day before sinulog

i really would like to share my sinulog experience with everybody who gets to read this blog. i grew up in negros and bacolodnons are not that much of a devotee for their patron, san sebastian. unlike any other big fiestival in the philippines, masskara is one that i know that is not related to saints or to any religious icons. so imagine my surprise when i attended the mass celebration in sto. nino basillica. it was jae's, my roommate, fault why i was convinced to join patron's activity day before the sinulog fiestival. she told me that i was too lazy to join the procession that i'd rather run 21k marathon. it was true! i'm a negrense and i'm totally numb about how big sinulog is for others. so, my conscience was talking me into it. i planned to do my laundry that day but thanks for dang, they are still soaked and unwashed up until now. i didn't know what to expect when i met up with ace, rubai and cele. i thought we were going to join the procession, but they had a better idea.


1) taking chances - we were lining up the back gate of the basillica, hoping the gates will be opened any time soom. people were literally rubbing elbows with each other, it was raining, my feet is drenched with dirt. not until somebody lead the people in shouting out aloud the words "open, open". i'm sure the novena was distrubed by that commotion, so they decided to open the gates for us.


2) good samaritan - who offered part of his plastic cover so we can sit nicely and clean.


3) long wait - novena that almost took 4(h)ever to finish. 3h for the mass


4) the wave - batobalani wave was a little awkward for me first. you'll get used to it if you don't think about how stupid you look, hehe. i get goosebumps when i see people doing it. the song was like crying to my ears. photographers go gaga shooting here and there everytime the song hits the chorus. haha


5) the ninos - people everywhere were carrying small, some big, some very big statues.. and they're raising it up from time to time.


6) kidneys - you better take your cr routine and not drink any liquid few hours before you decide to crash the site.

7) balloons - tied up with it is their petition. one balloon didn't get so lucky, after few attempts of taking it in another level, it just couldn't make it. it swerved all over the bleachers and down to the altar.. and back again. it was funny.



it was some experience that i would love to share with my mama. she's a sto.nino devotee... she couldn't keep her hands off the little statue she has during the new year's eve!

Can't think of a title

Nosebleeding isn't just a physical torment, it also is a mental and emotional torture. I don't know how people discovered nosebleed to be related with too much use of the dollar language. It suddenly just became a hit to people. You can hear them say, "nosebleed ko" if they fail to understand a statement or if they spent too much time listening or speaking english. The term is also associated to the wrong use of grammar. Not everybody is born having a dollar tongue. Sure it's true that it can be learnt but without practice and influence of the people around you, you'll never be good at it.


So, why am I bragging about nosebleeds? It's because I am having it now. I have 3 reports to make within 2 weeks - it's two down and one more to go. Preparation stained my notes with blood and when it was finally time to speak in front, I couldn't stop imagining the rising level of fluid slowly climbing from my knee to my hips until it was high enough, feeling the bouyant force pushing my weight towards the surface. It's a gross way of picturing the fear I have of speaking to an audience. It's always been a struggle.


I just wonder why speaking is harder for me than just singing. It's very odd but when there's a tune to the words I speak, I don't seem to have a problem with it. Maybe because it does not let me worry about what I am going to say next simply because it has lyrics already. I could memorize a song faster than memorizing a speech. Why have we not fused music and learning english at the same time? We could all be musicians, vocalist, some out of tune but we'll all be the masters of the dollar language.


I have to end this now. I'm just saying, it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay if you pronounced it awkwardly. Make sure you made your point because the thought counts more than the lavish words.

My 21K story

Crazy as it sounds and maybe a little ambitious too, I did not settle on the thought of finishing a loser on my first 21K. When I registered for this run, I felt like I bought a hammer, ready to hit my head any time I remember that day I paid 450 for the race only for simple reason that we'd like to have that ChampionChip attached to our shoes. The chip stores up the exact time you finished the race. The thought of conquering the longest run ever in my life was secondary to the chip. Now, that sounds funny.

To make the long story short - with non-stop running, I finished the 21K for 2:42:26.

The most boring and longest route for me was taking the SRP. There wasn't so much to look at except for the houses and opposite it is the sea. The air is not so good and the sun was almost coming up during that time. So it was hot and dry. I think we spent almost 50min there. I enjoyed running more on the city because there were people cheering us up and motivating us.

That is me (#1772) and my parnter Albert behind runner #1114 (stranger) taking Jones.

I did not feel discomfort from any parts of my body except for my right knee. It almost gave up on me on the 17K mark. Good thing there were water stations on every 1K that we've passed. It fueled me and eased half of the painful 4K remaining. I discovered also during the last stretch that I was having difficulty running downhill compared to uphill road. I had to change from heel-strike to mid-foot or fore-foot and widen the angle of my legs just to give comfort to my aching knee. Whew! I had to give it up to my partner, Albert, for putting up with me!

If you ask me, if there's going to be another round of 21K? Just to make sure I don't get my right knee injured, I would have to lose weight first. I feel that my upper body is way too heavy for my legs to handle.

Lexmark Runner's Club

01-10-10

My motivation to be in shape while in vacation is this race. Sleeping not later than 11PM and waking up as early as 5AM are just few of the adjustment I had to do during those times. When I don't have the schedule to run, I try to make up for the hours of sleep I missed. The second motivation for this routine is to actually control my weight brought about by the new change of appetite I had, hehe... I may have a gained around 2lbs but I'm sure I've stored up enough carbs that would serve as my battery for this race.

The question is - was my preparation enough to finish 21K?

Ten Things Before Two-Oh-Ten

1) Avatar - sci-fiction film.. nice effects, story,etc. you've got to see this one!

2) First taste of gotu kola from our frontyard - accdg to studies eating 2-3 leaves a day will let you live 100+ years...umm, don't you think it's pretty exhausting to live that long

3) Rainbow Roll at RaiRaiKen - sashimi on top of california roll

4) Kuppa Coffee and Tea - located near SJI in Bacolod. They have excellent coffee and food choices and very nice ambience

5) 1 Hour Jogging at Panaad Stadium (2X in 2 weeks) - P10 walking/ jogging fee is free when no one is watching. The track is still in tact. Smell of eucalyptus trees cleanses your lungs.

6) Jogging around the neighborhood (2x a week) - I wake up usually early 5:15 am. I did that so I can eat without worrying about my weight.

7) Naruto Shippuuden Marathon - Oooh.. dattebayo! I'm a certified fan.

8) Grey's Anatomy Season's 1-5 - I bought it at 888 mall in Bacolod where you can find cheap but good quality Blue Ray DVDs..

9) Got new pair of studex earrings - my 3 ear piercing closed up long time ago. I felt I need to do something somehow with my bare ears...

10) Siomai making - I copied this recipe from a friend... I may have added too much salt, but it turned out ok when Mama fried it. hehe


New Year's Eve caught in video - I can't forget clanging ang clashing the casserole cover in welcoming 2010. It was really fun to see my 3 y/o niece getting along the fun. Reese, at her age now may have little understanding about christmas or new year but she sure does know how to celebrate!