WOW! I was so, so happy that I was able to watch the finals of the Synchronized Swimming yesterday! GRABE! Super, super amazing. I couldn’t even believe how those swimmers trained to do those dances underwater! And of course, just like what happened back in 2004, it was the Russian synchronized duo (who both have ”Anastasia” as first names) took the gold! The Russian’s routine was so amazing, it scored all perfect 10s. So just imagine how super synchronized (to the maximum infinity) their routine was (even during slow motions, they still acted the same). Are they twins or what? They’re just freakin’ unbelievable, to think that it was all done on water (not as if you can practice those dances on a regular dance studio). However, I was also entertained by the Polish routine that ended up placing 6th (they did a dragon routine, super amazing). So just in case you guys want to have an idea on how this duo performs, watch their 2004 gold-winning performance.

Meanwhile, earlier today, Usain “The Lightning” Bolt from Jamaica once again clinced the gold for the Men’s 200m run. It was such a glorious moment because not only did he arrive at the finish line first, he had also broken a long-standing world record of that event (set by Michael Johnson). I just hoped that you guys have seen how the whole Bird’s Nest roared at that moment! Wow, now I’m confident on asserting that Jamaica is indeed the world’s current fastest nation. This guy also has very cool and bubbly personality, that he even performed a chicken dance kinda thing after he realized that he had just won the race of the world’s fastest.  Meanwhile, I just wish that there will be a photograph book that will be released soon by Getty Images (perhaps?), which compiles all the best of the best photos ever taken of this year’s Olympics. Everything’s just so momentous and groundbreaking so far!

Hay nakupow! So bad trip yesterday, nawalan kami ng cable signal right after I watched the synchronized swimming event! Sky Cable is really starting to get on my nerves. Good thing there’s some radio music and some blurry Channel 2 TV signal to rely on. And oh, may interview nga pala ako sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport tomorrow. Oh diba. Lord naman, please, let this be a better job compared to the previous one. I am not praying anymore na tumagal ako dito sa job na’to for many, many years (not ready to commit yet, I guess). All I care is that this job will be better ’coz it will involve assisting travelling passengers at the airport as they travel inside and outside of the country. I know I said na I wanted to rest for a while, but I really figured out that I AM NOT THAT RICH to rest and be jobless for so long. I will eventually lose all the money I’ve saved and end up being dependent to my mom again if I won’t be able to find a new job. Well, as for fulfillment, I think (here we go again) I will like it ‘coz I really enjoyed travelling and helping people. May free annual tickets pa. Yun nga lang, minimum salary lang daw, as in between 9,000-10,000 PhP a month (compared to the 20K I’ve been receiving from my previous crappy job) ang matatanggap ko per month. WHOA. Will I even be able to live a decent life on that salary range? Tipid-tipid lang siguro talaga. Sabi nga, “It’s not how much you earn. It is how much you save.” E paano nga e magastos naman ako. Pero malay niyo naman, maging stepping stone ko ‘to something bigger (career sa airlines, travel-travel, hihi). Hay, bahala na! Sa hirap maghanap ng trabaho ngayon, I really can’t be way too picky!

Yep guys, it is so not true na sobrang dali ng makakuha agad ng trabaho ‘pag graduate ka ng UP, or pag may laude honors ka, or kung ano pa man (unless super extraordinary human being ka with lots of significant achievements). That’s how hard life can really get. Minsan nga, I am thinking of building my own business na lang once I’ve saved up enough capital. Mas madali yatang umasenso ‘pag ikaw na ang may-ari ng business, kaysa naman sa forever kang employed (Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Kiyosaki? Hehe). Pero of course, as if naman I have a business administration degree to fully operate my own successful business. ‘Di bale, I hope common sense and some simple strategic thinking can make me go far.

Oh, I just received a text from Jo Anne of VCF asking me of what time do I prefer to attend a cellgroup meeting! Yay, thank God!

Ciao and wish me luck and blessings!

From The Bee Movie…

“According to all known laws of aviation there is no way a bee should be able to fly. a bees’ wings are too short and their bodies too fat. Bees, of course, fly anyway, because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible.”

Whatever that is, just go for it.

***

Lavet…

TAGUBILIN AT HABILIN
Ni Jose F. Lacaba

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!
Mabuhay ka!
Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

Sa edad kong ito, marami akong maibibigay na payo.
Mayaman ako sa payo.

Maghugas ka ng kamay bago kumain.
Maghugas ka ng kamay pagkatapos kumain.
Pero huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay para lang makaiwas sa sisi.
Huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay kung may inaapi
Na kaya mong tulungan.

Paupuin sa bus ang matatanda at ang mga may kalong na sanggol.
Magpasalamat sa nagmamagandang-loob.
Matuto sa karanasan ng matatanda
Pero huwag magpatali sa kaisipang makaluma.

Huwag piliting matulog kung ayaw kang dalawin ng antok.
Huwag pag-aksayahan ng panahon ang walang utang na loob.
Huwag makipagtalo sa bobo at baka ka mapagkamalang bobo.
Huwag bubulong-bulong sa mga panahong kailangang sumigaw.

Huwag kang manalig sa bulung-bulungan.
Huwag kang papatay-patay sa ilalim ng pabitin.
Huwag kang tutulog-tulog sa pansitan.

Umawit ka kung nag-iisa sa banyo.
Umawit ka sa piling ng barkada.
Umawit ka kung nalulungkot.
Umawit ka kung masaya.

Ingat lang.

