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How To Buy Fashionable Clothes For Your Man

2012-02-10T01:49:00.000+08:00

This is a guest post from Stylepilot.com intended for my women readers or anyone who wants to style up their man. Get some pointers, read on...

Get your man dressing on trend in stylish, in season clothes.

How?

Behave like his partner

     The most crucial thing to remember when dressing your man is that he’s exactly that. He’s your man. He isn’t your son, your father or your brother, and as such you need to put some thought into what you’re buying him. No offense intended if you’d put thought into buying for a father or brother, although I’d personally be inclined not to. Before rebooting your partner’s style, it’s important that you factor in what he likes but more crucially what he looks good in.

Spot on

     Hopefully your man will already have an array of clothes he looks great in. After all, what he was wearing when you first met was a big part of the attraction, right? Your major decision at this stage is whether you’re going to play it safe with clothes you know he’ll carry off well or whether you’re going to go for an altogether different, more radical look. Whatever your decision, be prepared to budget accordingly and remember how you shop for yourself. It’s about the whole look and not just one or two pieces.

     There is always help at hand should you get a little stuck. Sales assistants in the shops can be great resources. They’re trained on selling to different customers with different tastes, so if there’s a look you want to buy for they’ll know the nearest thing currently available. If change is on your fashion radar then obviously the stores and armed with the latest on trend fashions to deliver a current, up to date look for your fella.

Will he or won’t he?

     There’s a fine line in buying clothes for a partner. As long as you don’t assume the “he’ll wear what I want him to wear and like it” attitude then you should be on safe ground. A happy medium between what the pair of you like and what he is comfortable wearing should set you on the road to a successful style. For an easy option you could always cop out and buy him something he can wear to work. But you wouldn’t consider that, would you?

Build it

Screenshot of Stylepilot's OUTFIT BUILDER

Outfit builders can be an invaluable resource in getting together a fantastic look at a price to suit you. Style your man in a way to suit him. Just don’t tell him where all the ideas came from, and he’ll worship you as a fashion leader and never question your sense of style ever again. Then maybe he will wear what you want all the time, and he’ll definitely like it!

About Stylepilot:

Stylepilot.com is the first personal style engine for men. Style Pilot aims to help men navigate and master men’s fashion. It’s an automated stylist that gives men personalised recommendations based on their physique and preferences. Style Pilot searches through 1000s of online men’s brands and retailers to find the best matches.

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There you go ladies (and some gentlemen perhaps), what you need is the right attitude, the cash, the right resources and lots and lots of love for your man. LOL! For those who don't know, outfit builders are some sort of virtual personal stylist that helps you build up your style by clicking on selection of jackets, shirts, trousers, and everything you need to create a total look. They may ask for your body structure, physical attributes and build style recommendations from there.

Thanks for reading and see you all on my next post!

*Photos courtesy of Stylepilot.com

MAMMA MIA! in Manila!

2012-01-27T07:18:00.000+08:00

From January 24 to February 19, 2012, the global entertainment phenomenon "Mamma Mia!" will be performing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Manila. I was among the excited audience on their third performance and Gala night in the country which turned out to be quite a cool experience.

I was wearing all black that night with my South Park tie as an accent.

Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson based on the classic songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band (info taken from Wikipedia). Tagged as "the world's number 1 show," indeed since the first performance night in London on March 23, 1999 up to the present, each night of performance delivers its promise of unforgettable and fun night for the audience.

At the CCP lobby a few minutes before the show...

The Fun Night

When I queued at the entrance of CCP last night, January 26, 2012, I was taken aback by the multitude of celebrities and public figures that graced the event. The Gala night was attended by high profile personalities like Imelda Marcos, Eugene Lopez III, Charo Santos and stars such as KC Concepcion, Kathryn Bernardo, Diether Ocampo and Agot Isidro were also present. The event was also attended by international artists Lea Salonga and Journey's Arnel Pineda. Also spotted were Jed Madela, Borgy Manotoc, Georgina Wilson, Tim yap, Daphne Oseña, Imee Marcos and the fashionably colorful Tessa Prieto-Valdez. Models, reporters and extremely well dressed and good looking people seem to be abundant that night. LOL! The show promptly started at 8:00PM (yes, I made it on time!) but got a bit surprised when late comers were ushered to their seats even two songs later after the musical started. Mmm!

The Musical

Catherine Johnson's masterpiece is set on a Greek island paradise of Calicos and tells the story of Donna (played by Sara Poyzer), her soon-to-be-married daughter Sophie (Charlotte Wakefield) and three men from her past -- Sam (Richard Standing), Harry (Matthew Lloyd Davies), and Bill (Charles Daish). After reading some entry from Donna's diary, Sophie found out about her mother's intimate involvement with these three men. The adventure begins when Sophie secretly invited them to her wedding on her mother's behalf in the hope of finding who her true father is. This enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship is made even more memorable with the story telling through Abba's timeless classic hits.

A scene on Act I, Sophie while reading her mom's diary with her two friends
Ali and Lisa.*

Sophie with the three men in her mother's life. Who among these
three is her father?*

My Opinion

I personally had more fun on the first half of the show. It was more alive, more upbeat and surprisingly, I seem to know most of the songs. Some of my favorites on Act I includes 'Thank You for the Music', 'Super Trouper' and 'Voulez-Vous'. Act II became a bit more dramatic, and most of the songs were unfamiliar except for 'Take A Chance on Me' which was one of the most hilarious parts of the musical. The singing was great, and the three ladies - Donna and her two best friends Tanya (Kate Graham) and Rosie (Jennie Dale) - were definitely the stars of the whole musical. My favorite character is Tanya, she's just too cool, too smart and she's fantastic. I think Kate Graham played her role effortlessly. Aside from the seamless singing, I like the way they interjected humor all throughout. As a whole, even those who aren't die-hard Abba fans can enjoy Mamma Mia! and their wonderful music.

In full costume, with their witty lines and awesome voices,
these ladies brought down the house.*

By the way, thank you Madam Neriz Gabelo for the invite and thanks to Mark Gutierrez for the great tickets! See you guys on my next post and thanks for reading!

*Last three photos courtesy of Mamma Mia! Official Website.

Dead Stars

2012-01-20T20:49:00.000+08:00

After a relaxing vacation, I'm back with the promised guest post written by my good friend Neriz Cruz Gabelo which features a photo from another good friend Elvert de la Cruz Bañares. I introduced them both on the prelude to this post.

Here's the full article:

DEAD STARS

He was in his mid-life with a successful career and a very supportive long-time girlfriend by his side. Everything was running on smoothly. It would just be a matter of timing when he would finally leave his bachelorhood to tie the knot with his fiancée UNTIL he met another girl and their world was never the same again. Does it sound like I am talking about your love story? The man in the story was Alfredo Salazar, a serious lawyer, who skipped most of his youth to fulfill his aim of becoming a trial lawyer. He was engaged to Esperanza until Julia Salas came into the picture and prompted Alfredo to make a crucial choice between what his duties call for him to do as a responsible boyfriend and what his heart really longs to have. He eventually ended up marrying Esperanza but longed for Julia Salas all his life. Talk about the song lyrics: “Are you gonna stay with the one who loves you or are you coming back to the one you love?” But the story did not end there.

*Photo courtesy of Elvert de la Cruz Bañares.

     The story was a classic written by a prolific writer Paz Marquez-Benitez during the post-World War II. She was one of the few Filipino writers who patterned her works under the tutelage of American writers who enforced their language on the learners at that time. But what made her such a brilliant writer was her poignant depiction of a universal emotion that knows no age, gender, economic status, race and what-have-you: THE LONGING FOR A LOVE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN. The story is entitled, “Dead Stars.”

     We all have our own share of being the Alfredo, the Esperanza or even the Julia Salas in our own stories. We all have loved and lost. Blessed much are those who end up marrying their one GREAT LOVE. But many still live in the what-could-have-been fantasia that Alfredo got himself in after marrying his wife.

Why should there be THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY in a relationship?

