Superbowl XLV - 6 February 2010

One must-see event here is the much-awaited Super Bowl event. Now on its 45th season, the Super Bowl has been the most watched sport and TV event in the US. The sport makes Americans stay home, makes advertisers spend millions more to have a slot, makes all shows get a least a word "Super Bowl" into their scripts.

For someone who has come from a country that appreciates only one team sport, basketball, I get fascinated with Americans' love for all sports, and the great American sport, their favorite. The Super Bowl's effect on roads, media and groceries, is very much similar to our craziness over Manny Pacquiao's titles fights.

Amidst the Super Bowl mania, I am proud to say that one Filipino stood in the middle of the capacity crowd, entertaining hundreds of thousands in the field, and hundreds of millions watching from around the world. The Black Eyed Peas performed during the Super Bowl half time show, which gave the crowd the needed boost of energy and excitement! Apl de Ap, we Filipinos are so proud of you! :) Mabuhay ka!

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers fans for an entertaining Super Bowl XLV! Congrats also to the Pittsburgh Steelers for making it this far. Too bad, they came a bit short in getting the Lombardi trophy.

Now, I have to explain a bit further to my wife how American Football works...

Cheers!

Ben's Chili Bowl

Another famous eatery here in Metro DC is Ben's Chili Bowl. This is just a few stations away by Metro train from where I live, located at 1213 U St, NW Washington DC. I was fortunate to have been introduced to its world-famous half-smoked chili dog.

The Half-smoked chili dog gives you the needed juiciness of the hotdog, and the spicy kick of the chili sauce! Coupled with chili cheese fries and you're up for a delicious spicy treat! You really can't eat just one hotdog! Of course, I resisted and ate just one to avoid extra calories and pounds... Whew!

Chili Cheese Fries

Half-Smoked Chili Dog

Ben's Chili has been Washington's premiere chili dog place since 1958. According to its cashier signs, Bill Cosby and the Obama family eat there for free! I wish I could be in that list. :)
http://www.benschilibowl.com/ordereze/Content/2/Summary.

Ray's Hell Burger - January 29, 2010

One good thing about being in DC is that you get to eat in places where President Obama eats or has eaten!

Bubbles and I, along with our friends Jun and Kathy, were able to visit Ray's Hell Burger, a small burger joint just around the Arlington area. Ray's Hell Burger is always packed with people who want to grab a bite of this juicy, succulent, great-tasting burger. Coupled with its reasonable price, I can see the reason for the long lines.

On June 2010, President Obama treated Russian President Dimitri Medvedev to a traditional American lunch in this small burger joint during the latter's visit to the United States.

From the pictures it seemed that they both had fun eating at Ray's. :)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/06/obama-medvedev-chow-down-at-ra.html

I ordered the usual burger, add on Mozzarella and free add ons mushroom, tomatoes and lettuce. My patty was done medium well so we needed to wait for 15-20 minutes. This "have it your way" style makes every burger individually interesting, depending on what you put on it. Unlike traditional "to go" orders, Ray's hell burger gives you the freedom to pack your own burgers to take out after they serve it to you. According to them, this is to ensure that you got the burger you wanted. They have lots of condiments, from ketchup to mayo to several kinds of mustard, to cajun.

I'll soon try other historical sites, eateries and landmarks here in Metro DC. I got plenty of time to do so. :)

Mga Pagninilay sa aking unang linggo

Bilang isang Pilipino, marami na tayong nakagawian, nakasanayan at nakalakihan. Kapag ikaw ay mappadpad sa banyagang lugar tulad ng Estados Unidos, may mga bagay na maninibago ka at maiiba ang pananaw mo.

Mga nakakapanibagong bagay sa aking pangingibang bansa:

10. You're sooooo wired! - May internet kahit saan ka magpunta at mura ito! Ehem, Smart, Globe. Itigil na ang monopolistic capitalism ng Telco at tumapat na kayo sa bilis ng mundo!

9. NLEX is the normal highway - Ang normal na highway ay mukhang NLEX/SCTEX palagi. Kaya palaging mabilis ang biyahe.

8. Have it your way all the time - Karamihan sa mga fastfood ay drink all you can ang sodas at iced tea. Wala naman akong nakikita ditong mga Amerikanong nagdadala ng Coleman at pinupuno ang mga ito. Malamang kaya hindi ito naaalis sa mga fastfood hindi katulad ng Burger King sa Pinas.

