Category: Lifestyle

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Movie Review

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 20, 2010

When Harry Potter burst into the book scene, it started a wave of incredible book sales as children, teens, and even adults couldn’t get enough of the series. It was a worldwide phenomenon. And then, with the success of the books, they asked if that kind of success could be translated to box office hits. Well, fortunately the previous Harry Potter films did well because it was built on the success of the books and the storyline that came with it.

And now, the final book in the Harry Potter series has come to theaters. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is the final installment in the series of books written by J.K. Rowling, and for the movie version, I guess it was just too good that they had to have 2 parts to the epic finale. This is the movie that finally puts together all the bits and pieces from the previous movies. Harry Potter fans have been waiting for this movie to come out. But because they have split the movie into 2 parts, I guess Part 1 had to leave us all still having a few more questions too.

Now, last week was the final week for showing in the Philippines, and leave it to me to just be able to make it at the last moment. I’m a big fan of the Harry Potter books, so I did try to purchase tickets on its 1st week but failed a couple of times as tickets were sold out. I tried on its 2nd week and failed again. I put it off my mind for a couple of days then decided to watch it on its final week in the theaters. No more stress for me but no chance for me to watch it in awesome theaters like Ultra 7 since that specific theater usually only shows the most recent popular movies that are playing.

I really like that even though Harry Potter was intended for kids, they didn’t make it a cutesy movie. It’s really a dark fantasy story and I believe they did an excellent job translating it into the movie. We cannot really expect every single scene in the book to be in the movie. That’s just impossible considering how thick the book was and how rich the story was. But being able to have a good flow of the movie was important, while still being able to keep the integrity of what was in the book must have been a big challenging as well. However, I think they rose up to the challenge and really made the film as very continuous in its storyline where you didn’t keep wondering how each scene was connected. I believe the people to thank are those that are in charge of screenplay.

Anyway, the 7th installment revolves around Harry trying to find and destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes which provides immortality to the latter. In this movie, they were able to locate one of horcruxes, a locket. The process wasn’t easy though. Ron was fooled to believe that Harry Potter & Hermione was forming a relationship thus a conflict was there. Harry Potter was almost drowned in the frozen pool while retrieving the Griffindor sword. Of course, all things turned out to be good as the locket was destroyed by one of the main characters. Guess who? 😉

The movie had its lonely moments too like the deaths of Hedwig, Mad-Eye Moody and Dobby. I cried buckets when they showed the scene wherein Dobby was murdered while he was saving Harry Potter’s group from Bellatrix Lestrange. It was just too saddening *sniff sniff*. Seeing such a selfless elf giving up his life just to save his friends.

We are left hanging by the end of the movie. It’s kinda expected as the 2nd part will be shown next year. I cannot wait! In the 2nd part, I guess with the same title, we will see Harry Potter’s quest to continue to find and destroy the rest of the horcruxes plus a final battle between Harry Potter & Lord Voldemort. I bet we’ll also be able to see some love stories unfold throughout the ending. I’ve read the book and I kinda know what to expect but it’ll be nice to see it visually shown in the movie.

If you haven’t watched the movie here in the Philippines, there may still be a few theaters showing it. Don’t miss it! But, if you’re not lucky enough to have watched it on the big screen, I’m sure DVDs won’t be too long until they are available. Read the book too as a bonus! You’ll appreciate it more.

Again, I really have to stress that you will probably enjoy this movie even better if you were able to see the previous movies. Because there are just some key parts of the movie that relates to the previous movies. But I think how this storyline was handled, you can still enjoy the movie even without having seen the previous movies. Anyway, go see Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. There’s just too many aspects of this movie that will truly entertain not just the kids and teenagers, but I do believe this movie is literally for everyone of any age. With all the plot twists, the great special effects, the storyline itself, I really believe this is one of the must see movies of 2010.

My Rating for Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: 4 out of 5 stars

Take a Stand with SM Supermalls Eco Bag

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 15, 2010

I have a new discovery. Shoemart has made beautifully designed eco bags!

Environment friendly bags are popular nowadays but I must say that the ones made by SM Supermalls are one of the most fashionable ones. They really stand out from the crowd.

It’s not just the fashionable aspect of the bags that is cool. Using Eco bags really helps cut down in the use of plastic bags since it’s reusable too, and that will definitely help save the environment. It’s just nice that SM Supermalls went a step further with its new line of reusable bags.

SM Supermalls Eco Bags can be used for a very long time in contrast with the plastic bags that we usually use when buying our stuff at the grocery or at the mall. Plus, the most important aspect is that it’s environment friendly, the eco bags are made of biodegradable polypropylene material.

There are 4 designs/statements that SM Supermalls wanted to share with the youth:

Spark – Let’s SPARK a revolution in sustainable energy use

spark sm eco bag

Renew – Let’s RENEW our earth by reducing our waste

renew sm eco bag

Breathe – Let’s BREATHE clean, pristine air once again

breathe sm eco bag

Flow – Let’s make our waters FLOW with life

flow sm eco bag

So which project do you support the most? Get one that suits your advocacy. Or if you support all, then get all 4 designs. Each bag only costs Php 35 and are available in SM Supermalls nationwide.

