Carlos

I've only been to Capones once, but I think Saguijo is more musician friendly, compared to Capones. Lots of indie and unsigned bands pay their dues at Saguijo before making it big.

Probably Dampa sa Libis, along E. Rodriguez/C-5 road?

+1 I learned to surf in Zambales couple years back, and these are good recommendations. It's starting to get into surfing season, so now's a good time to hit the waves (or learn, if you've never surfed before).

I've eaten at Dampa sa Libis and the food was great too. But I was referring to the wet market in Pasig/Ortigas that's right next to the place where everyone gets their pirated DVD's. It's weird how these two wet markets recruit transvestites and baklas to work for them. It's always a trip for the balikbayans to see.

The surf culture is alive and well in the Philippines. I met some cool people in the Manila surf community when I was there in April. I also met and chilled with some of the locals in Siargao. They're all down to earth, good hearted people. There's a huge surf competition in Cloud 9 in September where everyone in Siargao goes nuts. I'm gonna try to make it back for that if my work allows me. I think the height of the surf season is around December and January, so there will be plenty of waves to catch if you're there at that time. The weather is generally the nicest at that time of year as well. I'd love to be in the Philippines during Christmas and New Years but the ticket prices from New York must be bananas now, especially with the stupid high gas prices.

I had a good time at the Rockeoke Nights at mag:net cafe at High Street when I went in April. It's basically karaoke with a live band. So many cute girls in the crowd. I saw Anne Curtis on one of the nights I went:

It seemed like it was at the height of its popularity when I was there. The place was packed on both nights I attended. It might have died down since then and there will probably be some new hot shit in the next few months. I also went to Ponticello's (Ponti's) in Makati. Lots of beautiful people but I felt like the dirty old man in the club. It's definitely a younger college/post college crowd. And I can't get with that loud, booming techno shit that they were blasting all night. I preferred the more laid back places like mag:net in The Fort or Capone's in Makati. Capone's is good for checking out live bands and kicking back with a beer. The crowd was closer to my age too. Saguijo in Makati is another place to check out live music. The bands I saw at Saguijo, like Drip, were much better than the bands at Capone's.

My favorite places to eat in the Philippines are the ones that serve seafood. I stayed in the Renaissance Towers in Pasig and there was this wet market nearby where you choose your fresh fish, crabs, shrimp, etc. and they prepare it for you in the several restaurants surrounding the wet market. Most of the servers and waiters were transvestites or gay. Any of the locals know what I'm talking about? The food was so good. There are also a bunch of good Chinese restaurants around the Green Hills/San Juan area that serve slammin sea food. One restaurant that comes to mind is King Crab. I haven't tried the newer, fancy restaurants in Greenbelt 5 or Serendra. I'd much rather eat at the mom and pop joints where the real shit is.

If you don't know people or have relatives in Manila to show you around, I think you'd be better off going to one or two of the beautiful beaches in the Philippines. Manila can be very overwhelming if you don't know your way around. Of course, Boracay is the popular choice for beach destinations in the PI. If you want a more peaceful getaway, check out places in Palawan like El Nido or Coron. If you're into surfing, there are some great spots in the PI like Zambales or La Union. If you want something more off the beaten path and more untouched, check out Siargao. Perfect waves in Cloud 9.

I have the Pentax K10D and all three of the FA Limited lenses: 31mm f1.8, 43mm f1.9 and 77mm f1.8. I'm quite happy with this setup and the results I get are excellent. My favorite is probably the 77mm. I chose the FA Limiteds over the DA Limited pancakes (21mm, 40mm and 70mm) because they're faster (f1.8 vs. f2.8) and the construction of the FA Limiteds are amazing. I don't think you can go wrong with either though. It's just a matter of preference. Although if Pentax ever goes full frame, the DA pancakes won't be compatible. Here's an article about the FA Limiteds being one of the best primes ever tested:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-02-05-02.shtml

I've entertained the thought of switching to Canon and trying the full frame 5D with those L primes, but I think I'm gonna stick it out with Pentax especially since I have a couple grand invested in these primes already. I'm just gonna upgrade to the K20D because of the better performance at higher ISO. The new sensor is supposed to be pretty good.

I noticed there's a bunch of Eagles fans here. What's the word on Westbrook this year? I have him on my squad too. Any chance of him repeating his elite numbers last season? Are Buckhalter and Moats gonna steal some of his shine? I could see how the Eagles would want to protect Westbrook from injury but they would be stupid not to feature him like they did last year. I think he proved he can be an every down back. He's a homerun threat every time he touches the ball.

but definitely go and visit. it'll make you appreciate what you have here. last time i was there my dad tells me we're going to visit my cousin and his family near malabon. an hour jeepny ride and 45 minute boat ride through some swamp we arrive at my cuz's bahay cubo. talk about an eye opener! no electricity, water had to be drawn from a well and the bugs! i will never complain about life here in the states.

