- Sienna Miller 29
- John legend 32
- Gayle King 56
- Denzel Washington 56
- Maggie Smith 76
nuffnang leaderboard
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Happy Birthday!
Drink of the Week: Royal Orange Fizz
December 28 is Card Playing Day!
Things to Look Out for in 2011
A new year always means new experiences, new fascinations, new parties, new addictions, and a whole new world of wonder. Instead of taking in whatever comes your way, I find that expecting things to happen and searching for them and making them happen sooner I always better because you come prepared when they arrive. Having said that, I present to you the things to look forward to this year.
Alright, alright. So it’s not that deep. I just wanted to give you a preview of the things that could invade our Facebook (or some new social networking site!) status messages or Tweets really soon… because, well, it’s a fun topic.
10.) Abreeza Mall opening in Davao: Shopaholics and Foodies have been going crazy waiting for the next big mall to open in the locality. Rumours have been flying about Starbucks and/or Krispy Kremes finally opening in Durian City, as well as a slew of really good fashion brands; making the opening of this Ayala mall much awaited.
9.) Celebrity Babies: Since we are a society that is obsessed with celebrity, their offspring are always matters of international interest. Some celebrities who are sure to spend 2011 with new babies include the sensual Penelope Cruz, Hollywood Actor Orlando Bloom, edgy Singer Pink, Breast Cancer Survivor and actress Christina Applegate, not-so-Baby Spice Emma Bunton, and Diva du Jour who is expecting a set of twins by her rapper-producer husband, Nick Cannon.
8.) The Pacquiao-Mosley Fight: Alright. I admit I am not into the Pacquiao fever mostly because I have never seen any of his fights because they are usually too early for me and always happen on a Sunday (which is obviously after a Saturday, which is obviously the day partyphiles go out to party hearty). However, I am pretty sure that this next fight will be as epic as his last few ones. And although the grapevine says Mosley is too easy an opponent for Pacquiao; I think this will, once again, turn out to be a really good fight.
7.) Albums: Music is always a big part of people’s (especially partyphiles’) lives. Because of this, new albums from the following artists are much awaited:
· Lady Gaga
· Beyonce
· Britney Spears
· Madonna
· Black Eyed Peas
· Blink 182
· No Doubt
· Aerosmith
· Red Hot Chili Peppers
· U2
As a side note, two young international artists are hitting the Philippines early this year: Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.
6.) Movies: Movies are always entertaining and big movies usually send in trailer a year before their actual release. This seems to create an excitement for movie buffs around the globe. The movies to look out for this year include:
- Harry Potter and the Deathly hallows Part II
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
- Xmen First Class
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- The Green Hornet
- Green Lantern
- Thor
- Parites of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Kung Fu Panda 2
5.) Every urbanite has to have his slew of gadgets to make life easier and keep connected to the world. Here is a list of all the most anticipated little gizmos and gadgets to watch out for in the year that is:
- Blackberry Playbook
- Samsung Galaxy S2 i9200
- Nintendo 3Ds 3D Camera
- iPhone 5
- iPad 2
- The PlayStation Phone by Sony Ericsson
- Nintendo 3Ds
- Sony Vaio 3D
4.) Antonov Apple: This ready-to-drink beverage is starting to gather a sufficient numbers of fans in PArtylandia because of its sweet taste, affordable price, and unique packaging. This apple flavoured vodka concoction is Antonov’s answer to two of the biggest hitters in the ready-to-drink cocktail world: Gilbey’s Premium Strength and Tanduay Ice.
3.) The Proposed BRT System in Davao: I’m guessing this would not materialize within the year but I’m hoping for some sign that this will actually happen really soon. Any improvement within the year would be such a blessing. A Bus Rapid System (or BRT) is composed of a line of busses that travel on a special lane. People hop on and get off at platforms all around the city. It is said to be more cost efficient and more convenient for everybody. This would hopefully help with the traffic situation in our growing city.
2.) Diaspora*: The social networking site that is said to be the next “Facebook” will be fully usable this year. Unlike Facebook, Diaspora makes it so much easier to protect posts, videos, photos, and other media. More importantly, it allows you to pick and choose exactly who it is you want to share your posts with in a much easier fashion. More importantly, they give you full ownership of all your photos and protect them for your sake. I wonder if Facebook is trembling or trying to make friends with Friendster already.
1.) New Banknotes: If there is one thing that gets me more excited than alcohol, that is definitely: Money. Our new banknotes will feature upgraded security features, more vibrant colors, younger photos of the personalities on the fron of the bill, and a whole new back that features (for each bill) a landmark, an animal indigenous to the Philippines, and a band based on indigienous art, designs, or weaving patterns.
