Wow, more than three weeks since my last blog update. Been a really busy last few weeks actually. So let me try to think back to some of the things that kept me really busy the last few weeks.
I organized a socio-civic activity for some folks at work. Can't recall if I've mentioned it in a previous blog post but I'm currently leading some of the corporate social responsibility initiatives at work. So I talked to Hands On Manila to see if we could participate in one of their activities and after attending their orientation and getting enough volunteers from work, we decide to join their activity called "The Breakfast Club". This was an activity were volunteers would join about 20 under-privileged kids early on a Saturday morning and organize a few games for them. After the games, we provide breakfast for everyone. It was a really good activity and everyone had lots of fun!
The night before, I actually hosted (again!) a big event at work. Wasn't really a lot of work to be quite frank because my co-host Elaine and I only had to get up on stage and speak about 3 or 4 times. But it was a bit of a busy night because right after that event, I actually had to go buy some prizes for the games we would give away for our activity with Hands On Manila the next day. After that, I headed to Bonifacio High Street for Pia and Joh's belated birthday celebration in Italianni's. It was cool too because Chris was apparently in Manila for a few weeks and was able to join us. The last time I saw him was way back in 2006, before I left for Sweden, so it has been a really long while! Peegee was also there, which is quite rare because it's not very often that he is able to join our get-togethers anymore. Of course, Raffa and Me-Ann were both there as well to complete the Manila-based gang.
Then I had a business trip to Jakarta a couple of weeks ago. It was my first trip to Indonesia and I may actually have a couple more business trips there. I didn't really get to go around as it was a very hectic trip - only four days. I did manage to meet up with Yulia, one of the honorary Yaminoys who actually flew from Jakarta to Manila last year to watch Elliott's Glorietta and Market! Market! concerts. I got to hang out with her and her friends on the Friday night that I was there. Her friends Bebta, Merry, Iting, and Tikie were all really cool and friendly. If I have another biz trip to Jakarta, I am certainly hanging out with them again.
Finally, last week, I ended going on an off-site team-building and planning activity at work. It was a really hectic two days. Thursday was spent on coming up with an action plan to address some key issues that our team has at work. Then Thursday night - 9pm to 1230am actually - was spent learning the choreography for a dance number that we would be doing on Friday. On Friday morning, my colleague Mark and I hosted (yes, another hosting gig) the morning event that included a couple of business updates as well as a rewards and recognition program. In the afternoon, we played a series of very competitive games that left everyone exhausted. In the evening, aside from our special dance number LOL, our office band played a few songs. There were four of us vocalists and I got to sing Jason Mraz's "I'm yours" and Ne-yo's "Closer". It was really cool! I actually wish I could perform both those songs again but I guess that won't happen coz we're not really into recycling performances. (Although I think it would really be cool to perform "Closer" again, it's such a great and fun song to perform, definitely gets the crowd going). After the band performed, we ended up dancing the night away and filling our guts with beer and other alcoholic beverages. Definitely didn't help me one bit in our volleyball game the next day (thank God I'm only a sub LOL and the rest of my teammates were in good form).
Then yesterday, my friend Ben who lives and works in Singapore but has been assigned on a 2-month project in Baguio and decided to come down to Manila for a day during the weekend. I've seen him a few times in Singapore the last year or so, but the last time I saw him in Manila was way back in 2005. He wasn't feeling well though so we just spent the day chilling out. He will most likely be swinging by Manila again some time in October so hopefully he isn't under the weather anymore when that happens.
So yeah, lots of stuff going on with me right now. Hopefully I can blog a bit more in the next few days since there really is so much for me to be writing about right now.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Ciera's birthday celebration
To celebrate my nephew's Ciera birthday, my mom, my brother, my two nephews, and my grandparents decided to eat out. My nephews wanted to have lunch in Conti’s, their favorite resto, and probably one of mine too. We in fact had dinner in Conti’s in Trinoma on Sunday night last week, but it took us a very long time to find parking in Trinoma that night. And with the Conti's in Annapolis almost always full, we decided to just head to Conti’s in Serendra, even if it was further away.
When we got there, the place was full and there were seven other groups ahead of us in the waiting list. So instead we had lunch in Polu Kai, the Hawaiian restaurant. The restaurant was quite kid-friendly, what with all the Polynesian-style statues and the aquarium with really colorful fish.
The food was really good too. I had eaten there once before but I couldn’t really remember how the food was. Everything we ordered was really good but unfortunately I’m not one of those bloggers who actually takes photos of the food they eat when they go to restos and notes down the names of the dishes. I do remember that I ordered the dish with Shrimp and Sausage. We also got the Nachos (the dip was really good), the appetizer with raw tuna, and the other appetizer that was kinda like a little puff pastry with shrimp inside.
We swung by the Pier One area coz there were a lot of these giant dinosaur statues on display. We took photos of my nephews with the dinosaurs while my mom and my grandparents had coffee and drinks in Gonuts Donuts. And after a few minutes there, we headed home.
For dinner, we had more shrimp LOL but I also got a cake from Red Ribbon. We put a candle on it and sang “Happy birthday” to Ciera before he blew out the candle. All in all, a simple birthday celebration but a really good one.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Abbaoke Night in Mag:Net
My friend Marie had her birthday a little more than a week ago and she decided that we would celebrate her birthday during "Abbaoke" night in Mag:Net in Bonifacio High Street. Abbaoke, or Abba Karaoke, involved the house band "Oven Toaster" playing Abba music and anyone brave enough to sing Abba songs in front of the Mag:Net crowd was welcome to join them on stage.
For this particular theme night, people were encouraged to come in groups of four and in all white. Of course when we were talking about it, it seemed like a very good and fun idea. So fun in fact that I decided to follow the theme and come in a predominantly white outfit (I didn't have white pants so khakis would have to do).
When I got there, I was slightly horrified by the fact that I was the only one who followed the instructions! LOL And when Gabe Mercado was going around the different tables getting volunteers to sing Abba songs, I started to realize that I was the only guy there who was going to sing! Well duh, the lead vocals of Abba are both female LOL. I actually started feeling really stupid and out of place LOL.
In any case, I decided to just go for it anyways and sing "The Winner Takes it All". Got it on video too. :)
Luckily, the crowd were actually pretty supportive LOL. And I'm singing at a low register because the song is being played in the female key but I am singing it in the male range of course i.e. an octave lower.
The second set thankfully turned into "Rockeoke" night, where volunteers could now sing all types of songs, from ballads to rock, still accompanied by the band. No one was signing up at the start so I volunteered to sing two songs, Creep by Radiohead and #41 by Dave Matthews Band. After all, I needed to gain some cool points back. LOL Here's me singing Creep, and looking pretty damn intense! :) I guess I was trying to get back some cool points after singing an Abba song LOL
All in all a really fun night. I guess it is always more fun when you do put yourself out there, do something silly, and really get into it.
I guess now I need to pay Mag:Net another visit during Rockeoke night. Or Broadwayoke night. Should be loads of fun. :)
For this particular theme night, people were encouraged to come in groups of four and in all white. Of course when we were talking about it, it seemed like a very good and fun idea. So fun in fact that I decided to follow the theme and come in a predominantly white outfit (I didn't have white pants so khakis would have to do).
When I got there, I was slightly horrified by the fact that I was the only one who followed the instructions! LOL And when Gabe Mercado was going around the different tables getting volunteers to sing Abba songs, I started to realize that I was the only guy there who was going to sing! Well duh, the lead vocals of Abba are both female LOL. I actually started feeling really stupid and out of place LOL.
