Friday, October 3, 2014

Acer Liquid E700 (E39) Review

If you will ask around mobile stores if there are any tri-sim Android phones available in the market, they will dismiss the "Android" and offer you a very basic phone. If you will insist on a triple sim, touch screen phone with a nice camera and an updated Android software, they will look at you as if they've seen an alien speaking in foreign tongue. That reaction is mostly followed by a you're-out-of-your-mind ridiculous laugh or i'm-puzzled-so-here's-an-incredulous-look response. (People, imagination please!)

Leaning towards hopelessness, I again relied on my very good friend, Google, to shed light on my seemingly out of this world exploration - then voila! I found one!! The search engine keeps on pulling up a certain Acer Liquid E700. Curious, I stumbled upon its specifications. I read through, with something like "this is too good to be true" idea in my head. There I was, not really expecting for some company to have already manufactured the phone with features I only formulated in my mind - yet it did exist! Apparently, some genius from Acer thought of the demand this phone will create even before I thought about it. I love my iPhone, I just wanted something to hold my other 3 sims without having to buy multiple phones.

After much reading, I decided to go to the nearest concept store. At first I was skeptical to buy it. They did not have a demo unit. I was convinced with the other phone models though. Just don't expect much from their highly revered 8MP or 13MP cameras. No matter how much MP there are in a phone camera, it's the final image captured that matters the most. Acer's pictures and videos did not meet my standards. Maybe it's not in the number of pixels. It's in the sensor and post-processing of images. In the end, I still bought one because overall, I thought it was offering more than its tag price. Here are my early observations about the phone (in no particular order):

1. Triple Sim Stand By / Value for Money / Convenience - the seller initially told me it was not on stand by for calls for the 3 sim cards at the same time. He said it was only on triple sim stand by just for text messaging. (I was not able to test it because they had no demo unit and inserting 3 sims to the same phone would be a tedious task. The store did not have 3 different sims with them.) I bought it anyway. It turned out he was wrong - I can be contacted through any of the contact numbers at any time! Just choose "always ask" for calls and text messages on the settings. Messaging worked the same way too. It's very convenient, especially for those who want to get the best of all worlds - from three different networks. It's like having 3 phones in just one phone. It's convenience magnified! :) To top it all off, the phone just costs Php 10,990 (USD 244.28). For those who doesn't want to feel shelling out that much in one go, I recommend charging it on installment for 0% interest - that is if you are a good payer. Otherwise, don't think about charging :) This will help you test out the unit without having to pay for it in full. I do this most of the time, without breaking the rule of saving up first and spending only the extra money you have. I'll be writing a post soon about finances, will share with you some tips that turned my life around..

Friday, September 26, 2014

One Fine Day in Corregidor Island

I ran out of ideas on where to go next on my Anniversary with ex-bf. I already booked us to an unexpected trip abroad before, which was a surprise to him - so that won't do. I also booked us a degustation lunch before, so doing it again would be like watching a rerun of a movie we've already watched on HBO. All I found was cliche whilst browsing and googling over the net. So I thought, why not stay in the metro for a change? I had two choices: A.) revisit  Old Manila - see the different museums, tour the national library (which I've never done, ever) and dine in Binondo - OR B.) see Corregidor Island for the first time. I found the latter more appealing so I googled away, typing "Corregidor". Third on the results was http://www.corregidorphilippines.com hosted by Sun Cruises, the sole touring agency for Corregidor Island. I clicked on it and looked for the most important part of the tour - budget requirement.

Day Tour to the island is available from Mondays to Sundays. Adult rate is Php 2,250 ($ 51.52) during weekdays and Php 2,449 ($ 56.08) during weekends. Child rate (term "child" being 3-11 years old) is only at Php 1,400 ($ 32.06). The fees cover ferry transfers to and from the island, entrance fees, tour guide and buffet lunch. Overnight option is available for an additional Php 1,500 ($ 34.35) per pax. This fee includes breakfast for the next day. There are other activities on the island as well, but I opted for just the day tour.

