The North Face 100 invites running athletes and enthusiasts to a trail-blazing race to the coolest place in the Philippines as it brings the Asia's 1st Trail Running Ultra Marathon to Baguio-Benguet. Now on its third year, The North Face 100 continues to test the strength and endurance of our runners to define their personal limits in treading the rough paths and treacherous mountain trails in the Philippines' summer capital and one of the exciting provinces very rich in culture.
Both aspiring trail running beginners and seasoned race runners can take part in this annual trail running event - including those who are mountain climbers, outdoor enthusiasts or just anyone who wants an active lifestyle outdoor. Everyone is enjoined to take running to the next level and be part of the running history as TNF 100 traverses unexplored trails of Camp John Hay, the PMA grounds, Mt. Sto. Tomas and Tuba until you reach the finish line at the iconic Burnham Park.
I get to like running these days because I believe that it can help me be fit and healthy. Although I must say that, despite my high tolerance for pain and hardship, my body has its own limitation. I'd also want to improve my breathing since I had terrible asthma when I was younger. I'm thinking about joining in this trail run because I have a penchant for challenges & adventures. I just hope that my body and lungs can endure all the difficulties I will have to face.
Map 1
Map 2
* click the images for larger view *
Gear up for the 11K, 22K, 50K or 100K solo races. The North Face 100 is considered the largest trail running series there is today. Six (6) Asia-Pacific countries are participating in this event: Philippines (April 24-25), China (May 8), Australia (May 15-16), Singapore (October 9), Japan (October - TBA) and Thailand (November - TBA).
Beginning March 10, 2010, 7-Eleven Philippines will be giving the entire Filipino nation a voice in the upcoming Presidential elections through the 7-Elections. This 7-Elections was launched by 7-Eleven Philippines on March 2, 2010 at the Rockwell Tent. This event was hosted by David Celdran, with Ate Glow as a "guest of honor." It's important to note that with the various forums & debates being initiated by the major Philippine TV networks, 7-Eleven is here to test the pulse rates of the customers on who among the Presidential candidates have the nod of the voting public.
"7-Eleven in the USA first conducted this in 2000 and has run for three consecutive elections," explains Jose Victor Paterno, President and CEO of Philippine Seven Corporation, Philippine licensee of 7-Eleven stores. "Partnered with two of the most prominent news networks in the U.S., CNN and USA Today, the informal polling was able to provide the public with daily and weekly poll results."
While the poll may be informal, evidence from its U.S. precedent revealed surprisingly accurate results— revealing a one to two percent discrepancy between actual numbers from U.S. Voters versus 7-Election participants. In the same vein, the local 7-Election is set to provide Filipinos a fun and informal Presidential polling platform that not only makes it more accessible for the voting public to make their voices heard, but introduces the concept of choice and responsible voting to a wider demographic.
Locally, 7-Eleven hopes to highlight the Filipino's Presidential options by making sure that all the Presidentiables - the top five (note: based on a survey), namely Manny Villar, Joseph Estrada, Richard Gordon, Noynoy Aquino, and Gilbert Teodoro alongside fellow candidates Jamby Madrigal, JC de Los Reyes, Nicanor Perlas, Eddie Villanueva, even the voter's right to abstain, are represented. The idea is to engage the greater public in this national initiative anchored on the value of freedom of choice and underscore the importance of responsible voting.
Personally, I was surprised and disappointed that one of my strong choices (besides Gibo Teodoro), Eddie Villanueva doesn't have his own Gulp cup, and that Joseph Estrada gets to have his own. Isn't that absurd? I had an interesting chat with James Ranada of 7-Eleven and he told me that the Presidential candidates were assigned their Gulp cups based on a survey done. The top 5 in the survey gets to have their own cup, while the bottom 5 candidates share in just 1 Gulp cup. Unfortunately, Vetaliano Acosta was removed from the presidential race, but his picture still appears in the cup.
"For the duration of the campaign, anyone who wants his vote to be counted can just visit any 7-Eleven store and pick up a 16oz Gulp® Cup that bears the colors and image of their Presidential bet. And we're making it easier and accessible for Filipinos to let their voices be heard by making it available in over 450 stores." he explains.
