10/15 Earthquake Tragedy: Bohol's Greatest Nightmare

As much as I would want my blog to just have "good vibes" and happy posts, I could barely stand the thought of not writing anything about what happened yesterday, October 15th -- when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the place where I grew up, the beautiful Bohol.

 

I am not in Bohol right now. Good thing, because I was spared from the earthquake incident. But I am not feeling any better because my family is there. Plus, my relatives and friends. And Bohol is more than home to me.

 

Here are some of the heartbreaking photos I've seen on Facebook & Instagram: (I don't own any of these)

 

These are some of the severely damaged churches in Bohol.
You can see here the "before" and "after" photos of the old churches.
 

You see, our province's pride is our culture and heritage. The Boholano people have done such a great job in preserving that -- the churches you can see above are centuries old. They were taken good care of, and stood there for so many years. Generations and generations of families came and went in there to pray and hear masses, but just yesterday, that pride was taken away by the earthquake. :(

 

The photos here were uploaded by netizens on Facebook, and shared by my FB friends. I do not own any of these. I just put them together to show you a picture of how the earthquake affected the lives of the Boholanos.

1st photo leftmost: Road cracks in Loboc
2nd photo leftmost: The Abatan bridge submerged into the water. This is the bridge from Cortes-Maribojoc.
3rd photo leftmost (bottom): Total wreckage of the Tubigon church arch, also showing damages to Tubigon parish church behind.
1st photo center: Moaong bridge collapsed. A bridge in Loon, Bohol. This is where you pass through from Calape going to Loon proper.
2nd photo center: Destroyed road at Getafe, Bohol
3rd photo center: Road cracks in Baclayon
1st photo rightmost: Holy Name University main campus
2nd photo rightmost: Chocolate hills viewing deck
3rd photo rightmost: Chocolate Hills :(

 

If you are reading this, I am asking you to please help us in praying for our dear province, Bohol, as well as its neighboring islands. As of writing, aftershocks are still experienced every now and then. Prayers are powerful. Say a little prayer for the victims of this calamity. Thank you. Take care everyone! <3

Rose Paul: From Bangkok to Bohol & Beyond

Sassy. Fabulous. Stylish. In. These are some of the words we use to generally describe the clothes we would want to purchase, and eventually wear. Moreover, with our advancing technology today, it is an undeniable fact that we seek for the comfort of home as much as possible. Shopping in the comfort of our own homes is now possible with online shops. And here's one online shop I have been wanting to feature.

If you're a Boholano, then I bet you have heard of the famous online shop Rose Paul Bangkok. Quite a unique name for an online shop, you say? The shop's name is a combination of two names, Rose and Paul - the lovely couple who owns the said shop.

I did an online interview with Miss Rose to find out more about her shop. Well, I would've wanted to meet her in person, but I'm here in US now, and she's been travelling to and from Thailand. So read on and learn more about Rose Paul Bangkok, or simply RPBkk.

FROM BANGKOK

It all started with Facebook. Miss Rose, the shop owner, is a university lecturer in Bangkok, Thailand. Every time she posts her OOTDs or "outfit of the day" (since according to her they do not have teacher's uniform), a lot of her FB friends would ask for her dresses and ended up giving them away. Until, one of her former students suggested an idea saying, "Why don't you turn it into a business?" It was when she realized, "Yeah, why not?" And so came the birth of RPBkk, October 1st, 2009.

The first collections featured on the shop was of Miss Rose's pre-loved clothes and new ones which were her personal choices. Later, they opened to more variety -- such as jumpsuits, maxis, long gowns, cocktails, prints and everything new in fashion -- to cater to everyone's needs. "The clothes we have now are not just what I prefer to wear but what others might want to wear," Miss Rose states.

When asked about their clothes and if they design some of them, Miss Rose answers, "90% of our clothes are RTWs made and bought in Bangkok. However, we also design for special occasions like debuts, weddings, beauty pageants (production number, playsuit, casual wear segments)."

Rose, Paul and their kids Huey and Harl (plus a baby girl on the way!).
They usually model the RPBkk clothes.

TO BOHOL

Rose, or Roseth Mascariñas Ranara, hails from Booy, Tagbilaran City, Bohol. And while their online clothing shop business was taking off, she, together with her husband Prince Paul Ranara, decided to build a customer lounge right in front of the Mascariñas residence. "We call it RPBkk lounge where the customers can claim their orders personally," she marks.

And even if they already have the RPBkk lounge, they basically are still doing online transactions. They just cater to offline clients by way of appointment basis.

RPBkk customer lounge at Booy Dist, Tagbilaran City.
And yes, it is Thai-inspired ;)

BEYOND BOHOL

I asked if they have a lot of customers outside Bohol and asked what places they are from. This was Miss Rose's response: "In fact, 90% of our clients are from outside Bohol. Locally we have clients from almost all parts of the Philippines. Internationally, the bulk of our clients are from Norway, Denmark, Spain, New Zealand, Iceland, Italy, Canada, Qatar, Dubai, Taiwan and Japan." Now, this makes RPBkk world-class! :)

One of their profile photos, which I find very creative.



However, like many other businesses, they too have teeny-tiny trials on their way to success. According to Miss Rose, every now and then, there are joy reservers and bogus buyers but she accepts these as part of this kind of business.

Of course, I also asked her about their secret/s to a successful business (which is no longer a secret now. hehe). And she gives me this list:

•  up-to-date stocks
• reasonable prices
• family owned and managed (her mom, dad and sister manages RPBkk Bohol)
• high quality photos
• lenient on delayed payments
• no bogus buyer album
• accumulated orders until one month or so (so that customers can save on money transfer charges and shipping fees)

Of course, I also purchased a RosePaul dress myself!
Worn last January this year (explains the boots, it's winter season).
Photo by R. Saria

So what are you waiting for? If there's a dress you've fallen in love with, just say "mine" and it's yours! Happy shopping! <3

Photos of RPBkk were grabbed with permission.

Firmoo Free Glasses October Update

My month has officially started! It's October -- and I know it'll be a great month for So Sweet Suzette blog. As we say "hello" to this new month, here's some good news from Firmoo.

1. New Customers get your first pair free at Firmoo.com right now! Check out http://www.firmoo.com/free-glasses.html

2. All free code eligible eyegwear at that page is offered in limited quantities every day. First come, first served!

3. For new customers only. One pair per person.

4. All free frames come complete with 1.50 single vision lenses, complimentary cases, cleaning cloth and other accessories. You just need to pay shipping.

5. Full refund for dissatisfaction.

If you never tried Firmoo or bought glasses on-line, here are some tips that might help:

The virtual try-on system is a great help in choosing your favorite glasses:

1. You'll see all wearing effects by switching to the virtual try-on mode on the product list page.
2. Upload your own pictures to see how you'll look with the chosen glasses on.
3. When you move the mouse over your favorite glasses, you'll find some users wearing the pair on the right side of the page. Which will be a great reference.

 

See more real and unbiased comments from users:

1. Do people people wearing your chosen pair of glasses under the product info go with your styles?

2. Take more customers feedbacks for reference.

Pictures and Videos from Customers:
Click here to view more related videos on youtube.


(The above customer photos are all derived from Firmoo+.)

 

New Customers, check more products for your first free pair at Firmoo.com right now! You just need to pay shipping. First come, first served!

About Firmoo
Firmoo is the World's Most Popular Online Eyeglasses Store. We have always been committed ourselves to offering customers the best quality products at the most affordable prices which start at 8 dollars- 80%-90% lower compared to that in local store.

 

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