Feeling old for your age? Well you're not alone...

Is it just me or are all twenty-plus people under the same amount of stress?
Really now; when just like me you too are in that age group of twenty-one to twenty-nine, then you’ll probably be able to relate to what I’m about to say. I mean we are so young, but gosh, the stress we have to endure at such young an age is just totally unbelievable! Seriously! And I’m not even working yet so I couldn’t just imagine what my contemporaries in the labor market are dealing with. But hey, I’m not exactly in a bed of roses either. Maybe a bed of thorns? Or nails? Or road spikes? Whatever, you get the point .
I don’t know about those who have, at least at this moment, chosen the lifestyle called “bumming,” but whether you’re working at some multinational capitalist company, or competing with your way-older classmates while earning your masters degree, or giving it all out for law school albeit it all seems for naught, being at this age is surprisingly stressful. Tough work, inhumane law school, competitive and gossip-loving colleagues, classmates with whom you have apparently irreconcilable personality differences…whatever it is, you have to admit: there’s just so much sh*t in life, and it seems as the sh*t just piles up and up, until it’s so high that giving up and running away appears to be the easy solution.
Yes, we’re young, but who could have thought that we’d age so fast in a matter of months?
I’m not sure if anyone else can relate to it, but sometimes, when I talk with other people about the fatigue and the stress of being at this age, I can’t help but theorize as to why we’re enduing so much (or at least why we feel we’re enduring so much). You might think, “Oh there he goes again with all those actually meaningless rationalizations…etc.”, but hey, can I help it? Social Science major-duh! And besides, you probably will relate to this.
Upon graduating from college, it seems as though the world is ours to conquer. Suddenly we’re independent, suddenly we’re making our own decisions. We don’t have to deal with curfews (at least most of us do), we can travel to anywhere we want (on its face something patently false), club all we want, and basically do everything without anyone having to watch over our every move. Freedom!
But the party is cut short.
Then comes the rather late (but should have been obvious anyway) realization that with greater independence comes so much responsibility. We’re set “free,” we’re out there in the world “deciding for ourselves,” when really, we carry with us the heavy load of expectations of…well, everyone! You do realize that it’s not just you banking in on your future, or what’s set to happen in your life right? That alone creates such a heavy burden-but wait, there’s more!
Then there’s that odd internal own age ambivalence phenomenon; if it’s an ugly, unscientific-sounding name, then you try coming up with a name! (Though it really is an ugly, unscientific-sounding name…) What I’ve realized about being at this age is that it’s so easy for us to accept the independence and the positive features of (hold on to your seats-) adulthood, but there are just so many things about being nine or thirteen or sixteen or eighteen that, upon entering “grown-upness” (yet another ugly invented term), we inevitably have to give up. And usually, these are the things that provide for us comfort, that protect us from stress or tension or whatever negative it is out there. Especially if you’re away from home (i.e. working or studying in Manila, away from the “province” [Yes, everyone in Manila is still convinced that only their city is urban and the rest of the Philippines doesn’t have electricity yet…let’s save that for another entry]), then you’ll know how difficult it is to be away from all that’s comfortable and familiar.
But hey, we're still young right? At the end of the day, nothing can get more youthful than a twenty-one year old drooling over a bottle of Red Horse and dancing all over club!

Yes, I'm gonna part-teey! Haha!

Girl, dump the guy!

