Guide and Tips for Starting Toy Collectors In the Philippines

Hello there! If you're reading this right now, I guess you want some information or some basic manual of sorts into the world of collecting toys. I'm personally a collector myself, but I tend to favor or "specialize" in PVC figures or plainly figures, I once collected zoids, but the pain of detailing tolls my art skills too much. So I'm trying to compile usable info for you guys, hope you pick up something from this post.

1.) This hobby eats up cash, better have a budget for toys
Collectible toys are not cheap, let me tell you, prices of the toys vary wildly i'm going to give some factors:
a.)Popularity - Some toys are expensive because they are simply popular, supply and demand shit. But sometimes there are hoarders who buy lots of toys to jack up the price. An easy solution to this is PRE-ORDER.
b.)Size - Check the size of the scale/grade of the toy you want to order, a lower scale means a bigger toy which results into a bigger price. Ex. 1/4 Scale - 10,800. 1/8 Scale - 5000
c.)Manufacturer - Well known manufacturers tend to have a steeper price but have a better quality, my personal preferences are Kotobukiya and Good Smile Company, the price is steep as hell, but damn the quality makes up for it. Some cheaper brands like Sega (Prize) have a less of a price but have quality comparable to bigger toy companies.
d.) Versions - Some toys have different versions depending on the costume or color scheme. Special costumes tend to have a bigger price.
e.)Rarity - Some toys are so rare, the price can balloon up to 5-6 times more, take for example : Kotobukiya - Ayase Aragaki, Original Price : 4,300 - Current Price : 16,800

2.)Know the Lingo/Codes for some shops, also know what type of payment you are most flexible with, and there are certain types of ordering systems.

PO- Means pre-order, I'll explain pre order first because it is the most important among the rest of ordering systems. Pre-order system is the most commonly used method for ordering from companies. Pre ordering means paying a downpayment which will secure you a slot in the orders. When the release date elapsed, you will now pay the remaining balance then the toy is yours. For me this is a great system if you are up to date about toy collecting, you know when a toy will be released and you already have the slot, plus you won't have to deal with hoarders.

Back order - Back orders are more expensive than on hand items because the shop will have to order them from their suppliers again, and most of the time, the shop will order from another place because the supplier has no stock (I don't know why but this is pretty common)

On Hand - Item is available and ready to be purchased.

Special Order - It's a special system in which the shop that you employ will hunt for the toy you want, you just give them the name and image and it is up to them to search and purchase the toy for you. Special orders typically require you to pay 50-80% of the price as downpayment. It really is the price to pay if you really want a toy or passed up a chance to pre-order it and is no longer available.

3.) Choose a shop that will suit to your needs. I will list down the shops I personally check and use.
Great Toys Online - They have a big collection near greenhills. But the search function in their site is pretty bad so you have to go personally to their shop and ask the attendant about the toy you want. I bought a Command Wolf AC here for 1,500. It's pretty rare, and was surprised that they had it.

Wasabi Toys - A big shop operating in Greenhills, they have a site which is pretty awesome, the search function is great, also there is a regular update on which toys are now available for pre-order. I have already pre-ordered from this shop, also I had a great experience with the special order, I ordered Sakagami Tomoyo Kotobukiya here, it was 2013, the toy was released around 2011, so the price was pretty steep, but fortunately the got hold of a brand new one having still an intact box. The special order took around 2 months, and was really happy with the service and the brand new toy!

Hubbyte Online Store - Facebook based store, search in on facebook, because of their ridiculously low prices, I took advantage by pre-ordering in this store, the DP are cheap, the full payment is cheaper compared to other shops. The shop is really considerate about the payment, sometimes they will allow you to pay on your payday (Yay!). Also the attendants are really kind and the page master is really funny. They don't have a physical store, but they promise to ship with minimal fees and maximum toy protection. They tend to specialize on figures instead of toy kits like gundams and zoids. Downside is it does not have a search function so you have to search manually the albums.

Onegai Oniisan - They are an online shop with their own website, they have a working search function which is pretty nice, the prices here a cheaper than wasabi's but the problem is they don't have a physical store. So everything you will buy will have to be shipped, never had a chance to buy in this shop.

Metro Toys Online - A facebook based shop, I don't have much experience with this shop, but the best part about this is their meetup places, they are very flexible in their meetup places, but they meet up in major universities around metro manila. They both have figures and model kits.

Coldfire Gundam - They have a shop in greenhills which is run by a couple. They also have a facebook page, the good thing about this shop is the prices here are lower than other shops, (yes wasabi that means you). They specialize in Gundams obviously, but they still have some pvc figures, I managed to buy my first two pieces from this shop.

