Vanilla-Flavored Emo

It has been weeks since I left my last job at Vanilla. 

It has been weeks of beautiful sleep at night. 

It has been weeks of convenient working from home. 

It has been weeks of no secondary smoke in my lungs. 

It has been weeks of no high-speed Internet connection. 

It has been weeks of no chika. 

It has been weeks of no Sugbahan. 

It has been weeks of no ambush parties at VN-Mandaue (Kim's place).

It has been weeks of no Tiya Sabel.

It has been weeks of no IT Park.

It has been weeks of no KFC.

It has been weeks of no unlimited online streaming.

It has been weeks of BOREDOM.

LiLo Is Liz

It has been quite some time since I last saw my favorite Hollywood wild child, Lindsay Lohan, on the big screen (and even on small ones; I miss seeing her sober and well-groomed, unlike all the paparazzi photos of her either drunk or stoned). And I've never really investigated or looked around as to what she was up to. Just recently, I received an assignment requiring me to write a 500-word article on Lindsay Lohan and her efforts to do a comeback in 2012. We are all well-aware of her ins and outs of rehab, occasional nightclub brawls, DUI, social drugs, and all those stuff that merited her to become the new poster child for "Hollywood kid stars gone astray." But hey, life's all good for LiLo---I think.

While doing routine research, I bumped into a lot of things, among which are the following: her recent addiction to facial fillers (I didn't even know there was such a thing; Lohan filler story here), the trouble LiLo has with a Las Vegas tanning salon (apparently, she owes $40,000 worth of sunkissed-skin tanning sessions; please note that a judge has ordered her to pay up 9 months ago!), and this thing about Lindsay finding her "dick."

Little Miss Plump Face in NYC (Feb 2012)
Photo credits: www.usmagazine.com

Suelas Shoes: A Review

A year ago, I was introduced to a line of shoes by my fashionista and model-in-training friend Mayzette. The shoe brand was Suelas. At that time, the only store which sold them was What a Girl Wants in Ayala Center Cebu. I had checked them out a couple of times but was pretty hesitant in actually getting a pair. Well, I was never one for shoes or clothes or any of that stuff. But alas, the time came when the situation has called for me to buy a new pair of shoes.

I was told about its material, how comfy it is, and how it is foldable! I checked for a couple of reviews online, and most were good stuff. So when it was announced that Suelas would be opening a branch in Cebu last December, I immediately dragged myself to The Maze (Ayala Center Cebu) to get a pair.

It took me quite some time to choose. Initially, I had wanted the Brillo, but then again it did not make sense to me because I never dressed edgy and I never went any place else other than the office, JY Square, church, around IT Park, and home. My partner suggested I go for the gumental Llanura with chain since it was more of the "everyday wear" kind. I wear a size 7.5, and it was the last pair they had. My partner said that it was meant for me.

Llanura with chain (gunmetal) - Php899
Photo courtesy of www.suelasonline.com

SkinWhite and Nuffnang Bring You Snow White and the Huntsman

Once upon  a time, in a faraway land, there was a girl named Lean who was mocked among her peers because of her dark complexion. She was belittled, judged, and shun upon because she was not "white" like all her other cousins and friends. She was different, and so she decided to make a change.

Senior year college, 2006. During this time, Lean had vowed never to go out of the house without sunscreen. She vowed never to expose her face, arms, or legs to the sun. "The sun is evil," she would say. She used different skin-whitening products---lotions, sunscreen, soap, night creams, facial cleansers and washes, and the list goes on. She was never satisfied.

Between September 2007 to May 2008. She gave birth and suffered even more because her skin became dry and the color (especially on her face) became uneven. It was devastating! One day, while sorrowfully walking along the aisles and aisles of beauty products at a local pharmacy (slash toiletries) store, she stumbled upon an amazing, eye-catching product: SkinWhite Face Cream Powder. Why, of course! Like a hopeless romantic finding a love potion in the depths of a tropical jungle, Lean grabbed the product and immediately applied it all over her face. And yey, mirror, mirror on the wall, she became the fairest one of all.

