Sunday, December 27, 2009

The New Nokia E72


I recently bought a new phone, the Nokia E72. Researching the reviews on the internet is already awesome since the feedback for this phone is good. Unboxing the phone on the other hand is a totally different experience, you feel the sudden rush of excitement. Wow! It comes in three colors by the way, copper, grey and black. The copper one is Aileen's the silver one is mine =)

The exterior of the phone is crafted uniquely that sure is a headturner compared to the other E Series phones of Nokia and the other qwerty keypad phones of other brands. It has a metal exterior. The software used in the E72 is an upgraded software from its predecessor, the E71. It has more features and is packed with more technological advancement. It has a 5.0MP camera. If this still didn't lure you in buying the new Nokia E72, check the pics out and read its full review on http://www.gsmarena.com. Never have I loved a phone this beautiful. It is now time to shift from an ordinary kind of phone to the newer business-friendly E series models of Nokia. I am sure you will definitely fall in love once you laid your hands on this new model. Simple wow!

For more information please visit the following sites:

http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_e72-review-422.php
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_e72-2831.php

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

PCWORX Christmas Sale


Christmas is fast approaching and I am sure everyone is preparing their gift list and squeezing in their time to make sure every gatherings, get togethers, shopping and work will be able to fit in their 24 hour 7 days a week schedule. Believe me, this is the most busiest month ever since everyone is really in a rush. This is what Christmas is all about and this is the exact reason why I love the holidays so much! Having this in mind, PCWORX shared by totally disarranging your chaotic december calendar because PCWORX will be having its CLEARANCE SALE on DECEMBER 10 to 12 at GILMORE IT CENTER.

So hurry, prepare your Christmas list and head on to Gilmore IT Center for PCWORX Clearance Sale. This is a bargain you wouldn't want to miss!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Lucky Me's Mac and Cheez

Aileen and I went to the grocery yesterday and to my surprise, there is a local macaroni and cheese already made by Lucky Me. WOW!!! Being a fan of mac and cheese, I quickly got hold of 2 packs without thinking if this will be delicious. There is also a Lucky Me Baked Mac but that I am really doubtful so I left it in the shelves where it belongs hehe! We all know that mac and cheese is an american dish and is part of every american breakfast but not here in the Philippines so I am having my doubts if this will be ok but nonetheless I tried 2 packs, its cheap anyways.

I opened one pack today and cooked it, placed the cheese and Viola.... the taste is really really delicious. The cheese as this smoky flavour with a little bit of meat incorporated in the cheese sauce. This is a must-try for all instant noodles lovers out there. It is great! One bad side is that one pack isn't enough for a hungry guy, two is enough in my opinion but one pack will leave u wanting for more.

Go to your nearest supermarket and grocery and grab yourself a pack or two, make it a dozen packs of Mac and Cheez by Lucky Me. You will not go wrong! Trust me.

*** Thanks http://meowbykate.blogspot.com for the pictures... =)

Absence makes the reader grows fonder!

Dear Readers,

I am sorry for the long silence. I haven't had time to update my blog. I will try my very very best to revive this blog for all of you out there. I have been receiving e-mails and text messages with regards to this blog and why this isn't as active as it used to be and with that I am deeply sending my sincerest apologies to all. Time is what I lack nowdays.

But.... Absence makes the reader grows fonder right?

Keep visiting, keep reading... I will update this blog as much as I can... I promise!

Sorry!

Jonas C. Lim

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Mariah Carey's 12th studio album and 18th album (studio and compilation) to date, entitled Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is already out in your favorite record and studio bars worldwide. The release was last September 29, 2009. I got myself a copy at Odyssey Records in Megamall. I played it and was completely mesmerized by the beautiful voice and the new melodies of Mariah Carey. This album includes a revival from the original Foreigner hit entitled: I Want To Know What Love Is.

Grab yourself a copy!!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Nokia Booklet 3G - A Netbook!

I am just surfing the internet and I went to my favorite tech / gadget website (http://www.techie.com.ph/) and I was amazed at what I saw. Nokia, the market leader in mobile phones, will now release its first netbook named: Nokia Booklet 3G. I am shocked and amazed at this press release of Nokia. The netbook looks very nice as compared to the netbooks that we can find in the market today. It is 10.6" and can lasts up to 12 hours using its battery life. Talk about amazing!! Don't believe me? See for yourself --> please check Nokia's official press release here


Watch the video release for the new Nokia Booklet 3G:



Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Seagate? WD? Buffalo? The Case of Buffalo's Missing Identity

A few months back, my mom asked me to purchase an external portable hard disk to keep her files in check and secured. Since I was working for MSI-ECS that time, I purchased 1 160GB Buffalo Ministation. This was recommended by a good friend and an officemate to me. Upon reaching home, I quickly formatted the new external hard drive and to my surprise, when I plugged the USB in, the computer recognized WD instead of Buffalo.... I was amazed. I unplugged and plugged it again... the same notice was given to me. I quickly called my friend and reported the case of Buffalo's Missing Identity.
Alas! At long last, it was explained to me very well that Buffalo isn't a company that manufacturers hard disks. The buy hard disks from their competitors and just installed the so-called shock absorbent casing. I was disappointed. What is the difference between buying a real WD or Samsung or Seagate and buying Buffalo? Nothing!!! Because Buffalo uses these hard disks also. I swear to myself never to buy any Buffalo products in my life ever again!!

Oh... before I forget. Buffalo claims that their Ministation (Portable Hard Drives) is:

- TurboUSB Data Transfer Rates-up to 20% Faster!
- Shock Resistant Chassis
- Automatic Setup - No Drivers Needed
- Supports USB 2.0/1.1
- Plug-n-Play Ready for lmmediate Use
- Lightweight,Compact and Portable
- USB Powered - No Power Supply Needed
- SecureLockWare™ Encryption Software Prevents Unauthorized Access to Your Data
- Memeo™ Backup Software included
- Firefox and Thunderbird included



TRUE.....BUT ARE THEY REALLY BUFFALO? OR ARE THEY SEAGATES OR WD'S ENCLOSED IN A CASING THAT MADE IT BUFFALO??

