Gymnastics: My Dream Olympic Event

alexei nemov

Now that the London Olympics is on, have you ever wondered what your Olympic event be if you were an athlete?

Only now that it dawned in me that the Olympic event I would be in if I were an athlete is men’s gymnastics.  At a very limited chance that I got to catch a men’s gymnastics game on TV, I am always at awe with the combined strength, form and acrobatics of these athletes.

I guess for me this is one complete sport and besides no one in my country has been sent to compete in gymnastics event in the Olympics (my country with a population’s average height of 5 feet 5 inches is so obsessed with basketball).  Also no male gymnast has been chosen as the Athlete of the Year by ESPY.

Yeah, I have always been a fan of tennis but I will leave that sport to my idol Federer besides everybody can whack a ball with a tennis racket. For me it is easier to swim, dribble a ball, punch an opponent, throw a discus, shoot a target or dash to a 100 meter distance.  But not everybody can twirl with flair on a pommel horse, hang like a monkey on a high bar, fly and twist from a vault, do intricate tumbling passes on the floor, swing and spin on still rings and defy gravity on the parallel bars.

Gymnastics is not considered an extreme sport but through the years of its evolution through discoveries and inventions of various intricate moves I do consider it as one.  Modern acrobatic styles are very risky it can actually result to broken bones or torn muscles.  It takes a lifetime to achieve the form, strength, agility and discipline to perfect this sport.

So to those male gymnasts competing may it be in your local school event or in the high and mighty Olympics I have nothing but high regard for the sport you have chosen.  In case the sport become famous or remains mediocre in popularity I will always be at awe every time I will get the chance to watch a game.

Perpek ten ang skor ko sa sport na ‘to!

I Can Still Be A D&G Supermodel

Right inside the comforts of my bedroom I was able to watch some of the fashion shows of the 2013 summer and spring men’s collection of notable fashion icons recently held in Milan, Italy.  Thanks to FatalefashionII for posting the videos on YouTube.

I was able to catch the reemerging Jil Sander whose collection was hip, young yet seem square in structure.  Donatela Versace was floral, bling-bling-based and seems Pacquiao inspired.  Ermenegildo Zegna’s collection was clean, slick and sharp.  Burberry was interestingly donned with metallic tones and highlights.  Salvatore Ferragamo was excitingly fun and colorful it reminded me of the shades of M&Ms and Skittles.  Calvin Klein’s collection was monotone, flat and minimalist in nature.

All their respective 2013 collections were very cohesive which I suppose would be a disadvantage.  It’s too cohesive that the pieces seem to look repetitive.  You wouldn’t want to own the whole collection.  Having only a single pair of shoes, a shirt, a coat and pants seem enough.  Wearing on two or three ensembles is like foolishly acquiring two identical shirts or pants at the same time.

But the most compelling among the men’s line for next year was that of the collection of Dolce & Gabbana.  It was fun, hip, relaxed and looks ‘presko’ (cool to the body).  It was unpretentious yet seems adventurous.  It was an easy collection yet well thought of.  You would want to own a wide range of their designs.  It is because the cohesiveness is not based the similarity of colors or structures of the design but instead influenced by the people of a specific a place and culture (i.e. Sicily).

Unfortunately, majority of the comments in FatalefashionII’s D&G runway video were negative.  They say that it was a total disaster and disappointment.  But I beg to disagree. One commendable factor about the clothes presented is that one need not possess the beefcake model-like built and bodily structure to wear those designs.  It is actually evidenced when the models commissioned by the designers who strutted on the runway were non-models and instead ordinary citizens of Sicily.

http://youtu.be/J5FkZdWuApo

According to some fashion news, D&G tapped Sicilian men whose age range is from 13 to 43 years old to model their 2013 Summer & Spring Collection.  Hey!  I am still within that age range!

Because of D&G’s fierce move of appointing common citizens of a certain place and culture to strut the runway to model their collection for a specific fashion season, this actually gave me glimmer of hope that one day I would be able to strut the runway modeling for a top notch fashion icon.

