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I was reading Yummy Magazine last Friday, so come Saturday night, my food-obsessed self was already fantasizing about having a big and scrumptious Sunday brunch with my guy. So when he realized he needed to pick up some books in Manila on Sunday, he called me up and asked, “You want to go to Flapjacks in Manila?” And I was all, “Tara! Let’s go! That’s a breakfast place, right?” Hahahaha! I didn’t even know what I was saying yes to!
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Being a big fan of Gossip Girl, I was desperate to see the real spots where they shot the reel scenes. I had a long list of must-see sites which I printed out (haha, OC-ness ensues!), but because of time constraints, I had to resort to checking out the more familiar spots. Thanks to my trusty tour guides Pia (Ines’s BFF) and Mikko (Macy’s long-time friend), I was able to visit these places on two separate days.

Grand Central Terminal (The infamous opening scene where S was first spotted. I could still hear Gossip Girl saying, “Good morning, Upper East Siders…”)

The New York Palace (where the Basses and Van der Woodsens currently reside. Look for me in room 1812, Chuck’s suite.)
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If you’ve seen High School Musical the movie…

If you’ve seen High School Musical the play…

Then you can’t miss High School Musical the Ice Tour!

Last week, Mimi and I attended the launch of HSM on Ice at Gateway Mall. Guess who we saw there? One of your fave Candy cuties—Sam Concepcion! As you all know, Sam played Troy Bolton in the Philippine version of the musical. He sang and danced some songs from the play, along with Cheska Ortega and his basketball buddies. He also hosted the event. Sweet!

Sadly, he won’t be in the Ice Tour (he admits he’s not a very good ice skater!) but it’s definitely worth watching. The cast is composed of the best skaters around the world and the tour will feature a live fusion of songs, dance, and team-spirited fun to celebrate the music of the original Emmy Award-winning Disney movie High School Musical, along with its sequel High School Musical 2. It’s like a two-in-one special!
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As a kid, I’ve always liked writing stories. I remember sitting on my bed with a rusty typewriter and quarter sheets of paper, just typing away stories with random characters and ridiculous plots. I’d compile the sheets and use padding glue to create mini-books. Some stories would be pretend, and some would be based on real life.

When we were invited to attend Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s Flash Creativity Workshop, I was excited! When we registered, we were asked which workshop we wanted to join. There was one for photography, short film, and creative writing. Roch joined the photography workshop with Jay Tablante, while Marla (one of the best writers I know!) and I joined the creative writing workshop with Dean Alfar.

Dean Alfar taught us about flash fiction before we started writing down our stories. I’m a big fan of 55 word fiction and 100words, so I was thrilled to learn more about it.
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Hi, Candy Girls!

We’re halfway done with the Candy Cuties screenings and shoots, and I’m so excited for this year’s batch. I can’t wait for you to meet them in our September issue! But first, let me share that every year, we make the nominees answer an info sheet to help us get to know them better. And every single year, I get complaints, paawa looks, and do-I-really-have-to-answer-this remarks from the nominees. They sit there, hunched over their papers as if they were taking a really hard exam—and some of them even take HOURS to finish! I’ve been trying to make my questions easier every time, but apparently, they’re still too difficult. And so in an attempt to prove that the info sheets are not my means of torture, I am answering some of last year’s questions myself:

Full Name: Sarah Carmela Ang Miniano
Nickname: Marla/ Marley
Birthday: November 13, 1985
Interests: writing for the best magazine in the world, short stories, hopeful endings, good books, good food, good music, coffee, kids, shopping and trying not to shop, trying to “cook,” weekend DVD marathons, catching up with my best friends
Someday, I want to: publish a short story collection, be a pre-school teacher, get married, have beautiful babies, and live happily ever after
If I had superpowers, I would: be invisible. Oh wait, I already am sometimes. Haha!
Biggest misconception about me: I only started wearing contacts in college, so in high school, when people would smile at me, I wouldn’t smile back. They thought I was being a snob, but the truth was I couldn’t see them ’cause I was blind as a bat!
Song that best desribes my life: Right now, “Inside of Love” by Nada Surf.
Fave movie line: “Don’t look at me in that tone of voice!” —Good Luck Chuck
I really, really look up to: my Mommy and Daddy.
Only my closest friends know that: I can make your ears bleed with my corny jokes.
I admire girls who: can get ready in less than three minutes.
I respect guys who: know how to take rejection like a mature gentleman.
I cannot fall for someone who: doesn’t get along with my family (or doesn’t even try).
Best advice I’ve ever received: “You don’t need all that baggage. Just forgive.”
What makes me happy: dark chocolate, ice cream, having Honey Stars for breakfast, and a smile from my baby nephew Cisco.
What makes me a Candy Cutie: if I were a guy, this would be my answer—”The question is, what does NOT make me a Candy Cutie?” Hehe!

There you go! Those questions weren’t so hard, were they? Why don’t you girls answer them as well and let me know what you think? (Yes I know, I’m being too defensive.)

Big hugs,
Marla