In any case, I decided to just go for it anyways and sing "The Winner Takes it All". Got it on video too. :)
Luckily, the crowd were actually pretty supportive LOL. And I'm singing at a low register because the song is being played in the female key but I am singing it in the male range of course i.e. an octave lower.
The second set thankfully turned into "Rockeoke" night, where volunteers could now sing all types of songs, from ballads to rock, still accompanied by the band. No one was signing up at the start so I volunteered to sing two songs, Creep by Radiohead and #41 by Dave Matthews Band. After all, I needed to gain some cool points back. LOL Here's me singing Creep, and looking pretty damn intense! :) I guess I was trying to get back some cool points after singing an Abba song LOL
All in all a really fun night. I guess it is always more fun when you do put yourself out there, do something silly, and really get into it.
I guess now I need to pay Mag:Net another visit during Rockeoke night. Or Broadwayoke night. Should be loads of fun. :)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Four movies in eleven days
In the last week and a half, I got to watch 4 movies in the cinema. I don't recall a time when I got to see as many films in the theater in the same span of time as this. And I'm not even counting the dark knight which I got to see about two and a half weeks ago.
So which movies did I see? In order, The Mummy 3, The X-files: I want to believe, Wall-E, and Clone Wars.
Spoiler alert: I'll be sharing thoughts about these movies so please don't read any further if you don't want any spoilers.
The Mummy 3
Didn't really like this latest installment in the Mummy series.
Maybe it was the fact that Rachel Weisz was no longer there. As good as Maria Bello is, I felt she lacked Rachel's innocence and feistiness that was key in the dynamics of the entire cast. Then there was the fact that Brendan Fraser's son didn't look that much younger than he did. I found it difficult to believe they were father and son. The romantic angle was also both extremely cheesy, unnatural, and forced. Even Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, both of whom I really like and still liked in the movie, couldn't save "The Mummy 3" for me.
The X-files: I Want to Believe
I was, and still am, a big fan of the X-files so I made sure not to pass on the chance to watch the film. I wasn't disappointed.
There was no alien angle in it, and some X-files fans may not be pleased with that. But not me. I really loved it. In usual X-files style, they created a story in which there were many possibilities. Virtually everything could be explained by science. Or by coincidence. I also liked how the movie answered a few things but still left enough things open. Which possibility you choose to believe by the end of the film will depend on your own personal belief system. So the movie is aptly named.
I was also really impressed with Gillian Anderson's acting. I have always thought she is an incredibly talented actor, and she proved it once again here. It's too bad she doesn't come out in more movies or TV shows, definitely a waste of her amazing acting ability.
Wall-E
Ah, another really good movie. Amazing how there is virtually no dialogue for the entire first half of the movie and yet the film still manages to remain engaging. In fact, the lack of dialogue actually makes you feel Wall-E's loneliness to a greater degree, and as such, you root for Wall-E a whole lot more.
The animation was exceptional. And I liked the message that the film was trying to get across. About caring for the earth and the environment. And about not being so wrapped up in technology that we no longer interact with the people around us. And about not being too dependent on technology that we lose our ability to function without it. And of course, in usual Disney-Pixar style, you will end up really connecting and empathizing with the characters. Definitely a movie worth seeing. That is, if you think you won't get bored with the lack of dialogue in the first half of the movie. I certainly wasn't.
Clone Wars
Had to see this, me being the big Star Wars fan that I am. Having said that, I think it was just okay. The animation was great of course but I guess on some level there was so much going on story-wise that they couldn't really develop any of the characters well enough.
The new character, Ahsoka, seemed way too powerful for a padawan. When Anakin, who was supposedly one of the most powerful jedis ever, was Obiwan's padawan in Attack of the Clones, he was definitely not as adept at using his powers as Ahsoka was in Clone Wars. I mean, she actually got Anakin out of trouble and even guided him and sure he did the right thing. A bit too mature for someone supposedly too young to be a padawan.
Oh and that Ziro the Hutt character was way too weird for me. The Star Wars saga managed to create the image of the Hutts as scary and fearsome and powerful. The type of creature you wouldn't want to piss off. And by creating Ziro, they practically made a mockery of the Hutts reputation that was established in the other Star Wars films. Still, it was entertaining enough for me as a whole.
So which movies did I see? In order, The Mummy 3, The X-files: I want to believe, Wall-E, and Clone Wars.
Spoiler alert: I'll be sharing thoughts about these movies so please don't read any further if you don't want any spoilers.
The Mummy 3
Didn't really like this latest installment in the Mummy series.
Maybe it was the fact that Rachel Weisz was no longer there. As good as Maria Bello is, I felt she lacked Rachel's innocence and feistiness that was key in the dynamics of the entire cast. Then there was the fact that Brendan Fraser's son didn't look that much younger than he did. I found it difficult to believe they were father and son. The romantic angle was also both extremely cheesy, unnatural, and forced. Even Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, both of whom I really like and still liked in the movie, couldn't save "The Mummy 3" for me.
The X-files: I Want to Believe
I was, and still am, a big fan of the X-files so I made sure not to pass on the chance to watch the film. I wasn't disappointed.
There was no alien angle in it, and some X-files fans may not be pleased with that. But not me. I really loved it. In usual X-files style, they created a story in which there were many possibilities. Virtually everything could be explained by science. Or by coincidence. I also liked how the movie answered a few things but still left enough things open. Which possibility you choose to believe by the end of the film will depend on your own personal belief system. So the movie is aptly named.
I was also really impressed with Gillian Anderson's acting. I have always thought she is an incredibly talented actor, and she proved it once again here. It's too bad she doesn't come out in more movies or TV shows, definitely a waste of her amazing acting ability.
Wall-E
Ah, another really good movie. Amazing how there is virtually no dialogue for the entire first half of the movie and yet the film still manages to remain engaging. In fact, the lack of dialogue actually makes you feel Wall-E's loneliness to a greater degree, and as such, you root for Wall-E a whole lot more.
The animation was exceptional. And I liked the message that the film was trying to get across. About caring for the earth and the environment. And about not being so wrapped up in technology that we no longer interact with the people around us. And about not being too dependent on technology that we lose our ability to function without it. And of course, in usual Disney-Pixar style, you will end up really connecting and empathizing with the characters. Definitely a movie worth seeing. That is, if you think you won't get bored with the lack of dialogue in the first half of the movie. I certainly wasn't.
Clone Wars
Had to see this, me being the big Star Wars fan that I am. Having said that, I think it was just okay. The animation was great of course but I guess on some level there was so much going on story-wise that they couldn't really develop any of the characters well enough.
The new character, Ahsoka, seemed way too powerful for a padawan. When Anakin, who was supposedly one of the most powerful jedis ever, was Obiwan's padawan in Attack of the Clones, he was definitely not as adept at using his powers as Ahsoka was in Clone Wars. I mean, she actually got Anakin out of trouble and even guided him and sure he did the right thing. A bit too mature for someone supposedly too young to be a padawan.
Oh and that Ziro the Hutt character was way too weird for me. The Star Wars saga managed to create the image of the Hutts as scary and fearsome and powerful. The type of creature you wouldn't want to piss off. And by creating Ziro, they practically made a mockery of the Hutts reputation that was established in the other Star Wars films. Still, it was entertaining enough for me as a whole.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Lightning Bolt
Wow, Usain Bolt won 3 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics. And along with those golds came three new world records. Amazing!
There has been a lot of talk about how Usain is very disrespectful to other runners by his showboating. And generally, I don't really root for athletes who are arrogant and full of themselves. Which makes me wonder why I became a big fan of his.
For some reason, there was something strangely engaging about his flamboyance and brash demeanor. His in-your-face chest-thumping as he crossed the finish line in the 100m (he even slowed down in like the last 15 meters and was still so far ahead of everyone else!) threw off so many other people, but then again it also seemed to earn him a lot of fans.
