Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 6, 2012
I have been traveling quite more often than usual since last year. That was the reason why I needed to find a suitable luggage for my travels. I wanted the luggage to look good, to be durable and strong, to have enough space for my things and easy to carry around.
Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels has addressed those needs. My only gripe with the product is that there’s no color red (my favorite color) available but nevertheless, I’m very satisfied with it.
Spring Peeper Tech Specs
Exterior Fabric: 900 D Polyester with PU backing
Interior Fabric: 150D Ripstop Polyester with PU backing
Handles : Neoprene padded handles
Dimensions
Width: 32 cm / 12.6 inches
Height: 55 cm / 21.6 inches
Depth: 23 cm / 9 inches
Volume: 40 L / 2441 cubic inches
Empty Weight: 2.95 kg / 6.5 lbs
Here are 5 reasons why I like Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels and why I settled for it as my official luggage for my travels:
- Roomy/Enough Storage Space
I have the medium-sized Spring Peeper with Wheels. When opened, you could see a large main compartment that has 2 internal pockets. One is a mesh pocket, and the other is a pocket to put on your wet stuff (no need to bring plastic bags to put your wet items on). The exterior, on the other hand, has a zippered pocket in front where I usually put my passport and a hidden zippered pocket at the back to put on other stuff like books where you can easily get out from the luggage.
Lastly, the dual strap compression panel with quick release closures help bring our things together making it looking neat and compact.
The luggage is more then enough to carry stuff that is good for a 2-week vacation. However, if you need a bigger storage space, you can get the large-sized Spring Peeper with Wheels.
- Strong and Durable
I usually park my car in the airport overnight parking and that entails me to bring my luggage all the way from the outside street to the air-conditioned airport. The weather is unpredictable, sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s hot, so I’m just glad that Crumpler Spring Peeper is strong enough to handle the unpredictable weather.
Crumpler made the Spring Peeper with wheels water-resistant which is really great! I do not have worry about my gadget chargers inside the bag getting wet or damaged. In addition to that, the uber-nice wheel housing prevents pebbles or any small stuff becoming caught in them while I move the luggage.
Everything in this luggage makes me feel that I’m carrying a strong, durable and high quality product, I super love it!
- Easy to Carry Around
For a girl, poise is important that’s why I always make it a point to check if a luggage is comfortable and easy to carry around.
Crumpler designed the Spring Peeper with Wheels in a way that it holds its own when held vertically or horizontally.
When I don’t have much stuff inside the luggage, I carry it horizontally. I appreciate that the top carry handles are nicely padded that it won’t get my hands wounded if I carry the Spring Peeper for long periods of time.
I, however, always bring lots of stuff, so I use the luggage’s trolley often. I love that I just push a button to activate the trolley. I can even control the height of the trolley, whether full height, half height or totally none.
At full height, I can put an extra bag on top which makes it so much easier for me to carry my bags.
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that there are also padded handles on top and bottom of the luggage apart from the ones in the main compartment. It’s really nice as I can hold the luggage vertically if I want to.
- Secure
The twin zips on the Sprint Peeper’s main compartment feature loops where I can put a padlock to secure the things I have inside the luggage. This feature is extremely important as we don’t want to lose any of our belongings, right?
- It’s an eye-candy!
The Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels looks so good that it makes me feel proud whenever I see it with other luggages in the conveyor belt. I can easily spot my luggage because of its cute lively colors (purple/oatmeal). However, if you’re on the conservative side this Crumpler luggage also has navy and black color variants.
I also appreciate that this luggage is perfect with my Crumpler Limpet which serves as my name tag. Now, if only the Spring Peeper has a red-colored one, it would have been perfect…
I’ve been using this luggage for a few months now. It still looks as good and sturdy as ever making me conclude that the Spring Peeper with Wheels by Crumpler will be with me for a very long time 🙂
Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels (Medium) is priced at Php 9,850. If you want one, head on over to Crumpler stores in Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall and Trinoma Mall.
Prince of Persia
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 3, 2012
The Avengers movie was too cool and we were all still so giddy about it while we walked along Citywalk in Eastwood looking for a place to eat for dinner. I have a special interest for Persian food so when I saw Prince of Persia, I immediately suggested it to the group hoping they’d agree.
Luckily, everyone agreed so we entered the small dining place and chose our table. There were only about 6-8 tables inside Prince of Persia. It was very cozy, good for people who want to hang out in a quiet place. It was perfect for us because all we usually do when we get together is talk about stuff.
I waited for everyone to order before I decided what my order would be. I’ve always wanted to order differently from my friends so I could share with you more items from a restaurant that I feature here in HeaRty’s Haven. Luckily, no one ordered what I really wanted to try out.
