It's Raja!!!

Haleloo bitches, Queen Rio's back!

After a gazillion years, I'm back with a new posting. Sorry about that, been busy coz I just got a new job, and I've been shooting a new video, and having gigs everywhere, ayun busy talaga buhay ng drag queen.

Anyways, I just had to write again because I just finished watching the grand finale of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3, and as I mentioned in the title, declared as America's Next Drag Superstar was Raja!

RuPaul crowns Raja, Season 3 winner

Elegant, edgy, and exquisite, as described by RuPaul, Raja bested 12 other drag queens as the ultimate queen of them all, along with the title of America's Next Drag Superstar, tons of other fab prizes, plus, a cool $75,000! Bam! Kung ganun ba naman kalaki ang premyo talagang mag-ti-TNT na ako sa States at sasali din ako! That's around P32 million sa ating pesoses! Para ka na ring nanalo sa lotto!

Personally of course, mas bet ko ang ating very own kababayan, the Fil-Am Miss Manila Luzon, who came in second after Raja. That's the farthest a Fil-Am has gone in this competition, but at least when it comes to drag in the American scene, pasok ang Pinoy sa top as usual.  As you remember we had Ongina in Season 1 who only made it to the top 6 yata.

Manila laments her chances after almost winning the crown

What's great about Manila is her humor, saying that if Raja dies, she can take the crown, and sa Untucked, she even quipped na she'll be in the box in Season 4 -- an allusion to the surprise inclusion in Season 3 of Shangela via a Christmas gift box, after sashaying away on the 1st episode of Season 2. 

Unfortunately, it was also Manila's humor that blew away her chances, at least as far as I'm concerned.  During the lipsync for your life for the song Champion, Manila almost went toe to toe with Raja, except for this one portion:

Lipsync for your life between the top 2

Manila stuck her tongue out to add some camp feel into the song, while Raja was consistent in making it fun, classy, and  celebratory, which what the song is all about.  That gimmick worked for Manila in her first and only other lipsync against Delta Work in episode 8, for the now all-time best lipsync for your life on RPDR, the song MacArthur Park, but this time, it just didn't work for this particular song.  Champion nga eh tapos naglabas ng dila parang shunga. hehe sorry for the read Manila. Luv you pa rin!



RPDR's best lipsync ever: Manila does "MacArthur's Park"

 Anyways, I think Manila can go home with her head held up high. She won three challenges and finished as runner-up.  The 3rd place went to Alexis Mateo, who was so lucky because my other favorite, Puerto Rican drag superstar Yara Sofia, broke down during the last 4 battle.  Alexis however showed consistency, a lot of personality and humor and won 3 challenges as well.  Actually all the top 3 queens won 3 challenges so very equal yung chances nila. But in the end, Alexis was deemed too regional for RuPaul's taste, while Raja exuded that world-class appeal that is required of the title America's Next Drag Superstar. 

3rd runner-up Alexis Mateo: Bam!

Well, it will be another long wait because early 2012 pa ang airing ng RPDR season 4.  Ang suggestion nga ni Ms. Betty, Season 4 should be an All-Star edition naman, so yung mga Luz Valdez of previous seasons, pwedeng maglaban-laban for another shot. Eh di may chance pa uli si Manila!  aside from Manila and Alexis, pwede rin sali uli ang top queens ng season 1 and 2, namely Nina Flowers and Shannel (I hate Rebecca Glasscock), plus Raven and Jujubee.  Plus 6 other unforgettable queens to make it 12 in all.

We suggest 2 from season 1: Ongina and Victoria Porkchop Parker (wawa naman eh nasipa agad); 2 from season 2: Tatiana and Jessica Wild; and the last 2 from season 3: Carmen Carrera and Delta Work (Go Heathers!) And please lang, RuPaul, utang na loob, NO MORE SHANGELA!

Over all, it was a great season 3. bigger and better with 16 episodes (compared to 9 and 12 in season 1 & 2) 13 contestants (compared to 9 and 12 again); more difficult challenges (Hair Ball I think), and more celebrity judges like Sharon Osbourne, Vanessa Williams, Chloe Sevigny, Lily Tomlin, and the infectious laughter of LaToya Jackson (hihihi).

Hay, sana marami pang seasons ang RPDR until makasali na ako dun with Randiva and Ms. Betty. At kung kaming 3 ang mag-top 3 (libre mangarap baket), ang masasabi ko na lang, may the best woman... WIN!!!

Drag Queens from Outer Space: Betty La B, Queen Rio D, & Randiva

Live, Love, and Believe!!! Mwah3x

Third Time's the Charm

Been meaning to write about Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 3, but again you know your Queen Rio's super busy so ayun, kahit may deadline pa ko 2day, uunahin ko pa rin to and write it just for you.

anyways, Season 3 is getting as bongga as ever, now on its 6th episode. technically 5th episode sya pero kung isasama yung first aired episode which was the Casting Special, pang 6 na sya talaga. naloloka nga ang mga vakla sa gaytorrents kasi labo-labo ang paglabel may 5, may 6. anyway, if you're also watching the RPDR through torrents, i recommend gay-torrents.net. Every Monday nag-e-air ang show sa US, so by tuesday night meron na sha online. sa piratebay.org kasi wala pa rin. delayed sha ng one week.

so ayun, backtrack tayo para masaya. 6th episode na which is the Snatch Game. di ko pa tapos i-download kasi kaka-upload lang nya sa gaytorrents. so next time ko na lang sya ire-review. pero basically, this one is sort of a remake of the Snatch episode in season 2. ang gist is the drag queens will impersonate their fave personality and join a game called Snatch featuring 2 celebrities and RuPaul as host.

