Let’s try not to be indifferent people this time around.

I have a very soft spot for situations like this, particularly people who’s in dire need of help. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. It’s more than just a physical pain felt. It stabs you from within, as if it kills you slowly imploding your heart in a beat.

I came across this blog post in Multiply about her missing nephew who’s allegedly been abducted by an unknown culprit.

His name is Matthew “Chu-Chu” David Samudio, a 3-year-old child who still can hardly speak straight. Apparently, he appears to be a sickly child and about to undergo an operation.

He’s last seen on Tuesday night, July 22, 2008, at Tom’s World Arcade in Alabang Festival Mall wearing green checkered polo, maong pants and green Mr. Bean slippers.

This has been reported earlier in TV Patrol (I think last night). As captured by the surveillance cam, a plump little girl who appears to be a beggar wearing a dirtied pink floral top and reddish jogging pants summoned the boy and then whispered something to him. The boy, who’s known to be a sprightly child, took the little girl’s hand as they went out of the premises.

The search is still ongoing and he’s still in unknown custody. The abductors are yet to be known and named. The family is calling for help, particularly those in media, police or government agency who can do immediate action to find Matthew the soonest possible time.

For any leads of information regarding Matthew, please feel free to contact the family. Details are found after the jump.

Address: 16 Guyabano St., Umali Road, Summitville Subdivision, Putatan, Muntinlupa City 1770
Contact No.: (+63923) 638-4632

Visit the site for more pics and info:
http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/348/HELP_My_Nephew_Was_Abducted

May God bless this child and keep him safe and secure.

Stationeries, like trading cards (i.e. Pokemon, Magic Cards, NBA Cards–the latter’s the counterpart), are available in various designs and can also be traded to fellow stationery collectors. The key here’s to buy a pack full of stationeries and trade some of them (but save a pair, say a paper and an envelope to your collection) and haggle for unique designs.

There went the Tsukuba and Sanrio hoopla. I used to remember my childhood friend got loads of Tsukuba memo pads, those heaps of white memo pads with prominent pink lines available in different designs, which I got from her when she surrendered her collection to me. Unfortunately, due to idiopathic reasons, I forgot where’d all of them go! But, I think I left like 6-7 pieces intact. The Sanrio stationeries, on the other hand, were my favorites! I love collecting Hello Kitty, Kerokerokeroppi, Mr. Bear’s Dream, etc. My godmothers used to give me tons of Sanrio stuff particularly stationeries, and I considered them a luxury. Hey, a hundred pesos of a small hello kitty set was considered so expensive then! At least, for me, ’til now.

*Here’s to what’s left of my Sanrio Stationery Collection ;)*

Last Sunday, I was busy organizing my old stuff when I came across my juvenile collection. I was surprised that there were still few pieces I kept for like more than a decade! Some pads were wrinkled and stained already. Some were discolored due to age (hence, the brownish appearance). Honestly, I was kinda mulling whether to sell them to avid collectors or to turn over to my younger female cousins instead since they also love collecting the same stuff like I did. It’s funny to think that these mere pieces of paper can be considered an heirloom now.

Disclaimer: I’m not really good into writing movie reviews so please bear with me.

It’s The Dark Knight’s second day of showing. Here I am, still as ecstatic as I was two days ago. Because of my feverish excitement for this Batman movie sequel, I chanced upon getting tickets in advance to watch it as soon as it’s shown lest movie houses might run out of tickets on the exact showing day.

And folks, this movie is currently topping the box office and promises to set up a new record, beating other superhero movies like Spider-Man 3 which currently holds the biggest gross opening sales! To add, it’s currently rated 9-point-something out of 10 in the Internet Movie Database, taking the 3rd spot on IMDB’s Top 250 movies.

The movie really proves that it’s beyond hype, and that the late great Heath Ledger will be surely missed as “The Joker”. For me, it’s really The Joker’s film more than Batman’s. He effectively reprised Jack Nicholson’s role, much to everyone’s surprise. Christian Bale’s characterization of Batman wasn’t bad at all, albeit he didn’t stand out as much has Ledger did.

Both characters of the villain and the protagonist were perfectly strewn and shown as how they should be in the movie. The Joker displayed a dark, unscathed, misanthropic and sadistic character without losing the playful and sarcastic sense of humor. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, was well-kept in his reserved, contemplative and sophisticated state, transforming himself into the dark knight with the classy action-laden moves. Albeit sometimes, throwing less emotions on screen doesn’t make a strong character pop up, but being cool, calm and collected is muy sexy enough.

I won’t be giving enough spoilers for the sake of those who haven’t seen the movie yet. Overall, I can swear that this is one of the best Superhero movies ever shown, and the most artistically done. The special effects were just right for its dark, swashbuckling genre in a contemporary age, beating all the Batman movies in the past. The whole plot and the action scenes were delivered perfectly in a fashionable manner.

And what’s more enticing is the title itself. If I’m correct, this is the only the Batman movie that has no “Batman” word in its title. The Dark Knight, as described based on Batman’s persona in general, is a fitting and striking title that many of us who got to watch it will surely remember.

Truly, The Dark Knight deserves an accolade. It’s Nolan’s masterpiece, anyway.

Image from: Warner Bros.

*Kozui Cafe’s Green Tea Ice Cream*

I must admit, ice cream has been one of my guilty pleasures. I love ice cream so much that I almost always manage to grab a pintful of DQ everyday especially upon going home.

