Quick Update

Sorry guys, I know I haven't been updating in a long while.  That's because we're currently moving to a new home.  No, not a new blog address, but literally to a new (well, kinda old actually) home.  Unfortunately, we do not have internet connection yet.  According to Bayantel, it'll take approximately 2 more weeks before we can have our internet connection.  (Well, good luck to us!!?!!)  In the meantime, we're busy packing and unpacking our stuff.  I will still try to bloghop every now and then, but I don't think I'll be able to post another entry until we have our internet connection.  See you soon guys!  

Bloody Friday - Glorietta 2 Mall Explosion

It's been barely 22 hours since the Glorietta explosion and I'm still shaken from the incident.


You see, my friend invited me out for lunch yesterday, and since I was tired of eating bland cafeteria food every single day (well, except for weekends nga pala), I readily agreed. I even picked out the place, A Veneto at Glorietta 3. So, at around 12:20 in the afternoon, my friend and I were catching up on gossip over onion rings and great pasta. After having lunch, I told her I had to buy some stuff from The Face Shop. While inside, we even had to ask for directions because I forgot how to go there.

After buying my things, my friend then requested if we could go a sports store since she wanted to buy a basketball. I suggested Toby's. So, at 1:15 P.M., there we were at the ground floor of Glorietta 2 near the activity center, right where the bomb was about to explode, looking up at the establishments on the 3rd Floor, trying to locate Toby's. We couldn't find Toby's. I knew it had to be visible from the ground floor. I told my friend, maybe Toby's was directly above us, on the third floor of Glorietta 2 so we couldn't see it from where we were. So, we decided to go up.

True enough, when we were on the third floor of Glorietta 2, we were able to find Toby's. I told my friend to go there and make her purchase, while I would be browsing at the tiangge stores right outside. I was looking at the latest fashionable blouses, muttering to myself that I would never be able to pull them off. I still tried on one blouse, but to no avail. Hindi talaga bagay...shucks.

I received a text message from my friend at around 1:25 P.M., telling me that she was near Timezone waiting for me, but urging me to take my time. Immediately after I got her text, I tried to locate her. Not able to find her, I decided to call her up.

Just when the phone was ringing, I heard a very loud explosion nearby coupled with a very intense shake which felt like an Intensity 10 earthquake. I almost fell to the ground because of the impact! I felt like I was in twilight zone or something, as I watched debris falling everywhere and smoke billowing from behind. Suddenly, people were screaming and shouting and pushing me. I had no choice but to follow the crowd. I began to wonder whether my friend was safe and as I was about to call her up, I heard what seemed like another explosion. I froze for a second, terrified, not knowing where to go. At that very second, I felt terror grip my body, wondering if there were still several bombs about to go off, and wondering if we were running headlong into another bomb. I don't know how my legs were able to function but before I knew it, I was walking straight into Landmark.

Thankfully, the guards removed the table and opened the doors wide in order to receive the big crowd emanating from Glorietta 2. As I stepped into what felt like safe ground, I received a call from my friend asking me where I was. I was relieved upon hearing her voice knowing that at least she was OK. I told her I was at Landmark and not to worry about me. I called up my husband to tell him what happened. Fortunately he was just nearby and that he would pick me up immediately. I couldn't contact my friend anymore since the network (Globe) was already busy. Good thing there was no traffic in sending text messages. After texting her and knowing she was ok, and that her driver was about to pick her up, it was only at that moment that I suddenly felt relieved.

Whew! Close call indeed. Had the bomb gone off earlier or later than it did, I don't know what would have happened to us. I really thank the Lord and my Angel Raphael for bringing us back to safety. It is so sad that others were not as lucky.

Warning! This game is addictive.

Still busy peeps. Need to finish an important project before I can post again, hopefully soon. In the meantime, I leave you with this very addictive game which I discovered recently.

Hahahaha...told you so!

2007 Yonex-Sunrise Philippines National Open Badminton Championships

It's finally here! Now on its fourth year, the 2007 Yonex-Sunrise Philippines National Open Badminton Championships will be staged from October 20-28, 2007 at the Yonex Philippines Badminton Club on Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City. As of now, there is still no news on the featured events, but I will be updating as soon as I get more info. It is one of the most awaited local badminton tournaments of the year since it features an "Open" category showcasing the best of the local talents.

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Sorry guys, haven't posted in a while. Been absolutely busy with work. I barely have time to eat and sleep when I get home, and then I'm off to work again. Shucks. I hope to post a more meaningful entry soon! Taa taa...

Erap found guilty of plunder

While on my way to the office today, I heard the verdict. Former President Joseph Estrada was acquitted of the perjury charges against him, but was found guilty of plunder. His two other co-accused, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Atty. Edward Serapio (who happens to be a former teacher of mine) was acquitted of the plunder charges.

In my opinion, the case is far from over. Should Erap decide to file a Motion for Reconsideration or appeal the case, I foresee that the case will drag on for several more years.

