Return to Seoul

I revisited Seoul in early December, about nine years after my last trip to this vibrant city. This was actually my fourth visit to South Korea - the first two times I went here were for work and I didn't have a lot of opportunities to go around and see the sights. The third trip was mainly for leisure but it was a bit too short. This fourth trip allowed me to see visit some places in Seoul I hadn't been to before. Interestingly enough, this is the third time I was in Seoul during winter.

The purpose: to watch U2. U2 is one of my all-time favorite bands and their Joshua Tree Asian Tour included a show in Seoul. But why go to Korea when U2 also performed in Bulacan? The problem was that the announcement of a Philippine leg was made only after ticket sales to the rest of the Asian tour were concluded. As a big fan, I desperately needed to see them while I still could - not sure how many more concerts they would do after this - so my friends and I decided to get tickets to their Korean leg. I was tempted to get a ticket to the Philippines concert so I could see U2 in my home country but I was attending a wedding on the date of their show here so I decided to stick to just their Seoul show.

This is the first time I traveled internationally with Mitch and Ferg. Mitch has been one of my best friends for decades as we were classmates in high school and college so I was just as excited to travel abroad with her as I was to watch U2. This was the first time both Mitch and Ferg were visiting South Korea and since Mitch had some specific sights she wanted to see and experiences she wanted to have, she sorted out all the tours we would take. Luckily for me, everything she organized were things I hadn't done before and places I hadn't visited before.

During this trip, we did a half-day Seoul City Tour,

...a revised DMZ spy tour that included an interview with a North Korean defector,

...a street food tour,

...and a trip to Nami Island, a Strawberry Farm, and the Garden of Morning Calm to see the Rainbow Light Festival.

I will be blogging in detail about this fantastic trip. Next post: Seoul City Tour and The Gyeongbokgung Palace

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the final film in the latest Star Wars Trilogy, was released in Philippine theaters on December. As a Star Wars fan, I made sure I got to see it on its first day. In fact, I saw it twice on its first two days of showing. I have to say, I don't care what the critics say because I absolutely loved it!

This 9th chapter in the decades-long Star Wars saga hasn't been well-received by critics but, at least based on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences seem to love it (as of this writing, it has a 54% approval rating among critics but an 86% rating among audiences). This is pretty much the opposite of previous film The Last Jedi which was praised by critics (91%) but hated by audiences (43%). Personally, I think there is no pleasing many critics and fans who all seem to have very specific expectations on how the story should go or how the characters should act and/or behave. I think the reason why I enjoyed these movies is that each time, I just went into the theaters waiting to see where the films would take me and I just enjoyed seeing all the characters, new and old, interacting with each other and taking the story forward. Some people have criticized that films for putting forward an overused or cliche story. I guess I can understand that, but there have been so many stories told and so many films made that it's hard to put forward a completely new story (especially in a case like this where the filmmakers had a 3-movie limit to create a story). Also, I've come to realize that what I appreciate most in films are the characters and the conflicts they face. And in this latest Star Wars trilogy, there was a a lot of conflict, both internal and external, especially when it came to Rey and Kylo Ren.

SPOILER ALERT: Please stop reading now if you don't want to know more about the film!!!

I don't get criticisms about the supposed lack of story. If I try to summarize the film, Emperor Palpatine seemingly returns from the dead, threatening to control the galaxy. Kylo Ren searches for the Emperor to eliminate the potential threat to his own power and control. General Leia and her troops learn about the return of Palpatine and they decide that the best way to defeat him is to find him so Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, C3P0, R2D2, and BB8 go on a galactic quest to find the Sith wayfinder to help them find Exogol where Palpatine supposedly is. While all this is happening, the First Order continue to go after the Resistance to wipe them out. That's a lot going on. I personally don't see a lack of story; I think that the critics just maybe wanted a different one.

I really loved the pace and the intensity of this movie. It is so action-packed. Only in the first half, there were already two major confrontations between Rey and Kylo Ren. I continue to love the "bond" between the two and I think their ability to see each other as if they were actually standing right in front of each other even if they are galaxies apart adds such wonderful and unique flavor to this latest trilogy. Adam Driver continues to really impress me and I really do think he's one of the best actors of his generation. I desperately want him to be recognized and to receive awards and accolades for his immense talent.

I also love how the climax of the film was pretty much a battle between all the Sith and all the Jedi. Naturally, I am happy that the Jedi won. But even if Rey channeled all the Jedi to defeat the Emperor and all the Sith, she herself almost died, which kind of indicated to me that the Jedi and the Sith really are two sides of the same coin. She only survived because Ben Skywalker, who himself teetered between being a Jedi and being a Sith, transferred what was left of his life force to her. That was such a poignant moment and when Kylo Ren disappeared, in the same way that Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Luke did, my heart sank.