To ensure the veracity of each vote, each Presidentiable is assigned a specific barcode, which 7-Eleven cashiers will scan upon purchase of your Gulp® cup. All votes are carefully audited and may be verified online at www.7-election.com.ph where the public can also view updates on detailed polling results, to give the public regular updates on the Presidential race. Voters may even share their vote thru Facebook. "This has the potential to provide a pulse on the upcoming National elections. Our strong network of over 450 stores caters to Filipinos from all walks of life and may offer a good indication of how the real elections will turn out," ends Mr. Paterno.
And because Every Gulp® Counts! Filipinos can literally drink to their candidate.
TV5 is set to deliver a wave of four (4) top-rating and most sought-after Korean drama titles on the dynamic noontime block "Gusto ko Noon!" led by My Wife is a Superwoman, romantic drama First Wives Club, heartwarming drama Smile, Honey, and popular family-teen comedy High Kick! starting April 5, 2010.
Gusto ko Noon! is TV5's newest weekday noontime block which will feature the kind of alternative programming that viewers have been searching for, starting with the offering of the best Korean novelas, starring the best Korean actors, served during noontime for our daily enjoyment.
The cast of My Wife is a Superwoman
Genre: Comedy/ Drama.
Garnering 7 top awards at the 2009 MBC Drama Awards in Korea, hit drama series My Wife is a Superwoman is lead actress Kim Nam Joo's comeback project after eight years of acting hiatus. From the hit drama, Kim Nam Joo bagged the Female Top Excellence Award and "Actor of the Year" award by Korea's Minister of Culture, alongside Female Excellence Awardee and co-star Lee Hye Young (Dal Ja's Spring, Winter Sonata). My Wife is a Superwoman centers on the story of smart housewives competing against each other through their husbands' positions in the office, in obsession for a glamorous life to be high society.
Synopsis: A bittersweet success story of a man whose wife does everything she can to help her husband get a leg up in society so that she can also reap the rewards from his success and become a glamorous housewife. But what is the real reason that drives her and her female friends to obsess about success?
A modern-day Cinderella who wasn’t able to nab a knight in shining armor! Here we have one woman who pours all her energy into making her husband a success in society. Another woman who is like a servant gets her hands on the glass slipper, which fits! Then there’s the woman who steps on a princess with the stiletto heel of her shoe. The realities of women’s social clubs! The power of their husbands determines the pecking order of their wives’ status in society. A real princess who has all the material things in life that she could ever want but remains unhappy! And a woman who wants to be loved.
The cast of First Wives Club
Genre: Drama
Wives usually sacrifice their lives for the good of the family. But what if the sacrificing becomes one-sided for the wives and discover their husbands cheating? What is real happiness, love, and truth in marriage? These questions and more shall be explored in the no. 1 romantic drama on Korean Free TVFirst Wives Club, starring top award-winning Korean actresses Kim Hye Sun (Jewel in the Palace), Kim Hae Sook (Winter Sonata, Spring Waltz, Autumn Fairytale) and controversial Korean beauty queen Oh Hyun-kyung.
Synopsis: Dorothy put her husband through medical school by earning a living as a fish seller but her husband does not feel grateful about it and looks down on her instead. She learns that her brother Floyd, who is married to her best friend Karen, is having an affair with another woman but she tries to cover it up. When she learns that her husband, Nelson is having an affair with a former girlfriend, Maggie, who is married to Leo, who is stricken with cancer she finally empathizes with her friend’s plight. Her mother, who had to endure an unhappy marriage due to a cheating husband, joins Dorothy and Karen’s plan to get revenge on their unfaithful husbands.
The cast ofSmile, Honey
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
High-rating and heartwarming drama Smile, Honey stars 2009 SBS Drama 'New Star Awardee' Lee Min Jung (who also starred in Boys Over Flowers) and Lee Cheon Hee (Only You). It starts with the story of a rich girl (Lee Min Jung) whose fiance dumps her after learning that her family has suddenly met a financial ruin. The girl's family has no choice but to move in to their former chauffeur's household, where the two families struggle in a funny adjustment of living together with lots of bickering, as well as shared laughter and warm family moments.
Synopsis: Jeong-in is a rich girl – simple, candid and positive. She isn’t smart when it comes to studies, but in the affairs of the heart, a true genius. She’s shrewd and selfish, and her dream is to marry a rich man and live in comfort for the rest of her life. Her elder sister Jeong-Keong is a 2nd year resident, and she has built a wall between her and the family who only seems to think in terms of money. When their father, Jeong-gil’s company goes bankrupt, Jeong-in’s rich fiancée leaves her, and only their retired chaffeur holds out a helping hand.
