Some People Never Learn

My stupid laptop crashed again. This time, she took no prisoners - all my photos are gone. All the music I had archived is gone. All the emails that I have saved for work are gone. And this stupid PC hasn't been with me for a year.

Folks, avoid the Compaq NC6400 like a rat-infested plague. It's a guaranteed lemon.

Busy!

Tsk. Gimme a few days to write a decent entry. Just been so busy - my "baby" is due this December, but alas, she will be finished on January. Busy ironing out all the kinks there.

Also been busy finalising all my plans for that Aussie trip - lucked out as all plane tickets (free ones) have been consumed. Must have to shell out major moolah to get to Sydney. Also, couldn't get a couch in Sydney!! Drat, double drat.

There. A few days - gimme a few days. Also, let me plug that there's a CouchSurfing party on Saturday, December 8. Hope to see you guys there.

Fruits and Fishes

So, in a matter of weeks, I had my next CouchSurf. I really did not mean to host this time, but how can I resist hosting friends I've met before? And it doesn't help my cause that she's a lovely Lithuanian lady. The upside is, my parents were forced to do some research - where is Lithuania?

After a night of partying and drinks, we headed out for Batangas. On the way there, a mandatory stop at Tagaytay was definitely due. My friend was vegan, and like a moth to a flame, she was immediately drawn to the fruit stalls leading of to the ridge.



I really should be doing profile photos of my guests. Hehehe.

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It was my first time to snorkel, and in order to preserve the novelty of the experience, I decided to defer diving to a later date, and perhaps with another guest. Still, snorkeling and feeding the fishes was a great activity, if you're a fan of nibbling (pervert!) fishes.

And oh, my camera died on me; and this was the last photo I took.

I Just Want To Blog Right Now

I may be dizzy from being too tired, I may have loads of work-related issues I have to deal with, and hordes of blog entries that need to be written, but I just want to say that right now.

As a friendly reminder to myself, I mnus remember to blog about my snorkelling experience, my 3rd CouchSurf hosting duties and a some other things.

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As a fortune cookie to end this short entry, I saw this motivational slogan largely written on an elementary school wall: "Be proud, you are a teacher - the future is in your hands!" Strange, that's the first time I saw that the motivation was for the teachers, not the students.

Radio One: 40 Years of Remakes

Honestly, remakes suck. Correction, remakes that do not pay homage to the original, while representing the current singer aren't worth listening to. Though fitting to the description, "emo," "acoustic" and "bossa" remakes have been prevalent so recently, that I think my ears would bleed if I have to endure one of them in a bookstore again. Too much of the bandwagon, I guess.

So I discovered a collection of old pop songs from the last forty years, one per year - interpreted by today's more popular acts. It's nice that *most* songs on the album were popular enough to catch the mainstream consciousness, and the artists featured try not to duplicate the actual songs.

Who's in there you ask? The Klaxons, McFly, Foo Fighters, Lily Allen, Kaiser Chiefs, Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini, Keane, Mika with Armand Van Helden, The Raconteurs and more. And who did they cover? The Beatles, Sting, The Rolling Stones, The Stylistics, Madonna, Cat Stevens, Britney Spears, and Ace Of Base. There's a lot of great interpretations in there, but if I would pick a handful of songs to force you to take a peek at the album, it would be Careless Whisper (George Michael), No Diggity (Blackstreet), The Power Of Love (Huey Lewis and The News) and You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate).

However with such a varied array of choices, there are some disappointments. My supreme letdown was Your Song (Elton John) as interpreted by The Streets. There was really no Mike SKinner doing that song, worse, he's better of singing, or speaking garage. Mutya Buena did a pass on Tracy Chapman's classic Fast Car, but I personally prefer David Usher's 2004 version better as it offered a more electronic departure from the acoustic original.