I'd rather buy the REAL Seagate, Western Digital (WD) & etc. than buy Seagate or WD that were just enclosed in a shock-proof casing to make it BUFFALO...

And also, I heard... their routers are trash products. Configuration is hard and complicated but they are claiming it to be easy and hassle-free. Yes, the price is cheap and we can't argue with that, but is the quality good? I don't think so. I have been using Linksys WRT54G for the past 4 years without even turning the router off and it is still functioning a ok!

My conclusion: If you are buying portable hard drives, I'd go for WD or Seagate (Buy the real thing!!!) and if you are planning to buy routers, go for Linksys and D-Link. If you are budget conscious, Edimax will suffice.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

BeautyBrick Hair Art Salon - A Korean Owned Japanese Inspired Salon

Mr. Shin, a young korean guy, yes guy not gay that can speak Japanese fluently, the original owner of ARK SALON returned here in Manila and opened his new salon located at 122 Jupiter St. Dona Consolacion Building Makati City. I accompanied mom, auntie Vibz and Jesse to this place and to my surprise, the salon is really cozy, nice and spectacular. Upon entering, you can already feel the Tokyo atmosphere, the interior of the salon is very japanese inspired as well. The name itself is catchy as well, who calls their salon Hair Art right? I didn't had a chance to try this new salon since I just recently had my haircut last week. I will try this salon in my next haircut most definitely.

Beautybrick Salon: (02) 473-5108


Friday, August 7, 2009

Thank you MSI-ECS

I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to Mr. Jimmy Go for trusting me with the business of Targus and Ozaki. Most of all, I would like to thank the people who supported me and who appreciated my efforts as well as those who value my worth in MSI-ECS. Thanks to Nery and Mhy D. for initiating the wonderful powerpoint presentation gift to me. It made me teary-eyed. I never expect your group (GBO's with Aileen and Badeth) will be the one who will send me such a wonderful going-away present. I truly appreciate it. Mommy Tim, Ms. Jenny Bondoc, Ms. Fanny Lim, Marife and Rene, for a wonderful lunch treat at Sizzling Pepper Steak. To Ms Jackie, Trish and Kath of Power Mac Center for always giving me strength and hope. To Benjie of PC Express, your status message: yo! yo! yo! Bon Voyage is very much appreciated. For Aileen, Badeth, Nery, Ronald, Gianne and Louie, for the final lunch despedida together in Crisgard... I will surely miss Crisgard and you guys. Carlo, for the talks and the long letter. And for the rest, seriously, I am speechless, for the hugs and the kisses I received on my last day. Ms. Peng, for the strong words of encouragement that you gave me..... THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

This day marks my final day in my 1 yr. and 4 mos. (started in April '08 to August '09) stay in this company. I felt both happy and sad; happy because I will be able to explore more of my capabilities and strengths in the new company that I will be joining, sad because I will be leaving behind all the people I love and treasure in the company. But as I have said to those people who indeed made a mark in my heart (you know who you are): "I left MSI-ECS only as an officemate but I will never leave as a friend!" I will be just around the corner, you know my personal number, YM and Facebook account hehehe, the IT industry revolves in such a small world and definitely we will meet again. But I will surely miss you guys! It will surely feel different when I wake up on Monday and will start my day not with MSI-ECS anymore.

To the 2 obvious people who have wronged me; Vince and Andrea, as well as the others (again, you know who you are), I know you guys are happy because I am no longer in MSI-ECS. But equally, I will never forget all the things that you did to me. That made me stronger, that gave me the courage to look for a better job outside, that removed me from my comfort zone. You did me a favor. Thank you! No worries, when I have time, I will write an entry for the two of you separately.

Goodbye MSI-ECS, you've been my humble 2nd home for the past 1 year and 4 mos. Thank you very much for everything. I wish you success and more power! Till we meet again!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

You're the Inspiration Pres. Cory Aquino

I say goodbye to you, President Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino.... You serve as an inspiration to all of us Filipinos and everyone in the world to fight for what is right, to sacrifice for what is good, to serve for what we all truly deserve. You are the matriarch of the Philippines and I say Thank you for bringing back freedom and democracy to all of us.

I would like to dedicate this song by Chicago to you, President Cory Aquino:

You know our love was meant to be
The kind of love to last forever
And I want you here with me
From tonight until the end of time
You should know
Everywhere I go
Always on my mind
In my heart
In my soul
Baby

You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me saying
"No one needs you more than I need you"

And I know (And I know)
Yes I know that it's plain to see
So in love when we're together
Now I know (Now I know)
That I need you here with me
From tonight until the end of time
You should know (Yes, you need to know )
Everywhere I go
You're always on my mind
You're in my heart
In my soul

You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me saying
"No one needs you more than I need you"
(No one needs you more than I)
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me saying
"No one needs you more than I need you"
(No one needs you more)
You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration

When you love somebody
'Til the end of time
When you love somebody
Always on my mind / No one needs you more than I
When you love somebody
'Til the end of time
When you love somebody
Always on my mind / No on needs you more than I

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Thank you, President Corazon Aquino

The president who I admire the most left us at 3:18am of August 01, 2009. Died of cardiopulmonary arrest after complications of Colon Cancer. Such a sad turn of history as the Philippine matriarch passed away and joined her husband Sen. Benigno Aquino.

Many articles and I am sure a lot of footage and documentaries will emerge after the death of Pres. Cory Aquino but one thing I will remember about this president is that she is the one who brought back democracy here in the Philippines. During her 6 year term as the 11th and first woman president of the Republic, there are lots of ups and downs, that is a given, but she is truly the Matriarch of the Philippines, not only was she a president to all of us but also a caring mother.

