Nothing beats the mood of a song trying to pick you up as another midweek madness starts to take shape. Erratic behaviors and insane news flying from every direction not to mention the cacophony of sounds from car honks to roadside drills, emergency sirens to strangers exchanging bleep words. I've grown up a city slicker since the day I was born. These are everyday occurrences that still get on my nerves after living in Singapore, Bangkok and Cebu. I try to find other means to escape sadly still within the boundaries of conventionality – like a change of location, routine and attitude. I yearn for untested activities that I have yet to try first-hand maybe skydiving, hiking or camping.

But then the most convenient form of escapism in the midst of all chaos is getting lost in a song, reveling the feeling of how it manages to segway one's thoughts.

Hmmm, stop for a second... Pause, breathe and let the melody take over you heart and soul, mind over matter. Easy now – put that smile on your face – let the universe surprise you in ways beyond your imagination.

"...I'm not the average girl from your video / 
And I ain't built like a supermodel / 
But I learned to love myself unconditionally / 
Because I am a queen..."
– Video by India Arie

Keep that music playing...

** This story is taken from my old blog - chic and understated. **

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Photo via CJ

Oh how I love to travel! And how I love to read as well! To hold a book or two while embarking on a journey – whether far or near, long or short! To feed my mind with a recommended dose of literature! And to exercise my brain in tip-top shape with new vocabularies at every turn of a page!

While we all know how great of an indulgence traveling is – reading is also, in fact, a great indulgence for the mind. Learning new things and accumulating knowledge is what makes people rich in experience. I just relish holding a book, touching the words with my hand and leafing the paper page-after-page. I’m sure you do too!

Every time I go out of town or take a trip overseas, there’s always a must-read tome packed in to keep me company. So much so, that if I were to ask myself what I couldn’t live without when stuck in a deserted island, I would say a good book would be one of them. You might ask why… Well, in the event that I get rescued back to civilization, at least my reading comprehension would still be intact. Smart, eh?

Typically, my literary genre of choice falls under eclectic. I am a voracious reader of various topics of interest – from history, travel (of course!), suspense thriller, pop culture (yes please!) and everything in between whether fact or fiction. One of the earlier books that I hang on to was Lit Riffs by Tom Perrotta and Matthew Miele not to mention a host of others. This is a collection of stories with inspiration taken from hit songs of contemporary musicians. One thing though - this may not be for the faint of heart but a great example of fusing musical history and songwriting with imaginative storytelling.

Sadly, with my incessant movement from place to place back then, I lost that precious, precious book. So if anyone of you got hold of my personal piece of treasure, kindly take good care of it. ☺

Another book I’ve taken on the road (or in the plane) a few times is The Kindness of Strangers, another short story collection, edited by Don George. I got this at a Lonely Planet shop at Kingsford-Smith airport during my trip to Sydney. It’s a hearty read from renowned travel scribes the likes of Pico Iyer, Rolf Potts and even a preface written by The Dalai Lama. Yes, The Dalai Lama – betcha didn't see that coming?

However, in an unfortunate twist of fate (sigh!), the book almost got ruined after a powerful storm hit the region where I lived. Though it was completely soaked with rainwater, I managed to keep it dry a few days after. The storm may have faded the look and feel of the book but it still can withstand wear and tear. I suppose kindness is on my side! 

While I like to read and re-read books when I travel, one thing I like doing when I’m on the road is visit the local bookshop. Or even better, a second-hand shop or book exchange which houses the best finds that people have long forgotten about… stories waiting to be discovered and read… writers with a distinct perspective and knack for storytelling. The thrill of uncovering those literary fly-on-the-wall types. Oh, it’s like a playground of sorts – so much enriching experience that awaits the mind! 

Amazing how your mind just submits to reckless abandon during a reading session? And even more amazing is how travel takes you to places the same way a book does? I couldn’t agree more!

