Fur-get about it

I like fur. It's warm, soft and cuddly. That's why I love doggies, like Gusgus.

Winter is coming and a lot of new coats and jackets will be sold again, but I don't approve of wearing fur, even if it's just trim. I would rather go with fake, synthetic fur than go for the real thing, no matter how nice it feels. So many animals are going extinct everyday and the cruelty a lot of them face just for the price their fur could be sold in the market is totally inhumane.

After you watch this video, I don't think you could bear to wear fur either. It's just heart-breaking.

Obsessing over the smoky-eye

I've always been a plain-jane and the boldest I had been with make-up was a wine-coloured lipstick or a two-shade shadow combo when out clubbing. I've always thought that being simple was more beautiful, because that's what my mother taught me.

These days, though, I seem to be veering towards stretching the boundaries when it comes to clothes and make-up (not today, however, as I'm feeling super lazy). Maybe it's because I'm having a mid-life crisis (yeah, I'm that old) and I want to make the most of what is left with my youth. There are certain things you can only wear while you are still young, as my auntie would say.

I'm very tempted to try a sultry smoky-eye look for years. So when I've seen Kim Chiu's magazine photos from the September Preview, I've suddenly become obsessed!





I've always wondered how to do smoky-eyes with almond eyes. I've don't have any eye creases, so I thought this would be difficult. But this version is so pretty that I'm currently obsessing about it and want to do it myself.





I will learn how to do this, even if it kills me!!!

FS Picks of the Week, Oct 26 - Nov 1

Wow, time flies when... well no, I'm not having that much fun at the moment, but sure, time does fly when you're up to your armpits in work and extra-curricular activities.

Gawd. What I'd do for a stiff drink on a Monday and not need to work the next day. It must be damn nice.

Anyway, flicks this week are...hmmm... okay, I guess. Astro Boy's opening this week. Wonder how CG will work out for this legendary boy robot?

Michael Jackson's This Is It, Jennifer's Body and Patient X are also showing this week. More info after the jump, so Read more.





Astro Boy
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy
Synopsis: Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns toMetro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it means to be a hero. --© Summit





Michael Jackson's This Is It
Starring: Michael Jackson
Synopsis: MChronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. --© Sony





Jennifer's Body
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried
Synopsis: small town high school student Jennifer (Megan Fox), who is possessed by a hungry demon. She transitions from being "high school evil" - gorgeous (and doesn't she know it), stuck up and ultra-attitudinal - to the real deal: evil/evil. The glittering beauty becomes a pale and sickly creature jonesing for a meaty snack, and guys who never stood a chance with the heartless babe, take on new luster in the light of Jennifer's insatiable appetite. Meanwhile, Jennifer's lifelong best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried), long relegated to living in Jennifer's shadow, must step-up to protect the town's young men, including her nerdy boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons). --© Fox





Patient X
Starring: Richard Gutierrez, Christine Reyees
Synopsis: A doctor returns to his hometown to confront the murderer of his older brother. He soon discovers that the murderer is something other than human, with a thirst for blood and supernatural abilities. He must use all his skills to defeat him, or everyone in the town may be killed.

Greetings from...

... Manila!

Yeah, you read it right. I was supposed to be in LA right this very moment, but I'm not. It's a long and complicated story that I don't intend to tell. Comments are off today because I'm too bummed out and I might get even more depressed if I have to visit this page more than this one time, so I'm sorry.

I guess all the hassle I had to go through due to this holiday found its climax. I have now missed a great opportunity to spend two weeks holidaying with my sisters and it's very difficult to psych myself out for anything right now.


This is probably the last time I am booking any flight more than six months in advance. So much can happen within that time.

The week can't go fast enough

Wa-hey! I had been having blogorrhoea for a week now, are you guys impressed???

*deafening silence*

Well...

So much stuff happened, not just typhoons and flooding, but people I know had been sick and others mourning the passing of a loved one. The last is always difficult, no matter how it happens. There's always that tiny bit of guilt, eating away at you from the recesses of your mind. It didn't happen to me personally, but you can't call yourself a friend if you don't at least understand the pain. If you had managed to ignore it, then don't bother calling yourself one.

Anyway, there's still so much for me to do. If you had been following my posts for sometime now (you lurkers you, comment up gardemet! hahaha), you will remember how I slaved away on the computer and the telephone just to book a flight for my Los Angeles trip with the sisters. So I'm getting ready for that -- I'm actually a little nervous!

