LeBron's Homecoming: The Aftermath

It's been almost six months since the famed "Decision", Lebron James and the Miami Heat arrived in a raucous and wild Quicken Loans Arena, as the Cavaliers faced the Heat for the first time this season. Right from the player's entrance to the court, cascade of boos plagued the atmosphere of the arena. During pre-game warm-ups, the boos are getting louder and louder whenever LeBron touches the ball. They still have the same sentiments and feelings that they had from the day they witnessed the King's announcement on live television to bring his talents to South Beach, Florida.

LeBron James doing his pre-game ritual - the chalk toss - before tip-off.

I just wrote a blog two days ago on how will LeBron respond to the fired-up frenzy of boos and obscene words thrown by the Cavs fans for the entire game. It looks like he handled it very well and delivered one of his best games (yet...) this season, as the Heat strolled to a 118-90 drubbing of the Cavs. He made a triumphant return and tallied 38 points - 24 in the third quarter - grabbed five rebounds and dished out eight assists.

I watched the game from start to finish (it was 3 or 4 in the morning here in Milan. Whaddya expect? I want to witness it live, hehehe..), so i was able to catch up the introductions of players, were LeBron was introduced first among his teammates, and the arena was roaring into the chants of boos, even louder than the earlier ones. Once adored him, now, lashing their fury to their once-beloved son of the city. You can even hear chants, "Akron hates you" - where LeBron grew up, "Remember Game 5?" - pertaining to his mediocre performance against the Boston Celtics during the Eastern Conference Semifinals a few months ago, where they lost by landslide. But the boos turned into cheers when Cavs owner Dan Gilbert was shown on the big screen, heading towards to his seat, still, they were not able to tick LeBron James off. Even Dywane Wade, took all the brunt the Cavs fans are bashing to the, currently, most hated team in the NBA right now.

A fan shouting at LeBron James. Well, this is something expected.

As funny as it seems, this is not how Cleveland pictured his long-awaited return. They were expecting the Cavs to do beating of the Heat, instead, it's the other way around, where the Heat's the one who did the drubbing. Tensions we're at an all-high scale, but the good thing is there's no violence (although i have to admit that it would be fun to see a bit of it.. hehe..) LeBron even did his chalk toss pre-game ritual, in response to the wave of boos from the audience. Maximum security were installed into the whole arena. From entrances, to locker rooms, from every part of the arena, to make sure LeBron is safe and no inteded violence towards him would prevail. Even if it's one of these nights that are memorable in an akward way, still, i give credit to the Cavaliers' fans for being passionate to their team -- on how much they love their team.. You'll never see the same passion like that somewhere else (i guess..). But, one thing Cavs fans (and the organization as well.. Mr. Dan Gilbert, attention please..) should do soon is to forget all the things that happened for the past six months, and focus on what the current Cavs lineup could bring for the city.

When the game started to unravel in the succeeding periods, the loud noise around the arena started to pacify. LeBron was never fazed in the entire game, smiles back whenever profane words struck his ears. Suddenly, the boisterous, furious crowd of the Cavaliers eventually died down and turned the arena into a deafening dead air of disappointment. A moment of silence, indeed. Just like what Reggie Miller said in an article i have read two days ago, "Embrace the hate of the fans."

Overall, the supposed-to-be revenge night for the Cavs fans never even went their way. So, maybe after this one game of letting all of their hatred and anger out, it's the right time to bind themselves and put their focus in the future of the organization. It was a peaceful homecoming for LeBron, who dominated the hardwood last night and left a jarring reminded to the Cavaliers on all they've lost since he left.

Homecoming: LeBron James' return to Cleveland

The Summer of 2010 was one of the most highlighted events in the National Basketball Association's history, 'cause of the fact that it bears one of the deepest free agent pools in modern basketball times. And, obviously, the most prized free agent from the market this year is LeBron James - who held a one-hour television special, "The Decision", where he chose to bring his talents to South Beach, home of the Miami Heat. The team was able to pull-off, maybe, the best free-agent signing (at least for this decade), as James teamed up with Miami star Dwyane Wade and former Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh. Mixed reactions spread across the cyberspace, even from the legends, to name a few: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, etc. If he made the right decision, that's what we're yet to find out.

Powerhouse-in-the-making? James, Wade and Bosh.

A month after the regular season went underway, there are teams that already are showing signs they're heading to postseason. Others, well, not living up to the hype this past summer analysts talked about, most especially, the team i'm talking about now, the Miami Heat, who (as of this moment), has a 10 win-8 loss record. Not the starting record media and critics are fantasizing about. Even me, i was surprised in their current state right, although i know that it's too early to judge them, 'cause it takes time for a team to know each other and to function altogether, to run on the same wavelength. There has been a wide outspread of hate to the Heat, for the fact that they went into major overhaul and grab three superstars, most especially, James' former team, The Cleveland Cavaliers. From the day that he made the famed "Decision", outpouring of degrading and bashful words were thrown to the labelled "King". Fans from Cleveland felt that they were stabbed in the back and left for dead. Now, almost twenty games this season, i think Cleveland has a lot to say on Miami's disappointong start.

What's wrong with the Miami Heat?