Manila Luzon, the Fil-Am contestant from New York, will impersonate Imelda Marcos. based on the trailer parang charicature-ish masyado ang panggaya nya kay imelda pero let's see. i'll get back to you after i watch the show.

Manila is already the 2nd Fil-Am to make it to RPDR. Ongina was the first to join in season 1 and everybody just loved her coz she was very talented and friendly.  Ms. Betty has even adopted Ongina's mantra which is "Life is a Celebration."

anyways, episode 5 naman was the QNN News, wherein the ladies were grouped into 2 teams and do their own morning show.  Manila won the challenge because of her zany performance as a roving reporter, albeit with some controversy because she used a broken Chinese-English accent.  Bottom 2 were Stacy Lane Matthews and India Ferrah. Tsugi si India Ferrah. dapat lang kasi sobrang bland ng personality nya. Stacy Lane naman, one of the plus-size beauties, is showing more and more personality as the season goes. sobrang okray kasi sya sa ibang contestant porke she came from Back Swamp, North Carolina na pangalan pa nga lang naman eh promding-promdi na. but i like her coz she's nice and showing potential.


Manila Luzon in her pineapple gown

episode 4 was the Totally Leotarded video exercise challenge. the ladies were also grouped into 2 teams to do their own exercise video.  the girls were judged individually though and Alexis Mateo from Petersburgh, Florida, won.  bottom 2 for ep3 were India Ferrah and the absurdly crazy Mimi Imfurst. lurkey ang "Lip sync for your Life" segment nila coz Mimi resorted to a weird gimmick of lifting India just to impress the judges. eh mas lalong na-turnoff si RuPaul who told her "Drag is not a contact sport!" ayun tsugi ang Mimi.

Alexis Mateo in her winning form -- check out the realistic breast plate!

episode 3 is one of my favorites: Drag Queens in Outer Space! as the title says, the queens did a trailer for a space-themed movie, again in 2 groups. the winning team was Team Mariah, with the TwinBots Shangela and Alexis Mateo winning the challenge. they each received breast plates from BoobsforQueens.com. yun ang dream ng dragzilla, to get those silicone breast plates worth $600-$700! any sponsors there? hehe

bottom 2 were Phoenix and Delta Work who lip synched to Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. tsugi si Phoenix.

Drag queens in character for their sci-fi trailer

episode 2, which is technically the 1st official episode, presented the 12 contestants who made it after the auditions.  the twist is, may plus 1, si shangela from season 2 who was the first to sashay away.  but because of her potentials, she made it again and rupaul gave her another shot.

the main challenge was drag christmas so the girls came out on the runway wearing their christmas couture. bottom 2 were Venus D-Lite and Shangela!!! Nakakaloka dahil shangela again found herself on the bottom 2 for the first season episode. buti na lang nagkalat si venus d-lite like hinagis yung wig nya, tinutulak-tulak si shangela, while the latter focused on her performance. ayun, tsugi si venus.

Shangela, crayola na lang munti kasi ma-tsugi again

anyway, here are the pics of all the contestants, courtesy of logotv.com:

for more info, log on to: http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_3/series.jhtml

ayun will try to tell you more next time. go watch na!

Live, Love, and Believe! Mwah3x

Drag Queen Diet

hey fans! so sorry i was incommunicado for so long. i just came back from singapore to visit one of my boy toys who works there. sobrang na-miss namin ang isa't isa kaya i had no time to even write a blog! to my honey jerome i miss you already! (oks ba ms betty, my future sister-in-law? hehehe)

anyways, for this post, i'd like to write about diets. Yezterday, super important for a drag queen to maintain a figure.  there's only so much flabs that packing tapes can cover, so dapat talaga laging slim, or at least create that illusion for our audience.



To get a Drag Queen body like Ru Paul, You Better Work!



i've been slim (ubo-ubo) most of my life. nag-start lang mag slow down ang aking metabolism when i hit 25 -- o cge na nga, when i hit 30.  after that, it's been really a struggle to maintain my weight because i tend to bloat when i get on a binging spree.  for me, it's quite easy naman talaga to lose weight as long as i put my mind to it. especially pag may performance kami, i usually diet to death about a few months before.  the hard part is maintaining that weight loss after the event!

so here are some of the diets i've tried before and how they worked for me:

1.  Skipping Meals: yes, i know it's bad but for a desperate queen who needs to fit into a sexy gown, the weeks or days before the event would often require drastic measures like yes, skipping meals. Don't even attempt this if you're not healthy. at least ako, even if i skip a meal (not more than 2 a day, once lang at most, and i didn't do it every day, at most every other day lang), i have fat reserves naman so carry na yun. what i usually did before was eat something heavy for breakfast and lunch, and then eat very little or nothing by dinner. this may be a variant of the nothing after 6 diet.

