EDITORS' BLOG
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Heart's Got Heart Posted on December 21, 2009 12:10AM | 0 Comments »
The first time I met Heart Evangelista was at a photo shoot some five years ago. She was a MYX VJ, and I was assisting the photographer. That was right around the time when the latter's relationship with former flame Jericho Rosales was being scrutinized by the media. Heart kept to herself a lot during that shoot. She refused to socialize with the other VJs or the staff, and would retreat to her dressing room whenever she could. I found her very snobby, but I figured I'd never see her again so I couldn't really be bothered to care. In my head, I just thought about all the bad press she's gotten and how accurate they were.
When I found out that we would have to spend a whole day on the set of Heart's new soap Full House (a localized version of the popular Koreanovela) for the Boys' Night Out shoot (which came out in this month's issue), I have to admit I wasn't too pleased. I was surprised that she accepted our proposal, but my last encounter with her left me...not wanting to have any more encounters. We were scheduled to join her on a working holiday, so I really psyched myself up for a crappy day and prepared for the worst.
Heart and her newfound fansWe got to Pampanga at about 9AM, and were met by Heart's road manager, Ms. Karen Villalon. She had a wide smile on her face as she walked us to Heart's tent, so that helped ease some of my worries. I remember thinking that if I couldn't talk to her, then at least I'd have someone friendly to course my concerns through. When we walked into the tent, we saw Heart getting her makeup done and munching on some fruit. She introduced us to the director and asked us if we've already had breakfast. She seemed friendlier than I remember, but I wasn't going to be swayed so easily.
Throughout the course of the day, Tony Toni, out photographer Dairy, and I got to know Heart better. She'd join us every time she finished a take, and she'd always have some story to share. But no matter how big a star she is, it was never a one-sided conversation. She listened to the stuff we'd tell her about our lives, and even offered advice about things she learned from her own experiences. Heart remained very candid, and joked around with Tony Toni while he took on his task of being her personal assistant for a day. What I initially thought would be a bad day turned into one of those holidays where I didn't mind working at all.
The shoot was a success, and the trip back to Manila was spent discussing how much fun we had on the Full House set. Before we left, I remember telling Heart about what I thought of her before. She said she was well aware of what's been said about her, and that she was even named Most Hated Local Celebrity by a radio station in the past. Things were different then. Now, you can tell she has come into her own, and that her experiences have made her a better person. The three stars (Heart Evangelista, Daiana Menezes, and cover girl Maja Salvador) we picked for this month's Boys' Night Out feature are truly Cosmo girls in their own right. -
What Keeps Me Going Posted on December 5, 2009 12:00AM | 0 Comments »
The time I spent in college was pretty much divided into two: academics and work for the school paper. The very little free time this left me was spent going out with friends and having as much fun as a college student should. And if you ask me if I regret spending much of my student life working and studying instead of partying, going places, making lots of new friends (and boyfriends, haha!), and other things college folk are known to get into, I’d say I’d consider the thought, but not really.
The need to study hard is a given—I had to maintain my scholarship, or else I wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition the university I chose. But working for the school paper? That was all for passion. I really wanted to write, and to me, there simply was no other organization I wanted to be part of then (although it took me a year to muster the courage to apply for a post in the News team).
Several batches of News Editors and Staffers (I'm the second one from right--and the oldest News ed here, yikes!)
I got to thinking about these things because our school paper recently held a reunion to celebrate its 80th anniversary, and I didn’t dare miss it for the world. A lot of my best moments, both during and even after college, had a lot to do with the school paper: the best friends I made there, the most wonderful people I ever had the opportunity to work with, the training I got from having to produce a monthly paper on top of fulfilling requirements for my classes, and all the memorable anecdotes of what happened in between. It was the highlight of my college life, and ask anyone who was part of that organization, and you’re probably going to get the same response (yes, probably even Luli Arroyo, whom we spotted at the event).
