Category: Lifestyle

Personal Branding Seminar

Posted by Randell Tiongson On September 21, 2010

When I hit 40, I knew that there were many things that I would like to do. I love my corporate job, especially the people I work it but somehow there was this longing to do something else. Some people call it “mid-life crisis” and that may be true to some degree. You see, I have always wanted to bring the advocacy of personal finance outside the corporate realm by being a public speaker. For many years, I have been a fan of people like Francis Kong, Butch Jimenez and so many of the great speakers of the country. I was also a fan of writers like Cito Beltran and other columnists. 3 years ago, never in my wild imagination will I think of what I am doing now.

Two decades the financial services industry made me build up my knowledge and competence in the finance arena and God blessed me with the ability to communicate both in the area of speaking and writing. But how will people know who I am and what I can do? How do I get people to notice me? In other words, how do I get a break?

The answer? Personal Branding. With the help of my good friend Carlo Ople, I was able to launch a dream career that I am enjoying now. While I am still very far from the likes of my role models, I am thankful that I am getting there. Thanks to many mentors, Personal Branding and the Lord Almighty.

People have often asked me how Personal Branding helped me launch my new career so I asked my friend Carlo if we can do a seminar on the whats and hows of personal branding. Join us this Saturday at the Upper Level of Promenade at 1:30.

Kohikan at the Diamond

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 20, 2010

I used to go to Kohikan a lot when it still had a branch in Promenade, Greenhills. It’s still a mystery to me why it closed down considering it was very successful, there was no hint at all that one day it’d close down.

Luckily, my mom knew that they also have a branch that is located at the lobby of Diamond Hotel. She suggested that we go to Kohikan for dinner. That day, I was driving from Tagaytay as we went to Sonya’s Garden for lunch. It was a looong drive and I was too tired, Diamond Hotel was on the way home.

Kohikan is known to have coffee that is charcoal-roasted. It’s a given that we would order coffee, why would you not order the specialty of a restaurant right?

charcoal roasted coffee kohikan

Unfortunately, most of the menu items from their promenade branch weren’t available. I wonder why. Maybe, since hotel guests usually just want coffee or dessert, it probably doesn’t make sense for them to offer a lot of items.

Anyhow, here’s what we had:

Winner (Php 175)

winner kohikan

This is Sumibi Coffee w/ whipped cream. It’s pretty funny that they call it winner, but maybe it’s because Sumibi coffee is the popular coffee at Kohikan. By the way, the whipped cream is so rich, you might want to mix it first with the coffee before drinking. You would enjoy it better that way 🙂

Iced Sumibi (Php 180)

iced sumibi

Iced Sumibi as the name implies is the iced version of the Sumibi coffee. I love its presentation plus the cute lil container for the cream & syrup. Tasted good too! Just as we expected from a Japanese coffee.

Matcha (Php 260)

matcha kohikan

Green Tea Shake topped with a whipped cream. My mom’s friends always orders this, I keep forgetting to try it. I can’t seem to break my habit of always ordering the Iced Sumibi from Kohikan hahaha! Maybe next time 😛

Coffee Jelly (Php 250)

coffee jelly kohika

Doesn’t look like Coffee Jelly at all, does it? That’s because it’s a shake! They blended all the ingredients & topped it w/ vanilla ice cream. My mom doesn’t like vanilla ice cream so she requested for it to be separated from the drink. It was a delicious drink according to my mom, when I get the chance to go back to Kohikan, I’ll try this first then the Matcha..

Sauteed Shrimps al Ajillo (Php 450)

prawn rice at kohikan

I was hungry but my 2 companions weren’t. I ended up being the only one who ordered a full meal. I tried the shrimps w/ garlic rice. Shrimp has always been my favorite food item, can’t get enough of it. This version was spicy but definitely tasty! This turned out to be a really wonderful dish because of balance of flavors that was incorporated into the tomato-based sauce. The shrimp wasn’t overcooked at all, and most of all, the garlic rice really was a great companion to the dish itself.

Ensaymada

ensaymada kohikan

I noticed at the counter a lot ensaymada on display. Looking around the place, I also noticed that everyone ordered it. Christina then ordered it just to give it a try. I took a bite and I loved it! Ensaymada is basically a bread coated with butter, sugar and cheese but the thing that differentiated it from other ensaymadas is that there’s ube inside Kohikan’s version, yum! It was served hot too as they microwave it first before putting it on our table.

