Halloween Costumes

Tired of wearing the same costumes over and over again to every Halloween Party you attend to? Want to be a head-turner and earn everyone's attention? Halloween is near and you're still rummaging on your trunk looking for a cool costume. You're probably browsing the internet for some weird ideas on what to wear. Don't fuss and see how these kids roll with their costumes. Maybe you can learn from these kids a thing or two on what's hip this Hallow' eve.

OMG! Did she just stab herself to death?!

Step aside Edward Cullen 'cause here's the real vampire.
 (I didn't know that drinking human blood can increase your blood sugar. haha)

Ang isn't the Last Airbender.. this kid is! See the arrow on his head? 

This cute little girl poses to the camera as a white fairy.
 Isn't she adorable with that hand gesture?

This kid has no idea what hit him! haha 

Thanks to these kids, they made our Pre-Halloween Trick or Treat a success.

Praybeyt Benjamin

It seems like every Filipino is watching this movie because of Vice Ganda. Filipinos adore him because he's witty, sarcastic and hilarious! In his latest movie, Praybeyt Benjamin, he plays as Benjamin Santos VIII from a long long line of Benjamin Santos(es) who played their part in Philippine history. He is a homosexual who entered the military in the midst of a civil war in order to save his family that were taken as hostages by terrorists. Together with his douche bag friends, they were determined to save the country and prove to everyone that they're not a bunch of losers.

Why Should You Watch It?
1. Vice Ganda is "unkabogably" funny. His lines were totally sarcastic. (Don't you just love sarcasm?)
2. The cast were almost loaded with HOT, able-bodied and handsome men that will keep your mouths watering until the end of the movie (that is if you're a woman or gay).
Note: If you're a straight guy and you drooled over Derek Ramsay, then you should probably get out of the closet and have your gender changed. =D
3. It'll tell you to be real and pursue whatever makes you happy.
4. It gives hope to losers not to commit suicide.
5. It portrayed perfectly how lousy Philippine security is.
6. You'll love Nikki Valdez's hair! (I'll be a copycat with this one!)

Why You Shouldn't Watch It?
1. The special effects were awful.
2. Some jokes weren't funny at all.
3. The story was, as always in every Filipino movie, predictable.
4. The scenes were fast-paced and the characters' expressions were unnatural and automatic. They left no room for either reason or comprehension.
5. They made it toooooooo obvious that it's a comedy and Vice Ganda is the main character! (geesh)
6. Luis Manzano was completely out of place and out of story!

So that's 6 reasons to watch it and 6 reasons not to. hahahahha.
The film is under Star Cinema and Viva Films. It's written and directed by Wenn V. Deramas.

What's Your Number

How many guys did you sleep with? 1? 2? 3? Over 20?! People would think that you’re a slut for sleeping with over 20 men; although not at the same time. 

What’s Your Number is a romantic comedy movie starring Anna Faris as Ally who read an article on a magazine that women in America slept with 10.5 men in their lifetime on average. She later found out that the article was based on a Harvard research that tells about the number of guys you sleep with is related to the number of chances you end up getting a decent marriage or worse…not getting married at all. Learning that women who slept with more than 20 men have 96% chances of being unmarried, she started to become frantic and took a little too desperate measure. 

Having 20 men in her life whom she dated and had sex with, Ally is determined to find the man among her exes, hoping they changed over time and one would be decent enough to be her partner in life. But first, she needed to find them so she asked her neighbor Collin (Chris Evans), who was always naked at his doorstep with only a towel to hide his penis, to help her in exchange of letting him use her apartment as a hideout to get away from women whom he slept with. Together, they searched for Ally’s husband-to-be and unexpectedly finding true love at arm’s length. 

Although I’ve read a lot of negative comments about the movie, it didn’t stop me from watching it. (No one can stop me from watching Chris Evans' body. haha!) Some would say that I’ll be wasting my money and time if I watch it. I say, it’s worth it. Yes, there are some things that made people think it’s crappy. But looking through the whole movie in a different light than most critics, made me realize a lot of good things about it. 

