Happy Singletons
Love is definitely in the air; sappy love songs are blasted off the airwaves, our favorite cafes are filled with paper hearts, scattered all around our malls are styrofoam hearts that seem to have been bathed in red glitters, we receive a dozen heart-shaped pillows on our Facebook walls, and our friends start wearing matching pink and red ensembles. For somebody attached, this would be a welcome experience; something that would help them get in the mood for the love month.
For one who is single, it is a whole different story. It makes them realize how desperately single they are, and how there isn’t a place for their breed during this month. Singletons retaliate by telling everybody how much they hate V-Day; balloons, flowers, chocolates and all. But the truth remains that all they hate is the feeling that they can’t truly get into the season because they don’t have a passport to go to Lovesville a.k.a a partner. To make up for it, here are some things to remind you, my dear singleton partyphile, how lucky you are to be single.
Advantages of Being Single
1.) Girls Say: You can watch all the chick flicks you want, without having to worry about that twerp who rolls his eyes every single time you are about to tear up.
Guys Say: You can watch all the Sci-Fi movies you like without worrying about that twerp who feels the need to remind you that everything you find cool about the movie is phony and can’t happen in real life.
2.) Girls Say: You could stop minding the toilet seat for once in your life. You can actually sit in it without worrying about sitting on piss.
Guys Say: You could leave the toilet seat up without having to come back to the rest room to put it back down.
3.) Girls Say: You could choose from all the guys who would want to drive you home after a long night of partying.
Guys Say: You could drive straight home after a long and tiring night of partying.
4.) Girls Say: You could forget about birth control.
Guys Say: You could fool around as much as you want.
5.) Girls: You could accept all those free drinks from hot (or not-so-hot) guys you meet while out partying.
Guys: You could spend all your money on booze for yourself. Only.
6.) Girls Say: You could wear your favorite bikinis without having to answer to anyone.
Guys Say: You could ogle at your favorite girls in bikinis without having to answer to anyone.
7.) Girls Say: You could text all the cute boys you like.
Guys: You actually HAVE money to buy load to text all the cute girls you like.
8.) Girls Say: You could do whatever you want, when you want to do it.
Guys Say: Ditto to that.
9.) Girls Say: You could focus on your career, your education, your fitness, and your passions.
Guys Say: You could focus on that hot chick from the gym that you have always had your eye on.
10.) Girls Say: You do not have to listen to snoring and farting all night.
Guys Say: You do not have to worry about getting cookie crumbs on the bed.
11.) Girls Say: You can stay in the shower for as long as you want.
Guys Say: You can have the remote all to yourself, without having to change the channel to “important” stuff like News of Koreanovelas.
12.) Girls Say: You do not have to worry about being nice to your mother-in-law
Guys Say: You do not have to worry about being nice to her annoying best friend who has a habit of criticizing everything you do.
13.) Girls Say: You can wear Granny panties without having to explain to anyone.
Guys Say: You can wear your favorite jeans (that you has managed to stay unwashed for a month) without having to explain to anyone.
14.) Girls Say: You can party all you want.
Guys Say: You can party all you want.
Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday evenings, from 6 to 9 PM.
For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph or search for Confessions of a Partyphile on Facebook.
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Just like every year, Valentine’s 2010 has, somehow, managed to creep into our realities after a dose of unreality brought about by the recently concluded Yuletide season. Somehow, we always forget that V-Day is coming which leads us to panic for the panic gift for our partner. Of course, it does not help that we have exhausted all our gift ideas during the yuletide season and that we are now required to celebrate and exchange gifts during monthsaries because everybody seems to be doing it. So we sit alone racking our brains to come up with the perfect Valentine’s gift.
Fortunately, for you, here are some ideas:
Box It: Buy an ornate box that fits your partner’s style and fill it with 365 reasons why you love him or her. Print out these little messages on pieces of decorative paper, or write them down by hand for a more personal touch. Phrases like “you smell good even when you haven’t showered”; “you don’t need make-up to look beautiful”; “you eat the white part of an Oreo, and give me the biscuits”; “my evil 5 year old nephew loves you”; “you never look at me in a confused kinda way when I talk crap”; or “you smell like Vanilla”. And then, on the bottom of the box attach an envelope with a note that says: “I don’t need Valentine’s Day to realize why I love you. I do that every single day.”
