I only have these three written down so far. They came to me in various moments --- those endlessly quiet nights of reflection, those me-time afternoons spent thinking through the logic in the illogical, and those unexpected prose coming out of nowhere. They seemed fairy-tale-ish and have nothing to do with my career or personal goals at the moment but I still wrote them down (also an excuse to practice some calligraphy). Sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust (literally a room spray), they're now safely locked here >>> ❤.

Yes, dreams do come true. And sometimes they don't. However, putting them out there helps pave the way, gives us some sort of direction, and pushes us to take these adventures. It's like betting on fate. What are the odds of winning against something as powerful? Fate, which has the unfair advantage of knowing the crossings of the stars and the secrets of the universe? These bets may break us into pieces but we know that our pains will redeem and strengthen us in the end. The betting, the uncertainties, the detours and the fairness or un-fairness of all of these are the adventures themselves. Whilst we lose time and people in the process, we gain experiences and memories. And maybe, that's what bucket lists are for?

Full text:
genefel One year later. @tonibirdsong, remember this? I'm not really a bucket list type of person and I usually have a short list of mini adventures that I want to take. But I read your book and I believe it subconsciously pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone. Thanks again! #bucketlist #page149

tonibirdsong Hope you have a great 2017 @genefel - I'll be cheering you on! Thanks for posting; warms my heart! 💞☺️

genefel Thanks @tonibirdsong!! I wish you the same

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 2

#hello #goodbye


I wanted to say...

• Whilst everything may have not been as top-notch and flawless as you or I wanted, I saw the effort and diligence and I truly appreciate these.
• The moments and circumstances are not perfect or even right this time. But they allowed us to find each other still, and for good reasons.

I wanted to ask...

• How are you feeling that day? (And expect to hear beyond the usual, 'Good, thanks, and yourself?' response.)
• Why you never shared much and seemed to keep to yourself?
• Why now? And what would have changed your mind?
• Why me? I just happened to be there.

I wanted to tell you...

• Thank you.
• It's so sad to see you go.
• It's been a pleasure knowing you and I wish you all the best really.
• May you find your happiness someday soon.

Instead, I just said...

Post-Christmas: Revisited Portobello & Notting Hill

After some days of foggy and cloudy weather, hello there sunshine! It'll be such a waste to lounge around in my sleepwear when the sun is out today. Spur-of-the-moment decisions had to be made asap. Top of mind? Revisit Portobello and Notting Hill.


I wrote down quick notes of film locations which I wanted to visit again (obviously not all; just the memorable ones), and tried to plan my itinerary around them. However, given the short time and the call for spontaneity, there really wasn't much organisation other than (1) taking the Central Line and getting off at the Holland Park station, (2) covering as much Notting Hill locations as I can, and (3) then heading to the Notting Hill Gate station for the trip back to my flat.


If you'd like to relive some of these Notting Hill moments like I did, feel free to take this brief post-Christmas trek with me. You don't have to be a fan of the film to find an excuse to visit (or revisit).

The quiet neighbourhood of my dreams?
(From the Holland Park Station, I leisurely walked towards Lansdowne Road.)

Click to "Read more".

Post-Christmas: Little Red Riding Hood Meets the Big Ben

Two days after Christmas, I still haven't written any post for my blog. Must be going through some form of writer's block? I told myself that this is expected after having not done any blogging for a very long period of time other than the Instagram posts-turned-random-reflections which I've been posting at least on a weekly basis. I thought I needed some fresh air and sunshine to regain my bearings.
 
I took the bus to Canary Wharf. Sales spotted everywhere! I did some quick window shopping but unfortunately the coats I like didn't come in my size or even if they did, they were still too big for me. Note to self: Need to gain more pounds!

Jubilee - Canary Wharf Station

It was a bit cold so I had a cup of coffee (from Notes) before heading to the tube. I took the Jubilee line to the Westminster station. While waiting for the train, this "Little Red Riding Hood" theme got me out of nowhere. Maybe it was because I was wearing my favourite red coat?

Click to "Read more".

Another Christmas Eve?

Was it just another Christmas eve?