For comments, suggestions, or more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or tweet the columnist at twitter.com/zhaun. Youcan catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix FM or www.mixfm1059.com every Wednesday nights, from 6 to 9.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Drink of the Week: The Christmas Cocktail
Here's a cocktail that combines all the flavors of Christmas: Coffee, Cinnamon, and Chocolate! It's rich, satisfying and definitely packs a punch. Here's how you make it:
- Grab a shaker and fill it half-way with ice cubes
- Pour in an ounce of Tequila
- Pour in an ounce of Bailey's Cream
- Pour in an ounce of Cinnamon Schnapps
- Sprinkle some powdered coffee
- Shake until it is well blended and serve it in a Martini glass with a Cinnamon Stick.
Xmas is Here, Let’s Play!
Christmas Day has just ended but the smell of Noche Buena fare is sure to still be wafting in your home. In fact, your garbage cans are still filled with gift wrappers and (for some of us) those unappreciated gifts from our annoying exes; and our social calendars are still chuck full of Christmas parties and reunions until the earlier part of January.
If you are simply attending these reunions and parties, then you are in luck. All you have to do is show up with your uninspired gift and avail of all the food and be chummy with friends you hardly even talk to anymore. However, if you are the one planning the party, or the one assigned to make it more fun, the task of finding fun (not corny) games for your Christmas party may be harder that looking for that classy yet affordable gift for your boss. So here are some of my game suggestions:
1.) Stick It On That Body Part! : So here is a game that can get a little naughty although it requires some noggin’ usage and a sense of familiarity among the participants. That being said, it is most applicable to reunions. The game is easy. Members are divided into three or four groups and each group chooses a model. Each team is given a roll of masking tape. Then, the moderator asks each group to stick pieces of masking tape on any body part that starts with the chosen letter. The moderator chooses the letter, announces it, and times the challenge. I suggest two to three minutes per letter. Then, the models are presented in front of each other and the pieces of masking tape are counted. The whole group must agree if the body part is acceptable or not. The team that gets the most points wins. Thanks to Suzette Tan-Atmosfera for the tip!
2.) Tell Me A Story! : This next game is appropriate for corporate parties and such. It requires contestants to form three groups of four. Each group forms a line with their first representative at the front of the line. A moderator asks general questions like “what is the essence of Christmas?” and the representatives try to answer it three words at a time. So, the first representative answers using three words, which the second representative then connects to, until they make a long conversation or paragraph. They do not have to answer the question, and they do not have to make sense. All that is required is that they do not exceed the three word limit. Whenever one person says more than three words, a point is awarded to both of their opposing teams, and s/he is replaced by the next person in line. A sample conversation reads like:
Moderator: What is the true meaning of Christmas?
Representative 1: The true meaning…
Representative 2: …of Christmas is…
Representative 3: … having fun in…
*back to Representative 1: … the beach, man!
3.) Wrap It Up! : If your guests have been on Earth even before Cher was born, you would definitely want to choose games that are a little more subdued like a gift-wrapping contest. Simply provide both teams with some wrapping paper, ribbons, tape, and scissors and ask them to wrap empty boxes. If you want to make it more challenging, you may hide the materials around the venue before they start wrapping.
4.) Sing-A-Song! : This is one of the simplest games in my Yuletide Roster. Simply divide the participants into three or four groups and give them five minutes to jot down all the Christmas songs they know. Then each group takes turns in singing one Christmas Song. If other groups happen to have the same song in their list, they crash it out from their list. The next group then sings one of their Yuletide tunes. The group that has the most titles left, wins the prize.
5.) Get Wasted! : This is one of the simplest games ever; and all you need for this game is a pair of different colored dice and six participants. All you do is roll the dice and check out the results. The first die indicates the number of shots the person drinks. The second die indicates who among the six participants should take a shot. Note: if the die ands on a five, the person who threw it starts counting from his right-hand side until he reaches the fifth person. Nobody gets a prize, but everybody gets wasted. And we all know that getting boozed up is the true meaning of Christmas…well, at least in Partylandia, it is.
For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist at twitter.com/zhaun
Listen to Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 in the evening on 105.9 Mix FM or www.mixfm1059.com
New Christmas Commandments
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Drink of the Week: Chocolate Margarita
The chocolate margarita is an interesting twist to the margarita. It is tequila based, is filled with chocolate, but also has a citrus kick to break the monotony. Here is how you make it:
- 1 1/2 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Godiva Liquor or Bailey's Cream
- 1 oz Milk or Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Chocolate Syrup
- 2 oz Orange Juice
- and some ice
Today is Chocolate Covered Day
Christmas Trivia
1.) Santa Claus has 8 original reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. Rudolph was only introduced to the public through a booklet during 1939. Thus, he is not included in the popular Yuletide poem, “the Night Before Christmas”
2.) The most popular song Christmas song of the past decade, and one of the best-selling Christmas songs of all time, “All I Want for Xmas Is You” is actually not a cover song. Mariah Carey wrote it together with Walter Affaneseiff and was released as part of her first Christmas album entitled “Merry Christmas” on 1994. This makes it one of the few modern inclusions in the long line of traditional Xmas carols.
