Tree Nursery Activities at Haribon's Buhay Punlaan

As part of our Social Innovation initiative at work, I recently organized what are called Tree Nursery activities in partnership with Haribon. Exactly what are tree nursery activities? Well, during tree planting, you have all these seedlings in bags of soil and volunteers carefully move the seedlings out of the bags into the ground to plant them. Obviously, the seedlings don't get into these bags of soil themselves. :) I wanted to organize a couple of activities over the summer months and it made sense to do something in the area of environmental sustainability since Earth Day is on April 22. However, tree planting season doesn't start until June because planting seedlings during the intense summer heat will result in most of the seedlings drying up and dying. After talking to Haribon about possible activities, we decided to do these nursery activities in Buhay Punlaan in the Caliraya Watershed.

I ended up organizing two of these: one in April and another in May. The April event was a bit of a disaster that all stemmed from the fact that our bus broke down. It took a while for our new transport to arrive which meant we lost almost an hour and a half. This delay caused us to leave the venue quite late which also meant that we got caught up in the late afternoon rush in Los Banos and Calamba, which caused us to lose an additional hour and a half by being stuck in heavy traffic. It was definitely not a pleasant experience. At least everyone who attended seemed to enjoy the actual tree nursery activities which included re-bagging seedlings that were in damaged bags and removing weeds and vines from trees that were already planted in the reforestation area behind the nursery.

We learned a lot from this first experience so the second event in May ran a whole lot more smoothly. We left practically on time and returned to Manila a bit ahead of schedule as well. We also had a wider variety of activities. Haribon kicked off with a talk about reforestation and the importance of repopulating our forests with indigenous tree species. The folks from Buhay Punlaan then gave us a tour of the different nursery areas. Then we started the actual volunteer activities. First, volunteers started filling bags with a mixture of soil and rice husks.

Afterwards, we headed out to the forest for wildlings collection. A wildling is kind of a baby tree that has started growing in the wild. You might think it strange for us to take a wildling that has already started growing from its natural habitat. However, as these wildlings start growing, their chances of survival diminish since there are too many of them in the same small space (I think I gathered something like 30 wildlings from an area of about one square foot alone!) and later on, when the grow and need more sunlight and nutrients from the soil, they start competing and losing out to the taller trees in the area. Once we were done collecting wildlings - and we did collect a whole lot of them - we headed back to the nusery area where we started putting these wildlings into the bags of soil.

It was my first time to be involved in these tree planting "preparation" activities and it's quite gratifying to know that I have now been involved in practically the end-to-end process of tree planting. I have now prepared bags of soil, gathered wildlings, put the wildlings into these bags of soil, performed rebagging for seedlings that were in damaged bags, done the actual tree planting, and even removed weeds and vines from trees that have been planted in the reforestation area. Cool!

Photobook party

I started making photobooks more than a year ago and since then, I have made more than a dozen of them. I used to put together photo albums of pictures I took in my travels but since around 2005, I hadn't really been able to make any. Then, when I got assigned in Sweden for work back in 2007, my boss there showed us a book of photos she had made of her family. I thought this would be a good alternative to an album because it was thinner and lighter. However, I never got around to it.

Then I saw an online deal for Photobook Philippines at about 75% off. That deal was just too good to pass up! I purchased a few vouchers and I was very happy with the books I made and ordered so when more deals came up, I purchased even more. Making my first couple of photobooks (you can read more about the process here) took a lot of time and effort. I mean, you have to select the photos, lay things out properly, add captions, and just get used to the software. But once I got through my first few photobooks, things started to get a lot easier.

At one point last year, I decided it would be great if I made photobooks for some of my closest friends I could give them these books as gifts. I bought more vouchers online and then I asked my friends if they had sets of photos that they wanted to see in an album. They all said they did so I asked to get a copy of their pics. They eventually figured out I was going to create photobooks for them but since it took a while for me to them to select which photos they wanted to share, I wasn't able to put together their books in time for Christmas.

I finally completed the books a few months ago but my friends and I couldn't find the time to meet up. It was also a few weeks back that we eventually did. Mitch told us that dinner was on her as a combined birthday blowout of Ferg, Aidan, and Rory. She selected Cafe 1771 in El Pueblo as our dinner venue since I suggested that we find a place that was relatively spacious and bright.

When I finally got to share their books, they all seemed very pleased. Iona had already made a photobook for herself before so she knew what it looked like and what to expect, but Mitch and Joyce hadn't. Or well, Joyce had, but the ones she made were the small 4"x6" flipbook ones so my 8"x11" book was a lot different. I had a different set of photos for each person. Mitch gave me family travel photos, Iona wanted a book focused on her daughter, Joyce shared photos of her son (from when he was still in her womb up until a about 1 year old), and Anna wanted a tribute book to her grandmother who passed away recently. I decided to use different templates for each of them so that everyone would have an even more unique book, at least in the context of our set of friends. Mitch said that it was only looking through her book that she realized it was better seeing photos in an album rather than online and she said that I should just stick to this same gift for Christmas and their birthdays. It takes a lot of time and effort but it is also a labor of love and it's much appreciated so maybe I will keep doing that.

Kimstore!

It all started when I purchased a few new CDs recently. I was trying to add my newly purchased music to my iPod but as I tried syncing it with my iTunes, I got an error message saying that my iPod didn't have enough space anymore. Argh. I knew that I would be buying more CDs so having a full iPod was not an option. Clearly, it was time to get a new iPod that had more space so I went online and discovered that there is a 64-Gb iPod Touch. I quickly went to the nearest Apple store to check the price and as it turns out, the iPod I want was a whopping P21,990. I decided to sit on it for a while and maybe make the purchase when I was comfortable parting with that much money.

Then I was at work and somehow, the topic of my plans to purchase an iPod Touch came up. As I lamented to my teammates the cost of that gadget, they immediately told me to check Kimstore on facebook. Apparently, Kimstore sells a lot of electronic devices at very low prices. I decided to check their facebook page and I was pleasantly shocked when I saw the pricelist. They were actually offering the 5th gen 64-Gb iPod Touch at P16,000. That would mean almost P6,000 savings! My teammates told me that Kimstore was a Go Negosyo Awardee so there was no need to worry about the quality or authenticity of their products.

So I decided texted the number provided on their facebook page to ask about the iPod touch I wanted and while I thought that P16,000 was low enough, when I got a text reply, I was told that the black 64-Gb unit actually costs P14,000. Wow, even more savings!! I place my order and schedule a pick-up date and time.

As indicated on their facebook page, "Kimstore offers the latest gadgets online at affordable prices, and they're all brand new, original and in complete packaging (with freebies, sometimes!) And with a Go Negosyo badge of trust, you are assured of great customer service." True enough, my iPod Touch was brand new in its complete original packaging. I was also given an official receipt for my purchase. My new iPod is also working well in its first few days of use. I honestly don't know how they bring their prices down. I remember having a conversation with my friends about it and everyone was trying to figure out how Kimstore can manage to sell their products at such low and (relatively) affordable prices. I guess this trade secret makes them a top online business that has now been liked by close to 150,000 people.

