hontou ni...

our new home...

2009-05-05T16:47:00.003+09:00

We've transferred here. :-D

when fantasy becomes reality...

2007-10-31T02:27:00.000+09:00

finally, few more hours before tip off.
let nba 2007-2008 season begins!

[one month earlier]
rish teases me everytime she catches me arranging my fantasy games lineups. she is not into fantasy games. no interest at all.

[now]
rish already has two yahoo fantasy basketball teams - one of them, she is the commissioner. she has also two teams in pbf fantasy nba, already created an excel file tabulating the stats of her players with schedules and she has finished arranging her lineup for the entire november!

whohoo! that's addiction to the highest level!

but i'm so happy. without question, it's all because of me.
with the so many things we both enjoy doing, this one is a new addition to the list.

------------------------------------------------
p.s.
now, my predictions for this season.

roy : kevin durant

mvp : carlos boozer, it's a long shot, but since he's my franchise fantasy player, i'll root for him

nba champ : boston red sox...oops, celtics

i hope it wasn't too late :D

2007-10-16T16:18:00.000+09:00

Where The Hell Did I Put That Life Jacket?

Transcript of ACTUAL radio conversation between United States Aircraft Carrier USS Lincoln and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995.

Americans:
"Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision."

Canadians:
"Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision."

Americans:
"This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course."

Canadians:
"No. I say again, you divert YOUR course."

Americans:
"THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS, AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."

Canadians:
"We are a lighthouse. Your call."

just got lucky...again

2007-08-07T23:00:00.001+09:00

Japan Today - POTD
Originally uploaded by _arubin_

and such a lucky dog!

rish and i will be going home (for good?) this december and we're so excited! apartment, sofa, lants together sa opis, gimmick after work, gala sa weekend, photoshoot adventure with friends and more!

and labrador?

rish wants a labra. i love dogs also.
but we're still thinking if we really can give proper care of our future pet-friend :-)

not bad...

2007-08-05T01:17:00.000+09:00

baby, as promised, i will now post this one. :-D

just got lucky...

2007-07-21T12:52:00.001+09:00

Japan Today - POTD
Originally uploaded by _arubin_

it's my first photo (since entering into this photography thing.. thanks to my baby :-D)
to be featured on any online news/magazines and just got lucky to be
selected as "Picture of the Day" on Japan Today.

no prize, no money or whatsoever.
but little things like this give me encouragement to keep on clicking!

sana next time Photo of the Week naman.. (wish!) :-D

smiley mascot...

2007-07-10T14:58:00.001+09:00

smiley mascot
Originally uploaded by airisshuu

i will never, ever forget this photo.

i took this when i first used a dslr, ever. prior to the trip, i thought i was already armed with techniques i have read from various photography references in the net. so i was really disappointed when i could not get the correct exposure!!! i insisted on using non-auto modes kasi pa-pro kunwari hehehe....

i thought i'd be going home empty-handed. i was even contemplating on how to explain to bin that i have given up on photography, our future bread and butter (mwehehehe).... when this stingray smiled upon me. :)

i think i only got 5 decent photos out of the 1gb cf i used up, but this photo definitely made my day. :D

it was only later that i learned that theathers, museums (haller, aquamuseum!), concert halls are some of the most challenging venues to take good photos because, more often, they lack of good light source. heheh palusot.

--------
taken using Scout.

rock-rock-an...

2007-07-10T13:22:00.001+09:00

dancing on sunshine...
Originally uploaded by airisshuu

this guy reminded me of pepe smith. hehehe

he's one of the rockabillies in harajuku. wearing their thick, mostly leather boots, pants and jackets, they dance and entertain passersby even under the strongest heat of the sun.

------
still from my harajuku portfo taken a month ago. i have not been out to take photos for some time because of unrelenting rain on weekends. :( my fingers are starting to itch... hopefully, sun will smile on us again this coming weekend.

people behind the lens...

2007-07-03T21:12:00.001+09:00

people behind the lens
Originally uploaded by _arubin_

"once photography enters your bloodstream, it"s a disease"
so far, it's true!

enjoying every adventure together...
visiting places...
finding good spots...
looking for subjects...
bonding moments...

worth the price :-)

wimbledon 2007...

2007-06-26T00:57:00.000+09:00

wimbledon2007 now under way and my cheers will to go...

women's singles champion : maria sharapova or martina hingis
men's singles champion : andy roddick or rafael nadal

bikkuri...

2007-06-20T18:50:00.001+09:00

the right to play and have fun...
Originally uploaded by airisshuu

as a newbie in photography i appreciate all the comments given to my photos. kahit inokray pa yan basta i can learn from it, i'll be thankful.

i know that nice comments coming from bin and my friends can be 90% biased hehehe ...so this mail i found in my inbox. coming from a stranger commenting on my photos at Betterphoto.com.. really made my day :D

---------------
Wow you really take some awesome pictures!! I am still learning and
don't have the greatest camera.. but hey, we all have to start some
where... any how, i just wanted to tell you that I really like your pictures!
Have a great day!
-Theresa
---------------

the attached photo is one of them...
im just floored and happy! :D

japanese wedding parade...

2007-06-19T12:46:00.001+09:00

japanese wedding parade
Originally uploaded by airisshuu

nearby harajuku sta. is meiji jinja (meiji shrine), a very famous shrine to get married for japanese.... i would say like manila cathedral or san agustin church in the phil. almost every 15mins a newlywed couple come out for a short parade in the vicinity of the shrine.

i really felt like a paparazzi here, complete with guards shoving us to give way hehehe

cosplay @ harajuku

2007-06-19T12:24:00.001+09:00

cosplay @ harajuku sta.
Originally uploaded by airisshuu

i had a great time playing paparazzi last saturday at harajuku with my officemate and friend, jetli (a talented photographer, by the way).

it was actually my first time to take shots of people i dont know in close range. good thing nobody took offense when i point my camera straight to their face.

harajuku is the most famous hangout of cosplayers here in japan. i think they gathered there to provide entertainment to tourists hehe. i've never seen that many foreigners gathered in one place here in jp. :D

some cosplayers were actually nice - they will even do poses for you. others were probably shy or , as i have been told, for fear that their parents might see them there, would hide their face (with all the makeups) from our cameras - so we just took candids.

i'll be posting more on our smug and my flickr accts. along with other things i saw in harajuku. enjoy! :D

*cosplay - costume play.

ps. these harajuku girls were the inspiration of gwen stefani for her latest music video. :) i have yet to see it.

meet holden and scout...

2007-06-06T23:23:00.000+09:00

we just bought our *ehem* first babies! :D
and we named them : holden and scout.

here are some attempts to squeeze out whatever creative juices left in our bodies.. :D

ok, bin twisted my arm to include this :
we are now open for business! pambawi sa gastos ng aming kapritso. :D

shawn to shine (recap)...

2007-06-05T20:44:00.001+09:00

---
nba's mvp : dirk nowitzki
alvin's mvp : shawn marion

nba's roy : brandon roy
alvin's roy : brandon roy

nba's eastern conference champion : cleveland cavaliers
alvin's eastern conference champion : miami heat

nba's western conference champion : san antonio spurs
alvin's western conference champion : phoenix suns

nba's champion : spurs vs. cavs
alvin's champion : suns

1 out of 5. too bad.
---

remembering jim...

2007-06-05T20:39:00.000+09:00

When I think of Pastor Jim... my History and Prophecy lessons with him, my wedding last year and my electronic Bible never fail to come to mind.

Pastor Jim had been a constant fixture in our lives. From the day we got to know him and his family, he made a point to be in touch. It was as if there were no oceans between us. He was there every step of the way to guide us and help us be strong in our faith. He was one of the best teachers I had - he would always encourage us to ask questions to learn more.

He was also a great, compassionate friend. I still can vividly remember, about 12 years ago, when the electronic Bible he gave was confiscated at my University. He came with me to the school and talked to the Dean of the Pastoral Affairs who was in possession of the item. He had a long conversation with him questioning why they had to get the Bible and why it should be rightly returned to me. Unfortunately, we did not get the Bible back but I was deeply moved and touched by what he did.

The last time I saw him was at my wedding. Despite his very delicate health condition, he came to officiate. We humbly requested him and his family to be there, understandably he could not promise to come, but he did come. I, my wife and our whole family could not be happier. But our goodbye was bittersweet. For he somehow knew that it would be the last time we'd see each other.

When I think of these and so many other good things he did for me, for the Philippine brethren and for everybody, I feel so blessed and grateful to have met and known him. His untiring efforts for the ministry, his unselfish act of sharing of what he had, his enduring patience to continue the work despite his limiting physical strength and health condition, his relentless advices not to waver from the faith will always be in our hearts and vivid in our memories. He was, still and will always be an inspiration for us to continue the things he taught and showed us, to be steadfast in our faith and to do the things that please God so that when the day comes, we will all be in His Kingdom.

love bus...

2007-04-10T23:01:00.000+09:00

kyoto-shonandai, just a night bus away.

a 7-hour bus plus 45-minute train ride can take me to shonandai - to rish. i wish i could be with her everyday, be beside her every single night but for now it's not possible(she, working in yamato. me, working in kyoto). but i'm still happy and fortunate that i could still visit her at least 3 times a month and sometimes spend 4 weekends together when she visits me in kyoto.

the travel is long and tiring, fare is quite expensive. but i think they all worth it, because being with your loved one is far more important than getting a stiff neck from an overnight trip or a little tightening of budget to buy tickets and absolutely incomparable with the priceless moments when you're together.

here comes godzilla...

2007-03-30T00:39:00.000+09:00

Yatto! it's playball again! 'Twas a long yet unforgettable offseason. Not to mention the coconut palace event of the year :-)

Spring training is almost over and MLB 2007 season will formally start in just a few days. Surely, another exciting season, full of fun and surprises. And I'll begin with my predictions.