People have commented that there was too much fan service and too much nostalgia. I will counter that by saying that for a film saga as large as this that has spanned decades, I don't there is no other way to end it than by looking back. Some of nostalgic highlights for me:

1. The sequence of sad scenes of the original characters
Leia dying (which felt even more moving because Carrie Fisher passed away a few years ago), Chewbacca learning about her death and grieving, and Han Solo returning on-screen as Kylo Ren's memory left a few audience members with tears in their eyes.
2. The sequence of redemption scenes
Ben Solo got help from the image of Han Solo in his memory and found his way back, signaling the demise of Kylo Ren. This was followed by Luke Skywalker telling Rey that he was wrong about hiding in Ahch-To all these years and that Rey needs to face the threat of the Emperor head-on because "confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi"
3. Han Solo telling Ben Skywalker "I know"
In The Empire Strikes Back, Leia says "I love you" to Han and he responds by saying "I know". They flip these lines towards the end of Return of the Jedi. But pretty much any Star Wars fan knows this iconic line very well. So in The Rise of Skywalker, when Ben struggles to say something to Han and Han says "I know", we all knew that Ben meant to tell his dad that he loves him.
4. The return of many characters, even it was only their voice
Apart from the names I've already mentioned, it was great seeing Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), Nien Nunb (performed by Mike Quinn and voiced by Kipsang Rotich), and Wicket (Warwick Davis!) and hearing the voices of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Obi-Wan Kenobi (both Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor), Yoda (Frank Oz), Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson). It was also cool seeing the Jawas. Special call-out to Wedge Antilles (Denis Lawson), who is one of the few characters who actually survived galactic dog fights from A New Hope all the way to The Rise of Skywalker. It was also cool seeing John Williams on-screen as a bartender in Kijimi.
5. C3P0 saying "Taking one last look, sir, at my friends"
He thought he was going to lose his memory (and for a while, he did, before R2D2 wired most of it back in) but C3P0 sacrificing himself for the benefit of the Resistance was quite moving.
6. Luke raising the X-Wing from the sea
He does this, including arm and hand position, in practically the same way that Yoda raised that same X-Wing from the swamps of Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back.
7. Ben Solo and Rey fighting alongside each other again
One of the highlights of The Last Jedi was that incredible battle scene at Snoke's throne room where Rey and Kylo Ren fight on the same side. Unfortunately, Kylo doesn't turn away from the dark side at that point. But once he becomes Ben Solo again, he and Rey reenact that amazing battle scene but with a bit of a twist. I really love how Rey "handed" a light saber to Ben which triggers that amazing fight sequence.
8. Chewbacca getting a medal
One of the biggest issues people had with Episode IV A New Hope was that Luke and Han both got medals while Chewbacca didn't. Chewie doesn't exactly get a new medal in The Rise of Skywalker but after the Resistance end the First (Final) Order, Maz tells him that Leia wanted him to have that medal (which was presumably Han's medal).
9. Return to Tatooine
It all started in Tatooine so it is only fitting to end the saga there. Chronologically, this is where Anakin Skywalker is discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Based on film release, the first movie A New Hope starts off in Tatooine, where Luke is living with his uncle and aunt. Seeing Rey return to where Luke lived, burying his light saber there along with Leia's, then adopting their last name - Skywalker - was the perfect way to pay homage to the original trilogy and provide the right amount of fan service to Star Wars aficionados all over the world.

I was quite emotional at the film's climax and denouement because this was truly the end of an incredible era. Yes, Disney may decide to make more Star Wars films and maybe even another trilogy in the future, but by then we don't know whether any of the original cast will still be around. Too many of the cast from the original Trilogy have already passed on: Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, Alec Guiness, Eric Bauersfield (Ackbar), Jason Wingreen (Boba Fett). Any potential Star Wars film in the future may feature even less of the original cast and that somehow saddens me. But, of course, that is life.

I'm really happy with how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wrapped everything up. As I mentioned, I watched it twice and I absolutely loved it both times (the second time allowed me to appreciate it even more). I'm not sure if a DVD will be released - I think most films are now released on media streaming services and not necessarily on DVDs - but I definitely want to get a copy of this movie so that I can continue to watch it whenever I want in the future.

Movie Watching 2019 Part 3

Knives Out

photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knives_Out_(film)

I decided to watch this because I saw some very positive reviews of it from friends (it currently has a 97% critics rating and a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes). Now that I've seen it, I will agree with many other fans of this movie who say that it offers a tremendously interesting, unique, and clever twist on the whodunit, murder-mystery genre. I've never seen another film quite like this. A friend of mine said that while she liked it, she did feel some parts of it were dragging. I think she felt that way because there was so much hype about how different the plot is from other films so viewers tend to wait for that plot twist and anything that comes before it tends to feel dragging LOL. That said, I really like how the story builds and how the audience is slowly let in on the film's secrets. This is one of my top five favorite movies of 2019 (not that I've seen that many LOL) and I highly recommend it. Try to see it if you can.

Frozen II

photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_II

People have said this Frozen sequel is more adult than the first and I have to agree, although kids will still naturally enjoy it. While the songs in Frozen II are not as catchy as those from the first movie, such as Let It Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman, I still liked this second film's soundtrack. In fact, I have not stopped listening to Into the Unknown (both the movie version by Idina Menzel and the pop version by Panic! at the Disco) and Show Yourself. I saw a comment on YouTube that highlighted how the narrative of the Frozen storyline has evolved because in Let it Go, Elsa sings the line "Turn away and slam the door" but in Show Yourself, she sings "Come to me now, Open your door." These two lines are almost exact opposites of each other so you have to think that the songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez . I am not, however, a fan of the boy band imagery of Lost in the Woods, sung by Kristoff LOL (I thought it was corny although the audience seemed to love it). The animation in this film is stunning and I love how the story of this sequel flows from the first film.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficent:_Mistress_of_Evil

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

For some reason, I thought this movie would show how Maleficent devolves to become the Mistress of Evil, which is how she is portrayed in the animated Sleeping Beauty film from 1959. However, even early on in the film, I picked up on cues that she would continue to be the protagonist and that it was Queen Ingrith, portrayed very ably by Michelle Pfeiffer, who would turn out to be the antagonist. It's a bit of a classic tale of two colliding worlds and the struggle that comes with trying to bring peace amidst a distrust and betrayal. The sequence where Maleficent finds other fairies like herself reminds me very much of the Hidden World in How to Train your Dragon 3. It was kinda sad seeing so many fairies killed but it was also hopeful seeing how they were "reincarnated". For me, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil wasn't as good as the first one but it was still pretty good and entertaining.

