Addendum to my previous entry, or the gal who tries to reclaim her life

Days after I was able to post this, we caught one of the four men who held me up.

His name is Pablito Manatad. He was supposed to be driving TYL 409 on 22 Dec but he was Badong/Man #1. He's from the Visayas but lives in Quezon City.

He is muscular and heavy-set but has a big gut. He also has a rose tattoo on his left shoulder/arm, and is apparently part of the mostly-Visayan Scorpion Gang that has connections all the way to Cavite.

He was caught because the taxi cab was caught for a traffic violation. The impounding police called us when they realised that the cab was the hold-up cab that they had had an alert released for. The drivers were asked to be there while the owner had to verify if it was a double plate since it was caught when the original was at the garage.

However, the others are still out there even if he has spilled their whereabouts. Please pray and share information about this unceasingly so that more people can defend themselves and even turn these crooks in. And please pray for myself and those of us who have chosen to fight back -- I am learning as early as now that it's a hard, long, lonely, tiring, uphill and costly battle, but if we want to change the system and empower others like ourselves, we will have to do what must be done.

Thank you very much.

Hold-up incident report (or, the gal who lived) [UPDATED WITH PHOTOS!]

I wish this were untrue, and I wish I could undo this, but it needs to be shared. 

At around 7:00 pm I withdrew money from Security Bank Annapolis GH branch, near my office. At 7:30-ish pm, I was hailing a cab. I only remember the cab being a beat-up white four-door sedan car with plate number TYL 409.

I can't recall who the driver was at the time and the name of the cab as written on the cab body outside sadly. I do now recall the locks were faulty, that the front windshield had the "cleanfuel" sticker (signifying it's using LPG gas power instead of gasoline), and black rubber at the back windows. The seats were all black leather and had the taxi information, which should be printed legibly, all blurry/erased. 

We made the turn from Annapolis, to EDSA, and then the U-turn under Ortigas flyover. We entered corner to White Plains, at Temple Drive, past People Power Monument. At a vacant lot nearby (before Meralco), and ironically while I was in the middle of texting my family my whereabouts, four men came in and they kicked him out of the cab.

A short description of the four (images here):

• Man 1 (guy by my right, "Badong"): Crew cut, chiseled face, somewhat pointy chin, small eyes, muscular build but slightly big stomach, with stubble, dark-skinned
• Man 2 (guy by my left): Dark-skinned, round face, chubby cheeks, bulging eyes, no beard/moustache, short hair parted at the middle, wearing blue long-sleeved Adidas sweater with white stripes at shoulders and sleeves, had a baseball cap that looked a lot like the red Air Asia cap with white text, pudgy arms and legs
• Man 3/”Boss”: Square face, flat cheeks, moustached stereotypical bad guy minus the big beard, dark-skinned, far-set bulging eyes, light moustache, beard, wearing blue long-sleeved Adidas sweater with white stripes at shoulders and sleeves, parang may white shirt sa loob, with grey beanie hat, had tubo, gravelly voice, muscular arms, pudgy legs 
• Man 4/Driver ("Bobot"): White cap, white shirt, circular glasses, features remind me of Brod Pete (a local comedian), thin, dark-skinned

I heard someone say “pasensya na (I’m sorry)” but I don’t recall who it is. I do recall the perpetrators drove me around EDSA from Ortigas Avenue to Quezon City, as far as the U-turn right before SM North. They kept threatening to bring me to Bulacan and rape me especially when I initially refused to give them my belongings. They took my ATM cards (Security Bank, BPI Express Teller), my Metrobank credit card, my black BlackBerry Torch 9800 with black Otter protective case, my personal Nokia phones (one is a pink 6020, the other is a black 2700 Classic), my Sony Cyber-shot silver T-100 digital camera, and my black Sony Vaio laptop. After “Boss” made some calls via mobile (they were very clever at keeping the numbers hidden), the gang dropped “Boss” off at Cubao walkway underpass, EDSA southbound at around 9:00 pm so he could withdraw money. He came back and tried to strangle, punch, slap, throw shoes/slippers at me when he couldn't get my credit card PIN out of me (it's fairly new and I don't memorize the PIN at all). They took turns trying to beat me up at some point, except for Driver because he was driving. I fought back, and they told me they would rape me because I wouldn't give them enough money (they needed PhP20,000 and even used Typhoon Sendong as a reason to hold me up). At around 10:00 pm they turned into NIA Road near BIR/PDEA in QC, and threw me out the cab. When Boss tried to hit me with a pipe/tubo, I vaguely remember clawing and kicking back, taking whatever was left of my things, and ran. I found myself at the QC Post Office security guard house (at the gate), and made phone calls to the QC PD, my mother's office, and my best friend's house as those were the only numbers I could contact. 

With my family finally arriving around 11:30 pm to almost midnight, I went to the QC Police Department at Kamuning/EDSA. We waited for a graying-haired 40-ish cop in a white undershirt and police uniform pants named SPO4 Patricio Sanoza (Sanyosa)  to whom I gave my statement, which is attached. I told him about what I recall about the cab, but he did not ask at all  about identifying the criminals.

My SIMs have all been blocked/disabled, as have my ATM and credit cards. Unfortunately they have switched off all phones so I am not sure if they can be traced at this point.  They are able to trace the ATM withdrawal transactions at Metrobank Valencia Hills though. I am cooperating with QCPD in catching the perpetrators.

  

The following day, a friend gave this information about the cab that held me up: 

Plate Number: TYL 409 / E#: 2E-3254892 / C#: EE110-8009918 / MV#: 138000000225318 / Col: Freedom White / Sticker#: 2011122773755 / MVType: Car / TradeName: / Make: Toyota/ Series: COROLLA XL M/T / YRModel: 2001 / MVClass: FOR - HIRE / Org: MARVIN SANTOS.. / OR#: 000201111852482 / CR#: 000000005541645 / BType:sEDAN - 4-DOOR / FRegDate: 09-25-2001 / LRegDate: 09-30-2011 / Fuel: GAS / Route: MARIKINA ANY PT TO LUZON / Franchise#: 96-945 / FEDate: 12-31-2007 / Total Apps: 0 /Total Alarms: 0 / Customer ID CO1378000031312 / Add: 10 MAYSAN ST. VALENZUELA 

  

Separately, I dropped by the QCPD Kamuning once more to get the official, correct copy of the police report I originally filed. There I met a woman named Donna Araujo who was held up on Christmas Day from Main Avenue in Cubao and dropped off at Balete Drive which is very similar to what happened to me. I am trying to get her assistance as she saw the name of the car, which is made purely of consonant letters.

