Enjoying Wonderful World

February 11, 2015

SM City Baguio to install Rainwater Catchment Tanks

Rain is a blessing of nature. Rainwater - good water with unlimited uses.

There are many ways to save water — conservation, passive rainwater catchment, onsite recycling (i.e., greywater) and active rainwater catchment. All of these methods require that you actively manage your water use, as opposed to just paying your bill each month and not thinking about how much water you use.

We use rainwater for a variety of purposes including drinking, washing and irrigation. But, rainwater can be highly polluted and not suitable for use. Still, it is one of our purest sources for water and with the right treatment, it has many uses. When rain falls onto a polluted roadway or roof it becomes contaminated with everything it touches. But before it hits the ground, rainwater is relatively pure. Compared to well water (i.e., groundwater), which is typically very high in minerals, rainwater is cleaner and easier to purify. And unlike the water in lakes and streams (i.e., surface water), rainwater contains no pharmaceuticals, minerals or pollutants.

The Philippines is regularly in the firing line for powerful typhoons.Torrential rains brought the Philippine to a standstill, submerging some areas in waist-deep floodwaters.

Despite its elevated location, Baguio City is susceptible to floods. In 2012, tropical storm Helen left the city submerged, and in 2013, typhoon Labuyo mirrored the devastation brought by its predecessor. More recent atmospheric aberrations tell us that more will come.

Because of its cool climate, Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the "Summer Capital" of the Philippines. Baguio City, the coolest but also the wettest city, occupies about 57 SQM of hilly land surface in the southwestern portion of the Cordillera region with an average of around 700mm (28in) of rainfall or precipitation during the months of July and August. The wettest and coolest month is August (as with the rest of Luzon)

One of the ways floodwater can be reduced is through the use of rainwater catchment tanks. Apart from lessening the enormous amount of water that can flood households and businesses, there are many uses for stored water, such as irrigation, watering of plants, and other non-potable uses.

SM Malls came up with the idea to convert rain water to something useful through the use of rainwater catchment tanks. SM in Baguio City plans to build a rainwater catchment tank to capture rainwater. After being treated by a sewage treatment plant, the rainwater will be reused by the mall in its operation, instead of sourcing its requirements from the local water district.

This process is already being used with success in SM Masinag in Antipolo and SM BF in Parañaque.

SM details of their new design for the mall redevelopment but hinted the same Green Building Council approved design with energy-efficient lighting and water conservation components will still be utilized. This includes a rain catchment basin to help save run-off water and prevent soil erosion.

SM Baguio Sky Park Project: The development plans of SM Baguio, in the context of long-term or sustainable intervention to years of environmental degradation.

Rainwater is one of the advantageous methods of using natural water in a sustainable manner.

Rainwater harvesting system offers sufficient amount of water and energy savings through lower consumption. Moreover, considering the cost for installation and maintenance expenses, the system is effective and economical. Rainwater harvesting is the most traditional and sustainable method, which could be easily used for potable and nonpotable purposes both in residential and commercial buildings.

Rainwater harvesting could be the most sustainable solution to be included in the urban water management system. It could mitigate the water crisis problem, reduce the burden on traditional water sources, alleviate nonpoint source pollutant loads, control water logging problems, prevent flooding, help in controlling climate change impacts, contribute to the storm water management

Capturing rain where it falls or capturing the run off in your own village or town and taking measures to keep that water clean by not allowing polluting activities to take place in the catchment.

Rainwater harvesting suitable for work as well as at home, in schools, hospitals, offices, commercial premises, rainwater can typically be used for toilets, vehicle washing, yard washdown and watering plant pots/gardens.

In general, water harvesting is the activity of direct collection of rainwater. The rainwater collected can be stored for direct use or can be recharged into the groundwater. Rain is the first form of water that we know in the hydrological cycle, hence is a primary source of water for us. Rivers, lakes and groundwater are all secondary sources of water.

In present times, we depend entirely on such secondary sources of water. In the process, it is forgotten that rain is the ultimate source that feeds all these secondary sources and remain ignorant of its value. Water harvesting means to understand the value of rain, and to make optimum use of the rainwater at the place where it falls.

7-Eleven launches City Blends, the honest-to-goodness coffee

Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), country licensee of leading convenience store chain, 7-Eleven, launched its newest coffee brand, City Blends.

City Blends by 7-Eleven promises its convenient, fresh, and rich and flavorful coffee that is affordable and easily accessible. Now open in 258 stores in select locations in Metro Manila, 7-Eleven plans to roll out City Blends to 700 stores by the end of the year. City Blends will also be brewing soon in Visayas.

