10 goals for 2010…

Wow. It’s been so long since I’ve posted something. September pa yta ung huli kong blog. I plan to blog more this year. And with that, I want to go to my topic, 2010 goals. As you know, we just had the start of the a decade. And as with every new year, people do many lists. Things they’ll start doing, things they’ll stop doing. Goals they want to achieve and habits they want to break. I have made a list of goals myself. I tried doing a list with 25 items, but it was hard to finish. That’s why I just cut it down to 10. Some goals here have serious implications in my life. Some, I just want to do for this year. Just want to share them because some of you might have the same goals as I do. Maybe you could help me with others (specifically number 2). Or maybe I can inspire you to do one yourself.

Just remember one thing: 1 Corinthians 10:31 “…in whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” We can do as many lists as we can. But if we are doing it for the wrong reasons, if we are not doing it for God’s glory, we’re doing all of these for naught. We might achieve some of our goals, but it won’t mean anything.

With that, I want to present my list:

1. Be Debt-free
- Recycled resolution… sana magawa ko na before my bday…
2. Go to Boracay
- Daig pa ako ng mommy ko… nkapagpara-gliding n sya s Bora…
3. Blog more/Create at least 3 stories for LSS
- Need to practice my writing… sana masundan n itong blog-”novel” ko na ito… haha…
4. Attend a screenwriting/sports writing seminar
- If I want to have a career in writing, dpat malaman ko ung mga basics…
5. Score 16 pts in a game
- Ilang beses na akong sumasali s mga basketball leagues, nde pa ako nka2lagpas ng 15 pts…
6. Learn a new sport
- I’ll try to learn ultimate frisbee… sosyala…
7. Get an APG rating
- Wala me balak mapromote this year… pero sana mtaas p rin ang rating ko…
8. Join/win on a game/reality show
- Unfortunately, ang uso ngayon ay talent shows… sayang, nde pwedeng i-consider na talent ung good looks ko… tsktsk
9. Be involved in BIG 6 and invite barkada in BIG 6
- Sana makasama ko ung tropa ko dito… pra ibang klaseng trip naman…
10. Start a d-group
- We have to do it some time… y not now?

I hope I can do all these this year…But if not, there’s always next year… haha… ito lang muna… hanggang sa muli… l8r dayz…

of travelling and experimenting…

hi guys… long time no read ah… na miss nyo to noh… hehe… don’t worry, namiss ko rin kaung mga readers (all 3 of you)… tagal ko n nde nkapagblog… sana maging madalas na ulit to… simulan ko n maging isang ganap na writer… hehe

Last week, my family and i went to Singapore. Medyo iba to sa dati naming trip to HK. Nde kami nagtour ngyn so sariling sikap ang paglibot. Its good that SG is kinda small. Konting lakad lng nsa ibang landmark ka na. It was also nice to see my tropa in SG. They’re all living in one house. Parang friends. Saya. Here are some of my observations and experiences in Singapore:

• It was very hard to be flying during these times when you have symptoms of the H1N1 virus. Unfortunately for me, I had three of the four symptoms. My parents were praying during the entire flight. Lalo pang nadagdagan ung fear namin ng nagbigay ng mga forms about quarantine, etc. But upon arrival, dire-diretso lang kami. Parang wala lang. hehe.
• You can find Filipinos almost everywhere. From the shuttle service in the airport, the travel tour guides and even in convenience store, Pinoys are taking over SG.
• I love commuting in SG. It’s so organized. I hope their Bus Stop system can be implemented here. Please MMDA. Make this happen.
• Another commuting wonder, their MRT and LRT. I guess we could mimic their MRTs by adding more trains. Para less siksikan.
• My official meal in SG, Pecking Duck.
• I love Sentosa. Wish I could spend more time here. I love the luge. Love the Songs of the Sea, and the beach. Kung nakapagdala lang kmi ng swimming attire nung nagpunta kami dun.
• Not a fan of teleseryes? Want to enjoy watching Pinoy telenovelas? Watch it another country. When I visited my friends’ house, they were watching TFC and I was up to speed with the latest happenings in Tayong Dalawa and The Wedding. Alam na alam ni Cai. hehe
• Didn’t do a lot of shopping in SG. The phone I wanted to buy here, I bought in Greenhills.

My SG experience was great. SG is a great way to easen the transition of living in a new country. I could see myself living here. Does that mean I’m ready to work here? Pwede…

In my last bullet point, I mentioned about a phone I bought recently. I bought an iPhone. Prang tinetest drive ko lang. That’s why I call it my iPhone experiment. It’s been a week since this experiment have started. I would like to share some of my findings.

PROS:

• Internet on the go. Wifi or Carrier’s data plans. Although I need to know how much is the actual surfing in iPhone cost.
• ipod… never pa akong ngka ipod… and it’s cool… i put all my mp3s in it and its like monster’s riot… i get to hear the songs that i like, nde lng ung kng ano bago ngyn…
• mdali p lng masanay sa keyboard nya. plus i learn some tricks to easen my transition from t9 to keyboard.
• I am loving the touchscreen.
• Applications, major selling point ng iPhone. Buti nde pa ako bumibili. Bka maadik ako

CONS

• No Radio. I need my Chico and Delamar fix on mornings when i wake up early.
• Mahirap mag group text.
• Signal reception is low. Madalas no service.
• Difficult to customize. I need to change the ringtone and SMS alert, and i either have to take several steps or jailbreak my fone to do it.
• Short Battery life. (But I got a 3g phone, they say 3gs has longer battery life)
• The iPhone is selfish. No Bluetooth transfer, it only accepts its own products, etc.