2. Magic Pupu Tea: I tried this slimming before: Pearl Green Tea which i bought at a chinese store in Divisoria pa. you take it at night before going to bed like a normal tea. then in the following morning, you pupu everything inside your stomach. para syang colonic ba. and it makes you pupu at most 3 times a day! as in ilalabas nya talaga lahat. It's like Biguerlai but less hurtful to your pwet. and super hilab din ang tyan as in mamimilipit ka sa sakit, so again i don't recommend this for long term use. siguro mga a month before you can do it daily for 3 weeks. then after that stop na.

3.  Herbalife: this product is a direct selling item. ever notice sa mga jeep and taxi yung sign na lose weight or gain weight and call me at this number xxx. yun na yun herbalife. i bought this shake na supposedly meal replacement, pero ewan ko di naman ako nabusog nagutom pa rin ako. i gave it up after 2 weeks lang yata. no effect sa kin. tapos yung agent ko ang dami pang binebenta sa kin kaya ayun dedma ko na sha ever.

4. Zhen du Shou: this is like bangkok pills from china which a friend used before her wedding and it really worked for her and another friend of ours. i think mas effective sya sa girls -- the biological ones. tayong mga psychological women hindi inubrahan sori na lang tayo. ayun na-banned na sya tuloy sa market.

5.  South Beach: maraming variants ito at interpretation, but for me, it only meant one thing: NO RICE. i did it for like 2 months and in fairness may effect talaga. BUT like in everything, your body would eventually crave for something that you denied it with. so ayun, when i stopped, i craved rice again so ayun parang wala ding nangyari bumalik din yung na lose kong weight.

6. Slimina: this is a new version of zhen du shou, which the chinese manufacturer claims as safer and made from natural ingredients and plant extracts kuning. just like zhen du shou, it causes loss of appetite so talagang di ka kakain, and supposedly it speeds up your metabolism so you will burn whatever you eat. in fairness again, if you take it religiously for 30 days, may effect sya talagang you will lose weight. and yes it's effective for both biological and psychological women.  yun nga lang may side effects: sasakit ulo mo na parang ang bigat at kailangan drinkella ka forever ng water. and sabi ni ms betty nakakabawas din daw ng libido (uuy ayaw na nya tuloy).  BUT again, once you stop taking it, babalik uli cravings mo and all.

eto naman yung mga exercise or physical activities i tried:

1. Gym: boring for me cause it's repetitive and super effort ka talaga. and hate ko pa na parang pinagtitinginan ako ng mga maton habang nagwoworkout ako na para bang wala akong karapatan magbuhat buhat dun in their presence. or maybe bet lang nila ako chorvahin hehehe.

2. Badminton: this one i really enjoyed, coz sobrang pawis ako after every game and hindi ko namamalayan ang oras so go ka lang nang go. but since it came out as a fad, nung wala na ko mahatak na makipaglaro sa kin, ayaw ko na rin.

3. Exercise videos: this one i did for like 6 months and it's really fun and affordable coz sa bahay lang me indak indak and dance dance mag-isa parang luka-luka. pati nga yung hip hop abs triny ko and for me basta pawisan ka in one hour carry na yun. kaya lang ayun, nagsawa din ako sa kanya eventually.

4. Boxing: this one i also enjoyed as well. sobrang nakaka-alis stress ang sumuntok sa mitt ng trainer mo. yez, one on one ang training so masaya sya. sayang di masyadong yantaw ang trainer ko or else di ako huminto. and it's an overall workout for 1 hour only. 3 minutes of jogging, then stretching, then sparring na. then punching bag, tapos yung balloon, then sparring uli. then punching bag uli. then final sparring. then pushups, cool down exercises. tapos na. one hour na yun. eh nagsara yung elorde's sa west ave so ayun stop na rin ako tinamad na ko.

5. Running: I know sobrang sikat ng marathons ngayon but i think this is another fad waiting to be replaced. i tried this once lang and di ko sha bet. sobrang hiningal ako agad. and i just found out na parang binubugbog mo ang katawan mo sa kakatagtag. and you're making yourself prone to a lot of injuries which may manifest in the fututre. so malamang di ko to gagawin uli.

so what do i recommend would work best? for me, if you have a special event and you have to look your sexiest, then diet and exercise combined ang solusyon. otherwise, pag lean season lang, i think the best for me is to eat in moderation to maintain lang yung weight. i may not have the abs but for me it's all about the confidence.

when I'm in drag and fully made up on stage, nothing beats that feeling when boys look at me na nabibighani and di makapaniwala sa vision of a goddess in front of them. odva talagang ilusyonada? that's confidence, baby!

Live, Love, and Believe! Mwah3x

Let's Hear It From the Boys!

New Year is always a time for de-cluttering, not just your home but your life as well.  And it's always a delight to find long-forgotten things that bring you pleasant surprises, sort of a blast from the past that never fails to make you smile...

