Week 17 Bump

A week ago, I woke up, and bam! I suddenly had a bump. And no amount of sucking in could hide my growing belly.

Strangely, though, my last weigh-in showed that I lost some weight. Hamil says it's most likely muscle mass. He's probably right. My legs have atrophied, plus I can no longer detect my triceps under the soft layer of flab. Sigh.

Photo above was taken over the weekend. The little monster experienced his/her first live Ateneo vs. La Salle game--ze huzband was able to score some patron tickets again! Woot! So our blue eaglet felt all of mommy's cheering, screaming, and the occasional jumping-out-of-her-seat-when-Ravena-would-make-a-sick-basket.

Years ago, when I thought about where we would send our kids to school, I considered sending them abroad for university. But I would always think about how they would miss out on the UAAP experience--it's one of the best parts of college life, cheering for your school (whether you're a cheerleader or not). Even if people make fun of our cheers, I get goosebumps whenever I hear the drums starting. (The first time I heard the eight-beat after graduation, I got teary eyed.) It's amazing seeing a sea of blue, united and screaming as one. And I swell with pride whenever we sing the alma mater at the end of the game. Win or lose.

But hey, that's years from now. This one isn't even halfway through making a home out of my tummy! We'll let the little one decide when the time comes.

HIS7ORY

Photo from here

Sporty Sunday

This day is an absolute dream for sports lovers: Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Pacquiao vs. Bradley, and Rafa vs. Nole at the French Open finals. Unfortunately, it turned into a bit of a nightmare after that, er, questionable split decision after the fight. Some reactions from my Twitter feed:

Pacquiao was gracious in defeat, Bradley was gracious in his (unexpected) win. The crowd (and the Twitterverse), not so much! My own reactions swung from complete and utter disbelief to psychosomatic symptoms from the stress. Yes, I can get that emotionally invested in sports. I think it's hereditary. Years ago, my boxing-loving grandfather had to be confined after he got over-excited while watching a fight. I think he would have loved Pacquiao, but I'm kind of glad he wasn't around to see what happened today. It would have required a trip to the hospital, for sure!

I guess there's nothing left to say today except one big ¡VAMOS RAFA!

A Dance with (Boracay) Dragons

As the recent Filipino dragonboat racing team's win has shown, there are a lot of Pinoy teams out there that remain unrecognized, excelling on the international platform in sports that aren't really a part of the mainstream consciousness (or the PSC's budget...). One of my favorite examples: the Boracay Dragons, a beach ultimate team that has caught the eye (and, at the 2007 Worlds, captured the hearts) of the international disc community.

I've seen these Dragons play, and it's unbelievable. Anyone who's tried to run on sand knows how difficult it is, but they're all incredibly light on their feet. It's as if they're simply running on grass. Their foreign competitors are normally a head (or more) taller than them, but never has "small but terrible" rung more true than in the Dragons' case!

Tonight, the Dragons begin their quest for the gold at this year's World Championships of Beach Ultimate. Much like the Olympics, this event happens every four years (the last one was held in Brazil, and our countrymen got the silver in the Open category!). This year, it's being held in Italy, and select games will be broadcast here. The first game--Philippines vs. Italy--will be broadcast tonight, 11 PM Manila time. Do pray for the team (a couple of members are my friends!) and watch, support, and see just how awesome they are!

Go, Dragons! Go, Pilipinas!

The Long Weekend

...kind of didn't feel like a weekend at all. I ended up working Friday and Sunday, so the three-day weekend turned into a one-day weekend for me. Oh well. I did get a lot of stuff done though. A rundown of my activities:

Bullet #7. My lace top from Forever21--yep, I succumbed to disposable fashion! Har. Photo from my SIL.

• Friday: A food shoot. I kind of had to tap into my dormant styling skills. It's been a while.
  
• An attempt at shopping. But Megamall + holiday = The Worst Idea Ever.
• Spirits 2010 meeting. For some reason, I ended up on the planning committee of the annual international tournament held in Manila. Although this time it'll be in Clark. And I'll be missing it! Sigh.
  
• Saturday: UP vs. AdU (women's). Finally got to see my niece Mix in action!
• Lunch at Ristras. All burrito-ed out.
  
• Disc training...where I rolled my other ankle! Ugh. It still hurts, but at least it didn't swell into epic chicken-lollipop proportions like the last time I sprained my ankle.
• Dinner with family at O Kitchen. I am kicking myself for forgetting my camera! We celebrated Mumsy's dinner, plus Mix's birthday, plus Grandparents' Day (did y'all greet your lolos and lolas?) at this hidden, elegant yet casual restaurant. The resto's Sisig Dinuguan is pretty awesome! Little-known fact: I am averse to black food. I don't eat adobong pusit, and up until a week ago, I had never tried dinuguan in my life.
  
• Resortsworld with family. Hamil won enough to fund our gift for Mumsy! Har. And I was IN AWE of those Russian/Ukranian performers! The female version of the Power Duo was ah-mazing, and that contortionist on the swinging ring was spineless! Not cowardly or wimpy or whatever--as in spineless, boneless, inhumanly flexible!
  
• Sunday: Radio guesting. Pia Magalona interviewed K-Zone's Lio and me back to back. It was my last time on U92--it's their last day on air on September 30! (P.S. Grab a copy of KZ's September ish--it's all about supervillains, with Gru on the cover! Pick up a copy of GH while you're at it!)
  
