Archive for the ‘events’ Category
Filed under blogging, events
Looks like the Cebu Bloggers Society is hamming it up. Everyone is so enthusiastic about coming up with activities that I can barely keep up with the group! (My presence borders on being an apparition of sorts.) I did make it to our first Christmas Party last Saturday at the Jardin de Busay Estate. One member was generous enough to let us hold the party at his family’s house, which was on top of a hill. Truly a garden in the sky.
I admit I was most excited about the promised dip in the swimming pool, but we ran out of time. I helped cook a Chinese dish instead, if wrapping meat into empanada-like rolls can be called helping at all. I’d rather not post photos of the party because I’m sure the photos would ruin my already tainted reputation. We do have a safe class pictures though:
Thanks, everyone! I had a fun night!
Filed under events, personal stories
I got converted to the Belle de Jour way when a friend in Manila sent me a Belle de Jour planner last year as a random gift. I loved it from the moment I lifted it from the package. It was not like the other planners or organizers that I’ve had. It had an expense tracker, a birthday tracker, a menstrual tracker, and a vacation tracker, to name few. There was a quote for the week every week, and every month there was a theme and tips for the season.
But the best part was that it came with 36 discount coupons to different boutiques and coffee shops!
So when I heard that Belle de Jour was soon releasing the 2009 power planner, I reserved mine right away. Here it is now!
It’s a lot better than the 2008 planner, although that one was already love. I especially likee the cover design. It has more discount coupons, too! It has 60!
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Filed under blogging, events, technology
A couple of months ago, a lady in Germany sent me an e-mail and introduced me to the Girl Geek Dinner movement. She was coming to Cebu and needed help in setting up the first Girl Geek Dinner in Asia (in Asia!). She was scouting for girls in Cebu who were into technology and who could form the core of the group, and she chanced upon my ailing blog.
I must have been hibernating that much, because I hadn’t heard of it before. A quick search on the web told me that it is an international movement (or organization) of international fame where girl geeks meet and discuss developments in technology and new media. It was started in London and sprang from the umbrella group Geek Dinners, which included males. Geek groups are usually dominated by males, so a smart girl decided to form a group exclusive to girls. Now, there is usually a group in major cities, such as the Frankfurt Girl Geek Dinners, London Girl Geek Dinners, and the Seattle Girl Geek Dinners.
Cebu has come up with one, too! They had their first Cebu Girl Geek Dinner last night at Asiatown IT Park. It was proudly sponsored by Exist Global. I don’t really know who were there and I don’t have pictures to show, because… I wasn’t there. 
I was already set to watch Twilight with friends, and it was already on my calendar since last month. I committed to helping promote Cebu Girl Geek Dinners, though. I see that no one has written about it yet, so I’m hoping that this will be my share.
Hopefully, that was just a start. I’ll surely be there on the second Cebu Girl Geek Dinner.
Filed under blogging, events
It looks like the blogging community in Cebu is finally kicking off and starting to catch up with the communities in Manila and Davao. I hadn’t seen that many bloggers in Cebu until Thursday night at the Digital Filipino Club Fellowship Night.
The event started with a buffet dinner at the Teatro Casino of the Waterfront Hotel. Most everyone I know was there on time. I was a little late, and when I got inside the hall, I was surprised to see so many wearing black shirts with the Blogger ko, Bai (I’m a blogger, pal) design on the front.
I knew there was going to be a shirt, but I didn’t know there were that many bloggers who would be there. There used to be only around five of us at meet-ups. I hadn’t been attending meet-ups in months, and I have a huge backlog of group e-mails to open. I’m glad the group has grown a lot since!
Here we are with Janette Toral, the event organizer (who kept saying that my hands were cold):
And here’s our lovely shirt!
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Filed under blogging, events, technology
.. thanks to my boss who allowed me to cut my training short so I could go back to the Philippines in time for it. I had to make up for the lost days, such as having marathon meetings everyday, but it was worth the sweat. After all, I was only going to the first WordCamp in Southeast Asia, and I got to be a part of history. I also got to meet The Matt Mullenweg, the founding developer of WordPress himself.
I got in on the first flight to Manila (4:30 a.m., and that’s right after going through a 44-hour international trip), so I was supposed to be the earliest there. It was stupid of me, though, to not go to the conference hall immediately and check if there were people there already. The organizers gave prizes to the first five who arrived. I was the sixth, I think, because I had stayed at an Internet cafe near the venue to pass the time.
It was okay, though, because later in the afternoon I got another prize: a WordCamp mug for being the second to register online. I love the mug! I had no idea that I was one of the first to register. I was busy plurking at the back of the hall when my name was called. I should have known, because my camper badge number was 002.
The highlight of the event, of course, was the appearance of the most eligible Matt in the world. He was an instant celebrity. The campers flocked to him, and everyone listened intently when he talked. Most of the time people were plurking rather than listening to the talks. But when it was Matt’s turn, everyone stopped. Or at least the girls did. By the way, he is only 24! And I am 23! So we are good together! LOL. (Roanne’s going to kill me for saying this.)
I was so amazed at how young and humble he was. He started Wordpress when he was only 17! What was I doing at that age? What were you doing at that age? And he didn’t look or sound like a nerd at all, nor did he look like someone famous. He came to the event in jeans, and he was very friendly. He was game enough to have his pictures taken with all those who wanted to have pictures with him, to think that the queue was very loooooooong.
