Kumbento’s Centennial Year!

And just like that, my Alma Mater turned 100 YEARS OLD last February 23, like WOW! One-Hundred-Years! That’s right, our beloved “Pasig Catholic College” was founded last February 1913 by Fr. Cornelio de Brower who was part of the CICM Fathers that originated from Brussels, Belgium, who also, was the one in charged of Immaculate Conception Parish which is now known as Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Biro mo yun, ISANG DAANG TAON! Astig!

This CELEBRATION was big though, it meant a lot to anyone associated with the SCHOOL, this was ONCE IN A LIFETIMEE celebration to simply put it, there will never be another first 100 years, and the next 100 leading to it’s 200th year will be on another lifetime, long after we’re all gone. So YES, this was a BIG DEAL to everyone, employees, and students, from the past, present and future.

Kumbento Boys Batch 88 was host for this year’s celebration, man I can imagine the pressure that these guys had, considering that all eyes are on them and they have to make this work and make it PERFECT for the entire community, and guess what, THEY DID! And the event was a MAJOR SUCCESS, 2,044 came! the biggest crowd ever assembled in the history of all foundation days of our school, to say the least, it was LEGENDARY, and these guys set the bar higher for other batches to follow, PRESSURE! PRESSURE! PRESSURE na naman! Hehehe! =D

One of the highlights for this year’s celebration was the new mural created by one of Batch 88′s own. I forgot his name (sorry!) but man, it was one BEAUTIFUL MURAL/PAINTING. It was called Centennial Wall of Legacy and it defined the 100 years of our school. I really have to give props to our schoolmate who made this because this is something every “KUMBENTO BOY” can be damn proud of and anyone who steps inside our school grounds will see the deep tradition our school has. 100 years has a lot of good and fun memories and these are the common ground for any person who spent 6,10 and even 14 years as students of PCC, it was really a proud moment for all of us. And here’s a shot from yours truly.

Kumbento Boys Batch 95 (my batch) came out strong, since this celebration was extra special for everyone, we had our own share of “Bragging Rights” that night, 3 reasons to be exact. The first one was, we bagged this years Kumbento Boy’s Basketball League Championship! That’s right! That’s Batch 95′s second championship in 5 years! And what made it even more memorable is the fact that we won it during our school’s 100th year! How cool is that right?

And second reason was “THE CRUSADER”. This represented our batch during the motorcade a week before the grand alumni celebration, most, if not all batches (except ours) only had a flag that represented their respective batches, but ours was different, we literally had the crusader carried the batch flag of Batch 95, as in someone dressed up like our school’s symbol, was even named from our school’s publication, and it turned heads, this was also the reason why we we’re given a SPECIAL AWARD last Saturday, everyone knew it was a monumental effort on our part to create one, and it was not just for Batch 95, it was for the night of the celebration, and YES, it was dedicated to everyone who was considered a KUMBENTO BOY, for every PCCian out there, and YES, it was BAD-ASS man! =D

Batchmate Ariel Marqueta as “THE CRUSADER”

Batch 95′s “THE CRUSADER” leading the way during the PARADE OF COLORS.

And the THIRD reason was Batch 95 in HIGH SCHOOL UNIFORMS! Hahaha! That’s right! Different batches who attended the event came in wearing their respective batch t-shirts, and we thought we should do something different commemorating our school’s 100th year, and the only way we can do this is to go back in our roots, we came wearing our HIGH SCHOOL UNIFORMS! Hahaha! With matching patch back in 95 and of course, as students, you need ID’s! Hehehe! We did made an impact that night, everyone from different batches, and even teachers appreciated what we did, we we’re the only batch who came in dressed like it was 1995! And we came in PROUD with our get up, even the guards smiled at us, EVERYONE did! it was a FUNNY and COOL thing even to us, biro mo, with matching black socks and backpacks pa! Hehehe!

The EARLY BIRDS that night, and that’s yours truly on a “HIGH WAIST!” Hehehe!

Batch 95 in our SCHOOL UNIFORM back in 95! With ID’s! Hahaha!

This was near the stage, before the Batch Roll Call!

Batch 95 Represent Y’all! RETRO in FULL EFFECT right here!

And of course, the HIGH SCHOOL building shot! Classic high school bldg man, lots of memories here! We LOVE this bldg! One of the first bldg in our school, very ICONIC place!