Of course, he might have learned something from that, as he made sure that he remained completely focused in the 200m from start to finish. He beat the field by two-thirds of a second. In a sport where many medals have been won by hundredths of a second, his 200m run simply left his competition eating his dust.
And to top it all off, he and the rest of the Jamaican 4x100m relay team won gold too. And not only did they break the record, but they also beat their nearest rivals, Trinidad and Tobago, by almost a full second!!
Still makes me wonder how someone who has seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way due to his supposed arrogance actually makes me want to root for him. Maybe it's the way he celebrates his victories. He always seems jubilant and overjoyed whenever he wins. It's almost like, no one who truly believes he is completely and totally dominant over all his competition can celebrate his triumphs as joyfully as Usain. Add to this the fact that even his competitors, such as American Shawn Crawford, have said that they don't believe that he showboats.
It's amazing to think what else Usain can do in the future. He is still in his early twenties and may have at least a couple more Olympics in him. Who knows, maybe he wins a few more golds and breaks a few more records...
There has been a lot of talk about how Usain is very disrespectful to other runners by his showboating. And generally, I don't really root for athletes who are arrogant and full of themselves. Which makes me wonder why I became a big fan of his.
For some reason, there was something strangely engaging about his flamboyance and brash demeanor. His in-your-face chest-thumping as he crossed the finish line in the 100m (he even slowed down in like the last 15 meters and was still so far ahead of everyone else!) threw off so many other people, but then again it also seemed to earn him a lot of fans.
Of course, he might have learned something from that, as he made sure that he remained completely focused in the 200m from start to finish. He beat the field by two-thirds of a second. In a sport where many medals have been won by hundredths of a second, his 200m run simply left his competition eating his dust.
And to top it all off, he and the rest of the Jamaican 4x100m relay team won gold too. And not only did they break the record, but they also beat their nearest rivals, Trinidad and Tobago, by almost a full second!!
Still makes me wonder how someone who has seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way due to his supposed arrogance actually makes me want to root for him. Maybe it's the way he celebrates his victories. He always seems jubilant and overjoyed whenever he wins. It's almost like, no one who truly believes he is completely and totally dominant over all his competition can celebrate his triumphs as joyfully as Usain. Add to this the fact that even his competitors, such as American Shawn Crawford, have said that they don't believe that he showboats.
It's amazing to think what else Usain can do in the future. He is still in his early twenties and may have at least a couple more Olympics in him. Who knows, maybe he wins a few more golds and breaks a few more records...
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Volleyball season
Our sportsfest at work started a few weeks ago and I joined my team's volleyball squad, the Grey Huskies. Our team is actually pretty good and we have a fairly deep bench. The "problem" with that of course is that playtime becomes a bit limited. The games are mixed and the rules indicate that each team can have a maximum of 3 male players at a time on court. So with 10 men and 10 women playing in a best-of-3-sets format, most of us get to play only half a set on average to make sure that everyone gets to play.
This is what happened in our second game last week, which was also the first match I got to play (I missed our opening match). I came in as a sub in the middle of the first set and I played decently well. We won that set but then lost the 2nd set before our team captain fielded our first six again, and we won the 3rd set easily.
In our game earlier today, however, we didn't have our three main spikers and our primary setter as they were all unavailable due to travel. This made me and the rest of the team a bit apprehensive.
But as it turned out, we all played really well and won quite convincingly 25-16, 25-9! Yahoo! :)
We all played really well and very cohesively as a team - we had very good reception and passing, we attacked at every possible opportunity, we served well, and we played great defense. I was also really pleased with my own game. Virtually all of my spikes went in, which doesn't happen to me very often, and more often than not my spikes won the point for us. I also made quite a few really good saves too. Plus my serving wasn't too bad.
The best thing about today's match for me, though, was that we all really enjoyed it. Not just after we won, but even while we were playing. We were generally quite relaxed and we managed to shake off errors quite quickly and did not get frazzled. I also think that since we knew we didn't have all our main players today, we really appreciated and even celebrated each point that we won a lot more.
We will have most of our main players again next week so my playing time will be limited again, but I'm just really glad that I got the opportunity to play a full match (I was only one of two people who didn't get subbed today). We now have 3 wins and 0 losses and are in equal first place. Hopefully our good play continues throughout the tournament. We placed second last year so I'm hoping that we can maybe take it one step further and take home the title.
This is what happened in our second game last week, which was also the first match I got to play (I missed our opening match). I came in as a sub in the middle of the first set and I played decently well. We won that set but then lost the 2nd set before our team captain fielded our first six again, and we won the 3rd set easily.
In our game earlier today, however, we didn't have our three main spikers and our primary setter as they were all unavailable due to travel. This made me and the rest of the team a bit apprehensive.
But as it turned out, we all played really well and won quite convincingly 25-16, 25-9! Yahoo! :)
We all played really well and very cohesively as a team - we had very good reception and passing, we attacked at every possible opportunity, we served well, and we played great defense. I was also really pleased with my own game. Virtually all of my spikes went in, which doesn't happen to me very often, and more often than not my spikes won the point for us. I also made quite a few really good saves too. Plus my serving wasn't too bad.
The best thing about today's match for me, though, was that we all really enjoyed it. Not just after we won, but even while we were playing. We were generally quite relaxed and we managed to shake off errors quite quickly and did not get frazzled. I also think that since we knew we didn't have all our main players today, we really appreciated and even celebrated each point that we won a lot more.
We will have most of our main players again next week so my playing time will be limited again, but I'm just really glad that I got the opportunity to play a full match (I was only one of two people who didn't get subbed today). We now have 3 wins and 0 losses and are in equal first place. Hopefully our good play continues throughout the tournament. We placed second last year so I'm hoping that we can maybe take it one step further and take home the title.
Monday, August 18, 2008
A Gold Medal and the #1 ranking
Congratulations to Rafael Nadal for winning the Olympic Gold Medal in the Men's Tennis Singles Event!
The week before the Olympics started, Rafa ensured that he would take over the world #1 ranking on August 18 with his semifinal showing in the Cincinnati Master tournament and Roger Federer's early exit in that same tournament.
People were hoping for a Rafa-Roger final in the Olympics. But Roger's bad year continued as he lost for the very first time in 9 matches to James Blake.
This opened up Rafa's chances to take the goldbut he had a major roadblock on his way to the final in the form of world #3 Novak Djokovic. Novak won their most recent match, pasting Rafa in straight sets during their semifinal encounter in the Cincinnati Masters. With hard courts being Djokovic's best surface, I was worried.
But Rafa got through in another very tough match, 6-4 in the third set. In the final, Rafa faced Fernando Gonzalez, who won the bronze medal in the Athens Olympics four years ago. Nadal proved his superiority by winning in straight sets.
So Rafa celebrates his ascent to the world #1 ranking by winning Olympic Gold. Hopefully he continues to do well the rest of the year, maybe even winning the US Open as well as the year-end championships. But regardless of what happens the rest of the year, with two Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold, Rafael Nadal is definitely the best tennis player in the world right now.
Way to go, Rafa!
The week before the Olympics started, Rafa ensured that he would take over the world #1 ranking on August 18 with his semifinal showing in the Cincinnati Master tournament and Roger Federer's early exit in that same tournament.People were hoping for a Rafa-Roger final in the Olympics. But Roger's bad year continued as he lost for the very first time in 9 matches to James Blake.
This opened up Rafa's chances to take the goldbut he had a major roadblock on his way to the final in the form of world #3 Novak Djokovic. Novak won their most recent match, pasting Rafa in straight sets during their semifinal encounter in the Cincinnati Masters. With hard courts being Djokovic's best surface, I was worried.