Huwag kang aawit ng “My Way” sa videoke bar at baka ka mabaril.
Huwag kang magsindi ng sigarilyo sa gasolinahan.
Dahan-dahan sa matatarik na landas.
Dahan-dahan sa malulubak na daan.

Higit sa lahat, inuulit ko:

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!
Mabuhay ka!
Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

Maraming bagay sa mundo na nakakadismaya.
Mabuhay ka.
Maraming problema ang mundo na wala na yatang lunas.
Mabuhay ka.

Sa hirap ng panahon, sa harap ng kabiguan,
Kung minsan ay gusto mo nang mamatay.
Gusto mong maglaslas ng pulso kung sawi sa pag-ibig.
Gusto mong uminom ng lason kung wala nang makain.
Gusto mong magbigti kung napakabigat ng mga pasanin.
Gusto mong pasabugin ang bungo mo kung maraming gumugulo sa utak.

Huwag kang patatalo. Huwag kang susuko.

Narinig mo ang sinasabi ng awitin:
“Gising at magbangon sa pagkagupiling,
Sa pagkakatulog na lubhang mahimbing.”
Gumising ka kung hinaharana ka ng pag-ibig.
Bumangon ka kung nananawagan ang kapuspalad.

Ang sabi ng iba: “Ang matapang ay walang-takot lumaban.”
Ang sabi ko naman: Ang tunay na matapang ay lumalaban
Kahit natatakot.
Lumaban ka kung inginungodngod ang nguso mo sa putik.
Bumalikwas ka kung tinatapak-tapakan ka.
Buong-tapang mong ipaglaban ang iyong mga prinsipyo
Kahit hindi ka sigurado na agad-agad kang mananalo.

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!
Mabuhay ka!
Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

***

Hangkyut! Hehe. Who would have thought na isang animation movie ang magpapakilig sa akin ng bonggang-bonnga. And besides, homw mayn directors or producers out there can tell a very fantastic story with very, very little dialogue at all? Pixar indeed makes the best films evar! Support for the Best Picture!

***

Natalie du Toit, I love you! Grabe, watta inspiring Olympian indeed! You’ll always be the champion in the hearts of millions!

Meanwhile, I just finished watching our very own taekwondo jin, Tshomlee Go, fight the greatest fight of his life when he clashed against Australia’s bet, Ryan Carnelli, during their first round matchup. Darn it, he lost. The score is 1-0. Now the only chance that he can get a bronze medal out of this is to hope that Ryan will get into the final round.

Goodness, their whole taekwondo match lasted only for three rounds, 3 minutes each. Yet imagine coming and fighting there armed with a training that’s worth 4 years, and even more. It was really quite disappointing because we really believe that Tshomlee should have at least received even a single point from all his kicks and hits. Oh well, God bless those judges.

I also felt very bad for Tshomlee because Ryan’s shouting supporters were way too many, as compared to that two Filipinos (I think) who’s inside the stadium, holding that Philippine flag way up high. I can even here those Aussies shouting “Go Ryan!” while the match was ongoing, while I haven’t heard anyone cheer for Tshomlee.

Goodluck to Toni Rivero this coming August 22. May she break the odds of the biggest odds so we can finally hear the Philippine National Anthem be played during the awarding ceremonies.

Need to go back now and watch BMX, that newest Olympic sport.

***

UPDATE… UPDATE!

I don’t know if you guys know this already, but Natalie Coughlin, that most bemedalled female US Olympic swimmer (who won 6 medals in this year’s Olympics), is actually half-PINAY! Waaaz!

“Somewhere, there’s probably a child who will head to the pool a little early to get started on his dream of winning nine gold medals. “ Source

Wow. Isn’t that the most inspiring statement ever? Kudos to the writer of that article.

Grabe, to the next level na talaga ang impact ng Olympic games sa akin. I mean, dati lang naman e ini-ignore ko lang generally ang Olympic Games. Siguro, totally naive at immature pa ako noon na ‘di ko nare-realize na there are really tons of things to be learned from these athletes just by watching them compete. Or siguro the fact na this only happens every after four years kaya this event just makes it all the more special.

I was sitting all by myself sa Chowking kanina, and while waiting for my food to be served, I couldn’t help but look far-away (naks, drama, hehe) and contemplate on some things. Grabe, ngayon ko lang na-re-realize na seriously, parang wala talagang pinapatunguhan ang buhay ko. It appears to like I’m just waiting for all these things in my life to pass, and worse, am just waiting for my death.

Sometimes I really wish I was acquainted to any sport back when I was a kid. Kahit archery, pwede na. Para man lang ma-i-channel out ko itong super duper inspiration na na-receive ko this Olympic Games. Pero paano if you excel more on the mental aspect (chika), and you’ve already graduated from college? What if you really, really wanted to do a lot of things but you just don’t have all the sufficient resources available for you?

I am already at this critical age where everyone should be pursuing his/her innermost desires already as a person. Pero parang iba yata ang nangyayari sa akin. You know, I sometimes just want to break down, surrender, and just cry out in anguish. Pero there is still this very little voice still shouting inside of me. “Kaya pa.” “Laban pa.” “You’ll soon have your breakthrough.”

I guess I really, really have so many issues to face. They are just way too many that I don’t even know where to begin. I am still really praying so hard to God na makaya ko pa ang lahat ng pagsubok and problema.

Hay, sulatan ko kaya si Phelps via snail mail at humingi ng payo. Hehe. Swear, nakapost yung postal address niya sa kanyang official website. Pero seriously, I am really hoping for brighter days ahead. And wala ring halong biro, I have never felt so motivated until now to really get down to the business and really find out what I really wanted to do in this life. You know, para I can now start working all my talents out to finally reach that lifelong goal.

