You win some, you lose some.

"You win some, you lose some."

Well, this is a line that will sum up what has been a year of stories for me. So of all the possible lines that a person can think of when writing a blog entry, why this one? Well, I'm here to tell you the story of my 2013. Anyways, this is the first time I'm blogging outside of my humble home since I'm spending the next few days in the province, and I apologize that I won't be able to share photos with this one. So let's get started.

Well, let's start first with the second phrase of the line "you lose some."

Of course, I don't want to start this one with all the good stuff that has happened over the course of the year. I'm saving that for later. So, I'm starting off with the challenging times during this entire year. 

It was indeed a struggle, especially during the 1st semester of my final year of college life. Well, it was something I had to endure for five months, with all the school work from the thesis, term papers, major examinations as well as those daily routines of classes. It was also a point that pushed me to my breaking point. It was indeed a tough time for me on all aspects: mentally, physically and emotionally. Even those days where I'm not talking to people out of deep frustration. Add to that the competitions where I competed, that took a toll on my body. Though I'm not blaming my choice of competing for all the trouble I got into. It was something I love to do and I will keep on doing. But, the grueling struggle took a huge toll as it affected my performance as I ended with my worst finish to a semester in UST. But I made my vow to bounce back especially on my practicum which I am taking at this moment, but I'm currently on break until the resumption of work 6 days into the new year.

Speaking of practicum, it was indeed a challenging learning process. I was still fortunate that I got into a company I would like to work with. Yes, I've learned some hard lessons about working. It was my first experience going to work for something I love to work with. Yeah, there were those days when you were said "You're not good enough." But then again, I'm learning from each day I step on the work place. I'm still a long way there, but I'm sure when it all ends. It will all be worth it.

Since I'm a sports junkie, I got to tell something about sports, 2013 was a year where I suffered a lot of sports heartbreaks. From the UST Growling Tigers losing in the UAAP Basketball Finals for the 2nd straight season, this time against the De La Salle Green Archers. To the Houston Rockets bowing out of the 1st round after putting up a fight against the then-defending West Champions Oklahoma City Thunder. To the heartbreaking loss of Petron Blaze against San Mig Coffee in the PBA Governors' Cup Finals. To McLaren's poor performance in 2013 in which Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull defended their titles. To  There have been a lot of heartbreaking moments throughout the year. But of course, there were some great ones along the way which I will tell later in this entry.

Also this year has been marked with some moments of near misses. Like my failure to secure a certificate in the Galileo GDS software. As well as the two times I almost won it in individual quiz bee competitions, plus a lot more which I cannot remember. But at the end of the day, I've learned from each story.

Well enough of the drama and the challenges, now we move to the first phrase of the line. "You win some!"

Here, I will share some of the great moments of the past year, so here we go:

Well 2013, has also been special for me with all the hardware I was bringing home with all the competitions I've competed in the past year. A total of five competitions over the year. Even though I didn't win in every single competition I competed in, I still brought home either a medal, a trophy or a certificate, even cash money in some competitions. Add to that, the recognition I've been getting from the university and the college. It has been a special ride for me and I got to share it with my teammates which is always more to winning. 

In addition, I've been getting along with my friends nicely which has been great for me. At least I'm enjoying a lot of great company. As well as getting to meet a lot of people along the way. It has indeed been a very special moment in my life, and I'm always thankful for these moments.

Also, in sports there have been some wonderful moments to remember, and one of which was being one of the thousands in attendance at the Mall of Asia Arena for the first NBA preseason game to be held in the Philippines between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers to which the Rockets won by a 30 point margin. It was great seeing my favorite team in action on this historic night. Also, who can forget the run of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship at our own soil as we made it all the way to the Finals, though we lost in the Finals to Iran. We booked our ticket to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. Of course it's worth mentioning that very emotional victory against long-time tormentors South Korea in the semi-finals where after years that the Koreans sent Filipino ballers and hearts crashing, we've finally gotten over the hump. In addition, as a big Houston Rockets fan it has been a pleasure that I got to meet members of Red Nation from all over the world! From those living in Houston, as well as those in other places like New York, Taiwan, Norway, Australia, etc. Even some who are from here at home. I hope we'll have a great season to remember. Hopefully a championship!

Well, there's nothing else for me to say. So to cap this off. I thank each and every one who made my 2013 very special. I'm looking forward to the brand new year in a day and a couple of hours and create a lot of memories not only for myself but for the people around!

Thanks for the memories 2013, Hello 2014 very soon!

K-Smoove

Pinoy Hoops on Pacific Rims.

Three Mondays ago, it was the middle of my semester break from school as I was getting set for aa transition from academic life to going into the workplace for my practicum. I was surfing chnnels on TV, when I got to the National Geographic Channel, it was about 5 minutes to 9pm. The 8pm show was finished, they showed a promo that Pinoy Hoops is coming up next. I got curious about what's with it, so I did not switch channels as I sit back on the sofa and prepare to watch what is to come. Little did I know, I was in for a treat unlike any other.

