Shiny New Toys Revealed at PC Gilmore's 1st in Gilmore

I'm not a hardcore techie but I'm usually up-to-date with what's new in the market, be it mobile phones, cameras or computers, because I may have use for such knowledge when some good Samaritan would suddenly send a gadget my way one day. I was delighted when I got invited to the PC Gilmore Computer Center's Bloggers Meet recently.

PC Gilmore Team: (L-R) John Balajadia, marketing consultant; Michelle Tansingco, marketing manager; Bong Medina, business unit head

Not only did PC Gilmore reveal its new milestone -- the computer center, the 1st in Gilmore, located at 1^st Street corner Gilmore Avenue in New Manila, Quezon City, is now bigger and bolder, having 5 concept stores inside its premises namely: Acer, Asus, Canon, Lenovo and Samsung -- as PC Gilmore positions itself as a One-Stop-Shop for all IT requirements with emphasis on excellent customer service. An otherwise ho-hum day became like Christmas Day as we ogled at several new gadgets unveiled to us and listened to the more advanced technological features presented.

Asus Deluxe Motherboard

The Sandy Bridge offerings of Asus were the N series N43SL, Sabertooth P67, and P8P67 Deluxe Motherboard. For those not yet in the know, Sandy Bridge was introduced in Intel's 2ndgeneration core processors and it integrates all cores plus graphics on a single chip, enabling new levels of visual experiences on a PC. The Asus N series notebook, N43SL, is the high performance multimedia notebook with Bang & Olufsen ICEPower co-designed audio system and Asus SonicMaster Technology, which can take you from work to play while enjoying good quality audio. Sabertooth P67, on the other hand, grants users increased flexibility and improved power efficiency while keeping the gadget "cool" with the Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar offering stronger heat combating. The P8P67 Deluxe Motherboard is the world's first Dual Intelligent Processors, owing to the pioneering efforts of Asus to use two onboard chips - EPU (Energy Processing Unit) and TPU (TurboV Processing Unit.

Lenovo manager Francis Judan and the ThinkPad Edge

Lenovo boasted of its ThinkPad line of notebooks, specifically the sleek and stylish ThinkPad Edge that will cater to the needs of small-to-medium businesses (SMBs). Lenovo also put emphasis on the special features of their other notebook lines namely the OneKey Rescue System for quick data backup and recovery; Lenovo Security Suite which has security tools that will encrypt and protect users’ data from prying eyes; a Fingerprint Reader for bio-authentication using a finger as a password; and a USB Port Locker to prevent unauthorized access to USB ports. The engineers behind these features must have been inspired by spy movies, don’t you think?

Logitech's Aileen Chua with the High Definition Webcam

Logitech presented its new HD Pro Webcam C910 with built-in microphones for optimum web chatting and makes video posting as easy 1-2-3: record video then drag and drop on the Facebook or You Tube icon and viola! Logitech also showcased the yet to be released Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 that is ultra sleek and thin, making the accessory energy efficient. It works pretty much like the solar-powered calculators we've had for the longest time and being wireless means freedom from wire entanglements.

Juno Limjap-Sision with the Samsung Series 9 Notebook

The gadget that elicited the most oohs and aahs was the Samsung Series 9 Notebook for the following reasons: 1) the laptop is lighter, thinner and packs a more up-to-date processor than a MacBook Air; 2) the especially crafted outer body is made from aircraft-quality duralumin; and 3) has two USB ports (2.0 and 3.0) that is hidden on the side and pops out as needed from its secret compartment. The features made me, and the room full of people, drool for the shiny black notebook.

I'm an instant fan of the lightest and thinnest laptop to date

Now I know what I want for Christmas…I wonder if PC Gilmore has a Christmas Gift Registry?

Better yet, let me hope for the Samsung Series 9 laptop as a birthday gift so am calling my generous friends or family members to visit PC Gilmore from March 31 to April 4 for their Big Sale. For more details, check out http://www.facebook.com/pcgilmore.

