Major Major Design by Mark Gosingtian

This is a pretty good satire design of Mark Gosingtian on the answer of Miss Philippines Venus Raj in the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant. "Major, major." "Major," it reads, is "a field grade military officer rank just above the ranks of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel." "Major major," on the other hand, well, you decide. :)

Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Souvenirs

My uncle recently came home from Singapore for vacation, and brought me these cool stuff from the first ever Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore. The 2014 Youth Olympic Games will be held at Nanjing, China! :) He got me the "Official Spectator Guide" which contains everything about the first ever Youth Olympics - from tickets, spectator information, venues, and sports included. If you will notice, the official mascots Lyo and Merly are printed on the cover.

Since he knows I collect stamps, he got me these cute official Youth Olympic stamps, which were issued on August 14, 2010. The size of the stamps is 48mm x 30.45mm. The first two designs highlight the World Culture Village and Island Adventure formats of CEP. Athletes will learn about diverse cultures, teamwork and leadership through these two activities. The next two designs feature the mascots, Lyo and Merly, in their favourite sports of Aquatics – Swimming and Basketball respectively.

Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Stamps

Also, he got me this Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics Emblem Notebook. I guess since I love to blog, and write, a notebook is a fitting present. This Journal-Leatherette is made of pu leather, ruled, 80 pages, flexible cover, strap closure and has a ribbon bookmark.

I would like to share with you the vision of the Olympic Torch Relay which spoke to me. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame (JYOF) shares this vision.

Vision of the Olympic Torch Relay

A simple flame passed hand to hand
Not by the fastest or the strongest,
But by people whose greatest gift is what they give of themselves
Because, it’s not just what you do for the record books,
It's what you do for others.

EDIT: The Youth Olympic Games Full Music Video "Everyone"

Starbucks Coffee, Dialogues and Ramon Magsaysay Awardees

If you don't have anything better to do later, you might want to attend the Dialogues at Starbucks Katipunan (beside Mushroom Burger) at 3pm. 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee A.H.M. Noman Khan will be there to have coffee with you and chat about his own experiences in pioneering access to livelihood, health care and education to more than 13 million people with disabilities in his hometown, Bangladesh. Also, past Filipino awardee Atty. Tony Oposa will be there to share his works as a lawyer and environmental advocate in the Philippines. I promise, the coffee and the awardees will be worth the trip ;) See you!

Despicable Me showing in the Philippines starting September 1

I can't wait for Despicable Me to show here in the Philippines. I've been waiting for months for this movie. I'm sure its cuteness won't disappoint. Hehe. So, yeah, I just wanted to share this trailer, and now, I'll go back to waiting PATIENTLY for the film. Advanced screening is on Aug 29, and it will be out in the cinemas on September 1. :) Toodles!



Photo from Shoppingblog.com

Kentucky Fried Chicken's California Maki Twister

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Philippines recently launched it's limited edition California Maki Twister. At first it may sound weird, but trust me, it tastes good. It's a fresh take on the California Maki. Imagine your favorite California Maki (Cucumber, Mango, and Japanese Mayo) and KFC's famous chicken. Yummy. My brother says that it has hints of wasabi, but he's not really so sure. Maybe he's just imagining things. He apparently liked it very much, but I would say that he likes whatever KFC offers. Hehehe.

Serenitea's Hokkaido Milk Tea with Pearls

I visited Serenitea, the milk tea craze in San Juan, recently. I was surprised to see improvements to the establishment. The tables and chairs were renovated. They now have original and better looking cup labels. The Hokkaido Milk Tea with Pearls, great as ever! :) I heard that they will open another branch in Robinson's Place (RP) Manila soon, so watch out!

Chili's Newest Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers

Just recently, we were introduced to Chili's newest burger treats and dessert, the "Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers" menu. It was called Big Mouth Burgers for obvious reasons, an order can be shared by at least 2 people.

Besides the introduction of the newest addition to the menu, their Executive Chef gave us a tour of the Kitchen and behind the scenes of Chilis. Through this tour and Q&A, I got to know more about the store, its operations, food, values and principles, and how they create and innovate food and recipes for their customers' satisfaction.


This first "Big Mouth Burger" is the Patty Melt (Php 350). It is made of grilled burger on crunchy Texas toast. I find the crunchy toast to be really yummy despite being oily. Also, it has Swiss cheese, chipotle-glazed onions and crispy bacon, to complete the ensemble. Jalapeno-ranch dressing is served on the side for those who want the added kick.


The next burger we had is called the Gourmet Burger (Php 375). It is made up of peppercorn-crusted creation with fried pickles, gouda cheese, and dijon aioli. All burgers are served with really to-die-for fries.


For those craving for good old-fashioned comfort food, try the combined burger and meatloaf in one great package, the Smoked Meatloaf Burger (Php 330). This burger is probably the most interesting one among the burgers we had. It's served on a sesame seed bun, topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles and crispy onion strings. It’s served with their smoky ketchup and is the perfect burger for a rainy day.