Catching Up

So by catching up I mean two things. First, I'm lucky to have been able to catch up with many of my friends over the last few months. Second, because my schedule has been pretty hectic, I haven't really been able to blog a lot recently so this post is my way to catch up on all the stuff that I've been meaning to write about but haven't been able to yet.

A few months ago, Steph was in town so I organized dinner in BGC. Ever since I had dinner in La Mere Poulard a while back, I had been meaning to eat there again so I suggested to everyone that we have dinner here and everyone agreed. Pia and Raffa were able to join us. I tried the puff omelette which was good and for dessert, we shared the Dulce De Leche Religieuse, which was both visually appealing and quite yummy.

Dulce De Leche Religieuse from La Mere Poulard

Shortly after that, had a reunion with my ex-colleagues at Wildwest Roadhouse. It served as a joint celebration of many folks who were celebrating their birthdays as well as a despedida for my ex-boss Jay who was moving to a new job out of the country. Also around that time, I had dinner again with Tin and AJ in Fish & Co. I hadn't eaten in Fish & Co in a long time so I quite enjoyed our dinner. It was also cool that Tin's husband Win joined us and Mon, who was passing by, decided to join us briefly as well. It was the first time I got to hang out with Win and Mon in a while. As if dinners in BGC weren't enough, I joined some of my other non-work friends for dinner at Locavore. Naturally, we ordered the Sizzling Sinigang and the Lechon and Oyster Sisig, which are staples when dining here. I don't think I will ever tire of these two dishes.

Sizzling Sinigang and Lechon and Oyster Sisig from Locavore

It wasn't all in BGC though. I also had dinner with my colleagues from my first job at Planet Grapes in Edsa Shang. This was yet again a multiple birthday celebration. Chari, Jette, Mitch, Ric, and Lany made it that evening and we enjoyed really good food and wine at Planet Grapes. I tried their Grilled Norwegian Salmon which was really, really good. I would love to have this again.

Grilled Norwegian Salmon from Planet Grapes

Sticking to Ortigas, I had dinner with Gabbie and Marie at Vanderlust in Podium. We had been talking about having dinner for such a long time and we finally managed to find a common time. I had eaten here before and I enjoyed the food so I suggested it and both of them agreed. I ordered the Schweinekotelett (Porkchop) with Mustard Cream Sauce which I loved.

Schweinekotelett with Mustard Cream Sauce from Vanderlust

My ex-teammates and I also enjoyed the unlimited dimsum promo in Lugang Cafe last October. Most of them work in Makati so we agreed to have dinner in Lugang Cafe in Glorietta. Only a handful of us were available that night - Mickee, Jensen, Chelle, and Miguel - but we still had a lot of fun (and an incredibly satisfying meal, followed by coffee and dessert in Coffee Bean). There was more feasting with ex-teammates when I joined my first ever wedding inaanak Geop and Ana and my soon-to-be wedding inaanak Migs and Diann for lunch in Botejyu. We had initially planned to eat in Elephant Grounds but there was a long waiting list when we got there so we opted instead for Botejyu which Ana had been wanting to try. The food here in this Japanese restaurant is pretty good and it isn't too expensive. Another new resto I got to try was Cafe Ysabel (yes, it was my first time here despite the fact that this place has been around for decades LOL). I had lunch here with Martin and Jane and I'm glad we finally managed to meet up because our schedules are all pretty busy and it's often difficult to find a common time. Mike and Reb were also available so they managed to join us. It was the first time that we all got together in more than a year!

Cafe Ysabel

I also got to reconnect with many of my college friends during our college alumni event. My friend Mikal was organizing the event so I made sure to attend. More recently, I've started joining Christmas reunions. I joined my ex-teammates at TGI Friday's for dinner where we had our annual white elephant exchange gift before we capped off the evening with some wine. I also joined my other ex-colleagues at Rockwell Glasshouse by harlan + holden for lunch. Che was already in Manila so she joined me, Raffa, Joh, Pia, Me-ann, and Alvin and Doray and their kids. I ordered the corned beef rice bowl and I really enjoyed it. Finally, I had a bit of a reunion with some ex-colleagues during Charles' wedding. It was a great evening because I got to celebrate with Charles on his special day as he married his now-wife Kristine and I also got to catch up with many of my ex-teammates who I don't get to see anymore. A lot of them had already taken new opportunities in new companies like me and it was great hearing how things were working out for them.

Charles and Kristine's wedding

It's been an amazing and very social last few months and there are a lot more reunions coming up. Hopefully, I can manage my energy well (and the horrific Christmas traffic LOL) to make sure I get to spend more time with the many wonderful people in my life.

Van Gogh Alive in Manila

I learned about Van Gogh Alive a while back on social media. This multi-sensory experience displays many of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings on massive screens. I thought it must be amazing to see it in person so when I saw the news that this traveling exhibition was coming to Manila, I got tickets on the first day.

