Nokia and Abenson

I used to think that high end cellphones and other gadgets are just a waste of  money  because  I  thought    that  sending and receiving messages  are the only  features  that  I  need.  That was then.  Blogging and updating  my  everyday  activities  have been  part of my daily  activities now,   thus,  a new cellphone is  needed  to get  all  the updates  from  my  friends  anytime.  Good thing when I visited  Abenson  Store,  I found  new  cellphones   like   Nokia Lumia  620,  Lumia 820 and Nokia 920   powered with Windows 8.    I can also  blog directly and update my  website anytime I want to.  There's a lot more features like  taking  a series of  photos in one click.  What an extra ordinary  feature  I  never thought a cellphone could offer.

Isn't  that amazing?  Check the images  below and see more facts about Abenson and Nokia Lumia series.

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER ACTIVITY FAIR

The Ultimate Summer Activity Fair— Mommy Mundo’s Expo Kid 5, a prelude to summer, will happen on March 2, 2013 (Saturday). This first kick-off event of Mommy Mundo for 2013 showcases tons of options of activities, for a productive & fun summer for kids of all ages. This year’s Expo Kid will be held at the 500 Shaw Events Pavilion, home of Kids Klub which has become a destination in kids’ extra curricular activities.

As another school year draws to a close, Mommy Mundo, together with its partners Jakenpoy.com, Craft MNL, our venue partner 500 Shaw Events Pavilion, and our valued sponsors and exhibitors, we invite all moms and dads to bring their kids to Expo Kid 2013 to gather up ideas for possible summer activities. “We all know that summer is a time of fun, but it can also be a productive time when we allow our children to discover their talents, meet new friends, and learn new hobbies, outside the school setting. It is a time of building happy memories that go with childhood. These can be achieves by choosing the right summer classes for them.” says Janice Crisostomo Villanueva, founder of Mommy Mundo.

 Photo of last year's Expo Kid

Expo Kid 2013 will feature major interactive activity areas for kids where they can try out crafting stations from Craft MNL, check out the fun learning modules on Jakenpoy.com, music, arts and sports activities from Kids Klub as well as Crayola. There are more booths from other activity providers from all over Metro Manila, as well as a shopping bazaar which is Mommy Mundo’s trademark mompreneur market featuring more than 40+ booths onsite.

 Photo of last year's Expo Kid

The event is open to the public with a minimal entrance fee of 20 pesos per person, which will benefit MomShare outreach projects. Everyone will also enjoy the all-day onstage program featuring the following: 

• Talented performances and demos from Kids Klub such as Julie Borromeo Performing Arts, New York Musical Theater Lab by Miguel Braganza, My Talent by Audie Gemora, the Philippine Gymnastics Academy, Taekwondo by Coach Donnie Geisler, Mathemagis - Singapore Math, KidzArt, Aikido, and Kindermusik by Teacher Suzette & Friends. 
• A multi-arts show from My Masterpiece Movement
•  Followed by informative talks for moms courtesy of the Learning Basket and Wonderworld Toys: Celebrating your child's milestones.
• Fun and educational demos will be facilitated by Jakenpoy.com and CRAFT MNL featuring screen printing Demonstration and Heritage Craft. 

Expo Kid 2013 is set to be a kids’ haven and a memorable welcome to summer. This event is produced by Mommy Mundo, the go-to resource for active and modern moms. Co-presented by PACE, Mommy Matters. In partnership with Jackenpoy.com, CRAFT MNL, Crayola& Kids Klub with the participation 500 Shaw Events Pavilion as our venue partner. Supported by Cycles&Cradle, Parteiziet and Crystal Clear. Media partners, Manila Bulletin, Sense & Style, Smart Parenting, the Style Weekend, Working Mom, Lifestyle Network, Urban Mom, www.mommypages.com.ph and Crossover 105.1 FM.

For more info on Mommy Mundo events, sign up for the mailing list at www.mommymundo.com, like Mommy Mundo on Facebook) or email info@mommymundo.com.

