Wednesday, February 25

30 Stunning Pictures of EDSA in Noir


Edsa Shrine, Our Lady of Peace (Photo from wikitravel)

EDSA, one of the busiest and most congested thoroughfare in Metro Manila, is a 23.8km highway and the longest one inside Metro Manila. It traverses the major cities of Caloocan, Quezon, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay. It is also named as C4 or Circumferential Road 4, a network of bridges and roads and the fourth beltway for Metro Manila, connecting south and north Luzon express ways.

It's economic and industrial impact can be seen with the industrial centers in the metropolis connected directly to it. Hence, it is also the most congested with an average of a million vehicles plying its route daily.

In the middle of EDSA is the MRT-3, a transport system aimed to provide alternative public transport to buses along this road and is connected to two more train lines in Metro Manila.

EDSA is named after Epifanio Delos Santos, a Rizalist, group of Jose Rizal advocates. Its name used to be Avenida 19 de Junio shortly after WW2 in 1946, after the birthdate of Jose Rizal, the country's national hero. It was renamed Highway 54, as it was thought to be 54kms long during that time. President Ramon Magsaysay named after Rizal but Rizal province resident wanted it after a Rizalista. In 1959, it was named as Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, on his birthday April 7.

It's historical relevance is the staging of two peaceful people power revolution. One was in 1986 as a revolution against the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos and his 20-year rule. More story on this peaceful revolution can be found here and here. On February 25, 1986, the revolution ended with Corazon Aquino, the mother of the current president, was put in power. This marked the return of the Philippines to democracy and the Philippine constitution was revised.

Hence, the February 25th holiday in the country, in celebration of this popular and peaceful revolt.

The second peaceful revolution was during President Joseph Estrada's short-lived reign, in 2001. The convicted plunderer, which was granted clemency by then President Glorai Macapagal Arroyo was kicked out of office through the peaceful revolution because of corruption and plunder charges during the height of his impeachment case in the Senate. More information on this can be found here and here.

In celebration of the 29th Anniversary of Edsa 1 Revolution, here are photos taken while driving along EDSA using Noir filter of an iPhone


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Monday, February 23

A Fragrance for An Ideal Man



One would always consider simplicity as a great expression of true beauty, devoid of the frou-frou and the tackiness that goes with it. A rare kind of real opulence that transcends time and joins the league of timeless classics.

Far from its supposed image, L'Homme Ideal depicts the ideal man

That simplicity and opulence are bottled in the latest fragrance from Guerlain. The idealism that comes from this fragrance is its woody base mixed with the sweet vanilla-ish notes from tonka bean. The top note reminds you of a fresh citrus-spicy impact that is pulled down back to earth with the heavy woody notes. Freshness impact is boosted by the soft white floral orange blossom.  Its distinctive opulent note is coming from the leather and tonka bean mixture.

It is very modern in construction, in terms of how the woods-citrus-flowers are flirting with each other. The sweet tonka bean made the fragrance soft and yet very warm. Even with a seemingly heavy approach, the fragrance achieved a natural fresh and light impact that turns softly heavy and long lasting at the bottom.

Ideal? It is! I am not sure though if the company tested it to be true among women, as depicted in this video.

OLFACTIVE RATING : SCENTSATIONAL (5)
RECOMMENDATION : perfect for those looking for something different and non mainstream and get some attention because of the hook it gives to those who'll smell it
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: afternoon to night
IDEAL SEASON : any

Saturday, February 21

Fun & Effective Travel Tips for Couples


Embarking on a journey with your partner?  Here are some tips to save money, time and energy without straining your relationship.

Our very recent travel to Seoul, February 2015

Plan Your Itinerary


AIRPLANE & HOTEL BOOKING
As both of you may have to take vacation leaves from work, scheduling ahead gives you enough time to free up task list at work days before the trip. Significant savings on plane fare and hotel booking is also a huge advantage scheduling ahead.

BUILD YOUR TO-DO/MUST-DO LIST
Agree on your to do list. Identify the areas, tourist destinations, shopping areas and restaurants you want to visit. You can set aside half a day or more for solo wandering. This way you can be more efficient covering more areas and doing what you like without boring your partner or worse, annoy him or her. It’s not as romantic but you get to do and see more.


El Nido, September 2014

ORGANIZE YOUR TO-DO/MUST-DO LIST
Now that you have a to-do list you may organize them on a per area basis. Daily schedule may be organized based on the different activities that can be done in a specific area or location. This way you can truly savor what the area can offer in terms of culture, heritage, history, food, souvenirs and goodies without wasting time, energy and money in the process. And from this, you can now pack accordingly.