The Power of Facebook: If you know your partner’s facebook password, hack it and send a message to all of his/her friends asking them why they love your partner. If you do not know your partner’s password, send his/her friends a message from your account; however this will require you to add her friends up. (Heads up: according to surveys, couple who have common friends last longer; so it is actually a good thing to add his/her friends up). Collect all the answers, especially the cute stupid ones, and ask his/her parents and siblings as well. Write the answers and the names of the people who sent in the answers in pieces of paper, or print them out on decorative paper. Put them in a scrap book together with photos of your partner with you, or with her friends and family. Do not leave your own answer. Instead write a phrase that goes a little like: “If all these people love you, how can I not?”
Movie Magic: This gift is for the guys. Ask your friends or family members to occupy all the seats in a movie house that are by the aisle. Give them a rose each, and ask them to reserve e two seats for you in the middle of the theater. Leave a bouquet of red roses there or a huge stuffed animal, if your girl is into plush pals. Ask your girl out on a movie date and make sure to pass in the middle aisle (where all your friends are seated). Ask your friends to give your girl a rose as she passes along where they seated. This is enough to surprise your girl. However, the extra special gift that is waiting in her seat will seal the deal.
Cutest Carnap: Now this is for the ladies. Steal your boyfriend’s car, with the permission of his parents and siblings, of course, and take it home. Ask his parents to convince him that a family friend borrowed the car. Buy some water-based, washable markers and write sweet nothings on the body of your boyfriend’s car. Fill the inside of his car with pink fabric, paper hearts, and everything that reminds you of Valentine’s Day. If you are the naughty type, you could write naughty innuendos instead of
Remember that the best gifts are those that are personalized, well thought of, and have an element of surprise. Choose from one of the suggestions above, or create your own little wacky idea. But never forget to have fun while you spend the day of hearts with the one you love most.
Catch Confessions of a Partyphile, the radio show, on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 in the PM.
For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or search for Confessions of a Partyphile on Facebook.
1.) Top Gadget of the Decade (ABC News.com)
Top Spot: iPod
Runners Up: Digital Cameras
2.) Highest Grossing Films of the Decade (The Hollywood Reporter.com)
Top Spot: The Dark Knight- raked in $533.3 million (US alone)
Runners Up: Shrek 2- banked $436.7 million (US alone)
Pirates of the
3.) Top Selling Video Games of the Decade (TotallyTopTen.com)
Top Spot: World of Warcraft
Runners Up: Mario Kart Wii
Wii Sports
4.) The Most Influential Websites of the Decade (TotallyTopTen.com)
Top Spot: Facebook
Runners Up: Google
Youtube
5.) Top Athlete of the Decade (Associated Press)
Top Spot: Tiger Woods
Runners Up: Lance Armstrong
Roger Federer
6.) Most Watched TV Show of the Decade (The Hollywood Reporter)
Top Spot: Friends (2004)
Runners Up: Survivor
American Idol
7.) Top One Hit Wonders (Billboard.com)
Top Spot: Daniel Powter with Bad Day
Runners Up: Terror Squad with Lean Back
Crazytown with Butterfly
8.) Top Selling Books of the Decade (About.com)
Top Spot: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Runners Up: Twilight
The Da Vinci Code
9.) Artist of the Decade (Billboard.com)
Top Spot: Eminem (2 number 1s)
Runners Up: Usher (7 number 1s)
Nelly (4 number 1s)
10.) Song of The Decade (Billboard.com)
Top Spot: We Belong Together by Mariah Carey (was number 1 for 14 weeks)
Runners Up: Yeah! by Usher (number 1 for 12 weeks)
Low by Flo’Rida (number 1 for 10 weeks)
Being overweight in the party scene is not as easy as everyone thinks; especially when you are young, and have not yet managed to shrug off all your little insecurities. Everybody seems to forget that it is not that easy for overweight people to do things that average-weight people do.
Dressing up is such a task. You have to make sure that your man boobs, or love handles do not show, or that your thighs and beer belly isn’t exposed. You have to go out of your way to choose fabrics, cuts and designs that hide your flaws. More importantly, you cannot wear most things that are in trend because they either do not fit your body type, or they have not yet produced items of your size. Most people think fat people dress sloppily to hide their weight, but it is actually a very hard task to dress up when you do not think you look good in anything. The common overweight partyphile’s solution: to not try at all. So do not be surprised that you often see us in simple get-ups; that is all we feel comfortable in.