It’s a fun-watch movie with friends and Anna Faris won’t fail to make you laugh. There are scenes that would make you feel sad though and will help you realize some matters about relationships. The movie isn’t plainly about falling in love. It’s also about moving on and letting go of your pasts, being yourself and accepting one’s flaws. So if anybody asks you what’s your number? Don’t fret. It’s just a number.  

How to Avoid Alcohol-Related Harm

Binge drinking has become a trend on adolescents and young adults alike.  It is described as drinking heavily in a short period of time for the purpose of getting drunk. It is potentially harmful and can cause short-term and long-term harms.

Short-term harms can be related to health, accident or crime. Persons under the influence of alcohol may experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, possible memory loss (blackout) or worse, alcohol poisoning which can lead to one’s death. Alcohol affects judgment and cognition putting the person at risk for accidents, theft and shame. Research has shown that alcohol has been a factor in sexual offenses, burglaries and street crimes. Long-term abuse of alcohol may lead to liver or brain damage. 

Some people may find it difficult to abstain completely from alcohol. Even non-alcoholics have a hard time controlling their alcohol intake when pressured during a social event. In order to avoid potential harm brought about by alcohol intoxication, here are 5 reminders you should know next time you prop a bottle to your mouth:

1. Eat before/while you drink. One of the reasons why a person’s blood alcohol concentrations rise quickly even after a few bottles is because he/she drinks on an empty stomach.  Eating will slow the absorption of alcohol in the stomach; although the effect is temporary. It will also keep your hands off the bottle for some time. Just remember to avoid salty foods as it will make you thirsty.
2. Don’t rush. Drink slowly and don’t finish your drink in gulps. Take sips and avoid “rounds” as it will make you drink faster just by keeping up with the others.
3. Know your limit. If you know that you have a low tolerance for alcohol, choose beverages that have low alcohol content. Be aware of what you drink and learn how to say “no” if you feel nauseated or if you feel like you had enough. Don’t push yourself.
4. Make space. Alcohol may cause vasodilation and others may vomit. The effects may differ from one person to another. But both can rob you of your body’s water and electrolytes. It is important to stay hydrated. Drink cold water in between drinks and try to busy yourself with other things. Dancing, chatting with friends, or playing games would keep your mind from alcohol.
5. Be with the right people. It is important that you drink with people you know and trust. They will be the ones to interrupt you if they recognize that you had enough. Stay close to them and avoid being alone with strangers.  

References:

Binge drinking: the facts http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/binge-drinking

The effects of binge drinking http://health.ninemsn.com.au/azindex/689748/binge-drinking

BLACKOUT

I woke up with blurry visions on my mind. I stared blankly at the ceiling asking myself if I was dreaming. I could not recall what happened last night. It was too fast that I seemed to lose track of it all. Finally, the idea sank into me. I had a blackout…again.

It was 9:21 PM and the constant knocking on my bedroom door woke me up. My two girl friends, Ruby and Chin, came over to ask me out for a drink. I was hesitant at first. I was not prepared but they were able to convince me with their eager persuasions. At exactly 10:00 we hailed a cab and went to the bar where we used to drink.

Conversations poured in as we filled our glasses with vodka alternating it with beer. Bottle after bottle after bottle, we drank. The liquid seemed tasteless to me that I would finish my drink in a few gulps. It was more than a month since my last alcohol intake.

 I can still remember entering the club and having a conversation with another friend. Beer bottle in one hand, I kept talking but I can’t remember now what I was talking about. That was my last clear memory and everything else were glimpses of what seemed to be a nightmare.

The next day, my friend showed me pictures of last night and I looked at them confusingly. She told me stories of what happened and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Oh no, not again,” I thought. Unknown to them, I’ve been experiencing blackouts several times before. Usually every time I indulged in alcohol.