Last, but definitely not the least, is The Ultimate Mushroom Burger (Php 365). It has a rich mushroom sauce that takes the flavor up a notch, and seals the deal with melted Swiss cheese and crispy onion strings. I really like the mushroom sauce combined with the burger. It serves as a good dip for the fries as well.


We finished off the meal with a sweet treat. We tried their new Banana Cream Pie (Php 200), which has a graham cracker crust with banana custard filling that’s topped with fresh whipped cream, drizzled caramel and cocoa powder. This dessert is definitely a must try in the menu! :)

"Chili’s has been in the Philippines for fourteen years, with locations in Greenbelt 5, Northeast Greenhills, Tomas Morato, and the newly opened branch in Power Plant Mall in Rockwell. For over 34 years worldwide, Chili’s has more than 1,400 restaurants in 29 countries around the world."

Breakfast at Suzhou

You can safely say that you're addicted to Chinese food when you have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Right? I fell in love with the Xiao Long Bao of Suzhou recently. So when I had the chance to eat at Suzhou for breakfast, I didn't hesitate to order my new found fave. I also ordered the Taiwan Beef Noodle, which is also yummy and filling. A can of Wang Lao Ji would add great to the meal.

New Krispy Kreme White Chocolate Filled Doughnut with Kitkat

Krispy Kreme Philippines released its newest treat, Snack Doughnuts with KitKat, which comes in three varieties, the Glazed Cake, Chocolate Filled and the White Chocolate Filled :) Since it's new and it has KitKat, I decided to give it a try. The doughnut was definitely Krispy Kreme - if you get what I mean (it's sweet and really chewy). I love the KitKat, but I am not sure I tasted the White Chocolate filling that much. Although, overall, it's yummy for me, don't expect too much from it.

Chowking and Visions PR Deliver My Orange Chicken Dance Prize

Do you remembered this post I did a while back entitled "DTI Complaint Concerning Chowking Orange Chicken event prize"? Well, DTI responded within 15 days, as prescribed by law, thankfully. Now finally, Chowking, through Visions PR, delivered the phone prize yesterday. I received my Samsung Corby, which they upgraded to the Corby with WiFi, for all the troubles the past months, they said. I regret that it had to go through DTI for it to be settled, but I had to do something, right? Case closed. Thank you. :)

Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Lecture Series

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, in cooperation with this year's Awardees, is having the Awardees Lecture Series from August 26 to September 2, 2010 at the RM Hall, Ramon Magsaysay Center in Malate, Manila. See the poster for the details of the lectures. Everyone is invited to attend! :)

Marriott Hotel's Flavors of Thailand

5-star Marriott Hotel Manila flew in Marriott Cafe's Thai food ambassador, Chef Thanatorn Krobsuay from one of the most contemporary Marriott properties in Asia, the JW Marriott Bangkok, to the Philippines to celebrate the rich and unique flavors of authentic Thai cuisine with us Filipinos.

Dubbed as one of Asia's most favorite cuisines, Thai food has been gaining its popularity worldwide because of its relishing tastes. From August 1 to 30, experience Thailand's flavors and satisfy your taste buds with Chef Thanathorn's sophisticated style and expertise in Thai cooking which never fails to make people crave for more.


Yuri, Garvin and I sampled what they had to offer that night. Thai food choices include the Green Chicken Curry, Thai Fried Rice with Shrimp, Phad Thai, Deep Fried Pork Canapes, Spicy Wok-Fried Seafood, Thai Pizza and some Thai Desserts.


Of course, we were also treated to Thai Iced Tea, which was really good and refreshing in my opinion. The next two photos are the Thai Pandan Lemon Cake and my favorite dessert of the night, the Bread Pudding :)


If you want to dine out and taste authentic Thai cuisine that will play with your palates and give you a yummy experience, I suggest you try Marriott's Flavors of Thailand.

Bring home the Flavors of Thailand as Chef Thanathorn conducts a free cooking class on August 12 at 2:30pm. Slots to the class are free by simply reserving at the Marriott Cafe reception and presenting a receipt.

Diners who avail of the Flavors of Thailand buffet also get a chance to win a pair of roundtrip tickets to Thailand courtesy of the Thai Airways and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The prize trip includes a three-night stay with breakfast at the Rennaisance Koh Samui Resort and Spa Thailand.

The Flavors of Thailand will be available during lunch and dinner at Php 1,350 nett for adults and Php 675 nett for children, while Sunday Brunch is at Php 1,650 nett. Children below 12 get in for half the price and children below 6 get in for free.

Marriott Cafe is located at the Ground Floor of Marriott Hotel Manila. For more info and reservations, call (632) 9889999 or visit www.marriott.com/mnlap.

Marriott Hotel Manila is set in the tourism complex of Resorts World Manila. Ideally located in Newport City across NAIA Terminal 3 the hotel boasts of its 342 exquisite quest rooms that offers luxurious bedding, high speed internet, 40" full HD LCDs with IPTV. Walk in rate starts at $135.

Some photos courtesy of Garvin Yao :)