CVT-X Art Fair @Buku-Buku Kafe –Imus, Cavite

Oh hi everyone! I was so busy last November, but I’m baaaack! 🙂 I should have done this post a month ago, but I really had no time for my November was packed with final requirements, final exams, book reviews, research papers, and a whopping full-length TV Show project. Since my December is also going to be as equally full as my November, I better start posting the highlight of my November, 2016.

I was invited by Ms. Jessica Santiago, the owner of Buku-Buku Kafe to cover the CVT-X Art Fair. I really had no time for that, but heck; it’s Buku-Buku Kafe! How can you say “No” to that? So I cleared out my schedule and set the whole 13th of November just for this Art Fair.

artwork buku buku kafe ziano villarama

CVT-X Art Fair, an event made possible by Buku-Buku Kafe and The Al Project, is a gathering of digital and traditional artists from all over Cavite. That day was filled with art workshops, art bazaar, art demonstrations, live Open Mic Spoken Word Poetry presentations, and an art exhibit.

The Art Exhibit

 

Personally, I’m a not-so-artsy-type-of-guy, but the art exhibit was one of my favorite parts of the event. It’s a combination of digital and traditional artworks made by Caviteno Artists of course.

The team was still preparing stuff when I came. I actually think that I was the first one to arrive in the said event. The good thing was I had the opportunity to look and appreciate the artworks without worrying that I might be blocking the artworks to others because I was all alone that time.

bukubuku kafe i am ziano villarama

art work CVT-X Buku Buku i am Ziano Villarama

The art exhibit was composed of fascinating masterpieces, but I had my own personal favorites. Here’s my top 3.

artfairiamziano ziano bukubuku

“HABBAKKUK 319”

By Maan Catimbuhan

Watercolor and papercut

 

ziano villarama bukubuku

“LANTERN”

By Sarah Ibasco

Watercolor and Acrylic on paper

ziano blogger artfair

“VICTORIAN MOURNING DOLL”

By Gian Lauran

Mixed Media

 

 Workshops

[I just found out that all my photos from my DSLR are lost for unknown reasons. Huhuhu! Oh my, Ziano, this is a disaster!]

This event is not just for those who want to showcase their creativity in various faces of art. This is also for those who want to learn and further unleash their creative talents in drawing and in watercolor painting.

ziano villarama buku buku kafe art fair iamziano.com

Live Mural Art

While all other activities were being held simultaneously in different parts of Buku-Buku Kafe, a live mural art painting was showcased near the main entrance of The District –Imus. This live art mural was conducted by Mr. Jo Ocampo from Cavity Collectives.

View this post on Instagram

currently happening: live mural @buku.bukukafe #cvtxartfair

A post shared by jesma salas (@truefalsemaybe) on

New (Blogger) Friends

 The moment that really made this event memorable was the bond I had with my fellow bloggers. We talked a lot about blogging stuff and I learned new tricks and tips here and there. Having blog-related conversation with them was so fun; that finally, I had a blog conversation with someone who’s also into blogging.

Ziano villarama buku buku kafe

They’ve got interesting blogs, vlogs, photoblogs too. Please do check them out whenever you feel like to:

The Daily Whim

True False Maybe

Joyrney to Life

Seraphimsnotes

Days with a Camera

Cong TV

I would like to thank Cheryle Ramos, Natalie Tugade, and Jesma Salas for allowing me to use their Instagram posts about the CVT-X Art Fair.

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Shop Globally with Uskoop

Uskoop: a Whole New Shopping Experience

When I was a kid, the word “Shopping” meant traveling 4 cities to reach the nearest shopping mall. It was exciting of course! There were new shoes, toys and other stuff, but the commute time was just killing me. Today, the internet made shopping more convenient. With just a few clicks, you can purchase items coming from the other side of the world. The sky is the limit! Any item (if not everything) is now available online.

uskoop logo

Uskoop Logo

Uskoop opened a lot of online-shopping opportunities here in the Philippines as well as other Asian nations. It is now possible for Filipinos like me to shop in so many US-based e-commerce sites like Amazon and Walmart through the help of Uskoop.

Why Use Uskoop PH?