Blackouts, as what Dr. Aaron White would describe, are episodes of amnesia (partial or complete loss of memory), during which subjects are capable of participating even in salient, emotionally charged events - as well as more mundane events - that they later cannot remember. (Blackouts are not to be confused with the act of passing out.) These periods of amnesia are primarily “anterograde”. It means that alcohol impairs the ability of the person to form new memories while he/she is intoxicated but does not erase memories that were formed before intoxication.

 People around you would not even notice that you are experiencing this kind of condition because you are able to do things—simple and/or complicated, like driving a car, talking to complete strangers, dancing on top of a table, crying out loud and other complicated and sometimes humiliating behaviors.


There are actually two qualitatively different types of blackouts: en bloc and fragmentary blackouts. People who are experiencing en bloc blackouts cannot recall any details from events that ensued while in the period of intoxication, regardless of efforts by others to facilitate recall. It is as if the process of transferring information from short-term to long-term storage has been completely blocked. It is also unclear when this type of blackout ends because people tend to fall asleep before they are over. However, they are able to keep information active in short-term memory for a few seconds that’s why they can do even the most complicated things.

Fragmentary blackouts on the other hand, involve partial blocking of memory formation during the events that took place while in the intoxicated state. People who experience these are often aware that they are missing pieces of events after being reminded that the events occurred. Reminders would cue some recall of some missing information. According to research, these are more common than the en bloc type.

What causes these blackouts? Research suggests that drinking large quantities of alcohol precede blackouts. Also, gulping drinks and drinking on an empty stomach, each of which leads to a rapid rise in alcohol concentrations in the blood. Women are also at greater risk since they have lesser body weight and proportion of body fat than men.

These blackouts are potentially dangerous since people under the influence of alcohol are fearless and mostly go beyond their limits. People experiencing these were reported to get involved in crime or accidents. Lucky me! I have trusted friends who laugh at my silly antics but would always keep an eye on me making sure I don’t get into trouble and we would always go home together safely.

References:

Alcohol, Memory Blackouts and the Brain

By Aaron M. White, Ph.D.

http://www.enotalone.com/article/11280.html

Alcohol-induced blackouts are not
reserved for alcoholics

http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/ade080218.page

Skin Care 101

Want to have younger, healthier looking skin without spending too much? A lot of women would resort to products shown on television and magazines but would later realize that they're paying beauty at a high price. However, with recent studies at hand, all you need is to be informed.

Let's talk about BROWN SUGAR. Yes, brown sugar. Do you know that brown sugar can actually help you achieve that smooth skin you desire? Brown sugar comes from the crystallization of sugar cane juice and is unrefined and minimally processed. It's natural and there's no risk of damaging your skin from harmful chemicals. It also contains B vitamins that act as antioxidants and help reverse the signs of skin ageing.

Here's 3 easy steps on how to use BROWN SUGAR as a facial scrub:

1. Open your pores.
Wash your face with mild soap and lukewarm water. Heat will dilate your pores making it easier for sugar granules to reach and clear impurities.

2. Apply brown sugar on your face.
Gently rub it on your face areas in a circular motion avoiding the eyes. The granules act as an exfoliant and remove dead skin cells and impurities. Doing it in a circular motion will also improve your blood circulation.

3. Rinse.
Finally, wash your face with cool water. Dry and apply your facial moisturizer to keep your skin supple and well-hydrated.

You can do this skin regimen twice a week for smoother, beautiful skin.

References:
What Are the Benefits of Brown Sugar As a Skin Exfoliator?
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/156037-what-are-the-benefits-of-brown-sugar-as-a-skin-exfoliator/#ixzz1aUFojSHj

Friends with Benefits

“So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - I hope you have found a friend. Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” – Closing Time by Semisonic

I can’t stop myself from singing this song over and over again. I think it’s what they call ‘last song syndrome’. It just keeps playing on my head after I watched the romantic comedy movie Friends with Benefits.

