One Piece

We happen to like Jinbei.

Just some photos I took last week =)

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun."

-Unknown

Dragon Age (movie)

We are a sucker for dragons. We'll watch whatever dragon movie you throw us. I was drawn to playing Magic the Gathering because of the dragons. Our first ever expansion in MTG was Knights vs Dragons.

And so we're looking forward to this movie "Dragon Age" that will be released by Funimation in 2012. (Oh Funimation, you never fail us!!! ♥ ♥ ♥)

The official website in Japan for the FUNimation/T.O Entertainment produced CG Dragon Age movie has opened revealing some new information. Although the movie is titled "Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker" in English, the movie is officially titled Dragon Age: Blood Mage no Seisen (Dragon Age: The Blood Mage's Crusade) in Japan and will premiere in theaters February 11, 2012 in Japan. FUNimation will be releasing the movie in the US sometime in 2012. (source: Crunchyroll.)

More movie teasers here.

Dragon Age movie wall paper here.

That's about it for now. Have a great weekend!

tags: Dragon Age, movie, Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, movies

The Lost Valentine (Movie)

Have you seen the movie "The Lost Valentine"?

The Lost Valentine is truly a beautiful, beautiful love story. And just so you'd be more curious, We'd leave this post short and with quotes from the movie.

Stay in love! =)

tags: couples in love, greatest love story, Jennifer love Hewitt, love movie, love story, movie, movies, romantic movie, The Lost Valentine

A Bridge to the Starry Skies (Anime)

If you're looking for an anime that has the word "kawaii" all over it, then we suggest "A Bridge to the Starry Skies" (Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi). It's a pretty nice romantic comedy / harem anime but warn you, it's extremely shonen so expect a lot of "shonen" shots.

"A Bridge to the starry Skies" (Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi) has only 12 epsiodes. Kazuma Hoshino, the main protagonist in the series, was asked by his parents to move to the countryside with his sickly younger brother, Ayumu.

On their way to Yoruzuyo Inn, where they were prearranged by their father to stay, the brothers got on the wrong bus and were forced to wait for the next ride at a stop. While they were waiting, a monkey playfully steals Ayumu's hat so Kazuma went after the monkey in the forest to retrieve it. He was able to get the hat back but he got lost.

Fortunately, he bumped into Ui Nakatsugawa who was there gathering mountain vegetables. Ui was leading him to the bus stop but as he was right to cross the river, he tripped and accidentally tackled Ui to the ground also unintentionally kissing her as they fall. And so their story begins...

This is a feel-good and entertaining anime and that's all there is to it. I guess what we like about "A Bridge to the Starry Skies" is its setting. We've always dreamt of living in places like the "Yamabiko" in this anime. If we were to live in Japan, we'd choose anywhere in the Ishikawa Prefecture.

Fresh air, Fresh food, peaceful and friendly neighborhood, blue skies, trees, natural playground... heaven!

That's it for now. We end this post with a quote by Dave Singleton: "Understand what each of your triggers are - and learn how to avoid them." =)

tags: A Bridge to the Starry Skies, Anime, good shonen manga, harem anime, Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi, kazuma, romantic comedy

Sweet and Clueless

I've been going through old photos and found this. This is actually just the size of a regular post-it. We don't have a scanner so I basically just take photos of everything. Anyway, I found this drawing lying on the table a couple months back. I meant to blog about it then but I don't know, it slipped me. Anyway, when I saw it, I was like "awww...". This was obviously just some random doodle and was not meant to be given to me. And that's exactly what makes it incredibly sweet.

Isn't it just nice when your beloved is being sweet and he doesn't even know it? It's almost like a romantic movie moment. So, so, so in love! (* heart eyes*) (* day dreams*)

What about you, what's your "sweet and clueless" story?

tags: activities, activity, he is so sweet, simple ways to be sweet, Sweet and Clueless

Congrats NHK World!!!

Yay! NHK WORLD was named ConnectedWorld.TV Broadcaster of the Year for its online coverage of the March 11 tsunami and its aftermath.

