Let’s face it. Receiving isn’t so bad. And opening up one’s presents on Christmas morning or Eve, whatever the custom in your home, is still one of the high points of the holidays, particularly if there are kids in the house. I have been pretty good in the past about “divining†or “guessing†what some of my goodies might be, and it irritates the heck out of folks I live with, but it’s all in good fun. As you get older, you certainly need, want or look for less. But you still look. So here is the first post on the loot in Marketman’s stocking this morning, and no, there was no coal this year…
Anyone who has been following this blog for the last month or two knows I have a slight fixation on the new James Bond movie. So it wasn’t a surprise when the 
first item in the stocking was a CD of the movie soundtrack of the movie Casino Royale. With 25 tracks composed and produced by David Arnold, it is classic yet edgier, totally in line with the feel of the new Bond. It is playing on my computer as I type this post. I suspect I will have to play it when I am on the treadmill to egg me on to do more than 5 minutes in uphill mode… The holiday activity has actually been good for my weight loss targets as I broke 180 pounds last week and briefly touched 178 one early morning. That places me at just about the current Bond’s movie weight, though the Ian Fleming book describes Bond at an emaciated/bulemic 167 or so pounds… I just need to lose another few pounds to reach my desired 175. Will have to work on the muscles next.
So the next small package in the stocking was a real surprise. Yes, it is the limited edition James Bond face Omega Seamaster in royal blue. Only 8,007 pieces or so 
are made of these numbered limited edition watches, and they are destined to be collector’s items in the future. With a spiral design on the watch face mimicking the shutter of a camera lens, it is an impressive adornment on my wrist. Forget that I don’t dive and that I get seasick while still on shore (and so does Daniel Craig, by the way), sometimes it’s the accessories that matter… And before you fire off some nasty “fishpan-like†email, the joke was on me… it was an amusing Greenhills tiangge purchase by Santa! A “replica,†they would say. Hahaha…the look for less talaga!
Rounding out the 007-themed stocking contents, are a pair of Bond-like square cut swimming trunks. In the movie, Bond emerges from the Bahamanian waters 
in a now iconic pair of swimming trunks, along with his Omega Seamaster, of course. Manufactured by the Italian firm, La Perla, better known for their lingerie and women’s swimsuits, including the orange number Halle Berry wore when she did HER beach scene in a previous Bond movie, Bond’s snazzy pair was the “Lodato†model from the Spring/Summer 2006 Griglioperla men’s line of La Perla. At USD85+, it sold out of La Perla shops in a FLASH once the PR photo of Bond in his trunks came out months ago. La Perla has had to manufacture a LOT MORE of this item and will try to restock stores even over the winter. If you must have them, try the La Perla Boutique at 433 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. And for the trivia die-hards, I suspect Bond’s pair was altered slightly to remove the La Perla logo. And La Perla was not a sponsor of the movie, they were just lucky to be the favored swimsuit provider to Bond. Marketman’s trunks version is similar, though the colors of the stripe and main body are reversed. The problem is actually wearing it and taking oneself seriously. I just tried it on and there are serious amounts of “bil-bil” that look kind of like a sharpei at rest in blue trunks. What is “bilbil” in English? Spare tire? Love handles? Fat folds? For a more amusing take on “Bond’s trunks,” worn by mere mortals, click here. I think I will have to take a shower in them and look at myself in the mirror and practice not bursting out in laughter if I am to wear these out in public, EVER. Heeheehee.
24 Responses
what nice presents MM… Merry Christmas to you and your family! God bless.
Merry Christmas MM and the whole family!
You’re enjoying your Christmas presents a lot, 007.
God bless.
Like my sister always says…”Nasa nagdadala ‘yan”. No one will suspect that you’re wearing a “look-for-less” Bond watch. Merry Christmas MM.
what about the Kid — did she get what she wanted? the littleBoy in our household got all what he wanted (as stated on his letter to Santa). 5 gifts. one for every year of birth. we had to get fake snow to use as Santa tracks since it hardly ever snows here in the South during Christmas. funny, littleBoy had to look outside to see if it was snowing. he was disappointed it wasn’t!
btw, Merry Christmas to you and the family. don’t forget to look me up if ever you’re in the South — maybe next time you go to DisneyWorld. or if ever you’re in my neck of the woods.
sexy MM those trunks
think I lost weight just cooking for the crew….
anyway I have not seen the film yet as they dubbed films here in Italy I certainly dont want an Italian accented Bond.
Maayong Pasko i just sat down after days of standing in the galley
Marketman, thank you for a delightful year. Merry Christmas! Frohe Weinachten! Maligayang Pasko.
good for you, MM..”no coal this year”. but, as my niece was telling me yesterday after telling me about her loot from Santa, “I got a lot of stones, too, but I don’t mind them, because I got the gifts anyway”. heehee….
Merry Christmas to you and yours MM. It is still the evening of the 25th here in NY and the celebrations have ended. Looking forward to your 2007 blogs.
MM, as usual, I’m ending my Christmas day with your blog online. What a nice gift from you.
May you have many more Christmas’.
Ya’ll take care
I absolutely love themed gifts! Giving as well as recieving. More than the gift itself it’s also knowing that someone went through the trouble to think of a concept just for you :)
Your loot is tops! Go Bond! 2007 will also be the start of losing my newly-wed weight (hopefully). I hate gyms so I am cooking up a “shopping workout” (this can be any and all kinds of shopping…so grocery, marketing, etc). Will let you know if it works! :)
The new year always allows us to psychologically start with a clean slate — here’s to more foodie finds and fitness pursuits! =)
how about posting a picture of you wearing the watch and … the trunks emerging from the water ala Bond wehehehe. just kidding! :) hehehehe
Hahaha! emz, that may be too damaging for my psyche or self-esteem and may frighten regular Marketmanila readers away for good! Having nearly impossible goals is necessary to stretch one’s self…but we have have some sense of reality. For the beefcake photo, click here to see why it may just be a bit incredulous to replicate that image…heeheehee. Gosh, I must have had too much champagne the other night…
haaay. . . i really miss christmas in philippines. . .here at maldives its a mess, they’re even having a hard time fixing the christmas tree, well the food is ok we had lamb, rib eye, turkey roasts and dozens of dishes. . . but what’s missing is having the family around and having ridiculous theme christmas parties in school office etc. waaaaaah!!!!! i badly miss everything. . . merry christmas to all of you . . . .
Impressive gifts for a truly impressive Man:)Happy Holidays!!!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, MM. Thank you for a wonderful year of good food. Looking forward to more of your postings.
Not only are you a whiz in the kitchen and a man with a heart for the less fortunate, you are so hilarious. Love handles are good!!! For me, they epitomize a real man!!! :))
Happy New year, MM-007;)
Keep up the good work.
belated merry christmas and happy new year MM!
so this is what you were refering to in your new year’s post, emerging from the beach ala Bond :)
got a lot of catching up to do, spending the whole day at work reading your blogs….shhhhhh :)
I just found this Bond entry it gave a strange nostalgia – I worked as an extra for the shooting of this film Casino Royale and Mr. Craig was at arm’s length away from me.
Advance 2007 holiday greetings MM!
Jade186, WHAT? You were standing just feet away from Daniel Craig!? What I would have given for an autoraphed Marketmanila shirt….heeheehee.
I know this is years too late, but on the watch and in the movie opening scenes, that’s not a camera shutter. It’s actually the rifling of a rifle barrel. Heheh, I’m quite the Bond fan myself. :)