  • One-stop shopping-and-shipping service on one site
  • Prices are all-inclusive and Uskoop PH will take care of shipping, customs & taxes with insurance
  • Delivers to your doorstep anywhere in the PH via air 10-15 business days
  • No need to worry about credit card acceptance outside your home country
  • No need to pay US Sales Tax
  • No need to use a US shipping Address
  • Single checkout from different US online stores
  • Multiple Payment Options
  • Uskoop PH takes care of everything. You only have to tell what you want to buy and Uskoop PH will take care of everything from buying to shipping to your address to customer service and post-sale support

Uskoop Mobile App

Did you know that Uskoop has its own mobile application? If you want to shop the-easy-way, then download the app and follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose your favorite merchant and look for the item that you want.

Screen Captured from Uskoop PH Mobile App

Screen Captured from Uskoop PH Mobile App

Step 2: Tap the U icon and get the price in the currency of the country that you live in.

Screen Captured from Uskoop PH Mobile App

Screen Captured from Uskoop PH Mobile App

Step 3: Tap the “Buy for Me” button and… Ta-da! All you need is to do is wait for the package 🙂 .

Screen Captured from Uskoop PH Mobile App

Screen Captured from Uskoop PH Mobile App

Ugh! So many merchants and brands to choose! XD

Ugh! So many merchants and brands to choose! XD

 

Ziano’s Top 5 Uskoop Items

Wondering about the stuff I want to buy through Uskoop PH? Say no more, here’s my top 5 items I wish to buy through Uskoop:

5.

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Item: Pine Green Cotton V-Neck Sweater

Merchant: Gap.Com

Price on Gap.Com: 4,546.00 PhP (includes item price, shipping, taxes and other fees).

Price on Uskoop.Com.Ph: 3,571.76 PhP (includes item price, shipping, taxes and other fees).

iamziano uskoop nuffnang

*Picture A (Above): Gap.Com
Picture B (Below): Uskoop PH

 

Notice that the Uskoop PH price is 974.24 PhP lower the the original price.

4.

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Item: Tommy Hilfiger Lyons 2

Merchant: 6PM

Price on Uskoop.Ph: 5,350.88 PhP (includes item price, shipping, taxes and other fees).

3.

img_54721

 

Item: Sirius Black’s Wand

Merchant: Amazon

Price on Uskoop.Ph: 4,122.10 PhP (includes item price, shipping, taxes and other fees).

2.

img_54731

 

Item: Koda Select

Merchant: Sanuk

Price on Uskoop.Ph: 5,899.23 PhP (includes item price, shipping, taxes and other fees).

1.

img_54741

 

Item: Fujifil XT10

Merchant: Walmart

Price on Uskoop.Ph: 50,768.07 PhP (includes item price, shipping, taxes and other fees).

 

 

Want a discount?

Of course you want! Who doesn’t want one? Because Uskoop PH loves us, they are going to give us a 1o% discount on shipping and handling if you’ll use the promo code: USKOOPTEN% .

ziano-villarama

 

For more updates regarding promos, news, and other stuff; like Uskoop PH on Facebook at facebook.com/USkoopPhilippines. Don’t forget to follow them on Instagram at instagram.com/uskoopph.

uskoop-website

Uskoop’s webpage

Unexpected Power Failure at StArS’ Theatrical Play

CvSU Indang IamZIANO Ziano Cavite state university journalism

STUDENT ARTISTE SOCIETY’S stage setup for the theatrical play entitled: “Alternate” 11th of October, 2016 at the Student Union Building, Cavite State University –Indang Campus.

By Christian G. Villarama

AB Journalism 1-Irregular

 

“The show must go on!” Avigail Knicole B. Tangunan, a StArS member and the actress who played the role of Nanay Jhen on the theatrical play entitled: “Alternate”, made this statement on a one-on-one interview hours after the said play.

Student Artiste Society (aka StArS), a theater organization in Cavite State University –Indang Campus launched its “5th Theatre Festival” to unleash their creative talents in acting. They prepared an aggregated number of five (5) plays to showcase from Monday to Friday, October 10 -14, 2016.

On its second day, the said organization featured the play: “Alternate” a story about a woman with a Disso active  Identity  Disorder.  The play went smoothly until a sudden and unexpected power outage occurred right before the climax of the story.

The play was continued and flashlights from mobile devices were used to slay the darkness. The electricity went back right after the end of the play.

