Save The Planet: Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change

Hi everybody.. I am supporting this movement. Please click the post title to go to the link.

Tumi Quotes: Things That Make Me Smile

Tumi Quotes


dada : i will throw all your diapers tumi so that you will learn how to pupu in the toilet.


tumi : throw all the toilets dada, because i already know how to pupu in the diaper.

********************
tumi : teacher, you are so hardheaded you


don't listen to me. I want to go home.

********************

tumi : (to his teacher again)


teacher, im a dog...ar ar ar ar!!!

********************


when tumi was horseplaying in school


and the teacher approched him to scold him..


tumi : I love you teacher ... (then hugs and kisses the teacher with matching beautiful eyes)


********************


tumi and dada during house pictorial.


dada put a marking on the floor so that


tumi will establish his position all throughout the shots.

dada : keep ur feet tumi on the marking.

tumi : dada this should be two because


i have two feet....(ayus!)


********************

tumi on living things and non-living things issue

tumi : why are trees living things...


they dont have hands and feet...

********************

dada : removing his belt to make this


little boy wonder listen and obey...

tumi : dada, do not remove your belt...


your pants will fall!


:-)

********************

dada telling tumi not to cross the street


alone...(tumi is used to dada doing the ice


remedy wherever/whenever his head/face hits


anything...tables, chairs, walls etc)

dada : do not cross the street alone big boy!

tumi : why?

dada : because the cars will hit you!

tumi : and you have to put ice on the car?

********************

dada told tumi that spanking and hitting


other people is bad...

dada teaching tumi how to read...as usual,


the little boy's attention is somewhere


else...

dada : Listen to me tumi, i will spank you!!!

tumi : hmmm, diba dada spanking is BAD!

********************

tumi, with this very honest and sincere question


to his dada...

tumi : why did you spank me when i kicked you???


********************
tumi's early crush...

tumi : dada, come here i will tell you something.
(dada moved towards tumi...)

tumi : (whispered...) i love Sophia (girl classmate).

dada : (overjoyed!!! asked the question)... WHY!

tumi : because she is HANDSOME.
(yari!!!!)

********************
while visiting her aunt at the Manila Control Tower..
tumi on seeing distant objects...

tumi : i want to use the VERNACULARS!


dada : BI-NO-CU-LARS!!!


tumi : BI-LA-CU-LARS...


dada : BI-NO-CU-LARS!!!

tumi : i want to use the TELESCOPE!

********************

when reviewing fish topics


Dada: What make the fishies float?


Tumi: Life vest and kick board


(haaayyy....)



These are some of the anecdotes and quotes compiled by Boo. Btw, Tumi is our 3-year old son.

: D

Rafe One Day Sale

Me ol' colleague asked me to re-post this..

New York-based accessories designer Rafe Totengco is donating Rafe New York ladies shoes and bags to be sold at deeply discounted prices for this One Day Only Sale in Manila.

100% of sale proceeds will benefit the Typhoon Ondoy victims and Tapulanga Foundation in Negros who help send children to school for free.


Shoes at P2,500
Bags at P5,000


Supplies are limited. This is a rare opportunity that is not to be missed!

Every peso will be given to charity.  Shopping is never going to feel this good.

This event is planned to start at 9:30 am on Nov 14, 2009 at PROMOCENTRAL INC, 3/F PROMENADE BLDG, 198 WILSON COR P GUEVARRA STS, SAN JUAN, MM.

Blair and Chuck Mania

hehe.. I love this video

Resorts World Promo - Last Chance Today

The promo buffet breakfast and lunch of Resorts World will end today. It’s a good thing I was able to experience the lunch buffet myself last Tuesday. On the menu that day were..

For starters

Light Pumpkin Soup

Salad Bar

Assorted Dinner Rolls

Maki

Main Course

Chicken Teriyaki

Roast Porkloin

Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet

Roast Beef

Stir-Fry Vegetable

Meaty Spaghetti

Plain Rice

Naturally, the menu will not be complete without the sumptuous desserts..

Dessert

Crème Brulee

Pudding with cream

Tres Leche Cake (with mango, kiwi and dragon fruit on top)

Lemon Squares

I love the chicken best. The beef was a bit rare for my taste. Water is provided but since there were a lot of people, there was a scarcity of drinking glasses. So we ordered our drinks. Honestly, for a hotel the prices were reasonable.

Coffee is at P85

Soda is at P75

Green Iced Tea is at P105

Lemon Iced Tea is at P115

All in all it was worth the drive from Makati :D

The breakfast buffet starts at 7am to 9am for only P88 and the lunch buffet starts at 11am for P188 as advertised but we actually paid P206 each. The restaurant that caters to this wonderful feast is Mercado. It is located at the main lobby of Resorts World Casino. You have to pass by the various slot machines and card tables to get there.

Important info to those of you who will go today, parking is located a little bit far from the main lobby of Resorts World but shuttle service is available for free. You’re welcome to tip the driver of course. Parking fee is P40. Valet service is also available. Btw, to those of you who are using Smart as your mobile service provider - signal is crappy at the area. Mind you, the queue during lunch time tends to be very long. So be there early. Sorry I was not able to get pictures – no cameras allowed.

