POWER RANGERS THE MOVIE 2017

I don't see what people are talking about comparing the movie with Transformers. Every element in Power Rangers the Movie screams Power Rangers series. If they're talking about the zords then let me say that the zords looked pretty much like the Power Ranger zords and nothing else. Even the way the Angel Grove sign was introduced was so Power Rangers. I loved it when Rita said "Grow my..." Ayayayayay! I'll end it right there. No spoilers here.

Our advance screening passes:




As a fan who had watched every episode of Mighty Morphin, til Kim turned the pink power to Kat, I am extremely happy with this movie. To my fellow Power Rangers fan, pay attention to all music and school scenes coz the familiar ones will make you smile. I wish I could enumerate them now but no, I'd like you to enjoy the movie as much as I did.

Thank you to all the creators of this movie.
Please make a part 2.

Certificate of Not the Same Person

First of all, I'd like to clarify that the poor system has been brought upon by the previous governments. The lack of proper coordination among the agencies (trial courts, police, NBI, Bureau of Immigration) and lack of use of appropriate technology in the previous governments led to the entire hassle of securing the NTSP.  (Take note of the S after government meaning I'm not being specific and I meant previous governments as is. I intend for this post to help and not cause comment war. Hopefully, President Duterte can have this fixed as well. There already have been lots of positive changes that I have personally seen under the Duterte administration and I hope this becomes one of those soon.

Now to the main topic... if you're reading this then it means you have or someone you know has a namesake with criminal record. And you've been told by airport-immigration to secure a Certificate of Not the Same Person or next time you might not be allowed to leave the country.

And since you're here, you've probably also visited 

http://www.immigration.gov.ph/services/certification/certification-for-not-the-same-person 

from which you can download the application form and a checklist. 

The site also tells you that:

You need to apply at the Bureau of Immigration's Main office. 

That it costs 500 pesos.

That you need the following:

1. Duly accomplished application for Certificate of Not the Same Person (BI Form No. CCS-A-NSTP- 2016)

2. Signed and Sealed Court Clearance duly issued by the concerned Court or Agency that issued the 

Order, Letter Request or Warrant of Arrest to include the person in the Bureau’s derogatory list. The

Court or Agency MUST CERTIFY WITH CERTAINTY that the applicant is NOT THE SAME PERSON as that of the Accused or Respondent based on their records of the case.

3. NBI Clearance

Now let me talk about what you probably don't know yet. Below are the things you need to make sure of and a list of other documents (not listed above) you need to secure before applying for a Certificate of Not the Same person or NTSP. Also, this is based on our experience and we're just sharing so you won't have to go through the same hassle that we did. 

1. You have to make sure that the Bureau of Immigration has given you the correct MTC (Municipal Trial Court) or RTC (Regional Trial Court) address. Call or go to the trial court in your area to get the information. Be ready to provide the criminal case number and the branch number. To double make sure: you may compare the information you got with the list here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Trial_Court . Although, we're not sure how accurate that is either.

What happened to us was the BI officer at the airport gave us the wrong court address. So we ended up going to three cities in one day. That's not fun when you have other appointments.

2.  How to get the court clearance? We have been to 1 municipal trial court and two regional trial courts and they all have different requirements. So you may not need exactly all four but better bring them all just to be sure. Or just call concerned court about their requirements. Requirements are requirements so don't expect them to entertain you when you're lacking one.

Here's the list:

a. Affidavit of Denial - notarized and sealed (We paid 200 pesos and got four copies)

b. Cedula or Community Tax Certificate - original and photocopy

c. Police Clearance (from your place of residence) - original and photocopy

d. Valid ID/s and photocopy - Do not take the photocopies for granted. The second RTC that we went to didn't have a photocopying machine service and the nearest was about ten minutes walk-away. 

Example: In this particular RTC, the affidavit of denial is not enumerated on their list but the second RTC we went to asked for it. The second RTC however didn't ask for the cedula. Again, there's difference in the requirements.

Also, the courts have dress codes. Do NOT wear shorts, sleeveless tops, and slippers (← not indicated in this RTC but was so in the other RTC we went to.) They will not let you in even if you came from Mars or another universe. It doesn't matter if it's a scorching hot day either. For ladies, if you're wearing a sleeveless top, you might be able to get away by putting a shawl over just like I did. But now that you know about it, why risk it? 

We paid 50 pesos/page for the Certificate of Not the Same Person.

Please note the cashier closes at exactly 4 pm on their clock. Even if it's 3:59 pm on your watch but 4 p.m. on theirs, they will not accept your payment and you will have to go back the next working day even if you came from Neptune or hell. You need the O.R. attached or the O.R. number written on your court clearance otherwise it's still invalid even if it's signed and sealed.

It's possible to secure the court clearance in one day but sometimes the signing officer is not present (just like in the first RTC that we went to but it was the wrong RTC anyway). They won't allow anyone else to sign and they can't mail the document to you either. Again, better call the concerned court and ask if signing officer is present before actually going.