It’s large enough to fit plenty of your purchases. Plus, you look pretty cool in it while being able to show support for your advocacy by using it. So many reasons to purchase this bag. As I was admiring the bags, I noticed we can actually carry it in 3 different ways:

by putting the 2 handles on your shoulders
by using the longer handle and make it look like a shoulder bag
by holding it with your hands much like a handbag

My mom and I love the Renew Eco bag the most. I love the color because it suits almost every clothing in my closet. I do think that reducing waste is an advocacy that I support the most. It’s also the reason why we have the eco bags right? We wanted to promote recycling & reduce waste for a cleaner and greener environment.

mom and roch renew

The best of both worlds definitely by mixing fashion and a good cause. Why not join SM Supermalls Eco Bag’s Facebook page? I did too! We’ll be able to get some tips on how to take care of our environment plus there are contests!

Stop Mr. Claw By Using Bactidol

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 10, 2010

It’s the holiday season and it’s a time to enjoy ourselves, spend time with friends and family! So, I’m sure none of us want to get sick, right?

Well, I almost did! Two days ago, I met the meanest throat terrorist named Mr. Claw! If you’ve ever had a sore throat as most of us has had at many points in our lives, then you know what I am talking about. And Mr. Claw is sore throat brought to life!!! He literally is what sore throat is like when we try to go through our normal day to day activities. He’s annoying, dangerous, dirty and definitely super mean! He brings bacteria into our body and if we don’t stop him then we’ll definitely have difficulty enjoying our holidays.

See how he ruined my shopping day the other night *grrrrrrr*

During dinner, I was trying to enjoy my inasal chicken but I wasn’t able to. Why? Because of Mr. Claw! Especially when I was trying to swallow. It was painful, eeeeek! I almost cried! Seeing the food that I wanted to eat but couldn’t enjoy :'(

mr claw bactidol 1

I’ve been planning to buy the Delsey luggage at Travel Club for quite some time now. Since I’ll be going to the US in a few months time, I still have to prepare. Thus, I checked if I brought my credit card and went to Travel Club to get the luggage that I had wanted. But, geez! There was Mr. Claw again! I was able to buy the luggage but I was coughing my way through it. hmmmp!

mr claw bactidol 2

My night was somewhat ruined but I had to still buy some groceries before I went home. So I went to Rustan’s supermarket and bought some tissues, yakult, veggies and some more stuff. Mr. Claw just didn’t wanna stop bugging me. I had a hard time as my throat was stopping me from enjoying my shopping. Strike 3 Mr. Claw! I really had to do something to stop that annoying beast!

mr claw bactidol 3

I then remembered that I used to have mouth sores and my doctor would always prescribe Bactidol. He told me that it would be the best mouthwash for me to use. It would help heal my mouth sores faster. It had been a year since I last experienced it so I guess it was effective.

So I thought, this might be a good tool to fight Mr. Claw. Bactidol with generic name Hexetidine is an oral antiseptic. Each 100ml of Bactidol contains 100mg of Hexetidine and 9% alcohol. Bactidol can be used for the ff. conditions:

Sore Throat – Bactidol, gargled twice a day will safely soothe and give temporary relief of minor soar throat.
General Oral Hygiene – Bactidol, used twice a day, has marked beneficial effects on color and tone of the mouth tissues & helps maintain healthy gums.
Tooth Decay – Bactidol, used twice daily, provides continuing protective action on tooth surfaces and kills bacteria that forms decay acids.
Bad Breath – Bactidol, used as a mouth rinse upon arising and retiring, will reduce bad breath all day and all night.

So would Bactidol finally kick Mr. Claw away from me? I had to do something, I just couldn’t take it any longer, after having to put up with him ruining my night, I decided to use Bactidol. It worked! And boy was I ever so relieved to finally get rid of the annoyance. Goodbye Mr. Claw! I’m sure I won’t ever see you again! Yehey!! Thanks Bactidol!

If you don’t want to take a chance and have your holiday season ruined, having to not enjoy your favorite activities because of sore throat or other related problems, then I suggest you head down to the nearest pharmacy and get yourself some Bactidol. And then we can all say goodbye to Mr. Claw!

bactidol with mr claw

I definitely don’t want Mr. Claw for Christmas. I’m sure you don’t want to have a sore Christmas too. Why not write a Facebook note outlining 10 things you don’t want for Christmas? You might just win a Php 1,000 Sodexho GC and a gift pack from Bactidol! Find out how through the “Stop Mr. Claw” Facebook page.

Calvin Klein Eyewear Collection Weekend Sale

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 5, 2010

Calvin Klein Eyewear Collection Weekend Sale

This year’s holiday season is just getting better and better. Starting next week, we’ll have a super nice treat by none other than…. Calvin Klein!!!