My Mother's family is from Malabon. They live in this compound that basically isolates them from the city. My Lola and uncles rarely leave the place. Malabon is probably the most ghetto part of Manila I witnessed first hand. So many street kids running around. They play in the puddles in the street, I think that's how some of them even bathe. I remember driving through the streets when it was raining and these kids started throwing shit (literally) on our windshield. I was like WTF?! and it didn't even phase my uncles who acted like it's normal for kids to throw shit on your window for fun.

Needless to say, I don't enjoy going to Malabon because it depresses me to see people living this way. When I visit the Philippines, I usually stay at my rich aunt's place in Ortigas in Pasig, which is central to all the action in Manila (Makati, Greenhills, Quezon City). I know I'm a spoiled American. I do enjoy seeing my family in Malabon though, I just wish it wasn't such a trek to see them. It takes 2 hours to get from Pasig to Malabon which is probably only 10 miles away. And you have to plan your trip according to high/low tide because the streets get flooded in Malabon. When I get there, my family always has the best meals ready for me with probably the biggest shrimps I've ever seen. When I want to see what real life in the Philippines is like, I see them. They always take me to all the gritty stuff like the local cockfight which was a trip.

Artie Lange's Beer League is the greatest movie about Jersey ever! The movie's representation of guidos is so on point.

Which town has the most guidos? I think it's a toss up between Clifton and Lyndhurst. Of course, Seaside Heights is like the Mecca for guidos in the Summer.

Havent been able to find a decent job. One place offered 8000 a month, which is how much rent is.

Damn that's rough. That's like $160 USD. When I was coming home from a night out, my cousin and I went to a McDo in Ortigas and saw all these people on their "lunch" break at 3 a.m.! My cousin told me they were all from call centers in the area. Sprinkled among the crowd were some white and black dudes probably from America. My cuz said those were the managers of the call centers imported from the States. He said they live a pretty good life in Manila with paid housing, a driver, and all that. I asked how much people in call centers made and he said around 15,000 pesos which he said is a respectable salary in Manila. I was a bit surprised because that's only $300 a month, but it's all relative. 15,000 pesos goes a long way in Manila. My cousin also said a lot of college grads in the Philippines work the call centers because the pay is good and it's an easy job.

Anyway, you should look into working at a call center since you speak English well and it's almost double of what you were offered. Call centers are a lucrative business now in the Philippines. I know there's concentrations of these places in Ortigas and Eastwood City (off Libis). I think the mall in Eastwood is open all night to accommodate the people from call centers. Good luck.

For messenger bags, I don't think you can beat the quality of Chrome. I bought the Chrome Metropolis bag to use as a carry-on bag when I travel. It can fit a whole lot of stuff in there. I haven't really used it on my rides simply because I don't need to carry that much when I'm riding. But if you haul a lot on your bike, this definitely comes in handy.

I usually just use the Deuter Race X Air when I ride long distances because of the hydration pack and because it's light (10 liters). And the Air Comfort back design on the bag prevents any back sweat that Canice alluded to.

Thanks for the comments. The iro is the work commuter. Got the spin wheel real cheap at my lbs. Wanted a hed tri spoke but made no sense in putting a wheel on that cost more than the bike. The Cervelo is sweet. 9w is killer on a fixed, picked it up for that reason. I'd like to upgrade the wheels and componets but my wedding is putting a whole in the pocket. Hopefully sooner than later.

Arevalo - Just peeped the concept .. Nice.

Hey, I ride 9W. I don't have a road bike yet so I use my Specialized Stumpjumper with slicks. I always feel out of place with all the road bikes passing me by. But there's a great community of riders there. I usually ride from Englewood Cliffs to Piermont and back. The hill by the New York border always kills me on the way back to Jersey. I can't wait to get on my bike again when the weather gets even warmer. I work in Englewood Cliffs so I'm seeing more and more cyclists coming out from their winter hibernation.

no mas.

for unconventional bikes check this:

http://www.brooklynmachineworks.com/

i heard good things about them. but for road and mountain bikes, i go to Conrad's Bicycle Shop on 41st Street in Tudor City (across the street from the UN). it's a mom and pop shop. they have all the best bikes (Seven, Colnago, Pinarello, De Rosa, etc.) and they know their shit. my dad's been goin there since the 70's and i've been a customer since i started getting into cycling in the 90's.

