Another addition to the unfortunately growing list of breast cancer patients is star of "Married.. With Children" and "Samantha Who," Christina Applegate.
The 36 year old actress was found to have the disease during a routine MRI. She is currently under treatment and is expected to recover soon. She has been an advocate for cancer research, as her mother fought both breast and cervical cancer. Christina is one of the celebrities scheduled to appear in the TV fund raiser, "Stand Up To Cancer."
Just about a month ago, her boyfriend Lee Grivas was found dead in his apartment.
Here's wishing Christina the strength that she needs to surpass this difficult time of her life. May she get well soon.
Did I just hear your tummy grumble? Can't blame you. Seeing these gastronomic delights will push your stomach to a hungry mode. Even I can't help drooling as I write this. It's a feel good food perfect for those nursing a broken heart and replenishing drenched up spirits. Give your tongue a break from licking your wounds and give in to your cravings for these yummy gourmet cookies.
I've been very choosy with my food lately that I have to avoid disease-causing ingredients. I'm loading up on vegetables and shying away from animal products. Living in a health conscious era, even these treats heed the call to a healthier living. Choose the all natural cookies with healthy ingredients like organic whole wheat pastry flour and dairy, heart-beneficial oats and organic butter. Feed your body right.
If you're looking for gifts for your loved ones or wanna cheer up a friend, these should liven up their spirits in no time. Accentuate these with dainty ribbons and you're good to go.
If you're the boss everyone would love to have, think of ways to keep your people enamored. These delights would make excellent giveaways as corporate gifts cookies. Give your employees a pat in the back by rewarding them with unforgettably delicious premium grade goodies.
Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Not me. But I definitely want to get my hands on the jar as long as they're healthy.
With only 6 days to go before the opening of the Beijing Olympics, the sport I anticipate the most is gymnastics, especially the women's artistic division.
I grew up watching Bea Lucero in the Milo TV ad and followed her career til she won an olympic medal in another sport, Tae Kwon Do in the Barcelona olympics. It was a demo sport back then. She failed to join the Philippine olympic team as a gymnast due to politics but she will always be remembered as the girl who inspired other Filipino kids into gymnastics.
Gymnastics is much more than just somersaults, flexibility and grace. It provides one of the most breathtaking spectacles to sports viewers, in an olympic level at that. Will someone surpass the record achieved by Nadia Comeneci of Romania? We will be looking for perfect 10's in this year's delegates.
Strongest bets are from the USA, China, Italy, Romania, Brazil and Russia. Shawn Johnson, from the USA, won the women's all around individual title in Stuttgart, Germany for the World Championship last year.
Being born to famous parents translates to millions of moolah. Reuters report that the exclusive rights to the first photos of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins born last July 12, 2008 are sold to People and Hello magazines.
Knox Leonne and Vivienne Marchelline, the million dollar twins, their parents and 4 other siblings already had a photo session, according to Getty Images. The exact amount paid was not known but it was speculated to be around $11 million.
The twin cuties must be proud to know that in less than 1 month of age, they are already doing an act of goodwill, following the footsteps of their benevolent parents, just by flashing their toothless grins to the cameras. Oh yeah, they can't smile yet but the charitable institutions will. Their parents and Getty images agreed that the proceeds will go to charity. Fabulous babies!
One of my favorite hobbies is shopping online. Bad for my credit card's health but there are too many stuff not available within my reach, hence I have to resort to long distance shopping from various countries.
I check out reviews of items on the net before buying them. Some will confuse you as one product may work for some, but may be a nightmare material to others. Looking for reviews may find you lurking in this unusual blog on the overlooked items on shopwiki. Who would've thought there was a "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul?" After being ridiculed in front of worldwide audience, this should help rebuild the hopefuls' ripped up self esteem and bounce back from Simon Cowell's notorious remarks. Do you splurge up on cocaine? No, not the abused substance that could pass for an underarm deodorant. It's an unusual brand name of an energy drink selling for $1.99 per can. Controversial? Hell, yeah. TheOverlooked blog provides an insightful background to this product.
You will be loaded with information and humor on products that you never knew existed. Their regular "Hunk Friday" feature is worth checking out too. Take this alternative shopping route along the information superhighway and have a good laugh checking out the goods.
The 80's icon Rick Astley is in the Philippines for his concert "Here and Now" at the Araneta this Friday, August 1, 2008. For some reason, Roderick Paulate comes to my mind when I hear the name of Rick Astley.