It's harsh but someone has to say it.
One of the most fascinating phenomena in life (as fascinating as the fact that sea cucumbers expel their internal organs when they get threatened) is that phenomena called: great-girl-falls-for-the-biggest-loser-in-the-whole-world. Before YOU get all paranoid, can I just say that I'm writing this without any particular person in mind; in fact, I want it to reach all those girls out there who thrive on the hope that they could salvage a single ounce of dignity and honor in those entities otherwise called losers.
I never really got this. When I talk to some of these unfortunate girls I hear some of the funniest reasons: like, "Yeah I'm sure he'll want to do something in life." or "You just don't get him." or "Give him some time." or "She's just his friend!", and the bestseller, "But I love him!"
Open your eyes girl, he's not worth it!
Seriously, why this happens is totally beyond my understanding. Sometimes, after having the aforementioned two or three hours endure with some lady friend talking about her (in)significant other, I try to come up with rational explanations behind such occurrence. When I say rational, I mean that which a person of common sense can accept as valid and highly-probable. Could it be that these girls just can't help but pity these guys, and mistake that pity for love? Or could it be that these girls simply want a raise of self-esteem so they'd constantly surround themselves with persons who, when they see, make them feel good about themselves? Or maybe it's just that these girls actually suffer from some sort of a semi-messianic complex, believing that it's their mission in life to save certain guys from total loserdom? I don't know about you, but there could be some truth behind these theories. Or are you just too blind to see it, or too defensive that you don't even want to open your eyes?
Girl, trite as it may seem, it's true: there are a lot of fish in the ocean (or lakes, or rivers, or seas).
Seriously, why settle? The other thing I don't understand is the unusually high level of permanency these girls have put into these relationships. No, I am not advocating casual relationships, but neither am I saying that you guys must get married (If I wanted to ruin your life, this is what I'd tell you...), all I'm saying is that there's absolutely no reason for you to invest so much time and emotions into a person who you yourself are not sure of! If you, the girlfriend, actually think the guy's a bit of a loser, imagine what the rest of the world thinks!? It's not that it's what other people think that should matter...well, who are we kidding? It does matter.
Definitely, my authority to dish out advice to people about relationships is questionable. Let me clarify this: in no way do I represent myself as someone knowledgeable, more so, an expert on relationships! But then, first, this is more of about me taking pre-emptive measures to prevent the eventual deterioration of your self-respect and dignity thanks to Mr.Wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking about yourself. If the guy can't even make an effort to make things better for him, how far do you think would he go for you? Beyond the bedroom, I hope-but I doubt. You will not be put in a better situation with that guy; and isn't that what we strive for: better things and conditions? It's about YOU!
And second, my ears are practically bleeding from all those stories! (So yes, it's really still about ME!)
Girl, wake up! YOu can do better than that!
(Yes, I feel the need to put this into writing, so the next time someone asks me about it, I could just refer her [or him, if you know what I mean] to my blog, so as to save us both a couple or three hours of our precious time. Still, this is not the last you'll hear from me about this issue. Trust me.)

Celebrity Mugshots

Having attended a party with "Criminal" as the theme suddenly got me thinking about three lovely ladies who I would think would have inspired some people's outfit for the said evening. But then, no one actually wore a "criminal outfit" as I should have expected. I however was wearing my ordinary clothes, upon which I could insist that I came as Andrew Cunanan, the infamous Fil-Am murderer of Versace.

Meanwhile I've really got to give it to this girl Paris.





When you know you're doomed for jail, with a cozen or so big-bodied woman who barely fit that description of...well, a woman, dying to make you their b*tch (rhymes with hitch), the last thing you'd think of is making the right pose for the photographer taking your picture, and of course, giving you're sweetest smile. But no, Paris is in an absolute league of her own. When usually the normal person worries about his liberty, or about how he's ever going to get unscathed, Ms.Hilton, as usual, worries that she might give a bad picture! Now that is poise under pressure. Let me qualify: extremely unnecessary and clueless poise under pressure.



Still, it's poise. Kudos for everyone who never wants a bad picture of him or her self taken!


I am totally disappointed at Lindsay Lohan's shot. Surely she must have foreseen the possibility of her arrest taking place any time soon, given everything that she has been doing, and yet she fails to prepare for this event! I mean is she trying to say something in this picture? Or is she so high that she thinks that guy in front of her is still a paparazzi? Well let's just hope she didn't run over him or something.







I love Nicole Richie but her hair is without a doubt the messiest of the three. The "main bang" is in place but all the other strands are pointed towards various directions, hoping to escape from the humiliating situation their owner has put herself into. I love the look of her face though...it's almost as if she's flirting with the photographer. Lovely.