So ano ba'ng kadramahan itoh? Well, while cleaning my drawers last week, I found a few pieces of paper that turned to be a sort of Q&A list we we once had a few boys answer for us.  It involves their perception of us, and other psychological women (read: beckys) and it's really funny so check these out (i typed them verbatim):

Q: Ano ang impression mo sa aming tatlo? (Betty la Borta, Randiva, and Queen Rio)

Rodney* from Mandaluyong City: Interesting people who have high respect to themselves.  You guys are great with humane relationship to everyone.

Joey* from Bacoor: Naiiba kayo sa iba kasi pag sumama sa inyo may kapalit but sa inyo iba sa inyo kasi happy2x lang so ngayon ko lang na experience yung ganito so we are doing good so magsasama pa tayo ng matagal na buding (bonding) ng ganito tnx... Respectfully your Joey*

Joel* from Manila: Ang impression ko ay taas kamay. You're one of a kind. Very friendship. Showing your true you.  

Marc* from Cubao: Professional?

Jackie* from Marikina: Masarap... kasi di boring.

Q: What is your stand on same-sex relationship?

Rodney* from Mandaluyong City: I think it is a matter of knowing yourself with love, respect and dignity.

Joey* from Bacoor: For me hindi na pwede kasi I have a family na so malabo nah... I have a daughter nah.

Joel* from Manila: I think it's ok because it show's the true you.

Marc* from Cubao: NO ANSWER (hmmm... wonder why?)


Jackie* from Marikina: OK naman kasi nakarelation na ko ng ganyan

Q: Ano ang bagay na magugustuhan namin sa iyo bilang tao/kaibigan?

Rodney* from Mandaluyong City: Ito ay ang pagiging totoo bilang kaibigan na may respeto sa sarili, sa bawat bagay, at sa bawat tao.

Joey* from Bacoor: Pag kaibigan totoo ako pag dating sa kaibigan din I joy with your company.  I'm happy coz I have many problem with my family for now I'm focus with my daughter.

Joel* from Manila: Ako ay nagpapakita ng tunay kong ugali kahit sa unang pagkikita.  At syempre humble and mahaba... ang pasensya.

Marc* from Cubao: Pagiging totoo...

Jackie* from Marikina: Friendly ako.

* -- names changed to protect their identity

O diva nakaka-touch naman? These are simple boys who work at blue collar jobs and it's delightful to know that they are not prejudiced at atll against gels like us.  Compare this to the boys from the same age group but belonging to the upper levels of society and chances are they would have never answered these questions at all.  Pretentious ba.  But I'm sure deep inside they're aching to get a blowjob from a becky!

Here are a few pics of our sexciting activities. Using our charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, we can make our boys do anything, as in anything! wink-wink

Dragzilla with party boys

Randiva interviews a party boy

Powergrip, Dragzilla edition

Live, Love, and Believe! Mwah3x

Beau-kols galore at the Beau-con

Mag-new-new year na high na high pa rin ang elya, este feeling namin after our mega-successful Dragzilla V: Viva La Diva Christmas Party last Dec. 22.  Kaya today yun uli ang posting ko, but this time, about our favorite segment: the 2010 Beau-con-- "Mr. El Divo."

tradition na for us to include the male beauty pageant every year, since 2008 when we started organizing these events.  and every year, from being boring and super tame, pa-wild nang pa-wild ang ang event na itoh, syempre diva kasi how would you improve if you lower your standards? dapat pataas nang pataas. 

like nung 2008 and 2009 sobrang bara-bara lang we ask each team to select a representative, and usually on the night itself lang so ang laging nangyayari, konting rampa, posing, then talent which is either singing or dancing, and of course, ang Q&A. 

but this year, we decided to up the ante when it comes to the wild party.  and of course, pano pa ba eh di by adding the swimwear portion?  and we specifically told the team leaders to tell their boys that we wanted them to wear something sexy. una nga boxer shorts lang ang required, eh yung isa nagpahiwatig na magti-t-back daw so ayun naging mas wilder ang challenge!

so ayun, on the night itself salang na sa unang round ang contestants. out of the 7 teams, 1 lang ang hindi nagjoin nadyahe yata kasi hindi sila prepared. but the 6 other contestants, sobrang lumaklak yata ng red horse and Dragzilla cocktail kaya lumakas ang loob.  after doing the ramp, each one introduced himself and performed a talent, with some singing a chorus or two, while the others did a sexy dance to the tune of hindi ko maalala kasi medyo bangag yung DJ kung ano lang ang sinalang.

so after that, fly na kami ni randiva sa dressing room dahil sha na ang next supposedly to do her diva number.  sakto sumabay ang boys na magbihis, at tuloy sobrang hirap magconcentrate kasi nagjujubad ang mga boys sa tabi namin ni diva at pilit pinapalaki ang beau-kol nila to appear bigger nga naman under the klieg lights.  tapos yung iba may kanya-kanyang technique, apply ng oil, yung isa sosyal pa bronzer ang gamit para kuminang.  gusto ko sanang tumulong manglamas este magpahid pero sinapian ako ni san genaro de malinis kaya ayun inuna ko na lang bihisan si randiva (kaya pla najulog ang wig nya kasi di ako focused jeje).