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Filed under TECH and EVENTS

Manila’s First Wines and Spirits Auction

Wine tasting and wine pairing events abound year on year and so the prospect of having the first Wines & Spirits Auction excites me...and hopefully the rest of Manila's wines and spirits enthusiasts.


Happening on Thursday, March 24, 7 pm, at the Mandarin Oriental Manila Ballroom, over 50 Lots will be auctioned at the event including several wines that have been cited in Wine Spectator's Auction Index, a composite of average prices for selected benchmark wines sold at commercial auctions around the world. These include some wonderful Bordeauxs such as a 1986 Château Lafite Rothschild (95 points), 1994 Château Latour (94 points), 1999 Château Mouton-Rothschild (90 points), 2000 Château Léoville-Las Cases (100 points) and 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande (94 points) and also some great California Cabernets including half cases of 2006 Opus One Napa Valley (93 points), 1999 and 2006 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Reserve (96-95 points, respectively).

Other spotlight Lots are Penfolds Grange, Australia's iconic and most collectible wine. Some of the rare Lots up for sale are a lively octagenarian wine, a 1929 Gerard Bertrand Maury; Laphroaig 30 YO Single Malt Whisky, winner of several medals at the 2005 San Francisco wines and spirits event; personally signed magnum bottles of Geroges Debeouf special cuvée wines from 2009 (known as the vintage of a lifetime); and a Louis XIII specially aged rare Cognac. Several surprise Lots of good value will also be auctioned. Expected to be a fun evening, the event will start off with a tasting of some 100 wines from 12 different vineyards from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Spain, South Africa and the US. The wines will be paired with a cocktail buffet prepared by the chefs of the Mandarin Oriental. Also aiming to be an informative ocassion for newbies, participation and commentary of some of the country’s most respected wine experts will be part of the programme, plus representatives from select wineries will be on hand to answer questions and share more information on the wines they represent.

Lots on auction were previewed at an inaugural cocktail last March 22 at the Salcedo Auctions in Tordesillas Street in Makati, with a lecture on "Old World vs New World Wines: Differences and Similarities" from wine connoisseurs Atty. Noel Ermitaño and Jay Labrador.

All Lots are posted at http://www.forthtay.com and http://www.salcedoauctions.com with printed and downloadable catalogues also available. Bids can be placed in person or by phone on the day of the auction.

Manila’s First Wines & Spirits Auction is hosted by Forth & Tay, the Philippines' leading direct merchant of fine wines and spirits together with Salcedo Auctions, the country's premier auction house and the Mandarin Oriental Manila. Part of the proceeds of this first auction will go to the Virlanie Foundation.

Entrance for the tasting, cocktail buffet and auction is P1,500. For reservations, you may contact Amz@forthtay.com or at telephone 828-1067 or mobile 0917-5599841.

MAROON 5 Live in Manila 2011 - Graduation Promo

Maroon 5, the grammy award winning group, will be back again in Manila for a concert as part of their world tour promoting their latest studio album "Hands All Over". The concert will be held on May 23, 2011 at 8 pm at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Grounds Pasay City.

Maroon 5 Live in Manila is offering a promo for the Graduates of Class 2011: get 10% off on the concert tickets if you buy within the period of March 19 to March 25, 2011 only. Buy your Gold tickets at P5,247, Silver at P2,862, and Bronze at P1,144.80. Original ticket prices are as follows: Gold P5,830, Silver P3,180, and Bronze P1,272. Hurry!!!

Tickets available at Ticketworld (891-9999) and SM Tickets (470-222).

What is Normal...Next to Normal?

I have no clue whatsoever on what the play “Next to Normal” was all about. All I know is that: a) it is an award winning rock musical -- winning the Outer Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Score in 2008; Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Orchestration in 2009; b) it is being staged by Atlantis Production in the Philippines as their 2011 season opener.