On a personal note, I actually have been wearing D&G everyday around three or four years ago.  This is not because I was able to amass massive number of D&G clothes but because my fragrance during that time was D&G.

Pasosyal naman mashado ang powst na ‘to!

Anticipating Hollywood Stars Sightings in Malate

"bourne legacy" teaser poster

Every working day, travelling from my 350 divided by 10 square meters condo unit to my office, I would instruct, demand and insist the taxi driver to traverse the streets of Leveriza, San Andres and J. Bocobo so as to reach my office located just across the Remedios Circle in Malate, Manila.  These highly populated streets are the shortest and speediest way for me to reach my office on a regular basis.

However, according to local news these streets and locations are the very sites where Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton and the other stars of Bourne Legacy will shoot the film on January 18 and 19.  Now this posts a problem because for sure these narrow labyrinthine roads will either be closed for or filled with traffic.

repairing the Remedios Circle lamp posts

Just yesterday, I noticed that the rickety and long-overdue-needing-repair lamp posts around Remedios Circle were being restored and refurbished.  Moreover, the rundown parking slots in the corner of Remedios Circle and J. Bocobo street is being constructed with high-rise scaffolding which I suppose where the high-tech cameras will be installed and operated on the days of the shoot.

Despite all these, I will still pass by these roads on January 18 and 19 but will not take a cab anymore.  Instead, I will ride the ever reliable manually-operated padyak (foot-pedaled tricycle) while sporting my posh designer office clothes.  I also plan to bring along with me my prehistoric digital camera to take photos of these celebrities as remembrance.

However, I am still contemplating whether to bring me a pen and paper where the movie stars can sign their autographs since getting their elusive autographs seemed too farfetched.  Instead, in keeping with the circa 70’s and 80’s tradition of a true Filipino fan (ala Germspecial or GMA Super Show – famous but now defunct Filipino Sunday noontime shows hosted by German Moreno), I will bring lots of Sampaguita leis to hang and drape around their respective necks.  The amount of these flower garlands that I will put around their neck would be so plenty, only the foreheads of these Hollywood stars would be visible.  Here in the Philippines during the 70’s and 80’s the higher the leis that hang on a celebrity’s neck the more sikat (popular and admired) he or she is.

No way will I instruct the padyak driver to take a different route since I expect to experience rare Hollywood star sightings, the Malate version.

Yihee, may rason na akong hwag umabsent sa mga araw nayan…

A Unique Creation

This is my first post for the year 2012 and I want my post to convey positive thought.

We are created in this world with a purpose.  Whether we fulfill such purpose or not, let’s all be useful in our own little way and try to see and understand everyone’s own uniqueness.

I know that challenges will be ahead and just like the video I included in this post, I would try my best this year to turn good whatever I would be blessed or cursed with – may it be an angel’s wings or the horrendous horns of the devil.

Wishing all those people who come to have read this specific post a nice and satisfied life…

Sana’y pare-pareho tayong tubuan ng pakpak.

Happy Fruity New Year!

Nothing will be missed, nothing will be gone.  So in keeping with the Pinoy tradition of hoping and wishing for good luck and prosperous New Year, I have filled two humungous containers with varieties of sweet round fruits.

Let me also take this great opportunity to thank all the sweet-fruity-like people who provided me joy in the year 2011 may it be like a tiny cherry in shape or the titanic watermelon in structure.  A heartfelt thanks to all people who kept me company in chasing butterflies and harvesting the crops of my existence, you made me further appreciate the rainbows of life.  You have been the fresh grapes, apples and mangoes of my being.

And for those who’ve been like rotten fruits who gave me a sting in the neck this year, let me pronounce that I forgive you and I’m wishing you not to carry out the most evil thing that you would do on the coming fresh year that would result to a karmic debt that you will be repaying and re-harvesting for the rest of your life.