Covering an event with my younger daughter

When I am allowed to tag along my daughter to cover  an event  like moms and kid occasion,  I always confirm  my attendance  at  once   because  I think the event  is  a perfect  bonding  time  too.   Besides,  it  helps  her socialize and at the same time expose her in different fun and learning activities. 

Photo was taken  with celebrity mom/endorser/writer  Maricel Laxa Pangilinan,  one of the guest speakers of the event.    

As soon as we enter the venue,  the  coordinator would always ask our names and put a name tag in our dress  just  like office desk name plates  to recognize each other in the event and also it serves as our passport  to roam around the area as media guests.

My daughter as she had a photo op  at  coloring activity area.  Though the activity suits for preschoolers,  I'm glad  that  she also  enjoyed  the  moment  even  if she's old enough with the said activity and  get along well with  children  too. 

Relive the Art of Love Letters on Valentine's Day with Post-it® Products!

It’s the time of the year again and love is already in the air! As Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, we are definitely thinking of ways on how to make it special for our loved ones. How about bringing to life the almost-forgotten form of communication? Love letters, in this case, will never go out of style!

Here are some tips on Love Letter Writing this Heart’s Day:

• Touch and melt a heart. 
Share your intents with sweet notes using Post-it® Super Sticky Notes in heart shape! Call that special one with those sweet terms of endearment. It won’t fail to make them smile. It’s time to be creative!

• Praise and make someone’s heart skip a beat 
 Being appreciated and praised is something that everyone longs to hear. Just put the positive lenses on and look deep within someone’s strength. You may say, “You are my idea of ‘strength,’ Mommy!” “You’re a good man, Dad! One of the best there is!” or “You are made of great possibilities. Keep your hopes up and move mountains, dear!” Remember that simple deeds can drive and motivate people to do better and excel. Be that cheerleader to those tired hearts this Valentine’s Day!

• “Thank You!” from a grateful heart
Not only an exchange of “I Love You’s” can be given on Valentine’s day. A simple Thank You note in Post-it® Super Sticky Note in heart shape can work wonders! You may write, “Thank you for always preparing my baon,” “The world is a better place with people like you. Thanks for being around,” or “Thank you for helping me solve my Math problems, teacher. You are the best!” You may use rubber stamps with cute designs and use colored pens to do this.

• Write the things you can’t say personally with a sincere heart
There’s nothing more worth keeping than a heartfelt note. Disclose your heart and say what you want to say. Express your love and those sweet words you are unspoken for and melt their hearts.

• Entice excitement by giving incomplete notes 
 Send them hearty lines in trickles and let your loved ones feel the thrill in looking for the series of your notes. Secretly, distribute and stick them on your loved one’s things and let them be surprised! Have a Post-it® Note within your reach with Post-it® Notes Heart Dispenser and just write what you feel anytime of the day. Give love and make this moment worth remembering!

About 3M

3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter

Boodle fight experience

According to Urban Dictionary, boodle fight is a military style of eating where long tables are prepared and food are on top of the banana leaves.  Viands and rice ready to eat using your bare hands, jugs of water are  prepared on the side to wash hands before the "eating combat".

My boodle fight experience was close enough to military boodle fight because we were hungry at the time,   we ate fast and the food was gone in a flash.  We used aluminium foil instead of banana leaves and  satisfied our tummy with grilled fish  and left over adobo  as we  ate by hands. It is just right to eat fast or  be alone in an empty table and empty stomach. :)

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Happy Birthday, Juan!

Just a quick and short post for the most adorable boy  I  know.   Happy happy birthday, Juan!    May all your wishes come true.  Juan is the youngest son of  Joy and John.  He brings happiness to the family and  his mom's daily vitamins that  gives energy. 

Thank you for  this  clay art.  I really do appreciate creating a clay  image of me!  I wish I could keep it and put them in a glass box  as  souvenir!   He's  quite the entertainer of the group and keeps us happy,  or should I say all the punch lines and jokes  he delivered were funny and sometimes  sweet.

Random funny photos I dug out from  my album!  

