food – Page 15 – Author Carlo Carrasco

My nice stop at Tmol Shilshom

March 1, 2023March 24, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official website of the subject business is also used. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

During the one and only free day I had in my recent tour of Israel, I decided to make use of the extra time to visit the Temple Mount, the Western Wall (note: my return for prayer), the Jewish Quarter, King David’s Tomb and Oskar Schindler’s grave on foot. It was also my plan to have lunch at the popular Mahane Yehuda market.

Coming from the old city of Jerusalem, I marched along Jaffa Street heading towards Mahane Yehuda. However, the accumulated stress of very long walks in the morning caught up with me and I needed a break. It was then I decided to pursue finding a certain Jerusalem joint known for good food, drinks and books which was featured on the YouTube channel of Israel (called Jerusalem’s culture café). That place is Tmol Shilshom and as soon as I saw a sign of it along the very busy Jaffa Street, I made the decision to search for it knowing it was a challenge to do so.

What exactly is Tmol Shilshom? It is described as “the one holy place of Jerusalem that stands above the fray,” quoting Amoz Oz.

According to the official material of theirs, Tmol Shilshom is a Jersualem institution. A café-restaurant and bookstore that was established in 1994 in a century-old building in the Nahalat Shiv’a quarter of the city center. The joint’s name means “yesteryear”, is the title of a classic Hebrew novel by Nobel laureate S.Y. Agnon. Tmol Shilshom was founded as a unique way to combine culture, good food, and a cozy atmosphere, as imagined by the late David Ehrlich who was the business partner of the joint’s owner Dan Goldberg.

For several minutes, I struggled to find Tmol Shilshom going through a few narrow walkways coming from Jaffa Street. I did not have mobile Internet access with me and there was no way Google Maps could help me. I simply paid attention to details of the walkways and the signs that I saw. There was a point when I thought I got lost but I found another sign leading to the place. After some further walk, turns and climbing up some steps, I finally made it to Tmol Shilshom!

My experience inside Tmol Shilshom

As soon as I entered the café-restaurant, I felt this great relief not only from the cold weather outside but also because I found the place’s beautiful interiors very welcoming and cozy instantly. The place’s heater was so good, I took off my trench coat and sat at the nearest table enjoying the instant warmth and comfort.

As it was my plan to have lunch at Mahane Yehuda, I first wanted to try Tmol Shilshom’s coffee. On the table, however, I noticed there was this visual reference about their special drinks offered complete with descriptions and prices (in Shekels) displayed. After some thinking and wanting to try something really unique, I decided to order their Halva Drink which is a vegan beverage composed of date honey, tahini, hot soy milk and shredded Halva. I stated my order to the waiter who passed it on to the counter. The waiter was also helpful in granting me access to their Wi-Fi.

After several minutes of browsing and checking updates online, a pretty blonde served to me my Halva Drink and she said, “Enjoy.”

*The Halva Drink is one of the special drinks from Tmol Shilshom and I enjoyed this a lot! You should go for this when you visit!*

Just looking at the Halva Drink, I was very impressed with the way it looked and how Tmol Shilshom made it. As a native of the Philippines who had been to local cafés and other cafés in the United States, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong, the drink truly looked one-of-a-kind to me!

After marveling at it, I finally decided to start drinking my Halva Drink. The first sensation of my tongue registered a mild sweetness that was also delightful. Naturally, I wanted more of the enjoyable taste so I continued consuming it. The combination of Halva combined with the other mentioned ingredients made it a pretty engaging and very unique drink experience for me. Whoever prepared the Halva Drink there at Tmol Shilshom deserves admiration and thanks! The same should also go to whoever designed the drink there.

As I enjoyed my drink, I took a break from my smartphone and observed the really nice interiors around me. There was this unique feeling of being at home (note: explanation in the Conclusion section) while also feeling comfortable as a consumer. I have been to many cafés and restaurants in my life but Tmol Shilshom is not only very unique but also a standout.

