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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, ...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY IN TRINOMA
Hey, TriNoma shoppers!
Get a crash course on basic photography with Mr. Ruel Tafalla in an exclusive workshop brought to you by Henry’s Professional and TriNoma.
The workshop is scheduled on July 21, 2012 3-6PM, at the Mindanao Lobby.
Limited slots are offered, so make sure you register early!
Photos by Ruel Tafalla
FREE Pre and Post Natal Care
Here is another FREE RUSTAN'S LIFESTYLE WORKSHOP to all mommy to be and mommy already!
Let Palmer's be your guide in your beautiful journey during your pregnancy.
Learn more about pre and post natal care from their guest specialist Dr. Lyra Evangelist-Blanco, M.D. OB GYN
When: July 21, 2012, Saturday
Time: 3 to 6pm
Where: Rustan's Shangri-La
Then another one on...
When: July 27, 2012, Friday
Time: 3 to 6pm
Where: Rustan's Makati
RSVP to reserve your slot.
0922-8787969
Computer and Communications Festival
Calling all techies!
What: Computer and Communications Festival
All Techies unite!
The Computer and Communications Festival in Hong Kong is the place to be for everything digital, from computer software and hardware, games, gadgets, accessories, video and digital cameras, music players, mobile phones, to the latest gizmos and many more! Be part of this amazing tech fest! For more details, visit www.hkccfexpo.com
What: Computer and Communications Festival
When: August 24–27, 2012
Where: Hong KongAll Techies unite!
The Computer and Communications Festival in Hong Kong is the place to be for everything digital, from computer software and hardware, games, gadgets, accessories, video and digital cameras, music players, mobile phones, to the latest gizmos and many more! Be part of this amazing tech fest! For more details, visit www.hkccfexpo.com
P500-million ‘Birkin scam
How a woman’s obsession led to crime
Are you one of those women who dream having all the luxury in the world? Do you have wads of cash lying around or just dreaming of becoming filthy rich? Try to resist desire for material things that you don't believe you can ever have.
The names have been changed pending the filing of case in court.Nate met Sheila (not their real names) in 2004 through his friend Jack, who owns an art gallery. Nate is the gallery director in a Manila university owned by his family. A former flight attendant who had taken a break from work when she married and had children, Sheila had just started working at Jack’s gallery.
Nate and Sheila quickly became friends. She was a very simple girl, he recalls in our interview, and even as she had no experience in the art scene, Sheila showed a knack for sales so that Jack began to trust her. Jack made her industrial partner, and later, managing director, widening her social network in the moneyed, art connoisseur set.
“When we first met, Nine West or Cole Haan were already expensive for her,” Nate says. “When she started hanging out with people from the art scene and several of her former flight-attendant friends who had married rich, that all began to change.”
He adds, “Louis Vuitton, she had a lot of those. Then this Birkin thing came about…”
Nate and Sheila’s friendship developed into a business relationship. It all started smooth and harmless. Nate would travel to Europe with his partner Tom, and Sheila would ask him to buy a few designer bags to sell her “clients.”
“At times, she said the orders would be three Chanels, five Goyards, one Hermes… All of these I would finance,” Nate says. “I made money by keeping the tax refund, and for each bag, depending on the price, I would get P10,000 to P25,000 each as carrier’s fee. I did that for almost 2½ years.”
Sheila made good on her word. “I enjoyed doing it,” says Nate. “With that alone, each of my flights to Europe was already paid for. And I was also into bags. I even earned points on my credit card.”
Then he quickly adds, “Let me be clear that I was only doing it for fun. I only did it on the side, I didn’t travel to Europe just to buy bags for her.”
It was about the time Hermes opened its first boutique here that things became complicated.
Plausible proposition
Hermes Birkin was the one bag everyone lusted after. But even if you had P500,000 lying around, which was the estimated cost of the cheapest Birkin in Greenbelt, the boutique couldn’t stock up by the dozens. If you wanted one quick, you had to look elsewhere.
“She asked if I wanted to invest in the Birkins,” Nate recalls.
The deal went this way: Sheila would ask an investor to pull in P450,000. In Europe, the cheapest Birkin costs shy of P400,000. She would sell the purse for P550,000. It was a plausible proposition: Some women would rather pay the extra P50,000 (over the Manila price tag) than travel to Europe to buy a purse.
Of the total sales, P50,000 would go to the carrier who buys the bag in Europe or elsewhere, P50,000 to Sheila as middle person, and P50,000 to the investor. In short, an investor’s P450,000 becomes P500,000 in just a month, or a profit of 11 percent—a deal even the top banks couldn’t give.
This time, Nate was a mere investor, not a buyer/carrier.
“We did that for about six times,” Nate says. On the seventh time, Nate asked his nephew if he wanted to invest as well. The nephew said yes and, as usual, all parties involved laughed all the way to the bank.
“I never saw the Birkins; she just showed me photos on her phone,” Nate says. It didn’t matter. She paid him on schedule. Business was good.
Then came February this year. Nate was readying for another Europe trip when Sheila called to ask if he had P2 million. It was for a crocodile Birkin, she said, which would cost that much. She was sure she could sell the bag the following week. Expected profit was a cool P200,000.
