The Life of a Breadwinner

My Mamma Mia the Musical Experience in Manila

edelweiz — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:13:31 +0000

Last Sunday afternoon was spontaneous but fun. I watched the smash hit Mamma Mia the Musical at the CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo with the fiancé and my sister O. A friend gave me three free tickets (Balcony 1 Center). Our seat location was just right, too high but we were in the middle so we had a good view of all the actions happening on the stage below. Mamma Mia was one musical experience that’s gonna last me a lifetime.

Mamma Mia started running last January 24 and will continue to be shown at the CCP until February 19. I heard big companies such as Ayala Malls and Ayala Cinemas are two of the major sponsors (thank you for bringing the musical here!). If you haven’t watched the musical yet, I suggest you do so because it’s worth your time and money!

view of the stage from our seats

with my sister O

For two hours and 35 minutes (with a 20-minute break), you’ll be entertained with songs popularized by the Swedish pop group Abba such as Dancing Queen, Chiquitita, Thank You for the Music, I Have A Dream, Knowing Me Knowing You, Super Trouper, Take A Chance On Me, Voulez-Vous, The Winner Takes it All and of course, Mamma Mia. The cast of Mamma Mia last Sunday was very talented and energetic. Aside from their beautiful and powerful voices, I was awed by their great dancing abilities. I thought they performed well and gave their best. Two thumbs up!

To be honest, it was one of the very few musicals that made me tap my feet, sway my head and sustain my attention (I have very short attention span, okay) from start to finish. The Greek island paradise as setting for the light but compelling mother-daughter story was very ideal. And the way they integrated each Abba song to the scenes was always fitting and perfect-timing. Whoever conceptualized this was pure genius. Needless to say, I enjoyed this classic production tremendously. I especially adored Donna Sheridan’s chubby friend Rosie (played by Jennie Dale) as she was so wacky and game in all her scenes!

P.S. After the musical, we had an early dinner at Yellow Cab and guess who we saw dining there? Some crew of the musical and a few of the cast!

For more information about Mamma Mia the Musical, click here.

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Do You Play Online Games?

edelweiz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:22:37 +0000

I do! I play games online whenever I have free time and want to have some fun. Online fun, that is. When I was in college, my faves were Zuma and Mahjong (the simple, tile-pairing kind of game). When I had my first job, I played mostly arcade games. When I laid my hands on an iPod Touch, I played more fun games such as Fruit Ninja, Tap Defense and right now, I’m quite addicted to Temple Run!

I only play online games for fun. I know of other people who play these games in a different venue, like online casinos where they get earn some cash while having fun. Think of Black Jack, Poker and Bingo. I’m sure there are more games there, but my knowledge is limited because I have never experienced playing there yet. And I don’t think I will because it’s quite hard to earn money these days. Haha. I’ll just let the more-moneyed people enjoy themselves in that kind of online entertainment.

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Why Choose Emo Jewelry

edelweiz — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:13:07 +0000

Aside from gold and silver, another metal called stainless steel is emerging in the multi-billion international jewelry industry. Here in the Philippines, I know of one brand that sells stainless steel jewelries at reasonable prices: Emo. The first Emo shop I visited was the one in Mall of Asia near the cinemas. I was with the fiancé and his sister A then. The latter even purchased a pair of earrings from the store which she’s been using until now.

Emo stainless steel jewelry is made from medical grade stainless steel, the one used in surgical blades and body bone implants which makes it hypoallergenic. Their jewelry designs range from simple and cool to elegant and high fashion. I got a closer look of their latest collection (and ended up getting an Omega-inspired necklace at 50% discount right then and there!) last Friday night during their first bloggers event held at the modern yet cozy lounge of Cafe 1771 in El Pueblo, Ortigas. During the event, I also learned about the history of Emo as a company and how they’ve decided to reach out to a bigger market by creating a website where people can shop for Emo jewelries.

Speaking of Emo’s marketing campaign, they gave all of us blogger atendees special discount codes for us to share with our readers. Yes, you who are reading this post! Here’s mine: EDL123

You may use the code above to get 10% off on Emo jewelries when you buy from their shops in malls or online thru their website. I really hope you’ll check them out because Emo jewelries are trendy and very stylish. They feel, look and shine like gold and silver without the hefty price tag!