Waku! Waku! - Found this shop while strolling in Toy-Con 2013, bought my Angel Beats! (Angel) here for 900 pesos, cheap shit lemme tell you! The prices here are really cheap and they have the consignment service in which you can sell you items here. They have a physical shop down in Katipunan, I never been to Katipunan so I never got to see the full stock.

I love Omocha - Facebook based shop, a friend introduced me here, IT'S SO FUCKING CHEAP. Downside is the service is slow due to only one person is operating the shop during weekends. The stocks here are more limited compared to other shops, but if you do find the toy you're looking for buy it here, it's cheap!

Art and Science

Art and Science

I suck at art, hard. I literally can't draw anything except one portrait that I have learned from an art teacher way back. I always draw the same thing because I have memorized the pattern on how to make it. As much as I want to learn how to draw, sketch and paint, I simply cannot, I have the artistic ability of a carrot, literally. I hate myself for not practicing, but I hate myself even more for not even trying, it's just I suck to much. I think I have the inability to do art, even my handwriting is worse than an elementary school child, art for me is but a distant dream.

I have been exposed to artists lately in all their media. I envy them because, I can't simply be like them. The grass is greener on the other side, well that's damn true in my case. I am inventive but I am not creative, I tend to be on the science side of the scale. I am comfortable with concrete things, I like following a set of instructions, I like to be on a track where I know where I am and know where am I going. Science is the home for me, that's why I chose the course pharmacy which is medically and scientifically based. I like things that are objective, informative and absolute. I can follow instructions quite well and perform things like clockwork. It is true that what ever you lack, you tend to look at others that do have them. You tend to search for something you do not have, and I am one of those people who tend to search for something I really do not possess. 

No, I do not hate art. I actually like and appreciate all it's forms and glory. Art is very expressive, very free, it cannot be defined nor be conceptualized into a single thought. Science is calculating, objective and truth based. I admit, each side tends to look at the other with raised eyebrows, but I do not. I love science and I love art the same way, they are opposite yet have some similarity, for example; not everyone can be a scientist and not everyone can be an artist, it takes a certain spark in someone to excel in their current field or form. I respect people who love their work whether it be in the field of science or in their canvasses. We find ourselves in what interests us and what drives us, we go to the place where it sparks our interests and makes wanting to explore the world of something.

I love science. I love art. I love the knowledge of man, it is very broad and encompassing, but to truly appreciate where man is right now is to take a step back and view the panorama of man's work. 

Collection of Visual Novel Soundtracks

Hi it's me again. I have a habit of collecting OST and Soundtracks from visual novels I liked. So here, take them if you want :D. These pieces of music are owned and copyrighted by their respected companies.

Edelweiss-Flowers
http://www.mediafire.com/folder/7cxco10c9v66j/Edelweiss_OST_Flowers
Crescendo
http://www.mediafire.com/folder/cigik5284e544/Crescendo
Yume Miru Kusuri
http://www.mediafire.com/folder/4ud3ysgrh8j2e/Yume_Miru_Kusuri
Edelweiss-Vocal Track Sunset Sunrise
http://www.mediafire.com/?fw8nqqbkiv66d

Who Am I?

I am a Pharmacy student at the royal and pontifical university of Santo Tomas, I am a badminton player, a former dota player, now currently a LoL player. I enjoy drinking, cooking and surfing the net. I write shit in my blog because I can, and it serves a personal log for my life. I enjoy life taking it one moment at a time. I believe that the present is the most important, because it is the only tense that we can most affect.

I chose Pharmacy as my B.S. Course because it sounded cool (True Story). I am know enjoying the art and science of pharmacy as a student. I want to become a PharmD someday or a med student (Which is unlikely). In my own experience, pharmacy is damn hard, but the prestige after you finish it is not equivalent to the hardship you have to go through.

I am a forever trainee of badminton, not quite good but still have some skills. I don't play basketball, I just dislike the sport. I play video games a lot, I consider my self a gamer, but the area that I specialize on are Visual Novels. I like popular video games, I dabble in a bit of indie gaming, but mostly I play games for the story that is why I like visual novels so much.

I am a semi-music person, I only have a small range of music I like, piano,violin or guitar pieces, OST's from games, Old songs(80's,90's). I use my Philips Shibuya Headset, It is my personal preference because of the good sound, besides that there is nothing else notable about my music.

I like cooking, but I guess my family doesn't, figures, my mother is the ultimate master chef in the family, so anything you cook up is instantly equivalent to dog food in our house. I can cook simple filipino dishes, Bulalo, Adobo, Sinigang, Nilaga, Tokwa't baboy and Sisig(thanks ernest). I had a traumatic experience with cooking though, so I really just cook for my friends, not anymore for other people (like my classmates).