7-Eleven first launched its coffee program in 2007 to complete its line-up of beverage offerings. Since then, 7-Eleven coffee has been carefully developed to suit the needs of its customers and has evolved into City Blends, which was launched last January.

What is City Blends?

City Blends by 7-Eleven is honest-to-goodness coffee. 7-Eleven guarantees that its coffee is freshly made, every single time.

Each cup is made with 100% Arabica beans that are freshly ground right in front of you. Customers can be sure to enjoy quality coffee that’s both convenient and affordable.

Aside from its brewed coffee, City Blends also offers other flavors such as French Vanilla, Mochaccino, and Hershey’s Dark Chocolate.

It only takes a few seconds for the dispenser to finish making your cup of chosen coffee or hot chocolate.

So affordable that it starts at only P20! Pay for your order at the counter and enjoy your City Blends coffee!

City Blends Valentines’ Promo

To kick off the celebration of the love month and make things more exciting, 7- Eleven is launching a special Valentine’s promo.

Starting February 11 to 24, 2015, City Blends will give its customers the chance to express themselves honestly through the City Blends Honest Cups.

For only P20, customers can choose from the 3 limited edition 8oz. Honest Cups: Single, Taken, or It’s Complicated. And to make things more fun, the Honest Cups come with a blank space where you can explain your status.

Customers are encouraged to celebrate Valentines with fresh, real coffee and express themselves whatever their current relationship status may be.

They are also encouraged to share their personalized Honest Cups on social media using the hashtags #711CityBlends #Honestly

City Blends also offers other flavors such as their bestseller French Vanilla, Mochaccino, and most importantly Hershey’s Dark Chocolate.

I am a coffee lover (coffee addict) and I love hot chocolate too. You can then add sugar and cream to your cup depending on your preference. And if you want iced coffee or iced chocolate too, just go to the soda vending machine and put ice on your cup!

Visit 7-Eleven stores where it can be found in many areas in the country, and almost any street corner. Go and It’s time to get honest with a cup of City Blends coffee!

7-Eleven Philippines

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February 10, 2015

Xian Lim voices Paddington in PH release

Filipino-Chinese-American actor Xian Lim is the featured voice of Paddington Bear in the movie scheduled for release in the Philippines this February.

Actor Xian Lim was handpicked by the producers of “Paddington” to voice the eponymous character after he auditioned for the role by sending voice tapes to Studio Canal in London.

The producers said that the Filipino-Chinese actor’s voice resembled the original voice of Paddington by Ben Whishaw.

“Paddington” the film adaptation is produced by the team of the Harry Potter series. Producer David Heyman approved the choice of Lim to voice Paddington in the Philippine version of the movie. Ben Whihshaw is Paddington in the United States and other international releases.

It is Xian’s first time to do voice acting for an animation film and shares his excitement on his lending his voice to the iconic bear of the United Kingdom.

“It excites me, this is a new venture and because it’s not easy to land in this kind of project.”

Xiam also expressed his amazement at being part of a series that he used to watch as a child.

PADDINGTON brings together an all-star cast, with Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins as Mr. & Mrs. Brown, Nicole Kidman as the evil taxidermist, Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird the housekeeper, Jim Broadbent as Mr. Gruber the owner of the antiques shop and Peter Capaldi as the Browns' neighbour, Mr. Curry.

The film is directed by Paul King and produced by David Heyman.

The story plot has the talking bear travelling from the jungles of Peru to the city of London searching for a home and meets the Brown family at Paddington train station. His bear name sounded too complicated and his foster family gives him the name of the station as his new name.

Paddington has grown up deep in the Peruvian jungle with his Aunt Lucy who, inspired by a chance encounter with an English explorer, has raised her nephew to dream of an exciting life in London. When an earthquake destroys their home, Aunt Lucy decides to smuggle her young nephew on board a boat bound for England, in search of a better life. Arriving alone at Paddington Station, Paddington soon finds that city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kindly Brown family, who find him with a label tied around his neck which reads ‘Please look after this bear. Thank you.’ They offer him a temporary home whilst he searches for the explorer who impressed Aunt Lucy all those years before.

But when Paddington catches the eye of a sinister, seductive taxidermist, it isn’t long before his home – and very existence – is under threat.

February 9, 2015

Anthony Bourdain: PARTS UNKNOWN

Anthony Bourdain is back for more culinary adventures in ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN. This season, the well-known chef-gourmand sets out to explore lesser known places of Punjab, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, Lyon, Mexico, Mississippi and Las Vegas; areas that hold unique people, food and culture.

