173 – On Catching Up For October And November

Now that November is here, we ought to kick away the dust accumulating at this joint.

I’m getting my writing groove back after the three-of-a-kind update last August and some insights during September. The months of October and November mark the tradition of remembering relatives who have passed away. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities are celebrated between October 31 to November 2. November 3, on the other hand, is something I also look forward to. And this year, it’s the day when I turn 27.

However, two of my shoes reached the end of their service life (read: broke down) around this time. Both pairs lasted more than a year, which was an achievement in itself – since most shoes would usually need to be fixed after less than 365 days. The brown half-wing brogues from GEOX in this entry was first to go, and the black long-wing brogues from Hush Puppies featured in this post followed not long after.

I’d also like to get you readers engaged, since a second opinion can and will help me in this. I have a pair of GEOX chukka boots at home in black leather (as seen in the pictures above.) The thing is, its sole has a clearly defined heel similar to those found in dress shoes. I plan on having this replaced with wedge soles from Vibram. I intend to bring this to Besa’s (a Philippine shoe repair company) for replacement, but I have to shell out around P3500 to make this possible. I find wedge type soles better for casual pairs such as chukka boots, and flat bottomed soles are best used for driving.

Given the situation above, I have two main questions for you. Answers to these are much appreciated.

Have you availed of Besa’s services for shoe repairs? How did it go, and did you like how the repaired shoes turned out?
Aside from Mr. Quickie / Mr. Anthony Shoe Repair, do you know of any other shoe repair company that can do sole replacement at a cheaper price?

In other news, I celebrated my 27th birthday three weeks ago – albeit devoid of pomp or celebration. I’ve mentioned my lack of friends in my late 20s in a previous post, so it was expected. (I won’t delve into this, as there are a lot more things I have to write about.) My birthday was not entirely sad however, thanks to these highlights:

: © Wil Fernandez

I received a Uniqlo dri-fit polo shirt in sky blue
Colleagues gave me a duffel bag / backpack in stone gray from Chase Fashion
Met up with Wil, a close friend, to catch up on life and watch “Bad Genius”
Ate at Hanamaruken Ramen and tried out Llaollao with CJ; read more of this below

Here’s more about the last highlight. I met up with CJ during a Friday after I renewing my driver’s license. The renewal center worked fast (thankfully!) and I got my new license on the same day—with a five year validity to boot. We originally planned to celebrate at SM Megamall, but she wanted ramen for lunch. So, it was Hanamaruken Ramen for lunch. We ordered our usual choices: Signature Happiness Ramen for her, and Drunk Man Rice Bowl for me.

Right after our hearty lunch at Hanamaruken, we ordered a Sanum cup from Llaollao, at their newly opened kiosk in Trinoma. The Sanum consisted of three fruit choices, two crunchy toppings, and one sauce layered with soft-serve yogurt. Singapore had a bunch of Llaollao stores, but we were unable to try the Spanish yogurt shop during out stay.

I’m also including some pictures from our 35th month celebration as a couple last October, when we dined at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka in Trinoma. During our dinner, CJ told me that she wouldn’t be celebrating November 3 with me. She was chosen to be part of the Asia Youth International Model United Nations (AYIMUN) Conference held in Malaysia. I did not feel sad because of that circumstance; in fact, I even congratulated her for being chosen. It was a fulfilling experience, according to her…and I’m happy that it brings her one step closer to her dream.

I have a lot of reasons to be thankful—regardless of what I got on my special day, how I celebrated my birthday, or who gave me gifts. You know, I’ve learned all these years that people who remember your birthdays tend to be the same ones who will stick with you through thick and thin.

Until the next post.