MAGFI Magicians Foundation Inc. Oathtaking Ceremonies

Magic (sometimes referred to as stage magic to distinguish it from paranormal or ritual magic) is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects, or illusions. -- from Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES - Last February 6, 2012, the most awaited oath taking ceremonies for the Magicians Foundation Inc. (MAGFI) was held in the Rotary Club, Roces, QC.

Magicians Foundation Inc., more popularly known as MAGFI is a group of acclaimed Filipino magicians in various types of expertise and exposition.

Below is the new MAGFI 2012 roster:

Dr. Ronaldo Moraleta M.D.

CHAIRMAN

Ferdinand "Chubster" Flores

PRESIDENT

Samuel Fuentes

VP - EXTERNAL

Marcus Ondevilla

VP - INTERNAL

Christopher Orbon

SECRETARY

Elmer Bustos

TREASURER

Demetrio "Master Dem" Cuizon

AUDITOR

Arnold Allanigui

Jervey "Flooch" Capili

PRO

Frederic Tabigne

Jester Tallod

PROTOCOL

The new president, Ferdinand "Chubster" Flores, while giving an enlightening speech.
Photo by: Mr. Solomon Cu

simply enjoying the night..
Photo by: Mr. Solomon Cu

Me and my friend blogger, Janese of http://lakwatseramom.blogspot.com, 
with the newly elected President of MAGFI. 
Photo by: Mr. Solomon Cu

The new set of officers lighted the candles as a symbol of trust and honesty to their new responsibility while stating their oath.

And with the newly elected members of the MAGFI officers, together they will bring magic and unity to its highest level and create great projects to fulfill in the future. In the name of magic, Congratulations and more power MAGFI! 

Below is a little sneak peek of the oathtaking ceremony:

Hooked by the Taste of Ma Mon Luk

With the sudden rainy days approaching this past few days, how about kicking out to get some little bit of hot and tasty comfort food?


After Valentine's Day, me and my blogger friends came to have a lunch out at the historic Ma Mon Luk House, in their branch located in Banawe, Quezon Ave.

Oldie style Ma Mon Luk menu posted on the wall of the restaurant upon entering

That was my first time to enter the restaurant. As I went inside, I suddenly had a feeling that I was back in the early era. The marble tables, wooden chairs, tenured waiters, old picture frames on the wall and the smell of that Special Mami whiff just kept me in that bizarre mood.

Kind waiters of Ma Mon Luk will hand you this vintage menu  for your order

According to my friends, Ma Mon Luk has the best mami, best pancit and the best siopao they've ever tasted in their life! Now its time to try these foodies! <tastebuds attack!>

Ma Mon Luk's Original Special Mami (Php 105-big bowl; Php 95-small bowl)

Special Mami and Special Siopao: A Big Perfect Combination 

Special Siopao (Asado, Pork & Chicken) - Php 60

We decided to try Ma Mon Luk's specialties such as the Special Mami, Special Siopao and some other MML trademarks. I tried the legendary Ma Mon Luk's Original Special Mami in a small bowl, I first took a sip of the mami soup (that I regularly do whenever I encounter mami), and the savory taste of the soup crossed my taste buds. The noodles were medium thick, the soup was really tasty (tasty like you'll never need to add fishsauce or pepper!), the chicken/pork toppings were so well done, the chinese noodles was so satisfying, it filled my stomach like it was my last lunch.

Beef Mami (Php 115 - Large Bowl)

One of my friends opt for a Special Beef Mami, since she is not fond of eating pork. The moment that the waiter served the Beef Mami, since I was sitting near her, the beef aroma of her mami tickled my senses. I can say that her mami looks so delicious, and tempting.

Chicken ala Ma Mon Luk (Php 165)

We also tried one of their newest dishes, the Chicken ala Ma Mon Luk. It is like chicken adobo but in a newer, modern twist. The chicken was cooked, fried before it is tossed in the flavorful sauce. The sauce was rich, and really tasty. 

Sweet and Sour Pork (Php 130)

Another dish we tried is the Sweet and Sour Pork. It is like your normal sweet and sour style pork dish but savored with big chunks on pineapple tossed and cooked until the sweetness tenderized the pork. It was so flavorful, that I had 3 rounds of rice only for this, and all I can say is, this is love at first taste!

Ma Mon Luk's Ultimate Sinful Fried Rice

P.S. The Chicken ala Ma Mon Luk and Sweet and Sour Pork dishes are very very good together with their sinful Fried Rice. I say its sinful due the large amount of rice that you will consume without even noticing!