“In a pyramid scam, this tactic doesn’t make you instantly rich, it makes you buy time,” Tom, Nate’s partner, points out. “If I ask P2 million from you, I’ll use it to temporarily make good with everybody.”
Looking back, Nate believes the P2 million was intended to pay off checks issued investors that were due for payment. At the time, he didn’t suspect yet that anything was amiss.
Again, Nate turned to his nephew for P500,000 with a promised profit of P50,000. “My nephew wanted to invest the entire P2 million but good thing I told him no.”
Nate met with Sheila a few days later, on Feb. 13, in a friend’s house, where she handed him the check for the investment plus profit, dated Feb. 17.
“She looked different,” Nate says on hindsight. “She had no makeup on, no jewelry. She looked gaunt and sick. I didn’t know then that her financial woes were already piling up.”
On Feb. 15, a Wednesday, Sheila called Nate to say she wasn’t able to deposit the check payment of the Birkin buyer (to fund the check issued Nate). “Monday came and she called again early to say the buyer’s check bounced so she’d just deposit the amount to my account that afternoon. I kept calling the bank all day as I was leaving for Europe the next day, and nothing. I had already issued a check to my nephew dated Feb. 23. I didn’t want that to bounce, especially since I would be away. I decided to get back the check, and just paid my nephew in cash. I didn’t want any trouble with my family.”
Crumbling pyramid
On their way to the airport, Tom finally told Nate: “Can’t you see, the pyramid is crumbling?”
Tom says he always had misgivings about Sheila’s dealings, but he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. He thought it was too good to be true, but he had no reason to doubt her; she was a good friend to Nate. And up until that moment, she always delivered.
Turned out his gut feel was right. “If you can make that much money out of nothing, why would you let other people in?” Tom says rhetorically. “You’d just keep it for yourself! The fact that she can extract money from people for nothing, she must be good, all right.”
Sheila has not been seen or heard from since February. Nate and their friends suspect she’s hiding somewhere in the US. When things unraveled, it became known that the woman had duped many people, including her own closest friends and Nate’s. The others lost enormous amounts that made the P550,000 Nate had lost seem like loose change.
“Funny because we had regular dinners and no one ever spoke of their business dealings with Sheila,” Nate says wryly. “It just seemed like good business that each wanted to keep it a secret…
“One time Sheila went to the wife-manager of an artist to ask for P5 million,” Nate says. “Her favorite line was ‘magwalis-walis ka diyan, baka naman may mahanap kang P5 million.’ When that manager told her she had no money and to ask from our friend Jane instead, Sheila replied that how could she do that when Jane was just on an allowance from her rich husband. In truth she’d already gotten P13 million from Jane!
“When it was suggested that she come to me instead, she told the person that we were not close. I’m the godfather of her son!”
Social butterfly
Nate estimates Sheila has made off with about P500 million from different people, based on the claims of those who have come forward. “We can’t really tell how much. More victims are coming out every day.”
(Nate, Tom and Celina, another victim, spoke to Inquirer on condition of anonymity, pending the filing of a case against Sheila. Other supposed victims declined our requests for interview.)
Nate witnessed Sheila’s transformation from the simple girl he met eight years ago to a Birkin-toting social butterfly.
On her birthday last April, Sheila had a Makati salon closed for her private party. She had the model’s posters on the walls replaced with her own portraits, and she hired a top caterer. After the salon party, she and her guests were chauffeured to a five-star hotel, where she hosted dinner and after-dinner cocktails.
Nate never wondered how Sheila was able to maintain her lifestyle; he just assumed her Birkin business was doing very good.
Sheila’s husband, Jake, works for a high-profile veteran politician and wears designer suits.
“Hermes, Louis Vuitton,” Tom says. “He never wore Hugo Boss because he said it was beneath him, and that’s what he told people.” Jake’s shoe closet of over 200 pairs of designer brands—Prada, Dior, Gucci—was even featured in a shoe blog, says Nate.
In an art fair last year, Sheila’s young son pointed to a random painting and said he liked it. The mom didn’t think twice about plunking P75,000 for the painting, Nate says.
Of how the couple kept their lavish lifestyle, says Tom: “I told Nate that it could be one of two things: It was either Sheila’s business was doing so good, or her husband was really corrupt.”
One time, Nate went to a Greenbelt 4 boutique with Sheila and her husband. Jake paid for the purchases in cash. When Nate asked why he didn’t use a credit card since it was a large amount, Jake joked that it was better that way since it meant no paper trail.
Not just Birkins
Sheila’s scheme turned out to be not just about Birkins. “To others, it would be paintings,” says Tom, who also owns an art gallery. “She would show a photo of a painting on her phone. She’ll say 10 Anita Magsaysay-Ho! Even a Monet! How can she get a Monet! All these people believed! Different approaches to different people. Minsan alahas, watches. Very creative.
“There are lots of sad stories. She got money from someone who was getting chemo.
Someone’s house got foreclosed because they invested all their savings with Sheila. She also got money from the owner of her son’s school, even the PTA. Of course, how could they not trust her? She brought her son’s entire class to Ocean Park, complete with lunch!”
