Tips on being a successful quiz bee competitor!

A few months ago, one reader of this blog left a comment on this blog asking for tips on competing in quiz bees. However, I just read the comment a few weeks ago. I left my advice, but I have no idea if she was able to read it. So in this blog entry, since I'm a person who is happy to share things, I'll give you some of my tips to be successful in quiz bee competitions.

1. PASSION!

The most important of them all! You have to give everything you have whenever you're up competing in these competitions. You must love the feeling of competing, as it is always an honor whenever you carry the name of your school. Few people are given a chance to do so, The drive must come from within yourself, not from the people around you. As proven in any endeavor in life, pursuing  your passion will go a long way!

2. You don't have to necessarily be the TOPNOTCHER to compete.

Most of the times, those who are leading their classes will be picked to compete in quiz bees. Unfortunately, sometimes the lack of passion to compete in these kind of competitions leads to poor results in competition. 

On my own experience, I wasn't in the Top 50 of our batch for the entire duration of my college life. Fortunately, my coach back then, did dug deep into our batch to find me. I even had the notion that there are a lot of people better than me to compete since on paper I'm not the best student around. Yet I seized the opportunity and the rest was history! If you're in the same situation as I was, do seize the opportunity.

There is always a significant difference between being good grades-wise and being good competition-wise.

Of course, convincing your teachers is always important. You should come out to them and express your desire in competing. As long as you have #1 and the willingness to learn beyond the things taught in classroom. You will put up a good fight every time to compete.

3. Learn something NEW every day, go beyond the books in class!

Yes! Questions that may come out on the quiz bee aren't always based on textbooks or powerpoint presentations presented in class. It may come out from other sources. Keep yourself updated even on weekends! Go check out the news every single day and read other books that aren't discussed in class. Who knows? It may come out come competition day and could be the difference from falling short or bask in glory.

4. Have the presence of mind to learn new things that you know will be tackled in your future studies.

Say for example you're a second year student, most of the topics in a competition per say will be topics you know will be tackled in either your third or fourth year of your studies. People would tend to be discouraged to learn things beyond their years. However, in the lead-up to the competition, you have to be ready to learn these things. Take every opportunity to learn these things. It will also be beneficial for you as you will gain an advantage in your class when you will be tackling these lessons/information you learned in training.

5. Your school academics is always a priority, yet devote enough time for preparing for the competition.

Competing in quiz bees will never be a top priority over your academic performance in school. It is important to maintain a good standing in class. However, do allot enough time, time where you'll be comfortable, where you will set aside your academics and prepare wholeheartedly for competing in quiz bees.

6. If you're competing as a team, get to know each and every one's specialties.

In team competitions, in order to build team chemistry, you have to know to which parts your teammate is good at and things they need to improve on. Let them focus on the things they're strong at, while you focus on all your assets. If there are some topics where every one on the team needs to improve on, learn it together! 

Doing things beyond training like going on a simple lunch together can do wonders to build team chemistry. I'm sure it applies to all aspects of life. Travel, Sports, Career, Business, etc.  

7. In competition, savor the moment!

Pressure kills and will be the difference between success and failure in competition. On competition day, come in composed, relaxed and see everything as you have nothing to lose! If you don't win a place, that's alright. Treat it as a learning experience for you to get better so you can come back next time swinging. Savor every moment! Imagine, you're the one representing the hopes and dreams of an institution. Few people are given the opportunity to do so! If you got a question right, that's great. If you got a question wrong, drop it right away but do remember it back after the competition. 

Getting a place is a bonus! Ending up as the champion is a blessing! What's important win or lose is that at the end of the day, you know you put up a good fight!

8. Lastly, be thankful and stay humble!

Be thankful to your teachers who gave you the opportunity to compete regardless if you win or lose. Be thankful to your family and friends who came out to support your endeavor.

If you do win! You can enjoy the moment! Bask in the glory of your victory! But at the end of the day, be a humble pie.

These tips I give to you all, you can take it or leave it away. However, if you will be given an opportunity to be in the same shoes as I am. Remember, that winning isn't everything, you'll learn in defeat to be a better guy. As a quote goes "Fall seven times, stand up eight!"

To those, who love to be in the same shoes I am, I do wish you all the best in all of your endeavors!

Giving back,
K-Smoove

Meeting the man behind Pacific Rims and Pinoy Hoops.

