The Pulpy Orange: SPORTS

BF Day

A healthy 2014!

Me and my girl friends, as always, is up to something... Aside from my yearly new year resolution, yeah, yearly just because I never ever fulfill it, in every passing year. What is it?! Drum roll please.... to gain weight! Uurgghh! I dunno why it so hard, though I wasn't faithful to my game plan anyway. So yeah aside from gaining weight, we want some body sweating and pain killing action, perfect way to attain it... another drum roll please... badminton.

A nearby badminton center which is, The Zone, a perfect location for our pain killing crime which we are planning to commit every Friday. Oohh yes you read it right, every Friday, after my work (since im in night shift and all of them in broad day light). Unlike them who has ample time to spend time with each other, I also insist this so I'll have time to see their beautiful faces, ooh yes they really are pretty, smart, witty, talented because same feather flocks together! Winks!

For our first game of the year, armed with our rackets, our dusty play shoes which is unused for the longest time, our shorty shorts and leggings, and the excitement of moving, running and playing our heart out, we acted out our plan. GAAMEEE!!

For only 100 hundred pesos per head you may play till you die, too OA?! or too morbid?! LOL! We also bought a couple of shuttle cock in their front desk which cost us 80php. They do have locker and shower area, however I dunno if they charge extra for that.

We head to Zone court 2 and play... service, back hand, smash everything was just to easy, easy to think about! We laughed and bullied each other most of the time actually. Moving our asses to run for the shuttle cock, saving it even hitting it in the most newbie and awkward way was an achievement. A week long muscle pain was our reward but nevertheless laughing out loud and spending time with my crae-crae friends would top it all. Indeed super uberly awesomely fun!

Hopefully next friday is bf day again... badminton Friday it is!!!

7:00 AM
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Jumping for Joy: The Dolphin in Me

SPORTS

3:15 PM
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Eight Balls -- Solids and Stripes

REMINISCING

High school and college won't be complete without this sport. To tell you frankly I don't consider it as a sport at all, billiards is like more of an escape from reality. It's more like an illusion for me not because I'm playing it, but because with whom I'm playing it with (wowoot! LOL). Until such time my "lakas tira, lakas tsamba" turn into more strategic, then playing billiards turned into a favorite waste time with my college tropa (cutting classes, toinks!).

During high school, I'm more of a salingkit. I feel stupid then on how to use the stick and the bridge, even doing the breaks, makes me feel a sore loser. They always say that i'm "one-of-the-boys" then, after our CAT training we go straight to this billiard hall (kambingan) and do some games for couple of hours. Although not good at it, I enjoyed it because there are more things than billiards. (eehhheerrrmmm!)

Until college happened, fortunate or not (i don't know! LOL!) I got to know people with the same interest and love for those little colorful balls. After class we go straight to a billiard hall near our university, which in the long run we were tag as regulars (TAMBAY! LOL!) of the place. It was soooo addicting that sometimes we do cutting classes (bad cheetah!) to do some of our lakas tira, lakas tsamba style.

But just any other game, there's a halftime, retirement, injury or what ever you may want to call a hibernation period, for me it's simply growing up (choss! may work ako eh! walang time! hehehe!). So I haven't played the game for many years, well if playing billiards online counts I retract my statement. For seven years and counting I miss the words spot, doblete, tisa, kiss shot, lakas tira lakas tsamba, gapang etc.. etc.. etc.. However it seems that the universe felt my secret longing, the stars lined up and conspired. Hello! Company Sports Fest!

As much as I wanted to win, my rusty skills let me down. It was embarrassing to do the first break and the cue ball flew out the table. Very well done! That's what you call a Pro! Darn Pro!

To my favorite billiard buddy... eeerrrr... I miss you... I miss us... and... and and I'm just joking! LOL! It's long over and gone, its just billiards and you co-exist together. So you know, I can't help talking about one without mentioning the other one. I'm not getting into one of those emo state, naaaah.. aaaah! Just a statement, stating a fact?! :b

11:26 AM
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Cutting Classes, College Style!

CHILLAX

Lakas tira, Lakas tsamba!!!

It's almost six years now when I got my bachelors degree. Some people might say, " What's gotten into you?!", but really... I do miss being a student. Everything! That includes, studying, exams, recitations, reporting... Hahaha! I'm weird like that, I know right!

That's why early last month I enrolled myself to a short course (something 'bout computers) where I have an all day class every Sunday for almost six sessions.

Yesterday, fresh from the province, I packed my bags and headed to the metro to attend my computer class. Ooohhh and by the way I'm with my crazy friend, Aryanee. We met a block away from the school before heading to the class. However yesterday was a bit different. We relive my college days, maybe one of the reason why I had a memorable college life.

Uuhhmmm yeah... we cut class yesterday. Hehehe! I was a little bit under the weather for the past few days. So we headed to Starbucks Greenbelt which I learned was the first Starbucks in the Philippines ever, ever (arte much?!). I thought pouring my heart out to a trusted friend will make me feel better... I didn't! ... but somehow I feel lighter.

Aryanee didn't want it lighter, she aimed for the natural eccentric insane me. she said "Orange, sometimes don't try to fit in when you meant to stand out". Woooow! Maybe just maybe I wasn't ready to stand out. Thinking it will improve my mood we went for a bite. However we realized that we weren't the typica; girls who eat their sorrow out through carbs.

Until... **light bulb!**, Aryanee brought me to one of my forgotten haven.The Billiard Hall!! During college, vacant periods automatically was our billiard time. To the extent that me and some friends become lazy to attend our next class, especially if it's just an ordinary lecture day.

