Link

ITEM DESCRIPTION
	Medela Freestyle® Hands-free Breastpump Pre-owned Please manage your expectations.  If you are very particular about wear-and-tear, scratches, etc, you should consider buying a brand new breast pump instead of a pre-owned one.  :) *** Actual color may slightly vary from attached photo due to lighting conditions. *** Complete product features and specifications can be found at Medela's official website: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breast-pumps/463/freestyle-breastpump Selling for P10,000 Seller's Note (please read to avoid misunderstandings about this sale): This is a pre-owned set without box. Bought in the USA, so no warranty.  However, Medela Philippines will accept US-bought pumps for servicing, so if you need to have it serviced for some reason, I can give you the number. Used from December 2009 to October 2010.  Please be aware that a breastpump is used daily and regularly. This sale includes: Attractive tote bag -- in excellent condition, no damages but has some minor stains due to my putting a red paper bag into the tote; please check photos below Medela Freestyle Breastpump -- some minor scratches due to normal wear-and-tear; please check photos below Hands-Free Kit 2 bra adapters 2 replacement bra adapters - universal 2 replacement bra adapters - hook & eye Support belt & extension 2pcs 24 mm SoftFit™ breastshields -- I can provide a pair of brand new breastshields, add P900 only. Or if you think you may need a bigger size, I am also selling 2pcs 27mm PersonalFit breastshields (used for only 1 month; like new condition) for P800. Breastshield Spare Parts Kit -- I can provide a new Spare Parts Kit, add P1100 only 2 breastshield bodies; 2 membranes; 2 back caps 1 set of tubing 4 - 5 oz breastmilk bottles, lids & travel cap -- these are the bottles I have been using, so please be aware that they have been subjected to normal wear-and-tear, which include light scratching and watermarks from sterilizing Wide base slow flow nipple -- I will provide this with this sale, but please be aware that this is used (but only a few times) Rechargeable lithium-ion battery Power cord & charger -- sorry, I forgot to include this in the photo, but it is definitely included in this sale Contoured ice pack Removable cooler carrier -- some stains due to the bottles moving around in the carrier during transport; please check photos below Instructions & quick start card Breastfeeding Information Guide This retails for P28,000 at the malls and at Medela Philippines. I will throw in 6pcs breastmilk storage bags (my extras, all unused and still sealed) and some disposable breast pads. For the brand new breastshields and Spare Parts Kit, I need to purchase these for you, so please let me know before-hand if you want brand-new ones.  The advantage of getting them from me is that you will be able to use the pump right away and save on shipping costs.  ;)  But of course, you're welcome to purchase them separately later on. *** This is an authentic Medela product *** ATTENTION: I am also selling this item outside of eBay.  I appreciate your understanding in case item is sold before I am able to remove this listing.
FAQs, Terms and Conditions, and things you need to know before buying from me:
PAYMENT
	- COD (Cash on Delivery; for pickups) - Globe G-Cash (just go to any Globe Business Center to do a "cash-in" transaction) - BPI Bank Deposit - PayPal (if you opt to use PayPal, please add service charge of 3.5% to the total amount due plus US$0.50) Sorry, other payment modes are NOT accepted. Payment should be made within 3 days of winning the item-- I reserve the right to relist the item without notifying you if payment is not received within the agreed period.
GETTING THE ITEM
	Pickup Points for Philippine-based buyers: - Makati CBD: Philamlife Tower Lobby or Starbucks Insular Bldg (located at Ayala Ave. - Paseo de Roxas Intersection) - Greenhills area - Mandaluyong City: Puregold Shaw Blvd, Cherry Foodarama Shaw Blvd I can accommodate meetups at Rockwell Power Plant Mall, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Robinson's Galleria, The Podium or SM Megamall.  No handling fee for this item.  No other meetup locations, sorry. Due to the nature of this item, I prefer and recommend that you pickup or schedule a meetup with me (only at the locations mentioned above) so you can inspect the items for yourself to avoid any misunderstandings.  I have tried my best to cover as much detail as I can in the photos provided, but pictures can only show you as much detail as the lens can capture.  :) Shipping: - Philippine buyers: Item is delivered directly to your doorstep by a local courier (I ship via Xend.  LBC is their shipping partner.  If neither one covers your area, we can arrange to utilize other couriers.) - International buyers (buyers living outside of the Philippines): Sorry, but this item is not available for non-Philippine residents. Shipping fee of P120 within Metro Manila, P150 for outside MM and P175 for Visayas and Mindanao.  I ship within 48hours after confirmation of payment (except during weekends, holidays or bad weather).  Kindly note that our local couriers have a delivery period of 1-3days from the time I drop off the item with them.  Shipping insurance is optional, but recommended-- add 1% to total.
DISCLAIMER: All items are sold on an "as is" basis, and described as accurately as possible in the Item Description. If you need to ask any question about the item, kindly ask BEFORE you place a bid. For any clarifications in the Item Description, etc, feel free to ask me!