But Rafa got through in another very tough match, 6-4 in the third set. In the final, Rafa faced Fernando Gonzalez, who won the bronze medal in the Athens Olympics four years ago. Nadal proved his superiority by winning in straight sets.So Rafa celebrates his ascent to the world #1 ranking by winning Olympic Gold. Hopefully he continues to do well the rest of the year, maybe even winning the US Open as well as the year-end championships. But regardless of what happens the rest of the year, with two Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold, Rafael Nadal is definitely the best tennis player in the world right now.
Way to go, Rafa!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Another great day
Been having quite a few of them lately, and for that I am really grateful. This great day I'm talking about here actually happened almost a month ago.
I volunteered once again for Habitat for Humanity last July 19. We organized another group of people at work. This time, a lot more people attended - about 47, more than double the first group. It was actually a bit tiring because I organized the transportation for everyone - taking note of each volunteer's pick-up point, departure time, and drop-off point. I was actually quite pleased at how the transportation got sorted out - we didn't have any glitches at all!
Of course the event itself was another success. The folks in Kamarin, our build site, were thankful for our second visit. It was also amazing to see that walls we worked a few months ago were now houses!
Anyways, that night, I actually had dinner plans as well with Karen, Tanya, and Bryan, my friends from my previous job. I found out from Karen that she was leaving for the US to study in UC Berkeley so I tried to gather folks from our team to have a despedida dinner for her. Unfortunately, most of our ex-teammates were out of the country. So it was just the four of us.
The initial plan was for us to have dinner in Cyma in Greenbelt, but apparently it was under renovation when we got there. So we moved to People's Palace, which is one of Karen's favorite restos in the Greenbelt area. We then moved to Coffee Bean, which is also one of Karen's favorite cafes. We kidded Bryan about treating us to some coffee and he actually very nicely obliged. Thanks Bryan!
I hadn't seen all of them in months so it was really great catching up with them and also walking down memory lane and remembering a lot of the great times we had when we all still worked in the same place and got to spend more time together.
By 1030pm I was yawning like crazy. After all, I did spend a day of back-breaking work for Habitat, and I did get up at 545am so by then I had been awake for almost 17 hours. So I left before everyone else did, although they were all about to leave as well - I think Karen was just waiting for her sister I think.
Was definitely a great day. It'll be a while before all four of us get to meet up again, especially with Karen in another country now, but I'm sure that when we do see each other next, it will be loads of fun once again.
I volunteered once again for Habitat for Humanity last July 19. We organized another group of people at work. This time, a lot more people attended - about 47, more than double the first group. It was actually a bit tiring because I organized the transportation for everyone - taking note of each volunteer's pick-up point, departure time, and drop-off point. I was actually quite pleased at how the transportation got sorted out - we didn't have any glitches at all!
Of course the event itself was another success. The folks in Kamarin, our build site, were thankful for our second visit. It was also amazing to see that walls we worked a few months ago were now houses!
Anyways, that night, I actually had dinner plans as well with Karen, Tanya, and Bryan, my friends from my previous job. I found out from Karen that she was leaving for the US to study in UC Berkeley so I tried to gather folks from our team to have a despedida dinner for her. Unfortunately, most of our ex-teammates were out of the country. So it was just the four of us.
The initial plan was for us to have dinner in Cyma in Greenbelt, but apparently it was under renovation when we got there. So we moved to People's Palace, which is one of Karen's favorite restos in the Greenbelt area. We then moved to Coffee Bean, which is also one of Karen's favorite cafes. We kidded Bryan about treating us to some coffee and he actually very nicely obliged. Thanks Bryan!
I hadn't seen all of them in months so it was really great catching up with them and also walking down memory lane and remembering a lot of the great times we had when we all still worked in the same place and got to spend more time together.
By 1030pm I was yawning like crazy. After all, I did spend a day of back-breaking work for Habitat, and I did get up at 545am so by then I had been awake for almost 17 hours. So I left before everyone else did, although they were all about to leave as well - I think Karen was just waiting for her sister I think.
Was definitely a great day. It'll be a while before all four of us get to meet up again, especially with Karen in another country now, but I'm sure that when we do see each other next, it will be loads of fun once again.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Charlie Green in Concert
A couple of weeks ago, my mom saw Charlie Green on TV once during one of his many TV appearances and was impressed with his performance. She then read an article in Inquirer which mentioned that Charlie was going to have a show in Conway's in the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. She showed me the article and said that she wanted to watch.
I never got around to asking about the details on how to get tickets and stuff. But while having lunch at Chili's after my marathon, I got a text from my friend Yam asking me if I wanted to watch Charlie Green. I gave her a call and apparently, the tickets were almost gone. He initially had just one show at 2pm but that sold out quickly. They opened another show, over dinner at 7pm, but the waitlist for the 2pm show was already 100+ and they were all moved to the dinner show.
I finish up my lunch and head to Makati Shang. When I get there, I am told that the show is practically fully booked. I got three seats - me, my mom, and Yam who asked me to get her a ticket too since she was too far from the Shang hotel. I asked the lady if there were still slots and she said they won't be selling anymore tickets unless some of the people who reserved back out. So it seems that I got the last available seats. :)
On to the show. Charlie's dad, Roger, provided the opening act, singing two songs and showing everyone that singing is definitely in the Green gene pool. He was really very good!
Charlie then took the stage. He actually sang nine songs, including some timeless classics such as "Fly me to the moon", "Smile", and "What a wonderful world". He also sang a couple of original songs written by Cedric Whitehouse. And naturally he had to sing "Summer Wind", the song he performed in "Britain's Got Talent". That has to be his best technical performance. Not only does he scat very confidently in it, but he displays an amazing ability to shift from a chest tone to a head tone and back to a chest tone effortlessly and with no loss in vocal volume. A lot of adult singers have difficulty doing that!
But my favorite performance of his has to be his rendition of "Stars" from the musical "Les Miserables." That is one of my favorite songs in the musical and he does great justice performing this song. I actually gave him a standing ovation!
Here's Charlie singing "Stars". Thanks Yam for letting me put up this video in my blog. :)
You can catch all of his performances at Conway's in Yam's Charlie Green playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EF2B94ECA71CAA11
There was also a meet and greet after the show. While we were in line, I told Yam that it was funny that we were all together again for a meet and greet as fans - almost a year ago it was Elliott Yamin and this time it's Charlie Green LOL. My mom actually remembered Yam from last year.
Anyways, we got to have our photo taken with him (my mom also got her picture taken with his dad, but the photos are in my mom's cam...) He also had a pile of his pictures on which he signed his autograph for everyone who wanted one. My mom actually got a special message because it was her birthday so Charlie signed it "Happy birthday".
All in all, a very good show from an incredibly talented 11-year-old. I was pleased to get to see him. Maybe the next time he visits, he won't be as accessible as he was this time because he might be more popular then. So I was really glad I was there to see his show. :)
I never got around to asking about the details on how to get tickets and stuff. But while having lunch at Chili's after my marathon, I got a text from my friend Yam asking me if I wanted to watch Charlie Green. I gave her a call and apparently, the tickets were almost gone. He initially had just one show at 2pm but that sold out quickly. They opened another show, over dinner at 7pm, but the waitlist for the 2pm show was already 100+ and they were all moved to the dinner show.
I finish up my lunch and head to Makati Shang. When I get there, I am told that the show is practically fully booked. I got three seats - me, my mom, and Yam who asked me to get her a ticket too since she was too far from the Shang hotel. I asked the lady if there were still slots and she said they won't be selling anymore tickets unless some of the people who reserved back out. So it seems that I got the last available seats. :)
On to the show. Charlie's dad, Roger, provided the opening act, singing two songs and showing everyone that singing is definitely in the Green gene pool. He was really very good!