The story was set in New York and Los Angeles. Jamie (Mila Kunis) is a head hunter (recruiter) in New York City and Dylan, played by Justin Timberlake, is an art director of an internet company in Los Angeles. It’s a 6-hour flight from New York to Los Angeles or vice versa. So how did they meet? This is your typical story of boy meets girl however, not as lovers but as friends. Jamie’s task was to recruit Dylan as the new art director for GQ magazine in New York. Dylan got the job offer but LA was so much different from NY that Jamie had to convince him to accept it so she could have her commission for recruiting him.

Together, they went to explore New York City and Jamie showed him all the reasons to stay. She was the only person Dylan knew in the whole city so they spent a lot of time doing things together. They became good friends and eventually had ‘casual sex’ (as they call it) which marked the beginning of a seemingly complicated love story.

For one thing, friends don’t make out with each other (unless they’re too drunk to realize it). Both of the lead characters got tangled in their we-can-have-sex-with-no-commitments friendship. And in almost half of the movie, you can see Justin’s butt. I mean it. Anyone can have sex whenever and with whoever they want, but with friends? It can’t be avoided that emotions would get involved. Dylan’s co-worker, Tommy (Woody Harrelson), helped him realize that. One would definitely fall for the other and the risk is that the feeling may not be mutual. It can also be that both would fall for each other but the relationship may not work out as expected and their friendship would go down the drain. Well relationships are complicated, don’t you think?

Am I being negative? (haha) Well, a lot of people (including me) would think negatively about friends being lovers. But this movie would actually make you try it for yourself. It pointed out the positive things in friends-turned-lovers relationships.

1) You feel comfortable with your partner. (You would be able to talk a lot of things without feeling awkward or shy.)

2) You won’t feel insecure about your body when having sex. (I think that’s the same as no. 1)

Let’s just pretend that there are a whole lot of reasons. (hahaha) You can tell me after you’ve watched the movie. =D

Why you should watch it?

The chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis would make you think that they would really look good together in real life.

It’s a “feel good” movie. It’ll help you unwind from all the pressures at school, home or work.

The movie isn’t all about sex, although there’s a lot of kissing, groping etc. Looking beyond the foreground story or the central theme, you’ll learn some of life’s lessons that gave the movie a sweet touch.

Anyhow, I won’t spoil the movie for you. I’ll leave to you the rest and try to figure out if good friends can be lovers (for real)? One thing’s for sure; I know who I want to take me home. =D

No Other Woman

“A story about love and marriage, a test of trust and fidelity”

I saw the movie trailer on TV and what really caught my attention were the stars who played the roles on this movie. Sharmaine Escaler, played by Cristine Reyes, is a simple yet amazingly beautiful housewife married to an equally handsome husband,
Derek Ramsey as Ram Escaler. Ram who wanted to overpower his father and impress Sharmaine’s dad built his career and eventually met the seductive heiress, Cara Zalderiaga (Anne Curtis), on a business deal that later turned into an adulterous act.

My best friend and I talked about the movie days before its release and we excitedly placed our bets on the two lead actresses as to who could act better. I on Cristine Reyes and she on Anne Curtis. She admired the actress since high school and she liked the whole ‘mistress, 3^rd party, or other woman’ idea (because she could relate?? haha).

The movie turned out to be a blockbuster in Philippine cinemas since its first release. This is an adult romantic Filipino movie but it was Rated-13. Luckily, I got in even though my friend made me look like a grade school student guilty of watching an adult film. I had fun watching the movie. The script was a blast which really showed the Romanticism of Filipinos (and I mean Romanticism, not at all romantic).

I was really amused by Carmi Martin’s role as Christine’s mother.  She actually gave the viewers a boost with her wittily-delivered pieces of advice.

Some of my favorites were:

 “Ang mundo ay isang malaking Quiapo, maraming snatcher. Maagawan ka. Lumaban ka!” (I really like this one in particular!)

“I-pack mo na yang Lucy Torres mo. Ilabas mo na diyan si Gretchen Barretto. Ako na ang bahala sa red stilettos mo!" (This brought laughter to the viewers.)

