Show Your Face Part 1: Review with a View

Anyone can be a celebrity--as long as you have the resources or the resourcefulness to do it. This paradigm is the reason why I decided to blog this series of useless observations where people seem to find a need to show their faces.

Let me start off with review centers. (Deep breath...)

Gone are the days when review center ads feature big bold fonts of their names and purpose of existence. Nowadays, it seem to be utterly significant to entice their potential students with their faces, poses, and sense of fashion. Such as this billboard which I see daily whenever I pass by Morayta:

Sorry for the bad photo, the FX driver was trying to beat the yellow traffic light when I took this shot. So for a better look at the Sultan Review Group, here's a shot of them in one of their marketing collaterals:

However, the first time I was caught off guard by an ad like this was with a lightbox featuring a young guy, who, to me, seemed to look like a younger brother of Nyoy Volante. He turned out to be a very intelligent person who can teach nursing students how to pass the board exams with flying colors. He's no other than the "Ultimate Reviewer" himself, Carl E. Balita.



There are a lot of other review centers but this last group is one of the most eye-catching. Even its name sounds big time. Ladies and gentlemen, the Royal Pentagon Review Specialists:

These ads, perhaps, are just some of the perks of nursing students. They become a target audience of such inspiring ads which could be seen in waiting sheds, billboards, and lampost banners. Also, it removes the surprise of finding out what your teachers would look like. With ads like this, you get the privilege of getting the vibe on who you want to teach you.

Take your pick! :)

Coming Soon:

Show Your Face Part 2: Boracay Bombshells

Cloverlip presents SOMETHING DIFFERENT! :)

Sabi ko magcocommute na lang ako para makatipid eh! However, procrastination and an engaging conversation with my mom led me to a "no-choice-you-gotta-ride-a-cab" situation. On the cab's dashboard was this announcement.




And just like any other curious person with a set of eyes, I read what was written in it. (Please don't strain your eyes and try to read it from the previous pic because a zoom in shot is right below the next paragraph).

I really planned on an "MTV-like-stare-out-of-the-window-ride" and avoid any small talk that may arise because many taxi drivers usually like that. It was supposed to be just me and my 80's OPM love songs in my iPod. However, I was deeply touched by the driver's silence, his almost watery eyes, and his attempt to smile when he asked me if "E-Rod po ba ang daan?" The plea on the dashboard was personally his.



His 14-year-old daughter had been diagnosed with cancer last Dec 2009, and since then, he has been trying to find ways on how to find enough money to save his daughter's life. According to him, if he would walk around and ask money, he would lose his daily income as a taxi driver and it would not yield much.


He hoped, when the election was nearing, that candidates might help him. But it was futile. He goes around with a medical certificate, hoping that he would meet someone who might actually help.


But there is good news! Marie, his daughter, will soon be a cancer survivor! According to her doctor at PCMC, she's just two chemotherapies away from tumor removal and all she would need after that would be medication, rest, and a lot of supporting friends and families.

I usually round to the nearest tens the amount on the taxi meter. But yesterday's taxi ride was different. If you're interested in being a part of the life of a soon-to-be cancer survivor, don't hesitate to contact him:


Jong - 0925-5281430

Taxi details:
Rich and Famous - PYD424; 453-3222


There are a lot of amusing things around us and I just enjoy "appreciating" these by posting it on Cloverlip. But perhaps more than just observing these different interesting things, what matters more is making a difference. :)

Massage Message

OK. So I broke my promise. It has been more than a month since I vowed that I would be more faithful in posting. But it's just because that "Don't Play with Candles" post pressured me. That Manila City councilor really brought down my confidence in posting amusingly odd stuff here in cloverlip. If you have no idea what I'm pertaining to, click this purple thing --> http://cloverlip.blogspot.com/2010/06/wag-maglaro-ng-kandila.html or just scroll down.

It seemed like nothing's so unusal anymore. It really shook me ... but I'm ok now. :)

Perhaps it's because of this brochure--its honesty on the reality that sometimes, people assume that there is more to lotion and powder than just rhythmic touch.

:)

Wag Maglaro ng Kandila!

It's been a while since I made an entry and I promise that I will be more faithful in providing quality, informative, and mature content in this blog.

So here's a very intriguing "reminder" from a Manila City councilor. This shot was taken prior to the 2010 elections, sometime in May (She was re-elected by the way).

It was May. Not November.

It was a "reminder" for kids. But it does not talk about studying hard, staying away from drugs, or sleeping in the afternoon.

This one was completely something else. It was out-of-the-box, groundbreaking, mind-blowing.





Remember this. Resist the natural instinct of collecting the wax droplets from your (or your neighbors') candles and forming it into balls. Practice self-discipline. Don't play with candles. :)

Fishdog vs. Fishman

In a collection of illustrated hybrid animals by our college barkada, one of my friends (Jemuel) drew a disturbing "fishdog". Though the name is soooo creative unlike gagamboar (gagamba and boar), or garapante (garapata and elepante), we laughed our hearts out because of the weird illustration.

However, just when I thought fishdog was the shiznit, I met another kind of fish. On the first day of our DVBS at church with a water theme, the kids welcomed "Flounder" with so much enthusiasm. I love the Little Mermaid but seeing Flounder in this state is totally...different. :)

Fishdog or fishman? :)

A Political Apparition

I was traveling from Mantrade to PRC when suddenly, an apparition struck me.


