My Adam Levine Look

After three months, my hair had its renewed make over. It means, after of dozens of stresses, work loads, paper works, etc., I had a make over. I had a massage from a nice friend, I had hair cut and along with my sister-friends we had a bottomless food trip. We promised that after all the deadlines, thesis and school works we will go to Quaipo. We just did. 

During those days when we are haggard and stress, we tend to buy and eat everything that caught our attention (FOOD ONLY). We tagged ourselves as stress eaters. DISCLAIMER: Food Eaters eats EVERY FOOD THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION, REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE. Thank God I have rich and fabulous friends. 

Here is my Adam Levine look. I asked the hair cutter to follow Maroon 5's front man's haircut but he seems to get overwhelmed and removed all my hair. :D

viaje a quaipo

Quiapo is a district and city square of Manila. Referred as the "Old Downtown", Quiapo in known for where cheap buys or goods are being sold at rock-bottom prices and was the home of the Quiapo Church, where the feast for the Black Nazarene is held, with over millions of people attending annually. 

I was originally born in Manila and spent my infant hood ( o d ba infant hood - meaning 1-4) in V.Mapa cor. Sta. Mesa. I really remember almost everything when I was young as early as that age. My mama and I always attend sunday's mass at Quaipo Church where we always have to drop by on the replica of the Black Nazarene. Luckily, I was able to touch it as early as I was, and mama taught me about God. It was I guess 1994 when we moved to Makati and lived here or good .. and the rest are history !

During those early years, Quiapo - Manila as a whole was a very dirty place (my judgement). So many vendors and garbage are scattered around. Almost a decade has passed, Quaipo - Manila was still a busy place. Vendors, Religious  Supporters, Rich, Poor, Beggars and even animals are around the place. But a more neater and cleaner Quaipo - Manila ! Particularly, the under ground tunnel going to the church is now cleaner than it was before.

On the height of the campaign of the church to protest about the RH Bill, this scene pictured out in my eyes. A billboard of a condom was hanging around the church. 

Quaipo is still a religious concrete structure for Filipino Catholic believers. I am not familiar of the history of the Quaipo church but one thing is for sure. Filipino is a religious people and it is already marked in our blood.   Feast of the Black Nazarene is celebrated every January 9, and recognize as one of the country's most attended feast.

Quaipo is 45- 1 hour away from Makati. If you are coming from my place (Pembo, Makati) you need to ride a Jeepney from C5-Blueboz to Guadualupe. And from Guadalupe you need to ride another Jeepney routed to TAFT-HERRAN. Just tell the Manong Driver that you are going to Taft Herran before you will be lost to somewhere else. From Taft, a jeep is waiting for you going to Quaipo. Lastly, you need to find the tunnel going to the Quiapo Church. I wont tell you..you find it ! Remember Students: ALWAYS ASKED FOR DISCOUNT!

Hail to The New Binibining Pilipinas Universe, Shamsey Supsup

The 2010 board topnotcher was named the 2011 Binibining Pilipinas Universe during the pageant coronation night on Sunday, April 10 at theAraneta Coliseum. General Santos City-born Shamcey Supsup will represent the Philippines for the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant in Sao Paolo, Brazil. 


In an interview, she was asked if she is pressured following the accomplishment of the former Binibining Pilipinas Universe and Miss Universe fourth runner up Maria Venus Raj, she said she is not pressured and it was her destiny to win the competition. And she added that she will do her best to win the Miss Universe title.


Meanwhile, after 14 years, Binibining Pilipinas comes back to ABS-CBN. The production was totally good and the opening act was convincingly great. I really like the music they used in the opening, when they mashed up today's popular hits of Katy Pery, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and JLo. The music was so upbeat and my classmate Patricia Guardacasa was even walking like a candidate in the living room. :D peace ! The song number of Sitti, Marie Digby, Karylle and Princess was not that good. Maybe they had the wrong choice of song or the stage was just huge for the four of them. Anyway, with regards to it, Karylle was so stunning that night. Her tanned and radiant color was stunningly beautiful, and she can even compete with the Binibing Pilipinas candidates evenly.


Mirriam Quaimbao, Precious Lara Quigaman, KC Concepcion and Derek Ramsey were the host during the pageant night. And I can surely say that they are one of the most (if not) eloquent host of Binibini so far. Mirriam and Precious was both stunningly elegant during the opening act when I remember Precious' gown was so brave and daring. Mirriam was so beautiful with her hair neatly fixed, and I just saw her on the other channel singing Fireworks by Katy Pery. Kc and Derek was intensely great in the Question and Answer round were in  KC wore a  simple dress and simple make up that made her awesomely beautiful that night. Meanwhile Derek is the only male in the stage, was so good in his hosting skills. I see him as a perfect definition of a gentleman and the 'Adonis' look. Too bad he wasn't able to do the Machete, it could have been perfect for his feature.


