CHAKA DOLL

“If you want to look like Piolo Pascual and Dingdong Dantes, you go to Belo. If you want to look like Boy Abunda, then go to Calayan.” – Vicky Belo quoted on one of her interview at a Showbiz talk show. This could be mere rival of networks. This could be mere rival of brands. This could be a mere product of rival endorsements. This could mean a lot especially in Philippine TV where sensationalism is quite a daily bread. But one thing is clear here – a vivid discrimination between the ugly and the beautiful.

I remember this one time on the MRT. It was a Saturday afternoon and I stepped in at Taft station. Two “kolehiyala” girls went in with an obvious stance of class and society voice. These two girls stood in front of me, too close I Could smell their expensive colognes. The train started and a few minutes after we reached the next station. Men rode in - Men who are obviously employed with some menial jobs. I wouldn’t deny the fact that they stink. But I kept it in my mind and did not show any offensive reaction or gesture. I am very sensitive with smell, but I kept my cool and prayed that soon the smell may subside. But the girls i mentioned earlier couldn’t keep their mouth shut.

“Goodness to hell! What’s that smell?”

“Girl, it’s coming from the Chaka dolls who just rode in”

Apparently, “Chaka” is a gay lingo which basically means something or someone is visually unpleasant and unsightly. These girls thought the guys can’t comprehend English language because they uttered the lines so loud. I believe the guys did get the point because they were all silent after hearing the girls.

It would be hypocrisy if I will say that I don’t see the difference between what’s beautiful and what’s not. I am in an industry which requires definitive sense of taste and a clear command on which is aesthetically acceptable and which is not. But beyond these, I still believe in respect and humility. One can be better than the other but one should not be shouting it all loud to the entire world. No one has the right to tell someone about his/her inferiority especially if it aims to discriminate alone.

I like someone who is effortlessly beautiful but is unaware of it.

DAVID COOK AND DAVID ARCHULETA LIVE IN MANILA!

Quick news!

David Cook, the winner of American Idol Season 7 and the runner-up David Archuleta will stage a concert here in Manila! This is real fun news for season followers like me. News has it late last year that they will visit the Philippines January 2009. Well, this news item came out from a very reliable local broadsheet. According to the article, the concert might take place in Mall of Asia come first week of May 2009.

I’m looking forward to see the show. I hope David Archuleta will sing his version of last year’s Idol song “Time of My Life” – this would be interesting right?

OPRAH WINFREY AND SCIENTOLOGY

Who doesn’t know Oprah Winfrey?

Who doesn’t believe in Oprah Winfrey?

We all know how powerful Oprah’s TV mantra is right? We can’t do away thinking that she had a major role in propelling the new US president into the seat. Being a celebrity with a powerhouse game, Oprah is the marriage of credibility and shining stardom.

Now, recently Americans have been throwing negative opinions on Oprah’s said “following” on Tom Cruise’s religion – Scientology. People are reacting on how Oprah stressed out the principle of new earth on one of her show’s episodes. Some are actually shedding small attention to this as they were quoted saying that Oprah is not God to dictate the story of the earth, she is just a talk show host.

Could it be that Oprah subscribed to Scientology already? Or is it just a mere attempt to dissect through beliefs in order to articulate a better and stronger affiliation opinion on things which people should be aware about.
I still remain a huge believer of Oprah Winfrey’s good heart.

PINOY YOUTUBE

Because I am swamped again with work, and I catching up on my readings and movie entourage, let me skip a little on blogging. Today, let me present to you this lazy post- a collection of interesting local videos that would hopefully make your day. One is from a comedy show telling us how young kids these days start early on being queer. The other is a news reporter who forgot his spiels and lost the entire report thought. The 3^rd video shows a current Philippine actress caught under real human reaction to a surprising stimulus. It’s obscuring!

Happy video Tuesday you all!

BIG 2009!

Here here! I am officially joining The Big Mak Blog Contest. Hey, 200 bucks is not bad plus thousands of Entercard credits and lots of advertising opportunities – man, this blog can use some sound promotion. Also, I encourage you to join too.

So, sir Makoy posted a question in there which goes something like this – “What Something Big are you expecting this year?” After that, I reviewed my planner. To my inconvenient surprise, I only saw birthday notes and some annual events there. So it made me think. I need to place things in order. I need to have a sense of perspective this year!

To start off, I plan to find the ONE this year, opppz Im not yet ready to expound much on this, so lets put a period now. (There.)

I also plan to beef up my Paypal account, so there the pressure is on to win this contest. Ha Ha, not really pressure but challenge I guess.

Finally, I hope to give my family ONE BIG Christmas celebration this year! I know it’s too early, but I just want them to feel that a sense of saving can help us defy the recession and still have good, festive Holidays.

So, there I think those are Big, but I have to dissect through details and I might post them too in here.
Have a Big 2009 everyone!

FALL OUT BOY LIVE IN MANILA 2009!

Fall Out Boy comes back in the Philippines with another entourage of brilliant songs as they also came out with this new album - Folie A Deux released under MCA Music, with hit singles I Don’t Care and America’s Suitehearts. February 13, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum, fans will surely flock and rock aficionados will once again unite. Oppz, I sounded like a politician.

This is euphoria everyone!

