profound bliss

The best giant lanterns come from Pampanga. And since it’s the Christmas season already, the most awesome lanterns will be on display as the Giant Lantern Festival 2013 kicks off on December 2, 2013. Pampanga is a little far from Manila, and if you’re going to watch the competition on December 14, make sure to go there early to avail of tickets. You might end up traveling far only to watch on TV screens. Here’s the Schedule of Activities: December 2 Flag Raising Ceremony and Unveiling of Schedule of Activities, City Hall CSFP, 8 AM Press Conference, City Hall CSFP, 10 AM December 2-5 Inter-Village Christmas Decoration Competition, CSFP, 6 onwards December 6 Lantern Parade Competition (Elementary and High School), High Blvd. CSFP, 6 PM December 14 Giant Lantern Festival Competition, Robinsons Starmills, City of San Fernando, 6 PM December 15 Giant Lantern Exhib...

U.P. Diliman University Student Council presents U.P. Fair 2013, a week-long event held at the Sunken Garden featuring concerts, shows, fair booths, bazaars, etc. Here’s the schedule of events: February 12 : Bulkantahan – Unang Pagsabog Para Sa Pagbabago (Iuvenis Orbis Geological Fraternity) Performances by: Parokya ni Edgar, Gloc-9, Spongecola, Silent Sanctuary, Ebe Dancel, Never the Strangers, General Luna, Hijo, Dong Abay and the Tanods, Join the Club, SAMARIA, Flying Ipis, Gaijin, Slapshock, Giniling Festival, Segatron, Hoodlum, Candycandy, Bad Hair Day, SUCKETSEVEN, Wasted Sopas, Dragon, Milky Summer, Naraia, Slickfinger, Jerry Something, CLandestino’s Manuscript , Kaya, From the Author, Half Way Out, Brickcity, The Squibs, Sheenola, Idioms and Disposition, Joop, Strands of Autumn, FIJ, Maxine Jarantilla February 13 : Kontrakultura II – Marked for Love, Marked for Destiny(UP Students of Destiny) February 14 : Roots – Music and Arts Festival(UP Underground Music Comm...

After the New Year (and my birthday), I now look forward to the pyromusical which happens February to March for quite a few years now. I haven’t been able to complete all the shows in each year because it’s really hard to reserve a number of consecutive Saturdays for that (kunyari busy). I was only able to watch one show every year, and I promise to watch more shows this year. After all, eleven countries are competing this year, with the Philippines (not included in the competition for being the host country) to show off at the finale. The 4th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition 2013 Schedule: February 16, 2013 Japan - Tamaya Kitahara Finland - Oy Pyroman Finland Ltd. February 23, 2013 Taiwan - Yung Feng Fireworks France - Intermede Artifices March 2, 2013 United Kingdom - Jubilee Fireworks Ltd. South Korea - Hwarang Fireworks Inc. March 9, 2013 Italy - Ipon Fireworks S.R.L. The Netherlands - Royal Fireworks March 16, 2013 ...

U.P. Mountaineers is inviting enthusiasts to its annual applicant’s orientation with a catchy message on its poster that says: “Freedom from mass climbing is freedom for the mountains.” I couldn’t agree more. The annual applicant’s orientation will be held on July 6, 2012 (Friday) at 6 PM at the U.P. Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman, Quezon City, and on July 7, 2012 (Saturday) at 7 PM at R.O.X Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. For more information, you may contact upmountaineers.35years@gmail.com . You may also call +63 927 799 0889 or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/upmountaineers . Follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

Join the 5th Gov. Damian Gaviola Mercado Tour de So. Leyte 2012 Road Bike Competition on June 24 and 25, 2012. There are two (2) categories namely the Open Pro and Category B/Executive. Each team for both categories should have four (4) members. Prizes for the Open Category: 1. P25,000 2. P20,000 3. P15,000 4. P10,000 5. P5,000 Lap Winner: 1st – P1,500 2nd – P1,000 3rd – P500 Prizes for the Executive Category: 1. P20,000 2. P15,000 3. P10,000 4. P7,500 5. P5,000 Lap Winner: 1st – P1,500 2nd – P1,000 3rd – P500 You may register at Silago Gym on June 23, 2012 at 4:00 PM for a fee of P1,000. For more info, contact Dr. Wency Rich at 09177211787 or Jonas Gorgonio at 09179280264/09493926670. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

Ballet Manila and Manila Broadcasting Company present World Stars of Ballet featuring Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Ballet Manila. It is going to be held on June 8-9, 2012, 7:30 PM, at the Aliw Theater in Sotto St., CCP Complex, Pasay City. Gracing the show are Yolanda Correa of Norwegian National Ballet, Paloma Herrera of American Ballet Theatre, Natalia Kremen of The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, Daria Pavlenko of Mariinsky Theatre, Aleksandra Timofeeva of Kremlin Ballet, Maxim Beloserkovsky of American Ballet Theatre, Yoel Carreno of Norwegian National Ballet, Dmitri Gruzdev of English National Ballet, Yevgeny Ivanchenko of Mariinsky Theatre and David Makhateli of The Royal Ballet. This event is for the benefit of the Project Ballet Futures. Tickets are available at TicketWorld (891-9999) with prices at P2,000 (Diamond), P1,500 (Gold), P1,000 (Silver) and P500 (General Admission). Discounted prices are available when you buy in bulk. Buy 2 at full price and you ...