so kung ang swerte namin was seeing the guys baring to their swimwear, and swerte naman ni ms betty was seeing them up close on stage! nasa second floor kami ni randiva watching the show so kitang kita namin yung kunwari yuyuko ang lola nyo to pick up a number from the bowl containing the questions, pero sa aming mga PSG, alam namin na ang beau-kol ang sinisipat nya! talagang di nagpatalo ang lola nyo.

anyways, eto na ang pics na ishe-share namin sa inyo dahil baka akala nyo eh mga ilusyonada lang kame.  well, sorry to disappoint but this is totally real.  ang mga pantasya lang namin ang ilushon hehehe kaya nga pantasya diva kasi libre lang mangarap? and to protect their identities bilang respeto naman, tinakpan na lang namin ang fez nila with our favorite anime character namin na feeling ko PSG din dahil in love sya sa kanyang best friend-cum-rival, si Uzumaki Naruto.

Candidate #1: "Benjo" from Pink Team.  height 5'8". body type: lean. fave underwear boxer shorts: small. visual protrusion score (bukol size estimate, 100% being the borta-est): 55%.  Question: kung ikaw ay aalukin na magpose para sa isang underwear brand pero skimpy ang trunks, papayag ka ba o hindi at baket. Answer: Papayag ako mag-pose pero sa underwear na komportable ako.

Candidate #2: "Julian" from Red Team. height 5'11". body type: dating beterano sa beaucon pero napabayaan sa kusina pero may pinakamalaking bukol pa rin accdg to ms betty. (sadyang itong shot ang pinili namin dahil eskandaloush pag nakaharap) fave underwear: trunks. visual protrusion score: 90%.Question: kung ikaw ay isang uri ng pagkain, ano ka at baket. Answer: Lechon, dahil masarap, malinamnam, pang-espesyal na occasion, at higit sa lahat, expensive.

Candidate #3: "Arnel" from White Team. height 5'11". body type: bulky. fave underwear: boxer briefs. visual protrusion score: 75%. Motto: "Time is Gold."  Question: nalaman mo na ang best friend mo since childhood ay isa plang malanshang isda na may gusto sayo. ano ang gagawin mo? Answer: ituturing ko pa rin syang best friend pero hindi na mas higit pa dun dahil kaibigan lang talaga ang turing ko sa kanya.

Candidate #4: "Piolo" from Blue Team. height 5'6". body type: bulky. fave underwear: boxer briefs. Motto: "Di bale nang tamad, di naman pagod." visual protrusion score: 60%.Question: may  isang malanshang isda na nagkakalat ng balita na nag-do kayo. pero totoo ito. ano ang gagawin mo? Answer: papabayaan ko na lang sha, kasi totoo naman eh.

Candidate #5: "Francis" from Yellow Team. height 5'8". body type: lean. fave underwear: skimpy trunks/t-back. visual protrusion score: 75%. Question: papayag ka bang makipag-3sum sa babaeng gusto mo at boyfriend o asawa nya? Answer: Papayag ako pero depende kung gusto ng boyfriend o asawa nya.

Candidate #6: "Andy" from Black Team. height 5'8". body type: hunky. fave underwear: boxer briefs. visual protrusion score: 80%. Question: papayag ka bang maki-pag date sa supervisor mong malanshang isda para hindi ka ma-endo sa trabaho?  Answer: Papayag ako makipag-date pero hanggang doon lang di ako papayag sa bastusan kasi alam ko nga malanshang isda sha.

and the winner is: Andy from Black Team!  Yup, despite his answer na kulang na lang jombagin si betty on stage for being a malanshang isda herself, nanaig pa rin ang hunky-ness factor ng lolo nyo para sa judge namin na si Mr. "Dale Ballarta" na isang sikat na pulitiko mula sa isang probinsya na close kay Kuh Ledesma.  secret na lang syempre ang position at kung anong municipality kasi pag nabuko wala na kami sponsor next year!

pagkatapos ng matagumpay na beaucon namin, we plan to make it bigger and better next year. dapat mas todo na when it comes to talent, swimwear, pahunky factor and of course wit and charm.  what we thought impossible before since puro pakyeme ang contestants ng previous years, pwede naman pala, dahil game na game ang mga boys when it comes to showing their wares for dragzilla. aba, ang prize yata this year tumataginting na 2 kiao in cold cash eh wala pa silang 30 minutos sa stage.  ewan na lang natin kung bukod sa cash prize, may na i-take home pang extra prize ang winner for his extra efforts. dva Konsehala Dale? wink-wink

Live, Love, & Believe!!! Mwah3x

This is the Best One Yet!

