Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

It's that time of the year again... time for Domesticity to take its annual Christmas vacation! No, I'm not leaving the island right now (not yet) but I will be taking the next few weeks off from blogging. Normal weekly updates will resume after New Year.

Mele Kalikimaka e Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Retiring the Makeup

A moment of silence for the following former staples of my makeup bag:

- L'Oreal Feel Naturale blush in Mocha Rose: I unintentionally broke the mirror in the compact, but you could say that it was a long time coming - I hadn't been using this one lately because it was beginning to look muddy on me. I saved the brush, though.

- Avon Glazewear lip gloss: Can't say which one it was, since I've peeled off the labels, but I opened it one day and both the texture and the smell turned on me. Straight to the garbage it went. It's been two years, anyway.

- L'Oreal HIP lipstick in Driven*: MIA since Halloween. Don't know where it went. The HIP lipgloss in Gallant is a similar shade and an OK substitute, though. I think I should also add that HIP is probably the best mass-retailer lipstick that I have ever tried - okay, this and probably Maybelline's Moisture Extreme - and I'll be happy to repurchase this one again, even in a different shade.

They say that you have to throw out at least two items to make room for something new. If so, I wonder what my next purchase is going to be? Hmmm...

In other news, I think I'm now doing a better job of grooming my eyebrows than any waxer ever could - either that, or the stress has gotten so much to me that I've practically tweezed off every unsightly-looking stray hair I could find. Mind you, I'm still keeping the basic shape that I ended up with two weeks ago, so I really should lay off on the arches for a while -- but, seriously, taking a tweezer to your own eyebrows (with a careful and loving hand, I should add; I most definitely DO NOT condone tweezing yourself bald) is the best way to kill time and tension between papers. Plus, if you look awake, you WILL be awake.

*EDITED 12/23/2006: I don't have to buy a replacement for this lipstick because I FINALLY FOUND IT! It was hiding in my bathroom next to the Q-Tips all this time! And the lipstick's name is Driven, not Defiant. Still, a lovely cranberry color, and perfect for the holidays.

YouTube with the Picture Off

Because I like my entertainment cheap, I often hang out at YouTube looking for songs that I haven't heard in a while. The key word here is songs - there are just some moments when I'd rather listen to the song (or browse another website altogether) than watch the video itself. It also explains why I've developed an addiction to the following...

- Nelly Furtado, "No Hay Igual" and "Say It Right." Let me state for the record that I am not a fan of the current skanked-up version of La Madame Furtado - not that I was that crazy about the "I'm Like a Bird"/"Turn Off the Light" era, either (oh, please, like I didn't wear out Whoa, Nelly! back in the day), but I like Nelly best when she's ponderous and wistful at the same time, like in her videos for "Try" and "All Good Things." Which reminds me, the guys in those latter two videos were hot hot hawt, and there's no way either Calle 13 or Timbaland are anywhere in that same eye-candy league. Take the video away from "No Hay Igual" and "Say It Right," however, and you've got two songs that should've been hits right about now: "Igual" has that infectious, speeded-up reggaeton thing going on, and "Say It Right" sounds like what "Promiscuous" should've been if Nelly really meant what she said about going for a sexier, more mature sound.

- Vanity 6, "Nasty Girl." Speaking of skanky, I remember listening to this song on somebody else's car radio and thinking, "Oh, how fun" - until I heard the ad-libbed skit at the end of the song (y'all remember what that one's about, right? the one that goes "I need seven inches...") and started laughing way too loud for comfort. Don't know if you could find THAT version on YouTube, but I'm just as content listening to this one while I'm washing the dishes.

- TI, "What You Know." Yes, I've tried my best, and I still don't see the fuss about TI and his hotness - good-looking, sure, but he skews a little too young for me. That said, if I had a car, and this song came on the radio, I'd be blasting this joint out of my speakers.

- K7, "Move It Like This." Going from Dirty South to South Beach freestyle, this song used to be my guilty-pleasure jam when I was in high school, and to this day I can't listen to the line "Lydia, I miss your rose tattoo" without cracking up. The video, on the other hand... gee, okay, I get the part about the ladies being "natural" and all, but did you even need to have all those cheesetastic, pre-Backstreet Boys choreographed dance sequences?

- No Doubt, "Running." The video that they do have isn't bad - it's a montage that darts between old No Doubt and current No Doubt - but it's not my cup of tea, especially considering what Gwen Stefani has turned herself into lately. The song, on the other hand, has a lovely, mournful quality that's just great for those moments when I'm feeling pensive.

- New Order, "Crystal." Again, I'm meh on the video (and that's where The Killers got their name? REALLY?) but belting out "We're like crystal, yeaaahhhhhh" alongside Bernard Sumner is the best way to blow off mid-typing stress.

- Nine Inch Nails, "The Fragile"; U2, "Dirty Day." The U2 one I don't have to turn off the video - it's actually the live version from the Sydney leg of the ZooTV tour, and Bono has never looked hotter while playing his own guitar - but the NIN one, also a live version, makes me sad because people keep throwing stuff at Trent Reznor while he's singing. HELLO, PEOPLE, IT'S TRENT REZNOR! Who in their right mind would throw stuff at such a beautiful, beautiful man? Anyhoo, 'tis a pity none of the Powers that Be thought that either one of these songs were good enough to be made into videos, because we're talking about some seriously stunning songwriting here.

- Me'Shell Ndegeocello, "Who Is He and What Is He To You?" The song itself was my first taste of HoYay! since I flew my parents' coop; it's so intriguing to think about a woman singing this to either a boyfriend or a girlfriend, and Me'Shell makes this sound so damn hot that, really, I couldn't care less which team she's calling out here. That said, it also makes me sad that I can't find Bill Withers' original for this one. Come to think of it, there's not enough Bill Withers on YouTube... and how sad is it that the only decent version of "Use Me" that I could find is actually... gulp... a duet between Taylor Hicks and Elliott Yamin, live from Birmingham? (And don't even get me started on how Taylor sounds way too much like Bob Seger on this one.)

- Gordon Lightfoot, "Sundown." The only thing more shameful than loving this song - or Gordon Lightfoot, for that matter - is leaving the radio on all day in the hope of hearing at least one DJ in Honolulu sneaking this song in between the ten millionth back-to-back playing of "Breakaway" and "This One's For The Girls."

- The Guess Who, "No Sugar Tonight/ New Mother Nature." Lonely feeling, deep inside. Find a corner, where I can hide. Silent footsteps, crowding me. Sudden darkness, where I can see-eee-eee-eee-eee.... WHAT? Oh, don't look at me that way!

Shameless Self-Flogging (just in time for the holidays!)

Just so you know, there's a new tag on this page...

I'm not doing this to be materialistic, folks - y'all don't have to buy anything for me, really - but I thought I'd add this just for kicks. Any helpful suggestions on how to improve said list would be greatly appreciated.

Domesticity Rewind: There Won't Be Snow in Africa

It's that time of the year again. No, I'm not talking about Black Friday (ain't no shopping when this blogger's in the red), but the OFFICIAL start of the Christmas season...



And so we begin our first-ever rewind of blog entries past.

******

Original Post: November 25, 2005

Between INXS and Duran Duran, it seems as if this blog has a strange fixation on '80s music - not that there's anything wrong with that, per se, but I was old enough to hear this stuff on the radio, so it makes sense.

Let's face it, the guys back then were mighty cute, in spite of the unfortunate hairdos. Take, for example, the video for “Do They Know It's Christmas?” I remember seeing this on TV for the first time and thinking that I could watch this forever; twenty years later, it's still watchable, but at least for the snark value. Consider:

- Paul Young, who would later give us “Every Time You Go Away” and other cheeseball hits. Looking back, doesn't he remind you a bit of Bill Nighy in Love Actually?

- George Michael: There were two reasons why I never liked him back then: his foofy hair, and his Brite Smile teeth. (Oh, and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” Ew.) Now I appreciate him more for the music, but still.

- Simon Le Bon. Oh, how much I love Simon, but he sounded like he was hiccuping through his solo (”when you're having PFHFFFUuuuuuuunnnnnhhhhh....”) and he looked really sedated behind the microphone. Apparently Bruce Springsteen had the same problem during the video for “We Are The World,” too - and you know how much I love my Bruce to this day, so maybe there was something going around.

- Sting. Oh, how much I used to not love Sting. (I blame the video for “Synchronicity.”) But look at him, with a lot more hair and a lot less wrinkling, with his cute plaid shirt. And then he became... Sting. (TM Will Ferrell and Jack Black at the Oscars)

- Tony Hadley. Yes, the guy from Spandau Ballet. (Sing it with me: “I knooooow this. Much is. TRUE!”) Him and Simon were my boyfriends back in grade school. He was cute when he had the mullet. Because of him I sat through all the other videos for Spandau Ballet, knowing that they made the Duran Duran videos look like It's A Wonderful Life. But I guess he's doing well now, especially after getting sampled by PM Dawn on “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” and settling down with the wife and kids.

- And then there was this annoying dark-haired guy with a red nose, who butts in and yells, “Well, TAH-NIGHT THANK GOD it's THEM, INSTEAAAAD of YOOOUUUUUU!” Oh, hello - you must be Bono.

Subsequent viewings revealed the presence of other artists that I liked back then, including Tears for Fears (I remember Curt being there, but... Roland too? Hmmm) and Paul Weller (who might have been in the Style Council phase at that time). Then there was also Bananarama and Sade, who I would end up forgetting about until much later. And Phil Collins, who still annoys me.