23 December 2016 - from 4 p.m. to about past 9:00 p.m.


My annual leave officially started on the 22nd but I was only truly free from office work on the 23rd.


Liza, one of the Filipina friends that I've met here in London, knew that I'm all game for anything about culture and the arts. She invited me to see the promenade performance called 'Christmas Carol' at the Victoria & Albert Museum. I met up with her at 4:00 p.m. The performance was actually about Queen Victoria's reminiscing of times with her late husband Prince Albert, injected with a bit of Christmas cheer - some singing and dancing, and the character of Sir Robert Peel playing a violin in Queen Victoria's imagination. As it was a promenade performance, the audience had to walk around the British Galleries along with the actors.


After the 35-minute performance, Liza and I decided to head to the National Gallery which was right across Trafalgar Square. I had a grand albeit brief time checking out the 18th century to early 20th century paintings (much shorter compared to my V&A museum visit weeks ago). I finally got to see some greats in the flesh - Van Goghs, Renoirs and Monets.





Van Goghs
(The painting in the centre called 'Sunflowers' used to hang in Van Gogh's guest bedroom in anticipation of the arrival of his artist friend, Paul Gauguin.)

Click to "Read more".

Construction in Progress [Rebuilding Blog]

Hello blog !!!

It's been a really LONG time since my last post in March 2016. The year is about to end and I haven't updated my dear friends on the key events in my life! Now, more than ever, I need this blog to keep connected with those who are important to me - almost the same circle of friends whose physical distance and figurative proximity to my life led me to start this blog more than 10 years ago.

While I try to rebuild the pieces into this blog from April 2016 and hopefully finish this before 2016 ends, please bear with any backdated entries that I may be posting every now and then. However, if you have been following me in Instagram @genefel, you will have a fairly good idea of how my life is turning out, i.e., if you could read through the vague anecdotes and figure the lyrics out of the medley of my so-called life. ;)

 

For now, here's a quick snapshot of how it has been for me:

• April 2016...I was back in Singapore for three weeks for work. Anything is better and sweeter the second time around?
• May 2016...Happy birthday to me! You know exactly how old I am, right (just search this blog ;)? I had my non-negotiable birthday break in Iloilo, my home city. While it seemed different and a bit sad with Uncle Costan now gone, this trip is pivotal. For the first time in a really long time, I was not sure when I will be coming back home again :(
• June 2016...The ball started rolling and decisions were made.
• July 2016...I tried to make the most of the time I had left --- caught up with my closest friends and enjoyed my solo trips to cafes and restaurants that I knew I will miss soon.
• August 2016...Another non-negotiable trip 'cause it was Mama's birth month. This time though, the quality of time spent with her and my eight furry pals have to be upped several levels than the usual. I also managed to convince Tatay to take this vacation with me, which meant A LOT for me and Mama.
• September 2016...Moved to London, UK. Yes, my dearest friends, a new chapter indeed! Whenever I get asked why I made this move, I gave the usual press release, i.e., to specialise in financial services. THAT is true. But what is also true is that a huge part of me honestly don't fully understand why. It was maybe about taking chances and going out of my comfort zone while I can still afford it. Yes, there were still strings that I had to regrettably cut loose from and huge sacrifices I had to make. However, this would have been a lot harder and more costly (emotionally and mentally) as I get older and my roots more anchored in a certain place.
• October 2016...I look back and remember how wide-eyed and innocent I was a few weeks back. Bear with me, this is my first time in the UK and in Europe! I had to constantly remind myself that this is not an assignment for two days, two weeks or two months. This is a 'permanent transfer', yes until London wants me here. I marvelled at the old and beautiful. I was impressed by how the gentlemen here are so well dressed and courteous. I was awed by this much culture around me. I was just starting though and I knew realities were waiting around the corner.
• November 2016...Settling in but there is more for sure. More tough times and rough roads. More special and happy moments. More heartbreaks. More lessons.
• December 2016...And here I am, on the last month of 2016. I look around and feel my way through --- the fog, the winter chill, the different colours of people and places. This is uncertainty. This is the adventure. I'm not really sure if this is exactly what I prayed for but nonetheless, I feel blessed in many ways. I feel stronger after every bucket of tears. I make plans but He --- the greatest of all architects --- has written them better.