The year just can't end without our annual Dragzilla Christmas Extravaganza Party, and for 2010, all we can say is, to quote the Black Eyed Peas: "This is the best one yet!"

one of the 6 tarp posters on stage 

After just a few weeks of planning with some last minute crises, the event turned out well at least for us and our guests.  I must admit that being in charge of makeup and wardrobe, nakaka-overwhelm trying to dress up two other queens plus myself in a span of two hours before the programme proper, that's why we had a number of wardrobe malfunctions: najulog ang pinagtagping Afro wigs ni Randiva, pero in true drag queen fashion, she just took it off and went on with her diva number.  ang cute pa kasi one of the boys attempted to put it back on her head.

i also forgot to put on nail polish on my nails and betty's.  si randiva lang ang naka-shimmering french tipped nails na half-inch ang haba. ayun, di masyado makadampot ng mga anik anik ang lola nyo. ni hindi nga makadakma hehehe.

diva wid her manikurista, i.e., tagamighty bond ng shimmering frenchtipped nails 

as for betty, kahit wala syang shimmering nails, kumutitap at kumislap naman nang bonggang-bongga ang buong katawan nya dahil sa blinding flash of jewelry all over her, mula sa brillantitas, bracelet, nagmumurang necklace, earrings na naka-mighty bond, at sympre ang white sequined gown nya na inspired supposedly ng gown ni Ms. Venus Raj, pero ang resulta naging Tatiana whoreness hehehe sorry Ms. Betty! babaeng-babae ka naman dat night dva.

queen rio (left) and ms betty (in blinding white -- a look contrasted by her auburn red curls, blue eyeshadow, and black belt, shawl, and shoes with 2-inch heels) with team white boys during the photo op

kudos also to ms betty kasi sha lang ang nagpacking tape dat night for 4 hours to "tone down" her voluptuousness.  carry na yun kasi nabawasan naman ng 0.88 mm ang wasitline mo dahil sa instant sauna effect ng packing tape plus cling wrap diba? at sexing-sexy ka dat night so go na yun.

ms. betty in her commander number getup (note the white bra na lumilitaw

pag nagfa-flash ang camera -- lalo nagpa-L sa boys)

as for randiva, di sha pwede mag packing tape kasi bumirit sya ng three songs. yung isang song mashup pa of 3 songs so ayun katakot-takot na biritan.  as for me, kahit bet ko mag packing tape, dahil gahol na sa oras di na kinaya. saka i was doing a beyonce performance so i was worried baka di me makasayaw at makagiling kung naka pack ako. at least sexy pa rin kahit wala nun hehehe.

queen rio cavorting, este entertaining the guests

But hey, we were performing before boys and friends, so queber na sila kung hindi polished ang aming gowns at may mga lumilitaw na packing tape.  (pero paktay kame sigurado pag nakita yun ni rupaul--close kame? hehe) ang importante, maganda kaming 3 that night and the event turned out to be really fabulous (ano ba yan wala na ko ibang magamit na word kundi fabulous, sorry ha hindi kasi ako writer, ako'y hamak na tourism officer lang ng isang bayan dito sa Cebu hehehe).

and of course ang highlight para sa 3 bading that night was our annual male beaucon, with the first ever SWIMWEAR EDITION! ay kalurkey ang nagmumurang mga bukol sa tight trunks ng mga boys. isa lang ang nakaboxer shorts kasi feeling namin juts.  the rest talagang bukol kung bukol. 

one of the 7 Mr. El Divo contestants, in casual wear (next posting na yung swimwear)

Secret na lang kung sino sa tatlong reyna ang nag-uwi ng korona at naka-booking sa beaucon contestants that night coz hello a (drag) queen doesn't kiss and tell (mag-ilushon ba?)

and last and certainly the least, ano nga ba yung crisis namin? well, aside from the last minute back outs (mga around 10 lang naman usual di pinayagan ng asawa/gf or watever keber na it's their loss) meron pang isang issue with the venue part-owner (meaning isa lang sya sa mga partners pero feeling nya yata sya mag-isa may ari).  ay naku. after several weeks of discussion, they only told us the night befrore the event na meron pa palang 20 pax na guests na gagamit ng venue aside from us.  after insisting that EXCLUSIVE sa amin yung venue biglang may ganun na eklavoo.  it turns out, yung pokpok na part owner na yun, hindi alam ang ibig sabihin ng exclusive. kala nya ang exclusive pwedeng may inclusive.  porke 20 pax lang naman daw na mga ka-batch nya from school at only time available was dat night for their xmas party kuning kuning.

the nerve diba?  muntik nang magcancel si betty dahil nga ayaw namin may ibang tao na makakita sa ginagawa namin.  tapos lalagyan nila yung event ng 20 pax?  ang sarap sabihin sa mukha nung PSG na yun pax u! pero since queens kami, ayaw namin magpakataklesa kesahodang kami ang aggrieved.  so at her best behavior si ms betty good job again.  once lang sya tumalak in fairness. pag dating nya sa event, may nakitang bilat nasa CR so biglang nagtaray lola nyo ng "kala ko ba hindi sila mag-si-CR?" ayun natakot ang bilat. pati yung manager na kausap namin takot na takot, bigalng sumakit ang puson at fly na.   at nakakagulat lang kasi si part owner kahit itsurang nasa 40 na mukhang repeater nang 10 times kasi yung mga bagets na nakita namin yung 20 pax nga, as in bagets ha, so dun pala sha nakiki-batch. hindi ko na pinoint out yun kay ms betty kasi siguradon mambabato ng 2-inch-high heels nya yun.

ay naku, ang masasabi ko lang, BEEOTCH pla ang mga BOSCONIAN na part-owner ng bar.