     You meet the one; invest emotions you kept precious and hidden for the longest time. You gamble on careers, on money, but never with the affairs of the heart. Hearts are just too prized to allow anybody to break it -- but it happens. No reason can explain how and why you FALL. You just do. Like it’s the most natural thing that can happen because of the force of gravity that pulls you to fall. That makes FALLING IN LOVE not a choice but a condition. Everything SHOULD HAVE BEEN that simple. But there will be people who will be hurt -- including YOU in the process. The prompt to choose between who YOU HAVE now and who YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO HAVE hurts all of you. You hurt the one you choose but can not fully love because you are held beck by the ONE that you let go. You hurt the one that you LET GO OF because you are duty-bound. Most of all, YOU hurt yourself for being a coward who can not stand firm on what you want and what can make you happy. Then you end up wishing and fantasizing about “WHAT-COULD-HAVE-BEEN.” Because then you have had THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

     That was the predicament of Alfredo Salazar in the story. He married Esperanza as the society expected of him but longed for Julia Salas whom he had to let go because he was to be married. Just that. He was caught between what was ethically correct and what could-have-been.

The Dead Stars

*A dead star, photo courtesy of NASA.

Astronomers say that dead stars do not fall off from the skies. They remain in their appointed places in the skies while slowly losing the glimmer that once shone and attracted people to them. In the story, Alfredo lived an unhappy life with wife Esperanza. At the back of his mind, he was thinking of what his life would have been had he chosen Julia Salas. In his heart, he wanted to meet Julia again. To rekindle the passion that he used to feel for her. To experience once more the turmoil that he felt when he had to make that crucial choice to let her go for a more stable relationship with Esperanza. And so when he got the chance to do so, he grabbed it to its core. One unexpected visit made everything clear to him. He met Julia again. Looked deeply into her eyes and soul as if prying, digging into her heart and hoping he could exhume the fervor that once moved him to lose his center. He couldn’t find that LOST LOVE. He experimentally pressed her hand before saying goodbye. That’s when he realized that the love he used to nurture has long been dead and buried. His fantasy of what-could-have-been ended right there. Now he feels a longing for his real home -- in the heart of his TRUE love -- Esperanza. Then the story ended.

Folks, we all have our own DEAD STARS but we refuse to bury them. We want them alive in our memories. We feed them with illusive thoughts that life would have been any better had we ended up with the ONE THAT GOT AWAY. Closure is essential in any failed relationship -- including pseudo relationships, long-standing and even the undefined ones. But in case a chance at closure is not granted, look back to this story. Don’t be another Alfredo who wasted his time on his deceptive illusions. In case you can’t look back to this blog, just try to look up and see that the DEAD STARS are still up there in the skies -- occupying their appointed places but the flicker is gone -- so is your passion. For THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY has already GONE and THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE is HERE TO STAY. Value them. ☺

What is your share of your personal dead star? ☺

---

     I don't totally agree with Madam Neriz that falling in love is a condition not a choice. That's just proof, however, that all of us have different outlook on love and I might just discuss mine in a future post. Regardless the disagreement, I most definitely enjoyed the conclusion of this post. Thank you Madam for this wonderful writing. Your words are truly inspiring.

     Love, for some of us, is a journey and many may not reach their destination. But while we can, let's learn to cherish every moment each step of the way. May we enjoy all the happy times for they give us the memories to remember; may we learn to appreciate the pains for they give us the wisdom we need; may we not forget the lessons for they teach us how to be vigilant; and finally, let's learn to embrace all the cliches for it's what makes us human and real.

     Fellow bloggers, dear friends and supporters, thank you so much for reading. Like my guest writer asked towards the end of her article -- tell us a version of your own dead star. I'll be glad to read about them!

*Credits for the first photo:
Image: Elvert de la Cruz Bañares
Models: Leonard Lim III and Roselle Kathleen Mariano
Thanks: Catherine Dominguez

*Second photo taken from NASA website
*Read the short story "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez-Benitez HERE.

My BICOL VACATION

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000+08:00

This is an updated version of the old post: I'm Going on VACATION!

     To my fellow bloggers, friends and supporters (ahurm -- clears throat) thank you guys for your continued support and patronage. My two blogs Show Me Your Look Today and The Pinoy Wanderer are nothing without YOU. Even while I'm away on vacation from January 4 to January 18, some of you folks still kept my blogs alive. I sincerely thank you, and please know that I am deeply grateful.

     I'm updating this post because tweet random, well, randomly tweets my old posts and it's kinda hard to explain every time that I'm already back from my vacation specially with this post's old title. Haha!

     As I've said on the previous version of this article, I took a two-week break from blogging to spend time with my family in the province. My flight for Legazpi City was last January 4 at 6AM, and talking about that flight -- ehrrrr -- we missed it. I knowww, right? So then we had to take the next flight (which was two hours later) and naturally, spent extra bucks for our new set of tickets.

At this point, none of us were aware that the last call for our flight have been
made several minutes ago. Pffttt!

Just what did we do to while away the two hours of waiting? Well, we had fun talking and waiting for one another to get pissed because we missed our flight and! we made tons of photos like these:

Yep, we were practicing how to smile properly for the camera...

We can't seem to get it right -- looks fake every time. Nyahaha!

So, we tried a different approach. Yeah -- it's sad we missed our flight. ☺

I was supposed to be home for the holidays but got caught in a series of unprecedented circumstances including unavailability of trips going to my province and so, got stucked in Manila during Christmas and the new year. Anyway, while I was in Bicol, I really did not do much. I just enjoyed the company of my family, played with my dogs, seen some old friends, breathed fresh air, and ate delicious home-made Bicolano dishes. Yeah, not much, really -- just gained a few pounds, LOL!

The majestic Mayon Volcano as seen from Embarcadero in Legazpi, Albay.

The original post left you with this picture of the famous Mayon Volcano (and my sexy back, ahemm!) which I took last 2010 during my vacation. Btw, I did not erase this post but instead just edited the content a bit because some of you guys already left comments.

The next time you plan your holiday getaway or vacation, try considering visiting some of the interesting places in Bicol. God bless everybody and thanks again for visiting my blogs!

Rose Scented Rosary From The Vatican

2012-01-01T20:25:00.000+08:00

     Life is something that's bigger than all of us -- and for me, it's important that we believe and hold on to something so that life can have meaning and direction. Sometimes we call this faith, other times, the lack of it.

     Hey guys, what's up? 2011 was certainly a great year. It was not a seamless ride but the bumps along the way are just proof that life, with all its contradictions, is a great life. It's a journey which presents us with valuable lessons as we strive to find true love, peace, happiness, and as we struggle to give meaning to our existence.

     For the year that has just ended, I shall remember the days with a thankful heart. I have received countless blessings, and though I feel most unworthy yet they were still given to me. I am blessed with many things but most of all, I am blessed with my faith -- for with my faith, I feel that life has a purpose.

     Talking about faith, I am deeply grateful to my best friend tokzzz for sending me these gorgeous rose-scented rosaries from the Vatican which are blessed by the pope. I got two of them -- one I will give to my mom, and another I will give to mamats. I will give the rosaries to the two most wonderful women that I have the privilege of knowing and loving. Tokzzz by the way is one of my few friends who acknowledges that there is something bigger than all of us -- that there is a God. Among his many traits that I admire most is his spirituality. Thank you tokzzz for being my best friend.

Rose-scented rosary from the Vatican, blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.

And so, let's begin this year with strong and unfaltering faith. But though we look forward to the days ahead, let's not forget to look back and learn the lessons of the past because from the past is where we get maturity and wisdom. To the years that has passed, I say THANK YOU. And to the years ahead, I say BRING IT ON!

Have a prosperous 2012 everybody!

A Prelude to 'Dead Stars'

2011-12-22T08:15:00.002+08:00

Hey guys! What's up?

Neriz Gabelo: 'We all have that dead star.'

I have another guest post coming up entitled 'Dead Stars' written by my good friend Neriz Cruz Gabelo. I will not elaborate much on the content but it is about a love that never came to be. As a background, here's Madam Neriz' edited e-mail telling me how she came up with the post. Names and locations were intentionally erased to protect the identity of the personalities involved.

     There’s a girl colleague who shared with me her love story about a guy who became her biggest love ever. Theirs was not a defined relationship but in her heart of hearts, she knew that she secretly loved the guy. They were in college when it happened and both went through the motion of undisclosed special liking for one another. At any rate, neither took the courage to define what they had so they both went on with their lives. Eventually, the guy left for the US and established his own career. He got married there but sadly they divorced after some years. My girl colleague didn’t marry or had any other serious relations after. She didn’t attribute it to the guy though.