I also love BTIC (Better than Ice Cream) and FIC (Fruits in Ice Cream). And, who can’t say no to this traditional “dirty ice cream” in the Philippines? Except for fastidious health buffs, anyone would dare to experience this cheap thrill which usually consists of 3-4 flavors: ube, cheese, chocolate and mango.

Of course, nothing beats a daily grocery of my favorite Nestle or Selecta ice cream flavors. If I’m on a splurge, I’d dare buying a cupful or even pintful of Haagen Dazs to satiate my appetite for something sweet, cold and deliriously delicious!

Just like last Saturday, I was craving for another Green Tea Ice Cream treat at Kozui Cafe in Tomas Morato. I think Kozui has the best tasting Green Tea Ice Cream in town! It’s a smaller version of their Anmitsu, the latter costs about Php 140. For Php 80/cup, I could say that it’s worth the bucks…muy sulit!

Good thing my officemate-slash-friend Francis was game for it. I tugged him to Kozui before going home and devoured the super duper delectable Green Tea Ice Cream for dessert (we had rib-eye steak earlier with RC at Meat Plus in Metrowalk, Ortigas).

Next up, I’m looking forward for a great-tasting Gelato (Italian ice cream). Anyone knows where?

Also, any famous ice cream brand you want to share?

Unfortunately, the sale has started since July 4 according to VNC’s local multiply website. There were few good finds. The rare ones got limited sizes already. ‘Twas such a surprise that I still scored a pair despite the rarity of nice, sophisticated choices. Most of the shoes left were too laid back or plain for me (something I could steal at a cheaper price). This sexy pair of brown stilettos caught my attention. I got lucky ‘coz this was the last pair available, and it’s my size! So, there you go, I immediately grabbed ahold of them.

*VNC Brown Stilettos. Got it at 30% off the original price*

I know. It’s madness. I’m still lemming for more Vinccis in the future. I got their newest catalog to boot *drool*. I’m still pondering whether to get another pair later or to drop by at another VNC boutique for “better” finds.

Steal!

On the other hand, I passed by Mendrez (also on sale) and stole a gorgeous pair of satin tricolored flats!

*Gorg, Gorg, Gorg Flats at Mendrez with removable ankle straps*

I also got in on sale for just Php 630! The flats are so comfy, I really wanna use it everyday. Plus, the ankle straps adds some “oomph” to the quaint pair of ballet flats. What-a-steal!

Then, we dropped by at Hooters bar for a moment of booze. To my surprise, the place was inundated with beer, and girls clad in their sensuous Hooters uniform! Since I’m no beer drinker, I supped a glass of Mudshake instead (a Bailey’s, whipped cream, chocolate fudge concoction if I’m not mistaken) which ain’t bad at all. I had fun talking to Au, Louann, Kaye and Allyson, which made me convinced to try out ice hockey in the future.

*Manila Ice Vixens Plus Me at Pond’s Blogger Party | Photo by: Sharm Miguel*

*L-R: Real Hooters Girls, Manila Ice Vixens + Me at Hooters | Photo by: Sharm Miguel*

First up, I need to learn how to skate, and grab myself a pair of ice skates.

I’m going to make this a personal blog from now on. It’s been a while since I posted something a bit personal here. Okay poignant thoughts, here we go!

Now, we’ve got someone to be proud of, aside from Manny Pacquiao who won his 4th world boxing title while ago.

Just passed by Jenni Epperson’s blog last, last time and found out the UK’s Project Catwalk Season 3 winner is Jasper Garvida, and he’s a Filipino.

He’s creations are downright gorgeous and avant-garde. I remember Project Runway’s Christian Siriano in him.

Each piece is playful and colorful without losing its sophistication. Makes me think of a whimsical fairy tale garb, say Alice in Wonderland(?), with so much attitude. Now, I’m inspired to create some sketches that’ll be at par with these:

All Images from: Jaspergarvida.co.uk

*Lovely, Colorful and Playful Collection*

One of my Lush favorites is Lush American Cream conditioner. It’s kinda hard to find a decent conditioner that has a long-lasting scent which stays on my locks all day long. This one proves it!

The sweet vanilla scent lingers all day long, unlike other conditioners that fade after shower. Function-wise, I think this one’s best for normal-oily hair since it hardly gives enough justice to dry hair. I had my hair treated (rebonded) twice so my tresses are somewhat dry. I think American Cream’s formulation isn’t enough to give my hair the softness and sleekness it deserves. When it comes to having a softer and more manageable hair, I think Retread works better albeit I’m not a fan of its scent.

Here’s what Lush says about American Cream:

Sweet milkshake inspiration makes out-of-condition hair soft and shiny
American Cream is a conditioner like no other. With honey and vanilla to soften and fresh strawberries and oranges to add shine, it takes on the toughest tangles and roughest frizz, all the while smelling like a sweet honey milkshake. you’ll catch a whiff every time you turn your head and wonder where that 1950s diner is.

At first glance, it may look like a typical Philosophy knock-off, mainly because of its resembling packaging. But this Hand & Body Lotion from Body Recipes* has something more to offer. The yummy hazelnut scent makes me want to sniff it over and over again! It reminds me of my dire craving for sweets.

What makes this lotion extra special is its uber lightweight feel, which is perfect for those with oily skin tones like mine. Unlike other lotions and body butters, this never gives me a heavy feeling every time I apply it.

It’s absolutely grease-free, like you won’t feel it’s even there! Even if you try washing your hands just right after application, you won’t notice a slippery, greasy feel. Well, based on my experience.

I don’t think it’s available in the Philippines right now. I believe it’s a different brand from the local HBC’s Body Recipe skin care line. In the meantime, you can take a peek on available Body Recipes* products through eBay.