FENG SHUI 2012

Want to know the lucky colors, elements and charms this year?

Here is a directory of feng shui particulars for the Year of the Water Dragon, which starts on January 23, 2012. 

The list is made by Hong Kong-based feng shui master Joseph Chau Kam Shing.

Chau and other feng shui experts said that one must not rely solely on this ancient Chinese system. 

Please remember getting ahead in life still requires a lot of hard work and effort.

Below is Chau's list:

• Year 2012 zodiac sign: water dragon
• Commencement of the year: January 23, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.
• Formal duration of the year: February 4, 2012 at 6:22 p.m. to February 3, 2013
• Elements of the year: water (heaven stem element and supporting element), earth (earth branch element)
• Zodiac signs offending the Tai Suey (Grand Duke or Grand Deity), or the unlucky ones: dragon, dog, ox, goat and rabbit.
• Zodiac signs that must avoid burials: yin fire ox, yin earth goat, metal ox, earth dragon, golden dog and fire dog
• Lucky colors: gold, silver, white, sky blue, green, red, pink, violet, peach, orange, beige, yellow and brown
• Lucky charms for wealth: treasure bowl, vivacious prince of wealth, flying golden Pei Yau
• Lucky charm for career: jade dragonhead fish
• Lucky charms for safety: jade master protection pendant, safety medallion
• Health protection charm: health medallion
• Lucky charms for romance and relationships: romance bucket, brass happy couple, Mandarin duck
• Charm for overall luck: benefactor jade

                                                                                                                                             Source: Abs-Cbn

6th Spring Film Festival@ Shangri-La Edsa Plaza

Shangri-La Plaza together with Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, Ateneo Celadon and Credit Suisse once again stage the Spring Film Festival to help and encourage the Filipino youth understand and appreciate Chinese culture.

This year’s festival will be offered free to the general public. Schools are welcome to bring their students for block screenings on a first-come, first-served basis.

Through the  Cultural Office of the People’s Republic of China, the 6th Spring Film Festival features six(6) films that cater to different age groups and audiences.

Here are the synopses of the featured films:

Ocean Heaven – Ocean Heaven is a family drama which features a father- Sam Wong (played by Jet Li), who is solely taking care of his autistic child- Dafu. Wang finds out that he has liver cancer and has a few days to live. Not only does Wang have to cope with his own suffering and impending death, he also has to deal with the heartache of leaving Dafu with no immediate family. This heartwarming film shows the challenges of being a single parent and how parents, even on their last days, would do anything just to ensure the safety and happiness of their children. 

Fans of Jet Li will definitely be surprised to see him in this non-Kungfu movie; this role won him the 2010 Wen Zhang Best Actor Award. The movie was also recognized by the Shanghai Media Awards, CCTV Movie Channel Media Awards 2010 and Golden Goblet Award. In July 2011, Li even named one of his charity projects as Ocean Heaven Project to help children with autism, cerebral palsy and other disorders.

Lost on Journey – A comedy film narrating Li Chenggong’s travel home, as he encounters a series of unfortunate incidents, to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family. Li hops from a plane, to a train, to a bus, and to a boat in the desire to be with his relatives during the most important event of the year. And along the way, he meets a stranger, Niu Geng, who later helps him discover something important about himself and the goodness of other people. This movie is a funny presentation of how a stroke of bad luck brings two different worlds together.

Country Wedding- Tells the story of a couple about to get married. With their respective families getting so excited, their parents start to meddle with their wedding preparations. The bride’s mother insists on holding the wedding at a ritzy hotel in Beijing Central, the groom’s father, being the director of a cooperative in a rural village, feels indebted to the community, and wants to share the wedding with the whole village. The couple gets caught in between conflicting would-be in-laws. This film is a funny portrayal of the clash of cultures between the city and country side.

Confucius – Confucius, known as the “Great Sage”, lived during the time when China’s dynasties were in chaos and engulfed by corruption and greed. He strongly believed that ethics and education would put all things to order. His wisdom was sought by different dynasty leaders but he was abandoned after he dutifully served his purpose. The world knows so much of his teaching, but little is known of his hardships. This biographical drama shows the sufferings and pain Confucius endured and the principles he fervently kept that became the foundation of China’s ethics, morality and law. Starring Chow Yun-Fat as Confucius, Nominated for Best Actor at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. Other nominations include Best Cinematography, Art Design, Costume Design and Original Song.

