The WordPress Pinoys community has just launched a new contest for it’s members: WPP TREASURE HUNTING CONTEST!

Three lucky individuals will win one of the following prizes:

Grand winner
Advance Plan
1 Domain name and Hosting (1 year)
500 MB Disk Space
100GB Bandwidth
10 MySQL Database
Unlimited Email
99.9% Uptime
24/7 Tech Support

First Runner Up
Basic Plan
1 Domain name and Hosting (1 year)
100MB Disk Space
20GB Bandwidth
5 MySQL Database
Unlimited Email
99.9% Uptime
24/7 Tech Support

Second Runner Up
Cash (will be sent via PayPal)

Mechanics

• Open to registered WPP members only
• Only members who don’t have their own domain yet are invited to join the contest.
• You need to have at least 100 forum posts (before Sept. 29, 2008.)
• Blog about this contest on your blog and add the links found here (copy and paste)

Sponsors:
PanelHoster.net
Youngmaze.com
zaldydalisay.com
wpthemedesigner.com
wuchunfever.com

A familiar sight, eh?

When was the last time you were here?

Located at the heart of Manila, Rizal Park is one of the main attractions of the city. In the Spanish colonial era, it used to be a cleared area aimed to buffer any rebellious acts of the locals against the walled city of Intramuros, which, at that time, was the center of business and social activities. The area was then named Bagumbayan or New Town, but was better known as Luneta because its shape was like a small moon or lunette (Spanish). In 1912, Act No. 243 of the Philippine Assembly, declared the place as the site where a monument of Dr. Jose Rizal and a mausoleum which will house his remains will be erected. This location is almost the same spot where Dr. Jose Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896. Up to this day, two ceremonial guards known as Kabalyeros de Rizal or Knights of Rizal guard the National Hero’s monument twenty-four hours a day and all throughout the week.

How much of Luneta have you seen so far? Do you have a photo by the Rizal monument? Or are you one of those who find this idea corny? But leaders from other countries do not think so. In fact most visiting dignitaries make it a point to pay respect and lay a wreath at the monument. The many times I’ve been in Luneta, groups of foreign visitors excitingly pose in front to take pictures.

Today, aside from the Rizal monument, Luneta Park has other attractions like the man-made lake with a replica of the archipelago in it, the Quirino Grandstand, the Chinese and Japanese Gardens (favorite venues of students for rehearsals of school presentations), a monument of Lapu-Lapu and a few meters from the monument is the National Museum, and the big flagpole in front of Rizal monument (marks kilometer zero). At night, visitors can catch the light and sound show about the last days of the National Hero in the park’s open theater.

Let me end this post with snapshots of Bagumbayan today:

Photos: marker of Jose Rizal’s execution site; a series of relief sculptures depicting the life of the National Hero; a scene in the light and sound show

Photos: La Madre Filipina (a detail on the right side of the Rizal monument also depicts a mother and has this inscription below: “La Madre Filipina cria el porvenir del pais”*); Binhi ng Kalayaan (unveiled during the Philippine Centennial, dedicated to the heroes of the country); a very attractive tree, Natinal Museum of the Filipino People (used to be the Finance Building); Lapu-Lapu monument; bulova clock

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*Rough translation: The Filipina mother nurtures the future of the country (Fil.: Ang ina ang humuhubog sa kinabukasan ng bayan)

Some of the photos in this post courtesy of my friend Agnes. Used with permission.

All of us who attended should congratulate WordCamp Philippines 2008 organizers, especially mindanaobloggers.com, the group who spearheaded and made WordCamp Philippines possible. Everything was organized, from the gate of the venue, to the registration, the talks, etc.

I went to the Camp with two friends: Brainteaser and MJ. We were able to attend the lectures facilitated by Jayvee Fernandez, Blogie Robillo, and Danny Arao during the morning sessions. After lunch, activity was resumed at the Augusto-Rosario Theater where Mr. WordPress himself, Matt Mullenweg, shared to the excited audience the latest developments in WordPress and did a demo of WordPress 2.7 which will be released around November (I’m already looking forward to it!). Sponsors of the event also shared information about their product and services that will make blogging even more exciting and dynamic.

It was a day of fun, sharing and learning. It’s fun to blog and share information with other people via cyberspace. But as bloggers, like what Danny Arao pointed out in his talk, we should learn to be responsible bloggers.

