Celebritweets 2

Almost everybody today is connected to at least one social networking site; making everyone, even our favorite celebrities, more accessible. Twitter is one of the more popular social networking sites as it gives us a peek into the day to day activities of the people we follow. This can prove to be exciting, especially when one simply wants to “observe” what everybody else is doing. Yes, Twitter s allows you to be a fly on the celebrity wall. Not yet on Twitter? Here is what you have missed so far:”

1.) Internet Celebrity and MTV star Tila Tequila: “I fell off a chair and slammed my head into the wall and heard my skull crack.” She then tweeted: “I should call the ambulance just in case…like the one actress that died because she hit her head and thought she was OK but died later…pray for me.” Followed by: “Ambulance on the way to my house. I could have a brain concussion and die in a few hours.”After a couple of hours, her publicist had to take over her Twitter account because she actually had a concussion.

2.) Alessandra de Rossi: Bakit ganon? Iba ang lasa ng pagkain pag andito sa bahay si Assunta?

Alessandra and Assunta’s Mom tweeted in reply: Umaarte ka nanaman. Para mineral water lang pinangluto ko sa pagkain niya eh.”

Two other tweets from the sassy Alessandra de Rossi: “Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura? Eh ako kaka jetski ko lang sa dagat ng mga dyamante! FTW!” and “Dalawa lang ang maimpluwensyang pamilya ditto sa Pilipinas. Ang Arroyo at ang de Rossi”

3.) Demi Lovato gushed after seeing one of her idols: “[A photo of] Aretha Franklin and I … My first and ultimate inspiration… I’m about to cry and.. Still shaking!”

4.) Amanda Bynes: “I can’t fall for you if you’re not there to catch me.”

5.) Mariah Carey proves that she is a superhero. Aside from having a gazillion-octave voice she even claims to put out a fire, saying: "In Egypt getting ready to go on stage and suddenly there was a surge of power and an electrical fire started under my feet! Wtf?!" and added "Naturally, my emergency instincts kicked in and I put out the flames w/a towel. Lol (yet true)”

6.) Reality TV Star Khloe Kardashian: “What does Jejejeje mean?”

7.) Here’s a tweet from Gibo Teodoro’s account: “Gibo among the ‘Ten cutest guys in Philippine Politics’”

8.) International Pop Superstar and Actress Miley Cyrus: “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and for that, my family’s SO grateful. So for LAME bloggers that don’t know what they’re talking about SHUT UP!”

9.) Lady Gaga telling the world that when everything is stripped down, she isn’t so Gaga after all: “Taking a break today, in bed with mommy having glass of wine waiting for sis to get home. Just us Italian girls running the house tonight”

10.) Zsazsa Padilla replying to a tweeter who tweeted snide comments about Karylle: “Stop bashing my daughter. She’s Awesome!”

11.) Ashton Kutcher: “Is it fair to say that happiness lives somewhere between Death and Orgasm?”

12.) Local News Anchor Karen Davila: “PGMA seems to always seems a step ahead of her foes. I wonder what they fed her as a baby. I’m kiiiiidddiiiing.”

13.) Manila-based Davaoeno Comedian, Chockoleit: “Pag nasabihan ako ng "Chokie,ang ganda mo!", naaasar ako't alam ko namang nanloloko lang.Pag "Ampangit mo!", bad trip naman ako, hmp,kainis!”

14.) Partyphile Tim Yap gushing about his favorite micro-blogging site: “I must say that being on twitter has lowered the average cost of my monthly cellphone bill. TY Twitter!:-))”

15.) Ruffa Gutierrez: “Told Venice about my role today...that I was in prison, so sad and needed to cry. She says to me: "Just use eyedrops mommy"! Hahaha! :)”

Add me up on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zhaun

Tune in to Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) every Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 P.M. on 105.9 Mix FM and add us up on Facebook, search for “Confessions of a Partyphile”

On the Road to the Home of the Generals 1

Summer has always been known to be a time when we could actually crave for a change of scene and get it. Summer has always been one of the most awaited times of the year because it is during summer that people find themselves feeling less guilty to go our and have a little bit of fun in the sun. We are a month away from the end of the summer, but have you really gotten your summer’s worth of fun?

If the answer is “no”, then you definitely have to do something about it. I know it is not as easy as people make it seem; it requires a lotta cash and a lotta down time. However, when I feel like a change in routine (to change my perspective and mood) is in need, I go on a road trip to nearby cities. One of my favorite places to visit is Genera Santos City, because I think it has a lot to offer, and it has all the urban comforts I need. The next time you feel the need to maximize your Summer, gather all your fun-loving friends, pack for a night, hop on a car and head off to General Santos City. And that was exactly what I did last weekend. This was my itinerary:

1:00 pm: I left Davao with two other friends to go to General Santos City, the next destination for our night time escapades. I remembered to pack all the essentials:

a.) Alcohol and hand sanitizer (because you never know when you would need to clean your hands)

b.) Sun Block (because the Gen San heat can get a little too hot, even for a sun worshipper like me)

c.) Toilet Spray (check out Holy Seat in SM ) in case I would need to use a public toilet (gross).

d.) Snacks

e.) A CD filled with my al time favorite summer tracks (this definitely helps you get in the road trip mood)

3:00 pm: We arrived in general Santos City, and since we had brunch earlier in the day, we decided to have an earlier dinner in Saranggani Highlands. Saranggani Highlands is about 20 minutes away from down town GenSan but is soo worth the travel. Ask local for directions.

