Hello World, June 2011

The "busy" gods must have played a joke on me and they seemed to enjoy themselves for the past three months. My busy streak both in and out of work started last June. I was fortunate enough to be rewarded with a vacation at the month's end, but it was almost jeopardized with the obligations I had to fulfill. Along the way, I scored some goodies for my collection to keep me sane.

What I went through last June is probably best described in photos below:

After more than a year of hiatus, I'm kinda back. My plan is to port my blog entries to a different CMS, but I really haven't found time to do so. I did miss blogging, but I can't keep up and at the same time do a backtrack of what's happened to me over the past year until now.

For now, my blog is reopened - including old entries which made this blog very popular in Google. Comments are disabled though (so I won't get any posts demanding that I write more)

What I'm up to lately:

• PBA retro jerseys - because my basketball idol Robert "Bobby/Sonny" Jaworski is a god. Also coming up with a creative way of showcasing my jersey collection.
  
• PBA retro/memorabilia - trying to retrieve as much memorabilia on the very rich basketball history of the PBA, because the PBA is too careless to do so.
  
• Cyclops and Bret Hart collection - I think I've exhausted most of the ones available out there except for the really expensive ones, so I'm just getting new releases. I still have to write about my collection hauls for the past 6 months over at the toy forums. Maybe if I find time, I'll post them in here as well. Bret Hart did return last year, and this fan couldn't be happier.
  
• Back to Ortigas again for almost a year now (and still is an ASP.net web developer) after staying in Taguig for summer of 2010 (funny story). I passed MS exam 70-515 (.net 4.0 web development) last March since starting to study early this year! Yey
  
• I've been updating my Multiply website lately. Yes, I still post my photos in Multiply. I guess blogs are better with lots of pictures.
  
• I can bench press at 170lbs right now. Still going to "Manchest Gym" once a week.
  
• Still actively playing hoops at least once a week since last year. My jerseys bear the name of #7, Jaworski.
  
• Snowbell the cat is still here in our house for about 4 years now. We still chase each other.
  
• While I miss the Ginebra I've written about in this blog since 2005, the team is changing and I can't romanticize them. I do hope they can go at it again this season while slowly rebuilding for the future. Meanwhile, Ateneo's so strong on paper, I can only remember the days when they used to fall short of a championship.
  
• Mom has been very active in Facebook lately, in a very funny way.
  
• Rocky and I are turning 6 years this September! and we've visited 94 Starbucks branches all over the country already. Aiming for 100!
  
• You can find me in Twitter. Twitter spoils me.
  

That's all for now. Until the next update next year. Haha!

The best basketball players all suiting up in green and blue once more. A game filled with drama, almost becoming a nightmare. Flying beers and coins. Two precious autographs. A cardiac finish capped by a Hail Mary shot on the night of Immaculate Conception day. The best buds with me.

A dream game, indeed. A really really good dream. :)

After months of waiting, the dream game was finally fulfilled as the best basketball players from bitter rivals Ateneo and La Salle faced off last night at the Araneta Coliseum, on the day marked by the 60th anniversary of the start of World War II in the Philippines. It was a real war. The game was a reunion of sorts for the Ateneo UAAP 2001-2002 squad, led by Rico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Paolo Bugia, Larry Fonacier, Jec Chia, Wesley Gonzales, and LA Tenorio; and reinforced by current UAAP stars JC Intal, Doug Kramer, and Japeth Aguilar, plus two veterans in Olsen Racela and Vince Hizon. La Salle, meanwhile, was led by its former UAAP players that spanned almost a number of years: Jun Limpot, Mark Telan, Don Allado, Mac Cuan, Ren-Ren Ritualo, Mike Cortez, Mac Cardona, Willie Wilson; plus current UAAP stars Joseph Yeo, Rico Maierhoffer, Jun Cabatu, and Ateneo crowd favorite Ryan Arana.

