Unisex gifts for Christmas, anyone?

Image source: www.qualityimagesearch.com

Hey, it's a few days to go before Christmas and you haven't bought gifts for your love ones and friends.

Uh-oh! Good luck in facing the dreaded Christmas rush. The only thing I can help you with guys is to suggest some unisex items that you can buy in bulk so you don't have to make a list or end up buying again a boxer for your cousin Stella.

Here are my 25 suggestions. Why 25? Go figure.
1. Tattoo shop gift certificates
2. Jacket with a letter L for Lady or Lalaki
3. Headphone
4. USB flash drive
5. Powerbank
6. Mug (make sure it has text like "Loperamide" or "Compliments of Mayor Binay")
7. That big calendar with images of Saints, Anime and LeBrom James where you can personalize by placing the surname of your recipient. Place "Happy Family" instead.
8. A bottle of Vitamin B Complex
9. Stabillo
10. Complete set of DVD of The Walking Dead (original if possible or if if you can find)
11. Movie tickets (Valid at least for a month)
12. Poster of Paul Walker
13. Casio G-Shock or Technomarine if you have money
14. Snakes and Ladders and other game board
15. Handkerchief (safe color)
16. Towel (again safe)
17. Hand soap or shower gel
18. Conditioner (I have yet to see a conditioner for men)
19. Umbrella
20. Wall clock
21. Canned goods
22. Spoon and fork
23. Kikay kit (yes, even men have that nowadays)
24. Toothbrush and toothpaste
25. or this book below (available at all National Bookstore outlets nationwide)

Being Suplado the Second Time Around

Because of the record-breaking performance of The Hunger Games movie in the box-office, the sales of the book where it was based from also soared (again) worldwide.  However, the book will have a hard time getting the top spot of the best seller list in the Philippines.

This was after multi-media demigod Ramon Bautista made a big announcement at National Book Store – Shangri-La Mall.  

“Ang librong ito ay mas okay pa sa The Hungry Games!,” Bautista said while holding his complimentary copy of Suplado Tips 2 by Stanley Chi.

He explained that if you save the money intended for The Hunger Game book and instead use it to purchase a copy of Suplado Tips book, you’ll still have enough money for a value meal that will spell out your hunger. What a clever suggestion, indeed.

Actually, it was also Ramon Bautista who convinced me to get a copy of the first book via his moving testimonial, “Simula ng tinuruan ako ni Stanley Chi na maging suplado, nawala ang ubo ko!” Perfect for someone like me who has asthma.

The first book includes the 10 Suplado Commandments to remind grumpy people how to behave against people accordingly, the Suplado Meter to measure the level of angst in you and comic strips in case you lost interest in reading text entries.  

I became an instant fan of Stanley Chi after reading the book while attending a business lecture.  Thanks to this book, I had fun during the workshop and got my certificate at the end of the day. I thought this was never possible. 

And so, I am one of those who waited for Stanley to come out with a second book.  Alas, I think he heard my prayers (which I posted on his Facebook wall). And what a great way to get the Suplado Tips 2--- via an ultra kewl book launch!

DJs Ramon Bautista and Tado Jimenez with Stanley Chi

The “second coming” offers plenty more funny yet useful banter for moments you like to make a statement. There are more comic skits, laughs and other surprises (parang noontime show lang, no?).  I wish I would be given a chance to share my suplado story in the third book like the contributors whom Stanley invited in book 2.  It just proves that being a snub can get plenty of attention after all. 

Tado Jimenez, my idol from the wacky cult TV series Strangebrew, also attested to the "power" of the said book.  He confessed, "Yung binigay mong kopya ng libro tinanggap sa gas station nung magpakarga ako kanina. Fan mo (Stanley) kasi yung gasoline boy."

Anyone can relate to the many tips of Stanley Chi since (I hope it’s safe to say this) that there is a suplado side in each of every one of us.  For the non-suplados (Che! Umamin na kayo), you’ll learn great advices like “Kung nagpapa-picture ka, siguraduhin mong yung ngiti mo sa picture at sa toong buhay ay pareho!” (Now that's a direct hit on many FB profile pics that we say everyday) 

Suplado Tips 2, Chi’s newest book, shall be available online through www.psicompublishing.com and may be found in Fully Booked and National Bookstore outlets all over the country (unless his fanatic followers beat you to it).

For more updates on Stanley Chi’s Suplado Tips 2 and to join the Suplado Society of the Philippines, feel free to contact and stalk him at www.stanleychi.net. Catch more updates on the Suplado Tips Facebook page.

The Watch that will make you Gwapo!

Suplado is the new sexy. This catchphrase is inscribed on the Suplado Watch, Stanley Chi’s exclusive timepiece from UniSilver Time. No, it’s not just some silly slogan. Or maybe it is – and therein lies its appeal.