Pardon the lack of artistry. Too lazy to fix myself or get into something nice. :D

Strong Enough to Break DVD + CD

I know what I want for my birthday: the Strong Enough to Break DVD + CD. This is Hanson's documentary on their struggle toward independence and how they had to deal with giant recording companies who were pulling them down and sucking them of their inspiration and music. Strong Enough to Break also happens to be my favorite Hanson song. Why? The lyrics, yo. It's so . . . me.

Here, listen to the song:

Gotta Love 'Em Lashes

About a month ago, my sister-in-law dragged me to this eyelash salon in SM City Cebu. We had our eyelashes extended. It was cool because the difference is quite catchy and noticeable, but not the scary type though. The lashes we got weren't Lady Gaga-ish or something like that.

The salon's name is iLash Eyelashes Salon. It is located at the SM North Wing. If you know where Salon de Rose is or Paint It! (I think that's what it's called; it's where you buy those little figurines and paint them, blah), all you have to do is turn left (given that you're facing the North Wing) and look for that small boutique right across the lounge chairs/waiting area.

They have a wide range of eyelash thickness and fullness options available on their catalog. They assess your natural lashes and decide what type of synthetic lashes would be best for you. What I got was the Small Fine lashes, just to enhance mine a little bit. I have no plans of scaring anyone with peacock eyes.

Internet Withdrawal

I am going through a really bad case of Internet withdrawal. I have been accustomed to having Internet connection 24/7, but since personal matters have called for me to haul my ass from the city to this small town (which they claim to be a city), I had to go through the agony of having no Internet connection in the house I currently live in.

Such a depressing sight!

I tried contacting the local telephone company to see whether they would be able to install DSL ASAP, but noooooooooo, they couldn't. Something about bandwidth and stuff! Oh crap! Life is good, you know, but having no Internet connection kills me. I work on the net, my social life is on the net, my friends are people who are online ALL THE TIME, and I get paid through Paypal (which loads freakishly slooooow in this town!) 

How am I supposed to live and function normally if I can't get my daily dose of Facebook thread-commenting, Hanson forums, tv-links.com, blogs, and what-not. I need my YouTube videos. I need the "Heavy Rains on Metal Roofs" YouTube video before I go to sleep! Oh FML.

If I puke blood (or any bodily fluid for that matter) or have chills and other signs of withdrawal, then someone has got to get me Internet connection or I will soon die. 

On my tombstone: "The cyberjunkie who couldn't find a dealer in loserville."

I wonder if there's Internet in heaven. *crossing fingers*

Monea Curl Defining Milk Hair Lotion: A Review

In December, after much contemplation and debate with my inner self, I decided to get my hair permed. With this, I thought that I would save up on time preparing and getting my hair fixed because permed hair should just be---you know---whatever!

I was wrong.

Having permed hair is a lot of work! If you don't set it, your hair will be all over the place, all ugly and without form. If you set it, you have to make sure you do it right: hair should not be totally wet, just damp (the right kind of damp, if I may add); and hair should not be entirely dry as well. At first, I tried using mousse, as advised on beauty vlogs on YouTube. But mousse just made my hair dry and more brittle. I noticed that I couldn't manage it effectively. So I switched to using hair polish and setting gel---both failures too.

Then the Lord must have heard my prayers and sent me the answer one fine afternoon. I was at Watsons in JY Square, looking for the usual mousse that I used (I decided to go back to mousse). I couldn't find it so I approached the saleslady and asked where I could find the product I was looking for. She said they were out of stock and that I might be interested in another product. She held up that plastic bottle of white and pink and told me that it was their best-seller for those with permed hair or those who had curls: Monea Curl Defining Milk.

Best for curlies!

