Shinkan's ROCKSTAR

Finally, SHINKAN played an original composition last September for the Battle of the Bands in Best of Anime event. The title of the song is ROCKSTAR. It was written by the vocalist, Ivory, and was originally play with acoustic guitar. The band enhanced the arrangement of the song and gave it an upbeat feel.

So for those who haven't watched it, here it is :)
(see lyrics below)

ROCK STAR

Everyday’s a rainy day
Snooze that darn alarm clock
It’s hard to get up to think today
Won’t differ anyway

I know my ride to work and back home
But somehow I feel I need to be somewhere else
Where I can play with the band
And sing my voice out loud

Chorus:
I’m gonna be a rockstar
Gonna be on that stage
Singing all my memories
I’m gonna be a rockstar
Gonna be on that stage
Singing all my what-could-be’s

A lot of questions still to ask
A lot of answers to find
Got to move on away from here
Escape from where I've fallen

I wanna break free from all the worries
So this time just give me my own time
Where I can play insane with the band
So hear my voice out loud

Chorus:
I’m gonna be a rockstar
Gonna be on that stage
Singing all my memories
I’m gonna be a rockstar
Gonna be on that stage
Singing all my what-could-be’s

Bridge:
I’m no loser no more
Taking all that it costs
Gonna leave it everything behind

I will step up you’ll see
We’ll look good out on that screen
When we’re finally doing what we’re dreaming

Chorus:
I’m gonna be a rockstar
Gonna be on that stage
Singing all my memories
I’m gonna be a rockstar
Gonna be on that stage
Singing all my what-could-be’s

How to root your Lenovo P770

Let's do this quick and easy! Here are some very simple steps on how to get root access on your Lenovo p770. You can finish this in just a few minutes. It work on my unit. I hope it works on yours too.

Step1.

Download Framaroot APK. [click here]

Scroll down the page and you'll see the download links. As for me, I used version 1.5.3

Step2.

Get your phone ready. 

Go to Settings > Personal > Security Setting and enable "Unknown Source"

Go to Settings > System > Developer Option and enable "USB Debugging"

Step 3.

Copy the Framaroot APK on your phone and install it.

Step 4.

Now, open the Framaroot app and select "Install SuperSU"

After that, select "Boromir"

You will then see a notification that your phone has been rooted.

Step 5.

Reboot your phone.

Step 6.

Check if you have root access by installing "Root Checker Basic" app. This app is available at Google Play Store.

Install the app and click, "verify root access". You will then see if you are actually able to root your phone.

That's it! You can now enjoy the privileges of root access. 

If you want to unroot your phone, you can run again the Framaroot App and select "unroot".

Double check again using the Root Checker Basic app.

Hope this helped :)

You're blessed. Be a blessing :)

During this whole week, the weather has been very very unfriendly. Employees had a hard time going to and from work. And so are the students. A lot of areas are flooded until now. There are a lot of families who are now in different evacuation centers. Crops and other agricultural products were destroyed.

But in spite all of these, you should see yourself as someone blessed for many reason. First, if you are reading this blog, it means that you have a means to read this (laptop, PC, tablet.. etc) and an internet connection. You might had a hard time when travelling during those days, but hey,  you're fine! You are still eating three times a day or even more. We should always remember to be thankful for every blessing in our lives. If you'll think about it, you're even more blessed as compared to other people in our society. 

Life can be tough at times. It's a reality. I remember when I was in college, I struggle a lot financially. I studied at a state university and graduated as academic scholar. The tuition fee is very low, around 12 pesos per unit. But the expenses doesn't end there. I have to buy books, projects, and other stuffs. I have to rent in a computer shop most of the time since I do not have my own computer. I have to spend on photocopying books that I cannot buy. I even brought some jewelries given by my aunt to pawnshops to keep up with the expenses. There was even a time that I was be very happy when I have spare 2 pesos because that means I can still buy 1 Nescafe stick. A few years later, I managed to find a job and I can say that our life has been improving. We may not be rich, but I can say that we are now way better than before. I know each of you might have your own stories to share. So, look at the bright side. You're blessed!   

Now that you have realized how blessed you are, take time to think on how you can give back and be a blessing to other people. 

There are several ways that we can be a blessing to other people. From a simple smile to the people around us up to giving donations to charities and calamity victims. A simple smile can light up someone else's day. Doing chores at home can brighten up your mom's mood. And so on. You can also share you're blessings to the less fortunate ones. For example, there are a lot of non-government organizations that provides relief goods for the victims of the typhoon. We can volunteer on repacking the goods. Also, there are organizations that accepts donations. You can simply drop off some donations on stores like McDonald's and they will take care of bringing these to those in need. Remember, you don't need to be rich to become generous. You can actually give around 8 to 10 pieces of cup noodles for the price of 1 cup of coffee from Starbucks. You can also give away those old clothes that you don't want to wear anymore. And of course, let us not forget to pray for everyone. Prayers are very powerful.