Watching Rick on the news today momentarily flashes me back to Roderick singing "Never Gonna Give You Up" in promotion of his movies in the 80's like "Ako Si Kiko, Ako Si Kikay" and in his show with Carmi Martin, "Dick and Carmi." He was linked to Jackie Aquino back then. Darn, my age is showing. In fairness, Roderick can sing and his voice was often compared to Rick. It's just that being in the Philippines, I see Roderick more often than Rick that listening to Astley songs brings Roderick dancing his way to the picture.
By the way, don't believe the rumors that Bo Derek's surname is Paulate.
Here are the promotional campaign materials for my beauty blog:
My fans
Being a Head Turner
Front Page
Mall-wide promo
Angelina Jolie is now my fan?
Lol.. You don't need to be famous or a master of the photoshop to land on billboards. Just check out Photofunia.com to fulfill your vanity wishes. Got this idea from fellow GT blogger Miemiemie. Enjoy! :)
David Cook, Meryll Streep, Charlize Theron and sports hero Lance Armstrong are among those who pledged to help bust the big C in the upcoming TV fundraiser, called " Stand Up To Cancer".
The show will air commercial-free simultaneously on 3 US TV networks: ABC, CBS, NBC on primetime which is rare on television history.
Being a cancer patient myself, I am happy that influential people are taking part in important causes such as this.
Almost everyone today knows someone inflicted with cancer that it becomes a personal battle to hep find ways of stopping it. It is no longer limited to people with genetic predispositions. Anyone can be afflicted with it. It is not only a physically and emotionally distressing disease but financially draining, as well. So please, if you can find ways to help, please do.
Other celebrities expected to appear are Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek and Sally Field. Mark your calendars on September 5, 2008, 8 PM.
I do have the habit of searching my name on the net, just for the heck of it. Since my surname is uncommon, I am easily lead to sites that have something to do with me and not people with similar names.
While fellow doctors are cited on webs for their exemplary researches and other works, searching for my name leads me to sites that showcase my flair for the brushes as a makeup artist. My medical persona does appear on pages when I passed the physicians’ board exams and my accreditation with philhealth. Other than those, it’s mostly about makeup. But I don’t mind at all coz it's just my passion making its presence felt. That's the other side of me.
If you’re a professional wanting to promote your services, the internet is a good vehicle. Creating a personal web page is the most convenient way for your clients to check on your goods and reputation. That’s how I let them view my portfolio for makeup works.
Start by building your professional online profile thru look up page so you won’t be confused with other people. They would know that you’re the right guy for the job and not some porn star bearing the same name. That’s part of your online reputation management. If someone does a name searchon you, it will appear on top position in google and you can also track who your potential clients are.
Lately, I noticed celebrities have been giving birth to twins. This holds true not only in Hollywood but also locally, here in the Philippines.
Here are some Hollywood couples with twin blessings:
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Rebecca Romjin and Jerry O'Conell (still expecting come winter)
Julia Roberts and husband Danny Moder
Marcia Cross and husband Tom Mahoney
Patrick Dempsey and wife Jillian
On Philippine Shores, we have:
Charlene Gonzales and Aga Muhlach
Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi
Broadcaster Vicky Morales and husband King Reyno
The offsprings of these Filipino celebrities have been making waves in TV commercials because of their natural charms and good looks inherited from their parents.
What's with these celebrities causing this twin boom trend? Fans are wanting to follow suit and have twins for themselves, to the point of considering fertility pills. Well, having twins does sound cute but multifetal pregnancy poses more risks to the mother and the babies.
When I was doing ultrasound during my residency training, I dreaded scanning a twin pregnancy because it was more tricky to trace. But it was exciting to break the news to the mother. The mom would either welcome it gleefully or paint a worried look on her face calculating the double costs later in these kids' life. It's probably why twins are lately given to celebrity couples, because they can afford raising these double bundles of joy with their million dollar incomes, don't you think?
Last week, a blog was circulated regarding a 3 year old boy named Matthew "Chu-chu" David Samudio abducted in Festival mall in Alabang. His aunt asked for the help of fellow bloggers to help find her nephew. It got around fast that the media picked up the story. The surveillance camera showed the boy being escorted by an impoverished looking teenage girl out of the mall.
Last Friday, the kid who was an only son was reported found around Sta. Rosa Commercial Complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna begging with the girl. The boy who lived a comfortable life was turned into a beggar! He is a sickly kid due for surgery next month for hydrocoele. He was wearing a new set of clean clothes. The girl speeded out upon seeing the security guards who saw them.
