Angelhouser | A Journal By Angelica Bautista Viloria

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

What's Your Beauty Type?

The 2007 Miss Universe pageant has just finished and am sure everyone has his or her opinion as to who among the candidates should have gone home with the title. I thought Miss Philippines was beautiful and brainy but I guess she didn't appeal to the judges that much.

Anyway, she did win the Miss Photogenic award.

I was listening to AM radio this morning (Double A sa Double B, with Arnold Clavio, Ali Sotto, and Orly Trinidad) and I couldn't help but smile when they started discussing the different types of beauties (English translations provided by yours truly):

Photogenic: Maganda sa litrato (beautiful in photos)
Telegenic: Maganda sa TV (beautiful on television)
Layogenic: Maganda lang sa malayo (beautiful when seen from afar)
Talikogenic: Maganda lang pag nakatalikod (beautiful from behind)

and my favorite (please keep your sense of humor intact):

PPP beauty: Papalapit nang papalapit pumapangit (beautiful no more as she nears)

So, what beauty type are you? Don't be too focused on externals though. Everyone ages and physical beauty fades. Just smile, be happy and even if you ain't that pretty, you can still look like a queen.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

What's the Best Legacy You Can Leave Your Kids?

Just last week, the newspapers carried stories about Mark Jimenez's family. His children and stepchildren came out with a one-page advertisement asking their father to release their mother/stepmother while news articles also stated that Mark Jimenez was suing some of his children for estafa.

What do you think of their family story? When that story came out, I was reminded of a homily that I heard at a wake recently where the priest talked about the "best legacy" you can leave your kids.

Most believe that the best legacy is education. Education is the best equalizer. Whether you are rich or poor, young or old -- if you are given access to good education, then you will most likely have the chance to prosper and make something of yourself. What you learned can never be taken away. Should you lose your wealth at some point, you can always start all over.

The priest I was talking about though said that he does not believe that education is the best legacy that you can leave your kids. Individuals can be educated but that does not mean that they will behave properly or will have good relationships. He then went on to say that the best legacy you can leave or give your kids is if you can teach them how to get along -- if in your old age, you see your kids helping each other and looking out for the other.

I guess what the priest said does not only hold for your children but for whole families as well. A harmonious family life where individual members get along is truly the mark of a "wealthy" family.

What about you? What would you want to leave to your kids? Will it be money, education, or harmony?

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Hope Springs Eternal

The Philippine elections are over and now, we wait for the official results to come out. A few days, a few weeks, a few months? Who knows?

Even if it takes some time for the results to be official, I do see some glimmer of hope in the world that is Philippine politics. Garci did not win in Bukidnon. Darlene is beating Manny Pacquiao. Fr. Panlilio has a fighting chance in Pampanga. Tito Sotto, John Osmena, Tessie Aquino Oreta, and a handful of movie actors or actresses are not in the winning circle.

Sure, the Kapatiran candidates are a long way off too from the Magic 12 in the Senatorial race but that's fine. The mere fact that these non-politicians threw their hats into the electoral contest is enough reason to rejoice. They have forced us to look at ourselves (as regular people) and ask what good we can do for the nation. It does not matter that none of them will make it to the Senate. A process has been started and it is with anticipation that we look forward to more people in that mold, running in the 2010 elections. We hope that they will be more successful next time.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Just Give Me the P1.5 Million, Child!

It will be Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13, 2007, and just this morning, I read in the newspapers about the Peninsula Manila's "Mom's Ultimate Fantasy" package which costs a whopping P1.5 million. Yes, you read the figure right -- P1.5 million.

What will theP1.5 million get your mother? It will buy her champagne, flowers, chocolates, a 2-night stay at the USD 2,000++ Peninsula Suite, an 8-course dinner at Old Manila, breakfast for two, salon treats, and shopping sprees at jewelry and designer boutiques.

The Peninsula Suite is a 372 square meter room which has its own living room area, dining room, jacuzzi, and other facilities. As for the shopping sprees, your mother will get a P500 thousand gift voucher for Jul B. Dizon jewelry and a P200 thousand voucher at the Louis Vuitton boutique at Greenbelt 4.

Pardon my being a party pooper but I think the above package is much too extravagant even if your child happens to be lying down on tons of money. You can do a lot with P1.5 million, right -- like go on several trips, build a small house, or even donate the amount to several charities. I don't know about you but even if I were earning a lot, I don't think I could splurge that much. Besides, I do not think you need to spend that huge an amount just to prove to your mother that you love her.

So as I read the newspaper, I called my 10-year old son and read the news article to him. Then, I looked at him and said: "Adi, if you ever become really rich, please do not gift me with this Mother's Day package okay? Just give me the P1.5 million in cash."

I told my mother about the package and she said the same thing. What can I say? My mother raised me well. =)