ITEM DESCRIPTION

BABY BJÖRN Baby Carrier - Synergy - Black *** Actual color may slightly vary from attached photo due to lighting conditions. *** Bought from Mothercare at around 10K.  Selling for only P7,500! Provides vital closeness between you and your child. Correct position for your child. Physiologically correct position for your child’s legs and arms.  Adjustable, stable head support. Secure support for your baby’s head and neck. Can be folded down allowing your older child to be carried facing forward. Easy to put on and take off. All adjustments are made from the front. The front section can be opened fully, allowing you to lift out your sleeping child without waking him or her. Maximum carrying comfort. Stable lumbar support provides comfortable support for your lower back. Wide, padded shoulder straps distribute your baby’s weight evenly over your back and shoulders. Breathable comfort for both you and your child. The 3D breathable mesh effectively wicks away heat and moisture. This unique material has been exclusively developed for BABYBJÖRN. Grows with your child. The practical sliding buckle makes it easy to adjust the baby carrier’s size to your growing child. Easy portability. The practical storage bag kept in a pocket on the inside of the baby carrier can hold the whole baby carrier.  Breastfeed-friendly. You can breastfeed your child without removing the baby carrier. Easy-care. Machine-washable, 40˚C. Wash in a gentle, bleach-free detergent. Dries quickly after washing.  From newborn (3.5kgs) to 12 kgs. Perfect for use indoors and out. Seller's Note (please read to avoid misunderstandings about this sale): This is slightly USED (once only) -- I have a big baby and we hardly went out with him during the first few months, so I only got to use this once.  I would have liked to use it longer than I did, but my baby was already 10kgs by the 6th or 7th month, so we really didn't get to use this anymore. *** This is an authentic Baby Bjorn product *** PAYMENT - COD (Cash on Delivery; for pick-ups) - Globe G-Cash - BPI Bank Deposit Sorry, other payment modes are NOT accepted for this item. GETTING THE ITEM Pickup Points for Philippine-based buyers: - Makati CBD: Philamlife Tower Lobby or Starbucks Insular Bldg (located at Ayala Ave. - Paseo de Roxas Intersection) - Greenhills area - Mandaluyong City: Puregold Shaw Blvd, Cherry Foodarama Shaw Blvd I can accommodate meetups at Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Robinson's Galleria, The Podium or SM Megamall for a handling fee of P100. If interested, please send me a message!

One of the best things about having your own place is that you get to be master (or in my case, mistress) of your own kitchen.

Ever since getting married, I'm finally able to pursue one of the things I enjoy doing: COOKING!  Since I now do my own groceries and know exactly where all my ingredients and spices are kept, it's easy to stroll into our kitchen and come up with something new for dinner.  I have a picky eater for a husband, who likes differently cooked foods during every meal.  This means I CAN'T cook a whole casserole of a certain dish for dinner and then expect him to want to eat it for lunch the next day or the day after that.  We don't like microwaving our food too much either, so I have no option but to stock foods in the freezer in just-enough-for-two portions and figure out what kind of dish to cook for the next meal.  

However, the advantage of this is that I get to experiment with different types of cuisines.    Admittedly, the taste doesn't always turn out the way we want it, but so far I haven't made any disastrous gastronomic experiences.

Tonight, after spending a lazy day at home, I thought I'd try to make baked salmon for dinner.  Something light for a change.

