International Nail Art Expo

Ok, this is very old news and stinks like stilton cheese, but I'm still fascinated that there's such a thing as a nail art expo.

Eventhough I'm a frustrated sosyalera, I've never really gotten the manicure bug. Pedicures, yes, but manicures, not at all. I don't know why, it's probably because I've got short & stumpy fingers.

I've found this short clip on Youtube about a nail art expo in Japan last year, and by golly those nails are awsomely(?) complicated!



See how the ladies cross their hands over their chests like they're some kind of vampire??? Maybe that's how girls model nails in the industry, huh.

Anyway, I have nothing against fans of nail art. It's just not my cuppa tea. I would've found it really hard to tap the letters on my keyboard if I had such long nails with baubles dangling from them.

Maybe when I get filthy rich, I'd try nail art myself -- that way I'd afford to have maids to hold, press, catch, etc. things for me and I'd just walk around with my hands crossed over my chest all day. Hee!

Mad about writing

Since it's January and all, I've just about settled in with using my new planner(s). Yeah, I've got more than one.






I've gotten my Belle de Jour Power Planner just before Christmas, which came in this lovely little box.





This year's planner came with a mini-notebook, which is great for girls like me who don't like lugging their planners everywhere they go. I just take quick notes on the notebook, then log them into the planner on a later date or on a more convenient time.





And just like last year, BDJ planners come with discount coupons for various establishments -- excellent for shopaholics!





I use this planner mostly for office work though, and so far the layout is perfect for it. It comes with the standard monthly scheduler, birthday lists, a menstrual planner (I'm not too sure if I need this, but I'm sure some girl out there does), even a vacation planner and a dream board.

Neat, right? There are also some very useful articles about fashion, lifestyle, etc. that It Girls everywhere will find interesting.





For more personal logs, however, I use a different planner. For this aspect of my life, I buy Teneus planners every year.





Why? Because it has these nice pages with photos on them that I use to stick stuff into, much like a scrapbook. I dunno, I'm sentimental like that.


I just hope I'll be able to fill everything in with whatever my 2009 will bring -- not to mention that I've got this blog to log into as well. Crazy, huh?

Heaven 'n Eggs Glorietta 4 (H&E)

My friends and I celebrated Chinese New Year on a whim last Monday and had dinner at Heaven & Eggs Glorietta.






Last time I was there, the chairs were on swings and the waiters had halos and wings. They've done some rebranding of sorts and now they're kind of gone towards the rockstar theme. I don't know where the eggs fitted there, but they've considerably shortened their menu.






Tren & Bajoy modelling their menus. Hee!





Manila Spareribs was one of the old favourites here, will make it a point to try it next time.





Lovin Lucban Longganista (I think, my memory's a bit fuzzy).





Bono's Banger Breakfast -- which is excellent except for the shoestring(?) potatoes. It was very difficult to eat and not very satisfying. I would've been happy with simple mash. Pfttt.





Angus burger (again, can't remember the exact name). The bf wasn't very happy with it, apparently a bland burger





Toblerone Mousse Cake. It was nice, but we were looking for that non-existent Toblerone taste.






Red Velvet & Triple Layer of something. The story here is that the Red Velvet was so dry that we had it exchanged for something else. And that something else was absolutely the same, if not worse. So therefore, the dessert part of the dinner was a total flop. They should throw away old cakes!!!



Wallet damage
About Php 250 to Php 300 for each person.


The verdict
Overall, the food was good but there's always that little something to make it less favourable (i.e. the potatoes and the cakes). Plus, the dish names were so complicated!

So I don't know if the theme overhaul was worth it. I was quite happy the way they were back in the day. Tsk.

Yes Man! (The Review)

Yes Man


Starring
Jim Carrey
Zooey Deschanel


Plot
A man who has made a habit of saying "no" to everything attends a self-help seminar, and gets convinced that he's been missing out on life. He soon challenges himself to say "yes" to everything, taking chances he would never have taken before.



Let's get down and dirty!



Overall Production
As a standard rom-com (romantic comedy), there's no special effects to speak of apart from a few stunts and Carrey's facial gymnastics. Everything in this aspect is ok, but nothing really stood out.


Acting
Carrey's slapstick style aside, he's actually a good actor (i.e. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). He definitely delivered the goods here and made the most with what he's given to work with. Ergo.... absolutely HILARIOUS!

Deschanel is...err... cute. *blushes and trying to control lesbian tendencies*

But she needs to work on acting a bit more.