I gotta start packin, cuz I'm leavin' on Sunday. Wooooooooooooooooot!

FS Picks of the Week, Oct 19-25

It's so weird that I hadn't been to the movies much lately, but that's what happens when you've got more important things to do.

With all the sales over the past weekend, I had been meaning to buy some new clothes. I had the money to spend, but for some reason the stuff I wanted didn't suit me. It was not meant to be! The irony of shopping is -- When you've got funds, there's nothing good. But if you're dirt-poor, there is sooooooooo many things you want!

Yeah, yeah. I know. It's pathetic of me to be so hooked up on material stuff, but a girls gotta shop.

As for movies opening this week, there's (500) Days of Summer, Halloween II, Battle for Terra, Carriers and The Hurt Locker. I've never heard of any of them. I'm pretty sure you've heard of this one, though --





The Informant!
Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula
Synopsis: What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre (Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company's multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent.

Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn't been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre's ever-changing account frustrates the agents (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre's active imagination.




And there are also a couple of concerts this week.

I seem to remember posting something about the Akon gig a few months back, and for pete's sake, here he is again! It seems like he likes to cancel at the last minute, so I hope he pushes through this time or he else he should sing "put the blame on me" for the rest of the year. Bah!





Akon Live in Manila
23 Oct
Friday
8pm
Araneta Coliseum

Tickets are between Php550 to Php5,500 (via Ticketnet)







Basia Live in Manila
21 Oct
Wed
8:30pm
Araneta Coliseum

Call Ticketnet at 911 5555 for prices.

My Life in Ruins -- aptly named!

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My Life in Ruins
Starring: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss
Synopsis: Georgia Georgia (Nia Vardalos) has lost her kefi (Greek for “mojo”). Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece while waiting to land her dream job. Opening their eyes to an exotic foreign land, she too begins to see things in new ways—finding her kefi and possibly love in the process.



Errr...

It's very predictable and the acting is, well, bad. I mean, yeah, it's funny. But I'm shallow, so I'll laugh at most things. Only watch if you are absolutely bored and have got bucketloads of time to waste. It's basically My Big Fat Greek Wedding Part 2, on location in Greece, minus the funny families. Instead you get lousy tourists. It's got a 9% Rotten rating on RottenTomatoes.com, so that should tell you something.

HOWEVER, I will not totally write this movie off because of one thing (and one thing only) --




-- leading man, Alexis Georgoulis.

I don't think he has acted on anything else aside Greek movies. But man, he is HOT. Stole the whole movie away from Nia Vardalos ENTIRELY.

I mean, just watch this trailer. Make sure you look out for 1:46 time stamp, and you'll know what I mean.

Stealing from the poor is BADONG!

I was talking to somebody about donating clothes to flood victims sometime ago, when something she said reminded me of Jerine’s story.

She said that her friend had volunteered to sort out and pack donations when she saw a lovely pair of shorts. It was apparently just her size, so she quietly slipped it into her bag.

I was like, WTF???

Not only that, she also got a nice dress!

What is wrong with this picture, you say? Stealing from the poor is bad. It Is wrong. To emphasize this, I will even go as far as to quote Kung Pow and say that this is more than bad or wrong, it is ba-dong!

First of all, people donate clothes to benefit those who need them. This makes them feel good to have helped. If someone along the course of this process, the clothes are taken by those who just want to be fashionable, then that defeats the purpose of giving, right?

This is not a generalisation. I understand that it’s inevitable that some people will take advantage of others’ misfortunes. But in light of recent flooding events and the proximity to me of those who need them, I have opted to give clothes to those who I know were affected. At least I know to whom my beloved wardrobe is going to.

BPI Big Outlet Sale 2009

Fancy losing dosh?

Here's another sale! Gosh, you'd think we didn't lose a lot of money already after all them floods. Tsk.




BPI Big Outlet Sale 2009
Oct 16-18
10am to 9pm
Mega Tent
Meralco Avenue
Ortigas

Ralph Lauren: Fat is out!

There has been so much talk lately about a certain print ad by Ralph Lauren, featuring a heavily photoshopped body of a model, Filippa Hamilton --




I mean, just look at that! Does that look even remotely beautiful? Did Ralph Lauren deliberately want to project this sick image???



Filippa had modeled for the brand since she was 15 years old. She is now 23, 5'10" and 120lbs. I don't think 120lbs looks like the photo above. That is just impossible.




Here is a more normal-looking photo. Not sickly thin, but slim.


She had been on the covers of international magazines.











