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Surprising your Kids Who Love Planes and Helicopters

We love to surprise Aidan these days. I would bring home surprise pasalubongs (cupcakes...) , or treat him to surprise restaurants (Haagen Dazs, Kozui...) or (our favorite) bring him to surprise places he would enjoy (Global Fun Carnival, etc.). He loves airplanes and helicopters, and we bought him helicopter / airplane toys to play with. Occasionally, we would go sunset airplane watching at the Heritage Park: Sunset Air Plane Watching | Heritage Park Sunset Airplane Watching.

The ultimate surprise for any kid who loves Airplanes / Helicopters is to bring him in close encounter with the real thing! Of course, you need to set it up as a surprise and bring him to the Aerospace Museum of the Philippine Air Force in Villamor Air Base!

The world class Aerospace Museum opened its doors on the 60th founding anniversary of the Philippine Air Force last June 29, 2007. It was a long awaited opening after 10 years of planning, design and construction. The first floor has interactive displays of modern aerospace science. The second floor houses the Air Force heritage and the history of Aviation in the Philippines. The third floor has a view deck to see excellent views of the air base and its surroundings. Our favorite part of the museum is the display of the 18 kinds of military aircraft permanently towed in the museum for public viewing! The museum is located in the intersection of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and Villamor air base complex. For P20 per person, you can enjoy this museum with your kids! They are open on weekdays and halfday on Saturdays.

8 Reasons Why You Should Watch Into the Woods!

Read: Bios of the Into The Woods Cast | For More info: Into the Woods Manila Philippines FAQs

I came to watch it because Mila was raving about it and it was one of her favorite musical show. I intentionally watched without any background information on it. Into the Woods brilliantly combines the well-known fairy tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood with the original story of the Baker and his Wife who desperately want a child. I honestly thought that the show ended with a cliche ending in Act 1 (which is almost 2 hours already) and the characters lived happily ever after. Act 1 is for the kids and Act 2 is for the big boys and girls. I love the non-cliche, adult-themed, and crazy ending of Into the Woods! Spanx describe it as "thought-provoking, foot-tapping,"WTF was that?!?!?!"- chuckle inducing, night at the theater."

Wouldn't it be nice if we also have our own home grown musical which combines the story of Captain Barbell, Darna, Mulawin and ang Panday combined with the original story of Inday. First Act will revolve around how they met and fall in love with their special someone and how they conquer their own challenges or situation. The fun begins with Act 2 when Panday falls in love with Inday and there is a love triangle with Captain Barbell. Act 2 would focus on intrigas, kaliwaan, and scandals made for showbiz's exposes and lessons learned from them.

Into the Woods is a theater star-studded production that is highly recommended to watch! It is too bad that the shows are not sold out because not a lot of people know what Into the Woods is all about.

SYNOPSIS
by June Abernathy (from sondheim.com: Putting it together since 1994)

Into The Woods blends various familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife, who catalyze the action of the story by attempting to reverse a spell on their family in order to have a child.

In the first act, the characters set out to achieve their goal of living “Happily Ever After” through familiar routes – Cinderella goes to the Ball and captures the heart of Prince Charming, Jack climbs the Beanstalk and finds a land of Giants and Gold, Little Red Riding Hood survives her clash with the wolf at Grandma’s house, and Rapunzel manages to escape her tower with the aid of a handsome prince who climbs her long hair. The Baker and his Wife move through their stories while pursuing their own goal – the Witch who keeps Rapunzel (revealed to be the Baker’s sister) has put the curse on his house, and agrees to lift it if the Baker and his Wife can find the ingredients to help her reverse a spell which her mother has laid on her, keeping her old and ugly. Those ingredients are: A Slipper As Pure As Gold, which the Baker’s Wife gets from Cinderella, A Cow As White As Milk, which the Baker buys from Jack in exchange for magic beans, A Cape As Red As Blood, which the Baker gets from Little Red Riding Hood in exchange for freeing her and Granny from the Wolf, and Hair As Yellow As Corn, which they get from Rapunzel. The ingredients are gathered, and the spell works, stripping the Witch of her power, but restoring her beauty. At the end of Act I, all the characters seem poised to live “Happily Ever After”. Act Two, however, deals with the consequences that traditional fairy tales conveniently ignore. What does one do with a dead Giant in the back yard? Does marrying a Prince really lead to a happy and fulfilling life? Is carving up the wolf the solution? Is the Giant always wrong? In Act two, all the characters must deal with what happens AFTER “Happily Ever After”. As they face a genuine threat to their community, they realize that all actions have consequences, and their lives are inescapably interdependent, but also that that interdependence is their greatest strength.