“Grabe! Napatunayan naming ang quote na “The show must go on” –na kaya naman palang gawan ng paraan.” Avigail Knicole B. Tangunan added. Also, despite of having this drawback, she still concluded the play as a success because of the help of her seniors and the director (Mr Romalc Urie Clamor) of the said play.

It was later known that the reason for the power blackout was a man named “Manong Boyet”, a janitor at the Student Union Building at the said university (the venue of the play). He turned off the power to prevent a possible catastrophic fire when he noticed a smoke coming from an electric wire.

Buku-Buku Kafe – Imus, Cavite

Buku-Buku Kafe – Imus, Cavite

I had a lot of plans last weekend, but nothing on my list was accomplished because of two (2) reasons: I woke up late (someone stole my photo to advertise their brand on Facebook and it made me awake all Friday night reading laws concerning the Copy Right Law of the Philippines); and I went to Ayala Malls | The District in Imus, Cavite (to pay my Globe Postpaid Bill)

iamziano.com bukubuku kafe cafe

My aunt and my cousin went shopping while I check the place. It was my second time to visit Ayala Malls | The District and I was looking for an interesting spot to hangout while they’re doing their stuff. There were few cafés in that mall, most of them were franchised stores and were packed with consumers. I ignored those clichés for I was searching for a divergent one; something raw that you can only see in that place. Don’t get me wrong, Starbucks and J Co. are successful businesses because everyone (including myself) loves them. But I am not a frequent patron of the said mall that’s why I looked for something that I can only experience there.

iamziano Buku buku Kafe cafe ziano villarama iamziano.com

And just like an answered prayer, a mesmerizing café suddenly appeared out of thin air (lol).  The name of the café was Buku-Buku Kafe and it scored high because it entailed everything on my checklist!

Something Raw (Fresh): (Checked)

Something Divergent: (Checked)

Something Interesting: (one big check mark)

buku buku kafe cafe ziano villarama iamziano.com

The Name:

The name itself is already interesting. As far as I remember (Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong), Buku means book in Bahasa (?); and to convert it into a plural form, all you have to do is to repeat the same word again. So, Buku-Buku in Bahasa means “Books.”

For me, the name is just brilliant, it is something that will make you think and wonder “why and how did they come up with that kind of name?” It is something that draws first-time customers wanting to know more about the name.

cafe ziano villarama buku buku kafe imus cavite

The Interiors:

In my opinion, the theme (Industrial style) is just damn good. The exposed pipes, unfinished floor, mason jars, and wine bottles repurposed as lamps are just great to see. It is well designed but not cramped. It is not overly done. I also love how they reused old magazine pages as placemats.

And oh, the books! It’s part of the theme of course. They have a shelf where you can borrow and read books while waiting for your order. And when you look up on the ceiling, it’s also filled with books.

One thing I don’t like about the café’s interior were the tables. They have these tables for three that were too small even for a single person.

ziano all rights reserved cafe buku buku kafe

The Service:

I just experienced “Customer Service at its Finest!” No kidding. They were just showing who they were. Unlike in other cafés wherein employees are required to utter scripted and robotic sounded greetings, or those who are forced to speak in English even if they don’t want to; employees here, on the other hand have the freedom to show their hospitality and their quality service using their own personal and preferred ways. Employees here are more humane. If you ask them, they’ll gladly tell you their likings on the menu, they’ll also tell you why they like it. And their reasons were not “because it’s the best seller” or “because it’s the chef’s specialty”, you’ll receive a personal reason… something that was not rehearsed or memorized.

The waiting time for the food was also quick. They were able to serve the food in about 10 minutes. Not bad!

bukubuku kafe cafe ziano

Food:

In my opinion, the food were a bit (just a bit) pricey, but it’s worth it. You’ll never question the receipt once you tasted it. I ordered Chicken Alfredo and in my opinion, it was impeccably cooked. I did not rush for I cherished every element of the dish. I was not done with my food, yet we were already planning to come back to Buku-Buku Kafe. My companions ordered Drunken Sea and they liked how it was prepared. The ingredients were fresh (according to them) and everything that you would want in a seafood dish was present in the dish.

