B2B2B Concert

Watched the Back2Back2Back (B2B2B) Concert of Side A, MYMP and FreeStyle last Dec 1 in Araneta Coliseum ... We got the ticket a month in advance to ensure that we would have good seats for the concert ...

We were even able to watch the rehearsals in Bagaberde (Roxas Blvd) .... Rehearsal was really crazy ... Didn't realize how difficult it was to put a production number for 3 bands ... each one has its own style, own voice ... So for each song that they all had to sing together, they really had to sweat it hard ... Lito Fugoso (Side A's manager) even remarked "will there be a concert on Monday?!" ... hahaha ... and it was really a valid comment since their production numbers are still a mess 3 days before the concert ...

Dec 1 --- the big day! .... we arrived in Araneta Center at 6:30pm ... concert starts at 8:00pm ... enough time to have dinner ...

Concert opened with a production number from the 3 bands ... after which, each band had their turn to perform solo ... first was MYMP --- couldn't relate to some of their songs (must be generation gap! hehe) ... second was FreeStyle --- love it when the boys sing but get turned off if it's Jinky (her voice rag my nerves, it seems she's always shouting and it hurts my eardrums) ... third was of course, Side A!!!! .... as usual, they were able to make the crowd stand up to dance in their "Tuloy Pa Rin" Song ... after that, it sort of went downhill because MYMP performed again which sobered the audience ... when it was time for the disco music, the 3 bands had a difficult time making the audience dance ... they should just have continued to the dance music after "Tuloy Pa Rin" since the crowd were already up ...

All in all, the concert was just ok ... I guess I was just used to Side A concerts where people were mostly standing up the whole time jamming with the band ... It would have been better if was purely a Side A concert ... That's why we'll just catch their gig in 19East on the 23rd of December :)

Pacquiao - Dela Hoya Fight

For days, or months even, we had been anticipating the match between Pacquiao and Dela Hoya ... For Filipinos, all fights of Pacquiao are considered national events ... It's the one day that there is zero crime; when all Filipinos unite regardless of religion, political affiliations, financial status; when there is no traffic (because all people are glued on their TV sets) ...

This morning, I woke up with excitement ... I knew this was the day ... But alas, the moment I went out of my bedroom, my brother informed me that there is a power failure --- we didn't have power since morning and there is no indication what time we'll get the power back! ... Dang! of all days, why does it have to be today??!!!

I suddenly remembered that I can watch it Live in my SMART 3G phone ... Although I have 3 bars of battery left, I knew that it would be enough if I tuned in only on the main bout ... before 12nn, I already started connecting .... voila! success!!! ... I put my Nokia N93i on top of a table so that my brothers and I can watch the fight ... My dad opted to just wait for the replay ...

1st round - Pacquiao round; 2nd round - still Pacquaio; 3rd, 4th, 5th - still Pacquiao ... At this point, we were already 80% sure that Manny Pacquiao will be the victor but we dare not rejoice yet because we know how good Dela Hoya is ... 6th, 7th, 8th - that's it! this is clearly Pacquiao's game ... we weren't surprised that Dela Hoya's camp didn't anymore allow the Golden Boy to continue with the 9th round ... In fact, we were hoping earlier on that they would already stop the fight because we saw how Dela Hoya is getting beaten up ... It was such a pity to see a great fighter lose that way ...

In Dela Hoya's interview, he was clearly a sportsman ... he gave credit where credit is due - which is Pacquiao's ... I admire him greatly for that ....

Congratulations Manny! To be honest, I didn't know if you can do it. But just the same, I had been rooting for you all through out! ... To Dela Hoya, you had nothing to be ashamed of! You did your best, it's just that your best was not enough for someone like Manny ...

Mumbai Chaos

It's 12:42am and I still can't sleep ... Am watching CNN and I feel so bad about what's happening in Mumbai ... After 2 days, this should have been over already ... But it seems it still won't end tonight ... I feel like this is not real, that I'm just watching a movie ...

In the news, they said that a lot of foreigners fell victim to this Mumbai attack ... Can't help but think if some of them are also working for the same firm as I am ... We have an office there where a lot of our employees from all over the world frequent for business trips ... India is being build-up as a "Hub" where we have Center of Competence, Service Headquarters, etc ... Hearing that there might be Germans and Finns among the victims really made my heart stop ... I immediately start searching the net for more details but couldn't find any ... I do hope & pray that they are not part of our "family" ...

A Filipino was also mentioned as injured ... Hope he'll be okay ...

