For any of you who have gone through a life changing experience — something that rocked your world to the core, that turned everything you thought you knew about yourself completely upside down — Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love probably speaks to you. There’s a reason why it was on The New York Times best sellers list for 178 weeks and counting.

Now Sony Pictures is releasing their film adaptation of the book, starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, this Friday, August 13.

Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts in "Eat Pray Love." Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

In case you don’t know the storyline, Gilbert found herself lost after a contentious divorce and a bout with depression. So she embarked on a journey through Italy, India and Bali, eating, praying and eventually finding love — and healing — along the way.

Julia Roberts in India. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Now Asian American designer Sue Wong has come out with a collection inspired by the movie, called Sue Wong for Eat Pray Love.

Eat Pray Love by Sue Wong. Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Sue Wong.

It’s a natural fit. Wong has always designed gowns and dresses with a multicultural, eclectic feel. “I feel that I have always had a foot in the door of both cultures and that the experience of growing up in two cultures has always given me a broader and more global perspective,” says Wong, whose myriad influences range from African wood cut prints to traditional Chinese floral motifs to vintage Hollywood glamour.

For the Eat Pray Love collection, Wong called upon her love of Indian style. “The textiles with gorgeous beadwork and embroidery are based on vintage Indian saris, and many hours were spent in the research and execution of these textiles,” she says. She also created Indian and Indonesian-inspired “dressy versions of the sarong looks that I already wear,” she says. Paired with dramatic ethnic jewelry, Wong says it’s become her signature look.

Sue Wong, center, with models wearing her designs at the Asia Society Southern California 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner. Photo courtesy of Asia Society.

But it wasn’t just the similarity in aesthetics. Wong says that she personally identified with the book and the author’s experiences. “I am living my version of the Eat Pray Love saga,” she says. “I too have just emerged from a very difficult divorce and have my holistic retreat and spiritual sanctuary in the beautiful, remote jungles of East Maui. I am also embarking on a month-long odyssey to Europe and Morocco in order to hear my psyche, heart and spirit.”

Recently, Wong was honored by Asia Society Southern California at its 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner in Los Angeles. Among the honorees was Eric Nakamura, publisher of Giant Robot Magazine. California State Controller John Chiang moderated the discussion among the honorees.

To see more of Sue Wong for Eat Pray Love, click here. Available at Neiman Marcus.

I didn’t know what the hell a hamsa was, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. It’s a “palm-shaped amulet popular throughout Middle East and North Africa” and is “often incorporated in jewelry and wall hangings, as a defense against the evil eye.”

That’s some pretty powerful stuff.

Although I’m not sure how to juggle the juxtaposition between the rosary chain and the hamsa charm, the combination makes for a very eclectic and delicate piece of jewelry. The ISEZX Hamsa Beaded Rosary Chain in black, with the hamsa, meant to ward off the evil eye, and the beads of the rosary, all hung on delicate gold — it’s absolutely exquisite.

Want!

I have always wondered how my life would be like had my parents never left their hometown of Libagon, Southern Leyte for the United States. Having spent the last two weeks here in this town (where it’d only take you 15-20 minutes to walk from one end to the other),I’ve gotten a taste of what that life would be.

The best word to describe the lifestyle of Libagon residents is simple. Students attend school from 8 am until 4 pm. During their lunch breaks they’ll either get snacks from the street vendors, play computer games at the Internet Café, or sing a couple songs on the karaoke machine at the seaside restaurant (designed to look like a nipa hut).

The seaside nipa-hut style restaurant where Libagon students spend their lunch break eating and singing karaoke.

Libagon can be compared to the city of Las Vegas because it is a town that never sleeps. From sunrise until sunset the town is alive with people who always have something to do. If they aren’t working, parents will pass the time by visiting friends and relatives to make kwnetuhan (share stories and gossip). Fishermen will get on their boats to catch fish or squid to sell. Young boys climb up palm trees to gather coconuts for a refreshing snack.

Even though I am not completely worry-free and have my Audrey assignments (like these series of posts) to do, I cannot help but feel calm and relaxed in this town. Everyone is so friendly and quick to help others out. Everyone knows each other and if they don’t they do not hesitate to introduce themselves.

I may not have been born here or know every family and their history like my parents, but Libagon is a very special place to me and I do feel at home.

However, I know I won’t ever be able to relate to the impoverished life that most people in this town live. Both my father and mother’s families are fairly well off, but they have always managed to stay humble and know that the best way to really give thanks to God for their blessings is to help those who are less fortunate than them.

The children of Libagon.

My brother has celebrated his 5^th, 13^th and (most recently) his 18^th birthday in Libagon. I can recall on the day of my brother’s 5^th birthday, my mom and aunts were running around decorating the area along the beachfront where we would be holding the celebration. My brother started to cry because he noticed there were no gifts for him to be found. He sobbed to my mother, “Mommy, where are my presents? It’s my birthday!”