When his father decides to take in the whole family of his late boss’ son who treated him like a slave his whole life, Man-Bok’s son Sang-hoon opposes the decision. Man-bok is surprised to find how hopelessly immature they are and embarks on a Spartan training project to make them more mature.
Meanwhile, Jeong-in decides to save her family from misfortune by marrying a rich man, and asks Man-bok’s grandson Hyeon-soo to help her. Hyeon-soo agrees to help her and embarks on a grand project. They clash at every turn, but without realizing it, begins to fall in love with each other. They decide to get married, but face opposition from everyone. To make things worse, Man-bok ends up in a sick bed.
The cast ofHigh Kick!
Genre: Comedy
Coinciding with the launching date of its third season in Korea, the very popular family-teen sitcom High Kick! comes to TV5 next week starring cute Korean actors Jeong Il-Woo and Kim Hye-Seong as brothers who have different personalities. Kim Bum (Boys Over Flowers) stars as Kim Hye-Seong's funny bestfriend, as well as Na Moon He (My Name is Kim Sam Soon) and Lee Soon Jae (Queen Seon Duk) in this funny story of romance, family, friendship, and coming of age.
Synopsis: Simon Lee (Jeong Il-woo), a motorcycle mania who engages in many fights at school and is known for his high kick, and Rico Lee (Kim Hye-seong) who enjoys spending time on scale models and web blogs, are brothers born a year apart but attending the same class at school. These two portray completely opposite Korean teenage characters in a comical way. And of course, there’s the rest of the family. Their father Eddie Lee (Jeong Joon-ha), a full-time stock investor since being laid-off from work, nevertheless optimistic and reckless; their mother( Remy Lee (Park Hae-mi), an oriental medicine doctor and always overly confident; their grandfather Frank Lee (Lee Soon-jae), who loves money more than anything in the world; their grandmother Eliza Lee (Nah Mun-hee), who is always defeated by her daughter-in-law in ongoing status quarrels, are some of them. Their uncle Anton Lee (Choi Min-yong) is a 27-year-old single dad. After going through a premature marriage and early divorce, he enjoys his life back in the dating scene with his half-single and half-married status, while continuing to encounter emotionally involved moments with his ex-wife Cindy Lee (Shin Ji) at times. High Kick! is a situation comedy, which portrays the everyday lives of the main characters colliding with each other in a comical way. However, at a certain point, the surprising mysteries of their seemingly normal surrounding characters begin to unravel one by one.
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With this dynamic line-up of Korean drama serials, TV5's Gusto ko Noon! block of alternative entertainment will surely be a refreshing treat to TV viewers who may have grown tired of similar offerings of shows during noontime and are ready to try something completely novel, yet familiar.
Prepare for the big wave of Asia's favorite and top-rating Koreanovelas: My Housewife is a Superwoman at 11:45AM, First Wives Club at 12:30PM, Smile, Honey at 1:15PM, and High Kick at 1:45PM, airing every Monday to Friday starting April 5, 2010 on TV5.
Romeo at Juliet presents an
unconventional
love story of tow souls haunted by their inescapable past and repressed
emotions that will engage you in a dramatic journey of discovering a
twisted side of love as complexly tragic but as humbly inspiring as
life itself.
Angel has been languishing in her
“trauma”
that started at a very tender age. Her life changed dramatically when
she falls in love with Joseph, a man whose life has been enmeshed in
striving to be righteous with her controlling mother.
Their relationship could have been
perfect but uncontrollable circumstances set in, they travail into
tearing
drama reminiscent of the Shakespearian tragedy - entangled with lies,
deceit, hate and ultimately love.
The title of a new independent film, Romeo At Juliet immediately recalls to mind William Shakespeare’s
well-read work. The irony is that, the makers of this local movie
actually
based their project directly on an unpublished Filipino book written
in 2002.
The book entitled Kakaibang Romeo At Juliet tells a tragic love
story that essentially presents a new take on the famous characters,
hence it was called that way. It is written by first-time film producer
Jean Altavas but for some reason didn’t see publication.
The author, with support from some people in the biz, felt the story
deserves to be released. Thus, it ended into a movie starring Victor
Basa and Alessandra De Rossi in lead roles who are not named Romeo and
Juliet, but as Joseph and Angel, respectively. Independent filmmaker
Adolfo Alix Jr. directed it under Kisapmata Productions.