AL MVP : Hideki Matsui, New York Yankees
My favorite all-time baseball player so far and my franchise player in fantasy.

NL MVP : Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Reigning MVP

AL Rookie of the Year : Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox
Former Seibu Lions' ace, 2006 WBC MVP and the pitcher with the so called gyroball. Boston Red Sox payed a whopping $51M to Seibu just to negotiate to Matsuzaka (to his agent, actually). But fortunately, BoSox was able to signed him with a 6 year, $52M contract.

NL Rookie of the Year :
-

ALCS : Yankees over Indians
NLCS : Dodgers over Cardinals

World Series : Yankees over Dodgers
WS MVP : Hideki Matsui

pink 5!...

2006-10-27T01:33:00.001+09:00

on saturday, it's muratec festival 2006 and it's 運動会 (athletic meet) day! tug-o-war, jumping rope, obstacle course are just some of the events.

we are the pinkalu team. nice color :D
(rish wants my uniform)

shawn to shine...

2006-10-26T23:35:00.000+09:00

nba 2006-2007 season opens on october 31. my three yahoo! fantasy teams are all set for the opening day although i have still some pending trade transactions and i am planning to create one more team maybe around november timing :-)

now, it's time for our predictions then let's review when the season ends.

---
alvin's predictions :

while nash, lebron, kobe and wade are the favorites to win the MVP award, i'll pick my fantasy franchise player - shawn marion. it's quite a long shot for the "matrix" but maybe, maybe this is the time for shawn to shine.

as for the rookie of the year, i'll pick brandon roy. a marion look-alike :-)

and of course, i will be cheering for the suns.

eastern conference champion : miami heat
western conference champion : phoenix suns

nba champion : phoenix
---

ang bibingka..bow...

2006-10-12T03:13:00.000+09:00

instead of a chocolate fountain in coconut palace, bibingka and puto bumbong would be the best replacements! kindhearted friends/sponsors are most welcome and really appreciated :-)

in world sports...

2006-10-11T02:05:00.000+09:00

it is getting tougher for the US...

basketball :
spain captured their 1st world championship title last september while usa settled for bronze.

baseball :
japan took the 1st wbc trophy last march while usa did not make it to the final four.

tennis :
absolutely, federer (switzerland) in men's singles this year.
right now, no american player in top 10 in women's singles.

volleyball :
brazil bagged their 3rd straight women's volleyball grand prix title last september while usa was not even in the final round.

soccer :
italy won over france for the 2006 fifa world cup crown last july while usa did not win a single game in the elimination round. well, soccer/football is europe.

cycling :
floyd landis' tour de france 2006 crown is still in question.

f1 :
for sure, it's alonso(spain) and/or schumacher(germany) for 2006.

billiards :
of course, bata,django and a bunch of filipino cue artists.

thanks to tiger woods.

久しぶりですね。

2006-10-10T01:36:00.000+09:00

i was busy closing deals with our suppliers while rish had to finalize some items with our coordinator plus her attempt on DIY stuffs which i believe it is still in planning stage ;-)

desu kara, hisashiburi desu...

...

2006-10-09T01:31:00.000+09:00

...

remembering lola...

...

lola

2006-05-12T19:02:00.000+09:00

i am crushed.

our lola, our only living grandparent was admitted to icu last night. according to my mom, it had been 4 days since she could not get up to eat or relieve, even with alalay. they'd been spoonfeeding her but that too, soon became too hard for her to do. yesterday, she couldn't even swallow. all she could do was to fall into long slumber and whenever she wakes up, silently cry her pain.

i didn't have a decent sleep last night. all i could think of was her current state, and her stories she shared to us last time i was home. she told us of her once colorful childhood, their jewelry business in pangasinan, how she would tag along his father in bulacan to deal with alaheros, how she learned to fire a gun, how pretty she was in her teens and how world war 2 took away all things they owned. she indulged us by sharing different facets of her past, in half sentences. she'd begin with a story and end it with another. she couldn't answer questions coherently. to us, her kwento might have been amusing but to her it was all what's left of her memory.

i would not say that she is the best lola anybody could have. on her younger and stronger days she was strict to her kids and later on to her apos. she resented my father all his life for marrying my mother. she played favorites, to dismay of my siblings, but, although unwillingly, to my advantage. my early memories with her includes occassional sleepovers in her room, putting me to sleep by scratching my back. that was a simple pleasure she offered me just so i would agree to sleep in her room. i was her favorite... but last time i saw her, she told our help, i am her pinsan.

she's been asleep eversince she was brought in to icu. doctors said it is an option for us to let them insert a feeding tube through her nose. i saw how they did it to my father, it was awful. that was the first and last time i saw him cry and it didn't help him anyway. i dont think i could bring myself to allow them to do it to lola. i know she's already too tired at 89. and so, my only prayer... is for God to ease her her pains. His will be done.

wakuwakushite iru...

2006-04-10T21:25:00.000+09:00

since we're done with a quarter of 2006, i feel that december will soon be here.

so, i think, it's now ok to share what our alter egos been up to... it's not much, but just to show how it is slowly taking shape.

you may view this and this.

you know drill... sign the message board and guestbook when applicable, ok? :)

btw, i'm the 'AI' that they are referring to. ;)

may tomorrow be something good...

2006-04-10T21:11:00.000+09:00

the anticipation is killing me.

sometimes it is easier to just know it when it happens, than sit all day torturing myself with what ifs and what nots and be so freaking hopeful anyway. i constantly remind myself to be prepared for the worst.. but before i can even say deoxyribonucleic acid, i once again daydream about it.

i could be really good when it comes to setting myself up for a big smack on the face. when waiting is concerned, i have no balls. tsk.

BUT, ontheotherhand... who wants to be left in the dark, di ba? ay labo.

itsu...

2006-01-25T22:43:00.000+09:00

i miss ramen...
i miss daiso...
i miss miso...
i miss torihama...
i miss yakyuu...
i miss don qui...
i miss aki...
i miss mos...
i miss yodo...
i miss hakone...
i miss sumo...
i miss "just cut"...
i miss saty...
i miss am-pm...
i miss "big bang"...
oh, i miss japan...
and i miss my baby...

almost...

2006-01-23T23:46:00.000+09:00

while there are many heroes to choose from this past two days, tommy haas gets my vote this time....almost.

(i thought haas would win the time i started writing this)

down 0-2 to roger federer going into the 3rd set, haas rallied back, tied to 2-2 and forced one more set to decide who will go to the quarterfinals of the men's singles in this year's australian open.

unfortunately, the momentum suddenly shifted to federer's side when one call in the 6th game was called out (which is actually out, based on the animated replay)and haas reacted, lost his temper and the world ranked number one federer went all the way surviving in what should have been a remarkable upset following the exit of number two seed andy roddick.

now, i can't think of anybody left in the tournament that could beat federer. maybe baghdatis? davydenko? i don't know.

by the way, here are some of the choices anyway.

1. pacman

manny pacquiao - the people's champ demolished erik "el terible" morales in their rematch dubbed as The Battle 2. pacman determined to beat morales showed his speed, power and technique by continously hitting him in the head and body in almost every angle eventually sending the mexican to the canvas for the first time in his impressive career. pacman the man!

2. kobe

tallying a 2nd all time best 81 points (second to wilt chamberlain's 100), kobe bryant single-handedly carried the los angeles lakers beat the toronto raptors 122-104 last night. kobe scored 26 in the first half and an unbelievable 55 in the second half. way to go kobe!

3. tochiazuma

at long last, somebody who is not asashoryu won. for the past year, after the retirement of takanohana and musashimaru, the mongolian asashoryu dominated the japanese sumo. i've been rooting for tochiazuma since i started watching sumo, but his injury kept him from being one of the great sumo wrestlers. well, this maybe the start or is asashoryu just had a break? tochiazuma, ganbare!

onse...

2006-01-23T20:06:00.000+09:00

less than a year...less than 11 months...

last year it was like 10 more years. but now, i need to meet the designer quick...

i'm happy. i'm excited. and you're invited!

fantaserye...

2005-11-11T00:43:00.000+09:00

lately, i got hooked up with this "dota" thing. making me play until 2am at home, influencing my brother to be addicted too, and we actually ended up playing in netopia for a one on one battle :-).

still in the addicted mode, i got involved with this "fantasy" thing also. not the kampanerang kuba or the encantadia you usually watch on your local channels, but it's actually a game (game nga ba to?) wherein you can create your own team, pick your own players and compete with each other.

i believe though, that these are good activities that will relax your mind, keep you away temporarily from design documents, function specs, UTPs, coding, debugging and reality.

so, create a game, sign up, be hooked up and join the fun and excitement!

sa pinakamakulay na nilalang...

2005-10-08T09:12:00.000+09:00

kahit ganyan ka... mahal ka namin :)

happy happy happy birthday 'ding donits!!! muwah!

5...

2005-09-29T01:52:00.000+09:00

five more games to playoffs. this is it! the final stretch.

red sox will host the yankees on saturday for a 3-game regular season finale. and sweeping the sox is the best yet almost impossible scenario for the yankees to clinch the division title and may put the defending champion out of the picture going into the postseason.

go yankees! go matsui!

here comes my bride...

2005-09-16T00:48:00.000+09:00

8 months..whew! a wait that seemed forever.

2 more days and we'll be together again. although she has to go back to jp again and need to earn some more yen for our wedding ;-) oh! what a bad h2b i am! hehehe.

anyway, forget that "going back" thing.

i know she will come home and she's coming home!
i am excited, really excited, just like my first trip to hakone.

HBDB!

2005-08-10T00:00:00.000+09:00

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY baby! loveu!

jologs na kung jologs...

