Attention shopaholics! SM North EDSA in Quezon City will again hold a Great Northern Sale on July 13-15, 2012 (Friday to Sunday). And it’s not an ordinary mall or stall sale as the Great Northern Sale offers deals from ALL brands, stores and dining places. The tagline is actually “Major Discounts EVERYWHERE You Look” of up to 70% off on selected items.

 

I’m not really a shopaholic but I think I need to buy some clothes that I can wear at the office and when I’m hanging out with friends. My personal favorite is Forever 21 where I plan to buy a polo and that stylish cardigan that I saw the other day :).

 

You know the drill… save the date(s) and see you there ;).

Since I have blogged that Forever 21 is opening soon at SM North EDSA, it has been consistently on the most read posts of this blog. It has been three months since then…

 

Last night, I dropped by the second floor atrium area of SM North EDSA The Block before going to the gym; and here’s what I saw:

finally…

 

Yes shopaholics, Forever 21 is now open at SM North EDSA The Block! Since it was not yet for public consumption that night, I just took some photos from the outside.

eto ang literal na window shopping :))

 

For the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) fans out there (myself not included), I’m sure you will recognize Forever 21’s endrosers.

ex-PBB housemates Carlo Romer and Wendy Tabusalla

 

It’s good that people from the North don’t have to go all the way to SM Makati or SM Megamall anymore to buy clothes from Forever 21 with the opening of this new branch in SM North EDSA The Block. And I’m pretty sure many of you are just so excited to raid it ;). Makadaan nga mamaya at nang makapag-(window)shopping :)).

Introduction: O sige na, ako na ang delayed reaction at tamad mag-blog!! :))

 

Last November, it was announced that Katy Perry will have a concert in Manila as part of her worldwide California Dreams Tour (CDT) on January 22, 2012 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. My friends Ces and Togs are fans of Katy so they bought Titanium tickets for Php 6,844 each; while I, Alvin and Princess can only afford Gold tickets for Php 3,710 each (which we later regret; reasons to be revealed later).

ticket information and seat plan here

 

Manila is actually the 125th and final stop of the CDT and one of the only two Southeast Asian stops (the other being Jakarta, Indonesia). Line started to form at around 4PM and gates were opened at 6PM. The opening act featured an American DJ. By 8PM, two big cupcakes are placed at both ends of the stage so people expected the actual show to start in a few moments. But there were some security issue (as twitted by Katy) that kept the people waiting in vain.

 

We started to get bored and hungry, buti na lang may food booths (the blue tents behind us) sa gilid.

 

When the curtains were pulled up, it revealed a sugary sweet candyland stage. And by the looks of it, you know it’s not just a sing-and-dance show; but a full-blast entertainment production. There are even narrations and recorded dramas before and in between the show through the wide screens. It was so superb that my camera phone wasn’t able to give justice to it:

can’t handle the burst of lights; such a fantastic production aura!

 

Arrgh, I don’t have good shots to share so I’m just going to embed videos of YouTube user vinceme29 on the following highlights. There are a lot more worth mentioning but below are my favorites.

 

Giant cupcakes, lollipops and the cotton candy wide screens – sweets all over! Oh I just really adore those second voice/backup singers who were also in candy-inspired outfits. Katy Perry was finally on stage at 10PM and yelled “Manila, I’m back!” (everyone was roaring) then started to sing Teenage Dream as her first song of the night. Btw, I just can’t help but be distracted with those dynamic swirls strategically placed on her dress :)).

 

Prior to the show, Katy Perry’s Twitter showed:

 

We didn’t really get what “PEACOCK” means until it was for her to do it. It’s probably the most hilarious part of the show. At talaga namang ang sakit sa bangs!

[fun starts at time 1:07 of this video]

I’m sure everybody who was there still has hangover on this Peacock song!

 

Katy Perry “kissed” a boy! There was this part of the show where Katy bit a brownie that made her feel “sexy”. She made a challenge that the man who takes off his shirt first can come to stage. You probably know by now that Ivan Dorschner, ex-PBB housemate, won the game (although he’s not really the first to go topless).

Ivan was so lucky; but for some, it was Katy :p

[she did this at all the California Dreams Tour stops]

 

You know her hit Hot N Cold which goes like “You change your mind like a girl changes clothes”. Well, Katy interpreted the song by literally changing between seven outfits in one song.

Have you noticed how her second outfit almost got stripped off even before it was supposed to? hehe

 

Katy’s light-up dress wowed me. And as expected, fireworks boomed while she sang the very inspiring Firework.

ang kulit nung lights, but I believe mas makulit si Katy

 

The grand finale! Save the best for last: the outfit, the gingerbread men, the sudden appearance of bouncing beach balls and Katy’s one last surprise – the icing gun to the tune of California Gurls. How I wish I was there in front to get messed with sweet white icing all over my face!

