Buzzing Around

Day 2: Amazing Race to Ilocos Region - Pagudpud!

2011-12-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

It's more than a year before I finally posted the much awaited (and stale hahaha!) post of our Day 2 Ilocos Adventure.

This time, i'll just make it brief and hopefully I can still remember every single detail from my notes and pictures. *wink-wink*

After eating our Filipino breakfast, the famous Vigan longganisa with local brewed coffee, we proceed with our itinerary. Our first stop was the Sta. Monica Church and Convent. Along our way, we passed by the Sarrat Presidencia.

Sarrat Presidencia

For the record, Sta. Monica Church has the longest church aisle in the country. I wonder how long did it took Irene Marcos to walk down the aisle before saying I Do to Gregorio "Greggy" Araneta in 1983. Also, what's peculiar with the church is its ceiling. It's made from Molave logs.

The longest church aisle in the Philippines.

Ceiling made from Molave logs.

Outside the church, you can see the ruins of the Trial Court used during the Spanish era, and the convent. It felt eerie when we stepped inside the ruins especially when we passed by the death chamber, felt like we were transported back in time that anytime we will be caught by the Spanish soldiers. Well, that was just my wild imagination. Truth is, we enjoyed doing photo ops!

Entrance to the ruins of trial court and death chamber.

Sta. Monica convent

Our next stop was the Marcos residence. The Sarrat tour will never be complete if one will not drop-by to the Marcoses house. It is managed by a Marcos also (unfortunately, I forgot his name). He showed us around the house which is well-kept and maintained. The house is full of memorabilia and the Edralins and Marcoses family tree. Below is the bed where Mrs. Edralin Marcos gave birth to the late President Ferdinand Marcos. We didn't have the chance to visit the Marcos' Mausoleum because it was under maintenance during that time.

So we head off to Ilocos Museum and took a shot from a distance the famous Sinking Bell Tower. We didn't enter the Museum (bad!) because we were all looking forward to reach Pagudpud.

Ilocos Museum

Sinking bell tower.

On our way to Pagudpud, our driver cum guide showed us a salt-making hut. Their procedure is quite different because they are not using salt beds to dry up the sea water, instead the sea water are dried in flat-looking-stone-stove that is continuously heated by saw dust.

We arrived at Burgos Lighthouse aka Cape Bojeador Lighthouse at almost lunchtime. The caretaker allows only a limited number of persons to go up the tower since the structure is already old and rusty. You'll love the scenic view of the South China Sea (now West Philippine Sea).

Rusty base of the tower.

Our next stop before Pagudpud was the famous Bangui Wind Mills. I love those giants, lol! Looks so small from a distance. We didn't stay long here because the sun was scorching hot! Besides, there were no other interesting spots here except the windmills.

At last, we arrived at the Pagudpod Beach. We were so exhausted and hungry because we did a side trip at Kaibigan Falls, which deserves another entry. We had our late lunch at Kapuluan Vista Resort and just did some photo ops. Too tired to even do jump shots. ^u^

The last leg of our tour was the Patapat Viaduct. Once again, we can't help not to be astounded by the scenic view of the West Philippine Sea and the greens.

There you go! Done with our second day Ilocos tour!

Wallstreet - Money Never Sleeps

2010-09-28T09:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, this is my first time to post an entry thru phone. Just want to test if I can make this a habit in updating my blog.

I just came from the premiere night of Wallstreet - Money Never Sleeps, starring Michael Douglas and Shia LaBequf held at cinema one, Greenbelt 3. I’m not going to tell you the whole story nor any spoiler ‘coz the movie is obviously about stock trading and money markets. Be prepared to be bombarded with financial terms.

The event was organized by Skycable and Star Movies. I am one of the lucky winners of a pair of ticket. I got lucky when I chanced to answer the trivia posted at their Facebook account. Weee! Thank you Skycable!

Amazing Race to Ilocos Region: Vigan Tour! (Part 2)

2010-07-20T05:57:00.000-07:00

Finally, we arrived at Vigan at quarter to 4pm! Just a few minutes before the Syquia Mansion closes.

