The Tangled Web

2011 year in review

2011-12-31T17:20:00.003+08:00

I did a lot of new things this year. 2011 has been a surprise to me and it's helped me grow personally and professionally. I got to travel a lot this year! It's a first! I was very blessed this year and all I can say that it's been an awesome ride! Here are my highlights of 2011! No ranking in particular!

Click on READ MORE to see :)

To all you loyal followers of this blog, wishing you all an awesome 2012!!! :)

Switzerland w Misha

Being in a long distance relationship was something I wasn't ready for. I've heard of horror stories from friends but as we Filipinos like to say "sa awa ng Diyos", everything turned out ok. I was fortunate to have been allowed by my parents, Misha's parents, (and my boss) to visit Misha in Switzerland. It was a good breather for the 2 of us. It was good to have quality time after some time being in a long distance relationship. I got to see the headquarters of my company, I got to visit a chocolate factory, and most important of all, I got to be with Mish :)

San Diego Comic Con

It was Disneyland all over again or getting that satisfaction when you open Santa's gift on Christmas morning. Comic Con gave me that blissful feeling that will forever remain in my heart. I got to meet Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Jonathan Hickman, etc. I got to see the most awesome and coolest things in the Geek World. Comic Con is something that should be done by geeks on a yearly basis! Everything that you ever dreamt of seeing or want to see, it can be found in Comic Con!

Boston Trip

Jonty and I did our other pilgrimage by visiting the place where our family lived for 3 years as political refugees. Boston or Beantown as we like to call it. I personally enjoyed this trip as we got to visit the house on Commonwealth Avenue that our Grandparents lived in. My Mon says that it was te happiest 3 years of their lives. We also got to visit the home of our beloved Boston Celtics, the TD Garden! It was my Mecca of Basketball. Seeing the 17 banners was amazing. We also got to see a live baseball game of the Boston Red Sox! Even though they lost, it was still awesome watching in Fenway Park!

Nescafé Dolce Gusto

I was blessed to have been given a good assignment from work. I was tasked to launch a new product in the market. Being a coffee lover, it was just sheer joy to be handling a product I love. NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto was launched in September (sa awa ng Diyos) :) I really believe in this new product and it is just absolutely awesome! I got myself one on the first day in the market and I get to make cool and delicious beverages! Cappuccinos, Latte Macchiatos, and even Hot Chocolate! I wouldnt be putting this on my blog if I didnt believe in it! :) this is awesome stuff!

SKY Broadband

I got a call one day from an ad agency representing SKY Broadband and was asked "Jiggy, can we talk to your manager?" I said that I didn't have one. Next question was "OK, what is your TF?" and I asked what TF was and then I immediately say "Oh! Talent Fee! Uh... I don't have a Talent Fee either, can I get back to you?" After that call, I asked help from my Mom and my Tita Kris. After that I talked to them and a couple of weeks later, I was shooting my very first TV commercial! Never in a million years did Inthink I'd be in one. Of course I got a lot of Star Wars jokes after. I have never been so happy with my Internet connection at home! It's sooooo fast! It's just fantastic!

Young Star

Doing things in tandem with my brother had been cool. Surprisingly. You see, just like any other pair of siblings, we fought a lot when we were little. It was comics that brought us together. Though I have this loyalty to Marvel and his loyalty lies with DC, there's still that competition between us geeks! Haha! Jonty and I are now lifestyle writers for The Philippine Star! We have been blessed and we're writing a lot of Geeky things for Young Star! Our articles come out Fridays! :)

Singapore F1 Grand Prix

Vroom Vroom! Another surprise I got was getting chosen as a SHELL V-Power Champion. I use SHELL gasoline and I tweeted during the time SHELL had problems with their gas lines that I'd rather wait the next day to fill up my car with gas just as long as it's SHELL. I was used to it and Ive been loyal all these years :) Little did I know that they were following me online! I was supposed to be in 3 trips. London, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi were spread throughout the year. My schedule only permitted me to go to Singapore. The F1 race was loud! Really LOUD! But I loved the sessions SHELL had for us about engine health! It was a once in a lifetime experience!

Malaysia

I went to a new country this year and it was the first time Misha and I traveled outside the country. Mish had work in Malaysia so my friend Ben and I tagged along for the weekend in Kuala Lumpur! It's always nice visiting new places and trying new food! Malaysia was a country that was just so clean and developed! The Petronas towers were pretty cool too!

The Hundred Islands

As a Filipino, YOU MUST see the hundred islands! How can a hundred islands be in one place? It's astounding! It will be one of the coolest things you'll ever see in your life! Do you live in Manila? It's just 3 hours away! You don't have to ride a plane! Go on a road trip! When you meet foreigners, you'll have something to brag about! I'm telling you, astig na astig! The hundred islands is a must see!

Hosting Comic Book Events!

2011 had a lot of surprises for me. One of the biggest and pleasant surprises was that National Book Store and Komikon got me to host for them! I'm really not a host mind you but for some reason unknown to man, National Book Store and Komikon believed in me! I hosted the launches of Trese: Last Seen After Midnight and the 2nd Edition of ELMER for National Book Store. It was cool getting to interview Budjette Tan, Kajo Baldisimo, and Gerry Alanguilan LIVE! After that I hosted the 2011 Komikon awards at the Bayanihan Center. Thank you very much to Mr Miguel Ramos and Ms Sherry Zamar for getting me to host your events! It was an honor! :)

Thank you Mr. Robinson

2011-12-10T15:42:00.003+08:00

Last July at Comic-Con, I was really fortunate to have met the creator of "The Joker", Jerry Robinson. He was a real gent! He was accommodating and friendly. I was really surprised that the creator of one of the greatest villains of all time was in Comic-Con!

Last December 8, I was shocked when I got a text from my friend Gerard who was with me at SDCC. He said that Jerry Robinson has passed away... :(

I felt bad that one of the pioneers of comics had passed away... He was 89.

From Comic Book Resources

Robinson was born in Trenton, New Jersey on New Year's Day in 1922. At only 17 years of age, the aspiring artist was hired as an inker by Batman creator Bob Kane, and over the next several years, Robinson offered as much visual input into the character's world and cast as his originator. Robinson co-created Robin, the Boy Wonder and is often credited as the primary influence for arch-villain the Joker, though Kane and Robinson would clash over credit for the villain's creation in later years. The artist was soon hired away from Kane's shop by "Batman" publisher DC/National Comics, for which he served as a staff artist, drawing many of the most striking covers of comics Golden Age.

From DC Comics' Senior Executives

“Jerry Robinson illustrated some of the defining images of pop culture’s greatest icons. As an artist myself, it’s impossible not to feel humbled by his body of work. Everyone who loves comics owes Jerry a debt of gratitude for the rich legacy that he leaves behind.”—Jim Lee, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher and artist of "Batman: Hush"

“Jerry Robinson was one of the greats. He continued to be a vibrant, creative force well into his nineties, with ideas and thoughts that continue to inspire. Jerry was a great advocate for creators. It was my pleasure to meet and work with him. He will be missed.”—Dan DiDio, Co-Publisher, DC Entertainment

“It’s impossible to work at DC Entertainment without feeling the impact of Jerry Robinson’s contributions to the industry. His influence continues to resonate today.”—Bob Harras, DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief

“Jerry Robinson was an innovator, a pioneer in storytelling. His artwork was always astonishing, but his contributions to the Dark Knight mythology go far beyond art. The streets of Gotham City are a little lonelier today...Jerry will truly be missed.”—Mike Marts, "Batman" editor

It was an honor to have met Jerry Robinson... He will be missed by the industry.

SDCC 2011

A signed copy from my friend Miguel Ramos. I got this as a birthday gift last October.

TULONG DUNONG

2011-12-06T22:54:00.002+08:00

Over the past few days I've been seeing a lot of links about Tulong Dunong. This got me thinking...

I graduated from Ateneo de Manila High School in 2003. I was a TD Kuya in H. Bautista Elementary School in Marikina. I was in the English Track and I tutored the advanced students. They were a joy to teach!

But this post goes to all the undergrad students of Ateneo High.

To the current Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen of Ateneo High, I'm telling you, Tulong Dunong is the best, if not, one of the best things you'll experience in High School. It's a big responsibility! But remember that this something unique in Jesuit Education. This is what being a man-for-others is all about. Sure cliche na kung cliche. But believe me, seeing the MTV above reminded me that even after graduating, you're still a Kuya. We will always be Kuyas to our less fortunate brothers and sisters and it's up to us to help.

You will do a lot of lesson plans. A LOT! But do it with heart and you'll be ok. :) My class was special. We were under Miss De Guia and Mr. Brazal. Sir Brazal was the guy who checked my lesson plans and hindi sa pagyayabang, I got all As :) Like I said, you're a Kuya and you have to do it with heart. Think of the kids. They really look up to the TD Kuyas. Believe me... If there's one thing I want you to pick up from this, during senior year, take your lesson plans seriously. Don't cram it guys :( We want the kids to be better at school... Just take it seriously and you'll do well :)

Below is a message from my TD Teacher Miss Meng De Guia...

Fr. James O'Brien, SJ never intended Tulong-Dunong to be a high profile program --never wanted TD to be advertised. All these years, the program relied on God's providence without the aid of media. Times have changed though and the funds to support our scholars have dwindled. But the spirit of TD -- to promote HUMAN DVELOPMENT (as Fr. OB used to say, "to let each become what he is capable of being and becoming") and to get our people out of poverty still lives. This video is meant to RECONNECT with all those whose lives had been touched by the TD Program and to hopefully ENCOURAGE them to once again be these promising kids' kuyas/ates. To find out more and to help, here's how: log on to www.tulongdunong.org. Thank you friends!

If you're a student from Ateneo High, drop me a note if you have any questions or if you need any tips! I'd be glad to help :) If you were a student in H Bautista Elementary School, drop a message too! :)

TIN TIN

2011-11-30T20:39:00.000+08:00

I saw probably the best movie of 2011 last night. Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's adaptation of HERGE's masterpiece comic strip! "The Adventures of Tin Tin"was a movie that had my eyes glued to the screen the whole time!

I like reconnecting to my childhood and I remember reading the stories growing up. I remembered watching the cartoons in the afternoon when I got home from school. It was pure bliss!

What made the difference was that it was retold by 2 master storytellers in Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. When Spielberg directs a movie, you can't help but be amazed how it's shown right before your eyes. I specifically loved the action sequences towards the end of the movie. It was the action sequence with the falcon.

Imagine the HERGE characters in the comics coming to life! It was fantastic! I loved how TIN TIN, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Thomson and Thompson were transformed into 3D! They looked real with a touch of Herge! LOVED IT! I had tons of fanboy moments! Opening credits pa lang! With music accompaniment by John Williams, the movie was even better!

The only movie that can stand up to Tin Tin in my honest opinion is THOR. It's actually a toss up really. The movie contains comedy, action, suspense, thrills, and loads of nerdgasm moments! THOR had those too...

For sure I'm going to see this movie again! But in 3D this time around!

Thanks to National Book Store for the tickets! :)

The Most Important Celtic Today...

2011-11-30T00:16:00.000+08:00

Danny Ainge must be taking crazy pills!!! The man must be out of his mind if he's thinking of trading Rajon Rondo!!! Seriously, Rondo is the most important Celtic today. Remember Game 3 of the 2nd round??? ONE ARM! RONDO PLAYED WITH ONE FRIKKIN ARM AND THEY STILL WON THE GAME!!!

Rondo is the backbone of this team. The Big 3 needs him and if Rondo leaves... Banner 18 will be no more this season...

What the hell are you thinking Mr. Ainge????

To get CP3??? NO!!! CHEMISTRY FIRST!!! Trading Perk ruined it and now Rondo!?!?!?

Get it together Mr. Ainge... YOU DON'T WANT A BOSTON RIOT...

Thundercats SEASON 1 FINALE

2011-11-28T21:29:00.001+08:00

I've posted about the Thundercats reboot a while back and it has been my favorite show of 2011. Seriously, it's pretty awesome stuff! 13 episodes so far. Not all are fantastic. There were several episodes that weren't as good. Episodes 3, 9 and 10 were a bit weak... But episodes 1,2, 4, 6, 7 and 13 are fantastic! 13? Man... Click on read more link to see my reactions on the season finale.

SPOILERS AHEAD... You have been warned!!!

The next paragraph contains spoilers to episode 13 of Thundercats.

TYGRA!?!?!? SERIOUSLY!?!?!? WTF MAN!!! Lion-O doesn't get Cheetara!? Well, I was hoping it wouldn't be the case but I thought the prophecy would be that the betrayal was the Cheetara thing... From episode 1 it was clear Lion-O and Cheetara were the deal but what is this??? How I met your Mother!?!? Ugh. So frikkin pissed!!! But that's good storytelling for you. I need to see what happens next!!!

Panthro loses his arms... Damn... Berbils better give him a cool set of new arms!!!

But this show has been awesome! I wish I could have seen more of Mumm-Ra though... He's been a cool villain in this story!

For the record, TEAM LION-O!!! Lion-O better get Cheetara back damn it!! All hell will break lose if he doesn't!!! Plus you have a lot of angry fans on your Facebook page Cartoon Network!!! Better listen to the fans!!!

These aren't the Droids you're looking for

2011-11-28T20:51:00.001+08:00

Sorry I haven't been updating a lot. I'm busy at work but I'm loving what I do :) Plus with my other engagements for my other blogs, I tend to forget about The Tangled Web. Sorry guys :(

Anyway, I'm back! Did you see my latest project? Jonty and I are now part of The Philippine Star Family! We're part of Young Star! (Well, Jonty's still "young" ako naman feeling young)

The 2 of us are extremely psyched for this and we promise to be as consistent as we can!

Jonty has been the backbone of this project and he's the one who came up with the title. "These aren't the Droids you're looking for" was probably most fitting. Who's C-3PO and who's R2-D2? We don't want to think of it that way... We even got suggestions like "THAT'S NO MOON!" and "IT'S A TRAP!" which are also references to STAR WARS.

We'll be writing about Everything GEEK and Pop Culture :) Heck, we may even write about food!

Our first article is about MARVEL vs DC! We thought it would be best since I'm the MARVEL guy and he's the DC guy. Both of us write but I have part 1 and he has part 2 which should be out by Friday of this week.

Thank you very much to Tita Millet of Philippine Star for giving us this once in a lifetime chance and to Mr. Raymond Ang for being such an accommodating editor!

Please feel free to give your comments/opinions to jiggyandjonty@gmail.com :)

Cruz Bros have a new project! Working together for the very first time!

2011-11-15T23:12:00.001+08:00

Guess what? My brother Jonty and I are up to something! We have a new and exciting project we can't talk about in detail. But it's gonna be awesome! You'll get to see our antics and how we just love messing with one another.

In the upcoming weeks, you'll get to see what we've been up to! It's gonna be fun! :)

Giving in to Amazon's Kindle

2011-11-14T01:03:00.000+08:00

Ok ok. So I gave in. I wanted to see what it was like to read on a Kindle. During my recent trip to Switzerland, I didn't want to carry a heavy hardbound on my handcarry so I decided to get a Kindle. I got the Kindle Keyboard and I got it on eBay.ph :) I have to say that it's pretty cool. But don't get me wrong. Reading on a real book is cool also.

I have an existing Amazon account so I get charged through credit card. It's pretty easy to use too!

OK now for my review.

PROS

The Kindle is very light. It's easier to carry than an iPad. Reading the text is very gentle to the eyes as well. Plus there's no glare. Using the Kindle Store is also very user friendly and downloading a book is really fast. Less than 60 seconds! Battery life is amazing as well. It can go up to a month! It can fit in your back pocket so you can practically take it where ever you want to take it. I say that it's perfect for traveling!

CONS

I got the one with special offers and I find the offers rather annoying for one reason. When you put the Kindle to sleep, you can't change the wallpaper. You'll have to hack a code and you'll lose the warranty that comes along with it. The other thing is that a lot of the books I wanted to get weren't available in the Kindle Store. Apparently not all books are available in all territories which sucks a lot.

