Such A Klutz in Handling Compliments!

I'm such a klutz in handling compliments!  Today, our hiphop instructor told me that my belly is not very evident anymore, and I forgot to simply say to him, 'Thank you'.  Remember, next time a person says a compliment, say Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!  And I think he really meant it, since the shirt I was wearing was tight to my body and really showed its contours.  Anyway, I'm happy that I'm beginning to look like I'm losing weight even though the weighing scale shows otherwise.  As they say, the bulge of the belly is a good gauge if the exercise and diet regimen is working.

Remembering Kenji Marquez

I guess he arrived ten years too early, what with the rage right now for Brapanese male models!  If Kenji Marquez arrived today - he could've been part of this bandwagon fascination that has permeated the fashion pages, TV shows, fashion shows and a movie or two with these Brapanese actor-models in tow.  

Anyhow, I don't know where he is now but I did get a chance to interview him for the now-defunct Z magazine.  He was goodlooking in person and very polite and cooperative.  Most of his pics were of him, shirtless, and he had no qualms about it. He was also an easy interviewee.  He did not brag much about his real family connections since I guess he really wanted to be a success all by his own.  (He's a member of the illustrious and very talented Laurel clan) 

I have with me right now, a Starstudio magazine dated February 2001 and around this time, Kenji was becoming the next hot thing - after the success of Gatas - the movie which launched him.  How time flies! 

Yearbooks Remind Me How Ugly I Was As A Kid and Teenager

I am currently leafing through my elder sister's high school yearbook.  She was a senior, I was a freshman in this yearbook.  One thing yearbooks have shown me was how ugly I was as a kid and a teenager!  It's horrible!  I've seen how Papa looked like when he was 15 - and he was handsome.  I don't know what happened to me.  My eyes were too large, I was very dark, my lips were bulging like Angelina's and my face was really gaunt!  I've decided long ago to destroy all of my pics before I was 24.  I think, soon as I reached 24 and after, I looked more like a human being than an alien from Saturn. 

Oh yeah, I was an adorable baby and I had really nice curly hair till about 8 years old.  But between 8 to 24, I looked horrible!  I wouldn't even sleep with myself!  Anyhow, I have to recheck my college pic though.  I looked better on those.  Oh yeah, I do look better on those. I was already 24 when I graduated college.  That's when I blossomed physically thank God!  Otherwise, yearbooks like these ones, should be hidden from view, lest Laura and Dylan see them and find out that their uncle looked like a cretin!

My Brush With the Bolshoi Ballet

I know watching ballet on a trip abroad is not really a top priority on anyone's itinerary, but since our schedule permitted it, we decided to watch a production of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London.  I remember, Vic and I just came from watching Patrick Swayze do Guys and Dolls, before we rushed to the Opera House!  We were a very funny sight because everyone was in formal wear - and in black, but here I was, wearing a green shirt with 'Brasil Brasileiro' emblazoned over it!!  And Vic and I were in the second row! 

Oh well, the production we watched was 'The Pharaoh's Daughter', and soon as the curtains opened, I had to catch my breath - as it was a breathtaking sight!  The stage was huge and high - which I was not used to - and the props and sets were so beautiful!  It was a grandiose production with flawless dancing throughout.  I really enjoyed the show and it was a live orchestra that accompanied the whole thing!  I still look forward to watch another ballet, maybe in another city - Paris perhaps or New York.

This Week I Will.....

"You cannot have innovation unless you are willing and able to move through the unknown and go from curiosity to wonder."  Well, innovation is too deep already, but starting this week, I want to add a weekly column wherein I talk about some habits I want to integrate into my life so that I could be a better person.  To make the task not so daunting, I would just choose two habits and add it into my already crowded schedule.  Of course, it can also work the other way, wherein, I get rid of habits which has made my life miserable! 

For this week, there are two habits I want to add -

1.  Consistently read in French - I'm thinking of doing it 30 minutes before I sleep.  That way, my brain does not work so hard and I can really ingest the information, since I've noticed that if I study too much, I tend to forget it!  By the way, the feedback on my French has been good, since I chatted with a friend yesterday, and he said it was perfect!  Bravo!

2.  To relax and watch a TV show or DVD - I am constantly running around or doing something while I watch the TV!  I just have to sometimes, relax and chill and just lay back and watch the TV!  In this multi-tasking world - even when I'm supposed to be relaxing - I'm still doing a thousand things simultaneously!!  I'm thinking of devoting one hour to this everyday.  I will pick a favorite show or if there's none, watch a DVD for an hour and concentrate on it!  I really have to know how to relax!