While no case has yet been filed against Sheila, the irony is that one of her former airline friends, Celina, is being sued by an investor who lost P7 million. Celina’s son had asked Jake to issue an affidavit attesting that Sheila and his mom were not “business partners,” ergo not in cahoots, as alleged in the suit, but Jake refused.
Celina was Sheila’s senior in the airline they worked for. The older woman was a sponsor at Sheila’s wedding.
“I had no reason to doubt her,” says Celina in a phone call to the Inquirer. “She had no history of being dishonest.”
Distressed about being sued for Sheila’s crime, Celina laments her predicament. “I really want to go after her, but I can’t even do that because I can’t pay for a lawyer; she made off with all my money!” She lost P11 million of her personal money to her old friend.
No haggling
A fashion designer, who asked for anonymity, describes Sheila as a good client for about five years. She never haggled, he says. At one point, she paid him with a painting; she claimed she owned a gallery.
“That was her packaging: young, rich and successful,” says the designer. “She always wore new things. Her bags were always the latest.”
Nate also found out that Sheila never sold those Chanels and Celines he had been buying for her in Europe; she used them herself. “She just never wore them when we were together. But she told our friends they were gifts from me! No wonder when someone had a birthday, they would tease me, pa-Chanel ka naman.”
The week before Sheila disappeared, Nate learned she held a garage sale, apparently to offset her other debts.
“She had 40 pairs of Tory Burch flats. If she liked something, she bought it in all colors. The Celine bags that are so popular now, she had 12 of those, all in exotic leather.”
Their friend Amy, who was closest to Sheila, wasn’t spared. She offered to sell Amy’s croc Birkin, and the trusting friend said yes. Sheila didn’t sell the bag, she only pawned it. “Good thing Amy knew the person she pawned it to. Amy redeemed her own bag,” Nate says.
Lavish lifestyle
It wasn’t, however, the only time Sheila tried to pull a fast one on her best friend. She sold a 3-carat diamond ring to Amy, an object so cherished by the self-made IT entrepreneur that she had a safe built just for it.
But at a party, a jeweler-friend noticed that the rock was a fake. Sheila shrugged this off, saying that the stone must have been replaced by the person she entrusted with it for cleaning. She offered to reimburse Amy, just like that. The trusting friend was appeased.
Sheila’s tastes had gotten quite expensive through the years that on a Bangkok vacation last year with Nate, Tom and their girl friends, she refused to join them in the city’s bargain haunts. Instead she stayed behind in the hotel to get spa treatments, and shopped only in high-end malls.
Sheila’s Twitter account, which is public but hasn’t been updated since she disappeared, also provides an insight into her lavish lifestyle. Frequent subjects of her tweet exchanges with friends were designer clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry. (Her Facebook account has been deleted.)
Investors and creditors had cleared Sheila’s home of furniture and art pieces, says Nate, the same home she claimed she owned and had renovated for P2 million. “We were there for the blessing. It turns out they were just renting.”
Her family has since vacated the apartment, according to Nate.
“She just had to keep up with friends!” Tom says. “She must have thought they wouldn’t stay her friends if she didn’t have the same things they had.”
Even in his resentment, there’s a tinge of grief in Nate’s voice over the friendship and trust that’s now in ruins. “She was really nice,” he concedes. “We never knew she would be scamming everyone.”
Source: Inquirer
In Shiela's warped mind she seemed to have care about Nate as she did not
scam him as much as her other 'friends'. Plus when she told other people that she and Nate are not
close saved Nate from possible law suit. It proved that he had nothing to do with her
scam.
It is sad that this woman and her hubby stooped down to just
so people would envy them. Why do other people try so hard to impress people who would not care less about you if you were not rich.
Ikaw, ano ang gusto mong kaibigan? Isang kaibigan na ubod nang bait, grandiyosa at magandang makisama pero scammer o isang kaibigan na simple lang pero laging nagsasabi ng tutuo at hindi manloloko?
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is an example of a wealthy person who knows being rich doesn't oblige him to live lavishly.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
ABS CBN Tribute to Dolphy
ABS CBN Tribute to Dolphy.
Up on his sleeves, is more than six decades of making Filipino laugh.
RIP Mang Dolphy. :-(
Thanks for the laughter.
Dolphy dies at 83
http://travel-on-a-shoe-string.blogspot.com/2012/07/abs-cbn-tribute-to-dolphy.html
Dolphy dies at 83.
15 days short to his 84th birthday.
Dolphy, The Comedy King passed away this evening,at 8:34 P.M., Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at the Makati Medical Center due to multiple organ failure, secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Acute Renal Failure.
Dolphy' s real name is Rodolfo Vera Quizon. He was born in Pampanga and was raised in Tondo.
I really feel sad. He gave us so much joy and laughter in times of trouble. I am really glad to have met him personally in Hong Kong on one of our summer vacations. I remember him as the ever smiling Mang Dolphy. He is now with my Dad and Mom in heaven. I bet they will be laughing together in heaven. Heaven will be a much happier place now with Mang Dolphy around.