*Lots of books on display. Tmol Shilshom is also a bookstore and if you love literature, you should ask for their recommendations.*

It comes to no surprise that the Halva Drink, combined with the warmth, the coziness and fine atmosphere of the interior, relaxed me a lot. The stress and the slight soreness of my feet faded away, and I was ready to move on to Mahane Yehuda for lunch and further exploration. Before leaving, I ordered bottled water (to keep myself hydrated), paid the bill and tipped them.

Conclusion

*That’s a cozy looking spot and the decorations around are really nice.*

While my stay at Tmol Shilshom lasted less than an hour, my experience there still proved to be memorable with the mentioned factors above. I really enjoyed the place (note: the building was originally residential and it got converted for commercial use) and the minimal interior space was not a problem to me at all. Their workers were very professional, friendly and accommodating. It should be noted that apart being a fine place for dining, reading and working, Tmol Shilshom also established itself as a place for special events and gatherings.

If ever I will get to revisit Jerusalem, I would not hesitate to return to Tmol Shilshom and try out their meals and other offerings. It is truly a very special place of Jerusalem and I encourage you to visit them for your food and beverage interests. I personally thank our Lord for guiding me to find the place.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

To each of you reading this, I highly recommend visiting Tmol Shilshom when you are in Jerusalem. For your reference, visit their website at https://www.tmol-shilshom.co.il/en/home/ and follow them on Instagram.

Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel pieces here.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

You should visit Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center

February 24, 2023March 24, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official website of the subject business is also used. Take note that this is not a sponsored article at all. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Let me start by confirming to you all that I just had the greatest foreign trip ever in my life…a pilgrimage tour in Israel with my local church (led by two of its designated pastors for the tour) hosted by its Israeli partner.

During a particular day of the tour, our group was in close proximity to the Sea of Galilee (also referred to as Lake Tiberias) when some of us – including myself – participated in water baptism at the Yardenit Baptismal Site. After that, our group went to a nearby store for organic goods and spices to shop. The problem was the store we visited was closed for some reason.

As an alternative, we went to the area of Kinneret (located in close proximity to the Sea of Galilee) and visited the Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center (also referred to as Tamar B’kfar Visitors Center). It turns out, the change was splendid.

*The front of the Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center.*

Upon entering the store, Tamar Bakfar’s people welcomed us very warmly and one of them oriented us about what they were selling, how wide their lineup of organic goods was, which products are healthy, why nature is emphasized a lot through their products, and the like. The store has a very nice interior design and the products were cleverly organized to be customer-friendly and even be attractive.

The lady representing the store gave our group an in-depth orientation about their business, what they have, what is good, why nature is emphasized a lot on many products and more. It was an enlightening experience to learn from her.

*Look at these energy bars made with natural ingredients.*

As I personally observed, Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center sells a lot of different types of products that can meet the needs or wants of customers. They have dates and date products (note: date spread, date honey, date conditioner, date syrup and so on), nuts, dried fruits, spices, honey (note: avocado honey, eucalyptus honey, and Galilee-sourced honey to name a few), olive oil, chocolates (note: chocolates come in many different forms), wine and other types of sweets.

*I bought from the store this snack of chocolate-covered coffee beans*. So enjoyable!

Anyone looking for self-care products should check out their cosmetics section where they have products that used natural ingredients such as age-away hydrating cream, avocado and rosemary soap, the black bamboo soap, cypress nurturing hand cream, honey hand-and-foot cream, and the lavender body wash to name some. If you are insistent on having self-care products that come with natural ingredients, then you will find something here.

If you are into kitchenware, Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center has a good production selection for you: lunch cubes, multipurpose kitchen scissors, thermos bottles, stainless steel pots, bamboo cups, espresso cups, barbeque grill pans and more.

In my experience, walking around the store and observing the products offered was a joyful thing. Just about every product I saw had that premium aesthetic which you will realize by visiting the place and seeing the products personally.

