Dine-out with Alea at Maru

Upon hearing that Alea (a friend and much like a younger sister to me) came here for a month of vacation after 5 years of residing in the US, I immediately contacted her through Facebook and text message that we should meet up! We agreed to meet in Robinsons Place Manila after I got off from work.

It was a rainy Friday evening and as planned, we decided to have dinner while catching up in this Korean restaurant called MARU, just beside Arya.

Upon entering, the restaurant looks spacious (though it's not too big), clean and well-lit. There were tables with chairs and cushioned seats on the right side of the restaurant. On the left side is an elevated platform wherein you have to take off your shoes before taking a seat. Of course, we chose that area. On the tables were built-in burners where you could grill.

The waiters approached us to take our orders. I must say that they are very accommodating and friendly too, explaining to us every dish to help us easily pick our orders and especially because I have quite a number of questions since it was my first time to eat in a Korean resto. Considering that there's only the two of us, we opted for just two dishes. We ordered the non- marinated Beef strips (which I forgot the name) and the Japchae. For drinks I ordered a mango smoothie while Alea ordered soda.

Japchae

While waiting for our orders, they served us with cold water and soup. The soup tastes sort of bland and spicy at the same time, but surprisingly, I liked it. Then they served about 8 appetizers or starters (which is for free). There were Kimchi, tofu, veggies, green chili and others I'm not familiar with. They taste both spicy and sour though I did not try everything because some doesn't look too appealing for me! Haha When our orders came, the waiter started to  pre-heat the built-in burner and placed the beef strips to grill while Alea and I started with our almost endless chatter! Haha We only paused for a while when the waiter told us that the beef strips were ready. He cut it and separated the bones. I felt excited to eat! We first tried the Japchae. Japchae is a Korean dish made from transparent noodles, stir-fried in sesame oil with a variety of vegetables such as carrots, radish, onion, spinach and mushrooms. Mmmmm.... it tastes so good! My taste buds were dancing with glee! :) The noodles were very tasty and the stir-fried veggies adds to the flavor of the dish making it more delicious. As for the non-marinated beef strips, it tastes heavenly as well. The meat is very tender and oh-so delicioso! Sooo flavourful! Two thumbs up pati paa for this! You see, even though I don't know how to use chopsticks (and because I have no choice but to use it), I still ate a lot. :) They gave us a cup of rice too pero hindi na namin nagalaw. HahaDine

I was so glad that I had a good dining experience with my first try in a Korean restaurant thanks to Maru! With their great food plus very accommodating and friendly staff, I definitely recommend for you to try this restaurant. :)

**********
MARU Korean Restaurant 
L1 Alfresco Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place Manila

HTC Philippines launches HTC One S, HTC Desire V and HTC Desire C

Ever since my mom owned an HTC phone (HTC Panache), I would not let a day pass without borrowing the phone from her. My mom would always complain because I'm stealing away her time to play Bejeweled Blitz. *roll eyes*. Anyway, I love its big, wide screen and how fast and easy it is to download an application, and yes, even several applications at the same time. Aside from the apps, I also like its camera because it has  various photo enhancements/editors to choose from. Oh, I hope my Blackberry won't get jealous. So yes, even though I don't own an HTC phone, it still is close to my heart.

Recently, HTC, a global designer of smartphones unveiled the HTC One S and the successors to the hugely popular HTC Desire smartphone-- HTC Desire V and HTC Desire C.

HTC One S is just WOW. Aside from its elegant appearance, here are the reasons why:

Php 26, 990

* It is elegantly styled with an ultra- slim 7.9 mm metal unibody. 

* It gives a powerful and durable performance wherein the durable screen has optical lamination offering wide viewing angles to make reviewing pictures and videos easy. 

* With its incredible camera, you'll never miss a moment because in just 0.7 seconds, you're able to take a shot along with its new superfast 0.2 second autofocus.

* Good news for those who loves watching YT videos, listening to music or playing a game because Beats by Dr. Dre audio gives you a richer, more authentic sound.

* HTC has also partnered with Dropbox to provide consumers with 25 gigabytes of free online space for two years- enough to keep more than 10,000 high-quality photos- so it's easy to edit, save and share your documents on the go.