6th Stop: Syquia Mansion - We were dying of curiosity on what's in this mansion because our guide was pushing us not to skip this place. He said that this was the family house then of the late President Qurino. There were no staffs nor caretaker who greeted us, so, we slowly sneaked in. We checked each room and it's as huge and extravagant as the Malacanang of the North, only, this mansion has more antique furniture. Its walls has countless paintings and we saw (again) a reproduction of Juan Luna's Spolarium.

While we were exploring the house, we spotted one group who was eagerly listening to a guy (who is obviously the caretaker cum tourist guide) narration of the nitty-gritty details of the house. We didn't joined the group because we don't want to be tied to the the "tour of the house."

Juan Luna's "Spolarium" (repro)

Syquia Mansion Signage

After a few rounds, we were done with the whole mansion. While stepping out, the caretaker rushed to our side to inform us that we need to donate for the maintenance of the mansion. We felt like burglars being caught in the act. LOL

7th Stop: Baluarte ni Chavit - We arrived, at last, at the Baluarte. It's only a 5-minute ride away from the Syquia mansion.

Welcome Sign of Baluarte!

Here you can find various animals roaming freely. It's an open zoo. I thought there's a T-rex too. LOL.

The catchy Baluarte sign fom afar

You can do everything here for free! (Note: Just tip the friendly and hospitable staffs). Since, horse riding was free then we had a good ride around the field. The field is similar to an oval race track.

Small horses ready to be ridden


Expecting for a good ride, courtesy of li'l horsey

Here are some shots taken when we had one round ride with li'l horsey.

Baluarte Multi-purpose hall

Baluarte hall and the roaming deers

And our close encounters with their showbiz animals!


Meet the big cat!


Rudolf? Vixen? One of Santa's lost deer.

The zoo has also a butterfly garden and aviary. I've seen ostriches roaming around with geese, and countless deers prancing around the field. Some animals are kept in cages for security reasons like the snakes and musang. No further explanations needed.

Our visit here was perfect!

Thanks to Pareng Chavit! LOL

8th Stop: Burnayan (Pottery) of National Artist Fidel Go - Our next stop was the burnayan. We saw how a pot was made and, also, how the clay was mixed. Ying showed us her artistic skills and posed ala Demi Moore in the movie "Ghost."

You need muscles to mix clay!

Mga babae (not halimaw) sa banga. (I know what you're thinking).

Mimicking Demi Moore in Ghost.

We bought some burnays and pasalubong here, then hurriedly took off for the ultimate stop! The Heritage Village.

9th Stop: Heritage Village and Calle Crisologo - It's like traveling back in time. I love the "old and antique" feeling of the place. Though there were modern infrastructures, the concept of the Spanish architecture were still maintained.

McDonald's with azotea

Chowking looks like Mcdo. Same color and facade.

One has to ride the calesa to experience the Maria Clara feeling and reliving the past. We rented a calesa for an hour to tour us around the Heritage Village. All houses were well-kept and maintained.

The calesa at Calle Crisologo

while riding the calesa, we passed by the Welcome arch.

The last stop of our calesa ride was the Hidden Garden. It's similar to Sonya's Garden though it's much bigger. I love the landscaping. If you want to relax - you'll never regret going to this garden. They also have a small restaurant that serves fruits shakes and empanada.

Hidden Garden, that's not hidden.

Dragon fruit..... yummy fruit shake!

It was already dark when we returned to Calle Crisologo. Most shops were already closed. We were buying some tshirts, a dozen Vigan longganisa, and ref magnets....when suddenly... it rained!

Calle Crisologo, by night

Rain...rain..go, away!

We were still supposed to eat at Cafe Uno but it was already past 8pm. So, we decided to forget the idea and, instead, head to our hotel which was at Laoag! Neither of us have the idea that it was still 2 hours away from Vigan. The journey going to Laoag was a loooooong tiring one.