Charlie then took the stage. He actually sang nine songs, including some timeless classics such as "Fly me to the moon", "Smile", and "What a wonderful world". He also sang a couple of original songs written by Cedric Whitehouse. And naturally he had to sing "Summer Wind", the song he performed in "Britain's Got Talent". That has to be his best technical performance. Not only does he scat very confidently in it, but he displays an amazing ability to shift from a chest tone to a head tone and back to a chest tone effortlessly and with no loss in vocal volume. A lot of adult singers have difficulty doing that!
But my favorite performance of his has to be his rendition of "Stars" from the musical "Les Miserables." That is one of my favorite songs in the musical and he does great justice performing this song. I actually gave him a standing ovation!
Here's Charlie singing "Stars". Thanks Yam for letting me put up this video in my blog. :)
You can catch all of his performances at Conway's in Yam's Charlie Green playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EF2B94ECA71CAA11
There was also a meet and greet after the show. While we were in line, I told Yam that it was funny that we were all together again for a meet and greet as fans - almost a year ago it was Elliott Yamin and this time it's Charlie Green LOL. My mom actually remembered Yam from last year.
Anyways, we got to have our photo taken with him (my mom also got her picture taken with his dad, but the photos are in my mom's cam...) He also had a pile of his pictures on which he signed his autograph for everyone who wanted one. My mom actually got a special message because it was her birthday so Charlie signed it "Happy birthday".
All in all, a very good show from an incredibly talented 11-year-old. I was pleased to get to see him. Maybe the next time he visits, he won't be as accessible as he was this time because he might be more popular then. So I was really glad I was there to see his show. :)
The Dark Knight rocks!
I finally got to watch "The Dark Knight" tonight! And wow, it was so frickin' awesome!!
It is currently on its way to becoming the highest grossing film in the US at least and has gotten so much buzz, largely due to Heath Ledger's chilling performance (although I really do think his make-up artist deserves a ton of credit for how scary he is) that might earn him a posthumous Oscar.
The great thing though is that 'The Dark Knight', at least to me, lived up to the immense hype. The film had a fantastic cast and they all put in an incredible performance - Ledger, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. It focused more on great storytelling and well-crafted character development than on dazzling production value and special effects. And the amazing twists and turns all throughout the movie definitely kept me eagerly awaiting what was going to happen next.
I'm not absolutely sure this is a film I would want to see again in the near future just because it is quite dark and intense. But it is definitely a must-see and I'm glad I caught it while it is still showing in the theaters here in Manila.
And if this movie does become the highest-grossing film of all time, hey, I can say that I contributed to that! LOL
It is currently on its way to becoming the highest grossing film in the US at least and has gotten so much buzz, largely due to Heath Ledger's chilling performance (although I really do think his make-up artist deserves a ton of credit for how scary he is) that might earn him a posthumous Oscar.
The great thing though is that 'The Dark Knight', at least to me, lived up to the immense hype. The film had a fantastic cast and they all put in an incredible performance - Ledger, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. It focused more on great storytelling and well-crafted character development than on dazzling production value and special effects. And the amazing twists and turns all throughout the movie definitely kept me eagerly awaiting what was going to happen next.
I'm not absolutely sure this is a film I would want to see again in the near future just because it is quite dark and intense. But it is definitely a must-see and I'm glad I caught it while it is still showing in the theaters here in Manila.
And if this movie does become the highest-grossing film of all time, hey, I can say that I contributed to that! LOL
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Just like old times
Duncan, one of my best friends ever, was here in Manila for a business trip recently (week of July 21). I hadn't seen him in almost two years so it was great getting to hang out with him again. It was unfortunate that the rest of his family - Amy, Lucas, and Ila - couldn't come with him in this trip. But apparently Amy told him that the next time he has a trip to the Philippines, he isn't allowed to go unless they can all go with him.
I also knew that Paul was going to be here as well the week after (week of July 28), so I sent him an SMS reminding him that Duncan was going to be in Manila coz he did mention to me that he might end up coming to the Philippines earlier. Luckily, he had diving plans that weekend (July 26-27) and was arriving in Manila on July 25. His diving plans didn't push through but he decided to arrive on July 25 anyway so that he could meet up with me and Duncan.
The last time all three of us were in the same place was probably Paul's wedding way back in January 2004 so needless to say it was a great night filled with lots of catching up and lots of beer. Duncan gave Amy a call while we were together and both Paul and I got to talk to her. She warned both of us that if Duncan missed his flight, we were accountable and would be in trouble. Lucky for us he made his flight. :)
I also knew that Paul was going to be here as well the week after (week of July 28), so I sent him an SMS reminding him that Duncan was going to be in Manila coz he did mention to me that he might end up coming to the Philippines earlier. Luckily, he had diving plans that weekend (July 26-27) and was arriving in Manila on July 25. His diving plans didn't push through but he decided to arrive on July 25 anyway so that he could meet up with me and Duncan.
The last time all three of us were in the same place was probably Paul's wedding way back in January 2004 so needless to say it was a great night filled with lots of catching up and lots of beer. Duncan gave Amy a call while we were together and both Paul and I got to talk to her. She warned both of us that if Duncan missed his flight, we were accountable and would be in trouble. Lucky for us he made his flight. :)
My 5th Marathon for a Cause a success! :)
After 2 1/2 months of getting ready, running 237 kilometers during training, and dealing with 2 1/2 hours of rain during the actual run, I completed my fifth Marathon for a Cause last Sunday, August 3, in 5 hours and 36 minutes.
And in the process, I raised more than P75,000 for PGH patients!
I haven't been updating this blog for a while because I decided to put up another blog for my marathon, and I spent most of my blogging time there in the last couple of weeks. Check out my Marathon-for-a-cause blog: http://marathonforacause.wordpress.com/
Click here to read more about how my run went on August 3.
Click here to see photos that my friend Marco took of me while I was running (Marco provided bike support to me during my run): http://picasaweb.google.com/cqpobre/MarathonForACause2008
And here's a video of me running during the marathon (also taken by Marco):
It's amazing to think that I have actually run five marathons already in my life. When I started running in early 2003, my life goal was to run 25 kilometers at some point in my life. And five years later, I've gone the whole 42 kilometer distance on five separate occasions.
But the important thing about all this is that I am able to raise money to help patients in the Philippine General Hospital who can't afford to pay for their medicine and diagnostic tests.
Thanks to all my family and friends for your generosity, encouragement, and support. Until next year! :)
And in the process, I raised more than P75,000 for PGH patients!
I haven't been updating this blog for a while because I decided to put up another blog for my marathon, and I spent most of my blogging time there in the last couple of weeks. Check out my Marathon-for-a-cause blog: http://marathonforacause.wordpress.com/
Click here to read more about how my run went on August 3.
Click here to see photos that my friend Marco took of me while I was running (Marco provided bike support to me during my run): http://picasaweb.google.com/cqpobre/MarathonForACause2008
And here's a video of me running during the marathon (also taken by Marco):
It's amazing to think that I have actually run five marathons already in my life. When I started running in early 2003, my life goal was to run 25 kilometers at some point in my life. And five years later, I've gone the whole 42 kilometer distance on five separate occasions.
But the important thing about all this is that I am able to raise money to help patients in the Philippine General Hospital who can't afford to pay for their medicine and diagnostic tests.
Thanks to all my family and friends for your generosity, encouragement, and support. Until next year! :)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Toni's 20th wedding anniversary
My friend Toni, who lives in Texas, is coming to the Philippines next week to celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary with a renewal of vows. It will be held in Dumaguete and since I had never been there, I thought it would be a good excuse for me to go. A few other friends of ours who are based in Manila will be going so it should be fun.
