You rode an airplane horse
Like Joan of Arc and her hope
With Princess Julia and Prince Justin,
Flew away from our bleak archipelago,
Across this continent of the smooth-skinned
To meet the King, your love,
For a quest to raise again our royal family,
And brought rain to Dubai.
You have rained on Dubai;
Brought the ocean to their deserts,
Watered their artificial plants,
Glistened their rough highways,
Bathed the Arabs,
Moisturized their dry skin,
And taught them to dance in the puddles.
You have rained on Dubai,
And took with you my Philippine sun.
Now I sit here in my desk;
A withered bud in the Land of the Orient Pearl,
Staring at this snow globe you left
With glitter orbiting the Burj Al Arab,
Watching over you from this crystal ball,
Waiting for you to leave the Gulf States,
And bring the rain back here.

Meeting a renowned Pinoy designer, Michael Cinco, was the highlight of my nth trip to Dubai last month. He is so unassuming that I almost forgot how famous he is. Some of his A-list Hollywood clientele include Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Mila Kunis, Paris Hilton, Tyra Banks, Rihanna, Toni Braxton, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger and Christina Aguilera.

Michael’s regular clients are Anne Curtis, Marian Rivera-Dantes, Kathryn

Bernardo, Liza Soberano, Ruffa Gutierrez and Bea Alonzo.

Miriam Quiambao and I immensely enjoyed bonding with Michael. He treated us to an authentic Lebanese dinner at the resto below his plush condominium right across the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa. Kudos to Michael for being the only Filipino designer who was invited to present his collection at the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week’s “Couturissimo,” held last July 3.

He’s world-class yet down-to-earth. That makes him all the more remarkable. Pinoy Pride is something Michael wears so well. CincOoh la la! (Visit michaelcinco.com.)

Here’s my chat (via Facebook) with Michael:

What was the Paris Fashion week experience like?

About 15 years ago I was strolling along the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries. I was so in love with the place that I had a vision and a dream… I said to myself, one of these days I’ll have my show in this stunning garden. So when Asian Couture Federation approached me to have a show in Paris, I immediately begged to hold it in Jardin des Tuileries. Showing my collection in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week has always been my ultimate dream. Seeing your collection on the runway of your dream garden is one of the greatest achievements in my life.

Among local celebs, who are the five best-dressed on your list?

Marian Rivera, Anne Curtis, Cherie Gil, Kathryn Bernardo and Liza Soberano. They all wore my couture dresses and they all looked amazing.

Any memorable moment with the celebs?

To be honest, I never met any of them. I dressed up some of the most beautiful Filipino Celebrities and Hollywood celebrities wore my clothes on the red carpet and in their music videos. When the producers of the movie “Jupiter Ascending” asked me to go to London to meet Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, I declined because I was too shy to meet them. The stylist of Jennifer Lopez asked me to meet her backstage. Also, the manager of Kylie Minogue asked me to go to her room for fitting but I just sent my assistant because I was scared and shy.

Who is the easiest celeb to dress up?

Most of them are easy to dress up because they all look fabulous in my couture dresses.

What are your three fashion do’s and don’t’s?

Do’s: Be yourself; create your own style; wear something that will make you feel confident.

Don’t’s: Don’t wear a dress two sizes smaller than your body; don’t follow someone else’s style; don’t try to achieve what you see in glossy magazines—they are all photoshopped!

If you were asked to design an outfit for President Duterte, what would it be like?

A bullet-proof couture barong.

What’s your advice to aspiring designers?

Young designers of today should realize that fashion is not all about glamour. The fashion world is very cruel. You will be judged, criticized and rejected.

It takes hard work, patience and strong determination to achieve your goals. Create clothes that people will wear. If you want to create art on clothes, make sure they will sell.

Lastly, be humble and never give up. Believe that anything in this world is possible. Believe in your dreams and if you have faith and confidence in God, all of your impalpable dreams will come true.Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/bridesmaid-dresses | www.marieaustralia.com/long-formal-dresses

Dear Patti, we miss you
We miss you so much
That there is a gaping hole
Taller than the Burj Khalifa
Left by your absence
Not a soul can replace you
You were one of a kind

Dear Patti, we miss you
You were always there for us
Whether it be the immediate family
Whether it be close relatives
Whether it be friends
So much so
That your presence was taken for granted

Dear Patti, we miss you
From your words of wisdom
To your unconditional support
From your sheer optimism
To your never-say-die spirit
From your delicious meals
To your spooky tales
From your knowledge of various topics
Whether it be cricket
Whether it be politics
Whether it be trains
To your unwavering enthusiasm

Dear Patti, we miss you
I still remember the day
As though it were only yesterday
When my dear friend
Was hopelessly marooned in her hostel
During the peak of the Chennai floods
Along with her family
It was your unconditional love
That saved the day
And my friend and her family
Can never forget you
Not just because of your timely help
But also because, to you
They were also family

Dear Patti, we miss you
You left us so soon
That we had no time to say goodbye
But you should know this
You will always live in our hearts
As a grandmother
As a mother
As a wife
As a sister
As an aunt
As a dear friend
And finally
As a human being
A very beautiful human being

Dirham comes from Greek coin, drachma
While the Abu Dhabi man hailed from Valderrama

I looked at the paper money you gave me
Its color, a mixture of green and earth

Reminding me of El Nido’s green waters
And the earth our bare feet walked

See the eagle, the mini- Burj Al Arab!
Eagle's the keeper, the other: glass of memories

Perhaps, ten dirhams were ten little Indians
Made of us -- six, three beds and a moon, gone.

