The Sunday Currently (vol. 14)

My sizzling Bibimbap from Chef's Noodle

Currently

Reading
Nothing!!!

Writing
This

Listening
to some Christian music my dad is playing

Thinking
About my expiring passport haynako!!!

Smelling
Human Nature's All Natural Spray Sanitizer in Citrus Burst! I bought it because I thought it was an air freshener but it's a hand sanitizer pala so lol. IT SMELLS SO GOOD! Like lemon, oranges, and lemongrass. Lakas maka-relax.

Wishing
I had some 20k to spend right now so I can buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A w/ S Pen HAHA

Wearing
Shirt shorts

Loving
1) My repainted laptop!

I WANT MOAR RED THINGS K

Yeyy redddd! I really wanted a red accent on this thing but two years ago all I had was a red pentel pen and it was ugly asf on top of a gray coating. Thank goodness I discovered PAINT MARKERS!! They're extremely opaque, smells good (rugby good, yan tayo eh), and are oil based so I didn't have to worry about accidentally smudging the color whenever I clean my laptop with alcohol (which is rarely lol). By the way, paint markers are relatively pricey. I bought a UNI Paint Marker at National Bookstore at Php 123 something. Office Warehouse also carries paint markers in Schneider, halos same price. But you know what else they're good for? DRAWING ON CERAMIC MUGS. OMGEHHH <3

2) This coffee dripper from Japan Home Center

I'm saying goodbye to my Starbucks pour-over brewer. This thing is way way cheaper at Php 88 and works just the same! Can't wait to try it. XD Sana hindi matunaw?! HAHA

Wanting
Some really good news this week.

Needing
To work on my reading list and this logo I was commissioned to do a month ago! Shocks.

Feeling
Stupid that I accidentally cancelled my passport renewal application in an attempt to book another date which is later but is less hassle. Yan tuloy. Praying to have my passport validity extended because my dreams are at stake LOL Joke lang. But really. I hate having to deal with any government agency cos 9/10 times they suck. I have never had a banging good experience transacting with any government office. There's always a lot of hassle and corruption involved. Haynako when is change.

Apart from that I'm feeling generally happy (and fat) so there's that! :D

Hope you have a great week ahead!

Yellow Cab's Man vs. Pizza Challenge: a different kind of date

Last Friday (August 21) I accompanied Jeckie to a pizza eating contest hosted by Yellow Cab at SM City San Lazaro. He was one of those selected to participate after filling out an online form at facebook. We were both excited for it because heyyyy you don't always get free 18" pizza just by joining, and if he actually wins that's FREE MONTHLY SUPPLY OF PIZZA FOR 6 MONTHS okay?! Ohaaaaa!

When we came to the event we weren't expecting to see a stage set up specifically for it at the mall activity center. I thought they were just gonna have them eat inside the restaurant or something haha. Syaliiiiin!

When the event started (around 15 minutes late), we were disappointed to hear that we have to wait 20 minutes pa for they're starting with the female division first. When they called the girls up, they were lacking 2 participants so they opened the stage to anyone (or two) who wants to join from the audience. My boyfriend pushed me to join, I was reluctant shempre, but it didn't take long for me to decide. I have nothing to lose, in fact it's a win-win thing. What's devouring a New Yorker pizza on stage in front of an audience in exchange for that box and a possibility of winning?! I totally overcame stage fright! LOL

Para sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas!

So I shot a hand up and made my way to the stage. Oraaaayt. This is eat! All I have to do is enjoy the box! Who cares if I just came from a buffet breakfast?! Free pizza is free. :D

Female division - 20 mins. time limit. That's me on the MAN ;)

Male division - 15 mins. time limit! Jeckie taking my spot para sweet daw sabi nung host LOL

In the end, we both lost with a few bites, but that's totally okay. I finished 4.something slices within the 20 minutes time limit and Jeckie ate 5.something slices in 15 minutes.

We took home a lot of pizza, umbrellas, super cute Yellow Cab notebooks with stickers and coupons inside, and painful jaws! Oh yeah! Super worth it!

Watch out for the next Man vs. Pizza Challenge! I heard they're opening another contest this September at Paseo Center, Makati City! I hope there'll be one at UP TechnoHub too! Woooh! :D

Aaaaand since it turned out to be quite a date, here's a pic of us! <3 Naisip ko nga, why don't we join eating contests often?! It's cheap and we get to eat a lot. haha

2nd placers waddup!