Please stay safe everyone. Hope your Christmas is better than mine. I've seen posts where people blame me for not being vigilant -- excuse me, but I was held up right in the middle of sending my parents an SMS where I was riding, the point here is not whether or not I should've been vigilant but that they still ambushed me anyway even after acting towards my own self-preservation! 


And to these motherfuckers who hurt me and others like me, I hope and pray you lose everything you hold dear -- every body part, every item, every person, every business, every bit of cash, and every generation of your beloved families and clans -- as befits the punishment you have long tried to avoid. 

Links:

• My original Facebook post on this subject = https://www.facebook.com/ligayaharuka/posts/10150479183713815
• The ABS-CBN/Bandila news clip (December 23; easily viewed outside the Philippines via The Filipino Channel) = http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/metro-manila/12/23/11/cops-warn-modus-during-holidays
• The ABS-CBN text version of the same news (December 23) = http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/12/23/11/woman-attacked-robbed-inside-taxi
• NEW: I finally managed to scan the cartographic sketches I had asked a key contact (who must remain anonymous until this case is solved, I owe this man and the people who got me to him greatly as I cannot achieve this drawing style myself) make. Here they are: man 1, man 2, man 3 (minus the beanie, which I tried to describe and even draw but somehow didn't make it to the sketch), and man 4.

Because I'm a little desperate to finish a long-delayed set of reports...

From http://stjudenovena.org/:

O most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, people honor and invoke you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, for I am so helpless and alone. Please help to bring me visible and speedy assistance. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (the request being prayed for) and that I may praise God with you always.

I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you by publishing this request. Amen.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Adored, Glorified, Loved & Preserved throughout the world, now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Worker of Miracles, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, please pray for me. Amen.

...PLEASE let the disk check finish up in less than an hour. I really need the time to finish my reports. T~T

Schadenfreude? XD

I love this time of the year because it's the one time I see my mum dressed up in costume and be completely out of her element.

As I cannot post the costume photo yet (because Christmas presentations in their office are apparently VERY serious business), allow me to share our dialogue a few minutes ago instead:

Mum (wailing as she points to herself and her above-the-knee costume): Anak, ang iksi pala nito (this is so short)!
Me (snickering): E di ba noong ka-edad n'yo ako nagsusuot kayo nang ganyan? (But didn't you use to wear outfits like that when you were my age?) X3
Mum (fuming): Hindi na kita ka-edad ngayon ano! (You know I'm no longer your age anymore!) DX

...Thanks for giving me a sneak preview of my life after 25 years, I love you Mum. ♥♥♥ XDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ♥♥♥

Oplan Kaligayahan: Ang Bisa ng Pagyakap

I'm sorry, blog, I know I've been neglecting you, but all the other things I planned to write about will have to wait because of this.

Because I have committed myself to being a force of positive, happy energy (which is doubly difficult because of my name and because of the situations I somehow manage to find myself in), I made a lifelong choice to become like Buddha and to listen to the cries of the world when the world refuses to hear them. While I realise that this has made other people feel much better, they do make me feel worse, especially because many of them as of late hit so close to home. And, of course, Buddha didn't exactly seem to bother to preach about handling your own problems either (I've re-read his teachings so many times in my young life, maybe I'm missing those verses?), so it's enough to say that I'm plodding through my own troubles.

I've tried several attempts to soothe my soul. I've returned to breakfasts with the BCBP; I've bought and overdosed on camomile and jasmine tea (and infusions thereof); I've even brought a miniature Zen garden to the office. Today, after slinging these problems on my shoulder and trying to focus on work, I prepared to exchange packages with a friend I hadn't seen in months. The exchange was meant to take only a few minutes, as I had a report to rush and I was suffering from cramps due to the arrival of my monthly visitor.

Our items (a keychain from her and a letter opener from me) changed hands but right before I left, I gave her a HUG. It was quite unexpected, even for a spontaneous person like me, because what I really wanted to do was to say that I knew she'd having a tough go of it of late, and that I was feeling the same way too. But then again I couldn't think of any words to tell her (each person has her cross to bear, after all), and there really wasn't enough time to say them.

Strangely, although I was the one that gave it, that one hug has turned my day around. My body began to feel less tightly wound, and the cramping seriously decreased, which is rare because when I have my period it is a serious effort to even get out of bed. The printer eventually broke down so the report is unfortunately three days late due to the weekend, but amazingly my boss just let me finish printing it on Monday. I was able to get my mum to agree on meeting my cousin from my dad's side as she's in town, which is normally difficult because anything that has to do with my dad is a thorny problem on her side. And, of course, I found out that my friend was able to get by today because of that hug.

I heard from one of my classmates in high school that hugs have been scientifically proven to be therapeutic, but now I can see that random, genuine hugs have an incredible amount of power. Hugs are able to convey so many things that words cannot: I miss you, it is great to see you again, thank you, I understand.

(As for the other types of hugs that say, "Hey, I really like touching you," well, let's not discuss those types of hugs today. :P)

I believe hugs are magical and some of them can burst out with so much magic and positivity you just want to give a few out because it can't be contained. Hugs are easy and healing. I wish I had thought of this easy feel-good solution sooner.

