Meeting Yeng Constantino

I watched Pinoy Dream Academy a few years ago and in some whiz of nature I wanted to actually join that competition. I'm a song writer/lyricist but I haven't gone out of my way and put music to some of my creations because I'm handicapped in picking up instruments even though I know what it'll sound in my head. This is why I'm so envious of Yeng Constantino. Aside from her off the wall understanding of her craft, she's one badass songwriter and singer. It was indeed an honor to have met her in person last week. I've asked a couple of questions too and she never hesitated to tell me point blank about what she's done so far; years after her win in PDA. Some small disappointments or challenges never stopped her from fulfilling her dreams. So from the success of her first concert, here she is again in "RakenRol Jamming" slated August 5, Friday at 8PM. This is her second major concert and I'm so excited that I'm going!

She was so nice. I never felt any aura of divaness (if there is such a word) from her. She was very willing to talk intimately while she sat with us at lunch. Now I know why she is well loved by her minions; she's genuinely nice and candid. I see the difference between her and some other stars, she loved her craft and she wants to pay homage to what she believes is true to her music. She says she owes to her fans and believes that the right formula is staying to her roots and genre, a fact that put her in a Pop Rock Princess title when she started!

I loved how she showed us her newest baby! From Star Records comes "YENG VERSIONS LIVE". It's a compilation of 70's, 80's and 90's music. All of these were done on her terms so Yengsters and everyone should expect the best recordings of her performances then and now. I'm so excited for her, she was so proud to see this new album that afternoon. I'm sure when they see the concert at the ALIW theater she'll give them one heck of a dosage of what Yeng Constantino really is. They gave her lee way to do her version of Florante, Eheads, Blue Jeans, Apo, and Yano's music. Just imagine those classic hits brought to life again from the one and only Pop Rock Princess of the Philippines!

Here's an excerpt of the interview!

To Ms. Yeng Constantino, thank you so much for the chance to interview you. You are a very genuine person and I'm sure you'll go a long way in the music industry! Continue doing what you do best because that's how everyone loved you in the first place... Everybody is eagerly awaiting your concert in ALIW Theater this August 5. Ngayon pa lang CONGRATULATIONS! :)

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Yeng Constantino

The Proposal

It was a big secret and I was into it. I didn't really know what would happen that day; but since he's my cousin I went ahead and said yes for all the wrong (of course not!) and right reasons. I was happy for him and true enough we went ahead with the plan. The plan was for him to settle down but this wasn't an ordinary way to do it! He's got their engagement rings set, wedding rings and the whole brouhaha organized in just a couple of days. I was so glad to be a part of it!

I went up this huge building over the metro's business district and waited an hour or two. It was a radio station and the DJ was a friend of my cousin. They talked about this already so I didn't really have to brief them. When they arrived everyone became nervous. I didn't know how to shoot them secretly or even look at them straight in the eye. Since I was there already I just went with the flow. The DJ started a topic about traffic and higher toll fees during the show while we sat on the side and listened. They asked a question or two from callers and proceeded to ask my cousin. They pretended to ask around again and did it to the pretty young lady in this story. She didn't even want to move to the microphone and begged off to be aired on national radio. When she did they asked more questions. My cousin almost fainted from nervousness but went ahead and popped the question. Out came the gorgeous ring and she was really surprised! People became teary eyed in the station. I started shooting and even tried to manage to get a video recording. The moments were precious and I didn't want to lose any detail. It was heartwarming and something out of the ordinary. She gave a resounding YES to him. We smiled, he got relieved and cried (of course he won't admit that!). It was nice to see them so in love with each other. It was one of the nicest things I've ever seen in my life. I'm happy for my cousin and his fiancée. Really happy!


They just asked everyone to save the date on January and I'm sure this will be so much fun! I'm very happy his fiancée will soon be part of our family. I hope for the best on their wedding day!

Congratulations!

Shopping, Transferring Funds Online Made Easy Through the eMoney XChange Service

Online transactions are very risky and I know how Filipinos tend to shy away from purchasing things online; but in this day and age there are SO MANY BANKS/SERVICES OUT THERE that you can't decide where to go to and how. This is what network giant Globe (G-Xchange, Inc. thru GCASH Services) and banking powerhouse Unionbank of the Philippines (EON, E-Wallet, ePayCard, Savings and Checking Accounts) are gunning to simplify. Watch how they do this now with better choices and naxinizw Internet related secured connectivity.

Purchasing through online retail stores like Amazon, Ebay or Multiply these card and GCASH services are but of a normal sight. Some prefer GCASH or the EON Card/Visa services or Paypal debit transactions in order to pay for products they want to buy. This is a huge market indeed and in order to make things better for all consumers G-Xchange and Union Bank of the Philippines joined forces to bring you a partnership that would benefit all of us... it's called eMoney XCHANGE.

Let me tell you why online shoppers and bloggers prefer UNIONBANK's EON Card first over the other banks. First of all, there are only a few reputable paying services in the United States/Philippines and if you are getting financial transactions over the Internet the preferred medium is Paypal. Before you can get your Paypal Account registered it asks for a bank number. This particular number isn't normally given nor well known by banks. This information is readily available though on the Internet for UNIONBANK of the Philippines and they only charge a very minimal amount every time you transfer funds. The EON card is the best in the market for this function. Probably 80% of social media users like me use their EON Card because they only charge 50 pesos for it plus no maintaining balance to worry about. The 250 peso fee per annum is so cheap. Did you know that the other banks would charge you a whopping 250 - to a few thousand of pesos per transaction just for that function alone to work? That's a holdup in my dictionary. This card also connected to Bancnet/Megalink/Expressnet so you get the easiest ways to pay for your bills and local purchases (if you want to use it as a debit card). Do you now see my point why why I chose to get an EON Card?

