yeyy! i won free tickets to Oz!

yeheyyy! i won 4 tickets to a special movie screening of Oz the Great and Powerful! plus a bonus raffle entry to win a Lumia phone! nah, not counting on it! i really just joined for the tickets! >XD uhm, no actually i joined because i'm a promo freak. but none of those contests with criterias like most creative, most pretentious, most comments and most something blah haha. just those i can manage... like first something. hahaha

anyhow. looking forward to this! superthanks to these great people for making this possible! 

Nuffnang Philippines for the great opportunity!

and of course, Nokia and Abensons for sponsoring this great event! cheeers! >XD i'm so happy because.. i dunno. haha there's really no reason not to. >XD

Live Your Style with adidas NEO

if we're talking about personality expression through fashion, you're in the wrong site! if anything, i'm on the far end of the world when it comes to dressing up. i'd say i'm less of the show off and more of the functional dresser. less blings, more pockets. backpacks over totes. jeans over dresses. and definitely rubber shoes over flats or slippers. that's my daily casual choice unless forced otherwise! haha

but among the casual stuff i gear myself with, i'm most particular with the footwear. i can sweep the tiangges with everything from top to bottom but not the bottom most! haha i can be an extreme budgetarian on everything but not my shoes. it has to be strong and durable, ready to withstand my daily walk-apades. it has to be stylish too, which in my sense means it has to effortlessly match anything i wear. you see, i'm not wardrobe savvy, but it doesn't mean i don't care. at the very least, i can say i have no intention to look like a daily fashion joke.

which is why i find it necessary to invest on the right footwear. if anything, it's what keeps me most confident when i walk out in broad daylight wearing chop chop finds from the tiangges. haha and with my job title (read: programmer), i never have to worry pretending to be the corporate chic that i'm not cos we're not required to dress up like so. in the office it's always casual on the go ho ho!

so if footwear is the game, adidas is THE name!

Embrace fun, spontaneity and the unexpected twists in fashion when the adidas NEO Label Spring 2013 collection hits stores in January to March.

Living a carefree journey that lets teens make their own style, NEO will capture attention with unique and innovative fashion and design twists on Spring merchandise. Products have multiple purposes or added value.

NEO will release a fresh product offering each month, spotlighting a fashion trend interpreted in a different way. In March patterns are the highlight, featuring vibrant waves of colour, with subtle patterns that appear to be one thing but on close inspection reveal another. These will include camouflage prints and edgy takes on adidas NEO slogans with a focus on windbreakers and shirts. Sporty, street and lifestyle footwear silhouettes with strong colour and graphic links create the look.

NEO footwear is available in SM and select Robinson’s Department Stores nationwide.

tutor power!

if you are concerned about your child's academic performance getting a bit haywire because of a lot of distractions like video games, internet and TV, you might want to consider hiring a tutor to help your precious one cope. A lot of kids nowadays couldn't stay focused on one thing specially after school is over. this causes them to forget about homework and other acad stuff due the following days. when this happens and stuff gets piled up, eventually the child loses interest in learning because he comes to class empty handed and doesn't understand what's happening on the board anymore. if you could imagine how awful this will progress, you'll realize that it's all brought about by one simple thing: forgetting to do homework because of a lot of distractions.

hiring a tutor will definitely help children enjoy their academics better and PASS THEIR HOME WORKS on time. i couldn't stress out enough how vital accomplishing home works are. if anything, it's an opportunity to score a perfect hundred! why? because once you go out of school, you have the right to use every resources out there to accomplish your job perfectly. and when it comes to resources, instead of burying your nose on a book, you could look for a tutor to help you PERSONALLY with your acad problems.

private tutoring gives that very personalized environment which is perfect for children to grow their minds without being trampled by classroom disturbances. with a tutor, the student will feel more comfortable making mistakes because tutors usually and almost always provide indiscriminate feedback to wrong answers. they help you learn from your mistakes instead of shoving you off on the sides which is embarrassing (it's the classmates who are usually responsible for this, albeit unknowingly).

any how, to get you started, the web nowadays offer a lot of avenues for you to find the tutor that best fits your children's needs. say you're looking for a tutor nearby, you can google up your location and find qualified tutors around (more information here). The good thing about looking online is that you can readily read their resumes and qualifications, and evaluate asap. Plus if it's online, chances are the person is really taking his tutoring career at a professional level, and not just out of a hobby.

there you go! tutor power to help your children better! :)

Nokia Lumia 620, 820 and 920 in the flesh

And so you've probably heard, Nokia outs three brand new Lumia installments and yesterday i got the chance to finally see them right in the flesh!



Thanks to Abenson (Glorietta) for putting the actual phones out on display for curious customers like me. So right under the cut, you'll be seeing and reading my unadulterated first impressions of the Lumia 620, 820 and 920...

See what rocks and sucks about these crazy lumias below!

