Small-town Locals to Build “Courts of Inspiration” around Visayas & Mindanao

Quick, name one Filipino adult who has never set foot on a basketball court in his entire life. Impossible, isn’t it? 

For a game that favors relatively tall people, it’s rather impressive how basketball has permeated Filipino culture. To this day, it is the nation’s most popular sport. Here, the passion is so great that you’d see people play it while wearing slippers, sandals, or sometimes, even barefoot. But nothing reinstates this fact better than the presence of basketball hoops everywhere—on the sides of buildings, in front of sari-sari stores, even in the middle of the street.

Skechers Rolls Out New Footwear

Summer is fast approaching and with that, curves and abs are expected to abound the beach. Are you ready to wear your swimsuit and tank tops?

These are the times where men and women start squeezing their time to hit the gym. Of course, these people don't want to flaunt their flabs. How about you?

If you are one of the people who are very much concerned of body shape and size and can't find time to exercise at the gym, here's a good news for you! Skechers, the global leader in the footwear industry presents the newest move in fitness- tying your shoelaces and walk! Yup! You read it right! Introducing, Skechers Shape-Ups Collection. 

Walking is a great way to shape-up from head to toe and with Shape-Ups, you'll get more out of what you do!

Shape-Ups technology simulates walking or running on soft ground such as sand to give the shoe wearer a wide array of benefits:

• Promote weight loss
• Tone leg, calf and buttock muscles
• Improve posture
• Strengthen the back
• Reduce stress on knee and ankle joints
• Tighten abdominal muscles
• Increase blood circulation
• Improve cardiovascular health

These benefits have been clinically tested and proven, with Shape-Ups customers all over the world giving testimonials to the phenomenal effect that the shoes have had on them.

Whether you're in school, work or just at home, you can shape-up with every step you take.

Know why Kim Kardashian, one of Hollywood's sought-after artists during gown-nights and summer-parties is leaving her gym trainer.

Wherever you are, you can always burn calories to get the body you always yearned for as Skechers offers extensive range of colors and styles so there is nothing to worry about in mix and matching your attire.

Whether you're a girly girl or a total opposite, Skechers Shape-Ups has something to match your everyday outfits and needs.

My Dalaguete Fun Run Adventures

The Summer Capital of Cebu, Dalaguete, celebrates its 300 years of grace and pride. In line with the event, sports competitions are conducted to showcase camaraderie and sportsmanship among 'Dalaguetnons'.

Yesterday, I received an invite from two bloggers to join them in covering one of the sports activities Dalaguete will be having. Of course, I affirmed to accompany them in the adventure.

February 5, 2011

Everything that I needed was prepared and I hurriedly filled my backpack with it. It was already 2:40pm and I was on my way to the University of the Philippines Cebu College to have a peek at what's happening at Otaku Fest 4.0. I only had a couple of minutes to stay inside the campus to meet and greet, take shots and observe cosplayers and anime fanatics roaming around. Twenty minutes after 3:00pm, I rode the taxi going to Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC). I met a lot of runners and some people from the media.

Miss Juliet and Janice

Mark M., Me and Mark G.

There were two buses used for all of us to transport going to Dalaguete. Runners dominated the two buses as there were only less than 10 people who were media. My fellow bloggers sat beside me. Across our seat was the seat of Miss Juliet; the person who invited us to join the event and Janice; her close friend. The long ride began at 5:00pm and ended pass 8:00pm.

Touchdown: Maria's Batchoy & Restaurant

Dinner

After dropping the runners at Dalaguete's Municipal Hall, we went to a a nearby restaurant and took our late dinner. The name of the place is Maria's Batchoy & Restaurant.  The bloggers and newspaper writers got the chance to know each other. The food there is really good. I love the Chicken Curie and Chapsuey.

By 9:30pm, we all rode a service van to the town's sports complex where many of the locals trooped. Why? There was a basketball competition. Who were playing? Good question! The game spiced up because it was played by the Dalaguete Basketball Team and the PBA All Star Team. Yup! You read it right! The PBA All Star Team.

I captured short video clips during the event. Check it out below.

I felt so happy and excited when Miss Juliet told me that I can interview all the members of PBA All Stars. I didn't wasted time; I went out of the sports complex and took some papers and a ballpen in the van. I continued watching the game when I got back in the complex. A couple of minutes later, I felt so down because the driver of our service van wanted to rest already which means we have to go to the resort we will be staying over the night. We had no chance because the resort is quite far from the complex. We all had to go because nobody else can drive us to the place. We were not able to watch the last quarter of the game.

