How To Become Awesome?

You Know That "This Means War" When Team Pine Vs Team Hardy Battle for Reese Witherspoon's Heart!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Last week, I was able to watch the movie premiere of the much-anticipated romantic, action-comedy flick from 20th Century Fox entitled "This Means War" starring the lovely Reese Witherspoon, and two buffy-hunks, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. "This Means War" is a story about two CIA operatives who fell in love with the same woman. As the two agents fight to win the heart of this girl, special tactical skills and spy-related techniques are used which lead to ruin their friendship. The movie is fun to watch, and I enjoyed it, I even wrote a movie review about it. Below is a press release article about the movie.

Reese Witherspoon is in a squeeze choosing between today’s most-sought leading actors Chris Pine and Tom Hardy in the riotous and hilarious romantic comedy “This Means War.”

Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon tackles her first action role in This Means War, where the love of a woman turns best friends and super-spies Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine) into rivals, using all the hi-tech tools and muscles at their disposal to wage an epic battle. Lauren, who from being recently dumped and dateless comes across two of the hottest and charming guys she has ever met. Unknown to her, FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) are the CIA’s best secret agents and have been bestfriends since childhood. FDR and Tuck then made a gentleman’s agreement to hide the truth from Lauren and let her choose the best man. What happens is a series of outrageous tactics to help prevent Lauren from falling in love and sleeping with the other.

“It’s every woman’s fantasy to have two unbelievably hot, sexy guys battling over you,” says Witherspoon. “Lauren doesn’t know that Tuck and FDR are secret agents for the CIA. THIS MEANS WAR is almost like two different movies. My character’s in a comedy and Chris’ and Tom’s are in a big action film.”

Witherspoon also appreciated the two sides of Lauren. “At work, Lauren is the most decisive woman in the world, but in her personal life, she’s very indecisive. I think a lot of people can relate to her feeling of, ‘Am I picking the right guy for me.’”

It’s a tough choice, to be sure, because her suitors are handsome, smart, romantic… and the world’s greatest secret agents. For generations, movie audiences have been entertained and beguiled by the thrills, chills and sex appeal of super spies. “With FDR and Tuck, we were going for the classic movie special agent,” says McG. “What’s sexy about that world is it’s life and death; it’s international; and it’s the antithesis of what most people experience in their everyday lives. I think we all want to travel around the world, go to exotic locations, drive fancy cars, fire guns, and be romantically irresistible. We’re having fun with that, and FDR and Tuck are incredibly proficient in that world. But when it comes to affairs of the heart, they’re just like everyone else. Clueless.”

“In her work she’s a very decisive woman, but in her romantic life she's just a disaster. The man she moved from Atlanta with ended up leaving her, shattering her heart and crushing her spirits, so she's been debilitated. She hasn't been able to date, she hasn't been able to go out. Chelsea Handler’s character Trish is her only friend because she works so much, so she's finally decided she's going to enter the dating world,” says Witherspoon of her role.

On her first meeting with Tuck and FDR, Reese relates that “She meets Tuck, played by Tom Hardy, on a dating website and they have an awkward first date that ends up going really well; then she ends up meeting Chris Pine's character, FDR, in a video store. They're both excited about their new relationships, and there's this great reveal where they show each other a picture of their girl, and it's the same girl. It's a great scene between two men - like, ‘what do you do if you're best friends and you like the same girl?’ It brings up all that territorial male dominance stuff.”

Team Pine vs. Team Hardy? Vote now on 20th Century Fox (Philippines) Facebook page and be counted.

And find out who Reese will ultimately choose when “This Means War” opens February 22 (Wednesday) in Philippine theaters nationwide.

To my future wifey

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:56:00 +0000

Photo not related.. wahehehe...

I never had a girlfriend, but I have a future wife. So, I wrote her a letter this Valentine's Day just to show her how much I misses her and love her in every ways possible. So, to my future wifey, here's my super duper love letter to you. I hope you'll like it. Here it goes.

Dear future wifey,

Back in 2008, I met one of God's beautiful creations. It was you. But believe it or not, it was a year later when I first laid my eyes on you. It was kind of weird because I remember exactly how you looked that moment — your hair was a mess; your clothes, still on your PJs; and you were still a sleepy-head. You yawned so big like a marine officer yelling at her troops, yet, you were so poised, you still look feminine. Most girls wouldn't want to see them in that condition by someone whom they barely know. But you allowed me to and you didn't give a damn.

Call me now to whatever thing that you would like, future wifey, but you know what? When I caught you in that off-guard moment of yours, I really liked it. People say a woman is at her most beautiful when you see her early in the morning; and the person who was on that moment is the luckiest person in the world. Thank God I am always an early morning person, I saw a glimpse of what you were — a simple, innocent beauty waking up and ready to face the world. I felt lucky.

Future wifey, perhaps in the future, when we get together, the biggest battle our relationship will encounter is not someone that can ruin our love, understanding for each other, and friendship. I was born under the Chinese dog sign, so I was meant to be loyal companion. So, if there would be one thing to battle about, it is bad cholesterol. You know for a fact that we both love to cook; and we enjoy eating a lot. It is my life long dream to eat or dine with you. But it is also our daily struggle to keep ourselves healthy, even if we try, delicious foods always come our way.

Future wifey, you know I never knew how to bake. I love to cook and I know how to cook but I don't know to bake. That is why I always remember exactly the first time you said to me that you are so excited to bake my most favorite dessert — the blueberry cheesecake pie! However, I wasn't there to taste it because I was never yours and you were never mine back then. I was like the peanut butter in your blueberry pie — I wasn't needed. But I never lose hope. Someday, you'll be needing this jar of peanut butter and this statement will be immortalized.

Travel by car, why not?

Didn't I tell you, future wifey that I always wanted to travel? I want to explore different seas and feel the breeze of foreign lands. I know we have already talked about the places that I wanted to go and the things I wanted to do there — dance in one of the clubs of the Roppongi district of Japan, dine at the Eiffel Tower, explore more science at the Smithsonian Institute, learn from the different night museums of Singapore, ride the London Eye and hear the rings of Big Ben, cruise to different Caribbean countries, and of course, eat the different foods of our beloved country, the Philippines. But all you wanted to do is to travel to Cambodia. I can do arrangements you know.

I always dream of us, exclusively dating, in those places that I have mentioned, and yes, this includes Cambodia. I have dreams of you and I travel together, and complete one whole book of travel scrapbook. Perhaps, I can even post it on my awesome blog so that the whole world would know how much it means to me to travel around the world with you.

It is always a dream for me to travel with you, future wifey. You've been to many places yourself, but I am always a home buddy because I want to reserve my enjoyment to those places with you. I want to take pictures of us, side by side, cheek to cheek, in those many places. Actually, I don't want to travel per se, I just want to travel with you and enjoy every moment. The beautiful sceneries are just a bonus. Will you allow me, my future wife?

Future wifey, do you still remember when I told you that communication is the key to a good relationship? That even when the love is gone, you still misses each other's conversations? Intelligent conversations, funny conversations, or either of the two, I wanted to experience talking to you, in person. I wanted to feel talking to you every single morning of my life when you wake up, every time we eat, every single hour, and every night before going to sleep.

I don't drink coffee that much, but still, I wanted to try coffee talk with you. I don't read that much, but still, I wanted to try novel talk with you. I don't even watch your favorite programs on television, but still, I wanted to try TV talk with you. Rant to me, spill the beans to me, tell me secrets that I don't know. I want to be your bestest talk buddy ever. Are you going to allow me?

My friends have known me to give names to "crying". Call it a desk cry, a wall cry, a shower cry, a novel cry, a door cry while sliding down your leaned body on the door, manuscript cry, computer cry, rain cry or whatever. I wanted to cry with you. I want you to share with me your feelings and emotions. If you are lonely or sad, I'm not going to cry for you, I will cry with you. If you are happy, I will not become just happy for you, but I want to be happy with you. I want to feel different emotions I never felt before. I want to be crazy, I want to be dumb, I want to be playful, I want to be carefree. I am allowing you, will you allow me to?

