Category Archives: News
Calico Cat Cafe: Play and Dine With The Cutest Cats in Shinjuku, Tokyo!
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Early last April I came back from a trip to Japan with my family, and while the trip was short (2 and a half days!), it was utterly amazing and the experiences that were definitely worth repeating. Which I did, in a way–I came back to Japan in late April to enjoy it all over again with a few close friends! Best April ever.
While I got to explore the more cultural and otaku side of Japan with my friends, there were plenty of experiences I was able to enjoy with my family too. One of them was a visit to the kind of cafe I only ever read about, where you can play with amazingly fluffy fluffballs of purrfection.
That cafe was Shinjuku’s Calico Cat Cafe, the largest cat cafe in Tokyo!
#WNW: Trese, Persona 4, Fire Emblem Awakening and More New Keybies!
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How do you beat the heat?
After getting to experience spring in Japan, coming back to Manila was a blast–a blast from a blowdryer, only it’s not a blowdryer. It’s everywhere. While I prepare my Japan series, I’m rounding up another set of new keybies for #What’sNewWednesday!
The Flash joins our collection of heroes, Nowi joins Lucina in our Fire Emblem Awakening keybie collection, and Rise joins Yukiko in our Persona 4 collection!
We also have even more k-pop keybies with CNU of B1A4 and all the members of VIXX–as well as Trese, the Kambal, and Reborn from Katekyo Hitman Reborn redrawn!
Art in Island: Step Into a 3D Art World!
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In Guertena’s gallery, Ib went up against artwork that pulled her in a creepy world, chased her around said creepy world, met an assortment of characters, and showed her that art can be a very dangerous—but intriguing—thing.
Not this museum though. Far from scary, this museum is full of exhibits that also pull you in—only in ways that let you live fantastic adventures and hilarious moments all in one building without the horror.
This magical, crazy place is Art in Island, a 3D art museum in Cubao that allows its visitors to interact with all of the art!
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Step into the Art
When visiting, make sure you bring nice socks (you surrender your shoes before entering), a good camera, and a ton of imagination. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the artwork once you get inside.
Ideally, the best time to come so you can take it easy finding that perfect pose is on a weekday, but we came one Sunday morning and lucky us—we got to enjoy the art with fewer people than usual.
Most of the exhibits have examples for poses so you can get ideas for just the right pose or camera angle. There are also stickers on the floor that serve as guides for the best place to take photos from.
It can take a bit of a effort to pose yourself to look like you’re properly interacting with the murals, like taking care not to look at the walls and pretending to look at something ‘in front of you.’
After a while I stopped caring about how I looked while ‘expressing’ myself—and neither should you! Don’t worry about looking silly or downright stupid—no one will care how you look unless it was a pose they can use for inspiration!
Art in Island is all about unleashing your creativity and being one with the art.
Just kidding.
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Explore new places
It’s like taking a trip around the world, and then some. How would you resist stepping into places like an underwater paradise—
An ‘above water’ paradi—I mean adventure—
An ancient Egyptian escapade—
A drive to what might’ve been the original Caesar’s palace—
A literal storybook world—
And lovely places like Venice or Rome.
The place just takes adventure to new heights I tell you.
I even visited hell. This guy was very accommodating, but he needs to put on weight.
In ways that would make Dante (the poet, not the half-breed badass) proud, I also got to see heaven.
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Meet new friends
The characters you meet are fascinating on their own, too, and there were plenty to see!
Like the complete lack of dental cavities in this new friend–
A wildebeest who seems to love Coca Cola as much as I do–
I think I learned how to communicate with dragons perfectly, too.
I’m already a small person, I didn’t want this giant pointing it out.
I think this gorilla’s adoptive parents are happy he met a new friend, but I’m not so sure.
Who’s a good kitty? Who’s a good kitty?
Heck, I even met Santa Claus and told his reindeer I was a good girl this year. So far.
Totally good. Promise.
I mean, I may have visited hell—-
But my wings are totally clean.