In 2012 we for sure will encounter noble failures – that’s the bitter part of life – but let’s turn and plant these mishaps to bear creative golden orange-like opportunities.  Let’s all keep dreaming and try to achieve it with a smile.  Happy New Year everyone!!!

Hwag kayong mag-alala, tulad ng prut salad, masarap pa rin ako neks yir!

Human-Energy-Generated Power Plant

People invent because the human mind is always at work.  Brilliant human beings can turn salty sea water to potable drinking water, they invented the mobile phone, the TV, the internet and of course the computer.

While doing my 30-minute thread mill in Slimmers World, I realized that so much human energy is exerted yet wasted when people exercise at the gym.  I have been a gym freak for the past eight years (though my delicious body doesn’t seem to show it!).  I suppose the accumulated energy I have poured into using the thread mill and various gym equipments if converted into electrical volts are enough to run one humongous electric power plant.

I also realized that only if a not-yet-invented gadget that can convert human energy to electric energy be attached to all those gym equipment, this poor country need not allocate a big amount of money in buying oil, coal and gas to supplement the energy needs of its populace.  The converter-gadget should then be attached to the transmission lines towards one or two power generators that will distribute electricity to operate domestic appliances, office equipment and even industrial machineries.

This crazy thought may actually not be farfetched.  Just take the case of various luxury wristwatches available in the market that need not be run by batteries but powered by kinetic energy, i.e. a wristwatch would run perfectly when worn due to constant body movements but would stop when taken off.  My idea I suppose is just of a grander scale.

If this converter-gadget will then be invented, just imagine if this will be attached to the mattresses of all beds of this country’s resorts, hotels and motels.  That would create the biggest power plant in the universe!

Ito ang dulot ng blakong utak at naiinip na matapos ang paglakad sa letcheng tredmil na yan!

Madonna in Manila! Wehh???

OMG!!! Madonna the Queen of Pop is on a negotiating table with somebody here in the Philippines!!!  As messaged to me by my good friend Jesse, according to a leaked but unconfirmed itinerary document about the Madgesty’s upcoming world tour next year, Madonna if all things settled will perform here in Manila on May 8, 2012. (press this link to read more about the leak)

To connect an insane dot on this issue, a couple of months back when I along with my co-workers decided to have lunch in SM Mall of Asia we passed by the SM Arena that is presently being built adjacent to SM-MOA.  Dominic (the Operations Manager in the company I’m working for) told me that the arena being built is due to finish early next year and there is a rumor that Madonna is to usher in its grand launch by being the first person to perform in the high-tech structure.  I actually dismissed what Dominic said informing him that I (being a Madonna fan) have yet to hear or read about Madonna planning to have another world tour.

To further connect another freaking dot on this issue, a couple of weeks back my college classmate Karen Batangan posted on my Facebook wall that Madonna is due to hold a concert here in Manila.  When I tried to verify this information, this came from socialite Tim Yap’s tweet.  However, I dismissed this information after knowing that it came from Tim Yap since Tim Yap is not the type of person to be taken seriously.

And to still further connect another bizarre dot in this ever rising rumor or fact is that in recent days, I was able to catch a TV interview of Marvin Agustin who plans and dreams to bring a Madonna-concert here in the Philippines via his Futurement, Inc., the concert-organizing company who produced the recently successful Bruno Mars concert here in Manila.

In case Madonna’s concert will not push through here in the Philippines, this will actually give me a good reason to travel back to Australia to catch one of Madonna’s big nights Down Under.  (Calling on Joesel, paki book mo na ako sa bahay mo on April 2012. LOL!).  This is of course aside from having to catch up again with my dear Aussie friends…

Jusko, jusko, jusko! Eksayting!

My My Sharona Itch

There are two events I always remember every time the song My Sharona by The Knack is played on the radio.  First is when I was still a young soul – who is not yet ear-fatigued from club music – me and my sister Jocel would make sure to proceed to the dance floor in high spirits to strut and bop every time the DJ plays this mind-blowing tune.   Second is the amazing scene in the movie Reality Bites when the song was played inside a convenience store and was asked by Jeanene Garafolo to turn up the music for them to hoof, twist and hustle.  After watching that scene, I always itched and wondered how it feels like to sing and dance freely along the aisles of a grocery store.

