The Brewer (CBTL) gives back: An Art Auction =]

*invite credits: CBTL and Geiser-Maclang; *where: Whitespace Contemporary

The exclusive auction held last Mach 31, 2009 (Tuesday) held at Whitespace Contemporary (located along Pasong Tamo Extension), is part of The Bean's ongoing initiative of pursuing one's passion.

Auctioned off hosted by Carlos Celdran, comprised of the following: "Temperature" by Augusto Albor, "Celeste" by Salvador Joel Alonday, "..and remember what peace may there be in silence" by Benjie Cabangis, Zean Cabangis' diptych "Tess and Lito", Noell El Farol's "Mounds with stone settings similar to those in Batanes Island..", Riel Hilarios' "Whatever Happened to Pygmalion and Galatea", Sandra Fabie-Gfeller's "Paper Bag XX", Erwin Leaños' "Bend", Jim Orencio's "Leaves", Ling Quisumbing's "Madre Simula (BIRTH), Jose Terence Ruiz's "Mana: TAKBU and Carlo Angelo Saavedra's "This is the Sea".

All the artworks can also be found on the covers of CBTL's commemorative limited edition Giving Journals as part of the 12 Cups with The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf: Give in to Giving Campaign.

12 partnering organizations are beneficiaries from the exclusive charity auction which cater to different advocacies; Kababaihan Gabay sa Bayan (KAGABAY), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Bahay Tuluyan, Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Haribon Foundation, Cartwheel Foundation Inc., Caritas Manila-Restorative Justice, Kythe Inc., Autism Society Phils. (ASP), Philippine Cerebral Palsy Inc. (PCPI), Resources for the Blind Inc. (RBI) and The Philippine Band of Mercy (PBM),

For more information please visit: http://www.coffeebean.com.ph

Watch the new trailer of Khavn's flicks =]

THIS IS NOT A TRAILER BY KHAVN

Watch the new trailer of Khavn’s films!
www.khavndelacruz.com

NEWS:
“MANILA IN THE FANGS OF DARKNESS” @ Buenos Aires Filmfest (BAFICI), March 25 to April 5, 2009
After premiering late last year at the Viennale and being cited by Film Comment magazine as one of the films to look out for this 2009, “Manila In The Fangs Of Darkness”, a homage to and a deconstruction of the films of Lino Brocka starring Bembol Roco, continues its festival tour at BAFICI, one of the most outstanding film festivals of the world. Next stop: Jeonju Filmfest in Korea (April 30 to May 8).
http://www.bafici.gov.ar/home09/es/films/info/$id/73.html

“BLACKWORMS” @ Oberhausen Filmfest, April 30 to May 5, 2009
Starring Donna Miranda and written by Joseph Nacino, “Blackworms” premieres at this most prestigious shortfilm festival’s International Competition section.
http://www.kurzfilmtage.de/index.php?id=26&L=2

Cheers =]

The Classic Brews of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf =]

The Classic Brews of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

In a world where the hierarchy of taste is usually determined by what's brand new – nothing provides more satisfaction than classic flavors delivered with a distinct twist.

This is why, nearly 50 years since its inception, the distinct blends, down-home flavors and cozy ambiance continue to remain the main draws for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, who has gone on to indulge the palate of millions across the globe.

As the oldest and largest privately held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's commitment to quality is evident with every sip of their finely brewed coffee and tea mixes.

“Our company is probably one of the few establishments whose exceptional drinks can be attributed to our efforts to directly source superior tea leaves and coffee beans from all over the world,” says The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Marketing Director Paolo Del Rosario “As well as process and brewing these ingredients fresh daily.”

Innovation is of course, a significant part of the company's success. In fact, the perennial favorite ice blended coffee drinks available today were first served by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as far back as the 80s.

Today, their specially trademarked Ice Blended® is created starting with their secret coffee extract, which refine their specialty coffees to bring out the richest and most concentrated flavors, and mixed with their specially processed ice to produce a smooth and unique drink.

Trimmed with its trademark oak and tea chest paneled walls, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s interiors draw customers in by virtue of its intimate and inviting décor. Complemented by an attentive service team, a chockfull of amenities, gourmet menu selections and delectable dessert choices, it’s easy to indulge with your favorite cup of coffee or tea within its relaxing and home-like appeal.

