another failed attempt on sleeping early

i was home early last night. i was eating dinner (out) by 9:15, and home by 10:00. 

and just as i looked forward to some actual waking minutes with the family, i find that the house lights are all still out: the family was not yet home ;-)

the intention was to sleep early, before midnight, but again i failed myself. i blame two things: 

1) loula

loula was home alone the whole day, so to make up for her loneliness, i spent about 10 minutes playing fetch, and another 10 resting with her in the 3rd floor sofa (me sitting, her lying down with head on my lap). afterwards, i had to start getting ready for bed so i let her just sleep some more, alternating sleeping positions on the couch and wooden floor.

2) glee

for a change, i turned on the TV and played the glee DVD episodes 1-8 that kristine gave me many weeks ago. i was already somewhere on episode 5, and i thought i'd play it while i took a bath -- just to at least listen to the singing. of course, once i hit play, i couldn't peel my eyes off the screen and ended up having my shower at 12:45am. my dad watched with me as he caught the last episode of the disc.

3) loula again

1am and i finally decided to hit the sack. i was already tucked into my bed when i hear the gates open. knowing how adorably loula can behave once she's sensed that my mom is home, i pull myself out of the bed just to witness her reaction. and indeed, the sound of my mom's voice as she entered the door makes loula jump to her feet and run, as if she wasn't sound asleep 1 minute ago.

i say hello, good night, and go to bed five minutes later.

tips for climbers this christmas!

One week before Christmas!!!! At ngayon pa lang, super kulang na ko sa exercise. Here are some tips from Mr. Horst, our most-read climbing training author ;) Reposted from the Nicros Training Center.

#1 sure is a toughie.....!!!!!!

5 Keys to Effective Offseason Training

As winter bears down on much of the nation, many of us will be limited to pulling down on plywood and plastic. No matter if you climb at a large commercial gym or on a small home wall, the crux of winter-time training is finding ways to elevate your game so that you can enter next season as a stronger, more-skilled climber.

When climbing indoors it is easy to fall into the trap of concentrating singly on max bouldering, lapping the same routes, or less effective yet, social climbing. Transforming yourself into a better climber demands a more intelligent approach in which you enter the gym each time with the intention to train most effectively.

Here are five keys for getting the most out of your indoor climbing sessions.

1. Commit to engaging in a real training program. 

Simply climbing until you get pumped isn’t much of a training program. A real training program has a greater breadth and depth of purpose. Leveraging your self-awareness and intelligence, you must design and engage in a comprehensive, synergistic sequence of warm-up activities, climbing drills, route/problem sends, and a number of specific exercises. It’s very helpful to maintain a training notebook. Plan your workouts, and then go to the gym and work your plan.

2. Identify and train your weaknesses.

The quickest way to improve in climbing is to train-up your weaknesses. Conversely, practicing things at which you already excel (or engaging in the same familiar types of climbs) is a pathway to slow—or no—improvement. Growth comes from challenging yourself, stretching your boundaries, and learning new moves. Most important, you must identify your weaknesses—mental, technical, and physical—and target these weak areas with specific exercises and drills. Ask yourself: What three things are most holding me back on the rock? Write them down, and then develop ways to target each area with training.

3. Strive to improve your technique.

Regardless of the grade you climb, I guarantee that you can climb harder if you strive to refine your technique and quality of movement. The goal is to constantly expand your skill set, reduce technical flaws, seal off energy leaks, and to climb with greater economy. Here’s an excellent technique-training drill that you can use on any indoor or outdoor climb. Pick a climb to ascend repeatedly (over the course of a few sessions, if necessary) with the intention of mastering every move as if it were an Olympic gymnastic routine. Work to discover more efficient moves/sequences, unlock subtle rest positions, and move more precisely and briskly. Strive to maximize use of your feet (visually spotting and feeling each hold), soften your grip, and develop a greater sense of proprioception (feel your center of gravity shift to the optimal position with each new move). Practicing to make perfect is the pathway to excellence, whereas thrashing up a route once, and then moving on to the next climb, is the road to mediocrity.

4. Strengthen the antagonist and rotator cuff muscles.

If you climb long enough or hard enough you will likely incur some sort of sport-specific injury. Fortunately there are exercises you can perform to reduce injury risk. While elbow and shoulder injuries sometimes occur acutely, they are more often the result of muscular imbalance in the arms and around the shoulders. Regular training of the antagonist (push) muscles will help prevent these imbalances. Reverse wrist curls with a 10- or 15-pound dumbbell is a must-do, thrice-a-week exercise for all climbers—if you are not doing these, you are at greater risk of elbow tendinitis. Similarly, performing a couple sets of push-ups, light shoulder presses (use 10- to 30-pound dumbbells), and a few rotator cuff exercises (more on this in a future article) will go a long way toward strengthening and stabilizing your shoulders.

