my thoughts…exactly!

If you’re a fan of The Amazing Race Asia Season 2, you know what I meant by "Pinoys are very good with mental math but not with the internet."

In Episode 10, there were only 5 teams left, our very own Marc and Rovilson (Philippines),  Adrian and Collin (Singapore), Ann and Diane (Malaysia), Vanessa and Pamela (Malaysia) and Paula and Natasha (Thailand). The other Pinoy team Terri and Henry, having been the last to arrive for 3 consecutive times, but were saved 2x due to a pre-determined non-elimination round, were "finally" eliminated in episode 9. I said "finally" because I feel sorry for Henry. Terri kept on mistreating him. It’s just a misrepresentation of how Pinays really are. Nakakahiya. It’s just good that towards the end, they don’t fight as much.

Going back, teams must now head to Budapest (Capital of Hungary) via a train ride. Since Marc and Rovilson were the first team to arrive at the pitstop in episode 9 at 11:44am, they were also the first team to leave by 11:44pm. When they got to the train station, they discovered that the next train to leave for Budapest is at 7:30am. This gave all the remaining teams time to catch up. Adrain and Collin (second team to arrive) found out via the INTERNET that there is another train going to Budapest at  5am but will make a detour to Vienna first. But still, it will arrive in Budapest an hour and 30 minutes before the 7:30am train. The two took that risk and moved away from the other teams coz according to Adrian "If they ask us a question about which train we are taking, we feel very uncomfortable if we lie, so we moved away." 

Surprisingly, no other team knew about that earlier trip until they noticed that the two were already missing. Marc was able to confirm that there IS an earlier train going to Budapest to his disbelief. "Adrian and Collin have been using a fourth dimension that we haven’t been using, and that is the Internet" said Rovilson.

The Detour at the Magyar Farm

Teams must choose whether to Pitch or Pull. In Pitch, teams
must load a donkey cart full of hay using a pitch fork. They must then
deliver it to a farmer for their next clue. In Pull, teams must pick a
goat and milk 200ml of fresh milk from it, before receiving their next
clue. The first team to arrive of course was Adrian and Collin, but they were way ahead of the others. They were followed by the Thai girls, the Malaysian moms, Marc and Rovilson then the Malaysian sisters. Marc and Rovilson were able to hasten up the pace and were able to finish fast but still not faster than the Thai girls or the moms who were ahead of them. They were not able to overtake the other teams here…yet.

Roadblock

Only one team member
must complete the multiple sections of the Flying Fox course, and add
up the numbers located at each location. Getting the correct total of
1,000 will award the team with their next clue. Marc and Rovilson were the 4th to arrive at the Flying Fox to their dismay. "It’s pathetic" according to Marc. But since the Thai team made a mistake adding up the numbers and have to fall in line to do it all over again, and then Malaysian moms made a huge mistake when Ann took of with the car to practice driving a manual car while Diane gears up for the task (both team members must be present to begin the roadblock according to the rules), Marc and Rovilson were asked to begin the task before them. And because Marc got it correctly on his first attempt, they got away from the pack. All teams made a second attempt on adding up all the numbers except for Marc. He was the only one who got it correctly on the first attempt. All others stalled by repeating the task. That gave them a chance to catch up with Adrian and Collin.

To
make the story short in this crazy episode, Marc and Rovilson was able
to catch up landing in second place at the pitstop due to Marc’s very
good mental math skills. Good work, guys! But I hope this leg of the race taught them not to be careless.

I know the race is soooo over by this time but I am still rooting for Marc and Rovilson. I really hope they won. We have a few weeks left to find out and I’m excited but at the same time nervous.

It’s 2008! A new year = new fashion trends. Fresh picks. Out with the old and in with the new!

So all might be wondering what is in store for this year. This has been my routine for some time already…anticipating the fashion trends for the year. It’s not as if I follow trends from head to toe. I still go through the motion of looking for whatever fits me well and sticking to it. I don’t usually jump on the fashion trend bandwagon coz I’d still want to look diff from everybody else. Besides, I enjoy the mixing and matching of the old and new to create a brand new me.

Flipping thru magazines and browsing thru the internet…here are the fashion trends to watch for this year. Mind you, not all trends will suit you so be wise to choose what fits you well.

1. SHOES

Booties will still be in for 2008. All kinds of it. Be it laced-up, buckled, flats, high-heeled, even the open-toed kind. This trend will stay for this year. Honestly, I’ve been seeing this for quite some time now but this is something I personally don’t like. There is something about "mukhang bitin" that doesn’t interest me. Hmmm….

