The Misadventures of Mel Beckham

The Prodigal Friend

2012-01-30T18:57:00.005+08:00

I have never been friendly.

Not that I have a bad attitude, I just don’t like people in general.

I hate crowds.

And I hate to be in a situation where I’m not familiar with the people around.

I am not sociable. I think I’m just good at blending in, or I’ve perfected myself to be an exceptional wallflower at any event or party.

I have almost 600 friends on Facebook but I only consider a hundred to be ‘real’.
The rest are just acquaintances and friends of friends and reel friends.

In this set of ‘real’ friends, there are only 4 of them that I can call my best friends. Those that knew me from head to toe, up to my soul.

There’s the fashion designer, the call boy, the prostitute and the drug pusher.

The fashion designer and I knew each other since high school. Even though we’ve not been communicating on a daily basis, I can always count on him. We rarely see each other because of the distance and our busy schedules but whenever we see each other, parang kahapon lang kami huling nag-usap. He’s a real friend because no matter how bad the choices I’ve made in the past, he was always there to support and I’ve proven it many times.

The call boy. Well, he’s not my original best friend but when the place was sort of vacated, he was the one who filled the position. He’s the person I lean on to physically and emotionally when something goes wrong. We communicate regularly, like everyday , except during the last few weeks. If there’s one person in this world that I’d text or call kapag may mga nangyayari sa aking buhay, be it good or bad, it would be the call boy.

The prostitute and the drug pusher are also two of my best friends. We also communicate regularly but only see each other once in a while. Even though our friendship is a long-distance relationship, we always spend quality time every time we’re together especially on long holidays like Christmas and holy week. Whenever we’re together, there’s never a dull moment because these two are more luka-luka than me.

But aside from these four, I actually have another best friend.

Let me call him, the teacher.

Before I started blogging a few years ago, the teacher was my best friend. My closest of all, compared to the ones I’ve mentioned above.

We’re always together on weekends, night and day hanggang kinabukasan, just a few hours shy from work on a Monday. We knew each other very well that we sometimes end each other’s sentences. No weekend is complete without seeing each other. When I decided to shave my head, the teacher also shaved his head para mas maganda daw kami tingnan kung magkasama. We were like brothers, I mean sisters. In fact, I think we would spend more time together than our family during those times.

So what went wrong?

Because I had to choose between him and the friendship that I had and treasured, more than the relationship between the two of us. I ended our friendship for the sake of others.

We’ve got no communication for more than five years, I think. Or more. We’ve seen each other on two separate occasions but we never talked. We just nodded and that’s all. Talking to him was just awkward.

Looking back, I think my decision then was a big mistake. Really.

Last year when a friend of ours made a Facebook page exclusively for us gays who came from the university we went to, we found ourselves exchanging messages. Then I invited him to attend the party/reunion we organised for Christmas.

When the day of the party finally came, we were able to talk but everything was just casual and informal. No heart to heart talk, no reminiscing of the past. It was still a little bit awkward but our conversation’s a lot of improvement from our past meetings. What I love about it though, was that we were finally back together. Communication lines are now wide open and we talk via BBM or twitter almost everyday.

I am so happy to have ended 2011 with a new beginning.

Thank you so much bes for coming back into my life.

By the way, did I ever say sorry?

Well, it doesn’t matter. I know you’ve forgiven me na.

What are friends for ‘di ba?

Oh Nicki

2012-01-30T17:15:00.003+08:00

Nicki Minaj's Superbass was released eons ago but I just learned to admire the song after it was used at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show late last year.

When Nicki came into the limelight a few years ago, she was just another artist trying to make a mark by dressing up flambouyantly to get attention. Another Grace Jones wannabe. But the good thing about her is the fact that she can rap.

Over the past few days, I've been trying to learn Superbass. Not that I'm trying to impress a guy who has great admiration for hiphop but I just think that learning this song is a feat.

Mahirap i-memorise, much more kantahin ang lecheng kantang 'to. It's a tongue twister to the nth level.

And as of today, I have completely memorised Superbass. I consider it my first biggest accomplishment for 2012.

Hahaha!

Last weekend, my friend Edz took a video of me singing the first verse of Superbass and it's on his Facebook wall. I might post the video on Youtube but I'm having second thoughts because I look fat in there.

Meanwhile, if you're planning to memorise Superbass, here's the complete lyrics.

This one is for the boys with the boomin' system
Top down, AC with the coolin' system
When he come up in the club, he be blazin' up
Got stacks on deck like he savin' up
And he ill, he real, he might got a deal
He pop bottles and he got the right kind of build
He cold, he dope, he might sell coke
He always in the air, but he never fly coach
He a muthafuckin trip, trip, sailor of the ship, ship
When he make it drip, drip kiss him on the lip, lip
That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for
And yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' ho

I said, excuse me you're a hell of a guy
I mean my, my, my, my you're like pelican fly
I mean, you're so shy and I'm loving your tie
You're like slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye, oh
Yes I did, yes I did
Somebody please tell him who the eff I is
I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up
Back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up

Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away
Beating like a drum and it's coming your way
Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass?
He got that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass
Yeah that's that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom, he got that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom, yeah that's that super bass

This one is for the boys in the Polos
Entrepreneur niggas in the moguls
He could ball with the crew, he could solo
But I think I like him better when he dolo
And I think I like him better with the fitted cap on
He ain't even gotta try to put the mac on
He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look
Then the panties comin' off, off, unh
Excuse me, you're a hell of a guy
You know I really got a thing for American guys
I mean, sigh, sickenin' eyes
I can tell that you're in touch with your feminine side, oh

Yes I did, yes I did
Somebody please tell him who the eff I is
I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up
Back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up

Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away
Beating like a drum and it's coming your way
Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass?
He got that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass
Yeah that's that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom, he got that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom, yeah that's that super bass

See I need you in my life for me to stay
No, no, no, no, no I know you'll stay
No, no, no, no, no don't go away
Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away
Don't you hear that heartbeat comin' your way?
Oh it be like, boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass
Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass?

Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away
Beating like a drum and it's coming your way
Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass?
He got that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom bass
Yeah that's that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom, he got that super bass
Boom, badoom, boom
Boom, badoom, boom, yeah that's that super bass.

College Bitch

2012-01-27T18:55:00.006+08:00

This morning my sister texted me to read the Facebook status of a schoolmate who is now in Canada, which caused a little chaos within our circle of friends and schoolmates.

This was her Facebook status:

(click photo to enlarge)

"hahahahaha natatawa ako sa mga ibang taong nasa pinas at napaka OA ng mga status dito sa facebook kami nga na nasa abroad wala lang.. pwede ba relax and be yourself. at sa mga ibang taong nandito sa abroad perte ang mga pictures oi unsa nakalitan mo na naka abot mo dri sa abroad?? hahaha pagmata!!!"

The last two sentences in vernacular, translates to:

"...at sa mga ibang taong nandito sa abroad grabe ang mga pictures parang nabigla dahil nakapag-abroad?? hahaha gising!"

What can you say?

Weight Loss Tea

2012-01-27T18:21:00.005+08:00

I've been trying to lose weight for a very long time but I always gain it back.

I'm not complaining though because it is so much better to eat especially when there's an occasion. Weight loss has not been my option for a very long time and I've already embrace my being plus-sized.

But it's not bad if we lose a couple of pounds (or more) because let's face it, it's so much healthier if we're not obese, right.

Anyway, I've tried lots of method to loss weight without exercise because I'm too tamad to go to a gym to sweat or do something physical. So far, the weight loss techniques that I've tried has been mostly effective.

This summer, the girls and I are planning to go to the beach so I really need to be beach-ready.

I want to lose at least 20 lbs. before the holy week.

My friend Mei gave this weight loss herb tea from Healthy Options as a Christmas gift last year.

It's from Republic of Tea and this one is called Get Lost. It's an herb tea for weight control with organic rooibos, tropical banana leaf, cinnamon and carob which satisfy the appetite, providing craving control. Carob and gymnema leaves help to tame your sweet tooth and the urge to indulge. It's certified organic, caffeine and sugar free!

So far, I've been drinking it before every meal and it makes me lose my appetite.

Most teas are nakakasuka especially the local blends but this one is delicious. It's got cinnamon so it adds to the flavour and the smell.

Over the last two weeks, I've lost approximately 4 lbs. so I guess it's effective.

This also comes in a smaller tin with 6 tea bags inside.

Available at all Healthy Options stores.

Five Queens

2012-01-27T17:48:00.005+08:00

The Oscars is fast approaching and the nominees have been announced.

As usual, there are some surprise nominees and a few snobs.

I’d like to focus on the Best Actress category which I think has the nominees with the most talent in many years, I just wish they weren’t pitted on the same year.

Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady

Viola Davis in The Help

Rooney Mara in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs

Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn

Honestly, I have not seen the respective performances of these actors in the said movies but I really love them all. I want them all to win.

Meryl deserved this because she’s been nominated for the same category many times especially within the last five years. I think it’s time she win an Oscar for this category.

Viola, because I like her in many of her movies. I actually saw the trailer of The Help and I think she's exceptional. Trailer pa yan ha.

Rooney I think is a newcomer with a promise. Not only does she have the acting skills but a very distinct sense of style too.

Lola Glenn also deserve to win because she also has been nominated many times but hasn't won an Oscar yet. It's about time na rin siguro noh!

I also would like to see Michelle bring home the Oscar. I think she should've won for Brokeback Mountain because she did an exemplary performance in that film.

Meanwhile, I am so disappointed that my favourite and my early prediction to be a frontrunner in this race is not nominated.

Tilda Swinton in We Need To Talk About Kevin.

Tilda's been robbed!

Sana man lang she'll present an award so that we can still see her again wearing a wonderful Haider Ackerman ensemble.

At least kahit doon man lang, winner na for sure Si Manay Tilda!

In Vogue

2012-01-22T19:21:00.004+08:00

This is the February 2012 US Vogue cover, featuring country darling Taylor Swift.

Compare the cover to the other February 2012 Vogue editions all over the world.

British Vogue

Nippon Vogue

Vogue Australia

Vogue China

Russian Vogue

Vogue Espana

Vogue Portugal

Korean Vogue

and Vogue Paris

The American edition has always been too commercial compared to its other counterparts. Always an actor or a singer, never a working model on the cover.

Indeed Kate Moss appeared on the cover last year but the main reason was because she got married.

When will we ever see a real working model on the cover of American Vogue?

'Pag wala na siguro si Lola Anna.

Project 1

2012-01-19T17:42:00.003+08:00

Project Runway All-Stars has finally aired.

It was scheduled to air last November but due to conflicting scheduling, it was postponed.

Host Angela Lindvall is promising while judges Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi is not as nasty and critical like Heidi, Nina or Michael Kors but I like them all.

Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles lack Tim Gunn’s charisma. Her critique leans more on how editorial can the finished garment will look like compared to Tim’s focus on the design and execution of the look.

So far, two episodes has aired and two designers are already gone. Elisa from Season 4 was the first to say goodbye, while Sweet-P, also from Season 4 was eliminated in episode 2.

Challenge 1 winner was Rami. His plaid look made of materials found in a $.99 store inspired by one of his creations.

Challenge 2 winner was Austin. A red carpet look for the opera.

Based on the performances of the designers during the two challenges, I can see that this is going to be a tough competition.

My prediction for the designers that will make it to fashion week are:

Rami, Mondo, Jerell, Mila and Austin.

But you'll never know, because it's too early to tell.

Who's your bet?

Impeach Men

2012-01-17T18:36:00.006+08:00

The impeachment case against Chief Justice Renato Corona has started last Monday.

So far, it’s still a boring hearing since the prosecution and the defense has yet to battle. Day 1 was for the prosecution panel while Day 2 was just disappointing. Going to the impeachment court and saying you are not ready to present the evidences and witnesses is similar going to war without proper ammunitions.

Nakakaloka and nakakahiya ang prosecution panel. Day 2 goes to the defense team.

Meanwhile, enough of the politics.

I am only watching this impeachment hearing because it’s relevant and we should know what the hell is going on in this country. The justice system is so screwed because court employees are defending a leader that is so corrupt. No wonder walang pagbabago ang sistema ng hustisya sa ating bansa.

Anyway, on to the most important part of this impeachment hearing.

Men.

This is probably the last place where we can find good looking men but surprisingly, may mga gwapo din naman palang pulitiko and abugado involved in the impeachment hearing.

As of Day 2, I have spotted three good looking men. One is a lawyer from the defense panel, while two are congress representatives representing the prosecution team.

They are:

Atty. Tranquil Gervacio S. Salvador III

Defense panel lawyer, Dean of the Law School of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasay (PLP)

Oh 'di ba, parang hearthrob lang kung mag-pose si Attorney!

Atty. Juan Edgardo M. Angara

Lawyer and Congress representative from the lone district of Aurora

This picture doesn't give him justice. Mas babyface siya sa TV.

and

Atty. Romero Federico Saenz Quimbo

Lawyer and Congress representative from the 2nd district of Marikina

You should hear him speak. Solid at may authority. He reminds me of Atty. Adel Tamano.

Of the three, I find Rep. Quimbo the most handsome and sexiest.

Agree?

Sana araw-araw may airtime sila palagi.

In this ugly proceedings against the highest official of the Supreme Court, a few doses of eye candy wouldn't hurt.

The Globes 2012

2012-01-17T17:37:00.014+08:00

George Clooney winning Best Actor-Drama is not surprising.

Meryl Streep winning Best Actress-Drama is a little bit surprising considering the other nominees for the said category but she definitely deserved the award. Anyone of them winning the award is fine with me.

Anyway, the REAL winners for the Golden Globes 2012 are these 10 women.

10. Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

9. Emma Stone in Lanvin

8. Salma Hayek in Gucci

7. Michelle Williams in Jason Wu

6. Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

5. Lea Michele in Marchesa

4. Charlize Theron in Dior

3. Paula Patton in Monique Lhuillier

2. Elle Macpherson in Zac Posen

And the best dressed of the 2012 Golden Globes is.....

1. Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

Go Tilda! Hindi ka man nanalo ngayon, winner ka pa rin sa style department.

Don't worry, there's still the Oscars.

Birds

2012-01-14T23:36:00.010+08:00

Birds of the same feather, flock together.

Birds of the same feather, makes a good feather duster.

Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.

These are my friends.....

.....and no matter what people say about us,

I don't care.

Because we're the happiest bunch of all.

I love them forever.

Where Children Sleep

2012-01-12T18:21:00.007+08:00

Jamie is nine years old. He lives in a top-floor apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York.

His parents also own luxury homes in Spain and in the Hamptons on Long Island. He has a younger brother and sister who are twins. In his spare time, apart from playing the cello and kickball, Jamie likes to study his finances on the Citibank website. He would like to be a lawyer like his father.