I like drinking alcohol, but what I really want to experience is drinking in a classy, fine, sophisticated bar. A bar in which there is an old but experienced bartender, classical music played live by a band as background music, people who are well dressed, as in contrast to the common bars in Manila. But I do not dislike the opposite side of the spectrum, in fact I am actually good with Ginebra Quatro, so yeah, anywhere I go I can drink.

I am a collector, I collect things that only I can give their value, or vice versa, the items are only valuable to me. I have already started during my college, and currently adding things to my collection.

I am a frustrated writer, which is very obvious in my blog. I am just writing to pass the time and to practice my English. I guess i'm not a good writer, but I believe that I am a good speaker, I can communicate well to others, well not as pleasant as others may say, but still I can still get the message through.

Some people may say I am a deep person, but sadly they are gravely mistaken, I just a regular person, with a less than average personality, my tastes are off, and my life is kind of average. Nothing special, just a plain person walking earth hoping someday, something more exiting comes to my life. But reality bites, that something exiting might not come to me, and that is one primary reason why I chose to be a forward-thinker. The future is what I think about most. And this is one of my major self-contradictions in life/

Little Sister Kana : The game that made grown men cry

As the title says, this game was really notorious for making grown men cry. Including me. It really is the prime example of a tear jerking visual novel next to clannad.

I met this game through the internet during my early grade school years, and had a second encounter with it when I saw high reviews for this game, it also appeared in Crescendo, a small easter egg in one of the paths. When I gave this game a shot, first ending, cried buckets. Second ending, cried like a bitch even though it was the "true/happy" ending. The story really was depressing throughout even if there was small patches of happy scenes, it was really a sad game. The start of the game is when the protagonist enters his sister's hospital room and then the memories come flashing back. The protagonist decides on what to make of his sister's life based on the things he will give or things that they will do. The progression of the story starts from a sad recollection up to the final release of emotion. This style of writing really gets to me, a feeling of hopelessness emanates from this game. But even if the story involves siblings and was really a heartbreaking story, I give this game a high score for the story in itself. The story was really well written, the characters was brought to life using a combination of present scenarios and recollection of memories. The events were heartbreaking and the endings gave a really decent end to the story of the siblings. But to what aspired to the siblings is up to you when you play the game.

The art was up to date, and when I say up to date, this game was released around 1998 to 2000 so don't compare the CG's to more up to date games. But even so, the art was still good, you will realize this when you are scrolling down and notice small droplets on your keyboard just by looking at the screen.

The music was alright, the BGM was MIDI tones, but due to the time period when this game was released, it was already at a standard.

This game was one of those who pushed through the era of english translated visual novels. So I give it a lot of respect in that area alone. The story is one of a kind, I cannot think of any other story that can match this one in terms of it's uniqueness and its tragedy. I give this game a solid 10/10. Even though the art and sound is outclassed by any recent visual novels, the story alone is enough to make me a die hard fan.

Edelweiss : An Island full of surprises

This is one of those visual novels that I downloaded because of the cover art. At first, I played until about the  boat scene, which was literally the first thing that appeared in the game, I got a feeling of childishness and felt it was really not that as serious compared to Yume Miru Kusuri or Katawa Shoujo. So I stopped playing it. A few months later, my friend Zach, told me that he was completing the game, I was surprised when he told me this because we have almost the same tastes in Visual Novels. So I gave the game another chance. I played. I really felt bad because I did not gave this game a fair enough chance, a lack of judgement on my side. The story was about a group of young boys who was sent to an island to study in an all girls school, lucky bastards. But little did they know that the school was specializing in alchemy, so the main theme of this game was around alchemy and what they could do with it. The character development was okay, you can really tell that each character had his/her own personality, and was totally different from each other.

The love story between the protagonist and each heroines begin with getting to know them, and ultimately leading to the climax of each part, and their endings. The choices in the game were fairly simple and it was really easy to get the girl you want. The story of each heroine is not as deep as other visual novels, but it has substance to it, it is really about affection between the characters. The endings were great! They had a very definite ending to each path, and will leave you with a "feel good" taste.

The art was great, even the images of the girls was moving (blinking and moving their mouths). The background art was detailed, and the CG's in general was finely made. My only comment is that the figures of the girls (same as kira-kira), were a bit absurd (wild proportions).

The sound. It. was. damn. epic., the soundtrack was developed my milktub, and it did not fail to deliver. The  background music was at high standards, and the vocal tracks was off the chart. I give this game the highest honors in term of sound. The mix of rock and a light female voice was surprisingly well done. I consider this game's OST one of my favorite next to Katawa Shoujo and Crescendo.

