Snowboarding rocks

It took me two years to figure out whether to do this sport. The usual apprehensiveness came up, it's too expensive, I'm gonna get really badly injured doing it and will I really enjoy it? Doesn't really seem to be my thing.

So finally, I decided to take lessons to just try it out up at Grouse on the first week of January. I had 4 sessions every Saturday and it was complete with falls, bumps and bruises. To top it all off, I was one of the people that didn't catch on it as quickly as the others.

Despite all that however, I was already having so much fun and this was becoming a sport I really looked forward to doing every winter. Now, I can officially say I am addicted. Got all the gear and thankful that I got friends (thanks Karno) to help me learn, and Aldo and Pia who also gave me individual instruction when I was still learning, and Aldo, the ever passionate one, pushing me as if I was going to eventually go to competition or something... hahahaha

The payoff is great, look below at the videos and pictures I took from my phone. You get to enjoy the view and watch other good people ski and board. On top of all that, you meet a lot of great people doing it.

If you have facebook, you will need to go to my original blog to view the videos below as it won't show up through facebook.



Karno, a passionate snowboarder of 18 years, is enjoying the view up on the mountain. This is what I have been missing figuring out whether do it or not! Karno is a real good guy to go boarding with as he gives great individual instruction and also tries to raise the bar as Aldo does.


A short 5 second clip, but you can see the reflection Karno's board made on the snow.


And a few

photos from facebook:

There was also the FIS Snowboard championship that was held on Cypress and here is another video I took on the phone. Karno has great pictures up on his facebook but again there are restrictions to who can view these photos.

Video:

The Holiday Christmas Ham Ceremony

Every year we have this ceremony with the same pictures and pose... This is what we call, the Ham ceremony with the relatives. Featuring, Tita Tayin and Tito Manoling

Ham 08

Snowed out

Just when you think it was going to stop, yes the snow keeps on in Vancouver.



Link to the above Youtube clip

Click here to see a slideshow of how much snowfall we got here

We pretty much broke the record of heaviest snowfall in Vancouver, but in eastern Canada, this may be normal for them. Unlike them, however, we are not prepared for snowfall like this. We have less snowplows, and even less people with the right vehicle/skills to drive around the snow.

On that note, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, and drive safely out there.

Bamboo concert

Sunday November 25th - The former frontman of Rivermaya came to Vancouver with his own band called Bamboo. And boy was it an awesome concert! I only had one album of his and that was his first, but I instantly fell in love with his type of music.

You know what the amazing thing is? I thought he would play most songs from his new band, but in fact, most of the songs were from his days at Rivermaya. Everyone loved it as this brought back so many memories for many people.

If I can remember right, here were some of his songs at Rivermaya which he played:

1) Elesi
2) Kisapmata
3) Ulan
4) Hinahanap hanap kita - this has got to be my favorite Rivermaya song of all time!
5) 214 - Another one of my favorites!

His songs from his own band:

1) Noypi (Pinoy Ako)
2) Hallelujah
3) Masaya - Love this song!
4) Mr Clay - another one!

And some which I cannot remember at this moment. Another amazing thing about this concert was that I saw some people who enjoyed the concert who were not even filipino. I could see them grooving and genuinely liking the music, headbanging and all. I noticed they heard Mr Clay which they knew the words by heart and sang it all the way through. His music really crosses continents.

They're coming to Toronto so you guys better not miss them!!!!!

Never ever give up

Some inspirational quotes to live by...

http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/efficacynotgiveup.html

First day

Well it was my first day in a new job as an Assistant Accountant and it went well I thought. There was a lot of work to be done, and what I did today is probably around 10-20% of what I will be doing (invoicing). And you know what? I say bring it on! I tell you, I must be in the right field because it is tedious work but I am really liking it so far. My friend is giving me one month to get sick and tired of it. If it was a bet, I would be a millionaire by now.. hee hee...