This, in a nutshell, was the '80s for me - bad hair, half-conscious yelping, and people singing about how "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time."But all of that would change for me in one afternoon when I turned on the TV at a friend's house and became enraptured bytwo especially gritty videos played back-to-back: “With or Without You” and “Need You Tonight.” The latter, of course, was my formal introduction to Michael Hutchence and Our Band: INXS. And the former... well, I can't say enough about this, because it's still one of the most beautiful clips I had ever seen, and to this day I could not believe that the handsome lead singer in that video was actually the same Bono who used to annoy me, so make of that what you will.

The Favorites Meme

Borrowed from Toya... thanks! :)

Lip gloss: I am basically stuck with what I’ve been rocking since August, so right now it’s either the L’Oreal HIP Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Gallant or the Revlon Super Lustrous in Raisin Glaze.

Jewelry: Sparkly, dangly chandelier earrings… which also look pretty darn good with the short hair, if I should say so.

Shoes: Those Airwalk sneakers I got at Payless, which look like Chuck Taylors in brown suede. I’m also in love with the rust-colored leather kitten heels that I bought in Manila – so cute, so practical, and so quality.

Handbag: My sister’s beat-up leather attache, which I have been using as a backup school/ overnight bag.

Car: I’m not driving yet, but if I do finally get around to it I’ll have to say either a Toyota Matrix (oooh, sporty!) or a Honda Element (less ugly than the Scion xB).

City: Honolulu and Manila, obviously. Paris, Hong Kong, LA, and Singapore are pretty much up there, too.

Restaurant: I love eating out, so I’m very open-minded when it comes to my dining choices. For the sake of space, however, I’ll just go ahead and mention three places that would be great for a hot date night (*ahem*): Indigo, Formaggio, and dk Steakhouse.

Body lotion: Any cocoa butter lotion; Bath and Body Works’ Brown Sugar and Fig.

Book: I’m currently re-reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Color: Pink, followed closely by blood red and chocolate brown

Department Store: Macy’s (since Nordstrom’s hasn’t opened yet in Honolulu, and I can’t afford anything at Neiman Marcus right now)

Department in the Department Store: Cosmetics, followed by shoes, clothes, and home furnishings.

TV Show: Outside of any channel that shows music videos, crime procedurals, or anything related to Oprah Winfrey, I’m strangely drawn to The Barefoot Contessa (what I would give to have Ina Garten’s house!), The Look for Less, and all sorts of home-redecorating shows - especially Merge, Design Remix, Get Color, and Mission: Organization.

Reality Show: Does Blind Date count? If not, I claim Rock Star (less annoying than American Idol) and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Song: “Let’s Stay Together” – Al Green; “With or Without You” – U2

Body part: My eyes… then my lips… then my cheekbones. The rest I can go ahead and work on improving.

Drink: Diet Coke, iced coffee, or lemon water (non-alcoholic); red wine, gin-and-tonic, or martini (if I’m drinking)

Perfume: Chanel Chance - the first perfume that I bought with my first grown-up, post-college paycheck.

Cheese: Fresh mozzarella bufala

Ice cream: Haagen-Dazs Mexican Chocolate; Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey

Mascara: Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara

Hair product: Anything with the words “thickening,” “volumizing,” or “texturizing” in it

Nail polish: I’m giving myself a nail-polish break right now, so no favorites yet.

Things I Have Done to My Appearance This Weekend

- Got a trim. Or, more like, "Caught Lexus on the last legs of her free time at the salon and got her to recut my grown-out hair so it would look like a longer version of what I was rocking before I left the Philippines." Which is so true, and I'm lovin' it because she point-cut a few of the layers and went shorter in the front. She thinks I could go shorter, but we'll see when I start looking like Cousin Itt again.

- Redid my eyebrows. All the studying I've been doing left my brows bushier than usual. But instead of going to the salon and getting them waxed, I took out the tweezers and got really, really happy. (Let's just say it was the combination of SPED Law burnout and finding... um... something on the Internet related to someone who may or may not have been involved with a certain romantic interest of mine... that really got me going.) Thankfully, however, they're not overtweezed - in fact, they're fuller than what I used to have, and have a more discernible arch, not unlike what Catherine Zeta Jones is rocking in this picture.

- Rediscovered dark eyeliner and Bobbi Brown's Gunmetal Shimmer Wash eyeshadow. Wore both to church. Didn't flinch. It's a good thing.

- Went nuts on the stress pimples. Thank you, Wet'n'Wild Fresh Face Acne Spot Treatment.

- Resisted the urge to repaint my fingernails. Because that SPED Law homework won't write itself, yo.

Randomesticity, Part 2

Now that we've got my Best! Week! Ever! out of the way... well, the thing is, the next few weeks won't be. Firstly because of school, for which I need to tie up more than a few loose ends. Second because of Thanksgiving, because I'm planning on bringing something home-made for a change. If I post anything during this time, it's OK, but I just wanted to let you guys know right away if I don't.

- Is it so wrong for me to get back on the Justin Timberlake bandwagon if I was never crazy about the guy in the first place? As much as I want to hate him - and I really should, given how much I enjoy calling him a PAB - I'm trying to rationalize my imminent purchase of FutureSex/Lovesounds the same way my sister-in-law rationalizes her unironic love for J.Lo movies: Just because the person's not a role model doesn't mean you can't enjoy their work. Besides, if what Evie told me about what one of my crushes in the Philippines declaring that he was, indeed, bringing sexy back, is true... well, resistance is futile, I guess.

- And speaking of me and Evie (and bringing sexy back), we both find Lenny Kravitz to be incredibly hot in this vintage clip. Ain't nothing better than that.

- Also along the same vein: "To the left, to the left. Everything you own, in the box to the left. In the closet, that's my stuff. Yes, if I bought it, baby, please don't touch."

- Not a lot of makeup related posts this month, either, but I should tell you that I'm actually thrilled about the new Max Factor MAXEye shadows. No, really! I'm actually quite surprised about the lasting power on this product, especially when used wet.

This Is Just to Say...

...I have finally watched all 12 chapters of "Trapped in the Closet" on YouTube.

What can I say? I needed a break from all that studying, and I really needed a laugh.

Yes, I need help.

What I'm Wearing Tomorrow

The event: I'm going to be observing at a school not too far from where I live. It's my first time at the school, and my first time meeting with the administration and the teachers for this school, so it's important for me to look professional, within bounds.

The outfit:
- Casual Corner blue floral silk blouse over Fruit of the Loom pink A-line tank
- Old Navy low-rise bootcut jeans
- Airwalk brown suede sneakers with low-cut socks

The makeup:
- L'Oreal True Match pressed powder in Sun Beige
- L'Oreal True Match concealer in Medium/Deep W 6-7-8
- Stila eye shadows in Wheat and Barefoot Contessa
- Stila blush in Belle
- Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick in Shimmer

Other:
- Facial moisturizer: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 15
- Body moisturizer: Lush Fever massage bar (must. finish. this. soon!)
- Fragrance: Johnson's Baby Cologne in Summer Swing
- Hair: No product, if I can help it

Domesticity (Almost) Regrets...

...the use of the word "bitchface" in describing a certain TV reporter on this blog. (Scroll down to the comments section to see exactly what I mean.)

Folks, I'm not what you would call a media blogger (for that you may want to look somewhere else) and I'm not exactly out to change the world with my shallowness, if you know what I mean. But if I just happen to put a smile on anyone's face, no matter who they are - and whether or not I've said anything about them on this blog - that's when I know I've done my job. That's the power of the written word for you.

And that is all.

Hand It Over

Oh, fashion gods, why do you mock me so?

I really want to like this black nailpolish trend. I really do. But this week I tried to put some black polish on and it made my hands look... dead.

Granted, I was using a drugstore nail polish, but still. Black polish on my hands made me look more like a tired hag than a bad-ass rocker chick; instead of looking like I should be slinging a guitar around, I looked like I was about to roll up another cigarillo and yell at the noisy kids making a racket on my front lawn. I tried to cover it up with some sparkly pastel pink, but, alas, it wasn't so - if anything, the shimmer on black got even muddier, leaving me with nails that looked more dead than devilish.

Maybe it's my coloring. Or maybe it's my hands.

'Tis a pity, because I do remember being in high school when Chanel Vamp came out and then rushing to the store to buy the closest Vamp knock-off I could find, layering the polish until I got the desired dark look, which then left me feeling like the coolest, most worldly 12th grader around for having short, dark nails. And now, ten years later, what goes around is coming back around.

Wouldn't hurt to try again, right? Maybe if I went for something that wasn't a pure black, it might work. Suggestions?

What I'm Wearing Tomorrow

Since I will be going to an '80s party, and I will be going as Tom Cruise in Risky Business (except my shirt is blue, and I will be wearing houndstooth shorts underneath -- plus flipflops, since I don't want to get my socks dirty), I've decided to get with the Halloween spirit and wear some majorly whacked-out makeup on my face. For your consideration...

- L'Oreal True Match pressed powder in Sun Beige
- L'Oreal True Match Super-blendable Concealer in W6
- Max Factor MAXeye eyeshadow in Metalicious (lime green/peacock blue/purple). Basically I'm dusting the lime green all over my lid and possibly using the blue as a liner under my eyes, which doesn't look freaky at all if I do everything with a light hand. Thank goodness for that 2-for-1 deal I got in the coupons, since I also bought the Max Factor eyeshadow in Premiere Pink (pink/brown/mauve) which I plan to wear on another occasion.
- Cover Girl Lash Exact mascara in black on the top lids only
- Stila Belle blush
- Jordana lip liner in Tawny
- Maybelline Moisture Whip lipstick in Mystic Burgundy (which shouldn't clash with the lime green)

I've thought about going over the top with the black eyeliner, but then I did the dry run with the eyeshadow and was amazed by how the bright pastel colors made my eyes look a whole lot bigger, which is so much more in line with the whacked-out preppy look I'm going after.

