Blackbeard's Seafood Island: Seafood Supreme

It's that time of year once again when good friends and relatives come together to celebrate the sundry festivities of the season. And because we love to create wonderful bonding moments, we never ran out of things to do. From plain chit-chats to shopping to just about anything, we really can't pass out creating moments after moments with our loved ones. Especially us, Pinoys, not even dining is a bonding-moment-free zone. That's why we have Boodle Feast (Eating together directly from the same big banana leaf lined boodle tray). And best of all, Blackbeard's Seafood Island got us covered.

Blackbeard's Seafood Island creatively reinvented the Filipino dining experience by bringing to the market the very first and original Boodle Feasts. It provides customers with a variety of island-inspired Filipino dishes in a setting perfect for sharing and making great bonding experience. Whether in developing its menu and the stylish interior while staying true to it's core values of "Seafood, Sarap, Saya," Blackbeard's Seafood Island offers the best seafood dining experience.

Only last week, Blackbeard's Seafood Island has landed on the shores of Harbor Point, Subic. We were welcomed by a band that sets the celebratory mood for the grand opening of its new annex. The Pinoy Nachos, served as an appetizer, surely stimulated our taste buds, leaving us wanting for more. The Calamares Fritos, another appetizer, instantly became a personal favorite. The crunchiness and flavor of this dish is really superb. And for the main dish, we were treated with Panlasang Pinoy, a Boodle Feast where the distinct flavors of Hipon sa Aligue, Ginataang Alimango, Adobong Manok, Kare-Kareng Gulay, Ensaladang Lato with Crispy Dilis and Plain Rice are laid out to our heart's satisfaction. There are really a lot of things to love about Blackbeard's Seafood Island experience. A bonding extreme fit for all year long!

Pinoy Nachos                                            Calamares Fritos                                                 Panlasang Pinoy

Experience seafood extreme bonding at your nearest Blackbeard Seafood Island:

Trinoma Mall (Quezon City), Technohub (Commonwealth Ave.,Quezon City), Eastwood (Quezon City), Marquee Mall (Angeles  City, Pampanga), Shopwise Market Arcade (Araneta Center, Cubao), Alabang Town Center (Muntinlupa City), SM Mall of Asia (Pasay City), Pavillion Mall (Biñan, Laguna), SM Marikina (Marikina City),  Abreeza Ayala Mall (Davao City), Nuvali (Sta. Rosa, Laguna), Greenbelt 3 (Makati City), Market! Market! (Taguig Global City), SM City Lipa (Lipa City, Batangas), SM Manila (Ermita, Manila), SM Masinag (Antipolo City), SM Southmall (Las Pinas City), Robinsons Galleria (Pasig City), SM Ecoland Davao (Davao City), Baguio Ayala Technohub (Camp John Hay Loakan Road, Baguio City), Robinsons Magnolia (Quezon City)

OMF Literature: Pause. Read. Reflect.

To read or not to read, that is the question. Undoubtedly, no one can dismiss the importance of reading. Whether you read to afford yourself a casual escape from reality or to further hone your intellect, reading is simply a must. There is just about a gazillion reasons why we should read and thanks to OMF Literature, reading becomes all the more entertaining.

OMF Literature takes pride as “a movement of Christians who desire to honor God by depending on the Holy Spirit to achieve excellence in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and promoting spiritual growth primarily among Filipinos, living in the Philippines and abroad, through the effective and righteous management of a publishing business. “ Now, with over 300 titles that they have locally developed, or produced as co-editions with their overseas partner-publishers, OMF Literature is touching millions of lives as the largest publisher of Evangelical Christian literature in Asia.

Recently, OMF Literature marks another milestone as it gears itself to conquer the cyberspace. Yes, OMF Literature is going digital. But that doesn't mean OMF Literature would cease to publish printed books. It only means that they are making inspiration available for download. Initially, OMF Literature launches 55 eBooks on Amazon.com with three additional eBooks from their imprint for children's book, Hiyas, with hopes of fully becoming digital soon.

