Ayala Triangle Garden’s Lights and Sounds with @joyjarumayan, Ate Mia & co. :)

Makati City (Philippines) is probably one of the most influential cities is pumping up the Christmas Holiday Spirit. I’ve lived in Makati for 6 years and the city lights never fail to light up the “emo” Christmas spirit that I used to have.

Last year (if I am not mistaken) they gave the old park, Ayala Triangle Gardens a make over by creating the Ayala Triangle Garden Lights and Sounds show to attract tourists to showcase the park.

I’ve been to Ayala Triangle before but have not watched their Lights and Sounds so when my friend Joy said that we’re going, I’m really excited to go! 

On our way to Ayala Triangle Gardens

City Street Lights

First Look of the Lights and Sounds Show

The Most Active and Happy Baby I've ever seen !

Napaka kyooot ni Hammie! 

Ate Mia, Joy and Hammie

Holy Family and the three kings

Additional info:

• Lights and Sounds show comes with 30 minutes interval
• There are food establishments strategically located whithin the area
• Parking is very challenging especially on weekends
• Entrance is Free

Thank you to the fabulous Jarumayan sisters ( and the ates, including Hammie) for the invite! <3

Cheap Thrill: Affordable Cute Loafers

 My sister got me these two smart-cheap shoes:

I love loafers

I love how women's shoes are way more affordable than those of men's.

These two costs a little over Php500.00 and this is perfect as my work shoes because it feels like I am walking with socks on!

I want to get all colors, even ridiculous ones to match with shirts. I really love how comfortable they are. I do not recommend to wear them in the rain though because it's made up of fabric.

But hey, not bad! <3

Touch What for Ten Grand?!

I was invited  last year by my friend Sam Pasia (then Fraternity Bossman) to watch Upsilon Sigma Phi's event Touch My Car last year but due to schedule conflict, I was not able to attend. Last year, when my friend Jla attended and told me stories about the Touch My Car event, I decided this year I am going to make time for it and watch how it goes.

This post is dedicated to JLa for the stories and Sam for the reminder and invite.

Sam and JLa

Touch My Car is Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity's annual event where they invite participants to touch the car for as long as they can and the one who made it will get Php 10,000.00 in cold cash.

Rules:

• You only have to use one hand. (you decide which hand)
• Your hand is not allowed to move around the car.
• Not allowed to sit either.
• When one requests for water, all contenders will drink water.
• There are some twists in the game (like dancing while the hand is still in place or one hand will hold a bucket of ice)

Last year, Jla told me stories how some of the contestants vomited and peed in their pants because they are not allowed to take their hands off the car. This year I am excited to see some action so I took photos of the event. 

Contemplation over Planners for 2012

Last Saturday I was able to check the planners at Starbucks and I really like how eco-friendly it looks like and how it's not as big and bulky as before.

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But I don't want to consume all that frap (though I've been missing my favorite Peppermint Mocha lately...that's going to be a whole lot of Peppermint Mochas...). I've had my share of Starbucks Planners and I've always loved the first ones that I got. The one with many freebies and buy 1-take 1 coupons for every Philippine holiday.

Then my second favorite planner, Belle de Jour Planner 2012 is already out:

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But I've had good three years with the Belle de Jour Planners that I think I am now ready to move on.

Last year, Joy and I received this really cute planner from "The-resident-mommy-of-our-highschool-barkada", Tita Beth:

Witty will save the world's 2011 Planner

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I really had  a good laugh reading the witty lines inside the planner, but you have to be "Pinoy" to get the joke and the witty lines.

This year, I am looking for a smaller planner with the following characteristics:

• Small but not a pocket planner
• Very handy, light and easy to carry around
• 1 page per day
• Hard cover and with no label of "2012 Planner"
• Must be Moleskine Resonably Priced 

I saw one at National Bookstore but I forgot to get it thinking I might get a better one. Then, a few weeks later I came back and it's gone! It only costs like Php178.00.

Now I'm on a quest to search for my perception of a perfect planner for my lifestyle. I can really see myself searching for that planner like a maniac.

The last book to complete my @JaneGreen Collection

I remember my friend Faye telling me that her choice of books never really fell under the mainstream bandwagon. I have the same issue. Yes I did have other books like the Twilight saga, but I’ve been searching for Jane Green Books  in Book Sales specifically, beause it feels more like a treasure hunt rather than just going to a nearby bookstore and paying the regular price.

My friends (who are my fellow Booksale addict) kept texting and calling me up whenever there is a Jane Green book but most of the time I always reply with “Oh.. I have that already!”

Can you imagine how wide my smile is when my Kuya Stew finally handed over the latest Jane Green Book that I’ve been lusting for since last year?

This is what my Kuya Stew got me! YEY! 

The promises to keep version is the US version but I specifically asked for “The Love Verb” because I know I could not find that version in the Philippines and I always have this strong feeling that I might find “Promises to Keep” in Booksales (though it’s super available in NBS, Fullybooked and Powerbooks)

So to be honest,during the Pacquiao rounds, I keep on opening that brand new softbound cover and carefully running my fingers through the pages, while trying hard not to smell the paper. (Addict!)

Anyway, while he was out I immediately covered the book with plastic cover because is some liquid will get spilled on it and it’s not even a day old in my hands, I’m really going to be so pissed!

I can now say that I have the complete set of books by Jane Green. Thank you so much Kuya Stew! 

But wait... I just heard Jane Green's new book "Another piece of my heart" is coming out on March 13, 2012.


Okay, I'll wait before I make another request again. LOL!