5. Keep the program dynamic and progressive.

Mental burnout, a performance plateau, and injury are often the unintended consequences of engaging in a never-changing training program. Keeping your workouts effective and fun over the long-term demands that you find ways to keep the program fresh, progressive, and on track toward your goals. Consider that while your current modus operandi was successful at propelling you to your present ability level, it will fail to advance you to the next. Elevating your climbing demands that you constantly challenge your mind and body in new ways.

Copyright 2010 Eric J. Hörst. All rights reserved.

sunshine after the rain

two caravans down! and so far, both have proven to be extremely testing and tiring.

nonetheless, there remains a distinct feeling of satisfaction and pride as each one wraps up...

reminds me of TATAK production days back in high school, where everyone works together, suffers and strives together, staying in the campus til late in the evening for rehearsals, night after night after night...down to the actual play dates. the play itself would be nerve-racking, everyone serious and focused....the minutes alternately feeling slow and fast (slow pag easy scenenario, fast pag panic-mode)....until finally, it's curtain call....bow..encore....and we celebrate in the backstage with lots of photo ops (using instamatic cameras pa noon!) and thank Him for a successful event.

oh, getting back :)

here are a few photos from two side trips from Go Negosyo caravans, held November and December in Bataan and Davao, respectively. both series of sleepless nights is topped off by new experiences in new places.

in Bataan, i got to visit Mt. Samat for the first time, where there actually exists a humble museum on events leading to world war II, including of course the death march. there were really interesting articles, photos and artifacts which brought me back to kasaysayan 1 days. it was also only then that I learned that samat's cross actually housed an elevator and a viewing deck. (the photo below with me by the round window is in the cross!) it was a pleasant surprise, getting to go high up to take in the view, and get frozen by the extra cool November breeze. 

in Davao, i got to hang out with a friend who i haven't hung out with in at least 5 years. we started with a few drinks in the evening (hanggang nabawalan na ng alcohol due to the 2am curfew in the city), went back to our separate places to sleep, and met up again by noon to go to Samal Island -- also my first time there! Marja brought me to Aquafun Resort, popular for its 40 meter water slide made of tarpauline, taking one from the mountain slope to the sea.

after some sliding and swimming, we kayaked to take a peek at the Maxima Resort. and before going home, we also did the canopy walk (again, a first for me!) but out of everything, my favorite thing about this sidetrip was the actual chance to visit the island, complete with boat ride (via RORO bus on barge one-way, then actual ride on the ferrt the other way), habal-habal, and of course, the BRIGHT afternoon sun. i didn't know i'd get to ride so many forms of transportation on that one :)

in a few hours, i am heading to daet for the last out-of-town goneg event for the year. i don't think i'll have time to do any sidetrips on this one but....who knows....maybe i'm in for another surprise. ;-) life is good!

PS the photos don't do samal island water's justice. it was so so so nice. and linaw at ang linis niya. even as Marja and I kayaked, just along the coast, we already saw fish jumping in and out of the water. i saw crabs and starfish and LARGE schools of fish. have to go back to snorkle!!! (and get more sun, of course!)

*Waterslide photos not mine...just put them here for your appreciation. Sarap nung slide! I totally wouldn't mind going back. But something to go back for is the Maxima Resort: a 2-storey beach house on stilts, rentable by a group (friends or family), approximately P12,500 per night, good for ten people. Check out http://maxima.psdgroupph.com/ for more info!

**Mt. Samat photos care of Bennette :)

GREAT evening

TGIF. that must've been the parting thought as we wrapped up the go negosyo-pma 1st strategic marketing conference at AIM center. it was around 7pm, as two officemates and i were on our way out the building when lo and behold, i come across an old friend at the AIM center's lobby. 

it was a rather quick but packed chat with genteel. after all i haven't seen this high school friend in YEARS. isa sa mga highlight na lang, at gents pasensya na pero kakaiba talaga yung lebel ng pagka wala mo, ay hindi man lang niya alam na kinasal na si nina at yuklid. hahaha! that particular fact, just how utterly un-updated he was with HS friends, was just one of the things we laughed about. (considering i'm not one to regularly update myself on FB!!!) it was one of those short but sweet meetings, where you're suddenly filled with nostalgia and a grateful feeling that life is is truly filled with pleasant surprises.

as genteel had to rush out, we went separate ways. i walked out to benavidez st then left to paseo de roxas, planning to try my luck at a taxi queue in greenbelt (major challenge on a friday night!) my mind was still on a high on that fun chat i just had, when a girl was rejected by a taxi driver and closed the door on his face. quickly i waved at the driver and asked if he was willing to take me to power plant mall, to which he instantly agreed.

as i settled in the passenger's seat, i chatted the driver up and asked why he rejected the girl before me, and the reason was she needed to go somewhere in C5 which he said was a very dangerous place. checking to see if he was just some paranoid freak, i asked where exactly in C5, and he mentioned an unknown name. hmm. fair enough. 