Home for this four-year old boy and his family is a mattress in a field on the outskirts of Rome, Italy.

The family came from Romania by bus, after begging on the streets for money to pay for their tickets. When they first arrived in Rome, they camped in a tent, but the police threw them off the site because they were trespassing and did not have the correct documents.

Kaya is four years old. She lives with her parents in a small apartment in Tokyo, Japan.

Kaya's bedroom is every little girl's dream. It is lined from floor to ceiling with clothes and dolls. Kaya's mother makes all of Kaya's dresses. Her friends love to come around to try on her clothes. When she goes to school, however, she has to wear a school uniform.

Indira lives with her parents, brother and sister near Kathmandu, Nepal.

Her house has only one room, with one bed and one mattress. At bedtime, the children share the mattress on the floor. Indira is seven and has worked at the local granite quarry since she was three. The family is very poor so everyone has to work. She also attends school, which is a 30-minute walk away.

Those are just four stories in this book.

Where Children Sleep by James Mollison are stories of diverse children around the world, told through portraits and pictures of their bedrooms.

The book is written and presented for an audience of 9-13 year olds intended to interest and engage children in the details of the lives of other children around the world, and the social issues affecting them, while also being a serious photographic essay for an adult audience.

Words and photos by James Mollison

I want this book.

Threat

2012-01-12T17:55:00.005+08:00

I am a Roman Catholic since birth.

Everything I do is based on this Christian faith.

When the Pope said in a statement yesterday that gay marriage is a threat to humanity, I was deeply hurt and disappointed.

Ganun na ba ka-sama ang tingin ng Catholic faith sa atin to the extent of calling the union of two people in love as a threat to humanity?

To think that I pray for the Pope every day, ito pala ang tingin niya sa gay people.

I am not questioning my faith in God but honestly, I am questioning the people who is in-charge of this religion.

Just last Christmas, my father and I had a talk about my grandparents (his parents) who I thought belong to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Turns out, only my grandmother is SDA while lolo is actually an atheist. Daddy said lolo used to be a Catholic when he was younger but turned his back against Catholicism after the death of my great grandmother who was refused blessing by the local church for reasons I will not divulge.

Anyway, I think the Pope is just unfair.

Gays are nothing extraordinary. The only difference is the love shared by two people of same gender. What’s wrong with that? How was he able to conclude that two people of same gender and in love, leads to the doom of humanity.

Perhaps the Pope should consider cleaning his own backyard first before minding the lives of people who wants nothing in this world but acceptance and understanding.

Whatever happened to the priests who are pedophiles.

Priests who are rapists.

Priests who are married and has children.

Priests who are unmarried and has children.

Priests who have sex regularly. And sometimes pay for it.

Corrupt priests.

The Vatican might want to address those things and make a statement because those are real threats to the Catholic faith.

Talk about hypocrisy.

Tee for Charity

2012-01-11T18:01:00.004+08:00

Good news!

HELP CDO and ONE FOR ILIGAN t-shirts are now available for purchase.

All proceeds will be used to help the survivors of Typhoon Sendong.

If you’re in Cagayan de Oro, the shirts can be bought at Missy Bonbon and Bigby’s Restaurant.

In Cebu and Davao, please check your local Bigby's restaurant.

For those of you in Manila, these shirts will also be available on January 19 during a charity concert at The Flying V Arena in San Juan and on the Azkals vs. South Korea charity game on January 21 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Sizes available for both men and women, S, M, L, XL, 2XL.

Prices for the black shirts are P220, while white shirts are sold for P180.
Again, ALL proceeds will be used to help Sendong survivors.

For evey t-shirt you purchase, you can at least feed 10 people.

Thank you very much and God bless you.

Oh Joe

2012-01-10T18:10:00.011+08:00

It’s also been a tradition in my blog to reveal my crushes.

And for the year 2012, the first honour goes to Japanese actor....

Joe Odagiri.

I blame my obsession with Joe to Anna Coren’s interview on CNN Talk Asia last week.

Joe is 35 years old which means he’s a lot older than me.

He’s was just recently married kaya puede pa rin silang mag-hiwalay.

His son was born last February 2011, which means hindi siya baog at puede din niya akong anakan.

Joe's fashion sense is being compare to Johnny Depp, which means bagay talaga kami dahil pareho kaming fasyon.

His new movie My Way will be coming out soon....

....in pirated DVDs sa inyong mga suking bangketa.

Watch out for it.

What can you say Joe?

The picture says it all.

Photochopped

2012-01-10T17:57:00.003+08:00

I know I said I’m going to be a better person this year but I just can’t help it.

Preview magazine’s January-February 2012 issue cover girl is none other than pop starlet Charice.

In the publishing world, it is normal to photoshop images but this cover is just extreme to the extent of altering her face.

Charice’s jaw line is trimmed and tamed, even the release of the behind-the-scenes video cannot deny that. Wala naman shots na pinakita full-frontal ang face ni Charice. Most angles of the camera were profile.

Hoy Preview, huwag niyo nga kami etchosin. Normal lang mag-photoshop kaya huwag niyo nang i-deny na tinapyas niyo talaga ang panga niya. Nagmukha pang dumaan sa botox.

Anyway, this issue will remain untouched in my magazine shelf. Not worth opening at all.

That’s all.

2012

2012-01-10T17:43:00.002+08:00

2012.

Happy New Year!

Or should I say, ‘Happy Last Year’?

Charot.

Huwag naman sana. Let’s all pray that the Mayan calculation that the world will end on December of 2012 is incorrect. Malay niyo napagod lang ang gumawa ng calendar nila kaya hanggang doon lang ang tinapos niya. O kaya ay pinatay kaya ‘di na natapos. Or worse, hindi binayaran ng sweldo.

Anyway, I am so looking forward to this year.

So many things to do, deadlines to finish, trips to enjoy, places to visit, meeting new friends and ambitions to be realised.
Every year, I always do a list of resolutions but as always, like many of you out there, hindi rin naman natutupad. Kaya for this year I am going to be meaner because I was mean last 2011. I hope and pray that I will be more understanding and patient to other people, like I wanted other people to be understandable and patient to me.

Ganun lang. Good vibes, do good things, be a joy to others and be a better person to everyone.

Well, except for Gloria Arroyo and her minions. I wish them doom. Charot.

We may not have ended 2011 wonderfully and peacefully especially to those in Northern Mindanao, at least we’ve witnessed once again how helpful Filipinos are to one another in times of sorrow and crisis. The help from all over the world is quite overwhelming but there’s still a lot of things to do for them, and that includes our prayers.

I am just so glad that hindi nagsasawa ang ilan nating kababayan na tumulong. Selfless people who are doing great lengths to help ease the pain and make the lives of the survivors less painful.

On the other hand, it makes me angry when insensitive bitches find it easy to say that no matter what happened to their lives, these survivors have to move on. Kayo na ang mabahaan, mawalan ng bahay, mawalan ng mga mahal sa buhay, it is not that easy. Grieving is a process. Let’s not push them to move on with their lives because really, hindi sila ikaw.

Oh well.

That’s life.

I just hope that the government is quick to realise the promises they’ve made. After all, the money is already there.

Huwag na sanang patulugin at kurakutin. Ma-konsensya naman kayo.

Bagong taon na. Magbago na rin sana ang ating gobyerno.

Happy New Year once again dear friends!

The Year That Was

2011-12-31T20:31:00.010+08:00

2011 has been generally good to me.

I thank God for everything.

My family and friends for the unconditional love and support.

To sum up the year that was, here are my top choices in 2011 in various categories.

Favourite Movie

Monte Carlo

Favourite TV Show

Two Broke Girls

Favourite Song

Rolling In The Deep

Favourite Artist

Selena Gomez

Favourite Political Personality

Leila De Lima

Favourite Fashion Moment

Adam Levine & Anne Vyalitsyna's kiss at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Favourite Crush

James Younghusband

....who made my Christmas wish come true:

I'm hoping and praying for a wonderful 2012.

Happy New Year friends!

Noel

2011-12-24T19:19:00.003+08:00

Merry Christmas,

from my Beckham family,

van der Woodsen family,

and Younghusband family.

Charot!

Separated at Birth XIII

2011-12-24T08:06:00.007+08:00

Showbiz vs. Fashion edition

Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Nike's big boss Bill Knight

Pop sensation Charice (in her new look) and supermodel Irina Pantaeva

Diva rapper Nicki Minaj and designer Charina Sarte

Actor/singer Kakai Bautista and blogger/designer Cecile Zamora

That's all.

Greencards

2011-12-21T19:12:00.004+08:00

If you haven't bought a gift for a friend or a relative and you're on a budget so you decided to just send them greeting cards, here's a great option for you.

Greenpeace All-Occasion Greeting Cards are great for this holiday season.

The Greenpeace gift cards feature hand-painted designs, printed on 100% recycled paper using soya ink. Each box has ten different gift cards with envelopes, currently being sold at P750 for each box. All proceeds go directly to Greenpeace campaigns for the environment.

The cards’ message reads “Celebrate a green, peaceful & joyful life” making them all-occasion cards that turn any event all the more memorable for the recipient as well as for the environment.

To place an order, just send an email to nhelyn.rondeja@greenpeace.org.

Thank you very much.

Source

Nasty Birds

2011-12-21T18:13:00.004+08:00

Sometimes I regret having a twitter account.

The main reason why I opened one was because eveybody else in the blog world have it.

Information is fast and real-time compared to Facebook, news websites and other forms of media. Just follow the right people and the right agencies and you're good to go.

When I deleted my first twitter account because of phishing, medyo delayed na dumating ang balita sa akin and I hated it. I have to be one of the firsts to know whether this certain event just happened, like when Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy announced their split-up on their respective accounts, or when Steve Jobs passed away, or when Miss World was already proclaimed, hours before its telecast.

It's always a good feeling when you're way ahead of the news compared to the vast majority.

Problem is, twitter can also be a source of a problem, conflict, misunderstanding.

Your tweet is vulnerable to other people's opinion.

You cannot tweet or comment on celebrities now because you'll never know what that particular celebrity's fans would say to you.

Like Charice's twitter followers. They're one of the nicest and nastiest. I've been called names, especially when her father died a few months ago and I tweeted how fake she, her brother and her mother was. Anyway, that's water under the bridge now.

Just yesterday, when Pia Magalona tweeted about 'instead of sending "stars" to CDO, why not donate their 1-2 days worth of talent fee', I was one of the many who reacted negatively. In my understanding, she was referring to actors Kris Aquino, Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis-Smith and Angel Locsin who was just in Cagayan de Oro to distribute relief goods.

Anyway, I'm glad that Pia apologised if her tweet had offended the said celebrities and their fans.

In my case, my tweet got a reply from her friend, celebrity blogger Cecile van Straten, a.k.a. Chuvaness.

I understand her reaction because she's a real friend to Mrs. Magalona, she's just defending her.

What surprised me was that after a few exchange of tweets, she blocked me.

Honestly, I was a little hurt and more disappointed.

I've been a fan of Miss Cecile Zamora since Defect and Grocery. When I discovered Chuvaness on LiveJournal, I was excited. There's never a day that I don't check her tweets and visit her website. All her replies to my tweet are in my Favourites list. Ganyan ako ka-fanatic, to the extent of becoming a fantard when she's being attacked by other people.

I love Pepper Lunch and I love Bleach Catastrophe. Whenever I'm in Manila, I never miss eating at PL Greenbelt or Rockwell and I have a few shirts from Heather Miss Grey, particularly that REVENGE IS SWEET AND NOT FATTENING shirt, in three colours.

After what happened last night, now that she officially hates me, my adoration with her is also over.

I've unfollowed and unliked her and her known friends on both Twitter and Facebook, and I've deleted her in my bookmarks and my bloglist as well.

I know it wouldn't matter because I'm just nothing compared to her thousands, if not millions of followers. I am also planning on donating my HMG x CVS shirts to my relatives in Cotabato or to the Sendong victims. Sayang naman kasi kung susunugin ko lang or gagawing basahan, mapakikinabangan pa din yun.

Lastly, I wish she would stop bullying celebrities. As a fan, I would be amused at her whenever she post something against these celebrities, but now, I don't find it amusing anymore.

Remember, bullying in the cyberspace is just something recent.

Bullying at school is ancient. Sana hindi yun maranasan ng mga anak niya.

Yun lang po.

Dragon Warrior

2011-12-21T18:01:00.004+08:00

Move over Rooney Mara.

Hindi lang ikaw ang The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo.

Charot.

Last weekend, I was finally and permanently inked.

It just took less than 15 minutes for the artist to sketch it in my left leg and almost two hours of gruesome pain.

I'm not exaggerating when I say na parang blade na dahan-dahan na sinusugat sa balat when outlining and the pain is doubled when colour application is taking place. I'm sure people who have a tattoo can attest to that.

Anyway, here's the finish product.

I hope you like it as much as I do.

And believe me, it is so much beautiful in person, or up close. Basta when you see me I'll show it to you.

Thanks to Mr. Julio 'Kuya Bong' Acosta of Skinmode Tattoo and his cute son and pamangkin for making me feel strong kahit na sobrang sakit. Tiis-ganda lang daw.

Help Sendong Victims

2011-12-20T19:17:00.010+08:00

We're lucky that our pad in Cagayan de Oro is located on the second floor.

Unfortunately, some of our neighbours, and even the ground floor of our landlady's house wasn't spared.

There are a lot of ways to help our brothers and sisters who were affected by the wrath of Sendong.

Here are your options.

1. For SMART MONEY users, text UNICEFAMOUNT and send to 270
(ex. UNICEF 200 & send to 270).

2. For G-CASH users, text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit PINUNICEF and send to 2882
(ex. DONATE 200 4-digit PIN UNICEF & send to 2882)

3. Smart subscribers may also send financial help to the Philippine Red Cross through text. To donate, cell phone users should text RED to 4143. Valid donation amounts are 10, 25, 50 and 100 and will be charged to the subscriber’s prepaid load or postpaid bill.

Smart Money users can also transfer funds through their mobile phones to the official Baha Fund account number 5577 5130 6822 1104. Donors may also deposit cash to the same Smart Money account number in any Banco De Oro branch nationwide or through Hapinoy and Cebuana Lhuillier outlets.

4. Globe subscribers may send help to Red Cross. Just text RED and send to 2899. Valid donation amounts are 10, 25, 50, 100 (For ex, RED 10).

5. 7-11 Stores. Cash donations may be coursed through 7-11 stores without service fees. Official receipts will be provided for the donors.

5. Caritas Manila. Please call 563-9311 or 564-0205 for pick-up requests.

6. GMA Kapuso Foundation. 2/F Kapuso Center, GMA 7, EDSA Diliman, Quezon City.
www.kapusofoundation.com. 9284299, 9289351.

