WIN METAWIN and JANELLA SALVADOR Star in UNDER PARALLEL SKIES: Fans Went Crazy Inside the Cinema!

Seeing people flock the SM Mega Fashion Hall this afternoon reminded me how big of a star Win Metawin and Janella Salvador is. The superstar from Thailand and the noted actress from the Philippines star in this film called "Under Parallel Skies" shot in Hong Kong. This is produced by 28 Squared Studios and Two Infinity Entertainment, set to be released by Warner Brothers Pictures this April 17th (Philippines) and on May 9th (for Thailand).

Surely, this must have been a bit difficult to do but with Director Sigrid Bernardo at the helm of this project, it would be easy since she's done several award winning and successful films shot outside the country (like Kita Kita etc.). SM Fashion Hall got packed during the mall show with fans of both Janella and Win screaming at the top of their lungs even before the actual stars arrived at the venue. When they did, it was so loud you could hear it on our videos literally.

Then on the red carpet (since this is the premiere night) , celebrity friends of the Director Sigrid Bernardo, Producer Richard Juan, Janella and Win, all came to the venue to help promote the movie. My favorite part of course was when Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada joined in to give a song a capella. It was so nice they came in throngs to support the two.

When we watched the film, it was more of a romance genre. I bet Win's fans would be surprised about certain scenes they wouldn't believe he could do. I also love his Mom in the movie, they do have certain parts with monologues you can learn a thing or two from. Janella on the other hand feels natural, I love her very quirky scenes because they did insert Filipino humor which was quite cute. Yes there are small flaws, but overall they were able to tell a really good story that encompasses locations. You also get to know an even slower side of Hong Kong which I think is charming, especially when Janella and Win were together, building their dreams with Thai Milk Tea and Adobong Siopao. 

So, if you're a fan of either Win or Janella, bring your friends and prepare for a KILIG filled movie which you can watch over and over again.

Congratulations to the men and women who made this possible, although I'm a BrightWin fan, it was refreshing to see these actors tell a story and see something really unexpected. I love it, it's cute!

Thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board for inviting us!

Filipino Wins Fitness Professional Trainer Of Asia Award

Working out is already hard, but making a career out of it, takes so much passion. That's what Marlon Herrera has been doing in the past few years. Ajudged in Bangkok, Thailand, he won Fitness Professional Trainer Of Asia. This was no small feat as they had to choose out of 20 professional personal traners from around the world, and this happened after 3 years of pandemic restrictions in the region.

Marlon says "This is such and honor to represent the country in this international stint. It's in the fitness field, and they dedicated this event to the clients and trainees we've had who have always wanted a healhier lifestyle." This was witnessed by over 500 delegates in the annual event hosted by Canadian Helen Vanderburg and Lawrence Biscontini from the US. This is officially the first time that a Filipino won the award in the competition's history.

Marlon Herrera has a Nutrition Science degree from Stanford and has been doing this profession for 27 years. He was also a power lifter, and now dedicates his time as a strength and conditioning coach for the Philippine Women's Basketball Team, geriatric therapy and children. If you want to know more about him, message him via @itsmarlone on IG, or call +639178566758 else, email him via lonherrera72@gmail.com if you wish to avail his services.

Congratulations Mr. Herrera!

There Exists a 5G Enabled Smart Hospital in Thailand

In the eve of health care being in the forefront of importance because of the pandemic, technology has gone strides in the ASEAN region as they've started to enable a hospital in Thailand with 5G connection. Huawei together with the Thailand Office of the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission and Siriraj Hospital bares this as the "Siriraj World Class 5G Smart Hospital".

This was announced last December 16 and was witnessed by various government leaders, faculty leaders and members from Siriraj Hospital Mahidol University, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang and Abel Deng the CEO of Huawei Thailand and hospital representatives too. This makes Siriraj the first and largest 5G Smart Hospital in the whole region and brings top of the line technology within reach of patients, medical heiarchy. They have already started several projects with 5G Portable Medical Boxes, 5G Unmanned Vehicles, 5G Medical Carts and 5G enabled Hospital Beds. They aim to implement this on a large scale next year in around 30 other applications, a step forward in healthcare in Thailand. The Prime Minister has put a lot of importance in technology and would want to push for a more Digital Thailand. The start of the 5G enablement in the medical field is just the start, and would have it more efficient for patients. They lauded Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Huawei, NBTC and private groups. He also mentioned how this could be implemented in other hospitals in the country from hereon.

