Last March 21, the boys and I headed out to the Fort Strip to join hundreds of people, young and old, to support Ipanema’s Walk a Green Mile for the benefit of Haribon Foundation.
Ever since the Ipanema launch of its GB Seeds Collection, I had made up my mind to join the walkathon. The cause was impetus enough. The exercise I would get out of it as well as the bonding with bloggers were the icing on the cake.
The boys at registration tableM1 & I with Patxi Elizalde of ELRO Corp. (Ipanema distributor)
The walk started at a little past 5PM. The Uganda Band began playing Brazilian and African beats. At the starting line, confetti rained upon the participants and we all started the 1-mile hike around the Fort, basically walking to Boni High Street, going all around it, and making our way back to the starting point.
That entire walk took about 40 minutes and everyone made it back happy to have contributed to a worthy cause.
Several blogger friends were spotted and of course, we had the usual blogger photo ops. Click, click, click….
with Melyn & Jon LimjapMet up with Liezl (right) & her friendsThe camwhoring bloggersKarla & Sha
A pair of GB sandals personally signed by Gisele Bundchen was raffled off and no other than Melyn Limjap, a blogger, came away with the prize.
The lucky blogger!
Celebrities were around too to grace the occasion. Here are some snaps of them:
All in all, it was an event we enjoyed a lot because I had time to bond with my boys who were attending a semi-blogger event for the first time. The instant dinner we had after the walkathon allowed them to meet some of my blogger friends.
So what is Playboy doing in my wholesome blog? Good question…
When I first read the invite of Azrael to a bloggers’ night out hosted by Playboy Philippines, I thought several times before signing up. My blog is for people of all ages and I wanted to keep to things I would not hesitate to show my family. But when Az assured me that this was simply a party for bloggers and that it would be wholesome enough for me to bring my 2 girls, I figured WHY NOT? It was another chance to bond with bloggers as well as to check out the new image of the Playboy magazine which attempts to move away from the usual men’s magazine into a classier, more sophisticated lifestyle magazine for men.
The place wasSource Bar in Ortigas Home Depot last March 20, 2009. When I got there, the place was already teeming with bloggers. There was a table with familiar bloggers — Manuel, Jonel and Dante. Others sighted that evening: Jay, Jane, Carl, Arvin, Kel, Mica, and Mike Abundo. I got to meet new online friends who I communicated with online but was meeting for the first time in person – Jennie & Jeff, Nicely, Sarah, digiscrapmom, Ryan and Edelweiza.
Playboy Philippines provided free drinks and finger food for everyone while a DJ provided the music ambience for the evening. I got to meet the Playboy Philippines team as well as some of the bunnies around. The April 2009 anniversary issue was shown to the bloggers during the party (too bad I was no longer around then). I still have to see how the magazine evolves into its new desired image. From the back issues I saw being handed out, the content was tamer than the US versions but still — definitely for mature male audiences.
I didn’t stay long. Hubby is still abroad and the two girls who were supposed to be with me that evening could not make it for different reasons. So being the single parent that I was that night, I had to head home and be an early Cinderella. Still, it was fun hanging out with the young blogger set again. Thanks, Az and Playboy Philippines!
And the moment happened away from Manila — in Davao — at a zipline — in the presence of other bloggers.
Flashback to a couple of weeks ago…
Jay met Dine and me at Bo’s Coffee Katipunan. Dine and I were about to go to the wake of Amiel in Ateneo; he was coming from two TV networks and wanted to drop by and chat. We engaged in small talk for a while till we got around to asking Jay when he planned to pop the question to Aileen.
Jay reminded me of that day in early February when I plurked, wondering what a great marriage proposal line would be. He had replied to that plurk: “I didn’t need a search engine to find you… but i love the top result”. What I did not know then was that Jay was already in the throes of planning the marriage proposal scenario.
You can read Jay’s entire plan HERE. He wanted it to be unusual, away from Manila, a great surprise for Aileen, unexpected, and still romantic. What great timing for the Davao Food Appreciation Tour (FAT) that Blogie was organizing. Jay only told a few people. Drew was the official co-conspirator in Davao because the tarpaulin with his marriage proposal had to be done there. Of course, Blogie was in on the secret too.
Last Feb. 19 (Thursday), Ipanema launched its GB Seeds Collection of fashion-savvy flip flops. Gisele Bundchen, a famous Brazilian fashion icon and dubbed by Forbes Magazine as “The World’s Top-Earning Model”, is the inspiration behind this line of flip flops.
C2 and I were lucky to be part of the well-organized event held at Le Souffle at the Fort.