Indeed, it is The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's decades old understanding of their craft that allows them to deliver exceptionally. And for the gastronomic experience like no other, it is truly the place where cult favorites, best-loved infusions and innovative new brews are available in every soothing cup.

For more information please visit: http://coffeebean.com.ph

TGIF: A Week of Fridays =]

*invite credits: Yehey.com and TGIF; *photo credits: pinayads.com

TGI Friday’s: Giving you never-ending reasons to celebrate!

Toxic deadlines and stressful workloads may take over each day of the week, but we know your million lined-up festivities couldn’t care less but wait to be celebrated! That Monday after graduation party, a birthday blowout on Tuesday night, client interlocks by Wednesday, a dinner date on Thursday and finally—a kickoff to the weekend in high spirits on Friday! With this insatiable indulgence for merriment, the whole week’s never going to be enough—thank goodness indeed, there’s TGI Friday’s to give back the joyous reward, A Week of Friday’s.

T.G.I Friday’s, one of the top of mind restaurants in the country, offers great popular American cusine, while everyone carefree sits back, enjoys the fun and celebration with good laughs mixed with good food, drinks and conversations. Trademarked as the resto’ in red and white, Friday’s was brought to the Philippine shores in 1993 by Bistro Group of Companies (Italianni’s, Steakhouse, Outback and Fish & Co.), and for a decade and counting has served yet the best in dining, in the most upbeat and casual feel.

Continuously reengineering the dining experience to cater to more and more people whose reasons to celebrate run endless—TGI Friday’s offers A Week of Friday’s, (starts from 5pm ‘til closing) a whole week of non-stop fun and gastronomic treats for the whole gang who celebrates after the workload hours!

A WEEK OF FRIDAY’s (5PM til closing)

MOB Mondays:

Refillabe Chips and Salsa, Buffalo Wings for 1 & to share, Calamari, Liempo Bites and Thin Onion Rings

CHOOSEdays!

Choose your booze! – Buy one take one on beer, cocktails and wine by the glass

Wacky Wednesdays

Happy Hours every Wednesday- Spend 1,000 and get a chance to play a game and then pick a prize!

Thirstdays!

Happy hours every Thursday. Special drinks just for this day! – Buy 2 cocktail drinks and get 1 more cocktail FREE.

Fun Fun Fridays

It’s the loudest and happiest day of the week. Spend 1,500, pick a card and you win!

Bring it on workload! Forget about the nonstop to do’s and strenuous work freight because TGI Friday’s will definitely help you chew up all the stress in your money’s worth with an array of mouth-watering meals, lip-smacking appetizers, entrees and desserts matched with great specialty drinks served right up for your dining and drinking pleasure! Experience a different kind of enjoyment each day of the week only with TGI Friday’s A Week of Friday’s.

TGI Friday’s Branches:

TGI Friday's Sta. Lucia TGI Friday's Alabang

TGI Friday's Tomas Morato TGI Friday's Glorietta

TGI Friday's Manila TGI Friday's Galleria

TGI Friday's Bonifacio High Street TGI Friday's Trinoma

TGI Friday's Mall of Asia TGI Friday's Cebu

Songs for A New World Musical =]

*invite credits: Joriben, Peachy and 9Works Theatrical; *photo credits: pinayads.com

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD MUSICAL SET ON MAY 1-2, 8-10

9 Works Theatrical, Manila’s newest theatre company proudly presents “ Songs for a New World ”, the smash hit Off-Broadway musical at the Carlos P. Romulo Theatre, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Avenue cor. Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City. The schedule of shows are on May 1, 2, 8, and 9 ( 8:00 p.m. ) and May 10 ( 3:30 p.m. ).