 

In the meantime, still rebuilding...

See you around!!!

 



Credits: V&A Museum, South Kensington, London, UK
Building - The architect communicates the final design to the contractors and specialists who will construct the building. The instructions must provide enough information to turn the design into a real building. Working drawings, and details drawn at full size, help the team put everything together. Models are used to show how the building will be constructed and to alert the team to complicated technical details.

 

When You've Made Plans But...



I know that He has done this several times and a lot of these have gone unnoticed. Thank you Heavenly Father for still being patient with me and looking after my own good when I had been so absorbed in all my hopelessly romantic dreams. Just in time, something "unplanned" happens. I wake up from the reverie and I'm reminded that I make plans but in all this mystery, I trust that Yours is better.

End of day. I paused and asked, "What just happened there? Was it my fault or was it all a play of circumstance?" I stood here at the Aldgate bus station waiting for the bus to my flat, and tried to think these through. Then I realised, "He had a hand in this. He --- the one who knows it all, the one who knew what could have been before I even contemplate it." While it was kind of hard and painful to understand given all the things that have happened so far, I respected this sudden change of plans.

I have seen this happen about three years ago in almost the same 'play of circumstance'. The situation was more "wrong" then than what I face now, and yet my judgment was clouded. For someone like me who seems to know what's black from white, I was surprised at how I even tried to gamble in stolen moments of 'grey'. Something had to be moved, the Almighty may have thought. And moved He did! Thanks to Him 'cause now I can look back, relieved and wiser. Hopefully after this too have passed and I've fully moved on, I can do the same. For now, I will listen close and trust His wisdom. 

Dear Stardust

Today is March 20. 

Your ninth death anniversary.

Hey, stardust. 

Can you see me from where you are?

How do my moments in this side of the sky

Appear from light years away?

How do my prayers sound

When I often keep them inside?

It's been a long time

But what gives and what holds on?

Could it be that a small part of me 

Was set aside for you alone?

That some part of me still hope for the day 

When my candle's wick is all consumed

And we meet again in another life,

If there is another life...

I would recognize you and you would recognize me,

We'd redeem lost times and find our way?

And if it's meant to be,

Another serendipity...

I cannot relate to Katy Perry's The One That Got Away. Except for these lines:

In another life I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

And in another life I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

So long, Mr. P. 

Celebrate: First Oscar for Leo

Finally, Leonardo DiCaprio won a bloody Oscar!!!!!

After six nominations and 22 years. Oh well, life plays these games sometimes.

Almost the whole world celebrated this long overdue triumph with him.

The memes of old days died peacefully and were replaced with still funny congratulatory themes.

In my case, I gave in to THIS.

Carmen's Best is a Philippine ice cream brand. When I first tasted it (Malted Milk), I couldn't help but gasp on how premium the ingredients felt like, how unadulterated the milk seemed, and that there was definitely no scrimping on quality.
On the other hand, this almost-hard-to-find flavor is a funny take on women's comfort-slash-breakup ice cream. He's Not Worth It! Lots of chocolate like mud pie, walnuts, and cookies/fudge brownies.
Read more about this brand here and here. :)

Last Friday, there was a entire batch of this in the supermarket freezer. When I returned this evening, there was only one tub of this "intriguing" flavor waiting for me at The Landmark Supermarket. So why not, right?

Here's to sweet victory, folks! Cheers to you , Leo! Thanks for giving me the perfect excuse. :)

Out of Office: Went to the Ball

Hello lovely readers!!!

I just want to share with you my gold ball moments last October 27, 2015.

The table decked in gold, ready for the sit-down dinner 
Thank God 'cause my feet, which are now not so used to walking in high heels, couldn't possibly take a buffet, hahaha.

My gold bag --- the mandatory gold touch to my ensemble (in rebellious pink!)
This is from Via Venetto, a high-quality Filipino brand of shoes and bags that I proudly endorse whenever I get the chance to. There is not much marketing literature or write-ups about the Via Venetto brand (Facebook: via.venetto.phils), but that doesn't mean that they do not deserve it.
Via Venetto's quality and customer service are just top-notch that word-of-mouth is more than enough to reach those who value high quality and believe in the Filipino brand.

