Travel, Photographs and Lifestyle

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

MARINA Oyster Seafood Grill at 25

"Wow! An oyster treat for only P25 MARINA Oysters Seafood Grill on October.25! #Marinaat25."

Oh, la la! I can't believe what I saw on my facebook wall just this morning! I said to my brother, "Whatttttttttttttttt? Are they insane? Look Kuya, MARINA Oyster Seafood Grill is selling their delicious baked oysters oozing with melted cheese for only P25.00 on October 25! Let's go eat there on the 25th please".

You see, we discovered the gastronomic wonders of Iloilo on a plate at Marina Oyster Seafood Grill a long time ago. We used to visit MARINA Oyster Seafood Grill branch at the Sky dome of SM City North Edsa.

Marina is one of my favorite seafood restaurants in the metro. They serve the tastiest authentic dishes of Iloilo. Once you try the restaurant's sumptuous array of oyster dishes like the, oh so delicious baked oysters oozing with melted cheese and fresh oysters overflowing with the freshness of the sea. I bet, you'll be praising Marina Oyster Seafood Grill to high heavens too. Almost all their dishes are well-praised and almost all of my friends and relatives vouched about Marina's delicious offerings.

This is definitely a must try! MARINA Oyster Seafood Grill "Grilled Blue Marlin". It was thick, fresh, delicious and healthy! I can still vividly recall the mouth watering 800 grams Perfectly Grilled Blue Marlin, we ordered. It was so huge and thick, it is actually bigger than my hands! Imagine that!

My friend Gab, always avail of MARINA Oyster Seafood Grill's Breakfast Buffet Promo of P169.00 with Free flowing coffee and juice, fruits saan ka pa?

Their dishes are not only fresh they're very delicious! I so love their fresh seafood offerings.

Many have also given a two thumbs-up for their platters mania giving group dining affairs the extra Ilonggo oomph.

So what are you waiting for? Schedule your visit to any of Marina Oyster Seafood Grill Seven (7) Branches Now!

Timog cor. Panay-(02)332-41-74,
Paseo de Magallanes-(02)851-42-04,
Metrowalk-(02)687-28-81,
Mall of Asia-(02)556-42-24,
SM Skygarden-(02)332-34-62 and
Market! Market!-(02)729-03-44
Batangas

Breakfast Buffet are being offered in the following branches according to their FB Wall: https://www.facebook.com/marinaoysters

SM Mall of Asia Branch
Monday-Thursday from 7:00 am to 10:00 am
Friday-Sunday From 6:00 am to 10:00 am

SM Skygarden Branch

Monday-Sunday from 6:00 am to 10:00 am

Metrowalk Branch
Sunday-Thursday from 7:00 am to 10:00 am
Friday-Saturday from 6:00 am to 10:00 am

Monday, October 22, 2012

GARDENIA: Happy Bread Day!

GARDENIA: Happy Bread Day!

This is our daily Bread! My brother and I are Gardenia fanatics. We eat different Gardenia breads at home almost everyday. My favorite is the Gardenia Wheat Pandesal, my brother loves the Gardenia Wheat Bread.

We were luckily invited last Saturday, October 20, 2012 at Eastwood Mall to a fun-filled “Happy Bread Day” 2012 courtesy of Gardenia Philippines. It was a fun, fun Bread day!

We lined up first and registered for the Happy Bread Day event.

Each of us were given a passport. After reading the mechanics of the Passport to the ultimate Bread experience we proceeded to the booths and had our passport stamped. One (1) booth is equivalent to one (1) stamp.

We got to taste test some Gardenia breads together with other product, like for example, a bite size of Bibbo hotdog pinned in a Gardenia Bread.

The staff at the booth then stamped your passport.

You get a souvenir / token after you visited the Gardenia Exhibit Booth and at least four (4) other booths.

I got a free eco bag.

“Happy Bread Day Show” hosted by popular actress, host and dancer, Ms. Regine Tolentino.

There was also a special cooking demo featuring Chef Rosebud Benitez, former host of the well-loved cooking show “Quickfire,” together with actor and host Drew Arellano.

Various games and tricks was held for the enjoyment of kids and the kids-at-heart!

“Happy Bread Day.”

For more about Gardenia Bakeries Philippines, Inc. and Happy Bread Day, visit www.gardenia.com.ph.