I fell in line, of course. Here’s my picture with him:
Noticed my big, big smile?
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Filed under events, technology
I am drooling. Digital Hub is hosting an exhibit of the Apple iLife this weekend at Robinsons Ermita. There will be demos, tutorials, photo sessions, and Q&A sessions on iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes, GarageBand, and the OS version Leopard for two days.
Filmmakers Dante Nico Garcia, director of “Ploning,” and Joaquin Pedro Valdes, director of “Bulong,” will be there.
Never mind that attendees will be styled by artists from Shu Uemura and shot afterwards by professional photographers. I am not into make-up, and I am not that vain yet. I just hate it that I’d be missing the tutorial on the iPhoto. I am more of a learn-on-the-job person, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn techniques from those who have been using iPhoto professionally.
This is one of the reasons why I hate being away from where the action is. I am missing a lot.
Filed under blogging, events, technology
Yay! WordCamp is coming to town! 
I didn’t think it would ever come to the Philippines. It would be the first WordCamp in Southeast Asia, thanks to the folks at Mindanao Bloggers who organized this event.
WordCamp, by the way, is a conference where Wordpress users and developers discuss codes, tips, and updates.
I’m obviously a Wordpress fan. I’ve used several other platforms, but Wordpress is a class all its own. I switched to Wordpress in 2006 because I thought its themes looked more professional. I have since discovered a thousand other reasons why it is the best. I like that I have more elbow room to customize my blog. I like that it is much easier to optimize. Heck, my blog in Blogdrive used to have a page rank of five, but it rarely showed up in the SERPs.
So, Wordpress fans, let’s see each other on September 6 at the College of St. Benilde, Taft Avenue, Manila.
Actually, my current schedule doesn’t allow me to be there, but I am praying that I could twist somebody’s arm so she’d give her consent. I will be there!
Special thanks to the sponsors:
Filed under blogging, events
Two big events are about to happen in Cebu: the 17th Visayas Area Business Conference, which will be held here for the first time, and the Mandaue Business Month, both of which will run in August.
In preparation for these events, the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry through event chairman Wilson Ng tapped bloggers in Cebu to help promote the province and help disseminate the events lined up for the celebrations.
His group invited 15 bloggers to a press conference on the Mandaue Business Month yesterday at the Sinulog Ballroom of the City Sports Club. The event was graced by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, and attended by businessmen, sponsors, journalists, and of course, bloggers.
It was the first time that bloggers were tapped to help promote events and products. Our wish is finally coming true!
I mentioned this to Mr. Ng, who said that they are exploring other forms of media.
It used to be that only the three newspapers (CebuDaily News, Freeman, SunStar) are invited to events like this. He said that, compared to newspapers, the reach of blogging is unlimited. I could only nod in agreement.
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Filed under blogging, events, technology
Update: There’s an archived presentation here.
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The curious cat in me signed up as soon as I heard that there would be a webinar on Google Webmaster Tools, Google Analytics, and Google Website Optimizer. I was already familiar with Webmaster Tools and Analytics, but I hadn’t tried Web Optimizer. Besides, I was looking forward to helpful tips from the experts.
I had to stay up late, but it was worth it. The teams behind the three tools introduced their products, highlighted useful features, and gave some tips. Michael Wyszomierski discussed Webmaster Tools, Jeff Gillis discussed Analytics, and Tom Leung talked about Website Optimizer.
Why trifecta? I was curious about this so I looked it up. I learned that, in horse racing, trifecta is a way of betting in which one predicts what horses would come first, second, and third. (I think I’ve done this. I once won a nickel at a horse park in Kentucky.)
The speakers explained that the tools were intended to play parts in a three-step process. Webmaster Tools is for driving traffic, Analytics is for analyzing traffic, and Website Optimizer is for keeping the traffic in the site.
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Filed under blogging, events
When I first came to Cebu, I often wished that the blogging community here was more active. In fact, I was the only blogger present when Aileen Apolo first came here as Google representative in 2006. Around the time I left Manila, the bloggers there were starting to come together. I’d always hear about blogger events in Manila and Davao and I’d feel bitter.
I did fly to Manila once to attend an event (I might even fly again this weekend), but I couldn’t do that all the time, because of course, plane fare doesn’t come cheap these days. All I could do was drool when they write about how much fun they had.
Imagine my delight when Kevin told me that there would be a bloggers meet-up at the Bo’s Cafe near my place. He said Davao bloggers Winston and Blogie were going to be there, and wanted to meet the bloggers in Cebu. I had heard of them both when Davao bloggers were introduced at this year’s iBlog4.
It was then that I remembered someone say at iBlog4 that a Davao blogger would be moving to Cebu for awhile and might help organize the Cebu community. I had put that at the back of my mind because I was more concerned with keeping my eyes open.
The meet-up was last Sunday, June 29. There were only a few bloggers who showed up, but it’s a start, so I guess it’s okay. In addition to those already mentioned, there was Aldrin, Rodel, Xerxes, Mark, Paul, Rio, Wilhelmina, Francis, Wilson Ng, and The Max Limpag. (I was starstruck when I realized who he was. He used to give talks in journalism workshops back in college.)
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