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Today, I receive all God’s love for me. Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of God’s Universe. Today, I open myself to your Blessings, healing and miracles.Today, I open myself to God’s Word so that I become more like Jesus Everyday. Today, I proclaim that I’m God’s Beloved, I’m God’s Servant, I’m God’s powerful champion, And because I am blessed, I will bless the world, In Jesus Name, Amen.

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The Great Wall of China in Mutianyu

The Great Wall of China is referred to in Mandarin as Wanli Changcheng (10,000-Li Long Wall or simply very long wall) BEIJING, CHINA- S...

Sunday, December 4, 2011

TRAVEL TIPS TO AVOID EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES


TRAVEL TIPS TO AVOID EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES 

Hi, fellow traveler! Have you ever experienced hastily re-packing your bags at the check-in counter of the airport to remove your excess baggage? 
Or wear five layers of clothes at the airport to lighten your luggage? If your answer is yes, then these tips are for you.

I am a frequent traveler here and abroad. In one of my trips to China, I thought I'd collapse when I was wearing five layers of clothes at Shanghai Airport on my return flight to the Philippines. Ha ha ha! What with all the weight of the clothes that I was wearing. Sometimes it is cheaper to just leave unnecessary items behind instead of paying for the excess baggage or of wearing several layers of clothing.
TRAVEL TIPS TO AVOID EXORBITANT BAGGAGE FEES 

Before traveling....

1.  Know your weight limits!

Always check the fine print on your airline ticket.  If anything is unclear, click straight on your airline’s website, or call them.

Ask two things:  
  1. the number of pieces of luggage you’re allowed to take with you 
  2. maximum weight for each luggage. 
Know what your weight allowance is for:
  1. carry-on baggage
  2. check-in baggage.
If you have connecting flights (of different airlines) on your trip, make sure you know the restrictions for each leg of your journey. What was fine for Airphil Express Airlines may not be fine with Cebu Pacific Airlines. So, check!

And double-check any specific restriction on sports equipment or music equipment, there may be additional handling fee charges.

If you know in advance that you are likely to exceed the limit, some airlines like Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirPhil Express, Zest Air and Air Asia will allow you to purchase an allowance for an additional bag in advance from their websites using your credit card instead of charging you for excess baggage upon check-in at the airport.

2. Weigh your bags before your trip!

If you need to re-pack to adjust your baggage weight, it is best done at home. Avoid exposing your undies and brassieres in front of everybody at the terminal.

If you travel a lot, it might be worth investing in a mechanical or digital luggage scale. Just like this one. I bought mine from True-Value in Cubao for P600 plus. I don't really remember the exact amount. But I still have the luggage scale up to now. ( Note: This is not a sponsored post. I am just relating my personal experience.)



I saw this @ CD-R KING and it only costs between P100 to P150.00. I don't know why mine costs 6 times more. So you decide. 
 Mine looks like this one but with a button so you could reset it.
 
This digital scale below will cost you Php 280 at CD-R KING. I just don't know if they're durable or accurate. Well, I bought mine at around Php 600 plus but it is durable. So I guess, I made the right choice.
If you don't want to buy a portable luggage scale, weigh your luggage on a bathroom scale. 
And if your digital bathroom scale doesn’t register lighter weights you could weigh yourself and clutch the suitcase on one hand so you could see the registered weight in the digital scale.  If the weight of your luggage falls within your allowance then you should rejoice. Just be aware of the risks of adding last-minute items to your case if you are already close to the weight limit.

3.  Size does Matter!

Take the sizes of your luggage into consideration, too! Don’t forget about the sizes too aside from the weight of your luggage. A good number of airlines particularly budget carriers like Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, etc. have specific measurements for carry-on luggage and take pleasure in measuring your bags as you prepare to board. 

I hate it when Cebu Pacific ground personnel almost always reprimand me about my luggage when in fact it could easily fit in the metal size guide. Pahiya sila. Ha ha ha! And yes you are only allowed up to seven (7) kilos of carry-on luggage and up to 1 to 2 bags per passenger depending on the airlines. That excludes camera bags, shoulder bags and laptop bags.
Don’t be the passenger holding up the line, attempting to pummel a weighty knapsack into the baggage metal size guide (a measuring contraption designed to catch out big bags). ( Guilty as charged eh! lol I did that in Hong Kong! It's a good thing Cathay Pacific personnel are so considerate. Kaka-try, napasok ko din! Lusot!

