Kat's Notebook » celebrities

Charice on Glee???

Katkat — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:19:07 +0000

Filipino and Charice fans, listen up! I got this latest news tidbit from Yahoo news. Charice Pempengco, the 16-yr-old singing sensation star that has been featured in Oprah Winfrey Show 3 times and Ellen Degeneres and other cool events, is going to join Glee next season. According to the article, Charice will play the role of a foreign exchange student who will rival Michelle Leah’s character Rachel for the top spot in Glee. Wouldn’t that be cool?! This news might be premature but for us Filipino fans, it’s great news!I hope Charice will have a good accent but I guess her accent won’t matter when she opens her mouth and sings a song because she’s truly talented.

I can’t wait to watch it! In the meantime, for those who don’t know Charice’s singing talent, watch her duet with Celine Dion in Madison Square Garden. It gives me goosebumps every time!

Who is Kim Yu-Na?

Katkat — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:13:45 +0000

For those of you who watch the Vancouver Winter Olympics, you are introduced to the possible gold medalist for Olympic Women Figure Skating. Kim Yu-Na is a renowned Korean figure skater and the reigning world champion. For the Koreans, she’s a big celebrity because her talent in the figure skating world brought South Korea fame. Koreans bestowed her the title, Queen Yun-Na.

Kim Yu-Na was born in 1990 in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do and as early as 7 years old, she took on the sports of figure skating. At the young age of 12, she began winning skating competitions. She is the first Korean to win medals in figure skating.

When you delve into South Korean society, Kim Yu-Na (pronounced as Kim Yeon-A) is a national phenomenon. She is one of the most celebrated people there that she needed bodyguards to protect her from paparazzi and avid fans. She is talented and pretty and now wonder she has accumulated many endorsements and appeared in at least 15 commercials in 2009. She is currently the face of Hyundai Motor, Maeil Dairies, Samsung Electronics, Nike, Kookmin Bank, and others. And she can sing to boot; she has just began her singing career recently. She has been named as the South Korean Ambassador 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year. She has numerous fan clubs, most notably the Hyenas (go figure). Winning the Olympics will skyrocket her fame into new heights.

her famous samsung haptic phone commercial

Despite a busy schedule, she focuses much of her training basing herself at Toronto, Canada under the tutelage of coach Brian Orser. Kim is famous for her technical brilliance, high jumps, huge ice coverage, fast speed, superior artistry, lyrical style, grace and musicality, and for the great ice coverage of her jumps due to her high speed take-off. On the 2009 World Championship, she won gold and made history as the first ever woman to surpass 200 pointsunder the ISU Judging System. She has a wide lead from her competitors. She also sets world record scores for her short and free skate programs.

Watching her compete in the short program of Olympic Figure Skating, she truly delivered. All the high praises and superlatives attach to her name are well justified. Although carrying such a heavy expectation from her country, she was solid in her skating and her appealing personality shines through in each performance making her infectious as a performer. She takes an almost 5 point lead over her competitors.

This is her short program for Worlds which she performed at the Olympics which earned her a score that beat her own world record.

James Bond Medley

Stay tune for the free skate program. I bet she will nail that too. Go Yu-Na!

Winter Olympics 2010 Highlights

Winter Olympics 2010 Highlights

Katkat — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:06:47 +0000

Winter Olympics opened on Feb 14 2010. I have never watched Winter Olympic games except for ice skating but that was years ago. Surprisingly I found myself glued to the TV watching the NBC coverage of the Winter Olympics after taking a glimpse of Apolo Ohno’s qualifying speed skating round.

It’s already day 8 and I’m still rooting and cheering on for the underdogs, the winners and the big dreamers. Olympics is still the ultimate goal for many athletes.

So far the highlights are:

It started with a death.

A Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili died after losing control of his sled during a practice run. This only proves how extreme many of the sports in this game is. Olympic requires utmost mental and physical fitness to compete. But for Nodar’s case, the track was just deemed unsafe.

Age doesn’t matter.

It’s only in the Winter Olympics that I saw older age-group of athletes competing for a sport so extreme in nature. In Summer Olympics, the younger generation prevail but in this game, the veterans show how it’s done.

Kristina Grove (34) won bronze in speed skating 3000m. Ole Elinar Bjorndalen (34) won silver in 20km Individual Sprint. Figure Skating pair Shen Xue (31) and Zhao Hongbao (36) won gold. Bode Miller at age 33 is garnering medals for his sport.

There’s always the next Olympics.