The judges observed, "The NHK and BBC often lead their colleagues in both innovation and service quality and while there is little to separate these two great public broadcasters there is no question that NHK's worldwide distribution of earthquake information that was consistently of quality and humanity gives it the edge for this year's award."

ConnectedWorld.TV Awards is the first global awards to focus on creativity and innovation at the intersection of TV and the internet.

That's it! Have a great day!

tags: Broadcaster of the Year, ConnectedWorld.TV, NHK World, TV

Shangri-la (Anime)

Shangri-la is a Japanese science fiction that takes place in a neo-futuristic age, in which the international law strictly enforces each country to reduce CO2 emission levels to alleviate the global warming crisis.

Because of this, the economic market is transferred mainly to the trade of carbon. A great earthquake destroyed much of Japan yet the carbon tax (tax levied on all countries that emit carbon dioxide) placed on the country was not lifted so Tokyo has become the world's largest "jungle-polis" that absorbs carbon dioxide.

While the jungle-polis becomes too toxic for humans to live in, a tower city called "Atlas" was built to relocate "everyone".

However the government lied and Atlas was only built with enough room for the rich, privileged and "winners" of the Atlas lottery.

The story centers on an extremely athletic girl named Kuniko Hojo who fights for the less-privileged outside Atlas. Although we don't consider Shangri-la as one of the greatest anime there is, it does have a nice plot and it does have one of the best heroine.

The first half of the series is not what you would watch straight in a day but after that it can become addicting. Although it gets confusing at times, it's a pretty interesting anime with a pretty decent ending. There are only 24 episodes and you can watch the complete series on Crunchyroll.

Thanks and have a great week ahead!

tags: Anime, Kuniko Hojo, Shangri-la

Gosick (Anime)

I've been watching first episodes of anime on Crunchyroll today and what got my attention was this show called "Gosick".

"Gosick takes place in 1924 in a small, French-speaking fictional European country of Sauville nestled beside the alps. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a high ranking officer of Japanese Imperial Army, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. There he meets Victorique, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire content of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can't solve. The series mostly focuses on Kazuya and Victorique getting involved in different mystery cases and their struggle to solve them, at the same time forming important bonds with different people."

Gosick has a Detective Conan feel to it but still it's distinctive. I like the drawing. I love the setting. Love-love-love the opening song ("Destin Histoire")! I also love the chemistry between Kazuya and Victorique. They just made it to my favorite anime couples list. Victorique is sooo kawaii! She reminds me of L from Death Note because she's also a genius and she eats as much sweets. Her hair is absolutely gorgeous! She's like Rapunzel but cuter. =)

Although I got this clip from the intro-video, my favorite quote in the first episode was:

Hah! Boredom is also my archenemy. So I imagine myself to be Victorique and Naldo to be Kazuya. But thinking about it... Naldo is the genius one. Wait, wait - I have a sweet tooth so yeah... I can still be Victorique. Yay! Hahaha! Imagination. Don't you just love that word?

Anyway, my favorite episode is Ep. 8 "Howling Echoes from the Kingdom of the Past." If you watch Gosick, you'll understand why. I can't believe I watched the whole series (24 episodes) straight in a day.

So if you like detective stories in anime, then you might just like "Gosick". Have a great Friday!

p.s We don't own the images. All rights reserved to the creators/writers of Gosick.

tags: Anime, Gosick, Kazuya Kujo, Victorique de Blois, detective anime

Garmin GPS Navigational Device

We got this Garmin nuvi 765T GPS device a few months back and it has been extremely helpful. Package includes: Garmin GPS receiver, windshield mount, vehicle power adapter, USB cable and user manual.

GPS or Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation system that provides location anywhere on earth. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible by anyone with a GPS receiver. It's is like Google earth or a digital map but even better.

1. With digital maps, what you do is you search the location or address and trace the roads on how to get there. GPS does all that work for you. All you have to do is enter the address. There's a voice command. You don't even have to look at the GPS screen. You just need to glance at it a bit, like how you glance at your car's rear view or side mirrors, to check if you're still on the highlighted road.