Now, the real challenge here is that whenever you bake something, it usually takes a lot of work because

1. You have to make sure that the meal is still flavorful, which is usually difficult for baking since you can't add spices or herbs to the dish once you put it in the oven
2. You have to make sure that the meal is cooked just right, which is again, difficult because you can't see whether or not the dish is done cooking inside the oven (taking it out and checking and putting it back in is a serious no-no in my book-- you interrupt the cooking process when you take it out from the heat .  You won't be able to tell if you under- or over-cooked until it's done.
3. Baking usually means your dish looks plain-- so you have to come up with some sort of side dish to "enhance" your presentation and make the meal look more appetizing.
4. When baking seafoods, you have to make sure it doesn't end up tasting "fishy" (what the heck is the english equivalent of malansa???) without overdoing the herbs/spices.
   

Anyway, this was my first time to make ANYTHING baked, and I really didn't want to grill or fry the salmon (such a waste!).  As I didn't have any recipes on-hand for a baked salmon dish, I decided to play it safe and try to replicate the taste from restaurants without any special breadings, coatings or sauces.

The verdict from my husband on first bite: WOW.



Our salmon was quite flavorful, without being too salty.  It was not overcooked nor dry, and was flaking the way properly-cooked fish should be.  There was no fishy (malansa) aftertaste, and each bite melted in our mouths.  Also, my chosen sidedish of homemade mashed potatoes matched quite nicely (I wanted to go for asparagus as a side dish, but was too lazy to go out for groceries, hehe).

So for all adventerous cooks out there, here's my easy-to-make recipe.  Should you decide to try it out, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!  :)

BAKED SALMON

• 2 salmon steaks, approx 500gms total (I bought Cold Storage vacuum-packed salmon steaks) -- slightly thawed (as in soft and pliable with a bit of hardness in the center) if you have them frozen in your freezer  :)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon extract / concentrate
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• aluminum foil
  

1. Mix olive oil, lemon concentrate, garlic, basil leaves into a bowl.  Use a fork for a well-blended mixture.
2. Add salt and pepper until the flavor is just the right mix of tanginess for you (yes, I kept tasting this marinade while I was making it-- the way it tastes now should be almost the same as the final result, so make sure it's not too salty or too peppery).  Set aside for 10minutes so that the flavors from the garlic and basil mix with the olive oil.
   
3. Prepare the aluminum foil-- the size should be cut large enough for you to entirely wrap the salmon steaks.  Note: wrap the steaks, not just cover them.
4. Pre-heat your oven.  I used an ordinary toaster oven for this, so I believe that the preheat temperature is 350 degrees?
5. Place the aluminum foils on a plate, and coat the salmon steaks with your mixture.
6. Fold the aluminum foils in a way that any drippings won't leak out while it's cooking.  You can pour any remaining mixture with your salmon before closing the foil over it.  Note: do NOT overlap the foil too much, your foil should wrap around the salmon just once with a slight overlap on top so that no part of the salmon is exposed.
7. Place them in the baking tray and put them into the (toaster) oven.  Cook for 15mins.  Once oven turns off, leave the salmon in the oven for another 5-10mins before taking it out.

Carefully remove the salmon from the foil and place on a plate.  Pour the drippings over the salmon and serve!  Garnish with parsley if you feel decorative, but all those bits of basil and garlic should already make it look appetizing, hehe.    Eat and enjoy!

P.S. Sorry folks, it didn't occur to me to take a photo of this dish before we gobbled it up.    I will try to remember to take a photo next time to complement this recipe, hehe.

Shoes, shoes, shoes!  :D

Cleaning out my shoe closet, need to free up some space and get rid of unused stuff.  :)

I have rubber shoes, sandals, slippers and some heels available, all in excellent condition (those who know me know how well i take care of my stuff).

If interested, please check out my eBay page at:
http://shop.ebay.ph/merchant/darkhalfph

Friends get discounts, of course.  I just want to make up some space as soon as possible!  Hehe, thanks!

Well, try to beat me up anyway.  :p  Just give it a shot, it's cute!

http://kamaxtli.mybrute.com

With photography fast-becoming a popular pastime (thanks to the lower cost of DSLRs today), it's little wonder that camera accessories for enthusiasts and professionals are also becoming more visible in the market.  Nowadays, there are every kind of accessories to cater to the discerning photographer.

Photography bags are one of them.

DSLR cameras are not easily lugged around like your standard point-and-shoot.  They're bulkier, heavier, and the equipment is more likely to be sensitive to bumps and bounces.  Furthermore, carrying them around your neck all the time is sure to draw attention to yourselves.  Thankfully, there are a variety of bags out in the market to keep our gadgets snug in cozy and padded carry-alls.

