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I’ve been itching to buy a netbook for the longest time. I think I’ve finally found the one—Asus Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection (1008P)—because of three quick reasons:

1) The glossy hot pink casing matches my light pink digital camera. It’s so cute, it makes me want to squeal with delight. Haha!
2) It’s a considerably light and slim gadget that packs quite a punch. It has a Windows 7 operating system, a 1GB RAM, a 250 GB memory, 6 hours worth of battery life, and a 1.3 megapixel camera which comes with its own editing program. Cool, huh?
3) We’re MFEO because we have the same name—my nephew lovingly calls me E-e. (Okay, fine. I forced this one. But who cares, right? It’s still too cute for words.)

You can own this limited edition Asus Eee PC 1008P for only P25,900. Visit Octagon Megamall, Complink SM MoA, Villman North EDSA, and Accent Micro Park Square Makati to see it in the flesh. It also comes in coffee brown (for the boys).

What gadgets are you salivating over these days?
Mimi

…why you should grab the March issue of Candy!

1) We’re on our 11th year as the best-est friend you’ll ever have—so that means helping you deal with problems related to family, school, friends, and boys. This month, we focus on one special topic: your body!

2) Go the healthy route by choosing dishes that will do your body good. We’ve got 12 fab selections in our über-yummy Candy Bites spread.

3) And because we love you so much, we also rounded up the toughest questions you’ve secretly wanted to ask, and handed them over to four experts who gladly addressed your concerns.

4) This is Selena Gomez’s second time gracing the cover, and in our special feature, she shares her biggest plans for 2010 and shows you her favorite things!

5) Speaking of celebrities, the magazine is packed with star style secrets (take your pick from the likes of Miranda Cosgrove and Lauren Conrad), makeup tricks (go from day to night with Dakota Fanning, AnnaLynne McCord, and Katy Perry), and flaws they’ve learned to love (21 actresses share their imperfections—that’s a lot!). Plus, we feature the best show of the season: Glee.

6) By reading the magazine and answering this question, find out how you and your best friend can win tickets to Paramore’s concert on March 9!!! (We might give more than one pair of tickets if we get lots of entries, so keep submitting your answers/pics.)

7) Take a break from studying (we know how stressful finals week can get) and laugh out loud while reading the body-related boo-boos on Oops! It’ll make you thank your lucky stars that nothing this embarrassing has happened to you.

8) For girls contemplating on dating or letting their guys meet their parents, read “My Favorite Mistake,” “The New Ligaw Rules,” and “Meet the Parents” before making a final decision. These stories will surely enlighten you.

9) Move forward with the hippest clothes (florals, denims, brights, metallics—they’re all here!) and look your age with the best get-pretty tricks.

10) Countdown to the best summer ever by dreaming of what to do on your next trip (Life Coach), or take the proactive route by enrolling in a cool workshop based on your interests. Whether you’re an artist, an athlete, a social butterfly, or a genius, we’ve got the best suggestions!

11) As a special treat, each Candy magazine comes with one of three collectible notebooks designed by WeWillDoodle, Ben Deluyas (this is my absolute fave!), and Analog Soul.

Let us know what you loved most about this issue by posting your comments below or on our Twitter.

Happy 11th birthday to us, Candy Girls!
Mimi

Get to know me through this simple alphabet.

A - Ateneo (I definitely enjoyed my college experience!)
B - Baon (you might not believe this, but I’ve been bringing food from home since nursery. I still bring baon to work!)
C - Chai Tea Latte (my fave CBTL drink)
D - “Destiny” (a cool Zero 7 song I discovered through the TV show Roswell)
E - Elephants (I like this shot I took in Singapore)
F - Four (I love the fact that my parents bore four kids—two girls and two boys! How’s that for symmetry?)
G - Graziella (the name of my first best friend in grade school)
H - House (I dream of living in a quaint little house with a garden/backyard my kids can play in)
I - Irritable (sadly, I think I get irritated by the smallest things!)
J - Jared (one of my all-time favorite guy names—I think all boys christened with this name are gwapo!)
K - Kathryn (hands down, the best sister ever. I can’t believe it’s almost a year since her family left for Canada!)
L - Luzviminda (the name makes me LOL because it’s so Pinoy)
M - The M on my palm (as a kid, I really thought it was shaped like that because of my name. Haha!)
N - Nice (I’ve got a mean streak, but I try to be good as much as I can )
O - Oz (my nick for Australia, a gorgeous country I’ve been to thrice. I can’t wait to visit again, especially since my brother lives there!)
P - Piano (I used to play classical pieces, and I regret not being able to learn the different chords)
Q - Queen Bee (somehow, I’m glad we didn’t have one in high school)
R - Ruth (my second name)
S - Skydive (it’s on my “things to do before I die” list)
T - Travel (I can’t not do this at least once a year)
U - Ugly (what I think of my legs on bad days)
V - Volleyball player (I was part of our batch team, but I was mostly a benchwarmer. Hehe!)
W - “Walking on Sunshine” (a song that brightens my mood instantly)
X - X-Ray test (it’s strange ’cause I didn’t get the results from the last one I took)
Y - Yodel (I like singers who kind of yodel like Chris Martin and Ryan Kirkland of Between the Trees)
Z - “Zombie” (I can belt out this Cranberries tune on karaoke)

