Muningerzee

I've been to San Miguel, Bulacan quite a number of times.  But I've never been to Sitio Madlum until about three weeks ago.   In this quiet town, there's a beautiful river named after the town itself.  The water is clean and very clear.   This treasure is just 2  hours away from Metro Manila.  Just take the bus to San Miguel, Bulacan and get off at Kamias.  That would cost you around P130.  Then take the tricycle to Sitio Madlum.  For a backride that's only 50 pesos.  But if you want a special ride, it will be P200 one way. You can take a dip while enjoy a picnic at the makeshift cottages made of bamboo.  You can rent one for only 100 pesos.   Or if you are up for a challenge, you can try the cable bridge, ride a raft, or go with a guide to hike/explore Madlum Caves.  You must register at the community outpost first and must hire a guide before doing this. People there say the place is frequented only during weekends.  So if you want a n

In 2013, while exploring the neighborhood near Mandarin Orchard Hotel in Singapore, I was lucky enough to find this hub for teens and kids. At the back of Orchard Road there is a Skatepark accessible via the Sommerset exit of their MRT. Here, kids / teens and the not-so-young converge to have fun with their skateboards, bikes or just by watching. I took this using my camphone. I felt my stomach churn I think because of envy. We don't have this kind of park around my area back home. Although, there's one now in Laguna or so I heard and in Manila. Still, I hope one day this would be a dime a dozen in the Philippines so kids/teens even the young at heart can enjoy. :)

About a couple of years ago, I had the chance to stay tin Singapore for short of a week due to a company-sponsored conference. We stayed in Mandarin Hotel along Orchard Road and the first food I tried was their street Ice cream!!!! Back home, street ice creams are scoops of various flavors served in sugar cones. So I was stoked to find out street Ice Cream in Singapore were blocks served in wafer, cones or sandwich!!!! All for about a singapore dollar or so :)  I tried the sandwich and wafer and both were yummy!!! But, how can you go wrong with Ice Cream? here's a short video of how they prepare street ice cream Singapore-style :) Enjoy!!!

To some, these are boring so just please skip it J   But to those who are into storytelling, here are some numbers that may be of interest to you; 54 million Filipinos use Facebook every month; 84% of posts on Facebook are done on smartphones; 80% of the traffic are digital videos; 69% more videos are posted during Christmas Season on FB; 21% more posts recorded on Instagram in the same season; 2 of Filipino’s favorite digital platforms are Facebook and Instagram 4 of the most downloadable apps in 2015 are all FB properties; (that's Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and I forgot the other one) Dan Neary, Vice President for Asia Pacific of Facebook shared these numbers at the Digital Congress held about 2 weeks ago in PICC.   Just something to think about when you want to share your story.   But while these are the numbers, remember that Facebook is not the only platform out there :) (more on this story in future blo

(Shanghai Fried Siopao credits to the owner) It's interesting to read another country's newspaper. It gives you a glimpse of their pressing concerns and overall what's going on that side of the world. While in Binondo, I read the China Daily and these were what I gathered from that 10 minute break I had: 1. They are raising red flag on e-commerce trash. Last year, China delivered around 20 billion parcels, the daily reported. Am guessing this is internal sales, just imagine the sale worldwide! Also it tells you their people’s buying power. Weird that we continue to say Communist China because that alone tells us they no longer operate in the realm of socialism/communism. Going back to the issue, the ecommerce industry left a huge amount of trash--11 billion plastic bags, 9.9 billion cardboard boxes, and 17 billion meters of adhesive tape! Most of the plastic bags weren't biodegradable. Kababawan ko lang..Affected ako sa news na ito because I buy onli

Whammos, jelly jooze, watchamacalliit, funwich, Tivoli ice cream, Eskimo pie, bubble cone pink with gumball at the bottom… I think i'd pass for a 90s kid.  :)  They said brands come and go, but I think brands, they fade because their most loyal customer base just grew up.  But, am sure the aging market will welcome with all their hearts and stomachs brands that will leave them nostalgic.   Like Whammos! Huwat?!!!!                                                              Whammos, a chocolate-filled cake slice that was a favorite of kids during the 90s, is back in the shelves.  Well, mostly you can find this chocolate fudge in 711 stores.  (This was first posted in the FB account July 9 this year :) ) Also making a comeback is Magnolia's twin popsies!!!!  The popsies come in orange and chocolate flavors!!

