Dia Del Libro 2010 Celebration at Instituto Cervantes

Here are some of the pictures from the yearly celebration of the International Book Day (Dia Del Libro) at Instituto Cervantes de Manila. This is where I am taking my Spanish Language course.

There were a lot of activities aside from the book bargain (I bought a couple of cheap books, by the way!). And the food was hella great! We watched the Bersong Europinoy 2, too. Bersong Europinoy is a Filipino European poetry recital in which different participants from the European Union connives with Filipino poets in the recital. There was also a film showing of Spanish movies but that was in the morning - too bad we came in afternoon.

Learn the Art of Internet Marketing

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced webmaster, it is always important to analyze the SEO capabilities of your website or blog. Well, let's us admit that most of us who are into this social networking advertising want to drag traffic to our site to get higher percentage of sales turnaround. To optimize your website, you have to be familiar with the dos and donts of SEO as well as the webmaster guidelines of search engines to make sure you abide by their rules.

Some may even venture into marketing their products and services using the most popular networking sites. This is really a helpful tool since most people nowadays have their Facebook and Twitter accounts which they use as one of their primary communication tools. Twitter and Facebook marketing however need to follow the basic online advertising rules so that your posts will not appear like spams and junk messages to others.

On Fridge Magnets and Souvenir Shopping

Summer is still around the corner and I am so eager to jump off and dive in the beach. Too bad I am busy with my studies now that's why I can't find much time to arrange a beach break with my friends in the province. I really miss the smell of warm air and the sound of the waves. And most especially, I miss the white sand of Boracay!

It's been a year since we last went there and I feel that my body is itching to go there again. I want to buy Boracay souvenirs and handicrafts because the last time we were there, I never had the chance to go around the souvenir shops to buy stuff because to tell you honestly, I forgot it because I was too busy sun bathing and lavishing the white sand! What I got were just hand-made fridge magnets and a Boracay shirt.

Speaking of refrigerator magnets, my friend recommended me this site that sells many different kinds of magnets- they have save the date magnets, photos, calendars and many other variants. You might want to check on the site if you want to buy magnets for your fridge. They can be of good souvenir items as well.

The next time I step into the sand of Boracay, I will make sure that shopping for souvenirs will be one of my top priorities.

The Desiderata: A Timeless Inspiration

Desiderata is a very uplifting poem written by Max Ehrman that wonderfully accentuated ways on living a happy life. Desiderata is a Latin term which means "things you desire". I remember this featured during our college graduation.

I believe that everything that we wish for is possible as long as the will is there and the determination to achieve it keeps on driving us forward. Never allow others to take control of yourself for it is in that case you start losing. In our world that is full of masked faces and forged truths, we should always choose whom we give our trust to. You hold the wheel of your life and you are the captain of your own ship; make U-turns if you desire.

One of the powerful lines explains that each and everyone of us is uniquely created and no matter what we do, there will always be persons whom we will look up to at the same time persons that will give us pride and make us feel proud about ourselves. We were created equally by God with matchless features and exceptional abilities.

Life is too short so we must spend our days on reaching for our goals and being happy with what we achieve and accomplish. We all have to live positively and appreciate the essence of the things that we have for us to live a contented and happy life.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Updating Your Blog with Free Contents

Sometimes, maintaining a blog gets a bit tedious and tiring especially when you are running out of stories to tell. Also, since blogging is not the only thing that we do everyday, we sometimes run out of time for it, unless if blogging is really your job. As for me, gone are the days where I can spend long sitting in front of my PC and do nothing but surf. Because as of now, I recently went back to school for my language studies, so I find it hard sometimes to update my blogs.

With regard to this, I discovered a website that offers free articles and pre-written content. This website is perfect for those who can't afford not to post on their blogs/websites for a day. There are a lot of topics covered perfect for bloggers and web masters. They also provide contents for companies with their Business Articles.

So if you are someone who is looking for an easy way to get contents, there are is a pool of websites online offering free articles.