The people and the work environment was really nice. I am like Dilbert. I have a cubicle, although unlike Dilbert, my cubicle has a lot of space. I report directly to the Accountant (hence, assistant) and he is a pretty cool guy. So far at least. That is a real good sign.

My cousin brought up a good point. He says that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I'm so used to jobs that required "sprinting". The mindset has to change, and I feel this is more suited to what I want.

In around three weeks, I will get to see the gamut of tasks I have to do everyday and find ways to get every if not most of it done. Until then, I will just keep learning and do my best. That's the only thing I can control - how hard I work and how smart I work at it.

It feels great to have a big rock lifted off my shoulders. Scratch that.... a boulder lifted off my shoulders. Me, an Accountant. Sort of has a nice ring to it don't you think?

I got it!!

Oh man, it has been three days, and I still can't believe it's real. I'm so excited and still on cloud nine right now. I don't think it will really hit me till I start work in my job on the 24th. In case you're wondering, yes I am doing Accounting work. I will know more when I actually get into the job itself, then I can give a little bit more details.

I just can't believe that I was still able to get the job considering my experience. But he was looking for more... someone he could communicate with. My interview seemed more like a conversation and not an interview. There had been some common ground, we both had to deal with close relatives that died because of cancer yet we were able to move on and continue on with life. There was no BS in this interview, and what I said was true. He saw that. WOW is all I can say.

It's funny coz I received the phone call for the job offer after my dad and I were talking about getting an apartment along the Steveston seawall when I get a good paying job. Then I get that phone call. We were both high-fiving each other like we won the basketball championship or something. I was so happy to see how proud he was, but most of all I was in disbelief, I couldn't believe it, was it really happening? Until now, I still can't. I'm still wondering if it's a dream.

I can't thank enough the people that helped me through this and supported me. You know who you are. I have talked to most of you already. Even in some small way, everyone had helped me. No one is left out. That's why I am not naming any names here

My mom is indeed watching over me. Thank you mom. All the hard work, ups and downs, have finally borne some fruit. This is just the start of my career journey. I can't wait!!!!!

So... I got something in the mail a few days ago

My Accounting Diploma, so I guess it's official now.

FYI, I am not going to post it in this blog just for privacy reasons.

3 on 3 Tournament Recap

Warning: Uber long post

BCIT Burnaby BC - If there was a worst day to hold a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, this has got to be it. It was not drizzling but pouring! Yet all games continued on as scheduled. My team didn't advance to the next round and we also lost Aljerau in the first 5 minutes of our first game with a third degree ankle sprain. He was supposed to be one of our key players in our team. Our record for today was 1 Win 3 Losses.

A 1 -3 record would seem like we didn't have a chance but not in this case. Our first game was an aberration as we lost 16-4 (more on that later). 2 of our losses were one point losses, however, losing it on a FT in the 3rd game and a winning shot on the last game.

Rules were pretty much typical 3 on 3 scrimmage games except possession alternates on every made shot. No "make it you take it". Also there are free throws. 1 free throw awarded after 7 fouls and a free throw plus possession awarded after 12 fouls.

Here are the individual recap of the games:

Game 1 = Loss 16-4
We lost Aljerau on the first 2-3 minutes of the game when he went down on a railing and twisted his ankle. He was done for the day and we had to take him to the hospital. He is ok, albeit in a lot of pain.

We lost 16-4 as we were overplayed. Not overmatched, however. We played lackadaisical defense and missed open shots we would normally make. We also made some bad decisions that led to bad turnovers.

Game 2 = Win 16-12
Having Jin play in our next 3 games helped a ton! He wasn't sure if the 3 on 3 tournament was continuing on since it was pouring out so he didn't make it to our first game. Jin is so effective because he is a pest for the opposing team. On top of all that, he has a good medium range game with good speed and quickness to penetrate inside. He was invaluable in Aljerau's absence and played great!!!