The story centers on a mother, Diana (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo), who struggles with worsening bipolar condition and the effect that her illness has on her family – loyal husband Dan (Jett Pangan), 16-year old daughter Natalie (Bea Garcia) and 18-year old son Gabriel (Felix Rivera). The musical also addressed such issues as accepting and grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, and medical ethics. Supporting characters are Henry (Markki Stroem), Natalie’s classmate and love interest, and Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden (Jake Macapagal). Bobby Garcia directed.

The play started light with a bit of happy singing and comedic lines. Then the surprises began to unravel before me as I sat front row at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza – I was expecting it to be a comedy but it turned out to be a tearjerker…sniff, sniff! Oh, and Jett Pangan played lead actor! I heard that The Dawn vocalist and front man has been acting/singing on stage but this was the first time I actually witnessed it. No questions on his vocal prowess there but I was amazed by his acting skills in a drama role. “Next to Normal” is a serious play yet something inside me expected him to belt out the signature song “Salamat” at the end of the play.

(L-R) Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Jett Pangan, Bea Garcia and Felix Rivera

My admiration for theater actors deepened as I felt their passion and saw their amazing ability to cry (shedding real tears) and sing perfectly at the same time. The feat would have been hard for mere mortals like me. So bravo!

I was touched by the story and felt a connection with the character of Diana, especially on the difficulty of letting go of memories of loved ones who passed away. Sometimes in this crazy world of ours, the only way to cope and remain sane is to hold on to those happy memories and forget the bad ones. If this is not normal…then what is?

“Next to Normal” will run from March 11 to 27, 2011 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Tickets are available at Atlantis Productions and Ticketworld.

Photos from Atlantis Productions

Fancy Having an Ostrich for a Pet?

It is my dream to one day own a farm and live away from the hustle and bustle of the metro. I want to grow my own plants and trees and even some farm animals…no wonder I got hooked with playing Farmville.

Endorser Kim Atienza at La Huerta Farms and Residences

A few weeks ago, I learned about this 50-hectare Sta. Lucia Land Inc. project called La Huerta Farm Estates in Calamba, Laguna, which is a farm and residence that features four concept farm clusters, namely: El Sol (The Sun); El Cielo (The Sky); La Luna (The Moon); and La Lluvia (The Rain), each having different landscaping to promote health and wellness. El Sol is enriched with medicinal plants with therapeutic benefits. El Cielo on the other hand allows residents to live near the ostrich farm (and even own such a bird) and enjoy the organic vegetables and herb gardens. La Luna offers a land of coffee and cacao and a romantic landscape decked with canopies. Lastly, La Lluvia features a colorful display of palm and flowering plants.

Not an expert in farming? La Huerta, through its staff of experts from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and in-house horticulturalists are ready to provide assistance. It will have a club house which will house a training center to help develop the farming skills of the homeowners.

If I can pick out one cluster where I would like to live in, whether for weekend breaks or for everyday, I would choose El Cielo. I can envision myself there planting and harvesting organic vegetables and herbs and even owning an ostrich as a pet. Well, I better master the skills now in virtual farming and buy a lotto ticket, too, for who knows I may one day be a proud homeowner in La Huerta.

Food & Wine Fest From Down-Under

Thoughts of Australia warm my heart. No, I haven’t been there but I once worked in a multinational financial services company, which mother-company is headquartered in Melbourne, and I’ve had a string of Australian bosses who acquainted me to their ways, and food and wine choices at business functions and parties. So when the invitation to preview the “A Taste of Australia” wine and food festival at the Oakroom Restaurant of Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center in Ortigas, I jumped at it to re-live a bit of my past.

I was expecting the usual crowd of people that I encounter in press conferences or launches but when I arrived at the posh venue, I only saw a long table for 20 people, just enough for selected guests from media, for Oakwood Premiere’s general manager, Brian Connelly, and public relations and marketing communications manager, Genny Puno, and Wine Depot’s Monette Atilano.

