Cebu Pacific x Visa

What an amazing day I had yesterday thanks to Cebu Pacific's newest collaboration with Visa. Days like these that make me very privileged to be based here in the Philippines. Sometimes I have those days where I'm in Manila thinking to myself wtf am I doing here - I could be spending time back home with family and friends, but when I have spontaneous days like these I think to myself, "no way would I get the chance to do something like this back in my hometown in Australia". So this was definitely a memorable experience for me.

Thanks to Bridges PR, bloggers such as Laureen, Kelly Misa and I were invited to the Cebu Pacific & Visa luncheon event to witness the official partnership between the two empires. It was quite interesting to hear what was said throughout the conference as I learnt some interesting statistics, one being: up to 90% of airfare purchases are paid in cash. So it became apparent that one of the few reasons for the collaboration is to help promote VISA for people to purchase electronically. And they've also included a loyalty program to help piggyback the collaboration.

Shortly after the press conference, it was announced that they'd be giving all the press who attended the event a new VISA card with P10,000 pesos. Of course, there was a catch though haha - we had to spend it in 30 minutes within the premisses of Resorts World Mall where the event was held. The pressure was on! It was insane to see people around me light up like a bulb yet at the same time become all hesitant, because weren't sure what to buy let alone not know anything about what's available in the mall. With me, I had my mindset on purchasing airfares, so the young traveller inside me gets the chance to be set free! Laureen and I ended up spending our money on return tickets to Hong Kong and IloIlo. What a bargin! But of course, there was internet connection dilemmas and such so we didn't get to spend all of the money... Not to worry though, I was thankful enough to have been given this opportunity.

 The sign of a business venture collaboration through a credit card swipe!

 Can't forget to include the foodporn 

 Assistant staff were assigned to Laureen and I to help keep us from going insane with the amount of time we had to spend. I'm sure my assistant looks at me differently now hahaha.

Special thanks to Franco Santos & Nicole Jacinto of Bridges PR

Sebago Stylin' 3

If someone ever asked me to name my favourite brand of shoe, I'm gonna say….. Oh! well, I don't know what I'm going to say haha... because I have plenty of shoe brands with different styles that are in my favourite list. But when it comes to quality and detail, I would definitely choose Sebago. 

Previously last week, Sebago Philippines had an exclusive event to showcase their collection with the opportunity to choose a pair to keep. Rugged wannabe as I am, I had to go with a new set of desert boots just in case an old pair failed on me haha... A notable feature Sebago shoes incorporate that many brands don't have are the rubber layers at the botton of wooden soles. From birds eye view it's not noticeable at all but the rubber feature helps keep a solid grip a wooden shoe won't, along with adding a cosmetic protection to the surface. So if you're looking for a new pair of kicks that will last you definitely consider Sebago shoes on your options list. 

Outfit: Burgundy tee from Topman, Industrie chinos, Boxfresh letterman's bag, KOMONO wooden frames and Brixton air-force cap.

Lust For Life

Since it has been a while since I have last posted, much has happened in the city of Manila. One thing about the Philippines that I'll never get over is its hunger for nightlife social connection. Every week there is at least one or two events. Either a new brand is debuting or a new restaurant that's just opened, the city of Manila is resting. Previously last week had been the opening for Australia's Cotton On clothing, opening in SM Megamall. Since I'm from Australia, this isn't my first time to get a glimpse of Australia's fashion sense. I did find a few items I liked such as the maroon button-down that I'm wearing and let me say, it's so much cheaper than back home in Australia! I chose Maroon because it's quite a newly introduced color which has certainly caught a lot of attention. But take in mind, it's a color that can only be worn with specific tones. With that being said, this was what I managed to put together.

KOMONO wooden frame sunglasses

Maroon button down from Cotton On, grey shirt from Arvust, chinos from Topman, General pants socks, Industrie desert boots, KOMONO wooden frame sunglasses and watch from SM Accessories.

Premio Unwind

There's no stopping my urge to sit back and unwind over an amazing new style of cuisine! I took the time to go see what all the hype was about, when a little birdy told me to go check out Premio Bar & Restaurant. Just recently opened in The Fort (32nd st infront of S&R), Premio are a new-age Filipino orientated restaurant infused with western style cooking, to create just a simply delicious combination to sooth those taste buds! Designed and funded by Chef Francesca Cariño, her hard work will soon yet to pay off when the word spreads out, how indulging the food is, topped off with a picturesque interior setting.

One of my favorite dishes! Salmon on pikelets. Was interesting to witness at first, but after taking a bite, these little badboys were finished in no time haha. 