Gladiator sandals. This one is quite interesting. Personally, I think you have to look feminine to pull this trend of…or at least have feminine looking footsies. This would be best worn with something like what Nicky Hilton is wearing here. Looks comfy, huh? I’m not sure if it is really comfy coz it looks like you’re stuck to it. It doesn’t have any arch support whatsoever. Maybe I’ll pass on this one too. Nice tan by the way…hehe.

2. CLOTHES

Maxi-dress. So what is a maxi-dress? From the word maxi, it connotes long or elongated. I personally think this trend will not fly here in the Philippines for two reasons, one it is hot in here, hello??? Uso nga suot mo, you’re sweating naman…eeewww! (Unless of course you’re always inside an air-conditioned room and/or your outfit is made out of a soft fabric and/or you’re not going to wear this trend here) and two, madaming petite sa Pinas. Please, please, please…if you’re under 5′4” do not attempt to wear this trend. You’d look, umm, shorter.

I still think Pinays will follow this trend for two reasons also. One, they tend to hide body flaws and two, this trend is creeping its way into the wardrobes of Hollywood celebrities. Alam mo naman tayo…hmmm….kung ano suot ni chuva, alinsunod! Haaay naku…

So what about the mini-dress? Some say it will still be a hot item for the year. Besides, this one is more suitable to our tropical climate.

Grecian. Ooh, I likey! I likey a lot! When I was growing up, I love the Grecian look. I was so fascinated with Greek Mythology and movies like Clash of the Titans. Maybe it’s because I love the feminine yet strong image of Grecian women like Aphrodite (Venus in Roman Mythology). Now you know why I’m fascinated with Venus tops (asymmetric tops/one-shouldered tops).

Anyway, you don’t have to look like ancient Greece to pull this trend of. You can wear anything that drapes your body either as a top or as a dress or gown, asymmetric or not. This is something you can wear with your gladiator sandals. Again, you gotta be feminine for this one. You wouldn’t want to look like a warrior, right? Hehe. Just beware of looking ancient.

Waisted skirts. I don’t think my body is ready for this trend. Gotta get rid of my bilbil first. Hehe. Since the emergence of the "high-waist gang" of FPJ, women wearing high-waisted whatever, be it skirts, pants, jeans, are often teased of being a member of this gang. Haha! I personally don’t like this trend simply because it does not flatter my body…and not because of FPJ’s gang

Wide-legged pants. I love this one. In fact, I still have my wide- legged trousers from Topshop bought 6 years ago and two from Mango bought 8 or 9 years ago (basta, bago pa lang MNG nun). I even bought two from Zara last year. It is just a pity I won’t be using them for long since I’ve resigned from work and I find them too trendy for the gym (where I’m usually at nowadays) Oh well. I’d just wear it someday when I go back to work.

Wide-legged jeans on the other hand is something I won’t probably follow since I am still not over the skinny jeans trend. For those skinny jeans lovers like me, don’t fret. This trend is not over yet. As long as there are models/celebs wearing this one, it ain’t over. But for me, I don’t care. If it fits me right, I’d still wear ‘em until I get tired of them probably. One thing that will retire in my closet would probably be leggings. I’m quite tired of it already. Some say this is still a hot trend for 2008 but I won’t join in for this year. Kayo na lang

3. ACCESSORIES

For accessories, bangles/cuffs will still be in. Pile ‘em up! I’d say. Some say just use one but I’d go for the piled up bangles/cuffs. Just don’t wear it together with piled necklaces. They’re gonna be hot this year. But together you’d look ummm, silly.

Hair ornaments will still be in. Head bands, thick and thin, plastic, elastic fiber or scarf. Due to my short hair do, I ain’t gonna follow this one too. (as if I ever did)

Bags over sized-clutch ala Sarah Jessica Parker will be hot this year. (Hmmm, I wonder if I still have mine from way back…)

4. COLORS

Grey will continue to shine this year. We’ll still see metallics but towards the summer months, dominant colors will be purple, yellow and orange. Earth tones are said to be colors to watch too.

5. PRINTS

We’ll still see blocks, florals, modern abstract, watercolors, blurred prints, ethnic/tribal, stars, dots and stripes.

6. STYLES

Hippie, volume, draped, asymmetric, tailored, boudoir (inner wear as outerwear), lace, see-through/transparency and ruffles.

