WALLY WATTHEAD AND HIS LOST GLOW FROM FINLAND ALL SET TO OPEN NOV. 14

Press material

JANNE RAUDASKOSKI is one of Finland’s most radiant professional magicians.

            In addition to traditional magic, he is known for his magic theater productions that have charmed audiences both home and abroad

.

            As a Finnish and Nordic champion in magic, he has worked as a professional magician since 1997. 

            Janne has created two magic theater performances:

---        The Outsider ( for adults and teenagers )

---        Wally Watthead and His Lost Glow ( for family audiences )          

            In his first solo production, Wally Watthead and His Lost Glow, Raudaskoski is researching combining the magic, theater, clownery, mime and different kinds of special effects with video.  Raudaskoski aims to create a performance which is a powerful experience for both children and adults, and that is easily translated into any language.

            Recently, he has worked in several art projects combining new circus, theatre and magic.  Raudaskoski has also played the protagonist in plays such as Werewolf (2009) in the City Theatre of Lappeenranta and Phantom of Theather (2007) in Åbo Svenska Teatern.

A Conjurer Par Excellence (Question & Answer)

Janne Raudaskoski is one of Finland’s most radiant professional magicians. In addition to traditional magic, he is known for his magic theatre productions that have charmed audiences both home and abroad.

Q: Magician Janne Raudaskoski, where can one study magic?

A: Tricks can be learned from books, magic can be learned by studying the history of magic and performing can only be learned by performing. Or if you find a good magic school you should definitely apply.

Q: Is Harry Potter your idol? If not then who is?

A: I prefer Pippi Longstocking to Harry Potter. Pippi does what she pleases, just as I do in my art. She has the right kind of attitude. I also belong to the Phantom Fan Club of Finland – my member number is 3557 if I remember it right.

Q: Why are magicians always men?

A: Is it perhaps because of Harry Potter? Well, I have also seen some very good female magicians.

Q: What do you do if one of your magic tricks fails on stage?

A: It happens very rarely because I always do my homework, but when it does happen, improvisation helps.

Q: Who pays the magician’s salary?

A: My greatest reward is captivated eyes, smiling faces, gasps and laughter – in other words the energy I get from the audience. The person who ordered the performance also pays me money.

Q: Why didn’t you become a clown if you enjoy entertaining people?

A: I did become a clown too. Both of my theatre productions, Wally Watthead and The Outsider, combine clownery, theatre and magic.

Q: What is the difference between a clown and a magician?

A: Clownery is an instrument of humor, but it can also be used to examine serious matters. It can be used to reflect on the ways of the world is a childlike way. Charles Chaplin was a clown. If a clown also knows magic, it opens up a world of new possibilities for his or her performances. Oh, but you asked about the difference? Well, the magician is usually the more boring of the two.

Q: What and where was your worst performance as a magician and why was that?

A: A professional performer must be able to finish the show no matter what the circumstances are. They have certainly been quite challenging sometimes: technical problems, the audience getting too drunk, hands freezing, things like that.

Q: Tell us something about the life of a magician that nobody knows.

A: The magician sometimes enjoys singing punk rock.

Q: Janne , do you know any magic tricks nobody else in the world knows?

A: I have conjured up two theatre productions that represent a new kind of magic. I combine magic, clownery and narrative in my performances using methods such as video, black theatre techniques and various kinds of special effects. I call it experiential theatre.

Q: Does a magician have any colleagues?

A: Sure. In theatre productions they are the director, the sound designer, the costume designer, the lighting designer, the set designer, the special effects technician, the dressmaker, the producer, the theatre manager, the technicians and the stage hands. Basically everyone I work with.

Q: What do you do most of the day on an average day in the office?

A: When I work on a new production I make plans, write, build things, rehearse, shoot rehearsals on video and make more plans. If I am performing on that day then I sit in a car or an airplane, build the show, perform, pack the show and sit in a car or an airplane. If I am not doing either them I’m usually sitting in meetings, planning new things, and answering questions like this.

Q: What was the magician supposed to become when he grew up?