What makes it even more interesting, at least for me, is that I have once again been asked to sing. Big surprise LOL. I will actually be singing with three other people - Marie, Eliza, and Fred. The initial plan was for us to sing one group song and then each of us does a solo. We decided that for our group song, we would do an a capella arrangement of "When I fall in love" (Marie's chorale group have done this). But another friend of ours, Emmy, suggested to Toni that we sing "With you I'm born again" as a group. Not really my preferred song choice.
I was initially thinking of singing either "Come fly with me" or "Fly me to the moon" coz most of the songs we were doing were slow and I felt that it would be nice to sing something a bit more upbeat. But Marie gave me a minus one audio file of "Angels brought me here" - I mentioned to her before that I wanted to sing it but I lost my minus one of the song - and while practicing it, I changed my mind and decided to do this song instead. Should be fun.
Anyways, we wanted to start with the a capella song just because it is a lot more difficult to sing and we want to get the difficult song out of the way. But then during our practice last Saturday, we realized that if we end with "With you I'm born again" it would kinda be anti-climactic. Especially since some of our solos are better than the group song. And since we didn't want to end with a solo, we decided to toss in another group song. We decided to sing "Seasons of Love" from Rent.
I'm really excited about the songs we are doing actually. The last time I sang harmony was way back in college so it has been a while and I'm looking forward to doing it again. And I've always wanted to sing "Seasons of Love" so that should be loads of fun too. :)
What makes it even more interesting, at least for me, is that I have once again been asked to sing. Big surprise LOL. I will actually be singing with three other people - Marie, Eliza, and Fred. The initial plan was for us to sing one group song and then each of us does a solo. We decided that for our group song, we would do an a capella arrangement of "When I fall in love" (Marie's chorale group have done this). But another friend of ours, Emmy, suggested to Toni that we sing "With you I'm born again" as a group. Not really my preferred song choice.
I was initially thinking of singing either "Come fly with me" or "Fly me to the moon" coz most of the songs we were doing were slow and I felt that it would be nice to sing something a bit more upbeat. But Marie gave me a minus one audio file of "Angels brought me here" - I mentioned to her before that I wanted to sing it but I lost my minus one of the song - and while practicing it, I changed my mind and decided to do this song instead. Should be fun.
Anyways, we wanted to start with the a capella song just because it is a lot more difficult to sing and we want to get the difficult song out of the way. But then during our practice last Saturday, we realized that if we end with "With you I'm born again" it would kinda be anti-climactic. Especially since some of our solos are better than the group song. And since we didn't want to end with a solo, we decided to toss in another group song. We decided to sing "Seasons of Love" from Rent.
I'm really excited about the songs we are doing actually. The last time I sang harmony was way back in college so it has been a while and I'm looking forward to doing it again. And I've always wanted to sing "Seasons of Love" so that should be loads of fun too. :)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Marathon training tracker - July 13
Target: 24 kilometers in 2 hours 40 minutes
Actual: 18 kilometers in 2 hours
So far my worst result, and I guess I had to expect it. I was planning a 16k run on Thursday which I missed because it rained heavily on Thursday night. Which normally isn't a problem except that my car was color-coded that day and I didn't have an umbrella. I also couldn't get a cab. So I ended up missing another training run.
I then decided to run 24k since I felt I was running out of time and that I needed to cover longer distances. And during the run, I was conserving energy really well and was pretty well-hydrated. The problem was that at around the 16k mark, I felt really hungry. And I mean really hungry. It kinda sucked coz I actually thought I had a good meal prior to that, but I guess it wasn't enough.
So I decided at the 17k mark that I would just cut my run short and maybe run 21k on Thursday then 24k on Monday next week. I can't run during the weekend because I have another Habitat for Humanity activity on Saturday and I know my body won't be in good shape on Sunday. I have about 3 weeks left 'til my marathon and I don't really have a lot of time to train so I hope I can meet all my remaining training targets.
Actual: 18 kilometers in 2 hours
So far my worst result, and I guess I had to expect it. I was planning a 16k run on Thursday which I missed because it rained heavily on Thursday night. Which normally isn't a problem except that my car was color-coded that day and I didn't have an umbrella. I also couldn't get a cab. So I ended up missing another training run.
I then decided to run 24k since I felt I was running out of time and that I needed to cover longer distances. And during the run, I was conserving energy really well and was pretty well-hydrated. The problem was that at around the 16k mark, I felt really hungry. And I mean really hungry. It kinda sucked coz I actually thought I had a good meal prior to that, but I guess it wasn't enough.
So I decided at the 17k mark that I would just cut my run short and maybe run 21k on Thursday then 24k on Monday next week. I can't run during the weekend because I have another Habitat for Humanity activity on Saturday and I know my body won't be in good shape on Sunday. I have about 3 weeks left 'til my marathon and I don't really have a lot of time to train so I hope I can meet all my remaining training targets.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Mamma Mia!
I watched Mamma Mia! on Friday night with Pia and Jill. And man, it was such a fun and feel-good movie! Which I guess you can expect when you put together Abba music, a Broadway musical, and a great cast top-billed by Meryl Streep.
The movie is based on the musical of the same title. When I was in New York for a weekend back in 2004, I had the option of watching the musical - the receptionist of my hotel was highly recommending it to me - but I ended up watching "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Producers" because Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane reprised their roles during the time I was there.
So I never really got to see the musical and I don't know how the movie stacks up against it. But I do know Abba and their music, and the musical was based on the music of Abba (hence the title). I have to say that for the most part I was impressed. The cast - which included Colin Firth, Stellen Skarsgard (it's great that there was a Swede in the cast), Julie Walters, and Christine Baranski - was really good. Amanda Seyfried, who co-starred with Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls, played Sophie in the film and was surprisingly good. I initially didn't recognize her and I thought that she was a newbie who came out of nowhere to take the role.
Of course, the show, as expected, belonged to the marvelous Meryl Streep who played Donna, the lead character. From her acting to her singing to her larger-than-life screen presence, she was such a joy to watch. Especially remarkable was her delivery of the Abba classic "The Winner Takes It All" which was delivered with excellent vocal strength and texture and with immense passion that we have grown to expect from this legendary thespian.
The only downside for me was Pierce Brosnan's singing, which to me didn't sound very good at all. But I guess I have to give him an 'A' for effort.
All in all a great, fun-filled movie. Definitely worth watching. In fact, I think I will be watching it again since my mom wants to see it too, and I will use that as an excuse to see it again. :)
The movie is based on the musical of the same title. When I was in New York for a weekend back in 2004, I had the option of watching the musical - the receptionist of my hotel was highly recommending it to me - but I ended up watching "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Producers" because Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane reprised their roles during the time I was there.
So I never really got to see the musical and I don't know how the movie stacks up against it. But I do know Abba and their music, and the musical was based on the music of Abba (hence the title). I have to say that for the most part I was impressed. The cast - which included Colin Firth, Stellen Skarsgard (it's great that there was a Swede in the cast), Julie Walters, and Christine Baranski - was really good. Amanda Seyfried, who co-starred with Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls, played Sophie in the film and was surprisingly good. I initially didn't recognize her and I thought that she was a newbie who came out of nowhere to take the role.
Of course, the show, as expected, belonged to the marvelous Meryl Streep who played Donna, the lead character. From her acting to her singing to her larger-than-life screen presence, she was such a joy to watch. Especially remarkable was her delivery of the Abba classic "The Winner Takes It All" which was delivered with excellent vocal strength and texture and with immense passion that we have grown to expect from this legendary thespian.
