Thanks for 2017, Hope 2018 is Better

In Miracle on 34th Street, Kris Kringle sent a shopper to a rival store when the store he's supposed to represent could not meet her needs. While I have encountered people in the service industry who've done the same, nowadays, they're a rare species. It's usually company first, customer second.

A stark contrast to the CSR I've mentioned in my post a month ago (He who insisted that their system is perfect. Dude, my brother is a computer programmer. He handled bank systems of countries, plural, all at the same time. He gets tickets at 3AM. I think he is in a better position to tell anyone that no system is perfect.) are the CSRs from PLDT who've been contacting me and my sister's numbers. They're pleasant to talk to, not pushy or bossy, do not sound bored, are not too chirpy either.

There were also these CSRs from Globe Telecom and another from The Generics Pharmacy. The one from Globe gave me the benefit of the doubt when others would have suggested that it was my fault. She walked me through to how it's possible that my data subscription got consumed so fast, no accusing tone, no air of detachment. Just concern that I have lost data.

Meanwhile the CSR from The Generics Pharmacy showed initiative after I messaged a query through their facebook page. It was just a question but this CSR put two and two together then took it upon himself to resolve our problem without any prompting and without me telling him initially what our problem was. It was the first time I've encountered a CSR like him. This person genuinely cares about the customer. And so because of him, we have been buying my mom's monthly meds from TGP.  If how this CSR handled our situation is company policy, I feel confident I'm buying meds from a company that got our backs.

I do wonder how the sales of Sanofi products are doing now what with the Denvaxia controversy. But then I don't think a lot of people check labels for the manufacturer in as much as they do check the price.

2017 was pretty much a repeat of 2014 for me and the family. It was health crisis after another and being victimized by people. After 2014, I'm not as afraid of things I could not see as I became aware that people are more capable of inflicting pain, with twisted reasoning to boot. Or without, trip lang. Still scared of demonic possession though. 2014 was not a really good year, so much so that I gave up writing by 2015 and had not been as active on social media. With 2017, I was, "why should I give up things I enjoy doing?" I'm not going to mope around. Okay, maybe a tiny bit.

So thank you to everyone who has made 2017 a less than bumpy ride for me and my family. Wishing a better 2018 for all of us.

Baked Treats and Goodies for the Holidays

For a few years now, our dining table and refrigerator, especially during the holidays, have been laden with baked goods and sweets, boxed or pre-packaged ones you would often see in bazaars or during Christmas gift giving at work.

My brother and his wife, their day jobs in the telecom industry notwithstanding, have been flexing their entrepreneurial muscles for some time now, reselling food items like chicharon (Chicharon capital Sta. Maria, Bulacan is just two municipalities over where we live.) and said baked goods and sweets. We are only too eager to taste test and provide feedback.

clockwise from left: Pines brownies, Aiza's Sweets marzipan, Pines butterscotch, Chocovron polvoron, leche flan

Aiza's Sweets Marzipans are yema bonbons with generous slivers of cashew nuts. This is my sister's bet. Because she is nutty. Kidding.

Chocovron Polvoron is actually a brand of  polvoron with inventive flavors like malunggay, sometimes coated in chocolate. They're really good.

I am not sure of the brand of the leche flan but this one's a winner. This milky creamy flan is coated in a generous caramel sauce. It does not have the gelatin-y taste some flans have. Said flans use gelatin to hold them upright and keep their structure. There have been flans with fancy flavors like strawberry cheesecake and cookies and cream which have come out but this simple unadulterated flan will remain as our favorite.

Herbs and Beauty Shampoo with Rose and Chamomile Calming Essence Review

Some time ago, after a nasty argument with a (ping) CSR over their system malfunctioning/getting hacked thus putting me and my family at risk and gleaning through our conversation that they have little love for people who join their online club/group and that they do not care at all about what you think about their products, given that they have no regard for reviews (I am beginning to suspect that their replies on their fb pages are canned), I felt like flushing all the (ping) products we have in the house in the toilet. Didn't go through with it. Used them to clean the toilet instead. To think their products were house staples. Well not anymore.

So since I am staying away from (ping) products forever, I've been on an adventure to try other products in the market.

Herbs and Beauty Shampoo is a little known shampoo brand from Personal Collection, a direct selling company. It's not readily available in physical stores. I have a feeling though that this is where we are heading now. Due to traffic, people are finding it more convenient to buy stuff online, from neighborhood stores, people they know who also sell stuff or from people who visit their office or house.

Trip to Divisoria: Tips, Tricks, Hacks

It's that time of the year again when all roads lead to Divisoria, a shopping mecca in Manila, Philippines. For most, it's the place to go when you need budget-friendly gifts for inaanaks and Christmas decors. Most teachers and their families go to Divisoria to purchase items for the class Christmas party loot bags and prizes.

Here are some tips, tricks and hacks we have gathered from several trips to Divisoria over the years.

eco bags

What's Inside the Cream Silk Transformation Boxes?