Ooh, it's all new (sort of) music all over again here: Radio One

Maybe I Can Fix My Car Now

So I ended up buying a bookcase from IKEA. Yey, but it took up all my baggage allowance - boohoo you, no goodies for you. Surprisingly, it only took 15 minutes for a Luddite like me to build a bookcase.

How did I do it? I bought myself a box of tools from IKEA as well, laid out all the materials I needed, and the manual was pretty easy to follow. No words were in it though, everything was illustrated. A bolt here, a nut there, a little pounding here, and voila, a bookcase. Look at the smug smile on this carpenter to be at the end of the picture series.















Here's the fitted out bookcase, with books (duh) and IKEA accessories (picture frames, lamps, pencil holders) I got from a year ago. Isn't that neat!

Singapore Is A Fun Place To Take Goofy Pictures

Like I said, I did the tourist thing in Singapore - the landmarks were all too familiar, the people came in droves, and all cameras were busy clicking. Sentosa, Merlion Park, Esplanade, which were all teeming with Indian tourists having their day off from Deepavali and Hari Raya.

Everything is almost walkable in Singapore, which is cute, but still tiring. I lost 5 lbs from walking all day, but maybe that's just because I took my weight in the 9th floor of the park I was staying at. I'd like to think it was from all the walking.

So, let's just do a rundown of the pics I took:



This is me trying to squeak in between the "ribs" of a dragon. Nice job Sentosa architects, how authentic. Good job for me too, I actually fit in between.



Surely I could be missing some important landmark here....




Watch out! Behind Me!



Here I am taking advantage of unsuspecting tourists. But hey, he started it.



What happens when you put 3 guys together in a rain-soaked morning in Singapore? Why, spend loads of time in IKEA, yey. Here's one of us enjoying a wacky seat. That's craziness that those Swedish meatballs can't cure. *drool* Swedish meatballs with gravy and cranberries *drool*

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But that's not to say I totally wasted my camera for nothing - I took nice pictures too. They're here - http://flickr.com/photos/ronniegatsby/ . Here's one of my favorites: The dolphin show in Sentosa just wasn't my cup of tea, and I was already extremely exhausted by that afternoon. I yawn, looked up and saw a great view:

The Singapore Soundtrack: Jack's Mannequin

I think it's the first time I went on a trip not carrying headphones - and admitting that music is an integral piece of every trip, it felt like I was travelling for a week with only 2 days' worth of underwear (ooh, bad analogy). It was also the first time I was travelling with friends - never really backpacked with a group before, but this trip was really all about becoming a tourist, and not a traveler.

Back to the music, who could resist HMV? Aside from the fact that it was just two doors away from the flat where I lived, it had racks and racks and racks of CDs that were screaming "Take! Me! Home!". Fortunately for my wallet and quickly depleting EQ, I brought a list. I had to pass on Frou Frou's and Jewel's debut albums (30 SGD each!), but brought home the double-disc retrospective of Garbage, and finally Dizzy Up The Girl by The Goo Goo Dolls.

However, the Singapore Soundtrack honors go to Jack's Mannequin - last year's discovery, thanks to One Tree Hill (there is some good coming from that show, I just realised). Their only album so far, Everything In Transit, is a breath of fresh air. Not the cliche type, but the one that makes you feel you're in a rush swimming and you run up the surface to gasp for air. The music is a persevering alchemy of piano-rock that continuously pounds you with its percussions and almost-spoken lyrics.



Just as a background, Jack's Mannequin is fronted by Andrew McMahon, a leukemia survivor, and this was the first record after his recovery. If I was on the verge of dying, and miraculously banished my disease, I would not be singing the "praise-be" of gospel, nor moping away self-pity with an "I could've died" anthems. I'd probably be like this: a little chirpy - walking with a spring in my step, but a the same time, a little drugged, rabid and continually shouting phrases. Strange, I know, but give me a break.