For Senator Jinggoy, life goes on. He may feel unfortunate that his father was found guilty, but he still has his career and his family to go back to.

For Atty. Serapio, however, the case is still far from over. Yes, he can go back home to his family who I'm sure will welcome him with open arms. But I'm not sure the legal profession will look at him kindly, having been dragged into the Erap controversy. With no legal career to fall back on, it's as good as finding him likewise guilty of the plunder charge. And with 6 years of his life spent behind bars, I do not foresee any company welcoming him with open arms. For him, convincing the public of his innocence is just about to start.

Think again before reaching for that bag of popcorn

A fondness for microwave buttered popcorn may have led a 53-year-old Colorado man to develop a serious lung condition that until now has been found only in people working in popcorn plants.

Apparently, all fingers point to diacetyl, the ingredient that puts that buttery taste in microwave popcorns, as the probable culprit.

On the other hand, producers of microwave popcorn said their products were safe.

Studies show that "Heated diacetyl becomes a vapor and, when inhaled over a long period of time, seems to lead the small airways in the lungs to become swollen and scarred. Sufferers can breathe in deeply, but they have difficulty exhaling. The severe form of the disease is called bronchiolitis obliterans or “popcorn workers’ lung,” which can be fatal."

Of course, this study is not conclusive at this point.

Dr. Cecile Rose, director of the occupational disease clinical programs at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, said that she first saw the Colorado man in February after another doctor could not figure out what was causing his distress. A furniture salesman, the man was becoming increasingly short of breath. He had never smoked and was overweight. His illness had been diagnosed as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an inflammation of the lungs usually caused by chronic exposure to bacteria, mold or dust. Farmers and bird enthusiasts are frequent sufferers.

But nothing in the Colorado man’s history suggested that he was breathing in excessive amounts of mold or bird droppings, Dr. Rose said. She has consulted to flavorings manufacturers for years about “popcorn workers’ lung,” and said that something about the man’s tests appeared similar to those of the workers.

“I said to him, ‘This is a very weird question, but bear with me. But are you around a lot of popcorn?’ ” Dr. Rose asked. “His jaw dropped and he said, ‘How could you possibly know that about me? I am Mr. Popcorn. I love popcorn.’ ”

The man told Dr. Rose that he had eaten microwave popcorn at least twice a day for more than 10 years.

“When he broke open the bags, after the steam came out, he would often inhale the fragrance because he liked it so much,” Dr. Rose said. “That’s heated diacetyl, which we know from the workers’ studies is the highest risk.”

“This is not a definitive causal link, but it raises a lot of questions and supports the recommendation that more work needs to be done,” Dr. Rose said.

I guess the man overdid it a bit by eating popcorn at least twice a day for 10 years. Moi? I still love my bag of popcorn especially when watching a good movie. Heck, we only live once right???!

Note: You can read the rest of the story here.

My Current Obsession

Just to clarify, I don't own a Nikon D80.....YET. Not enough moolah anyway. You see, I have more important things to spend my money on like food, food and more food...heeheehee.

Looking at the photos posted by these fellow bloggers Abaniko, Eric, Kyels, Rey and Sidney convinced me that DSLR is the only way to go. Please Santa, I've been good this year. What can I do to afford one? Let me count the ways:

1. I can buy tickets to the lotto and hope to win the jackpot. Wow! I can buy not only one DSLR camera but a whole truckload of them!!! Problem is, the chances are 1 in 10,000,000 or some similar digit before I can win the jackpot. I'll have more chances of being hit by a lightning than winning the lotto! Arrghh!

2. Try to join the next Philippine Idol and hope to convince everyone that I'm a deserving winner. Problem is, I can't sing even if my life depended on it. Do-re-mi, do-re-mi... I can still give this a try though, not everyone who joins these kinds of contests are excellent singers...remember Sanjaya Malakar??? Nuff said.

3. Maybe I can enter into a government contract to supply millions of equipments to some far-flung barangay??? Problem is, I don't have anything to offer 'cept my legal services and that's not for sale.

4. Maybe I can join a photo contest where the prize is a DSLR camera. Problem with this plan is that those who win these contests are those who already have a DSLR camera which they used to take the winning photograph! It's the chicken-and-egg cycle once more.

5. Buy tickets to the Oprah show and pray that the episode I get to watch is one where Oprah gives away the latest gadgets and hope that it includes a DSLR camera. But I guess there are many loopholes in this plan. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get to Oprah's show??? And what are the chances I get to watch the episode where she gives away stuff?? Boy, I would love to have been part of the audience when she gave each one a car.

As you can see, I'm running out of ideas. Can you help me formulate a plan??? Hahaha...all in the spirit of fun ha, nothing serious or illegal, ok?

Two awards and a meme

Starting off the awards season is this "thoughtful award" from Ipanema and momoftwo, "for those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others." Fooled you two, didn't I??? Hahahaha...just kidding. My deepest appreciation to the 2 of you.