I am saddened by the fact that she left us early and suffered from her sickness but her state right now is much better than the rest of us struggling with life. I am happy in a way that she is again rejoined with her husband, a great senator, Sen. Benigno Aquino.

Thank you very much Madam President Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino better known now as Mommy Cory. We Love you... the Philippines loves you.....

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

iCampus - Authorized Campus Reseller - Manila, Philippines


I went to work today, switched on my computer and logged on to http://www.techie.com.ph, to my surprise, there is an Apple Campus Retail store in Ateneo de Manila University, more popularly named as iCampus. It is the first Campus Retail store of Apple according to the said website. It is run and operated by Senco Link Technologies http://www.sencoph.com

According to the article, they are planning to open new iCampus stores in Xavier School, International School Manila and Assumption College.

This blog article is brought to you by http://www.techie.com.ph. For more information about the said article, please visit http://www.techie.com.ph/news/285

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - NOW A MOVIE!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the book that I am reading right now, Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is now on the big screen with the release of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Book 1 of the 5 will hit the big screen this coming February 12, 2010. It is from the directors of Harry Potter's Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. This will surely big a big hit, the book is wonderful.... lets wait for the movie. Percy Jackson is basically the same as Harry Potter except that its theme is based of Greek Mythology (about the Gods and Goddesses as well as the demons) wherein Harry Potter basically revolves in wizards and witchcraft.

This will be the next Harry Potter, if not Bigger!!! Hooray!!!

Below is the teaser trailer for the upcoming Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (courtesy of youtube)

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Resigned at MSI-ECS

I officially tendered my resignation at MSI-ECS (Phils.) Inc. as Product Officer of Ozaki effective August 07, 2009. It has been a fruitful year for me working in this IT distribution company. MSI-ECS gave me a good break in the IT industry, considering I don't have any experience, I was given a good position as the Product Officer of Targus and later on shifted to the Product Officer of Ozaki. My total length of stay in this company is 1 year and 4 months. I am now serving my 30 days after resignation period for proper turn-over. Thank you Mr. Jimmy Go for believing in me!

Thanks for the dealers who supported me, particularly Power Mac Center (Kath, Trish, Jackie, Sir Lawrence and Ms. Leslie), PC Express (Benjie, Sir Randy, Sir Oli), Octagon (Ms. Arlene), Silicon Valley (Ms. Tina), Infoworx (The Mafias: Sir Ferwin, Sir Mike, Sir Jake, Ms. Gena), TCA (Ms. Heidi), Complink (Sir Jerry, Ms. Monette, Dahlia), iStudio (Ms. Eva, Ms. Jen), Qualicentral (Ms. Minnie, Ms. Grace), Automatic Centre (Ms. Twila), Microstation (Sir Terence, Gen), Brilliant Technologies (Ms. Ailyn), Acenet North EDSA

I would also like to thank the people and friends that I met inside MSI-ECS, thanks for the strength and the determination. Thank you for the trust, the compassion, the loyalty and most of all thanks for staying true to me. Aileen, Badeth, Nhery, Carlo, Ronald, Ethel, Che, Luv, Cathy, Mommy Tim, Angel, Maricel, Fanny, Mace, Donna, Paul, Meg, Issa, Irene, James, OJ, Glenn, Hanna, Janice, KC, Faith, Jayson, Beth, RJ, Francis, Michelle, Jho, Peng, Yoj, Jay, Bong, Gianne, Rain, Derick, Arvin, King, May, Jenny (2), Ms. Lea, Ms. Leah, Ms. Wendy... To anyone I forgot to mention, I'm sorry, there are a lot of you who touched my heart one way or the other and I totally thank you for that. I don't want to say goodbye but See you soon guys!

To all those who have wronged me, to those who created folds in my life in MSI-ECS. I also would want to thank you because without you, life will be boring for me inside. You know who you are! I am not saying I forgive, but Thank you! I bid you farewell and goodbye. I can only think of 2 major ones (you know who you are).

I am leaving MSI-ECS with a clear conscience as I enter into another chapter and challenge in my life. To a company where I know I will be able to grow more and will be able to appreciate more of my capabilities and strengths.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Snow Leopard in September

Apple will release their newest OS X ver. 10.6 Snow Leopard by September '09. For all of you who made a purchase of any Macbook, MacbookPro, Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Pro on or after June 08, 2009, you are entitled to order the Snow Leopard at http://store.apple.com/ph for only Php 590.00, it will be delivered to you free or charge. That is why Apple products are premium and are priced higher compared to others because you also get premium and quality service.

I am glad I shifted from Windows to OS X. It won't be the world's best operating system for nothing. So hurry and order your Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 now!!

REMEMBER: Buy Apple products from Apple Authorized Resellers or Apple Premium Resellers (AAR's or APR's). You will see the sign posted on their signboards or doors that they are Apple Premium/Authorized Resellers.

PHILIPPINES' APR's and AAR's

Apple Premium Resellers (Tier 1): Accent Micro Products, Inc., Digital Walker, The A.Shop, iStudio, Powermac Center, Anson Emporium, ....

Apple Authorized Resellers (Tier 2): PCworx, Complink, Datalink Technologies, Liteware, LMK Commercial, Microstation, Electroworld, ....

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Percy Jackson & The Olympians

I am a fan of Greek Mythology. I am fascinated about how the gods in Mt. Olympus have their own specific responsibility whether it may be the sky, the water, someone who brings and delivers messages, fertility, love and etc. Upon my search in www.amazon.com that has a greek mythology theme in it, I am quickly amazed that there is a series written by Rick Riodan entitled: The Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Without 2nd thoughts, I quickly rushed to Fully Booked to get hold of copies of books of this series. Wow!! You can view and visit the official website at http://www.percyjacksonbooks.com.

