I'm a Fan

Ever since TV ads and word of mouth have been building up prior to the start of American Idol 4, I have been waiting with bated breath for the TV series to start. From the auditions stage, I already mentally listed my personal favorites from each city; I laughed and booed along with the rest of the world when the really "walang-K" ones think they're all that; I sat in front of the TV open-mouthed and wide-eyed when weird or crazy contestants get their share of air time; I giggle like a schoolgirl whenever the really cute, really hot, or really sexy (male) contestants come on (/me melts) .

Watching American Idol is fun. It's unpredictable. It's nerve-racking. It's exciting. It's entertainment at its best. And Season 4 is even more spectacular (in my opinion), because there are more people to root for, more unexpected twists, and more raw talent. ;)

Out of the top 24 (currently whittled down to top 16), I have picked my favorite American Idol contenders. In no particular order:

Bo Bice. He didn't get much air time during the Hollywood segments, but Bo is really wowing everyone with his consistent performances, and his simple-pero-rock showmanship (sorry, I couldn't help but squeeze that in. Hehe). He's not really very pleasant to look at (to quote my sister: mukha talaga siyang caveman), but to watch him perform on stage really gets your adrenaline pumping. :D


Anwar Robinson. There's something about the way he sings that makes you feel relaxed. He's the favorite of all the older people, I think, because he has such a mature tone to his voice (Hmmm..I sounded a bit like Paula there. Haha), and he's the classic, his-notes-melt-in-his-mouth kind of singer. :) Go Anwar!



Mario Vasquez. He looks a lot like Jai from Queer Eye...or Wilmer Valderrama from That 70's Show. Haha. He's a really polished performer, I think. He's got it all: the moves, the voice, audience impact, looks. And he already has a really big fanbase, so he has a good chance of winning.



Constantine Maroulis. He's not really that cute (I think his smile & his double chin ruins the whole image) & he's picking all the wrong songs to sing during the semi-finals. But I dunno. There's just something about Constantine. He has this certain tremble in his voice (rocker pero smooth), and you must admit, he really knows how to seduce the camera (that sounded weird...but you know what I mean!). Constantine also has a LOT of fans. I guess people are attracted to what's different. He could win just on his sex appeal. Haha. :p

Scott Savol. He may not be everyone's favorite because of the way he looks. And he was sort of a jerk during the group performances. But I became a big fan of his voice ever since he sang during the auditions. It was like, wow. I didn't expect *that* to come out of *him.* Ang lamig ng boses nya.




Travis Tucker. He's cute. He has a good voice. He's macho. ;) And he can dance. God. Don't you just love boys who can dance? Ack! I think it's such a turn on. Hehe. :)




Mikalah Gordon. I'm part of the half that finds her amusing. I don't mind her being so talkative (ok, maybe the accent is a bit grating). She's fun (and she should have fun at her age), but she can pull off being serious (I love her last performance...). I just hope she doesn't perm her hair all the time. :p



Carrie Underwood. Farmer girl. :) I like her because she's wholesome, and sunny, and simple. She's not as primped and polished as the other girls, but that's what's nice. :) I think she has a good chance of winning (if she can outshine the boys), because she could be America's Sweetheart. :)



Nikko Smith. After listening to Part-Time Lovers for the nth time, I can finally say that I am a fan of Nikko Smith. He's such a smooth performer, no wonder Paula got goosebumps during his last performance! Hehe. :) He does look like Bobby Brown, though. Haha.



Nadia Turner. Ok, so I was a bit thrown off by her 2nd performance (that whoa-oh-oh song na hindi maintindihan), but she really *is* a unique, exciting performer. That much she proved in her performance of "Tenderness." Wah, it was so good. :) I literally got goosebumps especially when she got to the fast part. :)




* * * *

My male favorites are noticeably more than my female favorites. The boys are already outshining the girls in the semi-finals, what more in the final round? It's kind of unfair that 2 more guys get to be voted out next week. The remaining girls aren't even HALF as worthy as the rest of the boys. :( If I had my way, I would have this shocking twist in this reality TV show: Instead of performing separately, the boys and the girls would have one big showdown, and the 4 lowest votes will get booted out, regardless of their gender. :p Hehe. That's kinda mean, though. :p

If I had to pick my top 6 girls, I'll probably say Mikalah, Carrie, Vonzell, Nadia, Amanda and Jessica (don't you think she looks like Shashee? Hehe). No to Janay! I can't believe she's still there! She always looks so *shocked* when she's singing. Argh. :p

I really think that the next American Idol will be a guy. If you look back on season 3, the male contestants didn't have enough oomph to win it: Matt was dull. John Stevens was even duller. George Huff was OK, but he didn't have enough appeal. JPL was cute, but his performances weren't wow. Yup. Season 4's males are definitely gonna make it big.

I can't wait. I'm such a fan. :) Hehe.