Ipanema has been around for a while but this new line of flip flops has some great features:
* all the soles have a forest-inspired print
* the straps have a metal spiral button gracing the front sandal strap symbolizing “the seed of life” (this reminds the wearer to do his part and share in the campaign towards a lush Philippines by helping to spread the word)
* made in Brazil, we were told by Mr. Francisco Patxi Elizalde, Managing Director of ELRO Commercial and Industrial Corporation (exclusive distributors of Ipanema) that these flip flops are made entirely of recycled plastic.
The tables were simple but tastefully arranged. A unique touch was the incorporation of the flip flops into the decor.
The food served us was a full-blown feast — from appetizers to main dishes to several dessert selections. Le Souffle’s menu was definitely something to relish.
After the sumptuous feast, we were treated to a dance performance by members of the Philippine Ballet Theatre who were all wearing the Ipanema flip flops.
I sat entranced during the entire show. First, the fact that it was a dance presentation appealed to me because I was, once upon a time, a ballet student on toeshoes. But what really caught me by surprise was the fact that the dancers wore flip flops that looked very pliable, soft and almost like ballet sandals. When the dancers pointed their toes, the soles folded easily for a great en pointe. They twirled, leapt, sashayed across the catwalk in them. We learned that these were the same sandals they wore during their rehearsals.
See how the flip flop follows when she does her en pointe? Whew!!!
Ballet shoes get the most punishing workout so if their Ipanema flip flops survived without breaking a strap or worse, getting the soles split in the middle, that definitely spells DURABILITY. I’m a convert!
ELRO Managing Director Francisco Patxi Elizalde with the Philippine Ballet Theatre
Here is a video of one of their dances:
The organizers also raffled off bags that were designed with gardening tools but lo and behold! Inside each of those bags was — a pair of Ipanema GB Seeds flip flops! AND I WON ONE! A second pair for the night…Here are pics of the 2 pairs I took home.
The advocacy of ELRO Commercial and Industrial Corporation to contribute to environmental consciousness does not end here. In partnership with the Haribon Foundation, the environment conservation organization, they are organizing a Walkathon to benefit the Philippine rainforests. The walkathon, called Walk the Green Mile, is slated for March 21, 2009, with the assembly point in front of Le Souffle, The Fort, Taguig.
You can help Haribon with its “ROAD to 2020″ (Rainforestation Organizations and ADvocates) campaign to plant and grow native trees in 1 million hectares of our local rainforests until year 2020. Purchasing a pair of Ipanema flip-flops allows you not only to join the walkathon but part of the proceeds from your purchase will go to Haribon’s program.
Assembly point: parking lot near Le Souffle, The Fort, Taguig (The Fort Strip, beside Embassy)
What awaits participants on this day:
* The first 30 persons to finish the walkathon get a free pair of Ipanema GB Seeds flip-flops of their choice
* The first 300 people to join and register on March 21 get a limited Ipanema Gisele Bundchen baller ID
* The first 100 people to register at the venue get a limited Walk the Green Mile shirt
* 10% off on Ipanema GB Seeds slippers at the Ipanema booth
* Up to 3 pairs of Ipanema GB Seeds flip flops signed by Gisele will be raffled off to participants who buy during the event
If you are interested in joining the walkathon, get in touch with Ms. Maricel Mabalot of ELRO Corporation at 753-3647 to 48 local 103 or email cel.mabalot@elrocom.com.
Many, many thanks to m2comms people (Shyla and Cecille, among others) for such a wonderful event (and cause) and of course, to Aileen who initiated the invite.
My dearest friend from Philly, Kathleen, posted this on her Facebook.
How intriguing! I have my own personal bucket list — but a Filipino version? Anyway, it seemed like fun to go down the list and check those I had done already and plan for those I haven’t. Why not do the same and send me the link to your post!
Just place an X by all the things you’ve done and remove the X from the ones you have not.
(x) Walked in the flood
(x) Ate balot (and penoy) – and yes, never again for balot!!!!
(x) Ate kambing (goat), ( ) aso (dog) or () bayawak (giant lizard) – just dog (and only by accident — at a canao festival in Baguio. I only found out after our dog back home growled at me and refused to approach.)
() Ate adidas (chicken feet), helmet (chicken head) or isaw (chicken intestine)
(x) Rode a tricycle
(x) Rode a karitela
( ) Rode a trolley by the houses along the riles (railroad)
(x) Been to the Rice Terraces – went with officemates as part of our Camera Club event
(x) Shot the Rapids at Pagsanjan
( ) Gone to the Lanzones Festival
(x) Ate with your fingers on banana leaves
(x) Ate Taho
(x) Ate aratiles
(x) Attended Simbang Gabi ( Midnight Mass ) – but never finished the whole set
(x) Played Patintero
(x) Played Tumbang Preso
(x) Played Piko
(x) Played Sungka – I have my own sungka and shells!
