Meeting Juan Direction in Bacolod City

A few days ago, I became an official fan of Juan Direction – the group of Half-British (and Half-Irish) Pinoys who first became YouTube stars before landing a show at TV5. They are composed of Charlie Sutcliffe, Brian Wilson, Daniel Marsh, Henry Edwards and Michael McDonnell. They are all ramp and commercial models.

So I watched all their videos under the YouTube channel of Island Media Asia and right now, I’m watching their videos under the Juan Direction channel. I saw their video of the Bacolod MassKara festival and it occurred to me that they are the cute guys that we saw in Bacolod!

So I opened my Picasa and searched my MassKara 2013 Festival pictures – and there they are, the Juan Direction boys! They really looked gorgeous in person, specially Henry and Charlie. I hope to see them again in person soon – this time, I’ll take more pictures.

That’s Henry Edwards, Daniel Marsh and my favorite guy, Charlie Sutcliffe.

That’s Henry Edwards and Daniel Marsh.

The guys of Juan Direction joined the delegation of Brgy. Cabug.

So the cute guys that I saw in Bacolod City during the MassKara 2013 Festival is actually the guys of Juan Direction.

My favorite guy in Juan Direction is Charlie Sutcliffe. I really find him gorgeous and charming.

Daniel Marsh, Brian Wilson and Henry Edwards.

Technorati Tags: Juan Direction,Daniel,Brian,Henry

Happy 150th Birthday Ka Andres Bonifacio!

This Saturday, we’ll be celebrating the 150^th Birthday of Ka Andres Bonifacio, the Father of Katipunan. Frankly, I almost forgot the biography of Andres Bonifacio. I only know him as the one who led the 1896 Revolution.

Fortunately, a lot of NGOs are gearing up to re-educate the Filipino people on who Andres Bonifacio was. GMA 7 is also doing their share in re-educating the public on the life of Ka Andres Bonifacio through their new TV series “Katipunan”.

I would definitely devote November 30, 2013 in re-studying the life of Andres Bonifacio through attending the various activities on that date. I would also take pictures of the celebration as a way of acknowledging his role in the revolution that eventually led to the Philippine Independence.

The Bonifacio Global City (BGC), which is named after Ka Andres Bonifacio, will also have the “BGC Passionfest 2013.” It’s a 3-day fiesta that will start on Friday, November 29, 2013.

Rappler gave suggestions on how to celebrate the 150th Birthday of Andres Bonifacio.

Happy 150^th Birthday, Ka Andres Bonifacio!

Happy 150th Birthday Ka Andres Bonifacio!

I learned from this video that the famous trademark (attire) of Andres Bonifacio was painted by Carlos “Botong” Francisco while his Barong-Tagalog attire (in his Balintawak monument) was conceptualized by Guillermo Tolentino.

Technorati Tags: Happy 150th Birthday Ka Andres Bonifacio,GMA 7

Trailblazer: “My Husband’s Lover”

trail·blaz·er

/ˈtrālˌblāzər/

Noun

1. A person who makes a new track through wild country.
2. A pioneer; an innovator.

www.thefreedictionary.com

That’s how I describe the upcoming tele-serye (TV show) on GMA Network – “My Husband’s Lover”. As far as I know, this is the first time that gay love will take the spotlight on Philippine television, not to mention on Primetime.

The people behind this project are truly a pioneer, an innovator. They really have “the balls” to produce such TV show that is beyond the norm. I salute them and I admire them for this. I’m not a fan of tele-serye but this would be the first time that I’ll watch one on Philippine TV.

“My Husband’s Lover” tackles gay love between childhood friends. It’s not something common and probably happens 1 in 20 guys, but the mere fact that it will be shown on TV, on primetime, fascinates me. I watched the trailer of “My Husband’s Lover” including the music video, and I like it. It’s all about the discreet gay guys like me.

I hope this tele-serye would also focus on the struggles of gay guys like me and how society, being mostly Roman Catholics, puts pressure on gays to be like normal guys. I have high expectations on this TV show and hopefully, the viewers would have better understanding of gay guys. We don’t have any control on whom to love. That we simply want to be happy with love.

