it all started when I lost my h...

Maybe I am intimidating?

2011-11-26T00:46:00.002+08:00

Freedom

2011-09-27T21:32:00.003+08:00

It was late for me to realize the meaning of his question. I only realized it now.

Last Sunday night I went out to meet this good looking Belgian guy who's in the country for the second time. He loves Asia. He's on a three and a half weeks trip covering Singapore, Philippines, and Bangkok. We had drinks (alcoholic drinks) and dinner afterwards. Very wholesome, I should say. He insisted on the drinks.

After two days, I recalled what he asked me. "You really love your freedom, don't you?" I answered, "Yes, definitely." However, now, I am close to thinking that he meant, "You don't want to get attached, do you?"

This guy wanted a boyfriend. He said he didn't want to have casual hookups should he ever go the beach in Puerto Galera (which he cancelled). He said he liked me - but thought I didn't like him. Perhaps he perceives me as a guy who wouldn't go into commitment. Maybe. Is there anything in my complexion or my body language that hints this?

Don't get me wrong - I'd love to be in a relationship. But as long as the right guy hasn't come along - I'd enjoy every second of singlehood. That goes in and out of the water/office/gym/club/town.

I am alone, but not really lonely.

But if you have any referrals for me, just leave me a comment. :-D

Crissie must write

2011-08-30T02:32:00.003+08:00

With all those long months (or probably years) of not posting, I was under the belief that sharing your thoughts in the form of speaking to friends is the ultimate way to unload yourself of worries and cares. Today I realized I was missing something.

I missed writing.

Remembering the past weeks at work, I was having difficulties composing an email. Being a chatty and expressive person, writing was not much of a challenge for me. However, due to the fact that I had stopped blogging - my mind has lost its usual train of thoughts. Well, probably the longest I've written was a 3-part sms I've sent on my Android. I must admit I am again, facing hard times spelling some used-to-be-commonly-used words. This can't be.

I must write. Again.

Bato Bato in Batanes

2011-07-01T22:57:00.004+08:00

Curious and Cute

2011-05-03T22:38:00.001+08:00

Camouflaging

2011-04-19T09:22:00.001+08:00

Dews and Leaves

2011-03-05T18:28:00.003+08:00

I think morning dews are the simplest natural phenomenon that we humans don't care much. Dews tiny and almost noticeable to our eyes, they tell me how cold the night was until the sun come to shine some light for the day.

SIM City

2011-01-07T02:57:00.002+08:00

As much as I want it to sound SIN City, I can only wish so.

Though there's quite some snoring around this hotel room (yes, my Aussie roomie is snoring and I bet he's going to deny it again tomorrow... so I better record it huh?!), I won't be complaining as I started my day pretty late. Yeah, I went up at 11am. That's given I only had 5 hours of sleep the other night.

Subic International Marathon (SIM) is having its come back after an epic failure last year. I am here in Subic now to prepare for the technical timing of this even on Sunday. I know it won't be as big as last year (given the bad history) but I am hoping this will make a better record since my team will be nailing it down this year.

Everyone should love the cold weather here. Subic is a very clean and quiet place. It makes me realize that heaven could just be two hours from the city.

3AM now, I should be hitting the sack. The aussie guy just gone quiet. :-)

A Happy New Year

2011-01-07T02:37:00.004+08:00

My sky was painted with lots of lights and sparkles as 2010 ended, and it tells me that my new year will be prosperous and joyful.

I'll am sounding very positive for my 2011 debut post, and I am definitely loving it. As a matter of fact, I just had the best (if not the happiest) New Year's Eve celebration. Having turned 29, I feel it makes me realize and appreciate all the blessings that I've received for the past 12 months. I know that apart from all the tangible things and financial freedom, the wonderful friendships I continue to nurture now convince me that I am one rich guy!

Fate must be working well with opportunities, and things seemingly are falling into the right places. 2011 holds so much promise, as I know I have a stable job and I still have the freedom to venture on sports which I have utmost passion. Looks like Cupid is finally shooting the right arrows this time. I think something big is going to come up real soon.

Love, integrity, happiness, fulfillment, dreams, dreams coming true, loyal and good friends, underwater hockey, fit and healthy body, ripped body, boys, and lots of boys, good races, more travels, more friends... Yes, I think I am a happy man.

I admit

2011-01-01T06:01:00.002+08:00

I'm a flirt.

And I just I can't live without someone flirting back at me.

Another sunset in LaLuz

2010-12-30T20:31:00.000+08:00

Laluz Twilight

2010-12-14T23:18:00.001+08:00

Learning to stand

2010-10-28T09:16:00.001+08:00

This is what I meant by that.

Another flower for you

2010-10-23T21:53:00.001+08:00

No Parking Pls

2010-10-23T21:32:00.000+08:00

Definitely Mouth-watering

2010-10-03T23:24:00.003+08:00

Ingredients:
Greens (Lettuce) and Arugula

Watermelon

Green Apple

Raisins

Cereals

Feta Cheese in Olive Oil

Smoked Porkloin

Dressing: Blue Cheese + Plain Yogurt + Lemon Juice

'nSink

2010-10-03T20:55:00.002+08:00

Cooking for yourself is quite a big task. Well, I love to cook, and I love to eat what I cook. But I hate dealing with all the aftermath - the dishes.

Growing up, we never had a help at home. Thus, as kids, we were expected to wash the dishes after every meals. Evening is normally a special time more than everything. It's the time of the day that, more than the dishes, we have to make sure the sink is absolutely clean.

Food bits, fish bones, and others - they all sink in the sink. I remember my mother always reminding me to get rid of these rubbish. No matter how disgusting it could be, I had no choice but to obey. My mom wants the sink dry and free of trash. She always reminds us that failing to do our work well would make cockroaches and rats to feast in the kitchen.

She was always right.

I love clean sinks, and I love the fact that my mom trained us well. When most people can sleep with a dirty sink, I love the fact that I can sleep even in my clean sink.

Fool me, fool me

2010-09-29T01:11:00.004+08:00

F2.0 1/2500 ISO250 f=20.0mm

Butterflies are elusive. They stay in one position until you get close enough for a good shot. I just hate them!

Some are just too bold to stay near a stranger. Some are crazy enough to fly around the photographer and cling on to the skin to taste some sweat.

An ordinary person only knows butterflies. Moths are basically butterflies to them. But the difference between the two is plain to the naked eye. Moths rest with their wings spread open. Butterflies put their wings together everytime they cling on something.

Moths have varied colors. Some can be dull, and some can be extremely colorful. Most of them have patterns resembling an eye. This fools their predators - make these moths look like the head of a bigger creature.

Male moths have feathery antennas, while female have knobbed ones. Some species have strong sense of smell and can detect mates from miles away.

I took the picture above last Sunday, September 26 on my way down from Mt. Tapulao - and I didn't expect that this shot would be good. I'm thankful that his creature stayed longer in front of me. I just didn't know if she was posing in front of me, or if she was trying hard to fool me.

If you were a flower, why?

2010-09-22T00:08:00.004+08:00

F1.7 1/2500 ISO250 20mm

Surfless Weekend

2010-09-21T01:51:00.003+08:00

No Surf, No Glory

F2.2 1/4000 ISO125

I saw some frail girls in bikinis enjoying the mellow waves as their friends taking their photos as these girls reach the shore. I bet they have posted their pictures in Facebook and call themselves surfers at this very moment! Well, I also saw some boys running around, chasing fellow boys in their humblest grey high-leg skivvies - with their dingdongs violently marking.

There were some young boys throwing and catching disk. My girl friend it so much better though. Nonetheless, one of these boys is seemingly a handsome mestizo. He just look so delectable with his skin redding like a rock lobster.

I never saw a compact camera, or the one they call point-and-shoot. Everybody in the beach seem to be using a dSLR. Not a prime lens perhaps.

One surf instructors prove to be the islands' most stunning icon with his well sculptured torso. The back muscles were all formed and defined. Legs and torso are well proportioned. Skin are perfectly dark - just like caramel. Bums are well endowed. Not even a city boy would stand a competition on sporting a board shorts.

They say La Union is one of the best places to go for surfing. This weekend, maybe it isn't. But I can't complain - as long as I have sun, oil, and a pair of shades. Oh yes! Don't forget the boys running in underwear and surfers showing off their butt cracks.

One Flower Down

2010-09-19T22:27:00.002+08:00

This is the very first output of my RAW processing.

A bee finishing its flower visit.

Pictorial with the dragonfly

2010-09-15T01:07:00.006+08:00

He wasn't cooperative most of the times. Believe me.

Something was flickering in my fluorescent bulb on the ceiling. I looked up and I felt elated to see this creature forcefully attaching itself onto the light.

It was a dragonfly.

Just as thought that it was a lucky night, I knew this rare chance is an opportunity to test the clarity of my 20mm lens. Playing around with the aperture, shutter speed, and manual focus, I was able to capture vivid and sharp angles of this exquisite predator. This is truly another proof that my Lumix GF1 is worth my every penny.

The detail of my shots remind me of my childhood - reading encyclopedias and watching National Geographic. I've always wanted to be a macro-photographer. I guess, it's not yet too late.

Lonesome Boat

2010-09-14T01:04:00.003+08:00

A brief moment came along and I was happy I have my camera ready.

This boat was driving fast in Manila Bay that morning after the FinEx Run, last September 12. If not for a shutter speed of 1/4000 maybe all I've gotten was a picture soaked in grey.

Reduce me into droplets

2010-09-12T20:56:00.003+08:00

Soda cans

2010-09-10T23:52:00.005+08:00

Growing up, our four-cubic feet refrigerator was always almost full with colored bottles. These are mainly the dark green bottles with a "Sprite" or a "711" label on it. You can't tell that these bottles are only filled with water until you get some to drink.

Years have passed, and even if I don't spend a penny I can still fill up my fridge with some soda cans. Colorful soda cans. Fortunately, the classroom trainings sponsored by my company gives softdrinks in cans included in our meals. There's three meals for each training day.

With all those years, I've never learned to include soda in my diet. Thus, I go home and leave the brightly colored cans in my refrigerator. Once in a while, I'd open the door and just stare at those drinks. I hardly consume one. Perhaps, just one for the past two weeks. Viewing them in undera warm light is quite a thrilling experience to me.

The colorful bottles and cans are lovely. But the truth is, all I really need is water. It tells me that we may always get distracted with all the colors and luster of material things and superficial coatings. But as we go on, we will always realize that it's the simplest of things that truly add value to our life.

Colors of my sunset

2010-09-10T22:25:00.004+08:00

Skyline in McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio Global City

The passion to take photos had left my heart for sometime. Maybe it's like the sun setting on a late afternoon.

When I broke my camera last 2008 in Singapore, my enthusiasm to take pictures (and to be on pictures) died at the same time. Even Olympus didn't stand true to its claim - waterproof and shockproof. For when I accidentally sat on my camera while doing some crunches (part of the intro to rowing in Kalang), it gives me the impression that the designers of this camera may have missed something in their test plan.

Just as I knew I lost something, I knew I was going to get something else. Most probably something better.

I was never wrong. My GF1 came along and lit my skyline with lovely colors - colors I have always dreamt of painting in my sunset pictures. Now, these colors are here to stay.

A silhouette of me

2010-09-07T01:56:00.000+08:00

Color me bad!

2010-09-07T00:48:00.006+08:00

It's like the end of the world for my GF1. It colors the pictures like there's no more tomorrow.

I have a new GF!

2010-09-06T01:28:00.005+08:00

I felt love at first sight.