we sat silent for a while as we cruised along paseo. i smiled looking at the christmas lights already installed on the islands, and my eyes immediately went wide seeing the revamped ayala triangle garden (is that what they call it?) syempre na-senti din naman ako kahit papaano as i used to walk paseo de roxas everyday...so i let the emotions sink in as the lights blurred by.

by the intersection of paseo and makati ave, i asked manong driver to turn on the radio so i could catch up on some news. that request prompted a lively kwetuhan between the driver and myself all the way from makati ave all the way to rockwell. it began with him answering that his radio wasn't working because it got flooded by ondoy. of course i had to ask "saan kayo gumagarahe?", to which he answered cainta. he first asked me where i lived. after finding out i wasn't affected by the typhoon, he went on to relay his amazing adventure on marcos highway: how he and a passenger got stuck on the road; how he called his boss to report that traffic wasn't moving and how his boss instructed him to leave the taxi there, tie it to a street light, and just go home to his family; how the water level reached as high as a highway overpass; how people were stranded on top of mall roofs; how he had to swim all the way masinag with students, office workers -- people of different social classes. 

He spoke of Filipinos' resiliency in times of crises (how some people managed to laugh amidst their long swim to masinag), of some positive outcome of the storm (he has a relative who was relocated in Laguna for a very good deal, being a resident of Tumana), of people being able to survive if they only had courage. We ended the chat when he dropped me off in Powerplant, him saying, "Ay ang kwentuhan natin...God bless!", and me, "Ingat po kayo!"

I arrived at Power Plant ahead of my friends, so I decided to walk around the mall. And though I didn't get to buy anything, I was satisfied by the sheer ability to have TIME to actually stroll around, spot some some possible christmas gifts, eye and feel some fabrics, and try on some shoes. By the end of 15 minutes I was able to list some items in my head to match my Excel matrix of christmas shopping list. :D

Dinner with friends was at Pepper Lunch. afterwards, in true pasyal style, we leisurely walked through the Baker's Fair and got a free taste of Ange's Frozen Brazo (my second one for the night!), did photo poses by the giant yellow christmas tree, and settled into a Starbucks. just chit chat, Lightning Tap, BlowFish, youtube, Toffee Nut Latte, honey glazed donut.

hay. TGIF indeed.

-----------------------

*Photo by Edwin Martinez, spotted here

GREAT morning

second day in a row of the MRT being unbelievably packed. $#*!!@!! what usually takes me 25 to 30 mins to do (go up the station stairs, pass through baggage "inspection", lineup for the turnstyle, wait on ramp, ride from north ave. to boni station) has taken me 45 minutes in the past two days. can someone tell me WHAT IS UP?!?!?!

i get to the office and attempt to accomplish an errand with cebu pacific. i google their contact number and find (+632) 70-20-888. hotline daw. DEYM. ang kapal ng mukha to call it a hotline. hotline kasi mapapaso ka sa asar at hinding-hindi mo na gugustuhing tumawag ulit sa tinding hirap na dadaanan mo para lang makausap ng isang operator. when i tried calling, either it was (a) busy, (b) "sorry, all circuits are busy now...", (c) napuputol pag pinipindot mo na yung number option na kailangan mo, or (d) kung hindi maputol, eh pagaantayin ka ng husto hanggang mandilim na ang paningin mo sa kahihintay. in my case 10 minutes lang yon. (fine, mainipin ako, eh ang expectation ko kasi pag hotline, CONVENIENT ang proseso eh!)

************

so enough of the morning rant. miel's first text to me this morning was pretty interesting.

"good morning. if my life was a song, what would it be?"

hanep sa pang-gising. ;) napaisip tuloy ako. ang hirap kaya nung tanong. ang unang pumasok sa isip ko, at ang sagot ko sa kanya, ay "Hand in my pocket" by Alanis Morissette.

hindi ko pa iniisip ko ano kaya yung sa'kin, pero parang pwedeng "All I Really Want" -- kasi reklamador nga ako, laging nagdedemand, hehe.

fun/random/spontaneous/organized/treasured find

why i enjoy theletter.co.uk:

- how the entries are seemingly not in any order (posted spontaneously/off of the author's whim)...

- but sorted by date (common) and very concisely tagged (unlike my messy blog tags, an utter frustration)...

- making them viewable by date...

- and searchable by key word...

- so properly labelled that the site was among the top results when i Googled "carabiner icon"

- and the content is simply interesting and unique, sometimes thought-provoking

- having categories such as: art, design, fun, music, web design (most popular) as well as bizarre, hardware, gift ideas, typography, well-designed, survey, real life and useful (not as popular but, well, useful)

some finds, but there are many many more to keep you browsing!

usb/flash drive carabiner

cassette tape business card

concept braille phone

inkjet cartridge lampshade (biz idea for our recyclers)

monopoly city streets (i wanna try this! monopoly based on Google maps!)

nintendo controller business card holder (for the gaming geek in you)

stamp map (stamps from around the world arranged in geographic order -- for the geek in ME)

The Flow

I miss the great outdoors. 