Sun Cruises Dock
If you will be coming from a place far from Metro Manila, I suggest you spend the night around the area because check-in time for the ferry starts early at 7:00am (unless you are an early riser, say 4:00am??). Ferry leaves at 8:00am and there's only one trip to the island per day - no other batches. Considering the traffic going to Manila, you should alot 1-2 hours of travel time from the tip of EDSA or South Luzon Expressway. Should you miss the departure, that's it for the day. Not sure about rebooking though. Better contact Sun Cruises (632) 834-6857 to 58, (632) 831-8140.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

iOS 8 Review

So I downloaded iOS 8 just a few hours ago. Here's what I think about it so far:

1. JUICE UPGRADE - gave my iPhone 5s an extended battery life. I've been using it the whole day, like for 10.5 hours already with LTE and the works, and it still has 31% life on it. Amazing, I'm so loving it ü

2. PREDICTIVE TEXT - I assume Apple's been keeping track of the way I text for the past years so it's far more intelligent than my android toy, it has this eerie way of knowing what I want to type - eerie in a great way ü



Friday, September 12, 2014

Should I Buy the iPhone 6 Plus?

Photo Courtesy of www.apple.com

I love Apple to bits. I’ve been a believer since I first used the iPhone 4, and then upgraded to iPhone 5s, passing up on the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 upgrades. Now, with the launch of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, I'm torn. But I guess the better choice would be to sit it out and wait for the better iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 perhaps - whichever gives me the most reasonable (considering value for money) upgrade from the already awesome iPhone 5s :) Don’t get me wrong, I guess people are missing out big time loving android without having tried THE iPhone. If you haven’t tried the product, now’s the time to buy one before launching into all sorts of nitpicking for the brand, comparing it to the capabilities of other smartphones, without earning your credibility by using one. And, guess what! Apple’s giving away free downloads of U2’s newest album until October 13, 2014 - yes, FULL ALBUM DOWNLOAD! - only if you have an iTunes account. So go ahead, sign up and enjoy this awesome freebie ^_^.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Longchamp: How to Spot a Fake Bag

I ordered a Longchamp bag from an online merchant through cashcashpinoy.com. At first I was skeptical of the deal because of the overboard price off.. but hey, there are good deals out there right? I've been a fan of the Le Pliage style since I first used one. I can fill up the bag with all my stuff without fear of tearing the material. I've used bags with steep prices that fail to deliver on the "sturdiness" department. Yes, they looked pretty with fine details but when put under "heavy use" (literally) they break and tear apart - that's not the case with my beloved Le Pliage. These bags endured the heavy use test, without sacrificing elegance and style. Ü

I received the item 2 days ago. Surprisingly, the parcel went with an unsolicited Longchamp folded paperbag. The moment I saw it, I dubiously held the string and my skepticism was confirmed. I bought a fake item!!! (Grrr) Good thing I was backed up by the promise of 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Here goes some spot the difference pictures..

Longchamp bag's button from Cashcashpinoy merchant has poor workmanship and the letters are not precisely etched. Leather is obviously synthetic and harder than original. The bag is poorly stitched too. :-/



The inside flap's button lock has more of continuous ridges vs. those on the original bags which have precise "dots" all over.  Fake bag's dots are noticeably closer to the edge than that of the original.



Paperbag that came with the CCP merchant's parcel is sooo fake you can detect it on the string used for the paperbag's handle and its lighter color vs. original paperbags. Longchamp's paperbags have consistent color no matter where on earth you buy. They use the same thickness of string too.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Bonchon Honey Citrus Chicken and Crispy Crepes

I've been a fan on first bite of their Soy Garlic version. My favorite order is their 3-pc thigh box (Small) that costed Php 185 ($ 4.24) before and increased to Php 195 ($ 4.47) now. The spicy version is not too spicy, which suits my taste at times.

Bonchon's newest flavor: Honey Citrus - will delight those who prefer oriental chicken salads with asian vinaigrette dressing. It tastes as sweet as Chowking's orange chicken but as crispy as the classic soy garlic. For me it beats the aforementioned.. Ü

Krispy Kreme Drive Thru in NLEX

I spend most of my time in the province so the Drive-Thru concept of Krispy Kreme is new to me. I'm not exactly sure if this is the first of its kind in the Philippines but it's my first time seeing such version of the famous donut chain. It's in NLEX Petron (northbound), before Starbucks Drive-Thru.


There's nothing new on their menu except for the expanded selection of coffee choices. The cashier know-how and service mimics that of a Starbucks barista but the taste of their food and beverages favor the sweet tooth.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Empire Steak

Ex bf and I decided to have yet another food exploration in Maginhawa St. I was hoping to chance upon a decent steak joint. Our search led us to this establishment...