It's gonna be a happy, happy Halloween, y'all.

Domesticity Reviews: Scharffen Berger Nibby Bar

Hi, my name is Meimei, and I am a chocoholic.

Not just any chocoholic, mind you. I approach chocolate the same way I approach alcohol: Why settle for "regular" when the good stuff's still available? There's no way of explaining why I've become such a stickler about this, apart from the fact that I'm getting older and my taste buds aren't what they used to be.

Case in point: Two weeks ago I was able to track down the Scharffen Berger Nibby Bar at Fujioka's in Market City. At first I thought I was never going to be able to eat this at all - I was just so happy to have found one that I almost forgot that I had one at hand. Finally, after days of speculation, I broke down, unwrapped the bar, broke off a quarter... and had my first taste.

Here's the thing: This isn't my first bar of Scharffen Berger, at all. I've had their dark chocolate before, so I'm used to the fact that their dark chocolate often starts off really sharp and metallic on the tongue. (I've experienced the same thing with Lindt's Excellence Dark Chocolate, too, so I'm sure it's not an isolated phenomenon.) That's why I usually have a tendency to eat dark chocolate slowly - letting the stuff melt in my mouth so I could get used to the sharpness and let the other aromas permeate.

Not so with the Nibby Bar. The first time I bit into it, I immediately recognized the crunch of the cacao nibs, which I immediately wanted to crunch on with my teeth. The chocolate used for the Nibby Bar is 62% cacao - which makes it no stronger than your average Toll House morsel - but it's the crackle of the nibs that gets to you. The sharpness eventually gives in to a pleasant bitter-sweetness, not unlike snacking on a chocolate wafer.

This isn't just chocolate, folks. This is instant gratification.

I've heard descriptions of the Nibby Bar as a "candy bar for grownups," which I believe is pretty spot-on. I could come up with a more graphic description than that (ahem), but suffice it to say that for $2 an ounce, it's pretty damn good instant gratification, so grab one while you can.

"So what are we going to do for FOOD!?"

While we're waiting for yet another video from the Philippines where the band wears more eyeliner than I do (and, guys, I love you, but y'all better start calling me before you start attacking the Max Factor counter at Watson's, 'cause you're making me and Alex Kapranos cry), here's a little something from the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises of Hawaii, which I still can't believe I haven't posted yet:

Domesticity Reviews: New and Not-So-New Purchases

Enough with the blackouts, earthquakes, and pitiable music videos! (Besides, since my friends in Waikiki decided on an '80s party, I'm going as Tom Cruise in Risky Business instead.) Bring on the beauty product reviews!

- Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara: I'm not usually the kind of person who buys into the hype for any given product, but I've used this mascara three times now and I must say that I am not disappointed. No clumps, no smudges, and enough lift to eliminate the need for an eyelash curler - and, as an added bonus, the falling-eyelash problem that I had in the Philippines (when I was using Maybelline's Sky High Curves) didn't happen here with this mascara! Could I have found my own particular Holy Grail Mascara? Perhaps. But we'll see.

-Palmolive Aroma Therapy Essentials Conditioner with Mandarin and Green Tea: Another purchase from the Philippines, and currently my go-to conditioner. Nice volumizing formula - my hair's soft but never greasy when I use this, with added bounce (as if my hair could be caffeinated!) - and the green tea scent is just delicious.

- Lush Fever massage bar: Lately I've been using this instead of lotion - partly because that rose-carnation fragrance is just heavenly, partly because I miss my regular massages back home, and partly because I need to use this all up before I step into the Lush Ala Moana store and purchase another one (yeah, Lush fans, I know what y'all are thinking). Seriously, though: My hands have never been softer, my legs have never felt so moisturized, my hangnails are a lot less tortuous, and my skin has never felt so much more touchable. Now if only somebody (and by somebody I mean "whoever it is that Evie and I have been discussing as hot boyfriend material during our nightly Google Chats") would just come up and smell me...

- Earth Therapeutics pumice sponge: Now, I can buy time between pedicures (since I can't have them every two weeks any more, boohoohoo) and keep my feet stilleto-worthy after walking in sneakers (or flip flops) all day. All I do is scrub out my calluses with the sponge (and a little shower gel) while my feet are wet in the shower; then, once they're rinsed off, I rub lotion (or a little smidge of Fever) on my toes and soles, and put my feet up like a princess for at least an hour or so to let the moisturizing stuff sink in. Just yummy.

- Bath and Body Works Pear Blossom shower gel: Whoever left this in my bathroom as a housewarming gift deserves my undying love and gratitude, because it's actually very fresh and exhilirating, and not at all "fruity."

Straight Outta Blackout City

Just so you know:

Yes, I'm fine. The earthquake shook me out of bed between 7:15 and 7:22 in the morning. As soon as it stopped, the power went out, and I had no electricity for more than 12 hours.

No, there wasn't much damage in my neighborhood. Just rattling cupboards, stuff falling down, and people leaving Waikiki in fear of a tsunami, but that was it.

Yes, for a moment there I thought that the world was going to end, too - everything closed down all day Sunday, and there wasn't a single place that was left open where I could get food. Or at least that was the case in my neighborhood. But when I saw my neighbors taking out the hibachi and throwing food on the grill, I knew we're going to be OK.

No, I'm still in shock. I don't know - it wasn't until I got to the supermarket and saw that there were no milk or eggs left on the shelves that the reality hit me. I can't even watch the news any more. My attitude towards this whole thing is, "Heck, we just got the worst of it out of the way. Be glad to be alive." And yet it still doesn't excuse the fact that I couldn't even concentrate on my school work today.

Yes, I've contacted everyone. I hope they all know I'm fine.

We'll see.

"But I'd be DAMNED if I see another chick on your arm!"

This post is dedicated to Koneko and our discussion about Halloween costumes, since I did say I was thinking about going out as Beyonce for Halloween:

I was thinking more about Beyonce in the beginning of the video, with the white shirt and the shorts - as opposed to Camo Bey or Basic Instinct Bey. The main point, though, is that it's ALL ABOUT THE HAIR. It shouldn't be that hard to find the biggest, fluffiest, wavy-textured blonde wig this time of the year, right?

She be rockin' chinchilla coats if I let you go
Gettin' the house off the coast if I let you go
She go take everything I own if I let you go
I can't let you go
Damned if I let you go...

Great. Now I have the song stuck in my head.

Coming Out of Blackout City

First of all, the good news: Electricity has been restored in our neighborhood since Sunday! YIPPEEE! My parents now have electricity and running water, and not only that - they donated some of my clothes to the folks who were affected by the landslides in our home town. It feels good - not only for helping out in my own way, but also for letting go of certain things from back home.

Second of all, because I feel like I should share this: I just had this weird dream last night. Something about me being invited to a beauty-blogger convention ("Hey, I know you! How's your hair holding up? Awww, maybe you should try the Paul Mitchell...") and everyone keeps asking me how I'm holding up with the blackout. Then they make all sorts of constructive suggestions on how to improve my blog, and... it was all weird and funny and brutally honest at the same time, but there you go.

So, in closing, it's so good to be back. And just in time, as well.

There were so many things to write about (Tower Records going out of business, ongoing construction at Nordstrom's, my laptop dying and coming back to life, etc.) but I just want to talk about two things in particular:

- Ever since I got back from Manila I feel like I've been working the red lips lately. Those of you who have read my comments during the Rock the Gloss Challenge on Blogdorf Goodman would remember that I have shades of red from MAC and Maybelline, but my current obsession - and most recent purchase - is L'Oreal HIP Intensely Moisturizing Lip Color in Driven #778, which looks like a dark violet in the tube but goes on me as a plum-based red. This one reminds me of the first time I tried Chanel Vamp ten years ago - a little too purplish for me - but this L'Oreal HIP lipstick is truly moisturizing on me (good news for someone for whom no lipstick is "moisturizing" enough) and the color builds up nicely, even if the blue tones bring out the worst in me.

- Speaking of lipstick: I am so going to put The Beauty Newsletter (beautynews.blogspot.com) on my blogroll. Those lipstick-buying tips alone are worth the read.

- While we're on the topic of lipstick, one of the reasons why I've started rocking the dark lips again has a lot to do with me getting back into the Pinoy rock scene, which you may have read in a couple of entries for this blog (see the "Manila" section for more). And because there's nothing I love more than makeup and Pinoy rock music... well, yeah, so you know how I'm madly in love with this band in the Philippines that's, like, named after a certain food item, and how I think their lead guitarist is so freaking hot and all? Yeah, those guys. That's why it hurts me to snark on this video. Granted, this was shot during a dark(er) moment in their career and all - which explains the low-budget feel (and, yeah, crappier videos have been made for more money) - but I don't have the heart to embed this, folks. Seriously: Evie and I have been snarking about how half of the budget for this video must've gone to hair and makeup for the lead singer ALONE. And it hurts me more to think that my Hot Guitarist Boyfriend was still sporting Beyonce's old weave on his head. Yeah, I know. Still love these guys, though, and I'm glad that they're doing so well back home. Now if you'll excuse me, I should go ahead and weep into a Special Education Law texbook, or something.

Blackout City, Part 2

For those of you still reading this: Rumor has it that the electricity won't be restored in my home town until October 18. Some neighborhoods do have electricity, but not everyone does - and because there's no electricity, water is also in short supply.