ELY BUENDIA in the house! YES! He’s a KUMBENTO BOY too! (I think from Batch 83!)

Rock on Legendary and Iconic Kumbento Boy! – ELY BUENDIA!

Even GMA’s EMIL SUMANGIL is a Kumbento Boy, and YES, he’s from our group, BATCH 95! with batchmate Jaypee Bernardo and ENGEL LUCAS of ENGEL LUCAS TATTOOS! also from Batch 95!

Ang mga PASAWAY na BATCH 95 at the CENTENNIAL WALL OF LEGACY area! Man I miss the PCC days!

And another one for the road, LIFE AT PCC was the BEST of my childhood years man. Crazy but FUN! Hehehe!

Cheers Batch 95! Man it was cool to see everyone smiling and having a great time!

Isa pang KAMPAY mga ka-batch! Para sa PCC!

What a FUN, FUN, FUN night! LEGENDARY day for everyone! Batch 95 was proud and happy to be there!

And another page from the KUMBENTO history books was made. The night of FEBRUARY 23, 2013 will go down in PCC’s history book as the MOST SUCCESSFUL gathering of everything PCC and KUMBENTO in years. This was a very special day for any kiddo back in the days who grew up as a PCCian. As for me, it was a PERFECT night, great times with good and old friends back in the days, the KUMBENTO & PCC community and of course, the very institution where I was educated from. Because of this school, I am what I am today, and I owe it to this place, this very special place, my second home, my school for 10 years.

A PROUD BATANG KUMBENTO right here!

9th Time: On Anniversaries, Fine Dining and More of Singapore!

And just like that, after a month and a half, I was back! That’s right, I was back in Lion City for another round of Quality time with E, and YES, this was our Anniversary Month that’s why I went back. There’s no way on earth I’m going to miss this important month. It’s all LOVE right here! =D

As usual, me and E did a lot of walking, touring the city like it was just our first time, but this was actually my 9th time to visit Singapore so we’re pretty much done with the tourist-ish stuff, the only place we went to which was considered a tourist haven was Gardens By The Bay, the rest was more of a local thing, like if you’re a tourist, there’s a big probability that you won’t get to discover the area, unless you’re with a local who loves to eat, dine and explore Singapore besides the tourist attractions. The Lion City has a lot to offer, and most of the cool stuff are actually hidden gems, and there’s prestige on the place, more like knowing and getting to the right spots, and of course, connections. =D

So what’s the deal on my 9th visit? Besides chicken rice overload, the Bearbies watched a movie twice! Bourne Legacy & Total Recall! LOL! It’s been a while since me and E watched a movie so catching up with this simple pleasure with her was my cup of tea. This vacation won’t be complete though without visiting Loykee’s Best Chicken Rice! We’ve been dining on this joint since July 2010 and we never fail to visit and experience the place each time I visit. It is, ADDICTIVE! And I don’t see ourselves not coming back, the food here is really “THAT GOOD”.

I also took some pics of new joints around the area where I usually stay and there’s this place besides my hotel that seems to be pretty popular with the locals, it’s packed with customers every night and not just your regular/typical customers, their clients would visit the area driving Ferraris, Maseratis and Jaguars. What they sell there seems to be like “SUMAN” like, haven’t tried it but I’m planning to on my 10th visit, I want to know what’s the buzz and hype about these so called “RICE DUMPLINGS”. This joint is called Eastern Rice Dumpling.

Since it was our anniversary month, like the foodies in us, we’ve decided to celebrate it in style! Hahaha! Me and E loves to try new stuff so this time, we went to Gunthers. It’s located along Purvis Street where you can find different food joints and restaurants. From casual spots to romantic fine dining joints, this strip has everything. Me and E discovered this place the night before when we decided to do a little bit of walking around the area, and when we saw it that night, we checked it on the net and we’re like, this is the spot we need to try! Hahahaha! And no regrets, WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE! =D

Gunthers was nice, the location of the place is away from the tourist-ish spots, inside, it has this warm feeling to it and we we’re really impressed by it’s staff, very detail oriented and they have this “personalized” approach to each customer and would make you feel very, very and YES, VERY important which was another cool factor on this place. When we went there, the place was packed, but it doesn’t give you that feeling really because the tables and chairs are all well appointed, it’s like privacy was still there and most, if not all are all well-dressed, I think me and E were a bit under dressed! Nyahaha! Oh well, next time, it will be different. We had their Set Menu for lunch which was reasonably priced ($38++ SGD/head) which was alright. Next time we’ll try A la carte!

