GLOBAL FASHIONFLARE ISSUE #2, JANUARY 2015

+ GLOBAL GIRL

MADHURI Meet our newest cover girl!

Karen Brown

The author dishes on her debut novel

The Longings of the Wayward Girls

* GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT Take a trip to the

Philippines’ capital, Manila

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Global FashionFlare Magazine

Mischa Temaul Editor-in-Chief/Founder

Frances Gibson Assistant Editor

Aya C. Health, Body, & Beauty

April de Guzman Art & Literature Global Spotlight

January 2015 FASHION

Global Citizens: Street Styles p. 4

HEALTH, BODY, & BEAUTY The Kiwi p. 7

ART & LITERATURE Review of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods p. 9 Featured Blog: My Korean Husband p. 11 Karen Brown p. 15

GLOBAL GIRL Madhuri p. 18

GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT

Passport to Manila p. 26

Hello GlobalFashionFlare Readers! I'm Benette, first cover

girl of this magazine! I'm excited to say that I'll be part of

this magazine again as guest editor. I hope you all look for-

ward to every magazine issues from us containing global

fashion and more goodies. Stay tune!

3

Letter from the Editor Being able to hold Global FashionFlare’s first magazine issue was a feeling of great accom-

plishment for me. A huge ‘thank you’ to my staff members in

wanting to be part of this project; your support and encourage-

ment meant a lot to me. All of you have worked endless in meet-

ing deadlines and attending staff meetings despite juggling univer-

sity and jobs. It was an honor to have worked with you all.

2015 is almost here, and I couldn’t think of a better way to

celebrate than with the release of Global FashionFlare’s second

issue. I like to think of this issue as a rebirth in terms of the maga-

zine having a fresh start. My ultimate goal is for this magazine to

become utterly amazing. However, it’s quite a long climb in

reaching the top of that mountain. I can be such a perfectionist,

and I know there is more room for improvements, but I have to

remind myself that it’s definitely a learning process; it will take

patience and time. From writing articles, searching for global citi-

zens, to creating layouts, it’s a challenge, but I really do enjoy it.

The second issue is fairly small, but still produces some-

thing for each section. I’m quite excited for everyone to meet our

Global Girl, Madhuri. Isn’t she just stunning? I absolutely love

her cover photo. She’s sort of the Desi version of Hermione

Granger—beauty and brains, minus the magic. However, if you

think about it, after reading her interview, you’ll find that Madhuri

does have magic.

There are tons more exciting things awaiting these pages,

and I do hope everyone enjoys this issue as much as I and my fel-

low staff members have had putting it together. We will be working hard to make our next issue even better.

Mischa

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Global Citizens Street Styles

Who are these stylish girls? They’re Global FashionFlare’s global citizens from across the world.

Emma

What She’s Wearing: Hat from

Bardot, denim jacket from Cotton

On, crop top from Supre, skirt

from ASOS and boots from Betts.

Fave Store to Shop: I like a lot of

online boutiques like White Fox

Boutique, Peppermayo and Mar-

ket HQ as well as Sportsgirl and

Cotton On.

Fashion Icon: I don’t really have

one I just get inspiration from

blogs, Instagram and YouTube.

What Inspires Her Style: Defi-

nitely blogs and social media.

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Daphne

What She’s Wearing: I would de-

scribe my style as classic and

preppy. In the photo I am wearing a

blouse from Loft, the vest from

JCrew, my jeans are from H&M,

and my flats are from GAP. For ac-

cessories, I am wearing a chunky

pearl necklace from Forever 21, my

watch is from Michael Kors, and

my linked pave bracelet is from

JCrew.

Fave Store to Shop: I love shop-

ping at JCrew, Banana Republic,

Gap, Loft, Brooks Brothers, Ralph

Lauren, Vineyardvines, H&M, and

Forever 21.

Fashion Icon: Kate Middleton,

Audrey Hepburn, Leighton Meester.

What Inspires Her Style: What in-

spires my style is to look my best at

all times while feeling comfortable.

I think that not enough people dress

up everyday and I want to be differ-

ent and unique.

Daphne

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What She’s Wearing: My idea of a

comfy casual weekend outfit. I wore

this downtown and felt totally chic, yet

also warm and snuggly, which is al-

ways important!

Fave Store to Shop: A place in my

own town called Hot Toddy that sells

retro inspired pieces.

