Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , September 10, 20112CCHERRY ANN LIM Managing Editor, Special Pages and Features

JIGS ARQUIZA Editor

RALPH RHODDEN C. CAVERO Graphic Designer

cover story

PHOTOS: ALLAN DEFENSOR

Modern communication technologies have made the world seemingly borderless. One of the

few factors left that hinders us from fully corresponding with those from other nations is language. There are several sites that offer translation services at the mere click of a button, but how can we be assured of its accuracy? This is where Lingo24 comes in, a web-based company that provides reliable translations for individuals and big companies alike. Lingo24, which has offices in Scotland, England, Romania, and Panama, recently opened its Cebu office in May of this year.

The man behind Lingo24 is 32-year-old Christian Arno, who hails from Aberdeen, Scotland. A graduate of Oxford University with a degree in languages, Christian initially started Lingo24 as a student translation venture. This was way back in 2000, when the Internet boom was happening.

“I didn’t have any money, but I had friends from different countries who spoke different languages...so I thought it would be a good idea to set up a student translation service. We put up a horrible looking website,” he recalls amusedly, “but somehow we still got business partners.” In fact, in the following year, Christian received the Shell LiveWIRE Entrepreneur of the Year award.

What used to be a “horrible-looking website” is now a full-blown business enterprise all over the world. Among Lingo24’s more notable clients are MTV Europe, the Royal Bank of Scotland, British Petroleum, and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Lingo24 has clients from over 60 countries and employs about 4,000 translators.

“Some people can order a beer in 12 languages, and they think that means they can speak it,” Christian says. That, of course, is not enough for people to be able to translate important documents. Many of the documents that their clients submit are of the legal, or marketing, or technical kind.

Christian disclosed that they chose Cebu as a base for their office is because of the city’s “good” tourism and call center industry. “Some of the skills that Cebu has are the type of skills that we need,” he added.

“We want to grow quite quickly,” he said, when asked about the plans he has for his company. “We’ve just introduced foreign language Internet marketing,” which is a tool that businesses can use in getting ahead in search engines in other languages.

Of course, Christian is familiar to a variety of languages himself. “I am fluent in French and Italian. I speak good German, okay Romanian, a little bit of Spanish, and very little Norwegian and Arabic.”

It isn’t all work for this successful CEO though. When Christian isn’t busy, he allots time for his various hobbies. He said, “I like sports a lot. I play tennis and football. I love cinema, especially art cinema…and I like listening to British indie pop like Blur and Radiohead.”

Christian has accomplished so much at his age, but don’t expect him to be resting on his laurels anytime soon. The young CEO said that what keeps him going with his work is, “I think it’s the fact that I can always see an opportunity for us to get better.”

3CSun.Star Weekend | Saturday , September 10, 2011

feature

A Glimpse of The Sleeping Beauty

Make some noise,make a change

“Stop, stop, stop the war, stop the killing…”As their final song “Me in the Middle”, an

anthemic, anti-war throwback to the Filipino punk scene of the eighties, comes to a close, Republika de Lata’s newly-converted Cebuano fans (and a lone American fan) in The Veranda at Parkmall put their hands together and clap their appreciation for a gig well done. The band members settle down for a hot meal, and I join them for an interview.

Composed of Wendy Balingit, Teta Tulay, Cael Laza, and Renmin Nadela, Republika de Lata is not what most kids from this millennium are used to listening to. Republika de Lata plays punk, and while the band does respect other musical genres, they’d rather play punk than anything else. Though they do not practice the anti-authoritarian ideology of the seventies and early eighties, they still do cry out against oppression, injustice, inequality and artifice. In Cebu last weekend to promote their album, Republika de Lata did the rounds of various bars in Cebu and Mandaue, and discovered that Cebu had a fairly solid punk scene.

When asked why the band chose to play punk rock, Wendy commented, “Nasa puso ‘yan eh (You have to have the heart to be a punk).” As it turns out, she is married to Bobby Balingit, frontman for the legendary Pinoi punk band The Wuds. No wonder punk is so close to her heart.

Guitarist Cael adds, “It’s an attitude, not just a genre,” referring to poseurs, people who

are into the underground scene only because it was “trendy” to be “different” and not be “commercial”. He goes on to explain that “punk rock” in its early stages was originally a means for musicians without much musical skills to still be able to express themselves through music, and as a rebellion against the overly-long and overly-complicated songs of the rock bands of the seventies. Later on in the punk movement, “punk” became a way for the underprivileged to voice out their grievances against injustice and oppression, albeit in a musical form.