For the verdict, the Kindle is a cool gadget to have if you love to read and travel. I didn't check if the books I wanted were available so make sure the books you want are available. At the end of the day, it doesn't hurt to own a Kindle. It's also still cool to go to the book store and look for the book that you want :)

Jiggy and the Chocolate Factory

2011-11-08T19:54:00.000+08:00

Who doesn't love chocolate? It never fails to make me smile when I receive or see chocolate. It's just so damn good! Chocolate is close to my heart. Very close. Why? I used to work for chocolates. It was an awesome job because you got to try/taste/eat chocolate 5 days a week. (But everything in moderation of course)

Anyway, about a week ago in Switzerland, with the help of my 2 new friends Ton and Khan, I got to visit Le Maison Cailler or The House of Cailler. (Pronounced "KAH-YEY") It was a CHOCOLATE FACTORY! So think of all the Willy Wonka stories you know! Le Maison Cailler was also where The Chocolate Centre of Excellence is located and this is where Nestle and the top Chocolatiers make new recipes for the best chocolates!

There was a tour that explained the history of chocolate. It started with the Mexicans/Aztecs when they discovered this bean they named "Theobroma Cacao" or you can also say Food of the gods. But the main story included F.L. Cailler opening the first Swiss Chocolate Factory. It was in Switzerland where MILK CHOCOLATE was invented by a man named Daniel Peter with the assistance of Henri Nestle.

I got to see how they made the Cailler chocolates and believe me when I say that it's one of THE BEST chocolates in the world! I mean, Cailler was the very first milk chocolate! The assortment was just broad! There's chocolate for cooking, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, premium chocolates, etc. Also interesting is that there's this part of the tour where they ask you "For you, when is it time for chocolate?" I answered "to make Misha happy :)" Gentlemen, it's been tried and tested, you need to give women chocolates!

A tour wouldn't be complete without tasting the chocolates! So at the end, there's an all you can eat chocolate buffet!!! Argh, my mouth is drooling just recalling my experience. ANG SARAP TALAGA!

Smiling when there's chocolate inside your mouth

Cailler Ambassador

Cailler SUBLIM

Cailler Milk Chocolate

Visiting the Cailler Chocolate Factory will be an experience I will forever keep in my heart. In life, we need to make ourselves happy. C'mon, don't you want to be happy? I believe our happiest days were the days when we were kids. Why not relive our childhood days from time to time? :) Have some chocolate, the endorphins will make you happy :) Share the happiness! Give someone a bar of chocolate! We ALL deserve to be happy in life :D

Swiss Cheese

2011-11-07T22:00:00.000+08:00

OK, so I can't think of a better title to this post. But so what? I'm cheesy! If you can't handle the cheese, deal with it! :) Haha! Kidding!

So back to the post.

It's November already and I came from an excellent trip to Switzerland. Misha is working there now but it's only temporary. I visited her for a week and here are just some snapshots of what we did in Confoederatio Helvetica aka Switzerland.

The weather was real nice! It's in between Autumn and Winter so it was getting cold but you could see the different colors of the leaves! It was beautiful! The yellow leaves were my favorite. Bihirang makakita sa Pilipinas ng yellow and white leaves.

Lake Geneva was just amazing. Walking by it in the morning gave me goosebumps. I'm not really that type of nature guy but seeing the lake, the trees, the different colored leaves, the snow on top of the mountains, the swans, etc. Man... God is good! It was just beautiful!

Switzerland will not be complete without Fondue and walking by the lake! There are a lot of museums by the lake in Vevey such as the Alimentarium (Food Museum) and the Photography Museum. Charlie Chaplain Square is also in Vevey! In Montruex, Freddie Mercury has a statue there! Plus Misha and I wanted to get cool and funny pictures of ourselves in a different country.

A long distance relationship can be difficult. You have to adjust to time zones plus you get lonely. But what's keeping me and Mish sane now is that there are only 39 days left! From that point on, no one leaves! :) If you're in a long distance relationship, visiting that special someone is just so worth it! It teaches you a lot plus it makes you realize that life is worth living with that special person.

I'll write more about my trip in the upcoming days but for now, hope the pictures entertain you :)

Switzerland :)

2011-10-31T22:19:00.000+08:00

I said before that long distance is a b*tch but it's frikkin awesome when you get to visit your loved one :) I'm here now in Switzerland visiting Misha :) The place is beautiful!!! Check out the foliage!!! I've been here 24 hours so far and I'm enjoying the sights!!! I'll post some more pictures soon when I take more pictures. Hahaha!

Misha says hi!

Took this pic since my Mom likes the storm windows

Jiggy jumping shot!

Investing in IMAGE

2011-10-25T22:32:00.000+08:00

Comics published today won't be as valuable as the Golden Age or the Silver Age ones. But I think that SOME Modern Age books may get valuable in the future.

IMAGE Comics have low print runs. They're not as many as the MARVEL or DC print runs which makes it more valuable.

Anyway, I recently acquired 2 KEY Image titles. One is making a name for itself in the small screen and the other is about to enter the small screen.

The Walking Dead #1 9.8 Signed by artist Tony Moore... (I couldn't get one signed by KIRKMAN!)

You watch The Walking Dead on TV? You HAVE to read the comics!!! :) IT'S FRIKKIN AWESOME!!!

Chew #1 9.9 MINT!!! How cool is that??? 9.9 as a grade is near to impossible to achieve!!!

I hope that John Cho will pull it off as Detective Tony Chu!!! I'm rooting for you John Cho!!!

SHELL, FERRARI, and SINGAPORE!!!

2011-10-23T18:34:00.001+08:00

This year, I got a big surprise from Shell! I was asked to become part of their Shell V-Power Network of Champions. They wanted me to travel in different places to learn more about Shell and what they do. The first leg of the trip was in London but unfortunately I wasn't able to attend since I had prior commitments. But last September, I finally got to join the trip! I went to Singapore for the F1 Grand Prix to know more about engine health.

I joined the Philippine Team in Singapore comprised of Jinno Rufino, Beeboy Vargas, Vernon Sarne, Tim Yap and Patty Laurel. There were also other Shell V-Power Champions from European countries. Believe it or not, I was the youngest among the whole group! Pressure? Haha.

Anyway, click on READ MORE to see what I did in Singapore.

I've always wanted to see the F1 Grand Prix LIVE. I used to watch a lot during the time of Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villenueve and Mika Hakkinen. I also followed when the young guys came in like Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton. Of course, I was there to cheer for FERNANDO ALONSO and FELIPE MASSA!!!

If there's one word to sum up the F1... LOUD!!! You really need earplugs! It's a MUST! When the drivers rev up their engines? Man! LOUD! But it's awesome!

We met a lot of the SHELL executives and it was really cool that we got to learn what Shell V-Power does to the engine.

Why is engine health important?

As an engine is used, it can be prone to friction, wear and the build-up of deposits in critical areas. Deposit build-up can block passages created for the lubricating oil to flow through. It can affect the engine's power, performance and efficiency...

So how does SHELL V-Power come in? Basically, the fuel is formulated with a unique double-acting formula designd to actively clean the engine and protect vital engine parts.

Richard Bracewell who you can see in the picture above shows us 2 parts of 2 engines. One that uses SHELL V-Power and one that doesn't use SHELL V-Power. I'm telling you, the difference is huge! The one that uses SHELL V-Power is uber clean!!! And the one that doesn't??? Uber dirty!!! I'm glad I use SHELL V-Power... I know my engine is clean!!!

The most interesting thing I learned was the great partnership of SHELL and FERRARI.

Just some facts for you guys...

12 Formula One World Driver's Championships

10 Formula One Constructor's Championships

>475 Formula One races contested

>155 Formula One race wins

>2000 Formula One World Championship points

99% of the chemistry used in the race fuel is identical to that in SHELL V-Power road fuel.

The tandem of SHELL and FERRARI dates back to 1929!!! Imagine that!!!

But I was amazed by the partnership. I couldn't tell who worked for SHELL and who worked for FERRARI. The 2 are so close that it seems like they're in one company!!!

I'll have more stories about my trip soon!!! For now, hope you liked this entry :)

Mark Torres' Surprise!

2011-10-22T00:12:00.000+08:00

During the TRESE 4 Launch, right after the program, I had to dash to reach the 6pm mass with my family. On the way out, Comic Book Artist Mark Torres called me and said belated happy birthday. He said that I had too many Spidey sketches already so he gave me this.

I was in Comic Odyssey the last time I saw him and I was getting old back issues of Thundercats from the old WildStorm comics. I wanted to read some Thundercats since the cartoon is on break.

But this sketch of LION-O is just awesome!!! Mark was really cool to have given me this. It made my day that day!!!

Thanks again Mark!!!

Oh, and by the way, Mark will be drawing TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES!!! WHAT. UP. Congrats Mark!!!

Things I'm liking now

2011-10-20T22:16:00.001+08:00

I haven't done this in a bit but I just felt like sharing with you what's making me happy. Need to keep myself busy since being in a long distance relationship can be difficult...

First up is the 100 BULLETS Hardcover from DC/VERTIGO written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Eduardo Risso. I decided not to get the trades for this book and I'm quite happy that DC decided to release a hardcover just like Y: The Last Man and Fables.

Click on READ MORE to see the rest :)

My favorite comic book now is the ALL-NEW Ultimate Comics Spider-Man! Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli relaunched the book with the brand new African-American/Latino Spider-Man, Miles Morales! This book has been awesome so far. 3 issues now and it's kickin ass!!!

I've been wanting to get shoes by Onitsuka Tiger and they are comfy as hell!!! I love them!!! Feels awesome when you walk!!! The Blue and Red on White was really my 1st choice but the Yellow on Black and Yellow on Blue look really cool too!!!

NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Coffee is just seriously good coffee!!! Plus it's so fun to make!!! I got a Red Piccolo for myself and I recently showed it to my friends when I had a party at home. It's just so cool having a NESCAFE Dolce Gusto system!!!

The OCEAN Cologne of the Men's Collection of Bath & Body Works is excellent!!! I smell fresh at work with this scent!!! I also have the NOIR and CITRON which smell just as great!!!

SWATCH! X-RAY VISION by JEREMY SCOTT

2011-10-19T21:42:00.000+08:00

I'm a SWATCH fan. We've all worn Swatches at some point of our lives but recently, they've launched the Jeremy Scott line and some of the Swatches have very geeky designs perfect for geeky me.

I have the Lightning Swatch and I love it!!! Now, Swatch came out with a 2nd Wave of Jeremy Scott designs and the latest geeky design is X-RAY VISION!!!

Click READ MORE to see the rest of the post...

The packaging of this SWATCH is fantastic!!! It looks so frikkin cool!!! The lightning watch didn't have this!!!

There are 2 faces for the watch to make it look like X-RAY eyes!!! Hahahaha!!!

This watch is extra special since I'm in a long distance relationship, I can easily look at the time in Switzerland!!! I'll have a Philippine time and Swiss time!!!

But I think this is one of the geekiest watches I've ever seen. I find it really cool!!!

Got this at the SWATCH kiosk in Power Plant in the Archaeology wing and it's right in front of Nationa Book Store. Check it out SWATCH FANS!!!

Not bad eh? Pretty sweet!

Elmer Launch

2011-10-19T21:18:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, Mr. Gerry Alanguilan and National Book Store launched the 2nd Edition of the multi-award winning and Eisner-Nominated ELMER!

It was my 2nd time to host a comic book launch and it was a success!!! Fans of the Komikero trooped down National Book Store Best Sellers in Robinsons Galleria!

Click on the link to see the photos.

Pre-event (Gerry Alanguilan taking photos)

Chicken Lollipops for Merienda!

National Book Store had this funny idea of serving Chicken Lollipops at the event. If you see, Gerry Alanguilan seems to have a new look! It ain't the Hey Baby look that's for sure :) Hahaha!

The unveiling of the ELMER-ized iPad!

From October 15 to November 15, if you buy a copy of Elmer, you can get a chance to win the iPad! Pretty sweet deal right?

iPad!

Birthday Blowout Winner

2011-10-19T20:54:00.003+08:00

Congratulations again to Venus Villaver! Hope you like your spankin brand new NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Piccolo Machine and Mocha Capsules!

Thanks to all those who participated!

Who knows? I might have a Christmas blowout? Hahaha!

ELMER + NATIONAL BOOK STORE

2011-10-13T00:18:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted KOMIKS to go mainstream and I'm really glad that National Book Store is supporting the local Komiks Industry. Looks like they're really getting into exclusives because my dear friend Gerry Alanguilan is partnering with NBS to launch the Exclusive 2nd Edition of ELMER!!!

You know how the Batman #608 2nd print is more expensive than the 1st? I think this is something along that line!

I have tons of Elmer Editions! Heck! I even have the really exclusive one that comes in a case with a personal Sketch from KOMIKERO himself! But I wouldn't mind getting another edition!

Elmer 2nd Edition will be launched this Saturday, October 15, 2011 at Bestsellers, 4th Floor Robinson’s Galleria, Ortigas at 5pm!

I got an excerpt from komikero.com

"National Book Store has graciously stepped in and offered to publish the 2nd Edition of Elmer while allowing me to retain ownership of my characters. This deal would now make Elmer available nationwide through all branches of National Book Store, Powerbooks and Bestsellers. NBS has expressed a great interest in supporting Philippine Comics and I think we will be seeing this make an impact in the local industry in the coming years. They will also be launching Book 4 of Trese today, as well as being co-presentor of the 7th Annual Komikon. I sense really good things to come.

This edition will be virtually the same as the previous Komikero Publishing edition, although it would have a new afterword, a sample of the script, and drawings previously available in the Elmer Limited Edition Box Sets. Because of my agreement with my publishers abroad, this edition will only be made available here in the Philippines."

Again, I will be hosting the launch of Elmer's 2nd Edition! (Someone asked me if I'm doing this on the side and I said no. I never host. I never got paid to host anything. I'm doing this for the love of Komiks! And because Gerry Alanguilan is a friend :) )

PLEASE GO!!! National Book Store is giving 20% off on ALL GRAPHIC NOVELS that day :) PLUS... I heard there's another surprise!!!

Winners of the BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT!!!

2011-10-11T08:17:00.005+08:00

First of all, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL THOSE WHO JOINED!!! So many of you joined and I was overwhelmed!!! Thank you!!!

If you didn't win, don't worry, there'll be more giveaways in the future!!!

First, the winners of the Signed TRESE 4 Books are the ff:

Aaaaand the WINNER OF A SPANKIN BRAND NEW NESCAFE DOLCE GUSTO MACHINE IS....

VENUS VILLAVER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The Launch of TRESE 4 in National Book Store Best Sellers in Galleria

2011-10-09T23:22:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, October 8, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo launched the fourth installment of their Horror Comic - TRESE! "Last Seen After Midnight" is the fourth volume of the series and it seems that Budjette and Kajo have no plans of ending the story! (Good news for us fans!)

Best Sellers Robinsons Galleria was PACKED!!! The turnout was fantastic!!! In attendance were Trese Fans, new readers and even the esteemed members of the comic book industry!!! Sherry Zamar of Komikon, Lyndon Gregorio of Beerkada, Marvel Artists Leinil Yu, Carlo Pagulayan and Stephen Segovia, Dark Horse Artist Mark Torres and Indie Artist Andrew Drilon. Also present was Esquire Philippines Editor-In-Chief Erwin Romulo.

The launch was also was my first ever hosting gig! All for the love of komiks! I was nervous and all but The Trese Fans, Budjette and Kajo made it easy for me! Everyone was so participative so thanks a lot guys!!! :)

The event was also the unveiling of the TRESE-fied iPad that's being raffled!!! I'm telling you, the iPad is so damn gorgeous with Kajo's art!!! Be sure to get TRESE 4: Last Seen After Midnight with the exclusive dust jacket ONLY IN NATIONAL BOOK STORE until December 31, 2011. Regular covers will be available in other stores January 1, 2012. The iPad promo runs from October 8 - 31.