There was no ransom asked but people are speculating that it was a syndicate responsible for the abduction. The family of the boy is thankful for their miracle. They have learned a valuable lesson and tells other families to take care of their precious kids. In this day and age, you can't trust public places to be safe.
Thanks to the power of the internet and bloggers who moved heaven and earth to find the boy.
Working on weddings as a make up artist, I can't help but be amazed at how they pull of a grand design for the reception place. My regular events organizer, Jane, is good in that. Even my friend in Manila, Dylan, who organizes weddings and other occasions have a flair for tasteful arrangement of venues.
It's amazing that even with a limited budget, talented people can manage to make an event look prestigious. For those in the US, there's this company in Texas, that can help you with your needs on your special day. They have cute table covers for different occasions. Their trash can cover caught my fancy. I find it amazing to have a utility often ignored like a trash can, dressed up looking so elegant.
If you're a wedding supplier planning on trade show exhibits to showcase different services offered, or if you're looking for fashionable ways for a table top display of your merchandise, check out the designs on their site. You can put your portfolios for potential clients to see.
From banner designs, to flooring and lights for your event, they got you covered. You need not go looking some place else. I wish they had something like that back here in CDO.
My phone is giving me the cold treatment. The N76 lucky phone which I won in last year's nokia passions promo suddenly stopped alerting me for messages. The next thing I knew, my inbox was flooded with messages which I failed to check earlier, including an invitation to a photoshoot.
I guess it had to do with being exposed to the ice cold water I brought in my bag. The phone accidentally laid near it. It probably got a frost bite or something. I tried to make it work by checking on the profile settings, volume, etc. Nada. Calls still make sound but it doesn't alert me for messages received. Other than that, it's still fully functional. I just have to keep checking it every now and then for important sms. I have to trust my gut feelings to sense a message worth checking.
I hope I could get it working again. It's a very special phone to me. Sentimental values and all, despite that it's a little heavy and the camera isn't that fab. For some reason, I loved the pictures produced by my Nokia 6600 before, even if it had a lower resolution than the 2 megapixels in nokia N76.
Looking at the positive side, I used to complain about text messages sent by morning people. It woked me up before my usual waking hours. Now I don't have to deal with that. I just hope I don't miss out on work opportunities texted to me.
Today is the 2nd death anniversary of my favorite doctor, Dr. Frances Dizon. We lost her to breast cancer. With new lumps surfacing on my affected breast, these are the times I wish she was still alive. She was the most compassionate and understanding doctor I knew, not to mention intelligent and beautiful. Probably too good for this world. Unlike other doctors who scold and alienate their patients for not doing as told, Doc Frankie respects the decisions you make but patiently waits for you to come to your senses.
Today I included Doc Frankie in prayers during the mass I attended. When the light strangely lit up the other night, I don't know why Doc Frankie came into my mind. I searched my previous entry of her and realized it was almost her 2nd death anniversary. What I did not mention in my blog about the mysterious light switching was that I palpated another lump in my left breast minutes before the strange occurrence. An unwelcome reprise to the saga I thought was long over.
I slept late last night like I usually do. Past 2 am, I went to the living room to switch off the internet connection after surfing the net thru wifi in my room. Normally, I leave it open when I doze off to sleep. I don’t know what entered my mind to suddenly be conscious of energy conservation. On my way, I turned on the light in the kitchen. Switching off the internet modem, I prepped myself to sleep and turned off the kitchen light on my way back. Just after stepping inside my room, I heard a click and the kitchen lit up again! I thought it was either my mom or dad who woke up to get something in the kitchen. I turned around, took a peek and noticed there wasn’t anyone around. Instead of heading to the CR, I rushed towards my husband sleeping.
I told him my story and being the ever loving hubby, he escorted his terrified wife to the CR. I kept convincing myself that it must have been a lizard which crawled over the switch but then it has to be very precise not to tap the other light switches proximal to it. And the click was too loud.
If it were some strange creature, it was probably warning me to sleep earlier. My alternative medicine doctor has been constantly urging me to sleep during 9 to 2 AM because those are the hours when the body repairs its cells. I’ve been trying to, only to keep tossing in bed unable to sleep. My creative juices pour in usually in the wee hours of the morning, hence I take this time to write and plan my next move. Back when I was still a medical student, I chose these hours to study because my brain tends to be more receptive to voluminous information at these times.
