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.