Artichoke Adobo

The Gramercy... I want a condo in Makati

2007-05-07T15:15:00.000+08:00

For those of you who still visit this version of my blog, you may not know that I've moved on from Asia Online. Now I work as a nerd in Century Properties, Inc., a real estate organization in the Philippines. I got into this thinking it may help me get to my dream of owning my own house/condo. Sigh. Hope it happens soon.

I've recently been eyeing our newest project: The Gramercy at Century City, which, I feel has the makings of becoming one of the best condominiums in the Philippines.

I have finally moved!

2005-09-15T14:46:00.000+08:00

I haven't been posting for a while coz of the server move problems I've been having. Still....

Thanks to Rickey, I'm now the owner of my own url (while I squat in his server for space).

Please update your links. I'm now at:

http://www.artichokeadobo.com

Is that loud enough?!

Banned from Watching Pinoy Big Brother!

2005-08-31T17:17:00.000+08:00

Something not food related today -- but equally spicy. I'm gonna steal a page from pinoy.rickey.org and talk about Pinoy Reality TV. Believe it or not, I'm banned from watching Pinoy Big Brother which shouldn't faze me, really. It's just that the forbidden fruit is always more appealing. I'll explain:

I was watching Pinoy Big Brother one night over at my girlfriend's house when I happen to mention that my favorites were the two married people -- Jason *I think* and "Hot Mama". They seem to be the most real to me; free from the shennanigans that all the other housemates are trying to pull-off to get TV mileage. You can tell that most of them are hoping for a TV/Movie career once the show is over. And they'll probably get it given how stupid us Filipinos are when it comes to what we watch on TV (This from someone who's complaining about not being able to watch Pinoy Big Brother--- hehehe). But I digress...


The Jedi (Hot Mama and Papa)		The Sith (Pretty daw and bading na bading)

Anyway, I mention that I like the two married people and Mox gets on my case about staring at "Hot Mama" and watching for all the sexually loaded content. So I ask you, dear readers, do I look like a sex-depraved "Hot Mama" salivating prick? On second thought, don't answer that. Still, I promise you that my interest in this TV show is so far beyond what Mox is accussing me of.

To tell you the truth, what I want to find out is whether good can triumph over sex appeal. I've chosen two of the middle-ground characters, people who actually fall through the cracks and under the radar. They are not loud but more reserved and focused. They are not one of "the beautiful people" but rather homely and normal looking. I believe that they are the housemates with the strongest values. They are my Jedi.

The Sith, The Evil Empire, on the other hand, are the "pretty" (I still insist that to call any of them pretty would be stretching it) girls and guys. You have Say who is prudish and obviously too much of a Social Camel. You have JB who is obviously a womanizer most Filipino women will inevitably fall for. You have Cass who is a flash-in-the-pan FHM girl desperate for sustainable attention but simply failing where she thinks she's strongest-- her looks. You have Uma who is a study in histrionics (Rickey? --- hehehe). You have Raquel who I'd hoped would have a good heart given her lack of looks but who is actually, IMHO, a coniving bitch. And then you have Chx who is so much like one of the "feeling pretty" girls I know and hate. Evil all around.

Group Pic

Come to think of it, Pinoy Big Brother is like the apartment I lived in during College. 5 Guys, 5 Girls, no privacy... and a whole lot of weirdness going on. So why am I so fascinated with this show. It's like watching a car wreck, I think, it would just be too hard to look away.

I can't believe I want to watch this show. It's a poor franchise that focuses on people doing inane things and acting for the camera. But in the end, to me, it's still good versus evil. It's not the sexy stuff, it's not the nakedness... it's my desire to watch good triumphing over evil.

Maybe I should talk to Mox and convince her to let me watch again. I can promise to close my eyes everytime the focus on a gratuitous ass or boob shot.

P.S. If you want to be part of my "Let Jay Watch Big Brother Please! Campaign" please email me at manongguard@yahoo.com

*Photographs come from the Pinoy Big Brother website gallery. Visit them at http://www.pinoybigbrother.com

Aling Banang's... Where Volume Counts

2005-08-30T07:00:00.000+08:00

Now this place is highly recommended... at least by my friends. I, on the other hand, don't quite get it. See, the first Aling Banang's is a walk away from my top-secret Shell Gas Station (Where they sell the cheapest unleaded in Metro Manila - usually almost a peso cheaper than regular price... but that's another story altogether) and one morning, I was feeling quite adventurous. I parked right in front of the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant and took pictures of the facade. Excitedly, I ordered their specialty and was pleasantly surprised that it was a good-sized serving of Pancit Bihon which they sell at 30 Pesos. So I got back in my car, drove to Globe where I needed to hold my office that day, sat myself down at my desk, unwrapped my pancit and took my first bite...

My mom makes better pancit, and she's not that great a cook (except when she makes Tapa and Pastel... yum). It's not that the bihon tasted bad. It was just that it did not taste good either. It was... normal. Which would've been okay given that it costs only 30 Pesos, but the hype got me. The pancit bihon was definitely a disappointment.

I might have ordered the wrong thing, though. Aling Banang's can boast of 9 branches in and around the Manila, QC, San Juan area. It has become a franchise that any other local carinderia will be hard put to match. I would think it's success would be based on repeat customers and not on hype. Maybe I should've ordered their two other specialties: Tapsilog and Halo-halo. Hmmm... I should order those next time.

Aling Banang's is a phenomenon to me. A single N. Domingo carinderia which has successfully branched out and gained popularity by word of mouth. Wouldn't we all love to have that. But if I were to sit the old Aling down, I'd give her tips on how to make better pancit bihon.

Price per meal: Between 30 to 50 pesos
Pancit Bihon Pros: Big serving at a very cheap price. Lot's of artery choking litson cutlets.
Pancit Bihon Cons: Bland to my taste.
Pancit Bihon Rating: @@ out of 5

Wasn't the UP Beach House article interesting enough?

2005-08-30T06:56:00.000+08:00

I decided against posting over the weekend coz I wanted to get some comments on the Beach House article. I was hoping there are some people out there who could share their UP experiences. Thing is, the article virtually killed my readership at least according to my statistics.

Oh well. You live, you learn.

UP Beach House Barbecue

2005-08-26T15:40:00.000+08:00

There's this house in the middle of the UP Sunken Garden that I remember fondly. It's called the UP Beach House, which is weird since the nearest beach is probably at least 50 kms away. Rickey says it's because the architecture of the structure looks like that of a beach house. Anyway...

The Hepa Contessa at the Beach House

The Beach House holds some historical significance for me. Far as my research took me, it was established sometime within 1992 or 1993. I came in as a freshman in 1993 and immediately took to eating in the Beach House (At least once every two weeks). They were known then, as they are known now, for the excellent barbecue that they sell. At that time it was heaven for a financialy challenged college man like me. 13 Pesos for the Barbecue, 5 for half a red egg and a tomato, 10 for two cups of rice... and then all the vinegar, soy sauce, and chili peppers you can eat. I get a feast for 30 pesos.

I recently went back to UP during one of my trips home, and decided to introduce Mox to the Beach House experience. It brought back a lot of eating memories.

The setup was more or less the same. You fall in line outside the house's door, you grab barbecue, side dishes, viands, and rice from cafeteria-like chafing dishes. You pay when you reach the end of the line, walk back outside, and sit yourself comfortably on the plastic chairs underneath the expansive shadows of the trees. Very romantic, you say, but it also creates certain difficulties.

