Barbie, the Belo Girl

Or maybe it's Calayan. Or perhaps even Kanchanapoom (as in going to Bangkok where there are more, and admittedly cheaper, plastic surgery options). I don't know. I haven't asked her yet!

Just what do I mean? Well, this.

As you know, I'm currently working as an intern of this ad agency in Magallanes. One of their biggest clients is SM (For my international readers: SM is the biggest mall chain in the Philippines) and, in turn, Toy Kingdom.

This week, they were doing an ad campaign for the Barbie doll's 50th anniversary. It was a very lovely ad. It was elegant yet very cute for the 6-12 target market. But somehow, something distressed me about the ad. Like there was this sick feeling in my stomach as I stared at it to proofread.

And now, I realise why. You see, Barbie has gone from this:


To this:


If you notice, there is one thing that the new Barbie is screaming : fakeness. If you notice, she is more emaciated than the Barbie we've all come to love. Like if Barbie were human, she'd have dieted to get there. There's also the thicker, more Angelina Jolie-esque lips that if belonged to a human being would have been pumped with collagen. Gone is the warm smile that greets little girls from her box. It is instead replaced by a pout that says "I'm pretty! You're not!" There's also the heavier make-up.

So yeah, if you think Barbie looks fake then, well look at her now!

What was that? Isn't she just a doll? Why am I rambling on about her? Isn't she supposed to look fake because she's just a toy? Well, yeah, I guess. She is, after all, just a little girl's play thing.

But that's just the thing. She is a little girl's play thing.

To all the ladies out there: who was it that you wanted to be at 7 years old? Just whose clothes, pink Jaguar, and Ken did you want to have as a little girl? Just who did you want to emulate when you were little? I thought so too!

By making Barbie, still a role model for little girls globally, look Botoxed and anorexic, you are trying to say to little girls that they have to be Botoxed and anorexic to be like Barbie. You have to be Botoxed and anorexic to get that Jaguar and get a guy like Ken. You have to be Botoxed and anorexic to be beautiful.

Oh and need I mention that this is a product for little girls? Little girls who still probably accept whatever you feed them? Little girls whose values and opinions are still being shaped? Little girls who may carry the insecurities of "not being Barbie enough" well into adulthood?

Still don't believe me? Well, ok. But just how many reported cases were there of child anorexia before? And now? Yeah, thought so!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Barbie, as a public figure with millions of fans, must know her responsibilities. Like celebrities (yet another group that should know the power of their reach and its effects on people), she must know that every nip and tuck in her face makes people get those nips and tucks. She may be a doll but she's also a role model. She should know that.

Yeah, yeah. Okay, Barbie! You may still go to Belo if you want to. Just easy on the collagen!

Confessions of a (Now Real) City Girl!

Hometown Glory - Adele

Okay, it's official now. There really is no turning back. There is no way I'd be the same again, that's for sure.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially a Manila girl!


Yeah? What was that? Haven't I been a Manila girl for the past 21 of the 21 years of my life? Well, yes, I have. I was born and raised in Manila, indeed. But I've lived and roamed only in southern suburbia for all of those years. And I acted like it too.

But now, oh now, not anymore! Because of OJT, I have to go to Makati every weekday for the next month. So, yes, I am now a real Manila girl. I am now an MRT card swiping, taho eating, SM-before-coming-home going real Manila girl!

And I love it so much, I can almost tear up! Oh! The gleam from the view of the buildings on the walkway over South Super is enough to make me grin! The smiles from the vendors on those little silver eateries all over the city centre makes me smile too! And of course! Oh! The lovely sound of the MRT rolling on its tracks is music to me!

What was that? Well, to answer your question, yes! I love the city! I know it's dizzying madness. I am very aware of that. But that's just what makes me love it! The chaotic throng of people in the concrete jungle is to me a sign of a pulse, of life ( Didn't they say that in travel, it's the people that bring a place to life?). Others are turned off by the honk of horns and the fact that there's a Starbucks on every corner. Me? I fully embrace it! Bring it on!


I don't know how to explain it really (But then, isn't love hard to explain?). I guess being such an Energizer Bunny, I'd love the place I'm living in to pulse with energy too. I'd like the place surrounding me to have as much buzz as the perpetual coffee cup in my hand. I just can't stand a place where everything stands still because I know something must be done. Now. I guess that's the closest thing to an explanation, really!

So just what do I love most about the city? Well, the same thing that is at its heart --- the people. I love how diverse everyone is. Rich or poor, young or old, native or farang --- all of them are embraced by the concrete jungle.They all subsribe to different lifestyles. They are each a different face. And in that different face is a different story stamped across the sparkling eyes and lines (or lack thereof) across the forehead. All just waiting to be told. All worthy to hear.


Guess you never thought the chaotic, opaque-aired city can sound so pretty, aye! Well, that's the thing. Whether you prefer the serene mountains or the busy city, someone somewhere will always find the other side more beautiful. So I guess, it equalises it. That makes everywhere, and for that matter, everyone, beautiful. Ugliness is just an excuse for not finding the beauty in things, whether it's the entire world or just one crazy, Starbucks drinker who appreciates it.

