Should I?

After purchasing three Balenciaga bags in the past few months,  I came across the Mulberry Oversized Alexa Satchel.  Then I just read The BagHag Diaries about this bag this morning.  I'm really trying to decide if I should get one.  I seldom use my Balenciaga bags. 

Balenciaga Motorcycle in blue

Balenciaga Covered Giant City in Black

Balenciaga Covered Giant City in Blue

I want the black Alexa if ever I will get it.  Ho-hum...Should I or Should I not?

***Sigh***

MANILAISSAFE

I have read this morning that a new campaign has come up on Twitter. This is to disseminate information to everyone that Manila is indeed safe after the hijacking of a tourist bus on August 23, 2010 by a disgruntled ex-cop.

I have lived in Manila for most of my life.   I was  schooled  here, worked here, met my DH here, raised a family here.  I can say that Manila is just as safe as any other city n the world.   I have visited Europe, the U.S., Asian countries - all of these places have their bad sides.  

I am alarmed by the  reactions of the Hong Kong Chinese on the internet. As much as I understand the emotions that have been triggered by the hostage taking last Monday, I hope that the situation does blow out of proportion.  This is an isolated case. The tourists were selected randomly by the hostage taker.  He did not choose the victims because of their race, social standing, or age.  I can only think that Mendoza thought that  he would make a bigger statement if he took hostage of tourists.  It is not a direct attack towards the Chinese in anyway. 

 

I hope that we would all take a breather from it all --  I hope that people in Hong Kong would not retaliate against Filipinos living and working in HK.  Violence does not solve violence.  In my mind revenge - if that is what people want - has already been served.  Mendoza is dead.  Lest we forget that he too had a family of his own.  He was a son, a father, a husband, and a brother.  They too are in mourning. 

I do not defend what he has done.  There is absolutely no excuse  for his actions.  But we should all look at the situation from a wider point of view.  Yes there were mistakes, many of them. A lot of "would have, could have, should have".  I myself was disappointed at how the hostage drama unfolded as I was watching it live.

A task force has already been formed to investigate on what had happened.  The Philippines has already agreed to the terms set by the Chinese government with regards to the victims. President Noynoy has already issued an official statement to the international community.

As a Filipino, I am deeply saddened by the events that happened.  If  I could apologize to the victims' families, I would.  No one wanted this to happen.
Today has been declared as a national day of mourning for the victims of the 8/23 hostage taking.
Let us all say a prayer for the victims and the families they have left behind.

Random Thoughts : QUIRINO GRANDSTAND HOSTAGE TAKING

I think I will not post a reaction on the events that transpired yesterday in Manila.  Many have already shared their thoughts, hind-sights, lessons, and criticisms.


I am saddened by the fact that a decorated police officer was pushed to the edge.  As our President mentioned, I also think Mendoza was not bent on killing the hostages or getting himself killed in the process. 

So who was this hostage taker - who really was former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza?  Reading from various articles on the internet, according to them - Senior inspector Rolando Del Rosario Mendoza was a decorated police officer. He was born on January 10, 1955 in Naic, Cavite.  Administrative charges were filed against him and three other officers, then dismissed for extortion and for forcing a chef to swallow Shabu. On October 17, 2008, the PNP Internal Affairs Service recommended the case be dismissed after Kalaw failed to appear in the proceedings. In August of the same year, the manila prosecutors Office Eight Division dismissed the case after Kalaw failed to appear during the preliminary proceedings. But the reassignment never happened due to his 90-day suspension.
His demands were simple.  He did not want money.  He just wanted his job back.  But what could have pushed him to hold hostage a bus full of tourists.  Were there no other ways for him to make his voice heard?  Was there no other channel in which he could petition his plea?   Why was he so desperate?

If the hostage ended differently would Mendoza get what he wanted? He was no ordinary "criminal".  That was for sure. He was a police officer for 23 years. The aftermath of this event is tragic.  I cannot judge Mendoza.  We will never the reasons why he was pushed to do what he has done.  He will never be reinstated.  

Pointing fingers does not and will not solve anything. The events that have led to the hostage taking will only be speculation,  or intelligent assumptions at best.  What's done is done.