Renmin, original drummer of iconic Pinoy underground band Yano and now Republika de Lata’s drummer, declares, “Punk is timeless,” complementing Cael’s statement. Bassist Teta, originally from the alternative punk band Agaw Agimat, while declining to say anything, nods her head in agreement with the rest of her bandmates.

“We make noise,” Renmin says, and they don’t mean just decibel-wise. Republika de Lata equates “noise” with “change”, with Renmin explaining, “Voice out your ideas, feelings and opinions. It just needs a spark to light a fire. In the same way, if you want change, you have to say something, do something. Even just one person can make a difference.”

With an attitude like that, Republika de Lata hopes to get a lot of followers making noise, and making change. And with a band like Republika de Lata, it’s easy to see why punk’s not dead.

The Sleeping Beauty, a full-length ballet presented by Balletcenter and the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, was indeed a feast for the senses. It was a graceful movement of color!

With Candice Adea as Princess Aurora and Nicolas Pacaña as Prince Florimund, the audience was treated to an enthralling performance of the classic dance. Along with Adea and Pacaña were Balletcenter’s talents as well as veteran theater performers Benjie Diola and Mayen Tan. It was directed by Fe Sala-Villarica.

Adea, a guest performer, is a senior member of Ballet Philippines. She won the silver medalist at the 2010 International Competition - Women’s Division in Mississippi and an awardee at the Boston International Competition of 2011. Her marvelous performance was complemented beautifully with seasoned ballet dancer Nicolas Pacaña, who is the co-artistic Director of Balletcenter and former member of the Boston Ballet and Atlanta Ballet.

The iconic role of the Lilac Fairy was played by Sheila Lendio-Manlunas, Balletcenter’s very own graduate. Her presence was a comfort all throughout the show, partly because of the help her character provides, but most of all because of her gentle and polished dancing. Manlunas, who used to dance with Ballet Manila is currently an instructor at Balletcenter.

The Sleeping Beauty bears a simple plot. It began with Princess Aurora’s baptism celebration, where all fairies were invited except for the wicked fairy Carabosse. The wicked fairy then curses the Princess, saying that she is going to die from a prick of her finger. Countering the curse was the Lilac Fairy, who said the Princess will not die but will instead go into a hundred-year sleep, to be awakened only by true love’s kiss. What made the story more vibrant was the cast’s remarkable performance. Through their movement and expression, they skillfully relayed the story to the awed spectators.

Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , September 10, 20114C

movies

IMAGES FROM THE INTERNET

SIZE shouldn’t matter when it comes to scary creatures. After all, plenty

of people are terrified of rats and spiders.

Yet savage and ugly as the tiny monsters are in “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” they’re not as frightening as the filmmakers would have you believe. These wee beasties are not all that interesting, either, and frankly, neither is the movie.

Producer and co-writer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey manage a lot of creepy atmosphere in their story of a couple (Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes) and a young girl menaced by nasty little things that swarm up from beneath the mansion they’re restoring.

With the girl at the heart of the tale and del Toro’s name the big selling point, the filmmakers want you thinking of the movie as a cousin to his masterful “Pan’s Labyrinth,” another story of a girl caught up in a world of fantastical terror.

“Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” is an awfully tame cousin, though, the creatures uninvolving and their antics more irritating than petrifying.

Based on a 1973 television movie that starred Kim Darby and Jim Hutton, del Toro and co-writer Matthew Robbins’ update has architect Alex Hurst (Pearce) and girlfriend and collaborator Kim (Holmes) in the home stretch of their restoration of Blackwood Manor.

A promising prologue lays out terrible doings that beset the manor’s old master, who discovered that small, ravenous creatures with an appetite for children’s teeth were living below his home.

What perfect timing

that the arrival of Alex’s moody daughter, Sally (Bailee Madison), leads to the discovery of a secret basement sealed decades ago to imprison the creatures, known as the homunculi. Now the monsters have just what they want: freedom to roam the house through the air ducts and a child with a mouth full of tasty calcium.