A: A pilot, a magician or an actor. Now I spend my time flying on theatre stages combining magic and theatre, so I guess I got all of my dream jobs.

Q: Are magic tricks useful in everyday life?

A: When I was young I used to cheat at supermarket checkout by conjuring the money from behind the cashier’s ear. Luckily I have rid myself of that habit.

The Amazing Race Philippines Season 2 Blog Exclusive: Team Mag-Ama

Part 1 of the Amazing Race Phils. feature

Amazing Race brought in a new innovation in reality shows which patterned many team building exercises. The franchise TV5 brought in television gave the show a local flavor not to mention the sights around the country.

I finally got to meet the eight remaining teams. After watching the current episode, I interviewed each team. The first team I interviewed was the father-son tandem.

AJ and Jody Soliva are both baseball players. Jody is playing since elementary and his dad is a coach and done many sports bonding ever since until college. Jody was a fan of the show which is why he joined but his friend backed out and his dad joined him instead. A father-son team is what the show needed to make it more appealing.

In the current episode before the interview, we saw this team arguing after the last obstacle. Dad AJ explained that they were both driven to win which is natural since they are both athletes. This is still a competition and they are a team.

Their tactic: Brains, physique and luck to win.. Their weakness is the to think under pressure. For the team, the only team that may keep them from winning Matt and Phoebe(Team Dating Couple) since they are winning every obstacle they encounter.

Check out my next team feature and keep watching Amazing Race Phils. Season 2 on TV5 every weeknights at 9PM. For more updates, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Haiyan: After The Megastorm premieres Nov. 8 at Discovery

We've been hearing news about what happens in the Visayan region after Typhoon Yolanda especially in Tacloban. I got to watch a new documentary about Haiyan (International name of Yolanda) titled Haiyan: After The Megastorm.

Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel

Approximately seven months after the said typhoon, Discovery Channel visits the affected areas of Tacloban. Discovery with the help of local movie production Caelestis Productions Inc. and it took them two weeks on the set.

Most of us in the nation are shocked by what the typhoon did and no one can't comprehend the death toll so high and it took other nations to offer help in this crisis. British-Filipino VJ Trey Farley hosted to give us the first-hand view of Tacloban after Yolanda.

The story includes dialogue with mayor Alfred Romualdez; who is also a typhoon survivor himself, the remaining crew of a vessel that was swept to the shores, and other survivors. The documentary was first shown in public in Tacloban. Director Emile Guertin described to us over a phone conversation that no one in the whole venue left without being teary-eyed after watching the finished documentary.

What I like about the documentary was mentioned by Mayor Romualdez that this is a part of life and we have to move on. His house was also flooded and it was shown how they escaped the house. I knew Trey as a humorous host for a known music channel I am glad they chose him because the documentary shows his humor, limitation as a Fil-Brit mestizo. And in this time of coping up, maybe a smile and a little humor is what we just need to rehabilitate.

I also admire how Tacloban cope up with the tragedy. Especially the healing process of the children who are left as orphans. The documentary is not not a news feature that will point fingers on who to blame but it is just about the people. Mr. Guertin told me that they have a script it mind but the experiences in the documentary are very raw.

Haiyan: After The Megastorm premieres first in Discovery Asia on November 8 at 8:00 in the evening in all Southeast Asia including the Philippines and probably in other regional territories of Discovery in the future. For more updates on TV programming, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Insights from the Professional Blogging Summit

When I first heard that there’s a blogging summit, I got interested with some topics that seemed beneficial to me since I am blogging for at least five years in the business. I have high ambitions for my blog and I need to learn more from the veterans since I worked with them in the past. Ms. Janette Toral used to give me blog assignments and Sai Sayson-Montes is a long-time friend and PR who invites me to her launch events.

What I really looking forward to is about getting clients although I am already getting some for my blog but I need to learn more. I arrived late from another event but I was able to catch up with the segment of another blogger Ross Flores sharing his controversies and what it has done to him. This segment also has Azrael Colladilla which I missed but I got to hear Jay-L Aquino who is doing social media marketing for an agency that handles celebrities.

