My New Creative Home!

I am now officially a GREY person :D This is so far, the BEST office I have been, it's an 'ALL-OUT' creative environment and I am loving every second of it! Have a GREYt Day!

Back to Blogging

OK, it's been such a very loooooooooooong time since my last blog, I thought I'd never see the day that I'm back to blogging, well, Here I am! I'm Baaacckk!

Broadway Musical

My 10 year old daughter Aliyah sings her version of On My Own from the broadway musical les miserables. It was her first attempt on the material and no voice coaching, we were just having fun at home with the karaoke. This is raw talent and she has a great potential provided with proper professional training, in the meantime, enjoy the video and mind the audio. Will post a studio quality video soon!

THOR - Trailer 2

I am soo seeing this movie in a few days!!!!

Little Thor

Remember the famous 'Little Darth Vader' Superbowl spot? Here's what MARVEL has in response, wait till the ending part! :D

Piracy

Amazing works by TBWA, Italy for their Piracy Posters for a show for culture magazine First Floor Under.






Advertising Agency: TBWA\Italy
Creative Director: Francesco Guerrera, Nicola Lampugnani
Art Director: Moreno De Turco
Copywriter: Mirco Pagano
Photographer: FM Photographers
Published: March 2011

The Royal Wedding - Dance :)

T-Mobile's latest spot by Saatchi London ends with a "One's Life is for Sharing" line, is totally amusing and a nice additions and tweaking from the original JK Wedding video

CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND COPYWRITER: Paul Silburn

ART DIRECTOR: Lovisa Almgren-Falken

AGENCY PRODUCER: James Faupel.

DIRECTOR: Chris Palmer / Gorgeous, London

PRODUCER: Michaela Johnson

EDITOR: Paul Watts, The Quarry, London

POST-PRODUCTION: The Mill, London

AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION: Grand Central Studios

Soldier or Softy?

Eff! This is really a classic! What you'd call the dude in uniform? How about the lady with the back pack? I wonder how'd he do it in the field? lol

AIS International Day 2011

Fun-filled event at the AIS last Thursday! The International Day 2011 was held at the school grounds, this year we came loaded, the booth was amazingly done, Thanks to Jersey and Paok for their awesome graphics designs, to tita Grace for her Balloon artworks, DJ Lito for the DJ setup (yeah-boiie! Turntables and a scratch mixer!) We also have a new member in the team, Ms Joanne and Family who brought in some Pinoy food! Of course, Steve and Sonia Mathews were there with a bunch of delicious Filipino dishes, YUM! Pinky cooked some 150 pieces of Lumpiang Shanghai, we had like tons of Choc-Nuts and Boy Bawang! Laarni with friend brought not only her specialty- But her new baby- Shamlan :) We all had fun, It was a Blast!

ANNIE the Musical

Aliyah's ANNIE show is finally over, It was a great play, the cast were amazing and they have played it perfectly! Kudos to the people behind the musical, It was a success! Great Job!

25 Things To Do In The Philippines!

… before fantasizing about exploring other countries

1. Go white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro.

2. Visit Batanes.

3. See Mt. Mayon up close.

4. Swim with the whale sharks in Donsol.

5. Climb Mt. Pulag and be awed by its sea of clouds.

6. Dive, swim and explore Palawan’s underground river.

7. Hike and let the view of Mt. Pinatubo crater take your breath away.

8. Party in your bikini in Boracay.

9. Surf’s up! Choose your wave—La Union, Zambales or Real, Quezon.

10. Missed out on the pristine beauty of Boracay 15 years ago? Visit Malapascua, Cebu.

11. Dive and see the rich marine life of Anilao, Batangas.

12. Travel back in time—go to Vigan.

13. Let Bohol wow you with its many offerings—the Chocolate Hills, the tarsier, the Loboc River Cruise, old churches and the beach.

14. Go high! Drive to the Mountain Province of Sagada. Check out the caves, the hanging coffins and enjoy the laidback lifestyle.

15. Grab a Viaje del Sol map, visit Ugu Binyan’s pottery studio, eat at Kusina Salud and unwind at Casa San Pablo.

16. Spend an entire week up north. Take a road trip from Manila to Vigan, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Aparri and Isabela!