***

In fairness, parang cheetah lang naman yung mga taga-Jamaica. They swept  lang naman all the places sa women’s 100 m, tapos eto namang si Usain Bolt, aba’y parang lightning bolt talaga. Wow, I almost never slept last night ‘coz I really enjoyed watching the track and field events. Unlike sa swimming na medyo matagal matapos ang race, sa track and field, ilang seconds lang, tapos na. At grabe, if you will really look sa mga faces ng mga runners, GRABE. You would just see how extreme their hunger were just to get to the finish line. Yung iba, para lang gutom at iniikot-ikot yung kanilang tongue sa kanilang lips. Yung iba naman, all eyes on the finish line at talgang do-or-die. FIERCE talaga. FEROCIOUS. I was actually waiting for any Intsik to race because that would be more scary. Imagine, singkit na nga sila, tapos fierce pa ang mga mata. Wow, para ka nang kakainin ng buhay. And oh, sadness to the max talaga yung nangyari sa Chinese hero na si Liu Xiang. ‘Di man lang nakapag-race on the big day.

I was kinda sad talaga for the current performace of Team Philippines. Imagine, 1.5 B pala dapat ang nakalaang budget to train our athletes pero ’di naman nabibigay sa Philippine Sports Commission. Heck, if only that huge money was already given way, way before, e ’di who knows, baka may gold medal na tayo! Hay. Anyway,  It was my first time kasi to watch an awarding ceremony yesterday, at grabe, ibang level yung background music. Sobrang nakaka-proud at nakakiyak talaga if you just had the chance of even standing sa medal podium. My golly, if ever the Philippines will finally win its first ever gold this week (support our taekwondo jins!), I will really, really cry once our National Anthem are already being played. Pramis, walang halong biro. That will just be surreal moment, noh! And yeah, I will just sing the Pambansang Hinirang like I’ve never sung it before. And yung flag natin, how long do we all still have to wait just for it to be unfurled at the top during an Olympic awarding ceremony?

Parang ang sayang manood ng isang triathlon. Labanan talaga to the max, hehehe. At yay, mamaya na ang synchronized swimming, and I really wanna watch it. Oh, it also makes me think, bakit kaya walang Olympic Cheerdance competition sa Olympics? Ain’t that bad of an idea right? Or I mean, wouldn’t it be more fun? Pero siyempre, dapat competitive yung dating, at hindi lang “Oh Mickey You’re So Fine” kind of thing.

***
Hahaha, in fairness, I can really say that Project Runway Philippines is so far one of the best-produced Philippine reality show of Western origin.

Super funny yung karamihan sa mga hirit ng mga contestants.

One example:

Contestant: Sir, okey na po ba yung dress ko?

[mentor Jojie Lloren pauses for a while]

Jojie Lloren: E ano pa ba ang magagawa ko?

HAHAHAHA. For the win!

And oh. That Jaz Cerezo contestant is actually a “he”! Swear! I myself was really, really surprised when I’ve found that out ‘coz she really, really looks like a woman. But I suddenly had some slight doubts as each episode flashes by because I kinda noticed na parang medyo may pagka-lalake ang tunog ng kanyang boses. I thought it was a voice of somebody else pero hindi pala. But in fairness, ang ganda niya. Oh, his real name is (was) actually…. Jasper. Hehe. Anyway, Veejay Floresca is kinda reminding me of Christian Siriano.

***

Hahaha, I so badly want to be in a comedy bar right now. I was watching Sharon Cuneta’s talkshow entitled “Sharon” yesterday at Channel 2, and last night’s episode really drove me to tears because of intense laughter. Sharon was accompanied by no less than my favorite local stand-up comedian, CHOKOLEIT. That guy was just so, so darn funny! The punch lines are really so awesome, albeit silly. Anyway, they hosted a mini beauty pageant for last night’s show. One line was like this:

CHOKOLEIT: Feeling ko Sharon, yung contestant #1 yung mananalo.

[then a brief pause]

SHARON: Talaga?

CHOKOLEIT: Yun ay kung walang kalaban.

HAHAHAHA!

Tapos eto pa, yung sa isang question and answer naman…

CHOKOLEIT: Contestant #1, Miss USA, please come forward!

[Miss USA then falls down, spoofing the twice-in-a-row falls of Miss USA-Universe candidates]

CHOKOLEIT: Ahhhh, Miss USA nga. Okey, okey, here’s your question: Kung mamamatay ka bukas, bakit hindi ngayon?

CONTESTANT: [laughs] Of course I am so willing to wait for my turn. But if you cannot wait and you’re in a hurry, then you can go ahead.

TARAY!!!

Before I leave, here’s a funny “walang magawa” video!

That’s it for now!

Wala lang, since I’m a very shallow person, knowing this just completely made my day:

Nasa top friends’ list ako ng official Myspace page ng THE REBELUTION!

Hahaha, I was so, so surprised! I got goosebumps when I found out! Grabe! ‘Di ko akalain! Just in case you guys don’t know, The Rebelution is a youth movement started by the twin brothers (Brett and Harris) of famous Biblical author and pastor, Josh Harris. It aims to challenge the youth of today to do extraordinary things and mighty exploits for God’s glory.

These brothers will be starting to attend college this coming August 25, and is also the site where I’ve learned the story of silenced valedictorian Brittany McComb.