The story line is similar to Harry Potter but it has a different plot and a different theme. Harry Potter is concentrated basically on wizardry and witchcraft while Percy Jackson is concentrated on greek mythology, gods, goddesses, demigods, cyclopses, satyrs, centaurs and etc. There will be a movie which is set to release on 2010 for the 1st book entitled: The Lighting Thief (I can't wait, I bet it will be amazing!) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814255/, for more information regarding the upcoming movie.

I am a fan of young adult/children fantasy books nowadays. I started and finished reading The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, The Mortal Instruments Series (City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass) by Cassandra Clare. The faery love-story which left me hanging wanting for more; Wicked Lovely, Ink Exhange and Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr. I am not on the 3rd Book of the series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians:

2005 - The Lighting Thief2006 - The Sea of Monsters2007 - The Titan's Curse2008 - The Battle of the Labyrinth

2009 - The Last Olympian

Saturday, June 27, 2009

My New Macbook Pro (MB990)

Today, I get a chance to toy around my new purchase, it is the new Apple MacBook Pro (MB990). I have been wishing to get an apple for myself for quite some time now, luckily, this time I was able to purchase my very first Mac. I grew tired of Windows and PC since those were my companions for the longest time. I said to myself, I needed a change, a new outlook and truly the Mac is an alternate choice. This was also my first major purchase that costs over Php 65,000.00. It is really worth it.

Opening the box is already exciting for me as I can't wait to get a hold of my new MacBook Pro. I downloaded softwares and programs that would buff up my Mac. I spent the whole day toying with my new best friend. And now, I am blogging using my brand new MacBook Pro... yay!!!

MacBook Pro 13" MB990

• 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• 160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight® video camera
• two USB 2.0 ports
one FireWire 800 port
SD card slot
• one audio line in/out port, supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 58WHr lithium polymer battery
• 60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter

Friday, June 26, 2009

Goodbye Michael Jackson

The "King of Pop", an icon in the music industry, left us on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50 in UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

Reports said that he was not breathing when the Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at 12:30am, the paramedic performed CPR and took him to the hospital.

I was also a fan of this icon believing not only in his music but also on his call for unification of black and white Americans as well as putting an end to racial discrimination. Songs such as "Black & White" & "They Don't Really Care About Us" gives us an eye-opener on how we treat each other. Peace and unity throughout the world was one of his call as well.

It is really such a big loss for everyone that the King of Pop succumbs and left us at such a young age but we are thankful that he left us with songs that will truly inspire us and will still be played for generations to come. Songs such as Heal the World, Bad, Billie Jean, Thriller, Man In The Mirror, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Smooth Criminal and etc.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Pink Sisters Convent - Tagaytay City

The Pink Sisters convenent is a must stop when one travels to Tagaytay City. Why? Wait until you here the sisters sing as they pray. Not only you will awed by the beautiful sweet voices but you will feel that you are being renewed spiritualy as you drown yourself in the church as you hear and watch them sing. No words can ever describe the feeling of being inside the church and hearing the sisters adore and pray as they sing their prayers.

It is not always that you will be lucky enough to catch the ethreal hyms of the nuns of their afternoon prayers, it was my first time and I am blessed and lucky enough that I experienced and watched and heard them sing. Remarkable, breath-taking, hypnotizing.. whatever you want to call it.

You can write your request and petitions on a piece of paper that can be found on the left and right side of the church and you submit them. You will be welcomed by some donation boxes wherein you can share any amount as you desire for them.

Pink Sisters Convent is located along Brent Road, Tagaytay City having contact numbers:(046) 442-3856 or (046) 442-5203

Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. It is only 55kms away from Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. There are many routes that you can ply to go to Tagaytay, the most famous of which is you travel south via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and exit at Sta. Rosa. Upon paying the toll, turn right and go straight up to Tagaytay City via Silang. Tagaytay City is part of the province of Cavite.

Tagaytay is very famous for its retreat houses because of the calm and serene atmosphere. It also has a very cool and comfortable atmosphere due to its high altitude as compared to Manila. It is over-looking the famous Taal Volcano and its lake that surrounds it. This is where you can also find the best restaurants as they offer very delicious dishes ranging from different cuisines such as Italian, American, Filipino (Native), Japanese and etc.

We always go to Tagaytay to escape the heat and the rush of Metro Manila but have we stopped at check the history of the place? Well, upon my research using wikipedia, it gives a short narrative history of Tagaytay. It goes: Legend has it that the word Tagaytay came from "taga" meaning to cut and "itay" which means father. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar hunt when the animal they were chasing turned and attacked them. As the boar charged towards the old man, the son cried "taga itay!". The boy's repeated shout reverberated in the alleys of the ridge. Heard by the residents, hunters and wood gatherers, the cries became subject of conversation for several days in th countryside. In time, the place where the shouts came from became known as TAGAYTAY.

Buon Giorno in Tagaytay City

I am a very big fan of pizzas and pastas and when you hear those two wonderful words, one will say, truly Italian! Yes indeed! I love Italian. I am fascinated with their way of cooking and the taste of the wonderful herbs that plays in your mouth when you bite a pizza or twirled some pasta on your fork.

Located in Tagaytay City in Cliffhouse is a wonderful Italian restaurant: "Buon Giorno" The feel inside the restaurant is very Italian. The colors that they played with in creating such atmosphere is exquisite. Tagaytay is known to have a cool climate compared to Manila, thus sitting outside, open air, is always an option plus you get a good view of famous Taal Volcano and the lake that surrounds it.

We ordered the cream of pumpkin soup which is by the way one of the most delicious pumpkin soup I've ever tasted. The house bread is also very fragrant and delicious spiced with Tarragon leaves as you dip it on the olive oil with vinaigrette and parmessan cheese, simply amazing! As for the main course, we ordered the Seafood Pizza in Basil. The aroma of the basil isn't overpowering the seafood flavor in the pizza, there is harmony in the ingredients which makes this pizza remarkable. The crust is crunchy and fresh as you can smell the dough and the flour even after it was cooked. The highlight of the dinner was its Shrimp and Funghi Ravioli in Tomato Sauce. The ravoili is still chewy as dente, which I like my pasta that way, the more al dente, the better! The tomatoes used are very flavourful and very delicious. The funghi inside the ravioli is remarkable as well as the shrimps.

