New Year Calendars

To Memeries and More...

Amah Sita, donde este Santa Clause?

Teresita Arquiza Lu

+ Dec. 24, 2008, 1pm

I will miss you

Three deaths in a year. It all started with NaNay this Feb. Last month, it was Aunty Lin. Now it is Amah. I will miss them all.

I will miss the lessons they taught. I will cherish the knowledge they imparted.

One should be happy in their easy passing but I will miss them terribly!

Toast! To memories and more!

Dayo: The Wanderer

Can you truly be a foreigner in your own home?

Sadly, yes. There are times when we Filipinos loose the sense of being Filipino. So, what is Filipinoness? Three of my professors in college posed this question to our class. What is Filipino in elements.

One even elaborated that is it because gawa-pinoy that already make it proudly Philippine made?

Sadly, we are losing the sense of Filipinoness. We are losing our identities. We are loosing what made the foreigners wish to come to us in the first place. Media has eaten away our being loyal, friendly, warm and hospitable traits. Now, Dayo is using the media to revive it.

Last Friday, me and my sister were invited to the viewing of Dayo. Haha, we did our hair and fussed over what to wear when they told us red carpet event. When we got there, oh dear, we were over dressed. Everyone was in jeans and t-shirt. So much for Red carpet. At least we got to walk on it.

The movie is rated G for all audience. Yes, it's a family movie. Don't worry, adults can relate. The story is pretty much straight forward. Simple but good. I'm glad they didn't sacrifice the story just for the sake of having a digital animated movie.

Story: **** 1/2 (0ut of 5)

Dialogue: ***1/3

(would have been great except the yaya-nangals repeat themselves)

Music: *****

(Great sound effect! Perfect timing! Love the Theme! Love Joey Ayala!)

Effects: ***

Cinematography: ****

2d: ****

3d: **

Sadly, the pasting of 2d and 3d did not mesh well. Buboy's childhood nearly looks like one big donut add. My critique is that the school needs work. The school itself is boring, there is not much details except the TJ hotdog booth which looked pasted on. Everywhere else was cool.

So, what makes it Filipino? Aside from 100% gawa-Pinoy factor, the story, the set and the elements.

The story is set in modern day Pilipinas. Probably Antipolo or near since that's what is says in the jeepney. Then, it shifts to Elementalia, the world beyond/under/within the one Buboy is living in. Buboy, the star is your supposedly typical boy. Maybe I should say he's not the typical boy. What is typical today do shift and the creators of Dayo probably wants to bring back what a typical Pinoy boy should be: magalang, matulungin and malambing sa pamilya. He is raised by his grandparents and is struggling from bullies in school. Meet Ana, your never-typical mananang-girl! Who would have thought to use one as a star? She's slang, hip (not literally) and very helpful trait we should revive.

Lolo Nano may not be Lola Bashyang but he is wise and has lots of word of wisdom to share. There is Narsi, the narcisitic tikbalang who is oh-so-cool. Because Buboy was able to subdue him and get a hair, he is bound to Buboy until the next rainfall. An old lore which is not widely circulated. He then forms a friendship with Buboy and Ana and helps them in their task. There are so many creatures of lore in Elementalia, I'll leave the audience to find out.

So, what makes it believable? Yeah, it's a world beyond ours. But details are details. Look at Buboy's world for example. There's the jeep with controls resembling airplanes. There's the telephone poles na parang bulati hanging. He's got a picture of the last supper and those big wooden utensils in the dining area. His room has lots of posters. There are pictures of his achievements int he sala for all the world to see. We can see that Filipinos have a deep sense of religiosity. He makes the sign of the cross before jumping into the water and he prays before going to bed.

Ever heard of a capre who talks bisaya? You'll have to hear it! Bobuy can't understand but you should if you are really Filipino. Why? Because 90% of Pinoys speak it or even understands bits of it.

Do you have a protective parent? That's another Filipino trait. Although this parent is very workaholic, he does it to protect Ana and his world. The Yaya-nangals are not Ana's parents but they treat her like a daughter. Lolo Nano too treats her like family.