7. Rewards here and there - Lahat ng department store, bookstore, appliance store, may kanya-kanyang rewards and loyalty program. Meron silang card copy, at keychain copy na kung saan yung card puwede mo ikabit sa keychain nang hindi mo makalimutan ang rewards! At ang masaya diyan, ang rewards card ay libre! Ehem, SM Advantage.

6. Pareho ang paraan ng pagbili ng Potato Chips at 40" LED TV - Paano? Hanapin ang gustong brand, ilagay sa Cart, bayaran, ilagay sa Kotse. Tapos. Testing? Ikaw magtesting sa bahay, bahala ka sa buhay mo!!!
5. Ang yebe ay nakakatuuwa lamang kung tapos na ang snow storm. Kapag na

4. Hindi banidoso ang pagkakaroon ng skin treatment process - Dati, pagkatapos ko maligo, pabango lang puwede na. Dahil sa lamig at dryness ng panahon, kailangan ko na maglagay ng oil para uminit ang likod, lotion para sa dryness, lip balm para sa chapped lips, enhancer para sa dry skin... Mula 15-minute baths, doble na ang oras ng ligo ko. hehehe

3. Mahilig sila sa Malalaking bagay! - Ang Supermarket na Costco ay isang wholesale store na nagbebenta ng mga produktong hindi mo akalain may ganung kalaking size. Dito ka makakakita ng MALAKING Tide, MALAKING Potato Chips, MALAKING tissue. Lahat MALAKI!

2. Consumer-centric ang mga tindahan dito - Pag hindi mo trip ang produktong binili mo, ibalik mo within the store's return time. At most 30 days yun. Ibabalik nila bayad mo! Hindi uso ang "NO RETURN, NO EXCHANGE" dito. :)

1. Clean as you go - Sa fastfood, hindi puwede iwan mo ang mnesa mo na marumi at may lalapit na "Equitable Manpower Services" at lilinisin ang puwesto mo. Tapat mo, linis mo!

Marami pang iba ang nakakapanibago. At lahat ito ay matuturing na "upgrade" sa nakasanayan. Mas lumawak ang kaalaman, mas lumawak ang kalayaan. Alam ko na ngayon kung bakit lahat ng tao ay gustong mapunta sa bansang ito.

Ngunit sa gitna ng karangyaan at kapangyarihan nais ibigay ng bansang ito sa bawat taong mapunta rito, hindi naman nito makakayang ibigay ang ligaya't sayang dulot ng ating nakasanayan at nakalakihan. Sa gitna ng bilis at laki ng lahat ng bagay dito, mapapatigil ka at biglaang mamimiss ang iyong mga naiwan, ang iyong mga nakagawian. Parang ngayon. Bigla kong namiss ang trapik ng EDSA. Ang ngiti at buhay na buhay na pagbati ng service crew ng McDo. Ang pagtetext ng mga kaibigan ng "Gimik 2nyt?" o "Inom tayo!" o "San ka? Kape!" Ang paghigop ng mainit na lugaw na sinamahan ng tokwa't baboy. At higit sa lahat, ang pagyakap ng iyong mga kamag-anak at magulang at kapatid sa tuwing magkikita-kita sa isang birthday party, kasal, binyag, o ano pa mang dahilan upang magkita-kita. Malamang ang mga ito, hinding hindi matutumbasan ng kahit ano pa mang bilis o laki.

Cheers!

Mabuhay ang Bagong Kasal - Disyembre 29, 2010

It's good to be back on track after not having to write for more than a month. I miss typing a few words and converting them into sentences, especially that there is a lot to tell. I was so used to telling about friends getting married but I missed writing about my very own wedding. So here goes. :)

Some couples tend to be over-stressed in arranging their weddings. As for Bubbles and me, we don't see why being stressed was necessary. For us, it was supposed to be a fun and exciting event, and stress should be nowhere in the picture. The wedding turned out as expected: solemn, love-filled (as described by one of our sponsors), happy. Special thanks to Bubbles' sisters, the wedding was, as Borat would regularly utter, "Great Success!" :)

Out motif was Filipiniana. Everything was in Filipino: Save-the-date e-cards, Invitations, Ceremony, Mass Songs, entertainers, even the wine. We had to order Bignay Wine from Alberto Gonora from Federico's Bignay Wine in Bacolod and it was a major hit among the guests. Al, try selling more of it in Manila! Ichi did the Filipino invites and it was so beautiful!