For cash donations:

Metrobank Peso Savings account: GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. / Account Number: 3-098-51034-7

7. Red Cross. For credit card, Paypal & bank deposit options, visit http://www.redcross.org.ph/donatenow

8. News5 Aksyon Center. San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. Please call 938-6393.

Cash donations may be sent through the following bank accounts:
BDO Peso Account
Account name: TV5 Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account No. 005310-410164

BPI Peso Account
Account name: TV5 Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account No. 1443-05333-2

9. Sagip Kapamilya. ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. Mother Ignacia cor. Eugenio Lopez St., Diliman, Quezon City. Donations may also be made online at www.abs-cbnfoundation.com.

Cash donations may be sent through the following bank accounts:

BDO Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39301-14199
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

PNB Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

BPI Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3051-1127-75 (West Triangle, Quezon City)
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

10. UNICEF Philippines. Call 758-1000, 758-1442 or e-mail Mr. George Belardo at gbelardo@unicef.org for corporate donations.

Financial donations may be made through:

Metrobank Peso Account
Account name: UNICEF
Account Number: CA 066-7-06631209-3

For international wire transfers:
Account name: UNICEF
Account Number: CA 66-7-00141392-5
Swift Code: MBTCPHMM

You may also donate through your mobile phone:
For SMART MONEY users, text UNICEFAMOUNT and send to 270
(ex. UNICEF 200 & send to 270).

For G-CASH users, text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit PINUNICEF and send to 2882
(ex. DONATE 200 4-digit PIN UNICEF & send to 2882)

Also, the good people at LBC will also deliver your in kind donations to the areas affected by Sendong. Just drop your donations at any LBC branch, nationwide.

Thank you very much and may God bless us all.

The New Breed

2011-12-15T18:17:00.010+08:00

Celia Rodriguez, Maricel Soriano, Eula Valdes, Ruffa Gutierrez, Regine Velasquez and Cherie Gil.

These women share a common denominator not just because they’re celebrities who excel in their respective fields powered with beauty, a distinct sense of style and strong personalities.

They are Gay Icons.

Icons that will forever be a source of inspiration among us.

Charot.

Now, there is an emerging group of women who may one day or are already in the league of the women named above.

The new breed of gay icons.

Divine Lee

The heiress to the Globe Asiatique empire. A supporter and mentor to up and coming designers. Ang ina ng makabagong beki.

Anne Curtis-Smith

Multi-media star. Cover girl. Actress. Platinum-recording artist. Ambisyosa.

Maria Isabel Lopez

The high profile beauty queen from the 80’s. Cannes Film Festival actress. Popular to the new generation as the uncanny villainess in the latest edition of Survivor Philippines.

Pokwang

Actor, performer, TV host. Lady Gaga who? Mas nauna yata si Mamang sa kanya.

Annabelle Rama

Star manager. Stage mother. Twitterlandia’s most favourite talakera. Nadia Montenegro's best friend.

Georgina Wilson

The face. The body. The legs.

Tessa Prieto Valdes

Designer, columnist, singer, TV presenter, style icon, sea princess.

Did I miss somebody?

I hope they won’t curse me.

Ink

2011-12-14T18:37:00.006+08:00

I am seriously contemplating on getting a tattoo.

This is going to be a painful thing but I've been thinking about being inked forever for many days already.

My bestfriends and I are planning before the 2011 ends but our schedules wouldn't permit it, so by next year, hopefully I'll be able to show it to you here.

In terms of the design and where to put it, I'm thinking a dragon tattoo on my bald head, similar to Eve Salvail.

My other choice would be a bunch of stars, and it's going to be put on my left leg, to cover some flaws.

Or a miniature version of this rose vine, also in one of my legs, to honour my mother, Rose.

Kakayanin ko kaya? Well, if my brother whose both legs are fully tattooed eh kinaya, ako pa kaya?

Charot.

Good luck to me.

2 in 1

2011-12-14T17:40:00.004+08:00

From WFP:

Dear friend,

If you’re thinking about what to send your friends and family for the holiday, you can actually skip the stores.

Why not send something that will bring a smile to those you love and hope to those who need it most. In just a few clicks. Give two fantastic gifts in one!

Your gift will be matched by WFP's generous partner LG Electronics, doubling your impact. You’ll provide a lifeline to hungry families in Ethiopia, just in time for another long dry season. Your gift recipient will receive an eCard with your personal message. Take your pick:

gifts.wfp.org

Want to skip the gift catalogue and make an online donation instead? It will be matched dollar for dollar by LG! Our lifesaving work relies entirely on voluntary contributions and you are crucial to our efforts to help the world’s hungry. To donate offline via mail or bank transfer, click here.

Right now, you can transform the life of a child or woman living in hunger in Ethiopia.

Since the start of the recent drought in the Horn of Africa, countless families in Ethiopia are struggling to grow the food they need.

So when an opportunity like this comes along, WFP is quick to share it far and wide.

If you take this short online quiz, generous partner LG Electronics will also feed a hungry child in Ethiopia.

http://quiz.wfp.org/Ethiopia

Then share it with your networks to ensure another child is fed!

If you take the quiz and tell three friends and each of your friends tell three friends, imagine how many children in Ethiopia we could feed together!

Test your knowledge, engage others, and transform the lives of hungry children -- all in just a few minutes.

Will you test your Ethiopia IQ and then challenge your friends?

Share via FACEBOOK

Post via TWITTER

Thanks for getting involved.

WFP

Cupcakes

2011-12-13T18:08:00.005+08:00

Since it's the season of giving, I'd like to give space in my blog for my friends this holiday season.

I do not have a sweet tooth. I don't crave for chocolates and I am not a big fan of pastries either.

When going out with friends or on special occasions, I treat myself to something sweet too. And I'm a big fan of home-made stuff.

For Davao City residents, my friend Marie Mae of Cupcake Couture Davao makes one of the best cupcakes I've ever tasted in my whole life. I ordered a dozen for my friend's birthday and for my niece Zoe and it was heaven.

Cupcake Couture is a home-based cupcakery business. Customised and personalised cupcake orders are accepted. Minimum of 1 dozen per order.

Some cupcakes sold commercially are pretty but the taste is just generic. It's either too sweet, too bland or a mix of both, not good at all. But not Cupcake Couture.

These custom-made cupcakes, individually designed by Mae and her sister are not just gorgeous but the taste is great. Just the exact amount of sweetness. All cakes are baked from scratch using quality ingredients especially the butter, cocoa and couverture chocolate for the filling.

This holiday season, order your Christmas-themed cupcakes. Available flavors are chocolate, carrot, and vanilla. Minimum of 1 dozen per order and one flavor per dozen. Best for corporate giveaways, gifts for family, friends, and relatives.

Mae also create custom cakes for different occasions.

For more information, see Cupcake Couture Davao on Facebook.

Cupcake Couture Davao
0922-809-4685. Look for MM.

Asian Heroine

2011-12-08T17:55:00.004+08:00

Every year, I am always excited to buy the December issue of Reader’s Digest Asia because of their annual Asian of the Year award.

This 2011, it goes to Suthasinee Noi-in of Thailand.

A supermom with a lot of love to give.
Even with a fatal cancer eating away at her little by little, this strong-willed woman will not give up on saving the lives of hundreds of HIV/AIDS orphans.

Better known as Mae Tiew (Mother Tiew), she established Home Hug Orphanage in 1987, supporting poor HIV/AIDS afflicted children who became orphans after one or both parents succumbed to the disease.

For more information, go to www.suthasinee.org

The December 2011 Reader's Digest Asia also features the love of my life James Younghusband and his brother Phil on the cover.

Here, they talk about personal stuff, their love for football, and moving to the Philippines for good.

Syet.

Ang gwapo talaga ni Papa James!

Playgirl

2011-12-08T17:24:00.005+08:00

So someone leaked the supposed Lindsay Lohan’s cover for Playboy magazine.

Duh.

We all know this leaking is just PR para mag-ingay ulet si Lindsay before the said issue comes out in a few weeks. Further increasing the curiosity and pangangati ng mga manyaks out there salivating over Lindsay Lohan.

Anyway, here's the alleged Playboy cover which cost Mr. Hefner $ 1Million.

What do you think? The said issue comes out January/February of 2012.

This is not the first time Lindsay posed nude on the cover of a magazine though. A few years ago, she was on the cover of New York Magazine posing as Marilyn Monroe.

Crap

2011-12-08T17:01:00.002+08:00

I’m done with America’s Next Top Model.

This will be my last post regarding the said show.

After Lisa was named the show’s all-star winner, this show is definitely crap.

I admit I’m a big fan of ANTM since Cycle 1 and it’s been addicting. Like all other forms of addiction, this has to stop.

And I thank Lisa for winning because if Allison won, I would have been a happy camper and still continue with this crap addiction.

I’m also sorry for the Angelea fans out there who is expecting that their idol would win this cycle.

You probably all know why she got disqualified right? If not, it’s because she can’t stop her big mouth for revealing the results of the show.

Rumour has it, she won the all-star cycle and announced it on her Facebook, which is a big no-no. After her disqualification, the show had to re-shoot the finale in LA.

Anyway, Cycle 18 is already taping in LA and I heard that it’s going to be a UK vs. US cycle.

Now, if the spoilers are true, why still call it America’s Next Top Model if half of the contestants are British?

Tyra, suminghot ka na naman ba ng katol?

P.S. If any of you is planning to buy Tyra’s book Modelland, DON’T!
Waste of time and money. Total crap.

Three Stars

2011-12-06T18:07:00.002+08:00

And then there were three.

After Laura was eliminated, the three left are Allison, Angelea and Lisa.

The final three will battle it out in the finale wearing looks designed specifically designed for them by Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco.

But there's bead news.

One of the three finalists was disqualified due to a breach in her contract. Apparently, this finalist has done something that makes her ineligible to win.

From the forums that I've read, many suggested that Allison was the one to be disqualified and that Angelea will be named the All-Star.

I really hope this is untrue because I am rooting for Allison. She was robbed in Cycle 12 and this time around her photos, performances and her confidence are better than ever.

Meanwhile, here are the the final three's Cover Girl photos.

Allison

Angelea

Lisa

Please, please let Allison win.

Let's all cross our fingers Allison fantards!

Beckham in Manila

2011-12-06T17:48:00.005+08:00

I admit, I was one of the few people who had a lot of doubts if David Beckham will truly be in Manila to play against the Philippine Azkals.

And I was wrong.

David indeed came to Manila for a friendly game against our best football team.

Even if the local Azkals lost to LA Galaxy via a 6-1 score in favour of the latter, the real winners I guess were the Filipino people because we only did not get to see an international star play in our own backyard but also Filipino children were given the chance to hangout with him, through the help of UNICEF.

In case you didn't know, David Beckham is not just a sports superstar and an Armani underwear model, but also a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

So thank you David for coming to the Philippines.

Please tell Victoria about your wonderful experience here and hopefully on your next visit, you'll bring her and the rest of your family.

Charot.

Separated at Birth XII

2011-12-02T17:39:00.013+08:00

The young Hollywood issue.

Charot.

Katy Perry & Zooey Deschanel

Sarah Hyland & Mila Kunis

Lauren Conrad & Alexa Vega

Katie Cassidy & Tinsley Mortimer

Carey Mulligan & Michelle Williams

That's all for now.

Material Girls

2011-12-01T17:47:00.023+08:00

Christmas is fast approaching.

As much as I don't like this time of the year because of many reasons e.g. traffic, security, annoying tunes on the radio and commercialism, we can't just ignore it.

And since it's the time of the year where we get to cross our fingers and wish for material things that we'll hopefully receive during this holiday season, I asked my bestfriends KC, Edz, and Unique their Top 5 wishes.

Sana lang matupad noh?

Here are the Top 5 things on our wishlists.

Edz' List

The iPhone 4S,

portable speakers,

a 36-inch LED TV,

a Zannusi oven,

and a complete Mariah Carey CD collection.

Unique's List

A Samsung Galaxy SII,

white Lacoste trainers,

a North Face backpack,

Converse messenger bag in hot pink,

and a Technomarine watch.

KC's List

Charriol bracelet,

Tag Heuer watch,

Oakley Jupiter shades,

Onitsuka Tiger shoes,

and iPad2.

Mel's List

A white Blackberry,

gold Comme des Garçons x Cambridge satchel,

a red coat,

Acne black ankle wedges,

and an autographed life-size photo of Angelo Cacciatore.

Yun lang po.

No wonder, the four of us are friends.

We're all materialistic. Haha!

Regain

2011-11-29T18:50:00.004+08:00

Aminin niyo man or hindi, we blog because we want to be read.

Or at least in my case.

This blog has always been an outlet for me. This is where I talk about stuff that caught my attention, experiences both sad and happy, opinions from politics to showbiz, and everything else.

Even if I don't have the figures and popularity of other blogs, I know I'm being read and that's what matters for me. Kahit isang tao lang ang nagbasa at nakapagbigay ako ng konting happiness, or inis, through reading my posts, fulfilled na ako.

Anyway, statistically speaking, my all-time high of number of pageviews was almost 20,000 a month. A month ha, hindi a day. Sa isang maliit na blog na tulad nang sa'ken, okay na rin yon. Meaning, on average, may 600 plus viewers ako.

Last September when my domain name expired, tumamlay ang aking readership and I was sad. That was my all-time low at 3000 pageviews, or roughly 100 a day.

Malungkot.

Purchasing the melbeckham.net domain name didn't help at all. It even erased all the links that I've previously placed in the sidebar.

Fortunately, last week, I was able to repossess my original url http://melbeckham.com but for a price. Buti na lang, may sponsor.

I'm back to regaining my readers again who I know got lost because their links to my blog lead them to a parked page. Now, whether you type melbeckham.com, or melbeckham.net, it'll both lead to this blog.

Thank you for still reading my posts.

Welcome back.

XOXO

Influence

2011-11-29T18:18:00.005+08:00

Finally.

After more than three years of waiting, I got a copy of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's book, Influence.

Kahit ano pang sabihin ng mga critics diyan sa tabi-tabi, you can't deny the power and influence of the Olsen sisters.

They are style icons and and a force to be reckoned with, and is on my list of most influential in fashion, next to Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham.

In the said book, they named and interviewed more than 20 individuals as the most influential in their lives, not only in fashion but also in other fields of design including Francisco Costa, Diane von Furstenberg, Lauren Hutton, Karl Lagerfeld, Terry Richardson, Peter Lindbergh, Christian Louboutin, and even themselves.

Foreword was written by author and personal friend of the Olsen twins, Derek Blasberg.

Influence is still available at Fully Booked. Make sure to ask for a discount even if you don't have the Fully Booked discount card.

Cassandra

2011-11-28T18:04:00.005+08:00

Dear KC,

I'm so sad to see you cry on national TV.

Sad that you're crying over someone who doesn't deserve those gorgeous tears.

I don't want to say this but honey, I can't help it.

I told you so!