Please note that you could incur a fine or cause delay while your large luggage is sent to the hold. And if you are not used to carrying up to 7 kilos of weight, be aware that many airlines require you to be able to lift your own bags easily to the overhead bins.

4. Know the cost of going over the limit

Miscalculations happen, and last-minute shampoo bottles get stuffed into suitcases. If your suitcase tips over the weight limit, it’s good to know in advance how much you’ll have to pay. Save yourself time and tears and head straight to your carrier’s website to get the most up-to-date information about how much excess baggage is going to cost you.

5. The return journey

Yes, you made it to your destination without incurring extra luggage charges. But a bottle of perfume, wood carving, portraits, ceramic jars and figurines later, and things won’t be quite so lightweight.

Be aware of the potential weight difference after your holiday shopping sprees, and please be honest. Being in the state of denial won't help you solve your luggage problem.

Know what’s worth taking home and what you can live without. Because sometimes it is better to leave them behind than pay the excess baggage fee.

6. Ship your luggage

Can’t bear to leave anything? If you’re still not under your allowance, consider shipping items back home.

In most developed countries, a post office is your first choice.

Spend some time working out whether it’s better value to send a number of smaller packets, rather than one massive box.

If standing in line at the post office isn’t your idea of a good time, consider using a freight forwarding service to send your excess baggage home. You may arrive back well before your extra luggage does, but that’s a small price to pay to sail through check-in, don't you think?

Ow, don't forget to consider the customs charges that will be imposed on the items you will send through the post or courier. They might be higher than the costs of the items that you will ship through the post or courier.

7.   Choose lightweight Clothings

If you are going to a tropical country.  Choose cotton shirts, silk blouses or sleeveless shirts. If you are going on a five (5)-day holiday, just bring clothes good for three (3) days and buy the rest from your country of destination so you will have souvenir shirts from that country. That way you will not incur excess baggage.


8. Don't be Imeldific
Just bring one to two pairs of shoes and leave the rest of your collections behind. I remember bringing six pairs of shoes during my Thailand trip and ending up paying for excess baggage because of my being a shoe addict.



Good Luck! Enjoy your trip!


MISS EARTH 2011 WINNERS


 
The 11th Miss Earth Winner is Olga Alava from the Latin American country of Ecuador she is 23-year-old .
MISS EARTH 2011:  Ecuador, Olga Alava
Miss Earth Air: Brazil, Driely Bennettone
Miss Earth Water: Philippines, Athena Mae Imperial
Miss Earth Fire: Venezuela, Caroline Medina
 Photo from Inquirer
 Miss Earth Queen Olga Alava from Ecuador sees her crown as a tool to help save Mother Earth.
Olga succeeded last year’s winner Nicole Faria, from India. 

First runner-up or Miss Earth-Air 2011 went to Miss Brazil Driely Bennettone

Second runner-up or Miss Earth-Water 2011 is our very own Miss Philippines 
Athena Mae Imperial

Third runner-up or Miss Earth-Fire 2011 is Miss Venezuela, Caroline Medina.

Miss Earth 2011, the 11th edition , was held in UP Theater in Diliman, Quezon City and televised worldwide last night Saturday, December 3, 2011.

The show was aired live by Star World at 8:00 p.m last night. 
ABS-CBN Channel 2 will air it nationwide today Sunday, December 4 at 10:30 p.m. There will also be a delayed telecast of the show on The Filipino Channel and on the television stations of some participating countries. The pageant will also be shown on TFC at a later date. 
SPECIAL AWARDS

Miss Photogenic: Taiwan, Cherry Liu
Best in Gown:Mexico, Casandra Becerra
Best in Swimsuit:Czech Republic, Šárka Cojocarová
Best in Talent:South Africa, Dominique Mann
Best National Costume:Japan, Tomoko Maeda
Miss Friendship:Pakistan, Sanober Hussain


TOP 8

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aleksandra Kovacevic Crimea, Nina Astrakhantseva
Mexico, Casandra Becerra Zimbabwe, Thandi Muringa

TOP 16
  1. Taiwan, Cherry Liu 
  2. Japan, Tomoko Maeda 
  3. Paraguay, Nicole Huber
  4. Portugal, Susana Nogueira
  5. Slovenia, Rebecca Kim Lekše
  6. Sweden, Renate Cerljen 
  7. Thailand , Niratcha Tungtisanont 
  8. Ukraine, Kristina Oparina


Athena Imperial, a graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP), on Saturday night won the Miss Earth-Water title at the 2011 Miss Earth pageant held at UP Theater in Diliman, Quezon City.