Yes, my parents and friends are all fine. But that doesn't take away the fact that my town was smack in the middle of the storm. Trees and landmarks that have been familiar to me for more than 20 years are now gone, snapped in half like used skewers or popsicle sticks. One of my friends, who works at a biochem lab, can't come to work any more because the offices and labs were flooded - even the refrigerators were knocked down. Important events have been cancelled, postponed indefinitely.

Sad? I don't know. Still, that's about two more weeks' worth of blackout.

Some Happy News, for a Change

Guess who just had a baby girl?

(Clue: Not me. Oh, no, definitely not me.)

In any case, cheers to the Mom and Dad in question. Hope all goes well.

We now return to the blackout currently in progress...

Blackout City

And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
Of what was everything?
All the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

All the love gone bad turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all I'll be...

- "Black," by Pearl Jam

Just got in touch with everyone in Manila. They're still recovering from the big storm that hit Luzon last Thursday, which lasted well into the weekend. There was a serious landslide in my home town - not in the town proper, but in a village within the town boundaries - that claimed a dozen lives. Electricity has yet to return to certain parts of Manila and the outlying provinces because the power lines have been downed. The highways were littered with the remnants of billboards and uprooted trees. Traffic to the city was so bad that Evie, on her way to work, ended up checking into a resort instead of getting stuck on the road all night long.

Suddenly, blogging about shopping and clubbing in Honolulu seems so pointless.

My parents are expected to get their electricity back by next week. Until then, I, too, will have to go black for a moment.

Randomesticity

Some things that I've noticed ever since I returned to Honolulu...

- How fabulous are the Fall 2006 trends at this very moment? Yeah, I know, we don't have "autumn" here in Honolulu, but ever since I got back and saw the wooden platform shoes in the stores (a little like these babies, which I spotted from a link on Tia Williams' blog) I knew I just had to have 'em. This time, however, I'm going to make sure I pay good money for them - if there's anything I've learned from spending so much time in Manila, it's the fact that life's too short for too-cheap shoes. (Although, in my defense, I did spend less than $20 on my last shoe-shopping trip with my Mom, when I bought the most adorable rust-colored kitten heels and some Prada-ish beige loafers. Love those shoes.)

- Forgive me, people, but I watched Ugly Betty last night. Shut up. I watched because I caught some episodes of the Mexican version (La Fea Mas Bella) in the Philippines this summer - I even got into a fight with my Dad because I wanted to watch this and he wanted to watch the news. ANYWAY. It's so over-the-top and telenovela-ish and such a guilty pleasure all around. Bonus points to Salma Hayek for poking fun of herself in the "telenovela" segments. Now, if somebody would just make an American version of Lovers in Paris...

- (For those of you reading this blog from the Philippines, skip this if you don't want to know what happens in Season 3) How hilarious was last night's Grey's Anatomy, by the way? I just loved that ending, with McSteamy (Eric Dane) getting out of the shower wearing nothing but that big, yummy white bath towel. I don't know about you, but Eric Dane - all of him - makes me think some seriously unchaste thoughts. In other news, I also love the fact that George's girl Callie has a refreshingly yummy bod.

- Okay, readers from the Philippines, you can start reading again here. Why? Because I just checked out the movie listings and... guess what's showing at Dole Cannery this week? Yup: You Are The One, with Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga. My only regret is that nobody's going to make You Are The Man any time soon. Or, for that matter, Sugod: The Movie, starring yours truly and Dennis Trillo as "Diego."

- The other night, I turned on the TV to KGMB-9, and I noticed that the guy who was delivering the news updates looked kinda hot, in a Daniel Dae Kim kind of way - tanned, buff, totally relaxed. Then he introduced himself, and my jaw dropped. Why? The reporter was CEDRIC MOON. Yes, the same Cedric Moon who I took to task in this blog not too long ago for having severe bitchface. I don't know what happened here, folks, but I do recommend sitting through KGMB-9's newscasts once in a while to see what I mean. Well played, KGMB.

- In other news: Why, oh, WHY did nobody tell me that PF Chang's just opened at Ward? GAH.

Edited 10/01/2006 because this entry could use more Daniel Dae Kim... and, for that matter, yet another link to a certain Pinoy band on YouTube. Yeah, Peter Sarsgaard wishes he could play guitar like that.

Domesticity Dispatch: Tiny Bubbles and Rock Star Apartments

I’m tired, I’m cranky, and I can’t believe that school is starting so freaking soon.

In other words, it’s good to be back in Honolulu.

Things have changed. When I went to the Philippines I lost my old apartment in Makiki and (as of this writing) practically everything else that I left behind. Now, my landlady gave me a newly renovated studio which I immediately christened my “rock star apartment” because of all the built-in furniture, exposed brick, and wood paneling. Look, I even have a chandelier in my kitchen! Everything else is new: the roll-up “studio bed” that folds into a tiny couch; the green shower curtain that goes with the brown tile in the bathroom; the plates, forks, and spoons… and even my computer (a Compaq notebook with WiFi capability) is brand-spanking new.

Once the dust was cleared and all the new stuff organized in their rightful place, I rolled out my sofa/bed, threw a sheet and pillows over it, and marveled at the beauty of my new sanctuary. I’m still getting over it.

******************

Before I finally moved back into my apartment, I stayed at my parents’ hotel room in Waikiki, which had a tiny bathtub. That gave me a great opportunity to sneak into the LUSH store in Ala Moana so I could finally try one of their bath products – and in this case, it was the Creamy Candy Bath Bubble Bar, which I’ve always loved since I first saw it in the store.

On my last day in the hotel room, I took the last half of the Creamy Candy Bath and crumbled the whole chunk under running water to form endless mounds of frothy, moisturizing, candy-and-patchouli-scented bubbles. I only had twenty minutes – but, oh, what a great last 20 minutes that was, just sinking straight into the bubbling water and letting all those cleansing and moisturizing ingredients wash over me.

I’ve always wanted my own bathtub for as long as I remember – maybe it’s the way bubble baths seemed so much more glamorous and luxurious than a regular shower. And now, sinking into the tub for an honest-to-goodness bubble bath, I realized that it’s just as good as I’ve always thought it ought to be, if not better. A good bath is practically everything you could dream about – satin sheets, chocolate truffles, champagne – but it’s all for your own enjoyment, with no burden on your conscience and no strings attached.

By Special Request

First up: This is my first blog entry since coming back to Hawaii, and also the first in a series of blog entries that actually have non-stylized titles. In other words, I can now call my entries whatever the heck I really want now. No reason, just a change of pace.

Speaking of the "change of pace," here are some photos of me and my short hair...

This one I really like, for some reason. Somehow I pressed the wrong button on my Dad's webcam and the shot came out like this: a happy accident.

And here's the full frontal view. I have to admit that the hair has grown out in the last few weeks, so my face doesn't look too wide. But look at how the bangs and layers bring out the eyes and the cheekbones! My sister tells me that it's so much better than the long hair because this cut draws the eyes upward - as opposed to downward, since my hair has a tendency to go super flat.

In other news, I MUST try that new Sunsilk (US) styling cream for flat hair, if only for the novelty of seeing my favorite shampoo brand making its debut in the American market. Go Unilever!

THUD.

That sound you hear is me finally settling into my new studio apartment in Honolulu, exactly one week after I arrived from Manila. No blog action right now, but I'll try to get this started again by Monday at the earliest. Till then, hang in there!

Domesticity Dispatch: Hair Today...

I couldn't resist. I finally went for it.

I CUT MY HAIR SHORT.

Okay, so the fact that I was already in the salon (the one in our home town, not Jesi Mendez in Alabang) with my Mom and I didn't want to stay home had a lot to do with it. Not to mention the fact that the salon in question was offering a free haircut with any spa treatment, and I didn't feel like going for a hot-oil treatment that day. So I told the hairdresser I wanted to take some of the length off the back to even out the rest of the layering from my last haircut, and cut some wispy bangs at nose length.

At first I was shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you! - because one of the reasons why I've stopped cutting my hair short has a lot to do with the way my past haircuts have made me look like a mushroom; apart from my chubby cheeks and chin, I also have a thick neck, which looks horrible when paired with short hair. But since I was going to sit in that chair for a while, and the lovely "queen" who was doing my hair had suggested that the cut goes with the conditioning treatment, I thought, hey, at least this buys me some time, right? So I took a sip of Nestea and went ahead.

The treatment in question was called "hair clay," but there was nothing clay-like about the whole procedure. A soothing, peppermint-infused cream was massaged into my lovely hair, which was then wrapped in plastic and left to sit before it was put under the hood for steaming (the better to let that mask soak in). While I sat back and read the glossies, an army of attendants came by and massaged my neck and back. Then the goop was rinsed out of my hair, which was then blowdried to un-mushroomy perfection.

Once the blowdryer was put away, I took a look at my new short hair and was amazed. It's more of a bob-like shape, quite short in the back, but with very long bangs in front. It's mod and modern at the same time, very low-maintenance but still glamorous. (Not that it's going to score me any shampoo endorsements at this point, although I won't be surprised if these guys ended up getting me as a backup dancer for their next video.)

My Mom liked it, of course - not just because she's my Mom, but because she was never a fan of my long hippie hair anyway, which she says always makes me look "ungroomed."

The best part? Never having to worry about ponytailers, clips, and other hair products for the next few months, since it's layered in a way that should grow out nicely if I let it be for a while. No more ponytail vertigo for me!

The Case Against The Overly Literate-on-the-Verge-of-Pretentious Reviewer

EDIT: I know that this entry isn't exactly Domesticity-worthy except for the hipster-bashing, so if you want to skip this, it's OK with me. To make up for it, I will now share with you the worst video that I've seen in the last three months: "Rudebox" by Robbie Williams - which not only illustrates what happens when somebody loses his sense of humor, but practically makes the new Kevin Federline clip look like high art. Utter crap, I tell you.