Just a week after I've known about it, I knew it's going to be mine. And I didn't go wrong. Now, I have a GF!

I meant, I have a new GF1.

Panasonic Lumix GF1.

For the idiots, you got to love my GF1 for its Intelligent Auto (iAuto) setting. This feature allows the dumb to capture pictures at full ease - no need to adjust anything. Just point and shoot! You won't have to worry about adjusting the aperture, nor the shutter speed. The camera takes care of everything for you. This means, this device will automatically detect if it's a macro shot you're taking, portrait, or a scenery. You just got to take care of the framing!

Just as handy as a point-and-shoot, GF1 is fully manual just like your SLR. I won't pretend to be a photography authority, so I'd rather point you elsewhere if you'd like to read a review about it. See http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PanasonicGF1/.

It's fast and it's reliable. My pictures will never be the same again! You can bet on my silly biceps!

Show me the packs!

2010-09-06T01:02:00.003+08:00

I'm too shy to use my 'toy' in the gym.

It's my first workout in the gym with my brand new camera. This would be the clearest picture of me that I've taken myself.

Vanity doesn't hurt, does it? But maybe I can try to smile on the next shot.

A Photo By Bozzone

2010-08-28T22:48:00.004+08:00

He's probably so tired of smiling beside his fans in front of the camera. This time, it's him smiling while taking the picture of his fans.

I am so sorry that Terenzo Bozzone lost to Pete Jacobs. But I am still very happy that Bozzone still went over to our cabin and share a few minutes of his time. This is one of the rarest moments telling me that some gods go down and mingle with humans.

Now I can't wait to see the Aussie god by the name of Leon Griffin on next year's Ironman70.3 Philippines.

The Buddy Weekend

2010-07-11T18:41:00.005+08:00

Last night was such a pain. Nearly.
It took me a long time to get to sleep even though that Saturday was guaranteed caffeine-free. I had a hard day's work doing my laundry during the afternoon and the evening after my gym workout. I had a hour and a half of chest, biceps, and triceps workout yesterday and my sore chest and cramping forearms tell me I did a great job. Nonetheless, it took the toll with less than four hours of sleep during that night. I got up at exactly 3am for the event today.

I arrived 7minutes late from the meeting time which is 4am in the NBC tent. I came in both hands-free as I only brought my money clip and my android phone. It felt liberating to come in with no excess weight.

My job today was to man the start and finish area - under and behind that big red arch. There were a lot of runners today - 1000 pairs. This make up twice the previous year's Robinson's Fit 'n Fun Buddy Run where I ran the 10km with my friend Jay dela Rama. This is a relaxed event compared to the rest of the runs we've had were there's easily more than 6,000 runners in the same ground.

After the airhorn blew, my job was to control the finishing crowd: segregate the 10km from the 5km runners; and make sure runners finish with their buddies. The most important role of all, was to keep them running their last meters, greet them "Congratulations," and make them smile. Though we didn't have bottled water during our first hour and a half, I, as well as my fellow officials kept the adrenaline high and pumping. I guess my voice will be hoarse tomorrow. Needless to say, seeing the joy in the runners' faces outweighs the pain in our throats (for cheering and leading).

The following photos were taken by our good friend Tony with his iPhone:

Paving the crowd - separating the 5km and 10km finishers; a smile; and some greetings that's me in action.

Buddies for life: "The photographer, the official, and the runner"
In real life, it's "the official, the runner, and the photographer."

Long time buddies.
The official, and the runners.

Horizontally unchallenged photographer.

Three hours of good nap, half a cup of brewed coffee, and a 45minute relaxed run ended my daytime today. It's Sunday and my mind was debating over banking on more sleep and getting more beating in the gym. I guess, I made a good decision.

The Door

2010-07-03T17:42:00.002+08:00

I think I'm finally making it to Narnia.

cheese!

2010-06-21T00:49:00.001+08:00

tell me, finally I don't look funny in my id picture?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4

Ironkids Philippines

2010-05-25T16:19:00.006+08:00

This is my most unsporty get-up for a very sporty event. White shoes and white shorts for a kiddie aquathlon event, how unfit, gay, and fab could you be?

I had about a little more than an hour of sleep before going to the event last Sunday, May 22. My area was the transition. Kids, plus parents in one area proved to be chaos. Folks can't help but be stage parents for their kids' first experience of an Ironkids Aquathlon. For the earliest time, I felt dehydrated for the entire race. Gadly, everything went smoothly and good after the very first wave.

Pics with underwater hockey buddies who helped organize the event:

(Highly anticipated group pic)

I'm so proud to have my white shorts clean up to the FINISH.

Photos by Ronz Cappal.

A falling act, and a cab de luxe

2010-05-25T10:51:00.008+08:00

Another surprising object went off the window of our "House of flying objects" this morning. It wasn't a yellow green tennis ball this time. Neither a white soup bowl, nor my Nokia cellphone.

I imagine that if I had lived anywhere higher than the third floor (where I currently reside), I had already sent shatters all over the roof of our land lady. Maybe then, my N6300 had been far from repair since then (oh, maybe that explains why the microphone doesn't seem to work). Perhaps, her roof may just need some major repairs after countless impacts coming from unlikely falling objects - all coming from the window of 3F.

...and oh, I forgot to mention about steel window framing, hangers.

Today, I had a great sleep even though I had not quite a good dream. I thought I'd dream of LawBoy as I tried getting to dreamland thinking of sharing a house with him, making love, training, traveling, and all sorts. Last night, I hoped that I'd remember my what my dream would be.

Yes, I remembered it. LawBoy wasn't it thought, but my family. It was a crazy calamity. At first, I was seeing a tornado from a far - a small one which was converging with one, and then two more small tornadoes which formed a huge whirlwind. It was black from a the distance. In no time, it went near us. I reckon what looked to be black wind was a collection of weird black insects which consume any object that rub against it. In some stories, it was called, Pestilence.

In that dream, we had to evacuate. We had to fit our folks in a big van which contains all of what we need. We awaited until the swarming insects approach before we take flight - for some weird reasons I didn't understand in that moment. Everything was blur then. After that, I woke up to an SMS from my sister telling me to send some money because our folks are pretty broke and their fridge is empty.

Going back to the falling objects... Who would understand that water sprays do normally fall off from one's window? I was expecting a guard knocking on my door two minutes after that loud bang on the roof two floors down. I pretended to be busy. Like I didn't know that there's something went on. I took a shower and would let the water running so that the guard would think I was in the middle of my shower. I would like to shrink while seating on the toilet bowl, clasping my head with my bare hands. I would like to punch myself for being a big silly stupid clumsy boy I always am.

The shower was over and there was no land lady nor a guard knocking. I though of wearing something different so the people from the first floor won't notice me. But it was again, a silly idea. I have no other outfit. I don't own a gown.

With a black shades and my sheer courage, I went down the stairs to leave for work. I thought that after several times of the falling act, isn't it about time for the land lady to get a catch net above her roof?

No one was in the first level. The guard was out chatting with a girl outside the gate. Only the parked cars were around to see me scape from the scene of the crime. If only these cars could stare, then, not even my black shades could have help me from the great shame.

Off to the next corner where I normally catch a cab, I noticed the streets were wet and drying up. I got inside this taxi, whose driver was wearing a black shirt and some arm warmers. His biceps were inviting. But what was more eye catching than his biceps, was a Toshiba laptop with a Smart Bro plugged in to it. The man with a pleasant masculine demeanor and a sensible discourse was watching a live streaming of NBA.

I had a nice chat with the driver. I learned that he worked in Japan and it helped him become techie. I remember him mentioning that Windows7 has good graphics adapter which allows his laptop to interface into a flat screen TV. Blah blah blah. I was just amazed with him. We even talked about manufacturing industry in the country, of how Sarao imports its parts from abroad, of how Philippines became the spoiled Rice Bowl of Asia, China quality products, and the lousy low cost service of Indians.

As I walked briskly away from the cab ( and oh, the driver even knows how to bid "Ingat" or Take care to his passenger), I remember that his cab is just like those Toyota cars parked in the first level. I thought I'd be thankful my window was not above any of those cars. That would have made my Tuesday morning a lot interesting.

Project Achilles

2010-05-14T16:03:00.001+08:00

Wouldn't it be a good costume for Halloween?

Why?

2010-05-11T12:09:00.002+08:00

I had to get up in the morning just to:

Have lunch with Maro, Kat, and Grace in the office
Water my plants
Workout in the gym
Play/train underwater hockey
Come to my karate class
Spend the day/night in St. Ignatius Village

You see, there's something missing in my equation.
Maybe one day you can help me.

Pretty Boy

2010-05-08T21:46:00.000+08:00

Pretty boy, pretty face
A damsel in distress
I say hi, how are you?
Not even a single hello.

Pretty boy, pretty face
He came knocking for release.
With not much ado
I went like express.

Pretty boy, pretty face
It all came so quick
Like a meal you just chew
No need to analyze just prick.

Pretty boy, pretty face
A shallow mind and hallow heart.
Too handsome to behold
There's not much in the cart.

Pretty boy, pretty face
The body's to die for.
Softest and smoothest skin
But what's in the core?

Pretty boy, pretty face
You leave me with no choice.
After a night or two
Maybe I do need to forgo.

Bato At Home with the Rocks

2010-05-03T19:30:00.001+08:00

Pics taken on the way to Pagsanjan Falls, Pagsanjan, Laguna.

Au revoi, Surfer Boi

2010-04-30T15:23:00.003+08:00

Surfer Boy travelin' tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail light heading to Lake Tahoe.
God it looks like Surfer
Must be the clouds in my eyes.

They say Tahoe is pretty though I've never been
Well Surfer says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Oh and he should know, he'll be there enough
Lord I miss Surfer, oh I miss him so much.

He flew last night on a plane to the land of Uncle Sam, and he won't be back for 5 months or so. I got an sms from him before he boarded, asking me to send his byes to the rest of our teammates.

I do adore him so much. Too bad it's going to take a while before I see him again. But that should give me sometime to check out other surfers out there. Hahaha.

Baggy Jeans Era

2010-04-24T20:16:00.005+08:00

60's Hairspray has put the third millennium's Hair Gel to deep shame. You know by the pictures, that I am one of those to blame.

Loose shirt and baggy jeans, ain't nothing but the thing of the past.

Thank God, being queer helps ugly duckings attain some fashion maturity.
Lovely swan, once you go gay, there's no other way.

Bow.

[Dating 101] Is he a KEEPER?

2010-04-21T17:13:00.001+08:00

By dating editor Ruby Madren-Britton for Glamour Photo: iStockphoto.com/© Sean Locke Updated: Sep 24, 2009

Think you've found The One? We asked relationship experts to help singles spot the clues that indicate serious boyfriend (and beyond) potential. Here's what to look for when separating the princes from the toads.

#1. Keeper clue: He has his act together.
This seems like a no-brainer, but it's a good place to start. "It's very important that you two be able to have a lot of fun together, so a party boy or a screw-up will probably not work out for you," says Mira Kirshenbaum, a family and couples therapist and author of Is He Mr. Right? "No matter how charming he is, if he is still struggling to grow up, it will get very old, very fast."

#2. Keeper clue: He puts you first.
Picture a delicious platter of grilled steak. Does your man offer it to you first to pick the best piece? He does if he's a keeper! "When it comes to taking the best piece of meat or offering it to you, that's a metaphor for how he'd always put you first the rest of your life," says Rachel Greenwald, author of "Why He Didn't Call You Back: 1,000 Guys Reveal What They Really Thought of You After Your Date."