Outside, the place seemed too small for a great steak.. But it had a uniqueness to it that we decided to give it a try. Heck, we were there for the food ü


The place didn't have its own parking lot, so we had to parallel park on the road itself in front of the establishment. They had 3 small tables taking over the side walk. It was a humid dusk that time so dining al fresco style was not an option. Upon entering, I was impressed with the store layout considering the very small venue they had. Here's a panoramic shot inside:


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Clarisonic Plus

I'm pretty much addicted to new stuff (or at least new finds for me). While surfing the world wide web for skin care products, I stumbled upon CLARISONIC. It claims 6x better cleansing than hands alone and removes 30x more age-accelerating pollution than manual cleansing.

I tried to buy online www.clarisonic.com but was having problems checking-out. It won't accept the details I provided! Instead of wasting more time, I tried searching for other online dealers. I learned www.sephora.com offers the product with special offer - free cleanser, bronzer, extension handle (for back cleansing) travel pouch and a big discount: Php 9,853 ($225) only for a Php 13,883,02 ($317) value! I bought one, checked out and shipped through www.johnnyair.com ü Got my package in 10 days ü


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Don Don Tei

If you're craving for Jap food while you're in SM Clark, try visiting the food court and look for Don Don Tei - sister company of Yufuin, an authentic Jap restaurant in Balibago. Being a major Yufuin fan, I was elated to know such fact ;-)

I grew hungry after going around the mall at about 4:30pm so I decided to have an afternoon snack with ex bf.

Though not on the menu, I asked if they serve sashimi. The cashier confirmed they do but only limited to Tuna and Salmon. For Php 120 ($ 2.74) I got 5 slices. Ü

Friday, May 16, 2014

Maybelline Baby Lips Pink Glow

Here I am again on my obsession with lip products.... this time, I've put Maybelline's famous Baby Lips line to test. Got the Pink Blast / Pink Glow variant:


This one costs Php 100 ($ 2.28) on retail. Ms. Beauty Consultant told me it's colorless, but I guess she hasn't seen the tester - it's more on the light orange side:


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

MacBook Pro with Retina Display ME866ZP/A

So I got myself an early Christmas present last year. I actually got myself and ex bf matching iPhone 5s 64GB Gold in that same month - but that's not the gift I'm talking about :D 

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I've never been addicted so much to Apple until 2009. Way back, I used to raise my brows to Apple fanatics and criticize the exclusivity of their preferred brand. I didn't see much use for an iPod then, I thought iPhones were tacky and absurdly priced, supported by equally absurd consumers willing to pay sky high for a phone. And then the most absurd product yet known to man: the iPad. What on earth was Apple thinking when it created the iPad?!? A more compact computer that had no computing power than running applications that work so-so on the performance department??!! I didn't see the point of iPad's existence before. It was merely an oversized iPod touch back then.. It was year 2009 when I finally joined the bandwagon and gave up my preconceived notion about the brand. Bought an iPhone 4, half curious of what the hype was all about and half daring myself to see and try the product. From then on, I was a believer. Apple products were built to perfection that I could not, for the life of me, criticize, even a single feature! I've never realized how much I was missing on touch screen until I used iPhone. From that time onwards, there existed just two types of touch screen phones in my vocabulary: one is iPhone and the other one is "oThers" (get it?? LOL) The responsiveness, ease of use, the speed - they never deteriorate in time, as compared to their other counterparts! Sorry Samsung, you had your chance with Note and the other Galaxy models but you just can't beat iPhone in a lot of ways. Yes, you're fairly fast at first, but Apple has something that you don't have: consistency in performance, for when your system's been filled with data (photos, videos, messages, music), the speed of the phone is lost whereas iPhone remains fast, unbeaten.
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Going back to the early Christmas present I got, since I'm so in love with Apple, I finally decided to give MacBook Pro a chance. The main problem of a MacBook for me then was the weight. I was not willing to carry around a computer the weight of a boulder on my shoulders or on my back. I knew I was missing a lot, I even considered buying a MacBook Air but I'd rather buy an iPad than that one. MacBook Air was (and still is) just a pricier version of the iPad. For me, 'twas Pro or nothing. Then news came to me that the new model was released, with retina display and packs a lighter weight! I checked it out in a Mac store and I was in love. I was torn between getting the 15" and the 13" but I finally reconciled the three most important features for me: weight, computing speed and battery power - so I chose the Php 92,990 ($ 1,799) Macbook Pro 13" with 2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz, 8gb 1600MHz memory, 512GB PCIe-based flash storage, Intel Iris Graphics and Built-in battery that lasts up to 9 hours. I was in love at first use.