In a presscon held at Max’s Roces, Q.C. to promote her first film
venture, Altavas told the Manila Bulletin that her story touches on
the critical issue of parenting and abuse of women and children. Though
the movie is the same as most indies which tackle the dark side of life,
she insisted that this one is different because the characters are not
poor and underprivileged, as one might expect in most non-mainstream
films.
“Most of the characters here are well-off. We want to imply that
troubles
happen to people regardless of status,” said the one-time showbiz
act who many years ago worked with big screen biggies Dolphy and Joseph
Estrada.
Altavas also acted for Romeo at Juliet playing the role of Malueca,
the wicked grandmother of Joseph whose mom Lourdes (Bing Pimentel) is
in turn overprotective. Joseph’s girlfriend Angel has her own traumatic
childhood inflicted by her father Kap played by Jay Manalo.
With its Freudian thought of ‘Show me your parents and I’ll tell
why you’re a mess’ put into play, the plot-driven Romeo At Juliet gathers an interesting mix of supporting stars headed by Rosanna Roces
and Daria Ramirez. It also introduces Max Eigenmann and Lemuel Pelayo.
Contrary to the belief that science and art are on opposite poles, both fields do come together to generate new knowledge. In the context of a museum such as the Lopez Memorial Museum, the coming together of science and art is in the work of conservation. An aspect of painting conservation is the technical analysis of artworks. On March 27, 2010 (Saturday), 2-4 pm, a lecture on a preliminary technical analysis of the works of Fernando Amorsolo will be given by Ricky Francisco, collections management consultant of the Lopez Memorial Museum. The lecture will go into the process of technical analysis and the findings.
Francisco has been working for museums for 8 years. He is an advocate of preventive conservation and has received training from the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) in Bangkok (2002) and Rome (2008), has briefly apprenticed with several conservators and is actively creating an association that aims to teach people working with heritage collections proper collection management strategies and skills.
As collections management consultant of the Lopez Memorial Museum and during his internship at the National Heritage Board in Singapore, Francisco undertook technical analysis using data on the styles of artists found in Philippine art history books and other materials. He learned how to conduct visual examination of the visible properties of their works using the naked eye and equipment such as stereomicroscope, macrophotography and digital image manipulation.
This Saturday, he will discuss how paintings exhibit cracks and note the physical changes wrought on the artworks by the passage of time and outsourcing analyses by specialists on canvas and pigment identification. By these means, the participant may be able to gain a better understanding of the artists, their art and the collection as a whole. Lecture fee is P120.
The Lopez Memorial Museum is at the ground floor, Benpres Building, Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Museum days and hours are Mondays-Saturdays, 8am-5pm, except holidays. To reserve your slot in this lecture, call (632) 6312417 and look for Fanny or email admin@lopez-museum.org or pezseum@skyinet.net. You may also go to the museum’s website www.lopez-museum.org and its blog www.pezseum.blogpost.com for information.
Note: I'm posting this information for everyone who may know something regarding the whereabouts of the 2 paintings of our National Artist for Painting, Ben Cabrera. This is also to alert artists to be more careful in sending paintings thru courier.
ALERT ON MISSING/STOLEN BENCABS: An Open
Letter from National Artist Ben Cabrera (via Pananaw ng Sining
Bayan, Inc.)
Two BenCab paintings
have gone missing in transit from Los Angeles to Singapore.
Three Women 2009 29.5 x 40 in Acrylic on Canvas
Twins 2008 Acrylic on Canvas 48 x 48 in
Attached is a letter
from Susan Baik, part-owner of the AndrewShire Gallery in Los Angeles
where the two paintings were exhibited last year as part of a three-man
exhibition.
The letter details the circumstances of the
disappearance of the two paintings while under the care of FedEx. From
the looks of it, Susan is now certain that it is a case of theft.
We are sending out this alert to warn you not
to purchase these paintings if offered to you & to please let us
know immediately if you hear anything about these paintings.
Please forward this email to anyone else who
you think might come across these paintings.
Thank you for your kind attention &
cooperation,
Ben and Annie Cabrera
-------------------------
March
8, 2010
Dear Ben, I cannot even start
to tell you how genuinely sorry and mortified I am to be writing you
this letter.
After two weeks of
back and forth, I finally received notification from Fed Ex, instructing
AndrewShire Gallery to formally proceed with a claim against the
company, since they had failed to locate the two paintings that were
shipped via Fed Ex from the Gallery in Los Angeles, to Singapore.
