Have You Joined My First Giveaway Yet?

If you haven't, click here! You've only got until 11:59 PM tomorrow!

Thanks to all those who've joined so far! Such interesting (and heartwarming) gifts you've all gotten this Christmas. Thank goodness I'm using a random number generator because I really wouldn't be able to pick based solely on your answers!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Are y'all familiar with Zsazsa Zaturnnah, the graphic novel (and musical, and movie...) about a fabulous gay hairdresser who turns into a female superhero after swallowing a magical stone? Well, Zsazsa's creator, Carlo Vergara, gave me this for my birthday...

How cool is that? That's me as a superhero named Tornado Tish! (Although my disc nickname, Tish the Dish, would work too!) My superpower: I have a deadly disc that springs forth from my bosom when needed. Hmm, one could argue though that that isn't really a superpower but more of a weapon. So let's pretend I have lightning speed as well! (I do have the ability to spew out an article in half an hour, so...)

I turned 31 yesterday, and I spent the day eating! First at Swagat for some Indian food (with my real, non-Indian family) then at Nomnomnom with my dearest friends. More in a future post!

Thirty was a great age--I got promoted to acting editor in chief, went to New York (one of my most favorite places in the world) twice, experienced my first-ever win in a national tournament, finally went on a long-overdue honeymoon, tried bungee jumping, celebrated ten years with the most wonderful man, and won a good number of raffles. Haha. Not bad at all. But 31, ahh--this one's got even better things in store for me.:)

Some girls might find it shocking that I readily admit how old I am. To be honest, I don't get why people try to convince me to lie about my age, and remain forever 21/26/28. Older women tell me that I'll understand someday. Who knows how I'll feel some years down the line? But for now, I have no qualms about telling people I'm 31. I earned every year, every visible line on my face, every vein on my leg from living, laughing, dancing my way through life. And that's not something I want to hide! I am 31, hear me roar!

My Christmas Gift to You: Tishie's First Giveaway!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

As promised, I've got the details of my first-ever giveaway! Before I tell you how to join, I'd like to show you what's up for grabs. One lucky reader will get all--yes, ALL--the prizes shown here:

The wonderful people at Avon sent me all these goodies, and I really just wanna share the love! Let me break it all down for ya...

ANEW Rejuvenate Revitalizing 2-in-1 Gel Cleanser

Start off your skincare routine with this cleanser and toner in one. With continued use, it's supposed to improve skin texture and help make pores look tighter. And, since you're combining two of the three skincare steps (cleanse, tone, moisturize), you save yourself some time! It's perfect for those who are tamad to go through the entire three-step routine!

ANEW Rejuvenate Glycolic Facial

I didn't want to remove it from its plastic-covered box because I want you to get it good as new. The Glycolic Facial is a nighttime serum for "a youthful, more radiant complexion in the morning. It is an at-home substitute to a professional treatment that harnesses the power of Glycolic Acid used by aestheticians." It's supposed to reduce lines, reduce damage that can cause sallow skin tone, and help improve your skin's smoothness. To the winner, do let me know what you think of this product--it's gotten such great reviews (5 out of 5 stars!) in the US Avon website.

ANEW Clinical Thermafirm Face Lifting Cream

Avon touts this product as the "next wave in face lifting." It's their at-home answer to the thermal lift procedure. Based on a dermatologist-supervised clinical study, 76% of women who used this product showed less sagging. Hmmm, bye-bye, Botox?

Ideal Shade Liquid Foundation in Natural (SPF 10)

This medium-coverage liquid foundation has a satin finish and is dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, allergy-tested, and oil-free. Plus, it's got sun protection--super important nowadays!

Smooth Mineral Eyeshadow in Mocha Goddess

This eyeshadow is the one in the teeny black box in the product group photo. It promises "flawless definition and highlight, the most natural way." I've always wanted to try mineral makeup (perhaps makeup artists have used it on me before, but I was just totally clueless), so lucky winner, tell me what it's like and if it's really different from regular makeup!

Smooth Minerals Lipstick in Pink Quartz and Rosy Brown (SPF 15)

Yup, I'm giving away not one, but two shades of lipstick! It's got minerals for color and sparkle, and two different shades you could match with your mood and look for the day!

