No Music, No Life Vol 6: I Escaped the Mayan Apocalypse!

Did Foo Fighters have a great year? | Credit: Time Entertainment

Since I began blogging in 2005, I have been writing about my notable songs of the past year. Some of these songs are actually old ones (meaning, they weren’t released during the year I blogged about them) but because my Multiply blog (RIP Multiply Blog) was geared for personal stuff, I did not care how the general public would feel upon reading my Song of the Month. I have lost interest in remembering which song I have abused in my iPod in recent years so I just wrote about the remarkable songs. This year would be the same. However I will be blending the past with the present, because I have to admit that I have written in a more personal level this year as compared to the past four years.

As always, this music writeup has its own calendar year (starts the December of the previous year and ends the November of the current year). I am keeping that tradition even if December is pretty much done and I already know about this month’s Song of the Month.

First Quarter (December 2011 to February 2012)

Foo Fighters – Arlandria
 

“My sweet Virginia… I’m the same as I was in your arms”

This was my December 2011 Song of the Month. I have to admit that it was a bit late because ‘Wasting Light’ was released early that year. But with most songs, it takes time for it to resonate and gain my attention. This mind blowing single was my favorite ‘psych up’ song while jogging the windy streets of our village in Antipolo. No actual lyrical resemblance for me during that time (as all I wanted was a song that pumps me up). But in retrospect, it has its meaning now. I was starting to miss everybody in the Philippines last December because I was about to be assigned to the United States for quite some time. But as I left and as I lived my life in Atlanta, I started to realize that I am still the same old guy in the Philippines. I continued to appreciate how awesome my family, teammates and friends in the Philippines are.

Foo Fighters – A Matter of Time

No lyrical resonance that’s why there is no actual quote. I just loved the melody and the way Dave Grohl sings this song.

Foo Fighters – These Days

“Easy for you to say.
Your heart has never been broken.
Your pride has never been stolen.
Not yet, not yet.”

It has been a Foo Fighters start of the year for me. This one was very memorable because Atlanta’s rock station was usually playing this song. It has been quite a while since NU 107 stopped airing so it was very refreshing for me to have a rock station to listen to. I have played this song for months because I love how beautiful the song is. Its lyrics might be interpreted as hatred for something, but I did not view it that way. After all, there was no particular person I am referring this song to. Grohl’s delivery is superb in this song (especially on the soft parts). His emotions are raw whenever he sings these lines. I feel for it. In my life, I have experienced my heart broken a lot of times and my pride being stolen as well. And when these things happen to your life, whatever advice people give you does not seem that easy once you are bleeding and feeling the pain for it.

Before the World Ends (You Know, if the Mayans were Right): The Best TV Show Episodes of The Year

How I Met Your Mother pulls off a Christmas surprise | Credit: CBS

If you have watched WWE, the sight of the babyface¹ wrestler getting badly outdueled by his opponent must be a normal experience for you. His opponent grapples and throws him into the canvass. He gets clotheslined ruthlessly. The ‘face’ suddenly looks pitiful as the audience starts to root for him to have some life. His opponent does a brutal submission move and the face starts to lose some strength. The referee carries his hand up to check if he still can survive the match. His hand falls. Once. Twice. At the last check, the wrestler’s hand is about to drop but he summons all his will to keep it up. He closes his fist and stand up as the fans cheer for him. He is alive! Good Lord, he is alive! The crowd goes nuts. The babyface wrestler punches his grappling opponent to break free. You know how the rest goes, the babyface carries on with his momentum to win the match in underdog fashion.

That was the feeling I had on ‘How I Met Your Mother’s Season 8 Episode 11/12. Just like wrestling, this scripted show has become lazy and predictable for a lot of times this year. But because I already followed it through the years, I find myself watching it episode per episode. Hoping for some life. Back in its heyday, I could easily recall notable (or even minute) details of the previous episodes. Right now, the last memorable episode I could remember is Marshall’s father’s death (or maybe Robin’s narration episode last Christmas). Heck, I could not even remember who Ted’s last girlfriend was before he reunited with Victoria. But on this Christmas episode, HIMYM definitely threw a brilliant haymaker. I know this might sound strange in the present time but I think that episode is one of the year’s bests.

When the Going Gets Tough

It was one of those days. It was a Saturday afternoon and I just woke up from nap. I did not want to wake up yet but I have work on six and I need to charge my mobile phone. Dad just approached me and told me that the Ateneo Lady Eagles (The Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team) have a game going on. I nodded that I knew of it but I want to continue sleeping. He told me that the team was down by two sets against NU and their star setter, Jem Ferrer, is injured. I did not react but deep inside this was how I felt:

“Great. I am having a horrible week and I get to hear news like that. It is a bad idea to watch after all. I do not want sports to further destroy my day.”