My parents took my brother aside and explained to him that here in the Philippines many children are not as lucky as him. They don’t have closets full of clothes or bedrooms full of toys. Some children aren’t even able to go to school because their parents do not have enough money to pay for their education.

As with all of his birthdays that have been celebrated in Libagon, my family invited many children to the party so that they could enjoy the many delicious food we had prepared: lechon (roasted pig), pancit (noodles), fried chicken, and fish among other dishes. It may just be one day out of the whole year that they can enjoy this kind of feast, but you can see in their eyes how happy and appreciative they are.

Once all the children are fed my parents distribute “presents” we brought for them from the United States. This year they brought a box full of various types of shoes for boys and girls and another box filled with notebooks, pens, pencils, calculators and other school supplies.

My mother passing out notebooks, pencils, and other school supplies to children.

Living in the U.S. it can be easy for me to get caught up in my daily routine of working and worrying over petty things like a friend not returning a call right away, but when I see the big smile on a little boy or girl’s face over something as simple as a pack of pencils, reality hits me. My so-called problems are nothing in comparison to what many people deal with day in and day out in the Philippines. At the age of 5, my brother may have cried because he wasn’t receiving a table full of presents, but we both now know (thanks to the example set by our parents) the importance of sharing one’s blessings.

This wallet is too cute.

It reminds me of the small fake wallets I used to carry around when I was a child. I used to stuff those silly with $1 bills and random cards (as I had seen in my mom’s wallet) and pretended that I was a rich lady.

With a cute Hello Kitty keychain, this Hello Kitty Red Emboss Wallet by Loungefly opens up in a U-Shape and can hold up to 18 credit cards, perfect for tucking away all those business cards you might have collected to make your wallet feel fatter.

Hello Kitty is stamped into the exterior patent leather; on the inside, you’ll find an ID window, two full length bill compartments, and an inside zipper pocket for all your change.

Yee.

I moisturize my skin religiously. I go through a huge bottle of lotion about every two months because, trust me, in this day and age, with the sun and the Greenhouse Effect and Kim Jong-Il and the economy, sometimes all a girl can do is make sure her skin is hydrated and youthful looking.

It never occurred me to check out a body wash that had natural moisturizers in it, which would save me a couple bills at checkout, not to mention save me the process of lotioning myself up every night.

Nature’s Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Body Wash is paraben-free with moisturizers made to hydrate dry skin. You’ve heard of the wonders of pomegranate, right? The antioxidants found in pomegranates work to fight free radicals and prevent any potential damage from them. And sunflower nourishes and replenishes the skin with vital nutrition and vitamins.

Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Body Wash.

Even more impressive is the fact that this body wash is paraben-free. What is paraben? It is a cosmetic preservative found in your everyday products: toothpastes, shampoos, shaving gels, even personal lubricants. Although seemingly harmless, studies have found that parabens are found in high concentrations in breast cancer tumors (though the link to parabens and cancers are still undergoing study).

Whether the studies prove right or wrong, I am not an advocate for beauty at the risk to your health. Why run the risk when there are other affordable products that are substance- and chemical-free? This body wash is a healthy choice for you and your body because of the absence of toxic chemicals, and it’s produced without animal testing or any animal byproducts. Even the bottle is biodegradable.

Take it from this skin-moisturizing addict, you’ll want to have this in your beauty arsenal.

So comment to this post and we’ll pick five winners to try out this amazing product. You got till August 11, 11:59 p.m., and you must have a U.S. addy. Remember — retweet for an additional entry! Good luck!

I’ve seen sexy black leather jackets. And I wanted one.

But after I laid eyes on Transparent System’s White Moto Jacket, I was like, “Forget the black.” White is the way to go. No one has a white leather jacket. No one.

And I’m not even a fan of white things. (I usually prefer black to white).

This lightweight jacket has zipper pockets, and the logo artfully running down the left arm. My favorite detail is the stenciled elephant roaring on the lower backside of the jacket. You can’t go wrong with this jacket.

Sleek, smooth and different. It’s a nice deviation from your typical black leather jacket.

Never knew Harry Shum, Jr. of Glee (he plays Mike Chang) could dance, didya? Our writer Han Cho was certainly impressed when she interviewed him for our upcoming Fall issue. And now he’s starring in Jon Chu’s Step Up 3D, along with AA actress Ally Maki (10 Things I Hate About You), out in theaters tomorrow! Check out his moves:

Jon Chu and Harry Shum Jr. attend the LXD after party at The Roosevelt Hotel on July 6, 2010 in Hollywood, California. Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images North America.

Expo 2010 Shanghai Culture Centre.

