night at the playboy mansion

why'd i go? i was just bored one night and thought i'd visit good old hef. or for those of you who know me, i won a ticket through a riveting journey with stoli :)

the last thing i ever thought i’d one day be saying is “oh yeah, i’ve been to the playboy mansion.” not like i run around saying it, but i love the expressions i get when i do bring it up. yeah i'm mainly talking about guys. conclusively i think it’s safe to say that it’s every guys fantasy playground, and well if you’re a girl planning on dressing up in lingerie, it’ll be your night to get showered with attention, while you show off what your mama gave ya. or what your surgeon did. hey, i’m totally cool with that. 

i've revisited parts of the night for you in photos, enjoy!

pre-party shot: to remember the innocent days when the only bunnies you knew hid chocolate eggs around your garden.

at the entrance. look at her sitting in there like a cute little bird. what a good girl. 

note: expect a boob or butt in nearly every clear photo.

welcome to the kandy masquerade party! have to say the music was really good that night.

how does a tent this size fit in your backyard? how!

the cage was absolutely necessary, when things got too wild. 

a bit of an overwhelming atmosphere; everyone on their own mission.

stoli's got the hookup yeyaa

imo it was more fun outside by the pool. no splashes that night tho, it was too cold!

all about the yummy stoli punch! i only needed 1 cup. 

boobie trap. who wants them that big anyway?? don't answer that. 

the infamous grotto. no clue what goes on in here.....

how NOT to dress.
i'm talking about me, not my fellow stoli winner tanya. i clearly didn't get the memo that it wasn't prom. although, i do have to give a huge thanks to one of my besties for lending me the dress, i love it. 

how to dress.

nicked this mask off a friend and decided it would be part of my costume for the night. i think it worked out alright.

mandatory stripper pole wohoo! i have yet to take a pole dancing lesson. i think i just don't want to find out how unskilled i am at it.

meet crispin glover... didn't even know his name until a minute ago. the only other celeb i met was luke wilson who either had a bad day or needs some sort of happiness boost. the bunny next to him wasn't doing the trick. 

the right pose: first of all, get your lips done, otherwise don't even try. then, work on the slight open-mouth-pout with a face like you're not bothered to breathe anymore. must also have a boob that's about to fall out of your top. 

khalil and i posing with [insert whatever name you want] failed miserably.

how sweet. those definitely look real.

you know, just hangin out with a couple butts being flashed behind me, the norm.

the coconut macaroons dipped in melted chocolate made my night.

when you don't get a guys attention by standing next to him like that, you wonder what does. looks like her butt's loneliness is killing her. 

ok so it wasn't exactly a party i'd find myself at again, but despite the atmosphere that reeked of desperation, it was one hell of an experience that i love sharing with people. apparently if you're not invited but want to go, just pay a hefty amount if you're a guy, and send in some naked photos of yourself if you're a girl. is that true? i give props to those girls who worked their bods for this night and fought the cold in their tiny outfits, despite their grape-sized goosebumps. there were a couple girls just painted on and i think they were getting followed by every guy that passed them. 

now, to answer the most common questions i've been asked: 

1. yes, i'd say a lot of the brestesses looked quite silicone-esque. i just don't get why they'd go so big.

2. no, i didn't see hef. apparently he only plays for a bit before he needs his beauty sleep.

3. no, i didn't get a ticket by sending in any naked photos of myself, stoli gave me one.

4. no, i didn't consider turning into a lesbian for the night.

my family crack me up the most. i think the most concerning comment i got after going to the party was from my dad stating his relief that it wasn't my kind of party, to which he said, "i'm so happy you realized the playboy lifestyle is not something you want to be a part of." ummm i'm glad you feel at peace about that dad, i guess you won't have to worry anymore about me perpetually contemplating boob jobs and revealing bunny suits. THEN, as if that's not weird enough, i found out after my father shared this "good news" with his aunt (apparently it was a family concern), she deduced that i now want to stop acting. i don't get it, do my family think i'm trying to make it in the porn industry? you gotta love Arab families.

again, a big thank you to Stoli for sending us out there, it was definitely a memorable experience!

xx penguina

Hello from the West Coast!

So I endured the direct 16 hour flight to the West Coast I was dreading, and have to say it wasn't all that bad. Traveling with another Stoli winner was a good deal considering she spotted an empty seat in front of her that only had another one next to it AND was on the isle. Great news considering I'm constantly drinking water and constantly... yeah.

All was fine except for the guy sitting next to me who seemed to be convinced we were flying "together." Not sure what made him think he was responsible for me. Maybe it was the fact that we were both lame enough to pre-order a specific type of meal (I can't stand plane food). It got to the point where I was so nervous he'd help me take my sweater off; no doubt I looked psycho yanking it off me like it was on fire to avoid any help. Clearly nothing too exciting happened...