* When you plug HTC's wireless Media Link HD* accessory into your TV's HDMI port, you can easily share your photos, videos, or anything else on your phone with your friends, family or colleagues regardless of the television's brand.

HTC Desire V

Php 16,990

 Like HTC Desire C, HTC Desire V is a dual-SIM smartphone for busy users who need to keep track of their work and personal lives

on a single mobile companion. With brilliant  4-inch screen and the latest HTC Sense 4.0 integrated with Android 4.0, HTC Desire V (3G and GSM) is HTC's most affordable 4-inch smartphone, and  a fantastic choice for those who want to combine technology with style. The Desire V makes it easy for users to save all contact numbers-- from business contacts to family and friends, they can access all of them in one gadget. This dual-SIM smartphone lets users switch eaily between personal and work mobile phone numbers and accounts, allowing for greater freedom and cost management. It also enables users to easily switch between networks for better coverage, ensuring that you stay connected no matter where you are.

And that night, the odds were really on my favor, because they raffled two HTC smartphones and guess what??? I was one of the lucky two!!! OMG. When my name was called, I automatically and unconsciously clasped my hands on my mouth like I just won Bb. Pilipinas 2012! Haha Seriously, I was speechless. It's my first time to win something from an event. I am so happy! I won an HTC Desire C by the way. :) And just to prove how happy I looked like, here's a photo courtesy of my blogger friend Josephine Arce, who also tagged me along to that event (thanks to her!!).

Php 10, 990

HTC Desire C

Available in red, white, black, and coming with HTC Sense 4.0 integrated with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the HTC Desire C is great as a first smartphone or for those upgrading from an existing one. Packing a powerful battery and offering access to thousands of apps and games-- available through Google Play- you will always be connected and entertained whether at work, home or on the move.

About HTC

Founded in 1997, HTC Corp. (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC's portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSe: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com

Indies Unleased at Komikon Indieket: The 1st Komikon Grand Independent Komiks Market

Have you ever read a comic book about fighting street foods joining a talent contest to help out their broken hearted friend forget his lost love? How about the one where call agents who moonlight as superheroes try to escape a psychopath they inadvertently gave a ride to? Perhaps you’ve read about the misadventures of an exasperating and disagreeable boy who is equal parts witty and offensive as he tries to live thru life? Maybe you came across the one where a once feared barbarian king now has opened up a barbershop and spends his days cutting hair and chatting with his friends? No? Then you’re missing a lot. That is how rich and varied the books our independent comics creators produce and now Komikon is proud to provide an event that will showcase all of it in their awe inspiring independent glory, KOMIKON INDIEKET 2012, the 1st Komikon Grand Independent Komiks Market.

From zombies, superheroes, cute girls, monsters, robots, national heroes, katipuneros, talking hotdogs, talking chickens, and anything else our own crop of comic geniuses can cook up, the depth and width of Filipino talent in creating various worlds and stories will be at the center of the spotlight. Unencumbered by editorial mandate and censorship, their imagination unleashed and armed with the freedom to produce anything they can under the sun. All of these and more are available in this year’s KOMIKON INDIEKET.

Aside from having creators at the event, there will also be talks on how to create your own comic book and to improve your skills as a comic creator. Speaker Melvin “Taga-ilog” Calingo, known for his work for Culture Crash and Seven Seas Entertainment will discuss the nitty gritty on producing your own independent comic book. Best Asian Album at France’s Prix-Asie ACBD, Quai des Bulles Award winner and Eisner Award nominee Gerry Alanguilan will be giving a talk about komiks in general. UP Professor and Cadre comic book producer Emil Flores will be on hand to give a lecture on Comic Book writing.

So if you are interested to sample the best and new crop of comics our Filipino comic book creators has to offer and perhaps learn a thing or two about comic book creation, please do join us. KOMIKON INDIEKET 2012 will be held at Hall A of Bayanihan Center, Unilab Compound, Pasig City on July 14, 2012, from 10am to 7pm. Entrance Fee is Php 50. Visit http://www.facebook.com/Indieket for more details.

KOMIKON INDIEKET 2012 is organized by KOMIKON Inc., organizers of the recently successful Summer Komikon 2012. Special thanks to Cadimus Prime, Summit Media, Oh No Manga and Unilab.