Problem was, my mobile phone charger is downstairs. I have to pass by the TV to see the horror unfolding. While I was heading down, I had some glimmer of hope. Dad loves to joke about sports outcomes. He says my team is getting beat down but the truth is, they actually won. But by the time I reached the TV, alas, the Lady Eagles were really getting beat badly. I proceeded back to bed to sleep. There are more important things in life than sports.

Be Thankful

It has been a blessed 2012 for me. I hope it is the same to most of you. I may have been pessimistic, er, realistic for a lot of times, so I guess it is time to be realistic by acknowledging the positives. This has always been the goal of my blog – to acknowledge the good stuff and to point out and learn from what is wrong. I call it as I see it. This is why I wrote and recognized LeBron’s feat in the NBA Finals this year even if I am a hater.

Whether I have been successful in this blog’s goal or not, I will still try to pursue for it. I am not an American but it does not mean I cannot be thankful this Thanksgiving. (Sorry, if I will be self-indulgent on some parts)

I am thankful for an awesome year in sports. It may not have been ideal in the collective level, but it was surely a special one for me. For those who do not follow this blog that much, my year was supposed to be heading to a drastic direction. It started with my New England Patriots losing (again) to the effin’ New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Oh wait, not only that… The same Giants team defeated my Green Bay Packers along the way. Ugh. It does not help that the G-Men are a cocky squad. A few weeks later, the Ateneo Lady Eagles succumbed to our archrivals, the La Salle Lady Spikers. I was preparing for a possible disaster year as all of my teams have the propensity to reach the Finals and lose in the big stage. I know that placing second is better than being a cellar dweller. But if you will lose in a tragic fashion against a rival, it is another story. That changed. By St. Patrick’s Day, my Duke Blue Devils got upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Bloody hell.

The Sports Bucket List

 

Legen…

…wait for it…

…dary.

Legendary. That word sums up the feeling I had when Ateneo won its fifth straight championship.

I have to warn you though. I am primarily doing this write-up for myself. Forgive me for my self-indulgence. I am on sports cloud nine right now. How many times in your life can you experience five consecutive championships? Only a few are fortunate to witness their favorite team achieve that. Even powerhouse teams like Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Yankees were not able to achieve those feats. Even Michael Jordan only managed up to three straight. In my lifetime, the only other team to have done this half-decade achievement were the San Sebastian Stags two decades ago. So yes, this is special. (It also makes it bigger if your team has the most in collegiate basketball history at 22)

I have to admit: this fifth championship was very much expected at the start of the year. With or without Greg Slaughter, this year’s crop of Blue Eagles were the most poised to achieve the rare five peat. The player with the highest basketball IQ in the team, Ryan Buenafe, was returning. Another year in Kiefer Ravena’s resume is always a plus. The fact that he owned the team like an alpha dog last year – on his rookie year – says a lot on how dominant he is as a player. Nico Salva is consistent as ever. And in case you forgot, Justin Chua was the starting center in the three-peat year. Not only was he the starter then, he was one of the leading scorers in the team. My buddy Rap and I were even joking in Twitter last June that if we were going to get an alumni card (yup, it has been six years since I graduated and I still do not have one then), it would be at the bonfire. The Blue Eagles were even predicting championships since 2009. We were a confident bunch.

8 Random Sports Thoughts on Chipper’s Farewell Game and the Blue Eagles’ Resurgence

Thank you, Chipper! | Credit: Sports Illustrated

We’re baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccckkkkkkk!!!

What an amazing month in sports it has been. Before this month ends, I am writing to discuss some of the Atlanta Braves, my NFL Week 4 picks and of course, the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Actually, this blog writeup is mostly about the Blue Eagles after we witnessed a wild Final Four game awhile ago.
That was supposedly my introduction from last week. But because I was not able to publish it in time, it is already outdated. Either way, I will still be commenting on the Ateneo-La Salle Final Four game.

Random Thought # 1: Did your attempt at predicting your teams’ fates gave such a huge scare when the La Salle Green Archers mounted a strong lead in the third quarter of the Final Four game?