Fashion Icon: Definitely Twiggy or

Rebecca of The Clothes Horse (who is

a personal blogger).

What Inspires Her Style: What in-

spires my style are crazy colors, Insta-

gram, pattern mixing, and the ability to

portray exactly how you're feeling

based on what you wear.

Be Seen in Our Next Issue!

We’re looking for fashionable young men and

women from different parts of the world to feature as

our Global Citizens. Simply e-mail us at

globalfashionflare@gmail.com for more details.

Mariah

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When I was asked to do an article

about a fruit, the first one that came to mind

was the kiwi, because I eat one daily to boost

my immune system. Before doing some re-

search for the article, I didn’t really know all

that much about the fruit, other than the fact

that I know how it looks and I like how it

tastes, of course.

The first fact about the kiwi or kiwi

fruit that is definitely worth mentioning is the

fact that it’s actually a berry that grows on a

woody vine. Traditionally the fruit is from

Asian countries like China, India and Japan and

also Siberia. The most common of the species

can be found in Southern China, which resulted

in the kiwi being named the National Fruit of

Health, Body, & Beauty

The Kiwi I’m sure that if I were to ask: “What’s

your favourite fruit?”, many of you

wouldn’t answer ‘Kiwi’. The

most given answers to that

question are often more

known fruits like apples or

bananas. Nevertheless the kiwi has an

abundance of vitamins and properties that

could help us lead a healthier life.

By Aya C.

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China. Nowadays, New Zealand also has a boosting economy revolving

around this berry.

Let’s stay healthy by eating Kiwis

Kiwis are full of Vitamins C, K, B and E. Kiwis contain more Vi-

tamin C than oranges and lemons. Vitamin C is good for the im-

mune system, bones, teeth and veins. Vitamin B is good for the

development of genetic material and is recommended for preg-

nancies. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant. Vitamin K pre-

vents blood clots and plays a role in cell growth and the metabo-

lism of bones.

Another component is dietary fiber, which works as a laxative.

This makes the kiwi good for the digestive system.

Kiwis are also rich in carotenoids and it’s proven that people that consume carotenoids are healthier

and better protected against a number of chronic diseases.

Kiwis, or most probably the kiwi seeds, have also been pointed out as a potential blood thinner, reduc-

ing the risk of blood clots.

How to eat Kiwis

Raw: First and foremost, kiwi is consumed as any other fruit or berry, which is raw.

Desserts: Like most fruits and berries, kiwis are also used to make pastries. Most notably as a decora-

tion on cakes or pies.

Meat tenderizer: Kiwis contain the enzyme actinidain, which is responsible for dissolving proteins.

This property makes the kiwi a perfect meat tenderizer.

Drinks: The kiwi can also be used in drinks such as fruit juice and smoothies.

Allergic reaction

The Kiwi is an amazing fruit, but there’s a negative point to everything. For kiwi, it’s the fact that eating this

fruit can lead to an allergic reaction. The actinidain, that as mentioned above, is responsible for the fruit being

a good meat tenderizer, can lead to an allergic reaction, most commonly itching and soreness of the mouth and

throat. People who are allergic to pineapples, bananas and papayas should definitely avoid kiwis too.

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PERCY COMES BACK WITH A BANG!

By April de Guzman

Some Percy Jackson fans may have

been quite disappointed with the lesser ac-

tion that their favourite hero had in the fi-

nal book of the Heroes of Olympus series

(The Blood of Olympus). The major focus

had been towards the Roman demigods,

which to be honest, is what the series is all

about, as they were introduced in this very

series with the Greeks and their rich his-

torical background. Well, sulk no more,

book nerds, because Scribe (Rick Riordan)

has come up with a book that will totally

satisfy your seaweed brain cravings!

Greek Gods tell the tale of the mighty

Olympians, as narrated by Percy Jackson

himself. There, from the day the gods come

to life, up to the major battles and high-

lights of their lives (and love life, espe-

cially with Zeus and Apollo). It gives us a

view of the peculiar bits of information that

one may find really interesting, especially

if learning mythology is their thing.

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What's so great in this book is that Percy's character is intact all throughout the story and, given that he

is a demigod, son of Poseidon, in the modern times, he is telling the stories in a way that modern day people

would not find boring and is easy to relate with.

Ever imagine Hades with dark hair covering his eyes like one of those emo dudes from a manga?