A day from now (i mean, the 2nd of December), LeBron James and Co. are headed to Cleveland, Ohio, to face the Cavaliers for the first time this season. Expect waves of boos around the arena. Once James's home, now, a very hostile Quicken Loans Arena awaits him, entering the heart of the Lion's Den. Tensions could surface during the 48-minute battle, not between the players, i'm talking about LeBron and the fans. On how should LeBron response to the boos he'll hear for the entire game? According to an NBA Legend, LeBron should embrace the hate of the fans. That's what Reggie Miller says, who's had a fair share of bad guy image during his prime with the Indiana Pacers, been rivals with Spike Lee and the New York Knicks from his heydays. A quote from NBA News-AP:

"When you have 20,000 people yelling and screaming at you, four other guys can concentrate on the floor. So every time I touch the basketball and everyone is yelling and chanting and doing things towards me, well four other guys can concentrate. I knew I could concentrate through that and I hope he takes that approach."

So, from this hour onwards, we'll just have to wait and see how will LeBron handle the pressure his former fans will slam to him on his homecoming. On how will he respond? Let's just find out tommorow. Tune in to your televisions tomorrow, to witness history - Where Hating Happens.

Goodbye, NU 107..

A sad day for Filipino rock music enthusiasts, indeed.

Upon reading different blogs and articles, i learned today that NU 107, "The Home of New Rock", will be closing it's curtains on November 7, 2010 --- a day away before i just found it out. It's sad to know that my most favorite radio station won't be airing anymore in favor of changing it's format to mass demographic image, where they'll be inserting pop music and the likes of it. The cited reason was a financial decision on the owner's part. I remember the first time i listened to NU 107 is when i'm still in high school, and it's my elder sister who introduced that station to me. I think i was third year back then. From that day onwards, i've been an avid rock music fan --- something that hadn't change up to now. One of the reasons why i started listening to rock music is because of NU 107. I find solidarity and peace when i'm listening to the "Home of New Rock".

Even though i'm miles away from my homeland, i never stopped listening to NU. I'm listening to the station through cyberspace, so i can still get updated to the latest rock music happenings in the Philippines. They even have their own awards show for rock artists, the NU Rock Awards. It held it's last show on October 29, 2010. It was very sentimental for everyone around the venue, most especially for the fans, including me. There will be no NU Rock Awards anymore, even though it is now recognized as a prominent award-giving body.

It's been 23 years since their inaugural airing. For 23 years, they've connected to thousands and thousands of pure avid rock fans all over the country --- and all over the world, for those who are living away from the Philippines. Whatever happens, NU 107 will always be the sanctuary of rock. I hope that the rock music picture there will not just burn out and die, mainstream or underground, because of this pivotal event, hence, become more powerful than ever before. Let it not end. It's been almost a decade from the first time i listened to it, and i know i'll miss those days banging my head in the air, clenching my fist, and singing 'til my throat sored, without any regard for human life. Even though i'm not the rebellious teenage guy i once was, i owe a piece of my life to NU 107. I'll miss NU 107, for it has become one of the reasons why rockistas (like me) are united in one piece.

I know there are good things to happen one day. Everything doesn't last forever, but we all know, the legacy of it will continue to live within us. Truly, it has been one heck of a joyful and crazy ride.

Philippine Rock Music scene will never be the same again.

Goodbye, NU 107.

Long live Rock! NU 107! "Home of Nu Rock"

This is it for now. I'm Chris, Signing-off.

Good day.

Bubble Jungle

DAMN!

I just read an article of Mr. Daniel Wagner about the Hong Kong tourist hostage-taking drama and, what the author says, as the Miss Universe fumble. All the points that he mentioned were irritatingly true and accurate that it pierces my eardrum even though there's no sound coming out from the article. I think it's those things that clearly exposes a certain entity's weakness. For this topic, the entity that i'm talking about is none other than my country, The Republic of the Philippines.

He actually didn't only put his focus on the mishandled hostage crisis, nor in the Miss Universe crackdown, but, The Philippines in general: right at the hot seat. He said that, we're supposed to be moving forward to economic growth and political stability. Instead, it is the opposite that is being practised while the whole wide world witness our eventual fall from grace. From the first lines of the article that he wrote, the guilt feeling creeped up to my skin, 'cause in most of the ways, the things he said are true. We settle on what we currently have right now: being a Third-World country --- a spot we're not categorized decades ago. I know it's nice to be simple and be contented on what you have, but we mostly choose to be settled on something unsettling and on a not-so-promising future. Like a bubble. It pops up, very beautiful, but goes off when touched or blown away, in just a nick of time. We're just fine on a less-guaranteed future, even though there's a lot of closed window of opportunities, waiting to be opened. It's not easy to swallow the fact that we're being compared to Indonesia --- the country that took years and years to reunite them all and the place where the most corrupted leader in the history of the world had lived. In our present time, their country shows hope --- something we're not able (or maybe "not capable anymore") to develop. They let their voices be heard, but in a sense that they don't expect too much from each other. So, what does this say about my country's future? Not good at all..

We've been the "apple of the eye" of the world last year because of the journalists-violence-related news that captured the whole world's attention - The Maguindanao Massacre. Now, the Hostage-taking drama of chinese tourists, courtesy of a disgruntled police officer, shared the same international spotlight. I would like to quote Mr. Wagner on this one:

"Filipinos should not therefore be surprised that the Philippine police tried to negotiate with the hijacker of the Chinese tourist bus well after a reasonable period of time had passed, negotiations had failed, and the lives of the tourists were clearly in jeopardy. Police from a variety of other nations would have simply killed him at the first opportunity, regardless of the fact that he was a former colleague. This SWAT team knew how to get the results that were required, but they failed to do so. Why? Their priorities were misaligned. The safety of the hostages should have been paramount - not the fanciful notion that a man who is desperate enough to take hostages would somehow come to his senses at the height of the crisis."