Technically, I was not scared during the Ateneo-La Salle game. La Salle got a great lead and was able to match Ateneo’s scoring punches with their own (especially from Yutien Andrada). But if you have been witnessing your team winning four straight championships and having the most talented lineup this season, you will have that irrational confidence. I knew they would come through some way or another. We were in a crucial game against our archrivals. This batch of Blue Eagles rarely let their guard up against the Green Archers. Just so you know, La Salle has the same number (1) of victories against Ateneo as UP had since 2008. La Salle even had more tries. With the immense talent and pride of this champion squad, we felt that if La Salle gives us the opening we need, we will come through. And, yes – we did.

8 Random Thoughts: The September 2K12 Edition

Look who's not impressed on my blogging this year | Credit: All of the McKayla's Not Impressed websites

(In CP3 voice) WoW. I got to blog twice in a week this year! This is primarily because 1) I am back in the Philippines so I have fewer household chores to do; and 2) I could barely do anything in our condo because of the lack of a television and decent Internet connection. Without further ado, I am returning my favorite ‘anything under the sun’ article.

Random Thought # 1: Any thoughts on UAAP this season?

It surely is more competitive and more physical. But then, that’s like saying the sky is blue. Thanks for the obvious, Jeff. On a serious note, I think the Ateneo Blue Eagles will win their fifth championship except if some miracle happens (that’s not a miracle for us, Ateneans) and UST goes 2006 UST with three times the luck they had then. You might say I am bragging or being too arrogant/overconfident here, but with the way the Ateneo team is structured right now, it is a well-oiled machine that even if UST plays the same level as its 2006 version, it won’t defeat the Blue Eagles. Here are reasons why:

Learn To Fly

“I'm looking to the sky to save me
Looking for a sign of life
Looking for something to help me burn out bright
I'm looking for a complication
Looking cause I'm tired of trying
Make my way back home when I learn to fly high”
-    Foo Fighters from the song “Learn To Fly”

It was a cloudy day in September of 2005. I could still remember that horrible feeling. I was drained and depressed. I was badly dehydrated after two hours of non-stop cheering. The worst part was, my team barely stood a chance the whole game. I was one of the few idiots in our section who kept on cheering as the green team decimated and swept our team. It was brutal.

The Tomahawk Chop Part 2

This is the continuation of this writeup.

 

June 26, 2012: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves

Tomahawk Chop!

Happy birthday to me.  For some strange reason, I disliked all the opposing teams that I watched in Turner Field some time when I was a kid. That happens if the champions of the sport you watch vary ever so often and if you have watched it avidly for a very long time. In baseball, you usually hate your division rivals (in my case, the Mets, Marlins and Phillies… Washington sucked all the time so they have not yet developed that hatred). The Braves were so dominant in the 90s that I ended up disliking each team that eliminated them. That and I was still a kid then. Kids always get emotional when their sports teams get eliminated.

The D-Backs actually did not eliminate the Braves. However, I was not a fan of Randy Johnson (as for Schilling, I forgave him because he delivered a World Series title to the Red Sox). For those who do not know, the Arizona Diamondbacks were also one of the dominant teams in the late 90s. Right now, they are pretty much punching bags even if they entered the playoffs. In this game, they were punching bags from the very start. It was another typical blowout game. The Braves’ bats were just exploding. Call it a boring game, but I enjoyed it. I got to teach a friend about baseball; the Braves fans have vastly improved their cheering (they always clap on two strikes and two outs); and the Braves won during my birthday.

The Tomahawk Chop Part 1

First ever sports team I rooted for. First ever U.S.A. city I liked (thanks to the 1996 Olympics). When I first learned that I will be going to Atlanta, the first thing that I thought of was (aside from work-related things), I’m going to watch the Atlanta Braves live! Yes, I am going to watch the freakin’ Braves!

One of the activities that stand out whenever you talk about Atlanta is watching the Atlanta Braves. From the airport on the way to downtown, you will surely pass by Turner Field at your right. Yes, at the very first day (January 4, 2012) I have been here, Turner Field has been luring me. There were no baseball games then, but I was already eager to step inside the stadium that I went there one winter Saturday morning for the Turner Field tours. Unfortunately, the locals could not even help or direct me to these tours. I had to wait up to April 2012 to watch my first Braves game.

The Redemption

Once upon a time, I was a LeBron fan. You know, when he was balling for his hometown. He had the mold of the ideal basketball alpha dog. He was a physical specimen who had the talents to deliver the high percentage field goals. LeBron had the vision and the ability to pass. Having grown up watching Jerry Sloan’s Utah Jazz pass the ball to execute effectively, I liked this aspect the most. When James showed clutch prowess against Washington, Detroit and Orlando, I thought LeBron was everything you could ask for a basketball player then.

