Christmas Decor from Scrap

My sister Jolene's class at Manila Science HS needs to decorate their classroom for Christmas this week and they need to make us of scrap materials or things that are normally thrown away already.  I can't resist opportunities like where I can express myself creatively.  Arts and crafts has always been a weakness, so I practically spent my entire afternoon yesterday researching for DIY Christmas decors, looking for materials and then getting into the actual work of putting the decor together.  Here is the outcome of our effort.

 This snowman is made from a mineral water bottle, scrap fabric for the scarf, magazine pages for the hat and the white styrofoam filling borrowed from a beanbag.  The leaf embellishment is old stock scrapbooking material I had been keeping for ages.

This Christmas wreath is made from old magazine and hard cardboard, the ribbon is made from an old mesh sponge. 

Defense & Sporting Arms Show at the Megatrade Hall

Last November 19 (Saturday), Jay, Ethan and I visited Megamall for the the Defense and Sporting Arms Show.  I am a peace loving person and seeing guns make me uncomfortable contrary to my hubby to understands guns and welcomes its use for security and protection.  When my husband told me where we were going, I honestly was not very excited and was in fact thinking of staying home.  But, my husband insisted that we all go and I figured that the exhibit may just be what I need to open my mind about arms and defense devices.

5.5 Grandmaster Cal. 38

Elektra 9mm in sexy pink.

Executive Cal. 40

Ethan having fun seeing all the guns.

The Paparazzi product line has improved through the years.
When I was in college, they used to be stiff, now they are surprisingly soft and comfortable.

This is how one can conceal a gun in this jacket.
It has pockets on each side, so you can hide 2 guns!

While the Dads are busy shopping for their guns, the kids can try out the shooting simulator.

Ethan wants to try out the shooting simulator but the line was too long.
Besides, I think he is still too small to handle a rifle.

Jethro Velasco's medals and trophies

16th Alaska Football Cup: Part 2

Nov 13 (Sun) - Last day of the 16th Alaska Football Camp.  Sadly my son and I were too late for the action, but my husband was there helping out and got these pics for me. 

The autographed shirt by Chieffy Caligdong, co-captain of Team Azkals is right now a prized possession of my better half.  He said that Chieffy was such a nice person and was very accommodating.  Kids flock to him for pics and autographs and he was still all smiles.

I learned that James Younghusband dropped by to check out some of the action but did not stay long.  He was wearing a cap, shades and a jacket, looking like he was not in the mood for any photographs. Oh well (sigh).

My husband also got a chance to have a photo with Miguelito de Guzman of ABS-CBN's "Going Bulilit."  My son knows him as Joshua from the teleserye "Noah' also of ABS-CBN.  This is the 2nd year my husband has seen him playing at the Alaska Cup.  Last year, he was able to get a photo with him too.  Well, next year we hope to see him again. 

Last picture we have is the Champion of the Girls Open Division which is Dela Salle University.

My son Ethan hoping to play in next year's Alaska Footbal Cup.

16th Alaska Football Cup

The 16th Alaska Cup 2011 kicks off today November 12 (Sat) at the Ayala Alabang Country Club fields.  Alaska Cup has been an annual event since 1995 organized by the Alaska Power Camp and Tomas Lozano, a former international football player.  Alaska cup is by far the most successful gathering of young football enthusiasts ages 7-17 years old from different parts of the Philippines.  Yup, amazingly there are teams flying in as far as Mindanao to compete in this event.

In red is my husband Jay who has been passionate in helping out at the
Alaska Cup every year whenever we're in Manila.
This photo was taken in 2010.  Will try to get fresh photos this year. 

For more info on how you can register your kids for the Powercamp and eventually compete in an event as this, check out the link below:

http://www.alaskapowercamp.com/football/about

Isabela de Basilan

One photoblogger called this Rainbow Market of Basilan

Stilt houses and boats

Mobigo

In November of last year, my son was privileged to be given a Mobigo touchscreen as a pasalubong by relatives from the US.  It is an electronic learning device with a touch screen and a QUERTY keyboard.  The keyboard can be flipped in or out depending on the need or requirement of the game.  The device is easy to use by little children. All they have to do is pop in a cartridge, turn on the device and start playing.  Most of the games are user friendly and the child can easily browse his way through the game.

Zamboanga Freeport Zone

The entrance gate to the Zamboanga Freeport Zone

When in Zamboanga City, the Zamboanga Freeport Zone is one place one can really unwind.  Compared to the congested pools I am used to in Manila, the Zamboanga Freeport Zone offered a spacious venue for picnics, swimming and relaxation.  My sister-in-law rented the Multipurpose Hall for a surprising Php3,000.  It is fully air-conditioned, with 16 beds, 2 bathrooms, a refrigerator, a sofa, a large cooling fan, a couple of monobloc chairs and a magnificent view of the pools and the lake.  The Multipurpose Hall is spacious that a large family or a big group can engage in parlour games even at night.