Good job GMA Network for coming up with a trailblazing project like “My Husband’s Lover”. Congratulations Dennis Trillo and Tom Rodriguez for accepting such demanding roles.

Technorati Tags: Tom Rodriguez,Dennis Trillo,My Husband's Lover

So You Want To Join The Amazing Race Philippines?

I’m a big fan of The Amazing Race TV series. When I heard that TV5 acquired the rights to have the Philippine version of the race, I got excited. I would love to watch how Filipinos complete in such a race.

The Amazing Race is a very successful TV show. It’s most recent Season 20 just finished in the US and right now, the Norwegian version of the race is being aired. Too bad the Norwegian version (called The Amazing Race Norge) has no English sub-title. The Norwegian version is already being shot in High-Definition whereas the US version took 17 seasons before it was finally filmed in HD (starting with season 18). I wonder if The Amazing Race Philippines would use HD technology in filming (I hope so).

After watching 8 seasons of The Amazing Race (12-20) and if the producer would strictly follow the format of the US version, these are some of the skills (in my observation) that would propel the racers to be the first winners of The Amazing Race Philippines:

• Attention to details
• Team player
• Sharp eye for the Red and Yellow Flags and markers
• Good memory
• Stamina and perseverance
• Willpower
• Luck (specially with Taxi drivers)
• Driving skills with both left and right-hand vehicles
• Swimming
• Knows how to count accurately and solve simple Math problems
• Good balancing skills
• Is NOT afraid of heights and speed
• Can learn dancing routines quickly
• Can solve puzzles and abstract questions
• Follows the clues and instructions to the letter
• Knows how to book airline tickets on the Net
• Good at arts and crafts
• Biker
• Can play musical instruments
• Observant
• Has big appetite and can eat exotic foods
• Knows Geography
• Can speak English and other major world language like Chinese, Arabic or Spanish

I would love to audition for this race but I lack the most basic skill needed: driving. I would also love to see the profiles of the successful racers to the much awaited Amazing Race Philippines. I can’t wait for the first season.

Do you have any idea who are the famous celebrities that auditioned?

BuzzNet Tags: The Amazing Race Philippines,TV5,TV Series

Phillip Phillips: WGWG Wins Again!

Well, White Guys With Guitars (WGWG) Wins again! Congratulations Phillip Phillips for being the American Idol Season 11 Winner. You’re so cute and adorable!

To Jessica Sanchez, you made us proud. Good luck on your future endeavors!

Truly, America prefers White Guys With Guitars (WGWG).

(Photo courtesy of MTV)

BuzzNet Tags: Phillip Phillips,White Guy With Guitar,WGWG Wins Again

My American Idol Season 11 Winner

I’m not an avid fan of American Idol. In fact, I don’t watch musical TV shows that much. The only time that I watched American Idol was during the finals of David Cook versus David Archuleta and Kris Allen versus Adam Lambert. After that, I’ve heard that Scotty McCreery won Season 10.

However, I can’t help but predict and cast my own vote on who is going to be the American Idol for Season 11. It’s all over the news! This season is extra special because this is the farthest a Filipino-American has ever reached this very popular singing contest.

Jessica Sanchez was featured in The Buzz today and I’ve learned that her mom is from Bataan. Her aunt was interviewed and I’ve learned that their entire clan is rejoicing for her and proud of her. Well, they should be. It’s not easy to be in the finals of American Idol. For that, Jessica Sanchez earned my admiration for being a very talented Filipino-American.

So my curiosity on how good her voice is took me as far as downloading the last episode of American Idol. Today is the first time that I’ve seen her performance and I agree to most Filipinos that she definitely has the voice to launch her career in the music industry. One of the judges even commented that she should sing in The Grammys and I agree to that.

However, being gay, my vote would be on Phillip Phillips. I am predicting that he would win the American Idol Season 11. Although his voice is inferior to Jessica Sanchez, his talent with the guitar, his good looks, and his sex appeal would definitely add to his voice and would be more marketable with the voting population. He definitely have the majority of the votes from the gay community (just my two cents) and the female audience as well. He took my breath away by his performance of “We’ve Got Tonight”.