However, there's a bit of discrimination to be seen with the current available photography bags-- ever noticed how the available styles seem to be designed to entice only the MALE photographers?  We women have to choose from either backpacks or messenger bags.  Backpacks are VERY functional, but it takes a while to get your gear out, and admittedly, doesn't look very good if you happen to be wearing a skirt or heels.  And messenger bags are alright, but the designs you can choose from are basic or sporty.  NONE of these gears ever look trendy or womanly.

Jill-e Designs came into the market to change all of that.

This bag company, "owned and operated by women, specializes in the design and sales of extraordinary accessories for the professional female photographer. jill-e designs accessory products emphasizes fashion and flair as well as "pro" functionality to satisfy both the aesthetic and performance needs of the serious female photographer."  This is how they say it on their website.  And if you look at their bag lineup, yes, they definitely do work hard to make female photographers look good, even when they have their bulky DSLRs.

I got myself their "Small Brown Nylon Bag" for my needs:


Although the price is on the hefty side, the purchase was very well worth it.  As advertised, it offers me the spaciousness I need for my camera, and the adjustable dividers help me to customize the insides for my personal items.  The inside padding is good enough for me not to worry if I drop my bag (heaven forbid, though), and the overall make and shape of the bag is sturdy and durable.  The leather straps ensure that I can load a bit of weight to the bag, and the shoulder pad ensures comfort for the photographer.

Getting one of these is a MUST for the trendy female photographer.  Currently, they are only available to purchase in the US Market, but one of our local Philippine stores, Digital Walker Zoom (Greenbelt 5, Makati), will be carrying the Jill-E lineup by March.

For those who are interested, here's a a summary of my personal likes and dislikes of the bag after a few days of use.  I am currently out-of-the-country, and have been using this as my bag while going around-and-about the city on foot and train.


PROS
- Very stylish, without sacrificing function.  I can wear it with casual clothes or heels.
- Sturdy enough to be used as a travel luggage (I took it with me as handcarry).
- 2 sets of straps allow me to convert it to a short-strap shoulder bag, a long-strap shoulder bag or a messenger bag.
- Adjustable interior dividers allow me to customize to my camera size and lens.

- Built-in netted pockets allow quick access to smaller items like extra memory cards, batteries, etc.  Numerous external pockets allow me to keep keys and other objects separated from my gear, as well as easy to access.





- Bag is solidly-shaped, which means I can arrange my things inside and not have to grope around the bag when I need them.  It also means I can bump into anyone or anything without worrying about my camera.
- Weatherproof!  While this doesn't mean waterproof, I didn't have to worry when I got a little wet from the rain-- my camera stayed nice and dry inside.
- You get a free, attachable pouch that matches your bag for those small personal items.
- I am able to set my bag down on the floor-- it stays upright, and the nylon material is easy to clean.


CONS
- The "small" size seems to have been designed for tall women.  With the average asian woman (I won't limit this to Pinays) being about 5' to 5'3" in height, their smallest bag for DSLRs look huge.

- The built-in shoulder straps do not work well if you are small in stature like me.  It is difficult to carry, because you look like you're carrying a huge pillow.  I have to use the removable strap to be comfortable carrying it.
- The top flap is opened by two zippers which are attached to each other.  It is not easy to open 2 zippers to get your camera with only one hand.
- It weighs a couple of hundred grams (I'm guessing around 120-150grams) even when it doesn't have anything in it.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I give this bag a personal overall rating of 8.5.

Let's face it... waiting in NAIA airport for our flights has got to be one of the most boring, most time-wasting activities of our lives.  The noisy waiting areas, the minimal (not to mention expensive) selection of snacks and the overall dirty look of the terminal is NOT an experience most people are looking forward to.

So I count myself pretty lucky that one of my privileges as a Citibank Platinum cardholder is the use of the Northwest Airlines Lounge in NAIA1.

After finishing with immigration, and one and a half hour to wait for my flight, I decided to have a go at the airport lounge.  It was right beside the entrance to Gate15, where I was supposed to wait for my boarding time, so I detoured to the lounge.

WOW.

It was such a wonderful change of atmosphere from what I usually have to sit through in the usual waiting areas.

