Travel, Photographs and Lifestyle

Sunday, March 11, 2012

HAPI EVENT

Last Saturday, March 10, 2012, I attended Expo Kid 4 at Rockwell Tent where HAPI (Homeschooling Association of the Philippine Islands) shared the wonderful benefits of homeschooling with parents.

You see, I grew up in a normal environment and went to a normal school that's why I was really curious about how they homeschool kids.

What is homeschooling?

According to HAPI (Homeschooling Association of the Philippine Islands), homeschooling is D.I.Y education at its best. Homeschooling brings a customized educational experience at home, one where the parents decide to fully take charge of teaching their children.

HAPI shared to everyone the five TOOLS needed for a successful do-it-yourself education.

The RULER represents the learning context. Homeschoolers can choose the homeschool provider that best fits their family or can opt to be independent of one. Whatever they choose, there should be Dep Ed supervision.
The HAMMER represents the learning content or the curriculum. This can be customized as there is a wide range of curricula and textbooks to choose from.
The SANDPAPER represents enrichment activities that hone the talent and skills of the homeschooler. Homeschoolers can enrol their children in music, arts, or sports programs to best utilize their God-given talents.
The SHARPENING STEEL represents the support group where like-minded and helpful parents share parenting ideas and homeschool help. The H.O.M.E. Library is one such group that provides encouragement to those who are homeschooling.
The PLUMB LINE represents the purpose which shall guide the family throughout their homeschooling journey. This is the most important tool for all and you, as a parent, must define a clear purpose before you embark on the homeschooling journey.

The PRODUCTS of successful homeschooling also shared their experiences and why they choose to homeschool as well.

Louise Mabulo, a finalist in the first Junior Masterchef, shared how difficult it was for her to adjust to the local culture when her family moved to Camarines Sur. The language barrier left her isolated from her classmates and caused her grades to drop. Things changed for the better when they started homeschooling through TMA. Homeschooling has enabled her to pursue her dream of becoming a young chef and has allowed her to meet respected politicians and statesmen.

Paul Tan-Chi, the captain of the Ateneo Blue Eagles before graduating Cum Laude, is also an exceptional example of how successful homeschoolers turn out to be. He credits his success to the values his parents inculcated in him at a very young age. He remembers being told to “Do your best in everything you do for God’s glory” and to this day, he always asks himself before making decisions, “What will bring glory and honor to God?”

In the Philippines, parents are considered the builders of a strong family foundation. So as parents you must lay the values system of your children. This is not an easy task, parents need all the support they can get. That is what HAPI D.I.Y. Homeschooling is trying to attain, to help parents bring out the best in their children. Yes siree to let their children achieve their full potential.

The kids who performed on stage that day are currently enrolled in the homeschooling program and I even saw a child who keeps on studying at the table where his mom is distributing pamphlet for the Home Schooling program. This can be a good alternative to regular school. They're not shy as opposed to the usual notion of parents that homeschooled kids are socially challenge individuals.

It is about time that parents takes this program into consideration.

You may be surprised at the list of famous personalities taught and schooled through homeschooling:

Best-selling author Christopher Paolini
NFL quarterback Tim Tebow
Tennis Champ Serena Williams
NASCAR racer Joey Logano
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
C.S. Lewis
Pearl S. Buck
Florence Nightingale

If you’re interested about homeschooling, there’s an upcoming Philippine Homeschool Conference happening on May 19, 2012 with Bo Sanchez as one of the speakers. It is a huge event and HAPI likes to invite everybody interested in homeschooling to come, discover, learn and be enlightened.

For more information, please visit www.hapihomeschooler.com or get in touch with them via email @ hapihomeschooler@gmail.com.

CHARICE PEMPENGCO LESBIAN NEW LOOK SHOCKS FANS

Charice Pempengco's Lesbian New Look shock her fans worldwide. She is now sporting a short blonde hair and a tattoo on her left forearm that says “Love Eternally.”

When asked by critics about her sexuality, she answered:

“Why would you ask me that question? I think that’s a very inappropriate question. For me, just love me. I’m a person. If you think I’m a boy or a girl or if I look like a boy, then fine. I’m Charice. What if people think she is a lesbian because of her new look? I know what people think…I don’t care.”

Charice recently held a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last March 9,2012 as a part of her ongoing ‘Infinity Tour.”

Look, get over it, folks. We've all gotten older since 1990, but few of us have accomplished as much as Charice Pempengco has.