I believe this coming Season Finale would be a repeat of what happened between Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. The moment I saw Kris Allen, I knew that he’ll win the American Idol Season 8 because he’s more marketable than the more-talented Adam Lambert.

Final words: if I would only listen to the song on my iTunes, Jessica Sanchez would definitely be a winner. However, since being in the music industry means appearing in MTV, YouTube and concerts, I definitely believe that Phillip Phillips have the overall appeal of a Season 11 winner. He’s the winner for me.

Who’s your American Idol Season 11 winner?

BuzzNet Tags: American Idol Season 11,Phillip Phillips,Jessica Sanchez,Kris Allen

Teen Wolf Season 2

Now that I’ve just finished watching the re-run of “The Amazing Race” Season 12 and that “The Vampire Diaries” Season 3 came to an end, I’m in the pursuit of a new TV show that I’ll download and watch.

I stumbled upon the trailer of “Teen Wolf” Season 2 and I guess it’s a good TV series to watch. I haven’t watched any episode from Season 1 yet but judging from the good looks of the male casts, I guess I’ll enjoy watching this TV series.

I’m now downloading the complete Season 1 of “Teen Wolf” and I hope I’ll enjoy watching it until Season 2 comes up in June 3, 2012.

How about you, what are the TV series that you’re watching lately?

BuzzNet Tags: Teen Wolf Season 2,The Amazing Race,The Vampire Diaries

My Favorite Amazing Race Team

I am so sorry for the lack of update about my relationship with Glenn. Don’t worry, everything is okay between us. Our relationship is getting stronger and we’ll be celebrating our 2^nd monthsary next week (every 18^th).

BTW, this blog post is about my favorite team on The Amazing Race. Yup, you’re probably tired about hearing this US TV show which I’ve been blogging the past few days. If you’re my Facebook friend, you probably unfriend me already. My recent wall posts are all about The Amazing Race.

Yup, my TV marathon of this award-winning reality game is still on. I just finished the finale of Season 20 (Rachel and Dave won) and I already finished watching Season 19 down to 16. I’m now downloading Seasons 12-15. I’ve been watching the re-runs every day for more than a week now.

So far, my favorite team from Seasons 16-20 is “The Cowboys” – brothers Jet and Cord McCoy. They are the coolest real cowboys I’ve ever seen on TV! I watched The Amazing Race backwards – from Season 20 down to Season 16. I first saw them on Season 18 when they returned to race for the 2^nd time. Well, I first notice them because they’re cute and they remind me of Brokeback Mountain because of the cowboy hats. They’re both straight by the way and they are brothers.

I wasn’t impressed with their performance in Leg 1 (Season 18) when they landed 11^th place. They were slowed down by the puzzle on decoding messages using nautical flags. I thought they’re cute and strong but no strategy or intellect. My impression changed during the entire Season 18.

The Cowboys Jet and Cord McCoy proved to be an independent team. They do their own business and they don’t quarrel with each other. They don’t curse and they don’t explode in anger over disappointments. They are very competitive, resilience and they don’t argue with other teams. They hold the title of the first team that came from last place from one leg to become the 1^st placer in the following leg.

I love everything about Jet and Cord. They play the game fairly and they didn’t resort to dirty tactic. I love their accent! I also love their expression when they’re happy (“Sweet!”), their expression when they’re sad (“Oh my gravy!”), and their expression when they’re about to start the game (“Saddle up!”). I also love their smile and their positive attitude to finish the game.

So after watching Season 18 (where The Cowboys from Oklahoma got U-Turned, eliminated, and landed 6^th place), I watched Season 16 (where they ended 2^nd place). I saw how they acquire skills very fast like making noodles with ease, balance a huge flagpole in the forehead, and learn to beat the drum fast. They have no problems with navigation, swimming, running, biking, giving directions, manual labor, and of course, throwing the lasso!

They don’t speak much and don’t put so much drama on TV. They’ve very calm in facing their road block and very gentlemen in every way, including dressing up well. I admire their signature cowboy hat and I love it when one of the cowboys’ bungee jump with his cowboy hat on. Like he said, a true cowboy hat doesn’t slip from one’s head.

They truly inspire me to be quiet, calm and be a deadly opponent to beat. I want to be a real cowboy like them.