Until now, I still have that little hangover whenever I remember how good the Ma Mon Luk dishes were. I am planning to come back to this restaurant for another round of satisfying goodness, but now with my sister who will be celebrating her birthday! Let's see if she will enjoy our future food trip in MML and if she will also get this immortal craving for Ma Mon Luk like me! Look! I am definitely hooked by the taste of Ma Mon Luk! :)

How about you? Have you tried eating at Ma Mon Luk? Maybe you can share your experience too! 

Going for a Meatless Monday

"Meatless Monday | one day a week, cut out meat"


"I am going to be meatless every Monday.. and this is my pledge." -- Me


I recently joined the Meatless Monday movement -- http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

This pledge is not just for me to blog, but it is a pledge from the heart. Doing this pledge is for health reasons, for I began gaining weight again after the holidays. This could be a great move for my beginning diet, and could help me "un-bloat" and shed little pounds after a food blasting weekend, if there would still be. Haha! Actually, I already started going for a meatless Monday just now, as in today! <it is a Monday today!>


The Meatless Monday website contains not just going for the pledge, but also recipes to help you do your meatless pledge. It is complete with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and even snacks! This is very great for people who are planning to start on a veggie diet. Yeah, like me.


This US meatless campaign was launched in 2003 in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health -- and now, the "cut out meat one day a week" program is already active in 23 countries and counting!


I am encouraging my friends to go Meatless on Mondays! For this could help not only your body but also our planet! :) 


Join the movement! http://www.meatlessmonday.com/join-the-movement/

6th Spring Film Festival

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Spring Festival is here again!

For the opening of Chinese New Year, do you want movies for free? Yes, definitely!

Now on its sixth year, the Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies and Confucius Institute once again stage the Spring Film Festival.

This year, through the auspices of the Cultural Office of the People’s Republic of China, the festival features six films that cater to different age groups and audiences.  Our leading film, Ocean Heaven, features Jet Li in a family drama.  In the other films, audiences will be treated to a comedy about going home for Chinese New Year, a wedding that sets off the urban/rural debate, an animated film about saving our environment, and the sight of Chow Yun-fat playing the role of Confucius. 

Unlike previous years when a minimal admission fee was charged, this year’s festival will be free admission to the public. Make sure to be there at the Shangrila Cineplex two (2) hours before the film, for tickets run out so fast!

Now to make it more exciting, here are the synopses of the featured films:

 

Ocean Heaven – Ocean Heaven is a family drama which features a father- Sam Wang (played by Jet Li), who is solely taking care of his autistic child- Dafu. Wang finds out that he has liver cancer and has a few days to live. Not only does Wang have to cope with his own suffering and impending death, he also has to deal with the heartache of leaving Dafu with no immediate family. This heartwarming film shows the challenges of being a single parent and how parents, even on their last days, would do anything just to ensure the safety and happiness of their children. 

Fans of Jet Li will definitely be surprised to see him in this non-Kungfu movie; this role won him the 2010 Wen Zhang Best Actor Award. The movie was also recognized by the Shanghai Media Awards, CCTV Movie Channel Media Awards 2010 and Golden Goblet Award. In July 2011, Li even named one of his charity projects as Ocean Heaven Project to help children with autism, celebral palsy and other disorders.

Lost on Journey-  A comedy film narrating Li Chenggong’s travel home, as he endures a series of bad luck just to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family.  Li hops from a plane, to a train, to a bus, and to a boat in the desire to be with his relatives during the most important event of the year. And along the way, he meets a stranger, Niu Geng, who later helps him discover something important about himself and the goodness of other people. This movie is a funny presentation of how a stroke of bad luck brought two different worlds together.

Country Wedding- tells a story of a couple who is about to get married. With their respective families getting so excited, their parents started to meddle with their wedding preparations. The bride’s mother insists on holding the wedding at a ritzy hotel in Beijing Central, the groom’s father, being the director of a cooperative in a rural village, feels indebted to the community, and wants to share the wedding to the whole village. The couple gets caught in between conflicting would-be in-laws. This film is a funny portrayal of the clash of cultures between the city and country side.