He's quite right in this one. Their top priority should have been the safety AND the lives of the hostages, NOT the life of the agitator, who in many ways, was already given an ample amount of time to surrender peacefully. But, of course, it did not happen that way, so, violence erupted afterwards. A lot of casualties, including the ex-police-officer-turned-madman. This wouldn't had happened if their priorities were given proper attention. On the flip side, i cannot blame the policemen, because they tried their best to accomplish their job --- it's their superiors who were supposed to be responsible on deciding what's the next step. Well, to all the casualties of the mentioned tragedy, may you all rest in peace.

Continuing to his next point, he talks about the Miss Universe fallout. About this one, i have mixed reactions about the comments to our representative. With all due respect to Ms. Maria Venus Raj, i'm proud of her for doing her best to claim the prestigious crown, although it fell short. I'm not being bias, because of the reason we have the same nationality. I just know how acknowledge someone else's effort. BUT ---- to reason out senselessly and making excuses is another matter. I don't think she had been chosen if she doesn't have the backbone to be the one. Nervous? Yeah, it's understandable, but everyone's nervous, too. It's an international spectacle. Who wouldn't get nervous? If she was only able to come up with a better response to the question asked to her (were viewers from my country are complaining that the "question is too hard"), she could've been basking in glory right now and earns utmost recognition throughout the entire nation. In a competition like this, you can't expect shortcuts to prominence. Physically, mentally and spiritually, whoever she is, she must be ready. Making terrible excuse is one load of crap. Oh well, better luck next time.

I take Mr. Wagner's criticism on a positive note. It is constructive and it's something we should build up on to. We want change, we can make it happen. Philippines, in general, is on rebuilding process that may take forever to happen, but i don't care. We're not bubbles who pops out when needed, then goes off when someone was needed to be held accountable, hence, we'll just be a jungle of bubbles. I hope that one day, our foot is back on a place where we once was. It's not impossible.

Good day.

Turning the Tide: An outlook on Filipinos living in Italy

I've been out of my mother country for almost two years now, but somehow, i was able to picture how my countrymen cope up with their lives while they're miles away from their loved ones. And it's sad to say that most of them, not to criticize them, are living in a way most of them sees it as a "normal activity" --- out from God's guidance.

To give you a brief information on how does a normal Filipino run their lives here, here's a few things i was able to observe:

* They mostly focus their lives on working non-stop (something i'm not against to)

* Married people (mostly women) are having "third-party", to ease their longing for care.

* Moral and spiritual values doesn't seem to be important anymore.

Those are just a few things that i was able to crack from the day i set foot here. I'm not here to scrutinize them, but that's the reality of life here. I'm hoping that i can help them in any sort, to put them back on the right track.

Filipinos are known to be "natural born fighters" --- meaning, we fought very hard for what we want to have in life. We have to work hard for something we would like to achieve. Everything was not given for free. Nowadays, i can still see that kind of fierceful attitude --- but in a negative manner. They would fight hard to secure their families' future, but they would sacrifice the moral values that the elders had thought us. From the pointers that i've mention, the most that i would like to pinpoint is losing the moral and spiritual values. In exchange for a bright future, impatient decisions surfaces, just to provide the life they wanted for their loved ones. But, spiritual-wise, that's not supposed to be like that, especially in God's eyes. I remember one bible verse on Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 to 6, that says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." See, God wants us to rely not on our hasty decisions, but to have faith and to trust our lives unto Him. I wish i would just close my eyes and dream of everything in the world will be alright, but of course i know it doesn't work like that. God gave us the knowledge to live right, we just need to use that knowledge properly. God would not lead us to a sorrowful life, we just have to follow him on the right path. I'm not talking here as a righteous and perfect person. 'cause everybody knows that we're all sinners and nobody's perfect, but He always forgives and always gives us a chance to have a happy and peaceful life --- if we'll just choose to.

I was able to ask a few fellow pinoys, mostly women, on why they can't stay faithful to their original partners in life. Most of them would say that their partners were the first ones who did something unfaithful, or some of them would say they just want comfort in times of loneliness, or you would here others reasoning that both of them doesn't have a job to provide their families' needs, so they would put their married life on the line and at risk. I asked them if they still go to church or at least pray, i was surprised to hear that most of them would rather go out and have a good time, do unusual stuff than to spare a few moments to ask for blessings and forgiveness. I prayed that one day, they'll open their eyes and their heart to ease the hardships they're currently undergoing.

I believe that the things i've mentioned are not only happening in Italy, but in the whole wide world as well. I just hope that one day, they'll have a different outlook in life. As a fellow filipino, i would like to help them in any way i can and to the fullest extent of my capabilities. United we stand, united we fall. And i know that the things that i've said may sound far fetched, but there's nothing impossible in life. We can turn things from "deniable to acceptable". God works in miraculous ways. Amen to that.

Good day to everyone.

Thank you, Life...

