I’ve had a blog since 2002 or 2003. I’m not exactly sure when, and there’s no way for me to verify, because I’m one of those people who have those mad moments when they just wake up one morning, feel like being a totally different person, and decide to erase their lives thus far. I’ve burned so many journal pages and deleted several blogs, I can’t even remember most of them anymore.
I’m now smart enough not to even start journal writing—January last year was my final attempt, and I only got as far as March—but I still maintain a personal blog. It has a deletion rate of once every 1.5 years or so, but I’m still posting. It’s not an account of my life as much as it is a means for me to send out my thoughts and ideas to anybody who cares to hear me out—sort of an email blast to friends and strangers and a handful of stalkers. I’d be the first to say nothing very interesting is going on there, for now, at least, but I’ve been reading up on personal branding and I’ve been repeatedly getting the message that in this The Age of Google, having your own blog is the best way to start. Okay, okay, noted.
But really, sometimes, the lives of other people (preferably famous) are so much more interesting, don’t you think? I like to keep myself semi-updated on several celebrity and semi-celebrity blogs. I count three as my favorites: Lea Salonga’s The World According to Manang (bigsis222.multiply.com), KC Concepcion’s Multiply blog (kooki.multiply.com) and Ala Paredes’ Alaism (ala-ism.pansitan.net). Four, if I include Ala’s sister Erica’s blog Rhymes and Ammo (hopefulrealist.blogspot.com), which I actually get to read more often because it publishes RSS feeds. It should be five, but the last entry on Paula Peralejo’s Xanga (xanga.com/hipstah) dates as far back as 2006.
The one thing these blogs have in common is that most of their entries are not only entertaining, but also contain nuggets of wisdom in them. Visiting their blogs, I not only get my celebrity-curiosity fix, I also don’t feel too guilty about investing valuable time on, well, useless online rubbernecking.
Lea’s is pretty engaging because you get to see the mom side of her, and you also get to see how wise a woman she really is. Both Ala’s and Erica’s are also enlightening, because they’re both very candid about their lives. Most of Ala’s entries are now about life as an immigrant in Australia, and Erica’s recent entries are on how she’s coping with yet another breakup. KC’s blog is very refreshing because of her Pinoy pride.
Another blog I occasionally check out is Bianca Gonzales’ The Diary of a Supergirl Wannabe (superbianca.blogspot.com). Her blog reflects the spunk, personality, and grace that make her one of today’s young icons. She’s pretty funny too.
A new discovery is Camille Prats’ Multiply (camsprats.multiply.com/blog), where she recently wrote about her new baby and a revealing entry on how she chooses to live her life: “I am the only one who can fight for the life of my child. And I will do it no matter what the world throws at me. Because I know it’s all worth it.”
And then there are blogs of former stars, like that of Paula’s. It made for an enjoyable read to know what her post-showbiz life is like as a full-time student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman (she’s about to complete her Philosophy degree, possibly magna cum laude), how passionate she is about animal welfare, and how she was also selling clothes and other pretty stuff as a sideline business venture. I have no idea why she stopped writing, but I’m just guessing it’s somehow related to the fact that she’s running for honors.
Another former child star who maintains a blog is Chuckie Dreyfuss (chuckiedreyfus.com). His work is now more behind-the-scenes (he wears many hats, one of which is as a composer), but it’s good to know he’s still sharing his talents. He writes about family life, film, and his personal relationship with God. Also worth a look is another site Chuckie maintains, Nakanampucha: A Compilation of Everything Hilariously and Irritatingly Pinoy (nakanampucha.wordpress.com).
To know more about other celebrities who have blogs (like Aiza Marquez, Angelica Panganiban, and Aubrey Miles, to name just those whose names begin with the letter A), look up the list on pinoyblogopedia.org. If this doesn’t work for you, you can try the six degrees of separation way—by checking out the contact lists or blog rolls of the current celebrity blog you’re visiting. But I wouldn’t do this—unless I didn’t have a life of my own to blog about.
Email your comments to alricardo@yahoo.com. You may also text them to 0920.273.7087. Please remember to mention your name in your text messages. You can also visit my personal blog at http://althearicardo.blogspot.com.