Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner

I got free sachets of the new Dove Intensive Repair shampoo and conditioner so I decided to try it. We all know Dove is popular for its moisturizing soap so I got curious if it would do the same thing for the hair as well. With the 10ml sachet, it lathers really well. It wasn’t too fragrant like other shampoos but it had a certain fresh scent.  After my first wash, I felt my hair was so clean. The conditioner was also unusually not too ‘greasy’ unlike my current conditioner which takes a while to rinse. I combed my hair while it was still wet and I just let it dry. My hair usually takes hours to dry, and gets all tangled up by the time I get in the office. When I got in, I noticed that my hair was almost completely dry and it only took a few hours. Since I was a bit busy that day, I only remembered to comb my hair by lunch time. Surprisingly, my hair was still soft that I only needed my fingers to fix my hair and the scent also did not fade. After a whole day in the office, I went home with my hair looking I just blow-dried  it. To further test its effectiveness, I decided to try not washing my hair on the second day. As it turned out, my hair was still soft and manageable. By night time it became a bit oily due to my naturally oily scalp but it still looked good. I think I will buy the whole bottle once my current shampoo runs out. I just hope it won’t lose its effectiveness with prolonged use =)

Toast Box

I thought this resto only offered bread and coffee but apparently they also offer Singaporean dishes as well and I tried their Nasi Goreng (P 170). I’ve always wanted to try it ever since I saw its picture at Hawkers 101. I knew Toast Box was a Singaporean franchise but I believe Nasi Goreng originated from Indonesia (probably it’s also popular in Singapore =P ) Anyway, the plate was so full that I think it’s good for 2 people. It wasn’t oily like other kinds of fried rice and it had the perfect level of spiciness.  I didn’t touch the shrimp paste (aka bagoong) on the side because it might make the rice too salty. It already did have a strong flavor so it was not necessary. The fried egg was perfectly cooked and it went well with the rice. (I felt like I was having breakfast =P) The chicken was tender and the rice was not overcooked. However, I think it would be better if it had prawns.  I took home half of my meal since I was so full. Overall I liked it, the price was reasonable for its serving. I would love to try their toasts with their coffee because I heard it’s good, I’ll definitely be back.

Magnum Craze

If you can’t beat them, join them =P

Everyone is going crazy about this newly launched ice cream and I got really curious if it was really that good. I had the original one since the one with almonds was out of stock. At first bite, I felt the crispiness of the chocolate cover, and the vanilla was rich and thick but not too sweet which I really liked. Over all it reminded me of Nestle’s old ice cream from the 90s – the Mega Ice Cream Classic (remember this?).

Mega Ice Cream Classic

For me it was just ok (3/5), but I think I expected a lot. I guess I just really wanted the one with almonds. What caused the hype was that the chocolate layer was made of Belgian chocolate and somehow it made it look luxurious. (So as their marketing tag line goes, “for royalty”). For only P50 you can have a good sophisticated dessert. I'm thinking if they were able to create a huge Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream Ball/Bar with all its complex layers. That would definitely be unique and I’m sure a lot of people would love it =)

Bye-Bye Britannica =(

Back in the days when the internet was only limited to MIRC chats and google was not yet existing, I used our encyclopedia to do research. I still remember the old smell of the pages and how heavy it was to carry a 'book' which only covered subjects starting with letter A. I still remember how fragile the pages were and how my mom would always remind me to slowly turn the pages so as not to tear them. I kind of miss the days when I was in our elementary/highschool library to do school work.

I recently saw an article saying that Britannica will no longer print copies after 244 years and they will now solely be digital. I'm quite nostalgic about it since it was a huge part of my student life. Also, it still feels different when you have it on hand than seeing it on your monitor. Everything's being replaced by the internet now but it's also nice to look back on how it was before. I'm thankful that we have our own copy. I will truly treasure it even though a lot of people think it's obsolete. Our encyclopedia will now be antique. =)

Lotte Double Bianco (Strawberry)

On a hot summer day, it’s nice to have a cold treat. As I was strolling along the streets of Makati, I dropped by this small Korean store and decided to try their ice cream. I was a bit hesitant to try it since most of them had characters I don’t understand, but upon seeing the different flavors and feeling the scorching heat outside, I decided to give it a shot. I tried the Lotte Double Bianco. The strawberry ice cream was not too sweet and it had enough syrup to give it flavor. Since ‘bianco’ means white in Italian, I thought it meant ‘double stuffed’ as the cup was really full. But upon reaching the bottom part of the cup, I slowly realized what ‘double bianco’ really meant. It’s not just a simple vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry syrup, underneath it is another layer of apple sherbet.  I really didn’t notice it at first since the apple sherbet was also color white, but upon tasting it, it had a strong flavor of apple and the consistency was also different. Thus the name of Double Bianco – it really meant 2 white treats =P I also loved the packaging. The foldable spoon hidden under the cup was very convenient. Also, it had a very reasonable price (P 58) considering it’s imported from Korea. I’ll definitely repurchase and try their other products.

Ingredients:

Corn syrup, sugar, mixed milk pd (imported,milk), strawberry syrup (korea), high fructose syrup, vegetable fat, processed butter, apple concentrated juice, whey pd, citric acid (source: Lottesamkang.co.kr) 

Bangkok meets Manila - 4th Thailand Trade Exhibition [2012]

While walking around Makati, I saw this poster about the 4th Thailand Trade Exhibition (March 1-4) @ SMX Convention Center, MOA. Since this would be a sneak peek of  my 'dream trip' to Bangkok, I decided to go.

