ENGLISH 101: HOW TO PRONOUNCE BRANDS OF WATCHES?

1.     Lange & Sohne

a.     A. lahng un zoo-nah

b.     ah LAHN guh und ZO nuh

2.     Alpina - al PEE nuh

3.     Armand Nicolet - are MAHND NIK o lay

4.     Audemars Piguet

a.     awe-de (short e on de)-MARR pee-GAY

b.     aw-dee-MAR, PEE-gay

c.     AWE duh mahr PEE gay

5.     Baume & Mercier

a.     bome-MAY & mair-cyay

b.     BOWM and MURSE ee ay

6.     Bédat - BAY dah

7.     Blancpain

a.     BLONK-pan (very soft n on the end)

b.     BLON-pan (the C of Blancpain is not pronounced in french unlike english with for ex Mel Blanc)

c.     Blahnk-Pan

d.     Blahn Pan (soft K)

8.     Bovet - BO vay

9.     Breitling - BRITE-ling

10. Breguet

a.     BRE (short E)-gay

b.     BREH gay

11. Breil - BRILE

12. Bulova - BULL uh vuh

13. Bulgari - BUL guh ree

14. Carl F. Bucherer - Bucherer: BOO kur ur

15. Cartier

a.     kar-t-yay

b.     KARR tee ay

16. Chase-Durer - CHASE DUR ur

17. Chopard

a.     show-par

b.     show PARD

18. Corum

a.     Kore-um

b.     KOR um

19. Cuervo y Sobrinos - KWER vo ee so BREE nohs

20. Custos - COO stohs

21. Cyma - SEE muh

22. Daniel Roth - Roth: ROTE

23. De Bethune - deh bet OON

24. DeWitt - deh VITT

25. Doxa - DOX uh

26. Dubey & Schaldenbrand - due bay and SHALL den brand

27. Ebel

a.     AY-ble

b.     ee BELL

28. Favre-Leuba - FAHV LUBE uh

29. F.P. Journe - Journe: ZHURN

30. Franck Muller - FRAHNK MYOU ler

31. Frédérique Constant - FRED ur eek con STAHNT

32. Gérald Genta - Genta: JEN tuh

33. Girrard Perregaux

a.     jir-ard per-ay-go

b.     zhee RAHRD PAIR uh go

34. Glashütte Original - glass HOO tuh or ig in AHL

35. Glycine - GLY seen

36. Greubel and Forsey - GROIB uhl and FORCE ee

37. Heuer

a.     HEW-er

b.     should be Horyer

38. Hublot

a.     HEW-blow

b.     U blow

39. Hysek - HIGH sek

40. Ingraham - ing-gram

41. IWC Schaffhausen - Schaffhausen: shaff HOWZ in

42. Jaeger

a.     YAY-gur

b.     YAY-gur- / Jay ger is a posibility depending if you hold with the French or the Germans

43. Jaeger-Le Coultre

a.     yay-GER le-COOL-tre (short e on the end)                    

44. -Jay-GER Le-Cooltre (because they are in Le Sentier, if they were located in Schauffhausen it would be your way)