Amazing Race to Ilocos - Vigan (Part 1)

Day 1: Amazing Race to Ilocos Region - Vigan Tour! (Part 1)

2010-07-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

There's no better way to spend a long weekend than to have an unplanned getaway. Coincidentally, Philippine Airline (PAL) slashed down their fares giving me no choice but to give in to my first trip at Ilocos Region with my girlfriends!

All were set for the trip. We headed to Centennial 2 Airport (this is an exclusive PAL terminal for their international and domestic flights) more than an hour before the departure. Grabbed a quick breakfast at the Jollibee counter and waited at Gate 9 departure lounge patiently. Like little girls who were excited for the big day, we were goofing around and kept on looking at the map and our itinerary (courtesy by Ms. Tina) when suddenly we heard from the PA that our flight for 9:45am was canceled. It was moved to 11:45am and as a consolation we will be given a free lunch. But that was out of the question! 2 hours to us means an idle time at the airport, and 2 hours will be ripped from our itinerary! We had a panic attack. We don't want to ruin our itinerary. We immediately called up Java Hotel to advise them that our flight will be delayed and, of course, Ms. Tina who informed us that we need to forget our Vigan itinerary and should just head straight to Laoag instead.

Revising our itinerary during our panic attack!

After a couple of hours, our plane arrived. We forgot all our irates on PAL and, excitedly (again) boarded the plane. There we ate our lunch which we found bland and lousy. Maybe, because of our excitement that we forgot how an adobo should taste like? LOL.

Free adobo meal from PAL due to delayed flight.

The flight was smooth and quick. Before we knew it, we were already at Laoag International Airport. The airport is small, a typical airport that can be found in the province. I was quite disappointed because it doesn't look that "new," but antiquated. And, since it is an "International Airport," I am expecting to see modern equipments even if the place is small.

With just a few steps, we were already outside the airport (that's how small the airport is) and saw our service from Java Hotel. Here's our warm welcome..... written on 1 letter-sized paper.

Our welcome from Java Hotel!

We did not wasted any minute. We hopped immediately inside the Toyota Innova service of Java Hotel and off we go together with our luggage.

1st Stop: Malacanang of the North - This used to be the residence of the Marcoses whenever they are in Ilocos Norte. Behind the house is the Paoay Lake. The house is grandiose! I wonder why it has so many bedrooms?

Facade of Malacanang of the North

Paoay Lake behind the Malacanang of the North

2nd Stop: Paoay Church aka St. Augustine Church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church was undergoing some rehabilitation during our visit.

The beautiful Paoay Church

Hurray for Paoay!

3rd Stop: Juan Luna Shrine. Juan Luna is synonymous to his famous painting "Spolarium," so expect to see a reproduction of his masterpiece here. Other than that, you can also find some some of his personal art stuff and clothes, too.

Juan Luna Monument

Juan Luna Shrine

We didn't stayed long here because we were still hour(s) away from Vigan. When we passed by the arch going to Ilocos Norte, we knew we were almost there!

Arch of "Welcome to Ilocos Norte"

Photo ops, of course!

4th Stop: Sto. Cristo Milagros Shrine - On our way to Vigan proper, our driver, Kuya Alfred, requested us to pay homage to the Sto. Cristo Milagros Shrine located at Badoc, Ilocos Norte. He even shared to us a folklore of the miraculous image. According to him, it was discovered by the fishermen from nearby towns who were unable to carry the image because of its super-duper-heavy-weight but, miraculously, it was effortlessly carried by the Badoc fishermen to the shore. Since then, the image had been the town's "property" and has been manifesting miracles.

shot from the front door

shot beside the altar

5th Stop: Bantay Church and Bantay Belfry - Another church stop! It's different from the other churches we've been because of it's reddish look. On the left side, you can see the Belfry on top of a hill. We didn't go up the tower because we are afraid of heights and we were excited to reach Vigan ASAP. Kuya Alfred said that the tower is overlooking the shores of Ilocos and served as the watch tower during the Spanish era.