Before we arrived at Dalaguete, we already knew that the PBA All Stars were playing in the town and that they were staying in the same resort we were going to stay, but we also know that the stars won't be staying there all night. They were going to play a round of game and then go back to Cebu City to prepare for their flight back to Manila, tomorrow at 10am. Just when I thought that everything was over in meeting the stars, we knew that their bags and luggages were left inside our rooms at Jonadels Resort. I had hope. Haha. If the stars don't have assistants, it could be possible that they are the ones who'll carry their bags from the resort.

Slacking outside the resort

(L-R) Janice, Ms. Juliet, Me, Merlita

To make the very long story short, I met all the members of the PBA All Stars that night. I was able to sit in their van and check out their room. I took a lot of videos and pictures of them. I was so happy. Usually, in blogging, I keep on meeting artists and singers but I don't feel so excited to meet and greet them. Often times, I don't even hope to see them personally because I always dreamed to be a star someday. I know it- I believe it, so I think I don't need to take pictures with them. LOL. Yea. I dream big, alright.

A few of my pictures. I also have vids of them too!

I wasn't able to sleep right away after the incident. I was starstrucked! I had the stars in one roof with only me and a good friend who offered to be my photographer of the night. I was so happy! The stars invited me to come with them going to Cebu and have some dinner but I had an event to cover (The Fun Run-which is the main reason I went there). I felt no worries after refusing them. After all, I just met them. I don't have much trust in them.

Moving on, I was able to sleep at 2:00am which is the time the stars arrived at Waterfront Hotel (yea, I know :P they told me) I woke up at 3:00am. Oh wait! Did I mentioned that the room the guys stayed in is my room in the resort? Hahahahhaha!!

Dawn. I prepared all my stuff for the Fun Run and realized that I left my running shoes at home (Talisay) Yikes! Didn't saw that comin! But I didn't worry because I thought that I can always use my Fushu- but of course it will keep me slow in running so as for me to not wreck it.

February 6, 2010

Time check- 2:20am. The vampire in me was alive! I was still awake and wasn't sleepy at all. I settled myself on my bed and unconsiously fell asleep. Hurrah! My phone rang by 4:00am and goodness gracious- I hooked-up with sleeping. I wanted to sleep more but I have to move since the assembly time for the Fun Run is 5:00am.

After fixing myself, I called the boys outside their room which was just beside mine. And as I knew it, they were still sleeping. Haha. They woke up right away and hurriedly fixed themselves. We waited for our service van outside the gate of the resort and after a while, we joined the race. Mark M., Mark G., and I took 5k Track. The next parts of the story, will be told by my pictures.

The awarding followed right after the last racer crossed the finish line. I could tell, this adventure is for sure, one of my blogging events which I will never forget. It is so unique in so many ways. You can raise a good question to the previous line.. "How is the race in Dalaguete different from other fun runs?" Well, the town boosts well-known mountainous barangays where runners pass. Unlike other fun runs, in Dalaguete you won't be breathing gas exhaust and you won't be killing your seconds in crossing roads to give way to passing vehicles.

At exactly 10:00am, the runners and we, the media rode a big bus going back to our meeting place yesterday, CCSC. It was a very long ride. Since I live in Talisay, the bus driver dropped me at Gaisano Tabunok. Five minutes after, I was home alas! =) It seemed like I wasn't home for the last three days. Haha I was one long and awesome adventure!

DePuy Orthopedics To Recall Hip Replacement Products

United States of America- DePuy Orthopedics Inc., a division of Johnson and Johnson has issued a recall of two major lines of hip replacement products. The company has announced that ASR Hip Resurfacing System and ASR XL Acetabular System have to be taken out from the market because of its system defects.

Orthopedic Surgeons identified that the failures occured due to component lossening, component malalignment and metal sensitivity. Moreover, they explain that the system consists of a metal socket and a metal femrol head hence, the connection is metal to metal. frequent rubbing of metal surfaces release ions and metal particles into the joints and the blood resulting to bone staining, necrosis, swelling, nerve damage, tissue damage and/or muscle damage. 