I don't how many times I mentioned "just to be sure" but that should give you an idea of the trouble we went through. Again, this is based on our experience. There's no need to compare it with yours. We just hope, you have it much easier and hope this post helps even in the littlest way.

That's all for now. Keep smiling!

p.s. We'd like to thank the ladies at the Clerk's office of San Mateo RTC for helping us out and pointing us to our correct RTC.

Grasshopper Snacks

What's special about today is that Naldo gave me grasshoppers to eat. It's both our first time to eat fried grasshoppers. I'm surprised I didn't hesitate. Well, I probably would have hesitated if someone else offered it to me. 

Anyway, this delicacy is called Chapulin al Ajo . A colleague brought it from Mexico. 

So how did it taste like? The chapulines were garlic-flavored so that's what. Someone told me before that it tasted like chicken but now that I have eaten it myself, to me it doesn't taste like chicken at all. It tasted like how I imagined insects would taste like. It was crunchy so it' was easy to chew and swallow. I don't think I'll take it so well if it was gummy or slimy. 

Did we like it? It's not bad but at the same time it's not something we'd crave for. 

After this, I won't be so afraid to try the ones in Thailand. I heard they serve scorpions there. 

That's all for now. Stay happy!

Bakuman Live Action

Dear Anime and Manga Friends,

I'm sure you've already heard but this is for those who don't know yet. Takeru Satoh as "Mashiro" is perfection! Teaser and more photos at Crunchyroll. Release date is October 2015. Excited!!! Plus there'll be Titans a month before this. Excited, excited! Don't forget to mark your calendars!

The Oil Paint Store

When it comes to art supplies, Deovir is the go-to store in Metro Manila but you might also want to visit The Oil Paint Store. Please click << link to go to their website. Yes, you may buy their products online and they deliver anywhere in the Philippines.

Have a creative day lovelies!!!

Recycling Bottle Caps 1

With Papa Wave Store comes abundant supply of bottle caps and boxes.

For most people they're trash but for us they're VERY useful. It's because we use the bottle caps as paint palette and we're always painting.

At first, we thought of just sticking the caps directly on the board but the paint can't be really washed off. That would make the palette disposable and that'd be such a waste of glue and effort.

So to make the palette re-usable, we attached magnets on the board for the caps to stick on instead. This way, we can replace the bottle caps whenever we need to. It's a simple idea and that's what makes it great.

But... what's really awesome about this recycled paint palette is that we don't have to wash or clean it. We didn't only get to recycle, we also get to conserve water. It's truly earth-friendly and time-efficient. Plus, we can make different designs.

Anyway, we still have so many ideas on how to recycle bottle caps and we can't wait to make them. That's it for now. Cheers!

One Piece Fan Art: Den Den Mushi

Five months ago, an acquaintance gave us a nautilus shell and the first thing I thought of when I got it was a Den Den Mushi. (Special thanks to Barry and Emma for identifying the shell.) For those who don't know what a Den Den Mushi is... it's a snail that is used as a communication device or telephone in the world of One Piece. They kinda look like Gary the Snail in the Spongebob cartoons except the Mushis have dials and telephone cords attached to them. 

Anyway, we finally got some free time to make our Den Den Mushi! Sculpting is simply one of our favorite activities together.

It already looks nice without paint.

But with paint, it looks a lot more like Papa Wave Store's Den Den Mushi! Yay!

There are still two pieces missing. We will sculpt the mouth piece when we have the twisted phone wire already. Hopefully we find a colored one in Manila. 

Bullo-bullo-bullo-bullo! 

    Bullo-bullo-bullo-bullo! ;-)

CHEERS!!!

Recycling Empty Glass Bottles 1

We think the second biggest problem here in Siargao Island is waste management. Unlike in the city, there's no junk shop here (that we know of) that's interested in buying or taking empty soda cans, glass/plastic bottles, and paper boxes. So this year onward, we will be very dedicated to recycling. And we're proud to say that we have indeed started recycling by turning empty Tanduay rhum bottles into gas lamps.

 Other materials used are the ff: empty soda can cut into strips, string from an old floor mop, paint. 

The painting was the fun part. We had 4 empty bottles so for the theme, we went with "four seasons". Naldo painted winter and fall. I did spring and summer (I chose the easiest of course! Heee!)

They're cute, yes?

We cant afford solar panels yet so for now these lamps will do.

Happy 2015 everyone!

Things to do in Siargao Island: For the Non Surfers

For us, the best time to visit Siargao Island is during the sunny season which is March to early November. This island is surfer’s paradise but it can be a non-surfer’s heaven as well.

Ø  You really have to come in the summer if you want to go swimming with the sting-less jellyfish. Honestly, we haven't been to Sohoton Lagoon yet but they say it's a piece of heaven. We'll write a separate post about it when we go visit.

Ø  If you don’t like to try surfing, there are other water activities you can do. Turtle Camp (look for Enrique) and Buddha's (look for Stefan) offer kite-surfing lessons. There are kayaks for rent.

You might also be interested in paddle-boarding or diving.

 There are also fishing tours available.