And with a conversation with Cristine:

Cristine: Ano bang mas mahirap kalaban? ‘Yung putang mahirap o putang mayaman?

Carmi: Pare parehong puta lang ‘yon! Kaibahan lang yung mayaman bumibili ng hermes sa mall, ang mahirap Greenhills.

These are also my favorite lines from Cristine and Anne.

Cristine: Mamaya makita mo pang nilalagyan ko ng lason ang pagkain mo. Joke lang. Off ang humor ko ngayon.

Cristine: Sabi nga nila the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Pero sa ganda mong ‘yan, marami ka sigurong alam na shortcut.

Anne: I don’t need to read your research report to know the market. I know all about the market because I am the market.

But what really amused the viewers were Cristine and Anne’s reiterations:

Cristine: Salamat sa pagkuha mo sa asawa ko.

Anne: I’m sorry.

Cristine: Bilang supplier ng resort nyo.

Cristine: Ano nga ba ang tawag sa mga katulad nyo? Ahas. Bikini mo ba ‘yan o balat mo?

Anne: You can call me whatever you want. Snake, bitch or other woman… But I promise you,
I will never be a pathetic and boring housewife.

It has the mood of a cinema and the appeal of a soap opera that creates a charm to make you want to repeat the lines over and over again, the makings of a true-blue Filipino film. It actually reminds me of movies from the 1980s like: Cherie Gil’s “You’re nothing but a second rate, trying hard copycat.” in the movie Bituing Walang Ningning
; Hilda Koronel’s “Once, twice, thrice? Gaano ba kadalas ang minsan?” in Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan; and Vilma Santos’ “Para kang karenderiang bukas sa lahat ng gustong kumain.” in Palimos ng Pag-ibig. This is probably because the story was written by Keiko Aquino, Jay Fernando and Kris Gazmen backed with a power cast of script consultants from Viva Films.  

Derek Ramsey’s acting was okay but the two lead actresses embraced their characters and welled with emotions that some of the viewers actually laughed and cried by the scenes that they gave out some side comments while watching the movie. They even hated Anne Curtis for her role as a mistress and empathized with Cristine Reyes.

These were some of the scenes that proved to be tear-jerkers:  

Upon learning from Cara that her husband cheats on her, Sharmaine ran to her room and cried her heart out. Ram was trying to comfort her but to no avail. She was crying in pain, hatred and disgust. You can really tell from the way she acted on that scene. She was screaming, pulling her hair, scratching her skin, clenching her fists, gritting her teeth saying, “Alam ko! Alam ko naman eh!  Ang sakit sakit lang nung marinig ko! Hindi ko dapat ginagawa ‘to pero ginagawa ko dahil mahal na mahal kita!”

When you truly love someone, it really can’t be avoided that you feel pain along the course of your relationship.  You might probably agree that pain is love’s twin. As what Cara said, “I’m not going to give up Ram without putting up a goddamn fight.” Love would make you do things beyond measure and Cara did what she thought was right. She fought for her love even though she knew that it was wrong from the start. She begged Ram not to leave and love her back in return. She was almost on her knees begging for his love which was contradictory to what she said before “no emotional attachment”. She went through denial before she finally realized that she’s really a mistress.

Added to that is the scene where Ram was in the hospital and Sharmaine was on her side tightly holding his hand with Juris’ song “Now That You’re Gone” playing in the background.  His wife was in tears and by the time he opened his eyes, you could actually feel that forgiveness, love and understanding took place.

Although the movie was somewhat stereotypical and predictable, it gave smiles and tears to its viewers and all of us went home satisfied. But my friend was still crazed over the movie that she actually posted Anne Curtis’ photo as her profile picture! In reply, I have Cristine Reyes on my profile.  hahaha

Note: All lines are from the movie "No Other Woman" by Star Cinema and Viva Films;  Ricky Lee's Trip to Quiapo: Scriptwriting Manual