I was browsing through Facebook, when I saw an invite to an event for Tuesday, when I read it, I was pumped up! Because the man behind the book "Pacific Rims" and the National Geographic Channel documentary "Pinoy Hoops" Rafe Bartholomew is coming back to the Philippines for a book signing at his old stomping grounds while he was in the country to write his book in the Katipunan area of Quezon City.

So with no hesitation, I went half-day for work on Tuesday, took the LRT from UST to Katipunan and I went straight to the venue which was Gino's Brick Oven Pizza just across the campuses of Miriam College and Ateneo de Manila University. Since I didn't have lunch prior to getting there, I took time to eat my lunch there, and their pizza was very delicious and I'd be happy to come back if given the chance. Then at mid-day the man finally arrived. When the book signing was about to start, a crew from ABS-CBN came along with former UST courtside reporter Tina Marasigan to conduct an interview with Rafe, which took awhile. Afterwards, the owner of the place who happens to be a close friend of Rafe opened up the day with a question and answer part. I threw in a question to him where I asked about the chances of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. Where the best case is that they'll get to pass the second round while the worst case is that they fail to win a game in the tournament, but he also said the team could be one of the darlings of the tournament. I also happen to give him a suggestion on a possible second season of Pinoy Hoops where they should look at the college game, not only limited to the UAAP and NCAA, but also to other parts of the country where I mentioned Cebu who also has a rich basketball history.

Afterwards, the book signing began. Since I came in first, I got to have my copy of his book Pacific Rims signed up first. Since I happen to follow him on Twitter, I was surprised he read this blog especially my articles about Gilas Pilipinas and my NBA Global Games experience. He also happens to know my obsession for the Houston Rockets, which gave a huge smile on my face. Best part of it all was we got to converse in Filipino of which he's fluent for a little while.

 Photos ©Karl Carandang

So I'd like to thank Sir Rafe Bartholomew for the opportunity to finally meet you in person. I am looking forward to the day we cross paths again. Thank you for all the inspiration that you gave this kid who loves basketball and sports a lot. I also forgot to tell you that I'm a lefty just like you are that's why I came in very inspired.

It was a unique experience for myself, I really hope that my friends can come in and jump the train with me the next time he comes back.

Inspiration comes full swing.

K-Smoove

Capping off the greatest ride of my life.

I never saw it coming. I never expected I'd be embarking on what would become one of the best two day stretches of my life. Because prior to it all, I never expected that much. I knew I wasn't able to prepare well enough for what I will embark and pursue to accomplish. But I know this will be my last ride, capping off a great run I had the past two years. Yet, for those two days, everything happened like it was a good night's dream.

It all began on a Friday, February 28 at the Our Lady of Fatima University campus in Lagro, Quezon City. I took a short bus ride from my home to get there, and it would be the first time I will meet the rest of the team who will be there with me competing at the 2014 UFTE Cup. In last year's tournament, together with some of my classmates and batchmates, we competed at the Treston International College campus in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. I finished second in the quiz bee competition, losing valiantly to a better man from De La Salle University-Dasmariñas. In the lead-up to the biggest final test I will have competing as an individual, I saw some familiar faces and saw new ones. Winning it all wasn't in my head. I'd just wanted to put up a great fight. Then almost mid-day, the competition began. I fought against 28 fellow students from colleges and universities across the Philippines. It was a tightly contested contest, I didn't knew where I am standing with the rest of them during the entire course of the competition. When the dust settled, the scores came out, and I won it! by three points over the lady and a good friend of mine from Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila Lorraine Padilla who beat me in the PHILTOA Quiz Bee last year. I never saw it coming. It was an emotional victory for me as it was the first and only time I won a competition as an individual.

Then more blessings came along for our team, as the Tour Packaging pair of Angela Sonico and Janelle Payumo from class 3T1 won also, while the Domestic Tour Guiding participant Danica Esquilona also from 3T1 won. While Dan Quiaoit and Miya Morelos put up a good fight in their International Tour and Kasuotang Pinoy competitions respectively. The cherry on the ice cream is that we won second place in the overall standings which was won by Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila who won for the second straight year.

