The Joyful Secret Behind Surprises

Did you know that surprises make people remarkably happier?

Surprises have, indeed, powerful effects. Psychologist Norbert Schwarz conducted a classic study where it was found that a small but pleasant surprise, such as finding 10 cents, uplifts a person’s mood. Schwarz repeatedly placed a coin near a copy machine where it can be easily seen. When the subjects who found the coin were surveyed shortly thereafter, their overallsatisfaction with life was significantly higher than those who did not find the coin.

While the study was conducted at a time when a coin can buy more than it does today, the basic conclusion is that even a tiny, pleasant surprise canimprove one’s disposition.

“It’s not the value of what you find. It’s that something positive happened to you,” stressed Schwarz.

Whether you’re a kid or a grown up, you will not be able to resist the joy and pleasure of discovering something new. Bent on providing this kind of joy, a unique chocolate treat, Kinder Joy is finally arriving in the Philippines to spread delightful surprises.

Feel good and experience a huge surprise happening on October 19 & 20, 2013, from 10am to 10pm at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Activity Center. Expect fun-filled activities and awesome surprises on top of yet another big reveal—a special guest who will surely charm Filipino kids and their families.

Come and explore the amazing world of surprises!

HBO Original Series Hello Ladies debuts in Asia

HBO Asia online release

PHILIPPINES, OCTOBER 9, 2013 – In his first lead role in a comedy series, Golden Globe^® winner Stephen Merchant (executive producer, director, writer, actor of Life’s Too Short and executive producer of The Ricky Gervais Show) stars in this brand new HBO Original series HELLO LADIES as a gawky, 6’7” tall web designer named Stuart, searching for excitement and romance in Los Angeles. This hilarious eight-episode season premieres in Asia on Monday, October 21 at 9.30pm exclusively on HBO and HBO HD, followed by the new season premiere of EASTBOUND & DOWN at 11pm.

 

Photo courtesy of HBO Asia

A recent transplant from England, Stuart is searching for the woman of his dreams amidst the dazzling nightlife of Los Angeles, but his romantic aspirations far outstretch his looks or appeal. Half as charming – and twice as desperate – as he thinks he is, Stuart is obsessed with infiltrating the glamorous world of beautiful people who won’t let him in.

Other series regulars on HELLO LADIES include Christine Woods (Go On, Perfect Couples) as Jessica, an unsuccessful actress unsure of both her place in the world and her on-again, off-again romance with her agent; Nate Torrence (Get Smart, She’s Out of My League) as Wade, reluctantly re-entering the dating world after being dumped by the wife he still loves; and Kevin Weisman (Alias) as Kives, who parlays disability to his advantage in picking up women. Guest stars on the show include Crista Flanagan, Jenny Slate, Sean Wing and Sarah Wright.

HELLO LADIES was created by Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg; executive producers, Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg; co-executive producers, Danny Chun and Ron Weiner; producer, Dan Kaplow. Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg’s credits as a team include writing and executive producing Bad Teacher and writing and co-executive producing the American version of The Office, for which they were nominated for four Emmys^®.

This half-hour HBO Original comedy series HELLO LADIES about a bumbling English transplant who struggles to find love in the city of dreams premieres on Monday, October 21 at 9.30pm on HBO / HBO HD, immediately followed by the season premiere of EASTBOUND & DOWN at 11pm. Brand new episodes air weekly at the same time.

About HBO ASIA

Singapore-based HBO Asia is able to bring the best of Hollywood to Asia first because of its exclusive licensing deals with major Hollywood studios - Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Bros., as well as a large number of major independent studios. HBO Asia has proprietary and award-winning HBO Original programs that are produced exclusively for HBO viewers. HBO Asia offers a bouquet of channels and services including 24-hour commercial-free subscription movie channels in standard-definition and high-definition – HBO, HBO SIGNATURE, HBO FAMILY and HBO HITS – as well as HBO GO, HBO ON DEMAND, CINEMAX and RED. HBO Asia is the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst and WarnerTV in Asia and a joint venture of HBO (a Time Warner company) and Paramount. Log on to www.hboasia.com for more information.

