SINGAPORE: The Mermaid and the Merlions

SINGAPORE: The Mermaid and the Merlions

Your trip to Singapore may not be complete if you have not visited Merlion Park and posed near the statue of the Merlion, a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. 

The Merlion is used as a mascot and as a national personification of Singapore. The fish body represents Singapore's humble origin as a fishing village. The lion head represents Singapore's original name, Singapura, which means "lion city" in Sanskrit. Before the arrival of the British colonisers, however, Singapura was known as Temasek.

The Merlion is a male and, as you can see above, he likes to have his picture taken with a female - a Mermaid (me, he he he!).

Right behind the 8.6-meter-tall Merlion facing the river is a smaller version of the Merlion measuring about two (2) meters tall as shown in the picture above. This is commonly referred to as the "Merlion cub." Yes, there are Merlion statues other than the one along the river bank. 

In fact, these two (2) Merlion statues are among the only five (5) Merlions recognized by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The other one is a 37-meter-tall replica located in Sentosa Island as shown in the picture below where you will also see the Mermaid..... ha ha ha!

The Merlion statue in Sentosa is so huge that it has a Gallery Viewing Deck on its mouth and another viewing gallery on its head.

The other two (2) Merlion statues are: 

(1) the 3-meter-tall glazed polymarble (a type of plastic resin) statue at the Tourism Court near Grange Road (TRIVIA: this statue is made in the Philippines); and 

(2) the 3-meter-tall polymarble statue in Mount Faber's Faber Point.


Related Articles:

Songs of the Sea

Singapore Flyer

SINGAPORE: Songs of the Sea

SINGAPORE: Songs of the Sea

Princess Ami of the sleeping kingdom under the sea

Who would forget the Songs of the Sea in SINGAPORE?

Oscar the Tigerfish

Songs of the Sea is a multimedia show along the Siloso beach in Sentosa Island in Singapore characterized by a spectacular display of water jets, flame bursts, lasers and pyrotechnics, coupled with a live cast and enchanting music. 

This show replaced the Musical Fountain show which people can watch for free. Ow, who said that the best things in life are free?

With Oscar the Tigerfish mascot

Oscar, one of the main characters in the Songs of the Sea show, is a colorful Pterois miles (known as common lionfish or devil firefish), not really a Tigerfish (which is a completely different specie) like what he is called in the show. 

In Latin, pterois means winged and miles means soldier. Therefore, this fish is a winged soldier.

The picture below shows what a common lionfish really looks like. It has beautiful reddish or brown stripes and fins that spread like wings.

Common Lionfish in Manila Ocean Park

You can see a common lionfish in one of the aquariums in the Oceanarium of the Manila Ocean Park . . .  

Common Lionfish in Ocean Adventure Park

. . . and at Ocean Adventure Park in Subic, Zambales.

The awakened Princess Ami of the sleeping kingdom under the sea

The Songs of the Sea brings to mind the Musical Fountain Show in the Manila Ocean Park. The Musical Fountain Show, however, pales in comparison with the Songs of the Sea in Singapore as the latter has a much bigger budget and, of course, a costlier ticket for the show than the former. But for those who have seen the Songs of the Sea, or at least for me and my brother, the cost of the ticket is worth it.


The 25-minute show runs twice a night: one at 7:40 pm. and the other at 8:40 p.m. Ticket price is S$10 per person. 


Related Articles:

Singapore Flyer

Merlions

CONZACE:The #1 Prescribed multivitamin for Heavy Duty Immunity

CONZACE:The #1 Prescribed multivitamin for Heavy Duty Immunity

It's a Busy, Busy World.

Living in this crazy busy world you could always hear people saying they lack the time. Time that they needed, to do everything that they needed to do.

My brother is a perfect example of someone who is so busy. Due to lack of time, he also lack the time to exercise. And for the same reason he also lack sleep. I love my brother so much. I fear for his health and general well-being. Imagine what he had to endure everyday just to earn a living. He had to drive for two hours and a half going to work and another three hours going home everyday. He works for eight hours everyday sometimes more. Aside from that he had to bring me sometimes to my doctors for my check up, and he had to bring home his gf everyday to her Manila home and visit her on Sundays. I sometimes call him "curacho, ang lalaking walang pahinga". 