a.     zhey ZHER leh KOOLT   

45. Jaquet Droz - ZHOCK ay DROH

46. Jean Dunand - ZHAHN due NAHND

47. JeanRichard - zhahn ree SHARD

48. Kobold - KO bald

49. Le Coultre

a.     luh-kool-tray

b.     Luh-kool-tre soft e on the end

50. Limes - lee MEZ

51. Longines

a.     LAWNG-jeen

b.     LAWN jeen

52. Louis Érard - loo ees air AHRD

53. Louis Moinet - loo ee mwah NAY

54. Louis Vuitton - lou ee vwee TAHN

55. Maurice Lacroix - Lacroix: LAH KWAH

56. Mido - MEE doe

57. Milus - mee LOOSE

58. Montblanc MOHNT BLAHNK

59. Moser MO zer

60. Movado

a.     moe-VAH-doe

b.     muh VAH doe

61. Mühle Glashütte - MEW luh glass HOO tuh

62. Nardin - nar din

63. Nomos - NO mose

64. Omega

a.     oh-me-guh

b.     o MAY guh

65. Officine Panerai - off ih CHEE nay PAN ur eye

66. Parmigiani Fleurier - pahrm ih ZHAH nee FLUR ee ay

67. Patek Philippe

a.     pat-ECK phil-LEAP

b.     pa-tek fee-leep

c.     pah TEK fill EEP

68. Paul Picot

a.     paul PEE-coe

b.     Picot: pih CO

69. Perrelet - PAIR eh lay

70. Piaget

a.     PEE-ah-jay        

b.     pee-uh-jaay

c.     pee gay

d.     pee ah ZHAY

71. Rado - rah-doe

72. Ralph Lauren - Lauren: LOR en

73. Richard Mille - REE shard MEEHL

74. Roger Dubuis - roe ZHER do BWEE

75. Schaffausen - shaf-HOW-zun

76. Seiko - SAY ko

77. Sinn - ZIN

78. TAG Heuer - TAG HOI ur

79. Tissot

a.     tee-SOh

b.     TEE so

80. Tutima - TOO tih muh

81. Ulysse Nardin - you LEESE nahr DAN (The last syllable is spoken with a short, nasal “a” with no real equivalent in       English. The “n” is not pronounced fully, but cut off in the back of the mouth as soon as it begins.)

82. Universal Geneve

a.     u-knee-ver-salle (short a, short e)GEN-ev

b.     Genéve: jeh NEV

83. Vacheron Constantin

a.     VACHE-err-on CON-stan-tn

b.     VASH-er-on, CON-stan-teen

c.     VASH er ahn kon stan TAN (For last syllable, see note for “Ulysse Nardin.”)

84. Van Cleef & Arpels - Arpels: ahr PELL

85. Victorinox - vick TOR ih nox

86. Vulcain - VULL CAN

87. Wenger - WEN ger

88. Wittnauer 

a.     Wit-nower

b.     Vit nower

c.     WIT now ur

89. Wyler Genève - VEE ler jeh NEV

90. Xemex - ZEM ex

91. Zenith - ZEH nith

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTE - P1000

The new P1000 peso note is almost the same with the previous design. Lim , Escoda and Santos, the pictures of Centennial Celebration of Philippine Independence can be seen at the front of P1000 peso bill. At the back the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park with the pic of South Sea Pearl. 

Obverse:

• José Abad Santos
• Vicente Lim
• Josefa Llanes Escoda
• Centennial celebration of Philippine independence
• Medal of Honor, which was awarded to Abad Santos, Lim, and Escoda

Reverse:

• Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Sulu Sea
• South Sea pearl
• Mindanao design for Tinalak (Ikat-dyed abaca)

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTE - P500

Ninoy Aquino and Cory Aquino can be seen at the front of the new Philippine 500 bill with the pictures of EDSA People Power 1 in 1986 and pic of Benigno monument on Ayala Avenue, Makati. At the back the picture of Blue-naped Parrot and pics of Subterranean Underground River in Puerto Princesa in Palawan. 

Obverse:

• Corazon C. Aquino
• Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.
• EDSA People Power I
• Benigno Aquino monument in Makati City

Reverse: 

• Subterranean Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan
• Blue-naped Parrot
• Southern Philippines cloth design

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTE - P200

The younger picture of Diosdado Macapagal with the picture of EDSA People power 2001. At the back, the picture of Philippine Tarsier known also known as Boot and the pictures of chocolate hills in Bohol. 

Obverse: 

• Diosdado P. Macapagal
• EDSA People Power 2001
• Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite
• Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan

Reverse:

• Chocolate Hills in Bohol
• Philippine tarsier
• Visayas textile design

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTE - P100

The younger picture of Manuel Roxas, pictures of old BSP Building in Intramuros and pictures of the inauguration of the 2nd republic can be seen at the front of the new Philippine 100 peso note. And at the back, the picture of Mayon Volcano with the picture of Butanding (whale shark) 

Obverse:

• Manuel A. Roxas
• Old BSP building in Intramuros, Manila
• Inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic

Reverse: 

• Mayon Volcano in Albay
• Whale shark
• Bicol textile design

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTE - P50

The design of the new Philippine 50 peso note features a younger looking Sergio Osmeña, with the graphics image of the famous Leyte landing of General Douglas McArthur, Sergio Osmena and Carlos P. Romulo. The first national assembly can be seen at the left side. The Taal lake and the pictures of Maliputo (Giant trevally fish) are featured at the back of 50peso note. 