A lot of the athletes here are veterans of the Olympic sports. They have joined 2 to Olympics in their lifetime and still making the cut. Can you imagine 12 years?! If an athlete is a newbie, commentators will tell them that they need to gain more experience before having the same level of competency as with the other veteran athletes.

At the age of 27, this Olympics would be Apolo Ohno’s 3rd entry. He has earned gold, silver and bronze medals for short-track skating in the Salt Lake, Torino, and Vancouver Olympics. He needs one more medal to gain 7 and be the most decorated American at the Winter Games.

Bodie Miller came back to compete for his 4th Olympic bout in Alpine Skiing. At age 33 he has earned a bronze for Downhill Alpine Skiing at Vancouver. This year is Lindsey Vonn’s (25) 3rd Olympic bid for a medal and she finally achieved it at the Women’s Downhill.

No inury will stop me.

A lot of athletes have been injured before the Olympic started. 5 months before the Olympics, J.R. Celski got into a near-fatal injury when he skidded on the short track and sliced a big cut in his thigh in the process requiring 60 stitches. He came back to qualify for the US team and won bronze in the Olympics 1500m short-track event. Japanese skater Daisuke Takahashi underwent knee surgery on 2009 and came back to Olympics and won bronze for figure skating.

Lindsey Vonn bruised her shin days before her game during practice. Thanks to a 2 day-respite from a bad weather she was able to rest her shin and win a gold in her Downhill race. Fellow athlete Anja Pearson of Sweden had an accident on her downhill race which sent her crashing after failing to land the final jump of the race. But she returned the day after sore and bruised to compete in the Super Combined Event and won bronze.

Retirement – What’s that?

Russian skater Yevgeny Plushenko retired after winning gold in the 2006 Torino Olympics Men’s Figure Skating. After a 3 1/2 year hiatus, he returns to Vancouver for his third Olympic. In one interview he stated "Many people asked me in the spring, ‘Why do you need this? Practices again, the training load, stress. You have everything – money, fame, titles … you’ve won everything. Why are you returning?’ Simply, I was bored. There wasn’t enough passion, fight, inner drive or goals. Or, like my coach said, I just want to prolong my youth. I’m all of 26 years old, why not compete some more?" He did just that and won himself a silver medal.

Chinese Figure Skating pair Shen and Zhao Hongbao stepped out of competitive skating after the 2007 Worlds. However that Olympic gold still eluded them and they decided to come back for their 4th and last Olympic to try getting the gold. And they did!

It’s always about the Olympic Dream.

All the athletes compete in the Olympics to get that ultimate recognition as the best athlete. They will suffer through long and hard training, injuries, and numerous upsets and disappointments – all for the glory of getting an Olympic medal and cementing themselves in sports history.

For 18 years, figure skating pair and married couple Shen and Zhao have been competing in numerous competitions and this year was their last bid to get that elusive Olympic gold. Pushing their middle-aged bodies for more hard training and stress, enduring cafeteria meals and living in separate dormitory rooms, the dream finally came true for them when they won gold in Figure Skating pairs and giving China its first Olympic gold in that category.

Alpine Skiier Lindsey Vonn has entered her 3rd Olympics. She has won awards in different games but never an Olympic medal. Getting a bad start because of a bruised shin, Vonn skiied her heart out and finished first and won her first Olympic gold finally.

Skating coach Frank Carroll has coached figure skating champions in his lifetime but never had a student who won him an Olympic gold. At 71, his dream was realized when his pupil Evan Lysacek skated a near perfect routine and took home the gold in Men’s Figure Skating.

Shaun White proves himself the best in the Snowboarding Half-pipe when he won Olympic gold in Torino and Vancouver. He scored 4 points away from perfect 50 and sets a long lead from his competitor.

Olympics is half-way over and there’s still more amazing games to anticipate. But for now I salute the Olympic winners.

What happened to the boys of Boys Before Flowers?

Katkat — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:09:15 +0000

Boys Before Flowers has ended a long time ago – the Taiwanese, Japanese, and Korean versions. I heard Mainland China is going to do their own rendition of the series. But what has happened to the gorgeous cast of this hit TV drama. Once in a while, I’m curious on the next projects of these handsome actors. Although their roles wouldn’t be endearing as their hit show, any glimpse of that beautiful face and adorable smile still brings the heart aflutter!

Here’s the latest news what I found over the internet about this cast:

Kim Joon aka Song Woo Bin. Kim Joon, both singer and actor, is busy with his concert tour with band TMAX. He is also the face of product endorsements for Omphalos and Samsung. He is also set to appear in a show called, Mnet Scandal.