Source of captured Photos and Videos: GMA

Other articles/ videos about Charice Pempengco:

Video - Charice Pempengco sings Lighthouse

Video - Charice Pempengco sings Kisapmata

Video - Charice Pempengco impersonates the Chipmunks

Charice Pempengco's latest look

Charice Pempengco's controversial status

Charice Pempengco vs DJ Mo in twitter

DJ Mo Twister trended hashtag Charice

Charice Pempengco on Preview Magazine's cover

Charice's blonde short hair and tattoo

Charice is nominated as favorite Asian Act in Kids Choice Awards 2012

Jenni Epperson Book Signing At The Block, SM North Edsa

Jenni Epperson Book Signing At The Block, SM North Edsa

I felt elated and really excited when I got invited to the book signing of Jenni Epperson for her book, ”Fashion + Food: Entertaining At Home In Style“ at The Block, SM North Edsa. To all of you fashionistas and shoppingeras out there, fashion and lifestyle guru Jenni Epperson certainly needs no introduction!

Okay for the benefit of those who never heard about Jenni Epperson. Let me introduce my fellow blogger, Jenni Epperson to you.

Jenni Epperson has been blogging for the past 7 years, she says she started out blogging to confront her fear of technology. She’s a traditional writer in newspapers and magazine. A fashion and lifestyle columnist at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She is the winner of the prestigious 2011 Asia Pacific Blog Awards for Best Lifestyle Blog in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Jenni Epperson is a simple lass from San Pedro Laguna. She never knew she’d be destined to work with celebrities. She said she didn’t know anyone and didn’t know celebrity or fashion editors. But her work and her passion led her to these people. And by being a fashion stylist also led her in creating this book so that she can share her knowledge with everyone.

Jenni Epperson is first and foremost a mom and a wife. She has two kids. She has an extensive knowledge, awareness and contacts around fashion and lifestyle industry which has earned her a tv spot on the Lifestyle Network, a “Stylist of the Year” Award as well as a vast number of other achievements under her belt. She also has an impressive client list that include some big names in politics and show business, she name dropped KC Concepcion as one of her clients.

I so love <3 Jenni Epperson's shoes during the book signing. Yes! It is a Jeffrey Campbell shoes , one of the hippest, trendiest and edgiest shoe brands available at SM Department store. She said it cost her Php 6,000 OMG! Ang mahal! Hays! Hanggang nganga na lang ako :-)

What is Jenni Epperson secret? She has been working in the fashion industry for more than 10 years and still feel passionate about everything she does. By staying hungry about her passion and her inner purpose to help others, it fuels her to continue her vision.

Look at Jenni Epperson's Eight (8) inches heels on the poster! She said she bought it on sale when we asked her what's the brand of her shoes. She gets so excited with the fact that she looks so tall in this poster.

Jenni said that her book Fashion + Food: Entertaining At Home In Style is geared towards transforming every woman into the quintessential urban hostess, no matter what the occasion, big or small.

She quips that this book will guide you through the following topics to help you become the hostess with the mostest:

How to set up a party for any occasion
What to wear when hosting a party
How to turn your home into the perfect event venue!
Mouthwatering recipes and beautiful table setting ideas
Inspiring and motivating quotes for each celebration

During the book signing she told us about her plato-platohan. Oh yes, some of them were featured in her book!

So, how does she “top last year’s projects”? Her answer is simple: move forward. My goal is to better myself as a human being and work on projects I believe in. I learned in life that when you do things that you love, everything else (money, recognition, peace of mind) follows.

Excerpts from Jenni:

Sometimes when things don’t go our way or when we are faced with challenges in our lives, it is important to remember that there is always a reason for them not to happen. We might not realize what it is immediately but later on, just like what Steve Jobs said:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path and that will make all the difference.”

Have faith. Believe in yourself. Be true. Be selfless.

Here’s to connecting the dots, staying hungry, and staying foolish.

Shopingero/shopingera, have you found what you love doing? If not, what steps are you taking to find it?

Jenni Epperson's 3 Mantra's in life:

Living life fully with balance.
Try to make your dream a reality.
Make every moment count.

She said that these are the stuff that grounds her. She said we don't have to wait for the time na madami na tayong pera before tayo mag-enjoy sa buhay.

“Enjoying life is about living a life in style. Making your dream a reality every single day is making every moment count. This has been my secret to a youthful look. My book is about living in the Now, on how to live your life fully".

“I created this book to empower you guys to change your life by simply changing some habits and lifestyle."

