ECLECTIQUE.

         The salwar kameez is a dress that is worn on a daily basis due to its comfortable cut. Salwar or pyjamas are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. On the other hand, churidars are common variants of the salwar. These are trousers that are tightly fitted by the legs and a little longer to make it look like a set of bangles are resting on the ankle. The extra material makes it easy for the person to move and sit down because the cut is already tight in the first place. As the top, a kameez (tunic) or kurti (loose overshirt) is partnered. A whole lot of prints, styles, designs and price range of salwar and churidars are available in the market. Even if it's for daily wear, it still is hard to choose one when you are put in a situation with so many jaw dropping pieces.

Thank you for making time to read my blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing  about the beauty of my country's fashion and culture!

                          Until next time, 

                          Khushi Ramchandani :)

In today's blog post, I will talk about the presidential candidates' background and platforms to enlighten you readers more about the running candidates. 

Platform: First, Binay's objective is to widen the social inclusion/improvement or basic services. Second is to have a healthy economy or to have an economic dynamism. Third is to have an effective and sacrificing authority. He also wants a caring governance. 

Background: Binay graduated at University of the Philippines for high school and finished college at the Philippine Normal College Training Department. He got his degree in political science at University of the Philippines Diliman in 1962. At the year 1986 to 1987, he was appointed as Mayor of Makati City. 1988 to 2007, he was seated as the Mayor of Makati. October 21, 2009, he was in a tandem for the 2010 elections, running for Vice President of the Philippines. He eventually won the position and is currently the Vice President of the Philippines. Binay has recently been caught on a corruption case, although the issue is still not resolved. 

Background: Rodrigo graduated high school at the Holy Cross of Digos at 1966. He took the course of Law at San Beda College in Manila. At the year 1972, he graduated and passed the bar exam at the same year. He was a special counsel at the year 1977 to 1979. He became a prosecutor right after at the year of 1979 to 1986. He was appointed Vice Mayor in Davao at the year 1986 to 1988. He then became the Mayor of Davao City at the year 1988 to 1998. He paused from his Mayor position and became a Congressman at the year 1998 to 2001. Then again, he became the Mayor of Davao. he consecutively switched from Vice Mayor to Mayor and is now currently the Mayor of Davao since 2013. Rodrigo faced an issues about excessive cussing and rumors of him killing people. It became a hot issue across the nation since he cussed Pope Francis over traffic during his visit. Although with all the flying rumors and talks around the country, Duterte does not care less about the issues. 

3. Mar Roxas 

Platform: He is part of Noynoy's project, "Daang Matuwid". He would want to continue the project "Anti-Corruption" if he is elected President. "There is no force stronger than the force of good people coming together with good leaders. Everybody has a 'pangarap'. Everybody wants a 'pag-asa'. They're the two most powerful motives. But we now have shown them that their 'pangarap' has hope." says Mar. He also wants an effective and compassionate administration.

Background: Mar attended grade school to high school in Ateneo De Manila and graduated at the year 1974. He attended Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated at the year 1979. He became active in politics and became part of the House of Representatives at the year 1993. After his congressional stint, he was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry and then after in 2004, he was elected to the Senate with a staggering 20 million votes, the largest ever obtained by a candidate in any Philippine election. 

Platform: Poe wants to resolve the problems in the health sector. She wants to resolve the issue of the West Philippine Sea, the problems in traffic, the unfixed service of internet, the talks on climate change and giving proper amount of food, especially to children. 

Background: She is the least experienced out of all the candidates. She studied high school at Assumption High School. For college, she attended University of the Philippines Manila at the year 1986-1988 under the BA development studies program. She received teitary education at the Boston College, degree in political science. She is the chairperson of Public Information and Mass Media. She is also the first lady senator to serve as chair of the committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

Platform: Miriam wants to fund for the public infrastructures, agriculture and people. She wants to fight against drugs and for pollution to look for ways for pollution to decrease. She wants to implement these projects per region/province to guarantee. 

