Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House was released just two days ago and it already has rave reviews. The series has 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the website saying that it “is an effective ghost story whose steadily mounting anticipation is just as satisfying as its chilling payoff.” I already want to see it but I heard it’s scary so I’m waiting for the time when I can watch it during the daytime.

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One of my biggest theater regrets is not seeing The Phantom of the Opera when it was staged in Manila in 2012. Back then, I wasn’t a fan of theater so I didn’t bother getting tickets. But since I became a convert, I was jealous of those who have seen the musical live and have heard my favorite song, also called “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Now I’ll get to finally see it because the show will be back in 2019 and you can already buy tickets!

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If you still haven’t made plans for the next few weekends, I have a suggestion for you: head on over to Tiendesitas because they have some fun events for guests all Saturdays this month!

Tiendesitas is known as Pasig’s hub for Filipino culture with food stalls, native decors, furniture, and fashion. To continue its advocacy for supporting local, they have invited some of the country’s top acts to perform for guests.

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People know I’m sex-positive, sometimes to the extreme. I have no shame discussing the topic (except the names of people I have sex with), and I feel it’s one that we should normalize since it’s how we were created. People have no problems discussing other things. Why not discuss something pleasurable?

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You’re never too old for cartoons and if you’re a fan of Cartoon Network, you should head on over to Ayala Malls because the two have partnered for Animate Your Life, a celebration of fun, fans, and fans of fun (try saying that quickly for three times).

For the whole month of October, you can check out larger-than-life installations and inflatables of your favorite characters from The Powerpuff Girls, We Bare Bears, Ben 10, and Adventure Time at Ayala Malls.

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For those seeking greener pastures abroad, one of the things that they have to go through if they’re going to an English-speaking country is to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, a language assessment test to prove they can speak the language.

Over 10,000 organizations in 140 countries trust and accept IELTS as a reliable indicator of English proficiency. It covers four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. There are two types of tests, the IELTS Academic, which measures English proficiency needed for an academic environment, regardless of the subject focus; and the IELTS General Training, which measures proficiency in a practical and everyday context.

Because of the word test, people get intimidated by it, thinking that their chances of moving abroad will be crushed if they fail it. But that is just one of the many misconceptions about the IELTS. It’s not as scary as some people make it out to be.

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There’s plenty of homegrown talent in the music scene and there will be another opportunity to showcase our best musicians, this time at the Pinoy Playlist 2018, Ito ay Atin, Sariling Atin, an annual music festival showcasing the complexity of Filipino musicality curated by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, Moy Ortiz, and Noel Ferrer.

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Ever since I started living on my own five months ago, one of the household tasks I enjoy the most is cooking. Sure, the dishes I cook are mostly basic but I find the activity therapeutic. And there’s something to be said about preparing the food you eat, especially if it ends up delicious and filling. There’s plenty of things I want to do in the kitchen but there’s one thing that intimidates me: baking.

People say that cooking is an art and baking is a science. There’s all this talk about precision that you’d think bakers are talking about building a spaceship instead of a batch of oatmeal cookies. But I got to read RV Manabat’s More Baking Secrets, the sequel to the bestselling Baking Secrets, and my fears have somewhat minimized.

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