A Letter for Yuri

Dear Yuri,

At the time I am writing this, you are 3 days shy of being four years old. I am sitting in front of a beat-up PC and listening to Hanson, which you would hate if you were here. Don't worry, even if your father has not sent them to prison for no particular reason, I promise not to play any of their songs whenever we're together. That's a deal. 

I promise to not listen to Hanson as long as you promise to make this face more often.

So anyway, your birthday is coming up. And my heart is breaking because I'm broke. Well, as usual. I just hope that by the time you're old enough to know how to read and actually go through this post, you would have had several fantastic birthdays---birthdays that I actually paid for myself. But if not, please don't hate me. I promise to work harder and manage to throw you a grand one soon.

I'm talking about your upcoming birthday, but why don't I talk about the actual day you were born? Well, after 11 hours of labor and a million IE's that almost killed me of pain, I managed to cough you right out on May 14, 2008, 1:18 PM---oh yes I did! All 7 pounds and 6 ounces of you, baby boy!

What's in a Name?

I was supposed to write about my name, but I realized how disgustingly boring that would be. I decided to do Yuri's instead.

So I named my kid Yuri Kristof. Well, actually, we did. Everyone in the family was expecting me to name my son after a deceased grandfather, whom I was never close to. We rarely talked because the moment we did, he ended up criticizing me from root to tip, head to toe, A to Z, and blah. Ergo, I did not name my beautiful son after him because---I don't know---I'm mean and ungrateful?

Initially, I was tempted to name him Mark Anthony or Peter Paul Joseph or any of the Beatles (or combined) or any of the Hanson brothers; but this was against my better judgment. Being one who is named so lousily (add lazily and cheesily to that---LeAn is actually Leah and Antonio put together. Rolling my eyes a million times here. My name is a testimony of my parents' naivety at the time of my birth), I promised to do better than my mother and father.

I have a thing for drummers. Would it have been a better idea if I had named my kid Ringo Starr?

Growing Up in the '90s

Back in the day when YouTube was nonexistent, I remember waiting all day for Hanson videos to be played on MTV. My mother, father, and uncles were in on the whole Hanson thing as well. Whenever they saw anything Hanson-related on TV, they would call me (frantically). I even remember falling down a flight of stairs because I was in such a hurry to catch them. 

Bruised knees and sprained ankles---this is the culprit!

Hanson 2012 Fan Club Membership

2012 Hanson.net Fan Club Members Card --- Suhweeet!

I want this year's No Sleep for Banditos EP and fan club membership so bad, I could just rob a bank! I need $50---pronto! It sucks to be broke, ya know.

I already spent my son's birthday money on hotel room expenses, DVDs and CDs, and a pair of TOMS shoes. I could not possibly sacrifice any more, lest I want to be disowned by my own offspring! :|

Oh well, I might just be able to raise enough money to get this year's membership. Till then, Hanson.

Yes, my heart is breaking right now. I can hear it.

Together Again

After two long years of not seeing each other, here I am with one of my bestest best friends ever! KIKAI!

Kikai & Me tonight.

She just got back from Saudi. I have a new bag, a PSP for Yuri, and chocolates! Weee!! I love you, Kikai!

HAPPY HANSON DAY!

Hanson Day, it is! 20 years in the business, 15 years of MMMBop!

In honor of Hanson Day, I will only be listening to the Middle of Nowhere record until 6 May 2012, 11:59 PM. Even while I sleep, I am playing that badass record!

First-ever record I bought. I was only 11 when I got my hands on an MON album.

Hanson Hangover IV

I know this has gotten old, but I am just not done yet. This is the 4th part of my Hanson Hangover series. If you've missed the first three parts, click on the following links to be redirected:

Hanson Hangover I
Hanson Hangover II
Hanson Hangover III

March 31, 2012
~11:00 PM

After the concert, my friends and I lurked around the Pacific Grand Ballroom, in hopes that we could meet the band again. Apparently, we did not. It was funny because we had retired back to our rooms but Diego (from Dayly Entertainment) looked for Mel, and we thought we were finally going to get exclusive access to their rooms or whatever (wishful thinking). We then realized that he wanted to see only Mel so he could give her one of Zac's drumsticks. Well, I did not get one, but as Laarni of Hanson Philippines said, "At least you made love to it muna."