Of course, it does not help that we have become a society that is obsessed with a certain standard of beauty; that everywhere you look; people are flexing their muscles or showing off a toned tummy. It does not help that every endorser for every alcoholic beverage is clad in a bikini. It does not help that everybody thinks skinny is the new measure of beauty.
And even though we get over how we dress and the challenges it brings along with it; some other seemingly simple tasks, like dancing, becomes a problem. You can not help but think to yourself that you look awful when gyrating, or swaying your huge hips. You are never really comfortable showing off the latest dance moves. You can not help but think that people will stop and stare at you when you choose to work the ledge, as your sexy partyphile friends do. Even grabbing a drink from the bar is worth a little contemplation. You can not help but think that it would be doubly hard for you to squeeze into the crowd of people who are trying to order drinks at the bar than smaller partyphiles.
It is enough of a challenge to feel accepted in your small circle of classmates and officemates for being heavier; that the concept of putting yourself out there in the world of partyphiles, where everybody is measured by their image, is one that is enough to garner shudders of sheer insecurity.
Add to that the fact that nobody ever thinks you are worthy to ask to dance; or that you are boyfriend or girlfriend material. Nobody lusts after you, nobody thinks you are sexy, and nobody is willing to declare to the world that their partner is fat and gorgeous. And so you start to doubt yourself, and everything your parents have taught you about inner beauty being the true measure of a person’s goodness. You begin to doubt that you are actually worth something, because deep inside, you feel like people take you forgranted. You begin to doubt that you are truly special, just like your favorite Uncle says; or that you are a good catch, as your favorite Aunt puts it.
You get so tired of listening to people quip about how gorgeous you will be, once you lose the weight; or that the reason for your being single is the weight you have recently put on. You get tired of everybody reminding you that you have to watch what you eat, and that you do not look good in skinny jeans. In a sense, you get tired of feeling like your weight has taken you over, and the most important part of your being is, and will always be, your fat belly.
But until you stop allowing people to get into your head and dictate to you what you are and how to feel, you will never realize who you truly are, and what you can achieve. It is bad enough that people forget that bulky can be beautiful too, but it is far worse, when you look in the mirror and forget that too. The problem truly starts when you allow people to make you feel like you do not measure up, that you are not worthy of the same respect, or affection, that other people are.
The simple truth is: if people do not accept you, and your weight; they do not deserve you at all. Life is not supposed to be measured by calories, it is supposed to be measured by how many pleasurable moments you have experienced, how many lives you have touched, and how many friends you have made. Life is supposed to be enjoyed like one long buffet table, waiting to be ravaged and savored instead of a pre-measured plate of salad greens that leave nothing to the imagination. And when you realize that there is more to life than just your chubby cheeks you will start to feel beautiful, and worthy of love, respect, and a place in the partyphile ladder…even though you are too heavy to hop on it.
And unless you realize that, you will have to rely on beer-goggles to make you feel good about yourself…and nobody stays drunk forever.
1.) Another slew of common New Year’s resolutions. The most common resolution is still losing weight or gaining weight followed by spending more time with the family
2.) the national elections and of course, a new president
3.) hot new movies like Sex and the City 2, Avatar: the last airbender, Sherlock holmes, Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows is scheduled to hit the screens on Nov 19, Tim Burton’s take of Alice In wonderland, The third installment in the twilight saga: ECLIPSE will be released on June 30
4.) whitney
5.) More annoying applications and pillow fights on face book
6.) All new mobile phones which will all feature touch screens and a full qwerty keypad
7.) The 52nd grammy awards on January 31
8.) Mix FMs anniversary on the January 27 where we’ll be giving away hot prizes and we’ll also be counting down the top 105 songs of 2009
9.) the probabale end of the global financial recession
10) all new albums from everybody including:
American idol finalists: Katharine McPhee and Jason Castro
R&B divettes: Ke$ha, Monica, and Ciara
Natasha Bedingfield
Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl
Courtney Love, Maroon 5, Limp Bizkit, Blink 182,
Barry Manilow’s versions of the greatest love songs of all time
Paradiso girls
Panic At The Disco
Seconhand Serenade
Kelly Clarkson
Anthrax
Eminem
Divas: Jessica Simpson, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears,Mariah Carey’s all-remix version of her latest album memoirs of an Imperfect Angel to be released on Feb 2010
A Posthumous album from Tupac Shakur
And the comeback album of the ‘90s boy group Hanson
You Asked, Partyphile Answered: Christmas Edition
You have been sending quite a few questions about the yuletide season and I feel like I owe it to you, my dear readers to answer some of them. I know this season can get quite hectic for partyphiles, and I hope my tips can help you cope.