Our Spread

The Line

You have to guard against The Marauding Mayas of Death, a bred-to-kill flock of smallish, brown maya birds that are trained to descend on hapless barbecues that have been left foolishly unguarded. I witnessed one such situation when this obviously famished guy had to go back in to get some utensils... he came back just in time to see the now-content flock fly away. Poor guy.

Then there are the other issues that come with dining outdoors, the dust, the wildlife (i.e. stray cats and dogs) and the occassional frat beating. Sometimes, there you also have to make sure that the molo soup your eating hasn't inadvertently turned into a bowl of Bird's Waste Soup. Still, this is Artichoke Adobo, not some hotsy-totsy high-brow food site... and we don't take points away for what can be considered in some circles as... an indigenous experience.

The barbecue is still delicious as hell... only a tad more expensive (at 20 Pesos now for a well-sized stick). It still comes with the required last slice of fat that everyone loves. The barbecue guy I know has since retired and been replaced by a younger dude (that made me a little sad). All in all, it still delivers a Marty McFly momment.

Bar-b-q

Outdoors

Mr. Barbecue

Ice Cream

The other stuff we ordered was regular carinderia fare: Sauteed Monggo, Red Egg and Tomato, Boneless Fried Daing na Bangus, and three bottles of C2 Iced Tea. Nakakabusog! And it cost us more or less 200 Pesos (for two people who eat like us -- which means what we ordered would've been good for 3 normal people-- Sorry Mox, our secret is out).

UP Alumnus or not, I suggest you give this place a chance. Go on a Saturday, during lunch time... there's less of a line. Order at least a stick of barbecue, and enjoy the fresh Sunken Garden air.

Ambiance: @@ out of 5 (Less if you mind sitting on bird poop)
Food in General: @@@ out of 5
Barbecue: @@@@@ out of 5
Overall: @@@@ out of 5 (Try eating here at least once in your life)

P.S. If you have UP Beach House memories, please post or email me at manongguard@yahoo.com

Riding in Cars with Food

2005-08-25T09:43:00.000+08:00

Damn! I just realized how obscure my title references are. I don't think anybody ever went out and saw that movie. At least I didn't. But there are some titles that just bounce around in the brain and never leave. Enough about that.

I was supposed to write this article a long time back. Back when I figured out how much time I spend driving / sleeping / waiting in my car. An average workday, for example, means that I get to spend at least 4 hours driving (and that is if I don't have to drive round during work hours just to get to my meetings). So minimum 4 hours a day. That is a fifth of my 24 hour day. Not too bad, you'd think, but subtract the hours when I'm supposed to be asleep and you'll see how bad it is:

24 Hours - 8 Hours = 16 hours That means I spend 25% of my waking hours in my car MINIMUM! And what else do I do the rest of the day? Work mostly. That is another 8 hours, which means I have 4 hours left. Now subtract the 3 hours I should be spending eating my meals and I have 1 hour all to myself. Whoopee-doo!

It's no surprise that I've learned to eat while driving. Actually, I eat breakfast in the car most of the time. And then some dinners. Lunch I skip. All this just to squeeze in more time for my other pursuits (I write for this Blog and tape our podcasts, for example, during my lunch hour). Problem is, I'm an avid rice-boy. I am never fully satisfied with life unless I get to eat a good amount of rice during my meal. This, as should be obvious by now, when done in the car, may be very tricky.

So what I did was experimented. I tried eating different food products while driving and this is what I learned:

Edsa Rush hour is your friend.
Once you get past the clutch and go driving that is required, you get a couple of seconds at every stop to free both your hands and get a good bite in.

Know exactly where your mouth is.
You'd be surprised at how much of a problem this can become. Just yesterday, I was being fed some spaghetti while in the car and I aimed a little too high. Now my one and only polo-barong is in jeopardy of being ruined. I won't mention names though... Right Mox?

Crumbs itch.
This morning I ate a bag of biscochos which tasted great. I should get my vacuum cleaner ready.

Lastly, I'm providing a table with degree of difficulty and speed of consumption. Please be guided. If you're not a professional car-eating machine, choose food that's easy enough to eat.

Food:	Difficulty Level:	Notes:
Rice meal on flat styro		This is very difficult to do. Half of the time you're worrying the thing will slide and slip all over you. The need to balance the styro on one hand doesn't help either.
Rice meal in bowl		Now this is the life. Still for pro's only, but I love eating Dimsum and Dumplings Siomai rice toppings when in my car. Try to choose viand that doesn't have sauce.
Sloppy Sandwiches		Including "saucy" wiches such as the Big Mac, Champ, et al, this can be messy but is manageable. Just make sure you have a firm grip and that half of the sandwich is still in the wax paper.
Dry Sandwiches		Not a problem. Leisurely fare that you can eat even while speeding away in the fast lane.
Cookies, Biscuits and packed junk food		This type of food was made for driving. Very little of your attention is necessary.
Drinking without a straw		Virtually impossible unless your fully stopped or there aren't any cars and obstacles around. I advise you to NEVER do this. Best scenario is the liquid shoots out of your nostrils.

Will the real Tapa Queen please stand up. (Please stand up)

2005-08-23T14:21:00.000+08:00

First off, I've decided to stop counting the number of food review posts that I make. More and more the Artichoke Adobo has taken a life all its own and it's mostly about food. The name, apparently, is prophetic.

I was scrounging up some relatively old pictures a couple of days back and I happened upon some pix I took in Taal, Batangas. It reminded me of the reason why I get excited whenever I take a trip to Mox's province. It is the one place in the world where you can meet royalty right dab smack in the middle of the local wet market.

Mox and the Tapa Queen

I'm talking about the real Tapa Queen (please stand up). The lady is apparently Mox's distant relative. You can find her everyday sitting on top of her high bench (which just reminds me of a throne --- seriously) master of all the meat products that she surveys. Her only activity is dully swatting away at the visiting flies and occassionally looking from side to side. At least until a suki comes along.

The small stall sells at least two kinds of longganisa, tocino, hard hot choco tablets, and sundry other food products. Its claim to fame, though, is and will always be the Tapa. Tapa in Taal is unlike the tapa we're so used to here in Manila. Actually, the first time I brought a bag of this tapa home, my folks and I argued about the way it was made. My dad said it was made of pork while my mom and I insisted that it was beef. After confirming with the Tapa Queen herself the verdict is...pork. It tastes a lot like beef, though, and while I don't think I can get the recipe for this concoction short of by prying it off of cold dead hands, I'm pretty sure patis is involved somewhere in the marinade.

Three at Caysasay

Anyway, go and visit the Tapa Queen's store if you wander into the Taal or Lemery, Batangas area. You can find her a brisk walk away from the Caysasay Church, in the middle of the market that recently burned to the ground.

Pork Tapa. Quite an experience.

Price: About 200 Pesos/Kilo
Gaping Navels: @@@@ out of 5
Pros: Tastes very different... no sweet.
Cons: It's pork... so don't expect jerky consistency.

Stall Front

Sweet Longganisa

Salty Longganisa

Food Review 2: Rise of the Republic

2005-08-19T08:28:00.000+08:00

Along the stretch (not much of a stretch really) of Anonas Avenue, a short walk from the Sikatuna statue watches over the Jollibee-Mcdo-Caltex intersection, there is this place called "Adobo Republic". Okay... enough with the canned intro.