Resorts World Manila is located at Newport Boulevard at the Newport City fronting NAIA Terminal 3.

BLOG ACTION DAY: The Tipping Point

mendicant like this increases yearly due to lack of jobs

caused by typhoons and other tragedies..

Ormoc… St. Bernard… Cherry Hill… Payatas…

Do they sound familiar? These are just some of the tragedies that left a mark in our hearts. Bad news is there’s more to come. Looking at the previous storm Ondoy(International Name: Ketsana), it seems that the storm’s entire radius is as huge as our country. People haven’t recovered from Ondoy, Pepeng(International Name: Parma) came already and devastated northern Luzon. Environmentalists accredited this kind of weather pattern to climate change. So what exactly is climate change?

Climate change as defined in Encarta:

change in global weather patterns: long-term alteration in global weather patterns, especially increases in temperature and storm activity, regarded as a potential consequence of the greenhouse effect

Climate change has been felt here in the region. In the Philippines alone, it has been raining since April - May and these are supposed to be the hot months. Evidenced by increasing mean temperature, changing precipitation patterns, rising sea level, and increasing frequency and growing intensity of extreme weather events, yes climate change is here.

According to a study conducted by ADB, our temperature has risen 4 degrees since 1990. This greatly affected our coastal areas, thus, destroying most of our marine eco-systems.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that mother-nature is bleeding. The ugly truth is we’re the ones who caused this. What are we all waiting for? What kind of tipping point do we need to know that the effects of climate change is here.. NOW!
Act now, stop climate change.

Southeast Asia—highly vulnerable to climate change—is already suffering from its  effects, and the worst is yet to come.

- ADB

river rampage at the great CDO river.. destroyed during

a typhoon early 2009

There are a lot of things you can do to help mother earth be livable by our children and our children’s children.

1. Use organic products – all the things you use go back to the sea, to the soil, to the land we live and breathe in. That shampoo you used this morning during your bath went to the sewerage and eventually will go to the sea. If we use organic products this will not only benefit your body but mother earth as well.

2. Choose not to print that ATM receipt – when you go to the ATM it usually asks you if you want the receipt printed? You can save paper by just doing a balance inquiry before and after your transaction. You usually throw away the receipt anyway.

3. Avoid ordering bottled water in restaurants – most of the water served in the restaurants comes from water dispenser anyway.

4. Maintain your automobiles regularly – not only it will make your vehicles last longer but it will help reduce smog and acid rain caused by air pollution.

5. Unplug your home appliances when not in use and use energy efficient light bulbs – sometimes we’re so lazy unplugging the television especially at night.

6. Patronize green products and green companies – by saying green, I mean the organizations that uses environmentally friendly products. Styrofoam (polystyrene foam) cups and other food containers used by popular food chains are one of the major contributors of alarming unrecyclable garbage in the urban areas. Crumpled and destroyed styrofoam also damages the ozone layer. Read why here.
7. Reuse that green bag when going to the grocery.

These are just some of the things we can do to help mother earth. Even small things can make a big difference if there’s a collective of people doing it.

Ginny's Zesty Fries

“I want fries”, this is the first thing I heard this afternoon from the boss, my 3-year old son. Having less than 6 hours of sleep, my world was still a blur at 3:30pm. After TWENTY (20!!) grueling hours at the office, I have to admit I’m still beat. But being tired on a Saturday afternoon is a big no no for mom’s like me. Besides, how can you say no to those two small, chinky eyes staring back at you?

Instead of going to my neighboring fast-food chain that houses the so-called world famous fries, I decided that I’ll cook this one instead. Straight to the kitchen I went and started chopping those potatoes. After 25 minutes here is my zesty fries.

Did the big boss love it? Of course he did (lutong eh) :D This zesty fries are crispy and flavorful. Even the nanny loved it.. hehhehe..

So here’s a new twist to that good ol’ fries. Follow easy recipe below:

2 large potatoes

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 T chicken flavoring mix (any will do, I used crispy fry)

dry italian herbs

cooking oil for frying

Peel and cut potatoes to desired shape and size. This time I just cut it to fries-size but you can also make wedges or spuds. Mix all the dry ingredients and sprinkle to the cut potatoes. Make sure that the potatoes are evenly coated. I usually put the potatoes in a large bowl and cover it with a flat plate then I shake it. Deep fry till golden brown. Make sure that your oil is roiling-hot before you dump the potatoes.

Tip: to save cooking oil, If you dont have a small fryer, use a sauce pan instead.. this way you can save on cooking oil and still be able to deep fry your patatoes..

Best with Tater's sour cream dip but you can use mayo-ketchup as well. Me, I like it even without any dips.

You can add chilli powder to this recipe and make Diablo Fries.

South Gate Mall - Alphaland

Hey guys.. One of my colleagues tipped me regarding this new mall in town. Most of the shops are still under construction but the supermarket is already open. I am talking about the new Alphaland - South Gate Mall. It is located at EDSA corner Pasong Tamong Ext. (Chino Roces Ave). Since the mall is still on dry run - parking fee is FREE!!! (well I’m not sure if they’ll charge in the future) Great isn’t it. I can use the extra savings myself. Besides the free parking the grocery is not crowded. Unlike the other Supermarket that opens at 10am, they open at 8am so more shopping hours for us.