And finally, my future wife, I want to thank you for giving me a chance to know how it feels like to love and to be loved in return. You don't have to respond to this open letter that I am sending you. I just want to say thank you. I am not really asking anything in return. Just be my future wifey. You are my first love and my only one. I may not be your future hubby, but for me, you are my forever future wifey. Always. Thank you for this feeling. And oh... Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Love,
Yatot

The "Diva Moment" Experience!

noreply@blogger.com (AngGe-li-k8) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:17:00 +0000

"I'm a soul diva! Got problems?" | www.catwalkqueen.tv

Whether you like it or not, do it intentionally or unintentionally, there are times that everything around you suddenly changes. All eyes are on you, you feel that you have elevated, you get blinded by the glaring spotlight, and you feel that you are the “awesomest” person in the house. Boom! Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it a hand for Mr. or Ms. Booyah! Instant celebrity, right? That is what I called the diva moment experience. And I'm not just talking about the “singing diva” kind-of-thing. This is about someone who steals the spotlight from anybody by acting as if he or she is superior over everybody else. It doesn't matter if he or she has the right to act that way. Diva moments can happen to anyone. And yes, it could also happen to you.

Whoa! So, how can one has the right to be a diva? There are people who intentionally act like a diva because they earned a degree from the Awesome School of Divaness majoring in BS Bossyness or AB Bitching. Sometime, it's just run through their veins. But there are times that the shining moment just happens because one did something incredible or uttered something amazing. Diva moments can be a positive or a negative. It might be a real laugh trip or a nasty moment that you just want to forget.

Let me share to you some diva moment experiences that I have witnessed first hand.

The Fastfood Diva

When I was in college, we used to run to the nearest fastfood outside our college's building to grab some snacks before the next class starts. We usually order burger, sandwich, fries, or any food that is easy to munch while listening to a lecture. We have this new classmate who came from abroad. She belonged to a batch one year higher than our batch so that makes her older than most of us.

One day, as we waited for our orders at the counter, my two friends and I heard a loud and somewhat ridiculous complain from one of the customers. As we turned our curious heads we were surprised to see our new classmate shouting at the fastfood crew because the poor girl forgot to include ketchup in her take-out fries. That was one loud and insulting rant from her. She even called the crew stupid. Of course with that eardrum-breaking shout and sharp words, she became the center of attention. We are ashamed not for the crew but for her. How can a college student acted like a child throwing tantrums because of a ketchup? Sheesh...

Lesson learned: never dine in a fastfood with her.

"I'mma, I'mma, I'mma a diva... I'mma, I'mma, I'mma a diva..." | dailymail.co.uk

The Matinee Idol Diva

This encounter happened when I was working as an event organizer. I met and worked with a lot of artists and production team. This encounter was one of the most unforgettable experiences in working with celebrities. Mr. Former Prominent Matinee Idol had me rolling my eyes when he asked for a separate waiting room. Yes! Big artists like him demand things like that. But isn't that too much for a one-time appearance during the event. All he has to do was to say hi and throw some spiels to introduce one of the performances. Man, he didn't have to stay for long. He was not performing and he's not the highlight of the show.

Since we were really having problem assigning waiting rooms for the performers and we just find his demand really unnecessary, we decided not to include him in the list of celebrities who will appear in the program. He was not a great loss, really.

Lesson learned: once a "has been" always a "has been"

The English-Speaking Diva

Ever encountered an unaccommodating sales lady at the mall? I did. The usual saleslady we always encounter in malls is overly accommodating sometimes. They follow you as you choose what to buy, they keep on giving you unsolicited suggestions regarding the item you are looking, and just stands too close to you as you look at the items in her area. That is annoying but not as much as annoying as a saleslady who ignores me because I don't look rich enough to buy something inside the mall.

I was buying shoes at that time. I need size 9 for the flats that I chose so I approached this saleslady. She kept on ignoring me and seemed too lazy to accommodate my request. So when she finally gave her attention to me, I asked her in English if size 9 is available. She suddenly felt intimidated and responded to my request. I don't mean to be a diva at that time. But sometimes, one has to be a diva to get equal attention from discriminating persons such as this saleslady. I might be dressed like a pauper (well, not really) but I can pay for that pair of shoes. *Snap, snap, snap (snapping in air as if writing the letter 'Z')*

Lesson learned: Always reserve some English vocabularies in your pocket... you'll never know when will you use it!

We are all entitled to be diva sometimes. But one has to be reasonable in making “demands” like a diva. Act like one if it is needed. And don't steal the moment if you'll just rant like an old woman or throw tantrums like a spoiled brat. Try to be nice in asking and if it doesn't work, that's the only time you have to steal the spotlight. Be classy and awesome in your diva moment. Demand politely but with authority. Intimidate but don't discriminate. Impose what is right for you without sacrificing your morals. And remember not to resort in being a diva everytime you asks for something. That is the awesomest way to be a diva. *Snap, snap, snap*

And for all those divas out there, divas at heart, divas in the making, or people who experience different diva moments... here's an awesome music video from Beyonce! *Snap, snap, snap*

Do you have a personal diva moment experience? Share it with us by writing your comment/s below!

A Tale of Just Me Attending Movie Premiere Nights!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:11:00 +0000

More than a year ago, I wrote about my very first experience on attending a movie premiere night. Several movie premiere nights later, I am still attending premiere nights and press screenings of the latest movies that are soon to be showing in town! Thanks to the awesome people at 20th Century Fox (Philippines), especially to Ms. Mae, for giving me the opportunity to watch different foreign films from their movie outfit for FREE! Attending movie premiere nights is such a wonderful and awesome experience!

Being an awesome guy, attending premiere nights and press screenings are like a big social responsibility that were vested upon me by whoever had the power to do it. Due to limited seats, not everyone is entitled for a FREE seat. So, it is such an awesome honor if you are given an opportunity to attend like this one.

In a movie premiere night, you meet different types of people. There are the celebrity type, the diva type, the friendly type, the loner type, and there are some hey-i-am-so-excited-to-watch-this-movie type of people. Me? I am just the awesome type.

For the past years, I have been to several movie premiere nights and press screening places courtesy of 20th Century Fox (Philippines). I've been to Rockwell, Glorietta Mall, Greenbelt, Trinoma, and different SM Cinemas. I must say, every movie screenings and premiere nights bring joy to my heart. You never knew how much excitement I got every time I received text messages from Ms. Mae, inviting me to attend a premiere night. It is also a joy to see how different fans gather around for one mission alone — to watch their most anticipated movie in advanced and for FREE! Hehehe!

The recent movie premiere night that I attended was the press screening of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in 3D! It is such an awesome opportunity to watch the Star Wars movie with Star Wars fans from all walks of life! Who cannot miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch Star Wars with fans, right? Screaming fans inside the cinema are cra-a-a-zy! So, was I! Hahaha!

Sometimes it brakes my heart to sadness whenever I cannot make to a movie premiere due to office works and pre-occupied work-related moments that needed to be finished. Yes! I still work on a regular basis as a corporate slave! Who does not, really? Hahaha! So, sometimes attending a movie premiere is really a must to relieve stress from workloads. Gladly, movie premiere nights are just a text or facebook message away and in advance, too, so that I can also fix my schedules as well!

During premiere nights, I see to it that I bring along a friend of mine or two. It is fun to watch movie premieres with close friends that you can discuss the movie with after it was shown as you go home. I bring officemate friends, classmate friends, former co-employee friends, or a combination of any of them. I once tried watching a movie premiere alone, I was sad not because the movie was sad, but because I had noone to talk to or discuss the movie with as I go home. Of all the friends that I have invited to join me in premiere nights, there is still one person I am yet to invite. I wanted it to be a special movie, because it would be our first movie date! But then again, that is another story. Bleh!

So, in conclusion, below is a collage of some pictures of me with my world-renowed awesome movie tickets pose! Enjoy!

Funny is the New Sexy: A "New Girl" Addiction Rush!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:20:00 +0000

There are certain things that a woman can be attractive to a man. But for me, I only set three standards. First, she must be intelligent; second, she must has a short hair; and lastly, she must has a good sense of humor. Although, Zooey Deschanel's character "Jess" in her new American TV series, "New Girl" wears a long, wavy black hair, it is far more important for me that a girl is intelligent and has a witty sense of humor. Zooey Deschanel never failed my expectations.