Animo Kozui!

Kozui - The legend of an ever flowing aromatic Water
"There is a legend in Japan which tells of a sacred ever flowing fragrant water in a well that comes all the way from Wakasa Obama City, Fukui Perfecture. The legned goes, Jitchu Kasho asked the gods from all parts of Japan to atten the shunie at Todaiji's Nigatsudo. Onyu Myojin of Wakasa arrived late for the gathering, however, because he had been busy fishing. Mayojin deeply regretted his lateness and by way of apology promised to offer kozui (aromatic water) from Wakasa to Nigatsudo's principal image. With those words, a black and white cormorant flew out of a rock in Nigatsudo and kozui fragrant water began to pour forth from the rock."

"To commemorate this legend, Omizutori rite is performed every year. Kosui (aromatic water) is drawn from the Wakasa well in the akaiya, a place within Nigatsudo that contains the temple's sacred wells. The rite is led by 11 torchbearers and when the water is drawn, a blare of conch shells resound to announces the services climax."

Kozui Menu
Healthy Sandwiches and Soup | Soup and Fresh Fita Wraps | Fresh Japanese Salad | Japanese Eats | Chilled Asian Noodle Salads | Donburi Rice Bowls | Hummus and Soba

Beverages and Dessert Menu
Kozui's Eight Premium Green Tea | Lemon Green Teaz | Kozui Tea Latte | Fruit Blend Korichio | Matcha Cream Korichio | Fruit Teaz | Anmitsu | Fresh Ice Cream

Related Post: The Temple for Tea Lovers by Lori

Kozui Green Tea deserves all the raves it is getting these days from all the foodies. I must admit our drive to Tomas Morato from Malate was all worth it. I have to commend Kozui for the great marketing of its equity "healthy and green tea." All the Japanese fusion food you choose from its menu is worth raving about. Best of all, it is a locally conceptualize Japanese tea cafe by Anthony So that can beat Coffee Tea Leaf and can be as popular as Starbucks given the right investments.

I guess the best things in life are colored GREEN :) Animo Kozui!!

Haagen Dazs Fondue in SM Mall of Asia!

Fondue. (P760 net) Haagen Dazs Original. Perfect for sharing with that special someone. Luscious fondue scoops -- Choc Choc Chip, Coffee, Macadamia Nut, Strawberry ice cream served with slices of fresh seasonal fruits, crunchy nuts and baked pastries, accompanied by a warm pot of rich chocolate sauce.

We were patiently waiting for the opening of the first company owned Haagen Dazs ice cream store in SM Mall of Asia. It finally opened to the public last November 11, Sunday. We saw the Haagen Dazs promotion from Circuit Magazine where the first 5 person who will present the October issue would get a free Fondue! (When we ate yesterday, we were the second to redeem it)

Unfortunately, it was not yet available on its opening day so we had to go back again with Aidan to enjoy our Fondue. We let Aidan visit us in the hospital to see syoti Josh because he was already wondering where we were after sleeping for two straight nights without his parents. After the visit, I surprised Aidan with a Haagen Dazs fondue in SM Mall of Asia.

What makes this Haagen Dazs MOA Store special? Rumor has it that the Haagen Dazs company was not happy with the current franchisee of Haagen Dazs so they decided to bring the overall brand experience to life themselves. Most of the interior design elements are imported and the menu is one of the finest menu I have ever seen.

The MOA store is the only Haagen Dazs store which offers a medley of ice creations in its distinctive collections:
Haagen Dazs Original -- introduces you to our iconic creations offering unique ways of experiencing the perfect Haagen Daz moment. Fondue is part of this Original collection.
Ultimate Indulgence Creations -- a perfect combination of the rich and creamy ice cream with scrumptious pastries
Pure Pleasure Creations -- brings recipes the features harmonious combinations of ice cream flavors with various sauces and toppings.

This is my perfect Haagen Dazs moment: Dipping the Haagen Dazs ice cream balls in the hot Calebaut Belgian Chocolate dip, then letting the chocolate solidifies before eating the entire chocolate covered ice cream!

The only thing is, it costs P760 for the fondue set and it would be perfect for a group of 6. The fondue comes with seasonal fruits like apple, strawberries and bananas. It also comes with pastries baked from Betty Crocket recipes.

Global Fun Carnival formerly known as Eurostar Carnival is Back!!

Read: A tribute to Euro Star Carnival -- The Best Carnival in the Philippines!!