     Then came Facebook, and they found each other again. They barely communicated in cyber. After some years, the guy went back to the Philippines for a vacation which by the way happened just last week. He decided to see my girl colleague. They met, like the good old days -- but some things seem to have changed. That’s when my friend realized that the love was gone. Was she sorry about it? Not quite. Inside the ladies’ room, she was relating that story to a few of us, her closest buddies when one colleague asked me: 'Neriz ikaw, do you have a dead star (lost love) in your life?' I responded: 'Oo naman. I guess we all have that dead star. We all think of what life would have been had we made an extra effort to work something out and not just easily gave up. Or what if I had lowered my pride a bit? What if I had been given another chance to talk to him again? Then I’m given that rare second chance to feel for myself if the love is still there. Then I realize, it’s gone, like a dead star.'   They all simply nodded and agreed but with sadness in their eyes. That’s when I said, Paz Marquez Benitez was a brilliant author because she captured the very universal regret of mankind and wrote about it during the post-war.

     Last night, I got a text message from that girl colleague, she said: 'Thanks for your words Neriz. I am facing things now as a big girl.' That’s when I thought, I will make it my post in your blog. I wrote the post within an hour after staring at Slater of PBB and falling in love with his values and intellect. The looks being the last. Hope you and your readers like it.

There you go. I think that's a little too much for a teaser and I was quite surprised with this huge revelation that Madam Neriz has a huge crush on Slater! Mmmm, haha!

Here's another yet interesting trivia about my up and coming post. As I was going through my pictures to look for something suitable for the article, I came up with nothing. I then turned to another good friend Elvert de la Cruz Bañares and asked if I can borrow one from his thousands of available photos. I might've mentioned Direk Elvert on my other blog when I joined him and Madam Neriz last month during the book launch of Ricky Lee's 'Si Amapola sa 65 na Kabanata.' Direk Elvert (as I fondly call him) like Madam Neriz is also quite an achiever. His talent comes in many forms. Go visit his site to find out what he does, it's mostly showbiz related -- and please support his up and coming coffee table book too. It will be launched soon, I heard. Hope I get invited to the launch -- *hinting here Direk! Haha!* Anyway, I was surprised when he said he'll just do a photoshoot for my post and asked me to describe a little bit what it's about. Now, that ought to make that post more interesting and I can't wait to publish it -- soon!

To those who don't know it yet, Direk Elvert and Madam Neriz are both part time professors at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and Direk Elvert recently produced a Christmas video which stars all the professors of the university with some of their brilliant students. I'm sharing the video with you in light of the Christmas season. Guys, watch it and share the joy!

I also wanna say Hi and Merry Christmas to all the students of PLM and to their awesome Dean, Prof. Ludmila Labagnoy whom I had the pleasure of meeting one time over coffee. The video looked fun, and more importantly, everyone in this inspiring music video looked like they truly had fun!

Merry Christmas everybody! Until my next post. ☺

*Video courtesy of Direk Elvert de la Cruz Bañares
*Photo taken at San Benon Hot Spring, Irosin Sorsogon last 2008

Stuff That Annoys Me

2011-12-12T13:47:00.000+08:00

Last year on my birthday, I had a guest post written by a good friend. It was exceptionally overwhelming getting to know myself from another person's point of view. And so, though it's been more than a month after my birthday, I want my most loyal friends (those who take the time to read my posts) to know some stuff about me that's from my own point of view.

So, what can possibly annoy me?

One Important Thing About Me...

     I try limit my expression of negativity because I believe that when we speak of it, it gets stronger. However, I don't deny the truth that when we face and treat negativity as our enemy, there's the bigger chance that we can defeat it. I still express my dislike, but I try to talk about it in a positive light. And so on this post, I will discuss few of the things that I find annoying, but only because I'm thankful to be in the company of people who are just about the opposite of what I'm about to discuss.

What I Do...

     One of my principles in life is to address critical issues with whomever is involved. If something bothers me, I tell the person responsible for my sadness what my feelings are and my thoughts about it. I may sugarcoat my words to sound less offending, but nonetheless, I express it with utmost honesty and sincerity. I try to be diplomatic but without losing objectivity and purpose. If I don't care about you, I will not be going to such length of telling you. Only people I care about deserve my most intimate feelings, and only if I care enough will I risk the possibility of a fight or a misunderstanding. Don't get me wrong, I care about many things, but I know who or what my priorities are. Besides, I'm not the type who lets the whole world know of my feelings yet the person for whom my feelings are directed to has no idea about it. That's not fair, I think.

What I DON'T Do...

     As much as possible, I don't express my (negative) feelings through my Facebook status or twitter, and most certainly, I seldom blog about it. I see nothing wrong with doing that, and I definitely have nothing against people who does that -- but I prefer that I go to the source of my discomfort and discuss the issue directly with them. I deal with it, make a compromise and then resolve it. Maybe not right away, but there's always the right time. Unless I am mad at a Hollywood celebrity or the president of a certain country, then I will tell whoever is concerned my thoughts and opinion on the issue. Sometimes I might sound like I think I'm always right, but only because I've contemplated thoroughly on the matter at hand. It will be hard for me to admit my mistake if I have one, but I'll go to the other side without you reminding me about them. Ehrr -- eventually.

     I do, however, on my blog, Facebook, or twitter, try to share positive realities of life that I think and feel can help other people. In my thankfulness of having a positive outlook, I try my best to share it with my friends. When we share something, it comes back to us with interest. And I think that's pretty amazing.

So, What Bothered Me Recently?

     Looking at the world with negativity and putting the blame on something that has more positivity than evil in it -- well, that bothers me. Let's face it, a thing is only as good or as bad depends on who's using it. And whoever is behind that medium is a combination of genes, history, upbringing, education, environment and many many other factors. You know -- human nature that has the tendency to be, well, human. And please, don't go preaching the world of a positive end result by looking at something negatively in the process. The end does not justify the means. Besides, you yourself is guilty of using that medium that's the subject of your ridicule. Why look at something in that light when even yourself use it? If you are someone of great influence to others and whom others respect for your opinions, please teach people how to look at life positively. Avoid blaming things or circumstances, rather teach people how to make things and circumstances work for them, to own the consequences of their actions as well as act positively upon it, and lastly, inspire others to become the change that they wanted to be.

     Example: A good friend's status discusses how social networking sites has made the world smaller but people emotionally distant. The examples cited as the ill effects of social networking sites included the police officer killing his family, that guy in the province who killed his family as well, and lots of other killings. Then the status declared that we should turn to God instead because God is never distant. I have no argument on the last statement, indeed God is never distant -- but the premise is a bit off. I argued that the examples cited are people who are bottled up and are likely to have facebook or twitter accounts that they can use to talk to their friends. As a matter of fact, people with social networking accounts are expressive and are most likely not sit in the corner plotting how to do harm to his wife or children. Because people in the Internet are quite expressive of their emotions, they don't end up exploding or getting insane.

     The purpose is quite good, I myself is guilty of professing my faith publicly. But it's just wrong to point a finger to a culprit that honestly, is neutral, and in most cases, has done more good than bad. I would have liked the statement a thousand times if it expressed using social networking sites as a medium to get closer to God rather than sounding accusing. Friends, please don't go preaching like that, specially if people listen to you or value your opinion. Imagine how many minds you will be influencing by such negativity. Please think of the consequences of your actions.

     You might be asking if I did go to the source directly? Yes, I did. I'm sharing this with you so you know that doing something like that can possibly annoy me, big time. Ha-ha.

     Another thing that bothers me are people who are unaware that they are accusing other people of certain faults that they themselves are guilty of. I abhor to a certain extent those who cannot be consistent. I am not saying that they have no integrity, but really, it's almost next to having none. What does it mean when you say one thing, yet your action does not reflect your words? You preach this, yet you do that. You scold someone for being like this, yet you are guilty of it yourself.

     Well, no-one is perfect. That's why we have our family, our friends and other people who cares for us to back us up. We got people who cares enough to tell us about the things that we need to know about ourselves. One of the thoughts I've learned from my high school English class and I think that you too might agree on this too, that the biggest room in this world is the room for self improvement. Indeed it is. Let's strive to be the best that we can be. And let's challenge ourselves to be a better version of ourselves everyday.

     Thank you for reading this far and if you got any opinion about this post, let me know on the comments' section below. See ya!

Add ME on Facebook!

2011-12-06T10:47:00.001+08:00

Hey everybody, how are you all doing today?

