beauty & the be@rbrick!

Where can a Be@rbrick lover get a haircut?

At the Be@utybrick Hair Art Studio, of course! :-D

(Left) Owned by a young Korean stylist named Shin (who speaks fluent Japanese), it's a place where one can get a haircut like a Korean pop star's. For only P600 / US$12.

Too bad I shave my head! LOL

Location: Unit 103 Doña Consolacion Building, 122 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati City, Philippines.

Thank you, Sunny, for this very amusing discovery! ;-)


(Top pic) The white bearbrick with the "scissor" eye was designed for CUBE Art Bookzine by Sartoria Communicazione, a design firm based in Modeno, Italy. Released in December of 2004, it's one of ten Worldwide Tour Bearbricks (Set C).

Info/salon pics from The Jonas Chronicles, spot.ph / Hair pic from apnimarzi.com / scissors pic from ironscissors.com / Bearbrick pic and digital imaging by yours truly

5 best blog posts

Before I became a finalist for the 2nd Philippine Blog Awards, I was asked to submit what I thought were my five (5) best blog entries from April 2007 to April 2008.

Hmmmmm.

If you check out my sidebar on the right, you'll see that I have a list of favorite posts which I have entitled "The Best of Bearbrick Love" – and it has thirty-two entries! And I was to choose only five!?

So I asked help from my friend, Jun, and after an hour of analysis, debate, and clicking through a year's worth of work, this was the list that we finally submitted to the committee. (Just click on a title below to read the entire post.)

1. Dreadful Dogs


2. Monkey Business


3. Electric Shock!



















4. Li'l Known Stories 'Bout Li'l Red Riding Hood



















5. VIP for Vuitton



















'8' is my lucky number but I hope '5' will suffice. Wish me luck! :-)

clear skies, blue waters

My friends and I found out that the best antidote to a week of frenzy is a weekend at The Pearl Farm in Davao, Philippines.

No crowds. No annoying hawkers. No bars with blaring speakers. We were surrounded only by the soothing color blue.

All our rooms had a view. And a price to match!

Everyone could nap and tan in peace. The next group of sun worshippers would be at least ten meters away.

Buffet breakfast. Buffet lunch. Buffet dinner. Had we been a bunch of anorexics, we would have gotten cured.

We slept in suites that hung over the water's edge. The sea breeze was our air conditioning. And the sound of the surf was our lullaby.

It was a perfect place to rejuvenate the weakened, the perfect healing drug for the city's weary and wounded souls.

(Top) The clear and blue Be@rbricks were designed to promote the 2006 Summer Sonic Music Fest in Japan. The 2-day concerts in Tokyo and Osaka featured rock groups such as Linkin Park, Metallica, Hoobastank, Deftones, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Daft Punk, and Scritti Politti. A neo-Woodstock – indeed, a different way to lift one's spirit!

Pics by me. / Info from nunchuckblog.com and the Summer Sonic Website

mighty steps to follow, big shoes to fill

Last October 6, I drove through a seemingly deserted city to join my family for Sunday brunch at the new Bonifacio High Street shopping strip. When I arrived at our meeting place, I noticed that it was similarly empty, save for one big restaurant which was packed like a German pub during an Oktoberfest. It was the place where we decided to eat.

You see, it was the day of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera World Boxing Championship Rematch. Everyone at the restaurant was glued to the big TV screen where the fight was telecast. Meanwhile, the rest of the country stayed at home to watch, unwilling to miss the bout of the year even for a minute.

Will Mexican challenger Barrera, badly beaten during the first encounter, finally find the strength to defeat Filipino titleholder Pacquiao?

What an exciting lunch it was! We were treated to red-sauce rigatoni, crisp pizza, fresh whole wheat sourdough, blended cheeses, meaty stews... and an overwhelming show of Filipino power, agility, endurance and fighting spirit. Swear, I was teary-eyed for a brief moment – in between punches and pizza bites.

Manny Pacquiao. Filipino. Champion.