Or do you want to visit the Underworld where there is really bad phone service and zero Wi-Fi? How about

Hermes playing some Mozart and a bit of One Direction using his newly-invented instrument called syrinx?

The point is, Percy has delivered a pretty fantastic job in bringing these Olympians to life while being the

Percy that we all loved in the first place: the quick-witted, full of humor, with occasional ADHD, demigod.

It has made us see the old tales of constellations like Orion, Ursa Major and the likes in a new light. Also, he

has presented a couple of hilarious anecdotes of several inventions like wine (through the god of wine, Diony-

sus), instruments (lyre), the origin of quite a number of animals (the tortoise, the horse, etc.), and species of the

olden days. The main characters have been described in such a way that one will never question them being

gods (with all those superpowers), but still possessing significant human traits and feelings.

Several beliefs may never be the same again. For example, the god of time, Kronos, whom, according

to Percy, is the one to blame when we feel like time is so slow when we are in a boring lecture and when it

feels so fast on a fun weekend. Or when you have been liking someone who has never liked you back? Perhaps

the god of love is having it her way?

Just as any other book, it has moral lessons that will definitely remind us of the things that we are sup-

pose to do when experiencing a similar dilemma as the gods in our own reality. There are also bonus pages

with images of the gods in full color, illustrated by John Rocco, that are easy on the eye and are consistent with

the flow of the story.

In the end, whether the target readers are kids, teens or Greek mythology enthusiasts, Percy Jackson's

Greek Gods is definitely a victor. A light, amusing read that one would love as they drink their coffee in the

morning or before they go to bed. If I were you, I would grab a copy now. You definitely would never want to

feel these gods' wrath, eh?

Rick Riordan is the author of several best-selling series about Greek, Roman and Egyptian mytholo-

gies. You may reach him through his Twitter, @camphalfblood.

The books are still available for purchase at a bookstore near you.

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My Korean Husband My Korean Husband is the newest blog that’s popped up that people from all around the world are fal-

ling in love with. One can say it’s similar to Eat Your Kimichi, but actually, it’s quite different and unique in

its own way. My Korean Husband was created by Nicola to express her creative side as a traditional artist, but

also incorporating her love for the Korean Culture and writing. With her blog, Nicola draws and shares comics

that actually represent daily things that happen in her life. However, what’s unique about her comics is that it

depicts her life being married to a Korean man.

It may seem not imperative to some people, but with many negative connotations she found on the

internet about Korean husbands, Nicola wanted to share her thoughts of having a Korean husband—especially

when she is Australian. Since Kpop (Korean Pop music), and Korean dramas, have garnered fans from all

around the world in countries from England to France, many (who are not Korean) can only imagine what it’s

like to have a Korean boyfriend (or girlfriend); as communication and being able to speak to each other be-

comes an obstacle because of the language barriers. However, Nicola and her husband, Sunhong (whose Eng-

lish name is Hugh), shatters that barrier.

While her comics are always funny and intriguing, it’s a unique way of art expression—behind every

art piece created, whether it’s a painting or a portrait, there’s always a story the artist wants to transpire. Ni-

cola’s comics don’t only portray her life, but also gives glimpses of two different cultures emerged as one; de-

picting its diversity, but showing its similarity.

By Mischa Temaul

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What inspired you to create your blog “My Korean

Husband”?

The idea slowly formed in my head over a few

months. There were a few reasons. I wanted to do

something artistic again (I used to work as a tradi-

tional artist), I also wanted to do something that in-

volved Korean culture and writing. I think the tipping

point was seeing a lot of negative stuff about Korean

husbands online and wanting to make something posi-

tive. I also saw how much people enjoyed Eat Your

Kimchi videos as well and it made me wonder if peo-

ple might be interested in what I had to share as well.

How long have you been drawing comics?

Not much longer than a year really. I started when I

started the blog. But I’ve been painting for a long time

so I could already draw and paint. The shift to comics

was difficult though. I'm used to having a reference for

things I paint and draw but for comics I have to draw

something from my head. It took a little while to ad-

just to that and I'm still not that good. I have so much

respect for cartoonists now.

Do you draw comics for a living, or is something

you do for fun?

I'm working towards doing it as a living now. I think I

always want it to be combined with writing and blog-

ging though not just making comics.

My Korean Husband is becoming popular as more

people come to discover it. When you first created

your blog, did you think it would get as many read-

ers has it now?