I missed last year’s concert, but I’m back with a revenge. Patron tickets? Crazy right? Well, thanks to April (the BFF) and ETC.

Here are the ticket prices:

P4,725 for Patron
P3,675 for Lower Box
P2,625 for Upper Box A
P1,050 for Upper Box B
P525 for General Patronage

(i posted the ticket prices just to show you that i have this expensive seat for FREE! Waaaah crazy!)

See you guys there!

FITA COMMERCIALS

The biscuit brand Fita is continually creating good buzz as it never fails to come out with fresh commercials designed with wits, humor and Pinoy stimuli. Its very fitting to present these commercials in this blog because I always aim to put in quality (my success is always relative to a lot of factors.) Some of these commercials garnered much attention to which Bubble Gang's spoof resonnates best. According to BG, they will never spoof a commercial unless its the talk of the town.

opps, no spoofs here. All original!

MY SHOPAHOLIC CONFESSION

Hi, my name is Denis and I’m a shopaholic!

Well, not entirely but I had few moments of splurging and rewarding my hard-working self a little too much by buying new stuff like clothes, home ware, books and sometimes, gadgets. Now, let me share this one interesting story when I had the shopaholic piece of me. It started with a hold-up.

Yes, this is a little traumatic but it did start with two guys watching over me as I speak to a friend over the phone because we had plans for the day. I already felt they don’t aim any good so I walked passed them until I reach a corner and lost sight of them. To my surprise a knife is pointing at my neck and the two guys I thought I ditched are staring at me with no positive stance. “Just give us your cash and phone, and you’ll be set free without a scratch.” (They were speaking in vernacular of course.) Thinking that they could really execute their blabbers, I held out my wallet and phone. The first guy opened the phone then threw my SIM on the floor (Thanks Lordy) then the other one examined my wallet. He got my 2000 cash but did not touch two ATMs inside. It was really jolting but I felt okay knowing that my ATMs are secured, it was one day past the pay day and three counting days will lapse and it’s Christmas. After they got what they wanted, they left me with my things scattered on the floor.

I have to leave fast, but I reported the incident first. The lady guard told me it happens all the time. So, if you happen to plan to step in this mall by Recto area, think twice (or a gazillion more)- This is where I met those two guys. Without any cash or coin in my pocket I decided to ride the jeepney without pay. I have to withdraw all my money in the ATM somewhere far from this mall. I stepped down the jeep uneasy because it’s my first time not to pay for a public ride. Upon my entrance to the mall, I immediately punched my ATM in the machine. 8,000 bucks- I have to spend this all today or I might just lose them. And so I did. It’s near Christmas so I bought gifts for friends and family-Designer shirts for my mom and sisters, and high-end colognes for my brother and brother-in-law. I bought books for friends and officemates and I bought myself a not so expensive phone. I can’t believe it myself but I got robbed, shopped and was broke - all in one day. Funny, but I thought it was money well-spent. Buying stuff for people dear to me somehow relieved the bad memories and stimulus of the hold-up which took place hours before I transformed into a shopaholic.

When I arrived home carrying all of these stuff, my mom immediately noticed my new phone. I told her about the hold-up and she just said “really?”

I read the book and I’m excited to see Rebecca Bloomwood come to life in the big screen. Catch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" in Cinemas on February 18, 2009!

CANDY COMMERCIALS

Viral marketing- a new trend in brand communications world. Somehow, Youtube paved the way to this new gimmick. It basically means uploading interesting videos that would generate significant views leading to more perpetual media mileage for the brand. I found two examples of this with the aid of my favorite daily, Philippine Daily Inquirer. Both of these commercials are making noise in Youtube which is actually more than what TV exposure can give. One is from Cadbury and the other from Skittles (Yum right?) featuring a Filipino speaking in our vernacular. Cool eh?

FATHER EVERY TWO YEARS

“Hindi nyo naranasan ang kagaguhan ng tatay nyo habang lumalaki kayo, ngayong nandito ako makikita nyo!”

Midnight, and his voice is trembling all over the house. My brother just got scolded from being awake doing kitchen rampage for midnight snack (which is basically, his daily routine) making lots of noise which disturbed the man’s sleep. For quite a long time, I have been accustomed living without a father. And so, a trembling voice injected fear in me. I was scared even if I’m aware the shout is not directed to me.

17 years. My father worked abroad for those long years. He would have 2 months of vacation every two years. I have to admit, I am not entirely aware of the person in him. All I know is he has been a good son to his parents, a good husband to my mom and a good provider to us. I said provider, not father. I don’t know, but I feel awkward having him around. It sucks, but it feels like we have a stranger in the house. I know this is a typical “Anak” plot, but I never thought I’d contain a symmetrical character.

I want to burst and tell him- this has been the way we live for years of your physical absence, so don’t expect us to change just because your around! But that would be rude even if i use “po” in between my lines. Above all, it’s not right for us to question his absence because he left to provide for us and that’s what a father would do. I just resent the fact that we are not that close. I hate the idea of sitting with him in the table and be silent all the time.

He has been taking medicines, he has been going back to the hospital because his a little sick. He looks sad all the time because the doctor told him to stop smoking. I know how hard it is for a smoker to suddenly drop the habit. I wish i could somehow tap him in the back and say, “okay lang yan ‘tay! Here’s a gum.”