Specifically, the exposed cliffs, the wind in my ear, the crisp coldness on my fingers, the thumping of my heart, the delicate balance of push and pull as I move from one hold to the next.

I love how Jeff Jackson described it.....

...we continue to climb not because we’re scared, but because the sport provides an experience of energized focus and full involvement. When you’re in the zone you feel spontaneous joy. Rapture washes your mind and doubt, anxiety and depression are banished. In a word, climbing is a perfect way to access what the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly termed “flow.”

Heart surgeons, improvisational musicians, Formula One racecar drivers and climbers all report experiences of flow. According to Csikszentmihaly, flow is induced by activities with clear goals—that require a high degree of concentration, balance ability and challenge, and provide a sense of control...

Attachment: Picture2.jpg

An exercise on spotting opportunities*

This article was written for business owners, to help them find opportunities amidst day to day operations. But since opportunity-spotting should not be limited to employers alone, how about we all try this out for ourselves, too? To see if we can find new or better ways of doing things. Who knows what change it can bring about in our lives. :)

------------------

Try this for one day.  Pull out a sheet of paper and create three columns.  Call the first column “What happened.”  Call the second column “What it means.”  Call the third column “What else can I create out of this?” 

See how many times you’ve limited your opportunities by coming to a conclusion way too soon about what it means to you, your customers and your business.  More importantly, see how many new and interesting options and strategies you’ve come up with by simply taking the time to think it through.

Remind yourself that YOU are creating your future.  Take the time to recognize what happened and what you made it mean.  Then get to work on creating more profitable and powerful opportunities for your business.

*Sheesh, this title is so GoNegosyo. But what the heck.

lucky me!

"with all that i've done wrong, i must've done something right"

- from the song butterfly kisses* by bob carlisle

1. got sent to india last may for work-related training. and got to visit taj mahal. (my own set of photos still yet to be uploaded, though! linking you to robbie and pamy's first...)

2. received two cool job offers: bayan-anihan and philippine center for entrepreneurship. 

3. am a GRIP alumni -- with full access to all parties. haha! thanks, guys. :D

4. met these strong and fun climbers in yangshuo, who turned out to be sponsored athletes. one was also a photographer, who took my photo and was able to use it for PATAGONIA!!!! (i'm the one in red beside the butterfly!!!! i was so psyched when i found out about this!)

6. given a slot for an upcoming event by the chinese mountaineering association. i'll be off to huguan province, china on Thursday!

7. know a reliable travel agent. rina is the best!!!

8. have a mom who founded chocolate kiss. she went on a vacation over the weekend, so last Friday, i had to receive -- on her behalf, along with Minette our UP branch manager -- an award given by the QC government for being part of the Top Ten Restaurant Trendsetters in Quezon City. this was one of the activities in the QC-na event. grabe, sobrang nakakataba ng puso!!!

9. loved by loula, our family golden retriever. kahit na hindi ako ang pack leader ;) 

10. take part in a beautiful, meaningful wedding. congratulations to my friends nina and yuklid :-) super happy for you guys.

there are more, but if i list them all, this will never end!!! :-D

*super sappy song, but this particular line struck me and has always been tucked away in my mind...

Update - 26 Aug: Photos! Credits: #1 - Robbie's Facebook; #4 - Patagonia website; #10 - Jayjay Lucas

Update - 5 Sept: Photos to China climbing event are up!

hope floats

the title isn't all that fitting, but the movie title just popped into my head. it's really a general feeling of optimism that's kicking in, and the word HOPE was the first thing that came into mind. 

after a climbing / bouldering / stretching-slash-yoga session at TS, i was doing my usual arm-circling exercise to find that i wasn't feeling any pain in my left shoulder. it just sent a huge grin to my face and i couldn't help but jump (two times!!!!) in delight!!! hooray!!!! i'm sure it's not yet in 100% great shape, but it's a progression, right?!? i'm totally keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my rehabilitative approach is working....climbing light, static, making sure that my left shoulder gets a mild burnt feeling after each session (to make sure it got a fair share of work out), do some therapy exercises if the warm feeling isn't there, stretch before and after climbing, get enough rest.....it's probably been about four weeks of doing this already....so i'm hoping it's actually taking effect!!!!

then later on, while sitting on the toilet (sa bahay na 'to ha, hindi na sa TS!), i caught sight of my toes, all dried and calloused. of course, i ended up peeling the whites off, and smiled in all insane-solitary-glory for being so perked up by dry skin on my unwashed feet. 

there is more to come :)

*Photo courtesy of Mikey Schafer

Good morning read. Some hopeful vibe...