Imperial, a communication research major, is among UP beauty queens who brought honor to the country in international competitions this year.

She took home a $20,000 management contract with pageant organizer Carousel Productions and will have the Oakwood Premier at Joy-Nostalg Centre in Ortigas, Pasig, as her official home in the Philippines whenever she comes to the country. She also won a slew of prizes from pageant sponsors.

In an emotional interview with the Inquirer, Imperial said: “I’m happy for the Filipinos. I shot for the moon and landed among the stars. Oh my God!”

Imperial confessed that she was saying the rosary whenever she appeared on stage. “While I was smiling, I was praying at the same time. And that gave me confidence, together with the cheers and the applause of all the people in UP Theater.”

She offered her victory to all Filipinos. “This is not only for me, this is for every Filipino,” she said, adding in Filipino: “Let us continue dreaming because we can reach our dreams as long as we have faith in God.”

Imperial praised her fellow candidates: “We are all beautiful. Actually, the choreographer said she had an easy time with us because we quickly picked up the steps. Also, we were very much aware of each others’ environmental advocacies. We know what kind of beauty each one of us possesses.”-This particular portion is from the Inquirerdot net

Imperial’s 3rd place finish in Miss Earth capped the Philippines’ successful year in grand slam pageants or the

4 most important beauty contests in the world:

Miss Universe 2011: 3rd Runner up, Shamcey Supsup
Miss International 2011: Top 15, Dianne Necio
Miss World 2011: 1st Runner up, Gwendolyn Ruais
Miss Earth 2011: 2nd Runner up, Athena Imperial


CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!


MO TWISTER TO FACE RAPS OVER LEAKED VIDEO



Radio DJ Mo Twister or Mohan Gumatay in real life, born October 19,1977, will be facing charges after a video talking about sensitive issues between him and his then girlfriend Rhian Ramos allegedly leaked online.

“GMA Network is going to file charges against Mo Twister for malicious and false imputations against the network in his video posted this afternoon on YouTube” - GMA as quoted by gmanetwork.com in a story posted at 1 a.m. on Dec. 3. 
Gumatay said he had already deleted the controversial video but it was “repaired” by someone who bought his computer.

On his official Twitter account, Mo denies uploading the video.

At 8:20 p.m., still on Friday, Mo expressed through Twitter that he also didn’t know how the video got online.

“I can’t give any clear answers right now because I too am wondering how it all got here. I know I sold many of my things including computers that I had erased. Apparently, someone ‘repaired’ the erased files/hard drive and uploaded some personal files of mine,” he said.

Saying that he felt “terrible” about the incident, Mo said that he will postpone his flight to New York today and “stay until Monday, or later, in order to help clear or answer some of the questions, as well as investigate how someone may have retrieved my erased files.”

Mo stressed,

“One thing is clear, I loved Rhian very much and what we went through traumatized me, as other recent incidents have.”

Mo reiterated that he’s been “getting professional help to cope with the loss,” but have ultimately decided on “trying to heal outside of the Philippines instead” for an unknown period of time.

He ended his tweet with
“I appeal to whoever is in possession of my personal files to refrain from uploading anything further. I have spoken to my immediate supervisors and upon their advice, I will explain all of this on Sunday on ‘Paparazzi,’ as it is the only venue I have that has a sizable reach to many of you. I’m sorry again.”
The controversial video entitled “RepairedMovie.mov” was posted on YouTube by an anonymous user prettyjenny55 last November 28, 2011.

From a total of 353 page views on Friday night, it has been reported that the video has over 259,954 views as of today.


DAVID BECKHAM'S LA GALAXY VS. PHILIPPINE AZKALZ


The LA Galaxy won vs. the Philippine Azkals, 6-1 in their friendly match Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, at the Rizal Stadium in Manila. 

