2012: so far.

So far, 2012 is going great. I have a pending job application in a multinational company (I'm going to announce it as soon as I get accepted) and I spent my time going to Christmas parties - posts are here and here - and catching up on my movies, TV shows, and reading.

The Suite Vollard's entrance, the color scheme was just divine

Some of the works displayed on the red walls - a specific Pantone of red that goes with the exhibit

Pablo Picasso

Minotauro acariciando a una mujer dormida, 18 junio 1933

FUNDACION MAPFRE’s Collections

© Sucesión Pablo Picasso. VEGAP. Madrid, 2011 

Pablo Picasso
Minotauro moribundo, 30 mayo 1933
FUNDACION MAPFRE’s Collections
© Sucesión Pablo Picasso. VEGAP. Madrid, 2011

Last Saturday, I was in Mall of Asia with my friend Myk, who I met on Twitter two years back. I brought him to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila for the Suite Vollard, a 100 piece collection of Picasso's works. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I was blown away by actually seeing works by the Cubist master, who is one of my favorite artists. The works were sketches depicting violence and rape, and it was so overwhelming that I am surprised I didn't suffer from Stendhal Syndrome. The pieces were accentuated with beautiful Spanish music and sensuous red walls - a specific Pantone that goes with the Suite.

Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story, directed by Tikoy Aguiluz (I think)

We then went to Mall of Asia to watch Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story. I've been dying to see the film ever since I heard it was going to be filmed in black-and-white, and I imagined it would be like those old gangster movies. I wasn't disappointed, it was exactly like that and it had a great story to boot. It's about Asiong Salonga and his rise as the kingpin of Tondo, while dealing with a rival gang eager to put him down and a brother who works in the police force. It had a lot of guns, testosterone, and really good fedoras. Myk started liking the movie ten minutes before it ended, but I enjoyed it from start to finish. We had dinner at Pepper Lunch and dessert at Sebastian's Ice Cream, where I had the blue cheese ice cream with Palawan honey. The ice cream on its own tastes weird, but with the honey, it was heavenly. I recommend it to every adventurous gourmand.

On Thursday, I was in Makati for that job application. This is my second time to come back because the last time I was there, they were offering me the assistant manager position for a certain brand. They said I fit the image but I thought I'd like an office position better. Being an assistant manager was a tempting offer but they gave me time to think. I was interviewed by a manager who is infamous for being hard to please, but I was surprised because she was laughing the entire time. So I was back yesterday, set on the office position but I was interviewed again, this time by the HR manager. She was offering me the assistant manager position and refused to accept my office choice. They gave me time to think (for the second time), and I'm scheduled for another interview on Monday.

The chinoiserie from Alice Blue Candles promises a "a citrusy, woody, & floral scent reminiscent of the elegant gardens of old Shanghai"

Went to Glorietta to run some errands, mainly to buy the January-February issue of Esquire Philippines, some hair wax, and potted mums. I dropped by Alice Blue in Glorietta 3 to check out their scented candle collection. They have a wide variety of scents from the garden collection: bamboo, baby shower (with a scent of a freshly bathed and powdered baby), cranberry spice, French mimosa, Mediterranean fig, white tea and ginger, the cafe collection: berry crumble (their bestseller), cafe mocha, orange chocolate, and vanilla sugar, and the tropical collection: Boracay shores and the Palawan mystique. They're affordable candles manufactured in the Philippines and are made of soy wax. I got the chinoiserie, a "a citrusy, woody, & floral scent reminiscent of the elegant gardens of old Shanghai." They're located in Glorietta 3, Rockwell, and Trinoma.

With my brother, the confirmant, and his sponsor, our Tita Susan. What I wore: Topman dress shirt, my trusty Bench jeans, leather shoes from Sledgers and sunglasses from Aldo

After a grueling ceremony at 8AM, we are done! With my brother, who I think is just as excited for it to be over

 With my brother, my mom, and our Tita Susan

My brother with Shingen, one of his best friends. He's also a family friend

 A class picture with the bishop

Yesterday, the folks and I were in the Parish of St. James the Great in Ayala Alabang for my brother's confirmation. It was very long and I'm not sure how I got through it, but I was very proud of my brother who is finally confirmed, for what I don't know. He managed to upstage me, our mom, and his sponsor (our tita), by wearing a barong by Rajo Laurel. He's only 13. To celebrate, we had lunch at Omakase in ATC with Shingen, one of his best friends, who was also confirmed.

Photos from here.