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Hi Candy Girls!

Are you all set to go trick or treating tomorrow? If you feel like you’re too old to do it or the storm rages on tomorrow (I hope not!), you can still do some indoor tricking to honor the spirit of Halloween. Just grab a box of this silly treat…

Like the box cautions, this ain’t your ordinary set of jelly beans! Steph, Macy, and I bravely took turns trying out the strange flavors right after eating lunch today. Steph shared most of the beans she tried with me (except for a few ones she loved), while Macy didn’t really want to try the icky flavors (among the weird flavors, it’s no surprise she loved Toothpaste best). As for me, the top three gross ones were:

1) Vomit (there was a faint smell of bile and I almost spat it out)
2) Moldy Cheese (it wasn’t what I expected, but it simply tasted weird)
3) Baby Wipes (there was this grainy, paper-like texture)

Surprisingly, I didn’t really hate Black Pepper (which Steph disliked), Booger (ooh, salty! Haha!), and Skunk Spray. But after popping these flavored treats, I had to eat this to get rid of the aftertaste. (Thanks, Steph, for sharing your Cream-O with me!)

I hope you could dare you and your friends to try all the intriguing flavors. Jelly Belly Bean Boozled is available at Candy Corner.

Happy Halloween, y’all!
Mimi

Last night, Macy and I watched Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT, a movie showing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of MJ’s sold-out concerts which would have begun last July at London’s O2 Arena.

Growing up, I remember having his album entitled Dangerous and listening to it ALL the time. Some of the popular tracks on that album were “Jam,” “Remember the Time,” “Heal the World,” “Black or White,” and “Will You Be There” (the theme from Free Willy, which I played on air when I became a DJ as part of the Media Club in Grade 6!).

I got goosebumps and became teary-eyed all throughout the movie, knowing that the world missed out on a great concert—and a legendary artist. Nevertheless, I think the movie is the perfect tribute to the King of Pop and a great way for him to be remembered as he truly was—a dedicated and passionate performer.

Here are some of the movie’s highlights (spoiler alert!):

1. Amazing choreography. Even if you’re not a dancer, you’ll feel like getting up and trying some of MJ’s signature moves.

2. A scarier, wilder rendition of “Thriller”—complete with floating dead brides and grooms!

3. Stunning visual effects—like 10 dancers turning into 10 million, fireworks, aerial dancers, and more!

4. The making of “Smooth Criminal,” where MJ stars in a black and white film with Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart.

5. Interviews with MJ’s cast and crew, which give us a glimpse of what it was like to work with Michael Jackson.

This film (directed by Kenny Ortega of HSM fame) is only going to be out for two weeks so hurry up and catch it while you can! You can also grab a copy of the two disc special edition album of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which features the original album masters of some of Michael’s biggest hits such as “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Human Nature,” and “Thriller” arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film.

Let me know what you think of the movie or share your favorite Michael Jackson songs in the comments section!

Long live the King of Pop,
Angel

P.S. For more on the movie, check out my review on Spot.ph!

A smile just instantly makes everything better. When you’ve had a bad day in school, when you’re BFF greets you with a smile, it’s an instant cheer pill. When your crush, who you’ve been eying all school year, finally gives you a smile, it’s super kilig.

But what about those people who cannot smile? Those people who want to but simply can’t because of a physical deformity? That’s where Guess and Operation Smile come in.

Angel and I, along with other officemates, went to the press launch of Guess Who’s Smiling? It’s the partnership between Guess and Operation Smile.

For every item bought from Guess, they will donate P100 to Operation Smile! They hope to bring smiles to hundreds of people, especially during the Christmas season. So if you’re going shopping, why not drop by Guess? You not only get stuff for yourself, you also help bring a smile to a child.

Angel and I at the event. Can you spot DJ Jessica?

The hosts of Magic 89.9 with Chadleen Lacdo-o

Chadleen, the Operation Smile Singing Ambassador, performing for the press.

With Chadleen and Frances of OK! You'll be helping kids like Chadleen achieve their dreams.

