2013 in Pictures

The few remaining days of 2013 calls for the remembrance of almost the year that was. But the past 360 days have been a roller coaster ride. There were ups, downs, and so-so. There were moments worth imprinting on paper and saving on journals, some were even worth forgetting. Thanks to Instagram (and journal-calendar), reliving the yesterdays become much easier. Here's my Instagram account (http://instagram.com/nickkydeguzman) by the way.

Perhaps, career-wise, my biggest achievement was the celebration of my first year as a Lifestyle Reporter for a daily newspaper. It wasn't easy, though. Thank God I made it. Although a Lifestyle Writer has relatively easier schedule than a News Writer, it doesn't mean that he/she has lesser responsibilities. Lifestyle reporters also has tons of deadlines and daily events. But of course, the soft news writers have perks (teehee) like local/overseas travels, hotel/restaurant accommodation, and fashion freebies.

Here are some of my Instagram entries I would like to share:

I visited Singapore twice this year! Here's to more travel next year!

Bohol and Cebu were struck by earthquake that left many of their World Heritage sites damaged or completely muddles. The picture is Bohol's majestic Baclayon Church, before the earthquake hit.

This is Mayor Romualdez' Patio Victoria Beach in Tacloban before the Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the province and left it like a War Zone. I really hope that the people of Leyte, Samar, Palawan and other hard-hit areas remain hopeful and positive.

To cap off my year, I finally... entered in a relationship. Haha!

What happened when you had your tarot card read

Astrology, horoscope, tarot card reading, fortune telling—these for me are all bullshit. They aren’t called “hula” (prediction) for nothing. Our Filipino tabloid professor once divulged the secret of horoscopes and astrology shitniz that we read—and giddily follow at that—on daily newspapers. Out of wild imaginations and sheer poetry, he can whip a legitimate horoscope. 

I never believed them—until I visited the aptly named hole-in-the-wall food bistro in Katipunan, “Gayuma ni Maria”.

It was the birthday of one of my former colleagues at Rex, we were four, all girls. Apparently, the cafe offers tarot card reading. My friends had their cards read. They were all gushing on how truthful and close to reality each interpretation was. I was of course cynical and mocking. I wouldn’t shell out my 300 pesos for a piece of crap. Wait until I put the money where my mouth is.

 

I was the last clientele and the supposedly 15 minute –session lasted for almost two hours. I was having fun!

“Kuya, I don’t really believe on these things,” I said upon sitting. 

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” Kuya-I-forgot-the-name, said. 

Then, without me saying or sharing anything, he started pointing out specific details of my personality, perspectives, and pipe dreams, like he was my best friend. He mentioned my negative and positive traits, which were all true and gave advices on what to do with them. He mentioned my dreams and hidden desires, which again, were all true. I left out worldly specific questions like will I get rich and what is the name of my future husband (which by now, I am truly regretting). 

Unlike the fortune telling in Quiapo where one’s hand is read (not that I’ve tried it) tarot card reading, Kuya said, follows scientific and mathematical formulas and explanations. He tried to describe them to me but I barely could follow and I have forgotten them by now. 

Tarot card reading for me is like a wakeup call or a post-it reminder. It must not give you false hopes and future predictions. What it must give you is a time for self-examination and it is up to you whether you will act upon it or not. 

Our fate and fortune do not depend on the alignment of the stars or the soundness of the tarot cards, rather they rely on one’s hard work and dedication to succeed. 

Tarot card reading is definitely not for the desperate and depressed people who are willing to pay to have their future predicted and read. It is for anyone who has nothing better to do on a Friday night.

I swear

I swear by Palmer's Cocoa Butter Therapy Oil Formula. It has been more than five months since I started using this wonderful product and never looked back since then. Beauty experts say that the efficacy of any products starts to show after three months of religiously using them---mine is almost a year.

In a world that is constantly bombarded by advertisements and sales, all promising a better you, it is refreshing to know that there are products that prove their worth. And I am glad I stumbled upon Palmer's oil, which does not have loads of blog reviews yet and advertisements.

Almost empty!