Confucius – Confucius, known as the “Great Sage”, lived during the time when China’s dynasties were in chaos and engulfed by corruption and greed. He strongly believed that ethics and education will put all things to order. His wisdom was sought by different dynasty leaders but only to be abandoned after he dutifully served his purpose. The world knows so much of his teachings, but little is known of his hardships. This biographical drama shows the sufferings and pain Confucius endured and the principles he fervently kept that became the foundation of China’s ethics, morality and law. Starring Chow Yun-Fat as Confucius, Nominated for Best Actor at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. Other nominations include Best Cinematography, Art Design, Costume Design and Original Song.

Bodyguards and Assassins - In 1905, Hongkong was under the British rule and revolution was on the rise. Sun Yat-Sen was set to land in Hong Kong to meet and to unify faction leaders to finally take down the corrupt and crumbling Qing Dynasty. Because of this, Dowager Cixi wanted Sun Yat-Sen assassinated. For the Chinese people who had been clamoring for freedom, they understood that protecting Sun Yat-Sen would mean keeping China’s liberation hopes alive. Li Yutang, a businessman, gathered a tofu vendor, rickshaw pullers, a beggar and an orphan to serve as bodyguards. These bodyguards displayed their superb fighting skills as they battle it out with the assassins to protect Sun Yat-Sen, whom they haven’t even met. This action-historical movie garnered numerous awards from the 4th Asian Film Awards, 29th Hongkong Film Awards,16th Hongkong Film Critics Society Awards and 47^th Golden Horse Awards.

King of Milu Deer- This 3D animation movie, it focuses on environment protection. It is a story of a white deer, Yoyo, who turned into a lady and made friends with Tzan-the prince of Kingdom of Clouds and Dreams. Tzan was ordered by the minister to search the Labyrinth Mountain to hunt for the Milu Deer to use it as a sacrifice to bring rains in the kingdom. But Tzan discovered the beauty of the Labyrinth Mountain and got closer to Yoyo. Together, they fought sea lizard monsters, fire, soldiers, and the evil Minister to save the wildlife and natural resources of the Labyrinth Mountain. This movie became the highest grossing Chinese Animated film of all time and received the Best Animated Film of the 13th Huabiao Awards.

Movie Schedule:

January 20, 2012 (Friday)

Country Wedding                            1:00PM

Lost on Journey                              3:00PM

January 21, 2012 (Saturday)

Lost on Journey                              1:30PM

Confucius                                      3:30PM

Bodyguards & Assassins                  6:00PM

Ocean Heaven                                9:00PM

January 22, 2012 (Sunday)

Ocean Heaven                                1:30PM

The King of Milu Deer                      3:30PM

Confucius                                      5:30PM

Bodyguards & Assassins                  8:00PM

January 23, 2012 (Monday)

Country Wedding                             1:30PM

Bodyguards & Assassins                   3:30PM

Ocean Heaven                                 6:30PM

Lost on Journey                               8:30PM

January 24, 2012 (Tuesday)

Bodyguards & Assassins                   1:30PM

Lost on Journey                               4:30PM

Confucius                                       6:30PM

The King of Milu Deer                       9:00PM

January 25, 2012 (Wednesday)

The King of Milu Deer                       1:30PM

Confucius                                       3:30PM

Country Wedding                             6:00PM

Ocean Heaven                                 8:00PM

January 26, 2012 (Thursday)

Lost on Journey                               1:30PM

Country Wedding                             3:30PM

The King of Milu Deer                       5:30PM

Confucius                                       7:30PM

January 27, 2012 (Friday)

Ocean Heaven                                  1:30PM

Confucius                                        3:30PM

Lost on Journey                                5:30PM

Bodyguards & Assassins                    8:00PM

January 28, 2012 (Saturday)

The King of Milu Deer                        1:30PM

Ocean Heaven                                  3:30PM

Lost on Journey                                5:30PM

Bodyguards & Assassins                    7:30PM

January 29, 2012 (Sunday)

Lost on Journey                                1:30PM

Country Wedding                              3:30PM

Bodyguards & Assassins                    5:30PM

Ocean Heaven                                  8:30PM

                                               

OTHER ACTIVITIES (2nd Floor, Grand Atrium)

January 20-29

Chinese Painting Exhibit by the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

January 22

Chinese Painting Workshops by Mr. Caesar Cheng and the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

This year's festival was made possible in partnership with Celadon and Shangri-La Plaza, and is sponsored by Credit Suisse, Ateneo de Davao University, Sacred Heart School, University of Cebu, Richwell Trading, Autism Society Philippines, FortMED Medical Clinics, Jesuit Communications, Monster Radio RX93.1, Mellow 94.7, Flexo Manufacturing Corporation, 1^st Estan Trading Co., Philippine Pudhai Fraternity, Long Hiat Hometown Association, Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran Inc., Asian Dragon Magazine and China Business Magazine.