Photos at WordCamp Philippines 2008:

Speakers and participants: (1) Blogie Robillo’s talk on Building a Blogging Community; (2) Danny Arao’s discussion about Blogging and Journalism; (rest of the photos) scenes inside Augusto-Rosario Theater and at the hallway.

Lunch time scene: Food provided by Chowking plus mini cup cakes from spot.ph

Photo op with Mr. Matt Mullenweg.

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*Some of the photos provided by MJ.

I’ve had the privilege to visit Biksa Coffee a few weeks ago and tried some of their food and beverages. The cafe offers for beverages hot coffee (espresso, cappuccino, Americano, etc.); ice blended coffee (caffee mocha, latte); frappe (brain freeze); smoothies; milkshake; Italian soda; and tea. They also serve food like sandwiches, pizza and pasta.

My friends and I had a long that day and we decided to drop by Biksa Coffee. We had mozzarella pesto sandwich, pasta with tuna carratierre sauce, a margharita pizza, Italian sodas (passion kiwi and passion strawberry), cookies & cream milkshake and cappuccino.

(Photo 1 - mozzarella pesto sandwich, pasta tuna carratierre, and margharita pizza (Photo 2 - cappuccino, Italian sodas (passion strawberry and passion kiwi) and cookies & cream milkshake

Let me describe how they appealed to my taste bud, starting with the Mozzarella Pesto sandwich, which is my personal choice. As the name suggests, the loaf bread is filled mozzarella cheese and pesto. I chose this dish because I’ve never tried a pesto-filled sandwich and it has cheese. How can I resist cheese? The two main ingredients blended nicely. I’m sure, people who love adding herbs in their food will appreciate this sandwich. The tuna carratierre was very good as well. Adding a little bit more Parmesan cheese increases the creaminess of this sauce. It’s good as it is or you can have it spicy (just add finely ground pepper!). The pizza margharita, well, just like other concoction of this famous pizza flavor, I love the tomatoes!

Overall, Biksa Coffee is a fine place to hangout. The ambiance is good, very homey and relaxed. Plus, similar to other coffee shops, it also has Wi-fi service. My friend just have a comment on their menu card: the presentation’s a little plain. And I agree. They should try making it more attractive.

Biksa Coffee is located at #18 Gil Fernando Ave. cor. Dragon St., Marikina City; just a few minutes away from Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall.

Been tagged again by Sonnet’s. The rule is to share something about makeup.

I’m not much of a makeup wearer although I do know how to apply it on my face. I’ve learned to do that in high school, wherein sometimes me and my fellow speech choir members had to do our own makeup during competitions. I can apply lipstick and blusher even without a mirror.

But my skin is easily irritated when I use the wrong kind of cosmetic. So I opted to not use them very often. I’m good with my good ole Johnson’s face powder, lip gloss or lip balm and a lip color whenever I feel like applying it. No sweat!

Now it’s YOUR turn to share your makeup story!

Tech Tag

This one is from Rhapsody.

Randomly select 8 bloggers. Publish this tag as a post in your blog and tag 8 other bloggers by simply adding them on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes let’s hope a long list!) It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! And what are the benefits of Viral Linking!

* One of the fastest ways to see your Technorati Authority explode!;
* Increase your Google PageRank fast;
* Attract large volume of new traffic to your site.
* Build your community
* Make new friends!

And these are the people who already took part on this tag:

Reyna Elena, Bluep, Kotsengkuba, Jojitah, Pusa, Malen, YoungCanCook, Chuva, Kengkay, divaness, maru, ate melai, anna, mylene, dhez, ron, ruthie, rhapsody, crumbs-trails, repah, sommer, mumusakanto, kirksydney, aling peppay, aling baby, sexysis vera, the_empr3ss, sonnet’s, hitokirihoshi, raft3r, pelicarol, brainteaser, vhincent, dess

Christmas is well-celebrated occasion in the Philippines. Preparations for the holidays comes ahead than preparations for the Halloween. Shopping malls will start dressing their display windows and shelves with scenes and themes of Christmas. It’s a funny scene in October, when establishments are decorated with both Christmas and Halloween items; that if you’re not used to it, you would think you walked into another dimension. But that’s how we are. We love to indulge ourselves and really get into the spirit of the Holiday season.