How to use: Gently massage on any part of the body, including the face, right after taking a bath and before   sleeping
Where to buy: Rustan's or Watson's
How much: P695 / 150 ml

Pros: Leaves skin smoother and more moisturized
        Heals broken skin
        Evens skin tone
Cons: none!

Rate: 5/5
I will definitely buy this again!

Mind theft, scene stealer

Is the internet to blame for the rampant plagiarism?

Yes and no.

Yes, the hodgepodge of knowledge, trivia, and information readily available--and downloadable--in the internet is one of the culprits for plagiarism. The spontaneity of the  internet  allows people to share information as their own. There may be watermarks in some of the uploaded photos but they can be erased and fabricated to make a seemingly ingenious and original work of art.

There is the principle of proper attribution but many forget--intentionally or otherwise--to do so.

Just recently, a UP student won an international photo contest after submitting a photograph of a boy with a seaweed farm backdrop. The child, according to Mark Joseph Solis, was from Zamboanga City in Mindanao, where there is an ongoing standoff. It turned out, Solis PLAGIARIZED and CLAIMED THE PHOTO AS HIS, when in fact the winning photo was actually taken by Brazil-based photographer, Gregory John Smith.

Solis won $1,000 and round-trip tickets to Chile and Brazil.

Smith of course, cried foul. And so am I!

I am a writer from a major newspaper and one of the basic rules in professional journalism is plagiarism. If one is to copy, he or she must properly attribute the sources. But it doesn't take a writer to know the ins and outs of plagiarism when it is actually taught in school. Besides, taking something from someone sans acknowledging it is a basic rule of nature.

I am aghast and disappointed with Solis, not that I know him personally. According to news stories, he is a U.P. Political Science graduate and is currently taking Masteral degree in Public Administration in the same school. He is also a debater and has competed across Asia. Furthermore, he was given scholarship grants in Japan and Thailand.

"Unfortunately, I was driven by my youth, lack of experience, and inability to see the repercussions of my action. The sheer amount of the prize, the stiff competition, and the unique opportunity to be abroad," Solis says in his apology letter.

I CANNOT TAKE AND UNDERSTAND HIS CAUSES AND REASONS, FOR ME THEY ARE PURE ALIBI.

Come on! He's from U.P. (the top school in the Philippines) and of legal age, he surely knows what he's doing. Apparently, Solis has been plagiarizing for at least five times and has never been caught until now.

Solis should be kicked out from school! What a shame!

For more information, read the news stories from Rappler and Yahoo! Philippines

Solis' "winning photo" captioned as "The Mettle of the Filipino Spirit". The boy, according to Solis, was Nilo from Zamboanga City. The photograph was in fact grabbed from Smith's Flickr account, originally titled, "Neptune, King of the Sea". 

Photo from Yahoo! Philippines, which they grab from Facebook 

 

Someone reads

Oh, young Hollywood!

Oh, Young Hollywood!

Miley Cyrus, her tongue, and twerk—didn’t we see these coming? Hollywood has been infamous for publicity stunts, anyway

Former Disney teen star Miley Cyrus was right when she said in her song, she “can’t be tamed”.

 Her recent stint in the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) drew worldwide flaks from netizens who said they were “disgusted” and “personally violated” after Cyrus was seen grinding and twerking (booty-shaking) singer Robert Thicke.

Many were surprised. But didn’t we see this coming?

Some Hollywood A-listers, starlets, and former Disney child stars have always been known for over-the-top performances and outrageous outfits. Their O.A. stints—done tastefully or otherwise—are answers to drive public attention, perhaps because of a waning star factor or as a surprise self-reinvention stint.  

In fact, despite her winless stint in the VMA, Cyrus seemed to be delighted with the attention she has been getting.  She said on her Twitter account (@MileyCyrus):

“Smilers! My VMA performance had 306.000 tweets per minute. That’s more than the blackout or Superbowl! #fact.”

You know what they say bad publicity is still publicity. 