It wasn't smooth sailing though. Tickets were being sold via the Mind Museum website which I think wasn't set up to handle a huge amount of online traffic. Tickets are for 1.5 hour slots and there is a limit to the number of tickets sold per slot. I was trying to get Saturday tickets but it seemed everyone else had the same idea. On multiple instances, I was booking tickets but at the point of check-out, I got an error only to find out the slot I was trying to get tickets for was already sold out. It took me several attempts and rejections in more than two hours before I finally got tickets!

This multi-media spectacle makes use of the SENSORY4™ system which was developed by Grande Exhibitions. It "combines multichannel motion graphics, cinema quality surround sound, and up to forty high-definition projectors to provide one of the most exciting multiscreen environments in the world."

The show is about 40 minutes long which means that it gets played twice during each 1.5 hour slot. The space is quite small and the screens aren't too big so during the first run, guests have to sit down to watch (there are a few benches at the venue but most people sat on the carpeted floor).

However, at the onset of the second run, guests are told they can now roam freely and start taking pictures with the displays. I expected more chaos as people angled to take selfies but it wasn't bad. People seemed to be quite mindful of the fact that almost everyone wanted to take pictures so no one really took too long during photo ops.

Of course, I made sure that we got a photo of The Starry Night, which is arguably Van Gogh's most popular and most celebrated painting.

Towards the end of our slot, my mom and I stepped back out into the receiving area to see and read a bit more about some of Van Gogh's paintings that were featured in the show. There was also a replica of Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles at the entrance so we naturally had to take a picture there too. :)

I was told by a friend that Van Gogh Alive tickets seem to be sold out in the remainder of its Manila run so I'm glad that I got tickets early. If you already have tickets and will be seeing the show, you might also want to get a souvenir program. At P750, it's not cheap but it has a lot of really good photographs of Van Gogh's work and a lot of information about his art and his life. I personally think it is worth it.

I've seen photos and videos of Van Gogh Alive in other countries where the venue and the screens are much bigger, allowing guests to roam around freely and giving them a much more immersive experience. That said, my mom and I still thought the Manila run was highly stimulating and very enjoyable. It isn't easy or affordable to go to another country just to experience this so I'm really grateful that Van Gogh Alive made its way to Manila.

Sing

I've been doing a lot of singing recently, mostly in karaoke places and each time, to celebrate a friend's birthday. For Mitch's birthday, my high school and college friends went to Centerstage along Jupiter Street in Makati. We hadn't been to a karaoke place in a few years so it was great that we got to do this again as a group. One highlight for me that evening was being able to add a new song to my karaoke repertoire: Calum Scott's version of the Robyn original, Dancing On My Own. Iona actually put that song in the queue and when it came up, I told her I really liked that song. She then said she actually put it on so that I could sing it. Apart from the fact that I love this song, I discovered that the song is in my range.

My board game friends and I also visited karaoke places twice in the last two months. First, we went to Celebrity Lounge along Shaw Boulevard for Niki's birthday. We ran through a whole lot of songs and when our time was up, there were still songs in our queue LOL. Unfortunately for us, while Celebrity has really good food and a solid karaoke playlist, it doesn't have songs from The Greatest Showman. So for Karen's birthday, we went to Rockstar KTV because I mentioned that Rockstar has many of the songs we didn't get to sing in Celebrity. True enough, when in Rockstar, we sang This Is Me, A Million Dreams, Never Enough, and Rewrite The Stars. I added another new song to my repertoire that night: Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi. I discovered this song recently and I've been listening to it religiously on Spotify. I haven't heard it on the radio yet though so I was massively surprised to see it in the Rockstar KTV playlist. I also previously thought that I didn't have the range to sing this song but apparently, I do (at least when I'm having a good day, vocally). Myna asked me what the title of this song was and she immediately added it to her Spotify playlist. Cool. :)

Aside from karaoke, I also had a singing gig at a wedding. KC and Jon got married a few weeks ago and I performed many songs that evening together with Ricci who accompanied me on guitar. Our set list was made up of about 20 songs from the 1990s and 2000s and Ricci and I had to rehearse a few times to make sure we were ready. A lot of the songs were not exactly wedding-appropriate but KC and Jon really liked them so I had to do a spiel at the start of our set to say that the set list was prepared by the couple and it included songs that had value to them, either individually or after they got together.. What was cool about this was that I got to sing many songs that I had never previously performed for a crowd, including John Mayer's Your Body is a Wonderland, Kamikazee's Narda, and Rivermaya's Hinahanap-Hanap Kita.

I'm supposed to sing at another wedding in a couple of weeks. It's been a while since I've done this so it's quite interesting that as 2019 comes to a close, I'm getting to put on my wedding singer hat again.

Nadal Clinches Year-end #1 Ranking

Congratulations to Rafa Nadal for securing the year-end #1 ranking!

It's official.@RafaelNadal will end 2019 as the year-end No. 1. pic.twitter.com/t2RaNtIE4N

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 14, 2019

I wasn't sure this was going to happen. Novak Djokovic looked to be comfortably on top of the ATP Rankings after Wimbledon and at that point, many were thinking he would win the US Open as well. As it turned out, Nadal won the US Open - his second major and fourth title of the year - to put him in the lead of the ATP Race. Rafa had a slim lead over Novak leading to the ATP Finals this week and with Djokovic being eliminated before the semifinals after losses to Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer, Rafa was guaranteed to end the year at the top of the ATP rankings.