Congrats to Budjette and Kajo!!!

TRESE 4: Clue #3 (FINAL CLUE)

2011-10-08T00:08:00.000+08:00

This is the last clue to what makes Kajo's sketch so unique. If you still can't figure it out, join us at the launch event on October 8, Bestsellers, 4F Robinsons Galleria at 5 pm.

Purchases of Trese 4 from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks up to October 31, 2011 are eligible for the raffle of Kajo Baldisimo's sketch.

And here we go... MY FIRST BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT!!!

2011-10-05T23:25:00.001+08:00

To the loyal readers of The Tangled Web, I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for you guys! You made my blog what it is today and I thank you for that!

Tomorrow, I turn 26. There, I said my age. I am no longer in my "mid" Twenties... Late na :|

But I've been so blessed this year and I want to share the blessings. For the main prize, I am giving away...

(CLICK THE READ MORE LINK BELOW THE LIKE BUTTON)

From the comments, some figured it out. But to those who haven't figured it out, I am giving away a spankin brand new, RED, NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto PICCOLO MACHINE!!!

What is NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto? Basically it's a multi-beverage system. You use Coffee Capsules and you Pop it in the machine. Lock the lever, turn it to hot mode and wait for the coffee to Drop! You get fantastic beverages in seconds! For coffee, there's Cappuccino, Vanilla Latte Macchiato, Mocha, and Caffe Lungo. But wait, I said Multi Beverage System so this little wizard can also make Hot Chocolate!!! The Chococino is FANTASTIC!!! But my personal favorite is the Vanilla Latte Macchiato!!!

I don't need to go to coffee shops anymore!!!

ONE lucky follower of The Tangled Web gets a Piccolo Machine and a box of 16 Capsules!!! (Flavor - winner's choice)

How?

1. Earlier, I said that YOU have to be a follower of the blog. Just click on "JOIN THIS SITE" on the left part of the screen.
2. You have to click on LIKE at the bottom of this post
3. Go to Facebook, LIKE "NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Philippines" and share it to your friends.
4. You need to have 2 friends LIKE the page you shared. Once you've done that, email me a screen shot of the link you shared with 2 friends liking it to jiggycruzblog@gmail.com :)

Winners will be randomly selected!!! :) YOU HAVE UNTIL SATURDAY 12nn to do so!!! :)

Why the short time? It's a matter of really looking for the Loyal Readers who visit the blog often :) Fair right?

If you don't have Facebook, find a friend to do it for you :)

Other than that, I am giving away 5 SIGNED TRESE 4 Books!!! :) (Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo will sign)

The First 5 to send me the screen shots get the Signed Book! :)

Good luck guys!!!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING MY BLOG!!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!

CLUE #2 to my Birthday Giveaway :)

2011-10-03T23:10:00.002+08:00

You have to click on the Facebook LIKE button!!! :)

Plus you need to "Join this site" to be eligible to join the contest :) (If you don't have Facebook... :\ Click on Retweet!

But you want to see what the 2nd clue is?

Click on READ MORE to see :)

Hmmm... Whatizit???? :D

Keep on reading the blog! I'll reveal on my Birthday!!! 12mn on October 6 would be a good time to look at the blog!!!

TRESE 4: Clue #2

2011-10-03T22:59:00.000+08:00

Here is the second cropped detail of Kajo Baldisimo's sketch. Have you figured out what makes it so unique? Find out at the launch event on October 8, Bestsellers, 4F Robinsons Galleria at 5 pm.

Purchases of Trese 4 from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks up to October 31, 2011 are eligible for the raffle of Kajo Baldisimo's sketch.

Personally, I want to ge this unique piece of art! I'm telling you that what Kajo did is the shiznit!!! It's fantastic!!! Of course I shouldn't be telling this to you since you'll ruin my chances of winning this... Hahaha! But seriously, I've never seen anything like it!

Trese 4: Last Seen After Midnight on October 8

2011-10-02T22:13:00.000+08:00

Yours truly will be hosting the event this Saturday ;)

See you all this Saturday! Before Budjette and Kajo sign your copies, there will be a short Q&A with the creative tandem and I'll be moderating that. Have your questions ready :D

Sketch and Dedication Collection

2011-10-02T21:01:00.000+08:00

So this is a collage of the different sketches and commissioned artwork I got from San Diego. I think I got a pretty sweet set! I got art from Francis Manapul, Humberto Ramos, Jonathan Hickman, Chris Giarrusso and Joelle Jones who all drew Spider-Man :) Terry Dodson drew the Black Cat, Matt Kindt drew the Tooth and Todd Nauck drew the Green Goblin!

I also got dedications from Jo Chen, Robert Kirkman, Rob Liefeld, and Stan Sakai! This is just the tip of the iceberg. I'll share with you my little black book of signatures soon :)

CLUE #1 to my Birthday Giveaway :)

2011-10-02T10:25:00.001+08:00

Hmmm... What could it be? :)

In order to win this, you have to be a follower and you have to LIKE this post :)

Any guesses on what this is? :) I'm telling you, this is probably the BEST prize I'm giving away. Since I LOVE this, I'll share it with a lucky follower.

Wanna win it? 2 things: 1. Click on LIKE below and 2. Click on "Join this site" on the left part of the page.

You have to keep reading the blog! :) More clues to follow :)

Wait for my Birthday Giveaway!!!

2011-09-30T23:51:00.009+08:00

Finally! September's ending!!!

It's my favorite month of the year!!! OCTOBER!!!

I'll be another year older in a couple of days and I've been blessed this past year so I would like to share the blessings :) You have to keep reading The Tangled Web in order to see what I'll be giving away to a lucky follower of The Tangled Web! Click on the "LIKE" button below and let's see how this flies :)

Still not a follower? :) Click on the "Join this site" button on the left

<---------- This side :)

What am I giving away? This is going to be BIG! I haven't given away anything like this before :)

I'll be giving away several items just keep reading the blog for more updates!!!

TRESE 4: Clue #1

2011-09-30T00:01:00.001+08:00

As the launch date of "Trese 4: Last Seen After Midnight" approaches, Kajo Baldisimo has released cropped details of his "unique" sketch. What is so unique about this awesome piece of art? See clue#1 and try to figure it out. Find out at the launch event on October 8, Bestsellers, 4F Robinsons Galleria at 5 pm.

Purchases of Trese 4 from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks up to October 31, 2011 are eligible for the raffle of Kajo Baldisimo's sketch.

I'll definitely go back to SDCC next year!!!

2011-09-27T21:06:00.000+08:00

Sharing with you a collage :)

TRESE 4 TO BE LAUNCHED OCTOBER 8!!!

2011-09-27T15:06:00.000+08:00

Finally!!! The long wait is over!!! Personally, there are only 2 books I'm really really excited for and this is one of them!!! Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo are releaing TRESE Book 4!!! "Last Seen After Midnight", will be released on October 8, 5pm, at the National Book Store Best Sellers in Robinsons Galleria.

You know how we fanboys love exclusives? "Last Seen After Midnight"will have an EXCLUSIVE DUST JACKET! (See artwork above) TRESE 4 + The Dust Jacket will be exclusively available in National Book Store until December 31. All TRESE 4 books from January 1 onwards will not have the dust jacket.

I was told that Budjette and Kajo are raffling of a unique piece of art!!! We'll have to wait and see what it will be :) Don't forget! 10.08!!! Trese 4!!! National Book Stores Best Sellers!!!

Tony Stark's Water Bottle!

2011-09-21T20:44:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine is selling these awesome water bottles called the KOR ONE BPA Free Hydration Vessel! Pretty cool name huh? Well, it's gotta have an awesome sounding name since this is the bottle being used by none other than IRON MAN himself! Check out Tony Stark's picture below!

I'm not really a heavy water drinker but KOR believes in sustainable hydration. Basically using less plastic is what they want. So I got one of these babies from my friend who's selling a limited number of KOR units. The Ice Blue color is what he's carrying now and it's going for 1,250 a piece. If interested, you can text at 0917 5066880 to order.

I AM IRON MAN? Hahahaha! I really really don't drink as much water as I should... But I hope this will help me go H20 from now on. But you have to admit, the bottle looks pretty damn awesome!

WINNERS OF THE FERRARI CONTEST

2011-09-20T20:27:00.000+08:00

First of all, THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED!!!

I got a pretty good number of contestants! But guys, some of you weren't following instructions :(

I'm sorry but you gotta read carefully! Next time! :) there were some who didn't put their email addresses!

Anyway here are the winners!

For the cap, question was the Ferrari Autobot.

The answer is DINO. Not Mirage. Ferrari requested the producers to change the name to Dino.

iamnumberone

jong caytiles

bigshotblog

luigi

For the mug, question was the Ferrari model on the shelf and it was an F40 :)

Congrats to

Sam Miravalles

jojita

steadfastguy

My Ateneo DREAM TEAM

2011-09-14T22:05:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: I really got into the UAAP during the "rebuilding" era. It was the final year of Ryan Pamintuan and Jean Alabanza. It was Enrico Villanueva's Sophomore year.

Anyway, I got this idea from Luiboi, a follower of the blog.

If I were to get a selection of Ateneo players from different eras, and build a dream team, these would be it.
In a 16-man line up.

My Starting 5. I believe that this is THE strongest starting 5 in my honest to goodness opinion.

1 - LA Tenorio
2 - Larry Fonacier
3 - Wesley Gonzales
4 - Rich Alvarez
5 - Enrico Villanueva

In 2002, these guys were all present! C'mon, at their UAAP primes, these guys got it!

LA is the best point guard of Ateneo in recent years. In his rookie year, man, he kicked ass! Larry was the all around guy. He had defense, offense, style, class, the cold blooded shots and he was humble. Larry was a King Eagle. Wild Wild Wes plays best when he's up against La Salle. I put him there because you need someone who won't take crap from anybody. You need an enforcer and Wes is the best at what he does. Rich will always be my favorite player of all time. The back-to-back MVP was the king of the boards. He improved year on year, he can take the 3-ball and man can he dunk! Enrico is the most dominant center in recent year. He was Rookie of the Year and MVP. Enrico also won't take crap from no one. To this very day, he still gets boos from La Salle. That's how popular and dominant he was.

The remaining 11 is a tough call. As much as I want to put in more, I can't.

Since I'm a fan of defense, the first 2 I have to put are

6 - Nonoy Baclao (4)

7 - Kirk Long (2)

For my guards, I'm a fan of these 3 guys so I have to put them

8 - Chris Tiu (2/3)

9 - Emman Monfort (1)

10 - Kiefer Ravena (1/2/3)

My big men

11 - Greg Slaughter (5)

12 - Rabeh Al-Hussaini (5)

13 - Japeth Aguilar (5)

Forwards

14 - JC Intal (3/4)

15 - Ryan Buenafe (3/4)

16 - Magnum Membrere (3)

COACH: Norman Black

VROOM! VROOM! (Only a Ferrari can do that in style!)

2011-09-12T21:15:00.003+08:00

I remember when I was in Grade 6 I had this huge interest in collecting model cars. I got the 1:18 and 1:24 scaled MAISTO and BURAGO cars. Since I couldn't get a real one, I decided to get the smaller ones instead. I had a lot of the different sports cars but the ones I really liked were the red Ferraris!

I had a classmate in Grade 6, Gelo, we became best friends since we found out that we collected these cars. Now, the guy's going to take the BAR and he'll probably have a Ferrari in no time once he's a big time lawyer! Haha! If you'll buy a sports car, you have to go BIG! Gotta get a Ferrari! Not just any color! It has to be RED! NagFerrari ka pa kung black or navy blue or silver! Diba?

I remember that the F50 was the in thing when I was in Grade School and that you could get them in SHELL Gas Stations! I loved going to SHELL Select when those cars were out! (Did you know that SHELL and Ferrari have been partners since 1929? Best Friends in the corporate world! I wonder if the Shell CEO drives one?) I think it's cool that the gas that powers one of the most powerful engines in the world is powered by Shell.

Anyway, I don't do this much but this post is a special one! Yep! If you're a Ferrari fan, you might want to join this! I'm giving away SCUDERIA FERRARI merchandise from ITALY courtesy of SHELL!

4 Scuderia Ferrari Coffee Mugs

AND

4 Scuderia Ferrari Caps

Now, I need 8 winners. (Can't have em both sorry. You have to choose! :) )

It's easy! All you have to do are the ff:

1. CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK ICON TO LIKE IT! (found at the bottom of the post)

2. CLICK ON THE TWITTER ICON TO RETWEET IT! (found at the bottom of the post)

If you like the Coffee Mug,

Click on the instagram link ( http://instagr.am/p/M4y4e/ ), to view it and like it. After that, answer the question. What Ferrari model is placed in the bookshelf? YOU HAVE TO COMMENT ON THE BLOG TO ANSWER :)

If you like the Cap,

Click on the instagram link ( http://instagr.am/p/M4zXe/ ) to view it and like it. After that, answer the question. What is the name of the Ferrari Autobot in "Transformers: Dark of The Moon" ? YOU HAVE TO COMMENT ON THE BLOG TO ANSWER :)

When you comment, YOU HAVE TO PUT IN YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so I can let you know if you won. :)

You have until SEPTEMBER 17, Friday to answer :)

Winners will be randomly selected! :)

BUT! I will give someone a cap/coffee mug whoever can give me a cool idea for a blog post! :)

GAME? :) Good luck guys!!!

(OPEN TO THOSE LIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES, IF YOU LIVE ABROAD, MAYBE WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT!)

Heebie-jeebies / shivers

2011-09-06T21:03:00.000+08:00

Earlier today at lunch, my team mates and I were talking about stuff that creeped us out when watching movies. There were a couple of memorable scenes mentioned but the one that really stood out was from The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Remember when Frodo showed the ring to his uncle Bilbo and then the frikkin Hobbit's face morphed into this scary face with fangs? Yeeech! $#@^##&# Ugh... I hated that scene. Gives me the frikkin creeps!

Next was a scene from The Passion of The Christ. I remember it was Judas being crowded by this group of children and they suddenly changed into creepy old men in bodies of kids! AAAAHHHHH!!! Scary Sh%t man!!! Ugh...

But the worst for me would be from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. I hate rats. I effin hate rats. No way hozay. Anyway, there was a scene wherein Indy had to avoid a fire and he enters this coffin. In the process, rats that wanted to survive entered the frikkin coffin!!! YUCK!!! YUCK!!! YUCK!!! Worst scene in the history of cinema!!!

There are also other scenes that scarred my innocent mind and still haunts me to this very day. Remember Danny DeVito as The Penguin? There's this scene from Batman Returns where he bites a person's nose?

What about you? What movie scene scarred your mind?

I AM FILIPINO

2011-09-04T19:01:00.000+08:00

I was talking to one of Misha's uncles last night and we had this great conversation about the attitudes of people in the Philippines. There are a lot of proud people here in the country and I can't blame them. The Campampangans, Ilocanos, Batangenyos, Cebuanos, Mindanaoans, etc.

I only noticed last night that mentality we have as Pinoys. There's a higher rank to "Filipino" and it's where your from... There's really a lot of pride instilled in our hearts and minds but maybe too much pride is bad?

Don't you think it makes us divided as a people? Shouldn't we just say we're FILIPINO?

It's just a thought to ponder on... We're all on the same team here... :)

Ako'y isang Pinoy, sa puso't diwa!

Crazy Stupid Love

2011-09-04T18:38:00.000+08:00

Movie #28 in my 50 Movies in 2011 goal... I have a looong way to go. I need to watch 2 movies each in the next month to catch up...

I watched a movie by myself today. Not just any movie. I watched a romantic comedy alone... Sucks to be me. I texted Misha and said that I was crazy and stupid to watch it alone. I just missed her more... I can't watch another romantic comedy alone. Never again. Lesson learned.