Charot.

Ang tigas kasi ng ulo mo eh. Sabi sa'yo pareho kayo ng gusto. Feeling mo kasi may divine powers ang iyong ganda, ganda na that will make him change his sexual preference. Ayan tuloy.

Anyway, I hope next time you'll really find someone that'll make you happy and satisfied.

And please, consult and listen to your gay friends first, okay?

We don't wanna see you cry again.

XOXO

"I failed as a United Nations World Food Programme ambassador. I was able to help feed thousands of kids all over the world but I failed to feed my own boyfriend who doesn't want to eat anything I've offered."

A Message of Thanks

2011-11-28T17:55:00.003+08:00

From WFP:

Dear you,

It’s astounding when you think about it.

The online movement has simply exploded this year. You’ve combined forces with hundreds of thousands of people across the globe to end hunger.

You’re saving lives. Since July, thanks to small donations from 80,000 caring people, we’ve raised enough online to feed more than 11 million of the most vulnerable people for a day in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa, most of them women and children.

You’re spreading the word. By taking our hunger quiz and passing it on, more than 100,000 people are now better informed about the impact of hunger. Thank you on behalf of all the children who received a nutritious meal every time the quiz was completed.

You’re engaged. More than 200,000 are following us on Twitter and sharing posts, 113,000 joined us on Facebook, 600,000 are registered players on Freerice, and more than 750,000 of you are receiving email updates.

Thanks to you, we staved off what was poised to be one of the worst famines in history. Thanks to you, this year will be remembered here at WFP as the year that our ever-growing online community raised funds, stayed informed, spread the word, and provided a lifeline to countless families on the edge of survival.

Together, no doubt we will build a world where hunger ceases to exist. We are turning the tide -- one child, one family, one community at a time.

On behalf of all of us at WFP and the people we serve, thank you.

Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season.

WFP

Pride March

2011-11-28T17:38:00.004+08:00

From Raffy Aquino:

Task Force Pride, a non-profit network of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) groups will organize the 17th Annual Pride March in Manila. The aim of the march is to gather different LGBT groups, allies and individuals in solidarity, as well as provide positive visibility to the community.

This year's theme, "Pride of the Orient", recalls the community's achievements with regard to advancing LGBT human rights, such as... organizing the first pride march in Asia in 1994 and the formation of Ladlad party list, the only LGBT-oriented party list in the world, and extensive HIV/AIDS Awareness campaigns nationwide .

"Pride of the Orient" calls on LGBT Filipinos to reclaim these milestones and look forward to more victories they've yet to achieve.

For Organizations, please confirm in this link:
http://taskforcepride.blogspot.com/2011/11/2011-confirmation-form-organizations.html

For Individuals, please confirm in this link:
http://taskforcepride.blogspot.com/2011/11/2011-confirmation-form-individuals.html

(If you have difficulties with the links provided, please reply to this email with your Name, Organization's Name, and Contact Number.)

Remember this date:

December 3, 2011

Pride March

Meeting Place: Remedios Circle, Malate, Manila

Registration: 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Parade: 4:15pm

Program: 5:00pm

Routes, Program, and Pre-Parade Venue will be discussed on the General Assembly. We would be needing volunteers as well for the registration and marshalls.

Please check the TFP page regularly for updates on the program line-up and the venue.

For more information you can visit this FB Event Page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241089652610923

Visit the official website:
http://www.taskforcepride.blogspot.com/

email us at:
taskforcepride@gmail.com

or SMS us at 09163089903 (Globe), 09333049795 (Sun)

Thank you.

New Girl

2011-11-27T08:25:00.005+08:00

Meet Aymeline Valade.

Bio

Height 5'10" | 178
Bust 33 | 85
Waist 24 | 60
Hips 35 | 88
Shoes 9 | 39.5
Hair light brown | hl. braun
Eyes blue | blau

Agencies

New York Women
London Select
Milan Women Milan
Paris Women Paris
Hamburg Mega Agency
Barcelona Traffic

Although Aymeline is not a neophyte, she was stuck in the commercial field for several seasons, but nows she seems to have finally branched out and made her stamp on the high-fashion avenue.

And just this quarter alone, Aymeline opened a lot of shows from New York, Paris and Milan and on editorials and covers of various publications.

Vogue Turkey

Rush

Harper's Bazaar Spain

Vogue Greece

Watch out for this girl.

She's taking the world of modelling by storm.

Best Shot

2011-11-24T18:02:00.020+08:00

America’s Next Top Model All-Stars finale is very near and only four all-stars remain.

Allison, Angelea, Lisa and Laura.

My fearless forecast is:

4th place: Lisa
3rd place: Angelea
Runner-up: Laura
Winner: Allison

Meanwhile, I want to share my favourite photo shoots over the last 17 cycles of America’s Next Top Model.

The Reptile Beauty: Cycle 1

Adrianne nailed this shot for me. The smize is natural and the snake makes the photo more ferocious.

Celebrity Impersonations: Cycle 2

The concept was a bit of a cliché but during those early days of ANTM, it’s worth anticipating. Yoanna’s a dead ringer indeed for Audrey Hepburn.

Diamonds & A Tarantula: Cycle 3

Eva’s fear of the arachnid never showed in this photo. Although her hands are not flattering, she definitely was the star of this shoot.

Seven Deadly Sins: Cycle 4

One of my favourite photo shoots of all-time. I wish they bring back this concept in the future cycles of ANTM. Here, Kahlen portrayed Wrath.

Paparazzi/Telephone Booth: Cycle 5

It’s not easy to stand out in a group and in a very tight place but Nicole definitely was a standout in this one. Notably, this pose is actually Nicole’s best angle too.

Legs & Elephants: Cycle 6

Danielle was sick when this shoot took place but it didn’t prevented her from capturing this wonderful image on top of the gigantic mammal.

Freak Show Circus: Cycle 7

Shot by my favourite ANTM photographer Mike Rosenthal, this shot of Caridee deserved to be called first but the judges’ choice that time was AJ’s cannibal shot.

Crime Scene Victims: Cycle 8

Third place Renee was named best photo for this particular shoot but I think Jaslene’s broken body was more convincing and fiercer for me.

Flower & Plantlife: Cycle 9

Jenah had the most first call-outs in Cycle 9. In this photo shoot as a plant, she’s blending naturally as the lowly moss.

Beauty & Paint: Cycle 10

This was the beauty shoot for the 14 finalists of Cycle 10 and in this shot Anya looked very editorial, eventually landing second place to Whitney in the finale.

Black & White: Cycle 11

In the history of ANTM, this Polaroid shot of Samantha (by Tyra) was Nigel Barker’s favourite. I have to agree.

Exotic Brazilian Birds: Cycle 12

Allison’s owl-like eyes fitted naturally for this particular concept. And I also love the fact that Teyona screwed up in this shoot but wasn’t sent home. Booo!

Biracial Hapas: Cycle 13

The most controversial and most talked-about photo shoot in the history of ANTM. Nicole was a Botswanan/Japanese hapa.

Vampires in a Bloodied Bathtub: Cycle 14

My early favourite Simone was sent home in this shoot and Alasia was called out first, for the second time in a row.

Iconic Fashion Designers: Cycle 15

Vogue Italia EIC Franca Sozzani’s son Francesco Carozzini shot the girls portraying iconic fashion designers (although I disagree on Alexander Wang being called iconic). Kayla was very effective as Vivienne Westwood without looking like the designer but more of her aura.

Nomads in Morocco: Cycle 16

The final five girls’ first photo shoot in the African country, Molly undeniably got the best and most dynamic shot.

Pink's Hotdog: Cycle 17

I love this concept because it’s quirky and fun yet not losing a sense of high fashion. Shannon was my choice for best photo because she looked great in this dress.

What’s your favourite ANTM photo shoot of all-time?

Tell me.

Triumphant

2011-11-24T17:47:00.001+08:00

Finally.

The farmers of Hacienda Luisita will be granted their pieces of land.

The Supreme Court today decided with finality, on the total distribution of the 6000-hectare sugar plantation owned by the Cojuangco family to some 6,296 farmer-worker-beneficiaries.

On a personal note, I’m happy that after many years of struggle and loss of lives, the farmers will be able to tend farms in their names.

Mabuhay ang Hacienda Luisita farmers!

Maraming salamat sa mga tao who made this possible.

Photo credit: Harvey Keh

A Different Birthday

2011-11-23T17:53:00.015+08:00

I've always said that it is somewhat better to receive than to give. Hindi ko feel ang old saying na 'It is better to give than to receive'.

Mas bongga nga naman ang tumanggap ng mga regalo lalo na on Christmas and especially on birthdays.

But things and beliefs change too.

Last weekend, my gorgeous friend Edz, together with the equally beautiful Rexie and handsome Ryan, celebrated their birthdays altogether.

But rather than the usual throwing of parties for their friends and families, they collectively decided to share their blessings with other people.

100 kids to be exact.

These kids live in Brgy. Dansolihon, a very remote place just outside Cagayan de Oro City whose nearest elementary and pre-school is an hour (or more) away from their homes. The walk includes crossing two hanging bridges.

The good thing is, a small group of students are currently doing an outreach project in this area which includes building a pre-school for these kids so they don't need to go very far just to be properly educated.

The celebrants contributed so that we can give them food to eat during the party as well as packed goods they can bring home, a loot bag full of snacks and other things.

In fairness, nagbitbit din ako ng kahon ha.

Here are the three birthday celebrants with the kids, Ryan (in pink), Edz (in blue) and Rexie (in red).

The kids during the parlor games.

Eating spaghetti.

The gang.

More photos from the party.

The memost memorable kid of the day for me was this little girl who prefers to be alone and not join the other kids. I called her Blair.

Many thanks also to our photographer, friend Milky for this gorgeous shot.

The whole team.

Wacky pose daw. I did not care. Haha!

Thank you Edz, Rexie and Ryan for sharing this wonderful experience to us.

Indeed, it is always better to give than to receive.

Never Forget

2011-11-23T17:44:00.006+08:00

It's been two years since that bloodiest election-related violence happened and yet justice to the victims has not been served.

The Ampatuans are already in prison, as well as the other men who took part in the Maguindanao Massacre but the course of the case is at a very slow pace.

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon thing in our justice system.

I just hope, wish and pray, that in the end, justice will be served and those people behind this bloody massacre will be held responsible and put to jail.

May the souls of the 57 souls, rest in peace.

We will never forget.

Breaking Dress

2011-11-22T18:27:00.003+08:00

Finally, the fourth installment to the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 is showing worldwide.

When asked about what they think of the movie, somehow, some people managed to blurt out and complain how bitin the movie was.

Of course, you idiot. Kaya nga Part 1 ‘di ba? Kasi nga may karugtong pa sa Part 2?

Gosh.

Anyway, my most favourite part of the movie was the wedding because Bella’s wedding gown is divine.

Designed by Carolina Herrera, The long-sleeved white sheath wedding dress, embellished with lace backing, was specially designed for Stewart and is actually available for purchase at Carolina Herrera's CHNY stores.

Alfred Angelo has also been named the exclusive and official licensed manufacturer of Bella's bridal gown. The gown will be a replica of Bella's wedding dress and marketed under the brand Twilight Bridal by Alfred Angelo, available in Alfred Angelo Signature Stores and independent retailers worldwide for US$799.

Not bad ha.

Also, the wedding version of Iron & Wine's Flightless Bird, American Mouth is also available for download at iTunes.

So kung plano mong gayahin ang Twilight wedding, hindi lang ang gown at song ang kailangan mong ma-perfect.

Maghanap ka rin ng bampira na kasing-gwapo ni Robert Pattinson.

Cha, Cha, Cha

2011-11-22T18:17:00.003+08:00

I don’t hate Charice Pempengco.

I never mentioned or tweeted she’s talentless. She has an enormous talent and that’s what brought her to where she is now. Her voice is a very powerful one and has been proven by the standing ovations she receives after every performance.

I never called her names or ridiculed her looks. Of course she’s not my idea of an attractive girl because there is only one beautiful girl in the world and that is Kate Moss. Charice is so blessed to have wonderful stylists that know how to enhance her features and hide the flaws.

When her father was murdered, Charice became vulnerable to criticisms.

Criticisms that her fans don’t like.

I for one was attacked by a lot of her fans on twitter because of a few things I said about her and her mother during Mr. Pempengco’s wake.

First of all, I did not doubt their tears and pain. I just think it’s coming from a different place. Not from sorrow, but guilt.

Period.

What surprised me is the reaction I got from her fans. Insecure daw ako, crab, inggit.

Ganun?

May sinabi ka lang na opinion about their idol, insecure, may crab mentality at inggit na kaagad? Hindi ba puedeng I don’t like her lang?

If her fans think she’s the most amazing singer in the whole universe, then fine. I just don’t see her the way her fans see her.

She’s got an exceptional voice, a wonderful performer like Celine Dion.

But I don’t like her, and I don’t like Celine.

I don’t like their style of singing or the way they performs.

They’re both not my type of artists but I have a few of their songs in my iPod.
Charice’s fans should learn to accept that not all people prefer her style and not automatically call them haters. Hate is such a strong word.

I super like Norah Jones, Shirley Manson and PJ Harvey but not all can appreciate their type of music or the way they look.

May kanya-kanya tayong preference at opinyon sa lahat ng bagay. Sana marunong tayong tumanggap nun at hindi kaagad-agad husgahan na isang insecure, inggitera at crab.

Mag-isip. Yun lang po.

And because of this sad experience, I have deleted all of Charice’s songs in my iPod, my pc and other medium.

I officially don’t like Charice, and I hate her stupid fans who called me those names, more.

Goddess

2011-11-13T07:54:00.004+08:00

Here are the 5 final photos for episode 10 of America's Next Top Model All-Stars as they pose as ancient Olympians shot by Nigel Barker.

Laura (Archery)

Dominique (Javelin)

Angelea (Shot Put)

Allison (Discus)

Lisa (Hurdles)

Best photo for me is Laura, while the worst is Angelea.

11 Myths About Global Hunger

2011-11-06T05:04:00.003+08:00

Originally published at WFP.org

There isn’t enough food to feed the world, most of the world's hungry live in Africa, and it's mostly a question of droughts and other natural disasters. All of these statements are wrong. But they reflect a common set of misconceptions on hunger. Here are 11 of the most common myths - with the reality they mask.

Myth 1: There isn’t enough food to feed the world.
Reality: There is enough food in the world today for everyone to have the nourishment necessary for a healthy and productive life. There is, however, a need to be more efficient, sustainable, and fair in how we grow and distribute food. This means a) supporting small-scale farmers and b) making sure that food 'safety nets' are in place to protect the most vulnerable people from hunger.

Myth 2: Resolving hunger means ensuring people have enough to eat.
Reality: Hunger also involves the type of food you eat. Good nutrition means having the right combination of nutrients and calories needed for healthy development. It's especially important for infants, pregnant women and young children.