This long term cooperation between Siriraj and Huawei has bore fruit, and now implements things for health monitoring, diagnosis, data collection and tech training for medical professionals in the hospital. This has won them in CommuncAsia Awards as the Most Innovative 5G trial in Asia Pacific. There will certainly be more about it here soon. Stay tuned!

Cherry Mobile Launches New Android One Phone: Cherry Mobile G1

We're now at the launch of the next Android One phone from local brand Cherry Mobile.

According to them "Cherry Mobile this year is going top notch, whether it's price, hardware, we're bringing all of our affordable devices to Thailand and Myanmar region. The Android One model has surpassed the sales of Flare 3 and today we're launching 2GB RAM on the G1 with better specs, better integration from the software and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, with a bigger screen and 13MP, 5MP back and front cameras. All the lates updates will also be done with the OS for two years. You'll also have it with LTE and a 2,500 mAh battery. Android One is priced at Php3,999 and the G1 will be at Php5,999. All of which will have an even better Android experience!"

It's got a 5 inch IPS display and 1280 x 720 resolution made with Oncell Technology. You've also got a Dragontrail glass fascade and a Adreno 306 Graphics Processing Unit. One of the remarkable things to see is that it's got 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage at this price point; and it is expandable up to 32 GB.

We've tried the 13MP rear camera with dual LED Flash for starters and saw how much bokeh we could get with that. It was really impressive. The 5MP front camera is also perfect for selfies, ample enough even on low light conditions. This phone also has dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G connections, can support Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards and Bluetooth 4.0. It runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop Android OS and the battery that's ample enough for a whole day use.

Again, the price is Php 5,999. This would be perfect for students, Moms and kids who would just like to have a basic but powerful smartphone that can entertain their games, apps and daily abuse. A bit sad that I didn't have one so I could take photos and test the video, but it's all good.

For more information about their devices:

Cherry Mobile

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http://www.cherrymobile.com.ph/

The ASUS ZenPower 10,050 mAh Power Bank

Meet the the ASUS ZenPower 10,050 mAh Power Bank. This currently costs Php 795.00 in the market and has impressed me and a lot of people in the tech industry. I saw this when I was in Indonesia when the Zenfone 2 was launched and the delegates pretty much wanted to take it home. As for it's size, it's pretty small and since it's quite near the other brand's 10,400mAh power bank, this definitely is better sized as it is as small as a credit card. It's thicker than a card obviously but since it's smaller form factor, it just means you get more POWER for its size. 

I talked to a power bank manufacturer a couple of months ago and there has been a huge proliferation of fake powerbanks in the Philippines which are imported from you know where. They use old laptop batteries and get those parts from trash to make counterfeit powerbanks. This is probably the same things you see in the sidewalk sold for a couple pesos. This might work sometimes and will probably have repercussions in the long while. The over current, the under supply of it and the wrong output will not only put your gadgets at risk, but your lives. I've seen phones burst first hand because they kept it so long with the charger. Now what if that happened while you're at home, would you like your house to burn down? Exactly my point, which goes to my other point about the ASUS ZenPower 10,050 mAh Power Bank.

ASUS employs on these devices what they call ASUS PowerSafe Technology. It's proprietary technology that makes every ASUS ZenPower cabaple of watching the temperature, control input and output voltages so your devices won't get broken. It also prevents short circuits so you're assured being safe while you charge your devices. This is also expected to last around 1.8 times more than the competing power bank brand. It's also certified by 6 international safety organizations so when you own an ASUS ZenPower, you don't have to worry!

 ASUS also assures there's going to be plenty for everyone! Honestly, I was given the other brand during a petrol brand's launch. The thing never worked and once I connected it to my iPhone, it didn't work anymore and I was carrying it around thinking it would become better over time... it only became worse. Now that I have the ZenPower, I can charge my iPhone twice and a little more for emergency. That alone is reassuring. It's available in different colors like gold, silver (this one that I'm using) and others. It's sleek, light, and can save you so many times in a single day. I carry it around as another one as spare and I haven't even used that one yet because this one's efficient. If you're out looking for a power bank, please consider this one before you go elsewhere. After all, it's from ASUS!