I've talked about the single The Mixed Tape, as it was in the best songs of 2006, so I'll skip that one. There are a lot great singles in the album - McMahon writes lyrics as brilliant as Carraba from Dashboard Confessional, but less wounded. He talks about long distance relationships, a destined love, and weeping alone. MY favorite has got to be "I'm Ready", a spirited morning song, laced with spoken dialogue. Imagine a bunch of lyrics just flying out, someone talking, all while Jack shouts "I'm ready!". Perfect wake up song.

Oh dear, I've written yet another long blog entry, but I know it's worth it. If you're looking for a burst of piano-rock energy, a chirpy happy melody, and forlorn lyrics, Jack's Mannequin is your guy.

Did I Mention That I Was Travelling This Weekend?

Whoops, wanted to mention that. Just got in SIngapore last night, on Hari Raya, and well, it was pretty fun. The weather is not really too cooperative, as the rains choose to pour right smack our walking tour. To pass away the time, I ended up buying a bookcase from IKEA. Drat. Will let you know how that goes; seems like a job for Toolman Tim...

Save The World (Part Two) - Live Simply

This is part two of sharing tips on helping Mother Earth breathe a little bit easier.


5. Skip the bag - Paper or plastic? How about none of the above? Skip the bags, and feel better. FGF: 7/10.

6. Check your tires - Proper tire inflation can aid in better mileage by around 3%. FGF: 7/10.

7. Plan a right-turn route - Whenever practical, avoid making left turns; the time spent idling while waiting to turn burns fuel and costs millions each year. If you plan your route correctly, you can easily avoid the left-turns and stop lights. FGF: 3/10.

8. Plant a tree. FGF 9/10.

9. Live simply - We can't all buy carbon offsets, drive a hybrid, live in a green building, but we can learn from the Buddhists: Live simply. Meditate. Consume less. Think more. Get to know your neighbors. Borrow when you need to, and lend when asked. FGF: 10/10.

Save The World (Part One)

Last April 9, Time Magazine published an issue called The Global Warming Survival Guide - 51 Things You Can Do To Make A Difference. They list down things we can do to help the environment, and I saved that copy to share here in my blog.

Time rates these little acts of kindness to Mother Earth on three criteria: impact, time horizon, and feel-good factor. I'm picking out the easier things to do, with a high feel-good factor(FGF). Come on, make yourself feel better, by knowing your making the environment feel a wee bit better too.

1. Work at home - My favorite, haha. Seriously, if not required, why bother going to the office, waste parking space, gas, and contribute to the 2-hour jam at EDSA? FGF: 9/10.

2. Open a window - Hot in the house? Instead of running the AC, why not spend quality al fresco time with your folks at the porch? FGF: 9/10.

3. Pay your bills online - This one I just did. If you have constant internet access anyway, why bother getting (often delayed) billing statements in your pigeon hole? View and archive them online, then bank-permitting, pay the bills without leaving your desk and save paper, and courier incidentals in the process. FGF: 8/10.

4. Don't standby, shut it off - Instead of leaving TVs, DVDs, and computers on standby, shut them off if you don't mean to use them anytime soon. A maximum of 75% of all electricity consumed in a house is from appliances on standby. How much more for a cube farm? FGF: 4/10.

To be continued...

Missed Out On A Trip

My mind is speeding right now, so I'll be brief. Or lacking coherence; you decide.

My boss made me go home yesterday for a stupid, worthless meeting. Missed out on a weekend in Sagada, drat.

Had a CouchSurfer drop by the weekend. Had loads of fun, and got to go to Baguio.





Got my Aussie visa this morning - but I couldn't purchase Oz Open tickets. Darned things are all sold out.

Almost got a heart attack from trying to work too hard. My project is going downhill.

Oh, you might want to try the deluxe bus from Victory Liner - they're 29 seats in one bus, with stewardess service and snack. The bus comes with a loo. As of today, the schedules are:



MNL-BGO: 1315h, 2315h, 0015h
BGO-MNL: 1015h, 1115h, 1315h, 2315h, 0015h



Travel time is roughly 5.5 hours, and the ride is 600 pesos.