Myth 3: Droughts and other natural disasters are to blame for hunger.
Reality: Communities that build irrigation systems, storage facilities, and roads to connect them to markets are able to improve harvests. Then people can survive even during times of drought (Learn more). Nature is only one factor when it comes to hunger. The proportion of food crises that are linked to human causes has more than doubled since 1992. Conflict is often at the heart of today’s worst food crises.

Myth 4: Hunger exists when food is unavailable in shops and markets.
Reality: People can go hungry even when there's plenty of food around. Often it's a question of access - they can’t afford food or they can’t get to local markets. One way we can help is through cash transfers and electronic vouchers, which give people the ability to buy nutritious foods in local markets.

Myth 5: All of the world’s hungry live in Africa.
Reality: Of the world’s nearly one billion hungry, over half live in Asia and the Pacific (Hunger Stats). Hunger is also a relevant issue in the United States, where 50 million Americans are food insecure.

Myth 6: Too many people go hungry in my own country for me to worry about hunger abroad.
Reality: One in seven people in the world are hungry, which means one in seven people can’t create, study, or reach their full potential as human beings. That affects all of us. Hunger slows progress on other important areas that connect nations, including security.

Myth 7: Hunger and famine are not easy to predict and can't be prepared for.
Reality: Tools exist to monitor and predict trends in food production as well as food prices. For example, the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) analyzes meteorological and economic factors to alert the world to the possibility of hunger hotspots and famine.

Myth 8: Hunger is basically a health issue.
Reality: This issue also affects education and the economy. Hungry children struggle to focus, learn, or even attend school. Without education, it's much harder for them to grow up and contribute to the growth of the national economy. A study in Guatemala found that boys who received fortified food before the age of three grew up to have wages 46 percent higher than those in a control group.

Myth 9: People are only hungry during emergencies or disasters.
Reality: Emergencies only account for eight percent of the world’s hungry. There are close to one billion hungry people in the world who do not make the headlines and yet they go to bed hungry every night. This is why long-term efforts like school meals programmes are so important.

Myth 10: There are more pressing global issues than hunger.
Reality: When populations are hungry, economies suffer, people fight, and farmers can’t grow their crops effectively. We need to tackle hunger to be able to resolve environmental, economic, and security issues.

Myth 11: There is nothing we can do to help hungry people.
Reality: There’s plenty we can do, even as individuals. Organizations like WFP need constant support and awareness-building efforts at the community level. You can help with that. Start where you are right now: online. Find us on Facebook and Twitter , and share our links to let your network know about the importance of hunger. And find out other ways to get involved here.

(This article was produced in conjunction with dosomething.org)

Oh Paulo

2011-10-29T18:26:00.005+08:00

Dear Paulo Avelino,

Ngiti mo pa lang, natutunaw na ako.

Katawan mo pa lang, kanin na lang ang kulang.

When you speak, nanghihina ang tuhod ko.

Paulo,

I think I'm in love with you.

That's all.

XOXO,

Mel

Charot.

Superstar Preview

2011-10-26T17:36:00.004+08:00

Guess who's on the cover of the November 2011 issue of Preview magazine?

It's none other than the Superstar of Philippine Movies herself, Nora Aunor!

As a certified Noranian, I think this is the best magazine cover of Ate Guy throughout her entire career.

Kahit na walang photoshop pa yan, I'm sure Ate Guy will still be gorgeous.

Charot.

Thank you Preview!

Duff

2011-10-19T18:07:00.005+08:00

This post is inspired by the book The Duff by Kody Keplinger.

I should've been happy but really I'm in a situation right now that makes me a little bit sad.

All my besftriends are currently in a relationship. That makes me happy for them, knowing that they are in a romance with someone else.

What makes me sad is the fact that I'm being left out.

They have other plans and their priorities have changed.

I wonder, bakit ako walang jowa?

Which drives me into a sad conclusion.

In our group, I think I may be the duff.

Short for:

Designated Ugly Fat Friend.

Of course, I wouldn't consider myself ugly because my mother still thinks I'm the prettiest one in the family.

With regards to being fat, perhaps this one is true because I'm already wearing plus-sized clothing. My being a little bit overweight though is not yet considered grossly obese, enough to be considered on the next season of The Biggest Loser.

Anyway, this sad fact will not kill my confidence.

I will still continue to be myself and everybody should accept me for who I am.

Who knows, my being duff is just a phase.

The New Rainbow Warrior

2011-10-18T16:52:00.002+08:00

From Greenpeace.org:

Dear friends,

Today a new Rainbow Warrior has set sail!

At a small ceremony we christened the Rainbow Warrior III - the world's first sailing vessel purpose-built for environmental campaigning. The new Warrior will be a voice for our oceans, our forests, our climate, and our future. She is built to last for at least 50 years, and she is a promise to you - our supporters - to never give in, never give up. Join us in watching the christening ceremony and learning more about the ship.

If you're one of the 100,000 donors who bought a bolt, an action boat, an anchor, a chart, a soap dish, a piece of her sail or the whole of her wheelhouse, thank you. If you're one of our 3 million regular annual donors, merci bien. If you're one of our 17 million email or mobile subscribers, Facebook fans or Twitter followers, gracias. If you're one of our 14,000 volunteers, danke schön.

Thank you for your continuing support and here's to setting sail for a green and peaceful future!

All of us,
Greenpeace International

There Goes Coco

2011-10-17T21:08:00.010+08:00

America’s Next Top Model All-Stars is getting crazier every week.

After the shocking non-elimination result last week between Lisa & Angelea, thanks to La Toya Jackson.

I love Rushka Bergman's jacket, by the way.

This week, the remaining all-stars pose in pairs with -- or rather, against -- supermodel Coco Rocha.

Here are the final photos.

Angelea & Laura

Allison & Kayla

Bre & Alexandria

Shannon & Bianca

Dominique & Lisa

What do you think?

Who do you think gets to be eliminated?

What if there’s going to be a double-elimination?

I think it's going to be between Lisa and Kayla.

Exciting!

Eating Pepper

2011-10-17T17:27:00.004+08:00

Whenever I’m in Manila, I never fail to eat at Pepper Lunch.

It’s always an experience eating there.

I know that they will be opening soon in Cebu but I am always praying they will also open in Mindanao, preferably back home in Davao, or at least in Cagayan de Oro.

Well, God heard me, because I found out this afternoon via Twitter that Jeroen van Straten a.k.a. Pepper Lunch Philippines is in Davao scouting for a location at Abreeza Mall.

Yehey!

Pepper Lunch in Davao very very soon!

I can’t wait.

Sana 2012 na!

MJ Inspired

2011-10-12T18:01:00.010+08:00

I love Michael Jackson and I love America's Next Top Model.

The All-Stars photo shoot this week is to portray the King of Pop and guest judge is the ever fabulous La Toya Jackson.

Here are their photos.

Alexandria

Allison

Angelea

Bianca

Bre

Dominique

Kayla

Laura

Lisa

Shannon

What do you think? Who's your favourite?

Something Edible

2011-10-10T18:25:00.011+08:00

I love the movie Something Borrowed starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin.

I'm curious about the book and this weekend I'm finally getting a copy. I hope the book is better than the movie though.

Anyway, I've been watching said movie over and over now, sometimes it's my pampaantok almost every night. Okay, not really but after I purchased the dvd copy, I think I've seen it at least 5 times.

Now I'm considering this movie in my I-feel-bored-and-bad-I-need-to-see-something-to-make-me-feel-good-again list, together with Sweet Home Alabama, A Walk to Remember, In Her Shoes, The Wedding Date, Burlesque, Made of Honor and Erin Brockovich.

One of the main reasons why it's in that list is of course the gorgeous leading guy playing the role of Dex, the handsome Colin Egglesfield.

Juice ko 'day, ampogi!

Need I say more? Kanin please.

Why don't you take that shirt off, Colin.

Thank you!

Eating You

2011-10-07T18:08:00.005+08:00

This man is responsible for drastically changing my diet.

Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of the book I'm currently reading called, Eating Animals.

Here's a few excerpts from the book.

ANIMAL

Before visiting any farms, I spent more than a year wading through literature about eating animals: histories of agriculture, industry and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) materials, activist pamphlets, relevant philosophical works, and the numerous existing books about food that touch on the subject of meat. I frequently found myself confused. Sometimes my disorientation was the result of the slipperiness of terms like suffering, joy, and cruelty . Sometimes it seemed to be a deliberate effect. Language is never fully trustworthy, but when it comes to eating animals, words are as often used to misdirect and camouflage as they are to communicate. Some words, like veal, help us forget what we are actually talking about. Some, like free-range, can mislead those whose consciences seek clarification. Some, like happy, mean the opposite of what they would seem. And some, like natural, mean next to nothing.

BATTERY CAGE

The typical cage for egg-laying hens allows each sixty-seven square inches of floor space — somewhere between the size of this page and a sheet of printer paper. Such cages are stacked between three and nine tiers high — Japan has the world's highest battery cage unit, with cages stacked eighteen tiers high — in windowless sheds.

Step your mind into a crowded elevator, an elevator so crowded you cannot turn around without bumping into (and aggravating) your neighbor. The elevator is so crowded you are often held aloft.

This is a kind of blessing, as the slanted floor is made of wire, which cuts into your feet.

BROILER CHICKENS

Not all chickens have to endure battery cages. In this way only, it could be said that broilers — chickens that become meat (as opposed to layers, chickens that lay eggs) — are lucky: they tend to get close to a single square foot of space.

If you aren't a farmer, what I've just written probably confuses you. You probably thought that chickens were chickens. But for the past half century, there have actually been two kinds of chickens — broilers and layers — each with distinct genetics. We call them both chickens, but they have starkly different bodies and metabolisms, engineered for different "functions." Layers make eggs. (Their egg output has more than doubled since the 1930s.) Broilers make flesh. (In the same period, they have been engineered to grow more than twice as large in less than half the time. Chickens once had a life expectancy of fifteen to twenty years, but the modern broiler is typically killed at around six weeks. Their daily growth rate has increased roughly 400 percent.)

BYCATCH

Perhaps the quintessential example of bullshit, bycatch refers to sea creatures caught by accident — except not really "by accident," since bycatch has been consciously built into contemporary fishing methods. Modern fishing tends to involve much technology and few fishers. This combination leads to massive catches with massive amounts of bycatch. Take shrimp, for example. The average shrimptrawling operation throws 80 to 90 percent of the sea animals it captures overboard, dead or dying, as bycatch. (Endangered species amount to much of this bycatch.) Shrimp account for only 2 percent of global seafood by weight, but shrimp trawling accounts for 33 percent of global bycatch. We tend not to think about this because we tend not to know about it. What if there were labeling on our food letting us know how many animals were killed to bring our desired animal to our plate? So, with trawled shrimp from Indonesia, for example, the label might read: 26 pounds of other sea animals were killed and tossed back into the ocean for every 1 pound of this shrimp.

Or take tuna. Among the other 145 species regularly killed — gratuitously — while killing tuna are: manta ray, devil ray, spotted skate, bignose shark, copper shark, Galapagos shark, sandbar shark, night shark, sand tiger shark, (great) white shark, hammerhead shark, spurdog fish, Cuban dogfish, bigeye thresher, mako, blue shark, wahoo, sailfish, bonito, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, longbill spearfi sh, white marlin, swordfish, lancet fish, grey triggerfish, needlefish, pomfret, blue runner,black ruff, dolphin fish, bigeye cigarfish, porcupine fish, rainbow runner, anchovy, grouper, flying fish, cod, common sea horse, Bermuda chub, opah, escolar, leerfish, tripletail, goosefish, monkfish, sunfish, Murray eel, pilotfish, black gemfish, stone bass, bluefish, cassava fish, red drum, greater amberjack, yellowtail, common sea bream, barracuda, puffer fish, loggerhead turtle, green turtle, leatherback turtle, hawksbill turtle, Kemp's ridley turtle, Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, Audouin's gull, Balearic shearwater, black-browed albatross, great black-backed gull, great shearwater, great-winged petrel, grey petrel, herring gull, laughing gull, northern royal albatross, shy albatross, sooty shearwater, southern fulmar, Yelkouan shearwater, yellow-legged gull, minke whale, sei whale, fin whale, common dolphin, northern right whale, pilot whale, humpback whale, beaked whale, killer whale, harbor porpoise, sperm whale, striped dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, and goose-beaked whale.

Imagine being served a plate of sushi. But this plate also holds all of the animals that were killed for your serving of sushi. The plate might have to be five feet across.

If those few excerpts did not bother you and how you eat, I don't know what.

For now, I'm still finishing the book but I'm already a changed individual.

Thank you Jonathan Safran Foer, for opening our eyes.

To learn more, visit EatingAnimals.com

Miracle

2011-10-06T19:14:00.009+08:00

I was watching an old episode of Oprah this afternoon. I've seen this a few times already but it still breaks my heart and never fails to make me cry.

It's about the Coble family. Married couple Chris and Lori, and their three gorgeous kids Kyle, Emma, and Katie.

You might've heard of them or might've seen that particular show featuring them.

Here's their story: (via Oprah.com)

On the day after her son Kyle's 5th birthday, Lori Coble loaded up her minivan with her small children—Kyle, 4-year-old Emma and 2-year-old Katie—and her mom, Cindy. The family went to a mall that had a Ferris wheel, which Kyle was excited to ride, and a pet store. As nap time neared, the Cobles got back in the minivan and headed home. Lori hit a line of backed-up traffic as she tried to exit the highway. While stopped, she turned around and caught Katie starting to fall asleep and tickled her toes.

Just then, a big rig loaded with 40,000 pounds of cargo going 55 miles per hour slammed into the back of Lori's minivan and demolished it. Lori was knocked unconscious, and the children were severely injured. The trauma was so bad, emergency medical officials had to split the family up. They sent Cindy and Lori to one hospital, Kyle and Katie to another, and Emma to a third.

Chris, Lori's husband and the father of the children, was at work when authorities notified him of the accident. He rushed to the hospital where Lori and Cindy had been taken. When he arrived, he was brought to a small room near the ER. "The doctor told me, 'I'm sorry, but Katie has expired.' A few more minutes went by, and they told me there was a call from the doctor from Saddleback Hospital. I got on the phone, and the first thing I said was, 'Please tell me Emma's alive.' And he said, 'I'm sorry, but Emma has expired,'" Chris says. "I just dropped the phone. I just couldn't believe that it was happening."

Chris told Lori that the girls had both died, and then rushed to the hospital where Kyle had been admitted. Though Kyle's opened eyes gave Chris hope, doctors told him the truth. Kyle's brain had not been receiving any oxygen. They recommended taking Kyle off life support.