What may have been Typical Filipino culture is slowly dying because of foreign media. I'm glad Dayo is trying to revive it. A part 2 should be in order. Elementalia offers a setting where the younger children can unleash their creativity.

I'll let you get your own details on the production at:

www.dayomovie.com

Thanks to everyone at Dayo! We had a wonderful time at the studio and at the red carpet event! More power to you and to everyone involved in creating a wonderful masterpiece!

For the Love of Writing Party at Fort

Friday Night was a blast. For the Love of Writing Party was a success. With writers of all shapes and sizes attending, it was a blast. The party was mostly attended by NaNoWriMo people from the Pinoy WriMo Forum.

The Event was highlighted by (many times over) Don Carlos Palanca Award Winner Njel De Mesa and his Koine Theatre Group, the only intimate theatre group in the country, with their play SUBTEXT. It was funny and witty. Who knew a smiley face could have so much meaning! Mr. Njel also sang and promoted his single Kawangis ng Pasko. (Vote for it at You-tube!) It was so deep. As in nose-bleeding deep Tagalog. He'd make MLQ proud.

Of course, there were stpry readings since this is a writing event. Representative of Talecraft who wowed the crowed was Micheal Emil Luhico with his tale Unvampire. Another witty story. Loved it! The crowd loved it too!
Mia from Read or Die read a Dragon Lance-like except from her NaNoWriMo novel. It was a gory battle scene of carnage and death!
Then of course, we awarded the NaNoWriMo Challenge winners. Our trophy hats were sponsored by BabymoonLifestlye.multiply.com. (AKA me. Yup, all those are handmade by me.)
I too felt my 51K words were worth it. Seeing people's faces as they came upfront and was awarded by a deep red hat with a gold brooch and a big feather that symbolized the month's achievements.
Of course there were publishers who came to talk about submission guidelines and to invite the writers to write professionally. Being published is the best outlet for the imagination. it's the writer's goal for writing!

Hopefully, there will be a For the Love of Writing Party 2 next year. This year, the Philippines has accumulated 4Million Plus words and about 57 people finished the 50K word challenge. Go Pinoy!


Our engaging hosts for the evening were Sara and Mark.

Me and sister Marie.

For the Love of Writing Party was sponsored by:
tlecraft.komikasi.com
3hmpublishing.com
babymoonlifestyle.multiply.com
Kapitan Rufo's Cafe

For the Love of Writing Party

For the Love of Writing Party

When: Dec. 12, 2008 7 to 9pm (Friday)
Where: U-View At Fullybooked Fort, High Street, Taguig

What to expect:

• Cocktails
• Talks
• Awarding of the NaNoWriMo Challenge winners in the Philipines
• Raffle
• Story Telling

Entrance is Free!
Sponsored by Talecraft, 3HM-Publishing, BabayMoon Lifestyle

Diko...

Waaa! Diko go to India for 4 MONTHS!!!
Waaa!

Arrrrr!

Pirate with scars and all!

Baby Bonanza

Mommy Only! Ate Jenny and baby.
Daddy Only! Kuya Migo and Ate Glowy's baby!
Miranda and Isabella.
Ate Minnete and Kuya Micmoc's cutie! Baby Miranda in Blue Steel.

4th Generation Robillo. Girl Power all over again!

UP AME 08

Cosplaying is evolving. You need not portray a certain character in Anime anymore. Anything goes and anything but normal is normal. Even if my hands cried for three days making one umbrella, I love the effect.

Aki as a little girl lolita. Kawaii! I love her hair. It looks like she popped out of those comic books I buy in Hong Kong!
Not quite Japanese cooking but Eddie here might survive the streets of Japan cooking like a storm!

A Hero Comes Home

Lyrics | Idina Menzel - A Hero Comes Home lyrics

I love this song...

I hate the Beowulf version. I think I prefer the original hero with no equal version. If we aspire the skies, we might land on the roof. The flawed Beowulf aspires the roof and falls on the floor.
The story is sacrificed for the effects.

Bobby Chinn

Fullybooked Fort, Halloween

Kinda started late. As in 6:20 late. It said 5:00pm in the invite.