For more info visit the Ateneo Celadon site at http://ateneo-celadon.org/

For other information, please call Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies at: 426-6001 local 5208-5209; 5280. For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at 633-2227.

Pizza Hut New Year Pre-Countdown for 2012

Pizza Hut in cooperation with DOST and Discovery Channel promotes "Juan Time!": an advocacy for Filipino punctuality. Its time to synchronize our time into "Juan Time!"

confetti party!

nemo shining bright lights!

a very very big poinsettia

me and my blogger friend, Ning

giant xmas tree

another giant, a giant timex watch!

Juan Time Advocacy Seal

Ms. Universe 1st runner up, Ms. Shamcey Supsup being interviewed by the press

The Holy Trinity Chorale singing a harmonic Jingle Bells

host points out the countdown to Juan Time

Fireworks lit up Smart Araneta

Shamcey and Venus! Pizza Hut Ambassadresses

It was a very fun party in Smart Araneta. Together with a big mob, we celebrated a pre-countdown to the new year 2012! It was great synchronizing our time to only one time. The event taught us the importance of punctuality in everything that we do. May all Filipinos follow the new "Juan Time"! Good luck to 2012!

The Jazzy "Ronald Tomas Nonet Travels" Album

Have you heard of the sexy Jazz music being collaborated with kundiman? How about jazz music with "Mahal na Araw" Pasyon? 

Sounds interesting, isn't it?

I recently heard of this really interesting album: "Ronald Tomas Nonet", Nonet is a musical term for a group of nine musicians. The album, launched by its lead, Mr. Ronald Tomas, formed the collection of the musical collaboration together with his friends who played in various capacities over the years. It happened that they were coming from the same school, the UP College of Music, and through the years, happened to be in the same circle in the local music scene.

THE INFLUENCE & THE INFLUENCED

Travelling the world, getting various music influences, inspired musician Ronald Tomas to create musical arrangements with his friends and try to record them. The idea of creating an album was not really present during that time. But after few recordings, they noticed that were already working on the 7th and 8th song, and so they thought on working on more to resemble an album. According to Ronald, "It was a wonderful accident".

Ronald Tomas played saxophone for WDOUJI (Witch Doctors of Underground Jazz Improvisation). Their first album, Ground Zero, won in the KATHA AWARD back 2001. He was also a member of the band, Parliament Syndicate.

"It was a wonderful accident" - Ronald Tomas

THE ALBUM

The album contains ten wonderful arrangements that are truly beautiful and refreshing:

1. Chili Con Pasyon - a groovy, danceable fusion of Pasyon Melody and rhythm from Chile. I always attend the "Pabasa ng Pasyon" every Holy Week but I never thought that I am already listening to our own pasyon music while listening to this arrangement! You'll say its really hot! Chili!

2. Pandango Palawan - a collaboration of Argentina Tango, rhythms from Colombia and Palawan Highland Melody. Are you looking for a different sound of the tango? Yes, this is it.

3. Very Early - Ronald's favorite jazz song written by an American jazz musician, Bill Evans. 

4. Joselynang Baliwag - a kundiman that dates way back 1800's and was a favorite amongst the katipuneros during the revolution, which was contemporized by drum and bass beats underneath. For the trivia, this was the song that signaled the attack against the army.

5. Dum Da Dee Dum - this song was written by Ronald's good friend, Aya Yuson. This song stand on its own (with the use of voice to play the melody) even without the lyrics, and it sounded really good. This is my favorite among all the arrangements in the album. The fresh sound gave me happy thoughts, that, hearing it makes me feel so in love. 

6. Duyog Sunrise - a cool collaboration of modern jazz and a Maguindanao musical tradition. Listening to it gave me a feeling that there is a story of fierce battle inside the song.

7. Ground Zero - a song that Ronald co-wrote with Koko Bermejo on the KATHA award winning first WDOUJI album back in 2001. 

8. Ramut - a song with melodies from a Cordilleran highland song from the Kalinga, translated in jazz style.

9. Natutulog Ka Na Ba Sinta - a jazzified version of the composition from Levi Celerio/ Santiago Suarez which was originally written in the "Harana" genre.