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Photos via Greg Roberts, Publishers Weekly, Amazon

The culture of social media has rapidly influenced today's generation of lingo and behavior at an unbelievable warp speed. The parameters of how it penetrated pop culture is completely blurring the lines of truth and fiction. Next thing you know, art is then imitated by life.

When social network giant Facebook came into the picture, the options of customising contents are unlimited. You fill out your name, date of birth, current city and then... drum roll please... yep, that's right - relationship status. And surprise surprise, one of those choices have become a byword to any unclear and undefined relations with someone. Uh huh, even when you are still filling out that particular portion yet the pressure is unmistakable on which status to use. Thanks Mark Zuckerberg!


But then while browsing online, I chanced upon this movie called It's Complicated. And immediately I had this insane flashback during the time I was establishing my Facebook account. It's no surprise anymore how these things online creeps its way into mainstream life. So anyway, I got curious and decided to watch what the 'complication' was all about.

The opening credits started to roll. I got my popcorn and ice-cold Mountain Dew ready, lights turned off, headsets tucked in my ears and only had eyes on my laptop screen. Now there - powerhouse names by the likes of Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin and not to mention the lady behind the lens - Nancy Meyers is front and center.


Although, Meyers' films are typically targeted to the middle-aged demographic but you can't deny the fact how she manages to charm you in to her own brand of romantic comedy. There's always this ingredient of warm sophistication, classy glamour and adorable sense of humor that packs a punch. I sat there glued for the entire movie trying to capture the movie as if making a connection with the characters.

Streep's character Jane Adler is a divorcee and multi-tasking between looking after her bakery business, her grown up children and overseeing her latest project renovating her house. One occassion at work gave her the chance to get introduced and eventually work with Martin's Adam Schaffer, an architect who's also coping a divorce of his own. This meet-cute didn't result to a date right away, as our main protagonist had an unexpected intimate moment with her ex-husband Jake (played by Alec Baldwin) during a trip to New York. The direct result of this event led to unusual meetings from late-night booty calls to afternoon hotel trysts between both without the knowledge of their children except for soon-to-be son-in-law Harley (played by the adorable John Krasinski). The two start having "healthy" and "breakthrough" conversations they didn't encounter during the time of their marriage. Jake becomes more inclined in spending time with her instead of his current wife, Agness, who is a few years his junior. But Jane, as much as she tries to rationalize this arrangement, wants to avoid further complications especially when dealing with her children.


After declining Adam's offer to go out on a date, Jane and Jake decided to have dinner instead both coming up with their own alibis to get off previous commitments. Unfortunately, what was supposedly a candlelit dinner turned into a humiliating night of waiting on Jane's side as he flaked on their dinner date. This prompted Jane to invite Adam to her son's graduation party and ended up having a smoking great time after sharing a hit of weed together. With Jake bringing Agness along for the occassion, it was already apparent that he still harbors feelings toward Jane. This caused both parties to rock each other's boat and Agness throwing Jake out of the house. Soon enough, the secret of their affair came out with the children having a difficult time trying to reconcile how things ended up as it were. Eventually, Jane decided that getting back together with Jake will not be a possibility but she still managed to stay friends with Adam.

So as the movie ended, it left me feeling satisfied with the story since I'm such a sucker for romantic comedies. Although, it wasn't really a "happy ending" on the romantic relationship level, but at least it was "happy" in a "complicated" manner. Not only did I enjoy the movie, their witty characters and appealing cast, but I also loved the contemporary setting and its portrayal of modern relationships with the discipline it requires out of that busy schedule in life called work. I guess the movie summed it all up in two hard-hitting words, there's no better way to say it other than "It's complicated!"

** This story is taken from my old blog - popcorn sessions. **

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Photos via Baltimore Sun, Tribute, Ace Showbiz

When you say Down Under, you can’t deny the fact that Sydney stands out. It is a storied place packed with historic, artistic and cultural values that continue to hold relevance today. Part of what makes Sydney recognizable is the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – two of Australia’s crown jewels. Among the cities found in the Southern Hemisphere – nothing can outrank the vibrancy of Australia’s first city. It has the friendliest people while it is teeming with majestic flora and fauna and stunning landscapes. A wanderlust’s dream destination!





