Random Pictures: SM North Edsa Annex

Caffe Ti Amo: Heaven on Earth

Everyone who knows me know how much I love ice cream and coffee. So what do I think of Caffe Ti Amo?

PURE HEAVEN!

I really think that they had me in mind when this joint was conceptualized! I'm sure that my doctor would be happy to know that I'm satisfying myself with gelato and its low butterfat and sugar content!

Try it out at the Upper Ground Floor of SM North Edsa Annex!

Major, Major...

Why can't we just be happy that our candidate, Venus Raj, was able to place 4th in the 2010 Ms. Universe pageant? In itself, 4th place is the best finish we had since 1999 when Miriam Quiambao got into the top 5.

To be put on the spot in front of millions of televiewers can be very nerve wracking. Personally, I think it was a safe answer given the situation. Me, I don't think I'd be able to think at all if I had been in her place.

However, Mr. Baldwin did pose an interesting question---something that we can actually ask ourselves. Is there any mistake that we've made that we regret and wish to change?

I guess my answer, which I thought of for more than a day, is more or less similar with Venus. I did make a lot of mistakes in my life but those mistakes is what made me what I am today, so I won't change anything. In other words---I'm happy what I am right now.

How about you?

God's Counsel

I firmly believe that I am where I am today because God guided me there.

All the major decisions in my life I have asked God's counsel and as far as I'm concerned He has led me to a path that gave me the opportunity to grow and provide for my family's basic needs (a man's got to eat, right?).

I say opportunity because God did not give it to me on a silver platter. I had gone through a lot of hardships to get to where I am now. "Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa." Well, God found merit in my hard work and it did not come overnight. I'm talking about blood, sweat and tears hear brotha! It was a test of faith and persistence.

Anyway, I have come to realize that God does not answer immediately. He bids His time and, well, He's actually got the whole time in the world, right? So I learned to be patient---VERY PATIENT. After all, I am not God's only child. So, I take my place in a very long queue and wait my turn.

As I've mentioned in my previous blog that you need to be attuned to God's signs. I'm sure I'm not one of the favored ones to whom He speaks to directly and He can't be burning bushes in this day and age. Me, I just pray and pray and pray and pray some more until He manifests His wisdom in some form or another.

This morning I had a dream. It's kind of incomprehensible at best. Maybe God realized that I'm really not that intelligent so when I took to the john and reading my book, a quotation struck me. Really? Well, let's see how this pans out...

Tong Yang, SM Fairview Annex

My wife has been telling me about the eat all you can at Tong Yang but the opportunity to try it out hasn't turned out yet. Last Friday, we finally got our chance.

Now my idea of an eat all you can buffet is a table laden with food, dig in, and devour all you can take. I consider myself an eat all you can bad ass---you take me to a buffet and you'll surely get your money's worth and then some! I did not get this big taking it easy on food!

I'm happy that my wife enjoyed herself when we went there but I was really impatient with the cooking part. Instead of just shovelling food for a re-fill you still need to wait for the food to cook. Now I know how Pavlov's dog felt!

In fairness, the food was great (except for those which I took in half cooked)!

Grand Vista Hotel Boracay

It has been three months since me and my wife celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in the beautiful island of Boracay but the memories of those wonderful four days vacation still lingers.

The beauty and spectacle of the island is a given. Day or night the place is teeming with activity. Needless to say, there was no boring moment in Boracay! No wonder we found our stay "bitin"!

After going about all your business from Station 1 to 3, you can't help but get sapped! What really helped us get revitalized for the next day's action was the cool comfort of the Grand Vista Hotel!

The accomodations were a honeymooner's delight! The room was enormous! It had a king size bed, a big LCD TV, hot and cold shower, and if you want to just dip in water privately---you have your own 3x4 meter pool to soak the heat away! Sweet!

We were not able to use the hotel's main swimming pool since we were out most of the time but it sure looks very nice to swim in.

Buffet breakfast is from 6am-10am. The menu was nothing fancy. Don't expect brewed coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice but it sure gave us enough sustenance to fuel our halfday's worth of gallivanting!

One downside to this hotel is its location. Definitely no walking distance to the white sand beach. The hotel is on the topside portion of the island. To remedy this situation, the hotel had an hourly airconditioned service going to D'Mall. Pick up going back to the hotel is also by the hour until 9pm.

On the upside, being located on the hill top sure gave us one hell of an island view!

Beautiful Pinays: Georgina Wilson

American Chopper: Senior vs Junior

When we thought that the series has reached an end when it was cancelled by The Learning Channel (TLC) last February 2010, a fresh twist to the Teutul family has given it new life with the airing of American Chopper Season 7: Senior vs Junior.