The verdict
It's a really funny film, it really is. There didn't seem to be any boring moments, surprisingly. Unfortunately, the plot is just so thin and predictable.

I mean if you actually say "yes" to anything and everything that's offered to you, what will happen? Whatever your answer is, that's the whole movie.

Frustrated Sosyalera Picks of the Week

Frustrated Sosyalera Picks of the Week for January 26 to February 01. But before anything else...

Happy CNY!!!
(if the graphics are wrong, i sincerely apologise for my ignorance. hahaha)

~oOo ~ FILMS ~oOo ~

Beverly Hills Chihuahua


Starring
Drew Barrymore (voice of Chloe)
Piper Perabo
Andy Garcia (voice of Delgado)
George Lopez (voice of Papi)


Directed by
Raja Gosnell


Synopsis
A pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua named Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore) who, while on vacation in Mexico with her owner Viv's (Jamie Lee Curtis) niece, Rachel (Piper Perabo), gets lost and must rely on her friends to help her get back home before she is caught by a dognapper who wants to ransom her. In the meantime, Papi (voiced by George Lopez), a male chihuahua who is in love with her is in pursuit of her. Papi's master (Manolo Cardona), a handsome young gardener for Viv, slowly develops a romantic interest in Rachel. Chloe befriends a lonely German Shepherd (voiced by Andy Garcia) who travels with her to protect her from the evil Doberman (voiced by Edward James Olmos) who wants to return her and her diamond collar to the dognapper. -- imdb.com

Rotten Tomatoes Rating
40% Rotten


My take on it
I am addicted to anything cute, so I'm very tempted to see this one. I mean come on, Chihuahuas everywhere! Helloooo?!? If that's not cute, then I don't know what is. However, the bf absolutely refuses to go with me, therefore, I will have to coerce somebody else this time. Hahaha!







Australia


Starring
Nicole Kidman
Hugh Jackman


Directed by
Baz Luhrmann


Synopsis
Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand. -- imdb.com


Rotten Tomatoes Rating
53% Borderline Rotten/Fresh


My take on it
Looks like a major snorefest to me at first glance.

I stalk these people (occasionally). Bwahahaha!

My blogroll is beginning to look like a mile long, so I've decided to just dedicate a whole post to it and add a link to it from the main page.

If you believe that I missed your site or if I've made a mistake somewhere here or if you'd like to be a part of this list, just leave a comment below and ask me nicely. Hee!


30 and then some
Alien13
Ally
Anak ni Kulapo
AnnieSpandex
Basti
Baterya
BearBear
Blake
Caloy
Chasing Odds
Chelle
Girl for all status
Cornflix
Dale
David
Dio T’Ama
Dylan
Earthlingorgeous
Edelweiza
Edz
Ejay
Hisunglasses.com
Irvine
James
Janizarzagon
Jehzlau
Jeremae
Jerine
Jhoice
Judd
Kax
Kelvin
Leah
Makoy
Mike Pamero
PapaBear
Pinay Mom Blogs
Pinaymama
Neri
Noah
Pao
Pia
Pinay Survivor Mom
Praveen
Rashid
Riding the Horse
Roanna
Sendo
Sheila
Swami
Tales of a Pinay Single Mom
Tiago
TJ
Umma
Vlad

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Review

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans



Synopsis
Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy revisit their roles from UNDERWORLD in this prequel to the horror-action hybrid. Sheen (THE QUEEN) stars as Lucian, a werewolf who battles vampire Viktor (Nighy, the Pirates of the Caribbean films), despite his love for Viktor's daughter Sonja. Kate Beckinsale might have departed the series, but fellow dark-haired beauty Rhona Mitra (DOOMSDAY) fills fans desires for a sexy heroine in her role as Sonja. -- rottentomatoes.com


Starring
Bill Nighy
Michael Sheen
Rhona Mitra


Directed by
Patrick Tatopoulos



Let's get down and dirty!


Overall Production
I'm not really a fan of films that are set at night the whole time. Why? Well obviously, there's just so much less to see. Everything is either blue, black or grey.

I know I've said that I wouldn't watch this 3rd Underworld, but the gang wanted to see it so I tagged along to see what the fuss is about. I was a little hesitant because I hadn't seen the first two movies, so I might miss out on bits of storyline here and there. Good thing that wasn't the case here, because it's apparently a prequel to the previous movies. Whew.