Ideal Shade Loose Powder in Neutral

And finally, to finish off your whole skincare and makeup routine, I'm giving away this silky loose powder. (It's the one in the square black box in the group photo.) It's formulated with Avon's PreciseLight Technology, which combines "innovative light-adjusting pigments so skin looks natural in any light," and "Exclusive Natural match complex, which contains all the essential skin-true pigments needed to match over 98% of skin tones." It provides a matte finish without looking cakey.

Whew! That's practically an entire skincare and beauty showcase! Now, to join...

Rules

*Open to Philippine residents who are public followers of heretishietishie.blogspot.com. (And yes, it's open to men!)

*Open until 11:59 PM (Manila time) of December 31, 2010.

*Each entry will be assigned a number, and I will be drawing a number at random using an online generator.

*Winner will be announced at 12:00 PM on January 1, 2011 (Happy New Year!).
*Winner will have 72 hours to claim the prize after announcement.

How to enter

1. Again, you MUST be a public follower of Here, Tishie Tishie. If you aren't, then step one is to start following!

2. Leave one comment (let me reiterate: just one comment) answering this question: "What's the best Christmas gift you received this year?" (If you want to share who gave it to you or any back story, share away!) This counts as one entry.

3. Bonus! For one additional entry, post a link to this entry on your blog, then include a link to that blog post in your comment.

Good luck, everyone! And have a merry, merry Christmas!:)

Kiss #7: 10 Years with the Love of My Life

2000...

Hanging out in Ateneo, where it all began

2001... I used to have a photo in my wallet, of me and Hamil after Game 3 of the UAAP finals--the year Ateneo made it back into the finals after sooo long. I was in my cheering outfit, Hamil in his work clothes. It was the last time I cheered in front of a filled-to-the-rafters Araneta Coliseum. Unfortunately, I think that photo was in the wallet that was stolen some weeks ago.:( And this was pre-digital age, so no back-up. Unless I can find the contact prints. Sigh.

2002...the year I graduated from college. Photos in my old house!

2003...

My Print Screen wasn't working so I took a photo of this collage from...Friendster! Har. (Clockwise from bottom left) In Paradiso, Bataan (the cheerdancers' private getaway c/o Nikki!); in the infinity pool at Punta Fuego; after a 20s-inspired party

2004...

Hamil and a non-tan Tishie Tishie in Galera

2005...

The year Hamil finished his masters. My graduation gift to him: a trip to Boracay. (Other pics at my old house)

2006...

Bohol

2007

With my number one fan, the year I first started playing competitive disc

2008...

The night we got engaged

2009...

The day we officially became husband and wife

2010...

Back where it began: Ateneo

Ten years ago this month, a college senior professed his love for a college junior through a good old-fashioned harana. With the rest of his all-male org, boy sang "The Promise"--and it was the start of, well, forever. Nearly nine years later, girl walked down the aisle to that very song, and a video of the actual harana was played at the reception.

Today, girl thanks her lucky stars, fate, God--all that conspired to bring her the best Christmas gift ever.

To my husband, my soul mate, my best friend, my everything, I love you.

Giveaway Alert! Who Wants to Win Free Stuff?:)

Hullo, dear readers!

There are three things I want to celebrate: 1) passing the 50-follower mark on Here, Tishie Tishie, 2) Christmas, and 3) my birthday! Stay tuned for my first-ever giveaway*! It's stuff I want to keep for myself, but I already have enough beauty/skincare products to last me at least a year. Since it's the season of giving, I thought of sharing 'em with you!

Check back on Christmas day for details. In the meantime, who wants to win free stuff?:) (It'd be nice if you left a comment...otherwise, I'll assume no one's really interested, and I'll just keep all the stuff after all! Tee-hee.)

*Open to Philippine residents only

A Week of Merrymaking

Saturday

D celebrated his birthday. I went, thinking it was going to be this low-key gathering. Turns out, it was hosted by Swatch, one of the brands he endorses. Good thing I changed out of my disc clothes!

My sequined top (currently a fave) from Express, jacket from SM

Risotto? Check. Steak? Check. Lechon? Check. (Czar and I kicked ourselves for having dinner beforehand. But that didn't stop us from eating again...) Giant tarpaulin with D's face on it? Check. Life-size standees of D with half-open shirt? Check. Priceless photo of Czar beside the standee, also with his shirt half open? Check! But since I value our friendship, I'm not posting it here...

Wednesday
Oops, we did it again. Over-ate, that is. This is becoming a yearly Real Living tradition! We had our Christmas dinner at style editor Gwyn's place which, incidentally, is featured in this month's Real Living. I wrote the article, my first editorial raket in a looong time--oh, writing, how I missed you so!

