Cup of Bliss

Yesterday, I was walking towards the mall on my way home when I had the nagging impulse to get myself a cup of bliss, also known as Haagen Dazs' Dulce de Leche.  This place is ice cream heaven to me. I was telling my sisters that I was in a guilty pleasure but I know as long as I don't overdo it, I am good.

Double Three

It's almost August and I sure know what that means.   I don't really like the sound of thirty-three, although I am welcoming it with open arms.

Three decades ago, I was the dancing, jolly toddler of the family.  I would stand on a table and hold a hairbrush and use it as my microphone. I would sing and perform as easy as putting coins in a jukebox.  Now nothing really changed.  Singing, dancing and entertaining is still my life. What more is new with me?  Maybe add reading and writing to the list, plus a few gray hairs grown from rearing my very own toddler. 

Anyway, let's put up this video here to kick off my impending natal month.  I must have heard this tune a million times, but it is just as fresh as the first day I heard it. This is, without a doubt, a real favorite of mine.

If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix



Eleven days to go and it's happy 33 to me!

A Renaissance In Renaissance

Due to my sister's insistent demand, I am posting pictures of the newly renovated coffee shop and bar lounge in Renaissance Hotel Makati. My sister worked with their sales department for four years before she migrated to California. So rightly, I shall grant her request to sort of advertise the latest offerings to their esteemed guests.

CINNABAR is a serene corner where you can hold a small meeting, a chat, or sip wine whiling the time away. The bar serves cocktails and other finger foods such as kobe burgers, popcorn with truffles, or foie gras club sandwiches, among others, which you can also enjoy having in the outdoor landscaped patio. There's even live music after the rush hour. Cinnabar is open 24/7.

Cinnabar Lounge Area


M2M stands for "Morning to Midnight," "the ultimate entertainment destination for an outstanding wine and food experience." The main dining area is a 200-seater dining theatre with 6 live kitchens and 21 chefs boasting of a 24-hour extensive a la carte fare.

M2M's Main Dining Area


The 12-Seater Private Dining Room


The Bar Lounge is attached to the Private Dining Room accommodating up to 30 guests.


M2M Wine Room showcasing 1,200 bottles from Chile, France, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, and USA.


M2M Private Nook


The hotel also boasts of its Chocolatier and Bakery for fresh breads, cookies, cold-cuts and chocolates. On Sundays, it's family brunch time with an endless selection of Asian and International cuisine, interactive cooking stalls while listening to great Jazz selections.

Seriously, after I had a first look at these pictures, I suddenly remembered my arts and humanities class in college. Think architecture, columns, design, form, function, and color harmony. I look at the design of M2M and I would say it has what I call a hint of oriental history in it and yet modern in its form and function. The spaces were all put to good use and no corner was wasted. Case in point: The wine room. The wines would have been kept in big cabinets, but housing them within the glass that hugged the walls of the room was pragmatic and tasteful thereby also becoming the accent of the entire set-up.

As for the color palette, from the walls to the carpet, to the fixtures, it all spelled terracotta to me. The range from brown, to yellow, to orange, and then to red orange, perfectly resembled tequila sunrise. Very dynamic and inviting.

The tagline for Cinnabar is "Lounge in Luxury, 24/7." And for M2M, it's "Where Food is Fashion." More appropriately, I think they should have though of this line instead, "Feel the Renaissance in Renaissance. Luxury, Fashion, Comfort, 24/7."


For bookings and reservations, call Renaissance Hotel Makati at 811-6888.
Photos by Renaissance Hotel

Über-Gorgeous

I thought I'd share with you some interesting pictures. These hyper-male actors are my favorites when it comes to acting and charisma.



Come to think of it, there's one more thing I found common with all of them! Aha, these faces! c",)

Chewy Granola Bars

I am getting addicted to Quaker Chewy Granola Bars. My favorite is the oatmeal raisin. Last week, my officemate gave me a bar of yummy Trail Mix and and I decided to buy this box of 10 bars on sale at the mall.

With only 90 fat calories, it has no trans fat, zero cholesterol, very delicious and healthy. It's a very convenient way to eat oatmeal and be healthy! What's more, you get all the whole grains our body requires for energy! Did I just sound like a television ad for Quaker?? Wink wink.

Mamma Mia!

And the winner takes it all indeed. Hats off to the makers of Mamma Mia The Movie. It was such an entertaining film, obviously because it is a musical, with Abba songs performed by the cast.

The story was simple. A daughter about to get married wanted to find out who her real father is, so she invites three men in her mother's past. They all come to the beautiful island and the excitement begins.



The movie was a story of friendship and love. And the characters danced and sang their way through their dialogues which can make anyone feel they are in Broadway. Meryl Streep was incredible in her singing, dancing and doing her air splits!







So who among them gets to take it all in the end?



The answer is worth watching.

P.S. The one thing I really loved about the movie apart from all the singing was this magical Skopelos island in Greece where the movie was shot.



Mamma Mia stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth, among others.

On Caffeine and Health

It's a heart-tugging decision that I made a month ago to heed my doctor's advise. I am temporarily bidding goodbye to caffeine (temporarily being the operative word hehe), while the lipids are still acting up wayward.