Conclusion

*Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center’s store is a must-visit! Ask your tourist guide to bring you there.* *The store’s personnel are very welcoming and professional.*

I can say that our visit at the Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center is a nice blessing from our Lord. Their store is huge and attractive. Their personnel are customer-friendly, helpful and professional. Also what they have in-store are very varied and plentiful. So many choices you can make based on what you need or want. More notably, their store offers the finest of the Galilee region’s harvest in the form of dried fruits, spices, ingredients and more. Galilee is blessed and this should not be surprising at all as our Lord and Savior Jesus spent a good amount of time in the region thousands of years ago. Refer to the holy scriptures below…

On the third day Jesus left there and continued his journey to Galilee, where he had been raised. Now Jesus knew that prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometown. Even so, as Jesus arrived in the province of Galilee, the people welcomed him with open arms. Many of them had been in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival and had witnessed firsthand the miracles he had performed.

Jesus entered the village of Cana of Galilee where he had transformed water into wine. He met there a governmental official from Capernaum whose son was very sick and dying. When he heard that Jesus had left Judea and was staying in Cana of Galilee, he decided to make the journey to Cana. When he found Jesus, he begged him, “You must come with me to Capernaum and heal my son!”

So Jesus said to him, “You never believe unless you see signs and wonders.”

But the man continued to plead, “Come with me to Capernaum before my little boy dies!”

Jesus looked him in the eyes and said, “Go back home now. I promise you, your son will live.”

The man believed in his heart the words of Jesus and set off for home. When he was still a distance from Capernaum, his servants met him on the road and told him the good news, “Your son is healed! He’s alive!”

Overjoyed, the father asked his servants, “When did my son begin to recover?”

“Yesterday,” they said, “at one in the afternoon. All at once his fever broke—and now he’s well!”

Then the father immediately realized that it was at that very same hour that Jesus spoke the words to him, “Your son will live.”

From that day forward, the man, his servants, and all his family believed. Healing the official’s son was Jesus’ second extraordinary miracle in Galilee after returning from Judea.

John 4:43-54 (TPT)

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Luke 4:14-15 (NKJV)

If ever you are visiting Israel and will be spending time in the Galilee region, then I highly recommend visiting the Tamar Bakfar Vistors Center in Kinneret. Visit the company’s official website at https://tamarbakfar.co.il/ and follow them on Instagram.

Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel pieces here.

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Cambodia a potential new source of rice for the Philippines

February 8, 2023February 3, 2023carlocarrasco

While living here in the Philippines doing your daily chores and fulfilling other objectives, do you still remember how much money did you spend buying rice grain for your household over the last six months? Do you find the current prices of rice expensive nowadays? As far as rice is concerned, the nation of Cambodia could become the next new source of rice grain for the Philippines, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Cambodia is exploring opportunities to directly export rice to the Philippines, offering an alternative and cheaper source of rice for the country.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual met with a Cambodian delegation on Thursday, led by chief executive officer of the state-owned Green Trade Company Chan Sokty and the president of the Cambodia Rice Federation Okhna Chan Sokheang.

Green Trade is the counterpart of DTI’s Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC).

The Cambodian delegates are also exploring exporting rice through a government-to-government arrangement between Green Trade and PITC.

“They are still in the fact-finding stage. They are surveying our markets,” Pascual told reporters.

Pascual said Cambodia has a rice surplus of 50 percent of its total rice production, and the Southeast Asian country intends to sell it directly to neighboring countries and also in Europe.

Cambodian rice can enter the Philippine market at 35 percent tariff rate.

Pascual added the Cambodian delegates said they can commit to supply 3 million metric tons of rice to the Philippines, which is the level of imported rice by the country in 2022.

Earlier, Go Negosyo founder and ASEAN Business Advisory Council chair Joey Concepcion said Cambodia expressed intention to directly export unmilled rice to the Philippines on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in November 2022.

Concepcion then said Cambodia exports unprocessed rice to Vietnam, wherein the country processes the rice before exporting to other countries like the Philippines.