Ø  You don’t have to go deep water to appreciate marine life. Siargao water is amazingly rich. We suggest you bring your own snorkeling gear and underwater camera. Don’t let the weedy parts of the beach fool you. Careful where you step and take a closer look because even in ankle-deep water, you’d find the likes of Emperor Shrimp, Clown Fish and all sorts of colorful sea creatures. Example:

Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)

This is the best-named sea star ever, yes?  

(By the way, no creatures were harmed in taking these photos.)

Hermit crabs are everywhere too so watch out when picking shells.

Ø  Siargao Island is for nature-lovers and people who know how to appreciate detail. The island’s real beauty is not something you just go to, pay for and see. You have to explore around and you have to be keen. Look carefully at the coconut tree trunk and you might see the lizard known as the Flying Dragon. 

Draco volans locally called "Tambokaka"

We've seen the Flying Dragon glide in action but :-( we're always too slow to take a shot.

     Siargao Island is simply a zoo to the curious. Look up and on the tree branches you might just see bird species you haven't seen yet. Like the...

Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) 

These birds truly live up to their name (glossy) and their eyes are like rubies.

White-Collared Kingfisher or Mangrove Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)

Wish this photo shows how blue the kingfisher's wings really are. Guess we'll have to take a better/closer pic next time. ;-)

Ø  Kermit Resort offers the Drunken Carabao Tour.

This tour is a unique way to explore General Luna's hillside, enjoy the island's beautiful sunset and get drunk with friends.

Ø  Try to learn ahead if there’s going to be a full moon because the full moon here is spectacular.  And such night is perfect for sharing a bottle of red wine with your partner or having s’mores with friends.

 After, you might want to check out the bars or resorts that're holding a full moon party. 

Ø  Explore. Motorbike rental is available at Papa Wave Store. And if you don't know how to ride a motorbike, then rent a buggy. If you're into selfie, these places provide amazing backdrop:

1.       Magpupunko Rock Pools  

2.       Burgos (where we think the best beaches are)

3.       Mangrove areas

4.   Malinao Beach (where Dedon Island is)

Ø  Siargao is known for its waves but there are times in the day when the ocean would be so calm that you’d forget you’re looking at the Pacific.

After a hot, hot day (during summer) take a dip around 4 pm, close your eyes and you’ll find yourself feeling like you’re in a hot spring.  The water is sooo relaxing.

If  you happen to visit Siargao during the rainy/stormy season and you can't do any of the above, then we suggest you at least make the most out of your trip.

Ø Go and check how insane the waves are at Cloud 9. And if you're in luck, witness Kyrone Rathbone, the Tasmanian Madman, in action.

       
Ø Enjoy a therapeutic and relaxing massage at Harmony Massage, Emerald House. 

Ø Go on a food Trip.  Restaurants and bars here are owned by different nationalities.  

Ø Go shopping. UPDATE!!! AS OF MAY 2015 UNTIL NOW- PAPA WAVE STORE IS CLOSED. Papa Wave Store has home-made souvenirs like fridge magnets and other trinkets made by local artists. Souvenir shirts will be available on February 2015. 

Please don't forget that this is an island and there's no such thing as having a definite itinerary here.

That's it for now. Meanwhile, enjoy and remember: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller   

Skin color was skin color.

In all honesty, I love my skin color and I have loved it since I can remember. 

Back in high school, I was out in the sun every chance I got. I climbed trees, picked fruits, went to riverbanks and looked for naturally-polished stones, went running around with friends, looked for strange-looking insects, and explored as far as my feet would bring me. I only went home whenever my nose bled from too much sun exposure. 

And because the nose bleeding had been frequent, a time came when I finally made my mom angry. She yelled at me and I remember every word. “Mary Shirl!!! Dumudugo na naman ilong mo! Ang  taas-taas ng araw at ang itim-itim mo na! KULAY VIOLET ka na!!!"  ("Your nose is bleeding again! It's too hot and you’re so dark already! Your (skin) color is violet!!!”) And I remember how I silently giggled while being scolded. I actually liked what I heard.

I guess I really was a strange kid. I was and still am fascinated with the world of fantasy, magic and superpowers. Back then, my heroes were the X-men and Raven/Mystique happened to be my favorite. So imagine telling a child, who adores a blue-skinned character, she’s turned violet. That’s just one of my cherished memories.

So yeah... my skin color or anybody else's skin color never really bothered me. For me, skin color is just color.

Anyway, I love the sun and I looove being outdoors. I love living on the island. And my skin color is my armor from sun damage. There’s just no way I’d hate something that equips me to do what I love to do. I guess I'm lucky because I love what I have.

So if you’re someone who’s feeling bad about your skin color, stop it. Don’t be insecure about it. Instead find a reason to love your skin whether you’re too pale, too dark, or even too violet (*wink). 

And if you're someone who loves your skin color, share why and comment below. Let's give others more reason to love their skin. 

I'd like to end this post with a kick-ass quote.

 “Besides, skin color was skin color, right? It was just the color of your goddamned skin. There was nothing anybody could do about that. You were born with it. Like some people were born with big feet or blue eyes."  -Pete Hamill, Snow in August

Have a colorful day!