Maricris' birthday bonanza

Maricris may very well be celebrating the weirdest birthday she’ll ever have!

It started off quite normally, with Maricris receiving a nice bouquet of flowers from Nel. Mickey and the others also gave her big hugs, reassuring her that in spite of her being inside the PBB house, she’s still with family. In fact, the others are planning a special surprise party for her, complete with Italian dishes like pasta negra!

However, she had to go on with the weekly task, so her birthday consisted of dishing out water from the pool with a pail under the hot sun, and hoisting it up to Wendy and Maricris for the water mill. Mickey, who just finished his shift, went out and asked the girls if they needed anything. He couldn’t help but ask Maricris: “Okay ba yung birthday mo?” as the others laughed heartily! Maricris also broke out a smile and continued working.

She also assisted a waltzing ‘Imelda’, the Maria Clara formerly known as Zeke, as he took out the trash. Maricris noticed that his delicate train was getting in the way, and she gladly carried the back end of the dress as Imelda disposed of some trash. After muttering a high-pitched “Hindi ko alam kung anong ginagawa ko,” Imelda demurely hurried inside the house. Maricris later exclaimed: “Ang bastos naman ng babaeng yun, di man lang nag-thank you!”

And so for her birthday, Maricris helped keep a water mill running manually, and assisted a cross-dressing cricket player with his (her??) dress. Can this birthday get any weirder? Anything is possible inside the Big Brother House!

Ezekiel Takes On Maria Clara

Big Brother may have noticed that Zeke had some problems understanding the Filipino culture, especially with regard to the image of Filipino women. To give Zeke a lecture on Filipina 101, Kuya figured a task to give our Aussie housemate. The only way for Zeke to know how it is to be a Filipina is for him to become one. With this ingenious, and also hilarious task, Kuya employed the help of the ladies.

Wendy, Bea, and GeeAnn were tasked by Big Brother to dress Zeke up and teach him how to talk and move like a traditional Filipina. The girls dressed Zeke in a Filipiniana costume with a wig and a fan. Zeke underwent a crash course from the girls on being a domesticated, demure, and virginal Filipina. Wendy, with her background as a beauty queen, showed Zeke how to walk slowly and properly. Bea, on the other hand, told Zeke speak in a soft voice while GeeAnn instructed him to always cover his mouth with the fan. When Zeke was completely dressed, all that the girls could say was "mas maganda ka pa amin!"

Then the refined Zeke came out of the room as the more reserved Imelda. The boys could hardly stop themselves from laughing upon seeing Zeke in a dress. Nel complimented Zeke on how beautiful the Aussie dude was. Kian was speechless on the look of Zeke, but after a while decided to introduce himself to the Filipiniana housemate. Zeke seemed to be enjoying the task as he gladly, but finely, extended her hand to the chuckling Bruce. Zeke learned how to deal with teasing men by slapping them with his fan.

Zeke went outside and tried to help in keeping the water mill running. He grabbed a pail and used it to scoop some water from the pool. The girls kept reminding Zeke to remain in character by keeping his movements more reserved and feminish. But he figured that his role was getting in the way of the time-conscious water mill work.

What will Zeke learn from this task? Will he convince Big Brother that he portrayed Imelda very well, or will our Aussie housemate be stuck in this character for a much longer time?

A winning shot

With Bruce’s family in dire straits because they lack the finances needed for his mom’s hospitalization, Big Brother gave him a chance to help: by putting a basketball hoop in the PBB garden, with each shot amounting for every peso donated to the cause. However, P80,000 was the amount needed, and even the basketball hunk doubted that he might finish the task in time; but he did the best he could just the same.

Little did he know that Big Brother has other plans.

A few minutes ago, Bruce was shown a video that made him and every housemate beam in surprise and adoration. Unbeknownst to him, Big Brother has decided that this was a task that not only the housemates should do, but the whole country as well. The ‘Hoops for Bruce’ charity project consisted of two basketball hoops placed outside the Big Brother house, where anyone can shoot for a cause. Needless to say, many people, including celebrities like Connie Reyes, nailed a few baskets for the success of the task. He could hardly speak, and hold back tears as well, when he saw his friends and family greeting him, while people from every walk of life pitched in for his mom.

And a success it was: the housemates made 6,560 points for him in five days, adding to Bruce’s 9,090. But the people added 83,739 points, extending it to 99,389 points, exceeding the points needed by a large margin. And Bruce breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that his mother has now been released and is resting in Cainta. And after the excitement of it all, the thankful basketball hunk finally went to the prayer room, to thank the most important Player on his team.