I also received the thinking blogger award from verns. Thanks verns. Although I would have to refute this award because my blog is where turn to and just have fun without having to think. Ahehehe...just look at my previous post and you'll see why.

I'm supposed to give out these awards but since this post is already way overdue, I guess I will have to award these to you, my blog reader/s (so you won't think I'm presumptuous in thinking there's more than one of you....hahaha) for bearing with me especially during those times I wanted to quit blogging due to personal problems. Thank you to all my blog friends. You all deserve this award.

Finally, I got tagged by momoftwo. I'm supposed to mention 8 random things about me which I haven't yet revealed in my posts. Hmmm...it's a tough task but I'll try.

1. I'm a late-bloomer. I had my first ought-to-be forgotten boyfriend at the ripe old age of 24. Fortunately, that forgettable portion of my life didn't last long and I met my (now) husband soon thereafter.

2. I have a sister who's 10 years older than me. Yes, quite a big age difference noh? My parents were not planning on having another child after my sister, but one night they had a misunderstanding, and the rest, as they say, is history.

3. I have the attention span of a 4-year old. Sometimes, 3 minutes into the homily, I would ask my husband what the priest is talking about. I don't know how I was able to survive law school.

4. Like momoftwo, I'm also a crybaby. I cry when I'm happy, I cry when I'm sad, sometimes I just cry for no reason at all.

5. I have a secret not-so-secret-anymore phobia of worms, especially the big varieties. Please don't surprise me with one or I might just accidentally spill that steaming hot cup of coffee on your pants.

6. During high school, I went out on a group date. Among those present was a guy whom I really had a big crush on. We went to McDonald's. Guess what I ordered? Chicken joy. Hehehee...probably the reason why I'm a late-bloomer.

7. What am I supposed to write about??? Ahhh, 8 random things about me.

8. See, there goes my attention span. Maybe I'll rename this tag "6 random facts about me", hehehe.

Anyway, I really had fun with this meme. Thanks momoftwo. I'm not tagging anyone this time.

Hair Makeover

I haven't had a decent haircut in months. If I remember correctly, my last haircut was still sometime in February, so can you just imagine my hair's current state??? I badly need a major makeover!!! So, I decided to have fun and goof around with possible hairstyles. I need your opinion on this...

Should I dye my hair blonde???




Hahahaha....lol! This doesn't look like much of an improvement at all. Wanna try and have your own makeover??? Just visit the makeover studio and have fun experimenting!

The Life and Love of Noli Eala

Last August 1, 2007, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a decision which became a much-talked about topic in various legal circles. What makes this case stand apart from the rest?? Well, this case is principally a disbarment case, involves a love triangle (or is that square?), and most importantly, it involves a famous public figure.

Who am I talking about? The PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) Commissioner...or rather, erstwhile Commissioner Noli Eala. The case stems from a complaint filed by Joselano Guevarra against Atty. Jose Emmanuel M. Eala, a.k.a. Noli Eala, before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Committe on Bar Discipline for “grossly immoral conduct and unmitigated violation of the lawyer’s oath.”

According to the statement of facts in this case, Guevarra first met Eala when his then-fiancee Irene Moje introduced Eala to him sometime in January 0f 2000. Eala was then married to another woman with whom he has 3 children. After Guevarra and Irene got married, he noticed that Irene frequently received phone calls from Eala, as well as messages some of which read “I love you” or “I miss you.”

Irene began to go home late at night or early in the morning of the following day. When asked for the reason, she would mention that she stayed the night in her parents’ house or she was just busy with work. They would have constant arguments, resulting in Irene abandoning the conjugal home.

On April 22, 2001, Guevarra went uninvited to Irene’s birthday party. He saw Irene celebrating her birthday with Eala, her family and friends. Guevarra angrily left the venue. Upon arriving home, he went through her belongings and found a love letter which reads:

My everdearest Irene,

By the time you open this, you’ll be moments away from walking down the aisle. I will say a prayer for you that you may find meaning in what you’re about to do.

Sometimes I wonder why we ever met. Is it only for me to find fleeting happiness but experience eternal pain? Is it only for us to find a true love but then lose it again? Or is it because there’s a bigger plan for the two of us?

I hope that you have experienced true happiness with me. I have done everything humanly possible to love you. And today, as you make your vows . . . I make my own vow to YOU!

I will love you for the rest of my life. I loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you, to the time we spent together, up to the final moments of your single life. But more importantly, I will love you until the life in me is gone and until we are together again.

Do not worry about me! I will be happy for you. I have enough memories of us to last me a lifetime. Always remember though that in my heart, in my mind and in my soul, YOU WILL ALWAYS

. . . AND THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU DO!

BE MINE . . . . AND MINE ALONE, and I WILL ALWAYS BE YOURS AND YOURS ALONE!

