MUSIC LYF: Sabrina Sells More Than 175000 Albums Across Asia

Another proud moment for us Filipinos!

Our very own Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart – Sabrina has once again achieved another milestone, bagging a cumulative album sales of more than 175,000 across Asia from her “I Love Acoustic Series 1-4” and her latest album “Acoustic Love Notes.”  A special recognition from MCA Music was presented to her last November 4 at GMA7’s Party Pilipinas.

Since the release of her first album under MCA Music back in 2008, she is only the 2nd Filipino singer to reach this kind of success across Asia acquiring successful album releases here in the Philippines and also in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Korea reaching multiple Gold and Platinum record awards.  Her latest album, a collaboration with the popular radio & TV personality Joe D’ Mango turned Gold in Indonesia after only 2 months.

LAKBAYAN: Gran Prix Hotel Manila

As a thrifty yet practical traveler like me, I'm not usually a fan of hotels when travelling because I get weary with the location, the amenities and even the price. These factors hold me back and makes travelling stressful rather than relaxing. Well I'm glad that there is an "econotel" like Gran Prix Hotels and Resorts. They are actually exists in high traffic places like bus stops and main roads which is a great advantage above other hotels.

Grand Prix Hotels are located in key areas like in Ermita, Pasay, Cubao, and have provincial branches in Tarlac, Boracay and Cebu. Soon they will also have a branch in Palawan. We took a look at one its (biggest) branch in Ermita which is just a few steps away from Robinson's Place Manila and also nearby shops, money changers and restaurants. It is within the building where Tesoro's shop is located. 

REEL DEAL: Rise of the Guardians - Jude Law SPOTLIGHT

Jude Law is the wicked bogeyman Pitch in ‘Rise of the Guardians’

Jude Law is considered one of Britain’s finest actors, with a wealth and variety of film and theater performances to his credit. 

Law will star opposite Keira Knightley in Joe Wright’s “Anna Karenina.” Last year, he reunited with Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr., on “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” reprising his role from the global boxoffice success “Sherlock Holmes”. In his new animation film in DreamWorks Animations he plays evil entity known as Pitch.

WRITER: Chain Mail (Excerpt)

Here is the except from my novel CHAIN MAIL which I hope will be finished and be published in 2013.

CHAIN MAIL

A curse, a well planned curse. People have been mysteriously dying with no concrete evidence or suspects. All they have are pieces of paper that gives a death sentence to those who did not follow the instructions in the letter. The public is getting scared that they will receive one. It maybe a deadly prank or supernatural letter, two Investigators goes into the truth as they also avoid the touch of death or the feared chain mail.

NOVEMBER 1. ALL SAINTS DAY

REEL DEAL: The Life Of Pi SPOTLIGHT

“LIFE OF PI” A GAME-CHANGING 3D FROM ANG LEE

 Starts January 9 in (local) Cinemas

Academy Award winning filmmaker Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) brings to life Yann Martel’s bestselling tome “Life of Pi” in 3d – seamlessly combining CGI and reality into an integrated whole, making it hard for the audience to discern between what is real and animated. 

Marian Rivera on relationship with Dingdong Dantes: “God is in our midst”

GMA’s Primetime Queen Marian Rivera portrays the role of a pathetic, insecure housewife named Angeline in the primetime series “Temptation of Wife.” In real life though, she says she feels very much secure with her relationship with boyfriend Dingdong Dantes because ‘God is at its center.’

“As long as nasa gitna ng relationship niyo si God walang temptation talaga. Masasabi kong sa relationship namin nasa gitna si God kasi kung hindi, matagal na sigurong laglag yung relationship namin pero hindi e, the more na nagtatagal ang relationship namin mas lalo kaming tumitibay at lalo kaming nagiging masaya,” she shared.

Education outcomes up in Sarangani

Parents in New Canaan, one of the most remote and unvisited barangays in Alabel, Sarangani dream that their children graduate from college or at least finish Grade 6. But Analie Eday, a lumad like them, knows that as an education worker, her first order of the day is for the children to learn how to read because that is the parents’ more frequently mentioned and telling aspiration everytime she talks to them.

So what motivates Analie: “I am offended at seeing my fellow lumads exploited simply because they do not know how to read and write. That is motivation enough for me,” she said.

Have a Hi-5 Holiday!

All aboard for a Hi-Seas Adventure as Hi-5 embark on the holiday of a lifetime to the most fun filled place in the world- Hi-5 Island!

Hi-5 Holiday!

Dec. 15-16, 2012- SM MOA Center Stage

Dec 23, 2012- Waterfront Cebu City Hotel

In Hi-5’s latest stage extravaganza you’re invited to go on a fantastical, magical holiday full of fun, music and laughter with your favorite Hi-5 friends. The whole gang-  and newest Hi-5 friend Dayen, are waiting for you to come on the journey with them.

Hi-5 Holiday! is full of your favourite Hi-5 songs so you can join in and sing and dance along with them LIVE on stage.

BOOK NOW at www.smtickets.com.

MUSIC LYF: Sarah Geronimo - Pure OPM Classics (Album and Listening Session)

It has been a long time since we heard Sarah Geronimo launching a new album despite an unceasing career in showbiz. With a lot of endorsements that prove her status as a trustworthy brand representative, plus also having a lot of concerts, movies and even her own show for herself. Indeed Sarah is a gem for Viva who handled her since her first year in showbiz.

It was great for us to visit Viva Records and their studio to see where the musical magic happens and for which many musical legends had graced and sung to record their timeless classics. Of course, the hottest artist on their line is Sarah Geronimo who also holds a lot of records and even a great following online. She actually holds the record for the longest trending topic in the Philippines which reached worldwide also. 

She is now on a roll again with a great album to be released this november under Viva records, PURE OPM CLASSICS. We will soon post a  listening room album review soon!

REEL DEAL: Hitchcock TRAILER

MASTER OF SUSPENSE IN LOVE IN “HITCHCOCK” TEASER TRAILER

In the world of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, chaos, danger and sinister evil hide in the shadows of his characters’ ordinary lives.  But what about Hitchcock’s own everyday life?  The consummately skilled director carefully cultivated a public persona – constructed out of his portly silhouette and macabre wit – that managed to keep his inner psyche tightly under wraps. But for decades the question has lingered:  might there be a way to get inside Hitchcock not as an icon but as a person?

Now, for the first time, filmmaker Sacha Gervasi’s “HITCHCOCK” lays bare a captivating and complex love story.  It does so through the sly, shadowy lens of their most daring filmmaking adventure:  the making of the spine-tingling 1960 thriller, “Psycho,” which would become the director’s most controversial and legendary film.  When the tumultuous, against-the-odds production was over, nothing about movies would ever be the same – but few realized that it took two to pull it off.