Looks like the CONS outweigh the PROS. But there is still time. The experiment is not yet over. I’ll update you on this some other time.

Thanks for reading my blog. Medyo maraming bullet points, hehe…  Nice catching up with you all. Mag-blog rin kayo so I can know what’s on your mind… nood muna ako ng entouage… Til next tym.

l8r dayz…

of being here one day and gone one night…

When I said I wanted to start writing a blog again, I was thinking of a lighter topic. I never thought I would be writing a eulogy or some kind of ode. And no, this is not a tribute to Jacko (whose music will always live in our hearts,[tear]…) You see, in the midst of these celebrity deaths, one stood out. Jimmy’s. He’s not a celebrity (looks like one though), but he has left a legacy that I’d like to share.

Jimmy was a hard working guy. You’d see him as an usher in church, greeting everyone with a big smile in his face. He used to be involved in the BackStreet Kids Ministry, and still continued to work with the kids outside the ministry. He tried to come to our dgroup everytime, even if it means he has to walk from his house to St. Francis and vice versa. Well, anyone could do that. Plus, he’s far from being perfect (he’s not me you know, ). So what sets him apart? His readiness.

He was ready. Not that he was ready to die, but he was ready to be with the Lord. He even mentioned it a couple of times in our dgroup sessions. It’s one thing to say it. But its another to back it up. He lived for God. Every thing he received, good or bad, he thanked God. God was always involved in every decision he made. He longs to be with the Creator. And now that he passed away, there’s no doubt he’ll be with Jesus Christ in heaven.

That makes me think, am I that excited to go to heaven. After accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am assured of my place in heaven (want to be sure? click here). But do I want to go now? Jimmy did. And now he is. I pray that I can gain the same excitement of seeing my God as Jimmy did. And that’s my prayer for all of us.

Please pray for Jimmy’s family. I know Marissa and EJ are in good hands. God’s hands. And may we learn a thing or two from Jimmy. To end, Jimmy wasn’t “Gone Too Soon”, God took him just in time. l8r dayz…

of pay per views and filipino pride…

 What a fight! What a great fight! What a great one-sided fight!!! What more adjectives can I add? If you have been living under a rock for the last few hours, Manny Pacquiao obliterated Ricky Hatton in just two rounds. With this win, “Pacman” cemented his claim of being the best pound for pound boxer in the world. I had some doubts on whether Manny can take real hits from someone from a higher weight class. Cause let’s face it, he was never really hit by bigger opponents in his previous fights (Both Diaz and Dela Hoya never had any chance to do some offense). Now I can say that he can take those hits. Of the 18 punches Ricky landed, some of them were really hard hits. But Manny never felt those punches. We even saw his trademark “touch glove move” early in the first round, denoting that he is unfazed with Hatton’s punches. I think Pacquiao should be officially named a Filipino hero (barring any unintelligent decisions regarding his political and showbiz career). Some random notes from today’s awesome bout…

• this is the first pacman fight i saw live via satellite… i wanted pacman to win because if he lost, then I might have jinxed him… i must have felt what Aling Dionesia (Manny’s mother) felt… it was her first time to watch his son fight in the US…
• it was nice watching the fight live, everybody was oohhing and ahhhing at Manny’s every punch…
• if there was anyone to blame for Hatton’s loss, I blame Mayweather Sr. I saw the HBO 24/7 preview and I saw that Mayweather Sr. was sometimes late during their training sessions… how professional… and he has the guts to say he is the best trainer and not freddie roach? c’mon… more on roach later… but going back to mayweather, maybe senior didn’t train Hatton well so he can setup a Pacquiao vs Mayweather, Jr. bout…
• speaking of Marquez, JMM just can’t have a break… after his loss to Pacman, he is trying to have another rematch… even going to the Philippines to beg for one… when Pacman goes up a weight level, he goes up as well… to his credit, he has been winning… but he’s not money making material… a pacquiao-marquez III won’t generate enough cash… at least now, he has a chance to get that rematch he’s been clamoring for… he only has to beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr… right, like that’s gonna happen…
• manny is getting better in his interviews… i mean, it’s not just that he doesn’t need a translator, but his answers are kinda clear and they really makes sense, you know… i mean, he is really learning, you know… i mean, even when it was that “walang kwentang” Chino Trinidad asking, he was still answering very well, you know… when asked about the looming Mayweather fight, he said he was never the one to challenge anyone… he just fights whoever and tries to give the fans a very exciting match… i mean, if that’s not a well thought of answer, then what is… you know… vitwater….
• every pacman fight, we see new commercials… here are my winners for:

       Worst Commerical:
            2nd Runner Up - LBC - Spell Remittance (teaching kids to spell incorrectly, not cool)
            1st Runner Up - Revicon (a very corny commercial, even for Robin Padilla’s standards)
            Champion - any commercial featuring PGMA’s cabinet (sino kau? tatakbo b kayo 4 president???)
       Best Commercial:
            1st Runner Up - Tokyo Tokyo - WattaTempura (very funny, kawawang shrimp, may future p nmn sana)
            Champion - Pioneer Elastoseal, sa tuyo man o sa basa, kumakapit… (Ay…)

• i liked martin nievera’s rendition of the national anthem… not the greatest, but still… another random note: my ate said that the Lupang Hinirang should be sung in a marching beat, and no “birit” required…
• lastly, a quote from Bob Arum: “First, let this be a lesson to all…no matter how much you have achieved, you have to continue to learn. This young man (Pacquiao) does not stop learning. Second, Manny Pacquiao is the greatest boxer that ever lived.” ’nuff said…

l8r dayz…

alone again, naturally… (ways to cope up with the v-day blues)

Its February again. And we all know what makes this month special, its the only month that has the least number of days. What? Its not what makes February special, really?