*********

Let me state for the record that I am not a fan of Robert Christgau. On the contrary, I am indifferent to what he has to say about music or anything else. Yet, I am irritated by the way certain writers rip off his style in their own reviews. It's the main reason why I don't read music magazines any more like I used to: I could care less if this band reminds you of some other band - all I care about is whether or not I feel anything for the music. It's another reason why I think bloggers are going to be more vital in the democratization of any art form - music, fashion, beauty, books, movies, etc. - and even more so than the mainstream media.

That said, this article from Slate makes me smile.

A few quotes:

Of course, Christgau's blurbs are like no one else's—dense with ideas and allusions, first-person confessions and invective, highbrow references and slang. They are far too insidery for general readers, and even the biggest music geek can find his writing hard to decipher...

...Christgau has his hard-core cultists. At various times, the Voice music section embodied the worst aspects of Christgau's influence, publishing articles that were lumpy goulashes of rock-crit arcana and in-jokes. Christgau is probably too peculiar a writer to be an ideal model. His imitators can't match his chops.

Note to all the pretentious Christgau wannabes writing for the papers and music magazines in Manila: Time to give up the ghost, folks. The revolution is closer than you think.

Domesticity Reviews: Rock Star Season 2, Week 10

Here's a little spoiler for those of you waiting for tonight's elimination show: THEY SENT THE WRONG ROCKER HOME.

I'm serious, folks. They shouldn't have sent Storm home. Her original song stood out. Her voice has gotten better. So what if she had phoned it in a couple of times? Then again, it looked like she was the one who wanted to go home badly. I was so sad for her... but, who knows? Maybe she and Ryan will end up tying the vote for the returning encore next week.

You know who they should have sent home? Dilana. Even if you hadn't seen the "webisode" (where she manages to upset Gilby by writing an FU song to her own fans - "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" THIS, ho) you already know that her song totally sucks by way of being too obvious and regrettable. Or maybe we're just feeling sorry for her pulling a calf muscle, I don't know. Evs, Dopey - I'm already over you.

Elsewhere, the Magni love train has kept on chugging. In my opinion, one of the reasons why Mags didn't do too well with Gilby on the songwriting clinic has a lot to do with English not being his primary language; speaking as someone who's bilingual by birth, I understand how hard it is to write anything in English - especially something as emotional as poetry or song lyrics - when your own thoughts are in your native language. And it's even harder when you're rushed... which is why I was blown away by his original song, even if his stage presence did turn out to be pretty vanilla. (Also: Can you blame me for liking the song he just did with Suave Porn? If he's so good that he could turn their crap lyrics into treasures, he might as well be slumming.) Another reason for me to assert the fact that Magni shouldn't win this thing, if only because he's either incompatible or way too good for the band he's supposed to front in the first place. In other words, he's not just this summer's version of Chris Daughtry... he's also this year's version of Marty Casey. And if I don't see him with Our Band: House on tour, I could see him coming back to Reykjavik as a hero, the way MiG did (in a way) when he opened for INXS in Manila.

Which then begs the question: Who do I see fronting the band in the first place?

Toby looks like the front-runner, in every sense of the word: He's not the most talented one of the bunch, or the most technically skilled, but his songwriting is compatible with Suave Porn's formula, his stage presence is off the hook, and the ladies just love him. Not that I would buy the band's album if he's the frontman, but if I got free tickets to their New Year's concert at Hard Rock Las Vegas (preferably with all-expenses paid round trip flight, hotel room, and limo service), I wouldn't be averse to seeing him.

Lukas, on the other hand, is more of the master showman, and I can totally buy his little arrogant punky-troll self being in a band with Tommy Lee. He's showing more of his "vulnerable" side, especially with the slowed-down version of "Living On A Prayer" (although I'm worried that Stretch may have thrown a remote at the TV by now) and "Head Spin" (aka "Dilana Could Only Wish for My Mommy Issues"). Like JD Fortune or Santino Rice (we just got the second season of Project Runway here) , Lukas is a love-or-hate kind of guy - the kind that you can't help but root for in the end, no matter how much you hate him.

So, to sum it all up, here's my predictions on who will win, place, or show in the next two weeks:

Final 3: Lukas, Toby, Dilana (Magni will be most likely to get voted out)

Will probably win: Toby (if Supernova wants a conventional, malleable, pretty-boy lead singer) or Lukas (if Supernova wants to go with the glam-rock route)

May end up winning: Dilana (and if she does, I'll be free to ignore the band and the rest of their career forever)

Should get the "returning finalist" encore next week: Tie between Storm and Ryan, unless Zayra goes for the photo finish

Who should've auditioned: THIS GUY. Yeah, you heard me. (Soul Patrol, yo.) Or even THIS GIRL right here. As much as I love this show, what does it say about me when I'd much rather pay to see a drunk Kelly Clarkson fronting this band than any of the people I just mentioned?

The Case for the Creative Commons License

Those of you still getting used to this blog, take note: I have installed a Creative Commons license tag on this blog as a protective measure to prevent any unauthorized copying, alteration, or unlawful use of anything posted on this blog -- up to and including original published text and images -- without any attribution to me.

Let me clarify: Part of the reason why it takes me way too long to write some of these blog entries has a lot to do with me looking at and for sources that I can link on my blog, especially if it's something I can always look up on the Web. I'm a researcher by nature - hello, grad student here! - so if I post anything that isn't my own, I will try my best to link and attribute that information to the original source. If I quote another blog, website, book, or news organization, I will make sure that the original source of the quote is attributed in some way or another on this blog. If I post any pictures that I haven't taken (or have not been given to me by the people who take the photos themselves), I'll either put in some attribution or try my best to post a link to the original photo where I got that image from in the first place. If I don't do all of the above, I might as well be committing professional suicide.

Remember, folks: Linkage, shout-outs, and other forms of attribution are fine by me. Flat-out plagiarism of original content? Not cool.

The Case for the Guaranteed Box-Office Hit

By now you may have realized that I missed this week's Very Supernova Elimination of Ryass - um, I mean, Ryan, which makes me happy even though I think I'm going to miss him a little bit. There were a few more things I also missed - Lukas playing with the band, Magni escaping the Bottom Three (yay!) and the sweet karmic payback that is Dopelana ending up in the Bottom 3. Well, what can I say.

**********

This morning, we were reading the paper, and I saw a movie listing at one of the theaters for a movie called You Are The Man. Yeah, I know that it's a typo because the theater was showing both You Are The One (the one where Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga bicker and fall in love and whatnot) and Little Man (the Wayans Brothers movie), but I can't help but think if it was an actual movie.

Picture this: Sam Milby, with the help of award-winning CGI, plays a vertically-challenged American citizen on the run from the law and hiding in the Philippines where he is forced to pose as a baby while looking for his biological mother. Along the way, however, he ends up at the doorstep of Toni Gonzaga, a clerk with the National Statistics Office who always gets shot down by consuls at the US Embassy (played by Shawn and Marlon Wayans) whenever she applies for a visa to visit her mother. They bicker, they patch up, they fall in love... then drama ensues, all culminating with an explosive chase scene at NAIA where Little Sam runs after Toni with the help of Shawn and Marlon as corrupt military goons threaten to hijack her plane using a tiny vial of explosive-posing-as-baby formula. Then the goons are eaten by gigantic snakes and Love Conquers All! The end.

If that's the case, I am so going to watch that movie.

Domesticity Reviews: Rock Star Season 2, Week 9 (Viewer's Choice)

Some thoughts running through Meimei's mind while watching this week's telecast on Star World...

Reality Webisode: "Here we go again, and I'm already tired because I think I biffed something at the conference this afternoon. Dilana, you're not the only one who makes that sort of mistake, you know. I've said crappier things about people I actually loved, and they're not even on - HOLY CRAP, DID YOU JUST SMASH YOUR GLASS IN FRONT OF MAGNI? Would you just take a damn Xanax already? Poor Magni, getting a little gash on his face. Insert 'It's only a flesh wound' joke here... Wait, is that Ryan wearing eyeglasses? Do these producers know that I have a spectacle fetish? Because Ryan + glasses = HOT. Aw, look at Magni being stoic. And look at Dilana totally losing her marbles. Now that's vulnerability. None of that 'I'm so emotional, I want to smash a f'ing glass and hang my knees out the window' crap... Photo shoot. Yawn. I hate that photographer guy. Trying for too much sexy. Blue Steel! And, hello, Magni GOT HIS FACE SLASHED BY A SHARD OF GLASS. You'd be out of it, too, if you were in his situation... Cut to the chase. Song selection. Wait - this week is Viewers' Choice? And EVERYBODY got a Wild Card? Either the system is finally working in our favor, or this competition is getting more cooked by the day. Lukas, I know you hate Nirvana, but the fans love you for -- oh, wait, Mom just came in with a couple of bromeliads, and... are those cookies? COOKIE. ARRRGHNUMNUMNUMNUM."

Recap of Webisode on Performance Night: "Way to go producers, sticking the knife so deep into Dilana like that. You're lucky she's not bashing any drinking glasses in your direction. And stop being such a wuss, Dave Navarro. I guess there really is a girl's bike in your future, so until then, just... stop."

Lukas, "Lithium": "He's rocking it, all right, but I never would have thought that Lukas, of all people would come up with something that's a mere few inches away from Richard Cheese territory. But I like this better than Dilana's, for sure. Especially since Dopelana scared the heck out of me when she did this. Hey, Dopelana. Also: Shut Up Dave Navarro."

Commercial Break #1: "Hey, Evie was right: Those two lead guys from Cueshe do look like butch lesbians in drag. Whoever pointed this out to her, I should buy that guy a beer."