You know something is afoot when you see beauty products being sold at almost half price at the drugstore you frequent. Especially if said product is from Unilever. They've done it before with Pond's products. I hoarded that time, enticed by the price off and fearful at the same time that the products I've been using would be discontinued or the new formulations would not agree with my skin. It was the middle of 2017 when I stocked up on Cream Silk Daily Treatment Conditioners as they were being sold at P75 off.

Kenny Rogers Garlic Butter Roast, Healthy Eating and Another Fastfood Horror Story

I believe Kenny Rogers Garlic Butter Roast is better than their Classic Roasted Chicken. It's juicier and much flavorful. Or maybe it's just me needing a break from the Classic Roast. Classic Roast has a tangier note than the Garlic Butter Roast. Sissy approves of it and she's not into garlic anything. And it comes with baby potatoes. Garlic Butter Roast is not really a new product as it had appeared in the Kenny Rogers menu before.

clockwise from top: healthy plate, solo meal a, combo meal 2

Yes, we're back to eating chicken.

Over lunch, our friend's treat, we talked about healthy eating (healthy eats being one of Kenny Roger's come-ons) with friend relaying that she eats small portions every two hours as her doctor and a nutritionist friend had recommended. Healthy food, mind you. I brought up that my mom's and my aunt's cardiologists have advised against drinking too much coffee. One suggested decaf. Friend frowned that it's not the same. I told her with instant coffee (not those 3-in-1 stuff), I could not tell the difference in taste. Though, can somebody recommend an instant decaf which does not melt and harden in a coffee container easy? I think we agreed that it's better to watch what we eat but not stress about it. Have dessert and junk food now and then.

I don't really strictly monitor what I eat. I even like a lot of food items one's not supposed to be eating (like innards). I'm skinny and underweight. I don't eat too much. Still, I'm one of those people who seldom get sick. I'm aware that it's not a barometer for being healthy, though. My recent tests showed that the only thing off with me is my blood sugar and my head ct scan.

That's the messed up thing, isn't it? You have managed not to get sick for some time or you make sacrifices to keep yourself healthy, stick by the rules, give up indulgences then suddenly some other person or company effs your life up. And they are not nice to you about it. They leave you for dead.  Like my dad says, "You follow the rules of the road. Then you get into an accident because the other driver or the pedestrian did not."

Since Halloween is fast approaching, here's another fastfood horror story (more in my other blog) for y'all.

We were at a nearby fastfood joint once when we saw this chicken being roasted fall off the spit over at a quick service restaurant. We called the attention of the service of crew of said QSR. It took a looong time before someone picked up the chicken. We could only hope they didn't serve the thing to their customers. Nevertheless, it also took a looong time before we ate at that QSR after that incident.

Daiso Rich Coenzyme Q10 Moisture Lotion Review

Those looking for a review of Daiso Rich Coenzyme Q10 Moisture Lotion, here's one I have written years prior but has not had screen time because of things.

Daiso Rich Coenzyme Q10 Moisture Lotion is a moisture lotion with Coenzyme Q10. I got it to go with the other anti-aging skincare products I have been using because I have seen a couple of drugstore products that have Coenzyme Q10 as their key ingredient. Like the Nivea Visage Antiwrinkle Q10 plus line. Other ingredients in the lotion are water, butylene glycol, glycerin, dipropylene glycol, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, ubiquinone (this is the conezyme Q10), phellodendron amurense bark extract, citric acid, sodium citrate, disodium edta, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben.

Ariel Power Gel with the Freshness of Downy Passion Review

Suddenly, mom was convinced that powder detergents leave residues that damage the washing machine. Hence, we got into liquid detergents, starting with Ariel Power Gel with the Freshness of Downy Passion.

In the Philippines, people use powder more than liquid detergents for machine-washed clothes. Could be because it's what we're used to. Could be because of the sucky water supply system in most areas. One simply couldn't get a fully automatic washing machine without considering water supply. Ours is a semi-automatic twin tub which I hope to review next time.

Since it was a trial run, we got sachets. I would use a sachet for 20 pieces of clothing. Normally it's a scoop of Ariel Antibac laundry detergent (powder form) for that wash load.

Ariel Power Gel with the Freshness of Downy Passion is not really in gel form. It's more like a thick light red liquid. It does not bubble up as much as powder detergents. It's not as drying on one's hands as the Ariel Antibac.  The latter leaves a sticky sensation on my hands. Not Ariel Power Gel.

While Ariel Power Gel left our clothes smelling better than Ariel Antibac, I believe that its cleaning ability is just at par with the latter.

What I don't like about Ariel Power Gel is that it weakens cloth fibers. Nakakarupok. I ended up with several damaged shirts and house clothes after using it. It has happened before with the Ariel Antibac but gradually. With Ariel Power Gel it was boom! Holey clothes, Batman. From a shirt pilling to my.trusty tank top tearing as I rinse it to my favorite house dress ripping as I move while wearing it. In its TV ad, it claims to keep the colors of clothes from fading. Unfortunately, because it abrades cloth fibers, the prints become splotchy.