On Monday, I shall be thrust into the madness of Makati again. I will run across the pedestrian lane again. I will breathe in its smoke-tinged air again. I will have the dust of the city blacken my shoes again. And when you see me, I'll have a smile on my face. And now, you know why!

Get Lost! Be Farang!

If you think about it, travel is such a pain in the bum! Seriously!

I mean you spend a good part of you day deciding on the grave matter of what to wear for 4 days. Then, you have to figure out how to fit all that into your weathered suitcase. Then, on the day itself, you have to wake up at some crazy hour just to catch your flight where you try to sleep in your seat but can't because of the sound of the engine. Then when you get to your destination, you just get lost and end up feeling like one big farang.

Wait! Isn't that the point of travel anyway? To get lost and be farang? To remove whoever you are and embrace, if only for a moment, the culture and ways of another? To get to know a culture that isn't yours and find out that you aren't so different? To remove your state of mind and understand another? To get enchanted by the sights and sounds of a place considered normal by those around you?
Farang-ness and getting lost is a huge part of travel. And what makes a destination extra special is the way they can turn that innate farang-ness of you as a traveller and embrace you as one of their own. The way they can make you get lost.

These are a bunch of places I wouldn't mind getting lost and farang in again and again (Did I mention I like the word farang?! Farang = Thai for "foreigner", by the way.). This is inspired by Myungs who did her own list here. These are just some of them, actually. There are a whole lot of places I'd love to go to, actually. I guess these are just my top ones:

1. Sydney

And yes, that means I don't live in Sydney...yet! I'm just pre-empting my living there (which will probably be in 2 years).

You know how there are cities that are great places to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there? This isn't one of them. It's an amazing place to visit and an even more amazing place to live in! The vibrant, multicultural city has everything in it. Great food. Great beaches. Great nightlife. But most of all, great people. Great people who say "G'day!" even to strangers. This in a world famous city! That has to be something!

There is a reason this city is known for warmth. I think that reason goes beyond its beaches. It's in the heart of every Sydneysider. And I want that warmth.

2. Bangkok

Yes, City of Angels, you! Yes, you who have enchanted me with your sensory assault. Yes, you who have made me fall in love with the warm smiles of your inhabitants. Yes, you whose culture, language, people, and cheap everything (But of course!) glitters just like the gold in your temples. How could I not put you in this list, my dear Bangkok!

Yes, I know. Many hate you for your madness --- the traffic at Sukhumvit and Silom; the amount of people pounding your pavements, the dizzying blend of the streets. But for some reason, it is that madness that attracts me to you time and time again. That constant thump thump that is your pulse just makes me want to get lost in your concrete jungle again! Your people and madness are the reason why I agree with you when you call yourself City of Life!

I guess there's nothing else to say but Chan rak Krung Thep (ฉันรักกรุงเทพ. I love Bangkok!).

PS:
--- To all Thai readers, please correct me if I'm wrong!
--- And yes, I started liking Bangkok way before I liked Mario Maurer! Haha!

3. Paris
Ah...Paris, je t'aime et tu es belle!

The City of Lights never fails to fascinate me. After all, this is the birth place of many an important movement in many different art forms. Impressionism, Surrealism, Fauvism, Cubism and many more were all born here. There's also the very lovely sights here. I bet I'd feel like Amelie/Mathilde/Stephanie once I hit its Rues (BTW, those are the protagonists from my fave French films!)P. Haha! Plus of course, when you say romantic cities, which one first pops into your mind? Yeah, thought so!

There's also a personal connection between me and Paris. You see, my parents met here (I know right! Sweet!). So there!

4. New York



Like I tell people, I'm such a city girl! And New York is the city of cities. I love it!

The vibrant cultural scene, Broadway, the multiculturalism, the traffic!

Basically, many of the things I like about Sydney and Bangkok! Haha!

5. India
If wealth were measured in the beauty of its people, India would be a multi-billionaire! A beautiful nation enriched with bright treasures, India is truly a lovely place to visit. But I think its most brilliant treasure would be the Indian people themselves. A people with a rich history and rich culture that makes you cry at the beauty.

Plus, it's part of my heritage so it makes it even more of a must-visit!

6. Italy




It's capital city is called la cita eterna --- the eternal city. Well, I think that encompasses why I should go to Italy! A lovely country whose history and culture spans centuries. A former empire. A nation whose culture still influences us today.

Nah. Italy isn't just eternal just because of that. Italy is and will always be eternal because of it's wonderful people. As long as Italy's dolce vita burns bright in its people, Italy lives. Because Italy is a lifestyle. It infiltrates its people. And those who choose to live it.

7. Rio de Janeiro
Brasil, meu Brasil brasileiro
Meu mulatta iscondeiro
Vou cantar te nois meus versos
Brasil, samba ke da
Bambuleio que fas gingar
O, Brasil do meu amor
Terra de Nosso Senhor...

So sings Joao Gilberto in Aquarela do Brasil. And yeah, that's basically why I love Rio... It's Brasil brasileiro. It never pretends not to be who it is. It's Rio and you'll know it. It also has this bamboleio (dance) to it. Everything goes in rhythm. In beats. Rio is a dance I want to be a part of.

Anyway, these are my top places I want to go. But really, the important thing isn't really where you'll get lost. But whether you'll get lost in the first place?

So where will you get lost?