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/McDo.ph

Sharing your blessings to others will definitely give you a very nice feeling. At the same time, you become a blessing to those whose lives you might have touched in any way.

So, what are we waiting for? It about time to give back to the world and be a blessing to other people. :)

Cadbury's Musical Piano

As we are having our dinner date on our favorite restaurant at Megamall, a certain attraction at the activity center caught our attention. I remembered that I saw this in the news. This is Cadbury's Creamy Chocolate fountain! Of course, I am also a chocolate lover so I went there to see with my own eyes what they have to offer.

So what do they have there? They have a giant musical piano. There are pipes filled with chocolates that moves up and down as you play that giant piano.

Everyone can have a chance to try that giant piano. You just need to buy some Cadbury chocolates to get a free ticket.  You'll be given 2 minutes to experience the piano. They have a new flavor by the way, "Cashew & Cookies".

We bought some chocolates and tried that piano. Honestly, I didn't understand how it actually works (because I was busy taking pictures). Based on what I understand, you have to hold that metal handle with one hand and press those chocolate bars with your other hand. You have to hold it for like 3 seconds before it starts to produce music. 

The sound it produces are not similar with your piano. It seems to have a preset music that will be played when you press a certain bar. I think they are like switches. (haha! sorry, 2 minutes was not enough for me to analyze how the piano actually works). You would actually feel like a DJ when you try this piano.

The overall experience was fun. Something quite unusual for me. This attraction will be at Lower Ground Megamall bldg. A Event Center from July 6, 2013 until August 5, 2013.

For more information about Cadbury, you can check their facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/cadburyph

Lenovo P770: Good Buy!

As my iPhone 3G reach its "end of life", I have to start thinking about what smart phone can I replace it with. I did not consider buying iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S4. I find it a bit impractical since it will just be obsolete in 2 yrs or so. Since technology advances so fast, time will come that the latest OS would not be compatible to your handset anymore, and thus some apps might stop working properly, just like what happened on my 3G.

I did some research on other brands, like LG, HTC, Lenovo.. etc. I even considered reading articles about Cherry Mobile, Star Mobile and MyPhone. CMs are really affordable and elegantly designed. Their phones come with the latest Android OS (Jellybean). Yet, I was a bit disappointed with the RAM and the battery life. And as I continuously read articles and reviews online, I came across this Lenovo P770.

I bought this phone last May. The first thing that attracted me about this particular model is its monstrous battery! It comes with a 3500mAh Li-Ion battery which can stand up to 3 days before the next recharge (experience-based). Aside from the battery, this unit already comes with Android OS v4.1 (Jellybean). I really wanted a phone with the latest OS by the time I bought it, hoping that the unit would not get obsolete soon. Since it has a new OS, the next thing I checked is the RAM. It has a 1GB RAM in which I think Jellybean can work on smoothly. This is quite better compare to CMs unit with Android Jellybean but with only 512MB RAM. 

It comes with the phone chargers, USB OTG cable, & headset w/ mic

Another good feature of Lenove P770 is that is comes with a  USB on-the-go cable. With this, you can connect your flash drive, external hard drive and other gadgets on your phone to manage or edit files. It can also be used as a charger on other USB-powered devices. 

pardon the not-so-good screen protector :p

When it comes to its physical aspect, I really love the way it looks. It looks formal. The size is just right. Not as huge as Samsung Galaxy S3/4 yet not as small as iPhone5. The screen size is 4.5 inch qHD (540 x 960), just good enough for video streaming.

The only not-so-good thing that I found on this phone is the camera. If you are after a phone with a very good camera, then this is not for you. This phone's primary camera is just 5MP and the secondary (front camera) is just VGA. 

For a more complete specification of this smartphone, check it in this site. [click here]

Overall, I can say that this smartphone is a good buy. Just the right smart phone for my daily needs. Most of all, it comes in an affordable price of 11,900 SRP. I've been using it for almost 2 months and I am very happy with it. I was even able to stream 8 episodes in a row of Gundam Seed Destiny via Youtube and did not encounter any performance issues. I am fine with the camera too. Thus, I recommend this phone for those who use just some basic apps (facebook, instagram, youtube.. etc.). It's worth the price and you won't be disappointed. 