It's been a busy weekend for me and I'm still trying to get my thoughts organized before I publish another post. For the meantime, though it's absolutely not important, I'd like to let you know that I've made a new Facebook account specially reserved for new friends that I will meet through the Internet. So, if you have Facebook and you would like us to be FRIENDS, don't hesitate to add me.

My FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. Add me up!

You can do it several ways:

Search my name Mikhail Lotino Montalban

Search using my email: mynameismyke@yahoo.com

Or go click this LINK and then add me.

Easy, right?

While you're at it and if it isn't too much to ask, do like my blog's Facebook page too. I promise not to spam your timeline, will just be posting updates from my two blogs so my posts can get to you the soonest. Here's the LINK for my blog's Facebook page.

My GOOGLE+ ACCOUNT. Add me up!

Hey, I also have a GOOGLE+ account by the way. Though I rarely use it, we can also connect through this social networking site. Here's the LINK.

I'd like to end this post with a cool video from the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show showing some of the hottest girls on the planet and of course, with Maroon 5 and Adam Levine rocking the house.

Hope to hear from you soon!

*Video courtesy of Youtube.

54th Grammy Kicks Off

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001+08:00

     The countdown to the 54th Annual Grammy Awards officially kicked off with the The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night last November 30, 2011 held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, aired thru the CBS Television network.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live from
Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2012.

     Eligible for Grammy nominations are those recordings released from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011 and is in general distribution in the United States. Every entry goes through a lengthy voting and verification process set by the academy and once eligible, they are placed in their proper categories. The winner for every category is voted on by more than 11,000 members of the Grammy's voting body composed of professionals with creative or technical integrity.

     And so, here are the nominees as published on GRAMMY.com website.

Because the list is a bit lengthy, I'll just post The Four Most Prestigious Awards

Record Of The Year - this award recognizes an artist's performance on a single track, as well as the overall contributions of the producer, recording engineer and/or mixer, if other than the artist.

54th GRAMMY nominees for Record Of The Year

ROLLING IN THE DEEP Adele

HOLOCENE Bon Iver

GRENADE Bruno Mars

THE CAVE Mumford & Sons

FIREWORK Katy Perry

Album Of The Year - this award honors an album in its entirety and is awarded to the artist, as well as the producer, recording engineer/mixer and mastering engineer, if other than the artist.

54th GRAMMY nominees for Album Of The Year

21 Adele

WASTING LIGHT Foo Fighters

BORN THIS WAY Lady Gaga

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS Bruno Mars

LOUD Rihanna

Song Of The Year - this award honors the songwriter responsible for writing a single or track, and is not awarded to the artist (unless the artist also wrote the song). If the song was crafted by the members of a band or group, each member receives an individual nomination, rather than the group as one entity.

54th GRAMMY nominees for Song Of The Year

ALL OF THE LIGHTS
Jeff Bhasker, Fergie, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
Track from: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

THE CAVE
Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
Track from: Sigh No More

GRENADE
Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans

HOLOCENE
Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
Track from: Bon Iver

ROLLING IN THE DEEP
Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
Track from: 21

Best New Artist - this award honors a new artist who, during the eligibility year, releases the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist as a performer. Artists nominated in this category must have released at least one album during the eligibility period, but not more than three, and must not have previously been nominated for a GRAMMY, unless that nomination came before the release of an entire album.

54th GRAMMY nominees for Best New Artist

THE BAND PERRY

BON IVER

J. COLE

NICKI MINAJ

SKRILLEX

As many of us have predicted, this was a year for Adele and her songs about unrequited love with the British soul singer getting a total of 6 nominations. Joining her league is the Filipino-American Bruno Mars who got 6 nominations and Foo Fighters who also got 6. Leading the pack is Kanye West who got seven Grammy nominations taking strength from his solo album 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' and another album 'Watch the Throne' which is a collaborative effort with Jay-Z. Maroon 5, one of my favorite bands, also got nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their single Moves Like Jagger.

For a complete list of all the nominees, you can download a PDF file HERE. Get ready for the GRAMMY's everybody! See you on my next post.

*Images were taken from Google Image search.

Adam Levine and American Music Awards 2011

2011-11-23T22:37:00.001+08:00

Adam Levine is one of the few celebrities I respect when it comes to style and music. This guy and his buddies at Maroon 5 won as Favorite Duo or Group in the recently concluded American Music Awards.

Adam combined navy and black in a no-tie look
and he rocked it. Photo taken from here.

Here are the list of winners for the American Music Awards 2011

Pop or Rock
Favorite Male Artist: Bruno Mars
Favorite Female Artist: Adele
Favorite Duo or Group: Maroon 5
Favorite Album: 21, Adele

Maroon 5 is voted Favorite Pop/Rock Duo or Group

Country
Favorite Male Artist: Blake Shelton
Favorite Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Lady Antebellum
Favorite Album: Speak Now, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Country Artist
and her album Speak Now is Favorite Country Album

Rap
Favorite Artist: Nicki Minaj
Favorite Album: Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is Favorite Rap Artist

Soul/Rhythm and Blues
Favorite Male Artist: Usher
Favorite Female Artist: Beyoncé
Favorite Album: Loud, Rihanna

Other Categories
Favorite Alternative Rock Artist: Foo Fighters
Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist: Adele
Favorite Latin Artist: Jennifer Lopez
Favorite Inspirational Artist: Casting Crowns

Hot Chelle Rae is New Artist of the Year

Sprint New Artist of the Year: Hot Chelle Rae
Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
Special Achievement Award: Katy Perry**

**First female artist to have five #1 singles from one album.

Let's end this post with a video of Adam Levine and Maroon 5's performance of Moves Like Jagger at the 2011 American Music Awards.

Did your favorite artist made it to the 2011 American Music Awards? Tell me so on the comments' section below. See you guys on my next post and keep rocking!

*Photos and info courtesy of ABC.com.
*Video courtesy of youtube.

Why Businesses Should Build A Website

2011-11-16T04:51:00.001+08:00

The business arena has benefited a lot from the advancements we have in today's technology. As technology change, so is the way that we transact business. Now, a large chunk of commerce is administered and conducted online. This concept called Electronic Commerce or ECommerce has definitely changed the way we live and deal with our lives.

Brands and businesses have websites that clients can visit 24/7.*

The Reality

     Most people are now online and connected, and we are online at all hours of the day. From our computers or phones, we can find and purchase stuff through the Internet without leaving the couch, our home, or the office -- and without disrupting the day's activity. A ten minute travel time going to your workplace on a cab can be spent checking a vacation package on the Internet that your friend has mentioned to you. While waiting for dinner, one can look for a possible gift through his phone for a mother's birthday that's coming up. The stuff that we can do with ECommerce and the Internet -- the possibilities are just endless! People would rather spend the freed time with family, friends and other stuff that matters.

The Consequence

     It's definitely an advantage for businesses to have a website or an online portal where a display of their products is accessible for people to check -- at anytime they want, and at the time that they need it. Big and small business are now reaping the benefits and rewards of ECommerce.

The Challenge

     Whether a big corporation or a small enterprise, entrepreneurs should make it a part of their business plan to build a website. Several platforms are available on the Internet, and the friendly user interface that they provide is easy enough to manipulate. You don't need extensive education to produce professional looking websites. All you need to do is choose a design from the hundreds of professionally-made templates and customize it according to the nature of your business. Fill it out with the necessary information then publish it. They even give you your personalized domain and host the website as part of the package.

The Benefits

     With a fully operational website where people can transact business with you, plus products and services that satisfy clients, a business can grow and expand. Your website is an extension of your physical business and since it's open throughout the day -- the costumers can check out your products whenever they want. With these, and your well thought-of marketing strategies, there's no reason for the business not to reach or even exceed its full potential.

     Technology has definitely re-shaped our lives. We should do all means necessary to make it work to our advantage. This is the world today, and for me, it's a better world than yesterday. Thanks for reading and see you on my next post!

By the way, I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated for this post. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

*Image are website screenshots of some brands that I use or I'm familiar with.

The Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

2011-11-16T02:12:00.001+08:00

     Somebody once said: "I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful." A smile is indeed so powerful it can change people's perception of you, as well as your perception and feeling about yourself and the world. A cute smile (paired with excellent oral health) definitely makes us more confident and we just can't help but flash it brightly every-time.