West Loch Park Hotel in Vigan Ilocos Sur

After the morning drive to Ilocos and the afternoon walk in Calle Crisologo and Baluarte, we drove a bit north to check in at West Loch Park Hotel for a much needed rest. I booked a Deluxe Room through  www.agoda.com. Price was a bit high that time because it was peak season (Holy Week, April 2014) but I think a Deluxe Room should range from Php 4,000 - Php 5,000 ($ 92 - $ 112) on regular days.

Armed with Google Maps, I navigated towards the location and saw an unassuming facade to my left. Parking slots at the hotel front are for about 3-4 cars only. Upon our arrival, all the slots were taken. Mr. security guard was quick to approach us to check if we will be checking in, and he was courteous and fast enough to open the hotel gates and assist us to a vacant slot. Checking in was a breeze, it only took about 3 minutes tops before they gave us the key to our room. Upon entering the room, I was surprised to see a well maintained, clean and modern room.

It's been my usual routine whenever I check in to a hotel to scrutinise the bathroom first before giving my thumbs up. I was not disappointed. The bath tub was really inviting so I gave in to a 45-minute hot tub reward after long hours of driving and walking around town.



Their towels smell great, just like the towels in Shangri-La hotels - I'm not exaggerating :) When I got out, I saw some hawaiian macadamia nuts (a can of Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts) and a basket of fruits near the complimentary water bottles. Called up front desk to double check if the fruits and nuts were part of the generous compliments. They were indeed free, loved it! :) The room is equipped with wifi too..

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Beijing Tour Scams

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Note: This is a repost from the old blog I have... took down the post from that blog already.
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My husband and I went to Beijing for a tour on May 7-11, 2013. We booked our trip through a licensed tour operator in the Philippines, Aboex Travel & Tours. It was stated in our travel voucher that we need to follow the whole scheduled itinerary and should we decide not to follow, all hotel rooms, tours and meals will automatically be forfeited, so we adhered.


On May 9, 2013 our tour guide, “Aimee” from Century Holiday (tour operator in China that partnered with Aboex) brought us to a Chinese Medicine Shop for a “foot massage” after our Jade Shop, Juyongguan Pass (Great Wall) & Lunch stops.



"Dr. Dong"

Lip Marker

This is the first time I've encountered such product: A lip tint in marker form. I'm familiar with lip tints, esp. benetint, but not in this form. Frankly, it works for me. Application is super easy, it just takes two strokes, unlike the usual lip brushes that take forever to apply evenly.


It's water proof and doesn't budge unless removed intentionally. Just be careful in layering, you might end up with a bright pink tint which is a tad far from natural. The color suits my acidic skin well.

Tint Lip Balm (The Face Shop)

Lately I've been visiting Korean boutiques frequently - they know assortment. Ask for a lip balm and you will be amazed on how much lip balm testers they have! Careful though, you might want to buy everything you try on after :)

I bought this one after testing a plethora of choices..

Tint Lip Balm (The Face Shop) Php 395 ($ 9.02)
Gel Like Surrounding Substance is the Lip Tint; Cherry On the Center is the Lip Balm
Here's how it looks on my lips (color changes in a span of 5 minutes - the tint gets darker in time)

Monday, May 12, 2014

Bene Tint (from Benefit Cosmetics) and Color Lips-fit Top Coat (from Etude House)


My complexion is that of a typical Filipina - I am not white nor dark, just in between. I am also the acidic type so picking shades of whatever make up for me is a careful decision. Many times I've bought make up just to regret it in the end.. I've been using body shop's lip and cheek tint since time immemorial but I really had problems with its staying power in my skin. The color change bugs me too! After much research and tons of reviews, I've settled to bene tint.
been using this tint for quite some time now.. (retails around Php 1,800 or $ 41.12)
I purchased online, back when benefit cosmetics were not yet available in the Philippines (now Benefit Cosmetics have boutiques in Greenbelt 5 and Trinoma). I was in love with the color on my

Gayuma Ni Maria


I was intrigued by the name. I first discovered it on one of my friends' facebook posts. The place seemed nice, so off I went with my ex bf.. ;-)