Christmas is just around the corner and my friends and I are planning to throw a White Christmas party and we might be pulling some wet & wild action by making it a foam party after dinner. Any tips or suggestions on what to do or what to avoid?- Rolly Marcial, Student
Hey Rolly! Thanks fort sending in your query. I have never thrown a foam party yet but I hope that you remember to check the dance floor. You have to ensure that your dance floor is not slippery even when it’s filled with foam and water. Usually foam parties are held at grassy areas or areas that are cemented because these surfaces aren’t too slippery when they are wet. Another thing I would ask you to do is to ensure that all your guests are aware that they are attending a foam party. Otherwise, they may wear clothes or jewelry that may get destroyed or lost in all that foamy mess.
I would also suggest that you go all out with the ‘white’ theme. Rent a smoke machine for the foam-less part of your venue. It is also a good idea to rent bright white lights and lasers which should add to the festive mood of your party. If you are looking for a cool center piece for your yuletide bash, gather different types and sizes of White Christmas balls and put them in one big fish bowl. This looks festive and chic. If you have a lot of time on your hands, you may also hang some balls in corners of your venue, in cascading heights.
Also, remember to serve White food and drinks. Carbonara is a good idea, and so is a pizza with white sauce. You may also try serving steamed chicken with ginger sauce, or some angel cake with white frosting for dessert. If you plan on serving cocktails, Google some recipes for the White Russian, Anti Freeze, Lemon Drop, or Rainy Night. All these cocktails are white and are very festive! I hope you enjoy your White party! Send me an invite!
Hey Zhaun! I’m hosting a Christmas party really soon. Any suggestion on what cocktail drinks and food I can serve for my soiree? I want it to be Christmassy and festive without looking like a Noche Buena spread. – Kia Aquino, Partyphile
Hi Kia! I commend you for wanting to veer away from the traditional holiday spread, and having the guts to actually try something new. I know it is quite difficult to create a Holiday inspired menu, without making it look like a Noche Buena dinner, but a couple of clicks on the web, and a few ingenious ideas will do the trick.
Instead of serving some Keso de Bola with bread, create a Keso de Bola and Mushroom Bruschetta. This recipe is cheap and easy. Chop up some canned button mushrooms and sauté them in butter. You may add your favorite herbs like Basil or Oregano. Mix in some cubed pieces of Keso de Bola and spoon some over toasted baguettes or ‘french bread’.
Instead of serving pancit make some Shrimp Sotanghon Spring Rolls. Saute some sotanghon with onions, garlic, and minced shrimps. Season to your liking and wrap the mixture in lumpia wrappers. Fry them up and serve with your favorite lumpia dip.
Instead of serving some Hamon de Bola with Pineapple sauce, make some Ham-Pineapple skewers. Cube some Christmas ham and skewer them alternately with pineapple chunks. Grill the skewers until they get grill marks and the pineapples are caramelized.
You may also try serving some Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce (instead of barbeque), Cherry-Chocolate balls, and Grilled Chicken Fingers with Coconut-Curry Sauce (instead of chicken curry).
Serve some Appletinis (they are green), red Margaritas, and Red and Green Jelly Shots. I have recipes on my blog (http://party.i.ph) but there are a lot of other recipes on the web.
I hope these simple tips work well for you. I’m sure these dishes would look festive on your buffet table, taste like things your guests would normally associate with Christmas, and are perfect for any Yuletide cocktail party. Do not worry about your budget, because all the recipes I recommended are pretty affordable.
So it's Christmas and I’m running out of party ideas! I want to throw a "Christmas party" but I want it to be unique, you know, not the typical (Santa Claus, exchanging gifts and ho-ho-hos kinda thing). You have any ideas? And oh! A venue too please --Julienne Avancena, student
There are a lot of party themes you can throw. You can have a DVD marathon and watch Christmas movies while munching on gourmet popcorn or make-it-yourself hotdog sandwiches. You may also try throwing a traditional Filipino Christmas party complete with puto bung bong, bibingka, other kakanin, and native hot chocolate. Another theme you would want to consider is a Summery Luau barbeque. It is quick, easy, and definitely not common around this season. You could also gather all your friends and throw a party in an orphanage or a home for the aged.