Blooming flowers in desert land
Stretching greenery in yellow sand

Camel, date and oil wells
It’s just a past that history tells

Today it marked proudly its name
On top of the world in progress and fame

Arts,science and modern education
Speedy growth in space mission

Different people from different region
Varied culture, diction and religion

Bedecking them on its forehead
Glittering all as bright as rubi red

Center of tourism and trade
Points of entertainment are great

Touching the sky , burj khalifa’s height
Simply amazing palm islands site

Law and orders, duties and rights
All are equal , no compromise

Integrity, vision and commitment
Strong Tools of a great government

Busy and lively roads
With safety and peace both

East and West mingle  nicely
Smiley faces twinkle brightly

Eid, onam , Diwali and Christmas
Melody of festivities bring happiness

Carving globally its place
We salute  Arab Emirates

“ Shabistan @

ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, MY DARLING JER......

LOVE YOU MOM

Oh so scared I was, of how a MIL would be; & that too, after hearing stories weird, so many!

But our beautiful bond till you left for heaven, was so sweet, out of this world, rather uncanny!

Not just for Shez, even for Kayu, Shaunlet, Burj, Yazu n Burzee you were a wonderful Granny.

Your love so tender n genuine was; that even without saying, understood me, you !

Mom, here you were an angel without wings; but now a pair, surely, most definitely, have you;

Only thing is, now in them, I cannot see you; but you know, miss you immensely, I do !

May you to higher realms progress; n now that Vispi is there, you will be looking after him too.

Miss you all very much, I do; & awaiting I am eagerly, to join all of you.

Yours
Anar

So, there’s this place in Colorado called the Black Canyon, because it mostly is, except for a chalk-white line I’ll tell you about later.  I went there once when I was still young and cool enough that a guy in the parking lot lying on the hood of his Maverick asked me if I wanted to share a joint and watch the sun set but I told him no because I got high on nature.  So I walked past these two old ladies who were younger than I am now who were on their hands and knees because they were afraid to stand on the edge because the Park Service didn’t put railings on the rim of the Black Canyon. I looked out over the Painted Wall where a friend of mine would later jump off with a parachute and land, broken but proud, fifty million years below.  So, there’s this chalk-white line that’s a hundred thousand years thick.  And I was thinking that’s longer than all of human history, and some day, everything we’ve ever done, the Panama canal and the Burj Khalifa and the Pentagon and all of Elon Musk’s rockets (but it was someone else we were supposed to hate in those days, I think it was Ted Turner) anyway, some day all this would be just another chalk-white line on a canyon wall, and I wondered if we’d forgotten someone else who might be in that chalk-white line like dinosaur people or something.  Before I left, I scrapped my initials in the sand by the two ladies on their hands and knees who must be dead by now.

The glide of a snail
up the majestic Burj Khalifa.
The count of every drop going
down the enormous Angel falls.
The cross of a canoe
over the vast Pacific Ocean
An elucidation of my love for you

Space from start to finish
Numbers from beginning to end
Melodies from genesis to limit
An account of my love for you.

The sight of sunset or lavender fields
The sound of laughter or swaying trees
The smell of Roses or a summer breeze
An illustration of my love for you

I wish I was a Tower
with a really pointy spire,
rising like the Burj Khalifa,
maybe even higher.

I would be so sharp
that all the burdens on my head
would fall apart, and fall away,
and leave me free of dread.

tall enough to rise above
my silly little fears,
hard enough and closed enough;
immune to shedding tears.

yes, I wish I was a Tower
so my soul would live
in something strong and permanent,
something resistive.

though it saddens me a lot,
sturdy Tower, I am not.

I'm more like something that the wind could carry as it went,
something small, and feeble, something like a Tent.

:

Bushy tail and cunning guise, not enough to tell a tale about you
You have symbols written all over you yet there is always a truth untold
I should have known you breath the air of purity
Your disregard for sin is as higher as Burj Khalifa

Red for love
Your eyes only stick to your partner
You really do understand this concept even more than us human
Your loyalty is unique so as the color that covers your skin
As far as it doesn’t fade away
It signifies assurance in a million folds

My desire for true love is real
I desire the undying love of a  red fox