Later, as we were walking back to our cars, I spotted a billboard of Pacquiao (left) on the facade of the Nike Flagship Store. I immediately brought out my Canon IXUS 950 and took a shot. Below his image was a line from the Philippine national anthem which read: "Ang mamatay nang dahil sa 'yo." In English, it meant, "To die for you."

For a nation in search of a hero, it was one glorious day.

(Top) The Treadbear Bearbrick is part of the 2003 Bearforce One Series, a group of ten (10) Be@rbricks designed by Nike.

reinventing love

At JWT Manila, the advertising agency where I used to work back in '97, Art Directors took a test before they were hired. One of the test problems (sort of) went like this:

'The heart has been the symbol of love for as long as we can remember – aren't you bored with it? Go ahead, design a new icon to take its place.'

Interesting exercise, wasn't it?

Just yesterday, we shot a television advertisement where we featured newlyweds. Similarly, the challenge for us was how to portray these clichèd characters in a new way.

Check it out below: we went for a wedding couple with a hipper style. Long hair, canvas shoes and a Vespa for him. A hiked up skirt and a tomboyish straddle on the bike for her. No guests throwing rice. No wedding cake. No white doves.

In my opinion, the principles of advertising are like the laws of love –

One, you simply can't bore the consumer – you have to continually reinvent the product to keep it exciting.

Two, a strategy is mandatory – you must plan to make it work.

And three, creative execution is key – from the setting, to the music, to the script/conversation, to the costumes – everything must be perfect!

(Hmmm, come to think of it, there is life after advertising for me... marriage counseling! :-D)

The 2006 Valentine Be@rbrick (top, right) is one of the few that come with a 50% size bear. The heart symbol on its chest has been modified to include an @ symbol. Why? Here's my take on it.

Models: Century Tuna Superbods Runners-up JC Tiuseco & Mica Tuaño assisted by Make-up Artist Effie Go

plastics in paradise?!

I just arrived from an out-of-town photo shoot in Boracay. At first, I thought it would be a nice junket – the location being one of my favorite beaches – until I took a morning stroll along the shoreline.

My path was strewn with plastic waste, each piece half-embedded in the sand along with decaying organic debris, all washed ashore during the previous night. Everything from disposable lighters, rubber slippers, sunglasses, food wrappers, bags, water bottles and even hangers! See pics below, right.

From afar, the non- biodegradable pollutants of the pristine-looking beach weren't discernible (below). But they were there – repulsive replacements of calcified starfish and corals that once adorned the long stretch of white sand.

I believe that public ignorance, as well as apathy, are the culprits. In my own little way, I would like to help spread the word to the guilty:

"Eat your own f__king trash if you can't dispose of them properly, you morons!?! *#?!"

Sorry, but that was the nicest way I could put it. :-)

The WWF Panda Be@rbrick (top, left) was commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature, one of the world's largest and most effective independent organizations dedicated to the conservation of our natural habitat.

Today, WWF operates in approximately 100 countries, supported by nearly five million people worldwide. To find out how you can help, visit their website here.

a sex lesson & a sexy show

When my brother and I were kids, our mother enrolled us in piano class. It was a dreaded weekly ritual – our teacher was an evil woman who held fang-sharp pencils under our palms while we did the drills. "That's it, THAT'S it!," she would yell. "Keep your hands ABOVE the keys! KEEP THEM UP! UP! UP!"

Mother said with a laugh, "Don't mind her, boys, she's just a bit grouchy 'cause she's a spinster. You'll get used to her."

That's how I learned of the theory that spinsterhood = grumpiness. So when I got to college, I then made it a point to enroll in classes taught only by married teachers. My best friend during freshman year explained it to me: People get cranky when they don't get enough sex!

Thus the equation became: sexlessness = grumpiness.