Facade of Bantay Church

The lonely Belfry Tower on top of thie hill

It's already past 3pm when we left Bantay Church. When we checked our itinerary, we still have to go to the following places!

Syquia Mansion which is closing by 4pm;
Baluarte ni Chavit's closing time is 5pm
Heritage Village
Calle Crisologo
Dinner at Cafe Uno
Photo Ops at Calle Crisologo (again) at night.

We were thinking if we will cancel some of the places on our itinerary but we do not want to. Guess, if we were successful in doing it or not.

Click the part 2 adventure here.

My Dilemma - Adding Emoticons and Smileys on Blog Posts and Comments Section

2010-06-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've been googling for hours and seems can't find a good way to add emoticons and smileys on my new posts.

Yes, I can hear you saying that there are tons of tutorials available on the internet but, sorry, these tricks and tweaks did not worked for me. I've tried installing and running some scripts using Greasemonkey (a Firefox add-on that allows to run scripts) but it didn't worked, too. I also tried downgrading my FF from 3.6 to 3.5 to no avail because I read in one tutorial that it is guaranteed to work in version 3.5. Nothing worked.

I gave up.

Really? You think so?

You bet I won't give up! Now that you've seen these cute yahoo messenger emoticons in this post means that I've tried another method. That is -- the drag and drop method. It means that I simply insert these emoticons as images.

It seems that those tutorials are not working anymore. Most of these are already 2 years old. Maybe their tricks and scripts are not working or compatible with the new Firefox.

I'll just wait 'til someone teaches or give me a link that will work (for me).

==============================
UPDATE:

I finally solved my case.

I logged to my other blogger account (under a different email) and was surprised that the scripts and Greasemonkey is actually working! So, what's the matter?

It seems that the Google adsense is blocking or preventing the scripts to run. Okay, fine, whatever! No more emoticons under the Comments Section, and I just have to be contented on inserting the emoticons.

Masculine Wash? Whoa! That was Our Product in Marketing Management!

2010-06-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

Look what I've found! A masculine wash!

Hehehe, I am not over-reacting (OA), I am just surprised that there's now a masculine wash brand in the Philippines. Way back our MBA days (last year), my group in Marketing Management (MarkMa) "launched" a product -- masculine wash branded as Intimus. It is not a popular idea but because we are a bunch of wackos (LOL!), we thought of a unique product that is not yet available in the market then.

Our MarkMa Professor even encouraged us to go seriously into it but we brushed off the idea. We are contented on what we have and where we are, besides, we're just after the grades and the degree.

Here's the presentation / marketing study, we've presented:

Intimus Masculine Wash - Amazing videos are here

See? *grin*

Lesson learned: The wackos are not all after a good laugh but can come up with good ideas too. Ideas that can be transformed financially.

Now, if anyone wants to consult with us. We are available 24/7. LOLz

Cebu Inmates' Tribute to Michael Jackson

2010-06-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

While surfing and looking for official videos of Michael Jackson's songs, I can't help not to put these two video side by side. It's MJ's They Don't Care About Us.

How I wish MJ was still alive, dancing with the real inmates.

Btw, the Cebu inmates was cited yesterday at National Post, a Canadian English language national newspaper. You can read the article here.

My Favorite Michael Jackson's Songs

2010-06-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, "This is IT" started to play in HBO in remembrance of the King of Pop - Michael Jackson. I realized how he was adored and loved by his fans. Truly, no one can replace his shoes.

I am lucky because I live in a generation when he was still alive. And, I admit that most of his songs have become a part of my life. Bringing in some memories every time I hear one.

Here's my favorite MJ's songs:

When I am in my emo mode, here are the songs that make my day...
1. She's out of my life - I love the a capella version of 98 degrees also. A very soulful song.
2. One Day in Your Life
3. You are not alone
4. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
5. The Girl is Mine - I love the version with Paul Mccartney better. I can't find an official video for this song.

But when I feel like dancing I go for these songs and start mimicking the MJ moves... Awww!
6.    Remember The Time
7.    Black or White - who could ever forget the face morphing video?
8.    Beat It
9.    Smooth Criminal
10. Thriller - the dancing zombies!!