Water works

Despite having a rough and emotional night that saw five housemates get nominated, it still is a long way from eviction… and besides, they have other things to focus on, like the weekly task in particular. So the housemates put the stress of last night’s nominations behind them and quickly got to work.

The boys went first, and just took a breather by lunchtime. They were missing Kian, who had to sit out today because of the injuries he received a few days before; in fact, he was limping and could barely lift his arm. So Mickey and the others took water duties for today.

The afternoon sun proved to be scorching hot, and it was Wendy, Saicy and Maricris who braved the heat and continued on with their task. Wendy seemed a little cheery after last night’s change of heart that put her on the nominations list, and exclaimed: “Seventeen pails na… two hundred to go!”. She couldn’t stop laughing though when Saicy, who seemed to be in a jovial mood for today, kept singing and even dancing while she handed the pails of water from Maricris and handed them to Wendy. An amused Wendy even exclaimed: “Sige mare sayaw ka lang diyan, at mahulog tayong lahat!”

So it seems that the housemates, with this kind of work ethic, are well on their way in accomplishing this weekly task. Will their collective efforts (and singing) keep the water mill running nonstop?

The Complexities Behind The Second Nomination

Fresh from the dramatic first eviction night which saw the exit of Jasmin, the housemates faced the crucial second nomination. It's just been a while and the house is still feeling the absence of Jasmin, but life has to go on as they say. Pinoy Big Brother Season 2 has just announced the list of nominees for the second eviction.

The second batch of nominees for eviction has a lot of stories to tell. First, the controversial tandem of Dionne and Zeke find themselves in list when only a week ago the two enjoyed absolute immunity from the first nomination. It was quite obvious that their being "too intimate" created a negative impression in the eyes of the other housemates. Zeke received the most number of nominations, with almost all the housemates voting against him, even Dionne.

For the second week in a row, Bea again dealt with the threat of getting evicted. However, the difference this week was that she received an automatic nomination from Big Brother as opposed to last week when her mates nominated her. The automatic nomination was brought about by the seventh call from Kuya's big red telephone. The seventh call imposed an automatic nomination to the housemate who will answer, and unfortunately, it was Bea.

Another complicated case was that of Wendy, who originally was nominated by most her housemates. However, Wendy was given a privilege by Big Brother after answering the sixth phone call. The Navotas beauty was granted by Kuya the power to choose replace one name in the nominations with another one. The power, as told by Big Brother to Wendy, may be also used in case Wendy finds herself nominated. Wendy has the power to select the housemate who will take her "danger" slot. Upon learning that she was nomnated, Wendy instantly chose her name to be replace. It took her quite a while, though, to choose the housemate who will replace her. She then regretfully chose Maricris.

But few hours later, Wendy went to the confession room and talked to Big Brother. She informed Kuya that she had changed her mind, and would rather have her name in the nominations instead. Wendy tearfully admits that her conscience could not bear the thought of surviving the nomination at the expense of others. She said that she was prepared to face the truth, that her peers indeed voted against her. Hence, Wendy was nominated for the second week.

Of all of the second week's nominees, GeeAnn was the true-blue repeat offender. The cheerleader babe was again devastated after learning that she was again nominated by her peers. Her nomination gave her an impression that the other housemates don't really want her to be in the house. GeeAnn would again have to plea for the people's support for her to survive the coming second eviction.

Five housemates are nominated for eviction this week. Who will follow in Jasmin's bitter exit? How will the nomination affect Zeke and Dionne's relationship? Will Wendy's sacrifice be able to win the hearts of her supporters? Which housemate would you want to continue inside the house for another week? Don't forget to text in your votes to save your favorite housemate. Send in your vote through SMS by typing BB(name of housemate) and sending it to 2331 for Globe, Touch, and Sun Cellular subscribers, and 231 for Smart, Talk N Text, and Addict Mobile subscribers.

Water mill... or no mill?

The housemates haven’t had any luck with their weekly tasks so far; four of them have translated into depleted weekly allowances for them. But this doesn’t mean that Big Brother is about to cut them some slack; in fact, this weekly task is perhaps the most demanding so far.

The housemates were to run a watermill, using water from the pool. They were provided with pails, which they will use to manually transfer the water from the pool to the mill. The catch, however, is that the mill must be kept running day and night until the task is done; if it stops for more than 30 seconds, this will automatically amount into failure. And since this means that at least one housemate should be working at all times, they will probably be forced to do some shifting for this grueling task. Big Brother also reminded themto pay close attention to their lapel microphones, lest they get wet.