It was a pretty good movie. The cast brought it together. Steve Carell was awesome as usual. But I thought Ryan Gosling was hilarious! Emma Stone proved that she's the next Hollywood IT girl. I couldn't predict the movie really. Which was good because if I get surprised, it's a great flick! There was something about the film that I couldn't predict. You'll just have to watch and see.

Romantics will enjoy this movie. You never give up on your soulmate as the movie says. No matter the challenges or speedbumps along the way, you never give up. Right? :)

Love... How can a four letter word be so complicated? Hahaha. Honestly, who knows what it means? I think it's relative. But you know what? I believe it what makes us wake up everyday to go to work or to school or to where ever it may be. We wake up for the people we love.

BEANTOWN ADVENTURE!

2011-08-31T21:35:00.000+08:00

I'm back after a long hiatus! I know I haven't posted for quite some time now. A lot has been happening and I've forgotten that posting on this blog has been my way of destressing. Anyway, I have a pretty cool entry here.

My cousin Brian who is the oldest in the Cruz side of the family got married in the US. (He lives there) So we went to his wedding. I'll have a separate entry for that.

Anyway, after the wedding, Jonty and I had a side trip to Boston. I've been to Boston once but it was just for a day. My Lola was still with us then... Bitin na bitin ako. I wanted to see more of the city where my family lived from 1980-1983.

First stop was the new Boston Garden! It's called the TD Garden now. The home of the Boston Bruins and of course, THE CELTICS!

There was no game since there's still no NBA. But! They give daily tours at the garden. :) Part of my bucket list is to see the 17 Banners of the Celtics and I can now cross it out! Entering the arena was pure bliss. It was so frikkin awesome to see where the Celtics play!

Below you can see 2 ecstatic Celtics Fans.

I didn't know this and I'd like to share a bit of trivia. The TD Garden is owned by the Boston Bruins. The Celtics are just tenants of the garden. However! They are tenants that really well taken care of. :) Thus the banners are present. But it makes sense since the seats of the garden are black and gold.

At the lobby of the TD Garden

The entrance to the Boston Celtics' Locker Room. Sayang bawal pumasok.

The sacred Red Auerbach court!

Aww yeah! 2008! We were robbed in 2010!

Other than that, I'm a big Red Sox fan! Yes, I follow MLB and I don't like the Yankees! But I hate the Lakers more. Ugh... Don't get me started on the Lake Show... Anyway, I treated Jonty to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Just like the garden, seeing the home of the BoSox was fantastic! I particularly loved seeing the famous Green Monstah! (For the non baseball fans, the green monster is this huge green wall at Fenway Park :) It's a towering wall and you need to let the baseballs fly really high to get a home run)

At Yawkey Street, the entrance to Fenway Park :)

The GREEN MONSTER!!!

The Sox played the Oakland A's that day and unfortunately, Jonty and I witnessed a Beantown Beatdown on Boston! Sigh... They played so bad that day. But nonetheless, it was still awesome to see the Red Sox LIVE at home! I saw Dustin "Lazer Show" Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, and of course BIG PAPI David Ortiz!

For a regular game, the place was FULL! Another bit of trivia, the Red Sox is the most loved team in Boston. The Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots aren't as popular as the Red Sox. Man, do they love the Sox!

BIG PAPI's intro

Let's go Red Sox! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

But the most significant part of the trip to Boston was meeting up with my Lola's Best Friend in Boston. We call her Tita Cherry. She's a dentist and she's married to a Doctor, Tito Steve. Unfortunately, Tito Steve passed away years ago. They were the best friends of my Lolo and Lola when they lived in Boston. Tita Cherry also took care of my mom and her siblings when they were in Boston. She's such a nice and warm person. She's lived in Boston since the 1950's.

With Tita Cherry and her grandson Stephen

She took us around Boston one day. We had lunch in Chinatown and went to Harvard Square. :) She also brought us to her home and there she showed us my Lolo's draft of his arrival speech. It was typewritten with corrections. He then gave it to Tito Steve. His typewriter was also given to Tita Cherry's family. :) It was so cool to see my Lolo's final speech. It was framed in their living room.

After the trip to her home, she brought us to Newton which is a town in Boston. It was where my Mom, Lola, Lolo and her siblings lived. They stayed in 175 Commonwealth Avenue. My Lola always said that it was the 3 happiest years. Now, 2 old women have been living there ever since. Jonty and I went down in front of the house to have a picture taken.

I fell in love with the city of Boston. I prefer the East Coast more really. Just the atmosphere, the brick buildings, the Charles River, the duck boats, the Boston Common... Aaahhh... Beantown! So cool! Til the next time! :)

Thundercats Reboot is effin awesome!

2011-08-16T22:11:00.001+08:00

I have a new favorite show!!! Thunder... Thunder. Thunder! THUNDERCATS HOOOO!!!! July 29 2011 was the debut of the much anticipated relaunch of the beloved 80s cartoon, Thundercats. It had 1 hour season premiere on Cartoon Network.

I've seen the first 4 episodes already and they're worth it! I'm a happy fan. I'm a big fan of the 80s cartoon and I loved that cartoon to death. I was a bit worried on how this would turn out but man this cartoon is effin awesome!!! Yes. It's THAT good!

There are some changes from the original version but I can accept it. I like it. The biggest change is that Lion-O isn't a kid trapped in a man's body anymore. He's the new lord of the Thundercats who has to learn the ropes.

The story's fantastic and the animation is even better. I'm really happy with it! What made me even more happy was the fact that they retained the sound effects. From the sword of omens to Cheetara's running. Fans of the old cartoon will like this and even new watchers.

I HIGHLY. HIGHLY. Recommend this cartoon. Go watch it!

Sword of Omens! GIVE ME SIGHT BEYOND SIGHT!

Lion-O and Tygra

Cheetara

Technology... I will not take you for granted

2011-08-14T17:55:00.000+08:00

I'm in a long distance relationship and it's difficult. I'm not gonna lie to you. Pardon the language but this crap is hard! It sucks big time! It hasn't been a week yet and I'm really really sad. I never thought I'd be in a long distance relationship... Never say never because here I am.

The first couple of days have been really tough but I'll share with you what has been the most difficult. It was bringing Misha to the airport and sending her off. I tell you, it's difficult not to let the tears fall.

How have I been surviving? Skype, Viber, Text, and e-mail among others. Sky Broadband has been a big help also because of the clarity of the video call. With all this help from technology, having a long distance relationship makes it bearable. I was talking to my Dad and my Ninong about it. They said that I should be thankful because they had it much harder back then since my Mom and my Ninang Pinky were in Boston, there was no e-mail or Skype back then.

I can only imagine how hard it was back then. Snail Mail and waiting for a letter? Man... Makes me remember "The Notebook"

To all those in a long distance relationship... I feel for you guys. To those about to be in one, kaya yan! It's a commitment. It's something you need to work at. But if you really love the person, it won't feel like you're working at it...

Pain is temporary.

Mish, I'm counting the days!!!

More Pictures from SAN DIEGO!

2011-08-11T22:49:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!

My new column on Yahoo! Philippines is out!

You can visit http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/geekspeak/

GEEK SPEAK :)

Anyway, since the photos on Yahoo! are limited, sharing with you more pictures from San Diego :)

With JIM LEE

With Chris Giarusso (Mini Marvels)

I'm an action figure!!! THWIP!!!

With Runaways and Buffy Cover Artist JO CHEN

Gas Lamp!

With PAUL LEVITZ

My buddy PHILIP TAN!!!

SKY BROADBAND

2011-08-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone! Really proud to share this with you. It's my very first commercial! This is for SKY BROADBAND :)

This was a huge surprise for me! Never thought I'd be in a commercial endorsing something!

Life at 5mbps is just so amazing! For a free 15 day trial, call 631-0000 or visit www.mysky.com.ph :)

Guys, this connection is sooooooooooooo fast!!!

Some SDCC Photos

2011-07-28T21:35:00.000+08:00

Hi guys, sorry but my stories are exclusive for Yahoo! Philippines. I can share some photos though :)

Here are just some snippets from the San Diego Comic-Con!

So far so good, my vacation's going well!

2011-07-20T16:40:00.000+08:00

It's been 4 years since my last "vacation". It was before I started working. I went to New York with Jonty. Now, I'm here in Los Angeles and I'm driving to San Diego in a couple of hours to live my dream of attending the Comic-Con International.

I arrived a couple of hours ago and I did all the necessary shopping essentials. (Water, snacks) I'll need the water for Comic-Con!

FREE INTERNET in the room!!! Huzzah!!!

But here's the thing, a few days ago, I entered a contest on Twitter. It was for the premiere of Captain America! (Chris Evans will make a special appearance in the theater!) Guess what, I WON!!!

I can bring an extra person along so I'm going to watch with my brother! GEEKS FOR LIFE!

So far so good, this vacation's pretty awesome and Comic Con hasn't even started yet!

I'll try to update you guys again but it seems Twitter will be the best option.

I'm not the bad guy

2011-07-14T21:41:00.000+08:00

I've lived all my life wanting to please people. I was never the badass type nor was I the maangas type. Being the good guy was something I wanted to be 24/7. It's worked for me.

Growing up, I wondered why the ladies had a thing for the bad guys... In high school and college, there were a lot of girls who liked the bad guys. REALLY? Why? Fellas, if you're thinking the same thing, fret not, it's only a matter of time.

You have to continue being the good guy... With all the hate, anger, rudeness, impatience, lies, and all the negative things that are happening in the world today somebody has to counter that. Even if you don't get noticed with the little things like opening the door for someone or falling in line or letting someone go ahead in the elevator, it's still the right thing.

In the end, the good guys win. Believe me. Everything will fall into place. I used to think that being the good guy isn't "cool" to the ladies. They wanted the badass type. I was starting to doubt myself. But as I mentioned, everything will fall into place. It's only a matter of time guys... Just keep at it.

Good guys get the girl! I got the girl! :) And she's an amazing person.

Just be the good guy. Just be the good guy. Just be the good guy.

Malaysia

2011-07-05T20:32:00.000+08:00

So I'm back after a while... Sorry I haven't been posting. Anyway, I took a promo flight to Malaysia last weekend. Left on a Friday and came back Monday morning. (EARLY Monday morning)

Misha had to go there for work so my friend Ben and I accompanied her for a short but fun vacation.

So if you look at the photo above, those are the Petronas towers and they look amazing!!! Especially at night!!!

Arriving in Malaysia, there were several thoughts entering my head. 1 was that their "Low Cost Terminal" looked really modern and I felt bad for ours :( 2 is that their roads are fantastic! I felt even worse. In terms of progress, ang layo na talaga nila... Sigh.

But I don't want to ponder on my sad thoughts.

I had a fun trip! I have other pics but I have to get them from Ben and Misha.

The Malaysians LOOOOVE their MILO. The Milo brand there is HUGE!!! It's just like here in the Philippines but they drink more Milo there. It's like water for them. Below is a glass of Milo in a Malaysian restaurant. Misha had to order one.

For food... They looove spicy food! But I can't handle the spiciness of the Malaysians. I had to settle for chicken rice. (Good thing I love chicken rice!) For me, their food is just ok. It's because I'm really not into the "gata" included in meats... Curry? Not a fan... sorry! If gata in dessert, GAME!

I had a blast in MY! It's a beautiful country! I met a couple of Filipinos who have been staying there for a while now. Wish they could come visit here so that they can tell their friends that our country is beautiful too...

To end this post, I just want to point out that we have the capability to improve our country... We need to get people visiting our beautiful country! Tourism. Tourism. Tourism. My Tito Noy talked to us and he's really pushing for the Puerto Princessa underground river to be part of the new natural wonders of the world! You just have to text PPUR to 2861. Tourism will definitely increase if we make it in the top 7! Top 14 is also good but why not we aim for top 7???

http://www.new7wonders.com/archives/wonder/puerto-princesa-underground-river

Hope this pushes through...

2011-06-27T21:19:00.000+08:00

I have a potential upcoming project that will be really exciting... Still in the works/negotiations...

I hope this pushes through!!!

I got severa l offers in the past but it just couldn't be done because of conflict of interest. But now, hoping for the best and praying that this project pushes through. Please pray for me? It will change things! :) Let's just put it that way.

The Adventures of TIN TIN

2011-06-26T16:39:00.001+08:00

I remember reading Hergé's "The Adventures of Tin Tin" growing up. That and Udzero's "Asterix". But I'd like to tell you about Tin Tin. I read the books and I watched the cartoons right after school on GMA 7. It was shown on cable later on. It was fantastic adventure show. He was a journalist but was sort of like a detective. It had an international feel to it! He'd go to all these different places in the world.

Anyway, I got this a couple of years ago in National Book Store and it's awesome!!! Everything in one collection!!! :)

There's a Steven Spielberg produced movie coming soon!!! If you're a fan of Tin Tin, this is a MUST HAVE!!! It's a masterpiece!!! You know how Americans love Superhero Comics? Well, this a European comic and this is there thing!!! Check it out!!! If you like adventure, different cultures, espionage, suspense, mystery, and fun rolled into one, TINTIN will do it!!!

Spicy Food

2011-06-23T22:56:00.000+08:00

Mahilig ka ba sa maanghang? As in super anghang?

Growing up, I was never a fan of spicy food. It was just plain torture to the tongue... But after a while, I was looking for it. But not the super spicy food.

There are some spicy food I can tolerate. Of course Wasabi is the easiest since it's just a momentary spice. But let me list down what I can handle.

1. Buffalo Wings from Chili's, Friday's, and Buffalo Wings and Things.
2. KFC's Zinger and Hot & Crispy Chicken
3. Tom yum soup, to some extent
4. Kebab
5. Spicy Tuna salad from Sumo Sam, Sugi, and Omakase.

But I found a new spicy goodness in another restaurant called TORO (The Fort, 4th Ave cor 26th, back of the MINI Cooper showroom) This was in the form of their signature Volcano Roll.

Now this one was SPICY! It was a isuhpaysee meatahballah! It's your sushi roll with salmon and tempura batter bits with this sweetish/spicy mayo. Man, it burned my mouth! Be sure to have softdrinks! But I kinda liked it! No, I really did like it!

Ask me to eat a whole piece of sili? PASS!

I'll only look for spicy food when I crave for the 5 things I listed. But apart from that, pass...

What about you? :)

Long Distance

2011-06-21T22:51:00.000+08:00

Have you ever been or are you in a long distance relationship? Is it within the country or is your loved one abroad?

When my Mom's family were living in exile as political refugees in Boston, my Dad had to deal with that. Mind you that there was no internet nor Skype nor text messaging. Life was hard back then. But they still ended up together.

Relationships should never be a one way thing. That's why it's called a relationship right? Anyway, it takes 2 to tango as they say. But nothing's perfect. You have to work at it. I think most of the time, we take things for granted. You'll never realize what's important until it's gone. But why wait for it to happen? You have to work at it.

Why am I writing about this? Well, I have friends who are in long distance relationships. They worked at it and they're going strong. No matter how far that loved one is, I think what's important is that the love is still there. Yes you cannot physically touch that person but there are compromises right? It's a give and take thing. But here's my two cents. Never give up on a loved one... "Kung gusto, maraming paraan. Kung ayaw, maraming dahilan."

Faith and Love... that's what you need I believe.

Congrats Bruins!!! Go BEANTOWN!!!

2011-06-17T21:02:00.000+08:00

With the Celtics losing to the Heat in the semis in the NBA Playoffs, I got really sad... It was tough how we lost Rondo's left arm in Game 3...

The Red Sox are doing pretty well but the season's far from over...

If you follow this blog, you may know pretty well that I love Boston. My family lived there as political refugees from 1980-1983 and I was raised as a Celtics fan, Red Sox fan, Patriots fan, and a Bruins fan. I remember in grade school I always wore a Bruins cap. (I liked the Mighty Ducks movies when I was a kid, but I liked the Bruins as a team) I even have this 12 inch figure of the greatest Bruin of them all, Number 4, Bobby Orr!