The only downside for me was Pierce Brosnan's singing, which to me didn't sound very good at all. But I guess I have to give him an 'A' for effort.
All in all a great, fun-filled movie. Definitely worth watching. In fact, I think I will be watching it again since my mom wants to see it too, and I will use that as an excuse to see it again. :)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Quick Hits
Che was here last week. We - me, Che, Pia, Me-ann, Alvin, Joh and Raffa - decided to meet up for dinner on Wednesday night. Me-ann (or was it Pia?) read about this resto in GB5 called Zuni and they thought it would be good to try. The verdict? Some of the dishes were pretty good, but I felt it was a bit too overpriced for my taste. The risotto dish I got (can't remember exactly what it was, I think spinach and mushroom) was just okay. I think prefer the risotto in UCC Cafe. Raffa's pasta dish though was apparently really good. Nice to try once I guess but make sure you're stacked when you go there.
*****
Most of that same group of folks ended up watching Hancock on Friday. Pia begged off - she didn't really want to watch Hancock - and Alvin had other plans. Anna Mae joined us for the movie. When we got out of the cinema, it seemed I was the only one who entertained by it. Raffa and Joh didn't really like it, Che thought it was okay, Me-ann and Anna Mae were unsure whether they liked the movie or not haha. Anyways, I ended up having dessert with Me-Ann, Che, and Anna Mae and they showed me photos they took during a road trip they took (with Pia) to Laguna the Saturday before.
*****
Bought a few CDs over the weekend:
*****
I was watching "Iron Chef America" last Saturday. The challenger, Chef Yeo, selected Chef Morimoto to compete against, so it was an all-Asian battle. Made sense since the secret ingredient was tofu.
Morimoto is my favorite Iron Chef because I love the fact that he always comes up with six dishes and a dessert, no matter what the secret ingredient is. Apparently though, he has the worst record in Iron Chef America. Of course, his challenger Chef Yeo seemed like a very likeable woman too.
At the end of the judging, Morimoto won. And with a near perfect score of 59 (max points is 60). Chef Yeo actually scored 55. Now, I have seen episodes where the winner doesn't even get 55 (sometimes a 51 or 52) so I guess Chef Yeo had nothing to be disappointed about as her dishes were practically perfect too.
*****
Most of that same group of folks ended up watching Hancock on Friday. Pia begged off - she didn't really want to watch Hancock - and Alvin had other plans. Anna Mae joined us for the movie. When we got out of the cinema, it seemed I was the only one who entertained by it. Raffa and Joh didn't really like it, Che thought it was okay, Me-ann and Anna Mae were unsure whether they liked the movie or not haha. Anyways, I ended up having dessert with Me-Ann, Che, and Anna Mae and they showed me photos they took during a road trip they took (with Pia) to Laguna the Saturday before.
*****
Bought a few CDs over the weekend:
- U2's "Best of 1980-1990" - I actually had this on cassette tape before but I don't have a cassette player anymore except in the car so I figured it was worth getting the CD.
- Matchbox 20's "Exile on Mainstream"
- Toto's "The Essential Toto"
*****
I was watching "Iron Chef America" last Saturday. The challenger, Chef Yeo, selected Chef Morimoto to compete against, so it was an all-Asian battle. Made sense since the secret ingredient was tofu.
Morimoto is my favorite Iron Chef because I love the fact that he always comes up with six dishes and a dessert, no matter what the secret ingredient is. Apparently though, he has the worst record in Iron Chef America. Of course, his challenger Chef Yeo seemed like a very likeable woman too.
At the end of the judging, Morimoto won. And with a near perfect score of 59 (max points is 60). Chef Yeo actually scored 55. Now, I have seen episodes where the winner doesn't even get 55 (sometimes a 51 or 52) so I guess Chef Yeo had nothing to be disappointed about as her dishes were practically perfect too.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Marathon training tracker - July 5 to 7
July 5
I was planning to run 24k last Saturday. But as of Friday, I was still tired and my muscles were still sore. I decided that I needed a break from training so I took the weekend off.
July 7
Since I missed my 24k training run, I decided that I would do it again this Saturday. I then decided that for this week, I would run 8k on Monday, 16k on Thursday, and 24k on Saturday.
Target distance: 8 kilometers
Target time: 46 minutes
Actual time: 45 minutes 25 seconds
I figured that since I covered 8k in 47 minutes the week before, I should try to increase my speed a bit and shave off 1 minute from my time. And for the first time in my last five runs, I actually met my target time!
The only worry I have now is that there's a slight pain on my right knee and both my hamstrings are still sore. Considering that I had a weekend off from running, this is not a very good sign.
I am still going to target a 16k road run on Thursday, but i'll probably run it at a slower pace than I had initially planned. I also have a full day to rest my body before my next training run. Hopefully it will be enough.
Next target: 16 km in 1 hours 46 minutes.
I was planning to run 24k last Saturday. But as of Friday, I was still tired and my muscles were still sore. I decided that I needed a break from training so I took the weekend off.
July 7
Since I missed my 24k training run, I decided that I would do it again this Saturday. I then decided that for this week, I would run 8k on Monday, 16k on Thursday, and 24k on Saturday.
Target distance: 8 kilometers
Target time: 46 minutes
Actual time: 45 minutes 25 seconds
I figured that since I covered 8k in 47 minutes the week before, I should try to increase my speed a bit and shave off 1 minute from my time. And for the first time in my last five runs, I actually met my target time!
The only worry I have now is that there's a slight pain on my right knee and both my hamstrings are still sore. Considering that I had a weekend off from running, this is not a very good sign.
I am still going to target a 16k road run on Thursday, but i'll probably run it at a slower pace than I had initially planned. I also have a full day to rest my body before my next training run. Hopefully it will be enough.
Next target: 16 km in 1 hours 46 minutes.
Vamos, Rafa!
Rafael Nadal is the 2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles Champion! Woo-hoo!!!
In what has to be arguably the best Wimbledon final - heck, best Grand Slam final - ever, Rafael Nadal squeaked past Roger Federer in five intense and absolutely gruelling sets of out-of-this-world tennis. It was so tense that I actually stayed up until 430am to finish the match. It lasted 4 hours 48 minutes, the longest men's final ever. And that's not counting the two rain delays - one that came towards the end of the third set and another that came in the start of the 5th - or the fact that it started about half an hour late also because of rain. And me being the Nadal fan that I am, I actually stayed up to watch the whole trophy ceremony.
The final had it all - swings in momentum, fantastic rallies, unbelievable mental toughness from both players, breakpoints, set points, and even match points saved.
Rafa won the first set after breaking Roger early. Then he was down a break in the second set when he managed to break Roger back twice to take a commanding 2-0 lead. One more set and the title would be his.
But Federer is the best grass court player this decade - the defending champion has won a record equalling five Wimbledon titles in a row, a record 10 consecutive grass court tournaments, and a record 65 consecutive matches on grass. He was not about to roll over and die. He took the 3rd set to a tie-break where he scored a mini-break of serve and held on to it to take the third set.
The fourth set was decided once more in a tie-break. Nadal initially had the upper-hand, he was 5-2 up, with two mini-breaks of serve and was two points away from the title. But nerves got to him and he double faulted. Nadal actually had two matchpoints in the tie-break, but on each occasion Roger raised the level of his game to even things out. And when Rafa hit a backhand long on Roger's 2nd set point, the match was dead even at two sets apiece. Oh the stress!
I was seriously worried in the fifth set. Roger seemed to have the momentum on his side, and for a few games he seemed to have figured out Rafa's forehand. Moreover, most players who led 2-0 and had match points who then found themselves in a fifth set would have withered and died. But not Rafa. He showed that his mental frailty in the 4th set tie-break was temporary and proved his mettle by staying toe-to-toe with Roger until 7-all.