Two of his songs that speak about peace and justice...

Man in The Mirror

They Don't Care About Us

What's yours? Can you do the moonwalk?

Affordable Ways to Celebrate Father's Day

2010-06-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today is the best day to show and express how grateful you are to have one. Hug him and say, "I love you 'tay!" (or Pa, Dad).

You do not have to shell out thousand of pesos on expensive gifts (though, it is very much welcome hehehe!) to show how much you love the man of the house. Here are some of the things I've thought of on how to celebrate Father's Day, the affordable way.

1. Print a card or make him a scrapbook of your family (there are hundred of sites that offer free designs).
2. If he is an OFW then don't forget to send him an email and call him. For me, snail mail is still the best. Nothing beats that personalized touch but you have to do this ahead of time.
3. If you are not living with your father and he is a one cool dad with a Facebook account, you may greet him on his Facebook account's wall.
4. Cook for him or order his favorite food.
5. Sunday is also family day. Go to the nearest mall and eat out together. You may want to challenge him with the Max's promo but be sure that he has no hypertension. Remember, you do not want to compromise his health.
6. Buy him a shirt (you can get a decent shirt less than P1,000, such as Pilipinas shirt).
7. Watch a movie together. When was the last time you dated your father?
8. Stroll at Luneta or any national parks and have a small talk.
9. Buy him a DVD copy of his all-time-favorite movie or all-time favorite music.
10. Watch together his favorite sport.

If you have the budget and the means, you can give him the latest gadgets (Iphone, laptop, camera, etc), power tools and sports equipment.

I would like to share the following poem (I don't know who is the author, sorry!).

4 years: My Daddy can do anything!
7 years: My Dad knows a lot…a whole lot.
8 years: My father does not know quite everything.
12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know that either.
14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned.
21 years: Oh, that man-he is out of date!
25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much.
30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it.
35 years: Before we decide, we will get Dad's idea first.
50 years: What would Dad have thought about that?
60 years: My Dad knew literally everything!

65 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.

Happy Father's Day!

Love Chicken? Time to Fill Up at Max's Chicken-All-You-Can Promo!

2010-06-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

As a way of celebrating and thanking their loyal patrons, Max's is giving us a Chicken-All-You-Can for only P165.00. What a grand way to celebrate their 65th anniversary!

Max's has become a part of our life. Never a month passes by without dining here. We simply love the food!

So, off we (my family) went to the nearest Max's and eat our heart out. I consumed two quarters (hey! that's half of a chicken!) and I realized what a glutton am I, LOL. Truly, sarap to the bones!

By the way, the terms and conditions of the promo are as follows:

1. Chicken will be served in quarter pieces, and parts will be based on availability.
2. Add P39.00 for bottomless Pepsi Softdrink.
3. Promo period is from June 17 - July 17, 2010 and from 6 PM to 10 PM only.
4. Promo valid for dine in only. Not available for take-out, delivery and bulk orders.
5. Cannot be combined with other offers. No sharing. No Leftover. Chicken will be served after each piece has been consumed.

It's Official! It's Non-Working Holiday on 30 June 2010

2010-06-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Malacañang finally declared that 30 June 2010 is a non-working holiday. This is to give way to inauguration of the newly elected President of the Philippines - Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, and Vice President Jejomar Binay. It will be held at the Quirino Granstand in Rizal Park (or Luneta).

President Noynoy Aquino is the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines and tagged as the People's President.

There will be a street party after the said event at Quezon City Memorial Circle.

(On a side note, Filipino workers will have the chance to watch and witness the inauguration via TV. For those who still have to work on this day they will be working on a premium.

Good for them. This is just an ordinary working day for us in the office. *sigh*)

Gusto Lunch at Healthy Shabu-Shabu (Podium)

2010-06-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

A birthday celebration of a colleague means a get-together lunch of our unit! We usually eat our lunch together at any restaurant in Megamall but chose a different one this time. The choice was Healthy Shabu-Shabu at Podium!