Magni, "I Alone": "Now, this is the way you sing Live for a reality television show. I still remember Ed Kowalczyk's vocals on the original version and that one gave me chills, but here Magni's just letting himself be vulnerable. Oh, my goodness, I'm about to make a joke about the 'thawing' of the Iceman. How baduy."

Ryan, "Clocks": "He got me from the piano playing. Good start... Wait, is he trying to hump the piano? What in the fresh hell is this? I guess this works both ways - if you hated Coldplay enough maybe you'd like it, but... I dunno. I wish I didn't mind the screaming so much."

Commercial Break #2: "Okay, so Star World News is still on. Now, who on earth should I talk to at MYX to get them to stop playing that damn video for 'Dale Candela' over and over again?... Oh, isn't this hilarious. 'Rock Star: Supernova. BROUGHT TO YOU BY KFC.' That is so rock, y'all."

Storm, "Bring Me To Life": "Oy. Too low. I bet even Amy Lee is meh about this whole thing. Five words: 'Call Me When You're Sober.' Toby's so not rockin' it with the backup, though. 'Stole your heat,' my foot. "

Toby, "Rebel Yell": "He's not mumbling! HE'S NOT MUMBLING! And look at him pulling up some of those girls onstage. We should call them Our Groupies: Paid Nicely."

Commercial Break #3: "You know, a Diet Coke wouldn't be so bad right now... except we're out of Diet Coke. Damn. Brain turning off. Must get sleep immediately."

Dopelana, "Mother Mother": "The perfect song for the perfect rock poseur. I'd like this better... if I still cared. Whatever. I guess it's true: If she wins, the band gets the singer it deserves. And the rest of us will go on with our lives."

Meimei turns off TV before seeing who's in the Bottom 3.

The Case for the Boyfriend, or What's MY Fantasy?

Yeah, I was weepy for about five minutes... but then I've been talking to all sorts of people - including Stretch, Evie, and my brother - and then I was inspired to draft this. (In fact, I should give credit where credit is due: Evie wrote a similar, funnier list on her Friendster blog. - Mei, 9:34 PM)) Let me know if I've missed anything.

What I Want In A Significant Other, by Meimei

- SINGLE: not married, not separated, not even anywhere near entangled. (No priests, seminarians, porn stars, polygamists, or cult leaders, please.)

- Heterosexual: I know, not easy to tell these days, but take it from somebody who's been down that road one time too many. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

- Roman Catholic: "Yeah, right, Mei, good luck finding one." But I know they're out there! And they're not all whiny, judgmental, stick-in-the-mud types who... GRR! MEIMEI ANGRY! SMASH PICTURES!... Okay, where was I? Yeah, he must be a practicing Sunday regular, or at least have a strong desire to be converted. Y'all know how much I love God, right? So he better know how to walk the walk and talk the talk without coming off as a major hypocrite.

- Open-minded: See above. I like it when a guy is cool with me even at my dorkiest moments. This should also come in handy when he meets my family.

- Tall: Anything taller than 5'5 is fine by me. I can live with it.

- Intelligent: Both of my parents have PhDs in economics. Do the math.

- Funny: There is never enough mojo to compensate for a man without a finely tuned sense of humor, no matter how hot or intelligent he is in real life. And the only thing worse than a humorless man is someone whose "sense of humor" amounts to nothing more than laughing at tasteless, frat-level jokes. Yuck.

- Good conversationalist: A little less Kevin Federline, a little more Keith Olbermann.

- Adventurous: Not exactly the James Bond "international playboy" type, but willing to try new things without flinching.

- Musically inclined: I've got a soft spot for guitar players, drummers, bassists, and keyboardists, but if he can do all that and sing with a voice that sounds like raw honey... baby, I could listen all day.

- Athletic: Those abs, pecs, and glutes better be natural, yo. And if you're willing to take me along on your sporty adventures - or at least take me to the gym with you, so you could weight-lift while I'm on the treadmill - I won't complain.

- Handy around the house: Boy, if looking good in jeans and a utility belt were enough, Nate Berkus would've been married to me by now. But since he isn't, professional-grade competency in home repairs and expert handling of power tools are a major plus.

- Gentle: I want to say "sensitive," but that word just conjures up way too many associations with guys who identify themselves as feminists and write touchy-feely song lyrics. I'm talking "gentle" in the way that wild gorillas and dishwashing soap are gentle.

- Well-dressed: I'm not asking for designer clothes; I'm just asking for a little more thought and effort in the wardrobe-selection process. This has been a heated topic of discussion between myself and my guy friends, who don't see anything wrong about showing up at a party in grungy wear. But you know what, guys? If you expect us girls to show up at any given moment looking hot (with any kind of help that we can find in our wardrobe and beauty stashes), I think it's fair that we hold you to the same standard - because when you care enough to take care of yourself when it matters, that speaks volumes about your confidence.

- Well-groomed: And this goes with the "well-dressed" category named above. Facial hair I can take or leave, but if a guy has good skin, smells really nice - even if it's just soap - and his hair looks like it has been washed and combed within the last 48 hours? Yummy. And if he happens to mess it all up by sweating all day - but still smelling nice - it's even more yummy.

- Well-traveled: You know those contestants on The Amazing Race who have such major chips on their shoulders because they have to travel to foreign countries where nobody speaks their language and they have to trudge through this God-forsaken country to get to the next leg, which means that they have to rely on the poor unwashed locals for help and support? I wouldn't want that person for a traveling partner... and I wouldn't want that in a man, either.

- Good grasp of language: He doesn't have to be multilingual. All I'm asking for is someone who can write and speak without going out of his own way to be blatantly offensive.

- Good cook: There's just something sensual about a guy who takes the time out to make the dinner for you, especially if he's working with the best recipes and ingredients available. (No more Spam-and-ramen dinners!) Bonus points if the resulting dinner tastes like a million bucks.

- Expert mixologist/ brewmaster/ oenophile: Take it from somebody who used to date an aspiring flair bartender in college - you don't need to be with a guy whose idea of a "cocktail" involves mixing fruit juice with every blend of supermarket booze known to man, and then serving the resulting mess with dry ice and an umbrella. Give me a guy who can appreciate a good wine, a finely crafted beer, or an expertly-blended martini any time - especially if he can still hold his liquor pretty well.

- Mature: Last, but not in any way the least. By this I mean someone who has lived through it all and is all the better for it. Someone who's very stable emotionally and spiritually, not to mention financially. (You may not realize this now, but I've found that it all goes hand in hand.) This quality is probably the least negotiable of all the qualities presented in this list, but you all know that it's for a very good reason.

Other than that? I'm pretty easy. Not in a rush. Really.

Domesticity Dispatch: Miss You Like Hell, Manila

So it's confirmed: I should be back in Honolulu by mid-September. Right now, however, I'm in the middle of a mad scramble - registering for classes (online), looking for a new apartment (online), window shopping for laptops (online) packing up my bags (I wish I could do this online) - which has left precious little in the way of wrapping up my business here in the Philippines.

Manila, Manila/ Miss you like hell, Manila/ No place in the world like Manila/ Manila, coming home...

Okay, so lining up my job offers is one thing. Saying goodbye to the people who have kept me sane, however, is another story. Evie's birthday is coming up soon. Stretch and I still need to have our spa day. I still haven't figured out if our buddy Pike is coming home for his dad's funeral - we've practically grown up with the guy. And I still haven't talked to my cousin Tiger in weeks, even though he too is facing his own important decisions about leaving the country.

I want to think about the bad stuff so I won't miss the place - the small-town gossip, the usual governmental chicanery, the annoyingly boba VJs who keep interrupting my daily dose of videos on MYX - but I can't. I've fallen in love with the place. It's unfortunate that I still have one year left of graduate school to finish, with the possibility of not coming home this Christmas... but there you go.

One thing is for damn sure: I will be back.

*******

Speaking of this whole transition: Between going on Friendster and going on nostalgia trips, I've found myself bemoaning my singleness over again. Here in my hometown, Evie and I are among the few left in our large group of friends (most of whom have known each other for at least 20 years) that have not gotten married - without a demanding job/ religious vocation/ extended stay in rehab to excuse us for not being in a relationship. Among my high school friends from Manila, I could barely count the ones who still identify themselves as "single."

(Well, so this is the part where my Mom butts in and reminds me of the people I know who - for lack of a better description - are checking the "It's complicated" category to describe their marital status. That's another rant for another time.)

Still and all, though: I do think I'm happy where I am right now - I've got a loving family, friends who love and support me, a (potential) career in which I'm finally finding some sort of fulfillment, and a growing awareness of my spirituality. That still doesn't excuse me for the moments when I'm at my most human... or at least the moments when I'm curled up around my pillow, wondering about the reasons why I'm not making out with (insert name of potential celebrity boyfriend) at this very moment.

Yeah, I know, I could work on a few of those things that have been scaring guys off for years. Then again, considering the qualities of the guys I have "scared off"... well, I guess that's just God's way of telling me that I was way too good for the poor sucker anyway. (Ahem. Ahem.)

But I'll... stop here, because it's getting too long and I'm about to get weepy. Next entry!

What's Your Fantasy? Pinoy ROCK! Edition, Part 2

Hey, remember when I told you that I couldn't find a decent picture of the guys from Sandwich? Well, looks like I actually got a paparazzi-worthy shot from Evie and her Dad's trusty digital camera:

From left: Myrene Academia (bass), Mike Dizon (drums; partially obscured), Mong Alcaraz (guitar), Raimund Marasigan (lead), and my current "boo" Diego Castillo (guitar).