     Like many of us, I'm not born with a perfect set of teeth -- probably the reason why I grew up mostly frowning rather than smiling. Hah! On photos, I smile when the sun's up high or when I know the camera has strong flash. The extra light make my smile look a bit more -- acceptable. My parents were responsible enough to bring me to the dentist when I was a kid, but each trip to the dentist's chair proved to be an ordeal every-time. I remember one instance gripping tightly to both my parents' hands and every dentist in the clinic helping out to calm me down (more like strap me down) because I was howling like a hound dog. They couldn't keep me still while being injected with anesthesia -- as a result, my mouth tasted so bitter and felt overly numb after my tooth was pulled. It was one of the baddest and scariest experience that made me less fond of dentists and anything associated with them.

But those were the days...

     Dental Bliss, a leader in Nashville cosmetic dentistry, was established in 2002 with a promise to make dental experience without the scary stuff that many people, myself included, have experienced in the past. Dr. Randy Garner, founder of Dental Bliss, was also a dental phobic and his bad memories of his dental adventures prompted him to re-create dental experience and make it better, and rather enjoyable and relaxing. The vision of Dental Bliss is to make their guests happy by exceeding their expectations for dental treatment and to wow and spoil them like stars. Their guiding philosophy is a guarantee that clients (and their pearly whites) are in good and caring hands. With his passion and commitment and the help of modern technology, Dr. Garner and his dedicated team are truly changing people's lives one smile at a time.

What are the Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry?

Aesthetic Improvements: Cosmetic dentistry improves the overall appearance and facial appeal by correcting the alignment, shape, and color of teeth. Dental professionals who offer cosmetic dentistry can improve the appearance of stained, chipped, and misshapen teeth, they can correct uneven gums, and replace old fillings with nearly invisible filling materials.

Many Hollywood stars are known to have undergone cosmetic
dentistry before they were able to achieve that perfect smile.

Improved Functionality: Teeth that are missing, misaligned or gapped can cause discomfort when eating or even while just talking. Cosmetic dentistry can fix that with dental implants, dental bonding, porcelain crowns, bridges, etc to restore your smile to its fullest functionality.

Elliott Yamin, one of my favorite American Idol just looked
absolutely better after his cosmetic dentistry.

     Cosmetic dentistry can indeed work wonders for our physical and mental health. It improves our smile, increases our confidence and self-esteem, and it definitely brings the genuine sparkle back to our smiling.

     Now that I'm older and aware that there are modern (and painless) ways of doing things, I've finally decided to face my fears. I still have my braces for until next year, but my dentist says that I will be needing some bridges and other treatment to give my smile its fullest potential. Thanks to modern science and the new ways of doing things, I'm flashing my smile more often.

     By the way, I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated for this post. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

*Pictures of celebrities were taken from Google image search.

The New 7 Wonders of Nature

2011-11-12T13:43:00.001+08:00

When I woke up two hours ago and was scouting the web for interesting read, I stumbled upon this wonderful news and just thought that I'd like to share it with you guys. Yep, a little out of line from my blog's theme but I remember asking for your support when I featured Jeb's visit to Palawan last August and he saw for himself how amazing Puerto Princesa's Underground River is.

Today, November 11, 2011 GMT, Bernard Weber, founder and president of the New7Wonders announced the Provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Here's Mr. Weber's full speech which I transcribed from YouTube:

     "Ladies and gentlemen, adults and children, citizens of the world, welcome to the announcement of the first count and provisional results of the global vote to elect the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

      Firstly, I would like to thank the many champions, citizens, voluntary organizations, public bodies, and governments that have rallied and promoted the participants in this New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign over the past four years starting with over 440 locations from over 220 countries all the way into the 28 finalist candidates from whom the New 7 Wonders are chosen.

      We have seen huge interaction and participation on every continent of our globe with different levels of motivation and styles of campaigning across countries and supporters. Like in any other voting campaign, the winning candidates reflect the ones that knew best how to stimulate the most votes. And in terms of votes, we have significantly beaten the record set by our first campaign to elect the manmade new 7 wonders of the world that were declared in 2007 by a big multiple and many hundreds of millions of votes.

      The results that I’m about to announce are provisional and based on the first count of votes completed today since voting closed at 11:11 GMT. Starting from today this voting calculation will be checked, validated, and independently verified over the coming weeks. It may be the case that one or more of the provisional winners announced today is not confirmed during this process and we will issue an update should this happen. Once the voting validation process is completed, in early 2012 we will then work with the confirmed winners to organize the official inauguration events during which each winner will receive the official plaque and become officially confirmed as one of the new 7 wonders of nature.

     The moment has come, and I now proceed to announce the Provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature in alphabetic order:

Amazon, South America

Halong Bay in Vietnam

Iguazo Falls in Argentina, Brazil

Jeju Island in South Korea

Komodo in Indonesia

Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines

Table Mountain in South Africa

Picture taken from New7Wonders of Nature Facebook page.

      We congratulate each of these participants on achieving their provisional new 7 wonders of nature status and look forward to completing the confirmation process to celebrate each one in their own official inauguration ceremonies early in 2012.

     When the new seven wonders of nature are confirmed, they will join the manmade new 7 wonders of the world in becoming part of global memory for humankind forever. Finally I invite you all to join us in our third campaign, the global election of the new 7 wonder cities. Nominations are now open and we invite both the supporters and the world's most interesting and exciting cities as well as the official authorities and organizations to cast your nominations to choose the seven cities that will become part of history forever.

   I thank you all again for having been great champions and active voters. It is thanks to you and to your participation that all of this is possible. Good evening or good morning from wherever you’re watching. All my best wishes."

Congratulations to all the Provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature and the countries where they're from. Hopefully my country's very own Puerto Princesa Underground River will be among those that will be confirmed when they declare the Official New 7 Wonders of Nature on 2012.

Thanks for reading and see you on my next post!

*Video courtesy of YouTube.

I Am Blessed, I Am Grateful...

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000+08:00

     I celebrate my birthday today with a thankful heart and a humbled spirit. Words cannot fully illustrate my gratitude and to bespeak them will always be an understatement. I live not a perfect life but I have made it my rule to always look at it with positivity and deal with circumstances with sincere optimism. It doesn't make me complacent nor less vigilant, instead, I acknowledge imperfections for what they are. And then I take the challenge without losing sight of what's truly important.

     We have things to learn from each moment of life and yes -- even from the darkest of hours. To face it with optimism requires nothing less but courage and character, and at the end, for what we have lost, we also have gains. We gain truth from the pain, strengths from the weaknesses, realizations from the shortcomings, maturity from the experiences, acceptance from defeat.

     We must recognize that life isn't perfect, but we must also acknowledge that it don't need to be if we are content of what we have. Contentment does not mean we need to be stagnant. We still continue to dream, and make them real. We know all too well that life is a struggle -- it's a never ending battle for happiness and peace of mind, for recognition and worth, for a little space on this earth. And life and its battles does not end when we reach the bottom or hit a dead-end. It doesn't end when we get broken or stepped on or disappointed. It goes on, it moves on. And it moves on with a thankful heart and a resilient spirit.

Today on my birthday, I am thankful because...

     I am blessed with wonderful parents who taught me how to love, how to care and how to be responsible. They taught me to be real, to be who I am -- though imperfect yet they taught me to be the best of who I can become.

     I am blessed with awesome and inspiring friends, though they may be few, they have taught me how to be humble, how to be sincere and how to inspire others the same way they have inspired me. My friends have taught me how to become a friend.

     I am blessed with the things I know so I try to share them with others when needed. And I am also blessed with the things I am yet to learn, because they give me the opportunity to improve myself.

     I am blessed with things I yearn for, because they teach me how to dream and look forward to tomorrow. Then I learn how to hope and have faith.

     I am blessed with my fears, because they've taught me how to value myself, my strengths, and to cherish the people I love whom I fear of losing. I learned that courage is not the absence of fear but mastery of it.

     I am blessed with the things I've lost, because they made me treasure the here and now, and what I have.

     I am blessed with my imperfections, because with them, I know I shall find someone (or have found someone) who compliments them and makes them perfect.

     I am blessed with wonderful challenges and opportunities that have made me learn more about life, about people and about myself each day and every day

     I am blessed with a journey that is just as interesting as the destination. The life experiences and the lessons made me who I am, what I believe in and perhaps what I shall become.