Today, I caught a Youtube video that somehow animated my secret wonder.  It’s Sara Bareilles (who claimed to have difficulty doing the dance routine) strutting her stuff inside a Mexican supermarket. It’s so insane!! It made me laugh at the end of the video because the last scene would most likely what would happen to me in case I would take the risk of fulfilling this infatuation.

Oo, aym so wird…

Sa Bukid Walang Papel

I was walking on green fields and leaping through the flowery groves while the raise of the sun is mellowing…  It was an enormously divine green field of dreams…  I smelled the grassy breeze of air and felt the undisturbed delight of the snow capped mountain ranges above…  I was sweetly smiling for experiencing the charming breath of heaven… But I was aware that I was just lucidly dreaming.

I was awakened by the rumbling of my stomach.  With drooping eyes and remnants of dissipating sweet dream on my mind, I went straight to my toilet.  After some intense abdominal and intestinal twisting, wringing and extraction, like a typical Filipino that I am, I reached for my “tabo” (dipper) to soap and wash my posterior end.

With heavy and still half-opened eyes, I reached for the toilet paper dispenser but there was none in it only the cardboard roll was left.  This is when I realized like the controversial Filipino bathroom tissue TV commercial that in lovely and dreamy green fields there is no tissue paper.  That’s when I fully woke up!

Sa bukid walang papel. Uyyy! Ikiskis mo sa pilapil! Uyyy!

Dreaming of Super Power Philippines

After finishing my morning ritual of hand-grinding my Sumatra coffee beans and savouring the aroma that filled my Indonesian-inspired kitchen, I left my mansion in the posh village located in Pasay.  I was driven in my white Sarao limousine by a British-national driver sent to me by the British labour agency.

While inside the car, I checked my e-mail sent to me by my Norwegian secretary.  When I opened my Kyowa-labelled computer, it indicated that I will have a late lunch meeting with the economic power brokers who run the world’s economy.  These guys are from Bangladesh, Somalia and Afghanistan – earth’s most powerful economies after the Philippines.

But my meeting with these men will be before I have personally interviewed the line-up of immigrants from poverty-stricken US and Canada applying as housekeepers and gardeners in my mansion.  Mother Nengkoy wanted me to personally screen these people from these 3rd world countries because her previous laundry-ladies from extremely poor Ireland and Switzerland were such lazy fools.

After my short but influential meetings with the power brokers, I would have to have a tea-break with my friends from Haiti and Mongolia – the planet’s next superpowers (of course after the Philippines).  My secretary told me that my tea-break will be at 7-star Sogo Hotel in the high-end with lush-greenery of  Baseco Compound.  I promised to let my Haitian and Mongolian friends to taste Tsaang Gubat, the most expensive tea in the solar system.

While I am driven to my high-tech newly renovated office located in the commercial district of Sitio Magdalena in Tondo, Manila, I received a phone call from a good and incalculably wealthy friend who is inviting me to have a long weekend vacation in Ethiopia.  She expressed that Ethiopia now has the grandest museum.  I agreed to go to affluent and well-heeled Ethiopia this weekend but I disagree that it has the grandest museum because the Philippines have the largest and most technologically advanced museum.  Philippines’ National Museum now located in Sapang Palay Bulacan owns and houses pieces that were previously seen in Vatican Museum, New York Metropolitan, Hermitage in Russia and Muse Du Lourve in France.  Thanks to Ka Totoy Talastas the museum’s chief curator who encouraged the Philippine government to acquire and purchase all these pieces from those impoverished and penniless countries that previously owns it.

When the car reached Sitio Magdalena and when I was about to alight the limousine in front of my 168-storey building… I woke up from this tremendous dream.

Ayun! Nagising ako.  Oras na para mamalansta! Hahaha!