Suggested Gifts for the Graduates

March and April are the months when most seniors in the Philippines graduate. Being a part-time faculty for two colleges that both have trimestral schedules, we either have them earlier or much later. In any case, I was asked to check out Lazada's shop to see if I could find ideal gift suggestions.

To be honest, the gifts I picked were ones I actually would like myself. Hehehe, but I'm pretty sure my own students would more or less have the same tastes (since we're all from the video game development industry anyway). So let's start off with the gadget I coveted most:

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom C101 Android

I have been eyeing this since it first came out but I had just bought my Note at that time. I tested out its features and can I just say...Wow. I fell in love with it at first handling. XD

Read more »

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Best of 2013

Because my goals are pretty much set (well, I could actually blog about them much later when I've decided on what I want to do), I'd rather talk about the things I discovered in 2013 that will probably affect my activities for 2014. Some of these I actually didn't want to blog about because I was feeling selfish, haha!

Anyway, without further ado, my top 10. Not in any particular order, of course:

Juju Eats

Dear Juju Eats, please move somewhere near Makati CBD. Every time I struggle to think about what I'd eat at night -- especially now that I've decided to forgo rice in the evenings -- I think about you. Please please please please move near me.

Read more »

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Freeway presents Juan Luna

Super backlog! I wasn't able to attend the Freeway Presents Juan Luna event at the Lopez Museum and it was one that I had been looking forward to for two reasons: (1) Because it's a "Freeway National Artist Collection" event and (2) because it was held at the Lopez Museum. Reading the press kit isn't the same as actually breathing in the works of Juan Luna.

If you are Filipino and you tell me that you have never heard of Juan Luna, I will have to ask you what rock you've been living under. His art works (painting, sculpting) and political activism (and that dark part about him killing his wife and mother-in-law) had been ingrained in our consciousness since we were little kids in elementary school. He also happens to be one of the first Philippine artists to ever gain recognition.

Read more »

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Back to school groove with Zanea shoes

Back to school!! Hahaha! It's not like I actually experienced sem break. It's pretty rare for trimestral schools to have sem breaks. And I'm a college professor who teaches in two trimestral schools. Today is finals week and then classes start next week. Anyway...

I had been on the lookout for really comfy low heeled shoes. A couple of months back, I remember lamenting that Philippine shoemakers seem to only make two kinds: those with super flat heels or those with sky high heels. Gosh. That's torture for university professors like me. I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy standing (while doing lectures) for hours on high heels.

So when I saw low-heeled shoes on display at Landmark, I felt like I had dug into a gold mine.

The brand is Zanea. I actually went crazy and bought myself 3 pairs, ranging from P699 to P899. There were so many styles to choose from! The particular pair pictured above was very much like my old Grendha jelly shoes. Except I don't trip much because Zanea's heels are a lot stabler.

Read more »

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Bend Accessories by Francine Fajardo

I love it when I hear about how my former students are doing! And I love it 10,000x when I learn that some of them have become entrepreneurs.

This bracelet arrived in my mail just last week. It was courtesy of my former student, Francine Fajardo, who graduated from Asia Pacific College's School of Multimedia arts program a few years back.

I remember she had the cutest, most unique portfolio. At that time, interactive portfolios weren't the norm yet but she wanted to do her best so I taught her how to make simple animations through Macromedia Director. What was fascinating, though, was her folio's packaging. Her love for fashion already shone through! It was the only work among her batch that you could carry like a bag (and it looked like a fashionable bag, too)! Fast forward to now...

Read more »

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Freeway presents National Artist Lucio San Pedro

Remember this song?



This is an all-time favorite of mine and was composed by two national artists, namely, Levi Celerio and Lucio San Perdo. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the tributes paid to each of them by Freeway. Fortunately, at least I was able to receive my copy of the press kit this time.

Read more »

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Grad Pic Shoot with Benny Reginaldo and M2 Studio

One of my biggest gripes about information flow in my alma mater, the University of the Philippines Diliman, is how...well, sometimes, it doesn't flow. Like in this instance, my classmates and I were left out of the yearbook. I don't even know who's responsible for the yearbook even though I asked, left my number, and no one called.