Fine Line
By Alison Osius
From the Rock & Ice Tuesday Email Blast

I hurt my finger on Derek’s problem this spring. Then lately I got sick, I don’t know with what—it must have been swine-bird-Hong-Kong flu, ebola. It hung on for two enervating weeks.
So I wasn’t so sure when I went up Defenseless Betty, but with a toprope on it, what the heck.
I love that climb. A long 12a up an overlap and steep groove on a soaring wall at Rifle, it is consistently difficult all the way up. It also is, for me, the perfect gauge. If in reasonable shape, I am solid on it. I have done it many, many times. Unfit, I can fall anywhere and everywhere on the route.
Whenever I haven’t been climbing—whether for weeks or months—I think of resuming as a three-day process. The first day your muscles feel, overall, twangy, sustaining a fine shake. The climbing moves feel hesitant and separate. By day two, you are already much better. The twang subsides, you relax, and even feel a little flow. By day three, you’re OK. Not strong, but having fun. You have momentum again, and eagerness—wanting to try this or that climb, instead of being abashed.
My friend Hugh Herr used to call it “old muscles.” He meant that in the nicest way: When you’ve been climbing a long time, he’d say, it doesn’t take long to get it back. Something, anyway. Enough.
The best story is that of Jerry Moffatt, who blew out his elbows, underwent surgery, and then emerged from his long layoff to go bouldering with some other leading Brit climbers, Ben Moon and Ben Masterson, and was aghast to find he could not even do single moves they were linking. Poor Jerry, they thought. It must be terrible to be so shit.
“And two weeks later he was back burning us off!” (You can also find the incident in the memoir Revelations.)
----
So last weekend was my second day out, or second day in some weeks. At day’s end, I hopped on the Betty, secretly hoping to eke it out, but I’d say I pretty much fell everywhere, because even at the places where I didn’t, I almost did. Anyway, I dropped off the crux a couple of times. Then remembered some beta and proceeded, but, now thrashed, hung again above.
As I dangled morosely, a movement just below startled me. Someone I knew, a friend actually, emerged leftwards around the corner into the groove 10 feet below on the same route.
He laughed and said words to the effect of, "Sorry, Alison, I didn't think you'd still be here." 
Well, I am. So get your ass out of here. 
He ducked back around to a rest. I bestirred myself and heaved grumpily to the chains.
But, really, when we flop, who cares but us?
----
So I climbed a few more days, and then last week went away on vacation. Took my kids to see my family in Maryland, and then we journeyed with a dear friend, whom I have known since we were 14 and I was new at a school, to the Delaware shore. My friend has been quite sick and I had written asking to see her.
I had taken the week off work, she got the week off from chemo, and we all, plus a few more, stayed at another friend’s grandly funky old beach house.  We talked on the sand in beautiful breezy weather, and ate peach pie. The thin calluses rolled off my fingertips in itchy strips, and I didn’t care a bit.
----
I returned home on Friday, went climbing with another longtime friend on Sunday.  It was a nice day, Tracy and I laughed a lot, and I got on another climb I try to do every year,  figuring it was probably hopeless, but interested just because I really love that route. At the crux I realized I was still OK, and thought, “Why don’t you just do it?” and then clipped the anchors, ridiculously pleased. Which is silly. The line between doing and not doing is so fine. It is almost luck sometimes, or so I have always thought.

Will not, must not, ever again, procrastinate. Makes me feel like a criminal*

...Dont you tell me to deny it,
Ive done wrong and I want to
Suffer for my sins.
Ive come to you cause I need
Guidance to be true
And I just dont know where I can begin.

What I need is a good defense
cause Im feelin like a criminal.
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I sinned against...

*Lines from "Criminal" by Fiona Apple

 

ahhhh, it's good to be alive

this morning i woke up to a some very familiar body pains: pumped forearms, ripped skin, cracking shoulders, sore upper back muscles, tight abs.

then there were the not-so-familiar ones: extra sore lower back muscles, worn triceps, heavy and tired thighs, scratched legs, bruised hips and bruised palms.

let's climb and skate!

"Small world"

It’s something I hear a lot -- especially as I am *ack* growing older -- and something I find myself (guiltily) saying too often.

But seeing these photos…how can I dare say it’s a “small world” now?

I wish I am always conscious of how gigantic and magnificent this world is. And even more, of how humble and extra assertive I should be, considering how miniscule a particle I am in the grand scheme of things.

