profound bliss

Lucy Hale Loves Bench

2012-02-12T18:37:00.001+08:00

Lucy Hale, star of the television series Pretty Little Liars, was at the SMX yesterday courtesy of Bench.

She's the newest endorser of the top local brand. She's cute, bubbly, almost talkative. Fans knew she could sing and was asked if she'd be releasing at least a single soon. She said there are plans, but refused to sing a line or two when the audience shouted "Sample!"

She's so accommodating, even kind, and has no superstar attitude (at least from what we saw on the stage).

She signed the shirts of the Facebook winners, had photo ops with the Twitter winners, signed autographs, and answered questions from the press and bloggers.

Tim Yap hosted the event which started at 5 PM (instead of the announced 4 PM). And because I haven't been to an event like this that started on time, I arrived at 4:30 PM. :D

But before Lucy Hale went to the stage, the audience was treated to a mini-fashion show. Pretty female and male models paraded in front of the audience.

Lance Howard, who was on television lately for being the boyfriend of PBB evictee Wendy Tabusalla, also walked the ramp.

On my way out after the event, I saw the most-good-looking-male-model-at-the-event sitting idly in one corner. Asked him for a photo and he was so kind.

Ben Chan himself was also there. He sat with Lucy Torres-Gomez and her daughter Juliana who was with another kid.

It was a fun Saturday, especially that the first of the four pyromusical Saturdays at MOA's Seaside Blvd. happened right after the Bench event.

I was supposed to meet with my friend Jong for the pyromusical but something happened he wasn't able to get there. I ended up watching alone in the middle of the crowd. :(

PLDT MyDSL's Anna Banana TVC

2012-02-11T13:08:00.001+08:00

Chanced upon the new PLDT MyDSL television commercial for the first time today. It made me teary-eyed.

Imagine your mother secretly watching your YouTube video over and over again to make the hits counter show a good number of views. All that trouble because she knows it will make you happy to find out that "people" watch your video.

Mothers will really do anything just to make their kids happy. I'm a strong believer of that.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

The Valiente Bloggers Event

2012-02-09T12:34:00.001+08:00

I was at Pepeton's Grill yesterday for the Valiente Bloggers Event.

It seemed like ages when I last went to that part of Quezon City. It made me nostalgic of the time when I was still writing novels, traveling two long hours via ordinary bus with a printed out 120-page manuscript inside my bag, holding it like a newborn child.

I went with Jun. The invite said 2 PM. We arrived at 2:30 PM. The event started around 3:30 PM.

We left exactly 5 PM and Jun was a little nervous because he still had a presentation to make at 5:30 PM. From Mother Ignacia, he had to travel all the way to McKinley where his office was.

I actually don't know what happened because we still haven't talked since after the event. LoL!

They gave out these cute Valentine cups as a token for attending the event. V daw kasi could mean either Valiente or Valentine's.

The above photo was taken by Jun. He's supposed to be my videographer but I kinda knew he would get the DSLR from me once he saw it. So I ended up taking videos.

BTW, Valiente is a remake of the 90s afternoon soap and will be shown on TV5 starting Monday, Feb. 13th. It stars JC De Vera, Oyo Sotto, Nadine Samonte and Niña Jose among others.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

The Eye

2012-02-05T16:29:00.001+08:00

Went to Mall of Asia last night and realized I still haven't seen the Eye, which is currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the country.

The carts (is that what you call those?) are said to be air conditioned. But then I'm afraid of carnival rides. I have trust issues when it comes to putting my life on the line. LoL!

More pics here.

Fukushima pets need to be rescued

2012-02-04T13:04:00.001+08:00

Pet owners in Fukushima had to leave their homes during last year's nuclear crisis. Sadly, they could bring with them as much, leaving the pets behind.

Animal welfare groups were allowed to enter the area around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant last December to rescue the pets who had to suffer high radiation, severe lack of food and extreme winter weather.

So far, the United Kennel Club of Japan has rescued 290 cats and 34 dogs from the region. But there are still many of them left out in the cold. Animal footprints were reported to be seen in the snow. These animals are fighting to survive.

Unlike the well-fed pets, starving animals cannot keep themselves warm because they little to no body fat left. They cold would eventually kill them.

Many of the pet owners go back to their radiation tainted home every now and then with hopes that their pets have returned. One man even leaves food for his cat saying, "I just want my cat to be alive."

It has been 10 months since the earthquake that struck Japan has resulted into a tsunami and nuclear meltdown. But we can never blame the government. They had to save the people first, we understand.

This makes me want to hug my dogs. We're very, very lucky we're not in that situation.

My heart goes out to all the dogs and cats left starving in the cold, and to the pet owners whose hearts, I'm sure, are still breaking until now.

May all those pets who have not survived rest in peace, and those that are still alive be immediately rescued.

PS
I'm literally crying while writing this.