A couple of days ago, the Stanley Cup finals ended with a GAME 7! Yep, series tied at 3 a piece! The Vancouver Canucks vs. The Boston Bruins. Boston hasn't won the cup since 1972 and Vancouver has never won in their 40years in the NHL.

Luckily, TIM THOMAS (seen below), and playoff MVP, gave a shutout to the Canucks on Canadian ice. 4-0 in favor of the Bruins! Thomas had 37 saves! He received the Conn Smythe trophy right after. (In the NHL, the MVP is not for the regular season but for the entire playoffs) The 37 year old goalie gave an awesome performance Beantown will never ever forget!

Captain Zdeno Chara (below) was the first to get the Stanley Cup since he's the team captain. Just look at the joy in his face...

But more importantly, Beantown is now TITLETOWN. The Bruins were the least favored team since Terry Francona and his Red Sox have 2 World Series titles under their belts, Bill Bellichick and the Pats have 3 Superbowls, and Doc Rivers and MY Celtics got Banner 18 back in 2008. The "Teddy Bears" as the haters like to say were the only ones without a title. Last year, Claude Julien and the Bruins had a 3-0 lead in a best of 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers... They were the 1st team in NHL history to lose a 7 game series with a commanding 3-0 lead. But now, they have the cup and became the 1st team in history to win 3 Game 7s in a playoff season.

Rookie Brad Manchard (below) scored 2 goals in Game 7 and put the icing on the cake with the 4th and final goal in the 3rd period. That was the dagger!

CONGRATS TO THE BOSTON BRUINS!!! We're happy in the family!!! Another one for BEANTOWN!!!

But after all the celebration, the picture below made me smile! :) Good job Celtics!!!

The X-MEN franchise is back!

2011-06-15T19:54:00.003+08:00

The following article was intended for my Yahoo! Blog but since there was already an X-MEN review, I was told that I can put this on my own blog instead. Didn't want my thoughts to go to waste so I'm sharing this with you :)

Seeing Brett Ratner’s X-MEN: The Last Stand was such a huge disappointment for me. How the whole Bryan Singer X-MEN franchise go down the drain was difficult. It was a bad movie with a bad story. It could have been better. Way better. Initially, Matthew Vaughn who directed “Kick-Ass” was supposed to direct the third installment of Singer’s franchise. For some reason, he left and we got Ratner.

But fret not, I saw X-MEN: First Class twice in a span of 4 days and thank God Matthew Vaughn came back to finish his “unfinished business”. X-MEN: First Class brings in a whole new light to the mutants we all love! This is a much different take as there aren’t that many grand special effects. What Vaughn did was craft an amazing story with awesome character development. I still can’t get over the fact how Magneto was such a badass and Professor X was actually suave with the ladies. Think of this X-Men movie as Mutants meets James Bond. Yup, it’s exactly like a spy movie!

To tell the story in a a couple of sentences without spoiling, it’s about the origins of Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr on how they came to be Professor X and Magneto respectively. James McAvoy who plays Charles and Michael Fassbender who plays Erik are the people who bring life to the movie. Mind you, that both of them are the heroes of the movie and the acting I superb! Fassbender does it a little bit better though. Basically, Kevin Bacon who plays Sebastian Shaw aka “The Black King” in the comics is the leader of the Hellfire Club and is hell-bent on ruling the world. He believes that the mutants are the homosuperior and to make his dream into reality, he plots World War 3 by manipulating the US government and Russian officials to fight one another.

The best thing about the movie is how Vaughn manages to develop Charles and Erik. The way their story was crafted was perfect! We see Charles having a privileged life and has a positive outlook and we get to see how Erik’s was the total opposite. Magneto’s story is the more interesting part of the movie as his inner struggle makes him turn out to be the fallen hero. But you know what? Magneto has a point and Charles does have a point at the same time! Their story is made of gold! My favorite lines – Charles says “We have to be the better men…” but Erik goes “But we already are!”

First Class also displays an impressive ensemble cast. Jennifer Lawrence plays Raven Darkholmme or Mystique and she’s probably the character that plays the biggest supportive role. (Mind you, she will be the lead in “The Hunger Games”) January Jones from “Mad Men” plays Emma Frost or The White Queen and is the right hand of Sebastian Shaw. Rose Byrne from “Troy” plays Agent Moira MacTaggert of the CIA is the one after Shaw and seeks help from Xavier. Other notable mutants that appear are Alex Summers or “Havok”, Sean Cassidy or “Banshee”, and Hank McCoy or “Beast”. Though not all get to play key roles, the audience will still be thankful since we get to see the Mutants do their thing and show off their powers.

X-MEN: First Class gives us an awesome story and it is an awesome movie. My only complaints being the purist that I am… Why weren’t Moira and Banshee Scottish??? I wanted those accents… But either way, it was still a good X-Men movie. I think it’s better than “X-Men” and definitely way better than “The Last Stand”. I’d say it’s just a few notches below “X2”. You have to go see this movie since it gives us a fresh new take on the mutants of Marvel Comics. Oh, don’t bother waiting for a bonus scene after the end credits because there isn’t any…

Cinema Courtesy: No commentary please

2011-06-12T22:43:00.000+08:00

Today I watched Super 8. I could have enjoyed it 100% but nope. I didn't enjoy it fully. The movie was excellent and awesome don't get me wrong. It was the people in the back. There was a group of guys who kept on making side comments. I could hear every word... Ugh... I HATE SIDE COMMENTARY! Jonty had a much horrifying time as he was nearer the "commentators". Misha didn't like it as well.

I'm not the type of person who would look back and talk to them. I'm not confrontational. But if that were a Spider-Man movie... You better pray I'm not in front of you...

Anyway, to those who say a lot of side comments in movies. Please, just keep quiet... Or at least whisper? It's common courtesy to the people around you. If we did like commentary, we would have just bought a frikkin DVD...

Sigh... There, I had to let that out. So please, when you're in the cinemas, be courteous to whisper when you give comments.

Because of this, the "premiere" cinemas like Eastwood's Ultra 7 is so tempting. It's a small price to pay for peace and quiet.

Sheboygan Hotdogs from ELBERT'S

2011-06-12T13:17:00.001+08:00

I have a new favorite place in Power Plant. ELBERT'S located in the basement floor of Power Plant mall offers awesome cheesesteaks, burgers, and the best fries in the Philippines. But new on their menu are the SHEBOYGAN HOTDOGS!!! All-Beef!!!

The dogs come in three flavors. There's a chili dog (which I haven't tried), a Chicago Dog that has mustard, raw onions, and relish, and my favorite New York dog that has mustard, sauerkraut, and onion sauce. The Sheboygans are all-beef so expect a really tasty sandwich. The bread is also pretty good since it's crispy and chewy at the same time. I've had the Sheboygan for 2 days in a row. Yes. It's that awesome! You have to go to Power Plant to try these goodies though. It's only available there. It's 180 bucks if you're curious about the price.

Of course I need to show my favorite fries in the Philippines... I'm telling you! The fries from Elbert's are frikkin awesome!!! Masarap talaga!!!

If you happen to be in Power Plant, try Elbert's. I suggest you try the cheesesteaks first since it's their specialty! If you're on a date, half and half should be fine. Share half a cheesesteak and half a New York Hotdog. :)

If you tried it already, what do you think? :) Am I right or am I right? :)

Rain... Rain...

2011-06-09T22:50:00.003+08:00

The Rainy Season has arrived and it's that time of the year again where traffic is worse than the usual, skies are gloomy, water in the shower is colder, internet slows down and it's much harder to get out of bed...

But there are things that I like about the rainy season. I always look at the bright side of things. One is that it's awesome to be hugged by someone when it's cold. I thank Misha for that. Another is that drinking warm drinks taste so much better. Hot cocoa, warm milk, and my favorite... Coffee! A cup of Joe tastes so damn good when it's raining... Whether it be Nescafé Classic plain black, or with sugar, or with coffee-mate, the coffee is just perfect! Love it when it rains! The other thing is that it's easier to sleep at night! Sunday nights are usually difficult, but when the sound of the water droplets hitting the ground is present... It's quite soothing! Right?

In life, you gotta look at the bright side of things. You have to avoid the negativity and pessimism. Like the saying goes... When life throws lemons at you, go make Lemonade. :) The Rainy Season has its good parts too! Try to look for it. If you just woke up, go have some Coffee! :)

Sugi's Awesome Chicken!!!

2011-06-07T22:00:00.000+08:00

I love Japanese food!!! But there's a "Filipinized" Japanese restaurant which I love dearly. Sugi in Greenhills has super awesome Japanese food. :) My family and I have eaten there numerous times! It's a family favorite!

Anyway, do you have a habit of ordering just one thing in a particular restaurant since you just love it? Here's an example. Ever since I tried the Chicken Kuwayage of Sugi, never ordered anything else for my main course. It's always been that! The head waitress in the Greenhills branch Tina knows it already whenever we eat there. It's a constant order. I actually converted Jonty and Misha into Chicken Kuwayage fans.

What is Chicken Kuwayage? It's not Teriyaki style but it's "Barbecue-ish" and has a sweetish/spicy taste! It's boneless chicken / crispy-crunchy goodness rolled in one awesome package! Trust me on this one! You can't go wrong with this! It doesn't come with Gohan though. So be sure to order that side of rice! But it does come with the Sugi Potato Salad. It's pretty good too!

The next time you think of Japanese food, go to Sugi and order their Chicken Kuwayage!

Crepes!

2011-06-06T21:59:00.001+08:00

Forgive me but I need to ask... is it pronounced as "krayps" or "kreps"? Hahaha!

I haven't been blogging about food so here's a food entry for those looking for new places to eat.

Anyway, Misha and I have been into these crepes lately. We've eaten at Cafe Breton (The Podium) and La Creperie (Eastwood Mall). Both restaurants have excellent service and the crepes come to your table really fast after ordering. Both also have a good ambience and friendly staff. Other than crepes, they also have omelettes and breakfast food but you really have to go there for the dessert crepes.

I'll start with Cafe Breton. This place is an institution and I often order the Adam and Eve Crepe. I love the Apples and Cinnamon flavor with the Ice Cream. The crepe is pretty good actually. It's a bit chewy and that's how I like it! Top it off with Vanilla Ice Cream where the hot and cold meet! It's excellent!

The other one is the Nutella-Banana Crepe which Misha absolutely loves. Fans of the beloved chocolate spread will die after tasting this. I thought it was pretty tasty! I think this would be more for the die-hard chocolate spread fans. A bit too sweet in my honest opinion.

Now on to La Creperie!

The place actually serves shakes from "Big Chill"... It seems like they're sister companies. :)

Anyway, this one caught my attention so i had to order it. It's a double chocolate brownie crepe with Vanilla Ice Cream. Imagine a chocolate flavored crepe. That's one. Inside there's warm, soft, and moist brownies. Outside there's Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate syrup! Damn son! How can you go wrong with that??? Mind you this is an indulgent crepe. It's a treat. Once in a blue moon lang dapat. But it's awesome!

Since I'm after "balance", I'd recommend the Adam and Eve from Cafe Breton. The Apples and Cinnamon really go well with the Vanilla Ice Cream. If you ever crave for the crepes, check these places out!

Fulfilling the Dream...

2011-06-05T19:59:00.000+08:00

This is it!!!

I'm finally finally going to fulfill my dream!!! I AM GOING TO SAN DIEGO TO ATTEND THE COMIC-CON!!! HUH-FRIKKIN-ZAH!!!

This trip has been years in the making and I hope and pray that it pushes through. (knocks on wood and crosses fingers)

Jonty and I are going and we are EXCITED! Really! Our tickets got confirmed thanks to the help of a friend that we owe BIG TIME!

I'm sorry but this is the geek in me talking. I'll finally get to see the writers and artists I longed to see! Pinoys like Whilce Portacio and Alex Nino will be there. I'll also meet up with my bud Philip Tan who works for DC Comics. I'm wishing I get to meet the greats like Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane. But the person I'm thankful who confirmed to attend is Jonathan Hickman. He's gonna be bigger in a few more years. The man is a genius! I'm sad that Bendis won't go but it's ok. SDCC is already worth it!

There'll be panels but the crucial ones I have to attend are the following. The Avengers panel, The Amazing Spider-Man panel, and The Dark Knight Rises panel. (Cool huh? :) ) hehehe. I'm excited! :) Robert Downey Jr. Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson and Joss Whedon together! Whatuuuuuupppp??? :)

Comic-Con will also be the venue for the 2011 Eisner Awards and please do me a favor? Please pray for our very own Gerry Alanguilan who is nominated for his work on Elmer. :) There are also other Pinoys nominated so please pray for them. I'm sorry to put emphasis on Sir Gerry but he' been one of my idols. He's a good man! He deserves the Eisner. :)

I'll also be covering this for Yahoo! Philippines. Since they got me to be their comic book blogger, I gotta cover it!!! :) It'll be awesome!!! Mark the dates!!! July 21-24, San Diego!!!

You know what? Movie-type stories? It's possible!

2011-05-26T21:55:00.000+08:00

There was one point in my life wherein I was shy to talk to girls. Oo, aminin ko, torpe ako for a time. I was also in an emo phase when I'd watch these romantic comedies where the main tandem were childhood friends. Now there's a one in a million story... "Childhood sweethearts". Boy is 4 years old and has a crush on the little girl. They separate ways. They meet back in high school and become friends. They separate ways again. One goes to school abroad, one stays. Both find love in other people that doesn't work out. Both are devastated. Then the impossible thing happens... They meet again! Doesn't happen right? Wrong!

You know that ending in "500 Days of Summer"? Where the guy meets Autumn in the end? That happened to me! BELIEVE IT! I had a devastating part in my life that crushed my heart. But as the Lord works in mysterious ways, things really do happen for a reason. It really does. I'm telling you, on the 500th day, Autumn entered my life and changed it forever!

Misha was the first girl I ever liked. Honest to goodness. She was my childhood crush. After kinder, the next time I saw her was in high school and I still found her to be pretty. She became a friend. Sadly she left in college but somehow we kept in touch. After several years (college+masters), in the most surprising fashion (facebook), she said that she was going to work with me real soon. Well, at least in the same building. We didn't hit it off at first when she went into the building. It took time of course. But I think this story is just too good to be true. A lot of my friends can't believe it really. But it's true. Call it cheesy, but I'm a happy happy man. :) I can't ask for anything more...

There was a comment a couple of months back... There was a reader that was going through some difficult times with his lady... All I can say is that the Lord works in mysterious ways. Things really do happen for a reason. We may not see it at first. You'll feel that the world just crumbled and ended. After time, you'll be thankful that it crumbled and "ended" because if that didn't happen, you wouldn't have seen one of the great things that happen in life and that's meeting your true love. (Cheese anyone? :) hahaha!)

Do you know someone with the same story? :) Well, I hope there's someone who has the same story. To those in difficult times, fret not... She/He is just around the corner...

Lightning Strikes!!!

2011-05-25T23:03:00.001+08:00

SHAZAM! Call me a geek! But I love this new watch! Hahaha! This SWATCH just reflects my personality :) I can think of The Flash, Captain Marvel, and even Thor! Haha!

Swatch has been releasing some pretty cool watches recently. I don't know the name of the line but there's this gray strap with a black face and red hands. Looks really cool.

I'm not endorsing Swatch don't get me wrong. I'm just happy with this new lightning watch! :)

The number of lightning watches have been decreasing since people have been buying. Get one while you still can :)

My team

2011-05-24T22:09:00.001+08:00

The Playoffs isn't as exciting for me anymore since my team is gone. But today, I have to give it to the boys in Dallas for putting on an amazing show! Dirk is a BEAST and that's all I have to say.

Anyway, I'm here to write about my C's. My beloved Boston Celtics. I've written about them several times now I know. It's just that I'm a different kind of fan. I don't follow players when they transfer teams. I'm a team guy. I've always been a Celtics guy. Always have been, always will be.

