ho-ho-ho-lidays!

It's holiday season once again! Because I'm too lazy to decorate a tree, I always keep Christmas trimmings to a minimum. Thanks to the Crate and Barrel stuff which I got from NYC years ago, it only takes me ten minutes to spread cheer around the condo.

Since my place has a neutral color palette, the red accents make a huge difference.


Of course, the 2002 Santa & Snowman Bearbricks (top) are on display. These two are my friend Jun's favorite bears. I remember when I was sorting out my collection, I asked him which ones he liked the most. After checking out each of the 440+ pieces, he pointed out the two Christmas Bearbricks you see above. I asked him why. He replied, 'Because for me, they're the happiest Bearbricks of all.'

Merry Christmas, my dear friends! :-D

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.

a fetish for fishnet

After the brouhaha over Oscar Dela Hoya's alleged tranny pics, I can't help but think: What's the big deal?

Cross-dressing is more common than most people think:

1. In Greek mythology, Achilles (the hero of the Trojan War) dressed up as a girl in the court of Lycomedes to keep himself safe.

2. In The Odyssey, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, often came to the aid of people disguised as a man.

3. Joan of Arc, a French heroine and a Catholic saint, was burned at the stake after being convicted by a religious court. Her dressing up in male clothing was cited as one of the principal reasons for her execution.

4. Amandine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin, an early 19th century French novelist who is better known as George Sand, preferred to wear men's clothing exclusively.

5. William Shakespeare made substantial use of cross-dressing for his literary female characters. A lot of his heroines wore masculine clothing in order to carry out certain tasks. In Twelfth Night, for example, Viola disguised herself as Cesario in order to find employment.

6. All roles in Japanese Noh dramas are traditionally played by male actors.

7. Likewise, since it was illegal for women to perform in theaters in Renaissance England, men took over women's roles.

8. In China, a famous cross-dressing opera singer is Mei Lanfang.

9. Rock sensation Marilyn Manson cross-dressed his way to fame and fortune.

10. Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the American band, Nirvana allegedly wore women's clothes at home and on stage.

11. And then there was Boy George.

12. In some parts of the world, men wear skirts called kilts.

13. I just saw an antiperspirant ad on TV featuring guys dressed up as cheerleaders.

14. What were traditionally men's clothes – pants, vests, and blazers, etc. – are now ordinarily worn by women. Even oversized men's watches on ladies' wrists are considered chic!

It's possible that one day, 'unisex' will be the operative word. And Dela Hoya will have the last... giggle!

The 'Glow-in-the-Dark' Madness Be@rbrick (top, left) is by Nexus VII, the next generation streetwear brand from Japan. The goods are available at R*izm, the Nexus VII flagship store in Tokyo. / Dela Hoya pic (top, right) is from X17online.com / Info from Wikipedia

be@rbook bonus!

Someone asked me once, "Is there a website where one can find a complete list of Be@rbricks?"

Yes, there is. Check out Toysdorado. It's a site for collectors that's updated regularly. But don't be disappointed with the small pics and the lack of editorial content – it is strictly an online database.

For bigger pics, grab hold of the 10th Aniversary Be@rbook (below, right), a complete documentation of all the bears produced from 1996 to 2006. A veritable bible for Be@rbrick lovers.

Bearbook Bonus: The collectible 10th Anniversary Be@rbrick, a star-spangled bear which I photographed between the book's pages (top, left).

When it comes to Be@rbrick info, the Be@rbook provides the basics. But for a geeky blogger like me, knowledge is found not only in between book covers, it is learned everyday – from long hours of surfing the Web to short trips to the toy stores, from endless chats with other toy geeks to quick peeks at their toy collections.

But if only for the FREE Be@rbrick, I am looking forward to the next Be@rbook!

the be@rbrick behind the mask

Everything about the Seremetis Be@rbrick (right) is intriguing: the white suit that mimics a superhero's garb, the fierce-looking eyes with no pupils, the bat symbol which signals a darkness of character, and the single black glove that hints at a secret physical aberration.

But who in heaven's name – or what the hell– is it?

The designer, Kostas Seremetis (left), is a New York-based painter who is known for his graphic portrayals of comic superheroes and villains... artworks that iconize the eternal battle between good and evil.

Samples of his work depicting what appears to be the Kostas Assassin, a masked samurai character of his own creation, are shown below.

I imagine Seremetis' Be@rbrick to be some sort of cult superhero... or its evil adversary. But which is which – don't ask. It's hard to tell what lies behind a mask.

(The Seremetis Be@rbrick is part of Series 7. Seremetis/Artwork pics from evilmonito.com)

to kill or not to kill a bear

Bears are wild animals. If a grizzly suddenly attacked you in a forest, you'd probably be forced to shoot it down in self-defense.

But how would you feel about killing a baby polar bear like Knut (right)?

Born last December at the Berlin Zoo, Knut was abandoned by his mother at birth, prompting an animal rights controversy between the zoo management (who wanted to rear the bear) and activists (who would rather see him dead than to be raised by humans). It was a searing dispute on what was best for the bear; which echoed pro-life and pro-choice sentiments not only from the opposing parties, but from the angry public as well.

I, for one, challenge the case of the activists. To denounce their cold-blooded call, I have taken a picture of my Horror Be@rbrick (left), dismembered and bloody.

Long live Knut!

(Knut news and pic from Spiegel Online, metro.co.uk. Follow-up stories here. )

Series 8 Horror Be@rbrick designed by: Nagi Noda – Japanese graphic designer, video and commercial director who has done award- winning packaging for Laforet Department Store (Japan), press ads for Nike, a music video for Scissor Sisters, and a TV spot for Coke (Mother/London)

the case of the bogus be@rbrick

What do Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Rolex, etc., and now, Medicom Be@rbrick, have in common?

They've all been faked!

Of the two Bloody Be@rbricks above, can you tell which is the impostor? In reality, the fake one (on the left) is much bigger (6 inches) than the original (2.6 inches). The original (on the right) is more angular, shinier, and simply better made. The hoax is made of softer plastic. And because of its rounded feet, the thing just won't stand properly.

How do I know? I have both! The fake one was a gift from a sweet, thoughtful and... clueless friend. :-D

The designer, Hiroto Komoto, toy enthusiast and lead singer of the Japanese Band High Lows, should either be fuming... or flattered! As Charles Caleb Colton said, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of...'

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!

target? or comme de garcons?

Excuuuuse me! Those are not logos of Target on that Be@rbrick. They're concentric patterns designed by Rei Kawakubo, head designer and owner of Comme de Garcons ('like boys' in english), a line of avant garde fashion characterized by deconstruction and sculptural silhouettes.

In her fall 2006 collection, Rei has made repeated use of dot patterns in dresses, shirts, and accessories (see below). In the Philippines, these clothes would have been the perfect outfits to ring in the new year, as dots represent money for most superstitious folks.

(Fashion pics from style.com)