Ralph Lauren apparently fired her for being overweight. This does NOT look overweight to me. In fact, I want her body! (Well, one can dream...)

To hell with it!

I've said over and over again that I want to achieve my own personal style by using this blog. Now, I suddenly realised that I had been taking this thing too seriously and ending up boring myself in the process.

So I say to hell with it!

This time (and there had been hundreds of this time's mentioned before), I'll blog about whatever! At least that's achievable. So easy! What is the point of living life when you are bored with yourself, right?

Like, I'll blog about my stiff neck. Yeah, my STIFF NECK!


Will tell you all about it tomorrow.

FS Picks of the Week, Oct 13-18

Sometimes, I wish I did not need to sleep at least 8 hours every night, just so I could finish everything I need to do for the day.

In any case, it's a busy week for sales. I guess it's to cover damages brought on by the floods and also to give people a chance to replace their lost stuff cheaply.





Julie & Julia
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci
Synopsis: Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron’s adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme. Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. --© Sony






Rock the Vote
Free Concert
16 Oct
Friday
7pm
B Gonzales St.
Loyola Heights
Quezon City

Featuring: Spongecola, Hale, Moonstar88, Cookie Chua and Juana Change.









Robinson's Malls Giant Markdown Sale
October 16, 17 & 18





Cubao Expo Giant Garage Sale
October 17, 10am to 5pm





Rockwell's Moonlit Bazaar
October 16-18, 2pm to 12mn
Rockwell Tent

Boyzone's Stephen Gately Dies

I've just read on TMZ that gay Boyzone member, Stephen Gately, had died suddenly while in Spain. Unfortunately, the official statement only said that he "tragically died."

Which makes me wonder, as these days it seems fashionable to die on an "accidental drug overdose." I guess we shall just have to wait and see.

Rest in peace, anyway, Mr No-Matter-What.

Just a quickie wordy one

I owe this blog a lot of stories. I had been slacking in posts of late, which is quite unlike me. I had been too busy, I'm afraid. I had some time yesterday, but I devoted it to catching up with my parents and a nap.

Oh, well.

It's late, like nearly 2am late, but I thought that I might as well type something up quickly.

It's a shame, really. I made this comic strip for a week as part 1 of my entry for the Nuffnang Blog Awards contest to win invites. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the time to make Part 2. When I thought I'd try anyway, I realised that my camera battery was dead. I cannot camwhore, therefore, no contest entry. That blows.

I guess it wasn't really meant to be. If I won an invite, the trip would have been on Oct 23, which is my dad's birthday. I can't miss that! Plus, I will be leaving for my LA holiday on the 26th. So I can't stay in Singapore too late that day either.

Maybe next year, then. Pfttt.

The Flying Pig, Eastwood Mall

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I went to sample The Flying Pig at Eastwood Mall with my sisters some time ago, just in time for swine flu season.





The atmosphere in the restaurant had a cozy, middle-class family feel to it. Hee! Actually, it felt quite nice.





Standard photo with the girls. Where the heck did that elbow come from??? I'm a contortionist, wtf!





The food at The Flying Pig is damn expensive, yo. This bowl of Beer Battered Calamares (which were more french fries than calamares, by the way) cost us more than Php 200.





You gotta have some ribs with them calamares, so we ordered some pork. The place isn't named after a swine for no reason. Now because this was some time ago, I forgot which kind of pork ribs these were (Note to self, take notes). I'm telling you, though, that it's very, very good. If I ever end up back there, I might just order it again. This half a slab cost us less than Php 400.

For what it's worth, the food at the Flying Pig is wonderful, if you are willing to pay at least Php500 for a good meal.

The Flying Pig can be found at the Eastwood Mall, right by the entrance, next to Blufish. It should be on your right as you enter, you shouldn't miss it.

8th Pelicula Pelikula: Spanish Film Festival 2009

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Pelicula Pelikula
Spanish Film Festival
Oct 1-11
Greenbelt 3, Makati City
CCP, Pasay City
College of St. Benilde, Manila



In the midst of the Ondoy flooding talk, The BF and I nearly missed this year's Pelicula Pelikula. We really must be going through tough times to forget one of our favourite October events. We absolutely love movies and to watch them for less than Php 70 is a major treat.

The 8th Pelicula Pelikula is bigger than ever, as it has event in three venues this time around. So if you live or work in Manila or Pasay, you don't need to go all the way to Makati to catch the films.

Click here for the schedule of screenings and other events.

It’s Krrunch Time, Get Playful!

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That serves them crisps right!