I LOVE YOU FOREVER, I LOVE YOU FOR ALWAYS. AS LONG AS I’M LIVING MY TWEETIE YOU’LL BE!”

Afterwards, Guevarra filed a complaint against Eala before the IBP Committee on Bar Discipline for grossly immoral conduct. Among the evidence presented was the birth certificate of Irene’s daughter, pointing to Eala as the father.

Eala for his part does not deny his relationship to Irene but argues that the relationship between them was not carried on under scandalous circumstances. (Errr, I think he might want to retract that statement now.) The IBP Commission on Bar Discipline Investigating Commissioner found the charge against Eala sufficiently proven. This was reversed by the IBP Board of Governors, dismissing the case for lack of merit. The case was immediately brought to the Supreme Court.

The rest, as they say, is history. Eala was found guilty of the charge (eh umamin naman kasi eh) and was DISBARRED for grossly immoral conduct, violation of his oath of office and of the Code of Professional Responsibility.

Eala eventually resigned as PBA Commissioner even before the PBA Board members could promulgate their decision to remove him from his position.

First off, how cheesy can a love letter be???!!! "I love you forever, I love you for always, as long as I'm living, my tweety you'll be!" I hope he has other lovable qualities aside from his love letter-writing ability.

Regarding Eala's disbarment and the resulting scandal surrounding him right now, I’m sure he is man enough live with the consequences of his decision, no matter how publicly humiliating it may be. I, for one, am not making any judgments about his actions or his morality because I don’t think I am in a position to do so.

What I’m concerned about is the effect this scandal would have in the lives of his children. Imagine growing up and reading about the Supreme Court decision. Unlike the write-ups which might eventually be forgotten and be hidden behind tons of other write-ups in the Google search engine, the decision of the Supreme Court will be studied and talked about in law school classrooms for decades to come. In cases like these, the children are always the losers.

Final note: You may want to read the full text of the Supreme Court decision here.

Funny letter

I received this funny email in my inbox. I'm sure some of you have already seen this. The origin of this letter is unknown and its authenticity is questionable. Nevertheless it elicited guffaws from me and I am posting it here to share it with you and to let you practice your powers of apprehension...errr, rather...comprehension. Let's just hope you don't get a headache after reading this. Good luck!

Dear ______,

We've been friends for a long time ago. We come from the same alma mother. Actually, our paths crossed one time on another. But it's only now that I gave him a second look. I realized that beauty is in the eyes. The pulpbits of my heart went fast, really fast. I realized he’s cute. And then, he came over with me. He said, "I hope you don't mine. Can I get your number?" I got worried. What if he doesn't give it back? He explained it's so we could keep intact. I told him, connect me if I'm wrong but are you asking me ouch? He was surprised. He shot back, “The! Aba! You have the nerve to get angry! Persona ingrata!!!” I cried buckles of tears.

He felt guilty. He said, “just think of it as a blessing in the sky. Irregardless daw of
his feelings, we'll go ouch na rin. Now, we're so in love. The past is mute and epidemic. Thanks God we swallowed our fried. I'm 33 years old and I'm running our time. After 2 weeks, he plopped the question. "Will you marriage me?" I'm in a state of shocked. Would you believe, when it rains, it's four! This is true good to be true. I immediately said yes. Love is a many splendor.

When we were making arrangements for the wedding, everything swell to pieces. We were having dinner when a lady in the nearby table turned to us and said, "Well, well, well. Look do we have here." What the fuss! The nerd of that girl! She said they were still on. So I told her, whatever is that, cut me some slacks! I didn't want this to get our hand that’s why I had to sip it in the bud. She accused me of steeling her boyfriend. Ats if! I don't want to portrait the role of the other woman. Gosh, tell me to the marines! I told her, "please, mine you own business!" Who would believe her anyway?

Because it's not my problem anymore but her problem anymore, she got tired of meddling. Everything is coming up daisies. I'm so happy. Even my boyfriend said like twice. He's so supportive. He said, "Look at is this way. She's our of our lives."

So, my advice is - take the risk. You can never can tell. Just burn the bridge when you get there. Life is shorts. If you make a mistake, we'll just pray for the internal
and external repose of your soul. I second emotion.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ten random facts about my mom

I was tagged by momoftwo and this time it's all about my mom. This is a long-overdue meme. Anyway, here goes 10 random facts about my mom:

(1) She's the 4th among 7 siblings. Unfortunately, 4 of her siblings have already passed away, while the 2 remaining ones live quite far; her brother lives in the province (La Union), and her sister resides in Alberta, Canada.

(2) Her birthday falls on the 28th of December, the feast day of Ninos Inocentes or the "Feast of the Holy Innocents."

(3) She has experienced so many griefs in her life, like the death of her husband and firstborn son, and I am truly amazed by her strength during times of adversity. She stood by armed only with her faith in the Lord and emerged from it all a stronger person. I believe I inherited my strength from her.