Research show that people who have these implants have a 1 in 8 chance of needing a revision surgery within five years. Patients who are utilizing the ASR are given notices that even in the absence of pain, any inflammation and body reaction can develop due to the circulation of ions in the body. They are strongly recommended to go and see their surgeon to have some tests. The end result is that a very expensive and painful replacement surgery intended to last about fifteen years ends up needing revision within two or three years. 

The recall affects an estimated 93,000 patients worldwide replacement systems in more than 29 different models of hip replacement implants.

The DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System first became available in 2005 in the United States. At the beginning of 2010 DePuy Orthopaedics said they were phasing out the ASR Hip Implant because of declining sales, but never mentioned the high failure rate data from an Australian implant registry. In March 2010 the New York Times reported that DePuy issued its first warning to doctors and patients about the high early failure rate.However at this point they still had not issued a recall of the product. In fact, they adamantly denied there was a recall and claimed any statements referencing a recall were false. In turn of the damages being made, the DePuy lawsuit will cover all reasonable and customary costs of monitoring and treatment for services, including revision surgeries, associated with the recall of ASR products.

"Their financial losses could include lost wages and they may be entitled to money damages for physical impairment, disfigurement, scarring, mental anguish or emotional trauma, and pain and suffering in the past or future," says Thomas J. Henry of Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys. Patients and health care professionals with questions related to this recall should visit depuy.com. As of August 27, patients in the U.S. and Canada can contact DePuy by calling 888-627-2677 Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. Patients in other countries can place a collect call to the U.S. at +1 813-287-1651 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A Diary of a Cebuana Cosplayer

COSPLAY, COSPLAYERS, and COSPLAYING in CEBU

For those of you who have been living in Mars since 2007, costume playing (cosplay) came to inception in Cebu that year. The aim to dress up and meet new friends opened a way to a few of Cebuano youth to cluster up and live their way of art.

Three years after, cosplay groups and organizations launched and sprouted. It bolted the small anime-dress-up community into a bigger one. While some entered the world of cosplaying because of the dressing-up and friendship, some counted in because of positive peer pressure and the existence of the groups and organizations.

Costume playing unleashes the inner child of a person as it requires an explosion of initiativeness and creativity to look totally and perhaps, exactly as one's desired character to follow.

Cosplay is booming in Cebu. Its community of cosplayers has grown largely this year. From fairly 8-15 youth dreamers and believers, the vision to live our favorite characters, usually anime, came true and turned out to become a hundred and counting.

BEYOND COSTUME, MAKE-UP and PROPS

Just when you thought that cosplay ends there. Think again. It doesn't. Costume playing doesn't end in the embellishment of an attire on a person's body. There is more to suit, make-up and props.

Once in a costume, cosplayers take the gestures, body language, and attitude of the character they represent. They look cute, angry, happy, cuddly, scary, funny, unpredictable and others. When dealing with them, expect an anime character, not a true person in other way.

At times, when I talk to my co-cosplayers, I sense that I am not talking to the real person. I am talking to the character they are portraying. I find it magical and very fun. It's funny. Being a cosplayer myself, I don't get the 'nose-bleeds' and amazements anymore but I feel a bit worried with the kids who'll approach them (most especially the monster/scary characters).

DEVELOPING ONESELF THROUGH COSPLAY

Indulging oneself in the hobby of cosplay is not only just for fun. Being time-consuming and an environmental activity, the hobby allows the youth to avoid involving themselves in unpleasant actions and undesirable circle of pals nowadays. Aside from enhancing one's confidence and critical thinking, costume playing opens a pool of opportunities in line with modelling, illustration, role playing, singing and dancing, photography, and other forms of arts.

Many have achieved great accomplishments because of cosplaying. It makes one, known and moreover, if proven, be offered for career opportunities that will take a person farther than he/she could dream of. One big thing that will make you hasten yourself in cosplay is the fact that you get exposed to different people (ordinary, media, model searchers, cosplay enthusiasts, photographers etc.) It's not about the money. It's not about the fame. It's the fun you feel when you get in the game.


COSPLAY and ME

I myself cosplayed too. My world have collided in the realms of cosplay just last year. It was a break-through to me as it opened my world to a lot of things. I gained wonderful friends, received undeniable opportunities, and much more.<

It was in November 2009 when I first went to a mall; dressed-up the way I am not me. It was very different. It felt so strange but I had so much fun. That time, I joined the competition and guess what? I won second place! For the curious, I cosplayed Traxex from the World of Warcraft.