“We are thrilled to feature a range of great wines from the iconic Barossa and Eden valleys, known for its Shiraz and Riesling among others. The “aged” wines go well with the lamb and steak while the “Stumpies” – best while they are “young”, match the lighter fare,” shares Mr. Connelly.

To complement the wines, Oakwood Premier’s executive chef Jerome Cartailler, cooked up an Australian fare storm for us to sample.

The menu reads:

Chili and Pesto Bread
Pepper Berry Butter

Trio of Sydney Rock Oysters
Kilpatrick, Mornay and Florentine

Grant Burge Benchmark Chardonnay

***

Lamb Chop and Bay Bug
Grilled Australian lamb chops and slipper tail lobster
Bush tomato chutney and pesto mash

D’ Arenberg Stump Jump Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre

***

Sticky Date Pudding
Homemade Toffee Ice Cream
Coffee or Tea

As the chatter around the table began, the appetizer of Chili and Pesto Bread with Pepper Berry Butter was served. These bread flavors excited me and so I savored each bite – crusty on the outside but delightfully soft on the inside, with wonderful flavors and a touch of spice. The butter was creamy soft and had an interesting sweet-chili flavor brought about by Australian pepper berries.

Chili and Pesto Bread with Pepper Berry Butter

The next fare was a trio of Sydney rock oysters…oohhh! I love baked oysters! The first I tried was a Kilpatrick, which is basically baked oyster seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and topped with rashers of bacon and chopped parsley, which explains the smoky flavor and mild spice.

Kilpatrick Oyster

Next was a Mornay, baked oyster topped with a thick concoction of what seems to be milk, corn flour and cheese. This one serve at the Oakroom has a hint of fire because of the three red peppercorns added on top.

Mornay Oyster

The last oyster, a Florentine, had the oyster meat resting on top of a bed of spinach, flavored with bacon, parsley and chili. Upon seeing it, one would think it was just an innocent, yummy-looking oyster but I sensed a strong kick of chili in my mouth just before I swallowed it.

Florentine Oyster

The Grant Burge Benchmark Chardonnay (white wine) had mild fruity aroma and salty-citrus flavor that seemed to amplify the fire in my throat from eating the spicy Florentine oyster. What a way to start the meal!

For the entrée, Lamb Chop and Bay Bug were served. Bay bug? Oh, no! What a relief to learn that it was just a catchy alias for the slipper tail lobster. Whew! The tender lamb chop had a smoky flavor, which was intensified by the balsamic reduction sauce on the side. The pesto mash potato that came with it was heaven! I appreciated the mild pesto flavor and it was surprisingly light to the mouth and tummy. The lobster, which was probably the fattest and meatiest lobster I’ve seen and eaten in my life, was seasoned just right with salt and pepper. The bush tomato chutney’s sweetness provided an interesting contrast to the lobster and lamb while the grilled vegetables on the side was a good equalizer from the dish’s swirl of flavors. Salivating yet?

Lamb Chop and Bay Bug: grilled Australian lamb chops and slipper tail lonster with bush tomato chutney and pesto mash

The D’ Arenberg Stump Jump Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre (red wine) had a strong earthy aroma and a strong bitter-salty flavor appropriate for the lamb and lobster.

As the raves and discussions on the food served slowly tapered, hinting that the guests were fully satiated, out came the Sticky Date Pudding topped with Homemade Toffee Ice Cream and candied caramelized sugar. The ice cream was smooth and gelatinous, however it was too sweet for my palate when eaten alone. It was wonderful when eaten together with the pudding: the ice cream bringing out the nutty-fruity flavor of the pudding and the pudding taming the strong sweetness of the ice cream. This is the perfect time to rub a satisfied tummy!