Overall this game scores 9/10. And its sequel Edelweiss : Eiden Fantasia scores (9/10) also because of its high grade of humor, the sequel made me laugh my ass off! Great game, a must try for people looking for a little magic.

Nurses

What makes nurses the apple of some men's eyes? It may be due to their sexy white fit uniform also donning a white cap, or maybe due to the sexualization of the nursing profession due to the media. But from my realization, (Well yeah, I kinda like nurses too), I became fond of nurses not due to their physical attributes.

Nurses care, that's the bottom line. I like nurses because they can take care of people, as a strong young man, I know that I can still take care of myself, but what happens when I get old and sick? Who can I rely on to help me along the way? It is not the idea of being a nurse that attracts me, it is the idea of being a person who can take care of me in the long run.

Nurses are reliable, I have asked some nurses about their profession and they tell me its a high - burnout job, it is stressful and sometimes lives are on the line. Nurses can take the pressure, when its an emergency or just the daily rounds, nurses do their jobs well and has been proven time and time and again. Nurses are reliable people, who the hell will take a nurse who is unreliable right? Nurses can do it, I like that in a person, a sense of security when you know you can count on someone.

Nursing is an honorable profession, nurses give their 110% every time that is why I look up to them, a salute to all the nurses in the world!

Yume Miru Kusuri: A Drug That Makes You Dream

Everyone has their own share of problems, some we can handle on our own and some we need other's help to pull us out of our problems. In this game the main character has his own problem; he experience auditory hallucinations though is not disturbed by it greatly, it still continues to bother him and lulls him into a state of being half asleep and half awake.

Story:
The story progresses by the character being introduced into three major characters. He is introduced to the shy and conserved Aeka whose problems concern bullying, then to the student body president whose problem within herself, she has an intrapersonal problem involves her way of thinking and personal conflicts. Then he meets the weird and neurotic Nekoko whose problems are caused by taking illegal drugs. You get to chose the girl who you want to continue your story with through series of choices presented. When you have already chosen a girl, the other stories close and the story with the girl progresses deeper.

The story is meant or targeted at teenagers, the main theme of the general story is focused on what teenagers' commonly encounter during their way to adulthood. The story is mature and the player should be mature enough to accept the story and learn from it, the morals of the story are intricate and expressed deeply. The values learned is to have the will to do the right things, the will to change ourselves, the will accept who we are and to take things as they come for somethings may lead into something bigger than ourselves.

The story is exiting and thrilling, the story is very linear and the events that take place around the story are very climactic and emotional, all the paths are heartwarming. The story also contains adult themes, sex is also an unavoidable part of the story because of the romance and adult theme of the game. The scenes are very much vivid, detailed and unforgettable, hooking you into the story and leaving you wanting more.

The bad endings are really sad, they leave a bitter taste in my mouth personally. but the bad endings only makes the good endings something strive for and be exited about. It also leaves a better overall fulfilling experience.

Artwork.
As any visual novel goes, VISUAL is half the part of the game, and this game does not fail to deliver with its wide range of scenes and CG for the characters. The novel part of the game is well complemented by the beautiful artwork, the backgrounds are not as much detailed, but still very well drawn. The characters are drawn beautifully with killer details, their emotions are fully shown by the many variations of the character's faces and they really convey the weight and feelings of the words to the player. The sex scenes CG are very nice because of the amount of variation in CG, showing different positions and emotions.

Music
In my opinion, the game's music matches PERFECTLY with every scene, every emotion, every event. It is utterly perfect, I cannot think of any other music that can better the music pieces of the game. The music in itself is emotional, there are more sad or slow pieces than happier, lively pieces because of the thought of the game, the game is very mature and the music should match. The soft pieces of music, which are in relation to the romance or emotional parts of the game are very consoling, they emit the feelings of closeness, warmth and peace. They are like the perfect things that can complement the game's story and artwork.

The vocal track "Goodbye to the World" is nicely done, the vocals of the performer are soft in contrast to the harder or faster music track.

Summary:
Yume Miru Kusuri: A Drug That Makes You Dream. Is easily one of the best visual novels created. It scores high in each aspect, and the completeness of the package is the selling point of this game. This almost perfect piece of art is one of the best games I have ever played. So if you plan on playing the game, its a must play and the time you spend on it will be one of the best you ever had, I guarantee it.

The Value of Symbols

A ring on a finger is not an accessory, it is a definitive sign of commitment. The ring when worn represent the kind of commitment the person has, how much he/she values the commitment directly reflects on how the symbol is carried.

Symbols are the embodiment of something that cannot be materialized, like passion, attainment,  love or responsibility. Some people value their symbols very much, they take care of these symbols and give time to give value to these symbols.