Speaking in whispery voices, the homunculi are obnoxious taunters more than predators for much of the movie, causing “Gremlins”-style havoc, only without the gags. Naturally, Alex and Kim don’t believe Sally’s wild tales of monsters stalking her, assuming instead that the girl is just acting out over the neglectful mom who packed her off to Blackwood Manor, her inattentive dad and his interloper girlfriend.

The thinly developed characters move in narrow emotional ranges. Humans wander around with perpetually furrowed brows, homunculi scoot about like the hissy, conniving little creeps they are.

The tension del Toro and Nixey create promises much more than it delivers. When the homunculi finally step up the action, their confrontations with the humans seem more silly than scary.

That’s partly because of the unsatisfying mythology the filmmakers offer to explain the creatures. We’re told how vile and black-hearted the homunculi are, yet what we get on screen is a brood of pests somewhat more

adept at house-wrecking than rodents.

These are petty, stunted monsters

that certainly are worth being afraid of if you were locked in with them in a dark basement. Watching them

in a dark theater, though, there isn’t that much to fear. (AP)


short reviews

IMAGES FROM THE INTERNET

audiosyncracy

ContagionThe calm is what’s so startling in

“Contagion” – the cool precision with which Steven Soderbergh depicts a deadly virus that spreads throughout the world, quickly claiming millions of victims. There’s no great panic in his tone, no hysteria. Soderbergh has amassed a dazzling cast of Oscar winners but this is not like those `70s disaster movies that had melodrama to match their star power. Working from a script by Scott Z. Burns, who also wrote his 2009 comedy “The Informant!,” Soderbergh takes us from suburban living rooms to labs at the Centers for Disease Control to remote Asian villages with equally clear-eyed realism. The attention to detail – and to the infinite ways germs can spread that we probably don’t want to think about – provide the sensation that this sort of outbreak really could happen right now. (AP)

Brighton RockGraham Greene’s crime novel

“Brighton Rock” previously was made into a 1947 film famously starring Richard Attenborough with a script Greene himself co-wrote. A new version of “Brighton Rock” moves the setting from the late `30s to 1964 as the Mods and Rockers were battling it out on Britain’s southeast shore. You half expect to hear songs from “Quadrophenia” pop up here and there but, alas, no such luck. This may sound like a jarring shift, but the feature directing debut from screenwriter Rowan Joffe (“28 Weeks Later,” “The American”) does maintain the dark tone and stylish visuals of its noir origins, with dramatic shadows and camera angles that nearly fetishize the genre. Oscar-nominated cinematographer John Mathieson’s work is rapturous to look at, but the film as a whole often feels like an exercise in style over substance, especially as it becomes clear just how many times we’ve seen these kinds of characters in this kind of story before. (AP)

On her 2008 debut, “Sounds So Good,” Ashton Shepherd offered a down-home contrast to contemporary country music. Like a Loretta Lynn for modern times, she flashed a feisty attitude and an unfiltered country twang that made Miranda Lambert sound uptown. The album drew critical praise, but little radio attention and disappointing sales.

With her second album, “Where Country Grows”, Shepherd merges her deep-country style with a contemporary country sound, setting a modern groove to her rural Alabama persona.

Her best new songs achieve that tricky balance. “Look It Up,” the opening single, uses sharp wordplay to slice up a philandering lover, fully utilizing her steel-magnolia character. However, the influence of Music Row pros at times dampens what makes Shepherd unique _ as on “More Cows Than People,” which relies too much on generic country music images and instrumentation.

At her best, Shepherd adapts to Nashville formulas without losing what makes her special. But it’s telling that she wrote one of her best songs, “I’m Just A Woman,” alone. Shepherd is a rare talent; let’s hope the compromises on “Where Country Grows” give her the spotlight she deserves, so she can flourish in the future without making concessions to tired formulas. (AP)

Ashton Shepherd, Where Country Grows (MCA)

CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Shepherd co-wrote “I’m Good” with master country songwriter Dean Dillon and impressive traditional songwriter Dale Dodson. The result ranks with country anthems by Tammy Wynette and Reba McEntire. It proves Shepherd can rank among the best of her generation, when applying her strong voice to songs as powerful as this.

Brimming with style and substance, the Samsung LED D8000 Smart TV is your brand-new ticket to a world of wonders. Equipped with features unique to the brand, it easily enhances entertainment with a highly interactive experience tailored for you. Whether it’s keeping up with the latest movies or listening to new tunes, even poring over your precious photos or browsing through your social networking sites, the Samsung LED D8000’s innovative technology – punctuated by its über-sophisticated design – has surely reinvented the way televisions are enjoyed.

