Roger Federer still stands atop the ATP rankings at the moment. However, because he skipped the Paris Masters this week, he will be dropping a lot of points on Monday. At which point Novak Djokovic takes back the top ranking. Federer won the World Championships last year so even if he wins that event again, he won't gain enough points to overtake Djokovic. This means that Novak will be ranked #1 at the end of 2012. It will be the second year in a row that he ends the year #1.
It's been a really interesting and competitive year in men's tennis. For the first time since 2003, we have different champions in the four Grand Slam tournaments. Nadal is expected to return to tennis in 2013 and he will certainly be hungry to win. With Andy Murray having multiple solid wins over both Novak and Roger this year, it will be interesting to see what happens next year.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Friday, November 02, 2012
Carmen in Manila
Last weekend, I caught my fourth opera this year (and I'm not counting "Phantom of the Opera" hehe). I learned about "Carmen" from my friends Jane and Martin so I asked my mom if she wanted to watch and she said she did.
"Carmen" was presented by Lyric Opera of the Philippines and directed by Laurice Guillen. It was staged at St. Cecilia's Hall in St. Scholastica Manila (the acoustics here were incredible), making it the first opera I saw outside CCP. It's also the first opera I watched where the entire cast was composed of local talent (the three other operas I watched this year featured international artists from Korea, Japan, and Italy). The cast was really good. The standout performance in my opinion came from Randy Gilongo who took on the role of Don Jose. Of everyone in the cast, he best combined good acting and exceptional vocals. Ana Guillen Feleo, the daughter of Laurice, was believable as Carmen and Kay Balajadia Liggayu received strong applause as well for her performance of Micaela. On top of the great talent, the show also had pretty good production value, from the lights to the sets to the costumes.
This four-act opera was created by French composer George Bizet based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. It tells the story of Carmen, a fiery gypsy who catches the fancy of many men, including Don Jose. She and Don Jose become involved but, free spirit that she is, she eventually leaves him for the toreador Escamillo. Consumed by jealousy and not wanting to lose Carmen to any other man, Don Jose kills her in the end. A few of the songs in this opera are quite popular and even non-opera fans will be familiar with them. Among these are the overture, the Toreador song, and of course Habanera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle. Most people who watched Sesame Street in the 70s and early 80s will know this song because of that scene where an orange sings this song LOL. Here is a brilliant rendition of this song by legendary opera singer Maria Callas:
video uploaded in youtube by Th Paw
It's amazing that in a year where so many current and very popular international artists like Lady Gaga and Maroon 5 had shows in the country, I somehow find myself watching operas instead. :) Every show I saw, including Carmen, had a pretty good sized audience so I hope it means that more operas get staged in Manila.
photo from www.carmenmanila.com
"Carmen" was presented by Lyric Opera of the Philippines and directed by Laurice Guillen. It was staged at St. Cecilia's Hall in St. Scholastica Manila (the acoustics here were incredible), making it the first opera I saw outside CCP. It's also the first opera I watched where the entire cast was composed of local talent (the three other operas I watched this year featured international artists from Korea, Japan, and Italy). The cast was really good. The standout performance in my opinion came from Randy Gilongo who took on the role of Don Jose. Of everyone in the cast, he best combined good acting and exceptional vocals. Ana Guillen Feleo, the daughter of Laurice, was believable as Carmen and Kay Balajadia Liggayu received strong applause as well for her performance of Micaela. On top of the great talent, the show also had pretty good production value, from the lights to the sets to the costumes.
curtain call
This four-act opera was created by French composer George Bizet based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. It tells the story of Carmen, a fiery gypsy who catches the fancy of many men, including Don Jose. She and Don Jose become involved but, free spirit that she is, she eventually leaves him for the toreador Escamillo. Consumed by jealousy and not wanting to lose Carmen to any other man, Don Jose kills her in the end. A few of the songs in this opera are quite popular and even non-opera fans will be familiar with them. Among these are the overture, the Toreador song, and of course Habanera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle. Most people who watched Sesame Street in the 70s and early 80s will know this song because of that scene where an orange sings this song LOL. Here is a brilliant rendition of this song by legendary opera singer Maria Callas:
video uploaded in youtube by Th Paw
It's amazing that in a year where so many current and very popular international artists like Lady Gaga and Maroon 5 had shows in the country, I somehow find myself watching operas instead. :) Every show I saw, including Carmen, had a pretty good sized audience so I hope it means that more operas get staged in Manila.
Thursday, November 01, 2012
All Saint's Day
While most of the Philippines headed to the cemeteries today, I decided to stay at home and get some rest. I told my family that we should just 'visit' my grandfather "Tatay" tomorrow. That way, we get to avoid the traffic and the massive crowds.