The two Patricias, the two Kaths, and the two Arlenes!

And still Wednesday
Jo's big 3-Oh! She marked it with a one-woman art exhibit at Bardeli's. One of her paintings is sitting in my living room now.:)

Can't remember where I got my top from, necklace from a friend, high-waisted pants from Topshop

Thursday
Summit Christmas party: back with a vengeance! After a two-year hiatus, the Divas were back!

Britney and Madonna

The party-goers were wowed by our Glee performance (I use "our" loosely here--I was a mere choreographer)...

Guess who won best costume? Lady Gaga in her bubble outfit made of condoms, of course!

...and the attendance of one John Lloyd Cruz. (Mayhem, I tell ya!)

Saturday
Warriors Christmas party: Games. "Gambling." More food. Exchange-and-steal gift, three years running. (I won a prize for "most stolen gift." I had no time to think of a unisex present, so I thought of an easy, one-size-fits-all option--cash!)

Cheers! A toast using UW shot glasses c/o JB and Che

Sunday
I hosted this year's barkada get-together. In recent years, with some of us having kids and all, we've been having our Christmas QT during the day--no more late dinners for us.

Crammed into our teeny dining area/kitchen

I gotta say--there's nothing like expecting company to get you to finally fix up the house and do the things you've been putting off. (Our vacuum cleaner got quite a workout!)

I don't know what it's like in the rest of the world, but this is what Christmas is like in the Philippines--exhausting! Parties and reunions with everyone from former co-workers to grade school classmates, with overeating as a common theme. Exhausting, but a whole lotta fun!

She Works Hard for the Money

Let's face it, extra money is always welcome. Before I became EIC, I would contrib to other mags--Total Girl, Candy, Preview, Men's Health, Smart Parenting, Yummy, Martha Stewart Weddings...I think the only ones I haven't contributed to are FHM and Top Gear! Someone once joked that I should win the Golden "Raket" Award (a play on an internal award called the Golden Rocket). There aren't big bucks in editorial assignments, but my rakets--by virtue of sheer volume--were able to pay for my trips abroad and my wedding--my share of it, at least! So I ain't complaining!

But now, my editorial rakets are few and far between. People (rightfully) perceive that I'm busy, so they hardly approach me for styling work or four-page articles. Sigh. Luckily, this past week brought two unexpected sources of Christmas money.

First, I had a hosting gig!

Outfit explained below!

Friends would sometimes ask me to emcee their weddings, and I did host a couple of events at my old office. I'll be the first to say that I'm not spectacular at it, but I think what I have going for me are 1) my fluency in English, and 2) my ability not to panic in front of a large crowd. (If you've danced wearing nothing but a nude-colored leotard in front of an auditorium full of people, or done a routine in a packed Araneta Coliseum where half the crowd is from a rival school, then I suppose saying some lines in front of a ballroom full of people isn't that intimidating!)

This last event was MC2's Wild Wild West-themed Christmas party in SMX, and it marked my first paying gig. I mostly did it for my friend, Czar (shown in photo), who was the organizer, but it was awfully nice being compensated. While I don't intend to actively pursue a career in hosting, I'd still welcome opportunities that may come my way. But first, I gotta work on my ad libbing skills. And figure out how to stand in my ouch-y five-inch heels for four hours!

Second, I was asked to choreograph a number for our company Christmas party! And I'm getting paid for it. Yay! The theme? Glee! I was initially asked to be Brittany S. Pierce, but I declined. (It wasn't as bad as being asked to be Darna for a production number before. But I digress...) I love dancing, but this required a bit of singing. And I just don't do solo numbers. Eventually, they scrapped the Britney bit and just asked me to choreo a Glee mashup. So I spent the better part of the evening looking at videos like these for ideas...

My neck is going to hurt tomorrow from copying all the super fast hairography moves-on-crack!

I got really cute steps from this live bit.

And this non-Glee clip pretty much took care of the whole "Like a Virgin" routine!

It's pretty cool getting paid to do non-boring work. But I'm not quitting my day job any time soon--thankfully, I've got a steady income from a job I actually love!

What are your own money-making schemes? Share!

Kiss #6: Bungee Jumping!

"It's so scary!" the girl on the ledge kept telling us in this apologetic tone, probably worried that we were getting impatient for our turn. We kept reassuring her that it was OK--who were we to judge? For all we knew, we would panic when our moment came to exhibit that we were at least one part crazy.