Kim Bum aka So Yi Jung. The most charming of them all. He returns to the TV screen for his drama, The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry. He also starred in a 2009 movie titled, Emergency. Aside from TV appearances, tours, he also endorses a lot of products and is a familiar face in TV commercials and media print.

Kim Hyun Joong aka Yoon Ji Hoo. Juggling different and lots of projects at the same time, no wonder this guy is always reported of going to the hospital. More of a singer than an actor, Kim Hyun Joong is the popular leader of the music band SS501. It seems that among the F4 guys, he is the most popular because he recently received the award of Asia’s Best Star. Don’t you think he looks like Lee Dong Gun? At the moment, he doesn’t have any TV/movie projects and is concentrating more on his singing and TV variety show appearances.

Lee Min Ho aka Goo Jun Pyo. For me he’s the most handsome of the F4. This guy worked as a model before so it’s no wonder with his looks and well-toned body, he endorses many products and is seen often in commercials. He also models for a clothing brand.His next TV drama project is entitled Personal Taste, where he will try the role of a homosexual.

When Boys Before Flowers ended, I was wanting to see more of F4 particularly Lee Min Ho. However they didn’t jump into a new drama immediately after the hit TV series because they were busy promoting the series all over Asia. So now that the F4 drama fever has died down (eyebrows raised), I’ll be anticipating them in their next TV series.

Golden Globe Fashion Report

Katkat — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:41:00 +0000

Who of you watched the Golden Globe Awards 2010? I didn’t. But I saw the pictures. This would be my first time to report something about fashion. It’s only because I was very disappointed with the fashion of the recent Golden Globe awards. What is the award show if not for the fashion, right? Most of the dresses were unoriginal and same-old same-old. Here are some to show you:

All the left pictures are from Golden Globe 2010, while the right pics are old red carpet events. You be the judge…

So the next question is…who wore it better?

And the legend of Pacquiao continues

Katkat — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:55:10 +0000

I was fortunate to have watched the fight of Pacquiao vs Cotto at pay-per-view from my aunt’s friends. No commercials and live showing. It was a great 12 rounds. Although TKO at the 12th, I salute Cotto for his tenacity, determination, and sportsmanship. God is good for Pacquiao won the bout!
I would commend Freddie Roach’s superb training which led Pacquiao to become one of the best fighter in the world. I am impressed by Pacquiao’s stamina, agility, and smartness. Have you noticed that he didn’t let his guard down for a minute? That even when he’s punching Cotto continuously, he would always remember to protect himself. He hasn’t let himself be trapped/cornered. Manny has shown outstanding athleticism – the scorecards plainly rule in favor of him. His punches were twice as many as Cotto’s.
I heard that Pacquiao would go down the history as the first fighter to win world titles in seven divisions. So what’s next for Manny? Politics? movies/showbiz? or another fight?
Congratulations Manny! You did the Pinoys proud again!

Where to watch Pacquiao vs Cotto fight?

Where to watch Pacquiao vs Cotto fight?

Katkat — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:25:32 +0000

Today is d-day! In a few hours the bout between Pacquiao and Cotto will start. I’ve been following their media coverage in HBO 24/7. I’m impressed with the training on both sides. It’s going to be one spectacular fight. I’m rooting for my country’s champion, Manny Pacquiao. Although I think Cotto wouldn’t fall from a knockout. He seems pretty tough and very strong. I really pray that Pacquiao will win. He seems to be the hope of my country right now, which has been experiencing lots of tragedies, disasters and economic and political turmoil.
Now the next question is: where to watch the fight? I would absolutely not pay 70USD for a pay-per-view. At least back in my country, there were lots of channels covering the Pacquiao’s fight. Though it has commercials at least it’s free.
So hopefully I can find some links over the internet for some free coverage of the fight. Go Manny!

HALE's new album launch

Katkat — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:57:03 +0000

Once upon a time I was a rock band fan. My sister and I were randomly checking out restaurants and we’ve finally chosen Hard Rock Cafe because a band named, Cueshe, was playing that time. That started my love for Filipino rock band and music. I was blown away by the performance, by the cute singer and the pop rock music. The next show I went to, it featured Cueshe and another Filipino band, HALE, which was my sister’s bestfriend’s favorite. That day I was able to take pictures with the group thanks to my sister’s BFF.