"New Girl" is an American TV series/sitcom which tells the story of Jess who had broke up with her douchebag live-in partner/boyfriend/fiance of six years when she found out he was cheating on her. In order for her to get over the failed relationship, she moved to a new apartment or loft where three young bachelors live.

In her new home, Jess makes friends with a brokenhearted bar tender, law school student wannabe Nick Miller (Jake Johnson), a douchebag lawyer called Schmidt (Max Greenfield), who works as the only male employee in his company, and an unemployed former basketball player, Wilson Bishop (Lamorne Morris), who easily picks up a new talent but fails to enjoy routinely work. Jess has a superhot model friend named Cece Meyers (Hannah Simone) who Schmidt has eyes for.

Who can't fall for those stare?

Jess reminds me of someone whom I met several years ago — she's funny and intelligent at the same time. She makes me laugh whenever we talk random things. Moreover, she has a witty personality, just like Jess. More importantly, she has brains for serious and intelligent conversations. A beautiful face doesn't simply give me the instant attraction. I don't fall easily with a beautiful face. A girl who is intelligent, has a short hair, and a witty sense of humor — that's what catches my attention more.

Zooey Deschanel's Jess character actually exceeds my expectations of a you-funny-sexy-intelligent-kind-of-being thing. Her coping strategies to forget her break-up are simply a turn on. Ask every guy who watches "New Girl" and they will tell you Zooey Deschanel is the new IT girl in town! I will even bet our rice cooker if there is a man who will not fall for Zooey Deschanel's charm on television! Hah!

Anyway, if you're into awesome comedy viewing series mode, I highly recommend watching the new series "New Girl". It's simply an awesome viewing habit!

"Manila Dreams" Came True

noreply@blogger.com (AngGe-li-k8) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:39:00 +0000

Around 25,000 people from all walks of life were lucky enough to watch one of the most awaited concerts in our country last Sunday, January 22, 2012. But the crowd's excitement of seeing Katy Perry belt out her chart-topping hits from her album, mostly from the album Teenage Dream almost died when the popstar appeared two hours late. You read it right, two freakin' hours without explanation or apology even from the concert promoters. Even the opening act of DJ Skeet Skeet did not make the crowd forget that they were waiting too long for the concert to start. But Filipino fans are forgiving. All were thrilled when Katy finally appeared. Indeed, Manila Dreams is coming true at that time.

Aside from watching Katy performed the 15-song set list, people are entertained with the short videos projected in four LEDs, two of them are on the stage decorated with pink cotton candy clouds, about the Alice in Wonderland-Cinderella-esque adventure of a girl named Katy. The crowd was laughing as they watch Katy desperately looking for her lost cat, Katy Purry. While in search for her cat in a colorful world filled with candies and cupcakes, she met the boy of her dreams, Baker's Boy.

Katy Cats were not disappointed when Katy sang ten songs from her Teenage Dream album. Everybody was hyped as she opens with “Teenage Dream”, followed by another upbeat song, “Hummingbird Heartbeat.”

But the crowd is not the only one who enjoyed the concert, Katy herself was having a good time performing for her Filipino fans. The popstar shared on her Twitter account that part of her California Dreams Concert is to get a male volunteer and kiss him on stage and that lucky guy will also have the chance to kiss Katy. The lucky guy called on stage was the ex-PBB Teen Edition Clash Housemate, Ivan Dorschner. See the video below.

Video courtesy of Vinceme29

Girls in different age, boyfriends, teenage boys, and even parents who accompanied their kids danced as Katy performed her party anthem “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” and sang along as the lyrics of “E.T” was projected in LEDs.

Local celebrities were spotted during the concert. KC Concepcion was enjoying the concert with her sister Cloie Syquia; Survivor Castaway, KC Montero; singer Jed Madela, and Mr. Funny Guy, Ramon Bautista were among them.

The stage was decorated with sweet stuffs such as lollipop, cotton candy, and cupcakes surely gave the Katy Cats toothache. But these sweets cannot conceal the sexual allusions especially when she performed “Peacock.”

The other songs that she performed were “Waking Up in Vegas”, “Ur So Gay”, “I Kissed A Girl”, and “Hot n Cold”. Katy's backup singers also had their moment when they sang Aaron Carter's "I Want Candy" mashed-up with Kelis' "Milkshake".

Katy also performed heart-felt ballads such as “Not like the Movies” and the acoustic version of her latest single, “The One Who Got Away.” For the last two songs, the crowd sings along with Katy's two most loved songs, “Firework,” complete with stage effects and “California Gurls.”

Katy Perry really rocked Manila with her singing prowess and brilliant performance. Two thumbs up, Katy! You fulfilled every Katy Cats' dreams that Sunday night.

"The Darkest Hour" Delivers Awesome 3D Special Effects!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:50:00 +0000

Visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov who gave us the highly-stylized action packed “Wanted” and “Night Watch” produces the latest in mind-blowing special effects in the 3D thriller “The Darkest Hour” starring Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby, and Rachael Taylor.

Director Chris Gorak pits young internet entrepreneurs Sean (Hirsch) and Ben (Minghella) who arrive in Moscow amidst a mysterious lightening storm. Upon landing in the vibrant Russian capital to pursue their business dreams in the international economic center yet full of unscrupulous business practices, they met up with travelers Natalie (Thirlby) and Anne (Taylor) who are stranded in Moscow en route to Nepal.

The two pairs of best friends meet amid the glitz and glamour of the Zvezda Nightclub, the hot spot for the international and the beautiful in Moscow, including the young turk Skylar (Joel Kinnaman), the Swedish businessman who duped Sean and Ben. A mecca for the globe trotting youth, supermodels, and business elite congregating in Moscow, the club is quickly transformed to a scene of terror when the aliens invade and everything goes dark.

After surviving the initial attack hiding underground, days later the five emerge into the confines of a Moscow that’s become increasingly alien – the once pulsating city is now without power and is all but deserted, yet occupied by a force they don’t understand. Made up of electromagnetic wave energy, the alien beings kill brutally by shredding earthly life forms, reducing those in their way to their molecular structure instantly.

The aliens are also basically invisible to humans, however anything electrical gives them away. Daytime is now dangerous, so the survivors learn to travel across the city in the safety of night, while confronting their individual reactions to these extraordinary circumstances where everything familiar is gone.

Bekmambetov was happy to participate as a producer. “Producing and directing for me, is almost the same. When you’re directing, you’re not shooting, you’re not acting yourself, you’re not dressing actors… you’re directing,” explains Bekmambetov. “The producer is also managing processes - people and expectations - so for me to produce means you have the movie in your head and you have to find the right people to make it. It’s almost the same thing. You’re not screaming rolling on the set, but you’re still finding the right people and the right strategy.”

“Originally, maybe 4 years ago, it was scripted in a small American town. The first time I spoke with (co-producer) Tom Jacobson, I said ‘Can we move it to Moscow?’ When you change the point of view it becomes an interesting project immediately. Like King Kong in Moscow would be a big deal, King Kong in New York nobody wants to play that game because it’s been done,” comments Bekmambetov. “It’s still quite intriguing for the viewer to be here because not so many western movies are made in Moscow. It makes the movie cool immediately.”

“Timur and his team have been fantastic collaborators throughout the process. Early on, Tom, Monnie and I meet with Timur at his house in Los Angeles and had creative sessions that were really productive,” says director Gorak. “Timur is an incredible creative filmmaker in his own right, and he added touches to our alien design, movement, and activity. Their subtle existence and dangers of the alien and how to present that to the audience.”

Gorak continues, “Timur always adds that little touch to make it special… he's really good at that. What was the enemy and what were the rules of the enemy. Timur likes to police the mythology of the science fiction. What are these aliens, what are they made up of, what do they want? We had a lot of discussions about that, which then leads to those fun moments in the story for example, of scattering light bulbs as a warning device. Those kinds of moments that Timur adds can become classic indelible images.”

Bekmambetov sees this project as a stepping stone for the Russian film industry. “This is the first big Hollywood movie that will all be made in Russia. We’ve shot parts of western movies here – a few shooting days on Get Smart, a Bourne movie with a piece made in Moscow – but nobody has made a whole Hollywood movie in Russia. It’s very helpful and important for our production company Bazelev because people learn how to work in system. It will help me in the future to make more movies here in Russia,” says Bekmambetov. “In our visual effects area, we have young people working with American producers and visual effects supervisor. The young Russian guys are learning a lot and at the end, we will have a great team who can then make another movie.”