 Photo ©National Geographic Channel Philippines

"Pinoy Hoops: A National Obsession" is a three-part documentary series that was shot in 2011 shown within a three week period. It shows the travels of Rafe Bartholomew, an American sports journalist and "hoop nut" as he goes for a journey across the Philippines to explore the very roots of Philippine basketball as he seeks to discover why is the country obsessed with the sport despite the fact that Filipinos lack of height as it is an important aspect of the sport especially on the international stage like the Olympics and FIBA Basketball World Cup. At the start of every episode, Rafe tells something about himself, from his beginnings in New York to writing the book "Pacific Rims" which I also read and I will also have something about it on this entry later, and the fact that he was a one-time soap opera star on Philippine TV.

The first part of the documentary, focuses on the grass roots of Philippine basketball, where Filipinos form basketball courts on any place and surface from abandoned hotel halls to dirt fields in the mountains, to streets outside their homes and even near sanitary landfills. It tackles street ball within the country as it serves as a mean to keep people away from unwanted vices especially in rough conditions most of our countrymen are living into. It also states that footwear like shoes or slippers is not necessarily required whenever playing on the basketball court. It also states a myth where deep in the mountains, the military and the communist forces drop their arms and play basketball over dirt surface courts. Another distinct fact is basketball karaoke where basketball highlights from NBA players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, etc. are put into the karaoke which is another Philippine pastime. As well as their obsession with basketball video games like NBA 2K played on coin-operated machines.

The second part goes inside the Philippine Basketball Assocation, it was the 2011 Commissioner's Cup Finals between the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters and the Barangay Ginebra Kings (now known as Barangay Ginebra San Miguel). It showcases the history of the league which is the second oldest professional basketball league after the NBA. It goes inside the Ginebra lore starting from the days of "The Big J" Sonny Jaworski who was made "Never say die!" the battle cry of the Ginebra faithful over the years and made it the most popular franchise of the PBA. It also stated that unlike the NBA where franchises are representing locations, PBA franchises are based up product names. The second part also gave an all-access pass of the Finals, from both Talk 'N Text and Ginebra's practice sessions as well as the games itself. Back then, Talk 'N Text was coached by current Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes and Ginebra was coached by one of Reyes' assistants in the national team in Jong Uichico. It showed highlights of Game 4 which Talk 'N Text won to take a 3-1 lead, Game 5 where Ginebra kept their season alive, to the title-clinching Game 6 victory of Talk 'N Text. It also showcases the life of a PBA import as they got into the life of TNT's import during the conference in Paul Harris. The PBA sets height limits for imports (people of different nationalities other than Filipino) which is a distinct feature of the league as compared to other professional leagues around the world.

The final part focuses on four individuals where basketball plays a huge role in their lives. First was Sharon, who is a saboteur hired by different teams to distract opponents in games using different methods which I cannot state here in whole. Tony Lu, the PBA's legendary photographer who covered the league from it's humble beginnings to the present, the documentary got into his house where it was stacked with game photos, unorganized but spanning decades. Mang Tom, Alaska's practice coach and a former PBA referee where they went to the ruins of his old house that was destroyed by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 and will soon be demolished as it was bought by a development firm as well as his new home up north in Bulacan, and finally JC, the MVP representing Quezon City playing in inter-barangay leagues and his hopes that basketball will bring him a better standing in life. The final part describes what happened to the four as Sharon and Tony Lu continued on with their jobs, Mang Tom retired and is now with family, and JC was given a athletic scholarship.

As I watched Pinoy Hoops, I noticed that he wrote a book about Philippine basketball called Pacific Rims. I wanted to the read the book for myself, so I went out to look for and buy the book. It took me a couple of days of searching through different bookstores across the city, then on a Sunday before the last episode of Pinoy Hoops, I finally was able to secure and buy the book.

Photo ©Rafe Bartholomew

"Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippines' Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball" is a book written by Bartholomew in which he writes about his earlier travel to the Philippines as a scholar in 2005 where he went deep inside the story behind the Filipinos love affair for the game of basketball. He spent three years in the country, where he got an all-access pass of the Alaska Aces in the PBA during their Fiesta Conference run in 2007, back then Tim Cone (the legendary coach of the Alaska franchise, is currently the head coach of the San Mig Coffee Mixers) was the head coach. The Aces were led by Willie Miller and import Rosell Ellis. San Mig Coffee was known as Purefoods, Petron was still the San Miguel Beermen, the Tropang Texters were called as the Phone Pals. Rain or Shine was still known as Welcoat, and the Red Bull franchise was still relevant. It also shows his search for the history of the sport from the time of the American occupation of the archipelago to the golden years of Philippine basketball to it's role during Martial Law with the introduction of the PBA to the time of the legendary imports like Billy Ray Bates and Norman Black until the Fil-Am/Fil-Sham controversy which was a issue in politics. Outside of the league, Bartholomew travels around the country to explore how lives of the Filipino people changed with basketball from stories of good basketball courts being built even in the most remote areas of the country to their lore of watching the sport whether it's a simple barangay league or watching the PBA live at the venue or the NBA on television where he also stated that the country has a basketball-devoted cable channel in Basketball TV (BTV).

