CandyMag.com

When Mimi, Macy, Roch, and Steph had a Friday night date at Chili’s the other week, I was sort of green with envy. Okay, a lot green. So much so that Mimi, Steph and I were considering hitting the yummy joint last Friday or even this Monday. We couldn’t sync our scheds, but quite by accident, I got to eat there today. My bro Chip and I were looking for a place to have dinner inside Power Plant (We love eating out. We love food period.) when he spotted the newly opened branch in Power Plant’s food court. Yup, the same branch I’ve been waiting for to open for months is finally open. Wheee!

Had the chicken crispers of course. Can’t wait to go back with my sister (it’s her absolute fave resto). Have you gone? Tell me what you ordered. Am missing the Chocolate Molten Lava dessert!

Posted in Candy | 1 Comment »

Hey Candy Girls!

I’ve always loved meeting celebrities and interviewing them for you. Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a number of memorable star encounters—with accompanying photos to go with them! I’d like to share some of the good, the bad, and the beautiful with you, and explain why these celebrities stood out for me.

Down-to-Earth Diva: Alicia Keys
I had the chance to interview Alicia with a group of journalists (courtesy of a friend who was a sponsor of her first concert). Halfway through, a production girl wanted to wrap up the interview. Alicia insisted that we should be able to ask one question each before it ended, then allowed us to take pictures with her.

Funniest Bunch of Boys: Parokya ni Edgar
It was fun crashing the set of one of their music videos, and seeing them work out in leotards. I believe they’ve managed to be successful in the music biz because of their ability to laugh at themselves.

Most Mataray Interviewee: Avril Lavigne
I remember telling my cousins I could kiss her foot (haha!) because I was seated on the floor right in front of her. During the group interview, a pesky journalist kept asking personal questions—the rest of us inwardly cringed in horror as Avril gave him a cold stare and a frosty reply.

Most Attentive Cutie: Dino Imperial
Dino holds a special place in my heart because he became my nephew’s nanny for a couple of hours (it was actually for a Candy Caper story, not because he wanted to be a real yaya!). His kakulitan paid off because Jared had a blast with him. We were goofing around in the photo because I was wearing a Pepsi shirt, while he was a Coke endorser then.

“I am a Fangirl” Moment: Boys Like Girls
Boys in bands have a special place in my heart, and these guys in particular were so fun to talk to. Towards the end of our interview, I remember mentioning how much I loved their version of Frou Frou’s “Let Go” (the song was being played on the radio back then). On the day Marla and I watched them live, they revised their setlist and played the track!

Totally Starstruck: Jared Leto
When I accidentally spotted Jared at the Bangkok Airport, my sister convinced me to make a run for it and ask for a photo with him. No one else recognized/was bothering him, so he complied even if he appeared to be in a hurry. I look silly in this pic because: a) I was trying so hard to get close to him, and b) my nostrils were flared (I was huffing by the time this was shot!).

Friendliest Cover Girl: Maja Salvador
Before Maja rose to fame as an actress, she was one of Candy‘s Teen Model Search Finalists. I love the fact that she has managed to stay the same over the years: approachable, candid, and outgoing.

Most Talented Actor: Sam Concepcion
I spent a day following this young triple threat and I was absolutely impressed at how quickly he learned his song and dance routine. It didn’t hurt that he was so adorable and so nice (he didn’t get cranky after a long, busy day!).

My Stalker Moment: Ethan Zohn
I realized how far I’d go for a celeb when a friend and I stalked the Survivor Africa winner while he was in Manila. This was the closest I got when we followed him on the Ateneo football field. Not bad, huh?

“Is this for real?” Moment: Jonas Brothers
A co-editor sadly passed on the assignment because she got sick with chicken pox. Flying off to NYC (in business class, no less!) and getting to chat with Kevin, Joe, Nick, and the other stars of Camp Rock was a one-of-a-kind experience. Making new friends from all parts of the world was an added bonus.

To this day, I’m still excited to meet celebrities! Who would you like for us to interview for you?

Mimi

Posted in Candy, Love | 8 Comments »

My brother and sister-in-law were just in town last month, and while they were visiting, they spent most of their time meeting friends and eating at restaurants they’ve longed for over the past three years.