It's been more than a year now since i left the Philippines to find better luck and greater opportunity here in Denmark. I may had ups and downs, glories and struggles, but one thing's for sure: i had a wonderful time wandering and living here. My life was rejuvenated from the first day i stepped into this beautiful land. My life, somehow, took a turn from everything-else-failed mentality to there's-always-another-chance mindset. I'm close to giving up fixing my terrible past life (except the love life, 'cause the past was very good, i just blew it.), having a hard time squeezing everything to make up for the time lost. Each passing days, it feels like that i wanted to give up, and i did grew tired, eventually --- the past ME. The selfish, prideful Me. Leaving my mother country for a foreign land was a complete gamble for me. But, this is something that can be seen as the "stroke that broke the camel's back". What i mean is, in just one snap, my life suddenly had the greatest turnaround that i ever experienced, from the day i set foot here. Little do i know that there's already something happening that started the inevitable: Finding myself back in the arms of God. He guided me to go back to the life i once had. My day of redemption came.

Things did not really went the way i planned it. It also has been a rocky-road adventure. But, the thing is, it made me more mature and looked at life in a different perspective. I cannot say it was very spectacular, but i know, it's something worthwhile and gave a lot of lessons in life. I gained God's glory once again, gained new friends and learned new things. I'm praying to continue and maintain my relationship with God --- this time, for good. No turning back, always looking forward.

To be given a chance to live in a foreign soil, can already be called a privilege. So, for me, it is a great privilege for me stay here, even though it's on a limited basis. Denmark played a very big role in altering my life. I quite had a major reconstruction of myself. I've adjusted very well to the lifestyle and culture that they have here. I'm also surrounded by my new found friends, friends that was given to me by God. They've been there all the time, good times and in bad. I just feel sad that i'm leaving them behind, but, emotionally and spiritually, we will forever be attached to one another. I never shared the same bonding to anyone before, like what we had here. What makes it more unique is, that we have different nationalities, so we have different things to offer. We learned each others traits, cultures and knowledges. I'll forever cherish the time i spent with them. We may or may not see each other again physically, but, by faith, our lives will always be together through the eyes of God.

Thanks for the wonderful and amazing adventure with you, guys.

It's now time for me to take another step to a very long chapter of my life. I know that someday, the things that happened to me here in Denmark will play a vital role on what i will become in the future. To all my relatives, friends, and to everyone that shared their life, thank you very much, 'cause that means a lot to me. I would also like to give thanks to the church i'd been a part of. They were a bunch of nice people who had become a family to me. I was welcomed with open arms from the first day, and i know, when one day i come back, they're still the loving people that i knew from the very start. More power to Copenhagen Community Church. And thanks to God, he lead me once again to follow the path of righteousness. Thanks to the life that i had here, even for a short, but a memorable, special time.

May God bless you all..

Amen.

"If Life gives you a thousand reasons to cry, show Life that you have a million reasons to smile"

Feel The Orange!

Roskilde Festival. The biggest rock festival in the whole Scandinavian region. Four days of peace, music, culture and humanism. (actually, it's at least 9 or 10 days, including the "warm-up" days, hehehe...). On the lighter side, days of rest, relaxation, and eccentricity. Why is that so? You'll witness different weirdness during the camp, but in a way, you'll enjoy the odd approach of the people at the festival. To give you a little history about the festival: It was started by two high school students in 1971, and considered as one of the five biggest music festivals in the entire Europe (the other four being Sziget Festival of Hungary, Glastonbury Festival of UK, Paleo Festival of Switzerland, and Rock Werchter of Belgium). What does the Orange feeling brings to us? It can be something extremely wild and break free, but not in the other's expense; Days and days of partying at the camping areas, forgetting the outside world for the mean time; Meeting people that you would not otherwise met; Or it could be just a simple explanation of diverse community of people united in celebration and joy, created by more than a 100,000 different people, around the world --- That could be the Orange Feeling.

The CD Cover that i made.

I left home on the 25th of June, and i wasn't even feeling very well. That day, is the start of the check-in for campers, inlcluding the volunteers for the festival, 'cause i'm a volunteer as well. From Copenhagen to Roskilde, i was quite ok during my travel, until i arrived at the check-in area. My first attempt to check-in was unsuccessful, 'cause i forgot to bring an ID with a photo. Then after that, i felt very dizzy and nauseous. Then i decided to go to my friend's house a few kilometers away from Roskilde, but even before reaching her place, i vomitted liters of water, TWICE. And the thing is, i don't know what the heck happened to me. So, i rested there for a couple of hours, after that i proceeded to going back home to get an ID and then, went back to Roskilde to check-in and get my festival wrist band. Whew! Tiring isn't it?

The following day, June 26th, i went at the festival site as early as i can for me to be able to set up my tent on the best possible spot that i can get. Fortunately, i was able to put my tent up on a very nice spot, in my own opinion. That day i don't have any scheduled work for the organization i volunteered for, so, that's the right time for me to explore the whole festival grounds.

Camp site view at the Roskilde Festival.

It's already crazy, even if it's just the first day of the event. Overflowing of drunken people and noisy bunch of teenagers flock the area on it's maiden day of the festival. What i did most on the first day is to observe the environment, as it is my first time to be in a music festival and another thing is, i went there all by myself. I made some friends right away (Norwegian friends to be precise) after putting up my tent, and they're kind of nice. After putting it up, we sat on the grass, had some chips, beer and wine before we put up the pavilion tent (that's where we all sit around and get drunk, hehe..)