Background: Miriam is considered to be one of the most intellectually brilliant leaders that our country has ever seen. She was class valedictorian at all levels – elementary, high school, and college. She has earned the degrees Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude; and Bachelor of Laws, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines. She went abroad and earned the graduate degrees of Master of Laws, and Doctor of Juridical Science, from the University of Michigan, one of the top three law schools in the United States. She finished the academic requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Religious Studies, at the Maryhill School of Theology. She is a senator at the republic of the Philippines. she was elected by States Parties to Rome Statute as judge of the International Criminal Court for nine-year term. She is the first Filipino and first Southeast Asian from a developing state to be thus elected. Miriam has an outstanding background and has countless of achievements as a politician. Although at July 2 at the Senate's Sumulong Room, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago announced, "I have cancer of the lungs, which makes it hard for me to breathe." Her cancer was announced to be the 4th stage which is the last stage. Despite the disease, she still continued her candidacy for presidency.

       As a minor who still has no power to vote, it is still important to be aware of the political issues happening. We should stop being ignorant about the issues happening around us for a change. Since I am still unable to vote, I still participate by watching and reading articles regarding the current happenings. It is only not interesting, but it helps me gain more knowledge on the candidates for presidency. As much as i want to vote, the least i could do is state my opinion and influence my family members to vote for this certain candidate.

      With these five candidates, we see their personal backgrounds and contributions to the country. We may not be aware of their whole background but with enough information, we get an idea on who to vote for on the upcoming elections. They may not be perfect and each and every one of the candidates has something lacking, but with the right vote and critical thinking mindset, we all have the power to change the country. It's up to us as Filipino citizens to choose our "right" leader. Which poison will you pick? Who will you vote for?

Always remember to vote wisely!

J A N E 

Based from what I've been hearing all around campus, most students are anxious and apprehensive about their upcoming years in Senior High School. Of course, I had the same burning feeling of anxiety, but SHS is something you shouldn't be afraid of. I have learned a handful of lessons, not only from my subjects, but life and the environment around me. Although, it is something that you should take very seriously and put all your efforts in everything you do. In short, Senior High is the foundation of your college career and your career in the future, as well. In this case, all students are to be treated like college students and here are just some simple tips to get you ahead and make your journey less rocky. Mind you, that these tips are mostly collected from my personal experiences in my SHS career.

Have, at least, TWO gadgets ready and charged. I usually bring my phone and my iPad and with two gadgets, surfing and searching for information is far faster than just using one gadget. One gadget for typing and one for surfing (Sometimes, you can even listen to music if your teacher gives you the permission to do so.). For me, the best gadget you can bring to school is your laptop --- As long as it has MS Office and a stable wifi, then you're good to go! Remember: Gadgets are allowed in SHS, but that doesn't mean you can use it anytime you like.

Be organized and make a 'To Do' list for your homeworks and projects! I'm one of those people who lack skills in time management and organization when it comes to my priorities. Without organizing, you will more likely end up procrastinating and that will be one of the factors of low grades. Teachers in SHS are stricter and once they announce the due date, that is the due date and there are no exceptions, so do things on time! It will be your saving grace.

Take notes, at all times! This is one of the biggest lessons I've learned this year --- your notebook will be your anchor, keep it safe and keep writing on it! You don't necessarily have to make reviewers when there's a test, because everything you need to know is on your notebook. Also, there is a discovery that if you write on paper, the more you will likely remember it (think of it like muscle memory!).

Google Docs is your new best friend! There will be plenty of type-written works in SHS, hence the use of gadgets. Although, you may have your trusty MS Word, but when it comes to group works, Google Docs is coming to your rescue. Google Docs is far more interactive and multiple people can open the file at once, making the process of working much faster. 

Learn how to work independently! While being in a group is much more comfortable, you should expose yourself outside of your comfort zone. Feel the stress and experience the struggles of working alone. It may sound harsh, but you will find out more about yourself like your strengths and weaknesses. Once you finish your work, you will feel contentment, knowing that you gave your best efforts and you, yourself can attest to that. More importantly, it will train you and prepare you for the real world and college life!

Senior High is not easy, but with the right mindset and positive attitude, you will come out as a new person with a wider perspective. 

          Summer is just around the corner and I can't wait to enjoy the bright sunny days and the trips that we have yet to book! Schoolwise, we are nearing the end of the academic year and for me, I take it as a blessing and an exciting event. Because we have a different curriculum now, I get to be classmates with the people I am with this year, for the next school year! Isn't that something to look forward to? Anyway, enough with the chit chat. I am here to talk about some of my favorite items that I wish to have for this Summer. These are not just any ordinary set of items for Summer, but instead, this can also be considered as a guide for you to enjoy this season in a fashionable and quirky way! With out further ado, let me take you to my Summer wish list for the year 2016! 