Lumia 620

Nokia Lumia 620

Rocks:

- Windows Phone 8 

- good screen resolution at 480x800 on a 3.8" TFT capacitive touchscreen featuring Nokia's trademark ClearBlack display

- 5mp autofocus camera with LED flash

- 1GHZ Krait dual-core running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4. consider those heavy apps served!

- double shot of colors! the shell features two colors each, one at the outer layer and a different color for the inside layer. :) and you can change them btw, you just have to buy different shells. >:D

Sucks:

- running over the specs i'd say the only let down of this phone is the battery capacity, which is a lo Li-ion 1300 mAH block. 

Price:

Abenson Mobile offers the Lumia 620 for a very affordable price of Php 12,695.00 apiece. On credit, you can pay it for only Php 1,057.90 / month with 0% interested. how awesome is that?

Lumia 820

Rocks:

- 4.3" AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with an estimated 217ppi pxel density. Pretty good display i must say for those who are not very keen on graphics quality. Also features ClearBlack display! 

- features a camera using Carl Zeiss optics with an 8mp autofocus rear cam with dual-LED flash. expect picture quality to be crisp and sharp.

- runs on Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon with dual-core 1.5GHz Krait CPU. beat thaaaat!

- WIRELESS CHARGING. this is probably one of its coolest features because it's new and innovative.. though it's not exactly my favorite cos i'd rather see myself tucking in wires than carrying a charging plate... hmm... and for the record... the wireless charging stuff doesn't come with the package, you have to buy it separately. :)

Sucks:

- same thing! for a phone with this specs, i wonder how they won't expect users to be extremely hands-on an abusive with it. 1650mAH are you kidding me? >:'(

Price:

Abenson Mobile offers the Lumia 820 for Php 20,990.00

And for credit buyers out there, you can get your hands on with this wonder for only Php 1,749,16/mo. at 0% interest. Crazy huh?

Lumia 920

Rocks:

- great color diplay! IPS LCD Capacitive touchscreen. 4.5" screen size with 768x1280 pixels resolution (~332 ppi).

- PureMotion HD+ and ClearBlack display

- 8mp autofocus Carl Zeiss optics powered lens with dual-LED flash! same same, expect great shoots!

- and of course, HD recording. 1080p @ 30fps, folks!

- Dolby headphone and sound enhancement for the music buffs!

- Smooth flowing OS, overall. thanks to Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon and 1.5ghz krait dual-core CPU.

Sucks:

- Large and pretty bulky

- For something this big, i don't think 2000mAH will suffice. Add to the fact that it's non-removeable, this might be something consumers will take into big consideration.

Price:

- No SRP released yet for the Philippines as the unit won't be out until April, then again that's just a few days away from now so who cares about the wait? I'm judging this will be around 30k. Heavy, ayt? But I'm pretty sure our good friends from Abenson will come up with a really tempting deal to make that price weight less on our pockets.

----

So what are you waiting for guys? Head on to Abenson to experience this brand new phones asap! They offer really competitive prizes both for cash and credit buyers and I'm sure you're not going to regret it cos everyone there seems to be really friendly and accommodating even if you're just on a stroll (seriously!). With Abenson, you get the tech upgrade you deserve! Check out these amazing facts about Nokia and Abenson as well...

So there you go, i'm a certified fandroid but it wouldn't hurt to surf out of my comfort zone, if you ask me, i'd take the Lumia 620 for starters. >:)

Nokia: on full force with Windows

Ever since Nokia quit developing the Symbian platform any further, they have been noticeably charging full force on manufacturing great windows phones in playful colors. Check out these three new installments featuring Nokia's trademark ClearBlack display (and moooore!) and see how it rocks your socks!

Nokia Lumia 620

1.) Lumia 620

Smart, inside and out!
Sporting a 1ghz dual-core, SnapDragon S4 processor, a 5mp autofocus camera with flash, and that noticeable double shot of color on its shell, the 620 is not just your regular smart windows phone but also a certified eye-candy.

For complete specifications, click here

Nokia Lumia 820

2.) Lumia 820
Wireless charging, anyone?
Boost this 4.3" of goodness with a wireless charging shell (or pillow by FatBoy) and get rid of those annoying cables tripping over your lifestyle!

Never worry about losing an important memory; shoot anytime, anywhere with its 8mp autofocus camera with dual-led flash powered by Carl Zeiss optics. Seriously? what a grab!

For complete specifications, click here

Nokia Lumia 920

3.) Lumia 920

The world's most innovative smartphone!

This glorious 4.5" sports a Carl Zeiss lens, PureView technology, PureMotion HD+ display and a lot more rocking specs that will take your lifestyle to a different level!

For complete specifications, click here

And of course, how well can we better try these phones out? Head over to any Abenson center, one of the country's biggest appliance networks and be welcomed by their warm crew, ready to let you experience these phones without any reservations. And mind you, you get to check the real thing and not just a crunchy dummy phone! What's really cool is that if anything, they really want you to get hold of your favorite gadget! They offer the craziest discounts and the most exclusive freebies to make sure you get the technological upgrade you deserve. You can even pay for as low as 500/month at 0% interest for that prized gadget that catches your eye. You must be wondering: Seriously, now?