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Photos via CJ

The past few days have been very insightful. It has been days filled with so much reflection, contemplation and introspection. After all, the last few days were out of the ordinary… it was special and historic. Last Thursday, the whole country was filled with excitement with the long-awaited 5-day visit of His Holiness Pope Francis. It was time.

The air was very different – good different. It’s almost like everyone’s hearts are starting to open again – letting the bad memories of yesteryears out and making room for the good, and beautiful, memories to come in. It was this bittersweet feeling of release that bound people together for the first time in a very long time.

When the flag carrier of Sri Lanka landed in Villamor Air Base, people were beyond happy and up on their feet. As for me, I was glued to the tube – being far away and all. But one thing for sure we all had in common, we were all giddy. People from all walks of life could not just hold their excitement intact.


As soon as the plane door opened, there He was. Pope Francis – right before our very eyes on Philippine soil. The sound of jubilation was just hard to put into words – to say it was palpable was an understatement. My heart was practically jumping with so much happiness that also made me tear up a bit – something I haven’t felt in a very, very long time.

Just like His usual demeanor, He brings this amazing energy when He is around people. He smiles… He chats with people… He waves at them… He listens… He laughs and cracks a joke or two… And best of all, He leads by example. His presence is invigorating and He is full of beautiful surprises.

A few years ago, it was really hard to imagine, and find, a person that came close to Pope Francis. Those were the years that people were filled with so much cynicism and skepticism. Those were tough years – filled with hopelessness and a complete loss of moral compass. It was almost like people were resigned and accepted the bad things as they were.


But when Pope Francis came along – everyone became alive again. It felt like His arrival came at a critical time when people were losing their purpose. His unorthodox and unpredictable ways caught everyone by surprise. Everyone was starting to get energized and renewed by this sudden whiff of fresh air.

His visit in the Philippines made the start of 2015 a promising one. He was flocked with immense amount of people wherever He goes – and that’s no surprise. From the airport to the Apostolic Nunciature and back again. People could not get enough of His presence. And the people’s presence and reception are what also kept him energized. It was an amazing dynamic.

What made me admire Him more is His hands-on way of touching people’s lives. He lives according to His means. His messages of hope and love, mercy and compassion are compelling especially with His acute grasp of the gripping social realities that people are faced with. People are now examining their conscience and have brought a renewal of faith in their lives.

As the 5-day visit have successfully wrapped up and with Pope Francis safely back in Rome, He has left us with so much inspiring words and consoling affection. We continue to pray for Him and most especially to God and at the same time, this is where our work begins…

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 Photos via NAFCOM, CJ

For most people, the language of art is reserved only to artists who practice self-expression through various mediums – from visual to musical, literary to performance – that garners an audience. Or to be more precise, art is only applied to those artists who make it their vocation – a calling – that requires acknowledgment and dedication.

But perhaps, what people have forgotten especially is that everyone possesses an artistic expression that is impossible to be replicated. An art form that is so intrinsic and intimate that it provides a window into a person’s character. We all know it and use it so much of our lives. Therefore, it is the most accessible of art forms. Though lately, as many observers feared, it’s starting to fade into obscurity and lose its appeal what with it being eroded and replaced with keyboards and touch screens.

This worrying trend has prompted those at the academe to sound the alarm and bring it to people’s serious attention. A person’s handwriting is a key element in learning and education. Sometimes, the age and maturity of the person can also be determined as our handwriting has a natural tendency to evolve over time. Unbeknownst to many, it also holds the answer to our physical health and illnesses and how developed our motor skills are especially in terms of hand and eye coordination.