Old Friends

2012-02-04T00:56:00.001+08:00

You two have been my best of friends and it will always stay that way.

But I know you're both tired and I will give you time to rest. I hope, though, that you'd still want to go with me on my adventures whenever I need you.

You two will both be missed.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Wendy

2012-02-03T15:47:00.001+08:00

This is Wendy, one of my two local dogs. She's 2 months younger than Princess.

And yes, those are green eyes. So lazy I didn't fix it anymore.

She's named after Wendy Valdez cuz Nanay and I were big fans of PBB. Her sister was named Beauty, after Beauty Gonzales. And their mother, who passed away soon after giving birth, was named Keanna. And yes, you guessed it right. Named after Keanna Reeves.

Haha!

Bakya

2012-02-03T13:41:00.001+08:00

This was one of my pasalubong to Nanay when I went to Baguio last year.

It was really a dangler, and Nanay attached it to her bag. The bakya got detached from the chain months ago. Buti na lang the bakya was saved.

I'm hoping to go back to the summer capital later this month in time for the float parade of Panagbenga Festival.

I'll buy Nanay another keychain kapag natuloy. LoL!

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Cosplay Puppy

2012-02-01T20:36:00.001+08:00

A cute puppy cosplayer.

I just hope he's comfortable.

Sandugo's New Fly Lacing System

2012-02-01T17:39:00.001+08:00

Sandugo has a new line of trail running shoes with Fly Lacing System that provides a dramatic improvement over shoelaces for almost any kind of performance footwear. It was tested with thousands of hours in field use.

Prices:

TRUN 26 – P3,325
TRUN 21 – P2,375
TRUN 32 – P3,395
WATER 13 – P2,495
WATER 08 – P2,125

I want the Water 13A but I just bought a camera and I already made a promise not to buy anything for mountaineering/hobby for the next six months. I hope these don't go out of style by then.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

PAL Php777 Promo Fare

2012-01-31T15:31:00.001+08:00

Philippine Airlines has an ongoing 777 promo for all domestic flights. Details below.

Selling Period: 31 January to 04 February 2012,
Travelling Period: 07 February to 21 March 2012 and 01 June to 15 August 2012
Book and buy through www.philippineairlines.com using MasterCard, Visa, JCB debit/credit card or BancNet ATM card or My ePrepaid MasterCard.
Limited seats only!

Luzon: Laoag, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa
Visayas: Bacolod, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo, Roxas, Tacloban and Tagbilaran
Mindanao: Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga

Notes:
¹Applicable One-way Surcharges (YQ): Luzon-PHP296;Visayas-PHP300; Mindanao-PHP400
²ALL-IN One-way fares are INCLUSIVE of Surcharges and V.A.T. but EXCLUSIVE of PHP15.00 Aviation Security Fee (ASF).

Fare Conditions:

Valid for one way and combinable for roundtrip travel on economy class
Valid on PR-operated services only.
This offer is valid only for sale in the Philippines (PAL ticket offices and travel agents), and in the Philippine Airlines website.
Last day for ticket issuance is 04 February 2012. Travel must be completed by 15 August 2012
WPR must be booked during the promo period only. Go-show is not allowed
WPR is non-refundable and non-reroutable. Upgrading is allowed only to fare types KPR / XPR / BPR / VFB / QPR / HPR / MPR / LPR / SPR / N3 / Y3 / D / C / J1
Upgrading to higher fare is permitted provided that non-refundable amount remains non-refundable
Change fee for rebooking due to upgrade is at PHP800 per sector. Rebooking on the same booking class is not allowed. Change fee for re-issuance is allowed at PHP800 per sector. No Show Surcharge is PHP600 per sector
Other discounts:
Infant Without Seat – 85% of the accompanying adult fare
Mileage accrual - 25%

Panagbenga Festival Schedule of Activities

2012-01-31T01:11:00.001+08:00

The 17th Panagbenga Festival is on! Haven't actually been there to witness the festivities but I remember being in Baguio on the way to Mt. Pulag during one of the parades last year and city really bustling with tourists.

Here's the schedule of activities to guide you. You can perhaps reserve accommodations in advance so you won't be sleeping at the bus station (which we are planning to do).

Panagbenga Opening Parade – February 1, 2012
Market Encounter – February 1 – March 4, 2012
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom – February 11, 2012
Handog ng Panagbenga sa Baguio – February 12, 2012
Fluvial Float Parade – February 12, 2012
Ipitik Festival – February 19 – 26, 2012
Grand Street Dancing Parade – February 25, 2012
Grand Float Parade – February 26, 2012
Session Road in Bloom – February 27 To March 4, 2012
Pony Boy’s Day – March 2, 2012
Panagbenga Closing Ceremonies and Grand Fireworks Display – March 4, 2012

I especially want to witness the famous float parade. But that's 2 days before Valentine's. I'm sure it'll be hard to find a travel buddy. My young friends would surely be saving their baon for a date. LoL!