“The Darkest Hour” (3D) opens in cinemas on January 25 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. Below is the awesome movie trailer of "The Darkest Hour" (3D)! Enjoy!

How to Become an Awesome Christmas Shopper?

noreply@blogger.com (AngGe-li-k8) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

In the past few posts, we have discussed some problems Pinoy shoppers encounter and some popular shopping destinations in the Philippines. Today, I will be discussing some tips on how to become an uber awesome Christmas shopper!

So before hitting the malls or tiangges, take note of these awesome tips on Christmas shopping so that you'll be an awesome guy like us! Without further ado, I now present to you some awesome Christmas shopping tips for awesome shoppers! Just follow these tips religiously, and you'll end up being awesome! Are you ready? Here you go:

Image courtesy of creativestudiosng.com

• Prepare a list of people who will receive gifts from you. List the names and the item that you are going to give to each of them. Also, allot a certain amount for every gift you are going to give so you can monitor your expenses. Making a list will help you decide where to shop.

• Once you have decided on where to shop, make sure to familiarize yourself with the sections of a mall or tiangge so you won’t be wasting time looking for shops.

• Don’t shop alone especially if you are planning to buy a lot of items. It is better to ask someone to come along with you who is more familiar to the place where you will shop or someone who can help you carry the bags.

• Don’t bring along kids especially when shopping in tiangge. As much as possible, parents should leave their children at home because the child might get lost in the crowded place.

Image courtesy of http://www.free-press-release.com

• Be vigilant in shopping, whether you are inside a mall or in tiangge. Be aware of your surroundings and be observant. Take note of the items you bought and the number of bags you are carrying so you’ll know when one is missing. Watch out for pickpockets and snatchers, too. As much as possible, do not bring shoulder bags, pouch bags, or other bags that can be easily snatched away from you.

• Be polite in bargaining and bargain for a reasonable price.

• Stick to your budget. Control your impulse in buying more than what you planned to avoid overspending.

• Choose well the items you are going to buy. Always check the quality of the items before buying it. And make sure that you can change the item you bought if there is a defect.

• Be patient in looking for gifts, parking space, and in dealing with people. Shopping can be stressful, so control your anger and frustration and be open minded to avoid conflict with other shopper or with vendors.

Most importantly, keep in mind that this Christmas season is not about giving material gifts. It is about expressing your love to someone or showing someone that he or she is part of your life by giving gifts. It's not important whether the gifs are expensive, what matters most is the essence of sharing and giving, even if we didn't get anything in return. Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping!

Pinoy Christmas Shopping Guide to Awesomeness: The Christmas Shopping Hotspots!

noreply@blogger.com (AngGe-li-k8) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

The last time you've heard of me was when I discussed the major, major problems in Christmas shopping. Today, I will be discussing some Christmas shopping hotspots! The Philippines is blessed with different shopping hotspots scattered all over the country. When it comes to shopping, the Philippines is never behind our neighboring Asian countries. We have one of the best shopping districts in Asia. Even Bangkok, Singapore, and Malaysia are scared to death when our shopping districts operate.

Foreigners from different countries around the world are also going crazy shopping to our native land. Perhaps the best part of shopping here in the Philippines is the price of every items and commodities found in every malls and tiangges. Compared to our Asian neighboring countries, our product prices are much cheaper and are in their highest quality.

Image courtesy of shopping-center-myspace.blogspot.com

So, here's a list of some popular Christmas shopping hotspots in the Philippines. Below is a list of places you can raid for your Christmas shopping extravaganza. You'll never find any articles in the Internet like this one, because this one is waaaayyy toooo A-W-E-S-O-M-E! (Take that! Haha.)

· Tiangge

Aaaahh... the paradise for frugal shoppers, where you can find goods— from garments, electronics, jewelry, cosmetics, toys, and even foods—bulk and in cheaper, (let me say that again) CHEAPER, price than the usual. But before you turn off your computer and rush to the world famous Divisoria, read further for more information.

If you are looking for giveaways aka generic Christmas gifts for, let’s say all your nieces and nephews, officemates, employees, colleagues, or other groups of people that you included in your list but doesn’t need an extra special gift, you can buy items in tiangge in bulk for a cheaper price. Example, if you saw a cute mug worth PhP 50, you can get it for PhP 30 if you buy six pieces. Not bad, right? In short, WHOLESALE.

With regard to the quality of items you will find, you have to be thorough in checking the items that you are buying. Sometimes quality is compromised when it comes to cheap goods. I’m not saying that all cheap goods are substandard, there are still cheap items with good quality. You just have to look hard and even harder. Remember, some tiangge stalls practice a "No Return, No Exchange" policy. Most of the tiangge owners are also not covered by the Department of Trade and Industry. So, picking up the best item/s for you by checking it/them very carefully really helps a lot in finding good and quality products in a tiangge.

Since a lot of people are budget conscious, expect that tiangge will be more crowded especially during weekends. It will be more challenging to look for the things you want to buy or to choose well. Also, expect pickpockets and snatchers mingling with the busy shoppers. So be careful when shopping in crowded areas.

Below is a list of popular tiangge destinations in the Philippines:
• Divisoria
• Divisoria Mall
• 168 Mall
• 999 Mall
• St. Francis Square in Mandaluyong
• Tutuban Mall
• Tutuban Mall's Night Market
• Policarpio St. in Mandaluyong
• Weekend Markets at Salcedo and Legaspi Villages in Makati
• Tiendesitas in C5 Pasig
• Baclaran

• Malls

For those who don’t want the crowded tiangge, mall is the perfect place to shop. The convenience of having a parking area, comfort rooms, food court and restaurants, and other facilities that you can find in a mall but not in tiangges can make your gift hunting less stressful.

Yes, prices are might be a little bit higher in malls, but quality of goods is surely much better. Most, if not all, items—electrical appliances, toys, and gadgets—that can be found in malls went under strict compliance and quality control. If you are into quality, items that can be found in malls are protected by trade and industry laws, meaning, you as consumers, are protected as well. If you are after the quality and not the quantity, it's better to go to the malls. But if you are on a really tight budget, you can only shop a few items here.

Malls are also crowded during the Christmas season. Sales are also a headache because, though the goods are cheaper, it's really hard to find what you are looking for and the choices are limited, too. Keep in mind that no matter where you go, when there is a Christmas sale, it is always a crowd. Some of the popular malls in the Philippines where you can buy your Christmas items are:

• SM Malls (nationwide)
• Ever Gotesco Malls
• Metro Market! Market!
• Isetann Malls
• Metro Gaisano Malls
• Star Mall
• Festival Mall
• Glorietta Malls
• Trinoma Mall
• Ayala Malls

• Bazaars

Bazaars nowadays are always part of the Christmas seasons. Christmas is not complete when there are no bazaars. Sometimes, your favorite local stars and celebrities are the ones who initiate or participate in these bazaars. Bazaars in the Philippines are usually built to benefit certain foundations or home care centers. Some other bazaars are built to expose small and medium scale entrepreneurs. For a listing of some upcoming bazaars in the Philippines, you may want to click on the link below:

Christmas Bazaars in the Philippines 2011

Now that you know some place to shop, are you ready for shopping? Happy shopping!

Pinoy Christmas Shopping Guide to Awesomeness: The Major, Major Problems!

noreply@blogger.com (AngGe-li-k8) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:46:00 +0000

(Image courtesy of http://www.mimifroufrou.com/)

One basis of awesomeness is a person's ability to survive this season’s one of the most, if not, the most stressful activities—Christmas shopping! Everybody, young or old, male or female, or gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transgender, and filthy rich or poor, feels the pressure of buying gifts for their special someone (or sometimes even for not-so-special someone). Why feel pressured? Well, in case you haven’t heard, Christmas is the time for giving. If you really don’t know that it is indeed a time to give and receive gifts, all I can say to you is, “Hey there, Grinch!”

For some, shopping is always a breeze. It is their way of relieving stress from work or from some other bad vibes in the environment. But for others, shopping is really a hassle not just it is a waste of their time, but also it can be considered as a very exhausting physical activity.