Because of all these stressors, my brother got sick the other week. Unknown to him, his consistent lack of sleep topped with stress have detrimental consequences on his health.

Yes, folks, you are correct! if you and I don't get enough sleep we're increasingly prone to stress and sickness.

As we all know, lack of sleep is associated with both physical and emotional health risks.

People who are stressed out has low immune system. Thus, they are more susceptible to infections. Stress are linked to the following:

• headaches
• infectious illness like flu
• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes.

It is important that my brother don't get sick because he is our family's bread winner since I was operated for ruptured brain aneurysm two years ago. Good thing there's a new way to boost immunity by strengthening your white blood cells. Conzace has a formula to make stronger white blood cells which means stronger immunity.

Our cousin, a medical doctor, recommended to us Conzace. Conzace is a nutritional supplement that provides synergistic antioxidant properties that helps improve the body's immune system, to fight against sickness. He said we have to be strong on the outside and also strong on the inside.

Manoy Doctor said that when your body is fighting off sickness, it’s actually your white blood cells, your body’s soldiers that do the fighting. When our white blood cells are this weak ( see picture above), they will not be able to fight sickness. Dosing up on Vitamin C has been the common practice in boosting immunity but it’s not enough to strengthen your white blood cells. Your white blood cells need multiple nutrients like Zinc, Vitamins A, C  and E to be strong enough to efficiently do its job in beating the germs and viruses, which can make you sick.

No matter how much Vitamin C you take, it will play that same role. Also, our body can absorb and use only up to 400mg of Vitamin C. Any more than that is urinated – that’s expensive urine. Taking 500mg of Vitamin C is enough to ensure that we’re able to absorb just what we need.

We asked Manoy Doctor, how can Conzace help? What makes a strong immunity? Strong white blood cells that can fight germs and viruses. And these are his answers:

· Vitamin C develops white blood cells (500mg)

· Vitamins A and E intensify the protection of these white blood cells (100 IU of Vitamin E)

· Zinc multiplies white blood cells so that we can have the right number of white cells to defend us against sickness. Conzace has higher Zinc than other popular vitamins in the Phils. (25mg Zinc)

· Try Conzace in the morning or night. Those who take it at night have said that they experience the benefit of having a good sleep. But don’t take Conzace on an empty stomach (taking it even 2 hours after eating is alright though)

· All nutrients in Conzace have antioxidant properties.

· Conzace SRP is only P12.40. It’s available in Mercury, Watson’s and other drugstores.

· It’s the #1 Prescribed multivitamin for Heavy Duty Immunity. It’s been prescribed by doctors for years.

· It comes in soft gel capsule

I tried to search ‘white blood cells’ online and I found out the black and white truth about immunity.

Our body can only absorb up to 400mg of Vitamin C. Rather than dosing up on more Vitamin C, you might as well take other immunity nutrients. The video above makes sense. Talk to Conzace thru www.facebook.com/conzace

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Celebrates 7th Year Anniversary

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Celebrates 7th Year Anniversary

BLOOD BROTHERS AID INC. SUPPORTS WORLD HEMOPHILIA MONTH

BLOOD BROTHERS AID INC. SUPPORTS WORLD HEMOPHILIA MONTH

Hemophilia is a disorder  which occurs because specific genes are not properly working. 

Characterized by the inability for blood to clot properly, hemophilia is a hereditary medical condition that occurs in males more often than in females, and could affect the young as much as the elderly. In special cases, a change in an individual’s genes may also cause him to acquire it within his lifetime. Though hemophilia is rare, the World Federation of Hemophilia states that 75% of people around the world with bleeding disorders have not yet been diagnosed.

April is World Hemophilia month, and Blood Brothers Aid Inc., a non-profit organization based in the Philippines, aims to raise awareness about hemophilia in the country and to get more Filipinos to recognize the problem and help through blood or monetary donations.


