Archive for September, 2008
Share the Bo's Coffee experience
When you’re passionate about something, it shows. And I think that was evident, when president of Bo’s Coffee, Steve Benitez shared his thoughts and views on the special bean in this local coffee house.
Student bloggers gathered at the Bo’s Coffee Katipunan branch for a unique day of coffee tasting and creation (as written in my previous post).
So after Steve “shared his passion,” the main event began. Students grouped themselves together, and were given the task of creating their own drinks. Excitedly, they discussed their mixtures and combinations for their home made concoctions.
Being a coffee lover, myself, I was eagerly anticipating the results of the brainstorming. And I was not disappointed. The brews were original and very tasty. But as there will be another event coming soon, I can’t give away too many details on the coffee drinks whipped up by the four groups.
And as an added incentive to the winners, their inventions will be featured in the Bo’s coffee houses across the country for a month, with full recognition given, with the runners-up getting a week of coffee glory.
So, without writing too much more, here are a few photos from the event.
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one man AC/DC cover band
One of the hardest rocking bands formed in the early 70′s has now been covered by a single man. Granted, he is not playing the guitar (and using an organ or synth), it’s still pretty cool to see him rock out “Back In Black”.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_dVzR-L6Uc&hl=en&fs=1]
And since one guy can do all of this, does this mean AC/DC’s music was that simple? >_< Nooooooo!
Check out the related videos on the Youtube sidebar. They’re pretty cool as well.
Hongkong Lomo
For some reason (and for the second time in a row), I have had one roll of unexposed film sent back to me. I have no idea if I’m doing something wrong, if I’m leaving the film in the camera too long (hence the opening of the camera by accident), or if I’m just plain unlucky.
[double exposed kan]
[moto mascot in HK]
[sampling the street food, HK style]
[chatting up a customer]Share the Bo’s passion
Attention all student bloggers!
You are invited to join fellow coffee aficionados for one delightful coffee experience at Bo’s.
Sit down with your favorite cup of Bo’s blend and listen as the experts talk about the flavorful world of coffee. Embark on a journey that will guide you through the art of brewing the perfect cup of this dark, bittersweet liquid we all come to love.
Delight your senses. Come and stay for unique coffee experience.
Here at Bo’s, we don’t just make coffee.
We brew it with passion.
September 27, 2008 | Bo’s Coffee, Katipunan | 329 Katipunan Road corner B. Gonzales Street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Meg's 10th anniv party
On September 26, Meg Magazine will be holding it’s 10th anniversary party at Club Ascend in Bonifacio High Street.
At the shindig, The Meg Teen Choice Awardees, as well as the Meg Face Search Grand Prize winner will be presented.
Here’s an official PR from MEG:
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Meg, the country’s first homegrown teen fashion and lifestyle magazine and a prestige publication of MEGA Publishing Group, is celebrating a decade of style, sensibility and sisterhood with a fashion-forward theme and rockin’ back-to-back events!
Over the years, Meg has grown to accommodate all the interests of a dynamic market.. Not only geared towards providing budding women with the best fashion advice, Meg also helps teens and those fresh out from college to find their own voice, revel in their individuality and experience youth to the fullest.
Now on its 10th year, Meg is inviting all its loyal style sisters to troop to Club Ascend, Bonifacio High Street on Friday, Sept. 26, from 6 – 11pm and be in their most rockin’ glam punk outfit. Presented by Smart and Nokia, the bash promises to be filled with music of the new generation.
One of the highlights of the evening will be the awarding of this year’s Meg Teen Choice Awards 2008, an online voting that became the venue for teens to voice out their favorites in music, TV, and fashion industries. The poll boasted an overwhelming 10 million votes from Meg fanatics spread all over the country and the world.
During the night, partygoers will get the chance to meet and greet their most fave celebrities, and cheer as they take the stage to accept their special and unique MTC trophies, courtesy of Bo Concepts.
To personally receive their awards would be Luis Manzano for Favorite Male Host and Bianca Gonzales for Favorite Female Host. Spongecola, which bagged the Favorite Band, will be making a special appearance at the party. MEG girls will surely go-gaga over hardcourt cutie, Chris Tiu, this year’s Favorite UAAP Player. Other winners include Dingdong Dantes (Favorite Male Celebrity), Marian Rivera (Favorite Female Celebrity), Kim Chui and Gerald Andreson (Favorite Celebrity Couple), Shaina Magdayao (Favorite Style Sister), Pinoy Idol (Favorite TV Show).
The event will be hosted by DJs of RX 93.1, winner of Favorite Radio Station award.
Also to watch for would be the announcement of the grand prize winner of Meg Face Search 2008, a hunt for the cover girl which commenced with MEG Grand Go-See, which gathered together thousands of model-wannabes in Alabang Town Center, Glorietta, and Trinoma.
The lucky girl bagged the title by topping the online poll and getting the thumbs up from the Meg editorial team led by editor in chief Peewee Isidro-Reyes and from MEGA Publishing Group’s top executives led by Sari V. Yap and Lorraine V. Belmonte.
