Curbside Stories

I don't know where I've been... all I know is that I am not listening to radio since time immemorial.  I heard my niece sing this for so many times and then one night, while she was printing its lyrics, I asked her what is the title of the song and who sang it.  She casually said Justin Bieber and it is entitled One Time.  I was clueless and I just said okay.  To end my curiosity and to lessen the shame of not being fully aware of what is happening in the music industry (of my niece's age bracket), I searched it on You Tube and I would like to share it with you.

My friend posted this on my Facebook wall and I thought this video is some sort of a joke, but then again I saw my son's picture and so I watched it anyway.  Please, take time to watch this.

I checked out my email today and I found Blogger's email about their update: New Templates.  I got excited to check it out because since day 1 of this blog, I have been struggling to find the perfect layout and template.  It is pretty impressing that there are tons of new templates and layouts to choose from but it is too late for me to apply it on my blog.  Why?  You may ask.  I just love my layout and my readers are used to it already.  I need more time to think about changing the whole look of my blog.

I am proud to be a Filipino!   I don't have enough good reasons why I shouldn't be.  Filipinos are known for their hospitality, optimism, artistry, talent, courage and beauty... what's not to love about that? Many Filipinos are making their name in every industry in the world... another reason why I am so proud to be called a Filipino.  Here are some of the most recent Filipinos who are making and leaving their mark in their chosen fields. EDUCATION - EFREN PEÑAFLORIDA A fellow Caviteño who made a difference in the lives of out of school youths through teaching.  He founded the Dynamic Teen Company in 1997 with only a pushcart to use to teach children around Cavite City.  On 2009 he was named CNN's Hero of the Year and won $100,000 which he pledged to the noble mission of their group. SPORTS - MANNY PACQUIAO Who would have thought that a former fish vendor from Gen. Santos City could have seven world boxing titles around his waist?  After beating Dela Hoya, Hatt

Have you seen Lady Gaga's latest music video with Beyonce?  It was doped!  Two of my favorite artists are in one video... that is awesome!  I am not exaggerating here guys.  No wonder Lady Gaga was previously seen with a telephone headpiece... it is her latest single.  I couldn't think of any singer who could do what Lady Gaga does... she always makes us go gaga from the costumes, to her everyday wear that only she can wear in public, her stage performances, her videos and her music.  I love that Beyonce collaborated with Lady Gaga because I think she's a great performer and even though she wore rather conservative costumes in the video, she is still wonderful... she doesn't need to compete with Lady Gaga.  If you haven't seen it, watch it here. 

I know that make-up is no longer exclusive for women but I wasn't aware that it could go as far as concealers until I saw this advertisement from The Men Pen .  I got a little bit curious of the product so I navigated their website and to my surprise again, one of their endorsers is Dean Somers... who would've thought?!  I thought I was going to see Adam Lambert 's face on the endorsers page, but no!  So the concealer comes in different shades to match a man's complexion and included is a sponge applicator for easy and even application.  Can women use this product in case our trusty concealer is already empty? I don't want to see this on my man's side of the sink. 

It is confirmed, Freida Pinto is the new Bond Girl for Daniel Craig's Quantum of Solace .  The next Bond movie will be filmed in Afghanistan and will be directed by Sam Mendes. Choosing who will be the next Bond girl is as exciting like who will be the next James Bond.  I am glad that they chose a woman from a different race this time (Freida is an Indian national)... which is a good thing.  I haven't seen all the 007 movies, all I can remember is that all the girls had really unique names (Pussy Galore, Xenia Onatopp, Jinx, Solitaire, Vesper Lynd, etc.).  I wonder what would be Freida's name in the next Bond movie.  Let's just wait and see.

I am back... as if I've been gone for too long.  Nothing really magnificent happened but I had random thoughts while I was riding the jeepney on my way home.  I was thinking anxiously of meeting my long time friends for dinner today but for some reason it didn't push through because of conflicts in the schedule of one of our friends.  Here is where the randomness started... here are the things that I thought of:   1.  Do not judge a person by his/her picture... I saw the campaign poster of one politician running for vice-mayoralty post and I have met this politician in person for the first time a few weeks ago... totally opposite... I prefer the picture. 2.  To qualify to run for a government position in the Philippines is easy: one must be a Filipino, can read and write, of legal age...  it is easier to pass than to pass a college entrance examination. 3.  You can never fit 12 people in a 12-seater jeepney if at least one of the passengers weigh 200 pounds... but if you ar

I was looking for some interesting things to blog, yes I got tired of blogging about the latest news in town, and I missed my blogging about the things that I love... shoes, bags, makeup and jewelries .  To my searching for these things, I landed on Nicky's Canary and I found this bracelet that is appropriately named as Dreamsicle. Do you have a dream? Believe in your dream and do something about it to make it come true.  That is what the designer, W. Nicole, had in mind when she made this bracelet.  True enough, the inspiration was clearly manifested in this dreamy and charming creation. Quaint... this the word that best describes Nicky's Canary collection of jewelries. It reminds me of teatime and siestas in the olden times. Expensive Chinas were laid on the table covered with crisp white linen at the porch while grandma pours her perfectly concocted tea into the teacup.

The results are in... Pacquiao reigns supreme ... in the boxing arena, that is. Although many guessed that the 12 rounds will not push through, Clottey was lucky to actually reach the 12th considering Pacquiao's record in knocking out his opponents. I actually forgot that today was Pacquiao's bout against Joshua Clottey and if I hadn't turned on the television for my son, I would have missed it.  Good thing my son is a Pacquiao fan too so watching the total opposite of what he's used to watching wasn't a hassle.  As usual, before we could even see Pacquiao go up the arena, there were pre-shows on Philippine television.  We all know how Pacquiao became famous and wealthy by boxing but he is an unprecedented talent.  Who would've thought that a single man could have seven different titles in seven different weight divisions?  Even Ali didn't have two titles on his belt.  It is official, Manny Pacquiao is THE world's greatest boxer.

