Eternal voyeurism

Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio with whom Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) was married 274 days had purchased two crypts in Westwood Cemetery, and while divorcing in 1954 sold one crypt to Richard Poncher. The crypt Poncher bought was located directly above that which would eventually hold the remains of Marilyn Monroe. Nearing death in 1986, Poncher (aged 81) told his wife "... if you don't put me upside down over Marilyn, I'll haunt you the rest of your life." Shortly before he was interred, his wife instructed the funeral director to place him upside down in his casket, which he did.

Mrs. Poncher decided to sell the crypt in 2009 and reached $4.5 million on an Ebay auction. Seems Richard Poncher is still resting facing Marilyn in February 2014. May both R.I.P. and may Hugh Hefner who bought the crypt next to Marilyn enjoy eternal voyeurism once he steps in.  

Westwood Village Cemetery, Los Angeles, February 2014.

B-B-B

Bibiche's Big Birthday.

Congratulations!

Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Kashgar's Mao Show

Kashgar, Xinjiang, August 2010.

Fly Singapore Airlines Business Class

May I take your order?

First row preferred wine. Hard liquor for the second row?

Needless to say, the feet stripper was under the table before he got into the aircraft.

From Singapore to Manila, March 2010.

Imelda kisses glass

The Filipina hero of eccentric moves strikes again. Now at sweet 80 Imelda Marcos starts campaigning as congressional candidate for the national election on 10 May 2010. Her campaign began in Batac, Ilocos Norte, where her embalmed husband rests. Her trademark taste for the theatrical may bring her back into political life.

I can’t wait for her next move when she brings Ferdinand out of his coffin to take the seat in congress together. Only in the Philippines as the locals would say.

Photo from the net as I wasn't invited to the shamelessly political photocall held at the mausoleum in the basement of one of her homes up north in the Philippines.

Jayapura Police man

Jayapura, Papua, April 2009.

Immortal balls

Grave made out of bronze for Herzog Friedrich I von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp who became king of Denmark in 1523 and of Norway in 1524. His first wife Anna von Brandenburg died in 1514 and only her remains are resting underneath this grave in Bordesholm.

Photo of royal balls from Klosterkirche Bordesholm, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, August 2008.

Buddha doesn't care

Does Buddha care when being used for such profane activities as a restaurant? It does not look like he does... I'm not quite sure about Moses, Jesus and Mohammad...

Photo from Singapore, March 2008.

At least a nice tomb

I wonder if Muhammad Ali Jinnah would be happy to see Pakistan in these days. Anyway, his beautiful tomb is probably to massive to allow him turning in his grave.

Photo from Karachi, March 2008.

15th President of the Philippines Ms Kris Aquino?

Will Kris Aquino, the 29th most beautiful Filipina and youngest child of former president Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino, Jr. will win the race to become the 15th President of the Philippines in 2010?

Since the world is ruled by showbiz and dynasties as exemplified by the U.S.A., we can be assured that the Philippines will continue to follow big brother. Congrats, Kris! What a good move to start the campaign now by bringing total care to the country.

Photo from Ortigas, Metro Manila, November 2007.

Imelda Marcos and Gaddafi

Imelda Marcos meets Muammar al-Gaddafi and Pope John Paul II and Leonid Brezhnev seem to be happy about this event.

Photo from Imelda's megalomania shrine in Tacloban (Island of Leyte), April 2007.

Posing for fame

Kids posing for fame (and smiling behind bars).

Thanks for watching!

Photo from Apo Island, Philippines, November 2002.

Imelda's spa: Too big to enjoy it alone

The Santo Niño Shrine in Tacloban (Island of Leyte) is one 29 presidential rest houses that late President Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda had built. All guest rooms have different themes which represent features of particular regions of the Philippines. Imelda and Ferdinand have separate bedrooms in this guest house. While Ferdinand’s bedroom is adjoined by his bodyguards' bedroom—at least an option…—Imelda’s grand bedroom is adjoined by a classy spa as pictured above.

I am glad this guesthouse is named after something as holy as Santo Niño since this spa seems a bit oversized for one person only.

Photo from April 2007.

Imelda, the nude President and the pope's chair

The picture above is showing a huge painting with beautiful and grand Imelda Marcos in the middle, holding a shell with four smaller versions of herself (her three children Maria Imelda ‘Imee’ Marcos, Ferdinand ‘Bong-Bong’ Marcos, Jr., Irene Marcos and the adopted daughter Irene Marcos). On the left, even bigger than Imelda, is a nude Ferdinand Marcos with his face covered by a curtain. Trust me, you won’t have many opportunities to see a nude president with a covered face.

The picture below puts Imelda into perspective. On the very right, the chair made for the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II to the Philippines (note on the very left the similar, but somewhat smaller chair used by President Marcos for the grand mass in Manila). Still, central to all of it is herself, the ‘Rose of Tacloban’.

April 2007 photos from ‘Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Centre’ in Tacloban—Imelda's home town—on the island of Leyte. The Shrine was built by and for Imelda Marcos.

What a kiss, what a face

It's probably the most famous hand kiss of the second half of the 20^th century. Mao Zedong, the aging womanizer kissed the hand of the beautiful first lady of the Philippines—at that time Special Envoy—during her state visit to China in September 1974.

Why is Imelda making such a face? Was it surprise that Mao really kissed her hand (usually it's an air kiss) or was she unable to control her emotions or was it simply related to a gift she might have gotten earlier?

Anyway, a nice clip (thanks to Carlos) of her state visit which led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (9 June 1975) is shown below. You might also enjoy Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife in the clip next to Imelda Marcos: rustic socialistic chic meets western extravagance. The clip itself comes from ‘irm888, age 77, Philippines'. To note, Imelda Romuáldez Marcos was born 2 July 1929 and if you have ever watched the movie ‘Imelda’ you will know that she very much believes in numerology (888 stands for three times fortune or wealth…).

Imelda’s missing jewelry found!

It seems that parts of the missing jewelry of Imelda Marcos are back in Manila (see photo from June 2006 taken at El Cirkulo, Manila).

Sorry, I missed the shoes while taking the picture but I doubt that even Imelda was wearing the world’s most expensive shoes, the Cinderella Slippers by Stuart Weitzman. Such glitzy fantasies currently cost a flashy $2million.