Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

Keep Your Family Safe Online Seminar

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 21, 2010

Last weekend, I attended the Keep Your Kids Safe Online seminar at Victory Greenhills. Though I don’t have kids, I also feel that the things that were talked about were all things that are also critical for all of us to know and understand. Keep Your Kids Safe Online which is now called, “Keep Your Families Safe Online” is a program developed by blogger friend, Sonnie Santos which aims to help parents guide & protect their children online.

Sonnie had Chay Saputil & Carlo Ople as speakers for the seminar. Sonnie opened the event and shared how important it is for us to train our children to use social media properly. Chay, on the other hand, taught us how to control our kids’ access to internet while Carlo shared his gaming experience and how we can use our passion for productivity.

The great aspects about this seminar is all the real world examples that come along with the topics at hand. Sonnie shared with us a family that had just put too much information out there on the internet and was being harassed online. And even Chay shared with us the specifics of how to navigate the sometimes complicated means of protecting your kids online. She’s a windows expert, and she’s using much of her expertise in providing information on how to use the available services that both Microsoft and Apple has with their operating systems in order to protect your children.

There were some great tips that I didn’t even know, so I’m sure these would also come as a wonderful surprise to parents. There really are a lot of tools out there that we can use, and Chay did a great job in sharing with us all that information.

sonnie santos

web safety for families speakers

I appreciate the effort that Sonnie put into this program considering that it’s all done for free. What a great way to give back to the community! Internet & social media is really growing. More & more people, especially kids, are being exposed to it. As most of us know, the internet can be used to do good or harm. We wouldn’t want our family to be a victim right?

I certainly don’t, that’s why I attended the seminar. I hope you do too! So let me share the schedule lined up for the rest of 2010. You only need to allot time, everything else is free. The information you’ll get is priceless.

8/28/2010 – Philippine Alliance Christian School (Pasay)
8/31/2010 – WWCF Auditorium (ACCM Bldg., 102 Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City)
9/14/2010 – WWCF Auditorium (ACCM Bldg., 102 Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City)
9/25/2010 – CCF Auditorium (St. Francis Square, Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City)
10/16/2010 – Walter Mart (Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City)
10/23/2010 – Walter Mart (Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City)
11/13/2010 – Walter Mart (Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City)
11/20/2010 – Walter Mart (Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City)

If you want to know more or if you want to reserve slot/s for future seminars, just contact the Web Safety for Parents team at reservations@websafetyforparents.org.

CATS the Musical

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 21, 2010

During the 1st week of august, a few colleagues and myself decided to watch CATS, the musical for our girl bonding activity. We went ahead & bought the cheapest tickets which cost us Php772 each. A week before our scheduled gimik, I posted on my facebook wall that we will be watching the musical play at the CCP. Some of our friends advised us to wear something nice as we might come out as underdressed.

With that advice, we decided that we should all wear a black dress. Last August 4, we actually did as planned. Since the show was at 8pm, we had to change clothes at the office before we left. Everyone was like, where are you all going? hahaha!

CATS pose

The place was jampacked. The musical was really successful, they even extended to this sunday, August 22, 2010. I can’t say that it’s a must-watch because honestly, I wasn’t impressed. I felt a lil lost with the storyline. I didn’t do any research before going in the theater. Based on my personal assessment, the ff. are the reason why:

we were seated at the last row
we couldn’t see the faces of the performers at all, even with the Php50 binocular that CCP sold us.
we couldn’t understand the words well. I’m not sure if it’s the audio or what.

Don’t get me wrong, the performers were SUPERB! I totally admire them for their talent. I think the story is a bit weak or too simple. Or maybe, it was really my fault. I should have researched first before I watched 😛

Anyhow, for those who will be watching from today till sunday, here is the plot based on my research after watching the show. CATS is based from the book, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Elliot. Basically in a junkyard, the cats are auditioning to be chosen by Old Deuteronomy to travel to Heavyside Lair & to be reborn. In the end, Grizabella (played by Lea Salonga) was chosen.

Despite my poor rating for the musical, this shouldn’t discourage many of you to go out and see it for yourself. CATS is a definite must see for those who enjoy plays and musicals in general. It’s a legend in the musical industry, the show is long running, and has even been performed in 20 other languages. And for fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber, you should also be excited about this show too since he’s the original composer to this musical. This musical is one with a lot of history and awards to back up its continued popularity. However, plays and musicals, and this storyline in particular isn’t suited for everyone.

But I believe a lot of Filipinos watched CATS, the musical to catch Lea Salonga on stage. The highlight of the play was when Lea sang the song, Memory. For me though, I really loved when the whole cast sang a tagalog version of the song! Wayyy cool!

To be part of such a historic musical, I think you should at least see this once in your life. Who knows, you may like it more than I did!

CATS booth

My advice for those who are planning to watch is don’t expect a heavy storyline. CATS was mainly based on poems/short stories so just sit & relax, enjoy the music & the dances and you’ll go home happy and satisfied.

Lastly, they were selling CATS souvenirs & stuff but I must say they are expensive! The bracelet shown below actually cost Php1,000! Yaiks! Must be worth collecting.