So here I am making the most out of our time together:

I raped and robbed it of its innocence.

We had a picture taken with "Lenny" from the back-up band after the concert.

I finally decided I could not take the exhaustion any longer and went back to our hotel room. I took a quick bath and and made peace with the bed.

Do the Aioli

I'm not exactly a foodie or whatever, but I do know one thing: I love food. I am more of the street food type of person though. But this---THIS has changed how I viewed the world of fancy cuisine (or not). Well, it's fancy enough when placed against my usual ginabot, balut, ngohiong, and 3-peso siomai.

Check this blog out by two of my friends who have been successful in putting their love for food into action. Meet Mitchelle and Glaiza, proprietors of Bistro Aioli.

They've been together for 12 years. :) Oh, all the magic love can do, huh?

Bistro Aioli is located along Osmena St. in Tandag, Surigao del Sur. They serve amazing food, ranging from full meals of baby back ribs to amazing desserts like their heavenly crepes. Visit them one day, and sure enough you can say that it doesn't take much moolah to enjoy delicious food!

Hanson Hangover III

Hi there! You've reached the 3rd installation of my Hanson Hangover series. If you've missed the first two, click here to go to Hanson Hangover and here to go to Hanson Hangover II. It's fun! There's a lot of photos too!

March 31, 2012
~5:00 PM

I was in the hotel room with my Hanson friends, all fresh and ready to jiggle, when one of the promoters called us and said that we had to go down to the lobby ASAP. The Hanson.net fan club members were about to have their exclusive meet and greet sessions with the band. Me and my other friends were not FC members, so basically we were at the mercy of the producer (who was very much merciful toward us, by the way.) Eagerly, we waited at the hotel lobby. And then the signal was called. Cyril (the fourth Hanson brother, as we called him) had us list down our names for the M&G IDs. THIS WAS IT---again! I was going to get up-close with Isaac, Taylor, and Zachary AGAIN. To say that I had butterflies in my stomach would be an understatement.

Cyril had us form a line outside the conference room where the brothers were and called out our names one by one. He handed us the IDs, and I saw my life flash right before me. Nah, kidding.

So here I am all smiles and feeling like I was going to shhht my pants any time soon:

Behold the happy hippo!

I was in the mood for more Zac love. During this time, Joanna of Hanson Philippines had already handed me the Zac Hanson shirt they printed out for me. It was an honor to have received such a wonderful gift from a wonderful bunch of people, especially since the hPH shirts were not for sale. They were exclusive. 

We were informed that personal cameras were not allowed inside the room and that Kris Rocha, Dayly Entertainment's official photographer, would be the one to take the M&G photos. It was a good thing because Kris took the most badass pictures evaaarr! I also wanted to have my Zac shirt signed, but Hanson's road manager did not allow any autograph signing, so I cried. NOT. 

I had practiced my smile, the angle, how I would hold Zac, and everything else for the past two months. But epic fail queen as I always am, this is what my face turned out to look like:

Look, Ma, double triple chin!

But look at how Zac's hands are placed on my shoulder. I literally could not feel my arms at this time. I SWEAR! I even forgot I was holding Melanie. I was planning on Christian side-hugging Zac, but I felt ashamed of myself so I just went with the demure pose. And I had to hold my breath, hence the fatty layers on my face.

Hanson Hangover II

Why, hello there! You're in the 2nd installment of my Hanson Hangover series. If you've missed the first one, be a doll and click here to read the first part. I tell you, it's sick (but fun)! 