This was also the month were the move “Bourne Legacy” was shown and me and E had the chance to watch it together during my visit, it was actually my second day and I told her before my visit that we’ll watch it together, and YES! We watched the movie and she brought me to Shaw Theatres where it was showing, it was actually my first time on that movie place, not bad, the place reminds me of Greenbelt 5′s movie houses, really comfy seats, really good sound system and we had a great time, we also had a chance to dine at Dome, meron din palang Dome sa Singapore! LOL! Kala ko pang Pinas lang! Hehehe!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the real reason why I went to SG is to try their “world-famous” chicken wings, BONCHON! Hahahaha! Kidding aside though, I’m glad asked me to eat there since we we’re so tired from all the walking the other day and we just end up eating here, this join was along Bugis Junction and no regrets, I just learned that there’s actually a “BIG” difference how SG’s BONCHON operates, BIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG difference in the menu compared to what we have here in Manila, so I’m glad E let me experience BONCHON SG, had a good time eating, we ate like crazy! Ordered wings good for 5 – 6 people, and it was only me and Eva! LOL!

And YES, more pictures for you guys to check!

At Gunther’s after a great brunch; Gardens by the Bay’s Supertrees during the day; And another one I took during the night.

One of my favorite shots of E @ Shoppes; The Bearbies on our way to check out Garden’s by the Bay; Chillin after a long day with E at Zouk.

Keppel Bay’s Marina, where Prive Cafe is also located, really nice place!

Prive Cafe’s “Ultimate Brekkie”! This is heaven in a plate I swear! Me and E had this! LOL!

And our ALL-TIME FAVORITE -> I present you, Prive Cafe’s PROFITEROLES! Fiesta na! Part na! This is the REAL DEAL, King of all Dessert! But I think DB Bistro Moderne still have the VBEST PROFITEROLE! =D

We had a BLAST in Prive Cafe, as you can see, THE BEARBIES are all smiles! For sure I’ll ask E to bring me there this March! Yahhhhhooooooooo! =D

E brought me to this romantic area in Keppel Bay, man this is the “SPOT” right here for romantic dates, but is also good for family, LOVELY place!

Hello Bank of America! Do you guys have any opening for a Project Manager post? Hehehe! Harbour Front! Near Keppel Bay.

The Marina @ Keppel Bay is a really BEAUTIFUL place! This is one area in Singapore I can stay for days! PERFECT place to relax and chill.

High Society! Another cool place that me and E discovered, it was actually late, we stayed here and had snacks before watching Total Recall. 2 Thumbs up!

An another one for the road, one of my FAVORITE shot with E along Keppel Bay. All LOVE right here man.

That’s about it folks, it was a GREAT trip, definitely had a BLAST with the LOVE OF MY LIFE and there’s more to come where me and E came from for sure! More travels for THE BEARBIES, more Singaporean get arounds and more COUNTRIES to travel. “THE EMPIRE” coming strong! Homeboy is BLESSED and will forever be THANKFUL for moments like these, I’m just HAPPY that I get to experience it with E.

9th Time was another one for the books, y’all know how we do!

Life+Times: Hova’s Barclay’s Concert Prep

Jay has come a long way and this video serves an inspiration to many, including yours truly. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for HARDWORKING cats. And this video is one good example how dedicated this man when it comes to everything he does. That’s why he’s JAY Z.

Take some time and watch this short film, you will learn a lot.

Happy 43rd Hova! Yes I’m a big fan of 2pac, but I’m also a fan of dope East Coast cats like you, Nas, Biggie and the late Guru. Looking forward for more years of GREAT and LEGENDARY lyrical lines from you.

Saigon’s “Game Changer”

Another dope record from my man SAIGON.

I LOVE listening to this dude, all of his songs has a “STRONG MESSAGE” and makes sense, none of that BS that’s been on other records lately, glad to know there are still cats out there like him who cares about the QUALITY of their music/record instead of going COMMERCIAL and selling millions!

Saigon should do a track with DJ PREMIER!

8th Time: More Lovely Dates, Post Celebrations and Corporate Stuff!

