The Comfort Rooms

Tweet

I thought I choked testosterone.

Freaking all hell broke loose last Saturday night. Testosterone filled the A.Venue Hall to brimming capacity. It was a night where being barbaric was the coolest thing ever. It was beyond exhilarating for me. It was the URCC XVI: Reckoning. It was the year's biggest MMA event in the Philippines!

If it ain't for Josh Villegas, I wouldn't get an all access pass to the event. So thanks! (And the photos here come from Rap Dorilag, thanks as well!)


The truth is, I'm a local MMA noob. I know UFC. I know that Alvin Aguilar (who I got to shake hands earlier in the event) leads the URCC. I've been familar with the local MMA's existence for 9 years now but I don't know any of the local fighters except for Erwin Tagle and Froilan Sarenas, which were not among the featured fighters.


There were 10 featured fights that evening. I honestly didn't know any of the fighters. But nonetheless, I screamed, I "woahed", I stood, I got excited and I got sweaty with every blow, kick, and what-have-you the fighters did on the local "octagon". And it was sincere. Not a poser kind of thing cos it was pretty danggggggggggggggg hard to pretend you're enjoying the fights with you standing up, shouting "woah", get excited, and all that.


Angelito Manguray, the 42 year old doctor, was an interesting person. You can always excel in your profession of choice but it doesn't mean that it will block you from fulfilling what you love the most. In his case, it was his martial arts.


Richard Lasprilla and Eduard Folayang both gave the most exciting moments of the night, with both winning their bouts. People went a little more pumped up and crazy. And I think at that point, I finally got to understand why MMA is such a craze. I honestly couldn't remember if there was a cash prize involved. And I don't think money was the reason why these people do MMA. It was the excitement, the intensity, the vigor, the sense of competition, the killer animal instinct.

Tweet

If there is a poem that can sum up my current state of emotions, here it is.

World / World

World you thought was cold
World turned out to be great
World you thought to be blind
World turned out to be vivid
World you thought to not feel
World turned out to be loving
World you thought to be ice-blue
World turned out to be red
World you thought heard not
World turned out loves you.

This is a really personal reflection on how I am now. If you know me in person, don't bother to ask me about this poem and why I came up with this. Thank you.

Tweet

Shock was the very first reaction I got upon seeing David Gurnani, the first winner of The Biggest Loser Asia. I thought his face was beyond emaciated. I thought he became too thin. I thought it was rushed. I was watching the replay of the finale and I noticed how saggy his face was, particularly within the eye area.


I just thought he did not look healthy at all. It was just too much I thought. Unlike Carlo (and even Martha and Aaron) who has grown a huge fanbase overnight, thanks to his Keannu Reeves features.

But nevertheless, David's weight loss was just amazing. At least he lost all that excess poundage.

Tweet

It should be one of the most weird 30 minutes I have ever had in my entire life. I was the obvious oddball, seeing how everybody seemed to know each other and observing that I just get passed by by most of the bloggers in attendance not even bothering to make me feel more comfortable since I was the only one not everybody knows. Though it wasn't everybody's charge to be more friendly and stuff (they could probably be shy or what-not) but I thought at least one of them, especially the ladies, could have at least made me feel more welcome. I was the only one that everyone does not know. But thanks to Mister Leslie Bocobo who invited me over for the merienda event with Bongbong Marcos. You made me feel important there.

So there I was, realizing that after 30 minutes, Bongbong Marcos still wasn't there. Of course I was kinda pissed off that this man would be late for the meeting. That was a minus point from me. The meeting hasn't even started yet, I said to myself.

Amidst a sea of MacBooks, MacBook Airs, Lenovo Idea Pads, and Lenovo Think Pads, the son of the late strongman arrived. What I loved upon first meeting him was the fact that he wasn't exerting an annoying effort to be extra bubbly and friendly, common among politicians courting for our precious votes. He was just cool and normal to me.