Fill in the letters and let me get to know you too!
Mimi

I love my long locks! For as long as I could remember, I’ve always had hair past my shoulders. Every time I’d get a haircut, I made sure it would only be a trim or cut up to thee inches max. I’d let the hairstylist put layers and attempt to give it body, but I’d never allow any of them to cut it short. To some extent, you could say that my hair is my security blanket–I can’t leave the house without making sure every strand is in place, and having ugly cut bangs obliterates my good mood.

Just recently though, I got bored with my long locks. As I was looking through a Glamour UK magazine (one of my favorite reads!), I read that the short ‘do was in fashion. Since summer is fast approaching, I thought, “Why not have a fresh new look?” After contemplating for weeks and searching for pegs online, I booked an appointment with my trusty salon and took the plunge!

That’s me and stylist Nimfa Ferrer of La Manila Salon just seconds before she cut my hair. I love the way she cuts my hair because it always grows nicely. The second snap is a shot of my sandals and cut hair on the floor. I was a little worried after telling Nimfa I wanted a short cut (well, shorter than usual), and I think I may have even cringed after hearing the first snip. But look at how good it turned out!

In case you’re wondering why I included photos of Kelly Osbourne and Goo Hye Sun (Boys Over Flowers), it’s because the former celebrity was actually my peg but it’s the latter who most people are saying I now look like. Do you agree? Goo Hye Sun could well be my distant cousin. Haha!

Candy will be featuring salons that give great cuts and treatments in the next few months. Is there anything you want us to focus on when we do the story? Just leave your comments below!

Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentine’s Day, Candy Girls!
Mimi

Hi Candy Girls!

You won’t believe who Roch, Macy, Marla, and I saw in the flesh yesterday—Boyce Avenue, The Jabbawockeez, and Kris Allen!!! The four of us trekked to Eastwood Mall to attend their very windy al fresco press conference. I couldn’t resist taking pictures since the boys were all so gorgeous and funny, but my ulterior motive was to share these snaps with you, of course!

First up was Boyce Avenue, a trio of brothers who gained popularity by singing acoustic covers on YouTube. This is actually their second time here in the Philippines, and at some point during the Q&A, they admitted that their Pinoy fans are waaay better than other fans around the world in terms of expressing their love and support. I’ve got to agree. We’re quite a passionate bunch.

Can you tell who’s who? That’s Fabian, Alejandro, and Daniel Manzano.

Next up were The Jabbawockeez who showed up looking too cool for school in sunglasses! It wasn’t so long ago when the boys first came over—twas actually just a couple of months back. Roch and I got to meet and interview them, but back then, Roch was too starstruck to ask them anything. So yesterday, we forced/coerced/dared her to do it in front of an audience, and wouldn’t you know, she passed with flying colors!!!

Rainen, Chris, and Phil are very proud to represent Pinoys.

It’s funny how The Wockeez kept saying “Secreeet!” whenever they wanted to evade the questions asked.

Joe, the guy at the end with the vest, is also Filipino!

At around 6 pm, Kris Allen finally appeared onstage. He looked so laid-back and cool in his signature plaid polo shirt (in reality, he was still trying to get used to the warm Manila weather), and the lazy way he spoke added to his shy, boy-next-door appeal.

Some people asked how he felt about Simon leaving American Idol and who he thought the best Idol was (”Kelly Clarkson!”), while one interviewer asked the band what Kris’s biggest secrets were. Speaking of Kris’s band mates, they were quite cute too. Here’s proof!

To end the night, Kris obliged us with an impromptu serenade and sang a few lines off his track, “Live Like We’re Dying.” Judging by the way he sang last night, the Musicfest 2010 Concerts he’ll be headlining with Boyce Avenue and The Jabbawockeez in Cebu (February 5, Friday, SM Cebu) and Manila (February 6, Saturday, McKinley Concert Grounds) will surely be huge hits!

Where will you be watching the concert?
Mimi