What do Kylie Minogue and Varekai have in Common

The problem I have with blogging is the fact that in order for me to be able to write good articles, I somehow have to be inspired first or be in the mood to write the article.  It's a form of release of the creative side bottled up inside me.  Like these next events, I can't seem to find the right story to attach the event with!  Well, I've decided that there's no need to be creative with this post as Cirque du Soleil and Kylie Minogue are born masters of reinvention and creativeness!  It was an indeed a very memorable and eventful July as I got to see Varekai and Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite Tour Concert in Manila.  

When it was announced that Cirque du Soleil was coming to the Philippines for the first time, with no hesitation, we booked our tickets to watch the show!  I was very excited to see this given the fact that Cirque du Soleil is very popular worldwide and I have yet to watch any of their shows abroad.  The closest I got to watching was when I went to Macau.  Unfortunately, during that time, they were on Chinese New Year's break!  So I didn't get to see ZAIA.  

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil^® is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has close to 4,000 employees from over 40 different countries, including 1,000 artists. Cirque du Soleil^® has brought wonder and delight to almost 80 million spectators in over 200 cities on five continents. In 2008, Cirque du Soleil will present 18 shows simultaneously throughout the world. The company has received such prestigious awards as the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, ACE, Gémeaux, Félix, and Rose d’Or de Montreux.

The Grand Chapiteau

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Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness and Safety Guide

In line with recent events,  I am posting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology's (PHIVOCS) Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness and Safety Guides.  These were designed to be pocket-size.  You can have them printed to carry around with you or give away to your love ones.  Or you can also forward or email the link to this post to inform your friends and family who have internet access.  Let us all be prepared.

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS GUIDE

BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE OCCURS

- Know the earthquake hazards in your area.
- Follow structural design and engineering practices when constructing a house or building.
- Evaluate the structural soundness of the buildings and the houses; strengthen if necessary.
- Strap or bolt heavy furnitures/cabinets to the walls.
- Check the stability of hanging objects like ceiling fans and chandeliers.
- Breakable items, harmful chemicals and flammable materials should be stored properly in the lowermost secured shelves.
- Familiarize yourself with the EXIT routes.
- Know where fire extinguishers, first aid kits, alarms, and communication facilities are located.  Learn how to use them beforehand.
- Prepare a handy emergency supply kit with first aid kit, canned food and can opener, water, clothing, blanket, battery-operated radio, flashlights and extra batteries.
- Conduct and Participate in regular earthquake drills.

DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

- STAY CALM.
- When you are INSIDE a structurally sound building or home ... STAY THERE!
- If possible, quickly open the door for the exit.
- Duck under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it, or protect your head with your arms.
- Stay away from glass windows, shelves, cabinets and other heavy objects.
- Beware of falling objects.  Be alert and keep your eyes open.
- If you're OUTSIDE ... move to an open area!
- Stay away from trees, power lines, posts, and concrete structures.
- Move away from steep slopes which may be affected by landslides.
- If you're near the shore and fell an earthquake, especially if it's too strong, move quickly to higher grounds.  Tsunamis might follow.
- If you're in a moving vehicle, STOP and get out!  Do not attempt to cross bridges, overpasses, or flyovers which may have been damaged.

AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE

- Be prepared for aftershocks.  Once the shaking stops, take the fastest and safest way out of the building.
- Don't use elevators.
- Don't enter damaged buildings.
- Don't use telephone unless necessary.
- Don't PANIC.
- Check yourself and others for injuries.
- Check water and electrical lines for damages.
- Check for spills of chemical, toxic, and flammable materials.
- Check and control fires which may spread.
- If you need to leave your residence, leave a message stating where you are going and bring your emergency supply kit.
- Keep updated on disaster prevention instructions.

TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY

- Do not stay in low-lying coastal areas after a strong earthquake.  Move to higher grounds immediately.
- Never go down the beach to watch for a tsunami.  When you can see the wave, you are too close to escape it.
- During the retreat of sea level, interesting sights are often revealed.  Fishes may be stranded on dry land thereby attracting people to collect them.  Also, sandbars and coral flats may be exposed.  These scenes tempt people to flock to the shoreline thereby increasing the number of people at risk.
- Stay out of danger areas until an "all clear" is issued by competent authority.  A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves!


Visit the PHIVOLCS site for more information.  You can download the Earthquake Preparedness Guide here and the Tsunami Preparedness and Safety Guide here.

Be prepared and stay safe everyone!  