Prince of Persia features mediterranean and persian food. The most popular item in their menu has got to be Shawarma. Beef Kebab with persian rice is a menu item that I consistently order in any of the Persian restaurants that I visit and that didn’t change with my visit at Prince of Persia (which coincidentally has the same name as a movie)
- Beef Kebab (Php 145)
Prince of Persia’s own grilled beef on a charcoal wrapped vegetables on a bread. The beef looked dry but you can always put garlic and hot sauce on it. You wouldn’t even realize its dryness as the sauce complements the beef very well. Put more sauce as you like, some people just couldn’t get enough of it!
- Chicken Shawarma Wrapped (Php 90)
If you wanna try something else for a change then this chicken shawarma wrap is a good choice. It’s basically marinated chicken with tomatom cucumber, vegetables and onion wrapped in pita bread. A very light sandwich but more than enough to fill your empty stomach.
- Chelo Koobideh (Php 275)
My order was Chelo Koobideh <3 A very yummy dish that is already a complete meal in itself. It had 2 skewers of charbroiled ground beef kebab, grilled tomato and Persian rice topped with butter. I can eat this all by myself even if it can be shared between 2 people.
Oh, by the way, I didn’t eat the tomato by itself. What I did was I put the tomato in a small plate then I mashed it then added garlic & hot sauce. Lastly, I put it on top of the beef as a sauce. You should try it next time you visit a Persian restaurant. I promise you’ll love your beef kebab even more! 🙂
- Beef Kebab (Php 90/skewer)
If you can’t get enough of the charbroiled beef, then you can order it a la carte for Php 90 per skewer.
- Buttered Persian Rice (Php 85)
Sioti Jepoy ordered one skewer of beef kebab (Php 90) then one order of buttered persian rice (Php 85). I felt it was actually very smart of him to order that way. My order of Chelo Koobideh was a combination of 2 skewers of beef kebab (Php 90+Php 90), an order of buttered persian rice (Php 85) and a grilled tomato (Php 50). If you’re not fond of tomato, you might as well order the rice and beef separately.
- Lamb Shawarma with Persian Rice (Php 195)
Shawarma rice is getting popular especially for people who are not fond of breads. Prince of Persia has a great selection of it. They have this lamb shawarma rice which is marinated shredded lamb with tomato, cucumber, vegetables, onion and persian rice.
- Shawarma with Persian Rice (Php 150)
If you like beef which is Prince of Persia’s specialty then beef shawarma rice is the way to go. It has the same ingredients as the other shawarma rice selection which are tomatoes, cucumber, vegetables, onion and persian rice except that it has marinated beef.
- Chicken Shawarma with Persian Rice (Php 145)
If chicken is your thing then order chicken shawarma rice. I didn’t try out any of the shawarma rice dishes because they weren’t my order but from the looks of it, they seemed good (my friends finished their orders and feedback was pretty good).
Prince of Persia has opened its doors since 2008 in Eastwood. With the delicious food that they serve, Prince of Persia will surely be staying for long.
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Prince of Persia
Eastwood City Cyberpark, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
+63-2-3833738
Urbanears Bagis
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 29, 2012
I don’t like the stock earphones included in my iPod Nano. In fact, mine was broken already. That’s why I’m on a lookout for another brand to use when I jog or when I’m out.
I’m just happy when I learned about Urbanears Bagis. It might be the one that I need! They have cream color which I really like as I still want to use something that would remind me of Apple. Besides, I’m using it with my iPod Nano, might as well, partner it with Apple-ish designed earphones.
Getting the earphones out of the box is an experience in itself. I love how Urbanears made it exciting like the cute message they printed inside the box (see photo below).
The catalog included was beautiful!!! I found out that Urbanears has a vast lineup of headphones. Bagis (the one I’m reviewing now) is their compact version. I wish I could get my hands on the other models 😛
What’s in the box?
3.5mm stereo plug compatible with music players using the dimension
Urbanears Bagis earphones
small/medium/large size sleeves
Urbanears product catalog
warranty information
Urbanears sticker
Features
Urbanears Bagis has some distinct features. One of them which I noticed quickly is the combined fabric and TPE cord which was made to eliminate distortions caused by friction. Friction, the exact reason why my Apple earphones failed on me. I guess with Bagis earphones, I don’t have to worry about that.
The earphones are lightweight. When plugged into the ear, you get transported to whatever you’re listening, isolating you from the environment.
No matter what device you are going to use Urbanears Bagis with, it’ll surely work as it has a mic and a remote. I don’t need it as I use my Bagis earphones with my iPod Nano but nevertheless, I know I can use it when suddenly I need to plug it in my iPhone.
For audio, here’s the specifications: 9 mm handmade driver, frequency response 20Hz-20kHz, Impedance 16Ω, Sensitivity 107dB & Max Input Power 5mW.
Snap Construction
My favorite feature of Urbanears Bagis is this. Each earpiece snaps together. It’s really cool and the first time I actually see a capability like that in earphones. With those earpieces snapped together, we can carry Bagis around the neck.