Here are some of the jewelry pieces Emo has in store for you this 2012:

Many thanks to Emo Jewelry for having me in your event and also to my friend Omar Itay for sending me an FB invite apart from the one I got from Emo.

World Vision Champions the Plight of Underprivileged Children

edelweiz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:31:10 +0000

There are people born with a golden spoon, while there are those that are just born. I was born into a lower middle-class family. I’m lucky to have been raised well by my loving parents, in an environment conducive to personal growth and development. I had a happy childhood. We may not be rich, but just like other privileged kids, I didn’t experience hunger (both physical and emotional) and instead, I ate a lot and played a lot.

The case of underprivileged children is different. They were born into poor families that could barely sustain themselves. The number of underprivileged children continue to rise. Here in Manila, you could see them everywhere. Instead of going to school and realizing their dreams, they beg for money or panhandle for a living. Sad, but true.

It’s good to know there are organizations like World Vision, an international organization that champions the plight of underprivileged children the world over. They have been implementing development programs for underprivileged children, sponsorships, medical and educational missions and the likes.

Last Thursday night, I got invited to World Vision Philippines‘s bloggers meetup thru my friend Flow Galindez, WFP-Philippines online connector and World Vision Philippines advocate. There I got introduced to the organization’s line of work. They are simply laudable. I could see in the faces of the World Vision Philippines staff the passion and sincerity to help. It was another enlightening night for me.

Do you know that for just P20 a day you could help change the life of an underprivileged child? World Vision continuously look for sponsors for the kids they serve. As sponsor, you get to help provide a better and brighter future to these kids and even join in one of their outreach programs to see these kids and their current condition.

2012 is said to be a lucky year. Now is the time to share your blessings! As they said, what you give to others comes back to you a hundredfold. Sponsor a child today! Their hotline is 372-7777.

bloggers with the World Vision Philippines family, photo borrowed from Orange Magazine TV

Know more about World Vision Philippines. Like them on FB and follow them on Twitter.

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Do You Play Bingo?

edelweiz — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:46:03 +0000

Bingo, a game of chance, is quite popular here in the Philippines. I remember playing bingo when I was a teenager back in our sleepy town in the province. I usually played bingo during summer vacations, or whenever I was bored or simply wanna have some bonding time with the neighbors. Bingo is quite easy to learn and is definitely fun to play. I kinda miss playing bingo now. It’s good to know that in this digital age, anyone can play bingo on their PC. While some people play bingo for fun, others play bingo online for cash. Cool, alright, but it can be addicting so you better know when to stop.

Back in our province, bingo is played most widely at a peryaan, a fair that signals an upcoming festival. Normally, it lasts for a week or two and draws visitors both locals and from other towns. Aside from bingo, the peryaan offers a lot of things to visitors such as rides and more games of luck. When I was a child, I was a regular at the peryaan. I enjoy the rides, but I enjoy playing bingo more. That’s because I love sitting more than walking around. Plus, I have fun watching other bingo players manning their bingo card carefully and listening intently to the bingo announcer shouting out random numbers drawn from the giant tambiolo (a jackpot device that contains small balls with numbers mixed up continuously) as if their lives depended on it. For a child like me then, it was a delight in its own right. It’s an experience worth sharing (today).

I don’t get to play bingo nowadays but whenever I hear or read about bingo, it brings back fond memories of my colorful childhood in the province. When I have my own children in the future, I am definitely teaching them how to play this bingo, a game that’s close to my heart.

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An Exquisite Birthday Gift

edelweiz — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:31:46 +0000

My cousin is the luckiest. Her loving husband who works in the US promised to give her a BIG birthday present this year! She even asked my cousin to choose her own gift this time but of course there is a limit to his budget.

Well, anyway, she’s very thankful of his generosity. With her given cash, she can now go for her first diamond earrings! She’s been saving up for months to buy one set of green jewelry that consists of a pair of earrings, a pendant and ring but they still had to wait for a couple of months before she could do so.

Click Photo to View
iWebPhoto.com

green diamond earrings

Oh, what money can buy! With her hubby’s birthday cash gift, my cousin can now get one whole set of these jewelry though they are synthetic diamonds solitaire earrings. She said she’s so looking forward to getting them on her exact birthday.