What touches me the most about Sir Rafe Bartholomew was he did took the time to learn the Filipino language, during the entire Pinoy Hoops documentary, he was speaking the language fluently, as he was talking to people throughout the course of the story. No wonder, people gave him a nice Filipino name in "Paeng Bartolome" and "Kuya Raphael". He really wrote a great book in Pacific Rims and an excellent documentary in Pacific Rims. One cool thing about him, was during the course of watching the documentary as well a reading his book. He is a very approachable person on the web, as he was replying to my posts about him on Twitter which in turn for me is a great thing to experience.

As many people who watched the documentary said three episodes weren't enough and I definitely agree with them. Even with that being said, I thank Sir Rafe as well as the National Geographic Channel in the Philippines for pulling off this wonderful treat for the Filipino audience. I really hope they can pull off another opportunity to shoot another documentary about Philippine basketball especially the country is back on the international stage as they qualified for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Someday, when he comes back for a book signing, I will definitely have him sign my copy of the book and take a picture with him.

Basketball will always have a special place in my heart and soul.

K-Smoove

Head out for a food trip on the food hub at the heart of my hometown.

The area of U.P. Village and Teacher's Village (both West and East), count in Sikatuna Village as well played a part in my life growing up. As for a good nine years, five out of the six in elementary and my entire four year high school life, these places I always go into during my school days in the area. Every time I come back, whether to visit my two Alma Mater schools (Headway School for Giftedness and Claret School of Quezon City), it is always a very special feeling for me. Three years have passed since I graduated from my humble high school Alma Mater in Claret School of Quezon. Yesterday, I returned to the area, and on the street of Maginhawa, and I can't help but be happy with all the changes that has happened here since I roamed these areas on a regular basis back then.

Maginhawa has become the food hub in my hometown of Quezon City as in a relative short amount of time, food and beverage establishments spawned up like hotcakes serving not only residents of the area, but also people from around the city and to an extent the metropolis to come here and dine over establishments offering a diverse line of food and drinks. I always remember when I was still in both grade school and high school, Maginhawa was just a simple street, with nothing more than residential housing and only a few food establishments were present in the area. Now, when I came back yesterday to roam around the area, I can't help but notice the great changes that have happened here including the fact that Maginhawa is now a national road.

Anyways, Maginhawa is indeed a gastronomic melting pot as for the entire stretch of the street, food and beverage establishments line up offering a variety of cuisines and specialties perfect for the next food trip. 

From burger joints like The Snack Shack which is known for their delicious "worth the wait" burgers at a very affordable price for everyone as you can get one for only P70.00. "Worth the wait" in a sense they make their patties on the spot and take around 15 minutes to cook to perfection. I recommend everyone to come and try out their delicious burgers.

Another nice burger joint is Good Burgers which is well known for offering an alternative to the usual beef burger as they offer both vegetarian and chicken burgers with different toppings which customers can add to their burgers. Another one is The Burger Project where customers can customize their own burger by choosing ingredients to build the perfect burger for you.

Other notable restaurants include Friuli Trattoria offering Italian favorites like pizza and pasta, Katsu Cafe offering Japanese dishes, Gayuma ni Maria which offers a unique experience for customers with their very mysterious interior accompanied with great food. Grill Queen which offers simple barbeque dishes, and Tomato Kick which is a resto-pub.

Maginhawa is also home to many milk tea joints, the well-known Moonleaf Tea Shop made their humble start here as a small joint, now their flagship branch is now housed in a nice building not too far from their original location. Other milk tea joints include Cha Dao Tea Place, ZenTea, InfiniTea and Simple Line.

Unfortunately though, since I haven't tried out each and every establishment around Maginhawa since my visits to the area are rare and the fact I only had limited time to roam around the area yesterday, I can't talk a lot more about the other joints around it. For a complete list of food joints and establishments around Maginhawa, you can check out this nice blog post right here: 

http://www.traveling-up.com/maginhawa-the-eat-street/

This area has given me a lot of memories to treasure. Now, this area can bring me more memories with all the gastronomic experience this area brings to every one coming to it. The best part about it is that these are entrepreneurial success stories of the people behind food joints to which everyone who dine here are treated into, and along the stretch, you will not see your usual big name establishments like those serving fast food. I am very excited and looking forward for my return to the area and the next food trip around these familiar grounds.

For a unique and great gastronomic experience, you must visit Maginhawa.
K-Smoove

The hardest lessons learned. Practicum, here I come.

It's official. The semester is in the books. I will say with a open mind and heart that this was the toughest and the most difficult semester I ever had in the 3 1/2 years of my Thomasian journey. It pushed me to my very limits. From the very tough start to the year to the huge effort I gave to recover and bounce back at the same time the balancing act I did between my academic life and pursuits when it comes to competitions outside of the university. It was also took a grueling toll on myself both physically and mentally as I went through a lot of things in every day of the semester.

