Hong Kong Tourism Board Launch "Best Of All, It's In Hong Kong" Tourism Campaign

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Not only because it's just an hour and a half away, Hong Kong has so many attractions to offer for every tourist who wants to maximize his or her trip for a more memorable and worthwhile experience.

Aside from all the shopping from the numerous large malls, and amusement from all the colorful theme parks, there are so many tourists attractions to enjoy. I've learned at the event that Hong Kong also has many areas where you can hike and camp out to enjoy their mountains or wilderness.

This is why it was not surprising that Filipinos emerged as the number one tourist of Hong Kong. There is no doubt that we have totally embraced Hong Kong as our "quick" and most affordable best choice for our weekend getaways or simply to enjoy special holidays like the Christmas and New Year seasons.

But one of the many reasons why Hong Kong is often visited is also because of its culinary delights. There are so many choices to feast upon that many chefs also go there once in a while to get inspiration for their next gastronomic masterpiece.

This is the reason why the Hong Kong Tourism Board has focused on "food" as a campaign theme to attract us even further to come and visit Hong Kong more often. They've tapped select chefs to become their ambassadors for their Hong Kong Tourism ads with a campaign slogan of "Best of All, It's In Hong Kong", and their list of endorsers included Chef Margarita "Gaita" Araneta Fores, an internationally renowned chef from the Philippines who's already making waves globally for her amazing creations.

Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps Opens Its Second Manila Branch at SM MOA

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The seafood restaurant from Davao that we all love - Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps - just recently opened its second branch in Manila and we were fortunate enough to be invited to a lunch treat at their newest location at SM Mall of Asia (MOA). We were also invited by Zomato for a dinner treat at the same restaurant but we had to give up that second serving as we were still full from the earlier meal.

We could still recall our first encounter with the restaurant brand during their first branch in Manila, specifically at their SM North EDSA branch, and we couldn't stop thinking about it since then. Of course, we saw ourselves revisiting the branch again after that first branch launch. Their seafood specials of shrimps and crabs are really something to look forward to especially for special occasions or when we simply want to reward ourselves for doing a great job.

Since the price for seafood is a bot expensive similarly  for most restaurants, it is at Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps where you won't regret spending a bit more. The food is really "fresh from sea to table" and their "plastic bag" and eat with your hands on the table ala "Boodle Fight" way is truly memorable. True enough, this is when "it's fun to be messy" is an understatement.  You do need to "un-mind" the mess so OCs (Obsessive-Compulsive) are not allowed here. Lol! Just kidding, you can eat however you want it. There's nobody stopping you from enjoying your meals.

Though the SM MOA branch is a bit small, it has a second floor to add a few more tables for diners. The second floor is also a great place to get a little more privacy from passersby seeing you eat up all those yummy seafood dishes..hahaha. Seriously, I wouldn't mind being seen getting messy with my seafood as if you really want to enjoy the experience, they are meant to be eaten by hand.

Oyayi Farewell Party and Superbook Season 3 Launch

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We now say goodbye for now to the cast of Oyayi as they end their first season this Sunday, January 29, 2017 but hopefully we get to see them again for the second season as "Kuya Maki" played by Frederico "Icko" Gonzalez reveals during the event that talks are already ongoing for the continuing shows. Also, it was highly assured during their grand launch last year that the organizers of the show, along with their partners, will be working hard for another season so that the value-enriched Oyayi will again educate our children every Sunday morning. For me, I would want to see the show for many more seasons since our children deserve quality shows like these that would help mold them to be better citizens.

Along with Kuya Maki, the team leader of "Pangkat Oyayi," during the farewell event for Oyayi were two other characters namely Bon Haribon (inspired by the Haring Ibon or Monkey-Eating Eagle) and Tama Raw (inspired by the Tamaraw) but we were missing Kuwago Zhibago (played by Ruther Urquia), a robotic owl, and his three sidekicks, the Tornilyons (shaped as nuts and bolts), also Tele Bobby (the character with a television head), plus the other three hand puppets Diva Butanding, Dok Pil and Tarsiera, inspired by indigenous endangered species such as butanding (whale shark), pilandok (mouse deer), and the tarsier.

However, as what you have read on our title, the event was also the launch of the third season of Superbook, the Bible-based animation that I grew up with during my formative years. This is the new version of the animation as it now uses 3D CGI unlike the previous 2D animation from its original run. The cartoon was also run in Tagalog dubbed for both versions to make it more engaging for Filipinos. I generally like the show in whatever language it is presented, but we really shouldn't worry since the children nowadays are fast learners and more adaptive even with English as the means of conversation. It also helps to create familiarity with the English language so that our children will be more competitive in international opportunities. But we don't really need to argue as both languages have their own respective benefits.

As expected, the lovable and cute Gizmo mascot was there to entertain the children with his dance-along with the official Superbook soundtrack "The Salvation Poem." The children were actively participating in the sing and dance portion just as how they did during the Oyayi soundtrack dance, and very engaged as well with the many games that were held that day giving the children some prizes like stickers and notebooks.