Ah yes, Valentines day is upon us. And that single day in the middle of the month changes how we live our daily lives. Flowers’ prices will quadruple. Red will be the dominant color thru out the month. Motels will be fully booked. And a collective quiet sigh will be heard from all the single guys and girls.

Valentines day do excite those who are currently in a relationship. But what it does mostly is to let those who are single know and feel that they are not in a relationship. Kinda sucks, right? It doesn’t have to be. Let me, a guy who has spent 25 years without a Valentine’s date, share to you some tips on how to “survive” the dreaded V-day. (Disclaimer: These tips are pretty much general. If you have other ways to cope up with Valentines day, please do share those with us.)

1. Stop sulking… So you’re alone on this day. boohoo… Tell that to the other people single. Before you ask what’s wrong with you, remember what Eva Mendez (#1 girl in ask men’s top 100) told her friend in the movie Hitch: You’re not sick, you’re single. It’s ok to be single, especially on this day. Think of all the savings. hehe… 

2. Stop watching chick flicks or romantic movies… Speaking of Hitch, I just had violated this rule or tip. Last Saturday, I had a movie marathon which included Hitch and the American Preisident. And last Wednesday, I saw Underworld 3, which is basically a “Romeo and Juliet” between a vampire and a werewolf. Nothing wrong with chick flicks. But it just makes having a relationship (or maintaining it) look easy when it ain’t. If only Hitch was real. 

3. Date your family/friends and yourself… One time, I gave flowers to all the female in my barkada. And it felt good. Maybe this time, i’m going to give flowers to my mom, sister and grandmother (sa 15 na lang pra mura) And of course, you can treat yourself from time to time. I bet the girls have mastered this defense mechanism. Just a reminder, just because you’re single doesn’t mean you have to celebrate Valentine alone.

4. Date God… You might have asked God why you’re single this time of the year. Or why you are still single upto now. Maybe you’re blaming Him for what happened to a previous relationship. You can spend your time doing these, or you can spend time with Him to know what He thinks and what He wants. God is not a killjoy. He wants what is best for us. But we often think we’re better than Him. Being single is a gift from God, not a curse. Just remember these two things: 1 John 4:1, which says “We, for our part, love because God first loved us.” The second, the age old saying: God Loves You! How’s Him for a Valentine’s date.

There you have it folks. My tips on how to survive V-day. I don’t know about the other three, but the last one is fool-proof. But if you’re not content with these tips, here’s another one. Just think that by next Valentine’s day, those who are in a current relationship (excluding married couples of course) will be the one needing these tips. And you’ll be the one celebrating V-day with a special someone. hahaha… 

l8r dayz…

the year that was…

i’m counting down the minutes before 2008 is over… so i want to look back at the memorable things that happened this year… i want to do the reminiscing now so that tomorrow i can look forward to 2009… i’m gonna do this by month so here’s january…

JANUARY: i started the year in Java bench, a place in our company for people who has no project as of that moment… i bought my first gaming console, my PSP (technically, i bought it on Dec. 30)… i got a text from ABS-CBN that i will be screened for GAME K N B… i passed the test and the screenin, got to the show and won 20k…

FEBRUARY: my appearance on GAME K N B was shown… i was rolled in to a project, thank God…

MARCH: hong kong baby!!! my family and I went to hong kong and shenzen, china… we went to HK disneyland at sa window to the world… check my multiply for the pics…

APRIL: i turned 25… and my neice nearly had the same birthday as mine…

MAY: simula na ng trabaho sa aking project… carry pa nman… hehe… kasagsagan ng ABL namin… we almost had a winless season, buti n lang nakadagwit p kami ng isa… i led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals… in a span of two games, i had 11 rpg and 5 spg… san k pa… hehe

JUNE:celtics won the NBA finals (against the lakers, buti nga)… and manny pacquiao won his first bout in the lightweight division (135 lbs.)… on a personal note, one of my tita’s in my father side passed away…

JULY: cmula na ng sleepless nights sa project namin… late na kung umuwi ung iba… one time, i had a 36 hours stay in the office… kala nyo grabe yun… one of my colleagus had almost 70 hours… our project’s  mott: work, work, work…also, nagbakasyon c rhys sa pinas…

AUGUST: JLX escapades in pangasinan (nde na sa hundred islands… hehe)…  tska, first dinner, este, team building in our project…

SEPTEMBER: i got promoted… from YM administrator to professional gamer (naglalaro ng PSP sa office, hehe)… actually, from SE to SSE… i felt that my promotion was due… pero i was pleasantly surprised with my rating… thanks sa mga TL ko from both projects… also, my d-group leader, Mike went to work in Hong Kong… end of the Mike era, start of the Archie era… go archie!!!

OCTOBER: if my memory serves me correct, we had my current project’s team building s pansol… videoke to the max!!!