CATS merchandise

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CATS Now & Forever
July 24 to August 22, 2010
TicketWorld
(02) 891-9999

The Old Spaghetti House

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 19, 2010

After walking around Robinsons Galleria for almost the whole day, we decided to rest our feet and eat at The Old Spaghetti House. The original plan was just to have merienda but we ended up eating so much that it became our dinner 😛

The restaurant has great ala carte selections but I would very much prefer discounted bundled dishes. At the back of The Old Spaghetti House’s menu, there were 5 selections of trios namely: Asian, Healthy Option, Best Seller, Italian & Dessert. This can be shared by 1-3 people depending on their appetite.

We chose the Best Seller (Php585) which includes an Appetizer Sampler, Spaghetti Pesto w/ Grilled Chicken & 4-cheese pizza. However, my friend cannot eat chicken so we requested if we could have Spaghetti Carbonara in exchange of the original spaghetti in the package. The server was nice enough to accommodate our request.

So here they are:

Appetizer Sampler

appetizer platter old spaghetti

Individually, this dish is priced at Php210. The platter is a combination of onion rings, calamares & chicken fingers. The dish is your basic fried appetizer, utilizing a light batter and coating. It wasn’t as crispy, and the individual items weren’t presented as nice either. The dipping sauce actually matched all three items nicely. The whole appetizer dish did taste good, and with this combination, I think it came out as a perfect starter to the pizza and pasta. It’s definitely a good start to a very carb-loaded meal!

Spaghetti Carbonara

carbonara old spaghetti

Carbonara is a traditional style of cooking pasta. Most people think it’s just white sauce, but actually the original recipe actually calls for a mixture of beaten eggs, grated cheese, pancetta (or bacon), and a little cream if desired. If you order this ala carte, the price is Php145. With this Best Seller trio though, the serving is 1/2 more. So instead of getting just a single serving, it becomes 1.5 servings. The way they cooked this carbonara actually seems to me that they honored the traditional way of cooking carbonara, because I often see pasta carbonara cooked in heavy white sauce, which is almost like an alfredo rather than a carbonara.

With this dish, even though I’m not that fond of Italian dishes, I still think that they did a terrific job in the preparation and presentation. The dish wasn’t overly seasoned which was good, since there’s tendency for this dish to be a salty because of the bacon and the cheese. Overall I think, if you like Italian food, this simple dish will be a favorite of yours.

4-Cheese Pizza

four cheese pizza old spaghetti house

Pizza with 4 different types of cheese. If you love cheese, then this is for you. Their pizza is basically thin-crust, it was tasty too! This is something that seems like old world Italy, I love it! It’s simple, basic, and so delicious. You really can’t go wrong with a pizza that has 4 types of cheese. I really think, when it comes to pizza, the cheese makes or breaks the dish. With this dish, it had an excellent crust, a very traditional presentation, and delicious bites all the way.

It’s not usually your typical pizza wherein they cut it triangular. This version is served in strips, like thin-rectangular ones. Good for 2 but if you’re really hungry, you can finish this all by yourself 🙂

Aside from the best seller trio, we also ordered drinks & dessert. We had mango shake (Php70) & sugar free chocolate mousse (Php70) . I especially love their mango shake as it was not too watery. You could really taste the mangoes in this shake, they didn’t try to cut cost or shortchange us, the shake was really rich, delicious, and full of mango flavor.

mango shake

dessert old spaghetti house

Below is a picture of us while we waited for the bill. The Old Spaghetti House is actually a pretty decent restaurant, nothing really spectacular but a good choice when you crave for something Italian.

us in old spaghetti house

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The Old Spaghetti House
3rd Level Expansion Mall, Robinsons Galleria, EDSA, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 631-8674

Nothing But H20

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 4, 2010

While I enjoyed most of the stores I visited in Robinsons Galleria specially because of their all-out clearance sale, my favorite would have to be Nothing But H20. Why? Plainly because I love the swimwear I bought, the headbands & the accessories! I think we stayed there for like more than 15 minutes just trying stuff & buying things.

The shop is pleasing to the eye & you could easily spot the beautiful swimwear on display. The ones that are displayed were all on sale, most at 50% off. You can try them out to see if it fits you or if the design suits your taste.

nothing but h20 display

swimsuits nothing but h20

The bikini shown below is the one I purchased. I would have loved to have gotten all the colors (blue, green & pink) but only the pink one has my size. I would suggest that you go to this store & grab this bikini, it sells only at Php747.50! what a steal!

nothing but h20 bikini

It’s not just the swimsuits that made me so excited while I was at the store. Their accessories are also simply top-notch! I love their high quality headbands, I tried it on before I bought it. Looks nice, wouldn’t you agree? It’s only Php50+.

hairband nothing but h20

Last but definitely not the least, my eyes was set on their rings. Yeah it’s not the typical silver/gold rings, it was just made with transparent strings but boy, does it look good. It’s pretty cheap too at Php75 per piece. Check them out, I’m proud to say that it was one of my best finds at the mall.

rings nothing but h20

The sale is ongoing and will end on August 31, 2010. I’m glad I shopped at Robinsons Galleria, I was able to purchase a lot of cheap & hip stuff. You might want to do the same too 🙂 Check their Facebook page for more information about the month-long sale.