Highlights of the Trip: 

• The Stoli team welcoming us with a limo to the W Hotel in Westwood. We entered the hotel with a camera rolling on us, and all I can say is if I look half human in that clip I'll be satisfied. 

• Finding Trader Joes AND Wholefoods right next to the hotel. That was enough to make me feel at home. 

• Seeing old friends which is always a great feeling.

• Meeting new friends who I got along and felt comfortable with almost instantly.

• Being part of the live audience at the shooting of "Two and a Half Men." 

• Shaking Ashton Kutcher's hand...

• Partying at the Abbey, which for those of you who don't know is probably one of the most fun gay bars you'll ever go to. So my friend and I decided to stand by the stage where one of the male dancers was going wild, at which point he looked right at me, bent over to grab my neck and pulled me in to give a nice long and slow lick up the side of my face. Is that normal? I thought he was going to tell me something.... evidently, I don't go out much. I tried looking at the bright side - I knew it would be the most action I'd be getting there. Not sure why I still get surprised when the most random things happen to me. I guess I can cross "getting my face licked by a stranger" off my list now. 

• One of the most invigorating, calming yet powerful yoga classes I've ever had, and I've tried a lot. I truly enjoyed that class, it wasn't even hot yoga yet I was sweating buckets and the stretching was just what my body needed. 

• Shaking Ashton Kutcher's hand...

• Lunch at Urth Cafe where my obsession for broccoli soup began and where I had the best vegan oatmeal cookie. Mmmm. Just the kind of casual healthy place I wish we'd find more of in the Middle East.

• The Kandy Masquerade Playboy Party which deserves it's own post.

• Shaking Ashton Kutcher's hand! Sorry.. I can't help it. I'm holding myself back from describing the texture of it.... (it's soft). 

It wasn't my first time in LA but it's always been a different experience each time. I definitely want to spend at least a week there this summer - five days isn't enough if you account for jet lag ruining a couple of them for you. All in all a great and exciting trip. When I signed on to work with Stoli this memory was definitely not something I thought I'd have. Glad I took the opportunity! On to the next adventure xx

Scene Magazine: Stoli Originals

Check out Jay & I in Scene Magazine as Stoli Originals :)

And the Stoli Emirates Original Ambassador is......

 Jay Wud.... AND me!! 

Remember all that Stoli fuss I harassed everyone with? Just a quick recap: This all started with four original ambassadors selected to represent Stoli. After the first party when the four of us introduced ourselves in our own special way, we encouraged people to enter an Originality contest. Out of all the participants, seven original people were selected and we got to meet them at the second party. They all had their own original personalities, but only two were selected as it was based on a voting system and alas, rules are rules.

December 8th was the final Stoli party where Jay and I were approached with the great news. We're both so excited and grateful for the opportunity. At the end of the day, we were all original and it was a priceless experience. A massive thank you to the Stoli Team!!!

It's been a fun adventure, and it's not ever yet! So stay tuned to find out what happens next. What I will share is that it involves going to LA xx

Free Table for 12 at Republique or Rare!!

Good music, good company, and Stoli poured on the house - don't miss this chance!

Stoli Recipe Cards

Here are a couple recipe cards I made for Stoli. The photos were taken by Jonothan Gainer, a photographer, director and actor who I've had the pleasure of shooting an Atlantis commercial with and several other photoshoots. Credits also go to a couple close friends of mine who helped me with my t-shirts; I love how the cards turned out and wouldn't have been able to reach the final product without them!

Only five of my Tea Party girls were featured; the other three were either eating, at the Apple store or don't drink alcohol....

Click "See More" at the bottom to view more cards xx

WATCH ME: Stoli Competition Steps Simplified!

Sometimes people are reluctant to join a competition for many reasons, one being they aren't in the mood to sign up. The video above shows you just how easy it is to sign up to the Stoli Competition at www.thenextoriginal.com. It's fun, quick, and definitely worth your time!

Check out my ambassador link while you're at it too :) http://on.fb.me/elmMCAL

WATCH ME: Stoli Launch Party in the Press!

Check out the cover My Dubai My City did on the Stoli Launch party - I think it looks great! Just not used to that intense zoom in zoom out action, the cameraman really went a bit wild there! Thank you to the lovely Militza for the interview too! It's funny the last time we shared a screen was when we were shooting Tobe Hooper's upcoming movie "Djinn." Looking forward to many many more opportunities to all aspiring artists in the UAE!!

Much love xx

Check me out - in da club!

@ Republique on the projector at Stoli's launch party! 