 

I was also pretty lucky to share the room that morning with only 1 other person, so it was very quiet save for the clicking of keyboard keys from both his and my laptop, and my camera shutter clicks.  :)

Part of the benefits of getting to use the lounge is the selection of food and snacks you can consume (for free) while waiting for your flight.  There was arroz caldo complete with all the toppings, slices of tuna-on-rye, butter, cheese, fruits, a coffee machine, chocolate machine, softdrinks in can and milk in tetra packs, a selection of liquor and wines, juices, water dispenser, etc.

 

 

You can also see from the pictures the comfotable chairs and mood lights, the convenience plugs placed in certain areas under the seats and tables.  The lounge was definitely created for discerning travellers.

I was really dreading having to leave the lounge and head to my gate when the time arrived.  Oh well, I will definitely use the lounge again on my next travel!

 

P.S. I apologize for the off-color of the photos, I was trying to be discreet for the sake of the other guest in the lounge, and couldn't make too many WB shots.

This question popped up again to me after seeing a Facebook friend post about it in her notes page.  The very long story (hehe) of who Ped Xing is, is written in tagalog, so I didn't bother to read it (it would take me quite a while to do so).  I think it was supposed to be a joke anyway...

But who is Ped Xing, really?  I remember asking myself the same question when I first came across the yellow-and-black Ped Xing sign when I drove down Roxas Boulevard by myself (back in 2001 or 2002 or 2003?  when were they first installed?).  I remember telling myself "Wow, he must've done a lot of things for the Philippines", because his name was plastered on almost every other street intersection along Roxas.  Of course, it also made no sense to me why the city of Manila would name every second or third street after Ped Xing?  After all, there isn't any more than 1 or 2 main streets named A. Bonifacio or J.P.Rizal in any particular city.

It wasn't after my 8th or 9th drive along Roxas that I realized that the sign was perched above every PEDestrian CROSSing.  DUH!    I literally DID whack myself on the head after figuring it out.  It was a good thing I never asked anybody out loud who Ped Xing was!  And of course, as I'm not much into history, I never bothered to google the guy.    Whoever came up with the Ped Xing shortcut must really be having a good laugh.

I did google "Ped Xing" today, and am relieved that I am not the only one who DIDN'T know it was the international sign/term for pedestrian crossings.

Here's an article from the Inquirer back in 2003:

Stop, look, listen but
first look for Ped Xing
Posted: 2:52 AM (Manila Time) | Aug. 05, 2003
By Tarra Quismundo
Inquirer News Service

WHO is Ped Xing?

He is obviously a friend to people who pound the streets of the metropolis.

But strangely, others don't have the faintest idea who Xing is and the good he has done in bringing order to the urban jungle. And so Xing remains even to this day an enigma to many people.

But when you cross streets in Manila -- before you stop, look and listen -- you need to find Ped Xing.

"It's Pedro Xing-Hua, from a wealthy Chinese family," Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said in jest in one forum at the Westin Philippine Plaza, after one of the guests asked him to reveal once and for all who Ped Xing was.

The name must have intrigued the guest, who, in asking Atienza, mentioned that Ped Xing's street signs were unique.

Ped Xing is written in bold black letters against yellow. All others, like Pedro Gil, Padre Faura, Jose Abad Santos, and A. Mabini are written in white letters against a green background.

And unlike them, Ped Xing's name is all over the city.

So who is Ped Xing? He is Chinese, he is Filipino, he is every nationality when he or she crosses the street. Ped Xing simply means "Pedestrian Crossing."

A clerk at the Manila City Hall Engineer's Office said she thought all along that Ped Xing was the name of the company which made the street signs.

"I thought the name was replaced after the sign has been put in place," said Adora Antonio of the Engineer's Office-industrial safety division.

Others thought Xing was a Chinese historical figure.

Dan Simeon, an architect at the City Development and Planning Office, said the installation of the Ped Xing street signs began early this year as part of an on-going project called Lighted Street Sign and Multi-Traffic Signals.

It can be seen along the city's main avenues, including Roxas Boulevard near Rizal Park, and the US Embassy, along España, Jose Abad Santos, and Taft avenues.

"I think Manila is the only city in the Philippines where the Ped Xing street sign has been installed," Simeon said.

Long live Ped Xing!

Ah well.  How many Chinese people do you think have the last name Xing and are named Ped?  They might as well capitalize and take credit for inventing pedestrian crossings. After all, everyone needs Ped Xing when crossing streets! There should be more of him in the Philippines.