Sm:)e,
Macy

Hey Candy Girls!

There’s a reason why I love watching CW shows. Aside from the fact that their shows cater to the younger set (you know I’m a teen at heart!), they always, always manage to find and play fabulous music in their episodes!

I know I’m digging a song when my mind focuses on the background track instead of what the characters are saying. My sister can attest to this because back then, I resorted to rewinding my recorded Roswell episodes just to hear what Max and Liz were discussing. I got too distracted by Sarah McLachlan’s haunting “I Love You” and Gomez’s moving “We Haven’t Turned Around.”

These days, thanks to a nifty site called tvshowmusic.com, I instantly have a list of the tracks played in each episode. These five female-led acts are my new favorites, and I think you should hear them out.

Anjulie

Heard in: Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries
Why I love her: You can play her songs at a party or when you’re just chilling—it’s that flexible and easy on the ears.
If you can only listen to one of her tracks, play: “Boom”

Bat For Lashes

Heard in: The Vampire Diaries, Melrose Place
Why I love her: If you love the musical style of Imogen Heap, you’ll probably dig Natasha Khan’s melodies which are equally layered and whimsical.
If you can only listen to one of her tracks, play: “Daniel” (hope you don’t get freaked out by the strange music video)

Dragonette

Heard in: The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy (though technically not a CW show)
Why I love them: I love their edgy electro-pop songs! They’re instant pick-me-uppers.
If you can only listen to one of their tracks, play: “Pick Up the Phone”

Lissy Trullie

Heard in: Gossip Girl, the movie Jennifer’s Body
Why I love her: She reminds me of Shirley Manson because of her hair color and intense eyes, but her songs are more danceable than that of Garbage’s.
If you can only listen to one of her tracks, play: “Ready for the Floor” (apparently, it’s not an original—it’s actually by the band Hot Chip—but it’s a really good cover!)

Metric

Heard in: The Vampire Diaries, Melrose Place, 90210
Why I love them: Simply put, Emily Haines’ voice is creepy cool!
If you can only listen to one of their tracks, play: “Help I’m Alive”

Speaking of music, have you guys picked your favorite band for our very first Great Rock Star Showdown? It’s Sponge Cola versus Chicosci!!! Watch their videos on CandyTV (click on their names for instant links) and then rate them a perfect five to show your support. You can also cast your votes in our Candy Poll (on our homepage).

That’s me with Gosh of Sponge Cola singing “Invisible Man” right before the karaoke showdown started. Can you say OA? Haha!

Let me know what you think about the acts/songs I suggested, and feel free to share your finds with me. I’m always excited to discover new music…
Mimi

Dear Candy girls,

A few weeks ago, I blogged to ask if you would please share a notebook with those who lost everything in the floods. Thank you so much to all who heeded the call because last weekend, volunteers from Big Brother Big Sister Community Outreach and the Philippine Outpost of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers finally went to San Mateo, Rizal to bring those much needed school supplies for the students of Eastern Star Academy. It’s a small school with just a little over 400 students, majority of whom were affected by Typhoon Ondoy. Flood water in the school was neck deep and many of the students’ houses were completely submerged.

Since they are just beginning to rebuild their lives, we thought we’d do our part by helping to put a smile on their faces. We prepared a small program for the day and it was a lot of fun! We played games like Pinoy Henyo, danced to “Nobody But You,” and sang “The Climb” with their school choir.

During the distribution of school supplies, the Stormtroopers arrived! The kids were delighted and a little starstruck too! (I was assigned to the Nursery kids. Sooooo cute!!!)

The best part of the day was definitely seeing the kids’ sweet, heartfelt thank you messages—they made all the hard work worth it.

I know you all have great stories about volunteering and helping others too! If you want to see them appear in Candy, e-mail me your photos and a short description of what you did at angel@candymag.com with the subject “Candy Cares.” I’d love to know about your experiences and I’m sure it will inspire other Candy readers to help out as well.

Waiting to hear your stories of hope,
Angel