Making the night even more fun and exciting are fabulous prizes up for grabs. Meg will be giving away an Acer Aspire laptop and filled-to-the-brim goodie bags, courtesy of Meg’s 10th Anniversary Party sponsors: Skechers, Del Monte, Odyssey Live, Zen Zest, Natural Source, Crocs, Kotex, Adidas EDT, Skin Food, G-Max, White Hat, Style and Carry, Watsons Personal Care Store.
Visit www.meggurl.com for more details
Hongkong holiday
Hongkong was a blast. Very tiring and extremely humid, but fun, nonetheless.
It’s a bit funny, now that I look back on it, that I almost didn’t make it. My passport wasn’t due to be released until the 23rd (our departure was on the 18th)… but I managed to find a way, thankfully. I would have missed out on the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Hongkong.
Our first day was really about exploring the are and getting our act together — i.e. planning what to do, finding a place to stay, getting the best exchange rate, etc. So after burning the free phone lines to book a hotel, accidentally getting a cheap fare into the city and stumbling across a good eatery, things seemed to be falling into place.
On day two, I had to go see my dad’s banker to sign some papers. I separated from the rest to find one of the Citi banking centers in Mong Kok, while the rest took the MTR over to Hongkong Disneyland. Naturally, after performing my familial duties, I rushed over to the theme park.
As it rained that day, the adult attractions like Space Mountain were closed. Since we were with the kids, it didn’t really matter anyway. One cool thing of note (and something I didn’t notice in the LA Disneyland) was the Filipino section of the It’s a Small World attraction.
On day three, we went to see Buddha… in the Ngong Ping 360 (cable car) and walking tour.
Day four, we said goodbye to Hongkong and all it’s attractions. Hopefully, we’l be able to make it back.
Yehey! expanding?
[click on image for larger view]Earlier this afternoon, my friend George sent me a pretty interesting photo. I had no idea Yehey was venturing into other businesses. =P
Apparently, this new eatery is in a mall located in Caloocan.
bugs need love too
As I was playing with the kiddos, searching for some beetles to take home, we stumbled upon some undeniable proof that bugs need love too…
birthday weekend
This weekend, I celebrated my 30th birthday. It also coincided with a visit to Punta Fuego in the residence of my fiancées relatives as well as good old Fanny Lane in Tagaytay. Naturally, there was a lot of food… and I ended up stuffing my face, especially with sweets and other junk food.
Here are a few photos…
Now to hit the gym.
Porsche Cayenne S… Transsyberia style
After winning the Transsyberia Rally three years in a row (and taking the top 6 positions in this years contest), PGA Cars has finally decided to introduce the new Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia to the local market via a two-day test drive of the sturdy vehicle.
Last September 12, I headed over to McKinley Hill to witness the durability and exceptional performance of the vehicle, in a simulated environment.
For those of you that are unaware, the Transsyberia Rally is an intercontinental race from Moscow, Russia to Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Spanning approximately 7,200 kilometers, the rally is a grueling two week competition across various forms of terrain that takes its toll on both man and machine. So both driver and vehicle have to be first rate.
On hand that day was Mr. Eddie Keng, Porsche Sport Driving School instructor and two-time Transsyberia Rally participant. After showing us some clips from the race, and sharing some of his experiences, Mr. Keng led us out to the make shift rally course and introduced us to the obstacles we’d be facing. So after our quick briefing, we were off to experience the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia…
Anyway, here are a few photos from the event.
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[click on image for larger view]Layout: Front engine, four wheel drive, 5 door SUV
Engine : 4,806 cm³ V8, 4 cam, 32 valve engine, with VarioCam inlet camshaft control and direct fuel injection system
Maximum output: 385 bhp (283 KW) at 6,200 rpm
Maximum torque: 500 Nm at 3,500 rpm
Transmission: 6 Speed Tiptronic S
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: Tiptronic S: 6.8 seconds
Top speed: 252 km/h (Manual) & 250 km/hr (Tiptronic S)
Standard equipment:
Enhanced aerodynamics [NEW]
Front apron [NEW]
Rear apron [NEW]
Load sill reinforcement [NEW]
Roof spoiler [NEW]
Tailgate finisher [NEW]
LED tail lights [NEW]
18” Cayenne S wheels
Sport button
Hydrophobic side windows
Porsche Traction Management (PTM)
ABS 8.0 with ABD, ASR and MSR
Exterior trim covers in satinated aluminum
Dual front, side and thorax airbags
12-way adjustable front comfort seats
Part leather interior in grained finish
Dual-zone automatic air-conditioning
Alarm system with central locking remote
Tyre repair system
Individual options:
Metallic paint
Air suspension with PASM
Front and rear floormats
18” collapsible spare tyre
Servotronic
Roll up manual side window blinds
CDC-4 six disk changer
Power liftgate
Front and rear park assistant
20” Cayenne SportTechno wheels
Tiptronic S transmission
Bi-Xenon headlamps
Bose Sound System
Sport Tail pipes
Light comfort package
Sports exhaust
afternoon silhouette
Out of the new roll that came back from Digiprint, this turned out to be my fave take. Ironic, as I took the least time composing or actually thinking about the shot… and it’s not a typically great photo. but I enjoy the cloud formation and weird building tops.