Overall, a very good product! Small, lightweight, useful, has decent sounds (not much bass but it’s okay), and nice features. I’ve found my earphones to use for exercising and it looks sleek when connected to my iPod Nano! 🙂
Urbanears Bagis is available at PowerMac Centers, iStudio, Digital Walker, Digital Hub and Beyond the Box Stores at Php 1,200.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 29, 2012
Mockingjay is the third and final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It concludes the story of Hunger Games. I spent a weekend reading all three books (Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay) and there, the story ended just like that. I guess every story has an ending. Besides, we wouldn’t wanna know any more details about Katniss personal life after all the hunger games and war ended right?
Plot
Having escaped from the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss is in more danger than ever. President Snow is out to kill her and the people she loves while holding Peeta hostage.
It has been revealed that the mysterious District 13 still exists, and is the headquarters of the rebellion. Katniss must decide her role in the revolution.
While Katniss becomes the districts’ icon, it turns out the rebels are as cruel as the Capitol’s leaders.
Survival and trust are further tackled in Mockingjay. Katniss faces a new responsibility by having to choose to become a mocking jay or not for the rebels. Things are really different as Katniss’ motivation is no longer just about her family but also the strong urge to seek revenge against President Snow for the justice of her friends who were killed.
Mockingjay is more serious compared to the other books as we learn more about the Capitol and how cruel they are, even toward the citizens of their own city! The focus point in this book is that the districts are in a revolution against the Capitol: who will win the revolution? Will Katniss survive it? who will she end up with?
New characters are introduced in the book that are mostly part of the rebellion group. There are tons of politics and I actually got a bit lost as to who’s really the villain and who’s really the hero. That made it exciting for me. It wasn’t a game anymore. War is really happening.
The love story wasn’t a major theme in the Hunger Games trilogy. I expected to see more of that in Mockingjay but unfortunately, the love triangle between Gale, Katniss and Peeta wasn’t expounded as I wish it to be. We just knew who Katniss ended up with. Somehow, I also felt that the situation called for Katniss to settle for a guy and it really wasn’t her choice for her. I guess that’s the only angle that I felt disappointed with. Nevertheless, Mockingjay was awesome!
Mockingjay has shown how real a person Katniss is. Both her weaknesses and strengths are laid out and you can see how complex her character is (just like all of us). She’s not perfect. She’s a teenager who possesses enormous inner strength based on personal experiences. She’s both a killer and a victim. At the latter part, I saw how she allowed other people control her actions which is really sad but a teenager can only do so much.
Knowing how traumatic Katniss’ experiences are, the book has shown that it had an effect on her. At least, this fictional story has some hint of reality which is really good. I believe that’s one of the reason why the Hunger Games trilogy is successful.
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Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins
Hardcover: $10, Kindle Edition: $8
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 29, 2012
Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The first book ended with Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark winning the 74th Hunger Games.
I’m relieved that I discovered the books after watching the movie, Hunger Games. Because if I have read the 2008 book when it was released, I would have been so impatient in waiting for the next one to arrive. Luckily, I can read the books continuously.
This time, I’m sharing with you my review of Catching Fire. The book continues the story of Katniss, the only female victor from District 12. It revolves around the aftermath of her victory.
** spoiler alert
- Katniss’ rebelliousness (berries) in the 74th Hunger games angered the leaders of the capitol.
- President Snow threatening Gale & Katniss’ family’s lives unless Katniss convinces the people that she and Peeta are madly in love.
- The victory tour where she and Peeta visits all 12 districts of Panem starting with district 11, where Katniss’ friend Rue came from.
- the romance part where Katniss starts to get confused with her feelings for both Peeta (her co-victor) & Gale (her best friend).
- Katniss discovering the ongoing rebellion in the districts.
- 75th Hunger Games wherein former victors are entered again in the survivor game including Katniss & Peeta.
- Rebellion finally started and is now full-blown.
- Peeta being captured by the Capitol.
- District 12 has been bombed and destroyed.
Most young adult books focus on love or supernatural abilities. The Hunger Games trilogy doesn’t do those at all! We can certainly relate with the characters especially Katniss. She’s not a damsel in distress that needs rescuing from prince charming. I like that the female lead character is strong and sophisticated. This is really just a story of survival, friendship, government, control, love, friendship and family.
Like the first book, I was totally excited about what would happen next. I would quickly read Catching Fire trying to guess succeeding events but I failed. The story wasn’t predictable at all and I really appreciated that!
Suzanne Collins was successful in improving the first book and I was even more psyched to read the third book. Catching Fire was very well-written. I don’t have any complaints with it at all since there wasn’t any dull moment. I was trying to catch every single detail in the book hoping to understand/participate the ending.
The 75th Hunger Games is more deadly and the tributes personalities’ are more interesting. In Catching Fire, we get to know more of each of the characters and their stories. I can imagine how cool the next Hunger Games movie will be. November 2013, I can’t wait for it!
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Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
Hardcover: $11, Kindle Edition: $8