We were at AJ Hackett in Kuta, Bali, standing on a platform, awaiting our turn to jump. When we were figuring out our honeymoon itinerary, we were dead-set on making a tandem bungee jump a part of our trip. It was $185 for a few adrenalin-pumping seconds, but what the heck!

While we were waiting to get strapped onto the bungee cords, Hamil and I discussed our tactic: No hesitation. Just do it. "The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be," he reasoned.

So after the girl jumped, we made our way to the prep area, where they double checked our weight--we had to step on a scale before heading up to the ledge, and our weights were written in bold black marker on the backs of our hands. "It's like adding insult to...to..." I began, when I was recounting the experience to a friend. "To possible injury?" he offered. Yeah, it wasn't enough that we were risking peeing in our pants while jumping off a platform 45 meters from the ground, but I also had to be reminded that I'd gained six kilos since being a cheerleader! Sigh.

We sat on the mat, where the crew proceeded to wrap our ankles in folded towels, and strap on the harnesses and bungee cords. They explained that one arm should go behind the partner's back, holding tightly onto the harness on his or her side. The other arm was free--to flail, hug, or do a fist pump while we plummeted.

As we inched our way to the ledge, Hamil let out a swear word. And if my heart was pounding even before we went up the tower, now it was pounding so hard that I didn't even hear the music blaring over the loudspeaker. We heard the crew do the countdown:

"Five..."

"Four..."

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One!"

Make your own animation

AAAAAHHH!!!

That was INSANE!

The plan was for me and Hamil to kiss on our way down, but if you look at that photo, we're kissing while we're on the ledge. The minute we step into nothingness, I've still got my lips puckered, but Hamil has started screaming! (He only screamed once; I, on the other hand, screamed at every drop, recoil, and subsequent drop!)

Money shot

I can't describe the fear that grips your heart once you feel gravity's awesome power, and see the ground and water below rushing at you in a second. Thank goodness I peed beforehand. (OK TMI, but you seriously should go to the bathroom before you attempt this!)

Once it was all over, we lay on a mattress as the straps were being removed. Only then did I notice that I was still gripping tightly onto Hamil's waist harness. And only then did I realize that a very appropriate song was playing in the background: Aerosmith's "Crazy"!

In the words of Git Fresh, I think I need a cigarette. And I don't even smoke.

For our efforts, we got a shirt, a certificate...

It's a Certificate of Borderline Insanity. Seriously, that's what it says!

...and a kiss that's one for the books!

And the Streak Continues!

National Bookstore launched their new Workstation at their Glorietta 5 branch. It's a new section of the store devoted to office equipment (like chairs) and Mac products. To celebrate, they raffled off 20 iPod Shuffles. You know what happened next.:D

A lot of people attended the launch because of the grand prize: a MacBook Air! Woulda been nice to win it, but hey, I ain't complaining about my prize. I now have a grand total of three iPods (two of which are pink)! Haha.

Now if only I had been in the country for that P740M lotto draw...

Bali High: Tishie and Hamil's Travelogue

My bikini from Cocomo, hat from Kultura Filipino

Day 1

We arrived late afternoon then checked into Bonsai Villas before having dinner at the popular Made's Warung II (more on that in a future post).

After polishing off our first Balinese meal. Burp.

Our version of a nightcap: a massage at Chill Reflexology (Jl. Kunti, Seminyak), as recommended by our trusty travel guide. We signed up for the Chill Out massage (a full-body massage, clothes on) and were surprised when two male massage therapists came out. Travel guide failed to mention this crucial point. Suffice it to say that Hamil wasn't entirely relaxed.

Day 2
Went on a 30-minute walk to Seminyak Beach, where Hamil met surf instructor Andy.

The two-hour, one-on-one session cost about $20 (versus the more known schools' $45). My cam-whoring session while relaxing by the beach? Free.

(P.S. If you haven't heard why I don't surf, you could dig up an old issue of Reader's Digest that published the whole story. It was called "Surf's Up," alternately titled "The Day I Wore a Too-Tight Purple Wetsuit, Paddled Myself to Near-Death, Tried to Surf in Freezing California Waters, and Slipped and Landed on My Chin.")

After Hamil's surf session, we walked around the neighborhood and ate before heading "home" to chill at the pool, which we had all to ourselves!