Random thoughts on DIETS

There's a reason the word diet is the way it is, and why it means what it does. I don't know if anyone has, like I, come to the simple conclusion that it really is a combination of two concepts. The first three letters of the said word spell out "die," simply because going on one almost feels like dying. But that's not all; the "t" in the end stands for "thin", so in effect, a "diet" is a dying desire to be thin. Well, either it's a "t" for thin or it's how you want to look like after your diet, that is with you're arms stretched out. But any way you look at it, it makes sense.

Going on diets means making huge sacrifices, sacrifices which necessarily entails the voluntary desistance from life's essentials and imperatives for sustenance and survival otherwise called food. Yes, going on diets necessarily sucks. But yet, we love engaging in them as if our will power was so strong that it could resist the sweetest mousse or the darkest chocolate or the juiciest slab of grilled pork.

Wow, the image of those above-mentioned items wants to make me punch my fist into the monitor.

Meanwhile, those who are strong enough to resist from the life process we call eating have to endure that freaking hunger that has to come with the diet. Whoever said diets are fun hasn't gone through it. Going on a diet is the strangest way and possibly cruelest way to punish one's self.

Some people really need to go on diets, for health concerns of course. I mean a deep, contemplative, anti-superficial person like me would like to think that health reasons would be a person's primary concern for trying to be fit. Still there are those who simply suffer from BDD, or are actually very fat depending on whose perspective it is you take.

I have said absolutely nothing because I intend not to.

COMPELLING TRENDS for Men, Spring 2008

the see-through...from yohji yamamoto

the hints of color...from salvatorre ferragamo

the biker jacket..from salvatorre ferragamo

the non-natural and neon colors...from burberry

the hockney...from louis vuitton

the light and layered look...from giorgio armani

the hammer pants...from dior homme
the shawl and the formal outfit...from dolce and gabana

Cropped pants from commes des garcons...

the pajamas...from prada

Battle of the Supermodel Blogs

On a lighter note, I've recently noticed that one of my favorite blogs on the internet has been running short on entries. I'm talking about elysesewell.livejournal.com, one of my favorite top models. In case you've followed America's Next To Model like a mad, loyal dog follows his strongly-odored master, then you'll probably kno0w her as Robyn's sworn enemy from Season 1. I think it started like as a battle of the moral and the immoral, Robyn supposedly being the epitome of morality and everything religious (read: BLIND DOGMATIC HYPOCRITE) and Elyse was like the atheist one; but of the two, Robyn was like THE bitch. Also, you've probably seen her in Giordano ads and posters.

Anyway, she didn't win but hey, she looks like she's doing well in Asia. I guess those types really do well in this continent. By saying those types I mean the really tall, extremely thin, with pasty-white skin, short jet black hair, and wide almond eyes models: they're well-received here in Asia. Norelle, from Season 3, is doing great in Japan.

So this is about Elyse. Aside from the fact that it's rare to find a supermodel capable of producing thoughts, I also love Elyse for the fact that not only does she have thoughts, but her thoughts actually make sense! She's really smart! I love the fact that she knows she's a supermodel, but still, she doesn't have to be a major bitch or diva about it! She actually makes a lot of interesting quips about the industry. As a matter of fact, her first entries have been compiled and published as a book: Beauty and Biz.

But probably one of the most interesting things she's written about was when she, out of utter spontaneity, decided to go to the Philippines after some mishap at the airport. I mean hello!? A supermodel in the Philippines? How is that even possible?! I mean as far as I know, there's always been one!

Haha!

Here's part of wat she had to say about her trip:

"My travel plans weren't even halfway baked. I just knew that I wanted to get some Filipino sand in my crack, and I only wanted to travel over land and water, not fly. I ended up taking a bus from Manila to Batangas and a boat to the island of Mindoro, then went all over Mindoro by boat and moto, spending three nights on three different beaches. It was unbelievably easy and cheap to travel, the beaches were lovely, and two out of three were secluded enough to please me. But ultimately I was uninspired by the lack of fresh food endemic to a tourist center accessible only by boat, by the mildew-impregnated Tom Clancy (barf!) I begged off a front-desk clerk, and by the whore-humping hordes of tourists I encountered in northern Mindoro's main city, Puerto Galera."

