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It was in January 2008 when I first came to know of a guy named David Cook. He auditioned to become the next American Idol in its 7^th season, singing “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi; he admitted to watching Chris Daughtry’s audition the night before, and that Daughtry’s success inspired him that he can make it too—and indeed he did!

Who knew that this guy would be rockin’ the whole world in a year’s time, huh?

Of course everybody knows that he’s the American Idol Season 7 Winner (so much for surpassing Daughtry’s success, eh?), but for me, he’s MORE than that—much, much more! Why? Well, simply because for me, DC is no doubt a rock god! He has this angelic yet powerful “rock” voice that has converted me into liking the aforementioned music genre. David truly has changed my perspective when it comes to choosing and listening to quality music! ‘Nuff said.

So when I found out that he’ll be having a concert here in Manila, I totally went wild! I was jumping and screaming at the top of my lungs… even cried because of my excitement! I was really looking forward to seeing him perform, even meet him in person! And even though I wasn’t able to do that up-close, I’m still happy that I went to SM North EDSA that one fateful day for his “meet and greet.”

But of course I won’t complain because that’s how much I LOOOVE DAVID COOK, that I traveled half-way across the city just to “wait-for-almost-2 hours-for-him-to-speak-for-only-5 minutes!” HAHA. Then again, I was able to have a signed autograph from him (thanks to my Council-mate, Dyan, who was able to interview him! I WAS SOOO JEALOUS!!!)

my prized possession

And then, there’s the concert…

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Posted in Red-Letter Days, Reflections, What's In | 4 Comments »

Think of a person who has the power to clear your mind, jellify your legs, disable your speech, and form your mouth into wobbly, self-conscious smile just by smiling at you with a simple “Hi?”

Professor X from X-Men? Well, I think he can do that with his power and all but aside from him, who else? Zac Efron? Zac isn’t from X-Men but a lot of girls crush on him! Brad Pitt? Yes, him too! And I can list down a dozen more names but that’s okay ‘cause I think you get my point.

People you crush on have this power to paralyze you. You find yourself smiling when you see him walk by. You find yourself writing his name beside your name and combining both names to form a word-the future name of your imaginary children. Haha.

“Ate Mar, you’re so lame,” my younger brother, Zac, said. He just read the first two paragraphs of this blog. Haha. Okay, I guess I’m being lame but I can’t wait to throw him back his words when the time comes that he falls in-crush.

Here’s a survey entitled “Crush Survey” which I got from my friend. I really had fun answering it!

1. Sinong mas matangkad sa inyo ng crush mo?
   Him, of course!!! :)  The first time I saw him, I thought, “Whooo. Tangkad.”
2. Ano ang kulay nya?
   Kulay ng? Hair: Black. Skin: uhm. White? haha
3. Sino mas matanda sa inyo?
   Him! But as the saying goes, “Age doesn’t matter unless you’re cheese.” This line has been stuck in my head for ages and I still don’t remember where I picked it up.
4. Kailan mo sya last nakita?
   Last night. In my dreams. Hahaha. For real.
5. Kailan mo sya last nakausap?
   Last night. In my dreams. I think he said, “I like you.” A girl can dream!
6. Close kayo?
   I wish! Again, a girl can wish. Haha.
7. Ano klase buhok nya?
   Long-ish? Black. But I think he dyed his hair once. Hahaha.
8. Magaling sumayaw?
   No idea.
9. Magaling kumanta?
   YES. YES. YES. SUPER. Hahaha.
10. Alam ba nya na crush mo sya?
    I think? I’m so paranoid. I think he knows.
11. Kilala ka ba nya?
    Maybe as the friend of my friend. Hahaha.
12. Alam nya name mo?
    I HAVE NO IDEA.
13. Naka-text mo na?
    Nope. Hahaha. No reason to!
14. May karibal ka?
    I think so? He’s too cute. Hahaha.
15. Gaano katagal mo na sya crush?
    THREE YEARS. Beat that. Hahaha! Can I say, unrequited like to the next level?
16. Saan mo sya unang nakita?
    Debut of my friend. Oh, I love debuts. He was wearing blue. Hahaha. I was wearing blue, too. Meant to be!!! Hahaha.
17. Sasabihin mo ba sa kanya someday?
    Maybe. When I’m sure that we don’t see each other again. Hahaha.
18. Anong pangalan nya?
    I call him Bee. I have a friend who calls him Storm. Hahahahaha. Oh, we girls just love code names!
19. Narinig mo na ba boses nya?
    Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuup. And it’s a voice I’ll never forget. Hahaha. Okay. Halata bang crush na crush ko sya?
    
20. Kilala ba siya ng mga friends mo?
    Yes. They all know him. Except for me.
21. E kilala mo ba mga friends nya?
    Yup. Hehe. It’s a small, small world!
22. Pano pag nabalitaan niyang crush mo sya?
    I always think of the worst possible scenario. So, my imagination tells me that he might say, “Who?” or worse, “Ya, I knew” or “So?” Kidding. He’s a good person. Hahaha.
23. E pano naman kung crush ka din nya?
    Ay shucks. Nakilig naman ako sa question. Hahaha. I’m speechless.
24. Ano sa tingin mo mangyayari sa inyo pag nalaman niya?
    Surprise!!!
25. Last na toh (yes with an H), message mo sa kanya…
    You make me smile. NAAAAAAAAAAAAAKS. Hahaha.