 

Closer still to Sarychev Peak Volcano, pyroclastic flows can be seen tumbling down its slope (lighter clouds, bottom). Also visible is a closer view of the condensation cloud or "pileus", formed by the rapidly rising plume. (NASA/JSC) # [Google map]

 

The sun glints off Lake Poopó in Bolivia. Lake Poopó is a 1,000 sq km saline lake lying 3,686 meters above sea level. (NASA/JSC) # [Google map]

 

Lago Nansen, amongst the Andes Mountains in Argentina. (NASA/JSC) # [Google map]

 

Thanks to the astronauts orbiting the International Space Station for these amazing photos. Taken from The Big Picture, as seen from Good Magazine.

as

thinking ahead vs. counting down

another case of glass half-full and half-empty. is this a good thing or a bad thing?

i realized that i automatically keep track of….

…number of minutes from office to buendia mrt, from buendia to east ave, from east ave to home
…number of minutes saved if I eat dinner in the car
…number of hours of sleep left if I sleep by this time
…number of tasks that need to be done before i call it a day
…number of tasks that i will not get to do for the day, and have to wait til tomorrow
…number of tasks i will still not get to do tomorrow, and have to wait til next week
…number of red flags in my mail server
…number of calls to be made
…number of nights left til the next presentation
…number of days left til the next paycheck
…number of weeks til the next vacation leave / long weekend

sigh. whatever happened to “it’s about the journey, not the destination?”

Mondays, post long-weekend

Must. Pull. Myself. Together.

April 21, 2009, Zest Air Flight 838

To the Pilot and Cabin Crew of Zest Air Flight 838,

Thank you for a very memorable journey. You guys really made the most out of our P488 fare from Cebu to Manila. Imagine, we spent almost three whole hours in what was supposed to be just a 1-hour, 15-minute flight! How's that for maximizing air travel?

Do you remember how the trip went? No? Well let me refresh your memories…

We were supposed to depart from the Mactan International Airport at 09:45 AM. Unfortunately, our plane which was coming from Manila arrived late, so we had a 45-minute delay and departed Cebu past 10:30 AM.

After 45 minutes of flying from Cebu to Manila, the Pilot announced that we couldn’t land as the runways were full. Apparently, there was already a line, and we were a far 15th on the list. Groans already fell from passengers when this was announced, but there wasn’t really anything people could do but wait.

And wait the people did. A little too calmly for my taste, if you as me. We waited until the speakers finally cracked again, and pilot announced that since we were circling the air for 30 minutes, our fuel ran low and we would have to – wait for it – GO TO CLARK TO REFUEL.

Amazing, right?

Yes, my friends and I couldn’t believe our ears with this news. By that time, the whole flight had already experienced 1.5 hours worth of delay, and we were going to go through even more. And in you even made the bad news more impactful by washing your hands clean about the runway traffic saying “it’s not your fault” and that there was an “unannounced shutdown” of the terminal which resulted in the unexpected queue in landing. Bravo! You sure know how to add insult to injury.

And did you notice that the time was 12:30 PM when this was all happening? And you didn’t even offer to serve snacks or even an extra pack of Zest-O to your passengers who were forced to skip lunch because of the lapse in your service? Masters of service you are.

Going back to the story…So transfer to Clark we did. We landed. We refueled – all the while on our respective seats, restricted from all use of electronics. Remember how you didn’t make us get off the plane which I heard was supposed to be SOP? i.e., no refueling with passengers on board.

We were able to take off from Clark and land in Manila without any further hitch. But, it turns out, the journey wasn’t over. I know, silly me, I should've anticipated the extra surprises. There was more traffic on the runway, which added another 15 minutes of taxi-ing to the old Domestic Terminal.

In the Baggage Claim area, we spent another good 20 minutes or so, as the carousel where we were told to wait was spurting out baggage that belonged to a different flight. It was quite amusing, seeing hoards of people doing the cha-cha from one carousel to the other, trying to figure out by themselves on where the heck they can possibly get their bags.

Amidst it all, I heard on the speakers a terminal attendant calling the attention of “any Zest Air representative” to help them sort out the confusion with the baggage. Hmmm. Looks like your staff was MIA in its own terminal?

Yes, it was a memorable 3 hours indeed. It was packed with anxiety, stress, frustration and confusion – classic elements of an adventure. Except that, we missed out on the good parts. Truly a refreshing experience from Asia’s most refreshing airline.

I do not wish anyone else to go through this hassle, so I hope you will remember this experience and avoid from it happening again. If some delays or other “unannounced” occurrences are beyond your control, then please do something about what is within your control: That is, treating your passengers well.

Apologize. Don’t put the blame unto others (or at least, save yourselves from getting into that defensive position.) Inform passengers of what caused the delay. Keep them updated on what will happen next and how long these things will take. And for crying out loud, address the grumbling stomachs! This is not even going the extra mile. Doing something more than saying “sorry” is the bare minimum for being in a service industry.