#3. Keeper clue: He's not afraid of your germs.
You know a guy is really into you when he can't stay away, even when you're bedridden and snotty. "When you're sick with the flu, he says, 'Let me come over and take care of you,' rather than, 'Oooh, you sound really contagious... call me when you're feeling better,'" Greenwald says.

#4. Keeper clue: He's a family man.
He asks about your family, and he seems to genuinely want to hear about them. "Interest in your family shows that he thinks about you as a whole person, and he knows that being with you means understanding and accepting your relatives too," says Sarah Harrison, senior editor of yourtango.com.

#5. Keeper clue: He makes time for your friends.
In the beginning of your relationship, does your man show an interest in meeting your besties? And does he follow it up with a plan, like hosting a low-key dinner party? "Friends are an important part of your life, and his knowing them makes him more involved with you." Harrison says. "Plus, he'll have to deal with them at some point, so initiating it himself shows maturity."

#6. Keeper clue: He's your biggest cheerleader.
And she even has a poem:
When your guy calls your mom to tell her about your promotion before you do, that should tell you something. A man who is supportive of you and your goals is typically a guy who doesn't "feel threatened by your success," says Kirshenbaum. "He knows who he is and where he's going," which means he can ultimately be there for you.

#7. Keeper clue: He remembers the little things.
Does your man really listen to you? You'll know he's a keeper if you tell him you have a big scary work meeting and the next time you talk, he asks how it went. Or if you tell him you left your sunglasses at his house and he remembers them on your next date. "Following up on things you say to him means he pays attention to you -- always a good sign," Harrison says.

#8. Keeper clue: He's happy when you're happy.
This is the guy who "goes to a chick flick with you on Friday night rather than an action film -- not because he actually wants to, but because it makes you happy," says Greenwald.

#9. Keeper clue: He makes you the best you can be.
A guy who makes you feel like the luckiest woman alive -- like you can (and should!) be your confident, fabulous self -- is worth hanging on to. "It's not just about how you feel about him but more about how he makes you feel about yourself," Kirshenbaum says.

Surfer Boi

2010-04-20T16:43:00.000+08:00

He was a boy, I was too gay
Can I make it anymore obvious?

He was a hunk, I did ballet
What more can I say?

He wanted her, she can really tell
Obviously I wanted him as well.

But all of my friends stuck up their nose
They had a problem with his pimply nose.

He was a Surfer Boy, I said see ya later boy
You were too young and straight for me.
You have a pretty face, but your dad stands on your distress
He might be wipping me out of earth.

Five years from now, the pimples are gone
Looking more beefy
Like I so long...

OK, so much for Avrile Lavigne daydreaming...
I adore mi Surfer Boi. Too bad imma MC Hammer, 'coz man, CAN'T TOUCH THIS!

It's a totally odd feeling having a crush on a 21 year old boy. Not that I haven't done anyone around his age ( maybe just a little older than him. hahaha), but I just think he's too young. Even though my friends think he's not pretty fly, I still think he's a hottie. He's gorgeous. He's hunky. Man, he got abs! His body is sculptured and well proportioned (though, I haven't seen down there. LOL.). The worse thing aside all these positive characteristics is that he's is so straight and such a pleasant boy.

Oh yeah, hands off.

Say Cheese!

2010-04-19T14:04:00.005+08:00

We never had good fixers for prints until it was the late 90s.

This picture should have dated back to 1990 when height can still tell the chronology of our ages. Our eldest sister and our brother next to her were the only ones missing in this shot. Sad to say, the background doesn't bear any identifying marks for me to locate where it was taken. Nonetheless, it was taken outside our humble house in Tondo.

All the while I thought that I've only learned how to show my teeth in front of the camera when I finished college. Now, after this picture, there's no denying to that white wide happy truth.

Three years of vanity

2010-04-15T10:57:00.004+08:00

If I had to think that my body has been a little out of shape compared to how it was a few years ago, that maybe because of my intrinsic vanity. But with some recent trips and photographs, comparisons prove that I am over-reacting.

As commodities are soaring up higher and higher, and my lifestyle keep on getting a bit lavish (hmm, maybe not really) I am still thankful that I can still keep up with my bills -especially my gym membership. For most of the times, a grandiose monthly dues is but my biggest motivation to always workout in my gym.

Lately, I've been feeling that things are getting so routinary, boring, and not so challenging. Blame it on my reduced capacity to recover from a series of body-breaking workouts, underwater hockey trainings, running, swimming, etc that I have long been procrastinating from being back to my usual heavy lifting (plus a couple of injuries, if I may say). To accommodate my twice a week underwater hockey training, and my full-time eight-hour day job, I would sometimes resort to a 3-4 day gym training. When worse gets to worst, it'll be just twice a week.

If I ought to have a great hockey night, I have to have a good rest for two days before the training. It doesn't help if I'm too sore from weight-lifting. Lacking sleep doesn't either. A good hockey season for me, used to mean, my lean season. Though I could eat as much as I can, I couldn't lift as much as I want to because it's going to compromise my dexterity and my stamina. So often times, I look skinnier on areas that used to be very pumped. Sad to say, sometimes, you just can't have the best of both worlds.

With all that I've said and done, I still believe that the human body is a remarkable versatile organic structure. It can adopt to the harshness of training (though, lacking time to recover is one of its worse waterloo). Thus, I have kept in mind that I have to look forward to a harder training - balancing weights, hockey, swimming, and running. Now, that sounds so much. But as my coach in hockey would always say, it's a step by step process. You can't be that good all in just one night. We train and progress little by little.

With my two shots above, can anyone tell that they were three years apart? They say a picture can paint a thousand words, but in this case, would these two pictures tell you a story different from the other?

Now who says you can't be thankful you're vain?

Bato MET the White Rock

2010-04-13T11:46:00.000+08:00

Bolinao Scandal

2010-04-13T11:18:00.005+08:00

Location: Bolinao, Pangasinan

Can you climb it like this?

2010-04-13T11:04:00.002+08:00

You may blame it on the sugar in the soda drink that we took that afternoon. But you can't blame me from doing what I always find exciting. If it wasn't for the test of my strength you wouldn't see this picture above right now.

Not everyone's going to climb up a 6.5ft high cemented cylindrical structure. I bet not everyone wants to do it. Perhaps, not everyone can do it. But just as the opportunity presented it to me, I knew I wouldn't let that trip to the Lighthouse in Bolinao, Pangasinan end without me being on top of that height.

Surely I did.

SPAM

2010-04-07T14:25:00.002+08:00

This absolutely has nothing to do with my breakfast today. (Although, I'd admit I'd love getting a piece of my friend's lunch when she has spam on her lunch box.)

Lately, my inbox has been filled with unmoderated comments all containing spam messages. What's interesting is that 90% of them are comments on a single post(Dyahe The Byahe). What's with this post that makes it a spam-magnet?

Speaking of SPAM... If I were to make up for my long hiatus from writing, I might as well be posting spam. Underwater hockey, gym, underwater hockey, gym.... blah blah blah. Don't they sound the same? And oh, you know I'm really bored with my work.

Spam!
Now, let's talk about dinner!

Handstand PushUps

2010-02-28T23:37:00.002+08:00

Querida Material?

2010-01-18T11:15:00.006+08:00

Didn't ask her but she just spilled it.

Like our usual, my friends and I had a meal in Silya after clubbing in Bed on a weekend. But this Saturday night, I got served with something out of the menu. It's not even the waiter who gave it, but a lady who happens to be a "fortune teller".

Now, that just a local gypsy. Despite the fact that we told her that we're not interested to pay her for a nonsense reading, she still carried on. To one of the guys, she said "in love, you are a bit stupid. Because you are the one who adjusts." The stupid part is true, but "someone who adjusts" is another thing.

After the first reading, the woman turned to me and said "You... You attract people who are breaking away from a relationship, and those who are married."

...and there was silence.

Then LAUGHTER afterwards!
How could that lady be so correct?

Good looking?

2010-01-06T11:02:00.002+08:00

Why put "good looking" in your profile if it's not obvious enough?

But I think I get it. If other people can't take giving you the compliment, sometimes, you just have to do it yourself.

Next profile please.

Oops! I OVERdid it again

2010-01-05T11:45:00.003+08:00

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!

Before you sing ala Britney Spears, I must tell you this is not yet another Sex and the City tale I'm bringing.

The new year came to me in a bit painful way. Not because I got over*$#%@@@ or something. I am just feeling the little toll of my physical activities on my body. I'd like to slap my face for sounding so underrated.

Tell me about use and abuse. It would be so much more pleasurable if I were talking about sex. Though, I'd be of no good reputation to vouch if oversex has a toll on the body. Not even sexual abuse (no matter how I dream of having one).

Over one year of running with my Asics Kayano13 (which I bought on October 2008 for the Singapore Marathon 2008), my leg pains and injuries doesn't seem to end. I'm having a plantar faciatis on my left foot, and my right sole is a bit starting to ache too. There's some stiffness in my quads - which at some point extends to my lower back. Geez, I thought it's just dead toe nails that you'll get out of using a wrong pair of runners.

I had three days straight of workout. Saturday: Back + Triceps + Swim + Underwater Hockey Endurance. Sunday: Run + Functional Training + Abs. Monday: EARLY MORNING + Shoulders. If you please, EARLY MORNING is not an exercise. I just had to stress it out as I never get out of bed until it's past 8am. So last Monday, I woke up at around 5:15am - watered the plants, had breakfast, then went off to the gym. Having all these made me so tired while playing underwater hockey that Monday night.

Some kids never learn. Oh well.

But why do I always overdo it? Good question. I remember that I started to push myself so hard on my workouts when I got single and broken-hearted with all the men I longed for. Building a body that is to-die-for was my facade to scheme my loneliness. Somewhere along the way, I lost control of it.

Body pains and heartaches - you may run away from them by taking pain relievers and diversions. But the truth hurts, these are real part of life that we must learn to live with. Lactic acid is produced to signal to the body to stop, the heart breaks to tell you that something went wrong and that you have to act on it. Body needs to rest and recover, so does the heart. If you know Roxette, then you know you have to listen to your heart (as well as to your body). Only the strongest and the fittest of the bodies and hearts can withstand the challenge of wear and tear.

I'm sounding so serious. Not so typically me.
But anyway, you know that I'm not that innocent. I should find someone to date soon, or at least some to overdo. Oops! Well at least that's not going to be as painful as running or weightlifting.

Seriously.

A cup of coffee and a silly question

2009-12-23T15:30:00.004+08:00

Some of the simplest questions can be one of the most ridiculous.

I'd find myself rekindling my taste for brewed coffee whenever I feel too sleepy for workout. Last Saturday, I had no way to refuse from having a cup in the gym. As I sipped from my coffee cup, a woman behind me asked me a question.

"Excuse me. Are you Filipino?"

I turned my back and looked at the lady. Paused for a second. Then answered, "Opo, Pilipino."

"Oh, I thought you are a foreigner," she said to me. "Bakit nyo naman po naisip yan? - What made you think of that?" I asked again.

"Because I saw you stretching a while ago. You were so flexible!" she replied.

My brain that normally can quickly think of ideas suddenly couldn't process what the lady was talking about. "Filipino" and "flexibility" couldn't coincide? Me, foreigner? (I guess I shouldn't be surprised for this one - as I have been asked if I am half-black earlier this year.) She must be crazy. She's Filipina.

Hold it. Wasn't she the woman in black leotards, and black shorts, wearing black shades while working out in the gym? It was only 5pm - so early to start singing "I wear sunglasses at night". Now, I am in no doubt that she's the one.