In this game, Carlo and Jason were making the shots we missed in the first game. We were leading early but then they caught up towards the end of the game. With our team leading 12-11, I made a crucial 2 pointer that gave us a 3 point cushion. Carlo finished it off with a few free throws plus the winning runner at the end of the game.

Game 3 = Loss 17-16 (OT sudden death)
The team we played against here hadn't lost a game yet at this point so we knew this would be a hard game. Honestly, they weren't as great as I thought they would be, considering the scores of their previous games.

It was a game of runs, and I was the "goat" at the end of the game. We already had 15 fouls at this point and was one of the key reasons why we lost. The opponent made their FT to win the sudden death OT.

What made this loss hard to take was that we had 3 chances of finishing the game. Carlo and Jason missed FTs to end the game in regulation. Come overtime, I was the goat. I was open at the corner for a 2 pointer when Carlo found me after his drive, then the ball slipped out of my hands and went out of bounds. They got possession, I got called for the foul on the block and the opponent made the FT to win the game. I felt there was not a foul and it was a legitimate block. i hurt my back in the process of going for the block :p

Game 4 = Loss 16-15
This was a showboat team. They all thought they were playing for an And1 mixtape it seems, but they werent that great. Jin and Carlo made great penetrations in the lane to make life tough on them. I wasn't much of a factor in this game and so, Jason, Carlo and Jin finished the game off.

Highlight of the day though. With us down 14-13, Carlo made a 2 point heave with a hand in his face from LOOOOOONG distance and made it! That gave us the lead at 15-14. Carlo had a chance to win it but his runner rimmed out. This would have been similar to our Game 2 win had he made it. On the next possession, they got fouled, made the FT to tie it. Then they made the winning shot at the end of the game.. :(

Even though we didn't do as well as we wanted to, I felt that this was actually the first time where we played hard and good enough to win every game but came out short this time. Jin, Aljerau, were good additions to our team from last year's competitions, and we are definitely giving Jin an "extension" next year :)

Now pay up boys ;)

Team Madapakasanatalaga - 3 on 3 tournament

For all you flips out there, it's supposed to read...

Team Madapaka Sana Talaga (I hope you trip.. really)
- it also has a double meaning in English. Think of a filipino saying the word "Madapaka"

Let's see if you guys (non flips especially) can figure it out

So we got 4.5 players. 0.5? That has to be me coz I cannot play on Sunday due to work. We have got 3 players back from last year and we came close to winning, and this time we got an even better team.

Let's see how it goes. Updates on Saturday after the games.

Weekend/Cavs win Eastern Conference Finals.

That was an awesome weekend as two of my buddies had their b-day celebrations on Friday and Saturday. I had so much fun!

And on to another topic, I wasn't expecting Cleveland to win the Eastern Conference finals but I am so glad they did. There is no way I would feel like watching another Pistons vs. Spurs finals but with Cleveland in there, I'm so stoked to see how these finals go. Lebron is really showing why he was the first pick in the draft. Not only is he a scorer, but he is a team player. I still don't feel the same way about Kobe, however.

Yes, I picked a Pistons vs Spurs finals so again, I lose my playoff pool. I'm last place... ack! Oh well, there's always next year.

Weirdo

Well, I just went to play pool with a couple of friends of mine yesterday and I got a call from this guy and I couldn't understand him. Yet he knew my name and my friend's name. I think it's supposed to be a practical joke or something yet when I checked my messages, he said that it was Jeff, one of my buddies' friend.

So I called my buddy, and he doesn't remember a Jeff either. It sounds creepy, but I find it harmless. Although I really want to know now who is doing the prank call.

He stopped calling and I will just chalk it up to someone who was just really really drunk and won't remember this tomorrow.

Transformers movie

Oh man, I used to be a BIG Transformers fan when I was a kid. I was also a big XMen fan but not as much as the Transformers. Used to have some of the cool Tranformers toys most notable of which was Sixshot which changed into 6 things. I don't know where it is now :(

Here are the Transformers theatrical trailers. I can't wait!