The price of their menu items are a bit too steep IMHO. I felt it was really too much considering the taste and ambiance of the coffee place. A factor could be because it’s inside Diamond hotel, I was hoping they could lower the price a bit or else, I don’t think I would want to go back often.

Anyhow, I still enjoyed our dinner since I’m with my mom & my best friend 🙂 I was also too tired from driving so I was able to relax a bit.

roch with mom and best friend

Service was okay, nothing special, there was an instance where my mom had to ask for water 3 times from 2 different servers before it was served to us. It wasn’t consistent coz there was a server who was very accommodating. Oh well, let’s see if there’s a chance for me to go back. And probably the only reason is definitely because of the drinks, really can’t go wrong if you need a place to just sit and relax and enjoy the company that you’re with 🙂

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Kohikan at the Diamond
G/F Diamond Hotel, Roxas Blvd corner Dr. J. Quintos St., Manila
(02)528-3000

Why Do People Run the Marathon?

Posted by Bel Emmans Padlan On September 20, 2010

Why do people run the marathon? I mean really? If the legends are true, didnâ€™t the first marathon runner died after completing a run to ancient Athens? And yet, more and more people aspire to and actually run this race every year. It couldnâ€™t be madness, otherwise there are too much running madmen (or women) in the country already, right?

One canâ€™t help but be curious. Pretty soon you become too curious enough to give it a try yourself. I guess thatâ€™s what happened to me this year.

The Milo marathon is on its 26th year already. Though it has been around for that long, for me it has been like going to the moon. I know itâ€™s possible and can be done, but itâ€™s only for the elites and for sure will not happen to me this lifetime. Recently though, long distance running as a sport has experienced a boom and in our office a very active runnersâ€™ wellness group has been organized.

Last year, quite a number of my officemates were able to finish the 42 after 6 months of scheduled training. This year, they plan another batch of runners to run and train. As early as February, I declared for my self that I will finish the marathon this year. Thatâ€™s how it started for meâ€¦ over lunch while my office friends were discussing about another organized marathon training. No dates were discussed, no specific marathon yet to join.

March came and we knew the Milo marathon will be in July. The more experienced runners in the office were advising me not to run for July, but instead wait for another marathon (QCIM) in December. That would give me more time to train since the training plan is 6-month long. Impatient, stubborn and lazy (three of my best qualities), I decided to go ahead with the July schedule. To wait for December means I need to train for 8 months, besides, Iâ€™m fit enough to the marathon anywayâ€¦ or so I thought.

April came and Iâ€™ve only been running short distances on erratic schedule. Far from the prescribed training plan where I should run regularly and with increasing distance; confident that, anyway, thereâ€™s still May and June to get serious. Fortunately, I did catch up on my training plan thanks to insistent reminders and run invitations from my training buddy. I did my first long run (15km+) in April and completed my first 32km in June 5.

At 25km, your body will experienced fatigue and it will require much mental discipline to finish upto 32km. That is why they say that once youâ€™ve done a 32km run, youâ€™re ready for the marathon because from 32km to 42km run will just be pure will power.

Then July 4 came and it is the Milo Marathon NCR elimination race for the National Finals in December. While the elites and veterans race to qualify for the finals, beginners like me only wish to complete the marathon alive and perhaps finish in 6 hours to get a medal at the finish line.

Good thing is that there were a number of my friends racing on that day for 21km and 42km races. My anxiety and fear of not finishing mellowed down a bit as I met up and chatted with my friends at the starting line. We talked about running together and following this person who paces well (which was only true for the first 15km, after that, it was each person running his own pace).

bel carlos milo marathon

The race route is 5 loops around CCP-Aseana-Macapagal Ave-Sofitel. Some say the route is boring as it goes around the same area 5 times. For me it was a boon. It was easier to psych myself to run some more everytime I complete a loop.

The first two loops (about 18-20km) was easy enough and quite uneventful. It was just about keeping the pace which is at 8.5kph, enough to beat the 6-hour deadline. My pace group started to break up at the third loop, when each of us started to rest at different rates.

Pretty soon, I was running by myself alone. By this time, youâ€™d start to look for ways to motivate yourself to run some more.

