25 June, 2009

Watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with the Y! Purple Crew


After our dinner at Trattoria Gourmet, we, the Yahoo! Philippines Purple Hunt Purple Crew members headed to the Shangri-la Plaza Cineplex to watch the blocked screening of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Yahoo! Philippines is one of the sponsors of this event thus we got tickets.

When Tamara gave us our tickets, I stared at it in wonder. It was in all black and there's a pop-up. Cool!


And yeah, I think the Yahoo! Client label added prestige to our tickets. LOL.


Since Kuya Jimmy had to dash off for another engagement, only the four of us made it to the movie. And while we were waiting to be admitted inside the theater, the four of us were sharing jokes and laughs. At one point, I was actually clutching my tummy in laughter while saying my jaws were already aching from laughing so hard. LOL.

Then we were inside the movie house and after a raffle was done by AXN (we did not win anything, dang!) and the sneak preview of upcoming movies was shown, Transformers: Revenge Revenge of the Fallen was finally unveiled to the eagerly waiting crowd.

The Plot:
Two years have passed since young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeaouf) saved the universe from a decisive battle between warring races of robotic aliens. Despite his extreme heroics, Sam is still an average teenager with everyday anxieties about heading to college, leaving behind his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox), and separating from his parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White) for the first time. Of course there is the additional burden of trying to explain his departure to his newest friend and guardian robot, Bumblebee. For Sam the goal is to lead a normal university lifestyle, but to do that, he must ignore his destiny.

For more readings about the Transformers, click HERE for the movie's official website. You may also click HERE for the Wikipedia entry of the said movie.

My Verdict:
I have never been an ardent fan of the Transformers. I mean, as a child, I never really watched the show rigidly or collected any of its merchandise. I was more of a bookworm, is why. Truth be told, I came to remember the autobots' names only after I watched the first Transformers movie, which I liked, by the way.

Revenge of the Fallen is fast-paced. It is kind of noisy for me though. Or maybe it's just all those machines clashing. And boy, was it a long movie. It has amazing visual effects though as well as some funny banter among the characters so it's bearable.

As a whole, I like the movie. And I enjoyed watching it more as I was with really wacky people who punctuated our moments of viewing silence with funny comments or playful jokes.

To Yahoo! Philippines, thanks for the invite. And to my fellow Purple Crew members, thank you for your enjoyable company. I really had a great time. And oh, special thanks to Kuya Jobar for exchanging our tickets for snacks and drinks and for buying popcorn. Maybe next time your treat will extend to free meals and drinks, eh? He he he! :P

Dinner at Trattoria Gourmet with the Yahoo! Purple Crew

Last night, I had dinner with the Yahoo! Philippines Purple Crew at the Trattoria Gourmet.


The dinner's set at 6:00 PM so I left the office at 4:30 and took the MRT from the Ayala Station to the Shaw Boulevard Station. Wow. It was such an experience since after I transferred to my Makati condo, it's been months since I last took the MRT. The people were all jammed inside the train I actually had difficulty getting off at my designated stop. On top of that, one passenger sneezed that while I was huddled up in one corner, my mind automatically drifted to the ongoing Influenza AH1N1 scare. Ha!

I arrived early so I roamed around the nearby shops first. And oh, I am happy to report that this time, I did not give in to the impulsive shopper in me even when I found a really lovely pair of flats from Grendha. LOL.

When I came back to Trattoria Gourmet, Tamara and Dzurina from Yahoo! Singapore were already there so I chatted with them while munching on some appetizers.

When everybody arrived, we had our respective orders. I had the Penne with Three Cheeses and it was heavenly. Oh well, I love cheeses so anything cheesy be it pasta, chips and snacks will surely please my palate.


For my drinks, I had their really delicious ripe mango. It was good. Not too sweet and quite pulpy. Yummy. I so relished having it I actually forgot to take its picture. Ha ha!

All in all, the night was fun. There's really nothing like good food and good company. Thanks, guys. :)


Trattoria Gourmet is found in Shop Number 519, Level 5, Shangri-la Plaza, Mandaluyong. You may contact them through (+632) 637-2784.

17 June, 2009

Yahoo! Philippines Purple Hunt Phase 2 - Purple Cameras Up For Grabs!

Phase 2 of the Yahoo! Philippines Purple Hunt started yesterday and many Purple Hunters said that they have already guessed the answer to our clues. For those who are still groping in the dark, below are more clues for you.