It was my work for the school paper that eventually paved the way for the career I will eventually make for myself—that of being a media person. I’ve always loved writing, since I was a kid, but only in the college paper did I get the chance to see just how hard it is to churn out well-written, well-researched stories under very tight deadlines—and more importantly, learn the discipline to keep and respect them. And what I lacked in networking in general when I was in college (the time, they said, when you’re supposed to be forging all your future business/career partnerships), I more than made up for in the organization. I see so many of my former orgmates in the industry now, and it’s always such a pleasure to get a chance to work with them again.
Some of the best people I've worked with in the school paper, who tirelessly did their jobs without complaining and to the best of their abilities. I'm so blessed to have had the chance to work with them--and to still have them as such great friends!
For those like me whose life-long dream is to make a significant mark in this world, working in media allows this dream to be fulfilled little by little—one word at a time, one story at a time, one publication at a time, be it in print or online. Back in college, the news stories and opinion columns we churned out became part of our university’s history, now immortalized in the university archives—joining the works of all the great editors and writers who came before us and who later on carved their own bylines in national or even international history. I’m trying to do the same in Cosmo’s history, even in my little way, in the magazine that fueled my desire to work for a brand that aims to help women become fun, fearless females and, simply, the best they can be.
At the end of the day, this is really the thing that keeps me going—even when things become insanely difficult and challenging, even when people or events try to get in the way of my dreams.
I want to end this blog with an anecdote that got me super kilig recently. I went to the On Fire retreat again, this time as part of the team that served that weekend to the new batch of participants. It was where I met a couple of participants who told me, on separate occasions, that they actually discovered On Fire after reading my blog post here. They said they found the post inspiring, which then drove them to participate in the retreat as well, and now, they’re reaping the benefits of the experience as I have been.
Nothing could be more satisfying, more fulfilling to a writer, than knowing that someway, somehow, her work has affected or helped someone’s life—no matter how big or small of an impact it had.
P.S. Next On Fire weekend is in February, after Valentine's Day. If you’re interested, check out the contact info at the bottom of this post. -
I'm Going To Vote! Posted on November 19, 2009 06:00AM | 0 Comments »
Right smack in the middle of deadline, I took a day off to register to vote. It’s no surprise that I procrastinated. I had been telling myself to register for months and only got around to actually going to the city hall and doing it last October 30, right when the lines were already miles long and Comelec offices were teeming with people. I figured I had had enough of being a delinquent citizen, considering that I could’ve voted for the past 14 years’ worth of elections, but never did. I felt that it was high time to take a stand, make my say, and claim my right to influence my country’s leadership.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care for politics. In fact, when you’re born into a family of nationalistic folk, you somehow get that patriotic gene at birth. It’s just that every time elections rolled around, I’d be out of the country gallivanting about. This time, I’ve vowed to stay put and be counted in May 2010. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never voted before, but I’m proud and excited to say that I finally will. -
"Korean Krazy" Posted on November 12, 2009 12:00AM | 0 Comments »
Boys Over Flowers: the Korean telenovela that brought back my stalker mode
Before anyone reacts, please believe me when I say this was not my own doing. I call the persons responsible for this The “K-Pop Kulprits” (you know who you are!). I was living my life quietly, not minding the imminent invasion of anything and everything Korean in our country, when the K-Pop Kulprits, whom we’ll just call Ms. Cosmo, Ms. StyleBible, and Ms. Preview, introduced me to the flowery world of Korean telenovelas—well, actually just ONE that got me completely hooked!
I admit, I watched Meteor Garden in college and obsessed about F4 and Jerry Yan in particular. But when I watched Korean series Boys Over Flowers, it was like deja vu—yet with a new F4 to stalk, made up of hot Korean actors, particularly Lee Min Ho, the telenovela’s lead.