When I made my purchase, I went to a pick-up point in Arnaiz Street but I think you can work out a different pick-up point that is more convenient for you. I was told I had to pay in cash (although you may want to reconfirm this if you want to use a credit card) but it is definitely worth paying cash when it means you get P8,000 savings. So if you are planning to purchase any electronic devices such as Apple products, phones, or cameras, I strongly recommend checking Kimstore out. If they are carrying the gadget you plan to buy, then odds are they are offering the lowest price.

Allison Holker and Derek Hough back on DWTS

A while back, Derek Hough and Allison Holker wowed the audience and all their viewers with that incredible dance number that fused together elements of Argentine Tango, Flamenco and Paso Doble. I wanted to watch their performance again so I typed in their names on youtube and lo and behold, there was another video that came up in the results. Naturally, I had to see it and I guess it's not surprising that I was just absolutely blown away. The fact that it also includes a few other amazing dancers - Melanie Moore, Kathryn Mccormick, and Jessica Lee Keller - made the performance even more compelling. Check it out here:


video uploaded in youtube by LunaleeTreasureBox

I don't know who choreographed this - I'm guessing it was Derek - but it is just sublime. It's remarkable how versatile these dancers are. I mean, Derek is known as a ballroom dancer and here he is being extremely comfortable doing contemporary. The choreography, the music, the synchronization of the lights, the waterworks, and of course the otherworldly skills of all these dancers just combined to produce a spectacular show.

I have to say that I am really happy that "So you think you can dance" switched to an all-Star format and they invited Allison to be one of the all-stars (she's been one of only a few people who has been an official all-star since then). After her shocking exit during top 8 week in the 2nd season, I thought she would float into obscurity. And for a while, it seemed like she did. However, her return to the SYTYCD stage reignited her career as she put in one memorable performance after another, often stealing the spotlight from her partner and gaining considerable praise from the judges who were actually not supposed to talk about the all-stars LOL. Since then, she has appeared a few times on "Dancing with the Stars" and is now engaged to Twitch who placed second back in season 4 of SYTYCD. Congratulations, Allison and Twitch!

Shakey's V-League

The 10th season of the Shakey's V-League culminated today with National University edging out Ateneo in four closely contested sets. I was rooting for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, maybe because I wanted them to end the season on a high note after their heartache against La Salle in the UAAP women's volleyball tournament. Unfortunately, they were unable to go for the three-peat in the Shakey's V-League. NU have become a very formidable team with so many attacking options that include the Santiago sisters. Dindin stands at 6'2" and her younger, 17-year old sister Jaja is even taller at 6'4" so their presence at net is just so ominous. Nevertheless, Ateneo did put up a valiant fight and even led 24-22 in the fourth set before NU shifted gears. Still it was a good season for both finalists.

I'm also happy that UST placed third. Aiza Maizo from UST has always been one of my favorite players and while she was unable to play in today's battle for third, it was great to see her play again for UST during the season. I do understand though that she didn't really play in the last 2 years so obviously her current form isn't exactly what it was when she was the Shakey's V-League MVP a few years ago. Nevertheless, it was still watch her incredible skills on court and I'm pleased that she helped UST to a third place finish.

Collegiate volleyball, or more specifically women's collegiate volleyball, has now become extremely popular in the Philippines. This sport has been gaining popularity over the last few years and now, marquee matches can now easily fill large venues like MOA Arena and Araneta Coliseum. The UAAP Season 75 Women's Volleyball wrapped up a few months ago and to keep the momentum going, the Shakey's V-League kicked off almost immediately. The DLSU Lady Spikers didn't participate in the V-League - I guess their trimester set-up means they have classes while everyone else is on summer vacation - but the rest of the top five UAAP teams were there: Ateneo, Adamson, NU, and UST. The interesting thing about the V-League is that it pits the UAAP teams against other schools like University of Perpetual Help, Arellano, and San Sebastian College.

Interestingly enough, the UAAP teams dominated the V-league. NU was arguably last season's most improved team in the UAAP and their semifinal appearance there has clearly helped their confidence and experience here. 6'4" Jaja Santiago has been a tremendous addition to the NU squad and I wouldn't be surprised if they make it to the UAAP finals next year and win the championship. In any case, I am definitely looking forward to seeing more volleyball on TV and I eagerly anticipate future matches between DLSU and the new and improved NU.

Trying out a couple of new places

My friends and I decided to have dinner last night in the Bonifacio High Street area because we all haven't been out as a group in a while. Pia wanted us to try something new so when I stumbled upon a write-up about Stella Wood Fire Bistro while looking around in clickthecity, I suggested it. The menu looked interesting so we chose Stella as a our dinner venue.

Unfortunately, Raffa and I got pulled into a very urgent meeting at 8pm that night. I normally don't take any evening meetings on Fridays but this was very important so I had to make an exception. We decided to have dinner really early - at 6:30 PM - so that Raffa and I could have a quick meal, head back to work, then catch up with everyone over coffee or drinks. Since call time was a bit too early, most of the gang still wasn't there when we started. So Pia, Joh, Raffa, and I tried out a few items in the menu. I tried a bit of the Porchetta that Joh and Raffa ordered which was really good and I was happy with my Mediterranean Lamb "Shepherd's Stew". However, the truffled egg crostini though seemed a bit too expensive (not very good value for money in my opinion) and the Spanish Chorizo & Garlic Fried rice was a bit too oily with not much chorizo in it. As it turns out, Stella is part of the Raintree Restaurants group that includes Mr. Jones (one of my favorite restaurants), Momo Cafe, Museum Cafe, and Chelsea. I do like all these restaurants so I guess it's not a surprise that at least some of the menu items in Stella were also quite good.

The scariest moment of the evening happened when Raffa saw updates on his iPhone about an explosion in Serendra while we were in our meeting. As he saw it, he showed it to me and we both started calling our friends to see if they were okay. Apparently, both Joh and Pia actually saw the explosion but they weren't sure what it was. In fact, Pia thought it was just lightning. This explosion became (still is?) a trending topic on social media sites and the sad thing about it is that a few people died and a few more were injured. I read that the cause of the explosion is still unknown.

Anyway, once our meeting ended, Raffa and I were still able to rejoin the group for dessert at 2nd's, which is located where Mag:Net in Bonifacio High Street used to be. When we arrived, Me-Ann and Peegee were already with the gang although Chris and Shar had left due to another appointment. I ordered coffee and the Molten Amaretto Chocolate Cake (moist chocolate with a bittersweet ganache center served with raspberry chantilly cream). The waiter told me this was their bestseller which is why I tried it and it was pretty good.

We all called it a night a bit past eleven since a lot of folks had to get up early the next day. I am just happy that none of the gang was injured; after all, they weren't that far from the blast.

A Golden Celebration

Just six days after my grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday comes another incredible family milestone. My aunt and my uncle, Tita Florence and Tito Mario, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last Saturday.

For the second time in a week, I not only attended a family event/reunion, I also acted as emcee. With my slight misstep during Mama's 90th birthday the week before (i.e. forgetting grace before meals), I was a bit more conscious about studying the program and not taking anything for granted. I realized that I couldn't just wing this hosting gig but I was so busy the week before so I didn't really have time to prepare. As such, I started thinking of and practicing my spiels while I driving to the National Shrine of our Lady of Lourdes, which was a perfect venue since this is where Tita Florence and Tito Mario got married fifty years ago.

