The Real Top 10

All but two of the 10 duets for this week got a standing ovation from the judges!  That's how great the performances are this week! Oh my gosh!  I don't have the words!  The All Stars really brought everything to the next level ten levels higher!

The show started off elegantly with the top 10 number choreographed by Chris Scott.  Clever use of the rocking chair!  These choreographers have such weirdly creative ideas for props.

The duets were started by a high energy, heart-stopping disco routine by the great Doriana Sanchez performed by Brandon and Amy.  The lifts are really scary but it's Brandon who is doing them and with those big biceps, and considering how small Amy is, they were done perfectly!  Almost too perfect really especially on that last death drop!  An inch from the floor! Oh my!

That was followed by a sharp and funky jazz performance by the beast herself, Melanie paired with Fik-shun.  Their dance really left you feeling good.  Melanie is as sharp as ever and Fik-shun for the most part was able to match her brilliance.

Tsunami

Fear and tear inducing footage of the tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011.  You should watch the video to see how powerful Mother Nature can be.

The initial 3 minutes of the video shows the almost empty river, obviously the water has receded.  Sirens, announcements are blaring in the background.  I assume that people are being asked to move to a higher ground.

Then the water starts coming in and I think to myself, maybe this is town is very far from the places I saw on TV that were totally immersed in flood and debris.  But for 15 minutes, water kept on rushing.  The water in the river rose and rose until it overflowed into the streets and then into the nearby playground.  And then the water brought in small debris, and then cars and boats and finally houses!

VoicePHBattles

The Battle Rounds on The Voice of the Philippines have not really delivered... yet.  I am hoping that a good battle happens soon.  Save for the battle between Mitoy and Chien last week, there's really nothing memorable among the performances.  The contestants have almost always been uncomfortable on stage, singing off key and not giving the full performance expected of them.  The song choices of the coaches, too, have not really showcased the beautiful voices of the contestants.

Remember this?

Do you still remember this performance between Jessica Sanchez and Jennifer Holiday?  That's the kind of battle that I am expecting from The Voice of the Philippines!  And I hope to see it soon...

SYTYCD 10 Top 10

Yes.  It's still two more weeks until the top 10 dancers are revealed but as early as now, I would like to make my predictions.

I think the girls are so much stronger than the guys this year.  They are better trained, have more personality and are amazing performers.  Here are my thoughts on who will make it to the top 10.

1. Hayley.  Let me just say what an opportunity for Hayley this week to be able to dance with the choreographer himself - Leonardo! Even Mary Murphy was envious!  Hayley has been consistently voted to safety so even though she isn't the strongest among the women, I think she'll cruise through to the top 10.
2. Makenzie.  Consistently at the bottom 3.  Consistently saved by the judges because of her amazing performances and professionalism.  I hope America votes her to the top 10 and if not, I hope the judges do not tire of saving her.
3. Paul.  The ever-gelled Armenian, who I admire for having the courage to take on another season of SYTYCD in a foreign country at that, has revealed himself to be a very strong contender.

The First Battles, The Voice of the Philippines

The blind audition has ended.  And tonight, the battles begin.

Team Apl started the show.  It was a battle between the Lorenzaga siblings and Tristhan.  The performance was signed and sealed but did not really deliver.  I personally preferred the Lorenzagas but Apl chose Tristhan.

Team Kawayan followed.  Lee Grane vs Dan.  Dan outsang Lee Grane. But Bamboo might have already made a choice from the moment he paired the two.  Too bad for Dan.  Despite producing a shifty performance, Lee Grane moves on and makes a promise of doing better next time.

Team Sarah's turn.  Battle of the pretty belters - Lecelle and Morisette.  The time allotted wasn't really enough.  The two started with quiet power and then exploded into an energetic performance of Enough is Enough.  Best battle thus far with Morisette winning.

Team Lea is last to perform.  Heart's Alone.  Mitoy and Chien.  Chien gave it her all and produced some powerful vocals. But Mitoy, a guy, sang in the same range as Chien and hit all the right notes.  It was the best match performance of the night but in the end, as expected, Mitoy emerged victorious.

