Saturday, July 30, 2016

5 things I learned from Nick Vujicic

He was born without arms and legs. He went through hating God, being depressed, and trying to kill himself all by the age of 10. He is someone who most people wouldn't even give a second thought about. After all, what can a man without arms and legs really do?

Nothing right?

WRONG!



Nick Vujicic, motivational speaker and spreader of the word of God was born without arms and legs but he had a vision, a desire, and the heart and mind which he used to pursue his gift and vision. He did not allow the fact that he had no arms and legs to stop him. Instead, he used this disadvantage to make himself better.

He believes that hope is priceless. He believes that everyone has a purpose. He does not believe that he is limited; on the contrary, he believes that he is limitless. He was told that he could never walk and now he surfs. He puts his focus on something and does not allow himself to accept failure. He tries and tries and tries until he eventually succeeds.

We all have disabilities; disabilities of the heart. The heart, the mind, and the spirit need to work together and when that happens, the possibilities become limitless despite any perceived disabilities.

He was just so inspiring. It was crazy how he only talked for less than an hour and yet, it felt like he was talking for hours with the many wisdom he was able to impart. So here are the 5 things that I learned from him.
  1. Family is more important than any business or money making scheme. Nick said that he would rather be poor than be rich by lying. He values his family more than anything. He had over 1000+ unread text messages but when he has dinner at home with his wife, he doesn't get to be on the phone. Family comes first. 
  2. You are beautiful just the way you are. Nick Vujicic has no arms and legs and I tell you, when he was placed on stage, he was the most beautiful thing that you would see. He was just so full of life. 
  3. If you're not happy single, you won't be happy with someone else. You need to learn to love yourself to be happy. 
  4. We are all perfectly imperfect. Nick Vujicic sees himself that way and we should too. We have arms and legs or may have imperfections but really, if he can see himself as being perfectly imperfect, how can we not? The man has no arms and legs for crying out loud. 
  5. Believe in God. Everything happens for a reason and God will never let anything happen to you if it wasn't meant to happen to you. 

I went home with a new sense of possibilities and hope for myself and my family that we can recover from the slump we are in ... that the future is bright ... and that everything is possible. I went home believing and knowing that indeed, there are limitless possibilities. We just need to claim them, want them hard enough, and be willing to fail and fail until we succeed.

All things are possible if the heart, mind, and spirit will be one.

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Orly Pacific Coast Highway Colors

It's the rainy season here in the Philippines but it doesn't stop Orly from bringing a lot of sunshine back with their Pacific Coast Highway colors.

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Orly Pacific Coast Highway is composed of Road Trippin, Summer Sunset, Put the Top Down, Scenic Route, Life's a Beach, and Paradise Cove (from left to right.) It has a gel manicure feel but it's actually a regular nail polish. However the finished product gives off a gel vibe which makes it look even more polished.

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We tried out Life's a Beach and it definitely felt like the sun was shining down on us. The colors were very bright and vivid. You can really feel the vibe of the Pacific Coast Highway with these colors.
Made In LA

2015 marks 40 fabulous years in the nail care industry for ORLY. From the conception of the timeless nail looks such as the Original French Manicure®, cutting-edge color, treatments, textures and design, to what's new and next in nails, it's all been created by the brains and beauty lovers at ORLY in LA. This year, ORLY celebrates its long-time love affair with Los Angeles with the Made in L.A. campaign, inspired by the people, places and heartbeat of the city of angels.

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At ORLY we never stop looking for the next big idea. By keeping hot on the heels of the latest trends, our talented team of color experts deliver the bright ideas, hot colors and bold textures our fans love. Color is the foundation of everything we do. It is our heart, and soul, and the reflection of our multi-faceted personality. Full of the classics, the revolutionary and time-tested fan favorites the Permanent Color Collection has something for everyone.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Bondi and Bourke: perfect for Meatatarians

My twin brothers are certified meatatarians. This is what they call themselves because where vegetarians love veggies, they love their meat with equal ardor. This is why Bondi and Bourke in BGC is the perfect spot for them because the roasted prime rib-eye here will definitely fill their tummies to the brim. Bondi&Bourke is an oasis where guests can enjoy a quintessential Modern Australian, all-day experience, headed by award-winning chef, Wade Watson.

We started with the Warm Mushroom Salad which was filled with microgreens. When I initially saw it, I was hesitant because I saw a lot of greens and I wasn't really a big fan of salad but I actually took a second heaping of this. The mushroom was complemented by the many microgreens that you see in the photo. It wasn't icky to eat. It was really appetizing.