This is a nightmare! ... Tonight, I will fervently pray that the Mumbai Chaos will be over soon ...

Amazing Race Asia 3 - The Finale

Just finished watching the Amazing Race Asia Season 3 - Finale ... Was quite disappointed that the Philippine Team of Geoff and Tisha was only 2nd place ... The Hongkong Team was 1st ... and the Malaysian Team was 3rd ...

The last task wasn't that exciting ... It looked like an ordinary task ... it wasn't worthy of a finale ... I thought it wouldn't be the pit stop yet and that there will be something more ... but alas, that was it! It ended so simply, without any fanfare! ... Guess I've gotten used to the more exciting finales of the past Amazing Race ...

Hopefully, Team Philippines will be the 1st place in the Season 4 ... Rovi & Marc were 3rd in the Season 2 ... Tish & Geoff were 2nd in the Season 3 ... It might be the Philippine Team's turn next year ... Keep your fingers crossed!!! :)

How to Save YouTube, Megavideo ...

How to Save/Nab/Grab YouTube and Megavideo?

This is a most oft question ... We'd seen a video we like in YouTube and Megavideo but we don't know to save it ... There is no "download" or "save" button --- can it be done? ... How to do it without installing additional software in your PC? ... It's so simple as A-B-C if you follow these steps :

1) Go to YouTube or Megavideo (wherever the video you want to save is)
2) Play the video til the end
3) After the video had reached its end, go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Settings -> View Files
4) Search for the biggest file in the "Temporary Internet File" folder as normally this is the video that we had just played
5) Copy the file in your Personal Folder
6) Rename the file with extension *.flv
7) Voila! ... Play the file with an application which can read flv. I use VLC which is a freeware and can easily be downloaded from the Internet.



Alternatively, if you find the above procedures too complicated, there are also online video "grabber". Just check-out these sites :

• ClipNabber.com
• KeepVid.com

Corkage Fees & Pepato (GB2)

My Aussie boss and Singaporean colleagues were in town for the week. They've brought with them 2 bottles of wine to welcome our newly-hired colleague.

Unfortunately, the function room in my condo is booked. Only option for us is to find a restaurant in Makati which do not charge Corkage Fee. I was surprised that some restos would charge as high as Php 750 per bottle! ... I persevered and finally found Pepato in Greenbelt 2!


Why you should try Pepato (GB2)?

• they waived the Corkage Fee for 2 bottles of wine
• the staff were friendly
• the waiters didn't rush us when we were taking a long time to decide what to order
• prices of the food are reasonable (they have "tasting" size and regular size) ... we only paid around Php 550 per head
• the food is great - i especially love the pastas and salads
• ambiance is perfect for business dinner

Just to give an idea, here is a list of how much is the Corkage Fee on other Restaurants :

• Elbert's Steak Room (Sagittarius Bldg HV dela Costa) : free up to 3 bottles
• Mezzaluna (the fort) : Php 450 per bottle (normally can be waived for 1 bottle)
• L'opera (the fort) : Php 600 per bottle
• Chateau 1771 (GB5) : Php 300 per bottle
• Carpaccio (Yakal St) : Php 700 per bottle
• L'Incontro (Reposo) : Php 300 per bottle
• Aubergine (the fort) : Php 750 per bottle

... Elbert's Steak Room and Mezzaluna would have also been good choices except that their food are quite pricey ... unfortunately, due to the cost cutting measures, we would have a difficult time if we'd reimburse an exorbitant amount for a Team Dinner :)

Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin

I discovered a Sanitary Napkin recently in KL ... what's so special about it? ... Let's just say that I've realized that there are several things which I've never considered before when buying a Sanitary napkin ...

(1) I didn't know that most of the napkins sold in the market today are made up of bleached and recycled paper ... I didn't believe it til I tried it ... I opened my "most often used" napkin, and was really shocked to see what's inside it ... ugh! ... couldn't imagine that it had been in contact with the most sensitive part of my body!

(2) I've never thought of the impact of the usual packaging of napkin ... once the pack is opened, it is already exposed to dirt and humidity which can be a breeding ground for bacteria ... another ugh! ...



The Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin is really different ... Without mentioning its "negative ion", I was already convinced just by what it is made of and how it is packaged ....