This is the fifth time that Nadal is the year-end #1, tying him with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Jimmy Connos. (Pete Sampras, who ended the year #1 six times, hold the men's record). At 33, he is the oldest player to end the year #1. He's also the first person to achieve this five times in 5 non-consecutive years (he was previously year-end number one in 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2017).

Unfortunately, Rafa was also eliminated from the ATP Finals. He had a 2-1 win-loss record in his round-robin matches, which would normally be enough to move forward to the semifinals. Unfortunately, Andre Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas also had with 2-1 win-loss records but they both had better set quotients so they moved forward instead. Still, 2019 has been a spectacular year for Rafa and his fans.

Congratulations Rafa for achieving your fifth year-end #1 ranking and good luck in 2020!

The Sound of Silence by Disturbed

I discovered this cover version of The Sound of Silence by Disturbed when it was being played in a karaoke bar I visited recently. I was so blown away by it that I asked one of the personnel which artist was performing this cover. Check it out here:


video uploaded in youtube by Disturbed

This version is very different from the original by Simon and Garfunkel but it does it absolute justice. The vocals of David Draiman are intense and powerful and the arrangement is dark and evocative. I've added this song to my Spotify playlist and I've been listening to it ever since.

Random stuff

I discovered the Golden Duck Singapore Salted Egg Crab Seaweed Tempura chips during a shopping trip to S&R. It looked really interesting so I bought it, tried it, and immediately loved it. I bought more during my next trip to S&R but in my most recent trip, it was no longer in stock. However, I discovered a Golden Duck kiosk in Unimart in Capitol Commons. If I need to get a salted egg snack fix, I now know where to go.

I finished reading my fourth book this year - City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte. This is the sequel to City of Dark Magic which I finished reading early last year. I'm just really happy I am consistently finding the time to read now. Will I manage to finish reading one more book before the year ends? I hope I do.

I also got a really cool Star Wars tumbler recently. My friend Myna is a big Star Trek fan but she keeps getting Star Wars gifts from her friends. She knows I am a Star Wars fan so when I met her recently, she gave me this tumbler. I've used it a few times already since then and I'm really happy to have it. :)

My phone case has been deteriorating over the last two years, but the damage has gotten significantly worse in the last few months. I couldn't find a Samsung S7 Edge case in Digital Walker or at the Spigen kiosk I visited. I asked the Spigen salesman where I could get the case I needed and he told me that all the S7 Edge cases were now sold online. I immediately checked Lazada, found one that I felt met my requirements so I purchased it immediately. I prefer my old Speck case (unfortunately, there are no Speck cases on Lazada or Shopee) but at least my phone is protected again.

Finally, I recently got Spotify Premium. I got notified of a Spotify sale - P9 for the first three months! - and that deal was just too good to pass up. Needless to say, it was absolutely worth it. I've built a couple of playlists, including one with classical music that I absolutely love. I also asked some of my friends who are into jazz music for some playlist suggestions, and I am now very pleased to be listening to playlists that feature Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk. I also discovered Kurt Rosenwinkel's Intuit album but it seems to have disappeared on Spotify. Bummer. Still, I am truly enjoying getting to listen to really good music. And other not-so-good songs that are my guilty pleasures LOL.

Bowling

Our department recently organized a bowling team-building event. I was really happy about this because it's been maybe three years or so since I last got to bowl. There were about twenty of us and we were broken up into four teams. Each team would be competing for the highest average score (some groups had only four players). On top of this, a prize for the highest scoring male and the highest scoring female would also be given out.

The last time I bowled, I scored less than a hundred so I wasn't sure how things would turn out. Thankfully, I ended up having a pretty good day. I scored a 137 in my first game...

Game 1

...and a 124 in my second game. I certainly wasn't expecting to get these scores so I was really happy.

Game2

What made things even better was that even my teammates got pretty good scores. As a result, our team managed to win the team challenge and take home P500 worth of SM gift certificates each. My first game score of 137 was also the highest score among all the men so I took home an additional P1000 worth of GCs. Cool! So what did I do with my prize? I used it to buy dog food the next day. :)

Carlos Yulo wins Gold at the Gymnastics World Championships!

Historic news for Filipinos all over the world: Carlos Yulo won the gold medal in the men's floor exercise at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships! Carlos already etched his name in history last year as the first Filipino - and first South East Asian - bronze medalist at the World Championships. This year, he took it a couple of steps further by taking home the Gold. Bravo!!!

That he accomplished this by competing in a sport that isn't that popular in the Philippine or where we have been very competitive at the international level in the past is even more impressive. Check out his amazing performance here:


video uploaded in youtube by Traveler's Couch by Moon Ray Lo

I love how excited the commentators were as they talked about his routine. And what a spectacular routine it was! His elevation, the speed of his twists, and his strength and athleticism were sensational. We have to give massive props to his coach - Munehiro Kugimiya - without whom Carlos wouldn't have achieved what he did. I also have to say that it was quite emotional hearing the Philippine National Anthem being played during the awarding ceremony.

There is now talk about Carlos' chances of being the first Filipino to win an Olympic Gold in Tokyo in 2020. I personally don't want to put that pressure on him, especially in a sport that doesn't really have front-runners because so many gymnasts have the capability of winning gold. Regardless of what happens next year, Carlos has already made his country very, very proud.

I join the entire Filipino community in celebrating Carlos' achievement. Congratulations and thank you, Carlos!!!

Majoy and Dawn win International Awards again!