After 2 years of travelling in China, Euro Star Carnival is back in town with more rides for the kids and more attractions. It is rebranded as Global Fun Carnival and located beside Mall of Asia. Global Fun Carnival is now targetted for the entire family with adult thrill rides from Europe and with the kids ride proudly made in the Philippines. For those who missed this carnival two years ago, the carnival will be open to entertain the Filipino family until January 15, 2008.

I was invited to feature Global Fun Carnival and I did not waste any moment in accepting it. I knew it would be awesome since this is the same Eurostar Carnival that was at the Fort . The owners of the carnival are the same people who run Kidz Republic in Mall of Asia; and they are bringing in Barney show this December. I invited my brother to take some fun shots and of course, I surprised Aidan by bringing him to the Carnival. Rache joined us last Tuesday night and apparently, syoti Josh wanted to join us too -- so he waited one more day before coming out the very next day.

We would always have a surprise or magic for Aidan. Everytime we go out, if he was a good boy, we would surprise him with a fun kid's place or a new place to cha cha (to eat). After each surprise, we would sing "If you're happy and you know it, you clap your hands (or stomp your feet)" and if he claps his hands we know that he was happy with our surprise.

I would like to share with you this Definitive Guide to the Global Fun Carnival so that you can plan and have an awesome time in this Carnival. Enjoy! Please let me know if you have comments or further add to this guide...

The Birth of Baby Joshua Xavier

Finally, Rache gave birth to Baby Joshua Xavier yesterday, November 14, 2007 @ 7.25pm in Makati Medical Center. I'm proud of Rache because she gave birth in a Lamaze way! After 3 push, Baby Josh came out naturally without the swollen look associated with prolonged active labor.

Rache called me at 4pm yesterday and I was in a middle of a couple of meetings. It was totally unexpected because earlier that day, Rache did not mention any contractions. It only started at 3pm and we did not have time to go to Asian Hospital anymore because of the rush hours. I texted Rache that I needed one hour to wrap things up in the office and we agreed to meet in the 4th Floor Delivery Room in Makati Med @ 5pm.

I personally don't like to give birth in Makati Med but we had no choice. Delivering in Makati Med was like using a desktop PC computer with floppy drives -- it is functional and it get things done, but you would not rave about it and you have to be patient with its flaws. In contrast, delivering in Genesis of Asian Hospital was like using a Macintosh with Intel core duo and Leopard OS installed. We gave birth to Aidan in Asian Hospital almost 3 years ago and Makati Med does not come close to that overall birthing experience.

Related Post: Giving Birth @ Asian Hospital -- The Birth of Baby Aidan Dominic (January 19, 2005)

Baby Aidan born on January 19, 2005 @ Asian Hospital.

Why we love giving birth in Asian Hospital versus Makati Med?
We terribly missed the Genesis birthing rooms in Asian Hospital. The rooms were setup like hotel rooms where it can be converted into a delivery room when needed and all the necessary pedia equipment were available. The huggery was conveniently located nearby. I was allowed to be with Rache in the delivery rooms and with Baby Aidan in the huggery without any hassle. After delivery, we were sent to our rooms immediately and Rache even got a sponge bath. When we checked out, we had a candlelight dinner for two with food courtesy of Makati Skyline. Parking and local phone calls were FREE! We got the best treatment as possible despite their limited staff. This was 3 years ago.

Baby Josh born on November 14, 2007 @ Makati Medical Center.

In Makati Med, I had to argue with the staff to let me inside the 4th floor delivery room and I was not lucky to enter the nursery in the 5th floor. We had to move from a delivery room to the operating room, then to a staging recovery room before going to our hospital room. We were told that they would take care of finding an available room for us but I had to follow up myself in the admitting office to get a room. After getting a room, we were waiting for the staff to transfer us to our rooms but if you don't follow up and remind them, you will be waiting forever. All outgoing calls are charged at P2.00 for the first 3 minutes and P0.50 every minute thereafter. The overnight parking costs P200/ night.

The staff are definitely competent in both hospitals but I think Makati Med has 3x more staff than Asian Hospital. Makati Med was near our office so I was able to wrap up some things in the office conveniently versus if we were in Alabang. Good thing, Makati Med is near Azure Cafe and Cafe-a-gogo so I don't have to complain about availability of good food.

Check out this photo essay of the Birth of Baby Josh....

Happy Diwali!

Happy Diwali to our Indian friends in Manila! We saw a Diwali Mela (Indian Trade Fair) last Sunday when we went to Mall of Asia. I started to realize that there are a lot of Indians now in Manila. Just in our company, we have three holding key leadership positions. The Diwali Mela is very interesting because it showcases Indian dances, fashion and food (which is why I went there). I would think that Diwali will become a big occasion next year in Manila. Rumor has it that next year, it will be a holiday already because Bollywood is already investing in Manila. (can someone confirm this?)