Thankful and happy of what I got in the game, I continued the hobby that which improved myself. Here are other fictive characters I cosplayed that followed in the next cosplay events that came along the calendar.

Ontonashi Saya of Blood +

Being a first-timer in cosplay occasionally makes one to follow characters wearing outstanding looks and styles. I'm not part of the sort.

When you're new to the hobby, in the first moment that an idea pops out of your mind that you'll be joining/attending a gathering is the word 'simple'.

Nobody would want to go wrong in their first-time experience so one wants to play safe and good. As for me, I thought of cosplaying Otonashi Saya from the hit japanese anime show Blood +.

The attire is simple and quite easy to make, I got cut off with the equipment the character possesses though. The Katana was pretty difficult to make but good thing I have a woodworker friend, who answered my help and made the weapon of no charge.

Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland

Cosplay doesn't limit its world in anime. It covers everything that is followable. It may be bounded from the oldies toy characters to the modern personalities in techy movies.

With the thought of stretching the line in Cebu Cosplay, I thought of coming out of the scene as Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. I conducted a photoshoot and it went well.

A female can cosplay a male character and a male character can cosplay a female character. In cases like these or case like in mine, Me, a girl cosplaying a boy is what you call costrip. It's not always that a boy cosplays a male character and vice versa because it's not all the time wherein guys like male characters and the other way around. Anyone can costrip but mind you, it needs a little more confidence acting the opposite way you act in the real world and during the competition.

It did went hard. Since the character had so many colorful fabrics on skin and wore several blingblings, I had to find and make up the attire from anything I had. Big thanks to a impulsive friend who helped me go over with the pictorial.

Red Empress
If you are not into anime/Japanese stuff, you may have not noticed that the character is not in any media.


Red Empress is actually an original character which I created out of borrowed wig, rented clothes, and purchased footwear.


When you want to cosplay and you have limited resources, you have to squeeze your creative juices to figure out the best you can make out of what you have.


At times when you roughly get what you desire to perfectly follow, you have only one choice; go for an original character (OC). Understood by the name itself, original character is a character created by oneself. Usually in competitions, OCs are not allowed to join but are given acknowledgements in coming up with the role.

to be continued...

MY COSPLAY DIARY is a series of write-ups about Cosplay, Cosplayers and Cosplaying in Cebu. Originally written by me, you can read it all for free. The upcoming parts will be posted soon so stay tuned! CONNECT with www.adventurouslei.com to get an alert on the continuation of this article.


header photo credits : Maki Kazagami & Joebert Cimafranca

Tentay Food Sauces

The Kitchen Helper

Being a mom is the toughest job in the world. It is somehow a collection of work into one. You have to check, care, remind, wash, clean and most of all, cook. Mothers want the best for their family and will do everything to make sure they get it. Good thing there is Tentay Patis. For more than 60 years now, it has been helping moms in the kitchen, show that great food like great love is all about trust and the right recipes.

Whether a working mom who spends most of her hours in the office, or stay-at-home domestic goddess, the root of motherhood is most basic: providing loved ones with the best care one can give. Perhaps this is what makes Tentay Patis the favorite partner in kitchen preparations all over the country.

The most rewarding moment in motherhood is when you see your children and husband enjoy the meal you've prepared, once appreciating the long hours spend preparing, cutting, mixing, boiling, and sautéing. The kitchen is what makes a home more than just a storage facility for furniture, and a dormitory to sleep in ever night.

Tentay Patis is the only Philippine brand that passedthe strict Japanese standard in sodium benzoate, with not more than .005% or near zero preservative reading, qualifying it easily for the U.S. Regulations on fermented foods.

It's no wonder that Tentay Patis is a kitchen tradition passed down from mother to daughter. Moms know who to trust when it comes to their loved ones' well-being in food preparation. If home is where the heart is, the kitchen is definitely its warmest and most special space.

Always use the best and the safest product when it comes to cooking for the family and you'll never go wrong. Try new dishes, be creative in recipes, and add more zest to your cooking.

Tentay Patis is available in all local leading supermarkets and is distributed in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, US, Hawaii, and Guam.

Tentay Food Products

Tentay Patis

Patis is the major product line of TFSI. The company boasts of 50 years experience in perfecting the fermentation and over-all production process to guarantee the highest standards in fish sauce preparation.

Patis is a healthy alternative to and equally matches the use of ordinary table salt. Patis sauce has less of the ’salt’ but more of the flavor and aroma that makes favorite dishes even more tempting.