2005-07-22T18:57:00.000+09:00

time surely flies fast when you're having fun. bin and i will be celebrating our 4th anniversary tomorrow! holycow! ambilis!

four years ago, by this time bin had already professed his undying lust for me ahehehe. and if i could describe myself then at this same time, i'd be in a client's office, intensely glaring at my desktop monitor, trying to project the i-kill-when-disturbed look, but actually thinking about "our situation". i'd be probably smiling once in a while, playing over and over what he said [sa min na lang yun!]and what happened the night before [sa min na lang din to!]in my head. i'd look probably impatient to the knowing... counting for every seconds to tick by. because i knew then that when night falls i'd see him again. hehehe drama but true...

ay, it's great to be *inlab*! tom cruise is in his 40s yet still makes a fool of himself because of chubachuchu [or so he projects lang kaya?]. many people search high and low to find, sometimes the elusive, the one [and im not referring to neo hehe]. so finding bin may seem like a stroll in the park in comparison. easy. we may have seen probable odds then, but we couldn't just deny that the feelings were so right. ;)

from that, we made the decision to be together. we started to do things together, visit new places together, experience life together. it's all what i perceived happiness to be. :)

but soon enough, in between all the joys are the trials. little arguments were sometimes blown out of proportion. most of the time, by me. hehehe i was this ma-pride person who'd make tiny issues into a matter of life and death. but still bin put up with me.

yes, i was very well-informed that in a relationship one has to take the responsibility, own his/her part to work out whatever is given to begin with. it wont work if it's a one-way thing. i've seen it soo many times. the giving one is bound to give up in the end. and the always receiving one won't just know what hits him/her. it's a pity.

but what has changed in me are not brought by what i've seen from others or what i thought a relationship should be. but from our bitter-sweet friend called experience. a year into our relationship, we had this argument that led in me asking him for a cool-off as much as he disagreed i insisted which brought him to agreeing eventually. but when reality sunk in [less than a minute?] ndi ko pala kaya!!

i learned eventually that angry words when hurled at him are curved blades. it scars us both. that saying sorry does not mean that i am a loser, but admitting that i am ready to see it his way because i believe that he would not want to intentionally hurt me. with that im now giving a conscious effort not to thread the same path where relationships are broken because of ugly pride.

i'd be gago, tanga, inutil, walang kwenta if i'd let him go.

now, i have to strongly object to katie holmes saying that "tom is the kindest, smartest, most adoring man".... my man is much better than that! [bumabawi hehehe]

hope you guys, would disagree with me too in the same light.. any sooner. ;-)

it's wimbledon! (recap)...

2005-07-04T20:56:00.000+09:00

indeed! another 1-2 seed finals showdown. a repeat performance of last year's finals and again ended in similarly the same fashion. federer the winner and roddick still at the losing end.

federer is just too good for roddick in the recently concluded wimbledon final. a 9-1 win-loss all-time record against roddick is simply a mastery. it seems no man can beat federer on grass...yet.

rafael nadal, the french open champion had an early exit after bowing out in the second round. that energetic rising kid in purontong still needs more grass exposure.

in the ladies' finals, a sweet revenge of venus for serena by beating maria sharapova in the semis and then topping lindsay davenport in that spectacular come-from-behind full-set victory in the finals. well, the williams are now back on top again.

prediction :
roddick and sharapova

it's wimbledon!

2005-06-17T20:07:00.000+09:00

can we see another federer - roddick finals showdown again?
or it's the time of that green kid in purontong?

will the beauty and talent of sharapova conquer the grass again?
or a comeback of the williams proving that they are not over yet?

catch them live starting june 20 and join me for another series of late night sports.

bente otso...

2005-06-17T19:20:00.000+09:00

si binoy ay bente otso na.
may saya at may galak sa isa na namang biyayang natanggap nya.

kay bilis ng araw, kay bilis ng taon. parang kailan lang uhugin pa sya.
patakbu-takbo sa kalsada at madalas palo ang abot dahil sa pagkamaiyakin nya.

sa paglipas ng panahon, madami na rin ang nangyari't nag-iba. mula sa nayon hanggang mapunta sya sa ibang bansa. natutong syang mabuhay na mag-isa gaya ng iba at natutong magmahal hanggang sa mabihag ang puso nya.

sabi nga ng isang kaibigan...
"i'm 28, i'm beautiful and i can get any guy i want!"

tulad nya, si binoy ay bente otso na. di man sya maganda at di man naghahangad ng binata. ngunit alam ko, sya'y nakahanap na ng babaeng pakakasalan nya.

an open lab letter...

2005-06-09T00:13:00.000+09:00

baby,

happy birthday.
i can never be articulate enough to express in words what I really feel for you.

so i'll just give you these verses that truly bring it home :)

------------------------------------
Ruth 1:16-17

But Ruth said,
"Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
Where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.

Where you die, I will die
--there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well, if even death parts me from you!"
------------------------------------

i love you.

mood change...

2005-04-19T09:34:00.000+09:00

I am the beautiful, Hiroshi Erizawa.
Take The Kawaii Japanese Name Generator by Shuichigami today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

=====================================
thanks mymythele for this :)

gameover...

2005-04-18T17:53:00.000+09:00

it's just the end of the line for me and this person.

i can't reiterate anymore all the things that make me want to run away whenever this person talks. and not engaging in any discussion with this person would be too hard but possible this time with enough will power just to save myself from slowly dying of repressed 'suya'. let's just say that we clash in personalities, so much that you'd applaud me dear people for knowing that it takes so much strength on my part to withhold my usual mataray self. see, most of you may not even have a clue. 'cause i swear, i tried hard to give this so-called kinship a gazillion second-looks. but everytime, i end up virtually whacking my head for actually believing that there could be more good than bad to this person as far as my opinion on what constitutes the bad and the good is concern.

i could take the severe kayabangan, mind you it's really severe and it doesnt come few far between. i could take the always grossly put false humility. but it's the trust or the lack of it on my part that irates me the most. it's no wonder that if this person has the skin to make fun [or thrash, as far as current event is concern] of and behind the back of this other person and still has the nerve to call him/herself a friend to this other person, then no doubt i am severely screwed as much as my reputation goes to the poor fellows who have no choice but to listen, who may or may not know me personally just so he/she can bask to whatever little speck of light he/she has. the people this person's constantly with? i so pity by the way.

spring again...

2005-04-07T13:41:00.000+09:00

nope, it's N/A where I am now but to MLB followers, spring starts no matter where you are.

the yankees and the red sox - perhaps, the greatest rivalry in professional sports, opened the 2005 season at the yankee stadium and hideki matsui homered registering the first homerun of the season.

new york nipped boston 9-2 infront of about 54,000 fans.

oh yes! my baseball life!

purple daruman...

2005-02-13T23:22:00.000+09:00

now, i am proud to say... i am not a ski-virgin anymore ;) hah! i finally, finally [cannot stress it enough] conquered my fear of getting hit by ski blades and messing up the immaculately white snow with my blood... ummm ok, at least for a little while there.

after much shoving and the fear of eating lunch at my desk for a week [minimum!] just because i cannot relate to lunch conversations [oh, how i hate being left out on anything hehe], i gave in and had my name listed on this "must-do" daw. believe me, i got wide-eyed-cant-believe-you're-such-a-coward-bordering-on-pity looks from people who knew that i have been passing up on this chance for quite a while. so, just to get this over and done with, i gave in to peer pressure, replied yes to the coord, gave my stats and paid the fees. oh yeah peer pressure's also to blame for buying all those ski stuff i should have just rented.:) i just figured if i get hit by blades anyway might as well i be in-style...new gloves, goggles and new warmers...[grrrr it was later ruined by an ill-fitting, vintage, rented ski suit].

because it was a 3-day weekend, we left tokyo for nagano thursday night and returned sunday morning. we were about 13 in a throng of millions of pinoys...no kidding! i've never seen this big gathering of kababayans after my sunday 'stints' are over. :)

3 stopovers, 1 american hotdog and hours of sleep later, i had my first walk or should i say crawl on snow. that time i just missed bin the most. :) had he been there with me, he'd be literally pushing me up. [ummm bin, i could hear a sigh of relief from here, will you be discreet please... :D]

after dropping our things at the inn and convincing the staff there to give me something that resembles a ski suit [looking like an ube mascot suggests i failed miserably on this], we started the show.

since we had "experts" [naks!] in the group, we didn't "enroll" in the ski lesson provided by the inn. aside from the money we'd be saving for that, it's a whole lot better to have someone you know to teach you. case in point, i couldn't imagine harassing the nihonjin senseis to not let go of me until i am comfortably settled. hehehe. i know the "experts" are this short '-' to wringing my neck. the only clincher could be that they know i have charming personality anyway sans the ski. ;)

it took me just about 30 minutes to learn how to move on snow... which really surprised me. [to emphasize, i dont, cant and wont bike.] "ooohhh i am sooo good. life's a bliss. i'm just born to do this, baby!"... or so i thought.

26 years devoid of any physical activity took an abrupt toll on me. i gave up almost instantly as i'd learned the v's and brakes and finding my balance. in fairness, i really did not have any bad fall and no shedding of my precious blood happened .i just felt that my knees were too old to endure such weight. as the saying goes 'my mind is willing, but my sexy body is weak'. i was practically paraphlegic all-day after a half-day of gliding.

but whatever's the case, i pretty much had a great time. me and friends got to build a snowman aka igloo aka pyramid of egypt aka giant ebs aka ice cream. whaddahel am i talking about? simply put 'the form is in the eye of the beholder'. :)

i also did some soul searching, most of the time... asleep. got to continue my reading, learned one nihonggo word, took community baths again and contemplated on really buying this brand of camera and an ipod. see, very productive trip nevertheless.

that experience's just enough to last me a lifetime [read: nobody can make me join one again! hehe]
------------------------------------------------------------
thanks to my senseis... rumel, jeff and neil! you guys are really gooood. it was just me. ;)

hakone...