For more information about their products:

ASUS Philippines

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http://www.asus.com/ph/

ASUS Launches ZenFone 2 for Southeast Asia

It was an awesome trip indeed! We had to go to Jakarta, Indonesia to witness the Southeast Asian launch of the ASUS ZenFone 2 and their other products. Yes, it's the phone that is rumored to beat all the competition in its class. It's my first time here so it was something I was definitely looking forward to. I've heard so many things about this place. Jakarta has its own charm, a little dated but they prove to be true to their heritage, a history that dates back centuries rooted in religion, built with wars and culture.

As with ASUS, they sternly believe that in order to become great, they have to do the legwork in making the best phones specs wise but have it affordable that most consumers would be able to get one when it finally comes out of the electronic shelves (rumored to be May). It looks kind of simple on paper but in real life, designing a dream phone/phablet like this would cost an arm and a leg if they did it on their own. ASUS had partnerships with other manufacturers so they could get the best there is architecturally but keep the prices down since these components are made by the experts themselves. It's some sort of synergy, a meeting of minds where you make the best fit hardware for your mobile devices.

Mario Maurer and Baifern Pimchanok for Penshoppe Fancon 2013

It was awesome awesome awesome! I couldn't be so happy to see them in the flesh! We were there to cover Mario Maurer and Baifern Pimchanok's Fan Conference at the SM Mall of Asia. As you know we've been able to do this these past few years, and if Penshoppe throws an event like this, it's just massive! With Thai Superstar Mario Maurer and the gorgeous Biafern Pimchanok in the Philippines, you're sure to witness something good for the senses... I love these two!

But before that, the fans were treated to trivia games

These guys were so serious too because the prize alone was too good to be true, they were given personally autographed tees from Mario and Baifern. That was really sweet!

 Then they came in, and everyone went wild!

 I don't know where they get their skin but these guys look so flawless! Baifern looks like a smaller, thinner and prettier version of Jinri Park whilst Mario Maurer looks better in real life than in photos. He looks thin in my shots but he was quite a well built guy when we saw him there!

Cute as a button, Baifern and Mario took time to say hi to fans at the SM MOA Atrium. It was jam packed and even the higher floors were full of around 3-4 layers of people. It was epic!

MORE PHOTOS HERE!

Bai Yok Authentic Thai Cuisine

Tomas Morato has been more or less saturated with restaurants and bars since the 90's and pretty much has been so hard to go to because they don't have ample amount of parking in the area. I don't mind going there on foot because it's a skip and a hop away from where I live. We just discovered a very nice spot to chill out at the corner of Scout Castor in Tomas Morato Avenue where Thai Food comes at a very affordable price. It's called Bai Yok and together with Anton of Pusangkalye.net and his wife; we dined with the owner himself.

The Interiors

Although I find the place a little lacking in that Thai presence they have some key pieces that you can say was pretty well executed. The main dining floor I guess just had the basics. They don't have that much lounging chairs, but the dining hall was okay. You get to eat the food that you want with a bunch of friends and the place doesn't get that pretty crowded; which in my books is perfect because I don't like places that are too noisy/you hear everyone else next table.

For those holding small parties or private lunch/dinners they have this loft you can go up to so can enjoy the privacy whilst seeing the busy streets of Tomas Morato in the evening.

Now I can't say the space is bare because they've got it painted and all but I feel it can still be jazzed up. The owner himself says he's planning to move next door so he can get a bigger space in the works. They'll get their Pinoy inasal restaurant and this Thai one together so people can order with one or the other. Honestly, I said they should charge more for their food because once I took a peek at their menu (plus the amount of their servings), nothing was actually more than 300 pesos. Imagine that!

The Food

Now let's start salivating and check out what they have on their menu. Thai Milk Tea for starters just got our thirst quenched at an affordable price of 85 pesos (don't quote me on that but the price is on that level). I don't know why but I felt the thing is under priced, when I saw the rest you'll know what I'm talking about.

I love Green Papaya Salad and this Som Tam was definitely a perfect way to accompany what we're about to eat that evening. This is so nice, fresh, crunchy and chewy. It was really reminiscent of the one I ate in Bangkok but had thicker strips of papaya here. The nuts and tomatoes just gives you that extra something for texture. I would love to have this again when I invite my folks for dinner. Would you imagine this only costs 100 pesos? See what I mean by being underpriced? You won't see pretty stuff like this for that amount honestly.