Oh well, what's happening? what's going on?

Hold it again.
What if I just answered, "Me, Filipino? Are you blind?"
Someone please give me some character.

Skindiving Laiya

2009-11-22T19:24:00.003+08:00

Skin diving in Laiya, Nov22.
Photos taken by Anina Mendoza.

The Lion and the Moray

2009-11-22T17:35:00.007+08:00

I've been to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas for quite sometimes but I've never knew that it is a marine sanctuary. I had never gone diving nor snorkeling around either. Luckily today, after we had our ocular inspection for Dec5's Ex-Tri, I had the chance to get close to the marine life and come face to face with two awesome creatures down there.

A small lion fish and a moray eel are a resident of a hard coral about 15 meters away from the shore. This was the closest I've been to these creatures.

Thanks to my diving gear and my Olympus camera.

But hey! No one pulled me towards the resident Sea Turtles! Anyway, there's still December 5.

White Rock Triathlon '09 (I look good in a shirt)

2009-11-16T11:57:00.005+08:00

Just arrived at the haunted conference room. I was clueless about it until Jason told me an hour after. Then I couldn't pee nor brush my teeth. So I just decided to sleep and do it the next morning. Hahaha.

I never thought I'd look good in my shirt (and UWH Bootcamp baller)!
Under the Start Arch. 6:45am, I blew the horn.

After the swimmer's gone. Packing up the cones. That's me and Anina heading for some post-swim briefing and finisher area preps.

Working those muscles. Doing some job in the finisher area.

I didn't come out of the box. My heel needs an ice compress. The plantar is aching!

Strong finish until they crash! A towel after a cold ice sponge bath. Wish I had some.

Indeed, we had our own ice sponge bath, like kids splashing water after the last finisher arrived. Well, most of us are still kids, and kids at heart. :-)

Awarding night.
Posing before the arch that we had transferred from the field to the stage. It was quite a task.

Party! Party!

The poses are just so inviting.
In the wave pool, the next morning. Why do these boys want to spread their legs wide apart?

The sun was such a nice treat. A big group pic before half leaves for Manila. I went back sunbathing after this shot.

a weekend that Rocks

2009-11-08T15:48:00.003+08:00

The warm sunlight and cold wind on my skin told me me what I had been missing with staying a lot in Manila on weekends.

I was in Subic this weekend (since the very first seconds of Friday, October 6 til Sunday, October 8), not for my usual vacation, but for a triathlon event. A stranger would easily assume that I'd be in this place to join the competition. But hardly would I.

White Rock Triathlon 2009 marked my first year with Extribe as a volunteer. While this year, we were down to half of the numbers of participants from last year, the race was still, well organized and the athletes were well taken cared of (at least from my perspective, and from what I've collected from the finishers). I'd say, after one year, I've internalized my role as a race volunteer, and as a part of the organizing team. The fact that I've ran my own races, a full-marathon worth noting, and have seen other athletes crash to the finish line, made me realize that giving participants a good experience makes a GREAT race - one that is worth the second try.

Amongst my job designations this year, I think I loved being in charged with the finish line most. It is where you'll see the athletes pump more adrenaline to sprint towards the arc that says "FINISH". On the other hand, their entrance, or shall I say, grand exit, were no less than walking, or a steady pace. Some would crash as they cramp just after they pass the arc. Yet, on another more lively display, some passed the finish line dancing out of joy. A great spectacle for my eye worth mentioning, was Javy Olives doing his headstand under the finishing arc. How impressive?! I recall imagining myself doing the same thing!

This year, majority of the finishers, finished strong. Everyone in the finish line were welcomed with water, their finisher medal, and some cold sponge bath! I can tell how much they've enjoyed it. With this, I knew just when and how to give them their finisher towels.

Some of the finishers have stayed in the recovery area more than I expected - more than how long they've stayed there last year. Some faces went back to us to extend their gratitude for taking care of them. Some even couldn't help but cry. I just loved hearing one finisher saying "everyone is happy." Indeed, hearing that already made my day.

After we've given the last finisher, my friend and my buddy run partner, Jay, the cold sponge bath he deserved, we, some of the volunteers have given ourselves the same treat! We were like kids chasing each other with some wet pink sponges. We quiver, shout, and laugh as we feel the cold water touching our skin. It's fun playing after working.

A morning sun bathe was my own reward for the weekend's work. I love the sun and my tan, just as I love seeing athletes having a great experience in our races.

October 25

2009-10-25T22:25:00.007+08:00

I swear the heat in Manila is nothing but enjoyable. I get headaches specially at night. Damn it. How come early mornings and past midnights are a different story?

I was enjoying the cool morning breeze by the balcony of Magnet Cafe in Bonifacio High Street. The entire cafe was empty if not for us Extribe, underwater hockey peeps, and friends. "Definitely Christmas soon!" I kept on telling myself and my friends.

The breakfast was pretty neat. For 160 pesos, I've had corned beef, egg, garlic rice, and some tea (which I gladly traded for coffee). The waiters were all friendly and accommodating. The space, and view were all worth the reasonable cost.

When I said breakfast, I was referring to "Runners Breakfast" - which was, true to it's name a breakfast for runners. Indeed! We just had a 10km run. Our little group queued at the end of the file. We were composed of mostly first timers - race volunteers, organizers, and friends. We enjoyed the brief time when the road was all spacious for about 10 of us. I had to be a little playful as I pretended to be running in front of a squad of 'my bodyguards'. This, I enjoyed much. Haha.

Relaxed pace got me to a time which is about 5minutes longer than my last 10km run. My last one was a bit on the competitive mode. So I guess I may have done so much better this time. I'm feeling some pains in my left leg and foot. I'm dreading of something serious that might stop me from running. I hope, just for a while. Might be stuck to swimming and underwater hockey. But it doesn't sound bad at all. Except that all the cute boys are apparently in the streets - running!

Right before lunch time came. I had eggs and a bottle of Colt45. I needed some strong kick as I couldn't seem to settle on my bed. It happens a lot after a race.

Evening falls and I was contemplating on getting another bottle of beer. It is really hot and I was hoping for a rain or get a little tipsy. If I rely on intoxication to get to bed, then maybe I'd end up as an alcoholic should the heat stay for more than two weeks more. Not getting a beer belly sounds like a good challenge. But let me think about it.

It's almost 11pm now and I can't seem to hit the sack...

Beer? Chat? Porn?
I must be running out of bright ideas.
Boys out there, any help?
My hand is tired already.

For the record

2009-10-22T00:03:00.006+08:00

The weather's been so hot lately that even brushing my teeth gets some sweat to lump in my forehead at night.

I did a 25 minute run in the treadmill this evening: started on 5.5kph@1% gradient pace up to 5.5kph@7.5% gradient in 4 minutes accelerating to 8.5kph in 5 minutes; accelerate to 12kph@1% gradient in 2 minutes; 12kph@1% gradient for 8 minutes; 5 minutes to decelerate to 5.5kph@1% gradient; and 1 minute 5.5kph@1% gradient. After 20minutes of stretching, I did 500meters swim (in a 20meter pool) for 00:14:26.

I thought that if I continued my roadrun and treadmill training, I'd be able to sustain 10minutes of 12kph pace in 1 week. Then maybe endure 10 minutes more in another week. In about 3 weeks, I'd be able to stand 25minutes of 12kph in the treadmill. Tell me that I'm shooting too far?

The other night, I did 20 minutes of run in the treadmill, 3 sets of clean-jerk-arnold press, and 3 sets of another sort (it's been difficult finding the proper name for the compound exercise that aims to get a full sweep of your back muscles through an upward jerking motion of one arm holding a dumbel). After that I finished a 500meter swim in more than 16minutes. Tonight's 500 meter is almost 2minutes improvement from the other day. I aim to finish 500meters in 12 minutes in 2 weeks. But the water in the gym pool is just soooo warm! It gives me headache after 400meters. I wish their thermostat bust soon and leave no swimmer around. LOL.

It's just so hot lately. Have I told you that?

While I am trying to finish a bottle of Colt 45 at this very minute, my iTunes has played one particular song for a hundredth time - "Nobody's Gonna Break My Stride". Did I say I'm finishing a 500ml of Colt 45? First time eh?!

The last time I drank, I had two bottles of Cerbesa Negra. For more than a minute, I forgot that I was having a swollen body from gym workouts and aggravated pain from a claustrophobic wisdom tooth coming out. Where the hell can I get some Cerbesa Negra? Colt 45's just so bitter. But it makes me tipsy anyway - and I'm loving it. My body might be thankful for a couple more calories after a hard workout this evening.

I'm tipsy and I'm loving it.
I'm loving it.
If only I'm not alone in my bed tonight...

Ooops! I think I'm crashing right to my bed now.

Til the next bottle!

Marie Antoinette Moi

2009-10-21T11:49:00.005+08:00

My iPod was playing Michael Jackson's Happy when I heard my phone rang. A strange number registered. Then a lady's voice spoke over...

"Good morning! May I speak with Marie Antoinette Bernardo?"

I had like three years of experience receiving calls from agents trying to sign me up for a credit card. Most of those times, the caller got my name right and for the record, made me sign up for 3 more credit cards. Yeah, tell me about it - I had 5 credit cards back then!

Yes, my gut told me it's the same credit card call. So I just said, "sorry, wrong number". So it was, but the same old story - end of the conversation.

What if I had answered, "Marie Antoinette, speaking!" Maybe it would have made my day better! I'll keep my voice low next time I get a call.

A competition is born

2009-10-13T12:12:00.003+08:00

Last month, luck was on my side when I happened to pick up an old pair of grey Ala after our underwater hockey game in Celebrity Sports Complex. The old damaged piece (the ribs are already tearing) of all rubber flippers were supposed to be given to the newbies. Thankfully, no other feet fit on them - except for mine!

Last night, I had an informal race with two other who are running on a different fin. Junvie has been playing hockey with his Mares Avanti Quattro Powers maybe around 6 years. Kelvin has just finally adapted to his brandnew carbon fibre Breier fins a few months back (Kelvin had been using Quattro for a year before his big upgrade to Captain Nemo and Breier). I had been using Quattro for more than a year till I met Ala. We had three sets of underwater sprints on 25meter length and 25meter recovery swim-back. In all the three sets, Kelvin was ahead of me by his entire body and fin length. I think Junvie was abreast me, if not a little behind.

Last time we all did the underwater sprint drills were a few months back. I'd still take the lead with my Quattro. However, I do recall that Eric could overtake me with his Captain Nemo. After last night's drill, I was wondering if I got a little slower because: of my sore legs (fresh from last Sunday's run); my legs are still adjusting to my new fin; or my fins are just too soft already.

Maybe I need a fin upgrade.

But hold it! Fibre Glass/Carbon Fibre fins may be really good but they're pretty EXPENSIVE. They're 40% and 20% more responsive than plastic. Captain Nemo and Breier are roughly PHP 8k and PHP 14k respectively including all costs. There's a premium on the fit for fibre based fins - as snug mean efficient. For asian foot, I've heard that Captain Nemo foot pockets are a bit too wide. Breier's are 100% snug.

The new Legends Fin are estimated to be above PHP 11k inclusive of the shipping (pre-order cost is 121 British Pounds) . These are manufactured with three different rubber which should reinforce the form of its ancestor - Technisub Ala.

Considering element and weather, Fibre Glass/Carbon Fibre fins hold better promise as they will withstand degradation due to temperature changes and chlorine - the Waterloo of rubbers. However, older versions of Breier are known to be breakable. You can't stand on it, nor kick off the wall. The current ones, they say, have been reinforced.

