"My Precious…..My Precious!!!"

I'm not talking about the One ring which I always fascinated when I first arrived here in New Zealand four years ago - the famous location of Lord of the Rings trilogy and now the talk of town – The Hobbit.

All of us have their own SuperOne but for me, my family is the most important part of me.  Why ?

For better or worse they always their to listen and supports me in any decision I make. I'm very proud of my family and I thank God for giving me a caring family who nurtured me to be a God fearing person.

Family as the Wikipedia said, is an exclusive group of people who share a close relationship.

Despite of time zone or 12 hours flights I make sure I can connect to my family – beyond borders. 

That's the power of Internet and Globe OFW family Pack because Family is precious like TheOne Ring.

By the way, please visit Globe Blog and SuperOne page for upcoming events and promtions. Thanks Globe Telecom. Mabuhay

A New Zealand student will this month go up against the world’s best in Google's first-ever global Doodle 4 Google competition.

 To celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Google invited young people across New Zealand to show their love for the game by designing a Google logo inspired by the theme “I love football". A New Zealand Top 10 were chosen from the hundreds of entries received, and Kiwi Google users were asked to vote for their favourite.

From the thousands of votes cast at www.google.co.nz/doodle4google, 13-year-old Southland student Holly Pierce emerged as the crowd favourite, receiving nearly one-quarter of all votes.

Holly’s vibrant doodle features footballs in place of the Google Os, and also incorporates a World Cup and referee’s whistle. It will be displayed on the Google New Zealand homepage for 24 hours to support the All Whites on the day of their first match on 15 June 2010, to be viewed by millions of people.

Holly’s design will then be entered into the global competition, going up against the other international Doodle 4 Google winners, where people from around the world will vote for their overall favourite doodle. The winning design will be displayed on the Google homepage of all participating countries for 24 hours in July 2010.

To vote for Holly’s doodle in the international competition, head to www.google.co.nz/doodle4google from June 21. Voting will be open for one week until June 28.

More than 21 Hotels participated during the Wellington On Show event initiated by Positively Wellington Tourism.

Among the Hotels that I had visited is the Wellesley Boutique Hotel located at Maginnity Street in the heart of the Wellington City.

This is the first time I visited the hotel and from the moment I entered its doors I felt I was travelling in time. Settings and architectures was amazing.

The staffs are friendly and Ms. Clarice Olckers, the Hotel Function Coordinator showed me what makes the hotel   perfect setting for both business and leisure travellers.

According to Ms. Olckers,The hotel provides an ideal background for all types of functions – conference, seminars, private dinners, hospital events, social functions and wedding.

”We offer a comprehensive range of modern conferencing equipment,naturally lit rooms and a wide range of menu options”, She said.

Olckers also said rooms at the Wellesley Boutique Hotel are spacious, inviting and individual from Luxury rooms to Executive Rooms up to  the Premium rooms are superb.

The Hotel’s recently refurbished restaurant, Maginity’s, offer modern dining in an intimate setting.

Indeed, the Wellesley Boutique Hotel is one of the city’s most charming heritage buildings.

Thanks to Ms. Clarice Olckers for the opportunities to check their amazing hotel and Thank you also to  Positively Wellington tourism for a wonderful experience around Wellington City.

Year 2009 was a wonderful, controversies and fruitful year for Style of Life for the fourth time Emma Williams, the managing editor of Schmap informed me that one of my photo has been selected for the Schmap Wellington Guide.

While the Gaza protest video from my video blog TheSidestrip was removed from Metcafe saying the video was found unsuitable to be published saying the item may contain pornographic, revolting, violent or  malicious content.

But I contested the review panel and the RePress was born.

I was very busy during the month of February as the 2009 Cuba Street Festival also kicked off, being a father, joined the Creative Freedom Foundation – Internet Blackout against upon Accusation laws and the coverage of NZ Sevens.

For more than three years, I've been living in southern part of Wellington City particularly suburban Newtown and every March, Newtown Festival is my favorite event during the summer season.

As kids I always fascinated with comic heroes I used to wear the Batman costume when I was four years old . Thanks to BIll ,the organizer of 2009 Armageddon comic expo Expo. for the double pass to check comic event of the year.

It's an honor for me when Ms. Lyndsey O'really , the marketing Manager of St James Theater Wellington invited me to watched the STOMP show with my son.

On the other hand, our  friends from Downstage Theater and Mr. Phil Reed also invited me check out the Adelaide Sax Pack.

The Positively Wellington Tourism invited me to cover the Wellington on Plate, an annual  festival of food.

Aside from featuring events around Wellington, The Style of Life also support  some community campaigns : raise the Stakes , The Breast cancer Awareness-Pink Ribbon Day, and the Blog Action Day among others.

I accidentally  also met  one of the famous radio announcer from Classic Hits FM Dave Smart  on my way to Newtown from Courtney Place.

Being a blogger you are role model to your readers and fellow blogger since Style of Life launched to the Cyberspace I make sure if their stories about environment issues such as Climate change. Style of Life, Thesidestrip ,Technogag and Repress are supporting this kind of events.

Like the Freezing in Wellington, the National E Day   and even my blog fight climate change.

This year is my first time to joined a  group of tourist  to tour the Wearable Arts Wander  around Wellington City.

On September , It's my son Birthday and he also received Kumon  awards and my wife and kids are creating a  little garden.