Camera #1 - Clues - Yahoo! Purple Hunt Phase 2
Question: Where can I find the camera?
1. The location has a color in the name of the mall (not purple!)
2. The camera is in a mall owned by the Zobel de Ayala family.
3. There are new photos in Flickr that might give you more clues. Please click HERE for the link to the said pictures.
4. It is in an internet café that is one of the biggest Internet chains in the Philippines.

When you think you know where camera #1 is hidden, go to our microsite found at http://ph.yahoo.com/ and input your answer.

As we have been getting a lot of questions about how the microsite works and where the answer has to be placed, below is a step-by-step process, complete with screenshots.

Step 1. In the microsite, click on Hunt for Clues (found at the left side corner, under Shortcuts). This will direct you to the page below.

Step 2. Click on the squares (specifically, the puzzle pieces). Don’t fret when this message prompts up: Not so fast, Purple Hunter. This prize will be unlocked on _____, as shown below.

This is a treasure hunt so clues will not be given in one go. Some clues will be unlocked on certain dates and you have the option to click on Remind Me for a notification to be sent to you.

Step 3. Once you have clicked on the correct square, the clues will appear, as pictured below.


Clues will be given on a daily basis and getting the correct answer gets easier as the phase progresses. Clues also become easier to decipher. Yesterday, only three photos (pictured earlier) were given as clues. When I checked today, there are three additional photos (detailed below) to further help out our Purple Hunters.


You can guess as many times as possible. If you get the wrong answer, you will not be able to register and a prompt comes up for you to try again. The prompt says, "Sorry, your hunt has been unsuccessful this time (a)round. But keep that purple spirit alive and try again."

Remember too that the full address of the location is needed. Purple Hunters can give their answers to the clues in different variations, like 4th Level or Level 4 so long as it's the full address in the right order that we do it, which is building floor, building, street, barangay, city. It's not case sensitive so no worries about that. The format of the answer to the first clue is below:

Level, Mall Name, City

And when you are ready to give your answer, just input it in the space provided and click on Submit Answer Now (both fields are encircled in yellow).


If your guess is right, a prompt that says "Congratulations, Purple Hunter! You've found the exact location." will appear.


Once you click on "Claim your prize now!" a registration form will prompt up after your account has been verified.

The form will require you to to input your full email address, your first and last names and your mobile number. You also have the option to receive Yahoo! emails about the Purple Hunt. It is mandatory though that you click on agreeing to the Terms and Conditions and signifying your understanding of the nature of the contest.

Below is a screenshot of the Terms and Conditions for this phase. For details, please click HERE.

After clicking on the I Confirm button of the registration form, a "registration complete" message will then prompt up and inform you that a confirmation email has been sent to your email address.

The confirmation email looks like this.

For questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your Purple Crew. Just click on the specific Yahoo! product listed below and it will direct you to the Purple Crew's account in that product.

Flickr
Yahoo! Answers
Yahoo! Groups
Yahoo! Profile

Happy hunting, everyone!

10 June, 2009

Yahoo! Philippines Purple Hunt TV Ad

I saw the Yahoo! Philippines Purple Hunt TV ad twice last night while my friends and I were watching TV and thought it's pretty cool.

To watch the video, click HERE.

Happy hunting!


==========
Edited post as the original post's video link got deleted and now since I am having problems in embedding the video, I decided to just post the updated link.

06 June, 2009

Yahoo! Purple Hunt Market! Market! Mall Tour

Yesterday, my friend and I (together with her husband and her adorable daughter) went to Market! Market! so she can redeem her prize for the purple ticket that she found. I was there because as a Purple Crew member, I was to meet Stephanie of Yahoo! so we (and other Power Users) could later have dinner.

We arrived there at about 05:45 PM and I was pleased to see people crowding around the booth, especially in the area where the Honda car was. My friend claimed her prize (a Yahoo! purple wire organizer) and we then parted ways so she and her family can roam around the mall.

Later, when I met Stephanie and was with Kuya Jimmy, I asked her permission if I could take pictures and she agreed.

In the mall tour, there's the Purple Graffiti Wall where people had fun doodling, writing their thoughts or professing their love (yeah, I actually read the posts there, LOL).


Then there's the really cool Purplize Yourself photo booth. Here, there are purple props that one can use for his pictorial.