'Twerk' is one of the newest word in the Oxford Dictionary (photo from MTV)

Actually, VMAs, MTV Movie Awards (MMAs), and other award shows have been notorious for some orchestrated and spontaneous stints aside from Miley and her perennial tongue sticking. Here are some of the most memorable Hollywood stunts and crazy ensemble worth remembering—or not? Seriously, what were they thinking?

2001 Britney Spears was feeling Superwoman when she wore her underwear outside her pants. The ridiculous outfit was part of her self-reinvention from a teenybopper to a bombshell. She even had a live snake on her shoulders during her “I’m a Slave 4 U” performance in VMA.

2003 Ten years ago have passed since pop singer Britney Spears and the Queen of Reinvention herself, Madonna, was caught in a lip-locked moment after their performance with Christina Aguilera. The lesbian kiss was definitely a shocker!

2009 Remember when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance award for Best Female Video, saying that Beyonce should have bagged the award instead? Yes, we were just as shocked as Taylor.

2009 Meanwhile, in MMA, Rapper Eminem was reported to have walked out of the event after Sasha Cohen Baron strutted his butt-cheeks on Eminem’s face. Aghast as the audience was, however, the incident was staged, reports said.

2010 Was Lady Gaga a PETA poster-girl when she decided to wear an all-meat ensemble to receive her VMA recognitions? Nobody knew. But one thing’s for sure, this was definitely one of the weirdest stunts she’s ever done.

2012 Singers Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Gaga were among the worst dressed celebrities. Their crazy outfits all scream for attention!

It’s a “cray-cray” Hollywood after all where we are always in for a surprise.

Another reposted story

I would like to share a story about a former fashion magazine writer (Max Iganacio of MEGA) on her writing inspirations, coping with fashion industry, savoring job perks, loving your colleagues and clients, and anything in between. 

Kudos to this former corporate employee who chased her dreams of writing and how she sign out from it, alive. 

P.S. I highlighted and italicized phrases, sentences, paragraphs that I can relate to. 

(from gmanewsonline.com) 

***

The glossy life: lessons from working at a fashion magazine

By MAX IGNACIOAugust 3, 2013 10:47am

A little over two years ago, I decided to give up everything—a three-year experience in the corporate world and a more-than-decent salary—for a shot at my lifelong dream of becoming an author. Ever since I learned to read (I grew up a bookworm, in fact), I knew I wanted to write.
However, this wasn’t as clear to me back when I was filling up my college application form. I was encouraged by my father to take up a business course for the family business. Needless to say, I succumbed to my desire to be a writer so I could later pen stories, similar to the books that provided me so much comfort and creativity since I was a little girl.

With no writing background, I knew I had to play my cards right. While having my mid-day coffee at my favorite shop, I grabbed one of their magazines from the “for customers only” stand and indulged myself in some quick reading. Little did I know that the answer was under my nose the whole time. I sent my application to the same magazine I was reading that day and got a call a few days later.

I came to the fashion magazine world empty-handed. I had no literary degree to show for and no writing experience either, so it was no surprise that the magazine deemed me better-suited in the marketing department.

I guessed my writing dreams would have to wait.

To this day and for all the days to come, I credit my transition from being a mere employee to a person living her dream to my boss, the Beauty Editor. I will never know what she saw in me and it might be better if I never found out. She gave me a shot at being a writer and whatever writer I become henceforth is a product of her belief in me. My ambitious writing dreams and all attempts at achieving them are partially efforts at making her proud.

She was the first to believe I could do more than string words together. She was my first mentor, and you never forget your first.

Excited as I was to start my writing career, I also felt terrified. Being part of the editorial team was everyone’s dream job. Girls who had fashion degrees and snakeskin pumps and toted the latest oversized Céline bag circled the recruitment office like sharks. I had much to prove in my new job; after all, I wasn’t just a writer—I was a high-fashion magazine writer.

Over those first few days, I armed myself with issues of Vogue, Elle and Vanity Fair, gave myself a new haircut, color and wardrobe, and then watched The September Issue over twenty times. But even that didn’t prepare me for what was yet to come.  