Gano Cordyceps : A health and energy booster for people on the go

Trusted by athletes worldwide. Cordyceps , for people with an active lifestyle,may help enhance physical stamina and fight fatigue, promote healthy respiratory and lung function. It helps reduce bad cholesterol, blood sugar and increase good cholesterol. It may alleviate back and knee pains, and may have anti-aging value. It may also help alleviate sexual dysfunction in males.

If your fast-paced lifestyle, sports-filled days, frequent partying and/or tedious work demands get you wondering where you’d get the next outburst of sustained energy, not to mention, aid to health, you now have the answer. (Or in certain cases, if your health condition prevents you from pursuing an active life, like some people interviewed with liver or some specific ailments, you may now have the answer.) A food supplement trusted by athletes worldwide, which occupies, in fact, a long history in the tradition of the Olympics, is now in the country through the trusted brand Gano Excel, distributed locally through Gano iTouch Phils. But Cordyceps is not only for the sporty and athletic people, it’s also for those of you who off and on feel that your energy is zapped but simply need to get going.

According to the Gano Excel Founder, Sir Leow Soon Seng “Nutritious and safe to take, Cordyceps is an all-natural, organic capsule made out of an edible mushroom species named Cordyceps, which is used as herbal medicine. It is thus taken not only for energy and stamina, but also for good health.”

“Traditionally called Cordyceps Sinensis, which widely known and used in traditional Chinese medicine,it has been given names in both China and Japan: the Chinese call it ‘DongChongXiaCao’or DCXC, while the Japanese refer to it as ‘Tockukaso’, which means ‘winter-insect and summer-plant’.“

“It is as old as the Qing Dynasty of the 1700s and has been written about by noted Chinese scribes, as something made up of proteins, fibre, crude fats, carbohydrates, cordycepin, cordycepic acid, polysaccharide, and different vitamins, among others; it also increases oxygen utilization and enhances the production of ATP—Adenosine triphosphate, which transports chemical energy within the cell for metabolism,” he adds.

Other Gano Excel research findings about Cordyceps Sinensis: other bioactive components are nucleotides, needed to produce RNA and DNA; ergosterol, which is an important precursor of vitamin D2;amino acids which are protein building blocks; fatty acids, both saturated and unsaturated, which help in lowering blood lipids and protect from cardiovascular diseases; and metal elements, such as Zn, Mg, Mn, which are good for the gonads and kidney. This is verified by the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, which in 2008 stated that Cordyceps Sinensis has a protective effect on organs. From the said journal, one can gather that it deters liver fibrosis, hastens macrophage phagocytosis, and enhances the immune function of organisms with its strong capacity to clear the virus.”

What’s more, Cordyceps was found to boost the weak immune system and suppress overactive immune reaction. This is according The Journal of Leukocyte Biology Volume 85, June 2009. Several studies are available to conclude that Cordycyeps may help enhance physical stamina and fight fatigue, and may promote healthy respiratory and lung function. It helps reduce bad cholesterol and blood sugar and increase good cholesterol. It may alleviate back and knee pains, and may have anti-aging value. It may also help alleviate sexual dysfunction in males.

Sir Leow adds, “There are studies that indicate that Cordyceps has anticancer, anti-metastatic, immuno-enhancing, and antioxidant effects. This is according to Gene Bruno of the 2009 clinical trials MHS of Huntington College of Health Sciences, which support the efficacy of Cordyceps especially on the liver, kidney and the immune system.”

Bruno also made a statement on how Cordyceps aids in endurance. He cites the testimonial of eight female champion Chinese athletes, who vied in 1993 for a track distance event in the Stuttgard World Championships who broke several world records in 1993 in the Chinese National Games in Beijing and won a series of medals at the German World Athletic Championships. The athletes said in unison that they included Cordyceps in their diet along with intense training and dedication. There are now even Filipinos who have tried Cordyceps and will soon be giving testimonials on its efficacy.

Find out more about the Cordyceps food supplement by calling these numbers: (02) 7063152 and 7063137. Read up on Gano iTouch corporate and product information by visiting their websites www.ganoitouch.com and for the international parent company Gano Excel International, http://www.ganoexcel.com.