Ozine Fest 2012 is going to be held on April 13-15, 2012 at the Megatrade Halls 1 & 2 of SM Megamall. There will be Battle of the Bands, Anime Figure Photoshoot Contest, Horror Booth, Karaoke Contest, Art Contest, Indie Artist Booth, Eating Contests (yes, your read it right) CosPlay Competition (of course!) and a lot more. For more info regarding the event, you may visit www.ozinefest.com or www.facebook.com/ozinefest . Follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

I was supposed not to do the Alay Lakad this year in exchange for a pilgrimage in Mt. Maculot, but I remembered I made a vow to do it every year so I crossed out that mountain in Cuenca from my agenda to walk to the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage for the third time. ( Click here to view my Alay Lakad 2010 post or here for the Alay Lakad 2011 post .) Melford and I left the house at almost 10:00 PM on Maundy Thursday, April 5, 2012. We originally planned to take a bus to Ortigas but buses were rare and there was already a large crowd gathered at the bus stop, presumably all going to Antipolo. We decided to go to Pasig instead and start walking from Simbahan ng Pasig. Mepot, who was doing the Alay Lakad for the first time, was overwhelmed with the amount of people going to Antipolo when we reached Ortigas Avenue. Most of them were in groups, some were with their families that included toddlers, while some were with their significant others, holding hands while wa...

The Manila International Auto Show was held at the World Trade Center from March 29 to April 1, 2012. Car enthusiasts of all ages flocked the venue especially on the last two days which fell on weekends. I went there with K, my climb buddy, last Saturday afternoon. And we picked the wrong day cuz a religious organization held its alay lakad on the same afternoon, causing traffic in the complex. It was a fun afternoon, though, the luxury cars were real feast to the eyes. Top car brands that participated were Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Porsche, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Chevrolet, BMW, Subaru, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota, Mitsubishi and much more! But while others went there for the cars, some got more interested in the models. What took away my attention, however, were the vintage cars that were so taken care of they looked brand new. And this, for me, was the winner: Follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

In line with the celebration of Women’s Day, All Terra Cyclery together with Women's Health, 99.5 RT and San Mateo Sports and Tourism Council presents the Women’s Mountain Bike Clinic. It will be held on March 24th at the Divine Mercy MTB Park in Guitnang Bayan I, San Mateo, Rizal. Learn the basic mountain biking skills to enjoy trail riding better, be able to race faster and even smoke past some guys in the pack. For more details, visit or call: San Mateo Municipal Tourism/HRD Office Secretariat Municipal Hall Bldg. Gen. Luna St. Guitnang Bayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Tel. # 570-2072/584-8361

Earth Hour 2012 is coming near, and everyone who loves the planet should participate. I’m sure everyone is aware, in one way or another, how devastated the Earth is. Pollution, barren mountains, climate change – just a few of the adverse effects of our high demands for living and the clamor for new technology. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to turn off the lights for one hour, and it’s quite more exciting this year because more countries are participating. From its inception as a single-city initiative -- Sydney, Australia - in 2007, Earth Hour has grown into a global symbol of hope and movement for change. Earth Hour 2011 created history as the world's largest ever voluntary action with people, businesses and governments in 135 countries across every continent coming together to celebrate an unambiguous commitment to the one thing that unites us all -- the planet. But then again you can go beyond the hour to show how you care for our only home in the vast space called the...

After the Lucy Hale meet and greet at SMX last Saturday, I headed to the Seaside Blvd. of MoA cuz I was supposed to meet my friend Jonget to watch the first Pyromusical this year with. It was actually the first time I would be shooting fireworks with a DSLR and I haven't tinkered with the camera much so I expected fail shots early on. I didn't buy tickets since the SMX event ended at 6-ish and I knew the sea wall area was already full. Aside from that, I was still waiting for my friend and it would be so hard to meet inside the ticketed areas. (It happened to me and my sister two years ago.) I watched the show beside the shawarma stand near the Ferris wheel amidst the crowd that would like to watch the Pyromusical for free as well. Anyway, the show ended without Jonget showing up. The last I ate was lunch, but I didn't want to eat alone so I went home with a grumbling stomach. I really find it hard to eat alone in public places on a crowded day. Sitting alo...