Haha! I snickered then, though today I consider that pronouncement as wisdom. Whenever I realize that I've been mean to people, I tell myself: Get. Some. Sex! :-)

Unfortunately, the subject of sex is often regarded as taboo by many, and much of its portrayal in the media aggravates this perception. Sexual acts are sanitized or censored. Porn is viewed as cheap. Prurient literature or movies are dismissed as lacking artistry. Good thing, there are those who continue to elevate the status of erotica. The trick is to inject a certain amount of artistic value – oftentimes an intellectual concept – to the erotic material or work.

I'm taking part in such an endeavor. From July 24 to September 22, I will join 14 other artists in an exhibition entitled 'ARS EROTICA'. It will be at the Sison Art Gallery on Taft Avenue corner Remedios Street in Manila, Philippines. I've included some samples of the works here: 'Strap-On' mohair penis by Riza Manalo (above, right), 'Vu-l-va' by Gerardo Tan (left) and one of my own photoworks entitled 'Flaccid' (below, right).

Gallery hours are from 2pm to 6pm, Thursdays and Saturdays. If you find yourself in the area, drop by for some sex. It'll do you good. :-)

The Sun Sex Be@rbrick is by Madsaki, a Japanese artist who graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York City. After 25 years in the US, he moved back to Tokyo and now is part of the artist group, Barnstormers. He has exhibited in New York City, Paris and Tokyo, and has made films, worked for publications, and collaborated with brands such as Levis, Clot, Isetan, XBox, and Commes De Garcons.

Info from www.madsaki.com

when superheroes fall

In the Philippine entertainment scene, scandals involving superstar celebrities have become daily fare.

Not too long ago, the country's most popular tv show host became tabloid material – when her basketball hero husband got involved with a sexy receptionist. It was followed by the bloody estrangement of a beauty queen and her rich husband, the son of an alleged crime lord. The latest shock surfaced on the Internet: incriminating pictures of a hunky actor kissing the actress wife of one of the country's richest men.

The public was shocked, to say the least. Judgment was passed easily from one gossip blog to another. After all, these were people of extraordinary lives and status – supermen and superwomen in their own rights.

There was only one thought in everyone's mind: How the hell could they ruin their lives like that?

Think Superman, and then think kryptonite.

Like the rest of us, these so-called super beings are only human, and deep in their minds and hearts lie weaknesses that surface even with just a minuscule amount of kryptonite.

Money, beauty, love, sex, pride, power... What's your kryptonite?

(Top, right: Superman Returns Be@rbrick. Comes with a 400% size version. The red cape is printed at the back. Original Superman costume created by Joe Shuster.)

(Pic of Hot Toys' Superman Returns / Clark Kent 12-inch figure from Toy Square Canada. Pic of Lex Luthor holding green kryptonite from Action Comics Annual #10, 2007. Info from Wikipedia.)

jailbe@rs

What would drive a law abiding citizen to commit a crime?

Let's see. Keanu Reeves was arrested for DUI (driving under the influence), Hugh Grant for lewd behavior, Larry King for grand larceny, Al Pacino for carrying a concealed weapon, and Winona Ryder for shoflifting and illegal drug possession. The list could go on.

Was it a subconscious rebellion against the tightening grip of stardom? Or simply an outing of their seamy side?

In the TV series 'Prison Break', Michael Scofield (played by Wentworth Miller, left) was a successful structural engineer who robbed a bank in order to land in jail. His motive? To free his half brother, Lincoln Burrows, who was falsely accused of murdering the American president's embezzler sibling. While most of us would prefer to simply visit an incarcerated relative once a week, Michael gave up everything he had to help his innocent brother escape death row.

Yes, Michael was one rare jailbird. Unlike the celebrities I mentioned earlier, he had an entirely selfless motive for his crime. But then, you might say he wasn't real – and that his story was pure fiction.

Then consider this list of former real life prisoners: Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Voltaire, Aung San Suk Yi, Winston Churchill, Galileo, Mahatma Ghandi, John Milton, Marco Polo, the Philippines' Ninoy Aquino, Apolinario Mabini, and Jose Rizal.