My grandmother "Nanay" and I actually go to the cemetery almost every Sunday where we say a prayer for Tatay and our other relatives who have been laid to rest in the same area. There was a beautiful sunset there a couple of weekends ago:
Hopefully, it will be a good and quiet day in the cemetery tomorrow.
My grandmother "Nanay" and I actually go to the cemetery almost every Sunday where we say a prayer for Tatay and our other relatives who have been laid to rest in the same area. There was a beautiful sunset there a couple of weekends ago:
Hopefully, it will be a good and quiet day in the cemetery tomorrow.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Celebrating with my family
To celebrate my birthday with my family, I used another discount voucher to book a two-bedroom suite at the Holiday Inn in Ortigas. We arrived at the hotel in the early evening, but for some reason, our room was still not ready. To compensate for this delay, the hotel gave us free wifi and a late check-out. Since we couldn't go into our room yet, we decided to go to Galleria. I promised my nephew Ciera I would take him to watch "Hotel Transylvania" so we quickly look at the movie schedules - there was a 9pm showing - so I got us a couple of tickets and we headed to TGI Friday's for dinner. Our room was ready by the time we were done with dinner so while my mom, my grandma 'Nanay', and my other nephew CJ (he wasn't interested in watching the movie) stayed in the room, Ciera and I went back to the mall. Hotel Transylvania was a fun movie, although I have to say it really caters more to kids than to adults.
Nanay's students back in the day had organized a reunion in Resorts World, and they invited Nanay to join them for lunch on Sunday. My mom was also attending a birthday party for the grandkid of one of her friends at 3pm that same day. The initial plan was that we would bring Nanay to Resorts World and then go back to the hotel since we were given a 4pm check-out but I felt it would be a better use of our time for us to just check out at noon. We leave the hotel at 12pm and I drop Nanay off at Resorts World. While waiting for Nanay, we go to Old Swiss Inn for a late lunch. Since CJ wasn't with us when we tried the Fondue Bourguignonne (prime beef tenderloin cubes dipped in hot oil, with a carousel of sauces and served french fries) during Ciera's birthday, we order it again using my second fondue voucher.
After our lunch (we ordered a couple of other items), we head back to Resorts World to pick Nanay up before dropping my mom off at her party. We knew she would be there for a couple of hours so I decide to go to Greenbelt and wait there. I thought this would be a good time for me to try J. Co Donuts. The line here is always tremendously long but we didn't really have anything to do. It took me almost an hour to be served but thankfully, we got a table where my family could sit and my nephews had their PSPs with them to keep them entertained the entire time. It didn't make sense to fall in line for an hour just for a couple of donuts so I got two dozen assorted donuts.
Once I got the donuts, we head to Time Zone because I promised my nephews I'd take them there. We left Nanay at the Figaro right beside it - I ordered an iced tea for her and she got one of the donuts - and we headed straight to the arcade. We were all tremendously lucky in the ball drop game but when we discovered the pinball machine, we spent most of our time there. We wrapped up when my mom arrived and we then headed home.
As soon as we got home, everyone started trying the J. Co Donuts and well they were an instant hit. These donuts definitely lived up to the hype. They are light and not too sweet and it's so easy to eat a couple in just one go. Nanay mentioned that the donut with hazelnut cream she ate was really good so we gave her the other hazelnut donut as well as a couple other ones for her to try. By the end of the night, we had consumed a little more than a dozen donuts already!
It was a full birthday weekend with my family, so much so that even my nephew said by the end of Sunday that we did a lot that day. Hope that's a good sign for the coming year. :)
Nanay's students back in the day had organized a reunion in Resorts World, and they invited Nanay to join them for lunch on Sunday. My mom was also attending a birthday party for the grandkid of one of her friends at 3pm that same day. The initial plan was that we would bring Nanay to Resorts World and then go back to the hotel since we were given a 4pm check-out but I felt it would be a better use of our time for us to just check out at noon. We leave the hotel at 12pm and I drop Nanay off at Resorts World. While waiting for Nanay, we go to Old Swiss Inn for a late lunch. Since CJ wasn't with us when we tried the Fondue Bourguignonne (prime beef tenderloin cubes dipped in hot oil, with a carousel of sauces and served french fries) during Ciera's birthday, we order it again using my second fondue voucher.
Fondue Bourguignonne
We dip these tenderloin cubes into the hot oil to cook them.
On top of that, I also order the Walliser Fondue (made with Swiss wine, Gruyere, Emmental, and Raclette cheeses, and fresh tomatoes and served with vegetables and crunchy bread). It's an acquired taste but I quite enjoyed it; it was especially good with the vegetables.