The night of its launch was filled with so much inspiration and camaraderie among peers. I honestly can't remember any dull moment as the event progresses. Spearheaded by Mr. Aleks Tan, the gallery was in full delight, not to mention occasional heavy laughs, thanks to his humorous punchlines on the side. We were also graced by shared moments with multi-awarded author of “What, Me Retire?", Ms. Grace D. Chong; artistic author of “Embracing God's Purpose for My Child and Special Needs,” Ms. Malu Tiongson-Ortiz; seasoned freelance writer and author of “Add Mo Ko As Friend,” Ms. Marlene Legaspi-Munar; columnist and author of “How To Mend A Broken Heart,” Gintong Aklat Awardee, Mr. Nelson Dy; pastor, professor, and bestselling author of “Lovestruck,” Mr. Ronald Molmisa; professor and gifted author of “Going Up?”, Ms. Yay Padua-Olmedo; award-winning author and illustrator of “Porcupirate Plans the Day,” Mr. Robert Magnuson. We were very privileged and humbled to be sharing tables with the distinct authors of OMF Literature, it was a very rewarding event worth experiencing all over again. Next time, pause, read, reflect.

You can check more about OMF Literature at:

www.OMFLit.com

www.facebook.com/omfliterature

https://twitter.com/omflit

Once Upon A Daydream

I think it may have started the moment I heard Princess Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty, sung "Once Upon A Dream." Since then, for the most part of my youth, it was all about collecting countless dreams. Me and my imaginary friend started painting a world of my own. A magical realm where I can be whoever and whatever I wish to be without any restraint. For a while, it seemed endless, until the science of reason and fantasia could no longer compromise.

courtesy of fineartamerica.com

Reality required more than just fairy tales. While we'll still meet our fairy godmothers, prince charming, the old witch, evil step sisters, trolls or what-have-you's, only this time, we can't just lay around and wait for that magic kiss. No magic potions or spells, not even our fairy godmother can help us find a shortcut in achieving our dreams. As we write our own stories, life as we call it, we really need to work hard for our own happy endings. It may not be always a smooth ride, but we just have to keep on trying.

In the real world, turning our dreams into reality takes a lot of passion and dedication, a sense of commitment. Without it, there would only be expectations and regrets. Obstacles may arise along the way, but only if we permit ourselves to take our eyes off of our goals. We should always keep our focus and pour our hearts in pursuing our dreams and we'll never fall short of success. I think it's best to commit in making the most out of our dreams, or would you rather take your chances at kissing a frog? :)

A Foot Forward To Uncertainty

courtesy of lisagawlas.files.wordpress.com/
2012/06/leapoffaith.jpg

We all want to try something different and something new every now and then. Even the planets break out of their orbits every once in a while. After all, champions were once mere aspirants who dared venture the unknown. As they say, "Accomplishing great victories is not for the weak at heart." Full of inspiration, I, too, took a shot at taking my chances. And next thing I knew, I was standing still at ground zero.

There I was at the verge of my comfort zone. Then, I almost instantly felt like I was staring directly at a dead end. One way or another, in the hollowed corner of my mind, I knew what I need to be doing but somehow just couldn't start. Doubts and anxieties had took its toll on me. At some point, confronted with fears, I was at my wits' end. It suddenly felt like the enthusiasm began to wither. On some occasions, I felt   retreating to my old habits.

It has drawn me back, but I realized it was only for me to have enough room to take a leap of faith. At times, we just need to be fearless. Beyond doubt, success comes after hard work and never an accident. We don't need to overwhelm ourselves and fancy the whole staircase. All it takes is to take the first step. So whatever new beginnings you     choose to make, remember to always have fun and start the ball rolling!

For All It's Worth: A Prelude

I used to wonder how my life would have been if I haven't committed those damn mistakes. Imagine seeing yourself among the brightest stars under the night sky. Everything would have been perfect. But then again, it's nothing but a fantasy.

I realized it was through those flaws that I knew how to accept and embrace my shortcomings. It was with every argued truth-turned-fallacy that I learned to appreciate and value opposing views. In addition, it opened my mind to deeply understand and further respect individuality. Moreso, from deviating from what is believed to be right or from those which defines moral standards, I fostered compassion. And most importantly, every time I descend with every downfall, the more I humble myself with humility. It was these imperfections, all of it, that made everything so real, so perfect.

Thus, I hold it true that there is more to mistakes than falling from grace. Whether we'll have it one mistake at a time or rather have it the hard way, it's all part of the grand master plan we call experience. Cliche as it is, there just really isn't any other way - experience still is the best teacher. Even the great men the world has come to know has their own share of learning a great deal from their own mistakes. So through it all, as we stand proud of our better selves, we can always reflect and smile at our old nonsense.