“ Songs For A New World ” presents life as the way we regroup and figure out how to survive in a new set of circumstances – a new world – even against seemingly overwhelming odds. These are songs about that new world, a world in which the definitions of family, distance, money, technology, the very nature of human contact is changing everyday, a world in which the rules don’t apply as often as they do, a world in which the solutions our parents found don’t work for us, and a world in which today’s answers probably won’t apply tomorrow. “ It is a brainchild of Tony-Award winning American Musical Theater lyricist and composer Jason Robert Brown. He has been hailed as “one of Broadway’s smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim” (Philadelphia Inquirer); and The New York Times actually refers to Jason as "a leading member of a new generation of composers who embody high hopes for the American musical”. Jason Robert Brown’s musical theater hits include “Parade” (1998 Tony Awards - Best Score; Drama Desk Award - Best Music); “The Last Five Years” (2002 Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics, and nominated for Outstanding Orchestrations); “Urban Cowboy” (2003 Tony-Award Nominee for Best Original Score); “Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes” (2005), Brown’s solo debut album; and the latest, “13”, which opened in Broadway in 2008. Robbie Guevara, a noted theatre actor and director; co-founder, and Artistic Director of 9 Works Theatrical will direct anew this musical after a successful one-night run last August 24, 2008. While originally written as a musical with a montage of songs or a ‘musical revue’, Robbie will have a different take on this material by weaving the songs together in order to come up with a story.

Featuring a handful of the country’s most talented theater actors, who have been practicing and sharing their talents with primary Philippine theater companies such as Repertory Philippines, Trumpets, Stages, Philippine Opera Company, and Atlantis Productions. The cast consists of Felix Rivera, Caisa Borromeo, Anna Santamaria, Harold Cruz, Carla Guevara – Laforteza and Ms. Pinky Marquez.

The production team of “ Songs For A New World ” is as follows:

Robbie Guevara (director, set design, projections design), Peachy Atilano (production manager), Dax Carnay (stage manager), Mio Infante (design consultant), Martin Esteva (lighting design), Ceejay Javier (musical director), Felix Rivera (vocal coach), Francis Matheu (choreography), Shelyn Tayanes (marketing), Santi Santamaria (sales), Anna Santamaria (finance), Joselito Tolentino (PR consultant), Jonjon Martin and Carlos Canlas (publicity).

Presented by 9 Works Theatrical and its media partners: Manila Bulletin, Focus Media, Lifestyle Network, SIP Magazine, Circuit Magazine, 24/7 Magazine, ClickTheCity and www.psep-online.com.

For tickets and inquiries, call 9 Works Theatrical at 557-5860 / 0906-331-5961 or visit www.9workstheatrical.com, or call TicketWorld at tel. 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Monsters vs. Aliens at IMAX =]

*invite credits: jonski of yehey.com; photo credits: pinayads.com

Oh yeah IMAX premiere..uber khuel invites! Twas a last minute thingy but sooo worth it! Super thanks to Yehey.com..a wish come true!

On her wedding day, Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is hit by a meteorite infused with Quantonium that caused her to grow. The government kept her at a secret facility where she met Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a mad scientist who accidentally transformed himself into a roach-human hybrid, B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), a gelatinous, brainless mass brought to life in an experiment gone wrong, The Missing Link (Will Arnett), a Creature-from-the-Black-Lagoon-like lizard man, and the skyscraper-sized mutant larvae Insectosaurus. Aalien overlord Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) arrives on Earth to obtain the precious Quantonium and conquer the world, President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert) offers the monsters their freedom in exchange for defeating the evil mastermind and his legion of clones.

I dare say this has got to be one of this year's family-friendly flicks to watch especially on IMAX. Actually, its not just for kids and parents but also for tweeinies and those with love dilemmas..why? Just watch it and a definite message is there especially for women of this generation.

Cheers! =]

Farsi Famous Persian Grill =]

*after the Heavenly Chocolates Seminar; *photo credits: pinayads.com

After the whole day fof food events..we decided to have late dindin at a place where I've always told my friends that has good Persian food at a very affordable price.