Globe on the other hand through it's subsidiary G-Xchange Incorporated's GCASH has been making Filipino lives easier these past few years. Remittances (from OFW's and your relatives) and purchases in the local market has been done on this medium and preferred by more establishments - websites nationwide. I use it to even purchase products for photography on merchant place Multiply and haven't got any hitches at all. If there's a partner establishment outside the Philippines I'm sure it will be easy to get your money to the Philippines with GCASH facilities less the humongous bank fees associated with that. With this synnergy Globe is excited to partner up with Union Bank of the Philippines and make things better for you and me. You can now transfer funds from the EON Card and your Globe Handyphone!

How?! That's Easy!

To transfer Money from your Globe GCASH wallet to your preferred Union Bank of the Philippines Account just text G2U space and send it to 2318. This will only charge you 7.50 pesos per transaction. If you want to transfer funds from your Union Bank Account to your Globe GCASH Wallet Text U2G space and send it to 2318 also. Same charges apply. To inquire for your balance in the Union Bank account just text BAL to 2318 and they will charge you only 2.50 pesos for that! Isn't that a steal?!

If you haven't activated your GCASH services on your Globe Handyphone here's how!

Go to the Globe Postpaid and Prepaid Icon (Settings>Phone>Sim Applications if you are using an IPHONE). In the GCASH menu select Register and follow the instructions indicated. You can now easily put funds on your GCASH Wallet through available 18,000++ stores nationwide.

How do I enroll to the Service?!

Call Union Bank of the Philippines at their customer hotline number 841-86-00 and register your account and Globe Mobile number. You shall receive a text message containing instructions on how to activate it. Please visit their website for more information!

With the addition of these services to their current portfolio, Globe and Union Bank of the Philippines would service more small to medium enterprise/small depositors and make their lives easier with this cooperation. In the end they only want to take care of their customers, I'm one of them; and hopefully you would soon be too!

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http://www.unionbankph.com/
http://www.globe.com.ph/gcash

or call 2882 for FREE from your Globe or TM mobile phone for more information.



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Kapish?!

Divine Lapostolle Wine

Classy, elegant, bold, crisp, sweet and flavorful... those are just some of the things that lingered in my mind after I tasted my first glass of Casa Lapostolle. We graced an intimate luncheon last Tuesday with Señor Diego Urra and the good people from Hennessy Philippines.

I am not a stranger to wine and spirits as you may probably know. On family and special occasions, it's automatic that we have one of these. Yes, we probably have a lot of choices in local winery's and supermarkets; Spanish, Californian, French, Italian or Australian; but my family insists on getting the best... we prefer Chilean Wine among others.

We're not formally trained or expert Sommeliers' by any standards but we know these things by heart. It's like second nature to me and my folks but of course... still unofficial. The gusto to this particular region meant one thing, we probably have "taste". Since we didn't know that much about country, we were somewhat given an overview on why the quality of their products stand out from those that originated from other vineyards.

Chile is surrounded by the Andes Mountains in the right and a coastal region on the left. They also have the driest desert in the world on the North and the Antarctica down South.

Most of the vineyards are situated on flatlands right below the mountains; perfect for growing these precious fruit that produce their world class wine. The four seasons; changes the harvest time every year but experts on Casa Lapostolle's vineyards see to it that they produce the best ones still. The purity of actual vines, some of which were planted 80-90 years ago plus some of the best new ones create the best flavors that we were able to taste that afternoon. Their Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay had that acidity, sweetness, light and still kept fresh all throughout even when I started to close my eyes after that first sip. It was one of the; IF NOT THE BEST I've ever tasted and people on the same table agreed.

The Cuvee Alexandre Merlot on the other hand was strong, bolder and had that Whole taste. It was perfect for the steak strips I had in my salad, the latter was blissful for the appetizers too. It would have been perfect to pair it with a scrumptious mildly spiced Black Angus/Wagyu Beef steak cooked medium rare. It wouldn't be defeated easily because of its flavorful tones that complement that savory lunch or intimate dinner we all wish for. This would be an excellent wine for special occasions (ie dates, parties). You know this blend was worked on for generations and you can't fool the connoisseur in me when it comes to that. Plus, I can even see this used in a reduction making it sweeter for a gourmet sauce... though some might see that a waste of good wine and by all means I agree... a good drinking wine after all is best for that (see?? I picked up something from Rachel Ray/Martha Stewart/Wolfgang Puck)!

Then comes the pièce de résistance called Clos Apalta, Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle's and her team's offering! This has been regarded as the world's best in 2008 easily because of it's rich velvety flavor. A combination of the Chilean Carmenère variety (grown in small quantities in this specific region), Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; this proves to be the right formula to bring out the best product their vineyards has ever produced; consequently ranks number 1 in the world. I've tasted some of the best wines the Philippine market already has but this one is mighty different. When it touches your palate you KNOW you are tasting something special. These are the ones where you automatically close your eyes and feel how rich it is. Sometimes you ask yourself; how in the world can you go wrong with a purely organic process? It's one that is done by hands... by bio dynamic procedures which only produces the best and environmentally safe wine known to man. Imagine those berries picked one by one; clusters on it's ripest form. You definitely are sure that you never sacrificed quality when you get something this special on your table.

Need I say more?!

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Lapostolle Wine