I got readers faster than I thought. The first few

months was a bit like taking to myself, but then it

gradually got more popular. I had a goal for a certain

amount of readers for when I had been blogging for

one year. At the one year mark the amount of readers

was higher than my original goal, so that was nice. I

did everything I could think of to try and get loyal

readers but I was not certain if people would be inter-

ested in the beginning.

Do you think the level of popularity will rise such

as EatYourKimchi has?

If we had even just a third of their popularity we

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would be very happy. I don't know if we could reach their popularity. They have worked really hard for years

to get where they are and I've only been blogging for a bit over a year. We recently started making as well vid-

eos and we are just trying to make things people might be interested in.

If given the chance to create your comic into a series, would you snag that opportunity? Or have you

already considered turning your comic into a series?

I have been offered a book deal, but I haven't signed yet. There are a lot of things to work out like copyright

and it is a bit overwhelming. We are trying to decide what is best for us and the comics. I'd like to have a book

published though.

Most Korean dramas are adapted from mangas. What if a popular screenwriter discovered your comics

and wanted to adapt it into a drama?

That would be pretty cool! I would like that also because it would be showing an interracial relationship in a

positive light as well.

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What are your husband’s thoughts about having a blog that shares what happens in both your daily

lives?

He is absolutely fine with it. In fact he is the one that tends to give away too much information sometimes. We

still have a very private life away from the comics and the blog and I am careful about how much of our lives I

share. I'm actually the more private one.

After witnessing how many people enjoyed your blog, was your husband inspired to create his own blog

and share his own comics?

For him it was more about sharing information about Australia with Koreans. He has a lot of experiences and

helpful advice for Koreans that would like to travel to Australia. He gets asked a lot by friends and acquaintan-

ces. A lot of Koreans come to Australia as students or on working holiday visas and don't know much, so my

husband likes to try and help, as well as sharing his own experiences.

Recently, you decided to hold a meet-up. What was it like meeting people—fans that read your comics?

It was really awesome. It is interesting to see the variety of people as well. There are people who are heavily

into Korean stuff, people who are more into comics in general and those who are in a similar relationship to

my husband and I.

What’s next for My Korean Husband?

We are currently working out a book deal

with a Korean publisher. We are being

filmed a little bit by EBS, an educational

channel in Korea and we are hoping to

create lots of cool videos and comics. I've

been working unpaid for over a year in

order to build up the blog, so the next

step is to have sponsors. That will take

some pressure off my husband who

works hard, and give us more freedom to

create more things for the blog. We plan

to move to Korea next year (and stay for

2 years) so if I can help support us by

blogging it will make us really happy.

That's the plan at the moment.

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The release of her first novel,

The Longings of the Wayward Girls,

landed on the shelves of bookstores

summer 2013; and author Karen

Brown was excited for readers to fi-

nally be able to jump into the novel’s

thrilling suspense and mystery. Writ-

ing stories has been one of Brown’s

favorite pastimes during her child-

hood where she and her sister would

imagine and type stories on their lit-

tle typewriter. Her success is eminent

as her work has been featured in The

PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, Best

American Short Stories, The New

York Times, and Good Housekeep-

ing, as well as numerous literary

journals. In addition, she has also

published two collections of short

stories: Pins and Needles and Little

Sinners and Other Stories.

Little Sinners and Other Stories was

the winner of the Prairie Schooner

Book Prize, and it was also named a

Best Book of 2012 by Publishers

Weekly. She was kind enough to

take a break from her busy schedule

to give us an interview about her new

novel.

By Mischa Temaul

Karen Brown

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Tell us a bit about The Longings of the Wayward Girls. What inspired the novel?

I grew up on a quiet suburban street in Connecticut surrounded by woods and the pastures of a nearby dairy

farm. There was always a group of kids with schemes and plans—sometimes it was building a tree fort, or put-

ting on a play, or the annual Haunted Woods, where for a dime kids could be led through the woods and fright-

ened out of their wits. I really wanted to set a book in a place like this, and to somehow capture the quirkiness

of the games we played. I feel kids incorporate parts of the adult world into their play, and somehow I thought

I could capture that. I also knew I didn’t want to write a book solely about a child, so it became more about the

main character, Sadie, as an adult, and the effects of a particular childhood summer on her life in the present.