Youâ€™d start to look for attractive females to tail-run with. It can keep you motivated to run another 5km straight. Unfortunately, thereâ€™s not much of them in the race and they would either be the fit and sexy ones (already ahead of me in the race and hard to keep pace with), the average-paced ones but running with their boyfriends or the not-so-fit ones tailing behind.

And then youâ€™ll meet some friendly guy whom you can chat a bit with how difficult it is to train for the marathon. Then youâ€™ll also meet a friendlier-guy-in-a-weird-way whom youâ€™ll chat a bit but amazingly youâ€™ll find enough energy left in you to burst into a sprint. Thereâ€™s also your sporty lola runners that, though they donâ€™t intend to, shouts silent insults to your youth and manhood just by being ahead of you in the pack. Youâ€™ll again find the motivation to run a bit faster to overtake them.

By the Aliw theater are a group of running-enthusiasts who voluntarily stationed themselves there to cheer everyone who passes by and completes another loop. And just at the turn to Buendia, youâ€™ll meet the P&G volunteers, office friends who are always ready with their Gatorades, menthol sprays and compliments on how great youâ€™ve done running thus far. I was equally thankful for the cheers as well as the menthol sprays because by the 4th loop, my leg muscles became tight and slightly painful due to fatigue. The spray works miraculously to ease the pain for another half-a-loop.

p&g support group

By the 4th loop, it was 40% run and 60% walk for me. But at the 5th loop, it was all walk with a few sprints. It was not much because of my tired feet but because of my acidic stomach. I cannot run 50meters without having a hiccup-attack. Throughout the race Iâ€™ve been conscious not to drink too much water and Gatorade to avoid it, but still it happened. Even drinking antacid did not help. I was confident enough to walk as I was in my last loop and with a little over an hour left until the 6th hour deadline.

In the last leg to the finish line, I was just practically walking the race. The sun was scorching that later after the race I would hear the news that someone died because of dehydration. For the last 5km, I tried my best to run for the finish mainly because I soon realized that I miscalculated my time. I thought the finish line is at CCP, but it was in Luneta (about 3km away). I was 3km away from the finish line 40min before the cutoff time, which would have been doable if not for that fact that I have been running for more than 5 hours already for 39km.

I finished with the run time of 6:05. I technically did not achieve the sub-6 (below 6 hours) requirement but fortunately, Milo had some surplus of medals and they were still giving the medals even beyond the 6th hour.

bel at finish line

Will I do it again? Probably not. Will I recommend it to friends? Yes, I would. I believe it does build character, the training and the race itself. As for me, I really appreciated the support given by friends for my race preparation and during the race itself, so much so that I vowed to support the runners for the QCIM marathon. My turn to cheer and somebody elseâ€™s turn to run 🙂

Ensembles Louis Claparols Holiday Collection

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 19, 2010

After the successful Debbie Co collection, Ensembles once again brought in one of the celebrated fashion designers of today, Louis Claparols.

Louis is currently the elected president of the Young Designer’s Guild (YDG). He’s known to be a well-rounded designer bringing in something new in each fashion show. Since it’s now the -ber months, Ensembles has launched its special holiday collection featuring his works.

Louis Claparols

The Claparols Holiday 2010 for Ensembles consists of clothes with retro-style prints. The designer’s inspiration for his collection comes from things like architectures, graphic arts & even his favorite movies. Wow, talk about talent! You can really see that if you’re passionate about something, you can create something great from just about anything.

I love the simplicity of the designs because it accents the clothing perfectly without being too distracting. And of course, the cut of the clothing really seems to compliment a woman’s figure, which is really important. Because you can have the best looking clothes, but if it doesn’t fit well, then it’s just not worth even wearing. The color choices are excellent too. The overall feel of the line is that of versatility, style, art, and with a pop of wonderful colors. This collection is truly perfect for a fashionable woman.

Here’s a preview of the collection:

Dresses (Php 1495-Php 1995)

ensembles 1

ensembles 2

The dresses really have a high cut for that sexy look. But what’s great about the dresses is the versatility with which they can be worn, and the looks above are just some great examples of how to wear these chic dresses. What’s more sexy than wearing boots with these fashionable dresses? I honestly just love how they coupled it with leggings, boots & stockings. As for me, it’s already perfect even without the added clothes. Wow! We can really create several looks with it.

