Gerry Chua, Mr UBE, The Hopia UBE King

Our shopping becomes more memorable when we met in person the Hopia Guro himself Mr. Gerry Chua of the famous Eng Bee Tin.

In the ’70s, Eng Bee Tin was just one of the many stores selling Chinese delicacies in Binondo. It is now one of the famous traditional Chinese delicacies store selling hopia, tikoy, glutinous balls and many more.

Like other businesses, Eng Bee Tin also had experience some downs in their business and when the eldest innovative son Mr. Gerry Chua took over, he tried the Ube Hopia flavor which becomes an instant hit. Eng Bee Tin products are actually one of our favorites in Dubai, UAE. 

It was a pleasant afternoon when we decided to check the Eng Bee Tin Restaurant for our late lunch. It was my first time to see this place. Truly a pleasant and a heart warming experienced.

I love the color violet and while having our lunch Me and my friend Cecile started our conversation about the many wonders of Violet color in all his stores and why it was?

After having our lunch we went to the Delicacies area, they have chain of stores all over Ongpin. Upon entering the last violet store, the violet Christmas motif attracted me, it makes me feel good. I love the violet Christmas scheme all around the place.

As we entered and to my pleasant surprise, Mr Gerry and company was at the main entrance of the store and gave us his heart warming Smile and Welcome. I easily recognized him because I saw him before on a TV interview. Mr Gerry Chua is the eldest son of Mr Chua Chiu Hong who started and put up Eng Bee Tin on Ongpin Street in Binondo, Manila, in 1912.

A heart warming Smile and Welcome from Mr Gerry Chua,
The Hopia Guro, UBE King.

It was a pleasant afternoon when we decided to check
the Eng Bee Tin Restaurant for our late lunch.
It was my first time to see this place.
Truly a pleasant and a heart warming experienced.

Few of our favorites!

Eng Bee Tin "Txtfire" Fire Truck

For decades, Binondo in Manila or what is known as Chinatown,
is known and famous for it's Volunteer Fire Fighting group.

Presently they are considered the
largest Volunteer Firefighting Organization in the Philippines, "Txtfire.”

Copyright © Sol Albar 2013 All Rights Reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced without written consent from the owner.

UST Bb. Atelier 1986 Personality Quest

The Catholic University of the Philippines, UST opens each school year Bb Atelier CAFA personality quest. This is one of the UST yearly school traditions. The 1st step to pre-qualify students in joining the prestigious search for the Miss UST,  the Ideal Thomasian Personality. The annual intercollegiate search highlights the values in the Thomasian identity of compassion, competence, and commitment organized by the UST Student Organizations Coordinating Council (UST SOCC) Scarlet Organization.

Maria Consolacion Abad Dayo
UST  CAFA Bb. Atelier 1986 ~ 3rd Finalist
College of Architecture and Fine Arts, Interior Design
(This picture was one of the two official entry for the Ms. Photogenic)
The Natural Morning Beauty ~ No make up entry

Maria Consolacion Abad Dayo ~ 3rd Finalist
College of Architecture and Fine Arts, Interior Design

Mardi Gras Gown Costume
Sponsored by Camp Suki
http://www.campsuki.com/camp-suki-webpages002.html

Mardi Gras Gown Costume
Thank you so much, Camp Suki

Dance number

Presenting the Finalist
Architect Eugene Lejano serenades the ladies
Question and Answer Portion

Talent Portion

3rd Finalist Trophy

UST Bb. Atelier 1986 Personality Quest

~ In Video ~

My dear family 

Me, My Mom Miriam, Ate Suntz, 

(I forgot the name of the guy in front of Nap) 

Nap Sulit, Glenn, Prudence, Ate Emma, Minda, Ate Tess, Ramil and John Peter

Message:
Thank you so much to my Mom, siblings, Nap, close friends, relatives, and friends.

From the bottom of my grateful heart, I would like to dedicate this blog to all of you.
I am always thankful to God for giving me to all of you and all of you to me.
Thank you so much for all your love, trust, confidence, support, presence and concern for my own good at all times and more in this quest. I owe my strength and courage from all of you during my busy rehearsals and especially on my big night.

As always,
Solly

Boy Abunda, Pride of the Philippine Media

Eugenio "Boy" Romerica Abunda, Jr. is a Filipino television host, publicist, talent manager and celebrity endorser. He is dubbed as the "King of Talk" in local show business.

Born: October 29, 1955 (age 57), Borongan
Spouse: Bong Quintana
Education: Philippine Women's University, Ateneo de Manila University
Movies and TV shows: The Buzz, Bandila, The Bottomline with Boy Abunda, SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon, Boy & Kris, Star Circle Quest,Naglalayag, Scaregivers, Volta, Show & Tell

Mini Trivia:

Tito Boy Abunda is the first celebrity turn out to be my little boy most favorite TV Host.  I love to recall how my little boy (4 Years old) together with everyone in the house loves to watch The Buzz and right after each segment he will always imitate him saying, "The Buzz!"

One time, I was talking to one of our Brother before the prayer meeting in Camp Crame with same hairdo of Tito Boy, He come to me and whispered. Mommy yung kausap mo bang si Amiga ay Tito Boy Abunda? Pwede iuwi na lng natin sya? Hahaha! He really loves Tito Boy as much as his Barney and friends.

Photo Ops at the Red Carpet of ABS CBN after his segment in BANDILA "Ikaw na!"