The reception was held a short drive away at the Light of Love events place in Sta. Mesa. I had two spiels: first was the opening address and then the welcome toast. I think it all turned out quite well and my cousins told me I was getting pretty good feedback as a wholesome, decent, and intelligent host haha. I also made sure I didn't forget any part of the program. :)

There was a major speedbump along the way though. The projector that was supposed to show a few videos over dinner wasn't compatible with the laptops that my cousins brought with them. My cousins were naturally getting really frustrated and upset - so much work went into putting those videos together! - but thankfully someone managed to bring a laptop later that evening that worked with the projector. As such, they were able to show the slideshow of pictures of Tito Mario and Tita Florence through the years, followed by video greetings from Tito Mario's relatives in the US. The big surprise was the video from ABS-CBN stars like Anne Curtis, Robi Domingo, and Luis Manzano sharing their greetings and congratulations. This was immediately followed by a clip of Dr. Love from DZMM narrating the love story of Tita Florence and Tito Mario that got everyone laughing and reminiscing.

While the videos were a hit, the speeches from Tita Florence and Tito Mario's children, my cousins, were the true highlights of the evening. Everyone had something interesting and unique to say, and everything that was shared had heart and came from a place of truth. A few people were wiping tears from their eyes. It wasn't all tears of course. Before the program ended, all the children and their families went on stage to sing "Kahit maputi na ang buhok ko".

Of course, similar to Mama's 90th birthday, you can't have the family together like this and not have dancing. Once the program offiically ended, the music played and people hit the dance floor. My cousins also hired a few dance instructors to make it easier for some of the other guests to be fully immersed in the festivities.

It was another wonderful evening as the family came together to witness and celebrate a fantastic moment in the lives of my uncle and aunt. Congratulations to Tita Florence and Tito Mario, and (to paraphrase my own line during my welcome toast) we're now all looking forward to their diamond wedding anniversary. :)

Dinner buffet

I had dinner earlier tonight in Cafe Jeepney at InterContinental Manila using a Deal Grocer voucher I purchased several months ago. It was the first time I had a buffet in a really long time and my first majorly massive meal since I got sick back in March. And I can clearly feel it. My stomach problems have led me to eat significantly less than I used to and I'm clearly not used to binging anymore. Now, a few hours after my buffet dinner and I still feel like throwing up LOL. At least it's good to know that I have now trained myself to eat less. I just need to maintain this so I don't balloon up to my all-time heaviest weight again.

Speaking of vouchers, my recent illness resulted in me being unable to use several vouchers that I purchased. Because I've been sick, in and out of the hospital and extremely distracted over several weeks from March to April, I didn't have the energy to look after and claim some of the vouchers I bought several months ago. Before I knew it, seven of them expired. Among those were a few photobook vouchers that cost a lot. Too bad. So now, my batting average in terms of voucher usage has gone down. At least I can console myself by the fact that I have still saved a whole lot more than I spent, even taking into account the vouchers I was unable to use. Maybe it's time to start buying more... LOL

Judith Hill performs "You've got a friend" on The Voice

Check out Judith Hill performing "You've got a friend" on The Voice. It's absolutely brilliant!


video uploaded on youtube by Makario Jaramillo
Judith made waves during her audition and hasn't let up since, making her one of the frontrunners in the show. Of her performances on The Voice that I have heard so far, this one is my favorite.

*****

ETA: just as a write about Judith Hill being a frontrunner on the voice, she gets eliminated. What a shame. I hope that someone signs her and she builds a career. You watch her perform and you can clearly see she is a pro more than ready for the big leagues.

900 posts

Amazing how I have now written 900 posts on this blog since I started it in 2004. Lots of my posts have been useless hehe but my travel posts have proven to be quite useful. In the last few years, I've had friends ask me about places I've been to like Iceland, Norway, Brunei, and South Korea. I shared the links to my blog about those trips and my friends found my posts quite helpful. As it turns out, my blog actually helped them figure out what they want to do in the time they had in those places. Cool!

I should start gearing up for my 1000th blog post which by my estimate I may hit early next year. Maybe I'll give myself a prize when I finally reach that milestone.

Mama's 90th birthday

My grandmother on my father's side whom we fondly call "Mama" celebrated a major milestone as she turned 90 last Sunday. Tito Erwin, Tita Maritie, and their family led the preparations for a surprise party for Mama, which was held in Betty's near Sto. Domingo. I think Mama was expecting to see a few people but not everyone so when she stepped into venue and everyone started singing "Happy birthday" as all the lights were turned on, she was overcome with emotion. It was such a wonderful moment.

It was a very memorable evening for me on so many levels. First, Mama turned 90. Very few people reach that age so it's great to see Mama still in good health even with 90 years behind her. Also, most of the family was there. This included Tita Susan who hasn't been home in three years and my cousin Father John who flew in from Italy. He even brought with him a very special blessing for Mama from Pope Francis! Tita Maritie had also asked me to invite my grandmother on my mother's side, Nanay, who was a bit hesitant to go because she thought that she might end up being out of place. However, once she was there, she fit right in and everyone there, including Mama, was really happy to see her.

I also enjoyed the videos that were projected on screen right before dinner. The slideshow of photos celebrating Mama's 90 years was nostalgic, especially when we saw pictures of Papa who passed away a while back and of our old house where we got to spend a lot of time during our youth and bond with the extended family. Afterwards we got to see and hear birthday greetings from Mama's brother and relatives in the US. There was even a video of Mama's brother playing the piano and then later on singing Nat King Cole's "For all we know".

Of course you can't have a 90th birthday celebration without speeches from the family. All of Mama's children shared some wonderful, heartfelt words followed by Fr. John and Mama's first grandchild, my cousin Carina. Naturally, we invited Mama to speak in front of everyone and share her own thoughts to us. To officially end the program, we lit the candle on the cake as everyone sang another "Happy birthday" before Mama made her wish and blew out the candle. As people started having their photos taken with Mama, the party music started and as is always the tradition in our family, the dancing started.

Tita Maritie asked me a couple of weeks before Mama's birthday whether I could act as emcee and of course I agreed. I think I did okay for the most part although my main miss was I forgot that Fr. John was supposed to lead everyone in grace before meals and I instructed everyone to head over to the buffet spread. Yikes! I guess I must have been really hungry at that point that I forgot hehe. Thankfully, no one held it against me and Fr. John just led us all in a grace AFTER meals. :)

It was an evening full of fun, surprises, nostalgia, and love. Hopefully Mama still have several years here with us. Maybe we'll even get to the centennial celebration! But the important thing for the family to remember  is that we all need to spend as much time as we can with Mama while she is still here.

Star Trek Into Darkness

For the first time in a long time, I got to watch a movie within the first few days it was shown here. Last week, my friend David was in town and he really wanted to see the new Star Trek movie which started showing in the cinemas in the Philippines two Wednesdays ago. The timing was perfect because David was flying back to Australia on the 18th. It's interesting too because when I watched the first Star Trek film, it was also with David who was in town when the first film in this latest JJ Abrams-directed series was shown.

We decided to watch on the Friday night and I decided to pass by the cinema early during the day to get tickets. This turned out to be a good idea because there were only a few seats taken at the time I purchased the tickets but the theater was close to full when we got there in the evening.