I loved caffeine for the longest time. Although sinful to some who may take it abusively (and I am guilty as charged), many people have been addicted to Coke, coffee, and chocolates that are rich sources of caffeine.



As of late, I have been drinking low-fat milk, pineapple and mango juices, and plenty of water. Sounds too good to be true for those who really know me. But what the heck, if this isn't what it means to be turning on a new leaf, then I don't know what is. Let's see shall we.

This morning, I was reading through the health section of Philippine Star when I came across an article that listed some foods that are really proven to aid against cancers and help us detoxify.

Green Leafy Vegetables - the chlorophyll they contain helps swab out environmental toxins (heavy metals, pesticides) and protects the liver. Throw them into a broth and then to juices or just eat them raw.

Brocolli - rich in vitamins A,C, and K. Vitamin A decreases oil production, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, and vitamin K can help prevent bruises.

Lemons - lemon juice or lemonade helps keep the fluids running to wash out the body. Its vitamin C, considered the detox vitamin, helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that's easily flushed away.

Garlic - add it to everything, salads, spreads, sauces. In addition to the bulb's cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk.

Apples - the fruit's rich pectin content helps to decrease cholesterol levels and helps prevent colon cancer.

Berries - blueberries and cherries are rich in antioxidants because they contain bioflavonoid that reduce free radical damage, more potent than vitamins C and E. Cherries contain anthocyanin compounds which aid the pancreas in producing insulin.

Fruits - they are full of vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids and all kinds of antioxidants.

Fish - it contains omega 3 fatty acids which is the good oil. Some also contain vitamin D. Omega 3 fatty acids are present in fish like salmon, tilapia and cod. Our bodies cannot produce those essential lipids naturally so adding omega 3 fatty acids to our diet can bolster our skin barrier, that is, the layer of lipids that holds onto moisture and keeps irritants out.

Lunch box check for today: Mango juice, 2 pieces tuna pandesal, granola bar.

As Hancock says, "Good job!"

Hancock

Rotten Tomatoes reports that Hancock has already earned $62.6 million in sales, making it the number one movie beating Wall-E, Wanted, Get Smart, and Kung Fu Panda in this week's box office.

There are heroes. Then there are super heroes. And then there's Hancock. Although he has got a hip leather suit, Hancock is not your typical super hero.



Hancock is a story of an acerbic hero in America who is not regarded by the people because of his negligence in the state's properties and his temper. After the incident where he saved public relations executive Ray Embrey from a train and car accident, he was referred to an alcoholic and anger management facility thereby doing an image makeover for Hancock. More conflicts arise with Mary Embrey, his supposedly estranged wife, and with his past enemies that build up the action packed climax.







My favorite scene in the movie is this. The chemistry of Hancock and Mary was just so good.



Hancock is directed by Peter Berg, and stars Will Smith as John Hancock, Jason Bateman as Ray Embrey, and Charlize Theron as Mary Embrey.

What Happens in Vegas

I found this film to be very fun and entertaining. Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz both are fine effective actors in doing romantic comedy projects.



What Happens in Vegas is a story of two people both wanting to forget the troubles they were in before they headed to Sin City. After accidentally bumping into each other in the same hotel room, the couple are to become inseparable because of a mistake they then wanted to correct in six months because of a hefty sum they won at the slot machine.





The comedic stunts of Joy McNally (Diaz) and Jack Fuller (Kutcher) bickering at each other make up for the non-stop fun scenes of the movie.







What Happens in Vegas is directed by Tom Vaughan and written by Dana Fox.

A Chupsie Wedding

"46664"

We know Nelson Mandela as the one responsible for fighting for equality in South Africa during his presidency from 1994-1999. The anti-apartheid activism in South Africa became the primary vision of Mandela towards the search for justice, freedom and equality of people.


The number 466 was used to identify Nelson Mandela as the 466th prisoner during the year 1964, thus the number 46664. As a symbol of freedom and equality, the apartheid government condemned him as a communist and a terrorist. He spent 27 years in prison, and was released at the end of the apartheid system on February 11, 1990.



"Madiba," as he was called by the elders of the Mandela clan, was awarded endlessly for over four decades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He has been widely praised and known for democracy among multi-racial nations.

So on June 27, 2008, the South African leader celebrated his 90th birthday with a free concert held at the London Hyde Park. Attended by a sea of supporters and fans, major artists graced the occasion and staged very outstanding performances such as Annie Lennox, Geri Haliwell, Sugababes, Leona Lewis, and Amy Winehouse, among others.



The best performance for me was Switch rendered by the true legend and showman Will Smith, and he was even joined by his wife Jada Pinkett Smith on stage. Here take a look.



Nelson Mandela's birthday concert is always considered to be the biggest birthday party in the world. Every year since 2003, the 46664 concert is staged in different countries to give honor to the leader and freedom icon, and to promote the fight against the international tragedy that is HIV/AIDS.

Here is the speech of the birthday boy.



This promotional shirt for the 46664 event sums up what Mandela said in his inspiring speech.


"It's in our hands now."

I.LOVE.THE.SHIRT.