Every Labour Weekend, the Filipino communities in New Zealand come together to celebrates fiesta and this year Wellington CIty is the host venue for the annual Fiesta sa Wellington and the Style of Life witnessed festivities.

By the way ,Thank you to Wellingtonista.com, they nominated me for my video blog TheSidestrip  for Wellingtonian's contribution to the internet.

I also want to thank you to CNN Ireport for featuring my  Urban Knitter  story on their CNN Living site.

Of course, Thank you very much to all my readers and my fellow Bloggers for supporting me through the year.

I wish more sponsors to come and please support the blogging community particularly in Wellington City .

Thank you  Very Much.

2009 Bye… Hello 2010

Wellingtonian gathered yesterday night at the Mighty Mighty in Cuba St. to witness the Fourth Wellingtonista Awards and this is my second time to attend this event.

The T4WA is a annual event organized by Wellingtonista.com - a blog about Wellington – New Zealand's capital city to honours individuals or group who makes Wellington a lovely place to stay.

I arrived at the Mighty Mighty around 7:30pm and the  programme is going to kick off  so I have to set up my video camera for my videoblog  thesidestrip which I was nominated for Wellingtonian's contribution to the Internet.

The event is very successful and I want to say :" Congrats to All the winner".  

By the way , nice performance to Mr. Robbie Ellis  singing his song : Manners Mall Emo Song. You can check the T4WA images. or altenatively the T4WA Video

Here are the winners :

Best Apparel : 

Mandadory

Best Art Experience :

Yayoi Kusama at City Gallery Wellington

Best Cheap Eats:

Sweet Mother's Kitchen

Best Coffee :

Mojo Old Bank

Best Drink in Town:

Castlepoint at the Mighty Mighty

Best Event:

Cuba Carnival

Best Live Performance :

Question Time at the Parliament

Best Non-Drinking Destination:

Wellington City Library

Best Place to shake it:

Mighty Mighty

San Francisco Bath House 

Best Regular Entertainment: 

The Wellington Phoenix

Best Service:

Matt at Mojo Old Bank

Best Shop :

Slow Boat records

Best Suburban Destination:

Maranui Cafe

Late Night Hangout:

Mighty Mighty

Best Uncheap Eats:

Le Metropolitain

Most Needed :

Bike Lanes

Public Spaces :

The Water Front

Wellingtonian's contribution to the Internet :

Webstock

Wellingtonian of the Year :

Martin Bosley for the City Market

Two in a row !!

Why?

Firstly, I was nominated for the 4th Wellingtonista Awards for the Wellingtonian contribution to the Internet through my Video Blog Thesidestrip last November 30.

Voting is still open from now through to midday on December 15th. Please Vote for me And  the Awards Ceremony, which will be at Mighty Mighty on December 17th.

In case you need to check back on the details of some of the category nominees,click here.

And secondly, I just received an email today  from Nicole Saidi, CNN Senior Associate Producer  that they  published an urban knitting story and my Graffiti Knitter story was included.

According to the CNN Article :

"Not too far away, in New Zealand, iReporter Mico Santos found graffiti artists from OutdoorKnit creating knitted hearts and other loving imagery near a barren lot surrounded by industrial scenery.

Watch the artists put up the hearts

Santos' footage shows the group walking up to chain-link fences and weaving the shapes onto the metal openings. The artists told him they felt a little bit like grandmas, but they enjoyed doing something different. Even babies were brought to the scene of their project."

Wow!! That's Two in a Row

Thank you very much and More Power

Please don't forget to vote for me.

TODAY  is the official start  of summer season here in New Zealand. So, it’s approaching that time of year again -  The Wellingtonista Awards.

I have been nominated for the Wellingtonian's contribution to the Internet  for my Videoblog Thesidestrip

Thanks! I’m honoured! It be great if you could spend a few minutes voting for me!  And, you can get to see some other cool blogs out there as well.

Voting is open from now through to midday on December 15th. For more details check the voting site at the Wellingtonista site.

Thank you very much for the nomination and Please vote me.

Thanks see you on December 17 at the Mighty Might for the fourth Wellingtonista Awards.

I've been blogging since 2003 during the hey day dot com   and the super slow Internet dial up connection that always disconnects.

During my college days, while studying Journalism I set up my first personal Website and I hand-coded my whole site and hosted by  now defunct Geocities.

I even study some computer languages such as database 3+,Foxpro and Pascal  to help me understand growing Internet Phenomenon.

Luckily, In 2003, the WordPress ,a open source blog publishing application was born and my life  become easy.

While I enjoying writing for my Style of Life  blog I launched my own video blog "thesidestrip" in 2008 in Wellington,New Zealand after I realize  there are  no video bloggers in the City and as my tools for my creative outlet and someday to do a documentaries or short films.

I started shooting  videos using only my Canon  Powershot A710 digital Camera and eventually some of my videos are featured in Cable News Network(CNN) I Report, Check my Press Room Page.

The aim  of the blog is to encourage Video blogging to ordinary Kiwi  and promote Wellington City to the World.

TODAY, a friend of mine told me that thesidestrip was one of the Wellingtonista nominees for Wellingtonian's contribution to the Internet.

It's an honor to me to be part of the T4WA. Thank you !!!

Please check Wellingtonista.com for other nominees.

Voting in the Fourth Annual Wellingtonista Awards is open from December 1-15. Then come find out the results at our Awards Night at Mighty Mighty on December 17! So, Please vote for me, Thanks