Ode to an Artist

Lovable
Irresistible
Nice
Distinctive
Artistic

I will miss you very much! Some how, you were taken from us abruptly but you did not suffer and I thank God for that. Thank you for putting crafts and bling into my life.
You were always the picture of an artist. You even drew your own eyebrows every morning.
I will miss you and love you always!

Cosplay Mania 2008

Making the Booth

Filling up with Stocks

Having fun with the stocks.

Babymoon Booth

Hats!

In which a witch bewitch a Hatter!
Two days to go and I'm test launching my Gothic-Lolita-Anime Inspired line in Cosplay Mania.

Good luck me and my sistahs!

Popz' Speech for Bureau of Plant Industries

Too perfect?
Mr. Inspirational.

For More Pictures:
http://figures.multiply.com/photos/album/11/Bureau_of_Plants_Industries

Dayo, to wander in a foreign world...

Dayo- can mean two things. 1. Foreign. A foreigner, dayuhan. 2. Travel or to welcome a traveler. Dayon ta. Mu-dayon to travel.

A boy named Buboy searches for his missing grandparents in the world of Elementalia with the help of Ana, a creature of lower myth. Together, they journey Elementalia and find the culprits responsible.

Ana, by the way, is a manananggal. She can detatch her lower half and fly away.

Dayo to the World of Computer Magic and Human Ingenuity...

The Filipino in Us

Saturday, bloggers were invited to Cutting Edge Studios, the makers of Dayo, the first fully digital animation movie in the Philippines. Impressive studios and I must say, we were feeling quite special. They fed us, answered all our questions and gave us sneak previews. Oh, they weren't afraid we took loads of pictures of them. Most places wouldn't even let you bring a cell phone cam.

Let me tell, you, these guys are amazing. From concepts to production, they made it. Their goal: to create a fully-Filipino masterpiece. They did.

My Aesthetics Professor once told me that the mere fact that Filipino made something automatically declares it Filipino but you have to let the World know. So, you add Filipino elements.

We know some animators of Finding Nemo were Pinoys, we can see Bahay Kubo in Nemo's Aquarium. So, what Filipino elements did the creators of Dayo put in?

They did set in the Modern Pinas. We can see telephone wires, tsinelas, kids playing our favorite past times and the daily utensils Filipinos commonly use in Buboy's kitchen.

Dayo also utilized Philippine Lower Mythology. Yeah, stuff of legends right? But nowadays, we modern Filipinos do not know them anymore. I was talking to some of the Bloggers and they have the same thoughts. In the days of our parents, they were always scared by creatures that would take them away if they did not behave.

"Kunin ka ng Capre! May Nuno sa Punso diyan!"

But now, we hear something different like: "Wag kang makulit! Kunin ka ng Pulis! Hala dukutin ka ng Bumbay!" and other derogatory things about people who scare us.

We will find Buboy is not without his discrimination. He calls Ana and her kind Halimaw. Ana, being super friendly and helpful, goes out of her way to help Buboy. Another endearing Filipino trait.

Learning from Urduja

Yeah, yeah, they don't want to be compared to the animated Urduja. They don't even call them rival. They are Kapwa Filipino and must be respected as such. Still, they have to learn from the mistakes of Urduja so they will not end as a flop. Not that Urduja was a complete flop, It's just that they want this movie to be a complete success. A huge success.

It will be finished in time for the 2008 Film Fest.

Why the story? According to the directors and producers, other previous animation coming from the Phil. are based on history or mythology: Urduja, Ibong Adarna. If they went for those, the critics would slay them if they were not historically accurate.

So, why a modern setting? The creators wanted something relatable. Especially since it is aimed at children. So, the main characters are children with their child-like qualities very typical to our times.

Filipino-ness? Yes, plenty. From the set to the attitude.

Attitude! something a lot of the other bloggers feel that Urduja lacked. Urduja is set in the pre-Hispanic era. There was no bias on who takes the throne. Historically, her father left ther the throne because she was his heir and she was a warrior without equal.

'Yeah, attitude is something Dayo characters have. Ana is a vegetarian. A What you ask? A vegetarian Aswang? No kid! Buboy is your typical dream boy who wish for so many things in life. One of which is flying. There is also Narsi, the Narcissistic tikbalang. Ana has her guards and a Yaya. (Very pinoy, don't you think?) Her yaya-naggal lost Ana and is arguing with her bodyguard on who really lost her charge.