They also have a number of restaurants already open like Pepper Steak, Teriyaki Boy, Tapa King plus the usual Jollibee and Chowking. I also saw a drugstore (The Generics Pharmacy) on the ground floor. Office Warehouse is also open at the second floor and a lot more.

The Super 8 Grocery is located at the ground floor. Since soft launching last August, I can’t believe how vast the variety of products is. I have been passing that building since the 80s and I am glad that it’s almost complete and finally put to use.

The Alphaland - South Gate Mall is also accessible via the MRT-Mantrade station. The basement parking’s entrance is via Pasong Tamo Street.

D2, thanks for the tip men. :D

Office Work Cut Short Due To Typhoon Scare

Due to the warnings posted all over the news, most of the office-works at the metro were suspended. After Ondoy, people are not taking chances at Pepeng (Parma, international name). People crowded the groceries to buy food, candles, batteries and other emergency supplies needed in case a nationwide power interruption occurs. Making the Friday afternoon traffic a bit heavier than usual.

During these trying times, the best preparation we can do is pray. Here is a special prayer:

Oratio Imperata for Deliverance from Calamities

Almighty Father, we raise our heats to You in gratitude for the wonders of creation of which we are part, for Your Providence in sustaining our needs, and for Your Wisdom that guides the course of the universe.

We acknowledge our sins against You and the rest of creation.

We have not been good stewards of Nature.

We have confused Your command to subdue the Earth.

The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference.

Global warming is upon us, Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions, and other natural calamities occur in increasing numbers and intensity.

We turn to You, our loving Father, and beg forgiveness for our sins.

We ask that we, out loved ones and our hard earned possessions be spared from the threat of calamities, natural and man-made.

We beseech You to inspire us all to grow into responsible stewards of Your creation, and generous neighbors to those in need.

Amen.

Take care all of you.

Ondoy's Wrath!!!!

It’s almost 20 hours of non-stop heavy rains here in Manila. I heard from the radio that 90% of Luzon, one of the 3 main islands of the Philippines, is heavily flooded. 23 provinces under a state of calamity!!! There’s no flooding this bad since the 90’s. Wow! When mother-nature gets angry, she really lets it all out!

Boo and I are supposed to go to a get-together today but when we reached Essensa it was flooded. I can’t believe it!!! a river here in the middle of Global City.. (No effffing way!!!)

This flood is unbelievable, whether big or small no vehicles can pass through. Small vehicles can’t pass and the big vehicles (SUVs) can’t overtake. (Well except from the 6x6 military vehicle) So we decided to turn around and head back to the house. Hey I love my friends but you should always think of your safety and your vehicle’s first.. Hehhehe.. It’s a good thing that the event was cancelled, flooded at the restaurant.

It’s really terrible; my nephew got stranded in school as well. They have a Science Club meeting today. (I can’t believe it, 11 year-olds have to go to school on a Saturday for a club meeting.. hmmm) . My sister’s vehicle is unable to get through the Aguinaldo highway. She said the water is waist-deep on the HIGHWAY! It’s already dark and we still don’t have news. Plus my other 4-year old nephew and his nanny are the only ones at their house. Haaayyy….

I just hope that the rains stop pouring, if it’s havoc here in Manila; I can’t imagine how bad it is in the provinces. Let’s pray that the rains will let up.

*** Image from PAGASA

Unnecessary Pain

Last week I have a terrible.. terrible.. experience.

I have been putting off my dental appointment since May and I have paid for it dearly. I suffered from major toothache while I was brushing my teeth. I think I hit a nerve. Rating the intensity of pain from 1-10 being 10 as the excruciatingly painful it was a 9. It made labor pains a walk in the park.(Promise!) It was sooo painful to the point of thinking E.R. but I said to myself what will I say to the medical attendant when she/he asks me my emergency.. “aahh.. uhhmm tsakit tsakit po ipin ko” (I have a toothache). How ridiculous is that. Hehehehehe.. It was embarrassing and yet it was too painful. Imagine my dilemma in the middle of the night.... “to go or not to go” to the ER..

Good thing I have doctor-friends whom I can call 24/7. The doctor just recommended a strong pain killer to ease my discomfort so I can sleep and go to my dentist the next day. (Thank you Dr. Remy Tan-Bumanlag, my 24/7 call a friend and Dr. Chanette Tañada, my BFF dentist)

The thing is the only person to blame is me. I was so busy with work and then it kept on raining the past few weekends (and a lot more silly excuses hehhhe..) that made me reschedule and postpone my visit to the dentist. I hope this may serve as a lesson to you as well. No task is too trivial to be put off many times especially when it concerns your health and well-being :D Luckily for me, my tooth was still saved from endodontic therapy (root canal) or worst - tooth extraction.

Btw, Dr. Remy Tan-Bumanlag is a Pediatrist at St. Lukes Medical Center for more info on her clinic hours you can reach her at the ff info:

7230101 loc 6427
7270105 direct line
Clinic hours: MWF 9-12 nn

and Dr. Chanette Tañada’s mobile number is 09182552834. You can send her a message for an appointment.