March 31, 2012
10:00 AM

There we were at the Mactan Cebu International Airport, waiting for Hanson to finally arrive. We were informed by the promoters (whom we have gotten relatively "close" with due to the full-force Street Teaming activities we had successfully carried out) that the boys' flight was delayed. Instead of arriving at 10:20 AM, they were rescheduled to land in Cebu at approximately 11:15 AM. We waited patiently. The pick-up trucks that carried the drum and bugle corps (for the motorcade around Cebu) were ready and waiting at the parking lot, and we were anxiously and patiently lurking around the domestic arrival gates. During that span of time, we had already made friends with the guards, airport personnel, and some of the Waterfront Hotel staff that were tasked to bring Hanson from the airport to the hotel. During that time as well, we met several other Hanson fans who were waiting for them to arrive. The group at the hotel were also ready to meet the band. I was growing impatient, but I had to wait. After all, I waited 15 years. I could wait some minutes more. (A lot of the word wait huh?)

Only in Cebu, haha! Balloon colors were inspired by the Shout It Out theme.

Then it happened. Chezsa was waving at us, signaling that they finally arrived. I felt giddy and ran toward the arrival area. I promised myself I wouldn't scream or faint or just plain die when they came out. 

Then this came into sight:

I was dying when I took this photo.

Hanson Hangover

OK, so it has been more than a month now, and I still find myself overly excited whenever I see Hanson and the photos I took of their March 31 concert here at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino - Cebu. It took me this long to get a post started basically because I struggled so hard to remember all the details of that day's activities. It was a loooong day, and you could probably say that it was one of the most tiring weekends of my life. I wanted to recount the events exactly as they happened, so that when I look back and read this post, I could remember how it really happened, and so that my children would learn how much of a badass fangirl their mother used to be.

I am not going to get into details of my fangirl life, but please let me tell you how it all started. [insert flashback musical score here]

It was the summer of 1997, and I just got off fourth grade. By this time, I had declared myself to have been in love with Devon Sawa, due to his blink-of-an-eye appearance on Casper, of course along with Christina Ricci's forehead. I was getting tired of Devon because all the girls at my school were carrying around notebooks with his pin-up as covers. It was sickening. And then, I saw it: "MMMBop" on MTV. This is the part where I die of nostalgia, but for your sake, I will try to be alive until the end of this post.

So there. It was love at first sight. Three blond boys, playing instruments, singing, and for the love of God---roller-skating! I was in heaven. I felt the world melt around me. I was alone in the room, with my television set and that fangirl dreamy stare. My mother had to snap me out of the trance. 

Tell me, who can resist this?

I could have sworn that this song was written for me. MMMBop it, or I'll shoot.

From that moment on, I vowed to love Hanson, to give them the kind of attention any stalker fan would give their idols. That was my moment of truth.

[end of flashback]

WOOOOORRRD . . . press! Haha!

Yeah, so I know I've made it clear that my home is on this blog platform, but blogspot is a better field for ads and stuff. Plus, it's more customizable. I think I am going to love it here. :)

Check out my other stuff here:

WordPress
Tumblr

They Just Want to Make the Kids Dance

There's this new band that I am infatuated with. Well, I first heard of their music last year while I was browsing through the "Related" links on my YouTube Favorites page. If there's "love at first sight," you could say that what happened between me and these guys was "love at first, uhmm, hear?!" The band is called The Glorious Veins. They are based in New York, but all four guys are from different parts of the world (the drummer is Cebuano!) Click here to go to their MySpace page.

Photo credits: www.myspace.com/thegloriousveins

It's Time to Move It, Move It

As mentioned in my previous post, I will be moving from my previous blog home to blogger slash blogspot. So basically, the posts that I have grown to love will be posted here. I'm not quite sure though whether backdating is available here. Any ideas?

If you wanna know where I kept my previous blog, click here.

Help me out, yo! :)

Packing Up and Moving In

Hello, blogspot!

Wordpress and I had a little argument. One thing led to another, and he got my heart broken. So I packed up, went out the door, and left him for good!

Surprise! I'm moving in with you!