There were a lot of booths that offered different products like food, beauty commodities, and arts and crafts from Thailand. There was the Tong Garden which is very popular for their nuts and the manufacturer of Lactasoy which offered different flavors of soya milk.

In order to showcase Thailand's culture, there was a live demonstration on how they cook steamed rice flour dumplings or Khao Kreab Pak Mor which I was able to taste and a demo of the ancient art of Kae Sa Luk (fruit carving). [Trivia: Pak Mor means 'pot lips' in Thai]. The dish probably got its name from how it is cooked. A cloth is placed on top (lip) of the pot to cook the rice flour batter. Once the batter starts to solidify the filling is placed on top and the skin is lifted from the cloth to wrap the filling covering it. At first I couldn't recognize what the filling was made out of since it was already rolled into small balls. According to the local that I asked, it was meat. Upon tasting it, I think it had sugar and some nuts since it was quite sweet and tasty. I really loved it and I actually wanted more. However they were not selling it and the line was getting long for the free taste.

I really adored their glass rings and their accessories. They were very colorful and crafty. The glass rings were sold for P350 each while the others varied in prices according to its design. I was looking forward to see their fisherman's pants but they only have hand-painted dresses.

Good thing we were able to catch the cultural show featuring Thai Classical Dances.

It was a fun and interesting visit. I'm hoping that there would be a fifth one and I'm expecting more food haha. 

I wonder if there would also be trade expos for other countries as well. I'll try to find out and I'll keep you posted =)

International Women's Day (March 8)

March 8 is International Women's Day

This is a day of respect, recognition and appreciation for all the women in the world for their contributions to society. Last year was its 100th anniversary and a lot of events took place in different parts of the world. For this year, the theme is "Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty". This is quite a huge event that a lot of countries consider this as an official holiday. Unfortunately, this is not widely celebrated in the Philippines.

In line with today's celebration of International Women's Day, I want to recognize some women considering their economic, political and social achievements.

Regina "Gina" Paz L. Lopez - the philanthopist

She is the Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation which introduced socio-civic projects such as Bantay Bata 163 and Bantay Kalikasan. Last year she was appointed as Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission chief. She received the Peace Award (2003) for her dedication in preserving the environment and Outstanding NGO for Community Development for Bantay Kalikasan. She recently had a heated debate with Manny V. Pangilinan regarding the issue of mining. Her charitable acts and her persistence to fight for her beliefs make her an outstanding woman.

 

Miriam Palma Defensor Santiago - The genius but hot-tempered senator.

You can always see her during the impeachment trial raising her voice at the prosecutors. She has one of the best credentials, earning Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude and Bachelor of Laws cum laude from the University of the Philippines College of Law and earned her doctorate in University of Michigan law School.  (source Wikipedia). Also, late last year she was elected as Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and she is the first ever female judge from a developing state in Asia (source:  DFA). She is truly a woman of excellence.

Teresita T. Sy-Coson - Queen of Retail

We all know that her father holds the top spot for Philippines' richest man. A part of his success was brought by the expertise of his right hand, and first child - Tessie. She has been the Advisor of SM prime Holdings Inc. since May 2008. She is the Executive Vice President of First Asia Realty Development Corp., President of SM Mart, Inc., President and Chairman of ShoeMart, Inc., and Supervalue, Inc. and last but not the least, Chairperson of BDO Unibank Inc. and BDO Leasing & Finance (Source: Businessweek). She is indeed a multi-tasker having different positions in their company. She is now part of Forbes Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen. She proves that business is not just for men.

Corazon C. Aquino - First Filipina President, 1986 Woman of the Year by Time Magazine

From a plain housewife, to being the first Filipina President to being the 'Mother of Philippine Democracy'. She was known in the whole world for standing up from dictatorship and restored our freedom. After she stepped down as president, she received numerous awards such as the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding from the Fulbright Association (source: Wikipedia) She was not just a political figure but she was a role model and an inspiration to all Filipinos.

Therese Tianco Badoy aka Gang Badoy - the rockstar educator

She is the founder of RockEd Philippines, a group that uses music to as an alternative education to present social issues. She was one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) 2010 awardees and she was one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (2010).National Geographic Channel Asia even selected her as one of their "Live Curious" ambassadors. (Source: Wikipedia) She had the perfect vision to use music as medium in order to connect to the youth.

These women have brought significant changes to our country, not only for their excellence but more importantly for their passion which brings inspiration to many. We are all surrounded with great women and most of them don't get awards or get featured in magazine covers. They are just ordinary women but have touched our lives in an extraordinary way. Show them your appreciation and let's all be grateful we have them. Let's not only remember their worth during special occasions but show them love every single day.

To all the women in my life, Happy Women's Day!  =)

Image Sources:

Logo - http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/blog/library/index.php/2010/03/it-is-international-womens-day-today-what-does-that-mean/

Gina Lopez - http://www.cdm.aim.edu/index.php/news-and-announcements/140-ms-gina-lopez-on-the-adverse-effects-of-mining-in-devt-at-work-forum-may-25-2011

Miriam Santiago - http://www.starmometer.com/2011/12/13/miriam-santiago-elected-as-judge-in-international-criminal-court-icc/

Tessie Coson - http://pinoypower.net/2012/03/07/sms-teresita-sy-coson-covers-forbes-asias-50-power-businesswomen-issue/

Cory Aquino - http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19870105,00.html

Gang Badoy - http://www.spot.ph/gallery/580/Live-Curious-Exhibit/article/46727#pid=6778