NOVEMBER: after the team building, roll off talks naman… haha… pero for me, something BIG happened on november… this was my first time to be really involved in the retreat…i only wanted to help in a committee, like program or promo… but not only did i join the program committee, naging facilitator rin ako… talk about pressure… here, i saw the many sides of “christians”… nobody’s perfect not even christians… also, i saw how the devil can attack God’s people before and during the event… he knows that God is working mightly in that retreat… so he tries anything to ruin it… but God won’t let that happen… this was also the first time that i know quite a few people in the retreat… 5 of my dgroup were there, two of my ka-tropa were there, my sister was there, plus i met some new found friends in the program committees… and the results were amazing…the  retreat was a success… plus 175 were baptizedincluding my ka-tropa/ka-dgroup…

DECEMBER: balik bench ulit… my project had its official closure… and my company was so kind… they made us spend more time with loved ones, enjoy the holidays and pursue other activities… aka forced VL… hehe… my tropa had its mini reunion… jen and acehad their wedding… ivan and tina went back to the philippines for a vacation… kaya puro gathering…

tomorrow i’ll be writing about what i’ll be looking forward to in 2009… it’s just fitting that the music in my background is “it could be the start of something new…” cause i know it is… every year is… every day is… to quote master oogway in kung fu panda… “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present…” l8r dayz…

oops i forgot…

that’s what I might be saying to dio if he were still here… you see, if he were alive, he would be celebrating his 26th bday yesterday (oct. 12)… instead we are remembering the 5th yr. anniversary of his death… how could i have forgotten… well… i really have a lousy memory… i just came from a team building/outing so medyo pagod ako… tska wlang internet s bahay kya nde ako mareremind ni friendster na bday ni dio… ano pa b pwedeng palusot… hehe

i remembered that it was dio’s bday mga 12:05am ng oct 13… when i remembered that it was his bday… tingin ako agad s celfone hoping that it was still oct 12… i kinda felt guilty at hindi ako nkahabol sa bati (para namang may celfone yun… hehe)… cguro i thought na bka hindi lang ung bday ni dio ang nkalimutan ko kundi c dio mismo… now that’s really something far from the truth… just recently i thought about a video i want to make if i have a band (yes i think of these things…) and it would feature ung mga ka-batchko nung high school and in the end of the video may tribute k dio and other batchmates who have passed on (i only know of one other)… 

pero its really easy to sometimes forget about someone na nde mo na madalas kasama… after all, wala na sila dito… pero that shouldn’t mean you have completely forgotten them… it should mean that you have moved on… moving on can be as grand as not crying anymore when hearing his/her name, as subtle as focusing on people who are still with us, or as simple as forgetting one’s birthday… (i bet these can also be signs of moving on from a breakup or something… but how should i know…) but for me, i guess moving on is inevitable… and we shouldn’t feel guilty when that happens… (haba ng palusot ko… hehe)

is this my yearly tribute to dio… not by a long shot… expect something by the end of the week… right now, i might hug people who are dear to me, should be breathing of course… and try to remember their birthdays…

inside the steel cage: f.r.i.e.n.d.s. vs himym

check my article in JG’s site… www.codedmushroom.com

the best pound for pound boxer…

that’s one of the latest title “Pacman” Manny Pacquiao received this week… the other one being the WBC lightweight champion, which he won against David Diaz today (June 29)… the best pound for pound was given to him by boxing experts after Floyd Mayweather’s retirement last month… hewas number 2, and when Mayweather retired, you have to give Manny that recognition… but what he did in the fight against Diaz, he just proved to the world that he is worthy of that label… Manny has won the championship of four weight classes, a feat no Asian has ever done (and i bet a few others have)… and what is funny about pacquiao fights, they’re always timely fought to easen tension in the Philippines… whether its a political crisis or a natural disaster, there’s always a manny pacquiao bout to lighten up the mood and unite the Filipino nation even for just a day…

other notes from today’s bout…

• it was good to see the boston celtics with manny after the fight… manny was said to be rooting for the celtics during the recently concluded finals… while the manny and celtics were celebrating, the lakers and marquez were seen sulking and crying their asses of… (hehe, last tira ko na sa lakers… pramis)
• do we need a set of commercial between the national anthems? really???
• having your haircut while a pacquiao figth is on… not a good idea…
• david diaz is a classy opponent… he gave it his all and even reached the 9th inspite of the flurry of punches manny landedon him… he was gracious in defeat, even citing that Manny was the better man that night… his class act just earned him a San Mig commercial with Manny here…
• speaking of commercials, we hada whole bunch of them… what do you expect… i now realized that a Manny Pacquiao fight in the Philippines is equivalent to the Superbowl in the US wherein companies try to sell their products by getting a commercial spot for that event… there were a lot of commercials during the 10 hour coverage (feeling ko ganun katagal), but only a few were worth mentioning… the new ads that caught my attention were: 4 of the many LBC commercials (TOW the nangangating palad, TOW the umbrella, TOW the happy anniversary? and TOW the natutulog n employee), the motolite commercial, and Robin’s liveraide commercial (it conveys a very positive message)… special mention goes out to the smidgets commercial… ever since i saw avenue Q, i have a soft spot for puppets…
• and still on the commercial side of things, i have a proposal for a Pacquiao commercial… this is for McDonalds, where Manny is an endorser… the commercial starts as Pacquiao is finishing an opponent… after his hands are raised, the crowd will chant his name, “MANNY, MANNY… then the chant will turn into “BURGER, BURGER”… the ad will end with Manny having a very confused look on his face… ayos dba… sa mga tiga ad agency ng McDo dyan, pwede nyo gamitin tong idea n ito…email nyo lang ako… hehe…
• i’m very fond of reading comments in web articles so i can’t help reading the comments in the article about pacman’s victory… i saw many comments saying he isn’t the best pound for pound, and he will lose boxers they mentioned, etc… bahala cla kung ano gusto nila sabihin… pero the fact is, manny’s speed is unmatchable… tapos his strength increased through out the years… he will be a force to be reckoned with sa lightweight division… plus, he is a certified money maker… and the opponents the commenters mentioned that will have a “hayday” against pacquiao, they will be the one begging pacman to fight with them…it will be their biggest payday they can get… and they will pay dearly for it… pacman will knock out all of them… as long as he stops doing unnecessary things like running for office or  making movies…