Overall, the 2011 Binibining Pilipinas was awesome and we enjoyed watching it. Though there are minimal flaws like I saw camera man running behind the candidates but the whole production was really great. I really hoped that Shamcey will bring home the crown and bested as Universe's most beautiful on September in Brazil.


:D andrew

Choco Mucho - Choco Fun !

Chocolate has never been fun like this before.  Choco  Mucho is described as Crunchy WAFER topped with rich CARAMEL, crackling RICE CRISPIES enrobed in velvety MILK CHOCOLATE. It omes in Chocolate, White Chocolate and Peanut Butter variants... and now with the NEWEST TEMPTATION Dark Chocolate. 


Whenever I fell tired and weary, one bite in this big choco wafer will automatically makes me feel powerful. It was first introduced to me by my classmate and until this this I have atleast two to three purchase in a week.


Forget about the diabetes and the calories, what matters now is the indulegence it brings and the satisfaction it droves each time you bite. 


This big bar only last for 3 minutes in my hands and I can eat 3 to 4 bars in one day.


When I had my thesis writing, review, and etc., I consumed 5 bars in one sitting ! Thats how addicted I am in this chocolate.


For a choco lover like me, this choco wafer would be out in our lunch box !




























Photo Courtesy By:


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4333592551_642e2d8382.jpg


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4334335358_0f7b45fd97.jpg

Summer in December

Sun has already burst its mega super ultra sunshine especially on April days. As days are fast approaching, Holy Week is just a breath away. It means LOOOOOONG break to some people and it means retreat time and reclaim faith to others. Every Holy Week, along with my closest friends (who treated me as one of their family member) we go to Antipolo for the annual 'Alay Lakad'. This Holy Week will be our 6th year walking together and reflecting on the station of the cross. 

For many people, summer is their only time to go to the beach and pool and have licence to get naked. Bikinis and hot gorgeous body are fronted in the fined sands of Boracays, Palawan, Puerto Gallera or Bohol. Cottages and beach resorts will be surely be fully booked and be flooded with people. The metro will be empty for sure, people will exodus to their respective summer activities.


I already had my beach hunting last December and luckily, I did it in the Philippines' most precious beaches in the paradise called BOHOL. Last December, I found my self in the bottom of the ocean after a tragedy happened to me. Nevertheless, the ocean comforted me and embraced me to his warm and caring breeze. Its white sand cheered me, and the water drowned me and healed my broken soul. I found my self floating in the floor of the ocean's sweet melody.


Bohol is indeed an paradise where people are nice and sweet. Culture and tradition are saved for the future people. I may not grew up in this place, but it captured my heart and leaves a great marked in my soul. I am proud to say that my roots belongs to this beautiful place. Go come to Bohol and experience SERENITY !

Slurpie or Slushie

Growing up today is the hardest thing to do. Peer pressure, Teenage Life, School, Work, Money, Love, Lies, Family, Friends, Enemies, Frienimies and everything that comes in between. These are the few listed hindrance and suffering of an average teen like me. I have been punched, slapped, bullied and cried. I am just a small kid, trying to play around. Bullies, Enemies, Stress and Depression, that can be defeated if we can only learn to surrender all our battle and defeats to our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the American series GLEE, optimistic high school teacher Will Schuester tries to refuel his own passion while reinventing McKinley High's Glee Club and challenging a group of outcasts to realize their star potential. Going up against McKinley's cruel high school caste system and facing harsh criticism from everyone around him, Will is determined to prove them all 
wrong.

Glee club members daily receives slushie shower, an act of bullying to them for they are believed to be losers. But the Glee members PROVED THEM WRONG! Remember the keyword: DETERMINATION = PROVE THEM WRONG. If we are determined and confident for our selves and be brave enough to accept battles and defeats, we can prove them wrong. Always remember that victory doesn't comes from us, it comes from GOD.

Maybe I have never seen or tasted a slushie, but it must have been so cold and for you to be slammed by slushie .. duh .. its freezing cold. What I am familiar with is the 7/11's Slurpee. This freezing refreshment can really mesmerize your sweaty day. It comes from different flavor but my favorite is the green colored slurpee. And if I would get a slurpee shower I'd like to received it from Blaine (Darren Criss) and Fin Hudson (Cory Monteith). 