Yessir! I was back for the 8th Time! Oo, 8th time from Manila since July 2010! Which makes Singapore my second home already! Of course, the LOVE OF MY LIFE lives and works here! And that’s the deal. =)

This is just a teaser though, So here’s my “Introductory” picture for this post that’s been looooonnnngggggg overdue! But you know me, can’t stop! won’t stop when it comes to sharing my stay in Singapore. I LOVE THIS SMALL COUNTRY! You can’t blame me though, because I LOVE E even more!

Outside MBA Shoppes, before hitting Mozza! =)

It was actually a very productive stay. We did a lot of things which on a normal basis, won’t be included on a typical “vacation/staycation” for yours truly and E. But it was actually important, very important so it’s something that needs to be done, and it was something that really mattered a lot. Let’s just say, we did a lot of office visits and meet ups with people that really matter, and the end-result, as always, was POSITIVE.

There was this new joint along Balestier Road so I thought it would be cool to check it out, so here I am! Hehehe!

And here’s what I had for brunch that time. It’s an “American Diner” so expect stuff like these on their menu.

One of the HIGHLIGHTS of this trip was FINALLY! natuloy din MOZZA namin! Hehehe! After trying some of the BEST food joints in Singapore, me and E made a promise to actually try them all at some point. We’ve been regulars of DB Bistro Moderne and we always see MOZZA packed, so we thought it would be cool to check it out. I’m really glad we finally did it, the place was really nice, the price was a bit high but the overall experience was worth it. Here’s some eye candies for you on that day.

I never get tired of this place, it’s a sight to see in person. I love the Marine Bay area!

And YES, the BEARBIES before hitting MOZZA! We’re both excited! It’s our “1ST” time to dine together at the M-place!

Mozzzzzaaaaaaaaa Tadah! LOL! Italiano Pizzeerrrriiiaaa! Hehehe! Really GREAT place though.

Laid-back place, but still the ambiance is good. Still a perfect “Date Place” though in my book. They do have a “Fine Dining” area though for a more romantic feel on the other side.

It was actually a “LONG NIGHT”, me and E loves to eat. So we thought it would be nice if have dessert at our favorite place in the MBS area (because of Profiteroles) so since it was only a few steps from Mozza, we have decided it would be on our “BEST INTEREST” to pay a little visit to our good friend’s place, DANIEL BOULUD. Hahaha! Sweets time! What an “EXCUSE!” but you can’t blame us, DB BISTRO MODERNE serves the BEST dessert in all of Singapore!

We’re back! Hehehe! We meet again DB! =D

The NUMERO UNO reason why we keep on coming back! Sarap eh! PROFITEROLES!

And now we have a SECOND REASON to go back! Hahaha! Man this is “HEAVEN” on a plate I swear if you love chocolates!

Me and E also discovered this new place at Mandarin Gallery in Orchard road. The name of the place is SWEETS GARIBALDI. From the name itself, you know the joint serves desserts. The place is more like a “take-away” spot since they only had a few chairs and tables for customers, but since it wasn’t a busy day, we opted to dine-in, not bad actually, and their desserts was alright, if you wan to try something new, then this is a perfect spot.

Despite the “Italian” name, it’s actually being managed by a Peranakan chef who moved to Singapore named Chef Tammy Mah. Sweets by Garibaldi combines traditional pastry-making methods with new molecular techniques to create sensational sweet treats that are innovative, seductive and addictive. But the owner is still Italian, the same group that runs the Garibaldi group in Singapore.

What I had, this was really good! (and expensive!)

And this was E’s which was also equally good! And YES, EXPENSIVE too! Hahaha! Pero masarap talaga!

And that’s the BEARBIES before leaving the place. We actually had a good experience here, very quiet place and the ambiance was alright. The place is actually a hidden gem! And you really have to look for it in order to find it.

Another highlight of this trip was when I was able to visit and do some work at Thomson Reuters in Singapore. E was also on the same area, she had a meeting in Marina Bay Centre so I’ve decided it would be cool to visit our office in One Raffles Quay. And YES, our office there was something, the setting was very CORPORATE compared here in Manila, even their lobby has a modern look and feel to it. I stayed there for 3 hours and worked there, met some colleagues from the city, Sydney and the UK, most of which are part of the sales team. Here’s some cool pics from my visit.