Hemophilia is an X-linked disorder. Hemophilia is more common in males because males have only one X chromosome. Hemophilia is usually not seen in females because females have two X chromosomes and one X chromosome can mask the problem of the other. Instead, the female is a carrier of the disease. She has the potential of passing on hemophilia to her children. Recent advances in genetic testing allow women from families with hemophilia to learn whether they are carriers and therefore at risk for having children with hemophilia.

Do you know someone who may suffer from hemophilia?

Following an injury, a person with hemophilia may take a longer time to heal from his wounds because his blood lacks the protein (clotting factor) instrumental in clotting.

The usual symptoms of hemophilia include deep bruising, joint pain and swelling caused by internal bleeding, spontaneous bleeding (e.g. nosebleeds), or prolonged bleeding from cuts, after surgery, or after a tooth extraction.

Hemophilia can be diagnosed by taking a blood sample and measuring the level of clotting factor activity in the blood.

Help bring treatment to the Philippines.

Hemophilia is mainly treated with replacement therapy. Clotting factor concentrates taken from healthy blood is injected into a hemophiliac’s bloodstream. Once it reaches the affected area, bleeding is expected to slow down and eventually stop. This treatment has to be done shortly after injury so as to avoid further pain, as well as damage to the person’s muscles, joints, and organs.

Clotting factor concentrates, however, are not readily available in the Philippines. International groups or volunteers ship medicine in from other countries, though supplies are minimal. In the absence of these drugs, a person in need of replacement therapy would require blood or plasma transfusions, and are at the mercy of the limited supply of blood available in hospitals. There are reported incidents of deaths among hemophiliacs due to the long wait for blood donations.

That’s why it is important for those who might show signs of having hemophilia to be diagnosed at the soonest possible time. It is also why more Filipinos need to be made aware of the disorder, so that we can help provide the support and treatments necessary for people who suffer from it.

Become a Blood Brother.

Take the first step into helping by joining the Blood Brothers Aid Inc. community through their Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blood-Brothers-Aid-Inc/347564769650?fref=ts The page will guide you in learning more about hemophilia, how to help, where to donate, and how to spread the word.

Note: Please consult your treatment center or physician before pursuing any course of treatment.

FREE Summer Art Workshop for Kids Aged 6-12 years old

FREE Summer Art Workshop for Kids Aged 6-12 years old

The best things in life are free! I saw this from sir Richard Mamuyac's post and I am sharing it with you my dear readers!

Attention: Mommy and Daddy, Aunt and Uncle, Grandpa and Grandma.

Do you have a child aged 6-12 years old who loves art? Loves to doodle or paint?

You might want to enroll them to an art workshop this summer to improve their talent. How much is the fee? Nada, 'coz it is absolutely FREE!

Junior Inquirer, together with Tang, will hold a FREE Cartoon Sketching Summer workshop for kids this May 4, 2013 at the PDI Multi-Purpose area in Makati City.

The session will be facilitated by Inquirer Arts and JI resident cartoonist Steph Bravo in two batches:

First batch: 9am-12nn 

Second batch: 1:00pm-4pm

To register, please email the following to asanmateo@inquirer.com.ph with the subject "Junior Inquirer Summer Workshop"not later than April 30, 2013.

• your child's name
• age
• complete address
• contact details 
• preferred batch 

Slots are limited and are on a first-come, first served basis so hurry and register now!

UNITED NATIONS: The World We Want Philippines Project 2015

UNITED NATIONS:  The World We Want Philippines Project 2015

"Each one of us is a part of a part, each of which is a part of a whole".  

A VOICE FOR THOSE WHO NEED TO BE HEARD! The United Nations turns to the digital platform to give more opportunities to have your voices heard. 

I recently pledged to do my part in making this world a better place. 

When my friend Barbie Barbieto asked me if I want to be a part of The World We Want Philippines project of the United Nations for bloggers,  I readily agreed. After all, each one of us is a part of the whole.  

Like any developmental organization, the UN has a bunch of goals that it has set for a certain period and the current set of goals will be reached in 2015. It is beginning to draft its plans for 2015 onwards but this time, it wants input from people it would not otherwise reach. To do this, it is turning to the internet. 