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It’s all in the mind—err, eye.
Apart from clever angles and scenic views, Art in Island offers optical illusions that make you anywhere from larger than life—
Topsy-turvy—
And all kinds of trippy!
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How to make the most of your visit
Not gonna lie—getting the perfect pic with all these paintings can be really challenging, so don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first try. Every picture here was the result of multiple takes!
- Imagine the scene as 3D
This may sound a little weird, but don’t just look at the paintings or the camera when you’re posing. Imagine yourself in whatever scene you’re in, and take note of how and where the objects you’re interacting with are located.
This makes the angles of your face cooperate with the illusion that you’re in a ‘real’ scene, and not just standing against a painting. It helps most especially when you’re ‘holding’ something, for example.
- look at examples for ideas and plan ahead
Unless you planned things really well and visited Art in Island on a day when no one else is around, you’re going to be waiting a lot for a picture with some of the exhibits. You can take this time to look for posted guide photos that show great ideas and examples of how to pose.
These photos are usually on an ordinary wall near the exhibit you want to pose in.
- Be the next Oscar winner and play with your face!
Wouldn’t it get boring if every picture you take is of you smiling—even when you’re about to be eaten by a giant anglerfish? Don’t be a smiley Bella Swan and keep the same face every time—play it up!
It’s a lot more interesting to show a whole range of what your face can do when reacting to different scenarios, so give that smile a break and practice looking terrified, sneaky, or maybe even downright evil.
- Get your friends or family to act with you
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then it’s easy to say that a picture’s capable of telling a story. If you’re stuck without a good pose, try to think up a nice little story/scenario to go with your picture to get you in the mood and have you react accordingly to whatever’s happening in the exhibit.
What’s more, it makes it easier for a group to be consistent—and adds an excellent touch of variety to boot!
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Inspiring work
At the end of the exhibits, a long wall proudly displays the many palettes that the museum’s artists used to paint all the beautiful murals within the building.
It’s an amazing sight to see, especially when they offer a reminder that talented people are responsible for handpainting all that art for 120 days.
Is it worth a second visit? You bet.
I’m definitely coming back! There were so many installations that I wasn’t able to fully enjoy. Art in Island is a perfect place to take epic pictures of yourself, your family, and your friends, and all you need is P500 pesos, a good imagination—and the confidence to keep a pose for 5 seconds!
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Art in Island
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM
Address: 175 15th Avenue, Brgy. Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City
Ticket price: P500 for adults, P400 for students, PWDs and senior citizens
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3 Little Things I learned On My First Trip to Japan
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When my family scheduled a trip to Japan, I was beyond excited. Not only were we going to spend 3 whole days in Tokyo—we were going during the peak of cherry blossom season!
I admit that my otaku days have faded considerably since several years back, but there was no denying how Japan had so much more to offer than anime culture. We were determined to milk our experience there as much as we could.
Food, sights, a bit of shopping, and a chance to practice my incredibly rusty Japanese were all things we indulged in during our short but eventful stay. Considering it was me and my family’s first time too, there were several helpful things we learned that helped us get around. I’d love to share them for anyone who’s planning a Japan trip to Tokyo for the first time too!
1. Pocket wifi is very, very important
Not (just) for surfing (though we did research on certain places on the spot and it was very useful) or even for posting on social media (which we also did—on the spot) but for the wondrous thing that is Google Maps.
While it can be argued that being lost is a great start of an adventure, we didn’t exactly have the time to wander around leisurely if we were aiming to make the most out of 3 days. Some of the places we wanted to get to weren’t easy to spot or even ask directions for, especially with the language barrier. That’s how Google Maps and its ultra helpful moving blue arrow saved us from doubling both our fatigue and searching time.
Number 1 catchphrase of the trip: “Is it moving?”
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2. It helps to know basic Japanese
By basic, I don’t just mean ‘my name is’ or ‘how are you’, or even ‘thank you’ and ‘good morning’.