New Ideas, Trivias, etc..

The manananggals have an extra set of lower wings that allow them to hover. All creatures of Elementalia have only four fingers.

Oh, Joey Ayala has composed something special for the album.

The theme song, Lipad is sung by Roots of Nature, a version is also sung by Lea Salonga. It will be in their album, to be released in November, ahead of the movie.

Expectations

We bloggers were silenced with food and charm but we still have high expectations. Dayo, so far seems very different. I do hope the market will appreciate the movie not only because it is animated but also because it is very Filipino. Kina-Career siya ng mga people involved. Me and my fellow bloggers who came to Cutting Edge saw the hard work put in.

This Movie is a stepping stone for all other computerized and animated movies that will come out of our country.

Good luck, Cutting Edge, and we wish you a success in Dayo!

http://www.dayomovie.com/

Mananang-Gurl!

Book Trailers and Feehan

I just noticed something. Feehan loves people who are awake in the night and men who are both lovers and predators. They always have to be described as predators, more animal than man.

And I only like three trailers from all her trailers. Dark Possession, Dark Destiny and Safe Harbor. All the others suck! They have awful fight scenes and girls who look older than the men!

Skirt Openings

The opening for your legs is called the Sweep of the Skirt. This also determines the cut of the skirt.

This picture above may help you to determine what they are.

Pencil Cut and Straight cut skirts are usually used for corporate wear. They need still materials to give a good flow. There materials would be Wool, Gabardine and sometimes, heavy cotton. Straight cut skirts can be used in denim and twill skirts.
A-line is the common cut because it is most flattering on a woman's body. Should she have thick or thin legs, an A-line works wonders.
Full Skirt is very wide with the sweep of about 30 inches (x2) to as much as a full circle. This cut always uses flowing materials for it to fall daintily and not stiffly. Textiles commonly used are silks, jerseys and light cotton. Gauze can give it an ethereal look.

For more tips: http://figures.multiply.com

I got them...

Finally.

I got them. It was purely by chance that they were available on the week of the Book Fair, which means 20% off.

I got Dark Curse, hard bound edition. Seems they doen't want to release paperbacks for the first print anymore. So, heck! I want the Carpathian male and I'm reading him fast. Nicolas' Book is very different from Christine Feehan's other books. It has chanting and science. It's worth the wait and I'm clmaoring for more.

Turbulent Sea is the sixth book in the Drake Sisters Series also by C. Feehan. Rockstar Joley hate the tabloid. They make up stories left and right. But that doesn't stop her from doing what she likes: performing. She loves the music and she has the gift of songs. Missing persons and murder turn up at every corner but that doesn't deter Joley Drake. Not since she has a bodyguard ready to protect her willingly or not.

Books This Year

Book Fair came and gone this year. Yes, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting more. Or at least, the same as last year but then, there were fewer stalls and the big stalls were cut in half this year.
But that, doesn't mean, I went without buying. hehehe. Can't resist books.
Here are some I got from the fair.

Set of Black Dagger Brtherhood books. 295, each excpet Lover Unbound which is 395. Each at 20% off at National Bookstore.
Turbulent Sea - 299 at 20% off
Dark Curse 975 - 20% off
Fangs for the Memories - 299 at 20% off
Mt Immortal Highlander - 299 at 20% off
Undead and Unreturnable - 315 = got it at 198.
Undead and Unappreaciated - 315 = got it at 198
The Treasured Ones -100 at A Diff Bookstore
The best buy I had was this 1.5 feet, three inch thick Biblica, The Bible Atlas. Fully colored, pictures at ever page. 1495 at 20% off.I made National Bookstore rich this book fair.

I heard last year, the rent for a space was about 50,+++.00 no wonder, not much wants to come back this year. It's expensive and people expect you to have cheap books.

I hope it would be better next year.

Turbulent Sea

Feehan's New Book on the Drake Sisters.

Glad it came out in the bookfair! I bought it kaagad!