I find it so weird that I am suddenly obsessed with this show and the boys in it—to think I don’t even like chinito boys to begin with. But there I was for a whole month, no matter how embarrassed I am to admit it, visiting YouTube endlessly to stalk and watch video clips of Lee Min Ho eating doughnuts or drinking beer with Sandara Park for different commercials, downloading songs from the show’s soundtrack to my iPod even if I do not understand any of the Korean lyrics, and, lately, watching Channel V, MYX, and even the Arirang and KBS channels for cool Korean fashions and music clips of other Korean pop groups like SS501, Super Junior, 2NE1, SHINee, Girls' Generation, 4Minute, Big Bang and the Brown Eyed Girls.
My Korean obsession has, in fact, even extended to my work. For this month’s Cosmo Online Hunk, I was assigned to style super cute tsinoy Xian Lim to make him look like the different F4 members from Boys Over Flowers.
Posing with Xian after our Boys Over Flowers themed shoot
Even when out covering events, I’m haunted by everything Korean. When we covered the Cream Halloween Ball, Cosmo.ph’s Cheekie spotted four Korean boys for her Guyspotting section. Knowing about my Korean obsession, she dared me to pose with them for a souvenir picture. They may not look as hot as the F4 boys but, hey, they were nice enough to pose for our camera!
I accepted Cheekie's dare by posing with this group of Korean boys
I know there are Cosmo girls out there who are K-Pop/Boys Over Flowers/Lee Min Ho/F4 fans, too, who are probably more hardcore than I am. Share your Korean obsession and get a chance to win the Mary Kay Timewise Age-Fighting Moisturizer and 3-in-1 Cleanser. Be sure you are logged in when you comment. If you are not yet a registered user, you may register here.
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October Issues Posted on November 3, 2009 10:00AM | 0 Comments »
Just another day at work…
Up until about a month ago, my biggest problem was my weight. That was until I moved out of the house and realized that there are far bigger things to worry about. When I get to sit down and think about everything that’s going on in my life, I still feel a bit weird about having such grown-up concerns. They mostly have to do with money—how and where to get it, what to spend it on, and why I always feel like I don’t have enough.
I never thought I was gastadora, but I don’t like being uncomfortable. For me, to be comfortable means living in a nice place that has everything I need, eating three (or more) good meals a day, having some cash to spare for the weekend, and having a small amount to put away for savings. Sure, it sounds simple but like a lot of things, it’s easier said than done. To get the fully-furnished condo unit I want, I’d have to split the rent with three other people. It’s not so bad, but I don’t know if I’ll still have enough for food, the weekend, or savings. At this point, I’m wondering if being comfortable would be living beyond my means.
Reality bites sometimes. Hard. And, when it does, it helps to count your blessings. One of the things I’m most grateful for right now is my job. Well, it obviously pays the rent, but it also gives me the opportunity to learn about the things I need to make sense of the world. Last month's issue was our annual budget issue, and reading through it has taught me a lot. Check out "The Smart Chick’s Guide To Living Big On Less" on page 146, and you’ll know what I mean.
My job also allows me to work with ten amazing individuals—each with their own thing going on. And, there’s never a dull day in the office. Zo comes in super early, so she’s here before everyone else. Then, Red arrives next wearing one of many variations of an English golfer’s outfit that he puts together so amazingly and effortlessly. Kat turns up in a rush, wearing heels so high and accessories galore, to get to her next meeting/event/pullout. Nicole saunters in shortly afterwards looking calm and composed, and armed with witty jabs and stabs (more often directed toward me). Of course, there’s Beam who’s always so bright and cheerful—except in the morning. After her, Sam finally gets here with a sly smile on her face and a commuter’s anecdote to share.
We write, research, and do whatever needs to be done with our pages. In between, there’s friendly teasing, office-gossiping, love life-updating, ego-boosting, and bouts of mass hysteria as we all break into resounding laughter. When Trixie, Happy, Shar, and Cheekie joined us, things got even rowdier. Working late has never been this much fun. Without them, October would’ve been one tough month to hurdle for me. So, for these eleven reasons, I am thankful…
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