Even though this was the toughest semester I had and I fell a bit short on my goal for the semester, There are still things to cheer up about, I'm glad that made it through without any failures in all of my subjects both related to tourism as well as the few general education subjects we had to take this semester. At the same time, my winning ways continued into the semester with the two competitions I competed in.

With this semester over with, my academic life in college comes to an end. Also, I will not be able to see my classmates on a regular basis as we will now carve our own paths in the next semester, as we will enter the workplace and the industry itself for Practicum. I still have one last shot to prove my worth and most importantly get the necessary experience I will need to work well in the industry I decided to work on. It's going to always be a challenge, but I'm sure it will be all worth it. I will work hard and do good in wherever workplace I will end up with when the right time comes. At the same time, I will get ready for my last tour of duty in tourism competitions, as I will soon pass the torch to my current teammates.

Seven semesters have come and passed, we're all down to the last semester, our days as students are already numbered and on March 27, 2014. The Thomasian journey will come to an end and a new journey begins thereafter.

Almost there to the finish line. Got to finish strong.
K-Smoove

Tragedy in paradise.

I woke up late this morning, when I turned my computer on and start the day. Unfortunately, once I logged in on my social media accounts. Photos came out from the Visayas which left me very sad. It all happened 3 hours before I woke up, just past 8 o'clock in the morning here. When a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the island province of Bohol which was felt all over the Visayas region as well as some parts of Mindanao. The photos that came out were very tragic, as damaged and collapsed buildings and roads were all through my timeline. As of this moment, 67 people were killed with hundreds injured. But it is expected that the death toll will rise as most areas are unreachable at this point of time.

It's a personal tragedy for me, in a sense that two years ago, I came to these magnificent places as part of the Domestic tour organized by the university. When I came over to visit both Bohol and Cebu, it was all a sight to savor as I was able to see these wonders that are a part of the history and culture of the the Philippines as well as destinations which make the country stand out with the rest of the world.

Jumping over the Chocolate Hills from the view deck circa. 2011

 Baclayon Church in all it's majestic glory circa. 2011

Inside Dauis Church in Panglao Island circa. 2011

 Inside the Basilica Minore of Santo Niño in Cebu City circa. 2011

Photos ©Karl Carandang

As with every earthquake which we can never predict when it happens, never did I think it would come too soon after my visit to these wonderful tourist destinations. Yet it did, and the photos were very tragic.

 One of the hills inside the Chocolate Hills National Park collapse.

Photo ©Robert Michael Poole via Twitter @tokyodrastic

The view deck of the Chocolate Hills collapsed.

Photo ©Robert Michael Poole via Twitter @tokyodrastic

The collapsed bell tower at the Basilica Minore of Santo Niño 

Photo ©Reuters

As a future tourism professional, it is heartbreaking to see these sights as these destinations are a part to the growth of the tourism industry of our country. The destinations that we market not only for domestic tourism but also to attract visitors from abroad. In addition to the fact that these destinations played a part within our nation's history at the same time it has it's own significance to the residents and locals who live along these destinations. We could all say that this is a national tragedy, especially after the war in Zamboanga a couple of weeks ago, and recently Luzon was devastated with a typhoon that came along a few days ago.

Despite this tragedy that shook our nation, I believe all in well in the ability of the Filipino people to rise up from the tragedy and rebuild from these unfortunate times that the people there are experiencing at this moment. Especially with aftershocks expected within a week's span from the earthquake. Now, we must come out and help those who are in need in these tragic times in our nation. In addition to funding the rehabilitation of not just the localities but also the heritage sites that were damaged and destroyed in this earthquake.

I've seen paradise in this land, and I believe that one day after all this tragedy, I will see it all again in all it's crowning glory.

Pray for Bohol and Cebu, Pray for our nation.

K-Smoove

A championship series to remember. Well played Tigers and Archers.

I'm writing this blog entry with an heavy heart. After all that happened today and all the heartbreak and bittersweet thoughts that I have over the past couple of hours, as the basketball season of UAAP Season 76 all came down to one game. As the UST Growling Tigers battled with the De La Salle Green Archers for the right to be crowned the new UAAP men's basketball champion in 6 years.

But before we got to that moment, let's look back at the events that led to this moment. 

UST came in as the 4th seed in the Final Four after finishing 9-5 in the elimination round where they were hampered with injuries and tough losses. But they peaked at the right moment after they picked up a huge win over the FEU Tamaraws in double overtime, then surviving three knockout games which included a win that dethroned the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles to end the elimination round, and defeating the top-seeded NU Bulldogs twice to become the 1st #4 seed to knock out a #1 seed in the UAAP Final Four thus returning to the Finals for the second consecutive season.

As for La Salle, they struggled in the first round of eliminations finishing only at 3-4, but they found their groove in the second round as they finished with a 7-0 sweep to give them a 10-4 record, since they were tied for 1st place with NU and the FEU Tamaraws, NU got the top seed due to the quotient system. So the Archers and Tamaraws battled for 2nd place and a twice-to-beat advantage in their Final Four matchup. La Salle won that game handily, then when the Final Four began, the Tamaraws fought hard, however the Archers pulled off the breaks to book their ticket to the Finals for the first time since 2008.