     I am blessed with a God who is steadfast, loyal, humble and true. I will continue to pray that He make me a better person each day. I will ask him to make my faith grow stronger and that I be the person whom He wants me to become.

     And I am thankful and shall be grateful not just today but every day for the rest of my life.

     Today is indeed a happy birthday! You may leave some birthday greetings and wishes on the comments' section below. Thank you for reading and see ya on my next post!

Fitness and Health Talk

2011-10-29T03:21:00.002+08:00

     Fitness and health probably tops the list of the toughest challenges many people, myself included, has to struggle with at one point or another. In fact, I hear individuals constantly talk about fitness but has never gotten round to doing it. There are those who started going to the gym, and then eventually lost interest because they lack the motivation or has become impatient for not seeing any result. That's how tough it really is. Well, for most of us at least.

The Times

     We are in an age of technological revolution and fitness is one to benefit from these advancements. The Internet alone is rich in resources and contains plenty of effective weight loss tips that's within our reach in a click of a button. The tougher task now is to finally decide when to start and why.

     The first step I took when I finally decided to start my road to fitness is to find my motivation. I looked around and observed. The happier, more confident people are those who are fit, healthy and lives a balanced life. And when I look at older people, the ones who enjoy life better are those who've spent extra effort during their younger years to be fit and healthy as well. I then told myself, this is who I wanna become. This is an investment I have to put effort on so that I can live my present and make the future, well, just better I suppose. Deciding to be fit and healthy is an effort I have to do for myself and for the people I care for.

In Macau, year 2005 and straight from college
with a beer belly. My old out-of-shape self.

The Past

     I was not exactly overweight but there was once a point when I needed to lose weight, and I needed to lose weight fast! I was wearing size 36 pants six years ago and fortunately wearing huge pants that time was among the cool things for guys like me. But I don't see myself going back to my old out-of-shape self because I have a full understanding now of the benefits of being fit, being healthy and now I know how to keep myself that way. I may falter at times, but I know that it will be easy for me to get back on track because it's a goal I've set for myself.

The Challenge

Just wanna share with you some of the things I have learned:

Find your REASON for wanting to be fit and develop a positive attitude towards it. Along with the attitude is the self discipline and the motivation to stay focused on the goal. This is probably the hardest but when we have the right reason, this part becomes the easiest.

READ. Be informed. Magazines, books and the Internet are among the many resources at your disposal. There are many effective fast weight loss programs available, and you can decide which one will work for you. Read testimonials from satisfied clients, you have nothing to lose except probably tons of baby fats.

November 2010, I'm not exactly in tip-top shape
but I can sport any look I want.

Eat a BALANCED MEAL and enjoy thoroughly your food by chewing it well.

Eat your meals on time and eat in moderation for a healthy metabolism. The ideal is to eat every 3 hours. Skipping meals or longer period between meals can slow down metabolism. Slower metabolism means you getting fat in shorter time because your body does not burn calories as fast as it needs to.

Eat vegetables and fruits of all sorts! They have the nutrients our body needs and are made mostly of water so they're non-fattening and they make us feel full without the guilt.

Cook your food right. Boiling will leech out important nutrients from vegetables, and steaming for too long destroys some of the vital antioxidant compounds within vegetables such as Sulforaphanes in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Light steaming for 2-3 minutes is the best way to cook our food.

Reduce intake of unhealthy fats -- saturated and particularly trans fat are known to increase cholesterol levels. Thus, limit consumption of processed and fatty foods, choose low fat dairy products when you can, and trim any excess fat from meat and skin from poultry before cooking. Use healthy fats when cooking such as olive oil, canola oil and grapeseed oil and replace butter or margarine with avocado and flaxseed oil.

Add fibre and whole grains to your diet -- oats, barley, quinoa, beans and lentils, nuts, and seeds and fruits.

Sip on WATER. Yeah, this is old news but it's been proven that even slight dehydration slows down metabolism. We gotta take care of our metabolism.

EXERCISE regularly!

Include physical activity in your routine. If you can walk to go someplace, then walk. If you can clean your room, then do so. Help around the house a bit. And here's something I learned from my dad: use your negative energy to do something positive. If my dad is mad at someone, he does chores around the house to release the negative stuff. He feels better afterwards.

Find a buddy who shares the same fitness interest, makes workout more enjoyable and it becomes your bonding time.

Monitor your progress. When I see I'm improving, I become more and more motivated.

Rest well. Get enough hours of SLEEP and discipline yourself to go to bed and wake up at regular times on a daily basis.

CONSULT a professional. Ask your doctor or your personal trainer. These people spent years studying health and fitness, there's no reason why you can't trust them.

2011, almost 2 weeks ago. I wanna keep my lean build
and maybe build some muscles a bit. Still a work in progress.

     Being fit means we're healthy. And if we're healthy, we live longer, we enjoy life better. If we understand this simple reason well enough, we don't need to reach that point when it's already too late for us to decide being healthy.

     I'm far from my goal of being fit, my fitness journey is still far from over. But I'm glad that I've decided to take the challenge and I hope that you guys will take it too.

     Thanks for reading! Until my next post.

Fashion on the Street!

2011-10-25T11:35:00.002+08:00

     I've thought of this idea for awhile now but have not really mustered enough will to do it. And so today, I formally launch a segment of my blog which I will call: Fashion on the Street!

     Aside from featuring close friends, every now and then I will be also be publishing pictures of random people from random places. The people I will feature are those who have impressed me with their style and personality at a glance. I may find my subjects while dining at a restaurant, walking on the street, while on the bus, at a gathering, or even while checking on my friends' status update on Facebook or Twitter. In other words, it could be any of you guys. Awesome, right?

     The goal of this segment is to get inspiration from the well-dressed but ordinary people who roam the streets of Manila and everywhere. As I've said before, let's become an inspiration to one another. We need to get inspiration from others as well as be the cause of inspiration. The streets are filled with tons of fashion possibilities that can inspire us to define or re-define our own style.

     A style that enhances one's personality, a style that's functional and truthful, comfortable yet edgy -- is definitely a style that's worthy to be published in my blog. The clothes we should wear are those that does not only makes us look good but also feel good about ourselves.

     Of course I should be the one to start this segment with my own and most recent photo. I can mostly be seen wearing plaid shirts and jeans, but tees are also an essential part of my wardrobe. Style matched with comfort -- is always a good combination. And nothing is more comfortable than cotton t-shirts and a pair of well-used, torn, good ol' jeans.

At Conti's in Serendra, while waiting for my order. This is how random
a random photo's gonna be. But hey NO, I will not be harassing people
just to get their pictures. I need willing victims. LOL!

      So get ready to be spotted!

     By the way, if you feel that you have a recent photo than speaks a lot about your style and you feel can inspire people about their own, e-mail them to me at yourlook2day@yahoo.com. Include a little story and that's about it.

     I'm definitely looking forward to my first Fashion on the Street! feature. See ya on my next post!

ZWQZX5NPFS45

Christmas 2011!

2011-10-19T07:57:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday (October 16, 2011) after having dinner at Conti's in Serendra
and on our way to Starbucks to get our dosage of caffeine, we saw these
really cool Christmas trees.

     In this life, you will meet someone who will make your heart beat fast, who will make you feel like you are the most important person on this planet. You will meet someone who will make you forget about your priorities and everything or everyone else. And for a while, both of you will be happy, contented, secured. But life isn’t perfect. Later on, maybe not too soon, your relationship will have problems. You will argue about a lot of things, even the smallest of things. You will have issues on priorities, decisions and how to live on each other’s expectations. If there is no weaker sex, almost always, these arguments will become heated discussions -- discussions that will lead to other discussions, to blames, to regrets. Hurtful words will be thrown -- will probably result to name calling, even making fun of one’s past or present. It’s definitely not right, but when you feel left alone and wounded, most of the time, you will try to hurt the person responsible for the pain with the worst that you can. Only, you feel the exact opposite of what you’re saying. Because you’ve loved too much, you tend to take on revenge, even with just words. And then later on, you'll regret your actions.

      Then questions come. You ask yourself: have you done the right thing? Then more and more questions come -- not just about you or what you did but about life in general. You’ve become doubtful if life is really supposed to be like this. You’ve become doubtful of everyone else – are they real or just putting on a show? Are they sincere -- or just putting on a face? Do they utter words that are true or they say things that they want you to hear but mean something else? You start putting on a show too, so that everyone else is doing the same thing. This goes to a point that everyone seems to be just a facade that is really hard to get through.