Spoiler alert: please stop reading if you don't want to know more about the movie.

Just like the first movie, Star Trek Into Darkness was a pretty awesome blockbuster and it's definitely worth watching. Even if you didn't watch the first one and even if you aren't a trekkie. The script was very witty and funny - Spock of course had more than his fair share of great lines - and the pace of the action was pulsating. Despite the amazing rapport of Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, I think the biggest scene stealer of them all was Benedict Cumberbatch who played Khan. (When he introduced himself as Khan, I could hear the audience go "oooh".) His presence was strong and frightening, his voice was sinister, and you just didn't know what to expect of him. Which made the movie really riveting.

Star Trek is still showing now so if you haven't seen it, I suggest you do. I'm not sure how many more films from this series will come out under the direction of JJ Abrams but I am definitely looking forward to more.

Kellie Pickler wins Dancing with the Stars

Wow, who would have thought that country singer and ex-American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler would actually do much better in a dancing competition than in a singing competition? When she joined idol back in Season 5, she placed seventh. And now, paired with Derek Hough, Kellie takes home the mirror ball trophy as the winner of the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars.

Here's the super-size freestyle number that Kellie and Derek performed in the finale. A bit reminiscent of something we would see in "So you think you can dance".


video uploaded by TheTribalGuyCouncil

Apart from Kellie's success, this win also means that Derek Hough has now won the most mirror ball trophies among all the professional dancers in DWTS. Congratulations, Kellie and Derek!

AI season all wrapped up

After following American Idol quite closely last year, I've gone back to not paying as much attention to it this season. I did get to watch some episodes but there were things that kept me disinterested. First, I think there was so much focus on the friction between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. In a lot of cases, it seemed there was a lot more focus on these two judges (or Nicki in particular) than on the contestants. Also, the contestants didn't seem to wow me enough overall. It seemed to me that there was such emphasis on finding a female winner that the top 10 (or even top 20) was stacked with talented women and men who weren't up to to par. As such, I felt that the talent in the top 10 was a bit watered down.

That said, there were some highlights. While I didn't see all the episodes, I do think that Fantasia's return to the Idol stage and Angie Miller's audition singing her original song are two of my favorite performances of the season. Candice's "Somewhere" during the top 3 week was madly raved about but I thought it wasn't as great as it was made out to be. I actually prefer Latoya London's "Somewhere" back in Season 3 (and she didn't even get a standing ovation from the judges then; I really think that in recent years, the judges have been needlessly and inaccurately frivolous with their standing Os). In my opinion, Candice's real moment came when she performed The Cure's "Love Song" with a jazzy arrangement. Now this was truly amazing! Check it out here:


video uploaded in youtube by americanidol

With the Idol ratings this season dropping to all time lows, you wonder what kind of changes they will put in to stay relevant next season. We know that Randy Jackson won't be there and it seems neither will Nicki. I do hope Keith Urban stays because he always seemed to have the most useful advice to give the contestants. I do have to say though that I'm more interested and impressed overall with the performances on "The Voice". Maybe I should start writing about this show instead.

Nadal wins in Rome!

Congratulations to Rafael Nadal for winning yet another title this year. He just won the Rome Masters, sweeping past Roger Federer in straight sets and amazingly dropping only 4 games en route to the title.

While taking home his 24th Masters 1000 is an important achievement (it improves the record he currently holds for most ATP Masters 1000 titles), what was very key is that this win allows Rafa to move ahead of David Ferrer in the rankings. This means he goes into the French Open ranked 4 which also means he will be seeded #4. Implication: he won't meet Novak Djokovic until the semis (if Rafa stayed at the #5 ranking, there was a 1 in 4 chance of him running into Novak in the quarterfinals). Of all the players in the tour right now, it's Novak who really worries me as Nadal still seems to have some difficulty beating his recent nemesis. Nevertheless, no one has had better results this year than Rafa so he has to be going into the French Open very confident, no matter who he plays.

Here's Rafa by the numbers:

• 1 - Current ranking based on the 2013 ATP Race to London, which means that Rafa has won more points this year so far than anyone else
• 2 - the number of times Rafa has lost this year. Of the 40 matches Rafa has played since he came back from his knee injury from last year, he has so far lost only twice. This is also the number of sets he lost in the entire Rome Masters tournament.
• 3 - the number of ATP Masters 1000 titles Rafa has won this year
• 4 - what Rafa will be ranked tomorrow. This also means that he will be seeded #4 at the French Open.
• 5 - the number of wins Rafa has had over top 4 players this year. He has now beaten David Ferrer (#4 as of today) three times and Roger Federer (ranked #2 as of their match in Indian Wells and #3 in Rome).
• 6 - the number of titles Rafa has won in 2013, the most of any player so far.
• 7 - the number of Italian Open titles Nadal now has. This is amazing because Rafa is the only male player to have won 7 or more titles in four different events: Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and now Rome.
• 8 - tournaments that Rafa has played this year. Also the number of finals he reached. This means that Rafa has gotten to the finals in all tournaments he played. Incredible.

A couple of other interesting numbers:

• 20 - wins over Roger Federer, more than anyone in history. Their current head-to-head record is now 20-10 in favor of Nadal.
• 24 - number of Masters 1000 titles that Rafa has won in his career so far.

Roland Garros starts next week so I'm really hoping that Nadal can keep winning and snag his 8th French Open title. Good luck Rafa!

Funny Borg and McEnroe Tesco ad

This commercial is 6 years old but it is only in the last few days that I discovered it. People who are not familiar with tennis in the late 70s to early 80s might not appreciate this, but Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe were tennis rivals back then. If you understand the context, you could find this funny. Check it out.


video uploaded by lordshepherd81

I especially love the part the ending where Bjorn smiles and lifts those paper plates as if it were a tennis trophy. :)

Weight loss

I recently experienced pretty bad stomach problems. I had to see the doctor multiple times and have so many tests and procedures done for a period of about 5-6 weeks. By my last count, I had to go to the hospital 14 times. Crazy! While there seemed to be something terribly wrong with me at the start, all the tests and consultations resulted in a more or less clean bill of health.

However, things were pretty miserable for about 1 1/2 months. My stomach problems kept me pretty sick for the first two weeks and my doctor couldn't really figure out what was wrong with me so he told me to stay on a pretty strict diet for those 4-6 weeks. My diet: no fatty, oily, or fried food, no dairy (so no milk, cheese, cream, butter), no foods high in sugar (so no dessert or even fruits and juice), no caffeine or alcohol, and when eating out, no raw vegetables (since there is no way to ensure that the vegetables were washed well or properly). Gah! What options did this diet leave me? Not a lot. Needless to say, in about 4 weeks, I lost something like 20 pounds. I shocked myself and most other people when I didn't drink coffee or Coke Zero for about 3-4 weeks. Wow! This proved I'm not addicted to either drink. :) By the end of that period, I was pretty tired of eating bananas and Skyflakes and drinking Gatorade.