BuzzNet Tags: Jet and Cord McCoy,The Amazing Race Season 16,Season 18

My Amazing Race TV Marathon

I don’t know how my interest in The Amazing Race got revived. I just realized that I’m watching it lately (via torrents) and that I’m even downloading the previous episodes! Right now, I’ve already watched Season 20 (just waiting for the final leg of the race) along with Seasons 19 and 18. I’m actually watching the previous seasons backwards. My BitTorrent right now is downloading Season 16.

It’s probably because of TV 5’s acquisition of the rights to do a Philippine version of The Amazing Race. Perhaps, it’s also because I keep seeing The Amazing Race on the list of latest TV episodes when I go check out torrents.to 

Prior to my recent addiction to The Amazing Race, the last season of this show that I watched was Season 5 when the Philippines was a pit stop. That was in 2004, when I watched Colin and Christie prepared a rice field in Cavite for rice planting and that the pit stop was at the Coconut Palace. That was ages ago and I can’t believe that I’ve missed Seasons 6-15 (and still haven't watched Seasons 1-4). I have a lot of catching up to do.

For the record, I just spend 16 hours non-stop watching Seasons 19 and 18 yesterday (during my rest day). It was indeed amazing! It’s nice watching the show in High-Definition (from Season 17 onwards). There were a lot of changes to the game since Season 5 and the game totally improved – a lot!

Some of the things I’ve noticed right now in The Amazing Race is that the road block is almost equally divided into the 2 teams. One team member can’t perform more than 6 times in a Road Block. In Season 5, Colin did almost all of the Road Blocks. Also, I’ve noticed that Season 17 is the last time that the first clue to the race is strapped on their bags. Season 18 (moving forward) starts with a competition right away to get the first clue instead of racing to the nearest airport.

I’ve also reviewed the countries that The Amazing Race visited in the last 20 seasons and it’s sad to know that after Season 5, the Philippines was never visited again (compared to other Asian countries). I guess the TV show had a rough time during their stayed in the country that they promised never to visit again. It’s also a possibility that our Department of Tourism is not that accommodating to such reality TV or we’re still on the blacklist of potentially dangerous destinations in Asia. Whatever the reasons, I sure hope that they’ll visit us again soon.

Top 14 Countries Visited by The Amazing Race:
1. United States (All 20 seasons)
2. India (10 seasons - 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 20)
3. China (9 seasons - 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18)
4. Germany (7 seasons - 3, 6, 9, 14, 16, 19, 20)
5. France (5 seasons - 1, 4, 6, 10, 16)
5. Russia (5 seasons - 5, 9, 13, 14, 17)
5. Thailand (5 seasons - 1, 2, 9, 14, 19)
5. Argentina (5 seasons - 5, 7, 11, 16, 20)
5. Italy (5 Seasons - 1, 4, 9, 12, 20)
5. Austria (5 seasons - 3, 4, 14, 18, 20)
5. Japan (5 seasons - 9, 12, 15, 18, 20)
12. Malaysia (4 seasons - 3, 4, 11, 16)
12. Australia (4 seasons - 2, 4, 9, 18)
12. Brazil (4 seasons - 2, 9, 13, 18)

(Data from The Amazing Race Fan Site)

I envy our Asian neighbors that are “suki” (frequent destination) of The Amazing Race.

It’s nice to know though, that although the Philippines is visited only once by The Amazing Race, it gained so much popularity that local channel TV 5 is staging a Philippine version of it. I am definitely excited to see who the first teams for The Amazing Race Philippines are.

Photo source.

BuzzNet Tags: The Amazing Race,The Amazing Race Philippines,Colin and Christie,Coconut Palace

TV Series I've Been Watching Lately

I hardly watch TV lately. Not to mention that I'm not a big fan of our local tele-novela whether it's Kapuso, Kapatid or Kapamilya. I'm a fan of US TV shows and although I don't have cable subscription, I can still watch these favorite TV shows of mine via torrents:

1. The Vampire Diaries -- I have read the novels where this TV series is based and I love the story of Stefan, Damon and Elena. The TV series has evolved on a new storyline and maintaining only the names of the original character but it's a great story nonetheless.

