Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

Alice in Wonderland Movie Review

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 3, 2010

I was able to catch Alice in Wonderland the other week. I watched it at Eastwood Mall’s Ultra 7 Cinema. I forgot that the movie was supposed to be good in 3D, but what the heck, reclining seats w/ unlimited popcorn & drinks? No complaints here 😀

I somehow thought that the movie was similar to the other movie that Johnny Depp & Helen Bonham Carter made (i.e., Sweeney Todd). Well, it was not. Though I assumed both actors are being typecast for those kinds of movies.

The story is about Alice who always had haunting and recurring dreams. The thing is that the dreams are the same each time, and it is of this fantasy world. We later find out that this was not a dream at all but a memory of Alice when she was a kid.

This updated movie, is in fact a continuation of the timeless classic. As this movie has fast forwarded to when Alice is already 19 years of age.

One time, she attended a party which ended up to be the day when she was going to be proposed to by a guy named Hamish. During the arranged party and asking of hand in marriage, with all eyes on her and Hamish in the act of proposing, she cuts the ceremony short to figure out her answer to Hasmish’s proposal, but the real reason was so that she could follow a rabbit that she had kept seeing earlier that day. And so she proceeds to chase the rabbit and ends up falling into a hole.

She landed in wonderland (just like in her dreams). Alice then met several interesting characters in the place namely:

Nivens McTwisp (the White Rabbit)
Mallymkun (the Dormouse)
Uilleam (the Dodo)
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Absolem (the Caterpillar)
Cheshire Cat
March Hare
Dormouse
AND ofcourse, the Mad Hatter himself (portrayed by Johnny Depp)

Apparently, the group has been waiting for Alice to come & save them from the Red Queen. They expected Alice to defeat the Red Queen’s best warrior, Jabberwocky, which is a big dragon. The Red Queen has conquered wonderland at that time by stealing the crown from the White Queen.

The Mad Hatter & the other entourage was captured by the Red Queen as well. Alice with the help of Bayard, a dog, entered the Red Queen’s castle to save her friends. Alice was able to successfully do that and to also get the sword to defeat jobberwocky as well. She would later get to meet the White Queen and present the sword.

On that big day, both Red & White Queens gathered on the battlefield to decide the fate of wonderland. The Red Queen with the Jabberwocky as her champion while the White Queen with Alice as her champion. Guess who won? Of course, the White Queen & Alice.

The movie is pleasing to the eyes & very entertaining. The story wasn’t that strong but worth the watch still. The actors really did well and I’m sure the kids who watched this movie most probably loved it! Maybe best if watched in 3D. If you haven’t been able to watch Alice in Wonderland, then get it in DVD.

Here’s the trailer:

My verdict for Alice in Wonderland: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Official Website of Rochelle Sy Chua on media, events, travel, food and restaurant experiences in Taipei, Taiwan, Manila, Philippines and Asia.

Miss You Like Crazy Movie Review

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 3, 2010

A new Star Cinema movie, “Babe, I Love You”, starring Anne Curtis & Sam Milby will be showing today, and it is their first ever movie together. So, I think I should really blog about the Star Cinema movie shown before this upcoming one, and that movie was “Miss You Like Crazy” starring John Lloyd Cruz & Bea Alonzo. It was supposed to be their love team comeback movie.

I was very excited to watch “Miss You Like Crazy” because the Star Cinema movie that preceded it, “Paano na Kaya“, was a very good movie. We even bought the original DVD of that Kim Chiu & Gerald Anderson movie. I was very impressed that I thought I would be as impressed with Miss You Like Crazy. Unfortunately, the movie disappointed me too much.

The story is about Allan & Mia who met on a Pasig River Ferry Boat. Mia who was having family problems had been choosing to show her frustrations by writing on little stones, and just leaving the stones anywhere. One day, Allan was able to pick up one the stones and that’s when they got to know each other.

Allan is not single, he has a live-in partner but still, he continued with the romantic relationship with Mia. Torn between 2 lovers, he has to choose one. There’s also this scene where Allan & Mia met an old guy in a park who then said that they will end up together but it will not be an easy ride. They will meet on February 24, 2010 on that same place (coincidentally, that was the release date of the movie… crazy.. in the movie though, it was just 2005).