Suplado Tips, Stanley Chi’s most recent book, has sold thousands of copies in less than three months. As the book continued to exceed expectations, corporate giant UniSilver Time knew better than to shrug it off as a mere fad. UniSilver Time came out with a watch that just might become as iconic as the book that inspired it: the Suplado Watch by Stanley Chi. 

The Suplado Watch is a digital timepiece available in black and white, with the tagline “Suplado is the new sexy” stamped on the strap.

To match the brazen humor of the timepiece, the ad poster shows local celebrity Iya Villania chasing after Stanley Chi, apparently made irresistible by his Suplado Watch.

The many retorts in Chi’s book, Suplado Tips, show off an unapologetic candor that is relatable yet funny, making suplado the new “it” thing. Being suplado (roughly translated as “standoffish”) has become an unorthodox trend in Philippine pop culture. It dares to stand on the edge of convention, a way to vent frustrations by walking away from what would have been a compromising situation, with one’s head still held high.

Because of the success of Suplado Tips, the country’s pop culture watch birds soon took notice. Spot.ph, a top online news provider in the Philippines, lauded Chi as an unconventional hottie. To quote, “Stanley's hot factor recently jumped from being simply nerdy college-boy crush to sexy hard-to-get hottie when he started dishing out Suplado Tips that apparently drive Pinays wild.” FHM, one of the country’s leading men’s magazines, also featured and depicted a few of the suplado tips from Chi’s book. Undeniably newsworthy, Chi’s iconic book was then featured in Yahoo! Philippines.

Chi’s suplado campaign is arguably the most sellable concept to grace the Philippine market this year. People who want a copy of Chi’s book often find themselves empty-handed; despite being available at all National Bookstore outlets nationwide, Suplado Tips is usually sold out. And if everybody starts wearing the Suplado watch, it will come as no surprise. 

As Chi says with pride, “Daig ng suplado ang gwapo (Suplado beats being handsome).” Owning a Suplado Watch is then a way for a suplado to show off without saying a word. Who knows? It may even have special powers to ward off bullies and other evil spirits.

The Suplado Watch by Stanley Chi is now available at unisilvertime.com and all UniSilver Time stores nationwide. 

For more suplado stuff, visit http://www.stanleychi.net. 


* This article was written by fellow bloger Stef dela Cruz

The Suplado Show: Snubbing it is not an option

 

How do you spend a stormy weekend with only a few hundred bills in your wallet and hope that you’ll see beautiful people and have the time of your life?

Pray hard.

Well, I did and I was invited to the Suplado Show held at the Grillery Café in Makati City last August 26.  The weather was not cooperative which changed my friend’s mind to accompany me that night.  Good thing, I have the two best-ever replacements for mga taong indyanero (tse, kayong lahat!). The replacements are the kind of people who are ready to meet you anytime and anywhere as long as you’ll have to cover all the expenses.  Nah, just kidding… these people just wants to have fun that’s why they immediately said yes when I said, “maliligayahan kayo” (which I believed they have taken seriously and expecting something kinky).

But they actually got more than they have expected (less the kinky stuff, of course) when I tagged them along to Stanley Chi’s riot of a show.

The event opened with a display of mind-boggling tricks from the man known as the Mental Assassin, Justin Piñon.  You might have seen him over TV5’s Magic Bagsik but I tell you, it’s much much better when he performs his skills live.  He did mind reading, predicted what my friend will choose among pictures displayed on stage and guessed how much money a volunteer from the audience was holding including its serial number while multi-blindfolded.

Justin Piñon

After the unthinkable, we were treated to more than a half an hour of insanity courtesy of ventriloquist extraordinaire Ony Carcamo with his good old friend Mr. Parley, the puppet who consider himself as the “pinakamalas na tao sa buong mundo.”  The duo was hilarious and presented new materials mixed with some classic jokes delivered in a way it will make you laugh like hell.  I love the way they interacted with the audience and my favorite part in their skit is their take on the popular game, Pinoy Henyo.

Ony Carcamo with Mr. Parley

I thought I have no more laughs left in my tank but when Stanley went on stage and started dishing out his own brand of humor--- tuloy ang ligaya!  He is my kind of stand up comic since he doesn’t humiliate anyone from his audience just to make people laugh.  His script was well taught and people can relate to the many amusing anecdotes he shared that night. The slumbook, the digital clock shown over RPN 9 then, and his I am Chinese moments are simply awesome.

Almost everyone who watched the show has a souvenir to bring home from Suplado/ Suplada button pins, shirts, Stanley Chi’s books (Btw, his Suplado Tips is already sold out) and Unisilver gift certificates.

With Stanley Chi and my new Suplado watch (tse!)