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New Year Treats from my BPI Family!

"Hop on your way to good fortune in the year of the metal Rabbit!"  This was BPI Family's tag line when it launched its Chinese new year promo!

To celebrate the Chinese New Year BPI Family Bank gave away Hopia (Chinese cake/biscuit) and Tikoy (Rice cake) to all visiting clients!  Aside from these Chinese delicacies they also offered clients who deposited at least Php 25,000 for individual accounts and Php 50,000 for corporate accounts to pick a "Good Luck Angpao."  The Angpao contained varying amounts from 20 pesos to as big as 500 pesos!  

In the branch I went to, the office was decorated with red balloons and Chinese lanterns.  The officers of the branch also wore red!  The color red signifies happiness and good luck!  

It was pure coincidence that I went there to deposit new funds!  I went late in the afternoon so they ran out of Tikoy and Hopia already.  Nevertheless, I qualified to pick a Good Luck Angpao!  

I got 50 pesos and 20 pesos.  It's not that much but more importantly, by receiving an Angpao, I already feel lucky for the rest of the year.  I heard that a small boy who opened an account earlier in the day got the Angpao with 500 pesos in it.  The kid just got an instant 2% interest on his 25,000 peso deposit.  The officer said that the kid prayed before drawing his Angpao from the box.  Prayers really do work!   What a story. (^o^)/

Furthermore, knowing your bank officers and being friendly to them also has its perks.  That's how I was able to draw 2 lucky red envelopes instead of just 1. (^o^)/  This is of course in addition to other services relating to my UITF and Mutual Fund placements that they greatly help me out with.

Kiong Hee Huat Chai! I wish you all a prosperous year of the Silver Rabbit! 

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If Women were to be Measured

Girls playing with fire! Hot hot hot! Spotted at the BBQ Open House party of Amiya Resort Residences, the first high-end development of Kisan Lu Land Inc., at Puan, Davao City.  


Puan is at the outskirts of the city already, minutes away from the Ulas junction, right on the road going to Bukidnon.  The development boasts of a 1,500 sq.m. Infinity pool, a 5,500 sq.m. Lagoon, and a 735 sq.m. Meditation garden within the resort (as they would like to put it).  It's quite an undertaking.  Promising .... but maybe will be just that until the end.  (Managing a subdivision is already hard enough, add to that managing a resort as well, seems like an impossible feat.  Not to mention how they plan to make the clubhouse self sustaining without losing exclusivity unless they're not planning to do so in the first place.)  Well, let's hope not as most residential lots are already sold out. 


Let me get back to these hot girls! Girls playing with fire can be so sexy! Don't you think? (More pictures after the jump.)

Originally, this post was suppose to be about how one was trying to be sexy while one was naturally sexy.

Can you tell which one is trying to be sexy and which one is naturally sexy for me?

And then I came across this passage from Guy Kawasaki's Rules for Revolutionaries ...

A woman is often measured by the things she cannot control.  She is measured by the way her body curves or doesn't curve.
By where she is flat or straight or round.  She is measured by 36-24-36 and inches and ages and numbers.  By all the outside things that don't ever add up to who she is on the inside.
And so if a woman is to be measured, let her be measured by the things she can control, by who she is and who she is trying to become because as every woman knows, measurements are only statistics, and statistics lie.

Physical attributes do count but ultimately, it's her intelligence that will keep me coming back for more.

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Fun Run!

It was my first fun run ever! Joined the HSBC 135 Fun Run in Davao last November 6, 2010.  It was a gloomy start as the sky was weeping early in the day.  It eventually gave way though to the hundreds of enthusiasts who just couldn't be stopped.  Someone must have offered it a giant Kleenex.  I joined the 5 kilometer event and still managed to keep it FUN (get it?) despite some people who tried to pass me only to stop right in front of my run path (more like jogging really).  hehehe (^o^)v Surprised myself as well when I finished in 30'46"! (personal timer not the official one).  I thought it would take me around 45 minutes.        

I have to admit, the professional runners who were already on their way back to the start/finish even when I just passed the 1.5km mark was motivating yet demotivating as well.



The challenge would be to finish a FULL MARATHON (42 km.)!  But the penultimate goal would be to finish the IRON MAN! hahaha. *good luck my toes, my knees, my shoulder, my head!*

*Thank you the organizers (HSBC with FishTank Productions) for a wonderful event.
*Thank you BR for taking my picture.