The housemates decided into three shifts, divided into four, four and five members, respectively; Dionne even volunteered for the night shift. They also decided on betting sixty percent for this weekly task, meaning that a loss will merit them only two and a half thousand pesos for next week’s allowance. This made them strategize carefully, and Mickey organized the groupings to prevent further conflicts, while suggesting ‘spotters’ to help the workers if one has to take a food or bathroom break. He also suggested that the first group should be all guys, so they would get the hang of it.

The housemates know that they cannot fail this time, as the burden of failing weekly tasks keep getting heavier and heavier for them. Will they be able to eat heartily next week with their winnings, or will depleted funds render them scrimping and saving for another seven days?

Short but sweet

An experience inside the Big Brother house, however short it may be, is always a memorable one. And for Jeremy and Mikah, two of the secret housemates who got evicted first, the experience is somewhat fulfilling as well.

“Pagpasok ko sa loob, tinanggap nila ako nang akong-ako,” Jeremy relates. “Pamilya ang turing nila sa akin, at ganon din ang turing ko sa kanila.” This Japan resident of pure Filipino descent learned about the reality show through a TFC commercial which featured former housemate Sam Milby, who is now a popular celebrity, and decided to give it a go.

Although he has already done a few voice-overs and plays in Japan, this was Jeremy’s first time on TV; and he cherishes it to this day. “Ine-enjoy ko nalang kase di ko na mararanasan ito,” he relates. From meeting Jun Hirano during auditions to being his usual self inside the house, Jeremy continues his aspirations of being a celebrity. “Nagihhintay lang ako ng chance; kung wala, babalik na ako sa Japan.”

He considers Bruce among the best people he befriended inside the house, even if it was only a few days worth. And about his eviction, he shares: “It’s a game talaga. Wish ko, sana binoto nalang kami, imbes na automatic nomination. Gusto kong bumalik talaga kase tinanggap ako nang totoo… walang plastic.”

Mikah, on the other hand, seemed to be at ease with her eviction, saying: “Hindi pa handa ang mga tao sa katulad ko.” She admitted that she joined the reality show only because she tagged along with a frend, and decided to give it a go to help her mother financially; “Dapat yung mom ko nagpapahinga nalang.”

She has no qualms in getting evicted:, owing it to her extroverted self: “Mga tao pag pinapanood ako iniisip nila na liberal ako magsalita, gumalaw… Kahit gusto ako ng mga housemates, pero ayaw ng tao, wala na. Ang importante, nabigyan ako ng chance na makapasok sa house.” Unlike her fellow evictee, she shuns away from a career in showbiz, opting instead to finish her nursing course. And when questioned about this decision, she flatly says: “I know myself better than anyone.”

Jasmin gets dealt a bad hand

Despite being tagged the diskarte queen, it turns out that her diskarte earned her only a quick stay inside the house. And so Jasmin, the Davao native with a penchant for gambling, had her luck run out on her as she became the first housemate to be officially evicted.

The first ever eviction night kicked off with a performance by the Pinoy Dream Academy scholars, led by Grand Star Dreamer Yeng Constantino. It was indeed a jovial night, with the audience happily showing support for their favorite housemate. But the four nominees stayed silent for the duration of the show.

Gee-Ann was the first to be informed of her good tidings, and the tense look on her face quickly dissipated upon learning of the news. She also received the most votes, receiving 43.37 percent. Kian, who received 25.19 percent of the votes, breathed a sigh of relief and nodded when he learned that his stay was to be extended as well; and it was even better news for him, since he would be exempted from tomorrow’s nomination night as well.

So it was between Bea and Jasmin, the two who had incurred the most votes among the housemates. Bea couldn’t help but shed a few tears as she tensely awaited the result. But, like any card game, a 50/50 chance is the best one could receive; and it was Bea who received the big payoff, and 20.62 percent of the votes. And ironically, it was she who cried for her evicted housemate as Jasmin, who accepted her fate with a rather sad look on her face, quietly saying “Okay lang” to Bea as she bid goodbye to the others.

Jasmin emerged from the house and in front of the live audience with a large picture of her with the housemates, a memento of her memorable, albeit short stint inside the house. After watching a short tribute, she delivered a short message to everyone, saying: “Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng suporta sa akin. Alam ko na this is God’s will, kung ano mang mangyayari, it’s okay, kase it’s really God’s will.” Jamin’s 10.82 percent share of the votes was not enough to save her, however.

And so this time, Jasmin was simply dealt a bad hand, and got ushered out of the Big Brother house. Who will be the next four to be placed on the hot seat?

