Where is AIF? Reviews and Commentary from the AIF Crew

Meatplus Cafe

cha — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:43:12 -0700

Subic is usually one of the places people visit for their weekend getaways. People go there to visit various attractions like Ocean Adventure, Zoobic, Tree Top etc. For others, it's definitely a place to go for duty free shopping. Me? MeatPlus Cafe.

It started last Sunday when we attended the 15th Balloon Festival in Clark, Pampanga. Since it was about lunch time and the program would have to resume after a few hours, we decided for a road trip and take our lunch 55 kms away from our current location. But thanks to SCTEX and Prech's 180km/hr driving speed, we were able to reach our destination after 30minutes.

They were not kidding when they said that the place is always crowded. We ended up as the 9th customer in their waiting list. Good thing about it was that we didn't have to wait that long.

Inside the restaurant, they have this option of letting you choose your own angus steaks from their refrigerator. Prices depend on the size and cut of meat plus additional cost of 90 for the cooking charge. For those on budget, they also offer set meals that come with sidings and rice starting at 200Php.

After a hard time deciding on what to have for lunch, I finally ordered a medium well done New York Steak . I was surprised that Prech ordered Baby Back Ribs , knowing that he has stopped eating pork and beef for more than a year now.

The meat was really fresh and tender, and I actually ate it, without the sauce. It deserved to be enjoyed on its own :)

I miss it already. Can't wait to go back to Subic!

The Ugly Truth Review

alvin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:05:37 -0700

The Ugly Truth is a romantic comedy or a "RomCom" and even though this is outside of my comfort zone, I am choosing to review this film because I legitimately liked it, weirdly enough.

Like any true romantic comedy, 2 seemingly incompatible people cross paths. Following true romcom conventions, Abby and Mike don't get along for most of the movie but would eventually learn that they actually love each other and their differences actually play to each other strengths. Sweet I know.

So it begins...

But what sets the Ugly Truth from most romantic movies out there? To be perfectly honest, not much. The film follows a predictable plot wherein guy meets girl, girl hates guy but guy offers to help girl get a boyfriend, girl succeeds but guy realizes he actually loves girl, guy and girl get into a situation where they see how compatible they are, things gets awkward but guy chooses to tell girl how he really feels, the new boyfriend answers the door and ruins the guy's spirit, girl gets mad for the guy chickening out, eventually they makeup and come finally come together on a balloon. There, that's the whole movie in one paragraph and yeah, you probably heard it all before.

I can't work with you, but I love you.

What really sets this movie apart from other romantic comedies is the writing. The film can be brutally honest and reminded my alot of "He's Just Not That Into You" especially on Mike's approach towards women. Call it mirroring of opinions but he did raise alot of good points about women and relationships, to the point that I was actually nodding at some parts. Abby is pretty relatable as well despite Katherine Heigl unfair standards in the looks department. I am no lady, but I could see why she would act the way that she did and how one would respond to something as contradictory as Mike in the first place. The film also does not shy away with the language. I am positive I heard atleast the word fuck, blowjob, penis and a number of double entendre during the span of the film. Let's just say, the movie doesn't shy away from sex in general which is good in my opinion.

Every man's dream. He is my hero.

Performance wise, I think Katherine Heigl did a good job with her character; but then again, her character isn't really that hard to portray. Gerard Butler however, I wasn't sold though in the beginning. Come on, the guy was King Leonides for god sakes! It is kind of hard to picture him in a romantic comedy after seeing him stab guys in the face. But yeah, he sold me on the role after dropping a few truth bombs and acting how we all want to act, awesome. The rest of the cast are fairly forgettable and was clearly there to define the main characters and create/enhance conflict which is not really a bad thing.

What are you doing?

To sum it all up, this is alot like most romantic comedies you have seen before. In fact, you probably have seen this movie already in some shape or form. But despite the mediocre plot, they have enough clever writing and interesting events in the movie to warrant a smile, a chuckle or a violent slap on the arm. They aren't really re-inventing the wheel with the Ugly Truth, but they are sure making it a tad sexier.

The Road Less Traveled

alexandra — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:41:39 -0700

I was packing up my stuff at work, ready to call it a night, when a kindly co-worker thoughtfully suggested that I walk the opposite route I usually take. "I've seen you the other night, crossing the street on that side," he said. "There are lots of cars passing by there, why don't you try the other side? It's safer."

I paused, wondering briefly how to reply in a way that would make sense to a male. "Depends on what you mean by safer," I said. "I don't like walking that route. That side is a hangout for pervy bums and construction workers who have nothing better to do than catcall and holler and ogle."