This is one place you shouldn't miss when you visit Tagaytay City. It is located in Cliffhouse. Address is # 4 Cliffhouse, Tagaytay City. This Italian restaurant in Tagaytay is highly recommended!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Happy Independence Day

Today is the Philippines' 111st Independence Day. This is where we gained freedom from our conquerors. The Philippines is among the first independent nation in Southeast Asia. We gained our independence last June 12, 1898.

The Philippine Flag, our symbol of nationhood and solidarity. We often see them flying on posts near hotels, schools, hospitals, government buildings, roads, airports and etc. but do we remember what does it stands for? What does the color blue, red and white symbolizes? The 3 stars as well as the sun and its rays mean?


The blue horizontal band represents peace and justice, below it, the equally red horizontal band represents courage. In wartime, the bands alternate, having the red on top and the blue at the bottom. The white triangle represents equality.

The sun's 8 rays represents the 8 provinces that sought for independence against Spain. The 3 stars on the corners of the triangle represents the 3 main islands of the Philippines, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The NEW Macbook Pro Family

Apple recently launched their new Macbook line-up. Eliminating the 13.3" Macbook Aluminum and changing all Macbook aluminum to Macbook Pro line-up. This was announced just today by Apple. Believe me, even us, working in the IT Distributor industry didn't know about it until today. Even the people who works at Apple Premium Resellers doesn't know the release as well. This is the bad side of Apple as a vendor to the distributors and resellers, they don't announce the upcoming release ahead of time so that we can actually forecast. We have upcoming stocks of the old model considering there are new line-up that is coming. Sigh!!

Anyways, for all of those who are planning to buy, I believe the new line-up is a better choice considering it is around Php 2,000 cheaper as compared to the Macbook Aluminum which sells at Php 71,990, now the New 13.3" Macbook Pro retails at Php 68,990. In the United States, the New 13.3" Macbook Pro retails at $ 1,199.00 ( Php 59,950). For all those who are interested, MSI-ECS, one of Philippines' Apple Distributor has placed their orders already. Power Mac Center, one of Apple Premium Resellers already placed their orders too. It should be available in the market in no time. It is now available in the online apple store here in the Philippines, address is at http://store.apple.com/ph

Downside I see in this new line-up is that its battery is non-user-replaceable unlike the old Macbook Aluminum. But its battery life lasts 7 to 8 hours of power.

Please find the complete specifications of the New Macbook Pro Family series.

MacBook Pro 13" Better configuration
• 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• 160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight® video camera
• two USB 2.0 ports
one FireWire 800 port
SD card slot
• one audio line in/out port, supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 58WHr lithium polymer battery
• 60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter

MacBook Pro 13" Best configuration
• 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
• 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• 250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight video camera• two USB 2.0 ports
• one FireWire 800 port
• SD card slot
• one audio line in/out port, supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 58WHr lithium polymer battery
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

MacBook Pro 15" Good configuration
• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display
• 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• 250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight video camera
• two USB 2.0 ports
• one FireWire 800 port
• SD card slot
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 73WHr lithium polymer battery
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

MacBook Pro 15" Better configuration
•15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory
• 320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight video camera
• two USB 2.0 ports
• one FireWire 800 port
• SD card slot
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 73WHr lithium polymer battery
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

MacBook Pro 15" Best configuration - USD2,299
• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display
• 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory
• 500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight video camera
• two USB 2.0 ports
• one FireWire 800 port
• SD card slot
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 73WHr lithium polymer battery
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

MacBook Pro 17" configuration
• 17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display
• 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory
• 500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support
• Mini DisplayPort for video output
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• built-in iSight video camera
• three USB 2.0 ports
• one FireWire 800 port
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard
• built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Swine Flu hits Manila

The global phenomena hits Manila, Philippines. We have confirmed 29 cases of Swine Flu in the country, 2 of which are De La Salle University students that made DLSU announced the suspension of classes from June 04 to June 14 to quarantine the campus.

Swine flu first hit Mexico City and spreads globally. Now, it is spreading in other countries in Asia such as Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and now it is here in the Philippines. The strain that is spreading globally is A/H1N1 and it is spreading fast here and elsewhere in the world.

Swine Influenza (A/H1N1) is throughly explained in wikipedia as:

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, also known as A(H1N1), is a subtype of influenzavirus A and the most common cause of influenza (flu) in humans. Some strains of H1N1 are endemic in humans, including the strain(s) responsible for the 1918 flu pandemic which killed 50-100 million people worldwide. Less virulent H1N1 strains still exist in the wild today, worldwide, causing a small fraction of all influenza-like illness and a large fraction of all seasonal influenza. H1N1 strains caused roughly half of all flu infections in 2006.[1] Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and in birds (avian influenza).

In March, April and May 2009, thousands of laboratory-confirmed infections and a number of deaths were caused by an outbreak of a new strain of H1N1.

Just a gentle reminder dear readers: Please be careful and should you feel any symptoms of flu consult your physician immediately. We don't want you catching Swine Flu and affecting others around you. It is always better to be safe than be sorry later on!

*** Illustrations were taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H1N1

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Alchemyst, The Magician and The Sorceress

I recently bought 3 new books by Michael Scott in Fully Booked - Eastwood Mall. It is a 6-part series of "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel". It is a contemporary urban fantasy with a different plot. According to sources, movie rights are being sold already to some producer.

Series are the following:

1.) The Alchemyst (2007)
2.) The Magician (2008)
3.) The Sorceress (2009)
4.) The Necromancer (2010) - Soon!
5.) The Warlock (2011) - Soon!
6.) The Enchantress (2012) - Soon!