 

Jay-L Aquino

I agree with Ross when he said that no one should go in between conflicts because it may just get you in trouble. It is better to stay out of it because I had similar incident before.

After hearing the bloggers’ presentations, it is time to hear the presentation from a PR. Mr. Jeoff Solas handles marketing for the host location A-Venue. He started with a question, why are we blogging? I agreed with his answer that we all bloggers wanted to share our passion. This is a refreshing presentation after the last segment shows what we should not do; this shows what we should do.

I also agreed that it is about engaging people. One way is to do your homework before attending an event. This shows that you are interested with the client. It is similar to prospecting or profiling. It also got me to evaluate myself as a blogger about my relationship with the PRs.  In my experience, I need to behave appropriately and show my contacts that I always do my part and in the same manner, maintain a mutual relationship with the PR contacts. This way, bloggers and PRs don’t take advantage of each other.

In another insight, Online Seller Sai Sayson-Montes offers her insight on how to market online especially when you sell your products. I learn a great deal about this since I also sell online. Similar to blogging, there is also stats called insights in Facebook pages that can be useful evaluate it just like in Google stats. 

In summary, my time during the summit is not a waste of time since I also gained ideas. The next step is application for what I learned. For more updates, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Canon Photomarathon University Leg 2014

I first participated in Canon Photomarathon back in 2010. I enjoyed the experience. I just found out recently that they are having a Photomarathon for college students. Canon started the university leg last year at UST and now they are having it at De La Salle University Taft Campus.

More than 200 students from 65 universities participated and unlike the previous Photomarathon in the National Leg, they are now open to other brand users. Just like in the national leg, they are given themes which give them 2 and a half hours to think and submit their entry.

According to Andrei Hoffman; one of Canon's Ambassador of Light; what makes this students different from the participants in the national leg is they have raw imagination. Meaning they are not yet molded by technicalities unlike those who are older than them. They can think out of the box.

For more interests posts, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

UPDATE!!

Canon Photomarathon 2014 is on November 8 at the High Street Bonifacio Global City.

WATTPAD PRESENTS four new stories

The internet brought new new innovations and one of it was telling stories. I read lots of published works that was discovered from online websites and online forums. When blogging first started, it also brought in many stories.

Wattpad was also instrumental about this stories. It is a venue for those who aspire to be authors but are not able to get their works published in a traditional manner. What's good about Wattpad, it is similar to forums and social networks which the reader who also opened an account will be able to interact by commenting.

Cast of batch 2's Wattpad Presents

It was also recently that some of these popular stories entered the cinematic world and TV5 was able to make four stories in their previous run of Wattpad Presents. TV5 now releases four new stories from Wattpad.

The four new stories that will come to life are The Savage Casanova, Fake Fiance, Diary Ng Hindi Malandi, and Dyepni. The selection of these stories is based on its readers stats.

The actors who will give life to its characters are Edward Mendez and Ritz Azul for Savage Casanova, Sophie Albert and Vin Abrenica for Fake Fiance, Isabelle De Leon and Edgar Allan Guzman for Diary Ng Hindi Malandi(who got 3.5 million reads), and lastly; real-life couple and newly weds Alwyn Uytingco and Jennica Garcia in their first TV project, Dyepni.

TV5 Exec Ms. Wilma Galvante(Left)

Isabelle De Leon admits that she read the Wattpad story for reference while Alwyn Uytingco has a different opinion. Alwyn just read the script and read the story after the project was finished because he does not want to compare it to the book. But the TV5 executives assured the Wattpad readers that their stories are faithful to the books. Even the authors are present to show support during the press conference.

TV5's Wattpad Presents batch 2 of stories begins October 20 on its new timeslot at 9:30 PM after Amazing Race starting with Dyepni followed by The Savage Casanova on the 27th, Fake Fiance on November 3rd and ends this batch of stories with Diary Ng Hindi Malandi: Slight Lang on the 10th.

