ONE OF THE HARDEST things about being a vlogger is when you agree to do a product review for someone close to you, and the product turns out to be a dud.
Since I respect my viewers too much to lie to them, I would end up spending a couple of stressful hours just to make sure my review is still honest and objective...but without actually saying anything particularly damaging or hurtful.
Thankfully, I don't have such problems with V&V's newest camera. They've sent me one over a week ago to unbox, and it's even surpassed my already-high expectations.
It's a joy to work with, and hopefully, the quality of my photos will show—-
Whoops!
I accidentally make eye contact with another vlogger I've worked with in a few other events before this, and I groan in my mind even as I'm already flashing a smile and moving forward to make small talk.
So cool, right?
Best party ever!
Influencer life for the win!
Since I have about a hundred or so variations of such lines in my arsenal, I can go on and on without sounding repetitive, and no one would ever guess that I'm actually not the social butterfly I seem to be.
I'm no shy wallflower, but since I'm not a people person either, the obligation to be friendly when attending in-person events is one of two things that I greatly dislike about vlogging.
As for the other downside, well...
"Look at the way she's flirting with Stone Verhoff. God, she's such a slut."
"Sssh. She's heading our way now."
I mentally shake my head as the two women behind me continue to gossip about their other friend.
If you haven't guessed it yet, this is the other thing I hate most about the vlogging world. People can be so painfully fake, and there are times when I feel like I need to see a therapist after just witnessing my colleagues get into a vicious round of backbiting and mudslinging.
And speaking of which—-
The women behind me are suddenly gushing, and I have to fight off the urge to roll my eyes as I hear some of their lies.
"Oh my gosh, Kiki, you lucky girl!"
"You totally had Stone Verhoff's attention, and no wonder! You're the prettiest girl in this room!"
I move away in a hurry as the lies continue. I'm usually the type to live and let live, but I'm worried if I stay just a second longer, my temper will end up overruling my common sense. I'm this close to turning around and telling Kiki that her friends are made entirely of plastic. As in - they're so damn fake, I don't think they're even human.
Keep it together, Che-Che!
I may be penning racy novels for a living, but I'm actually no hopeless romantic, and I can't ever imagine myself uttering any kind of lie or worse - being cruel and mean - just because of a man.
Then again, maybe I'm only this chill because I have Kevin, and those other women don't.
A smile touches my lips at the thought of Kevin, and already I can feel myself calming down and as my irritation gradually fades. Thinking about all the secret good times I enjoy with Kevin always puts me in a good mood, and I even find myself humming along as I lift my camera and get back to work.
An hour passes before I'm satisfied with the photos and footage I have of the event, and I can finally make my way to the refreshment table to reward my already-groaning tummy.
I used to feel self-conscious about how much I eat, but then I got to know another self-published author, and Addie's unabashed love for food made me realize how silly I was being. I was in awe of how confident she was about herself, and how genuinely happy she was despite literally hearing some people say nasty things about her weight gain.
Having Addie as a mentor completely changed my life, and it's thanks to her I've also learned to stop giving a damn about what other people think. As long as my BMI says I'm still healthy, that's good enough for me, and now...
My, my, my!
The buffet selection offered by V&V is incredible, and it's enough to make my stomach rumble while I remember to take photos of each and every mouthwatering platter on display. I can't believe they're serving my favorite truffled-flavored dumplings, and hey now...is that chicken adobo I'm seeing, and oh c'mon now - six-cheese lasagna, really?
Since the four-cheese type is already a rarity and five-cheese ones are like unicorns, I feel like I've gone to heaven as the server carefully places a slice on my plate.
Now that my plate's all loaded up, the only thing left to do is...
Aha!
I walk as quickly as I can the moment I spot the perfect table: it's at the back of the exhibition hall and thus pretty isolated, but more importantly, the lighting here is awful for selfies, which for most people spells doom.