More than 80 percent of the country’s rice imports are sourced from Vietnam, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think rice imported from Cambodia will surely bring down the local rice prices?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Philippines achieves 7.6% economic growth in 2022

January 30, 2023January 26, 2023carlocarrasco

The Philippines’ recovery from the downturn of the COVID-19 crisis continued strongly as it has been confirmed that the national economy expanded by 7.6% for the entire year of 2022 which includes a 7.2% 4^th quarter economic growth, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Take note that the Philippines is expected to grow between 6.5% and 7% in 2023 according to the national authorities while there are signs that the United States economy will fall into a recession this year. Regardless, the Philippines ended 2022 competitively in terms of economic expansion among its Asian neighbors.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippine economy expanded by 7.2 percent in the last quarter of 2022, bringing full-year growth to 7.6 percent, driven by increased economic activity mainly from pent-up demand as it fully reopened amid elevated inflation rate.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said among the major emerging economies in the region that have released their fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth, the Philippines grew the fastest, followed by Vietnam at 5.9 percent and China at 2.9 percent.  

“Our improved Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) risk management and the easing of mobility restrictions have created a positive economic outlook, boosting economic activity and creating more jobs despite external headwinds,” he said in a briefing on Thursday.

Balisacan said measures being implemented by the government to further buoy the economy’s recovery are working.

“Our strong economic growth performance for 2022 proves that our calibrated policies and strategies have helped put us on the path to recovery and on track to achieving our aspiration for an inclusive, prosperous, and resilient society by 2028,” he said.

Balisacan said pent-up demand drove growth in the fourth quarter as the economy was fully reopened during the period, with household consumption accounting for around three-fourths of domestic output, and investments contributing around a fifth.

“The improvements in labor market conditions, increased tourism, revenge and holiday spending, and resumption of face-to-face classes supported growth in the quarter, further reflecting a solid rebound in consumer and investor confidence in the economy,” he said.

Balisacan said had it not been for the elevated inflation rate, which rose to its highest since November 2008 last December when it accelerated to 8.1 percent, “growth could have been higher by another perhaps 1 to 2 percentage points.”

“It shows how overall demand is sensitive to inflation,” he added.

In terms of the volume of economic activities, Balisacan said domestic growth has recovered for many sectors, except for others such as tourism.

“(But) in so far as per capital income… we haven’t fully recovered yet,” he said.

Balisacan said the government is firm on ensuring that quality jobs will be available to Filipinos to lessen their need to work abroad.

“Inclusive growth across the archipelago will be our vehicle for reducing poverty incidence from 18 percent of the population in 2021 to a single-digit level by 2028,” he said.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said 2022 full year GDP growth of 7.6 percent exceeded the government’s 6.5 to 7.5 percent growth assumption for the year and the highest after the 8.8 percent in 1976.

Mapa said the fourth-quarter growth, slower than the 7.6 percent in the previous quarter, was driven by the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, financial and insurance activities and retail estate and ownership of dwellings boosted domestic growth.

He said domestic demand remained strong, with the household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) rising by 2.1 percent quarter-on-quarter, led by the restaurants and hotels, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and miscellaneous goods and services. Year-on-year expansion of HFCE stood at 7 percent.

Among the major economic industries, Mapa said agriculture, forestry, and fishing contracted by 1.7 percent because of the lower output of sugarcane, palay (rice), and poultry and egg production.

Meanwhile, Balisacan said the government is doing pro-active assessment of the current situation to address the elevated inflation rate in the country, which is expected to go back to within the government’s 2 to 4 percent target band by the second half of this year.

He said the government continues to allow the importation of several food items to boost domestic supply, adding that not doing so will hurt both the consumers and domestic growth.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this new development? Do you believe that the economy of the Philippine economy will grow between 6.5% to 7% this year? Do you think that more foreign tourists coming into the country will be able to help the nation achieve its economic growth targets this year? Apart from what was already mentioned, what do you think the national government should do to combat inflation? Do you think that the lower income tax for middle income earners will make a positive contribution to economic growth?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Customs officials seize P140 million-worth of undeclared agricultural products in Muntinlupa City

January 4, 2023January 1, 2023carlocarrasco

In the progressive city of Muntinlupa, elements of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized several undeclared agricultural products estimated to be worth almost P140 million, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The seizure happened before 2022 ended and there is a disturbing trend happening lately.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Saturday reported the seizure of undeclared agricultural products amounting close to PHP140 million from a Muntinlupa City-based company.