The Samsung Smart TV gives you everything and more

Integrated entertainmentThe Samsung Smart Hub – a media portal specifically

fashioned to discover a wide array of related content and information on the Web – offers a whole lot of possibilities for your viewing pleasure. Its easy-to-use interface, with its Search All and Web Browser features, is your key to a world of videos, photos, and music that can be shared as effortlessly as they are found. In addition, Samsung’s numerous TV Apps definitely put the ‘fun’ in functional. To further personalize your entertainment, AllShare’s supreme connectivity connects the LED D8000 to compatible devices, which lets you access videos, photos, and music within.

Uncompromised qualityThe LED D8000’s MicroDimming technology lets you play

with the cleanest whites and darkest blacks. Zoom in on every tiny detail, vibrant tones, hues, and all. Now, you can enjoy your favorite movies with crystal clarity and in full HD!

Gorgeous blueprintAlready classic-looking, the Samsung LED D8000 Smart

TV brings you closer to the action with a design never before seen in televisions. Framed with an ultra-slim bezel, the TV possesses a sleek look without sacrificing Samsung’s excellent picture quality. Its minimalistic design is timeless.

Add to that, it harmoniously blends with compatible devices, making it perfect for modern living.

Unique at-home experience

Breathe life to flat 2D movies with LED D8000’s built in 2D to 3D conversion. Both picture and sound are enhanced through Samsung’s 3D Sound Effect and 3D HyperReal

Engine. To complete the home entertainment experience, Samsung’s featherweight 3D glasses converts pictures to 3D in real-time!

The Samsung LED D8000 Smart TV is only the first of many

Kang Yunje, Vice President of Samsung’s TV Design Group, perfected an aesthetic that bears tremendous purpose.

“We wanted to remove the barrier between the real world and the TV that is visually distracting: the bezel,” Mr. Kang said. “The design concept centered on the television. If we see the real world in three dimensions, and the TV offers three dimensional images, then everything we see has the potential to be in three dimensions. Designing a slim bezel was about removing the frame that limited our view of the three-dimensional world.”

Since Mr. Kang joined the company in 1994, it has been his dream to create a television without a bezel. In 2008, Samsung embarked on a journey towards this goal. In two years, they managed to whittle down 54 millimeters to 28 millimeters. After Yoon Boo-Keun, President of Samsung’s Visual Display, set out a mission to create a bezel-less TV in 2010, it only took them a year to turn the dream into reality.

“We were told that reducing the bezel slimmer than 7 millimeters would be impossible, and that the image quality would be lost as the bezel became thinner,” Mr. Kang said. “We ran numerous trials to see what worked and what did not but eventually pulled ourselves through the toughest period.”

After much trial and error, the development team was slowly inching its way to the ultimate goal. In 2011, the creation of the LED D8000 proved that an ultra-slim bezel was indeed a possibility. The LED D8000 appears slimmer, yet it maintains a superior viewing experience – the perfect marriage of design and technology.

Moving forward, expect that Mr. Kang and the rest of Samsung’s TV Design Group will work to provide Samsung TVs with more smarter and more updated designs. “Samsung believes in pushing the company to its limit, if there is one,” Mr. Kang said. “We innovate and change paradigms. From the top executive to our engineers, we take risks for good design and befitting quality products.”(PR)

Beauty and Brains: The Samsung Smart TVgadgets


JIGS ARQUIZA Editor

lex in the cityAlexis Yap

People in Cebu always want to try something new, something they have not tried before, or something that we don’t get to experience always. I know I do!

Last weekend, after only barely a year of operations in Park Mall, Veranda officially launched their new branch in Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad. Guests were treated to an open bar from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. while they were entertained by the band Johnny which was followed by DJ Ace Ramos after midnight.

The Veranda first opened in Juana Osmena extension in early 2000. It was around October of 2010 that the proprietors decided to reinvent its look, its menu, and move to a venue where they can serve more guests with the same great quality in a nice ambience. In Parkmall, The Veranda invites you to Dine and Unwind while their newest branch

along Ma. Luisa Road promises Familiar Tastes, Familiar Tunes.

