I'm going to Manila this November to attend some functions, have a few meetings, and for a little bit of vacation. I want this trip to be a bit different. Instead of coffee shops, malls, and the usual places I go to, I want to go to unique places. Binondo The first time I went to Binondo was sometime 2005 or 2006 with my cousin. We had joined a walking tour. I was fascinated by the temples, old houses, and old buildings. I also enjoyed the food and the other sights that I saw. Kuya Andrew, several friends and I went to Binondo for another walking tour in 2008. Aside from the yummy food we ate, I found walking through Binondo to be an interesting experience. I'm not really Chinese but I found the culture, the sights, and sounds to be very homey. And I do want to go back for another walking tour. Philippine National Museum People suggested that I visit museums. Silly me. I have never been to the Philippine National Museum. Not even when our History professor asked us to go there. But I do want to go. It's embarrassing to be almost 30 and never having…
Category: hobbies and interests
Alaxan FR Aray Mo, Galing Natin Promo
Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquaio is preparing for his upcoming fight with Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez. Needless to say, Alaxan FR and the entire Philippine nation is behind him and is rooting for him. With every punch, Pacquiao gives pride and honor to the Philippines. Wear your Philippine pride and support Manny Pacquiao by wearing the limited edition Aray Mo, Galing Natin Pilipinas shirts by Alaxan FR. If you're a blogger or a social media user, you can get one of these shirts by joining my simple promo. To win one of these shirts, follow these simple rules: Like the Alaxan FR Official Fan Page at this LINK. Show your support for Manny, by recording a video greeting for Manny Pacquiao for his upcoming fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on November 13. It does not have to be long or complicated but it has to memorable. Upload the video message on any online video sharing site and post the greeting on the Alaxan FR Page Wall. LINK TO THE WALL HERE. For tracking purposes, mention my blog's name "Life with Ria" on your video, either by stating it on the video or by inserting it as a caption or in…
Foot Spa at The Horizon Spa
I don't enjoy body massages and it would take a lot of convincing before I step inside a spa. My good friends Avel and Orman were able to successfully convince me to try out The Horizon Spa in General Santos City. And I had a very relaxing bonding experience with my Mareng Orman. We both decided to settle in for the foot spa. We each wore a comfy robe and picked a fluffly reclining chair next to each other. We were served some tea and our foot spa therapists began to work their magic. After some catching up, Orman easily snoozed while I watched some shows on the television set. It was a very relaxing bonding moment. Our other companions took quite a long time with their full body massages because they also fell asleep. Everybody loved their massages and were very much relaxed after the spa session. The Horizon Spa has a clean space and a relaxing ambiance, complemented by nice and competent therapists. Definitely a great place for spa addicts, and even people like me who are not so keen on getting massages. The Horizon Spa is located at the at the 2nd Floor of Tan Building, beside…
Keeping in Touch
I entered college in 1999, more than 10 years ago. Back then, I had promised to keep in touch with my friends who were going to other colleges. It seemed easy, mobile phones were starting to get more trendy and cheaper. Prepaid mobile services were just starting to get popular. But it wasn't really that easy. Subscribers from one network couldn't send messages to subscribers to other networks. Calls were expensive. Internet connection was mostly dial-up, slow, clogged up the landline phones, and was expensive. While I had a mobile phone and a relatively fast internet connection at my cousin's house where I stayed, not a lot of my friends were in the same mobile network or didn't have email addresses. I did manage to keep in touch with friends in the same network. All the time. Until mobile networks decided to charge for SMS. As for friends abroad, I sent them ecards. That was trendy back then. Haha! And yes, I did send my friend in Baguio some snail mail every now and then. LOL! Back then, I made an email group and a website for my batchmates. It was so we could keep tabs on everybody. It was…
The Script’s Breakeven
I know I said I will try my best not to be emo this year. And I'm trying my hardest. But indulge me for a moment. I am sick and it's a gloomy Monday afternoon. My friends reminded me of The Script and this song is precisely how I feel right now... (And yeah, also a bit of The Man Who Can't Be Moved.) No, a man has not broken my heart again. Not yet. Just that I can totally relate to this song. :) Needless to say, I'm still recovering from my last heartbreak and I can't help but feel like I was and still am at the losing end. I'd like to think he wasn't the best part of me, but he certainly gave me plenty of reasons to be happy about. Most of which was how much I could depend on him to be on my side. All the time, no matter what. I'm not sure if he's happy right now. Or if he's better off without me. But I'm hoping there will be better days ahead for me. And for him. Because even if our hearts didn't break evenly, we both deserve to be happy. Here's…
Bautista’s Bakak
Not content with taking majority of the awards in the 5th Mindanao FilmFest in 2009 for his film "Sandugo," Ronald Gary Bautista entered two films for the 6th Mindanao FilmFest. And once again, Bautista and his Studio Beta Productions took home four trophies. His film, Bakak gave Bautista his second Best Director trophy, the Best Guerilla Film Award, and the Best Film Award. According to the jury, composed of this writer, Teddy Co of the NCCA, and local artist Rudolph Alama, Bakak's technical excellence and innovative story-telling set the film apart and make it stand out from the other films of the festival. Bautista and his film represents the future of filmmaking in Mindanao, one that is creative, excellent, and deserving of accolades from both the critics and the viewing public. Bakak tells the mysterious events that happen when a teacher and his students enter an allegedly haunted building and not all of them survive the excursion. Through the use of a first person point of view in the story-telling, the viewer feels like he is involved in the film. While the film does not highlight Bautista's technical expertise, it shows how Bautista can excellently execute a film. The first…