Obverse:

• Sergio S. Osmeña
• First National Assembly of the Philippines
• Leyte Landing 

Reverse:

• Taal Lake in Batangas
• Giant trevally
• Batangas embroidery design

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTE - P20

The new Philippine 20 peso note features the younger looking picture of Manuel L. Quezon. And the picture of Malacañang Palace and the declaration of Filipino as Philippine’s national language. At the back of 20 peso note, the picture of Banaue Rice Terraces with a picture of a wild cat called Musang. 

Obverse:

• Manuel L. Quezon
• Declaration of Filipino as a national language
• Malacañang Palace

Reverse:

• Banaue Rice Terraces
• Palm civet
• Cordilleras weave design

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NEW PHILIPPINE NOTES

A smiling image of the late President Corazon Aquino has now joined the image of her husband, the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., on the new P500 bill.

The inclusion of Mrs. Aquino, mother of President Benigno Aquino III, is part of the new look given to all Philippine bank notes that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) unveiled Thursday.

President Aquino, whose signature is now on the new bank notes, led the launching in Malacañang.

"It does make me happy, as a son and as a Filipino, to have my parents on the same bank note. It is a testament to what they sacrificed for our people, and a testament to their love for our country," he said.

He pointed out a major difference between his parents and himself: "It also serves as a constant reminder for me that my parents were more fortunate than I in finding that person that made them whole and allowed them to achieve the heights that they did."

This elicited laughter from the audience.

The design of the new P500 bill features the faces of President Cory Aquino and the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino. Jam Sisante BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the new bank notes took three years to conceptualize and print. The idea to include Mrs. Aquino on the P500 bill, however, was conceived when she passed away in August 2009.

Tetangco said the BSP decided to include Mrs. Aquino on the bank note even before President Aquino announced in September that he would seek the presidency.

The BSP will start producing and circulating the new bills this month, but the old bills are still considered legal tender and are expected to remain in circulation for around three more years.

BSP corporate affairs director Fe Dela Cruz said the phasing in of the new designs and the phasing out of the old ones will be gradual, starting with the P20 bills, in time for Christmas.

All six denominations — P20, P50, P100, P200, P500, and P1,000 — have new designs and security features. Below are the new designs:


P20 bill Obverse: Manuel L. Quezon Reverse: Banaue Rice Terraces and a palm civet from the Cordilleras, which are famous for producing the civet cat coffee or kapeng alamid.

On the bottom left corner of the P200 bill is the famous photo of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's oath-taking during the People Power II revolution. Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. can be seen on the right administering the oath. P50 bill Obverse: Sergio Osmeña Reverse: Taal Lake and the Giant Trevally (locally known as Maliputo), a delicious milky fish

P100 bill Obverse: Manuel A. Roxas Reverse: Mayon Volcano and the "butanding" or whale shark, the world's largest fish and the main attraction of Donsol, Sorsogon

P200 bill Obverse: Diosdado Macapagal Reverse: Bohol's Chocolate Hills and the Philippine tarsier, one of the world's smallest primates

P500 bill Obverse: Corazon Aquino and Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Reverse: Palawan's Subterranean River National Park and the blue-naped parrot, which thrives in the forests of Palawan and Mindoro

P1,000 bill Obverse: Josefa Llanes Escoda, Vicente P. Lim, and Jose Abad Santos Reverse: Tubbataha Reef Marine Park and the South Sea Pearl, which is produced by oysters that thrive in the South Seas of which the Sulu Sea is part

The images of the national figures on the obverse side of the bills show them at a younger age. Fe Dela Cruz, director of the BSP's corporate affairs office, said in an ambush interview the youthful images were chosen because the public servants and heroes on the bank notes served the country during their prime.

The image of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo taking her oath of office after the second EDSA Revolution, which was on the reverse side of the old P200 bill, is now on the obverse side. The image, located on the lower left side, is much smaller.

The P200 bill features the face of former President Diosdado Macapagal. While the image of his daughter, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will remain on the P200 bill, it will be much smaller and moved to the bottom left corner of the bill. Jam SisanteJam Sisante

The new security features of the bank notes include embossed prints, serial numbers, security fibers, watermarks, security thread, optically variable device, optically variable ink, and a see-through mark. The amount of features increase as the value of the note goes up.

The see-through mark is the word "Pilipino" written in Baybayin, a pre-Spanish Philippine writing system, which can only be seen completely when the note is viewed against the light.

A bank note's design is first conceptualized before it is drawn by an artist into a prototype banknote. Once the prototype has been approved, printing plates will be produced.