Thank goodness for self-timers.

Then we got all dressed up for an evening at Ku De Ta (more in a future post).

Every travel guide I read and a number of previous Bali visitors we talked to recommended this crazy expensive swanky place. Either the place is a favorite of expats, or was just filled with people who read the same travel guides. Still, it was nice being able to experience a night at this Bali gimik institution. (My credit card might have something to say about it though...)

Day 3
Cendana Resort & Spa sent over a car to pick us up from Bonsai. Trip cost us $30--about half what we spent on our room!

After depositing our stuff in our room, we walked to the nearby Sacred Monkey Forest, where Hamil made a new friend.

(Top) I absolutely love this shot! (Above) Monkey's thought bubble: "What the--?"

We then headed to Ubud Palace, home of the local royal family, and tried to blend into a tour group. The guide, however, was speaking in Japanese. So we just took a quick look around. Apparently, palaces in Bali are nowhere near in size to the ones elsewhere around Asia.

After dinner at a cheap little eatery called Song's Kitchen, we headed to Bumi Bali Spa (slash Restaurant slash Cooking School) for another massage.

Day 4
We decided to hire a car for 10 hours. For $50, we got a car (petrol included), an extremely talkative driver, and a nice tour guide named Yoga. No hidden charges! That's a pretty fair price, I think, considering we covered a lot of ground that day. We started off by going to Gunung Kawi in Tampaksiring, which is about an hour north of Ubud, if I'm not mistaken.

Can you tell my husband's not too thrilled about wearing a sarong (a requirement)?

These carvings, cut from solid rock, were quite a sight to see. But there's something the travel guides don't tell you. At this hallowed site, you have this to contend with:

Repeat 30 times. I kid you not.

On our way back to Ubud, we stopped by some rice terraces to ooh and ahh and take a couple of photos.

Back in Ubud, we had lunch at a warung to sample some babi guling (suckling pig--more in a future food post). Then we checked out of Cendana, headed back to Seminyak, and checked into our dreamy villa at Uma Sapna.

After prying ourselves away from the gorgeousness that was our villa, I asked the boys to take us to Balangan Beach. They suggested going to Dreamland instead--once a surfing paradise, and now a highly commercialized spot that's scared all the surfers away. It's been Punta Fuego-ed, with gates and roads and plots of land for sale. I don't remember how much a couple of sun loungers and a big umbrella cost us but, oh, they cost us. (Worth it though, as the sun was scorching that day!) Our local guides described the sand as "white," and while this beach was prettier than Seminyak's (turquoise water and all), it was more...beige, and couldn't really rival the pristine white sands of Boracay. Ah, we beach-spoiled Pinoys are hard to impress. We did get to see (and feel) some huge 10-foot waves though!

After changing into dry clothes, we hopped back into our car and drove to Ulu Watu. Yoga led us down a path away from the temple. When I asked him where everyone else was going, he replied, "Others are too lazy to walk here. But there's a very nice view."

Dude was right.

We had the option to stay at the temple for about half an hour longer to catch the sunset and an hour-long traditional dance, but we felt it was best to head back.

After saying goodbye to Yoga and his sidekick, we freshened up then walked to Rumours, a restaurant along Boutique Street. (Again, more in a future food post!)

Day 5
We got our 15-minute complimentary massage (ahhhh!) before heading out for the highlight of the day: one of our hundred kisses. Keep checking back for that post! (You wouldn't want to miss it!)

After the adrenaline rush we got, we decided to walk it off. "Let's walk for an hour," said Hamil. I initially balked at the idea, but 1) walking, I found, is so much less of a chore than running what would have been a 10K not-so-fun run, and 2) the company was great! So on we walked, with the crowds getting thicker as we crossed the invisible lines from Seminyak to Legian to Kuta Beach. Walk for an hour we did--until we walked right off the beach and straight into a McDonald's!

A triple cheeseburger. Because there's only so much Nasi Goreng one can have.

We walked a bit more around Kuta, which was pretty busy--speeding motorcycles zooming through narrow streets, barefoot and bare-chested surfer dudes strolling around with beer in hand. Hamil bought a couple of the oh-so-popular Bintang shirts before we stopped over at the Memorial to say a little prayer.

We took a cab back to our home base before again having dinner at Rumours. (What can I say? Hamil loved the place.)

Day 6
We spent the last few hours at La Casa de Awesome, savoring the villa we had to say goodbye to too soon.