 

By now, you know why I regret to just have a Gold ticket. Next time I would at least have a Titanium; or better yet a Diamond/VIP then make sure to take off my shirt first among the rest, seriously!

EDIT [as of 04/20/2012]: Forever 21 SM North EDSA The Block is NOW OPEN!

 

So I have a lot of girlfriends (friend na girls) who are talking about Forever 21 when it comes to clothing. When I went to Forever 21 SM Makati, I realized they have a men’s line too and I must admit their collection is really fashionable. Currently, it’s either you go to their SM Makati or Megamall branch (also a Cebu branch).

 

Attention people from the north! Look who’s (what’s) coming nearby…

(the future) Forever 21 SM North EDSA The Block

 

Our Home store will move to the Interior Zone of SM North EDSA. And yes, Forever 21 will be coming to the North soon and I just can’t wait to shop (akala mo maraming pera e no)!

 

EDIT [as of 04/20/2012]: Forever 21 SM North EDSA The Block is NOW OPEN!

Just when I went to temporary hiatus in blogging when I realized I’m a finalist for the Philippine Blog Awards 2011 Travel Category for Luzon. It was very fast, I received a formal invitation December 1 and the awards night was held the following Saturday, December 3 at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

 

Wow, the sponsors are big time ha! There is Smart giving away “apples” (this was a clue then), Nokia and TV5, etc. We expected some food buffet for dinner but only pichi-pichis were served. That’s ok, the Philippine blog Awards committee decided to donate some funds supposed to be for the food to Habitat for Humanity instead ;).

Thanks to Ivee Vinuya of Pix n’ Toys ++ and his wife Lei for accompanying me that night

btw, Pix n’ Toys ++ is a finalist for the Photoblog Category National Level

 

I never expected to win (and I did not :p). I just wanted to attend the awards night to win an iPad in the raffle draw as being a finalist alone is already an honor. Seeing my blog URL http://www.ryramos.com being flashed on the screen as one of the finalist is already a winning moment.

 

Sa totoo lang, my blog is not a hardcore travel blog. It’s more of a personal one although I’ve got quite a number of travel posts and food trips which make my blog somewhat qualified for being a travel blog maybe. Besides, I still need to travel when doing food trips around the metro. With my travel posts, I guess the favorite of my readers so far are my Boracay 2011 itinerary, guides and reviews:

How to Go to Boracay: Directions and Fees

My 4-Day Boracay Ititnerary 2011 Part 1 (Days 1 and 2)

My 4-Day Boracay Ititnerary 2011 Part 1 (Days 3 and 4)

picture-picture habang konti pa ang tao sa loob ;))

 

As Ivee said on his blog, our inspiration was at an all-time high during that night. And now that I have significantly moved forward from all those heart-pounding days (kaya ko ‘to!), it’s now time to get up even higher and maybe going back to blogging will help me divert my attention to something more worthwhile.

 

 

Photos (except for the photobooth picture) are courtesy of Ivee Vinuya of Pix n’ Toys ++ using his Nikon Point and Shoot only. The complete list of finalists and winners are here.

 

P.S.

Thank you God for this very early Christmas gift :).

Ok, I didn’t have an idea. Until last Wednesday, I got a text from my friend Karen and a wall post from Chyng Reyes of No Spam, No Virus, No Kiddin’ that they are proud of me. I’m in denial at first. Honestly, I expected that I will be nominated by someone but not to the point that this blog will be among the finalist for the Travel Category Luzon Level in the Philippine Blog Awards 2011.

 

Thank you to all my readers and for the support. I promise to return back to blogging in the next few weeks ;).

 

Source: http://www.philippineblogawards.com.ph/2011/11/30/finalists-for-travel-category-luzon-level/

For my regular readers, notice that I haven’t posted for a while now. I am still not in the mood to write due to the recent heartbreaking events in my life. Thank God I’m now coping up :).

 

Anyway, I just can’t help but share this event that my friend texted me about yesterday – it’s Katy Perry Live in Manila 2012 (another way to cope up? :D). Yes, the California gurl will be back! Katy Perry is best known for the following chart-topping singles: I Kissed a Girl, Hot n Cold, California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Firework, E.T. and Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).

 

The Manila stop is part of her The California Dreams Tour. The event will be on January 22, 2012, Sunday 8PM at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. Ticket Prices are as follows:

Diamond (Reserved Seating) – Php 10,448

Titanium (Free Seating) – Php 6,844

Gold (Free Seating) – Php 3,710

Silver (Standing) – Php 1,620

Bronze (Standing) – Php 889

For SUPER VIP section, you may call MMI at 09352041822 or 09474294692.

 

Katy Perry Live in Manila 2012 seat plan as shown in SM Tickets:

 

Tickets for the Katy Perry Live in Manila 2012 are already on sale starting yesterday, November 8, 2011. For more information, visit www.smtickets.com.