In a matter of days, there will be tents in almost every street and on the sidewalks, selling puto bongbong and bibingka. I miss eating those. I would probably be one of those lining up for a piece or two of putobongbong , waiting patiently for my turn. Mmmm… I can almost imagine its taste: sweet, creamy, and with a hint of salt and butter.

Here are some snaps of Christmas last year:

*The first photo shows displays of Let it Snow decors in a mall.

*Second photo is the giant Christmas tree in Araneta Center, Cubao. I wonder if they’d use the same tree this year or construct a new one. Will they decorate it with the same ornaments (those gigantic butterflies, and huge Christmas balls) or should I expect for new ornamentst?

*Third one is a photo of the lobby of our office building. I hope they’d think of a new concept. Been seeing the same decorations for two years already!

Start making your Christmas list now, people. You don’t want to be caught in the Holiday rush.And commodities are still cheaper this time than when it’s November or December already.

It’s a hundred and fifteen days before Merry Christmas!

Pan de Amerikana embodies quality dining experience. The concept of the restaurant is meant to make every diner feel at ease. The ambiance is a fusion of European, Asian and Filipiniana that blended well together, creating a homey environment and a perfect garden set up. Unlike other concept dining places, Pan de Amerikana is not restrictive. Guests are free to wander around while waiting for their food to be served and linger some more after they have finished eating. And speaking of food, the restaurant serves authentic Marikina dishes and other Filipino foods. Marikina boasts of its Everlasting and Waknatoy. Everlasting is similar to embotido but it is placed and cooked in a “llanera.” It is named as such because it in the olden days, this dish is ever present in festivities and gatherings. Waknatoy on the other hand is like menudo. And like everlasting, it is also always on the table of almost every family gathering. The Chinese settlers in Marikina during that time would always complain and say, “Ito na naman? Wak na `toy!” (This dish again? No, not this dish again!). Other notable dishes in Pan de Amerikana are the Ilocano sarabasab, Bicolano express-laing, Cebuano sinugba and sisig rice. But the taste of these foods is not the only reason to dine at Pan de Amerikana. With a very nice ambiance, you’ll be surprised at how affordable their meals are.

Some of the things to look forward to at Pan de Amerikana

More than a place to eat, Pan de Amerikana is also an educational facility. As an added attraction, people can play chess for free. There are rows and rows of tables embedded or etched with a chessboard. Chess pieces are also available near the counter, which people can use. They just have to return them afterwards. But that’s not all! Kids can start appreciating chess also despite their young age through Pan de Amerikana’s giant chessboard. The big chess pieces, according to Mr. Jun Salvador of Pan de Amerikana, are instructional materials, like those used in Russia, Canada and Singapore.

The giant chessboard

The restaurant is also a haven for Marikina artists. There is an art session in Pan de Amerika every Tuesday and artists can display their pieces there until they are sold.

But why is the restaurant named Pan de Amerikana? What started it all?

Before the restaurant, Pan de Amerikana used to be a bakery selling 1950’s pandesal. It is different from the pandesal we are familiar with because its main ingredient is whole wheat flour and it is cooked using firewood, so the taste is really different. The size of the bread is big and sold for only five pesos and fifty centavos (Php5.50) a piece. They also sell a loaf-like pandesal (pandesal pan Amerikano) for fifty-five pesos (Php55.00). The pan Amerikano and Marikina are among the basis for the name of the restaurant.

Other attractions at Pan de Amerikana are the tree house, the rope bridge, and it offers free Wi-Fi service. Pan de Amerikana is located at 92 Ordoñez Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikana City. You may reach the restaurant at 475-2398. It is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm from Mondays to Saturdays and 7:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sundays.

For more photos of Pan de Amerikana, click here.

The struggle for the passage of the Reproductive Bill (RH) in Congress rages on. The Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) through our org, the Democratic Socialist Women of the Phils. (DSWP) initiated an online petition that we request you to support by attaching your signature. Please go to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/rhan2008/petition.html to do this.

We hope to gather ONE MILLION SIGNATURES to show our legislators that there is a wide support base for the bill’s passage despite what the opposition says. We will present the signatures both to the House of Representatives (HOR) and Senate within September as we are waiting for the schedule of plenary deliberations in the HOR and the release of the Senate Committee on Health’s report.