On the other side from our camp site, a big skateboard area stands there. Mostly of the so-called "warm-up" days, activities are going on there. Some of the activities, you can call "mini extreme games". Guys showing their stuff on the field with the equipment of their choice: A skateboard? A roller skate? A BMX bike? Pick your poison. During the day, people gather around the place to witness some gravity-defying, eye-popping acts that could wow people around, or, make them scream in anguish if the attempt failed in epic proportions. Just as easy as that.

The skate board area. A few steps away from my camp site.

One thing about Roskilde Festival this year is, the sun shone all the time with one exception from wednesday, 28th of June, when they day started gloomy and a bit windy, as well. But other than that, 'til the last day, the sun mightily spreads out the heat wave (heat wave? is that too much?) beneath us. But from the historical standpoint of the festival, the hottest year the event encountered was of last year, 2009, 40 years since it's inception. And to tell you, i'm quite dark right now while writing this, and my skin is starting to peel off the sunburn i had. There are also years that the festival experienced rain, as 2007 being the wettest one yet, by a very large margin. Most of the people left to watch concerts and do some other stuff, only to find later that their tents are flooded. Even though this is one of the rain-plagued festival, people still enjoyed their stay, played in the mud, and made the most out of it.

A photo from Roskilde Festival 2007. Flooded tents.

Another things about Roskilde Festival is that, they not only focused with concerts, they also have recreational and earth-friendly activities, not to bore the guests. They have a place where you can record a demo song, create your own album cover, play The Invaders and Pacman using guitars and keyboards (weird, isn't it?), free internet access, photo galleries of the past Roskilde Festivals, and so much more to tell that i don't remember the others. There's also a place where eco-friendly people show their stuff to help battle the ongoing effects of climate change. There's also an area where gamers are so welcome, as they have PC's and gaming consoles to put together in one place, avid gamer fans (just like me). So, you're not just stuck with watching bands performing, you can do a lot of things right at the heart of Roskilde Festival.

Foods are also one part of the festival that made it great, although if you're not prepared, it might look at bit expensive to buy foods there, like going to a war without enough ammos for your gun. But, in a rightful conclusion, the food is great (even if the food that i ate the most are burgers and pizzas, hehehe...). It's more of a multicultural delicacies. You have scandinavian food, italian, mexican, indian food (from India, not the indians in the US), and many more to choose from. One thing i find weird is, i've been all through the whole festival site, but i never saw one store or bar that sells --- Coca-Cola. Yes, you read it right --- until i went to this one concert and beside of the stage is a mini-bar, with Coke! So, i grab the opportunity to buy at least one cup (attention: one cup of Coca-Cola (0.5L) costs 25 danish krones). There, i quenched my thirst under the blazing hot sun.

The Orange Stage - Roskilde Festival's symbol, circa 1971.

After the warm-up days, the main festival site opens. My eyes were amazed to see the Orange Stage, first-hand. It was very beautiful. It's the one that symbolizes Roskilde Festival. This year marked the 40the year anniversary of the fest. Other than the festival, they also held a, somewhat, a Memorial Day, for the casualties of 2000 Festival accident. 9 people died --- 3 Danes, 3 Swedes, a German, an Australian, and a Dutch --- were crushed when people started rushing towards the Orange Stage, during the Pearl Jam concert. Before the accident in 2000, Roskilde Festival is considered to be one of the safest festivals. So the following year, massive revision with regards to safety were made, to avoid similar accidents. This year, is the 10th year of their passing and they made a memorial grove in which every year people place flowers in honor of the young people's memory. I wasn't able to witness the commemoration, but my heart is with the people who help ease the pain from the families' victims of the tragic accident.

When the main festival site opened, that's when the big-name bands starts performing. The first day of the concert, i was there, and Gorillaz were performing. Quite a wonderful experience for someone like me who never goes to places like that, and i think i lost my voice singing with 60,000 people at the same time in the tune of "Clint Eastwood". The last time i went to the Orange Stage is on the 3rd of July, to see The Prodigy perform. 3 hours prior to their concert, i'm already on the line, waiting for Muse to finish their performance. I was able to go in the front of the stage, meaning in the front pit, where all craziness happens. When Prodigy played "Breathe", all hell breaks loose. Boys and girls, we all jump like crazy lunatics with no regard for human life. I was even hit with an elbow to my cheek bone by someone i didn't see. So, as we swing our elbows and kick our legs randomly, whoever gets hit, well, all we (or should i say, "I") can say is --- sorry. After that song, most of the girls (well, there's still some brave women who stayed and wrestled with every men inside the lion's den) who entered the front pit decided to go out and leave all the banging for the tough ones. The banging is so hard that i didn't felt that i lost my wallet, only when i decided to get out, then i noticed my wallet is gone from my back pocket. Good thing, there's no money inside of it, but my klippekort (the card that i use for transportation) is there. So, out of guts and natural instincts, i still tried my best to look for that and used my mobile phone as it has a flashlight --- right in the middle of the crowds' furious frenzy. The thing that i did not gave up looking up for is admirable, one guy in the crowd said, and miraculously, i found it. So, after that, i decided to go out completely, in fear of losing it again.