Skirts (Php 1,095)

ensembles 3

ensembles 4

The skirts are another perfect example of the versatility of this collection. The designs are once again not too distracting, but will definitely get you noticed :p The skirts are actually perfect for ladies who go to the office, because it’s still conservative enough, yet very professional in its cut. But then you can transition for your late night date or gimik. Such cool designs, I especially love the diamond collection.

Tops (Php 1,195-Php 1,495)

ensembles 5

ensembles 6

Very simple yet so trendy! My favorite among the four is the one with the collar. I can imagine pairing it with my skirt & also my pedal pushers. This is the 1st time I’ve heard of Louis but I’m just blown away with this collection. The tops really offer a variety in terms of style, so that I believe with this collection, there’s really something for everyone.

Trench Coats/Dresses (Php 1,395-Php 1,695)

ensembles 7

ensembles 8

Again, I keep mentioning the versatility of this collection. And it continues with these dresses which doubles as a trench. How cool is that! And the fact that it’s sleeveless, I really love how they have taken fashion up a level. I’m making sure that I get hold of one of those trench coats. I’m set to buy the sleeveless trench dress w/ swirl details (the 1st picture). I also took note of the different styles shown on the ramp, we can copy those styles in our everyday life when we wear those beautiful clothes. I’m excited to get mine! 🙂

You can head on over to Ensembles Stores to see the Claparols 2010 Holiday Collection for yourself. List of branches & also more information about the collection in their website. Want more? Follow them in Facebook & in Twitter.

Gerry’s Grill

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 18, 2010

Gerry’s Grill is a household name in the Philippines. I’m just amazed as to how they continue to be better & better inspite of the success of the restaurant. Would you believe at around 9PM in the evening, Gerry’s Grill at Tomas Morato was still jampacked? Considering how big the branch is, it was just impressive to see with my own eyes!

gerrys grill crowd

Last night, Gerry’s Grill invited several media people to sample their new menu dishes. I was one of them and I also brought my mom with me (I know she loves Gerry’s Grill so I’m sure she’d enjoy the meal).

me and mom at gerrys grill

We were able to try out numerous dishes, and honestly, it was too much hahaha! My mom was actually constantly reminding me to stop taking in so much, she wanted me to just have one bite of each dish. I’m a bit conscious now since I’m already overweight so it’s best that I start tracking my diet. Who could resist Gerry’s Grill food? I would say noone especially if you’re fond of Filipino food.

Here are Gerry’s Grill new yummy dishes:

Fish & Chips (Php 145)

fish shrimps and chips gerrys grill

I also included in this photograph the shrimps & chips (Php 295). Both fish & shrimps were done the same way, battered and then deep fried, not good for the cholesterol count, but definitely still very delicious. This is somewhat an American menu item that they have incorporated into their menu to give more variety for those who are craving this classic american seafood item. Gerry’s Grill is really trying to stretch it by having a bit of everything in their menu.

Several Pla Pla Dishes

pla pla dishes gerrys grill

Most of their new offerings include a major ingredient which is the fish called Pla Pla. I had to put them in one image for you to see how the restaurant created 4 completely different dishes with it. The dishes are Sinigang na Pla pla sa Miso (Php 185), Ginataang Pla pla (Php 225), Pinaputok na Pla pla Fillet (Php 245) & Crispy Pla pla w/ Ensaladang Talong (Php 190). Innovative, isn’t it? They tasted good too!

Sizzling Tilapia Ala Pobre (Php 245)

sizzling tilapia ala pobre gerrys grill

Most of their new dishes are fish hahaha! I don’t know if it was God’s will that they didn’t serve much meat since I need to lose weight, but I welcome it! Gerry’s Grill is famous for their sizzling plates so I’m glad they made this version for the tilapia. Tilapia is one of those types of fish that is very versatile and lends well to the sizzling plate menu. Simple way of cooking fish, minced garlic, onion, some veggies, and you really have an appetizing dish. It honestly is the added taste of the garlic and onions that make this dish stand out. Not to mention that the fish is nice and moist and seared perfectly on the outside. Yummy!