Are the events in the book based off of someone you know or are they completely fictitious?

I remembered a trick a friend and I played on a younger girl—maybe she was following us around, or trying to

be part of our group, and we were very particular about who was allowed in. We pretended to write to her as a

“farmer boy,” and we hid the letters under a stone at the dead end near my house. I think we may have gotten

her to write back one or two times. It was a cruel thing to do, and I wrote a short story about a woman who re-

members this event as an adult. The novel became an expansion of that short story. Of course, I invented a lot,

and created more letters and their contents than actually existed.

The girl disappears in the book—which of course didn’t actually

happen.

Without giving away any spoilers, was there a particular

scene, or scenes, in the novel that was difficult to write?

The entire book was initially written from multiple perspectives,

and in the revision process I edited them all out, and focused on

Sadie as the main character. In doing this, I also cut many of the

plot points—so it was very difficult to work all of these details

back into the book, and have them revealed from Sadie’s perspec-

tive. But I did it!

Authors normally have an innate attachment to their charac-

ters. Did you find yourself relating to a particular character

in your novel?

Sadie, as a child, was bossy and creative, and while I don’t re-

member being very bossy, I was the oldest in my family, and I

did like being in charge of the various events and games we or-

ganized. In the book she is twelve, going on thirteen, and I viv-

idly remember this being a disorienting time. I still wanted to put

on plays, and my friends were babysitting, and moving into adult-

hood. I think I identify most with Sadie at this juncture.

How do you think your writing style differs from other au-

thors? What genre would you place yourself?

I’m not objective enough to compare my writing with other authors, and I’ve never heard anyone else’s

judgment on the subject, so I can’t say! I do know that I’ve published short stories in literary journals—but I

also had one appear in Good Housekeeping! My novel is being marketed as Women’s Psychological Suspense.

I don’t see my job as writing to a particular genre—I just write what I want, so however editors and publishers

decide to market it is up to them.

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How different is it to write a collection of short stories to writing a novel? How does the writing process

differ from each other?

The obvious answer is that sitting down to write a short story the goal is

to create a whole world, a set of characters, and an event in as few words

as possible. Because I have more practice writing stories they happen to

take less time to produce, but I’ve heard of writers who begin a story and

struggle with it, put it aside, and finish it years later. In fact, I’ve got a

story that’s been sitting unfinished for a year now. (Time to get back to

it!)

Who are some of your favorite authors that you admire?

I have quite a few favorites—in the past few years I’ve been drawn to sus-

pense, so I read and enjoyed all of Tana French’s books. I love Lauren

Groff’s work, and this summer my favorite read was Kate Atkinson’s Life

After Life. As for short story collections (which I also read and admire)

Claire Vaye Watkins’s Battleborn is amazing.

What do you like about their style of writing?

I like their way of describing the world and revealing characters and hav-

ing this mean something important to the reader. I feel that’s our job as

writers, but they do it in a way that is uniquely their own.

Do you have a specific genre you favor more in reading?

I try to read from a variety of genres—I do like dark, suspenseful stories, but any books with characters that

show me what we’re capable of as human beings, in any capacity, is a book I’m drawn to.

What are you currently reading now that you would recommend to others?

I’m reading Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead. Perfect summer book—not dark, but very funny and

wry. It came out last summer (2012), and I’m just now getting to it!

Are you currently working on anything new?

I’m taking my newly honed skills of revision and applying them to a novel I

wrote some time ago. It is also an expansion of a short story—although there are

three parts to the book, and the short story is only one section. It’s told in first-

person, which is a challenge. My biggest worry is that readers won’t like her—

she’s fairly unreliable, and her choices aren’t the best.

Lastly, what advice or suggestions do you have for someone whose desire is

to become an author?

It goes without saying that practicing your art is vital, but I don’t think all aspiring

writers understand that reading is an integral part of being a writer. You do absorb

and learn from others—so I feel it’s important to read widely.

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Global Girl Madhuri

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Unique and different, the name “Madhuri” means “made of honey” in Sanskrit; one of India’s classi-

cal language as well as the official language of the state Uttarakhand. Much like her name being unique, our

Global Girl Madhuri is equally extraordinary with her love for books, learning, music, and her passion for

becoming a nurse. She was born in India where she lived for eight years before moving to the US. “People

always try to put everyone into boxes, something they can easily use to define you, and I was the quiet,

nerdy kid with glasses in school who got the good grades, that was my box,” she says.