On working with famous personas

The gloss of magazines can be unbelievable. The nature of the job makes working with big time photographers, models, designers, high-society philanthropists, artists and of course, celebrities.

And although meeting accomplished figures was thrilling each time, it was also a test of character.

I remember one of my profiles asking me if I could get her a Starbucks coffee in the middle of a recorded interview because she “simply can’t go on without any caffeine.” Another asked me to chauffeur her hair and makeup team to her next event after our shoot.

I knew these tasks were beyond my call of duty but did I do them anyway?

Yes.

Did I know any better?

No.

Thing is, I was willing to do anything to get the information I needed for a story, and acquiring such information required my subject to be in a good mood.
Don’t get me wrong though, not all of them were like that. There were those who surprised me with fresh flowers on my desk as a thank you. Celebrities, God bless them, make life a little more interesting; but one thing I’ve learned from working at a magazine was that they are human beings too, quirks and all.

On the real behind-the-scenes work of magazine production

Thinking back on the making of our magazine's September Issue, I realized the difference between producing an international fashion magazine and a local one boiled down to economics.

Beyond the beautiful pictures, extravagant clothes, and pretty faces, we also had to ride a dilapidated service van with deteriorated shock absorbers and no air-conditioning to transport all the clothes.

There was also making P1000 stretch to feed a team of fifteen because that was what was left in my wallet (thank God for McDo).

And then there’s hand sewing the hem of a dress that tore from having your model vogue it out on pieces of scaffolding.

I realized that these editors—my officemates, dressed mostly in designer garb and Louboutin heels—are a most tenacious breed of workers. They clamor to get the latest Alexander Wang pump for themselves but will not think twice about getting them dirty if it means getting the job done.

During deadline week, one would see a line of deliverymen at the office lobby and MSG-hungry editors awaiting their late night feast. One of my favorite memories still comprise of my team staying in the office until 2 A.M. just churning out copy for the magazine. Contrary to the stigma of fashionistas, these editors do eat. They just manage to make it look like breathing air is the only sustenance they need to look as good as they do.

High fashion is the most glamorous and simultaneously unglamorous job there is. You will get yelled at, bloated, and at times go broke, but as cheesy as it sounds, it's all worth it.

On getting free stuff

Everything ever said about the freebies is true.

In retrospect, I must have received enough products to last me the next five years. I get products on a regular basis to test and write about for the magazine. Which is totally awesome, of course. But my best and most memorable perk to date was being flown to different countries for press junkets—all expenses paid. These brands will wine and dine you and orchestrate a memorable experience for you, all to have a knock-out feature in your pages.

I remember my Editor-in-Chief advising me to be careful about this perk, and to avoid falling prey to the allure of free stuff. Thinking about it now, this was actually advice regarding how much power my job had.

Brands send magazines their latest products for reviewing in detail. I always made it a point to only put my stamp of approval on things I truly believed in. The thing about being part of a magazine is that there is prestige in what you represent. Readers trust the editors to know what has been tried, tested, and effective. Likewise what is “in” and current in the fashion scene.

This trust between reader and editor is golden and it is the driving force of your job as a writer.

On officemates and character

I met all sorts of people in this business. Most of the people I worked with, competing peers included, came from well-to-do families and top-notch universities.

The truth is, this job is for people who work for love, not money. The publishing world is notorious for paying very little; thus, most editors I know don’t do it for the money. They have the innate ability to work hard for something they love.

This job is for people who won’t get knocked out by the first punch.

It’s for people with character.

Like all other companies out there, though, working at a magazine entails stress and contrasting personalities. Catfights and shouting discussions are expected. Package them in designer apparel and pretty makeup, and it just gets all the more intimidating.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made the best of friends in this industry too, often in the form of talented makeup artists, hair stylists (whom I personally think are the unsung heroes of the fashion world), brand managers, and fellow editors.

Despite leaving the industry, I’m happy to say I’ve kept a few great friends from my stint in the publishing world. It was through the friendship of these down-to-earth people that I was able to get inspired and manage to make it through the tough times.

I learned that judging people by how they look or how they live their life is the fast-track to ending up alone.