So I guess we will be skipping Ariel Power Gel with the Freshness of Downy Passion next time we make our supermarket run.  Lint is a given, but finding bits of cloth at the bottom of the washer  is not the kind of residue we're expecting.

SM Bonus Bacon, Bird Flu and Super Mega Companies Who Care Only About Themselves

In recent months, I learned the hard way, like a blow to the head, that some massive companies would save their asses first and not take responsibility or show/express remorse/regret for the pain, suffering and distress they have cost you and your family.

Because, really, these premier companies and most of their employees only care about the company. They do not care about you. They may show that they supposedly care via foundations and CSRs but that's all there is to it, for show.  Besides aren't they enjoying tax perks with those foundations? Aren't they getting media mileage with those CSRs? While not very popular giant companies have been donating stuff /helping out without fanfare, these gargantuan companies are all about hype. When it comes to dealing with individual customers, well, you're just a speck to them. You're nothing. Most of their employees will protect the company. Never you.

We're a couple of kilometers from bird flu ground zero. So to be on the safe side, the family has refrained from eating chicken, quail, chicken and quail eggs and other products that have chicken and quail eggs (like bread) a couple of weeks ago. Never mind government agencies saying it's safe already to consume them. Like our two barangay ambulances are anywhere around when you need them.

Back to mammoth companies, I bet they will tell you that it is hard to prove that the only chicken you've consumed is their chicken even if you have the receipt as proof. Because, hey, you were okay when you left their establishment and it's only a few days later that you're not feeling well and in that span of time a lot of things could have happened. They will tell you their product / system is perfect. They will insinuate that something is wrong on your end when clearly the evidence points to them as culpable. As what most complainants have pointed out: would we make a complaint, risk ridicule, take the time, spend the money, show proof, if we are at fault?

Abstaining from chicken isn't really hard especially if you're into seafood. 'Sides, there are a lot of yummy foods out there. Like bacon. But not this bacon.

SM Bonus Honeycured Bacon tastes like bacon that's been soaked in water first. The bacon taste barely registers.  It barely smells like bacon either. Some of the slices even look like ham or are a tad too thick. Sayang P230 ko.

Anyways, what's that other word for big? Super Monstrous is just about right.

Avon Kate's World Pretty Magical and Pretty Rockin Body Spritzes Review

Although generally I am into citrus scents, I do believe life is too short to live for just a signature fragrance. I tend to switch fragrances depending on where I am going, the season and if it's night or day. I find Fragrantica a very useful guide in determining whether the scent I have is better for cold or warm weather. See, some scents can be suffocating or do not linger as much if used when the temperature is all wrong.

Since it's the brrr months, I'm now using the last few mls of Avon Kate's World Body Spritzes which have been with me for a couple of years now. Sugary, creamy Pretty Magical and Pretty Rockin smell strong initially, taper off then barely there by the time I take my mid-morning/post dinner snack.

Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotions

In the tropics, mosquitoes are a year round nuisance. While they multiple fast during the rainy season because of stagnant water everywhere, there seems to be a lot of them invading homes during summer. I guess it's partly because they wouldn't have trouble evading raindrops while flying. Also, mosquitoes tend to zero on sweaty people and of course summer = sweat. I've also noticed that there tends to be more mosquitoes in an area where there's construction work.

Generally, it's the itchy discomfort of mosquito bites which would make me slather on insect repellent lotion. But then there are the other much more frightening diseases that should make one more vigilant against mosquitoes: Japanese encephalitis (which was in the local evening news recently due to several cases being reported in Region III), dengue, malaria to name some.

Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotions repel day and night mosquitoes. They're hypoallergenic. Another plus point is that they provide 99.9% antibacterial protection the same number of hours they shield you from mosquitoes.

Anna's Salted Egg Potato Chips

Salted egg potato chips are said to have originated from Singapore. In the Philippines, salted duck eggs are often sold painted red so you can differentiate them from ordinary duck eggs. They're already boiled so you can immediately eat them with rice after peeling off their shells. So I was a bit surprised that salted duck eggs in Singapore have yet to be boiled. They're raw. My brother already told me about this so I didn't made the mistake of spilling the yolk and albumin when I cracked the shell of my first SG salted duck egg. I am not sure if raw salted duck eggs are available in the Philippines. Would have made making salted egg potato chips a lot easier. There's already salted duck egg powder, yes, but fresh is still best right?

Johnson's pH 5.5 Body Washes Review

Spot.ph say it's a tita thing but really who doesn't enjoy a nice bath?

I don't feel like a tita but I am literally one since I have nephews and a niece. Still, I am part of that group that hangs on to stuff that may be deemed for the younger set. I'm not letting go of my stationeries. Same with some skincare/bath products.

We often equate Johnson's and Johnson's or Johnson's products with babies but some of their products also work well for us older folks. My mom uses Johnson's Baby Shampoo, the yellow one, for cleaning her eye lashes as recommended by her doctor. My sister likes their baby powders. Me, I'm for their body washes and lotions.