***photo by J.C.

Nurture Spa Village Promo

My favorite spa resort is having a promo, Nurture Spa Village in Tagaytay. This is the best place to drive your woes away. Pamper yourself with a relaxing massage and a facial of all organic ingredients. Perfect for couples or girl pals.. so what are you waiting for unload that stress at your left shoulders. Have a weekend rejuvenation and getaway from the polluted metropolis.. treat yourself to pesticide-free, all organic healthy food.. btw, I love their salad with vinaigrette and the Lumpia (spring roll) wrapped in lettuce :D

The promo consists of a full body massage plus a lite meal for only P995. I just added P100 for the facial :D

Fo more info please call:

0918-8888SPA
0920-950-5724
0922-898-8654 o
(02)584-4228
(046)483-0805

Enjoy!!

Calling All Voters!!!

The May 2010 election is fast approaching. How prepared are we? For those of you who lost faith in the system maybe its time you do something about it. Yes you, don’t just stand there… go out and vote (practice lang..) of course you need to be registered to vote. I found this useful link that verifies if you are still an active voter. Please check it out while there’s still time.

Click on the link if you want to check if your name is still active in the COMELEC roster.

http://www.comelec.gov.ph/findprecinct/findprecinct.aspx

Deadline for registration is October 31, 2009.

Halo halo for P33 @ The Penn

Hey guys!!! today is Manila Peninsula's Anniversary. Starting at 12:01 am to 11:59 midnight of September 14 .. Halu-halo, sausages and pancit luglug will have a mark down price of P33.00.

See you at the Penn :D

***picture taken from internet

Percy Jackson and The Olympians

Chiron - the Centaur, mentor of Percy. This will be played by Pierce Brosnan in the movie.

Finally, after a long wait, the first book, The Lightning Thief, of this wonderful series is now going to reel. If you haven’t heard of Percy Jackson and the Olympians here is a briefer just to get you started.

The whole tale revolves around this 12-year old boy Perseus Jackson (Percy Jackson). The first book narrates how Percy discovers his parentage and his true identity. Percy goes on a quest to the Underworld to retrieve a stolen artifact of power. I think I’ll stop here, I might spoil it for you guys hehhehe... Anyway, the whole plot is based on Greek mythology. Rick Riordan, the author, made Greek myth more interesting in this series. You’ll encounter familiar characters like Poseidon, Jason, Zeus, Medusa, The Fates etc.. I remember the movie Clash of the Titans while reading this book. : )

Sad thing is everybody compares it to Harry Potter. Yes, I admit it has a lot of similarities with J.K. Rowling’s HP but I still like how Riordan paced his books. Lastly, unlike other series’ i.e. George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Fire and Ice, which is taking too long.. this series is now complete so you really don’t need to wait long for the finale.

The movie will come out in February 2010. It is directed by none other than Chris Columbus. Here’s the trailer of the movie. Enjoy!!!

Yellow Rain

It rained confetti in Ayala today while the remains of Former President Corazon Aquino passed by Ninoy’s monument. Our office halted from work while we watch the procession carrying Cory’s casket marched through. Throng of people, supporters and alike flocked Ayala to witness this historical event. Today is the last day for public viewing before Mrs. Aquino is laid to rest besides Ninoy at the Manila Memorial Park on Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

Long Live Cory!!!

Corazon Aquino Passed Away at 76

One of our beacons of hope was extinguished today. The whole nation grieves to the loss of our beloved Former President Corazon-Aquino. She died at 3:18 am today due to colon cancer. Cory, as she was popularly called by the masses, fought for the freedom and peace here in our homeland the Philippines. She was an icon of strength for the oppressed and broke barriers when she became First Woman President in the world.

Long live freedom and democracy!!! Long live Cory Aquino!!!

***photo taken from the internet

The Champ

Happy Birthday AnitoKid!!!

July 24, 2009

The Hunt Is Over

Finally!!! after a few weeks of cyber death.. I'm back :D

Boy, I have a lot of tales to tell regarding my search for the right hook up for me. I initially terminated my old plan 999 from SmartBro only to realize later that I'm going back to the Bro hahahaha!!!

You won't believe how frustrating it is for me not to have an internet. Like Boo said what is a PC without an internet. Yes I am online again and eager to share my roller coaster ride in getting the best deal of a plan.

First, I was drawn to these mobile plug-ins offered by Sun Cellular. It's very pratical and it gives up to 2mbps of internet speed. Compared to my previous 999 plan that only guarantees 384KBPS. Everybody knows that you don't get this speed. It was manageable in the beginning but hey the competition looks good. So I terminated my previous 999 plan and tried out the Sun plug-in. Whoa! it was ok when I was using my notebook. I can go anywhere with it Yehey! But when I used it in my PC and started my torrent activities.. oh no! The plug-in does not sustain the connection. It keeps on turning on and off. Nobody told me about this huhuhuhu!!! I should have done my research before I had my antenna cut-off.

