PAC Philippines 2014 Contemporary Make-up Competition + a Giveaway [Closed]!

Hello dearies! It's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted something on the blog. The last few days had been really crazy as we had our 2-day orientation on our upcoming post-grad internship at the Philippine General Hospital (will do blog about that soon) which will be starting this 1st of May plus accomplishing some requirements in between.

Anyway, let's go back to business.

I recently visited Professional Artist Cosmetics (PAC) Philippines office in Makati and learned that they will be holding a make-up competition for Filipino make-up artists. PAC by Martha Tilaar, a cosmetic brand from Indonesia, is one of the luxurious brands that the Martha Tilaar Group boasts. It is the pioneer of professional Asian make-up envisioning itself to fulfilling the needs of make-up artists for color, quality & application. This year, PAC Philippines tied up with Cosmetologie and Philippine International Cosmetologists Association (PICA) to organize yet another search for home-grown professional make-up artists. 

The competition is open to all make-up artists without brand affiliation, ages 18 and above. Interested make-up artists must submit the following requirements sealed in a brown envelope:

1) A completed application form (available in all PAC outlets nationwide and on their Facebook page); and

2) Two (2) full page A4 photo of a bridal and avant garde look with a short description of the theme, inspiration and medium used

The entries may be sent personally or couriered to the PAC Head Office located at the ground floor of TAO Corporate Center 2291 Chino Roces Extension, Makati City OR  dropped off in any PAC outlet in Metro Manila on or before May 15, 2014. Only one (1) entry per make-up artist will be accepted. Strictly no editing, tampering or enhancing photos through photoshop.

Twenty (20) qualifiers will be chosen amongst all entrants and will attend an exclusive make-up training and workshop on May 26, 2014 with Yuan Sng, an internationally renowned make-up artist from Singapore and a guest judge on Asia’s Next Top Model.

The qualifiers will finally showcase their skills on May 27, 2014 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City, wherein only three (3) will be chosen to be part of the PAC Philippine Team. And what are at stake for these lucky winners? Oh! Just a PAC make-up worth P26,000 and all-expense paid trip to Jakarta, Indonesia to compete in the International Make-Up Competition as official PAC Philippine Representative to compete against all the best make-up artist in Asia. That awesome! 

So for all you make-up junkie, if you think you have what it takes to represent our country, now is your time to shine. Start sending your entries now!

And to help our friends from PAC Philippines to disseminate the info, please help me share about the upcoming 2014 Contemporary Make-up Competition to your friends and you might just win for yourself a PAC lipstick pouch + Free Make-Over worth P 1500 each. I'll be giving away two (2) GCs to one (1) very lucky winner. 

The gift certificates are redeemable at the following PAC counters nationwide:  

All you need to do is join through the Rafflecopter app below. You know the drill!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest ends on May 14, 2014. I will announce the name of the winner on my twitter account and through a post so make sure to check my blog from time to time. I will ship the prize free of charge.

Share away!

A Touch of Beijing: My First of Summer 2014

Summer has definitely started and my clock just started ticking. So to get the ball rolling, I started it with a perfect staycation in the bustling metro.

Since everybody knows I'm an online contest junkie, I joined a great deal of online contests and giveaways just before our clerkship ended and lucky to have won a free overnight accommodation and breakfast for two (2) in one of the 12 biggest and luxurious hotels in the metro. The said contest was sponsored by none other than, Philstar.com and Agoda.com. 

What's formerly called New World Renaissance Hotel is now refurbished to become the New World Hotel Makati. The hotel is strategically situated within the upscale Ayala area. So if you're the shopaholic type of person, you'll probably enjoy most of your stay since it's quite near a lot of malls like The Landmark, Glorietta and Greenbelt.

The parking area was located at the basement area. Even if there were ongoing wedding celebrations during our stay, we never had a problem finding an accessible parking space at that time. I only hoped the elevator from the basement parking opens up directly to the main hotel lobby so you don't need to go out the hotel first before coming in the hotel entrance. 

Upon entry to the main hotel lobby, we were welcomed by really polite attendants. I even heard one speak Mandarin to a Chinese guest at the lobby. Check-in was organized. Within a few minutes, we were on our short elevator ride to our room at 11th floor.

