Event Coverage - Charge your Summer with Spyder Sportswear

I was invited to the Spyder Sportswear event held in Festival Mall Alabang yesterday. When I arrived at the activity area, there was a massive display of sunglasses and motor helmets. The first thing that came to my mind was that all these stuff must be expensive! 

But then, the spokesperson started to explain that buying the items is a good idea because of the insurance you get by adding only 150 pesos to your purchase. The insurance covers 100,000 pesos of human life damage even if you are not riding a motorcycle at the time of the accident. 

It's good to know that they value their customers. I think it's already a good deal to pay 150 pesos for what they call the Spyder Assist Program because of the insurance benefits which also include a 30 percent discount when you purchase a new helmet.

The great thing about Spyder is that they have a lot of different merchandise to choose from. The sunglasses are really high-tech in terms of design that will attract a lot of people who do sports. Not only that, there are features embedded within the glasses like the Polartech which makes the glasses very sleek, removes glare, and enhances color perception.

The cycling helmets also look very nice especially with the distinctive spider design. The Sigma Downhill helmet is my favorite as it has a concept I found interesting. In addition, I like the visor of this helmet because, as an artist, it inspired me to think about creating designs for helmets.

The motorbike helmets, on the other hand, have these unique airfit system that makes it more comfortable for users to wear. My favorite model is the Hex, again because of the visor design that fascinated me.

Spyder did impress me with the unique designs and features of their products. Hopefully, I'll get to have a motorcycle of my own soon so I would have a reason to buy one of their products which, for me, are a must have. Furthermore, it's not just about the merchandise but the insurance as well because we will never know when accidents can happen.

* Thank you Orange Magazine TV for the invite and for the photos

Event Coverage: Relaunch of the New Netopia

Earlier today, I was invited to witness the ultimate transformation of Netopia at their branch in Binondo. Yes, the internet truly has just gotten better. After 16 years, the time has come for Netopia to become much more innovative and functional. 

Michael Lacy, the President of Digital Paradise Inc. showed us their upcoming plans for the new and improved Netopia. Not only that, the Vietnamese-famous Highlands Coffee is now in the Philippines and integrated within Netopia stores although you will also find it as a standalone branch in other areas.

Since my family moved to Manila a few years ago, I searched for a decent computer shop among the many establishments in our area which mostly can't provide the speed I need  for streaming videos. When I tried Netopia for the first time, I was very impressed because it's very clean and has tons of computers waiting to be used; but most of all, the internet was very fast. 

And the best part is, you only have to pay 20 pesos per hour a session. Netopia is one of my favorite internet shops of all time, so I was very happy to find out about the new and improved version of its branches that is yet to come.

Gamers like myself would be glad to know that Netopia has the latest games available, unlike other computer shops. And since Netopia computers have powerful specs, you can be sure that you can play your games with max graphics. As for Highlands Coffee, you can choose there a wide selection of drinks that you can avail of for 60 pesos which already includes a 30 minute session of computer time. Sounds like a good deal!

Movie Review: The Lorax

What if one tiny seed can be more capable of anything that you have ever imagined? And what if one only needs to do is to plant that seed to make a difference for everything and for everyone? I watched The Lorax with my mom the other day and learned that we, too, can make a difference by doing what is right when it comes to saving the environment and start by just planting one seed.

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment presents The Lorax. This film is adapted from a classic Dr. Seuss children’s book. It is the story of a young idealistic boy named Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) who lives in a town called Thneedville where everything is all artificially made of plastic, metal, and synthetics. To win the affection of Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), the girl he admires, Ted does something remarkably idealistic -- to find a real tree no matter what. His grandmother luckily gave him some tips how to find what he's looking for.

So Ted finds a way to get outside of town to find out where the so called Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms) lives and who he thinks knows where to find a real tree. Meanwhile, he does not know that the greedy Mr. O’Hare (voiced by Rob Riggle), who is a popular businessman in Thneedville, is watching and doing all he could to keep everything artificial and plastic because that is making him very rich.

During several visits, The Once-ler tells Ted stories of a beautiful place where trees where still blooming, where it was the home of little bears, birds and fishes, and how the forest was guarded by this strange and grumpy yet charming creature called the Lorax (voiced by Danny De Vito) who speaks for the trees.

In the end, the Once-ler gives Ted the last truffula seed so that he can plant it in the middle of the town for everyone to see and hopefully gain their trust and cooperation for helping to build a better place. But before Ted is able to do that, Mr. O'Hare tries everything to stop that from happening. Find out what happens in Thneedville and if the Lorax and the Once-ler will become friends again. 

The Lorax has a beautiful story and lessons for everyone, not just for kids but also for adults. The animations and colors are also really good. Please watch it with your parents, brothers and sisters. It's a great movie for the whole family. 

Music CD Review: Kinse Calibre by Slapshock

I was recently given a copy of Slapshock's new album called Kinse Kalibre. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of the band because I’m already familiar with their music. There was a time that a friend invited me to come with him to Red Horse’s Muzik Laban at the rooftop of Starmall Alabang where Slapshock was to perform as guest musicians. I didn’t get to watch them though because it rained so hard that night that we had to wait a long time for the contestants to resume their performances. Slapshock was scheduled to come out at 2a.m. and we had to go home earlier than that. At least now, I got the chance to listen to them again via Kinse Kalibre.

Slapshock is the type of band I listen to whenever I’m in the mood to rock my socks off. They used to be a former rap metal act but, as time passed by, they evolved into metalcore that redefined their genre which, I think, made a bigger impact on their fans.