According to Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, the containers were declared to contain udon noodles and frozen dimsum balls, but upon examination, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) found that it contained undeclared fresh red and white onions, frozen ox tripe, frozen barbecue, and frozen crawfish.

The PHP139,769,500 worth of undeclared agricultural products underwent examinations from Dec. 27 to 29, 2022.

The shipments arrived from China between Nov. 27, 2022 and Dec. 3, 2022 at the MICP and were consigned to Taculog J International Consumer Goods Trading located at B4 L7 Mariategui HMOA, Alabang.

Ruiz said he was surprised that the same company almost managed to bring in hundreds of millions worth of smuggled agricultural products into the country in less than two months.

“Although I am proud of our men and what they were able to accomplish these past weeks, I am appalled at the gall of these groups. We have reports coming in that a kilo of red onions sells for PHP720 in the markets. Bringing a hot commodity like onions into our borders without going through the proper procedures is an affront to our farmers, the people who make sure we have enough supply of it,” he said in a statement.

The operation came after the bureau reported the apprehension of PHP171.35 million worth of smuggled agricultural products, including fresh red and white onions, from containers that arrived between Nov. 12 and Dec. 3, 2022 consigned to the same company.

The shipment that arrived on Nov. 25 and examined on Dec. 28 was initially declared to contain frozen lobster, frozen prawn balls, and frozen crab stick but was later found to also have undeclared frozen ox tripe worth PHP15.5 million.

On the other hand, containers that arrived on Nov. 27 and examined from Dec. 27 to 29, were declared to have udon noodles, frozen lobster, frozen prawn balls, and frozen crab sticks. But upon examination, these containers had undeclared fresh red onions, frozen barbecue, and frozen crawfish that amounted to PHP46.75 million.

Four shipments that arrived on Dec. 3 and examined from Dec. 27 to 29, were declared to contain only udon noodles, but examiners instead found undeclared fresh red and white onions amounting to an estimated total value of PHP77,519,500.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? How expensive are the prices of agricultural products right now locally?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Gold Delight ice cream truck now serving customers at Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang in Las Piñas City

January 2, 2023January 1, 2023carlocarrasco

If you are living within South Metro Manila and if you really love ice cream, you should visit the Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang in Barangay Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City as the Gold Delight truck of the Ice Cream House company was recently established there and they have been serving a growing number of customers already.

*The Gold Delight ice cream truck is just steps away from the corner of Alabang-Zapote Road and Concha Cruz Drive, located at the outdoor side of the Greenhouse and Village Squa*re Alabang.

To be specific, the Gold Delight ice cream truck is located at one side of the Greenhouse parallel to Concha Cruz Drive. Physically, the truck is just steps away from the corner of Alabang-Zapote Road and Concha Cruz Drive.

Recently, I visited the truck to buy a half-gallon of ice cream for the home. As I drove a private vehicle, I had to park at the multi-level paid parking area, walk from there to enter the Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang, pass through inside and exited to reach the outdoor side where there were BF Homes tricycles and another food joint before finally reaching the Gold Delight truck which is so colorful, it is easy to identify.

*Check out the flavors, sizes and prices.*

The first thing you will see right at the ice cream truck are prices and flavors of Gold Delight ice cream in half-gallons and pints. There are also some images of varied Gold Delight products displayed to give you an idea what the half-gallons and pints looked like. When it comes to the flavors of Gold Delight ice cream, their popular CocoFlan flavor is priced at P280 for half-gallon and P95 for pint, Coffee Crumble is at P270 for half-gallon and P90 for pint, Rocky Road sells for P250 for half-gallon and P85 for pint, and so on. There are lots of flavors and sizes of ice cream to choose from. Also available are ice buko delights and sundaes in cups.

For the newcomers reading this, I have published articles about Ice Cream House’s Gold Delight products before. You can read them by clicking here, here and here.