Whew! There are lots! But if you follow these from head-to-toe, you’d look more of a fashion victim than a fashionista so be wary of what you follow. Again, in my previous post, here are some tips:

My Fashion MANTRA:
1. Don’t be a conformist…everybody looks the same…why should you?
2. Think "Longevity" - go for classic, timeless pieces. Need I explain why?
3. Trends will pass. You must know and keep what flatters you…update it, make it fresh and really owning it. Not just wearing it.
4. Be comfortable in your own skin. Exude confidence. You may be wearing an expensive outfit but if you’re not confident wearing it, oh, it will definitely show.
5. Accessorize - it will bring out the best in a simple outfit. A plain shirt and jeans will stand out with the right accessories.
6. Be the innovator, not the imitator. You don’t have to look like a certain person to be stylish, style is something that can not be copied no matter how hard they try. Once you own that look, YOU OWN THAT LOOK.
7. Mix and match. Mix classic with vintage stuff or trends for a fun flair.
8. Lastly, you don’t have to wear branded clothes to have style. Not everybody who can afford branded clothes are stylish. Some people think wearing branded clothes automatically make them stylish beings…hello??? What planet did you come from?

Remember…

"Fashion fades, Style is Eternal"

Eve of Dad’s Birthday (For those not in the know, I call hubby "Dad")

Every time I spend my birthday, hubby would come up with a surprise for me. There was this time he came up with a surprise dinner with friends. Then there was this time he woke me up at midnight using party poppers and a loud happy birthday song with a box of my fave Cupcakes by Sonja on his hand…haha! Well, anyway, this time, I wanted to do something different for him. I wanted to surprise him coz that is not so typical of me.

The eve of his birthday, I waited for the clock to strike 12MN so I can surprise him. I usually just greet him happy birthday and hand him his gift. This time, at midnight, I handed him a piece of paper which read "Happy Birthday, Dad! Look under your pillow to find the next clue." Yes, ala "Amazing Race" coz we are so crazy about that show. Anyway, there are no road blocks here, just "tasks to do" before I hand him the next clue (like kiss me, hug me…haha) and so anyway, it went from one clue to the other, from one room to the other, until finally, at the computer room, the last clue read "Happy Birthday, Amazing Dad! Look under my computer table to find your next clue" and there he got what he was looking for…his gift…in a box wrapped in Rustan’s wrapper…

Unveiling the contents

Miguel (our pet beagle) helped open the gift. It was as if he understood what was going on! He pulled one end of the ribbon and Gerry with the other. Then he bit the box to remove the wrapper. It was funny coz he ran away with it. He went back as soon as he noticed that we didn’t chase him. I love the surprise on Gerry’s face. He thanked me, hugged and kissed me then Miguel jumped on top of him and "made lambing." (agaw eksena haha) Such a sweet pet!!! They cuddled for a good 20 minutes or so. Cutie!

So what’s inside the box? A pair of Crocs athens! The very pair he was looking for since last year. He was sooo happy coz we went to all Crocs stores and we couldn’t find his size and the style (athens) and color (army/sienna) that he wanted. Well, I got lucky last week when I went to Rustan’s, EDSA Shangri-La Mall coz that was the last pair in that size, style and color. Whew! Talk about "meant to be."

January 14, 2008

Usually, we just have birthday dinners. This time, I took him out the whole day…from lunch onwards, that is. We went to EDSA Shangri-La Mall and had lunch first at SumoSam. It was delish! Gerry had miso soup first, then there’s ebi tempura, california maki, tuna sashimi and salmon with wasabi sauce. Yummy! For drinks, I just had diet coke and he had watermelon shake. We were done eating by 2pm but since he doesn’t have a clue what will happen next, we went around the mall first to pass some time. First, we bought movie tickets to see I AM LEGEND at 430pm. (Good thing they now have reserved seats so we can go straight inside after my next surprise) We went window shopping mostly at the 5th floor. I bluffed him that we’re going down already. He got excited as we were walking towards the Urban Spa. I was there last week and got us an appointment at 3pm. So they were expecting us when we walked in.

Anyway, we had a great massage at the Urban Spa. It was so relaxing. After that, we went to watch the movie. It was scary, well at least for me coz I hate suspense thrillers, but it was nice! We enjoyed it. Then, we went to True Value and Rustan’s to  buy some stuff. We got hungry so we went to CLAWDADDY for dinner. We ordered for stuffed mushrooms and clam chowder for starters, then we had Lobster and Salpicao Surf n’ turf and Crab Maritess. Super yummy!!! I asked the waiter if there is a special discount for birthday celebrators, he gave us free ice cream with watermelon instead. That was so nice of him!

Blow the candles dad! Hehe.

After dinner, we went back home with smiles on our faces Thank you Lord for a great day!

Happy Birthday dad! I love you and God bless!