Monday, June 27, 2011

My "Varekai" Cirque du Soliel experience. . . . awesome!


Cirque du Soliel presents Varekai is from the Quebec, Canada is in Manila for a limited engagement from June 22 until July 24,2011 at the Grand Chapiteau, Luneta Park just in front of Quirino Grandstand!

I first saw Verikai's ad on the internet last year that they are coming over to Manila for a limited time only. I decided then to see the show. I booked a seat for July 26 matinee showing and my plane ticket has to be booked next. Boy, I was so excited to hear the good news and back then I can't wait for the day to come.

Lat Sunday was a very long and exciting day for me since I have to wake up as early as four in the morning to catch my six thirty morning flight to Manila. I arrived around eight in the morning the matinee showing of Verekai is still at one in the afternoon and gates starts to open at twelve.

That was such a long wait, I just wasted my time going to some stores in Baclarabn, then to Robinson Place, Ermita had my brunch over there and just killing time before going to the circus.


As I arrived at the venue I was awed by the magnificence of the Grand Chaiteau, a tent which stands 66 feet high, can accommodate more than 2,600 people. The tent which has been erected at the Quirino Grandstand by more than 80 people, it looks amazing.

Inside the big tent was two snack bars where you can purchase your giant popcorn and choice of drinks. In the center lies the souvenir shop where you can get t-shirts, souvenir items at sale and  their souvenir program is up for sale at P500.00 a piece(very pricey indeed).

Verikai is a Romanian word which means Wherever in English language, it feature 13 jaw-dropping acts to be performed by the 130-strong Cirque du Soleil which includes 55 artists from all over the world.

Written and directed by Dominique Champagne, the circus act tells the story of a gypsy who falls in love with the creatures of “Varekai.”

It was a thrill of a life time as the show starts, their amazing performances, out of this world costume and their acrobatic feats is just extra ordinary. The stage, lights and special effects just made magic out of the performances, the tree kids from China with their act was just wonderful. The finale was breath taking as the acrobats takes turn in a breath taking acrobatic feat one after another.

I may say it is a once in a lifetime experience!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Talk 'N Text takes on Powerade in Davao del Sur Sports Complex, Digos City Tonight!





Grand Slam-seeking Talk 'N Text will try to extend its winning streak to three games as it faces Powerade Saturday in an out-of-town duel of the 2011 PBA Governors' Cup in Davao Del Sur Sports Complex in Matti, Digos City, Davao del Sur

The Tropang Texters and the Tigers collide at 6 p.m. with the former hoping to stay unscathed in this very short elimination phase.

Talk 'N Text has posted two dominant wins so far, a 120-108 victory against Rain or Shine and 101-75 beating of Alaska.

But head coach Chot Reyes is not concerned about how Talk 'N Text is overpowering its opponents, saying he's more focused on how to get the team better, especially without starting point guard Jimmy Alapag and Jared Dillinger in their arsenal due to injuries.

“We can't worry about that,” said Reyes, when asked if the team might peak too soon.

The Texters are facing a rejuvenated Tigers five, who are coming off a morale-boosting 109-91 triumph against Air21 to end a two-game slide.

And the possibility of Gary David coming back today should boost Powerade's chances to deal Talk 'N Text its first loss in the tournament.

"Puwede na ako maglaro," said David who injured his left hand in a tune-up game. "Ready na ako tulungan ang team ko."

The former Lyceum standout is the league's top local scorer this with 22.3 points per game.

With the Tigers coming off a win and with 6-foot-6 import Chris Porter in tow, Reyes said Powerade is very capable of pulling off an upset against them.

"After their first win and a very good import who is five inches taller than ours, they will be a dangerous team and will be in high spirits," said Reyes, who will be led by 6-foot-1 import Maurice Baker.

Jason Castro has been doing a good job at the point guard position for the Texters with Alapag out, with Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier, Kelly Williams and Harvey Carey providing both offense and defense for the team.

Williams and Ali Peek will most likely guard Porter alternately throughout the match.

Powerade head coach Bo Perasol hopes that rookies Sean Anthony and Jai Reyes can follow up their superb games against the Express.

Anthony had 21 points while Reyes, a nephew of the Talk 'N Text coach, tallied a career-high 14 markers against Air21.