Plot Summary (by Wikipedia):

THE ALCHEMYST

When the necromancer and immortal magician Dr. John Dee steals the ancient book the Codex from its keeper, Nicholas Flamel, two teenagers named Sophie and Josh Newman are caught up in the danger and magic. Dee also captures Nicholas Flamel's wife, Perenelle. Flamel takes the twins to a magical warrior Next Generation Elder (who is 2,517 years old) named Scathach, who travels with them to another Elder's shadowrealm. This Elder is known as Hekate and has remarkable magical power. Hekate is over 10,000 years old.

Sophie and Josh are working at a bookstore and a cafe when Dee comes for the Codex. Here, they witness Nicholas and Perenelle using magic, and discover that Nicholas is not a bookseller, but is indeed an ancient alchemyst being kept alive by making the elixir of life (a secret from the Codex) for him and Perenelle. He can use magic. He needs the Codex back to make the elixir of life again, or he and Perenelle will die before the month's end. Also, if Nicholas does not retrieve the Codex, Dee will summon the Dark Elders to destroy the world and return to an age in which humans are but slaves and food.

Flamel quickly takes them to a Dojo to enlist the aid of Scathach, an extremely powerful ally. Dee assaults the Dojo, but is thwarted by Flamel and Scathach. Flamel then leads the twins and Scathach to attempt to secure the aid of Hekate, who can awaken the twins' magical potential. Dee discovers this, and enlists the aid of Bastet, and Morrigan. The trio mount a massive assault on Hekate's shadowrealm, attempting to destroy the Yggdrasill that is the heart of Hekate's power.

While the Yggdrasill is attacked, Hekate Awakens Sophie; she does not Awaken Josh, as the Yggdrasill is then lit on fire and she rushes to defend her home. After a long, grueling battle, Scathach clears a path for the twins and Flamel. While escaping, they encounter Dee, and witness the power of the ancient sword known as Excalibur, which he draws. They see him transform a wereboar into pure ice, then shatter the statue. Flamel remarks that he thought that Excalibur had been lost when Artorius died.

The twins, Scathach, and Flamel escape the shadowrealm rapidly after, shortly before the destruction of Hekate, the Yggdrasill, and the entire shadowrealm. As they escape, Dee uses Excaliber to freeze the Yggdrasill, and Hekate, whose life and power is linked to the tree, transforms to ice as it does. As this occurs, Dee is informed that Flamel and Scathach have escaped with the twins. In his rage, he shatters the Yggdrasill, which crushes Hekate into dust, killing her. At this point, they travel to Scathach's grandmother, the Witch of Endor (also called "The Mistress of Air"), who teaches Sophie her magical secrets.

While they are there, Dee has found out that the prophecy in the Codex speaks of Sophie and Josh. He tempts Josh to join him, while practicing necromancy and raising thousands of corpses to assault the Elders and Sophie with. Josh almost agrees, but at the last moment he realizes he will lose Sophie if he agrees, and distracts the necromancer long enough to escape with Scathach, Sophie and Nicholas using a leygate (where lines of energy, or ley lines on the globe cross) to escape to Paris, where the book ends. The book ends with the conclusion that the Witch has survived and Dee is still searching, leaving the book with a cliffhanger.

THE MAGICIAN

Sophie and Josh Newman are in Paris with Nicholas Flamel and Scathach, and now face Niccolò Machiavelli, and his colleague and rival Dr. John Dee. The twins seek out a friend and student to Nicholas Flamel named the Comte de Saint-Germain, who teaches Sophie to use Fire magic. They encounter three Disir, more commonly referred to as Valkyrie. The Disir are ancient enemies of Scathach and bring along the soul-devouring Nidhogg, a ferocious monster once trapped in the Yggdrasil. The monster attacks Scathach but fails to slay her. Instead, he captures Scathach in his claws, but flees with Scathach when the ancient sword Clarent, wielded by Josh, wounds it. The monster escapes and flees through the streets of Paris, followed closely by one of the trio of Disir, as well as Josh, who seeks to save Scathach. Meanwhile, inside the house, two Disir duel Joan of Arc

and Sophie. After a lengthy battle, Sophie combines her elemental powers of air and fire and freezes the two Disir in an iceberg. Soon after, Flamel deduces what has happened, and Sophie, Joan of Arc, and Flamel pursue Josh.

Josh manages to fatally wound the Nidhogg, who is being ridden by a Disir. The Nidhogg flees as its skin begins to turn into magma. As the Disir prepares to kill Josh, Dee arrives and saves Josh by placing a wall of fire between him and the Disir. The Disir, furious, attacks Josh and Dee, who escape back to a car with Machiavelli, and the three drive away, just as Joan and her companions arrive. Joan assaults the Disir while Flamel and Sophie try to save Scathach from being entombed within the Nidhogg's molten claws. Joan easily defeats the Disir and Sophie, at the same time, manages to kill the Nidhogg. As Scathach is pulled clear, Machiavelli's driver, Dagon, attacks her. The driver, who was an enemy of Scathach after she annihilated his entire race, drags her into the Seine, apparently drowning her.