Eight, 11, 14 grands are not easy money. Though, once I got my 13th month, I could already get several of these fins. But what the heck?! Japanese players sprint like agitated piranhas, overtaking fast players kicking on the accelerating Quattro fins - and yet, our Nihon counterparts are only sporting their Speedo fins (read: cheap, uber soft, non-competition)!

OK! I have just slapped my own face.

Right! I could wait and train before I deserve an update. I'll keep my money for Colombia 2010!
Woohoo!

Wake up and run!

2009-10-12T10:55:00.005+08:00

"Wake me up, when September ends."

I guess I hanged on this to this line a lot. October doesn't seem to be an early start for my running training. But to end the long fasting, I finally made my very first road run for this year.

How dare I blame the rain, knee and sole pains, and hockey for not doing my road runs? OK, I realised that these are all but ALIBIS - and as such my reprieve for running has finally put to an end. As Adidas says it, I must love pain. More to speak, I must endure pain. This is the only way to get better.

I dropped the plan for running the 42k in Singapore on December. So I told myself there was no immediate cause to get back on serious training. The next race is in January anyway. Whaaat? Did I just say January. Right! There is indeed an immediate cause to slap my butt and get my runners on the streets again.

The sun was all out in the sky yesterday. Sunday, oh what a lovely sunny Sunday! I could trust my gut that I love running in the mornings over evenings. I love sweating out on a warm weather.

50 minutes of running and sweating was worth the tanline. If only I could run in my bikini.

Being shagged by a rare parrot

2009-10-08T14:16:00.001+08:00

My New Watch

2009-09-09T02:16:00.004+08:00

You were never new.

But I love you like you were brandnew.

Green Belt Crissie

2009-07-16T01:00:00.003+08:00

Can you spot me in the picture?

Swans are once ugly duckings, right?

I had my own share of being the ducking that wouldn't make it to the animal show back on my earlier years. My hair was so messy and bushy; I was so skinny; my neck looked so long that it make me look taller than I really am. At least, the picture of me now has barely the trace of me 10 years ago.

The picture above was taken sometime 1998 or 1999. If I am not mistaken, I was 2nd year college back then. I was one of the green belters who by then where striving to peak up our game as beginners.

Green Belt in Karate means, hope and determination. Getting into this art takes a lot of hardwork, discipline, and dedication. Most students would give up easily after a few months. They say, once you've attained Green, you will need these two virtues in order to go on with the path of a true karate ka.

It took me about one year to get this belt. Back in our humble gym in Hermosa, we would come early to clean (shampoo and wash) the marble-clad ground of the empty garage (that's where we practice). If you're in the bottom rank, you'd be at the rear of the floor. With half decent luck, the garage has two dogs by its gate that drop their stinky poop without the prior notice. I knew I couldn't wait to have a color in my belt so I'd savor the few meters away from the gate.

Back on my college years, it was a challenge balancing studies and sports. Once in a while I'd disappear from the dojo. Fortunately, I was able to continue practicing. I surpassed this color and carried on with greater challenges.

The life of karate kas do not start in your color belt, but starts when you're already black. But as you can't jump instantly to your 1st dan black belt, you have to have the patience to go through all the processes to get you fit for the bill. I knew my green belt will always remind me that it's hope and determination that'll lead me to my rightful way.

Run Crissie, Run Series: Buddy Run

2009-07-15T13:52:00.011+08:00

I wasn't quite happy to finish my nth 10km race with a time almost similar to when I started running. But oh well, neither me nor my buddy had a training for this latest run - Robinson's Fit n Fun Buddy Run.

A rainy dawn was highly anticipated to mark the start of the weekend's race. The fact that the rain stops and starts every now and then gave too much stress and hassle to organizers in putting up and dismantling their race paraphernalia since the night before Sunday. Runners were as skeptic too. Fortunately, the sun shone in great majesty this year. It was a totally different scene from the dark and cloudy skies from last year.

My running buddy was someone I've met in the Fitness First gym in Fort Bonifacio years back. He's that friendly guy who talks to me about my work out, and specifically noticing the hardcore exercises that I do in the gym. He plays basketball, and boxing when we've first met. If I recall it right, he started running when he heard of my races. October last year, we ran in the same 21km Adidas race, and did one road run. Other than these, he's a total stranger to me. Not even our cadence and phase would seem to be in sync during this weekend's 10km. But gladly, we both finished strong and accelerated towards the finish line.

For a change, I wasn't wearing any watch to tell me my elapsed time, nor was there any road marks bearing the mileage we've covered. All I've had is my feeling of fatigue and wind temperature to tell me if I had to slow down or speed up. Jay and I were just happy that towards the end, we managed to outrun the pair about 15 meters ahead of us.

We've reached the finish line after 55 minutes. This is roughly the same time I've had in my first 10km races. Today, I've check the official results and to my surprise, my partner and I landed on the 17th! Not so bad! Not so bad!

a buddy for me

2009-07-10T15:40:00.005+08:00

There's a 10km race this Sunday, and it's a Buddy Run (e.i., you have to start and finish with your partner).

I picked Jay, a 6-ft tall guy I met in the gym about two years ago.
He's not the best runner in town, but I knew he could do 12.7 kph in the treadmill for at least 30mins. Pretty faster than me, I suppose. Afterall, I wouldn't do a buddy run unless my buddy can really outrun me.

BooshCampers Lost in Singapore Series: Group Pic

2009-07-10T15:14:00.001+08:00

BooshCampers Lost in Singapore Series: Last Night

2009-07-10T10:47:00.004+08:00

June 28, 2009

I just love this shot. I'm so thankful I've brought my mini tripod with me to this trip.

Diving deep deep in Queenstown

2009-07-09T15:14:00.008+08:00

Photos taken by Chi Kuen
*Crissie in white headcap #4 and green mask straps, black trunks, and silver quattros, white stick.

The sun was stunningly up on the noon of June 28. I was surprised to see some players wearing long sleeve rashguards. Papa Greg was beaming a smile while handling a big container of sunblock. Eliza was setting up her dSLR on her underwater bag, and her scuba gear. I can't believe I'm doing the deep pool session in Queenstown's 14 feet deep basin. Recalling the late night in Taboo and Tantic reminded me that I might be a water lily for the rest of the session.

Oh what a hot day! I've had a drink cold of chrysanthemum tea which felt so refreshing. I brought a litter of water in my adidas bottle to get me hydrated for the entire game. I was still having a bit of headaches but it's like a once in a lifetime chance to play in a clear and wide pool.

The bootcampers were mixed with the SUHCers, and were all divided into three groups. Papa Greg, PUHCer-SUHCer Joey Carpio, and UK guest player Mark Sullivan headed each teams. I was with Mark's team. With us are Eric, Ging, Connie, Aldous, Dirk, Pin, and others.

I took me a long time to adjust to the depth of the pool. Normally, my body's easily adapted to 5-6feet of water. But when my lungs finally opened, I was a able to stay long down the bottom. However, it took me a long time to recover after my first dives. Blame late nights and short sleeps. But anyway, it was a great game!

After the underwater hockey session, we did another lung busting game - Underwater Rugby! I could hardly convince myself that I'd enjoy the game. I almost went out of the pool to get changed. But with the first set, I found that fun was not too deep to get! Especially when Papa Greg started to grab me by my legs just to stop me and steal the ball. I had to retaliate and hugh him back. He doesn't seem to mind! LOL.

And oops, Ging and I made a goal! Way to go! Woohoo!

How do you play rugby underwater?
Your goal is to get the ball (containing water) to touch your opponent's wall. You may pull, grab, hugh your opponent (just don't punch them) or even push the one holding the ball just to get near the wall.

So the game was finally over after two hours. I loved it! I was happy I didn't back out from the game. Only that, I bear the collateral in my face - the tan line in my face!

Shower time!
As walked along the shower room, I caught the sight of Papa Greg showering in one of the cubicles. With a little embarrassment, I walked fast and avoided to look back, not even to look down. A few steps away, I felt a strong pressure at the my back of my neck. It's as if I was hit by something wet, a cloth or something.

As I looked back, I saw the image of a 6 foot tall tanned white guy standing naked, curling his torso while showing his teeth on a very heart-felt laughter. It was Greg. Did I say he was nude? Seemingly, he enjoyed what he just did to me - throwing me his wet trunks!

I was caught off guard. If I had said before that I'll trade my trunks for his used swimwear, I suddenly fell oblivious to it in this very situation. Why am I so human and all of a sudden, so slow to react? Hahaha. But anyway, even if I refused to get his trunks for my own keeps, I enjoyed the fact that this handsome Aussie is flirting with me.

Legend of Ala breathes "Legends"

2009-07-08T15:16:00.005+08:00

Younger generations of underwater hockey players only heard of this legendary fin made out of pure rubber. Short but wide, excellent speed and maneuverability. What else could you ask for Ala? Only that production is over.

Thanks for Slovenians, the stories of the revered Alas will once again continue to break speeds and performances underwater. From the mold of this fin came a new comer, well named, "LEGENDS".

I've picked this up from a thread: http://www.underwaterhockeyworld.com/underwater-hockey-equipment-gear/692-legends-new-fin-born-7.html

Ala, translates "wing" in Italian used to be underwater hockey players' top choice for fins due to its dimension that allows speeding and changing directions easier. However, its production was stopped because the material produces toxins. I've waited for the revival of Ala. Thank God for Slovenians!

Now, how do we get one?

Four Grands of Luck

2009-07-08T13:21:00.003+08:00

A local joke says, "when it rains, it's four." Last night, there was no rain, but my luck is like a rain - only that it's not just four. But four thousand.

My short chat with my next boss (crossing my fingers) ended earlier than I expected last night. The drizzle outside didn't stop me from walking around to get a cab to bring me to ULTRA (if you wonder why it's all caps, let me just spell it out: University of Life Training and Recreational Arena). Indeed, I arrived in the swimming pool so much earlier than I expected. Am I not too excited to play underwater hockey last night? Too bad that I didn't feel the same excitement in playing in the league as with playing with my fellow Boot/Bush-campers.

I've had a 200 meter freestyle swim with my mentor, Eric who alongside with the rookie Mara corrected my swim strokes. Now, more than ever, I can feel the glide when I paddle. Eric noticed that my strokes improved a lot since Greg Bush said I swim like shit. Eric and I did our warm ups of 200 meter swim with fins, 200 meter bounce, 4x 25 meter slow underwater swim and 25meter recovery swim back, and 4x 25 meter underwater sprint and 25 meter recovery swim back. After that, we started on our one hour game with the rookies.

The rookies are pretty though and fast. As Eric described them, "tenacious." But as normal as they're pretty new, they lack the concept of team play and proper positioning. I know they'll come to these terms as soon as they find the right path of learning.

I played Center Back, and Right Back whenever Eric is in (playing Center Back). I loved the situations where the opponents try to force the puck against my stick. So I have the opportunity to slide my stick to steal the orange matter. With every attempt of the rookies to break away, I was able to rob the puck away from their bats and curl then swim out. It's a good feeling being able to swim out your opponents. Indeed, it's good to play in varied levels of game.