 


 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Davao Cyber Expo 2011 at SM City Davao on July 29-31!

 



Join, Play, Show Off, Volunteer, or simply Watch!
Don't miss this unique event that happens only once a year!

Activities and happenings:

DAVAO CYBER GAMES - DoTA Competition | Join!
Teams from all over Mindanao battle it out for fun, cash, and PRIDE!

LAN PARTY EXTREME | Join!
The BIGGEST LAN PARTY event in the country happens right here in DAVAO CITY!

ONLINE GAMING | Join!
E-games and MyGames are back w/ more surprizes for their loyal gamers!

BLINQUE TechXtreme Exhibits!
Not just any computer hardware exhibit, this is a HIGHEND exhibit! See some of the best and rarest computer hardware, get a chance to avail of some kick-ass deals!

LIVE Jams
What's a party w/o live and spanking cool music?! :)

Intel Gaming Challenge | Join!
Intel's back w/ more mini tournaments for you! - including last year's hit contest, STREET FIGHTER IV!

DCW Open Challenge | Join!
Defeat the elite teams of the DCWired and get instant Cash Price! (Open to all!)

Blogging Competition | Join!
A simple impromptu competition for all bloggers out there!
This year's Grand Prize is Php 3,000 pesos!

 

For more info about the DCE events and how to participate in its competition please check this link Davao Cyber Expo 2011 @ e2 Events

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Eiga Sai 2011 Davao City Screening Schedule and Dates revealed!

The Japan Foundation in celebration of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month, presents the annual celebration of Japanese contemporary films though Eiga Sai. Films will be shown in Gaisano Grand Citi Mall this coming July 22-24, 2011 with enlish sub-titles.

Admission is Free!!

Eiga sai 2011 films to be shown together with “Departures” are:

1.“The Summit: Chronicle of Stones (Tsurigidake: Ten No Ki)”

2. “The Chef of South Polar (Nanyoku Ryorinin)”

3. ”One Million Yen Girl (Hyakumanen To Nigamushi)”

4.“Your Friend (Kimino Tomidachi)”

5. “Yunagi City, Sakura Country (Yunagi No Machi, Sakura No Kuni)”

6. “Summer Days with Coo (Kappa No Coo to Natsu-Yasumi)”

7. “Climber's High (Kuraimazu Hai)”

8. “Feel the Wind (Kaze Ga Tsuyoku Fuiteru)”

9. “Villon's Wife (Villon No Tsuma)”



 

 

Gaisano Grand Citimall, Davao



















































































































Date

Time

Length

Title (English)


Ratings


22-Jul

Fri

4:00pm

125 mins
Your Friend

6:30pm

131 mins
Departures

23-Jul

Sat

11:00am

121 mins
One Million Yen Girl

1:30pm

125 mins
The Chef of South Polar

4:00pm

139 mins
The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones

7:00pm

145 mins
Climber's High

24-Jul

Sun

11:00am

118 mins
Yunagi City, Sakura Country

1:30pm

1:38 mins
Summer Days with Coo

4:30pm

133 mins
Feel the Wind

7:15pm

114 mins
Villon's Wife

Organized by the Consular Office of Japan in Davao

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A short visit at Chavit Singson's Baluarte!


If you happen to be in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, then it is a must to visit Chavit Singson's Baluarte!

Baluarte is an interactive wildlife sanctuary and facility, with the breathtaking view of its dominating scenic boulders amidst trees and greens. It is owned by no less than Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson. Entering the animal sanctuary is free of charge it is just a few minutes away from the town proper.

To get there, it is either you rent a horse driven carriage(Calesa) or hire a tricycle going there.

The facility is especially a big crowd drawer for family outing, activities such as animal feeding, petting, riding the "tiburin", a small horse-drawn carriage, and visiting our Butterfly Garden will surely be an extraordinary adventure for family.


The place was already featured in national television, Indeed the place is really huge and it is surrounded by trees. The most prominent structure is the huge golden building which can be seen from afar. On top of the building is the famous golden tree which the Chinese usually have as a symbol of prosperity to come inside the house. As you go inside the sanctuary the next prominent structure is the giant dinosaur.