Josh is convinced to follow Dee to a Dark Elder who can awaken him. Machiavelli and Dee guide him through the Paris catacombs to the Sleeping God, who is guarded by Phobos and Deimos. The God Awakens Josh, but seeing Josh's true power, grants him a second gift, possibly his memories. As this is happening, Sophie, Joan, Flamel, and Saint-Germain track Josh through the Catacombs, arriving at the cell in which the God slept. Sophie, through the memories of the Witch of Endor, realizes who the Sleeping God is. She sees him as Mars, the defender of Humanity for a very long time, whose son Romulus killed his twin brother Remus. The Witch had loved Mars, but Mars fell into darkness for an unknown reason and became Mars Ultor, the Avenger. Also for an unknown reason, the Witch cursed Mars, turning him into a statue, whose Aura would turn his skin into stone. Sophie then retrieves her newly Awakened brother, but leaves Mars cursed because Mars cannot reverse their Awakenings. Mars, furious, attempts to attack, but Flamel turns the floor into half-melted bone. As Mars attempts to wade through, Flamel and his companions leave. Dee and Machiavelli are ordered by Mars to pursue and capture Flamel, but Dee refuses to do so on Mars' orders. Mars attempts to kill Dee, but is unable to move through the half melted bone, and Dee collapses the ceiling before refreezing it into bone, killing the War God. Machiavelli is ordered by Dee to travel back after Flamel with him. They raise the gargoyles and grotesques of the Cathedral of Notre Dame to stop Flamel, but fail when Joan puts an arrow through Machiavelli's leg and Josh combines his power with Sophie to destroy the rest of the gargoyles. Flamel then takes the twins to London so that Gilgamesh can teach them the mastery of Water magic. Josh bitterly remarks that Flamel doesn't seem to feel anything at Scathach's death at this time, and Flamel acts surprised, before telling them that Scathach, being a vampire, did not need to breathe and most likely killed Machiavelli's driver, Dagon.

THE SORCERESS

The well known immortal Alchemyst Nicholas Flamel must take a risk and take Josh and Sophie Newman (twins foretold to save the world) to London, where the oldest immortal human lives: The master of the element of water, Gilgamesh the King. But what Nicholas Flamel withholds from the twins is that Gilgamesh the King is insane. Though he has no aura - and hence cannot use his powers, he can still pass on his knowledge to an awakened human. If Gilgamesh refuses to teach the twins they will be unable to escape back to San Francisco using the Ley Lines, and will be trapped in Dr. John Dee's city. Even worse, they will be in his hometown of London, where he is at his strongest. Unfortunately, the Dark Elders have awakened an ancient being even more powerful and mysterious than them: an Archon. The Archon is known as the Horned God and is the leader of a pack of wolf people called the Wild Hunt. He has amazing brute strength and retains the power to make people members of his pack. According to myth he was once extremely beautiful, but now only his face is. He is part beast, and Dr. Dee believes that he has little or no magical prowess. Simultaneously, Perenelle is trapped on Alcatraz with the friendly but untrustworthy spider elder, Areop-Enap after narrowly escaping the Sphinx and defeating The Morrigan. A.K.A The Crow Goddess. Morrigan has been suppressed sufficiently by the Words of Power that resided on the island that her body was retaken by her two sisters, Macha and Badb. Perenelle can make fleeting contact with Nicholas and the twins using scrying.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

New Moon Movie (2009)

The 2nd part of the Twilight Saga, entitled, New Moon is set for release this coming November 30, 2009 according to sources. Officially it is entitled: The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I am sure a lot are so excited about this 2nd part of the saga. This is where Jacob Black gets the main role in Bella's life played by Taylor Lautner, who I believed added 26 lbs of muscle for the role of Jacob Black.

I would just like to share the movie poster that I came across http://www.imdb.com/ when I was surfing for upcoming movies for 2009. Enjoy!!!


Here is the first official trailer of New Moon first shown in MTV Movie Awards, Enjoy!!!

Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange & Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

I finished reading Tithe by Holly Black this weekend and I said to myself: "This isn't the book that I should be reading!" I got a little bored and I feel the story is a little shallow for me. I realized also Valiant, which happens to be book 2 isn't quite the book 2 of Tithe. I think the sequel for Tithe is Ironside which is the 3rd book. I got discouraged and I decided to keep the books for my future reads if ever.

I searched for my stack of "books to read" and I decided to read Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr instead. Wicked Lovely is about faeries as well. So far, I am half-way already as I continuosly read and make my mind wander in a fantasy during the contemporary times, to my surprise I am enjoying it as much as I enjoy reading the Mortal Instruments Trilogy. I know this is not a bad idea of choosing Wicked Lovely in exchange for the books written by Holly Black.

To give you guys a brief plot summary of the novels written by Melissa Marr, I took the summary from http://www.wikipedia.org/

WICKED LOVELY (2007)
Wicked Lovely is the first novel in a series about a world where faeries and mortals intermingle. The story introduces Aislinn, a teen who can see the faeries around her, but who has been taught all her life to pretend not to see them. When Keenan, the faery Summer King, enters her life, he poses a threat to Aislinn's family, friends, and future.

INK EXCHANGE (2008)

The prologue begins by retelling a scene from Wicked Lovely where Leslie walks into a tattoo shop with Irial, King of the Dark Court, narrated from Irial's point of view. The first chapter then shows Leslie preparing for a normal day of school, and it is revealed that she is being neglected by her alcoholic father and that her brother, Ren, is a drug addict. When Leslie reaches school, Aislinn, the protagonist from Wicked Lovely, is shown to have adjusted well to her new life, and Leslie is suspicious of the changes.

Later, Leslie walks into a tattoo parlor and chooses eyes surrounded by wings—the symbol of Irial. Not knowing the significance of the tattoo and its connection to Irial, she feels an odd compulsion to get the tattoo. Rabbit, the owner of the parlor, tells Leslie to come back later, as the ink takes some time to prepare.

The book then cuts to Irial, and it is revealed that the Dark Court needs to feed off dark emotions such as anger, hate, and pain from both Fey and mortals to stay strong and that Irial's solution is to have an ink exchange with a mortal (Leslie) where the Dark Court's blood and tears are used as the ink for the tattoo. This joins them together and allows Irial to use Leslie as a conduit to absorb more emotion and thus be able to feed his court.

When Leslie starts to get her tattoo, Irial is curious about Leslie and approaches her, but Aislinn tries to keep them apart. Simultaneously, Niall is also developing an infatuation with Leslie, even though Aislinn has forbidden Niall to interact too much with Leslie as Aislinn wants Leslie to be kept out of the world of the fey.