Happy Birthday,  Juan!
...  from Ate Meyz and Ate Jill

Meet the man behind Eng Bee Tin, Mr. Ube

Yey!  Finally,   I  visited  Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House!  It  wasn't actually my first time to visit  Binondo because virtually, I visited a lot through blog posts.   I only got to visit  Sta Cruz  branch when  we crave for Chinese Deli. I only know two flavors  of   Hopia before,   Hopia Baboy and Mongo  but now,  it  has  evolved  into different  flavors  like Pandan, Ube,  Langka, Pastillas and more.

Chinatown  is a place I  always wanted to explore.  I've read  in other bloggers'  story about their awesome experience during their Binondo walk and their amazing food trips.  When you say Binondo, you would definitely think about  Chinese delicacies and authentic Chinatown dishes.   When I was  invited for a date with  Mr. Ube  together with other bloggers,  I  was really curious and excited at the same time  because I wanted to see and discover  their top secrets and why Binondo has been a favorite place  for  food trip. Also,  I wanted to meet   behind our  Hopia  cravings,   the owner,   Mr.  Gerry  Chua  a.k.a.  Mr. Ube  whom  I  frequently  see on TV  during Chinese New Year  and other holidays  being  interviewed by different TV  personalities.  He's  also featured in  magazine  and  TV networks for their famous   Eng Bee Tin  products.  During  bloggers date,  Mr. Chua shared us stories about how  he became  the Hopia Man.  Interestingly,  Mr Chua  is  also a  dedicated fire volunteer and   founded  TextFire  by which I will blog in a separate post later.


How  Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli started. 


Since Chua is also the visionary behind Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli, some of its varied product ranges can also be ordered at Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House. Its most famous Ube Hopia and all-time favorite Tikoy are available  when you visit any branch.

With a rich history that can be traced from humble beginnings in Ongpin, Eng Bee Tin has mastered the art of producing world-class Oriental delicacies.


Because Chua knows his way around business, he found a way to reinvent a rather usual hopia by blending it with ube, the most popular ice cream flavor at the time. The rest is history as Eng Bee Tin’s ubehopia became a household name.

Eng Bee Tin products are locally available in various supermarkets, groceries, restaurants, office, and school canteens. The company is also one of the biggest international exporters of hopia, delivering in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the USA.

Chua also ensures that quality is key. The company uses automated hopia manufacturing processes and implements a strict hygienic standards of quality control by running the final product through metal detectors, and packaging it in a hygienic pillow pack.

Though a businessman, Chua knows his responsibility to the community where his businesses operate from. In Ongpin where Eng Bee Tin is located, the company donated to the local volunteer fire brigade as evidenced by the purple fire engines that make their way through fire incidents and situations in the vicinity. His other business, Cafe Mezzanine, is also making an impact to the community as its revenues are completely donated to Binondo Paco Fire Volunteer. Recognizing the efforts and through the  hard work fire volunteers put into their job, they get a 20-percent discount when they dine at Cafe Mezzanine, located at the heart of Chinatown. That is if their free coffee is not yet enough.

“Our commitment to our society should be never-ending,” said Chua. “Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House aims to acquire five units of ambulance to serve the indigents who can’t afford to pay for ambulance service to hospitals.”

Indeed, Chua’s entrepreneurial vision is deliciously complemented by his life mission to touch lives. No wonder he is one accomplished man and his businesses are successful without a doubt.

Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House

Although Chinese cuisine constitutes majority of Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House’s menu, there are an array of food offerings that will surely tickle your taste buds. Take your pick: noodle soup, rice toppings, stir fry noodles, dimsum, and a lot more.

“We take pride in the restaurant's specialty: our noodles. Our noodles are made fresh every day. We use state-of-the-art Japanese technology in making them,” said Chua. “Our ingredients are natural and they have no preservatives. I am proud to say that the food we serve at Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House are MSG-free and they are non-grease.”

From the very basic chicken noodle soup to wanton noodle, Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House also feature a variety of international noodle soups. Want to try Thai? Order Thai Tom Yam. Hungry like a lion? The Singaporean Laksa is for you. Craving for Japanese? Sip some Japanese Shoyu. If Chinese is your choice, then Gokong Noodle should be on your plate. These and more will let you experience a gastronomic adventure in this noodle house.