This place rocks. It's a little better than a hole-in-the-wall but it exceeds expectations in terms of value-for-money. Actually, Mox discovered this place. She's the avid adobo lover, not me, and in one of her good-mood days, we decided to try it out on our way home from work. We were not disappointed.

The Hepa Contessa visits the Republic

They mostly serve different variants of adobo meals. Each one comes with half a red salty egg, half a tomato, and a cup of rice. I personally, love the "Adobo sa Gata" variant which is pork, chicken, or mix Adobo stewed with virgin coco milk and spiced up with chopped long green peppers. It offers the absolutely perfect combination of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and everything in between.

You do have to eat it with a lot of rice, though (which is good strategy for the Adobo Rep management since you'd probably have to order an extra cup). It simply has too much flavor to eat on its own.

Adobo
From Wikipedia

A common dish in the Philippine Islands, is typically pork, slow-cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and cracked pepper corns.

Adobo may also be made with chicken, or a combination of pork and chicken.

Their Regular Adobo comes a not-so-distant second. Cooked the conventional way, their "vanilla variant" is as good as a home-cooked meal. Generously seasoned with chopped garlic and whole pepper corns, the mix of chicken and pork creates an experience of ever-changing textures and tastes. For the standard 70 Pesos a full meal, this is definitely worth ordering.

The restaurant also serves the common fare: Sisig, Lechon Kawali (I think), Barbecue, etcetera. I haven't tried any of these other viands, though, simply because the adobo meals always successfully seduce me. I'll try to resist one of these days and report what I find.

You get one free regular desert for every 250 Pesos you spend in the restaurant (which means you have to eat with two other people -- or eat the way Mox and I eat). The deserts are not good enough to mention, though, which is not too much of a problem given that you can probably walk to the neighboring 7-11 or Jollibee to get something better after your meal. It just justifies the old Confucian Proverb: "When in Adobo Republic... Order Adobo."

Average Budget per person: 70-100 pesos
Pros: Great Adobo, Good Service
Cons: 2 Parking Slots, No Ambiance, So-so Deserts
Gaping Navels: @@@@ out of 5
Dish of choice: Adobo sa Gata
My advice: Go slow when going through Anonas. Blink and you might miss it.

Adobo Sa Gata

Adobo Mix

Buddah in Big Buddah ... or in this case Super Bowl of China

2005-08-17T17:53:00.000+08:00

Ah Chinese food. This should be part of my Contessa series but it's not. Mostly because this has less to do with food and more to do with the events that brought about the experience.

Ea at Starbucks

To make a long story short, Ea (my bestbud for the past 15 or so odd years) got the job she's been praying for... a regular stint as an Events Organizer in the popular RX93.1 radio station. I've been raking in the benefits of her new found employment in terms of free tickets to movie premieres (see Fantastic Four article) and concerts. The windfall of fortune (cookies?) continues as she treated us (Moxie, Tammy and myself) to a more-than-enough early dinner at the new Super Bowl of China in Marquinton Mall -- and then later on to a grande each over at the neighboring Starbucks.

Had a very good night with the girlies and I just wanted to post the pictures. I also took some good enough product shots with my non-SLR (hehehe--- I'm griping again).

In any case, here's my food rating chart. I forget the names of the food we ordered but I'm listing them anyway:

Food Name:	Gaping Navels:	Comments:
Yang Chow Fried Rice	@@@@@	No one can mess up this classic. With rice this good who needs ulam?
Mushroom and whatever stew thingee	@@@@	What can I say? I love mushrooms. I love stews. The water chestnuts provided the coup de gras (did I even spell that right?)
Noodles with Seafood	@@@	No complaints here but nothing special. They do serve it in a big ass metal dish and you can't hope to finish it in one sitting.
Crispy Chicken	@@@@@	I'm so not into plain chicken but this was the bomb. Sauce or no sauce, this still rocks.
Complimentary Peanut Buchi	@	There's a reason why this is complimentary. Whoever invented this should be dragged to the streets and fed peanut buchi exclusively.

Thanks Yang!

Food Review 1: Day of the Tentacle

2005-08-11T16:07:00.000+08:00

The Hepa Contessa

New Section: Food Review
I'm starting a new section in this blog. I think I can fill up a gap in the food review scene by taking on the assignments that most culinary critics shy away from. Here I intend to give my comments on some of the "less-cultured" food places in Metro Manila. I love eating at these cut-away places.

Street vendors, Holes in the Wall, Carinderia's, Aristo-karts, Jolly Jeeps! Watch out! The Hepa-immune Connoisseur is on the prowl.

Tentacle Time!
I've always loved street food. Everything from "Green Mangoes on a Stick with Bagoong" to "Isaw" to "Fish balls" to "Samalamig" to "Scrambol". Every once in a while, though, I find some unconventional street fare that may be local to a certain portion of Metro Manila, Seasonal, or at the Experimental Stage.

Recently, I discovered one such gem along the crowded streets surrounding the University of Santo Tomas area. Street Fried Calamari, served with a generous bath of spiced vinegar and eaten from a paper boat tray with a barbecue stick. That's something you don't find all around the capital. And passing through the Dapitan streets, one can't help but be seduced by the smells wafting from this delicacy of sorts.

I took time out last Saturday to interview Mang Felipe, mollusk tycoon and entreprenuer extraordinaire. He gave me a quick lesson on the proper way of prepping and street frying the calamari.

In the Raw	Magic Washbasin
Breaded Tentacle	I'll do my frying in the rain
Fried Heaven	Hot Vinegar!

Breaded Tentacle Recipe
Ingredients:

1 big red pail of Tentacle Beast Meat (it just wouldn't be right to call it squid

1 sack of Bread Flour (the kind you can buy from bakeries)

1 pack of Ajinomoto MSG

1 pack Rock Salt

1 pack Ground Black Pepper

1 Gallon Baguio Cooking Oil

Procedure:

Take three large scoops of tentacle beast meat from the red pail and put it into an aluminum washbasin. Add the other ingredients except for the oil. Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes. While marinating the tentacle beast meat, pour a good amount of oil into a heated wok. Fry until crispy and golden brown. Serve on a wire-mesh strainer.

All in all it was, as it always is, a very pleasant experience. The only down side was having to deal with Mox's ire once she found out that I was getting my MSG overload. But for 20 Philippine Pesos for 7 large pieces of Breaded Mutant Calamari, it was well worth it. I got to have good food which was more than a steal, shoot the bull with a working man who had good stories to tell, and hang around old Manila which buzzed in a way that would make a bee hive proud. At the risk of sounding like a greeting card: In life you have to stop once in a while... and enjoy the fried tentacles.

Mox Launches her "Solo Career"

2005-08-10T10:17:00.000+08:00

I couldn't be prouder. The Psalmi Deo Chorale pulled-off a much practiced not-too-shabby performance over at our parish church serving as the ambiance music providers for a wedding. I'm proudest of Mox, of course, who sang the beautiful song "Pananatili" exquisitely, overcoming her natural shyness and proving what a pro and a good sport she is. And ain't she so pretty?!

The rest of the gang performed pretty well too through Ajel's MDing, Allan's conducting, and Barzee's CD playing (hehehe). Allan even emailed us some good comments from some pros who heard the performance (of course we may be patting ourselves unecessarily on the back too much here but who cares...).

Hey Moxie!