Bodyguards and Assassins – In 1905, Hongkong was under the British rule and revolution was on the rise. Sun Yat-Sen was set to land in Hong Kong to meet and to unify faction leaders to finally take down the corrupt and crumbling Qing Dynasty. Because of this, Dowager Cixi wanted Sun Yat-Sen assassinated. For the Chinese people who had been clamoring for freedom, they understood that protecting Sun Yat-Sen would mean keeping China’s liberation hopes alive. Li Yutang, a businessman, gathered a tofu vendor, rickshaw pullers, a beggar and an orphan to serve as bodyguards. These bodyguards displayed their superb fighting skills as they battled it out with the assassins to protect Sun Yat-Sen, whom they hadn’t even met. This action-historical movie garnered numerous awards from the 4th Asian Film Awards, 29th Hongkong Film Awards, 16th Hongkong Film Critics Society Awards and 47th Golden Horse Awards. 

King of Milu Deer- This 3D animation movie focuses on protection of the environment. It is a story of a white deer, Yoyo, who turned into a lady and made friends with Tzan-the prince of Kingdom of Clouds and Dreams. Tzan was ordered by the minister to search the Labyrinth Mountain to hunt for the Milu Deer to use it as a sacrifice to bring rains in the kingdom. But Tzan discovered the beauty of the Labyrinth Mountain and got closer to Yoyo. Together, they fought sea lizard monsters, fire, soldiers, and the evil Minister to save the wildlife and natural resources of the Labyrinth Mountain. This movie became the highest grossing Chinese Animated film of all time and received the Best Animated Film of the 13th Huabiao Awards.

Movie Schedule:

 

January 20, 2012 (Friday)
Country Wedding 1:00PM
Lost on Journey 3:00PM

January 21, 2012 (Saturday)
Lost on Journey 1:30PM
Confucius 3:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 6:00PM
Ocean Heaven 9:00PM

January 22, 2012 (Sunday)
Ocean Heaven 1:30PM
The King of Milu Deer 3:30PM
Confucius 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 8:00PM

January 23, 2012 (Monday)
Country Wedding 1:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 3:30PM
Ocean Heaven 6:30PM
Lost on Journey 8:30PM

January 24, 2012 (Tuesday)
Bodyguards & Assassins 1:30PM
Lost on Journey 4:30PM
Confucius 6:30PM
The King of Milu Deer 9:00PM

January 25, 2012 (Wednesday)
The King of Milu Deer 1:30PM
Confucius 3:30PM
Country Wedding 6:00PM
Ocean Heaven 8:00PM

January 26, 2012 (Thursday)
Lost on Journey 1:30PM
Country Wedding 3:30PM
The King of Milu Deer 5:30PM
Confucius 7:30PM

January 27, 2012 (Friday)
Ocean Heaven 1:30PM
Confucius 3:30PM
Lost on Journey 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 8:00PM

January 28, 2012 (Saturday)
The King of Milu Deer 1:30PM
Ocean Heaven 3:30PM
Lost on Journey 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 7:30PM

January 29, 2012 (Sunday)
Lost on Journey 1:30PM
Country Wedding 3:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 5:30PM
Ocean Heaven 8:30PM

OTHER ACTIVITIES (2nd Floor, Grand Atrium)

January 20-29

Chinese Painting Exhibit by the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

January 22

Chinese Painting Workshops by Mr. Caesar Cheng and the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

For more information please call Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies at 426-6001 local 5208-5209; 5280. 

For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at 633-2227 local 113 or log in to www.shangrila-plaza.com Add Shangri-La Plaza on facebook: shangrilapalazaofficialfanpage

Like me too in Facebook Thank you! : http://www.facebook.com/travelonashoestrings

See you in the movies @ Shangri-La Edsa January 20-29, 2012. It's FREE!

Happy Chinese New Year!

About Us

About Us

My name is Cha Sy, a ruptured Brain Aneurysm Survivor. I blog because it makes me more productive than staring at the ceiling ( laughs ). It is more than a year now since a coil and stent saved my life. Thanks Dr. Francis Santiago! 

On my second life, I had to spend four (4) months on bed bath. Imagine my happiness when I was finally able to take a bath inside our bathroom. I underwent physical therapy and re-learned sitting, standing, maintaining balance and walking. If you see me now, you will never guess that only in 2011, I was on a wheelchair. 