So, before hitting the malls anytime this week for your pre-Christmas shopping extravaganza, you may want to consider first our criteria on whether what tiangge, bazaar, or mall to choose for, for your Christmas shopping spree convenience. Our research team has come up with some major problems that people experience during the Christmas shopping season. Here are some of them:

· Proximity to your place

Is the tiangge, bazaar, or mall near to your place or too far? Ask yourself if your long travel time would be worth of your schedule. Are the prices of goods there cheaper than the nearer shopping place in your area? Also, check if the transportation is more convenient to you. If you have a vehicle, check earlier where you can park or if you are commuting, know where to ride public transportation vehicles (PTV). Most importantly, can you carry your heavy shopping bags from the shopping place to the parking area or to the PTV terminals?

When considering the place of proximity from your place to the mall or tiangge, you are also considering your time management. The nearer the place, the better. However, make sure that these shopping places have all the things that you need to buy so that going to another shopping place will not be an option anymore. Keep in mind that transferring from one place to another is already a hassle, so look for a shopping place where you can go to the next with just one cartwheel or one jagger move away.

· Items you are going to buy

Are you looking for cheap toys, cute giveaways, gift for your baby in kris kringle, something cheap but classy looking gift for your boss, something that your best friend can use in his or her work, or something your sweetheart can display in his or her room or in the office table, etc.? Congratulations if you find all these things in one place.

Usually, a mall have all the items that you need to buy. Tiangges too might be another option to consider but stocks in tiangges are limited. However, if you are considering the price tags of each item that you are going to buy, you might want to try a tiangge. Some tiangges offer bulk sales or wholesale at a bargain price. If you are going to buy similar items in bulk, a tiangge or bazaar is the better option. You can ask the vendor to offer you a price that you cannot resist. Say, a PhP 30 priced mug if you buy in bulk of ten than buying it individually for PhP 40 each.That's bargain, isn't it?

· Traffic, traffic, traffic

In case you don’t know, aside from being the season for giving, Christmas is also a season of heavy traffic. If you are a regular commuter like me, I bet you also noticed the sudden bulk of vehicles on streets and other national roads. Because people are rushing to the malls for their very late pre-Chrismas shopping (maybe because their 13th month pays are delayed, hihihi), expect some heavy traffic in the coming days.

• When money talks...

Considering "sky is the limit" in buying gifts, do you think budgeting for gifts is still necessary? Well, of course! Having a budget plan in buying gifts still works! Not only you'll buy the best bargain items, you'll also have some spare money for you. Money is not always something that you can get anywhere, it is hard-earned with blood, stressful moments, physical fatigues, and tears. So, don't just waste your money buying gifts. Save up for yourself, too!

Moreover, when money talks, people tend to buy, impulsively. Avoid impulsive buying or buying unnecessary items to avoid over-budgeting of money. Stick to what your Christmas list is saying—that's the golden rule of shopping!

So there, these are some of the things that people encounter when doing their Christmas shopping. What are yours? Care to share? Write your thoughts on the comment section below. 'Till next time!

Alvin, the Chipmunks, and the Chipettes in Meet-and-Greet at the Malls!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:28:00 +0000

The chipmunks and the chipettes are back with an all-new adventure that takes them back to the forest in “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.” Having gone domesticated, famous, pampered, and civilized – the chipmunks are relearning the ways of the wild while Dave Seville (Jason Lee) is on a quest to find them.

20th Century Fox gleefully joins the holiday merriment in malls with the chipmunks characters – Alvin, Theodore, and Simon. Currently touring in SM malls, the mascots will next be seen in SM Bacoor (Dec. 14), SM Southmall (Dec. 15), SM Calamba and SM San Pablo (Dec. 16), SM Dasmarinas and; SM Molino (Dec. 17), SM Manila (Dec. 18), SM Muntinlupa and SM Sta. Rosa (Dec. 19), SM Taytay (Dec. 20), SM Fairview (Dec. 21), SM Masinag (Dec. 22), SM Batangas and SM Lipa (Dec. 23).

The latest Alvin film “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” brings more adventure, music, and mayhem as Alvin and the troupe run amok in a luxury cruise liner that brings them to a deserted island where they survive on their own instincts and tricks.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” opens nationwide in the Philippines on January 8 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. Watch the movie trailer here. Let's eyeball there! See you all at the malls!

Awesome Taekwondo Finger Performance is Awesome!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:41:00 +0000

When was the last time you find a viral video on youtube that is oh-so awesome, you probably re-do what's in the video? Well, here's an awesome take of becoming a taekwondo master... using your own fingers and hand. I found this virally posted on my facebook wall, and I found it awesome! See for yourself and be amazed by its combat skills and actions! Hiii-yah!

The New Canada Money is Awesome!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:14:00 +0000

Yes! The Bank of Canada released a few months ago (boo! old news! hahaha!) a new awesome banknote aka money in circulation or money bills for their country's currency (Canadian dollar). As you can see in the above the photo (courtesy of moneyville.ca) the new Canadian money (banknote) is literally, transparent! You can actually see the face of that guard holding the money bill!

The new Canadian money (banknote) is made out of plastic. This super awesome money is high-tech, it is made up of a piece of polymer plastic, has an embossed printed paint, and some indications (printed on the bill) that are hard to copy by counterfeit moneymakers!

Packed with security features and some other stuffs that, the new Canadian money (banknote) is one awesome money bill any money bill collector or country will droll for! Watch the video below for some of the security features of the new Canadian money and see for yourself how awesome it is! Hahaha!

USA gets Awesome Promotional Campaign!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:11:00 +0000

Lo and behold... it looks like the most powerful country in the world is having a new marketing campaign to boost its economy and tourism... and they are not just doing it for "just having a campaign"... they are doing it the very awesome way!

Say hello to America's new campaign slogan for 2012: "United States of Awesome Possibilities"! The new campaign ad logo (above) and tagline are said to give effort which can help boost America's businesses and leisure travel to spur economic growth. The 200-million dollar ad campaign (that expensive? whoa!) is set to launch next year for "the first-ever coordinated global marketing effort dedicated to welcoming international travelers to the United States".

In line with this promotional ad campaign to boost the economy and tourism of the United States, a website (www.discoveramerica.com) is also featured to give foreign travelers some useful and helpful tips about "the" American-way of life and culture.

The logo above shows dots forming the letters U, S, and A, which according to Corporation for Travel Promotion, the brainchild of the campaign ad and tagline, they wanted to create a "21st-century brand" which "symbolizes the boundless possibilities of the United States" as well as representing America's "diversity". (Source)

The logo and ad slogan of this "let's do something to the USA to boost it's economic growth, tourism, and perhaps regain world domination" campaign are truly awesome. I hope the Department of Tourism is also brainstorming on how they will promote the Philippines with something like this awesome ad promotional campaign.

Awesome Clock from LEGO!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 07:14:00 +0000

I have been wanting to have a very unique and awesome clock for my bedroom but I just couldn't find any. Nowadays, it's really hard to find one, especially when different Angry Birds items are sprouting like mushrooms. Just name it, different Angry Birds items are available almost anywhere, and up for grabs! I am not really a fan of Angry Birds, but yeah... I find some of the items cute.

But what I am exactly looking for is this clock that I found from http://www.ubergizmo.com (see below photo). It's something made up of LEGO. I simply love it! It's simply an awesome clock that would fit my lifestyle! Yeah! See also the video below.

Chapter 13: Awesome Guys Know Where Elisa Is!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:04:00 +0000

Life is a circus... it has elephants, whip, clowns, and balls! True story!

I have been watching the newest teleserye offering of ABS-CBN — the Philippine adaptation of the Chilean telenovela hit, "¿Donde Esta Elisa?" or now more popularly known as "Nasaan Ka Elisa? (Where is Elisa?)". I find this telenovela engaging to watch because the plot will make you glued to your television set. Every scene will make you want to watch for more episodes. As the story progresses, the plot also thickens.

Now, people are really trying to know the whereabouts of this lovely little lady, Elisa (played by Melissa Ricks), and what really happened to her sudden disappearance. As we watch every episode, clues are being given to Elisa's whereabouts. The mystery of Elisa's disappearance is being unfold in every episode. However, along with the mystery comes some revelations of the characters' true intentions. Deception, power, love for money, lust — these are just some of the things that you may want to watch in the coming episodes. But of course, the story itself is very interesting as well.