WAW! I am fairly certain it was just coincidence (perhaps they just picked whoever was the first Myspace user that they can pick), but just the same, it still made my day. Taray! Hahahaha.

I actually don’t know how they managed to find my Myspace account ‘coz I was only a reader of their site for quite some time. Oh well, whatever the reason was, their movement to challenge youth towards doing extraordinary things has been nothing but great inspiration to me.

Hay, what a way to end this very momentous day (and no work tomorrow pa!). A day never to be forgotten, and will forever go down in the pages ofhistory (and shouldn’t we all be glad that we are all alive today!).

Oh, before I finaly go, I just want to share to you this very touching (the best!) dance performance ever! SO, SO TOUCHING!

‘Til next time!

Woohoo! So I finally made the decision to go back to my church at VCF-UP Diliman today. It was a struggle to make that decision earlier of course, because I could have opted to just stay at home and watch the Olympics all-day (or just go somewhere and completely waste my time). But I guess it was a decision that I’ll never, ever regret for the rest of my life.

It has really been a while since I’ve attended a formal church service. I already forgot the reasons why I actually stopped, but I know it all went downhill ever since I contracted dengue fever after attending a service at the same church one Sunday. But anyway, this day is the D-day and I am so pumped up to start anew (especially now that I’m on vacation, and I’ve already promised to do whatever it takes to take my relationship to Christ one step up).

Wow, as soon as I stepped outside the jeepney (was a bit rainy earlier), I immediately remembered the memories I’ve had here. I’ve been blessed by this church in ways I sometimes couldn’t imagine, and it just felt so good to be back. It felt like I’ve just won a battle against the devil who has always been strangling and tying me to a bond so I wouldn’t have even an ounce of an effort just to see the liberating light.

I entered the church, and whoa, almost everyone was wearing sportswear! I was puzzled at first but yeah, as soon as I saw those Olympic rings and cauldron (yes, they made a cauldron that illuminates once the whole theater gets dark), I finally knew the reason. VCF is currently on its last stage of the Biblical series dedicated to this whole season of the Olympic games. COOL!

Totally missed the whole praise and worship thing. I am still having troubles getting my mind into focus, but I eventually realized how important it is to worship God in SPIRIT and in TRUTH! The songs were generally about exalting Christ as our One and Only Savior, and also about receiving healing and grace from the Father. I’ve also noticed that the church has a new worship team, and the female lead singer/worship leader’s voice really rocked! 

After the praise and worship time was over, we were asked (before sitting down) to talk to any person seated 2 rows in front of us to ask what particular Olympic sport he or she was avidly watching these days. Cool! I didn’t do it though because of shyness, but of course most of you would know by now what were those 2 sports I’ve been avidly watching.

It’s now time to give tithes. We normally place them inside those official VCF envelopes. These envelopes are not just your ordinary envelopes though; they all have some dedicated spaces where every churchgoer can write his/her own prayer requests, and also a form to be filled out if one wants to be a part of a small group. Now, after thinking about it for quite a while, I finally decided to fill out the ”Small Group” form. The pastor said someone will contact those who signed up within the week, and I really hope this will be the start of my active participation and eventual growth with the church.

So while the tithes and offering were being collected, a special interpretative dance number was presented in light of the ongoing Olympic games. It was so nice and touching! After this, the official introductory trailer for the whole series was played. The title of this series is Faster, Higher, Stronger, which is also the Olympics’ official motto! Goodness, the trailer was so nice! Pang-world class! It featured all the faces of those athletes competing, with their faces so determined and oh so passionate! No wonder it earned a roar of applause right after it was shown!

Now came out our pastor, who was wearing a speedo T-shirt, a swimming trunk, and goggles! HAHAHA.  Olympic-theme indeed! He even pretended to be blind when he walked across the stage (because his goggles first looked like dark shades, making him look like a blind person). And guess what? Our pastor first talked about Michael Phelps! Hahahaha, pati ba naman church, may Phelps fever na rin! Apparently, our pastor is also into swimming and is now determined more than ever to do swimming more regularly.

But of course, we eventually realized why our pastor needed to talk about him first before proceeding to the actual Biblical message of the day. He went on giving to us some trivia about this legendary guy, like how his torso was so long and his feet short (perfectly fit for a swimmer), how he also has a wing span three inches longer than his 6-foot-5 body (so ‘di lang pala siya fish, eagle rin?), and how (as our pastor joked about it) Mr. Phelps might possibly admit someday that he actually has some hidden gills. I’ve also learned from our pastor that Phelps actually had Ian Thorpe’s picture placed on the wall of his bedroom, and that’s so he can wake up each day to look at the picture and say that he’ll beat Ian Thorpe someday.

But what struck us the most was how dedicated Mr. Phelps was to his rigorous training. 5 hours a day, 7 days a week. And that’s swimming even during his birthdays and also Christmas. Our pastor also emphasized how much this guy has sacrificed many things along the way (case in point: social life) just so he can reach his dreams (specifically the place where he is at right now). He is indeed the perfect epitome of what extreme belief, perseverance and faith can do to someone who is willing to challenge the odds and the ordinary.

Here’s our main verse for today’s church service: 1 Corinthians 9:23-27

Isn’t the verse so fitting? Now, here’s what we can biblically learn from what Mr. Phelps (and from the rest of the athletes that are competing on this year’s Olympics). If they have undergone those rigourous trainings and have succumbed their bodies and minds to intense athletic discipline just so they can achieve their goals and dreams, then why can’t we Christians do the same?  Why can’t we subject ourselves to the same spiritual discipline so we can remain steadfastly strong as we trudge along this journey altogether? Because just like those runners, swimmers, cyclists and the rest who are running a race, there’s always a prize in the end awaiting for the very best. In other words, we are the Spiritual Athletes.

