Yesterday, we had the launch of the Human Nature Christmas boxes. It was also the release of our much-awaited solid shampoo bars! If you want to buy presents that provide jobs for the needy and also help me earn an income, please support my online store!
Maligayang Pasko!
Filta Shopify Meetup
Yesterday, I attended the Filta Shopify Meetup at their HQ in Ortigas. It was nice to meet fellow tech enthusiasts and learn more about e-commerce. If you want to work in a company that champions tech and commerce, please check out Filta! And do join their events in the future.
The Perfect Hook
I just received my new Susan Bates ergonomic hook from The Attic Yarn and Craftery. I got a 4mm one to accommodate my Baguio yarns. My current hooks are snagging the threads, so I consulted with the ladies behind The Attic to know which one suits my needs. They told me about the Susan Bates ergonomic hook, and it really works well with my current project.
I buy almost all my notions from The Attic because they have helped me in my crafting journey by giving me tips on the right tools to use. Do check them out for all your knitting and crocheting needs!
Morissette Joins a1’s Ben Adams on new Christmas Anthem
Nothing heralds iconic holiday tune more than having two established stars collaborate on one festive anthem.
Ben Adams, the lead singer of chart-topping boyband a1 and now a prominent producer based in the UK, teams up with Filipina singer Morissette on “This Is Christmas,” a potentially timeless bop that will surely have a warm place in our hearts this Yuletide season.
Released under Sony Music, the song was originally written for a Dutch artist, but the BRIT awardee and multi-platinum star changed his mind and took the material as part of his own. “I loved it so much I couldn't give it away,” states the British singer-songwriter and producer. “So I decided to take it back. Once I recorded the whole thing I was like, it sounds magical but I'm sure I can squeeze some more magic out of it - so I began searching for the best person to collaborate on it with me.”
After checking some links and recommendations from friends, Adams found the perfect duet partner in Morissette, one of the biggest and best-selling Filipina pop stars of her generation.
Roslyn Pineda, Sony Music’s GM Philippines & VP Business Development Asia, even referred the Akin Ka Na Lang singer to Adams as a potential duet candidate. Having worked with Ben Adams during his boyband phase and personally recommended Morissette to co-host Asian singing competition Bolt Of Talent with two-time Grammy winner Michael Bolton, she was confident that the two would hit it off together as singing partners for the new Christmas track. “a1 was the first boyband I ever worked with, so I know firsthand how popular they are in Southeast Asia. When I saw Ben’s post asking his fans who to collaborate with, I messaged him about Morissette. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one!”
“As for Morissette, it’s always a pleasure to work with her. I thought of her for Bolt of Talent because she exemplifies the best of the Philippines,” Pineda shares.
“Well for starters, she has an amazing voice,” says Ben Adams. “I was blown away by her performances. So we started talking, and I sent her the song online. We facetimed to work out who wanted to sing what.”
Being no stranger to epic collaborations, the Asia’s Phoenix has brought the holiday spirit to effervescent heights with her soaring vocals and charismatic interpretation, giving Adams’ self-penned earworm the effortless joy it needs.
“When Ben Adams of a1 first reached out to us about possibly working on a Christmas track together, we were just thrilled and thought It would really be an honor to be working with him,” shares Morissette about the team-up. “All the more when he first shared the song to us, it got me more excited because of the danceable vibe and fun feel the song had.”
“This Is Christmas,” is an upbeat tune about “enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones, looking forward to coming home and making the most of the Christmas season.”
Ben Adams and Morissette’s Christmas duet is now available on all music streaming and download platforms worldwide.
3rd Asia Finance Forum Day 2
Yesterday, we had the second day of the 3rd Asia Finance Forum. I learned about preparing for the future even when the technology of the present is still limited. We have to go from science fiction to science fact in this rapidly evolving world to become more financially inclusive. Because of that, risk management as a controlled framework to prepare for the future has been discussed during the forum. By working to regulate risk management practices, more people will have access to financial services that will equip them to face the future.
It was a privilege to be part of this forum. Thank you for having me, ADB!
3rd Asia Finance Forum Day 1
Day 1 of the 3rd Asia Finance Forum was all about inclusion. Technology must be used to provide access to the unbanked and those located in remote locations. At the same time, finance must be made easy to understand for everyone. The future of finance has already been made, and it’s up to us whether we will adapt or remain stagnant.