They also served some canapes which in itself was filling. The sausage rolls and the mini pie was really good. The mini pie was my favorite because once you cut into it, smoke comes out and the smell of the beef inside fills the air. If I wasn't aware that I had to make space for the steak that was coming, I would have eaten a lot of these.


The foie gras was my favorite and also the favorite of my brother. It was only recently that I started to fall in love with foie gras but I fell hard. These 3 you see in the photo? I ate all of it by myself.


The prawn cocktail was good but I really have a slight aversion to cold shrimp. It's not this dish. It's me. Really.


Before the main star was served, we had the Lebanese Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Sauce on a bed of tomato and cucumber salsa which was wonderfully refreshing and really tasty. It may look simple but trust me when I say that I had 2 skewers of this and I wanted more.


Now, we give you the Roasted Prime Rib-Eye. I'm not a fan of steak but I actually had 2 slices of this and I have to say that even I admired the pinkness of the meat. It just looked absolutely perfect and it melted in your mouth. I thought I would have to chew hard but no, it just melts in your mouth.


Now to wash down all the calories we had, we tried out their smoothies. My brother had the cranberry which I had a sip of and felt my body instantly recoil from. Apparently, it was too healthy for me so I had the mango-blueberry smoothie which was quite sweet.


I also ordered the Cafe Latte and this was really good. If I wasn't experiencing some acidity issue, I would have gotten 5 cups minimum.


We ended our lunch with the Sticky Toffee Pudding and this was where we were a little confused. Perhaps because it was cooked one after the other, one ended up a little dry and the other was perfect. Thankfully, I got the perfect version haha. This wasn't too sweet and I finished once piece all by myself.


My brother, Chef Kirk and I, also had champagne. It's amazing that my tummy didn't go bad from trying out so many different drinks.


Thank you so much Chef Wade Watson for hosting this wonderful lunch. It was truly gastronomic.


Bondi and Bourke

Now I'm not yet done! I would like to give back some of the love and so we're doing our first giveaway this year! Yes, you read that right. Up for grabs is 2 Php1,000 GC to Bondi and Bourke in BGC. There will be two winners of Php1,000 each.

How to join? 
1. Like MsKathyKenny and LifeisKulayful
2. Follow me on Twitter
3. Follow me on Instagram and like at least 10 random photos.
4. Comment on this Instagram photo for your entry to be counted once you finish everything.
5. It will be a random draw.
6. Contest will run from July 21, 2016 to July 30, 2016.
7. Winner will be announced via Twitter on July 31, 2016.
8. GC is valid until July 18, 2017.
9. GC will be shipped to the winner. Open to people residing in NCR.


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Saturday, July 16, 2016

Ampalaya Monologues

Ampalaya Monologues has finally come back to its roots here in Las Pinas after much clamor from the people of the South and they couldn’t have chosen a better venue than Mystic Bew CafĂ© located at 511 Capitoline Hills, BFRV. The mystic themed coffee shop owned by Tristan Jovellana played host to the Amapalaya Monologues show aptly titled “How July Live Without You” which is a word play on the national anthem of heartbroken people “How Do I Live Without You.”

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Mark Ghosn, the creator of Ampalaya Monologues has written some of his piece here at Mystic Brew which makes this performance even more special. He lives in Las Pinas and today, he comes back to his roots and performs his masterpiece along with the members of Theater in Alternative Platform.

Ampalaya Monologues had two shows scheduled on July 16, one at 4pm and one at 7pm. The 4pm show started a few minutes late because of the influx of people that came in. The duo UNWIND (Paolo and Louie) started the show with a heart wrenching performance of Kahit Kailan, followed by Sam Smith’s Stay with Me, Stigmatized, and another Sam Smith song Lay By Your Side. Anyone who has gone through heartbreak will definitely feel every tug at the heart and say, “TAMA NA! ANG SAKIT NA E!”

UNWIND ended their set with an upbeat song “Shut Up and Dance.” We feel that it’s to give a little bit of happiness to the people in the crowd because once the monologues start, its going to be one cryfest after another.

Leah Garcia from Las Pinas Art Community was the first performer for the spoken word poetry part. Instead of the usual bitter piece, Leah performed a piece meant for those who have finally chosen to move on. “Para sa Aking Susunod na Mamahalin.” Patawad, pakiusap, at pangako (Forgiveness, hope, and promise.) The piece tackles about lessons learned from a previous relationship, things to expect when one gets into a new relationship, and a yearning for better things. This piece was made more special when Leah took a guy from the audience and had him participate much to his shock. It made the piece a lot more relatable which is what makes these kind of shows worth watching.