Tentay Patis comes in three types: The Tentay Patis 100% Pure Guaranteed All Natural Fish Sauce. The Tentay Special Fish Sauce and The Tentay Flavor Fish Sauce.

Tentay Fish Sauces comes in different sizes from an econopet bottle of 350ml to a 20 liter pet-jug to suit the needs cf a greater number of users.

Tentay Banana Ketchup

Tentay Banana Ketchup comes only from the freshest, ripe bananas so Tentay Banana Ketchup’s sweet, tangy taste remains consistent in every bottle.

Tentay’s concentrated banana sauce comes with Tentay’s specially prepared vinegar and spices to capture the unique banana ketchup flavor both adults and children love.

Tentay Banana Ketchup with its sweet, tangy taste comes in 330gm to 4 liter bottles to suit the needs of various types of consumers.

Tentay Vinegar

Tentay Vinegar is fast becoming a favorite table condiment and cooking sauce in Filipino kitchens.

Tentay Vinegar comes in two types – TentaY Nipa Sap Vinegar (Sukang Paombong) and Tentay Cane Vinegar. Both types of Tentay vinegar are naturally fermented

Tentay Nipa Sap Vinegar is made from pure, naturally fermented nipa palm sap of the Philippines. Tentay Nipa Sap Vinegar is without preservatives.

Tentay Soy Sauce

TFSI takes its world-class processing technique that lowers the salt content in fish sauces a step further with soya beans. TFSI has two types of sauce – Tentay Soy Sauce and Tentay Soy Sauce Gold. Both sauces comes only from select soya beans.

For Tentay Soy Sauce, the soya beans are not only fermented but also hydrolized. The process combines both fermentation and hydrolization ensuring a flavorful sauce that is not too salty and even a bit sweet with a unique, delicious aroma when mixed with cooked food.

Unlike other soy sauce, both Tentay Soy Sauce and Tentay Soy Sauce Gold comes in a consistent dark brown liquid has the body, the sweet-salty flavor and aroma that comes only from the choicest soya beans.

Tentay Spiced Vinegar

Tentay Spiced Vinegar is a unique blend of specially aged Philippine nipa sap, black pepper, the choicest chillies, garlic cloves and onions.

The result is a unique vinegar sauce that livens up all types of dishes both as a dip and even as a mixing and cooking sauce.

Tentay Spiced Vinegar offers the convenience of high quality nipa sap vinegar minus the hassle of selecting and combining all the necessary ingredients to transform ordinary table vlnegar into a unique food condiment.

Tentay Calamansoy

Tentay offers a popular soy-lemon mix often hand-prepared and found in various kitchens and tables.

Tentay Calamansoy is a combination of naturally fermented soy sauce with fresh lemon juice extract.

Tentay Calamansoy is very convenient to use compared to the tradilional way of squeezing lemons and mixing the juice to a few drop of soy sauce to liven up the taste of dishes as a dip. Tentay Calamansoy is perfectly prepared with just the right mix of soy and “calamansi” (a known philippine lemon). Calamansoy is fast gaining popularity both as a cooking sauce and as a table sauce.

Tentay Sweet Chili Sauce

Tentay Sweet Chili Sauce is a viscous hot and sweet sauce with visibie tidbits of freshly ground chili peppers.

It is made only from the choicest chilies to ensure the perfect blenci of spiciness and sweetness only fresh chilies can bring.

Combined with Tentay secret spices, Tentay Sweet Chili Sauce, with chili bits showing, is fast becoming a popuiar product that captures both the ketchup-and-hot sauce users seeking a better and more convenient way to spice up their meals.

Tentay Fishball Sauce

TFSI changes and directly addresses the needs of its consumers as their taste buds and culinary preferences change. One sauce that has quickly gained popularity is the fish ball sauce. It is the preferred dip to fried, hot “bola-bola” (fish balls) most commonly sold by street vendors and snack bars, now readily available in local grocery stores and supermarkets for retail consumers.

TFSI has even gone a step further from locally producing the first commercially available fish ball sauce. It offers three popular varieties of fish ball sauce – Sweet & Light, Sweet & Spicy, and Sour & Spicy to suit the varying tastes and preferencs of a wider range of consumers.

Give the best love you can and cook up a feast with Tentay Patis. For delicious recipes and complete details of the company's history, visit www.tentaysauces.com

photo from google images