2. Young Justice -- This is actually a continuation of Justice League. I love the way the characters are drawn and it gives new insights to DC characters. I love the eternal struggle between the Justice League of America and Legion of Doom.

3. Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes -- The style of animation of this Marvel series is inferior to ​Young Justice but I love the storyline as well. Right now, it incorporates the Kree and Skrull conflict into the series (based on the Secret Invasion comics).

4. The Amazing Race -- Now on its 20th season, The Amazing Race for me is the best reality show. It has the drama of Big Brother, the competition of Survivor, plus the travel aspect of National Geographic.

5. The Legend of Korra -- I've watched the entire episodes of the first Avatar TV series and this is definitely one of the best animated series ever produced. The story is very Oriental and unique.

I've also tried other TV shows like Grimm and One Tree Hill but these 5 shows are currently the ones that I'm very interested with. Thanks to torrents, I can still watch these shows even if I'm not a US citizen.

Right now, the great uploaders of these videos are Cool Release and AFG. Go check their upload on torrents.to 

What are the TV shows that you’re watching?

BuzzNet Tags: TV Shows,The Vampire Diaries,The Legend of Korra,Young Justice

Thank You David Beckham!

I saw my mom watching the friendly football match between our very own Philippine Azkals and David Beckham’s team L.A. Galaxy on Studio 23 a few minutes ago. She’s telling me how gorgeous David Beckham is and that a lot of Filipino celebrities are watching the match. That’s how popular David Beckham is that even my mom is nuts over him!

I actually want to thank the Philippine Azkals for making football popular here in the Philippines. I also want to thank David Beckham for making football even more popular. Also, I want to thank him for including Manila in his Asia Pacific tour.

His Manila visit is definitely a great publicity for the country and sending out a clear message that yes, there is a country in the Pacific called the Philippines that has fascination with football. Also, it’s clearly saying that it’s safe to travel in the country, in spite of all the travel bans being issued against the Philippines.

I never knew how the British people in general are into football (and tea) until our UK training 2 years ago. Now, seeing how David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy play the sport gives me an idea how jam-packed a United Manchester (British football team) match is. Truly, football is something a Filipino and a British guy could talk about. Thank you David Beckham for making football this popular on Philippine TV.

I must say, I agree with my mom. He’s definitely handsome, athletic and sexy. Not to mention that he’s a HOT dad, a gorgeous model, and a romantic husband. An ideal model for all the straight guys out there.

BuzzNet Tags: David Beckham,L.A. Galaxy,Azkals

Ragnarok and Mythological Creatures

In last night’s episode of Ang Pinaka (GMA News TV Channel 11), Rovilson Fernandez listed down the Top 10 Ang Pinaka-Scariest Mythological Creatures (in the Philippines). The creatures of the night that were included in the list are:

1. Aswang
2. Manananggal
3. Tiyanak
4. Kapre
5. Batibat (a.k.a. Bangungot)
6. Sigbin
7. Tikbalang
8. Tiktik (a.k.a. Wakwak)
9. Duwende
10. Santelmo

I am only sure of the ranks of the Aswang, Manananggal and Santelmo. Items 3-9 are listed here randomly and not the way Ang Pinaka listed it.

While I was watching this episode, I remember the upcoming Philippine Map for Ragnarok Online. It’s called Malaya (Being Free). It features some of the most recognizable mythological creatures as well including:

1. Bungisngis
2. Manananggal
3. Tiyanak
4. Buwaya
5. Bangungot
6. Mangkukulam
7. Tikbalang
8. Wakwak
9. Engkanto

It’s almost the same list, right? We don’t know yet when the Philippine Map will be implemented in Ragnarok Online, but we’re definitely excited.

Bungisngis

Manananggal

Tiyanak

Buwaya

Bangungot

Mangkukulam

Tikbalang

Wakwak

Engkanto

The creator of Ragnarok Online is a Korean company named Gravity. It’s a great honor to have a foreign company include our local folklore into the gaming world.

Mabuhay and thank you Gravity! Please visit also Otakultura to know more about this patch.

BuzzNet Tags: Gravity,Philippine Mythological Creatures,Ragnarok