(4) She successfully ran a furniture business with an inborn business acumen, despite the fact that she was not able to finish her studies due to poverty.

(5) She is a freak when it comes to cleanliness, almost bordering on obsessiveness, though she will try to deny it when you ask her...haha. She never fails to wakes up every 3 A.M. just start cleaning her house. Grabe. This gene, I did not inherit, unfortunately. My husband can attest to this.

(6) She dotes on her grandchildren to the point of spoiling them. I think my angel Raphael would have loved playing with his grandma if he were alive.

(7) She is the most unselfish person I know. She always looks after her kids' and grandkids' needs first before thinking of herself.

(8) She likes spicy food. She can even eat siling labuyo. Need I say more?

(9) Ok, I tease her about this but I've observed that when she offers food to anyone, she always starts her sentence with "Ayaw mo nito...?" And even if I bring this to her attention saying that other people might get offended, she persists in doing it anyway.

(10) And finally, she cooks the best adobo in town. Well, according to my taste anyway.

So there, these are ten random facts about my mom. An extraordinary Filipina in my opinion.

Recall of Nokia battery and Mattel toys

Who doesn't own a cellular phone these days, epecially in a text-driven country like ours??? That's why news like this gets top-billings in the headlines. Of course I was immediately concerned upon learning that Nokia is recalling defective Nokia BL-5C batteries since my unit uses the same kind. Immediately, I surfed the internet for more info and discovered this official site of Nokia where one could type the serial number located on the battery and find out whether that particular unit is among those being recalled by Nokia. The verdict??? Fortunately, mine wasn't.

The recall was made on batteries made by Matsushita Japan, although no serious injuries have actually been reported. Recalling 46 million batteries??? This must be a nightmare for Nokia, especially with various emerging threats to its dominant position as the market-leader in the cellular phone business.

Have you also heard of the recall by Mattel's of its toys featuring characters like Big Bird and Elmo from Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer because of excessive amounts of lead paint?? These toys were manufactured by a company in China. This is especially alarming since Mattel is one of the most respected names in the toy industry. Sadly, the owner of the factory in China hanged himself in a warehouse last Saturday. Probably due to humiliation...poor guy. I just hope that these toys won't find their way to the Philippine market.

Holy Cupcake!!!

I was starting to get depressed with the incessant rainfall when my husband surprised me with this delightful box...

Cupcakes from Sonja's!!! Yipee!!!!

Unfortunately, one cupcake succumbed to the pressure of the long drive due to heavy flooding in Metro Manila....

But I was able to salvage this sumptuous ube piece...

As well as this chocolate delight...

The filling was absolutely wonderful...I think I just died and went to heaven...

And yes, those are my teeth marks....hehehe.

Cupcakes by Sonja can be found at the Serendra Piazza Ground Level in Fort Bonifacio. Check out this clipcast from ClicktheCity.com. Enjoy!!!

Improving the image of the "FILIPINA"

It's very disturbing when you Google the word "Filipina" and you immediately get a list of dating/mail-order bride sites featuring Filipinas. I first heard of this upon reading the site of Noemi. So, I am now joining this bunch of Filipina bloggers trying to reclaim the word "Filipina" from these nasty porn site.

With Noemi's permission, I am now republishing the "Steps to reshape the sexy filipina image so that the search engine results appear wholesome":

1. Let’s continue to showcase, through our blogs, the stories about the loving Filipina wives and mothers, the professionals, and outstanding bloggers. The Pinoy Moms Network is gaining ground among Filipina mothers around the world.

How?

Men and Women!!

Write at least one entry with the word “Filipina” somewhere in the title of your entry and discuss anything about the Filipina — whether it is about you or some outstanding Filipina Woman you know. Use words like “Filipina, Sexy Filipina, Filipina woman, Filipina sexy woman, sexy Filipina mom, Filipina Mom or Smart and Sexy Filipina” in our blog entries. Chances are a few more enlightened women warriors may want to help reshape the Filipina woman’s image by using the same words to capitalize on the wholesomeness of the same words.

If you don’t have a blog, start one easily at blogspot.com.

2. Continue with the Google Bombing Campaign but let’s all link to just one site.

Why?

The Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) is on page 1 of the Philippines Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) so there is a strong possibility to rank this site as number 1 for the “Filipina” keyword.

Note: “The Filipina Women’s Network is dedicated to advancing Filipina women across all sectors, enhancing public perceptions of Filipina women’s ability to lead and fostering the entry of Filipina women into leadership positions.” FWN is a virtual organization based in the United States, perceived by many decision makers in government, corporations, business enterprises, professions, non-profit organizations, and other sectors as having consistently and continuously grown in leadership and influence since 1996. Collaboration with other organizations worldwide? Plans are brewing as FWN members work on their game plan for “Filipina Power 2012.”

How?

