A Princess Meets an Heiress: Meet and Greet Paris Hilton in Manila

Well, guess how I had my adventure today? It started off as an ordinary day in the mall with my mom. We were supposed to buy polvoron for my brother living overseas. But then we got distracted by all things hot pink and white...and a screen that says "Meet and Greet Paris Hilton!"

Although it may seem unplanned, we strategically plotted the polvoron-buying day today because of the news that Paris Hilton was coming to meet and greet her Filipino fans. "Not that I'm a big fan," my mommy added defensively. And then we asked the SM Megamall guy how to get the meet and greet pass. He told me to go one floor up and buy a bag from the Paris Hilton boutique. My mom and I did as advised.

I was simply looking around, tinkering the bags, analyzing how they were made, checking their quality.. doing something like a scientific study, whereas my mom, she was already holding up bags on her shoulders, looking in the mirror, marveling at the designs and then buying a big black handbag (even after telling her "we do not really need a bag. We can just see her from upstairs.") But the bag was really pretty. It has a semblance of LV.

And then, we were given this free pass. I insisted that my mom should take it. But she was overly gracious to give it to me. (Thank you mom!)

I had to undergo a 20 minute challenge of pushing my way through the crowd just to enter the Paris Hilton Meet and Green venue. It reminded me of those ol' boyband days. Anyway, I was blessed to be one of the few to have an autograph from an heiress to the Hilton Empire.

The first to have an autograph signed was Isha Dinio, Paris Hilton's number one fan in the Philippines. Imagine, she has been a fan for 11 years? I'm sure nobody can ever take beat that and steal the title away from her. I got to talk to Isha and her mom myself. Interviewed her a little bit. Little-miss-inquisitive me couldn't resist to ask what were the gifts Paris Hilton had given her.

Isha told me Paris had given her three PH bags. One was a purple bag she had her eye on ever since the opening of the store. Her dad told her to wait for Paris to arrive before buying anything. Who would have known that Isha's father held great wisdom? True enough, Paris gave her that bag.. plus two more bags filled with PH perfumes, cellphone glittering cases and other Paris Hilton memorabilia. Again, little-miss-inquisitive me couldn't resist.. I asked her to show me the contents of the bags. Well, this is for your viewing pleasure too.

Let me share with you a funny moment when my turn came. So I borrowed a silver marker (Thanks to my new friend Shame!) brought with me the black back and went up the stage. I held out the lining of the bag for Paris Hilton to sign. She took the silver marker from my hand and wrote:

"To Michelle, ♥ Paris Hilton."

I was a little bit too giddy (or maybe suffering from stage fright) that I forgot to get the silver marker back. I told the guard at the side of the stage to get it for me. He told Tim Yap who was hosting the event. Tim Yap told the guard to get it from PH's table himself and then Tim Yap turned to me and said with a smile, "Ikaw ha.. pinapakuha mo pa 'yung marker mo sa akin." David told me I should've said, "You can tell Paris Hilton to give it to me." Haha.

There. More pictures of Paris Hilton. Isn't she a beauty?

After all the hustle and bustle of lining up, I got to talk to some people from the media. They asked questions like "How do you find the bags?" "Do you think Filipinas would be able to afford them?" "How are they different from other brands?" I answered them excitedly. But what I found most difficult to answer was, "How long have you been a fan of Paris Hilton?"

"Umm... since I heard her songs?"

"Is this a dream came true for you?"

"Kind of?" Well, it is a joy to get close to people from different walks of life, isn't it?

Some people may be blond, some may be brunette, some may be tall, and some may be thin. Some may come from the West, some may come from the East. But as Maya Angelou states, "we are more alike than we are unalike." Paris may be a socialite, an heiress, an owner of a multimillion dollar enterprise, but when the spot light closes, when the make-up is all wiped away, she is more like you and me. Growling stomach when hungry. Hoping for a time of rest. Hungering for love and acceptance. Trying to fulfill a meaningful purpose. In need of a Savior. She is no different from you and me.

Now, I'm officially logging off. This is yours truly, Mitzi Uy, reporting her adventure for the day.

A Bowl of Wisdom: Being a Sanguine

I've complained to God a lot about whom He has made me to be. My weaknesses, well, they're too plenty to count. There's my gold-fish memory; I'm just uber forgetful. There's my inability to see through a plan.. my being disorganized (or differently organized sometimes), and also my un-persevering attitude. I really find it difficult to accept this Mitzi whom God has created. I wanted to have a different temperament. There were times I coveted my friends' temperaments. I wanted to be more goal-oriented like the choleric, more analytical like the melancholic and more organized like the phlegmatic. There was nothing I liked about my sanguinity. I thought I had the least of all temperaments.

Where was I again? Oh yeah, ranting. Anyway, I'll end it before I bore you to death. Have you ever felt like you are a worthless-somebody-with-no-strengths? Like you couldn't succeed in whatever you do because of your character failure? Like God has made you with some lose screws? And like all your friends have better and more promising character traits?

Once again, truth be told, you and I are not alone. I've met friends of different temperaments who are just as discontented with their personality make-up. My melancholic friend hates herself for thinking too much before going to sleep. My choleric friend has unknowingly caused some bruises in relationships. My phlegmatic friend, well, he just couldn't say "no" to people.

I'm writing this entry because recently, God has just been making me smile. He's teaching me, "Mitzi, embrace who you are. That's how I've made you to be." How? One way is God has been sending different people to confirm that my sanguinity can be a blessing. And I'm sharing this with you because you too should start to embrace who you are.

I've always been someone full of crazy ideas. I draw them in my idea notebook, sketch them on a sketch pad, play with them in my head, or just create them out of something like a shampoo bottle. What I used to see as a waste of time and energy is in fact a blessing that can be used for good. Recently, God has given me an opportunity and an outlet to use it. I just felt that when he was pointing me back to my sketchpad and pencil, that I had tucked away in years, He was leading me back to my first love. (God's indeed faithful and loving to give me my heart's desires during time of seeking.)

The "happy" disposition that I have, I also did not know could be a blessing. I thought it was just me being childlike and naive. Later I learned that the smile that I have has eased the pain of some people hurting around me. I never thought that something as small as a genuine smile could help comfort some wounds.

I'm still learning to embrace who I am, for this is part of growing in, of learning and of living God's purpose. Embrace who you are dear readers. Praise God for the strengths He has blessed you with and confess all the weaknesses you have been hiding within. Your anger, your bitterness, your fear, your doubts. These are all consequences of sin. Depend on His grace to cover you and sanctify you to a better, more Christ-like, you.

It's time to celebrate you, the person God has called you to be. You and I are called not to be a loser or a failure or a worry-wart or a mediocre. Embrace who you are and become more joyful and peaceful and thankful. Embrace who you are and let God bring out your fullest potential.

God bless! :)