It was at this point that Nadal then scored the all important break of serve to leave him serving for the match at 8-7. By now the it was almost half past nine and the lighting was very poor. But matchplay continued. Rafa had another match point which Roger saved with a sublime cross-court backhand. Finally, on his fourth matchpoint, and after nearly five hours of nerve-wracking, breathtaking tennis, Roger hit his forehand to the net to hand Rafa the title.
It has to be the absolute best match I have ever seen in my entire life. Any other male tennis player who saw that match probably realized just how much ground they have to cover before they can really challenge the world's top 2 tennis players, at least on grass.
Nadal has now won a tour-leading 6 titles this year, including two Grand Slam titles. He is still behind Roger but so far this year he's had the best results by a mile. If he can continue to do well, he has a strong chance to finish this year as the #1. Which I think he truly deserves.
Go Rafa!
In what has to be arguably the best Wimbledon final - heck, best Grand Slam final - ever, Rafael Nadal squeaked past Roger Federer in five intense and absolutely gruelling sets of out-of-this-world tennis. It was so tense that I actually stayed up until 430am to finish the match. It lasted 4 hours 48 minutes, the longest men's final ever. And that's not counting the two rain delays - one that came towards the end of the third set and another that came in the start of the 5th - or the fact that it started about half an hour late also because of rain. And me being the Nadal fan that I am, I actually stayed up to watch the whole trophy ceremony.The final had it all - swings in momentum, fantastic rallies, unbelievable mental toughness from both players, breakpoints, set points, and even match points saved.
Rafa won the first set after breaking Roger early. Then he was down a break in the second set when he managed to break Roger back twice to take a commanding 2-0 lead. One more set and the title would be his.
But Federer is the best grass court player this decade - the defending champion has won a record equalling five Wimbledon titles in a row, a record 10 consecutive grass court tournaments, and a record 65 consecutive matches on grass. He was not about to roll over and die. He took the 3rd set to a tie-break where he scored a mini-break of serve and held on to it to take the third set.
The fourth set was decided once more in a tie-break. Nadal initially had the upper-hand, he was 5-2 up, with two mini-breaks of serve and was two points away from the title. But nerves got to him and he double faulted. Nadal actually had two matchpoints in the tie-break, but on each occasion Roger raised the level of his game to even things out. And when Rafa hit a backhand long on Roger's 2nd set point, the match was dead even at two sets apiece. Oh the stress!
I was seriously worried in the fifth set. Roger seemed to have the momentum on his side, and for a few games he seemed to have figured out Rafa's forehand. Moreover, most players who led 2-0 and had match points who then found themselves in a fifth set would have withered and died. But not Rafa. He showed that his mental frailty in the 4th set tie-break was temporary and proved his mettle by staying toe-to-toe with Roger until 7-all.
It was at this point that Nadal then scored the all important break of serve to leave him serving for the match at 8-7. By now the it was almost half past nine and the lighting was very poor. But matchplay continued. Rafa had another match point which Roger saved with a sublime cross-court backhand. Finally, on his fourth matchpoint, and after nearly five hours of nerve-wracking, breathtaking tennis, Roger hit his forehand to the net to hand Rafa the title.
It has to be the absolute best match I have ever seen in my entire life. Any other male tennis player who saw that match probably realized just how much ground they have to cover before they can really challenge the world's top 2 tennis players, at least on grass.
Nadal has now won a tour-leading 6 titles this year, including two Grand Slam titles. He is still behind Roger but so far this year he's had the best results by a mile. If he can continue to do well, he has a strong chance to finish this year as the #1. Which I think he truly deserves.
Go Rafa!
Friday, July 04, 2008
Marathon training tracker - July 3
Target distance: 16 km
Target time: 1 hr 41 mins
Actual time: 1 hr 42 mins
Short of my target time again but not by much. Seems like I'm over-estimating my abilities LOL.
I had dinner at around 615pm - 2-piece fully loaded meal in KFC - and since I was planning to run at a bit past 8pm, I felt that 1 1/2 hours would be enough time for the food to settle in my stomach and not be a distraction during my run. It didn't seem like it though when I started running at around 820pm - I could somehow feel some extra weight and I actually felt like throwing up a few times during my training. Clearly this is not the way you are supposed to do it LOL but then again, I've never really been very scientific with my running.
Next target: 24 km in 2 hours 40 minutes.
I will also attempt to run on the road for the first time in my training this year. I'm a bit worried since the circuit I plan on running is 3k long, and so far I've been rehydrating every 2k. I guess this just means I need to stay well-hydrated tomorrow and on Saturday before I run. Wish me luck!
Target time: 1 hr 41 mins
Actual time: 1 hr 42 mins
Short of my target time again but not by much. Seems like I'm over-estimating my abilities LOL.
I had dinner at around 615pm - 2-piece fully loaded meal in KFC - and since I was planning to run at a bit past 8pm, I felt that 1 1/2 hours would be enough time for the food to settle in my stomach and not be a distraction during my run. It didn't seem like it though when I started running at around 820pm - I could somehow feel some extra weight and I actually felt like throwing up a few times during my training. Clearly this is not the way you are supposed to do it LOL but then again, I've never really been very scientific with my running.
Next target: 24 km in 2 hours 40 minutes.
I will also attempt to run on the road for the first time in my training this year. I'm a bit worried since the circuit I plan on running is 3k long, and so far I've been rehydrating every 2k. I guess this just means I need to stay well-hydrated tomorrow and on Saturday before I run. Wish me luck!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
One round to go before Roger-Rafa III
The men will be playing in the Wimbledon semifinals tomorrow. Roger Federer will be facing Marat Safin, the man who beat Roger in the semifinals of the Australian Open way back in 2005. Safin, an ex-#1 player, has regained some of the form that has seen him win two Grand Slam singles titles in his career, but he is up against a very in-form and hungry Federer.
I was initially worried for Nadal - the little slip-up he had in the previous round against Kiefer made me wonder whether his knee wouldn't be in perfect condition. And his opponent in the quarters was Andy Murray who had been playing very well over the last week and a half, and was riding on the momentum of his come-from-behind win against Richard Gasquet. The fact that Murray had the entire crowd rooting for him was more cause for concern, but Rafa seemed oblivious to it all and swept Murray aside in straight sets.
He will now face the winner of Arnaud Clement and Rainer Schuettler, whose match has spanned 2 days due to rain delays and is currently at 6-all in the fifth set. The winner of this match will clearly be tired for the semifinal against Nadal, so I'm hoping Nadal can once again meet Roger in the finals of Wimbledon.
If Roger and Rafa do meet up, it will be the third straight year where they will meet in the final of The Championships. Should be a great weekend.
I was initially worried for Nadal - the little slip-up he had in the previous round against Kiefer made me wonder whether his knee wouldn't be in perfect condition. And his opponent in the quarters was Andy Murray who had been playing very well over the last week and a half, and was riding on the momentum of his come-from-behind win against Richard Gasquet. The fact that Murray had the entire crowd rooting for him was more cause for concern, but Rafa seemed oblivious to it all and swept Murray aside in straight sets.
He will now face the winner of Arnaud Clement and Rainer Schuettler, whose match has spanned 2 days due to rain delays and is currently at 6-all in the fifth set. The winner of this match will clearly be tired for the semifinal against Nadal, so I'm hoping Nadal can once again meet Roger in the finals of Wimbledon.
If Roger and Rafa do meet up, it will be the third straight year where they will meet in the final of The Championships. Should be a great weekend.
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