Standards

What are standards? Why are there standards? Should standards be a milestone or benchmark? This is only some of the questions I ask my self when the word standard comes to mind. Standard can be defined by "A level of quality or attainment". So we are standard, we have reached the minimum level for quality. But what if we are below standard? Does it mean the we have less of a quality of those who passed the standard, and what if the standards are too high for us, even if we try our best and work really hard but still do not reach the standards, will our hard work and effort be in vein?

I have experienced working hard to achieve a standard, I trained and gave effort just to be qualified. The feeling of passing the standard can really be satisfying because our hard work payed off and we are able to be proud of our achievement and the only thing left to do is to maintain a the quality we have. If we already reached the standard our priority should be to keep being above standard. Improvement is the thought that comes to mind when I already achieved something, let us not be something that is stale and stubby. I want to be continuously improving and gaining more experience in something, even though we cannot be the best it is still satisfying to know that we have the capacity to do something with quality.

I also experienced the feeling of not being able to pass a standard. It really is heartbreaking, to know that all the hard work, patience, effort you poured in improving yourself and making yourself fit for the standard is wasted. Maybe I did not try hard enough or I lacked in some aspect, I do not blame the standard for being to high, I just blame myself for not being able to pass it. Because if you really want to pass the standard you will do everything and anything just to reach that goal. You will not give up and still persevere in passing that standard. Even if the standard that is required is near perfect, I will not give up, I will not back down, I may not be able to pass it now, but I know deep in my heart I will pass that someday just not now, I will continue to improve and make myself fit to the standard in which I yearn to reach.

Standards are meant to be passed, we all have that standard which we cannot pass. But the valuable part in standards is whether you try harder or give up, standards seldom change, but Humans have the capacity to completely pass and set the standards even higher to continue excellence.

Private Nurse: Mysterious and Enchanting

How much do you value your health? Is it worth living if you have health that is so poor, you spend the day striving to stay awake?
The main character in this game is a sickly boy who often spends the day lying in his bed, he is afflicted with a unknown and mysterious disease; no physicians can diagnose or treat him because of his mysterious sickness. He is unable to enjoy his life like a normal, health person would. He spends his life living in a fragile body, easy to pass out and easily fatigued. He is nearly to the point of giving up on hoping for a cure for his sickness but something out of the ordinary happened to his life and changed him forever.

When I played the game, I stopped for a moment and thought about my own body, am I treating it right? Am   I abusing what I have? I feel grateful and lucky for having a body that is complete and without any illness. I think about what would my life be like if I had a serious illness or disability, that makes me appreciate what I have and I am going to use what I have to reach my goals.

Story
The story revolves around Hiroki the sickly boy and Maria the private nurse, the childhood friend; Ayano is also an important part of the story. The progression of the story involves how Hiroki treats Ayano or Maria, leading to his improvement of health and the development of their relationship. The way the story is presented is on a day to day basis, a total of 30 days is the time frame for each of the paths in the story.

The theme of health is the main core of the story, because most of Hiroki's problem revolves around his poor health, and how Maria and Ayano help him recover his health and develop each other's feelings. The main point that I got from the story is that we should be thankful for our health and be thankful for the people who help us get to where we are now.

The relationship between the characters is a little bit off maturity, but due to their ages, it fits them completely.  They help each other in facing their problems and through this, they develop their love for each other even further. As for Maria's Path, it really is mysterious and when you finish the game, you are going to be in a state of awe because of what just happened, the ending is totally different from what you expected, leaving you to be curious and wanting for a better ending. Ayano's path is about reviving their old relationship, dealing through the problems of a normal highschool couple. (Have not finished ayano path completely)

The last remark about the story is how bad the placement of the sex scenes are. I mean seriously, 7 sex scenes in a row without and substantial story in between really gets boring, unless you are the person who plays visual novels for sex, well be my guest.
7/10

Music
The music the plays throughout the game has a very calming tone, giving the aura of health, regeneration, home, rest. The tempo is slow and the beats are soft, giving the game the subtle feeling while being played. The music is all instrumental and the music it self is very beautiful. The combination of the music with the scene will give you the complete set of emotions while reading. But sadly, due to the same tempo and patterns of the music, the music itself is not easily remembered, it does not cut into the memory and easily forgotten.
7/10

Artwork
The soft and pastel colors combine to give calm visuals, the colors are not dull nor is too bright, it is just right for the emotion of softness. The sketches of nature that are seen in between the changing of days are very beautiful, I can appreciate the artist's work of presenting small bits of nature through the art.

The characters are not drawn sharply, meaning they have round edges, giving a sort of chibi appearance. In my opinion the way the characters that are drawn in the game is childish, and giving me the impression of immaturity. But none the less the characters are detailed, and in each CG the details remain, I give plus points for the amount of CG and the different emotions that the characters are able to express through the art.