Live, Love and Believe!!! Mwah3x

Busy as a (Queen) Bee

Where the heck did 2010 go? Time certainly flies when you're having fun, and for Dragzilla, the year has been a blast so far.  Which leads us to our highlight: our annual Dragzilla Christmas party.

Why celebrate Christmas through a drag show? Well, the better question would be, why not?  Sabi nga ni Ongina from Season 1 of Ru Paul's Drag Race, "Life is a celebration."  And what better way to celebrate than being fabulous and gay? Hence our drag show. Yez, i-justify ba.

The Lovely Ms. Ongina 

Right now, we are super busy with preparations. I've been to the usual haunts of ukay-ukay trying to spot mga costume-y outfits and mind you, there are so many out there, you just have to be patient in finding good quality outfits na isang steam laundry lang, looks like new na uli.

Aside from that I've been to Divisoria, in Tabora Street which is a virtual drag queen's paradise.  Anything you need, nandun lahat!  Fabric na shining, shimmering, splendid, accessories, makeup, wigs, and other drag queen necessities.  There are also sewing service providers who can do your costume for you, at quite affordable prices.  Last year, I got these super cute orange fabric which had a gorgeous pattern, and I had them made into short cocktail dresses, for our "Wondergirls" number.  Yez, sobrang patok that time yung "Nobody", as in every Christmas party we went to kasama sya. So for Dragzilla "Four-play at Forbest" we literally shone under the spotlight with our shimmering costumes and cute black bob-cut wigs. 

Dragzilla in Wondergirls mode

I think mga P80 per yard ang price nung fabric, so I bought enough for the three of us.  Tapos the sewing service was for only mga 500 per dress so there, yun na ang bonggang outfit namin.  I'm sure if I bought those dresses pa, it would've cost at least P2,00 per dress, so naka-save ang lola nyo.

For shoes naman, ayun ang pinaka-challenging.  Meron sa SM Quiapo na mga sale na shoes na big sizes which is really a problem here dahil wala mga ganun sa main malls.  Okay lang for me coz i'm a size 6, so I can fit into mga size 39-40 women's shoes.  Eh si Betty and Randiva have big feet (bortasor kaya? ewww) so I always have a problem looking for women's shoes for them.  Kasi that means size 42 sila which is totally unavailable commercially, super rare lang.

I've also been to Quiapo to look for other stuff like mga trophy na gagamitin namin for the prizes, and other materials we're using this year. 

We've also been lucky to find a venue for our party this year, na pinaka value-for-money.  For P20k, we get the whole venue for the whole night, plus a four-course buffet dinner, free cock(?)tails, sound system, lahat na. 

Betty and I have also designed our tarps to be used during the event, syempre nandun ang kagandahan namin and we have to say we love Photoshop so much because beautiful na kami, mas lalo pang nagiging mukhang dyosa because of this wonderul software. 

Our stage setup

The songs ang numbers lineup are also complete, we're setting our dress rehearsal a week before the event siguro. 

Ang pinaka-problem and nakaka-stress so far is the guest list. As of now, our target is 90, which is really a problem because we have to make firm choices on who among our boys will get a "golden ticket" and which ones will not.  Gustuhin man namin isama lahat, di talaga pwede kasi it would be super impossible to handle.

Ayun, we have less than three weeks before the main event, and there so many things to do pa for the costumes and guest list and number, but we're super excited for this party and everything will be totally worth it!!! 

Live, Love, and Believe! Mwah3x

A Kai-Kai Love Story

You may be wondering how umusbong sa Earth ang beauty ng Dragzilla. Kahit keber kayo, we’ll tell you anyway.

Kung may Adam and Eve sa story of Creation, sa Dragzilla, ang Eba namin si Ms. Betty La Borta, while our Adan is none other than a boy named “Sam.”

Sam is an Ilonggo native from the province of Negros Occidental, and for some reason, lahat ng Ilonggo pinsan nya. That’s just the charm he has. When he was younger, or when Betty met him, he was at the prime of his youth. Gifted with a pretty face and lanky body, he was super fair, courtesy of Likas Papaya soap. Hindi pa naiimbento ang glutathione, maputi na si Sam, and unknown to us, that was actually a major clue on his gender preference. Yes, Sam, after all these years, turned out to be one of us. But before we made that discovery, Ms. Betty thought all the while that sya na yung soulmate nya, as in the guy meant for her and kasama nya pagtanda. But in life, nothing really goes straight as expected (pun intended).

So before nagladlad si Sam, there was the unbeatable tandem of Betty and Sam. Kung ang setting ng meeting nila Adam and Eve was the Garden of Eden, Betty and Sam first came across each other in another garden within the city, which we shall call Green Valley. Betty is one go-getter, so the moment na nakita nya si Sam, pinursue na nya to, and from then on, naging sila na.

Sam is a blue collar worker. He works as a merchandiser or sales clerk sa mga mall, starting with Isetann Recto (tama ba Ms. Betty?). At dun na nag-start ang paglago ng family nila Betty and Sam.

