Maleficent: Hope for the Wicked

It's nice that modern stories are written in such a way that we are able to play as psychologists for an hour or so & analyze the character flaws of the protagonists so we can understand or at least humanize the mean antagonists. So much so that we can actually relate to the latter's plight & pain. Somehow it's comforting that the sinner can actually be a saint. 

In a country troubled by so many problems, it feels good to somehow visualize a world that can be perfect in the end despite having flawed leaders; that the nation can be great again despite the prevalence of grey. Aided by fiction, we are slowly convinced that we just have to have faith in the omnipotent Creator that we are always where we should be. We just have to be patient. If we strive hard enough & love unselfishly, our sins would be forgotten by the people who do matter & eventually, we can live in blissful harmony.

I love Maleficent's world. It's where true love exists and world peace is just a shadow waiting to introduce itself to you as your fairy godmother.

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Ms Teen Earth & Little Ms Earth Philippines 2014

Great things start with small beginnings is my favorite Milo jingle. I longed so much to be a graceful gymnast because of that ad ( I adored Bea Lucero). But some people would argue that nature limits what can be nurtured. That theory somehow comforts me & I can say I've moved on.

Enough of my frustrations in life; there is much reason to celebrate:) 20 kids and 20 teens are participating in this year's Ms Teen and Little Ms Earth Philippines. Almost a thousand kids from all over the country auditioned so these bibo kids are ultimately the cream of the crop. Seeing these kids& teens so enthusiastic and proactive in taking part of the Climate Change Commission's projects makes me reminisce about my brief reign as Little Ms Basilan in Mandaluyong. That title somehow triggered me to plant a lot of monggo, kaimito & mango and dream of having my own junk shop to help save Mother Earth..much to the dismay of my mother who smirked at the general state of my bed filled w/ recycled paper,foil & other treasures I refused to throw. She abruptly stopped that dream when we moved out of my grandparents' house & decided that we'd all live in a condo :/

Back to Ms Teen Earth & Little Ms Earth Philippines, the earth champions seem to have boundless energy. So much so that I think the judges will have a hard time deciding who they would crown tomorrow at the MOA Arena.

Witness the grand spectacle & keep yourselves posted on Sash Factor. If you wouldn't be able to watch live tomorrow, you can catch GMA's exclusive telecast on June 8 (Sunday) for SNBO.

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Pet Chow Gourmet Style

As a child, we adopted askals & stray cats at home. They would comfortably mingle w/ my lolo's chickens & my grandmother's Siamese, Bronson (who had special priviliges the other cats were not able to enjoy i.e. imported cat food & warm milk). They were cute alright, but their reasons for living were to chase rodents & minimize our biodegradable waste. Their visits to the vet were limited to vaccination; most of them have normal births (unlike my tita's Siamese, Cheska who had several C-sections). We celebrated some of their birthdays but we never once thought of feeding them cake; we thought cake & chocolates are bad for them anyway. It was easy to have them in the dirty kitchen as they were trained to look for tools when they are missing & they only eat after we've all eaten. They are no fuss creatures; they inevitably brought us happiness as kids.

It's an entirely new concept for me to see a cafe in San Juan where pets are treated as first class citizens & they are even allowed cakes & other treats! In Whole Pet Kitchen in San Juan, Chef Giannina Gonzales carefully tested all her pet treats w/ the aid of her vet & her lovable companion, Jack. I was surprised the treats are safe for human consumption (just devoid of salt &sugar) & humans actually taste test it first before pets do. I've tried their milk biscuit; it actually tastes similar to (for human) galletas:p

Chef Giannina grew up to love baking &pets; she says it's only but natural for her to think of something that would combine her two interests. Her golden retriever, Jack had quite a number of dietary restrictions so at one point she decided to make nutritional meals for other sensitive pets as well.

Her Bark-ery in San Juan wouldn't make humans feel out of place. After watching your pet enjoy a sumptuous gourmet fare, you can actually opt to try their La La Lasagna (you can hum ala Shakira while you're at it). It's really gooey& cheesy..kids & kids at heart would love it.

Their drinks are truly refreshing too. I enjoyed their citrus cooler :) & for those who also want dessert, their choco chip waffle a la mode is the best

For more info, watch out for our Pet Kitchen feature on Solar Daybreak (channel 9 on free tv)

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