This graduation photo was important to me because of three things:

1. This PhD (which I actually obtained last year) is my very last degree. I would like to have a memento of it.
2. My first time to wear the Sablay as a graduate. I got my first degree from the University of the Philippines Manila, and thanks to a Philippine Daily Inquirer article, I found out that the reason we wore toga was because: "Except for those in medical courses, graduates in UP Manila also wear Sablay".
3. My grandmother collects grad pics of her grandchildren. I would like to proudly give her an evidence of the final fruits of my student life's labor. I doubt she'll appreciate my transcript of records. LOL.

So there. 

I decided to contact my friend Mike Mariano of M2 Studio. He had just come home from studying photography in New York and had built his studio very near where I live. After that was set, I contacted one of my students, Benny Reginaldo, for make-up because I was on a budget and he's actually pretty good at aesthetics, being a graduate of Multimedia Arts at the Asia Pacific College. I've seen his works on Facebook and I liked what I saw.

Errr...yeah, we forgot to take a "BEFORE" photo, so I'll just post a snapshot of myself that was taken the day before (at Harbor Square with one of my favorite friends Elvert Dela Cruz Bañares):

This serves as a perfect "BEFORE" photo because we were both hungreh and the smiles were forced. Hehe.

Here are shots taken behind the scene. Benny also happened to be a former student of Mike's, so he was also able to assist in the shoot. Oh and...yay for bigger curls. Hehe.

Off course, we need a group photo because everyone did a spectacular job. Aaaand I wanted something sorta less stiff.

And the final edited output. You can actually request how much editing should be done. Mike is not going to go all out and make you look totally different. Well, I wanted to look like the stiff people traditionally found on grad pics. Still, the editing was minimal.

Notice that my Sablay is on the left. I think placing the Sablay on the right is only for college graduates. I will be marching this weekend (UP's graduation rites only happen once a year, so those of us who graduated earlier in the school year will only get to march almost a year later). I think they're supposed to pin something on master's and doctoral graduates. Looking forward to that.

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Bridal gowns by Rosa Clara and Bizu's Macaron Day

Magazines I took home after the meet-up at Greenbelt. I had lots of fun.

Long story short, I was surfing through Facebook and saw this post by a former student, Euri Varen. She is currently working for Rosa Clara Bridal Philippines and the post was about an event at the Manila Peninsula. She seemed to be very happy with her work and I commended her for it. I also pointed out that I really like one of the gowns on her photos. Haha! She said I should drop by the Rosa Clara boutique, which is just walking distance from where I live. She said she'd be bringing along one of my other students, Jomel Alviar, whom I have not seen and have been trying to contact for ages!

Today, I was their muse. Haha! They wanted to see how the gowns would look on me and I must admit, I had been itching to blog about their gowns because they were really very pretty. When I was still working for Anino Games, I would often walk past their shop and I'd stare in admiration until they were out of sight. This actually makes me wonder, because I never liked wedding dresses (and I like seeing brides as long as I'm not going to be one). But Rosa Clara's were so nice and elegant, characterized by clean lines that made you look thin.

Well, the ones I tried were actually made for taller, more voluptuous women but you can see that it can be adjusted. That's Varen helping me fit into this wonderful lace confection. Erm, I love lace. But it has to be the right kind (otherwise, you'd look like a table cloth) and Rosa Clara's are very sophisticated.

I wish I were taller, though. I was actually standing on a pedestal when I was fitting these.

This particular gown gives you a rather nice shape. Highly recommended by Varen. I feel like a mermaid! Haha.

More bridal gowns on the rack. I wonder how brides can make up their minds when faced with these options. They're all so breathtaking!

This one is on display by the window. Again, it has a lot of lace, hence my attraction to it.

EDIT: I've actually gotten a lot of questions regarding Rosa Clara gowns. The price range for the Philippine branch is definitely less expensive because of the lighter fabrics, I'm guessing. It's hot as Hades in here! But I've seen a price guide for international Rosa Clara brides in this forum.

Here's Varen posing beside one of my favorite dresses. Thanks for the pleasure of your companies, Varen and Jomel! I was so delighted to hear about your accomplishments after graduation. You guys make me so proud!

We headed straight for Greenbelt's Bizu Patisserie after playing dress-up. Another one of my former students, Danica Cervantes, invited me over because she was covering Bizu's Macaron Day. Bring friends, she said.

Ok, so I did not anticipate that we were actually going to be captured on video while doing scripted cheesy gestures, haha! Peace, Danica!