It has been a while since I bought a fashion magazine and oh how I miss their glossy pages and colorful pictures.  I don't have a particular magazine that I collect, as long as the topics are interesting I will buy it.  Just this afternoon, I bought my first magazine for 2010 and I bought two copies for the price of one.  The lucky magazine that caught my attention was Mega .  The March 2010 cover was Rhian Ramos and the deal of the purchase is one back issue that covers Ruffa Gutierrez for July 2009.  Naturally I had to start with the 2009 issue and an article about the 20 definitions of beauty, as compiled by Rebecca Rodriguez, was interesting.  In her pretext, she cited Emily Dickinson's quote about beauty, "Beauty is not caused, it is."  In today's era where beauty is almost and always hidden under a pile of goo and enhanced medically and digitally, it is becoming difficult to define beauty.  "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder," so as they say, bu

This picture was taken last January 8, 2009.  I forgot the exact place but it is in Tagaytay City.  You can only see five hands but I have more friends than that, it just so happens that only five were available for dinner at that time.  I wouldn't have known that this picture has already turned 1 if I did not browse for pictures in my computer.  I remember we were joking about whose hand looks feminine, well judging from this picture... none.   The hand on the upper left is Jay-r's, my "sister" who loves to shop and is recently into photography. The hand next to his is Abigael's, who is now happily married to her long-time boyfriend.  They wed in the US  last Summer so we weren't there to witness them exchange their vows.  They are now back in the Philippines for a vacation and hopefully we'll have dinner again together with our other friends.  Beside Abigael's is Paula's, my best friend and my alter ego whom I miss so much... I miss her laugh! 

I grabbed this from a friend's blog and I thought it would be interesting to post for you to know a little more about me.   Feel free to grab also. 1. Beer: SAN MIGUEL LIGHT (before I developed allergy with it) 2. Food: PIZZA AND EVERYTHING PASTA 3. Relationships: IT'S COMPLICATED (Haha!  Facebook status) 4. Your crush: NONE (True!) 5. Power Rangers: MIGHTY MORPHING 6. Life: IT IS THE WAY YOU WANTED IT TO BE 7. The President: CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE 8. Yummy: MAC AND CHEEZE 9. Cars: FERRARI 10. Movie: AVATAR (I still can't get over it) 11. Halloween: GHOST STORIES 12. Sex: CERTIFIED FEMALE 13. Religion: CATHOLIC 14. Hate: WAITING 15. Fear: MY SON GETTING SICK 16. Marriage: SOMETHING THAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IN THE FUTURE 17. Blondes: PARIS HILTON 18. Slippers: HAVAIANAS 19. Shoes: MY ADDICTION 20. Asians: BEAUTIFUL 21. Past time: BLOGGING AND WATCHING TV 22. One night stand: DANGEROUS 23. Cell Phone: NOKIA 24. Smoke: BAD

  Congratulations Sandy!  I think Sandra Bullock is the best dressed during the Oscars.  She is wearing a beaded Marchesa gown that made her statuesque.  Her hair and makeup are flawless... even if she didn't win (but she won!), this look is 100% a winner.     This is a different take on what Cameron usually wears during any awards night.  I thought she'd wear something like Maggie Gyllenhaal's or a brighter colored version of Kristen Stewart's.  This glittery gown by Oscar Dela Renta looks stunning on her.  Her hair made her look like somebody else but nevertheless, she looks great.     Motherhood really made Nicole Richie bloom!  After having two cute babies, Nicole emerged to become a lovely butterfly and this picture proves that.  No other Hollywood celeb can pull off this Reem Arca number.  In front, she looks sophisticated and reserved but at the back, she screams I am a sexy woman.   Another unexpected number from Sarah Jessica Parker.  You can love her or

 Image from Seoul Beats . Will you ever consider going under the knife after a certain age?  This question has been asked to a lot of people, mainly celebrities, who are pressured to look beautiful and flawless every single time.  Many admitted to have some "enhancements" made on their features and while some had totally denied it, their before and after pictures tell otherwise. Way back 2003, an office mate had a nose job.  She's been longing to have a pointed nose ever since she was a child and when she got  the funds for the procedure, she went on with it.  Actually, she didn't tell anyone her reason for filing one week leave so everyone in the office was surprised when she reported back to work.  The funny thing is that she couldn't look straight into our eyes maybe because during that time, cosmetic surgery was not that common.  Her looks improved and hopefully her confidence, too. I've read too many cosmetic surgeries gone bad , some has had drasti

Is the world nearing its end? I hope not! The Philippines suffered typhoon Ondoy's wrath, considered as the worst tropical depression in the Philippines .  A death toll of 300 was recorded in the first 24 hours after its landfall on September 26, 2009 and it stayed in the Philippines for three days with another typhoon on its tail--typhoon Pepeng.  It left millions homeless and over a thousand deaths. On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a catastrophic earthquake with a 7.0 magnitude killing over 200,000 people and leaving 1 million homeless.  A magnitude 7.0 earthquake couldn't possibly produce the kind of destruction--but only for those who are prepared.  The Philippines has had a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on July 16, 1990 and although many were reported dead, the Haiti earthquake was far more destructive. Almost 20 feet of snow covered the East Coast of the United States during the snow storm on February 10, 2010 .  Streets were desolated, communication lines were dama