For a time I was into their cult. Loved Hale so much because the guys are much cuter. I watched their music videos, TV appearances, memorized their songs, and gushed it over with my friends. I also listened to other Filipino rock band songs.As I’ve grown older, the starstruck eyes faded and I’ve become tired of their songs. I went to the US and my news of them dwindled to zero.

L-R (Front): Sheldon, Champ, Roll

Just recently I was invited by my sister to watch the launching of HALE’s new album, Kundiman. I considered myself not a fan anymore but when the show progressed I relieved my days of being a Haler! Hale is composed of lead singer, Champ, Sheldon and Roll as guitarists, and new member Paolo as drummer.

Some media people even interviewed me about the band and being not a fan, I was very pretentious with my answer. I don’t know if it showed though. Hahaha. I was able to get the chance to squeeze in a photo-op when Champ jumped off the stage! It’s a blurry pic though Here’s me with their carboard pictures.

sheldon board

The album was composed of Filipino songs and the hit single “Bahay Kubo” was really good. Their songs have matured and became more coherent unlike their first album, which lyrics didn’t make sense. The one thing I didn’t like about it was Champ’s monotonous voice. It can put me to sleep. I wished they have reinvented themselves with edgier and hippier music like what Parokya ni Edgar do. For me Hale’s latest album is just similar to their previous albums. Another ballad music which can make a girl swoon in 2 directions…to love or to sleep.

Well I wish the band the best and I’ll definitely go listen to their new album, Kundiman.

champ

My first blog party event!

Katkat — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:34:32 +0000

My first blogging event was held at Fully Booked, Fort Bonifacion High Street on August 7, 2009. I was invited to the Goldilocks awarding ceremony after submitting a Goldilocks blog. The show was a collaboration between Goldilocks and Nuffnang. I was so excited when I came to the venue. Although we were late, the show hasn’t started yet. Thank God for Filipino time! Hahahaha.

My co-blogger and I went to register and we received goodie bags from Nuffnang. We also had photo session near the entrance. I felt like a star with all those cameramen taking a picture of us. My rebonded hair was worth it! There was also a instant studio picture which we availed 5 times!

As bloggers, we were given plain moccha Goldilocks round cake and some cake decorators. There would be a best cake design contest, which we didn’t win but we were able to take home the cake. Yummy!

The show started soon after and although my objective for coming to this event was the chance to see Goldilocks’s endorser Dingdong Dantes, I had a huge crush on Juddha Paolo who hosted the event. He was super cute! Cuter than Dingdong Dantes! Unfortunately he’s engaged to be married on October. awww…

I joined the Foodie knowledge game hoping to win a prize. But I got eliminated on the second question. Apparently celery has lower calories than carrot sticks! After the game, my friend and I were able to squeezed in a photo-op with Dingdong Dantes. It was a good thing we did this because Dingdong left immediately after the event without indulging his fans for a photo-op. I didn’t get a good shot though.

Our dinner meal was courtesy of Goldilocks, of course! Because Goldilocks is a famous Filipino bakeshop, I was surprised that even their viands taste sweet. Then the awarding ceremony took place. My friend was hoping to win one of the laptop prizes but her entry was not chosen. We learned that if we’re going to join another blog contest, the blog must have photos, videos, and stong emotional appeal to win. Mine was so cheesy and generic so I knew that I won’t win anything. Our cake didn’t win the decorating contest too but the winner was on our table. The blog winner’s entry was in this site. She really deserved to win.

It was truly a great experience for me. I had fun. This event just made me appreciate that I blog!

Lady Gaga is coming to Manila

Katkat — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:46:12 +0000

For Filipino fans of Lady Gaga, good news the music icon is coming to Manila August 11 for a concert at Araneta Coliseum, Philippines. The concert is slated on August 11, Tuesday at 8pm. Tickets are on sale right now at Ticketnet:

VIP (Reserved Seating)    7875
Patron Standing   CALL TICKETNET AT 911-5555 FOR PRICE
Patron (Reserved Seating)    5775
Lower Box (Reserved Seating)    3675
Upper Box A   2625
Upper Box B   1050
Gen. Admission   525

For complete details, visit ticketnet.com.ph

I wonder what she will wear when she lands in the Philippines. I think it would be less clothing than she usually wear because it’s so hot and humid here! I’m so torn I really want to watch Lady Gaga but I’m not going to spend a ridiculous amount of money for her concert. Oh well I guess I’ll content myself with just dancing to her music in the privacy of my room. hahahaha. Unless some nice souls out there will treat me to her concert.