There are actually 3 ways that we can be disqualified from the eternal prize dedicated for the believers:

1. Some people might be running the WRONG RACE to begin with.

2. If people are not competing according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5, AMEN!).

3. If people don’t embrace the necessary spiritual training and discipline (James 1:12).

Indeed, we as believers should not totally aspire for worldly glories because they will all soon fail. Records will soon be broken, medal tallies will eventually be surpassed. But nothing can rob us the gift of salvation and the eternity to be spent with our Heavenly Father, if we are just willing to repent and live a life proclaiming His rich glory, grace, and mercy.

Now, are we just serving God just so we can receive rewards from Him in the end?

To answer that, our pastor wonderfully ended by quoting a philosophical statement from my oh so favorite philosopher and writer, CS LEWIS:

We must not be troubled by unbelievers when they say that this promise of reward makes the Christian life a mercenary affair. There are different kinds of rewards. There is the reward which has no natural connection with the things you do to earn it and is quite foreign to the desires that ought to accompany those things. Money is not the natural reward of love; that is why we call a man mercenary if he marries a woman for the sake of her money. But marriage is the proper reward for a real love, and he is not mercenary for desiring it.

WOW! That’s a perfect answer!

I left the church so fulfilled. I really hope that this will be the start of a fresh Christian journey for me.

I’ll leave you guys with this verse: 1 Peter 5:4.

Schweet! Stay blessed!

Source: Yahoo photos

WAW! Halimaw! I went to church for the the first time (after more than 4 months of not going?) kanina (details to be blogged after this post), so I failed to watch Phelps’ final competition as he swims all his extraordinary talent out to finally clinch that 8th gold. So just imagine how nervous I was when I went to Yahoo and saw the link featuring Phelps and the details of the just-concluded relay swimming competition.

Yay for the golden eight! Tapos 08-08-08 pa. Oh diba, Golden Haul of China indeed! Now I am so dying to see the whole event (and the post-interviews), and how he reacted after learning that their team just won. Just found out that it was again another close match! Si Jason Lezak na naman ang pinakahuling nag-swim! And whoa, basing on last two parts of this article, he finally did what he has never done yet on this entire Olympic Games: He broke down and cried. WAAH. Oh Lord, I am definitely certain that Phelps will never forget Beijing, most especially the Water Cube.

Just some quotes:

“Everything was accomplished,” he said. “I will have the medals forever.”

My reaction: Nope sir (hahah, kinorek!). You won’t have those medals forever. But yeah, you’re the best, and the world’s legendary athlete that will be forever remembered.

“Nothing is impossible,” Phelps said. “With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is an imagination, and that’s something I learned and something that helped me.”

My reaction: WAAH! Idol!

Imagine how he trained so hard for so many years just to reach this place where he is at right now. All the sacrifices that he has made, wow! If that won’t even inspire you a bit to stand up and do something extraordinary, then ewan ko na lang.

I’ve read somewhere that Ian Thorpe, that swimmer who had beaten Phelps once in the 2004 Athens Olympics, once remarked that he doesn’t have the capability to match Spitz’s record of 7 gold medals. Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman, then quoted and printed this statement of Thorpe’s and handed it to Phelps. Since then, Phelps placed that clipping in his locker so he would see it and motivate him to win everytime.

O, ano yun ulit Ian Thorpe? Ano ulit? ‘Di pala kaya ha! In yer feyz, man!

Apparently, this man excels more (by leaps and bounds) everytime someone discourages him.

Congratz dude! Pati na rin si Mr. Bowman na talagang naging tatay na mo throughout these years. And to the whole US swimming team na rin, even though hindi naman ako Kano (how I wish our very own country can send powerhouse swimming teams to the Olympics someday). Anyway, sana magka-miracle at mapanood kita ng live and in person sa London Olympics (and I hope na active pa rin ang blog na ito after four years)! Ikaw na rin naman ang nagsabi na NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE, di ba? And I’m really, really inspired right now to just keep on pushing forward, excel more, and find God’s real purpose for my life!

Okey, saan ba yung nearest swimming school? Sana si Bob Bowman ang coach. Chos.

BTW, isn’t he estranged from his father? I mean, is his father still alive? ‘Coz if he is, well, I’m kinda feeling bad for him. Was he watching his son on his glorious moment from some part of this planet?

Now that it’s all over, I’ll really miss watching the swimming competitions! Btw, is synchronized swimming already done?

***

And since we are already talking about swimming, I was quite disappointed that Dara Torres, that 41-year old mom and is considered the oldest competing US swimmer of this year’s Olympics, experienced the same fate like what Phelps’ had. Only that she lost. WAAHH! This day would have been much more memorable if Torres also won. That would be just so cool! But never mind, she has nothing to prove anyway.

However, this news about our swimmers is just so sad (and can really make you angry). I mean, how can this government not release enough funds just to give our own swimmers a decent pair of swimming trunks? They have raised a whopping 15 million pesos as a fitting prize to the first ever Filipino that can bring home the country’s first gold medal. But why not just used it to support our athletes? You know what, I firmly believe that we could have a won a long time ago already. If only there was an enough allocation of budget to train and hone the best athletes that we have. But I guess, corruption will always make this government deaf and blind.