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Nothing But H20
2nd Level Robinson’s Galleria, EDSA Corner, Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
(02) 635-3588

Robinsons Malls All-Out Clearance Sale

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 3, 2010

I’m not usually the type who goes out of my way and goes to the malls whenever they are on sale. However, this particular event of Robinsons Malls was hard to pass up. It’s Robinsons Malls Annual All-Out Clearance Sale this month of August! Everyone will be enjoying discounts of up to 50% off.

I was pleasantly surprised when we were checking out the stores that some of them actually sell items that are at 70% off! Coolness! I actually spent so much that day, like way too much! How can I resist items that are so worth buying?

galleria clearance sale

So we decided to go to Robinsons Galleria last Sunday. One day is really not enough considering the vast number of stores in the mall. From clothes, shoes, accessories, toys, gadgets, books & a lot more, they have something to offer for everyone (local & premium international brands). Local stores are mostly on the 3rd floor while premium international brands can be found on the 2nd floor. Take your pick & expect to forget about the time 😉

Here are the stores that caught my eye, you might wanna check them out too:

National Bookstore Bestsellers

NBS Bestsellers

One thing most people don’t know about me is that I love reading books! I used to be so addicted that I would spend about 5-10k a year just to buy books at National Bookstore. Now is the best time to buy since they are holding such a huge sale on all their books (except for magazines though).

Outside the store they have books displayed that are really cheap! Would you believe New York bestseller books at less than a Php100? What a great buy! Don’t miss out on it!

Just when you thought that old titles would be the only items on sale, we got it all wrong! Even new titles & top 10 best sellers for fiction & non-fiction are also being sold w/ discount.

national bookstore sale

One great find for me though is definitely their Lonely Planet Travel Guides. I have been into travelling since last year & I have been buying a lot of Lonely Planet Guides. It’s truly indispensable for me & I’m just glad that w/ Robinsons Malls’ All-Out Clearance Sale, NBS is actually offering it at 20% off! I love it!

lonely planet books

You can distinguish how much discount an item is by the color of their sticker. Black is for 10%, White for 20%, Green for 40%, Red for 50% & Yellow for 75%. If you’re a bookworm, you’ll love it there.

Folded & Hung

folded and hung

Folded & Hung’s own version of Filipino shirts were the ones that caught my eye. The shirts are designed nicely & cool colors available too! They have red, blue, yellow, orange & green. Of course I had to choose yellow as it’s the color of the country, now w/ P-Noy as our president.

folded and hung filipino shirt

2 types of discounts are being offered. Either you buy one piece at Php494 (original price at Php 549) or you buy 1 at Php549 and get the 2nd item at 50% off. It’s always nice to own a Filipino-themed shirt, we’re proud Filipinos, right? 🙂

Janylin

Janylin

I am able to resist buying a lot of things, but shoes will always be an exception! If I’m to count the shoes I have at home, it most probably will be around 30-40 pairs. As soon as I saw the word “Sale” in Janylin, I was really positive that I would be able to go out with a happy purchase.

janylin sale

Shoes at Php399, Php599, Php899 & Php1,299. Pretty cheap for a prestigious brand such as Janylin. There was one item that was a SUPER over to the max great buy! Oh, I assure you, it’s well worth your Php1,299! The boots shown below was originally priced at Php 2,295 & now they lowered the price! I dare you to bring your cash or credit card to Janylin and grab that boots for sale. It was a rare find! I was actually raving about it all day.

janylin boots

Do visit the ff. stores as well for great discounts!
Handyman, Odyssey, Levi’s, Topshop/Topman, Celine, CMG, Naturalizer/Florsheim, ResToeRun, Esprit, Warehouse, Geox, Nafnaf, Hotflopz, Lacoste, Schu, Danielle Hechter, Van Heusen, Benetton, Bratpack, Dorothy Perkins, Accessorize, Girbaud, Guess, RDS, Kamiseta, Rockport, She, For Me, Pd & Co, Unica Hija, Space, Bayo, Shoe Salon, Nothing but Water, GBX, Plains & Prints, Maldita, Kisses & Co., What a Girl Wants, Kashieca, People are People, Solo, Penshoppe, Astrovision, Flower Collection, Saizen, Toys R Us & Osh Kosh

There is one store, however, that I haven’t highlighted in this post. It really deserves a dedicated blog post. Watch out tomorrow what store it is & why it is my favorite among all the stores we visited last sunday.

Before I forget, you don’t have to worry if you only discovered this now or if you’ll only have time near the end of the month. That is because new items will be available weekly so you don’t have to worry as you’ll be able to find so many shopping items at great value! For more information about Robinsons Malls & their awesome sale events, you can go to their Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/RobinsonsMalls.

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Robinsons Galleria
EDSA cor. Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
(02) 397-1888