My bride was beautiful. Very beautiful. Stunningly gorgeously adoring. Ok, that's too much. :) The gown was designed by her very talented sister, Ichi. Her sisters were all members of the entourage and they were all very beautiful. The moms look great in their personal choices of designs, while the men wore beautiful pina and jusi barongs. Bubbles' dear taylors, Tina and Elvis Cagungun, did the gowns and barongs.

Denise, Bea and Renan and their team made the girls even more beautiful with their hair and make up services. Although there is very little that needs to be done with our ladies, the hair and makeup surely made them more atuned with the Filipiniana motif. :)

Malate Church was well organized and helpful, while its coordinator, Dhang, was very friendly and accommodating. We had a very solemn mass because of this.

Ilustrado was equally organized, accommodating and helpful. Setup was beautiful, Ohna was friendly and accommodating, and food was GREAT! It was so good that we see people coming back and forth the buffet tables! Thanks Ilustrado! If you need a reception for any life event, don't hesitate to try out Ilustrado! (http://www.illustradorestaurant.com/)

Terry Uy shot our wedding stills beautifully, with his thousands of candid and posed shots. We couldn't help repeating the pictures again and again until today. With his co-photog Juan Escudero, they shot the important, memorable scenes and sights.

Gilbert Obispo provided a detailed eyewitness view of the wedding with his video coverage. He also gave us a one-minute complimentary teaser to show us how good he was in editing wedding videos.

Principal sponsors were Tita Leng, Auntie Chit, Ms. Remy, Ms. Berna, Tito Sig, Tito Vio, Atty. Gani and Sir Andy. They were all there to witness the event. Thanks po!

My only dear brother Jaze carried the coins while my best buddy Titan carried the rings. Bubbles' tin sister Petite was the Maid of Honor.

Bubbles' sisters Nina, Concep and Ichi were the Candle, Vail and Cord sponsors, respectively, and their partners were my dearest friends Kit, Mike and RT.

Jonathan Ramos lended his beautiful singing voice during the ceremony. LJ, Val and Mark lended their speaking voice as our readers and commentators.

The pianist Vincent and Aldwin the violinist gave the needed solemnity during the mass, while Leo and his partner gave the needed Filipino flavor in their beautiful strumming during the reception.

Special thanks to sponsors, parents, siblings, relatives and friends, our wedding was precisely what we dreamed to be. Everyday after the wedding, the memory of what transpired on December 29th bring about smiles to mine and Bubbles' faces. Thanks to all who made this beautiful night more memorable.

On with the pictures! (in no particular order)

My Beautiful Bride

Mr. Reyes

The Reyeses

The Apostols

The Twins


The Apostols

The Ladies

The Apostol Clan

The Rulla Clan

The Reyes/ Candelaria Clans

Dear Friends

Philippine Tatler Shot

Secondary Sponsors

My Dear Brother

Pang-Kalendaryo

Principal Sponsors

And Now, the couple shots:

And we'll live happily ever after...

Binondo's Ying Ying

Good food with the most influential people of my life? Priceless. :)

Wanton Noodles

Ham Suy Kok and Siopao

Ying Ying

After a tiring journey to Divisoria/Quiapo to look for a decent-looking but cheaply priced barong, we decided to eat at Binondo. Being Chinese food lovers, I told myself that my family should try eating Chinese at Chinatown. After much convincing, they finally relented and off we went to Ying Ying!

Ying Ying is located at Yuchengco St. (formerly Nueva St.), Binondo, Manila. I instantly fell in love with this restaurant after Ms. Isca, our big boss in Marketing, introduced this to me a few weeks ago.

I am a big fan of dimsum and I consider Ying Ying's roster as one of my favorites. I personally like the Hakao, Lo Ma Kai, Ham Suy Kok, Beancurd Roll, and of course, the Sharksfin and Pork Siomai! Not to mention the gargantuanly tasty Siopao! Yahoo!

I'm definitely coming back. You just wait, Ying Ying! I'll try your freash seafood next time! :)

Manny Pacquiao: 8-time World Champion (November 14, 2010)

Another fight, another championship. Manny Pacquiao has once again proven that despite his lack of training, he still stands as the best fighter in the Universe by beating a much bigger opponent, Antonio Margarito in what was seen to be the biggest indoor boxing crowd to date that gave Manny his 8th World Title.