In your sidebar or footer, place this link. [Don’t just write the word, “Filipina.” Instead, insert the link. The highlighted, linkable keyword, “Filipina,” will be the published result. ]

Copy and Paste on your sidebar
"Filipina"

If you have a large community of readers in your site, start a similar sitewide links campaign and use this alternate Filipina link:
"Filipina"

3. Brand it! Use this “Yan ang Filipina” badge (originally designed as “Yan ang Pinay”), created and lovingly donated by Jonas Diego, that links to Filipina Women’s Network.(Right-click on the image to save it in your hard drive. Then, upload and display in your blog. Don’t forget to point the link to the FWN site!)

Rockin' Award!!!

Hey, I rock!!! Thank you Ipanema for this wonderful award. Hehehe...shempre sobra akong natuwa kasi first time ko lang maka-receive ng award na ganito. My fellow awardees were: Bugsybee, Gypsy, Niceheart and Toe. These ladies, including Ipanema, are truly exceptional and certainly deserve this award (which is to say that I also do...hahaha!)

So, in the grand tradition of these blogosphere awards, I have to spread this prestigious (naks!) award to 5 of my blog friends (shempre, aside from those already mentioned na ha). And here are my awardees in alphabetical order:

Dinna - this rockin' lady blogs from New York. I always look forward to her stories about her NY experiences, the places she visits, her beloved son, and even about her pesky officemates and the saga of her problematic stepson. This lady impressed me a lot when she came to the defense of her friends (and the gay community in general) during the time of the Justice Isagani Cruz brouhaha. A reliable and trustworthy friend indeed.

Kyels - this rockin' lady is one thoughtful gal. You can see where her heart lies in her posts. I felt her pain when her dog died. I am always touched by her messages of kindness and encouragement which always comes just at the right moment in my life. She also takes excellent photographs to boot!

Mitams - this rockin' lady never ceases to delight me with her mouth-watering culinary concoctions. How I really wish I live next-door to this lady so that I can always get a taste of her latest culinary treat. Her site is the first site I visit when looking for new recipes. She is now hosting the 20th edition of Lasang Pinoy and it's all about "BINALOT." Please visit her site for more info.

Momoftwo - this rockin' lady is a fairly new blog friend. Nevertheless, I am impressed how she juggles her time studying and being a devoted mom to her 2 munchkins in another country. I am entertained by her rants and raves about nursing school. (Maybe I'd like to try it out someday???) By the way, she needs more prayer warriors right now for her mother-in-law who's currently battling colon cancer.

Vernaloo - this rockin' lady is also a new blog friend. From her blog entries, I can see that this lady has a very charming and bubbly personality. Seriously, nadadala talaga ako sa mga kuwento niya, hahaha. I look forward to reading more posts about her life and (previous) loves. Keep it coming!!!

Spread the love guys!
 

From the Courtside: Humorous Pics from the 2007 Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open (Part 3/3)

Of course with all the pictures I took during the 2007 Bingo Bonanza Philippines, there were bound to be some pics which were kinda funny. I took the liberty of adding some funny captions. "Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan wag magagalit."

FVR while combing his hair
During the Mixed Doubles Event...


During the Men's Doubles Event...

Look at how high Tan Boon Heong can jump...

You wouldn't believe what else happened during the tourney. It has been tagged as the case of the "suicidal rat." During the WD match between Novita/Polii of Indonesia and Zhao Tingting/Yang Wei of China, while Polii was trying to request for a break, a rat suddenly fell down seemingly out of nowhere!!! The eyewitness account (pls scroll down and look for the topic "suicidal rat") was so funny. Apparently, the rat looked like it fell from the ceiling. Imagine the consternation of the lady players upon seeing a rat inside the badminton court!!! Oh dear. I hope you guys enjoyed the pics featured above. Tata! Till the next tournament!

From the Courtside: More pics from the Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open 2007 (2/3)

As promised, I am posting more pics I took during the 2007 Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Tournament. These pics were taken during the finals held on 22 July 2007.

Men's Singles Finals: Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) def. Chen Hong (China)

A heart-warming scene: Lee giving Chen Hong a hug after the match Women's Doubles Finals: Yu Chin Chien and Wen Hsing Cheng (Chinese Taipei) def. Pan Pan and Qing Tian (China)

Zhou Mi of Hongkong who bagged the Women's Singles Title

Mixed Doubles Finals: Lilyana Natsir and Nova Widianto (Indonesia) def. Yu Mi Hwang and Sang Hoon Han (Korea)

Finally, the Men's Doubles Finals: Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong (Malaysia) def. Zhendong Guo and Zhongbo Xie (China)

Men's Doubles Champions being awarded by Former First Lady Amelita Ramos

It was a very successful tournament. I leave you with some snippets from the very exciting Men's Doubles game. Enjoy! Have a happy weekend everyone!