The sixth sister is doomed to fall in love... Joley Drake knew the inevitable is coming. It is said that the seventh sister will give birth to seven daughters. That has been an unbroken tradition. These seven sisters will have strange power like no other. The eldest will fall in love first then the rest will follow accordingly. In Safe Harbor (Book5) Hannah Drake, Model extraordinaire, marries their childhood friend Jonas Harrington but not before an adventure and lots of near-death experiences. It was Ilya Prakenski, a supposed Russian Mobster who helped the Drakes. He has strange powers of his own.

He may not collect on the Drakes but he has something he must collect from Joley, her heart! For nights, they talk in their heads telepathically, soothing Joley, understanding the world and their differences. Mishaps happen and Ilya posts himself as Joley bodyguard.

Its an explosion of powers as Ilya was the fate seventh sone of the seventh son and Joley is marked as his destined.

Worth the wait! Gotta have more!

The suspense is killing me! Elle Drake is missing and she is about to have more trouble than Joley!

Next to Safe Harbor, I love this book! This series is a must-collect.

The Mtv of Turbulent Sea. (from www.christinefeehan.com)

Arms Ahoy!

What kind of arms do you sport?

Skinny? Bony and think maybe it is too skinny for your whole body?

Average? Just right but needs to be seen just right.

Heavy? Chunky? It flaps when you say goodbye!<

Here are some styles you may want to try out.

Note: It's all in the sleeve!

Thins arms allow you to go with volume so you can have puffs or leg-o-muttons. Do not over do! Avoid Razor backs and razor fronts!

Chunky arms need no extra volume. Make sure your sleeves are fitted. Not too much extra room there! It might add more volume than you are trying to hide.

Try a butterfly sleeve. Guaranteed to flatter and not flutter!

If you are not so sure of the sleeve, Butterfly is actually a good sleeve to hide what you need to while still showing some skin. You may also try a cap sleeve. There are some puff-cap sleeves out in the market and are great and very "presco" on the arms.

A bit formal? Try an elbow sleeve or three-fourth sleeve. make sure the cuffs are not too thick that it might make your arms short. Also, make sure it is not too loose. The width of your arms plus 2 inches is the correct measurement. Not sure? Fit it and rotate your arms. Punch up then down. If it moves, then the fit is perfect.

Remember, the seem (tahi line) where the shoulder and sleeve is joined must be at the ball of your shoulder. Feel around for it and make sure it is there. For males, it drops an inch or two after the ball.

For more fashion tips: http://figures.multiply.com

Book Fair Day 1

Book Fair this year is in SMX.

Smaller venue compared to World Trade but it was ok. My problem was, fewer book sellers this year. Powerbooks and National Bookstore booths were comparatively small. As in half the size of last year! Incomplete books too.

Let's see tomorrow if maybe they would put out more books. The spaces are smaller and Stephenie Meyer and Harry Potter Books dominate the area. There are very few cheap books or Sale Piles. :-(

Hello... Nicolas

Finally, Dark Curse by Christine Feehan was out this week. Bought one yesterday and can't put it down. (Only now since I wanted to blog.)

Nicolas De La Cruz, he is a different man. We have been introduced in Dark Secret but I never really knew his personality. That's because he didn't have any then. Now, he has because he just found his lifemate. Nicolas is the middle child of 5 brothers. He believes he is traditional just like Manolito (Dark Possession). He also believes he is sexual. Perhaps a bit like Rafael (Dark Curse) since he told Rafael to just do it with Colby, convert her and get over with it. "Her virginity belonged to you!"

But when he met Lara, his lifemate, he wanted to be all the man that he is. But nobody told Nicolas that keeping a lifemate was so overwhelming. Everything went flying out the window when he can't think of anything but to please her. He was never a gentleman but now he kept apologizing to Lara every turn.

As for the rest of the Carpathian Race, there is danger. The Dark Mage Xavier is on the loose and is carrying out his plot to destroy the Carpathians. He has introduced something tot he mineral rich soils, parasites. The target: women and children of the race.

Will Lara and the Carpathains save the race?

I don't know yet. I haven't finished the book.

Oh! Turbulent Sea is out in National Bookstore Just Today!

Word Camp 08

I'm glad Word Camp was a success. Congrats Kuya Bloggie and team!

