Thursday, January 13, 2011

Spending Plans: 2011 First Payday Weekend

4:50:00 PM 2 Comments
With the new designs of the Philippine Peso which came in before the new year, comes the first payday weekend of the year 2011.


Christmas 2010 was fun with all the gift-giving and reunion of family and friends but one cannot ignore the fact that it's expensive. Even though it's expensive, It feels good to be seeing all the people who I've made happy. Since January started, I've been holding on to my finances and striving to make it fit until the next payday arrives. Finally, the first 2011 payday weekend is here! What's more exciting, it is the end-of-season sale almost everywhere!

Here's the list of sales that I know so far:

- Supersale at the Rockwell Tent, January 14 - 16 from 10am - 9pm with selected items upto 70% off

- Bayo Blackout Sale until January 31

- Robinsons Malls All-Out Clearance Sale until January 31

- Eastwood Mall Sale, January 14 - 16

- Kashieca Sale at all stores with selected items upto 50% off

- Zara Sale at all stores

- Mango Sale at all stores

- Topshop Sale at all stores, January 14 - February 13 with selected items upto 50% off

- Marks & Spencer Sale at all stores upto January 26 with selected items upto 50% off


For those who do not want to regret buying something that they don't really need or want, I suggest go to the food section of Marks & Spencer. Check out the Christmas goodies on 20% off. It's going to be a good buy for something to munch during those stressed times at work. Some of them expires on April which is during the summer season for your summer getaway snack! Plus, the cute tin cans can be used to store your accessories.

My first 2011 salary will surely go to...


1. The bills I have to pay


If it's only possible not to use the cellphone, computer, light, aircon and electric fan these days, I would to save up my electricity bill but it's just an impossible task. Hey look, I'm blogging using a computer!

If it's only possible not to use a car, I won't be needing to pay for gas but I live in the south while my work is up north plus, having a car is really convenient. It's going to take me days to walk from home to work and vice versa.

Although water is given by God free to us, we need a system to filter out all the bacteria, dirt and other bad elements in our water so we have to pay the water bill.

2. The good food I'll be eating to reward myself for a job well done during the past two weeks


Photo taken by: Johan Sy of Studiyo


After gaining weight during the holidays, I started to cut down on my food intake. However, cutting on food intake does not mean starving myself or eating tasteless food. I enjoy dining out and I love to eat good food! Something I learned from a 40-something sexy mama which I'll be applying to my life starting this year, "Enjoy dining out by enjoying the ambiance and a small portion of a good dish. Dining out doesn't mean eating a lot. It means relaxing and being happy in the beautiful environment while having a little taste of good food."

She also said something which my mom have always told me that I always have to think I'm going back to that restaurant again so I can just order one small meal then stop right there.


3. The gym


To get rid of all those unwanted fats which I've gained during the last X years! Also, the most important reason: to be healthy.

4. A good massage


To relax my muscles and get rid of the after-holiday-stress. I want to go somewhere that gives a good massage, has a relaxing ambiance and not pricey. I don't want to spend luxuriously my first paycheck since it's the first this year. Any recommendations?

5. Savings.


Of course! I guess there's no further explanations needed for this. =)

6. Travel savings.

Photo taken by: Johan Sy of Studiyo


I love to travel! I must travel at least once a year to get away from all the everyday things that I do and learn something new. The experience I get from travelling is something which I don't get anywhere, not even from Discovery Travel and Living although, I love to watch that channel. I believe that one must be out there to know the world.

I wish that someday I want to travel with my loveones to all the must-go places around the world, swim in all the beautiful beaches there is even if we get super tan, watch all the must-see shows in Macau, Thailand, New York, San Francisco, LA and London, attend all the must-be-in festivals, take wonderful photos together to let the photos tell their own story and write a book about everything we've experienced as a guide for people who wants to travel to all those places with their love! (Pretty big ambition and expensive. *Sigh!*)

What I'm choosing to do with my first 2011 salary...

1. Buy a new pair of jeans


Source: stylehive.com


Yes, I need new jeans! I got fat during the holidays that some of my pants won't fit! It's so sad.:(

2. Buy a new dress

Source: bananarepublic.gap.com


Something that will hide the flabs from the holidays and make me look stunning.

3. Watch a good movie at the theater.


I don't have an idea what to watch but then I haven't watch a movie for quite sometime. I think I need to watch one to know what's happening around and what people are talking about. I feel like an alien that I haven't watch a movie in a long time. A few months ago, people were talking about "Social Network" and I feel such a loser for not watching it. Oh well...there's DVD coming out anyway. But still, it's a completely vicarious experience being able to watch a movie in the theater.


What I wish I can do with my first 2011 salary...

1. See Janet Jackson Live in Manila at the PICC theater on February 4 and get to meet & greet her in person.


The tickets are really expensive. *Sniff!* I hope that I'll be able to go to the presscon. I'll be so happy to see her and hear her say something...anything!

2. Bring Madonna here in Manila to perform


Years ago, I was so excited when MTV Philippines announced that Madonna will be coming here but it didn't push through because of venue reasons. If I have the money, I will bring her here. I'm sure people are going to spend and watch her perform live. At her 50s, she's a legendary performer, a fashion icon and a model to all those mothers out there that you can be 50 and still be very fabulous! Whoever gets to read this and has the money, I think she's somebody worth investing to have a concert here!