I did not accept this discovery at once but I also tried other plug-ins like Globe Tattoo. I had the same results :( This is probably because we have a very poor Globe Signal here. Btw, I live in Fort Bonifacio just a stone throw from Makati. Imagine my disappointment, yeah I live in the suburbs but not the super suburbs like Forbes so most of the time resources has been allocated to these parts. Our village is often neglected because when these telecoms hooks Taguig and Makati they move to farther places like Las Pinas, QC, Bulacan etc just to say that they have wider coverage. Ahhh enough of that.. getting back to my story.. by this time I am getting desperate so I tried Lola Tetchie (Bayantel). They have a catchie commercial hopefully services have improved. I learned that before they can allow you to subscribe to their package you must have a trial first. Sort of a dry run to make sure that you'll get your money's worth. Sounds good to me .. so I waited and waited and waited (btw, during waiting period I follow-up and call them) and until now they haven't scheduled me for the dry run.

Haaaaayyyyy... so I said to myself ..I am going back to Smart to apply for my old plan at least I'm connected. When I went back to Smart .. I found out that they have new plans at reasonable prices. I got the Share It Plan and its a router already. So my house now has wifi and I'm really satisfied so far.

Oh! I forgot to mention that I also ventured in applying for a Destiny Internet ... since they are the only cable company that caters to our village. Hahahha.. and guess what.. only the cable tv is available..

I also tried applying to the PLDT MyDSL.. they say that within 3 days you'll be connected.. shmoehoe!! my #%$#$!! a colleague of mine applied for the dsl because they have an existing pdlt phone and it's been 2 months now.. Yes, no reply from PLDT hihihihi...

So the moral of the story before getting tempted in switching to any product .. make a little research first and do not dispose the previous one without a replacement.. I hope you learn something from me :D

Happy Father's Day

A Father's Letter to His Father

by Victor Juliet

The greatest person next to a mother is a father. As a son, I always believed that I am my father's child but I do not have proof of it except I look exactly like him. A lot of my traits, jokes, mannerisms and trivialities are no doubt that of my father I fondly called Tatay. He's the first person whom I considered my friend. We share things any boy or any man find amusing. We play basketball and loves swimming. But until I reached adolescent that I realized how easy to identify one's roots if you really want to know your real parents. What I mean is that I need little proof that I am my mother's child. Simply because I came from her and doctors can attest to that. But again, to a father, well, he needs a lot of explanations simply because he was not the one who gave birth to me.

Now that I am a father myself to two beatiful sons I did realize the importance of my identity. I need to show and say to my sons " Hey, I am your father. Listen and follow me." I thought when they obey me I already impose my presence as their Papa. I was wrong. I now need the learnings from my.own father. Day by day, they begin to look like me and do things exactly like me.

When my sons throw balls at me now and ask to swim with them, I see my old self - the son playing around my Tatay's lap while he's reading his newspaper. Sadly, he's no longer here to see his beautiful legacy and tha'ts enough proof, Tatay. Happy Father's Day!

Filipina Took 1st Women’s World 10-Ball Championship

June 6, 2009 - SM North Mall Manila, Philippines was the venue of the First Women’s World 10 Ball Championship finals. Out of the 48 contenders, it was our kababayan, Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit, bagged this prestigious award. Bingkay(13) overcame Shin Mei Liu(7) of Taiwan race to 10 format.

Bingkay defeated Julie Kelly of Ireland, H. Tan of Taiwan, Jeanette Lee of USA, Akimi Kajitani of Japan and Shin Mei Liu (10-4) in the finals. Bingkay was awarded with 20,000 USD and the illustrious title of world champion.

Another Filipina who made waves in this event is the 11-year old Gillian Go. Gillian made it to the top 24 during the round robin. We are definitely watching you girl!

Home Sweet Home: Airport Blues

It's great to be back!! I missed Manila and all the traffic jam, pollution, etc. hehehe.. Just got back from Malaysia from a business trip.. I flew back to Manila via Malaysia Air. I alighted to NAIA terminal 1 around 4PM ... haaaay I can't help comparing NAIA Terminal 1 to KLIA, theirs is far more advanced.. even compared to NAIA terminals 2 & 3. So why again are we still using Terminal 1 as our INTERNATIONAL Aiport?? Apologies to the airport authorities and management but NAIA terminal 1 is so bulok!!!. The toilets are leaking, the flooring and walls are ancient. It's like a 3-star hotel in the province. It's a 28-year old structure so what do you expect.

If we plan to attract more tourists, before anything else, I think we need to improve the airport terminals. It's complicated enough that we have three (3) international airport terminals (not to mention the domestic terminal in domestic road) but the public/tourist information system is lousy as well. Even for some Pinoys these terminals are confusing.

So I decided to put this little information about our airport terminals just to help out some of the tourists and even local flyers about what airlines/flights are in which of which:

NAIA Terminal 1
All International Flights except PAL and Cebu Pacific

NAIA Terminal 2 a.k.a. Centennial Terminal
Philippine Air Lines international flights (North Wing) and Domestic flights (South Wing)


NAIA Terminal 3 - located in Andrew's Ave. near Villamor Air Base
All Cebu Pacific flight, Air Philippines and PAL Express

Domestic Terminal - located in Domestic Road
Zest Air (formerly Asian Spirit) and SEAir

Hope this helps!

