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When it comes to accessories, I prefer them unique, wearable and, most importantly, affordable. I’m a real cheapskate, which makes it more challenging to look for quirky accessories within my wallet’s reach.

Now, can you guess how much my new favorite necklace cost me?

This baby here cost me just 80 pesos. Awesome, right?  And there’s more where it came from! Just hop on to http://pinkpumshop.multiply.com. They have a really wide array of adorable vintage-inspired trinkets (check out their necklaces!), plus a selection of cute clothes, shoes, and other knickknacks. They’ve been featured on the pages of Candy before! And the best part? All their stuff are insanely budget-friendly—giving you a really good reason to shop!

My cheapskate mentality extends not only to clothes and shoes and books, but also to gadgets as well, especially with my DSLR. Photography is fun, yes, but it’s also wallet-draining. The camera alone can easily eat up a whole month’s salary, plus there are lenses to buy (some of which are more expensive than the camera itself!) and a truckload of other accessories and equipment like strobist kits (those umbrella-like things), flashes, tripods and camera bags. I was looking for lens hoods at a camera store in a nearby mall, and the simplest ones cost a good 600 pesos! Wallet-draining, I tell you.

And that’s when I discovered that Multiply is also a veritable gadget lover’s haven.  I got the same lens hood I’ve been eyeing in the mall for 350 pesos at http://extremedeals.multiply.com.  The seller was also very nice and very accommodating – I even got a discount! J They also sell converter lens, flashes, strobist kits, filters, and other camera stuff as well, all for a fraction of the mall retail price. It’s like shopping in Quiapo, minus all the stress and fear of pickpockets. I’m already saving up for my next purchase—and I haven’t even decided what to buy next!

I’d love to hear about your best online shopping finds too, Candy readers! Happy shopping!

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A friend of mine got her cellphone snatched yesterday on an FX. That’s one more story to add to the hundreds of stories that I’ve heard about the perils of commuting. Maybe that’s why some people are scared of the mere idea of using public transportation. But trust me, it’s not something to be scared of.

I believe that commuting is an educational experience—not that your Algebra grades would go up if you ride the MRT everyday. Rather, it’s your street smart that will improve. Your sense of direction will get better because you’ll notice a lot of landmarks while looking out the window for your stop. You’ll be more “madiskarte” as you mentally compute the quickest way to get to your destination given the available means of transportation, their respective routes, your knowledge of the way, and your budget. Your horizons will be broadened as you’ll be forced to mingle with different kinds of people, making you realize that there’s so much more to life than what you have experienced. And it gives you a feeling of independence quite like no other, all while not adding to your carbon footprint.

More importantly, you’ll be more alert and more aware of your surroundings. Yes, not everyone’s a criminal—in fact, I’ve never been held up or thieved, and I’ve been commuting since 2004 (knock on wood) – but it’s always good to be prepared. I learned the importance of always have an umbrella with me—not only does it protect you from rain, but you can also use it in case that suspicious-looking man does something to you (tripods work too. :P).

When I have to bring expensive gadgets to school, I don’t carry them in a separate laptop bag or camera bag—it’s too obvious. I cram all my stuff in one huge bag instead, and keep ‘em hidden by putting an extra shirt on top of my DSLR or by covering my laptop with readings.

I sit (or stand, if I’m on a train) near by the door of the vehicle as often as I could for easy getaways in case of emergencies. I always have my bag in front of me when I walk, and when in vehicles, the straps of my bags are always around my arms. And I carry around a cheap coin purse where I stash my commute money so I won’t have to whip out my huge wallet every time I have to pay.

On the subject of money storage, it’s not good to put all your cash in one place. My photojournalism professor shared that he puts his cash in three different places when he’s on assignments: in his wallet, in his bag, and in a pouch under his clothes. One of my orgmates even carries around a cheap decoy wallet in case of hold-ups.

