RSS Feed

‘Life & Living’ Category

  1. Rizal Awards : call for nominees

    July 18, 2011 by ajay

    Rizal Award

    One of my resolutions: to re-read the writings of Dr. Jose Rizal all over again.Having imbibed his thoughts a long time ago in college, I remember how struck I was by his deep sense of nationalism, leaving no doubt that he deserves to be called the Philippines’ national hero.

    In celebration of 150 years of Dr. Jose Rizal, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines calls for nominations to the Rizal Awards. The Rizal Awards will be conferred on ten Filipinos and three foreigners who would be awarded in the Individual Category and ten institutions, societies, or organizations which embody the Rizal spirit.

    (more…)


  2. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year … from our house to yours:)

    December 26, 2010 by ajay

    The runup to Christmas went by in a blur. The traffic jams around Manila and the rush to buy gifts are the very things I dread about the season. But somehow I managed to dodge the pressure that goes with all these and was even excited to buy gifts for everybody. Overall, it’s been a good year for the family and it would just be selfish not to share and remember people, even with little things.

    Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

    I remember being pregnant with our daughter Lucia last year and see how so much of our life has changed with her arrival. Nothing beats coming home from my graveyard shift and collecting smiles from our sweet baby girl. The twins, who have easily adjusted to their role as older sisters, suddenly became camera savvy at recording their youngest sibling’s expressions for Facebook. With the baby around, I am reminded once again how Christmas is for children and how Christmas is about the baby in a manger who led us Christians to salvation.

    Me & Lucy

    (more…)


  3. Sony Philippines first-ever 3-day BIG Sale

    May 20, 2010 by ajay

    Sony Big Sale

    Am putting this on my calendar: Sony Philippines’ first-ever three-day BIG Sale from May 28 to 30, 2010 at the Megatent in Ortigas, Pasig. Opening hours: 10 am to 9 p.m.

    We’ve been warned: discounted items will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The early bird gets the worm :D

    Sony’s wide array of products and gadgets will be on sale: VAIO laptops, Sony Cybershots, Bravia LCD TVs, Walkmans, Handycams, car stereos, Sony Ericsson phones and a whole lot more!
    (more…)


  4. Spotted in Greenhills: who is she?

    March 4, 2010 by ajay

    Hubby and I went to Greenhills (’twas his first time there) and while he looked at video games, I spotted a familiar-looking woman. She looked out of place because she was wearing turn-of-the-century costume (think Maria Clara) and had bushy eyebrows that could put Brooke Shields to shame. Then I remembered that she looked familiar because I saw her pic previously in Chuvaness’ blog. Although one can’t help but notice her in the crowd because of her appearance, I couldn’t really bear giving her a lingering look, baka maging kamukha nya baby ko, LOL. So I took one shot of her with the DLSR and off we went.

    Spotted in Greenhills
    (more…)


  5. Help Haiti quake victims thru the power of technology

    January 14, 2010 by ajay

    Through the powers of technology, the world is witnessing the unfolding drama that is the aftermath of the powerful Intensity 7 earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Hundreds of thousands are believed to be still missing and trapped within the shattered buildings. For those of us in the Philippines, the quake in Haiti has some parallels, if you count the tragic July 1990 earthquake (magnitude 7.7) and more recently, Typhoon Ondoy. Three Filipino members of the UN peacekeeping contingent remain unaccounted for in the Haiti tragedy.

    But unlike the 1991 Philippine earthquake where places like Baguio remained cut off from the rest of the world for several days, what happened in Haiti was immediately broadcast, tweeted and blogged to the rest of the world in a matter of minutes. Thanks to today’s technology, the world was made aware of the extent of the disaster. We expect the spirit of charity and volunteerism as well to rise as Help Haiti efforts have been made possible via Twitter, Facebook and the press of a cellphone button.

    How to help Haiti? Here are high-tech ways to donate now:
    (more…)


  6. Manila summit discusses latest trends in preschool education

    November 8, 2009 by ajay

    Dr. George Morrison and Laura Benson

    What is the 21st century classroom like? How is the educational setting evolving with recent advances in technology? How are students and teachers alike adapting to the change?

    These, and other questions, were discussed at the just-concluded 1st Philippine Summit on Early Childhood Education sponsored by Wyeth Preschool Gold and Maximus Inventus in Fort Bonifacio Global City. In attendance were some 750 educators, program administrators, students, researchers, pediatricians, psychologists and other stakeholders in the important area of early learning.