Before I end, let me share a few tips I gathered on the spot while munching on the ginormous slices. I mean, just in case you want to join. These are just based on my experience okay, may or may not work for you. haha

1. Start with the smallest slices first. My strategy was to fold two slices together like a sandwich and eat. They count by most slices eaten anyway so you want to leave the big slices behind haha. I only started this on my 3rd and 4th slices because I wasn't thinking haha
2. Use small amounts of water to soften the mass of food in your mouth so you can swallow easier. You can also use water to push the food. Up to you!
3. Bite big, chew less, and try to swallow it whole. LOL. Do this if you're super competitive and is really after the time. Don't do this if you want to enjoy your food haha. I didn't do this cos I only thought about it after the contest. I noticed some of the boys doing this but even if I thought about it sooner, I wouldn't dare, ma-choke pa ko haha. 
4. ENJOY THE FOOD. Of course! In times like this where there's nothing at stake, there's no stopping you from having fun while being in the spirit of competition! :D

BONUS: Ridiculous tips cos there are no rules against them anyway haha

1. Bring a blender with you, blend the hell out of that box, and drink to your mouth's protest
2. Pretend to eat the pizza but really do a magic trick to make it disappear
3. Sabotage your opponents by secretly putting your slices in their box while they're busy 

Lol hope this helps :P

Congratulations to the winners and of course, to Yellow Cab!

The Sunday Currently (vol. 13)

After so long! Oh, I just realized I lacked 3 items from the previous TSC hehe

Yummy cupcakes from Theo Brew (Robinsons Nova). Made with love by ate @syiellagurl <3

Currently

Reading
No progress on The Graveyard Book haha But I just finished reading this article from Matt Slick of CARM

Are we saved by faith alone, or do we need works, too? http://t.co/JAzV1GYKMD

— Matt Slick (@MattSlick) August 16, 2015

Writing
I just finished a couple of blog posts a while back. Yeyy!

Listening
To the radio at 106.7. Tune in for Christian songs! <3

Thinking
ABOUT TOMORROW OMG. I don't want to overthink, I haven't even practiced. I keep on telling myself I have nothing to lose but it doesn't help pacify my worrymones. I don't want to spill anything yet. LOL

Also, about what photo to use for this post haha.

Smelling
The faint smell of Avalon Organics' Rosemary Hand and Body Lotion! Finally, something from Healthy Options has reached Watsons! haha Smells like the spaaaa <3

Wishing
For good sleep tonight though I doubt cos I'm too nervous. AAAARGH

Wearing
Sando and short leggings

Loving
My latest online purchases! A bag from CCP and a bluetooth speaker from Lazada!

Wanting
Samsung Galaxy Tab A w/ S Pen (LTE) - I'm usually decided on saving up for Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact but this recent installment from Samsung, albeit being mid-range, is pretty artist friendly! And reading about it from an artist had me decided on saving for this instead! Oh you wait!

Needing
To sleep already!

Feeling
Too nervous. Argh. Loooooord! XS

[Review + Unboxing] RoyQueen H3500 Bluetooth Speaker

Ah, remember how I griped so much that the Sony BSP10 went out of stock at Lazada and that they couldn't even get me in touch with the merchant so that I could inquire if it's ever going to be available again?

Looks like I was meant for something better.

I chanced upon the RoyQueen H3500 Bluetooth Speaker on CCP and (as usual) checked it out on other sites to see who sells the cheapest and voila, Lazada wins with a 50 pesos difference haha

TIP: Usually if it's on CCP, it's also on MetroDeal and other group buying sites, and if it's an actual item (not a voucher) it's most likely in Lazada too

So I ordered last Sunday (August 9), got the item this afternoon (August 14), and played a while with it before heading to work.

I WAS IMPRESSED

With such an affordable price of Php 1,720, it's surprisingly feature-packed!

Features

1. Bluetooth and hands-free
2. NFC (Near Fields Communications)
3. SD card playback
4. FM radio (semi-auto scanning: 87.5MHz - 108MHz)
5. Voice guide
6. LED digital display
7. USB soundcard and card reader
8. AUX In

Unboxing

Here's the box:

Apparently I got the 'Upgrade' edition. Well, a box featuring this boy band called 'Upgrade' daw. haynakonamano

Here are the contents:

Just the bare essentials: unit, USB charging cable, and a pretty useless Chinese user manual. I was hoping for an audio cable but it has none but it's okay! :D

Parts and ports

top

The top part contains six buttons with pretty obvious functions.
- Upper: Volume -, Mode, Volume +
- Lower: Previous Track, Pause-Play / On-Off, Next Track

back

The back part has the following:
- AUX In
- MicroSD card slot
- USB charging port
- Light indicator - it blinks blue when it's charging
- Battery slot

bottom

The bottom part has nothing much. Just the "feet" and... ano ba to, vent? XD Nothing going on on the sides as well, so I'll spare ya the pics (as if meron). lol

Experience

Pull the plastic strip before using

Before turning it on, remember to pull out the plastic strip at the battery slot that's tucked between the battery and the flat tab, it says PULL haha. It's gonna keep you from charging the battery. Might I say, I was surprised to see a dry cell batt instead of a Li-Ion block, but no biggie, as long as it's rechargeable! :D

Note that you can also use the speakers without batteries as long as it's hooked to a power source via the USB cable. But this is very limited, I noticed it shuts down when I turn up the volume too much.

