bursting beer belly

Apart from the occasional rain that poured onto the streets of Manila, Filipinos from all walks of life were once again kept inside their houses to watch another fight featuring our so-called "modern-day hero," Manny Pacquiao, against the respectable opponent David Diaz, who hails from the West. I wasn't actually anticipating the outcome of the match, as David Diaz was somewhat of a stranger to me. All I knew was that he held the WBC Lightweight Division Title, and for that, I assumed he was good. Well, he proved me right—he was good, but not enough to defend his title against this hungry beast, Pacquiao. Still, I have to give my respect to Diaz; he put up a great fight. Despite his heavily cut right eye, he lasted until the 9th round against the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer today. That’s tough! As for Pacquiao, another well-earned win! He improves his record to 47 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, with 35 KOs. Not only that, but he now holds the WBC Lightweight Divisio...

I just read an article in a broadsheet earlier this morning about a book on surviving in the real world. I found it interesting because it might help me as I enter the professional field very soon (hopefully...). The book is  No More Ramen , written by Nicholas Aretakis, an executive sales and marketing consultant. He writes about choosing a career, landing a job offer after an interview, and setting short- and long-term goals for one’s future. I visited his site online and found a template on how to plan and document goals. It might come in handy for everyone, I guess. Here it is: GET SOME GOALS The sooner you get thinking about your future, the sooner you can begin leading your life, instead of allowing your life to lead you. Here are some questions to help you discover what you want from life. As you work through the questions, be honest with yourself and don’t be afraid to think big! Age Wish List: List one or more big milestones you want to achi...

Last Monday, I was extremely excited to go back to school—not because of the sheer joy of studying, but because I was about to get my Transcript of Official Records, or simply TOR, from UP Manila's OUR (Office of the University Registrar). Why? Because I was going to be interviewed for a job position the next day in a film production in Quezon City. I woke up early in the morning, around 6 a.m., so that I could be there between 9 and 10 a.m. and be back home before noon. I got up, ate breakfast, took a bath, prepared myself, and began the long 1 hour and 45 minute ride from our house to UP Manila. It was a really hot and humid morning—a typical, exhausting day for me. But because of my goal (to get my TOR), I didn’t mind. I chose to ride the MRT and LRT to beat the heat, yet the wrath of the morning sun and the heat of summer still reverberated even inside the train. And so, the discomfort continued. I guess no one could evade the wrath of the summer season here in the Philippines....

Survivor: Australia Episode 1: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/bQi12JeisPg/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/JO5muqo-1ew/ Episode 2: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/zv8bZmnEbrk/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/5lxMiTSbRcI/ Episode 3: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/ga4PpuoQwBE/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/NGo1M76fdmA/ Episode 4: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/FX7sOuLmmDg/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/3A9Omxv7Cbw/ Episode 5: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/fGtZ_WyCMvY/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/BTq58fx2KMg/ Episode 6: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/3AwKh2Q2xzs/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/BMGlap8_D1I/ Episode 7: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/CipKRwBMTQs/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/CHIuKMhvS8w/ Episode 8: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/kBWRS9OQ-Qk/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/8dMKVOoyoE8/ Episode 9: Part a: www.tudou.com/programs/view/norJo6d-a_M/ Part b: www.tudou.com/programs/view/Mdy2nnIpbxo/...

How do I start with this? Last tuesday, I was about to submit my cv to a company in Quezon City when our phone suddenly rang. To my dismay, the call was for me. A woman from this catholic college in Pasig City informed me to report to her urgent(as in that moment) for they were actually considering my application for a teaching position, not as a college professor (which I actually applied for) but as a high school teacher for the arts. Well, since I have this interest in teaching, I considered their "offer". The school is just a few minutes away from us and it was also along my way to Quezon City, so I didn't hesitate to drop by. In the school, she told me that I needed to perform a teaching demo on thursday. So, I only had one whole day to prepare for it (lesson plan, visual aids and all the spiels --- kamusta naman?). It was really a huge challenge for me, considering I haven't done any lesson plans before and haven't taken any teaching units even. After the...