Other soloists included: Ramil (dueting with Mox on "Pananatili"), Ajel (on the "Ikaw" practice run), Andrew (on "When I Fall in Love"), and Eeza (on a song whose title I forget).

Congratulations guys. I posted some photos on my flickr account in case you want to check them out.

PDC would like to thank the following:
Ea and Tammy for the much needed Alto support
Barzee for bringing his solo choir and cd player with him
Deo and Jonathan for not showing up
and the "Big D" in the Psalmi Deo Chorale

Mox would like to thank MashFashions for her hair, make-up, and wardrobe.

Going Lomo Flash Crazy

2005-08-10T09:43:00.000+08:00

Karlo Samson Alyas Palos

Karlo Samson, self-proclaimed culture rabbi of the Legaspi-Rada Makati area, recently brought over his multi-colored Lomo Colorsplash Flash. This gadget is supposed to attach to a Lomo Camera and bathe the subject in which ever light color you selected (through the twist of a dial) effectively creating tinted yet realistic photos without the use of lens filters.

Now I don't need to say that we do not have a Lomo Camera. What we did try to do was to overexpose the photograph by keeping the shutterspeed open for quite a while and then snapping the flash before the shutter closes. The technique, apparently, works well in dark (almost lightless) places (which were nowhere to be found inside our well-lit office.

Here are some of the shots that we took that day.

Requisite "Sorry I haven't been updating" Apology

2005-08-10T08:27:00.000+08:00

Okay. Sorry I've been slacking off on the updating lately. Too many things happening in real life. I've had very little time to mull over anything cultural -- it has, sadly, been all business and no play.

I feel, though, that the writer's constipation is not with me today. I hope I can get some good articles out there. And, yes Rickey, I know that is not how a blog is supposed to be done. "Daily!", I can almost hear you say, "Update it Daily!".

You know what... I would if I could.

Majin Ajel: Separated at Birth

2005-08-02T18:58:00.000+08:00

A friend (Andrew... hello dude!) pointed out the resemblance to me a couple of Sundays ago. The more I look at the pix, the more I see the similarities. I now firmly believe that Majin Boo and Ajel were separated at birth. It's no wonder Allan (Ajel's BF) is so in lubidub with her. Allan kasi is very much into anime. Anyway, tell me what you think.


Name: Ajel	Name: Majin Boo
Occupation: HR Assistant	Occupation: Megalomaniac
Favorite Color: Pink	Skin Color: Pink
Fashion: Small Vests and Baduy Clothes	Fashion: Small Vests and Baduy Clothes
Mortal Enemy: Jay	Mortal Enemy:Sayankind
Special Odors: Various	Special Powers: Various
Weight: Undisclosed	Weight: Undisclosed

Am I Scary Enough?

2005-07-30T09:39:00.000+08:00

I should get back to fighting someday.

I'm trying to be scary in these photos; to look as much a professional fighter as I can look. Sporting my authentic Atama Rash Guard and my authentic Muay Thai Fighting shorts, I had a friend of mine take some photos one night in our garden. I think they came out pretty well. Had to manage the contrast a little, though... for drama more than anything else.

From angles like these, my belly isn't too obvious. So guys, I need your reaction. Am I being scary enough? Do I even look like a fighter? Post your comments!

Entrance Music Please

Triple J?

Pan-handling in Webland

2005-07-28T13:31:00.000+08:00

“Please Sah?! Can I have some more?”

Magic 195 and counting

I’ve hit rock-bottom… or maybe I’m finally getting it. I have resolved to swallow what little pride I have left and start begging for eyeballs and Top Pinoy Blogs votes. It seems that I’m an idiot when it comes to the art of self-promotion, just learning about Google Ad enrollment and registration protocols in Top List sites. Still, I’m trying to catch up.

I registered “Artichoke Adobo” in the Top Pinoy Blogs website an hour ago thinking that it might be a good barometer I can use in evaluating my performance as a blogger. Thing is, even registering was a dilemma to me. Should I list myself in the PhotoBlogs category? Personal Journals? Uncategorized? What is Artichoke Adobo really? In the end, I decided to go the way of the Personal Journal due to the lack of focus that I have been constantly complaining about.

A minute or so after inserting the code into my HTML, I eagerly checked my ranking. I was thinking I’d probably be at the bottom of the Personal Journal category. Lo and behold! I’m not. In a couple of minutes, I managed to squeak past 4 other Personal Blogs, cementing my position as…. … Number 195 in a list of 200! Hurrah! Our joint podcast site, though, was performing a deal better, getting the Number 111th position on the list. There was some form of satisfaction that I got from seeing it listed at 111 considering how we’ve been so delinquent and casual about “Live at USA.PH”. All the more satisfying was the fact that we have, in such a short time, become more popular than our first milestone which was “Cuying”, a theo-philosophical podcast aired by a Filipino priest based in Rome.

Outperforming the competition

Still, Artichoke Adobo was at 195. Almost the bottom but not quite. Story of my life. So I’m here to beg those of you who have taken time out of your busy schedule to make this blog a daily habit. More than that, if you would be kind enough to vote by clicking on the icon on the sidebar I’d seriously appreciate it.

I guess that’s it for now. Will definitely keep you posted. Let’s hope I get to 194 soon. Hehehe.

Failing as a Blogger

2005-07-27T17:22:00.000+08:00

Oh how I dream of the success that Rickey has made for himself blogging at his Rickey.org website. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be seriously envious of Rickey. But he's ranked as Pinoy Top Blogs #3 right now and Blogtopsites #1. Not too bad for an old UP friend who has escaped from the troubles by flying off to Manhattan.

On one hand I AM proud of him Very proud. He has managed to cut a niche out of the proverbial ball of cheese (is there even such a proverb), and created a well-deserved cult following. He is getting the web attention that we have been dreaming of all the while working in the dusty old UP CSSP Computer Lab back in 1997 -- the web attention that I, hard as it is for me to admit, crave.

I don't think it's due to any lack of personality. Neither is it because of my writing style. Some people actually think I have personality to spare, and my writing style ain't too shabby. I think I'm simply not built for blogging. I lack the focus and drive to write something coherent everyday. I lack the crowd-pleasing bone that makes people like Rickey effectively write about things that are of interest to the majority. I'm neither pop enough nor am I gothic enough to be interesting.

There's a lot that can be said about the importance of focus in the world of blogging. Without focus, as I recently found out, you have very little chance of being found on a Google search or Yahoo search. And I've been asking myself about what it is that "Artichoke Adobo" really is about. Is it a blog about Digital Photography? Is it about Mixed Martial Arts? Is it a Digital Diary? Is it about anything at all? I don't know the answer, and I have a feeling that I'll never find out.

I guess that is what I'm good at. Call it what you want... Jack-of-all-Trades/Master-of-None, Catcher in the Rye, blah blah blah. I have no focus. All I have are random thoughts that no one seems to be interested in.

Sigh. I'm simply not a good blogger after all.

Life Under the Sun God

2005-07-26T14:58:00.000+08:00

"Equinox"

I won’t claim to be better than everyone else. I am, for the most part, shallower than the average person I know. Just the content of this blog is testament enough to how sheltered and apathetic I am to most social conditions. On the other hand, I do have eyes. And my eyes have been getting keener and keener as I learn to see with the lenses of a camera. Some days are good. Some days my social eye opens and I am allowed to see.