The best part of the artwork in the game is in the parts where only one color is used to draw the whole scene, the parts where you can really see the handiwork of the artist. Matching with the scene, the art will make the scene come alive.
8/10

Replayablity and Length
The game has around 4 paths, each path will consist of about 3 hours, and the replayability is high because of the totally different story in each path. In my personal experience I played about 5 times just to get the right path for Ayano, so good luck in completing the story. Also there is the After Diary part of the game, its just tidbits of additional scenes for Ayano and Maria.

Overall
The theme of the game already makes it a must read, and the art and music although not excellent, has good synergy with the story making for a good game overall. This is the first visual novel I ever played, and I had a great experience reading this novel so I hope you will too.

8/10

Great Food around the Floodgates of UST

As a Pharmacy student of the University of Santo Tomas, I often go out to buy food for lunch, dinner or snacks, some of which are surprisingly good and may be found in the least expected places.

1.) Lumpiang Sisig, Bacon Dynamite, Potato Roll.
Found in the corner of ... and Dapitan, this roll of lumpia will definitely get your taste buds running because of the perfect combination of the salty taste of sisig and the sweet touch of mayo. Great for a snack or even lunch this 12 peso piece of heaven is a must taste. As for the bacon dynamite, the spicy kick of a pepper mixed with bacon is a must experience, you will not regret it swear! The potato roll is softer than a baby's butt, its a very scrumptious snack!

2.)Botsicake
This sweet treat is a combination of our favorite oreos surrounded by the soft warm japanese cake. You can find this stall at P.Noval and Dapitan. They sell this desserts at 10 pesos each. A great deal for something that really gives pleasure to the sweet tooth in us.

3.) Darling's Canteen
This carenderia is found at P.Noval, the inihaw there is freaking awesome. Cheap and delicious, the meat is tender and sweet. You get the quality and value of a meal there. You'll get your fill with around 45-60 pesos., the walk towards the canteen is very much worth it

4.)University Scoop
If you love ice cream such as myself, this place surely won't disappoint. The meals in this place are adequate, the food has very nice presentation and the ice cream is nicely done. The price of the food is around 100 pesos WITH A SUNDAE, a very nice deal if I say so myself. This shop is found in P. Noval

5.)Tapsilog Avenue
A new comer to the world of UST food, this foodstop has a collection of "silog" meals at 45 pesos only, the meat is fresh and tasty, the eggs are always neatly done and the bulalo soup is simply captivating. The food is always neatly prepared and most off all, there is great value. This is found in Dapitan near Lacson

6.) Pong's
Do you like fish? I don't, but when I came to this place I came to appreciate the freshness of the taste of the fish. They serve a variety of sea foods that are freshly ported from Dagupan, the sinigang na Bangus has the right taste and texture. The price of the food ranges from 60-80 pesos per meal, so the long walk from UST is worth it.

7.)Mang Toot's
The most famous of the restaurants outside of UST. Their food is homecooked, giving the feeling of home. Their most famous dish is the Banana Rum-Ah. This sweet fried banana topped with sesame seeds and cinnamon and sugar is to die for. The price of food typically ranges from 60-80 Pesos, you can find this shop in P.Noval Street, YOU CAN'T MISS IT. SERIOUSLY.

8.) Rap Rap's Eatery
This restaurant has the best value for money, for only 47 pesos you get 2 kinds of viand, and rice. The amount of viand is surprisingly more than enough for 2 orders of rice. The food also taste great, their food changes everyday but all I can say is each of their food has their own special flavor and you won't regret eating there. You can find this near P.Noval

9.) Da Binchi's Restaurant (dead)
This small restaurant found in Lacson is a place for great food, with a calm atmosphere. Their food is very much presentable and the taste of the food matches the quality of the presentation. The price of the food ranges around 60-90 pesos and the the amount is more than enough for a medium-heavy lunch.

10.) Cheap Steak (dead)
The roaming foodstall with an awesome steak! This meal on wheels is a very affordable yet fulfilling meal. With 39 pesos you get a cup of rice topped off with steak and sauce, the taste of the steak can be compared to steak typically found in a restaurant. The way the meat combines with the rice in a small container can really make you mouth water and make you crave for this combination.

11.) Steak 101
Found in the new C&E building/ BDO Dapitan Building, its found in the innermost part of the first floor. They serve mostly sizzling at fried meat, but they do it great! The food is simple yet appealing, for a value of 60-90pesos, you can get your tummies filled enough to last you for a day! Try the crackling sisig, the buffalo wings and the buttered chicken, its a food experience you will remember.