Judging from her photographs, that nerdy girl with glasses no doubt turned into a beautiful young

woman. Growing up is inevitable, but Madhuri hasn’t lost interest in the things she loves such as science;

ranging from neurology to marine biology. “I’m a textbook introvert and I love to learn,” Madhuri shares

with us; “I grew up in a library, I was an avid reader.” For Madhuri, books are her alternative paradise where

the pages spark life, grabbing her and transporting her to another world. Also, like many of us, music is her

other way of escaping reality. “I played the violin for 6 years in school so whether it was playing it or listen-

ing, music was my other constant.”

For many of us, we search for creative outlets to express ourselves whether as a hobby or just for fun.

Madhuri loves all the creative arts—cooking, baking, dance, fashion design, sewing, photography, and paint-

ing. She’s quite an impressive girl, but what makes Madhuri extraordinary is her dream to become a nurse;

and wanting to make a difference in the world. Although some days are difficult—whether it’s studying for

an exam or clinical—Madhuri doesn’t give up, and works harder. For us at Global FashionFlare, it’s an

honor to have her as our cover model with her bright personality and passion for her dream(s).

By Mischa Temaul

Photographs By Madhuri

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What inspired you to pursue Nursing as a

major/career?

I always knew two things for sure growing up: I

wanted a career where I could make a difference

and I wanted to work with kids. I wasn't sure

what I would do particularly until late into high

school, but once I found nursing it just fit. I

spent a year working in a new born nursery and

I feel in love with it and could not see myself

doing anything else.

During your clinicals, were there moments

when you wanted to give up (Nursing) be-

cause of the difficulties and levels of stress?

Absolutely, nursing is said to be the most diffi-

cult bachelors degree and this is based on re-

search! What really helped me is having my

best friends going through the program with me,

and to always remember to take it day by day.

Take every obstacle as a challenge; set goals

and review those goals often; see what works,

what doesn't, and why; and always be open to

learn.

What's your most memorable experience as a

Nursing student so far?

The patients are always great learning experi-

ences. I took a course in mental health last se-

mester and for a final exam grade each student

had to have a graded conversation with a pa-

tient. It was an extremely stressful day for mul-

tiple reasons and I was panicked, I was not feel-

ing very confident in myself at all. There was a

portion of the conversation where you had to

ask the patient to write down a sentence, any

sentence at all onto a piece of paper. My patient

wrote "she will make an excellent nurse," and it

was one of the nicest gestures! I still have that

piece of paper on my bulletin board next to my

desk and I use it as a reminder.

Besides Nursing, what are some other goals/

dreams you hope to accomplish in the near

future?

I would absolutely love to travel! That's a defi-

nite personal goal of mine, also I would love to

be able to speak French, Italian, and Korean. I'm

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an avid fan of photography and

I've been learning how to become

better so I would love to be able to

expand that hobby as well. Pretty

much anything that allows me to

fuel my creativity, I would love to

continue learning.

You're a lover of books, what

are you currently reading?

I just finished Pride and Prejudice

a few weeks ago, and I'm cur-

rently reading The Bell Jar by Syl-

via Plath.

Who are some of your favorite

authors?

Two of my favorite books are Ex-

tremely Loud and Incredibly

Close and The History of Love. It's

adorable that the authors of both

of these books just to happen to be

married! Sometimes it's not so

much about the stories it's about

the way they are told, and both of

these artists are so inventive about

the way they use words to spin

their stores. I'm also obligated to

include J.K. Rowling since so

much of my childhood was spent

with my head in her books and

she was essentially the one who

made me love reading so much. I

also love quite a few poets like

Pablo Neruda, Khalil Gibran,

Rumi and Charles Bukowski.

With books, they often trans-

port us to unique places. What's

one city or country that you de-

sire to visit the most? Why?

Italy! I have wanted to find myself

lost in Rome for as long as I have

known Italy has existed. To have

my own Roman Holiday like

Audrey Hepburn would be a

dream!

22

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Who is, or what is, your greatest source of inspiration?

I think the best thing about finding inspiration is that it's essentially everywhere you're willing to look. You

don't have to travel to any beautiful places or meet incredibly famous people, your own home town or the peo-

ple you meet at the grocery store can be a source just as easily. Ordinary places and seemingly ordinary people

often hold the best secrets! People are kind no matter where you go, and I think that's my biggest source of in-

spiration, when people are kinder than necessary.