Please support the petition. It will not take more than 5 minutes of your time. More than 10 women die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. The big bulk of those who die are poor women at the prime of their lives. This is simply unacceptable and must be stopped. Congress has the power to do this.

Kindly share this information to all your friends.

Rules:

Create a short erotica of not more than 200 words, with the following words that can only be used once in the story:

1. sleepover - nakitulog
2. whip - latigo
3. handcuffs - posas
4. leather - katad
5. sexy - seksi
6. threesome - tatluhan
7. hairy - mabuhok
8. shotgun - shotgun
9. squeeze - pisil
10. explosion - pagsabog

I couldn’t think of a title. Suggestions would be most welcome. If it’s erotic or not, you be the judge!

Here it goes:

With one last sigh, Shana walked towards the door and pushed it open. She was greeted by a soft sexy music playing in the background. She looked around. A knowing smile curled on her lips. Her eyes went to the handcuffs on the wall, to the leather whip beside it, then to the shotgun lying on the floor. Hmmm… perfect for my tricks, she thought, excitement building at the pit of her belly.

A rustling sound made her turn. What greeted her eyes made her smile even wider. She made one naughty step forward… forward… her eyes never leaving the object of her desire. Reaching her destination, she raised one hand. With lips slightly apart, her hand moved down, ensuring the reality of it all. Inching closer, her hand continued to move up, down, up down… feeling the hairy texture near the waist… a little squeeze here and there… until her fingers tingled, tantalizing every nerve in her body. She could barely contain herself and closed her eyes, all senses alive; on the verge of explosion.

With a satisfied grin, she sat on a sofa that was big enough for a threesome. Finally, a perfect outfit for a sleepover party!

I’m supposed to tag other people. Rhapsody, MumuSaKanto, and Aling Pepay, it’s your turn to turn people on!

I came across a book for children during Adarna House’s Lecture Series in July, entitled “Tight Times.” This book, in my opinion is an effective tool to let children know our economic situation and make them value money. It is a 30-page illustrated storybook told in first person (from the point of view of one of the children in the family). The story opens with the phrase “Mamang says these are tight times, so we’ve got to be tough (Sabi ni Mamang, ito’y panahon ng taggipit kaya’t kailangan nating maging matatag). From this line, you know already it is touching a serious subject that is also complicated for a child. But the tale is very well-written: simple, direct, sensitive and hopeful. Aside from being thrifty, “Tight Times” also teaches its readers how to save and economize, appreciate the things you have, and be thankful for every little blessing you receive. It also explains why certain activities you do regularly before you only do once in a while now.

Let me share a part of this tale that really made me smile:

I eat my eggs slowly now, and drink my chocolate even more slowly. It is strange how my chocolate and eggs taste yummier these days!

And it’s more heartwarming when translated in the native language:

Kinakain ko ang mga itlog ngayon nang dahan-dahan, at iniinom ang tsokolate nang mas mabagal. Nakapagtataka kung paanong ang mga itlog at tsokolate ay mas malinamnam nitong mga nakaraang araw!

The illustrations in the book are very helpful, very Pinoy and, for me, symbolic. They’re not people but animals. And the main characters (the family) are mice. That is why I thought it they’re symbolic, because when someone’s financially inadequate we would say, “Mas mahirap pa `yan sa daga.” (He’s more miserable than a mouse).

Illustration’s an important part of children’s stories. It helps the reader picture every situation presented in the story, it gives a face to every character, creates and adds mood, and sometimes illustrations even tell another/new story or introduces another character. You just have to be observant.

Among my favorite illustrations in the book are these:

Notice that not everything in the illustrations are in color. In the first photo, only the straws and the box of a choco drink have color. Maybe because the box is a source of joy and the straws connect each member of the family. Since they’re economizing, they finally discovered the joy of sharing. In the second illustration, the colored view seen from the window symbolizes hope; that they’re will be better days.

“Tight Times” is written by Jeanette C. Patindol (author of Papa’s House, Mama’s House) and illustrated by Sergio T. Bumatay III. It is a PBBY Salanga Prize (story) and PBBY Alcala Prize (illustration) Grand Winner for 2007.

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I always believe that books and literature are among the most effective tools for values formation. This is a highly recommended book for parents. Have fun reading!