What's Your Favorite Tee?

Different t-shirt designs about humor and patriotism are becoming so popular today. It's fun to see people wearing these funny t-shirts because you can't help but read or look to the design. Here in our country, the three stars and a sun concept by the late Master Rapper, Francis Magalona is the crowd's favorite tee.

Also, some of the most popular designs today are the funny one-liner jokes and cartoonized celebrities with funny faces. I noticed that humor is mostly the common theme that t-shirt designers produce. I guess this is one way for people to deal with stress and fatigue.

T-shirts for sports fanatics are also best sellers because fans usually wear them during the game of their favorite teams. There is actually a large pool of t-shirts online that offers a wide array of themes like FIFA t-shirts and ESPN Soccer memorabilia for sports enthusiasts. Check them out.

What the Heck Do You Call this Creature?

During our Banaue Holy Week vacation just a few weeks ago, at the garden of this hotel that we checked in, I stumbled upon this plant having these strange fruits that seem like thorned balloons. According to my creative imagination and very fast analysis, it's like a fusion between a sea urchin and a green golf ball. It's hollow and seems harmless though.

Up until now, I still can't digest into my system that such plant like this ever exist (in the country, at least) so I decided to blog about it in case I have some botanist readers who happen to know what this strange little plant is called. For the meantime, let me call it "Steven Sea-golf" (laughs).

Getting a Glass Sink for My Crib

We were at a local mall yesterday and I decided to window shop for a couple of house stuff for our new unit. I was searching for some cheap glass sinks that I saw online, hoping I can some in the mall.

My friends suggested to just buy the glass sink that I need online because it is way cheaper and it will be shipped right on the date of purchase.

Dealing with a Stressful Modern Life

We live in a society where stress and emotional torture has become a normal problem we have to deal with everyday. We tend to dedicate ourselves with work and contend with a constant battle with responsibilities. Some of the major causes of stress are job anxiety, political and economical insecurity and our financial dealings. Actually, stress is really part of human nature and there is no way we can avoid it - but we can minimize it and transform it into something productive.

I was reading a lifestyle magazine and found this very interesting article about surviving stress. Stress is self- imposed. Though a lot of external situations affect us, we're still the captain of our own ship - we still decide what to embrace and what to push out. We are the ones who create balance to ourselves therefore, we have a great control over stress.

To be able to survive our so-called stressful modern life, we should know exactly our priorities in life. That way, we know which to put first and which one to cross out. We should also determine the main the source of our stress. Take a break. Treat yourself with a pampering favor like a massage or a vacation. Find time to relax while making an assessment that will in turn hatch an egg of solution to it.

The most important thing to do is to know your purpose by listing down your goals in life. Reexamine yourself on what really brings you to existence and commit to them.

Don't let stress wash out the person you've always wanted to become. Rather, use it as a motivational force that will drive you forward to your dreams.

The Search for Jacques D'Azur

The ever famous "Legend of Cannes" Jacques D'Azur is reportedly missing. News has it that he disappeared while having a vacation in his yacht in a sea near Tahiti. Now 70 years old, he has become a significant part of the French Film industry as he became popular because of the many movie roles he portrayed which left big marks in the hearts of everyone. He was even tagged as the "God among men" and the "movie star of the movie stars" because of the one-of-a-kind charisma he has in the world of show business during his time.

As of the moment, the search is on to find the whereabouts of the legendary Jacques D'Azur. Stella Artois 4% is extensively helping out for his immediate recovery. They even brought up a website that aims to spread awareness about this issue.

Let us all participate and help in finding the Legend of Cannes. Please spread the news by creating a buzz about this concern on your blog. While not everyone will be able to help out in finding Jacques D'Azur, your prayers are still very powerful and they can make a change. Watch the video presentation below to know more about Jacques D'Azur.