Our handwriting gives the reader several ideas as to how we like to project ourselves to the world. How we dot the I’s and cross the T’s, the elegance of the cursive letters and the way we treat the spaces to each letter and to every word – are indicative of our inherent values and sense of economy. Additionally, how we write, the stroke of the pen as it applies pressure to the paper, provides hints to one’s current state of mind. It’s a profound way to monitor personal history, character traits and inner thoughts.

Handwriting, as much as it is an art form, is also a human achievement that has helped save, preserve and restore ancient civilizations. It has a very rich history from its humble origins in the early cuneiform to the Greek alphabet, down to the invention of the printing press and the advent of state-of-the-art technology. But even so, handwriting, in all its classical beginnings has managed to survive. And yet, the right questions we should be asking is, “How long?” and “Are we prepared to let it die along with its history?”


Barely so few people I know can’t even remember the last time they wrote something the length of a five-sentence paragraph. The increasing dependence on technology has put a damper on medical practitioners trying to track a person’s health in relation to handwriting over time. That’s where graphology comes in – though very useful – has caused rifts among privacy advocates and ethical watchdogs due to its invasive and controversial nature. Yet, graphologists, or individuals who practice handwriting analysis, refute this and consider handwriting to be part of the public domain.

In my opinion, it is every person’s responsibility to preserve the culture of handwriting the same way that the Mesopotamians, the Greeks and others have fought and found ways to preserve theirs to this day. And in the argument of privacy, the use of handwriting as a scientific case study should be done with the full consent of the subject. Anything outside of that – is a clear disrespect of personal rights even for people in the public eye. But then again, there are always exceptional circumstances that this can be waived.

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Photos via congalaconga and Phil Gyford

In the spirit of all things Sydney, I’m dedicating this piece to the wonders of the city via its homegrown music.

If you’ve been keeping tabs of what’s been happening here at ecru. – I've just shared my adventures in charming Sydney in my earlier post. This time around with some friends in tow, we took the walking tour from The Rocks all the way back to Circular Quay. It was a great day of sightseeing and urban exploring. The spectacular sights of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge was an experience that’s climbing to the top of the list of the best trip ever!!! And yes, I couldn’t exaggerate it enough with the triple exclamation points because it’s the plain ol’ truth.

And so to guide you through to what made this one of the best experience was the unexpected surprise of stumbling upon a guitar prodigy. I came across him while on a leisurely walk with friends along the ferry terminal and noticed crowds gathered around him. Being the curious cat, I managed to sneak in through the crowds to get an unobstructed view of what the fuss was all about.

Lo and behold – a very skillful play of string and percussion that captivated my eyes and ears. It was a pretty darn impressive showcase of local Australian talent in the form of Jack Dawson. Yep, you heard it right – Jack Dawson. And nope, he’s absolutely 100% percent not the guy from Titanic. Otherwise, that would make him like more than a hundred years old – but that's beside the point!


Acoustic Jack from e c r u . on Vimeo.
What particularly draw me (and the crowds as well!) to his own brand of sound was how well two layers blended together both string and percussion. All of his music are purely instrumental with an organic and textured quality to it. Sweet and nostalgic in equal measure – I can’t help but surrender to his music. It exuded that warm and fuzzy feeling as well as it took me places when I close my eyes. I could easily imagine myself listening to it while at the coffee shop, while inside the plane looking out the window, or while watching the pitter-patter of raindrops on a gloomy day.

It was one of those memorable Sydney moments where things just came together – with the nice cool weather, the beautiful sights of the harbour... and the lovely sounds of the guitar in the air. I suppose the rest of the crowd had the exact same feeling too seeing how they enjoyed listening to him and how one by one they started buying his record. Not one to be the last person to get her CD, I decided to buy 2 records mid-performance. One for me and the other a gift to a special someone (who I couldn’t wait to share the music with then). And the best part was getting the records signed by Jack himself. I was totally giddy about the whole thing – I think it pretty much shows in the video in this post.