10. Sinulugang Taktak - an interpretation of the Maguindanao musical form called Sinulog, mixed with jazz harmony. 

THE VERDICT

The new refreshing sound of the collaboration arrangement made this album very distinct and unique from other jazz albums in the music scene. Overall, the album sounded so good that I want to hear it all over, again and again. For jazz lovers out there, maybe this is the album that you have been waiting for!

To hear sample tracks, visit these links:

http://soundcloud.com/iskubi/chilli-con-pasyon

http://soundcloud.com/iskubi/sinulugang-taktak

Visit and like the "Ronald Tomas Nonet" FB Page!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ronald-Tomas-Nonet/169196716463086

To get more of the group, watch them in YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/user/iskubi/videos

You can buy their album in these locations:

1. LOPEZ MEMORIAL MUSEUM

Ground flr. Benpres Building

Exchange Road cor. Meralco Avenue

Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Philippines 1600

2. 70's BISTRO

#46 Anonas Street, Project 2, 1102 Quezon City, Philippines

3. CONSPIRACY

Visayas Ave, Quezon City

They can also send their CD or arrange a meeting (if you are within Metro Manila) by calling or texting at 09392211271.

Conzace Viral Smackdown: A New Facebook Craze

Looking for another Facebook Application that will make you go loco?

After Farmville, Petville, Cityville, Frontierville, Empires vs. Allies.. Another Facebook craze was born..


I've been addicted to another Facebook craze lately, after I discovered a new game called Viral Smackdown, from a popular multivitamin manufacturer, Conzace. The gameplay content and the concept is not quite new for arcade game lovers but the story behind the "how-are-you-gonna-play-the-game?" is so unique. 

If you have webcam installed in your computer, and you are ready to be addicted, then say "Yes!" cause you are ready to go! You can only play the game once the application detected that there is a webcam installed. YOu will not use the keyboard nor the mouse to play it, but you have to use the powers of the human hand. It doesn't matter if your monitor is NOT touch screen. Important thing is you have a webcam, the webcam will detect the placing of your hands against the screen.. and voila! You are ready for the microbes battle!!!


The first time I tried playing it, I thought that its so easy. I even came to a point saying to myself, "Hmp! So easy! I can easily get to the last level of this!".. Well, as usual, there are times that we fail on our first impressions.. And yes, on the next level, I felt that the game was getting hard! I needed to beat those cute little microbes on the screen! There are three levels, and I have to play again and again and again and again just to reach the next level! On the first level, you have to conquer yellow mirobes.. Second level requires you to still hit the yellow germs but now there are green germs ready to scare you that will give you minus points.. Get into the last level and you'll face red viruses! The combination of the yellow microbes, green germs and red viruses will surely make your face sour!


Try this game, and you will not stop playing it! Its so addicting! Complete all three levels for a chance to win a Conzace gift pack! Top ten weekly winners will get a chance to have a special surprise gift!


Comment below if you already pass all three levels! Go swat the microbes!
Follow this link to play! https://www.facebook.com/conzace

ILFS Charity Project 2011

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES - Employees from ILFS Technologies Philippines Inc., gather together to spread the Christmas spirit to families living in the slums area of NIA road, beside DOJ Bldg. last December 20, 2011.

"Konting tulong lang naman para maramdaman nila ang Christmas."

Last month, the slums area beside DOJ Building in Nia Road, Quezon City caught a very big fire. The fire even reached the ILFS-IMC building causing amounts of destroyed IT properties. This incident destroyed a hundred of properties resulting to homeless, unfortunate people.

This christmas project started last year by two of the NOC team members, the brains; Joseph Bais and Gerald Gomez.

The goal of this annual project is to share and spread the Christmas spirit. Christmas is not always about shopping and receiving gifts, but it is a season of loving, sharing and giving.

Here are the other sneek peek photos of the Christmas Feeding Program:

Me with the NOC Team aka "The Charity Bosses"

Excited faces

Yummy spaghetti ready for the fight!

Children are getting excited for the munch

Spaghetti preparation at the "backstage"

"This is how you eat the spaghetti.." haha

So busy!

Lil' children patiently waiting in line

and last but not the least... the Charity Bosses!

In parallel with the feeding program, they are also conducting a clothes donation project. They are encouraging every employee to donate clothes and put those in big boxes scattered in the ILFS-IMC Bldg. (just like the boxes of Jollibee Ma-AGA ang Pasko). The collected donations will be given to GMA Kapuso Foundation and will be sent to the victims of Typhoon Sendong in CDO.

Giving and sharing our blessings to others is the best way to share the spirit of Christmas joy. Merry Christmas everyone!!! :)