Walliser Fondue
After our lunch (we ordered a couple of other items), we head back to Resorts World to pick Nanay up before dropping my mom off at her party. We knew she would be there for a couple of hours so I decide to go to Greenbelt and wait there. I thought this would be a good time for me to try J. Co Donuts. The line here is always tremendously long but we didn't really have anything to do. It took me almost an hour to be served but thankfully, we got a table where my family could sit and my nephews had their PSPs with them to keep them entertained the entire time. It didn't make sense to fall in line for an hour just for a couple of donuts so I got two dozen assorted donuts.
The long and winding queue at J. Co Donuts
Once I got the donuts, we head to Time Zone because I promised my nephews I'd take them there. We left Nanay at the Figaro right beside it - I ordered an iced tea for her and she got one of the donuts - and we headed straight to the arcade. We were all tremendously lucky in the ball drop game but when we discovered the pinball machine, we spent most of our time there. We wrapped up when my mom arrived and we then headed home.
As soon as we got home, everyone started trying the J. Co Donuts and well they were an instant hit. These donuts definitely lived up to the hype. They are light and not too sweet and it's so easy to eat a couple in just one go. Nanay mentioned that the donut with hazelnut cream she ate was really good so we gave her the other hazelnut donut as well as a couple other ones for her to try. By the end of the night, we had consumed a little more than a dozen donuts already!
The first box of 12 was wiped out by the end of the day!
It was a full birthday weekend with my family, so much so that even my nephew said by the end of Sunday that we did a lot that day. Hope that's a good sign for the coming year. :)
Sunday, October 28, 2012
"Photobooking"
Several months back, I bought several photobook vouchers from Ensogo. They were all expiring in end-October so I figured I had more than enough time to create all my photobooks in time. Wrong! Crammer that I am, I only started in September. I should still have had more than enough time to get them done but my October was incredibly hectic. With 4 days left before the vouchers would expire, I still had 6 unused vouchers. Crap! (Yes, I bought a whole lot of vouchers. :))
I managed to complete and order three photobooks but with less than 48 hours left, I still had three to go. Of those three, I had finished the lay out of two of them but both were still missing captions. The last one, I hadn't even started yet. Thankfully, my friend Joh, who bought vouchers at the same time I did and whose vouchers were also expiring, texted me saying that she managed to get her expiry dates extended by two weeks. So I called Photobook Philippines about 13 hours before my vouchers expire and ask for an extension, which they very generously give me. Whew! If not for that, I would have had to submit my two photobooks with ugly captions and I may have been unable to use the last one.
Thankfully, we have two consecutive long weekends. I decided to rest a bit this last one but I should be done with all three remaining books by the time the Nov 1-4 weekend hits. I'm really pleased with the ones that have already been shipped to me so I definitely can't wait to see the remaining books. :)
I managed to complete and order three photobooks but with less than 48 hours left, I still had three to go. Of those three, I had finished the lay out of two of them but both were still missing captions. The last one, I hadn't even started yet. Thankfully, my friend Joh, who bought vouchers at the same time I did and whose vouchers were also expiring, texted me saying that she managed to get her expiry dates extended by two weeks. So I called Photobook Philippines about 13 hours before my vouchers expire and ask for an extension, which they very generously give me. Whew! If not for that, I would have had to submit my two photobooks with ugly captions and I may have been unable to use the last one.
Thankfully, we have two consecutive long weekends. I decided to rest a bit this last one but I should be done with all three remaining books by the time the Nov 1-4 weekend hits. I'm really pleased with the ones that have already been shipped to me so I definitely can't wait to see the remaining books. :)
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Celebrity Chef Special in Bellissimo
I finally met up with Jette, Chari, and Anna (her Manila trip was timed perfectly) for my joint birthday celebration with Chari. We normally celebrate with Bett but she is currently out of the country until mid-November (Chari leaves the country for a few months in a few weeks so since she and Bett wouldn't be in Manila at the same time, we decided to meet up once now while Chari is still here then we'd meet up again once Bett is back). Ric was also supposed to join us but he unfortunately got stuck at work until the very late at night.
I picked Bellissimo as our dinner venue because Jette requested that we get together in the QC area. I had eaten in this Italian restaurant a couple of times before and I enjoyed the food and ambience. However, I didn't realize until I got there that location had changed! I last ate there about two years and it was still on Scout Castor street at the time. When I arrived at their previous location, I couldn't see it anymore. I had to ask a security guard where Bellissimo was and thankfully he knew that the resto moved to Scout Rallos extension. I quickly call and text everyone else to inform them of the location change and give them directions.
When we were all finally gathered together, it was a lot of good and fun conversation. The last time I saw Jette was a year ago during my birthday celebration while Chari I last saw in December. We ordered two pastas and two pizzas, including one that was called 'Sunshine Pizza', which is most likely named after Sunshine Cruz (Bellissimo is owned by Cesar Montano). I decided to order one more pasta - Aglio Olio - and it was Sunshine Cruz herself who served it to us. As she placed our order on the table, she told us all that she cooked it herself. Cool! I can't believe I have now eaten a dish cooked by a celebrity. And it tasted really good too!