With Stephen as the Left Back, Eric as the Center Back, and me on the Right Back, swinging was a breeze. We were able to do it swiftly and the swing was really wide. I guess Stephen enjoyed swimming away towards the wall while the rest of the opponents were left in the other side. On the other hand, me in CB and the only regular in the back was the toughest. If you're pretty new, you'd tend to eat the position of your teammate - which happens to me and my half backs. I had to let either of my wings to get the puck if they try to engage even if the puck is right in front of me. I had to chase stop most break aways if the last man doesn't seem to be anywhere in front of the goal. But I also had to let go some to make the quarter back realize the essence of "last man" in the defensive line.

The game was enjoying.

So we had dinner somewhere. I had to withdraw some money as I only have 20 bucks in my wallet. Eric saw me walking back and asked me to go with him to the ATM. On our way back to the dinner place, I was caught by the image of three faces on a paper folded in half along the ground just next to the parked vehicles. I bended my knees and picked the paper which proved to be a 1000 peso bill. But wait! There's more. Actually, two more. Eric got one.

As I knew it, you have to share your luck. Thus, Eric and I gladly treated our friends for dinner, drinks, and desserts. Eric couldn't believe that in such a poor country someone can afford to lose a big money. It was the first time this has ever happened to me. I don't mind it happening more frequently. As other than feasting on some hot and hunky men, I love to munch on good food with my friends and teammates. Where do I go so I can stumble on big money to bring me to an underwater hockey tourney in Australia? Or do I have to rob a bank for that?

What a lucky night? Maybe I should have gone to the lottery afterwards.

Fuck You

2009-07-07T14:39:00.006+08:00

We were quite lost going back home from dinner after our first game in Queenstown. I couldn't recall if I had asked Papa Greg what kind of music he listens to that made him play a CD from his favorite artist, Lily Allen (who sang one of my favorite songs, "Smile"). Out of this playlist came one of mine, as well as the Bootchers' favorite.

"Fuck you.
Fuck you very very much..."

Alright, he wasn't cursing me nor asking me to spread my legs wide apart. This is Papa Greg's least favorite song in the album, "It's Not Me, It's you." Or I've heard it wrong? It's his 2nd favorite one?

Is there a sweeter way to sing/say "Fuck you" than how Lily sang it?

FUCK YOU

Look inside, look inside your tiny mind
Then look a bit harder
'Cause we're so uninspired, so sick and tired
Of all the hatred you harbor

So you say it's not okay to be gay
Well, I think you're just evil
You're just some racist who can't tie my laces
Your point of view is medieval

Fuck you, fuck you very, very much
'Cause we hate what you do
And we hate your whole crew
So please don't stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you very, very much
'Cause your words don't translate
And it's getting quite late
So please don't stay in touch

Do you get, do you get a little kick
Out of being small minded?
You want to be like your father
It's approval you're after
Well, that's not how you find it

Do you, do you really enjoy
Living a life that's so hateful?
'Cause there's a hole where your soul should be
You're losing control a bit
And it's really distasteful

Fuck you, fuck you very, very much
'Cause we hate what you do
And we hate your whole crew
So please don't stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you very, very much
'Cause your words don't translate
And it's getting quite late
So please don't stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
Fuck you

You say you think we need to go to war
Well, you're already in one
'Cause it's people like you that need to get slew
No one wants your opinion

Fuck you, fuck you very, very much
'Cause we hate what you do
And we hate your whole crew
So please don't stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you very, very much
'Cause your words don't translate
And it's getting quite late
So please don't stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you

Vin Diesel of Underwater Hockey

2009-06-21T20:09:00.006+08:00

Here comes Simon Talbot.

Could you tell who's the Hollywood star from the Underwater Hockey World Champion?

I think I'm a fan now. :-)

Running out of words

2009-06-21T10:48:00.003+08:00

Guess I'd let the pictures paint the thousand words that I couldn't speak.

I've lost my touch, and I can't wait to have it again.
I feel heaven's going to bless me with something great soon.

Puff No More

2009-06-17T21:18:00.002+08:00

I used to think they're cute on your baths, especially if you are using shower gels. But no matter how I contest, I would have to leave the puff away from my skin.

Blame my royal blood (just how my derma described it) for my sensitive skin, naturally dry and prone to irritation (this pobre from Tondo doesn't really look like he has one).It doesn't help that I've been asthmatic since birth. During my first and last visit to the derma three weeks ago, I was told that puffs would abrade skin which is very traumatic for dry skin. Moreover, hard soaps, and scented shower gels could also pose serious treath.

I was adviced to change everything that I use for bathing. Soap-free baths and bath oils were prescribed to me, plus a couple of medicines to help dry up the dermatitis I've incured from scrubbing and playing underwater hockey in a rough tiled pool. An expensive cream mosturizer was also given to me. Since I didn't have so much cash that day, I only purchased the bath oil, and the mosturizer which all amounted to more than a grand. I never knew that derma consultation could really be so much of an overhead on the pocket.

Not the prince nor the princess that I thought I was, I have to look for substitutes for the expensive skincare items that were prescribed to me. I'd leave it to the grocery in one of these nights. I am supposed to coat my skin with oil everytime I play underwater hockey, or just dip in the chlorine-treated water. A triathlon suit that is so much of a drag will have to help me avoid harsh contact with rough tiles. Spectators would have to bear with me not being able to wear my skimpy bikinis on a Thursday night in ULTRA.

Three Saturdays ago in our afternoon UWHockey game, I was seen applying oil all over my skin by an old player (as in, old player, around 60). He asked, "aren't those harmful to the pool filters?" I know he was a bit blunt and nosy on the baby oil I'm spreading allover, but since he's an elderly, I had to modestly explain my side. "Oh yes, I know! But the water is harmful to my skin too!" The old guy just yawned and swam away.

I'm too vain to care for a filter.
I know, right?

Red Horse + Rainy Night + Half Bred

2009-06-16T16:14:00.002+08:00

A beer was not named Red Horse for nothing.

My earlier years after graduating from college are a witness of how this liquor can be so much of a wrong choice for an athlete. Maybe not for some, but definitely wrong for me.

It was a Saturday night when two of my best girl friends from college asked me for a drink. We all had a bottle of Red Horse. I hate to refuse but I guess that inner machoist in me wanted to try beer, a hard one for the first time. Needless to say, I started out on hard drinks. With brandy to be exact (which actually triggered my asthma. oh poor me!).

Red Horse can taste so bad if it's not chilled. But whether it was cold or not, I knew I finished it. The next Sunday morning, I've gotten out of the bed feeling heavy. But it was no way to be sizzy as Sundays are a big training day in the dojo. Usually weekends are the best times to train for Karate Do.

Tonio was one of the strongest senior black belts in the club. He was known to have broken a wood baseball bat with his full-swing right roundhouse kick way back in the 80s in a streetfight. In one of his more recent troubles, he got one of the ribs of a stranger broken. Despite his uncanny fighting skills and hyper flexibility, Tonio was never a looker. He used to be seen as a villain in everyone's life story. That morning, he was the villain and I was the ailing subdued hero.

If it wasn't for my best friend's clever stories of me kicking lamp posts and Meralco lumber posts with my roundhouse kicks, I wouldn't be asked to spar with Tonio. Well, Tonio was so eager to test me. I knew I'd stand a chance on clearing out some clean points. But just as fate was not on my side, all of my diving roundhouse kicks were all delayed. My sense of defence were all split seconds lagging. I came home all bruised in the arms and in the shins. I can't believe I've just been a punching bag to all of Tonio's strikes.

My skills were all compromised with a night of a single bottle of Red Horse. I've vowed not to ever have any sip of it.

***

I never liked rainy days.
Classes cut because of strong typhoons way back in my school years is a different story.

Guess I was always the minimalist. As much as I can avoid it, I won't bring umbrella nor a jacket. If I get caught in the middle of the rain, most of the times I would end up running under it. Least of the times, I'll let myself get stuck in one place.

Oh yeah, I hate rainy days but if not for underwater hockey...
It wards off the swimmers that keep the pool water dirty. So, Mother Nature rain all you can.

***

Half Breds.
Half Interesting.

Of course, I made it up. It's not really true.

Let me just say, I am always into pure breds and I don't know why. Of course, Canadians, Spanish, Italians, Americans, French, Brazilians, and so the list goes on. Hardly would I be attracted to FilAms, or any cross between asians and white.

***

Today, I'm having headaches, and I'm feeling sleepy - all because last night I've had a liter of Red Horse, got stuck somewhere because of the rain, and I was with a Fil-Italian. But oh well, the sex in the shower room was fantastic!

Let me just get a coffee and a paracetamol.

Not too choosy for Dancy

2009-06-08T14:03:00.012+08:00

Last night was pretty quiet for me as I was watching TV while making some pasta for dinner. As the night was too late for hunting my favorite Vampire TV series, True Blood, I played with the remote to find some interesting show (other than the fauna in Nat Geo). So, I got caught with another handsome actor in this werewolf movie. His name and the title of the movie was unknown to me, until I googled for them this morning.

Hugh Dancy played the role of Aiden, a graphic artist who went to Romania to research on loup-garou (a monster being able to transform from human to wolf and back again). Apart from your usual werewolf movie, the characters here morph into real wolves. Aiden became a treath to the loup-garou clan when he started to have an affair with Vivian. This orphaned girl was supposed to be the wife of the leader of the werewolf clan. Aiden was able to outwit the entire mafia who was set to slaughter him in a chase for his life as a revenge to the death of one of their members.

Set in Bucharest, the location added a flair of mystery to the cinematography. I quite liked one of the night scenes when Vivian went out of the club and walked in the cobblestone streets amidst the falling rain. The mist and the darkness were very matching to the theme. Some portions of the film were shot in some dilapidated places which reflects the history and time. Silver was still the only weapon to kill the loup-garou, however, on various forms other than bullet. As a little addition to your werewolf knowledge, film dusts were known weapons against these creatures, and there were remedies from silver poisoning too.

It was amusing to see the werewolves in human form doing parkour (like freerunning chase in Casino Royale, or the breathtaking stunts in Madonna's video clip of Jump). Maybe it was how these guys leap and jump on to their toes that impressed me after the male lead character.

I've never been with a long-wavy haired guy - kinda like the artist type. Though, I've always found it attractive. If a Hugh Dancy's going to ask me out tonight, I'd instantly cancel all of my appointment and maybe phone in sick for work as early as dinner. With those sexy eyes, and handsome face how can I be too choosy and hard to get?

Dolphin swimming in clear waters of Lobo

2009-05-31T22:26:00.003+08:00

Luck was on my side me this morning.

I had always been excited to go skin diving after I've finished my UW hockey school. It took me a year to finally test my skills in the sea. Thank God the sun shone this morning and the visibility was great.

This video was taken somewhere in Lobo, Batangas. Not fantastic reefs, but very good visibility.

"Water Gods"

2009-05-27T15:35:00.003+08:00

Click. Click. Click.

Google searching is something not unusual for me when boredom sits itself in my bloodstream. Today, I was looking for some Technisub Ala (if even an ounce of luck remain) when I clicked on this hyperlink: http://www.outragemag.com/main/UnderwaterHockey-001.html

What I thought is discussing about Ala spelled my sport and my name. Aww! I wasn't expecting the article to be published. Last month, one of the editors of this e-magazine sent some queries about the sport and how I got my self into it. I graciously replied, but I failed to give him photos that he was requesting. But anyway...
:-)

my new H

2009-05-18T19:08:00.004+08:00

I know, it's pretty soon to tell that I'm ready to settle down after meeting this guy last night. You bet, he's one hot stuff, and you can't blame me if I'm falling head over heels. Can you blame me?

Even if he's not that smart (if he really isn't), his eyes, his hair, and his gorgeous lips and smile makes up for it. I don't mind if he's blonde. He's so sexy anyway.

pusa!