Once the dust settled, UST and La Salle were left standing for all the marbles. One thing that made this matchup special is the battle of the Teng brothers as older brother Jeric of UST battles his brother Jeron of La Salle in what would be their first and last battle in the UAAP Finals. Aside from that, it's the battle of the coaches with very contrasting personalities as the emotionally charged Pido Jarencio of UST went to war against the calm and calculated Juno Sauler of La Salle.

In Game 1, UST won by a solitary point 73-72 after Karim Abdul blocked the possible game winner of LA Revilla in the winding moments of the game. While in Game 2, La Salle won by 7 points 77-70 led by their twin towers of Arnold Van Opstal and Norbert Torres which set up this moment. Game 3 between the Tigers and Archers, one game for all the marbles.

As the game went along, both teams played with everything they have. The Tigers started hot in the first half while the Archers struggled to score baskets. King Tiger Jeric Teng and Karim Abdul led the charge for the Tigers in the first half and the Tigers went in with 8 point lead at halftime. Then in the second half, the Tigers kept on scoring big against the Archers, but everything changed as the Archers mad a furious rally to take the lead before John Sheriff bailed the Tigers out with a shot at the buzzer to keep the lead heading into the fourth. In the 4th quarter, both teams traded baskets. With the game tied at 65, the Tigers had a chance to win with 6 seconds left. But Aljon Mariano, missed the shot. Thus we went into overtime. Fatigue came into play as both teams struggled to score baskets. Then Jeric Teng gave the Tigers a two point lead with over a minute to go. Jeron Teng got into the lane and drew the foul where he split his free throws but Mariano who got the rebound turns the ball over setting up a clutch jumper by Almond Vosotros to give the Archers a one point lead. Then LA Revilla split his free throws to extend the lead to 2 for La Salle. The Tigers had their chances to tie or win the game. But Abdul missed on a tough trey as the Archers survived and won the game 71-69. The Archers win the title for the first time since 2007 and La Salle coach Juno Sauler did what UST coach Pido Jarencio pulled off in 2006 by winning the title as a rookie coach in the UAAP.

It was an emotional moment, as both the Teng brothers went through a lot of emotions, especially Jeric Teng who played out his final game in a Tigers uniform in the UAAP and the fact that he will not walk away with the championship. Jeron would win the Finals MVP trophy and had some nice words for his older brother. One special moment after the game was when the runner-up trophy was given to UST, the Lasallian faithful in attendance went on to cheer "Go USTe!" and when La Salle got their championship trophy, the Thomasian faithful went on to cheer "Animo La Salle!". Well this shows, that the DLSUST friendship is alive and indeed true.

 Photo ©InterAKTV

It's an heartbreaking yet bittersweet moment for myself, heartbreaking with the fact that I will not get to experience the celebration of a championship for UST as a student, added to the fact that I wasn't watching the game live at the Mall of Asia Arena which meant that I wasn't able to watch a single game this UAAP season. While, it's bittersweet since I said to myself that even if La Salle wins the title. I would still be happy for them. 

At the end of the day though, it was indeed a championship series to remember, and I will always be proud to go all in for the BLACK GOLD, BLACK WHITE!

Congratulations to the De La Salle Green Archers, you deserve the championship.

A big kudos to the UST Growling Tigers, you've been through a lot of challenges this season and you made it a series to remember. To the graduating players Jeric Teng and Clark Bautista we will miss you putting up a UST jersey in the UAAP.

All hope is not lost though, we still have the chance to defend our PCCL title this year.
But for now, UAAP basketball for 2013 draws to a close.

Go USTe! Animo La Salle! Thank you for a great series.
K-Smoove

A dream is finally realized. The NBA Global Games/Red Nation experience.

I've been a member of Red Nation for 11 years now and I have embraced everything about the Houston Rockets ever since. Then one day in February of this year, the dream got closer as the NBA announced that the team alongside the Indiana Pacers will play the very first NBA preseason game in the Philippines. I made my move, saving up and working to get money for the ticket. Then a couple of months later, I went in and purchased my ticket on the very first day it came out to the public. I also got freebies that came along with the ticket and loaded myself with Rockets gear for the big game since it was a perfect time to buy since their gear are plentiful in anticipation of the game.

Finally, on one rainy Thursday afternoon, the dream was realized as the NBA Global Games Philippines 2013 finally came along at the Mall of Asia Arena to grace one of the most passionate countries in the world when it comes to basketball.

I arrived at the arena as soon as gates opened just after 4pm. Then, once inside, I finally got to roam around the arena for the first time in the three times I've been at a venue to witness a basketball game. I was with my then schoolmate, once my brother's classmate and Red Nation buddy Ronny who I haven't seen in 8 years when were just young kids at school. Then we loaded up with gear to buy, before going to our seats and wait for the game to start.