Allan was indecisive and opted to stay with his live-in partner. After 2 years, he decided to choose Mia but only to find out that Mia was already engaged to a Malaysian. He fought for their love but wasn’t successful.

After some time, the Malaysian guy let go of Mia. As predicted, February 24, 2010, Mia and Allan met and ended up together.

I hate the plot! Maybe, it’s just me, but is this what the script writer wants to teach us? To not treat relationships seriously? I believe love is a choice. There will be hundreds of people you can fall in love with.. it is your choice to either settle for one or continue looking. If you don’t learn to appreciate your current partner, then you’ll never be happy. If you’re unsure with someone, then don’t enter into a relationship.

I hated the movie but it still won’t stop me from watching Star Cinema movies 😛 I’m set to watch “Babe, I Love You” tomorrow, so I’ll also let you know my verdict on that movie real soon.

If you wanna see the best from the movie, just watch the trailer below:

My rating for Miss You Like Crazy: 1 out of 5 stars.

Finally Had My Haircut

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 3, 2010

Tony & Jackey Salon
C.T.T.M. Square, Tomas Morato cor. Timog Avenue, Quezon City
(02) 407-6928

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Last week, I finally did it! After soooo many years of having long hair, I finally got up the courage to get my hair cut really SHORT! I think the last time I had short hair was during elementary days.. which you can just imagine was quite a long time ago…

Now I always make it a point to visit the salon every 6 months. I guess I have this urge to start anew, but my resolutions really never come to reality anyway. The last time I had a makeover was August of last year. It was with Tony & Jackey too.. I guess it has already become a habit since I have been going to Tony & Jackey’s salon for the past 3 years.

I always keep my friend Jo’s comment in mind when she tells me to at least take the plunge and get my hair cut short and be adventurous — I finally gave in. I entered the salon thinking that I should cut my hair short w/c did happen because hairdresser Jacob agreed to do it for me. I said I wanted thick bangs, so they suggested that I get a volume rebond coz I had long curly hair.

Tony & Jackey Volume Rebond

The volume rebond was quite expensive. It cost me Php 4,000 to have volume rebond using L’Oreal product w/ a haircut. Beauty doesn’t come cheap, right?

Not only that, the whole process took 3 long hours. Good thing, there was wifi. I could surf the net via my iPhone while I waited for my finished new look.

hairdresser Jacob of Tony & Jackey

I do feel I look better with long hair. But still, I really welcome the change.

What do you think? 😀

Official Website of Rochelle Sy Chua on media, events, travel, food and restaurant experiences in Taipei, Taiwan, Manila, Philippines and Asia.

Avilon Zoo

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 1, 2010

Avilon Zoo
Bo. San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal
(02) 941-8393

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It’s funny that I have lived all my life in the Philippines but I’ve never been to any of the zoos in the country. In all my travels, I have always made it a point to visit the famous zoos. I’m really glad that at least for once, I was able to visit the more popular zoo in Manila, the Avilon Zoo.

Entrance fee is at Php300 and I think it’s more than worth it considering the # of animals on display. The place is well designed and they are still renovating. I just hope they maintain it better though. It will be such a waste if they don’t take care of the zoo. It can be one of the best in the world, I really believe it.

The highlight of my visit was definitely the fact that I was able to hold several animals. We just needed to pay Php50 for each animal. Let me show you some of the pictures that I took with the animals. The monkey was my favorite one! Her name is Trixie & if you notice in the picture, she’s wearing Crocs!! She’s sooo sweet too, see how she hugged me in the picture.

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This one I love too! The bird was a bit heavy, so the caretaker had to help me carry it.

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I’m sooo scared of snakes. I knew I had to conquer this fear one way or another, and Avilon Zoo gave me that chance, so I took it. It was definitely an experience. I won’t be able to forget it, I’m still scared of snakes though 😛

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Aside from being able to hold some select animals, we were also allowed to feed some animlas. Below is a video I took of the Arapaimas. The other guests were feeding the fish with chicken heads. Each small bucket costs Php20 which is pretty cheap 🙂

Other animals that can be fed are farm animals. Here’s the menu they prepared:

Carrots – Php 20
Okra – Php 10
Sitaw – Php 10
Talbos – Php 10
Chicken Feed – Php 10

It’s the biggest zoo I think in the Philippines. I took soo many pictures but below are some of the best ones. Enjoy the view!