Go ahead and answer this too!

Posted in Etcetera | 3 Comments »

I declare last week to be the most amazing week of 2009. Two words: David Cook. With a little bit of Archuleta.

Not only did I get to watch a bit of the concert right in front, literally a step away from the stage, I also got to interview David Cook! *squeal galore* But wait, there’s more! I have a gazillion close-up photos of David Cook and a million of Archuleta and one picture where David Cook has his arm on my shoulder! Yes, ladies and gents, inakbayan ako ni David. *insert more squeals*

How did I get so lucky? An Indonesian teen mag asked me to write about the Davids in Manila, courtesy of the referral of a dear friend. They arranged everything from the exclusive and intimate interview to the tickets and press pass for the concert. Woot!

Luckily, they said yes when I asked if I could write about it for Spot and Candy. So not only did I have the most unforgettable week ever, I got to deliver a scoop for Spot and I got to write for Candy (watch for my article coming out in the August issue of the magazine!). That scoop was my first and it was the most amazing journalistic high ever. Life is gooood.

David Cook is a very nice and accommodating guy. He shook my hand like he meant it, no lame handshakes. He was easy to interview; no monosyllabic answers. He elaborated without needing much prodding. He laughed a lot during the interview and I got him to loudly laugh when I asked if he had hidden talents other than his grape-catching skills (link: http://davidcookofficial.com/pork-beans then click episode 2). Hihihi, kilig!

During the concert, I was literally a step away from the stage. I could see them really up close but the acoustics sucked. I guess that’s why they have those earpieces—so they can hear themselves. I have tons of videos in my Multiply but sorry, it’s for contacts only.

We were only allowed there for the first two songs of each set, though. Sayang. I was backstage after the first two songs of Archuleta and then at the silver area after the first two songs of Cook. FOR FREE.

Now, I am thankful more than ever for pursuing journalism. I cannot think of any other profession in the world where I can experience all these new things, where I can meet the most interesting personalities, and where I can have a job that doesn’t feel like one.

Cheers!

P.S. Josa Primero was luckier than me! She got to be David’s makeup artist in Manila. Read about her experience here.

Photos by Coby Mendoza

Posted in Reflections, What's In | No Comments »

As I said from my last entry, I love visiting style blogs. Seeing the way other people dress gives me the inspiration to mix and match my own clothes, look for fabulous pieces, and just look stylish. My two favorite style blogs are Chictopia and Lookbook. The outfits I see people post on those two blogs are just awesome. I actually have an account in Chictopia. I’ve had one since last December but I’ve only been posting recently. I have two outfits on my blog so far:

1. 
   I wore this to one of my best friend’s birthday dinner. Before that night, I didn’t go out for the longest time simply because I didn’t have the time to—and for some reason, my friends weren’t organizing gimmicks and parties. Anyway, I was in the mood to dress up so I came up with this outfit. I needed something casual but at the same time, chic and stylish. I’ve been eying that top from Topshop for the longest time because it was so beautiful BUT expensive. Thankfully, it went on sale! I was so happy! I was also so glad that my online order of that black bag from Forever 21 came. Then after looking for gladiators for so long, I FINALLY found one in Charles & Keith. I was so happy with what I put together so I decided to post it on Chictopia. I actually received a number of comments from my fellow fashion lovers and they loved my outfit.
2. 
   For Mother’s Day, my family and I went to Makati Shangri-la Hotel. Besides the awesome Chinese food and some family bonding, I was also looking forward to dressing up! I wanted to look presentable and elegant so I came up with this outfit. What’s more classic and chic than a combination of black and white, right? My white dress is the dress I can always count on. And I haven’t worn those pretty shoes in the longest time so I paired it up with the dress. Once again, I was happy with my outfit so I posted it on my blog. I received a number of comments for this outfit as well! They loved the contrast of black and white and the elegance of the outfit.

Style blogs are great. Not only do I get inspired but I also have the chance to inspire. Besides, getting comments makes you feel so wonderful! YAY to Chictopia and YAY to FASHION.

Posted in Etcetera, Lists | No Comments »

I can’t help but look for different kinds of artwork inspiration from the wide range of magazines I have here at home. I also watch fashion shows and go to exhibits (may it be on TV or an event). But because Internet is now the new generation’s companion, I came across Flickr, Multiply, DeviantArt, and Google (why not?)! I even have a folder saved at my desktop where I keep all those artwork I L-O-V-E!

Super thanks to my photographer friend, Luis for bringing me up Aaron Nace’s web page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/aknacer/) where I got amazing ideas. From simple, unedited shots, he never fails to shock the audience with the edited results! I even have a not-so-copy-cat-photo inspired by him!

If you don't like my fire, then don't come around

Post Processing: CJ Alayon Photographer: Luis Dalton HMUA: Yves Marcelo

I’m still learning to improve my editing skills but with lots of determination, inspiration, passion, and perspiration (Yes, it counts!), I believe I can do those too—and if not, in a different field with a touch of art (still).

Burning with passion,
CJ

Posted in Etcetera, Reflections | No Comments »