In terms of fashion, how would you describe your personal style?

I would say I'm very moody, what I wear on any given day is usually based on how I am feeling or would like

to feel that day. I usually wear my brightest colors on stormy days, and my best outfits on days when I'm not

feeling my best. Your sense of style has such a transformative power on your mood, and that's my favorite

thing about fashion. You can essentially be anyone, or be exactly yourself. Pretty much anything goes!

Shoes, handbags, sunglasses--everyone has a weakness when it comes to fashion/shopping. What's

yours?

Definitely shoes! A girl can never have enough! Shoes have the power to change your life, Cinderella can tes-

tify to that.

If you had the chance to walk the runway for any designer, who would it be and why?

Alexander McQueen. It would be an absolutely dream to even go to his shows let alone walk his runway! His

shows were what made me fall in love with fashion and design. The passion he had for his work, and the im-

mense amount of hard work and detail to attention he put into every single article of clothing he ever made

was incredible! Watching his runway shows was like being inside his dreams, they were absolutely stunning!

It makes me really happy to know that he's designing for the angels now.

What about an actor or actress? Anyone particular--living or dead--you'd want to meet? Why?

Ellen DeGeneres is technically not an actress, but it would be a lot of fun to have lunch with her one day. I

think she's just absolutely hilarious, incredibly giving, and an all around good person. Also, meeting some of

the world's powerful and most influential women like Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, Oprah, and Beyoncé

would be amazing as well. It's so incredibly important for girls to have strong women as positive influences in

life and I'm sure they would all have amazing things to teach.

Let's say you had the chance to switch places with someone, who would it be and why?

I would love to switch places with Col. Chris Hadfield, who is currently living in space aboard the Interna-

tional Space Station as Commander of Expedition 35. I've always wanted to go into outer space!

Lastly, what's your motto?

It's actually something Neil DeGrass Tyson said once and I think it sums up what my goal in life is quite

nicely. "For me, I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than I knew yester-

day. And along the way, lessen the suffering of others."

24

Madhuri’s Bookshelf

Are you a booklover like Madhuri? Our Global Girl snapped a few

photos of her bookshelf and shared it with us.

25

Top 10 Favorite Books

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

2. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

3. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery

6. The God of Small Things by Arundati Roy

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

8. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

9. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

26

Global Spotlight

Passport to Manila "I Keep Coming Back To Manila"

A closer look at the Philippines, its people, and the idea of happiness and self-fulfillment.

By April de Guzman

"Gates of hell."

The term a writer has once described Manila (the capital city of the Philippines) on his latest fiction

book. But, even with whatever reasons he has in mind for coming up with this, the idea is apparently sub-

jective for whenever foreign musical acts/actors/tourists would come for a visit, they have mostly good

feedback for the people and the place. I cannot help but wonder, what is it that is so special about Manila,

and other parts of the Philippines, that most foreign people could not resist that they keep on coming back?

The paradise-like beach? The ethereal mountains? The night life?

As I was searching for reasons, I came across this line from Marcel Proust and bam! "The real voy-

age of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." And with this new vi-

sion, let me introduce to you and take you to a quick trip to my homeland.

Of History, Facts and Fabbity Fab

The Philippines is an archipelago, composing of 7,107 islands/isles, located in Southeast Asia.

27

Having said that, there are plenty of good beaches all throughout the country that one will truly enjoy

(Boracay's white sand beaches, Siargao's surfing and water adventure, the beauty of the Hundred Islands in

Pangasinan and the hidden treasure of Nasugbu, Batangas). The Tubbataha Reef in Palawan is also said to be

one of the best underwater attraction/wonders of the world.

Being a colony of

Spain hundreds of years

back, Catholicism and

Christianity may have to

be the leading religions

of most of the natives.

Art plays a main

part of the cultural heri-

tage. It has been found

out through a study that

early Filipinos have carv-

ings and drawings on

caves, and communities

and facilities.

Also, people are

inclined to music, sports

and entertainment. There

are even some Filipinos

who are given the chance

to share their talents in-

ternationally and are slo-

wly making their names

known all over the world.