Introducing, the "Purple" Hornet. He he he!


There's the Find Purple Game Wall too where the participant will be asked to look for something (i.e. three purple hunt logos, the Honda Jazz car etc). There's a time limit though. Stephanie engaged us in this game by making us look for the three logos and the car. Successful finders in this game can then win prizes.


This booth here is where Purple Hunters can redeem their prizes.


And to cap this blog, below are pictures of what may be the most coveted prize of all - the Honda Jazz car! It was newly doodled as when I arrived there, the ink was still blatantly wet.


So for all of you who have already found the purple ticket, head now to Market! Market! to claim your prize and to enjoy all these really fun activities. The Market! Market! Purple Hunt mall tour will run from June 05 to 07, 2009.

For the complete mall tour schedule, click HERE.

05 June, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Yahoo! Philippines Purple Ticket

So you already found the purple ticket(s). Congratulations. Now what? Fret not as the reason why Purple Crew members like me is here is for us to guide you through your totally fun Purple Hunt.

Below are frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers. You may also click HERE for a fellow Purple Crew member's blogpost for the same topic.

How do I claim my Purple Gift? To redeem your Purple gift, just print the “Successful Purple Ticket Registration” email that you received. This will also entitle you to purchase a Globe Broadband Tattoo Prepaid kit for a special price of only Php1,695.

Purple gifts are available only until supplies last.

What may this Purple gift be? The Purple gift may be wire organizers, post-its, highlighters, tote bags, USB fans, Rubik Cube key chains or Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

How can I avail of the Krispy Kreme Purple doughnut? Easy. After you have printed out the “Successful Purple Ticket Registration” registration email, print out the Yahoo! Philippines front page as well and be one of the first 500 customers daily to have this really yummy treat.

Participating Krispy Kreme outlets are found in Bonifacio High Street, Global City, Taguig City; TriNoma Cinema Level, TriNoma, Quezon City; and Glorietta, Main Entrance, Makati City.

Purple doughnuts can be claimed in the above outlets only until 03:00 PM.

When and where is the Purple Hunt Tour? The Purple Hunt Tour is from June 05 – 18, 2009. It will be held in Ayala Malls. The specific dates and mall tour venue is in the “Successful Purple Registration.” You may also click HERE for my blog about the mall tour itself. Aside from detailing the venue and dates, the blog also lists the Yahoo! gifts that Purple Hunters can have and the activities that are in store to all Purple Hunters.

What are the Purple Hunt Tour hours? From Sunday to Thursday, it is from 11:00 AM to 09:00 PM and from Friday to Saturday, it is from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Can I hunt for multiple tickets? Yes. One ticket entitles you to 1 Purple goody, per person, per day, while stocks last during the mall tours. There are 14 mall tour days and you stand to win something every day if you head to Ayala Malls for all 14 days.

Are there any other Purple goodies to be won? There are other cool Purple goodies to be won, like cameras, smartphones, a surround sound system, a gaming console, iPod speakers and the grand prize of a Honda Jazz. Click HERE for details.

How will I know if I won any prize? Winners will be notified via mail or mobile and will receive instructions on how to redeem their prizes.

How can I be updated about the Purple Hunt? Yahoo! will update you through the Yahoo! Mail account that you used when you registered for the hunt.

This blog will also be updated each time there is something new about the Yahoo! Philippines Purple Hunt so stay tuned!

04 June, 2009

I Found Two More Purple Tickets!

Last night, I blogged about finding my Purple Ticket. Today, I decided to come up with a blog that will focus on the hunt itself as I have been getting questions about how to find the Purple Ticket, how does it look like, where can one be found and so on.

Finding the Purple Ticket
Purple Hunters can find the ticket either through the micro-site or by scouring through the webpages of Yahoo! products like Answers, Flickr, Messenger and Mail.

1. Through the micro-site. This can be found when one goes to the Yahoo! Philippines front page and clicks on the Yahoo! Purple Hunt banner.

2. Through Yahoo! products. Purple tickets are all over Yahoo! products. But please make sure that you are logged on to Yahoo! Philippines.

As navigating through the Yahoo! products webpages is really up to the user, I will thus focus this blog on "purple hunting" through the micro-site.

First step, click on the purple squares.



For my second Purple Hunt, after about four clicks, I was asked to go to Yahoo! News. The complete direction says, "Psst! Want a tip on where the Purple Tickets can be found? There's one hidden on Yahoo! News. Hurry and grab one for your free Purple gift! Valid from 5th to 18th June 2009."