In each episode, Anthony taps locals and friends, including world-renowned chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud, famed nouvelle cuisine chef Paul Bocuse, magician Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, and revered poet and award-winning peace activist Javier Sicilia.

Chef, best-selling author and travelling gourmand Anthony Bourdain returns in an all-new season of the Emmy award-winning series ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN. Anthony travels to the lesser-known areas of beautiful Punjab, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, Lyon, Mexico, Mississippi and Las Vegas, steering off classic tourist tracks and traps, to expose and celebrate the people, unique culture, food, history and stories that make each place truly special. ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN premieres every Tuesday at 10 p.m. starting February 10, exclusively on TLC (available nationwide in the Philippines on every major cable, DTH and local provincial operator).

An eight-part series, each episode spotlights intriguing places, tastes, sights and sounds waiting to be explored. For insider tips and the best experiences, Anthony taps into the locals as well as a few friends and influential figures including world-renowned chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud, famed nouvelle cuisine chef Paul Bocuse, magician Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, and revered poet and award-winning peace activist Javier Sicilia.

In Thailand, Anthony explores Chiang Mai with award-winning chef and author Andy Ricker of Pok Pok restaurant fame. Anthony likens his experience in Northern Thailand to discovering a colour he never knew existed. “The food here is not pad thai or green curry chicken. There are complex layers of flavour, sophisticated balances, spicy, sour, a little bitter, salty, herby. Colour and texture are important. Crispy, soft, cold, hot. It's exactly this interplay between elements that makes Northern Thai food so thrilling and so addictive,” he says.

Anthony’s journey of Punjab begins in Amritsar, where, in his words, much of the good stuff we refer to simply as Indian food comes from. He visits Guru ka Langar – a free vegetarian community kitchen, where the simple philosophy is two-fold: to provide training to the Sikhs in voluntary service, and to eradicate social classifications – all human beings regardless of caste, colour, religion or nationality may sit and eat a delicious meal here.

Over in Lyon, France, Anthony travels with legendary chef Daniel Boulud. Inside the cathedral of nouvelle cuisine that is globally celebrated chef Paul Bocuse’s three-Michelin star L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, Anthony and Daniel are treated to a meal of a lifetime – a greatest hits feast looking at Paul’s legendary career. The trip ends with a visit to Daniel’s family farm, where they all get together and prepare some rustic country dishes from the private Boulud cookbook.

Rediscover these and other popular tourist destinations through Anthony’s unique experiences, presented in his inimitable style. ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN encores every Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and Saturday at 9:00 p.m.

TLC is a global lifestyle and entertainment destination, presenting non-scripted and scripted programming featuring real life stories and universal themes that resonate with viewers around the world. TLC’s programming is told through the lens of larger than life characters and adaptable formats, celebrating everything from relationships and life stages, to makeover and transformation to food and travel. Launched in Asia Pacific on September 1, 2010, TLC is currently distributed to over 148 million subscribers in the region.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content on worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and Science, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Discovery also controls Eurosport International, a premier sports entertainment group, including six pay-TV network brands across Europe and Asia. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education, and a digital leader with a diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks. In Asia Pacific, 15 Discovery brands reach 652 million cumulative subscribers in 38 countries and territories with programming customized in 15 languages and dialects. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN 3
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS

Episode 1: Las Vegas

Together with food author friend Michael Ruhlman, Anthony experiences something very few ever get to – meals at the ultra-exclusive Hadrian Villa and Jose Andres’ restaurant, é. Magician Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller joins Tony at Raku for some sushi and to talk about working in Vegas and the dying art of the lounge act. Finally, Anthony learns about the mind-boggling money-making engine that is the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) club scene where a table can cost USD$20,000.

Episode 2: Punjab

Starting off in Amritsar, Anthony is immediately struck by the chaos of people, cars, trucks, bikes, tuk tuks, livestock and hawkers in a constant state of motion. Just as colourful is the city’s rich culinary heritage; an incredible spread of hearty, local eats worthy to be every Indian food lover’s dream destination.

Episode 3: Lyon

Anthony accompanies legendary chef Daniel Boulud on a trip back to Daniel’s hometown of Lyon, France, for a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage of the city’s rich food culture and legendary chefs. In addition to the intense culinary journey Anthony and Daniel take, the episode also examines the history of French gastronomy and Lyon’s intimate ties to the field’s top players. One in particular is Paul Bocuse – Lyon (and France’s) kingpin, near-mythical innovator of nouvelle cuisine who still reigns over the city.