Stoli Launch Party Photos

Here are some photos from the Stoli launch party. At first I was in my performance attire and then brought some of my MAD Tea Party to life :)

For more fun photos of the night, check out the facebook album:

Stoli Launch Party! Are you www.thenextoriginal.com?

Enjoy xx

My friends are so supportive, love it!

The very talented Mike Daniel, one of the other Stoli ORIGINAL ambassadors

My stunner roomie

The Rougettes!

Hey, when life hands you Stoli...

The wild Alan J Roberts - another cast member from The Butterfly & the Bee

T-shirts for Stoli from my Tea Party!

These my friends are the t-shirts I made for the Stoli launch party. I'm so happy people liked them a lot, so I'm actually considering making them in different colors! (I should calm down right)


I must give credits to the witty mind of Mohammed Rahmo for the copy, and to three of my dearest friends - Tala Barbir, Sara Kanoo and Luana Suciu, for their constant creative advice, as they are always spot on when it comes to design!


Here's what the t-shirt says:

WATCH ME: Stoli Launch Performance!

Last Wednesday, October 5th was the Stoli Launch party at Republique in the Dubai Mall Address Hotel. What a night! It was the perfect event to party and let loose at after the three busy weeks leading up to it!

At the event, each of the four ORIGINAL ambassadors were supposed to share some of their originality with the attendees. I decided to perform a scene from an upcoming movie that I'm the lead in, which happens to be a song with my "back up singers". They're considered back up singers, but are three of the main actors, and we're all part of a band called the Rougettes. These three ladies have such distinct, beautiful and powerful voices and sing on a regular basis at different venues in Dubai. I've learned so much from them!

It was definitely a struggle at first trying to come up with a way to perform the full song the way it's done in the movie, with the limited space. We ended up cutting the song in half and so I decided to add a video to start with.

Of course there were risks adding a video. First, who pays attention to a video in a club? Unless there are some hot booty poppin chicks shakin what their mama gave em, it ain't gona happen. Second, the acoustics in the venue weren't that great, so the sound bounced everywhere and I'm not sure people were able to hear everything. Third, it's a projector so the quality isn't always as great - which was noticeably the case when I showed up orange in the photos. It's a pretty visual video though, so luckily people could somewhat grasp the idea, but I decided to repost it to clear things up. Anyway, despite it all I was lucky there was a projector to accommodate the video! Big thanks to my roomie Yasmeen who helped me find the perfect opening track x

I've also added the live performance at the end of it, which was done as sort of a continuation of the video.

I definitely couldn't have done it without the director of the movie, Mohammed Rahmo, and my wild, beautiful ladies: Claire Kelly, Melissa Lemaire and Sarah Braganti.

I love my Rougettes ♥

In addition to the performance, I provided my team with t-shirts with the girls from my tea party, and recipe cards for all the attendees. I'll upload photos of them in a seperate post!

It was honestly a fabulous night. I got to meet the other three ambassadors - Natalie Brogan and Mike Daniel who are both great DJs and Jay Wud who is fabulous on his guitar. I definitely DON'T want any of their cds :p Seriously though, well done to all of them. I was dancing to all the music played, and singing along to Jay's songs which is weird - I don't know any of them. There was definitely some Stoli to blame. Of course they've got nothing on me. Nonetheless, it's fun to be part of a talented lot.

Ultimately, I'm grateful to the STOLI and STICKYGINGER team for giving me this kick ass opportunity, which I am enjoying every minute of!

Check out the whole intro and performance below, or click here to watch just the performance.

I hope you enjoy it xx

Stoli presents their ORIGINAL campaign in the UAE!!!

Based on the concept of ORIGINALITY - Stoli wants to challenge all consumers to wonder how they measure:

 - if they are original?
 - if they are experiencing and living life in an authentic, interesting way?
 - if they are interesting enough to share a Stoli with themselves?

There are 3 prizes to be won: 

1. By the general public, by submitting their videos showing how original they are.

2. From one of the participating bars.

3. From one of our ambassadors by being the most proactive and active ORIGINALITY ambassador.

What are the prizes?
1. An all-expenses trip to L.A. to attend the 2012 Masquerade Party at the Mansion in February.
2. The chance to experience Zero Gravity in L.A.!!


I am proud to say that I have been selected as one of the 4 Stoli ORIGINALITY Ambassadors!
One of the 4 ambassadors (who are each original in their own way) ALSO has a chance to win, so please check out my video below!! Hope you like it :)

So how should you start?! First go to the Stoli Emirates page on facebook and "Like" it. THEN think about what makes you original, and participate in the competition to find The Next Original!

There's so much ORIGINALITY out there - so prove it and go to www.thenextoriginal.com!!!!!