Nobu Holy Week Staycation & DreamPlay Easter Eggsperience

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Families and friends looking for a Holy Week getaway can choose to visit City of Dreams Manila and avail of the Nobu family staycation package with complimentary DreamPlay access and more, or the Easter “Eggs-perience” at DreamPlay packed with thrilling activities and goodies for the season.

Nobu Hotel Manila

Nobu Hotel staycation package during the Holy Week consists of a minimum two-night stay with buffet breakfast for two at Nobu Manila restaurant, four DreamPlay passes, complimentary Zumba classes during the guests’ stay, and free shuttle services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday for the Visita Iglesia and other Lenten services at the Shrine of Jesus church, near SM Mall of Asia.

The four DreamPlay passes included in the staycation package enable families to bond together in more than 12 thrilling attractions and activities. They can bake and design gingerbread cookies, build and fly dragons, experience the excitement of DreamWorks short films in the 4D theatre, train to be a Kung Fu master, and a lot more.

 Over at the Nobu poolside deck, families can indulge in a summer swim at the modern lap pool and dance their way to wellness with complimentary Zumba classes from 8 to 9 am, 9 to 10 am, and 4 to 5 pm.

The drop-off and pick-up schedule of the complimentary shuttle services from Nobu Hotel Manila to the Shrine of Jesus near Mall of Asia are at 10 and 10:30 am, 3 and 3:30 pm, and 7 and 7:30 pm.

The staycation package starts at P20,888. in a Nobu deluxe room, with booking period until March 28, 2018 and stay dates: March 29 to April 1, 2018. The complimentary buffet breakfast is for two adults and two children five years old and below. Children six to 12 years old enjoy 50% off the buffet breakfast price while those 13 years old and up pay the adult rate. Other terms and conditions apply.

DreamPlay

The Easter Sunday egg hunt, inspired by DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon”, is one of the highlights of DreamPlay’s “Dragon’s Ultimate Easter Eggs-perience” on  April 1.

Guests who avail of the DreamPlay Easter package at P1,488 net per person get to also decorate their own plaster dragon egg, bake and design egg-shaped cookies, watch the limited-time run of the “Book of Dragons“ movie in 4D, enjoy 10% discount on all How To Train Your Dragon merchandise and enjoy an all-day pass at the DreamWorks-inspired play space for the rest of the day.

For more information, call 800 8080, e-mailguestservices@cod-manila.com, or visitwww.cityofdreamsmanila.com .

Behind Rika Ishige’s Pretty Smile: A Lady Who Courageously Battled Bullying

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Rika “Tindydoll” Ishige may be Thailand’s most beloved female martial artist today, but she was once disliked and relentlessly bullied by her schoolmates because of her appearance.

Her unquestioned and undying self-confidence has not always been so readily available and accessible in Ishige’s arsenal during her youth.

While her fierce demeanor in competition was seen on numerous occasions inside the ONE Championship cage, it was during her formative years where the future Thai martial arts superstar endured the fight of her life.

During her childhood, Ishige was frequently picked on because of her appearance as she is of Thai and Japanese descent that always sported a genuine smile with friendly eyes and was petite in stature.

“When I was a junior in high school, I was bullied by the seniors because I am only half Thai,” she recalled. “At first, they made fun of me verbally, like calling me terrible names, and after that I was physically bullied. I got pushed from behind and had my hair pulled.”

With her teachers seemingly turning a blind eye to the bullying, Ishige decided to enroll in a martial arts class in a bid to equip herself with the skills needed to defend herself if the situation required it.

Ishige began her martial arts training at the age of nine with Aikido, Karate and Taekwondo.

“I started martial arts at a young age,” she shared. “It was to challenge myself. I did Karate, Taekwondo and Aikido together. I did not learn martial arts to hurt people. It is just for self-defense.”

As she continued to progress in her martial arts journey, Ishige gained self-confidence and learned how to avoid conflict altogether by growing a thicker skin.

“I became stronger—not only physically, but mentally,” she said. “I felt calmer and better at controlling my emotions.”

Although she initially started learning martial arts for self-defense purposes, it led her to a continuous path of self-improvement.