Dolphy came from a very humble beginnings, and his admiration of comedians Pugo and Tugo influenced him to be a stage performer. His first screen name was Golay, and he used this name for his first movie with Fernando Poe Sr., the father of his friend the late action king Fernando Poe Jr.
Dolphy started his first career in a TV Show, Buhay Artista, at ABS-CBN with a talent fee of One thousand pesos. That was soon followed by many shows and movies.
Dolphy had 18 children to six different women. His last partner was actress Zsa Zsa Padilla.
Caricature by John Bautista |
15 days short to his 84th birthday.
Dolphy, The Comedy King passed away this evening,at 8:34 P.M., Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at the Makati Medical Center due to multiple organ failure, secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Acute Renal Failure.
Dolphy' s real name is Rodolfo Vera Quizon. He was born in Pampanga and was raised in Tondo.
I really feel sad. He gave us so much joy and laughter in times of trouble. I am really glad to have met him personally in Hong Kong on one of our summer vacations. I remember him as the ever smiling Mang Dolphy. He is now with my Dad and Mom in heaven. I bet they will be laughing together in heaven. Heaven will be a much happier place now with Mang Dolphy around.
Dolphy came from a very humble beginnings, and his admiration of comedians Pugo and Tugo influenced him to be a stage performer. His first screen name was Golay, and he used this name for his first movie with Fernando Poe Sr., the father of his friend the late action king Fernando Poe Jr.
Dolphy started his first career in a TV Show, Buhay Artista, at ABS-CBN with a talent fee of One thousand pesos. That was soon followed by many shows and movies.
Dolphy had 18 children to six different women. His last partner was actress Zsa Zsa Padilla.
The Filipino people will miss you! You have given so much Joy in our hearts.
Rest in peace, Mang Dolphy.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
The other side of the Fence
Have you ever wonder what's on the other side of the fence? Yes, just like you probably, I have never been to Muntinlupa Penitentiary in my whole existence on earth.
Until we got a surprise invitation to cover an event inside the penitentiary. I was not able to join the first two coverage. But for the finals of the Iron Chef, I decided to take on the challenge. So for the very first time, last June, 2012, I visited the maximum security compound of Muntinlupa together with seven other bloggers to cover the Finals of Iron Chef.
Yes, I will be honest with you, I was having second thoughts, yeah even third thoughts if there is such a thing. My family doesn't want me to go, but I told my brother that this is a chance of a lifetime and the organizer assured us that it is very safe on the other side of the fence. So, against my family's order, I went and learned a thing or two lessons in life and conquer my baseless fear.
I was so excited to see for myself what I watched from the movies. This castle like facade is the main entrance to the Muntinlupa Bureau of Corrections.
There are two towers on both sides of the entrance. They say that the worst criminals wind up behind bars in Bureau of Corrections. This is where they house the maximum security compound. But there are also medium, low, and minimum-security prisons.
A flag pole with our Philippine flag waving mightily on top of the pole. And below is insignia of the Kawanihan ng Koreksiyon.
Yes, I will be honest with you, I was having second thoughts, yeah even third thoughts if there is such a thing. My family doesn't want me to go, but I told my brother that this is a chance of a lifetime and the organizer assured us that it is very safe on the other side of the fence. So, against my family's order, I went and learned a thing or two lessons in life and conquer my baseless fear.
I was so excited to see for myself what I watched from the movies. This castle like facade is the main entrance to the Muntinlupa Bureau of Corrections.
There are two towers on both sides of the entrance. They say that the worst criminals wind up behind bars in Bureau of Corrections. This is where they house the maximum security compound. But there are also medium, low, and minimum-security prisons.
A flag pole with our Philippine flag waving mightily on top of the pole. And below is insignia of the Kawanihan ng Koreksiyon.
At the entrance we were instructed to log in at their record book, and state the reason of our visit.
Next step is to present our valid government issued Identification cards. After they inspected our I.D. we were instructed to line up to have our pictures taken for our I.d. inside the penitentiary.
With our visitors I.D., we were asked to step on top of this platform for the body inspection/ search.
Then we were let inside the iron bars. Inside we filled up another attendance sheet, and was subject again to another search. They wanted to get our phones and camera but our fellow social media blogger told them that we are there to cover the Iron Chef Finals. So we need our cameras to cover the event.
It was a very enriching experience. Inside the
compound there's hundreds if not thousands of inmates. When we were interviewing the contestants for the Iron Chef finals, we learned that not all of them are hardened criminals. Some
are just victims of circumstances.
In this crazy world we live in, it can be said that the more dangerous jungle is not inside the penitentiary but outside in the very community that we live in. Where we kill other people by the very words we utter against them. We judge as if there's no tomorrow. We said unkind words without the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we are guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
In this crazy world we live in, it can be said that the more dangerous jungle is not inside the penitentiary but outside in the very community that we live in. Where we kill other people by the very words we utter against them. We judge as if there's no tomorrow. We said unkind words without the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we are guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
Circumstances prove time and time again, that in order to live we have to let live. We do not judge so as not to be judge. Hitting people behind their back, does not only show cowardice but also show our breeding and upbringing.
