philippines

  • Miss World 2016 Top 5 Q&A Round

    Miss World 2016 Top 5 Q&A Round

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    The finals night of Miss World 2016 just concluded a few hours ago, and it has been a somewhat shocking turn of events. It’s the first time in a long time that the contest was held in the United States. But of course, here at Amiciness, I’m going to focus on everyone’s favorite portion: the final Q&A. And this year’s Q&A includes a curious twist. Previous Miss World queens get to ask questions to the Top 5 vying for the title and crown of Miss World 2016. Interesting. Let’s see how the Top 5 answered:

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  • Amiciness Goes on a VL: Surigao

    Amiciness Goes on a VL: Surigao

    This is a very late post but I have to say that this has been one of the most amazing travels ever! EVER! Amiciness Goes on a VL featured Oriental Mindoro last January, which was short and sweet, but my trip to Surigao set the bar high for my travels throughout this year. I’ve been hearing about Surigao since I was in grade school but I never really knew what it looked like. Too bad, none of my teachers told me it was paradise. I should have gone there sooner. I want to go back! Take me back!

     🎶Is it too late now to say Surigao?🎶

    My friends and I booked a promo flight bound to Butuan City because the flight to Surigao City is way more expensive. Can you believe that this was my first flight for 2016 (and only flight as of August)? I was excited (since I filed a three-day vacation leave for this) but I didn’t know what to expect. I was just really looking forward to dive in the Hinatuan Enchanted River but this part of the south offered more than that. Surigao completely blew me away. I wanted the trip to go on forever, and ever, and ever.

    Tinuy-an Falls
    Blew me away, literally!
    Watch the new episode of amiciness goes on a vl after the jump. 📹

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  • MVNDO Magazine Brings Theater Back in Print

    MVNDO Magazine Brings Theater Back in Print

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    I got my very first copy of MVNDO Magazine when I watched PETA‘s Rak of Aegis two weeks ago. I went out during the intermission to get some siomai but my short attention span brought me to the MVNDO booth. The magazines were hung on a sampayan, complete with sipits and all. I loved it! At first, I thought the magazines were for sale and looked pretty expensive too. To my surprise, though, the MVNDO magazines were being given away to theatergoers for FREE! Each page is in full color. (Even the ads!) And the paper is of high quality! It’s not too light that it’ll ruin your bag and not too heavy that you’ll regret getting a copy. Sorry, I’m slightly obsessed with paper, stationary and stuff.  😛

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  • Suicide, Incorporated: A Play that Speaks to All

    Suicide, Incorporated: A Play that Speaks to All

    Every 40 seconds, someone in the world takes his/her own life.

    Twin Bill Theater brings another thought-provoking production with the Asian premiere of Suicide, Incorporated, a dark comedy that tackles the taboo topic of suicide. Writer Andrew Hinderaker (Penny Dreadful) pens an unusual and almost not-impossible take on the bizarre world of outsourced services. The “incorporation” in focus is Legacy Letters, an OSP (outsourced service provider—as the corporate world calls it) that assists clients in crafting suicide notes.

    The beginning’s s’posed to grab ya.

    Scott (Jeremy Domingo), the owner, means business and even wants to tap the sleeping market of male suicides. Scott has two employees, Perry (Chino Veguillas), the bibo ass-kisser, and Jason (Hans Eckstein), the new-hire who struggles in handling his first suicidal client, Norm (Mako Alonso). When Jason’s not in the office, he’s at home talking to his brother Tommy (Bibo Reyes), a college student with problems of his own.

    Jason (Hans Eckstein) and Tommy (Bibo Reyes) on one side; Scott (Jeremy Domingo) and the detective (Chino Veguillas) on the other. In Twin Bill Theater's staging of Andrew Hinderaker's "Suicide, Incorporated"

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  • Singing The Revolution: Green Day’s American Idiot Review

    Singing The Revolution: Green Day’s American Idiot Review

    Picture this: You’re resting from walking your dog in the parks of Bonifacio Global City. You notice the HD LED billboards and you wish you have those at home to watch Game of Thrones. And while you wait for the dear baristas to finish crafting your Jamba Juice, you hear a familiar electric guitar riff. Then the drums kick in. It’s the first few bars of Green Day’s song “American Idiot.”

    Globe and 9WT's American Idiot - Holiday Scenes
    American Idiot is a feast for the eyes (and ears).
    The South East Asian première of Green Day’s American Idiot breaks barriers as it brings the theater experience outside of a regular theater. The show transforms the BGC High Street Amphitheater to a humongous theater-slash-concert stage where Filipino talent and technology converge to bring entertainment and the arts to the public. Personally, I haven’t seen anything like the American Idiot stage. When I first arrived at the venue, I was immediately amazed at the scale of this production—the first of its kind in the Philippines. Two super high-definition billboards tower on both sides of the stage. LED screens shaped like lightning skyscrapers on center stage serve as dynamic backdrop. Three-level scaffolding on both sides of the stage becomes the cast’s playground, strategically placed to give height and depth to the biggest outdoor theater stage I’ve ever seen. No kidding! Having witnessed it firsthand, it’s really really impressive.

    Globe and 9WT's American Idiot - The Stage
    Rockers’ playground. Wow.
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