D’Blogparteeh in pictures

Uh. The just-concluded BlogParteeh07 didn’t turn out to be boring as I thought, in fairness to those who organized it and everyone who took the time to attend. Proof of this was the fact that I had only planned to linger for a couple of hours but stayed till the end. It was everyone’s turn to shine, particularly the new bloggers who are just starting to come out of the shell, so to speak. There is a bustling blogging community in the country and the presence of freebies, prizes and sponsors that night proved that some people now recognize that bloggers are a formidable force to contend with. Indeed.

Anyhoo, here are some of my fave photos of the event taken with my camphone and some grabbed from my blog buddies Karla and Ade. From top left:

1) Women bloggers rule?! Noemi of aboutmyrecovery, moi, Karla and Gail of Kutitots.

2) Ade gained wieght while Mac-toting Aaron lost a lot. Por que?

3) I smiled for the camera without knowing that Mr. Bean (aka Jayvee F. of b5media) is clowning around in the background)

4) BlogParteeh founder Yuga hands over the party’s grand prize – an iPod Video – to oh-so-lucky dude AJ of janep.org.
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Why I am not too excited to BlogParteeh!….

There’s a big bloggers’ event happening on Saturday. Most likely, I will be there. It goes with the job, it goes with the territory. But you know why am not too excited about these things? Here’s why…

1. I believe I’ve attended far too many EBs, meet-ups, and blogcons and it’s the same boring banana for this ADD-induced blogger. Unless of course they introduce a banana stripper soon.

2. I feel soo ooold mingling with these bloggers whose median age is 22 to 25. Which means they were just born when I was ooold enough to dance to The Gogo’s and Bananarama (ok, there’s the banana word again)

3. The event sounds a tad too commercial for its own good. Imagine being forced to mention 26 donors and sponsors!! With the exception of Elianto, which is not a sponsor (see my previous post), I have failed miserably (which explains why up to this time I haven’t received my e-vite yet).
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A beauty bounty from Elianto

If companies are going to send moi their products to sample everyday, especially if it pertains to beauty, then of course I’ll say yes without thinking and transform this site into a make-up blog soon, hehe (just kidding) . Such was the case when a friend of mine invited me to try the make-up line of Elianto, a Malaysian beauty company that just started their operations in the Philippines.

My make-up loot consisted of their (1) Pure White Flawless Two-Way Cake, (2) the Aloe Eye Cream and the (3) Honey Body Lotion. I ordered for #1 because I ran out of my favorite from Maybelline. On the other hand , I love the fact that the eye cream is packed generously in a tube. It’s described as ” a velvety smooth cream that increase skin firmness while improving moisture and evens out skin tone around the delicate eye area.” Hope it works wonders for me and besides, I really love the smell of this cream and the honey body lotion.
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Exploring KK, the ‘land below the wind’

Going to Kota Kinabalu was like a leap in the dark. I never knew what to expect there, except that its name sounded exotic enough. After the hustle and bustle of KL, this place was genteel and serene. The people seemed to be supremely at peace with themselves and I can only be a satisfied tourist not having to deal with a single rude encounter (plus somebody returned my wallet!) The city itself was pretty, with its focal points like the jetty, the market and the esplanade, facing the waterfront — South China Sea to be exact! The lack of any tall building is also remarkable, and I like the fact that one can go to the city, with its shopping malls, to the islands – with their white beaches – in 15 minutes. This is notwithstanding the fact that there are a number of five-star resorts around. With its privacy and picturesque details, Kota Kinabalu now gets my vote as a place where I would spend my honeymoon, supposing The Honeymoon Man is around, harhar.

FYI, KK is the capital of the province of Sabah in Borneo which is very much accessible to our countrymen in the south, being only an overnight boat ride away from Zamboanga. So KK was all about..
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Strange things happened on the way to Kota Kinabalu..

Just got back from my marathon two-day, two-night trip to KK. And photo shows me taking a self-portrait in my hotel room before hitting the tub on a Tuesday night.

Anyway, two things happened to me on this trip:

One: after telling to me book and pay for our tickets a few months before, my KL travel companion cancelled at the last minute, and all because she was waiting for payola from some Thai highroller Can’t believe she can do that, but rather than let her odd mean behavior dampen me, life has to go on. At least I was able to realize that I can enjoy, and survive, a trip even while alone.
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101 positive things to do in 2007

Too downtrodden to blog. I need to write this to inspire myself, and perhaps inspire you. Here’s sharing some grace notes from one of my favorite “feel good” books, Living Beautifully Together by Alexandra Stoddard.

- Go on a morning meditation walk alone for a week and see if it can become a daily habit.

- Begin a ‘Dream” file. Clip articles about exotic places, restaurants, beauty tips and fashion and decorating ideas.

- Write a list of what’s right and wrong in your life; This is a great way to sort out your feelings.

- When you feel blue, sit down at your desk and write yourself a love letter.

- Go back to your hometown, the school you attended, it will bring back your childhood.

- Polish all your shoes and put in scented shoe trees.

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Care to share your secrets? Here’s mine..

Top Pinoy blogger Retz tagged me to share some secrets (as if this blog is not enough already.) Here’s some I can think of:

I don’t play cards, even solitaire. Even though I have boxes of playing cards in the house and even though I’ve worked as a casino dealer before and now still work in the casino. My job prevents me from playing or gambling so… (buzz me if you want some cards, will you? hehe)

I was such a picky eater as a child. Right now, am a certified foodie but when I was small, my meals were limited to eggs and eating rice with soy sauce. As a result, I was reed-thin and bony. My appetite only ballooned when I was a teenager.
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My favorite images 2006

2006 went by in such a dizzying fashion and in order to help me remember the year that just passed, I didn’t read through this blog, thank you. I decided to pore over the gallery of images taken from my digicam, camphone or Bluetooth-ed by another. Sharing with you some of my favorite images as they relate to my year, as well as the story behind the stories:

(From top left):

1) RH, my best friend and dining buddy for a quarter, whom I regard as one of the nicest guys I ever met. Photo taken in Manila’s Chinatown, August 2006. 2) The breathtaking sandbar in Us-usan Island, Guimaras Province. I was part of a Canon summer tour and our group had the whole beach to ourselves while a sumptuous seafood buffet was laid out on the beach. I felt like I was in paradise! 3) With legendary hairstylist Ricky Reyes at his Golden Sunset Resort in Calatagan, Batangas.I had to have a picture taken with (her) and I like this photo because this reminds me of my long hair 4) I took this photo of a bell with twin boats at the height of the noonday sun in Costa Aguada island Resort, Guimaras. I thought it looked naturally picturesque.
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