          First up is my all time favorite out of my wish list! It is the Wah in Private Plane (left) and the Wah Pink Nail Art Pen (right). I chose this brand because in the numerous YouTube tutorials that I've watched, the formula of this nail polish seems to glide on ever so smoothly without any troubles and I always notice that there are only minimum mistakes when applying this. In their Instagram account, I can not stop scrolling down because of how beautiful their nail art designs are on their models and as a nail art enthusiast, I love seeing very intricate and detailed designs and I also love practicing these designs on my own nails, although I would always need a bottle of Acetone beside me since I make tons of mistakes. But I guess with more practice, it gets better and better!

          Makeup is also a passion of mine and I always find myself watching Youtube videos on how to do glamorous makeup or simple daytime makeup looks each and every day! Through this, I've familiarised myself with one of the best makeup brands out there but at the same time, it wouldn't cost you that much. This eyeshadow palette from Tarte, Tarte in bloom, is just so beautiful in so many ways. There are eyeshadows that have shimmer to it, and there are some that are plain matte and that is what I like about the palette and it's because their eyeshadow formula is so pigmented that with one swipe, it is enough to fill in a whole eyelid! And also what I like about this is that the colors are very neutral and it can be worn for both daytime and nighttime. I personally haven't tried this yet but based on the tutorials that I have seen that used this palette, it seems to have gotten a lot of positive reviews about it and I really look forward to having my own Tarte eyeshadow palette and use it during Summer!

          During the summer, it can get really, really hot and as we all know, too much eye contact or exposure to sunlight can be bad for your eyesight because of its UV rays. So, in order to stay fashionable and yet protected during the Summer, I chose Quay for the sunglasses because I personally think that they look adorable and classy! The mirror lenses do such a great job at protecting your eyes because it decreases the light passing through significantly! I bet these would be really helpful during the Summer, especially for a person like me that wears glasses everyday. (and no, it's not a good thing!)

          You might thing "why would anyone wear heels during Summer?" Well, who said it was prohibited to wear heels on Summer days? Who knows, you might start loving heels during the Summer once you wear it! Trust me, having at least one pair of heels are just as important as having a pair of sneakers! I really love these Stilettos from Louboutin because first of all, red-bottoms are so classy and in! And second, Louboutin stilettos are so simple to the eyes and that is a good thing because it can make up your whole outfit and make you look very elegant at the same time! I can already imagine myself wearing these to a casual Summer day out with the whole family and of course, special events as well!

          During the Summer, street fashion is always the trend and a lot of people find it really easy to dress up in because a pair of ripped jeans and a lose shirt is all you need to get through the day with style! I specifically like these pair of jeans from American Eagle because they look so stylish and sophisticated without being too loud. A plain white or off-white shirt can also go very well with ripped jeans since you wouldn't want to wear very dark and thick shirt for it absorbs more heat. Loafers and slip-on shoes are a necessity of mine for the Summer because if I will be going on long walks with my family or friends, I don;t want my feet to get tired very easily since I would just want to relax during the day.

          There will be outings and long road trips around the country if you are planning one with your family and the first thing you will need is a backpack that doesn't become too cluttered nor bulky. The Dawson Backpack from Herschel is one of the items in my wish list that I really want to own for myself. It doesn't look like it can bring a lot of stuff and for me, I take it as a challenge to only pack the most important things I need for a trip and not be that person that brings a ton for clothes just for a one-day trip. Nu-uh. I've always been taught by my mom to be a light traveller and I think I've been doing quite well at it these past few trips to different countries. I like this backpack specifically because it looks very simple and compact, and it can be used in other occasions as well like going to the malls or just going to a nearby café to do some work. During the Summer, I would really use this a lot since I, myself, like to bring things with me whenever I go somewhere with my relatives!

          We have come to the end of my blog entry and I really hope that you, as readers, have somewhat attained information from my personal wish list! I hope that we will be able to make most of our own Summer days and enjoy it with the people that we love the most in our lives. With that, I'd like to end this with my most sincere thanks for spending your precious time in reading my heart-filled personal entry and I hope you enjoyed it!