Starwars Parody!

http://www.oentertainment.com/InsaneO/Thumbs/thumbwars/

Rargh!  Not happy about Raikkonen dropping down to 4th place in the Driver standings for 2008.  :(  Only 2 races left to go, so its unlikely he will still make it for first place.  Hamilton is a sure-win, unless there is an upset in the next 2 races.

I guess Hamilton really does deserve first place for all his efforts this year.  After all, Kimi only beat him by 1point last year, hehe... and I guess I dont mind as long as Ferrari wins the Constructors title again. 

Driver Standings after the Fuji F1 race:

01	Lewis Hamilton	84
02	Felipe Massa	79
03	Robert Kubica	72
04	Kimi Räikkönen	63
05	Nick Heidfeld	56
06	Heikki Kovalainen	51
07	Fernando Alonso	48
08	Sebastian Vettel	30
09	Jarno Trulli	30
10	Mark Webber	21
11	Timo Glock	20
12	Nelsinho Piquet	18
13	Nico Rosberg	17
14	Rubens Barrichello	11

With the high-issue of the melamine content in our Milk Products, I figured I could do my share of spreading awareness without the spam.  :)

Lifted from JPSimbulan's blogsite at http://www.jpsimbulan.com/

Updated List of Milk and Milk Products Found Positive and Negative for Melamine Content by DOH-BFAD

Another short list of milk and milk products found positive and negative for melamine content was released yesterday by the Department of Health (DOH) and Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD). The updated list contains 3 milk and milk products found positive for melamine (malamine/melanine/melanin for some, which is a typographical error so I’ll take this chance to correct it here).

The following list of milk and milk products were found positive for melamine content:

1. JollyCow Slender High Calcium Low Fat milk (1 Liter) - which contains 4 parts per million (ppm) of melamine, which is beyond the allowable limit of 0.5 ppm
2. Mengyu
3. Yili

Updated List of Milk and Milk Products found negative for melamine content are the following:

1. Anmum Materna Milk Powder (Chocolate Flavor) 400 g
2. Bear Brand Choco, 300g
3. Bear Brand Sterilized Milk, 200ml
4. Cadbury Choclairs
5. Carnation Calcium Plus Non-Fat Milk powder
6. Klim Instant Full Cream Milk Powder
7. Milo Chocolate Bar, 40g
8. Monmilk High Calcium Low Fat milk, 1 Liter
9. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut Milk Beverage
10. Monmilk High Deluxe PURE Milk
11. Nestle Chocolate Flavored Ice Cream
12. Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk
13. Nestle Fresh Milk, 1 Liter
14. Nestle Kitkat
15. Nestle Milk Chocolate, 40g
16. Nestle Pops Ice Cream
17. Nestle Flavored Vanilla Ice Cream
18. Nestogen 1-DHA (now Nestogen One)
19. Nesvita Cereal Milk Drink
20. Nutri-Express Milk Drink (Green Apple flavor) 500 ml
21. Prime Roast Instant Nutritious Cereal, 28g

A previous entry in this site titled “Updated List of Milk and Milk Products Tested by DOH-BFAD for Melamine Content and Melamine Contamination” contained the initial list of milk products found positive and negative for melamine content almost a week ago. Please click on the link give above to compare the items listed there with this new list.

More updates on the “Melamine Scare” will be posted here because informing readers of health-related topics is one of this site’s concerns. Expect more products to be tested by DOH-BFAD for melamine content or melamine contamintaion so stay updated on the latest news about Melamine (malamine/melanine/melanin, if that’s the spelling you used to know about this chemical). Health is wealth so don’t waste it.

Couldnt figure out a way to import this video to multiply, so

click on the link

For Sale!  Extra ticket to the Singapore F1 Night Race!

Bay Grandstand
Lower Green Block - Row 31
3-day ticket (Sept 26, 27 and 28)

Selling for SGD298 (original price we paid for it)


Please pass to interested parties!  :)  Thanks!

You gotta read the last few posts dated August 31 and September 3.

EDIT: The link is missing, so go here instead:

http://weddingsnbeyond.multiply.com/journal/item/3
http://vgemjewelry.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=17815607

Teejay and I went shopping for sunglasses today, mostly coz it's always so fun to have wedding pics with sunglasses-- it promises to be a fun shoot! Earlier in the year, we decided it was high time we got ourselves a decent (and branded, hehe!) pair of sunglasses for the wedding.