And as you will know later on – I am every bit a sucker for acoustic music, guitar, guitar players and everything in between. There's some depth and romantic feel to it that I couldn't easily brush off. Take heed of my future posts and it will strongly manifest.

This is, to be perfectly honest, one of my best kept music secrets that I’m sharing online for the first time. So without further delay, ladies and gents, I present you – the amazing and uber-talented Jack Dawson for your listening pleasure…


And believe me when I say that – this is my kind of music that makes me fall in love with Sydney over and over again whenever I listen to it. It's the perfect staple to my music playlist. And may I just say, a total #earcandy – insanely digging Sydney Pt 1 which is my favourite track (obviously!). Happy listening dear #ecruphiles! Hugs!

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Photo via CJ

When I first read about Brian Stonehouse, I was flabbergasted. His life story completely blew me away. I was thinking it just couldn’t be true. It had to be a work of fiction – a masterpiece of imaginative storytelling, maybe even a government propaganda too unbelievable to begin with.

It was a story that I just couldn’t imagine coming out of a John Grisham or John le Carré spy novel – that is, if they had thought of infusing the subject of ‘fashion’ in their writing. Although the thought sounds pretty original but seems to be too out-of-the-box.

Then came an illustrated book released by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston celebrating his extraordinary life written by Frederic A. Sharf and curated by Michelle Tolini Finamore respectively. Not to mention an exhibition showcasing his work last November 14 – December 23, 2014 that put the lost art of fashion illustration back into the limelight.

The introduction of color photography dethroned fashion illustrations off the pages of the magazines – opting for high-speed production and printing – at a time when some of those art works were either destroyed or thrown away. For those that have managed to survive are now enjoying a newfound resurgence. It has become one of those rare collector’s items with is esteemed for their organic feel and timeless elegance.

The story of Brian Stonehouse started when he became an undercover agent for the British government. With his fluency in French, he was deployed in France as a wireless operator to which his artist’s paint box served as a disguise for his equipment.


His service was short-lived when the Gestapo arrested him all the while still maintaining his cover as a French art student named Michel Chapuis. To spare himself from the brutality in prison and concentration camps, he decided to sketch the camp guards and their families. His sketches and sharp visual memory proved very useful when he was asked to testify at the Nazi war crimes trials. After being liberated by the Americans, he pressed on as a fashion illustrator in the U.S. working for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elizabeth Arden, Pucci and among others.

Who would have thought that the sketches would mark the beginning of ‘fashion illustration’ as an art form? His work has become synonymous with those legendary magazines depicting the clothing, behavior and posture of the fashionable set including those of high society – not to mention Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

By the time he moved back to Britain, he took up portrait painting and eventually becoming a theosophist at United Lodge of Theosophists in his final years. In 1998, Stonehouse succumbed to heart attack but his works continue to live on earning the kind of prestige he experienced in his lifetime.

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Have a look at some of Brian Stonehouse’s works, check out this gallery.

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Photos via Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, Art School Head and Abbott and Holder Ltd

It’s a brand new day… and a brand new year. Everything is brand new. 2015 is making quite a start and such calls for a moment of self-reflection. Making way for a subtle switch of attitude towards life and personal relationships.

Steer clear of drastic resolutions that end up with a very short shelf life. Think small and think long. The holiday break should have proven enough time to contemplate on the important things that matter.

Simplify your mindset and get rid of the clutter that’s taking too much space in your head. Let bygones be bygones. Whatever it is you left in the past – should stay in the past. Make room for new people and experiences to come into your life.

Be fearless – be yourself. Follow your heart but still be realistic. If you have to prove something – prove it to yourself not to others. Be responsible for your own choices. Acknowledge your mistakes. Celebrate your success but don’t let it get to your head. Never be condescending. If you should praise, praise where praise is due.

Instill kindness. Practice humility. Keep yourself honest. And lastly, love.