These are morning pictures; pictures of a common drive from España down Quirino Highway and onto the South Super on the way to Makati CBD.

"Hagip"

"Pagdadalang Tao"

"Kapit-kapatid"

Untitled

"Constant Communication"

I am Trish Stratus

2005-07-26T12:54:00.000+08:00

You scored as Trish Stratus.

Trish Stratus

83%

Triple H

77%

The Rock

70%

Chris Benoit

70%

John Cena

70%

Randy Orton

63%

Undertaker

43%

which wwe wrestler are you??
created with QuizFarm.com

I took a WWE exam over at QuizFarm to find out which WWE superstar represented my personality most and I got a Trish Stratus. The only possible girl-answer and I got it. That's how charmed my life is right now. I can't seem to get the results I want even in the simplest of tests.

I mean I wouldn't have mind getting a Chris Benoit, or a The Rock result. Those guys, I'd probably want to be. Wicked personalities, feared, cool, killer manly finishers, former Heavyweight Champions, timeless. Instead, I get someone whose claim to fame can be measured by the amount of toot-tooing that the male audience and muster up during her entrance.

Don't get me wrong. I've always liked the way Trish Stratus looked. Hell, I even think she's probably one of the finest chicks on the WWE roster in such a long time. Add to that the fact that she can wrestle in her own cornball way and I'm almost a fan. But it is one thing to look admiringly at Trish and another to start seeing myself in her (in the non X-rated sort of way).

That's my luck, I guess. I'm turning more and more into a chick. I keep telling Mox that I am but she shrugs me off. I'm becoming a needy, weepy, insecure little twit. I hate it. I need to start pursuing more manly things... like wrestling. Better grow me some major boobies.

Smelling in a suit.

Looks like that hurts.

Trishie

Trying My Hand at Fashion Photography

2005-07-26T11:53:00.000+08:00

Inspired by the MEGA Magazine black and white exhibit over at the Gateway Mall hall, I recently tried my hand at fashion photography. And what better way to experiment than to tap the most accessible source of cheap modeling “talent”, the Psalmi Deo Chorale. The following photos were shot using my Powershot A400 over at the parish church stage.

Special thanks to Kim, Janno, Lawrence, Moji…. (sige na nga) pati na din kay Ajel for being patient with me after I took shot after shot as I tried to coax the camera into delivering various effects. Next time charge ko na kayo for labor…hehehe.

click on thumbnail to view larger image

To view the entire PDC modeling album please go to this url:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a294/manongguard/Psalmi/mga%20model%20daw/

Gaiman in 3-easy Steps

2005-07-26T10:49:00.000+08:00

Okay --- so I am evil. I have no remorse whatsoever and I’m writing mostly to gloat over the serious fortune that has uncharacteristically come my way. You see, I am as big a Neil Gaiman fan as the next guy, have read most of the things he has written, own the entire set of trade paperbacks of the original Sandman series, shun owning mass-market editions of his novels (instead making sure that I own either the paperback or the hardcover), even buying the one piece of original art I own (“Silver House” rubbercut by Mariano “Nano” Ching) simply because it reminded me so much of Morpheus.

The problem is, I’m a much bigger fan of laziness. I don’t like crowds. I don’t like difficult parking places. I absolutely hate having to fall in line. I think it all comes from being deprived so much as a UP student. These days I get my comfort when and where I can.

Thanks to my Saleslady friend.

Hungry? Blocking the Max's entrance.

So it was with a sigh, a heavy heart, and a shrug that I succumbed to the inevitable: I knew I would neither have the energy nor the mental fortitude it would take to capitalize on what would probably be one of my favorite author’s only Manila visit. While my friends were busy getting ready for their pilgrimage to this and that mall for the signing, I was at home content effectively forgetting about the entire thing.

It is rare that the pop gods smile on me and award me a healthy dollop of good-fortune. The only thing I’ve ever won was consolation prize in an ice cream raffle (A set of matching oven mitts). So it was thoroughly surprising to me when, while on the menial errand of picking up my girlfriend in Cubao on my way home from work, I chance upon the last of three of the Neil Gaiman signing events. It was jam-packed, and, after a little sleuthing with the Gateway Mall guards, I found out that people have been in line from 4 AM. Neil, apparently, arrived at about 3 PM as scheduled and started signing right away. I myself got there at about 6:30PM and the line still wound down the LRT (Light Rail Transit) steps outside the mall entrance, out the building, and into the Aurora Boulevard streets. No chance of me getting anywhere near him for a photo op unless I was willing to fall in line for hours on end. And – I must re-stress… I’m too lazy for that.

Damn that line is long!

Step 1: Put on the charm.
So on to plan B. Outside the Fully Booked store were bookstands featuring common Gaiman fare with some odds and ends (Noteworthy was a set of Sandman postcards that looked liked must-haves). These stands, of course, were manned by some of the bookstores’ staffers and one of them actually drew my eye. She was the only female in the bunch of otherwise testosterone-laden, eyebrow-pierced, goth-wearing store helpers. I asked her if she could take some pictures for me and gave her my camera. She smiled and obliged, taking well-focused, centered pictures of Neil. I was happy.

Defensive Note of the Day: While the pictures of myself that I have been posting do not support my claim to a good amount of charm and a teaspoon of Jedi Mind Tricks, my friends do tell me that I have my ways.

Step 2: Call in favors from other fans.
In this case, my willing victim was to be my one and only sister-in-law, Ate Kitt. She texted me the night before, mentioning that she still has my large-edition “American Gods” and an unread hard-bound copy of “Endless Nights” that I have forgotten I even owned. She asked if I’d liked them returned in time for the signing. I, predictably, declined and asked her to hang on to them a little while longer, putting into motion my grand plan.

So on the day itself, I simply had to give her a cel phone call while she was in line, remind her of all the good I have brought into the life of her family, convinced her that I will take care of her children on the off chance that she and my brother decide to migrate without them to a far-off country in Northern Africa and Voila! I managed to coax her into having Neil sign my “Endless Nights” instead of another one of her books (Fans are allowed to have 2-books signed).

Step 3: Sit back and relax.
I was well on my way home by 7:00PM (barely 30 minutes from the time I parked), happy about the effortless pictures I got, confident about the signed book that was to come. Lazy dogs get their days too after all.

Balikbayans in New Cubao

2005-07-14T14:55:00.000+08:00

My Tito Ross and Tita Mila visited about a month ago and I decided to take them to Cubao and show them how things have changed so much since their last visit. Also, I really wanted them to try out one of my new favorite restaurants in the area, a seafood place called “Oyster Boy” owned and operated by Marvin Agustin (an ABS-CBN actor). I remember that during my visit to their home in Hercules, CA, they took us to a whaling/oyster farm place in Point Reyes and figured that they probably would enjoy having an oyster lunch.

Food was great! We had fresh half-shell oysters served raw on ice, a platter of fancy oysters with chease and basil (I think) , sweet and sour weird fish, sinigang na baka, and some paella rice. The ambiance wasn’t bad either, with the seedy octopus chandelier and the katutubo mini statues contrasting well with the plush interiors. Price was a little on the high side but worth every penny. The big plus was, we had lunch there on a day that the only other occupied table was one where Marvin Agustin himself was eating. And while none of us are really into the Showbiz thing, it was a novelty in a very serendipitous kind of way.