Basic knowledge of self-defense can also help (though when faced with the real thing, it’s really easier in theory than in practice) as well as pepper spray, but when the attacker’s armed, it’s better to surrender. Don’t worry about your parents’ wrath over the loss of your N97 or Nikon D90, or the files you’ll be losing, or that “I Love You” text message your boyfriend sent that you’ll never get to read again—worry about your safety first. Besides, I’m sure they’ll understand.

I know these “tips” might make a person fear commuting more, but really, these are all practical things. You’ll never know when crime would strike, and it’s infinitely better to be prepared at all times when navigating the concrete jungle we live in. But at the same time, it’s good to be a little nervous while pounding the streets, as it’s that lack of security that will keep you alert—just don’t let your fear overpower you. So the next time you’re faced with the “I have no transpo” dilemma, don’t be scared to step out and create your own urban adventure. In the end, you’ll emerge a better person than you were before.

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The morning of August 1, 2010 had a lot of Filipinos tuned in to the late president Corazon Aquino’s memorial mass.

I, however, was busier watching ABS-CBN’s airing of A Very Special Love.

(The John Lloyd – Sarah film, duh.)

I don’t get to watch Pinoy films that often. In fact, I think I can count the films (both mainstream and indie) I’ve seen on my fingers. But mainstream Filipino films are always a lot of fun, especially if you’re not in the mood for doing deep mental processes when you’re supposed to be relaxing (case in point: Inception). They’re my not-so-guilty pleasure. It’s instant gratification on a film reel.

And since we should be celebrating all things Filipino because August is Buwan ng Wika, let me enumerate five reasons why I find Pinoy films awesome.

1. With most girls being suckers for romance—and yes, I’m assuming that you’re a girl—how can you not fall for a movie that’s named after a goosebump-inducing love song? Like, you know, A Very Special Love? Or One More Chance (which I haven’t crossed off my “100 films to watch before I die” list)? Or Let The Love Begin? Or Don’t Give Up On Us?

   (Honestly, I think the name-the-movie-after-a-song trend is getting quite old. But on the other hand, don’t they reek of “I haz happy ending, watch me plz!” vibes?)

2. I love the predictability of the plot and characters, with the exemption of a precious few. If it’s a romance film, there’s the intervening uppity family or the other woman.  If it’s an action film, you have the kontrabida in the leather jacket and those fight scenes where the leading man knocks out the bad guys with just one lucky punch. If it’s a horror film, there’s got to be an old house somewhere…oh yeah, and that creepy old guy who always looks like a zombie.  You won’t suffer from “OMG-what-will-happen-next-are-they-gonna-die?!” panic attacks because it’s so easy to guess what will happen next, and you’re assured that there’ll always be a happy ending because it’s practically a movie-making sin to kill off the bida.
3. You might just get seen on TV as you’re exciting the theater! You just have to shove yourself in front of the person asking “anong masasabi mo tungkol sa pinakabagong pelikula ni Dingdong?” and say something like “Ang ganda-ganda talaga!” or “Ang gwapo talaga ni Piolo forever!”
4. There are loads of very cheesy but utterly quotable lines everywhere. Be it in English (“You’re nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!”—and don’t you dare forget to splash your wine all over your enemy’s face) or Filipino (“Ipikit mo ang mga mata mo, para kung masaktan man ako, hindi mo makita”), you’ll have a blast quoting them every chance you get. Better still, you can quote them while doing number 3!
5. 6 syllables: Piolo, Dingdong, John Lloyd. Add two more syllables—Coco—if you’re more of an indie film kind of girl. And let’s not forget these other 2-syllable names worth mentioning: Richard, Gerald, Aljur, Enchong. Among many others (whose names aren’t necessarily composed of two syllables). Never mind the leading ladies. We could do without them. Honestly, we’re good with the men. Right? Right.

Happy watching!

Posted in Lists | 1 Comment »

Last week, I got a glimpse of slum area life. Yes, slums, as in squatters. I had to go to a slum area for a class, and it was a very enlightening moment for me.