Episode 4: Mexico

Mexico is a nation full of fighters; a tradition that’s evolved from the Aztec and Mayan warriors to the revolutionaries who threw off the yoke of Spanish imperialism. Today, determination and a fierce independent spirit continue to define the country. Anthony travels to Oaxaca and Cuernavaca to meet the people who fight for the food, art and lives they believe in; among them is boxer Jorge Lacierva. Anthony joins Jorge at a cheap fonda, the place where boxers typically eat since they’re constantly strapped for cash. There’s no menu. You get what’s being cooked that day; chicken, pasta, chili, etc. But for 65 pesos – or USD$4 – no one’s complaining.

Episode 5: Brazil

Salvador is often considered Brazil’s “capital of happiness” due to the ever-present parades. Anthony joins some artists and locals for a street festival. Then, he discusses over lunch with some locals about what the sea means to them. Over a fusion Bahian lunch, Anthony chats with two Capoeira Mestres who were some of the first to break the gender barrier in a male-dominated sport.

Episode 6: Mississippi

Anthony seeks to challenge his notions of Mississippi by taking a road trip to meet a wide cast of Mississippians, enjoying the diverse food ways, and embracing the traditional and contemporary music worlds – from gospel to blues and hip hop in underground clubs and juke joints. In the Midtown section of Jackson, Anthony meets with Mississippi-native, independent hip hop artist, mentor and entrepreneur PyInfamous. They discuss the current state of race and class relations, and the impact he’s trying to have with his brand of uplifting hip hop.

Episode 7: Russia

The story of modern-day Russia cannot be told without visiting both of its most important cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, and there’s no better way to get to St. Petersburg than taking the night train, riding the rails in the lap of luxury in the Grand Imperial car. Anthony and his friend Zamir Gotta have their own private bar.

Episode 8: Thailand

The serene beauty of northern Thailand’s rice paddies was one of the first things that made Anthony fall in love with Asia years ago. Anthony and award-winning chef and author Andy Ricker of Pok Pok restaurant fame head to Chiang Mai, home to some of the country’s most amazing eats. The fun really begins when the guys hop onto a tuk tuk for an eating and drinking tour of the city. Andy introduces Anthony to Lao Khao, a fermented Thai rice whiskey that apparently tastes better and smoother the more you drink, or does it?

Chef and Kitchen Confidential author Anthony Bourdain is best known for travelling the globe following his stomach, daringly consuming some of the world’s most exotic dishes on his hit Emmy award-winning TLC series ANTHONY BOURDAIN: NO RESERVATIONS. Once known as the bad boy of cooking, Anthony is settling into an only slightly more dignified position as a professional gadfly, bête noire, advocate and social critic. He is as unsparing of those things he hates as he is evangelical about his passions.

Anthony was previously the executive chef at NYC’s famed bistro Les Halles. He is the author of the best-selling Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, a candid, hysterical and sometimes shocking portrait of life in restaurant kitchens that has been translated into 28 languages. His book, A Cook’s Tour, published in conjunction with his television series, was also a best seller.

His latest New York Times best seller, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, is an insider's perspective on the changes in the restaurant business, from Anthony's bad old days to the present. His other books include Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook, The Nasty Bits, the crime novels Bone in the Throat and The Bobby Gold Stories, and No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach, an illustrated journal of his travels and companion to his television series.

Anthony studied at Vassar College and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He resides in Manhattan with his wife, Ottavia, and his daughter, Ariane.

Bear witness to Anthony’s gastronomic expeditions by tuning in to ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN airing Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. beginning February 10, only on TLC. Catch its encores every Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and Saturday at 9:00 p.m.

KathNiel's "Crazy Beautiful You" Music Video Trailer with song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"

Here's the official music video trailer of the upcoming movie "Crazy Beautiful You" of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.

The video, rendition of Starship’s "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"interpreted byDaniel Padilla and ‘The Voice of the Philippines’ alumnus Morisette Amon.

"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" words and music by Albert Hammond and Dianne Warren. The music production is with Jonathan Manalo.

The "Crazy Beautiful You" video shows some scenes of the story with the two popular love team in the Philippines entertainment.

The two-minute clip included several scenes shot in Tarlac and in Mount Pinatubo, Pampanga.

Star Cinema's "Crazy Beautiful You" is directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar ("Bride for Rent," "Past Tense"), and also features in the movie are Gabby Concepcion, Lorna Tolentino, Kiray Celis, Neil Colleta andn Iñigo Pascual.