90 minutes until tipoff

Photo ©Karl Carandang

Some of the players were already practicing once we got in and the arena was loaded with white shirts containing "It's More Fun in the Philippines" since the Department of Tourism stepped in in and supported the event. Along the way I saw some players from the UAAP near the spot where I was sitting. Then moments before tip-off, the Rockets Launch Crew alongside Clutch the Rockets Bear and Boomer came in for their performances. So yeah, I got to see some great mascots around especially Clutch who is one of the best mascots around the world. Then with less than 20 minutes until tip-off, both teams came out of the tunnel for their pregame warmups.

Rockets Launch Crew

Clutch and Boomer

 Rockets and Pacers go with their pregame warmups

Photos ©Karl Carandang

As the buzzer sounded, the teams lined up and the starting lineups were introduced as both the Rockets and Pacers played pregame videos alongside the introduction of the starting lineups. After the introductions, the Commissioner himself David Stern was also in Manila to grace the event and gave his gratitude to the crowd in attendance. Then after a few moments, we have tipoff!

Rockets pregame video

Pacers pregame video

(I loved the fact they added a local flare in their message for the crowd at hand.)

NBA Commissioner David Stern addresses the crowd at the arena

We have tipoff from Manila!

Photos ©Karl Carandang

As for the game itself, well it was pretty much a one-sided affair as the Rockets never trailed in the game despite comeback bids by the Pacers all game long, as they come up with the win by 20 points 116-96.

James Harden led the Rockets with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals on 6-12 FG shooting. Isareli swingman Omri Casspi added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Lithuanian big man Donatas Motiejunas chipped in 16 points. Chandler Parsons had 15 points, while Jeremy Lin added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Patrick Beverley added 12 points and Dwight Howard only scored 9 points. 

Paul George led the Pacers with 17 points, while David West added 14. Orlando Johnson scored 11. While George Hill and Luis Scola added 10 each. Danny Granger only scored 9 points alongside CJ Watson while big man Roy Hibbert was only limited to 6 points.

The final score. Rockets 116-96 Pacers

Photo ©Karl Carandang

Box scores:

Houston Rockets (116) - Harden 21, Casspi 17, Motiejunas 16, Parsons 15, Lin 14, Beverley 12, Howard 9, Brooks 5, Jones 5, Brewer 2, Canaan 0, Covington 0

Indiana Pacers (96) - George 17, West 14, Johnson 11, G. Hill 10, Scola 10, Granger 9, Watson 9, Hibbert 6, Stephenson 4, Armstrong 4, Copeland 2, S. Hill 0, Sloan 0, Butler 0, Mahinmi 0

Every timeout, there were performances by Clutch, Boomer, the Rockets Launch Crew and the Pacemates. As well as the fact they were handing out free t-shirts even Clutch gave his Clutch dolls amongst the crowd. There were also fan contests throughout. In addition, they honored NBA legends Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry, Ron Harper and Jalen Rose who graced the country for the series of events that transpired over the past couple of days. As the final buzzer sounded, the players came out to hand in some freebies to the crowd in attendance.

The Indiana Pacemates doing a dance for the crowd.

NBA legends Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry, Ron Harper and Jalen Rose.

Clutch and Boomer up with their crazy antics during the timeout.

Rockets Launch Crew wowing the crowd.

Air Clutch and Air Boomer with the Rockets Launch Crew and the Pacemates.

Photos ©Karl Carandang

The game also gave me an opportunity to see the players and legends I only see on television live in person. At the same time see both teams play their brand of basketball right before my eyes. From the Rockets players like James Harden, Jeremy Lin, Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons to the Pacers players like Paul George, Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, George Hill and Luis Scola. At the same time, seeing coaches Kevin McHale and Frank Vogel. Even Rockets GM Daryl Morey and Pacers President Larry Bird.

James Harden at the line

Dwight Howard taking free throws

Jeremy Lin at the line

Photos ©Karl Carandang

As for the crowd atmosphere, well it's a different sight. As for most of the game. Filipino basketball fans were not as rabid and wild as if it were a college basketball or PBA game. The crowd was very attentive to every play, every basket, every block, every three pointer that came along during the course of the game. You can even hear the coaches give instructions on their players. I even saw fans of the Pacers who came all the way from Indiana to see their team play here. There was one guy who came to the game with the sign "I Love the Pacers" and at the back "Mahal ko ang Pacers". An irony about the fan reaction during the the game, there were cheers when Jeremy Lin gets a basket or touches the ball and he was given a nice ovation when his night on the floor was done. While Dwight Howard got jeers whenever he has the ball or takes free throws, when he got his fifth foul, the crowd just went crazy. The Mall of Asia Arena also wasn't filled to capacity as only around 15,000 were in attendance to watch the game. One factor could be the ticket prices as well as the bad weather around the area. The fans were wearing either Rockets or Pacers gear as well as NBA gear from other teams.