2005-01-28T17:04:00.000+09:00

heard of hakone?
four years ago, all i knew is that hakone is a brand of sardines.

now, hakone is not only that sardines usually canned with tomato sauce but also a very signifant and memorable place....to me :-).

for sure i can't perfectly describe it but here's a glimpse taken in an isometric view.

hakone is a place about 80kms. from tokyo. a popular destination not only for foreigners but also to local tourists. maybe because of its various hot springs, historical spots and gardens aside from its beautiful sceneries one would not fail to appreciate. a magnificent view of mt. fuji can be established up in the mountain while enjoying the hakone ropeway ride connecting one side of the mountain to the other. there are also old fashioned-ships available that cruise through the lake which is situated between the mountains. the coldness of the water mists over the lake adds a unique feeling and charm of the place. when starvation comes in the middle of the trip, a quick stop at the popular “egg store” should not be missed. there they sell sulfur-boiled eggs that are said to prolong one’s life for seven years!

there are lots more to describe but my vocabulary is limited to describe its beauty. visit hakone sometime and see the sights.

that’s the snap shot of hakone, a beautiful place especially for nature lovers. but it’s not the beauty that makes it so special to me. it is the moments in my first trip to hakone.

[story intentionally omitted]

rish knows the whole story. yes, because she’s the reason why it’s special. :-)

few more days and i’ll be going home (for good?). as i empty my cabinet and start packing my things i couldn’t help but reminisce. i will really miss a lot of things. i'll miss japan. coming to japan was a great opportunity. full of memories. many good and not so good experiences. memories and experiences i will never forget. i can't enumerate them all. just too many to fit all the years i've been here. but i’ll miss rish the most.

okay, hold it right there... im getting too emotional [and mushy to some i know .. .hehehe]. water is starting to fill my eyes just by writing this :-). boys don't cry! [note to self]. besides i know she’ll go home and i’ll wait for her. and i’ll be as excited as my first trip to hakone.

huwow...

2005-01-28T16:17:00.000+09:00

see!! i am such a contented, independent and matured woman for my age... tests like this dont lie folks!

You Are 29 Years Old

29

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

---------------------------------------------
postscript: i actually fell out of my chair with the result. haha. people who knows me well would most probably think my answers are all BS. :P

simple things...

2005-01-18T09:54:00.000+09:00

an excerpt from today's chat...
=======================
putik_00: ohio baby
alvin: ohio baby
putik_00: busy?
alvin: ok lang po
alvin: bakit po?
putik_00: ay wala po
putik_00: :D
putik_00: para lang sobra busy ka
alvin: actually busy po
alvin: release sa 21
putik_00: hihihihi
putik_00: kaw talaga
========================
tell me, how can i not love this guy? :D

what i learned from work...

2004-12-09T14:41:00.000+09:00

i feel so sad today.

my boss-nanay will be transfered to a different group and it has to happen soon. haay. i maybe OA to some people who've seen my ym status earlier [yup, "some good things never last" is all about this] but sad is what i am, really.

it's a shock to everyone much so to her. it's something like she's informed yesterday, and she must move today. and the manner on how she delivered the news to us makes us all sad in the group, even more. at first i didnt quite get it [meetings are always in nihongo] and so i just listened and picked out some words along the way [i got "transfer" "different group" and "soon"]. but she must have expected i didnt completely get it. so she explained it to me in english [it was just us two that time]. she said sorry for not to telling this to us any earlier but we all know she didnt need to. i am sure i saw tears brimming in her eyes when we were talking. she must really love the job that she's doing and leaving is not what she want right now. i'm proud in a way for myself that i managed to think of the right words to say. i told her that this must mean new challenges for her and congratulations is in order, and thanked her profusely for all the things and knowledge she imparted to me.

i didn't know that for almost two years i am assigned here i should be really thankful for the people i work with, much so my bosses [i have a nanay and tatay]...until now. looking back, i really never had any problems with them... and i'm not saying i am never one to them. but then again, they never really showed it. they are constantly appreciative of things we arubaitos do. they never looked down on us. they really know how to motivate you to believe in yourself. i got sick and they never did make me feel that i need to get back to work immediately. they were even the ones to offer me vacation leaves so i can rest.

being the opinionated me, i couldn't imagine myself hinting any nasty remarks back at them. [apart from the seatmate-pana that i always have the urge to strangle because he is always sarcastic, sardonic and loud in a bad way even to his own, very nice if i may add, boss!].

see, it's almost heaven at work. and without batting an eyelash i'd say, i love working here a lot more than back home. i dont even care if i render 60hrs overtime for work and not file for it. [yes i can get crazy sometimes]

this must be what it means when they say "you cannot command respect. you need to earn it." i've learned that i still can be an obedient and respectful follower and not be jaded when it comes to rules and authority, after all.

stepping out from limbo...

2004-11-30T17:48:00.000+09:00

** rish brings out pompoms and attempts a cartwheel**

yeba!! yeba!! i'll be home for Christmas!!! see you soon my beautiful friends! :D

birthday girl...

2004-11-12T01:26:00.000+09:00

" for happy times shared through the years, 

     for the loyalty, love, laughter and tears. 

  for the special things only you can do [wink!], 

     for all these and more, I thank you!

  time and space may separate us, 

     but heartstrings know no end.

  i'm so proud to call you my sister, 

     prouder still to call you my friend. "

=================================
vy, you'll always have me watching your back. i love you!

limbo...

2004-11-10T20:02:00.000+09:00

that's where i am now as far as my giddiness for the coming holidays is concern. i just wrote to my senpai desperately asking for a few days off. i know i'm wishing against fate here... we'll be at the middle of study for next year's project on those dates. haaaaaayyy... if i am the senpai, i would probably be more inclined to say 'no'. tsk. but i'm hoping my mail will strike a maagang-pamasko chord in him. :)

now, all i can do is wait, wait and wait... and think of things to do or places to go should the worst scenario happen.. arayko.

any suggestions?

someday...

2004-11-03T01:48:00.000+09:00

basketball.

yep, that's the first thing that pops out of my mind when asked of philippine sports. billiards is the closest in my list but the popularity of basketball is simply undeniable. playing on dirt or hardcourt doesn't really matter. in the gym or in the street makes no difference. for as long as there is the "basket", the game is on.

that i can compare with baseball in japan.

no question, the pba is widely considered as asia's oldest professional basketball league and that the country has been the dominating force in asia in the past. winning asian games gold medals in the 50's and early 60's, a number of gold medals in asian basketball conference and a consistent gold medalist in sea games since 1977.

with that popularity and dominance, i often wonder why we still don't have any player in the nba.

so close with johnny abarrientos though.

japan on the other hand, which is known in the baseball world, (with major league stars like ichiro and matsui) but not in basketball, will now also be recognized in that field, as the phoenix suns officially included 5-9, 24-year old, yuta tabuse in their 2004-2005 roster. this marks tabuse as the first japanese player to make it to the nba.

now, i continue to wonder.

but, i still believe somebody will finally make it...someday.

about a girl...

2004-10-08T10:54:00.000+09:00

how i tried not to give her this... the rejoicing feeling of being called "a girl". :) not that i hate her, [how can you hate the ONLY person who trusted you to snip away her hair twice?!] i am just sadista that i so love it when she tries so damn hard to defend herself... [she gets too emotional kasi with this topic hehehe... figures noh?:) ]. but since she is my "dear" friend [no wonder i have too few "dear" friends hehehe], i agreed to give her my very own version of "benefit of the doubt" and "on second thought", and started on calling her "bading".

ok, before i get the gay community pounding my door, suing me for libel, or worst, plotting how to castigate me [that includes another "dear friend" who might read this... ;) ]... please be assured that this girl i am talking about, holds no criminal record [yun nga lang not necessarily of good moral character hehehe ], is trustworthy [gee, this i really hope, she knows too damn well about me... ] and is praying for world peace... so associating her to your preference-slash-orientation[i hope i got this one right :) ] would not in anyway be a derogatory statement :)... fair enough?

uh well... that would be until you see her in her most-kahihiyan-challeged-self and we will all agree to mark her "unclassified"! mwahahahaha...

but i'm not about to give the full details of her katok chronicles, because i'm still entrusting so many of my bloopers to her [which failed in comparison, way down below her count and gravity believe me...] and i know that she gets very creative in taking revenge [insert luka-laugh here] :P

i'm just here to tell you of how i remember this girl and of at least those "clean and censored" things that she did, those i know she'll one day can forgive me for blogging :P so here we go...

- i remember when she made this to-do list before she turned 2_ [was that 26??? hehe], and that includes going to madagascar. yes, of all places, yes, madagascar. weird noh? ask her why and her answer is weirder. :)

- i remember her singalong version of m2m!! ooohh i won't forget that... she played the cd, nonstop, gasgas na yun ha. to the point that i had to threaten her to play it once more or she'll never find it again! :D so when she tells you her favorites are indigo girls, enya, ebtg ... no waaaaayyy... it's m2m :P

- she's always been a morning person that she wakes up at really ungodly hours! [6-7am to me is still ungodly hehe]i'd be still on my 2nd rem cycle and she'd already be there up bathed and dressed and/or reading. but come nightime she'd be sleeping way too early... and it didn't matter if she's at other people's place, in a car, or in a bar! yup, she can fall asleep in the middle of those drums and electric guitars, [maybe it helped when the band's b-o-r-i-n-g]... but now, she has this crazy schedule, that i am wondering how is she putting up with it... hmmm [tsong, di ka pa naman durugista no?? :P]

- i wouldn't really call her a fashionista 'cause that would either mean she follows trend or it's her fashion that's being followed... she's not any of the two... kasi she's one of a kind when it comes to this! she just has this distinct taste. that i still dont get sometimes hehehe... from hair [don't let me start on this.. her hair has been subjected to different kinds of abuse!] down to her hats [the bonnet with fake hair?? sa office?? ] to her dress [you should see her babae-sa-balete-drive costume!] to her shoes [eto medyo tame] hehehe ... but then i admire her courage to wear what she wants... :D

- she reads a lot!! something i should be happy about because this would mean lotsa books to borrow! but then i found her reading taste too... wide i suppose. there was this one time when she gushed how this certain writer answers man's questions about God that she convinced me to buy a copy and so i did [couldn't borrow hers because she lives so far from me that time]... but it turned out to be a complete bore to me... :P i'm always after the entertainment factor kasi! :D so now, i checked online book reviews first when she recommends something hehehe

- she's eksibisyonista. [no details follow]

- she's my first business partner :D hey! we sold all our items ha. and she's one hell of an advertiser. imagine she managed to sell a pair of earrings to our company's driver??? :D

- she'd dance for discounts!! kaya di sya malimutan ni mang willie! hehehe

so there, now i don't know what will happen of this friendship :P . but this i tell you... inspite, despite and because of all those things, i'm happy that she remains so "dear" to me. :) and of the years that went by without seeing each other [almost 2 yrs!] made me look forward to going home this december all the more. :D
---------------------------
happy birthday to you, dear! :D

the baroks travelled...