Season 6 ended with Senior and Junior, the founding entity behind Orange County Choppers, parting their separate ways in an impasse regarding the latter's proposed buy out of the former's company shares.

Junior was previously fired by his father and formed his own design company outside of the motorcyle business. This is more due to the one year non-compete clause in his OCC contract.

His first solo venture landed him a partnership with Coleman. Unfortunately, with the American recession still in the air, additional projects were hard to come by. Now that the one year non-compete clause is over the battle for the custom chopper supremacy is on! And with Vinnie back as Junior's partner OCC may have their hands full!

Whose side are you on?

Managing Media Crisis

Media can either make or break anyone whether you are in business, politics, sports, or show business.

Media has gone leaps and bounds since the Watergate scandal. Today, everyone can become a source of information. Bloggers are abound. If before we are dependent on what the 4am news has got for us, in this age, news come out every hour.

Social networking communities are dominating our daily activities---wall posts, tweets, and comments can now be done using cellphones. Citizen journalism is now a powerful tool for real time information.

Freedom of the press has given unscrupulous journalists the license to sensationalize petty news and blow it out of proportion. "Payola" in journalism? Oh, yeah! Corrupt journalists are there believe me. For a price, they can actually edit an interview to promote or malign---create a whole new truth based choice information just like a digital images are Photoshoped.

So, is it fair to fear the media? I would like to think so, BUT, let us remember that big companies, politicians, famous athletes, and show business personalities will always be in the cross hairs of media scrutiny. They are the source of the news. Let's face it---many of us will likely read a juicy scandal than a straight up news. The demand for such is high. Whether we like it or not print and broadcast media is a business. Their content is more to cater on what the reader and the viewer demands for. So like a lions on the prowl, they pounce on every opportunity to get the next Watergate.

So, what is the best way to "manage" the media? Simple---DON'T FUCK UP!

Burning Bush No More

In this day and age, God no longer has the luxury of burning bushes to talk to his people---lest He wanted to get someone locked up for arson.

God is omnipresent. He is in everyone and everything. He has is Divine Hand in every situation and every event. Hence, when we speak to God during our prayers His answer can be as subtle as the falling of a leaf. The thing is we need to be a believer of His presence for us to be able to catch on to what He is telling us.

I do believe that there is no such thing as consequences. Consequences are God's anonymous interventions in our lives. He can answer our prayers through your friends, family members, co-workers, and even your scheming enemy. The thing is, God does not provide solutions to our problems. He gives us options. In the end---everything will be in our hands. Free will, remember?

However, our relationship with God should not be forged only during times of crisis. He should not just play the helpdesk to our troubles but more importantly He should be the guide in our lives.

Life is not meant to be perfect but everyday is a gift which is why it is called the present. Have faith that God is always watching over us. In each of our burden He walks with us and lifts us up every time we falter. Little that we know---He carries us most of the time.

Inceptionally Salted

I watched two movies in the past two weekends---"Salt" and "Inception".

Both movies were action packed. "Inception" was shown two weeks ahead of "Salt" and hogged the #1 box office spot. I'm no Leonardo DiCaprio fan. Truth be known, he was typecasted in my mind as Jack in "Titanic". I just couldn't accept him doing action flicks. Naturally, I did not get the itch to watch him in "Inception". I was however running out of patience to watch Angelina Jolie's spy-action movie "Salt".

"Salt" previews has been showing in cinemas early this year and I since I first saw it I have been in vigil for it to hit the big screen. It's that obvious that I'm an Angelina Jolie fan, huh? Actually, I'm an action movie buff. But putting Angelina side by side with action---then you've got me stoked! Needless to say, "Salt" did not disappoint me! The action was intense and the story got me guessing until the last part. A very good return for the Php 31.00 I added to my Citibank subsidized movie ticket and then some!

I was watched "Inception" more for the curiosity of it. I was quite sure that "Salt" would topple it from the #1 spot when it opened but surprisingly it didn't! The following week "Despicable Me" opened and "Inception" still ruled! What does this movie have that kept people from going and going?! Last Saturday I found out.

"Inception" had a Byzantine plot that would test a viewer's grasp at logic. It was convoluted and utterly tangled that when the movie ends you're left with your mouth hanging. Did Cobb's totem stop spinning? It looks as if its slowing down and then the movie cuts. What the...?!

A dream within a dream within a dream. I guess people came to see the movie because everyone ahead of them who watched was so confused that they wanted to make sense of it themselves. That's what I did and it also left me befuddled! Once thing's for certain---doing such a discombobulating movie is an effective recipe for success.