Then the following day, with less rest coming into the next competition as the program last night finished unfashionably late into the night. I went in again, took a ride from home to the DENR Building also in Quezon City for the last competition I will embark on, the UP Club for the Environment & Tourism Domestikwhiz 2014. We were coming in as the defending champions where I was also a part of the team which won last year. The team this year, is a bit different from the team I started with the year, since both of them from the original team were unable to go since they were coming off a trip from South Korea. So I came in with a team composed of myself, Camilla de Guzman and Lia Tani both from class 2T3. This year's competition is smaller than previous years as only 6 schools competed. We struggled out of the gates to start the competition, we had a tough time as our competitors gained ground on us. But we were able to do enough to get into the final round with 3 schools competing. We were happy that we will get a place at the end of the day, then in the final round, we made our move. We were able to recover all lost ground, when it all was said and done! We defended the title! It was a special feeling for me to defend a championship we won. We never saw it coming, yet we were there on top of the mountain once again!

Photo ©Karl Carandang

With that great run I had over these two wonderful days, my run as a quiz bee competitor for the University of Santo Tomas - College of Tourism and Hospitality Management came to an end. At the end of it all, the statline I compiled over the last two years:

1-time semi-finalist

1-time Third Placer

2-time Runner-Up (both as an individual)

5-TIME CHAMPION (4 as a group, 1 as an individual)

(4-0 when a competition was held in my hometown of Quezon City)

These would have not been possible without the help of the CTHM Administration led by Dean Tio Cuison, Sir Win Medina, Sir Granado as well as Fr. Roy Rodriguez our Regent who gave me the opportunity to compete not only for the college but for the university. To all my coaches over the years, Ma'am Connie Ang, Ma'am Tin Fajardo, Ma'am Amy Turaray, Ma'am Jane Devanadera, Ma'am Karla Colmenar for giving us the wisdom in all our endeavors during the times we competed, and a special mention to Ma'am Joreen Rocamora (who's now in De La Salle Lipa) for believing in a guy who wasn't even in the Top 50 of the batch to compete on the biggest of these stages. To all my classmates, my 4T5 family who have been there to cheer me on even if they're not in body to be at all my competitions, to my fellow batchmates who will graduate soon, to the people who I joined this journey in, my teammates over the years Ate Kriskyn Cabrera, Ate Marian Buenaventura, Chamille Mercado, Miah Kogami, Camilla de Guzman and Lia Tani. To my family who supported me from the very beginning. And lastly, to God for all the blessings I got over this two-year stretch.

So with all of that, the greatest ride of my life comes to an end. 

This has been Karl Carandang, competing for UST-CTHM signing off.

The ride ends with a bang!

K-Smoove

The Marsman Chronicles.

Well, it's been a long time since I've been able to write on this blog, primarily because of the experience I'll be sharing with you today with this blog entry right now.

Now, why is it called "The Marsman Chronicles", because this entry is about my experience as an practicum trainee (on-the-job trainee) at Marsman Drysdale Travel Inc. at their UST Inplant office inside the Albertus Magnus Building, so yeah for my internship, I never left the building and the UST campus.

It all began in November where 2 weeks after I went there for the interview, I was finally brought in to train there. 2 weeks later, my co-trainee Denise arrived. At first, we learned the basics from telephone etiquette, browsing e-mails of past work, and simple tasks like reorganizing file cases and all those things. Then came the complex part of the work. For the entire course of my internship, I worked on the Mock Tour Guiding from itinerary proposal to calling and replying to suppliers for the trip. I also got to do a little bit of airline reservation like getting into the stream of Galileo and Abacus CRS (computer reservation system). Then I also did a little bit of documentation for passporting (new applicants and renewals) as well as visa processing primarily to South Korea as we had two groups that went there this semester. However, my primary work was being the back office of the in-plant recording transactions on a daily basis as well as using my capabilities at the computer especially in Adobe Photoshop to design ID's and luggage tags which were used on the trip.

Primarily my internship was a great experience for me personally and professionally. It was a fun working environment while there and I enjoyed coming to work every time. However, there were times where it wasn't smooth sailing. There was a time I could have been booted out midway through it all, because of our lack of good performance. But, both of us interns worked our hardest and did a good job as the days passed on!

After 75 working days, the Chronicles came to an end yesterday. So I would first like to thank Mr. Albert Ricacho who was there from the very beginning of my internship until the end, for being a great motivator at the work place. It was fun working with you there. To Ms. Jenny Ylarde for also giving me the inspiration in tough times. To Ms. Lady Lou Pangilinan, once our supervisor for pushing us to do our best at the workplace. As well as to my co-intern Denise, we worked and complimented each other well. Lastly, to the company itself for giving us a complete hands-on experience on the inner workings of the tourism industry.

Photo ©Karl Carandang

It is finished!

K-Smoove

P.S. Sorry I can't share all photos during my internship.

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