thanks pacman for giving us a glimmer of sunshine despite tragedies, crisis and hardships inthat befall the lives of us Filipinos… l8r dayz…

xs: one tragedy i hope the pacman fight helps easen up is the passing away of my tita Ining… please pray for the family she left behind… 

name game…

that’s the title of the song that goes “Tony, Tony bo Bony Bonana fanna fo Fony Fee fy mo Mony, Tony!”… ano naman kinalaman nito sa blog kong ito… wala… hehe… i’ll be blogging about name meanings… naalala nyo p b ung stall sa mga malls na nagpiprint ng meanings ng names tapos ifeframe? hinahanap ko nga kung may website na ganun e… pero may nakita akong site that gives out name meanings… at pati apelyido may meaning… don’t know how they get the meaning for the surnames… hehe…  i got this site from the blog of ms. rica… we’re tight na kasi… hehe joke…
ito ung meaning ng name ko…

raymond: Mighty protector “Teutonic”…  You are responsible, determined and tenacious with sound judgement and the ability to inspire others making you ideal for positions of leadership. Having broad vision you are happy to accept the challenge of handling large projects which others may find too demanding. With your keen intuition and inventive mind you are always seeking answers. Fair and just you have a warm and compassionate nature which attracts many friends.

jay: After the Jay bird “English”…You are a humanitarian and idealist concerned with the welfare of others and doing what you can to make the world a better place. A visionary with strong intuition and wisdom you seek knowledge and have high aspirations. Although at times preferring solitude your generous, compassionate and understanding nature attracts many friends from all walks of life.

maraan: You are charming, talented and have a very positive attitude to life so it is hardly surprising that you attract success and recognition. Focussed and patient you understand that material rewards are a result of discipline. Being so creative and with a need for self-expression you may be drawn towards the arts, travel is also likely to be important. A loyal friend, you are a person who must be allowed freedom and independence.

magno: Extremely intelligent in thought and deed you are gifted at communication and finding practical applications for your ideas. You are strong willed and ambitious and need to have passion, freedom and adventure in your life. Always willing to help others your warm, honest and loyal nature ensures that you are loved by all. It is likely that you will achieve a great deal of success and recognition in life.

hmmm… base s mga nkasulat dito… napakabait ang npakabuti kong tao… hehe… i think mga 90% na nkasulat dito e totoo… itry nyo rin to… para masayahan rin kau… hehe… l8r dayz…

XS: sa mga nkakabasa nito… may prayer request lng po… pls pray for my tita na may cancer… pls pray for her health, her salvation, her family, and everything else… thanks… and God bless…

39 points…

that’s the lead the Boston Celtics had when they destroyed, obliterated and humiliated the Los Angeles Lakers, winning their 17th championship in the process… i know i’m a very loyal utah jazz fan… but this year i had a dilemma… as much as i’ve wanted deron williams and company to win it all, i really wanted KG and ray allen to get their rings… and there’s no better time than this year… so i was rooting for the celtics… i’m also rooting for them since utah was beaten by the lakers in their conference semifinals… also, i hate kobe’s guts… yes, he is one of the best players today… pero i’m not a fan of his arrogance… he may be a great player, pero he hasn’t won a championship by himself… those 3 rings he have, pasalamat sya kay shaq… for me, shaq was the go to guy for that team… and he wanted to be that guy so much that he drove shaq away… ano nangyari, shaq has won another title… si kobe, wala pa… and i was really rooting against kobe winning one one without shaq… (sorry ace… masyado kong ni-character assasinate idol mo… =P)…eniweiz,  here are some thought i had about the finals…

• again, congrats to the Boston Celtics… in the pre-season, i saw a feature on KG… how he stuck with Minnesota… losing teammates who were close to him (starbury, malik seal, latrell and sam i am)… how he handled it and how he tried to move on… and he is one the guys you really want to win a championship… and it would have been better if he did it in ’sota… like that would happen…
• ray allen was non-existent during the playoffs… yun pla rinereserve nya pra sa finals… i wanted him to win the finals MVP… i look at it this way… KG was the man behind the 66 win season… paul pierce took care of the playoffs… and ray allen was the most consistent players for the celics in the finals… if you replayed the whole series, ray allen was always part of the great plays and the amazing runs…
• the finals MVP, paul pierce really deserved it… quinito henson had a contest, write who was your pick to be  the finals MVP… here is what i wrote: “For me, the finals MVP shouldn’t be the one who was traded to a bottom feeder and turned it to a champion caliber team. And definetely not the one who asked to be traded in the pre season. It should be the one who stayed with his team thru thick and thin. And that’s Paul Pierce.”
• i applaud pj brown… he didn’t just rode the big three wave for the celtics… he actually performed… kudos…
• they say kobe is a crybaby… i don’t think so… that distinction goes to sasha vujacic
• i find it funny people (some lakers fan) say the lakers were going in as the underdog… haller… they coasted thru the western conference playoffs (the only team that kinda made it hard for them were the jazz)… the celtics on the other hand had 2 7-game series (one  of them was against the atlanta hawks for crying out loud)… talk about advantage…
• also, some say kobe had a weaker team… then they compare it to jordan’s team… it had its big three of jordan, pippen and rodman… but may i remind you of the first three-peat of the bulls… yah, that was a great lineup… i’ll even compare the starting lineup of both teams…