When we arrived at Saranggani Highlands we were awe-stricken by the beauty of the place. It was like a green thumb’s dream. Imagine a huge 4 hectare property that was filled with grass, bonsais, imported types of bamboo, local plants, and gorgeous foliage; plus, as if it was not breath taking enough, it had a view of the largest bay in the Philippines: Saranggani Bay. We enjoyed taking photos of the gorgeous and picking from their expansive menu that was filled with the freshest food this side of Mindanao.

We decided to order some unique sounding food stuff like their Crispy Prawns with Sesame Seeds, which looks like Camaron Rebosado but with a slightly more oriental flavor and a dusting of Sesame Seeds. We also tried their Pork Spare Ribs in Coffee Sauce, which is a Spare Rib stew in a sauce that kinda tasted like it had coconut milk and a slight hint of coffee. The Crispy hito with Mango Salsa sounded irresistible as well as it contained extra crunchy hito fillets tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce and topped with slices of green mango, onions, and bagoong. However, our favorite was the exotic appetizer: Mango-Pomelo Salad with Shrimp which was a salad of ripe mango and pomelo pieces with perfectly seasoned and sautéed shrimps drenched in a honey-mustard sauce.

We stayed there until around five p.m. to see the sun set as its rays reflected on the waves of Saranggani Bay, a truly majestic sight to behold. In my book, no trip to general Santos City would be complete without catching the sun set at Saranggani Bay, as this wonderful garden transforms into a nocturnal haven for the weary soul. My friends and I took time for ourselves as we all found little nooks in the sloping gardens of Saranggani highlands to contemplate about all we have done, and all we plan to do. At this point, we knew that this road trip was going to be unlike any other.

6:00 pm: By six pm we were ready for more gastronomic treats, even though our tummies were full, the foodies in us took over as we searched for the best pizza place in town: Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria, home of the largest pizza in the world. We could not believe that Mamma Maria’s actually served a sixty-three inch pizza that could not even fit through their door!

When we stepped inside the quaint resto we were pleasantly surprised to see murals on the walls depicting tourist attraction in Italy; these looked to good to miss out on a photo op. And even though other customers looked at us with an “are they ignorant” stare, we did not mind; probably one of the best things about not being a local.

We decided that we could not finish that huge a pizza and instead opted for the next largest one, the thirty inch pie. We chose a simple flavor, Hawaiian, because we heard that the crust was glorious all on its own; and oh, it did not disappoint. If you love thin and crunchy pizzas, Mamma Maria’s will definitely rank high on your list as their doughy creations are extra crunchy (even the ones we took back to the hotel stayed risp) even though the pizza slices were drooping from all the huge slices of ham and pineapples. Plus, it did not break the bank as the humonguous pie we ate cost less than 900 pesos. And even though we could not take anymore food, we ordered some Bolognese and Carbonora, just to have a taste of their pasta creations. The Bolognese tasted familiar, something like Mommy would make, but the Carbonara was my personal favorite. For only 89 pesos I was surprised to find huge squares of bacon and ham on top of the generous serving. Most orders of Carbonara came with super tiny bacon bits that you could not taste them anymore, but the one from Mamma Maria’s were cut large enough to give you a punch of bacony flavor. This was my version of white pasta bliss. Even if you are not a pizza lover like me, I am quite sure that you will enjoy these Italian inspired dishes from Mamma Maria’s. Some must tries include their Kinilaw Pizza, Crocodile Pizza and their boat-shaped Breakfast Pizza.

Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria is almost addicting. With the perfect ratio of sumptuous toppings, generous servings of gooey-melted cheese, and crisp yet tender dough; it is hard to find a better tasting thin crust pizza in the region.

Read the continuation of this road trip next week.

On the Road to the Home of the Generals 2

Summer has always been known to be a time when we could crave for a change of scene and actually get it. Summer has always been one of the most awaited times of the year because it is during this season that people find themselves feeling less guilty to go out and have a little bit of fun in the sun. We are only a few weeks away from the end of the summer, and the only question is: have you really gotten your summer’s worth of fun?

If the answer is “no”, then you definitely have to do something about it. I know it is not as easy as people make it seem; it requires a lotta cash and a lotta spare time. However, when I feel like a change in routine (to change my perspective and mood) is in need, I go on a road trip to nearby cities. One of my favorite places to visit is General Santos City. The city of Generals and oh-so-fresh tuna has a lot to offer, it has all the urban comforts I need, and the people seem friendly and nonchalant about how other people are; and this is probably one of the reasons why I love the city so much.