At The Coffee Beanery in Edsa Shangri-la last October 13, 2011
for their Unlimited Coffee and Cakes

      But then again, you will meet someone whom you'll think is the ONE. And when you do, you yourself will break down the walls that you’ve put up. Although the real you might not be as nice, you will begin to be yourself again: fragile, sensitive, demanding, possessive... the list could go on. And if things won't work out again, you will begin another cycle of pain and disappointments.

     My friends, life is an endless battle for happiness. And we will be forever lonely if our standard for happiness is superficial, fleeting or temporary. Real love goes beyond the physical, the material things, the things that can be quantified or bought. Real love is loving someone's true self, or a decision to change to be better for the one that you love.

     I still believe in serendipity… and if it’s meant to be, fate will find a way. And to those who are still looking for that ONE who will make their heart beat fast and maybe will make them fall in love, not just for the moment but for every moment of their lives… they should believe too.

This short essay which I found from my old hard drive was written more than five years ago and is originally titled 'Musings.' I intentionally did not put an appropriate title or used the correct photos so I'll know who reads my posts with the comments they'll post below. Besides, my thoughts here are immaterial especially if you're someone who has not fallen in love or have yet to fall in love. I know that people don't actually read stuff like this and will probably write comments such as nice photos, or visiting you here, or cool Christmas tree or nice site. If you're someone who do take the time to read, go share the fun and check out who has left the most inappropriate comment. LOL!

See ya on my next post!

'Express' -- Your Style

2011-10-16T09:01:00.001+08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm far from being a fashion guru but one of the coolest advice that I'm bestowing from one male to another is that we guys should invest in the coolest suit we can possibly afford. A suit that fits snugly and compliments our body type and personality is an investment that is always worth the effort. And such is the Express investment.

Dress To Express

Express is a brand that's been around for decades and carries one of the best fitting suits for guys that I've ever seen. Modern fit and of quality fabric, Express men's suits is a top choice to be considered when deciding to invest in suits that projects style, comfort and image. Whether you are an executive who wear suits everyday for work, or just someone who dresses for the occasion -- you can find what you need from Express' wide range of collection.

I've gone through their catalog and the line-up is just so impressive. They have everything a guy needs from shoes, pants, belts, ties -- and suits. Don't worry, they carry lines for both men and women, so ladies -- I'm sure if you check out their catalog, you will find something in there that totally defines your style and your personality. They have many stores around the world and even if they aren't in your area, you can always check out the Express online store.

Win a Suit Makeover!

And yeah, Express is currently having a makeover contest and for a limited time, you can enter everyday for a chance to win a $500 suit makeover. Isn't that awesome? Go check on this link for the mechanics: Express sweepstakes.

One thing I like about suits is that it has become flexible throughout the years. Express suits can be worn with your favorite modern fit shirt and suit pants and a tie that totally speaks who you are or if you want to look a bit more casual, you can wear it with your tees and jeans and layer with a scarf. The combinations and possibilities are endless. Wear your Express suit any way you want to suit the occasion, your mood and the company you're with. With Express, a guy's style always speaks of winning.

What's you favorite Express suit? Tell me on the comments' section below because I'd love to know if we got the same taste. And if you've rocked on an Express ensemble, what occasion did you use it for? It's gonna be 'rocking' to hear your stories!

See ya and thanks for reading!

Stuff for Bloggers!

2011-10-12T02:12:00.001+08:00

     One great thing about the Internet is that it presents us with unlimited possibilities. Resources are everywhere and with our ingenuity, we can choose what's best suited for us from the many options and alternatives that's vastly available. All we need to do is look around, read, contemplate, and then decide. As for me, whatever information I find -- I share them with you guys.

So just what did I discover recently that's worth sharing?

     For bloggers and site owners looking for cheap hosting sites, why don't you check 'Web Hosting Columns?' Basically, the site has put up a list of topnotch web hosting companies plus a review for each of these recommendations. I've taken a screen shot of the site and the reviews are located on the right side of the page. Each review also contains some testimonials from their happy and satisfied clients. For me, that's sort of important and makes the whole thing valid. Who but actual users of the product can testify to the effectiveness of these web hosting providers.

     The site gives you all the relevant information that you need to know: a narrowed list of the most popular and sought after web hosting companies, their prices and packages, and if they have promos you will definitely be informed about them. Furthermore, the list are also categorized for easy accessing (i.e.cheap hosting sites, business hosting, etc).

     What I like about the site is that it reminds potential clients to be vigilant when looking for web hosting service providers. Yes, clients may choose the alternative, less expensive ones - but also pay attention if these companies have some sort of guarantee if consumers are not totally happy with the services they deliver. The choices are there, all you need to do is pick one that's right for you. Good-luck!

     That's all for now! See ya on my next post.

How To Get The Scruffy Look

2011-10-09T05:33:00.001+08:00

     The 'unshaven' or scruffy look has been around for ages and probably one of the most frequent look that I've been sporting for many years. Oftentimes it's because I'm too lazy to shave, but many times because I feel that having hair on my face is like having clothes on -- i look better and I feel safer. Hah!

I have been sporting the scruffy look for as long as I can remember...

     Folks, this time Show Me Your Look Today will talk about the Scruffy Look.

Who qualifies for the scruffy look?

     If you got an angular or a chiseled face, you're in. This look is good for guys with prominent facial features -- like strong jawlines or distinct cheekbones. However, this maybe is not meant for men with rounder faces or soft features. And most definitely not good for those with scarce or too little facial hair.

Many celebrities have been spotted sporting this look.

Check out one of the coolest guys, David Beckham.

How to get the scruffy look?

Just let the hair on your face grow evenly. Keep it neat, keep it clean -- because you don't want to look dirty and itchy. You may shave off some areas in the neck to give more definition to your jawline as well as some areas in your cheekbone. The trick is to use the facial hair to give your face a sculpted look.

Hugh Jackman has also been sporting the scruffy look.

How to maintain the scruffy look?

You can use a beard trimmer or an electric shaver (with height adjustment) to trim your facial hair if it gets too long. Or if you can indulge, go to the barber shop and let the professionals do the trimming for you. Just remember to trim your facial hair when it gets too long or unruly or start over by shaving it all off.

The scruffy look brings a cool contrast to a guy's overall style, with the nice clothes contrasting with the 'tough guy' appeal. If I'm going somewhere and I plan to look scruffy, I usually shave my face 4 days before and just trim the edges on the day itself. I don't exactly have an angular face or strong features, what I do is I use my facial hair to give that illusion.

I'll leave you guys with one of the coolest bands that I listen to every now and then. Adam Levine, the lead vocals of Maroon 5 is known to constantly sport the scruffy look. He is one of the coolest guys too, a style icon for many of us.

Hope you learned something today fellas! Let me know how this look worked for you on the comments' section below.

See ya on my next post!

*Photos of David Beckham and Hugh Jackman were taken from Google Image search.
*Maroon 5's Misery video is taken from Youtube.

Useful Ideas!

2011-10-05T18:22:00.001+08:00

Hey guys! Show Me Your Look Today is back for a quick word. I'm on my way out but I thought that I needed to share this with you first.

Image taken from MangoOrange site.

I was scouting the web earlier today looking for interesting ideas when I've stumbled upon this site called MangoOrange. You see, I'm constantly on the lookout for ways on how I can further improve my site's contents and performance. MangoOrange.com is a good discovery for a budding blogger like me and to those who wants to start their own blog or site.

Why do I find the site useful? Several reasons.

     First: it contains really valuable insight about SEO or Search Engine Optimization. I've read an interesting article from the site that contains guidelines on how to properly do article marketing (how to write stuff on the Internet and earn from it) and it also has other cool stuff that I could use for myself as a blogger.

     Second: it presents site owners who are looking for web hosting services many valid and definitely proven alternatives. They have a list of reliable web hosting providers and a short review of why that particular web hosting service can be considered an option. If ever I decide to get my own web hosting provider, now I know where to get ideas. Yep, and they also have tons of useful articles which can help webmasters who are looking for web hosting services and other related web news.

    Third: they got loads of free wordpress templates and WordPress hosting suggestions. You don't need to go far to get what you need. I am seriously considering getting a WordPress template myself if ever I put up a new blog.