I better shut up now, because my head hearts, I mean hurts.

The Best Songs Of 1998

Here's the last of the list I was able to recover. Just some notes: there's an OPM! It's got my favorite All Saints song, I'll just add notes on what else was on the list. I really thought my #1 song in 1998 was from New Radicals, You Get What You Give was #1 in 1999.

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25. Madonna – Ray Of Light
24. Robyn – Do You Really Want Me
23. Hungry Young Poets – Torpe
22. Lisa Loeb – Truthfully
21. INOJ – Time After Time
20. Run DMC vs Jason Nevins – It’s Like That
19. 911 – All I Want Is You
18. Mono – Life In Mono/Silicone
17. Green Day – Time Of Your Life
16. Pras/ODB/Mya – Ghetto Superstar
15. Eagle Eye Cherry – Save Tonight
14. All Saints – If You Wanna Party (I Found Lovin)
13. Texas – Breathless
12. Paula Cole – Me
11. Massive Attack/Tracey Thorn – Protection
10. Orbital – Halcyon & On & On
9. Janet Jackson – Everytime
8. Duncan Sheik – Reasons for Living
7. Alana Davis – 32 Flavors
6. Chantal Kreviazuk – Leaving On A Jet Plane
5. Stars On 54 – If You Could Read My Mind
4. Texas – Put Your Arms Around Me
3.. Aqua – Turn Back Time
2. Mariah Carey – Breakdown
1. Duncan Sheik – Wishful Thinking

Best Music of 1997

So my list of 1996 was pretty lame. Well it sounded good way back then, so no regrets. Now, I’m coming back with the list of the succeeding year, the year I graduated from high school, and the one that marks my entrance to university. Memories, hordes of them!

25. Robyn – Do You Know (What It Takes)
24. Leann Rimes – How Do I Live
23. Sneaker Pimps – 6 Underground
22. Fiona Apple – Criminal
21. Allure – Head Over Heels
20. Janet Jackson – Together Again
19. Sheryl Crow – Hard To Make A Stand
18. Garbage - #1 Crush
17. Spice Girls – Who Do You Think You Are
16. Puff Daddy/Faith Evans/112 – I’ll Be Missing You
15. Robyn – Show Me Love
14. B Real/Method Man/Coolio/Busta Rhymes/ LL Cool J – Hit Em High
13. Boyzone – Isn’t It A Wonder
12. Hanson – Mmmbop
11. Changing Faces – G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.
10. INOJ – Love You Down
9. Matchbox 20 – Long Day
8. The Braxtons – Only Love
7. Mariah Carey – Honey
6. Whitney Houston – Step By Step
5. Sash! – Encore Une Fois
4. Texas - Say What You Want
3. Bruce Springsteen – Secret Garden
2. Jewel – You Were Meant For Me
1. Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life

Stuff that are elevated to classics that came from this era were Paula Cole, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, En Vogue, Lightning Seeds, Daft Punk and Meredith Brooks. Do you remember Size 14, White Town and Artificial Joy Club? They sang Claire Danes Poster (an innocent sounding song, but not really), Your Woman and Sick & Beautiful respectively. I’m going to look for these.

I Got Featured In A Newspaper!

I've been CouchSurfing for some of my travels, and a journalist decided to write about it. Of course, my story was the most interesting, and totally deserved opening dibs. Haha. Check it out: Horse, anyone?

The Best Songs Of 1996

I can’t exactly remember what I was looking for, rummaging through old folders and drawers in our garage, but I stumbled upon an old folder from my Humanities class. (While I’m at it, thanks to Mida at http://myalchemy.blogdrive.com/ for being a great lit teacher – there were stories from James Joyce, Maxine Hong Kingston and Kazuo Ishiguro in that wonderful folder) Anyway, a really strange find was this: a yellowed printout of a list of all the songs that I loved, three year’s worth from 1996 to 1998. Imagine that, songs from a decade ago. I had a habit of writing them down so I can pick them up on CDs later, but then again, who had money in high school?

