girls with thin arched brows...

It still baffles me why make-up artists shave much of a girl's eyebrows when she turns 18 and submits herself to full make-up for her party. Why? The effect is not very appealing for most times they make the girl look 80 instead of 18. What is wrong with these beauticians who think that thin arching eyebrows are in good taste? Believe me girls, never allow make-up artists to leave a thin line for those eyebrows. They are not in the least flattering. The best make-up artists in the world know that good eyebrows look natural but clean. They're not very thin and arched. That's so yesterday.

gym and dieting...

Let me share with you how I am going about my plan to shed off excess pounds in the next few months. A membership at a gym most accessible to me was done. Then, in order to reach my goal in the shortest time possible, I had to limit my food intake as well, but in so doing I did not also want to deprive myself of the pleasures of eating the foods I want. So what I do now is to cut the amount of food I take by half. For instance, instead of a cup of rice, I try my best to make do with half a cup. As to sodas, instead of finishing the whole can or bottle, I only drink half of it and this holds true for everything else. Cakes, bread, chicken, pork adobo----I only eat half and leave the rest on the plate. I've done this for a couple of weeks yet, so I may not be able to see much loss. But surely, in the new few months, I should be able to tell you whether I have succeeded in shrinking the waistline.

"Pink halo-halo" starts getting the hype

Director wants kids to see his new film
By Marinel R. Cruz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 16:31:00 05/30/2010

Independent filmmaker Joselito “Jay” Altarejos, whose work “Pink Halo-Halo” is competing in this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, says his goal is to have the movie seen by as many schoolchildren as possible.

Altarejos is one of five filmmakers in Cinemalaya’s first-ever Directors’ Showcase category. “Pink Halo-Halo” is up against Mark Meily’s “Isang Pirasong Pangarap,” Joel Lamangan’s “Sigwa,” Mario O’Hara’s “Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio” and Gil Portes’ “Two Funerals.”

“Halo-Halo” is about Natoy (Paolo Constantino), who finds joy in the simplest things, especially in eating halo-halo with pink gelatin and red sago. Thus he leads his simple and happy life until, one day, he catches a TV report about a wounded soldier pleading for rescue. The soldier is his father. Natoy’s sudden transition into adulthood starts when he and his mother Sonia seek help.

“More than touring the film abroad, I’d like to arrange screenings in at least 20 schools nationwide,” Altarejos told Inquirer Entertainment recently. “Cinemalaya films should reach a bigger audience than those who go to the Cultural Center of the Philippines.”

He added, “It doesn’t matter if they can’t pay for tickets. I’d like students, especially in the provinces, to see this movie.”

“Pink Halo-Halo,” written in 2004, was Altarejos’ final paper in a Creative Writing course at the University of the Philippines. “I dreamt of making a movie out of it,” he said. “It wasn’t exactly easy.”

One-week shoot

Altarejos earlier directed the indie films “Ang Lalaki sa Parola,” “Ang Lihim ni Antonio” and “Ang Laro sa Buhay ni Juan.” While he normally finished a film in three days, he said, “Halo-Halo” took a week.

“We had a lot of day scenes and exterior scenes. Since our lead actor was a minor, we couldn’t work late at night. We were bound by the rules of the Department of Labor and Employment,” Altarejos explained.

The film was shot in San Jacinto, Masbate. He recounted, “We tried to get help from the provincial government, but since it was election period, the officials had other priorities.”

The Directors’ Showcase category is for Filipino filmmakers, who have directed at least three full-length feature films that have been released commercially.

Altarejos refused to be pressured by being pitted against veteran and award-winning directors Lamangan, Portes, O’Hara and Meily.

“I’m not after awards,” Altarejos stressed. “I just want to make a decent film. Winning would be a bonus.”

He added: “It was tough getting into the competition. I have a lot of good friends whose movies were rejected.”

“Pink Halo-Halo” also features Allen Dizon, Angeli Bayani, Dexter Doria and Mark Fabillar. The 2010 Cinemalaya film fest will be held at the CCP from July

debut with a touch of Monte Carlo and Moulin Rouge

Feathers, boas, hats, net stockings, red lipstick and everything that spells sexy and wild should dominate a party with a Las Vegas or Moulin Rouge type of theme. A lot of leg-kicking high-heeled girls in ruffles should differentiate it from the "charleston" number. Although there could be a thin line of difference, but I go for a theme that is clear and specific. The "moulin rouge" number would be sexier, wilder, and louder. The photo above (bottom) shows girls showing the right outfit for a "charleston" dance number. The one on top photo shows how moulin rouge stands out differently.

on pets as gifts

Gift-giving requires art and creativity. You just don't buy something for someone without knowing the reason for the choice of the gift. I know that a lot of money is wasted on gifts that recipients do not find useful. Before you buy a gift for someone find out what the person wants or what the person will appreciate. Don't and NEVER give a pet to someone who does not appreciate pets or someone who has no idea how to take care of that pet. It may sound cute, charming, sweet and unique of you, she might lavish you with kisses for giving her a cute pet puppy, but at the end of the day, think about what happens to the puppy as soon as you go. Are the other members of her family open to the idea of having a pet around? I would feel very bad if the pet would go neglected the whole time that it eventually dies as a result. It would be a big mistake on your part to be such a thoughtless and lousy gift-giver.