The cg effects were ok and there seem to be a little bit of animatronics mixed in it, but it wasn't fantastic.

What I hated about the action scenes is the lack of it. I mean there were loads, but there's this annoying flashing light that blinks the whole screen after every move they make. So basically, I didn't see anything.


Acting
Bill Nighy as Viktor emits this very luminous vibe, which kind of believably makes him coven leader. Unfortunately, the style reminds me too much of his Davey Jones role in Pirates of the Carribean.

Michael Sheen as Lucian the lycan does well, unfortunately he's not eye-candy enough to attract the women in the audience, which is kind of important in a semi-love story type theme.




Don't get me started on Rhona Mitra! The guys and I are arguing if the Sonja role was played by Kate Beckinsale, when I hadn't seen her name in the credits at all. I kept saying that Sonja couldn't possibly be Kate because her lips are bigger than the screen! I mean yeah, they have similar looks, but I'd still root for Kate. Sorry Rhona fans.





Everytime a Sonja scene comes up, I'm reminded of Janice the Muppet. Sheesh. Too much lip action there.



The verdict
It's a watchable film, but I'd recommend you just wait for the dvd. Some people got up and out of the cinema in the middle of the screening even. That's bad.

A little quiet in the homefront

The mother had just packed her bags and flew to the U.S. of A today. Therefore, my sisters and I are motherless for the next 3 months.

She's retired, you see, and wanted to visit some relatives... and maybe Obama? hahaha

Sometimes I wish I can uproot myself from this place and just fly wherever I feel like going -- nevermind if I can't afford it. The past 2 weeks have been a killer and I damn well need a break.

Life's a bitch... it bites!

Bye mom, see you in April.

*Image courtesy of deviantart.com

My Smarts VS Celebrity Smarts

The bf showed me the link for the 15 Surprisingly Super Smart Celebrities and wondered about my own IQ score.

So I went to this site to take a free test. I know these online tests can be quite unreliable, but I've only ever done it to compare my score with them celebs.


I got an IQ of 126, which according to the chart below is under High Intelligence.

















That's not enough!

Porn star Asia Carrera is smarter than me at 156!































Heck, Dolph Lundgren of Showdown in Little Tokyo, who looks like a dumb brute, beat me at 160!


160!!! That's Einstein, for cryin out loud!


Man, 160... I still can't believe that I can't beat Dolph Lundgren.























However, I wouldn't even dream of beating James Woods' score of 180, wtf. To register that, he must be an alien.... he damn sure looks like one.

Dialogues out of nowhere #3

While walking out of a magazine shop one time (and walking fairly fast, too), some random guy ran up in front of me and said --


Hiwhere'sthebathroommayiintroducemyself?


If you didn't get that, he basically said "Hi-where's-the-bathroom-may-I-introduce-myself?" And he said all that in 2 seconds flat.

Now, I must've looked really confused because he asked me two questions without allowing me to answer the first one before firing the second. So I said --


"The toilet's over there (pointing the direction) and I'm with my boyfriend, sorry."


Shot down. Just like that.

The bf witnessed the whole thing and he was laughing his arse off! He even went off to spy on the guy and saw that he was with some other guy, probably his pick-up mentor.

The bf said guys should NEVER EVER approach a moving target. Don't give him too much credit, though. He got the idea from watching a series called The Pick-up Artist.

The idea makes sense really, especially if the target's in a hurry. Someone's first reaction when approached by a stranger is that he/she would be taken aback, which is exactly how I reacted. The guy startled me. You'll have better luck in a place where the girl is sitting down or just mulling about and not intending to be anywhere else for sometime.

In full fairness, bathroom guy's efforts have not gone to waste. I have gotten a story out of it, after all. Hehe.

FS Picks This Week January 19-25

Frustrated Sosyalera has been terribly busy of late and thus apologises for the late update.



FILMS




Yes Man


Starring
Jim Carrey
Zooey Deschanel


Plot
A man who has made a habit of saying "no" to everything attends a self-help seminar, and gets convinced that he's been missing out on life. He soon challenges himself to say "yes" to everything, taking chances he would never have taken before.


My take on it
Saying "yes" to everything may prove to be quite exciting, of course. But as there are consequences for each action, I'm looking forward to seeing how the main character copes with the complexities that this goal will bring.







Underworld: Rise of the Lycans


Starring
Bill Nighy
Michael Sheen
Rhona Mitra
Shane Brolly


Plot
In the Dark Ages, the werewolves serve as slaves to the aristocratic vampires. But one day, a leader emerges from the slaves' ranks, rallying his kind to rise up against their vampire oppressors.