Lori was transported to Kyle's hospital so she and Chris could say goodbye to Kyle together. "She's climbing out of the wheelchair the best she can to hug Kyle and saying: 'He's got to go be with his sisters now. His sisters are waiting for him,'" Chris says. "We stopped life support, and the machines went dark and the room went dark. I held my hand on his chest until his heart stopped beating. And he was gone."

Lori and Chris say the tragedy became real for them when they had to plan Kyle, Emma and Katie's funeral and burial. "The day before the funeral, we did a viewing. We got to go see the kids one last time," Lori says. "They opened the doors, and in the back of the room [there were] just three little caskets in a semicircle."

At the funeral service, Lori and Chris gathered enough strength to speak about their children's lives. "It was important to me and Lori to do that," Chris says. "One of the underlying theories of grief is facing the hard things. In this situation, you just can't sit back and let it consume you. You have to look in the face of the guilt and walk through the pain."

Lori and Chris say their grief progressed at different schedules. "She was about two weeks ahead of me," Chris says. "I almost used her as a barometer to know where I would be in two weeks in the grief process."

While the stages of grief don't necessarily follow in strict order—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance—Chris says his did mirror Lori's. "I moved out of denial into anger and grief one morning, and it was so obvious to me that I was there," he says. "Lori had already been there for a couple weeks and I was seeing what she was going through, and suddenly I'm feeling that way."

Lori's mother, Cindy, says she was extremely worried about her daughter and son-in-law in the wake of their children's death. "One day I went over to their house because she wasn't answering the phone and I started to think, 'Maybe they're going to hurt themselves,' because I knew how much pain I was in losing my grandchildren," Cindy says.

Chris and Lori weren't home when Cindy stopped by, and their car was gone. "Of course, then my mind goes to somewhere else. 'What could they be doing in the car?' And then Lori called." She and Chris had been out together, but Cindy says she was already hysterical by the time she talked to her daughter, who had to calm her down. "I was supposed to be comforting her, and now they were comforting me. But I was so afraid for them."

Cindy has two sons, both older than Lori, and she says she voiced to them her fears about what Chris and Lori might do. "[My sons] were also in contact all the time, and [we all] tried to support them as best we could," she says.

Three months after the accident, Chris and Lori decided to try to have more children. "We always described ourselves at that point as 'parents without children,'" Chris says. "I mean, when you have three children that young, your whole lives are dedicated to them and you love it."

For medical reasons, the Cobles tried in vitro fertilization. On their first try, they started with 10 eggs. Three were successfully fertilized—two girls and a boy. "We were only going to put two back in, but once we found out that it was two girls and a boy, we took that as a sign from above," Lori says.

Almost exactly a year after Kyle, Emma and Katie died, Lori gave birth to triplets—Ashley, Ellie and Jake!

While Ashley, Ellie and Jake's birth is a miracle, Lori and Chris still grieve their lost children. "They'll never replace Kyle, Emma and Katie," Lori says. "But the joy is back in the house. It's back in our hearts. They fill our lives again with love and happiness and laughter."

The triplets already know about their siblings because there are still pictures on the walls and Lori and Chris often talk about them. "They know that they have two sisters and a brother in heaven," Lori says. "And we go to the cemetery and we have picnics."

Jorge Romero, the man driving the truck that slammed into Lori's minivan, was convicted on three counts of vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to a year in jail. He is a father of three who told the judge that he was suicidal. Lori and Chris met Romero at the trial and say they gave him their forgiveness. "Mr. Romero was actually a very kind-hearted, gentle person," Chris says. "Just by telling this story you might jump to vilify somebody right away, but there is someone behind the wheel, and while they shared some of the blame in this tragedy, he just felt absolutely horrible."

Lori says it could have been anyone behind the wheel of that car, and that the accident was caused primarily by her car's location in a bad traffic jam. "I was stuck in traffic on a freeway waiting to exit and I was about half a mile back on the freeway, basically in a parking lot. There's a blind curve coming up to that exit, and I was so far back in that blind curve that he didn't see me. By the time he saw traffic, it was too late."

Chris says the roadway where the accident took place has been a problem area for about a decade. The Cobles sued the California Department of Transportation for wrongful death, claiming that it was a dangerous highway exit. They lost that case and then were ordered to pay $291,000 in legal fees, but say they want to appeal. "As soon as most people hear the word 'lawsuit' they thing we're out to somehow get money from this experience," Chris says. "We want [the California Department of Transportation] to change their procedures, for how they keep our roads safe."

Chris urges people going through the worst days of their lives to not give up the fight to go on, even when things seem unbearable. "For me, [grief] was like a bucket was filling up, and every once in a while the bucket had to dump," he says. "The bucket dumping is you falling apart and being a complete mess for some period of time. And then trying to pick yourself back up."

For Lori, finding support from loved ones is the only way to live through grief. "Hold onto your loved ones," she says. "Hold on tight, because you're really going to need them."

Click this link to watch Chris and Lori Coble's most cherished memories of Kyle, Emma and Katie.

NBI Sucks

2011-10-05T17:17:00.011+08:00

Do you know how hard it is to accomplish the necessary requirements for employment in our country?

My twin sister KC has just resigned from his former job last month and is now accepted at a new agency with better benefits and a promising career. But before he can start working, he must first submit pre-employment records e.g. NSO certified birth certificate, medical and health certificates, police clearance and NBI clearance to name a few.

Here’s his story.

It's a gloomy Tuesday morning when i went out from our palace to comply my pre-employment requirements. I said to myself 'perfect walang init'. Haha!

1st stop- Sangguniang Panglungsod ng Davao. I was amazed because they have an automated system. After 5 minutes I am done paying the necessary dues for getting a Police Clearance with no hassle. I went straight to DCPO (Davao City Police Office) to claim my clearance, and kahit maraming nakapila, mabilis ang processing. Kudos to them!

2nd Stop- NBI. I arrived at exactly 11:05 and throngs of people are already there, maluluma ang palengke on a Sunday. Yes, Palengke nga. It's been 3 years na rin since I requested for an NBI clearance and it wasn't like this before. I asked the lady sitting right next to me, "Atch what's the first step?". She replied, "Kuha ka ng form dun sa gilid". So I did, I went straight to the area to fill up the necessary form. Sidenote: Ang taba nung lalake in-charge ng mga forms. Yes, yun lang ang trabaho niya, ang mag-distribute at mag-instruct kung anong isusulat. Feeling ko lang pera ng mga taxpayers ang laman ng tiyan niya, as we all know NBI is one of the most corrupt government agencies in the Philippines. After filling out the form I gave it back to King Kong for screening and marked my form #463.

OMG!

Priority number pala yun? So I waited and observed the surrounding. There were 7 windows processing the clearance including the cashier. Windows 1-3 will validate if the information is correct. Windows 4 and 5 is for biometric fingerprint charmos whatsoever. While window 6 is for releasing. Window 1 incharge called out a number and to my shock it's number 141, and take note 12noon na yun ha. I decided to take my lunch at the nearby Jollibee to get a fix of my favourite Hash Brown burger while waiting for my number to be called.

Busog! I went ahead to my next destination.

3rd stop- NSO. As usual mukha rin siyang palengke sa sobrang dami ng tao.

Fortunately I completed my transaction at aroung 2:15PM, which is kinda long but dramatically fast than I expected considering the number of people standing by. Abtik! Good Job NSO!

I went back to NBI at around 2:30PM.

Jusko! Nasa 300+ pa yung tinatawag.

At dahil dun, naisipan kong kumuha ng pictures sa paligid for documentation. 3PM pa lang closed na ang Cashier.

Amazing!

I noticed someone in the corner acting relatively fast compared to the people processing our NBI clearances. Si Manang and her coffee vending machine.

I wonder, sino kaya may-ari nun? Si Manang? Or an NBI employee perhaps? Is that even allowed? Is she paying someone para payagan siyang mag-negosyo sa loob ng NBI compound? In fairness ha, mabilis siyang kumilos at mag-refill!

Well, napagod na ako at na-bore so I diverted my attention to something beneficial and relevant. There's a cutie wearing an orange shirt.

Aura ang lola niyo sa gilid niya and he started talking to me. Napansin yata ang ganda ko. He asked, "Apply ka work?" I smiled and replied, "Yes, asikaso ko rin yung mga requirements ko". He smiled back. I giggled. Tse!

So, to make this story short I got my clearance at past 5PM, and left the NBI premises with a heavy heart. Slight.

Buti na lang, Glenn Morales, the eye-candy wearing ponkan shirt made my NBI experience worth-remembering.

To the NBI, please improve your system. It is not just gay-friendly but not friendly at all. Nakakaagnas ng beauty. Hahaha!

Seriously, I know you are doing your best to serve as much as many people but hey, making them wait the whole day is not productive at all. There are a lot of things people can do within the waiting period applicants are suffering. I know for sure that this is not an isolated case because I am aware of complaints from other regional offices too. We are just lucky here in Davao that there is ventilation (although not enough) unlike the one I saw on GMA News TV where the applicants are exposed outside, under the heat of the sun, or rain.

If indeed you are upgrading your system, please make it fast. Considering the number of people I saw in your office not doing anything, you have enough manpower. You might need to evaluate or re-assess their work load too, to maximise their use.

That's all.

Foundation

2011-10-04T17:51:00.005+08:00

I don't wear make-up very often like I used to, back in school.

Hindi ko rin naman kelangan mag make-up dito sa bukid noh, wala akong pagpapagandahan. My job doesn't require me to wear it, isa pa, naturally beautiful na ako.

Charot.

One of our clients gave me a new foundation, a late birthday gift.

It's the Renew & Lift liquid foundation from Rimmel.

I tried it and I loved it.

It's not greasy or sticky and it's easy to apply and blend.

This is me before applying Rimmel foundation.

And this is me, after.

Oh 'di ba?

Ang taray!

Coats

2011-10-01T23:41:00.005+08:00

Coat and jackets to die for.

Junya Watanabe, Spring 2012 Collection.

Gorgeous headpieces too.

All photos: Style.com

Greetings

2011-10-01T23:03:00.004+08:00

Many thanks to Facebook, I think I had the most number of birthday greetings this year.

I had greetings from real friends who truly remember my birthday, from classmates, schoolmates and other people who I also consider friends but doesn't really remember my birthday (ditto), acquaintances from everywhere, and friends of friends of friends who just added me on Facebook.

I thank you all.

This is overwhelming for me, really, because I'm not used to this kind of attention. You know kasi, back in high school, and even college, during my birthday, I do not receive lots of greetings. The reason? Well, may kasabay kasi akong mag-birthday na more popular guy in school, a classmate. He was not the hearthrob kind of guy but he belongs to the popular cliche, while I was just a wallflower.

A beautiful wallflower.

There was this one time in class, on the day of our birthday, our classmates were singing the birthday song, only to find out in the end that the song was dedicated to him only.

Eh anong magagawa ko, alangan mag-reklamo ako kung bakit siya lang ang binati eh birthday ko rin naman. Gusto ko talagang umiyak that time.

Hahaha!

Oh well.

Those were the days.

Now I get to have hundreds of greetings.

That classmate is on my Facebook too.

Binati rin niya ako noh.

Someone Like Her

2011-09-29T17:23:00.005+08:00

Guess who's on the cover of the October issue of British Vogue?

Yup, it's the lovely Adele.

On this issue, she tells about....oh nevermind.

Just buy the magazine.

Okay?

"Our cover girl, Adele, has won over the world with her heartbreaking voice and her ability to seem as if she very much herself," says Alexandra Shulman in her editor's letter. "One of the interesting facts of celebrity is that we, the admirers, usually find some particular aspect of our favourite stars to focus on and that generally become 'the point of them'. We like them to be a certain way, and often take a long time to accept any change. So Adele's very normality, her down-to-earth determination not to compromise herself, has become as much a part of her USP as, for example, Madonna's constant, deliberate reinvention." (Vogue)

And please, if you personally know Jed Madela, Rhap-rhap Salazar, or Erik Santos, please tell them to get a copy.

They all love Adele....

....and oftentimes wish they were her.

Charot!

Box of Steel

2011-09-28T18:38:00.002+08:00

They say great things come in small packages.

I got this small box from my Manang last Sunday.

And it’s really a great birthday gift.

A rosary made of stainless steel.

Thank you very much to my dear sisters!

Help for Pedring Victims

2011-09-28T18:21:00.004+08:00

Typhoon Pedring left many of our kababayans in need of help.

Here's how you can help through the Philippine National Red Cross.

For Cash or Check Donations:

Account Name: Philippine Red Cross
Bank Name: Banco De Oro
Peso Account: 453-0018647
Type of Account: Savings

For instant SMS Donations:

Text RED space AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart)

For G-Cash Donations:

Text DONATE space AMOUNT space 4-digit M-PIN space REDCROSS and send to 2882

You can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000; Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

Thank you very much!

Smokin' Hot

2011-09-27T17:22:00.007+08:00

So what if Superstar Nora Aunor posed with a cigarette on her hand on the cover of Yes! magazine?

Huwag kayong OA huh!

It's just part of the look and styling of the said pictorial.

Think, old Hollywood glam as an inspiration.

Marlene Dietrich

Audrey Hepburn

Marilyn Monroe

If you think Nora's cover patronises cigarette smoking, you just unwittingly admitted your idiocy.

Huwag magpaka-babaw.

Separated at Birth XI

2011-09-25T09:39:00.003+08:00

It's fashion versus politics this time.

Fashion designer James Reyes,

Looks like a younger version of,

Former broadcaster and now Presidential Communications Group Spokesperson Ricky Carandang.

Or is it the other way around?

Charot.

Falling Stars

2011-09-25T09:23:00.004+08:00

Few ABS-CBN big stars have moved to Manny Pangilinan's TV5.

Aga Muhlach is now host of travel show, Pinoy Explorer.

Lorna Tolentino is also moving after ABS-CBN reportedly failed their promises stated in her contract.

And now, TV personality Mariel Rodriguez will be co-hosting Willie Revillame's primetime game show.

Isa lang po masasabi ko.

Hindi kayo kawalan.

Lalo na si Mariel. Good riddance.

I Want

2011-09-25T09:12:00.003+08:00

Dear friends,

I want this,

And this,

And this.

Binky & Sheba PLAY by Matt Groening and Comme des Garçons available now at Homme et Femme Shangri-La Plaza and Homme et Femme UNIVERS at One Rockwell, East Tower.

That's all.

Thank you.

White

2011-09-23T17:55:00.031+08:00

Early next year, I’m going to attend a friend’s birthday party.

It’s going to be a big one because it’s her 50th and there’s a theme for the said party.

White Victorian.

Honestly, when I think of Victorian, I think of Queen Victoria or something from her time. Meaning, couture and elaborate pieces. Very royal.

Eh ang problema, wala naman akong ganyang klaseng damit sa aking closet noh.

Which brings me to you, my dear readers. I need help.