We must move forward from this.  Accumulate all the lessons that we have learned.  Apologize to the international community, most especially our neighbors in Hong Kong. 

I think that we are being tested at a time of renewal and change.  No one ever said that it was going to be easy.

Addiction 101

Marlboro releases new packaging - 5s. DH brought this last night.  Our friends couldn't believe it.  DH says its to limit his cigarette consumption.  Really?

Ooooh I love these!

I have just recieved an email from Jimmy Choo website -- these shoes are GORGEOUS! I am officially in love!

Okay, okay, I don't really wear heels that often. But when  I do, I like my shoes to be rockin'! Like these! They are called Glenys made from kid leather and priced at 775 Euros. :) For more information on these shoes and other Jimmy Choo products click here -->Jimmy Choo

It's Friday and I will be wining and dinning with my man tonight. Woohoo! Happy weekend!

Spring Cleaning

Yey! I organized my bags today.  I hesitantly put into storage bags that I do not use often or have not used in the past 6 months.  I will lovingly give these bags to my family and friends -- I do not sell my pre-loved bags.  I want to ensure that their new owners will take care of them. =) I have to make room for my new babies =)

At least my closet has less clutter. 

DD and I went for a walk at ATC this afternoon, and ate an early dinner at Amici (YUM!). Although I must say, the quality does not compare to the original Amici located in Don Bosco Makati -- it used to be my favorite carbo loading spot. 

DH will be home tomorrow.  Looking forward to some quality time =)

Snapshot of moi last summer in Bora by my step-son.

Just Arrived: Louis Vuitton Artsy MM

Isn't she lovely =)

Due to the consistent and persistent demands of my BGF Paolo, to post my bags on my blog -- I am posting my newest arrival. I am a bit hesitant to post photos of my "babies".

I am on a self imposed Hermes ban until further notice --- I have been using my Bottega for the past few days -- I think I will use my Artsy tomorrow.

Ciao =)

Bag-a-holic Adventures : Leilanie's House of Bags

The pink "Birkin" thats sits at the entrance to Leilanie's House of Bags

After reading reviews of the recently opened Leilanie's House of Bags - this bag hag had to see for herself.  There were mixed reviews regarding the facade, the interior and of course the merchandise- bags, bags, and even more bags.
So I dragged my DD along.  She is so used to seeing bags with me. When we arrived, there was no parking available.   I turned the car around, thinking maybe another day.  But as I approached a car was leaving - Yey! I hastily got the parking slot.  As  I parked my "bag sense" were tingling all over.  I was a tad bit excited.  As I entered I could smell a hint of leather from all the eye candy inside their gold gilded cages.

Hermes bags waiting to be "adopted". (Sigh)

There were throws of bags in the 1st floor -- Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Coach, Fendi. Some pre-owned, unused, or brand new. Prices were reasonable for the pre-owned   There were some "questionable" bags though -- for one thing I am aware that LV never puts any kind of plastic covering on the handles of the bags.  There were bags with cling wrap - to protect the handles from further weathering, maybe. But these I have no idea ---

The second floor housed clothes, shoes, and some Longchamp totes.  Tsk, tsk - mixing the ultra luxe, with tacky.  The store should have been consistent in its message.
While the third floor had cheap China made toys that were a tad bit over-priced.  And Leilanie's own bags -- carrying the brand name Leilanie, I was not impressed.  Many of the bags had an "inspired" look.  A lot of them had an uncanny resemblance to Chanel, Balenciaga or Longchamp -

Longchamp inspired much?

I will have to visit again.  To thoroughly check the bags for signs of "authenticity" And I don't get why she labels authentic bags on her website as "ORIGINAL" (note the quotation marks) What does "ORIGINAL" mean -- what do the quotation marks mean? Eh? Mysterious...

So far -- I was not floored as I was expecting to be.  A lot of room for improvement.
You may visit their store:

191 AGUIRRE ST PHASE 2 B.F. HOMES PARANAQUE CITY

Parañaque, Philippines, 1720.

Ciao!

Tav Asia

Another night at my usual hang out in the south.  Tav Asia is a fairly new bar-resto in BF Paranaque.  Just over a year ago this establishment was opened by brothers Arthur and Alexander Cantor.