In the previous entry The Best Songs of 2006, I talked about this, and not having a medium for keeping them. Well, well, well. Time to change that – and to have a full nostalgia effect, let’s have them as a series of posts! So let’s start with the oldest of the list, songs from 1996. They’re ranked, and embarrassing the list may be, I hope you find songs that like from it as well, and remember them good old days.

25. Mary J. Blige – Not Gon’ Cry
24. Total – Kissin’ You
23. Everything But The Girl – Two Star
22. Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet
21. The Bodeans – Closer To Free
20. Mark Morrison – Return Of The Mack
19. Joan Osborne – One Of Us
18. Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger
17. Keith Sweat – Twisted
16. Spice Girls – 2 Become 1
15. Babylon Zoo – Spaceman
14. Whigfield – Close To You
13. Monica – Why I Love You So Much
12. Duncan Sheik – Barely Breathing
11. Spice Girls – Wannabe
10. The Corrs – Runaway/Love To Love You
9. The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows
8. La Bouche – Be My Lover
7. Boyzone – Father And Son
6. Alanis Morissette – Ironic
5. Mark Snow – X Files
4. Squeeze – Heaven Knows
3. Robert Miles – Children
2. Mariah Carey – Always Be My Baby
1. Gina G – Just A Little Bit

Okay, okay, it’s a pretty embarrassing list, when you look back at it. Hey, it was the first time this countdown was conceived, and I was yet to refine the music I listened to. And did I say that that’s only the Top 25 of a hundred songs? Others floating in the list include Prodigy, Bush, The Beautiful South, Ash, Fugees, The Cardigans, Ocean Colour Scene, and Underworld. You might want to catch up on that. Meanwhile, there are songs in the list that I have to search for, because honestly, I forgot what they sounded like.

US Open 2007: Men's Quarterfinals

Federer vs Roddick
I've seen this one before - way too many times that it's actually embarrassing for the American. All right, it's a rematch of last year's final, but the head-to-head of the two couldn't be any more lopsided. Roddick has been working well through the draw, agressively taking the initiative against his opponent, and King Roger looking vulnerable by losing two sets already. Still, the defending champion knows when to step up his game, and against Roddick, on a night match in Ashe, is the stage to break the hearts of the home crowd. Four sets.

Davydenko vs Haas
This could be a even match, and people should really now pay attention to the quiet Russian. This should go the distance, with last year's semifinalist Davydenko equalling his best New York finish.

Djokovic vs Moya
The draw is really testing the heir apparent of Federer, and I'm just hoping Nole's youthful physique holds up. He's fairly lucky that Nadal was dumped in the previous round, but, taking it one match at a time, should focus on defeating a resurgent Moya. Straights sets win is needed here for the third seed.

Chela vs Ferrer
Injury aside, it's not too surprising that Ferrer defeated Nadal in R16, but what is intriguing about that match, was he made the #2 seed work hard for every point, and eventually winning them. Ferrer is not just a dirtballer, but an established player on hardcourts as well. He has the better pedigree against Chela in winning big matches, and should eventually prevail in four.

Semifinals and Final
The semis should only be a formality, and will only lead up to the matchup we've been waiting for all summer (US summer, at least): Djokovic vs Federer. They split the two Masters Series in the US Open Series, but Nole bagged an extra one in Miami in March. Plus of course, that win over Nadal and Federer in Montreal. This should be a mouth-watering encounter, and will definitely be a treat. I'm betting on Federer (surprised?) to bag Slam #12, and an extra million bucks from the US Open series.

US Open 2007: Women's Quarterfinals

A fairly odd opening week for the women's draw, with most of the second half shaken by teenagers from the eastern European bloc (BLR, UKR, POL, HUN). However, all the big names have come out, on the top half of the draw. Here's a summary of the final rounds for the ladies.

