Malling In Love

Another tourism program Malaysia is proud of is the Homestay Program. For RM50 a night (about P700), students can learn the culture by living with a Malaysian family, eating with them and even seeing them at work.

However, the main attraction for most Pinoys is still shopping. Kuala Lumpur alone has a wide range of cheap-to-luxe shopping establishments, and here is a quick survey of the best:

• Petaling Jaya - Petaling Street market is made for bargaining, and its night market is famous with locals. Though the usual bags, watches, clothes, shoes and fakes are on offer, you can also find Chinese artifacts, gold jewelry, gems, home décor, traditional herbal remedies, fresh flowers and textiles.

• Central Market is where you can score ethnic souvenirs. This souk-style indoor bazaar is where local artists hawk wares like batik, labu sayong (the gourd-shaped carafe Malays use to keep water cool), Sarawak pottery, and traditional Malaysian kites to fly or just hang on your wall. Non-shoppers can sit and have their portrait sketched or sip a white coffee at one of the quaint cafés.

• Mid Valley Megamall - This was the mall connected to our four-star digs, the Boulevard Hotel. Popular brands like Topshop, Zara and Mango compete with local labels like Vincci, Seed and Philosophy. Anchors include Jusco, Carrefour and Metrojaya, plus there's a one-stop IT center, Pet Wonderland, large MPH bookstore and feng shui outlet. Mid Valley connects via bridgeway to...

• The Gardens Mall - Anchored by Japan's Isetan and Singapore's Robinsons, this high-end mall -- connected to the brand-new, five-star Gardens Hotel -- features designer brands like Coach and Ted Baker. Concept store M houses labels from Tom Ford to Alexander McQueen's McQ. Local designers show their stuff at 2201 Fashion Avenue, where you can shop for batik resortwear, edgy streetwear and funky jewelry.

• Sunway Pyramid - Malaysia meets Vegas in this hotel, leisure and shopping complex housed under an Egyptian sphinx and pyramid. Sunway's 700 shops include fast-fashion and high-street stores such as Miss Selfridge and Diva accessories. For men there's Camel Active, Timberland and Valentino Creations; kids have Sesame Street.

• Starhill Gallery - Home to Louis Vuitton, this sleek mall has seven themed floors. For example, "Indulge" boasts luxury fashion brands, "Adorn" has collectible watches and accessories, "Pamper" offers wellness and beauty, and "Feast Village" emphasizes civilized dining.

Did I also mention KL has its own IKEA? With our hectic schedule, however, there was no time to even locate it.

Taken from The Philippine Star

Thank You

By Tinna Santos Bonifacio

That's what Judy Ann wants to say to her family as she prepares to leave them behind and start one of her own.

Judy Ann Santos grew up the baby of her family. The youngest of three, she displayed a mature streak early. Despite her young age, she doted on her nephews and nieces. She would change their diapers and give them a bath--in a way, unconsciously preparing herself for parenthood. As the years passed, she began praying for a child to come into her life. It was the unspoken desire of her heart. "Hanggang lumaki sila, ganoon ako. Mga times na 'yon, anak na ang gusto ko," she says.

She got what she wanted when daughter Yohanna, or Yohan, came along. But the arrival of Yohan, now four years old, brought an unexpected bonus: Ryan. And just like that, Judy Ann got more than she had been praying for. "Nung binigay ni Lord si Yohan, saka naman dumating si Ryan. Hindi anak ang binigay sa akin, kundi family."

That it should happen to her is no coincidence, because Judy Ann has always been very family-oriented. Leading the busy life of one of showbiz's youngest superstars has never stopped her from keeping her family uppermost in her mind. When her brother Jeffrey got married, she became his wedding planner, slowing down on her commitments for two whole weeks so she could give it her undivided attention. She went into business, getting a franchise of Anonymous and having her sister Jackie manage it so the latter would have something to do. They had disagreements over certain aspects of the business and how it would be run, but that never changed the way she felt about her sister. "I offered my services to Ricco and Tina Ocampo (the owners of the Anonymous chain) to be an endorser, tapos bayad yung franchise. I wanted to give my sister something to do. Pero mahirap pala 'yon. Dapat pala, sa business, hindi kamag-anak, kasi magkaka-issues kayo. Nag-away kami ng kapatid ko. Pero natuto ako na manahimik na lang. After that, masaya na lahat."

Since her early days in showbiz, she has been guided by a desire to give her family the best. Whatever they wanted, she wanted too--and that's why she worked so hard. She was driven by an inner quest for excellence and by wanting to fulfill dreams, not for herself, but for them. "Ang dream ko lang naman noon is matupad yung wish ni Mommy na mabigyan sila ng sariling property, at saka makabili ng sariling bahay...makabili ng mga properties at magkaroon ng sariling bahay. Na-achieve ko naman. At yung maging stable ang mga kapatid ko."

So now that they are okay, it is her turn to fulfill her own dreams of having a family.

But before she does, she has one last word to share with the people who stood by her. These words, more than anything she could have done or given them, speak volumes.

"Sa lahat ng mahal ko, ang sinasabi ko lang lagi, thank you. Thank you for understanding me, thank you for loving me and for accepting who I am. Thank you for allowing me to be me."

Taken from StarStudio Magazine: Judy Ann Santos Special Edition

Trading Rain Forests for Deserts

Fourteen-year old Jacinto Garcia and his family are settlers in the Amazon jungle town of Jaru, in Western Brazil.

Typical of many who can't afford to live in the city, the Garcias moved to the jungle to try to make a living. Clearing away the rain forests is their hope for the future. It means fuel for cooking and land for crops and livestock.

The rain forests around the world are being cleared at a rate of 27 million acres (11 million hectares) a year.

At this pace, most of the rain forests could be gone in 20 years. Without them, many scientists claim, the whole world could be affected.

Trees and plants in the rain forest soak up poisonous gases (such as carbon dioxide) that add to global warming or what is often called the Greenhouse Effect. The less plants, the less carbon dioxide is soaked up and the hotter the earth.

Scientists are also worried about the deserts created in the forests' place. Shortly after the land is cleared, it becomes nearly useless. Most of the soil is too poor to support agriculture and it bakes as hard as brick under the hot sun of the Equator.

The loss of thousands of species of plants and animals also has scientists concerned. The tropical forests are home to more than half of all life forms on our planet. As the forests are destroyed, so are the plants and animals dependent on them.

Who has final say on what happens to the tropical rain forests? This question has become a big controversy.

Some Brazilians claim other countries want to prevent them from tapping the jungle's wealth, perhaps so they can obtain the riches foe themselves. American scientists say it is not a local issue, but a global one. What happens to the Amazon forest may affect the whole world.

No simple solution is in sight. One thing's for sure, until a solution is found, the threat to the rain forests will continue.

-By Becky Sweat

Taken from Youth 90 magazine