Last Wednesday, September 7, the Cebu City Marriott Hotel invited friends from the media to sample their latest offering at the Garden Cafe, a delicious spread of Indian dishes in their buffet. We were welcomed by no less than the all-star team of the Marriott: Mr. Brendan Mahoney, Director of Food and Beverage/Executive Chef; Carina Sala, Restaurant Supervisor; Harry Seno, Director of Services; and Charlene Go, PR Manager. Too bad, Marriott’s General Manager Bruce Winton had some urgent business to attend to and couldn’t join us. There’s always a next time, though, so we hope to see you at the next event, Bruce!

Jack and Sharon Jackosalem and Bobby Nalzaro were some of the notables present in the gathering.

Among my favourite dishes were the Pork Vindaloo, the Prawn Pakoras, the Fish Curry, and the Vegetable Biryani. Included in the line-up were the Rice Kheer, the Sweet Vermicelli, and the Carrot Halwa for dessert. I always enjoy the buffet at the Marriott but it’s always nice to have something different for a change.

The Garden Cafe at the Marriott invites you to have A Taste of India every Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Here are today’s greetings:Happy Birthday to:Wado Gica, Lyo Lim, CJ Noel

Songalia (Today), Eric de la Cruz, Kim Bigornia, Bullet Jalosjos, Akit Po (Sept. 11), Anton Mansueto, Godgel Genon (Sept. 13), Benjie Atillo (Sept. 14), Kofi Villanueva, Zerah Chiong (Sept.

15), Anton Ngo Tautjo (Sept. 16), Luigi Enzo D’Avola, Josh Fernandez (Sept. 17), Gayle Urgello, Kloodie Chiongbian, Beatriz Borja, Eden Villarba (Sept. 20), Grace Abellana, Patrick Rizarri, Nimrod Quinones, Vanessa Gamus (Sept. 21), and Janice Pasculado and Gabe Wong (Sept. 23).

Congratulations and Best wishes to the newly-weds, Mr. and Mrs. Billy and Nelanie Mitchell and Mayor and Mrs. Joshure and Glyza Lanete! Thank you for making me a part of your special day. =)

Don’t forget: Acoustic Weekends at Alejandro’s Filipino Resto tonight! Call 2537921 for table reservations. Also happening tonight, DJ Elmer Dado and Gruppo Tribale will be playing at The Penthouse.

Follow me on twitter @iamaroundtown

Reinvention

With Carina Sala, Brendan Mahoney, Harry Seno, Charlene Go Sharon Jakosalem, June Rabin, Charles Osmeña, Jack Jakosalem and Renault Lao

Ace Ramos, Marcie Abesamis, Abigail Ngo and Timmy Gomez Blake Go, Jake Maningo and Slater YoungJack and Sharon Jackosalem

Kris Ditan, Carla Ferandos, Didi kim and Paolo Ojales Mayor and Mrs. Joshure and Glyza LaneteBilly and Nelanie Mitchell

Indian Desserts Prawn Pakoras Fish Curry Bobby Nalzaro


Got something to share with us? Sun.Star Weekend invites readers to contribute original, unpublished poems and essays or commentaries about funny or memorable moments in your life. Please email your contributions to:

[email protected]

49 Gen. Sepulveda Street, CebuTel. No (032) 255-0105 & 412-5551

Fax No. (032) 412-5552Email: [email protected]

website: www.palazzopensionne.net

BED & BREAKFAST

crossline

IMAGE FROM THE INTERNET

A letter to a teacherDear Teacher,

The Anti-Corporal Punishment Bill was tackled in a community education column on SunStar’s Live! Section recently, and then the next day, I saw you – my Chinese teacher.

It was difficult seeing your face again after a decade. If I am asked what I remember of you, you were the teacher who had the guts to twist my ear for implicating me of misconduct – a very tragic experience indeed.

Maybe it was misconduct for you: to simply confront a testosterone-laden “potential bully” who found joy in restlessly sprawling her legs, “attacking” whoever passed by, but was it really “misconduct” on my part? Or maybe, I was just one poor soul in the wilderness who happened to undergo that technicality called a “frame-up.”

Whichever reason you chose twelve years ago for punishing me, it was horrid – for I was subjected to public humiliation: it was embarrassing – for my hush-hush crush was looking closely: and detestable – for the truth of the issue was forcefully buried without a verbal epitaph of recognition. Such undeserved comeuppance catapulted me into a sea of horror.