“Ang Huling Tagay na Ilalaklak ko Para Sayo” was performed by Yan-yan Gervero. This is a piece that anyone who has been cheated on can relate to. It talks about the doubts that one doesn’t want to face, the little things that tell you of what is really happening but you refuse to face because you just can’t accept the truth, and the many betrayals that you feel simply because you trust. You trust because you love and you were betrayed because you loved.

Aanhin mo naman ang tiwala kung ang lahat ng hinala mo naman ay tama.

Para naman akong sick leave, ginagamit mo lang pag tamad.

Busog na busog na nga ako kakalamon dito sa pride ko.

Ako ba ang nagkulang o sadyang di ka lang makuntento?

Bakit kung kelan ako nagseryoso saka ako napunta sa katulad mo?

“There’s a Basha in all of Us” was the next piece meant for everyone who was replaced by their best friend. This was performed by Mariko Urimoto. It started with “I’ll Never Go” of Nexus. Mariko performed this while eating ice cream which was very realistic because every single woman has eaten ice cream while nurturing a broken heart. This piece will touch the heart of anyone who has wanted a second chance even where there wasn’t one anyone. This piece will break the heart of anyone who wanted to say “Sana ako na lang. Sana ako na lang ulit.” It is more than apt because this is something that people go through, feel, and survived.

Ampalaya, minsan gulay, madalas ikaw.

Ahas, minsan nasa gubat, minsan ikaw.

Hindi pa sya grumagraduate, wala na syang class.

Hindi naman ako chocolate na kahit ilang beses mo durugin e sweet pa rin.

Sometimes it’s okay to not be okay.

3rd piece was titled “Akin ka na lang please” meant for anyone who has been bestfriendzoned. Performed by Yves Gutierrez, this was the lightest piece amongst the three. We know it’s painful to be bestfriendzoned but the attack on the performance made it feel light instead of painful.

Magreply nga hindi nya magawa, mahalin ka pa kaya?

May pacouple-couple watch pa kayo e wala naman pala syang time sayo.

“Violet ang color ng Pag-ibig” is meant for those who are martyr’s when it comes to love. This piece was performed by Berna Manipon and tackles the dark side of love. This is the personification of too much love will kill you. This is about love that suffocates, is jealous, controls, and hurts you not just physically but emotionally, verbally, and mentally. This is about abusive love and the people who keep giving chances when there shouldn’t be one.

Ako ang lalaki dito kaya ako ang masusunod.

Minsan ang sorry parang pera, tinatanggap mo na lang kasi hindi mo alam kung fake na.

Nagagawa nya lang naman yun kasi mahal nya ako diba? Diba?

Walang sakitan na nangyari pero gutay gutay na ang pagkatao ko. Walang sugat, walang pasa, pero bugbog na bugbog na ang pagkatao ko.

Sabi nila masakit daw pag hindi ka mahal ng mahal mo, pero mas masakit pala, pag sobra sobra ka nyang mahal.

Ang sakit ay bahagi ng pag-ibig ngunit ang pag-ibig ay hindi palaging bahagi ng sakit.

“Hindi pwedeng hindi na” is a piece performed by Dave Ramones, this piece is for people who can’t accept when a relationship is over. This is for those who woke up one day and their partner just wanted out. This is for those who had to play for keeps to fit the image that their partners had of them. This is for anyone who had to change interest and be a totally different person just to keep someone. This is for those who had to be someone else just to be loved.

Hindi ako pinalaki ng maayos ng magulang ko para maging guinea pig mo.

“Hanggang Throwback na Lang” for those who can’t forget and was performed by Hogi Cadlum. This is for those who have been used as a beard by people who are still inside the closet and can’t seem to go out. This is for those who have lead themselves to believe that there was something when there was absolutely nothing. This is for those who gave meaning when everything was meaningless. This is for anyone who had to find out the truth and in turn had themselves broken.

Sana totoong paminta na lang na magstart ka mahaching pag nagkastart ka na magkafeelings.

Ikaw na gusto ko pero pareho pala tayo ng gusto.

“Ikaw si Distance at Ako” was the next piece to be presented. This was performed by Euwie Von Loria and is for anyone who is in a long distance relationship. It talks about what people who are in a long distance love go through: Skype dates, Viber calls, and meeting each other online while fighting through caps lock and what not. It talks of hope.

Ano ba talaga? Absence makes the heart grow fonder or out of sight, out of mind.

Ayaw na kita mamiss, gusto na kita ikiss.

Bakit sa lahat ng taong umiibig, tayo pa ang pinaglayo ang daigdig?