2009 Manny Pacquiao 10-Ball Cup

He’s back! The money man is back for his second love, billiards. Yes the rumors are not rumors anymore Manny Pacquiao is again preparing another billiards tournament.

The 2009 Manny Pacquiao 10 Ball Cup will be held at the Makati Cinema Square SuperBowl on the 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th of May 2009. The finals is on June 1, 2009.

The tournament will have several levels -- Class C, B, A and O (open). Mind you Manny Pacquiao himself is on the B category not bad for the number one pound for pound champ.

Registration fee is P1000 and P700 to MAPPA, Makati Pool Players Association, members. The tournament is open to all amateur pool players.
(NO TIRADORS allowed daw)

Interested parties may contact the following:

Ato de Vera - 09177629054
Arvin Arceo - 09279816673
Jesse Gonzales - 09175270489

TFC Mother's Day Special

Last week I was invited to join 6 other mothers at The Bellevue Manila, Alabang. This is for a special segment that will be featured in TFC in commemoration of Mother’s Day.

The TFC crew picked me and Tumi, my little boy, in Market Market at around 9:30 AM. We arrived in Bellevue by 10am. Honestly, it was my first time in Bellevue. I am a Makati-Taguig person you know (ala Pacman style) and I don’t really frequent Alabang (can’t stand SLEX traffic).



It was raining cats and dogs that day but the air in Bellevue is so classy that it immediately warms you. All of us were directed to Cafe d' Asie at the 2nd floor, the buffet area. We were greeted by the pleasant aroma of delectable goodies. There were roast beef, roasted pork belly on a bed of vegetables, chicken with cashew, Mongolian barbecue, cold salad bar, Japanese sushi bar and sweets to name a few. There were such a variety of food I don’t even know where to start. You know me, I have to sample everything. Not to mention the desserts, it will make you desert your senses hahhaha.. they were to die for really. Tumi likes the mango cake particularly.



After the meals, a brief interview was held just to get our say about the whole experience. It was my first time on GLOBAL tv and I was up to the head nervous. I tried to describe the experience on my head and took a mental list of the people I’m going to greet. But when in front of the camera everything was a blur to me and I can’t remember a thing. I think I even stuttered. (well there goes my showbiz career hehehe) Anyway, it was fun for me and Tumi. It was really quality time for us.



So I’d like to thank TFC again for that wonderful experience and the very nice bouquet of flowers. This is one Mother’s Day that I’ll never forget. (eto dapat sinabi ko!)

Sa TFC Connect Tayo :D


TFC CONNECT SCHEDULE

NORTH AMERICA:
Pacific Region ~
Mon-Fri, 1:25pm & 8:15pm.
Eastern Region ~
Mon-Fri, 4:25pm & 11:15pm.

MIDDLE EAST:
Saudi Arabia ~
Mon-Fri, 7:20am.
Mon, 7:20pm.
Tue, 11:10am & 7:20pm.
Wed-Fri, 7:20pm.
Dubai ~
Mon-Fri, 8:20am.
Mon, 8:20pm.
Tue, 12:10pm & 8:20pm.
Wed-Fri, 8:20pm.

EUROPE:
Milan ~
Mon-Fri, 7:20am, 12:25pm & 5:30pm.
Tue-Sat, 12:15am.
London ~
Mon-Fri, 6:20am, 11:25am, 4:30pm & 11:15pm.

ASIA PACIFIC:
Hong Kong & Singapore ~
Mon-Fri, 7:40am, 1:30pm & 7:20pm.
Japan ~
Mon-Fri, 8:40am, 2:30pm & 8:20pm.

AUSTRALIA:
Sydney ~
Mon-Fri, 9:40am, 3:30pm & 9:20pm.

Watch the video here:

Get That Natural High: Sky High Adventure in Cebu

I first heard about this escapade in Sports Unlimited and read about it on the In-flight magazine on board CebPac. The thrill seeker in me will never pass this opportunity to experience the Sky High Adventure. So when we arrived in Cebu City, after dropping our bags to our hotel, we venture into the metropolis.

Good thing our hotel has a terrific location. It’s near SM Cebu, the Ayala Center and most importantly it’s a good walking distance to the Crown Regency Hotel and Towers. This is the location of the Sky High Adventure.



We rode the elevator and got off to the 19th floor. It actually reminded me of the ticket booths in Ayala Cinemas. Here we inquired about the package for the Sky Adventure. It’s a whoopping P380 for the entrance fee and P500 for the Edge Coaster ride or the Sky Walk Extreme. Good for us, they have an on-going promotion, buy 1 take 1, so my buddies and I split the tab. Btw, the entrance fee comes with a Sky Meal. You can choose from the ff choices:

3 pcs siomai
Siopao
Grilled Sandwich
Tuna/Chicken Turnover
Donut

All of these come with a refillable iced tea for drinks.

After buying our tickets, we rode the elevator again and headed for the Edge Coaster ride on the 38th floor. All cameras and other electronic devices are prohibited once you enter the turnstile to the Edge Coaster ride. They have their own photographer.