I do not have any knowledge whether what you did to

me is punishable under the Anti-Corporal Punishment Bill. I am no lawyer to discuss the technicalities of the situation. Besides that, it is still just a bill, and has been waiting to be enacted into a law. And from the bottom of my heart, it is far from my mind to press charges over

such an ancient trivial matter, for I did not remain an indignant school-age child. I am already a

grown-up who has learned to adapt through the course of time – forgiving, but not

forgetting.Do you teach up to

now? That, I know nothing of.

Do you still twist your students’ ears?

I hope not, or some student may choose not to grow up just in time when the bill is enacted.

This is my only plea: that you should take time to listen.

It is disheartening to

plunge into such thoughts on Teachers’

Month.But thank you for giving

me something to write about.

Sincerely Yours, Student

(The writer requested anonymity)

Do you know where i goWhen your lips split to smileDo you know where you showAnd take me for awhile You know where you take meWhen you silently stareI see past what you seeWhile you are unaware Do you know what I hearWhen you utter a wordYes, you may find this queerYou speak what you’ve not heard It’s only here, your smilescould be the bud of springWhom hope, it beguilesAnd let me in, songs sing It’s only here, your stareCould be a falling starWhom wishes gladly bearTell, have I gone too far? It’s only here, your voiceCould be melodic rhymesThat lulls my soul’s dream choiceIn sweet and languid mimes Here, where rainbows stretchTime’s golden ticking handWhere fancy dreams far-fetchedIn my secret wonderland

Alice by Marshirbeth G. Dayto

poetry

IMAGE FROM THE INTERNET

books

TEXT AND IMAGES FROM WWW.FULLYBOOKEDONLINE.COM AND THE WEB

“A smartly written romance, mystery and historical adventure all wrapped up in a page-turner that will have you guessing until the very end.” – Adena Halpern, author of The Ten Best Days of My Life Three years after her husband Max’s death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max–same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose–he could be Max’s long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well. As outrageous as Paolo’s claims seem–how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn’t he looked her up? – Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down–if it is really Max– and along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max’s stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her “happily ever after.” And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to.

Before Ever After: A Novelby Samantha Sotto


JIGS ARQUIZA Editor

peeps (people, events and places)

Doogie Pagaduan, Kyra Cabaero, Summer Schafer and Charles Osmeña. Sun.Star’s Roselle Reyes with June Rabin, Kris Ditan and a friend.

Slater Young, Carlo Sainz and Rowena Sainz.Klingkling Lao-Osmeña, Chris Capistrano and Vincent Osmeña (far right) with friends.

DJ Ace Ramos and Kaz Onozawa. Renault and Wawa Lao.

Several weeks ago, The Veranda at Maria Luisa had its soft opening, slowly introducing the restaurant to the residents of nearby neighborhoods in Banilad, and Talamban. Last Saturday, September 3, The Veranda officially opened with a bang, inviting family and friends, members of the media and regular party animals. Free-flowing drinks were available, courtesy of the open bar held for the attendees, with plate after plate of flavorful tapas coming out of the kitchen, to the appreciation of the guests. Members of The Veranda’s board of directors, composed of Renault Lao,

Charles Osmena, Ari Lee and Dennis Ting, came in full-force, giving everyone present a taste of the hospitality The Veranda is known for. DJ Ace Ramos was in charge of the music that night, with Manila punk band Republika de Lata making an appearance after their promotional show at the Parkmall branch of The Veranda. Everyone who attended that night had a great time.

The second branch of The Veranda to open this year, the restaurant is located along Maria Luisa Road, several meters away from the Talamban-Banilad flyover.

Baker Bob and Kate’s Bakery Products had their commissary in Tabok, Mandaue, blessed last Thursday, Sept. 8 to commemorate it’s renovation. The event was attended by the proprietors Kathy Co-Cheng and Robert Cheng, and their families, business partners and employees.

The Rotary Club of Cebu-West recently partnered with Lion-Tiger, the company that produces the popular “katol” in an anti-dengue project benefiting Zapatera Elementary School last July 19, 2011.

It’s official!

Bless this food! Rotary Club project

Kimberly Tee, Kathy Cheng, Kelly Ko and Kingsley Ko.

Kathy Cheng, Julie Ko and Robert Ko.

Members of Rotary Club Cebu-West with representatives of Lion-Tiger and Usec. Rizalino D. Rivera.

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