Caritas Manila Buy and Give Expo

Caritas is a Latin word meaning loving or caring. It is also synonymous to charity. I first heard about Caritas during Holy Weeks in my childhood. Since it was rare to have cable TV yet and there's no internet, we are settled with what are being shown from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday.

The commercial breaks were replaced by a long presentation of Caritas Manila. Since then, I began to appreciate the mission of Caritas Manila. I always knew where it was located and I always pass the vicinity when I still live in Pandacan, Manila. But I never got to enter the premises until recently.

After being oriented, we proceeded to the tour of the Caritas Manila. In this manner, we were able to see how Caritas Manila operates for their charity program. We entered one of their warehouses that are full of second hand stuff from residential or commercial establishment.

You can buy it at a cheaper price and some items are considered rare like the old fashioned dining table and chairs made of narra. This area is like a pickers' haven. What could have been other person's trash may be other person's treasure.

 Our next stop was the Charity Store were all the newer stuff are being sold. Most of the items there are really affordable. Most of them are from the unsold stocks donated like the clothes from a popular department store. You can even buy a nice wrist watch(without battery) for only twenty pesos.

The Charity Store also sells original products like soaps, fabric conditioner,etc. from the livelihood programs of the community. By buying these products, you are also helping out the community. Part of the livelihood program is recycling products greeting cards etc.

We also get to see the other storage facility/warehouse were all the donated goods are being sorted out in two areas. One area for commercial use and the other is for household. Caritas Manila also has a marketing arm named Margins, which is the carrying label of all homemade livelihood products.

Since the preparations for holiday rush is now starting, this would be a better place to get something you need to buy. Caritas Manila will be extending their operations in a mall namely the Buy and Give Expo. This will be held in Ayala Trinoma Mall's Activity Area were the livelihood products will be showcased as well as the accepting of donations. The duration of the Buy and Give Expo will be from November 29 to December 1.

Buying from and donating to Caritas is not the only way to get involved. You can also volunteer your time and talent if you have a heart for mission work and by spreading the word out. You can start with sharing this blog. To get more information about Caritas Manila's mission, here are the contact details from their website.

Marites Allen Annual Feng Shui Road Show Manila

Online media release and event photos

The Marites Allen Annual Feng Shui Updates, the largest feng shui event in the country, is set for Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Infinity Ballroom of F1 Hotel Manila, BGC, Taguig City. This will mark the commencement of a series of talks conducted by international feng shui expert Marites Allen on how to benefit from the opportunities in the Year of the Wood Horse, which will start on January 31, 2014. It will also feature a wide selection of feng shui charms and enhancers that are meant to boost opportunities in many aspects of daily living, such as career, health, love and relationships and business. 

            In her December 7 updates, Marites will discuss how one can take advantage of the positive outlook in 2014, and how to counter the afflictions that could affect one’s chances for success. She will also talk about the personal forecasts for each of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, as well as the general outlook in 2014 for various businesses and industries. 

            Similar to her previous visits to Metro Manila in preparation for the Chinese New Year, the London-based feng shui expert will be guesting in several radio and TV programs, and will go on a mall tour to share her forecasts for the Year of the Wood Horse. Her breadth of experience and knowledge in the disciplines of feng shui make her a much sought-after speaker on feng shui. During the Chinese New year season, Marites will also be updating the feng shui of offices and residences of well-known personalities in the business, entertainment, and government fields.

            After her Manila tour, Marites will be conducting similar events in Tokyo (11 and 12 January 2014), Paris (8 February 2014) and later in other European and US cities. 

            A limited number of tickets for the December convention are now available at all World of Feng Shui Philippines boutiques in Metro Manila or at F1 Hotel. Alternatively, please call 0920 9509390 / 0917 8522983 / 4420113 / 5560615   for details, or visit www.maritesallen.com for more about Marites Allen and feng shui.

