IF God were a DJ….

DJ Mars Miranda of Embassy is far from a god. In fact, he is a normal twentysomething whose habits include searching the Internet for the latest rib-tickling videos on YouTube and checking out the latest shoe designs of Nike. His shoe collection can rival that of Imelda Marcos’s, except he doesn’t have a pair that lights up on the dance floor. But I’m quite sure he would want something similar should Nike ever come up with a pair.

DJ Mars actually lives a double life. In the daytime, Mars is a marketing manager on ABS-CBN, churning up media maximization plans for his clients. When you see him walking the halls of the TV station or buying his favorite drink in the ABS-CBN branch of Starbucks, you could almost see a sign that says “brand placement” on his forehead.

When the sun goes down, he becomes a completely different story. DJ Mars rules the night when he spins one hit after another. People get wild at Embassy when he churns out the latest Jay-Z ditty, then mix it up with a song from Rihanna. On one of my visits to Embassy, being the wild heart that he is, he played Gary Valenciano’s “Di Bale Na Lang.” The crowd at first gave a bewildered look, thinking that maybe someone took over the DJ’s control booth but when they saw Mars giving his signature smirk, they all took their cue that it was all in the spirit of fun and continued to move and groove as if the Gary V nugget was something that Timbaland himself produced.

Recently, Mars got “stranded” in Boracay. And what happens when a fun-evoking DJ like Mars get stranded in Bora? Well, you have the best beach party ever!

That’s exactly what happened recently when Styles Entertainment, in cooperation with Smart myTV, spearheaded the “Stranded Party” in Boracay. “No one was really doing a relaxed yet fun party in Boracay, with good music for good friends,” Jon Herrera, the man behind Styles and Superklasse in Embassy, said when I asked him what made him organize the party. True to Styles’ promise, A-list guests and island visitors were treated to their best Boracay weekend ever.

The party kicked off with an afternoon of soul-soothing sessions at the Whitehouse beachfront. With R&B/soul music setting the mood for the relaxing afternoon, guests also got to try innovative, dynamic entertainment with Smart myTV. Using Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) technology, this latest wonder from Smart and 360 Media, allows you to watch your favorite TV shows live… anytime, anywhere.

I missed the party but my friend was there watching her favorite TV show while partying and drinking his favorite drink—Bacardi Mojito. “I really had a blast!” he told me. Being the envious monster that I am, I decided to make my own Bacardi Mojito. Making the drink is actually simple: put 12 mint leaves, ½ part sugar and ½ lime in a glass. Muddle well with a pestle. Add one part Bacardi rum, top off with three parts club soda, stir well, and garnish with sprigs of mint or a lime wheel. It’s the perfect drink for sunset-gazing in the beach. If you want to find out more on how to make the Bacardi Mojito, visit www.bacardimojito.com.

Anyway, back in the party and after all the R&R, things started heating up when Bacardi hosted a VIP party at Juice Bar, with DJ Mars and his friend DJ Ace serving up the finest of rock, hip-hop, mashups and electro music. And just when beach revelers thought that it couldn’t get any hotter, the next night, Saturday, found Embassy’s most popular night, Bacardi Superklasse Wednesdays, in the sands of Boracay. At Club Paraw, Styles DJs gave a taste of everyone’s favorite tunes—house, hyphy, rock, hip-hop and mashups.

But besides great parties, good vibes and cool tunes, guests also got to experience the sun, sand and sea with other “beach fun” essentials: Nike Vision sunglasses, an L-Time Studio watch, Lancôme self-tanners, The Face Shop sunscreen lotions and aromatic massage oils, Polo Black perfume (for the men) and—to help everyone keep their cool—a whole weekend supply of Pepsi and Propel Active Water.  

Expect Styles Entertainment to host even bigger and better parties in the months to follow. Jon says that “Stranded” was just the first of a series of beach parties. “Watch out! It only gets better after Boracay.” And it’s the best when DJ Mars is in the DJ booth spinning furiously...almost like a god actually.

Shiny, Shimmering At The Shang

FROM the regal to the rugged, Christmas looks—according to the upscale Shangri-La Plaza and its equally upscale boutiques and brands—as good as it gets. The high-end mall and the top-tier retailers under its wing recently presented their Holiday 2007 Collection in a runway show directed by Jackie Aquino and styled by Luis Espiritu. With hair and makeup by the Basement Salon, the dominant trend in dressing is one of shine, shimmer and embellishment.

Designers Put a Faux Face on Holiday Jewelry

NO room on the credit card for Chopard accessories? No matter. This holiday season, costume jewelry just might be the smartest gift.

In Charming ‘Enchanted,’ Once Upon a Time Is Right Now

EARLY in Enchanted, Disney’s good-natured attempt at some satiric jujitsu, divorce lawyer Robert Phillip (Patrick Dempsey) gives his six-year-old daughter a book about female heroes. When they come to Marie Curie, he extols her dedication to science and contributions to public health until admitting, lamely, that she wound up dying from radiation poisoning.

Bathing Indulgences

FLUSHED with the scents of the English countryside, Bo Ramas-Ros took the inspired idea of replicating these in a range of bathing indulgences and ran with it. Naming it Brook & Ivy, her personal tribute to Winds of Windsor and Crabtree & Evelyn, among others, this newest and most refreshing line has shower gels, body buffs, body milks and skin scents.

Gab Fab: Mad over Mars and Mojitos

IF God were a DJ….

DJ Mars Miranda of Embassy is far from a god. In fact, he is a normal twentysomething whose habits include searching the Internet for the latest rib-tickling videos on YouTube and checking out the latest shoe designs of Nike. His shoe collection can rival that of Imelda Marcos’s, except he doesn’t have a pair that lights up on the dance floor. But I’m quite sure he would want something similar should Nike ever come up with a pair.