Press and hold on the on/off button to power it up. You will be greeted by an audio notification of your current mode, by default: you're on bluetooth mode (the LED screen will read 'bL'). Thank God the audio guide is in english!

Device Pairing

1) Bluetooth

Easy peasy. Just turn on your bluetooth, search for 'H3500' and wait for it to be connected. Audio notif will say, 'Device paired'. :D

2) NFC

Much easier, just turn on your NFC, tap it on the device, specifically near the volume+ button and wait for your device to be paired. I'm such a dummy for thinking NFC is actually capable of delivering audio like bluetooth but it's not. What it does when you tap your phone is call the bluetooth function on. It's not essentially an audio hardware. it just gives you the convenience of not having to fiddle through your bluetooth settings to manually pair your device -- in real life, you only have to do this once (unless you clear your bluetooth cache), so there's not much difference in terms of effort between bluetooth and NFC pairing. Still, NFC rocks okay? :D

When your device is already paired via NFC, you can turn it off already and keep your phone away.

Modes

The M button lets you toggle between different modes. It goes from bluetooth, FM, and Line (Audio In).

1) Bluetooth/Hands free

You can go hands-free from the bluetooth mode. Go call someone and hear their voice loud and clear on your speaker! I was impressed by the quality. One letdown would be the mic, I don't think it has a mic. You'd have to rely on your phone for that, but the audio is a big plus! :D

2) FM

I thoroughly enjoyed this one as I get to easily skim through the channels! It's a great feature, Sony BSP10 doesn't have this and it's a whopping Php 3,500! I feel like such a winner.

3) Line

I tested out a couple of cheap audio cables from CD-R king and true enough, it works. Unfortunately the sound is a bit lower compared to when you pair via bluetooth. If this isn't an issue for you, then good! Otherwise, you're probably better off with wired speakers. I came to the mall earlier to get a cable and sadly every one of those I've tried produced lower volume. Even the branded ones. Even those with three lines on the jack. :(

Battery

I was able to use the gadget for a good 6-8 hours under normal volume before it started crying for juice (sound is becoming grainy). The problem is, I wouldn't know if it's already lowbatt haha. I think the light turns solid blue (not blinking) when it's fully charged. OKAY I WILL CONFIRM haha. Also, I tried searching for the same battery at a hardware store but they have none! This is bigger than AA, which is bigger that AAA, so meron bang A? Batts me. Chos.

That's a rechargeable 2000mAH 3.7V dry cell battery for you. I don't know where to buy spares for this aside from ordering from RoyQueen itself, so if you know a place, ping me!

Verdict

For a cheap bluetooth speaker, it surprisingly delivers well! haha. The design looks elegant, albeit generic for BT speakers. Anyway, I wouldn't care if this was a knockoff of something else, I like how it looks. It also comes in red and blue, but really, black is good. Sound quality is nice, volume is great, it's packed with a lot of features that could ramp up the price but it stayed grounded and affordable! Even the regular price of Php 2,150 doesn't seem much!

Wait, hindi ako masyado maarte sa sound quality. I just want it to be loud enough pero hindi grainy cos mejo bingi na tita nyo. And in that regard, havey sakin to. :)

The RoyQueen H3500 bluetooth speaker is definitely a bang for the buck and is perfect for your regular music needs! It sells at Php 1,720 at Lazada, some 50 pesos cheaper than MetroDeal and CashCashPinoy haha.

Oh, I only noticed now that RoyQueen pretty much has kiosks at most SM Cyberzones. I was surprised to find one at SM Fairview earlier, they said they also have outlets at SM North Edsa and SM Megamall. Yeyy. They sell it at regular price there, Php 2,150. :D Pwede na rin!

Get yours from Lazada to get more discounts :)

[Tutorial] How to rotate photos in Blogger

Let me tell you, there is no easy way to do this. I was hoping it will come as an update from Blogger but I got tired of waiting. It should be a basic feature when uploading photos, but oh well.

Anyway, here you go:

After uploading a photo and finding that it's rotated at the wrong angle...

1. Open Picasa web albums
You should know that all your photo uploads at blogger are deposited here.

2. Open your blog directory
It should contain all the photos you've uploaded. By default, your folder is named after your blog. If you can't find it, maybe you can "View All". It should be there hehe

3. Find the photo you want to rotate
Since it's a recent photo, it could be all the way down. To make it easier, sort the album by date. How? Click on "Organize", then on the "Sort photos by..." dropdown list, select "date (newest first)". Then click Done.

4. Open the photo and "Edit in Google+"
When you open the photo at Picasa you may find that the rotate left/right icons are disabled. God knows why! What you have to do is click on "Action" and select "Edit in Google+". It will load a new window where, THANK GOD, the rotate buttons are finally enabled!

5. Rotate and go back to blogger :D
It will be saved automatically. Now you can go back to your blog post, select "Insert Image" and look for the photo you've just rotated under the "From this blog" tab. It's probably all the way down, bummer, I don't think there's a sort by feature for this! XD

That should be all! Hope this helps! :D