I decided to go home sunday morning, 4th of July. I started packing my things right after waking up. I left almost noon, but with no regrets, and a smile painted in my face. Truly, Roskilde Festival opened my eyes to a wild, crazy, joyful world of peace and music. I'm already satisfied with what i had experienced, even if there's one more day of celebration. I've done my part for volunteering and helping the organization i signed up for, and for that, i want to say thank you for the people, who let me experience and join them to this annual event that i'll forever remember for the rest of my life. For the guys that i met during the festival, see you when i see you.

Some of the guys i worked with in the organization i volunteered.

Overall, the festival is one overwhelming experience and i'm looking forward to doing it again. These are the days that you can seclude yourself for a while, have a drink, go to a very big party, and enjoy life. Roskilde Festival epitomizes unity, camaraderie, friendship and peace. As years goes by, i'm expecting that the flame of the Orange feeling continues to burn and let the aura and power of music flow for the next hundreds and hundreds of years to come.

Long Live the Orange feeling!

Rock on!

Tillykke med fødselsdagen til mig!..

Hehehe, if you notice that the title is in a different language, well, it's the danish form of, "Happy Birthday to Me!", 'cause today i celebrate my almost-quarter-of-a-century stint here on earth, as one of my friend says, (thanks Philip.. hehe..). In short, i'm 24 years old now and counting. So, first, i want to thank God for staying with me all the time, good or bad. Next, my family and friends that have always there to support me through thick and thin.. This is one of the best birthdays that ihad in my life, even though it was not that exciting for me, (hehehe.. peace...). One of the simplest, yet, very wonderful for me. That's how i see life now: appreciate all the simple things in life, then you'll appreciate all the good (and the bad as well) things in life. If not for those events (or should i say catastrophes?! hehe, so exaggerated..), i wouldn't be where i am right now (although i haven't accomplished anything in my life). For all the friend, relatives, close friends, even enemies (if ever they remembered my birthday), i want to say a very big THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. You made my day one simple, happy day. That's all i need. May you all be blessed. Godspeed

May the force be with you!

To infinity and beyond!!

=)

That's what Friends are for...

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be."

How do you define friendship? Is it measured by how many times he/she stands by your side? Can they be, next to God and Family, your alternative resource of comfort and guidance? For you, how do you define friendship? Sometimes, words are not enough to explain what friendship can be. Nowadays, it's hard to recognize who your real friends from the masked ones. What i mean by "masked" is, someone pretends to be your friend, but when you turn your back on them, they're much worse than Lucifer (aahhh, maybe it's too harsh to be much worse than the fallen angel.. Maybe Judas is enough.. hehehe..)

In my 23 years on planet earth (turning 24, 36 days from now), i've learned a valuable lesson about friendship. I don't think my case is as bad as everyone around the world, but, sometimes, you feel deserted or disregarded with the "friends" that you call. They're not the person you expected them to be. Sometimes, you're having thoughts about your friends, that he/she is like these or like that, but one good thing i've learned, is to let them show their true colors, without making any effort to make them show it. Friends are tested mostly on hard times, the times that you need a shoulder to lean on to. Someone that won't stab you on the back and let you fall from grace. There was a time that i felt i'm on my own, in good times and bad. Then, suddenly, there are voices that rang to my ears and offered their backbone for help. Those are the true friends that i really can count on to. These days, friends like that seems so impossible to have. But, fortunately, i've proven myself wrong, as i found real friends, in good times and in bad, will be there to lend a hand.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."

Yep, friendship is a million little things scattered everywhere for you to put together into one single piece. I think in my own opinion, the components to build an everlasting relationship are: Trust, Loyalty, Understanding and Faith. Well, it's easier said than done, but, i think those are the words need not to be mentioned, but something to be done. For example, there are instances that a friend seems to bear all the problems in the world, share your smile to them. In those little things you start to make them realize that they're not alone in this world, that there's someone who cares for them.

"Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty."

Real friends will not lie to you, even if it means hurting your feelings. They listen to what you rely to them and then they understand you. Simple as that. There are so-called friends who would lie to you for their own benefit, OR maybe, on the contrary, it might be the best thing to do. But, from my past experiences, i have real friends who offered advices that completely changed the course of my life. Those are the people that you can look up to. That's something you can be as well to your friends. There are times that all i can offer for a friend is a prayer. Well, i do that always, but that's my last resort. The Best last resort. I think that's the nicest way to help them in every aspects in life. Try prayer, it really works.

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."

The real friend. As what i have mentioned earlier, they say the truth even if it hurts you, but they won't let you sink down into oblivion. They'll grab you and pull you away with all their strength to keep your feet on the ground and your head held high. Sometimes, besides from family, friends can be your great motivators. They urged you to do things that you think sounds far fetched. Yeah, there are things that looks and sounds impossible to be done, but with the help of your real friends and God, nothing's impossible. To hell with the masked ones, let them burn in hell, hahaha! I'm just joking. At this instance, friendship can make a very strong bond, especially amidst crises and hardships in life. Whenever you want them, wherever they are, whatever circumstances it could be, however it may be, real friends always gives a shoulder to cry on.

So, what do you think defines friendship? It's for you to know. The world is round. Always hope for the best, but always expect the worse to happen. In times of distress, who you gonna call? Hehehe, not the Ghostbusters. Just real friends. In this world, nothing 's unattainable. Animate your world. Good day.