With my diagnosis of cancer, I am compelled to employ a healthier lifestyle but some habits are harder to break. It takes a strange circumstance to prompt me to sleep earlier. That should do make me sleep earlier tonight. Don’t want to mess up with lights that have a mind of its own. On second thought, it probably irked the mysterious creature that his internet connection was suddenly cut off. He must have been in a middle of a chat when I turned it off. Geez.. I'm creeping myself out.
If given the chance, I would want travel with my husband to Europe. Who knows? I'm excited just browsing over the possible places to visit. It must be difficult booking a decent, affordable place to stay. I've been told by my friend Isobelle that in case I'd plan to travel abroad, to search and make my reservations months before the travel date. I was wondering, what if suddenly decide to travel, would it be impossible to find a decent place to stay abroad?
When it comes to traveling, I usually search the net for information on the place I'll be visiting. I know most of you do, so this might be of help the next time you pack your bags on a grand vacation.Perhaps you're considering a honeymoon in the romantic city of Paris, a visit to the hometown of The Beatles inLiverpool, a pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Lourdes in or a tour just about anywhere in the world. You can check for Paris hotel and travelsto book online. Whether you prefer luxury or budget rooms, you can choose from a variety of hotels to stay. France travels and hotels need not be expensive. They offer the lowest rates that if you ever find a cheaper alternative, you can always contact their customer service so they can adjust their rate! So is true if you're likewise hunting for aLiverpool accommodation.
Whether you take a side trip to the place where Dao Ming Si lost his precious memories of San Chai, in Barcelona, Spain or watch the famous bullfighting in Madrid, no worries on the last minute booking. For your travel to Barcelona and hotels,all you have to do is to let your fingers do the talking. Browse and reserve online. In searching forMadrid hotels and accomodations, there are apartments for family travelers and hotels that include free breakfasts or hotel parking. They instantly confirm your reservation, providing a whole more convenient option for you.
Hmm.. if I wish hard enough, my dreams of a Eurpean tour could actually come true. Eiffel tower, here we come!
I regret not being able to take pictures of my puppy when she was still alive. My hubby warned me not to take pictures of her because of superstitious beliefs. I wanted her badly to live so I obeyed. She left us a month ago due to parvo. Luckily, I found a picture of her on my nieces' camera. She just took a bath in this photo that's why her hair's still a little wet.
This is my chinky-eyed puppy. I miss you, Kimrox! Darn, I still get teary eyed typing this.
Wu Chun, of Hana Kimi Taiwanese version and Romantic Princess fame, is in our country right now together with his co- Fahrenheit member Calvin Chen.
The two are visiting in promotion of their television series, "Romantic Princess" which currently airs at ABS-CBN. They are the half of the 4 member band Fahrenheit. The others being Jiro Wang (who reminds me of Mark Bautista) and Aaron Yan.
Wu Chun and Calvin Chen guested earlier this evening at the Pinoy Dream Academy season 2 performance night. It was refreshing to know that they can speak good english and learned a few Filipino phrases like "mahal ko kayo". They sang "Xin Wo", the theme from Romantic Princess.
The first time I saw him was in Hana Kimi where he was perfect for his role as the hearthrob/ athlete who inspired a girl (Ella Chen) to go great lengths just to be close to him, including enroling in an all boys' school. I was laughing my gut out while watching the series. Jiro Wang was in it, as the funny guy who suffered identity crisis by falling in love with Ella Chen's character. The ending left us all hanging and wondering if there would be a sequel to the hit series. Wu Chun will also be starring with Meteor Garden's Dao Ming Si, Jerry Yan in the most awaited asian TV series called "Hotshots", a basketball drama which will soon be aired through ABS CBN as well.
I'm currently working on a beauty blog called Make Up Artist In Scrubs, taking after my winning entry to the nokia N76 passions contest last year.
It will contain tidbits about beauty and fashion. I've been thinking of putting up a make up tutorial here in cdo but considering how stingy people can get, I decided to work on my tutorial little by little for free via that blog.
If you have any questions you've been dying to ask about beauty, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll try to offer some help and feature it in my website. Check it out soon!
I've been considering freelance writing as a possible full time career option in the event that my hubby decides to start his residency training somewhere outside Cagayan. That means I'd have to resign from my current work as a school physician and lose reliever stints as a company doctor, to accompany him wherever he plans to train. I thought, online jobs might save me from possible joblessness because it would be difficult to find work for doctors like the ones I have now, that wouldn't entail 24 hrs duty. I definitely have no plans of going back to the zombie life once more.
