A Dose of Reality

My favorite reality shows:

1. The Amazing Race - It is like touring the world without leaving your couch. Phil Keoghan is a lucky guy.

2. Project Runway - I watch the show because of Heidi Klum...and the crazy designs created by the imaginative minds of the designers. It is fun to see Michael Kors scream in horror when he sees a wacky dress.

3. American Idol - Go Simon!

4. Survivor - Watch out for the crazy things people do to win a million dollars. Survivor: Australia is still their best season yet for me.

5. Miami Ink - Although it is not a contest, this exciting show showcases the colorful people of Miami getting inked at the tattoo studio headed by Ami James. If you like body art, sad stories, and happy moments, this one is for you.

Tsinelas aka Flipflops

The lowly tsinelas is enjoying its makeover. Thanks to Hollywood celebrities wearing Havaianas not just on the beach. I got my first pair of this much-hyped brand of rubber footwear about two years ago and I still use it sometimes. Now, almost everybody is wearing it. It comes in every color imaginable (available in metallic ,too) and some crazy designs. My favorite is their Cartunistas line depicting Brazilian life. Other brands like Ipanema, Quiksilver and Crocs followed suit, incorporating the beach culture in shopping malls, bars, restaurants, and some offfices. I'm not surprised why most people are a big fan of wearing these everywhere. A pair of tsinelas is really cheap and comfortable unlike shoes. My favorite pair of Havaianas have been on so many places and deserves a break so I'm not bringing it to Boracay next week. I'm thinking of buying a Quiksilver (I found one that looks like mocha ice cream in color in a shop last week).

Places I Love to See

1. Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines - Dubbed as "The Stairway to Heaven," this Filipino version of rice terraces seen all over Asia is the most extensive. I have never been up north (Novaliches, Quezon City is the northest place I have been to - so pathetic) so this is the best thing to experience when exploring Northern Philippines.

2. Sydney, Australia - Bondi Beach, Sydney Opera House, AustraliaZoo (I miss Steve Irwin) - there are lots to see in this nice Australian city. I wish to be there on a New Year's Eve to witness Sydney Harbor explode with their world-famous fireworks. I hope to find Nemo there, too.

3. China - There is a lot of buzz recently about China. Thanks to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since I'm a big fan of martial arts and kungfu movies, I love to see the ancient country where it all originated. I think the Chinese culture is the richest and the most intriguing in the world. Hong Kong, Shanghai, and the Great Wall are the top three China spots on my list.

4. Venice, Italy - They say Paris is the most romantic city in the world but I say that Venice is the best city for romance. Now I'm not making sense. If it is not romantic, Las Vegas and Macau will not recreate Venice's lovely canals with reproduction gondolas with some guy acting as an Italian gondelier singing Italian love songs to honeymooners.

5. Bora Bora, somewhere in the Pacific. Paradise - the one word to describe this place. Man, I have to learn to swin to enjoy this one. I hope it will remain pristine and will not become overcrowded with tourists.

These are only five places on my long list of must-see places. I'll post the runner-ups next time. For the meantime, I have to apply for a passport first and earn lots of money. c",)

American Idol loses talent

I'm a little bit shocked when Carly Smithson got booted out of the show. I really thought it would be either Jason Castro or Brooke White. I don't know what happened to the voters. I was disappointed to see Michael Johns go, then doubly disappointed this week by the exit of Miss Carly. Who will be axed next week? David Cook? C'mon. c",)

henna tattoo

I'm thinking about getting a henna tattoo when i go to Boracay in May...but I have second thoughts about it. I never had one before and I'm not sure if my skin is going to react to it. I've got allergies to many things. I found out in the internet and on TV that some henna mixtures create scars to some people due to irritation. That is scary. I don't want it to have it placed on a concealed part of my body (what's the use of getting one if you are not showing it off). Maybe i will have a little gecko on my lower back first then if there are no reactions, i'll get a large armband with a traditional Filipino design. If eventually it happens to be OK, I'm going to have a little nautical star on my right ankle - a real tattoo. I hope i can bear the pain. c",)