For the drinks, I chose Grilled Lemonade. It was good, but did not like the after taste of it.  I liked the Tsokolate-Mint better. In this type of drink, you’ll be able to experience a natural taste of a freshly processed Tableya. You’ll feel at home and your cherished moments will playback in a fast forward mode once you tasted it.

kafe buku buku cafe iamziano

The Verdict:

My Zian-o-meter generated a lovely result! Here’s the breakdown:

Ambiance: —–10 out of 10

Food: ————9 out of 10

Service: ———10 out of 10

Price: ————8 out of 10

Accessibility: –10 out of 10

Total: ————9.4 out of 10

cafe ziano villarama

Note:

It might seem that I’m over selling the café, but that was how I felt when I went there. 🙂

Dreamland Arts and Crafts Café – Tagaytay City

http://iamziano.com restaurant tagaytay dreamland

Last Saturday (April 16, 2016), the day when I temporarily closed my blog, was a frustrating day. The process of transferring from WordPress.Com to WordPress.Org was new to me and it took me like forever to accomplish it. Dealing with the interface of my hosting provider was also a headache. Installing and customizing my premium theme is another struggle I faced that day. Everything was new to me; and I have to learn everything in a rush. At the end of the day, I was forced to close my blog, www.iamziano.com, for an entire week to study and deal with everything.

dreamland arts and crafts cafe tagaytay philippines http://iamziano.com iamziano ziano villarama pahiyas philippines

Fortunately, my aunt asked me to go with her to Tagaytay. I decided to go because I really need a break that time. I, together with some of my relatives went to Dreamland Arts and Crafts Café. It was really an interesting place because there’s a lot of fascinating stuff to see. I remember myself turning my head from left to right to everywhere because there’s so many fixtures to look at. This café is over decorated in a positive manner. It didn’t look trashy despite of the place being overly decorated.

dreamland arts and crafts cafe tagaytay philippines http://iamziano.com iamziano ziano villarama pahiyas philippines

When we arrived, the first thing I did was to take pictures (of course) for me to show you the place. After taking some photos, we began ordering our desired food; but, we encountered a huge problem. Almost everything on the menu was not available. We were aware that we arrived at that place just before midnight; but if the café operates 24/7, then they should have prepared for it considering that it was a weekend. The owner must have predicted that a lot of people visit Tagaytay during weekends.

 

dreamland arts and crafts cafe tagaytay philippines http://iamziano.com iamziano ziano villarama pahiyas philippines

The only available food when we ordered was some burgers served with potato chips. It took us like nearly an hour before we had our meal. It was so long, but I personally didn’t notice it for I was so busy taking pictures, reading stuff on the walls, roaming around the place, and taking more pictures. The food was decent. It was not disappointing nor was it something that will make you come back again. I am not going to deal with their foodstuff in this blog post because almost everything on the menu was not available. The food that we ate were not on our top picks. I just don’t know if the food that were not available would have a better taste than the one we ordered (out of no choice).

dreamland arts and crafts cafe tagaytay philippines http://iamziano.com iamziano ziano villarama pahiyas philippines

source: Indie Green Culture’s FB Page https://www.facebook.com/indiegreen.culture

The Verdict

So, the scores were made; here’s the result of my “Zian-o-meter” for Dreamland Arts and Crafts Café – Tagaytay City:

 

Ambience: 10 out of 10

Food: 7 out of 10

Service: 3 out of 10 (they nearly had no food to serve)

Price: 8 out of 10

Accessibility: 9 out of 10

Total: 7.4 out of 10

dreamland arts and crafts cafe tagaytay philippines http://iamziano.com iamziano ziano villarama pahiyas philippines

Dream Land Arts and Crafts Café is indeed a must-visit place in Tagaytay City. It is a kind of Café that you won’t see every day. If you’re looking for something new, or you love dream catchers; then, this is a perfect place for you! 😉

What are your thoughts about this post? Have you been to this place? Do you have any questions regarding the topic? I wanna know them! Hit the comment box below.

dreamland arts and crafts cafe tagaytay philippines http://iamziano.com iamziano ziano villarama pahiyas philippines

Note: Some of the pictures on this blog post are not mine. I was not able to get good photos because it was kind of dark in the place and I also have a pretty crappy camphone. I was permitted by the admin of www.instagram.com/indiegreenculture to get photos from Dreamland Arts and Crafts Café’s official Facebook and Instagram page. All borrowed photos are properly linked as seen on their “caption” boxes.