On Balancing Life and Fashion. She quips: “At the end of the day, I’m still a mom and a wife. Family is still my top priority, it is very important to me. So Sunday is like a sacred day for us, it is reserved for my family.”

When asked how she determined her passion she said:

" In this life, you’ve got to try a lot of things to know what you really want. Inspiration comes from everyday life. Writing a book had always been part of my bucket list."

When asked why we should buy her book she said:

" I do hope you get a copy of my book, it’s really helpful and I’m very proud of this. I worked on this for fifteen months. Inside my book are some of my plate collections, some amazing recipes like Pork Medallion in Peppercorn sauce, it’s really very easy to do but it looks so impressive. My book will help you to learn about minimum effort, maximum impact. You don’t need to become a top chef to make your family dinner happy by creating something special for them.”

"It is like shelling out a thousand peso for a Php 50,000 Value. It is a fabulous book. Hitik na hitik sa information and a very helpful book that can you make feel good."

Jenni said she wrote the book not for the money or grandeur but because she wanted to share to everyone that we all have to live our life fully.

So what are you waiting for? Buy Jenni Epperson's book now and live life to the fullest <3 .

Rico Blanco topbills Alveo Land’s 10th anniversary concert

I got to witness Alveo Land’s first-ever street concert for their 10th anniversary which topbills Rock Icon Rico Blanco last Saturday, March 10, 2012 at Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) .

Held on a truck, Rico Blanco rocked Alveo's High Street South with an impromptu concert for the first time from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The first-ever impromptu street concert, spearheaded by Alveo Land, was a realization of the company’s vision of the emergence of High Street South as BGC's cultural district that exudes a lively, cosmopolitan vibe. High Street South is Alveo Land 's pioneering integrated township ideal, which is set to redefine the BGC landscape in the next 25 years.

“As an initial display of what High Street South has to offer to our future residents and visitors, we decided to have a first-ever live outdoor impromptu performance of an exceptional performer who exudes a distinct kind of energy and vibe to underscore the vibrancy of the urban landscape that will soon be heightened in BGC,” Jennylle Tupaz, Project Development Group Head of Alveo Land.

Alveo Land’s High Street South, poised to become the country’s fastest-rising integrated urban development in the metropolis, is an exclusive township designed by the CAZA Group-renowned architects from a New York-based design studio, headed by a highly regarded Filipino in the industry, Architect Carlos Arnaiz.

To date, BGC - touted as the ‘Home of the Passionate Minds’, is an address of diverse retail and business shops, dining destinations, leisure options and residential developments.

The district, which continues to flourish ever since its inception, in fact has already established itself as one of the country’s fastest emerging mixed-use urban hubs.

For more information on Alveo Land, visit www.alveoland.com.ph, email info@alveosales.com.ph, or call (632) 848.5100 (Metro Manila) and 1-800-10-8485100 (outside Metro Manila). Model units are available for viewing daily from 9AM to 8PM at the 2nd floor W High Street building, 11th Street corner 28th Street, BGC, Taguig.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

FREE EYE SCREENING ON WORLD GLAUCOMA AWARENESS WEEK MARCH 11- 17, 2012

"That no Filipino shall ever go blind from glaucoma"
Vision of The Philippine Glaucoma Society

WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?

It is a complicated disease that causes gradual and progressive damage to the optic nerve, specifically the "cable" that transmits images to the brain. This ultimately leads to irreversible vision loss and even BLINDNESS when left untreated.

FACT: Glaucoma is the #1 cause of bilateral permanent blindness in the Philippines and at least half of them do not know they have the disease.

WHAT CAUSES GLAUCOMA?

Elevated pressure in the eye (commonly known as the intraocular pressure or IOP) is generally, but not always, the main factor leading to Glaucoma or damage to the eye's (optic) nerve.

Other factors such as previous eye trauma may also lead to glaucoma.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GLAUCOMA?

Generally, NONE in the early stages.

But for Acute Angle Closure Type of Glaucoma, do watch out for:

Blurry vision
Eye pain
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Rainbow colored halos around lights

WHO GETS GLAUCOMA?

Glaucoma affects people of ALL AGES - even children. But in most cases those who are:

AGE: Over 45
Family history of Glaucoma
High degree of Myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness)
Asian descent.
History of eye trauma, surgery
Steroid/Cortisone use
Diabetes
History of elevated intraocular pressure

Please keep in mind that Glaucoma does not see age or reason. It can afflict any person regardless of age, health, or race. Patients who are most likely to contract glaucoma usually have family history of the disease, high eye pressure, a previous eye injury, chronic steroid use and/or diabetes mellitus.