3. Start a business that earns money even when I sleep *if there's really one*


Actually, I have so many spending plans but for now, I'm ending my list here or I'll be writing endlessly. Plus, it's the first payday weekend, I have to stop wanting something and focus on a few things first. There are luxurious things that I want but I'm not including them yet. I want to be realistic although my wishlist is not really but you know what I mean.

Whatever you buy on your first paycheck in 2011, remember to save a little for the rainy days! Enjoy the payday weekend! =D

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Another Balagtas Work: "Orosman at Zafira"

6:43:00 AM 1 Comments
The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar is his work "Florante at Laura" which tortured me when I was studying about it during high school. Studying it is one of the requirements in high school. I remember trying to memorize and understand the lines whose words are no longer being used this day so upon hearing that Dulaang UP is going to stage "Orosman at Zafira" which is another Balagtas's work in Centerstage, SM Mall of Asia on February, I begin to wonder if I'll be able to understand the lines of the play.


Nazer Saledo as Bulasem; Jean Judith Javier as Gulnara


Maita Ponce as Zafira; Jay Gonzaga as Orosman; Delphine Buencamino as Zafira


Roeder Camanag as Abdalap


Ronnie Martinez as Ben Azar; Tao Aves as Zelima; Acey Aguilar as Zelim

During their press conference last week, I met the producers, director and composer of the play who explained about the upcoming show. They do feel the same way that I feel about the lines in a Balagtas work. Apparently, they changed some of the lines to fit modern day language and even the songs were changed into a mix of pop, world music and rock so that the modern generation will be able to relate to this play.

Darwin Mariano - Executive Producer

Why "Orosman at Zafira" and not "Florante at Laura"? Well, since "Florante at Laura" is already being tackled in high schools and "Orosman at Zafira" which is also one of the best written works of Balagtas but is not discussed because of lack of time for the given high school curriculum, I think Dulaang UP chose this play to make us be aware that Balagtas has other works of art that makes him a genius during his time. He is a genius not only because there's "Florante at Laura" but he has other works as well to prove this.

Aside from this, Executive Producer Darwin Mariano has a personal cause for choosing this show. Mariano is actually a lawyer who fell in love with the theater and he came from the same province where Balagtas came from.

According to Mariano, he saw this play back when he was studying in UP and was amazed by the story and production. He said that he felt the production must be staged at a bigger stage to show to a wider audience because it is really a masterpiece. He also told us another reason is that he is crazy. We'll see if he is because to my opinion, he is doing this for a good cause. Lately, the theater has been growing here in our country and most of the plays are in English. I think it is time for us to have something our own Filipino play being staged commercially.

Toots Tolentino - PR/Publicity Consultant; Alex Cortez - Dulaang UP; Carol Bello - Composer


Dexter Santos - Director and Choreographer; The band

"Orosman at Zafira" is originally a comedya during the Spanish era. Comedya is a form of entertainment brought by the Spanish to the Philippines which usually revolves around love, war between Christians and Muslims and it is also used to spread out the Catholic faith. Even though this play is from the Spanish era, it shows Filipinoism through the songs, dances and costumes which is all-original Filipino.


Red Concepcion as Aldervesin and Jean Judith Javier as Gulnara performs an exerpt.

One can notice how sexy their costumes are so I asked them if it is required for them to workout or diet for this play. According to the actors and actresses, they usually do warm-ups before they rehearse since their dance moves need it so eventually, their body becomes fit. Although, it cannot be denied that some of them like Jay Gonzaga works out because it's part of his lifestyle and the ladies do diet because they're conscious with their body but it's not a requirement.



Maita Ponce as Zafira and Jay Gonzaga as Orosman performs an exerpt.

"Orosman at Zafira" is set to open on February 4, 2011 at 8pm in Centerstage, SM Mall of Asia. The other schedules are: Feb 5 - 10am; 3pm; 8pm; Feb 11 - 8pm; Feb 12 - 10am; 3pm; 8pm; Feb 18 - 8pm; Feb 19 - 10am; 3pm; 8pm; Feb 25 - 8pm; Feb 26 - 3pm; 8pm.

Ticket prices:
All 8pm shows - PhP 1,067.20 / PhP 853.76 / PhP 640.32 / PhP 426.88
All 3pm shows - PhP 373.52



Delphine Buencamino as Zafira performs an exerpt.

Tickets are now available at all SM Cinema Ticket Booths nationwide and all TicketWorld outlets in major National Bookstore branches, Robinsons Department Stores, and at Greenbelt 1, Glorietta 5 and Trinoma Cinema ticket booths. Call SM Tickets at (02) 470.2222 or TicketWorld at (02) 891.9999.

As a special treat to all students, all matinee performances is only P350.00 per ticket.



Tao Aves as Zelima performs an exerpt together with the rest of the casts.

After watching the four excerpts which the actors and actresses have shown during the press conference, I highly recommend each and every Filipino to come watch this. Let us support our artists. Let's be patriotic through a simple gesture of watching this play. I'll leave you this quote which I heard from Toots Tolentino, "It's going to be an EXPERIENCE!"

For more information, call or text (0949) 434.5239 / (0917) 842.7346 or (0922) 842.7346 or log on to www.orosmanatzafira.com or like the official "Orosman at Zafira" Fan Page on Facebook.
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