And because spoilers of "Nasaan Ka Elisa?" plot story are being read everywhere, I will also give some spoiler of mine. I know the whereabouts of Elisa! Yes, it's true! As an awesome guy, I must know the whereabouts of Elisa! And because I was known to impress people, I will once again impress you with what I know.

I have lots of people who work for me. Private investigators, military people, secret agents, etc. My organization is so big, I can find the whereabouts of Elisa! And finally, after searching for JUST a few days... and because I am awesome... I found the whereabouts of Elisa! You can locate Elisa in the map below! Enjoy searching!

View Larger Map

Experience Japanese Dining at Atsu-Atsu Ramen

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:44:00 +0000

It's been months since I last posted anything here on this blog because I became preoccupied with work and several things that I have to attend to. Anyway, I'm back at blogging and here I am posting my experience eating at a Japanese restaurant near our place of work. In the coming days, expect some several updates now on this blog, because yeah... my schedules at work are somehow not that tight anymore. So, here's my experience eating at Atsu-Atsu Ramen Japanese Restaurant.

Three months ago, my officemates and I ate in this newly constructed Japanese restaurant nearby. I cannot say they serve authentic Japanese cuisines and ramen because I haven't been to a real Japanese restaurant before, but all I can say is that I enjoyed eating at Atsu-Atsu Ramen.

Interior

When you enter the restaurant, the cool, Japanese-feel ambiance will set your mood; giving you that real Japanese-eating pleasure. The interior of the restaurant has this Japanese feel and look, even the waitresses wear kimonos. The kitchen is an open-type kitchen (with glass) so that customers can see what's cooking. And oh, the cooks looks like real Japanese cooks, too!

The Food

Seafood Ramen

Since Atsu-Atsu Ramen House/Restaurant is a restaurant that specializes ramen, we ordered their house specialty — ramen! The big bowl of Japanese ramen is truly satisfying and fulfilling to eat and taste. Simply put into words... i love it! I ordered that seafood thingie ramen, the big bowl... and I finished that on my own! Hahaha...

Yakisoba

When we went there to eat, my two of my officemates shared to the big bowl of ramen. Yes. The servings of ramen are really big! Trust me. Anyway, the ramen was delicious! The soup, the condiments, the ingredients... you'll find the inner nirvana as you eat! That's how I describe it. There is also the stir-fried noodles called yakisoba. Kinda oily but tasty, too! Japanese are really well-known for that umami taste. They do it very well.

House specialty Atsuban comes free with a coupon.

But of course, the descriptions above are my personal opinion. I know and trust my sense of taste. You better try their food to know what I mean.

Atsu-Atsu Ramen Restaurant is located along G. Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, beside Petron Station.

Riding a Jeepney in the Philippines!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 06:24:00 +0000

It has always been my fascination to observe the looks, attitudes, and behaviors of people inside a jeepney whenever I had a chance to ride in it. The public utility jeepneys (PUJs) or simply jeep, brings us a lot more closer to reality when it comes to observing people.

Inside a jeep, you will find a different mix of people. There are sometimes stubborn passengers, and at times there are nice. Often times you will find stressed passengers, especially during rush hours. These traits and behaviors of people inside the jeepneys may or may not annoy you, but believe it or not, these traits and behaviors can affect you in one way or another even if you don't care much.

So here's a riding a jeepney list of people's behavior inside a jeepney, one of the Philippines' main transport systems. Below are just my observations and opinions, so don't take it seriously! Now here's the awesome list:

Types of People You'll Find Inside a Jeepney

• The Poser Guy! The poser guys who ride a jeepney are those people who sit with their legs apart, about 45º in angle. Their elbows would always lean on their (opened) knees, sometimes making their hands (or fingers) touched their chin. They don't care if you can't sit properly as long as their crotches are at full rest. There are times these people wear sunglasses and has a waxed hair. This type of people are socially-challenged. Bare with them, they lack social awareness and care for others. And oh, only males can do this perfectly.

• The Beauty Queen! The Beauty Queen sitters inside a jeepney are the female counterparts of The Poser Guys only with their legs closed. The "Beauty Queens" sit in a prim and proper manner. Their legs are closed and their hands are placed on top of their lap. Sometimes, a handkerchief is placed between their closed legs to prevent peeping toms to see what's in-between their legs, however, their buttocks are not also properly seated. The Beauty Queens also practice the 45º angled legs while their legs closed. Sometimes they clipped their shoulder bags under one armpit that it already occupies the space of the person beside her. Just imagine how the Beauty Queens occupy a big space. Only a farewell wave lacks this description.

• The Pretender. Pretenders are people who pretend to see nothing, especially when someone is paying his/her fare to the jeepney driver. These people set their undisclosed attack anytime they want. They are sometimes equipped with gadgets such as iPods and earphones so that they can hear nothing. At times, they pretend to sleep so that they cannot reach your fare/payment. Often times, these people are busy doing something, texting, praying the rosary, talking to a phone, chatting with a companion inside the jeep, etc. Pretenders have collected several best acting awards during their high school years!

• The Catcher. "Catchers" are frustrated bus conductors or perhaps a bus conductor in their past lives. There are two types of them: 1) the jolly catchers and 2) the stubborn catchers. Jolly catchers are those people who sometimes sit behind the jeepney driver. They are willingly and joyfully reach out their hands to relay or give the payment of a passenger to the jeepney driver. In case there is a change (to the payment), he/she calls out to the person who has a change. On the other hand, stubborn catchers are catchers who has no choice but to be one because of the seating arrangement. Most people would sit near the opening of the jeepney so that they can get out of it faster making the late passengers sit at the end or near the driver. In this case, they have no choice but to reach out his/her hands to the payment/fare of a passenger and give it to the driver. Stubborn work isn't it? Hahaha!

• The Loudmouth. Ever experienced a loud group of passengers inside a jeepney? These are the loudmouths, and their main aim for riding a jeepney is to make loud noises by chatting, loud laughing, teasing, etc. — just like a group of high school students riding a jeepney after class — as if they owned or rented the jeepney with only them as the passengers! Loudmouths passengers always have stories to tell, they never run out of gossips, sentiments, and rants among other things. Most loudmouths are jolly people, however, you will be needing a headset prepared to cover your ears when you (accidentally) ride with them because they tend to give out 250 decibels of sound!

• The Opportunist. And finally, here comes "the opportunist" passengers that sometimes do the unexpected things. They lurk in different passenger types that were mentioned above. Sometimes there is an opportunist in each passenger type. They chat and chat until they (intentionally) forget to pay; they fall asleep during travel time so that when it is time to get out of the jeepney, they'll just say they are already paid when the jeepney driver asked for their payment, sometimes called the "slip trip sleep"; those passengers who sit near the jeepney opening where they can go out of the jeepney fast and run, also called "1-2-3"; and those people who intentionally make the "sabit" or hitch the jeepney's steel bar trying to have a free ride. The Opportunist is not limited to these people only, pickpockets are also included!

So there, riding a jeepney in the Philippines can be very exciting, isn't it? To make it more exciting, and before ending this blog post, let me show you a video guide on how to ride a jeepney in the Philippines! This is a very funny yet very informative video guide! The best I've ever seen, so far! Hahaha... Enjoy watching and enjoy riding a jeepney!

Job Hunting Tips for Beginners!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:56:00 +0000

April is finally fast approaching and for others, this is the time of the year when most of them go out and take their dream summer vacation destination to anywhere they like. While some people do this, most people are checking their resumes very carefully and smoothening them for important details that should be included to get that potential job that they are eyeing for.

Yes, March and April are also a season of job hunting for most people, especially for young adults who are ready to face the challenge of the "real" world! Soon enough, you will see young aspirants newly graduate people walking down the busy streets of the city, clipped with plastic folders or envelopes under their armpits, and dressed up in their nicest smart-looking clothes. But before you hit the streets of the metro to apply for that job that you are eyeing for a long time, be sure to check yourself if you have all the qualities of a good first time job hunter. I have created a list of some job hunting tips for beginner job hunters out there which is listed below. I hope this list can help you land on the job that you really wanted. Happy job hunting!