Shopee Holds its First-Ever 11.11 Big Christmas TV Special
MANILA, NOVEMBER 5 2019 - Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, will be holding its first-ever televised show, the 11.11 Big Christmas TV Special on November 10 at 10:30 PM, aired on GMA7 and Shopee Live. The star-studded show will feature performances by popular GMA stars, Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, and Heart Evangelista, in an exciting live countdown to the finale of the Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale on 11 November. In addition, it will also include the premiere of the latest Shopee’sjingle, exclusively composed by Jose Mari Chan for this year’s festive season.
Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Christmas is an important holiday for Filipinos, and we are thrilled to kickstart the celebrations in the biggest way possible with our very first televised Christmas concert, the Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas TV Special. With this, we hope to deepen engagement with our users by bringing them closer to their favorite stars and brands, and also to foster the festive spirit in the Philippines. We invite everyone to join in the excitement on 10 November as we count down together to our 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. ”
Key highlights of the Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas TV Special
● Debut of Shopee’s latest Christmas jingle: Catch a live performance of the new Shopee Christmas jingle by Jose Mari Chan, which was exclusively composed for this year’s festive season.
● Star-studded show: Watch top celebrities such as Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, and Heart Evangelista perform all-time favorite Christmas songs. Also, enjoy special guest appearances by Gabbi Garcia, Lani Missalucha, Julie Anne San Jose and many more popular homegrown stars.
● Over ₱11 million worth of prizes, deals, and discounts including a house and lot: Stand a chance to win exciting prizes including a Rusi Mojo 200 motorcycle, Toyota Fortuner, and a house and lot from Avida by tuning in to 3 special Shopee Shake sessions during the program.
● Score amazing deals and vouchers: Enjoy amazing discounts of up to 70% from leading brands like Unilever, Pampers, Maybelline, Anker, and Perfetti van Melle during the show.
Exciting promotions, giveaways and discounts on November 11
Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale will culminate on November 11 with exciting promotions including:
● All-day sitewide free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend.
● Up to 90% off deals: Score up to 90% off deals during the finale of Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale, such as the Xiaomi Redmi 7 and Redmi 7A. Consumers can also get the HUG 32” LED TV LT32, and the Rapoo V600 Gamepad XB360; both available at only ₱11.
● 12-hour non-stop live stream: Look forward to non-stop challenges and vouchers during the exclusive 12-hour Shopee Live session from 12 noon to 12 midnight, andwatch out for five iPhone 11 giveaways.
● Exciting giveaways via Shopee Shake and Shopee Catch: Stand a chance to win from a pool of 2 million Shopeecoins and an iPhone 11 by playing Shopee Shake. Shopeewill also be upsizing its latest Shopee Catch, with a total of 6 game sessions and a 1 million coin pool to be won.
● Exclusive deals from leading brands: Shop exclusive deals from leading brands such as Pampers, Silverworks, Bosch, Unilever, Maybelline, Olay, Pantene, Globe, Anker, Safeguard, Watsons, and Huawei.
● Special promotions from industry players: Get an additional 12% off when checking out with a Metrobank card. Also, enjoy two months’ worth of load for free when buying Cignal Ultimate Prepaid HD at only ₱2,290 during the sale.
Find out more about Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale at https://www.shopee.ph/1111.
Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.
Shopee 11.11 2019
Last night, I had fun at Shopee Philippines’ Media Dinner for their annual 11.11 sale. I had a wonderful time as I got to watch their ambassadors Jose Mari Chan, Julie Anne San Jose, Gabbi Garcia, and Alden Richards. It was definitely a highlight to watch Jose Mari Chan sing “Christmas in our Hearts” live, as it used to sing that as a child!
Please tune in to their 11.11 TV special on GMA this Sunday, 10:30pm. It will be headlined by Manny Pacquiao and other Kapuso stars. Also, make sure to “add to cart” those items you’ve been eyeing for on 11.11! Free shipping and big discounts await us all.
ADB FinTech Bootcamp Day 2
Yesterday was another opportunity to learn about finance and tech in the second day of the ADB FinTech Bootcamp. I enjoyed learning about risk management in farming and disasters. I also appreciated the proactive stance of the Philippines in using data to prepare of risks that may arise anytime soon.
I look forward to the main forum in the next two days!
ADB FinTech Bootcamp Day 1
Yesterday, I attended day 1 of the FinTech Bootcamp at the Asian Development Bank. I enjoyed learning about blockchain basics and seeing how the infrastructure could streamline financial services. I am sharing with you the slides from the bootcamp, and I hope that you will also be part of the future of FinTech.
Sunday Barks
I spent my Sunday having coffee with my doggo friends at Barkin’ Blends Dog Cafe. I enjoyed my afternoon and got to relax with these furbabies.