When I browsed around for freelance outsourcing websites, I noticed there were a lot of open projects for writers but the pay can get as low as $1 an article, with expected turn around of 5-10 articles of 200-500 words per day. And these are not mere rewriting jobs but works containing original contents. Its not like you can write whatever's on your mind, right? It's not even a personal blog. You have to carefully study the topic assigned, process your thoughts before hitting the keyboards with words that actually make sense. Since I'm relatively new to this field, I'm not sure if it's easier for seasoned writers to effortlessly produce multiple articles like living factories.
Since most freelance websites hire their employees by bidding, the one who bids the lowest pay gets the job. Amazingly, there are people who can bid as low as .50 cents per article just to land the job. Are times really this hard up? Are they worth that low? This situation tolerates buyers/employers into offering jobs with very meager pay. The provider comes across as a beggar who will take anything, just to survive. Heck, beggars in our streets even require a minimum of one peso from willing donors. But these writers are supposedly professionals who spent years on education to be able to pull off a sensible article.
Maybe if I don't have the convenience I am presently enjoying in my current jobs, I might actually give in to the pressure of taking whatever is there. But good Lord, I hope it doesn't come to that point. That would probably be the time when I'd rather go full time into make up artistry, or whatever job that respects my skills and knowledge.
I am grateful that through this blog, I was able to land a writing gig at odesk.com. Although the entries here are not that polished and contain more of my rants than intellectually-stimulating pieces, it was a wise decision to keep it. This served as my portfolio.
I signed up for odesk last December just for the heck of it. Upon searching the open jobs available, I couldn't find anything suitable for me. In every job posting, there were a lot of applicants gunning for the respective positions. I didn't bother applying to any of slots because I didn't feel I had the edge over the others. Not until I got the invitation to work for a website for doctors in UK.
My present boss, who is likewise a doctor, contacted me to have an interview for a project they were working on. He browsed through my profile and this blog. The tasks included article/ blog writing and forum postings. This was just the job that I had in mind. This must be the "law of attraction" working.
With my assignments, I get to learn the latest news in the medical field, research about diseases and awaken my neurons which I haven't done for a while, after quitting residency. This work makes me think! Just when I thought I was ready to trade my career as a doctor to become a full time makeup artist, I realized I still crave for mental calisthenics. Don't get me wrong, make up artistry takes a lot of creativity, but it is in writing where I get to quench my brain the knowledge it has been thirsting for. I get to employ my medical education, the use of which I have been questioning for quite some time now.
I am thankful to God that now I am putting my skills to use. From make up to writing to music (I went back to playing the piano) to practicing as a physician, I am enjoying His blessings for me and the time that allows me to do all this. This makes my life a lot lovelier.
Oh yeah, I just got my first pay from odesk yesterday. Here's hoping for a lot more gigs to come. Thanks a lot to Matt, my boss for trusting me on this job.
We always had puppies but this one I recently adopted is different. My mom told me it was my canine counterpart. She was chinky eyed, liked to isolate herself from the other puppies and loved sleeping. She had this funny habit of getting in the way when my car arrived. She would stretch out her tiny body just a few inches where the wheel was about to halt. They call her suicidal. I thought to myself, she's just like me: self- destructive.
Like me, she ate very little but her favorite food was sushi. She'd wiggle her tail when she is served her fave dish. She can get moody too. Ignoring her when she wants to play with you will send her to some corner and starve herself. She had always been a weakling. Maybe that's why I adopted her. My heart went out for her. She was the tiniest in the brood of puppies that our dog gave birth to. However, she was the cutest, prettiest and meekest one. She had curly hair and looked like a toy.
While her siblings were all playful, they annoyed her a lot. She would sleep in a corner away from them. It bothered me that there were times when she refused to eat. Once, it rained hard and we found her on the ground after falling off from the terrace. She was shaking so bad I wrapped her in a piece of cloth to warm her up. I even blow dried her hair. I thought she was gonna die then. Thankfully, she survived. Next thing we knew, she was beating her siblings off to their meal. That's how I knew she was getting better.