From the Courtside: Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open 2007 (Part 1)

Here are some pics I took while watching the 2007 Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Tournament at the Philsports Arena (formerly Ultra). These are from the Semi-Finals last Saturday. It was unfortunate we were only able to watch the last 3 games that day because we were late. Not our fault since it was raining so hard and my husband's car had a flat tire, so there.

A shot of the audience who trooped to the Philsports Arena despite the pouring rain outside

Zhongbo Xie of China giving a hand signal to his partner Zhendong Guo

Defending champions Susanto Njoto and Yohan Wiratama of Hong Kong (former players of the Indonesian National Team)

Another shot of the Men's Doubles game between China and Hong Kong

Yu Chin Chien and Wen Hsing Cheng of Chinese Taipei (who won that day and eventually bagged the Women's Doubles title the following day.)

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On a different note: I just finished reading Harry Potter Book 7 today! Finally, I can now function properly. Don't worry, you won't find any spoilers in this post. I just have this to say -- J.K. Rowling is such an excellent storyteller. I'm so sad this is the last installment in the Potter series.

My Most Expensive Pictures Ever

Caught your attention 'ei? Well, you have to read the rest of my post to understand.

18 July to 22 July 2007 saw the staging of the 2nd Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Tournament at the Philsports Arena (formerly Ultra). My husband was able to watch it since Day 1. But since I couldn't get off work to watch the games with him, I had to content myself with watching the weekend games. The semi-finals was scheduled last Saturday, while the finals was scheduled last Sunday. I will be posting more pictures during the event in my succeeding posts.

Badminton fanatic that I am, I was able to convince my hubby to wait for the champion of the Men's Doubles event (Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia, now ranked #3 in the world) to emerge from the press conference room and have my picture taken with them. Here are the pics:

With Koo Kien Keat of Malaysia

With Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia

While my husband was busy taking these pictures, he felt someone's hand brush up his butt but took no notice of it since he wanted to appease my desire to have my picture taken with these world-class players. Immediately after taking these photos, his hand went to his pocket to check if his wallet was still there, but lo and behold...it was already gone!!! Some evil conscience-less person picked his pocket despite the presence of several police officers in the vicinity !!! Gggrrrr...I hope whoever did this rots in hell!!!!

Fortunately, my hubby was not yet able to withdraw so there was only a minimal amount of cash in his wallet. But it wasn't the money we were worried about but all the hassle of having to replace his ID, driver's license, ATM cards and credit card. Aside from anger at the person who did this, I also felt guilty because my hubby wanted to go home immediately but I convinced him to stay so that I could have pictures for posterity. Sheesh! If only we'd gone home immediately after the games. (Ang pagsisisi talagang laging nasa huli.) I should have listened to my "gut feel" telling me not to wait for these players and go home already. But I didn't listen. Instead, I persisted with the original plan. A lot of "if-only"s and "what-if"s.

So, yeah, these pictures truly are unforgettable and my most expensive pics ever. Lesson well learned indeed.

My Romance with Harry Potter

I have a confession to make. I'm a BIG Harry Potter fan. A friend of mine introduced me to this series when Book 2 was just released. Since then, I've been hooked and I always buy the latest book on its first release date. This time is no different. I've been carrying this book I bought from National Book Store all day and I couldn't wait to get home to read it. I'm giddy with excitement as I tear open the recognizable red plastic and behold the latest AND the last installment in the Harry Potter series. Tantararaannn....

Hmmm...somehow, there's something different this time. I've been home hours ago but I still couldn't get myself to read the first few pages. Perhaps it's because it's the last installment and I want to savor every word. Or perhaps I've been forewarned that another character will die and I know when I reach that point in the book that I'll probably get depressed. Ok....I think I better shut up now and start reading. Have a happy weekend everyone!

Quick Post

Sorry guys. I've been remiss in my duties -- I haven't updated my blog for quite some time now. I even forgot to blog about my 1st BLOGSARY!!! Shoot. Anyway, just wanted you guys to know that I'm still alive. My hubby's competing in a tournament this weekend. Will probably post some pics after...that is if I get decent ones out of my new digicam (ehem). Have a nice weekend everybody!!!

Update: Too bad my husband's team lost. The tournament was a team event. A team has to win 3 out of the 5 events in order to win. My husband didn't even get a chance to play. So, too bad, I wasn't able to get a chance to take pictures.

VAMOS RAFA!!!

Photos courtesy of Yahoo news.

This Spanish tennis phenomenon, often booed during his matches at Roland Garros, proved to everybody once more why he is worthy of the title "King of Clay." Rafael Nadal Parera, or Rafa to his family and friends, just won his third consecutive French Open Title in a row. My voice is almost hoarse from cheering, even if I just watched the French Open in the comfort of our bedroom.

I was surprised to find out that this left-handed Capri-wearing Spaniard is not naturally left-handed. Rafa is really right-handed. However, when he was ten years old, his uncle and current coach Toni Nadal discovered that this young lad had a future in tennis. Toni Nadal then decided that his two-handed backhand would benefit from a strong right arm, so he taught Rafa to play with his left hand.