BTW, yay, gold for Federer! But on the doubles. Honestly, it was quite unusua for me to actually watch him playing a doubles’ match. But just the same, I’m very happy for him (than going home empty-handed). AND GOSH, have you guys seen how animated the reaction that he and his doubles partner, Stanislas Wawrinka, had shown when they both won! Hahahaha, I don’t know if it was uploaded on Youtube already, but yeah, it was pretty funny and awkward at some points (especially when they jump up and down, and when Wawrinka lied on the tennis court floor and Roger did this sort of kinda weird acts, hehe). But nice to see their human side! Meanwhile, VAMOS Nadal! And Safina! Are the Williams’s sisters still alive on the doubles?

Waah, come August 20, our taekwondo athletes will finally have the chance to compete and bring home some medals. Let’s all pray for Antoinette Rivero and Tshomlee Go’s success! Exciting indeed!

Hay, goodness, the media nowadays are crazy. Do you feel kinda slightly itsy-bitsy teeny weeny sorry for the other swimmers? Or for those other athletes that competed in the fields of archery, equestrian (poor horses, no matter how cute their acts are! Read Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty if you want to know what I mean), shot put, or some other sporting event in the Olympics? But of course, we should not be surprised anymore. It’s Phelps mania, darn it (and apparently, I am already involved in this whole hulla-balloo just by posting this blog entry).  Okey, I am not swimmer, much more of an athlete, but I feel like I am also one given all this hype surrounding him.

Kamusta naman yung race kanina, guys!!! SUPER MEGA SA OVER close! I wondered how her mother felt when the race was finally over and it was actually her son who won. Kulang na lang e atakihin kaming lahat sa puso! That Croat (or Serbian (?) guy) must be really disappointed right now. Imagine being beaten one-hundredths of a second! And that’s after waiting for four years just to compete on this global event! I know winning silver ain’t that bad but still! Freak talaga ‘tong si Michael. Anu ba, parang gustong sabihin naman na “your efforts are not enough to beat me guys.” Golden Haul of China na talaga. Okey, good Lord, just give him the last and eighth medal tomorrow dahil sobrang bad trip naman ‘pag ‘di pa nangyari yun.

***

“If Michael Phelps were a country he would be sitting fourth on the Games medal tally” — he Australian, a national broadsheet (oo nga naman! nice one! grabe, ‘di na tao si Phelps, bansa na!)

“The barracuda from Baltimore,” said Chile’s largest newspaper, El Mercurio.

“The New Olympic Legend,” blared Egypt’s El Badeel.

“The American dolphin,” wrote Spain’s El Pais.

“The God of Olympia,” intoned France’s Nouvel Nouvel Observateur.

“The water man from another planet,” hailed Denmark’s Berligske Tidende

wow, comments from all over the world!
***

Is this what the world felt like when Mark Spitz made history back in 1972? If yes, then this was a total time machine for me that I definitely appreciate! I am just so glad that I am alive right now to see all these groundbreaking performances of his happen.

Okey, what I’m more interested right now is what he will do after the Games. Well, judging from his aura, he seemed to be a very kind-hearted yet very competitive person. I mean, c’mon, this is one exact person that surely persevered his way to change the mindset of the world to the sport that he ultimately loves doing. SWIMMING. That’s raw passion that we are currently seeing right there! Like after this, his life won’t totally be the same again. Spitz even remarked him as the greatest athlete/racer that ever walked the planet. That might be so grand to fathom but still, everything is just so unbelievable.

Now most of my friends, and younger batchmates who are still studying in UP, are now so obssessed with this man. And they are not even competitive athletes but just ordinary students that’s all on the chase of finishing their degrees. They were so inspired they were like saying, “I wanna be Michael Phelps when I graduate (meaning, graduate with gold medals), or “Wow, ang halimaw naman. Sana ako rin”).  I definitely understand them (especially in my situation right now where I am still so lost as to what I would really want to do) because Phelps really does not do this only for himself, but also for the other athletes/people all over the world. Iba yung ripple effect na ginagawa niya. And what must we must all learn from what he has been doing from the past up to the present? I believe these are some: Don’t give up. If “I” can, then “you” can as well. Make history in your own little way. Strive to do your very best. Invest hardwork, and it will soon pay-off. But most importantly, TRY.

What will happen next is just something that I am so eagerly awaiting. Will he just lock himself inside the circle of euphoria and glory, or do something much, much grander instead using the history (and legacy) that he created? I mean, who knows, this guy might even be considered as the greatest athlete of the century! And we’re all alive and watching when it all happened!

Okey, watch this video because the first (and only) comment posted below the video really made me laugh! Oo nga naman! So unfair!

***

And at last, I was able to watch the Beijing opening ceremonies on its entirety! Thanks to replay made by the Crime and Suspense channel (I know, the channel’s name sounded inappropriate). Whoa, the moving blocks, the part where the glittering Olympic rings was lifted, the moving blocks, the scroll, the lighted costumes, the GLOBE!, and so much more just took my breath away. The best indeed so far. Now what will London do? Bring an asteroid down to their stage! They have four years left guys!

Yay, Nadal won! And Safina as well.

‘Til tomorrow! 8th goldd come onnn!

WAAAA! Can everybody in da house shout, Wall-EEE? WALL-EEE! Wall-E is so friggin’ amazing! It was so magnificent that it was being considered to be one of the top candidates for next year’s Oscar Awards for Best Picture. IMAGINE! Don’t worry kiddos, those seemingly hyped positive reviews are not exaggerations at all. Anyway, if indeed it will be fielded as a candidate for next year’s Oscar awards and it will actually win the whole thing, then it will just be so super grand! Imagine the possibility of seeing an animated feature winning the Best Pic plum? Who would have thought? Now I also hope that Kungfu Panda will be considered for the Best Animated Feature award. Woohoo!