Bench Rocks With Adam Levine

It was a very surreal moment for me. I never realized that I would get the chance to see an idol up close and personal. There's always talk about it either hearing it from a friend or a friends-friend who witnessed a celebrity in person. But when you finally get to experience it yourself, it comes as one big surprise. I wasn’t lucky enough to get a photo opportunity due to time constraints but being able to witness Adam Levine in person was a great moment. Thanks to Bench Clothing who proudly introduced him as their newest endorser at yesterday’s exclusive press conference.

I have always admired Maroon 5 since day one when their hit debut 'This Love' reached the charts for the first time. But it was only when 'She Will Be Loved' became such a hit that I noticed it was that very song itself that had glued to a particular girl. I was in my early teenage years at high school. Haha, and I'm sure I wasn't the only guy who had the same effect towards that song. Nowadays, Maroon 5 are just absolutely killin' it, releasing multiple hit singles, that it's just plain weird for teenagers to have never of heard the name ‘Maroon 5’ or specifically, leading man Adam Levine. Not only is Adam seen as a role model to young aspiring singers and teenage girls, but he also has wins the admiration from the guys - a respect very hard to obtain in today’s alternative pop culture. 

I must say Adam Levine seemed very tired for the interview as he just arrived from South Korea the night before, so props to him for making the effort to attend. Although the interview had been very short, it was great to hear Adam speak as an honest individual, expressing his thoughts about his career at this very point in time and willingly give advice to the audience. Happy to share intimate details about his fashion sense. Adam regards his style as simple yet tidy, so long as the clothes are durable to last for a long period of time. Having many pairs of socks is a necessity for him, as he has a tendency for losing them. Haha. And also, he likes plain colored polo t-shirts in particular to avoid attracting too much attention. With that being said, this is why he particularly favors Bench Clothing as an endorsement. 

With such a strong rivalry between leading clothing brands Bench and Penshoppe, this by far one of the biggest endorser claims for Bench Clothing. Take in mind, Penshoppe have a long list of hollywood a-list celbs including Zac Efron, Ed Westwick, Mario Maurer and Leighton Meester under their belt, the war between endorsement ownership is far from over.

The Dappers Desire

There are so many clothing stores in Brisbane city selling the same clothes it's not funny. My friends and I came across the clothing store named LACED. It was only since I left Australia to move to the Philippines that this store had opened, so taking my first step inside was rather exciting. The shoes were just awesome! With a great selection of Vans, Nikes and New Balance kicks, you definitely won't find such variety in any other generic clothing store. Even the backpacks were pretty gnarly because I hadn't seen such detailed designs before. I must say it was rather amusing to see new inspiration, especially when theres Danny Brown (rapper) playing through the speakers, it no doubt gives the street dapper vibe.

Very clean and tidy, mint.

The backpacks are awesome. Detailed designed backpacks like these really add the extra touches to an outfit.

I'm sure some of you recognize these shoes

A Lovely City

Nothing beats taking a stroll on a vibrant Saturday afternoon with picture perfect weather and a temperature that won't send you looking for an extra layer or bottles of water to fight the heat. It just makes all our surroundings feel amazing. Having the opportunity to borrow my friends Canon 5d Mark II, I managed to capture some memorable shots of the beautiful Brisbane city. Just scanning over these photos actually makes me miss Australia a lot, nonetheless I have the opportunity to go back home anytime soon. There's no doubt about it the Brisbane CBD was created beautifully to a 'T'. I guess resembling a miniature version of Melbourne if we kept the Public Trams. Only an hour away from the beaches or hinterland, Brisbane is definitely the prime location for a tourists getaway haha.

East-Side Swole

I’m back in the game.

It took me a week to get back into the rhythm since returning to the Philippines. Last week I was totally out of it having to go under minor surgery for a knee operation. The day before I was in Canberra (capital of Australia) obtaining my Filipino citizenship. The last few days before departing back home, I had the opportunity to do some construction work, thanks to my mate Dean. He required an extra set of hands and it was a great experience that put me back into routine, continuously waking up at 5am each morning.

Now I’m settled down back in Manila with a great sleeping pattern set in stone. I have found myself to be customarily proactive. Damn! Why wasn’t I in the routine a long time ago? Imagine all Filipino’s waking up 6am to start their day, the country would be a lot more productive. One day I hope. Aside from my digital camera, I have been hurling around a new novel I’ve been reading by author Neil Strauss and my Tagalog Dictionary. Never in the world would I have thought I would aspire to be a bookworm but then again it seems to be slowly paying off intellectually haha. Well, my adventure in Australia is still not yet over with many photos yet to post. So stay in touch.

MSENSE Vintage watch, Topman blue button down, Topman Chino's, Industrie desert boots, Death by Zero tee.