   

It has put up a poll and are asking people like you and me to vote to nominate what we think are the six most pressing issues that the world is facing. Do you want the world leaders to hear your opinion? Then Vote for the changes that would make the most difference to our world.  The United Nations and partners want to hear from us! 

MY World is a global survey asking you to choose your priorities for a better world. Results will be shared with world leaders in setting the next global development agenda. Tell them about the world you want, because your voice matters. Vote here!  And you might want to like MY World on facebook.  In case some people start to ask for money don't give any because this is only a survey.

In the UN survey form, I was made to answer this question: Which of these are most important for you and your family? Choose six (6). I counted the options it has given and the number reaches fourteen (14) plus an option to suggest a priority. 

In case you are curious of my answers, I am providing my list below:

1. Support for people who can’t work! This means that every person should have enough money to live on, either through employment or government help. When people can’t work, or are affected by events like natural disasters or economic crises, governments should make sure that they and their families won’t go hungry, children won’t drop out of school, and they can get the healthcare and other essential services they need.
2. Freedom from discrimination and persecution.  This means that no person in the world should have their economic, social or political opportunities limited because of their race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual preference, or for any other reason, and that no person should fear for their personal safety for the same reasons.
3. Better health care. This means that good quality health services should be available to everyone when they need treatment. Efforts should be made to reduce the impact of infectious and other chronic diseases. Both the funding and the organization of health systems should suit the needs of the country and its citizens.
4. Access to clean water and sanitation. This means that every person should have access to safe water for drinking, cooking and washing, and access to sanitation.
5. Phone and Fast Internet Access. This means that governments and the private sector should make sure that everyone has access to a minimum level of communications technology to get online information and participate in social networks.
6. Protecting forests, rivers and oceans This means that natural resources should be looked after, because people depend on them for food, fuel and other resources. Governments should agree on plans to reduce pollution in oceans and rivers, plant new forests and preserve existing ones, and move towards sustainable agriculture and food systems. Global agreements should protect biodiversity and fragile ecosystems.  

The survey also provided a graph that shows specific age groups and how they voted. See it here.

Please vote as soon as you can. There’s only less than 1000 days left before the current Millennium Development goals’ deadline is reached and come 2015, world leaders will be setting new goals.

It is about time that we do our share in making our world a better place to live in.

MULTIPLY.COM: Closes Shop

MULTIPLY.COM: Closes Shop

I received this sad news through my e-mail yesterday that Multiply.com will cease operation on May 31, 2013 following a failed attempt to reinvent itself from being a social networking site to an e-commerce site. Last November 2012, I remember that I was advised by Multiply to get all my photos from my Multiply account because it'll stop social networking services to focus on  e-commerce starting December 2012, targeting the 350 million consumers in Indonesia and the Philippines. It even offered several outrageous promo like the Php5,000 pesos discount/rebate on gadgets earlier this year. Multiply has helped a lot of budding entrepreneurs in the country like my favorite online shops kimstore and dbgadgets.

Here is the e-mail letter:

Dear Multiply Merchant,

We regret to inform you that Multiply will be closing the marketplace on May 6, 2013 and discontinuing all business operations by May 31, 2013.

Multiply will maintain normal site operations through May 6th and will wind things down through to the end of the month. We will use the rest of May to make sure that all accounts are settled and that you receive all funds you earned on the platform. We hope this provides you time needed to identify and migrate to alternative e-commerce platforms, settle all payments on items bought and delivered, and try to minimize disruption to your business.

In order to ensure that all your earnings are disbursed to you in full prior to May 31, we will cut off buying activity on May 6, 2013. This will ensure that all orders have sufficient time to be completed and delivered to your customers before the end of the month.

If you have a Trust Badge, please contact our customer support team and we will ensure that you receive a pro-rated refund for the remaining time on your subscription.

If my team can be of any assistance to you during this transition, we will do our best to help.

Respectfully yours,

Jack Madrid
Multiply Country Manager – Philippines