The main drawback of this place now is that their menu is quite limited. They don't have antipasti (although they have sausages and a few appetizers) and the only dessert they carry is panna cotta. However, they do have an extensive pizza and pasta selection, some of which are quite interesting and unique, and the food is really good. If you are comfortable just eating pasta and pizza, Bellissimo is definitely worth a visit.
Sunshine talked to us a bit as we were all getting ready to leave and we told her that we really enjoyed our night there. Chari even said that she would return with her husband. Anna and Jette asked if we could have our picture taken with her and she very nicely obliged us. It was a unique experience being served by a celebrity who even cooked our food. :)
I picked Bellissimo as our dinner venue because Jette requested that we get together in the QC area. I had eaten in this Italian restaurant a couple of times before and I enjoyed the food and ambience. However, I didn't realize until I got there that location had changed! I last ate there about two years and it was still on Scout Castor street at the time. When I arrived at their previous location, I couldn't see it anymore. I had to ask a security guard where Bellissimo was and thankfully he knew that the resto moved to Scout Rallos extension. I quickly call and text everyone else to inform them of the location change and give them directions.
When we were all finally gathered together, it was a lot of good and fun conversation. The last time I saw Jette was a year ago during my birthday celebration while Chari I last saw in December. We ordered two pastas and two pizzas, including one that was called 'Sunshine Pizza', which is most likely named after Sunshine Cruz (Bellissimo is owned by Cesar Montano). I decided to order one more pasta - Aglio Olio - and it was Sunshine Cruz herself who served it to us. As she placed our order on the table, she told us all that she cooked it herself. Cool! I can't believe I have now eaten a dish cooked by a celebrity. And it tasted really good too!
The main drawback of this place now is that their menu is quite limited. They don't have antipasti (although they have sausages and a few appetizers) and the only dessert they carry is panna cotta. However, they do have an extensive pizza and pasta selection, some of which are quite interesting and unique, and the food is really good. If you are comfortable just eating pasta and pizza, Bellissimo is definitely worth a visit.
Sunshine talked to us a bit as we were all getting ready to leave and we told her that we really enjoyed our night there. Chari even said that she would return with her husband. Anna and Jette asked if we could have our picture taken with her and she very nicely obliged us. It was a unique experience being served by a celebrity who even cooked our food. :)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Catch-up night
I hadn't seen Jane and Martin in ages so I got in touch with both of them recently to schedule a catch-up night. We were supposed to meet in Resorts World but Jane told us there was a major event going on there so we changed venues and opted instead for Nuvo in Greenbelt 2. Martin arrived first and got us a table on the second floor. I had been to Nuvo several times before but I somehow never realized it had a second floor. It was a bit of a weird set-up though, with a live band playing on the ground floor and a DJ playing party music on the second floor. Since there wasn't a lot of soundproofing, however, we could hear the live music on top of the party music. Nevertheless, we didn't really pay much attention to the music as we talked about a lot of stuff. After all, there was a whole lot to catch up on.
I ended up getting a pizza and a bottle of wine. Later in the night, we ended up talking about Patron and how there apparently is a coffee variation of this drink. Martin got us each a shot but he suggested that instead of drinking it like a regular shot, we could just sip it. Which we did. It was actually quite good!
We were the last three people to leave Nuvo - I'm surprised they didn't kick us out haha. We decided that we shouldn't wait too long 'til our next get-together.
I ended up getting a pizza and a bottle of wine. Later in the night, we ended up talking about Patron and how there apparently is a coffee variation of this drink. Martin got us each a shot but he suggested that instead of drinking it like a regular shot, we could just sip it. Which we did. It was actually quite good!
We were the last three people to leave Nuvo - I'm surprised they didn't kick us out haha. We decided that we shouldn't wait too long 'til our next get-together.
Monday, October 08, 2012
David Archuleta sings OPM!
When David Archuleta came out with his "Forevermore" CD that featured covers of a lot of amazing OPM (Original Pilipino Music) songs, I knew I had to get it. Instead of purchasing it myself, though, I added it to my birthday wishlist, so my friends ended up getting it for me. The verdict? I absolutely love this album! While his rendition of "Nandito ako" is particularly noteworthy as he has to learn how to sing in Filipino (and despite his slight twang, he does a very good job of it), I think my current favorite is his rendition of the Neocolours classic, "Hold on". Check it out:
uploaded in youtube by ArchieBR
I say that this is my current favorite because it could very easily change to something else. He does justice to every song in this album, and his voice is perfectly suited to these Pinoy ballads. If you don't have it yet, I suggest you get a copy. I think it's great that David Archuleta released this album, because it also allows the entire world to hear some truly beautiful music from our country.