2. It gives you the shortest route. If let's say you weren't paying attention and made a wrong turn, the GPS re-routes you automatically.

3. It has lane assist. It reminds you of approaching U-turn lanes. There's a lot in Metro Manila especially along EDSA and the traffic enforcers are really strict about it. You can't be in the u-turn lane unless you're going to take that u-turn.

4. It is extremely handy on road trips, especially when it's your first time going to that place.

5. The more advanced and more expensive GPS (not yet available in the Philippines) is able to give traffic updates, weather updates and estimated time of arrival.

You might think you don't need it but when you live in a city where billboard ads are more numerous than the directional road signs and corrupt traffic enforcers are more eager to lurk and catch violators than actually prevent the violation from happening, you may consider buying one.

So that's it for now, have a great week ahead!

tags: gadget, gadgets, Garmin GPS, Garmin nuvi 765T, GPS, navigational device

Game of Thrones (TV)

We have been watching the first season of Game of Thrones and we heart - heart - heart it!

Game of Thrones is an HBO medieval fantasy series based on George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels.

About it: "Summer span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men... all will play the 'Game of Thrones'."

Our top three favorite characters in the Game of Thrones series so far are:

1. Tyrion Lannister a.k.a The Imp. He's just so in character and you can't take him for granted.

Tyrion Lannister: "Let me give you some advice, bastard:Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you."

2. Daenerys Targaryen a.k.a Khaleesi . She is super pretty plus she's a dragon princess (and we're a sucker for dragons ).

Daenerys Targaryen: "I have never been nothing. I am the blood of the dragon."

3. Arya Stark a.k.a Boy (hehe!) She is probably the only smart Stark and she knows what she wants.

Arya Stark: "My father is Hand of the King. I am not a boy, I am Arya Stark of Winterfell. And if you lay a hand on me my father will have both of your heads on spikes. Now, are you going to let me by, or do I have to smack you on the ear to help you with your hearing?"

>>>Although Game of Thrones is an amazing fantasy series, it's definitely not for kids. It is overflowing with sex and violence. We've heard that the book is the same. I guess we have some reading to do.

That's it for now. Have a great day!

tags:Arya Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones, Khaleesi, movie, movies, TV, Tyrion Lannister

DOTA 2

DOTA 2 is being shown in public for the first time today. We're no master gamers but we're huge fans of DOTA (Defense of the Ancients) so we're really looking forward to its sequel.

Right now we're watching The International or the DOTA2 championships. There's been a lot of lag going on so blogging is possible. ;-)

The International features the 16 best Dota Teams in the world and is being broadcast in four languages (Chinese, English, German and Russian) free of charge. Although some match, like the one we're watching at this moment, is only being broadcast in English due to bandwidth constraints.

We just finished watching the match between team Na'vi -Ukraine vs team Scythe - Singapore (poor Venomancer!). Team Na'vi won -Congrats! That was a great game. Love the "Roshan" incident but Team Na'vi was already imba.

The prize distribution for the top teams is as follows:

First place: $1,000,000 USD (now don't you wish you were a professional gamer?)

Second place: $250,000 USD

Third place: $150,000 USD

Fourth place: $80, 000 USD

Fifth place: $35,000 USD

Sixth place: $35,000 USD

Seventh place: $25,000 USD

Eight place: $25,000 USD (not bad at all, eh?)

Next match is between Team MUFC - Malaysia vs. Team MYM - Denmark. Team MUFC has 0 win and 2 losses. Team MYM has 1 win and 1 loss. Who do you think is gonna win? Let's watch and see...

So here was the line-up (MUFC vs MYM). By the way, if you've missed the live match, you can watch the replay here. Just click "view" under match page.

MUFC had a good start by drawing first blood but so did MYM by destroying two towers early in the game. Team MYM also killed Roshan twice in this game. We think their teamwork was pretty awesome.

Congratulations Team MYM!

