Spent the whole day with my dear friend Bags cruising all over the metro yesterday. Well we only had a couple of things in mind, but the idea was to keep ourselves open for what may happen. In short, we didn't have definite plans. Our first stop was at my office to do a couple of important tasks, which lasted for about 15 minutes. After that we drove to the nearest car dealership to check out my latest project. It was there that I hooked up with Mitch who will be spending lunch with us before he goes to his photo-meeting somewhere in north.
As expected, we didn't have a specific restaurant in mind so I urged them to try the weekend Salcedo Market near our office. A couple of first timers, I felt they were intrigued and quite amazed with what they saw. As Mitch's photo buddy TJ joined us, we eventually all had a yummy Hungarian Sausage lunch with a sugar free dessert and cold drinks. The hungarian sausage was good and it was unfortunate for us not to catch stalls with famous desserts and dishes to sell. We now know better to go to Salcedo Market earlier to experience the dishes we missed.
Moving on, while Mitch and TJ went to their engagement, Bags and I decided to go to Powerplant Rockwell for a quick mall R&R. While being there, we never had a specific agenda in mind except to check the Urban Bazaar that Bags mentioned she heard from a friend. Checking Urban Bazaar did not necessarily mean that we would go on a shopping spree taking into consideration that we're both in a "financially challenging phase" in our lives right now. But nevertheless, we were open to the possibility.
We paid a 100 bucks each for the entrance fee and met fashionable girls who tote LVs with satiny smooth skins eager to burn money. We saw stalls that sell vintage dresses, jewelry stalls that are one of a kind and shoe stalls for all types of girls. But most importantly, focusing on the summer season, we saw stores solely selling swimwear of varying, cuts, colors and prices.
It was an automatic priority for us to check on swimsuits, not only because it's summer, but Bags and I have an upcoming trip to one of the coolest hot spots in the country. We might not have enough time and opportunity so Bags and I dedicated to rummaging racks just in case.
While shopping at young start up stalls that use even Multiply sites as another engine for their market-concentrated business, I applaud them for breaking down the boxed up retail stores on bravely coming up with a brand of their own. These entrepreneurs, I've noticed who are manning their own stalls, come from well to do families who cater to what they obviously love, which is fashion. In this case, they cater to swimsuits, dresses and jewelries. Some swimsuit designers and owners of young brands like Naked Sun, Soak and Cocomo, were even my schoolmates in college . Granted that we belong to the same age bracket, it's very positive and inspiring to see them embark on the world of business and retail.
After a couple of rounds, Bags and I ended up staying longer in a funky and very avant garde swimwear stall that sell The Naked Sun swimwear label. We were attracted by the colorful swimsuits, the one of a kind cuts and the oooh-lala soft fabrics. It also helped that the owners of the stall are vivacious and willing to help us with the fittings and the decision making. Bags was smitten with her plum one strap bikini, while I was attracted to their U-shaped strap Cleo two piece. With the kind of fabric, color and fit, I couldn't care less if I don't have the Swimsuit Illustrated body, which I'm so far from achieving. Swimsuits like that can give people like me, who have highly imperfect bodies, more courage to wear in public.
But in truth, Bags had a stronger position to buy one because she had a much easier chance and current means. Suffice to say that I was only there to support and admire as I had no intentions of buying especially if it's in a bazaar. I always have a thing with bazaars because it's not normal for me to find something that I would like there, much more if I would look for a swimsuit. Choosing swimsuits that work well for my body type and specifications is like a finding a needle in a haystack, multiply it by two in a bazaar. I would eventually get stressed at cramped fitting rooms and the stocks are always limited. Hence I would usually cling on to usual and trusted stores, which has always been a shopping attitude of mine.
To make matters worse, I didn't think of bringing cash with me. So I learned a valuable lesson when I ended up loving a swimsuit that beckoned me the first time I saw it. With proper consultations and assistance, the owner drove home the point that I looked nice in it, a merely humble compliment to Bags' smashing reviews on her chosen bikini. Bags bought hers and I slightly tried to counter my desire due to the fact that my resources were not with me. But subtle signs like that didn't work when Bags offered to buy the swimsuit for the meantime. I bled her wallet dry when we stepped out of the bazaar with our own purchases tucked in my bag.
After the intense shopping moment because the suits we lately realized was slightly expensive, we decided to cool down at FIC Ice Cream Bar. A couple of brave souls, we decided to go for a dessert right after buying our own swimwear. Talk about a weird turn of events. To make it less guilty, we both ordered yogurt instead of the normal creamy ice cream. 95% fat free they say.
After our Rockwell Purchase, we headed off to my office to settle some reports while thinking of what to do for dinner. In the end, it was decided that we would meet up with Bags' boyfriend and another friend of ours somewhere in the South. We headed back to our village to meet up, took my car and went to Alabang to experience the most raved Japanese Restaurant, OMAKASE.
My sister and Bags' friends kept on building up the sushi. Japanese food lovers, Bags and Ian ordered the recommended sushi as I ordered Katsudon for a first time experience (imagine that!). The restaurant was packed despite its hidden location and we noticed the price wasn't bad for a Japanese restaurant. I thought we already had it good, until the trademark sushi dishes were delivered. Talk about NIRVANA. American Dream, salmon sushi with fried tasty batter with cream cheese dip was to die for. It was exactly how my sister described it. The spicy tuna salad was love and our dishes met our expectations. The best part is, it's not that expensive compared to the Japanese restaurants I've dined in Amorsolo. It was a fulfilling dinner and glad that we were open to the fact of traveling all the way to Alabang to have one of the best Japanese food experiences in our entire life. After that, we went on to buy coffee (instead of dessert) as we headed home stuffed and happy.
When I got home at past 11 pm, I still wanted to do a few things like blog, play SIMS or re-fit my newly purchased swimwear. But after doing my bathroom routine and seeing my bed, I surrendered. I stared at the ceiling and realized how productive my day turned out to be. The last activity I had while lying down was calling up Mitch to say goodnight. I must have been that burned out that slept immediately took hold of me in an instant.
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