With the World Expo going on, Shanghai is the place to be right now. (They’ve gotten 10 million visitors since May!) Audrey contributor Janice Jann was just there as part of the Miss LA Chinatown goodwill tour. Hip New York-based indie band PaperDoll, headed by Chinese-Taiwanese-Thai American vocalist Teresa Lee Chaisiri , is in Shanghai right now to perform at the World Expo (August 10 & 11), and they just performed at Shanghai’s oldest underground live music venue, Yuyintang, yesterday.

Iconic Chinese composer and conductor Tan Dun.

Everyone seems to be getting into the Expo act, including international fashion and accessories brand Bottega Veneta. The Italian brand is partnering with Academy Award-winning composer, conductor and cultural ambassador Tan Dun for a world premiere concert called “Martial Arts Trilogy.” The concert — which combines elements of Tan’s acclaimed scores from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hero and The Banquet — is expected to be the top cultural event at the six month-long Expo and will take place this Saturday, August 7. Tan will be conducting the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, China Youth Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic Chorus at the new 18,000 seat Expo 2010 Shanghai Culture Center.

Chinese model Liu Wen in Bottega Veneta's fall 2010 show.

This concert, sponsored by Bottega Veneta, represents a shared commitment to foster young creative talent and nurture the next generation of musicians, designers and creators. “It is a pleasure and also a responsibility, I believe, to help young designers and artists share their work with the widest possible audience,” said Tomas Maier, creative director of Bottega Veneta, which also developed an artisan training program at the Scuola Della Pelletteria in Vicenza, and sponsored a student design competition at the University of Tokyo last spring.

In addition to the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, the concert will feature young soloists from around the world, including Italian cellist Amedeo Cicchese, Japanese violinist Ryu Goto, China’s guqin player Lu Xiaozi, and Chinese American pianist Sun Jiayi.

Bottega Veneta's limited edition Spring Bud bag. There are only 26 of them in the world!

To celebrate the concert and partnership, Bottega Veneta has created a limited edition bag (there are only 26 of them!) to benefit the Spring Buds Project. The limited edition bag which will be sold at all their China stores and one will be auctioned off online. All 26 purchasers of the bag will receive two VIP tickets to the concert.

All the proceeds of the bags will be donated to the Spring Buds Project of CCTF, a public fundraising fund committed to helping every child in China to develop their overall physical, mental and social potential, and to help them become self-reliant, contributing members to their communities. The Spring Bud Project, launched in 1989, aims to help girls in poverty stricken and education deprived regions get back to school. In the last 18 years, the Spring Bud Program has sponsored the education and practical skills training of more than 1.7 million girls in China. The Program’s latest efforts focus on vocational training and even entrepreneurship.

To find out more about the concert, go here.

I like Chinatown. I can always find yummy things to eat and drink, and it’s a cool place to chill. You can always find something to do in Chinatown.

This summer, L.A.’s Chinatown is poppin’. Starting in August, every Saturday from 5pm to midnight, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles and the Chinatown community have partnered together with Community Arts Resources (CARS) to host Chinatown Summer Nights in order to showcase one of L.A.’s most unique neighborhoods.

The famous Chinatown arch in Los Angeles.

From Lei Min Way to Chung King Road, attendees will find food trucks lined up serving samples of the most delectable dishes as KCRW deejays spin music throughout the night. In addition to the food trucks, there will be cooking demonstrations by local restaurants, as well as family-oriented activities and hands-on cultural workshops, anything from art to dance. The workshops will be conducted by local artists and museums and other educational institutions.

The trendiest way to dine out -- food trucks!

Savor Chinatown's amazing dumplings.

In addition, temporary art installations will be set up for public viewing, and merchandise will be available for anyone’s browsing pleasure at the LA Craft Experience.  Better yet, the Chinatown Summer Nights Discount Program gives discounts to local stores and restaurants (check out their website!).

The night market in Chinatown.

Food, music, and art? Chinatown knows how to get down.

DETAILS

Chinatown Summer Nights

Where: Chinatown, Los Angeles between Broadway and Yale, from College Street to Bernard Street.

When: Every Saturday in August (August 7, 14, 21, and 28) from 5pm to midnight.

How: Public transportation and a courtesy shuttle will be provided from Chinatown Gold Line Station and Central Plaza. There’s also a private lot, valet, and free bike parking.

Admission: Free and for all ages

Chinatown gets lit up at night.

It’s hard to find cute clutches. Most of them look really tacky or like the one every girl in the world carries. This Detailed Clutch in Green by Chocolate Handbags brings the pizazz needed with its textured leaf imprints and a belt detail envelope clutch and spring ring clasp closure. The details on this particular clutch are subtle and simple. The metal decor isn’t clunky or tries to be an accessory on the clutch and serves its purpose. The clasp itself is sturdy, and unlike magnet clasps, will prevent the clutch from flying open. And the color is just enough balance of dark and light to be carried throughout all four seasons.