17. Try wakeboarding in Camsur.

18. Check out Malate, Old Manila and all their secret spots.

19. There are many reasons to love Davao. Kublai’s artworks, its proximity to the beach, the tasty pastil and juicy suha. And did I mention that it’s a smoke-free city?

20. Spend a weekend roughing it in Anawangin and Capones in Zambales.

21. Check out our colorful fiestas and document them with your camera. Ati-atihan, Dinagyang, Masskara, Sinulog, Higantes, Panagbenga and more.

22. Pick your own strawberries at the Strawberry Fields in La Trinidad, Benguet.

23. Go to Pampanga for sisig.

24. If it’s too hot in Manila, grab a few friends and take a quick trip to Tagaytay.

25. Enjoy a food trip in Iloilo. You’ll never go hungry in this city.

By Jill Lejano
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Aliyah is Annie!

Excited to see the show! The American International School Kuwait will be presenting their version of the famous musical, "ANNIE" on the 16th, 17th & 18th of March at 7:00pm at the AIS Auditorium, Starring of course, my little angel ALIYAH!

What we do not know about Johnny

We all love Johnny Walker, now here's something for us that we might not be aware of, the Man who walked around the world, the Farmer's son, the Whiskey, the Brand Name - The Icon. A brilliant spot!

Goodbye, Galliano!

Christian Dior sacked its star designer, John Galliano after he got wasted and started hurling some anti-semitic abuse at people in a bar in Paris.

Update: Le Parisien reports that Galliano will be tried in criminal court for "public insults made against individuals based on their origin or their religious affiliation...made against three victims." He could be in court during the second trimester of the year and faces 6 months in prison and a fine of 22,500 euros ($31,200).

Previously: John Galliano released a statement on Wednesday regarding the events that began with his arrest last week and ended with his firing from Dior on Tuesday. According to WWD, the designer's words were sent out by the law firm Harbottle & Lewis. He makes no mention of his "I love Hitler" rant. He is said to be currently en route to rehab to treat alcohol problems.

The full text, as it appears on WSJ.com:

Since the events of last Thursday evening I have not been able to make any public comment on what took place based upon advice from my French lawyer. However, given the continuing delays at the French Prosecutor's Office I should make my position clear.

I completely deny the claims made against me and have fully co-operated with the police investigation.

A number of independent witnesses have given evidence and have told the police that I was subjected to verbal harassment and an unprovoked assault when an individual tried to hit me with a chair having taken violent exception to my look and my clothing. For these reasons I have commenced proceedings for defamation and the threats made against me.

However, I fully accept that the accusations made against me have greatly shocked and upset people.

I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light.

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I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion. To start this process I am seeking help and all I can hope for in time is to address the personal failure which led to these circumstances and try and earn people's forgiveness.

I have fought my entire life against prejudice, intolerance and discrimination, having been subjected to it myself. In all my work my inspiration has been to unite people of every race, creed, religion and sexuality by celebrating their cultural and ethnic diversity through fashion. That remains my guiding light.

Anti-semitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologise for my behaviour in causing any offence.

Air Balloon Fiesta, Pampanga, Philippines

Here are some snaps from the Annual Philippine Air Balloon Fiesta being held in Pampanga! Thanks, Steve!

Kuwait National & Liberation Day 50/20

Amazing fireworks display at the Kuwait Towers and the seaside last week for the National and Liberation day celebration, lasted for like more than 30 minutes! Unfortunately, we weren't there :( The traffic and the crowd was enormous! Thanks to some peeps who caught the spectacular event on tape!

Brilliant Ambient by Mastercard

What are the things you would do for love? There are sooo many.. All are special in their own way, just like this Mastercard Ambient: Priceless!

Who Let The DOGS Out?! Meet the Philippines Football Team- AZKALS

The Philippines players Alexander Borromeo (#11), James Younghusband (#7), Ian Araneta (#23), goalkeeper Neil Etheridge (#1), Robert Gier (#2), Anton Del Rosario (#4), Roel Gener (#6), Philip Younghusband (#10), Christoper Greatwich (#18), Ray Jonsson (#27), Jason De Jong (#17). Photo credit: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images

They caught our fancy and sparked a resurgence of football in the Philippines. In a country that reveres basketball, boxing, and billiards, the “beautiful game” suddenly appeared in the hearts and minds of Filipinos. How did the Azkals pull this off? Here are 6 reasons why Filipinos, if not football fans all over the world, love the Azkals.