Expressing milk is truly a selfless act.   It’s hard labor but every drop is filled with mother’s love.   I have officemates who would bring their kits and coolers to work. In between tasks, or I think twice or thrice a day, they express milk.   They put them in little storage bags and store them in ice-filled coolers.    Stash, they call it. At their home sweet home, they store them in their freezers.   I imagine them smiling at just how many they have produced.   All for the love of their baby girl or boy. So I am lost for words whenever there are mothers who find it in their hearts to share.   For me the act is just beyond kindness and generosity. My nephew was  in NICU   of   St. Luke’s for 2 months.   Just 6 days premature, he suffered a cord accident upon delivery. His lungs bled and two of his heart's valve didn't function for days.  He needed help in order to breathe. W e have been knocking on people’s heart.   All to ask for breastmilk.  Peo

I realized I haven't been blogging :( so allow me to share something I have learned from the Digital Congress I attended recently. Gautam Talwar at the 2016 Power of X at the PICC Photo lifted from Facebook/adobomagazine Gautam Talwar, General Manager of Maker Studios, said one out of three millennials watch a video produced by Makers Studios.  That, he said, translates to 250 million video streams in the Philippines and about billions in Southeast Asia.  About 70% of that audience are in the 14-44 demographics. Those numbers gave them consumer insights about how content should be distributed, how long should it be, what genres should they prioritize and what kind of content is shareable online. A bit about  Makers Studios.  This company came out of Youtube about 6 years ago and was acquired by no less than Walt Disney 2 years ago.  It's primary function is to be the short form content house of Walt Disney.  But, they do more than that.  They buy and sell media and dist

When you buy Magnolia ice cream, you are reminded of your childhood…those times when a trip to Magnolia House means sharing a peach melba or a banana split with your brother or sister and “hating kapatid” means the older sibling will be getting the biggest portion for having the bigger stomach….when birthdays mean your parents are going to give away cups of ube, vanilla, or chocolate flavors to your classmates while they greet you in unison “happy birthday classmate, praise be Jesus and Mary!” and you feel like a star for a day…when mid-play you stop on the sound of that kuliling and run back to pester your nanay for a pinipig crunch, ice drops or those twin popsicles which you never ever got because they were expensive and for throwing a tantrum you have to fold all the clothes in the aparador…those times when you actually watched a TV ad curious to know the next flavor of the month... or when you saved money to buy a pint of your favorite flavor (mine was Choco Marble) then locked y

JANUARY While the world was being rocked by the terror of the Charlie Hebdo attack, signed and unsigned musicians in Manila were divided by HB 4218 or the OPM Development Act of 2014. Musicians young and old, from jazz, to rock, folk, hiphop and metal closed ranks to oppose the bill. Click this link to see the discussions: http://opposehb4218.blogspot.com/ FEBRUARY The Wuds, Pinkcow and the Ex-senadors joined the politically-charged album “Tayo Ang Boses: Mga Awit ng Paglaban sa Rehimeng Gahaman”. The album was an initiative of Pinoy Media Center and other progressive groups. Listen to all the tracks here: https://soundcloud.com/tayo-ang-bosses Nonentities took music fans by surprise with the release of not one, not two, but three songs online--all downloadable and for free via their website. The collection was from their first album ‘Bleakest Of Days, Saddest Of Ways’. Nonentities was formed by former The Beauty of Doubt vocalist Ron Schlander and Tame The T