Lucy Hale, star of the television series Pretty Little Liars , was at the SMX yesterday courtesy of Bench. She's the newest endorser of the top local brand. She's cute, bubbly, almost talkative. Fans knew she could sing and was asked if she'd be releasing at least a single soon. She said there are plans, but refused to sing a line or two when the audience shouted "Sample!" She's so accommodating, even kind, and has no superstar attitude (at least from what we saw on the stage). She signed the shirts of the Facebook winners, had photo ops with the Twitter winners, signed autographs, and answered questions from the press and bloggers. Tim Yap hosted the event which started at 5 PM (instead of the announced 4 PM). And because I haven't been to an event like this that started on time, I arrived at 4:30 PM. :D But before Lucy Hale went to the stage, the audience was treated to a mini-fashion show. Pretty female and male models paraded in front of...

I was at Pepeton's Grill yesterday for the Valiente Bloggers Event. It seemed like ages when I last went to that part of Quezon City. It made me nostalgic of the time when I was still writing novels, traveling two long hours via ordinary bus with a printed out 120-page manuscript inside my bag, holding it like a newborn child. I went with Jun. The invite said 2 PM. We arrived at 2:30 PM. The event started around 3:30 PM. We left exactly 5 PM and Jun was a little nervous because he still had a presentation to make at 5:30 PM. From Mother Ignacia, he had to travel all the way to McKinley where his office was. I actually don't know what happened because we still haven't talked since after the event. LoL! They gave out these cute Valentine cups as a token for attending the event. V daw kasi could mean either Valiente or Valentine's. The above photo was taken by Jun. He's supposed to be my videographer but I kinda knew he would get the DSLR from me once...

The Best of Anime is an annual event for anime fan. After its successful debut last year, it is now one of the much-awaited anime event in the country. The Best of Anime 2011 happens on September 17-18, 2011 at Function Rooms 4 and 5 on the 3rd level of SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. This event is organized by Primetrade Asia in association with the Manila International Book Fair. For more info on this event, like The Best of Anime on Facebook . Likewise, you can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

How would you like to play NBA 2K11 on a 100 square meter screen? Creativeworx Inc. will kick up the heat this summer by bringing PLAY BIG – a one-of-a-kind event where virtual athletes and fighters can have a larger than life gaming experience on May 20, 21 and 22, 2011. The CCP LED board, which measures 100 square meters, will be the screen for participants as they play NBA 2K11 using PS3 as their console. This is the first time in the Philippines that a screen this huge will be used for a gaming event. The press release: Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and Derrick Rose… on a 100 square meter screen! Yes, we’re kicking up the heat by bringing you PLAY BIG, a one-of-a-kind event where virtual athletes can have a larger than life gaming experience. Convert those NBA semifinals woes and joys into your very own epic tournament by playing NBA 2K11 on the giant LED board beside CCP. Show off your skills, wow the crowd, and get a chance to win Php10,000 plus your very own PS3 consol...

The Alay Lakad from Ortigas to Antipolo Cathedral is a yearly thing for many. It wasn't my kind of thing before, finding it silly and nonsensical. It was a form of repentance as well as sacrifice to commemorate the suffering of Christ. But I knew only the minority of those who do have the true intentions. I knew it's better to just go to church or read the Bible and ask for forgiveness of your sins through sincere prayers, than to show the world you're doing a pilgrimage just for the purpose of showing off. I must admit I did the Alay Lakad last year just for the fun of it, but halfway through the walk, I realized sore feet and aching leg muscles make you more in touch with what Jesus Christ had to go through to save us. Not that we had to go through the same physical pain like those who choose to be nailed to the cross, but a little bit of pain makes your faith stronger (at least in my own experience). We were still in Antipolo last year when I made the vow to do...

Went out tonight to buy tickets for the Pulp Summer Slam happening this Saturday, April 30, 2011. Quite excited. I'm going with my friend Bryan and my niece and her fiancé. But no, I wasn't the one who payed for all four. I'm not that kind :D I promise to be extra careful this time. I lost a cellphone at last year's Pulp and I don't wanna lose anything this year.

I was at the e-Games Domination V last April 2. I arrived at SMX around 4:00 PM while the Shure Band was performing. The band was the 2nd place winner of the battle of the bands during the R2D5 NCR leg. The event was hosted by Eri Neeman and two other girls I didn't get the names of. SMX was packed but I think there were more attendees last year. Well, correct me if I'm wrong but I could barely roam around last year. Or was it just the floor plan this year that made it seem more maluwang ? There were computers for free play but the line was oh-so-long. I just busied myself with watching Ran Online's "Flip Top" challenge in the game's booth. The last two standing battled it out on the main stage. The judge was no less than Gloc9, who confessed that he doesn't freestyle himself. He just chose the one with better construction and rhyming. The one in black, named Gabby(?), won the battle, while the one in red, I guess, will be dubbed "Yo!...