David Beckham scores the first goal for the LA Galaxy against the Philippine Azkals in their friendly match Saturday, Dec. 2, 2011, at the Rizal Stadium in Manila

David Beckham scored the opening goal, a trademark curling right-footed strike from outside of the box in the 20th minute to spark the Galaxy to victory against the Filipino side that looked threatening on the first half.

The huge crowd in Rizal Stadium in Manila appeared stunned, perhaps even awed, at the way David Beckham so effortless and so precisely curled the ball, finding the top left corner over the flailing arms of Azkals goalkeeper Eduard Sacapano. Mike Magee doubled the lead in the 28th with an expertly taken strike from just outside the box, following a brilliant layoff from captain Landon Donovan.

The Azkals’ only goal courtesy of Phil Younghusband got the loudest response though as the Filipino-British striker unleashed a left-footed strike.
Irish international Robbie Keane also scored for the Galaxy, who extended a 2-1 halftime lead as the Azkals backline grew weary in the second half.
Phil Younghusband scores what would be the lone goal for the Philippine Azkals against the LA Galaxy.
Keane struck in the 47th minute from a Beckham free kick, before Adam Cristman scored two goals, including in the 62nd minute off a feed from Donovan.

In action



Photos from move ph

Photos ANC ALERT/Miakka lim
But the action on the pitch took a backseat upon the arrival of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who came into the stadium early in the second half to watch the game together with his wife Jinkee and their children.

Beckham was substituted in the 75th minute. When he left the pitch, he approached Pacquiao at the VIP area to give him his jersey.

David Beckham also made good his promise to Phil Younghusband and gave him another of his jersey.
Phil Younghusband showing off his loot
 
 Dianne Castellejo interviewing David Beckham




LUNAR ECLIPSE ON DECEMBER 10, 2011


It’s really nice to think that we can witness an event that occurs very very rarely. Like the celestial event that will happen on Saturday, December 10, 2011.

We will witness not just a lunar eclipse but a total lunar eclipse and meteor shower on December 10. 2011 at around 7:33 p.m. and end at 1:30 a.m. the following day.

In Manila, the moon will rise at 5:13 p.m. on Dec. 10 and set at 5:38 a.m. the following day.

If you live in the Philippines, or in North America except for the eastern section, Hawaii Island, Oceania, Australasia, some parts of Asia, eastern Africa and Eastern Europe, you will be one of the billion people who will be able to watch a total lunar eclipse and meteor shower. 

The major phases of the eclipse are as follows:
  • Penumbral eclipse begins at 7:33 p.m. 
  • Partial eclipse starts at 8:45 p.m. 
  • Total eclipse happens at 10:31 p.m. 
  • Partial eclipse ends at 12:17 a.m. on Dec. 11  
  • Penumbral eclipse concludes at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 11.
A lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon so that the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon.

The penumbra, a Latin word meaning “for almost-shadow,” is the portion of a shadow resulting from the source of illumination being only partially blocked.

From Dec. 14 to 15, on the other the Geminids meteor shower will reach its peak.

Under a dark and cloudless sky just after midnight on the peak of its activity, meteors or ‘falling stars’ can be seen at an average rate of forty meteors per hour.
It’s a really democratic event because you don’t need an expensive telescope or any other sophisticated equipment to enjoy the spectacle — just your eyes or if you like you could use a pair of binoculars

This amazing phenomenon starts at about 7:33 p.m. on December 10, 2011.

In layman’s term, what you will witness with your bare eyes will be the moon moving into the Earth’s shadow. 

This is all expected to end roughly at 1:30 a.m.the following day.

However, a waning gibbous moon will be in the sky on the nights of this shower which will interfere with the show.
 Photo from air and space
The shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini, the Twin according to PAGASA .

Dec. 22, 2o11 is when the winter solstice will begin. Nights then will be longer than daytime. 

The Sun will reach the Winter Solstice on December 22 at 1:38 PM (PST). This marks the time when the Sun lies at its farthest point south of the equator. It signals the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.



David Beckham on Manny Pacquiao: I'm a huge fan


David Beckham admires Manny Pacquiao. And he was not denying it!


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