Aki and I were there. Attended some talks and of course took turns manning the table we got for Talecraft.

Nine cards, five minutes, one tale.

Can you handle it?

Can you blog that fast? :-)

It brought back memories to be back in CSB. Some things never change. Like paperwork to get things like a tarp and laptop and camera in. IDs and long lines too. Oh yeah, not to mention roaming D.O.'s.

I did expect more people but the turnout was not disappointing. Most of my old classmetes form CSB used to keep blogs. Perhaps they just needed more advertisements. I didn't ahve a single batchmate in the WordCamp. Maybe next year would be better. No complains here. It was a feat to achieve. Just that, I wanted to share it with my friends.

Good Job Kuya.

Dark Curse

Dark Curse by Christine Feehan is out but not yet in this country.
This sucks! I wish they had the same release dates.

I found the Book Trailer.
I DO NOT like thier choice of actor for Nicholas. He has not an ounce of sexy SOuth American with Old World Elegance here.

Misconceptions in Full-Figure Dressing

Sometimes, people have these misconceptions on dressing. They want to hide their "fats." There is this mindset to hide the bulk. I'm not only talking about Plus-sized women. Most people think this. I use to work for two different people and they have similarities about what the plus-size market should be wearing. One is plus-sized herself.

Perhaps what they were thinking was true during the 80's but now, even the big girls want to stay trendy and hip. They need clothes that work and fit right.

Misconception #1: Hiding Bulk in More bulk.
I see many plus-sized women wear bulky clothing. Sometimes even over-sized men's shirt. Wearing these excess-sized clothes will only make you look even bigger.

What to wear: Shirt that fits. There are a lot of clothing brands emerging that are trendy. Expensive? Not anymore. Boys T-shirts has got to go. You're a woman. Feminine. Show those curves! Get jean that are either bootleg or skinny. Make sure the thighs are hugged. Hips must be the fittest part of that jeans. Look here: Denim pants or Twill jeans are tough materials. If there is excess space, air will fill it up, giving you MORE volume. We don't want to look bigger than we feel.

Misconception # 2: Stripes. More an more stripes
Not all stripes are friendly. Just because they make a vertical stripes doesn't mean they look good.

What to wear: It doesn't have to be the weave of the textile nor the print. Pleating or a folding can give a vertical lines. Remember, less is more. Smaller stripes, lesser space too. Diagonal is always safe.

Misconception #3: Long sleeves to hide those big arms.
Some people do have amazingly big arms. I saw a girl who was a SIZE 10-12 but her arms were like for size 18. She may be prone to heart attacks. How do you hide this? By showing it.
No kid.

Remember M#1? The more you hide, the more you show. There are ways to show but still hide these arms.

What to wear: Butterfly sleeves and cap sleeves. Trust me! Unless you have designer cut sleeves, no RTW has perfected anything that hides bulk in bulk yet.

Misconception # 4 Belt the tummy or belt under the breast.
Major no-no! Belt under the breast will give you the preggy look. Belt under the tummy emphasizes the upper and lower tummy.

What to wear: Want some baby doll blouses? Empires? Make sure they are cut HALFWAY BETWEEN under the breast line and belly button. You'll look longer and thinner. If you have a belt, think or thin, put it ABOVE your waist line. It makes the tummy disappear.

Misconception # 5 Long Blouse and capri pants.
Not for you, gal. The wrong cut is out of style. Get blouses that does NOT cut at the 2nd hips. That would be the fullest part of your buttocks. No! It will only make you look bigger. Cut at the first hip which is 4 inches below the belly button. Oh, by the way, for long blouses, make sure the waist is defined. If not, you will look short.

Capri may be great but not everyone is built for it. If the pants are cut at the fullest part of your calf, it will make you look bigger. Find something below or above it.

What to wear: Wear pedals or ankle length pants to be on the safe side.

* * *

Remember ladies: Hide what you can, flatter what you can't.

Filipino Comics

Your story. Your art.

http://www.komikasi.com/call.html

Komikasi Enterprise is now open for comic submissions! We're looking for fun, witty, engaging comics; comics that will leave us shouting for the next issue! If you have a comic series you'd like us to consider, send us a detailed summary of the series, and the first issue of your series.