Each one of us had Seafood (yes, we are a bunch of healthy living humans LOL). Though we were hesitant what will be the outcome and taste of our cooking, hunger pushed us to tumble everything in the pot -- noodles, prawns, squids, crabsticks, pechay, corn, sea urchin, oysters, fish fillet (don't know what variant), squid balls, kikiam, garlic, peppers, sauce and egg! After a few minutes, the soup started to boil telling us that it is time to eat. Yummy!!!

We also had free facial courtesy of the mist from the boiling soup! See for youself...

Still love to eat here though kinda pricey. A modest meal costs around P500.00. Also, it's not the typical eat-all-you-can shabu-shabu because it is served ala carte. The waiting time is a li'l turn-off. We had to wait for 20 minutes before they have served the ingredients.

So, if you are really hungry and had no intention to test your iron chef skills, better try to eat at other restaurant or you might end up with a scalded tongue. LOL.

Bag Organizer for My Bag, Bra Organizer for My Bra!

2010-06-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Are you the type of girl who wants to bring her knick-knacks but tired of bringing her bag? Good news! There's something for you. The Bra Organizer or the Cleavage Caddy!

Just like your bag organizer, it is a bra that has several pockets where you can put your important stuff such as lipstick, credit and ATM cards, and cellphone.

This reminds me of my Lola (grandmother) who keeps monies inside her bra.

(I don't think I'll be using this -- I don't have the cleavage and I can't keep all my stuff in there (my 2 cellphones, PSP, chargers, digicam, cards, cologne, etc. ). I might look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, only that my hunch is in front. LOL!)

This may sound awkward to me but can be useful for others. Now, get this one for yourself. The next time you pay at the bus or jeepney, expect the driver ogling at your cleavage.

It's 2010 Microwarehouse Midyear Sale!

2010-06-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars

as
Microwarehouse invites you

to its

2010 Mid-Year Sale!
Get great deals on brands like Apple, Belkin, Lacie and more!
A 2 day affair you sure can't miss!

Here Comes The Bride is a One Hilarious Pinoy Movie

2010-06-06T02:11:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to watch One More Chance (because of the cute and mushy animation that I previously posted) but I happened to watch "Here Comes the Bride" instead.

The story is about soul-swapping of 5 characters who are supposed to attend a wedding (wedding of Stefanie/Angelica Panganiban) but altogether met an accident at Magnetic Hills during a solar eclipse.

Starring in the movie are:

Angelica Panganiban (Stefanie)- the gorgeous, innocent-looking , soft-spoken bride to be of Tom (Harold Rodriguez).

Eugene Domingo (Precy) - the "Ninang" (ninang sa kasal) of Stefanie. A middle-aged impeccable lawyer who longs for romance. She reminds me of her Kimmy Dong-Hae character in Kimmy Dora movie.

Tuesday Vargas (Medelyn) - the Ilongga yaya of a spoiled brat kid. Her life is a typical poor probinsiyana who came to Manila to work, in order to send money back in the province.

Jaime Fabregas (Bien) - the DOM Spanish-speaking rich "lolo" of Tom.

John Lapus (Toffee) - the gay ~~make-up artist~~ image stylist of the bride-to-be who is nursing a broken heart when his boyfriend left him for a girl.

Now, this what happened:

Stefanie's soul went into Ninang Precy's body.

Ninang Precy's soul went into Yaya Medelyn's body.

Yaya Medelyn's soul went into Lolo Bien's body.

Lolo Bien's soul went into Toffee's body.

Toffee's soul went into Stefanie's body.

Just imagine how each one would react, take advantage, and suffer from each one's situation. It's hilarious!