Watch out for the announcement of the Wattpad fans' day and follow this blog for more new shows from TV5 or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

51 Talk crosses boundaries between cultures with English

English is one of the most common languages spoken internationally. It's no surprise that the Philippines provides the most number in human resource because we are fluent. Whether in school or the work place, English is the most spoken language of all Filipinos.

Delamar, Shu Ting(COO/Co-founder,51 Talk), Jim Paredes, Michelle Gumabao

Which is why foreign entrepreneurs invests in the country for this specific skill we have. Call Centers have been sprouted over all over the business districts  nationwide especially here in the Metro. In addition to this, services are also provided for those who can teach English to our Asian neighbors specifically to Koreans who invested their education just to study here.

Now that we have online resources, we are now able to teach via internet which is why 51 Talk is here. According to Ms. Sue Ting, COO of 51 Talk(pronounced as Five-One Talk not Fifty-One Talk), there is a lot of Chinese who desire to learn English and are willing to invest to learn online.

You need not to be an educator to be an online coach. You just need patience and driven with the initiative to teach. 51 Talk is already in operation and now they are introducing their three brand ambassadors.

Monster Radio RX 93.1's DJ Delamar co-hosts the program The Morning Rush is one of the people with wide influence I admire. Even though she uses English on air, she still gives an impact on what she says even if it was funny. Another brand ambassador has influence among the youth. Michelle Gumabao made a name for herself when she played volleyball for DLSU. The last brand ambassador is a political analyst and an activist in his own way. Mr. Jim Paredes is better known for his Apo Hiking Society.

I am glad that 51 Talk is here. China has a strong need of learning English at the convenience of being online but it also opens new job opportunities for those who like to be instrumental to teach English. This can also be done at the convenience of your home as long as there is a good internet connection. Together with the brand ambassadors, they will close the barriers and probably open a better working relations between our two countries.

For more updates about lifestyle, entertainment, news, society and more, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. Facebook page. 

Coca-Cola kickstarts Christmas celebration with gathering of women micro-entrepreneurs

Campaign release material

Manila, Philippines (October 13, 2014) — Coca-Cola Philippines is brewing a landmark Christmas celebration for the year with the participation of its biggest business drivers: women sari-sari storeowners. In a full-scale brand thrust that is integrated with its social development commitments, the country’s leading beverage company would go back to communities and make Filipinos feel the magic of Christmas in every corner with the help of the women behind sari-sari stores.

STARs of the celebration

The celebration kicks-off with the STAR Program Christmas Convention (SPCC)—a series of events happening within October that would assemble close to 5,000 women in 6 different cities, all of whom have been helped by the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program of Coca-Cola Philippines.

In 2010, The Coca-Cola Company made a global commitment to economically empower 5 million women within its value-chain by 2020. This spurred the collaboration of Coca-Cola Philippines and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) towards the development of a local program that will enhance the business knowledge and skills of women sari-sari store owners and operators. That program is now called STAR.

Now on its third year, STAR has impacted over 30,000 women learn how to better run their businesses—from merchandising, to cash flow and inventory management.

“The STAR Christmas Convention serves as culmination of all our achievements for the year, as well as the start of a Christmas celebration like no other. By this time, all the women who will attend SPCC have graduated from four business modules and would then be entering the next phase of the program called Access to Resources,” says Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications of Coca-Cola Philippines.

The second phase involves patching the women entrepreneurs to various microfinance partners to further infuse capital and grow their business—these partners are Alay Sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI) for Luzon, Negros Women for Tomorrow (NWTF) for Visayas and Palawan, and First Community Cooperative (FICCO) for Mindanao. They would also be given access to new merchandising and store assets as well as other forms of social development interventions.

“Coca-Cola recognizes the significant role of women in the development of business and communities. In the case of the Philippines, we always find sari-sari stores in every corner managed by women. We try to include them in our value chain development programs and create enabling environments for their businesses to thrive and become sustainable. This Christmas season – by providing the sari-sari stores with merchandising support – we hope that this will help drive customer traffic to their stores which we hope will increase their sales. As we know, when women earn they tend to reinvest their income to the welfare of their family,” added Tamano.