     I guess that's all for now. Where am I going you ask? I need to do some errands and will buy these cool glasses I tried on last Sunday.

      What do you think? Does the geek look suit me? :-p

      Until my next post!

What Are The Odds?

2011-10-04T16:36:00.002+08:00

In my childhood, I often see my father and my uncles play some cards or visit a cockpit arena as a form of recreation. And when they get home, they look relaxed and happy, and sometimes even glowing! It's fun to hear them recount the events of the day, the same exact way when they talk about boxing or their favorite sports. For some, it is a time to bond with relatives or friends, and socialize with people.

More often than not, people's reaction to gambling is gearing towards the negative. But that is not always the true story. Just like every aspect of life, it's got a balance of good and evil within it. And like everything else, how good or how bad something can become all depends on who's directing the story -- and that is YOU.

   In this time of information technology, many things has taken a cool new form. You can indulge in recreational activities right at home without leaving your desk or your couch, and really have fun while at it. Like the card game blackjack -- it has become one of the most popular games that can now be played over the Internet. Onlineblackjack.org even offers strategies and totally effective tips so you can improve your odds at winning. The site has a friendly user interface and contains extensive but easy to understand information from the most basic blackjack rules to cool strategies for the different variations of the game (including Spanish 21 and Blackjack Switch). It doesn't matter if you are a newcomer to the online blackjack real money casinos or an experienced player, you will find what you need from the site with one click. If you are a top player and would like to advance your game, the site will provide you with relevant information so you'll know what it takes to become a professional blackjack player. I am not a gambler, but I find the information that they provide from the site really enlightening and quite easy to follow. You see, in every game that we play (may it be in life or a blackjack game) we need to know the game field, the rules, the odds, the competition -- we need to know what we're dealing with. The key to winning or increasing our odds at winning is preparation and knowledge. And for blackjack enthusiasts, that's the kind of advantage you'll gain from the site and then more.

     I am not encouraging anyone to engage in gambling but we all have our own ways of spending our free times. We call them our hobbies or pleasurable pastime, our time to relax. Others write, some read, and well -- many of us play. Just remember that in everything that we do, we should practice moderation and self control. When we become masters of our selves, then we become real winners.

     So what are the odds in winning at blackjack? That you gotta find out for yourself. Go check that useful site.

       See ya on my next post!

The DPWH Photoshop Fiasco

2011-10-01T17:15:00.001+08:00

       Hey guys, what's up?

     After typhoon Pedring has brought havoc to the country this week, I guess everybody deserves to have a break. What are your plans for the weekend? Me, I plan to do absolutely nothing. Aside from going to church tomorrow, I'll just probably be home all day. Anyway, earlier today, Jeb and I went to Eastwood to try Somethin' Fishy's breakfast buffet. We were in a bit of a hurry 'cause I woke up late (what's new? LOL!) so I just wore something comfortable.

     In my old and torn Levi's, comfortable slippers, plus my favorite white Armani shirt and Ray-Ban to block the sun -- I'm all set! Yep, that and an empty stomach of course. Haha! Anyway, if you wanna check what Jeb and I ate at Somethin' Fishy, click here.

     I'm supposed to post this right after we got home but something amusing yet a truly serious matter caught my attention when I opened my facebook. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been the subject of criticisms for releasing a photo that was allegedly 'Photoshopped.' The photo which they posted on their facebook page meant to show some officials conducting field inspection on the ruins left by the recent typhoon 'Pedring.'

This photo, according to Inquirer News was deleted two minutes after it was posted.

And was replaced by this, still according to Inquirer News...

     Anyway, it was Pierre Albert San Diego who noticed the discrepancies on the image and posted his analysis in his blog. I admire Mr. San Diego for his vigilance and courage. I wish Filipinos would be more like him.

Taken from San Diego's blog, this is his analysis of the 'Photoshopped' image. Click to enlarge.

     This news has reached the Washington Post and I encourage you guys to read more on the issue. Be concerned at the same time be amused -- as many others has taken the liberty to follow DPWH's lead and has made their own versions of what they call now as 'The Great DPWH Photoshop Meme.'

     Among the many, this is my favorite (as you know, I still have the hangover for Game of Thrones).

     My fellow Filipinos who were affected by 'Pedring' are finding their way, little by little, to stand back up. Life goes on, but even if it does, let's not forget the lessons of the here and now. Let's not turn a blind eye to what is real and imminent. We all wish for what's best for our country, then let's help in our own little ways to help realize that elusive dream. Lastly, let's have a bit of Pierre Albert San Diego in all of us and those before him who have taken the courage to speak up and take a stand.

      Until my next post!

*Second and 3rd photos were taken from Inquirer News, 4th photo taken from Pierre Albert San Diego's blog and 5th photo taken from DPWH's facebook page.

The 'Scentsy' Story

2011-09-29T14:21:00.002+08:00

I still have hangover from watching Game of Thrones Season 1 last weekend (in fact I still dream about it sometimes, LOL!) when I saw this really cool thing the other day. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

The Shale Scentsy Warmer

A little background: This cool thing is one of the many stylish warmer designs from Scentsy, and is the safer alternative to burning scented candles or heating up scented oils. The really nice thing about these products is that they use a low-watt bulb to slowly melt specially formulated wax (called Scentsy bar or Scentsy brick) to gradually release fragrance into the air. Because the wax is gently warmed and not burned, it can hold more fragrance oil than traditional candles. Better, safer and there are over 80 distinct Scentsy scents you can choose from to suit your mood, your home or the occasion.

Product specifics: The Shale Scentsy Warmer (picture above) is in the Scentsy Fall Catalog of 2011 and is made of cool, textured tiles of natural black slate topped by a dish of frosted glass, held in place by a sleek iron trivet. This cool design commands a certain individuality and is my personal favorite among the many designer choices. Best part is, because there is no flame, there is no smoke, soot, or lead... it is a safer alternative to using traditional candles.

What I like about the Scentsy system is the fact that they have endless possibilities and options. The variety of style that they have and the option to even customize your warmer is proof that they care about you and your taste. There's one to suit your home or office, whether to enhance your style, make a statement or just to express your mood. The Shale Scentsy Warmer in particular will definitely look awesome in any room. The clean design, elegant look and the sturdy built will match any decor, or any room. It strongly radiate such a classic air that even Queen Cersei (oppss, I told ya, I still have not gotten over Game of Thrones yet) would love to have this in her room any time.

Until my next post!

How To Be A GEEK Chic

2011-09-22T19:14:00.002+08:00

Gone were the days when being a geek is a major bummer. Now, it is a fashion alternative for some of us wanting to have an edgy and unique look. Being a nerd isn't boring anymore, it has become cool!

Wasn't Superman a geek chic too?

The family have been spotted sporting this look at one point or another. Go check...

(L-R) Jeb, Hannah and myself. GEEKS!

So, just what do you need to become a sleek geek?

I've checked on google and have listed down my favorite guidelines on how to become a sexy nerd. Well, for guys anyway. Girls, go make your own guide. LOL!

The first and most important: Get a stylish horn-rimmed glasses. Make sure it fits and it compliments the shape of your face.

Long sleeved shirts are cool for this look. They can be on their own or you can layer them with vests, cardigans or jackets. Fold them too if you want and make sure they are nicely fitted to your body type. Just pick colors that's suited to your tone and if you can carry it fine, you can go for the patterned ones. Me, I personally prefer plaids. White shirts are also top on my list, just layer them as well with cardigans, jackets or a scarf.

Some Hollywood celebs are sporting this look too!

Slim fitted pants with narrow legs are good but stay away from them if you are overweight and just simply use regular fitted ones. Corduroy has long been categorized for this look so they too are a nice option.

For shoes, one can never go wrong with Converse trainers. It looks good with any pair of jeans.

Accessorize! Time is very important for geeks, so you definitely need to have a watch. Bags too! Go for shoulder strap messenger bags. Other accessories you may use are bow ties, belts and badges...

Of course you can always customize, just remember that the aim is to be a sexy geek, not a real nerd. The goal is to look bookish and smart but cute and fashionably edgy. Take note of the 3 pillars of geekdom: layering, slim silhouette and the appropriate accessories.

Oh, and don't forget a decent haircut.

Let's see how you do with the nerd look. Send me your geek chic photos and let's see if we can publish them on a later post.

See ya!

*Photos of Hollywood celebrities were taken from Google Image search.