HUGS!!! ♥♥♥











* This post is a direct response to Milk.Blood.Ink's Hug Therapy. You always have my back, and my hugs. ^.~v

Helping hands, getting ready, and best birthday wishes

Hi all! I'm so terribly sorry I've been gone a long, long WHILE. AGAIN. DX Life has been kind to me and my appetite and wallet but unfortunately for our folk in the Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, New Zealand, Japan and Myanmar, it's not been the same. The political situations in Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Syria have kept me riveted, but the effect is that of a terrible plane wreck - you don't like it but you can't keep your eyes away. I was worried sick when I'd heard about the Christchurch earthquake because many friends, like my collage blockmate Kenken, are there. Then I heard about the double whammy that hit Japan, the font of kawaii, kitsch and quirkiness, while I was away in Singapore for a mixed business/pleasure trip almost 2 weeks ago (has it really been that long?). And now, it's Myanmar - not a land quickly taken to earthquakes since it's not so close to the Ring Of Fire territory that Japan, NZ and the Philippines are smack in the middle of, but its government is so rough and many of the people there seem to be worse off than they are here in my country. It's distressing how natural calamities keep piling up, one after another; it's no wonder that when two quakes hit the Romblon-Mindoro area in the past seven days, people here in the Luzon group of islands were justifiably rattled.

Right now I am very happy that my loved ones and I are all safe and sound, though of course everyone here has the thought "But for how long?" lingering at the back of our minds. In between the Philippine government's incompetence over repatriating Filipinos working and studying in both the calamity-stricken and politically-tense parts of the world, we have also taken it upon ourselves to help out, mostly through the aid of international organisations. The response to help has been awesome, though part of me thinks that it's the Filipino nature to help even when he/she has little else left to give anyhow; in any case, I am pleased as punch because many of my friends in local cosplay and fandom front have set aside grudges for a common, worthy cause. The Philippine Red Cross in particular has opened up a page urging for relief aid and volunteers to help their Japanese counterparts; though I've not had the time to help, I've given them a good amount of my salary - my intended birthday spend - this month in the hopes that someone would smile a bit on my special day (Cosplay.Ph and Tamashii Con helped them out quite a bit too). I am still trying to find ways and means to help out.

Here are my birthday wishes, because it's that time of the year again when I hope and pray these things come true. ♥♥♥

• For the weather and the earth to simply not give everyone a bad day on my birthday week. That earthquake-tsunami combo that hit Japan did not leave me amused. --> This worked, yay!
• To have dinner with Anna F, Eia, other friends in high school, all my friends in ICTUS and all of Broad Comm 2002 again (preferably not all at the same time though). XD
• For Banco Filipino to reopen because a good portion of my savings are in it (yes I'm looking at you, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amado Tetangco and everyone in both BSP and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Company because the lot of you are money-grubbing motherfuckers).
• See my boyfriend this year in the USA, unchallenged.
• To cosplay again with friends!
• To have fun with Cosplay.ph friends again, not necessarily in cosplay-related schemes.
• To go out of town - beyond Tagaytay but preferably within the country please.
• To see my older sister again. 

I forgot to add this last one durrhurrhurr: To earn more monies at work (because taking jobs on the side is going to kill me, I am so exhausted from work these days with events happening weekly and almost daily in the weeks past).

Have a great weekend everyone!

Where have all the rockers gone? NU 107.5, home of nu rock, signs off

In the next 55 minutes, NU 107.5, The Home Of Nu Rock, signs off.

While I can't completely say I'm a full-fledged Filipino rocker, I was weaned on the legendary 1990s bands Eraserheads, Rivermaya and True Faith. Then there were other bands and groups like Parokya ni Edgar, Color It Red, Slapshock, Itchyworms, Dicta License, Stonefree and Sugarfree. As I grew older, and especially from between high school and college, I began my bit of band chasing in. I attended at least 1 day of UP Fair (where I got to see Spongecola, Kjwan, Sugarfree, Chico Sci, Narda, Ang Bandang Shirley, Up Dharma Down and Sandwich live among so many others) without fail, never mind if I had thesis/production the next day and I took the daily trip of Makati-Diliman-Makati which consisted of at least 2 jeepney rides and 1 train ride, or 1 bus ride if I was lucky to find myself on EDSA after 2:00 am which was the time I normally left the UP Fair. (At around the same time, my cousin from the Cortez side founded the UP Los Banos band Valley Of Chrome. Later on my sister dated one of the guitarists from Chico Sci and someone else from Sandwich while appearing on their Sunscreen video, but that's another story.) I got to know the Grounders for a bit, then sided with the Sugarfree bandchasers thanks to mai gar waifu Ceejay. Being in UP College of Mass Comm, I discovered Asin and Sampaguita and Pepe Smith and The Dawn and all these great rock bands I didn't even know existed. In between transcribing interviews and dissecting teleserye (Filipino soap opera) music, NU 107 gave me the necessary kick to keep plodding through my thesis when coffee threatened to land me in the hospital. As a working girl, NU107 got me through the day and from watching them shyly back when I was in MME slaving for the Red Horse Muziklaban account (which would've been fun if not for the SMC people not taking proper care of their agencies - but that's another story for another day), I finally graduated to now working with them through my current agency to promote True Blood, The Pacific and most recently Spartacus: Blood And Sand for HBO Asia, and even helped get one of our electronics clients to sponsor the 2009 NU Rock Awards. And finally, during the most trying of times - meaning, moments of extremely back-breaking work and terrible personal circumstances - what other station would be on my side than the one with the rocking guitars and rolling drums which "rocked the nation"?

Who's to say that NU 107 and its legacy are not a part of my life? And so I feel I must thank NU, as it makes its exit with a bang and with grace. Allow me to swear a bit - isang malutong na putang ina dahil hindi ako nakatulong, at dahil na rin walang nagawa (walang ginawa?) yung mga institusyong itinaguyod ng NU noong malakas pa sila sa panahong ito. While Urbandub (admittedly not one of my favourites) and Sugarfree (bless their souls ♥ ) were on board and legendary The Dawn bassist/NU DJ Francis Brew Reyes made his very epic parting speech, I can't wrap my head over the fact that many of the 1990s and 2000s bands I knew and love that are still alive and kicking seem to be not part of the vigil, as far as I've heard from the grapevine and seen from the Tweetvine.