Justine vs Serena
This is the third consecutive slam that they're meeting, yet I haven't seen much of the drama that this matchup promises. Then again, the upper half of the draw is filled with big names, and how appropriate that these two meet again. Ive been betting on Justine on winning their meetings, and so far, I haven't been wrong - both Serena and Justine ravaged through their sections of the draw, and this is the first major test for either. Third time lucky for the Australian Open champ? Nah, but I'm still looking for that tight three setter.

Jelena vs Venus
To semi-quote little sister Serena, how could a six-time Grand Slam champ have so many doubters? She rallied to win her 4th WImbledon, and has been on a rampage since. After shaming Roland Garros finalist Ivanovic in the previous round, she'll do pretty much the same with the other Serbian in straight sets.

Agnes vs Svetlana
In a rematch of last week's Mew Haven final, Agnes leads the EET (Eastern European Teens) brigade, and manages to go beyond 4R. She retired from last week's match, but with the stakes up a notch, there will be a contest right here. Expect her to to fight from the baseline, but inexperience to get the best of her. Two sets to the 2004 champion.

Anna vs Shahar
Ever since the Israeli almost prevent Serena to win Melbourne, I've been a fan of her. She hits the ball solid, tugs at every point, and has that ferocity laced with naivete to charm the hell out of me. She will subdue the quiet Russian in three.


Semifinals and Final
Two straight slams for Venus? That depends on Justine if she learned her lesson well not to falter in the semis. Their SF meet should've been the final at the All England, but this encounter at Flushing Meadows should make amends for that. I'm flipping a coin in favor of Justine, and crossing fingers for Shahar Peer to debut in a Grand Slam final.

US Open 2007 Fantasy League Update

A fairly different result from last Wimbly FL. Maybe it's the new rules. Still, congratulations to the 700 Club, choco4me and *c.s.i.*!

Coverage, Where Art Thou?

I am in a panic mode. Solar Sports, curse you for not bringing the US Open. You and your crummy programming execs. I hate you to bits right now.

Since they will not be carrying the last major of the year, it will be the first slam since US Open 2000 that I will miss. I remember sneaking into my aunt's house to watch tennis in 2001.

Fuming mad right here.

US Open 2007

Women's Singles
Defending Champion: Maria Sharapova


Quarter I

With top seed Justine Henin leading the charge in this section of the draw, there is an air of Wimbledon 2007 nostalgia, or should've/could'ves right here. Justine should've won her semis match against Marion Bartoli; and could've lost her match against Serena at the quarters. Don't fret, as they're all here, in a mix jumble of sorts. However, our surprise Wimby finalist might not make it past Lucie Safarova.

So there we go, for the third Slam in a row, it's the game's most mentally tough player, against the game's most powerful and determined player. Under the lights of Arthur Ashe, and 50th year since Althea Gibson's win, the stars are definitely on Serena's side.

QF Match: Justine vs Serena

Quarter II

Hey, whatever happened to the Russian Revolution of 3 years ago? Right now, all I hear is Serbia. I don't see an upset coming the way of the world #3, Jelena Jankovic, who, surprise, took a week off and skipped the Pilot Pen warm-up (*gasp*). Things may not be as as easy for the new world #4, Ana Ivanovic (Ana! Marry me!) as a showdown with Wimbledon queen (yet again) Venus Williams lurks in R16.

QF Match: Jelena vs Venus

Quarter III

For the second straight Slam in a row, Martina Hingis has been gifted a rather benign draw. Her section only toughens up in the 4th round, when she could probably meet Svet for a place in the quarters. The upper half isn't as brutal either. Nadia Petrova has been having a so-so year, and Daniela Hantuchova withered after her 2nd title win in Indian Wells. But, these are my predictions, so a bias is only expected. It's time for my ladies to suck it up, and took a shot in winning a slam.