We stayed in a superior room with a queen-sized bed. There's a single couch, an arm chair and a small living room table. The cable LCD TV was mounted nearside the dressser. It would, however, be a little nice if it was not diagonal to the bed. The room was equipped with a small refrigerator, telephone, iron and ironing board and a safe for valuable things you might want to keep when you leave your room premises. It also has a mini-bar with sampler sizes of some liquors and tea and coffee maker. The air-conditioning is perfectly cool. The control for the air conditioning, lamps and sound is set in a single remote found at bedside. Sadly, the radio isn't working where we stayed. 

For those who might be asking and because I've read a lot of bad reviews re: their internet provision on foursquare when I checked-in, the wifi service is working perfectly well when we stayed there.

 

Each bathroom is equipped with a bath tub, shower, hairdryer and of course-- 'selfie' mirrors. There's actually a lot of them inside the room.

 

What I also liked about the hotel bathroom are the toiletries that smelled really good. There's only been very few hotels I visited where I used their toiletries. 

The hotel was pretty much provided with facilities you need for a much needed recreation. The fitness center is located at the 3rd floor and is open 24 hours. It's furnished with weights, aerobics, steam and sauna rooms, private massage rooms, lockers and shower rooms. I've completely forgotten to take good pictures of the steam and sauna rooms, my bad.

The splash pool bar is located at the 4th floor and is open from 7 am to 7 pm on weekends. They have created a poolside bar offering light snacks and thirst quenchers. The pool is atop the fitness center and there's a nice passageway between the two without having to enter the hotel premises.

The hotel also houses the Marahai spa at the 3rd floor which offers massage, facial and body treatments. This is open from 10 am to 1 am daily.

Food will never be a problem for staycationers like me. The hotel has 4 dining rooms to chose from. Jasmine restaurant at the 2nd floor offers a wide array of Cantonese cuisine and dimsums to choose from. The Lounge and the Bar Rouge at the lobby serves cocktails and light snacks. Of course, you wouldn't want to miss the breakfast/lunch/dinner buffet at Cafe 1228 where they served Asian and Continental food everyday.

We had our buffet breakfast at Cafe 1228. I love the modern ambiance of the dining area. We were ushered to our own table by the windows upon entry. They served us with coffee and tea--in a pot! So you can have your own cup repeatedly filled if you want. But you can also serve yourself juice or puree of your choice from their drinks station.

Below are photos of the food stations. I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures, then, because I busied myself with binge-eating. Haha.

 My first stop will always be dimsum.

Turning Japanese-ah!

Crispy bacons is a must-try!

They serve this everyday. Feels like Christmas!

Bread and cheese are the perfect pair!

 

Pimp your own pancake/waffle.

 

You can always choose healthy.

And here are my plates.

That, folks, concludes our short and sweet stay at New World Hotel Makati-- my first R&R for Summer 2014.

New World Hotel Makati

Esperanza Street corner Makati Avenue, 

Ayala Center, Makati

Tel: +632 811 6888

Treats for 2014 Graduates

It's official! 

I am graduating this April. I am sharing that same 'kilig' with all the other graduates this 2014. All those 3 years of inside the classroom and 1 year on the halls of Ospital ng Maynila, I will finally bid goodbye to medical school in a few weeks. Although, there has been quite some graduation issues going on around our alma mater right now, I am pretty positive that it will push through and that of course, we'll be finally entering the much-awaited post-grad internship this coming May.

Many of you are probably are still on the never-ending stage of searching for that perfect graduation dress, shoes, hair dos, etc. And I swear, I just at the same phase with you guys. But since I've always believe in Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, I put the search for my after-graduation dining experience first on the list. Hahaha! So to help you guys with the search, I have listed some of the restaurant deals and promos in and around the metro for you, 2014 graduates.

Free Buffet for Graduates of 2014

1) Dads Saisaki Kamayan invites new graduates to dine on their graduation day or up to 7 seven days after in any of their participating restaurants. Just tag along at least 2 paying guests and present your diploma, graduation photo or graduation program/ceremony invitation with the name of the graduate on it. The promo is valid until May 15 at any of their participating branches: SM Megamall, Glorietta, EDSA, West Avenue and Padre Faura. Visit http://kamayansaisakidads.com/ for more details.