The next few days she was her usual weak self again. I suspected she needed deworming. Her tummy was distended. My mom brought her to a vet clinic where she was confined for 5 days. They said her intestines were probably obstructed by a ball of worms. I was willing to spend just for her to get well. I prayed for her everyday. I saw myself in her. A weakling but a survivor. I wanted her to be healthy once again because seeing her well means there's hope, there's miracle. She went home improved but I sensed there could still be something wrong inside her.
These past few days, she only drank milk and milktea through a dropper. She lost her appetite once again. We changed her name a couple of times thinking that a particular name made her more prone to sickness. From Jeprox (my nick when I was a kid) to kim rox , finally to kim shoe (because she liked curling next to my hubby's shoes). It didn't work. She was getting sicker by the day.
Yesterday, she puked. I didn't realize there was blood in her vomitus until my mom told me this morning. This noon, it was my first time to hear her cry. She hardly made a noise before. My mom said she was passing out bloody stools. I could only run my fingers through her hair wishing i could do something for her. She was already on antibiotics. Then she wailed again. I knew she was in pain. I was hoping she could get over this one like she did a couple of times before. After all, she was my tiny survivor. A few minutes later, my mom called out "she's dying". I rushed out finding her nonresponsive yet heavily breathing. I tapped her over and over again hoping to get a response. She was after all, still breathing. She was in shock.Like the many terminal patients I witnessed dying before me, I knew she was about to go. It was frustrating to be a doctor yet helpless as to saving my little pet's life.
I went inside my room to hide my tears, leaving her to my mom's care. I wept my heart out afterwards. I couldn't stand the sight of her struggling to live. I thought we'd survive our sickness together. I thought we'd prove that miracles can happen. But there she was, holding on to her life by a thread. Any minute, I knew she was about to leave me. When I went out to work, she was still breathing . I shed tears while driving. When I was in the clinic, thinking of her crushed my heart. I found out later, that she gave out her final breath minutes later after I went out of the house.
I take refuge in the thought that she is over her suffering. No more pain. No more agony. She's a happy pup wherever she may be now. But still, I couldn't help myself from missing her.
The most awaited finale of the American Idol season 7 has ended with David coming home with the crown.
David Cook, that is. My heart was torn between him, the Big David and the little one, David Archuleta. They were both awesome. Though I find myself listening more to David Cook's songs, Archey is truly a force to reckon with.Both with different styles, Archey the Josh Groban-nish crooner and Cook, the rocker/ Daughtry kind of singer. But both can hit the high notes right and give you goosebumps. Cook kinda gained a following after he sang Mariah's " Always be my Baby" and blew everyone away with his own rendition of the otherwise girly song. But I was most impressed with him singing "The Music of the Night". A rocker who can croon to Broadway songs, at such high notes truly made my jaw drop. He is merited for his originality and versatility. He was laid back last night with his song choices but he already won the hearts of the voting audience even before the finale. Archuleta, the front runner of the show early on, is an inspiring performer who awakened my love for music once again. For that, I'll always be thankful to him. He has such charismatic effect that even babies stop crying when he starts singing (check out youtube). I always feel like squishing him because he's just so cute. To back up the cuteness is a powerful, mesmerizing voice leaving you awestruck every time. He gave such amazing, flawless performances in the finale that whatever the result was, he came home with his head held up high. He gave a good fight. He bowed to the king, David Cook, but he, David Archuleta, is the prince.
Congratulations to both Davids. They made American Idol a whole lot more exciting. For the first time, they made me vote (through gizmo5). Rock on.
I find this boy so adorable. He's David Archuleta of AI Season 7 when he was younger. Until now, I can't help myself from wanting to squish him whenever he sings at AI because he's so cute. He's talent amazes me too. He strikes me as a good boy that anyone would want for a son. I'd rather not go into controversies regarding his dad because I don't really dig negative issues. What matters is that this boy could sing and I love him to bits. He's my hubby's bet for the big win. I go for David Cook, however. :) But I'll have no hard feelings if Archey snags the title. Both of them are awesome and are bound to sell millions of records. I can't wait for the finale.
With no less than Ms. Kagay-an Runner up, Ms. Natasha Mills. I have nothing but praises for her. Despite the lack of sleep, she was very professional. For someone exceptionally beautiful as she is, she had no qualms about getting herself dirty from the charred woods, being bathed by the scorching heat of the sun for long periods of time, pinning up oversized gowns, her feet hurting from her 4 inches high stilletos and people flocking around the site in Agora market. The shoot started at about 10 AM til 5 Pm yet her energy was up til the end, making fabulous poses and flashing expressive emotions that are marks of a supermodel.