"The most I can do for my friend is simply be a friend. "

Stop!: Response to paintmy-world.com's Blog

NO TO TUITION FEE INCREASE.

Just read a blog entry by Keiyt about the planned tuition fee increase for the incoming freshmen students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Keiyt, i disagree on you.

Natural reaction or human nature ang naging response ng mga iskolar ng bayan nang marinig nila ang balitang itataas na ang tuition fee ng PUP, although hindi ko pinapaboran yung ginawa nilang ipaglalaglag yung mga lamesa at bangko mula 6th floor hanggang ground floor, then sinunog. Come on, guys, be cool. Consequences of your actions will come later, and the school administration will try to find a way or worse, sue everyone involved in the protest. I know you guys are not scared on whatever imposing threat the school admin may have, but still, let's put everything on consideration first. Wala nang masyadong matitinong gamit ang pamantasan natin. You went way overboard with your reaction. Chill.

On the flip side, no one can blame why the students are so pissed that the protests suddenly erupted and they resorted into thrashing school properties. Maybe, it's one way for the students to show their dismay towards the school administration. Even me, i tend to disagree automatically. Lalo na sa panahon ngayon? Nakarecover na ba ang 'Pinas sa nagdaang krisis (na parang habangbuhay nang nakakabit sa bansa natin ang krisis mula pa sa Rehimeng Marcos)? Gumaganda na ba ang estado ng pamumuhay sa bansa natin? Ultimo sweldo nga sa trabaho, pahirapan ang dagdag na 12 pesos, tapos ang itataas ng tuition fee, dalawang libong porsiyento? Naman.. Be reasonable.

As a PUPian, (di pa ako tapos sa studies ko. Supposed to be 3rd year na ako, Mechanical Engineering), i sympathize with all the students around the campus about this incoming tuition fee increase. It's very disappointing to know that in times like these, they just suddenly decided to increase it. Oo, siguro sa sinabi ni Keiyt sa blog nya na, mapagtitiyagaan naman yung ganung klaseng tuition fee --- kung maayos ang trabaho ng mga magulang ng estudyante O kung walang trabaho ang magulang, may maayos ding trabaho yung mga estudyanteng gustong pagsabayin ang pag-aaral at trabaho. Tsaka sa sinabi mong can't afford, nakakapagpantig ng tainga yung sinabi mo. Kung kaya mong bayaran yung ganung tuition fee, eh di ikaw magbayad. At bago mo idamay lahat ng mag-aaral sa sinabi mong mga reklamador na may panggastos sa kung anu-ano, tingnan mo sarili mo sa salamin at baka ikaw mismo eh ginagawa mo din yung mga binanggit mo. Kinakahiya mo mga activists ng school? Para mo na ring ikinahiya na galing ka sa PUP. Hindi ako activist, pero i do understand why they do things like that. We have our own free will to express our feelings and sentiments. I chose to stay quiet, they chose to let their voices heard in all corners of our land. AT kung sa palagay mo lahat ng estudyante eh mabibigyan ng scholarship, nagpapatawa ka. Sa palagay mo ba, kung lahat ng estudyante sa PUP eh mabibigyan ng full-granted scholarship, may magrereklamo ba nang ganyan?

To the school administration, please reconsider your decision. Not all the students are privileged people. We still have faith on you that you'll make a decision that'll benefit everyone. I know that there's a good reason why you prompted to make an increase on the tuition fee, and as you said in the news, it's the students who'll benefit with that increase you're planning to, but look also around the university that majority of the students came from less-privilege families. Think about it.

To fellow students, let's try to put arguments in a nice way. I do believe that proper communication can fix the gap between you and the administration. Just relax, and be reasonable as well. Destroying school properties is a very strong statement towards the school administration, maybe the administration also needs that kind eye-opening response, pero kayo din ang mawawalan ng mga gagamitin, lalo pa ngayon na matagal na panahon na ang mga kagamitan dyan at hindi pa rin napapalitan. Just look at what's best for everyone.

To the government, sana hindi kayo nagtataingang-kawali at nagbubulagbulagan sa isyung ito. Malapit na naman ang eleksyon, bagong termino na naman para sa inyo. Sana meron na kayong gawing aksyon sa mga ganitong klaseng problema, dahil sa mga paaralan din nagsisimula ang mga susunod na mamumuno at mamamahala ng ating bansa. Kung papabayaan niyo lang na ganyan ang mangyari sa mga mag-aaral, asahan niyong maraming boses ang dadaing sa inyo sa bawat araw nyo sa posisyon nyo sa gobyerno. Maraming mapanuring matang nakaantabay sa paligid nyo, kaya huwag niyong linlangin ang mga tao sumusubaybay sa bawat kilos niyo. Sana hindi totoo yung sinasabi ng iba na kumikilos lang kayo kapag malapit na ang eleksyon, para lang may maipakitang may ginagawa kayo. Bigyan nyo sana ng pansin 'to.

May you all have a good day.

Peace Out. Godbless.

Life as it is...

One year in Denmark. That's how time flies by. It was just like yesterday when i arrived here, then it's 365 days past already. Hmmmm, no one really can catch up with time. I really don't know if a lot of things happened to me for my year-long stay, but one things for sure, at least i enjoyed those times i was here. I don't know what's next for me in the coming days in my life. Well, i'll just have to wait for the next episode. Godspeed.