Yours truly,
Ina

The disappointment that was

KFC Cheezy BBQ Melt

Ang sarap pa naman ng itsura sa commercial. Ang sarap ng itsura sa poster at iba pang collats. Kahit website nila (kuna saan ko nakuha ang picture na to), ang ganda ng kulay. Parang saktong-sakto ang pagka-tusta ng pita, pulang-pula ang kamatis, at contrast sa oozing yellow cheese at golden brown chunks ng original recipe chicken, na siksik na siksik sa bawat isang slice.

At pagkatapos ng ilang linggong paghihintay, nakadaan din ako ng KFC para masubukan ang prduktong to. Lo and behold...

It was a disappointment for me because...

(1) unang tingin pa lang, ang layo na. Nasan ang kulay ng tostadong pita?!

(2) pag hila ko nung first slice, pati ang beautiful colors ng tomato, cheese and chicken, non-existent. bland, bland.

(3) soggy all the way. yung tortilla chip sa loob makunat. yung keso malabnaw.

(4) matabang. nothing barbecue about it. kahit cheese matabang (parang watered-down nga...)

 

Yun lang. Nakaka disappoint lang. 

Truth in advertising man lang sana. or, consistency sa pagtrain ng mga tauhan 

-- baka sablay lang dun sa branch na binilhan ko, at hindi naman kasing sama sa iba.

*sorry blurred, camera phone lang.

parting words from the paribas open

i enjoy reading interview transcripts. eeeek. this is probably the researcher in me....but anyway...just wanted to share some from the post-match interviews in the recently-concluded BMP Paribas Open where rafael nadal once again snatched the Men's Singles title.

***

....wondering what roger means when he says his and andy murray's fitness levels are different, but he doesn't feel the "age factor"...

Q. It's four times now that you've played him at one set all and come away behind in three set matches. What makes the difference?
ROGER FEDERER: Fitness. I'm old. He's young, you know. Makes a huge difference. No, I mean, those are best of three set matches. I think in the last few matches I always felt Andy came on strong, as the match went on, you know. This time was different. I think I played well in the second. Forced the issue a bit more and then played a shocking third set. It was one of those matches where it was very up and down from both ends, and today the better player won.

Q. You brought up that you were old. Do you feel the age factor?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I don't.

***

....one match at a time...admitting errors, but not getting stuck....always looking at the possibilities, not the potential upsets....minds of champions!!!

Q. I know you've answered this before, but why would you think winning the Grand Slam would be almost impossible, given that you've won Roland Garros four times and Wimbledon, the Australian on hard courts. You've won this twice. Is it because the year is so long, or are you just being modest that you think it's impossible for anybody?
RAFAEL NADAL: I gonna answer another time the same, no? I think when you start the tournament, you start from the first round. When I go to the tournament, I play first round and I don't know if I gonna win.
You never know what's going on in two months, in five months, in seven months. So it's very difficult to play during all the year at the same level, your best level.
Anyway, if I am playing at my best level, if Murray has a good day, he has a good chance to beat me or Federer or Djokovic or a lot of players.
So every tournament is really tough. And you are thinking a Grand Slam. Maybe it's tougher, too. Playing five sets maybe help a little bit the top players to have the better results because you have, well, more time.
But anyway, it's almost impossible. That's my feeling. I would love to have the Grand Slam. My feeling, is yeah, almost impossible.

***

Q. Do you recall struggling that much with your backhand in a long time?
ROGER FEDERER: Ah, yeah, I have those moments quite frequently.

Q. How disappointed? Are you disappointed? What's the mood? What's the feel?
ROGER FEDERER: Two minutes after the match I don't know. You know, you're just like disappointed a bit, but it was a decent tournament. Not the greatest of all time, but it was all right.
I still had high hopes for today, so I have to look forward. Hopefully I'll play well in Miami.

***

...lost in translation again! si rafa talaga nakakatawa....

Q. You seem to play every point as if it were an adventure, like something new and fun.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think so. (Laughter.)
No, no, no. I think I'm a serious player.

Q. I didn't mean you're not serious.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think my game is serious, like one time I go to the net. I think I play really similar points.
I try to have the control of the point with the forehand. That's the normal point on me. Serve, I have the control of the point on the forehand. Not one time go to the net, and another time, dropshot.
It's not like an adventure. That's my feeling. I don't know what you're saying.

Keep on pushing...

This guy is a god!!!! Nakaka-inspire. Hindi siya nauubusan, kahit ilang taon na....Ibang klase. This is the stuff every person is SUPPOSED to made of....Pero hindi ko alam paano to maa-achieve....Share ko lang, sana ma-inspire din kayo :)....

From ROCK & ICE'S ONLINE MAGAZINE....


SHARMA CRANKS YET ANOTHER 5.15


Yes, again. On February 20, Chris Sharma finished the first ascent of Demencia Senil (5.15a) in Margalef, Spain. Sharma has tucked another 5.15a and two 5.15b redpoints under his belt in the last year alone

Sharma has been climbing for 14 years, and  that’s a very long time to be at the top of a brutal game. Shredded shoulders, rolled ankles, and snapped tendons have ended many a season. In a sport where mental tenacity is as important as muscle, the added pressure of sponsors, competition, and the climbing limelight have driven still more climbers off the radar. Sharma has been pushing himself for a dozen years and shows no signs of letting up.