People inside the penitentiary live in a community. I think that is a part of the rehabilitation process. They have inmate work program, health care, education and skills training, recreation and sports, religious guidance and behavior modification using the therapeutic community approach. I saw a basketball court, individual stoves, religious, hobbycraft, and was told that some inmates paint different art works that they sell to big department stores. How I wish we were brought in that area. Maybe next time, they will show us the art works of the inmates. Some inmates are like vendors they sell their hobbycraft for a very cheap price. My co-blogger Karen was able to purchase a jug like coin bank/ piggy bank ( ok, ok. Alkansya in Tagalog. Ha ha ha!)
Imagine a piggy/ jug bank for only Php 150.00. This work of art is so gorgeous!
Imagine a piggy/ jug bank for only Php 150.00. This work of art is so gorgeous!
I also wanted to buy something from them, to at least help them earn, but our companions are already waiting for us. I waited for Karen and at the same time sent signals to our other companions to wait for us. We hurried back to join our group.
At the exit you will see this sign hanging on the iron bars. Read and reflect on them...
At the exit you will see this sign hanging on the iron bars. Read and reflect on them...
I will be blogging about the Iron Chef finals on my other blog, so stay tune!
Have a free and happy day!
Have a free and happy day!
ONLINE ENTREPRENEUR SEMINAR
|
Event Details
You are invited to join us in this workshop!
Skill level: Hobbyist, Semi-pro to Start-up Pro
The Course Outline of the Workshop will be as follows:
1. Top Mistakes Newbie Blogger Makes that destroys their brand and credibility on Day 1.
2. Critical Elements of a Successful Blog which I learned from 7 years of professional Blogging Experience.
3. How to Blog (from a Pro-Blogger Point of View)?
4. Marketing Strategies for your blog: SEO, Social Media and Email Marketing
5. How to Grow your Readership Base Exponentially?
6. How to Monetize your Blog 101 (Google Adsense, Direct Ads)
7. Top Considerations before Quitting your Day Job and going Full Time on Blogging
When: July 13, 2012
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Studio SnR, 3rd Floor Millenium Plaza Building, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center (the building is right next to the Caltex Gas Station, corner of J. Vargas and Meralco Avenue)
If you are interested to attend feel free to call or text or e-mail Ginger Palma Arboleda
manilaworkshops@gmail.com
Cp # 0917-855-5990
The Course Outline of the Workshop will be as follows:
1. Top Mistakes Newbie Blogger Makes that destroys their brand and credibility on Day 1.
2. Critical Elements of a Successful Blog which I learned from 7 years of professional Blogging Experience.
3. How to Blog (from a Pro-Blogger Point of View)?
4. Marketing Strategies for your blog: SEO, Social Media and Email Marketing
5. How to Grow your Readership Base Exponentially?
6. How to Monetize your Blog 101 (Google Adsense, Direct Ads)
7. Top Considerations before Quitting your Day Job and going Full Time on Blogging
When: July 13, 2012
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Studio SnR, 3rd Floor Millenium Plaza Building, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center (the building is right next to the Caltex Gas Station, corner of J. Vargas and Meralco Avenue)
If you are interested to attend feel free to call or text or e-mail Ginger Palma Arboleda
manilaworkshops@gmail.com
Cp # 0917-855-5990
THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN MOVIE
I got so excited when I received an invitation to the Spiderman Movie.
When I went to watched the amazing spider-man movie at My Cinema in Greenbelt 3 last July 4, 2012 they gave us Spiderman Doughnut! No photo though :-( ! Why? Because my SD Card encountered an error :-( Sad.
Verdict: The movie is nice. It shows the beginning of Spiderman, what makes him thick and the very reason why he started hunting criminals.
With the doughnut : I so love it!. Thanks Krispykreme and of course Geiser Maclang you're the best!
Friday, July 6, 2012
NIDO DISCOVERY CENTER ROBOT ZOO CONTEST WINNERS
NIDO DISCOVERY CENTER ROBOT ZOO CONTEST WINNERS
First, I would like to thank all the people who took time to enter the contest. And don't worry I will be having another giveaway, so go lang ng go! Malay mo ikaw na ang next winner! Again, maraming maraming Salamat po!
To KIMBERLY REMIGIO GeiserMaclang would like to give you enough time to reply, please e-mail me at travelonashoestrings@gmail.com your real name, home address, pictures and e-mail address until July 18, 2012. I hope that is enough time already for you to send me an e-mail and picture. Kindly prepare your I.D. for claiming the Tickets.
Since, the second winner did not reply I chose another winner. Congratulations Ms. Gina Rogelio you won 3 tikets to the Robot Zoo.
Attention to the winners:
The Robot Zoo at the Nido Discovery Center in SM Mall of Asia is not a permanent exhibit. It will only be there until the end of July then it will be transferred to Dubai ( if the information given to me was correct.) So don't miss your chances. Visit the Robot Zoo Now! Thank you very much!
First, I would like to thank all the people who took time to enter the contest. And don't worry I will be having another giveaway, so go lang ng go! Malay mo ikaw na ang next winner! Again, maraming maraming Salamat po!
Congratulations to:
KIMBERLY REMIGIO
JAMELYN BUENCUCHILLO- Update she responded and sent me a picture with her son!