2004-09-27T13:13:00.000+09:00

everytime a friend asks how was our trip to singapore, my ready answer would be bitin! it was, really. although sg is such a small place [you can conveniently go from end to end by mrt in a halfday], bin and i failed to fit everything there is to see, visit or taste into 4 whole days. had there been a couple of days more, we could have spent it for more shopping [definitely!], more food tasting [although this could mean more kgs tipping the scale hehe] or more pudpod to my very reliable tsinelas [which i don't really mind hehehe]. but don't get me wrong peeps, as bitin as it turned out, it was just simply our best vacation to date [di ba bin???]:D something i could not resist to blog hehehe...

this plan of visiting the land of endangered animals in zoos started early part of this year. although moolah will always be the problem [at least to us huhuhu], ryoko trips from japan are made way feasible than from pinas because of nihonjins' love for travelling/spending is so great thus, airfares to different places are much cheaper [read: tourism always means business... ex. rountrip-airfare to hawaii could go as low as 4man-en!! di ba??]. this sg plan started so long-ago that i can't even remember if it was mami bhing who invited us first or was it me who started to give hints to them about this sg escapade :) whatever's the case, everything just took off from there.

we chose a september date because aside from a two-day japanese holiday in a week, we figured the tickets are cheaper. [yes, it can also be astronomically high]although there were major changes, from joinees [wink wink! there's always next time naman dibs? :D ] to itineraries, bin and i were really bent on pushing through with this plan. we know, opportunities for travel come rare, so might as well go when we still can. [or so, i told bin] :)

the timing turned to be great. it was the week right after one of my i-feel-like-dying days and a week before bin says goodbye to yokohama and hello to gifu. and the PLUS that didn't cross our minds until we got there... was that we could have the chance to watch the final episode of Amazing Race 5! yey!! I really made sure then to include this in our sched hehehe[ambabaw no! but hey! to AR-deprived fanatic like moi it was euphoria! :P ] the timing couldn't be any better. :P

this trip was the first, for the longest time, we really felt we're just tourists . it didn't matter if we only have so little money in our pockets, armed with map borrowed from mami bhing and our experience in surviving in a foreign land [read: kung sa nihon nga walang nag-iingles! ]we explored sg by mrt, bus and minimized taxi rides as much as we can. we travelled in-style, er at least the only way we know how, that's with video cam and digicam strapped to our bodies [good thing bin forgot the tripod... kundi we'd be like paparazzis at large hehe]. bin had been trigger-happy in taking videos of almost anything we saw. ask jo, who already watched it, she felt like she was with us the whole time, di ba tsong? :P

some days were spent touching base with species from kingdom animalia. you'll wonder how much the country actually spent for this. you see, they have sg open zoo [which we decided to forego due to lack of time], night safari [think jurassic! my favorite of all, though i'm still not friends with the monkeys and the bats hehe], jurong bird park [they have this big dome, with hanging bridges, where you can freely commune with birds of different kinds], the sentosa underwater world, dolphin lagoon, a butterfly and insect kingdom [which we happily skipped :D ]. i could not help but to admire of how big the singaporean people made out of how little they got.

my favorite place in sg probably is the island called sentosa. for 3SGD [that's 99 pesos of entrance fee and bus fare] you can take nature walks by the beach, unlimited monorail and bus rides within the island and access to so many free shows [the magical fountain's got to be the best]. :D if i get to live in sg, i can imagine myself visiting the place every weekend, renting a tent, basking under the sun :) however, that time we decided to indulge ourselves a little more and spent the night in sentosa resort and spa. really relaxing place... but prices for everything in this resort are quite steep... the spa, the meals... good thing there's burger king! [umiral ang pagka-pinoy hehe] anyway, they have very nice pool which we got to try the morning of day two. so masaya na si bin dun :D

we also got to experience the downtown sg by visiting simlim center-i guess this is the akihabs of singapore, lucky plaza - i've seen most of the filipinos i got to see on our whole stay in sg in this mall! no wonder this is turning out to be an extension of our very own tutuban mall :D, the suntec city - where mami and i took to heart the singaporean tradition of going round the fountain and wishing! ;) and the science center- that bin and i really got to enjoy! imagine us two in throngs of kids from grade school competing for every good seats they have for different experiments, trivias, video games and internet... :D we were even the last person to leave the museum! i could just imagine what were the guards thinking then hehehe something like... "san kayang bundok galing tong mga barok na to?? " hehehe

we also did not pass the chance to taste their authentic cuisine [si bin pa! basta sa food... hehehe ipinasa...], this includes chicken rice and the famous chili crab [my first crab in more than a year!! ] it was mean chili i tell you, left my tongue with second degree burns hehehe but still yummy!!

there... just about everything I can tell of our sg escapade. i know as always, i failed miserably in story-telling. so to make it easier for yourself to imagine, just think of fun, fun, fun! because that's what it was to us :D

---------------------------------------
muchas gracias to dadi dennis and mami bhing for being the warmest hosts to us! thank you for taking us in, for showing us around, for always making sure we are comfortable and for sharing us your adorable kids :D we owe you big time! see you naman dito :D

and from my end, thanks to bin for being such a wonderful travelmate :) i figured we could win the amazing race for you're such a zak to a flo like me. :D

me and my ox...

2004-09-16T23:44:00.000+09:00

you've probably heard of the amazing race season 5 leg in the philippines and maybe you've actually watched some episodes. just some minutes ago, we were watching some video clips, well, that's all we could get because they don't televise it here. rish is actually planning to buy a dvd copy. well, she needs to pass around a form to collect signatures then submit to CBS or to whom it may concern convincing them that millions of people out there are dying for a dvd copy. then after a month, i'll just go to virra mall and get a copy :-).

anyway, what caught my attention in one of the video clips is the ox, or so they call it but to us Filipinos is a carabao, and the plowing in the field. that scene reminds me of my farming days. still vivid in my mind the times i wrestle with the plow while maneuvering and forcely catching steps to keep up with the ox's pace. i also did experience plowing with a hand tractor, that is a lot easier to handle but shakes your entire body that after the work you feel like you've been electrocuted.

i have had so many experiences with plowing, fields and carabaos, it actually feels just like yesterday, but this is all i want to share for the meantime :-).

sablay na naman...

2004-09-09T22:14:00.000+09:00

shot down by the archers, clawed by the eagles, beaten by the warriors, and that's it, the falcons have fallen.

their hope to be in the final four is now gone, their aim for the title has totally vanished, and my prediction, again, is a mistake. i did believe that their early surge in the first round was no fluke, that a new revitalized team is yet to be witnessed in the second round. but my expectations were all wrong.

the maroons on the other hand have awaken and still vying a seat in the magic four.

i predicted roddick to win over federer in the wimbledon, but federer won. in the world pool championship, i penciled "bata" in my champion's box, but pagulayan took the crown. oh well, that's prediction, even weather forecasters with their gadgets and instruments sometimes mislead people with their sunny-day-turned-stormy-and-floody-day forecast.

in focus (recap)...

2004-08-30T18:50:00.000+09:00

the 17-day event has reached its end and athens bade goodbye to the athletes and visitors, formally closing out the 2004 edition of the olympic games.

before finally leaving athens and start preparing for beijing 2008, here's a recap of "in focus".

>1. the rp team's quest for the gold.
no gold, no medal. another fruitless medal campaign and a continuing wake up call for the country. despite a not so good performance, still my hand salute to the athletes and coaches.

>2. us men's basketball team.
a disappointing bronze medal for a team full of nba stars. a dream team every one thought of its invulnerability and dominance was beaten twice in the eliminations before bowing to argentina in the semifinals. luckily, they've managed to edge out lithuania in the bronze medal match escaping a more dismal outcome. it was never a walk in the park but rather a long rough journey almost ended in vain.

argentina took the gold medal by trouncing italy in the finals.

>3. japan's baseball team.
it was predicted as cuba vs. japan for the gold medal match just before the quarterfinals. but australia beat japan in the semis denying their bid for the gold.

cuba blasted australia for the gold. japan settled for the bronze.

>4. ian thorpe and kosuke kitajima.
thorpe won two golds - 200m and 400m freestyle. he is third in 100m freestyle. thorpe is still the best middle-range freestyler in the world.

kitajima took gold in both of his 100m and 200m breaststroke events. now japan's first swimmer to have won two golds in the olympics.

in addition, michael phelps of the us took 8 medals. 6 of them are gold. won both gold in 100m and 200m butterfly. phelps challenged ian thorpe in 200m freestyle but outlasted by the thorpedo, finishing third for the bronze.

phelps was trying to match or even break the record set by mark spitz of seven golds in 1972 munich olympic games but came short. maybe in 2008.

>5. japan women's volleyball team.
not enough for a podium. japan made it to the quarterfinals but the brazilians show them the exit so quickly. powerhouse china came from a two-set deficit before finally thrashing russia in the finals for the gold. cuba took the bronze.