Reconnecting with old friends

I've already said that I now love Facebook among other sites because of its simplicity. So easy to chat, post videos, pictures, tag people on photos, with captions, etc... so many things. Why so easy? It doesn't have to go through all the "pimp my space" BS, which I never liked anyway. Someone should follow the "KISS" theory. "Keep it simple stupid" and Facebook does that, although the new layout bugs me.

Because of Facebook, I have been able to reconnect with old friends I used to hang out with before "life" happened. At least until I find that full-time Accounting job which I am working on ever since I finished my diploma last month.

Some of you who aren't on Facebook should give it a try. *hint hint* Gabz and Carls ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

Just want to greet everyone a Happy Mother's Day! Have a good one with your family!

Times like these when I miss mom so much. At least she is in a better place and watching down over me. LOVE YOU MOM!

Here is a link to my webpage dedicated to my Mom. Includes my eulogy to Mom, and a song fit for today. "A Song For Mama" by Boyz 2 Men. In the last day before bringing my mom to Pallative Care, my bro, Carls and I sung this to her. My sis played piano and we gave her a small recital.

MakoMachine Blog Policy

This policy is valid from the time this blog was created

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. We write for our own purposes. However, we may be influenced by our background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience.

The owner(s) of this blog will never receive compensation in any way from this blog.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. We do not claim to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org/

Going going gone!

Well that sort of describes what happened the past few days.

The Canucks of course, but you know what? They went above what was expected of them this season. What Luongo and AV did with the personnel they had plus the adversity of injuries was nothing short of admirable. At the start of the season, I predicted them to be a little bit below .500 or above. Well, they did more than that.

Things can only look up for the Canucks but not with the same personnel. Luongo will still be there, so are our defencemen who played great these playoffs. Luc Bourdon, our highly touted draft pick, will finally be able to stick with the team, and that should help a lot. Edler showed what he can do this season. Our forwards needs some revamping, however. Sedins will stay, but I bet that Naslund and Morrison will be the next to go. Go Canucks Go!

And The Raptors. I feel the same way. A very bright future ahead, and they lost this playoff series due to the lack of experience. With one season of playoffs under their belt, things will look even better next season

But wow, Dallas? Losing to Golden State? I wasn't expecting that at all! I wanted the Warriors to win the series anyway. Nothing against Dallas but I like rooting for the underdogs. My Rockets play Game 7 tomorrow and please, this once, have one of my teams advance... Please, I beg of you.

I can also say the same thing with what happened today but I would not really know till Thursday next week. Oh well move on.

As I watched Rocky Balboa on DVD this evening, a quote from that movie really hit home to me. This is what I should remember as I go through my life.

It ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done

-Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)

First step

in the right direction. Some of you know what I mean :D Couple this with a Canuck win tonight, then I will be elated :D

GO CANUCKS GO!

I got caught!

Meanwhile, in other news, I have just been caught! Fricking fishermen.

I got caught eating a dolphin

Pop's Toronto trip

Gabby just posted on his blog Pop's trip to TO and posted some pics

But he didn't post this picture! Which I found so funny as well and really captures Carla's silliness.. The silliness runs in the family. LOL!

Hahaha good job Carls.... Miss ya!

On to another note, Canucks lost without having two of their stars, Bieksa and Salo. Clearly overmatched. But you know what? Despite the loss, there is still that chance. It wasn't that bad, if only they had Salo and Bieksa. They really got to cut down on turnovers. Krajicek has been making so much errors even since the Dallas series and same goes for Sopel.

I still believe! Go Canucks Go!

And on basketball, Houston plays today. I can finally watch my first game of them in the playoffs. I could not watch them previously because they had games when the Canucks were playing

The Raptors play tomorrow. Same with the Canucks. At least I can watch both games.