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

photo: dpc.ph

Canon

2012-01-27T16:47:00.001+08:00

Hello!

Patupat

2012-01-25T10:01:00.001+08:00

Resty left last night not knowing it was my birthday. LoL!

But I really appreciate the visit coming all 8 hours away frm Isabella.

He even brought this kakanin that he said can only be found in his province.

It's called patupat. It's like biko wrapped inside what looked like cute little purses made of buli. Nanay and I were so amused at the purses we didn't wanna eat the patupats.

Resty pays a visit

2012-01-24T14:14:00.001+08:00

Resty arrived from Isabella. I thought he visited cuz he knew it was my birthday, but I was wrong.

He dropped by just because. LoL!

By the way, Resty was the one who gave me Princess 4 years ago.

Princess still gets excited everytime she sees him, no matter how few and far between they meet. Princess doesn't want to be photogtaphed, though.

Anyway, Resty is still here and still doesn't know it's my birthday.

Prepping Up

2012-01-21T22:43:00.001+08:00

Trying to comb her (a little unsuccessfully) before she retires for the night.

S

2012-01-21T20:43:00.001+08:00

Nanay brought this from the birthday party of a one-year-old named Sophie.

Lovely giveaways, don't you think?

Wikipedia on a Black Out

2012-01-19T10:42:00.001+08:00

And I thought Wikipedia's black out will affect me not.

Until I Googled something, clicked a link that brought me to a Wikipedia page, and while reading the article, the page shifted into that picture above.

Let's admit it, Wikipedia is currently the largest source of information on the web. It's accessible wherever there's internet.

The US Congress is considering an anti-piracy legislation "that could fatally damage the free and open Internet." That's the reason why Wikipedia will black out their site. To protest. To raise awareness.

My stand on this one: everyone's entitled to free information.

Bag!

2012-01-19T01:00:00.001+08:00

I love this bag Oliver Altman is holding in the Canari Spring/Summer 2012 shoot.

I'm really considering full time blogging so I can use one.

Blogging on Android app

2012-01-18T19:49:00.001+08:00

This is a test post.

And i hope it works.

Mobile Blogging

2012-01-15T13:04:00.001+08:00

This is a test post. Just trying out if blogging on android phone is ok. Although I can't figger out how to change the position of the picture.
Second paragraph. I hope it doesn't put big gaps between paragraphs. Hate big gaps.
I'm using the app called Blogaway, by the way... Way... Way...

DOT Unveils New Logo and Slogan

2012-01-06T12:02:00.001+08:00

#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines and #1forfun trended on Twitter 30 minutes after the Department of Tourism (DOT) released its new campaign logo and slogan, "It's More Fun in the Philippines" on Friday, January 6, 2012.

The logo, which is a banig weave forming the Philippine map, and slogan will be used to promote Philippine tourism starting April 2012 to kick off an ambitious campaign to attract 12 million tourists annually to visit the country.

The Philippines only gets 3 million tourists a year despite the beauty of its 7,107 islands. So little when compared to its neighboring Asian countries like Thailand who gets an average of 15 million tourists annually.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the slogan answers the question "Why the Philippines?" that tourists may ask on choosing a destination.

The slogan was created by advertising firm BBDO Guerrero | Proximity Philippines. They were also the ones who created the "WOW Philippines: More than the Usual" brand campaign that was previously used by the department.

The Department's campaign funds cannot be compared to the budgets of other countries that's why Jimenez wanted to also rely on social media to help push the campaign.

He also encourages the internet-savvy Pinoys to use the hashtag #1forfun in social networking sites to also help promote Philippine tourism.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Jejeshorts

2012-01-03T17:25:00.001+08:00

For me, it's not really the gift that matters but the thought of giving that came along with it. So I gave my two nieces a HerBench handkerchief each and I got a pricey t-shirt from one and a jejemon shorts from the other. :D

Today, I decided to wear the jejeshorts for the first time...

... making me feel like a Paulinian. Haha!

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

You Prefer Them Big or Small?

2012-01-02T12:48:00.001+08:00

I woke up late the second day of the year. And this was what's left for me on the table:

I don't understand why they cooked hotdogs in different sizes. Weird.

MRT-3 Holiday Sched

2011-12-22T11:56:00.001+08:00

Do you ride MRT-3? If you do, and you're riding the train on Christmas and New Year's Day, here's the MRT-3 sched on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.

Just remember that wrapped gifts need to be opened for inspection. Such hassle, but is needed for protection and safety of the passengers.

Other things not allowed:

deadly weapons
bulky and long objects (my imagination runs wild on this part)
food and drinks
inflated balloons
flammable materials

Aside from the "no inspection, no entry" policy, those who are under the influence of alcohol and drugs will also not be allowed entry.