 

 

Top 5 Blogsites I Frequently Visit

Reading anything online has been my hobby since perhaps the fall of Friendster era. If you don’t know what Friendster means, let’s just say that the Friendster era happened right after the Ice Age ;). My taste for blog topics changes as time goes by; but, here’s my current top 5 blogsites I frequently visit.

5.) DGMANILA

I actually don’t need to explain this to my fellow Filipino blog readers. When someone says Men’s Fashion Blog here in the Philippines, only one site will pop up in our heads—DG MANILA! As far as I know, it is the only successful blogsite inside the “Philippine Men’s Fashion Radar.” I don’t classify myself as a fashionista, but I like reading DG’s blogposts because of his relaxed writing voice. His Travel posts are great too. When I read blogposts, I always opt articles that will never make me feel like I’m studying. His writing voice is so casual. You might encounter unfamiliar fashion terms here and there, but it’s just minimal.

4.) CARISSA JOY GARCIA

I know the author personally. We were schoolmates since 5th grade (maybe) up until we graduated in high school. Reading her posts makes me feel nostalgic. It makes me think about life in a deeper perspective. It’s amazing to see how a person changed (in a positive way) in just a few years. I never imagined that this fashionista girl from my childhood years who couldn’t live without her Kikay kit in her bag; and the one who had this huge collection of skinny jeans from navy blue to hot pink would be a strong and equipped woman who can face the challenges of mountain climbing. I never thought of her being a weak woman, but I never expected that she’s going to try such activities like mountain climbing. And based on her blog posts, I am having an inference that she’s really enjoying it.

I was not aware of this blogsite until the time I checked her Instagram account when it popped up on my notification window. I actually don’t know if she’s going to like this post about her and her site, but I hope she’s going to be cool with it.  🙂

3.) NOMADIC MATT

This site is also a top blogsite. If someone is planning to visit a particular country or city, there’s a big chance that this person will be visiting this site. Matthew, the author of the blogsite, is known to be a traveler on a budget. It’s kind of obvious actually; once you visit his page, a huge tagline will show up: “ Travel Better. Cheaper. Longer”

Aside from the blog page, this site also offers the forum page wherein you can communicate with other travelers around the world. If you want to meet a fellow backpacker in a certain destination, just hit the forum page and with some luck, you might be able to find one :).

2.) PINOYA DVENTURISTA

Pinoy AdvernTurista is another “top site” on my list. This site, like nomadicmatt.com, is a travel blog. The only difference is that pinoyadventurista.com is more focused in the Philippines. This blog is somewhat close to my heart because I also want to visit all the provinces here in the Philippines. The Philippines might not have the best and the most modern cities, but this country has the best beaches and other breath-taking natural sceneries in the world.

The author of the blog, Mervs, completed his goal (which is to set foot on all the provinces in the Philippines). Aside from his destination blogposts, his site also features some tips and guides about travel. Blogposts about some places outside the Philippines are also present here.

1.) RECUERDOS DE SILANG

Okay, before you raise an eyebrow, I sometimes consider Facebook pages in the “blog category” rather than the “social networking page” category. For me, as long as:

  • You post some contents
  • Your posts are shown in a chronological order (just like the idea of “Facebook Timeline”)
  • The platform has “Share” and “Like” buttons
  • The Platform has a “Comment Section” then, it is a blog. 🙂

Recuerdos de Silang is in my number 1 spot because it generally talks about my hometown. I like it when the author posts old pictures of SIlang. Every day, I learn new facts or trivia about this town. Who doesn’t want to learn something about his/her hometown’s history? If there are dedicated history books, it’s kind of limited; that’s why having this kind of page is good for us who wants to learn something about Silang’s history.

I don’t know the person who maintains the page, but this person is really doing a wonderful job!

My list ends here. What are your thoughts about my list? Do you have your own list too? I want to know it! Please hit the comment’s section below.

Do you want your BLOG to be featured on my top 5 list next month (May 2016)? Comment your blog URL so I could check it out! 🙂

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New "About Page"

Hey Guys, my about page is kind of outdated and it is so 2013 (insert “lol” emoticon here). So, I decided to change it. May I just inform you that it is kind of different from a typical “About Page.” I hope you’ll like my new “About Page.”