For years now, I have been using Johnsons's pH 5.5 Body Washes on and off: Johnson's pH 5.5 Nourishing Body Wash with Honey, Johnson's pH 5.5 Nourishing Body Wash with Almond Oil and Johnson's pH 5.5 2 in 1 Body Wash with Moisturizers.

All three Johnson's body washes have a pH of 5.5, the same pH of healthy skin. According to a diagram at the back of the Johnson's pH 5.5 Nourishing Body Washes bottles, normal soap has a pH of 10, soap with moisturizers pH 7.3 while normal shower gels pH 7.3. Pure water has a neutral pH, 7. From what I've gathered  from this post by Women's Health Magazine, our skin has a pH of 5.5 and it is generally best to get skin care products which has this pH to keep the skin's pH level at 5.5. Skincare products with too high or too low pH affect our skin's pH level, causing skin irritations. Too high is too drying, resulting in wrinkles. Too low and you get oily skin.

Silver Vine Powder - Daiso Find for the Cats in your Life

The cats have demanded I write about one of their favorite kitty treats or else they would climb my window screen every night and meow incessantly until I lose my mind. Oh, wait that's what one of our new cats, Bandit, has been doing for almost a month now. Crazy cat thinks screens are scratching posts. Yes, I am now naming our cats after Neko Atsume cats based on their fur color.

I first learned about silver vine powder from Lady E. She mentioned in a post a cat scratch pad available at Daiso. Said scratch pad comes with powder to be sprinkled on it. At Daiso Trinoma I found this.

The magical, fun-times inducing powder. Cat Silver Vine Powder.

Inexpensive Meals at Amelito's Grill and Sizzling House Plus Unli Rice, Soup, Gravy - Food Thrift

The uproar on the net in the last couple of days following alleged plans to ban unli rice should be enough of an indication that Filipinos love rice. While Mang Inasal may be synonymous to unli(mited) rice, there are other restaurants and eateries that cater to the Filipinos' penchant for this meal staple.

With a branch at Albatross St., Francis Subdivision, Pandayan, Meycauayan, Bulacan, Amelito's Grill and Sizzling House offers unli rice, unli soup and unli gravy with its super affordable grilled meats and sizzlers. The entrees are served on a sizzling plate with a scoop of buttery rice, a bowl of nido soup and another of buttery gravy.  Pay additional for softdrinks or iced tea. The meals do not come with them but you can ask for water.

And you can have as much rice, soup and gravy as you want, just signal the servers and they will give you a refill. No it's not a rice, soup and gravy buffet where you can just go to a table and take as much as you want. It's Mang Inasal unlimited (rice) not KFC unlimited (gravy). IMHO, having someone serve refills is better to avoid wastage. The servers during our visits have been attentitive and kept the refills flowing so while there was control, no scrimping was happening.

Green Cross Hand Sanitizers: Total Defense Antibacterial Sanitizer/Hand Spray and Sanitizing Gel

In the Philippines, although classes start in some schools and universities in January and August, the school year usually starts in June. In some schools, students, mostly those in elementary levels, are required or encouraged to have a hygiene kit. You know, for them to be able to observe proper hygiene, for emergencies (usually the bathroom kind) and to prepare them for when they grow up and the hygiene kits evolve into kikay/grooming kits. Hygiene kits usually include toothbrush, toothpaste, alcohol or hand sanitizer/alcogel, soap, comb, tissues, face towel and extra clothing. 

Green Cross may be well known for its alcohols but for years now they have been carrying sanitizing gels and antibacterial sanitizers/hand sprays.

While most alcohol ingredients are just water, alcohol (ethyl or isopropyl, 70% or 40%), sometimes fragrance and rarely a moisturizing component, most hand sanitizers contain the last two plus other ingredients to keep their form and for additional benefits. This is the reason why they cost more. Hand sanitizers are not simply alcohol.

Daiso ER White Medicated Cosmo Whitening Milk (Emulsion) and Essence Review

When I went off the grid about two years prior, a lot of stuff I have written for the blog didn't get posted. I decided to post this review since I have been seeing Daiso ER White Medicated Cosmo products being sold online.

Years ago whilst in SG, I ran out of facial care products and since I happened to be at Daiso IMM then, I decided to get some there instead of Watsons / Guardian. Before anyone freaks out about the thought of using a dollar store product on one's face, I have used a couple of Daiso products over the years and haven't had a problem with them. Also,  I trust Singapore to be stringent in regulating cosmetic products. Also, this is Daiso, not some store selling counterfeits. It was a good time to try facial care products I haven't tried before.

Chowking Halo-Halo Ingredients

The local weather bureau has declared the onset of the rainy season a few days ago. Before we say good bye to clear skies and flood-free streets at least for now, how about chasing the last summer heat with a bowl of Halo-Halo?