But like that epic saying goes, "Rock's not dead." Especially Pinoy Rock, which NU had a heavy hand in shaping and promoting. It's really sad that advertising just pulled out of the station and even sadder that many bands that found their audience and home in NU aren't even there. I will feel endless guilt that I was unable to help keep them alive, the station whom I owe a significant part of my unusual music taste and even my very motivation for living to (at one point in time), but I hope I can help commit their memory to mind and heart in this small way.

As I finish, livestreaming is up on http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/nu107fm. Sir Cris Hermosisima - DJ Cris Cruise - is on board with Quark Henares, soon-to-be-former-owner. Major Tom's voice has just left the airwaves, and my favourite NU DJ Jay "the gay best friend" Santiago is speaking. Maraming salamat, NU 107.5, at hanggang sa muli. ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

Live simultaneous streaming of the 2009 Rock Awards. I hope we can see NU broadcast or podcast online! ♥♥♥♥

Oplan Kaligayahan: Costume Play Mania (part 1 of ?)

Hi all,

Partly inspired by this post by Shmuberry, and because in a few hours one of the events I helped pioneer is about to begin, please allow me to indulge myself.

Today is the first of two days of Cosplay Mania X. This year is extra special not only because of the two-day event, but moreover because it commemorates ten years of cosplay in the Philippines.

Now why is it so important to me? And how does it play into Oplan Kaligayahan?

Well, back in the year 2000, I was one of the first cosplayers in the Philippines. Let me digress for a bit: I was originally slated to cosplay in the 1999 San Diego Comic Con, but I had to return to my country the day right before, so I consider my debut in the year 2000. Of course your mileage may vary - those from the defunct gang Anime@Arki would profess they began cosplaying back in 2009, but then it's admittedly true that only the group's members know about the Animersion event at all because it was essentially a meet-up/get-together where everyone happened to be in costume. What happened during AnimeXplosion 2000 was definitely on a more massive scale, and thus the year 2000 is the one more widely acknowledged as the start of costume play in the Philippines.

Oplan Kaligayahan: Pag-asa

First things first: How's the new look of my blog? v^.~v I finally got tired of my old layout and I chose to fix it myself. I hope y'all like it! :>

As I've already shared in one of my pages above, I'm taking part in The Happiness Project. It looks very interesting and fun, and I'm actually excited to take part. ^~^

One of the things that makes me extremely happy are learning about the random, everyday events in life that cause joy for other people. I don't mind that they don't happen to me, but I also enjoy sharing events I've had a hand in which have made other people happy.

Allow me to share with you one of my favourite sites ever - Gives Me Hope. What's better is that for bloggers in the Google family like me, there is a widget available for embedding GMH posts in our blogs for as long as Google will support them, whee! d^_~b Enjoy! ♥



Gives Me Hope - Life Is Beautiful Today!

PORTED FROM Vox Hunt: Show and Tell

Show us a picture of where you'd like to live and tell us why you want to live there. 
Submitted by Warhead.  

Philippine beachfronts are the best. They are (somewhat) clean and untouched, being hard to reach from the big city. With the existence of USB dongles with which to connect to the internet, I think this is becoming my residence of choice. The fact that Mahal loves the idea definitely helps. ;3 ♥

Swagger with Swag! Gyaru Giveaways [*constantly updated for as long as I can get online]

If you are reading my blog, you would find that I am currently aspiring to be a gyaru. The best places to start research on it include Wikipedia, Ricoche, and the ever-expansive Gyaru Wiki (yay it's about time!), but you're better off lurking around Livejournal and blogs like the venerable ladies Cherrypop (sorry French only!) and Gal Factory, Gyaru-Raba, Chaigyaru, and Universal Doll off the top of my head. Of course, Google is your friend. Simply put, it's about being a sexy, stylish (post-)modern woman.

Of course, if gyaru fits your interests, you'd also know that it entails expenses. XD;;;

But fret not! There are many gyaru out there who are generous in spreading the love of sexy, stylish (post-)modern life. While sadly I'm not one of them yet, I think I can definitely point you in the right direction. ;P

Here are some blog sites which feature giveaways of make-up and jewelry to help kick-start your gyaru life. Note that the most recent promos are the ones on the top!

Pixie Dust

I have to admit, fairies were never my cup of tea. Not even fairy princesses could distract me from my fascination with angels, witches (!) and princesses, which set in much earlier. However, this stylish, make-up savvy Viennese blogger is starting to make me reconsider. With a touch of whimsy and a spirit of wonder, Frau Pixie Dust makes me want to sprinkle a little magic into my life, from my make-up and my wardrobe to the mundane everydayness of my work. ♥

And with her awesome first-ever make-up and accessories giveaway (fairy-themed of course!), Frau Pixie Dust shares a few items that she swears grants elven charms to her to everyone on an international level! But to do this, there are a few conditions, but I won't go into them - you can read them all in the post. The giveaway began on 10th May and ends 25th June, with 25 being her lucky number. Sorry I shared this late Frau Pixie Dust!

Mika Chan ♥ Sparkles by 美華ちゃん
Mika-chan looks American but has Japanese blood and shuttles her life between Japan and North America. She also has an enviable marriage to a wonderful man and an adorable son, both of which she blogs about as frequently as her make-up and beauty adventures. Oh, and there are many make-up and beauty adventures - mostly of the trial and review kind, but her few-and-far-between tutorials are also awesome (and I wish she'd make more of those). She faces her problems - most recently, her son's problematic vision and health - fearlessly with style and panache. Though not a full gyaru, she is an awesome woman in my book and I wish her well.

Her first-ever blog giveaway is notable because she's not giving away just one (1) prize, but THREE (3) prizes! Yes, that means there's a first, second, and third place! However, there is one serious condition for eligibility in the contest: all blog followers (via Google Friend Connect) must add to their comment, in addition to their names, email addresses and reposts in their blogs/Twitter accounts, their thoughts on her blog plus their suggestions for improvement. You'd better start following her on Google because this contest ends on May 12th!