          gasol vs bill cartwright - winner: gasol… he could easily score against catwright
          odom vs horace grant- winner: odom… by a hair… odom’s atheletic ability beats grant’s hustle
          radmanovic vs scottie pippen - winner: sasagutin ko p b ito?
          fisher vs b.j. armstrong/john paxson - winner: undecided sna pero i think lamangsi fisher… watchathink
          kobe vs jordan - winner: JORDAN…

the diff between them is not the stats and the skills… its Jordan’s leadership  and how he is as a teammate… jordan wouldn’t hold back scoring just to prove that the team needs him to shoot… he wouldn’t treat teammates like dirt when they can’t catch a behind the back no look pass from him… he won’t embarass a teammate during the preseason, telling people the team should’ve traded the guy for jason kidd… he won’t give himself a nickname… and most importantly, jordan wouldn’t let his team lose by 39 points on a series clinching game…(again sorry for the black mamba bashing…)

i enjoyed this year’s finals… and now that the celtics (KG, allen and pierce) have won a championship… it’s gonna be utah jazz: 2009 nba champions… hehe count on it… l8r dayz…

t-back

that is the title of the supposed alumni homecoming of my beloved org, THINKERS… T-Back stands for Think Back… galing ng naisip kong play of words diba… i think i should try advertising… bka maging successful ako dyan… anyway… bkt ko nmn naiblurt out tong org ko… ito kasing multiply ni kiko e (meron ring kay tinapie) , puno ng pictures ng THINKERS… inductions, ung homecoming, tambayan at syempre the fun games… sa wakas kiko, may nagawa kang ikatutuwa ng buong madla… haha joke lng pre…

sa mga thinkers n mka2basa nito, here is the link to kiko’s multiply page … maraming nangyari sa THINKERS… it had its share of ups and downs (pero based on the pictures mas marami ang ups… i heart THINKERS)… nagkaroon man ng konting mga tampuhan on the side… hindi p rin mawawala ang samahan ng  mga tao dito… THINKERS really know how to party!!! sana nga lang buhay pa itong org n ito… (UPDATE: napadpad ako s mapua last week at napadaan ako s tambayan, maraming nkaupo… sana mga thinkers ito at hindi naki2upo lang galing s mgkabilang org)

WARNING LANG!!! wag sana kayo maluha, makakakita kc kau ng maraming dio sightings s mga albums dyan… at wag sana kayo lalong maiyak, kasi mraming pictures dito e payat p mga tao (except bu….. wag bka magalit ulit s amin e… nanana nanananana… hehe)… ulit, thanks kiko for posting the pics… l8r dayz…

martina…

that is the name of my newborn niece… martina julia magno… she was born 12:08am of april 26… if she was born earlier, we might have had shared the same birthday… she was named after Martina Hingis, the favorite female tennis player of the men of the Magno household… yup… I, along with my dad and my brother love Martina Hingis (despite of the current marijuana charges against her)…

what’s interesting is that i have already used the name martina in my LSS story (yup, this is a shameless plug for my blog "novel"… i will be posting a new entry soon so you might want to check it out…) i wrote that feb 15 last year… so technically, i was the first to use that name… i wanted to name my daughter (if i will ever have one) Martina… but my kuya beat me to the draw… and i’m happy I have a niece named Martina… i just hope that the name i hope to name my future son won’t be taken by any one else I know… its gonna kick ass…

pics of my niece to follow… l8r dayz…

legendary…

that’s the catch phrase of my current favorite show, how i met your mother… it is a about ted, a guy from 2030, telling a story to his kids on how he met their mother… ted, burdened by the engagement of his friends Marshall and Lily, wanted to have a meaningful relationship that would hopefully lead to marriage (hmmm, kinda sounds like me…) even if he is advised to "play the field" by his friends (he especially gets a lot of these from Barney played by Dr. Doogie Howser) Ted continues to use his newfound philosphy (parang ako p rin…) and finally he meets the girl of his dreams, Robin… i don’t want to spoil the details of the pilot episode but their first date involved a blue horn, three words that shouldn’t have been said, and a huge twist na prang sixth sense ang dating (hehe nde nmn ganun…)

the show has been on for three seasons, and me and some of people I know have been following it… i really feel na i am like Ted in terms of views regarding relationships (although rhys is claiming sya raw si Ted)… well rhys, i just gathered evidence na i’m ted’s real life counterpart and not you… on season 3 episode 17 entitled "the goat" aired on april 28, something major will happen to ted and barney on ted’s birthday… hulaan nyo kung kelan bday ni ted… april 25… sorry rhys, pwede ka magapply maging barney… hehe… eniweiz, i highly recommend this show… you can watch it sa etc kaso nsa gitna na ng second season… kelangan mapanood nyo ung unang episode, sobrang ganda… one of the best pilot episodes I’ve seen… kng kelangan nyo ng copy, imessage nyo lang ako… (wag nyo ako isumbong  kay edu, close n kmi nun… hehe…)  l8r dayz…

morbid…

that’s what i think of when i hear the word epitaph… but in the right context, that word can help us be closer to God… one of my ka-d group gave a message about knowing the will of God… he says there are four questions to guide us… parang rotaract 4 way test… hehe… and one of the question asks "What would you want to be written in your epitaph?" It means, how do we want to be remembered when we have finished our life here on earth?