Chowking Super Sangkap Halo-Halo & Milky White Halo-Halo

Halo-Halo is a cold sweet treat of milky shaved ice topped with sweetened fruits, beans and/or confections such as flan and purple yam paste. It's somewhat similar to the Korean bingsu. One of the more popular version of halo-halo is that of Chowking, a local fastfood chain whose identity used to be Chinese, now a mix bag (Bring back congee!). The popularity may be partly due to the fact that there's a Chowking branch in almost every municipality in the country. And because the blend is just right.

I've come across a post on a thread in Chowking's facebook page identifying the ingredients and the amount of each that goes into Chowking's Super Sangkap Halo-Halo, the current version of Chowking's original Halo-Halo. The earlier version had garbanzos and kaong, I believe. J K Osano indicated on his facebook profile page that he works at Chowking. Of course, like everything posted in the net, best to take this with a grain of salt.

1 Tbsp pandan jelly
2 pcs langka (jackfruit)

1 Tbsp langka (jackfruit) syrup

3 pcs (I think he meant slices) saba bananas + banana syrup 

1 scoop macapuno (sweetened soft coconut strings)

2 scoops ube (purple yam) paste 

1 ladle bean mix

1 Tbsp red sago (tapioca pearls)

leche flan (milk flan)

milk mix 

pinipig (toasted flattened glutinous rice)

(not mentioned but it's there just the same)

shaved ice

ube ice cream 

There were no instructions on how to layer or which ingredient goes first then next. I guess it's also up to us to figure out what's in the milk mix and ube paste. Or how to get the right tastes of the syrups.

Now there are two halo-halo variants in the store. A few years back, Chowking introduced its Milky White Halo-Halo which seems to be it's answer to Razon's Halo-Halo. It's much simpler than the original Chowking halo-halo. The Chowking website lists sweetened saba bananas, macapuno, leche flan, custard pudding, pimipig and caramel as its ingredients. Unfortunately, there was no mention on ingredient portions for this Chowking halo-halo in the thread on the Chowking facebook page.

SM Marilao Hydro Summer Spree Marred by Line Jumpers and Inept Security Guard

SM Marilao held a Hydro Summer Spree last May 20. Every P1000 purchase, single or accumulated entitled a customer to a ticket. A ticket allowed you entrance to a waterlogged but not foam sprayed (by nightfall) inflatable obstacle course and maze.  There were slides, swings, beams and slippery slopes. There were five giant inflatables: four obstacles and a maze. We only got to try three of the obstacles and those we tried were arranged by increasing difficulty. Ten persons were allowed inside the area at 15 fifteen minute intervals. Your group's 15 minutes are up once you heard a whistle blown. You can queue and enter repeatedly.

There was also a foam party at the other side of the parking lot where a band played.

Foam pool. No foam mounds from the foam machine yet.

Here are takeaways from our first Hydro Inflatable Obstacle Course/Maze experience. Of course, the next Hydro Party could be different.

1. SM Marilao is deleting comments that recount negative experiences on its FB Page. Check how many comments there are in one of its posts on the Hydro Summer Festival. Where are all those comments? Where is the second comment in this screengrab?

2. Go there early, really early.

- So you could go through the course again and again and again.
 
- So you could enjoy all the inflatables. By around 1030PM, they have already packed up one.

Packing up one of the inflatables.

- So you could enjoy the full fifteen minutes. We were among those who had to exit the course once we completed it. We were only allowed to go through an obstacle once unlike the lucky ones who managed to get in at 9PM and earlier.

- So you wouldn't get grossed out by the smell. Granted, only one inflatable stunk. The maze, by the time we entered it, reeked of poop.

- So you wouldn't have to line up for hours.

We were there at 8PM. We got in at 11PM. We stood in line for 3 hours. While finding the end of the line, there was this girl about three quarters more to go telling someone on her phone that she's been in the queue since 4PM. And it's already 8PM. Why the hold-up? THERE WERE LOTS OF LINE JUMPERS. As we were nearing the first curve near the entrance, the people behind us were already complaining that there were people cutting into the line. We weren't moving as much as we should have. Some were cutting into the line by intimidating people with their size and basagulero attitude.

And then, as we were nearing the entrance to the course,  these punks decided to cut in front of us. Their style was to sit on the chairs near the entrance, let people who noticed them go forward and then cut into the line of people who haven't noticed that they didn't fall in line or thought that they were with the earlier group.  SOME PEOPLE LINED UP FOR FIVE HOURS AND THESE LINE JUMPERS WERE GETTING IN IN 30 MINUTES AND LESS. So we went in front of them and my sister asked the girl who was in front of us through 2/3rds of the queue (those who were initially in front of us decided to quit after 2 hours of lining)  if they were with the punks. They have different auras so we were sure they weren't together. But we needed confirmation. We are thankful to her and her group for sticking out for us. She told off the punks that we were behind them in the line. One of her companions seconded looking at me. "Di ba ate kayo ang kasunod namin?" A girl in the punk group countered that they were in line first and that some people cut into their line. My sister countered that then they should have called out those people and not cut in front of other people. The line curved, leaving out the punks. The people who were behind us all throughout the queue followed us. They and those within hearing distance with what was happening voiced their dissent at what the punks were doing. Apparently these punks have been seen cutting in line several times.