What really amazed me most is the fact that he still lives in his hometown, in the island of Majorca in Spain, in their family home with his parents, grandparents, his sister, Uncle Toni and his family. His family is what keeps him grounded. There are talks that he still occupies one room even if he is already a millionaire. The locals have gotten used to having him around so that he doesn't get special treatment. He still has the same set of friends he had before he became famous. Humility among successful sports figures is a rarity nowadays.

As well as producing a champion, the family is happy it has brought up a well-mannered young man. "He has never broken a racquet in anger," Toni said. "It would be showing a lack of respect to people who actually have to buy the equipment to play the sport."

With this, I leave you with a funny video I found featuring Rafa. Enjoy!

RAFAEL NADAL "La Bamba"
Uploaded by sportvideos

Vamos Rafa!

End of summer and holdapan blues...

The reason for my long absence??? I've been trying to enjoy the last remaining weeks of my maternity leave, taking care of things that need to be taken care of, before I go back to work and before my husband and I could even think of conceiving another baby.

First off, I had to have my impacted molar removed. Ouucchhh...that was really such a painful experience. What does it have to do with getting pregnant again? Well...nothing really, except that I read in the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting" under the section "Preparing for the Next Baby," the authors advised women to go see their dentist and have any necessary work, including X-rays, fillings and dental surgery completed so that it won't have to be done during pregnancy. Believe me, the pain was unbelieveable even after the surgery and I could not imagine having survived it without painkillers afterwards. Remember when I had to have my dermoid cyst removed???

I was also busy helping my husband arrange a mini-badminton tournament for all of his students at the Kimoni Badminton Academy. Kimoni Badminton Academy was estalished by Kimon Philippines in order to give high-quality badminton lessons in their headquarters in Sta. Mesa Heights, QC. They have tapped the services of former national players to teach its clientele the rudiments in badminton. The mini-tournament was a lot of fun since beginners were given a chance to experience how joining a tournament feels like.

Jojo Mance (in the middle) with the rest of the participants

Unfortunately, the day was not without its hitch. A couple who joined the tournament arrived late. Apparently, they had lunch in this small restaurant along Kamagong St. in Makati which was held up by 2 armed men aboard a motorcycle. The customers were told at gunpoint to give these 2 armed men their wallets and cellphones. The cashier (of the restaurant) was left unharmed. Tsk tsk tsk...to think that this restaurant is just near the Makati Police Station. According to eyewitnesses, this restaurant was already held up twice already in the past. Unbelievable.

So, beware when eating out in restaurants. Me? I prefer to dine inside malls or established restaurants where there is sufficient security.

Happy Mother's Day 2007

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I would like to greet my mom and my sister a Happy Mother's Day, as well as all the mothers out there who happen to read this blog.

While everybody is celebrating Mother's Day today, I am just observing from the sidelines with an ache in my heart. I was truly happy when one of my nieces greeted me Happy Mother's Day during lunch today, a fellow blogger Major Tom greeted me in his blog, and another blogger Meily left a Mother's Day greeting in my previous post. Aside from my husband, who understands and also happens to share the pain that I feel, I did not expect anyone to greet me a Happy Mother's Day.

In fact, there are times when I forget that I am a mother also, because of the fact that I have no baby to hug, to feed or to take care of. But no one can erase the fact that I am still a mother to Raphael Roque, even though he's already in heaven right now. He means the world to me and I try to honor his memory as much as possible. While he may not be with me now physically, he will always be with me for I always carry him in my heart. I am still his mother after all.

The Blogging Phenomenon

While trying to keep myself occupied last Saturday afternoon, waiting for my husband who was having his racket strung at a sports store inside Virra Mall, I happened to browse through some books at A Different Bookstore nearby. I was not planning on buying this book, The World Is Flat written by Thomas Friedman, but eventually did so upon the prodding of the store salesman. This book is an interesting read and talks about globalization and its impact in the business community.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't finished reading it yet -- all 571 pages. But I want to share with you some stuff that the author wrote about this phenomenon called "blogging."

"A new blog is created every seven seconds, according to Technorati.com, a site that tracks these easily updated Web journals. Technorati says there are more than twenty-four million blogs already, and the number is growing at about seventy thousand a day and doubling every five months -- from Iraqi bloggers, who give their own take on news from the front, to bloggers who follow and critique golf course architecture, to poker bloggers, investment bloggers, to just plain you and me bloggers."

I'm sure that this number has multiplied since the date of the release of the updated version of this book in 2006. But those are still large numbers. The author also mentioned that companies like General Electric even hire someone to plow through the various blogs and respond to them on a daily basis. Big companies are starting to take notice.

"It is impossible to imagine what it is going to be like in ten years when virtually everyone has a blog. But that is where we are heading."

This is awesome technology. I'm glad I live in this age of advanced digital technology. :-D