Aboitiz to hold career expo on Oct. 11

Aboitiz Online Media Release

 

Get your resumes/CVs ready.

 

The Aboitiz group is set to hold the BetterWays Career Expo 2013, a job fair and interactive career event in Taguig City – home to its new corporate headquarters. The event will take place at Market! Market! on October 11, Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Unlike any other job fair, the BetterWays Career Expo 2013 aims to create multiple opportunities for solid, well-chosen career tracks versus mere jobs.

“We are constantly searching for strongly-motivated, driven talents capable of excelling, serving, and leading in the roles that they do best. We hope to give them a boost in unleashing and maximizing their potential, and in doing so, share our passion for better ways,” shared Txabi Aboitiz, Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

Up for grabs at the upcoming expo are choice careers from the best in the fields of Accounting, Administration, Audit, Branding, Corporate Communications, Corporate Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Treasury, Corporate Social Responsibility, Customer Service, Engineering, Marketing & Sales, Purchasing, Quality Assurance/Control, Regulatory, and Trading.

 
Hundreds of participants are expected to attend the expo, which will feature open exhibits of : AEV, AboitizLand, Metaphil, Pilmico, Cleanergy, AboitizPower-Generation, AboitizPower-Distribution, Aboitiz Jebsen, CitySavings, UnionBank, Aboitiz Foundation, Weather Philippines Foundation that detail their respective operations and features fun activities.

Throughout the expo, “pocket talks” that will emphasize best routes to build good careers and inspiring ways to live through better ways, among others will be held.

In addition, participants will also get a chance to join interactive and fun games, win exclusive brand prizes, and even catch a glimpse of OPM band Imago, who will be performing to cap off the expo.

The Aboitiz Group has major investments in power, banking, food, land, construction, and shipbuilding. The group has been consistently recognized in international surveys as among the country’s best-managed companies and has been cited for its commitment to good corporate governance as well as corporate social responsibility.

At present, the Aboitiz Group is comprised of more than 33,000 team members or employees, with an average tenure of about a decade. 

For more information about the expo, visit careers.aboitiz.com, and follow #betterways on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

#mygirls is all in for running

adidas online media release

adidas launches CRAZYCOOL  in-line with the SEA #mygirls campaign

Manila, October 7^th, 2013: adidas proudly presents phase two of the #mygirls campaign in Southeast Asia. Themed around girls’ passion for running, #mygirls continues the brand direction refreshed to focus on one key insight – girls in Southeast Asia rely on their peers and communities as a source of strength and play an instrumental role in inspiring each other to go all in, whatever their pursuits.

First launched in September this year, #mygirls is a successful campaign created by women for women serving to provide girls with the inspiration, support and motivation to go all in for their sporting passions.

Similarly, phase two of the #mygirls campaign will be launched simultaneously across the region – Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam – on  October 7, 2013, supported by Retail, PR, digital and online activations through adidas’ Facebook page. adidas teamed up with local ambassadors from across the region – Fay Hokulani (representing Malaysia and Singapore), Karylle (Philippines), Si Phitsinee Tanwiboon (Thailand), Maria Selena (Indonesia) and Nguyen Thi Kim Dung (Vietnam) – bringing them together on one social platform to connect and share their experiences, sporting passions and personal motivations to spur each other and other girls on in their individual pursuits.

adidas will be debuting the FW13 CrazyCool Women’s footwear collection through the #mygirls campaign. Being insanely flexible and incredibly breathable, CrazyCool comes with all-around 360-degree ventilation, a super-articulated and flexible tooling and high flex midsole to create a dynamic look and fit for the next generation of runners who value maximum flexibility, breathability and comfort. It also features the COOLEVER mesh, a lining with a clover-shaped yam, to manage heat and sweat reducing discomfort to increase performance. CRAZYCOOL will be available in adidas Sports Performance stores on October 1, 2013 at PHP 5495.