Great news! Two of the Philippine Women's Volleyball Team players, Majoy Baron and Dawn Macandili, received awards in the 2nd leg of the ASEAN Grand Prix!

Majoy Baron continues to make a name for herself in the international scene. She showed everyone that her Best Blocker award in the first leg was no fluke by winning the same award in the second leg. Back-to-back best blocker awards playing against Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam is no small feat. Talk about consistency!

Majoy Baron is the #ASEANGrandPrix2019 Best Middle Blocker again! 👐 pic.twitter.com/jxQSttdh6H

— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 6, 2019

Dawn Macandili was hailed as the Best Libero in the tournament. This is also her second international accolade after she received the 2nd best libero award at the 2017 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship. Amazing!

Dawn Macandili is #ASEANGrandPrix2019 Best Libero! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/d6HLt1fSCv

— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 6, 2019

I think it's incredible that both Majoy and Dawn have now received two international awards each. While the Philippines still has a tough climb ahead of us, what with Thailand and Indonesia being very dominant in South East Asia, we are making good progress. Hopefully, we can get a podium finish in the upcoming SEA Games.

Good luck national team and congratulations, Majoy and Dawn!

Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar

I've been wanting to have some really good steak recently so when my friends and I agreed to have a fancy dinner somewhere, I started searching for the best steak places in Metro Manila. Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar came up in many lists so I suggested that to my friends and we all agreed to have dinner there.

 Steak was the main reason for our visit here so we ordered the 1824 grain-fed Queensland 350g Ribeye. My photo isn't really the best - it's a tad out of focus - but trust me, this steak was superb. The beef was very tender and well-seasoned. Each bite was an absolute delight. At P3420, it is not cheap but I personally felt it was worth it. I mean, even while I was eating eat, I was already thinking of saving up for a return trip to try it again (or maybe some of their other steaks). :)

1824 grain-fed Queensland 350g Ribeye

We also ordered a few other things, including the Maryland Crab Cakes (P520)...

Maryland Crab Cakes

...and the Herb Brined Slow Roasted Free Range Chicken (P895).

Herb Brined Slow Roasted Free Range Chicken

I thought the crab cakes and the chicken were just okay. It was the steak that really left its mark on me. The service is fast, friendly, and very professional. I also like the fact that we get to "choose our weapon" from a variety of knives from different parts of the world. The ambiance is elegant and luxurious without being stuffy or uptight and the lighting gives a sense of privacy even as you sit amidst a packed restaurant. Given my experience that night, I would recommend making a reservation to ensure that you get a table when you choose to dine here. While it may take some time for me to save up for a return visit, I am definitely looking forward to enjoying their steak again.

Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar
https://www.ragingbullchophouse-fort.com/
Level 3 Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila 30th Street corner 5th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 1634 Metro Manila

Board Gaming is Life

The last month and a half have been filled with board game nights. Normally, I get to play only once a month, sometimes twice. However, due to an interesting series of events, one of my board game groups ended up scheduling two game nights in both August and September. Toss in one more session with my other group and the result is three consecutive weeks of board gaming in September and five out of six consecutive weeks with a game weekend. Cool. :)

This gave me an opportunity to play many games for the first time and many other games I had played before. One of the most fun games I got to play is Wacky Races. This game, which is based on the cartoon of the same name, pits players against each other to try and finish the race first, amidst a plethora of traps set by Dick Dastardly. It has a simple game mechanic and while it does rely to some degree on luck, it is pretty tight and both times I played it, many folks were close to the finish line and there was no way to predict who would win. While it's ranked quite low on Boardgamegeek, it plays quickly, it is easy to teach, it has some really cool figures (the detail is pretty awesome), and up to 6 players can play. My friends and I really enjoyed it both times we played (and someone else in our group is now thinking of getting his own copy).

I won my first Wacky Races game playing Private Meekly and Sergeant Blast

I also got to play two board games set in outer space: The Expanse and Horizons. While both are area control games, they have different game plays. The Expanse is based on a TV series which I had never seen before but my lack of knowledge of it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game. I definitely wouldn't mind playing both again.

Horizons

There were a handful of other games I got to play for the first time in the last month and a half. In Cryptid, you try to figure out where the mysterious Cryptid creature is through the clues you get from your opponents while they try to guess its location based on clues they get from you. I thought this was enjoyable enough to play.  The Mind is kinda like The Game; as a group, everyone needs to successfully play all their cards following the rule that you can only play a card after a card with a lower value. I know this is very highly rated but I didn't quite like it. Between this and The Game, I like The Game more. Also, I got to play Tash-Kalar which is an abstract game where players try to place their tokens in specific patterns to beat their opponents and achieve the game objectives. It is really hard to figure out how to place the tokens to achieve the objectives, especially when your opponents disrupt you, but I really liked this game.

The game I have played the most is Grand Austria Hotel, which is a game I acquired last year. This Euro game is quite difficult to navigate since it gets tough to do everything you want to do in the 7 rounds that the game is played so when I played it with Denise, Katco, and Tegz last July, they said we should organize another game night soon so they could play it again. I brought it in our September session and that night, I got to play it twice. The week after, I played it with Myna and Mai and after the game, they both said they wanted to play it again. So I once again brought it last weekend and we got to play it again, this time with Karen. That's a total of 5 times in less than three months. I have to say, I'm really liking this game and I'm not surprised it is currently in the top 100 overall in Boardgamegeek.

