On Top of the World

REP, a premier theater company is once again bringing audiences of all ages the chance to catch a retelling of timeless fairytale Beauty and the Beast which will begin on August 12 December 14 at Onstage, Greenbelt 1. This will surely be enjoyed not only by the young ones but also to adults who loves fairytales. In celebration of REP's 25th anniversary, their staging of Beauty and the Beast is this year's production of the REP Theater for Young Audiences. Cara Barredo, Alana Vincente, Jill Ita-as, and Maya Encila  are set to play Beauty, while Arnel Carrion, Jos Jalbuena, Hans Eckstein, and George Schulze will be portraying the Beast.  (L-R) Alana Vicente, Maya Encila, Cara Barredo, and Jill Ita-as are set to play Beauty (L-R) Hans Eckstein, Arnel Carrion, Jos Jalbuena, and George Schulze (not in photo) will be portraying the Beast. Follow the enthralling tale of a loving father who wanders into an enchanted garden as he takes shelter from a storm. Havin...

It is my dream to learn about French Cuisine and thinking about it is like going to a luxurious bistro with fancy wine, cheeses, and other ingredients you can hardly pronounce. Contemplating about the exceptional French and Mediterranean cuisine, how to prepare and cook makes me wonder if I could really do it. Good news, because Chef Xavier Bteh proved that it can be simple as long as we know the basics. In the  Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite Series,  Chef Xavier breaks down the basics of French cooking and divulge how easy it can be done in Filipino home.   It proved me wrong when he started sharing tips and how to cook French. Now, I agree with chef and it's true that it is simple and easy. One more information I learned is Carbonara ‒ the authentic Carbonara is not made of very thick sauce. I'll share his very simple and easy to cook way. Authentic Pasta Carbonara Half of a handful of linguini (about 80 to 120 grams) 1 peice        ...

Each one of us have a responsibility and it is not an easy task to manage our daily work for our family. Whether you're a mom, dad, or single person, this can be exhausting that may also affect our health when we take ourselves for granted just to achieve our goals. According to studies, stress is commonly caused by interrelationships, such as having to deal with work issues and family-related complications which could lead to immune deficiency when left unsolved, that might cause other parts of our body to show signs of disruption like hair loss.  Many of us could assert to that. It's like always autumnal equinox whenever we experience chronic hair fall, most especially at the time of stress. At its peak, our whit blood cells attack no less than the follicles which may cause to alopecia. What's more, anxiety could drive your mane into a prolonged resting phase, which is called telogen effluvium.  I can relate to the effect of stress that I have been expe...

Makati City, Philippines ‒ Sabrina Artadi, a true beauty inside and out has shown once again her talent in the kitchen. This is my second time to meet Sabrina and I am so amazed with her lifestyle and how she converse with people, such a very nice lady. Sabrina is a foodie who is very much into healthy cooking and fitness. Watching Sabrina talk, with her energetic and friendly personality, you will surely get carried away with her positive mood.  During the cooking demo of Sabrina's Kitchen Season 7, Sabrina showed how easy it is to prepare  quick, easy and healthy food, and some healthy tips as well – like using Extra Virgin coconut oil, sesame oil and coconut oil for cooking which brings down the glycemic effect when added on rice. For beauty, she also mentioned that applying olive oil on our face after taking a shower while skin is still wet is a good moisturizer. Boiled rosemary with calamansi is good for memory and menopausal stage as well. Maintaining a healt...

Manila, Philippines ‒ Everyday we hear news about human trafficking, violence, starvation, illnesses, homeless and many others that are heart-breaking, especially when youngsters are involved. I am so grateful to the people that I see and hear about their good deeds, dedication and courage. It is not that easy to get involved and I salute those people who dedicated their time, love and effort in helping others.  The ONE Philippines Humanitarian Award (TOP), an auxiliary project of THE ONE International Humanitarian Award, launched its searched for unsung heroes in the Philippines, that we may not know or anonymous, but are so devoted in helping others without expecting any return. TOP aspires to further their good work in recognizing these unsung heroes with a monetary reward and also encouraging the spirits and morale of Philippine residents to serve and to encourage more selfless good work, which is in line with the Rotary motto of "Service above Self".  ...

Makati City, Philippines ‒ Last July 17, 2017, I had a talk over  lunch with my co-bloggers/lady drivers at Planet Grapes. We talked about driving and experiences with the renewal of our car registration. It is sad and frustrating to know that among Asian countries, Philippines and Vietnam are the only two left that are still using manual registration, the rest they do it online. When you buy a brand new car, it is hassle-free because the first three years of registration is now being handled or processed by the car company where you purchased the car. Here comes the inconvenient part after three years ‒ the time spent going to LTO (Land Transportation Office) and processing takes time. Being a mom is not easy. We all agreed that we are happy with our role as a mother and very busy as well ‒ every minute of the day is important, time is gold.  President Duterte said that "change is coming" and he named LTO as one of the most corrupt agencies in our country. Why...

Rice is a staple food of Filipinos and our meal is not complete without it. Paella on the other hand is one of our favorite rice dishes which originated from the city of Valencia in Spain. Paella is a Valencian word which means all pans that includes the specialized pan used for cooking paella. In most parts of Spain and all over Hispanic America, they commonly use the term "paellera" for the specialized pan.  Ditto Lesaca, owner of Ditto's Paella Valenciana and Negra introduced his own version. He has no professional cooking training and was taught by his mother how to make paella. The paella recipe came from his grandparents who used to cook it for family and friends. At age 20, he made it a point to learn how to make the paella and has been selling it for 25 years now. When Ditto started making paella, he made imaginable errors ‒ too much salt, too little salt, too much broth, too little broth, burned it, overcooked, undercooked. You name it, he's don...

It's been ages since the last time I saw the real beauty of my hair. When I was in college, I've been getting nice comments about my crowning glory. It's not straight like others, but the natural fall of my hair and how easy it is to manage and style makes me more attractive. During those times, the trend is having a spiral or triangle curl and dyed with brown makes all girls go crazy and rush to the "beauty parlor" (now we call it salon). It was also the time when tissed hair with a lot of spraynet was a real fad. I had this real black hair that my friends used to tell me that I'm so lucky to have.  Sometimes, it is best to listen to friends because I didn't. I abused my hair! Had it permed, dyed and when I'm not contented with the result I go back to the parlor get a straightening service or change the color of my hair in less than a week. Then comes the birth of rebonding. Of course, I wouldn't let myself behind and not get what I want. The...

Going to a Chinese restaurant is something that I always look forward. In Philippine culture, Chinese food has been part of our lives since the time we adapted to the food they brought here a long, long time ago that even a pure blooded Filipino have a Chinese meal during occasions. I can be a picky eater sometimes when it comes to eating, specially when I know how the original recipes tastes. Of course, not just the taste, I also check on the price if I could afford it ‒ good food, good price. Here comes the great part ‒ going to Let's Chow to try their line of Chinese and Japanese fusion. Hmm, this is really interesting!  The atmosphere is simply inviting ‒ clean, wide space for every customer to move freely even if the place is full of customers, you won't feel overcrowded. Two thumbs-up to the staff who are all friendly and attentive anytime even during peak hour. Together with my foodie group, we were introduced to their in-house chefs ‒  Executive Chef S...