Specifications

Size: 180 x 250 mm + 3 mm bleed; 150 x 220 mm drawing frameColors: Black and White; Screen-tonedNum of pages: 30-60 per issue, ideally. But we can go as low as 12Language: English or FilipinoTheme: Open; as long as it's interestingReaders: Young adult; no sex, please, and easy on the violence

When you send your first issue, save the pages in JPG format at 72 dpi. Since we're still evaluating, we don't need them hi-res yet. As for the detailed summary, keep it within 5 pages. Let us also know how many issues your story will be. If you don't have the exact number, an estimate will do. Save your summary in RTF format.
Send your summary and first issue, along with your name, age, contact number, favorite ice cream and any other information you'd like to share about yourself to feedback@komikasi.com. Deadline is on September 19, 2008.

Proffesional Gate Crashers

What do we know of such people?

We think they are people we know and we didn't bother to invite them then they just show up at your party/wedding.

Nope, there's really an art to it.

I went to a laureate for lunch. Sort of a family reunion with friends and relatives. There are over 200 guests and half of them don't know they are related. We attend this to know we are related. This family association can be dated back to our pre-colonial China days.

Anyways, there was this old lady in our table. She's wearing a dress like you buy it in a tiange and a suit jacket. When the food was being served one at a time, she started to horde the meat and canned soft drink.

Note: A table seat twelve and one dish is being served one at a time in a typical Laureate.

Alright, we though, bad table manners-much! She horded so much meat when we all took small quantities only. Then, she scooped them in plastic bag.

I hate to be related to this woman!

Then, when the last of the dessert came, she went off from table to table taking left-overs.

Normally, the managers don't mind. But you'd never know if food is the only thing she takes. What if she took your cellphone?

We later learned she is a pro-gate crasher. With more than 200 guests, its hard to spot them and they are not usually alone.

According to stories shared: a couple of pro gate crashers had IDs of Media on them. No kid! These are pros. They come to eat and take home some food.

The nerve!

Note: the host pays at least 1,000 pesos per person. Each guest is usually counted. Extra drinks have extra charge!

So, party hosts beware! Be aware of these people and see if you have these people in your party. They may dress the part but they don't have good table manners!

Busy, busy

Toycon last June was a success. I had a problem then, a great problem. Diki said it's a good problem, the type that you must always wish for if you ever had a problem: Running out of stocks.

Cool problem indeed!

So, I am now preparing to make more. Tons more. I'm gonna make a ton of things to sell. If they click, yey me! I want to have the same problems last time: Running out of stocks to sell.

I earned 900 pesos in terms of chockers alone. Then, Me, AKi and Diki ran out of hats to sell too. We didn't think they'd sell. So, I am tasked to make hundreds! In different colors this time!

See picture here:

Little Muning is keeping me company.

Actually, he's making gulo! He's after my ribbons. He's lying down on it too.

So now, I'm busy-busy. Making hats. Making bonnets. Chasing kitties.

Lover Enshrined

A Mansion full of emotional vampires!

The sixth book for JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.

Phury has accepted to be Primale. Meaning: He has to ensure the race by impregnating 40 females form the Scribe Virgin's Chosen. Unfortunately, he's falling in love with one of them and he. Throughout the book, he battled drug and alcohol addiction and a strange inner voice pulling him to destruction.
In the mean time, the other brotherhood members have their own battles to fight. The Glymera is being massacred, Wrath is having problems ruling, Zsadist in fearful of Bella's pregnancy and John Mathews is not comfortable in his transition. Outside of the brotherhood, things are also chaotic. Rhevenge is being blackmailed. Haver's Clinic is hit by the Lessening Society.
Will they all pull through?

Who would have known emotional vampires could be fun and romantic? The main characters are given depth and each one is tested. Unfortunately, not all characters are featured. I felt there wasn't much on Butch, Vishious and Rhage. Guess, these three didn't have that much of an impact on Phury as Wrath, Zsadist and Rhevenge.
John's story is very much part of the problem. His friends are there to protect him and he is there for them. Slowly he grows up emotionally but it is in steps.
Ward's Series is a must collect. It's not-your-usual vampire series.