uploaded in youtube by ArchieBR
I say that this is my current favorite because it could very easily change to something else. He does justice to every song in this album, and his voice is perfectly suited to these Pinoy ballads. If you don't have it yet, I suggest you get a copy. I think it's great that David Archuleta released this album, because it also allows the entire world to hear some truly beautiful music from our country.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Vettel makes it two in a row
Fresh off his win in Singapore, Sebastian Vettel continues his success in Asia as he wins the Japan Grand Prix. With Fernando Alonso losing control just as the race started after making contact with Kimi Raikkonen, Vettel's twenty-five points in this race now moves him extremely close to the overall drivers' championship this year. Alonso still leads with 194 points, but Vettel's 190 points puts him in good stead as the season winds down.
Felipe Massa takes second place while Kamui Kobayashi makes his home country proud as he places third, finishing 0.56 seconds ahead of Jenson Button. After a disappointing year, Button seems to finding his form once again as he placed second in Singapore and fourth here. Hopefully he can continue to drive well in the remaining five races of the year and improve his overall standing.
Felipe Massa takes second place while Kamui Kobayashi makes his home country proud as he places third, finishing 0.56 seconds ahead of Jenson Button. After a disappointing year, Button seems to finding his form once again as he placed second in Singapore and fourth here. Hopefully he can continue to drive well in the remaining five races of the year and improve his overall standing.
Friday, October 05, 2012
A good way to end the week
A lot of people from our corporate social responsibility initiative at work had already left the company. From a situation where we talk to each other and see each other regularly to barely seeing and hearing from each other was a big change. So while talking to one of the folks recently, we decided it was high time we all got together for a reunion.
Somehow, I ended up organizing it hahaha. I suggested three places and the gang ended up choosing Kitchen's Best in BGC; I figured this would be an easy place to get to during Friday traffic, the parking would be easy, and the food was good. It was also an easy place to have conversation, which was actually an important factor as we all haven't been together as a group in ages.
As expected, it was a fun night. Thankfully, almost all of us were able to make it: Doms, Denise, Zaza, Mon, Deryk, Leianne, Enrique, Kat, Kristel, and myself. The thing about having great friends is that even if you haven't seen each other in a long time, you just easily pick up where you left off. Lots of changes in people's lives but a lot of things still remain the same, too.
It was a few hours of updates and stories and laughs over good food and dessert. Kitchen's Best closes at around 10 or 1030pm but somehow we stayed there 'til way past their closing time. We all decided we would meet up again in December. Of course, I made sure someone else was assigned to organize that. :)
Somehow, I ended up organizing it hahaha. I suggested three places and the gang ended up choosing Kitchen's Best in BGC; I figured this would be an easy place to get to during Friday traffic, the parking would be easy, and the food was good. It was also an easy place to have conversation, which was actually an important factor as we all haven't been together as a group in ages.
As expected, it was a fun night. Thankfully, almost all of us were able to make it: Doms, Denise, Zaza, Mon, Deryk, Leianne, Enrique, Kat, Kristel, and myself. The thing about having great friends is that even if you haven't seen each other in a long time, you just easily pick up where you left off. Lots of changes in people's lives but a lot of things still remain the same, too.
It was a few hours of updates and stories and laughs over good food and dessert. Kitchen's Best closes at around 10 or 1030pm but somehow we stayed there 'til way past their closing time. We all decided we would meet up again in December. Of course, I made sure someone else was assigned to organize that. :)
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
UP: UAAP Cheerdance Stunt Competition champions
Since I posted the winning cheerdance routine, I thought it was only fair to post the winning stunts competition routine as well.
video uploaded in youtube by iamthemanansala
UP Fight! :)
video uploaded in youtube by iamthemanansala
UP Fight! :)
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Conti's Strawberry Shortcake
Conti's is known for its good desserts. While most people rave about the Mango Bravo, I do think my favorite is their Mango Tart. However, second honors for me go to their Strawberry Shortcake. It's light and fluffy, making it very easy to eat even after a heavy meal.