() Played with Spiders (Gagamba derby)
() Climbed a coconut tree
(x) Danced the Tinikling – at school in Philadelphia, with friend Vince Perez, during United Nations Day
() Got on a jeepney where you had to stand
(x) Got on a jeepney
() Caught fish in the canal during a rainy day
( ) Participated in Ati-Atihan
(x) Eaten fish head
( ) Got drunk from lambanog (coconut wine)
(x) Attended a Prosesyon (Procession of the Stations of the Cross) during Holy Week
() visited an inmate at Bilibid prison
(x) Gone to Baguio – many, many times
(x) Gone to the Sagada – went with officemates as part of our Camera Club event
( ) Gone to Palawan (have been to Mindoro).
(x) Gone to the the Visayas – am from there and continue to visit up to now
(x ) Gone to Mindanao – lived there as a child
(x) Lived in any other part of the Philippines – Luzon now
(x) Cut class – who doesn’t anyway? 🙂
(x) Told manananggal, aswang stories during a brownout or rainy night
(x) Slept under a mosquito net
(x) Slept on a banig (mat)
(x) Polished the floor with coco husk (bunot)
(x) Tasted durian – I LOVE THIS FRUIT!
(x) Ate pandesal filled with condensed milk
(x) Dunked pandesal into hot coffee
(x) Rode a kalabaw – once, as a child, in Guimaras Island
() Took a bath under a “poso” or by the “ilog” (in the ilog!)
(x) Used a pumice stone when taking a bath
(x) Tumulay sa kawayan
() Kept vigil at the Cemetery for Nov. 1st
() Had their first date in Luneta
(x) Have gone inside Malacanang – field trip
(x) Gone shopping at Divisoria
(x) Has serenaded or has been serenaded (harana)
( ) Gone to Camiguin Islands
() Gone shopping in Quiapo
(x) Eaten champorado with chokolate and tuyo
(x) Eaten dirty ice cream – sorbetero ice cream is LOVE!
(x) Greeted your grandparents or elders by kissing their hand or having them touch your forehead
(x) Seen Taal Volcano – not just seen it; we were able to climb up to its crater!
(x) Watched the sunset by Manila Bay
I guess if there is one thing that put the fear in Barack Obama, it was the very real threat of having to give up the use of his Blackberry, something he never let out of his sight. Pres. Obama is a self-confessed Blackberry lover! Time and again during his campaign, he made mention about how he loved this device and how he dreaded having to give it up.
The Secret Service probably never had to deal with this problem with past US Presidents as I never saw any of them on TV handle a cellphone, unlike Obama who is often caught on print media and on TV holding his Blackberry. But what for us mere citizens are great features (like GPS) is a nightmare for Pres. Obama’s security who fear that this very feature will give away his location. Text messages on the Blackberry do not have the super encryption features needed to protect his messages designated as TOP SECRET.
Well, I caught CNN’s telecast last night and it looks like Pres. Obama may finally get his wish. He may have to give up his current Blackberry as it is not secure enough — and possibly get this one from General Dynamics. Meet the Sectera Edge now dubbed by some as the BarackBerry!
(courtesy of IntoMobile's blog site)
This phone is LOADED! And this is not something you can buy off the counter, either. See those 2 buttons at the bottom near the LCD screen? The RED button puts you on TOP SECRET mode when it is pressed. In its website, General Dynamics, the maker of Sectera Edge, states that “The Sectéra® Edge™ smartphone converges secure wireless voice and data by combining the functionality of a wireless phone and PDA — all in one easy-to-use handheld device. Developed for the National Security Agency’s Secure Mobile Environment Portable Electronic Device (SME PED) program, the Sectéra Edge is certified to protect wireless voice communications classified Top Secret and below as well as access e-mail and websites classified Secret and below.”
This phone also carries a hefty $3,350 tag price. A far cry from the usual mobile phones.
You can also read more technical details about this phone HERE.
It will also be very interesting to learn more about how the White House will be made over and wired for technology-related features that no other President in the past ever had to use. I burst out laughing when the CNN newscasters made reference to the Stone Age technology at the White House as “going from an Xbox to an Atari”.
This Presidency will definitely be a different one. With the President clearly in his elements using technology, he makes himself more accessible to the world in a sense (which makes his vision of a transparent administration easier to attain). It will also be a paradigm shift for many around him (his White House staff, security, team) who may not be as technologically savvy as he is but will need to get themselves updated in order to ensure the President is fully secured at all times. Catch-up time, guys!