She may look intimidating at first, with her british descent but in reality, she was very warm and down-to-earth. She was joking around and making goofy faces in between takes. Her amazing professionalism stems from her experience as a model in England before she moved here to the Philippines 2 years ago. Her projections will blow you away, as her eyes are naturally expressive and dramatic. She's a chameleon, too. Her looks can transform into different facets. She leaves you astounded as if you're looking at Angelina Jolie, Kristine Hermosa, Donita Rose, Yayo Aguila and the rest of the beautiful celebrities rolled into one. I am counting months or years before a major modeling agency in the country eyes her. It will be a loss for us, but we will be more than ecstatic to see her make it big. We will just forever grateful to her that once, she was our model, our prized jewel.
All shots in this album are taken through my digicam. Professional shots from "The Dustein Sibug" will be released soon after his solo exhibit during the Xavier days. Do watch out for it. With a model like Natasha and Photographer like Dustein, expect no less than breathtaking photos. It was sure exciting to be able to work with a powerhouse team for this shoot. Noteworthy to thank are the ff:
.. dustein's project 8 team members Richard who's likewise a top-caliber photographer and Mai2x, their manager.. .. Benjie Manuel and Moda de Oro for the dresses used in this shoot .. my dearest husband Chris for his assistance in this shoot. the one who truly understands my passions and pushes me to be the best i can be.. .. Natasha's cool friends who like her, were very pleasant to deal with.. ..Dr Cherryl Billena for lending me her clinic space for the makeup preparation..
For more pics, visit http://leggylass.multiply.com
Nope, I'm not a big fan of Jay-r so I won't be caught dead posting his pictures on my blog. You're looking at his deadringer, Dr. Jerome who rotated in our department last month. He's apparently my first model who sparked up my interest in reviving my photography skills.
A week ago, I scheduled a photo shoot with the brother of Ruby (one of our interns). I took notice of his talent through Ruby's friendster photos. I told Ruby we'll hire him. My friends and I are bent on this outdoor pictorial which is something we want to do before we grow old or settle down (which ever comes first). Unfortunately, I had the worst time trying to nail the agreement as the appointed photographer wouldn't reply to my texts. Hence I cancelled and decided to take matters into my own hands, to shoot the photos myself.
I hardly explored the features of my canon ixus digicam ever since I bought it. The other day I brought the camera's manual to work and while reading it, I directed the camera on Jerome to try it. Being the self-confessed narcissist that he is, he began posing and wouldn't stop. Never mind if it freaked out the people entering the reading room.
Even if I was behind the camera, and not posing for it, as I always do, I had fun. I promised Jerome I'll give him copies and I'm posting now the edited versions of some of the pics I shot. He says he fancies seeing his face on the billboards. These shots should feed his fantasies for now.
Anyone willing to teach me new photo tricks or volunteer as my next guinea pig, err, model, can get in touch with me. No nudes, though. Unless you're Luke Jickain. By the way, Jerome arranged for a nude pictorial with Ruby's brother next week. That's something I couldn't volunteer shooting. Besides, he couldn't let me handle that coz he fears I'll sell the pics to his patients. Hehe. Good luck to both of them.
Of course Chris is the only love of my life. No way is Nathan Scott replacing him, but this eye candy has been keeping me up for the past few nights, on my "One Tree Hill" marathon, that is. The culprit for my dark eye circles and nap sessions at the reading room. He's the bad ass Nathan Scott who transforms into the guy every girl would fall for, including the goody two shoes Haley James. Yeah, I know that's pretty high school-ish but watch the show and find yourself getting hooked as well.
Kate Bosworth can have Orlando Bloom to herself now, I got a new dreamboat in James Lafferty. And yeah, Chris dear, he may have my eyes but you got my heart. *wink*
I just got a text from our breast cancer support group that my surgeon, Doc Frankie has passed away this morning. My mind was still trying to grasp the terrible news when my tears started flowing.
I didn't know where the tears where coming from -guilt feelings, fear, or regret. Guilt because I was in the same city she was having her treatment yet I didn't bother to pay her a visit. Our consultant who is likewise a breast cancer survivor mentioned to me a few weeks ago that Doc Frankie has been deteriorating. She had suffered complications from her liver metastasis. Lately, her ascites worsened and they were draining about a liter of peritoneal fluid per day. I knew that was bad news but I never acted on it. I didn't even text her to cheer her up, like she always did to me when I was undergoing my chemotherapy and about to start my now cancelled radiotherapy.Fear, because all along she was doing fine. She was radiant and beautiful who made life meaningful by helping others through her profession.She had a loving husband with whom she fought her life's battles. Yet despite the vibrance and strength, cancer caught up with her again. Regret, because she was someone this world needs. Compassionate and understanding, she was more than a surgeon to me.