HOW IS GLAUCOMA DIAGNOSED?

An ophthalmologist or eye doctor can usually detect people who are at risk of having glaucoma. A series of test is needed to confirm if a person has glaucoma. All of these tests need to be repeated at intervals to assess the progress of the disease and the effect of the treatment - which sometimes takes years even.

Regular eye exams would still be the best thing to do and if your vision is getting blurry or with eye pain, go see an ophthalmologist right away.

Tonometry - measures the eye pressure
Pachymetry - determines the thickness of the cornea
Gonioscopy - examines the drainage angle and drainage area of the eye
Ophthalmoscopy - optic nerve assessment
Visual Field Testing - measures an individual's entire scope of vision - central and peripheral (side) vision.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR GLAUCOMA?

There is NO CURE for GLAUCOMA yet, and visual loss is irreversible. However, glaucoma is a disease that can generally be controlled when detected early - to prevent or slow-down further nerve damage and vision loss.

Eye drops
Laser treatment
Eye surgery

Early detection is the key to limit visual impairment and preventing the progression towards visual loss or blindness.

Patients with glaucoma need to be aware that it is a lifelong disease. Compliance with scheduled visits to the eye doctor and with prescribed medication regimens offers the best chance for maintaining vision.

HOW MUCH DOES GLAUCOMA TREATMENT COST?

Eye surgery (operation) - around Php 4,000 to Php 8,000 (for charity cases). Not all glaucoma patients need surgery. Most patients are prescribed with eye-drops or laser treatment.
Regular eye check up - Php 500 - Php 1,000 per patient for a comprehensive eye exam.
Glaucoma Screening (batch of tests) - Php 6,000 - Php 10,000 but not all patients need to undergo this screening. Your eye doctor will tell you if you need this.

To help address this critical situation, The Philippine Glaucoma Society, in partnership with multi-specialty health care company, Allergan, has organized Glaucoma Awareness activities for World Glaucoma Awareness Week from March 11 to 17, 2012. Both the Philippine Glaucoma Society and Allergan believe that blindness from the disease can still be prevented through early diagnosis and treatment.

(L-R) Dr. Norman Aquino (Past President of The Philippine Glaucoma Society) | Dr. Manolito Reyes (Immediate Past President of The Philippine Glaucoma Society) | Dra. Hannah Pia De Guzman | Dra. Ma. Zita Meriales | Dr. Mario V. Aquino (Founding President of PGS) | Dr. Rainier Covar | Dra. Imelda Yap-Veloso (Current President of PGS) | Dr. Jose Ma. Martinez (Current Vice-President of PGS) | Dr. Nilo Vincent Florcruz

WORLDWIDE GOAL FOR GLAUCOMA: "Don't Let Glaucoma Darken Your Life"

Increase awareness
Early detection
Early treatment
Prevent BLINDNESS
Improve quality of life

There will be a FREE EYE screening next week in celebration of the WORLD GLAUCOMA WEEK on March 11-17, 2012 . Please watch out for the schedule announcements or consult your eye doctor now so they can refer you for next week's Free eye examination.

Charice blonde short hair and a tattoo

Filipino diva Charice, who had a concert last March 9, 2012 at the Araneta Coliseum, shocks her Filipino fans when she arrived sporting a new look: blonde short hair and a tattoo on her left forearm. The 20-year-old explains why she changes her good girl image into a more edgy look.

“Yung ibang people sa management, gusto nila yung look ko parang Selena Gomez. (Some people in management want me have the Selena Gomez-look) The other one, they want me to be more like Avril Lavigne, which is what I like. Or more like Rihanna. That’s what I like. That’s what we’re trying to do. I think everybody’s shocked. This is such a huge step for me and I love it. This is me. This is who I am. I just don’t want to stay a person that I don’t like… I’ve been thinking about it for years and years. This is a dream come true for me,”

The tattoo which she got in Singapore says “Love Eternally” with an infinity sign in the middle.

“The tattoo that I have has a meaning. The tattoo says ‘love eternally’ and it has an infinity sign. It’s for my love for people, for my fans and for my family, for everybody. So, every time I do something I always have reason.”

With her boyish hair and tattoo, her critics are out once again saying that she looks like a lesbian and even compared her new look to Aiza Seguerra, a Filipina singer who is openly a lesbian.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve read tons of negative comments and I don’t care. Whatever they think maybe if I look somebody or whoever I don’t mind. I mean this is the look that I want. So, the only thing you can do is to move on”