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It’s just too many to see. I also heard they have a mini version of the zoo located in Tiendesitas. The Montalban, Rizal zoo is a must-see though. It took us about 3-4 hours to visit the place. Might take longer for you. The rest of the pictures can be found in my Avilon Zoo album.

Official Website of Rochelle Sy Chua on media, events, travel, food and restaurant experiences in Taipei, Taiwan, Manila, Philippines and Asia.

Cantonese Soup Kitchen

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On March 30, 2010

Cantonese Soup Kitchen
Unit-C 847 Banawe corner Linao Street, Quezon City
(02) 743-5249

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I remembered how satisfied I was with the food when I first visited Cantonese Soup Kitchen last year. At the back of my mind, I knew that I would go back eventually. When I got the invite to participate in a bloggers event for Cantonese Soup Kitchen, I couldn’t say no. I was even walking like a handicap coz my right foot was still recently fractured. Can’t say no to delicious food, that’s just me :D:D

We ordered almost everything on the menu that I ended up so full. I just tried each dish but wasn’t able to eat a lot. Just seeing all the food on the table can already satisfy not just your eyes but also your stomach.

Here is what we sampled (it was too many!):

Sibot with Duck Soup (Php 195)

My mom has been cooking this soup when I was a kid. Though most kids dislike this dish, I, on the other hand, love it!! As in love it! 😀 So when I saw this in the menu of Cantonese Soup Kitchen, I had to order. This very healthy soup is good for energy & strengthening the immune system. Delicious!! I want more soup!

Chicken with Wintermelon & Ham Soup (Php 165)

Beautifully served soup in a coconut shell. There was no buko inside though 😛

Special Cantonese Soup Kitchen Soup (Php 220)

Fried Spring Rolls

Hot Shrimp Salad (Php 250)

Not to confuse you but hot shrimp salad serves as appetizer. Yummy yummy!

Sliced Beef Kenchi (Php 240)

The Beef Kenchi was just soo tasty! I wish I could have eaten more but there were about 10 of us sharing the dish so I just took 1. 😛

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php 170)

Seafood Fried Rice (Php 190)

I liked this better than the Yang Chow 🙂

Spinach with 2 Kinds of Egg in Hotpot (Php 200)

Steamed Fish Fillet with Japanese Tofu (Php 230)

Another favorite dish in Cantonese Soup Kitchen. Perfectly seasoned fish with Japanese tofu. A must-order when you visit the restaurant.

Garlic Burst Spareribs (Php 190)

This has always been my favorite dish to order whenever I visit chinese restaurants. Perfect when dipped in vinegar.

Satay Seafood Sotanghon in Hotpot (Php 250)

I overheard Ro commenting that this is like the crab with sotanghon but instead of crabs, they served it with assorted seafood. This actually tasted good especially when newly served.

Beef Broccoli w/ Oyster Sauce (Php 240)

Almond Fish Gelatin (Php 80)

This beautifully designed dish is actually gelatin. It wasn’t that tasty. You would actually feel bad getting a portion of it coz of the poor fish :P:P

Black & White Gulaman (Php 60)

Mango Sago (Php 55)

Love how they presented this dish. Too bad I wasn’t able to taste it as I had to rush off for an office late night call 🙁

Buchi

Pear w/ Apple Shake (Php 65) & Yoghurt w/ Mango Shake (Php 85)

Milk Aroma Oolong (Php 59)

This is like the usual milk tea but this time it’s served hot. You could taste that it’s natural coz they used fresh tea leaves.

Floral Bloom Tea (Php 59)

This is like the star of the night. We were all in awe as we watched the seed bloom as water was poured. Amazing! We were staring at the glass for good 5 minutes just to see how it transformed. I took a video. Enjoy the scene!

If you happen to drop by Quezon City, I would suggest you go give Cantonese Soup Kitchen a try. Their food is delicious, very nicely plated & healthy too! I posted the rest of the pictures in my Flickr account, please do check it out.

Official Website of Rochelle Sy Chua on media, events, travel, food and restaurant experiences in Taipei, Taiwan, Manila, Philippines and Asia.