When I first heard their new album, I thought that Slapshock’s type of music now has some similarities with the Christian metalcore band called "Devil Wears Prada". The first track called "Intro" has a jazzy ambience which makes a fine intro for a metalcore band. And because they are so fluent in English and Tagalog, Slapshock can be mistaken as an American band when they’re playing songs with English lyrics.

Some tracks, like "Asal Demonyo", has some Japanese rock music elements because of the use of effects that is widely used by Japanese rock musicians.

“Langit” is my favorite track in Kinse Kalibre because the song is not really that much hardcore. Rather, it has more alternative rock and mellow elements. Other than that, the lyrics are beautiful.

All in all, Slapshock is a great band and one of the few and best Philippine metalcore bands I know. If you really dig this type of music, you should go and buy Kinse Kalibre and their other albums.

List of songs in Kinse Kalibre:

1. Intro

2. Ngayon Na

3. Reset

4. Deliryo

5. Asal Demonyo

6. Burn in Hell

7. In The Line Of Fire

8. Langit

9. Under The Needle

10. Heartless

11. Salamin

12. All Hope Is Gone

Movie Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

Alvin and the Chipmunks, along with the Chipettes, are back in the big screen and this time, the furry little celebrities are faced with a very big problem when their cruise vacation turns into an island nightmare and they find themselves in a heap of trouble after a series of wrong moves.

Because of Alvin, the six chipmunks find themselves in a deserted island where they encounter Zoë, a girl who has already been stranded there for years and seems to have gone a bit crazy. Dave, who wanted to look for the chipmunks, also found himself and Ian "chipwrecked" on the island as well.

It was fun watching this third Alvin and the Chipmunks movie because it showed how the six little pop stars and divas learned to be more disciplined and to look after each other in times of need. I really liked the movie especially the funny parts in it. I couldn't stop laughing at many of Theodore's scenes because he is cute and  hilarious at the same time.

For me, Alvin and the Chipmunks is one of the best when it comes to family movies because it teaches brothers and sisters to take care of each other and to pay attention to what adults are saying because it's for their own good. 

So, will Dave and Ian ever find Alvin and the rest of the gang? Will Ian ever stop thinking about fame and money, and will Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and the Chipettes ever get out of the island? Find out by watching the movie with the whole family starting January 8, 2012.

Show Review: Uncle Sam’s Flying Circus

Be amazed by the spectacular daring feats of those who risk everything just to present you things that you have never seen or never even knew possible. My family and I watched Uncle Sam’s Flying Circus Live in Manila and if you get a chance to see this show, I'm sure you will also become astounded by the stunning performances of those doing acrobatic stunts that will make your jaw drop.

There were many incredible things I witnessed at the SMX Convention Center the other night. The performances, done by different groups of talented people, were amazing! There were spectacular feats like that of the Spanish family, the acrobat lady, the body-bending duo, and, let’s not forget my favorite, the Double Russian Swing act which involves two giant steel swings that allow performers to rock back and forth to create momentum before launching people 25 feet up in the air. 

There were even Lady Gaga and Britney Spears impersonators to entertain the crowd. They were both good at singing and dancing like the two famous singers.

Of course, no circus would be complete without a hilarious clown. The clown at Uncle Sam's Flying Circus was very funny. He made us laugh just by little squeaks he makes by blowing a kind of small whistle or horn. Many of those who were watching, like my mom's friends, laughed really hard like they can’t breathe.

So there, the circus was a blast for me, my mom, and her friends because I have never witnessed anything so mind blowing like that before. I hope they come back again to Manila soon.

Music CD Review: Somedaydream's Self-Titled Debut Album

Some may wonder who Somedaydream really is especially if they haven't seen the singer behind the songs yet. Many thought that he is an American musician but he is not. He is a Filipino! 

Somedaydream is actually the one-man electronic act of Rez Toledo. He composes, plays, and sings techno music that has some similarities with the famous one-man band Owl City. Somedaydream has recently just released his first album that's self-titled and includes the very popular Hey Daydreamer song that is featured in the Selecta Cornetto ice cream TV commercial. 

The debut album has seven tracks. When I first started listening to the Prelude, my first thought was that it's completely peaceful; the kind of music I like listening to when I want to relax. The second track is Hey Daydreamer which has become very famous because it does give you LSS especially when the chorus starts, you won't be able to get it out of your head. This is one of my favorite tracks in the album because the melody is catchy and the song contains a lot of nice lyrics. 

The third track is Do-do With You which I think was the one I heard Rez sing during the C2 event I attended last month. After that is Delivery Boys which features a great blending of Tagalog and English lyrics. It's also one of my most favorite songs in this album. 

Track No.5 is Break which, for me, is an emo song. I usually listen to this kind of music whenever I'm sad and depressed. Rez's Break song is one of those that may impact you with its deep and nostalogic lyrics. Second to the last track is Sing This Song which sounds very American. When you hear this one for the first time and don't know who sang it, you might think that it's sung by a foreign pop star. I find Sing this Song really good too. 

Last track is an acoustic version of Hey Daydreamer which I find much better than the original techno version. But that's just me because I'm a fan of acoustic and mellow bands. 

At first, I thought of the album as just another CD where the tracks would sound all the same but they don't. Overall, Somedaydream is a great album and a perfect starting point for Rez Toledo's success. 

Congrats Somedaydream! More albums to come!

*Photos borrowed from Orange Magazine TV's Facebook album