Ostriches, deers are roaming around freely on the grounds, the small ponies, ducks are caged and can be feed during heir feeding time.

Visiting the place is worth your while, I was there too early and they said that more visitors are there during weekends and in the afternoon!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The best Halo-halo up North is San Fernando, La Union's Halo-halo de Iloko!



Looking for a special place to get your cravings for Halo-halo took me up North in San Fenando, La Union!

I was passing by La Union going to Vigan, Ilocos Sur to see the old city that was still preserved. I asked some people on the bus going there if there are anything sort of good food or dessert to taste in the region which is not the traditional food from the region. I got an answer and they say that I should pass by San Fernando, La Union and taste their Halo-halo there at "Halo-halo de Iloko".

I did and I was not disappointed at all. The place is easy to look for, just ask any tricycle driver and they will surely bring you to "Halo-Halo de Iloko"! The place looks so small from the outside and once you go in you can see that the place has its own character. As I arrived in the place around past 2 in the afternoon, there were only one table that was occupied. I ordered and wow tha Halo-halo was tempting. The taste was awesome and it took me 5 minutes to eat it all.

If you ever go to the Ilocos Region up north don't forget to pass by and have a Halo-halo!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Davao's best baby back ribs only at Purple Angel Cuzina!


Purple Angel Cuzina is a newly opened restaurant located at Patnubay St. Phase 2, Sandawa Road (just across 911) Matina Davao City.

I came to know the restaurant through a friend of mine, Naprey Almario who invited me to visit the place ans have a taste of one of Davao City's best kept secret and the best, the most tender and reasonably priced Baby Back Ribs you can get. I was really impressed and that's what I got when i get there. I got to try their Boneless Chicken Barbeque, Vegtable Salad with Shrimp for appetizer, Chicken and Mushroom Crepe and for dessert their Banana Choco Chip Cupcake.

The restaurant also does catering services for birthdays, debut, meetings, and other events at a very reasonable price. You can contact them at 299-1100 and (0922) 861-0373. for inquiries and reservation. They are open from Monday-Saturday.

The owner is Angelic Andama Garcia, a mother who want to have a business that is also near the school where her children are going. The location is just a few meters away from Ateneo de Davao Matina branch. She has a passion for cooking and also a loving mother to watch over her kids while they are at school and at the same time make money while waiting for the kids to finish their school day. Before opening the restaurant she was aready busy with her pastries being delivered to different coffe shops and stores in the city. So, she decided to put up the restaurant so that other mothers who are busy can also bring their kids during lunch break and spend some time with them during lunch break. Thus the place is have table for kids, activity area and some toys to keep them busy. The store is open at around 7:00 a.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m.! Since they now serves breakfast, thus they open very early.

The business is busy especially during school days and it is already becoming a place for the school kids and their parents. The restaurant is also Wi-Fi equipped.

You can also check out articles about the restaurant by Naprey Alamrio, James Malibiran and you can also like them on Facebook!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Travel Photography Seminar a journey to better travel photos!


Last May 26-31 of this year, I attended the Travel Photography Workshop, just one of the summer photo workshop conducted by Mr. Eugene Lara of Paragon Images Plus, who is now based in Davao City!

I first attended his basic photo workshop back in 2005, it was the first time that I met Eugene. I was desperate then at that time to learn the basics of photography. It was at that time when the basic photo seminars are very rare here in Davao City. Unlike today, there are a lot of people conducting photo workshops left and right. That was the time where I learned the basic of photography that enhances my ability to take a better picture and through practice it also enhances my talent (if you can call it that way) in photography.


The only thing that excites me with this workshop is that it is a three hour lecture for the consecutive three days. The information that you get on a day to day basis is just the right information that we can process and remember. The lectures are more on the how to do's  and don'ts in taking picture.How to make our picture more interesting not only to us but also the viewers like our friends and family so that they can also see and experience what we saw on our vacation. Since most of us we usually take pictures of ourselves in front of the camera and we tend to forget what other interesting things there are that can still be photographed.

The most exciting and challenging time we had was when we have our actual photo shoot in Malagos Garden Resort and at the Crocodile Park with the fire dancer at night. There you have to make do of what you can. But, before that we were told to make a list of what we are going to take photos of. The travel basics on the place where you are going to travel, take as much information about the place, places to see, its people, architecture,still life, flora and fauna, and special events if there are any when you get to your destination.