To help you out with this crazy news, check below fun facts about Nokia and Abenson:

So what are you waiting for, let Abenson be your guide and grab these amazing phones now! :)

practicing good citizenry

any good citizen would not waver with his national responsibility to pay his taxes accordingly. i never really cared about taxes even when i started working. that's until i was deducted a relatively BIG amount, then i researched. apparently, tax deductions depend on the salary range you received for a particular cutoff. basically, the higher the salary, the bigger the tax. and it so happened that it's our "bonus" month so the huge withholding tax cannot be helped.

for employees, it may not be a hard thing to file for tax returns. usually, the company will do it for you and will just deduct it from your allowance. but for self-employed people or for those in the company in charge of managing tax returns for its employees, it may come off as a big pain in the ass. there are a lot of things to learn about taxes and it's very important to be well acquainted with them. after all, your money is being used as a vital part of nation building so better know the ins and outs of taxation. if you want to learn more about the seemingly dragging but ultimately necessary world of taxes, you can read more information here.

luckily, one doesn't need to look further in order to find help in organizing tax related forms and issues. there are various consulting firms out there ready to take in any of your questions. but for the lazier (or more resourceful) ones, the internet is overflowing with guide to taxes, you just have to know what you're looking for.

alas. don't forget that however big it may be, our taxes are part of what builds our nation and it is our utmost responsibility to pay them well.

obligatory (post-)vday post haha

akala ko non di na ko magkaka-boyfriend. pag 20 ka na tapos wala pang nanliligaw/nagpaparamdam sayo kahit isa, magtataka ka na. haharap ka sa salamin at tatanungin mo sarili mo, "pangit ba ko?!", pupunta ka sa nanay mo at huhugot ka ng confidence, tapos luluhod ka kay Lord na bigyan ka ng isang meaningful na love life. at dahil choosy ka pa, gagawa ka ng checklist. eto nga pala yung ideal guy ko, written on august 2009 in a private journal kasi secret lang namin yun ni Lord. pero nung Feb 2010, pinost ko na rin. baka kamo may interesado. HAHA

akalain mo nung august 2010, may close friend akong napilit kong umamin sakin. chos. at dahil na-shock ako, isang buong taon ko syang iniwasan. galing no. yung kaisa-isang taong confirmed na may gusto sakin, tinulak ko papalayo. ganyan tayong mga gerlies eh, ang arte. pero naman, pag nasa faculty room lang kasi yung tatay mo, at estudyante pa nya yung frinend-zone mo, aba shempre kelangan magpaka-virtuous kuno. HAHA

it took a year for the awkwardness to die down. after non, dahil feeling ko safe na, wala na, babayoo na, unti-unting bumalik ang dati naming turingan bilang magkaibigan. HAHA pero hindi talaga exactly bumalik. matagal kasi ako ma-ilang. mga years haha. pero in fairness nung akala ko wala na, meron pa pala. this time, i received my first ever "formal" confession, complete with the ever awkward cheeseburger from mcdo. from there i knew i had to give him a chance. kasi in fairness antagal na pala nyang kinikimkim yung pagibig nya sakin. chos. at unti unti na ring nahuhulog ang loob ko sa kanya. oha. hindi naman ako nagkamali. pinagdasal ko naman to at alam kong may purpose si Lord sa kaganapang iyon. di naglaon, naging kami. my first (confirmed) admirer, first suitor and my first boyfriend. epic 20! and the rest is His story. <3

one certain monthsary (actually hindi ako sure kung kelan haha), he gave me a piece of paper with a checklist of all the things i wrote on my Ideal Guy post. i had the chance to go through the list once more, and only then did i realize that he's all i ever asked for. and along with that realization is a revelation that God has actually provided everything I need even BEFORE i asked for it. diba sabi nga sa Mat 7:7... Ask and it shall be given unto you..

indeed. nakakatawa lang na nasa harap mo na pala yung taong para sayo, kung san san pa ko sumisilip... sa kabilang classroom, sa library, sa basketball court, sa NRMF, sa UPLB... dito ko narealize yung essence ng isang part ng Mat 7:7... seek and you shall find. not because you are seeking for something means you will find the actual thing... minsan iba yung makikita mo. sa lahat ng lugar na nag-"seek" ako, isa lang ang na-find ko... they're not for me. HEHE

kaya naman for everything you've done for me, thank you jeckie!
for waking me up every 5am so we could devo together, thank you!
for encouraging me to keep a more personal relationship with the Lord, thank you!
for inspiring me to worry less, and quit being judgmental, thank you!
for saying i'm beautiful, thank you!
for coming over at 5am to bring me my favorite breakfast... thank you!
and most specially...
for keeping our relationship virtuous and God-centered, thank you is not enough. :)

i love you! yeyy! >XD