My BMX days (circa 1988)

I got my first real bicycle when I was 12 years old. It was a red Mongoose BMX (Bicycle Motocross) which my father got for my birthday in 1984. I recall he bought it from Mascom General Merchandise. For the next 4 years, my first BMX underwent numerous metamorphosis until it reached its final state:

FRAME: GT Pro Performer (cr-mo)
FORK: Hutch (white)
BARS: Redline (cr-mo)
STEM: Hutch (black)
GRIP: OGK (black)
BRAKE LEVERS: Dia Compe (alloy)
BRAKES: Dia Compe (alloy)
CABLES: Shimano
CRANKSET: SR
SPROCKET: Shimano
CHAIN: D.I.D
PEDALS: MKS Jaws (graphite)
SADDLE: Kashimax Aero
SEAT POST: Strong
CLAMP: Strong
HUBS: Suzue
SPOKES: Stainless Steel
RIMS: Araya
TIRES: IRC

INVESTMENT
Back then, my final and almost dream set up reached more than P3,000. From the Mongoose frame (which was a bit heavy), I upgraded to an Aero frame (which didn't fit right), then to a Skyway frame (which wasn't cool enough) then finally to a GT frame (ah perfect). The money came from mostly my savings and some help from my parents.

RACE
I joined a couple of track races but was not lucky enough to win an individual award however our team, the SR team won first place in '88. My teammate then and neighbor Rey Tinio won the event. Funny but one of the former BMX race organizers is now my brother in law.

MY TEAMMATES
The SR Team (short for San Rafael because that's the barangay where we live) was coined from a BMX product called SR which was short for Sakae Racing. My teammates then were Rey Tinio, Dexter Antonio, his brother Harley, Errol Aganon, an adopted teammate Dodie Bondoc. Did I miss anybody?

FREESTYLE
I was confident enough to do some air tricks (dirt jumping) then like a tabletop and an array of flatland tricks like pop a wheelie, do a bunny hop, an endo and a 360° spin. In fact, until now, I can still do a wheelie and a bunny hop on a mountain bike.

Those were the days.

The Back Stabs Here

Flagellation is a weeklong affair in Pampanga and Tarlac for religious devotees who believe this is the best way to sacrifice. We have to respect their belief. Back stabbing in the corporate setting on the other hand is a yearlong affair. While we have to respect their belief, we have to show these back stabbers that we are not their doormats that they can tramp on anytime they wish to.

ROOT CAUSE
So why do these people back stab? Are they cold blooded killers in their previous life? Are they Batanguenos who love using their beinte nueves (fan knives)? My assessment leads to the best excuse in town - it's cultural. Culture dictates that Filipinos are; (1) non confrontational by nature, (2) suffer from crab mentality and (3) love engaging in gossip esp. the nasty ones.

HOW TOs
What to do when faced with this situation? Here are some of your options:
(1) Do absolutely nothing. Continue with your work, mind your own business and focus on your performance. Magsasawa din sila. At nakakasawa din naman kung ikaw lagi ang topic. Parang balita lang yan. Nakawan sa Greenbelt 5 na pinaguusapan ngayon. Luma na kasi ang kwento kung nagpakawa ba ng tubig ang San Roque dam.
(2) Stop, look, listen and respond. Assess the situation; if true then tell the world you're guilty and promise not to do it again. And make sure it doesn't happen again. If false, then show them facts. Do these professional and semi-professionally. Professionally using the available corporate media and semi using word of mouth. Statistically, WOM is still the best form of advertisement. Just remember to stick to the facts and veer away from mud slinging.
(3) Grab the bull by the horn. God wouldn't like this and the bible tells us not to retaliate but push comes to shove, you have to play their game. Chinichismis ka nila, chismis mo din sila! Just ensure that you can sustain it because in the end you might be engaging in a battle where you simply cannot win.

Back stabbing and back stabbers are part of life whether corporate or personal. They are given to us to make us tougher and learn how to react. To morph U.S. President Harry S. Truman's desk sign, the back stabs here.

Who is Edison Arantes do Nascimento?

He is God in the soccer universe. He is Michael Jordan in basketball. He is Cory Aquino in democracy restoration. He sports #10 jersey and better known as Pele.

Growing up, my original chosen sport was soccer and not basketball. In the early 80s, my heroes then were soccer players like Italian Paolo Rossi, German Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German Franz Beckenbauer and Brazilian Pele. My dream shoe then was the black 6 stud Adidas spike shoes. It was too expensive before so I had to settle with a pair of black 13 stud Grosby and then a pair of white Mondial spikes which my parents got me as a pasalubong from their trip from Italy.

Pele was born on 23 October 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil. He lorded over World Cup from 1958 to 1970 bringing with him 3 titles ('58, 62 and '70). He had tons of endorsements then worldwide and one of the most famous one was with Sony. I'm pretty sure he still lives on endorsements until now in South America were he is currently based. Years ago, he was egged to run for the president of Brazil but kept away from politics. I believe it was the best decision that he made in his life.