Travel gears preparation,accessories and things to bring along. Actual photoshoot, things to expect and the weather conditions can greatly affect the outcome of your photos. Then shooting on lacation, editing your image, preparing for presentation, and sharing it to your friends and viewers.

That  are just some of the things that we learned on our travel photography workshop.

The best was when we have our presentation, we shared what photos we have and then it was analyzed, what needs improvement, what was missing  and some inputs that will help us in our next photo shoot. It was really helpful to make us improve our craft and strive to get better photos the next time.

If you are interested Eugene Lara of Paragon Images Plus always gives photography workshops anytime of the year and most of the workshops are done during summer time. If you can create a group of minimum of 8 persons he is willing to conduct a workshop anywhere in the Philippines.

Pinoys are more concerned about germs in their hands than in their mouth!



Pinoys are very much afraid of germs and they take alcohol with them anywhere to eliminate germs on their hands, but do they take extra care to eliminate oral disease-causing germs from their mouths? You are absolutely wrong there.

Did yo know that one mouth can have more germs than there are people on earth and emerging science suggests that some of these germs may be linked with chronic diseases. Oral health should not be taken lightly which is why I advise my patients to brush, floss and rinse with a therapeutic mouthwash twice a day and of course, visit their dentist regularly to prevent problems and keep their mouths healthy.

Majority of Pinoys buy hand sanitizers and alcogels to get rid of germs in their hands and they often forget to bring any tooh brush and mouth wash with them, when they travel to school or office.

To keep our mouth healthy we need to do more than just brush to keep their mouths healthy, only one in ten floss or rinse with mouthwash in the morning, and less than 10 percent see a dentist twice a year for preventative visits. The fact is that many people don't realize that brushing only cleans approximately 25 percent of your mouth. Regular visit to your dentist  to check on the caries and calcular deposits on their teeth is a must twice a year.

Germs in the mouth multiply and can become embedded in a thick layer called plaque biofilm. When this happens, these biofilm germs become much more difficult to kill by simply brushing and flossing, and are more likely to cause problems such as bad breath and more seriously,gingivitis. Left untreated, gingivitis can increase the potential for advanced gum disease, which emerging science suggests could be linked with greater health problems.

A scientifically study was conducted and proves that there is a link between poor oral health and chronic illness, including diabetes and heart disease.

Did you know that if you have poor oral health there are a lot of thins that you will miss out to, like eating your favorite foods, smiling in a photograph, kissing your loved ones, and work because of dental problems such as tooth pain, cavities and gingivitis.

Dont miss out on those things and visit your dentist or Ortiz Dental Clinic in Davao City and renew your smile!

Don't you think that people with poor oral health are untidy and unhygienic?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

13th Philippine Eagle Week starts this weekend!



THE annual celebration for the endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) begins this weekend and is celebrated every June 4-10 as mandated by Presidential Proclamation No. 79 (February 24, 1999),with various festivities in Davao City.

The Philippine Eagle Week, is on its 13th year in celebrating the beauty and symbolism of the Philippine Eagle and the richness of the Philippine environment, encourage responsible enjoyment of wildlife, and bring attention to what can be done to ensure that natural resources continue to benefit future generations.

The the Philippine Eagle Foundation spokes person Tatit Quiblat said:

"A pair of Philippine Eagles needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory; the Philippines lost about 270,000 hectares of forest a year between 2000-2005, according to a UN Food and Agriculture Office study in 2005."

"If we are losing that much forest, it's not only the Philippine Eagle population that suffers; the flooding, landslides, problematic water supply, and other effects of deforestation have been affecting and will continue to affect the Filipino people too."

"We need to seriously look at investing in enforcing laws to keep existing forests intact and rehabilitating damaged environments, rather than incurring losses to business and agriculture and spending millions in relief efforts whenever disaster strikes."

The 13th edition of the Eagle Week is extended to June 12, to create a twin celebration of the national bird and Philippine Independence Day.

Activities include the GreenMob Opening Parade on June 4, and the SAYAgila Interbarangay Dance Contest which concludes on June 11.