But the punks were answering back so I went to the security guard in white uniform at the gate and told him what was happening. He shouted something towards where I came from about bawal sumingit. Cutting into the line is not allowed. I was not listening to his exact words because I wanted him to go to where the commotion was. Hindi daw sya pwede umalis. He can't leave his post. Believe me, I know this rule. It's in our CAT manual. I was thinking: but it's okay for you to leave your post if you're bringing YOUR chosen people into the maze/obstacle course area that are not ahead in the line. Palakasan lang? Earlier he had escorted 3 people in who were not ahead of us. They were in soaking attire not personnel obviously. Earlier still, another person was able to get in ahead of everyone else and when the girl who was in front of the line asked, the security personnel in black who was at the gate said it was because kulang pa. They hadn't completed ten. Huh? And you didn't bother calling out if there was someone ahead in the line who'd like to go instead? Also there's three of them security personnel at the entrance, none of you can be bothered to scare the punks? Guess why these punks have the guts to cut into the line over and over.

The solution of the security personnel in black was to move the line along. Ten people were let in and we were left in front of the line. White uniformed guard asked us how many we are. When we told him, he told the security personnel in black to let us go in as well. Wow. We're not in hurry to get in. We were able to wait three hours, what's a few minutes? We just want what is right and just. Of course this was all in my head because then I might get thrown out for making a scene. It was like we were at fault for bringing up the matter to him. If he's gonna reason he did it to protect us, while we were there, THE GUARD IN WHITE UNIFORM SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE LINE JUMPERS TO MOVE TO THE END OF THE LINE. HE DID NOT.

The security personnel/guards should have cracked down on these line jumpers. They should have been vigilant, be the one to spot these party poopers and ask them to go to the end of the line or go out. People who call these punks out run the risk of being gang upped on once they went out of the area. The organizers should have posted a rule about cutting in line. They could have given out numbers at the entrance. The crazy lines and learning what caused it took the fun out of the event.

3. The attire requirements were not followed at the time we were there (night time). Of course no one wore dresses, skirts, jeans. But there were people who wore cotton shirts and denim shorts who got in without a hitch. Also, don't go in your swimwear if it isn't a rash guard.No one was wearing swimwear.

4. Aqua shoes are the only footwear allowed in the inflatables. You can go barefoot. You can leave your slippers beside each of the inflatables at the risk of them being slipper-napped.

5. Bags are not allowed into the inflatables, only ziplocks and waterproof pouches. But your hands should be free. How would you climb or hold on to that rope swing? Unless you've done these before no hands, just teeth and feet. You can take turns guarding your bags though.

6. There were 3 showers in the area. But by 10PM, only one was running.

7. There were portable toilets. At 8PM they already stunk.

8. There were male and female changing tents. Each tent does not have any dividers to afford an individual privacy. Also, at night, silhouettes of people changing can be seen outside.

9. There were food kiosks inside the area sectioned off. If you're not picky, these could tide you over but you can also have someone from your group get something to eat from the mall. Such a shame that the mall was open only until 9PM.

10. The motorcycle parking lot was open until the last motorcycle left.

11. There doesn't seem to be an age limit. There were people around forty going through the inflatables, kids about four going through the maze.

12. It's tough climbing a wet slope. The technique is not to go on your knees but to hold on to the sides then climb, digging with your feet. But then where's the fun in that? Go tumble and roll over.

13. The maze would be much more enjoyable if someone was at the entrance controlling the number of people in, letting a group in with intervals of a minute. What happened was a line from entrance to exit with no one getting lost.

14. After showing our tickets at the entrance to the queuing area, our arms were stamped with the hydro summer spree logo. However, our arms were not checked at the entrance to the inflatables. They would just count ten people per interval. People can easily enter the queuing area since it isn't cordoned properly off the rest of the parking lot. Draw your conclusions from that scenario: accessible queuing area, no checking of people entering.

No one was directing people where they would go next between the second and the third inflatables and the maze. We went to the third installation from the second and ended up at the exit of that inflatable.

There was one other person who made the experience a bit enjoyable for me. The manong who supervised this installation above was really friendly. The woman at the first installation was shouting about the baggage left beside the installation. This guy was more accommodating when left our snacks and flip flops by the installation and had shown concern as he had asked if we live nearby. Because it's already 11PM. Thank you manong.Also, the personnel inside/on the inflatables were attentive and encouraging. "Kaya mo yan ate!" You can do it. One of them cheered and helped me as I struggled up a slippery slope.

Will we line up again if there's another Hydro Slip and Slide Summer Spree Party? After some thought, I don't think we deserve the stress, trauma, the white-washing being done by SM's socmed crew, SM's inept security guard  and losing 3 hours of our lives. And a second rate band which butchers Teeth's Laklak. "Di bale nang hindi kumain Basta may BABAENG nakahain" Treating female as commodity is offensive and insulting. Di bale na lang rin.