The production of bank notes consists of litho printing; intaglio printing; sheet inspection; numbering; tenning (where numbered sheets are inspected every tenth sheet to check if there are defects); and finishing which includes cutting, counting and packaging, according to the BSP.

Present during the launching were relatives of the heroes and officials shown on the bank notes.

Luli Arroyo, Mrs. Arroyo’s daughter, was present at the ceremony to represent her mother and grandfather. She and President Aquino, her mother’s political adversary, only shook hands briefly when the Arroyo family was asked to come onstage for the unveiling of the new P1,000 bill. — KBK/VS/HS/MRT/JV, GMANews.TV


 

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STORY: MANIC MONDAY

November 22, 2010. According to my plan, after my 300 PM shift, I'll be going to St. Luke's Hospital for my PT.

Mga bandang alas-dos pa lang ata nun, mula sa aking station, nababanaag kong tila masama ang lagay ng panahon sa labas. Alam kong pumapatak na ang luha ng kalangitan sa kalupaan. May pagkabigo akong naramdaman na baka di ako makapunta ng St. Luke's.

Dumating ang alas-tres. Minabuti kong tapusin ang aking ginagawa para maaga akong makalabas ng office. Mula sa loob ng opisina, nakikita ko sa salamin ang malalaking butil ng ulan na bumabagsak mula sa kalangitan. Nasa 26th floor ang aming opisina. Wala na ring makita sa labas dahil sa kapal ng ulan.

Aantayin kong tumila ang ulan nang sa ganoo'y makapunta ako ng ospital. Si Amihan na dapat ay kasama kong mag-MRT ay nagmadali nang umuwi.

Nag-antay pa ako ng ilang minuto. Tapos na ako sa aking trabaho. Palakad-lakad sa floor at paminsan-minsan ay nakikipagkulitan.

Nang mapatingin ako sa aking relo, alas-tres y media pa lang pala. Maaga pa naman. Nang dumungaw ako mula sa salamin ng bintana, maaliwalas na rin ang kapaligiran. Tila huminto na ang ulan. Nagdesisyon akong bumaba na para makaalis. Kasama kong bumaba ng building yung iba kong mga katrabaho.

Nang makarating kami sa baba at makalabas ng building, may ulan pang bumubuhos ngunit di katulad nang naunang oras. Nagsipag-alisan na sila. Nagpaiwan ako sa baba dahil wala akong payong o anumang pananggalang sa ulan.

Mga bandang alas-quatro iyon, halos pawala na ang ulan. Muli akong umakyat ng building. Inaya ko si Ella na umuwi na para may kasama rin ako papunta ng EDSA ngunit di pa raw siya uuwi. Nang mag-desisyon akong bumaba na at umalis mag-isa, pabalik na naman ang ulan. Nagtatakbo ako palayo ng building. Di pa naman kalakasan ang ulan ngunit nababasa na rin ako. Takbo. Takbo. Takbo. Iyon ang ginawa ko hanggang sa makarating ng Shangri-La.

Habang sa loob ng malamig na mall, ramdam ko ang pawis sa aking katawan dulot ng pakikibaka sa ulan.

Sa MRT station naman, di rin naman masyadong matao. Sakto lang. Ngunit sa pangalawang train pa ako nakasakay mula nang makarating ako sa platform. Bumaba ako ng Cubao. Gusto kong malamigan ang aking pakiramdam kaya naman dumaan ako sa Starbucks Gateway. Bumili ako ng Strawberry Chip.

Mula sa Aurora Blvd, sumakay ako ng fx paputang Quiapo. Bababa ako ng St. Luke's. Mga ilang minuto pa ng biyahe, nararamdaman ko na ang traffic sa kalsada. Medyo bumabagal na ang usad ng mga sasakyan. Nagawa namang makawala ng driver ngunit maya-maya pa'y umiba siya ng ruta. Paalala ko sa driver, "Kuya may St. Luke's po."

Umiwas pala ang driver sa traffic kaya umiba siya ng ruta. Habang nasa fx, naririnig ko ang bawat pagpatak ng ulan sa bubong ng sasakyan.

Ilang streets pa ang aming dinaanan, kumanan na si Kuya sa may fastfood chain sa E. Rod Ave. Mula doon, ramdam ko na ang traffic. Mabagal na nga ang usad ng mga sasakyan. Hinihiling ko na sana ay di pa magsara ang pupuntahan ko sa main hospital. Usad pagong na ang mga sasakyan. Ilang minuto pa, malapit na akong bumaba.