FINDING TOKYO: fashion food foto by Hana
I meant to do this sooner, but I jetted off to India with the fam for a week (more on that at my next post), so this kinda took a backseat, eheh. XD;;;
This blog is very straightforward, promising nothing but fashion, food and photography in, around and about Tokyo. I personally only really followed it because it had three of my favourite things ever: a solid focus on Tokyo, an end-of-week blog round-up that's done religiously every week, and the cutest yellow layout in the history of EVER. ♥♥♥ (Seriously, yellow is such a bright colour that a layout based on it, no matter if it's on its palest or most burnt shades, is RARE to find online. Hell, I'm trying to make one but I haven't had the time... I digress...). Its owner Hana lives in Tokyo with her Japanese boyfriend.

UPDATE: The winner has been announced. Congratulations to AIN PARFAIT of Dollbot! \^0^/

StyleWalker by StyleGanji/Phi
This unique girl, Phi, is as awesome a gal as they come. She reads manga and is unashamed to admit she's obsessed with bloody Twilight, of all things! While I originally followed her for her awesome hair and make-up and deco tips, I'm definitely still on because of her frankness. She's refreshing and I like her. X3

UPDATE: No announcement yet on the winner, either... or maybe I missed it? LOL! Good news - the contest is still ONGOING, see update here! Thank you SO much for clearing this up Phi! v^_^v

Lizz Buenaventura.com: I draw for a living!
I found this through Health & Beauty Geek, who is made of awesome and who I've been following for quite a while now. ♥ Lizz Buenaventura is a consummate artist - in her own words she's "a designer by day and a painter by night" - although lately she's been going bonkers over the items which draw the human face so well: make-up! ;P

UPDATE: The winner has been announced. Congratulations to DEMENTIA of MukhangPera.com! \^0^/

This Was Forever by Emily Chan
I just discovered this gal (who is enamoured with the wares at Hongkong, a great thing in my book if you ask me ;3) by hopping and skipping through some fashion and beauty blogs here in Blogger. I love her style of mixing old with new and matching run-of-the-mill items with one-of-a-kind finds. She's got great taste in products as well. Plus, I love her wit and honesty as well, which shows in her entries. (Of course, it helps she's also Asian, ehehe, though seriously I swear I don't mean to just limit myself to Asian bloggers... ^^0)

UPDATE: The winner has been announced. Congratulations to FIONA WONG of The Blog World of Fiona! \^0^/

Ann-Mich
Maintained by the lovely Singaporean twins Anne (older) and Michelle (younger), they have giveaways combining authentic Japan goods with their own personal creations almost every month. I love them not because they have tons of giveaways, but because their blogs are entertaining, they are creatively inclined (Michelle runs an Etsy shop featuring handmade jewelry, while Anne's shop showcases handsewn crafts), and they are genuinely interested in the fashion and beauty.

UPDATE: Sadly, still no news on their November-December getaway. Or maybe I didn't win, haha. XD

With these I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your gyaru aspirations! ^0^/

[AD] Okay, I KNOW I'm somewhat geeky and nerdy but WHAT is this for again? O_o

My mum's sister and her husband arrived yesterday (Sunday,23rd May, Philippine time) and brought home goodies from the USA in behalf of my Ate (older sister), who is currently based there indefinitely. She gave me a lot of cool swag, like a cute (and THICK!) hoodie jacket with a vaguely cowgirl-ish pattern, my favourite 24-hour root boosting hair spray from TRESemme, some gold and silver hair ties, Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer, and even a Nine West Neves Large Clutch in Ultra Pink.

... Okay, I promise pictures once I get my spankin' new camera from the Sony Philippines 3-Day Big Sale happening this weekend! I know, the pics would really help a lot. X3

But anyway that's not the point of this post.

The point is, I suddenly found this tiny thing among the contents of the tightly-wrapped plastic bag that my aunt and uncle handed over to me.


Now as you can tell, the Belkin F8V366 Mobile Cassette Adapter for MP3/CD/MD is adorable, in that it appeals to my closeted geek/nerd self, who used to collect cassette tapes of virtually anything (that was wholesome, mind) that could be listened to. My version of this baby is white, although there's a stray black ink ballpen mark, hurr. It reminds me of the times I used to listen to nursery rhymes over and over until either the cassette tape, or the radio did, or (as was unfortunately the case) both tape and radio gave out. It also reminds me of my broadcasting classes and my days as a student DJ in the university radio station, which was one of my favourite places to be; we were required to record our hours not just through 200 hours of logs but through cassette tapes to make sure that we were, indeed, manning the booth from sign on at 12:00 noon to sign off at 5:00 pm.

But to be very honest, what bothers me is that I have NO idea how to use it. I mean, do I plug my MP3 player to it? What happens when I plug it to my dad's 19-year-old gray Honda Civic, which is the only item owned by this family owns that doesn't yet have a built-in CD player to match? Heck, no one even wants this! I mean, seriously, my technophobic Dad already owns a transistor-type radio with a built-in CD player - which is, quite ironically, something my Ate used to own before she moved to the USA - that he is absolutely loathe to part with.

So this cute and geeky but... since it doesn't come with a manual, I don't think I'll be able to use it at all. Sorry Ate! ;0;

I wonder, would anyone help me figure this out if I put one of my things up as a prize? Then again, WHAT do I own that would be valuable...? Hrrm... 6=_=000

Life & Style

I visited Littlekobaby's blog Koko In Wonderland this weekend and as always, she did not disappoint. She doesn't just recommend which items match or which style should be followed, but she asks questions that few fringe style fashionistas would dare tackle. She's very brave for professing her love for both gyaru and lolita, which is no mean feat because girls from both Japanese street fashion tribes have been at loggerheads since day one. This isn't a unique phenomenon though, as such tribalistic tendencies in fashion can be seen from haute couture to counterfeit culture. The type of mutual disgust that the gyaru and lolita  communities have for each other would make the Cold War look like a campfire where people are singing "Kumbayah." Yes folks, fashion equals serious business.