Grasya Paterno performed “Mga Bulong sa Hangin.” What happens when the one you love leaves this world? What happens when your story comes to an abrupt end? What happens then? What happens now? What happens to the person who was left behind, the one still wishing for one more kiss, one more touch, one more hug? What now? This is the most touching piece by far because anyone who has lost someone knows exactly what it feels. It is the fact that you can never have one more moment with someone that makes the pain unbearable.

Lord ingatan nyo po yan dyan ha. Mahal ko yan e.

“Hanash ng Soloista” is for anyone who is single and was perfectly performed with panache by Janine Leose. This is meant for anyone single who is also the go-to person of those who are constantly in and out of relationships. This is for the eternal best friend, the one who is single but dishes out love advise all the time, and the one who is perpetually in a relationship with food and TV. This is a piece that speaks of what the best friend wants to say but can’t because the other friend is too busy lamenting about her lovelife.

Ako ang best friend mo, ang best friend nya, ang best friend ng lahat.

Mas importante and matinong internet kesa sa matinong lovelife.

Feeling ko kaya wala akong lovelife kakarescue dyan sa heart emergency mo.

Hinulog ko na yung kutsara, tinidor, pati chopsticks nilaglag ko na pero wala pa ring lalaking dumarating.

Being single doesn’t mean you know nothing about love.

May sarili rin akong kwento, pang indie nga lang ang peg, kasi ako lang ang bida.

“Sa Pagitan ng Tayo Ba at Hindi Na” was performed by Rain Gutierrez. This is for the meantime girls and meantime boys. This is for those who are not really in a relationship but are more than friends, the guys and girls that you go to because you are bored, because you have nothing else to do, and the ones you leave behind when you find someone new but go back to when it doesn’t work out. This is for the Tinkerbell of your life that you play with when you’re bored to amuse you because Wendy isn’t there yet.

Nasan ka na kaya? Iniisip mo rin ba ako? Sino kayang pinapaasa mo ngayon?

Mabuti pa yung biglang lakad natin natuloy pero yung biglang something natin hindi.

The last piece of the show was performed by Mark Ghosn Panata ng Pusong Bagong Laya. This is for the people who are slowly moving on from a heartbreak, for people who went through hell and back to heal what was broken, find what was lost, and get back themselves from the love that destroyed them.

This is the realization, the part where you realize that every tear and heartache was meant to make them stronger not bitter. This is for those who are able to listen to a song, see a movie, go back to a place, and relive memories without any pain.

Hindi ko na paliliitin ang mundo ko na minsan kong pinaikot sayo.

Nangangako ako na hindi na ako susuko na darating din ang taong tadhana ko.

Akoy mananatiling matamis, hindi na magmamaasim.

Nangangako ako na simula sa araw na to, burado ka na sa buhay ko.

At the end of the show, they played Tuloy Pa Rin which is the national anthem of anyone and everyone who has moved on, wants to move on, and is finally moving on. As they say, love ends but life goes on.


Tuesday, July 12, 2016

How ASUS Zenfone Selfie was the perfect companion for a Solo Traveller

As you know, I was in Hong Kong last month and I was travelling solo. Initially I thought that I could use my XA-2 but it was a little heavy and hard to use for selfies and as much as I wanted to take photos of the place, I also wanted to take selfies with Hong Kong as my background. It's a good thing that I have the ASUS Zenfone Selfie because it was absolutely perfect to use for selfies and even inside Nobu and Hutong Bay because it was dark inside and was not picture friendly.



This photo was taken inside my room which was on the 112th floor of the Ritz Carlton. Yes, 112th floor. The view is amazing. I have not seen a view like this in my life. This was at 8pm.


This one was taken on the 111th floor of the same hotel during breakfast. This was at 830am.


This was on the MTR. What's really amazing about the MTR in Hong Kong is that no matter how many people there are, it is never hot inside or cramped. Also, it is on time!


Finally, I got to TST. Yey!


I wish we had things like these in the Philippines.


Roast duck anyone?


I survived an afternoon in the Ladies Market. I wish I had days to shop and an endless amount of cash.


I had to take a photo inside the cab. It was just so weird seeing them drive on the wrong side of the street. Haha.


This is my in my room with my Ritz Carlton bathrobe. It was so fluffy!


Showing off the pool area and I had to take a selfie because there was no one there to take my photos haha. The bane of solo travelling.


Getting a cup of coffee and showing off the busy streets.


Earlier it was the outside of the MTR and now, it's the inside. I love that people just respected the seats reserved for senior citizens.


Finally ending my Hong Kong with a selfie at the airport boarding gate. As you can see, Pikachu kept me company.