Makiling Onsen: A Japanese-Style Vacation at Laguna

If you have ever thought of relaxing somewhere not so far from the Metro, then Makiling Onsen Hotel is the right one for you. Makiling Onsen Hotel is a Japanese inspired hotel  located at Los Baños, Laguna that offers its guests a traditional Japanese atmosphere.

Onsen is the term used for hot springs baths in Japan. These hot baths are known to be therapeutic on some common ailments like muscle pains, rheumatism and other ailments.

Family Hot Bath
(picture from Makiling Onsen Website)

As my friends and I visited this hotel, we checked in a room with a hot bath inside. It was really a very relaxing experience.

Hot Bath inside the room we checked in

The room where we stayed have tatami floor and low table. Yukata was also provided to complete our Japanese-style vacation.

Tatami floor, Low table, & Yukata

Air-conditioned room with four beds

There is also a restaurant inside the hotel. And of course, this restaurant serves Japanese food. If you don't feel like dining inside the restaurant, you can call their staff and have your meal served directly to your room, or even at the pool side.

Restaurant
(picture from Makiling Onsen website)

Ramen at Pool Side :)

And just like any other hotels in Laguna, of course they have swimming pools. They have a kiddie and adult pools that a family or group of friends can enjoy. You can click here to see more pictures of their pools and other amenities.

Overall, I can say that our stay here in Makiling Onsen Hotel has been great. The place is relaxing and I am very comfortable here. We've been here twice already, and I do not have a doubt that we will visit this place again some time soon. 

If you need more information about this amazing place, check out this website at www.makilingonsenhotel.com

Banapple, now open @ Mckinley Hills

Who won't be as happy as me when you see your favorite store opened near your office? I was really excited when I heard that Banapple will open a store here at Mckinley hills, Taguig. But when I knew that it is now open, I am twice happier!!

My friend and I visited the store a few days after its grand opening. Just like any other Banapple store, the place is very cozy... and cute. :)

It has some seats outside for those who smoke, probably. They also have 2nd floor. And thus, I believe they would be able to accommodate more customers compared to their branch in Ayala Triangle. 

The second floor is spacious. I like the way it was designed. It is also very elegant and well lighted. 

Just like any other Banapple stores, I usually come for their luscious pies & cheesecakes. I really love their cheesecake, specially blueberry cheesecake. Other than that, I do recommend their banoffee pie which is one of their best selling pie.

We just bought a few slices of cheesecake that day. We were not able to dine in because we have to go back to our office . 

Overall, I am really happy that those well-loved food are getting closer to where I work. :)
Sooner, I will be having meals there with my partner to have some dining experience in the newly opened Banapple ^_^

In case you haven't tried anything from Banapple yet, better find time to taste their food. You'll never regret it!

Beadypop Spring Resort: Ideal for Family Summer Getaway

Since there are a lot of newly grads in our family this year, I decided to look for a private resort for us to celebrate. I did search via Google and found a lot of resorts. Most of them have posts in sulit.com and have pages on facebook. With these, you can actually see some photos of the venue you are about to rent.

So, after a long search... I have decided to book our summer getaway at Beadypop Spring Resort. It is located Calamba, Laguna. They only require 30% down payment (unlike other resorts which requires 50%).  I was able to get a discount since I was able to send the down payment on their promo period. Yes, they do have promos from time to time, better check their website or fb page :)

The ambiance is so relaxing and the staff is very accommodating. The theme of the resort is native. The place is surrounded by trees and stones which gives a very cool and fresh feel.

a panoramic shot from their website

There is also a store in there when you  need something

The upper floor of this house is an air conditioned room with 3 double decks

When we arrived, the pool is still being filled with water. They have 2 pools, one kiddie pool and one big adult pool.

Adult pool being filled with water

Kiddie pool

Aside from the pools, the resort package includes unlimited use of videoke that most of us really enjoyed. 

The resort have 3 rooms. 2 air-conditioned rooms with a total of 12 beds and one fan room with 4 beds. I have not taken much photos of the rooms and the beds for we did not sleep over at the resort. You can refer at the photos from their website. I assure you that it looks just like it. And the rooms are really clean.

Air-conditioned room at the second floor

There is also a small kitchen area where you can prepare food. There is an additional 200 pesos payment for the use of LPG while the use of the BBQ grill is for free. A long table is set up so that everyone can eat together. A refrigerator is also available for use. You can put your soft drinks and other food in it.

The swimming experience in this resort is great. We had a lot of fun time for hours of swimming. Here are some pictures of our well enjoyed stay in the resort.

Overall, I can say that Beadypop Spring Resort gave us a very comfortable and enjoyable stay. Aside from the fact that the it is very easy to get there, the place is really nice too. I do recommend this for families or large groups who wants a relaxing getaway from the busy life in the city. :)