People have doubted Manny's readiness for this fight because of lack of focus and lack of training. Still, he proved that he is the best there is, lasting the entire game, giving Margarito two big lumps and a terrible-looking cut, plus a fracture right cheek. Referee should have ended the fight way before round 12, but he and the doctor saw it otherwise and Margarito did not want to give up. The result was an overwhelming scoring disparity, giving Pacquiao the title and breaking his own record of 7 championships.

What was noticeable was Pacquiao's after-game look. He was all beaten up as well, with bruises in the face, a swollen pair of fists, and an aching rib cage. This showed that Margarito also put up a good fight, unlike what we saw of the previously-seen lame Joshua Clottey fight. With that, my utmost respect for Margarito.

What now for Manny Pacquiao? I'd say one more try for Mayweather. If he still chickens out, Manny doesn't need to prove anything anymore. What he needs to do is concentrate on other careers. Or better yet, he should create a stable, develop a breed of young talents, teach them how to reach what he has reached and retire an 8-time champion and count all the savings. If he does a De la Hoya in promotion, he'll make more money than what he's earning now.

Boxing is not forever. By now, at the age of 32, he should start thinking of an exit strategy from a highly successful but very physically draining career of professional boxing. He is this era's greatest fighter and there is not any more opponent who can beat him. Even Floyd Mayweather.

Next fight: I'd say give in to Floyd's whims of a drug test, beat up the guy, give him his first loss of his career, retire a champion, go into business, grow old, write memoirs. A good way to go about a vary illustrious career.

Hong Kong - 10-13 October 2010

At last! A stamp in my passport! My first-ever out-of-the-country trip was a "Great Success!"

Shalani's in Wowowillieng Willie?!?!?!

I don't know what's gotten into Shalani Soledad's mind that she suddenly entered the wonderful world of show business. Now, she's one of Willie's co-hosts in the early evening variety show Willieng Willie. I can't understand why, a few days after her mom shows up in the talk show Paparazzi crying her heart out, she suddenly shows up in Willie's new show. If a person commits a crime, the first thing that you ask is what is the motive? :) What could be the motive for Shalani's surprise entry into show business?

My apologies for telling this, but, Shalani needs tons of improvement. She's better off hosting a cooking show or a public service talk show like Damayan or Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko. I'm not saying that these shows suck with their hosts, but Shalani's demeanor and manner of hosting is very calm, very relaxing. A show like Willieng Willie requires much energy and enthusiasm. Right now, she's miles away from being comfortably excited and enthusiastic. Probably it's because of stage fright or something, but something just isn't right...

She should have just stuck into politics and public service. Or if she really wanted to enter into the world of hosting, she should have chosen to host a public service program like "Ako Mismo," alongside Christ Tiu.

Well, there's still time. While Willieng Willie is not yet a major hit, she could either brush up on her hosting or she could reconsider the simpler life of not being in the limelight.

Protocol (?!)

Looks like PNoy's men (women) are still not yet used to being in the limelight of politics/governance. Latest incident on Mai Mislang's miscues and utterly insensitive messages over social networking site Twitter gives the President another wake-up call on his constituents. How can a public figure, in this case, an Undersecretary, be posting unnecessary feedback on official trips and business? She violated various diplomatics and official protocols that even the simplest of career government officials know.

First and foremost, she should not have told even a single tinge of what transpired in the meeting, unless it was officially mentioned and she has the authority to do such. Second, she should NEVER, EVER give an unsolicited comment, especially about a country's culture or way of life. We should have learned from the insults that we got from Claire Danes, or even Chip Tsao in the past. Do not do unto others what you do not want done unto you. This time, we hit the first blow. It's as if our streets are much safer, or our wines much tastier.

Malacanang officials should learn more about diplomacy and public image or else the President's men will be the ones who will destroy the image of a President who projects leadership by example. If leaders like Mai thrive in Malacañang, looks like there will continuously be a disconnect between our dreams of change and reality. Such an irony for a Presidency's communications group conveying a totally misled and careless message to a venue that is closely monitored by rumor-mongers and pundits.

You can see PNoy's sense of forgiveness and it is seen that he believes in second chances. Well, we only have a pair of feet and a Presidency who keeps on shooting itself on the foot might slowly become paraplegic and useless.

My suggestion: If you can't handle the pressure of being a public figure, please do not stay under the President's wings.