My boss, a British guy and the art director, who's Spanish, both sat up and turned to look at me questioningly. Of course, I doubt if the scenario I painted is a cultural exception, but all who were looking at me askance were men. And unless it's happened to them before, it's usually an alien concept to men in general. So I continued. "After a long day, the last thing I want to deal with is a lasciviously-delivered 'Hi Miss Beeyootipul'."

Spanish art director then said, "Well, what if they were really just admiring, and they want you to know they think you're pretty?"

"Admiration, when it's sincere, is flattering, but when they look at you like you're something to eat, it's just plain offensive and scary. Pervy remarks from scraggly strangers are the worst."

All three men pondered this for a while, each voicing out his concern that they didn't know this was the case. Does every girl in the company go through that, they asked. Well, as far as I know, any girl who looks anywhere between 15-30 years old walking around in the city get that every single day. It's hardly flattering. Men don't know about it because constructicons and the like don't dare it when you're with another guy. Even if the guy you're with is obviously gay A guy friend has been so used to my using him as shield that when I automatically move closer to him, he already knows there's probably a wolf pack up ahead. I call it the Guy Shield.

The Guy Shield is the most effective ward, but there are other ways to cope if it's not around, like:

1) Plugging in your earphones. It doesn't really matter if you're actually listening to music, just so long as you're wearing them. I haven't had my only mp3 player fixed for the longest time, but I wear the earphones anyway. It discourages the scraggly strangers from dropping yet another cheesy line. Even if it doesn't, you either don't hear them or if you did, you can pretend you didn't and deny them the satisfaction.

2) Having an umbrella at hand. Literally. The weather is always freaky in Manila, so bringing it along whether it be rain or shine won't be weird. If you spot someone who looks like a pervert coming near, just swing it around like you can accidentally poke them in the eye without looking like that really is your intention.

3) Walking with lolas or women who are definitely more mature, and look like they won't put up with nonsense. The stern-looking mother is my favorite. She's a pretty fast walker as she always seems busy, so you can easily keep up with the pace. Pervs don't want to mess with her, and they don't want Auntie to think they're hitting on her, either. She's a perfect cover.

4) Walking behind an eye-catcher. Back in college, I once walked behind this pretty, fair-skinned girl who was was wearing a tank top and a skirt. Everyone looked at her all the way to the jeep we both boarded. And I don't know who had the last laugh when I heard her pay "her" fare in a rich baritone.

5) Say it with Dorothy Parker: "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses." Incredibly, this rings true in the case of street bums. It's almost as effective as The Guy Shield. Personally, I think the right pair of glasses is hot, and they give balance to an otherwise too sexy outfit. But it's either deemed inappropriate to drop cheesy lines on someone who looks intellectual, or it's just plain intimidating. If you want to up the notch, pair it with a tight bun. There are only a few things more daunting than the Miss Minchin look.

Most of these techniques involve downplaying your usual style. And while I don't usually approve, this is probably the only instance I'd recommend it.

Why do these men do it anyway? And do they even expect an actual reply? I've often wondered, because it's not like I know any girl who has actually acknowledged their boorish attempts. Yet everyday, walking that other route is just one of the many precautions I take just so I don't have to go through it. What a nuisance!

Batman Arkham Asylum Review

alvin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:30:10 -0700

So count me in as one of the people who was totally excited for this game just because it was about Batman. The game's developer Rocksteady hasn't really proven itself as a AAA developer to merit this amount of attention yet I was totally stoked to play this game as soon as it came out here in the Philippines.

So what is Batman: Arkham Asylum? The game is basically a cross between Tombraider, Final Fight and Metroid. It has its shares of compelling combat, stealth, collection elements as well as story to make it one of the best games I have ever played for the PS3 so far.

Welcome to Arkham Asylum Joker

Anyway, let's bring it back real quick. The story is about Batman bringing in Joker to Arkham Asylum, but in reality, this was an elaborate scheme to trap Batman in an island together with all of the baddies he has put there. The game sticks closely to the animated series and not to the Chris Nolan Batman we enjoyed in the movies. But don't sigh yet, this is not a bad thing since the game maintains the gritty feel of the universe while remaining comical and interesting at the same time. Most if not all voice actors returns to reprise their roles from the animated series, my personal favorites being the Joker and Harley Quinn of course

My Personal Favorite

Pacing was very very well done! Rocksteady has done a good job of chopping up the island into 5 major set pieces namely Intensive Treatment, the Mansion, Penitentiary, the Medical Facility and the Caves while not limiting the player to go anywhere they want, anytime they want to. Batman gains experience as he busts up baddies or explore new areas which could then be used to unlock new attacks or gadgets for the Caped Crusader.