Additional benefits :

• Prevent Vagina Inflammation
• Reduces irritability, depression and tenseness
• Anti-Bacteria
• Improves metabolism
• Strengthens the body’s immune systems
• Improves blood circulation
• Negative ions are a natural anti-depressant.. . . and without any side effects!
• Removes Odor

The Love Moon cannot be bought in the supermarkets ... it is only sold by dealers of Winalite ... it has offices in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines (to mention a few) ...



How much is it?
- Php 250 per pack of 10 daily napkins
- Php 250 per pack of 8 night napkins
- Php 300 per pack of 30 panty liners

... you might say it's expensive ... yes, it's more expensive than the usual ... however, considering its advantages and that you'd only consume 1 pack per month, then it becomes worth it! :)

interested in buying? or becoming a dealer? ... send me a comment and i'll get back to you asap ...

Boulevard Hotel - KL

Boulevard Hotel
Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 603-22958000
Fax: 603-22878551
Reservations : resvnkul@blvhotel.com
Enquiries : infokul@blvhotel.com
Website : http://www.blvhotel.com/

Was in a mood to go on a shopping spree in Midvalley area in KL. I had an option between Cititel Hotel or Boulevard Hotel. Since I've already tried Cititel before, I decided to try Boulevard Hotel. Booked a room via http://www.asiatravel.com/. Rate was RM 255 Nett per night.


What I like :

• almost in the doorstep of Midvalley and a few steps away from the posh shopping mall - The Gardens
• near a KTM Train Station should you wish to go to KL City and beyond
• didn't have a problem to check-in even though I arrived before 12nn
• ironing board in the room
• bathroom is nice

What I don't like

• room is very simple for the price I paid. Could get a better room for that price in Legend Hotel or even Best Western Seri Pacific.
• limited in-room dining menu. they have, however, a combo set (teriyaki box) which is very reasonable - RM 35, which includes drinks and fruits
• few TV channels to choose from
• taxi outside charge a flat rate of RM10 to KL Sentral, didn't use the meter

... a glimpse inside my room - 2212

Traders Hotel - KL

Traders Hotel
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088, Malaysia
Tel # : (60 3) 2332 9888
Fax #: (60 3) 2332 2666


Spent 6 days in Traders Hotel. Since I'll be spending a week in our KLCC office, I chose it because of its location. (of course, Mandarin Hotel is still the most strategically located, but my boss will kill me if I'd spend ~ RM 600 per night for a hotel! hehehe)


Strong Points :

• as mentioned already, location
• free shuttle service to KLCC from 8am to 10pm (although it would be better if they don't have the 2:30m to 5pm break)
• security - need the card to go up to the designated floor
• acceptable hotel rate - our corporate rate is RM 265 (+15% tax & other charges)
• internet access part of the room rate. i do wish, however, that they'd have wi-fi in the room as well.
• ironing board in the room
• LCD TV, although not as big as Best Western Seri Pacific & Nikko Hotel
• friendly and helpful staff

Weak Points

• i was charged for 2L of Evian (RM 38) which i didn't consume. however, they didn't insist on my paying it when i disputed the charge. good thing i have proof that the Evian wasn't there when I arrived - i have a photo! my being trigger happy sometimes have its use!
• wish they would also have "mouthwash" as part of their toiletries like Hotel Nikko
• breakfast buffet choices not very extensive
• SkyBar was under renovation. As a consequence, swimming pool was also affected. If you want to swim, they'd bring you to Shangri-la hotel, free of charge anytime you want - but still a hassle ...

... a tour inside the room - 2530

Amari Atrium Hotel - Bangkok

Amari Atrium Hotel
1880 New Petchburi Road
Bangkok 10310, Thailand
Tel. +66 (0) 2718 2000 to 2001
Fax. +66 (0) 2718 2002

Whenever we have trainings or workshops scheduled in Bangkok, 90% of the time it will be in Amari Atrium ... simply because it is near our office ...

I actually do not mind ... It will always be in my favorite list of hotels ... I have so many fond memories of this hotel .... For me, Bangkok is equal to Amari Atrium ...