The headlights of the car behind the jeep I was riding shone a bright ray to this very interesting trash can.

The driver must be a big fan! :)

Another Confusing Sign: Back to Original?

I don't know why....

Something just came upon me and made me click that button on my camera phone...

Just to take this picture of a confusing sign posted on the door of this tailor shop along San Andres St...




Perhaps I am hoping that one day, I would be able to understand what that sign is trying to tell me... Especially the phrase---BACK TO ORIGINAL. :)

Thank You Doctor, Can I Smoke Now?

As I was enjoying drinking tea with my bestfriend tonight, he showed me this uber-duper cool cigarette case. You may think that this is just an ordinary cigarette case that you usually see in Greenhills.... BUT NO! It is actually a giveaway from Bangkok Hospital so its patients can moderate their number of cigarette sticks per day.

Doctor: Congratulations! You're cured! Here's a cool cigarette case for you! Remember, just smoke 10 sticks a day!

Patient: I promise doctor! Thank you soooo much!

:)

The Joiner

I just can't help but laugh whenever I look at this photo:



Hahahahahahhahahahahahahhaha!


My day's complete! :)

Shameless English!

Ever since elementary, I have been encouraged to speak in English. During grade school, whenever one is caught speaking in Tagalog, she has to wear the huge nametag which says: NOT SPEAKING IN ENGLISH. (Class officers then seem to take joy in other people's despair)

During college, right at the gate of our school was a huge sign which says: THIS IS AN ENGLISH SPEAKING CAMPUS. (They really tried to convince themselves that it was)

Perhaps we could give the credit to these efforts of our school authorities why Filipinos are good in speaking English, which makes us a really cool Asian country for tourists. Some of us could even speak with twang (Yeah! Ah yeah! Yeah yeah yeah!). But perhaps this is also the reason why most Filipinos find it hard to speak in pure Filipino when conversing with others. such as:

"Pare, go lang ako sa CR"
"Join ako, Pare"
"Hihihi... ok."

I guess asking students to speak in English is already a part of our culture, of our education system. And in a school somewhere in Pangasinan, a friend of mine took a photo of this very interesting sign to encourage students to speak in English.

Fearless! Guiltless! Shameless! :)

The letter "Q"

Queue - pronounced as "kyu"
- one of the most asked words to be spelled in spelling competitions.
- defined as waiting line

I seldom use the word queue in conversations or articles. In the Philippines, you could always say "Please fall in line" and everybody will understand you. However, in Singapore, they found a way to use queue in a simple, extremely easy to spell way:

Then I realized that Filipinos also use the letter Q in a variety of interesting ways, such as, Banana-Q, Bar-B-Q, and Wer na u? And2 na q!

There's something strange in your neighborhood

We were having coffee at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Robinson's Place Manila, when I took this interesting photo of my bestfriend:

There's definitely something strange in the skies...

...I just can't put my finger on it. :)

Hu..Hu..

While cleaning our office area, we unearthed this greeting card which changed our lives.

It strengthened our friendship through this inside joke which, I think, would last forever. There are amazing realities which can be derived from this card (1) Someone made the card and composed its fantastic copy (2) It was approved by the boss of the greeting card company (3) It was mass produced and (4) someone from our company bought it.

Amazing! :)

A Secret Alien Machine?

I saw this Suspended Particulates Sampler "thing" along EDSA in Quezon City, which is supposed to help improve the quality of air in Metro Manila. Wow, Deep! So I asked myself, is this "thing" (a) a hanging trash can, (b) a secret alien machine, or (c) a secret alien machine.

Many perhaps guessed choice "a". However, this thing, apparently, is supposed to collect air particulates for research on how polluted the air is.

And if you judge the quality of EDSA air based on its contents, I would conclude that the air in that part of EDSA is severely polluted by candy wrappers and empty bottles. :)

Many are cold...

I love the province of Camiguin; it is definitely a destination which I need to explore more. During my last visit, it rained the whole day, and according to the townsfolk of Camiguin, it rains every year on the Feast of the Candles (February 2). And after dreaming about going to Camiguin for more than 10 years, unfortunately, my travel date was February 2.

When I go back to Camiguin, here's a list of the places that I need to go to:

- White Island
- Soda Water Pool
- Cafe 1914



...so I may know if I am.... the FROZEN ONE. :)

What the Cock?

Just when I thought I know what being a VJ is all about, I came across this species of VJ. And I was greatly shocked that such a vj exists.

:) Cock VJ! Bow!

Go! Kulam!

A jewelry Shop in Singapore. :)

Scare me beybeh!

I don't like footbridges, especially when these vibrate as vehicles rush through the streets underneath it. I always feel like I would die of cardiac arrest whenever I use a footbridge to cross the road. One day, I was desperate to find another way to cross the road so I asked a friendly-looking manong:

Me: Kuya, saan pwede tumawid?
Manong: Dyan. (Sabay turo sa sign na "Walang Tawiran, Nakamamatay")
Me: Kuya, hindi ba ako mamamatay dyan?
Manong: Hindi. Ako nga buhay pa.

And he was right, I survived.

So after the much discussed road sign "Walang Tawiran, Nakamamatay" in huge pink boards, comes the straight-to-the-point-based-on-a-true story No Jaywalking Sign:




This one is located along Ortigas Ave., just in front of POEA. Tatawid ka pa ba? :)