I find the following scenes funny: when John Lapus is acting like a real man ("Ngayon, babae, sinong bakla?"), the yaya Tuesday who tongue-lashed the parent's mother while reciting the rights of a kasambahay (yaya and househelpers), lolo Jaime Fabregas who ate like he had never eaten before and the look on his face when he was handed by a P1.5M check, the soft-spoken Eugene Domingo being kissed by Tom, their bed scene, and who keeps on calling Cherry Pie Picache "ma", and, who would ever forgot the babaeng baklang Angelica who struts her way in front of the boys and how she flirts with Tom.

I love the beetles (Volkswagen) cars being used in the movie. It's cute and say, durable to be used as a bumpcar!

There are still some flaws and questionable parts in the story like they stayed for 2 years in the old mansion of Lolo Bien, while waiting for the next eclipse, but what happened to their "outside life" (Ninang Precy's career, etc. save for the marriage of Tom and Stefanie who lived together in the old mansion)? Anyway, I watched the movie to be entertained not to criticize it.

Overall, it is a good de-stressing and worth-watching comedy (4/5). It is hilarious and funny. No slapsticks and gasgas jokes. "Bonggang bongga na bougainvillae talaga!"

One More Chance: The Animated Version

2010-06-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

I find this video cute! Not because I have already watched the movie but because I like the animation. Bravo and kudos to the talents! *applause*

Now, this made me look for online streaming of this movie. Need to watch Basha and Popoy.

Farmville: Named by Time Magazine as One of the Top 50's Worst Invention

2010-06-05T03:24:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the whole morning (what a way to kill time! *grins*), chatting with fellow kadiskartes, refreshing my Facebook profile for the nth time when I stumbled Time's webpage.

Uh-oh! I hope my FB friends won't be mad at this. Farmville is listed by Time Magazine as one of the 50's Worst Invention. tsk tsk tsk!

Farmville is a simulation game developed by Zynga that can be played in Facebook. It is a game that offers virtual farming. It has become one of the popular games in Facebook, and had surpassed what it had cloned - Farmtown.

I used to play Farmville (or commonly referred as FV) when it was still on its launching phase, but, I love Farmtown better. I like the latter's ability to interact with other virtual farmers, though, I admit, FV has kewl variety of plants and buildings.

Here's what Time Magazine has to say:

Sorry folks,and dear farmers. That's their list!

Okay, back to farming... continue clicking those plots!.. and please don't forget to send me gifts. LOL

Birthday Bash for Banker!

2010-06-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is a super late post. 'twas last week when we, kadiskartes, celebrated Banker's birthday at Mcdo Pasong Tamo. It was an event to remember!

"Banker" (Atty. Rene Uy in real life) is the author of Diskarte blog which has shed light and hope to thousands of credit card defaulters suffering from paranoia, depression and hopelessness.

More power to you Banker!

We love you! - from your Diskarte family (and thousand anonymous readers who have learned their lessons the hard way.

Free Skittles Candy Sample: For Real or Just Another Hoax?

2010-05-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

I received this link and referral from friends promising a "free bag of Skittles." Take note, it's not a just a pack of Skittles but a BAG of Skittles. Hmmmm, sounds too good to be true. I asked a colleague if she tried to clicked the link and what happened during the process of "registration." She said that one needs to refer 20 friends in order to receive that BAG of Skittles.

Skeptic as I am, still I tried to register and here's what I've found out. Here's the homepage. I checked the web address and it is not addressed to Skittles but to hxxp://www.tryfreecandysample.com/referal.php. Btw, Skittles homepage is here.

1. You need to enter an email address and country. See that ads at the right sidebar? It says that this promotion is available worldwide. Wow, that made me think again if Skittles would really give out a free BAG to billions (or millions) of registrants-to-be?

2. After I've entered an email address (which I just made up and not even a registered one!) and a country, the website brought me to this page. It gave me a referral link and a PIN code with an instruction to share the link to another 20 friends, and I can share it also through my Facebook account.

I stopped on this page. I did not publish this to my Facebook, of course.

Now, here's the real funny and amusing part. I tried to register again, this time using my email address for junk stuff and another made-up email address. Guess what? I received the same referral link and PIN code! (Maybe, because of IP address? Still, I checked my email address for junk stuff but I did not receive a confirmation link!)