[click on image for larger view]sexy dancers, lap dances, zsa zsa and girls kissing girls
The title says it all.
Last night, at Eastern Communications‘ party to celebrate 130 years of existence, attendees got to witness a plethora of entertainers. From the 50s musical stylings of Vince Camua, to Zsa Zsa Padilla’s comedy and musical renditions, to gorgeous dancers, to steamy numbers by the sultry female quartet Mocha, the crowd experienced a myriad of performances designed to tantalize the ears and eyes.
And rather than explain what happened, let me just show you…
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[click on image for larger view]returns of the comeback
As I have been scouring the net for some interesting topics, I came across two bits of news that piqued my interest.
First off, Lance Armstrong is set to return to the milieu that brought him worldwide acclaim — his old stomping grounds, the Tour de France. After setting the record by winning the tour seven consecutive years in a row and retiring, Mr. Armstrong is ready to take back the throne he left behind and conquer the heights of the cycling world in the 2009 tour. Read more.
Secondly, and closer to my heart, former grunge rock headliners Alice in Chains are set to make a comeback, 13 years after the untimely demise of frontman Layne Stayley. NME reports that the band is ready to record a new album with new vocalist William DuVall. I wonder how the new Chains will hold up…
La Maison
Last friday, I headed over to La Maison over in The Podium for a quick photoshoot, as birthday boy and Resto Manager Robi Caguiat needed a few photos for some of their new products.
A few of the photos here are the new dishes offered at the second floor of La Maison, in their new Resto / Bar, Regis.
All in all, there were 12 dishes… all of which, I got to taste.
Here are some of the results:
[creamy wine mussels]
[chef's duck liver paté]
[us beef ribs]
[chimi changga]
[meaty bounty (super barkada size)]
[southwestern chicken roll]
[spicy lambada]
[eggs norweigan]
[eggs benedict]
[steak & eggs (super power breakfast)]
[monte cristo]
[french toast]
Johnny Depp to play The Riddler
While I readily admit that I am not a huge Dark Knight fan, Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of the Caped Crusader has turned me on to the whole series (non-sexually, of course).
Due to my new found interest in the franchise, I (along with millions of other fans) have been wondering who the next Batman villain will be. Jay had a Multiply entry on possible suspects, but as word leaked out, it was made known that The Riddler was to be next in line. And just a few minutes ago, I read an article from Hecklerspray that Johnny Depp will definitely play the part… which makes me want to watch the movie even more.
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Fast forward to today (09 September) when I finally decided to continue this post. It seems that Philip Seymour Hoffman is now also going to be cast into the next installment of the Dark Knight franchise as the bumbling, yet essential Batman villain, The Penguin.
Don’t believe me? Read the news here.
Lomo Love
For all Lomo lovers out there… this is an event you may want to check out at the BlackSoup Projects Gallery over at the Cubao-X (Marikina Shoe Expo).
Thanks for the heads up, Jay
[click on image for larger view]Bitch for Change
Known for their constant complaints and rocking performances, independent band Reklamo have taken their bitching and stamped their unique brand of music into one solid album, Bitch for Change.
With their eclectic sound ranging from classic rock to a bit of funk to some dabbling in island rhythms to good old rock and roll, the aural pleasures reminiscent of bands like Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jimi Hendrix come to mind. Of course, it would be a bit unfair to liken the trio to some rock and roll royalty… Besides the band does add their own brand of bitchin’ styles to the mix.
Their first two tracks, I Hate Everybody and I Am My Own Bestfriend, are funky bass slapping tunes that make you bob your head, uncontrollably. And for some reason, despite the seeming negativity of the tunes, you tend to agree with what the band is driving at. Listen closely to the lyrics, and you’ll get what I’m saying.
My two favorite tracks from the album, though, are 3 for 100 — a very catchy tune, reminiscent of the old school, classic rock simplistic approach: uncomplicated, no hidden meanings behind the lyrics with rockin guitar riffs and a superfluous guitar solo and Lahat Bawal — a funked out, motorists lament on the sorry state of the traffic scheme here in the Philippines.
If I had to complain (no pun intended) on one thing on the album, it would probably have to be the fact that I had to run to five different music stores to find the CD. But after listening (and relistening) to the music, I find pleasure in the fact that there are still [local] bands out there willing to record independently just to get THEIR music out there. Sure, it may come at a cost, but the music is untainted by bigger music labels, and the artists get to do their own thing.
Reklamo may not be able to change the way things work in the Philippines, but with their debut album, Bitch for Change, they may just see a some movement in the music industry.
Reklamo are:
LC de Leon – vocals, guitar, and banjo
Mig Dayanghirang – bass, back up vocals
Ciro de Leon – drums, whistle, back up vocals
