So yeah, instead of resisting the urge, I just went for it and got 2 bottles.
Got it in Zara Glorietta.
Jo Malone x Zara Collab Amber and Fig Cashmere
Vibrant Leather Oud Elixir.
That's all.
Rain is 5 years old today. (Born: Sept 13, 2021)
Position when this pic was taken - outside Uniqlo 7th Ave
Tynnyfer: huy, landiin mo naman ako
Rain: Hard pass teh.
I accompanied a friend to Zara Glorietta so he can get his own fragrance. I was the one who ended up getting 4 more bottles, these are Jo Malone x Zara collab scents.
Outside BDO, Miko's Burger, Tagaytay Rotonda Area.
Me ASOsasyon. Meron palang pa meeting si madame.
As a GenX'er, dating was a lot more fun "way back then" in the 1990s-2000s
we talked on the phone, we prepared for the meet up, we dressed up to the nines, and show up with our best foot forward.
At the time, phones were used for calling, texting and social media apps came in really much later.
Nowadays people say they can't get dates anymore. Read a lot of horror stories not just in Reddit but in other apps (Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, Romeo) and the common denominator is uncanny.
This isn't a function of the absence of potential mates, it is the function and absence of courtesy, good taste and alas, manners.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room - Physical attraction. Let's face it, one wants to look good on screen and in real life but let's face it, unless one is a Vogue photographer or has one on his employ or one as his friend, we'd all look haggard in pictures taken by a smartphone without the proper lighting.
Conversely, there are those that have photoshop skills, or has those phones with fancy photo editing capabilities that usually get the bulk of actually meeting people in the flesh, but their prospective dates also get disappointed upon meetup because the other person feels they've been catfished, when in reality, the person is just good with photo editing tools which looks different in real life, or used a photo from several decades ago.
What then I propose is simple. Let's go back dating, old school - Analog.
We talk on the phone, we get to know each other, and we meet up. No pics. Just a leap of faith.
People say that this is harsh because there are those that don't look nice in their pictures.
I get that.
But the converse is also true right? One can look good in pictures but don't look the part in real life.
And in the end no one wins.
I'll sweeten the deal - It's my treat for late lunch or merienda or dinner, but there are conditions. (under requirement)
Venue is Alabang Town Center / Molito Center tomorrow afternoon (meeting time 3-4pm) August 01, 2026
I'm craving for greek/thai/italian tomorrow afternoon (Aug 01) so that's the gameplan.
What I'm looking for:
Preferably chronologically around my age or someone who may be chronologically younger, but should be emotionally mature as someone beyond his age.
Preferably someone out or already knows himself to be part of the LGBTQUIA+ community, but still masculine.
Preferably my height (I'm 5'10"), but someone taller or shorter is fine.
No body type since a lot of times its always the "fit" or "athletic" or "twink" that gets the dates and the rest gets crumbs. I was that fit/athletic/twink 30 years ago. Now that I'm in my 50s I get it.
Frankly at my age its already revolting that the community still have that mindset, even for those who are my age.
My only one requirement - NO PHONE CALLS / TEXTS / USE OF THE SMART PHONE while we're together.
We talk, debate, look around and interact like normal people sans smartphones, we can even watch the movies if both want to.
If either one of us needs to take an urgent call (obviously it will ring or vibrate) excuse yourself and go back.
If both of us or either one of us uses the phone for any reason like doomscrolling or talking to someone, the meetup is automatically finished and if at the time we're still eating lunch/merienda/dinner, we go dutch treat (KKB).
If you think you are that guy or you think you are up for the challenge, we talk further.
Another caveat: This is a 1 on 1 meetup. if you are a couple/throuple, sorry but this meet up is not for your team.
Hello there.
I am Mikee from Manila, Philippines
These are my pics of my ZMF Aeolus
These are my only "wooden" headphones in my collection.
I use it for easy listening, jazz and instrumentals.