that got me to remember my friend’s epitaph… it goes "To die in Christ is to be born again and to live forever…" as i’ve said sa sang previous blog, eksakto to for dio… so, i got to thinking… ano kaya sa akin… we’ll i hope mine would say "Served God faithfully… Looked good doing it…" hehe… and i would start doing things so you could say those things when i knock on wood… ha? hehe… Christians are cool, you know…

l8r dayz… *balik n lng ako s dati kong catch phrase… hehe… 

a new style…

that’s what i’ll be giving my internationally recognized blog… ok, my little-known blog… cge n nga… my blog na  mga limang tao lang nagbabasa… pero i’ll be changing my style…and that hopefully would add millions… and millions of rehaz’  fans… or kahit isa lang… *sob =(

so what change would i be injectng in this lifeless blog… well, gone are the long blogs of old… iiklian ko na pra short read lng… gagaya lng ako s ibang blogs na nakita ko s net (including my ate’s…) try ko rin mglagay ng picture kasi picture paints a thousand words… if it had hands to pick up the paintbrush… (badabing)  syempre, paminsan minsan magsusulat p rin ako ng mahaba, pero in special occasions lng… like my annual dio blog, or my on going list of things to do (hintayin nyo ung bago kong list, nde ko kasi ngawa lahat ng nsa previous list e hehe…)

o sya sya padilla… humahaba na tong blog n ito… hintayin nyo, sunod sunod n itong blog ko… so enjoy reading… until next time… keep it locked in… (my new goodbye greeting)

of avoiding plagarism and easter reflections…

hi mga blogmates… 2 months n yta bago ako nkapag blog ulit… I was suppose to blog about Easter and how it is the most important Christian holiday (yup, more important than Christamas…) but I saw this article by Bill Velasco that was too good to not share with you guys… for the first time yta, nde ako naglagay ng sarili kong article… inilagay ko na kung sino nagsulat at san isinulat, baka ma kasuhan ako for plagarism e… hehe… i hope the message gets through to all ye who readeth this… hehe… just one thing to point out, in the first line, Bill says that Easter is for those who believe that Jesus rose from the dead… I couldn’t agree more… easter is not about bunnies laying eggs (which by itself is weird enough)… its about the basis of Christianity… so if you can believe in only one thing I say, believe that Jesus, who died a horrendous death (napanood nyo naman cguro ung the passion of the Christ) for our sins, rose from the dead on the third day to conquer death… therefore, sin has no more contol over us… amen? Amen! now, if you can believe two things I say, the second one would be I am handsome. believe that… hehe… enjoy the article…

If life were a sport…
THE GAME OF MY LIFE By Bill Velasco
The Philippine Star
Monday, March 24, 2008

of list updates and list updates’ update

hi blogistas… wow… its been a 2 month since ive written a blog…  kya simulan ko by updating you with my list… ung list of 25 things i=to do before turning 25 (see previous blog)… UPDATE: as the title implies, meron ditong updates on my list’s updates… last month ko p ito nagawa kaso nde ko lang napublish…  the updates will be denoted by the word UPDATE…

• 1. wla p ring asenso… bka gusto nyo ako tulungan dito… hehe
• UPDATE: 3. done… saya saya, i love HK disneyland (see next blog)
• 8. finished the guitar lessons last July… cgro  pwede nang iconsider yun… pero 4 me, kelangan ko muna matugtog ung "Wag ka nang umiyak" ng sugarfree to check this off my list…
• 9. never had a chance to do that last ABL season… not defined yung position ko e… tska nde ako ganun ginamit… pero we advanced to the conference semifinals… an improvement from last years playoff appearance… pwede na… UPDATE: I have two basketball leagues na sinalihan (BICC Basketball League for Bosconian Alumnus at syempre ABL) so sana magawa ko isa s items dito… 
• 10. jen, kelan b tau magtetennis?
• UPDATE: 12. Akala ko I’ve done this already kasi naipasa ko ung Application developer test for ASDA. Kaso kelangan p pla ng isang test. Sana magawa ko ito before my bday. Kung hinde, half point lng ito.
• 13. i was just asked by my good old friend john glen to be one of the writers in his website… i know hindi sya considered kasi semi-blog p rin sya… pero thanks Glen for considering me for the job… hehe…
• 16. i think nka 7 movies n ako this year… kalahati na ng taon, wla p s kalahati ng target ko… kaya s mga crushness ko dyan, pagyinaya ko kau ng movie, isipin nyo n lng its for a good cause… hehe. UPDATE: nagbilang ulit ako, nakasampu na ako when I wrote this tapos ndagdagan na ng dalawa… so 12 na… kalahati p lng… may isang buwan p ako pra matapos ito… kelangan ko mapanood si My Big Love… hehe
• 17. cguro nmn alam nyo n nkasali ako s 1 vs 100… kung nde nyo nakita yung dalawang split seconds na pinakita ako, well tignan nyo n lng ung friendster pics ko… kaso i didn’t made the unbeatable list… so i will strive hard to rejoin that gameshow ulit… pero mas ok kung s GAME K N B  ako mkasali…gusto ko sumayaw ng papaya… UPDATE: done… hehe see video and next blog…
• 21. sayang, nde ako nasali dun s episode na si Mariel ang contestant… pero dun s shooting nmn, nkapagpapicture ako k yeng constantino at gaby dela merced… sana lng masend sa akin ng katabi ko ung mga pics… please… UPDATE: I had my picture taken with Nikki Bacolod from Star In a Million, kaso nde ko ika-count yun…
• UPDATE: 22. Muntik ko na magawa ito kaso nagkasakit ako nung ngkaroon ng CCF fun run… Pen, sabihan mo ako kung merong marathon ulit ha… sali ako… tnx…
• UPDATE: 23. May possibility ito, may wakeboarding smething s batangas e… lapit lang…
• 24. mukhang malabo na ito… UPDATE: may isang buwan pa ako… try ko mag hiphop abs ulit… hehe
• 25. mas mukhang malabo ito… hehe UPDATE: walang update… haha