3.) The song Jingle Bells wasn't originally made for Xmas. It was created as a theme for a children's thanksgiving show and its original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh”. In fact, there is no mention of Christmas in the song.
4.) Germans were the first to make artificial Xmas trees. They used goose feathers that were dyed green.
5.) The top 5 Christmas songs (in no particular order) are: The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Winter Wonderland and White Christmas. This is based on sales of recorded version of the track.
6.) The Top Three Best Selling Christmas albums of all time are Kenny G’s “Miracles”, Celine Dion’s “These Are Special Times”, and Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas”.
7.) If you receive all the gifts in the song 12 days of Xmas, you would end up with 364 gifts. One for each day of the year!
8.) The best selling Christmas song of all time is Bing Crosby's “White Christmas”. “White Christmas” is also the most recorded Christmas song. It has more than 500 recorded versions.
9.) The number one song last Xmas was Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay Z.
10.) Music industry experts predict that this year’s Christmas Day number one song would be either Katy Perry’s “Firework”, or Pink’s festive track “Raise Your Glass”.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Semi-DIY Gift Ideas
Christmas is definitely just around the tinsel-decorated corner, and it seems like everyone is going crazy for Christmas shopping. Gift giving is so common these days that everyone seems to start giving out the same generic gifts. For this reason, people are starting to appreciate personalized or homemade gifts even more. They tell the gift-receiver that the gift-giver has put much time and effort into their gift and made it especially for the receiver. This alone is a gift in itself.
Unfortunately, not everybody has the time to spare to create personalized or homemade gifts. My solution? Semi-DIY (do-it-yourself) gifts that are easy to make, easy on the budget, and easy on the eyes. Here are some of my affordable Yuletide suggestions:
- Homemade Pate: A pate is a type of dip that is usually made with a type of meat (usually liver or fish) and has a strong savoury flavour. It is usually made with duck liver or smoked salmon, but since neither are easily available or easy on the budget, you may create a more Pinoy version of the pate. Simply caramelize some onions with butter on low heat and add a couple cloves of garlic. Season it with slat and pepper and an herb of your choice (common choices include oregano, basil, paprika, or bay leaf). Dump this mixture in a food processor. Then, add some flaked smoked Bangus or some canned Tuna in Water (if you are working on a really tight budget) and some Cream Cheese. Blend the mixture in the food processor until it is sooth and spreadable. You may also add chopped nuts like walnuts, pistachios, or almonds. Transfer this mix into decorative glass jars and give them out as gifts. Just remember to keep them refrigerated. Oh, and if you want to, you may create different flavours and give a set of homemade pate to your friends.
- Semi-DIY Chocolate Chip Cookies: Now, this is my personal favorite. I actually do this every time I need some ort of gift and I run out of time to buy some. What I do is buy some decorative boxes (which cost about 50 to 80 Pesos) and line the insides with some Japanese paper (which cost about 2 Pesos per sheet) and then fill the box with some cookies I buy from a popular baked-goods chain. The chocolate chip cookies taste somewhat homemade (as compared to the generic, mass produced ones) and are actually cheaper. Then, I give the cookies in boxes out and claim I made it myself. The receiver always seems appreciative for the fact tat I exerted some amount of effort in “baking” the cookies.
- Chocolate Bath Milk: If you know somebody who loves taking care of their skin and happens to have a bath tub, you may want to give them some really affordable Bath Milk with a twist of Chocolate. They may use this to soak in the tub with to get really supple skin. The ingredients: 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, and 2 Cups of Powdered Milk. Simply mix the two, put in metallic canisters, and decorate.
- Bandana-Wrapped Candies: People often give out candies or chocolates during Christmas as a default gift. Personally, I dislike receiving edible gifts because there is nothing to remember the gift, or the giver by, once the food is consumed. So what I do when I decide to give out some candy is wrap it with something useful. Usually, I use a bandana which costs well under 50 Pesos. I simply place the candies in the middle of an open bandana, pull all ends to have them meet at the top (surrounding the candies), and then tie a secure ribbon to hold the candies in place, and to add a more festive flair. You may also use this technique when giving out little trinkets.
- Semi-DIY Cereal Snacks: Everybody has stale cereal; and nobody ever seems to want to eat it. To recycle stale cereal I make some Cereal Snacks. I simply heat up a cup of brown sugar, a cup of water, a pinch of salt, and some cinnamon, until all the sugar is dissolved. I bring the mixture to a boil and once boiled, I pour it over the stale cereal (in a bowl) combined with some raisins, chocolate chips, glazed fruit, dried fruit, nuts, and desiccated coconut. Then I transfer the mixture to an oiled baking sheet and wait for it to dry. If you cooked the caramel right, this would dry in a couple of minutes or less. Then, break the pieces (at this point they would have clumped together into one big piece) and transfer them to decorative glass jars, tie a ribbon near the top, and hand them out as edible gifts for Christmas.