On December 8-19, 2010, all Calvin Klein Eyewear products including sunglasses & optimal frames will be on sale! We’ll get savings of up to 70% off the retail price. Such a treat for us consumers! Now, I think is the right time for me to finally own a high quality eyewear from Calvin Klein! :D:D:D

calvin klein collection

When it comes to top names in the fashion industry, we cannot deny the fact that Calvin Klein is by far one of the leading brands out there. With the Calvin Klein Collection and CK, Calvin Klein has even penetrated the younger market.

We’ve always known the Calvin Klein brand as simply minimalist yet some of the most unique, perfect fitting, and fashion forward clothing you could ever have in this industry. They have not only been successful with their clothing line, but they have also been able to build upon their brand and move into fragrance, home products, and even underwear. And in this particular case, they have even penetrated the eyewear industry.

The Calvin Klein Eyewear Collection, in particular, has sunglasses frames & lenses that are extremely lightweight, made from high quality materials and are unique & distinctive. Its sunglasses offer protection for our eyes as its lenses provide 100% UV protection. Fashion enthusiasts always say ‘fashion over comfort’ but this time around, we can have the best of both worlds! 🙂

calvin klein eyewear men

It’s also good to note that the some of the eyewear designs were inspired from the apparel in its Calvin Klein Collection. You can see it through the patterns & elements of the products. Cool, isn’t it? We can actually match our favorite Calvin Klein Apparel with our CK eyewear!

calvin klein eyewear women

Here is what you can expect from the CK Weekend Sale:

Up to 70% off items, sunglasses and optical frames
Gift With Purchase for regular-priced item purchase (choose from any limited edition: CK Ballpen, CK Notebook or a Calvin Klein Leather Photo Envelope)
Get one additional free optical frame for every regular CK or Calvin Klein optical frame

What are you waiting for? Go grab your planner and start scheduling your visit to the Optical Shop at Glorietta 3 to buy for your Calvin Klein Eyewear. When it comes to some of the best fashion items out there, you just can’t beat Calvin Klein, and with their eyewear collection and this weekend sale, you really can’t go wrong!

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Calvin Klein Eyewear Collection Weekend Sale
December 8-19, 2010
The Optical Shop, 2/F Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City

MYCHIP & Road X Trail by Finishline

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 1, 2010

MYCHIP by Finishline

A lot of my friends and colleagues are addicted to running. It seems they are not the only ones joining the craze. There has been a lot of running events recently and it’s good news actually! Everyone wants to be healthy, everyone wants to be fit and strong through running.

Last saturday, Finishline presented a new product to us runners & new media called MYCHIP. MYCHIP is the 1st multi-sport timing chip in the Philippines. It uses MYLAPS Championchip technology, a worldwide leader in mass race timing. A technology that is used in the largest races in the world such as Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, Berlin Marathon, Madrid Marathon, Boston Marathon, Hong Kong Marathon, Nairobi Marathon and Melbourne Marathon.

road x trail talk

This was totally new to me. I never thought that technology has already caught up with our beloved sports events. Just as I thought that the only high-technology thing in running are products like sports watches, pedometer and other stuff that are mostly for personal tracking. I was wrong.

Using MYCHIP, it can send code to the Finishline timing mat which in turn can capture thousands of runners per minute! How efficient! We listened intently while Finishline explained to us what the product is about. Having Rovilson Fernandez as host made it even more awesome. I was actually seated next to him before the event started and I made a lil comment that it was him who caused him and Marc Nelson to lose the Amazing Race Asia competition 😛

Roch and Rovilson

Anyway, Finishline has been arranging lots of events (running, cycling, aquathlon, swimming, triathlon and duathlon). With MYCHIP, you will instantly see your results through finishline.ph. It doesn’t stop there, you can also use the gadget in MYLAPS Championship timed events worldwide. It costs only Php 2,500 and is good to use for life. Why? It’s shockproof, waterproof and most of all, no batteries required!

There were 2 videos shown to us presenting how MYCHIP is being used. MYCHIP contains the chip, bike clip and ankle strap. We can use the ankle strap for running, duathlon, aquathlon and triathlon.

While we can use the bike clip for cycling

To make things more exciting, the organizers arranged a game for us to participate in. One table is one team. We were asked several questions and the team with the most # of correct answers wins a MYCHIP for each of the members.

win a mychip game

Unfortunately, we didn’t win. History is definitely not my favorite subject but I enjoyed the game. Learned quite a bit too! While I wasn’t able to own a MYCHIP that day for myself, I was able to check it out for a short while. It’s truly just a chip, but boy that small chip is useful especially for active people like us!

Roch and MyChip

Lastly, Finishline also shared with us their upcoming events this December 2010. They have cycling (February 13, 2011), Running (January 15, 2011) & Duathlon (January 16, 2011). All will happen at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna and is called Road X Trail. If you own a MYCHIP, you get discounts with the registration fee. That doesn’t end there, all future events of Finishline, as long as you have MYCHIP, you get discounts!

Revised Poster2

I have registered for the running event originally set on December 18. It was rescheduled to January 15, 2011. Well, let’s see. I hope I can see some of you there! Race on!