QF Match: Daniela vs Martina

Quarter IV

Maria's only test in this section is going to come from Nicole Vaidisova, who after 2 years, has yet to make an strong impact in the big tourneys. She's been taken over by Anna and Ana. Watch Maria and Nicole slug it out in the 4R, and I think bonus points should be awarded for every point when they don't look at their coaching box.

It's going to be fairly quiet affair on the other section of the draw as the underestimated Anna C work her way through the draw. Watch out for her, a breakthrough is definitely in the offing.

QF Match: Anna vs Maria

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Men's Singles
Defending Champion: Roger Federer

Quarter I

Dare to bet against the Fed? Nope, I wouldn't. With the US Open Series trophy under his belt for the first time, this is the first US Open he's going to play with a bonus payout of 1 Mn USD. It's going to be Slam #12 already, apart from his 4th consecutive win at Flushing Meadows should that happen. Should Gasquet come up with the same magic he brought to overcome Roddick in London, Roger is definitely up to that test.

Can Andy Roddick defeat Roger Federer? The short answer is no, so it doesn’t help that they’re meeting in the quarters. However, Tomas Berdych is waiting in 4R – he’s been inconsistent lately, and may suffer an upset in the hands of Fernando Verdasco, so that kind of helps Roddick limp to the second week.

QF Match: Federer vs Roddick

Quarter II

Apart from seeds Blake and Davydenko, expect the other seeds to fall off the wayside. Murray’s in the draw, but will not last too long. However, expect to find Baghdatis to cause a stir, and watch his match up against Haas, then Blake. Pity his run ended in NYC on a sentimental note against Andre Agassi.

QF Match: Davydenko vs Blake

Quarter III

Novak “The Anointed One” Djokovic has already proven that he can contest Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for tennis supremacy. Of the past 15 slams, only 2 have not gone their way. It’s going to be a pinhole and flaming at that for Djokovic to show up and interrupt their party. Standing in the way are former champ Hewitt, who has finally found his form (most of it at least) to go deep in the draws; there’s Mardy Fish, though still struggling with injuries, can pull an upset from Robredo and land in the R16; or even Youzhny, who made the semis last year. Awkward, Novak opens against the hard-serving Croat Mario Ancic. Definitely a night match to see.

QF Match: Youzhny vs Djokovic

Quarter IV

It’s actually surprising that Nadal hasn’t gone past the quarters – was it the tough draw? Maybe not. This year, he should make it all the way to the semis, among his conquests will be Tim Henman, in his final Slam, David Nalbandian, who enjoyed a top 4 ranking last year, and went into freefall this 2007, and either Gonzalez or Ljubicic, Not really a solid draw there, so Nadal should close in on the gap between #1 and # 2. And then there’s Marat Safin.

QF Match: Gonzalez vs Nadal

Calatagan

I recently went on a work-related meeting off the end of Batangas, and I took some pics. Just sharing, just before I go into full US Open mode.

Addicted to Pho

The past couple of days, I've been craving for more Vietnamese noodles - yup, pho. Interestingly, I never really liked them before, prior to my trip there early this year, where these noodle stores were as ubuquitous as Jollibees here (or Starbucks in the Makati area).

The soup is a little sweet, thanks to the basil, but watch out for that chili sauce.


It's a perfect tandem to the stormy we've been experiencing lately, a steaming broth with gummy noodles. Slurp away, there are lots of Pho Hoa stores in the metro, and a Pho 24 in Power Plant Mall.

Thanks For Voting! Next Leg, Perhaps?

Guys, much thanks for participating in the polls. Just as a segue (and to tie up the last couple of posts), I went Lonely Planet shopping with the sale at Powerbooks. And here's the decision:

I have ruled out Korea. Not too thrilling I guess, and perhaps, it's time to get out of Asia.