Hummer-time!

"U Can't Touch This!!!"

In the late 80s, Stanley Kirk Burrell best known by his stage name MC Hammer, popularized the song mentioned above. At the same time on the other side of the mainland US, a company called AM General introduced the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or Humvee.

After years of being exclusive to the military, in 1992, the first commercial Humvee or more popularly known as Hummer was released by the same company. However in 1998, AM General was sold to General Motors. For more than a decade, two more generations were introduced, the H2 and H3.

The H2 was lighter and slightly slimmer than the H1, while slightly longer and slightly taller. The H3 baby hummer shares the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks chasis hence smaller compared to its predecessors.

Recently, the Hummer brand was sold to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery and a group of private investors. The 3rd and latest owner bought the iconic brand for a reported US$150 million.

Now the Chinese showed that the Hummer "can be touched!"

Who is Michael Collins?

Neil Armstrong is known for being the first person to set foot on the Moon and delivered the line famous words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Buzz Aldrin is known for being the second person to set foot on the moon, following his mission commander, Neil Armstrong.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing. On July 21, 1969, just in the nick of time of President John F. Kennedy’s declaration in the early sixties that before the end of the decade, we will land a man on the moon.

Little is know about Brigadier General Michael Collins despite his contributions to space history. I only encountered his name last Sunday while watching Discovery channel where they have a show about the Lunar Landing. I’m pretty sure it was discussed in science class but his name just didn’t ring a bell as much as Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong. Or I was day dreaming the time his name was being discussed. In fact, when I checked wikipedia.com for Michael Collins, you’ll be prompted to 20 namesakes compared to only one for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. But that’s not his fault. It’s also not his fault that he was assigned to man the Apollo Command/Service Module on that fateful 21st day in July 1969 when Armstrong and Aldrin became part of history. He was a TEAM PLAYER in the truest sense and he had to make the SUPREME SACRIFICE of traveling 768,806 kilometers from earth to the moon (round trip) and not to set foot on it because somebody has to take care of the ride back home. I salute you, Michael Collins.

Papa Boy's last 5 messages to B5

My father was very thoughtful. While they were based in the US, he regularly sends text messages to his loved ones especially his first apo, B5. B5 fondly calls him ToyLac.

DATE / TIME / MESSAGE
17-Jan-08 / 1:10:14 / Happy birthday my dear B5! From papa n mama nette
13-Feb-08 / 20:14:29 / Hapi valentines our dear B5 and MC. We love you.
18-Feb-08 / 5:55:11 / Congrats again my dear B5. Keep it up ! Love u.
20-Feb-08 / 1:18:53 / Good afternoon B5. We are proud of you. Love u B5!
17-Apr-08 / 1:46:00 / Congratulations my dear B5 we are proud of you! We love you.

4Ws & 1H in Tarlac City Brgys

DATA BANK : A WORK IN PROGRESS.

A journalist would ask the following questions:
(1) Who?
...is the current Barangay Captain?
...are the current Barangay Councilors?
...did they support in the last election (Mayor, VMayor and councilors)?
...are the past Barangay Captains who still have influence?
...are the biggest family members (with influence and w/o influence)?

(2) What?
...is the source of livelihood of majority of the populace?
...are the commercial establishments in the area with a capitalization of P1M and up?
...are their current projects?
...is the Brgy's mission? Vision?
...is the total population count?
...is the total voting population?
...is the voter's turn out in the last election?

(3) When?
...was the last barangay elections?
...

(4) Where?
...is the barangay located? Point of reference is City Hall. (Identify distance in kilometers and average travel time).
...are the chapels located?

(5) How?
...do we get from the city Hall to the Barangay Hall. (Use mapquest approach).
...

Brgys in Tarlac:
1- Aguso
2- Alvindia Segundo
3- Amucao
4- Armenia
5- Asturias
6- Atioc
7- Balanti (loc of maternal grandparents farm)
8- Balete
9- Balibago I
10- Balibago II
11- Balingcanaway
12- Banaba
13- Bantog
14- Baras-baras (in laws live here)
15- Batang-batang
16- Binauganan
17- Bora
18- Buenavista
19- Buhilit
20- Burot
21- Calingcuan
22- Capehan
23- Carangian
24- Care (in laws live here)
25- Central
26- Culipat
27- Cut-cut I
28- Cut-cut II
29- Dalayap
30- Dela Paz
31- Dolores
32- Laoang
33- Ligtasan (loc of maternal grandparent's house, in laws live here)
34- Lourdes
35- Mabini (loc of paternal grandparent's house)
36- Maligaya
37- Maliwalo
38- Mapalacsiao
39- Mapalad
40- Matadero
41- Matatalaib
42- Paraiso
43- Poblacion
44- Salapungan
45- San Carlos
46- San Francisco
47- San Isidro
48- San Jose
49- San Jose de Urquico
50- San Juan de Mata
51- San Luis
52- San Manuel
53- San Miguel
54- San Nicolas
55- San Pablo
56- San Pascual
57- San Rafael (loc of my parent's house)
58- San Roque
59- San Sebastian (loc of my parent-in-law's house)
60- San Vicente
61- Santa Cruz
62- Santa Maria
63- Santo Cristo
64- Santo Domingo
65- Santo Nino
66- Sapang Maragul
67- Sapang Tagalog
68- Sepung Calzada
69- Sinait
70- Suizo
71- Tariji (relatives live here)
72- Tibag
73- Tibagan
74- Trinidad
75- Ungot
76- Villa Bacolor
Total of 76.

