the awesome austin butler

there were rumours of rain. dark clouds gathered, followed by glimpses of lightnings. but we were unperturbed. we went ahead with our plan to check out a friend's flat somewhere in makati right after dinner. driving was a breeze, surprisingly. there was not much traffic. probably everyone was still on vacation after the may thirteen vote.
election or not, rain or shine, my bff and i headed to her flat. i was looking for a new, more affordable temporary shelter before i run out of cash and be forced to live on the filthy, smelly streets of manille.
she said there were still some vacant flats in her apartment building.

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after the search, we ended up chatting inside her flat about life. about love. about men. about other mundane things that young people like us talk, text, post or shout out about.
isn't it fun being young and worthless?

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after a brief, but not really uncomfortable silence, bff asked if i want to watch the carrie diaries, a prequel to sex and the city starring the teener carrie bradshaw living miles away from new york, before she conquered manhattan, fashion, and to-die-for men. before she became a famous love, sex and relationship columnist.

i was about to say no (not really a fan of satc), when she mentioned that it was set in the eighty's and it really captured the fashion, music, spirit, attitude and the innocence of the decade - years before cellphones, internet, facebook and tweets. before sex scandals on video and youtube became common, they have become so boring and stale like last season's marc jacobs collection.

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the series was fun. the characters were believable, even if the actress playing carrie (annasophia robb) was way too beautiful compared to the teen-aged sarah jessica parker (watch her in footloose). but at least she looked believable as a teen ager compared to serena and the rest of the fashionably decadent gang of gossip girl. she has a certain naivette that was lacking in serena and company.
the producers behind the series were also the same ones who gave us gossip girl. it was based on the book by candace bushnell, who also wrote sex and the city.

the show indeed has an authentic feel of the eighty's. especially the soundtrack (plenty of madonnas) and the fashion (shoulder pads, big hair, colourful outifts).
just like satc, every episode of the carrie diaries begins with carrie on the streets (supposedly on her way to new york) and ends with her writing on her diary near the window. there's also the occasional voice overs and so many pa-cute moments either alone or with her high school pals especially when they are talking about boys and virginity.

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but what really made watching the show about high schoolers in their final year fun and worth your while was the unbelievably cute actor playing carrie's love interest - sebastian kydd. i kid you not. his name's austin butler, no relations to gerard. he may not be chace crawfod gorgeous, but still he is every inch a hollywood dreamboat.
he has this sophisticated air about him, as if he is way too far ahead as a teen ager in the eighty's. it's as if he came from the future. chos. did i mention that he is gorgeous? as in ryan gosling type of prettiness.

he really acts and speaks like an eighty's teener - cool, with knowing, flirty eyes. and the smile. gosh.

sebastian has been kicked out of his former school because he slept with his history teacher. this information only adds to his sexual appeal. chos.

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here are the things i found out about austin from the blogsphere.

- he is dating vanessa something, an alumnus of high school musical. sorry, i am not a fan of her nor the show. i find her bland for hollywood. and the show? ho hum. need i say more?

(bad choice for a girlfriend. he should date someone gorgeous and fabulous, don't you think?)

- he was born on august seventeen nineteen ninety one. that makes him only twenty two. but his demeanor  makes him seem older than that.

- before the carrie diaries, he was in that awful film with a lousy title (i have not seen it) aliens in the attic. he was also in that high school musical spinoff sharpay's fabulous adventure.

- he is also a singer and a model. no surprise there.

that's all.
oh before i forget. in a totally unrelated development the really old but still fabulous carrie or sarah jessica parker was in manille recently as special guest of the opening of a high end store at the ultra chic fort bonifacio global city.

too bad i wasn't able to come. i had previous appointments, you see. that's the price i have to pay for being a well regarded blogger. hahahahahahahahaha!