Oh! Before I forget! Thank you Ria Jose of MyDavaoCity.com for sponsoring me.  You've not only made the SOS Children beneficiaries happy but this child as well ^^ Sa uulitin.

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1st International PyroMusical Competition

Every time I see fireworks, it takes me back to the start of Summer in Japan!  There I could watch it for free, here it's for a fee, but very minimal anyway.  The music that accompanies the fireworks is an added bonus.  Certainly, it makes it more interesting in a dramatic way.  Here are the finale sequences for the entries from UK and China.  You be the judge.  Who do you think did better? Enjoy! 



UK






China
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She's at it again!

She's at it again!  I'm beginning to expect things from her.  This is bad. (^o-)v

 My SE T700 cradled on my SGD $4 dog holder from Singapore showing me her heart.

 Happy Heart's Day!

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Happy Chinese New Year!

It's my first "ang pao" for the year!  Read on to receive your blessings! ^^

I received this during the eve of the Chinese New Year (tonight)!  It was such a surprise for me!  I can't remember exactly when I stopped receiving this from my relatives but I think it was still way back when I was still in school!  That was many many years ago.  And so I am happy to be receiving this tonight!  

If you look closely, the Chinese character is written upside down.  I've encountered this before but I don't exactly now the reason behind it.  Maybe some of you can help me out on this ^^

Every "ang pao" that I receive I usually put on my wallet!  My wallet has never been empty ever since!  I believe it brings me good fortune.  

And so, on this day, I share my blessings with you.  May all of you have good fortune during this year of the Golden Tiger as well!  Don't worry, there's more than enough blessings for everyone! (^o^)/  Share it with your friends as well.

Happy Chinese New Year!

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Clean Off Your Workspace!

January 14 is National Clean Off Your Desk Day!

I don't know if it's true but my journal says so. What a good thing to put in a journal ei! Thankfully, I did my desk and room cleaning before the New Year began. It's customary for Japanese companies to ask their employee to clean off their workplace before taking a break for the New Year's and I think I acquired the habit from them. Not to mention that my mom would nag me about it as well. hahaha (^^;)

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American Idol

American Idol TV Schedule

As a new year starts, everyone can look forward to American Idol!  The 2009 season is starting on January 14, 2009.  I just realized that I haven't been watching any Star World programs lately.  Well, that will change starting this week as I find Star World's TV schedule for American Idol the most accommodating, with a live telecast and reruns at 18:00, 20:00, and 23:00.  I remember a friend telling me once before that due to lack of interesting programs in other channels, he actually watched the show 3 times in one night! hehehe (^^;)

For those who don't have Star World, I think you can still catch the program in ABC 5. 

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Thank You Day!

Thank You!

My journal (this Journal will actually change your life!!! 2009) says that today (January 11) is International Thank You day! So I'm spreading the word and I'm thanking all of you for being a part of my online persona. Hope to hear more from you guys in 2009!

Spread the word and thank someone today (^o^)/

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9 Days Before Christmas

Every December 16, nine days before Christmas, is the start of Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo. I just found out today that Gallo is a spanish word which means "rooster." That is why the mass is held early in the morning supposedly just after the rooster crows. Some people believe that if you complete all 9 masses in 9 days, the Almighty Father will grant you a wish. (^o^)/

As for me, I have no plans of attending any this year. Back when I was in Cebu, last year, with the encouragement of friends, I was able to attend the first day of mass, but that was about it. hehehe (^^;)

Instead , this year, I plan to do 9 Days of Jogging before Christmas! One of my wishes is definitely to stay healthy and fit. With conflicting schedules due to school, I'm missing one badminton session every week already. That and having have to taste all my baked goodies have brought about a plumper me. Hopefully I'll be able to do enough to offset all the food I will be eating during the holidays and still lose some weight.

On my next post, I'll show you why it isn't so bad to jog around our subdivision at night during this time of the year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Photo source: Andrew Zubiri

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The Happiest Man Alive (Weddings in Cebu)

Have you heard the groom laugh out loud, creating echoes across the church, during his wedding day? I just did! Last October 5, friends M & M finally got married! I maybe exaggerating a bit with the echoes but you can look at the picture and see for yourself how happy the groom is. I was lucky enough to turn at the right moment with my cam and capture the moment. In the picture with the groom is his family, obviously, sharing the happiness in this wonderful and joyful moment. (^o^)/

Although the couple started out stealing "holding hands" moment underneath table tops, the couple now openly profess their love for each other. The groom professing just days before that this will be the greatest gift ever for his birthday which just happens to be the day before his wedding. And on the wedding reception, he surprised the bride with a song number! He's the happiest and most relaxed groom I've seen. I'm sure everyone in the reception felt their love for each other.