Our budget was around 5K to 10K, depending on the brand and model, but of course, the lower the cost, the better (so we can use the savings on wedding expenses, haha). We didn't really have a brand in mind, but we wanted to get a set of frames that would look REALLY good for either formal, casual or sporty wear.

Last June, we were able to find a nice pair of Burberry Sporty sunglasses (plastic frames), and they were around 8K-9K. But since plastic sunglasses are too sporty for a wedding look, we opted to try for metal frames.

Originally, we found a great pair of RayBan Sunglasses (RB3358 in 003/32; it's so darn hard to shop for great-looking frames for me, since I have a round-shaped face), which were large enough to fit my face width.

They look very elegant on me, but somehow it didn't really reflect my personality. They were the best fit and shape we had found for me so far though, so we had the optical shop reserve those.

Teejay found 2 pairs of Oakley sunglasses, which look really good on him. One is a safe shape, but the matte-metal frame is a head-turner! We were worried, however, that if it gets scratched, there would be no way to "rub off" the scratch marks on the matte finish. So after a loooooooooooong deliberation (with very patient and excellent assistants from George Optical, Shoppesville, who were so helpful with their advice and recommendations), we decided to get him the other pair, the Crosshair (in Pewter color).

Pewter/Black Iridium (05-814)

Mostly I think Teejay chose this because it had a weirder shape than the other conservatively-shaped frame, hehe.

Now the funny part is that he asked me to try the Crosshair on, just to see if I could also wear it (it was a unisex frame) and lo-and-behold, the frame looked good on me too!!! We asked the shop if they had the same frame in another color, and they got a brown-colored frame transferred from their Virra Mall branch.

Polished Brown/VR28 Black Iridium (05-978)

This one had a smaller frame/lens than the one Teejay chose, but the difference is not so noticeable. The sad thing is that since the frame is now smaller, it doesn't cover the width of my face anymore, so the glasses look a tad small for my face shape. But a small infraction there, because when someone wears an Oakley, they always seem to look good!

The dilemma now was whether to go for the elegant and classy-looking RayBan, or the sporty-chic Oakley. I think we spent a total of 1.5hours in the shop, just trying on sunglasses! :)

Eventually, the Oakley won out because my wardrobe is sporty, but mostly because it meant I would be owning my very first pair of Oakley sunglasses (yay, me!). Such a flimsy reason to be spending so much moolah for a pair of shades (the Oakley is 2K more than the RayBan), but hey, as long as you're happy, right?

So it turns out that Globe will be attempting an iPhone launch similar to the launches we've so far seen done in other countries.  Except that they are opening their doors 2 hours before the August 22, 12mn launch date.

I passed by Ayala Tower One today to go to RCBC, and found a huge setup in the covered space:


Big LED screens (with defective displays, if you look closely at the photo), big stage, etc.  You can hear construction sounds going on behind these fenced areas, and you have to wonder just what one can expect other than a stage and seats.

Based on Globe's iPhone website, even those who didn't make unit reservations during the past few weeks could line up at the event tomorrow and hope to be one of the first to own an iPhone.  Huh.  I want to see how early the desperate folks start lining up.  Certainly not as desperate as the ones in Japan and New Zealand, who lined up as early as a week (or was it 2 weeks?) before the launch dates in their respective countries.

Don't get me wrong, the iPhone *IS* an impressive gadget.  And I happen to be an Apple enthusiast to boot.  But if you're as happy as I am with your current stuff (I own a Nokia E61i and an 8GB iPod Nano 3rd gen), then I really don't fancy lining up for hours and shelling out over P35K just to own this toy.  To boot, Globe's 3G network isn't even THAT great to use yet.  I always turn off my 3G mode coz any calls I make or receive when in 3G are really faulty.  So right now, it's doesn't seem to be worth it to pay so much when you can't maximize the usage.

But I think i'll sneak a peek after work tomorrow just to see if there are any lines at 5pm, hehe.

I'm not going to comment much since most of you will not read it anyway due to over-excitement about the iPhone. 

Details here.




*** Damn pricey gadget-mathingy! ***

Cuteness and LOLness!!!  :)  Some people have too much free time.

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