For people's rights, for the good of many, for the love of country – I can't think of better reasons to go to jail.

– In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, June 12, 1898.

(Top, right: My 'No Plan' Be@rbrick Number 5, released in 2004)

(Info from www.microsoft.com, mugshots.org and Wikipedia. Miller pic from Wikipedia)

chill out be@rbrick

Chill Out Tip: Cool down with the completely transparent Jellybean Be@rbrick of Series 12 (right). Just drop it in a glass of iced water and admire its shiny, colorless surface amidst the ice cubes. What for? Just silly Brrrrrrbrick fun. :-)

Chill Out Trip: Fly to Boracay, a four and a half kilometer stretch of fine white sand and crystal clear waters in the Philippines (below).


There, get yourself a cool tropical drink and laze the hours away.

Expect an exotic mix of local and international cuisine, drunken parties from sunset to sunrise, and gorgeous tanned bodies sashaying up and down the beach. For me, it's the 'coolest' place to be in this part of the world. Its attraction is mainly due to the proximity of the hotels, restos, cafes, clubs and bars to the water's edge. One always feels close to where the action is!

J, a friend from KL who has been to both Phuket and Bali says, "I'll take Boracay anytime!"

(Boracay pics from Boracay Travel Information Guide. Check out the Boracay event calendar. More pics here.)

the oscars of bloggywood

Me? A finalist for the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards?

Me?!! A finalist for the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards??!!!

Who would have thought?! I was just surfing quietly through Technorati's pages, trying to find a 'search widget' for my blog when I accidentally stumbled upon a link that had an article on the finalists! I learned much later that it was my business partner & lifestyle blogger Socky who nominated me. And she never told me, too!

To commemorate this, I've taken a picture of my Golden Ticket Be@rbrick (above left, based on the prized ticket, right, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) against the backdrop of my blogpage. Completely golden and shiny as hell, it's the closest thing to a real Oscar statuette, which is how much I value this award at stake.

How has this affected me? I've been staying up late, late, late! I tell myself, 'I'm being judged! What pressure! What fun!' :-)

be@rbricks in disguise / part 2

Back in my hometown, Batangas (Philippines), the annual 'fiesta' banquet wouldn't be complete without the popular dish called 'Kalderetang Kambing' (Spicy Goat Stew). Because of this, I've been witness to the slaughter of poor little goats in our backyard, where most of the cooking was done. But when the continuous bleating became more deafening by the minute, I would lose my pity and actually
become annoyed!

Last 2003, I regained my taste for the goat with the Year of the Goat Be@rbrick (above left), a commemorative design issued by Medicom for the Hong Kong Be@rbrick Fan Club. It has a strong 'cuteness' factor, even though its lines and colors are modern and streamlined.

The Series 12 Cow Be@rbrick (above right) wears the distinctive nose ring. Did you know that the ring is there for two reasons? One, farmers tie a rope to it and use that rope to guide them in the right direction during transport. Two, it is attached to the nose to successfully wean the calf. The nose ring interferes with the feeding process, frustrating both the calf and the cow. When this happens often, the calf gets used to the idea of not being able to feed and is successfully weaned without going through the trauma of separation.

Poor animals!

profile of a be@rbrick collector

In the Philippines, I've only met two other people who collect Be@rbricks. One is a charming 10 year old girl named Zoe (left), daughter of one of the creative directors in our office. Once, I gave her a Thermo Be@rbrick which changed color according to temperature. Her mother, Kat, told me that upon coming home one night, she opened their freezer to find a pale, frosty Be@rbrick sitting on the ice tray, right next to a slab of frozen Angus.

The other collector is a more unlikely kind of toy geek. His name is Jason (right), a hunky Filipino-Australian commerical model. During one of our shoots (for a product our ad agency handled), he revealed that he owned seventy (70) Be@rbricks. And that he always carried a bear with him (one with an Australian flag motif) whenever he traveled away from home. How sweet!