The slum area I visited was almost inside our subdivision. I say “almost” because the slum area shares the same main entryway, but has a different gate and road, which was bordered by a concrete wall. It was like the subdivision management didn’t want the homeowners to see the slum area road.

Entering the slums made me feel like I was entering a prison. And it was quite a prison—the place was surrounded by a creek on one side and tall walls everywhere else. Everything seemed darker and blearier, all hues of black and gray and rust. There was almost no sign that an affluent subdivision was just around the corner.

There were some shanties perched precariously on the edge of the creek. I know, we see them on an almost daily basis along the banks of several major rivers in the metro, but this was the first time I was able to see some up close. And funny enough, I didn’t feel disgusted or repulsed. I didn’t even worry about what the people who lived in the “water-slums” would do when there’s a flood.

Instead, I was amazed. Amazed that these people managed to make a house out of completely nothing—even land. Amazed that they managed to find a way to make the house stand on the water. Amazed at the fact that the builders of the house probably dove into the polluted creek to secure the house’s tawdry foundation. And amazed at the courage of the inhabitants to continue living there, day after day, with the knowledge that a single untimely earthquake can topple the house, and with it all the family had worked for.

This led me to realize that I’ve been very lucky to enjoy all the simple pleasures that I take for granted right now. I have everything I need and a lot of the things I want (but don’t really need), and I still complain that my life sucks (on really unlucky days). What right do I have to say that, when I know that I’m still very blessed, even on my worst days?

What I’m just trying to say is that since all of us Candy Girls are blessed with a good life, we should make the most out of it. Don’t let it go to waste! Study hard, spend wisely, be thankful for little blessings, make your parents proud. Don’t be content to live a sheltered life—know what’s going on beyond the cozy walls of your home. Can you handle living in a shanty by a river, like hundreds of our less fortunate countrymen? Or spending the night in a dark alley, curled up on a bed of cardboard and newspapers, with no proper home to speak of? Only then would you realize just how lucky you are.

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Have you ever experienced Murphy’s Law at its finest? You know, when everything you do just seems to go wrong, just when you need things to run perfectly?

I have. Many times. And it is never pretty.

Last week was the latest. Everything was going fine until Wednesday.

Then Thursday happened.

What was the incredibly unlucky thing that happened last Thursday, you ask?

Well, our landline and internet decided to go bust.

I know what you’re thinking: that’s so lame. Don’t get me wrong, I normally can function properly without those two. Unfortunately, it just so happened that I had a huge paper due the next day, with the sources only available online. Among other important internet-dependent things to do.

Can you spell DEDZ?

But thanks to the wondrous gods of procrastination, I managed to pull through. I lugged my laptop to school the following day at 8:30 AM (thank god my Friday classes start at 1!), parked my bum in a wi-fi zone and literally crammed my way through the paper. I’m pretty sure everything I wrote was complete nonsense, since I read the source article in about two hours and did the paper for about another two hours, finishing at exactly one o’clock on the dot, with no lunch break. But hey, I managed.

Now, our printer’s saying that it has no more black ink, just when I needed to print something ASAP. Come to think of it, isn’t it annoying that you can’t print at all even if just a single color cartridge is empty? I mean, do I really need black ink if I just wanted to print something in cyan? COME ON. Oh, and our doorbell’s also busted, so people have to knock on our gate for like ten minutes before someone opens it. (I know, totally non sequitur, but it’s so not a good thing on days when you get home and you really feel the urge to pee.)

But hey, I’ll get through. And so can you. I know life can seem totally hopeless at times. Feel free to blame that spoilsport pessimistic Murphy guy, whoever he is. But in the end, it’s just another test, designed to make you a better, awesome-r person. Because I’m sure that the higher beings up there won’t give you a challenge you can’t conquer. Whether it’s a busted internet line or a backstabbing friend or something that’s more on the level of a national disaster, you can pull through. We all can. It’s just a matter of being optimistic and staying positive (and being extra hardworking for a few days). Then you’ll see.

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