My take on it
*yawn*

If it wasn't for Bill Nighy, I wouldn't even consider wasting my time on this one. I'm obviously not a big fan of the Underworld installments.






The Secret Life of Bees


Starring
Alicia Keys
Dakota Fanning
Jennifer Hudson
Queen Latifah
Sophie Okonedo


Plot
In 1964, haunted by the memory of her late mother, a fourteen-year-old girl runs away with her caregiver from her troubled and lonely life at home to a small town where she gets taken in by a friendly and lively group of beekeepers. There, she begins to find some peace, and a key to her mother's past.


My take on it
I have no idea why they have 3 recording artists in the cast, therefore it might be worth a noseying around (especially as Queen Latifah isn't doing too bad on her role choices).




EVENTS




It's so early in the year and already Big Fish is showing us how to party!


Big Fish Presents: HedKandi
23 January
10pm
A. Venue Mall


Artist Lineup
DJ Andy Daniels
DJ Anton Ramos
DJ Johnboy Lee




Chocolate Appreciation 101
24 January
Heavenly Chocolates, QC

Heavenly Chocolates of QC invites everyone to Chocolate Appreciation 101, a free 1-hour workshop on chocolate tastings, trivia and technology.

For inquiries please contact Benjamin Pedro on 666-2208 or email benjaminvpedro[at]yahoo[dot]com.

Their legs must be numb

ImprovEverywhere made 1,200 New Yorkers ride the subway WITHOUT TROUSERS in a snow storm for the 8th time this year.

It's not the act itself that's interesting, it's the commuters that snatch glances sideways that's makes this mission priceless. Hehe!



I wouldn't do this myself, I think. I don't like showing off me knickers. hahaha

Fancy Dining Doesn't Always Deliver

To celebrate the new year with old friends, we decided to eat out at Italianni's at Bonifacio High Street.






We did so because one of us had a gift cheque worth Php 2,000. Yeah, we're cheapskates like that. Hehe!






But for some unknown reason, our food took a rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally long time to be served. Which, inevitably, bored some people.






"I'm just some guy with a basket for a hat."






When the pizzas arrived, we were waiting for nearly an hour.
Wow. It shouldn't take that long, surely???






I never got a chance to take photos of the pasta we ordered, because they barely touched the table before they got devoured! Making 10 hungry people wait for their food is totally unheard of!




So, we got really bored.










And we spied on stuff that we shouldn't be spying on...




I'm sure those fishnets don't go with the outfit.... or do they???

*I'm hoping to God this girl doesn't find her way to this post. Hehe!

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

Got new haircut!


My hair was getting too long and heavy that I've finally decided to have it chopped off.





This is the goal (minus the waves, of course).






The result is an EPIC FAIL.

It was too late when I realised that I didn't look anything like Anne Hathaway. Tsk tsk.



But it did remind me of...





... Madonna without the the fringe.






... Uma as well.





Maybe I should have had it cut shorter???



And WORST of all --





... Watched V for Vendetta on DVD the other day and saw this guy. It felt horrible realising that we have the same hair. Pfttt.







Oh what the heck. I think I'm getting used to it now.

Frustrated Sosyalera Goes to the 2009 Golden Globes...

... yeah, right. I just ogled at the dresses, thankyouverymuch.


The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of the Golden Globe Awards 2009 -- Frustrated Sosyalera version. *snigger*



The Good





Demi Moore looks very fresh in peach Dior.





Drew Barrymore does a Marilyn Monroe-ish style with a dreamy and flowy Dior Haute Couture dress, custom made by John Galliano.





Lady in red Eva Longoria is stunning, as usual. It's unfortunate that she nearly blended into the carpet, but what the hell.





Vavavoooooooom!!!




The Bad




Anne Hathaway, lovely as she is, looks like a blow-up doll.





Blake Lively should invest in seamless knickers-- or is it the fabric of this dress that just messed everything up? This could be the night that she should've considered going commando.






Angelina could have looked lovely in Versace, but the waist of that dress doesn't seem all that flattering.





A brocade jacket and shiny trousers to the Golden Globes? I wouldn't have dreamed of it until I saw Glen Close.






Megan Fox should get rid of that awful tattoo. It's so... tacky.



The Ugly!




Is Carolina Herrera mad at Renee Zellweger? Because this dress just bombed.