Well, the Global Games/Red Nation experience was all worth it. Not only because the Rockets won the game which I would say was a bonus, but the experience of seeing my favorite players and legends from both teams at the same time the once in a blue moon experience of an authentic NBA game on Philippine soil. Well, I would say it would have been better if a Filipino was on an NBA roster and the fans will come out with their all-out support. Similar to what Yao Ming experienced when the NBA came over to China in 2005 and what will Jeremy Lin experience up in Taiwan as both the Rockets and Pacers made their second stop in their NBA Global Games trip. At the same time, they can improve on ticket prices to make the experience affordable to every Filipino, the next time the league decides to come back and play on Philippine soil once again which I believe will happen sooner than many people expect.

To wrap up this entry I would like to thank the NBA and NBA Philippines for bringing the Global Games here in the Philippines. I hope it's not the last time they will do this on our shores and I always believe that one day, a Filipino player will shine bright in the league. Someday, I will get to watch the NBA in the United States.

From a member of Red Nation in the Philippines,

K-Smoove

P.S. Is the NBA Cafe at SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio open already?

Rise to the occasion.

My recent illness the past couple of days has been keeping me on the shelf, as much as I tried to come to school to finish the week off, the illness still bugs me today. Even so, I'm writing this entry today to regain my confidence back and to write again after a long hiatus due to my schedule loaded with a lot of schoolwork. Besides, I'm getting better with every hour.

Picking up from where I left off, the journey through this whirlwind of a semester went through a massive detour once the results of the preliminary examinations came out last month, and it wasn't a pretty sight as the struggles I endured during the first half of the semester finally showed up. Despite the setback, there is still another half of the semester to bounce back and recover. I'm not giving up and will give everything I can to finish the semester strong so that we can move forward into taking up practicum at a tourism establishment.

In addition, once the preliminary examinations were done, my training resumed for the competition at hand which is the Final Round of the 5th PHILTOA Tourism Quiz Bee. The bad weather prior to the competition took out most of my training time as class suspensions came along the way. But, I just had enough training to get me prepared for the big day. Then on September 7, it all came down to one afternoon at the SMX Convention Center as I competed with 10 other contestants in the Final Round. I was happy that my family and friends were there to support me in the competition. It was a tightly contested battle, the questions as expected were pretty tough especially those involving manual computations. Apparently, I almost won the event. However, I ended up in 2nd Place since the champion was able to answer a difficult question which was worth more points. Despite that, I'm happy with what I achieved in this competition, especially the fact that last year, I didn't made it to the Final Round and in the semi-finals this year, I barely made it through the Top 10. To quote Mr. Cesar Cruz, PHILTOA President: "Bumawi 'tong bata na to." "This kid came back." The following day, I came back to receive the award and winnings that came along with the victory.

Photo ©Karl Carandang

With the competition through, it caps off my quiz bee competition run for the semester. As my last tour of duty for the team will continue into the next semester. More than a week later, I was given the chance to give back in what the college has given me over the past two year as I was given the privilege to be the quizmaster in the Tourism Quiz Bee competition in our college. It was also an opportunity for me to share my experiences to the contestants. It was a great feeling for me, that I get to be on the other end of quiz bee competitions where I got to ask the questions instead of answering them.

Last week, three months of blood, sweat, tears and thinking caps came down to one week as the THORC Week (Thesis week) came along. The work everyone put into the past three months came down to this week which included the poster presentation and the thesis defense. Our group came through BIG throughout the week as we won third place in the Best Group Presentation category and fifth place in the Best Paper category. Afterwards, we started working on making adjustments to our paper and put it into journal format.

Photo ©Kymie Constante

In the UAAP, the UST Growling Tigers are back in the Final Four as they pulled off a huge victory on the last day of the elimination round against the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles with a 82-74 win. The win ended Ateneo's title defense as their five-peat championship streak is snapped and they will miss the Final Four for the first time in 14 years. The Tigers will now face the top seeded NU Bulldogs who enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. In the other bracket, the FEU Tamaraws and the DLSU Green Archers will battle in a virtual best of three as the first game will determine who will have the twice to beat advantage.

The semester is winding down, and in a couple of weeks, we'll be heading for our practicum. Graduation shots to be taken soon. We're coming to the conclusion of what has been a great ride. Better bring everything I got, and lay it all on the line. Rise to the occasion as they say, it's time to put into action.

Rise to the occasion.

18 days to go until NBA Global Games Philippines 2013

K-Smoove

The monsoon gave me a chance to catch up on things.

This is my 200th blog entry since I opened this blog over a year ago. It's been almost two months since I last wrote an entry here. Never did I think, that I'm writing this one in the middle of the monsoon rains that is caused by the typhoon up north in Taiwan. Well, the rains caused suspension of classes which opened up time for me to write this one. So yeah, as the title goes, it's time for me to catch up on some of the things that happened from the time I wrote my last entry almost 6 weeks ago.

We start back on the week after the retreat, least did I expect that the lessons I got from the retreat would not kick in right away. I was hoping to come out swinging afterwards. But it wasn't easy and I still had difficulty in catching up with things. But yeah, I was reminded that "storms" in our life will come after the retreat and so I calmed down and re-channel my attention on the important matters.