A Christmas like no other

To mark the company’s continued commitment to the partnership, Share Sari-Saring Happiness will take people to the sari-sari stores of the women who are enrolled in the STAR Program for a nationwide lighting ceremony on November 8.

Attendees of the SPCC were given special parol kits to be assembled, decorated, and placed in their respective stores in time for the November lighting. The move is poised to transform their businesses into new and iconic Coca-Cola Christmas Hubs.

“Our parols would serve as a marker. Those who enjoy the refreshing Happiness of Coca-Cola should be able to celebrate Christmas in a place that is accessible and familiar—and these are the new Christmas Hubs,” concluded Tamano.

The Star Program Christmas Convention takes place at Manila, Davao, Batangas, Pampanga, Bacolod, and Tacloban. For more details, you may check www.coca-cola.com.ph or the official Facebook page of Coca-Cola Philippines.

Without Stars/There We Have Been by James Cousins Company

This is the first time I heard of a dance that interprets a novel. There We Have Been and Without Stars are part of Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood. Instead of words, you can understand the story through the movements of the dancers. It's like blocking in a stage play but with graceful movements.

James Cousins seated at the center

What impressed me was from There We Have Been were the female never touch the floor and the male lifts her up the whole time, Because of this, I am compelled to read the book. We were fortunate that the Philippines was the first to see it in Southeast Asia for the tour.

I got to watched it at PETA in Quezon City before it will be staged in CCP. For more theatrical productions, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S.blogs on Facebook.

Professional Blogging Summit: Learn Blogging From Some Of The Big Names In The Social Media Industry

In my 5 years of blogging, I aim to upgrade in the industry. Some of the best contacts I worked with in the past introduced me to blogging while some mentored me in the past 5 years. Among them were Sai Sayson, Janette Toral and Joselito "Toots" Tolentino.

On October 18, there will be a professional blogger summit from 1PM to 5PM at A-Venue near Best Western Plus Antel Hotel as the people I mentioned will speak about getting clients, blogging ethics, becoming Social Media Entrepreneurs and more. If you are already blogging professionally or just starting up in blogging business, this is the right venue.

The summit will only limit itself to 100 participants via invitation only. To get included, fill up the registration form and wait for response from the organizers. For more updates, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Imperfect is the New Perfect

Release material

By definition, fashion has always been about following rules.

Fashion abides by a certain theme, typically attributed to a particular decade, strictly adhering to a general set of guidelines on what, how and when each new trend should be worn.

Within those standards, Parisian style—as embodied by French shoe brand, Bensimon—stands as a testament for fashion imperfection. Through every decade, the brand has bent the rules and strayed from fashion laws—yet somehow, it has stood the test of time.

It’s a reflection of the city’s je ne sais quoi—an inherent quality that defines everything about their culture; evident in their classic architecture, creative cuisine, diversity in art, exceptional way of life and most especially, covetable style.

A perfectly imperfect pair, every time

Designers Serge and Yves Bensimon, whose heritage is strongly anchored on this world renowned French aesthetic understands this; and it became the inspiration for the creation of a brand that grew to become an iconic symbol of style.

Nearly half a century ago, the brothers recognized the need for a pair of shoes that would reflect the stylish sensibilities of Parisians—one that would mirror the color, elegance and joy of living onto the feet of its wearers. With that in mind, Bensimon sneakers were born. It had the classic rubber sole of casual sneakers, but designed in such a way that it was more versatile and elegant, allowing it to keep up, not just with the Parisian way of life, but their inherent style as well.

It’s a fashion statement that focuses on versatility—celebrating individual style personalities than can go from trendy, if you so wish, to classic elegance. The idea is to highlight how a single piece in your outfit can make a definitive statement about your sartorial sensibilities, focusing on not only on comfort but on the idea that real, lasting style doesn’t have to try too hard; it’s carefree and relaxed yet still timeless, much like the city where it hails from.