Tina Vaswani gave me Jamoos on Diwali and these are the round balls soak in sweet liquid which I first tasted during the Pink Kitchen event. She was proud to say that they create one of the best Jamoos in Manila. This got me interested to explore the different flavours of India in Manila and see which ones are the best. I'm looking for Indian foodies out there who can show me the secrets of Indian cuisine in Manila (aside from the usual Swagat/ Bombay Kitchen/ Prince of Jaipur).

On a personal note, my wife has not given birth yet. The dilations got stuck at 4cm and she is experiencing no regular contractions. It is the 40th week and we have been walking around the Mall of Asia this weekend but still Baby Joshua won't come out. While waiting for Baby Joshua, we already signed up for StemCord where you bank the stem cells from the baby's umbilical cord for future use ( which I will feature separately). We have eaten in the newly opened Haagen Daz in Mall of Asia (watch out for that post). I'm dying to post the Pampanga tour we had and a definitive guide to Claude tayag's Bale Dutung.

The Why Not Forum - Bakit Hindi?

The Why Not Forum! Inspiring Filipino Ingenuity.
Think New Thoughts. Share Big Dreams. Do Brave Things.

If you haven't heard what this Why Not? Forum is all about, then you have missed an awesome forum in the Philippines that (I personally believe) can change the future of the Philippines. The first forum was held last Sept. 27, in Warehouse 135, and the great ideas from great Filipinos literally blew my mind. It inspired me to think big, and as Gang Badoy would say, we should be known all over the world for asking "Bakit Hindi?"

For those who missed it, the videos of the forum are now posted online. You only need to pay attention to 4 inspiring speakers namely: Alternative Educator Gang Badoy of Rock Ed, Film Maker on the Edge, Quark Henares, (our friends from Unilever) Marketing Maverick Dondi Gomez, and dreamer priest Fr. Ted Gonzales. All the other speakers have a conflict of interest and you can see through their presentation that they were promoting their company.

The first forum was an awesome attempt. A note to Mark Ruiz who spearheaded this forum: please choose speakers that are not biased or have conflict of interest. We don't want to bastardize the forum with self promotion and sponsored speeches, do we? Why not get Among Ed, Governor of Pampanga? Why not ask Enderun founder to share his vision of a world class Hospitality program in the Philippines?

The second forum is scheduled in November and you can get more info through their site: whynotforum.multiply.com and whynotforum.com (coming soon).

Can you suggest awesome Filipinos who could be a great speaker for the Why Not Forum?

Related Posts:
FILIPINOS DARED TO ASK : WHY NOT? ( A recap of what happened that night from Nina Terol)
"WHY WHYNOT?" MARK RUIZ ( watch this video of Mark explaining the Why Not? forum)

Watch and be inspired to ask "Bakit Hindi?"...

In this fiery, impassioned talk, Gang Badoy shares how striving to be heard as the youngest child in a large family prepared her for the path she was to take later on in life. She shares observations about the role that music plays in every Filipino’s life, and recounts stories of how the alternative education movement, RockEd, came about through out-of-the-box thinking, spunk, and a never-say-die, why-not attitude. She also rebuffs the belief that national unity must precede collective action, asserting that people don’t need to get along personally in order to do create positive change. In Gang’s signature style, her talk was followed by a performance by the avant-garde musical group, Radioactive Sago Project.

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATOR, GANG BADOY PART 1 | ALTERNATIVE EDUCATOR, GANG BADOY PART 2

In recounting the experiences and the epiphanies that led him onto the path of filmmaking, Quark Henares shows how pure passion can drive a person to achieve his ambitions. He shares how a dream project morphed from being the object of waking fantasies to being an actual production, and how its commercial failure allowed him to redefine success in his own terms. The talk’s highlight is Quark’s reenactment of a phone call he received from internationally acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino, showing how, indeed, the young filmmaker has come full circle from his early days of film-fantasizing.

FILMMAKER ON THE EDGE QUARK HENARES PART 2

In this talk, Dondi Gomez defines “maverick marketing” in the experience of Unilever Philippines’s groundbreaking campaigns. Coming off from the premise that “Great marketing gives people a taste of what could be,” Dondi shares how imagination and out-of-the-box thinking paved the way for the unparalleled success of campaigns for Rexona, Dove, and Ponds. He then posits how "Maverick Marketing" can also be applied for Brand Philippines.

MARKETING MAVERICK DONDI GOMEZ PART 1 | MARKETING MAVERICK DONDI GOMEZ PART 2