Sizzling Binagoongan Baboy

binagoongan baboy gerrys grill

The binagoongan baboy was a special request of my mom. She was pointing the picture to me & said she wanted to try it hahaha! So I asked if we could try it and I was glad they served it to us. My mom loved it! She’s actually planning to dine at Gerry’s Grill tonight w/ her friends. I, however, would have wished they didn’t put the eggplant in there. It still tasted good, nevertheless. There are times when you just need a dish to be simple, and I think this dish would be perfect without the eggplant.

Of course, we also had our old-time favorite Gerry’s Grill items:

Sizzling Sisig (Php 175)

gerrys grill sisig

All time-favorite, the night just isn’t complete without Gerry’s Grill’s famous sisig! Yum! There’s just something that is classic with Gerry’s Grill sisig. It incorporates all the great flavor of what sisig should have, including the bits of onion. The crispiness of the pork and the seasoning of the whole dish has always been just right. Sometimes, we get sisig that just doesn’t have the right seasoning, or has become too soggy, but the contrast in texture, which is important, makes this dish always stand out!

Tinomok (Php 165)

laing gerrys grill

Laing with a twist! This was actually my favorite among the dishes we tried out. It’s a combination of meat and vegetable. If any of you have ever had stuffed cabbage, then this is definitely the Filipino version of it. I think this dish is most closely associated with the Bicol region, but I just love how they conceptualized this dish. The meat was perfectly seasoned and just made out well with the laing and the sauce. A Genius creation indeed.

Sizzling Garlic Mushroom Chicken (Php 225)

garlic chicken gerrys grill

When my mom tasted this, she whispered to me. This one is really good. I tasted it and I definitely agree. Wow! The brown gravy that was made with the mushrooms, and the roasted chicken was really out of this world. but the toasted and perfectly fried minced garlic was just something that put this dish in another league. I really love how the roasted chicken was just seasoned well to match the seasoning of the gravy. Veggies became just decoration for presentation purpose though, but still, this is one dish I would definitely recommend.

Adobo Puso Rice (Php 155)

gerrys grill fried rice

I love the presentation of their adobo rice. Generous serving too plus you can really taste the different spices in the fried rice. Super worth your money. Again, there’s just something that I love about cooking food in banana leaves. The aroma and the taste that gets infused into each dish really takes a dish from good to great. Adobo rice in general is already jampacked with flavor, but the added taste of that banana leaf is something I really would suggest you try.

We ended the night with delicious desserts from the restaurant, wahhh!! Talk about eating too much good food, it felt like a buffet already! 😛

Buko Pandan (Php 75)

buko pandan gerrys grill

For those who love buko pandan, I think their version gives you the classic dessert and then some. With an added taste of the different gelatins, and the generous amount of that cream, it’s a buko pandan lover’s dream come true.

Halo Halo (Php 95)

halo halo gerrys grill

Have you ever gone to those places who seem to give you more ice than ingredients in their Halo halo? Well, at Gerry’s grill, you won’t have that problem since just like their dishes, they truly give you your money’s worth. And can you see that generous serving of ice cream?!! My golly, I just loved it! One of the best halo halo’s i’ve ever had!

Luckily, we were able to talk with head chef Fred Redoblado. Chef Fred started Year 2000 with Gerry’s Grill and he is the brain of the new dishes that the restaurant is offering. He said that they continue to improve their menu items and have been doing so every 6 months. As I said at the start of this post, it’s really admirable that Gerry’s Grill continues to improve and improve even if they are already successful. This is one great trait of a good company. I have great respect for Gerry’s Grill after hearing their story and their passion to make it a better restaurant each time.

Chef Fred Gerrys Grill

Gerry’s Grill also came up with their own membership card. It’s called Circle of Friends Loyalty Card. We can purchase it for only Php 100 with no minimum purchase required. The card is valid for one year and can be renewed for the same amount, Php 100.

gerrys grill loyalty card

Main benefits include:

Get to choose a FREE dish with a minimum single receipt purchase worth Php 750.00
3% of the total net purchase will be converted to points of the cardholder. Cardholders can redeem their rewards once they reach 300 points. It can be redeemed in the form of Gerry’s Grill gift certificates or can be deducted from the bill.

Now, that was a very long post. Pardon me, there was just too much to share, it was such a great experience that I don’t wanna miss out any details. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gerry’s Grill for the great food, hospitality & most of all, the experience.

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Gerry’s Grill
Tomas Morato cor. Eugenio Lopez Sts., Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 415-9514