“The idea that a pair of shoes can embody chic practicality by virtue of the quality and craftsmanship that Bensimon sneakers are known for is an attractive draw for anyone who understands that style is a reflection of who you are and your lifestyle. It’s the reason that we eagerly introduced the concept of being perfectly imperfect in terms of style in the country,” shares Jheric Delos Angeles, Bensimon’s Assistant Marketing Manager.

Each pair, and note that no two are made exactly alike, can cross the line between formal and informal, casual and luxe—and Bensimon’s seemingly inherent ability to do so has become renowned. It has become a staple for Parisian sartorialists who understand that style is about finding the confidence to make it your own, no matter how imperfect it may be.

Its versatility is actually the best way to express yourself, to showcase what’s different about your fashion sense, to highlight your personality and to bring focus to your distinct eye for what works and what doesn’t. After all, through the years of fashion evolution, the world has finally arrived at a point where trends have taken a backseat to make room for lasting style.

Maybe it’s a way of standing up to the fads that come and go decade after decade. Or it could be a simple acknowledgement of the reality that style has to answer to the functional as well as fashionable inclinations of its wearer. Either way, it’s a welcome shift from the precision that fashion always seemed to strive for—but one that looks like is here to stay.

ANIMAL PLANET OCTOBER 2014 HIGHLIGHT

Animal Planet release material

WILD MEXICO

One-hour special premiering on Sunday, October 12 at 9:00 p.m. Encores on Tuesday, October 14 at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 18 at 1:00 p.m. 

Photo courtesy of Animal Planet

Wild Mexico is a journey through an extraordinary land, full of diversity and mystery. Two thousand years ago, the Mexican wilderness was home to the mysterious Ancient Mayans. But the jungle has swallowed their cities and the forest has a new leader – the fearsome Jaguar. Also, meet the world’s only vegetarian spider, recently discovered and never filmed before.

In the oceans, take the plunge with leaping Mobula Rays, Kemp’s Ridley Turtles, Gray Whales and a unique gathering of the oceans gentle giants – Whale Sharks.

The desert is home to the strangest of Mexico’s creatures – meet the elusive Mole Lizard and explore an oasis of water surrounded by salt dunes. Venture into the underworld, into caves where Boa Constrictors lie in ambush for bats. 

2014 Kiddo-Preneur Christmas Bazaar

Last quarter, I witnessed how the kids does business at Kiddo-Preneur Summer Bazaar held at Robinson Place Atrium. Now that Christmas season is fast approaching, it will be a perfect time to scout for your Christmas gifts or giveaways for the occasion. I've seen three sisters trying to sales talk to me about buying their products and they were quite convincing that I can't help but buy it.

I encourage everyone reading this blog to visit the 2014 Kiddo-Preneur Christmas Bazaar on November 23 at Glorietta Activity Center, Palm Drive for the following reasons. First, it is a kid initiative. Most of the booths are being manned by kids with supervision of their adult guardians or parents. Second, you will see products that are made by these kids or products that this bazaar has and not available anywhere. Lastly, it is fun and this will encourage the kids to learn about being an entrepreneur at a young age.

Kiddo-Preneur Summer Bazaar early this year

The kids will learn from this experience about working hard to establish a business and will learn the value of money and save for it. It will also teach them to use portion of their earnings for charitable cause.

Your kid can also be part of this experience. If your kid is age 5 to 17 years old and has an interest in business, he/she will just present a business plan with the help of their Mom or Dad by contacting the KP Secretariat via their website, http://www.kiddo-preneur.com/ . The secretariat will provide a format for the business plan or just check the format in the web page.

The designated slot will be provided if your business plan is approved for the duration of the mall hours. Each slot will be provided with a table about 80 inches in width, 16 inches in length and 30 inches and two chairs. There are limited slots available. Each slot cost only P3,000.

Not only your kid's booth will be given exposure and earn from it but it will also be judged by the event organizers at the end of the day for the best booth on the following categories: Best booth design, Best Concept, Highest Sales and Best Service.

This is the fifth year of Kiddo-Preneur and the bazaars are held twice in a year. Check out Kiddo-Preneur website for more information. For more updates about Kiddo-Preneur, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.