This cake is P395 and is about 6" in diameter and 4" tall. Its size makes it perfect for small groups of people and its price makes it quite affordable. I ended up getting a whole cake for myself LOL. A friend of mine told me that I am the only one he knows who buys a full cake just for himself (of course I eat it over the course of a few days). But when you think about it, cake slices tend to cost close to P100 so getting a full cake (which translates to about 8 slices) means you save a lot more. It also means I end up eating a lot of sugar over the course of a week. But hey, I don't do it very often. :)
This cake is P395 and is about 6" in diameter and 4" tall. Its size makes it perfect for small groups of people and its price makes it quite affordable. I ended up getting a whole cake for myself LOL. A friend of mine told me that I am the only one he knows who buys a full cake just for himself (of course I eat it over the course of a few days). But when you think about it, cake slices tend to cost close to P100 so getting a full cake (which translates to about 8 slices) means you save a lot more. It also means I end up eating a lot of sugar over the course of a week. But hey, I don't do it very often. :)
Monday, October 01, 2012
Pet peeve
Am I the only one who gets annoyed whenever I am asked if I want a float and twister fries with my McDonald's Value Meal? I know that they want increase their sales and asking if customers want to upgrade increases the chances that someone will actually upsize, but it really irritates me when I get into the following conversation:
Me: I'd like to order meal #2
McDonald's: would you like twister fries and a float with that?
Me: No
McDonald's: so what is your order sir?
I figured that if I say 'no' to an upgrade, they would realize that I just want the regular one. But then again I realized that each value meal doesn't default to the regular size anymore; the menu says there is a medium and a small version of each meal. I guess I will now change my ordering pattern and say "I'd like to order a Small Value Meal #2". (Of course, even then I am sure I will still be asked if I want an upsize. Oh well...)
Me: I'd like to order meal #2
McDonald's: would you like twister fries and a float with that?
Me: No
McDonald's: so what is your order sir?
I figured that if I say 'no' to an upgrade, they would realize that I just want the regular one. But then again I realized that each value meal doesn't default to the regular size anymore; the menu says there is a medium and a small version of each meal. I guess I will now change my ordering pattern and say "I'd like to order a Small Value Meal #2". (Of course, even then I am sure I will still be asked if I want an upsize. Oh well...)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Filipino Cris “Kesz” Valdez wins International Children's Peace Prize
This is amazing news! 13-year old Filipino, Cris "Kesz" Valdez was awarded this year's International Children's Peace Prize in The Hague last September 19. This award is given annually to a child whose "remarkable acts have made a difference in countering problems which affect children around the world." (Read more about the International Children's Peace Prize here.)
Kesz is proof that even just one person can make a massive difference. What's truly incredible about this story is that Kesz himself experienced extreme poverty, scavenging dumpsites since and even being physically abused. Somehow, despite these challenges that often cripple most people in similar circumstances, he achieved at age 7 something that is beyond what most people accomplish in their lives: he founded a charity called "Championing Community Children" that raises funds to provide basic necessities to street kids. That he has sustained this foundation over the years, helping out more than 10,000 other kids, makes his efforts even more impressive and awe-inspiring. Clearly, he is truly deserving of this award.
Making this win even move significant is that Kesz Valdez receives $130,000. Different articles I've read online seem to indicate that most of this money will be going into either his charity and others like it. That's a whole lot of money that can be used to help out a lot of people. If Kesz was able to help thousands of street kids before, imagine what kind of impact he can have through his charity now. I don't know what his personal situation is currently, but I do hope he has a comfortable life now and that he is given the opportunity to live his dreams.
Congrats, Kesz Valdez! You are a true inspiration to people all over the world and I wish that you continue to reach out to people in need of help.
photo from http://globalnation.inquirer.net
Kesz is proof that even just one person can make a massive difference. What's truly incredible about this story is that Kesz himself experienced extreme poverty, scavenging dumpsites since and even being physically abused. Somehow, despite these challenges that often cripple most people in similar circumstances, he achieved at age 7 something that is beyond what most people accomplish in their lives: he founded a charity called "Championing Community Children" that raises funds to provide basic necessities to street kids. That he has sustained this foundation over the years, helping out more than 10,000 other kids, makes his efforts even more impressive and awe-inspiring. Clearly, he is truly deserving of this award.
Making this win even move significant is that Kesz Valdez receives $130,000. Different articles I've read online seem to indicate that most of this money will be going into either his charity and others like it. That's a whole lot of money that can be used to help out a lot of people. If Kesz was able to help thousands of street kids before, imagine what kind of impact he can have through his charity now. I don't know what his personal situation is currently, but I do hope he has a comfortable life now and that he is given the opportunity to live his dreams.
Congrats, Kesz Valdez! You are a true inspiration to people all over the world and I wish that you continue to reach out to people in need of help.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
My 800th post!