Here's a full view of my bag, as well as a selfie :)
The bag's handle and body are made of glass, wooden and plastic beads put together with such intricacy and care that I see a mother's love in the weave.
Overall, this unique handbag is dainty and small enough to go with the ball's gold theme. I see myself going back to this in future gatherings: simple yet classy for evenings.
With pride, I held this bag knowing that it was made by women from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong.
Truly a beautiful masterpiece with a heart --- every one deserves a second chance.

What were inside my bag?
Gold ball invitation
Cellphone
Room card key
EOS lip balm (the blue ball)

Indeed, I was home before midnight. 11:25 PM, to be exact :)

The shoe!
My gold ball pair is also from Via Venetto.
The left shoe was shot in the background in typical Cinderella-left-the-glass-slipper fashion.
I wore a princess-y crown, courtesy of the gold ball organizers.
To complete the Cinderella story, a white rose was just in order :)

After returning to my room from the ball and before that much needed bath before bedtime, I played around with the camera and came up with these. :)
Surprised with how these turned out, I ended up posting this collage on my Instagram (@genefel), Facebook (genefel.ober) and Twitter (@gmotweet) accounts.

Selfie rationale:

A lady's gotta have beautiful memories stashed somewhere to cheer her up in the future. 

"Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?...." 

(: So goes Ed Sheeran's song...

#thinkingoutloud

Smile more. 

There is no midnight, no deadline, when it comes to picking up that shoe where you last staggered and fell, and coming home to realizations that make up your gold-decked road to the "true north".

Wicked witches of the East and jealous stepsisters aside, finding your "true north" for me is finding God's will --- the one thing that will give you truly lasting happiness.

Cheers to my fellow Cinderellas out there!

L.S.S from a Dream

About three or four hours ago, I woke up from a dream, or an almost-nightmare(lol).

In a very vivid recollection of the dream, I was analyzing two versions of Taylor Swift's song - Love Story. 

Jeez, are there even two versions? Although I hear the song often, I don't even know the song or care to sing it, and I don't have any recent memory of hearing it (by recent, I mean within the week). 

What was funny then, was I woke up singing the song (not just humming it, mind you). Like I was having a case of last song syndrome (LSS) continuing from a dream.

Just to cheer you up, dears, on a serious Tuesday. :)

Credits: Christina_IsRedAndFearless : Taylor Swift - taylorswift.com

P.S. For my own reference, I copied the song's lyrics below. And no, I didn't become an instant fan :P

The Saturday Agenda: Rediscover Old Manila

Understanding your roots will prepare you for the world.

On another lazy Saturday, Vel and I turned off the snooze button and ventured into Old Manila. 

We took the LRT (short for Light Railway Station --- only my second LRT ride in my lifetime) and alighted at the Carriedo station. We then leisurely walked towards Binondo, the address of Manila's Chinatown. 

Our first stop was the "premium" specialty lumpia at the New Eastern Garden. We seemed to have selected this at random. When we saw old Chinese among the customers of this seemingly hole-in-the-wall store, we thought that it was the right place for authentic fresh Chinese lumpia. True enough, after some "googling", I learned that this is among the top must-visit restaurants in Binondo --- New Eastern Garden, since 1950, and home of the original fresh lumpia king. I do not normally eat fresh lumpia as I usually prefer the fried ones. However, this premium one didn't fail me. As requested, our orders included seaweed which actually helped balanced the tangy taste of the mixed vegetables. It was filling for someone of my petite size, and I finished the whole thing with no problem :) 

Then we headed to Salazar Bakery at Salazar St., Ongpin --- obviously the first branch of the Chinese bakery franchise. I bought the bestseller Black Mongo hopia and as an afterthought, added an Ube hopia (my personal favorite for all things hopia). After tasting these at home, I immediately erased my preference for the more commercial and famous hopia brand (which I will not quote here). I loved the ube hopia to bits and looked forward to eating these with my breakfast coffee.

Our hungry tummies led us to The President's Tea House, which was just a few blocks away from the Salazar Bakery. Please click 'Read more' for the rest of our Binondo adventure.