>6. tennis.
no roddick vs. federer in athens olympics men's singles finals. not even in the quarterfinals. federer lost as early as the second round of the tournament. the following day, roddick tumbled.

nicolas massu of chile took the gold.
world ranked no. 1 justine henin-hardenne of belgium won the gold in the women's singles.

last night...

2004-08-26T12:08:00.000+09:00

the scene: bin will take out the garbage, he asked me to look out for him from the balcony [this i don't get hehehe maybe something to do with paranoia?:D ]...

'okidoks' i said. seeing him using the elevator, going to the dumpsite, smiling to me as he heads for the lift when he returned, a "brilliant" idea came to mind. you see, he is always a step ahead of me... always. many times i was contemplating of doing something but turned out he has already done or prepared for it. be it something essential or practical jokes i so prepared. he always beats me.

so that time i made sure that i'll pull it off. i planned my very elementary-ish joke. i'll hide in the dark when he gets out of the lift on his return and use my scariest voice and call out his name. yep, i was convinced that this will make his heart jump, bad noh?

i knew i positioned myself well. i had no shadow that will betray me hiding just beside the lift. i even saw it ascended ... 2,3,4... i held my breath, ready for action... that's when i heard him call me from behind!

oh yes! i can't describe what i felt... it was like pouring ice cold water over my head... oh yes! my practical joke boomeranged. he knew i hid somewhere so he decided to take the stairs. he was laughing at how i looked. to him, i seemed like a soldier ready for combat!!geeessshhh...

but you know what the sweet thing was, he took seconds first to decide how to call me... he knows i'm so magugulatin... that even he had the sweet chance to scare the hell out of me he just chose not to... he called my name in his softest voice :D

he's so unlike me... that still after that, continues on planning for revenge hahaha... kaya bin, humanda ka! :D

arigatous...

2004-08-20T17:17:00.000+09:00

celebrating birthdays in-style here in japan means preparing food, usually dinner, for every filipino friends around. simple the event may sound but definitely not to the one who'll be preparing everything, in most cases, the celebrant. so when it was me who had to do the job, i made sure i enlisted my friends' help before i hit the kitchen. :)

our preparation started way too late. i planned it to be early, really... but as what should be expected from our usual fridays, the supposedly early morning gising for that saturday [dday] turned to be 1230pm! so just imagine my panic attack since i told everybody that dinner will be served by 7 and that barely two hours before our grocery time i still couldn't decide what to prepare :O good thing, jo, bin and che's minds become creative when it comes to food, my initial plan of two-course meal became five!:D

since drew's place is huge [compare it to our's it is definitely huge], it is always the default choice for venue of all higashi celebrants. i know he should be asking for venue fee but bless the goodness of his heart [naks sipsip! sa uulitin!], he doesn't and cooks for the celebrant pa! so there in shonandai we peeled potatoes and carrots, chopped onions and garlic, talop-ed the pina, diced the mangoes as fast and as skillful as we could. :D

to these great people who made my bday feast possible... jo and che for the refreshing icy fruity delight...drew for his first yummy maja...bin for the crispy tilapya...che for the vegetable soup and jo again for the chicken jo :P...my big doumo arigatou goes out for you guys!!!

as for those who did not have the chance to attend... here's something to make you drool... :D

--------------------------------
ps. special thanks din to the hugas-pinggan barkada... it was a lot easier with you :D

birds of prey...

2004-08-20T12:52:00.000+09:00

the falcons had a good pre-season billing - a strong contender for the final four and the dark horse of this year's uaap men's basketball. living up to the expectation, they surged immediately into the standings with 3-1 win-loss record and occupied the second spot just behind ateneo with a 4-0 slate. they've even clobbered the archers during that stretch.

but as the season continues, things changed for the falcons. that bird of prey turned into a fowl that flaps its wings haplessly, dropping successive games and now find themselves so close to that familiar spot - the cellar.

the eagles on the other hand continued soaring. despite the fall of one of their main men - larry fonacier, they managed to fill up the void, made a good grip of the top spot and still keep on gliding.

whether the falcons' early performance is a fluke or not, it is still yet to be proven though. five more games remaining and there is still a chance. perhaps, the odds are even bigger than the rp contingents' hopes for a gold medal in athens. coach luigi trillo's boys need a lot, i mean, lots and lots of hard work to end the almost 3-decade of championship title drought.

i still believe they can make it to the final four. as for the crown, well, nothing is impossible.

note:
the last time the falcons won the men's basketball crown was in 1977, when hector "the director" calma was orchestrating the plays on the court.

in focus...

2004-08-14T12:34:00.000+09:00

the flame has finally arrived to athens and the 2004 olympics is now officially started. so sad that local channels here won't probably air some games i want to watch. i'll just catch them in the morning news and of course, the internet.

here are some events and moments one (or i) should not miss.

1. the rp team's quest for the gold.
can we finally bring home a gold this time? with only few of our athletes (16 if i am not mistaken) managed to qualify, chance is small yet not impossible though. high hopes to our boxers and taekwondo jins. so sad that billiards is still missing in action. pocketing a gold would then be much easier with a bunch of cue masters we have.

2. us men's basketball team.
the 1992 dream team with jordan, bird, johnson among other superstars started the gold harvest of the us squad. that strength continued until the sydney olympics. will this be another walk in the park?

3. japan's baseball team.
with no godzilla and ichiro in the lineup, the team has to fill up that two big holes to stand abreast with baseball powerhouse cuba. hideki matsui and ichiro are playing in the mlb and were not allowed by their ballclubs due to the ongoing mlb season. united states did not qualify to the olympics. well, probably because mlb players were not in the team.

4. ian thorpe and kosuke kitajima.
can they shatter olympic records? watch them swim ala donita.

5. japan women's volleyball team.
with takeshita orchestrating the offense of the group with full of young talents and experienced ones, can they crash the wall of china, overpower brazil and outspeed the quickness of cuba? not counting out russia and italy though.

6. tennis.
will there be another federer vs. roddick in tennis men's singles finals?

catch them all here.

so, let the games begin!

the ring...

2004-08-11T00:15:00.000+09:00

not the boxers' ground, it's the thing that's round
the sparkling,lovely band but not the scary one
it doesn't rule nor harm only the iron that binds
readying two people to become one.

earth to rish...

2004-08-04T17:40:00.000+09:00

i've been slacking off on this, and people are starting to notice, bad. unless, we can all consider a song i posted earlier a valid post...can't we? :P

my mind's a total mess these days,... er at least when it comes to blogging. i cannot complete any of the drafts i started. hmmmm, i hope it's not the blogging spirit starting to wane on me. :(

ok, just so to make it a little easier, i'll share what i have been doing these past few [not quite, i know] days. aside from work, let's see...

- [a good way to start hehehe...] i've been studying for exams... or should i say cramming, old habits die hard. one is nihonggo and the other one, well, i refuse to tell. i'll just blog about it [maybe] when i pass. :P

- watched two movies. itsybitsy spidey with bin and shrek 2 with bin and 9 other ogre-adoring people:) spidey 2 was ok to me. now, i'm convinced that only tobey can give justice to this webby character. i just can't imagine any of the actors i know who can play a loser and a hero at the same time. :) bin and i liked this better than the first. probably this has a lot to do with the villain[not-so] doc ock [btw, side-kwento, i have heard of antimatter twice in a week, from this and a book by brown, timing!], as for kirsten we find her more stunning before... in bring it on hehe. shrek 2? we just love love love it!

- i have also been to a friend's bday party... she turned 28 [i think i'd better stop right there :) ]

- i've also been trying to read three books at the same time... emphasis on trying:p ... catcher in the rye, which i love but cant seem to finish :( the first of the shopaholic series [well, i'm proud i'm still miles away when compared to becky's spending habits!] and angels and demons that keeps me awake til 2 am!

- went to the dentist for a root-canal... another activity my lazy-self managed to put off for 2 months, yaiks! urgh, dental care in japan doesn't come cheap! i paid 5k+ yen for my first visit for this one [expletive] tooth [w/ houken pa yan ha!] and i still need to go back at least 3 times pa. :O partly it's my fault that i'm spending this HUGE [it's huge to me considering my current financial situation hehe], the root canal procedure was started last may pa but they have to start again because i didn't set an appointment at least a month earlier than last sat. tsktsktsk... [good thing, ma can't read this:P] but still, ndi makatarungan ang singil! i wonder if they have DTI here? :P

- went to torihama with bin for a little dose of shopping then took a side trip to sea paradise. there i celebrated three years of partnership and continued service to the filipino people with bin :)

so there, plus probably some more shopping, dinner out with bin and friends, bumming around in higashi, losing nisenyen in pusoy dos ... all that and planning my life in between. :)

relax, see a movie...

2004-07-30T12:41:00.000+09:00

warning:
The film clips below contain scenes that are not intended for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

if you've already seen it, never mind.
but if not yet, turn on your surround sound, turn of your lights, sit tight, relax and see the movie.

bull's eye...

2004-07-29T11:15:00.000+09:00

:)
No one ever saw me like you do,
All the things that I could add up to,
I never knew just what a smile was worth,
But your eyes say everything without a single word.

'Cause there's something in the way you look at me,
It's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece,
You make me believe that there's nothing in this world I can't be,
I never know what you see,
But there's something in the way you look at me.

If I could freeze a moment in my mind,
It'll be the second that you touch your lips to mine,
I'd like to stop the clock, make time stand still,
'Cause baby this is just the way I always wanna feel...

...I don't know how or why I feel different in your eyes,
All I know is it happens every time...

...'Cause there's something in the way you look at me,
It's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece,
You make me believe that there's nothing in this world I can't be,
I never know what you see,
But there's something in the way you look at me...

=============================
The Way You Look At Me
by Christian Bautista

one, two, three!...

2004-07-23T23:31:00.000+09:00

and counting! :-)

roger federer won his 2nd wimbledon title this year. lance armstrong is racing for his unprecedented six in a row. kenneth duremdes will be playing for his 9th all-star game. alex pagulayan took his 1st wpc trophy.

well, for rish and me, we're happy and blessed celebrating the 3rd.

buhay siklista...