I tried to put the European options together. And like a true blue planner, the costs have been put in, itinerary set, and must-sees chosen. However, my window of travel is somewhere in the 1Q of 2008, and the average temperature in Europe is somewhere at ZERO degrees celsius. Winter wear was not part of my calculated costs (aah, alliteration working wonders!). The perfect time to get there is July.

So that I don't forget, the itinerary is something like: AMS-MUC-VIE-BTS-BUD-PRG-DRS-BER-AMS. Aww, shucks.

So folks, that leaves me with one option left: Australian Open, here I come! I don't intend to stay there the whole week, just the first 3 days. It's a more reasonable option, thanks to Mabuhay Miles. This way, I'll get to see more of the country.

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Im putting in another poll. I'm set to see their big cities Sydney and (duh) Melbourne, as well as Adelaide to visit my relatives. However, which city should I NOT miss?

Ratatouille

Come on, it's so cute. More on this later.

August is Book Shopping Month

August is shopping month for me. Book shopping that is.

I try to hold off as much reading as I can, because August is the month-long sale at Powerbooks. Also, it's the the month when the Manila International Bookfair happens. It's normally held at the World Trade Center, Buendia corner Diosdado Macapagal Avenue (http://www.manilabookfair.com).

It's the time to renew magazine subscriptions (and pick up free back issues of other magazines, and freebies such as mugs, chairs and umbrellas).

My book list?
The Periodic Table by Primo Levi
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I've already reserved Kurt Vonnegut and a bunch of related Lonely Planet titles (see entry below).

It's In The Works...

It's been fairly quiet here, and no new entries, but if you've noticed, there's a poll at the right, and your votes have been useful! I'll post another poll, but this time it'll be more specific, haha.

My Vacation Is In Your Hands. Sort Of.

I'm trying out the new widgets here, so I decided to have a poll... I'm planning to have a long vacation, and I need to save up for that. Say Jan/Feb next year? I really need a good break from work (stressful, yeah) but more importantly, it's more of a career break.

So, the options have been trimmed already. Out from the list is Morocco and Egypt, done already with SE Asia, China is reserved until after the Olympics, and Japan may be too expensive. You may have noticed that USA is not even in my long-list.

Anyway, it's a life goal for me to watch a tennis Grand Slam, that's why Melbourne is there; Central Europe to see the Bohemia and Prague; and northwestern Europe to visit friends in Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark. I'm skipping touristy France and Spain for future plans.

Help, anyone?

A New Blog - Sort Of

Hey, it's a rehash of my old blog - same template (copied, yes, lazy, I know). Sorry guys for the unanswered posts in the shoutbox, it got lost in the flurry of events.

I also lost the full bloglist, so just send me a message, so I can update my linklist as well.

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In other news, congratulations Roger Federer! A perfect record in Slam finals outside Roland Garros. It's Slam #11 now, so watch out Pete. The Fed Express is coming sooner than you think.


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Sigh, so many Wimbledon memories. And I'm not talking about tennis. More on this, if I remember, or if I don't get too lazy.

Posting Some Transformers Love

Finally, the movie of the summer has arrived. All I wanted with my summer movies is entertainment value: non-stop action, a healthy dose of humor, and a certain wow factor. Transformers delivers all that, plus more.

I was a kid of the 80s, and had a good collection of Transformers toys. Imagine my amazement in seeing these armor toys in full battle gear, falling out of elevated highways, and more importantly, morphing from the flashiest cars and meanest F22s to badass robots. Nostalgia factor plus cinematic enjoyment all rolled into one.

Throw in wonder boy Shia, foxy Megan, and a fantastic song from the Goo Goo Dolls in the mix, and we definitely have the crown winner for this year's best summer movie. I forgive you Michael Bay for having a soapy score on the action sequences, just don't do it again.

I still haven't finished adoring how good Let Love In by The Goo Goo Dolls, then they trump it with another great song. Here's the video for Before It's Too Late (take that Snow Patrol for cashing in on Spider-Man 3).