12.) Happy Tubby
You can find this stall in the same building that sells the lumpiang sisig and dynamite I mentioned in the earlier parts of this post. The small pieces of meat that matches with its special sauce is very affordable, and it comes with a big piece of rice. For the amount of 50php, its easily one of the best lunches I have ever experienced.

13.) Sisig Hooray!
This is found in the carpark, just opened recently, it is a stall of sisig. But damn, the sisig is great, for 60php, you get your sisig lunch topped with chicharon. A definite foodtrip for me!

14.)Dimsum treats
Tipid ka na, busog ka pa. Yun lang yun.

15.) Red Cinnamon
Food with class, and with an affordable price! The food here is around 80-100php, but the quality is above and beyond its price range. I recommend the Roast Beef, the beef drowned with gravy is something to look forward to during lunch. The sisig here is notorious for being a great meal, I can literally tell who of my classmates went to red cinnamon due to aroma of sisig around them. Found in V. Conception near Dapitan

16.)Ilar's
Found around P. Florentino near lacson, this sizzling carinderia is a place where many students come to eat due to the great taste and great price. I recommend their tapsilog and lechon kawali.

17.) Shobee
This is found in Dapitan, its a restaurant-bar so you're not likely to eat here during lunch, maybe around dinner or so. The selection of pinoy exotic food is what I come here for. Go soup number 5, damn great food, with an appropriate price. Also this is the only bar I know near UST which servers 500mL redhorse as a bucket, so yeah!

18.) Tapsi.
HAHAHA so yeah, the famous tapsi in Asturias, if you're like me, you've probably been here before eating cheese lumpia with nachos. Best pulutan award goes to this bar!

19.) 1236 Cafe
Its one of those upper class food places around UST, the food here costs 100 above, but what you get is great ambiance, artistic presentation of food having that unique taste. A good place to have a date!

20.) Shakes in Barlin St.
Well the name says it all, there are numbers of shake vendors in Barlin Street. Shakes here won't cost you more that 35 pesos. I recommend the Graham type shakes - Mango+Graham+Cheese or Banana+Graham+Cheese. It might sound wrong, but when you taste it, it is so right!

21.) Love Lite Asturias
Hungry? Craving bacon? and gravy? Come to this place to satisfy all your fried cravings. The menu consists of different combinations of bread, bacon, patties, footlongs. The combo meal for 55 pesos gives you the choice pick two: (Bacon, Burger Patty, Footlong) then an egg, lots of rice then top it all of with the flood of gravy! I recommend this place because of the variety and price of the food, also, di ka aalis ng di busog!

22.) Barcollie's
It's found near Mang Tootz, its a small place that looks like a house, but there are menus on the wall. The food here is hearty, meaning busog ka. For 50 pesos you get a big piece of chicken or fish + rice + gravy. It's a great deal.

23.)Chiquitos Asturias
Affordable meals with the right flavor and right plating. The only food here is chicken,the best part of the experience is the names of the dishes namely; In "chick", Hot "chick", "chick magnet" and "chick next door"
the meals are around 55 pesos. The meal is definitely for chicks, pang chicks din kasi yung dami ng food, so prepare for extra rice!

Half Life 1 Blast from the Past, Black Mesa Source Mod

Half life 1 was one of those old school games I usually play during holidays, I don't know why but it's pretty much nostalgic for me playing HL1 during new year, I play it traditionally I suppose. I have played this game so many times that I know the small details of the game, the mazes and puzzles are stored in me by heart.

Now, this Mod Black Mesa, is a resurrection of the Half Life 1, into the Source Powered world, no I am not talking about Half Life Source, this is WAY, WAY better than that. Its been in the making since 2004 and only now released 2012, the long waiting period has borne fruit of high caliber.

The game is a revisit of the old Black Mesa compound only in high quality, the story is pretty much the same only with a few added details. As I play this game the first words that come in to mind is, WOW, the game is the same but the presentation is very much different, the graphics are STUNNING and almost took my breath away. The attention to small details shows it self even in the early parts of the game like Black Mesa Inbound. The small parts of the original game have all been ported into this brand new fresh game. I laughed out loud when they still did the part of Gordon Freeman playing around with the microwave, I know we all did that, but it was really an expectation of mine to see it in this game.

The game play was brought to a new and fresh level. The movement is slightly different, the way you walk,use objects and talk was very new yet still the same. I have not played it long enough to reach the first weapon, the crowbar, but based on what the early levels of the game showed me, the weapons will be  exiting and exhilarating to use.

This game is like an oxymoron, it contradicts itself but in a good way. All I can say is; Its totally new, but still the same. I give a salute to the creators of this mod for the great effort and time they put into their project, The sheer amount of dedication and loyalty they showed for this project really payed off, because this game my friends is very much worth your while. Its very well made and half life fans will not be disappointed when they step into the HEV suit of Gordon Freeman once more.