So this is it, I said to myself when I stepped onto the platform. The attendant helped us buckle up for the ride. He gave us some instructions on how to operate the coaster and off we go. The coaster can only seat two people. The interval of each coaster is around 5 minutes, this is the time it will take 1 coaster to finish the entire course. The coaster goes automatic and it will tilt your seats 50 º on the first area alone. After this you’ll have a free hand on tilting it back or tilting it more. When the coaster tilted to 50 º my heart pounded upon our bird’s eye view of the city below. Boyyy it was scary and yet exhilarating at the same time. We actually never tilted our seat back to enjoy the full experience all through out. It’s a good thing we did it in the evening, Cebu City is alive with lights. The view is spectacular and amazing. It reminded me of my trip in Eiffel Tower way way back.



The five minute ride was thrilling. I’ll surely ride again but next time I’ll do it over sunset. This way I’ll be able to feel the elevation more. You can purchase your pictures at the lobby. The picture costs around 350, 550, 850 etc. depending on the number of shots. They’ll burn a cd for you and you can have it printed. I think this is terrible and super expensive. Imagine 16 shots for P550. (harang diba!)

If you want to try the Sky Walk Extreme, you just need to proceed on the lower level mezzanine. Special suit and rubber shoes will be provided. Remember to bring your own socks. This event will take around 15-20 minutes depending on you and your guide.



Btw, if you’re interested in this natural high adventure I suggest you buy your tickets to their marketing agents. You can get more discounts and the prices go up at the Crown Regency Hotel during night time. The Sky High Adventure is open from 8:00 am to 2:00 am.

Please contact Gaby for reservations: 09158736360

The Hoyohoy Villas in Bantayan Island

If one of those suspected A(H1N1) cases in Cebu turns positive I’m heading to the hospital for testing. Hahahha.. now you know where I went.. yes I went to the Queen City of the South, Cebu. Despite the flu scare and the bad weather .. yup I still went, packed my bags and flew with my girl buds to Cebu. (tigas ng ulo..)

Our first destination was Bantayan Island. Bantayan is a 2-3 hour drive from the airport. You can take the public transportation or rent a cab to Hagnaya pier. For the bus ride, go to the North Terminal and look for the Ceres bus liner, it’s yellow and look for the Hagnaya destination. It takes around 3 hours if you take the bus. The girls and I, hired a cab from the airport to Hagnaya pier. It only took 2 hours to get to our destination. The cab fare cost us P1800 but I got a driver who could drive anybody for P1500 only.

When in Hagnaya, ride the shuttle, this is how they call their ferry boat in those part. The shuttle ride is about 1hour to Sta Fe, Bantayan Island. The resort owner promised that somebody would pick us up at the Sta Fe pier. I was surprised that pedicabs were it. Yes, pedicabs are the major transport provider in Sta Fe, cool :D We got to the resort in less than 5 minutes (lapit lang pala hahha..) we could have walked. We were greeted by the gentle sea breeze and a refreshing buko juice. There’s only one description for the HOYOHOY Villas resort, LOVELY.



I found out that the resort owner, Inday Rimaz, is an interior decorator. This explains the careful attention to every detail of all sorts of things, the kalesa, old jars etc. All the villas are elevated, ideal to keep the water out in case of big waves. There are only 6 villas in Hoyohoy and at the center of the resort is a swimming pool with a charming mini bridge and falls. The restaurant is also facing the pool. The rooms are spacious. Ours has one queen sized bed and 1 single bed. All rooms are equipped with a mini bar and a satellite tv. Actually the amenities are just a plus. The nice thing about the room is how the natural light illuminates it. It’s so relaxing perfect for that stress-alleviating moment. I think all this is due to the curtains. They’re made of light material (am not sure if it’s abacca). They’re kept in place by these handsome shells hanging loosely.



The bathroom has a big tub, good for soaking your aching back and legs. The shower area is situated outside the bathroom. Honestly, this is my favorite part of the villa. The walls of the shower area are made of Japanese bamboo that encourages voyeurism hehehe.. The sky makes up for the ceiling, reminding me of how were bathrooms before in the provinces. This brought taking a bath into a new level. Imagine bathing in warm water from the shower and at the same time cool fresh water pours from the rains. Some kind of experience di ba. Even the floor is a marvel. It has scattered stones composed of white (buhay na bato) and gray rocks. Grouped in a flowery like formation - that promotes good blood circulation for you while bathing.



The staffs are all courteous and accommodating. We requested for so many things during breakfast and I thought they’re gonna charge us extra for that. Btw, card payment is available.

Did I mention that Hoyohoy means breeze..

Here's a 360 degree view of Hoyohoy..

White Water Rafting in CDO: A Glimpse On A Day Of The 2009 Tarsier Convention

WHITE WATER RAFTING @ CDO
We got up early to prepare for the day’s activities. Our visit to CDO will not be complete if we don’t get to brawl with the waves of the great CDO river. Before heading to the rapids we dropped by to the Macahumbus cave. This cave is only about 57 meters and at the end you’ll have a nice view of the river.

Now we’re ready to tackle the rapids. There were nine of us on the raft, 6 paddlers, 2 guides and 1 miron. I was a little nervous and excited at the same time. Our group took the advanced level. It consisted of 21 rapids, 7 of these are advanced levels and 14 are considered for beginners. Our guides briefed us of water safety, simple signaling conventions and basic paddling in a raft. We each have our helmet, vest and lastly our paddle.

