Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Fathers's Day!

I am so tired right now because of all the changes going on in my life. I definitely know that my blogging will be affected by it. This is just a quick post to make sure that I keep posting (at least once a week, I hope).


Thank you fathers of the world! Thank you specially, papa, even if you will never read this :P


On another note:


Uniqlo is open and will be on sale for some items until the 21st. Jeans are on sale until July 5.


Do not use the turmeric mask unless you are 100% awake. I tried it when I was super tired yesterday and ended up making a big, permanent mess. *sigh* It looks like I'm back to other, less messy, masks now.


SM has this butterfly app that allows you to get discounts in SM, as long as you have a smartphone. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've not had internet this past week, so I'm even more sympathetic to those who do not have smartphones and internet access.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Computer Maintainance Tips

I am a student with a 4-year old laptop that was bought during a time when the unit was low to mid-range (definitely state of the art). For four years, this laptop (that has no name), has been my loyal companion through a billion hours of coursework. Unfortunately, maybe due to age, misuse or generally bad technology (as compared to now), I've had several problems with this laptop, including but not limited to:

  • low battery life
  • overheating
  • slowness


Since I cannot afford other gadgets such as tablets, much less a new laptop, I've had to figure out ways to care for my laptop. Hopefully, it'll last another 4 years. Some tips I've found that help preserve my laptop:

  • Do not overcharge your battery. As with all gadgets, once it reaches high 90s, unplug it. You should also allow your battery to drain, so don't start charging until the battery is low.
  • Use a cooling fan. Additionally, make sure that air can circulate underneath the laptop. Unfortunately, my cooling fan is not enough: I have to use a real electric fan and make it face my laptop to keep the temperature down.
  • Make sure your laptop is well-wrapped during transport. You never know when an accident could happen.
  • As much as possible, let your laptop rest. If you're not using it, shut it down or at least put it on standby. Make sure that when you let your laptop idle, it automatically engages a low-powered screen-saver or goes to sleep on its own.
  • Clean your laptop regularly. You can use special wipes to wipe down laptop screens and keyboards. Make sure that your computer is turned off while cleaning.
  • Protect everything. Always have anti-virus software and scan everything that enters your PC. Don't click anything without scanning.
  • Keep your e-space neat by deleting unnecessary files and defragmenting regularly. Don't allow your computer to enter low memory territory as it makes them run slower.


Are there any other things that should be done? Hmmm....I can't think of anymore right now, but I can stress that it's important to be prepared for the worst. Thus:

  • Back-up! Use an external drive of some sort to back-up your files. If possible, have at least 2 just in case one of the hard drives fail.

There are enough horror stories as it is about unsaved files, natural disasters (such as drink spills) and even theft! Keep your back-up(s) and laptop in different places if possible.

Let's hope my laptop and yours lasts a long time.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Review: Matsuri at Tomas Morato

Matsuri is an order-all-you can restaurant that charges P495 for lunch Mondays to Fridays and P595 for dinner Mondays to Sundays and weekend lunches. It's located at Tomas Morato, Quezon City.


It's an order-all-you can restaurant, which is good because:


  1. You don't have to leave  the table
  2. Food is served freshly made


Matsuri serves generally good food. There also weren't a lot of people when I last went, so I didn't have to wait long for my orders. My water glass wasn't empty for very long, and the plates were cleared very quickly. It was very clean and well lit, though I wondered why they still seemed to have Christmas decorations.


I forgot to take pictures, as usual.




Must Try:
  • Gyoza
  • Ushi Ebi Tempura
  • Matsuri Salad
  • Creamy Chicken Mushroom Ragout


The biggest surprise for me was actually their salad. I'm not a big fan of greens, but I ended up demolishing this salad. Maybe because it had a lot of fruit? Anyway, I didn't find their sashimi or miso spectacular, but was decent. 

Since there's a leftover charge of P250, it's best if you avoid the horrible things in their menu too.



Must Not:
  • Chawan Mushi
  • Creme Brulee


I've been to Matsuri a year ago, and I am disappointed at my latest experience with their chawan mushi. It was definitely not the same one I tried a year ago. This version of the dish was the  most horrible one I've ever tasted. It was way too dry! After one bite, I had it sent back. When I complained, I was told that "ganyan talaga siya." As someone who loves, chawan mushi, I'd have object! Although it is type of egg custard, chawan mushi should not taste and feel like badly cooked scrambled eggs.

I was hesitant about trying their creme brulee because of this, but I ended up ordering it nonetheless. It was also on the drier end of the creme brulee scale. You're much better off with the leche flan which was not amazing, but much better in comparison.


I did not try any of their tofu dishes, nor their skewers (which I wanted to as I remembered they were quite good a year ago, but was too full to try).


I like this restaurant, but it's a bit out of my way. And while they're food was good, I'm not over the way they murdered one of my favorite dishes. I'll probably go back in another year if they're still there.

Friday, June 8, 2012

News: Uniqlo is Coming to the Philippines and Review: Uniqlo Lightweight Pocketable Parka

Uniqlo, which is like the Japanese version of GAP, is coming to the Philippines this June 15 at SM Mall of Asia. I'm excited about it, especially with their Vote and Win application on facebook which gives voters the chance to win free shirts and a trip to Japan(ends on June 10, so vote now!).


While I am excited, I am not as excited as I want to be: I'm expecting a drastic mark-up in price compared to that of Japan like what happened to Muji (Mujirushi). Something to look forward to: they will be having a promo on their Barbie UT shirts for women at P590; shirts like that cost 1500 Yen (P833) normally.


On the other hand, maybe it will be much cheaper: they will be having a Jean sale (P590 instead of P990) as soon as it opens. However, UJ's in the Japanese website cost around 2,990 - 3,990 Yen, making it much cheaper!


What I did end up buying while I was in Japan was their Light Pocketable Parka ($50 dollars in the US catalog or around P2200) I bought for around 3,000 Yen (P1700). I bought this jacket because 1) it was unexpectedly colder and rainier in Japan than I expected and 2) I could still use it in the Philippines (especially underneath my white uniform). I bought the M size with pockets on both sides of the jacket and on the inside two plus the pouch pocket. It's very light and surprisingly strong.


Lightweight Pocketable Parka by Uniqlo in White
Lightweight Pocketable Parka by Uniqlo (White)