However, if you want to take advantage of the cool weather during the yuletide season, why not throw a snuggle party? A snuggle party is a soiree that aims to warm the tummy, heart, and spirit.
The ideal location for a snuggle party is your house. Ask your guests to come in their pajamas, or any attire they’re really comfortable in. Fill you room (or living area) with a lot of mattresses for your friends to sit or lay on. Make sure that your mattresses are filled with plush pillows and soft covers. Serve some hot soup, like Arroz Caldo, or some take on the traditional chicken soup. You might also want to try serving up hearty, but healthy, minestrone.
You could also serve some Hot Chocolate, Coffee, and Milk. If you want to give your guests a little buzz, spike their Hot Chocolate with some Bailey’s cream, and add some Kahlua to their coffee. You may also dress up your milk with some chocolate or strawberry syrup and serve them with wafer sticks. Remember to keep the lights down low, and play music that is relaxing. The yuletide season can be quite stressful; give your guests some time to relax and chill out.
If you have any party-related query, check out my blog http://party.i.ph or follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/zhaun
Catch Confessions of a Partyphile, the radio show, every Wednesdays at 6 to 9 in the PM on 105.9 Mix FM.
Party Profiles
From the outside world, party animals are all the same; they all like to drink, dance and stay up late. However, for people who actually party, we realize that there are more types of partyphiles than most people think. Some are good to be with, some, one should just stay away from. Unfortunately, when you are drunk and are too familiar with the faces in a bar, you forget that some of them may not be good for you. Here’s a simple reminder on whom you could meet at a bar.
Observer: Observers usually come, and act, in groups. When inside a bar, they just sit back, take a couple of sips, and then observe and gossip about other partyphiles. This is all they do for the night. They just talk, talk, talk, and sometimes scream over the music, just to share the latest gossip and to diss the fashion disaster that just walk past them
Camel: These are partyphiles who go to bars for the sole purpose of drinking. They do not care to dress up, they do not even dance. They just stand by their table, or lean against the bar the whole night, gulping down incredible amounts of booze. They have been drinking so long that they know when to stop, so they are pretty safe to party with…IF you are comfortable playing second fiddle to alcohol.
Queen Bee: the girl every guy has a crush on. She is nice, pretty, and witty, and she loves to drink and party. When she steps inside a club, all eyes are on her, and she knows it. Don’t hate her, it’s not her fault she’s beautiful.
The Posse: The Queen Bee’s followers. The group of girls who are always with the Queen bee but never get the same attention as she does. There is also a posse for the DJ, for the bar owner, and the top Shark.
Songbirds: People who dance with the music with real intent of singing along with it. They do not enjoy house music that do not have vocals or aren’t as popular. They prefer House mixes of pop songs that they could sing to. While dancing, they even close their eyes and sing along. This doesn’t make them bad people; it just makes them really irritating.
Wallflower: You know who they are: people who just sit in one corner; drink very little; never stand up to dance, and always take trips to the bathroom. They are too shy to enjoy the party. Sad.
Networker: A person who goes to parties to make people feel comfortable with them, and then they proceed to sell them stuff. They go to parties to gain connections for their business. These people usually seem fun and fabulous, but they are very deceitful.
Solo-Pilot: The loner. He or she goes to a bar to look for new friends. They are extra-friendly and even offer to buy you drinks. Unfortunately, your new found friendship ends quickly. The reason why he or she is always on the prowl for his or her new best friend is because s/he can’t keep a stable friendship.
Dirties: Also known as “Dirty Old Men”, these old guys are exactly like Sharks. The only difference is that they are older, usually heavier, richer, and have more power. Trust me, they do not look cute. If you do not want to look like you are partying with you Papa, leave your friendly neighborhood Dirty at home.
Miners: Also known as Gold Diggers, these girls love Dirties because they are the easiest target. They go to a bar to look for the next old man to get money from. They may act innocent, but these girls know how to play the money game.
Have you found yourself fitting into one of these stereotypes? Be honest, don’t deny who you really are. None of these stereotypes are bad, they just happen to be the reality. Remember: there are stereotypes because too many people do the same thing.
For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph
Catch Confessions of a partyphile (the radio show) every Wednesdays, 6 to 9 PM on 105.9 Mix FM or www.mixfm1059.com.
Follow me on twiiter: http://twitter.com/zhaun and on facebook (just search for my name).