The stubborn patient that I am, she invited me out for lunch just so she could convince me to go through chemotherapy. It was at that time when I didn't care whether I live or not, as long as I didn't feel pain when I die. Pain was then a major staple in my life.Death was a friend who would take it all away.Doc Frankie patiently discussed my options until I could finally view life as the right and only choice. It wasn't easy but she succeeded in teaching me to be brave.
She introduced me to our breast cancer support group composed of amazing women who inspire others to live. She constantly invited me to activities that would help me get better. From group meetings to a healing session with a priest.Since she was a surgery consultant at the hospital where I work, she would sometimes drop by the reading room to announce an activity cooking up. More than my doctor, she was a friend. When she broke the news that I had cancer, I could swear, I saw tears welling up in her eyes, while I listened calmly, but in denial.
Doc Frankie was strong yet emotional person who was not afraid to cry. She was remembered by most of our i can serve sisters as the "crying lady" while she delivered her testimony at the silver linings event. One of the more prominent figures in the group said, she wishes she could look as good as Doc Frankie while crying. She was also the ever dependable doctor who shed light to medical topics in our egroup.
Doc Frankie was diagnosed with breast cancer about the same age I was. Likewise, she was on residency training when the disease struck. She was stage 2, like me. About 4 years later, they found bone metastases to her spine, requiring her another round of radiotherapy. On February this year, a week after our healing mass, the cancer spread to her liver, necessitating chemotherapy again, a nightmare which cancer patients dread repeating.She kept in touch while on treatment and I told her, "doc, pagaling ka ha".My healer was sick. I got bothered everytime I heard news about her health. It was depressing know that the person whom I drew my strength from was suffering more and more.
Last I heard, visitors weren't allowed at her hospital room. Last week I made a mental note to visit her at the hospital when I learned she wasn't doing well. Several times last week, I wanted to text her but somehow I always forgot to do so. Today, it is all too late. My cheer-up messages or my presence would no longer count. She could no longer hear me when I say thank you when I visit her wake. Cancer is a bitch.
Doc Frankie,I know you're in a better place now,free from all the pain, in God's loving arms. It was a battle well-fought...We'll miss you.
Colombian-American singer Soraya, who won a Latin Grammy for best female album in 2004 and worked to educate Hispanic women about breast cancer, died Wednesday after battling the disease. She was 37. She died in a Miami hospital, said Lorena Oriani, a spokeswoman for her record label, EMI Latin. She was born in New Jersey to Colombian parents in 1969 and was found to have breast cancer in 2000. Her greatest hits were “Solo Por Ti” and “Casi,” both released in 2003 on the album “Soraya.” She was well known for integrating cumbia and flamenco music with her own style of pop-rock. Besides her Latin Grammy in 2004, she won a Billboard Latin Music Spirit of Hope award that year. In 2005 she was nominated for a Latin Grammy for female pop vocal album for “El Otro Lado De Mi.” In a letter posted on her Web site Tuesday in Spanish, she wrote to her fans about her battle with cancer. She said she was sure her life was ending. “I have not lost this battle, because I know the fight was not in vain,” she said. “Instead, it will help end a larger battle, which is early detection to prevent this terrible disease.”
Today, May 2, 2006, it's been a month since Chris and I got back together. I haven't been blogging about it coz I was too happy and pre-occupied with things around me.
I know people, especially those who don't know Chris personally, would be cynical about this, with the sad thing that has happened between us recently but I've never been happier my whole life. Past is past.I can never imagine myself with another guy now. Suddenly, all my bitter and painful memories of my past unrequited loves have paid off. I know soon, my friends would understand. They would realize how wonderful he is and why of all people, it's Chris that I have fallen for.
Things are different now, with him being sure about himself and his priorities in life. Finally, I now know how it feels to have someone special in my life who makes me feel really loved without me having to beg for it. I could not ask not more except that God keeps us both safe and that we spend a long, healthy life together. He's someone who makes me wish I could live longer. I want to take care of him as much as he takes care of me.
Chris, I thank God for you. I'm glad I waited this long for you.
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