It's around 10 am when we started. The course began in the boundary of Bukidnon. The first few yards ended up in getting stuck with some big rocks. Maneuvering was really a challenge for us first timers in white water rafting and since it's summer time the water is low. After this first hurdle we started to get the hang of paddling and we started to enjoy the rapids. I learned that the secret to a successful paddling is to be in harmony with your fellow paddlers. Just follow the strokes of the one in front of you, the one behind you should the do same thing. Timing is vital. Now I know how the dragon boat team feels like. After several hours of muscle paddling action we were rewarded with scrumptious lunch.

Lunch consisted of grilled prawns, grilled liempo, grilled chicken, embotido and puso (rice wrapped in coconut leaves). We had pineapples for desserts. Honestly, I am not a big fun of pineapples but boy these pineapples were really ripe and yummy! It made me want to visit Bukidnon. We’re all so famished that it felt like engaging in a boodle fight. Hahahha!!!

After a few minutes of rest, here we go again to the rampaging river. Like what I said, since its summer the water level is low. But our guide said that if you visit during the rainy season, it’s a different ballgame. He also told us that due to heavy rains and flash floods last January, the river’s width increased. Most of the houses were trampled by big rocks and raging waters. Yikes! That’s mother-nature getting back at us for not taking care of her.

We decided to switch places to even out the paddling arm. I found out later at night that this was actually a good idea since it even out my muscle aches. Hehehehe! By this time were down to the beginner-level rapids. Our guide is quite experimental and made us stand, form a circle and hold each other. This is actually one of the parts I enjoyed most. We emerged triumphant in this exercise because of balance and everybody’s fun-lets-go-charge attitude.


After tackling all the 21 rapids, it’s graduation time. Did I fail to mention that not all parts of the river is fast, rocky or shallow. In this area, the water is calm, deep and steady. It is so inviting and that of course I jumped right in for a swim and docked to a nearby rock. This big rock is actually the podium of our graduation. We were made to jump to mark the end of our paddling exercise. Don’t worry they’ll not force you to jump if you don’t want to.




It's almost 4pm when removed our vest and rest our weary bodies. I'm hungry again. All snacks seems delicious, I remembered Jodie's kiamoy inside my bag and feasted on it instanly. Hahaha this time everybody wanted the kiamoy.

Yahoo!! I conquered the river. It was exhilarating. Next time I’ll try the expert level. The tour was provided by RAP, Rapid Adventure of the Philippines. The cost is around a thousand bucks including the foodie. You can visit their site: http://www.raftingadventurephilippines.com/home.html.

View a snippet of the actual adventure below, enjoy!!

Back at the White Beach - A Night in Galera

ONE NIGHT @ PUERTO GALERA

After a decade of shying away…. I found myself walking the white shores of Puerto Galera again. This time with my boo and my 3-yr old son happily taunting the calm waves. Ooohhpps did I fail to mention our tour buddies, the AIEP
group which consisted of an eclectic bunch. There are around 50 of us but I can still say that white beach is still deserted. This is one of the advantages of vacationing during off season.


One can enjoy simple pleasures like going to the souvenir shops, have a henna tattoo, relax with a P200 massage or just wander in the beach and feel the sand caress your feet.

The weather is cool in the morning and sunny most of the day. Fun and activities were provided by our group director, Chris. We had a mini amazing race ala treasure hunt. Boy, the tasks are no walk in the park since it consisted of a two-page list of things to find and do. I have been to the island so many times but this time I really got acquainted with Galera. Who would ever find “the tree with no leaves” or the restaurant “Dito Ba ‘Yun?”. These are just snippets of the treasure hunt list.

Most of the group partied the night away. Sample the Mindoro Sling a local cocktail that comes in a variety of concoctions. The common recipe consists of rum, clear cola, grenadine, orange juice, mango juice and lemon. Pop me if you want the recipe.

Day 2, we went island hopping and snorkeling in the morning. Snorkeling is in no comparison with diving but if you’re in a tight budget, why not. I always grab any opportunity to be in the water.

Beware of the small boats tugging behind. Especially to those who are non-swimmers, they offer to take you where more fishes and lush corals are abundant for a fee of course. Hey there’s nothing wrong with that … but if you stayed with your group you’ll find out soon that this is the next stop to your island hopping itinerary. (Hmmm.. our boatman is in league with them hahahha…) Actually, the real danger here is that these small fishing vessels are so eager to get customers that they tend overlook some of the other folks snorkeling around. I almost got hit in the head by one of the boats. Fortunately for me, one of my tour buddies warned me about the approaching boat. Haaayyyy.. I hope the Tourism of Mindoro can impose some policies regarding this.

Believe it or not we only spent P1700 per head for the trip. These include transportation from Manila to the beach and back, food and accommodations for the night. Not bad hah! The henna tattoo starts from P150 depending on the complexity of the design. Island hopping costs around P350 per head, snorkeling equipment included but I usually bring my own mask and snorkel. Meals are cheap and have a vast variety.

Did I mention that henna now comes in color and glitters :D

Btw, we stayed at the White Beach Resort... room rates starts from P800, visit their website for more info.