 

I dream to be on the musical show Glee someday. We may not know .. one morning I will wake up Ryan Murphy has invited to be in their show. Dont worry Glee fans, I will not ruin the show. I can be an additional flavor to the group. And come what may, I will be the guest to sing in my native language. 

just a thought : Alejandro by Lady Gaga: a not so video review

Lady Gaga did it again !! 
She released her new video titled Alejandro. This is her third single from her second album Fame Monster. The video was directed by Steven Klein. It was inspired by lady gaga for her gay friends and admiration of gay love – her envy of the courage and bravery they require to be together. The music video portrays Gaga with a group of soldiers in a cabaret, dancing to the song. It is interspersed with scenes of Gaga as a nun eating a rosary and near-naked men, holding machine guns. 

A good part of the video is dedicated to the Broadway musical Cabaret. The video begins with soldiers sleeping in a cabaret with a close-up of a soldier passed out in fishnet stockings and heels as another lone soldier stares into the distance. The scene then cuts to male dancers performing elaborate choreography while marching forward. As the intro of the song begins, Gaga is shown leading a funeral procession, carrying her heart with a wire "A" spelled on it. When the lyrics begin, she sits on a throne wearing an elaborate headpiece and binocular-like eyepieces, with a smoking pipe in her hand, watching her dancers perform a rigorous routine in the snow. Gaga is then seen as character Sally from Cabaret, dancing and simulating sex acts with three men on a stage with twin beds on a stage surrounded by spotlights, all wearing nothing but underwear intercut with shots of Gaga lying on a larger bed dressed in a red latex nun outfit. She subsequently appears dressed in a white hooded robe with several red crosses on it with her dancers, before a shot of her as the nun eating a rosary. Gaga is seen in a blonde bob and a similar outfit to one of Liza Minnelli's performance costumes. The video moves to a scene of her wearing a bra equipped with assault rifle barrels and her dancers performing another dance routine. She is then shown in the empty club, scenes of war breaking out flash by, and the lone soldier appears again. Going back to the hooded robe scene, she struggles with her dancers and disrobes. The video ends with her dressed as the nun, the film burning away from her face outwards. The director explained that it is an interpretation of a woman's desire to resurrect a dead love and who can not face the brutality of her present situation, the pain of living without your true love. 

The Catholic League criticized the video for its use of religious imagery. In an interview, Steven Klein explained that the religious symbolism is not meant to denote anything negative, but represents the character's battle between the dark forces of this world and the spiritual salvation of the Soul. Thus at the end of the film, she chooses to be a nun, and the reason her mouth and eyes disappear is because she is withdrawing her senses from the world of evil and going inward towards prayer and contemplation." Klein added that the scene where Gaga devours the rosary beads is meant to represent "the desire to take in the Holy”. 

Okay this is not a video review. This is just an investigative curiosity of my conscious mind. As I was watching the video, this reminds me of director dubbed as “Master of Darkness” Fritz Lang. And the video’s wardrobe of nun’s habits and other religious imagery could be viewed as references to the Catholic Church’s demonization of homosexuality. I grew up in a Roman Catholic country, raised and inspired by the church teachings and beliefs. In that note I found few scenes blasphemous to the catholic culture. But if you would think on the aesthetic and artistic side of the video, you will understand why those scenes are put on it. “Alejandro” is controversial and polarizing–no Gaga video would be complete without a little shock value–but by Gaga standards, this video is actually almost downright tame, and this time, she isn’t dancing with cans of Miracle Whip or disco sticks or hats fashioned out of princess phones. This time, there seems to be a message behind Gaga’s madness. 

I don’t believe Gaga is acting with any malice in this video, she was brought up Catholic too, I believe, and this work certainly does not offend me at all. I think Gaga is a true star, imaginative and exciting and it’s good to have her around. 

As of this moment, I haven’t heard anything from any official of The Vatican or Catholic/Religious organization regarding to this video. Maybe the response of the people will not as loud as Madonna got on her time when she did the video, Like a Prayer and Vogue. We are in the 21st century, where technology revolves our daily lives. I just don’t know if the video will be aired completely in music channels and or in MTV, where wide-ranged of audience are watching. Maybe there are scenes that will be cut, but I am sure that this will be shown globally, and hello, there is a thing called “youtube” today. 

Lastly, this video is no different with her previous videos, Bad Romance and Telephone where so many illuminati interpretation are widespread. Let us not treat this video as a threat to our society, culture or beliefs. Lady Gaga is not a saint, she is an ARTIST. If you don’t like the video, don’t watch it. Remember that prejudice is a disease.