Boy Abunda and Sol Albar

http://princesssoldiaries.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Princess-Sol-Diaries/265511323550246

By: Sol Albar ©

Moon Jellies (Aurelia ourita) Dancing Sea Fairies!

March 30, 2013 ~ The Jellies Dancing Sea Fairies is a small Manila Ocean Park attraction.  The jellyfish’s are inside the light reflected aquarium so they look like that they change in color along with the lights. Because the jellyfish are illumine-scent combining them with lights are actually eye pleasing. The lights changes from blue, green, orange, white, cyan, red, purple, violet and pink.

Mirrors are cleverly used to give the illusion of space. And with classical music playing on a loop, the jellyfish looked like they were indeed gracefully swaying. The changing colors of the neon lights illuminating the tanks made the display even more magical. I could gaze at these sea creatures floating about inside their tanks for a long time. In the beach, these jellyfish are poisonous and could sting unsuspecting swimmers. Here, they are dreamy dancing sea fairies.

There is a mini bar at the center of the jellies dancing sea fairies attraction. Flash photography is not allowed so it is really hard to take a decent photo. All in all, we had fun in a short jellies dancing fairies.

The jellyfish’s are inside the light reflected aquarium.

Andreij is enjoying his most favorite Jellies sea creature in a huge aquarium,

The changing colors of the neon lights illuminating the tanks made the display even more magical.

The second room is composed of tubes of jellyfish.
It looks like this is a huge room of jelly fish as advertised, but there are only around 7-10 tubes.

The entrance fee is Php150 and you can finish the tour within 15-30 minutes. 

princesssoldiaries.blogspot.com

By: Sol Albar ©

Cara China Bone Flower Brooch Circa 1945

Cara China Co. is an English Bone China Jewelry

A dazzling array of color 

By Cara China Co. 

Vintage China Bone Flower Brooch Circa 1945

Hand made, Hand Painted Fine Bone China Yellow Rose Brooch,
Cara China Co, China Bone Flower Brooch Circa 1945
Made in England

Think for just a moment! For a long time we had costume or fashion jewelry that was made from other metals like gold plated rhodium, copper, chrome, pewter, etc.

Something more fresh and novel could easily brighten up the soul during the World War II Years. These petite hand-made and hand-painted floral brooch sets with their bright & effervescent colors were sure to liven up the hearts of those young women during the War years. From research it appears that some English factories, although not a great many, produced bone china jewelry from about 1945 up to early 1960.

There were some English china factories that thought that this would probably be a good idea to produce such effeminate creations as bone china floral brooch & earring sets. Hence about 1945 companies in the production of bone china jewelry were Aynsley China Co, Cara China Co., Coal port China Co., Crown Stafford shire China Co., Bone China Crafts Co. and Paragon China Co., This is to name just several who produced such bone china jewelry. In addition, they also produced floral clusters/floral arrangements and figural/figurines. All of which are hand crafted and hand painted in a dazzling array of color.

Being bone china and not metal, many of these pieces of jewelry are found with little chips or flea bites. Why? You may ask. Well after all, many of these little jewelry pieces are very delicate/fragile bone china pieces that are relatively thin and hand worked in their production. The ruffling of the little florettes lends an imminent danger for breakage. Then on the other hand, people do accidentally drop their jewelry onto the floor. These are china pieces after all! What normally happens when one drops a china cup to the floor? Normally the china cup will break. Hey! China jewelry that has a lot of ruffling like these brooches is guaranteed not to survive without enduring the disastrous collision with a floor. Sometimes this is why we find them chipped. The degree of chipping would also depend on how one would store this jewelry. If it loosely set amongst other metal or china pieces of jewelry clanging against each other, such a fate was inevitable. On the other hand, on many occasions small pieces left factories with inevitable little flea bites that were hand colored or under-glazed in the factory before shipment.

Because of such evident history, these little English bone china pieces of jewelry are becoming very collectible. After all, many of these china jewelry pieces were hand crafted in the china factories as early as 1945 which would make them some sixty years old.

Cara China Co, Hand made, Hand Painted Fine Bone China Yellow Rose Brooch,
Made in England.

Cara China Yellow Rose Fine Bone China Brooch is now on my Sunday Dress. Wink!
Precious Gift from a precious friend. Wink!

Princess Sol Diaries

By Sol Albar © 2016

All Star Bird Show (Manila Ocean Park)

March 30, 2013, after visiting the aviary we fall in love with the most beautiful and intelligent winged creatures with All Star Bird Show, a highly-entertaining show for the whole family.

Catch the show daily at 1:15 PM, 2:45 PM & 4:15 PM

Thank you kiss for my simple participation in the All Star Bird Show!

Audience participation in the All Star Bird Show!

Inaayos na ni Master ang 500.00 pesos into my fingers!

Shot from big screen

Princess Sol Diaries

By Sol Albar © 2013

Birds Of Prey Kingdom (Manila Ocean Park)

March 30, 2013, we discover Manila Ocean Park’s newest attraction, the Birds of Prey Kingdom which features one of the most stunning coastal raptors in the country, the Brahminy Kites (Haliastur indus) locally known as Lawin in Tagalog and Banog in the Visayas region. We have a close encounter with these winged wonders within a unique bird sanctuary as they perched in a hanging bridge along the coast of Manila Bay.

Closer look and encounter with the Lawin!

You can buy your souvenirs at the entrance!

3/4 sleeves T Shirt cost 425.00 pesos only.

Princess Sol Diaries

By Sol Albar © 2013