Anyway, so far, I've kept the excess weight off. A lot of my clothes that I haven't been able to wear in the last 3-4 years can fit again so my wardrobe expanded without me buying anything new. :) Of course, since my stomach isn't acting up anymore, I'm starting to eat a lot more. I need to start exercising again if I want to keep the weight off. And I do. :)

Philippine Elections 2013

The Philippine Elections concluded at 7pm yesterday and with the new electronic voting system (it's only the second time in Philippine history that this set-up has been used), the unofficial results should all be in soon. I recall the days when the counting took about a month or more. I think it will still take a month for the results to become official (what with all the confirming and cross-checking that will be done) but at least our teachers and other volunteers have to put in so much effort tallying the votes. Also, we quickly get to see the unofficial count. And the way things are going right now, I think we know more or less who are next set  of senators will be.

I can't say at this point how well these people will do in the senate so I will just hope and pray for the best (or well, that things at least do not get worse). One interesting thing I did notice yesterday was the google page. It highlighted the Philippine elections. Here's a screenshot I took. Cool!

Nadal makes it five!

Rankings be damned. Rafael Nadal has clearly shown he is one of the two best players in tennis this year by reaching his 7th consecutive final and winning his fifth title. In the Madrid Masters, he eased his way past Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets to claim his 23rd Masters 1000 title. So far this year, only Novak Djokovic with his Australian Open title, has won more points than Rafa. Nadal, however, has a tour-leading 5 titles (4 of them being on clay). For someone who was out for 7 months due to a knee injury, his successful return to tennis has been truly incredible.

It's quite unfortunate that Rafa will most likely go into the French Open seeded number 5, behind Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, and Roger Federer. I was hoping that the French Open would consider seeding him higher (at least 4th) despite his #5 ranking because (1) he has won more claycourt titles and matches this year than anyone else, and (2) he has won six more French Open finals than all other active male players combined! Still, it is the prerogative of Roland Garros to follow the official rankings when seeding people. In all honesty, the only person I'm worried about is Novak. Everyone else, I feel Nadal can take down. So hopefully the draws are kind to Rafa and he avoid meeeting Novak earlier than the finals.

College mini-reunion

My college friend Weng was in town so we decided to have a get-together in Lorenzo's Way in Bonifacio High Street. Not a lot of people were available that night so it was just me, Letlet, Gosh, Lala, and of course Weng and her family. Towards the end of dinner, we were also joined by our friend Kristine. It was great that she joined us because I actually hadn't seen her since we graduated from college, which was ages ago!!

We switched over to Cav for wine, coffee, and dessert. This is turning out to be a popular combo for our set of friends whenever someone who lives abroad is in Manila. When Maileen was here a few months ago, we did this same set-up. :)

One of the strange highlights of the evening was how our conversation turned into a discussion about discrimination, racism, and sexism in the world. At some point we laughed about it since we all realized that we never have intellectual discussions so we had kind of progressed that night LOL.

Weng is still going to be in the country for two more weeks so she said we should all still try to meet up one more time, hopefully with a few more people from our college friends.

"Tonight" by Jessica Sanchez featuring Ne-Yo

Things are looking up for Jessica Sanchez. Not only does she land a spot on "Glee", she also released her album "Me, You & The Music" this week. The carrier single is "Tonight", a catchy dance song that features Ne-Yo.


video uploaded in youtube by JessicaSanchezVEVO

I need to check out her new album and get a copy when I can.

Nora Aunor and Eddie Garcia win Asia Film Awards

This is a couple of months late but congratulations to Nora Aunor and Eddie Garcia for winning the top acting awards in the 7th Asian Film Awards held last March 18.

Nora Aunor has been reaping awards locally and globally for her astounding performance in The Womb. Such a shame that she lost to Angel Locsin in the recently concluded Star Awards. In any case, I'm also really pleased that Eddie Garcia, who has won the most FAMAS awards of any person (5 Best Actor, 6 Best Supporting Actor, and 5 Director!) has gotten international acclaim as well. He took the best actor trophy for his performance in Bwakaw. I didn't get to see that film so maybe I'll try to find a DVD of it.

Amazing to think that Nora and Eddie were the only two Filipinos nominated across all categories and they both snag their respective awards. I think it's great that Filipino artists continue to make waves globally. Hopefully this encourages more local filmmakers to try and produce great movies.

Jollibee dancing

A friend of mine shared this video (it was shot in a Jollibee in the US) and I think it's absolutely hilarious. The way Jollibee closes his eyes during certain moves is kinda creepy. :)


video uploaded in youtube by jjasper83

You have to be absolutely impressed with the dancer because it cannot be easy or comfortable doing those moves inside a big heavy mascot costume!

Nadal back to his winning ways

After his streak-breaking loss to Djokovic the previous week, Rafa Nadal reestablishes himself as a leading contender for the 2013 French Open title by taking the Barcelona title last Sunday against fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.

Rafa has now gotten to the final of every tournament he played this year. This win, his 8th, means that he has won two different events at least eight times (Barcelona and Monte Carlo), a feat that I think no other male player has achieved. If he wins the French Open which starts in a couple of weeks, that'll be win #8 as well. They do say good things come in threes so here's hoping. :)

My first Zalora purchase

I just got my order of shoes from Zalora. Generally, I need to see if something fits before I buy it. In this particular instance, I had been looking for brown shoes and I haven't been able to find a pair that appealed to me. When I saw a pair in Zalora, I decided to throw caution to the wind and try something outside my comfort zone LOL. The site does have a return policy so I thought I had an out in case the purchase was a mistake.

As it turns out, I got the wrong size. Not my fault, really. Apparently, the size conversion chart was a bit inaccurate so I ended up getting shoes that are one size too big. Now I will get to test the return policy and process. :) Wish me luck!

Fantasia performs "Lose to Win" on American Idol

During the American Idol results show last week, Fantasia performed "Lose to Win", a song from her album "Side Effects of you" to be released this week. I remember seeing Fantasia during last year's finale with Joshua Ledet and I was really disappointed because her performance was a bit of a mess (not to mention her look). But she totally redeemed herself with this stirring and soulful performance that had the audience and all four judges giving her a well-deserved standing ovation.


video uploaded in youtube by RocstarrBlanco

When Fantasia is on, she is really on and she shows everyone exactly why she won season 3 of American Idol back in 2004. Nicki Minaj admitted to getting chills and even said "Fantasia just had the best performance of this season. Wow." There is a truth and genuineness in her delivery that few artists have. And while she's had a couple of misses in her returns to American Idol, I go back to her Truth Is/I believe medley in Season 4 and her rendition of I'm Here in Season 6 that just stood out and put almost everyone else in those seasons to shame.

I can't stop listening to this song and re-watching this video. I'm now planning to get her album. I hope Fantasia sticks to performances (and styling/looks) like these as she moves forward in her career. The world definitely needs to see and hear more of her and her tremendous talent.

The streak is over

It was bound to happen at some point. Rafael Nadal's bid to win his 9th consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title was halted by Novak Djokovic. That wasn't the only Nadal streak that was ended by his straight sets loss against the world #1. He also hadn't lost a match in April in his previous 81 matches until now. His 19 match winning streak this year was also cut short. Not a good day for Rafa and his fans.

Nevertheless, he did get to his 5th final in a row this year and he remains to be a very strong contender for the rest of the clay court season (and well, the rest of 2013). It was also his first match against Novak Djokovic since his 7-month lay-off, and Novak himself has been in fine form this year. Hopefully Nadal can rebound from this loss and get back to his winning ways on his favorite surface. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that he can win the French Open.