Hair Kuwayama, 10th Street btw Second and First Aves. Same price range as Hairmates and Hoshi Coupe. I haven't tried hairmates yet. I think Hair Kuwayama is better than Hoshi Coupe because it's easier to communicate with the hair stylists. In Hoshi Coupe, language can be a barrier. But I've been very satisfied with the cuts I got from Hair Kuwayama. Seiko is my girl.

You must be talking about the bazaar in Green Hills in Manila. That place is really a spectacle to behold. I was there a couple weeks ago. It really is like a maze in there. I got lost a couple times myself. I found it funny that bootleg dvd's are banned in there yet there are plenty of bootleg sneaker stalls. Random dudes loitering on the side would try to peddle dvd's to me like they were drugs. $8 bootleg Jordan's. My cousin told me that they're practically the same since they're all made in China, only the quality of the leather isn't as good as the real thing. I wouldn't buy them though. The only things I bought from there were some wooden sculptures, a couple back scratchers and a picture frame from Cebu. And if you're into jewelry, the muslim stalls selling the pearls and semi-precious stones are a really good deal.

"A Personal Matter" Kenzaburo Oe

"Norwegian Wood" Haruki Murakami

"The Alchemist" Paulo Coelho

"America Is in the Heart" Carlos Bulosan

"The White Boy Shuffle" Paul Beatty

"The Great Gatsby" F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The Sun Also Rises" Ernest Hemingway

"Death in Midsummer" Yukio Mishima

"Drown" Junot Diaz

"Invisible Man" Ralph Ellison

Quote:

didnt manage to get sugarcane jeans as there's no reply from them

Try here? http://historypreservation.com/hpassociates/sugarcane.php

--- Original message by ringring on Mar 24, 2005 06:22 AM

Their Classic T's fit me just fine. I prefer them to other brands' boxy shape. I prefer AA's slim silhouette to show off the guns.

they are a bit fruity. i'll stick with the regular vans.

Started skating seriously around 91. First real setup I can remember was a Lance Mountain Firm deck with Indy trucks, german bearings, and Santa Cruz wheels. Continued skating til 95 when street and 42 mm wheels were the shit. Favorite setup was my Ed Templeton deck, Venture featherlites, 44 mm Stereo wheels and Swiss Bearings. Favorite shoes to skate in were Chukka Boots. Used to skate the Banks, Washington Square, East Village, and various places in Jersey. Favorite skaters were Dune, Jason Lee, Ed Templeton, Kareem Campbell and Bobby Puleo. Stopped skating for almost ten years, but kept in touch with the skate culture. Recently bought a board to fuck around with, but after 10 years and 50 lbs. I'm finding the tricks aren't as easy as they used to be. Last trick re-learned: 180 kickflip double flip. Current setup: Enjoi Puleo deck, Venture trucks, 54 mm Spitfire wheels. Kicks: Nike Dunk SB's.

oliver peoples makes nice sunglasses. if you're in nyc, they have a couple of boutiques there. check the website for styles. they also collaborated with paul smith on a few designs.

I'm a big guy too 220 lbs...used to be a 36 before winter set in...now i'm more comfortable in a 38. These dunderdon jeans I just got are great in a 38. Not too baggy not too tight. Sits just right. I also got a pair of APC English cut jeans in a 36. They're a bit more snug but not testicle-adjusting tight. My Rogans in 38 is kinda baggy. Probably the best fitting jeans I own are my Fake London's. Got a pair at Barney's a few years ago and they still fit great. Recently copped a pair in Century 21 for $100. Not bad.

Big L R.I.P

Barney's

Selvedge on Mulberry St.

after buying a pair, wait about six months or so and just dry clean them. and dry clean whenever necessary after that.

I wasn't very happy with my first pair of Rogan Vapors. In less than a month and after one wash, they ripped in the gooch/ass crack area. Mind you, I'm not a fat ass nor was I doing anything wild in them. Them shits just fell apart. Fortunately after emailing some people at Rogan, I brought them back to Union and they replaced them for me. Now I wear them sparingly and haven't washed them. I even brought them to the tailor to have them reinforced in the gooch because I noticed some tears beginning to form. This will probably be the last pair of Rogans I'll own.

I got a pair of the P4 raw denim jeans from dunderdonusa.com (aka coolestshop.com) today in the mail. I got the P25 Gaber pants about a month ago at Vice for $106, and they're selling them on the dunderdonusa site for $79. So, I took an L on that. But the price of the Small Logo hoodie I got from Vice is comprable to the online store. I'm looking for some of the other things on dunderdon.com, like the 5-pocket denim and some of the accessories, like the chain and belt, that are NOT on Dunderdon's US webshop or at Vice. I'm on a Dunderdon kick now.