This season was disappointing because of the trade. I'm still quite bitter about the Perkins trade but what's done is done. I just hope Mr. Ainge does something spectacular in the off-season. I'm glad that Doc Rivers is back with the team. What sucks was that Rondo got injured in the playoffs. He's the key to winning if you ask me. But that's not it. Personally I think they should have retained Nate Robinson since he plays well with Big Baby Davis. We all know how he performed in the Playoffs...

If Doc believes that the guys still have some fuel left, then I fully support it! The Big 3 gave a fan like myself an awesome title in 2008. It just sucks they fell short last year. Grrr... I still hate that game.

The season's over and all fans can do is look back. It's time to rest and rebuild again. The Celtic Mystique is weird... I don't know whether to trust in it but I believe in Doc and his ethic. Ubuntu!!! Let's see if we can acquire some good players...

For now, I'll just be a Basketball fan and see what happens. Forever, CELTICS! HOORAH!

Hot or Cold Coffee?

2011-05-23T21:39:00.000+08:00

When did you have your first cup o' joe? Did you have it hot or cold? Did you have it with milk? creamer? or just plain black?

I remember having my first taste of coffee when I was little. It was just a black cup with sugar. I had a teaspoon. I remember being curious and asking my yaya if I could have some. So I had a few ml of coffee. It was outstanding I thought. Of course there were those stories that you wouldn't grow. (myth) So I didn't drink that much.

When the coffee shops came in, then you have the surge of cold "coffee shakes". I was never into it really. I wanted it black, with some sugar, and a couple of ice cubes. I'm a cold coffee kinda guy. I want to drink it straight! I started this whole coffee consumption thing in college to stay awake in the morning. In the cafeteria, I remember getting the canned Nescafe. My favorite is the Black Roast variant but sadly it's no longer available. (I settle for Latte now) But anyway, it was mighty cold and it was really good in the morning. It kept me up.

Anyway, since I started working, I gave hot coffee a try. (Which is the correct way of drinking it) I got used to it. But the funny thing is now I take coffee pure black. No creamer. That's my top choice in the morning! After lunch, sometimes I crave for something sweet. So a Nescafe 3in1 will do that for me. (The Brown N Creamy is AWESOME cold if I may add... I kid you not) My taste buds have changed but I still love coffee!

What about you? How do you take it? Hot? Cold? :) I'd love to know!

Four Years in the biz

2011-05-22T23:04:00.001+08:00

I still think it was just yesterday. May 21, 2011 marked my 4th year in the corporate world. I've been working for 4 years already and it went by so fast!

It's just like going through another schooling period without the summer vacations. Yup. 4 years without vacation.

The working life has been good to me. I'm happy where I am and I'm happy with the people I work with. :) It makes a difference really. Waking up everyday and going to people you don't want to be with? Yeech! At least that never happened to me. I've been blessed!

For those starting with the new working life, there's an adjustment phase but try to have fun! The more you have fun, the more it won't feel like work. Let me share a story. You know I didn't get my first paycheck? :) It's because I gave my first salary to my parents. I split it into 2. Half to my Mom, half to my Dad. For all the years they supported me, it was the least I could do... I can't tell you the feeling after I gave the salary because the gesture has to come from you and I'll spoil it. You'll have to experience it yourself!

After 4 years, I still look back at that moment in time and the feeling hasn't changed.

My most prized Comic Book!!!

2011-05-18T22:16:00.000+08:00

I take my comics seriously. I mean it. I really take it way too seriously. I'm serious enough to invest in the collector's items.

I've acquired something that made me really happy. It's a graded comic of what many believe marked the start of the Bronze Age of comics. (not proven but I believe it is)

Fanboys, lo and behold. I got me a copy of GIANT SIZE X-MEN #1! Booyah! Hahaha! It's not a 9.8 but it's a cool 7.5 :) not bad at all :) For those of you not into comics, this is a key issue since it marks the first appearance of the new X-Men Team. It also marks the 1st appearances of Colossus, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, and Storm! Not to mention, it's Wolverine's debut as a member of the X-Men. What do you think? :)

What I dream of getting is really Amazing Fantasy #15 but that'll take decades of saving money... But for now, I'm very happy with this! :D

National Book Store with Free Comics and Free Sketches!

2011-05-15T16:58:00.000+08:00

Comic Book Fans! Check it out! Wanna meet Harvey Tolibao, Carlo Pagulayan, Stephen Segovia, Manix Abrera, Ariel Padilla, and Kajo Baldisimo all at once? Not only that, they're sketching for FREE! Yup! FREE SKETCHES!

Just go to National Book Store Best Sellers in Robinson's Galleria this Saturday, May 21!

Pretty cool huh? Hold your horses! THERE'S MORE!

They're giving away an iPad signed by V for Vendetta co-creator David Lloyd!!! Just join the raffle!!!

Baseball

2011-05-05T22:05:00.000+08:00

One thing you might not know about me is that I also watch Baseball. Many Filipinos don't give a rat's ass about Baseball but I happen to enjoy watching it. Yes I understand many will find it boring but it's actually exciting once you immerse yourself in the game. It's a fun game to watch in my honest opinion? As tense as a tight game in Basketball? Not really... But it will still make your heart pound.

So anyway, I just want to share that I'm psyched that I'm going to watch a live game within the year! No I will not be watching the Yankees. Seriously? I'm part of the Red Sox Nation! I'll be watching a game in Boston to cheer for the Red Sox in Fenway Park! FENWAY. PARK. Yup! It's another dream of mine which I want to fulfill... Sadly, I'd want to watch the Celtics live and see the banners that are in the rafters. But back to Baseball, I'm gonna watch with Jonty and we're pretty much excited to visit Boston and see the Red Sox play in their home. :) Huzzah!

It's part of my bucket list! To the baseball fans, I'll tell you all about the experience once done. Matagal pa! Still a couple of months but I'm excited because I have my tickets already! :)

PLAYBAAALLLLLL!!! LET'S GO RED SOX!!!

May 6-8 Festivities!!! FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. DAVID LLOYD. METRO COMIC CON

2011-05-03T17:54:00.001+08:00

Once a year, every first Saturday of May, there's this mega event called FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! On May 6, Comic Odyssey headed by Mr. Sandy Sansolis will be giving out thousands of Free Comics! Yes, you read that right. FREE. COMICS.

How does it work? You go to Comic Odyssey in Robinsons Galleria this Saturday and you get FREE COMICS! Now mind you, the Free Comics are specially made for the event. Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, IDW, Archie, etc. They have special FCBD Comics. This is really a way to get new readers into comics.

Sandy has been good to the comic book fans here in the Philippines over the years. Now, he's spending for these Freebies guys. These aren't free for him. That's why I think this should get more mainstream exposure. RETWEET this link so people can see. FREE COMICS guys! Not only that, Sandy's throwing a MAJOR SALE this Saturday only! Up to 50% off on all graphic novels!!! I think we should all support this event!!!

Oh! And please do check out the confirmed guests!

International Pinoy Artist Superstars (Signing starts at 1:30pm)
CARLO PAGULAYAN - Agents of Atlas, Hulk, Emma Frost, Elektra
ED TADEO - Sigil, X-men, Wolverine, Iron Man
GERRY ALANGUILAN - Elmer, Ultimate Avengers, Wolverine, X-Force
HARVEY TOLIBAO - Psylocke, Silver Surfer, Heroes for Hire
JAY ANACLETO - Marvels Eye of the Camera, Aria, Spawn, Thor
KAJO BALDISIMO - Trese, Star Wars
LEINIL YU - Secret Invasion, Ultimate Avengers, X-men, Wolverine, Superman
LUI ANTONIO - Terminator, Savage Tales, Warlord of Mars
MICO SUAYAN - Moon Knight, X-men, Thor, Werewolf By Night
PHILIP TAN - Green Lantern, Outsiders, Spawn, X-men
STEPHEN SEGOVIA - Silver Surfer, Ultimate Avengers, Wolverine

The Local Artist Superstars (Signing starts at 10:30am)
ARIEL ATIENZA – Class, West Side
GIO PAREDES - Kalayaan
FREELY ABRIGO - Kapitan Tog, Kulas
IAN OLYMPIA – Ambition
JON ZAMAR – Digmaang Salinlahi
JOSEL NICOLAS – Windmills: Breakdowns
LYNDON GREGORIO - Beerkada
MACOY – Taal Monster vs Evil Space Paru-paro
MEL CASIPIT – Baboy 1 & 2
NORBY ELA - Gutom
RH QUILANTANG – Goodbye Rubbit
ROMMEL ESTANISLAO – Lipad
SHERRY BAET ZAMAR - Carpool
TEPAI PASCUAL – Maktan 1521

Gates open at 10:30 am this Saturday!!! Check it out guys!!!

For more info, go to http://www.comic-odyssey.com and http://www.komikero.com

=============================================================

Now, a day before the big day, Artist and Co-Creator of V for Vendetta DAVID LLOYD will be making an appearance in Alabang Town Center. That's May 6 guys.

National Book Store is sponsoring this event and I'd recommend you go meet the guy who did this graphic novel! The man worked with Alan Moore!

He'll also be at the Metro Comic-Con this Saturday in Megamall so if you still aren't full with the free comics, go next to the Metro Comic-Con which is until Sunday, May 8.

I'm interviewing Mr. Lloyd on Saturday so if you want me to ask him any question, post it here on the comments page :) Thanks!

It's a HUGE weekend for Comics so please please support the industry!!! It'll be AWESOME!!!

My new Desk Organizer - KIT KAT BENCH!

2011-04-27T20:05:00.000+08:00

I tweeted about this last night but I think I should put it on the blog!

Anyway, check out my new Desk Organizer :)

It's a KIT KAT Bench!

Pretty neat huh? :)

Available in select supermarkets! If you buy a KIT KAT 6-Pack, it comes with it! Php 100 only :) I got mine in Rustan's Supermarket. I was told they have in Landmark too!

Bawal Umihi Dito

2011-04-25T20:53:00.000+08:00

I had a discussion with Misha last week and we were talking about the Philippines being the only country telling it's people "You cannot pee here!" I think it's such a shame that we as a people need to be told that. (Well, the men at least)

Right?

It maybe funny at first but if you think harder, it's quite sad that it has to be written in walls that "Dude, this ain't a toilet, go find one!" Nakakahiya lang at nakakalungkot. People need to be educated about urinating properly. :( It shows that yes, we need to educate a lot of people about proper good hygiene, cleanliness, respect, and good manners.

Should we have a special class on proper hygiene and good manners for students? What do you think?

Not only that, do you know that habit of men pulling up their shirts right before their chest so they can expose their huge bellies? You know what I'm talking about. It sucks! And men not wearing shirts on the streets. Did you know that's illegal to do that in Marikina City?

Anyway, I just wanted to voice that out. I think we should have a special class on manners...

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this... Thanks!

(Photo courtesy of darkroomimage & Michael Johnson)

Holy Week

2011-04-21T15:43:00.000+08:00

It's Holy Thursday now and we're getting ready for the next 3 days. For as long as I can remember, my family's been practicing the Visita Iglesia. We visit 7 churches and we pray 7 Our Fathers, 7 Hail Marys, and 7 Glory Bes in the 7 churches.

Good Friday, we do the Stations of the Cross and pray all the mysteries of the rosary. In addition, Good Friday is a day that we practice fasting and abstinence.

Black Saturday is attending the 3hour Easter Vigil at night.

Holy Week has been a time for prayer for my family. It's the short time of the year that I feel it's most solemn. I feel like it's that time of year wherein we pray a LOT in the family. I think it's good because you stay together while praying.

Sacrifice is the main word in my opinion. For the Catholics and Christians, we have to remember how Jesus did the ultimate sacrifice by dying for all of us. I think it's good that we all sacrifice something during this time of prayer and reflection...

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. I wish everyone a blessed Holy Week!

Awesome Concert by The Script!

2011-04-17T13:08:00.000+08:00

Last night, I was fortunate enough to to watch The Script LIVE! Lesson learned, you have to buy tickets EARLY and save enough money. I had an amazing time at the concert! Worth every centavo!

They played their hits but I wanted them to play "Live like we're dying". But it's all good, they played "Deadman Walking"which is my favorite track on their latest album. So I'm a happy fan!

The man who can't be moved, If you ever come back, Nothing, I'm Yours, Breakeven, and For the first time were all played. All worth it!

What I look for in good concerts is performer-audience engagement. Thankfully, the 4 Irish men were cool with their Filipino fans. They had a blast with the Manila crowd :)

Hopefully, they'll come back soon...

Answers to Q&A Part 3!

2011-04-15T21:40:00.003+08:00

I posted an entry called "Q&A Again" last Monday. Didn't tweet about it since I wanted regular readers to see for themselves :) Anyway, thanks to all who posted questions!!! :) I had fun answering them. No worries on the multiple questions! I had to skip some questions though. Sorry about that!

But anyway, click on the "READ MORE" link to see the Questions posted by the Tangled Web followers and my answers :D

Paano maging isang apo ni Former President Cory Aquino? Is she the typical lola na maging spoiled ka. Are you the eldest apo?

It’s such a huge blessing! But it comes with a lot of responsibility. We have a name to protect and keep clean. Hindi kami nagiging spoiled. :) She was always straight and fair. Yes, I am the eldest apo. More responsibility for the eldest.

What is it that you were looking in a great blog? my url is www.thecomfortrooms.org and i wanna know what you had in mind there.

I look for comics, technology and geek stuff usually. I follow Gerry Alanguilan’s blog and Geekologie.com I saw the comfortrooms and it’s not bad! A lot of recent stuff! It’s news! I never thought Rebecca Black was a hoax!

Do you have plans of going into politics?

No :)

Hi Jiggy, medyo madami akong questions, wish you could answer them! :)

1. How do you handle criticism, adversity and a broken heart?

Criticism you can look at it in 2 points. One is either you dwell on it and sulk or you can see it as an opportunity to improve and move on. Everyone’s a critic but you can’t let bad feedback get to you. I always look at the bright side. Adversity will always be there. You just have to keep a positive outlook in life. A broken heart is one of the most difficult things to handle in life. But as cliché as it sounds, time will heal a broken heart. You have to keep yourself busy and surround yourself with loved ones and friends. Do things that make you happy. Make yourself laugh. Go watch funny movies. That’s what I did then. :)

2. Plus just curious, which among the films nominated in the recently concluded Oscars did you like best?

Among the nominees, I only saw 3 that were nominated. Toy Story 3, Inception, and The Social Network. I liked all 3 actually. But if I were to pick, I’d choose Toy Story 3 since it cheered me up after the Celtics lost to the Lakers last year…

3. What sort of paintings do you own?

I have 2 paintings from my Lola. I have her first painting :) Since I’m the eldest apo, she gave that to me. The second painting went to Miguel, the third to Jonty and so on. But in terms of artwork, I’m into the comic book art. I have sketches from all sorts of people through the years. But now, I recently acquired 8 pages from Manix Abrera which is just awesome.

4. What is Pres. Cory’s favorite movie?

I never asked her! Nanghihinayang ako na hindi ko natanong actually. I saw some Audrey Hepburn tapes in her room before though.

5. And lastly, what do you think of Andrew Garfield as the new Spiderman?

I’m still sad that Marvel changed the Sam Raimi team. I don’t know. They changed the costume and I’m a purist. As of now, the only basis I have is The Social Network so with that, I’m convinced that he could be a Peter Parker. But let’s wait and see. Basta wag lang nila sisirain ang favorite superhero ko, ok lang.

If you'd be given the chance to spend a day with your Lolo Ninoy, what would you do? Where will you go? What will you tell him?

Wow. I’ve never been asked that but I have thought of it before. A long time ago though. Hmm. Probably now, since he’d probably have “powers”, I’d like to travel back in time. I want to ask him how he courted my Lola. He’d take me to that time. Sort of like Ebeneezer Scrooge except for the whole ghosts of Christmases. I’d ask him how Laur treated him. What’s the key to success? Why’d he love the country so much… Man… I’m gonna ask a lot of things. I’d even probably ask if he can extend the day…

Does your family pose stricter rules on you and your cousins now that your uncle Noynoy is the President or is it still the same as before?