Can't believe I have now posted on my blog 800 times. It's been about 7 1/2 years now since I started this and somehow, I'm still at it. I did a bit of math and apparently, I am now averaging one blog post every 3 1/2 days. That's not bad. How I have the time to do this, I don't know. :)
Best part of this blog is that I've been able to share some travel information with other people. A few friends have found my blog posts about Iceland, Batanes, Korea, and Brunei useful. Hopefully more of my friends (and maybe even the rare, random stranger) can continue to benefit somehow from the stuff I post. :)
Best part of this blog is that I've been able to share some travel information with other people. A few friends have found my blog posts about Iceland, Batanes, Korea, and Brunei useful. Hopefully more of my friends (and maybe even the rare, random stranger) can continue to benefit somehow from the stuff I post. :)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Most liked video on Youtube
Congratulations to "Gangnam Style" for being declared the most liked video on Youtube by the Guinness World Records!
uploaded in youtube by officialpsy
The wildly popular K-Pop song by PSY has now been liked 2,732,011 times (and counting). The next most liked video after "Gangnam Style"? "Party Rock Anthem" by LFMAO with 1,581,285 likes. That's just a little more than half the number of liked of Gangnam Style. Amazing!
uploaded in youtube by officialpsy
The wildly popular K-Pop song by PSY has now been liked 2,732,011 times (and counting). The next most liked video after "Gangnam Style"? "Party Rock Anthem" by LFMAO with 1,581,285 likes. That's just a little more than half the number of liked of Gangnam Style. Amazing!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Missing the Starbucks Wild Mushroom and Emmental Cheese Croissant
So I go to a Starbucks drive-through one day and I order the Wild Mushroom and Emmental Cheese Croissant. Unfortunately, I was told that this item was just a promotional item and is no longer available. Noooo!!!
I love cheese, mushrooms, and croissant, so this is right up my alley. I'm hoping sales of this item were really good while it was on promo so that Starbucks decided to bring it back as a permanent fixture in their pastry menu.
I love cheese, mushrooms, and croissant, so this is right up my alley. I'm hoping sales of this item were really good while it was on promo so that Starbucks decided to bring it back as a permanent fixture in their pastry menu.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Three-peat! UP cheerdance champions again!
Congratulations to the UP Pep Squad for winning yet again the UAAP Cheerdance Competition! This win is massive on so many levels:
video uploaded in youtube by user ANCalerts
While I think UP's performance last year was better, the other squads seem to still be a step behind. Even with that bad fall in the end, the overall performance of the UP Pep Squad - for me - was still a clear winner. Their degree of difficulty, inventiveness, and the speed and efficiency with which they moved and got into formation was just head and shoulders above everyone else.
Hopefully UP can build on this year's success and notch another championship win and move to the solo lead. 4 in a row would be awesome. :)
- It is UP's 3rd championship in a row (three-peat! :))
- They now tie UST with the most wins (8). However, while both UP and UST also have the same number of 2nd place finishes (4), UP has placed 3rd five times (UST placed 3rd twice). This means that UP now has the best record in this event.
- This also means that in the 18 years that this event was held, UP have been in the podium in all but one year. The only time they missed being in the top 3? The first time the competition was held. :) (source: wikipedia)
video uploaded in youtube by user ANCalerts
While I think UP's performance last year was better, the other squads seem to still be a step behind. Even with that bad fall in the end, the overall performance of the UP Pep Squad - for me - was still a clear winner. Their degree of difficulty, inventiveness, and the speed and efficiency with which they moved and got into formation was just head and shoulders above everyone else.
Hopefully UP can build on this year's success and notch another championship win and move to the solo lead. 4 in a row would be awesome. :)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Kicking off this year's celebrations
I have been patrolling the online deal sites for restaurants discounts over the last several weeks to get ready for my birthday this year. I started outlining my different sets of friends with whom I intend to celebrate and whenever I'd see a good restaurant deal, I'd figure out which set of friends I would bring there and then I'd buy an appropriate number of vouchers.
I saw a couple of deals in restaurants I had never been to, but before buying them, I made sure to check out their online menus first and see if they had decent items that my friends would be interested to order. The first set of deals I got was for Relish at Ponte. I was initially marking those vouchers for some of my friends who are Makati-based since this resto is located in Salcedo Village. However, when I suggested a restaurant in Ortigas to my friend Mitch for our annual joint birthday celebration, she instead suggested that we just have lunch in Relish instead. My immediate reaction: "I have coupons for that place!" So we picked a date and got the Manila-based gang all together - Joyce and Iona plus JP and the kids, and also of course Ferg, Aidan, and Rory. It was my first time but Mitch had been there a few times before already. She highly recommended the Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Oregano and even with that hype, this dish didn't disappoint. All the food we tried here was really good, from the appetizers to the pasta dishes. I heard Relish is packed during weekdays but as we were here on a Saturday, it was pretty calm. You can check out their menu here. I will definitely be visiting this place again.