Finally, I got to play Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle again. I played this co-op game once before and we completed Book 2. Someone suggested we play it again so two weekends ago, we did and we managed to tough out wins in Books 3 and 4 (we really almost lost Book 3). We all agreed to play it again last weekend, and thankfully, we managed to win Book 5. Two more books and we would have successfully finished the game. (Then it would be time to try out the expansions. :))

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (we beat Voldemort in Book 5!)

I might not be able to play this October because of scheduling conflicts so I'm glad that I had a lot of game nights over the last several weeks. I also planned a session in November where I will finally try one of the games I bought two years ago but haven't had the chance to play yet so I'm really looking forward to that.

Majoy Baron is the Best Blocker in the ASEAN Grand Prix

This is about week late but congratulations to Majoy Baron who was awarded Best Blocker in the first leg of the ASEAN Grand Prix in Thailand last week.

MAJOY, DOMINANT 💪

After averaging 12.3 ppg, Majoy Baron brought home Best Middle Blocker in the ASEAN GP 1st leg 👐 » https://t.co/THiLnbnk39 pic.twitter.com/LUCygpv32x

— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) September 23, 2019

This is Majoy Baron's first international award. That she achieved this feat while playing against well renowned blockers like Pleumjit makes it even more impressive. In the last game of the Philippines. Majoy scored 13 points including a whopping 6 blocks to help the Philippine National Team overcome Vietnam in five sets and land the bronze medal. The second leg of the ASEAN Grand Prix will be played in the Philippines next week so hopefully Majoy and the rest of the National Team can continue to play competitively against our South East Asian neighbors.

Congratulations, Majoy!

Busy in a good way

My social calendar has been pretty full recently, but that's a positive thing and I'm certainly not complaining. Interestingly enough, in these last couple of months, I got to catch up with many of my ex-colleagues on separate occasions. First, I had lunch with Migs, Diann, and Maan in Shangri-La Mall. There was a lot for us to catch up on but the other reason that we were meeting up was because Maan and I were asked to be principal sponsors in Migs and Diann's upcoming wedding. Cool!

I also met up with Mickee, Chelle, and Marge in Glorietta. I was happy that Marge was able to join us because I hadn't seen her since she got married late last year. We wanted to have dinner in Mad Mark's but it was full when we got there so we ended up enjoying dimsum in Tim Ho Wan. Marge couldn't join us for coffee so it was just Chelle and Mickee who joined me in UCC Cafe. Oh and Chelle officially asked me to be a principal sponsor in her wedding with Mon too.

I also had caught up with Eric over coffee in Starbucks. I was near his office one night and since he works Europe shift, I asked him if he could take a quick break so we could meet up briefly and he said he could. I hadn't seen him since he joined a game night early last year and even then, we were playing games so I couldn't really ask him a lot of questions about what was going on in his life. This time around, we were able to have a more in-depth conversation and I was very pleased to hear about all the things going on in his life, both personally and career-wise.

I was near Eric's office that evening because I was invited to Jason's birthday party at his recording studio. Also there were some ex-colleagues who enjoy playing music. Most of the people there are people I hadn't seen in ages since almost all of us there had moved on to new opportunities since the time that we all worked in the same place. Amazing how time flies. Naturally, I also got to sing a few songs that evening, including U2's With or Without You and Radiohead's Creep.

There are several more get-togethers planned with friends over the course of the next month. I'm definitely looking forward to those.

US Open 2019: Nadal wins Grand Slam #19!

I am so happy! Rafael Nadal won his 4th US Open title and his 19th Grand Slam title overall! Vamos Rafa!

🏆🏆🏆🏆@RafaelNadal | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/uWbUqigwFl

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2019

It wasn't straightforward, though. While he didn't have to face either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic in the tournament, he had to battle against Daniil Medvedev, the most in-form player in the American summer who started the US Open ranked #5 and moved up one place to #4 after the tournament. The final went the distance and even if Nadal was up 2 sets to love, by the time the 5th set kicked in, Medvedev looked like he would score the upset. I have to say, this was the first match of Medvedev's I've seen and I'm a a believer. Among the younger players, he's the only one I've seen who has shown the grit and tenacity to become a future champion. He has it in him to become #1 in the world and win many major titles in the future. Given Medvedev's late match resurgence in the final, I'm not sure how Nadal summoned the will to redirect the course of the match. But he did, gutting out a tremendously hard-fought 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4 win in 4 hours and 51 minutes, the fifth longest men's Grand Slam final. There was a whole lot of drama and momentum shifts to keep tennis fans entertained - and Nadal and Medvedev fans on edge - but in the end, it was Nadal who found just that little extra to help him take home the title. A montage of Rafa's 19 Grand Slam title wins was shown during the closing ceremony and Nadal became very emotional, weeping openly and showing the world just how important this and all his other wins are to him.