It’s still the same as before. Me and my cousins are disciplined and we know the difference between right and wrong. But I guess all of us are pretty much up on our toes.

When it comes to travel, what are your dream destination/s? (I mean, yung never mo pa napupuntahan)

Comic-Con International in San Diego is in the top of my list! Definitely! I’d also like to see Egypt and Morocco. After watching a lot of Discovery Travel and Living, I have to see that food market in Morocco!

You blog about childhood a lot. Was your teenhood as awesome? :D Tell us a bit about it. I hope I'm not being intrusive. Kung intrusive na, feel free not to answer my question. :D

My teenhood was ok I guess. Aminin ko na torpe ako dati… But I got over the bump and it all went well. High School was a busy time for me. I studied a lot in the weekdays and then hung out with friends on Friday. I was also part of the Student Council so that kept me busy. It was a normal teenage life I guess? I never did drink or go to clubs. It wasn’t my thing to begin with and it still isn’t. My friends thought that I was never “my age”. Either I was too young at heart or too mature like a kuya.

Hello there..here's my simple Qs

First Q:

Do you play any musical instruments?

I can play the guitar. Basics lang!

Second Q:

Aside from chocolates and comic books are you also obsessed or a "fan" of any other things/people?

Spider-Man stuff! I love STAR WARS too! The Back to The Future Trilogy is a big favorite! Voltes V, 80’s cartoons like Thundercats and Transformers, early 90s cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters! I like LEGO, and Coffee! Nescafe Classic to be exact! I’m a pop culture guy. I like random trivia / facts. :)

Third Q:

If you were given a chance to go to college again and take up another course, what would it be and why? And are you going to follow trends?

Oh I’d go back to college in a heartbeat. Best 4 years of my life! I’d probably take up Communications. I’d veer away from the math muna siguro. I wanted to take up film before kasi. Trends? Nah…

Harvey Tolibao sketches for a cause this Saturday!!!

2011-04-14T22:24:00.001+08:00

My good friend and superstar artist Harvey Tolibao will be sketching for a cause this Saturday at the Summer Komikon!!! Drop by ok??? :) It goes to charity! :) Sketches in Comic Odyssey cost around 500 so benchmark lang :)

The Breakfast of Champions

2011-04-12T22:31:00.000+08:00

What is the breakfast of champs?

Is it a cereal brand with athletes on the packaging?

Is it a glass of Raw Eggs that you gulp down in seconds like Rocky Balboa?

Is it Champorado and Tuyo?

Is it a bagel with cream cheese?

Is it a bowl of cereal?

Coffee and bread?

It got me thinking that people have their own favorite breakfast dishes. Their favorite is thus, their own "Breakfast of Champions"

Me? I loooooove breakfast! I'll eat anything from Spam and Eggs with sinangag. Longganissa, Tocino, Tuyo, Galunggong (yes, Galunggong happens to be one of my favorite fishes so please don't judge me), cereal, donuts, bacon, pancakes, hashbrowns, Pop-Tarts, Milo, hotdog, Puto, kutchinta, bibingka, etc! Breakfast food frikkin rocks!

Perfect with a nice warm cup of coffee will get me going. I take it black and no sugar in the morning.

But if I were to choose... I make mean Scrambled Eggs! What I do is after I beat the eggs and put it on the pan, I don't stop mixing it on the hot pan. Plus I don't cook it all the way. I like my scrambled eggs still wet. I hate it when it's dry. Oh, don't forget the ROCK salt. NOT iodized, Rock! Believe me, there's a difference.

What about you? What's your champion breakfast?

See the Philippines! - BOHOL

2011-04-11T22:31:00.000+08:00

Go see the Philippines!!!

Last October, I went to Bohol and it was AMAZING!

I've always wanted to see the Chocolate Hills and the clear beaches of Bohol. It did not disappoint! What I can tell you to do if you're in Bohol for vacation are 3 things.

1. Go see the magnificent shores and just RELAX. Take a swim and just let go.

2. Have lunch in the river cruise. The food may not be the best, but the experience of riding a boat on a river and having lunch at the same time is pretty awesome. You have to try it when you're in Bohol!

3. Most importantly, YOU HAVE TO SEE THE CHOCOLATE HILLS! I tell you, they are just way too awesome for words. You get to see how God made the world so beautiful. You know those pictures of the hills you see in books, posters, and postcards? It looks like that but 1000x more awesome!!!

It was the most memorable trip of 2010 for me. It was just fun to be with friends and loved ones and seeing new things together. The Philippines has just so much to offer! We need to be good "ambassadors" of our own Tourist spots! If you're planning a trip this summer, I say avoid the crowded beaches and just relax in Bohol. It's peaceful and quiet plus you just get to rest, relax, and unwind...

Q&A Again!

2011-04-11T21:02:00.001+08:00

I just got 617 followers now on The Tangled Web and I will not Tweet this post. This goes out to the loyal readers of the blog. :)

It's another Question and Answer! I haven't done this after a long time! This is the 3rd time I'm doing this. I know there's this thing called Formspring but I'll do it the old-fashioned way and just post on the blog. I wanna survey the people who read this. :) Plus I wanna interact with the readers!

I can't answer everything though... I'll screen them first of course. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment and give your inputs. They'd me much appreciated. :)

If you're a friend of mine, don't joke around anymore. You can text me anyway...

Questions until Friday, April 15, 2011 :)

Artwork - Manix Abrera

2011-04-10T18:45:00.000+08:00

A couple of months ago, I attended Manix Abrera's first ever art exhibit in Pablo Gallery in Cubao X. I found out that he was showcasing his art and I just had to go since I wanted to feature him in the Yahoo! Blog. Manix is the guy who does "Kikomachine" which can be seen in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He also did a "silent" comic book / graphic novel called "12" which is really awesome by the way.

Anyway, I go down to his exhibit and I see tons of people. I check out the art and find out that it's for sale! I couldn't believe it! Original Manix Abrera art was frikkin FOR SALE!

A lot had been sold already and the colored / painted cover of Kikomachine Vol. 6 was in the center. It had been sold already. I go around the exhibit and see my favorite story from "12" called "Palaka" and there wasn't any mark that it had been sold. I ask the managers of Pablo and I was right! It wasn't sold yet!

So I got it :)

I have to blog about it since I just got it yesterday. After the exhibit, you have to wait a while until the whole exhibit run ends. It's a treasure of mine! :) It's my favorite story from "12" and I just love Manix's work! If there's one thing I can pass on to you when you buy art, never ever, I mean NEVER EVER ask for a discount. That's the artist's work. It's just rude. You steal something inside from them that you can never give back. Makes sense? :) Plus c'mon! YOU are the only person in the world who has that. You get what you pay for so don't worry!

It'll be a while until Manix has another exhibit... But be sure to check out his work. Kikomachine already has 6 volumes plus "12" just plain rocks!!! He might be at the Summer Komikon this weekend though :)

Gelatissimo!

2011-04-09T12:31:00.000+08:00

Ice Cream! Ice Cream! We all scream for Ice Cream! I have to say that I'm not really a huge Ice Cream guy. I happen to prefer chocolate since I can take it at the same time with a cup of Coffee. KIT KAT dark and a black cup of Nescafe is the perfect combination for me. However, Gelato is a different case. I heard people talking about this good gelato in town, Gelatissimo! I went inside the cafe and I saw a MILKY BAR flavor! (Milky Bar is this awesome white chocolate! It's the bomb! Google it if you don't know!)

Without question, I ordered the Milky Bar flavor and it was DEE-LISH!!! Frikkin awesome Ice Cream from the folks of Gelatissimo! I visited Gelatissimo last week and unfortunately, they were out of Milky Bar... Dammit! Their menu changes so it's cool to visit the place from time to time. This one is when you need treats or you're craving for dessert in the Fort area. They have the classic Gelato flavors like hazelnut, pistachio, vanila, chocolate, and strawberry. I tested out the dark chocolate flavor and it was pretty awesome too. But I had my mind set on a special berry recipe since there wasn't any Milky Bar.

Gelatissimo is in Serendra near Sonja's cupcakes. But I think they also have a branch in Greenbelt 5. A scoop costs around a 100 bucks but it's worth every bite!!! Indulge guys!!! It's summer!!! For the guys, go bring your dates here. They'll love you for it! Believe me.

Uncertainty

2011-04-06T23:54:00.001+08:00

It's what I don't know that makes me scared. That feeling of uncertainty and anxiety put together makes my stomach churn and gives me a heavy heart.

If only we can find out soon that "everything will be ok"... But we can't can we? Would you be willing to see what will happen a year from now to check if "everything is ok"?

Are you scared about the future? A lot has been on my mind lately and all I can do is pray... I guess I just need to have the faith that everything will be ok.

THUNDERCATS! HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

2011-04-05T21:04:00.000+08:00

I've said it time and time again that 80's cartoons are the best! At the Wondercon last weekend, it was revealed that there will be a new THUNDERCATS Cartoon!

Now, to be quite honest, I'm a bit iffy about this reboot. Why? Not all reboots work and cater to the new generation. I mean, the Thundercats cartoon was one of the best in history. Lion-O, Cheetarah, Tygra, Panthro, Wilykit, Wilykat and Snarf were an awesome ensemble and Mumm-Ra was scary as hell.

You know a cartoon is good when others are copying you. Thundercats spawned "Silverhawks" and "Tigersharks"

The picture above is the reboot and will show on Cartoon Network. Now I saw the Wondercon footage already and the only part I don't like was the line "I only ask you fight like Cats!" WHUUUT? But other than that, Mumm-Ra looks the same. The team looks ok. The Sword of Omens looks super cool and the voice... "Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! Thundercats! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Geekgasm right there! It looks cool for now but I have to watch the cartoons!

Hopefully, the best cartoon of the 1980s will bring a new light for this new generation. I wish Cartoon Network Philippines brings it here ASAP.

The Hundred Islands

2011-04-03T22:15:00.000+08:00

The weather has become really really warm... Summer is here...

As for the working person, there is no summer vacation. For the graduates, enjoy your LAST summer vacay. Cherish it!!!

Anyway, since the summer season is here. I was inspired by Team Manila's "Tara Na!" campaign.

A few weeks ago, I was in Pangasinan. I went to see the HUNDRED ISLANDS. I only saw pictures of it when I was studying the books on the Philippines back in grade school. How can there be a hundred islands in a place? I was asking myself then...

But really, there were so many islands!!!

Only in the Philippines I tell you... The hundred islands is an excellent place to visit this summer. Where else can you see that many islands in one place? Bring the whole barkada along while you're at it! It's about 4 hours away from Manila. It's not as far anymore thanks to SCTEX.

(From the highest peak of the hundred islands)

We were told by our guide that only 3 islands could be inhabitable by people. The biggest is the "governor's island" where they actually shot a few episodes of Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition. (It was the Kim Chiu season) The others I believe were Marcos and Imelda island.

The exciting island is "Marcos Island" if I'm not mistaken. Mind you, I don't find it exciting because of the name but because of the cave that's situated in the island. There's a 15-foot drop to the ocean inside the cave. It's awesome!

The beaches are pretty awesome. The snorkeling part is also exciting because of the marine life. I was told that the place improved dramatically. The shores are much much cleaner than what they used to be.

Visit the Philippines if you can guys :) I actually believe that tourism will generate jobs! "Tara na! Biyahe tayo! Nang makatulong kahit paano sa pag-unlad ng kabuhayan ng ating mga kabayaan! Halika biyahe tayo! Nang ating makita ang ganda ng Pilipinas, ang galing ng Pilipino!" (I love that song)

The best damn fries in the metro!

2011-04-02T17:39:00.001+08:00

I don't know why but I may have found the best damn fries in Metro Manila. Heck, maybe even the Philippines. For some strange reason, not all French Fries taste the same. If you go to the top fast food chains, they taste differently. Some are even different in color. In restaurants, they also taste different. Some add pepper to it... The premium ones even have truffle oil. But I'm not gonna tackle that.

The best damn French Fries in my honest to goodness opinion can be found in the basement of Power Plant Mall. It's in a place called Elbert's Cheesesteak. The balance of crunchiness and saltiness is just fantastic! It just tastes absolutely delicious! Together with the cheesesteak, CHAMPION!!! They serve it in a paper cone hot and freshly cooked. I feel like they use some type of special cooking oil! But believe me when I tell you na
MASARAP TALAGA!

At first I didn't want to blog about it because I want them all to myself! Kidding! The Fries in Elbert's have to be shared to the public!!!

I go there not for the cheesesteak, but for the frikkin French Fries!!! Try it! You won't regret it. If you've tried it, let me know what you think! I appreciate and welcome all comments in The Tangled Web!

You have to salute the Japanese people...

2011-03-30T21:37:00.000+08:00

After what happened in Japan, I immediately thought of my friends who lived in Kobe. Thankfully they were safe! I was told that it really is such a big tragedy. Kobe was fine but Sendai was really really bad. I don't want to write about the negative things that happened in Japan but I want to point out certain things we can learn from them...

Were there any clips on the news that showed people suffering? People having a hard time? I can't think of any at the moment because I didn't see any. Media controlled what not to put. I thought that it was just proper not to show those things. Unlike here, they show everything! If there are people in media reading this, I think we can learn from them.

More importantly, there were no looting or stealing! Imagine how disciplined they are. The Japanese people are just so awesome for rising up after all the tragedy. You have people falling in line in orderly fashion when getting water. Here? People fight in line, they grab while some even steal. What was sad during Ondoy was during the relief operations, people who weren't affected were getting mad that they didn't get any free stuff. I just feel really bad on the level of discipline we have here. :( We can learn from our neighbors above us. The Japanese people are just so disciplined. We should be more like them. I even heard that among all the nationalities that travel abroad, the Japanese are still the most disciplined. I think it's just awesome how they do it. Ang galing nila! They know how to get back up on their feet.

What we can do now is to continue praying for them. We may not see it on TV but there are a lot of people having a difficult time in Japan. Pray for them if you can...

As for us, we also need to pray for one another. I believe that we have the capacity of getting back up on our feet also. We just need to be more patient and disciplined. Let's forget about the crab mentality. We need to support one another! I believe in the Filipino. You do too right? :)

50 Movies in 2011

2011-03-29T22:04:00.002+08:00

Some people have different goals during the start of the year. Whether it be losing weight, reading more books, writing more. Etc.

I have to maintain work-life balance and what I set is 50 movies in 2011. HBO movies don't count unless it's a TV movie . So far I've seen 9 movies... I'm on track. Kaya pa naman. The summer movies are coming so I should be fine. Some people set it to 100. I can't do that. 2 movies a week is hard.

Anyhoo... This is what I've seen so far. Green Hornet is the movie of 2011 so far...

The Tourist
Little Fockers
Gullivers Travels
Green Hornet
Tangled
Just go with it
I am number four
The Adjustment Bureau
Catch me... I'm in love
Sucker Punch

My Lenten Sacrifice... I have to vent!

2011-03-28T23:51:00.001+08:00

No softdrinks for Lent...

I haven't been talking about this but I need to vent out. You see my sacrifice for lent is giving up carbonated drinks... I still have a month to go and it's getting harder and harder...

The other day, there wasn't any iced tea in KFC and I happened to order a Zinger meal... I had already bought it and no iced tea!!! Boo!!! Seriously, water won't cut it. Now that's a sacrifice!!!

But I guess Lent is a time for reflection and sacrifice. I feel it's a way of cleansing one's soul... Only a number of Pinoys follow the Friday Abstinence... Kanya-kanya talaga I guess. But for me, I felt that I had to give up something. Giving up soda in the presence of chips and Chinese food is difficult! Believe me...

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent out. Now I feel better :)

Reading: Stay old school or Digital?