Body in Bloom Gift Sets: Shower Gel, Hand Soap, Hand Cream, Lotion and Body Scrub Review

Body in Bloom Cupcake Treats in Sweet Strawberry
Body in Bloom Blueberry Cheesecake
Body in Bloom Ice Cream Treats in Vanilla Sorbet

Body in Bloom products are available at Watson's and at the beauty section of SM department store.

The Body in Bloom gift sets are made up of shower gel, body scrub, body lotion, hand soap and hand cream.The containers are held in place in the box by adhesives, the mouths of the bottles sealed with foil. The tubs have foil over them but are not sealed. Ingredients as well as blurbs at the back of the box for an item in each set are identical except for the coloring agents and the scent.

Watsons / SM Store Beauty Section Gift Sets on Sale and Cosmetofood Wash and Lotion Review

Those gift sets being sold at Watsons and the beauty section of SM department stores last Christmas? Are now being sold by as much as 70% off. Heard about it from the Beautyjunkee. So of course off we went to track those down.

Thanks to her we managed to score the following gift sets at 50% off.

Cosmetofood Wash and Lotion in Hawaiian Orchid, Lemon Verbena and Japanese Cherry

Kao Feather Nature Plus Shampoos Review

Over the years, a lot of mainstream shampoos just disappeared from the local market. Rave kept my hair in place (it was like it has spray net or something) but also gave me dandruff. Clairol Herbal Essences smelled so divine and tamed my hair. You can still find them in a few supermarkets, only in the imported section. Then there were Kao Feather Shampoos which I couldn't recall much of, except the name.

Apparently Kao Feather Shampoos are still around, only in other countries. Brother and sissy-in-law sent a couple along with other stuff in their last balikbayan box from Singapore. They live in Australia now.

Feather Nature Plus Shampoos and Conditioners, claim their labels, are with 100% natural ingredients, supplement hair and nourish scalp for healthy and beautiful hair from the inside.

About the Scallop Primo Pizza

Dear Shakey's Philippines,

Shame on you! It's not cool to mislead your customers. I'm talking about your Scallop Primo Pizza radio commercial. The one with the cat of course. Is there any other Scallop Primo Pizza radio commercial out there? I fully expected after calling to have a Scallop Primo Pizza delivered, that as soon as I put my phone down, something magical will happen. But no. MY CAT DID NOT TALK TO ME! DID NOT TALK! She just sat there and proceeded to clean her belly. And to think I'm pretty sure she's been meeting up with the neighbor's orange cat. I know because she would ask to be let out same time for a couple of nights already. She would not talk about it. Let alone give me a name. So I'm stuck referring to her bae as the neighbor's orange cat. I want details of their escapades dammit!

Cat Flip-fluffs

It was inevitable that the merchandise gods would finally give in to us mortals and come out with cat-themed cat stuff, things with cat prints, things that celebrate all things cat, following the popularity of felines online.

The last quarter of 2016 saw Havaianas and Ipanema churning out flip-flops with cat prints.

Local flip-flop brands Banana Peel and teen sibling Nutmeg are way ahead of them. They have long been pleasing cat lovers like me with flip-fluffs with cat designs. From cat prints to cat pins. If you are a fan of cats living in the Philippines, you should always check their racks in department stores and their stand alone stores. Stalk their online accounts. Banana Peel has a mainstay yet evolving Hello Kitty collection, has offered a cat-themed flip-flop collection dubbed Catastrophe and as I have mentioned, has an occasional cat printed flip-flop wandering at their displays.

National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao Bulacan

If you're in Metro Manila or north of the capital, here's a place you can visit during the holy week or when you need a spiritual escape or intervention or just about anytime you feel like it. The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao, Bulacan could be the haven / spiritual retreat you are looking for. People go there during holy week usually for the way of the cross. Others go there to meditate and reflect all throughout the year.

There have been stories of devotees who miraculously healed from their ailments after making a pilgrimage to the place. Others believe in the healing powers of the water streaming down the walls of the man-made cave and grottoes. So much so that the people at the Church had put up signs limiting the amount of water one could take to one gallon. When I first read that I was like, how much do some people take? A pail? Isn't that kinda heavy? Do they bathe in those? Hmm, maybe they do.

Father Vic Robles, who used to say mass at the school I went to, is largely responsible for the Divine Mercy Shrine in Marilao coming into being. There have been instances when we would go to the shrine as a class.

As a kid then a teen, the place was wondrous. It was nothing like any church I have seen. It was labyrinthine with lots of nooks and crannies to discover. And before I get accused of being there just for sightseeing, please, I know I took faith and religion way more seriously than other kids my age at that time. I was far more religious then than I am now. Sadly.

We used to go to the Divine Mercy Shrine during Lent and for the annual Feast of the Divine Mercy on the 2nd Sunday of Easter (the next Sunday after Easter Sunday). The last time I have been to the shrine was three years ago so the pics below are that old. The place has undergone several developments over time.