2009-04-27T19:01:00.005+08:00

(Cat)

Yes, there was a bit of an inclination towards cats on the conversations I've had yesterday and today. What's with cats?

I was with two lesbians in my wallclimb session yesterday when I have just said "cats are the malditas (bitches) of kingdom animalia". Those sharp stares and snobbish turning of heads are just but signs that they're pretty confident about themselves. They spend too much time on grooming: licking their fur and limbs, occasionally scratching some surfaces to stretch their body and sharpen their paws, etc etc. OK, maybe it was too off to utter the word "maldita" with some lesbians around. They say, cat's are lesbians' bestfriends (more than the *****? OK, I'll shut up). Maybe, I'll try to mellow my discourse.

"Cats are the metrosexuals of kingdom animalia."
(Afterall, I love lesbians.)

***

I had to have another dinner after watching a movie last night. (Mind you, I fell in love with 17 Again! I think it's just so cute! Maybe I can get a 17year old boytoy if only I won't be bashed as a pedo and/or get imprisoned.) The salad, fish and pasta sidedish, and desserts in Chelsea were all fantastic if not only they're too pricy for a light meal. (Not that I can't afford it!) I was busy making my pancit canton when I've heard my cat calling from outside.

"What the heck is wrong with this cat?" I kept calling her back but she doesn't seem to like to get inside the house. You see, my situation is not always as favorable as it is to the cat. She was in glass-shatter covered top of the wall that covers upto half of the second floor. The top is about a meter and a quarter below the base of the veranda. I used to climb down the fire exit just to pick her up from the wall. That was when I thought she couldn't jump high enough to get to the 3rd floor. But I know that she can. Last night, for two times I tried to come down to her in the fire exit and she would just jump off to the adjacent house roof! Very nice! Was she trying to make me follow her to a chest of treasure or something valuable?

I know my cat is trainable. But she's not an Egyptian Mau. She could not be any mystical than that. She's a puskal. I can't stand her silly games, and I'm not up for a little cat play in the neighbor's galvanized roof next to the sharp shatters 2 am in the morning.

Hay, pusa!

***

Months ago, I was walking along Pablo Ocampo St. in San Antonio Village (just around my "village". Yes, they call our neighborhood a village. Makes people think it's alta but nothing fancy about it. Really.) when I got a site of a white a young cat. It had some orangle marbled markings in its body. I thought it was cute so I grabbed it by its nape (the way a mother would carry it's young) and thought I'd bring it home as a new pet.

"But hold on. This is just like getting a boyfriend: better not get a man if you can't take care of him or satisfy his needs - rather than just to satisfy yours. Same as with a pet, if you can't give time to pet a pet, maybe you just need to get the 1990's tamagochi or the similar. Maybe they're better off left in their own ways, or on the hands of a more accomodating master."

I let go of the handsome couple of weeks old litter. Off the same San Antonio Village streets he go.

A few days after, I stummbled over some pictures of a rare cat breed. But alas! The pictures were similar to the cat I picked up in the streets before. As I read through, it says "Bengal Cat". Geez, the marbled markings were all rare and exquisite! I just thought I have just let go of a prescious breed!

Lesson learned: If you get a chance to pick up a hot and handsome guy or a cat, don't ever, ever let him/it go! Spend some night with him/it. If you think you can't handle him afterwards, just let the windows and doors open. They could just walk away. Just don't blame yourself if they ever do. Better yet, there's referral system. Your friends might be a better partner or master to your catch - and you'll have the bragging rights for the first catch!

***

The picture above is of a Siberian Cat.
It was found out that this particular breed of cat produces much less allergens.
Wonderful!

Maybe breeders can come up with antibacterial and antifungal cat breeds soon?

***
KIDS BELOW 18, READING STOPS HERE!
***

You should know that I love pussy cats.
But don't get confused.
I still don't like pussy.
Just cats.

Better Man

2009-04-23T00:51:00.003+08:00

Was I so vulnerable lately that I felt that his particular song has hit me a bit hard this evening?
Lord, are you sending someone to me?

Send someone to love me
I need to rest in arms
Keep me safe from harm
In pouring rain

Give me endless summer
Lord I fear the cold
Feel I'm getting old
Before my time

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow old through this pain
Lord I'm doing all I can
To be a better man

Go easy on my conscience
'Cause it's not my fault
I know I've been taught
To take the blame

Rest assured my angels
Will catch my tears
Walk me out of here
I'm in pain

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow old through this pain
Lord I'm doing all I can
To be a better man

Once you've found that lover
You're homeward bound
Love is all around
Love is all around

I know some have fallen
On stony ground
But Love is all around

Send someone to love me
I need to rest in arms
Keep me safe from harm
In pouring rain

Give me endless summer
Lord I fear the cold
Feel I'm getting old
Before my time

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow old through this pain
Lord I'm doin' all I can
To be a better man

Ewan moments

2009-04-17T16:38:00.002+08:00

I have prayed to the God (other than Madonna) to bless me with better comprehension. Because other than "what's up?" I can't seem to answer another question.

If it was a question at all. Or maybe a greeting again?

"How's it going?"

Don't get me wrong, darling. I know how to reply to this in front of an American dude. But if it's another Pinoy trying to snatch a conversation in an online site, I just can't help but raise a brow.
Out of desperate attempt to be nice, I'd go answer "it's going!"

april fooling a 'Manong'

2009-04-03T10:39:00.005+08:00

If I had known him for a longer time then I would have sent my April Fool's joke much earlier. But then again, my joke was more to fish than to fool. But blah...

Cautious enough not to offend him, I thought carefully if ridding with April 1 would be a good idea and an escape goat in case he'd abhor the idea. Two friends thought it was cool, and told me I should send the sms.

"I think I like you."

It's plain and simple right? In case he'd be appalled, I could easily reply "Happy April Fool's Day". Perfect graceful defense. Instead, when I sent him this, he replied "Is this message for me?" So I had to answer back, "Yes."

Just as I thought he'd send a reply (no matter how blatant nor how mellow) instantly, I ran out of patience waiting for another sms to come in. So there went my april fools defensive sms. This time, I got something back "You got me real nervous there :-) but I wouldn't mind if it were true."

Maybe heavens have sent the right sign. Was I so happy. Hahaha.

Later that night, he sent me "Do you really like me?" With out further ado, I sent my sms "By the way, the april fool's day joke is only honorable until 12noon. I was serious when I sent you that message this afternoon." This time, I was clueless what he's about to tell me. But after a few minutes, he replied "ok, that's clear... I don't know what to say."

I'm just thankful that I on situations like what I was having I can think and make decisions in a wink of an eye. Wrote something like "Well, you could either tell me you like me too, or just say 'never mind'. I can handle rejections..." Maybe some people are just not like me. I wasn't surprised to get "It's getting late. Let's just talk about it some other time.". I wasn't happy with it either. LOL

Looks-wise, I do like this guy a lot. I've been seeing him in the gym a lot before but never managed to snatch a conversation. He looks meek, and would always keep his face down when he walks. But he's such a looker. I thought his dimples are so cute. I've always thought he plays on the other side of the fence. Last week, we started to talk. Maybe next week we'd start to work out together. Maybe next week, we could go out together.
Maybe...

Thank God, there's April 1.

Young and Trusted

2009-04-01T15:26:00.003+08:00

Sometimes they don't really come together.

If you're young, new, or inexperienced, you'd always be the doubted one.
So best thing to do is to always give your best shot.

As they say, you can never put a good man down.
:-)

which apple a day?

2009-04-01T11:15:00.004+08:00

By face value.
I always take it that way when I pick green apples.

By how they look, could you tell which apple is a good pick from the picture above?
One of them is worth 25 Pesos, and the other is 15 Pesos.

I gave the 15 peso apple a tried after the avid persuasion of Ate Cherry last time in SM Grocery in Ayala. For 60 pesos, you get four of these green apples. So cheap! But I just knew how it's going to taste. So I did the next day. I wasn't surprised. The taste was so dull.

The 25 peso apple didn't fail to meet my expectations. It was crunchy, juicy, and has enough tangy flavor - just like how I like green apples to be. However, it's like 3 pesos much more expensive than the grannies I buy from Shopwise - which are almost the same quality.

I don't know, but I have a strict preference for green apples. I never liked the usual red ones. I guess, I never really like the usual or the stereotypes. Just like with people, I love picking those who are brilliant and colorful - that's all figurative. I can't really stand being with blonde and dull people (ok, it's not the race I'm referring to) unless I want to pick on someone for my own entertainment. But just as how easy it is to pick the right apple, choosing the right person to share your affinity is nowhere as easy.

Some people are talented enough to disguise themselves as the 25 peso green apple but will prove to be worse than the 15 peso counterpart. If you're the one to bite the apple, you'd be appalled by the unlikely characteristic of the fruit you're suppose to digest. I bet you'd instanly throw this piece in the trash bin.

A friend told me that fruit vendors would stack their apples with the first in on top, and the last in at the bottom. This way, the buyers would get the oldest pieces instead of the new ones. Having this in mind, I tend to dig down to the bottom to pick the freshest pick. Maybe with people, I may have to meet the meek ones more than those who are always "out there" being in front of the crowd.

In life, I like people of good quality. They're like the green apple of my eye.
Good friends are the green apples that keep the doctor away.

a roadID for the running crissie

2009-03-31T16:17:00.005+08:00

Everytime I run, I feel like the perfect stranger to the world. I carry no name (except the brands), with obviously no ID. No identification except for my well built torso and gorgeous legs. Great curves, not to forget. Should I be shot dead in the streets around the Army, or got hit and run by a motorbike or the rusty jeepney along the road, identifying my corpse will be a task to my rescuer.

Now, before you even raise your brows with my despicable self-gratification, I'd just like to introduce one of the best inventions for runners, ever (LOL) - it's called, RoadID.

Brightly colored wrist band with a metal plate with the bearer's fullname and contacts for emergency, I've seen it first from my coach in Underwater Hockey after my very first Aquathlon last February. He's a triathlete as well. He got the piece for himself and the rest of his Xtribe team. What a nice piece of ID, I said to myself.

If not from another underwater hockey mate, I wouldn't have gotten my first piece. She placed the order from US where it is manufactured. By it's looks, I'm loving it already.

Maybe RoadId's not just for athletes. It could probably fit kids who often go out of their homes, especially when they're going to school. Or maybe your roaming grandpa or grandma?

So you, would you still like to remain anonymous in the road?
Go checkout RoadID.com.

War Against Cheap Chow

2009-03-30T16:09:00.006+08:00

One man could turn the whole world against Chinese (if this hasn't happened yet). Worse thing about it, this guy is also Chinese.

This morning, my teammate in the office sent me a link that she said that I really have to check out. A page popped with a picture of a guy who I can say doesn't look appealing to me (not enticing to my eyes at the very least). (I guess, I could also be subtle sometimes.) So I decided to scroll down the page and came across some chunks of comments. This one was my very first read:

Submitted by deadchest002 on Mon, 30/03/2009 - 10:09.

you f**king, gay, idiot, son of a bitch of CHINA!.. and who you are telling us that you own the spratly island..that belongs to Philippines... looks first the international political boundary of the philippines before you post that you own already spratly... if you really a journalist i guest you are being kick out in BBC because of lack of knowledge... study more you gay!

anak ka nang putang ina mo bakla ka!

its not because i was called china sea and all the island in that area are already belongs to china.

to all my kababayan..

this chip, a loser journalist....pulubi n yan, gumgawa nlng ng kwento

to chip tsao, come here in philippines and say that china owns spratly i will cut your head.