Then later in the week, another competition came along for me, the first one for the year which was the NLEX Tara Na Sa Norte Quiz Bee at the Atrium in Robinson's Place Ermita Manila. I competed with a pair, which was my recruit from the third year Chamille. 9 schools competed in the competition. Well, it took awhile to finish the competition as there were a lot of controversies with regards with the questions. Despite that, it was a tightly contested battle. In the end however, we came out as champions by a mere solitary point. So we took home the cash prize of P5,000 which we later split as well as a certificate at the same time we had a celebratory meal at Yellow Cab. Then a couple of days later, our victory got put on a tarpaulin outside of our building.

Photo ©Karl Carandang

Driven by the recent victory, I slowly made my comeback bid a reality as I was able to find comfort in doing all the necessary schoolwork that I need to accomplish and I was able to contribute better in each project and homework that we have as the days progressed well until the end of the preliminary period of the semester. We also continued with our thesis work within the past couple of weeks. At the same time, my training continued as we prepared for the biggest competition in the semester and the most difficult and challenging quiz bee for the year which is the PHILTOA Quiz Bee exam, so it was me, Chamille and we were joined by Miah who was also a third year student. Then on August 7, we competed at the campus of Lyceum of the Philippines University in Intramuros. Just like the story last year, we all made it through the semi-finals. However, this version of the story had a change from last year. With my back against the wall, I was able to make it through withing the inch of my life to the Final Round on September 7 at the SMX Convention Center because I sat 9th out of the Top 10 that made it through to the Final Round. Unfortunately, my two other teammates were unable to make it through. Yet despite that, they gained experience in competing. We got something special coming up especially with more competitions lined up in the next semester.

Meanwhile outside of the life at school, as one of the many hoop junkies in this country, at the start of August, Filipino basketball fans were in for a great treat as the FIBA Asia Championship was held here in the country as three spots were on the line to represent Asia in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 in Spain. It was also an opportunity for Filipinos to come out with their full support for the national team which is famously known as Gilas Pilipinas. Filipino basketball fans were not left disappointed as Gilas was able to gain the silver medal which marked the first time the Philippines finished at the podium of the FIBA Asia Championship and secure a ticket to the Basketball World Cup for the first time since 1978 when the country hosted the event. From the early heartbreaking setback against Chinese Taipei, to the chants of "Puso", "Laban Pilipinas" and "Gary" (David) that rained down at the Mall of Asia Arena, to the emotional semi-final victory against long time archrival-tormentor in South Korea, and giving the eventual champions Iran a good fight for the gold. This tournament will always be remembered by a lot of Filipino basketball fans of this generation.

Photo ©Yahoo! Sports

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to watch a single game live at the Mall of Asia Arena during the duration of the tournament, at the same time I have yet to watch a UST game this season. I also made it a point that I won't watch an UST-Ateneo game again this season as three of the four games I've watched live were this matchup. Also, the Philippines was visited by NBA players from LeBron James in July to Kobe Bryant in August. However, there was one event that I was able to come to and that was the NBA 3X event at the Mall of Asia Music Hall where I saw James Harden and Eric Gordon in person. Fortunately, I was wearing an adidas shoe at the venue, and I was able to get a photo signed by Eric Gordon. Even though I didn't end up with an autograph of Harden, I walked away happy and at least I got a photo of him.

Photos ©Karl Carandang

Well, there are still a lot of events coming up, from Derrick Rose coming over to Manila this September to promote for Adidas. As well as the anticipated NBA Global Games Philippines at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 10 as my favorite team the Houston Rockets will battle Eastern Conference finalists the Indiana Pacers in a fun match-up between teams that have loaded up their roster in the off-season as James Harden, Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and the rest of the Rockets will battle the likes of Paul George, Roy Hibbert, George Hill, David West, Danny Granger and the rest of the Pacers. I'm fortunate that I'll bear witness to history in the making as this is the first NBA pre-season game to be held in the country.

As of this moment, our preliminary examinations has yet to come to an end due to the fact that classes have been suspended due to the inclement weather across Metro Manila and nearby provinces. We've already finished four days of exams which also included our mock defense for our Thesis. While some are already done with their exams like my younger brother also in UST, I still have to take two more exams. With every suspension, a day is lost in the preparation time for the competition I'll be competing in next month, at the same time my fear that there will be classes come October 10 could come true.

But then again, safety is above anything else and the fact that we should look after those that were affected by the widespread flooding. We'll get through this tragic moment with our heads up high and the sun will rise again. Of course, I send my prayers to those who were gravely affected by the heavy flooding as well as the sinking of a passenger vessel in Cebu almost a week ago.

In the meantime, I'll do something a Filipino is well know for which is finding happiness in tragic moments by looking back at the Claretian Dictionary from my days in my high school Alma Mater as I write on this Throwback Thursday. Well, the title states that it was time for me to catch up on things and now I did. I hope y'all stay safe and I take a line from the movie 3 Idiots "Aal izz well!"

Laban Pilipinas! Puso!

We will rise again.

K-Smoove