In the spirit of fun and fashion and if only I'm a thin girl, I would have chosen a few options from the New York, Milan and London Fashion Week Spring 2012 RTW Collection, please tell me your favourites and who knows, I might let my designer friends create a version of it for me. With a little tweaking of course to fit my plus-sized body.

Charot.

It doesn’t have to be Victorian, as long as it’s white and gorgeous I’m sure papapasukin pa rin ako sa venue basta ba hindi ko lang maa-upstage ang celebrant.

Charot ulet.

Here are my picks.

Oscar de la Renta

Francesco Scognamiglio

J. Mendel

Prabal Gurung

Jenny Packham

Carlos Miele

Marchesa

Carolina Herrera

Versace

Jonathan Saunders

What do you think?

Too bridal noh? Hahaha!

All photos: Style.com

B-Day

2011-09-22T17:37:00.003+08:00

My birthday is fast approaching.

In a few days, I’m going to be a year older.

How time flies noh, parang kelan lang nung ako’y isinilang, ngayon ako’y nagdadalaga na.

Charot.

This year, for my birthday, I only have a few material wishes.

1. Tickets to the Libera concert on Oct. 25, 2011. I love them.

2. A new bag and a new pair of heels. A girl can’t have too many bags or shoes, you know.

3. Original DVD box set of Charmed. Yes, the witch show from early 2000's.

4. A new phone. Preferably a BB 9780, in white. Para feeling Rachel Zoe lang.

5. The new Comme des Garcons Play t-shirts. Hindi ko afford eh kaya hanggang wish na lang.

And also a few non-material wishes.

1. That I don’t have to change my religion because my boyfriend is Muslim. Shamcey? Charing.

2. The passing of the Reproductive Health Bill. Go Sen. Miriam & Sen. Pia Cayetano! Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mga kababaihan.

3. More material witnesses and direct evidences against the Arroyo’s election
cheating.

4. The wellness of my family and friends, and of course you, my loyal readers.

Lastly,

5. World peace. Nothing is impossible.

Yun lang po.

Feel free to make my birthday wishes come true. Thank you.

Sweethearts

2011-09-18T07:00:00.009+08:00

The All-Stars Cycle of America's Next Top Model has just started.

This cycle is really going to be an exciting one, you sometimes forget that this is a modelling competition.

So far, the bitches are not doing good because of the tension and issues they themselves created. Meanwhile the sweethearts are doing good after the first photo shoot.

The Sweethearts

Allison

Laura

Kayla

Isis

vs.

The Bitches

Dominique

Bianca

Angelea

Alexandria

What do you think?

Universal Beauty

2011-09-16T17:54:00.006+08:00

And once again an African woman stole the crown from us.

Parang 1999 lang ulet when Botswana’s Mpule Kwelagobe beat Miriam Quiambao.

Angola’s Leila Lopes was named Miss Universe 2011 last Tuesday while our very own Shamcey Supsup despite a thoughtful answer placed 4th.

This is Angola’s first time to win, and the highest place so far for runner-up Ukraine, who’s a dead ringer for Brooke Shields.

Congratulations Shamcey!

We are proud of you. At least kahit man lang sa Miss Universe tinalo natin ang China noh?

And what's this chika I heard that Shamcey's getting married to the son of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto?

Sana naman hindi totoo noh, kasi pag nagkataon magiging Mrs. Shamcey Supsup-Bhutto na siya.

Scary!

For AJ

2011-09-09T17:22:00.004+08:00

It's a sad day in the world of Philippine blogosphere.

AJ of Baklaako.com passed away due to lung complications.

He was only 28.

I have never met AJ in person but I'm a fan of his blog. We are friends on Facebook and he's my first ever follower on Twitter.

If you're also a fan, you can help AJ's family by visiting this Facebook page:

1000 Volunteers for AJ Matela

Here's a message from said Facebook page:

The prospect of AJ joining our creator is a happy occasion no matter how painful it would be for the family. One obstacle that the family needs to hurdle now are the hospital bills. The family implores the help of 1,000 volunteers to donate Php500.00 each to help defray the cost of hospitalization expenses. We hope you can be one of them.

Mrs. Annie Matela, AJ's mom, can be contacted at the following mobile numbers:

0908 570 1555; 0927 984 8142

Donation details:

BPI Savings Account
Account number 8669-0851-93
Account name: Eric John Matela
Branch: Kidapawan Branch

BDO
Account number 5267-27000-7474-501
Account name: Anne A. Matela
Branch: Cash n Carry

Paypal: fundsforAJ@gmail.com

Thank you very much.

And to AJ, rest in peace my dear.

For The Win

2011-09-08T18:05:00.006+08:00

I love Shamcey and as a Filipino I wanted her to win.

But let's be honest, her chances of winning is just so thin, mas payat pa sa taong may anorexia.

Not to mention her shapeless national costume is atrocious.

Her evening gown is equally horrendous. Spell cliche.

I won't be surprised talaga if she doesn't make it in the semifinals even if our very own Lea Salonga is one of the judges.

Shamcey's only chance to the semifinals is our votes, kaya keep on voting pa rin.

My favourite candidate and is most likely to win is none other than USA herself, the pride of California, Alyssa Campanella.

Unique beauty yet stunningly gorgeous.

Good luck Alyssa!

Bring me the bacon.

Charot.

New Age Zombies

2011-09-08T17:48:00.007+08:00

We've heard and read it everywhere.

Finally, last Sunday I was able to watch Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Syokot si Remington.

And all I can say is that so far this year, it's my most favourite movie.

Hysterically funny. The whole cast is hilarious.

Unexpected delivery of punchlines. I exceptionally loved Eugene Domingo's skating scene, I laughed uncontrollably.

Fresh take on humour plus good looking lead actors.

Mart Escudero (Remington) and Kerbie Zamora (Jigs) definitely has excellent chemistry on and off screen. If you have twitter, follow them both and you'll know why.

I wish the second part of the movie comes out very soon. I'm more excited to see it than the Breaking Dawn.

And lastly, Kerbie Zamora is just so hot with his buhaghag hair ha?

Love him na.

Coming Soon

2011-09-06T17:19:00.003+08:00

For the past days few days I have been trying to renew my domain name and since then I'm not getting lucky.

As a non-techie person, this is something very difficult for me. I thought renewing is just as easy as buying a domain name but no, it's not easy pala.

So temporarily, I am on blogspot but in a few hours, or maybe days, this blog will no longer be http://melbeckham.com.

My new domain name will be

http://melbeckham.net

My loyal readers and friends, please be informed and help me spread the word. Also, my blogger friends, kindly edit the link in your respective blogs.

Thank you very much.

I love you all.

XOXO

First Impressions

2011-08-23T18:13:00.004+08:00

I was boarding the bus to Cagayan. The only seat available was beside a lola passenger.

I asked her if it’s available, baka kasi nagpunta lang ng CR ang nakaupo dun. She ignored me at first and I thought to myself, matarayang lolang ito. I asked her again baka kasi bingi lang kaya malamang hindi ako narinig. She answered, ‘I don’t know’, in the local dialect.

I sat down kasi passengers are staring at me na, probably because I was wearing short shorts and I’m in the middle of the bus, blocking their view of the movie currently playing from the bus TV.

Turns out, bumaba na pala talaga ang pasahero so the seat was vacant. Buti na lang, dahil ayokong mapahiya for taking someone else’s seat.

Anyway, I think the lola was becoming uncomfortable because she was moving a lot, opening her purse every now and then, making annoying noises. Moody yata si lola, ayaw ng may katabi, pwes magtiis siya dahil kung hindi niya ako type makatabi mas ayoko rin tumabi sa matandang malikot noh. Kung may ibang upuan lang na mabakante lilipat din ako agad.

As moments went by, lola took out her cellphone and called someone. She’s speaking Chavacano and from what I understood, it was her sister on the other line. She’s giving instructions kung saan siya susunduin pagdating niya sa kanyang destination.

Meanwhile, I, took out my rosary beads and my prayerbook and started to pray the rosary since it was already past 6. I started praying and when she noticed what I was doing, she told her sister that she’ll call back in a few minutes.

As I finished praying the rosary, another movie was about to start.

It was Angelina Jolie’s Salt.

This time, lola started chatting up with me, asking what the title of the movie was and who’s the gorgeous lead actress playing the title role. Of course, the politeness in me answered all of her questions. Our question and answer portion turned into a healthy conversation.

I found out, Lola just came from Davao to visit her sick sister and now she’s on her way back to Zamboanga because a friend of hers died from cancer. She needed to be there before Monday because prayer leader pala siya ng kanilang small group of Marian devotees. She’s been travelling for many hours that’s why she’s a little bit impatient na. Lola has 2 children, both engineers working abroad. I asked her why she’s travelling alone, she replied naiwan ang mga pamangkin niya sa Davao and they’re scheduled to go home Wednesday.

She asked me about what I do and where I live. I answered I am a model and live in New York. Charing!

Then she opened up that when she saw me boarding the bus, she thought that I was another negative gay stereotype: maingay, malandi, malikot, madaldal. Which is of course the real me. Hahaha! But what changed her impression is when I took out a prayerbook and started to pray the rosary, to her surprise.

Marunong din palang mag-rosaryo ang mga bakla.

I just smiled.

In my own little way, I think I changed lola’s perception of gays.

When we reached Cagayan de Oro, we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

I will never forget lola. I hope she won’t forget me too.

I know I made a good impression.

For Paris

2011-08-17T19:19:00.006+08:00

Dear Paris,

Mabuhay!

Welcome to the third world.

When I heard last week that you are coming to the Philippines, I said to myself, this is it, the Philippines have finally arrived. Today Paris, tomorrow, Victoria Beckham. My dream is coming very soon.

Thank you for taking the time to come here, I thank the Antonio family and /century Properties for their initiative. How do you find our country so far?

I hope you are staying in a nice hotel and that the people around you are showing our best character, hospitality of course.

How do you find our food? I hope they did not bring any kwek-kwek or balut. It’s disgusting you know.

I really wish you could stay longer so that Georgina Wilson will become more insecure. She hated the fact that you are meeting our president (which I know is not true). Please don’t come near her or her friends my dear Paris. They reek of envy and insecurity because they are not you. I’m glad though that you are meeting your friends Manny and Jinkee. Please be easy on Jinkee okay?

Oh by the way, I heard you lost your two phones? Please be careful next time as people here have hands quicker than the blink of your eye.

Anyway, I have to go now Paris. I wish you will enjoy your stay here even though our country is just so hot. Come to think of it, I wonder how many times have you used your famous line 'That's hot' so far. Or perhaps, you've rephrased it into 'It's hot'. Charot.

I also wish you make more movies. The last one you made (The Hottie and the Nottie) was just so bad I slept during the first 5 minutes.

My favourite movie starring you was the one with Rick Salomon. I think you look good in there and both of you are just so hot.

Well, that's it for now.

Take care 'coz I care.

XOXO,

Your long lost BFF

Cruel Art

2011-08-17T18:46:00.002+08:00

Art is subjective. Love it or hate it.

It’s been days since CCP closed the art installation Poleteismo by artist Mideo Cruz because of protests and not-so-positive reactions.

Some described it offensive, degrading and appalling.

When I saw the said exhibit on national TV, I must say I was also shocked. Being a devout Catholic myself, I find most of the pieces disturbing, I feel violated and quite frankly, it’s just plain crazy.

The objective of the said art installation is to get a reaction from its viewers. Whether the response is positive or negative (which was my reaction) it should’ve been not closed. The artist has freedom to express his feelings, desires and reaction to the society which he thinks is more provoking than what he made. His attempt, according to critics, may be immature or juvenile but his expression through his art should not be measured by age or time.

As Emily Abrera of CCP stated:

'We should value freedom of expression in all forms of arts. If we only exhibit beautiful art as some suggest, that would be propaganda.'

At the end of the day, I think Mideo Cruz' artwork is not commenting about religion but a comment to society and how it treats things we so much idolise.

I say, open the exhibit. Free art.

Fashion Junkie

2011-08-11T18:37:00.008+08:00

This is my friend Anjelica,

...also known as Mode Junkie.

She’s currently based in Germany and was recently invited to Berlin Fashion Week.

Because of her love for fashion, especially shoes, she has been featured in various fashion blogs and on Solestruck.com’s website, twice.

If you have Facebook, please vote for her as Westrags UK's Most Stylish Blogger.

So easy to vote.

1. LIKE this page.
2. And vote for Anjelica HERE.

Your vote is very much appreciated my friend.

Thank you!

See more of Anjelica's adventures in fasion in her blog Mode Junkie.

Second Ugly

2011-08-11T18:16:00.004+08:00

No matter how comfortable how people feel about Crocs, I still consider them the ugliest footwear in history.

They look like bulldozers and very unflattering to a person's feet. When worn by children, it reduces the cuteness no matter how cute the kid is.

There is however another trend in footwear similar to the philosophy Crocs believe, which is to give comfort to the wearer.

They are called Fitflops.

And just like Crocs, I also consider them one of the ugliest inventions made in the history of footwear.

Well at least they are not as ugly as the first one noh?

1st runner up lang ang Fitflops.

Whenever I see someone wearing them, I cringe. Nobody looks good on them, really.

I would never let my mother and my sisters wear those hideous things. Ide-deny ko silang kamag-anak.

Charot.

All New Runway

2011-08-09T20:46:00.009+08:00

The 9th season of Project Runway has already started and already 6 designers from the original 20 featured during the premiere episode was eliminated.

So far, my favourite is Anthony Ryan Auld.

Because he is cute. Period.

Meanwhile, Project Runway Philippines Season 3 is currently holding its nationwide auditions. The gorgeous Teresa Herrera will no longer be the host but she will be replaced by my original choice for the said show, the timelessly beautiful Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez.

I hope this season is really better than the second one which I think has the worst batch of finalists. Kitang-kita sa mukha ni Manay Inno Sotto at nung representative ng Istituto Marangoni ang disappointment.

Anyway, back to the United States, Project Runway All Stars will also premiere in November of this year but with a different set of judges, mentor and host.

Marie Claire's editor Joanna Coles (not in photo) will take over Tim Gunn's traditional role as mentor, designers Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman will judge. The host is supermodel Angela Lindvall.