Basing on the scores, teams EHOME (China), ok.nirvana.int (Europe) and Na'vi (Ukraine) all have 3 wins and 0 loss. So these must be the three teams to watch out for.

Quarterfinals is scheduled tomorrow -August 18, Semi-finals on Friday- August 19 and Finals will be on Saturday -August 20. May the best team win.

That's it for tonight. Meanwhile, have an OWNING night every one!

p.s. Congrats Team Na'vi for winning first place. =)

tags: DOTA 2, games, MUFC, MYM, Na'vi, Scythe, The International

Bad, Bad, BAD Philippine Postal Service

I have heard of stories about how unreliable the Philippine Postal Service or Bureau of Customs is. Stories like how packages with valuable items never get delivered, how post office employees charge the claimants ridiculous fees, and how recipients discover their supposedly-sealed envelopes already opened. I never expected I'd get to write my own TRUE story about it.

About four months ago, I watched an episode of Japanophiles on NHK World and just fell in love with Japanese woodblock prints. So I contacted the featured woodblock print maker Mr. David Bull (Oh my gosh! His woodblock prints are just sugoi! Please check his work.) and ordered a print from him. He was really easy to talk to and he even gave me a payment option that was actually a hassle on his part (I just felt extremely bad after finding out). Anyway, he mailed my print last April 21, 2011.

It's almost August ---that's almost four months and I haven't received it yet. It's just so weird that it's taking this long. My Time of Eve Card and NHK World Calendar were both from Japan and I got them in just a week after they were sent. The thing was they were sent via private courier service.

So basing on this experience, I am going to conclude that Philippine Postal Service is just UNRELIABLE. Whether the Philippine Post Office or Bureau of Customs employees are thieves or not, their system definitely sucks. Helllooo... four freaking months!?! Should I still really expect it?

So if you're from any other country and you want to send something to the Philippines, please-please DO NOT send anything via mail. Your country's postal service might be efficient but our country's is not. It's just too risky. I suggest you take the private courier companies (like UPS or Fedex) instead. Yes, they're more expensive but at least the parcels are trackable and they do arrive in time.

I guess this only proves how beautiful David Bull's wood block print really is. Someone from the post office or customs must have liked it as much as I did. What's sad is that I was supposed to give this to Naldo as a surprise present. I was always getting gifts from Japan and I wanted him to have one too. Hmp!

Bad, Bad, BAD Philippine Postal Service!!! Bad, Bad, BAD Philippine Bureau of Customs!

Naldo and Shirl Quotes 01

That's it for today! Stay in love and keep on smiling!

Our Magic-al Date

Naldo and I were being spontaneous last Saturday and so we woke up really early just to attend the Magic 2012 or M12 pre-release launch at Eton Cyberpod Corinthian. The original plan was for me-Shirl to join the MTG tournament. The registration fee was PhP 1200 and with that you get:

a seat at the tournament

6 Magic 2012 booster packs,

and 1 promo card (Bloodlord of Vaasgoth).

Unfortunately, I didn't get to join. We thought they were going to provide Magic 2012 dueling packs to registered players but they did not and I didn't bring a deck with me. =( Naldo suggested we get a new deck but I thought we've only been playing for a week. Hahaha! Yes we're completely newbies and there I was trying to join the tournament. Anyway, so yeah we've only had our deck for a couple of days and I didn't want us to be buying new ones yet. So we just observed a little bit, checked a few trader's folders and went to have lunch.

Here's a glimpse of the M12 cards. They are pretty nasty. =)

After lunch, Naldo wanted to check a Magic store in SM Megamall and so we headed there. But before more Magic, we had a detour. There was a Gundam Caravan workshop going on.

At first we just wanted to have a free catalog...

but we learned that we get to take home a Gundam SD if we join the SD building and painting contest.

Win or lose, the SD Gundam is yours- who can refuse that? It's totally free. There's no registration fee and you don't have to buy anything to join. All you have to do is attend the workshop- which we did.

If I had brought my deck, we would not have been able to take home these cuties!

That's it for today! Hope you're happy!