Sydney, Australia, August 2013

TRANSPORTATION OPTION
Know how to get to the different points of interest. Download all the necessary apps to your phone to understand the wisest transportation mode. In most advanced cities, the train system is the best choice, if you don’t mind the walking distance. Since you identified your daily itinerary on a per area basis, it is a lot easier now to track how to go to that area from your hotel and back. It is also recommended to get a train card and top-up/reload on a daily basis to save money.

Other transportation modes include the more expensive taxi or uber services. However, the more rural you go, the more challenging the transportation becomes, especially in developing countries. The best source of information is the locals. Ask from hotel concierge, co-travelers, neighbors, store owners, waiters, etc. on the best and easiest way to your destination. Have them translate in their native language and write in a card that you can show to the driver where you intend to go.

PRINT EVERYTHING
Print all that can be printed – itinerary, hotel reservation, daily activities, maps, and list of food to eat. Have a picture. Don’t forget to screenshot everything and organize them in your phone’s photo app. Attach together all the items needed for that day’s activities. Include the envelope that contains your pocket money.

Tokyo, April 2014

BE FLEXIBLE
Be flexible with your itinerary. Sometimes, due to unforeseen events or your mood, there are places that you can opt to skip. If you have scheduled a trip to temples or museums located in the areas you plan to visit, chances are you will skip all the other temples after seeing a couple on your first two days. This is especially true for those who are not really after the heritage and history.

SET A BUDGET
Especially if you are a backpacker type, sticking to a budget is crucial. Always have money for the daily basic needs – transportation, meals and drinks. Also, prepare for other expenses such as souvenir shopping, entrance fees to tourist spots and tips. Buy the destination currency from your friendly neighbourhood moneychanger to get the best rates. Always bring cash. You can also opt to withdraw money using your local ATM card in the destination. Credit card is also advised but only for emergency expenses or if you plan to buy an expensive item. But these may entail additional bank charges and foreign currency adjustments.
When buying with a credit card, ask the merchant to charge you in their currency. Normally, there is now an option to charge you in your country’s currency. But this is more expensive than having the bank convert it to your local currency on your cutoff.


Hongkong, November 2014

Set Roles & Responsibilities


Here are some of the roles that you need to identify:
  1. Finance Manager – the one in-charge of making sure that the daily itinerary is within the allocated budget and keeping an inventory of all the bills and coins. You don’t want to be stuck with so many coins after the trip unless you plan on going back.
  2. Transportation Manager – the one who will manage the daily commute – what mode to take, stations to go to, and directions. He/she will be in charge of printing the maps, downloading the apps on their phones and making sure that you can go back to the hotel every night. He/she can also be in-charge of the itinerary scheduling.
  3. Diet Manager – the one in-charge of deciding what food to eat on lunch, snack and dinner. When you go to the different areas, you will be flooded with a lot of choices. One must be able to decide what to eat, unless the other one has a suggestion or a particular craving. This is very important especially if the area you will visit does not have a must-eat list. He/she will also be responsible for making sure that you have water, snacks, and vitamin supplements.
  4. Documentation Manager – most likely both of you will have individual camera phones or camera to take pictures. Whilst this can be done by both of you, it is highly recommended that one takes a picture of all the weird stuff, while the other one takes a picture of the scenes and destinations and coufies (couple selfies). This way, you get to have fun and artistic freedom on the photos and save time in the process. 
  5. Document Holder – the one who will always carry the important items – passport, plane ticket, calling card of the hotel, hotel codes, in case of emergency cards, etc.

Singapore, February 2013

Having clear roles and responsibilities allow you to have fun and collaborate on making the trip really memorable and meaningful, in a good way. As this is totally out of your daily routines, it is best to set expectation.


These are some of the tips I can share. For more tips on travel dating, please checkout www.ourtraveldates.com.

Puerto Prinsesa, September 2014





Friday, February 6

I Miss That Davao's Durian Frappuccino



This has got to be the best frappuccino I've ever had. Durian Frappuccino.

I have been to Davao several times already but all those trips were business related. Hence, I never get to see any parts of it, especially the beaches.

Gen. Douglas McArthur Highway, in front of Matina Town Square, Davao, 2009.

DOT has posted in their YouTube this video.



What do you think?  Will Davao be in your itinerary this year? Our company outing this August will be here. Shall I join? I certainly miss the durian frappuccino!!!


