Halloween things

MANILA, Philippines - Halloween, to my knowledge, is actually a subordinate term compared to how Pinoys primarily call the season. Ask randomly and they’ll tell you: “Undas” or “Araw ng mga Patay” (All Souls’ Day).

Though I personally do not practice this, I know that most of my kababayans make trips to their respective provinces or cemeteries where their dead loved ones are buried.

However, I’ve noticed that we’ve become a little bit different in the past few years. Although I personally know some families who have long been holding Trick or Treat and costume parties in their own homes and villages, I see more and more people nowadays who adopt foreign traditions.

Left and right, on Facebook and Twitter, I see Pinay celebrity moms who come up with creative ideas on how to make Halloween a memorable one for their children. Cheska Garcia-Kramer, beautiful host of Us Girls on Studio 23, actually dressed up her little girl Kendra as a cow. Indeed, the most adorable cow I’ve ever seen!

Kendra, the most adorable cow I've ever seen!

I also don’t doubt the prediction of my dear friend Nikki Valdez (also an effective comedienne and a great singer), that her daughter Olivia will be the cutest bee this Halloween. Nikki actually plans to attend a party that will be thrown by Noah star Jodi Sta.Maria, who’s got a little boy herself. And definitely different from the little cuties, Jodi’s son Thirdy wants to be a toughie and wear Iron Man to his own party.

But who says costume parties and gimmicks are just for kids? On Umagang Kay Ganda, adults refused to miss out on fun times like this!

Costume and props galore

On Monday, we had Mr. David Chan Hwan, Product Development Officer of Unique Novelties and Toys Corporation, who brought Halloween stuff with him.

Donita chose to wear the “furry monster costume” with which she effectively frightened the audience, while Andrei wore that scary mask made infamous for the movie “Scream.”

Halloween fun with Rica Peralejo, Donita Rose, Andrei Felix, and David Chan Hwan of Unique Novelties and Toys Corporation

I personally thought my hair band, with its two little skulls held up by two spring antennas, lit and powered by AA batteries, was cute. On the other hand, the lamp I chose to carry around was hilarious. On the outside it seemed like any other plastic pumpkin lamp, but give it a slap and it’ll start laughing crazily like a witch! Believe me, it was funny more than it was scary!

Skull headband all lit up

Of course, dressing up and buying props can be costly. So if you really don’t have a budget and yet refuse to miss the fun of “dressing Halloween,” Mr. Hwan said that they have masks for as low as P18 only.

He also assured me that these masks are nothing like the ones made out of cheap plastic. Instead they use EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), a non-toxic material, “widely accepted as safe for use of teethers,” apparently. (Got the information from safemama.com.)

Mr. Hwan also mentioned that they’re open all year round, and they also have products for other occasions like Valentine's and Christmas. Here’s the website if you want more information: untc.multiply.com.

Looking crazy

Now if you want a less tedious, minimal or subtle Halloween look, your best bet would be “crazy contact lenses.” Among the bottles and bottles of assorted lenses that Hazel Bartolome of Glamme Shop brought to the studio on Tuesday morning, these are only 4 from which you can take your pick: Soccer Ball, Smiley Face, Dolly Black (my favorite of all) and Zombie Lens (most saleable, she said). And yup, as described, so your eyeballs shall be!

Contact lenses with smiley face, soccer ball, dolly black, and zombie lens designs

Prices would be P750 for the plainly colored ones and P850 for those with crazy, wacky designs. Quite pricey for someone kuripot (thrifty) like me. But I also can’t deny that those flimsy things are actually able to achieve maximum effect.

To know more, you can visit their website: www.myglammeshop.multiply.com or call 0917-6684833.

Clean Halloween

There’s nothing scary about our guest yesterday, except I guess if she challenged me to match her acoustic prowess. Now that would be a real horror for me.

But I did ask Pop Acoustic Sensation Aiza Seguerra what she’d be doing for Halloween, and it appears that she’s off to Cebu to do a clean-up dive with her friends.

Aiza does not cease to surprise me. Talking to her another time on the show, I learned that she wanted to take up Criminology. Now I hear that she’s been recently certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver, which I think is amazing! Humbly though, Aiza would rather call herself as a “newbie,” who had fallen so in love with the sport and the marine life enough to turn her into an “activist.”

What’s more is that aside from being a passionate diver, she’s also gone past the craft of playing and making music through singing and plucking the chords of her trusty old guitar. Aiza is now into the business of producing and is doing so with no less than Carol Banawa as her first ever artist.

Aiza Seguerra now a record producer too

Almost gushing, Aiza told me how wonderful it is to be entrusted with such a project. Proudly she added that she was even able to get the Filharmonika Strings to play for Carol’s soon to be released album. And though she also did not fail to mention how demanding this new endeavor can be, working all day and sacrificing nights of precious sleep, Aiza said that all’s well because Carol is such a brilliant singer and firmly believes that, “She’s worth it.”

Just the same, Carol Banawa is all praises for her producer. She shared that “Aiza wants nothing but the best for her artist. From the instrumentation, arrangement, vocals and mixing--I learn a lot from her.” But of all, Carol values the new friendship and she’s praying that it will last a lifetime. She’s convinced that aside from being a genius, her producer is a very good person inside and out.

Carol will be watching Aiza at the Metro Bar on the 29th to show gratitude and support to her producer. She said she will bring her daughter Chelsea in her princess costume. Aside from that, she plans to go home to Batangas for Halloween. Funny how this picture represents how cross-cultural Pinoys have been in recent years. (For more of Aiza’s schedule, click here.)

As for me, I’m relatively stuck packing my things away as my husband and I get ready to move into our new home. The other thing is that I have to go up north to shoot yet another exciting adventure for the show.

So, what’s your plan by the way? Well whatever it is, I just wish you all a good loooong weekend!