It is also revealed that Niall had history with Irial, that he is a "Gancanagh", a faerie with a drug in his skin that mortals become addicted to, and that Irial wanted Niall to rule after him but Niall refused after seeing the horror that happened in the Dark Court bruig (the place where the Dark Court feed off humans, usually killing them or driving them insane in the process), causing Irial to order Gabriel (the leader of the Hounds, Gabriel is the name of the position, not an actual name, e.g. "Gabriel's Hounds") to give Niall the scar on his face. After this, Niall swore fealty to the summer court to escape the things he had done with Irial.

When Leslie's tattoo is complete, Irial takes her away while Niall leaves the Summer Court when he found out that Keenan has been using him and his connection with Irial and Leslie to find out more about the Dark Court. Niall and Leslie meet up and Niall tells Leslie that he has a way of breaking the bond between Irial and her, should she ever want to. When Leslie learns that Irial is killing other mortals to keep her alive, she takes Niall up on his offer. He uses sunlight and frost taken from the Winter and Summer Queens to burn and freeze the link and the tattoo off Leslie.

In the end, both Irial and Niall leave Leslie alone so she can pursue a normal, human life. Irial then hands over his throne to Niall, saying that he is the only Faerie he has found in all these centuries worthy to lead the Dark fey after him, and then Irial swears fealty to Niall. The book ends with Irial walking away thinking he has made a good choice.

FRAGILE ETERNITY (2009)

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn.

She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.
In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos."

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Sniper (Edison Chen - 陳冠希)

Edison Koon-Hei Chen (陳冠希) is a Hong Kong-based Canadian Chinese film actor, rapper, Cantopop singer, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited. His native language is English, and he speaks a little Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese, which allows him to be a part of multiple entertainment industries around the world. - From Wikipedia

Edison Chen is one of my idols in Hong Kong's entertainment industry, not only is he good and artistic he is very innovative in his ideas when it comes to singing, acting and in fashion as well. However, there was a sex scandal that rocked his career and made an announcement to take an indefinite leave from the entertainment industry in Hong Kong. It saddened a lot of people, guys that consider Edison an idol and a role model and girls that goes crazy in-love over him.

As mom and I were surfing the web, particularly in http://www.yesasia.com/, to my surprise, he has a new DVD coming out this coming May 27, 2009. This new DVD is entitled "The Sniper". He is one of the main cast in this movie. I am hoping this is comeback. I can't wait to get hold of a copy of the new DVD.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Tithe, Valiant & Ironside by Holly Black

I just finished reading Book 3 of the Mortal Instruments: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare this afternoon and it is soooooooo goooood!! The way the book was written, the plot and the characters are all very addicting. I'm sorry Twilight Saga fans, that is nothing compared to this series.

Anyways, I just want to share to you what my next reads are; it is a 3-part series as well written by Holly Black entitled TITHE, VALIANT & IRONSIDE. It is a modern faerie tale story. I know we all got tired of the usual vampire stuff, I do! So this time its about faeries and the Seelie Court.

TITHE

Sixteen-year-old Kaye Fierch is not human, but she doesn't know it. Sure, she knows she's interacted with faeries since she was little--but she never imagined she was one of them, her blond Asian human appearance only a magically crafted cover-up for her true, green-skinned pixie self. First-time author Holly Black explores Kaye's self-discovery and dual worlds in her riveting, suspenseful novel Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale. The book has its faults: it slips into shock-value mode; the descriptions are often overwritten (sunset on the water looks like the sun slit his wrists in a bathtub); the language is overly, unnecessarily explicit; and the writing often unpolished. Still, the story's pull is undeniable, and readers under its spell will be hard-pressed to put the book down.
The novel begins in a bar in Philly, where Kaye's alcoholic rock-singer mother's boyfriend tries to kill her. For their own safety, mother and daughter quickly move back to grandma's on the New Jersey shore where Kaye grew up. This ugly turn of events was all rigged by the Faerie world, as it turns out, a world Black describes in deliciously vivid, if rather overblown, detail. Kaye, a drinking, smoking, foul-mouthed high school dropout in the land of mortals, soon finds herself embroiled--as a human sacrifice, no less--in a battle between Faerieland's Seelie and more malevolent Unseelie courts. The beautiful, mysterious knight Roiben, torn between worlds himself, falls in love with Kaye--the brave, clever changeling--against his better judgment. Throughout the electrifying journey to the horrific underworld of this modern faerie fantasy, teen readers will relate to a hard-luck tough girl who feels alienated, discovers her best qualities in the worst of circumstances, and finally finds a place between worlds where she can feel at home. (Ages 13 and older) --Karin Snelson

VALIANT

Grade 9 Up–The author of Tithe(S & S, 2002) returns to her dark, dangerous, and amazing world of Faerie. When 17-year-old Valerie catches her boyfriend and her mother fooling around, she runs away to New York City. There she falls in with a small group of teens who live in the subway tunnels. But there is something more to their stories than that of normal street kids. When Valerie begins to notice odd things about the deliveries they make, and when she meets Ravus, a troll, she understands that there is an entire world that she has never known existed–the world of Faerie. Valerie and her friends begin to steal from Ravus's deliveries, using the Never that he provides to the faeries as a drug. But those who receive the deliveries are being found dead. Is Ravus the poisoner or could it be another of the fantastic creatures they have met? This dark fantasy includes drug use and strong language, but beneath its darkness readers find well-rendered characters, a gripping plot, and pure magic.–Tasha Saecker, Caestecker Public Library, Green Lake, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IRONSIDE

In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben's coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing -- her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can't see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn't exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.
Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth -- that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother's shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben's throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. In this game of wits and weapons, can a pixie outplay a queen?
Holly Black spins a seductive tale at once achingly real and chillingly enchanted, set in a dangerous world where pleasure mingles with pain and nothing is exactly as it appears.

***All write-ups and book cover pictures came from http://www.amazon.com/