Arkham Island is a very big place

Combat is also very polished and they mix it up by varying the types of encounters you face. Sure you may beat up a bunch of thugs hanging out at this area, but the next would probably require Batman to be more stealthful as the enemies have guns or something. The direct combat part of the Arkham Asylum is very satisfying, implementing a very button mash friendly combo system for those who don't want to learn the dynamics, while rewarding those who know how to time strikes and counters properly with one hit knockdowns and instant takedowns. The silent predator reminded me of the combat from early Metal Gear Solid games. This mode requires you to hide in the shadows as you grapple through gargoyles and hide in the darkness patiently waiting to pick off enemies one by one. Batman does a good job of empowering the player as I always felt that I was hunting down the enemies instead of hiding from them.

I can seeeeeee youuuuuuu

The occasional boss fight is present of course, the results not always successful in my opinion. Some of them do a good job of breaking the cycle of beating up baddies or looking for items through clever uses of platforming, while some fail miserably by just skinning some of the bigger enemies and throwing in some more thugs make it harder. The villains themselves though are really an all star lineup through and through. It was a very pleasant surprise to see old characters from the series return for another battle with the Dark Knight.

Great, more badguys to beat up

To establish Batman as not only as a badass, but as a detective. He has Detective Mode at his disposal. In this mode, Batman is able to see through walls to find enemies, identify those with guns and be aware of their mood in battle. As a story progression element, Batman uses the Detective Mode to sniff out finger prints, DNA or even alcohol in the atmosphere to track down his foes. The biggest use of the detective mode in my opinion is through the huge collection element in the game as The Riddler challenges Batman to find trophies he has hidden inside Arkham as well as solve riddles he has placed in rooms in the Asylum. Clearly inspired by Metroid, some items and riddles can only be accessed as Batman progresses through the story, acquiring the gadgets he has stashed away at an earlier time. Since the landscape was very well done, it wasn't a problem for me to backtrack to old areas and explore the island looking for these secrets throughout the game.

Clearly, Batman: Arkham Asylum is not kidding around. The game is paced very well and the developer was able to cram in enough game elements to keep the player occupied until the end. The overall story is passable but the cast of voice actors did a tremendous job bringing life to the characters we all know and love The game sets to make you feel like Batman, think like Batman and act like Batman, and I am happy to say that it was able to do exactly that. If your interested in one of the most exceptional titles available right now for the PS3, XBOX or PC, check this title out. If you are a Batman fan, why are you reading this? YOU SHOULD BE PLAYING RIGHT NOW!

Ila Puti

alexandra — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:37:49 -0700

Rewind: I'd always visit Cebu when I was young because my dad is Cebuano and we'd see the relatives during the seasons of Christmas and/or summer. Lately I haven't been going there much , but when my friends and I decided to take our annual beach trip in Bohol, we decided that Cebu was so near we might as well coast along it. I thought I knew a lot about Cebu but when I took this trip with my friends, I realized I never really went around it well enough, as I didn't even know food tripping there would be so much fun!

Ila Puti was our first stop when our plane landed in Cebu from Manila. I didn't expect to be served such fantastic food with those prices--then again, this is Cebu. The servings were generous, the meat tender and excellently cooked and the drinks! For P50, you'd get deliciously blended iced tea served in a large glass. Dining in Manila, I'd always worry about finishing my drink before my meal if I didn't order a refillable one. No such worries here.

The menu was pretty unique--the dishes were a fusion of Asian tastes. Some of their best sellers: Stroganov , Barato Beef Bowls and Katsuto, tenderloin tips in Teriyaki sauce with Japanese stir fried egg rice .

Ila Puti also serves pasta and dessert, but I didn't get to try all of them as I was too full with my rice meal! All I could say after it was--"Super sulit!"

10 Traveling tips that can save your life (or at least time and money or even humiliation) when traveling abroad.

louison — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:43:12 -0700

10 If you can’t pack them wear them.

Imagine going overboard on your clothes shopping and exceeding the maximum allowed weight. Here’s one trick that has been tried and tested on how to sneak in the excess – WEAR IT!

This trick saved me last year when I exceeded 10 lbs and I refused to pay the 100$ excess baggage fee. I just told the check in counter that I’ll be back to clear out some stuff but instead I just put on everything that I can possibly fit into. The trick is put the lighter materials first: Sweaters over shirts, jeans over slacks over pajamas over boxers. I ended up wearing 4 boxers, slacks, jeans, 2 shirts, a polo shirt, a long sleeve polo, a sweater and a coat. It will not end there though; I was also able to fit some stuff into my pockets . When I came back I can tell that the check in lady knew what I did and I just couldn’t hide the smirk off my face. She must be really pissed how I get to rob them 100$ this time around.