The Evolution of Bathroom Interiors

Bathroom, being one of the basic rooms in the house is also the room that requires most attention when it comes to cleanliness and organization. We don't need sophisticated designs and intricate furniture sets in it, as long as the inside projects a comfortable liberation for everyone.

Years ago, the raw materials were very basic like the typical marble and tile surface. However, with the influence of today's modern designs and the huge diversity of materials, the available and probable choices have increased coming from different finish and textures.

Some of the commonly used bathroom accessories today are granite, porcelain and metals like chrome, titanium and even silver. Depending on the designer's creativity, these materials can be integrated to form a minimalist and modern room design.

Optimize Your Site Using the Right Web Host

If you have been in the blogosphere for quite some time now, I am sure you are well-aware for PageRank. It is a part of Google's link analysis algorithm that shows a measure of a site's relevance or relative information in the World Wide Web based on contents, back links, and many other factors.

PageRank has become a standard to webmasters and everyone seems to prioritize this issue on their SEO rituals. Well, aside from focusing on the contents of your website, one of the most important factors to consider as well is your web host. A web host has to be reliable so that each time a web spider crawls your site, you are 100% sure that your host is always up and there should be no downtime as much as possible.



Nexx, one of the leading providers of web hosting and domain name services in the web understands the importance of a website's high performance to search engines. In fact, they rebranded their web hosting platform as an improvement. right now, they are running a promotion hand in hand with the launching of their newly designed platform. For just $10 for the first year, you will be eligible for an Unlimited Web Hosting package with exceptional services like unlimited diskspace, bandwitdh and email, 24-hour full customer support, $50 Google Adwords credits, $50 Facebook Ads credits and many more.

On Travelling and Relationships

Road trip. Long hours in the car. Sleep. Chit chat. Eat. "Are we there yet? :D" I love travelling and it becomes even more exciting and fun when with a couple of crazy and cool friends. Sharing with you guys this quotation from the famous author and humorist, Mark Twain. It's about getting to know someone better by travelling (or spending time) with them.

“I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

It makes sense because spending long hours of conversation with a person you barely know in just one same confined space (LOL) will really tell if your personalities jive together or not. You'll be able to tell if you make good companions together. Time indeed is an important factor to build and develop a long-lasting and true relationship.

Learning the Art of Cooking and Meal Planning

Living independently makes you learn a lot of things. Yeah, I would say it's survival of the fittest. From the time I moved here in Manila, I am so proud to see myself learn many different things that I never attempted doing when I was in the province living with my family. Today is a different phase in my life. This time, I am taking the steering wheel and will try to captain my own ship.

First and foremost, I discovered that I can cook! Well, thanks to YouTube and Panlasang Pinoy's channel because I was able to watch "how to cook" videos and do the actual cooking simultaneously - and thanks to Wi-Fi and mobile streaming! I feel like I have grown more as person from the time I started living independently, and I am so darn proud of myself (taps his back :D).

And right now, aside from cooking, I am learning the art of meal planning. That is, learning how to plan my entire food and what to cook for the whole week. Because what I do is I go to the grocery store once a week and buy all the stuff that I need for a seven-day period. This is quite challenging because I am still in the "trial and error" stage wherein I have to carefully monitor my spendings so as not to waste food just because I bought way too much for the week.

Anyway, things are flowing smoothly as planned and I am not screwing things up, so far. Strength, more strength please! I need more driving force and positive pushes for me to carry on. (Laughs!)

Lumix Life Focus on Australia Photography Contest

Panasonic has a very interesting promotion specifically for Lumix users. Aspiring photographers have their chance to showcase their talents and get lined up with the cream of the crop- Australia's finest photographers.




All professional and budding photographers are invited to join the LUMIX Life Focus on Australia contest. All you need to do is to capture any of the most beautiful and striking places in Australia. Your main mission here is to photograph the best of Australia using your Lumix camera.

Those who are interested to join, you may visit the website or join Panasonic Australia on Facebook and interact with fellow members. LUMIX Life Focus On Australia starts April 1st 2010 - The Video is also featured on their YouTube channel to provide a better presentation about the contest.