Well, okay, so this picture isn't the greatest (poor Diego and Mong!) but I so want to marry this band. Okay, except for Myrene, because I don't think our families would approve of that. Still, though.

And because this particular joke never gets old, here's a picture of Gael Garcia Bernal's twin brother:

As Evie would say, you better get that drool bucket ready.

(Now if we could get Bamboo Manalac and Champ Lui Pio to "accidentally" lose their shirts when we take their pictures, this blog would be a very happy place indeed.)

Domesticity DOUBLE Dispatch: Hanging by a Moment

Today's a double whammy of an entry, because I'm already writing about two disparate things at the same time. I just want to get all of this out of the way because I have a very important appointment tomorrow morning in Manila and I have to leave super-early to beat the traffic.

********

PART I: WARDROBE POST
Here's what I will be wearing tomorrow:

WARDROBE
- Faro mauve/pink ruffled 3/4 sleeve blouse, purchased at Rustan's (I love this line!)
- Old Navy black pants
- Marks and Spencer black microsuede pumps
- cubic zirconia earrings bought at Ross eight years ago

MAKEUP AND FRAGRANCE
- L'Oreal True Match pressed powder in W6 Sun Beige
- Maybelline Moisture Whip lipstick in Mystic Burgundy
- Chanel Chance EDT
- Backup: see all of the above, plus Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss in Raisin Glaze, Watson's Oil Control blotting papers, and hand sanitizer

HAIR
Tied back with a black elastic

OTHER ACCESSORIES
Black leather folio for those important files

Why so minimalist, you ask? Well, for one thing, I have to leave the house by four in the morning so I could beat traffic and be at my appointment by 7 AM, so anything complicated - read: eye makeup - goes out of the window. Here's a clue: Where I'm going, it's not going to be too comfortable because there will be a lot of people... but I am expected to look (and act) professional, because I do need to be taken seriously.

And, no, I am not going to an early taping for Wowowee! or Philippine Idol, because we all know I have as much of a chance of winning anything on those shows as I have of winning one night in Las Vegas with Wentworth Miller.

Wish me luck, guys; I'll need it.

*****

PART II: A VERY SUPERNOVA ELIMINATION, WEEK 8

No, I didn't wake up early enough for this, so it shouldn't even deserve its own entry. (I was up all night drafting my papers for tomorrow, ahem.) BUT I did catch the last 15 minutes, where my lovely Magni ended up at the bottom again with Go Home Patrice (who did) and Stop Humping The Drum Kit Toby (which he also did). Patrice really gave it her all for "Middle of the Road," but we all knew from the beginning that she was going home anyway, so there.

Toby, however, gained back a few pogi points for me with "Plush," even though his version is way too gritty next to the version Magni did a few weeks ago. And Magni's "Fire" was just insane, but it has also confirmed my suspicion that he is way too good for Suave Porn.

Wait... Toby performed with Suave Porn today? There... are... no... words.

My picks, revised:

Will go next week: Toby or Magni (Storm stopped phoning it in last night, and more people are jumping off Dilana's train for her)
Should have an original song ready by next week: Storm, Dilana
Should pay more attention to the requests next week: Toby (I still can't see him "showing creativity" as much as I see him "showing his pixellated private parts"), Lukas (hello, Wild Card), Ryan (hello, subtlety), Magni (hello, more tight jeans)
Top five: Dilana, Lukas, Ryan, Storm, Magni
Will end up winning: Heck if I know. At least INXS was likable (and Gary Garry Beers was super-easy on the eyes), but Suave Porn just bugs me to the point of not caring. That's why I'm predicting an early exit for Magni at this point.

(Hey, producers? I have another idea. Why not have somebody sing "Selling the Drama" by Live two weeks from now? I HATE that song, but I'd LOVE to see somebody kill it for me.)

Domesticity Reviews: Rock Star: Season 2, Week 8

I caught the morning telecast of today's show on Star World at 10 am. No, scratch that - because I was hung over from the post-concert bull session with Evie, I caught the tail end of the "reality" episode in anticipation of the performance episode. Folks, maybe it's just me, but what kind of wickety-wack (TM Manolo) did they just air for that one? No, I'm not talking about Ryan being a control freak (hey, if you realized that you were performing your own Original Song to an International Audience, wouldn't you be?), but that whole "counseling" session where the Roomie-Rockers start getting in touch with their feelings about their housemates. Apart from that tidbit about somebody being a slob (Dilana, is that you?) and Magni riffing on Lukas' makeup as a "Canadian thing," that was some pure, unfiltered wickety-wack on my television right there. I didn't even get a chance to laugh at Dilana's turn to run around the pool naked, which was... okay, except for the incredible muscle tone and inkage on her skin, because I think it was totally expected of her.

Okay, back to the performances... and to Ryan, who after the jaw-dropping performance of his otherwise micromanaged Original Song, is now my candidate for Rawker I'd Most Want To See Nude Next Week. Because, seriously, who else would it be? I'm sure it won't be Patrice because her song, like Shut Up Zayra's, confirmed that she's better off being her own artist in her own world. I don't think it would be Magni out of respect for his family, and Lukas... well, in the words of Mr. Tommy Lee, that would be totally Sauteed in Wrong Sauce, no matter how hot he is onstage.

Which leads us to Storm and her glittery gray eyeshadow, which runs neck-and-neck with Dilana and her purple false lashes (can't be Shu Uemura, though - I've seen a similar pair at Longs Drugs in Kaimuki) for Best Eye Makeup of the Night. Storm's "Cryin' " really put her over the top for this competition, I think, but I would totally love it if she would do her Original Song next week. Same with Dilana, especially since she had the gumption to sing her own name during "Every Breath You Take" - interesting psychological subtext, but I want some music, darnit.

Also: Nobody ever sounded good while covering "Smells Like Teen Spirit," especially when it comes to this show. MiG Ayesa didn't, and Magni, while still sounding competent as a singer (and looking very adorable while doing so), didn't fare any better either. The only difference, however, was that at least Magni was going for "intense" and "subtle" at the same time, which was probably why the judges docked him for not being dramatic enough.

Which leads us to my obligatory weekly nitpick on Lukas, where I do ding him on turning his back on the audience once again (but major props for not humping the drum set... more on that later). Like I've said, Lukas isn't exactly a guy I'd like to see naked, but when he's on, he's on, and it makes him so much more attractive that way. Also, I immediately flashed back to the concert I attended last night, where one of the bands had a frontman who had almost the exact same get-up as Lukas - right down to the aviator glasses, in fact. That guy, however, didn't have a skunk stripe in his hair, and was certainly not wearing eyeliner.

And finally... Toby, what the heck happened? I can take or leave the whole "Layla" business (the original is never something you should be messing with anyway, but props for keeping the guitar line, which puts you one over Eric Clapton), but would somebody please tell him that he shouldn't even be climbing over the drum kit and acting like an orangutan in heat? I understand the urge to air-hump the guitar player, as Jill demonstrated numerous times, but the drum kit?!?!?! It's a good thing I was half-conscious when I saw this, dude, because otherwise I would've totally switched channels on you so I could watch that Sandwich video (I love you Diego!!!) for the ten millionth time.

Should totally go: Patrice
Should get the encore: Ryan or Storm
Should play with Suave Porn: Lukas, if Ryan gets the encore
Will probably end up winning the whole thing anyway, like it or not: Dilana

On a lighter note, Gilby Clarke's dog - or as I would love to call him right now, Our Mascot: Chomper - is adorable, and should be on the show more often.

Now, if ABS-CBN (that would be The Filipino Channel for those of you abroad) could just start the ball rolling on the inevitable Rock Star rip-off, I will totally forgive them for every heinous television program that they have ever produced in this lifetime. Really!

What's Your Fantasy?: Pinoy ROCK! Edition

Last night's concert was an absolute blast, if it wasn't for the fact that it ended too abruptly - a fact that was not lost on my friend Evie, whom I had to talk out of making certain threats against The Powers That Be who didn't count on the fans wanting so much more for so little time. (Memo to aforementioned TPTB: Next time, if the tickets say that the show's at 8 pm, START AT 8 PM - okay, give or take half an hour, but no more than that. It's ESPECIALLY important if you KNOW that the venue is supposed to close at a certain hour. And if you know there's no room for an encore, it's a VERY BAD IDEA to have a cutesy celebrity VJ on stage saying stupid things like, "It's over! I'm serious! Do you want me to sing?" Because, people, the one thing less savory than a theater full of fans threatening to riot is the sight of Meimei and Evie inciting said riot by delivering a righteous bitch-slapping to a celebrity... and, believe me, you so totally don't want that. That's all.)

While I was trying to talk Evie off her ledge - so to speak - over a couple of beers, we got around to talking about how things have changed in the last ten years since I moved away. Sure, the Pinoy rock scene has produced a lot of awesome bands in the past (hello, Eraserheads and Parokya ni Edgar) but there have only been a countless few of them who we could say were, well, hot. But this year... sigh.

Take, for example, Sandwich. Okay, so I can't find a better photo online (or at least one where the guys are not hairdo-challenged) but trust me on this one: These guys are good, on top of being good-looking. Their lead singer, Raimund Marasigan, is a cutie in his own right - and plenty mesmerizing onstage, too - but my money's on Diego Castillo, the band's original guitarist (he's the tall, skinny guy in the video linked above), who - I swear - has only gotten hotter since he finally cut off his 'fro. When I saw them last night, D. was wearing a long-sleeved striped dress shirt and black pants, and wielding a wicked ax (as always), and I was so close to him on the front row that I had to stop myself from asking him to marry me right there on stage. Me? Groupie material? Hell no. But I'll totally have his bouncy-haired babies if he wanted me to.