I wonder how those videos are going to turn out. xD

I love Bizu's macarons. The nice thing about Bizu is that it has a wide range of food selections on their menu. They are best known for pastries, though.

I haven't been in Bizu for quite some time and I noticed they had new flavors. I tried their Dulce de Leche variant this time.

Aaaaand here's Danica posing with her camera. Thanks for the macarons, Dani! It was great seeing you again!

Varen, Jomel and I capped the evening off with a warm dinner and lots of chitchat at Kenji Tei in Greenbelt 5. Again, thanks so much for the invitations! <3

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Pre-Birthday Outfit: Cat Shirt and Boots

Was supposed to write a health-related post with the title: Beauty Regimen of Poorita Mirasol. But couldn't resist posting about a cat shirt I got from Vanity Treasures (it's just a little over P500). This became my pre-birthday outfit.

I had actually been trying to change my wardrobe, updating them to make me look more mature, as befits someone who doesn't want to be mistaken for any of her students. I'd like to do so without giving up my personality. So yeah...I had to make compromises.

The closest thing to Puss in Boots I could ever get. I guessed correctly, that the shirt would be against dress code so I had to wear leggings.

I actually missed having the pain tolerance that allowed me to wear my old stiletto boots.  Since I can't walk in stilettos or very high heels anymore, I bought these on sale (P1,300+) from Classified at New Glorietta.

I'm loving that store right now because they have some pretty nifty business clothes that you can mix and match and do not cost an arm and a leg. I was even able to get a red trench coat with a nice comfy lining for P1,000. Not bad, considering that the simple cardigan I wore on the top photo was worth P1,000 and I bought that at SM. Tsss.

Wee! I just love love love this cat shirt. It feels good on my skin, too. This shirt is perfect for cat lovers. It's actually a very casual getup without the cardigan, and I'm actually leaning towards layering clothes to fit the "professor" image by day, and then removing the layers to fit the laid back geek girl at night.

I hope I'm heading towards the right direction. Calling my stylist sister for help!

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Solo Features Kenkoy

Hurray for vacations!! An update!

I'm actually tempted not to write anything so I can just gawk at the beautiful campaign photos Solo released for their Kenkoy feature. In fact, I've posted the press release (along with this blog's contest details) on my Facebook page.

I know that maybe a lot of people don't know Kenkoy -- I mean, my maternal grandparents had yet to meet when it first came out -- but I see this as an opportunity to reminisce about our artistic roots and culture during the American occupation. (Funny how the creative industries consider comics and animation to be such a "baby" when these forms of art had been around longer than most of our great grandparents.)

Kenkoy was the brainchild of the Father of Philippine Cartoons, Tony Velasquez, and its humor was very pop and meant to be a caricature of the Filipino. Kenkoy was probably the very first jejemon brought to life through visual art...

Which is why I was actually stunned when I saw how classy the ad campaign is.

Contest Alert!

I'm giving away a free Solo x Kenkoy shirt to the person that best answers the following question: "Have you ever read Kenkoy comics? If so, tell us about your favorite strip."

(This might take a bit of research because even my parents weren't born yet during the height of Kenkoy's heydey. Hehe. But I'd be interested to see how resourceful everyone can be. =^.^=)

Post your answers in the comment box below. You can have multiple entries as long as they're not about the same strip. You can also blog about your answer and then post the URL of your entry here. Contest ends on September 25, 2011 and I will be announcing the winner the next day. Good luck, everyone!

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Outfit of the Day: Japanese School Girl Mode. Meep!

Here at Anino Games, people are eccentric. LOL. Actually, we love our job so much that we try to make things fun everyday (so that we don't seem so geeky). One of the things we Anino girls do, living in a male-dominated, wear-shirt-jeans-and-trainers organization, is to have certain days where we dress up.

Sometimes, Tuesdays would be our official skirt days. Unfortunately (fortunately?), at the last minute on Monday night (July 11), Nikka, the lead QA, decided to do a Japanese schoolgirl look. I was like...LOLWUT!? I mean, you fresher grads can get away with it. Whattabaoutmeh??

I think I had about three "costume changes" in the morning before deciding to just wear my heeled rubber shoes so I could still keep the oneechan aura.

This was taken at the end of the day and I wasn't too happy with the haggard countenance so I'm going to put dear old Pikachu (designed by Ken Sugimori) on top of my face. Wore my mom's top, my mom's skirt and my favorite pair of heeled rubber shoes.