Gyaru (more likely agejo or hostesses) modelling Gothic Lolita brand dresses in their own style, taken from Vanilla Girl August 2008 issue, through CherryPop.

Thanks to this post and this post, I couldn't resist writing this reply of sorts.

Why I will roll out for "The Transformers"

Here are my reasons why I am voting for Richard "Dick" Gordon and Bayani Fernando as president and vice president respectively in the upcoming elections:

1. Both of them made their fortunes and took on their jobs well without the good (and not-so-good) name of relatives to back them up.
2. Gordon's Subic Bay and Olongapo City plus Bayani's Marikina City are all cities built on discipline where people work stable jobs with stable income, follow traffic rules, and enjoy clean surroundings. (I think that Subic Bay's "working girls" earn more in a working day than the girls here at P. Burgos Street in Makati -- where Jejomar Binay is said to part-own 3 girlie bars -- ever will in a week.) And everyone, EVERYONE I know who lives there will attest to their love for their representatives.
3. Dick Gordon is with the Philippine National Red Cross. They were the first large organisation to take concrete action during the twin typhoon disasters of 2009, and not the government. Hell, Gordon's been doing it since Mount Pinatubo erupted waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy back in 1991! 
4. Gordon's WOW Philippines program for the Department of Tourism was one of the most highly-applauded, ever. Hell, it even convinced Mahal to want to move here. ;P It's too bad his successor couldn't maintain the program's momentum.
5. Like some other candidates, Bayani rose from the ranks of poverty. His mum sold fish at the market. He was literally freakin' BORN in the market. The only difference is that unlike other candidates, he tries to come up with concrete solutions to get the poor to have a heightened sense of self-esteem and also improve their lives, all WITHOUT rubbing it in your face. 
6. Bayani Fernando is an engineer by profession. My dad, my aunt and many other friends and relatives of mine are engineers. I have not known a single engineer in my life to lie.
7. The Transformers camp is extremely clean and green. The fact that they don't have budget for ginormous tarpaulins and posters means that they are not contributing to the pollution that is caused by so many other campaigns. 
8. Related to the above, Bayani's work in the Metro Manila Development Authority has improved it significantly while making it a source of humour. There have been less cases of extortion by MMDA personnel reported in the news. And those ridiculously neon pink fences? Well, Bayani likes the expression "in the pink of health" originally coined to show that people with blushes in their faces are physically fit. In that case, wouldn't we want a clean and healthy and financially fit country? Think pink! :P  (I prolly should change my blog colours now because orange and yellow are for other candidates that I'm personally not keen on...) 
9. You may say, "But all of the candidates for the national positions are corrupt anyway, so why vote for Gordon-Bayani?" My answer: Because unlike the other candidates, there are very, VERY FEW issues you can throw at them, and very, VERY MANY achievements of theirs that you simply cannot do anything else but highlight. Do you hear people associate them with drug dealers and girlie bars? Do you hear them say that they offer so-and-so benefit to their constituents and make it sound like it's their own money when really it's money that comes from the dutiful taxpayers? 
10. Gordon and Bayani have seen how Filipinos work and live abroad -- many are law-abiding citizens with stable jobs, stable incomes, stable resources and big dreams which they know they can achieve. It is that kind of mentality and that kind of sensibility that is strangely and sorely lacking here in the Philippines.  

Granted, they are all human with foibles and faults. But to me, their track records -- and I'm just glossing over them here -- far outshine any faults they have, because the good they have done is the kind of good that is needed and can be seen by my country. Dogged discipline and dogged determination are sadly seen by my countrymen as forms of dictatorship, especially with the botched progress that happened during the Marcos era -- but in my many travels, and through what I am learning of the Gordon-Bayani tandem, I have realised that that cannot be further from the truth. What use is it if you have your freedom but you have no money to buy food or a house with? What kind of freedom is it if for every little thing you say, you need to watch your back because either the military or the left will hurt or even kill you? 

I know this will probably not convince a lot of people, but I believe that if you, as a Filipino who has stumbled into my blog reads this and decide to vote for my candidates too, we will all be forever grateful as a nation. ♥

Don't forget kids, vote tomorrow! And if you can, vote for true change, vote for the Transformers! \^0^/

Ligaya's State of The Nation Address regarding the May 10 Philippine national elections

I know this post probably won't matter since I'm not even running for the lowly position of councilor/konsehal, but I have friends from ALL political backgrounds, from all ends of the spectrum. You know who you are and I shouldn't need to tag/shoutout you people (comment na lang kayo). ;P

As is becoming apparent now, the upcoming elections have become an unusually serious make-or-break affair. So, know only this: Please respect my vote, and I'll respect yours. Whether you ask me to share or discuss my vote or not is fine and you'll be getting a straight answer out of me, but I am not going out of my way to ask you to do the same. I will not whine about your choice not to vote if you so decide, so please don't whine if you hate the country because you chose not to exercise your vote. And please, for the love of God and all that is good, don't hurt or kill anyone just because the other person will not vote for your candidate(s)! (For the record I've been quietly supporting the Gordon-Bayani/Transformers tandem since March of this year, but - partly helped by my sister's active moonlighting as Bayani Babe - I've been more vocal about this recently. Say what you want but I hope you follow suit with my example of not openly attacking your candidates with mine.)

But ultimately, please safeguard your country through safeguarding your vote, and do not sell out or allow it to be sold. Huwag maging talunang mamamayan! Huwag bumoto nang hindi kinikilala at kinikilatis ang kandidato! Huwag bumenta at magpabenta ng boto, at huwag hayaang mabenta ang boto! Huwag hayaang may papatay sa iba o sa inyo para lang manalo ang kandidato nila! Again, unless you've been living under a rock, you can tell that these elctions are so important.