I am really excited to see the rest of the battles next week!

wimbledon finals

I hate disappointments.  I hate the feeling of a broken heart. So I am preparing myself for the worst. Tonight is the Men's Finals at the most prestigious tennis championships - the Wimbledon.  It's going to be a contest between the top 2 players right now - Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.  I believe in Novak's talent and I support him with all my heart, which is why I am distancing myself from this match and preparing my heart to accept that tonight, Britain might have its first ever Wimbledon Champion since Fred Perry via Andy.  The time is right. He is as prepared as he can be.  Everyone is behind him and probably invoking the support of all gods for his win.

In my heart of hearts, I desperately want to Novak to win.  Even as I type this post, I cannot help but pray that he really ends up the champion.  But I don't wanna get my hopes up and have them extinguished later on. Yes, anything can happen. But the pessimist in me is overactive right now and has been buzzing in my ear, telling me that Andy will win. I am giving in but still not letting go.

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dancing again

I am learning a new dance, a challenging one, for me at least. This is something that I haven't done in quite a while now. It's tough. But it's fun. And exciting. And painful. And I am loving every second of it.

My knees are sore from all the kneeling that's required in the dance. My back is aching from all the arching and contracting that I have to do. My neck hurting from whipping my head left and right, up and down. But despite all these aches and pains that I feel, I am still excited, very much looking forward to the next dance session on Tuesday.

Four nights! I still have to wait four nights to learn the choreography to the next part of the song. 

Nothingness

We are always in a rush. We set our alarms very early in the morning. Get up. Prepare. Have breakfast. Shower. Dress up. Commute to work. Plan our day. Attend meetings. Write reports. Instruct staff. Follow up previous orders. Report to the boss. Have lunch. Go back to work. Attend more meetings. Make more reports. Answer emails. Answer calls. Make calls. Reprimand inefficient staff. Call for a meeting.  Prepare to go home. Commute. Go to the gym. Prepare dinner. Eat dinner. Watch the news while cleaning up. Prepare for the next day. Shower. Go to bed. Read reports and transcripts. Sleep. *Repeat*

wimbledon 2013

It was a shocking Wimbledon this year so far, to say the least.  The first day alone brought out a lot of 'Oh my God's' as reaction to Nadal's first round elimination courtesy of a relatively unknown player ranked past 100.  The second round was even more outrageous as seven former world number ones got eliminated - Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, Viktoria Azarenka, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Lleyton Hewitt.  Each day, a number of seeded players fall until only but a few remained standing to face the second week in SW 19. Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radswanka, Li Na, Petra Kvitova, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro were able to avoid the plague that seemed to befall the top seeds.  But not for long.

first elimination, SYTYCD 10

They changed it last year, in season 9.  They were only given one night every week for the show.  Same goes for this year. Just one night to showcase all these dance talents! But they changed the order of presentation.  They moved the elimination to the beginning of the show. And that changed everything. It changed the mood. It changed the dynamic. It changed the feel of the entire episode.

On the one hand, the professionalism of the dancers was brought to light. On the other hand, it was quite a challenge for everyone to contain their emotions after learning the news and still managed to give it their best, as they should.

My First...

It's May 3, 2013.  It's about 10 days after my first hospital admission and first surgery. I am doing well but not yet back to my regular self. There's still a bit of pain on the surgical sites when doing certain daily activities but I am generally good and feeling great.

Back in January, about the last week of the month, I had my annual general physical examination, which was required by the company I work for. I had the usual tests for my age group but I also complained of another matter, one that has been plaguing me for a year now. The doctor advised further examinations including an ultrasound of the entire abdomen.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the ultrasound revealed a glaring 1.3 cm mass in my gall bladder. I got worried.  A mass is a mass. No matter the circumstances (I am young, a non-smoker, non-alcoholic beverage drinker, and I exercise regularly), as long as it has not been declared benign and safe, we always think of the possibility of the big C.