Ever heard of Charice

Pempengco or the pair of

brothers from Mindanao

who were featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US? Or, the part-Filipino blooded Apl.De.Ap (of the

Black Eyed Peas), Jessica Sanchez (a runner up from American Idol), and Darren Criss (from Starkid Produc-

tion and Glee)? Lea Salonga, a theatre actress who has been given praises for her impressive take on Les Mise-

rables' Fantine and of Miss Saigon? And of course, the 8-division world title boxer Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

who has been the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world for quite some time now?

Because it is geographically near the Earth's equator, it only has two weather seasons, the summer,

which usually starts around January to May, and rainy seasons which sort of defines the kind of fashion the

people have.

The people dress for comfort. They know how to adapt with the changes in the trend.

Noticeably, a reoccuring trend this year, especially during the summer, are the light, fine, silky blouses

for the girls.

Flip-flops and sandals never go out of style. How comfy would it be to flaunt that beach body with

your beloved flip-flop, right?

During the rainy season, jelly shoes and flats made

out of rubber are the basic thing. There are even some desi-

gned for the boys.

High Ends

If you are the party-goer type then there are also places in the

Philippines that will definitely suit your "needs". Bonifacio

28

High Street in Taguig offers a huge variety of night life and hangouts.

Eastwood Libis in Quezon City, also in the metro, provides plenty of

bars and restaurants to choose from. Boracay beaches even have some

fire dancing attractions each summer night with parties held near the

shore. It should be real hot and fun!

Summer Capital

Filipinos have a

knack for festivals and celebrations. In fact, there are festivals in

almost every island of the country every month depending on

the patron saint of a place, special holidays, and occasion. For

example, General Santos City in Mindanao has a Tuna Festival

while people from Cebu City celebrates the Sinulog Festival in

honor of the Sto. Niño (child Jesus) every January. The Baguio

City which is known as the summer capital of the Philippines

because of its cold temperature, holds the Panagbenga Festival

(flower festival) every February. This city is relatively colder in

temperature (17-25 degree Celcius), but is heaven to a country

that is experiencing 28-35 degree Celcius weather throughout

the year.

Our celebration of Christmas is also tagged as the

longest celebration in the world. The Christmas atmosphere is

already evident even on the earlier days of the Ber months (September) up to the celebration of the feast of the

Three Kings (this usually occurs, January 6th).

Of Sweet Tooth and Foodies

Who doesn't love good food? Filipinos can not resist that for sure. We eat, we celebrate—an evidence

of why we are one of the happiest people on Earth. The atmosphere is always festive and the people are always

inviting. Every visitor should try the famous "Pork and/or Chicken Adobo”, "sinigang" (tamarind soup-like),

or "kare-kare" (a delicious mix of veggies and meat) if given the chance to enter a native's house. Not only is it

tasty, but you'll surely enjoy the person's company and the hospitality of the people around.

Like dresses, which should be paired to perfection, there are some local delicacies that should also go

hand-in-hand. Puto (rice cake) and dinuguan (pork's blood), tuyo (dried fish) and champorado (chocolate por-

ridge), mangga (green mango) and bagoong (fish/shrimp paste) are some of the mouth-watering goodies that

will keep you wanting more.

You may also try the exotic dishes that certain places offer if you are up for some food adventure. We

have sautéed frogs, fried snakes and bugs, nido soup (bird's nest),

and the alamid coffee that's made out of the animal's poop (Yup.).

But, before you go "Ew", it. wouldn’t really hurt to try it.

29

The Welcoming Hand

and Warmest Smile

As polluted as Ma-

nila can get, and as bad as

the traffic on the main

roads may seem, the big-

gest asset has to be the

people. Filipinos are al-

most synonymous to the

word "hospitality". They

treat each visitor/tourist as

family. They are hospita-

ble to the point that they

make them feel loved and

at home, keeping in mind

that it is hard to be in a

foreign country on your

own. They adapt to what-

ever the situation requires

of them. And, that is more

than enough to eradicate

the bad impressions one

may initially have.

As for me, it is so

rad to be able to travel to

different places and ex-

perience the difference in

culture of the locations,

but I can't think of any

place that I would want to

live in other than my

home country. I'm not say-

ing that it is the best, for it

is not, or that you should

go and transfer here, but...

it is home.

The Philippines

may not be the richest

country when it comes to

monetary and finances,

but come to think of it,

when you do not have

everything and you are

able to utilize and be satis-

fied with the things that

you have, it is something.

And to me, that is

enough.

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