But what we should not forget is that there are some Pinoy animators working for Pixar studios, and just a few nights back, a Pinoy animator was featured on the news again as being one of the key animators of this film. Waw! That’s something that we really must be all proud of! Appreciating the people behind the scenes. Anyway, isn’t it so cool to be an animator, or to just be involved into these kinds of animation masterpieces? Given all the technology that we have nowadays, and the super amazing talent that these dudes have, they can just totally create and bring amazing imaginary characters into life! And that’s while transforming the pages of movie and world history along the way. *sigh* How I wish I can even draw or something like that. But heck, I’ll just keep my mind wide open (just like what I’ve learned from the Bridge to Terabithia movie), and I can create a new world altogether.

Anyway, who has the “Wall-eeeeeee” ring tone? Hahaha, I badly wanna have one! Going back, what’s so great about this film is that it is generally silent (very few dialogs), and it is up to the viewer’s imagination on how he/she will make sense out of the story. It is also fully loaded of golden lessons particulary about the planet (and why we must do something to take care of it before it’s too late), friendship, love, and lotsa lots more. Wow, I really wish that Pixar’s string of great movies will never come to an end. Keep those creative juices flowing, Pixar animators! You guys are seriously changing the world. And to you, whaddya waitin’ for? Get up and plunge right now into this robotic madness!

Moving on, yep, I’ve finally watched the American remake of My Sassy Girl on big screen. Well, my expectations before seeing this move were definitely low (and I really don’t want to see a very hilarious and awesome romantic film getting butchered), but it still didn’t stop me from watching the film ‘coz you know, I thought we can all be kind and give this remake a chance of being watched. Well, there were some scenes that made me cringe, and some scenes that were readily copied from the original but just failed to make an impression. However, I still can offer the director a kudos for the effort of making it original, and for not failing me to experience some “kilig” moments while watching the enitre film (but still, kulang pa rin sa comedy and kilig factor as compared to the original version).

Now, since I’ve been writing about films rin naman na, I’ve recently had the chance to watch My Bestfriend’s Wedding and Bridge to Terabithia (again!) on cable TV (HBO to be specific). Let’s first talk about My Bestfriend’s Wedding. Yup, as famous as the film was, I still haven’t had the chance to watch it fully until last, last week. Boy oh boy, wasn’t it one of saddest romantic films of all time! Or am I just way too shallow? Wow, talk about loving someone so damn hard but not getting the love of your life in the end. Unrequited love is really so darn painful! That’s just such an awful feeling, you know (from experience ba? haha)! The most “astig” scene for me was the confrontation between Julia’s and Cameron’s character on the cubicle. And the car chase. And oh, the admission done by Julia’s character that she actually love her bestfriend all through those years of patiently waiting. I don’t know if these film excerpts are uploaded on Youtube or not, but heck, I just couldn’t find them. Meanwhile, here are also the scenes that I totally liked: Short but sad, and the final scene (dance part)… rock on!

Now, let me talk about the Bridge of Terabithia. It was so, so nice as well, and this is really a film that I would seriously recommend my kids someday to watch. I believe it took me like a week before I got over the story, and I just couldn’t believe that I still haven’t exerted any effort to read its book version (and that “A Wrinkle in Time” book by Madeleine L’Engle!). What so awesome about this film is that it empowers many people to really use their imagination to make a difference and to pursue their wildest dreams and passions, no matter what. Life is too short you know, so you better live it NOW! I even remembered how I was so, so down when this film was shown here, but it really made me experience a 180-degree life turnaround right after watching it. Okey, I know this film really made a huge impact on me, but I guess I can just fully relate to Josh Hutcherson’s character. And whoa, the main male character’s sister was so uber cute! Okey, here’s one of the scenes that seriously made a mark.

Okey, have you guys heard about the this John Cusack film, GRACE IS GONE? Oh my goodness. My friends have been recommending this film to me to really watch. I believe it was released only last year, because it won like two awards on last year’s Sundance festival. Okey, here’s what made this film very interesting to me: THE PLOT! It was so friggin’ unique. Read this: “Grace is Gone” is a heart-wrenching drama about a young father (John Cusack) whose soldier wife has just been killed in Iraq. Rather than tell his two daughters the news, he decides to take them on a cross-country road trip to an amusement park. Oh diba, ang taray! Super interesting. What most viewers around the world say is that even though the film from beginning to end is so nice, we needed to await the last 5 minutes of the film because that’s where Mr. Cusack delivered his best performance yet as an actor (and something that we will really never forget). Hmmmm…. totally hyped reviews right? And it was because of these reviews that I couldn’t seem to wait to watch this film.  For a taste, watch its official trailer (dito pa lang, parang naiiyak na ako!)

Wow, I can’t wait to watch more inspiring films, especially now that I’m having what I will probably consider as my longest vacation ever (well, I have no school and work to return to, and after getting traumatized by that previous company I’ve worked for, I might just as well be bum for the next two or three months). Harry Potter’s film was moved (as if I care, hehe), Ice Age is still slated to be released next year, James Bond’s latest film is also upcoming this November, and the Star Wars animation is also going to be released anytime soon! Cinematic madness galore, friendships!

Enjoy da Saturday!

Thank God for this site, because I’m finally done. I’ll now officially dedicate the next week of my vacation-mode life watching nothing but the Olympics… and other shiznits.