Happy Teacher’s Day

I definitely had over a dozen teachers, professors, educators in my school time and will probably encounter a dozen more. When I retire 2 decades from now, my aim is to be a lecturer in Tarlac State University, a government run university in our hometown, teaching management subjects. This is my way of giving back to society. Today marks the Teacher's day (Araw ng mga Guro) to honor more than 500,000 teachers nationwide. As best as I can recall, here’s my list of elementary and high school class advisers:

Grade 1 - Ms. Natividad Domingo
Grade 2 - Ms. Modesta Samson
Grade 3 – Ms. Bernadette Pacheco
Grade 4 - Ms. Betty Munoz
Grade 5 - Ms. Susan Kliatsco
Grade 6 - Mr. Raul Kliatsco
1st Year - Mr. Ronaldo Peroy
2nd Year – Ms. Arlene Kanapi
3rd Year - Mr. Popoy Pineda
4th Year - Ms. Venus Pastor

If my former teachers are reading this entry, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Happy Teacher’s day!

Dreams are made for children

Last 9-29-09, my wife woke me up in the middle of the night because I was making weird noises and she thought I that was having a nightmare. I wish she didn't wake me up because I was having the best dream in my life since 5-5-08.

I dreamt that I had a disagreement with a loved one that happened in my Uncle AGS' house which is abt 300meters from where we live. I walked home, passed through San Rafael Parish Church and arrived at my parents house. When I opened the gate, Papa was there flashing his patented smile and we hugged each other REAL TIGHT. I think I was a child in that dream because my head was on my father's chest. It was like a scene from a movie that was so vivid in my memory. The scene and the dream eventually ended when we saw my cousin NFS and I told him to bless to Papa. That's also the time my wife JML woke me up.

I miss you, Papa.

The Jewel in San Diego

FAST FACTS:
City: San Diego
State: California
County: San Diego
Country: United States of America
Population: 1,279,329 (City)
Zip Codes: 92101-92117, 92119-92124, 92126-92140, 92142, 92145, 92147, 92149-92155, 92158-92172, 92174-92177, 92179, 92182, 92184, 92186, 92187, 92190-92199
Area code: 619, 858
Website: http://www.sandiego.gov/

San Diego was named after Saint Didacus (Diego de Alcalá in Spanish). It is the second largest city in California, the ninth largest city in the United States and located along the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the United States. I had the
chance to visit the city in Y2006. I stayed with my friend Celine and her cool hubby Rich. Originally planned to go to Mexico via SD however was discouraged and that turned out a blessing since two days to explore the SD was not even enough.

Subject: San Diego Trolley
Location: Park Valley Center
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03165.jpeg

Subject: Low Flying Commercial Airplanes
Location: North Harbor Drive
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03191.jpeg

Subject: Old Town Trolley
Location: Old Town SD State Historic Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03218.jpeg

Subject: Old Town Market
Location: Old Town SD State Historic Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03170.jpeg

Subject: An Old Cannon
Location: Old Town SD State Historic Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03184.jpeg

Subject: An Old Flagpole
Location: Old Town SD State Historic Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03180.jpeg

Subject: Heritage Park Inn BB
Location: Heritage Park, Victorian Village
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03222.jpeg

Subject: Temple Beth Israel
Location: Heritage Park, Victorian Village
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03224.jpeg

Subject: Senlis Cottage
Location: Heritage Park, Victorian Village
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03226.jpeg

Subject: Cinco Musikeros
Location: Old Town SD State Historic Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 16/DSC03228.jpeg

Subject: California's First Mission (founded July 16, 1769)
Location: 10818 San Diego Mission Rd
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 17/DSC03250.jpeg

Subject: A view of SD SeaWorld
Location: Sea World Adventure Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 17/DSC03322.jpeg

Subject: Flying Shamu/s
Location: Sea World Adventure Park
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 17/DSC03338.jpeg

Subject: Lying (Sea) Lions
Location: La Jolla
Date: May 2006
Taken from a Sony Cybershot T1
Link: US Trip 2006/May 17/DSC03345.jpeg