Look, let's read again what's with the special instruction. It says that I should be receiving the freebies in the mail -- email? LOL! Not postal mail, for sure, 'cause I am not asked to put any address during the registration process.

Again, I browse their page and checked their privacy statement. Here's what they are going to do with the information.

This sounds like the same links that I received offering free Sony laptop, Ipod, Iphone, etc.

'nuff said.

(On the other hand, my view can still be changed if someone will send me my BAG of Skittles. Would Skittles do that for me? *grin*)

Hey, if anyone out there had already referred 20 friends, please update me.

Comments and violent reactions are welcome. LOL!

Sky Broadband's Router Power Promo and D-Link DIR-600

2010-05-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to avail Sky Broadband's Router Promo which ran from Feb 22 to May 24, 2010. It was a partnership between Sky Broadband and Xytrix Systems Corp. to give its subscribers a chance to own D-Link DIR-600 for only PhP 1,999, and DIR-615/E for PhP 3,399. Payments should be made directly to Xytrix Systems Corp.'s bank account, and in return, the subscriber will just have to wait for the delivery and installation.

Sounds like a real deal to me (who is too lazy to surf and canvass prices for these routers). I was set to send an email to Xytrix Systems Corp. for a D-Link DIR-600 when a friend of my colleague informed me that it was not a good deal at all. He sent me a link to Villman's webpage. OMG! It was cheaper by a few pesos indeed. Maybe, that's to compensate the free delivery and installation by Xytrix. I was still hesitant to buy because I might not install the router correctly. But, because Xytrix delivers only on Thursdays, and I am that impatient (ataters mode, hehe). I gave it a shot and bought one!

Ta-daaaaa!

It is easy to install as promised. Just insert the provided CD installer and it works like a charm *winks*. No need to be techie! An additional perk by D-Link is a lifetime warranty, though I still have to check on them if this product is covered. But I think there's something wrong with their online registration page, it is not working. I can't get through after that "submit" button, aaaargh!!!

Happy as a bee, I am contented with my new router. While my son is busy playing online games via LAN, I can set myself and connect anywhere in the house.

Sky Cable's Upcoming Channel Line Up

2010-05-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sky Cable, one of the cable providers in the country, has announced that there will be an upcoming change on their channel lineup this coming June 1. Weeeee! Well, that's after reading the flier attached to my monthly billing statement which I am ignoring for days. Thinking that it was just a a piece of paper lying around the living room. Sometimes, it really pays to read marketing materials, LOL!

According to their website and flier, they will do a revamp of their current channel lineup to include the following: History, Bio, Crime and Investigation, ASN and SBS, a Korean channel. Wow! I love these channels. I hope these are included in the Silver Package.

Hmmmm, but wait, there's a condition. This is only applicable to subscribers who owns a digibox (and using it -- which I am not!). For almost 3 weeks, I have detached it from our TV and connected the RCA directly (to the TV) instead. Yes, it is possible but I have no access to other channels after Channel 58 (Asian Food Channel). Still, I can live with that because I only need these channels: HBO (54), Star Movies (55), Nick (45) and Cinema One (56).

(If you are wondering, why did I chose not to use the digibox, it's because I want to save electricity. Damn that high cost of electricity! But that's another story.)

So, I think I should better use our digibox again because I am a fan of those "new" channels! Let alone Meralco. Teehee! ^_^

First Post to a New Blog

2010-05-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

Starting a blog is easy and difficult at the same time. Choosing a niche and subject matter that you can talk for ages is the first thing to do. That almost made me quit to start one because I want to blurb on anything and everything. So, I forced myself to focus and to think about a subject that interests me most. Something that I can talk on without sounding like a "second-rate-trying-hard-copy-cat" blogger.

Finally, this is it!

A blog on consumer products, promotions, people and places that I have personally encountered. (Now, this sounds like my Marketing class, but, hey! I won't talk on those things). This blog would be a candid review of my personal taste and experience of everything and anything.

Welcome to my blog!