I so love her! By the way, she also used to be a med student but she had to quit to pursue modeling. And before med, she's already earned degrees in Biology and Spanish, both earned in three years! Wow, the fashion industry is just so fascinating it never fails to attract the brightest minds! Haha!

And this, my friend, marks the beginning of the war of the supermodel blogs!

Surviving the Snake Pit

If by some great misfortune you you find yourself in a hole with these treacherous, heartless, poisonous creatures with your demise as their ultimate goal, here are some things you can do for you to survive. I tell you it's not going to be the easiest thing to do, but sometimes we just have to realize that if you try to be nice to these wicked things, they will destroy you! So what's it gonna be?

1. Don't think that one of the snakes will be on your side to help you.

Again, snakes are extremely treacherous. Don't be fooled by even the nice-looking ones that seem completely harmless. They may fool you with their grace, but their sting kills the most. The sea snake for instance may mesmerize swimmers, especially with the way it moves underwater. But then, it just wants you dead like all others. Sea snakes are usually aquatic, but they may jump in that snake hole even if they don't belong there! The fact that both of you don't belong there may lead you to believe that it is on your side.

2. Snakes usually begin the kill with a sweet embrace.

The constrictors cause a lot of confusion. At first, you may think that the snake is just playing around with you, trying to make you think that it's not really that cold-blooded animal that has been established as a fact by science. But then the embrace becomes tighter, and tighter, until you become the cold-blooded animal as your blood has effectively stopped flowing. So be cautious about those that hug you, because they just might kill you.

3. Learn to differentiate the non-poisonous snakes from the poisonous ones, as some of them may have similar patterns.

The milk snake with it's red, black and orange rings may be mistaken for the coral snake which has the same colors. While the former poses no threat to you, the latter is just like most snakes: seemingly harmless but deadly. Remember though that the non-poisonous snakes aren't really on your side, as they usually do nothing but watch as their fellow snakes sting you to death.

4. Never turn your back on the snakes.

Snakes just love it when you're at your most vulnerable, because then they can all act in unison and bite you when they can! Always be aware of their movements. Take note of their overt actions which may betray an intention to destroy you; know the snakes well. One way to do this is to think in the ways they do.

5. Get ready to suck, and spit out, the poison.

It is simply inevitable that in a snake pit with that many snakes one of them would be lucky or smart enough to have bitten you despite your resistance. Suck it in, then spit it out! You don't want that toxic substance inside you, because if it doesn't kill you, then it might have some adverse effects on those outside of the snake pit whom you would, as much as possible, want protected. Although this has yet to be proven, it's always better to leave the toxic with the snakes as these are the creatures who love it so much anyway!

6. Adapt quick.

Sometimes you just have to be in the snake pit for a long time, because climbing out of it may take days, months, or even years! As human beings, we usually become immune of toxic substances anyway, so if you have to suck it in, don't spit it out! I mean they're going to keep biting and stinging so, gradually take it in until their bites no longer pose any danger. Because then, you're sting or bite might even be more fatal. When that happens, take a rest from all that thinking and analyzing these reptiles. Relax.

7. Turn the tables. The prey has now become the predator.

Although they may have been powerful at first, remember that you can achieve the impossible just by thinking over the whole situation deliberately, then thinking in the way your enemy would. Getting back at the snakes may seem like stooping down to their level, but then, if you want to be vindicated, go ahead. They have their killer instincts, you tried to keep yours under control, but given that doing so doesn't work, then just go for you feel is necessary. Snakes are animals too after all that may just be trying to protect their space or something. That's understandable. But then, when not only are they doing no good but in fact harming you, it's time to make a move.

And in the end, you may have just conquered the snake pit.