After clicking on Claim Now, I was directed to the Yahoo! News webpage. My hunt for the Purple Ticket is on. After scanning the page, I immediately spotted the Purple Ticket located on the the upper right side corner of the page.


Buoyed by my second Purple Ticket, I decided to hunt again so I can gain more information about how the hunt really works.

The third time, after randomly clicking on the squares, I was informed that there's one hidden in Yahoo! Answers. The direction was the same as the one I got when I was directed to the Yahoo! News webpage (except for the named Yahoo! product of course). It says, "Psst! Want a tip on where the Purple Tickets can be found? There's one hidden on Yahoo! Answers. Hurry and grab one for your free Purple gift! Valid from 5th to 18th June 2009."


When the Yahoo! Answers webpage appeared, I scanned the entire page and did not immediately spot the ticket. When I scrolled down, I saw the ticket on the lower left side corner of the page. Cool.

After clicking on the ticket, the same registration page also appeared.

As I am part of the Purple Crew who will give out clues and help Purple Hunters, I thus cannot join the Purple Hunt itself.

Why then did I do the hunt? Well, it is because I want to familiarize myself with the ins and outs of the hunt that I may then share whatever I have learned with other Purple Hunters.

By the way, to Anna, a friend who said her eyes are already bleeding and her fingers are starting to fall off from all this hunting, I wish you the best. Hope you'll find more purple tickets today.

Find out about Anna's Yahoo! Answers question about the Purple Hunt ticket HERE.

For questions, feedback or concerns, please feel free to drop me a line or two.

Happy Hunting!

03 June, 2009

Yahoo! Philippines Mall Tours

Yahoo! Philippines will have mall tours in Ayala Malls starting June 05, 2009. For the complete schedule, please see below

Purple Hunt Tour Dates:

Market!Market!, Central Plaza - 5th June to 7th June (Friday - Sunday)

Greenbelt 3, Lobby - 8th June to 10th June (Monday - Wednesday)

Glorietta 3 , Lower Level Lobby - 11th June to 15th June (Thursday - Monday)

TriNoma, Level 4 - 16th June to 18th June (Tuesday - Thursday)

Purple Hunt Tour hours are Sunday to Thursday, 11:00 AM to 09:00 PM and on Friday and Saturday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

The mall tours are going to be packed full of games and activities such as “Purplize Yourself” photo booth, Find Purple Game Wall, Purple Graffiti Wall, Surf & Lounge laptop stations, Yahoo! Mobile stations and the doodled Honda car will also be on display except at Glorietta 3.

Yahoo! gifts are also available but only until supplies last. These gifts include:
Wire Organizers
Post-its
Highlighters
Tote Bags
USB Fans
Rubik Cube Key Chains
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Nestle Ube Ice Cream
Hope to see you there!

The Purple Ticket

So I will have a concrete idea on how the Purple Hunt works, I logged in to Yahoo! Philippines front page to hunt for the purple ticket. I spent about thirty minutes navigating through the micro-site and finally, I found it!

I was then prompted to register.


And an email was then sent to me about my successful Purple Ticket registration. Cool!


The ticket details how one can redeem his purple gift. It also has the validity and details on Yahoo's Purple Hunt Tours in Ayala malls.

Watch this site for more purple updates and do not forget to stay tuned to the Yahoo! Philippines front page.

Krispy Kreme "Purplized" Doughnuts

We left the Yahoo! Purple Hunt unveiling at around 9:00 PM. We bid goodbye to Lynn who ushered us out of the venue. Outside, Purple Crew members were given a box of “purplized” Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Awesome!

At home, I immediately opened the box and was delighted to find the purple doughnuts. They looked tempting and yummy!


I offered them to Kat, a housemate and friend. She found it delicious. A photographer, it was Kat who took these pictures. Thanks, girl.

The next day, I brought the remaining doughnuts to the office and my colleagues were all amazed at the “purplized” doughnuts. My boss also liked it, especially because she popped her share into the microwave and afterwards, dug into the soft, chocolate-y, purple-topped doughnuts. As for me, I love everything – from the color and the taste. Absolutely a treat to have!

So for all of you who want this yummy treat, log on to Yahoo! Philippines’ front page and start hunting! It’s so easy and more fun when it’s purple!