Congratulations! Because of that Travel on a Shoestring, Geiser Maclang and Nido will give you not 1 but 3 Tickets! Congratulations!!!!! Yes, you could now bring Daddy along! They want you mommy Jamelyn, your son and Daddy to go together to the Robot Zoo. Don't forget to send us your pictures when you visit the Robot Zoo Nido Discovery center at SM Mall of Asia.
Since, the second winner did not reply I chose another winner. Congratulations Ms. Gina Rogelio you won 3 tikets to the Robot Zoo.
Attention to the winners:
Please note that if you fail to send me your
details and pictures until 12 noon of July 18, 2012 the sponsor will
choose another set of winners and your tickets will be forfeited so please cooperate. Thanks for your cooperation.
A Salute to Philhealth Staff
I salute the dedication of the Philhealth employees at the Quezon Avenue Branch. The staff starts working at 7 o' clock in the morning until they served the last man standing in line every single day.
As Philhealth members, the least we could do is be kind to them and give them a smile when we go to their office.
I heard a lot of complaints while applying for a Philhealth card. People, maybe you got so mad standing for so many hours lining up because you decided to pay on the last day of payment for the quarter, well siree, that is already your fault. There is three months in every quarter, you could pay at the bank or bayad center long before its due date.
It is now the policy of the bank not to accept payment a day or two before the due date so take note of that po.
Yes! Payment can be made well in advance through their accredited banks nationwide or at bayad center or at Philhealth offices nationwide long before the end of the three month period.
Some people also got mad because their is no aircon at Philhealth Quezon Avenue,
well you are only there once every quarter, whereas those Philhealth
employees are there every single day. Yes, those Philhealth employees
have more reasons to complain than you. But they don't, at least they're saving people's money. Our taxes or Philhealth contributions will not go to the electricity bill. Thus, we save money. :-)
I also learned that in order to serve more people paying a visit at
their branch, these Philhealth employees sacrifice their lunch break
from an hour to half an hour each on rotation with NO LUNCH BREAK! That means the flow of transaction is non-stop, which is good for us Philhealth members.
Please be aware too, that our contributions will increase come October 1, 2012 so better avail of the old rate. Our one hundred pesos per month contribution will increase by one hundred percent making the new contribution payable Two hundred pesos per month.
So if you want to save money better pay your Philhealth contribution in advance until the end of 2013 before October 1, 2012.
Green Leafy Vegetables
A pleasant Good morning to everyone~!
I took this photo when we were in Baguio City Public Market. Kids today don't like to eat vegetables. And that is a no no!
While your kids are still young, train them to eat Green Leafy Vegetables. It is not only healthy but also very nutritious too!
Greens are a neglected gold mine. Filipinos today are trained to eat at fast food restaurants as early as two years old or maybe even younger. While I was growing up, everybody is telling me that green leafy vegetables have a good effect on one's health. Then why do Filipinos today rarely eat green leafy vegetables?
Why are cabbage, broccoli, turnip greens, and spinach are rarely seen at the Filipino's dinner table?
Why is lettuce the only green vegetable that most Filipinos ever use. Yeah, they use it on their salads or as toppings on their burgers with thousand island dressings and mayonnaise.
Green vegetables are recognized by nutritionists as one of the most inexpensive sources of so many important nutrients. And yet, we take those green leafy vegetables for granted.
Kumain ng gulay dahil eto ay pampahaba ng buhay! (Eat vegetables for they prolong life!) Enjoy! Have a happy day!
PHILIPPINE HUMAN FLAG IN MANHATTAN
The First Marching FILIPINO HUMAN FLAG in New York City.
At
least 450 people march in Madison Avenue, New York City at PIDCI's
Philippine Independence Day Parade to form the first marching Philippine
human flag and raise funds for 6,000 families affected by typhoon
Sendong, the worst calamity that hit the Philippines in 2011.
The event was organized by Gawad Kalinga-USA. The human flag march aims to break the record of the biggest marching human flag in the next three years.
Photo Credits: Lester Echem
"Gawad pag-ibig, gawad kalinga..ito'y kailangan upang magkaisa"
PROUD TO BE PINOY!
Special thanks to Ruby and HAROLD E. CLAVITE
Development SpecialistGK-USA
(773) 426 4228
The event was organized by Gawad Kalinga-USA. The human flag march aims to break the record of the biggest marching human flag in the next three years.
Photo Credits: Lester Echem
"Gawad pag-ibig, gawad kalinga..ito'y kailangan upang magkaisa"
PROUD TO BE PINOY!
Special thanks to Ruby and HAROLD E. CLAVITE
Development SpecialistGK-USA
(773) 426 4228
Mo Twister Uploads Controversial Picture on Instagram
He did it again!
It seems like Mo Twister is always hungry for attention!
"Like" hungry Mo Twister posted a photo of a topless woman ready to strip it off on his Instagram account.
The woman has her back on the camera. She's only wearing a thin, flesh colored panties labeled with "like this" with the famous Facebook thumbs up emoticon. The TV host/radio jock said the woman was aware that the camera was on.