Most "Sulit" Styling Mousse for Curly hair

I've been wearing my curly hair for a couple of months now and I must admit that it made my life a lot easier  but got me a new obsession: Finding the best and most affordable hair styling mousse product.

Sulit is a Tagalog word (Filipino term) that means getting more than what we paid for. Since I love Sulit products I went on this quest to find the most sulit styling mousse for curly, especially digitally permed, hair like mine.

Like all the ladies who are pro at donning the curly hair, the basics of having a good curly hair day is:
1) Pile up on the conditioner.
2) Towel dry.
3) Put on some styling mousse.
4) Scrunch hair til you like it.

Product: Finesse Curl Defining Mousse

Price: Php 329.00

Available at: Watson's, Department Stores, etc.

Comments: Smells nice, non sticky, the nozzle disposes the mousse well, good packaging, kind of bulky, makes and leaves hair soft. It kind of leaves the hair a little limp.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Up Next >> I was supposed to get this:

But I got this by mistake:

 I just remembered the VO5 weightless volume mousse, I forgot the "Extreme" label part.

Product: Alberto V05 Weightless Volume Mousse

Price: Php 217.00

Available at: Watson's, Department Stores, etc.

Comments: I was actually expecting too much for this product, after all it sounds very pro... Alberto! But... I don't like the nozzle of the mousse, it looked like it's a whipped cream for baking. Just ordinary. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

And my third hair styling mousse so far:

Product: Professional Touch Salon Styling Mousse

Price: Php 126.00

Available at: Watson's Deparment Stores, Supermarkets

Comments: I was not expecting that this will really do the wonders. It has the same nozzle as Finesse, it is slim in size, appears chic and the best thing about this is it has a great hold on my hair. There's even a time when after towel-drying my hair, I just put some mousse, scrunched it for a minute and left it alone and it turned out to be really great and not by chance, because I often do that now. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Products I haven't tried yet: White Rain, Dove (yes, they have a styling mousse and I heard it's good but it's super hard to find locally) and Suave.

But Professional Touch Salon Styling Mousse is going to top my list. ( Not to mention that everywhere I go, it's available!!! ) I just decided to give it a try (even without recommendations) and went ahead with my instinct so it turned out that it's my new product discovery. 

UPDATE: Read all about my post re: digi-permed hair and hair products HERE.

Pinoy Pride at America's Next Top Model: All Stars

Georgina Wilson's been trending on Twitter last week saying that she's going to be in ANTM All Stars episode shot in Greece.

I sort of wish that I hadn't stumbled upon Cecile Van Straten's Blog. I really waited for Georgina Wilson's participation as a guest model/stylist.

( Important Note: photos from Chuvaness.com unless cited)  

WARNING: Contains spoilers 

While Georgina was dressing up a particular model, Shannon Ratliff, who doesn't want to wear "underwear",  she said:

"No offense but it's easier to change the model than change the prototype"

(Way to go Georgie!) 

Now for the photos:

Best Photo of the week: Dominique

Runner up for Best Photo: Allison

Angelea

Lisa

Isn’t it confusing that the reason Shannon Ratliff refused to wear the “underwear-that-looked-like-swim-suit” because she’ sticking to her brand which is TRUSTWORTHY but yet she posed like this with “panties” on?

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In the end, the one that got eliminated was Shannon Ratliff, not because she did not wear the underwear (therefore there was not photo to present at the judges) but she was the only one who never had a best photo among the rest of the remaining contestants. I admire how fair Tyra is.  She explained to Shannon that the judges reviewed all the photos and did not base it on the fact that she refused to wear what she is required to model.

I’m secretly hoping that either Ben Chan or Georgina Wilson will be the guest judge, but the Photographer, Nikos Papadopoulos got bigger guns.

But yey for Pinoy Pride! 

Bad Pacquiao-Marquez Hang Over

I don’t think I’ve seen my Kuya Stewart get so emotional during a Pacquiao fight.

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Amidst the comfort of home and finished up cans of his favorite beer that my mum got him, I was sitting near him watching his red face concentrating on the screen.

I was more looking forward seeing who will sing the National Anthem and who gets to sing the USA National Anthem and was surprised both singers have Pinoy Blood.

During the Mexican National Anthem, pre-fight, majority, if not all, Mexicans were singing along the National Anthem, while Pinoys were listening intently to Maria Aragon (hopefully not waiting for her to mess up) who sang our country’s National Anthem

I am not really a boxing fan. I don’t like it that much because I really get emotionally involved ( Just like how I am with friends, according to another friend. :D)

In fact, this is the second time I slept during the middle part of the fight. The first one we watched it at the Cinema and the second one right at home. But I always, always wake up during the good parts.

After the fight, we went to a nearby bar to talk about the fight, then kuya said:

“ Manny’s the most pressured boxer I know because most fighters after boxing in the ring, win or lose, they just go back to their old lives (or get suicidal like Hatton- that’s from me)but for Manny (on top of giving away money, being a Congressman and a family man with a few controversies on the sides – again that’s from me), I can feel the pressure people’s put on him...”

Few minutes ago I just heard the radio declaring that Manny Pacquiao’s no longer the World’s Greatest Boxer due to the luster of yesterday’s boxing performance, and Mayweather’s the one because he easily beaten up Marquez during his time.

I think this is a wake up call for Manny because thing’s just becoming too comfy for him. And for Coach Roach too.

But Kuya said that there will never be another PacMan again, well not atleast in our time. It’s goin to take a whole new long while now have another Great Pinoy fighting in behalf of each and everyone of us.

And I get emotionally involved again. I (Yes, OA, affected) am turning off this radio. Now.




This is bad. I am not even a boxing fan.