Photo courtesy of avon.k12.ma.us

Job Hunting Tips for Beginner Job Hunters

• Search for a job that you really like! It is very important to search for a job that you are more comfortable with because you already know how or what to do with it. It would be very helpful to you if your course in college or your skills and/or talent will land you on the required job. In this way, you can work progressively and perhaps build a career out of it.

• Invest on yourself. This may sound pathetic, but most companies would really look on an applicant's outside appearance. True story. The way on how you present yourself to an employer or to an interviewee can affect you on getting that desired job! Presenting yourself properly is like making yourself a favor. It's like selling a product to potential customers, however, this time, you are the product and the customer is the company that you are applying to. It would not hurt much if you had a haircut, shaved those showing chin-hairs for men, applied some make up for women, and clean your face before applying for a job. A shiny pair of shoes along with smart-looking clothes could also help you get that job!

• Make a winning resume! Resumes are always your ticket to fame or in this case, your ticket to enter a potential company. Your resume must reflect all the good work-related qualities that you have in order for you to be hired. Resumes are also considered your "other" product, aside from yourself, because companies would hire potential applicants that can suite the required qualifications for a certain job. Just imagine you are a salesman, your potential company is your buyer, and the product that you are selling is your resume. This is how applying for a job works!

• Be prepared for the job interview! If you apply for a job to a potential company, be sure that you were able to research all the necessary things that you need to know about the company that you are eyeing for. Once in a while, interviewees ask what do you know about the company or about the work or job that you are applying. It is always a big help if you loaded your gun first before going to any war, if you know what I mean.

• Always remember to do follow ups! This is the one quality most job hunters forget — to make any follow ups for the job that they have applied. I remember I did a follow up of my job application in my present company now because it has been more than a week before the human resource personnel finally saw my test and resume. I told the guy (the recruitment officer) that I already passed the resume and had taken the test a week ago. If I did not mention it to him/her that time, I wouldn't be in my company now for five years already! So, yeah.. it pays to do follow ups!

• Think a lot before signing up! Here is one thing most people who gets the job should and must also consider. If you finally get the job that you have applied, be sure to think twice, thrice, or more before signing in on that contract. You may ask yourself these questions: Is the place far or near from my place? Is the salary that I will receive from them enough to compensate my traveling expenses? daily allowance? food allowance? Will the company help me improve my skills and talents in the future? Are the company benefits okay with me? Is the workplace okay with me? and many more.

• Be ready on your first day of work! Of course when you get hire, you will be allowed by the HR department to finish all the work-related requirements that you will be needing before starting your work. But after you have done all of that, it's time to be ready for your first day of work! Always remember that "first impression lasts!" Even if it is not true in some situations, you can't take this statement for granted, especially when you are dealing with a company with strict policies on tardiness or late employees. Don't be late on your first day and perhaps on your first week... or better yet... never be late at all times! Listen to your immediate supervisor/s for instructions and orientations on what you are going to do in your job! Don't be a know-it-all person. No matter how you know your job is, your supervisor will always be your superior. Other people would take that for granted.

So there, I hope you gained something from here before you hit for the job the you really wanted! Job hunting could be hard for people who doesn't know the do's and don'ts of job hunting. But once you already know these job hunting tips for beginners, you can be sure to land on that most anticipated dream job ever! Good luck and happy job hunting!

Chapter 12: Awesome Guys Know How to Pose for Profile Pics!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:47:00 +0000

Looking good is just a state of mind. Looking like shit is another thing.

It has always been a big problem for some people how to look good on their facebook profile pictures (profile pics). Some of them are really making a big effort on how to look good so that you can have a lot of likes and comment from your friends... hello attention whores! There are also people who really can't figure out how they would look good on their profile pic, or how they would pose, or something like it. But for me, it is not a problem at all.

If you are my friend on facebook, I know you'll agree with me that I have an awesome profile pic. I know right? Hahaha... Effortless is my middle name if you don't mind me saying it. Hahaha! Anyway, posing for a profile pic is not really a problem for me because the awesome juice in me is coming out just oh-so naturally! (Insert Willing-Willie's Awesome Girl here —> Oh, oh, oh... Oh, oh, oh.. oooohhh-soommmeee...!)

"Is this awesome enough? Rawr!"

When someone is born with awesomeness, it will be shown to your profile pic very naturally. Incidentally, I am an awesome guy, so I don't really have a problem with this. But for those people who are trying to become awesome or somehow popular, we can project a problem here now. They are not naturally-born awesome people so the thing is, their profile pic are not also awesome not even awesome-looking.

So, here's a solution that I found on youtube. Below is an awesome video that teaches us how to pose for profile pics in order to have an awesome one. If you want to make sure your profile pic is awesome, try doing the things in this very short video tutorial. Enjoy!

A Tale of the Left-Over Raisins!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:49:00 +0000

According to Looney Tunes, raisins are dried up bowling balls. I believe. True story.

Well... if you are wondering why is there a "tell a tale" here in my awesome blog, I figure out, it is not hurtful for me or for my awesome blog to go beyond the usual. I thought, "hey, this is my blog, so I can write anything from it". So here it is... the finish product of my self-deliberation, and hundreds, no, maybe thousands of arguments with myself to include at least once in a while, some tell-all experience from my awesome life. Because I am awesome enough to include a tell-all experience, I might enjoy putting some, maybe, many here. Hahaha... but wait, this is just the beginning. I am thinking of putting another item here... and that's coming soon!

Anyway, going back to the topic...

The tale of the left-over raisins started when an officemate of mine commented on my removal of raisins included in the rellenong bangus that I ate about a year ago. This was the first time I ate the said dish in our canteen. For those who do not know, rellenong bangus is milk fish dish which is stuffed with milk fish meat and some more ingredients. Basically, the milk fish meat was removed from the milk fish, cooked with several ingredients such as onions, ground pork, green peas, some seasonings, and others would raisins into it.

Moving on, my officemate said that I am weird because I removed the raisins from my rellenong bangus. I said to him/her that I only eat raisins in food in four instances... these are:

1) When the raisins are included in cinnamon rolls! Yummy as it looks, yes! I eat raisins when it is included in cinnamon rolls... however, I don't like to eat raisin breads;

2) When the raisins are included in raisin cookies! Weird I am, I know! I don't like raisin breads but I like to eat raisin cookies! Which one do you think is the best? I like the cookies more! Hehehe...;

3) When the raisins are covered with chocolates! Yes! I love chocolate raisins... chocolate-covered raisins, raisins included in fruits and nuts, and uhm... even though it is not covered with chocolates, I also love raisins included in granola bars or oatmeal bars! Love, love, love!!! Hahaha..; and

4) Finally, eating raisins as it is! Period.

Now, why didn't I like eating raisins included in dishes?

First of all, let's enumerate some popular Filipino dishes which include raisins in it (Filipino raisins recipes), or perhaps the cook put the raisins in purpose... below are some of them:

Filipino dishes/foods with raisins in it or at least the cook purposely put them in it

• Menudo
• Rellenong Bangus
• Embutido
• Chicken Galantina
• Buko Salad
• Macaroni Salad
• Fruit Salad
• Some variety of pastas

So there. The above-mentioned foods are also favorites, however, putting raisins into it, is a no-no for me. You wanna know why? Because raisins are the product of rigorous sun-drying activities. It took time for the grapes to all dry up, to get that perfect wrinkled skin, and to preserve that sweet-sugary taste. It has been dehydrated for such a long time and then suddenly, by putting raisins into foods I mentioned above would only make the raisins de-wrinkled or hydrated again! Talk about altering a well-known product, huh?

Call me a whim, call me a brat, call me a biased person who only eat raisins in selected foods... Where's the sense of hydrating again what has been dehydrated for so long, right? Where is justice? Raisins, fighting!

Chapter 11: Awesome Guys Celebrate New Year With A Theme!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:23:00 +0000

Kangaroos are the main cause of global warming. True story.

Admit it or not, the year that was 2010 has become a very difficult year to almost everyone of us. I, personally testify, to this worldwide dilemma. The year 2010 for me is a year full of ups and downs... well... mostly down... but of course, because I am an awesome being living in this planet, I did not let downs come my way.