I had to laugh my ass out after reading this comment. So I went to read some more before getting to the real post. But geez, the article was nothing but an online slaughter of the Filipino race. It was done in a VERY BAD taste, and very incriminating to the author himself. I just wondered why it was ever published. Global readers won't hold their silence. I wish the publisher ever knew that.

The author, Chip Chow was tagged as "a best-selling author and columnist. A former reporter for the BBC" by HK Magazine who published this article. Three days after, his story was removed from the site. Maybe after this he'll also be a former writter for this magazine.

Here's the article which has raised the brows of not only Filipinos, but also other races like Chinese:

The War At Home
March 27th, 2009

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

Chip Tsao is a best-selling author and columnist. A former reporter for the BBC, his columns have also appeared in Apple Daily, Next Magazine and CUP Magazine, among others.

Chip Tsao, I wonder where would you possibly be after HK-magazine wiped your mess out of their site.. I only trust that you're not dumb enough to hoist a Chinese flag in Spratlys. Unless you're really ready for suicide.

if only smiles could kill

2009-03-28T22:35:00.005+08:00

I thought I'd get a short nap before going out tonight. But my system can't seem to sleep even for a few minutes. Thus, I've th0ught of something recent to write about.

Working out in the gym is more of a lifestyle for me. I workout and just workout. If I chat with some friendly friends and faces, that's just for a minute or two. Unless it's someone cute, I prefer not to be disturbed. Hate me, but that's how the cookie crumbles.

Let's alias him as D.
Around late 30s, 6foot, lanky, dark skinned, and obviously not my type, D works as an IT project manager in a UN based company. I'd share some occasional chat with him when I see him around the gym. I've known him for a while, and some time in the past I've extended some help for his IT project needs. This evening he caught me doing the lat pull down in a machine along the corridor. He came to me saying "you know Cris, you're always an inspiration to me...blah blah blah."

Maybe flattering can reach some level of annoyance. I digress what I had to say. But I said it anyway. "But how come you never worked out?" I simply replied to D. If I ever see him in the gym, I would only see him pass by the hallway, but never in the weights area, nor in the threadmill. He'll only be in the men's room. But anyway, he said something back like "yeah, I never work out because of my job. But I get worked out at night."

I never expected to hear something like that. D had always been pleasant to me, as well as wholesome. But anyway...

So while I was too excited to do my second set of lat pull down, he asked if I still have his number. He said that he likes to get some help on this project he's currently doing. "Same as the last time," he said. However, all of the recollections that I've had about the "last time" was that he'd send me some documents to review - all about the designs of a website. But nothing had materialized. Neither did he send the documents, nor did he even give a call. Back then, I knew it was all crap.

D handed me his business card. He said that I have to send him an email immediately when I get to the office so he'd get my email address. But I thought that if he really wants my email address he could just get it right away. As a matter of fact, I recall giving him my addy. I smell a faux pax here, especially when he had to touch my biceps. I'm just thankful I wasn't in a grouchy mood.

So I accepted the business card and casually told him "ok, ok, go ahead and workout!"
When he disappeared, I immediately went to the nearest trash bin and dropped his business card in it. (It perfectly reminds me of a friend who did the same thing to the business card that his college friend gave him.) I wiped up the smear on my face, and laughed in my mind.

A little later, he passed by the corridor and saw me again. "E-mail me, huh?" he said. A couple of times did the same scene happen and I would consistently reply, "Yeah. yeah!" with a nice smile on my face.

You see, sometimes I can be a bitch.
Though most of the times others would only notice my nice set of teeth.

because I love you, i've switched the lights off

2009-03-28T20:04:00.003+08:00

A candle lit room is all I have for an hour.
Starting 8pm, my house will be dark like nowhere.
I've switched off the bulbs and incandescent
The whole 60minutes with not even the iridescent.

It's the 28th of March but it's not like an election,
Nonetheless, I'd made the choice and the decision.
I've joined the rest of the world for a common vote,
That it's for your welfare that we'll promote.

60 minutes of no electric light,
60 minutes less of 60 Hertz of warmth.

It's Earth's Hour...
are you doing your part?

Little Did You Know About Nemo

2009-03-25T11:17:00.003+08:00

Clownfishes are hermaphrodite, meaning they can develop to either male or female in order to follow a strict heirarchy of dominance in their family. In a group, there's only two fishes which can reproduce, a male and a female. The biggest and aggressive female is on the top of the group.
If this female dies, the next male clownfish develops into a female to take over the highest seat. All other fishes down the hierarchy genetically changes in order to fill the position on top of them.

Politically, it's no longer his father who's looking for Nemo in the movie. But it's already his second mom! The biggest spoiler is, Nemo might no longer be a boy clownfish. He might have been a she!

What's Up?

2009-03-23T10:47:00.002+08:00

My mind is battling over taking this as a question and as a greeting.
What's up?
If it's a question, should I reply "nothing" if I don't really have nothing going on?
If it's a greeting, should I reply "What's up?" too?

If you ever run to Bugs Bunny today, ask him to educate me on this matter. Otherwise, just send me a CD of 4 None Blondes please.

***

Greg Bush Comments on Crissie's Swimming
In the first night of the Greg Bush clinic, Papa Greg went to me by the side of the pool and said,
"Cris, you're skills are pretty good for someone who plays underwater hockey for less than a year. But man, you swim like shit!"

Now, after three weekends... guess what?
I still swim like shit!

***

I started my Saturday morning with washing of my clothes. I prioritized my skivvies, socks, workout clothes, pants, plus a week of office and gimmik outfits. At the end of it, a long line of pile of clothes awaits me in my room.

Fairy God Mother, are you out there?
Can you turn my laundry to hunky meaty good looking 300 men?

***

Last Saturday afternoon in AFP was nothing like the rest. It's not that it's the usual unclear water filled with fuzz, leaves, etc; nor the youngsters swimming in in their cotton shorts, cycling shorts, and sometimes, in their underwear. Rather, a pack of lean but meaty army boys about at least 5'8" in height, 6-pack abs, clean army cut hair, and good face crowding in one corner of the pool in their square cut trunks. I wonder where they came from (and where they live), and why have they swam just now?

Maybe AFP has to start running an All-Army-Boys Saturday: No Bikini, No Entry.
Sun block sponsored by yours truly.

***

Over the weekend, I had a realization: the world really is round.
Some times you're at the top, sometimes you're at the bottom.

...but most of all, some statements are true even if you drop some words (like "at the").
If you're not queer, you don't need to think about it.
:-P

Peculiar eh?

***

What's up?!

Crissie Sprints With Dolphin Kick

2009-03-15T22:25:00.003+08:00

I felt terrified seeing myself swimming underwater for the very first time.
Maybe, I can try auditioning for Dyesebel soon.

[I Dreamt Of Ironman] Crissie Finishes His First Aquathlon

2009-02-24T07:54:00.003+08:00

Being in the starting line itself is indeed a big achievement already for athletes. How much more is reaching the finish line?

The day before, I was out of town to Batangas to accompany my family in inspecting the house that they'd be moving to next month. A hot and whole day was already exhausting. But silly me, I insisted on working out for less than 45 minutes in the gym to do my chest exercises. Tell me about resting before the day of race. Yeah!

When I got to bed that Saturday night, my heart and mind was filled with fear and excitement. I recall that I'd get dreams of the race, about finishing and backing out. When I got up in the morning, I was even psyching myself to not show up in the race. But not sleeping up was not a reason enough for me. I had pancit canton and a bread to fuel a 600m swim and 5km run.

Plunging in the pool with more than 30 swimmers instantly gave me a vertigo. I stood at the corner and waited for my head to calm. It did. There were waves and kicking. Indeed, the water was unfriendly to a beginner like me. I can't paddle. I can't breathe right. I kick a lot. Where have all those skills that I've practice gone? In my wave, I think I was the 3rd to 5th from the last finisher.

I was glad the 3 rounds of 200m (composed of a zigzag of 25meter laps) was over. 5kilometers of run under the sun was ahead of me after I tied my shoe laces and put on my race bib through an improvised belt.

I didn't notice that I have drank a lot of water in the pool. But anyway, I thought I wouldn't go dehydrated fast so I don't have to pause and get water! But just as I thought it'll all be faster, I was wrong. I had to pull down my zip to make breathing much easier. Flaunting my abs was only secondary reason. LOL.

As I have kicked a lot during the swim, my legs were already a bit sore and tired when I started my run. But it was a good thing that I was able to pick up on my pace. I managed to outrun quite a number of people. That's just one of the greatest things I love about running.

The following are my official record:

Swim 00:15:09	Transition 00:01:34	Run 00:26:56	Total 00:43:39

Today, I have set my goals for my next Aquathlon and my next running race. But first, I have to grab a lace lock for a faster transition. Tomorrow and in the next days, I'll wake up earlier, train harder so I'll be more prepared for the next race!

PS
During the awarding, I was told that there were army boys who swam before me in the pool. They thought I was doing fast so they followed me - only to know that I was only doing my 3rd and last lap while they were doing their 4th and extra lap. EXTRA 200meters!
Looks could be very deceiving!

[I Dreamt Of Ironman] Crissie in Battle Gear

2009-02-12T06:10:00.000+08:00

wanna PUCK with us?

2009-02-12T05:46:00.000+08:00

[I Dreamt of Ironman] First off

2009-02-12T00:22:00.004+08:00

I only felt the impact of tonight's workout two hours afterwards.

Behind me was 30 minutes of swim in the pool, an hour back and triceps workout, and 30 minutes of run in the treadmill. The fact that I had so much energy after showering was a deceiving notion, as after dinner I could hardly get up of the couch to wash the dishes. But I just had to.

This evening, I tried the tri-suit that Eric has given me. It's an orange on black Javelin uniform. I had to ask him if it is OK for me to wear it in the Ateneo Aquathlon on the 22nd. He said it's fine. I thought that the name on the suit would appear intimidating to others. So to save me from disappointments, I took the liberty to don it in my swimming this evening.

The tri-suit fitted snugly on me. While I was doing my laps, I felt a little more bouyant. Moreover, it helped me get my proper balance in the surface - my legs were no longer dropping down. That's why I had this feeling that I'm thrusting forward with a single paddle without the leg drag. Maybe it's just me, but it's definitely making me feel better!

I did my progressive resistance training for my back, and triceps. With my new Nike Pro shirt, my efforts are crisper and more comfortable. I loved the feeling of compression on my muscles while I'm doing my exercises. It's a different experience, but with lack of words, I'd just let you try it to know the feeling.

Attempting to do my interval training was not a brilliant idea after what I just did. I was told to do the interval as the sole exercise for the day. So after two sets of 1minute-14.0kph and 2 minutes rest, I had to tell myself to stick to my base pace (10.8 kph 1.0% gradient). Only now did I realize that invertal training really is too demanding to be done after other physical activities. Nonetheless, I was quite happy that I've finished my 35minute run without cramping nor hyperventillating. Maybe I'd reserve the Friday night for my interval training, or probably Sunday. By the way, I'm training with my red ultra-light New Balance running shoes. I can easily feel that I'm running on my forefoot. I think I'd be using it in the Aquathlon.

I had a long day outside the office. Only this evening was I able to check my inbox. It was graced by an email from a triathlete friend. She sent this logo of the first official Philippine 70.3 Ironman that will be held in CamSur on August 23, 2009. Check out the Ironman website for further announcements. Just the though of registering already drives me crazy!

OK, time for me to sleep.
It's dream time!