1. They were a storybook Cinderella team.

Before their shocking victory over Vietnam, few people have even heard of the Azkals. We probably didn’t even know we had entered in the ASEAN Football Championship, let alone that we had fought three-time champion Singapore to a 1-1 draw courtesy of a last-minute goal by Chris Greatwich. And then suddenly, like the clueless Prince after glancing at the beautiful Cinderalla, we asked ourselves: Who are they and what haven’t we heard about them?

2. They had a distinctively Filipino name

They weren’t called “Eagles” or “Booters” or whatever other Western moniker. They had a name that was endearingly familiar to the true-blooded Filipino. My hats off to whoever coined the name “Azkals”. I understand that the original team name was supposed to be Calle Azul (or Blue Street), which then evolved to Azul Calle and then Az Cal. Someone then suggested to refer it as Azkal as in “asong kalye” or street dog. The asong kalye is neglected, ignored, and left to fend for itself, yet it is a tough, resilient, ferocious survivor. “Azkal” was a name that aptly captured the state of the Philippines football team.

3. They had a villain

Every hero needs a villain. They say that a villain defines the hero. The more hateful the villain the better. And, ironically, this villain was not an opposing team but our very own Philippine Football Federation president Jose Mari Martinez, removed from office on accusations of “falsification of public documents, the unauthorized disbursement of funds, and the failure to return the missing funds before a set deadline.” Nothing probably caused so much ire and hatred than when Martinez readily surrendered the home-field advantage without even a plea. Why he even disregarded a neutral playing ground is beyond me. Whenever I think of Mari Martinez I have the image of a conniving Dick Dastardly character, twirling his mustache, and conjuring up schemes to derail the progress of the Philippine football team. If ever there is a fitting postscript to this drama, it would be a thorough government investigation of Mari Martinez.

4. They were the underdogs.

So here were the Azkals, lacking in support, their home-field advantage squandered, entering a stadium filled with 80,000 football-rabid Indonesians, facing a team that had scored 13 goals in the group elimination stage. Deep in our hearts we knew that it would be a tough battle with the odds against us, but, as always, everybody loves the underdog.

5. They showed heart and soul.

And they never gave up. They gave the Indonesians a run for their money. I’m not sure if I read the body-language correctly, but the coach for the Indonesian team looked worried and tense. And the Azkals could have pulled it off. They fought tooth and nail. . But they had chances to score. The Indonesians never took them for granted. The Azkals were elbowed and jostled and pushed to the ground. The Indonesians didn’t play restrained kid-gloved football—they came bearing their teeth. And the Azkals showed their fangs as well.

6. They looked good.

The Azkals, despite their names, did not look like ragged street urchins. A number of them had movie star, Bench-model looks. And swarms of giggly, screeching fans scampered to have their pictures taken with them, even the Indonesian football fans who, just a few days ago, where screaming obscenities at them.

(Source: Solo's Log)

Volkswagen Returns to the Super Bowl with Two Spots

Including cars and Star Wars, Volkswagen’s Super Bowl commercial for the new Passat is relevant to our interests. Well, done, ad guys.

The 30-second ad features the cutest little munchkin of a Darth Vader honing his dark side, attempting to use the force on such things as the family dog, a sandwich, and finally a 2012 Volkswagen Passat, all with the "Imperial March" as a backing track.

The Super Bowl ads were created by Volkswagen’s creative Agency of Record Deutsch LA and follow the 2010 Punch Dub Super Bowl spot, which starred superstar musician Stevie Wonder and comedian Tracy Morgan.

New Year's 2010

Streets were packed from the afternoon till the clock hits twelve, Zayed road is overwhelmed with cars of tourists and residents rushing for a perfect spot of the Burj Khalifa towers, the countdown was amazing, awesome fireworks display (videos to follow), it was the tower's first new year celebration since its opening last June. N'ways, we did enjoy the night (we had our spot at the DIFC) Paul Van Dyk was somewhere near the area!! Happy New Year, Everyone! May y'all have a fruitful TWENTY-ELEVEN! :D