Don’t you just love it when people shower you with love and affection that they’d go the extra mile to make you happy? I do. My birthday isn’t happening in the next ten months but still, I can’t stop myself from imagining the present I’ll get from my fiance who’s gonna be my husband then.

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On Getting Higher Education

edelweiz — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:44:11 +0000

This 2012, I did not make any New Year’s resolutions. But it doesn’t mean I’m goal-less. Of course, I still have my own set of goals. One of them is getting higher education. I’ve long been meaning to do this. I’ve long wanted to get a master’s degree. My Superfriend and I plan to enroll this June.

I’m still undecided though on what course to take up or which school to attend to. I’m choosing between the university I graduated from and another university that offers cheaper tuition fees and is just a jeepney-ride away from my place. I am also quite tempted to get a degree online, like the ones being offered at Online College Florida. Studying online isn’t new these days. People, especially the busy, working ones, prefer this non-traditional method of getting higher education because of the convenience it gives.

Actually, I still have a lot of other factors to consider. I’m just glad I have enough time to think everything over. Getting higher education remains a top priority in my life because this is certainly my key to a better and brighter future. And since I’m getting married and starting my own family very soon, the pressure to make good decisions for myself and for my new family has just started to build up.

How about you, any plans to get higher education this year of the dragon?

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UnionBank Twitter Promo Contest Update: And the Winner is…

edelweiz — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:19:01 +0000

Happy 2012, people! I’m one of the many who are not yet over with the holidays but you know, life has to move on. It’s time to start anew, go back to work and make our dreams come true. For this blog, I have many plans and hopefully, it will all push thru. For now, I’d like to update you about the UnionBank Twitter Promo Contest I’ve held on this blog last month. We now have a winner that will take home P5,000 in cold cash!

And the winner is…

Brian Ong or @briankingong on Twitter

This is his entry tweet:

Click Photo to View
iWebPhoto.com

Congratulations to our winner and thank you very much to all who joined our little contest. I hope you’ll continue to support Edelweiza.com’s contests in the future.

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Need Vs. Want

edelweiz — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:39:54 +0000

In my quest for financial freedom, my needs and my wants are two of the primary concerns that need to be dealt with accordingly. While I usually prioritize my needs over my wants, there are a few occasions when my wants take the center stage and my needs take a back seat.

I guess it’s okay that we heed our wants but only as a way of rewarding ourselves (for a job well done, for instance) or during special occasions where the primary goal is to make ourselves or our loved ones happy. Also, a reality check should regularly be conducted to make sure we don’t overindulge and pour most of our money on our wants.

As for me, I always think twice or thrice before buying something. I admit to making impulsive purchases every now and then but luckily, I have not experienced paying for some really expensive but useless item yet. Whatever I buy, I make sure it will be put to good use immediately or for later.

Care to share your personal thoughts on needs and wants? I’d love to hear them!

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How Do You Keep Fit This Christmas Season?

edelweiz — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:16:23 +0000

As a person who works on keeping herself fit, I am quite serious when it comes to my fitness goals. I’m glad that as the days go by, I’m getting nearer and nearer to my ideal weight. Or so I think. I’d be a hypocrite if I’d say the Christmas season isn’t affecting my diet and my fitness regimen. As early as now, I can already feel its effects to my body.

I wonder what will happen when I start attending those Christmas parties. Knowing myself, I’m sure I’d get tempted to eat beyond my limits. It’s going to be a test of self-control, a battle between the desire to eat and be merry and the desire to get fit and be happy about myself. There’s a big possibility I’d be on the losing end. Poor me.

The cold weather isn’t cooperating, either. These days, all I wanna do is eat and sleep. It’s a vicious cycle, I know, but I can’t help it because the cold weather gives me a great excuse to procrastinate.

How do you keep fit this Christmas season? Do you still get to go on a diet and exercise on a regular basis? I know of a few people who use some Muscle gainer along with proper exercise routines to make sure they continue building muscles even if they eat a lot. I wonder if that will work on me, too. I saw a lot of muscle gaining supplements being sold online and it seems people are really benefiting from them.

As far as I’m concerned, keeping myself fit this Christmas season is still possible. It’s going to be tough, yes, but it can be done.

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