For those who don't eat catfish like me or Anton, having this is just nirvana. They ground the meat up and make this crunchy concoction together with mangoes, tomatoes and sprigs of Cilantro. You can opt out cilantro if you're not much a lover of it like me. But a hint of it won't be bad. This is so awesome that I didn't get to taste it because Anton ate it all! LOL It's his favorite! It's as authentic as it can get! It's called Yam Pladuk and costs only almost the same as the Papaya Salad.

Spring Rolls, just the mere mention of that dish's name made me think of this. The vegetables that they harvest plus the rice noodles inside a crispy brown crusted wrap that's light and filling just makes this the perfect appetizer I had three of these! It's called Popiatort in Thai and I love how it stays not that oily. It only costs 170. Mind you it's big and fit for about 3 people in one serving, unless you can't get enough of it. :)

If you don't get this one off the menu, you'll be sorry. The Bagoong Rice or fondly called as Khao Pad Kra Pi at P145.00 is just amazing. I don't care who you're with on a date but just get this one. It's authentic because they import ingredients from Bangkok. It's not salty at all.The price point is another thing, I don't have to tell you how much again because no matter what the price is you should taste this. It's from another world and I loved it. I just didn't show too much excitement out of decorum for the owner and I suggested them to feature this one and a couple of other things on their menu.

Sold in a bowl of rich hot and sour goodness is this Tom Yum Soup. It's a staple in every Thai restaurant and by the looks of it it had me just love it bowl after bowl. Mind you I am allergic to seafood but how can I pass out on this? Seriously?! This is one of the relatively pricier items in their menu, but at 230 pesos, would you call that expensive? Aren't you just excited to take a hot bowl of this on a rainy day. Oh my.

If that wasn't enough, take a look at this Mixed Seafood Noodle Soup that's got almost every thing in it. It tastes light and refreshing, perfect for those who prefer a soupy thing to end the night after a drinking spree in Tomas Morato. #NoToHangovers. This cost almost the same as Tom Yum but less the spicy kick. It's best for ladies who prefer a subtle, strong flavored, comforting soup right after a night out on a date. ;)

You can't get enough of Thai food if you have this on your menu. This is the famous Pad Thai and just look at how they intricately prepare each of these items on the menu. The Pad Thai had that perfect chewy noodles and crunchy veggies, peanuts, plus that sweet sugar mixed altogether with strips of egg in this dish. Their version wasn't too spicy and just had the chili on the side. This would be great for those non adventurous types who just need a fix of Thai flavor because you can choose how much fire you put into the plate. I love spicy food so if you are like me I'd add more of that kick into it. This only costs 200 pesos for this huge serving. It can probably get 2 or 3 people in one plate. I had this together with something special. Just look at the picture and see something to rave about!

This ladies and gentlemen is their Sampaloc Shake. Yes you heard that right. If you haven't had one yet it's time you do and it was something totally unexpected for me. I LOVE THIS! When I go back to Bai Yok this is something that I would totally order right off the bat. It was sweet, sour, almost velvety consistency and just had the right balance of flavors you would expect from Samapaloc. If you had your share of Tamarind from Bangkok and got the best ones, just imagine that made into a sweet drink and you'll know what I'm talking about. I almost had a heart attack out of excitement over this single drink and found something that I'd recommend you guys to try in this restaurant. It's one of the best drinks I've ever tasted in Manila and if you don't mind, please make the trip down Tomas Morato and get one of these for me will you?! :) Sorry about the photo (coz I drank it already LOL) I just can't help but taste it first before judging it best drink in Manila! For health buffs they have Ampalaya Shake also, I didn't get to try it because of time constraints but Anton raved about it. You should try that out too!

 

If you want to go to Bai Yok and get that Authentic Thai Food crave out of your system, just visit them at Tomas Morato Corner Scout Castor. It's right beside the 7-11 store and the big Teriyaki Boy at the front of Roces Avenue. You can probably get to park there if the slots in front of the store is full.

Capisce?!


For more information:

Visit their store

Bai Yok Authentic Thai Cuisine
185 Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Scout Castor
Quezon City
(+63 2) 475-8828
(+63 2) 788-7707







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Baiyok Thai Cuisine