I encourage you readers to visit the Gold Delight ice cream truck at the Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang and check out their products. You just might find something new and delicious for yourself, your family or for your group of friends to enjoy. You can also contact them for deliveries by via Facebook, Instagram or Viber 09677251210. To learn more from Ice Cream House, visit https://www.facebook.com/icecreamhouseph

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 4

November 28, 2022November 24, 2022carlocarrasco

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you watch the following videos below…

#1 McDonald’s struggles in certain nations – Have you eaten at a McDonald’s lately? The fast food giant is indeed highly successful serving many millions of customers worldwide and constantly making a lot of money. There are, however, specific nations where McDonald’s could not succeed in and for a wide variety of reasons. Watch these selected videos below…

#2 Looking back at Marvel Comics’ 2099 franchise – The 1990s was a decade of excess in the history of American comic book publishing, particularly with regards to superhero comics. During the height of the comic book speculator boom, Marvel Comics launched a new comic book universe set within one possible future of Marvel’s shared universe – the future was referred to as 2099. For the newcomers reading this, I myself had published several retro comic book reviews regarding Spider-Man 2099, X-Men 2099, Punisher 2099 and Ravage 2099. To find out more about the history about Marvel’s 2099 line of comics and the legacy it left behind, watch the video below.

#3 Ashleigh Burton’s reaction videos of Stallone movies – For this segment, we take a look at the existing movie reaction videos Ashleigh Burton made related to films that starred the famous Sylvester Stallone. In reality, she actually has published a few Stallone-related reaction videos and she still has yet to react to a Rambo movie and other flicks from Stallone’s career. Watch the videos below and don’t forget to visit her YouTube channel.

#4 Worship video of Now I’m Alive – I love the worship song Now I’m Alive from New Life Music. Written by Faith Tugano, Kate Naranjo and Solomon Pagapong, Now I’m Alive is a beautiful and engaging song to worship the Lord with. You can read my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) piece about Now I’m Alive by clicking right here. I encourage you all to visit New Life Music on Facebook and YouTube. Watch the worship video of Now I’m Alive posted below.

#5 More of Unsolved Mysteries (hosted by Robert Stack) – If you are a long-time fan of the classic Unsolved Mysteries TV program hosted by the late Robert Stack and you wanted to revisit it, you can watch the episodes for free through the Unsolved Mysteries – Full Episodes YouTube channel. For a taste, posted below are assorted episodes of the 2^nd season of Unsolved Mysteries.

#6 Looking back at Jaws 3 (AKA Jaws 3-D) – Way back in 1983, I got to watch Jaws 3 in the cinema in 3D (wearing the 3D glasses to see the 3D effects from screen) which was a privilege back then. Being a young boy at the time, I enjoyed it and there was nothing like being seated in the middle of a large audience who reacted emotionally towards what they saw. Of course, it is clear to everyone today that Jaws 3 is one of weakest films of the Jaws movie franchise (which started with Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic) and I noticed some people found it to be really bad. Still, there is a lot of interesting stuff to discover about it and how Jaws 3 got made. If you are curious to learn about the third Jaws movie, I encourage you to watch the videos below.

#7 More details about the FTX financial disaster and Sam Bankman-Fried – The news about the FTX financial disaster is still hot and Samuel Bankman-Fried has a lot of explaining to do. It is indeed tragic to lose all your wealth and investments because of FTX. In recent times, there were new details revealed that will help you understand why and how the FTX financial disaster happened. Financial tragedies like this one should make you think very carefully before making an investment with anything related to cryptocurrency. Watch the videos below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 3

November 22, 2022November 24, 2022carlocarrasco

Have you been searching for something fun, enlightening or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you watch the following videos below…

#1 Worship videos of “O Praise The Name (Anástasis)” – I love the worship song O Praise The Name (Anástasis) written by Marty Sampson, Benjamin Hastings and Dean Ussher, and published by Hillsong Music. Its lyrics were clearly written to lead people to the Lord and to encourage them to worship Him. One of these days, I will do a Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) piece of the worship song. For those who are reading this, watch the worship videos below from Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United and Bethel Music. This could also be the worship song your local church could play on Sunday worship services.