After checking in, just have a paper/plastic bag ready and you may remove your “outfit”, unless you want to fly thick for hours.

9 Utilize your personal item carry-on

We all know that we are only allowed ONE carry on bag inside the plane. But we often neglect the Personal Item freebie that the airport allows us to have apart from the carry-on luggage. Instead of carrying a small body bag as your personal item, carry a bigger laptop bag and put everything in there. You may be able to utilize the extra pockets and space that the bigger bag provides. You may even put extra clothes and food inside for the longer trips.

8 Prepare a medicine kit

Under medication? Don’t forget to pack your medicine as well. You have no idea how expensive medicine is abroad or worse, it may not even be available. But unless you want to risk drinking cough syrup with only Chinese characters written on its label, you’ll be fine. Pack in some vitamins as well, you would want to build up your immune system to avoid being sick and ruin your much awaited vacation.

7 Know the colloquial

Who told you that English is universal? Swagger actually means so much different in two different continents. It is also nice to know some basic phrases of a foreign language

6 Google is your best friend

With our technology so advanced it is a mortal sin to get lost nowadays. Google map your way and research the ways to go to your destination. The worst thing that could happen is ending up in the middle of nowhere with having no one around you speak your language .

5 Avoid packing white garments

This is very applicable to longer trips where you have to do your laundry along the way. And these include TIGHT WHITIES! Imagine how embarrassing trying to dry those things on a clothes line. Plus it’s much harder to do separate washing every time as compared to just doing it all at once.

4 Charge all your gadgets

Before leaving the house make sure that your camera, iPod, laptop, cellphone, are fully charged. Moreover make sure that you also bring the chargers with you and check if you have the applicable socket converter for them. Remember that some countries have some weird ass sockets that require special converters so research on it before hand.

3 Super Glue is a Traveler’s Best Friend

May it be a shoe sole, a broken stuff or you just want to hang upside down with your feet glued to a wooden plank suspended mid air, this little piece of wonder can definitely be a life saver.

2 Water makes up 80% of your body

As much as possible, you should try to carry water with you wherever you go. Price of this basic necessity can be insanely high . I once paid 3$ for a bottled water that I know back in Manila would only cost me 10 pesos!

1 Photocopy your passport, visas and ID’s then email to self and to a relative/friend

This may be very useful when you lose your belongings and need to access vital information. You may be able to access them online, print it and use it a back up in case you need to replace it afterwards. You wouldn’t want to be stuck in Guatemala because you cannot remember your passport number nor your date of birth.

MyTwoCents on Public Enemies (2009)

cat — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:40:27 -0700

WARNING: Contains spoilers.

The first time I saw the trailer of "Public Enemies" I knew I wanted to see it as soon as it came out. The expectations were high since it stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

The plot revolves around the life of bank robber, John Dillinger . He moves from state to state, emptying banks in a matter of minutes . Along his way he meets Billie Frechette with whom he falls in love with . The Feds try to take him down like every other criminal they've arrested. They've hired special agent Melvin Purvis to join the team they call The Dillinger Squad, a team being mandated by FBI Director J Edgar Hoover . And so the race begins, they eventually track down and kill Dillinger's entire team but never get a hold of the Main Man, even with Purvis' "new" techniques . Eventually, Dillinger is betrayed by this Romanian girl who did not want to get deported back to Romania. He dies on the street for all the world to see.

BOO points:
1) The editing of the movie was quite bad. Scenes were chopped recklessly and the transition from one scene to another was not smooth at all.
2) Cinematography was not good either. The shots were panning too close to the actors. I felt that I was in the Blair Witch Project or something.
3) The gun fight scene in the end just took WAY too long. It actually got boring at one point.
4) Bale's performance in the film was mediocre. I guess you can't expect much from a guy who plays a dumb FBI agent.

YEY points:
1) If Depp didn't star in it, I don't think I would like the movie at all. Johnny's like chocolate: so smooth, can fit into any mold he's playing, and yummy. Haha.
2) I couldn't wait to see Marion Cotillard again after watching "La Vie En Rose". I liked that fact that she tried so hard in this film, she even worked on eliminating her French accent. Kudos to her for that.
3) Another scene I enjoyed was when Dillinger went inside the Police Department as if he wasn't a fugitive. He even talked to the Dillinger Squad. HAHA. Dumb squad didn't notice it was him.
4) As for the ending, I liked it. It was quick and sad. Not as dramatic as I had hoped, but OK.