Good day...

Sports Scandals: Darkest Hours

I have read some articles about athletes getting involved in scandals nowadays. Well, one thing about that is, there's nothing new about it. But the thing is, the year has just started, and they've started to unleash hell at the first quarter of the year. Damn.

The world has been buzzing about a megafight between Floyd Mayweather, jr and Manny Pacquiao, to prove who's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The media and the public was so hyped about the news, but eventually, the negotiations came crashing down because of a Drug Testing dispute. Mayweather's camp insists the Olympic-style drug testing to be administrated by the U.S. Anti-doping Agency. That said, the testing can occur maybe a week before fight night. Pacquiao's camp rejected the idea, saying that this is one of Mayweather's tactics to avoid "fighters who can beat him into a pulp". Well, to give you a short history --- Floyd Mayweather, Jr., has a reputation of choosing fights for money, or, on my opinion, easy fights. Yeah, his record says 40-0, but, who knows if the megafight materialized? But on the contrary, well maybe he can beat Pacquiao --- we don't know. When both camps were not able to reach a deal, both of them looked for good alternatives. Pacquiao's camp made the first move, signing Joshua Clottey as the new opponent for the supposed-to-be-megafight-date on March 13, to be held at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Mayweather's camp is still on negotiations on a Floyd-Mosley fight. But neither of the fight creates the buzz Pac-Floyd ever did. Boxing's chance of a renewed relevance are still up in the air. Now, there are more doubts and suspicions about the use of performance-enhancing drugs of boxers. What will the state athletic commision's action about this?

Another controversy that surrounds the world of boxing is the tampering of the boxing gloves. One of the most notable and unforgettable date for boxing occcured on June 16, 1983. Madison Square Garden. One of the sport's darkest hour. A young, up and coming Billy Collins, Jr., was pitted against the hardworking fighter Luis Resto. Everybody expects Collins to win the fight, giving him the advantage because of his 14-0 record prior to the fight. It was a competitive bout, but, in the succeeding rounds, evidently, it shows that their prediction came into a bust, as Resto pummeled Collins almost all of the 12 rounds scheduled. But during the bout, no one knew that crime has been committed, when Resto went to Collins's corner to thank him for the fight, Collins's dad, Billy Sr., held Resto's hands, then he found out something terribly wrong: the padding of the gloves is missing. Resto's camp denies the allegations, that Resto's trainer, Panama Lewis, said, that it's not not tampered, and its the glove that the New York State Athletic Commission gave them. It went to court, and ruled out that Lewis and Resto, were tried and convicted of assault, conspiracy and criminal possession of a deadly weapon (Resto's fists). They both served 2½ years in prison. Lewis was never allowed again to be in a boxer's corner. Resto never regained his reputation and stopped fighting ever since.

The latest about the glove-tampering is former Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito. He's almost a year suspended now, because of his invovlement of the removal of the glove padding. Before he was suspended, his last two bouts were against Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, respectively. He crushed Cotto into submission to capture the title. Then his next bout was against Shane Mosley, defending his crown. But even before the bout started, controversy looms around Margarito's camp, as his hands has to be re-wrapped three times for the suspicion of glove tampering. He eventually lost the bout in nine rounds by knockout. After the bout, the Commission checked Margarito's gloves to only find out that the original padding of the gloves are missing. Adding to the shocking revelation, that the padding that was put on Margarito's hands were "wet" and appeared to be "like plaster of Paris", meaning that the wet padding that was covered of bandage is as hard as a concrete. He eventually lost his license and in January 2009, Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo, were suspended by the Califonia State Athletic Commission, even before the hearing date, February 10, 2009. Now, after almost a year of suspension, the disgraced fighter is trying to apply for a new license to take part for the Pacquiao-Clottey event. I know he was involved in an incident last year, but i think it doesn't mean he's not allowed to box again. I think all they need to do is put him on a supervised probation, keep an eye on his every move, for him not to do it again. But for sure, in his return to the ring, there'll be more scrutiny and criticism around the public, somethings that he should expect.

In the basketball scene, earlier this day, Two players were suspended, being convicted of bringing deadly weapons in the workplace. I'm pertaining to Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Critentton of the Washington Wizards, in the NBA. The league found out of that the two mentioned players, brought guns in their locker rooms of the facility, that were, as the commissioner said, is intolerable. Arenas pleaded guilty of a felony gun charge connected to a locker room argument, putting his career in limbo and his freedom in doubt. He'll miss the teams last 50 regular season games, and doubtful to be resigned by the team in the near future. Critentton may have the same faith as Arenas, as he may not be resigned by the time he hit free agency. Arenas didn't appeal the court's decision, citing that "there are no special treatments of his irresponsible behavior". The team felt betrayed, because they said they'll "not allow any players to bring weapons, in a facility were children are watching and expecting players as good models". I never had thought this would have an ugly outcome. Puting your illustrious career in jeopardy in one single mistake, that is avoidable. Now, any merchandise related to Gilbert, including his marketable Agent Zero jersey, were phased out in the market, as the team decided to stop selling those, and removed a big billboard with his picture outside their home stadium in Washington, because of the mess he's involved. The lesson: Think twice before doing something stupid.

The keen, critical eye of the public will keep their eye on this issues. The World of Sports is in deep scrutiny. We're just hoping for a better entertainment, not scandals.