Bittersweet February

There's always something special about the month of February. Special events are crammed into the shortest month of the year. Valentine's Day of course, always comes to mind. As does Chinese New Year. And who can forget my birthday? Hehe. Well, at least it's special to me. :p

Something strange also happens: When February hits, I always turn into the best and the worst version of myself.

I become the bitchiest, the most temperamental, the most emotional, the happiest, the most depressed, the calmest, the most erratic, the craziest, the silliest, the most complicated woman you can ever imagine. And saying *that* is redundant in itself.

I think it's the cool climate. Or maybe the evident stress hanging in the air brought on by all these "special events." Maybe it's the anticipation. Maybe it's all the expectations.

February is probably the most emotionally draining time of the year for me. It is the time when I get my hopes high; when I get the biggest adrenaline rush in my life; when I crash down the hardest; when I break my heart a million times over. It is when I expect too much; when I set myself up for disappointment; when I cry like a woman is wont to do when she is hurt.

February is bittersweet. All my happiness, all my fears, all my passion, all my pain, and all my sadness...contained in 28 days! It can overwhelm anyone, I'm sure. But I'm proud to say that I have survived it every year, and I emerge as a wiser, stronger person because of it.

February is bittersweet. It is when I wake up alternately happy and sad; It is when I feel the loneliest and when I feel the most loved. Contradicting (or crazy) as of all that may seem, all of that is what makes February special to me.

* * * *

Beautiful things happen in February. I just have to focus on that.

The secret to keeping sane?

I just had the most relaxing day of my life -- thanks to my mom.

I was originally planning to go to the gym this morning, and then on to the office for OT in the afternoon...My plans for OT were changed (thankfully) yesterday, and I was supposed to watch "Alfie" with Leni instead...That plan also fell through (maybe next time, Leni?:), so I was looking forward to a day of bumming around the house.

I was too tired to go to the gym this morning (thanks to the jamming-inuman session last night at Randell's thesis house -- Ang saya! "Pare Ko" is definitely the best inuman song ever. Haha), so I slept till around noon.

And then my mom lured me out of the house with the promise of treating me to a hot oil. So we headed to Profiles Salon along Katipunan

I had a minty hairspa treatment...and it came with a back massage. Ahhh. Heaven. :) A few days ago, I also had a whole body massage here at home, and those were the best 2 hours of my life (Having a massage while watching American Idol...sounds fun doesn't it?).

So now I feel totally relaxed...My back and my hair are knot-free...My hair looks great (YES, I'm proud of it. Look at it. Smell it. Feel it. It's absolutely FAB. Hahaha). These are the kinds of days that I live for. *sigh* The only downside about having FAB (yes, all-caps) hair is having no one around to appreciate it. *pout* I just hope this lasts for at least a week...

The secret to keeping sane? Pamper yourself every once in a while. :)

Poll Results

The Mini Poll in my blog is meant to give my fans (the people who are coerced by unknown powers to view this blog) something new and interesting to look for everytime they visit this URL. It is also meant to gather the opinions of random people (the individuals who accidentally and unfortunately stumble onto this page). Mostly they're about the topics that trouble me, intrigue me and confuse me (all of which mean the same thing, according to my paranoid perception).

Mostly, I placed the Mini Poll here to help me decide on things that my fickle mind just can't handle.

For the haircut question, many would rather have me trim my long hair. FYI, I already cut my hair about 2 weeks ago. I didn't *just* trim it...I hacked off about half of it (it still hangs a little bit below my shoulders -- that shows you how long it is to begin with, if "shoulder-length" is already *half* of it). I love it. It's not too short. I can *not* comb it in the mornings and it doesn't get tangled up. My shirts don't get soaked in the back when I'm running late and I am not able to dry my hair properly. And best of all, many say I look younger because of it (as opposed to Mia's "para ka nang manang sa buhok mo" comment when my hair went past my shoulder blades).

On the licensure exam question. I'm still undecided. It's either January or June 2006 for me. Or do I need more time? Aw crap, who am I kidding? I'm scared to death. I don't want to decide. Not yet.

For the most recent poll...The leaving-on-a-jet-plane poll. Majority said "Stay for 2 weeks at the most." I have decided, though (even before looking at the poll results) to leave for a month. I mean, come on. Who am I to pass up a free trip ("free" as in paid for by my parents) to New York!? And to Washington DC? I already passed a formal letter to the big boss, and it looks good, so far. I think that I'll still have a job to go back to this coming May...Good for me because I'm starting to grow fond of that place.

I have more questions to ask. I've been thinking a lot about my plans for the future, lately. Should I take up Masters in Architecture abroad? Should I take up another course abroad? Should I take an MBA already? I would REALLY want to study again. Nakakamiss kasi. And maybe because I'm yearning to make up for my so-so performance in the past. I mean, if I'm really stuck with my profession for eternity, I should at least strive to be the best that I can, eh? Maybe if I study some more? Maybe if I do something different? I dunno. Bah. I'm confused.

But I'll make sure to post fun, un-serious questions next time, para naman maiba. Haha. :)