Ateneo rode on the chemistry of its players as they led the first few minutes of the game, 10-1, capped by Enrico Villanueva's two-handed dunk on a fastbreak play from Olsen Racela. La Salle rode on a 12-2 run to overtake the Ateneo lead by one, 12-13. La Salle outscored Ateneo in the first canto, 22-20. The Blue Eagles looked good in the second quarter with an alley-oop pass from Racela to a dunk by Rich Alvarez, but was marked by a technical on one-year Blue Eagle Vince Hizon after he got his third personal foul, threw the ball backwards to the table officials. Ateneo took the lead after the first half, 44-37.


The dream game almost turned into a nightmare at the start of the third quarter as play was halted at the 10:27 mark with Ateneo leading by 6, 44-39, when a commotion occured as the raging bull Villanueva charged the cocky Joseph Yeo after a rebound play. Replays showed that as Villanueva collared the rebound off a Mike Cortez missed lay-up, the King Eagle extended his elbows to protect the ball that apparently hit Joseph Yeo, as the bastard retaliated and (I wouldn't call him a Lasallian) did a Salgado attack by smacking Villanueva on the face. Yeo earned a flagrant foul penalty two that meant an ejection. What was supposed to be a friendship reunion game was entirely ruined by Yeo; that even as he was escorted from the basketball court, he taunted and talked trash to Villanueva and even provoked Villanueva to turn red once more as Villanueva charged Yeo for the second time, as flying beers and coins from the Upper Box B section decorated the near-riot that took place. Villanueva also showed the finger to long-time rivals Mike Cortez and Don Allado as he was really upset about the call. Play was halted with lots of drama and negotiations went on, as Ateneo threatened to withdraw from the supposedly-frienship game ruined by Yeo. It took about 30 minutes before play was resumed, as the teams were given 5 minutes to reinstate their desire to continue the game, and another 5 minutes to warm themselves up again. Yeo's actions costed a pullout of current Ateneo students JC Intal, Doug Kramer, and Japeth Aguilar from the game, as Rico Maierhoffer of La Salle was not allowed to play also. The pissed-off Villanueva immediately went into business as he spun around Don Allado on a post-up play and unleashed his frustration by doing a one-handed dunk. Ateneo led after the third, 62-56.

The Blue Eagles appeared to easily win the game, but the shadows of the first game between the Ateneo and La Salle legends haunted the Blue and White as the Green Archers crept into the Ateneo lead with Mark Telan and Mike Cortez leading the La Salle attack, with Mike Cortez pulling up on a jumper to give La Salle the lead with less than five minutes remaining. Villanueva was fouled as he sank half of his free throws to give Ateneo a slim one point lead, 82-81 with 49.5 seconds remaining. The Cool Cat Cortez was fouled on the return play to give La Salle the upper hand, 82-83. In the return play, Racela passed the ball to a cold-shooting Wesley Gonzales, who flubbed an ill-advised three pointer. A series of loose balls and taps occured and Mike Cortez grabbed the rebound and was fouled to stop the play. Cortez calmly sank his free throws to give La Salle a three point advantage, 82-85. Wild Wild Wesley Gonzales attoned for his earlier miss as he shot a three pointer off Mac Cardona on the left corner of the Ateneo goal to tie the ballgame, 85 all. La Salle quickly sued for time-out, and with less than 10 seconds, Renren Ritualo held the ball but was bugged by Air21 teammate Gonzales as the former turned the ball over. In what appeared to be the final play of the Dream Games, Enrico Villanueva inbounded the ball to Racela with Rich Alvarez helping out by providing picks, and in a patient offensive play and with Larry Fonacier and Gonzales guarded tightly by Ritualo and Cardona respectively, Racela passed the ball to Villanueva as Villanueva, the last man one would think to attempt a three point shot, launched one over the outstretched arms of Jun Limpot. Swish. The Ateneo crowd went nuts as the La Salle crowd was stunned with exactly a second to go. Mark Telan tried to call for a time-out but had the time-out been granted to La Salle, a technical foul would be given to the greenies as they had no more time-outs remaining.