Final thoughts: Family Trip to Singapore and Malaysia

It was a short but very eventful weekend in Singapore and Malaysia that involved a lot of firsts. It was my brother's first time in Singapore. We passed through Terminal 2 at Changi Airport for the first time as a family. We feasted on the Singapore classic dish Chili Crab in No Signboard Seafood for the first time as a family. We also tried Four Fingers Crispy Chicken (I think I like Bon Chon better) and Twelve Cupcakes. We got on Transformers: The Ride in Universal Studios Singapore for the first time. It was our first time in Legoland Malaysia.

I have to say that the restrooms in Legoland are pretty interesting. They have really cool lego art on the walls. Usually it's bad form to take photos inside a toilet but I guess this case was a bit of an exception as I wanted to take a shot of the wall-mounted artwork. :)

Another interesting first was getting to travel from Singapore to Malaysia via bus and going through immigration twice on the same day. I have to say it's a quick trip through immigration. Considering that everyone on the bus has to get off the bus, go through immigration, then get back on bus, it didn't take very long for us to be on our way again.

One thing that stayed the same was the fact that we stayed again at Royal Plaza on Scotts. I really enjoyed staying at this hotel back in 2011 so I decided to stay there again. Thankfully, I booked our accommodations about two months before we got there because the room rates were still quite low at the time. I recall checking a few weeks later and the rates had already increased! Even better was the fact that I saw this small link on the Royal Plaza on Scotts website indicating a free gift, so before booking my room, I decided to check it out. The free gift: SG$5 buffer breakfast for everyone in the room. Wow! That's even cheaper than breakfast at McDonald's and about the same price as a coffee at Starbucks

Another thing that stayed the same was us flying to Singapore via Cebu Pacific. Which reminds me of a borderline rude joke from the lady who checked us in. It seemed funny at the time but as I stepped away from the counter, I realized it was actually quite offensive. Once we had completed everything, the lady asked us if any of us was pregnant, then she pointed at my stomach and then smiled. If it was a friend or someone close who made that joke, it would have been fine. So my initial reaction was to smile. Then as we walked away, I was like, "okay, we aren't close so from a customer service standpoint you shouldn't be making jokes like that." Anyway, water under the bridge.

I guess to make up for that, I did win an iPad case while on the plane during the Cebu Pacific inflight game. Since it was still February, the game involved the flight attendant giving clues about a popular couple, whether real or fictional, and the person who answers correctly gets a prize. The question I got? "He's immortal, she' mortal." I recall raising my hand when no one else did (I could see easily because we were seated at the back of the plane). I actually almost forgot the answer - I just knew it was the lead couple of Twilight - but thankfully after a couple of seconds I remembered their names. "Edward and Bella!" Haha.

My mom commented that we've been to Singapore a couple of times now but we haven't really been able to check out a lot of the other parts of the city. Maybe the next time we go, we can spend a significantly longer time there so that we can visit a few other parts of Singapore that we wouldn't get to see during a short trip.

Return trip to Universal Studios Singapore

To complete our amusement park weekend in Malaysia and Singapore, my family and I headed to Universal Studios Singapore. It was a bit expensive, but for the experience, we decided to take the cable car going to Sentosa.

We got there a bit past lunch time and it was still sunny but we weren't sure if it was going to rain so we decided to get on the outdoor rides first while the weather was still cooperative. My brother and my nephew decided to get on Battlestar Galactica. They were a bit more interested in the Cylon segment since it was a suspended roller coaster. Unfortunately, the waiting time was a bit long. The good thing about it was that it allowed me to practice taking shots of the roller coaster while in motion. When I finally spotted my brother and my nephew as their coaster was heading out - they were seated in front so it was easy enough for me to see them - I managed to take a photo of them. You can't really see them though, only their shoes. :)

My other nephew was getting a bit antsy since we waited for about an hour so when we were all together, we headed over to Transformers the Ride. This is probably the best 4D ride I have ever been on. It was awesome!

The first time I tried Revenge of the Mummy, I didn't know what to expect so I had my eyes closed for most of the ride LOL. This time around, I got to enjoy it a lot more. Getting on a roller coaster in the dark is a different experience. (Unfortunately, the ride photo is taken at the main drop so I do have my eyes closed in the picture hehe.)

One of my nephews wanted to try the Amber Rock Climb in the Lost World again so we headed that way. He wanted to try the toughest section to climb and while there was a bit of a wobble as he was close to the top, he still managed to make it all the way. It's even more impressive that he did it since an adult who tried this section right before my nephew had to quit after getting about two-thirds of the way to the top due to fatigue.

I wanted to try the Canopy Flyer since I think you can get a pretty good view of the park from this ride but it started to rain so we ran over to the Shrek 4-D Adventure so we would have some cover. As we got out, the rain was abating so we headed over to Enchanted Airways, a kiddie coaster that is still pretty fun to ride. By this time it was getting a bit late so we decided to wrap up our day at the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. We chose this to be our last ride because we knew we were going to get wet and we didn't want to lose too much getting dried up after it. I knew when the ride photo was going to get taken so I reminded everyone about it. The result was a pretty good picture, I think.

It's too bad there were so many people in Universal Studios when we were there because the lines were pretty long and we didn't get to try as many things as we wanted. Nevertheless it was still a lot of fun.

Legoland Malaysia

One important thing to note about Legoland Malaysia - it is really geared towards young kids. There aren't any scary or thrill rides here so if that's what you are looking for, then you might not enjoy. However, if you are going with your family and you have kids with you, it does become a very good family experience.

Actually, Legoland is my ideal amusement park because I'm not a fan of scary rides so kiddie versions are  perfect for me. :) I do have to say that the big drop in the first coaster we got on, Project X, was thrilling enough haha.

The Dragon, another coaster, is a longer ride than Project X but is also lot of fun. (I have to say that I really love the Canon camera I got for myself and my mom last year. Pretty awesome zoom and it can take steady shots even when the target is in motion!)

What I also love about Legoland is that there are so many great photo ops. You have so many sculptures built out of Lego blocks that are scattered all over the park. I can only imagine how much careful planning and time and effort went into building each of these Lego sculptures.

Miniland is an incredible display of replicas of different cities in Asia built out of Lego blocks. Among the popular landmarks featured here are the Taj Mahal in India, the Merlion Statue in Singapore, and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The pirate section is also pretty amazing, with moving boats and firing cannons. Naturally, we had to look for the Philippines. The city they chose to replicate is Bolinao in Pangasinan (interesting that I was just in Bolinao a couple of months before our trip to Legoland).

There are a lot of interactive activities too. The Kids Power Tower is not your typical free-fall ride. You use the rope to pull yourself to the top (it's not heavy at all) and then you also have to release yourself to drop all the way back to the bottom (it's not a scary drop). Then you do it all over again until time is up.

And while we are talking about rides that involve dropping, the big surprise for me was the Beetle Bounce. This ride simply bounces people up and down. Looking at it, I thought it was a bit boring. But since my nephew wanted to get on, I decided to join him. As it turns out, it was actually a lot of fun! And I'm not the only adult who enjoyed. Groups of adults who tried it before I did all seemed to be laughing as they were bounced up and down. Who knew a simple ride like this would be enjoyable?

One of the most fun family activities is Rescue Academy. You need at least three people for this. Two people will move the police truck or fire engine using a pump. When you reach the end of the (short) road, everyone gets off and this time, two people have to pump water out of the fire hydrant while another person aims the water guns at the "burning" building. Once the fire is out, everyone gets back on the truck and heads back to base. There is a "coach" on the sidelines who shouts out the instructions and give encouragement, making it even more fun.

It was a very hot day when we were there so thankfully we signed up for Lego Mindstorms once we arrived. The earliest session available was at 2:15 PM, and initially we weren't keen on having to go back. But thankfully we did, because by mid-afternoon, it was so hot that doing something indoors was the most logical thing to do and it allowed us to stay cool. Participants are given tasks that they need their robot to do and they use a computer to control the robot. My nephews had so many questions but maybe it was a good thing because they ended up being the first two to finish. Cool!

Another thing I absolutely love about Legoland is that the photos taken of you from the different rides are available for download once you purchase the photo. This saves me the effort of having to scan pictures that we purchase. Here's one of the photos from the Lost Kingdom that I downloaded:

 Of course, our trip to Legoland wouldn't be complete if we didn't buy some Lego. I owed my nephews Christmas gifs so I got them one each, and I got CJ one more for his birthday. We were also incredibly lucky that there didn't seem to be a huge crowd in Legoland when we were there. We barely had to wait to get on the different rides, which meant we got to get on many rides at least a couple of times. After we left the amusement park, one of my nephews said he wanted to go back. I guess I should start setting aside money for a return trip. :)

Family trip to Singapore and Malaysia

When I found out last year that there was a Legoland in Malaysia, I decided it would be good to bring my family there especially since my nephews are big Lego fans. I asked a couple of my friends about Legoland and they said it would be a better option to stay in Singapore than in Kuala Lumpur because SG is only 1 1/2 hours away from Legoland (including the time you spend in immigration) whereas KL is about 4 hours away.

I figured that if we were going to stay in Singapore, then we may as well visit Universal Studios Singapore again because my other brother who was with us in this trip had never been.

We didn't have a lot of time for this holiday actually. We got there on Friday after lunch and we left on Monday early afternoon. So essentially one day was spent in Legoland and another in Universal Studios, and there wasn't much time to do anything else. It was my brother's first time in Singapore so we decided to stop by the Merlion near the Esplanade on Monday morning before we left.

I'll write in more detail about Legoland and Universal Studios SG in my next couple of posts.

Unforgettable "a diamond is forever" advert

It's effectively simple. It uses strong imagery. And it features beautiful music. This De Beers "A diamond is forever" commercial from back in 1987 remains to this day one of my absolute favorite adverts that 24 years later I still remember it. I recall searching for this video before but not finding it. Thankfully someone made an effort to put it on youtube. Check it out.


video uploaded in youtube by user KnysnaHK2

De Beers did pretty memorable commercials back in the day. One of my first ever blog posts was about another De Beers commercial that featured music by Karl Jenkins. This video clearly made an impact on me because to this day, even before seeing it again, I actually still remember its evocative imagery and music. Note that this advert came out 24 years ago! (I also have to say that the hand of the woman is absolutely beautiful!) When I found this video, I started reading the comments and it's amazing to see how many people actually remember this commercial and that they, like me, have been searching for it for years. It's truly amazing how youtube and the internet can now easily make classic commercials like this available again to everyone in the world.

What a weekend

The weekend started on Friday. My team had an event in Batangas and since we decided to carpool instead of getting a bus, I brought my car. It was a full morning of business and strategy updates and an afternoon filled with pretty cool games. We closed the event with a fun evening program that somehow ended up like a live karaoke party - a few of the musicians kept playing songs and people kept requesting them to play songs and then they would sing along with microphones. "Lowlight" - I bombed on the one song that I performed. I was requested to do Bruno Mars' "Locked out of heaven" which I practiced maybe a couple of times two days before. We even brought the key down half a step to make it easier to sing. I did quite well during rehearsal but maybe all the shouting during the games and the exhaustion of the day left me with pretty weak breath support and I flubbed on multiple notes, especially during the bridge. Probably my worst performance ever. Oh well. It was bound to happen, at one point or another. :)

I drove back early on Saturday and took a nap for a couple of hours at home but I woke up just in time to make it to my nephew CJ's graduation. Can't believe how quickly time flies! We had dinner in Ayala Triangle after the ceremony then we headed to Picasso Boutique Hotel to spend the night. I used the second of my two vouchers for a loft room in this hotel that I got from Deal Grocer. (I have to say that I really like this hotel and I hope they open up another deal for rooms here.) I also brought with me a dozen cupcakes from Sugar Lily Cupcakes and Pastries to help make the graduation celebration even better.

The next day, we all went our separate ways. My brother and CJ went home since CJ wanted to play computer games while I drove mom to Uncle Albert's house for his birthday celebration. I was supposed to join her but my other nephew Ciera said that he wanted to go to the Toonami Inception 13 event in Eastwood. I actually thought it was his friend's party since his friend had given him an invite to the event, but apparently that invite was only to encourage their friends to go. Ciera and I got there in the early afternoon and while it was tremendously hot, it also meant that a scant few people were there at the time so Ciera was able to try everything without having to wait in line too long (some of them twice). By the time we left, there was a pretty sizable crowd and the queues at the different booths were starting to get long.

My mom went to Eastwood just as we were finished then we passed by La Funeraria Paz to pay our respects to my aunt, Tita Ghie, who very sadly passed away late last week. Her children (my cousins) were all there and they shared with us how things happened, very quickly at that. It was kind of good though that Tita Ghie was able to talk to them and tell them how much she loved them before she passed away.

Before heading home, we passed by Fleur De Lys in Tomas Morato to get some Chocolate Florentines. We also passed by Kenny Roger's to get some take out. It was at this point that it started to rain extremely hard. Thankfully our long weekend was done and we were on our way home by then.

I am quite glad that it is Holy Week this week as I will have to work for only three days this week (one down, two to go) before I get four days of rest. I badly need some rest and relaxation time.

Nadal: Three in a Row!

Rafa Nadal wins the BNP Paribas Masters at Indian Wells, beating Juan Martin Del Potro in three sets. This win was significant on many levels:

• This marks Nadal's third title in a row, after Brazil and Mexico. It's also his fourth final in a row. He is now riding a 14 match winning streak.
• He wins the first hardcourt tournament he plays after his 7 month tennis hiatus due to injury. It was the first time he played on a hardcourt in almost a year and he wins it. It is also his first hardcourt title since 2010.
• In 2009, he lost to Del Potro three straight times, all on hard courts.
• He beat Roger Federer en route to the title. He also defeated Ernests Gulbis who was enjoying a 13-match winning streak and an in-form Thomas Berdych.
• Rafa nudges ahead of Roger Federer, now becoming the lone record-holder for the most number of Masters 1000 titles with 22.

I was worried about how Rafa would do after his 7-month break from tennis, but with a couple of claycourt titles and now a hardcourt Masters title, Nadal has shown everyone that he is back to his pre-injury form. His 2013 results must be really good for his confidence leading into the claycourt season. He will certainly need all the confidence he can get as he will most likely go into these tournaments ranked #5, which means he may meet any of the top 3 (Novak, Roger, and Andy) in the quarterfinals. Congratulations, Rafa!

"Lover of the Light" by Mumford & Sons

While I had heard about Mumford & Sons before, I only really discovered them a couple of days before the Grammys. I was driving that day and the radio station I was listening to at the time was featuring Grammy nominees. The DJ then introduced the next song, "I will wait" by Mumford & Sons. As I listened to it, I started really liking it. So much so that later that night, I started digging up their songs on youtube and I became hooked.

Probably my favorite song of theirs right now is "Lover of the Light". The video has gotten a lot of positive feedback because it is well-made, well-acted, and viewers aren't particularly sure what it means, making you think about it after you watch. Check it out here:


video uploaded in youtube by MumfordAndSonsVEVO

I've tried to dig up online what the video means, and not surprisingly there are many different interpretations. Even the band themselves have said that they only think that they understand it. :) But whatever it means, it's such a powerful video that matches an beautiful song. That bit where he starts running (and the way he runs!) is just saw intense and moving. I've now purchased their album "Babel" and I can understand why it won Best Album at the Grammys. I do want to get their first album as well, "Sigh no more", but I think that the local stores don't carry it yet. Maybe if lots of "Babel" CDs get sold, they'll make "Sigh no more" available here too. If not, I can always get it on Amazon.

Viva Il Papa

Welcome to the new Pope Francis I!

photo courtesy of http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

Jorge Bergoglio, a Jesuit from Argentina, was elected a couple of days ago to become the new leader of the Catholic church. He is the first Jesuit pope and the first non-European pope in more than a thousand years. He is also the first pope to be named Francis and on a personal note, I'm happy that he chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi because St. Francis is the patron saint of my alma mater.

You also have to admire his simplicity and humility as he turned down the red velvet cape when he was presented to the world and instead chose the simple white cassock of the papacy instead. He also actually picked up his own luggage at the Vatican hotel and paid for his own bill.

I pray for the best for our new Pope Francis I. Viva Il Papa!

Our dog is missing :(

We have two dogs at home. Since we don't have a lot of space inside our house, we normally let them out the gate every now. After some time of being outside, they return to the house, although one of them does tend to stay out longer and sometimes even camps outside our gate at night.

Unfortunately, after leaving our house early last week, one of our dogs hasn't been back. It's been about 4-5 days now so while I am still hoping for the best, chances are that something unfortunate has happened to him. There is also that probability that he may just have found some other free-roaming dogs in the neighborhood and decided to join their pack. I wish that if he never returns to us, then its the latter that has caused this and not the former.

My mom told me she asked the neighborhood security to help find our dog but he still hasn't been found. My family have also tried looking for him the last few days but I think they've given up now. I will make one last attempt to find him but I'm afraid these efforts may provide futile.

I also wonder how our other dog is dealing with this. Our dogs are brothers and they have been together now for about a year and a half. I guess we now need to take more care of him so he doesn't feel abandoned.

My brother told me that the dog of my grandparents once got out of their house and didn't return for a week. Maybe our dog will still come back after a few more days. I just pray though that if something bad happened to him, he didn't/doesn't suffer.

*****

ETA: I drove around our neighborhood a couple of times yesterday but unfortunately I didn't find our dog. I think I will make another attempt next weekend and see if maybe one of the neighbors took him in, assuming he was a stray. If I don't find him and someone else has him now, then I just hope that they take good care of him. We treated him very well and took great care of him when he was with us (maybe a bit too well because letting him out was meant to give him more freedom but apparently it backfired) so that if he is still alive and just with someone else now, then I wish he continues to have at least a decent life.

DLSU Lady Spikers Three-Peat

Congratulations to the DLSU Lady Spikers for winning their third championship title in a row, beating the ADMU Lady Eagles in the finals.

The De La Salle women's volleyball team lost their first game against UST but as it turned out, that was the only blemish on their record this season as they won every other game they played. This included two amazing come-from-behind wins against against Ateneo, once in the first round of eliminations and again in the first game of the finals. Both times, they were behind two sets to love, and both times they fought their way back. That showed amazing belief and incredible heart. Those qualities, along with their experience and all-around talent and consistency (and unparalleled blocking!) got them the championship.

This caps a truly amazing season of UAAP women's volleyball, where six of the eight teams were strong contenders for the final four. In the end, though, DLSU was just too good for everyone. Congratulations, Lady Spikers! Congratulations also to Abi Marano and Ara Galang for being hailed co-MVPs of the season and Michele Gumabao for being declared the finals MVP.

Harlem Shake Simpsons Edition

There are two versions of this out there. This one has the Baauer Harlem Shake song as background, which I prefer:


video uploaded in youtube by Starwarstcwseason 

Fox also put together a different version, making adjustments to the lyrics of the song and having Homer sing it. You can check this Fox version out here.

Nadal wins again!

After being away from tennis for 7 months, Rafael Nadal decided to head to South America where he could find his form again on his best surface, clay. This turned out to be a fantastic move because, while he lost the final of the first tournament he played (in Chile), he won Brazil and just now, Mexico. Congrats, Rafa!

photo from www.guardian.co.uk

What was great about this latest win is that he ran into tough competition in the semis and the finals in the form of David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, who are ranked #5 and #12 respectively. What's more is that both these athletes play well on clay and they are also relatively in-form (Almagro got to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open where he lost to Ferrer who himself got to the semifinals). I was hoping that Nadal would put up a fight against both of them, but as it turned out, he beat them both. Almagro put up more of a fight, losing to Nadal in two tight sets (7-5 6-4). It was the result in the final that shocked me, though. Nadal completely routed David Ferrer 6-0 6-2.

So three clay-court tournaments, three finals, a couple of wins over top 20 players, and two titles. That's a good start to Nadal's comeback. I hope he finds his early 2012 form again so that Rafa can snag Roland Garros title #8.

Therapy

My back started hurting early in the year. I was told that bad posture, stress, and poor physical fitness is the main causes of back pain so I'm pretty sure the stress and the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season contributed greatly to it. But it wasn't until I drove 6 hours to Bolinao one day and then back again to Manila the day after that my back started hurting pretty badly. I thought it would go away after some (lots of?) rest but the pain kept flaring up every so often that I decided to see an orthopedist.

My orthopedist looked at my x-ray results and thankfully, there wasn't anything wrong with my spine. He did tell me that at my age (ahem), back pain is quite common and it is supposed to be the leading reason for people missing work. He suggested I start doing exercises for my back and he also recommended that I get therapy which was thankfully covered by my health card. So on six separate occasions over the last few weeks, I went to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Makati Med for the following treatments: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator, Ultrasound, Host moist pack, and Lumbar traction.

I completed my sixth session earlier today although I did notice that after the 3rd session, my back pain started abating. I now just need to continue with my exercises to help strengthen my back and prevent or reduce further pain and I need to start exercising again. I do have to say that I pay a lot more attention to my posture now and I am trying to follow the recommended way to get out of bed when you have back pain. Gosh, I feel so old!