“You cannot change others, only yourself. You should get physical strength by working out or practicing martial arts to protect yourself from physical or sexual bullying. Also, you will build mental strength for dealing with verbal bullying, including cyberbullying,” she stated.

By the time that she reached her twenties, Ishige dabbled into different combat disciplines such as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Fascinated by martial arts’ competitive nature, she eventually transitioned from being a student learning the tricks of the trade to becoming a professional competitor.

Ishige turned professional in 2017, acing three of her first four assignments under the ONE Championship umbrella.

After reinserting her name into the winner’s column by submitting Rome Trinidad last December, Ishige seeks to continue her winning ways as she is slated to square off with newcomer Angelie Sabnal of the Philippines.

Hailing from Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, Sabnal of is a former Muay Thai practitioner who makes her professional cage debut.

A national Muay Thai silver medalist, Sabnal hones her wide array of skills with other great homegrown talents at Mindanao Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts.

By strapping on four-ounce gloves, Ishige sees it as an honor and privilege to represent Thailand in ONE Championship.

“Martial arts in Thailand has really taken off, and I am proud to be a part of its growth. I have progressed a lot so far in my young career. The possibilities are endless for me, and I will continue to work hard to make my family and my fans proud,” she declared.

Ishige does not expect any problems continuing her venture into the constantly-growing world of martial arts as she believes that she is fully fortified with the task at hand.

“Martial arts is my passion. I'm really happy when I share and learn new things about martial arts with others. I'm surrounded by people who support me in training. It makes me stronger. I am ready for this upcoming bout,” she guaranteed.

The 28-year-old native of Bangkok, Thailand asserted that her fifth professional stint should serve as a platform for people to realize that martial arts has the ability to unleash an individual’s greatest potential.

“Martial arts is not about fighting. Its real aim is to empower both men and women. I would like to continue this campaign for everyone who doesn't understand the beauty of this sport,” Ishige concluded.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship. ​

Marpolo Cabrera Holds Inaugural Solo Exhibit at Gateway Gallery

 Wazzup Pilipinas!

Marco Polo Cabrera, a mass media professional, opens his maiden solo exhibit at Gateway Gallery on March 10, 2018 at 6 pm. His exhibit, Explorations, is a product of his relationship with his art and his experimentation of various styles and techniques. For each work, he draws inspiration by going to his center, a world that he calls his own. Whenever he closes his eyes, he is ushered into a space where he can freely sail through the realm of abstracts.

These Explorations opened his psyche to a wider and bigger perspective of abstract expressionism. It paved the way for him to discover his approach in capturing his thoughts and emotions to create highly personal, indeterminate but intriguing images.  While it is a reflection of his inner self, it is also a symbol that is open to interpretation by the viewers. One sees the nuanced intricacy of these images as brought into fruition by each brush stroke and technique. As an aspiring expressionist, he finds his source of creativity by simply listening to music. His iPod is a loyal companion, enabling him to listen to the music of his choice from a long playlist. Strangely, just like a Synesthete, listening to music makes him see colors, angles, shapes and enable him to “taste” words.

Senses aside, his raw emotions is also a big factor that fuels his EXPLORATIONS. Love, hate, happiness and anger are some of the emotions that ignite his inspiration in this broad world of abstract expressionism. This can be seen and felt in all of his works. Some whisper, some shout, and the rest simply assert itself. At times, his explorations can also be unplanned. Faced with the white canvas, he lifts his brush and just paint automatically. Marpolo Cabrera is an emerging artist to watch out for. While he had a challenging start in his art career, he is confident that he is on his path to establishing his unique but recognizable style.  For him, this is just the beginning of a promising future in the art world. As he grows over time and widens his experiences and reach, it is expected that his art will evolve and grow further. Explorations will run until March 24, 2018. Gateway Gallery is the art museum of Araneta Center. It is open from Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm. It is located at the 5F of Gateway Tower, Araneta Center, Quezon City. Admission to the museum and use of SiningLakbay augmented reality is free. For more information or press inquiry or media coverage, please contact Gateway Gallery at 588-4000 local 8300, gatewaygallery@aranetagroup.com or at GatewayGalleryPH FB page.