The irony of course
is that Fed Ex picked up the paintings, carefully wrapped and
package-sealed in a tube, at the Gallery in Los Angeles on February 26,
and delivered an empty tube to me in
Singapore on March 8, with the cover having been carefully sawn off, but
with my address and details clearly stamped on the tube. I have already filed a
police report in Singapore, and it is my earnest hope that their
investigation will reveal the details that Fed Ex is withholding from me
–
How is it that an
empty tube passes muster with customs in Singapore without a record?
If the tube was
picked up from the Gallery with its cover sawn off, clearly empty, would
not Fed Ex in Los Angeles have recorded the incident, and probably
refuse to ship the item?
If an empty tube
arrived in Singapore with its top sawn off, but with my address clearly
on the tube, why did the local agents not contact me at all?
Further, did the
empty tube not trigger any concerns on the part of the local agents with
regards to potential theft?
Why does Fed Ex
refuse to share with me the results of their ostensibly having studied
their surveillance tapes at their Singapore warehouse, the names of the
individuals who would have potentially handled the tube, and their
internal correspondence on the case?
As frustrated and
angry as I am at the turn of events, and despite the hours of anguished
“how’s” and “why’s” I have subjected myself to, I have to now accept
that the paintings have been stolen – not just misplaced.
What now?
The Gallery has
filed a claim with Fed Ex in Los Angeles as they instructed us to.
I continue to
follow-up, daily, with the police in Singapore, and will keep you
updated on any information they share with me with regards to their
investigations.
I am seriously
exploring our legal options, both in Los Angeles as well as in
Singapore.
I have sent out
formal notifications to the local and international auction houses
informing them about the theft, together with a clear description and
images of the two paintings, and have requested them to please keep an
eye open for any suspicious activity.
We have informed our
insurance company of the incident, and the sequence of events, and I
will keep you updated on their investigations, and any decision they
make on our claim.
I would also like to
send out to your collectors, a copy of this letter, making them aware of
the stolen paintings.
Ben, the paintings
were lost on our watch, and I feel absolutely terrible. In all the
years that we have shipped art across continents, we have never had
something like this happen to us. Fed Ex has always been entirely
reliable with their collection and delivery schedules, and the risk of
blatant theft from a secured facility, honestly, never seriously crossed
our minds. From the bottom of my
heart, I am truly so sorry. I look forward to
talking to you soon,
Warm Regards,
Susan Baik
Fed Ex airway bill #
8578 8828 6230
Singapore Police
Report # E/20100227/2062
(1) Three Women, 2009. Acrylic on Canvas. 29.5 x 40 in
One of the most mystifying subjects science has dealt with is the idea that there are aliens abducting humans. The new science fiction-horror film The Fourth Kind puts the matter in cinematic form as Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich portrays psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler who years ago conducted a sleep disorder that revealed terrifying data connected to it.
The movie, based on actual case studies, is a reenactment of an original documentary set in Nome, Alaska, with never-before seen archival footage integrated into the film. Writer-director Olatunde Osunsanmi exposes shocking revelations from multiple witnesses—all leading to significant conclusions about non-human entities abducting earthlings. Their accounts of being visited by aliens are looked upon closely, assuring viewers' of goosebumps and eerie realizations.
Shot in Vitosha and Sofia in Bulgaria, in Los Angeles, California, and of course, Alaska, The Fourth Kind is the first major film by Osunsanmi who is a protégé of independent film director Joe Carnahan. The title is derived from how J. Allen Hynek classified 'close encounters with aliens,' having noted that the 'Fourth Kind' denotes alien abduction. This particular scale (of measurement) is considered the most difficult to document, making this movie a rare kind of data gathering.
In October 2004, Osunsanmi traveled to North Carolina for post production of a project he was doing. While there, a colleague told him of Dr. Tyler who relocated to a remote town along the Bering Sea. The latter is said to have been convinced that her patient's stories of alien abductions are real. She even discovered a history of missing people and mysteriously bizarre happenings around the region dating back to 1960s.
The movie also stars Elias Koteas and Will Patton. It opened in the US last November and grossed with a total $24,619,000, surprisingly topping its $10 million budget.
Reported alien activity in Alaska is famous among UFO enthusiasts, including that of captured flying saucers over Alaskan airspace and the disappearance of Alaska's US State Sen. Nick Begich in 1972 that was again connected to E.T. presence.
The Fourth Kind, distributed locally by Viva International Pictures, opens in the Philippines on March 3, 2010.