Later on we strolled around the new Gateway mall, wandering into the high-society stores such as Mango and Lacoste. Tita Mila disappeared for a while and bought herself a pair of white slacks. Lastly, we popped into Gonuts Donuts, the Crispy Crème Filipino knock-off where we got some take out.

Sana we had more time, really, but it was such a short visit. Wanted to take them to Calaruega for a day trip at the very least. Oh well, maybe next time…

Tito Ross	Almost but not quite	The new Cubao
At Mango	Park within Gateway Mall	May Langaw?

Tripping the Light Fantastic Four

2005-07-07T16:20:00.000+08:00

I went to the Fantastic Four movie premiere over at Glorietta a couple of days ago (through the friendship and grace of my Radio RX-employed friend Ms. Ea Medel), sat myself down on the comfy theatre seats, and braced myself, ready to be dissappointed. The trailers seemed to scream "Worse than Hulk" to me. There was not one scene in the trailer that made me feel any form of anticipation.

Well this movie exceeded my expectations, bringing forth a unique style that didn't try to use any of the formulae that prove effective for the recent great comic book movies (Sin City, Batman Begins, X-Men, and [shut up if you don't agree] Hellboy). The fact that I never liked the Fantastic Four made the fact that this movie successfully entertained me for a long two hours all the more surprising.

I never liked the Fantastic Four

I think the FF had things stacked against them. They're comic strip heroes from 1961 with stupid ass codenames and boring costumes. Their powers are "normal" at best and there's absolutely no angst anywhere around them. They're the brady bunch of the comic book world and their time should've passed a long while back. Still, what made the movie so entertaining? Here are some lists:

---------------SPOILER ALERT------------------

4 Things I liked about the movie:

1. Mr. Fantastic was a nerd but his nerdiness was not boring.
Beyond the buffoon exterior and the not-so-overdone romantic angle, the Reed Richards of the movie was able to do something that the comic book Reed was completely incapable of doing... endear himself to the audience. While, true-to-form, movie-Reed was very much like the comic-book-Reed in that he was unbelievably smart and level headed, he also showed his limitations through the predicaments he gets himself in because he couldn't help but think things through before acting. Reed was funny in a very "Joey Tribbiani" sort of way.

2. The Human Torch humor
Johnny Storm was wise-cracking through battles and babes portraying the happy-go-lucky playboy in a very convincing way. The writers were even able to justify the existence of the stupid codenames from a very contemporary point of view. I loved the fact that Johnny gave each other member a lame-ass moniker (I mean you have to admit...Mr. Fantastic sounds like a sex-toy brand name) while giving himself something a tad cooler (pun intended... while "The Human Torch" is still ages behind codenames like "Marrow" or "Psylocke", it had it's own charm).

3. The art direction
For a New York movie, the coloring was ultra-bright and bubbly. And this again, I think, was intentional on the director's part. It helped differentiate the Fantastic Four saccharine heroes genre from the cooler, more violent (X-men, Daredevil, the Punisher), or more emotional (Spider-man, the Hulk) type of heroes. The art direction had "Light-hearted, deliberately campy comedy" written all over it.

4. Herbie was nowhere to be found!
I admit that I held my breath when I saw the Baxter Building. I kept waiting for Herbie the robot to fly in and spoil the experience for me. The Baxter building so accurately represented the Saturday morning cartoon of my misspent childhood that I half expected the Human Torch to disappear and the annoying robot to come in and be the Gungan of this movie.

Smile kahit gutom.
L to R: Tammy, Ea, Aki, Vanee

Ako naman.

4 Things I hated about the movie:

1. Jessica Alba
Don't get me wrong. While I enjoy looking at the Dark Angel Jessica Alba (especially that commercial where she was wearing a red dress and she gives this guy a smile and says "Me love you long time"--- but I'm digressing), this movie simply wasn't for her. She's no Sue Storm. It was distracting seeing such a recognizable TV fixture sporting a blond hair-do. Sorry Jessica... but you should've stopped at "Honey".

2. Victor Von Doom
Have they been fooling around with the continuity machines at Marvel? Can someone tell me if they re-did the Doom origin in the Ultimate Fantastic Four alternate series? I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have started this way. I don't mind the FF4 origins so much but I do mind Doom's new powers.

I loved how Doom was JUST AN EVIL GENIUS in the original story which allowed the plot to evolve into a battle of wits between two super geniuses. The metal skin and electric power took away a lot from the Doom persona that I have come to enjoy.

3. I didn't get to see Delamar
I've always wanted to see Delamar in person. I mean I listen to her almost everyday on the radio on my way to work (after I drop Mox off. She hates talk radio) but have never seen her in person. Well there was this one time, but all I saw was her back as they were giving out RX stickers along the Robinson's Galleria driveway.

Ea tells me both Chico and Delamar were sitting an aisle away from us. All I needed to do was turn my head and look, but even that seemed too much bother. Oh well, maybe next time.

Don't get me wrong, Delamar is (Mox pay attention ha?) far from being my crush (all I've seen of her are those Laser Hair Removal ads that she endorses). It's just that I wanna put a face to the name... to the voice on the radio. To tell you the truth I have some beef with the Morning Rush gang. They never seem to read my text messages. What?! Are my text messages not good enough for you?! K-Lite's "Talk Back" seems to like me well enough! You betta watchout!

4. FREE TICKETS!
Again, my special thanks to Ea for the free tickets. I'm starting to enjoy her job in Media. Comes with so much fringe benefits. Can't wait for the next Monster Movie Premiere!

All in all it was an enjoyable night. Hi to my movie mates... Aki, Vanee, Ea and Tammy. Libre niyo naman ako sa Big Buddha!

Rainy days and Tuesdays...

2005-07-05T16:40:00.000+08:00

Gang on a Granma

...always get me down. It's the worst day to have a downpour, Tuesdays being the day in the week when my one and only car is grounded due to the MMDA Traffic Reduction Scheme. That means that either I have to be in the office before 7AM and stay til 7PM or trudge through the mud and rain with an umbrella that always seems to be too small for me.

Most days I don't mind public transportation, sometimes even envying those looking out of the Metro Rail windows, speeding past my car when I'm caught in traffic. Today, though, seemed like a day I should drive to work.

And I did, waking up an hour after I finally got sleepy enough to keep my eyes shut, and taking a quick shower right after my feet touched the floor. I had to be off and on the road by 5:30 AM or else I'd be caught in the rush hour crunch and might not be able to make it to the office by 7:00AM. "I'm going to have to drive alone in the rain this morning", I thought, Mox was probably still comfortably asleep in her bed at that hour.

That was unfortunate. It was such a good looking rainy day in July. Mox would've enjoyed driving around with me.

Drive-by Photography in Aqua

To entertain myself, I pushed my new found hobby up another notch and started exploring the joys of Drive-by Photography in the Rain... the newest Extreme Water Sport in town (I should have that patented). Only problem was, that it was more impractical than the dry version. I had to contend with all the difficulties of taking pictures while driving my car, compounded by the reflections the rain made on the windshield, timing the shots so that the wipers weren't in the way, and the lack of any good subject (I'm partial to photographing people as they went about their business).

Looks like the weather won't change any time soon. The sky is still as gray and flat as this morning. "Like a gang on grandma" an old Literature classmate of mine used to say. She thinks rainy days are meant for re-reading old letters. I wonder if she's re-reading her's right now.

I, on the other hand, always think of High School when it rains. There's something about it that brings me back to when my problems seemed so simple.

I wish Mox was here.