At first it was just the open air altar and courtyard with log pews, wishing well, waterfalls, grottoes and the church with its man-made cave aside from a few structures:

Church facade. Note the staircase on the side which lead to the lofts.

Two Places For Yummy Take-Away Food Near Jed's Island Resort: Betty's Native Cakes and Aling Rosa Nita's Pancit Malabon

I'm keeping this short (shorter than my usual, heh.) and sweet much like these yummy goodies we had when we went to Jed's Island Resort. It's a good thing the resort does not impose a corkage fee on food and drinks and allows patrons to go in and out the resort. Mom thought our provisions that day were lacking so off she and my brother went to nearby Calumpit Market which we passed by along MacArthur Hiway on the way to the resort from Malolos. Near the market were stores offering Betty's Native Cakes and Aling Rosa Nita's Pancit Malabon.

The Banana Cue Camote Cue Turon Ambulant Kid Vendors of Pandayan and Meralco Village

If you really live in our subdivision, you would have an idea who I'm talking about. And this could be used as a test by barangay officials to know if someone who claims to have lived in the neighborhood for sometime is telling the truth. Have them call out "Banana Cue, camote cue, turon" the same way as those kids do.

I am irked when some kids (yups they're kids being kids but that does not stop the grating in my ears) would imitate how they call out their wares in a sing song voice just for fun.Or when some people would pretend that they're customers, call from within their gates then leave the kids waiting there only to realize later that they've been pranked. Okay, so I'm not exactly happy either when the same things happen to other ambulant vendors.

Here in the Philippines, if people would like to buy something from an ambulant vendor, they would shout out the name of the ware or service the vendor has been calling out. I've never been comfortable with this custom. I kept thinking, they're people, they're not  things. But that's how it is isn't it? Without knowing anything about them other than their familiar face, voice, wares and services, I guess they will be defined by the wares or services they are offering. Asking for their name seems obtrusive and may freak them out but that's what we did with our suking manong magbobote. Calling out "manong!" or "miss!" would get you stares from just about everyone.  Same goes with "psst!", "hoy!" and clapping ones hands, which I feel is a bit rude. So when I hear a vendor calling out, if I need something from them,  I would make sure I'm out in the street before they pass by our house.

Looking for Caronia Nail Polishes Diva, Peach Blossom and Chinese Rose Frost

These are among those which I will be looking for at the nearby mall tomorrow where it's day three of its bi-annual three day sale:

How to Get Rid of Head Lice Plus LiceAliz Review

Summer is upon us and with it insect infestations: from mosquitoes invading our homes at night, to ants gobbling up anything they could (they seem especially fond of foam!), to head lice (kuto) suddenly nesting on hair.We recently had to deal with the latter after my sister's students took her comb from her bag and used it, all without permission. And since my sister and I tend to lie on our aunt's bed, all three of us were acting like monkeys, scratching furiously at our itchy scalps by the end of the week. Nits or head lice eggs (lisa) were the giveaway that it was not dandruff that afflicted us.

Did not expect a blue colored shampoo.

So how did we free ourselves from these pest? Based on our experience, these are the things we recommend you should do.

How To Get a Busted Lamp Post Fixed, Meralco Serviced Area Only

If you live in a Meralco serviced area and there's a busted street light near your place, you can take matters into your own hands rather than leave your fate to your barangay / community leaders. Get in touch with Meralco to have it fixed rather than go through the trouble of reporting it to your leaders who are sometimes too, ahem, busy that you are left in the dark for months, so to speak. Of course, if there's a barangay / community rule that states that you need to get in touch with them leaders, then do so then skewer them if they don't act on it as fast as you'd like by stating that you could have gotten in touch with Meralco in the first place if not for their rule that somehow removes power from you and transfers it to them.

Lights only. They can't help you with the floods. Or can they?

Here's what to do:
1) List the lamp post number. It's an alphanumeric combo attached to the post and not to the light fixture.
2) Message Meralco on facebook or twitter. I prefer contacting them through facebook.

Jeepney Fare Computation for Metro Manila, Region 3, Region 4 as of February 2017

Minimum fare's back to P8 from P7 for jeepneys in Metro Manila, Region 3 and Region 4. However, fares for exceeding kilometers remain the same or will not increase given that when minimum fare went down to P7 last year, fare for exceeding kilometers did not went down by P1 but remained the same.

from LTFRB twitter page

Food Thrift: Ramen Daruma

have yet to add dark ramen broth

I learned of Ramen Daruma while watching the evening newscast. I was then reminded of it by my sister-in-law who saw a feature on it by Korina Sanchez, a newscaster on another TV channel. After checking online for store hours and location, a cold clear Saturday night saw me and my sister hunting the ramen cart at 11th Ave Grace Park, Caloocan. From the Monumento LRT station, we head on foot towards Our Lady of Grace Parish. That's through Rizal Avenue then left at the street where there stands a Mang Inasal branch. It's one of the food carts along a row of other carts at the side of a Mercury Drugstore. A woman carrying a plastic bag with four styrofoam bowls clued us that we were near the place.