    Taking center stage were two well-respected experts in the field: Dr. George Morrison and literacy specialist, Ms. Laura Benson. They planed in to Manila just for the event and even took time to meet with some of us mommy bloggers. We agree with them that education in the early stages is crucial in child development. There’s a variety of educational methods and also different strategies for learning. My kids, for example, are traditionally-schooled but I know of some contemporaries who are home schooling their children. The important thing, I believe,is not to leave all learning to the schools and academics but also to foster the right environment in the home. To give opportunities for kids to be creative, to see the world and explore their latent talents and abilities. Yes, even while at play :D
    (more…)


  7. Flash update: Cebu Pacific, PAL flight cancellations due to Typhoon Santi

    October 30, 2009 by ajay

    As of now, I just hope this typhoon isn’t as bad as what the weathermen are predicting. Typhoon Santi, change course, if you may. Or break it to us gently.

    Classes were suspended this morning in Metro Manila. No wonder, my son waited for his school bus but it didn’t come.

    The passage of commercial boats around Southern Luzon have also been suspended, spoiling the vacation plans of people who wanted to go home to provinces like Quezon, Batangas and Bicol for the long All Saints’ Day holiday, a time when Filipinos honor their dead.

    And so far, the following Cebu Pacific flights for tomorrow (October 31, 2009) have been cancelled:

    5J 851/852 (Zamboanga), 559/561/554 (Cebu), 781/782 (Ozamiz), 325/326 (Legazpi) 5J 379/ 380/ 381/ 382 (Cagayan de Oro), 961 (Davao), 651/652 (Tacloban), 993/994 (GenSan), 473/474 (Bacolod), 451/452 (Iloilo), 5J 521/522 (Naga), 331/332 (Kalibo), 821/822 (Virac), 108/109 (Hong Kong) and 801/802 (Singapore).
    (more…)


  8. Storm Ondoy brings floods to Manila and the rest of Luzon

    September 26, 2009 by ajay

    It has been a day of nonstop rains in Manila, and elsewhere. I’ve stayed in bed all morning, with this trusty Mac on my lap – all the while staying glued to the reports of my friends on Plurk and Twitter. Something about brownouts, cancelled flights, floods reaching houses, people moving furniture, people wading in chest-deep waters, high way billboards being stripped down, and cars almost submerged in the floods. A bad day to be out, really. It’s that bad, and somebody even had to mention taking out Noah’s Ark.

    Am just glad our little bungalow has been spared from nature’s fury. This is one of those times when we’re thankful to have a garage for the old car, and a cozy roof over our heads. I dread it when the post-storm accounting comes and out comes reports of our brethren drowning or are rendered homeless because they live near dikes, riverbanks, esteros, coastal areas etc. Hope not :(
    (more…)


  9. NUKS NUMUN moment: my digital perm at a Korean salon

    September 8, 2009 by ajay

    NUKS NUMUN! is a popular phrase I hear from fellow bloggers these days. I figure that in this age of icanhazcheezburger, it’s a variation of the old and jaded Tagalog term of exclamation “naks naman!” (Wow!) As in “NUKS NUMUN! Buhay pa ba ang gumupit ng buhok mo, sis?” :D

    Barely a month after getting the famous Ricky Reyes haircut, I was itching for change again. It was because my natural curls were showing themselves in their full unflattering glory, which made for an uneven field. It didn’t help that the hubby told me he wanted to see me get a perm before he flew home. So off I went to a Korean salon I’ve been eyeing for a long time, but haven’t tried, and conveniently located at the ground floor of the Pan Pacific hotel in Manila. Have to admit that I tried it just for kicks, as it wasn’t as busy as Tony and Jackey a few blocks away. And I really wanted to try a Korean digital perm.

    It’s something that I won’t regret doing, as it made the whole process seem effortless. None of the icky smell that we traditionally know of the cold perm. I forgot the step-by-step process now but it did involve the usual procedure of shampooing/rinsing my hair, cutting (if necessary), drying, twirling my hair under curlers or hot rods and placing it under a rectangular heating machine.

    KOrean digital perm
    (more…)


  10. The Philippines’ star karters are training their way to Formula One (F1)

    August 9, 2009 by ajay

    On an overcast Sunday, Claire invites me to Enchanted Kingdom to see something I don’t normally go out of my way of: a karting event. Specifically, it was the fifth leg of the Magnolia Karting Series held in the sprawling EK field. “You gotta see these boys from the Ready2Race team, they’re really good!” she says. I oblige, mainly because the kids and I haven’t been to Enchanted Kingdom for a long time. Secondly, I wanted to learn something new, and karting is it.

    Enchanted Kingdom

    Enchanted Kingdom

    If you’re crazy about the F1 races, you’d relate to this. It appears that the Philippines has been doing very well in international karting competitions and might as well be on the way to producing the first F1 racer. I was surprised to learn that the sport is by far one of the most expensive to maintain too. Which fairly explains why today’s pool of young karters come from exclusive enclaves like the International School, De la Salle Zobel, Brent and the whole lot of them. Cost for buying your own go kart with an engine and maintaining it easily tops P1 million a year.
    (more…)

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...