My being a doctor may have made matters worse. I know where to get more information so I did.  And the more information I read, the more grim everything became.  Studies reveal that solitary gall bladder masses with size greater than 1 cm have a higher chance of being malignant (i.e. cancerous).

SYTYCD 10

Aaaaahhhh! These promos from Fox featuring the all-stars have got me all excited about the new season of so you think you can dance! As a frustrated dancer, I have been a fan of the show from the very first season where Melody, a Filipina, came second to Nick Lazarini! Can't wait to see the show and what new things they've decided to put in. I hope they retain much of the format and rules from the previous season though! Aaaaahhh!

The promo features (from 7 to 1) Kathryn, Robert, Whitney, Twitch, Lauren, Mark and Neil.

Halalan 2013

The midterm elections has ended yesterday at 7pm. Some winners have already been proclaimed today and the rest will be proclaimed soon.

There have been a few stand out candidates this year who have continually been the topic of headlines, blogs, tweets and memes.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the country has access to these information avenues. The Philippines after all is just a third world country trying desperately to free itself from the clutches of poverty.

The cutest canines

Introducing the cutest dogs ever! Haha. Those are our dogs. From top left clockwise - Pilo, Chichi, JT and Chichi. Aren't they adorable? =)

Apple is the oldest among them. JT, Chichi and Pilo's offspring, was the youngest since about 2 weeks ago.

2fuse

Currently addicted to this game - 2fuse. It's available for iOS and android for free.

It's a game that tests the speed of your eyes and your fingers. And based on my results on playing this game, neither my eyes or my fingers are fast enough. Haha.

That's my sister's score there on the top left of the photo - 490,140. She can do up to 500k ++. Her husband's high score goes up to 600k++.

the voice - 6th week

It's the knockout round in the fourth season of the voice and I am still hooked. Hahaha... By the way, I am not sure if it really is the sixth week or not. I just assumed and I am hoping that I made the right assumption.

So, as I mentioned, I am still hooked. The judges are quite entertaining and the singers are really talented.  It's my first time watching the voice this deep into the season. I only got to watch the blind auditions of the previous seasons so I have no idea what happens at this stage of the competition.

I am writing this as I watch the first of the knockout round. Hmmm... So they are pitting the remaining singers in each team against the other members of in the team.  The coaches (Adam, Shakira, Usher and Blake) choose 2 singers from their team for the knockout round. I find it weird that they are doing this to their team but hey, that's how they formatted the show and it has created a big following so who am I to question their choice.  I think it would have been better had they pitted singers from different coaches against each other but that's just me.

Just walking

One morning, I felt like walking. Walking is therapeutic to me. It clears my mind. It relaxes me. It makes me feel as though I am one with the universe. It makes me feel as if I am able to receive the messages from the higher beings better.

I have been walking around for the past 30 minutes. I haven't received any messages yet though. But no worries, I am in no hurry. Haha

Badminton with the Vs

It was July 2010...

Dust and cobwebs have already accumulated on my racket when I opened it. The grip, tattered to pieces from a game a long time ago, was gathering molds.

It has been a year, maybe more, since I last held a racket and smashed a shuttlecock. I tried holding the racket (Of course it's already been dusted and I had already changed the moldy grip.) The racket feels almost foreign to me now. Just almost. Somehow, thankfully, my hands still remember the all too familiar feel of the handshake grip. I swing it in the air, poised to smash. Swish. The familiar sound of the racket slicing through the air fills my ear. Aaahhh. I haven't forgotten.

But after a few more swings comes the reminder of a year of not playing. Although the mind has already made the connections and familiarized itself with the sport once again, the body is none too willing. The shoulder especially is much too eager to warn the rest of the body of the lack of training. Stiff and inflexible, it sends a not so gentle reminder that practice and a lot of warm up and stretching are much needed, and pain, a lot of pain is expected for sure.