Lahat ng mga co-workers ni Sam na gwapo (???) and game sa inuman and chorvahan with PSGs, sinasama nya sa mga date nila ni Betty, at nakasanayan na ang practice na ito kaya naging masaya ang mga gimik nila, especially for Betty. Imagine, with her pulutong of young boys na karag-karag ng baklita eh di ang haba ng hair ni Betty. But, since the malls impose a contractual system of employment, hanggang 6 months lang lagi ang mga friendships na ito. So hindi lang de-lata ang may expiration date, pati ang mga boys nina Sam and Betty.

From being assigned to one mall to the next, mas lalong nag-grow ang mga anak ng dalawa; may umaalis may pumapalit naman. Yung mga friends nila na nalipat sa ibang mall, gagawa naman ng sariling group, networking ba. Until one such time, naisip ni Betty na why not isama ang kanyang mga sisters na sila Rio at Randiva sa mga gimik na ito.

This went on and on. Every week, not just once but twice to at least four times ang gimik ng mga vakla with the mall boys. Sa mga videoke, boarding house at iba pang venue, minsan out of town pa, karay karay ng mga vakla ang kanilang mga boys.

Until one such Christmas season, which was in the year 2007, naisip ng 3 vakla na mag-mount ng performance for the boys, and not just any other performance, mind you, but a mind-boggling one. Enter Dragzilla’s original Drag Mother, na tawagin na lang nating si Mommy. Owner sya ng isang bar sa Orosa St. Malate which the group frequents. Mommy turns out to be a promoter for Japan, coz dati uso pa yung pag-form ng groups of entertainers para ipadala sa Japan. And since that time naghigpit na ang land of Ms. Universe Rio Mori (my namesake), ayun laocean deep ang career ni Mommy at nahinto ang promotion business nya.

So when we reserved the entire venue para sa Christmas party namin, Mommy jumped at the chance to help us mount our first drag show. Para syang bata na galak na galak na bihisan ang mga vakla. Na-challenge ba lalo na kasi on the heavy side ang star performer namin na si Randiva eh, ang liliit ng costumes nya. Ayun, nung nilabas ni Mommy isa-isa ang mga feather boa, wig, costumes na nagkikintaban sa sequins, ayun kuminang din ang mga mata namin. Parang may nabuhay na babae sa loob ng aming mga pamhintang pagpapakalalaki.

The show was a fabulous success. We had around 70 guests – all boys – na naaliw sa mga numbers namin, kasi first time nila kami nakita na nakadamit-velat. Randiva had 3 costume changes, first as Marimar or a Conga queen, then as an Arab princess, and third as a Vegas showgirl. I had 3 costume changes din kasi naiingit ako jejeje. First as an ambiguous Conga dancer, then as a diva singer, and third as another Vegas showgirl na sinubukang i-upstage si Randiva by (accidentally) removing her wig jejeje. Uso na pala ang pagka-fierce nung time na yun even before Jealous of my Boogie.

The following year, 2008, I was celebrating my 25th (cough, cough) birthday. And to make it more momentous, I decided to organize a mini-drag show of my own. We held it in a bar in Bocobo, Malate for a smaller number of guests, which included our girl friends na na-shock sa aming paglaladlad. On the day of our performance, I assigned one of our friends, si “Ms. Joyce” na magpagawa ng tarpaulin. And when we unfurled it, ang nakalagay “Dragzilla II: The Aftershock” sa title. Ms. Joyce actually was the one who christened us with our group name which has stuck with us eversince. And Ms. Betty, who was at the time hesitant to do drag, started with an ambiguous look. Nag-inarte pa lola nyo bibigay rin pala sa drag bug.

And there was no stopping us from then on. Every Christmas since, we’ve held a Dragzilla drag show. 2008 xmas was “Dragzilla 3: Triple Threat” in a bigger venue along Roxas Blvd. By that time Betty was on full drag as well.

2009 xmas was “Dragzilla 4: Four-Play @ Forbest”

Our latest performance was during the wedding reception of Ms. Joyce. That was “Dragzilla 4.5: Ikakasal Ka Na.”

Next stop? “Dragzilla V: Viva La Diva!” on Dec. 22 this year.

So what happened naman to Betty and Sam? Ayun, they eventually called it quits after some 7 years of being together, kasi nga hindi na ma-stand ni Betty na sisterette din pala ang dyowa nya, which in drag language means “KAI-KAI” or two drag queens na nagchochorvahan. It’s sad, but for us, everything in life happens for a reason. And kahit may pagkapasaway si Sam, we are acknowledging his contribution to Dragzilla, because without him, wala lahat ng fabulousness na itoh.

O diva ang saya ng kwento namin? Sorry na lang kayo kasi for a limited audience lang ang shows namin. We do these things for the heck of it, and to express our creativity as (filinggerang) artists. If some day for some reason sumikat kami (mangyari kaya to?) eh di that’s a bonus na lang. But for now, Dragzilla will remain an ultra-exclusive secret show for a few lucky boys who are sure to get enchanted by 3 goddesses on the merriest time of the year.

Live, Love and Believe! Mwah3x