The next time you feel the need to maximize your Summer, gather all your fun-loving friends, pack for a night, hop on a car and head off to General Santos City .And that was exactly what I did last weekend.

This article started on last week’s issue, and we stopped at 6:00 PM. Here is the rest of my itinerary:

7:00: Our next stop was the (less than a year old) Robinsons Mall where we heard that most of the people flock during night time. And since we visited the city during a Friday, we were pretty sure that the place was packed and happening.

Even before we could even come up the curb, we could already hear the band playing. This just proved that we came to the right spot. Robinsons was filled with a lot of establishments that were packed to the brim with people who were enjoying some live music, drinking some beer and cocktails, and partaking in some conversation. We scoured the area for a perfect spot along the strip. A few seconds later we had decided that Piyesta was the perfect place to spend the rest of the night in. It seemed like the busiest establishment there, the people seemed chillaxed, the vibrant color of the establishment seemed promising, and quite honestly, the sight of the quirky drinks lured us in. A quick glance at the menu kept us interested as unique culinary creations piqued our curiosity. We were excited to read that they served everything from Pinoy Fries (fried banana) to Chili Dogs, Prawn Curry, and even Avocado Float. We had wished that we weren’t so stuffed from the pizza we had earlier at Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria (refer to previous article) so we could actually take in more gastronomic delights; but sadly this was not the case. So we decided to stick with the favorite among beer drinkers: Kurasticks.

Kurasticks is actually a combination of the words Kurat (Surprising or Shocking) and Sticks. The dish is actually made of deseeded long, green peppers (usually used for Sinigang) that are stuffed with ground beef, wrapped with Lumpia wrapper and then deep fried to golden perfection. They serve this with a dressing. A bite into this crunchy treat was enough to convince me to come back to Piyesta. The combination of the crunchy wrapper, the slightly zesty chili pepper, and the savory beef was just perfect; especially since we had paired it with “Gayuma” which is one of their signature drinks. This red potion is actually a combination of Tequila, Rum, Vodka, Strawberry Juice, and other secret ingredients and is served in test tubes; giving it a sense of quirkiness and fun. If you order one large serving, they even give it to you in a graduated cylinder!

Piyesta also offers popular punches that they served in towers, making the concept of the beer tower seem boring. In fact, most people have these quirky contraptions on their tables. The owner says a lot of people order it just because it looks nice (with a bright hue and floating fruits inside) and then they get totally surprised that they get drunk in no time. And that is exactly how punch is supposed to be; it has to pack a punch.

If for some odd reason you lose your brain, your sense of excitement, and your palate and don’t find anything you fancy on the menu, you can actually request for anything under the sun, and as long as they have the ingredients, they can whip it up for you. Now that is great service. I haven’t heard of any other restobar claim that; and it takes a lot of good faith in your cook to do just that. However, this place doesn’t seem to have problems with their cook as everything they serve out seems fresh and tasty. Plus, they also have three KTV rooms with very affordable prices so you could get your vocal exercise right before getting drunk.

Partyphile Secrets to Party Success

10.) Always have a designated driver who will not only skip drinking so you can, but will also take you home, pick you up, and bring you from bar to bar without complaints.

9.) Drink hard liquor on the rocks if you are short on cash. Take a few sips every so often to make it look like you always have a drink in hand.

8.) Act like VIP. Instead of asking for things, demand for them. People will actually believe that you are someone important.

7.) Never pay the door charge. Befriend the bouncer or simply act like you are excused to pay. I have a friend who acts like she is offended whenever the bouncer asks for her to pay for the entrance fee and then walks past him.

6.) It does not matter if you arrive at the party early or fashionably late as long as it officially begins when you step in the door. be the life of the party.

5.) Befriend everyone in your favorite bar and expect to get free drinks each night.

4.) Never drink beer. Having a unique cocktail in hand will make you look a little bit more interesting than the rest of the crowd, plus you get to expand your beverage vocab.

3.) If you do not know how to dance do not get up from your seat. Stay seated and bob your head. If you can't find a seat walk from the dance floor to the bar and then to the DJs booth and back again. Whatever you do, just make sure that you never stand still.

2.) Use your charms. Keep your crowd entertained, flirt with the DJ, smile at the bartender, and befriend the waiter to get ahead in the party scene. You will be surprised how this could change your whole partying experience. People give you better service, and the DJ might even play your favorite song for free.

1.) throw the hottest house parties. this i8s the surefire way to cement yourself as a successful partyphile. After a successful party, everyone will want to party with you.

drink of the week: smile!

In a shaker mix an ounce of gin, an ounce of grenadine and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Shake it with ice and strain over a margarita glass.

June 16 is Smile Day

June 16 is Smile Day, gather all your friends, get totally wasted and smile at everyone you meet!

Happy Birthday

Daina de Garmo (22)

Tupak Shakur (38)