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I’m convinced there’s nothing our May Candy cover boy Sam Concepcion can’t do. We’ve just received word that he recorded a version of the song “Kung Fu Fighting” for the animated film, Kung Fu Panda. What’s great about this accomplishment is that he’s the very first Filipino to sing for DreamWorks, and the said track will be played at the end credits of the movie. It opens June 6, and I’m so looking forward to seeing/hearing Jack Black play the part of a huggable panda!

Congratulations, Sam! (Oops! This is the closest emoticon we have to a panda bear. Haha!)

Next Wednesday is a very special day for all you Candy girls/Sam fans because you’ll get another chance to chat with our adorable cover boy. He’ll be in Candy’s ChitChat from 5 to 6 pm so don’t forget to log in early! However, if you’d rather see Sam in the flesh (which I’m sure you do!), you can catch him and his buddies Kevin Concepcion, Jackie dos Santos, Candy Jan-Feb cover girl Cheska Ortega, Athena Tibi, PJ Valerio, and Janeena Chan perform on May 17 (tomorrow) and 24 (next Saturday) at Enchanted Kingdom’s Spaceport Zone! Entitled “Enchanting Teens Musical,” expect a one-hour concert that’ll make you dance, sing, and swoon. Lucky park guests can even win a Sony PSP, so visit the amusement park now or get the details from their official site.

Sam and his performing posse at Enchanted Kingdom.

I’m off to the beach. Hope you guys have a great weekend. Remember to make the most of your remaining summer days…

Mimi

A picture paints a thousand words.

So imagine my thrill when my pictures got included in an exhibit at Team Manila for lomographers? I take pictures because it makes me happy, but never in this lifetime had I imagined I’d actually be part of an exhibit!
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I hit Greenbelt 5 with the Candy Crew a few weeks ago, and Roch and Angel were pointing out all the cool restos. Among them, it was Damaso that quickly piqued my interest. And that’s where I went one recent Sunday afternoon.

Love:
-The Filipiniana Noli and El Fili theme. The dishes’ names are playful riffs on the novels’ characters, and the decor is a nice mix of Now and Then.
-The pasta. The one I had was quite filling (good serving) and pretty tasty.
-The desserts. I had a hard time choosing just one (I wanted 3!), but I am trying to be more healthy after all, so I settled on the Wicked Simoun. I’ve said this about my dog and I’ll say it about this dessert: Bad boys can be oh-so good!

Delight:
-The toasted ensaimada and hot chocolate. Never has a plain-sounding dish tasted this gooooood. I singed my tongue trying to down the hot choc because I wanted all of it right away. Greedy? Yup. Worth it? Definitely.

Could be better:
-Tubig ni Maria Clara. It was quite refreshing—water with cucumber and ginger—but it had a strange aftertaste I wasn’t too crazy about. But that’s just me.
-The prices. The place is comfy and cozy, but the food’s a bit pricey. Not for pigging out then

Love their hot choco!

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As a child, I grew up being made to perform in front of my parents’ friends and our relatives. At four years old, my mom dressed me up in this frilly dress and made me learn how to dance to Lambada. Hahaha! Imagine a tiny girl swinging her hips to a song she doesn’t even understand. When I learned how to memorize songs, my mom bought me a multiplex (!!!) of One Moment In Time and that became my performance piece for family gatherings (I think I still have the tape at home. Haha!). When I grew older, I took piano lessons and tried to perform for parties at home (my brother was much better than I was, though.). I still try to play sometimes, but I haven’t had much time.

So, it’s no surprise that I get thrilled when I watch kids perform. There’s this different energy about them. You don’t see them getting frazzled or over-thinking themselves. They just take the stage and make it seem like play time.

I’m sharing two precious videos of kids performing. I love that both are ten-year-olds, but are singing jazz standards. Haha!
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I’m feeling restless, but the good kind. The type you feel moments before you perform in front of a big crowd or just before you bump into your crush. Now why am I feeling this way? One reason: Gossip Girl!

If you’ve been living under a rock (or maybe just not a fan of the show? But that’s impossible!), you must know that the show is coming back and airing in the US beginning next Monday. YipeeyaYAY!!! I can’t wait to see what happens to my favorites Blair Bear (post dethronement and pregnancy scare) and Bad Boy Bass (will he and Nate be ex-BFFs for good?). Plus, I’m itching to find out who’s coming out of the closet (my life savings is on Eric!).

Oooh! C + B all matchy-matchy. How cute is that!

I don’t think they’ll ever reveal who Gossip Girl is, but to honor the show and its cleverly catty character, I’ve decided to answer some questions (slambook style!) taken from GG’s personal blog. See the profiles of your favorite UESiders here.

Lives with: parents Melchor and Agnes in SJ
Likes: Meeting stars, making lists, bursting into song for no reason, traveling, watching teen flicks, laughing out loud, capturing life through snapshots, haunting tunes
Dislikes: Broken cameras, high-pitched sounds, old bills or coins, burning my tongue while drinking something hot, people who think we’re close (but we’re really not!)
Best Friends: Blanche and Karen
Pet: Go-Go (mix of Japanese Spitz and Lhasa Apso)
Childhood Crushes: Robi Rosa (Menudo), Joe McIntyre (NKOTB)
Current Crush: Ed Westwick
Favorite Subject: Boys (haha!)
Favorite Word: Melancholy
Favorite Afterwork Activity: Playtime with my little nephew Jared
Favorite Drink: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Chai Tea Latte
Favorite Food: Siao Long Pao
Favorite Video Game: Tetris
Favorite Reality Show: America’s Next Top Model
Favorite Funny Movie: She’s the Man
Gadget of Choice: Lomo cameras—Fisheye, Frogeye, Vivitar!
Ideal Vacation Destinations: New York, Greece, Europe
Current songs playing on iPod: “Always Be My Baby” by David Cook, “Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy
Current books on nightstand: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Dream Job: Getting paid to see the world
Motto: “All we have are memories.”

Care to share some random stuff about yourself? Go ahead and leave a comment!

XOXO!
Mimi