Just when I feel the chalk powder between my fingers, the billiard stick and seeing those colorful balls in a green carpeted billiards table... Woooaaahhh it felt sooooo good. I felt better and my worries juts flew away... for sometime.

Maybe that's what I really miss most when I was still a student, my worry free days. Responsibilities we're lighter, people are easy to talk to and feelings aren't that complicated.

I know playing billiards would be just a temporary thing. It doesn't solve anything at all. But after our game, if you can call it that way ( kids game, me and my rusty billiard skill) my mood improved. With a better mood now, I can come up to more logical explanations and actions. Game! Game!

2:37 PM
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International Friendly Game -- Philippine Azkals crash Nepal Ghorkalis!

FOOTBALL

5:33 PM
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2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier -- Playing Footsie

FIRST TIME

I am an Azkal Football fan!

Why?! Because... Uuuhhmmm... Uuurrgghh! Who wouldn't be?! With those pretty little faces, gorgeously devastating, oohhh and their superbly-undeniably sexy bodies (if I didn't know how rigorous their training are, I would have think that their bodies are perfectly photoshop-ed! hihihi!), and those underdog victories against the giant team of the sport (uhhmm am i hearing violent reactions from Ms. Saigon?!) Ooohhh yes, I totally gave in! I am crazily in-love with Philippine Azkals.

After hitting the Philippine Island by storm late last year, our country played host on a qualifying games for AFC Challenge Cup 2012. The crowd gone wild, wilder, wildest and the Azkals sustained their popularity. (I'm in the wildest category! :D) Until the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Games started, although we are one of the newbies getting on with the fierce teams of the world, I heard the Azkals confidently said "we will fight with our hearts!" and Filipino fans said "Game on!".

Round One PHL Azkals vs Sri Lanka Brave Reds

It was definitely a breeze, there are some hurdles but never did I doubt that they will overcome their opponent. Well, thank you for some sports analyst who enlightened most of us how feasible a win was. Applause! Applause!

Round Two PHL Azkals vs Kuwait Al Azraq (First Leg)
After a tremendous defense in the first half, unfortunately they took the game with 3 goals and none for us.

Although heartbreaking, one must move on, next -- Second Leg (Home Game). All right so what else can a die hard do for their loving idols, WATCH AND SUPPORT THEIR GAME LIVE!

Thank you so much to a friend-friend's working at Smart Telecommunication. I haven't experience the hassle of long queue to acquire tickets. On the game day, i planned to pull a sickie but i chose the other way around to avoid problems on the following day. I worked early as 5am to get out the office, just in time to prepare for the game. Armed with my love for the boys, and voice to cheer my heart out, off i go to meet my football buddy.

I share this craze with Alice, not of wonderland but Alice, a colleague. We both arrived in our meeting place and leave immediately in the nick of time. Suddenly the rain poured after we get on to a bus. Going to Rizal stadium is easy, really!!! aside from the cab :D all you have to do is to get on to an LRT and get off at Vito Cruz station. From Vito Cruz station you'll find a long queue of pedicabs which will take you to Rizal Stadium or other nearby places . Easy as that! No need for GPS! *winks* But before we proceed to Rizal we decided to drop by to nearby mall, after several hours, we had bought shoes, shirt and raincoat... all for the love of Azkals! sounds obsessed huh?! what I meant is we bought those stuff so we can be all comfy and jolly while watching and cheering... uhhmm something like that! hehehe!

We got on our seat, 30 minutes before kick off. As we entered the stadium, we were welcomed by the sound of the Azkaleros non-stop chant, heart thumping beat of their innovative drums (the blue container mineral water) and the boys doing their warm up. I was a bit late from my schedule, that I decided to forget my first-ever-game-face-paint, just to be safe that I wont miss any minute of the game.

Not long after experiencing the bleachers, and getting some photos of the perfect pitch... it's GAME TIME!

The stadium is full packed. I look everywhere and people are smiling, with high hopes, together with their family, some are with their friends, i spotted several couples too while in our case colleagues-friends-batchmate. All of us on the bleachers are on our feet, witnessing biggest opponent so far for the PHL Azkals.

Kuwait has been in ASIAN cup finals nine times, beat Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other poweful football country. Football is a big thing in Kuwait, it's like their national sport. So being a country of hoops, i mean basketball, Al Azraq is a big challenge, it's more like playing to check the limit or the standing of the team, in terms of playing good footsie, something international, with the fierce team of world.

The game was so intense, compared to "away game", there are a lot of opportunities to score, ball handling is much better and uhhhmmm crowd are much wilder (home game eh?! ehehe!). Emotions are up and shaky in the stadium, we're cheering the players name and chanting nonstop, everyone is sooo positive to get a goal. We also do the rain dance, to shoo the not-used-to-rain-kuwaitis and the sky poured kittens and puppies, super sweet rain (the rain dance works *winks*).

Until the 48th minute marked, just before half time, a beautiful goal from the man, SHROCKY baby!

Shrocky shocks and rocks the crowd after that awesome goal. The endless cheering made me teary eyed. I felt goosebumps all over me. Then I realized it's more than just their cute faces, it's me doing the clapping and azkals chant, and standing under the pouring rain, because I'm proud of my skin and, indeed, I am a Filipino! These guys playing on the field with half-half breed, telling everybody that they're Filipinos with their brit or american accent or other language... arte pa ba ko?! hahaha!

Azkals lose by 2 points plus the fact that I'm soaking wet but with Shrocky's goal it holds a big promise, that Filipinos can excel too in the said sport! Maybe not today but we are very talented team and soon "World Cup", soon!

So Spain, remember the name... PHILIPPINE AZKALS! :D

12:18 PM
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