Witnessing history, from 1 to 19....@RafaelNadal | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/33kDYn4kwf

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2019

This win means that only three other players in the Open Era - Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer, all of whom won five - have won more US Open singles titles than Rafa (his four wins tie him with John McEnroe). He now also has just one major title less than Roger who has 20. Even as a Rafa fan, I have to admit that I didn't think he would ever come this close to Roger's Grand Slam count. The thing for me though is, even if he doesn't tie or break Roger's total haul (Federer can of course still win more) or if Novak passes them both, I will still be very happy. As Rafa said, "All the things that I achieved in my career are much more than what I ever thought and what I ever dream. I would love to be the one who has more, yes. But I really believe that I will not be happier or less happy if that happens or not happen." And this applies to me as his fan too. :)

The women's final also featured a tennis legend playing against an up-and-coming player who also had success during the summer and was also playing in her first Grand Slam final, Bianca Andreescu. However, the results were different. Andreescu edged out Williams in two tight sets. This marks the first time that someone playing in the main draw of the US Open for the first time won the championship. Bianca also becomes the first Canadian player to win a Grand Slam title. Wow! That she achieved this against one of the greatest players of all time while playing in front of a crowd that was very pro-Williams shows how much guts, self-belief, and mental strength she has. As for Serena, this is the fourth time she reached the final of a Grand Slam only to lose in straight sets. While it must be terribly disappointing for her and her fans, she is still arguably the best player when she's at her best, as evidenced by her 63 61 rout of #5 Elina Svitolina in the semifinals.She's gotten to four Grand Slam finals now and while the last three were not very close, this one was. I reckon she will still tie and break Margaret Court's record before she calls it a career.

8-0 👏

Bianca Andreescu remains undefeated against top 10 players in 2019.#USOpen | #WomenWorthWatching pic.twitter.com/zRlOVGnIqD

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2019

Back to Nadal, he ends the year with two of the four Grand Slams, matching Djokovic who also won two. That said, Rafa has had greater success overall and while Novak is still ranked #1, Nadal has won more points this year and is in a good position to challenge for the #1 ranking as the year comes to a close. I'm not sure if that will happen though since I think Nadal will be getting married soon but even if Rafa doesn't get back to #1 this year (or even ever), I will still be a very happy and grateful fan. Congratulations, Rafa!

The Magnificent Duo MainTenanT

I recently saw this absolutely mesmerizing of Duo MainTenanT on America's Got Talent. The video is entitled AGT's SEXIEST Audition?! Acrobatic Dance Duo Excites The AGT Judges and after seeing it, I think the description is pretty fair. From the smooth and superb movements and acrobatics to the evocative music to the amazing expressions and passion of both performers (especially the woman, Ludivine Furnon), this routine had me, the judges, and the entire audience captivated from start to finish. I've watched this performance so many times and yet each time I see it, I am still blown away.


video uploaded in youtube by America's Got Talent

However, this actually wasn't the first time I first saw them. I'm not sure how they appeared in my youtube search around maybe 4 or 5 years ago but I did see this video of them performing on TV in 2010. When they appeared on AGT, I knew instantly who they were. While their routine on American's Got Talent is just over 2 minutes long, this one, at around 6 1/2 minutes, is a lot longer. Personally, I like this a bit better because the length allows the performance to develop more deliberately and it gives the audience more of an opportunity to get immersed in the routine. Even after many years of seeing this video, I am still in awe. The precision, the choreography, the drama, and the passion just make it so impactful and memorable that I keep going back to it.


video uploaded in youtube by DuoMainTenanT

Ludivine is a truly talented and powerful gymnast, an amazing dancer, and expressive performer, while her partner (who also happens to be her husband), Nicolas Besnard is so tremendously strong, steady, and so incredibly balanced and dependable. I think it would be a tremendous experience to see them perform live and in a much longer show.

Working Out

For the first time in a decade or maybe even more, I worked out at the gym. And by work out, I mean lifting (very light) weights and not just doing cardio exercises on the treadmill or the elliptical machine.

I had a follow-up check-up with my doctor recently and it seems I've gotten a lot healthier over the last few months. Not only have a I lost about 20 pounds, my lab tests are also pretty good. It looks like my new lifestyle has really helped me improve my overall health. However, since I did lose a lot of mass, I wanted to do weights to help tone my muscles. I asked my doctor if I could start working out and he said I could.

So last Monday, I decided to hit the gym since it was a holiday. I asked one of the trainers to teach me the proper way to use the gym equipment. Needless to say, I was extremely tired and sore after that. What makes me happy is that despite still being a bit sore yesterday, I hit the gym again and I worked out for about 45 minutes or so. I really hope that I can keep this up and hit the gym at least once or twice a week.

*****

The downside to becoming fitter is that many of my clothes don't fit properly now. Thankfully, I haven't thrown away many of my old shirts when I was still a lot thinner. As such, I've set aside my bigger clothes and started reusing my slimmer shirts. The problem though is with my pants and my belt, all of which are pretty loose now. I already bought a new black belt (I still have to get a brown one) and I've had four pairs of pants altered. Since I lost a few inches, the alteration cost is higher because they need to adjust both the waist and the hips. I still have a lot more pants that need altering and I probably need to buy new jeans as well. That said, I will take additional spending on clothes if it means my I am healthier and in better shape.

A Song of Vanilla Ice and Fire

I came across this incredible video recently, with the cast of Game of Thrones rapping Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby and I enjoyed it immensely.


video originally created by swedemason and uploaded by JOE

While this video was uploaded by youtube user JOE, it was originally created by youtube user swedemason. Swedemason uploaded only a portion of the video (see it here) so I decided to share the video JOE uploaded since it is more complete. The effort to put this together must have been absolutely enormous. Swedemason had to look for most of the words (or syllables that had to be put together to form the words - I'm guessing there's no Vegas or Bikinis in the Game of Thrones script?) spoken by the different characters. Apart from that, I just love hearing the elegant voices of the cast. The timing of the claps and the slaps and even the snap during the chorus are all so awesome. Even the 'Hodor' part at the end and Jon Snow screaming 'Loose!' were hilarious. I've watched this many times already but I still can't get enough of it. :)