Thai Tom Yan for Thai food lovers

Japanese Shoyu for those craving for Japanese soup.

Pig out on lechon macau

Snack on pork kikiam

Stay simple with a beef wanton noodle

Delight your taste buds with Sweet and Sour Pork

Cafe Mezzanine's Camaron Relleno

Cafe Mezzanine's Gokong Soup

Cafe Mezzanine's Kiampong

Cafe Mezzanine's Pork  Maki Mi

Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli

Mochi Kreme

Different flavors of  Tikoy

Hopia of  different flavors.  I like Ube Macapuno the best. I tasted them all and my younger daughter agreed  with me.  She  is a hopia lover  and could eat two packs in one seating. Imagine her big smile when I arrived  home with these goodies!


So here's what we actually savored during  the said date  that  satisfied our stomach  til  the next day.  Yes,   because we ate a lot  that I can't afford to miss any of the dishes.

Thumbs up and this is my second round!  :)

You have to try their authentic meals because they prepared the food only with the safe ingredients. There is no MSG  added  but it was flavorful and tasty.  Oh yummy!  I like wanton Soup the best.  For noodle lovers like me,  one  order of wanton  noodle serving is too big, good enough for two at a very affordable price.


Tour at Text Fire Office

After sharing some stories, we toured around Text Fire office and gave us a brief info about  Fire volunteer.  It's just so amazing how these people aim to help other people without thinking of anything in return.  It's all for good deeds.
 

I took this shot inside Mr. Ube Rice  and Noodle house.  He was featured in a magazine for his being Hopiaman and being the firefighter man.

 The souperstar of the House

The saying “If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen” is indeed true for most food entrepreneurs. But  for  Mr. Chua,  the heat in the kitchen even more fires up his passion to offer the best dining experience. Only the toughest survive in the competitive space of the culinary business.

Try visiting his restaurant  (I provided the links and address below),   Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House and you'll find out for yourself why this food mecca is already making noise among culinary connoisseurs.


Website:      www.engbeetin.com.
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/iloveengbeetin




MR. UBE RICE & NOODLE HOUSE BRANCHES:

Binondo
707 Ongpin St. Binondo St.
Binondo Manila
Tel:  288-8888  Loc. 131


Quezon City
284 E.Rodriguez Sr. Ave.
Quezon City
Tel:  722-4505


Pasig City
Ground Floor
GU-16 Lucky Gold Plaza
Ortigas Ext.
Pasig
Tel. 791-7389



ENG BEE TIN CHINESE DELI BRANCHES


628 Ongpin St. Binondo St.
Binondo Manila
288-8888 ; 241-9999

650 Ongpin cor. E.T. Yunchengco St.
Binondo Manila
288-8888 ; 232-1223  Loc. 219

518 Quintin Paredes St.
Binondo Manila
Tel: 522-2289

Ongpin Commercial Center
Ongpin cor. G. Puyat St.
Sta. Cruz Manila
Tel:  735-4658

Unit  G-84 Odeon Terminal Mall
C.M. Recto cor. Rizal Ave.
Manila
Tel:  735-0755

GL 8 Welcome Plaza Taft Ave.
Pasay City
8836-2670

Level -2 Waltermart Center
Chino Roces cor. Arnaiz
Makati
Tel: 843-7256

G-41 Victory Central Mall
Monumento Caloocan City
Tel: 332-1579

B-16 LG Victory Park & Shop Mall
Antipolo Rizal
Tel:  661-7615

Ground Floor Cash and Carry Mall
South Super Hi-way
Makati
Tel:  401-6229

Level  1 Padre Faura Wing
Robinson's Place
Ermita Manila
Tel:  401-3063

Cafe Mezzanine Branch

Mezzanine Floor
650 Ongpin  cor. E.T. Yunchengco
Binondo Manila
Tel  288-8888  /  241-9999 Loc  230