#2 The history of Secret Wars – In the history of American superhero comics, the Secret Wars (full title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars) series of 1984-1985 remains highly significant not just because it featured a unique gathering of selected superheroes and super villains of Marvel (then led by Jim Shooter as editor-in-chief) but also because of the creative impact it left behind especially with regards to Spider-Man stories and the eventual debut of his deadliest villain – Venom. Secret Wars also marked the debut of the Beyonder, a god-like entity who would impact the Marvel Comics universe later. Apart from its enduring legacy, there were also some notable things that happened behind the scenes leading to the publishing. Watch and learn from the video below.

#3 Ashleigh Burton’s reaction videos of Schwarzenegger movies – For this segment, we take a look at how Ashleigh Burton reacts to movies of the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger. She reacted to two Terminator flicks and Predator which are Schwarzenegger classic but she still has yet to do a Total Recall (1990) video. I urge you to visit her YouTube channel.

#4 Fashion versus videos – If you have not been following the videos published by SHIFT online, there are these versus-type of videos they released on their YouTube channel. Months ago, they published videos pitting popular models in key match-ups and they are posted below for your viewing pleasure.

#5 Looking back at Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park – Are you one of the many moviegoers out there who have gotten upset or tired with the way that Jurassic Park movies turned out, especially with the Jurassic World movies released since 2015? I noticed a lot of movie fans pointed to Jurassic World movies as dumb and bloated even as the filmmakers did what they could to sell dinosaurs and action sequences to entertain people. In times like these, it is refreshing to return to the original Jurassic Park movie of 1993 directed by Steven Spielberg. Watch the following movie reaction/review videos below plus a trivia video and an in-depth retrospective video.

#6 The FTX financial disaster – You heard the recent news about the major disaster of FTX that rocked the financial systems? Are you one of the many people who idolized Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF)? Did you pour your hard-earned money into the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and lost it all? Watch this video by Coldfusion to understand the details.

#7 The struggle of Starbucks Coffee in Vietnam and South Africa – Previously I posted a video about Starbucks’ own struggle in Australia whose coffee market has been highly developed long before the American coffee giant entered. There are also two notable markets where Starbucks also struggled in – Vietnam and South Africa. Watch the videos below to find out why. This is not only interesting but also educational.

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Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar set for December 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18, 2022 in Alabang Hills Village

November 21, 2022December 5, 2022carlocarrasco

By the time you are reading this, you must have noticed the sudden number of bazaars and local community events that happened around since October. The Megarahe Sale inside Alabang Hills Village was successful while the Noel Bazaar this past weekend at Filinvest Tent attracted customers. The local communities, the enterprises, the consumers and the nation are indeed rising from the economic downturn of the COVID-19.

As Christmas is nearing, the Alabang Hills Village Association (AHVA) officially announced that they will be hosting Christmas shopping bazaars set to happen over three consecutive weekends this December. The event is officially called the Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar and the exciting news is that people are invited to attend it as there will be vendors selling lots of products and food, plus some notable fun events.

*The Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar banner. (source – AHVA website)*

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the AHVA’s official announcement. Some parts in boldface…

We are delighted to announce that we will again be holding a Christmas bazaar this December! Dubbed “Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar”, the festive event will draw on the theme of Tchaikovsky’s world-famous Christmas ballet, “The Nutcracker”.

The bazaar will open on Friday, the 2nd of December and will run for three consecutive weekends: December 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18. Bazaar hours will be from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day of the 9-day bazaar. Venue will be the entire AHV Phase 2 Park.

Come to the Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar and enjoy

• CHRISTMAS TREE & BAZAAR LIGHTING CEREMONY on December 2, 6:00 PM,

• UNCLE DROSSELMEYER’S ENCHANTED MARKET (the bazaar),

• THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS & SAVORIES (the food pavilion), and

• HARLEQUIN THEATRE (the stage and performance area)

The bazaar’s fun highlights will include Bingo & Raffle Afternoons, Dance, Food, Magic, Music, and more!

Entrance to the bazaar is free! Invite your friends and relatives and let’s together make this a fun and memorable community Christmas celebration! A portion of the proceeds from the bazaar will go to the beneficiary of the AHV Christmas Outreach Program.