On life after the gloss

For two years, I breathed, ate and dreamt of nothing but fashion. There will always be people out there who think this job is easy and superficial—but they couldn’t be more wrong.

I must say that it was one of the hardest and most trying times of my life, but also the most fulfilling and exhilarating. That’s the thing about doing something you love, it’s impossible not to get consumed by it. Stepping out of that office for the last time, I was thrown into the world again.

Now, wide-eyed and completely guilt-free, I am equipped with enough confidence to keep writing and exploring the rest of what life has to offer. — VC, GMA News

Perfect Timing

“The Mayon Volcano is on the right side of the plane,” our pilot said when we were about to land in Legazpi, Albay in Bicol, the home of the almost perfect cone. Too bad, I was seated on the left side of the aircraft.

Nonetheless, the volcano, nominated as one of the New Wonders of the World, was curtained with clouds, or lenticular clouds (high altitude, stationary lens-shaped clouds that are perpendicular with the wind direction) . Thus, no passenger had captured and ‘Instagrammed’ the magnificent sight.

Mayon Volcano is usually shy, hidden beneath cloud formations or steam coming from the Bacman Geothermal Power Plant. Its seemingly timid character adds lure to its already stunning and breathtaking stance. Tourists—locals and foreigners—have to patiently wait for Mayon to show itself naturally at the perfect time.

“Mas maganda na nakatago ang Mayon sa mga clouds. Kasi kung hindi, ayan, nandyan lang siya, dinadaan-daanan, hinidi naaappreciate ang beauty. Parang tinuturuan tayong maging patient, maghintay kung kalian siya magpapakita,” another tourist said. 

(“It is actually better that the Mayon is almost always covered with clouds. If not, people will take it from granted because it’s already there. It’s like teaching us how to be patient and wait for the right timing for it to show itself,” another tourist said.)

And somehow, I found a connection with Mayon. Like her (Mayon comes from the Bicolano word, magayon or maganda (beautiful)) I am somehow timid. I also refrain from revealing too much information about myself after first, two encounters. I consciously choose to unmask my lenticular clouds at a timing that I think is perfect. I know that people have to share their stories, emotions, and experiences, but it is very different from being an open book. I chose to be an enigma, who needs patience to be ‘Instagrammed’.

Photo from my Instagram account: The many phases and faces of Mayon. It took patience before she showed herself.

fall in love

Someone sent me this lovely poem attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe SJ. He said that I should not be scared to fall in love...

Fall in Love

Nothing is more practical

Than finding God, than

Falling in Love

In a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

What seizes your imagination, will affect

Everything.

It will decide

What will get you out of bed in the morning,

What you do with your evenings,

How you spend your weekends,

What you read, whom you know,

What breaks your heart,

And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love, stay in love,

And it will decide everything. 

Male Chauvinism 2.0

My gorgeous writer-friend and I share the same dilemma of getting unwanted attention on streets by male chauvinists. We hate it. With that, she posted poetry on feminism that I would like to share.  

This is a follow-up post on my recently-published entry, “Women as Objects and Why I don’t Wear Shorts That Much”:

The poem was written by artist, journalist, and teacher/lecturer Carol Diehl. (website and blog)

For the Men Who Still Don’t Get It  (Carol Diehl)

What if

all women were bigger and stronger than you

and thought they were smarter

What if

women were the ones who started wars

What if

too many of your friends had been raped by women wielding giant dildos

and no K-Y Jelly

What if

the state trooper

who pulled you over on the New Jersey Turnpike

was a woman

and carried a gun

What if

the ability to menstruate

was the prerequisite for most high-paying jobs

What if

your attractiveness to women depended

on the size of your penis

What if

every time women saw you

they'd hoot and make jerking motions with their hands

What if

women were always making jokes

about how ugly penises are

and how bad sperm tastes

What if

you had to explain what's wrong with your car

to big sweaty women with greasy hands

who stared at your crotch

in a garage where you are surrounded

by posters of naked men with hard-ons

What if

men's magazines featured cover photos

of 14-year-old boys

with socks

tucked into the front of their jeans

and articles like:

"How to tell if your wife is unfaithful"

or

"What your doctor won't tell you about your prostate"

or

"The truth about impotence"

What if

the doctor who examined your prostate

was a woman

and called you "Honey"

What if

you had to inhale your boss's stale cigar breath

as she insisted that sleeping with her

was part of the job

What if

you couldn't get away because

the company dress code required

you wear shoes

designed to keep you from running

And what if

after all that

women still wanted you

to love them.