What I like :

• For a "first class hotel", the rates are very affordable (our corporate rate is only THB 2,500 Nett)
• Breakfast is always superb ... even if you stay a week, you won't get tired of the selection they offer
• Service provided by the staff is excellent ... always very helpful and accommodating
• Near the new airport ... less worry that I would miss the flight :)

What more do I wish :

• flat iron & ironing board per room
• would be perfect if it is near the city center ... it would take you around 20mins by taxi to go on shopping to Siam Paragon, Emporium, MBK (traffic is really bad in Bangkok specially during rush hours)
• there is free shuttle service to the city center, however it would be great if they can increase the frequency ... example, to MBK only 10:30am and 12:30am available ... for us, who normally are on business trips, it would be great if they would have something after office hours ...
• wifi in the guest rooms ... it is only available in the Lobby (for free)
• cheaper room service rates ... i paid THB 575 for dinner - Asian Noodle Combo & Fresh Fruit Plate

Favorite Place in the Hotel : Vivaldi Restaurant ... had a Valentine's day dinner here with a friend way back 2004 and they made sure that it was special! :))

Pinoy Dream Academy - Season 2 (PDA 2)

After 13 weeks, the Pinoy Dream Academy had finally crowned it's Grand Star Dreamer for Season 2 --- Laarni Lozada (originally Losala) *clap*clap*

The rankings :

1) Laarni Lozada

2) Bugoy Drilon

3) Miguel Mendoza (boy, your family sure is rich!)

4) Liezel Garcia

5) Van Roxas

6) Cris Pastor

I normally watch Reality TV Shows however, that is just what I do --- watch! ... but for this PDA Season 2, I was really hooked that I even voted for Laarni ... for several days, I was making sure that I voted 30 times for her (max per day per SIM) ... well, it was worth it because she won (amidst all the challenges inside the Academy)

When the PDA 2 started, Laarni wasn't really my first choice ... I know that she has probably one of the best voices if not the best voice inside the Academy, however, there were times when I got turned off her emotional outbursts ... But then, I discovered this Channel in You Tube which shows the PDA 2 LiveStream 24/7 ... That was where I found that what is shown in Channel 2 in Primetime was not the complete story ... It was normally edited in such a way that Laarni would appear bad in public eyes ...

Scholars : the other scholars would normally back stab her but she would never retaliate if she can still withstand it ... Inaki, Apple, Bea, Bunny (with her infamous Round 1, Round 2 achu-chu-chu) are oftentimes the culprit ... Miguel is sometimes good, but would sometimes quarrel with Laarni just so he would be "felt" inside the Academy ... Liezel is fine until the "green monster" would overcome her, yup! she's really one envious girl! I think she would have landed in the top 3 if she didn't irritate lots of fans with her attitude ... Bugoy played it safe, one time he said he does not want to comment against Laarni because he knows Laarni has lots of fans ... Thank God for Poy who I think was Laarni's one & only friend inside the Academy ...

Mentors : I felt that the mentors were not really fair in their treatment of the scholars. It was evident that they have their favorites --- Liezel & Bugoy ... Imagine, they'd always assign unflattering songs to Laarni (Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin, Bohemian Rhapsody, Waray-Waray) ... While all the rest of the scholars would get songs that would suit their voice and would appeal to the audience ... As mentors, Teacher Monet, Teacher Kitchie & Master Ryan C should never play favorites! Direk Joey was so-so (he chose the Bohemian song for Laarni) ...

oh well, that's all in the past ... what's important is that Laarni won! ... It was unbelievable how the Laarnians bonded together to make Laarni win ... Some didn't sleep at all to ensure that the voting would continue til the Sept 14, 2pm deadline ... The ABS-CBN forum was down but they were able to find a way to communicate with each other ... Others were in PinoyExchange (PEX), others were in You Tube Dlightshines channel ... E-pins, Cellphone Loads and E-mails were constantly being exchanged till the deadline ... Laarni is surely lucky to have such loyal fans!

by the way, thanks "dlightshines" for all the videos! No matter how heavy my workload was, I never failed to check your channel for the LS videos ...

... after this experience, I think this would be my first & last "go ga-ga" over a Reality TV Show ... I wasn't able to accomplish anything during this "Grand Star Dreamer" weekend because I glued on TV and my computer to check the updates :)

Mactan Cebu International Airport - Domestic Terminal

Terminal Fee (Domestic) : Php 200

Arrived early in the Airport for my flight from Cebu to Manila ... Good thing there were places to eat ... There was Bo Coffee which serve sandwiches and a restaurant (forgot the name) which serve Pasta ... I tried the pasta place ... Had to pay ~Php270 (Php220 for pasta and Php50 for Iced Tea)

Kris Aquino had mentioned that the best danggit in Cebu can be bought inside the Cebu Airport ... I'm not sure if there are still some "Pasalubong Centers" after check-in ... As a precaution I bought already a few packs in the Airport Lobby while waiting to check-in ... After the Pre-Departure gate, I was glad that there are more to chose from ...