That's it.. My Two Cents. Now it's your turn to tell me about the movie. =)

**photos from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2996996864/tt1152836

Enchanted Kingdom is for Children

alvin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:36:59 -0700

I celebrated the 4th anniversary of my 21st bday last June so me and lekimumu decided to celebrate "in style" and bring the whole crew to Enchanted Kingdom.

Seems like a good idea right? Enchanted Kingdom was awesome when I was a kid, and still kind of awesome when we went back during our college days. So I had no doubts in my mind that this trip was gonna be of epic proportions... Well, It was fun. But the fun ran out when we realized that we were too old for this.

This is why you don't start with a show stopper

Ok, let me set this up right. We arrived greeted by the Space Shuttle, the best ride on the park, was closed for repairs. Not really a deal breaker, but I for one was looking forward to a ride or 2 atleast. Eveything else was working fine and seems to be in relatively good shape. Flying Fiesta was our first ride and the first reminder that something was different. The beginning of the ride was fine but I immediately got a bad case of the dizzies the moment we landed. That certainly didn't happen before.

The worst ride ever

The same thing happened for most of the rides involving vehicles going around in circles. The worst being the Up, Up, and Away ride where I felt so bad that I wanted to puke. We decided to pace ourselves after that, promising ourselves ice cream treats everytime we survive a ride. BUT! I was not a fan of the ice cream attendant lady which was having problems doing math making me finish my treat even before I got my change back; something that a stranger waiting in line kindly reminded me and the cashier repeatedly. thanks.

I was probably dealing with the ice cream lady here :; Ferris Wheel was still awesome, I think I am over my fear of heights; Bump Cars was still a blast, we were trying to organize a bump free run but it didn't work out; and Rialto was still great, but would have been better if they played something other than that horrible lego movie though. Seriously, what's the point of the ride if you're not gonna go first person all the way?

We also played some old arcade games and this crazy dance dance revo machine that needed hand motions as well. But I guess we had the most fun playing this 8 player game cycling game up in the old school arcade though. All we had to do was sit and shoot balls into strategically placed holes and your dude moves forward. Sounds like a winner to me! Somebody won a stuffed animal which we technically paid for anyway, but it's all good.

Me, lekimumu and aijay also went go karting. That was probably my favorite thing from the trip, but you can probably find go karts in Manila so that's not that special when you think about it.

Save your turtle shells and banana peels, this is real racing

To sum it up, Enchanted Kingdom is definitely for kids. The price of admission is still worth it if you're up to getting your money's worth. Also, most of the mainstays are as fun as I remembered and EK did a good job keeping the park in shape. However, this didn't stop us from getting too tired to do anything else, so we just headed straight to a restaurant for dinner and skipped the fireworks. If you think you have the energy AND can withstand the potential heatstroke, you will have lots of fun.

Take note though that vibe was kind of different. The parking lot was only 1/3rds full and the amount of people is significantly lower. This meant that we didn't have to stand in line for a long time to ride something but it also meant that the park didn't feel as "alive" as I remembered. Some rides were a little to troublesome for my taste. I guess when you get to a certain age, you seem to tolerate some rides instead of enjoying them.

When you're not a kid running around desperately trying to ride as much as you can you tend to focus more on the details of things around you. And even though they maintainted it the best they can, it's obvious that the park is not as bright as it used to be.

Paalam Enchanted Kingdom

Maybe it's the faded paint. Maybe it's the fact that it's not as crowded and people aren't as excited as they used to be. But maybe, just maybe, we're getting too old for this. We still look good though.

KAZE No Reason EP Launch!

faye — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:34:03 -0700

Pardon my shameless plugging, but I think it's just appropriate that I put this here.

It's about fuckin' time, I say.

See you there!

Nom Nom Nom: Pepper Lunch

jay — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:24:03 -0700

Hello guys! I'm giving you a short but sweet review because I don't like words and they don't like me neither. Here are the points that you ever need to know:

First Impression: Make this your last stop for the day because you'll smell like smoke from all the sizzling.

How's the Service? Self-Service.

Food to Money Ratio: Kinda expensive.

Serving Size: Rice is enough! For an additional fee, you can upsize/double your meat.

Will I eat here again? Yeah, sure. I just don't like the "aftersmell" you'll get. Luckily, on the franchise's 2nd branch in Shangri-La mall, they made improvements on the exhaust system.

More information about the location: Lowest floor of Rockwell Power Plant near Rustan's; and lowest floor of Shangri-La mall near the computer/electronics area.

Menu: Here. From munchpunch.com

Images are taken by me. Please don't steal. Thumbnails from left to right: Chicken Pepper Rice, Curry Beef Pepper Rice, Beef Pepper Rice, and Sign from Rockwell Branch.