Mo Twister: Do the amount of "Likes" you get on your Instagram pics mean a lot to you? I have to admit, it's pretty important to me. I feel accomplished and popular when I get a lot of "Likes"...so, here, she's wearing a "Like this" underwear for you to "Like" and yes, she knew the camera was on! ;)
It seems like Mo Twister is always hungry for attention!
"Like" hungry Mo Twister posted a photo of a topless woman ready to strip it off on his Instagram account.
The woman has her back on the camera. She's only wearing a thin, flesh colored panties labeled with "like this" with the famous Facebook thumbs up emoticon. The TV host/radio jock said the woman was aware that the camera was on.
Mo Twister: Do the amount of "Likes" you get on your Instagram pics mean a lot to you? I have to admit, it's pretty important to me. I feel accomplished and popular when I get a lot of "Likes"...so, here, she's wearing a "Like this" underwear for you to "Like" and yes, she knew the camera was on! ;)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
GREAT NORTHERN SALE in SM CITY NORTH EDSA this JULY 13-14-15, 2012
I am so excited and I just can't hide it!
Hey folks! Maybe you are wondering why I am so excited? It is because of the upcoming GREAT NORTHERN SALE in SM CITY NORTH EDSA this JULY 13-14-15, 2012.
Major
Discounts Everywhere You Look! Get the most exclusive deals on all
brands, stores and dining places only at SM City North EDSA.
GREAT NORTHERN SALE
July 13-14-15, 2012
up to 70% off on selected brands!
July 13-14-15, 2012
up to 70% off on selected brands!
Flavors of Asia at Marriott Manila
A lot of people will agree that one of the best ways to experience Asia is
through its food—historic, flavorful, and vast. Especially for the
Southeast Asian region that boasts a multi-cultural and hard-hitting
influence with the way we enjoy cooking and eating, it’s no wonder why
dishes that hail from these regions are considered a feast for the
senses.
To pay tribute to this revered cuisine of the world; Marriott
Manila brings home four of the Asia ’s most famous cuisines. From
Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia and Vietnam , Marriott Cafe tantalizes
everyone with a masterpiece through a month-long celebration of
Oriental flavors that’s uniquely Marriott.
What else could be more exciting other than a larger than life
encounter with Renaissance Kuala Lumpur’s Ruhizad Muri, JW Marriott
Jakarta’s Dadang Wahyudi, Renaissance Riverside Saigon Phan Tien Hoa,
and JW Marriott Bangkok Thanatorn Krobsuay. Boasting with culinary
career track that is dynamically diverse, expect only authentic and a
palate tickling adventure anyone could get.
For only P2, 300 net from Sunday to Thursday and P2, 500 net for
Friday and Saturday, enjoy a charming Asian dinner that assures an
enjoyable age-old tradition of bonding through a delicious mix of
aromatic, spicy, rich, sweet, and hot Flavors of Asia.
Back by popular demand, Thai food definitely deserves all the hype
for its four fundamental tastes that we Filipinos love: sweet, sour,
salty, and bitter. Chef Thanatorn Krobsuay who trail blazed the first
two consecutive most-talked about Thai Food Fest at Marriott Café,
there’s no denying that it’s one of the cuisines we regularly crave
for. This year, chef Thanathorn makes the selections more lavish and
worth discovering with his new menu line up such as: deep fried sea
bass with chili sauce, sautéed squid with pineapple and cucumber, beef
balls cooked with typical Malay sauce, and braised beef spiced with
turmeric and coconut.
More than its legendary nasi lemak, chef Ruhizad Muri gives
foodies a taste of Malaysia ’s noteworthy nyonya cuisine. A signature
Penang-type of cooking that blends spices from roots (galangal,
turmeric, and ginger); leaves (pandan, lime, and laksa); fruit (lemon,
tamarind, and green mangoes); together with other ingredients like
shrimp paste and chilies. Imbibed from Thai cooking style, chef
Ruhizad puts an interesting twist with the time-honored wok dishes of
Malaysia . This section invites everyone as well to get creative with
blue crab, shrimps,dilis fish, beef tenderloin, chicken, clams,
barbeque chicken, steamed fish, assorted vegetables peppered with
Malaysian spices.
Another Southeast Asian cuisine that deserves to be in the
limelight is Indonesian. Popular for their satay which shows Asians’
love affair for grilled meats, chef Dadang Wahyudi makes skewers
tastier and more appetizing with these selections: chicken, shrimps,
calamari, beef, goat, pork and fish in assorted marinations! Another
must-try is the bebek betutu klung klung, an all-spiced up Balinese
dish enhanced by a host of pungent roots, herbs, and seasoning. Both
locals and visitors are just so psyched about this heavenly roasted
duck recipe that it’s considered a dish specially reserved for big
banquets and ceremonies.
A native of Ho Chi Minh, chef Phan Thien Hoa presents well-rounded
Vietnamese dishes notable for its minimal use of oil, bountiful use of
herbs and vegetables-- which shouldn’t make one wonder why it ranks as
one of the healthiest foods in the world! Most travelers would agree
that a Vietnam trip is never complete without tasting a steamy and
flavorful bowl of pho. Considered the heart and soul of Vietnamese
cuisine, it features a delicious play on broth, rice noodles, meat,
herbs and spices. Another delicacy that Vietnam is famous for is the
Vietnamese spring rolls—soft rice wrappers filled with choicest meats
and vegetables such as shrimps, tofu, chicken, and beef. Enjoy it fresh
and slow at this special section which will make you feel the charming
street-food style eating in Vietnam .