 

You can make reservation for the Katy Perry concert by calling SM Tickets at 470-2222. The tickets can be purchased and claimed at any SM Cinema ticket counter within three days upon reservation.

 

Click here for the Katy Perry Live in Manila 2012 Highlights

Forgive me that I haven't posted in a while. I’ve been very busy at work while I try to mend my broken heart at the same time :( so I'm not really in the mood to write recently. For now, I'll just share with you a video that I've recently watched on Youtube – The Kitchen Musical.

The Kitchen Musical is an upcoming musical drama television series with 13 episodes of one hour each for the first season. With the title, we know it will feature some delicious dishes, desserts and, of course, singing. The series is being shot in Singapore and is set to premier on October 2011 across Asia and Europe.

Do you know that three of the five main characters in the Kitchen Musical are Pinoys? And that two support roles also are. Aside from the more famous Karylle and Christian Bautista, other Pinoys to join the series are Arthur Acuña, Ikey Canoy and Thou Reyes (better known as Hugo Bosini in I Love Betty La Fea). Our very own Gerard Salonga also serves as the musical director. And oh, I read on the web that Iza Calzado will also be joining the series to do a featured role.

Some of the Asian channels where The Kitchen Musical is set to broadcast are:
nTV7 (Malaysia)
Studio 23 (Philippines)
Metro TV (Indonesia)
AXN (other Asian Countries)

In the Philippines, the planned debut will be on October 8, 2011 7:30PM-8:30PM at Studio 23, while the first episode is planned to be also aired in Studio 23’s mother station - ABS-CBN Channel 2. The series is also set to be released in the United States.

The Kitchen Musical : Boom Boom Pow teaser...

We were very excited to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last July. It’s the novel’s last movie installment. For a change, we wanted to watch it in IMAX, a first time for us. Well, it’s a good thing that we didn’t have to go south to SM Mall of Asia as an IMAX theater had been set up in SM North EDSA a few years back.

As the movie is expected to be a blockbuster, it was about two weeks before the screening date when I reserved our tickets and I was a bit surprised that the center seats are all taken. Well, L22 and L23 still aren’t bad. Although according to the SM Cinema staff, rows J and K are the recommended seat rows.

As the crowd gets thicker, I thought SM can improve the service by putting more lofts around. Besides, we paid higher for a better overall experience. Also, I hope some people are considerate enough para hindi humiga sa lofts considering na andaming nakatayo, hay…

According to the ticket rules, outside food is not allowed (pero sa totoo lang mukang maluwag naman sila). So we just bought popcorn and beverage in the snack booth located in the lounge. Bottomless softdrinks are available but you have to go back to the snack booth if you want a refill, natawa ako sa offer na eto – hassle kaya, sino naman ang gusto umalis sa pwesto nya para lang mag-refill ng softdrinks (unless the movie is boring)?

But in fairness, I was amazed upon entering the cinema proper. I like the effects on the wall. Well, not really too much but I appreciate it nonetheless.

I also like the provided 3D glasses as the lens are wide. I’m also glad that I was barely destructed by the head in front of me as there’s enough vertical spacing between the seats. In terms of video quality, I didn’t find spotty dirt and stains on the wall unlike in other SM Cinemas of the same mall. For the audio, I was really impressed! The sound is brilliantly clear. I can really distinguish the audio difference between IMAX and a regular cinema.

One thing I noticed though is the small legroom. It’s not so comfortable to move as you may kick the seat in front of you. I wasn’t expecting the legroom to be that small for an IMAX cinema. But overall, it's a good experience especially that it's both our first time in an IMAX theater; and again, I really appreciate how clear the sound is. I’m very particular to that lalo na pag Engish ‘yung movie para mas madaling intindihin hihihi.

Ok, I'm not a Harry Potter hardcore fanatic. But I must admit that I like the story because its plot lets my mind think and twist to understand the mysteries. Also, this movie series is very special to me because this is our most anticipated movie of my special someone. We made sure we watch the movie together since the Order of the Phoenix, the 5th book and movie, in 2007. Now, mmm - hopefully :).

It was the last few days in the office of our two officemates Akagi and Jas so we were trying to cherish every possible moment together (may ganun?!). Our photo enthusiast officemate Ivee (who's also resigning soon :p) brought his camera to capture the moments; while Akagi, being a cosplay fan, had his Darth Vader costume to give the pictorial some twist. We were supposed to do it in the more dramatic American Cemetery in Fort Bonifacio but we were so BUSY in the office so we decided to just have it at Venice Piazza in McKinley Hill instead.

Photo Credits: Ivee Vinuya and Lei Soriano-Vinuya of {israelv} PHOTOGRAPHY
Some Photography Assists by Kristine "Tin" Iledan of Here is No Why
Effects by: Akagi Serioso