The Rich Kid Satchel Bag Giveaway

So Gelleesh: The Rich Kid Satchel Bag Giveaway

So Gelleesh is giving away this very stylish and useful satchel from Royal Koffer. Click the link and join her giveaway! =)

Aftermath of A Quake

February 6, 2012 - A 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the entire Negros Island, Cebu, and some parts of Mindanao. 

Credits to Ike Pacana Photography.

I have been trying to blog about it for some time but the aftershocks keep on getting to me. It is now two weeks later. So, instead of the earthquake photos, I will just post photos of people reaching out to the communities affected by the massive quake. The places massively hit were Jimalalud, Tayasan, La Libertad, and Guihulngan. These towns are all in Negros Oriental, Philippines. A landslide also resulted from that quake contributing to the increase of fatalities.

A photo from the La Libertad landslide. According to the photographer's caption, this is the 4th body to be excavated.
Credits to Mr. Ike Pacana. You take great photos, Sir!

San Carlos City, my hometown, felt the ground shake, too. The glass windows in the only mall (Gaisano) in our humble city were shattered. What  was even more alarming was the tsunami scare brought on by the Tsunami Alert #2. The people living near the coastal areas were evacuating to higher grounds. Everybody was in a panic. Thankfully, it was just a false alarm. Everybody returned safely to their homes.

Thus, it is heartwarming to see photos of the people from my hometown travelling all the way to the affected areas to help out. A day after the quake, my Facebook friends were already abuzz of how they can help out the people in Guihulngan (the nearest affected area from San Carlos City). Statuses were filled with solicitations for water, food, or any kind of help anyone could extend.

Here are some photos stolen from my FB News Feed:

Of Sabaw and Laman

Today, I watched Unofficially Yours with Marde. She was the one who really wanted to watch as everybody in their house have seen the movie, except her.

We headed off to Robinson's Movieworld as it is the only theater here in Dumaguete. The other ones either burned down or closed. When we got there, we got to avail of their Valentine promo. When you purchase two tickets in a single transaction, you are rewarded a 30% discount card for any His & Hers DC items for a limited time.

Unofficially Yours is a Filipino film topbilled by Angel Locsin and John Lloyd Cruz. They were first paired together for the vampires and werewolves teleserye, Imortal. Armed with a slew of pickup lines and a song number, the movie managed to make me smile numerous times. It almost, but barely got there, bordered on the cheesy side which is a good sign. It was daring and funny, at the same time. The former brought on by the very alluring and gorgeous, Angel Locsin. I now understand why she keeps topping those Sexiest Woman in the Philippines lists. This girl just sizzles onscreen. I love all her outfits plus the sky-high heels while fighting for a scoop in the airport. The humor and laughter is brought on by no less than John Lloyd Cruz, who has apparently perfected the naughty-but-nice character that seems to attract moviegoers and women of all ages to his movies (and heart?)

The movie revolves around a guy who can't seem to function alone and a girl who is not into putting labels to relationships. If you're not into Tagalog films, think of it as the Tagalog version of No Strings Attached with a Star Cinema flavor. It starts with talking about sabaw and laman, soup and the meal that comes along with it. It asks why you should settle for a measly soup if you can get the meal along with it. In other words, why should you commit if you can get the benefits without the hassles and the drama? That is the stand of the female character.

Unofficially Yours Soundtracks and Quotes After the Jump

The Vow

I wanted to watch The Vow when I first found out about it. I never viewed the trailer but just presumed that it will be a movie along the lines of The Notebook, etc. Plus, it starred Channing Tatum. Isn't he reason enough?

Thus, I did not know what I was in for.

A love story. An accident. Then, amnesia. It was pretty much predictable, at first. The girl could not recognize the guy anymore (I'm thinking: The Notebook, except it was Alzheimer's and they were old). Then, the guy decides that he has to make the girl fall in love with him all over again. (I'm thinking: 50 First Dates)

What makes this story special is how the guy does everything for the love of his life. He is understanding, gentle, and possibly the most perfect guy in the world. Did he have any flaws? I could not see any, provided that he was being portrayed by Channing Tatum (FANGIRL ALERT!) He always persevered to help his wife regain her memory, even if she could not even help herself do the same.

I will stop myself right here because I might not be able to stop myself from spilling the story. Trust me, this movie is not just about the big scenes. It's about relishing every moment with somebody you love. It's about the pain of being with someone yet the person is still so distant and unreachable. Surely, it will teach you to never take somebody for granted and that you can never really know a person entirely.

PLUS, it's not cheesy at all! I have an alpha-male's point of this so trust me its movie date material. =)

Watch The Vow online for free!

Coffee Break

The ambiance here in Cafe Mamia is always cozy. The crowd is mostly students, yuppies, and some of Dumaguete's old rich. It is adjacent to the legendary Mamia's elegant restaurant which is unfortunately closed.

The silog meals are fantastic and filling The prices range from 78-88. The coffee is wonderful. Plus, the view of the boulevard is always entertaining.

Let's have coffee, soon.

Dagang Guwang

This video is one of the finalists of the Sinulog Short Film Festival. It is entitled "Dagang Guwang" or "Old Maid" in English. It follows a day in the life of a single woman in her forties. On that day, she has decided to end her lonely existence.  It also delves into the Cebuano's faith in the Sto. Nino. Apparently, like most Cebuanos, she is very devoted to the Sto. Nino and questions him how could not have heard her prayers. How could he not have spared her, out of all the 7 billion people in the world, just one person to spend her life with?

It's a film that is full of emotion, heart, and hurt. Solitude: that is something that drives people to do great things but it is also a catalyst for emotion to run wild and take its toll on somebody's spirit.

Despite feeling weary of her existence, the character was still able to poke some fun in her predicament.

Can you see the resemblance between this teenager who prods the lead to always look above and the Sto. Nino, which is the only constant fixture in her life?

Para parating good job, mag- #Biogesic! Tulad ni John Lloyd, good job sa http://on.fb.me/wDbijq

Para parating good job, mag- #Biogesic! Tulad ni John Lloyd, good job sa http://on.fb.me/wDbijq