We had the Honey Buffalo Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Steak, Stewed Goat, Chelo (skewered minced meat with Persian spices), their rice has Cardamon seeds..they also have the Kababs, Shawarma, Hummus, etc. So give in to your Persian food cravings and head on to Farsi located at Scout LozanoSt., Tomas Morato, Q.C. 9at the back of Alba restaurant and Figaro Coffee)

Cheers =]

Heavenly Chocolates..Indeed! =]

*invite credits: Heavenly Chocolates and Chocolatier Benjamin Pedro; *photo credits: pinayads.com

It has been three long weeks since the e-mailed invite and it was worth the wait. Chocolatier Benjamin Pedrostarted off with a brief history of chocolates from the Mayans (500 A.D.) who used Cacao beans as currency; the Aztecs (15000) when Hernan Cortez met Montezuma and brought the Cacao-Elite lifestyle to Europe to the present.

Caco (theobroma Cacao) cocoa plant; "food of the gods"; from the Aztec language word of "Cacahuati". The choco-tasting started from Champagne Sachi/Chocolate Nama (better than Royce hehe!), a bit of Peru (which was mild with a hint of dry flowers), but I liked Mexico harsh and intense. Ivory Coast has basic taste; Madagascar has fruity notes and Ecuador of smooth and intense cocoa taste are also available at their shop along Roces Avenue perpendicular to Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

The flavour factors as shared to us by mr. Pedro depends on the following factors: Bean variety; Cimate and Altitiude; Harvest Technique; Roasting Practices; Conching Process; Flavour Release and of course, Personal Mood. The important process starts from the Harvesting, Fermenting and then the Drying..from from the farm, to the cocoa processor to its Tempering (preferred liquid, semi-liquid and solid form).

Sugar rush indeed..worth every gram of it! Its a must for all chocolate lovers and to convert non-chocolate lovers to drop by and have a taste of Heavenly Chocolates.

Cheers! =]

*For Chocolate Seminars and other inquiries: Heavenly Chocolates is located at Roces Ave. perpendicular to Tomas Morato St. Q.C.

Doña Elena Cuisinera Club =]

*invite credits: Doña Elena Cuisinera Club and Geiser-Maclang; *photo credits: pinayads.com; *where: Living Well, The Podium

Projects of the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club includes the release of 21 Ways to a Healthier Life book, which contains a short list of tips to a healthier lifestyle as well as Filipino recipes given a healthier twist and monthly healthy cooking sessions for its members. The Club after all was conceived from the desire to turn Filipinos into healthy eating without compromising the taste and quality of food they prepare.

The Club's priority as of late is substituting the use of olive oil for regular cooking oils not only because of the health benefits but alsofor its richer flavour. Chef Golda showed us how to make Vongole Pasta, 3 Simple Barbecue Marinades and Coleslaw in a healthier way. [recipes will be shared/posted soon].

Cheers! =]

*Doña Elena Cuisinera Club: 713-8144/ info@cuisineraclub.com

Krispy Kreme's Choco Carnival: A Sweet Success..Indeed =]

*invite credits: Krispy Kreme BHS and Geiser-Maclang

*photo credits: pinayads.com

In the wake of their success, Krispy Kreme continues to push the envelope for sweet-tooths across the Philippines with the introduction of the Chocolate Karnival. After all, what else can trump already established cult favorites than the introduction of the Greatest Chocolate Show on Earth?

Launched recently, the infamous Hot Original Glazed gets itself a decidedly chocolate-y make-over with the addition of the Chocolate Glazed Doughnut to Krispy Kreme’s wide range of melt-in-your-mouth doughnut offerings.

For true sweet tooths and chocoholics, a single doughnut is the ultimate experience. Combining the pillowy perfection of Krispy Kreme doughnuts with the rich, decadent gloss of chocolate, it’s where one will find love at first bite. Be sure to hold off for other treats as well—variations of the Chocolate Glazed come in Chocolate Glazed Traditional Cake, Double Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Glazed Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Glazed Vanilla Cruller Cake, Chocolate Glazed with Sprinkles, Chocolate Glazed Strawberry Filled, Chocolate Glazed Raspberry Filled, Chocolate Glazed Custard Filled and the Chocolate Glazed Kreme Filled.

So go on, glaze yourself—but be warned, stop in for one and you may actually walk out with a dozen.

Glaze your friends! Visit www.chocolatekarnival.com. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Hot. Fresh. Now. For inquiries, please email customercare@krispykreme.com.ph or call (632) 8126596.