Unless, that is, I got an offer to spend way too much time with Sponge Cola, which I would not mind at all. The best way for me to describe their lead singer Yael Yuzon (and the wicked new haircut he was sporting last night) is that he is the Pinoy version of Gael Garcia Bernal - look, their names rhyme too! - but with the raw, wrenching, emotional vocal talent that can make a romantic out of just about anyone. Then again, I'll probably end up fighting an entire army of girls to get to him, so I'll just leave him here for the eye candy.

And then there's Hale, another band known for both romantic moping and cute cuteness. They were not there at the concert, which was a pity in itself, but their frontman, Champ Lui Pio, is the kind of guy you want to take home so you could snuggle (ahem) with him all night long while drinking hot ginger tea. Then again, based on the scuttlebutt I've heard about Hale's hellish touring schedule, I bet Champ could totally use more of that kind of TLC. You know, what with ginger tea being good for the throat and all...

I could go on and on, but I'll end up sounding like a hipster anyway - which doesn't sound good for somebody like me, who's coming back into the swing of things ten years too late. (Not to mention that some of the other bands we saw last night count as friends-of-friends, which I consider a conflict of interest for this blog.) So I'll close out this entry with a mini-linkfest for one Francisco Manalac, whom we all know and love as Bamboo. Again, at the risk of getting trampled by every other Filipino female on the planet, let me say that this guy is insanely talented on top of being better-looking than ever... so of course he's got a life-long membership on my Pinoy Celebrity Boyfriend List. And that's the truth.

Check back later tonight for my review of Rock Star: Season 2, Week 8. After watching Sandwich and Sponge Cola - not to mention Parokya ni Edgar and Kamikazee, among others - live on the same night, staying home to catch Suave Porn continue their long-running audition for singers seems quite anticlimactic.

The Case for the Wardrobe Post, Part 2

Because I am headed out to Manila to see a rock concert with my friend, I figured I might as well post what I'll be wearing tonight.

CLOTHES
- Julie's Closet jersey cap-sleeve blouse in black and pink floral print with lace "cross-your-heart" detail on neckline and bodice (purchased at Ross last year)
- Old Navy nude camisole
- Gap Curvy Fit petite jeans
- Beaded dangling earrings with copper detail (gift from my Mom when she went to Bangladesh)
- Highlights green suede wedge-heel moccasins with brown satin trim

MAKEUP
- Prep: Aveeno Ultra Calming Lotion SPF 15 (face); Smith's Rosebud Salve (lips)
- Foundation: Sephora Professionel Perfection Base primer and L'Oreal True Match pressed powder in W6 Sun Beige
- Eyes: L'Oreal HIP eyesadow in Mischief (gold side for base, navy side for smudging) with Revlon Colorstay eyeliner in Black Brown
- Brows: Stila Rain eyeshadow
- Cheeks: Stila Belle blush (bright fuschia pink - yeah, baby!)
- Lips: NYX automatic lip liner in Rose Brown, Maybelline Moisture Whip in Mystic Burgundy (because it's all about the wine lipstick this season, folks!)

FRAGRANCE
- Johnson's Baby Cologne in Summer Splash (for the "just showered" feeling, since I figured it was going to be sweaty out there)

HAIR
Tied up right now, but will be blowdried later with Got2B Shagged Out Liquid Fiber texturizing lotion

BACKUP (in purse)
Mystic Burgundy lipstick, Johnson's Baby Cologne, Watsons Oil Control blotting papers, Watsons hand wash, and Smints

Basically, I don't know what to call this "look" per se, but I do want to look decent enough to be able to leave the house under my parents' watch. Note that I'm also giving myself a break from mascara, since I've been losing lashes at an alarming rate lately.

Domesticity Retail Roundup: Manila Edition

This past week, we had two different appointments in Manila, which facilitated two different shopping trips. One was at Ayala Center in Makati, which has been radically revamped since I last came here in 2000 (hello, Greenbelt 3!) - I wore out my shoes just walking from wing to wing, looking for stores. The other was at Festival Supermall in Alabang, which is just as gigantic as Ayala Center but not as confusing to walk through. Despite the grand magnitude and impressive range of items at both malls, however, I still managed to buy only a handful of stuff - because, as you know, I'm way too frugal that way. (To be fair, however, I barely stopped myself from drooling all over the new Diptyque and L'Occitane stalls at Rustan's.) So, instead of talking about what I saw at each store, I'm going to talk about the things that I actually bought. Shocker!

- Maxi striped blouse, Landmark: Lately I've been a fan of the open Mandarin collar, which is basically a band around your neck with a deep V-like opening in front (the better to show off that sternum and not look like a block, heh). This blouse - with long, roomy, uncuffed sleeves - is made from cotton shirting, with pink and yellow stripes and buttons the size of US quarters. It doesn't button all the way down, though, but I think it's a good informal alternative for the moments when a traditional shirt would be too starchy and a T-shirt would be too casual.

- Maybelline lip gloss and lipstick, PCX: Let me state for the record that I am a sucker for sales, especially for lip product. That's why I couldn't help but snap up not one, but two, about-to-be-discontinued products that are obviously not available in the States. (The clerk told me that they were clearing out stock to make way for the Moisture Extreme line.) The Moisture Whip lipstick in Mystic Burgundy is a darker version of the US Moisture Extreme's Red Dawn shade, which has a satin finish; it's not a daring, bloody red (like the Maybelline ME's Cherry Brown or my beloved MAC Underworld) but more on the sensible, plummy side. I still needed a lip balm to wear this, but it stayed on sensibly nonetheless. My current favorite, however, is the Fruity Jelly lip gloss in 06 Strawberry, which I bought for way less than $1.99. At first I was scared because it was such a pale baby pink in the tube, but I was surprised that it went on super sheer without even looking the least bit sparkly. Not to mention that the stuff smells like candy and is the least bit sticky going on your lips. Really awesome!

Seriously, folks: The Asian versions of familiar global brands are definitely worth a look and try. Some brands are pretty good with putting out products and packaging that are definitely geared to the Asian market and not mere retreads of tired American or European stock. When I went to PCX, the sale table also had the most darling eyeshadow singles from Maybelline - tinier than the American compacts - as well as sensible eyeshadow duos from L'Oreal. Now if only they would manage to diversify the shade ranges for their foundation (and not stick us non-"porcelain/ivory" folk with just one shade that isn't always a guaranteed match - there's a reason why I do end up at the Lancome counter from time to time), I'd be a happy camper.

- Tea tree and lemon eucalyptus incense from some New Age stall, Ayala Center Glorietta: It's supposed to be for the outdoors, to ward off insects, but I use it in my bedroom because it smells great. Also because I sometimes get mosquito bites, so anything's better than nothing.

****

Lest I forget to mention this, I got a haircut at Jesi Mendez last Friday. My hair's still long, but layered in such a way that it's practically feathered all over, like a '70s shag. The layers around the crown, in particular, are really short verging on mullet-like, so if I tie my hair back it almost looks like I went all the way and got a pixie cut. (I like to joke sometimes that my current hairdo is the result of a one-night stand between Sienna Miller and Steve Perry.) That said, I'm far from looking like a retro holdover; on the contrary, it's now so feathery and shaggy and rocker-chick-y that it looks even better when it's slept in and messy, especially when I pin the sides back. It also looks better when I brush my hair while holding my head upside down, with minimal to no styling product whatsoever. Hey, it could work.

Domesticity Reviews: A Very Supernova Elimination (Week 7)

We interrupt this post for this important announcement: Shut up, Punk Ass Bitch, because you're just jealous about Taylor Hicks bringing more Sexy Back than you are. Maybe when Suave Porn chooses a lead singer, you'll have something more PAB-like to say by then, no?

Finally, I get to stay up early enough to watch the Rock Star elimination show on Star World, and I get... THIS?!?!?

To be fair, I didn't get to watch the rest of the elimination because that was when I had to grab my bag and leave. But I've got to love Storm's WTF?!?! face when she found out Magni got Bottom 3 and not her, despite her willingness to go down with the rest of the ship. That's how I reacted, too. (I love you Magni!!!) Plus, between Magni's "Creep" and Patrice's "Celebrity Skin" (which made me switch immediately to another channel that was showing the new Evanescence video... Patrice only wishes she could pull off Amy Lee's range in "Call Me When You're Sober") this round really looked like Stick It To Lukas Week.

But how very PREDICTABLE of Suave Porn to get Dilana to perform with them first time out, complete with dancing hoochies (and, should I add, a surprising lack of HoYay when D. got a chance to freaky-dance with said hoochies). As I've said last night, Madame D. has been taking one too many cues from Kanye West lately: justifiable because she does have the talent and confidence to back it up, but it's going to cost her in the long run if she doesn't watch her back. Ahem. Look at what it did to Ty Taylor, yo.

About the encore: Ryan's "In The Air Tonight" is [Dave Navarro voice]AWWWWESOME[/DNv], in the sense that I practically forgot that it was a Phil Collins song. Then again, I still have all these weird thoughts about making Ryan sing "Oh Sherrie" onstage... or at least, pasting his head on Steve Perry's body (while using brain-bleach on whatever Stevarino had stuffed into his jeans) for the video of said song... which I know is not going to happen, since this show is so RAWK! and all.

Which then leads us to the most satisfying end of all: Zayra, Zayra, and Zayra. You're just not right for Our Band, but you've been building the foundation of what should look like an intriguing solo career, where you get to annoy all the backup musicians that you want whenever you don't get to "feel" a song. We all knew it was coming anyway, so goodbye to you and your rubber bodysuits, which I'm sure will be put to good use in your next career.

And so it ends...