Most people we met knew enough English for us to get by. When we did encounter friendly locals who didn’t speak much English though, the phrases I found to be the most useful were those relating to both English and directions.
In particular, the words and phrases I used the most (apart from arigatou gozaimasu and gomen nasai, which I use very, very liberally) and found very helpful were:
Where is _____? = _____ wa doko desu ka?
Where is here? = Koko wa doko desu ka? (great for knowing where you are on your printed map!)
Left = Hidari
Right = Migi
Wakaranai = I don’t understand
It also pays to know hiragana and katakana. Try to download a pic of these two alphabets for emergencies–like if you were trying to locate Don Quixote in Shinjuku to find an elusive cat cafe.
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3. Plan where you want to go
Okay, so this last one applies to any place you’re traveling to, but it’s a good reminder all the same. We got to visit great restaurants that we wouldn’t have been able to find from just roaming around Ginza (where we stayed), and that’s because we did our research about these places beforehand.
You wouldn’t want to get tired and waste time wandering around new places, would you? Unless that was your plan all along. If not, save your feet, and plan ahead!
Besides, there’re so many things to see in Japan–and 3 days was definitely not enough, even if we managed our time pretty well.
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Want to know what to see and do in Japan?
Make sure you don’t miss out! Our friends at Japanloverme created handy dandy (and really kawaii) infographics to help you sightsee and experience Japan to the fullest.
Save them to your phone for your next trip!
Cute and Custom Wedding Favor Ideas That Won’t Break Your Budget
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Every future bride wants to make sure the happiest day of her life runs perfectly–from the big decisions like the perfect place for the wedding, to the little details like wedding favors or giveaways.
Wedding favors are a great way to share what you and your significant other love with friends and family. It could be a trinket that’s symbolic of a memory you both cherish, such as the day you met, or it could be a souvenir that showcases the interests that brought you both together. It could even be a special, personalized item that symbolizes how you want to present yourself and your spouse for your guests to remember your day with you.
Keychains can do all that for you, and while the possibilities are endless, with keybies–the possibilities are both endless and affordable. Keybie wedding favors can be designed to fit any theme, and make a memorable keepsake from your wedding day.
Ms. Manager and Butler Kay ready to serve up wedding keybie cuteness!
Don’t take it from us though–we’ve had the honor of designing wedding favors for these happy couples, and we’re happy to share what we did for them just to give you ideas for that absolutely perfect wedding favor.
Josie Rizal, Tekken 7’s New Filipina Character!
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A Filipina is coming to the lineup of Tekken 7, and she’s such a cutie!
According to Bandai Namco Games‘ Katsuhiro Harada, her fighting style specializes in eskrima and kickboxing.
CSCENTRL Closed: Other Places To Buy Keybies
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Regulars at Greenbelt 1 may have already noticed, but unfortunately–CSCENTRL, the hobby shop in Greenbelt 1 right across Greenbelt 5, is now closed. CSCENTRL was our first mall location, and it had been helping us serve keybie cuteness for more than six years. We’re not sure yet when we’ll be able to sell keybies in the Makati area again, but we’ll keep you guys posted for sure. More —
It Pays to Look Back
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The Keybie Cafe’s been around for a really long time. Really long. Even I forget just how long we’ve been serving dotty-eyed cuteness, but on days when all I can remember is how tiring or time-consuming doing that can be, it pays to look back.
It was much harder back then. If you’ve clicked that little About Us page above and skimmed through, you’d know that the Cafe started because I wanted trinkets of my favorite characters. The only thing I had to make those ‘trinkets’ was the trending craft at a time when ‘trending’ wasn’t really a word: paper clay.
Dante, Vincent Valentine, and Riku were my biggest crushes.
#CosplayerBaymax: Baymax Reimagined as Popular Anime Characters
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Who doesn’t love Baymax?
This tall white and cuddly personal health care provider from Big Hero 6 is cute, adorably squishy, and he’s been wonderfully reimagined as famous Disney characters–so I thought, why not make an anime version?
Without further ado–let’s see those Baymax cosplays!