- Decorative Alcohol: Alcohol is another classic Yuletide gift because it is generic and (most often) inoffensive. Instead of simply giving out bottles of your favorite booze, try this creative (and cheaper) spin on alcohol-giving for the holidays.
Simply buy decorative bottles in mall-based department stores (or the trusty shops at Uyanguren) that sell house ware or even supplies for flower arrangements. You may simply fill these bottles with affordable Vodka and give them out as gifts. If you want a more creative twist, you may choose different-colored decorative bottles, or simply add food dye to your vodka. You may also flavour the vodka with oil or water-based flavourings that are available in most supermarkets.
- Oatmeal Soap: Oatmeal Soap is very good for the skin, and always looks semi-homemade. Unlike Papaya, Carrot, or Seaweed soaps, oatmeal soap has little granules of oatmeal which makes it look a little more rustic and less “mass produced”. You may wrap the pieces of oatmeal soap (without the box or the plastic wrapper) in Japanese paper or gift wrapping paper made from recycled paper. Then, tie some paper twine around the soap and then glue-gun a piece of dried flower or potpourri on top of the knot.
- Nuts: The Yuletide season is probably the time of the year when most nuts are consumed. There is something about nuts that reminds us of lazy Christmas days, and all the glee it comes with it. Giving nuts for Xmas is not only unique and inexpensive, but is also very helpful for people who are trying to watch their weight. Simply create your own version of mixed nuts, and make sure to include the more festive ones like Walnuts, Chestnuts, Almonds, and maybe even Pistachios. Then, place them in canisters or simple glass jars and tie ribbons on the lid. This makes for a festive and gift that all members of the family are sure to appreciate.
- Monogram White Napkins: White napkins are almost essential to every household; plus they make for really inexpensive gifts. Simply buy a set of white napkins (which are very inexpensive), and some textile paint (which cost less than fifty pesos). Simply use stamps to create designs on the white napkins and let it dry overnight. You may put a simple leaf design or the initials of the person who will accept the gift. If you are giving it away as a gift for the whole family, make one for each member of the family and choose letters that correspond to their first names. The key here is simplicity. Do not put more than one icon on the napkin.
- Hot Chocolate Mix: Everybody loves some hot chocolate during the yuletide season; so why not give it away as a gift? You may prepare some hot chocolate mixes by combining powdered sugar, powdered milk, cocoa powder, and a little salt. You may choose to flavour your hot chocolate with cayenne peppers (which is too good for words), cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever flavour you like. Then, place them in metal canisters or glass jars. Tie a ribbon across the top and give it out as gifts.
Catch Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio at 105.9 Mix FM Every Wednesday evenings from six to nine. You may also follow the columnist at http://twitter.com/zhaun
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Even Santa Fell In Love
The Top Reasons Why It Is Better to be Single During Christmas
10. You spend less when Christmas shopping, because you wouldn’t have to buy your bf or gf a gift. You wouldn’t have to buy one for their parents, siblings, grandparents, nannies, best friend, etc
9. You get invited to more events; you can go to reunions without feeling bad about leaving your bf or gf behind; you get to enjoy more, drink more, live it up more. Plus, you actually get to spend time with your friends who are visting over the Christmas break.
8. It controls your weight. The fact that you are single makes you want to look good. Thus, you would be more careful about what you eat during the Holidays
7. You do not have to spend the holidays with your in-laws when the only thing you want to do is lay in bed in your Mother’s house.
6. You do not have to think of ways to make your bf or gf’s xmas sweeter, better, happier. You do not get pressured into buying the perfect gift either. Being single during Xmas is almost stress free.
5. You can do whatever you want to. You can travel, you can sleep, you can do nothing. Xmas usually gives us time off to do anything we want to. Being single means you would not have to consider anybody else.
4. You avoid having to dress up in matching Yuletide outfits. ICK!
3. You can buy yourself a gift and actually enjoy it instead of feeling guilty about it.
2. You can go home to your province and celebrate Xmas with your parents without guilt
1. You can flirt with all the cuties you meet during Christmas parties and reunions.
Drink of the Week: Brownie Cocktail
December 8 is National Brownie Day
December 8 is National Brownie Day! So gather all our brownie loving friends, ask them to bring some brownies with them, and have a gorgeous brownie party!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Akihiro Sato is the Survivor Philippines Winner
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Drink of the Week: Cape Codder
Fill a highball glass with ice.