2) Viking's: A Feast from the Sea salutes the graduates of 2014 by offering them a free weekday lunch buffet to every graduating student of 2014 accompanied by at least 3 full paying guests. They just need to present their diploma, graduation photo or graduation program/ceremony invitation with the name of the graduate on it. The promo will run until April 30, 2014 and is valid at all Viking's branches.

3) Traders Hotel presents their "Graduates eat for free" promo to all 2014 graduates. They can enjoy a complimentary lunch or dinner buffet at Latitude when they dine with at least 4 paying guests. Again, a school ID and diploma or graduation invitation should be presented to avail of the promo.

4) The Food Club Manila also treats new graduates to a free lunch or dinner buffet. Plus, graduates get to enjoy customized miniature graduation cakes from The Food Club chef and a special gift to those graduating with honors. A diploma or any proof of graduation is all you need to bring to avail of this promo.

5) Sambokojin celebrates this new milestone with graduates as they offer free buffet for every graduating student of 2014 on the day of their commencement exercises up to 7 days after in any of their participating restaurants. Just tag along at least 2 full paying patrons and present your diploma, graduation photo or graduation program/ceremony invitation with the name of the graduate on it. They also give free souvenir for all graduates who dine. The promo is available until May 15, 2014.

6) Eastwood Richmonde Hotel toasts the Class of 2014 with a free weekday lunch or Friday dinner buffet. Just bring with you a proof of graduation and 5 paying guests and the meal is on them. The graduates also get the chance to win discounts or gift certificates for complimentary buffets and even an overnight stay. 

7) Dusit Thani Manila gives the graduates of 2014 a much deserved toast by letting them dine for free if dining with three of their family members or friends from March 24 until end of April 2014. A copy of the diploma or certificate is required to enjoy the privilege. 

 

Other Freebies and Discounts

1) The Aristocrat Restaurant is treating graduates to a free big leche flan for every P1,500 single-receipt purchase worth of food at any Aristocrat Restaurant branch. The promo is valid until April 30, 2014 only. Visit http://www.aristocrat.com.ph/ for any upcoming updates and promos. 

2) Happy Lemon offers 4+1 treat on their milk tea series to 2014 graduates. For every 4 large milk tea you buy, you get one free milk tea of the same size by just presenting your school ID. This offer is valid every Monday to Thursday from 11 am to 7 pm and for both dine-in and take-out orders. You can visit Happy Lemon Philippines' Facebook page for more details and updates. 

3) Red Kimono is giving away sweet treats for new graduates as they offer free dessert of their choice on a minimum P2,000 food purchase. This promo is available at their One Parkade and U.P. Ayala Land Technohub branches. Newly grads can choose among these tempting desserts: green tea ice cream, chocolate balls, mango and green panna cota, green tea halo-halo, red kimochi and buko pandan. Their Glorietta branch also offers a free dessert for a minimum P1,000 food purchase. The graduates will need to present their their school or diploma. Valid until April 15, 2014. You can visit http://redkimono.com.ph/sweet-treats-graduates/ to view the promo poster. 

4) Crowne Plaza Manila
   a) Seven Corners treats graduates to a complimentary customized home-made ice cream creation for buffet dine-in customers.
   b) Xin Tian Di Restaurant gives 20% discount to 2014 celebrants on a 10-course graduation menu for P 14,800++. The guest will also receive a free Twinings tea set for every 2 carafe orders of Strawberry Mango Delight. This offer is available until March 31, 2014 only.


That's a lotta calories for you. It's cheat day on graduation day, anyway. 

So to the graduates of Class 2014, seize the day! Congratulations! :)

A Day at Fun Ranch

Recently, I won a loot of prizes from Mommy Practicality's Grand Christmas giveaway. Included in it was a Fun Ranch Playdium Unlimited Play and Ride-All-You-Can Tag. Of course, my son was so ecstatic. He can't seem to contain his excitement over the days that passed by. But I had it scheduled on my weekends off as usual so I won't be too tired to be rushing to go home. After all, my weekends off is quality time for the family.