And with the Philippines long coast line, it’s a crime to miss out
our very owns seafood choices. Your meal will never be complete
without the tiger prawns, steamed lobster on ice, marinated marina clam
and curacha crab which are all highly regarded for its freshness,
standout taste and quality. So make sure this cold section is part of
your eating plan.
While the West is abundant with milk for most of their dessert
recipes, Southeast Asians on the other hand capitalize on the creamy
goodness of coconut milk, whether it’s for glutinous rice or fruits. A
mix of sweet, savory, hot and cold, these should be a flavorful last
hurrah for a really good meal: pandan crepes rolled with caramelize
coconut, stewed green bean with palm sugar, banana in sweet coconut,
pandan leave jelly plus other famous delicacies that will surely strike
anyone’s fancy.
Much more, we believe that food and travel are a perfect way to go
if someone wants to have an in-depth experience of a local destination.
With this in mind, our Marriott properties in Thailand, Malaysia ,
Indonesia and Vietnam ,are giving away three days and two nights gift
certificates to four lucky diners of Flavors of Asia—all you need to
fully enjoy a one hundred percent Asian experience!
Bringing an authentic taste of local life and hospitality, our four
chefs will also conduct a special cooking class for only P1, 500 net
inclusive of a hearty lunch: July 9, Thai; July 16, Malaysian, July 23
Vietnamese; and July 30, Indonesian. If you wish to experience this
treat that’s injected with fun and information, consider enjoying Asian
cuisine by learning to cook it yourself!
Instead of hitting the usual haunt, invite the group over and explore a night of culinary adventure at Marriott Café, guaranteed to give anyone a quick passport to Asia .
For inquiries or reservations, call Marriott Café at 988-9999.
Instead of hitting the usual haunt, invite the group over and explore a night of culinary adventure at Marriott Café, guaranteed to give anyone a quick passport to Asia .
For inquiries or reservations, call Marriott Café at 988-9999.
ABOUT MARRIOTT HOTEL MANILA:
An inviting beacon set in the world-class casino entertainment complex of Resorts World Manila, Marriott Hotel Manila is the place to work and play. Ideally located in Newport City across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, it is a convenient 15 minute drive from Makati Business District and Bonifacio Global City . Affording a splendid view of the adjoining 18-hole Villamor Golf Course, it boasts 342 exquisite guest accommodations that offers luxurious bedding, in-room safe, mini-bar, high-speed Internet, air conditioning, 40" full high definition LCDs with IPTV, videos on demand and jack pack plug-and-play system. The hotel features excellent dining options such as Marriott Cafe, Cru Steakhouse, Java+ and Lobby Lounge. Leisure facilities include Quan Spa, Health Club, Salon and Newport Mall. With a Grand Ballroom and several meeting rooms, Marriott Hotel Manila is also the ultimate destination for meetings and events, from
weddings to gala dinner celebrations.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Win 2 Complimentary Passes to the Robot Zoo
Hey, mom and dad, Ate, Kuya, Dabarkads! Have you heard about the latest news? I am so excited for your kids and kid brother/ sister/ Dabarkads! I am sure they will be thrilled and excited about this too!
For the first time in the Philippines, Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center brings you Robot Zoo at the SM Mall of Asia!!!
Mom and Dad, Ate and Kuya, Dabarkads do you want to win Two (2) Free passes to the Robot Zoo exhibit by Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center simply by giving your best answer to the question below? Then join in the fun!
Win 2 Complimentary Passes to the Robot Zoo Mechanics :
1. We are giving away two (2) complimentary passes to our readers who will give us the best answer to this question, "I want to visit the Robot Zoo in SM Mall of Asia because..."
2. Anyone who lives in the Philippines is eligible to join; however, the
prize is only redeemable at Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center SM
Mall of Asia only.
3. The winners will be announced on Friday, July 6, 2012 at 5PM.
4. You could follow me on Twitter: girl_greenscarf and subscribe to my feeds here or like my fan page if you like :-)
5. The zoo visits be scheduled beginning July 9, 2012. Hurry and join now!
5. The zoo visits be scheduled beginning July 9, 2012. Hurry and join now!
Experience Interactive Fun at The Robot Zoo
To give us a closer look at how these marvelous critters do their
astonishing feats, NIDO FORTIFIED Science Discovery Center at the SM
Mall of Asia, recently opened its doors to welcome kids and
kids-at-heart to its newest exhibit—The Robot Zoo.
“The Robot Zoo serves as a preview to the more exciting
things we have in store for our re-launch—something we’re all so
thrilled about,” says Arturo Carballo, Senior Operations Manager of NIDO
FORTIFIED Science Discovery Center. “In keeping with our mission.
The Robot Zoo Platypus, one of the main attractions of the newly
opened Robot Zoo Exhibit in the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center
Exhibit Hall located on the 2nd Level South Side Entertainment Mall SM Mall of Asia.