The returning designers are:

Austin Scarlett - season 1 (Ang gumawa ng dress mula sa balat ng mais)
Kara Janx - season 2 (Ang gumawa ng black shift dress na may yellow stripe)
Elisa Jimenez - season 4 (Ang babaeng nilalawayan ang damit, yuck)
Rami Kashou - season 4 (Ang walang ginawa kundi mag-drape)
Sweet P/Kathleen Vaughn - season 4 (Ang babaeng iyakin pero punong-puno ng tattoo)
Jerell Scott - season 5 (Ang payatot na bet ko ang ginawang Madonna-inspired look during the car accessory/parts innovation challenge)
Kenley Collins - season 5 (Ang mahilig mangopya ng designs ng mga sikat na designers e.g. Galliano, McQueen, Balenciaga, Nina Ricci, to name a few)
Gordana Gehlhausen - season 6 (Ang muntik nang ma-out sa Christina Aguilera/Bob Mackie challenge, buti na lang may immunity)
Anthony Williams - season 7 (Ang tanging Project Runway designer na na-feature ang damit sa cover ng Marie Claire)
Mila Hermanovski - season 7 (Ang best friend ni Jay Nicolas Sario)
April Johnston - season 8 (Ang edgy-designer na walang ibang hinaharbat sa Mood kundi black fabrics)
Michael Costello - season 8 (Ang palaging nakaka-chamba sa kanyang mga panalo)
Mondo Guerra - season 8 (Ang gusto kong manalo)

Tandang Heidi will be back though as regular host after this.

Haute Junior

2011-08-09T20:17:00.006+08:00

Vogue Paris is under fire for some time now because of their latest controversial article and fashion spread featuring ten-year old model Thylane Blondeau dressed as a grown up woman.

Is it art or child abuse?

I don't know.

I just think it's fierce, tasteful and fabulous.

What baffles me is the critics coming from the United States saying how abusive and tasteless the feature is when in fact one of the highest rating reality shows in America is the TLC show Toddlers & Tiaras featuring little girls younger than Thylane and already parading in skimpy, offensive and unfashionable clothing, wearing fake accessories and even a fake tan.

Talk about hypocrisy.

You should also be ashamed of yourselves.

The New Crazy

2011-08-09T20:03:00.005+08:00

Move over Sarah Palin.

There’s a new crazy in town.

US Presidential aspirant Michele Bachmann.

I think she’s worse than Palin. According to her,

'Gays are part of Satan and their life is bondage.'

Mrs. Bachmann said in 2004:

We need to have profound compassion for the people who are dealing with the very real issue of sexual dysfunction in their life, and sexual identity disorders. This is not funny. It's a very sad life. It's part of Satan, I think, to say this is gay. It's anything but gay. If you're involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it's bondage.

Personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement. And that's why this is so dangerous.

Well, Mrs. Bachmann, I only have this to say to you:

Neknek mo! Good luck na lang sa'yo.

Here To Stay

2011-08-03T18:34:00.006+08:00

As the Philippine Azkals ended their quest for the World Cup by losing to Kuwait, they are finally able to concentrate on their respective real careers.

Show business of course.

Charot.

Athletes who eventually become product endorsers or models is not new.

Nabasa ko from somewhere that Tiger Woods’ net worth mostly come from product endorsements and not from playing professional golf.

Kaya dapat hindi natin pagtaasan ng kilay kung ang mga Azkals ay mag-eendorse na rin ng sardinas, toyo, vinegar, underwear or softdrinks.

Meanwhile, since the World Cup quest is over, what's next for the Azkals? Well, they are gearing up for the SEA Games later this year so hindi pa rin sila mawawala sa limelight.

Kaya, Angelica Panganiban, mukhang matatagalan pa ang pagtitiis mo dahil mukhang the Azkals are here to stay.

Speaking of Azkals, I really am crushing on their new member, Rob Gier.

Juice ko ‘day.

Ang cute lang. Shet.

I think mahal ko na rin siya.

The three of my crushes in one photo. I'm so torn! Charot.

Kung sino man ang owner ng picture na 'yan, thank you so much for putting it on the web.

Lala's Daughter

2011-08-01T20:32:00.002+08:00

According to the country’s best-selling fashion magazine Preview, they’ve been putting celebrities on their cover long before Anna Wintour discovered celebrities sell better than models.

But once in a while, they also put real models on the cover. In fairness.
And this year, for the August 2011 issue, it’s Danica Magpantay.

Kudos to Preview.

Pero kung hindi pa nanalo yan sa Ford Supermodel contest eh hindi niyo rin ilalagay sa cover.

Pansin ko lang ha, hindi ko bet ang placement ng right hand ni Danica. Parang nag-aayos lang ng bra (if she's wearing one) or dumudukot ng barya dahil naniningil na ang kunduktor ng bus.

Charot.

And by the way, I’m still waiting for that Joan Bitagcol or Ria Bolivar cover.

Perhaps for the December issue?

That’s not a request. It’s a demand.

The Big Three

2011-08-01T19:58:00.009+08:00

Only a handful of supermodels can take my breath away.

Three to be exact.

Kate Moss.

Coco Rocha.

And this Danish lady.

Freja Beha Erichsen.

I love her odd, sort of androgynous look.

Freja is currently on the cover of British Vogue (September 2011).

This is her second British Vogue cover for this year alone.

And yes, Freja is gay.

Watch Out

2011-07-24T07:51:00.010+08:00

There are a few new models right now that's currently on their way to the top.

Soon, these names will be famous, they won't need their last names.

Emily Baker (DNA, NY)

A beauty from waaaay down under, New Zealand. She's the next best import of the country after the kiwi and Lord of the Rings. The instant FW 11 runway sensation that was Emily Baker justifies herself in the editorial and campaign sweepstakes, logging all those bookings that mean she has had a note perfect start.

Joan Smalls (IMG, NY)

Estée Lauder has a new face and it belongs to Puerto Rican-born Joan Smalls, who started global advertising campaigns for the brand since May 2011.

Arizona Muse (Next, NY)

Proves it is is still possible to clinch the Girl Of The Season slot complete with the campaigns, editorials and covers that mean instant stardom.

Juliane Grüner (Scoop, Copenhagen)

Prada exclusive to the Balenciaga campaign to VI cover champion Fall 2011 breakthrough for the elegant Juliane.

Hanaa Ben Abdesslem (IMG, NY)

A model with a social responsibility, Lancome, Vogue Paris and that critical breakthrough client, Givenchy runway has converged to afford Hanaa a platform to be a truly important breakthrough model.

Nyasha Matonhodze (Marilyn, NY)

The blue chip brigade has spoken Nyasha is seriously wanted for for FW 11.

Itaga niyo sa bato, kahit isa sa mga 'to, sisikat.

All photos and captions from Models.com

27

2011-07-24T06:46:00.004+08:00

Musicians who died at 27.

Jimi Hendrix

Death by asphyxiation.

Janis Joplin

Death by heroine overdose.

Jim Morrison

Death by heart failure.

Kurt Cobain

Death by suicide.

and now,

Amy Winehouse

Cause of death, still to be determined.

Rest in peace Amy.

You'll never be forced to go to rehab anymore.

He left no time to regret
Kept his dick wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy
You went back to what you knew
So far removed from all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I'll go back to black

We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to.....

I go back to us

I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside

We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to

Black, black, black, black, black, black, black,
I go back to
I go back to

We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to

We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to black.

Edgy Shamcey

2011-07-22T11:40:00.006+08:00

Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011 Shamcey Supsup is now sporting a new look.

From this,

To this.

What do you think?

I love her with shorter hair because Shamcey is not that tall (I think she's only 5'7" or 5'8") and she has a tiny frame. A shorter hair can create an illusion of height because it highlights her long neck.

I just wish this will not shorten her chances of making it in the finals or winning the crown though, considering there isn't a Miss Universe winner (as far as I know) with short hair.

Good luck Shamcey!

Go charm them with your Portuguese.

Separated at Birth X

2011-07-21T18:56:00.008+08:00

Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp. is on the hot seat for that wire-tapping scandal.

This is not about him though.

What caught my attention is her (third) wife, Wendi Deng Murdoch.

Because she is Chinese, she could be easily mistaken as Ann Curry, Bai Ling, Lisa Ling or even Lucy Liu.

But when I first saw her on a television interview, I really thought she was the older version of my ever favourite fashion icon.

Pokwang.

I think.

Well, in that shot, Wendi looked like the gorgeous Marina Benipayo, noh?

Fried World

2011-07-19T18:52:00.004+08:00

For me, heaven on earth comes in the form of a fastfood restaurant.

Jollibee, McDonald’s and Chowking are my random top three for different reasons.

Jollibee for the spaghetti and chicken, McDonald’s for their fries and Chowking for their rice mixes.

Right now, I’ve become addicted to McDonald’s Shake Shake fries because it’s just so good, it can probably be the key to world peace.

Charot.

My favourite would be the Barbecue flavour but I also love the Cheese. The two flavours are sooo good that kahit nakapila pa kami sa sinehan to watch a movie eh ubos na ang dalawang bags na binili ko.

Its direct competitor Jollibee whose fries are also delicious but can turn soggy after a few minutes, came up with their versions of flavoured french fries.

They also have two choices, Sour Cream and Four Cheese. Of the two, I like the sour cream better than the cheese but the latter is also delicious.

I am so glad that we have more choices now besides the original.

My niece Zoe is having a Jollibee birthday party this weekend.

I can't wait to be in heaven again.

Nippon Girl Power

2011-07-19T18:25:00.001+08:00

Japan won the FIFA Women’s World Cup!

Yehey!

I really thought the United States had it in the bag but it was a different kind of game for the Japanese who won through a penalty kick.

This is an emotional victory for Japan since the devastating tsunami especially to some of its players who lost a lot during that tragic event.

Congratulations Team Japan!

As a fellow Asian, you make us proud.

Downside

2011-07-18T19:23:00.005+08:00

When I started blogging a few years ago, it was all for fun.

I did not expect that friendships would come out of this and everything positive that goes with blogging are wonderful bonuses. I’ve met a few of these bloggers and I’m happy to have known them.

Yun nga lang, on the downside, hindi naman lahat positibo ang naging resulta because of blogging dahil may mga nakaaway din ang inyong lingkod. I’ve had a few posts that irked some readers and left nasty comments, both personal and about what I thought on certain issues, political, social and even personal issues like weight gain, my sexuality and more. That is why I no longer allow comments from anonymous readers.

When I became a co-writer for Barrio Siete, I gained a few enemies of my own because of what I and the other writers believe. During the election, we were targeted, maligned, bullied and even threatened for our presidential choices. For the record, not all of us then chose Noynoy Aquino but the blog was stereotyped to be one and some personalities used this as a venue to widen their audience. We felt used, actually, but we don’t mind. That would be another story and this is not the venue for that. Anyway, Noynoy won so it was sort of a victory for us too.

Back to my previous concern.

There are a lot of Filipino gay blogs that cater to different markets that clearly show a different level of intelligence among gays.

On the downside, minsan lang talaga may attitude tayong mag-maldita once in a while. Disagreements and opposing beliefs about certain matters should be left on that certain blog post should remain there and not go beyond to the extent of making it a personal issue. Unfortunately, some aren’t straightforward and honest enough to confront, while some would rather stay quiet and resort to writing another article that would oppose that person’s opinion. What makes it a bad thing though is the backstabbing that goes with it. Parang high school lang again.

Mean girl vs. mean girl. Tarayan nang tarayan.

Come on. Our world is already small and we are making it smaller.

Let’s practice diplomacy and try to work things out.

Hindi na rin po bumebenta ang pride.

Kahit ang sabong panlaba of the same name laos na rin.

Sleepless

2011-07-17T06:12:00.005+08:00

I had a miserable night.

Sort of.

Pauwi ako sa Davao from Bukidnon (where I currently live) because my sister is home for her annual vacation and she’ll only be staying in Davao for three weeks.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it because we got stranded due to a big landslide brought about by the heavy rain.

What makes the situation worse is walang cellphone signal from both networks. We’re screwed.

Hindi rin puedeng mag-walkathon patawid sa kabilang side ng landslide because the mud is lampas-tao na. Lalong hindi puedeng mag-about face ang bus na sinasakyan namin due to the narrowness of the road. In short, we didn’t have a choice but to stay and wait for a rescue and clearing operation.

In my case, I had a choice to not go home na lang and go back kaya lang wala na rin masakyan pabalik and walking in the middle of the night is not safe considering the area where we got stranded is deserted. Baka ma-rape pa ako. Charot.

Anyway, I tried to sleep but my co-passengers were talkative and complaining. It was only past 8PM and it’s quite difficult to sleep in this kind of situation. May fear pa na baka bumigay yung bundok sa gilid at magka-landslide din. Juice ko ‘day.

At 3 in the morning kanina, I woke up and decided to start my journey pabalik sa bukid by walking.

Sanay naman akong maglakad kahit noong grade school pa ako and as far as I’m concern, ito ang purpose kung bakit ako biniyayaan ni God ng long limbs. These legs are made for walking noh. Haha!

The road is quite busy actually due to the the number of vehicles stranded kaya medyo kampante ang lola niyong maglakad nang nag-iisa, yun nga lang, after 15 minutes of walking, wala nang sasakyan sa daan at medyo madilim pa ang langit. Dito na ako kinabahan.

I started praying the rosary to ease my fear. Oh yeah, I learned to pray the rosary after that big tsunami in Japan.

After an hour of walking I felt my left foot getting sore. I had new sneakers kasi and I wasn’t wearing any medyas. And did I mention I was wearing short shorts? Which makes the cold weather even colder for me. I was about to surrender.

Buti na lang may dumaang pick-up truck at huminto, malamang nasilaw sa long-legged ko. Charot. The driver signaled na sumakay ako kaya I immediately climbed the back of the truck which carried a few people. Unfortunately, there was a little stench. Pig poo. Gustuhin ko man na bumaba, the truck was already running and my feet is really hurting na from walking.

An hour of walking, an hour of smelling like a pig, plus another hour commuting back to the bukid and I’m now writing this entry in my bed.

I’ve learned a few things overnight.

1. Don’t wear new shoes when travelling. You’ll never know if you’ll need to hike and it’s painful to walk in new shoes.

2. When hitchhiking, pumili ng sasakyan na trip niyong maki-ride for free. I learned that the hard way.

3. Charge your iPod. It comes in handy when you don’t want to listen to other passengers’ stupid conversations.

4. Bring food and water. You’ll never know how long you’ll get stuck.

5. If you are like me who prefers to wear comfortable clothing when travelling (no jeans or jacket), make sure to bring a big scarf na puedeng gawing kumot. Panlaban din ito sa lamok.

6. When all else fail, pray.

I guess that would be all.

I need to catch up on my sleep.

Good night.

I mean, good morning.

Black Mamba

2011-07-15T19:12:00.005+08:00

Sabi ng isang male friend ko sa Facebook:

"Oh my God! Pare, Kobe Bryant is in Manila! Can't wait to see him!"

Ganun? Ang OA lang huh.

Nae-excite din pala ang mga boys.

Sino ba kasi yang Kobe Bryant na yan, eh hindi ko naman siya kilala noh.

Charot!

All I know about Kobe is he plays for the Lakers, and he used to date this biatch.

Yun lang poe.

Now if David Beckham would come to Manila, that will be different story.

I would die.

Promise.

Chos.