So on one weekend of February, we tagged along my sister and niece to come play with Nathan. We used the tags at Fun Ranch's West Gate Alabang branch. This branch is a little smaller than the one in Ortigas but it's the one nearer our place so we decided to use it there instead. Unfortunately, the front desk informed ride-all-you-can tag can only be used in their Ortigas branch because most of the rides in Alabang are under renovation at that time. So we were only able to use the unlimited play certificate. Nevertheless, it was one day of pure bliss for the little kids.

So let's start this little adventure. The playdium is an indoor playground equipped with different recreational and fun-filled activities for your kids. You never have to really worry about having your kids hurt all the time, because the whole playdium is made from child-friendly material (exception is of course, if kids get too rowdy at play).

  

They have small slides for ages 1-3 and bigger ones for ages 4 and above. But your kid could also experience the bigger one if accompanied by an adult.  I had to let Nathan also experience the bigger one and I ended up having a little heart attack myself. Haha.

 

This is our favorite spot amongst all. A pool of balls. The balls are made from soft and lightweight material so wouldn't hurt if kids start throwing at each other.
 

Since there aren't too many rides at the branch, Nathan gave a try at the bumper cars. Their big bumper boats, kiddie bumper boats and others are under renovation.

 

Their cutie ferris wheel.

These are the kids on our way home after a whole afternoon of play.

 

The 4 long hours of play was truly a tiring one. I cannot fathom where all these kids' energy come from. But I am very happy that Nathan did enjoy his short stay there and I promised that we will come back real soon. I also hope that we could visit their Ortigas branch this summer so we could try the other rides.

Fun Ranch is open from Mondays-Sundays, so moms and dads, you can pretty much schedule your visit any time within the week. They are even open on holidays, too. You can tag along your child's cousins or neighbors so it'd be more fun. And oh, never forget to wear or bring a pair of socks. Haha!

The playdium indoor playground unlimited play rates are as follows:

Ortigas branch:  P 300/ weekdays
                            P 350/ weekends

Alabang branch:  P 340/ weekdays
                             P 390/ weekends

For more information on Fun Ranch and what they have to offer, you can visit the following sites:

 http://kidsrulehere.com/

https://www.facebook.com/funranch 

From-Clerkship

I wish I was counting down the hours as the most awaited day of clerkship came in. Instead, I was busy rushing through the halls of the hospital carrying out doctors’ orders and making referrals. Like probably most other clerks on duty that night, I just had one hell of a regular toxic tour of duty (or so I hope). A few minutes before my from-duty co-clerks have left that day, a patient was even intubated, CVP inserted and more lab requests were requested. So I was technically hooked to that single toxic patient, whom to my comfort, had survived the whole night.

So even if the husband appeared at 12 midnight for a supposedly very late dinner, the idea of having a chat with him for a few more minutes was more of a suicide and so I allowed him to go home. I was fortunate, though, to sleep a few good 3 hours (waking up in between, of course, to check on the patients) only to panic when I wake up because new patients got admitted at the wards and I have yet to do my chart rounds for the night. My ward companion, Cheenee, should be updating all papers to be endorsed to incoming clerks but since I seem to have been jinxed on insertions that night, she had to cover up on me from time to time.

At 8:00 a.m., I still had to refer 2 patients for emergency appendectomy. I also had 2 exams waiting for me—the Surgery exit exam I had to finish in 15 minutes, according to the clerk’s monitor, because my Ophtha exit exam is scheduled to start at exactly 9:00 a.m. My mind was just a total blur upon taking those exams. I would just wish for a decent score.

So my official last day of clerkship ended at exactly 11:00 a.m. Hooray! That was a bit late but all I really cared about, then, was me finally going home.

12 months. 6 rotations. Quite a number of stories to share. Truly, OMMC clerkship is one hell of a roller coaster ride. It is where the unimaginable becomes your reality and toxicity your way of life.

Junior intern Resuello now signing off. 

P.S.

I will write about my obligatory acknowledgement soon. Haha!