That said, I'm part of both PPCRV (by association through BCBP) and NAMFREL (ever since 2007), but NAMFREL in particular needs help, and it's not too late to volunteer! Please call the NAMFREL Secretariat at 632-484-7590, 632-470-4151, 63927-9611524 and 63919-3389344, or email them at secretariat@namfrel.com.ph, or visit their website at http://www.namfrel.com.ph/home/index.htm. For Makati peeps, you may inquire with Janet and Peter of NAMFREL Makati at these numbers: 632-703-0026 and 63916-2322361. For my fellow BCBP members and associates who would like to assist PPCRV, kindly get in touch with your local chapter head, otherwise contact PPCRV at 632-521-5005, 632-524-2855 and parishpcrv@yahoo.com or visit their website at http://www.ppcrv.org/.

Bantayan natin ang boto at ang bayan! Safeguard your country and your vote! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas (long live the Philippines), I thank you.

Swagger With Swag!: Korean Beauty Products Giveaway from Lizz Buenaventura

* I don't claim to be a beauty product expert, I just share personal recommendations of products which work best for me. :P What works for me may not work for you, so please proceed with caution, thanks for understanding! ;3


While I understand that Korean beauty is ulzzang/best face style and notably different from gyaru, I have steadily realised that the styles share notable similarities, including the following:

1. Prominent eye make-up - this is one of the biggest things they have in common, because fans of both styles often wear much eyeliner, mascara and eyelash extensions. They also practise face contouring, which aims to make the eyes look bigger. I'm not sure which style promotes the use of contact lenses more, but I am sure glad that eyeglasses have been incorporated into the gyaru wardrobe now! As many of you already know, while I like contact lenses for their high style quotient, I am loathe to use them because my eye area is extremely dry and sensitive, and I'm deathly afraid of going blind. 
2. A certain way of hair styling and colouring - both styles promote coloured hair and the use of bangs, although they rotate between straight, curly and wavy styles in different times. 
3. Face contouring - both styles aim to make the face look really good, with the nose looking less flat and the cheeks looking more prominent. However, gyaru goes for a more natural over-all face look since the eyes are already the star of the make-up style, and ulzzang goes for a polished face look with the works. 
4. Focus on optimum face care - you cannot fake good skin, so every Japanese and Korean magazine I own have skin care product features and demos to ensure you look fresh and flawless every time. But because I have more Japanese magazines (granted, one is a Chinese edition, but still!) and only 2 from Korea, I am not sure which country/fashion style puts more steps into its beauty routine.

This is why I make use of Japanese and Korean (and Chinese - from Hongkong and Taiwain) make-up and beauty goods extensively in my daily (meaning 24/7) wardrobe. In fact, there are four(count 'em!) products which I cannot live without:

[AD] Neverwinter Nights!

Many people don't know this, but Mahal was once a die-hard player of Neverwinter Nights. I'm not sure which version it is, but it would most likely have been the AOL one, since he was talking about it when we first met, which was a few years after the AOL version closed and before the BioWare version opened. (Hahaha our age is showing! XD)

At the time I met him, there were no MMORPGs available online yet. Ragnarok Online wouldn't be available for another 3 years in the Philippines, and as everyone here knows it's the very first one we got. And to be honest, all I knew was pen-and-paper (or, in my case especially, keyboard-and-screen) RPG playing. I know my geek creds are gonna fly out the window when I admit this, but I still haven't quite mastered the art of hardcore pen-and-paper dice-rolling RPGs.

So I did my research online, and here's what I've learned about the game (thanks to Wikipedia :P):

Neverwinter Nights (NWN), produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames (now Atari), is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial difficulties forced the change. Infogrames released Neverwinter Nights for Windows on June 18, 2002. BioWare released the freely downloadable Linux Client in June 2003 (purchase of game still required). MacSoft released a Mac OS X port in August 2003. Two expansion packs were released in mid and late 2003, and a third in 2005. On October 31, 2006, the sequel Neverwinter Nights 2 was released followed by its first expansion in late 2007 and its second one at the end of 2008. The game was based on the concept of building an internet-like model for a massively multiplayer game, allowing the end users to host the server. The belief was this model would create a potentially infinite massively multiplayer game framework. The game was named after the original Neverwinter Nights online game, the first graphical MMORPG, which ran from 1991 to 1997 on AOL.

More history here and here.

So apparently this was the very first graphical MMORPG in the history of EVER. It's also one of the very first multiserver MMORPGs. PLUS, apparently,

NWN game modules run as a variety of separate genres and themes, including persistent worlds (which are similar to MUDs), combat arenas (player versus player modules), whole servers dedicated to sexually oriented roleplay, and simple social gatherings similar to a chat room. The campaign included with the game can be played with friends, for example, or a team of builders can build a virtual world similar in scope and size to commercial MMORPGs. BioWare insists that these persistent worlds be free of charge, primarily for reasons of copyright law.
Because Neverwinter Nights lacks a global chat function aside from the supported Gamespy, players typically join "pickup" games through the game's multiplayer interface, or schedule games in advance with friends. Matchmaking sites, such as Neverwinter Connections, facilitate scheduling of games, and the experience is much like traditional Pen-and-Paper roleplaying games. Persistent worlds do this work for them by inviting players to visit their website and continue to roleplay there.
...
Neverwinter Nights ships with the Aurora toolset, which allows players to create custom modules for Neverwinter Nights. These modules may take the form of online multiplayer worlds, single player adventures, character trainers or technology demos. Additionally, several third party utilities have further expanded the community's ability to create custom content for the game. Custom content creators are known as builders in the Neverwinter Nights community.
...
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, a role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe, was also released by BioWare using a heavily modified version of the Aurora engine of Neverwinter Nights. The sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, also used this modified engine. Because of this, modders have been able to modify these games using some Neverwinter Nights modding tools.
BioWare used Neverwinter Nights and its toolset to develop prototypes and mock-ups of various areas and scenarios for Dragon Age: Origins.