The stock cabling is single-ended. Good thing the connector of ZMFs are similar to that of Audeze hence I use my Audeze LCD MX4 balanced cables on my ZMFs every so often.
I attended an audio meetup at the 5th level of Shangrila Mall related to the Philippine introduction of Sennheiser's new wireless headset - Sennheiser Momentum 5s
After the presentation, listening session and refreshments, I remembered to do my "homework" and look around Rustan's to update my scent/frag database.
After I was done in Rustans' right across the ground floor where the fragrances are is a branch of zara.
As usual I went ahead to the fragrance section.
Lo and behold the rare "ebony wood" from Jo Malone x Zara collab was in stock, although not in the elixir (parfum) concentration but just the EDP.
Also snatched a dual bottle pack of Zara Night Pour Homme II/II.
And I thought I was done with Zara for 2026
I was just supposed to look around Le Labo, Maison Margiela, Cristian Dior and Abercrombie and Fitch in SM MOA kanina to update my "scent memory bank".
Lakas maka budol si Zara eh.
So ayan. 4 bottles added to the collection.
May 2024: I decided to enter a red gate though the bottom grilles and declared to the humans around that i am hungry dirty and needs TLC by my loud meowing.
Some schmuck fell for my modus and took me in their apartment.
There were 3 big dogs that didnt approve of my presence. Taught them a lesson on cat psychology. The first male white dog I indoctrinated to bow down to me just by mere stare. As for his mother, she needed more "pawsuation". A paw scratch here and there on her body should do the trick. As for the brown aspin, he's harmless.
Here's a pic of me now after several months.
Our Qatari princess (rescue doggo from Doha, Qatar), Qatrine!
She's a Grizzle Saluki, rescued from the desert surrounding the Pinoy OFW housing community in the outskirts of Doha.
She came in May 2021, and has been living her best life in Amadeo, Cavite.
We're extremely thankful for the Pinoy OFWs who rescue dogs in other countries, then send them over here.
A warm henlo from the highlands of Amadeo, Cavite.
I've been into fragrances as far as I can remember even when I was still in high school.
My first ever foray into fragrances was in 1988 with Christian Dior's Fahrenheit.
My dad was gifted one by my aunt from the US but he didn't like the "amoy gubat" scent on him so he gave it to me.
Eventually during christmas, i asked my ninong/ninangs to gift me fragrances instead of money/toys and that's how I amassed my initial fragrance collection.
Eventually, while I was in college, I had sidline work and money I made from work funded my "vice" of buying fragrance stuff from Rustans.
From 1998 till 2010s these are how I rememered my fragrance "history"
Fahrenheit, Polo Green, Ralph Lauren Safari, Lacoste for Men, Givenchy Insense, Givenchy Insense Ultramarine, Chanel Egoiste Platinum, Antonio Puig Agua Brava, Ralph Lauren Polo Sport, Hugo by Hugo Boss (that one with the Army cap), Ferrari Red, Christian Dior Dune for Men, Giorgio Armani pour homme, Acqua Di Gio, Eau de Rochas, Aramis New West, Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger, Monsieur de Givenchy, k Kenzo Pour Homme, L'Eau d' Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake, Loewe Essencia, Solo Loewe for men, Z Zegna By Ermenegildo Zegna, Eau d'Orange vert by Hermes, Terre d' Hermes, Bulgari Extreme for Men, Bulgari Aqva, Bulgari Aqua Toniq, Ino Sotto Mondo - Deauville, Miro and Huit, Creed Aventus, Silver Mountain Water
From 2010s to 2025 I just finished my last remaining bottles of designer fragrances and started looking into worthy dupes and quasi-niche/ niche fragrances like Acca Kappa, Diptique, L'Occitane, BestPerfume store.
So for a time I was sporting Acca Kappa Muschio Bianco, Green Mandarin, 1869, Cedro.