10/10

Crescendo, the High School Graduation Stories

"Sometimes, when we only have a short amount of time, we need to make the things we do to count."

It's a few days before graduation and Ryo has to finish all the things he left undone before he graduates; the feelings for his old friend or the feelings for his junior. The dark and vague past with his sister or the unusual friend he made at the nurse's office, or even the dark horse of the school, the girl with a vicious reputation.

The game in a whole, is well done, from the story, to the artwork, and to the music played throughout the game. The minor details are nicely done, and the story in itself is touching and meaningful. I will review this wonderful game that was able to captivate me and absorbed me into its story

Story:
The game starts of with the main character; Ryo, sleeping in class was woken up by a mysterious girl. He goes to the library then to the school's nurses' office then to the classroom up to his home. Every place he goes in the initial plot of the story, he meets a girl whom he has a relationship with. Their relationships are told in the form of flashbacks and that is when the player decides which girl Ryo should go for.
Each path/arc/story is very intricate, there are parts that are very emotional, whilst some parts are comical. Each story path is finished in the same time frame, so in all the stories, there will be a part of graduation. The stories tackle themes or subjects of  prostitution, a love triangle, a relationship between two persons having a large gap in their age and the subject of a broken family. There are different endings of the stories depending on the choices the player makes, there is a good and a bad ending. And yes, there is sex scenes to be found in this game.  Moreover it's the story between Ryo and the girl that ultimately drives the story forward and in my personal opinion the story is very well written, the emotions are perfectly captured in the story, the climax of each path will surely hook you into its tale, making you feel what the characters are feeling and making you eager to learn what will happen next. There is a Secret Character in the game, but its you to find out who she is!
-Verdict 9/10

Artwork
The first thing you will notice when you play this game is how beautiful the artwork is, the use of light pastel colors to bring out a mood of softness and calmness really brings out the emotion in the game. The CG's are very detailed, each person you will encounter in the game will have a very long lasting effect because of how they are presented visually, The tone of the game reflects the colors of the surroundings and the girls them selves, the girls all have snow white complexion and have deep eye color and detail. The scenes are very detailed up to each teardrop and split end of a hair. The visuals of this game are very appealing and make you appreciate how much effort the artists put into this game. I can describe the visuals in one word "Stunning"
-Verdict 10/10

Music
This is my favorite part of the review, I cannot describe how the music in this game is. The music is very attuned to the scenes, matching the emotions, the rhythm and gravity of the scene. The music is pure instrumental of piano pieces by Scott Joplin, and compositions of Yoshi Tsuru. Each piece that is played in the game will definitely make you remember the feeling of that scene. The music fits perfectly into each scene, adding more feelings while reading the text. It's not just about how well played the music is, it's how the music sank into my brain, and making me appreciate the pure beauty of music through this game. All I can say about this music is it's absolutely perfect, well done, I could not even start to describe how the music was able to touch the soul along with the story and maybe when you play the game, it might also cause you to be speechless.
-Verdict 12/10

Overall
The game in it self is a very good game, the story was nice and the details only made the story nicer. I recommend you to play this game because you might pick up something important in the story, you might be able to relate to some of the situations presented to you and you might even shed a tear because of how the story made you feel. A very nice game in my opinion, this game definitely had a very big impact on me, I hope it also makes and impact on you
-Overall Verdict 9/10

A simple reflection on Sirena by Gloc 9

The song at first glance you might find comical and has no sense, but that is the essense of the song, like the homosexuals who you don't take seriously and just plainly laugh at them. When you hear the song again and try to listen to the lyrics/rap and try to understand what it says you will have a sudden realization that this song has a strong substance. The song is about the life of a homosexual in the typical Filipino household which has a strong father figure and siblings, the life of the person is told thru his own eyes, the person although is beaten and endures psychological torture, he carries on with his confused gender. The tale ends with his siblings left his father when they had their own families and they do not frequently visit his sick father with cancer, but the homosexual son is staying in their old house, taking care of his old and sick father. But his father still resents him because of his choice of gender. Until one night the father calls his son and apologizes for all the suffering he put his own son through. 

The line says it all

Hindi nasusukat ang tapang at bigote sa mukha, Dahil kung minsan mas lalake pa sa lalake ang bakla.

or

You cannot measure what a man is worth based on his attitude or the manly characteristics, because sometimes homosexuals can be more of a man than a straight man can be.

Welcome!

Hello!
Its me thefluffybunny, and welcome to my newly started blog. In this blog I will try to tell my new experiences and review the things I have played, seen, heard, read and tasted! I hope that you will pick up new information and try to experience new things too!