Here is one of the shots Communications Officer Vana took for our recruitment page. This is actually one of my favorite photos of the bunch. From left to right: Software Engineer Felix, QA Kristine, and me.

Our QA on-the-job-trainees (OJTs) Xiao Supapo and Jamie Pua. Aren't they as cute as buttons? Don't you just want to work for us now? (JOKE!!!)

QA's Kristine and Nikka. Looking at them, it's hard to believe that everyone here passed rigorously geeky entrance exams and interviews, ne?

I can assure you, these girls are just as smart as they are pretty.

We obviously had this photo shoot after office hours. Hahaha!

But as we all know, girls just wanna have fun...especially after a long day of game development.

(Although we had to encounter creepy constructicons while we were buying snacks at 7-11. I should have brought a sword, like Mitsuru of Persona 3.)

Here is the final photo that appears on our recruitment page, this time with "Teacher Dana". Short of saying, join us! Hehehehe. Click for a larger view.

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

UNICEF: Mich Dulce donates hat signed by Adam Ant

Adam Ant and Mich Dulce.

I've always admired Mich Dulce for her spunk. I remember her ranting about advertisers that called curly hair "frizzy", and I completely agreed with her on this because I've lived with "frizzy" hair nearly all my life (except for the 8 years that I've had my hair rebonded). You can actually see this spunk in her creations, particularly her hats, which many consider to be too crazy for humid Philippine weather.

Last May 25, we saw her donate one of her hats to UNICEF's Auction for Action. As of this writing, I can see that the hat has about 19 bidders and is now worth PhP9,000.

Here's the press release for the auction and Dulce's participation in the said event:

Filipino designer Mich Dulce pledges support to UNICEF by donating one of her hats to Auction for Action, a fundraising online auction to benefit children’s programs in the Philippines and worldwide. Signed on the back in gold by British music legend Adam Ant, the hat comes with a hand written note from both Dulce and Ant, a signed poster, a tour t-shirt from Ant’s current "The Good, The Mad and The Lovely Tour," a set of 4 badges, a wristband, and a plectrum he used at a recent gig at legendary London music venue The 100 Club. UNICEF’s Auction for Action goes live on May 25 at http://www.ebay.ph/unicef. This unique online auction in partnership with Ayala Malls Greenbelt, Ebay.ph, Cibo and Cibo di M brings together works of reputable artists in art, design, furniture, fashion, jewellery and photography along with exciting experiential packages. For more information, visit the auction website or call UNICEF Philippines at +632-758-1000.

It's great to see that that with that sass comes a giving heart. Hats off to you, Mich Dulce!

Image Gallery:

Adam Ant hat by Mich Dulce.

Lovely details.

Here are the other items that have been donated to UNICEF's Auction for Action.

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.

Solo Gift Pack Winner

Gosh. I am so sorry for this delay. I had exams and Monday night was horrifying, because I ate bad empanada that went to my head so I was taking my exams while I was actually sick. (As if the test questions weren't excruciating enough.) I swear I will be staying away from empanada for a while...

Anyway, because of that, I had to ask my best friend Cris for help with the decision of who the winner will be. So without further ado, the winner of the Solo gift pack that contains a pair of shades, a bracelet and a bottle of perfume is...

esviminfaelnar
That was a very descriptive, creative and cheerful contest entry, with photos that accompany the eco-friendly, family-oriented narrative. Her complete entry can be found here. (You can actually attach photos on the comments section of skysenshi.com, if you don't have a blog.)

Congrats!

You can view the other Solo contest entries on this page. Anyhoo, for the winner, please contact me via this form, so we can talk about sending arrangements. (I actually prefer to give it in person since I'm afraid for that fragile perfume bottle, but if you don't live in Metro Manila maybe we can arrange things.)

As for those who are still hungry for contests, I have one up my sleeve (hair related + gift certificates) that I will be rolling out as soon as I'm done with exams. Hm. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever run out of stuff to give away. There are still unclaimed items here that I plan to raffle off to all members of Skysenshi's Hermitage.

Plus, don't forget to try for a PS3, an HP Mini or a Casio G-Shock watch through the Snickers Hungerlings Attack game. That contest is until May 15.

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog NOW .
Or like Skysenshi's Hermitage Facebook Page for updates, contests and discussions.