Press Release

MISS INTERNATIONAL 2012: Ikumi Yoshimatsu from Japan

MISS INTERNATIONAL 2012: Ikumi Yoshimatsu from Japan

The 24 year-old, Miss Japan Ikumi Yoshimatsu, was crowned Miss International 2012 at today's grand finale of the Miss International 2012 beauty pageant held at Okinawa Prefectural Budokan Arena Building, Naha, Okinawa, Japan.

Miss International 2012 final results:

- Miss International 2012: Miss Japan, Ikumi Yoshimatsu
- The first runner-up: Miss Finland, Viivi Suominen
- The second runner-up: Miss Sri Lanka, Madusha Mayadunne
- The third runner-up: Miss Dominican Republic, Melody Mir Jiménez
- The fourth runner-up: Miss Paraguay, Nicole Huber

Miss Japan Ikumi Yoshimatsu being crowned Miss International 2012

In November 2011 in Tokyo, Ikumi Yoshimatsu was crowned Miss International Japan 2012.She represented Japan in today's (October 21, 2012) beauty pageant. With the hometown advantage, she beats 68 contestants from around the world to be the first Japanese representative to ever win a Miss International title.

Top 15 of Miss International 2012:
- Miss Colombia, Melissa Varón
- Miss Brazil, Rafaela Butarelli
- Miss Japan, Ikumi Yoshimatsu
- Miss Sri Lanka, Madusha Mayadunne
- Miss Finland, Viivi Suominen
- Miss Namibia, Paulina Malulu
- Miss Venezuela, Blanca Aljibes
- Miss United Kingdom, Alize Lily Mounter
- Miss USA, Amanda Renee Delgado
- Miss Dominican Republic, Melody Mir Jiménez
- Miss Philippines, Nicole Cassandra Schmitz
- Miss Paraguay, Nicole Huber
- Miss Mexico, Jessica García Formenti
- Miss India, Rochelle Maria Rao
- Miss Haiti, Anedie Azael.

Special Awards:
- Miss JOICFP (Best Idea & Concept for Charity): Miss Haiti, Anedie Azael
- Miss Photogenic: Miss Japan, Ikumi Yoshimatsu
- Miss Internet: Miss Myanmar, Nang Khin Zay Yar
- Miss National Costume: Miss Honduras, Nicole Velasquez
- Miss Talent (Performance): Miss Russia, Ekaterina Meglinskaia
- Miss Friendship: Miss Mauritius, Ameeksha Dilchand.

Miss International 2012 has 69 contestants.

HEIGHT                           170 cm
HOME TOWN        Saga
COUNTRY                      Japan
AWARDS       Miss International Japan 2012

MESSAGE of Yoshimatsu Ikumi on her official home page:
吉松育美（Yoshimatsu Ikumi）

Birthday: 1987/6/21 Age.25
Blood type:O Height:170
B/W/H: 88/61/90 Shoes size 24.5cm

Hometown: 佐賀県鳥栖市
Hobby: ランニング、ヨガ、読書、映画鑑賞
Skil: 英会話

幼い頃から体を動かすことが大好きで、小学校から中学校までの6年間はバレーボールを、高校では陸上部で 100m ハードルと走り高跳びを得意種目としていました。現在でもランニングが生活の一部となっており健康美が目標です。

オリンピック出場の夢を果たすことが出来なかった父の夢を果たすため、私が父の代わりに世界を目指すようになりました。世界の架け橋になれるようなグローバルな女性になりたいと思います。

今後はミスインターナショナル 2012 日本代表として、得意の英語を生かしてチャリティー活動や国際交流に参加させて頂いたり、大好きなスポーツを通じて健康的な美しさを世の中にアピールしていきたいと考えています。

I have always enjoyed exercising since I was young; I practiced volleyball for 6 years during my elementary and secondary school, and also was a member of the track and field team during my high school years where I excelled in the 100MH and the high jump category.

Even now, running is a great part of my everyday life, therefore I am confident of my healthy beauty.

The reason why I stand before you and the world today is because I am here representing on behalf of my father.My father’s dream was to somehow participate on a global stage. He dedicated his life training to become an Olympic athlete.

I would like to represent Japan as Miss International 2012 by participating in international cultural exchanges and charity activities, and by bringing awareness to the world my love for a healthy beautiful life through sports.