Medio Hotel, Zamboanga City: A Review

I lost all my photos of this hotel because of a USB stick virus.
I borrowed this photo from ph.openrice.com.  You can
check out their site for more travel infos.

It was more by chance rather than choice that we got to stay at Medio Hotel.  Our Airphil Express flight Manila-Zamboanga last October 7 was delayed for 5 hours, having us land at Zamboanga 10pm instead of 5pm.  The kind tricycle driver that serviced us from the airport led us here after finding out that our choice of Hotels and every other hotel in the city was fully booked.  When we got to Medio Hotel, I was at first hesitant given that the place did not look like a hotel at all except that it did have a reception counter.  They had only 1 room left and it was a deluxe room costing Php1,300 for an overnight stay.  We decided to take the room as I did not want us loitering the streets of Zamboanga at 12MN with a 6 year old.  Soon as we got the room, another tricycle came by with a passenger also in search of a room to spend the night.  Buti na lang nauna kami!

First impression of the hotel was really not so good.  It reminded me of the hotel Leonard De Caprio stayed in in his movie The Beach.  The staircase going to the room was dimly lighted, and the corridor was dark, narrow and creepy.  My husband and I figured that the reason this was named Medio Hotel and Restaurant was that it was still halfway to being a hotel and restaurant, because it is actually a department store.

The only photo saved thanks to openrice.com.
This is the photo I took of the room we occupied at
Medio Hotel.

Our room was located at the end of the hall.  Upon entering I felt relieved as the room was fairly good compared to the hotel’s facade.  The room was air-conditioned, spacious, and still smelled of fresh paint, the tiles seem new and the furniture looked brand new too.  There was one double bed and one single bed, a round table and 2 chairs, a closet for luggage, a dresser, a small television set with cable and a bathroom with built-in water heater which was a welcome treat for me and my son. (TV lang at maayos na banyo, okay na kami ng anak ko. He! He!) The room did not have a good view of anything.  All you see is a parking lot with a number of motorcycles parked.

Overall, I give the hotel a B- as it still has so much room for improvement especially the lobby.  The rates are reasonable and the room is fairly comfortable.  If I were in Zamboanga sometime in the future, I would consider staying at Medio Hotel again.

Trick or Treat at SM Center Las Piñas

My son Ethan making the most of the SM Center stage.

While waiting, my son and I goofed around the stage for photos.

I actually had no plans for Halloween, all I wanted was to lay in bed and sleep the entire day.  But everything changed when my son insisted that he join SM Center Las Piñas' Trick or Treat and costume contest.  On October 31st, that is exactly what we did.  We were not prepared so we had to recycle his old Halloween costume and add an anime headpiece or a phantom mask.  My son was undecided as to what he wants to be that day so we had to bring every accessory along in case he changes his mind.  My family went to the venue at 11am thanks or no thanks to the SM Information lady who said that program will start early this year.  It turns out that management decided to stick to the 2pm schedule, giving us a lot of time to loiter around.

For the child to take part in the activity by the way, one has to present a single purchase receipt worth Php500 from any of the mall establishments and 1 SM ecobag.  In other SM malls with department stores and Toy Kingdom outlets its just a Php250 purchase receipt and an ecobag.

My son on the ramp during the contest proper. 

Me with Harry Potter and Orichimaru (Naruto).

Ethan playing with his sleeping phantom pumpkin dad.

After the parade, there were some parlor games and then the costume contest which was divided into 4 categories:  1) The Cutest in Halloween costume; 2) The Most Faboolous Costume; 3) The Most Spooktacular Costume and 4) The Best Halloween Family.  We did not know what category to enter our son in so we just allowed the organizers to decide where he best fits, and he was placed in the Cutest in Halloween costume category.

My son Ethan feeling like a winner with his pumpkin lollipop.

The winner of the Best Family in Halloween costume and DTI representative on the extreme left.

The winner of the Spooktacular Costume:  The Wolf!

All the winners.  Extreme left is the Queen of Hearts (Winner of the Faboolous category).  Extreme right is The Prince (Winner of the Cutest Halloween costume)

My son did not win anything, even in the parlor games, but having the experience was the best prize every kid that joined brought home with them.  For me and my husband, my son is in every which way a winner. We sat down, enjoyed the fashion show, ate Domino's pizza while watching the Magic Show.  It was a good way to celebrate Halloween.

After the event, I took time to congratulate the SM Marketing staff who I reprimanded not so long ago because of their kapalpakan during a certain meet and greet.  That is how I am, I do not just reprimand and give criticisms, I also take time to congratulate people for a job well done. This time, that staff certainly looked into the tiniest detail of the event and came out successful.