His first route at his local gym, Pacific Edge, was a 5.10b. Not bad for a 12-year-old kid, but not hugely impressive. Two years later, he won Nationals in bouldering, and a year after that, he established the country’s first 5.14c, Necessary Evil in the Virgin River Gorge. His ticks since then are essentially a list of the hardest and most famous routes and problems in the world. The Mandala (V12), Realization (5.15a), Witness the Fitness (V15), Dreamcatcher (5.14d), Three Degrees of Separation (5.14d), La Rambla Direct (5.15a), Es Pontas (5.15a/b), Papichulo (5.15a), Jumbo Love (5.15b), Golpe de Estado (5.15b), and now Demencia Senil.

Currently living in Spain, putting up one hard sport route after another, Sharma’s newest line may be named after senile dementia, but judging from his performances in the last 12 months, old age is a very, very long way off.

Photo credit: Pete O'Donovan, from Daila Ojeda's blog

Eye openers from the Australian Open

Watching another Federer-Nadal match made me realize something: I'm predisposed to root for the underdog.

Ever since Nadal started becoming a threat to the Swiss champion, I've always cheered Nadal on, wanting him SO much to win simply because I wanted to see someone new on top. Federer has been breezing through the tournaments, majors

 or not, and it would've been just refreshing to find someone else to receive the first prize. And I couldn't see anyone else more deserving of that glorious position than Nadal, given his improving performance match after match, year after year. He deserved to win with all his hard work!!!

But since Roger's loss on grass last year, the tables ha

ve turned. And in this Australian Open, I was whispering my prayers for Roger.

...

So it was another dramatic Federer-Nadal final.

I wouldn't say it was as epic as their Wimbledon encounter (none of those stupid rain delays!), but just as amazing nonetheless, simply because the

y are possibly the only two who can endure the long

est rallies and conjure the most out-of-this-world winners at the same time! And what made it quite a show was really the suspense, because you could never say who would seal each set. First set pa lang, they broke each other twice! Roger's serves kept giving him aces -- on the other hand, he had lots of double faults and missed f

irst serves as well! There were moments when Rafa's groundstrokes would consistently be long, causing him to lose point after point...only to find that Roger would later commit even more unforced errors.

Though the thought had been scratching at the back of my mind since Roger's loss in the 3rd set tiebreak, it was really only in the last set when I

 finally recognized it and started to lose hope. Roger was just really unable to win the crucial points. He had A LOT of chances to break Nadal in the games leading up to the tiebreak, but Rafa was just relentless. Roger was superb in mixing up the shots and the plays -- and executed them really well! -- but Rafa always had that extra energy to run and hit back, much to Roger's surprise almost every time!

I was still hoping and praying in the final set...cou

nt on me to not give up...but what can I say? It seems the pressure has caught up Federer. And  it was such a sorry sight. From the moment of loss to the awarding ceremony where he literally choked up and cried, I couldn't help but shed a few tears as well. I love Rafa and admire his discipline and still-accumulating-skill and believe that he deserves this win, but I can't help but feel deep sympathy for Roger.

Like I said, I'm predisposed to root for the under

dog. So even if the Greatest Players Of  All Time were putting their bets behind Federer on this match, I've always felt that the mental/emotional battle is always the toughest, which was why I saw him as the one with the bigger disadvantage. Nadal had all the reason to be confident and empowered -- he had been winning all his recent matches and swimming in great reviews. Federer, on the other hand, had been struggling to reach the final rounds. Add to that the various pressures...Internally, he's af

ter the 14th grand slam title to tie Pete Sampras' record; he used to dominate Nadal on the hard court surface; he'd like to redeem himself in the same tournament where he first one a major grand slam. Externally, people can't pick any better opportunity for Federer to rise to the challenge given Nadal's "disadvantage" of being tired from the Verdasco semi-final, and Nadal's first time in the Australian Open finals.

It was hard not to feel for Roger. Especially sinc

e he is such a distinguished, calm man, never flinching in his game and interviews, no matter how daunting the challenges are. But I guess we all have are moments of weakness. When we can no longer pretend to be strong and together. And in times like these, we just have to let the moment be, and allow the people around us to comfort us and share their strength. Like Rafa so graciously and humbly said, "I really know how you feel. But remember -- you are one of the best players of the history and you

 are going to improve the 14 of Sampras. It is always a pleasue to play you and best of luck for the rest of the year."

Now, it is just a matter of Roger believing in himself as much as others believe in him. Maybe, hopefully, that will make all the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Photos from http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html