Funny how some introduced themselves and told Congressman Marcos that they're connected to him. We came from the same school or My mom is the blah-blah-blah of your blah-blah. In my mind, I was like, "Are you guys sure Bongbong would really care if you are connected to this and that"?

Anyhoo, the food was great. We had lasagna, pasta primavera, clubhouse sandwich, kasoys (sarap!) and that seafood pizza which I couldn't stop eating using my fingers. This is a free meryenda, I'd eat my way through it! Haha!

Questions have been asked to Mr. Marcos. However, I felt kinda disappointed with the questions he was being asked. Cos I thought all the people needed to do was to look up the dyaryo and read what Marcos had to say regarding issues. You know, the questions were about the power crisis, what would be his agenda for the youth (which I thought was a really lame question), and others. I was thinking about maybe deviating away a bit from the line of questioning that he was being asked. Since I love sports, my question was how he could stop the POC-PSC wars, which I think is a big pain in the butt.

When Bongbong answered, I knew he was familiar with Filipino sports, which I thought was impressive. We shared the same helpless feeling, although his was more pronounced because he knew who to pinpoint for the blame. He knew that for as long as the corrupt sports officials (from the POC) are still there, we will never really succeed in sports. Like every politician, he believed the private sector would be of great help by financing our athletes' training.

Of course, he wanted his father to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. He joked about the urban legend that the real Bongbong is really dead. He shared his dream to someday perform with Mick Jagger. He spoke of his belief in the Filipino. If there was one thing that I really liked about him, it was his belief that solutions to national problems should not be political, or popular in nature. As he was explaining his argument, I thought he made sense.

Tweet

I still can't get over the fact that he lost 9 kilograms in a week! That's 20 lbs! I was thinking, if he can do that, then I can do that also. Plus the fact that I see the amount of sweat he produces every workout makes me feel inspired to shed off those extra poundages as well. For a person who is obese like me (at 220 lbs or 100 kilos), seeing how contestants like Carlo burn off those excess poundages makes us go jealous, depressed, disappointed, inspired, thinking, motivated and be more conscious.

Fat people like me has only got two choices. It is either to change our lifestyles or continue eating our way to death.  I've always justified the fact that I'm still young and has got a normal blood sugar and blood cholesterol. And I'm always lazy to go to the gym and do stuff. I got a treadmill and a stationary bike in my room, they don't get used though.

If people like Carlo Miguel can do it, then I can do too. I'm sick of being big. I'm depressed because I'm big. I hate myself because I'm big. I just don't like being big.

Thanks Carlo (and Kevin, Kristy, Aaron, Dave, etc.) for motivating fat people like me. It takes courage and a lot of motivation to finally stop being the fat person you've always been. Congratulations.

Tweet

First off, I was never a figure skating nor a Winter Olympics fan. I was aware of its existence but I have never got to watch it. Not even in Salt Lake City way back in 2002. I was just familiar with Tara Lipinski, Michelle Kwan. Apollo Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.However, that alienation has changed when South Korea's Kim Yu-Na suddenly hit the newsstands last week culminating to her winning the Olympic gold in figure skating.

I was surprised that a South Korean was the heavy favorite to win the gold in Vancouver. Never thought a Korean has already excelled in figure skating. My mind went thinking during that time and it exactly went like this: If this Korean will win the gold, I will officially be convinced that Koreans have really arrived (in the world stage).

And winning the gold she really did. In sterling fashion at that.

Her signature triple-triple (flips) has been her one-stop shop and a respectable commentator has observed that whenever she displays her triple-triple, it almost automatically converts to a gold-medal winning performance. Watching her perform (on YouTube), I must say, she must be really good.

Besides her techinical skills, it is her grace that is really amazing. She can look really vulnerable yet at the same time magical. It was Kim herself who said that figure skating is both a sport and an art. And looking at her perform, she looks like a ballerina on skates. Her performances are more than art, they're masterpieces.

Go check her out. Google her, YouTube her, what-have-you. See for yourself and judge if she's really amazing or not. As far as I'm concerned, she has just won yet another fan.