Like most Filipinos, I love Manny Pacquiao, traveling, blogging and eating in no particular order.

My awards for 2012:

• Best in Food Blog at the Intramuros Bloggers Challenge. The very first food event I ever attended.
• People's Choice Award at the Intramuros Bloggers Challenge
• Best Blog post- Colgate-Palmolive via Nuffnang Contest
• Best Blog post- PLDT HOME

Awards 2013:

• Best in Blog Post: PLDT 85th Anniversary

For product review, event invitations, press release you can e-mail me @ travelonashoestrings@gmail.com

Smile every chance you have. Be happy and grateful for all the good things you do have and for all the problems you know you don’t have.

Food Blogger

To follow

BRAIN ANEURYSM SURVIVOR

It is almost a year now since my operation. I hope you were able to read my March 21, 2011 entry on my blog. 

That was the first time I revealed to the world that I cannot walk or see from my left eye. I joined a Nuffnang contest and lost with that piece. But I know I am very lucky to be alive. And I guess that is enough to be thankful to God.

I should have removed the ads of nuffnang there so you would understand my story better. Some readers mistook the story to be a fable or fantasy story for the ads. For those who doubt my story you could check my medical records at UST hospital and with my neurosurgeon @ Makati Medical Center. If you want, I'll give you an authorization to verify my medical records. You could even see all my CT-scans and MRIs. Why are some people like that? I never ask you for anything. Not a single centavo. My family paid for my treatment and still has debts because of that operation and my continuing treatment. We paid more than a million pesos. But no amount of money could ever buy life.

I was leading a very active lifestyle before I had ruptured brain aneurysm. I was living the life- travels, photo walks, meeting new friends in far flung places, airplane rides, bus rides, jeepney rides. Then suddenly my life changed. Never did it occur to me that I would be bed-bound and be partially blind for some time.

So be grateful. You are lucky you are alive! Not everyone can breath the same air you breath. The simple task of sitting down and standing up without pain is enough reason to be thankful and be happy! 

I escaped death by a hairline in 2011. I am recuperating at the moment. For a while, I had difficulty sitting down and standing up on my own. I was in bed for four months. I remember what a refreshing day it was when I finally had taken a bath inside the bathroom. See, taking a bath in the comfort of your bathroom is something to be thankful for!

It's almost a year now. I will be celebrating one year in the confines of my room.  I still can't fully see from my left eye. But I can walk now. I've undergone physical therapy through the help of my therapists and Rehabilitation Doctor. 

I never knew that walking and sitting could be such a pain. You must be thankful you can sit and stand without pain for there are many people out there who can't even sit or stand on their own.

The day I had my first bath inside the bathroom itself is heaven for me. Why? Because I spent four months of my life with bed bath. It was dangerous for me to take a bath alone, much less to stand for so long because I always faint during the early part of my recovery.

I am thankful to all my friends who offered not only monetary help but also support and lots of care and love. Thank you from the buttom of my heart. You know exactly who you are people. I am forever grateful. Hugz! May God bless you more.


Some people has misjudged my cry for help when we were still in dire need.  My heart was broken when the very person I once considered my best friend for years turned her back on me and even deleted me from her facebook account.

She could have easily told me she doesn't want to help me period and that would be okay. But to turn her back completely is the worst thing one could ever done to a friend who loves her like a sister. Hindi ka na nga nakatulong nanakit ka pa ng damdamin. Bakit ano ang kasalanan ko? 

You know who you are. I've never done anything wrong. Is it a crime now to ask for help when you are in dire need?  She persecuted me for asking for help. She punished me. Being in a rich country may have answered all her dreams. So she doesn't need a friend who in the past never ever asked for anything except that one time when she was in dire need. I just hope one day you would not experience back how you treated me. I still love you like a sister.

To those people who don't understand what I've gone through I just hope and pray God would not let you experience the same fate. For I would not wish the same experience to happen even to my worst enemy.  May God bless your heart for you do not know what you are doing.

I am thankful that in spite of what happened to me, my brother is always with me. Because of him I have continued to find a way to live. I love you brother. I hope and pray that you would stay by my side forever but I know someday soon you will have your own family. I hope when that time comes I am fully recovered so I can again travel and find my place in the sun or who knows have my own family too. I am forever grateful.