Sidewalk Canteens with Wet Customers

Manila by Monochrome

2005-07-01T09:38:00.000+08:00

I was driving around between meetings yesterday and decided to try my hand at spotting good photo subjects and taking pictures while in traffic. I realized that Manila looks absolutely different when viewed from the lens of black and white camera. There was an underlying primal energy that leapt out of the pictures I took. I don't know how to explain it, but it was like going all the way to Banawe and taking photographs of the Ifugaos while they went on their daily activities. Filipinos are so ethnic, basic, and natural. I guess, to me, that is where the beauty of the Filipino is.

I'm thinking of pushing for this new hobby: Drive-by Photography. It should be an extreme sport, as I learned, managing to avoid collisions only by divine good fortune. It was difficult trying to keep the vehicle under control, picking subjects, and making sure that the windshield won't mess up the shot, all at the same time.

"MMD Aide"

"Going Nowhere"

"Spanish Lady"

I feel blessed, as a green-hobbyist-photographer, that there is this rich trove of subjects that I have access to. Roaming the streets of San Juan, Quezon City, and Manila, I witnessed life in all it's aspects. I learned how taking a photo of the various street vendors and workers will always be an essay in simplicity. And the art will always be in being patient enough to wait for the last moment before sinking your forefinger into the button and taking the picture. Before that moment comes, you sit there waiting for the subject to get perfectly ready to tell his story.

"Poste"

"Patotot"

I would love to hear your comments.

Have Mat, Will Tap!

2005-06-29T15:39:00.000+08:00

Slapping on a Figure-4

Sticks and stones won't break my bones but an armlock can dislocate my shoulder. Good thing I didn't get injured this weekend even after slacking off and not training in Mixed Martial Arts for a month or so. I had to semi-force myself to get back on the mat, really, cause it was simply so tempting to just vegetate on the couch and watch DVDs. Still, through John Alindogan's gift of kakulitan, Ramil's ever-readiness to grapple, and Tony Boy's kind heart (for always letting us borrow the wicked mats), we managed to set-up over at my garage on a late Sunday night.

It was a good opportunity to get some grappling shots too. Only problem was my garage was in it's constant state of disarray and, if you look closely enough, you may find Waldo somewhere hidden between the straw brooms and dustpans (For my "challenged" readers... don't bother looking, that was just me being hyperbolic)

Mike Banayad has given up on me, I think. He doesn't text me anymore to invite me to the special weekend grappling sessions over at the City Gym. I think my status in the AFC (Alliance Fight Club) right now is persona-non-grata and deservedly so, but really it's not about me slacking off on the team, more of it's me finding myself very busy with almost every other part of my life. Work, for one, is eating up a lot of my time. Plus, as those of you who follow my blogging know, I've been sick for quite a while. Hay. I hope I can get back on my training track soon...

Sunday Training

The Sunday training went on pretty well considering it was raining like crazy. We got in a couple of hours of grappling on good mats. I'm kinda disappointed cause I finished all my matches with armlocks and wasn't able to finish with chokes or leg locks. The failed-arm bar to Omoplata was nice, though, and I managed to lock a good Kimura and an Americana. I went for one Reverse Triangle Choke but I got tired and put John back in my guard. Both Ramil and John are getting better every week, demonstrating their knowledge of bottom sweeps and ground control. Ramil dominated John in terms of positioning, forcing Dogan (John) into turtle positions and bottom north souths. He was quick in getting his opponent's back and transitioning between subs. He even got a Reverse Triangle Choke on. Dogan, on the other hand, wrestled pretty well. So well in fact that I had to stop one of their matches on account of a powerful slam that had Ramil clutching his butt cheek and wincing for a good 10 minutes. Dogan also showed how he could relax in choke holds as he stopped himself from tapping out to all our chokes.

Ramil with his favorite Guillotine Choke

Starting with a kneel clinch

I also let them put on grappling gloves and try some NHB (No Holds Barred) with me so that they'd start learning about Ground and Pound. We had a single pair of gloves available and so I let them punch me while I simply defended. Dogan got some good shots in but it was obvious that they have a long way to go in terms of real MMA. Next time I'd probably ask them to bring gloves and let them experience how it is TO BE PUNCHED on the face while on the ground. Hehehe.

Dogan working on a
straight armbar

Reverse Triangle Choke

RNC attempt...

...transition to a
straight armbar

TJ entering

URCC VI

On a related topic, Dogan and I got to watch URCC VI (Universal Reality Combat Championships) over at Casino Filipino. They didn't let cameras in so I wasn't able to get some shots. All in all it was an enjoyable night but the match results weren't too ideal from my point of view. Some of the fighters I was routing for lost their matches.

Carlos Tiongson (AFC) lost to Charlie Angel (Way of the Warrior) via a soccer kick to the head while on the ground. While Tiongson is a very good grappler and submissions specialist, Charlie was able to sprawl well and contain his shooting. Charlie then punished him with strong Muay Thai leg and body kicks. There was this one time when Tiongson slapped on a perfect Rear-naked Choke but Charlie wouldn't tap out (I lost my voice shouting "Tap Out na!") and eventually powered out into Tiongson's guard. Oh well, it would have been great to be there and witness an AFC win.

TJ Tiu (Freestyle Wrestling), whom I've rolled with a couple of times, successfully defended his Heavyweight Championship against Phil "The Beast" Bryner (Tough Republic) via referee stoppage. After a controversial first three minutes where the referee restarted the match while Phil was pounding a headlocked TJ (apparently Phil used an illegal small-joint manipulation move on TJ), the match devolved into a battle of clinches and short punches from the clinch. TJ, though, eventually got Phil on his back and finished with a full-mount ground and pound.

Monsters duking it out

Erwin GnPing from Richard's Guard

Newly minted Machado Blue-belt, Erwin Tagle, leader of Submission Sports, the other half of the Pinoy Top Team (along with AFC), got a draw against the current Flyweight champ, Richard "The Dancing Devil" Lasprilla (DEFTAC Jiu-jitsu). Now this was a very Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba kinda match with Richard finding himself dominated and on his back most of the match due to Erwin's non-conventional but highly effective fighting style.

High point for me was when Erwin threw a Piston Punch at a downed Lasprilla in the corner. As mentioned, the match ended with no definite winner (URCC rules never goes to judging) and so was declared a draw. Richard retained the title but Erwin Tagle took the fight... and everyone who walked out that arena knew who really won.

Things I'll be doing in the Future

Man, I really got into this article. Watch out for more about Philippine MMA on this spot. I'll post new training pictures and hopefully I can get back to training with AFC again. For now I'll do my best to go back to daily heavy bag training and cardio. Plus I need to lose weight... don't wanna fight heavy weights in competition. I'm at 210 lbs. (actually down from a regular 240) right now... I want to get down to 179 lbs if that is possible. Lastly, I might be posting on the URCC Message Boards soon.

Bakbakan na!

Note: I'm using URCC VI pictures from James Deakin's website. Thanks, James... hope okay lang. If you are a fight fan, you should check out his site.

Growing up Julia

2005-06-28T15:09:00.000+08:00

Julia's mother sent over pictures of my cute little girl last week (at least I got them last week) which was awfully nice of her (Thanks Ruth... and Thanks Karen for being the messenger.. hehe). Seeing my Juliana after so long, even just in the pictures, was a profound experience. She's starting to grow into a little girl now, no longer the baby she was a couple of months ago. She's nine months now and it looks like she's laughing, crying, and throwing fits just like any other little girl.