2004-07-21T00:33:00.000+09:00

after his first stage win in the alps, lance armstrong regained the familiar yellow jersey. armstrong, one of the 5 five-time winner, is right on track and created a 1-minute 25-second lead over his closest rival, racing for his 6th record-breaking tour de france title.

the tour will resume on its 16th stage tomorrow.

can he breakaway? well, follow armstrong and the rest of the pack as they continue to pedal to the mountains.

mang bata...

2004-07-15T15:39:00.000+09:00

this is my all-time-number-one-whatever-sport-idol, mang efren :) this super galing, humble, charming [-ly toothless hehe] guy has endeared himself not just to us, his kababayans but all the other billiard fans who have had the privilege to watch him in action.

so this world pool championship is a must-watch! [um, for our case must-check sa internet:P ] he is expected to once again play his magic on the table and emerge as the champion...nobody else... er, at least by 4 people i know :)

---------------------------------------------------------
POSTSCRIPT: unfortunately, my "bata" lost (wpc's won by a "part-time" filipino)... sigh... i must have felt it beforehand, as i only bet a candy :)anyway, there's always next time :P

stars at the all-star...

2004-07-14T15:35:00.000+09:00

this is houston...the place of mlb's 75th all-star game.

but before the all-stars' clash, boxing legend muhammad ali threw the ceremonial pitch, actually, he did'nt throw, just handed the balls, one from each hand to the two kids who will actually do the pitching.

while going to the mound, ali showed some boxing moves -- combination punches, even gave derek jeter few play punches later in the mound, trying to display one of his elegant moves and unshakable stances during his reign.

after the opening pitches, american idol 3rd-season winner fantasia barrino sung in her own rendition of the us national anthem, which was not pitchy for me :-), i just don't know how the fans and the judges reacted :-). i don't know either how irish would have commented if she was able to watch it.

not to be overshadowed by the powerful voice of fantasia, american idol second-season winner ruben studdard sung "God Bless America" in the seventh inning stretch.

the game's highlight started early in the first inning, when the american league all-stars drove 6 runs from starting pitcher roger clemens, who received an achievement award during the game. the national league all-stars came back and rallied in the 4th inning by scoring 3 runs but it was not enough, losing the game 4-9 and the american league rolled to their 7th consecutive wins since 1997, not including the tied-game in 2002.

with bunches of stars in the field, alfonso soriano emerged as the biggest star of them all by hitting a 3-run homerun in the 1st and eventually winning his first all-star game MVP award.

tgif in odaiba...

2004-07-11T16:25:00.000+09:00

last friday was spent differently as i decided to grab the chance to leave my work early for a little trip to odaiba. our company managed to acquire tickets to an IT expo and everybody were invited, so long you're willing to spend for transpo and get clearance from your day's work. asking permission to go from my senpai was easy, he was never difficult with things like this. what made me think twice in going though was the sure two thousand yen i'd have to shell out for transpo... but because that was odaiba [venus fort instantly came to mind], with a camera in my bag i went anyway.

my very first click was of this imposing structure that housed the expo for three days. cool huh? :) first time i've been here was about 4 years ago, same expo as far as i can remember. this starwars-inspired building called tokyo bigsight has a total flr area of 230,873 sqm, of which 80,660 sqm dedicated to indoor exhibition spaces [info i only lifted from their website minus the starwars thingy :P]. it is practically situated amidst odaiba's cluster of malls, exhibition halls and amusement park [yeah, ferris wheel and all]. every gaijin should visit odaiba, architecture like this is almost everywhere :)

as for the expo, i guess it was a success judging from the number of japanese IT companies from here and abroad that joined. the company i belong to had one booth shared with 5 others in a space provided for our country. you know what's the "fun part" here? knowing the volatile people movement within IT community in the philippines, it would be inevitable to meet somebody you know from your previous company/ies. so when me and my partner [i was with an officemate/friend pala] went, we were at least half expecting that we'd meet again people from our previous "endeavor" which turned out to be the same company . thus, when we saw this somebody, a manager i think [i swear i forgot the name] we did exchange brief pleasantries [or at least tried to :D], you know, him saying the usual " musta ka na? ang tagal mo na dito ha? galing mo na siguro magnihonggo?" to which i replied "ndi pa rin... nasa inyo pa ba si *** ". turned out i sounded i expected the person i asked to have left already. sagot sya sounding offended "oo naman". ngiti na lang ako... [sorry di sadya hehe].

hmmm, i forgot to mention earlier that we were looking forward to the freebies each booth had to offer. the moment we reached the hall [it was already 3pm when we got there!] and had brief hello to everybody i felt like greeting [konti lang sila hehe] we went around signing everything we could :P [they will only give you those freebies in exchange for a filled out survey form]. i intentionally did not take pictures inside to maximize the remaining 2 hrs. of the exhibit :). the giveaways varied from the very handy electric fan and stress ball to popcorn and bottled water that made up for our snack of the day. me and my partner were guilty of "hit and run", my boss knew of this anyway so what the heck?! hehe we left the soonest we heard the thank you message over the speakers. there's still more left on our itinerary:)

one train station away from bigsight is the ever glorious venus fort, a venice-themed shopping haven for shopaholics with money. [so evidently that does not include me. :P ] from the outside the mall looks just like any ordinary outlet shop but the interior is artistic with typical european ambiance. although our feet were killing us, it was fun to attempt to be glamorous and at least check out the garments marked "on sale", we later found out that "on sale" in venus fort doesnt necessarily mean we can afford it. just to give you idea the cheapest cap i checked was 4thou yen [RL naman kasi hehe]. we left empty handed [buti na lang kundi nagsisisi na ko] but with full stomach nevertheless... we had a quick bite[yes again, we were walking that's why!] at a wafflehouse which surprisingly has good prices. :)

after that, we visited the toyota showroom just across the mall. and had a blast snapping away pictures :D see this futuristic car? toyoto calls this a personal mobility car "fits you like a glove". o di ba :D unfortunately, it is only out for visitors to see and not "ride". anyway, we had convertibles, 4wd, sedan. those were more than enough for me...hehehe too bad i didnt have my intl driver's license with me [naks mangarap ba??], there's this 1.4 km driving course dubbed as ride-one, where visitors can take a car of their choice out for a spin. galing di ba? :)

i got home by 11pm. it was fun, tiring but fun. i know i covered only a little area of odaiba, there's so much more to see! i promised myself to visit that coooool place again and bring bin and friends along. im sure they'll enjoy the showroom just as much as i did. i heard the sony showroom, sega amusement park [virtual skydiving yey!], national museum for technology are must-see. next time just has to be an all-day tour :D

bala sa kanyon...

2004-07-08T11:04:00.000+09:00

apparently that's what our "beloved" government has turned our kababayans into when our "beloved" government decided to send a "peacekeeping" contingent to iraq [word in quote humours me now]. three civilians were killed, three soldiers wounded and one now being held hostage by those people-acting-god [am just not referring to the hostage-takers here]... who needs more proof to support my claim?

war is getting closer to home. about 2 weeks ago i can only just empathize with the family of a korean national beheaded by those terrorists. the family's pain and agony were featured in all news program... a drama for all the world to see. what's worse prior to the man's death, a video showing him begging for his life was played by these same news networks, so disturbing was the scenario that until now i could still see him blindfolded and hear his voice in my head crying out "i dont want to die!"

now, president arroyo after the fanfare in winning the elections, will you just be just like sung, unmoved and unrattled over a kababayan's plea for life?

first is sweet...

2004-07-04T23:33:00.000+09:00

two more sets and andy roddick will capture his first men's singles wimbledon title and the first time in 4 years for an american player after pete sampras bagged it in 2000. maria sharapova on the other hand overpowered defending champion serena williams with a stunning 6-1,6-4 victory in their final match yesterday, snapping serena's quest for a three in a row and eventually winning her first women's singles trophy, marking sharapova as the first russian to win the crown and the third youngest at the age of 17 after martina hingis took it at age 16 in 1997 and charlotte dod at the age of 15 in 1887.

second seed roddick has to dismantle top seed and defending champion roger federer of switzerland for him to get that elusive title. but now that federer evened the match at one set apiece, it's now a tougher task.

this final match pits top seeds showdown in 22 years, the last time was in 1982 when top seed john mcenroe was defeated by second seed jimmy connors in five sets.

the tournament has been rain-delayed twice. one in the 3rd set when roddick is leading 4-2, but when the blue sky finally came, the swiss surged taking 3 consecutive games and winning the set, making it 2-1.

just like the first three sets, 6-4, 7-5, 7-6, the fourth set was played in a similarly close fashion. both players showed superb plays, even leveled at 4-4, but the defending champion went on to deliver in some crucial plays winning the fourth set, 6-4 and closing it out with a powerful ace. after smashing the final ace, federer threw his knees on the ground, bended backward and screamed in celebration of his second title.

i thought roddick will go all the way after the first set, perhaps irish too, who also cheered for the american, and i even predicted to go down to five, but federer's style, patience and coolness were unquestionably brilliant turning my predictions into ashes and making the 21 year-old american still longing for the title.

real life ordeal...