#VisitPH2015




Fragrance Must-Have for Valentine's



Lovers and singles out there, heart's day is fast approaching. You may be wondering what fragrances you can use or give as gift this time of the year.

As the color of this celebration is red, not to mention that it is also the color of the Chinese New Year, here are some love-themed, red-colored fragrances for you.

HUGO BOSS HUGO RED
Every bit Hugo Boss that we've loved all these years in a sweet, fruity rendition - romantically sweet that is! The fragrance starts with metallic-citrusy-spicy fragrance that screams Hugo Boss signature scent.

The fragrance continues with fruity pineapple and fruity rhubarb on a bed of sweet amber and woody tonka beans. The fragrance exudes sensuality and intensity.

And who wouldn't be in love with Mr. Jared Leto?

Ain't he hot for you to be not sensually romantic? Sige nga?!

RALPH LAUREN POLO RED
A fragrance that make you last until the early hours of the following day, this red edition fragrance from RL Polo line evokes sophisticated macho sexiness - truly alpha male of the night!

The fragrance's energy comes from the warm citrus made bolder and heavier with sweet amber and spicy coffee notes at the bottom.  There is certainly an olfactive hook here. Perfect for catching ladies (or men) out there. Great for singles who are in a prowl for the next victim of seduction and sexual escapade.

Are you in for the sexual drive of your lives?

KENZO AMOUR MY LOVE
Flirty floral fruity fresh fragrance, this sheer and light fragrance, launched in 2013, is an embodiment of a woman in love!  Its light sweetness is coming from cherry blossom, passionfruit, red currant mixed with fresh floral bouquet of rose and lilac for that soft flirty impact.

The fragrance is made more romantic with white musk at the bottom. It tells of true love and euphoria of being in love. Romantically sheer and transparent. It feels like a woman in love, wobbly on her knees and ready to fall for that man she calls her soul mate.

Maarte ba siya?

DIESEL LOVERDOSE TATTOO
Significantly on the opposite end of Amour In Love, this oriental floral fragrance is wild and wicked with its overtly sweet vanilla and creamy milk! It is made more hedonically interesting by mixing citrus mandarin and bergamot, as was done with Manifesto L' Elixir. But this one is darker, heavier, sexier.

The fragrance is made more interesting with white floral bouquet of orange blossom, rose, and jasmine.  What's interesting is the use of rice in the entire ensemble making it so addicting to smell.

Perfect for single women who want to party the Valentine's night away with her girl friends, minus the pressure of catching a prey for the night.  It speaks power and excess and that it provides true indulgence without the guilt!


Ladies, let's party the night away.
Images not mine. Credits to the sources of the photos.




Wednesday, February 4

The Charm of The Fifth



Photo from Fragrantica.Com

In celebration of the 5th birthday of Viktor & Rolf's very successful fragrance Flowerbomb, they launched in 2013 the La Vie En Rose flanker variant. This fragrance is truly a charm as it adds a citrusy-peppery top note to the usual ambery-candy--fruity-sweet Flowerbomb.

The citrus is boosted by green tea and mandarin and paired with spicy pink pepper. This adds a very youthful summer energy to the already very young and fancy Flowerbomb bed of red berries, sweet candy and oriental amber heart-bottom notes.

I like how it starts with a funky energetic spicy-citrus top and continues to a sweet-ambery Flowerbomb that we know and love. Although I am a bit worried with the green leafy mossy direction that intrudes in the overall pleasantness of the fragrance. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of Flowerbomb, then this is a worthy addition to your collection.




OLFACTIVE RATING : Scent Bleh (2)
RECOMMENDATION : for young ladies who need energy and funk on a summer night party
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: afternoon to night
IDEAL SEASON : summer


Tuesday, February 3

A Celebration of Vanilla And Citrus

Photo courtesy of parfumemall.com

Manifesto L' Elixir YSL, from the Manifesto line, is truly a celebration of citrus and vanilla mixture - freshly sweet, daring but subdued, soft and yet strong enough to be enjoyed.

The fragrance starts with a citrus explosion but you feel the vanilla pulling back its impact, making it very sophisticated but accessible. The white floral notes in the heart provides restraint to both woods and vanilla's heaviness. There's a slight spicy note in the base but maybe from the cashmere.

Overall, I admire the way how opposite notes in terms of heavy and fresh impacts are mixed together and how they allow the floral and woody notes flirt with the overall fragrance impact.


OLFACTIVE RATING : Sensorial Overload (5)
RECOMMENDATION : for ladies who want something more from their fragrance without veering away from the familiar citrus and floral notes that they have loved
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: any
IDEAL SEASON : any


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