In December 2025, someone gifted me a 2x100ml EDT bottles of Zara Green Savage and Blue Spirit Summer fragrances.
Let's just say this jumpstarted my fragrance collection journey again.
As of now, I have these (pictured)
BestPerfume Store version of: Terre D'Hermes and Bulgari Aqua
Zara Fragrances: Energetically New York, Fashionably London, Elegantly Tokyo (all in Elixir)
Blue Temptation Fresh, Blue Zenith, Bogoss Vibrant Leather Summer, Vibrant Leather and Vibrant Leather&Oud(2x60ml bottle pack) Absolutely Dark and Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes (All in Eau De Parfum)
I don't so much rely on online reviews, since fragrance hunting for me is a personal preference since same fragrances smell differently on different people. So I base it on how it matches me, hence it takes time to build a collection.
Here are my collection of Noctua 'stuff'.
Started with fans: NF-F12 PWMs, Then with NF-A14 PWM, then chromax black NF-S12A PWM. Eventually ended up with a NH-D15 chromax black with 2x NF-A15 PWM fans.
If you ask me, I like the brown and beige color theme, Noctua earned that color identity.
Got these cans last May, but I was only able to listen to them properly last june during an audio meet.
The sound off the bat (un-burned in) is a cross between the bass of Sony MDR Z1R, the spaciousness of the Sennheiser HD800s, treble airiness of an Audeze LCD MX4 but at a friendly pricing of a pre-owned Focal Elear with busted drivers that were repaired.
It sounds way above its punching class
Hello.
I am Rain.
I have an Aspin Father and a Grizzle Saluki Mother.
I do not look like any of them.
My favorite things are greek yoghurt and dentastix
Help me understand, iba na ba dating these days?
Last time I was on a proper date (with my last ex that lasted 10 years) way back 2015, we matched in a dating site, we then agreed to meet in person in BGC.
We met outside California Pizza Kitchen in BGC, had dinner and while dinner, neither of us were using our phones. The only time I remember I opened my phone was to use the camera for our selfie then afterwards, I kept it.
We then had desserts at iHOP above CPK, had cocktails in Seda, then continued on walking while talking around high street.
Since it was getting late (2am) we decided to take a seat at the BGC bus stop in front of RCBC corporate (26th ave cor 5th) and stayed there still talking till 6am.
We then proceeded to go home separately after.
No sex on the first few dates, we both paid our own meals, and we just talked.
Meron pa bang ganon these days?
Ever since getting ditched (by that same ex) late november last year, I've noticed dates either want to have sex first, talk later, if they wanted to talk you have to pay for their meal (including their pamasahe going to the meetup place via gcash).
Its also comical that modus seems like its "soft prostitution" packaged in a way that several prospective dates have an iphone xx yet cant even afford jollibee or Mcdonalds nor jeep ride to go to the meetup place.
Or is it because i'm "old" and dates are only mutual if you are in your 20s-30s?
I may be 50 and gay and out, but i aint stupid to fall for moneyboy traps.
I understand life is harder nowadays and not everyone earns 6 digits a month but hey, im keen patterns when I see one.
so what are your thoughts on this?
We still go back to the argument - what happened to wholesome dating?
I fell in love with the Focal Utopia when it was unveiled in the 2016 November HiFi show, and eventually came on sale around March 2017.
I got the Elears instead, but at the back of my mind, I always had a soft spot for these beauties.
Fast forward 2023, the OG Utopias are discontinued, and the 2nd gen Focal Utopias took their place.
A good friend who owned an OG pair graciously lent me his for a month. While he was outside the country, i used it daily while working.
I heard both the OG and the new iteration, paired to the Chord HugoTT DAC being driven by a HeadAmp GSX Mk2.
The new Utopia's didnt disappoint, and it had sizzle, but I still preferred that "flat" presentation on the OG Utopias.
Im still saving for one and on the lookout on the Japanese audiophile pre-owned market.