Indeed, the Christmas season is already here and if you are looking for things to buy for Christmas gift-giving or buy something you need, then Alabang Hills’ Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar is something you should consider. With three consecutive full weekends set, there will be opportunities for you and your friends to attend and have fun. The Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar is the first Christmas bazaar to be held inside Alabang Hills Village in the last few years. Truly, the AHVA and its strategic partners and bazaar organizers are going big-time this December with the 3-weekend bazaar.

UPDATE: Here is the video I took during the opening day of the Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar on December 2, 2022.

Before you engage in Christmas shopping and having fun, always remember that Christmas is always all about Lord Jesus and it is to be rejoiced with Him. Thank the Lord for the continued revival of the Philippines from the downturn of COVID-19. Thank the Lord that more people have gotten vaccinated/boosted for COVID-19, that the local businesses and customers are more confident to interact with each other face-to-face, and that the Philippines is moving beyond the pandemic. Thank the Lord for the Nutcracker Christmas Bazaar and the many fun activities scheduled!

For inquiries about this new development, visit https://alabanghillsvillage.com/ or call them at 88508254. You can visit their office at 1 Don Jesus Boulevard inside Alabang Hills Village from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM. Always remember to follow their rules and speed limits whenever you are in the village. Be aware also of the recent in-village traffic adjustments and if you are a non-resident motorist who needs a new car sticker from AHVA, you can apply online.

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What to watch on YouTube right now

November 8, 2022November 18, 2022carlocarrasco

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you watch the following videos below…

#1 Ashleigh Burton’s Friday The 13^th Part 2 movie reaction video – I have seen many movie reaction videos about the Friday The 13^th film franchise and among the many YouTubers who published such videos, it is Ashleigh Burton (AKA Awkward Ashleigh) who stands out the most as she is the most entertaining to watch. To find out why, I recommend you watch her video reaction of Friday The 13^th Part 2 below from start to finish. Tell me what you think of the video and the presentation by Burton.

#2 Starbucks’ failure in Australia – Starbucks may be the leading coffee shop chain in the world but there are certain markets where they failed and/or have been struggling in. One notable market they could not make a big impact on is Australia. To find out why Starbucks’ reception among the many coffee-loving Australians did not turn out positively, watch the video below.

#3 KFC’s struggle in Israel – Still on food business, KFC’s struggle in Israel is quite notable and even educational to learn from. Their problem in that nation goes beyond competition. Watch this video and pay close attention to the details.

#4 The 2008 Financial Crisis and its long-lasting effects – It has been almost fifteen years since the financial meltdown of 2008 happened. Back during that time, a lot of people were worried that their savings and investments would simply vanish. While the said crisis has ended, its effects are still felt to this day in more ways than one.

#5 Unsolved Mysteries with the late Robert Stack – Unsolved Mysteries is one of my all-time favorite TV shows of all time and I am very happy to see that many episodes hosted by the late Robert Stack have been made available for free, full-length viewing on YouTube. As such, posted below are the first five episodes from Season 1 of Unsolved Mysteries for your discovery and enjoyment.

#6 The Death of Superman’s impact on comics – It has been almost thirty long years since DC Comics published the Death of Superman storyline (note: read my retro comic book reviews here and here) with the comic book Superman #75 as the climax. I remember back in late 1992, a lot of people really thought that DC Comics would not only kill the iconic superhero but also go on to publish superhero comics without his presence at all. Unsurprisingly, a lot of readers who spent so much money on the death of Superman got pissed off when DC revived the Man of Steel (preceded by the Reign of the Supermen storyline) in 1993. Superman’s death was more than just a commercial success…it had major ramifications on superhero comic book publishing in America. Watch and learn from the video below.

#7 Twitter’s history – Chances are, you must have heard about the news of Elon Musk’s takeover of social media giant Twitter as well as the changes that took effect since. There is a lot more to the history of Twitter and why Musk pushed through with taking it over. Watch and learn from the two ColdFusion videos below. By the way, how is the Twitter experience for you right now?

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