The victory capped a year marked by 6 losses to La Salle on 2 exhibition plays last July 2, 2005 from the Legends game and the All Stars game (from ex-pro players), two UAAP games last July 10 and September 16, a play-off match last September 25, and the appetizer rematch game of the Ateneo and La Salle legends yesterday. Fonacier, who scored a silent 30pts, won the MVP, as Villanueva chipped in 27 points. Box scores here. And yes, how sweet it is to get back from the brinks of defeat, rise up and win the game on a high note, with Villanueva doing a poetic justice.

Interestingly, the game didn't live up to the hype as what news papers and press releases claimed to be a sell-out game, with almost the entire Upper Box B section empty except for the Babble and the Pep Squad and some jologs visitors. Half of the Upper Box A was empty also. Speaking of the pep-squad, it was really nice to see two of our babble and two of La Salle's pep squad members join to cheer Blue Eagle the King and Rektikano. Also, on a gesture of sportsmanship and desire to continue the game, the La Salle squad pounded on their drums to the tune of "Go Ateneo", and the Blue Babble Battalion returned the favor by doing a La Salle cheer. But naughty as the Babble they are, the Blue Babble Battalion made a "B", "Y", "E" formation during the halftime festivities on the main game, much to the delight of the Ateneo crowd as they cheered on "suspended!" like grade schoolers who get excited whenever a suspension of classes occur.


In the first game, Legendary Ateneo lolos seemed to get back at their tormentors when they won the first two quarters (as it is played on a decade basis format, with players of the 60s suiting up on the first quarter and was followed by the 70s players on the second quarter) but was outscored in the third quarter on Jong Uichico and Joey Santamaria attack. Finally, Ateneo lost it all as former Crispa and Great Taste player Joy Carpio of Ateneo finally graduated, and Jojo Lastimosa and the rest of the Ateneo crew lost their touch to lose the game, 59-63. Had the cast been complete just like the first legends game, with Franz Pumaren and Tonichi Yturri suiting up for La Salle and Carpio's teammates Padim Israel, Steve Watson, and Fritz Gaston, an Ateneo victory would be hard to achieve. It was nice to see Rep. Fuentabella of La Salle leading the attack of the 60s players, as he scored 4 of La Salle's 6 points in the first quater. Ateneo Sports Hall of Famers Ricky Palou, Jim "Si Alabanza Kasi" Alabanza, and Tito Panlilio (also a hurdler) led the Ateneo frey in the first quarter, reminiscent of their NCAA days during the 60s.


It was a good day for basketball as I took a leave from work, bringing along Beer with me, despite lots of work at the office. It turned out that the game was Beer-gil's first ever Ateneo-La Salle experience. Add the fact that we entered the dome as early as 3:30pm, and caught the Legendary Coach Baby Dalupan on the lower box section and bravely passing by the guards to ask an autograph from him on my book. It was nice to see a smile on the face of 82 year old Lolo Baby (huh?), that even if he had a difficulty writing his signature, he smiled at us as we thanked him for the precious autograph (YES, VIRG, I was shaking also). Also, we bravely passed by the guards at the ringside to ask an autograph from then "Eagle Killer" and "the Most Abused Body in the PBA" Lim Eng Beng of La Salle on my book. That leaves 19 of the 25 players on my book, plus 3 out of 6 more for the legendar PBA coaches. Thanks for the baller band and the pics also, mehn!


And yes, once more, thank you to my basketball buddy Rocky for coming with me again. :) Thank you. I know you went through a lot just to watch the game with me. Di bale, samahan kita magshopping uli. haha.

It was a good day for basketball. Truly a dream game. :)

Go Ateneo, One Big Fight!

Late post, but as mentioned in my previous blog, I got too busy since coming home from our New Year's family vacation in Hong Kong/Macau and making life-changing decisions, plus a lot of basketball games and/or fitness activities. I fixed my multiply account also over the past three weeks (including 10 detailed albums of our Hong Kong/Macau trip some which are opened to the public) before updating this blog.

Anyway for the third straight year, Mom treated us to another family vacation outside the country: From Hong Kong in summer of 2007, Christmas vacation in Malaysia in 2008, and this time a birthday/New Year's vacation in Hong Kong and Macau again. Here are some snapshots of our experience in Macau: