March 31, 2009 by ajay
Sen. Mar Roxas is cool. Looks like he updates his Facebook status himself. And he added me as a friend, hehe. The better to be apprised of this promising presidentiable’s activities.
Whoa! Sen. Chiz Escudero has too many FB accounts, you’d never know which is which. I’ll go by the one where we have a lot of mutual friends 
Not to be outdone is Among Ed Panlilio, the likeliest of the unlikely candidates.
Category 2010 elections, People | Tags: | 6 Comments
March 30, 2009 by ajay
Even though we didn’t mean to be there, it was fun watching a Cosplay Tour now ongoing at the Cyberzone of selected SM malls in Metro Manila. Pics in this post were taken at the Mall of Asia yesterday.
I used to think that cosplay or “costume play” is so NOT my generation, but was surprised to read a Wiki entry that as early as 1975, Caucasian fans dressed the part of their favorite characters in the Rocky Horror Show. Now, cosplay is identified with everything that’s manga, anime or J-pop, although it would also be cool to dress as Hermione in Harry Potter. That is kewl as well.
Cosplay characters are meant to be photographed. But it’s also interesting to know that they DO take time to conceptualize their costumes and come up with them. Some sew them, and even grapple with materials like foam, rubber and paint. Needless to say, they spend on their get-ups too. The SM tours award prizes to the best-dressed cosplayers.
On with the gallery:
Iron Man, “Hulk Buster”
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Category Cosplay, My Manila | Tags: Cell Jr,Cosplay,cosplay costume,Cosplay in Manila,cosplay tour,dragonball,hulk buster,incredible hulk,iron man,Medusa,Megumi,Monkey D. Luffy | 2 Comments
March 28, 2009 by ajay
I will be on blog leave as the world switches off today their lights for Earth Hour, happening in the Philippines from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time.
With global warming, unabated pollution and other environmental ills upon us, just one hour will make a difference for sure.
Category Earth Hour, Happenings & Events | Tags: | 1 Comment
March 27, 2009 by ajay
Donations are hard to come by, in these times of recession. Companies are cutting back on all fronts, including charitable contributions which used to be an appropriate venue for tax breaks and aiding underprivileged sectors of society.
That is why we were quite elated when we heard the news that fastfood giant Jollibee turned over P18 million to eight recipient-foundations who will implement programs to benefit Filipino children around the country.
The eight beneficiaries of the Jollibee grants are Cottolengo Filipino (Rizal), ERDA Tech (Manila), Families and Children for Empowerment and Development Foundation (Manila), House with No Steps (Quezon City), Marcellin Project (General Santos City), Shontoug Foundation (Baguio City), Philippine Children’s Medical Center (Quezon City) and the Busog, Lusog, Talino In-School Feeding Program of the Jollibee Foundation (Leyte).
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Category Happenings & Events | Tags: charity,Chickenjoy,donations,Jollibee | 5 Comments
March 26, 2009 by ajay
Bistro Filipino shatters the myth that in the food industry”location is everything.” I certainly wouldn’t be able to easily find this place, if not for the fact that The Fort, Global City is small, with manageable traffic. Yet, this cozy resto – nestled in an inconspicuous building in the area – has gained a following since it opened two years ago. After all, people will travel the the whole world over in search of good food.
Their recently introduced weekend brunch buffet (at P788 ++) is a great way to be acquainted with the resto’s Filipino fusion cuisine. Unlike the more popular brunch places in town, their items aren’t served in chafing dishes. You choose from over 50 of their most popular items on the menu and they serve it a la carte. I prefer this. It makes me think am eating a decent five-course meal, instead of piling up a hodge-podge of edibles on my plate.
My choice for the appetizer: sisig basket. It was either this one, or the tuna kilawin roll. My affection for pork fat won in the end. Chopped slices of sisig on a bed of crispy rice wafer with garlic aioli topping and marinated quail eggs at the bottom. A signal of good things to come!
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Category Munchin' | Tags: beef kaldereta pasta,best buffet,Bistro Filipino,Bistro Filipino buffet,Bistro Filipino The Fort,brunch,Chef Laudico,hot pan de sal,weekend buffet | 9 Comments
March 25, 2009 by ajay
Am so happy I found a new breakfast hang-out this week. It started when I started bringing my son to school at 7 a.m., two hours ahead of my scheduled work in the office. My sleepy, thirsty- for-coffee self was unknowingly led to Emerald Garden, one of the oldie but goodie restaurants on Roxas Boulevard, just across the US Embassy.
Emerald Garden is A PAIR of restaurants that’s a few steps away from each other. The first one offers dimsum, the other one does not. I’ve eaten here countless times before, because if you’re based in Manila and don’t know about it, you’re probably hanging out too much in Binondo, hehe. Prices on the menu are reasonable for Chinese food, it’s delivered fast, and they give you Nagaraya nuts while waiting.
As I found out, the best deal about Emerald Garden is its breakfast. Because you can have a decent, filling meal here for less than a hundred pesos. A definite thumbs up in these times of recession!
The Emerald Siopao (P85) should be adjudged one of the best in Manila. It’s big and filling enough to last you till lunch. They definitely didn’t scrimp on the ingredients for this one – egg, Chinese sausage, roast pork, minced meat and others. Highly-recommended for first-time visitors to the place, but be sure to buy this before noon as they run out of stock early.
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Category Munchin', My Manila | Tags: Emeral Garden Roxas Boulevard,Emerald Garden breakfast,Emerald Garden menu,Emerald Garden Restaurant | 8 Comments
March 23, 2009 by ajay
Am glad there are one-of-kind, wholesome shows in Manila which we can proudly tell our visiting friends to see, apart from the usual walk to Intramuros and the Manila Bay sunset.
This is what happened when I brought my balikbayan mom to see Wanders at the PAGCOR Grand Theater in Paranaque last year. Heard nothing but “ooh’s and aah’s” from her and the whole brood; same with my American mother-in-law who was duly impressed and said it’s one of the best shows she’s seen.
You see, a “tourist attraction” need not only be a place, it can also be a spectacle, a musical experience or an entertainment treat. I liked Wanders because it’s global in scope (read: it did not limit itself to local talents.) Having an international flavor is the reason why places like Las Vegas, New York and Paris are a hit with people from all over the world.
Now, PAGCOR and the same geniuses behind Wanders have come up with FLOW, another musical extravaganza to behold. We watched it a few weeks ago and couldn’t have enough of the sequences, acrobatics , dances and music performed by the international cast of Chinese, Cubans and Filipinos.
The brilliant young acrobats from Henan, China are at it again! I was floored by the part where one girl operates the bike and 11 other girls ride with her. How did that happen? hehe.
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Category Entertainment, My Manila | Tags: Flow,PAGCOR,PAGCOR Grand Theater,show tickets,Wanders | 4 Comments
March 23, 2009 by ajay
I like Italianni’s. My all-time favorite is their pasta pomodoro in spaghettini and the complimentary ciabatta bread with balsamic vinegar dip. Prices are a bit on the high side but the servings are ample.This is one resto chain I don’t go to everyday, but the few times I’ve been here, I haven’t been disappointed.
Once, I had just come from the graveyard shift and splurged on their Grand Platter at something like 500 pesos +++. It was the most I can do to assuage my sleeplessness and hungriness (errrr, hunger!) but it was worth it. Nothing like steak, sausage, fruits and a little bit of everything for brunch. The fresh OJ, most especially.
Am glad that this time around, Italianni’s is offering their “Small Price for a Big Lunch” promotion. Tried it last week and I absolutely liked the falling-off-to-the-bone goodness of their Costina Brasatta (Braised Ribs) which was paired with spaghetti aglio e olio and grilled vegetables.
Category Munchin' | Tags: desserts,food,Italianni's,lunch,Manila | 9 Comments
March 21, 2009 by ajay
Continuing this travel series, here’s a listing of some major airlines with no fatalities resulting from accidents and other causes, so far. Some of my favorite airlines are unfortunately not listed here 
Enclosed in parenthesis is the year the airline was established:
Air Macau (1994)
Dragonair (1985)
Emirates (1985)
EVA Air (1990)
Jetstar (2002)
Hawaiian Airlines (1941)
Qantas (1920)
Qatar Airways (1993)
Oman Air (1993)
Royal Brunei Airlines (1974)
Ryanair (1985)
Shanghai Airlines (1985)
A more complete list here
Category Travel | Tags: | 3 Comments
March 19, 2009 by ajay
A few of my girl friends who are married to foreigners have told me, not once, but a number of times that they will adopt their husbands’ citizenship when the time comes, if only for the chance to change their passport.According to them, travelling between countries is a hassle when you’re holding the Philippine passport. Visa and immigration officers tend to give one a hard time, a sad fact of life that comes with being the citizen of the Third World whose enterprising countrymen can come up with anything – from fake LVs to fake documents. Yes, including what am talking about in this post.
I don’t know yet how I’ll decide when the time comes.Apart from that unfortunate incident with the US Embassy a few months back, I haven’t really felt discriminated in a port of entry or given the run-around. Also, travelling to the US and Europe doesn’t hold luster for me anymore, as I’ve done it when I was younger and my fear of flying sucks. Right now, I am just enamored with travelling in and around Asia. It’s good thing that being a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Filipinos can roam around most parts without need for a visa.
Also , Doubting Thomases among immigration and embassy personnel should rest easy with the implementation of the new machine-readable passport since late 2007, and a biometric one coming up soon. Technology these days has made it virtually impossible for anyone to manufacture passports in their own backyard, which should be a good thing for legitimate travellers like you and me 
Luckily, I chanced upon the Henley Visa Restrictions Index which ranks countries according to the “travel freedom their citizens enjoy.” In the global ranking, Denmark topped the list, with 157 countries their residents can go to without need for a visa. The Philippines had a score of 50, ranking below Zimbabwe, and just the same as Ukraine. This means there are 50 countries we can go to without need for a visa. Partial list after the jump:
Category Travel | Tags: no visa,passport,Philippine passport,visa,visa-free | 70 Comments