At the lobby of Thomson Reuters’ One Raffles Quay office. And the people at the reception were so warm, even offered me drinks and cakes! Cool people!

One of their receiving areas, which is also a place where you can work. Met some colleagues from the UK office too.

This is the view from their receiving area, as you can see, they have the BEST LOCATION.

From the other side of the lobby, this was near their “Timeline Hallway” that leads to their meeting rooms.

They call this “Timeline Hallway”. It’s actually pretty cool to see this in person, it’s long and both sides has information about the company’s history.

One of their so called “Meeting Rooms” which is “Voice Activated”. Now that’s some cool stuff right there man. How come we don’t have this here in Manila? Hehehe! I wish!

One Raffles Quay, where one of Thomson Reuters office in Singapore is located. Really nice looking bldg and most companies here are either from banks, financial, auditing and media firms.

Me and E was able to kick it as well with my good friend Gio. He’s also working in Singapore and he’s been a resident since April 2008. Each time I visit SG, I make sure to make time for my homeboy G. We had a great lunch at Kaman Sutra which was a food-court like joint in the area. We met up with him pretty late but you know good times with friends will always be a fun one. Oh yeah, thanks for the treat G! =D

The BEARBIES with G at the Marina Bay area, this was actually near Esplanade Theatre.

Eto mas malapit and E’s in the center! Hehehe! I love this picture, Sherry (G’s GF) would’ve made this picture perfect!

With the G-man himself at Kaman Sutra! Always cool to catch up with a good friend!

E also brought me to some of the COOLEST and HAPPENING places in this side of Singapore. We went to a place called “PS. CAFE” which by the way, a really cool joint to have date with a loved one, chill out with your barkadas or even the entire family. The location was just something to talk about and I’m really glad E shared the place with me (thanks Lovsee!). I wanna go back! One of the BEST joints I’ve been to in Singapore.

This signage will greet you at the entrance leading to the restaurant. The place and area is really beautiful!

While waiting for our table, we were very hungry at this time, but it doesn’t show! Hahaha! We we’re just HAPPY to be here together =D

Finally, our own little area, which I was really surprised, the place is HUGE! + the chairs and tables too!

And these are DRAGON BALLS! Hahaha! Kidding aside though, I LOVE THE AMBIANCE on this place. Everything LOVELY and ROMANTIC!

And they call this “SIDES”?!?! Hahaha! Man this was a TON of fries! Good though! PS Cafe’s signature TRUFFLE SHOESTRING FRIES!

This is what I had, PS. CAFE’s PS. STEAK SANDWICH! I made the RIGHT CHOICE when I ordered this!

And this was E’s but I forgot what it’s called. This was actually good for 2 or even 3! Everything on this place is good for 2! Hahaha!

Before “HAVING A BALL” Hahaha! Look at our table! We hate to EAT! Hahaha! I HAD A BLAST here with Eva. Thank you Lovsee! =D

E also brought me to Singapore’s KATONG area which is actually part of the East Coast area. E said this place is one of the areas where Singapore’s millionaires and super-rich folks lives. It makes sense, Maserati’s, Ferarri’s and Lambo’s are common here, like how common Civics and Corollas here in Manila. BIG TIME MGA TAO dito sobra! Oh yeah, this place is also well-known for their LAKSA! Which is one of the MUST TRY when you visit the Lion City! And YES, we ate at ASTONS!

They have one of the BEST STEAK in this side of town! Very competitive price too!

You’ll never go wrong with this place, it’s one of the BEST KEPT SECRET in the Katong area, right infront of KATONG 112 mall.

This was my ride in Singapore, Ducati got nothing on this bad-ass of a old school bike! LOL! It’s Antique, just like it’s owner! Hehehe!

One “NOT A TOURIST in SG” and some LUCKY DUDE who caught this BEAUTIFUL woman’s attention and heart! Hehehe! Love you E! =D

So yeah, I had a BLAST last June, it was a post-birthday celebration with THE LOVE OF MY LIFE and it was a VACATION and STAYCATION well spent. I’m just grateful and blessed to be with E that month. GOD has been good to us ever since and I’m just a HAPPY man when I’m with her. I LOVE HER SO MUCH and June was another GREAT and AMAZING Singapore experience for yours truly.

My 8th Time in Singapore was indeed SPECIAL.