I know that I spend too much time with them, but I can’t commit to owning a pet dog. This is the responsible choice in becoming a dog lover and still getting to spend time with the puppers I love.
I can’t wait ‘til next weekend!
Garage Sale
I have been selling my pre-loved items on my Carousell shop for a few months now. I have closed a few deals, and I must say that the experience has been gratifying! More than earning money on the side, I enjoy selling my secondhand goods because I am giving them a new lease on life.
I am also learning more about business while chatting with customers and negotiating prices. It has not been easy at first, but I am already getting the hang of it.
Please support this venture of mine and shop my closet! The QR Code below will take you to my shop, where items in excellent condition await you. Hope to see you there!
Simple Halloween
Yesterday was my late friend Diane’s death anniversary. I visited her vault and stuck a post-it, as per our tradition.
Then, I visited Ella for a simple Halloween celebration at Barkin’ Blends Dog Cafe.
Celebrations don’t need to be elaborate and expensive. Sometimes, a visit to a late friend and cuddling a dog will already suffice. The most special memories are based on the mundane.
Maginhawa Slowdown
Yesterday, I watched Hello World, an anime film. It was showing at Cinema Centenario, a microcinema that I frequent at Maginhawa. I don’t usually like anime, but this one was enjoyable! I highly recommend it.
I had early dinner at Steakfix after the movie. Their chicken steak was very good!
Spending my day at the street where I finished high school was therapeutic. I look forward to more slow days here, so I can recharge and be reminded of how fun it is to be young.
RDFS 2019 Day 3
Yesterday, I attended the third day of the RDFS Forum at the ADB. The forum was wrapped up with solutions for sustainability such as smart farming and online businesses for agricultural products.
I also got to watch an art film entitled No Data Plan at UP. It was about the immigration crisis in the US, and it struck me how fortunate I am to live freely in the country I reside in.
I look forward to becoming an advocate of farmers in my own way by supporting local produce. I also want to keep the conversation going offline.
‘Til next time, ADB!
RDFS 2019 Day 2
Yesterday, I attended the second day of the Rural Development and Food Security Forum 2019. It was another insightful day of learning on how traditional farming, sustainability, and technology can converge to build a better system of nourishing the planet. I also got to network and meet new friends!
I can’t wait to learn more on the forum’s last day. I am also looking forward to applying my insights to my job in the future.
Van Gogh Alive
I’m a Van Gogh fan, so it was a real treat to immense myself in the Van Gogh Alive experience. I went there alone, and felt overwhelmed while watching the art of the famed artist come to life onscreen. It was in a good way, of course. Beautiful music accompanied his paintings and quotes. I will never forget the scene wherein Starry Night was projected onscreen. It’s my favorite work of his.
Being a part of this immersive show was an emotional journey. I hope to be part of more venues that promote art in the future, and feel more connected to the artists that made them.
RDFS Forum 2019
Yesterday, I got to hear mass at St. Jude. It’s the feast of the patron who has been good to me. It was only fitting that I began my day in his honor.
Then, I went to the Asian Development Bank for the Rural Development and Food Security Forum 2019. But before that, I had my go-to brekkie at the ADB Cafeteria: sardines, egg and garlic rice!
I learned on the first day of this forum that it’s important to factor in the interlinking risks and to move from distress-driven diversification to surplus-sustained diversification. It is also important to support businesses that provide opportunities to farmers and key stakeholders.
I look forward to learning more in the next two days of the the forum!
Intramuros Sunday
Yesterday, I got to explore Intramuros in time for their open house. Most museums in the Walled City offered free entrance. I got to visit the Destileria Limtuaco Museum for the second time. I also got to drink at their tasting bar again. My favorite was their Amadeo coffee liqueur.
I also got to visit the Attic Museum. It’s a small room with trinkets from a bygone era.
Then, it was pasta for lunch at Ristorante delle Mitre. Their tre pasta di maghi was delicious and flavorful!
My last stop was Fort Santiago. Even if I frequently visit the Walled City, the fort still offers new attractions that I have never visited before. Some examples of these were this tunnel, and the baluarte facing the entrance of the fort.
My Sunday at the Walled City was eventful and full of old world charm. I will definitely be back!
Happy Sam
Last night, I attended a children’s party with my mom. It was a fun event, and I even managed to get a Halloween photo. I enjoyed the buffet and survived even if I didn’t know anyone at the party.
I hope that I will still continue to thrive in places that are beyond my comfort zone, and have a great time in the process.