Congratulations M & M!

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The ceremony was held at the Sacred Heart Parish in Cebu. The church is now fully airconditioned and comes with the floral arrangement. Reception followed at the Grand Convention Center.

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Oh Mooncake! My Mooncake!

Papa thinks I love mooncakes. Before the festival, Sept. 15, he brought home a box of mooncakes. I tried them and I thought it tasted good but I would prefer the regular Mongo Hopia or Dice Hopia over it anytime. The next day he brought home a new set. This time the mooncake came in tin boxes. "Special ones from Manila," he said. I have to agree, it was better than the local ones. It was creamier and even the salted egg in the middle didn't repulse me at all. Normally, I would leave that part because I'm just not used to the taste of it.

A friend now living in Singapore, and probably tasting the mooncake for the first time, says she couldn't understand the taste of it. Her team leader even said that it smelled like B.O. hahaha (^o^)/ I don't know how Singaporeans make their mooncakes but that's exactly how I think salted egg smells like. o('x')o

When mooncake festival comes, I don't crave for the mooncakes but instead, I miss playing the dice game! Nobody loses in the game and everyone's bound to take home a lot of goodies! We've never played it here in Davao. I only got to try it with my cousins in Manila during an association event. Never mind that I don't understand the rules, the presents and goodies just makes you feel like it's Christmas already!

Oh! 97 days to go 'til Christmas (^o^)/

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Portraits of Love: Kadayawan sa Davao

Early in the morning today (August 23), at around 8:30am I was wide awake with my Statistics book at hand. My mid-term exam was scheduled later that afternon (2pm) and I haven't started studying yet. It's the Kadayawan festival here in Davao but I wasn't in a festive mood at all. I planned to go and watch the Indak Indak sa Kadalanan Street Dancing Competition but I had to settle for watching it on television because I still had to study. So no Kadayawan street dancing pictures from me again this year. I know it's all my fault. I was too complacent not to study because I was too confident that I'd pass it somehow because it was an open book exam. I sent an SMS message to our professor asking for confirmation if he will be holding classes in the afternoon. No reply came, so I opened my stat book and began studying. (Needed to read 7 chapters!)

At around 10am though, reply from our professor came! He was postponing the exam to next week! Yey! I was so elated because I only had 2 hours of sleep that night. What did I do, you ask? Well, what else, I was finishing an "important" blog hehehe (^O^)v. So I prepared to go back to sleep. The street dancing competition has started already and from the looks of it on TV, I didn't feel like going anymore. Maybe I'll write about what I thought about it on a future post. But before I slept, of course, I checked the blogs again. tsk tsk tsk.

And that's when I heard about "Portraits of Love." A photo exhibit depicting the beauty of the bond between mother and child in the hopes of encouraging more mothers to breastfeed. So like the true bloggista that I am, I grabbed my cam and headed for the city to cover the event (after I slept for a couple of hours, of course (^O^)v).

Part of the reason why I wanted to cover the event was because I knew most of the mothers being featured in the exhibit. Here are some of the photos and their commentaries.

"I never had second thoughts about breastfeeding. From the moment the idea was presented to me, I knew it was the best way to go. It came quite easy to me. My son seemed to know exactly what to do the very first time we tried. Nothing can compare to the joy of knowing that I am giving my baby the best of myself.
...
Breastfeeding is the best gift any mom can give to a child. Aside from being economical, healthy and ecological, nothing can beat the level of bonding mom and baby achieve from the experience."

- Sophia Yao -
A Mother's Euphoria (Photo by: Kat Mercado)


"Breastfeeding did not come easy to us. Plugged ducts, sore nipples, wrong latch, nipple confusion, spilled milk and buckets of tears were the staple during our first 3 months. Everyday, I thought about quitting but just continued to tell myself-'just one more day'. It became easier and we are still breastfeeding at 8 months.

Breastfeeding is not easy BUT is the best sacrifice you can make for your child."

- Jennifer Joy C. Ong -
Breastfeeding and a Wedding
(Photo by Stanley Ong)


See the rest of the pictures from the photo gallery here.
Read the sunstar article about the event here.

Catch "Portraits of Love, Celebrating the Mother-Child Bonds of Breastfeeding" Photo Exhibit at Gaisano Mall of Davao (August 22-28, 2008) and SM City Davao (September 1-4, 2008).

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