The next set of deals I got was for Harvest Gastro Pub. I had never heard of this place before either but it is located in BGC, which is where my office friends - Joh and Raffa, Me-ann, Pia, Chris and Shar, Peegee and Randee, and Mike - usually hang out. (Mike brought our common friend Tricia with him when he arrived because Tricia lives in the area, and she was only planning to say 'hi'. However, as I have not seen her in a long time, I asked her to join us as well.) Harvest is located at the ground floor of Hamptons Tower II, and I was a bit rattled when I got there and realized this place was really like a restobar, with loud music, dim lights, and lots of people drinking. While some of us enjoy hanging out in bars and drinking, not everyone does and it's definitely not family friendly, at least not on a Friday night. The noise made it tough to have good conversation but we somehow managed. The food was pretty good for the price but I especially enjoyed the fact that alcohol was relatively inexpensive. We got a bottle of red wine for only P450 - normally you would have to pay anywhere from P700 to P900 for a bottle of inexpensive red wine in restaurants - so we ended up getting a couple. :) You can check out the Harvest Gastro Pub menu here.
We moved to Segafredo after dinner (it was just a block away) to have coffee and better conversation. Peegee and Randee were able to join us here (they weren't able to join us for dinner because they had to bring their baby with them and Harvest on that Friday night was definitely not a place for babies). Mike, who was in town to attend a friend's wedding, decided to cover coffee and dessert in Segafredo. We called it a night at around 11pm, although since Me-ann's ride was still not there, we walked over to Honeybee Patisserie/Bubble Tea near Burgos Circle so I could have more coffee and some dessert (I didn't really have a proper dessert in Segafredo because I was still full.)
So as I start my celebrations with friends and family, it's good that I have now tried three new places - Relish, Harvest, and Honeybee. Hopefully I can sustain this and try a few more places in the upcoming weeks. :)
I saw a couple of deals in restaurants I had never been to, but before buying them, I made sure to check out their online menus first and see if they had decent items that my friends would be interested to order. The first set of deals I got was for Relish at Ponte. I was initially marking those vouchers for some of my friends who are Makati-based since this resto is located in Salcedo Village. However, when I suggested a restaurant in Ortigas to my friend Mitch for our annual joint birthday celebration, she instead suggested that we just have lunch in Relish instead. My immediate reaction: "I have coupons for that place!" So we picked a date and got the Manila-based gang all together - Joyce and Iona plus JP and the kids, and also of course Ferg, Aidan, and Rory. It was my first time but Mitch had been there a few times before already. She highly recommended the Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Oregano and even with that hype, this dish didn't disappoint. All the food we tried here was really good, from the appetizers to the pasta dishes. I heard Relish is packed during weekdays but as we were here on a Saturday, it was pretty calm. You can check out their menu here. I will definitely be visiting this place again.
The next set of deals I got was for Harvest Gastro Pub. I had never heard of this place before either but it is located in BGC, which is where my office friends - Joh and Raffa, Me-ann, Pia, Chris and Shar, Peegee and Randee, and Mike - usually hang out. (Mike brought our common friend Tricia with him when he arrived because Tricia lives in the area, and she was only planning to say 'hi'. However, as I have not seen her in a long time, I asked her to join us as well.) Harvest is located at the ground floor of Hamptons Tower II, and I was a bit rattled when I got there and realized this place was really like a restobar, with loud music, dim lights, and lots of people drinking. While some of us enjoy hanging out in bars and drinking, not everyone does and it's definitely not family friendly, at least not on a Friday night. The noise made it tough to have good conversation but we somehow managed. The food was pretty good for the price but I especially enjoyed the fact that alcohol was relatively inexpensive. We got a bottle of red wine for only P450 - normally you would have to pay anywhere from P700 to P900 for a bottle of inexpensive red wine in restaurants - so we ended up getting a couple. :) You can check out the Harvest Gastro Pub menu here.
We moved to Segafredo after dinner (it was just a block away) to have coffee and better conversation. Peegee and Randee were able to join us here (they weren't able to join us for dinner because they had to bring their baby with them and Harvest on that Friday night was definitely not a place for babies). Mike, who was in town to attend a friend's wedding, decided to cover coffee and dessert in Segafredo. We called it a night at around 11pm, although since Me-ann's ride was still not there, we walked over to Honeybee Patisserie/Bubble Tea near Burgos Circle so I could have more coffee and some dessert (I didn't really have a proper dessert in Segafredo because I was still full.)
So as I start my celebrations with friends and family, it's good that I have now tried three new places - Relish, Harvest, and Honeybee. Hopefully I can sustain this and try a few more places in the upcoming weeks. :)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
"Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson
I attended the wedding of Audrey and Primo a couple of weekends ago in Tagaytay. It was held in Tagaytay Midlands (the same venue as Kathy and John's wedding a year ago). It was a grand celebration with a lot of food (I absolutely loved the pot roast beef and the Thai beef salad) and drinks. It was during the reception that I discovered a new song. The band stayed away from the traditional wedding musical fare and played less known or even unfamiliar songs, including this one that I really liked. It's called "Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson:
uploaded in youtube by user Yorrii
uploaded in youtube by user Yorrii
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