2004-06-30T15:59:00.000+09:00

so far, i have 72 friends on my list, a few more needed to complete barely two pages. i know it's not much when compared to some of my friends who averaged 180... nonetheless, you call me a friendster fanatic and i won't budge. ok, that maybe too much to say, i could even hear dahon crying out "huwaaaatt???" :) but peeps, let me iterate first how i have come to the point of claiming i dig friendster or at least the concept behind it. :p

at first, i was a complete schizo with the whole idea. on subtle term, hesitant... not too keen into posting everything about myself, much more my most-coveted,sought-after picture [bow!]. see, i have a severe case of chronic paranoia. i thought or should i say i doubted, that everything i post can be used against me...that by merely knowing my name, gender and status, all my nemeses can conspire and plan my ending in whichever way they want it to be... been watching too much "alias"? i agree. have i been listening too much on bin's conspiracy theories? i'm more inclined to agree on that. :p

but then my curiosity won the best of me... who would not after getting about 5 invites from friends? i gave in and joined the friendster wagon. of course, that didn't happen without my utmost precaution [naks!]... no pictures, new email add and too few, to the point of boring, info. yeah, i was later on convinced that my name, gender and status can't say much about me :),or have i been wrong??

i started adding friends of friends that i know, officemates, classmates in college, the next thing i knew i was taking down all my defenses [drama queen!] by giving more info and attaching pictures. anyway, what could they get from knowing what i want to listen, read or watch? i just eventually started to frequent the site... ansaya e!

now, i'm having a grand time touching base again with friends i met along the way whom i somehow lost contact with... from my highschool classmates to my long lost pinsan. the latest on my list? a kinakapatid who i haven't seen in 9 yrs! galing no?!

and for christy fermin wannabe like me? friendster's the easiest way to be "informed". sometimes i just have to know the basic arithmetic, you know, putting two and two together and voila! :) i'd rather not elaborate on this though, friends might delete me from their list hehehe...

on serious note, i see friendster breaking the social structure. [o ha? ano say mo sa claim na to?] you'd figure that somehow you are in same "circle" [with unlimited R in piRsqrd] of friends with an ayala or zobel or any artista you can think of. of course that goes without saying that their friendsters were not put up by impostors or die-hards ha! [try searching for jolens and you'll find 20 matches, so far! hehehe] have you watched jologs or love actually? you'd understand my point better if you have. :p

oh yes, there are bugs and bugs and bugs... it may explain actually why they are forever "beta" as one friend puts it... but as soon as i can complain about my pictures in friends list not appearing, or a testimonial not refreshing, i go back checking for updates. what can you say, adik e :p

----------------------------------------------
disclaimer: this is not a paid advertisement of friendster... actually i'm checking out orkut this time, i wanna be an elitist for a change :p

read it...

2004-06-30T01:00:00.000+09:00

i don't read novels a lot. it's tedious and i'd rather read my "other" book. actually, i just read about two novels in 27 years, and just finished reading one of that two recently, the catcher in the rye. i am no book critic but i find it funny. i couldn't help but grin when i come across that "...and all" immortal line of holden. i even forgot to getoff at higashi rinkan and went all the way to sagamiono. that's just one train station away though. it is full of bizarreness yet close to reality but you feel pity for him though, as you go along. it's a good toeic book and easy to understand.

now, i am about to finish "the sicilian". it seems i'm watching an action movie. the 80minute-round-trip train travel from dorm to office seems so quick. it seems my brain is beginning to appreciate. it exercises my brain's comprehension and imagination. indeed, lessons can be learned. the fondness seems just spudded. what's in your bookshelf rish?

will guiliano salvatore be given a pardon and can emigrate to america? can michael corleone save guiliano? or will he save him? what about aspanu pisciotta?
well, i will find out all the answers later.

celebrating the 35th...

2004-06-24T10:21:00.000+09:00

bin and i always make it a point to treat each other out every 23rd. it is some sort of celebrating each and every month that we spent together... i.o.w. monthsary :P. however, the irony of it comes from the fact that 24th is our payday, which means several days before that, we are at most scrimping every penny. but, whatever is left of our budget, we see to it that we stretch that for this "celebration"... so we could say that we are in constant lookout for nice, definitely not expensive(!) places where we could dine and talk.

last night was no different... off we went to a pizza place just near where we stay, the "old duck" [a spinoff of its real name, i am not taking chances on libel suit hehehe]. i didnt expect much from this place. although i knew that it's another western style dining [at least with the food], i couldnt remember any particular dish i raved when i first dined here almost a year ago ['twas my teammates "welcome" party for me]. since it is only about 7-min walk from our place, and it was getting late, bin and i decided to try it this time.

from the outside, the place may seem like a red-painted house. but with dimmed lights, one could say that it is really conducive for, how should i say this,ummm... dating :). but because the location is not so-strategic, in a sense...since it is situated at higashi rinkan's corner, we didnt have to wait to be seated and we even got to choose where... :)

prices are quite steep though, we both agreed on that the minute the waitress handed us the menu. since it was almost 9 and we're both really hungry, we just ordered what we thought are "safe food" right away... and those were vegetable soup, caesar salad, seafood paella, mixed pizza and two glasses of apple juice. from my calculation that's about the same as it would cost us had we decided to go to outback and order a serving each of ribs-on-the-barbie[with unlimited supply of super-sarap-mainit-init-pa-bread] and tasty buffalo wings, 2 orders of buttered rice and 2 pineapple juice. with few more yen we could have had sumptuous "chocolate thunder from down under" ... see, this is the reason behind my at least 2 additional lbs every month :D but because we already spent our three consecutive 23rds there, we just decided to strike our favorite outback off our dining choices last night.

so back to the old duck... we were first served soup and the salad. soup was a dejavu to bin. he just couldn't seem to stop talking about likening that soup to what they usually have for soup back home, that the "taste difference" [if ever there is such a thing] is just a measly one unit. so understandably, the soup was history in a minute. :D as for the salad, well it was a different story, a 1:10 in comparison to what we had in a chuorinkan okonomiyaki house, another resto we tried for this 23rd tradition [with chuo's being the 10 ha!], chuo's chicken salad is simply yummylicious! the best we've tasted! on the otherhand, old duck's was just tossed lettuce and walnuts in caesar dressing. anybody could prepare that in a sec, no sweat. nonetheless, again, blame it on our hunger pangs, we devoured it right away.

this pizza house placed second in the world's pizza making contest [or something], that is at least to my understanding... sorry, i could only make "second place" and "world" out of a series of kanjis proudly printed on their walls. since i love thin-crust pizzas, i enjoyed what was served to us at once, although i cant say it is really a "world class" pizza, it tasted greenwich to me [which i also love by the way]. toppings include bell pepper, cheese, tomato sauce and italian sausage, i didnt even know why it is called mixed pizza. maybe we should have tried the "less-safe" kind of pizza.

the biggest disappointment that night was the seafood paella. costing 1280 a plate, we thought it would at least worth the price. for one, the serving is not enough to at least appease any of our appetite. the rice was cooked [or baked] to the point of "tutong" and it was just too bland for my taste. to me it's only worth 500 yen, at most, no kidding.

as for the dessert, their vanilla ice cream is just that, plain vanilla ice cream, period.

although, last night wasn't the usual gluttony nights we had before, that's to our definition of "busog" and "sulit", i'm so happy that we had one of the most intimate, heart-warming, interesting conversations ever. i could safely say that last night, we've gotten to know each other a lot better... so interesting was our conversation that we lost track of time and the next thing we knew we just had to leave because the place was about to be closed... of course i will not divulge any specific of that conversation, my mouth is sealed on that, i just hope his too hehehe...

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to bin, my beybi and bestfriend, here's to years of celebrating 23rds... cheers!

first at bat...

2004-06-23T12:31:00.000+09:00

and the bases are loaded!

here comes arubin, batting 4th...signed by the yankees this offseason... stirred the media after inking a lucrative 3-year $65M contract... now, he'll try to prove if he's worth every penny...

as i walked towards the plate, i couldn't hear anything but a loud chant of "homerun homerun arubin" and as i glanced around yankee stadium with a sellout crowd, i could see flashes glittering everywhere like grains of diamond scattered in the stands.

he is now on the plate...
aiming and preparing for his first swing in the majors...

this guy has a reputation of driving the balls out of the ballpark...
well, the power of his bat will now be tested...

as i stood on the plate, i could feel the pressure...
i know, irish, who is sitting right at the back of our dugout feels the pressure too...
it seemed my feet were glued to the ground and my bat turned into a 50kg-alloy impossible for me to swing...
but i needed to deliver...i needed to prove something...
aside from the thousands of eyes in the stadium focused to witness every swing of my bat, millions of my countrymen back home were watching and i don't want to disappoint anyone of them...

here comes the throw, the first pitch...
and here's the swing...a good one...
the ball is hit!...good hit...goes deep!...he's looking up...and up!...and see ya!....the ball is gone!...seeyanara!
a homerun, a grandslam by arubin!!!

as i slowly jogged towards first base, i could hear the cheer of the crowd...
i felt relieved, and i myself couldn't believe what i just did...
as i passed second base, the cheer went louder...
by the time i reached the third, everybody was on their feet giving me standing ovation...
but suddenly, i heard a voice, not from the stadium, not from a far distant source, but it's coming right directly from my right ear...
and at that same moment, i felt the pain in my left cheek and the voice clearly echoed in my ear saying, "bin! gising! gising!".

second attempt...

2004-06-22T18:03:00.000+09:00

as a self-confessed procastrinator, the idea of keeping one blog for bin and myself is brilliant. see, i dont have now the pressure to write as many times as i had to when i was cooking up that adobo. and moreso, i'll get to write whenever i choose to, even after a long hiatus without getting comments after reminding me of how sluggish sometimes i can be... not that i am complaining, by the way. i was touched actually that people were waiting for me to speak, for the first time! [looking at it from a diff. perspective] :D

ok, so what are my expectations for this? [kapal no? me having expectations and all]. most probably many nonsense ramblings [such as this one], unsolicited advices and comments [still!] , but hopefully more positive thoughts and of course loads of tsismis [showbiz, pulitika o opisina haha]...

oh, i almost forgot, i'm sharing this with bin ngapala :D he can take care the more serious, sensible aspect... [oh really?] just to be safe, expect more major league baseball postings from him particularly on matsui, or basketball [ gee, dont know who's he rooting for these days... ], basically sports, because he is one [frustrated, as i fondly tease him] sports buff... hihihi

jaa, let's start the ball bouncing... :P