Magsusulat ulit ako ng blog mamayang gabi… so talagang later dayz… hehe..

of not yets and the new year ahead…

wow… 2008 is here and 2007 is history… ang bilis… prang kahapon lng 2007 ngyn 2008 na…get it get it??? ok fine, resolution ko for 2008 wag maging kasing corny ni rhys… (peace)… i really won't do resolutions this year kasi may current list ako n kailangan gawin… ung 25 things to do before turning 25 … i have 4 months to go pra matapos ko tong list na ito… and i'm surprised to see i haven't done much… here's the status of the things in my list…

1. not yet
2. not yet
3. not yet
4. not yet
5. not yet
6. not yet
7. not yet
8. started to learn… kelangan cguro ng practice
9. not yet
10. not yet
11. not yet
12. im going for ASDA certification
13. not yet
14. not yet
15. not yet
16. 10 or 11… ndeko alam kng ung 300 e pinalabas after april 25 e…
17. joined 1vs100 but lost… no worries, may wheel of fortune p nmn… sna makasali…
18. :)
19. :(
20. finished "When God writes your love story"… i'm currently reading a book by bob ong named stainless longganisa… pero sna may mgpahiram sa akin ng ABNKKBSNPLAko… 
21. kilala pla ng parents ko ang parents ni Jaymee Joaquin… so there's hope…
22. not yet
23. not yet
24. huhuhu… 39 na…
25. no plans whatsoever… to be tackled in a different blog…

another wow… puro not yet… well… kelangan simulan na ngyn… and speaking of simula, the start of the new year always entails a fresh start… kya every new year, gumagawa tau ng resolutions dba… me, i don't usually start well… kya minsan nde ko na tinutuloy… prang ung list ko… pero i'm reminded of a verse sa bible, 2 Cor 5:17 which says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"… everytime na we feel we haven't changed… just remember that we are a new creation… lahat ng mga mali natin, all our sins, cancelled na yun… our slate is wiped clean just like what the verse say… pero meron condition… the condition is that we must be in Christ… are we???… maybe we need to check that paminsan minsan… so next time na we feel na prang nde tau nagbabago, bka nakakalimutan lng ntn si God s ating puso… may we all be renewed in Christ ngayong 2008…

ayan, tapos na ang aking new year's blog… hintayin nyo ang susunod… ung pang valentines nmn… hehe… God bless sa ating lahat… l8r dayz…

of second chances and jeepney rides…

hi everybody… its now time for my yearly installment of a dio tribute… if you haven't read the other installments, then click on the links… kung hindi, padalawin ko sya sa nyo.. hehe joke…

of tombstones and what ifs… 

of deaths and death anniversaries… 

kwento ng MANDALUYONG BOYS… 

what to talk about this time… ang rami to chose from eh… there's this one time in physics lab where we were asked to draw an arc from the coordinates na nakuha namin… ang ginawa ba naman ni dio e nagconnect the dots… nagalit tuloy ung instructor… hehe… i can tell you about the love story of Dio and Marilou… nakakakilig yun… hmmm…. what to tell? cguro i'll go with the day we almost died together…

ooohhh… scary… hehehe… nde nmn masyado…. it happened around 4th day of year 2000… imagine, kakamilenyo lang tapos dedo na kami… and i think, kakasagot lng ni marilou kay dio the day before… well, eniweiz, we were going home via the quiapo to sta.mesa route… ako ung nsa left side ng jeep (sa likod ng driver) and he was in the right side… naguusap kami ng mga bagay bagay… we were near the forbidden part of sta. mesa, ung maraming motels (we used to mock and point to the people we see getting out of the motels, lalo n yung naglalakad lang, but that's for another story) when it happened… at the intersection, an L300 from the perpendicular lane (geometry po yan) suddenly beats a red light… nkaabante ung jeep namin so when the L300 decided to break the rules, it nearly ended our lives (dramatic noh)… we were headed into a full collision… as in nakita ko ung harap ng van inches away from the jeep and conveniently inches from the dio's back… good thing the driver had the instinct to avoid the contact… dinrayb nya ung jeep from the lane to the sidewalk… buti na lang wlang tao nun… sobrang surreal ung nangyari… pero syempre, since we didn't die, we just laughed it off… every time we go home via that route, we reenact the whole thing… we talk na prang wlang mangyayari, then come intersection, we scream… para nga kaming mga gago e… hehe… may kasama pang mura sa driver ng van (which obviously wasn't there)… 

i could have considered that night as my second life.. i didn't… but i think dio did… if you know dio, he was the one who liked to seize the moment…he might have made bad decisions pero he never regrets doing them…. i wrote a testimonial to him noong buhay p sya, and i said that he was dedicated… very dedicated, sa relationships, sa family and friends, sa "business"… everything he does, he does with passion… and that's what i admire about him… yes, kung ung passion nya e nailaan sa mas importanteng bagay, mas maganda sana dba… pero you can't put a price dun s passion na pinapakita nya… and that's one thing i think we could learn from him… cguro, we don't need to have a "near-death" experience para we can live life to the fullest… all we need to do is just ask God what he wants us to do, purpose ika nga… kasi if we know na ang ginagawa natin pleases God, mas masarap gawin… dun cguro lalabas yung passion na hinahanap natin… nakakatawa kasi it takes a dead guy to show us how to live life… 

i hope we all can learn from the example that dio has given us… continue to pray for those he had left behind, meaning ung family nya at syempre, tayong mga kaibigan nya…

hanggang sa susunod kong blog… kitakits mga friends… POWER… =P

L8r dayz…