But there are things of course that cannot be prevented to happen. Even if you don't want to be down, problems would come when you least expected it. So to start the new year right, I am giving myself a new year theme for this year! Can you name at least five people who has a new year's theme? Ha! I bet you couldn't even name at least one! As far as I know, because of my oozing awesome-ness... I am the only one with a New Year's Theme... and this is Good Vibes 2011 *echoes... echoes... echoes...*

So what's in store for me this year 2011?

There are actually a lot of plans that I laid out for my awesome self this 2011 to negate or cancel out or even prevent bad vibes to come my way. Bad vibes are the sources of all negativity in the surroundings... if you think of bad vibes, you attract bad vibes. So the only thing to do to phase out all bad vibes energy is to start thinking, doing, and absorbing all the good vibes there is. If we think of good vibes, positive things will come your way!

Of course this is to test yourself of significant skills in physics. We all know opposite charges attract and like or similar charges repel. But in life, this is something NOT to look forward to. Think and do all positive things, and positive things will also come your way. It's like an alchemist's equivalence principle, minus the elixir! Hehehe...

This 2011, I plan...

Yeah, I plan and set my goals for this new year. I am hoping that I can achieve my goals this year by the end of the year. So, as of the moment, here's a list of what I am planning to do:

• I plan to have a new job! Who doesn't want to, right? If you feel that your company is bad vibes for you... then, go! Find a new job! Hahaha!

• I plan to buy a car! Yeah... I am hoping I can have a car this year... so for me to be able to do that, I must find a new job! Hahaha... anyway, buying a car is still a dream...

• I plan to have a girlfriend! (chos!) Very intriguing item, indeed! Hahaha! Yay! *heart beats faster, hahaha!*

• I plan to buy gadgets! Yeah! It's because I don't have such... hahaha! But it doesn't mean I am not awesome enough for not having gadgets such as digital camera, or a laptop perhaps... it could only mean one thing... I am leveling up my awesome-ness!

• I plan to travel some key cities in the Philippines! It is my life long dream to travel the Philippines and take pictures! Yeah... with significant amount of money resources, and perhaps some gadgets with me... I can be an awesome travel blogger, too! Hahaha!

• And finally, I plan to start a new website project, perhaps a food blog, or an online magazine website... I am still not yet decided with that... Hehehe.

So there... being an awesome guy is sometimes quite difficult to understand. But with the right attitude towards everything, seasoned with a dash of positivity, and perhaps a happy disposition in life... everyone can be as awesome as I am. Amen to that! Hahaha! Now back to work!

Chapter 10: Awesome Guys Are Quite Busy!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:28:00 +0000

Photo courtesy of blogs.publishersweekly.com

Understatement is a speech spoken under a table. True story.

It's been almost two months now since I last posted something here... yeah... I am really quite busy with work and with my social life. For the past two months, I've seen myself in different places, venues, rendezvous, landmarks, and whatever you wanted to call it. Name it, I was there! I'm quite awesome, so I invited myself in... gatecrash is the operative word. Hahaha...

Movie Premieres

Aside from the fact that I was cordially invited to attend a movie premiere night last October, the sophisticated endeavor was repeated not only once, but twice. Last November, I was once again invited to attend the premiere night of "Unstoppable" held at Glorietta Cinemas, and this is quite fresh... the premiere night of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" at Gateway Cinema... and that's in 3D! Ha! Now, who's awesome, right? Who's awesome? Below are pictures of me holding the movie premiere tickets!

Exclusive Events

Aside from the different movie premieres, I also get exclusive invitations to different events happening in the metro. I think I am quite popular because I am also. October 27, 2010, I attended the re-launching of Ayala Mall Cinemas' SureSeats.com website. In that event, I won an original Esprit watch which I cannot wear because it was made for ladies. I just gave the original Esprit watch to my sister. Along with the event was a special screening of the much-anticipated Facebook movie, "The Social Network". Here's my review of that film.

November 4th of this year, I was invited by a friend to attend an exclusive event for bloggers at the Resorts World Manila Bloggers' Event. The event is filled with sophistication, because of the venue, which is Passion Restaurant, where they served sumptuous Chinese cuisines. It felt like I was in a set of a Chinese movie or something. The feeling was incredible, almost magical, indeed! Below is my ninja picture in the event:

Well... if the bloggers' event at Resorts World Manila is not enough, I was also invited by my friend to attend the exclusive premiere of Kaos, also held at Resorts World Manila. Kaos is a musical and world-class spectacle of talents combined into one show! I was there when it was first shown last November 27! I'm seat number Q29! Hehehe!

Parteehs

This month of December, I attended a total of three (3) Christmas Parteehs — the parteeh with my former officemates, the parteeh with our department, and another parteeh with larger group in our company. We didn't have a company Christmas parteeh per se, so we decided to have our own. These parteeh only proves that you cannot stop an awesome guy to be in every parteeh in town! Awesome guys do parteeh!

Work-related

For the past two months, I have been busy with work, too! I have a day job, and this day job is really quite awesome as well. One of the awesomest I say... So, yeah... I met deadlines, different social stress, pressures, and have met different people while doing my work... I can't blog anything because I am quite pre-occupied with everything, thus, the hiatus of two months. But now, I think, I'm gonna have my vacation again, not in the world wide web, but a real vacation, this time. We will be having a company shutdown! Woohoo! So, yeah.. basically, no work, no pay, especially if you don't have vacation leaves anymore to fill the holiday shutdown! But still I'm cool! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year Everyone! Be awesome!

Chapter 9: Awesome Guys Know How To Sing Duet... ALONE!

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Onions cannot make you cry... bills can! True story.

It was a Saturday full of surprises, about 60 kilometers north of Metro Manila, on the first week of January, year 2010. Yes... this story was sooo old, it already grows roots in it! Anyway, moving on. The day was the farewell party of my good blogger friend Doc Z, a.k.a. Zorlone in the blogosphere. We went to Villa Alfredo in Pampanga to enjoy the rest of the weekends and celebrate with the rest of the Jedi Bloggers gang. And as they say in books, the rest is history!

Of course, what's a party without the attendees, right? The farewell party were attended by Sir Roy and his three kids, Maam Jena, Paige, Jan, Gemma, Jeffrey, Bloggista, Lyle, thirdworldgeek, Ceblogger, Zorlone, and of course... the very awesome guy... Me! Isn't it weird how we call ourselves in person even though we have a real name? Only the real bloggers can do that! Hahaha!

And then we partied all afternoon by eating the delicious foods that Maam Jena has prepared for us! We indulged at her cooking of kare-kare, chicken barbecue, and the famous Pampanga's best delicacy ever — the sisig! Mmmm... I can almost taste the cholesterol again! Hahaha... *neck hurts, ouch!*

Not only that, we sang our hearts out via the videoke machine all afternoon until the evening came. And then it was my turn. Since I am the only awesome guy in the group, I was the only one who can sing a duet... yes... all by myself! So, are you curious about how I sang a duet with just only me as the cast of characters? Better watch the video below! Enjoy singing! Hahaha!

Awesome Video: Craigery Morgan's "Surprise Party!"

noreply@blogger.com (yatot) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:35:00 +0000

Have you ever think and wonder how this guy's impersonation of a character made by Kristen Wiig in the comedy show, Saturday Night Life (SNL) has reached more than 4 million views in just nearly 20 days after posting it on youtube? Well... I'll give you the answer! It's the shirtless thing on the video, stupid!

But of course, I am not into that shirtless thing unintentional (?) setup that made me rate this video as awesome! It's the kind of comedy this video has to offer! I really enjoyed watching the video because Craigery Morgan's impersonation was waaaayyy better than I expected his acting would be. For those who do not know it yet, Craigery Morgan is an aspiring comedy actor, well.. that is according to his official website (http://www.craigerymorgan.com) who dreams of entering the cast of SNL. With this exaggerated impersonation, which by the way, I think is much better than that of Kristen Wiig's acting, even guys like me who's into this kind of comedy offering will really wish him to be included in the Saturday Night Live!

Craigery Morgan is not a slapstick comedy act. He uses his acting skills to make people laugh. It is really hard to make people laugh, believe me, I'm into this, too! But I will never ever post a video of myself shirtless! Hahaha! Below is the Craigery Morgan's "Surprise Party!" interpretation of the video skit on Saturday Night Live! Enjoy watching!