So why have I not been playing this??? DDDDDDDDDDD:

... Oh yeah, at least 2/3 of the MMORPG players in my country have not heard of this at all. XP This is a serious disadvantage when you're dependent on Japanese and Korean game developers, yes. I wanna make my own maps and not rely on one linear path to enjoy my game, dammit! (As much as I have loved Granado Espada, I've noticed that all the quests you can finish get you to a certain stage and a certain level in the game, and that if you don't do any of them you are guaranteed not to be able to enjoy any "advancement". That, to me, kinda takes the fun out of role-playing ... I'm the type who just goes along for the ride, and doesn't really care about having the best weapons/armour/characters in her stable. Well that, and I just really enjoy killing and looting monsters, tedious as that may be. XD)
Waaaaaah, I can actually be married to Mahal in NWN! I SHOULD be playing this!

Right now, I've finally found a great place to buy latest version from - GameTap! Not only does GameTap have the most current version of the game, their version also includes the expansion packs Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark! That's SO much more convenient than having to get both expansion packs separately. (It does make me sad though that GameTap no longer mentions the Kingmaker expansion pack, which was released in November 2004 and features three premium modules: the titular award-winning Kingmaker, plus Shadowguard and Witch's Wake. Does this mean there was no resolution with Atari, one of the original developers of NWN until very recently?) True to the custom content building tradition that made NWN so popular, there are also community-created expansion packs available, but again you apparently need to get them from BioWare NWN website.

It seems like NWN is closing too, which is a shame because right now I can finally, FINALLY afford it. T.T It must be all the legal problems as well as the terrible economy. But I still truly want to play, if only to get to know, through the game, my Mahal more...

Excuse me, I need to go get me a credit card now...

I wish I did this before you left...

From http://xkcd.com/162/.

Yes, still feeling a bit of separation anxiety. We're like the Weaver Princess and Cowherd personified ... and hey, the even worse part is, the analogy fits too.

I miss you so much Mahal.

Discuss: Tokyo youth fashion invades Paris! [Updated]

So I am currently online checking out articles for work today, when I stumbled upon this from The Philippine Star's website, PhilStar. I know that Japan has belatedly realised that its fashion is very marketable worldwide, and that its brands have trouble finding a larger, more lucrative (read: international) market especially in the face of the global recession (which, strangely, hasn't been felt within and around the Philippines... yet). With all these things happening at the same time, it's nice to see that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is trying helping its fashion designers gain a foothold abroad. Called Tokyoeye, this ambitious pilot project by METI toured the world, starting at Shanghai and finishing in Paris, just after Fashion Week no less. This endeavour follows other similar moves that aim to promote, quite aggressively, Japanese culture to the world, notably the establishment of the Kansei Value Creation Initiative and the opening of the Kansei Value Creation Museum in Kobe and the launch of “NIPPON MONO ICHI – Spirit of Creation” in cooperation with the Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan (SMRJ) which aims to help SMEs - fashion brands included (they still aren't as big as car companies, banks and electronics corporations, after all) - use consumer-oriented products as mediums for their messages they wish to send to consumers (spirit of creation), by guiding them through the planning and development, distribution and marketing phases.

To quote from the Tokyoeye article on PhilStar:

The closing event in Paris was the highlight of Tokyoeye. From February to March, young Japanese brands like Aula Aila, Valentine’s High, Galaxxxy in Hi-Fi, Sachio Kawasaki, DRESSCAMP, Liz Lisa, Phenomenon, Duck Digger displayed their works at Colette — a boutique known as a bastion of cool.

Also according to the article, the Tranoï Showroom on rue Saint-Honoré opened young designers to deals with fashion buyers and merchandisers. If the designers play their cards right, we can will see some of our favourites in Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales and Club 21, among others.

I believe that this effort is also related to Tokyoeye:

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will set up a Japan Booth at "MICAM SHOEVENT", the world’s largest-scale international footwear exhibition, and help Japanese companies exhibit their products. The event, taking place in Milan, Italy, is expected to attract about 40,000 buyers.

While Liz Lisa and even Cocolulu (strangely not a part of this line-up ... maybe because it's not highbrow enough?) are already making in-roads in Asia (I really wish I'd been able to go to the Liz Lisa Taipei store while I was in Taiwan last year), I definitely agree that the other brands need more buzz. Outside of the few people I know who have an idea of

However, the more I learn about the METI's past and present efforts, I'm getting the impression that METI is creating and promoting Tokyoeye as a high-end affair. What would happen to the Japanese street fashion brands and the youth subcultures that they inspired then, like Liz Lisa and Galaxxxy in Hi-Fi? Would it be the end of fukubukuro (loot bags) from our favourite stores? Will this turn our beloved "raw" tribe followings into haute couture exhibitions?



UPDATE: Strangely, there seems to be little news about Tokyoeye available online. Hmm. Here are some of the links that I was able to find (I didn't include those already posted earlier):

Article on Modem Mag
Article on the Mainichi Shimbun's English-language website
Thailand-Japan fabric and textile collaboration article on FashionWindows

Sony PlayStation® Philippines Official Launch

Sony Philippines, Inc. invites you to the first PlayStation® Event on March 27 and 28 at the Glorietta Activity Center. Enjoy the extensive display of the full PlayStation® line-up, try out the newest game offerings and watch the hottest bands perform onstage.

Up for grabs are brand new PlayStation®3, (PSP®) PlayStation®Portable and limited edition PlayStation® premium items by simply joining any of the following activities:
I. COSPLAY Fashion: Visit and register online via https://www.smap.ap.sony.com/survey/se.ashx?s=15795BB2331B4D66.
II. COSPLAY Battlefield: Visit and register online via https://www.smap.ap.sony.com/survey/se.ashx?s=15795BB2331B4D66.
III. PlayStation® Amazing Race
IV. PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Tekken Network Battle
V. PlayStation 3® Ridge Racer 7 Competition
VI. I Want A PlayStation®3 Raffle Onsite Draw (2 brand new PlayStation®3 units to be raffled out)

For more information log on to www.sony.com.ph, call our Customer Contact Center at (02) 878-7600, or kindly visit the PlayStation Philippines Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=377990327690&ref=nf.