Kian is the Lig-task Champ

It's another fun evening in the Big Brother house! Kuya decided to hold the very exciting Lig-task Games in the activity area, formerly known as the secret garden, to determine which housemate gets exempted in the 2nd Eviction Night. It was a very thrilling boys vs. girls match. However, the boys proved to be the more 'athletic' housemates and their triumph paved the way for Kian's exemption.

The Lig-task games is comprised of 3 elimination rounds: "Ok Ka Lungs", "Igat U Babe" and "Kapit Iwas sa Pit". After naming and grouping themselves into two (Boys-Team Magic Tricks; Girls-Ban-Tu), "Ok Ka Lungs" commenced. The goal of the round is for a team to answer as many housemate trivia questions as they can while two groupmates dunk themselves into 55-gallons of water, acting as human timers. The boys went first, with Kian and Mickey as their timers. The girls tried distracting them by making a lot of noise but the boys managed to answer 6 questions.

"Sigawan pala ha!" the boys said in unison, remarking on the ladies tactics. As soon as the girl's started on their task, the guys made a racket that truly unfocused them. Maricris and Dionne acted as their timers. As hard as the women tried, the boys outlasted them and they only got to answer 3 questions correct amidst the noise. "Ang lakas kasi ng boses ninyo," they reacted, their ploy backfiring.

Screams filled the "Igat U Babe" round for the housemates had to catch slimy eels in a pool of murky water. The shrill screams of the girls resulted to hearty laughs for the boys as they fought hard to grab the eels. Both teams equally had a difficult time capturing the sea creatures, a delicacy in China and Japan, within the set time limit. A mad scramble for eels and a chaos of bodies inside the small kiddie pool made the task more hilarious to watch. A confusion over eels made Bea shout, "Ang amin ay amin!" but alas, the boys managed to beat their team with a 16-11 eel score.

With the guys sweeping the league, they proceeded to the championship round -- a very oily wrestling match. After the ladies doused the boys with baby oil, Big Brother signaled the start of the round where the boys must push their team mates out of the arena and become the last man standing. Zeke was the first housemate out and he was soon followed by Mickey, Bodie, Nel and Bruce. It was a fight between Robert and Kian in the last few seconds of the game but the Prodigal Son soon emerged as the winner. However, because of his pending nomination this week, his prize of an exemption will be forfeited should be evicted this Sunday.

On the other hand, the girls did not go home losers as Big Brother made a bonus round out of "Kapit Iwas sa Pit". It was a test of endurance for the seven housemates, for they had to hang on rings suspended above a pit filled with disguting things. The two winners for this contest will receive P1,000 each for their personal shopping use. The first girl out was Bea, followed by Jasmin, Saicy, Maricris, then Dionne. Wendy and Gee-Ann jumped up and down and hugged each other over their triumph.

Will Kian be able to use his exemption next week? What will Gee-Ann and Wendy do with their prizes?

Mickey brings sexy back

Remember Mickey's first task? Well, Big Brother finally comes around to giving him his much awaited reward. The big man of the house promised the Fil-Austrian a chance to showcase his talents as a prize for succeeding in his first secret task, the German speaking task. And today, Mickey is told that he is bringing "Sexy Back".

The housemates could not help but dance to the wake up call this morning. Dionne and Mickey almost instantly put on the grooves to Justin Timberlake's ditty. They wondered what the song meant but it was soon placed at the back of their minds as they all went about their busy day, painting their masks.

But early this evening Mickey gets news from Big Brother that he will now be able to do his dance showcase to the tune of "Sexy Back" with the girl housemates as his back up dancers. Mickey excitedly explained the task to the girls and told them how they would go about their practice. Though Big Brother has not said when Mickey and the girls will perform the lad wanted to start teaching the steps as soon as possible. He's not forcing everyone, but he wants the girls to learn the dance earlier so as they will all look good on TV. " Ayoko mapahiya kayo that's why sinisimulan ko na agad para maganda kayo," he said giving the girls a pep talk.
Soon after they begun practising in the living room with the other boys as their audience. "Ano 'to audition?" the boys jokingly said, but Bruce and Nel joined the fun on the floor. Mickey began teaching the first few steps to the dance while Robert and Kian looked on."Judges na lang kami," Kian said with a laugh. They even heckled Bruce who quickly sat down beside them. "Naiiwan kasi ako!" the hunk replied. This looks like one sexy dance number! Will Mickey and the girls do justice to the song? Is he really the hip-hop dancing king?