*Awww*

We cannot blame someone if he or she has become jaded and cynical about the world. After all, he or she has compelling reasons to feel so. In the Philippines alone, there are numerous and escalating cases of rape, theft, robbery, murder, among others, what more across the globe.

Last year, I posted a blog comment (Malady) about how a Chinese girl was left unconscious in the middle of a busy street after she was hit by a motorcycle. The street was brimming with passersby yet, nobody cared to help the little girl. She died afterward.

However, there are moments that will bring you back to the realization, that somehow, there are still good Samaritan out there. Below is a re-post from Cavnews.wordpress.com (21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity).

I felt so good and touched to find out that the world is not as wicked as I thought it was. Cheers to brotherhood and universal love. After all, amid a number of seemingly different world religions, we all long for the same thing: love and world peace.

***

1. This picture of Chicago Christians who showed up at a gay pride parade to apologize for homophobia in the Church.

(Michelle Gantner / Maladjusted Media) 

… and the reaction from the parade.

(Michelle Gantner / Maladjusted Media)

2. This story about Japanese senior citizens who volunteered to tackle the nuclear crisis at Fukushima power station so that young people wouldn’t have to subject themselves to radiation.

Source: bbc.co.uk

3. This picture of two Norwegian guys rescuing a sheep from the ocean.

4. This sign at an awesome bookshop.

Source: helsinki-syndrome.tumblr.com

5. This poll about what Snooki should name her child.

6. The moment in which this Ohio athlete stopped to help an injured competitor across the finish line during a track meet.

17-year-old Meghan Vogel was in last place in the 3,200-meter run when she caught up to competitor Arden McMath, whose body was giving out. Instead of running past her to avoid the last-place finish, Vogel put McMath’s arm around her shoulders, carried her 30 meters, and then pushed her over the finish line before crossing it.

Image by The Daily Call, Mike Ullery / AP

7. This exchange between a 3-year-old girl and a shopping center.

8. This note that was handed to a waiter along with a $20 bill by an elderly lady in his restaurant.

9. This sign at an awesome Subway restaurant.

10. This picture of a villager carrying stranded kittens to dry land during floods in Cuttack City, India.

Image by Biswaranjan Rout / AP

Image by Biswaranjan Rout / AP

11. This sign at an awesome drycleaner’s.

Plaza Cleaners in Portland, OR, helped over 2,000 unemployed workers who couldn’t afford dry cleaning. The store’s owner estimated that it cost his company $32,000 dollars.

12. This photograph of a man giving his shoes to a homeless girl in Rio de Janeiro.

13. This picture of a firefighter administering oxygen to a cat rescued from a house fire.

(TOM BAUER/Missoulian)

14. And this one.

Image by Chris Butler / AP

15. This interaction between a Guatemalan girl and a tourist she just met.

16. This gesture from a neighbor.

17. These photos of two children collaborating to rescue a dog who had fallen into a ravine.

18. This note on a young family’s check.

19. This exchange between a protester and a soldier during a protest in Brazil.

(Imagens/ TVBA)

20. These pictures of a man jumping into rough waters to rescue a stranger’s Shih Tzu in Melbourne.

Sue Drummond was walking her beloved Shih Tzu, Bibi, on a pier in Melbourne, when a fierce gust of wind picked him up and hurled him into the rough waters of the bay. A passerby, Raden Soemawinata, who happened to be on the pier that day to scatter his grandmother’s ashes, wasted no time in stripping down and diving into the bay to rescue the animal.

(Photos: Chris Scott)

Via: news.com.au

21. And this photograph of two best friends on a swing.

Source: volobuev.me