2011-03-27T21:27:00.000+08:00

I wrote an entry for Yahoo on comic book reading. I said that sticking old school was my preferred choice.

But for books, I see people who travel have the Amazon Kindle! It seems that the trend really is going to go digital. You see, I've been cleaning my room and my shelves aren't getting any bigger. My graphic novel library is getting bigger but at the same time, I have books too. I took those out already to give way to the new graphic novels.

I'm thinking of getting a Kindle for the books. But then again, I have to feel it first. I need to hold a Kindle and experience reading through that. I'm gonna miss the smell of the paper and flipping the pages. Plus what about the colored pictures? :/ How now brown cow?

There are the pros and cons. But what I can think of now is that I'll miss holding an actual book and flipping through the pages. Plus I like going to bookstores!

The only pro I can think of now is that it will save you space...

What do you think? You think you can help me decide? Oh, I forgot to mention, I won't use any digital device in reading comics. I'm not even going to use the iPad unless of course it's exclusively digital and not print.

But for the books... Hmmm... I don't know really...

Summer Komikon + Beerkada

2011-03-27T20:59:00.001+08:00

My first KOMIKON was a Summer Komikon and it was still held at Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman. I can never forget that it was the first time I got to meet Pol Medina Jr. who does Pugad Baboy. From that time, I haven't missed a Komikon.

Last November in Starmall, I got to meet Lyndon Gregorio who does Beerkada. :) It was a funny encounter because I was falling in line to have my Dekada copy signed when another fanboy in line knew my name. Mr. Gregorio then asked if he was supposed to know me. His friend Ariel then explained who I was related to and then it was a funny encounter from then on. I was then featured in Beerkada on the Philippine Star. My friends thought it was hilarious!

I thanked Mr. Gregorio afterwards but said that I was just a regular fanboy! I'm not supposed to be known anyway!

I got an email with the subject "PSST!" and found that I appeared on Beerkada again!

So I'm posting this to remind everyone of the Summer Komikon on April 16 at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig City :)

It'll be fun! I'll be seeing Mr. Gregorio then and will see if I can appear on his comic strip again! :)

And I don't use moisturizer... I should though...

Stranger than Fiction

2011-03-26T22:43:00.001+08:00

Sometimes I wonder if there are actually fictional characters that exist. For example, The Men In Black... They have those stick thingies that erase your memory. Right? What if we bumped into them already? What if our memories got erased? Maybe they do exist...

What about The Adjustment Bureau? We all have "the plan" according to the story.

What about the Wizarding World? Maybe we really are Muggles!

Do toys really come to life when we're not looking? Are there "Woody" toys that care about us?

Is there really a Book of Secrets that belongs to the President?

Is Time Travel possible? Maybe people have traveled back in time and we just don't know about it.

I have a wild and crazy imagination. The kid in me thinks that these fictional characters do exist. I know it's crazy but having a wild and crazy imagination makes me sane. :)

You can't be too serious sometimes.

What Trilogy?

2011-03-23T19:55:00.000+08:00

I've been thinking the past couple of days since Back to the Future was being shown on TV. It made me wonder what the best trilogy is. Ok, for those curious, my definition of a trilogy is a set of 3 movies.

I have to say that the best would be the 1st Star Wars Trilogy. I'm not talking about Episodes I-III. I'm talking about A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

But you also have to look at the other trilogies that were awesome. For example, Lord of The Rings. Right?

My list of awesome Trilogies would be...

1. Star Wars (Eps IV, V, and VI)
2. LOTR
3. Back to the Future (Yes, I have come to appreciate part 3 since it ties everything up)
4. Toy Story
5. The Jersey Trilogy (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy :) )
Special Mention: THE MIGHTY DUCKS!

What could've been EXCELLENT TRILOGIES...

1. Spider-Man (3!!! Why did you suck??? :( )
2. X-MEN (RATNER!!! YOU RUINED IT!!!)
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (The whole travel in time thing didn't work for me)
4. Austin Powers (Goldmember!? Really!?)
5. The Mummy (Why didn't you retain Rachel Weisz!?!?)

What should have stayed as a single movie...

1. The Matrix (You know what I mean)

What should be completed as a Trilogy

1. Ghostbusters
2. Bill and Ted
3. Harold and Kumar
4. Hellboy

What about you? What are your thoughts? :)

Remembering EDSA - 25 years after

2011-02-23T22:20:00.001+08:00

This week has been tiring so far but it also has inspired me to move forward. This week is quite special because we will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution this Friday!

If you're still new to the EDSA thing and if I were explain to someone new, EDSA has been a symbol of freedom in the Philippines. After a 20 year dictatorship, the Filipino People went out to the streets to rally against the Marcos Regime. The EDSA People Power Revolution was a peaceful revolution. There was no bloodshed. Millions of Filipinos were united in prayer and they were able to overthrow the dictator peacefully. It was also the beginning of bringing back democracy in the country. Basicaly, the revolution gave us back our freedom of speech! That's why I can blog! :)

This is something we can all be proud of because other countries have somewhat used this as a model. The Philippines was probably one of the first countries to have done this. (I'm assuming)

EDSA is quite significant for me because my Lola Cory was one of the people who led this event. I've been watching the documentaries on TV this past week and I can't help but be proud of her. I was also in tears because I saw this part wherein she was speaking to the crowd and said that she was offering her self to the Filipino People. It made me miss her even more. She never wanted to be President but she made the sacrifice. I was months old when EDSA happened. I asked my Mom how it was then and she told me that it was UNCERTAIN. They didn't know what was going to happen. It was a dangerous time for the family. But I have to tell you that my Lola Cory showed no sign of anxiety or fear. A leader should show no sign of fear and that's what she displayed. I'm very proud of her.

Yes we displayed People Power, but my Lola would also add that PRAYER POWER was present and she was an advocate of prayer. Nowadays, I believe we take a lot of things for granted and prayer is one of those things. If my Lola were here, she'd keep on saying that to me, the family, and the nation. I have to pass it on to the reader of this post. We need to pray for the Philippines. It's something we have to do as one nation. The Pinoys did it back then 25 years ago. What makes our generation any different?

Other than that, we shouldn't take freedom of speech for granted. We can blog, we can update our Facebook status, we can Tweet! Back then, you couldn't express freedom of speech...

Our generation is blessed. Very blessed. Let's not forget that.

If you're a parent, can I ask a favor? :) Kindly talk about the People Power Revolution to your children. To the Ates and Kuyas, tell your younger siblings/cousins if they don't know about it. We can't let this significant event just die in history. We need to keep talking about it!

If you want to read something inspirational, Wilfrido Villacorta, the Ambassador to ASEAN revisits the spirit of EDSA and launched a book this week. It's all about the triumph of a people's campaign. It's about a recent people power in the country but more importantly, his goal is to reinforce the Filipino's trust in our own ability to help rebuild a nation and recommut ourselve to achieving excellence and development. "Noynoy: Triumph of a People's Campaign" is available at Powerbooks.

There are many ways to celebrate EDSA this week. Watch a documentary on TV, read a book, ask your parents/relatives. But the important thing is that we talk about it and remember that the Philippines gained freedom without violence. That's no ordinary feat!!! We need to keep the conversations going!!!

"Handog ng Pilipino sa mundo, mapayapang paraang pagbabago. Katotohanan, Kalayaan, Katarungan ay kayang makamit ng walang dahas. Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat."

Graduation 2011

2011-02-20T18:35:00.001+08:00

It's that time of the year again. My brother's finishing up school and I feel that I should reiterate what I mentioned before. To the graduating class of 2011, what I can share to you are the following.

1. Don't take a long vacation. Stay ahead of the pack. Apply. Apply. Apply. The early bird catches the worm right? While you have the momentum, go for it! If you take a long vacation, laziness might get to you. Don't get me wrong. You can have a vacation! Just don't relax too much. Getting a job after school is hard so be ahead :) That's what my Lola told me and I pass it on again.

2. Keep your friends close. Your friends are treasures. They will always be there for as long as you're there for them. Never forget them. You'll be needing them a lot after school life.

3. Never forget the teachers good to you because you owe it to them. I keep in touch with the teachers who gave an impact in my life. Believe me on this one. They can still teach you some more now you're in the real world.

Congratulations to all the graduates! Make your family proud, your school proud, your teachers proud, your friends proud, and your country proud! :)

The result of growing up too fast...

2011-02-15T23:38:00.000+08:00

Forgive me for being too "kiddie" but I mentioned a couple of posts ago on how I didn't get toys I wanted when I was younger. I mentioned I didn't get Optimus Prime and the Turtle Blimp.

I completely forgot to mention... I didn't get 3 Japanese robots when I was younger. I wasn't able to get 1. The BIOROBO 2. Voltes V and 3. Daimos...

Thank God, BAN DAI, released a line called "Soul of Chogokin". This line is made STRICTLY for adults and is the most detailed toy line for Japanese Robots. BAN DAI was genius because they made this for adults who never experienced having these robots. So I'm in the target market! Mazinger Z, Combattler V, and a whole bunch of other robots are included in the line with pinpoint accuracy. How accurate? Well, Daimos, seen below, I got last week. I tell you, it's REALLY accurate. I have to take better pictures though but Daimos can turn into Tranza, his chest opens to reveal the double blizzard. His freezer ray can be turned, he can pose with his signature Death Blow, and there's even a mini Richard included! But the most awesome part is that ALL HIS WEAPONS ARE COMPLETE!!!

The same goes for Voltes V. I like the Voltes V set better because it's frikkin Voltes V man!!! I'm being careful with it so I didn't take pics yet. But man, getting it gives this feeling of nostalgia and excitement. They say that adults who buy toys were the kids who grew up too fast or didn't experience having the awesome toys. I call it unfinished business! Getting these felt like getting the best Christmas Gift during Christmas morning. If you're like me, I suggest you get the toys you didn't get when you were younger. I got complete satisfaction upon acquiring Daimos and most especially Voltes V. I have one more robot to go but unfortunately, it's not available in the Soul of Chogokin line... But once the BIOROBO is available, I'll be the first in line to get it!

The Generation Gap

2011-02-12T00:10:00.000+08:00

At work, some of the younger ones didn't grow up with some of the icons of yesteryear. I was surprised that people born in 1988 aren't even familiar with the greatest robot of all time...

I still try to live with the happy memories of my childhood and I thought I'd share with you what I acquired last week. I mentioned in my tweet that after 20+ years, I finally have Voltes V in my possession. Kids, it's not Voltes Vee ok? It's Voltes FIVE.

(image courtesy of taclobanon.deviantart.com)

Who was Voltes V you ask? Even before the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers hit Philippine Television, there was a team consisted of 5 members who piloted 5 vehicles to form the greatest robot of all time, Voltes V! The Megazord has NOTHING on Voltes V. Believe me.

Seen above is a screen cap of the Voltes Team. Clockwise from top, Steve, Big Bert and Little John Armstrong (They're Brothers), Jamie Robinson, and Mark Gordon.

Why am I writing this post? As I said in previous blogs, cartoons when I was younger were way better. If you can find a copy of the DVDs of Voltes V, I STRONGLY URGE that you watch the entire series. Instead of watching the TV series of today, go watch this. You wont regret it! The story is frikkin awesome. Even if it's Japanese, it doesn't get any more Pinoy than this! Hahaha! Voltes V is more Pinoy than Japanese. Heck, I talked to Japanese people from work and they have no clue who Voltes V is... It's sad actually...

Here are some screen shots of Voltes V in action. Clockwise from top left, Voltes V posing after the transformation, Using the Electromagnetic Tops, the Voltes Bazooka, and LASER SWORD!

Bridge the gap people! Watch this cartoon!!! Trust me :)

Go Azkals!!!

2011-02-09T21:40:00.001+08:00

We are a Basketball Nation. It's a reality that it's extremely popular here in the Philippines. But the past 2 months have been different. Ever since Studio 23 televised the games of the Philippine Football team, people have been clamoring about football.

My Lola, being the big basketball fan that she was expressed that we need to be good at sports wherein we can compete with the world. I'm just sad now she didn't get to see the Azkals in action! She would've loved it!

I think it's only a matter of time. It's already sweeping the nation! We had a big game in Bacolod earlier tonight! 2-0 against Mongolia! Plus with the way the girls are raving about the players? Wala na to! Kaya na!

Let's GO PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL! I'm here to support it! :)

Another bad day ends... Another day approaches

2011-02-08T22:11:00.001+08:00

How do you get over a bad day? Today was pretty tough for me. But what's good is that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. You can commit mistakes but just don't commit the same ones. It's always good to learn from them. That you owe to yourself and the people around you.

Another day has passed and another day is ahead. Just keep moving forward. Roll with the punches if you have to. Keep your chin up and do your best. As Conan O Brien stated that if you work hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen...

Go lang nang Go! Laban!

Gino's Brick Oven Pizza

2011-02-02T23:45:00.002+08:00

Sorry I've been out recently. But as promised, I'm going to update this blog as often as I can. So it's passed 11pm and I'm at it for you guys :)

I have an upcoming top secret project with CJ the DJ of Magic 89.9, Gino Quillamor of RX 93.1 and a number of other guys. But that's for another post. Anyway, CJ texted me and told me to go to this place in Katipunan called Gino's Brick Oven Pizza. (Coincidence lang na kapangalan ni Mr. Quillamor)We had our dinner there.

Gino's Brick Oven Pizza is owned by Mr. Jutes Templo and his wife Cello. (She happens to own Cello's Doughnuts) :) Gino is the name of their baby boy! :)

So anyway, let's cut to the food!

We ordered 2 Pizzas. The first one was the Bianca Verde. It was a pizza with kesong puti and arugula leaves. That simple! But let me tell you, it was EXCELLENT! It was FANTASTIC! What made it so special was that Jutes and his team use the finest ingredients. It's authentic Italian Pizza my friends! The DOUGH! Ang lupet! The texture was soft and crispy at the same time! It's foldable, NEW YORK STYLE! I tell you, the combination of the Arugula and Kesong Puti is astounding! It's mind-boggling! ANG SARAP!

Next on the menu is the Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Now this is what Jutes is proud of. This is entirely different from the commercially produced buffalo chicken pizza. The Gino's Brick Oven Version has a lot of mozzarella, a lot more chicken, bleu cheese and spices!!! The pizza comes in sweet/salty/spicy. It's a terrific blend of flavors in my honest opinion. The spiciness is just right! Magnifico! I highly recommend that you guys try this when you visit the restaurant.

These 2 flavors are a perfect combo! It goes well together! Other flavors include Margherita, Prosciutto, Four Cheese, and Pepperoni. The Bianca Verde and Buffalo Chicken are signature dishes so I suggest you order what we ordered! :)

Gino's Brick Oven Pizza is located in Katipunan Avenue at the K2 Center Building. It's the building with the Mercury Drug across Miriam College and it's right above Figaro. To the Ateneans in College, have lunch here, you guys won't regret it! Trust me on this one!

The Original Dear Darla Pizza

2011-01-24T22:45:00.000+08:00

I don't know how accurate the story I heard was but I was told that the Dear Darla Pizzas from Yellow Cab was inspired by the Panizzas served in a restaurant in Pampanga.

I had to taste it! I went to C' Italian last month and I tried their famous Panizzas! A Panizza is a thin crust pizza and you roll it after putting Arugula leaves and Alfalfa sprouts. (Just like the Dear Darla Pizza)

Anyway, this Panizza was SUPERB! *drools* The cheese was excellent, the prosciutto was fresh, the mushrooms were awesome! Plus the place was an authentic Italian joint so you get your money's worth! The prices are a bit on the high side and it's a 90 minute drive to Angeles. But you know what? IT'S SUPER WORTH IT! SOOOOOO WORTH IT!!! There are a lot of Panizzas to choose from!!!

You want to bring your girlfriend to an awesome restaurant out of town??? Go to C' Italian Dining!

C' Italian Dining
Don Juico Avenue (Perimeter Road)
Brgy. Malabanas, Angeles City
+63 45 8924059
+63 45 8926993