• Grocery shopping. I'm bad at the Price-Is-Right-like guessing of individual goods' prices, but I'm getting so good at estimating the total cost of the stuff in my basket. I normally go into the supermarket with a budget in mind, dump stuff in my basket, and at the cashier, find out that I'm just a few pesos below budget. Let's hope my streak continues!
• Late lunch with the girls at Fez. No husbands or kids in tow! It took weeks of planning, and people were late, but the girls and I were able to find a common sched! (Most of us anyway.) If only we could do this every month. Hanging out with people you grew up with is good for the heart.
• Cheerdance competition-viewing. Since I don't have a Twitter account, I ended up posting my stream of thoughts on FB. Congrats, UP! Well-deserved! Good job, ADMU kiddies. You've come a long way since the days when only one person on the squad could do an aerial! (Kids today are fearless, I tell ya.)
  
• Closet-clearing. Unsuccessful. I've still got an entire closet to clear--I only ended up dumping stuff from the half of Hamil's closet that I've taken over. I ditched some of my empire-cut dresses (my favorite cut)--the ones that kind of make me look preggers--and will be storing 'em in a "Break Open in Case of Pregnancy" box. Other things I discovered: Between the two of us, Hamil and I have six ankle braces (see bullet #6); and I have a grand total of 16 swimsuits!
• Dinner with Hamil's family. It was great seeing his family again. I didn't realize I hadn't seen them in such a long time til one of his brothers asked me about my trip to NY...four months ago!
  
• Despicable Me in 3D. Finally! Loved it! And I always enjoy hearing Hamil laugh.:)

AND I got enough sleep! Woohoo! This week looks promising too. Keep y'all posted!


O Kitchen is along E. Rodriguez Ave., Libis, QC (going north, turn right on the small street right after Honda, going to Padre Pio). Fez is at Serendra, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Viva Espana!

The octopus is now probably Spain's national animal...and calamares, the Netherlands' national dish.

Yep, I jumped on the World Cup bandwagon. And nope, it wasn't because of Ronaldo's abs. I think my heightened interest in sports over the last few years (tennis, basketball, disc, even rugby) also brought on a heightened interest in the Greatest Show on Earth. I never thought I could sit through 90 minutes (and then some) of football...but when the ball handling is masterful and you're munching on crispy pata (fried pork leg) with your husband while watching a match at some bar, it's actually pretty awesome.

Hamil and I spent a lot of late nights at various places because we didn't have Balls. (To non-locals, that's a cable channel!) I really don't enjoy staying out so late anymore, but we reasoned that this only happens every four years--a thought that helped me soldier through a few 2:30 AM games. I was rooting for Argentina, in large part because my brother's a hardcore fan, and Maradona's antics totally cracked me up. (My nephew is named after him.) I was stunned after that 4-0 loss to Germany. And I thus rooted for whoever dem Germans played against (har), eventually deciding that Spain really was my team. (My apologies to my relatives, who would actually watch Oranje matches at home in matching orange jerseys!)

We were bleary eyed as we waited for the 2:30 AM showdown. The finals match wasn't exactly beautiful; I am no football expert, but it didn't seem that well executed. The commentator's dry British humor kept me entertained though--I wish I had jotted down his gems! We were surrounded by people rooting for the Dutch boys. I stood up and yelled each time a goal was attempted. And then, as the sky started to take on a rosy hue--inky black darkness making way for the pinks and reds and oranges of sunrise--as the clock hit the 116th minute, Andres Iniesta made World Cup history.

Four more years til this happens again. And maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to make a trip of a lifetime to Brazil.

Back to Back, Baby!

I tend not to do two posts a day, but this is an exception.

Epic game. Sloppy first half. Down by double digits. The worst scoring output everrr (or at least this series!) from the Black Mamba--sure, he had 23 points, but 6-of-24? Come on. (At least he tried to make up for it with rebounds.) There was also an inexcusable number of missed free throws. But still, the Staples Center roared behind their team. Artest hustled on both ends--scoring when it mattered and being the bane of Paul Pierce's life. Fisher made a crucial three. Gasol...well, he's proven this season that he ain't soft y'all.

Kobe bailed this team out repeatedly over this season (remember those six buzzer beaters?). This time, they had his back. Awesome Hollywood ending. LAKERS, BABY!!!

Back at the Barre

I was bored the other night and wanted to give my (relatively) sedentary body a little shake. Plus, I wanted to hang out with Marie, one of my most favorite people in the world. So I decided to attend a barre3 class again after months. (The third Charmed One, Tata, joined us for dinner and drinks after class.)

Photo from here.

As I explained in my old blog, barre3 is a mix of Pilates, yoga, and the ballet barre. The first time I tried it, I found it a bit challenging, but it seems Teacher Marie has upped the level of difficulty. That, plus my decreased endurance and flexibility equals pain two days later. My core (under the omnipresent layer of flab) is feelin' the burn! I wonder how the lone dude in the class is feeling though. I could see him struggling, but I was so rooting for him because he just soldiered on!

Even though I faltered during some poses or reps, I felt like such a star in class because Marie kept saying, "Nice one, Tish!" Unbeknownst to the rest of the class, it was probably just because our teacher knew my name. Har.

I've got a short checklist of new sporty things to try for this year. I'm aiming for one new thing a month, but so far, I only have three things on my list. Well, five, but I'm iffy about the last two I just thought of. Keep y'all posted!


barre3 classes are held at The Spa, Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio, and at Alabang Town Center. Get more info, including class schedules, here.