I''m really grateful I had the ASUS Zenfone Selfie with me the whole time in Hong Kong because it was able to help me document my trip without hassle.

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Sunday, July 10, 2016

Uber Driver endangered my brother's Life


Uber promised a SAFE ride. When you book a ride, you are supposed to get to your destination safe and sound. This is what they promise you. This is why people book it even though it may be a bit more pricey than a regular taxi. Supposedly, you are to get the following when you book an Uber car.

1. No questions or qualms about the destination. You book an Uber car and you are promised to get to your destination safely.
2. No complaints about your destination as long as it is within Metro Manila.
3. Professional attitude from your driver.
4. They will know the way to your destination because they use WiFi and they have Waze.
5. You will not be kicked out of the car or treated with disrespect by the driver.

This is not what happened to my brother when he booked Nonito with plate number AAX9990. This guy was unprofessional right from the start. He was already complaining the moment he saw that my brother lived in the South. He said:

1. I live in Quezon City.
2. He was new.
3. He did not know the way.
4. Give him directions since he did not want to follow what waze was showing.

So my brother did. At some point, my brother repeated an instruction twice. Apparently, this guys had inferiority complex and thought it to mean that my brother thought he was stupid because he became upset and said that there was no need to repeat instructions since he was not dumb. My brother then responded that since he didn't know the directions, he just wanted to make sure the driver heard him. This started a word war ending with the driver kicking my brother out of the car since he did not know how to get to the destination.

TALK ABOUT UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR.

He wanted to kick my brother out of the car at 5th Avenue corner McKinley Road. My brother refused because it was not a safe place. My brother told him to just drop him off at Shell Ayala corner EDSA. Now this guy wanted to be paid even though he didn't bring my brother to his destination and when my brother refused, he badgered my brother. Thankfully my brother saw a roving guard and approached him. The driver started yelling at my brother that he was going to have him policed.

After a minute the driver went back to his car so my brother left. When the driver noticed this, he started running after my brother and of course, any sane person would fear for their life when you have a crazed maniac running after you. Thankfully my brother escaped this monster and was able to hail a cab.

My brother then called me and was wheezing. He was having an asthma attack because of what happened.

My brother is now safe at home but we fear because the driver knows where he works and lives. If you know who this man is, we need his name so we can file a report against him. He should now be driving out there. He might be endangering someone's life.

This is such a failure on Uber's part. Their screening process of drivers need to get better again. This man was violent and unprofessional; uncouth and rude as well. He should be taken off the road.

PS. We posted and asked via social media because per privacy protocol of Uber, they cannot disclose the driver's name.

Update July 11, 12:08pm

Someone from Malaysia called to apologize. Serena of Uber Malaysia said they will cooperate and give us details of the driver last Saturday. Sunday I received an email stating they cannot help because of privacy policy.

This was the last update. I have emailed multiple times. I have posted on their Facebook Page. I have private messaged as well. I have tweeted and tagged Uber_PH as well as Uber_Support. Uber does not care about it's riders. I also checked the reimbursements from previous complaints on my debit card and it never came but that is another complaint and blog post. People need to be aware that Uber as a company does not care about its riders.

Update July 12, 12:32 AM

Praise God someone finally sent us his full name. A former employer informed us he used to be a bodyguard. Said employer also stated that he always gets into fights and this is why he decided to send us the information because this Nonito can be violent.

We will report this to LTFRB and the police tomorrow. Thank you everyone.

Update: 11:21 AM

Uber Philippines finally called. We will have a face to face with the driver. Apparently it takes A LOT OF TWEETS, EMAILS, Facebook private messages, SHARES, and this post going semi-viral for them to pay attention. Sigh. Hopefully, we come to a closure.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Artist Haven in Hong Kong Cultural Center

When I was walking  around Hong Kong and alternating between happiness at discovering new things and fear of getting lost, I accidentally chanced upon a sign that said two words that made my heart leap: FLEA MARKET.

You see, one of the things that I have always wanted to participate in is a flea market. I used to see it on television when I would watch home decor shows and I would say to myself, I want to go to a flea market. I believe in the saying, "another man's trash is another man's treasure."

When I went in to go have a look, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of seniors. Old men and women who had the gift for creating things with their hands were peddling their wares and mind you, I wanted to buy everything. Seriously.





It was quite overwhelming. You had artists doing their crafts on the spot. You had people creating origami on the spor. It was such an awesome feeling seeing these artists create right in front of you.





I could have spent the whole afternoon at this place and I hope to get the chance to visit this place again when I go back to Hong Kong. It is located at the back of the Cultural Center of Hong Kong.