At the start of a two-week eating bonanza with my brother. Don’t you think we look alike?

I suddenly had a thought. What would I crave for if I had to live in another country which didn’t serve our usual drinks, dishes, and desserts? Here’s what I came up with so far (in no particular order, and excluding Mom’s exquisite homecooked meals).

1) Serenitea’s Hokkaido Milk Tea (you have to get it with egg pudding and 75% sugar!)
2) Chai Tea Latte from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
3) Razon’s Halo-halo
4) Frozen Brazo by my friend Meng Sio (you can order a tray at 0920-9149285)
5) Chili’s Chicken Crispers with extra honey mustard sauce
6) Boneless Crispy Pata from C2
7) Xu Zhou’s Siao Long Pao
8) Fresh garlic crabs cooked at Aling Tonyang
9) Lapid’s Chicharon Bulaklak
10) Roka Salata from Cyma

Boneless Crispy Pata (sinful!), Chai Tea Latte (calming!), Frozen Brazo (heavenly!). I can’t get enough of these babies.

My sister and brother were all smiles after I treated them to Serenitea at San Juan. Their picks: Cranberry Serenitease and Okinawa Milk Tea. Perfect for a sweltering day!

How about you? Which dishes would you miss if you weren’t living in the Philippines?

Now salivating for food,
Mimi

Posted in Candy, Reality Bytes | 2 Comments »

Dear Candy Girls,

Don’t you just hate it when you get so worried and anxious about having to do something that you end up not being productive at all? Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having anxiety attacks over a major paper I have to work on for school. I know worrying and getting stressed won’t solve the problem, so I’ve found some ways to stay calm and ease my mind. Let me share them with you!

1. Pray. When everything else crumbles around you, God is the one thing that stays constant. Prayer and meditation definitely help put things in perspective!

2. Have a good support group. When you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown, it’s good to have friends and family who will stand by you. Sometimes, when you don’t believe in yourself enough, it helps when other people remind you of how good you really are.

3. Pay it forward. One of the best ways to ease your own anxiety, is to help others ease theirs. Last week, I was interviewed by some students from St. Paul University who were working on their thesis about something related to Candy mag. It felt good knowing I helped them out—plus I’m hoping it will bring me good karma!

4. Be thankful. No matter how hopeless a situation may seem, there will always be something to be thankful about. Looking for those bright spots—no matter how small or seemingly insignificant—is one way to reduce your anxiety and relieve you of your worries. (I’ve dedicated a blog for just this purpose!)

How do you ease your worries? Hope you can share your tips with me!

Trying to stop being a worrywart,
Angel

Posted in Candy | 4 Comments »

Do you have stuff that you obsess about? Like really silly, trivial things? Because I do… a lot!

Take for example fonts. I love browsing font galleries and looking for typefaces I haven’t downloaded yet. Some end up not being used at all but I just like knowing that I have them (haha). I always bug Steph whenever she uses a new font in the mag.

Bows. This is a recent obsession that I think might have something to do with Lulu Letty. Marla has convinced me that she is my married-with-two-dogs counterpart in the US. She makes really pretty bows to put in your hair. I’ve since bought two bow rings, a bow cardigan, and a bow dress.

Fifi Lapin, the fashionable bunny. I think I saw her featured on a blog or in a magazine. And since then, I’ve been obsessed! I now have 3 Fifi Lapin shirts and counting. With this one from Forever 21 being the latest acquisition. I saw it in their new arrivals album a few weeks ago and it was GONE when I came to look for it. Sigh. I felt so bad so when my friend told me that they restocked this particular style, I really just had to go straight to the mall after work. Haha, I told you… obsessed!!!

Nail polish. And more importantly, learning to put them on by myself. I think I’m slowly getting the hang of putting polish on my right hand with my left. I wish I were ambidextrous so this would be easy to do! Here are my nails this week with Revlon’s Silver Screen (from Mia eons ago but I only got to try it now). What do you think?

How about you? What have you been obsessing about lately? I’d love to hear about your silly obsessions, too!

Always obsessing,
Macy :macy:

Posted in Candy, Candy Rap | 3 Comments »