Yes we’re a tropical country (our good skin comes at a cost of sweating it out in humidity), but constant rain would make any place cold and muddy. Good thing Style Cebu’s Kristine has a list of fifteen fashionable things you can do to stay hot, even if it’s raining cats and dogs. Like keeping a mug handy for those warm drinks meant to melt your innards.
The list is so good that a grown man like me is actually risking coming off like a fashionista. Just remember that item #15 should read “A hot woman” (check) for me, and my manly self will probably pass on some of the feminine cosmetic stuff. Are you still wondering what I’m writing about? Visit the post already!
Who remembers Chuckie Dreyfus? He was a star on that seminal Philippine variety show That’s Entertainment. But that was years ago. Nowadays, I hardly hear anything about him, if at all.
But then, following the links one day, I ended up on his personal blog. And searching for his name on Wikipedia reveals a hagiographical article. Turns out Mr. Dreyfus wants to be remembered more for his musical contributions than his acting career, given how much he (or a fan or friend?) has been pimping his role as a composer.
It’s like The Long Tail, though without the business aspect: The web let’s anyone indulge their fandom, even if the object of their mania is no longer in the limelight. And it’s probable that the “Chuckster” is using his name to build awareness for his recording studio.
What happened to Chuckie Dreyfus? What is he doing now? Never was finding out the answer so easy.
Whether or not they find Joseph Estrada et. al guilty of graft and corruption tomorrow, the former Philippine President is a man of means. Head over to Vista Pinas to see Erap’s vast Tanay rest house, and the infamous Boracay mansion that he supposedly put up for a mistress. All without ever leaving your computer or getting shooed away by strict guards.
It’s no wonder the lawyers argued vehemently over these properties’ ownership in the Sandiganbayan (the Philippine Court of Appeals put up to prosecute corrupt officials) during the trial. Anyone who can have mansions built on a politician’s salary must have other sources of income.
Busy with last week’s brouhahas, I almost forgot about Malu Fernandez and her infamous People Asia article, which bemoaned the poor girl’s burden of spending hours in coach—with her own countrymen! To wit:
However I forgot that the hub was in Dubai and the majority of the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) were stationed there. The duty-free shop was overrun with Filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume. Meanwhile, I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them…
…While I was on the plane (where the seats were so small I had bruises on my legs), my only consolation was the entertainment on the small flat screen in front of me. But it was busted, so I heaved a sigh, popped my sleeping pills and dozed off to the sounds of gum chewing and endless yelling of “HOY! Kumusta ka na? At taga sann ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba?” Translation: “Hey there? Where are you from? Are you a domestic helper as well?” I though I had died and God had sent me to my very own private hell.
Question: Where can you get over a thousand inmates to dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller?
Answer: Only in the Philippines!
Entertaining stuff! Though the cross-dresser’s receding hairline is a bit unsettling…
No YouTube in the office? Check out Spiked Humor instead.
Edit: These inmates live at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), and apparently these dance numbers (yes, there are more here) are an everyday thing. At least according to this highfalutin article. Thanks to Eugene for the heads-up!
After writing that post about the really honest “motorcycle taxi” driver, I’ve been a bit obsessed with the Philippine currency. So I did a little “research” and discovered something really cool: we actually had a Php 100,000 banknote! That would be equal to around $2,150 or £1,000. The 100,000 peso bill (as well as the 2,000 peso denomination) were issued to commemorate our 100th year of independence back in 1998. That’s why only a limited run was printed, and the probably the reason why I only found out about this bill now (I went online around a year ago). The Guinness Book of World Records certified the Php 100k bill, at 14″ by 8.5″, as the largest legal tender in terms of size.