There are also more choices if you want to eat at the Pre-Departure Lobby ... there were Fruits (shakes & juices), Dunkin' Donuts, etc ...


Airport facade before landing :


Goodies before Boarding :



Baggage Claim :

Tacloban - D Z Romualdez Airport

Terminal Fee : Php 30

After my trip to Borongan, I had to pass-by Tacloban as my gateway to Cebu ... It was my first time in Tacloban ... Airport was not that far from the City ... had to take a tricycle (yup a tricycle!) and pay Php120 ...

Upon reaching the airport, had to wait a couple of hours for check-in ... Unfortunately, the waiting area is small and a bit hot ... I wanted to eat since it was lunch time already but there was no place to eat ... The security guards pointed me to the canteen which is quite a walk under the sun from the airport ... With a luggage it was inconvenient to walk all that way, I had no choice but to wait after check-in so that I could get some food inside the Pre-Departure lobby ...

What turned me off this airport :

• Cannot enter immediately the Pre-Departure Area after paying the Terminal Fee ... Was asked to wait because the police are still having their lunch ... there was a battalion of them! Cannot understand why they have to eat at the same time so that the passengers wouldn't be inconvenienced! ... I wanted to eat already as it was already 1:30pm but I had to wait until the police are done eating!

• Upon entering the Pre-Departure Area, there was no one in the mini-kiosk to serve the hungry passengers ... As it turned out, all 3 of them had to eat lunch at the same time! ... had to wait until almost 2pm to buy food! ... by this time, I was counting the hours to leave this airport and vowed to avoid using this airport as much as possible ...

Castle Peak Hotel - Cebu City

Castle Peak Hotel
F. Cabahug corner President Quezon Streets
Villa Aurora, Mabolo, Cebu City 6000, Philippines
Trunkline: +63 32 233 1811
Fascimile: +63 32 232 6838
Email: reservations@castlepeakhotel.net
Website : http://www.castlepeakhotel.net

A friend from Cebu had recommended that we stay in Castle Peak Hotel instead of Parklane as originally planned ... The rates of Castle Peak are definitely cheaper compared to Parklane ... Of course it's not a few steps away from Ayala Center Cebu but not that far (~Php 45 taxi fare)

The staffs are really friendly ... The prices of food for Room Service are reasonable ... Mini Bar goodies also not that bad - mineral water (Php 40), softdrinks in can (Php 50) ...

Room Rates :
Standard - Php 1,188 NETT
Superior - Php 1,388 NETT
Business Deluxe - Php 1,688 NETT
Executive - Php 1,888 NETT
Castle Peak Suite - Php 2,488 NETT
Extra Bed / Person - Php 400

I chose to stay in the Executive Room while a friend chose the Superior Room. What are the difference?

• Executive Room is more spacious


• Bathroom : Executive had a bath tub


• Freebies : Free Tea/Coffee in Executive


• The closet of the Executive is also bigger

But the Superior Room is not also bad ... The "perks" of the Executive compared to Superior is not really significant ...

Bedroom :


Executive Bathroom :




Superior Bathroom :

Toilettries provided :

NAIA Terminal 3

Termnial Fee (Domestic) : Php 200

Had a chance to use the NAIA Terminal 3 (or NAIA T3 as they call it) when I travelled to Cebu via Cebu Pacific. At the moment, it is only used by flights from Cebu Pacific (both domestic & international), Air Philippines and PAL Express.

What can I say about it?
... after years of using the Terminal 1, boy am I glad that T3 had finally opened! I wish other international flights will soon use T3. It sure is something which we can be proud to show the foreigners. Finally, there are lots of chairs to sit while waiting to check-in! ... Finally, several choices when you want to eat! ...

It is still a work in progress ... Evident in the construction still on-going inside the terminal ... But it already has a promise of something wonderful after everything is finished.

I just noticed one thing though, it looks a bit similar to Frankfurt Airport! ... But not surprising since the Fraport AG of Germany had been involved in the construction.

What can be improved?

I had to wait 2 hours to get a taxi! ... I'm not sure if the timing was just wrong because I arrived after a strong rain ... The Nissan Metered Taxi personnel informed me that they have 270 taxi in their fleet but unfortunately the streets are flooded that's why it's taking longer for the taxis to come back.

Plus, there were also taxis from MGE and 24/7 that were allowed to enter the arrival area ... Apparently these taxis were not fully accredited ... There is no guarantee on your safety when you use these taxis ...