At nang dumating na ang fx sa may harap ng St. Luke's, dali-dali akong bumaba. Mabilis ang bawat paghakbang ng aking mga paa dahil umuulan. Dumiretso ako sa Cathedral Building. Pumunta ako sa 7th floor para magpa-refer. Nang malapit na ako sa pinto ng aking pupuntahan, umupo ako dahil may kukunin ako sa aking bag. Saka ko lang napagtanto na di ko pala dala ang referral form na galing sa company doctor namin. Laking panghihinayang ang aking naramdaman. Nauwi sa wala ng aking paghihirap na ginawa para lang makapunta sa St. Luke's. Di ko man lang naalala na kunin sa aking pedestal ang referral form at ilagay sa aking bag. Ang tanging dala ko lang ay ang x-ray result ko nuong nakaraang September.

Walang pag-aatubiling nilisan ko ang lugar na iyon hanggang sa makalabas ako ng St. Luke's. Umuulan pa rin ngunit balewala na sa akin. Nag-abang ako ng masasakyang fx papuntang Rotonda. Wala akong kamalay-malay na ilang minuto pa ay mararanasan ko na ang paghihirap sa E. Rod Ave dahil sa pakiwari ko ay nasa tama pa naman ang daloy ng traffic nang mga oras na iyon. Normal lang naman ang ganong eksena sa mga ganong oras.

Wala na akong masakyang fx. Sa kalaunan ay minabuti ko na ring sumakay na lang sa jeep paputang Rotonda, tutal malapit na rin naman, mga kinse minutos lang ang biyahe.

Ngunit maya-maya pa ay tila natutulog na pagong na ang usad ng jeep. Saka ko palang naunawaan na napakaraming sasakyan pala sa kalsada, mapa-pribado man o pamasada. Ang kinse minutos na sana ay byahe mula St. Luke's hanggang Rotonda ay kumain ng napakahabang oras. Hindi pa kami nangangalahati at tila ay di pa rin kami umaalis mula sa harap ng ospital.

Sobrang inip ang aking naramdaman. Bagot at asar idagdag pa ang ulan. Ilang oras pa, ang kalsada ng E. Rod ay tila naging parking lot sa dami ng mga sasakyang nakahimpil. "Bat nga ba di na lang ako maglakad? Siguro mas mabilis pa ito kesa sumakay sa jeep."

Ngunit natakot akong baka mataas ang baha sa unahan ng kalsada. Naranasan ko na kasing hindi makadaan sa E. Rod Ave noon dahil sa baha. Kaya naman minabuti ko muna sa loob ng jeep dahil sa umuulan pa rin naman.

Lagpas ala-siete na, nasa harap pa lang kami ng De Los Santos - STI. Walang pagbabago sa usad ng mga sasakyan. Nagdadalawang-isip akong bumaba.

Isa. Dalawa. Tatlo... May nag-babaan na sa jeep. Sa kalaunan, nagdesisyon na rin akong bumaba ng jeep at maglakad na lang mula Araneta hanggang Rotonda. Mahina na rin ang ulan.

Saka ko lang nalaman na wala namang palang baha sa E. Rod Ave. Ang sobrang usad pagong ng traffic ay sanhi pala ng banggaan sa kalsada ng Araneta. Dumagdag pa rito ang mga nag-uunahang mga sasakyan na ayaw magbigayan sa traffic.

Lakad. Ambon, Tuloy pa rin ako sa paglalakad. Marami rin ang mga naglalakad na lang imbes na magmukmok sa mga sasakyan. Ang kalsada ay tila isang napakahabang parking lot na punung-puno ng mga sasakyan.

Mas magaan ang pakiramdam ko nang naglalakad kaysa nasa loob ng jeep at nag-aantay sa kawalan. Habang naglalakad, nakikita ko ang ibang mga pasahero na minabuti pa ring mamalagi sa loob ng jeep. Mabilis ang aking paglalakad at hindi alintana ang bawat patak ng ulan.

Sa huli, nakarating ako ng Rotonda. May mga taong nag-aabang ng sasakyan paputang Cubao at sa kabila naman ay papuntang Quiapo. Kumpara sa traffic sa may Araneta, malinis ang kalsada malapit sa Rotonda. Alam kaya nila ang mabagal na mundo sa gitna ng E. Rod Ave?

PLEASE WATCH THE NEWS VIDEO FROM BANDILA