Sticky Date Pudding with Homemade Toffee Ice Cream

Devour everything I have described here and more at the “A Taste of Australia” wine and food festival. It will run from March 7 to 27, 2011 and will feature three wines from Wine Depot (Grant Burge Benchmark Chardonnay, St. Hallet Faith Shiraz and Eden Valley Riesling and D’ Arenberg Stump Jump Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre) and a gastronomic feast from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) which includes Tajima Wagyu Beef Striploin, Braised Lamb Shank, Sautéed Barramundi Fillet and a selection of Australian cheeses.

Oakroom is on the 6th level of Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center Manila, located at 17 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig. For details and reservations, please call the Oakroom direct line at 719 1160 or visit www.oakwood.com.

No Day but Today...to Watch RENT

As Jonathan Larson described the play in a one-sentence summary, “RENT is about a community celebrating life, in the face of death and AIDS, at the turn of the century." It is about how a group of friends, dealing with drug problems and AIDS affliction, had to cope with the complications that came with the life they have. It is also about loving and fulfilling dreams and seizing the moment amidst chaos.

I’ve watched 9Works Theatrical’s initial staging of RENT last 2009 and I have yet to watch the movie version, but RENT 2011 has something new to offer: new cast members and new surprise moves (pole dancing) that came with better acting and singing performances.

RENT COUPLES: Roger & Mimi (left) Angel and Tom (right)

Gian Magdangal still plays Roger (with alternate Al Gatmaitan), a once successful but now struggling musician who, from the tragic suicide of his last girlfriend, fell in love with fellow AIDS victim Mimi; Fred Lo takes up the role of Mark again, Roger’s housemate and a not-so less fortunate young man who chose to live the Bohemian life to pursue his dreams of becoming a documentary filmmaker and was left by his girlfriend Maureen for a woman; Mimi, the drug dependent club dancer, formerly essayed by General Luna’s vocalist Nicole Asensio and alternate Cara Barredo, is now played by Gian’s real life partner Sheree Bautista (Viva Hot Babes) alternating with Ciara Sotto.

"La Vie Boheme"

Because of stage chemistry and their emotion-filled rendition of “I’ll Cover You,” Job Bautista and OJ Mariano are back again as Angel Dummott Schunard (a young drag queen) and Tom Collins (Angel’s love interest), respectively; performance artist/activist Maureen Johnson is again played by Carla Guevara-Laforteza who alternates with the youngest but equally talented cast member, Mian Dimacali; Jenny Villegas as Joanne Jefferson, a lawyer and Maureen’s lover; and Lorenz Martinez as Benjamin Coffin III, former roommate of Mark and Roger turned building’s landlord, who wants to turn it into a multimedia studio, complete the major characters.

The rest of the ensemble is composed of Peachy Atilano, Harold Cruz, Johann dela Fuente, Pam Imperial, Gary Junsay, Anna Santamaria, Alys Serdenia and Mark Tayag.

The cast gamely poses after their performance at the press preview.

So what did I look forward to on my second time to watch RENT? I was intrigued about the pole-dancing component in the choreography of the song “Out Tonight” and was anticipating to see Ciara Sotto play Mimi but it was Sheree Bautista who was on stage the night I watched. I got to say that she did pretty well, owing to the fact that she only started to learn pole dancing in January and has had only three lessons before opening night. What I didn’t expect was for Job Bautista, as Angel, to do some pole stunts as well, this despite the fact that he can leap and bound tables with grace and balance on high heels. Of course, what is RENT without the inspiring "No Day But Today" and the heart-warming “Seasons of Love?”

Girls just wanna have fun... from watching RENT.

What are you waiting for? Catch RENT at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater at RCBC Plaza, Makati, on the remaining show dates on February 25, 26, 27, and March 4, 5 & 6, 2011. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8:00 p.m., with 3:30 p.m. matinee show on Saturdays and 4:30 p.m. matinee show on Sundays. For more details and ticket information, visit www.9workstheatrical.com.

Thanks to 9Works and JOT for the opportunity. Thanks to sis Marj for lending me the cam for the pics.