All the best,

NIKKI

Photos taken by Czarina Castro

As a child to a pre-teen, I loathed reading because of the blank pages full of words I couldn't comprehend. My mom urged me to read the classics, but I ended up putting the book down after a few pages. My family was exasperated with me because they all loved reading and their huge collection just shows how much they do. I went on and on about how reading and books are boring and they were just a waste of time --- Oh, how wrong I was. One time, I saw my sister reading one of the books in the Percy Jackson series (Mind you, it is a starter pack for a beginner bookworm) and I found myself in love with it. About a hundred books later, here I am, completely and madly in love with fictional characters and their worlds. 

Everyone encounters what they like and dislike in life. I've found books that I have absolutely adored and books that I felt disconnected to. From a bookworm to another, the best book out there is the one who will break your heart the most and the plot that will turn your heads around. Through all the books I've finished, I found myself going for the fantasy, fiction and action genre. I just love the thrill and the suspense that comes with it, not to mention the universes that were intricately created and crafted. I've never really been into classics, but I'm trying as hard as I can to do so because I believe that books are considered classics for a reason and I'm looking forward to start reading soon.

The Red Queen series is one of those books that broke my heart and challenged my mind to solve the missing puzzle pieces. It's one of those dystopian young adult novels that are in trend right now, but I assure you that Red Queen stands out among them. It is not the cleanest book for it sheds a little bit of blood, but what matters the most is the essence of the story. It was written by the best-selling author, Victoria Aveyard. Victoria graduated from the University of Southern California and she wrote Red Queen a year after. 

Red Queen focuses on two factions of the world, the Silvers and the Reds. The Silvers or "silver blooded" are the ones blessed with different powers. It ranges on from water manipulation to mind manipulation. While the Reds are deemed to be the ordinary citizens, the book describes the Reds to be filthy and have streaks of white hair because of their unfavorable conditions. In short, the Silvers look down upon the Reds because of their lack of capabilities. Although, Mare Barrow, a Red --- finds out that she holds the power a Silver can only acquire from birth. Once the royal family found out about Mare's abilities, the kingdom has gone into chaos and she found herself entwined with the people who brought pain to her fellow Reds.

Without giving anything away too much, this book is realistic. Yes, it is fantasy, but Mare's personality holds true to reality, as well as the other characters. The first time I read this and thought about Mare's decisions, her decisions were not the smartest and due to impulsiveness. I shall point that Mare is only fifteen years old in the book and all her life, she was not privileged to get a quality education. Unlike some characters in other books, they were smart and wise at a young age, yet no one has taught them anything alike. What I love about Mare and Aveyard's writing is that she doesn't hide the unpleasant qualities of her characters in her books. Sure, I have grown to hate it, but it just shows that no character is perfect and it shows not just the tip of the iceberg. With those elements, it just makes you love the characters more. What I ABSOLUTELY LOVED about the book is the plot twist. Plot twists are things that you do not expect to happen with the ongoing plot, it usually occurs on the climax of the story. The plot twist literally broke me, because it was written so well and the queen is as cunning as she could get. The Royal Family is ruthless, but the secrecy is far more cruel than family itself. One point to Victoria Aveyard, none for Czarina!

Glass Sword picks up when the kingdom has fallen into the wrong hands and Mare has to find a way to protect the Reds who are normal and just like her. Throughout the book, she builds allies who think the same way about the new sovereign of the kingdom and they want justice given to all Reds, as well as Silvers. 

First and foremost, the relationships in these series are realistic and build up slowly, just as any would in real life. Mare's abilities and cleverness are tested in this book. She may not be the smartest, but she proves to be clever. She and Cal work hand-in-hand to restore justice in the kingdom and get the throne back to the right heir. Personally, I don't entirely agree with her decisions in the book, but it payed off in the end because she made one of the biggest sacrifice of her life. This book contains an amount of devastating deaths of characters that I have grown to love, but I guess it adds up to the thrill of the book. The story has definitely turned into a dark turn, but I found it less entertaining than the first book, but I find that it's always the second installment of the book that have the dull moments. Though, that's just my opinion. This book made me realize how vulnerable Cal is than the first book --- everything was taken from him and yet his stands tall, though the book shows how much anger and how lost he felt when it came to finding his right place. 

This book may have disappointed me slightly, the entire plot itself makes me want to read more of it because it deals with someone my age and life changing decisions. This book has taught me that sometimes there are no right decisions, one just has to choose which is the best out of all of them and life throws those situations at us sometimes.