Photography is getting more and more popular. And it is so easy to own a camera nowadays unlike the old times in which only those who are into the photography business gets to own one. So start pressing that Lumix shutter button now and submit your best shot of Australia. Contest starts April 1 and ends June 30 2010. If your photo gets selected, you will be notified via email by November 1, 2010.

Hot Pandesal - Want Some?

Pandesal (Spanish: pan de sal - salt bread) is one the most popular bread in the Philippines savoured especially during breakfast, teamed with hot chocolate or coffee.

I had a couple of these guys awhile ago for breakfast. My meal, for goodness' sake was heavenly delicious so I decided to take a snap shot so I can show it on my blog and let you envy souls drool over it. (laughs!)

Where to Get a Reliable Web Host

A fellow blogger buzzed me up on YM few days ago and told me about his plans of getting his website hosted. He is kind of torn between the many different web hosting providers, all claiming to be offering the best service. So he asked me how to really determine which ones are legit and which are the too good to be true companies.

There are actually a lot of reputable sites that will tell you which hosting provider will best suit your website's requirements. These services vary from an individual site owner's preference up to the business web hosting choices. First and foremost, some of the important considerations when getting a web host are the up time percentage, reliability, technical support and also the cost of service. You also need to look on the memory capacity of the web host. Some are actually offering unlimited storage.

Hangin' Out with "Up with People" in Manila

From L-R: Michael Roudebush (Belgium), me, Kyle DeGraff (USA-MN), Bianca Tubolino (USA-NY), Paul Rush (USA-FL) and Jules.

Jamie invited us about two weeks ago to meet some of her friends from the Up with People (UWP) Cast A 2010 who had a mini mall tour at SM North Edsa. Actually, she is one of the host families of some of the UWP casts (Michael, Kyle and Paul) who will stay here in the Philippines for nearly a month.

Up with People is an organization comprised of young people from all over the world who sing and perform internationally to bring inspiration and motivation while they do community service and various activities involving the youth and the young-at-heart, worldwide. The organization aims to develop leadership and life skills of each and every cast. Each Up with People "cast" of up to 110 participants travels together to at least two continents and often to more than six countries with diverse cultural, political, and economic conditions.

The boys requested for an American dinner so we took them to Wendy's. It's been fun hangin' out with these guys! Here are some of our photos:

Kyle singing Jai Ho at SM North Edsa

UWP mall show at SM North Edsa

With Bianca and Jules at Wendy's

Bianca, the New Yorker- She's half Japanese and half Italian. But she looks Filipina!

Beautiful View from the North of Philippines

We spent the Holy Week over the beautiful places in the north of our country (Banaue - Sagada - Baguio - La Union). The great road trip started Wednesday night and we came back home around Saturday evening. I was able to witness right before my eyes the breath-taking view from the Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao province and the Hanging Coffins and Sumaging Cave of Sagada in Mountain Province. It is so cool to see the mountains transformed into a stair-like rice field. Good thing I have my eye glasses with me that is why I was able to see the view clearer. Well, after I upgrade my lens grade, I think, views from places that I go to would become even better.

We spent almost four days on the road seeing the same old faces of each other. But the trip was really really worth it. There are actually a lot of tourists who visit the place all time of the year. And when I say tourist, I am referring to both foreign and Filipinos. It's overwhelming to see fellow Filipinos to feel proud of our own treasures and natural resources. I hope that the people will continue preserving these places so that the next generations will still witness how nature carved its majestic possession in our Beautiful country.

I will post an article soon about our great road trip and include some really cool pictures. Here is one photo of me with the Banaue Rice Terraces in the background.

Just Fooling Around. Happy April Fools Day!

This is not me! This is sooooo not me. Hahaha. Have a wonderful April Fools Day everyone! Just enjoy the day, but don't be too fool to be fooled okay? LOL!