I am just super happy that I brought home the biggest prize of them all that night--- Php1000 worth of Unisilver GCs and the fact that I am the very first owner of the Suplado watch in the world after winning the Suplado Blog Contest.

No thanks to the heavy rain, I went home all wet (except the Suplado watch which I really took good care).  But who cares, at least I had a grand time at the Suplado Show and snubbing it is not an option.

The Suplado Experience (TSE)

Suplado!

This statement was posted on my Facebook wall by a classmate from college whom I last saw in person a decade ago.  I did not delete his post but instead placed a comment asking him why. 

After several minutes, I got a response saying that I snubbed him big time when he greeted me near the entrance of a mall the night before.  I apologized and explained my side.  I was on a rush to get home since the next day I have a flight to Cebu for a company event.  And for crying out loud! How would I recognize HIM in a dress.  I thought he or she was one of those “marketing specialists” asking people if they have credit cards that will be the key to great fortune which eventually will just end up as a monthly charge for an insurance policy for the unwilling “client.”

And besides, my last memory of him was us in a tight hug of goodbye during the last day of our Chemistry class--- which made me realized now what his hand squeezing my buttocks then means.  That pervert!

Actually, it’s not the first time that I was branded as a snub.  Some of my neighbors, especially those who just lived in our placed recently, might have such impression on me.  I can’t remember how many videoke and drinking sessions I have declined just because I am not into these past times. But the more “real” reason behind this suplado attitude is that my wife won’t let me sleep beside her when she smells the scent of liquor coming out from my mouth.  Under de saya? No, naman.  I want to believe that I am just understanding.

I am suplado. Something I hate to admit but my actions does prove that I am one.  It’s just that I am not the type who will start a conversation.  I will respond   if you’ll ask me a question and if I find that there is sense in conversing with you, I can be your best friend.

I can also be suplado even to those people I am interested to talk to because I am not good in initiating talk with a stranger.  I am still stuck with an embarrassing moment when I tried to impress someone I just met during a community work.  I found out that this pretty volunteer was interested in organizing a basketball competition for members of a youth organization and was soliciting funds to buy sports equipment. 

I have a couple of basketball in our house and so I excitedly approached her and offered my help, “I have balls but I left them at home!”

Suddenly, I heard a group of other volunteers laughing that made me realized that I just said something not right. How I wish I just stayed in suplado mode and avoided humiliation.  How I wish there was something or someone to guide me then on how to be firm suplado, proud of it and succeed.

Sayang! I only found recently about the existence of a man who claims he is funny and suplado and his book called Suplado Tips (Pa-English English ka pa, Sipain kita dyan eh!).  His surname already sounds like he’s a snub combined with a first name that means meadow that is stony, ikaw na the best ka, Stanley Chi!

Stanley started showing the world his brand of comedy via the comic strip Chopsticks for the Sunday edition of Manila Bulletin. He is also a stand up comic and a TV host for the comedy show Front Act. Libraries were never the same again when he became a certified book author.

Honestly, it was my idol Ramon Bautista, a TV and radio demigod, who convinced me to get a copy of the book via his moving testimonial, “Simula ng tinuruan ako ni Stanley Chi na maging suplado, nawala ang ubo ko!” (Perfect for someone like me who has asthma)

But seriously (heck, I never expected to use the word serious in this post), Suplado Tips is one gem of a humor book for those who wants to laugh ‘till they drop.  One can relate to the many tips since I would like to believe that there is a suplado side in each of every one of us.  For the non-suplados (tse! mga echoserang ayaw pang umamin), you’ll learn great advices like “Kung may nagsusungit sayo at sinabing mainit ulo niya dahil gutom siya, hiritan mo ng...'Hoy gutom din ako baka patulan kita'” (But this is not advisable to be used by understanding husbands like me to their wives, okay? Don’t tell me I did not warn you.)

The book also includes the 10 Suplado Commandments to remind grumpy people how to behave against people accordingly, the Suplado Meter to measure the level of angst in you and comic strips in case you loose interest in reading text entries.  

Because of the success of the book which is the fourth under his name, Stanley should start getting voice and dance lesson 'coz he might get a call anytime soon for a production number in ASAP Rocks over ABS-CBN.  Well, Stanley just joined the ranks of Iya Villania and Sam Milby as endorsers of UniSilver Time, with UniSilver Time releasing the Suplado Watch this August.   Hmm… what could be a nice background music for a Suplado interpretative dance? 

So, are you ready to be suplado, supladoer and the supladoest? Go to your suking (favorite) bookstore and grab a copy of the book in the surprisingly less than Php 100 lang price!

But wait, there’s more!  Stanley Chi is also a radiologist.  You can catch him over the Suplado Show, the internet radio on Dig Radio (formerly NU107).  Just log on to www.pinoytuner.com and get all the how to snub tips that you want.