I may be the dumbest and most Napoleon Dynamite-ish person you’ll ever meet when it comes to sports (never learned how fencing’s being scored until I’ve watched the women’s final match), but this year’s Olympics has caught my attention like never before. Spectacular. Dazzling. And I say goodluck to London four years from now if they can pull up something magnee-fee-ko like what China did. Anyway, aren’t you guys in awe whenever you see the Water Cube structure that China built for the aquatic sports events? The Bird’s Nest is also awesome, especially if you are in the field of engineering or architecture. But this one rocks more, and also this.

Moving on…

A swimmer from Great Britain said, “We’re not chasing world records anymore. He’s (Phelps) the world record… we’re chasing him.”

Footek.  Seriously, this Phelps phenomenon is so, so crazy. Every channel I switch to, there’s Phelps. Either a picture of him swimming to the finish line, or a live video of him standing tallest on the medal podium. Has anybody even bothered to check his DNA? Maybe there are indeed some traces of sailfish or barracuda DNA on it. Wow. What a huge inspiration to many, many homo sapiens, especially to mere and ordinary people like us who cannot even swim 5 meters without drowning. It’s just so amazing to know how someone who used to be teased at school, was diagnosed with ADHD, and was able to receive a remark from someone that he’s a boy who would never amount to anything is now being considered as the greatest Olympian of all time. And if that’s not enough, he was also destroying every single world record that there is to the world of swimming. Mi ultimo perfecto combinacion.

What drove me crazier even further was his diet.  Have you guys watched the CNN news that featured that? Goodness. I’ll leave it to that. As the reporter even said, it’s just eat, sleep and swim for him! Okey, here’s a very great interview that I guess, almost covers everything the basics that we all want to know. Totally loved his dreams back when he was a kid. “You can make a million mistakes, but never make the same mistake ever again.” And grabe, ang taray: “I will be the FIRST MICHAEL PHELPS. Not the second MARK SPITZ.” Lastly, this statement of his was the killer: “I just TRIED.” Parang grabe lang yung effect sa akin, hehe. Gosh, I should be practicing my own autographs as well. Yun pala ang secret. Hehe. Woohoo! Will he finally clinch those two remaining gold medals that he desires? Well, all we can afford to do is to wait and watch until history happens!

Okey, enough of that. Has anybody ever watched our very own Hidilyn Diaz compete in the Weightlifting competition. Who would have thought that a 17-year old female Pinay teenager would be our representative to this event after almost 20 years? Raised in the province Zamboanga whose daily routine was to carry buckets and buckets of water for her family, she finally realized her Olympic dream by finally competing in it. She might not have won a medal, but she still ranked a very impressive 11th overall. She was so amazing and determined that her life story was even featured on the 2nd page of the Olympian, the official newspaper of this year’s Olympic Games. Kudos Hidilyn! I was really in the verge of tears when I saw her very young but strong body entered the stadium to fianlly lift those weights. However, when she failed to lift the 90-kg weight, all she said was, “Ang bigat” afterwards. That almost killed me. She was also in tears at that time, with nothing but a jacket to wipe her tears. Oh well, the eventual champion was that superhuman  Chinese who lifted EVERYTHING (reaching up to 130+ kgs) on every first attempt, and who definitely enjoyed the booming hometown cheer. But boy oh boy, if only I was there, I could have used a megaphone just to cheer for Hidilyn, even if I was the only one shouting. She didn’t even had her debut yet, dearests! Meanwhile, she was interviewed after the competition, and she was asked if she has plans competing in the next Olympics four years from now. What she said was so nice: “Opo. Gustung-gusto ko po silang talunin lahat.” You go, girl! That’s the spirit. Meanwhile, if you want to congratulate her personally (and she actually replies to some of them!), you may watch this video and leave a Youtube comment. C’mon, show your support to her!

Sorry guys, but the Williams’ sisters was out. And so is Federer (downhill, eh? Or just a bad year for him?). I hope Safina or Dementieva (would be so ecstatic if she finally wins this) will win the women’s side, and Nadal on the other. And yay, the Spaniard will finally clinch the #1 spot on Monday!

Speaking of gymnastics, I really felt bad for US gymnast Alicia Sacramone. It would be totally so hard for her to move on after falling two times on the big day,  but as they say, those things can happen to anybody. Oh, don’t even get me started on the issue of whether those Chinese gymnasts are underaged or not. They really are okey! Duh! Hehe.

Now, to the issues that will either leave you feeling weird, angry, or just nothing at all:

IS JA PEYK?

Do they know what this will teach to the rest of young kids of this planet?

Alright, some were computer-generated actually.

Singkit mode?

Parang yung computer ko lang sa office before, hehe.

Ay, one world, one dream, nga ba?

Panalo, hahahaha.

Waahh, our athlete for the diving event didn’t qualify! Now our only hope lies in our taekwondo atheletes! Come on!

‘Til tomorrow!

The post below is actually not my only post for today. I have actually written a long, long entry about the Olympics and about so many other interesting things about my life and the world. But just as I was about to write my closing paragraph, bam, the computer just froze! GOODNESS! Now the computer assistant didn’t have any choice but to reset the computer and say goodbye to all those thoughts I’ve purposefully written for the past two hours. How cruel and merciless this technological world can be! Injustice! Hehe. And why can I ever so forget to always save my work after every 5 minutes? Have I not learned my lesson?

AHHH! Good thing WALL-E is now showing (and what I’ll be watching in a few hours), or else, my day will be totally ruined! I’ll make bawi tomorrow!