Of course there is a part of me that is terribly depressed because of the fact that I'm missing out on some of the most wonderful things that my daughter is going through, but overall I'm deeply thankful. She's growing up so fast. I'm gushing... I know I am... I'm being the estranged dad I am. Let me be for now! Let me just bask in the miracle that Julia is. Even from afar.

This gives me a lot of hope. All this time I've been patiently praying that I'll see her soon. That I'll get to hold her soon. I hope it's this weekend. And I hope she still recognizes me. I hope she finds it in her heart to realize that, no matter what happens, I will continue to love her. I hope she tickles easily. I hope she's still as soft as I remember her. I hope her poop still smells like baby poop. I hope she likes chocolates (can she have chocolates at her age?). I hope I see her soon. I hope I see her soon.

New Born	Sun-bath	Bunny Wabbit	With Daddy	Cabbage Patch Kid
Dance tayo?	Ayaw ko na po!	Gigil	Julia at 8 mos.	What a nose

Adventures in Digital

2005-06-25T08:54:00.000+08:00

I've always loved looking at good photographs. Not the ones that tourists take of themselves with "Welcome to So-and-so" signs right behind them but the ones that professional photographers take of interesting subjects. I especially love Day-in-the-Life photographs, pictures of kids and old people mostly.

My dad recently bought me a Canon A400 (the cheapest Canon digicam in the market today) which "boasts" of 3.2 Mega Pixels, 2.2X Optical Zoom, 7+X Digital Zoom, and ease of use. I spent the first day shooting auto-focus pix and then moved on from there. Now it's all about control for me. Manual or nothing at all... and I've been fooling around with the shutter speed, ISO, macro and limitless modes, flash techniques and everything else. It's so cool taking all the pictures you want with very little in terms of commitment. No perishables to speak of! I love technology.

Things are really pushing me towards this photography shit. A couple of days ago, I watched "Shutter" a Thai Horror flick. It was an okay movie, actually, but more than that I enjoyed the photography aspect of it especially the part where this professor was lecturing about how photography was not about capturing reality but about enhancing it by limiting the view of the lens. He proceeds by showing the students a mundane picture of a bridge and then that same bridge at sunset as photographed by a pro. I wanna learn that.

Karlo recommends that I buy the "Lonely Planet" photography book which goes for a little more than a thousand pesos over at Powerbooks. Im probably should, cause right now my camera education all comes from the Wikipedia guide to digital photography. I'm such a hack.

Anyway, I took a trip to Silang, Calaruega, and Taal last week. The trip gave me an opportunity to take some good pictures. Hay. I really hope I get better at it. And I better get a tripod. That's the only way I can eventually justify getting a DSLR. Enjoy and tell me what you think.

Partheo-Caysasay	Sky Reach
Exercise in Angle Flash	Dreaming
Ligawin	Longanisa Tree

Going back to Radio

2005-06-23T14:25:00.000+08:00

We've recently gone back to being radio gaga, me and my friend from NY, Rickey. See we used to have an internet radio show circa 1997 called "Live from the Bahamas" broadcasted from inside the UP Campus (that's the State University in the Philippines). Long story short, we're trying to revive that show... to revisit our past... to feel young again, and it has brought out some interesting conversations already.

Hopefully, this grows into something bigger than we expect. Listen in... you might learn something... or not!

We're podcasting from http://www.live.usa.ph

Place Yer Bets!

2005-06-17T14:41:00.000+08:00

Leave it to the Japanese! They seem to keep finding ways to entertain me to no end. I mean just look at the kinds of games that have come up out of Japan these past few years and you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’ve seen Train Engineer video games, Dance video games, Sex video games, Rolling-ball video games… name it and they’ve probably done it already

Then there is “BANZAI”. I’m still trying to decide whether this is a comedy show, a game show, or something a lot weirder spawned from the loins of Japanese high-jinx and British dry humor. It’s an EXPERIENCE, definitely..

The basic premise is you go through a series of mini games and the program pauses for enough time for you and your friends to place your bets. The thing is, you end up betting on ridiculous things such as “How long can Mr. Handshake Man hold his victim’s handshake?” or “Which prostitute will not be chosen by the Minor British Celebrities for their naughty party.” All delivered in a campy Japanese gaming theme.

Place your bets! Which of these studmuffins has the longest tongue?
Click on image to see answer
I’m trying to organize an online or SMS Banzai betting for my choirmates. That is if I can convince enough of them to sit through the 30-minute show.

Of Kidney Stones and Idle Time

2005-06-15T12:14:00.000+08:00

For those of you who don’t know and who probably don’t give a rat’s ass anyway, I was in bed for the better part of last week and a few days before that. I thought I was suffering from a killer-flu of “The Stand” proportions. Later on I found out the 40-degree C fever was from a bleeding left kidney. Add to that some other minor ailments in the form of a bleeding itch and diarrhea and you can imagine what sort of party I’ve been having with my germs the entire week.

I’ve come to the conclusion that getting sick for real is simply not fun. While you do get to stay home and away from the office for a little bit, the disadvantages of getting sick in bed simply outweigh the pros. Here are some reasons why:

1. Thinking that you’re probably gonna die alone.
There is nothing better at making you feel that you’re all alone in the world than being sick and home alone. Killer combo if you ask me. I ended up feeling so sorry for myself. You know that there’s something wrong with the world when it’s a struggle to even just get up and fix yourself a glass of juice. I was giving myself a sponge bath most of the time (although Mox was sweet enough to do that for me whenever she was around), almost falling over everytime I had to answer the phone, crawling my way to the bathroom to take a piss.

2. Everyone you can hang with is probably in the office.
You know those zombie movies where the hero wakes up and finds that everyone in the world is dead/gone. He starts thinking “Hey this is not such a bad deal, I get to go into any store I want and take whatever I want. The world is gonna be my playground.”. That, of course, lasts for like 5 minutes and then the hero desperately runs through the streets looking for even just one survivor. Staying home on a weekday feels like that. I mean there are just so many “Friends” re-runs that you can watch before you start craving for human contact. Sad thing is, everyone is at work and you end up picking up the phone and not knowing who to dial.

Mr. Lonely found out it's not much fun looking at Playboys when all the models are dead.

3. There’s very little you can do when you’re burning up
Neither porn nor cartoons held any interest for me. I couldn’t even prop myself up to read through a chapter of “A Storm of Swords”. So what good is staying home if you can’t even entertain yourself?

4. Eat cardboard! Drink water!
Everything starts to taste like cardboard and water especially after you’ve been on medication for a good period of time. I lost about 8 pounds in the week that I was sick mostly due to the fact that I had very little in the way of appetite the entire time. This probably helped in the healing process. I virtually had to avoid all the types of food I love (beef, shellfish, tuna, legumes, soya, etc.).

5. Your office finds a way to make you work anyway
At this day and age, staying home simply means you get to work from your house. My boss expected me to hook my notebook up and constantly check my email. He could even monitor wherever I was due to the damn cell phone. I spent most of my waking hours either working or worrying about work anyway-- ven had a teleconference with a client while I was on my way to a check-up.

That old Vitamin C commercial had it right. Sa panahon ngayon, bawal magkasakit. Life’s shitty enough when you’re up and about, it’s 10 times shittier when all you can do is scratch your nether regions and mope.