I prepared my stuff. Today is going to be a long day. Queen T made sure I wasn't late so she woke me up around 630 in the morning, calling 6 or 7 times to make sure I made a move to prepare my things.  I packed my racket, shoes and a few shirts along with some toiletries.  I was as ready as I could be.
I took the taxi going to Powersmash, where we agreed to meet.  I was there early, 10 minutes to 8.

the voice 4th season

When the show "The Voice" first aired. I immediately took to its format. It was refreshing, different from the rest of the singing competitions.  But I didn't like the judges they chose.  Well, I like Adam Levine. I didn't know Blake Shelton then but eventually, his funny antics and comments made me like him, too. It was Ceelo that I thought was off as a judge. But that's just me. And while Christina Aguilera can easily out-sing anyone, in the battle of the pop stars, I still prefer Britney over her.

So in the fourth installment of The Voice, Usher and Shakira were very welcome changes to the judge line up.  The dynamics, chemistry among the four was way better. It was fun to watch the banter, the exchange of playful jibes.

But I only do enjoy The Voice during the blind auditions.  I don't really quite understand why they have to pit their chosen singers against each other. Let's see if this season will be able to capture my attention till the very end of the season...

Vacation

Summer is already here. I have been too busy with work the past few months and I haven't really taken any long breaks so far. The holy week is the first long break after Christmas and I have taken advantage of it.  The pictures above were taken with my samsung galaxy note 2 during the Christmas vacation last year. We went home to Cagayan for Christmas and visited my dad's hometown. It was a respite from all the pollution in Manila. Flowers, trees and fresh air! Ah, the provincial life.

I experience this simple, refreshing just once in a while, only when there are long holidays at work. There used to be so much more of these with the past president but PNoy is intent on implementing his 'tuwid na daan" program and refuses to move around the holidays to create long weekends, which we, the middle working class, can use to go home to our respective provinces.

where have all the fun gone?

I believe I was fun then... I think. I traveled a lot. Danced in the rain. Performed in front of people. Bungee jumped. Cartwheeled in public. Played competitive sports.

Where have all the fun gone?

Work has made me so busy, I barely have time to have fun.  Not that work isn't fun. Hmmm, actually, lately, most times, it isn't anymore because of the stress and the pressure. But... wait, what was the point I was making? Oh yes, I am too tired most days that all I wanna do after work is be a couch potato or sleep.

Where have all the fun gone?

I was browsing through some of my posts earlier and I chanced upon this: http://labingpito.blogspot.com/2012/06/to-do-list.html This was my very first post here.  It's almost a year after but I still haven't even come close to doing one of the items listed here. I am boring. Ugh.

Where have all the fun gone?

4pics one word

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There's this addicting popular game right now called 4pics 1word.  The app shows 4 pics depicting one word.  I thought of using it as a way of introducing this post... =) So, guess which word the 4 pics above represent.

This was the dinner I had with my sister and her husband a few days ago at a popular restaurant chain.  We had bread with olive oil and balsalmic vinegar, prosciutto and formaggio, sicilain chicken salad and applewood bacon pizza. Yumyumyum.  The warm bread was lovely, the salad, tasty and the pizza, delicious.  The prosciutto and salami were a bit too salty for my taste, though. But overall our Italian dinner was awesome!

Belly Good

Ugh. I am getting fat. Not fat yet. But you know, on my way there.  Haha...  I have probably gained about 4 kilograms already since the holidays and am still putting on more and more each day. I have been a glutton these past few weeks plus I've not had my usual exercise (dancing) for a few weeks now.

I am far from being obese. At least, that's what I am hoping. Wait, let me make sure of that... Lemme get my calculator to compute for my BMI (body mass index)... Oooppsss.. Apparently, I am nearly there. MY BMI is at 22.8. That's still on the normal side but just two tenths shy of being overweight by Asian standards.  If I gain another kilogram, I'd already be considered overweight!!!! Nooooooo!

I have got to exercise and eat better! I have got to! Ugh. And I was planning to eat one more donut. At 10pm! Yeah. Unhealthy. Hahaha. But the donuts are begging me to devour them. The box says they (the donuts) are at their best up to three days from date of purchase. Last day tomorrow! So, I do have to finish them, right? Right? hahaha

2013