HEIGHT 170 cm

HOME TOWN Saga

COUNTRY Japan

AWARDS Miss International Japan 2012

Friday, October 19, 2012

NUAT THAI LIBIS: Now Bigger and Better

NUAT THAI LIBIS: Now Bigger and Better

Stressed out, tired and unhappy with all the stress brought about by mean individuals? My friend suggested that like me, you should also reinvent your lifestyle through beauty consciousness and surround yourself with good people. On top of that, she suggested that we should expose ourselves to a luxurious and healthy atmosphere. "So, why don't you try the Thai Therapy Massage at Nuat Thai Libis?" asked my friend.

Longing for a more relax state of mind, I took the long standing invitation of Ms. Jo Tan to try Nuat Thai in Libis. Together with my plus one, we headed to Nuat Thai Libis (which is a good one and a half hours away from where we live by private car.) We were welcomed by a comfortable two-seater couch at Nuat Thai reception located at the second floor of RCBC and Allied Bank in Libis, Quezon City just across Shopwise Libis. It's a cozy receiving room that can accommodate more or less around ten people at a given time.

NUAT THAI Libis Spa is the ideal urban retreat to unwind, recharge and melt away the stress of city living. An affordable luxury, it gives comfort and relaxation without putting a hole in your pocket. It boasts of tranquil ambiance, calming aromas, expertly trained/experienced therapists and spa packages at truly affordable prices for an ultimate relaxing and rejuvenating experience. They offer authentic Thai Body & Foot Massage, Swedish massage, Aroma Body Massage with Thai Herbal Compress, Hot Oil Body Massage, Full Body and Foot scrubs, and other Thai spa packages. NUAT THAI started with one branch based in Cebu, it has grown to become a franchisor with branches all over the country. They even have branch in Bohol according to the massage therapist.

Imagine my surprise when we were ushered inside the massage area, unlike the reception, it is very spacious inside. The dark dim lighting and the over-all ambiance inside has a soothing effect to individuals.

The attendant, washed our feet in the washing area. Then ushered us inside the massage area and let us relax in one of the ten reclining chairs. We got a thirty (30) minutes of foot massage. It was so relaxing.

Composed of twenty beds, seven beds is an elevated beds, ( for Swedish, hot oil, hot stone massageand aroma) Two (2) of which has a shower where they do the body scrub, ten reclining chairs ( Foot Spa), thirteen floor bed (stretching massage, Thai massage, all kind of massage except for the body scrub).

Thai massage is said to be one of the branches of Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM), recognized and widely considered to be a medical discipline used for the treatment of a wide variety of ailments.

After our foot spa we were asked to transfer in another room, where we were asked to lie down in a single bed for our Thai herbal compress massage, which is a great combination of Thai massage and Thai herbal compress that lasted for two (2) hours.

The herbal compresses can contain up to 14-17 different kinds of traditional Thai herbs, depending on the condition being treated.

Here is a list of examples of Thai herbals that is commonly use in herbal compress massage.

1. Cassumunar: It helps boost circulation, relieves muscular aches & pains, use to soften the skin

2. Kiffir- Lime: It soothes, deodorizes, reduces depression, anxiety and insomnia

3. Lemongrass: It helps in digestion, is an antiseptic, treats skin infections and makes you feel relax and fresh.

4. Tamarind leaf: It helps in reducing sprain and swelling, also an antiseptic.

5. Curcumin: It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, treats bacterial and rival infections.

6. Acacia leaves: It’s good for skin diseases.

7. Galanga: It helps in healing bruises and swelling, treating respiratory ailments and skin diseases and takes away the toxins out of the body.

Thai herbal compress massage’s benefits

It helps in reduction deep relaxation

Relieves stress, anxiety, pain and arthritis

Relieves migraines

Reduces acute and chronic inflammation

Boots up emotional and physical well-being

Helps in improving circulation of blood and lymph

Helps to stimulate the internal organs

Improves muscle injuries, imbalance and pain

Prevents illness

Slows aging process and degeneration joints and soft tissues

Helps with insomnia and other sleep disorders

Getting a massage is a great way to relax, ease pain and to put your stress away. Thank you Ms. Jo Tan and Ms. Janine Go. De-stress now! Treat your spirit, mind and body to a complete and extraordinary reviving, de-stressing experience at Nuat Thai Libis.