Good Times Never Seemed So Good Part 2

This is a continuation of this blog entry: Good Times Never Seemed So Good Part 1  
May 6, 2012

It was an awesome sleep. Waking up at Massachusetts was better. I finally got a heavy meal for my complimentary buffet breakfast. I left early for my scheduled Harvard tour. It was my third time to walk in Berkeley Street but it was always a different experience. It must be the old (but clean) buildings in the I arrived 45 minutes early at Harvard Square and I got to take some pictures of Harvard University from the outside.

Good Times Never Seemed So Good Part 1

February 5, 2012

All that is left to me is that final drive. “A New Game” blares at the stadium amplifiers. This is the chance to go for glory. It is like a movie scene. Just when you are against all odds, you will score. The New England Patriots are having the final drive of the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. Drunk, I could not believe my beloved Patriots are in a deep hole again. The chances of us winning the championship were low.

But, as “A New Game” blared, I raised my hopes up. You need to believe, right? Tom Brady is leading that final drive and is giving us a shot to win the game. Then, it was down to that final play. The Golden Boy threw the Hail Mary Pass. Moments like this remind me of Matt Saracen’s Hail Mary Pass or Vince Howard’s championship winning throw in “Friday Night Lights.” Brady threw a beautiful pass going to the end zone.

Going…

Going…

The Bucket List

A month ago, I watched the sterling 2007 movie “The Bucket List.” I actually had an idea of what the movie was about even before I watched it. However, I still ended up very impressed at the flick’s conclusion. I won’t spoil anything about the movie because this writeup is about the idea of having a bucket list.

A bucket list – the way I see it – is about having a list of items that you want to do before your life ends. This includes your life’s dreams and the achievements you want to have. It could be your way of measuring success in life, but it could just be a simple list of your dreams – extreme or not – so that you aim for something.

The Reminder

Credit: Sports Illustrated

Job’s patience. Our Parish Priest discussed about Job’s patience in last Sunday’s Holy Mass. Job was known for having remarkable patience no matter how tough the times were. No matter how Satan dared Job to blame God for his drastic misfortunes, Job did not give way. He remained patient until the end. The priest told us that no matter how many times you get defeated during tough times, you stay strong. You stay patient.

I gasped. Is this a sign of things to come? Will the New England Patriots get beaten again by the New York Giants? In 2008, the unbeaten Patriots zoomed to the Super Bowl only to get upset by the Giants. It was one of the toughest losses in Boston history. Having a shot at a perfect season is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In the history of NFL, only one squad finished perfect (Miami Dolphins). And, there were fewer games then. New England was on the cusp of NFL glory until a young, underrated quarterback named Eli Manning pulled off a miracle drive that was highly improbable because of all the fortunate turn of events for the G-Men. It led to several what-ifs for Boston fans. What if Tyree dropped that tough catch? What if the ball was intercepted in Eli’s final drive? It was a tough loss. What made it worse was it came against New York. For those who do not know, New York is Boston’s rival just as La Salle is Ateneo’s. New England already had three championships under quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick then. The duo spent the next few years trying to build a new Patriot dynasty.

Caught in the Middle

Credit: Moneyball

Note: This is not a movie review and is not only for baseball fans. But I suggest you watch the movie “Moneyball” first before reading this writeup.

“I'm just a little bit caught in the middle
Life is a maze and love is a riddle
I don't know where to go, can't do it alone
I've tried and I don't know why

Slow it down, make it stop or else my heart is going to pop
'Cause it's too much, yeah it's a lot to be something I'm not
I'm a fool out of love 'cause I just can't get enough”

-    Lenka from the song “The Show”

I know this is quite late, but I just recently watched “Moneyball.” Thanks to the Philippine cinemas for not showing this movie. “Moneyball” is a film about how baseball sabermetrics came into fruition. It is about Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane strategizing to make his cost-cutting team become competitive enough to battle the big market teams.

Hotel Review: Acacia Hotel

I have never made a review on a place before, but I will nonetheless do this one because I had a great experience. I do not know if the fact that I will be leaving my family in the next couple of days has got to do with this. The past few weeks have been hectic for me and it seemed that this was the time when I really got the time to relax and bond with my family.

With Dad and Jeriel

Last Thursday, my family got to avail our free stay at Acacia Hotel located at Alabang. We got to use two rooms for an overnight stay. For a guy who wanted to rest (my despedida the previous night ended at 3 AM), bond with his family, and buy stuff for his relocation preparations, all I can say is…

…wait for it…