A loyal following soon came.  Manresans mostly since Alex is a graduate from Manresa.





With its cozy interiors its also a perfect venue for family gatherings or corporate meetings.  There is an airconditioned area, while an al fresco area is provided for those who want to enjoy the cool evening air.

This area allows patrons to just kick back and relax in a casual setting.  The area also serves as a stage when the bar has their acoustic nights.

Another area for more intimate al fresco dinning - for bigger groups. The cabana at the end is also a popular hang out for groups of friends.  My friends and I also stay in the cabana when we are complete.  We tend to be a little noisy, so as to not disturb other patrons. :)

This is the chicken satay -- my ultimate favorite dish at Tav. Of course I had to have this last night even though I already had my dinner.  Its super tender, you can taste the ginger and the peanut sauce.

DH prefers the chicken in pandan leaves.  He is more of a red-meat person, as I like white meat.  This dish is made of chicken thigh meat.  It's sweet with a little bit of tang. The meat is very tender as well.

I tried this dessert last night -- and it was DIVINE! A soft apple compote with a drizzle of caramel sauce, served with vanilla ice cream with a dash of cinnamon powder.   A perfect end to any meal. Yum!

All in all the ambiance, the price, the food, and the service TAV is certainly worth a trip to the south.

You may visit their Facebook page for more photos, click here --> TAV ASIA.

Monday Blues

Oh yes, I've got the Monday blues...still on weekend mode. Tired from all the activities (a.k.a. SHOPPING) there were SALES all over the place.  Still it was all good.  We had a good family lunch on Sunday at Itallianis -- was a bit disappointed with the service though.
Purchased a bag last week -- a Goyard St. Louis.  A GM white. To replace my brown one which I carelessly used as a beach bag.  My retail therapy weekend hasn't rubbed off yet -- so I guess more shopping later. Yahoo! And oh, I was sick for most of the week. Had a bit of cough, no fever though, thankfully :) Will post photos of the weekend later. Ciao!

Flicker -- Amatuer Photog :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34307429@N04/

Pretty face...I guess thats all there is

Rainy days...

So yeah, I guess should update my blog. Why did I decide to write this blog -- I used to be employed in an oil company. I was in sales. My everyday was filled with excitement (NOT!) This was my first job...

As years passed, I met my DH to be. So I decided to resign and change my career - to a stay at home wife. I hoped to be a mom someday. I did, 10 months after our wedding.


<--- This is Julia. My DD, my inspiration. Since DH has been based in Cebu for more than a year now. DD is my constant companion. We are together everyday, sometimes all day.

My weekdays are filled with errands. But I have plenty of "idle time" on my hands. I used to write a journal, the old fashion way. Using a pen and paper - i think. ;)

I thought, why not a blog. I'm online almost 24/7 anyway. I've read funny blogs, scary blogs, expose blogs, revenge blogs, foodie blogs, travel blogs etc, and of course blogs about bags :) I was trying to decide if my blog should be about one theme. I couldn't work around it. So many things happen in my life, I can possibly just choose one topic. No man is an island, as they say.

At the moment I think I am the only one who views my blog (looser!) LOL! But that's fine -- I enjoy writing random ideas and views.

Good day everyone :)

Laptop is dying..well at least the cord is.

This is the second time that I had the cord of my Laptop fixed. I don't recall having the cord of old laptop repaired until the time it just died on me -- I mean it crashed. And I didn't bother getting the laptop fixed since it has served me well in the 2 years that I had it. Anyway I needed to upgrade it. But the cord --- never did I have it fixed.
So I had to drag my daughter along to the mall to my trusted laptop repair center. Boy were we bored -- but I finally had my japanese fix. I was craving for tuna sashimi since last week. It was good to know that Teriyaki Boy now served frozen yoghurt - the soft serve kind. DD loves fro-yo and so do I. The technician said to come back after 2 hours --- so we checked out the new Payless Shoesource. Well it did not really tickle my fancy too much. The designs were very limited, even for kids. I was thinking since they just opened they may have limited stocks. I'll have to come back next week if anything has changed.
I got my laptop cord after two hours as promised. Just in time for me to update my blog. Yey!