Useful Karate

11:35 AM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

Just one of the many examples how karate can be very useful... (aside from fighting)

This morning, my housemate Caren was locked in her bedroom... the door was stuck big time.. That was when my karate training came in handy.... No choice but to breakthe door...


*the broken door

*The happy and free Caren with her broken door

*re-enactment... Ayaaaah!!!!

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See The World

5:04 PM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

When I was kid, I only see the world as Luzon and my dreams will just be about going to Manila to have my vacations and visit the "gigantic" malls.

But as I get older, my perspectives changed and I started dreaming of going to places. I remember my first ever plane ride -January of 2006- I even called my Mom because I'm too nervous since I was alone on my trip to Davao. Then there was my first ever Super Ferry ride going to CDO -March of 2007- which is soooo much fun because I'm with my UPdnavs friends and we even saw dolphins on a sunrise.

I enjoyed watching travel shows (and even dreamed of being a host hehe - kahit sa Lonely Planet o Globe Trekker lang masaya na ako ). Traveling is indeed learning in itself - aside of course for the leisure and recreation it gives. One of my tips is know a friend who lives there OR who knows someone who lives there. I save up from accommodation everytime I travel since I stayed at my friend's or friend of my friend's house (daanin nalang sa kapal este sa charm). It's also good to check the net for references and also asked friends who have been there.

ALSO, to enjoy traveling, never be afraid of the adventure (I always try something new) AND never be afraid to ask. I ask for great places to visit in that area and how to get there so I don't necessarily need someone to always be with me.

Below are just some of the places I want to visit before I die (in no particular order)...


*Maccu Picchu, Peru - I was seating in my World Tourism class while my classmates were reporting about Peru. Then baaaam! Na love at first sight ako when they flashed a picture of Maccu Picchu. I also fell in love with the story of the "Lost City in the Clouds" and the Incas.

I was really glad when Romi Garduce featured it last night in Pinoy Meets World.




*African Safari - Africa is a very rich continent. Sad though because its people don't savour the richness of the land.


I love "into the wild" themes and a safari would just be that. And I want to see the hometown of Simba.







*Angkor Wat, Cambodia - Our Cambodia Missionary Trip didn't push through so I'm hoping the youngsters will be going by next year. I fell in love with the place even more when Ate Zeny (Navs missionary in Cambodia) talked about the it and let us see some pictures.

I was also intrigued with Pol Pot (Khmer Rouge leader) and pictures of the Khmer Rouge's victims sent a chill in myspine. Ate Zeny visited one of the prisons and there were pictures of people before they were killed and you can really see terror in their eyes. Their numbers were also pinned in their skin and Ate Zeny told us that to save from bullets, Khmer Soldiers smashed kids on trees and adults were hammered with the back of the rifle.

*Batanes, Philippines - There is something about Batan
es that really captivates me... it is a places that people don't usually go for a vacation before but now is gaining its popularity. Hegel, my thesis partner, is from Batanes and she's so inlove with the place. It is true that people there have sooo much trust that incidence of stealing is almost close to none.

I watched Kadin (The Goat)and the place is really like outside of the Philippines hehehe super ganda (ggggrrr kainis lang ung Batanes The Movie, the story line ruined the place hahaha)


Venice, Italy - A gondola ride in the water streets of Venice is a great place for romance ...

Since nasa Italy nalang din ako, might
as well go to Rome and visit the Sistine Chapel and the Pope







*Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jerusalem
-I want to see and experience the place where My Lord and Saviour was born.

... see the places I've read on The Bible and also experience the mixture of cultures that is now in present day Jerusalem.


*Palawan, Philippines - is a haven in itself. I admire how its government is putting measures in protecting the place. I want to experience the underground river, great beaches, its sanctuaries and the hospitality of the Palaweños.

I also want to dive at the world-famous Tubbataha Reef... "just keep swimming, just keep swimming' - Dory, Finding Nemo




*The Great Pyramids of Egypt- The enigma of ancient Egypt is sooo powerful that it still draws awe and
wonder. A camel ride to the pyramids overlooking an ocean of sand will be worth the ride.

The pyramids are also included in The Bucket List (a nice movie - free plugging )





*Experience Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) inJapan. It would be a lovely day when I walk in those pathways filled with Cherry blossoms...

Japan has a great mixture of history and modernity. I want to basked in its rich culture of geisha's, samurai, martial arts (specifically karate), Japanese cuisine and old architecture. I also want to try Japan's trains...








*Glen Eyrie Castle, Colorado - the official headquarters ofThe Navigators.

UPd Navs was a great part of my college life. We shared great moments of prayer and worship. I met soooo many wonderful men and women of faith from this bunch. I do hope I will be able to visit (or even live in the castle - GSP 2009?! hhmm) Glen Eyrie.



*This list is still a work in progress... When and How I will be able to accomplish them is a story on its own. It is great to be able to see the world and experience how we are different and yet connected in a way. Never falter in dreaming, because dreams make our waking moment more beautiful and exciting.

Additional Story:

Kuya Dan (do visit this link) is one of the most adventurous person I know and he has traveled a lot! I remember when he was in Alaska and he just slept on the back of a truck hahaha cool dude! He was a Missionary here in the Philippines for almost 10 years and stayed longer in Cebu so he is the Bisayang Amerikano. We had this funny experience in Ayala Cebu when the sales lady talked to me in Bisaya (makasabot ko gamay ra - I can only understand a little) and I stared at her then Kuya Dan talked to her in straight Bisaya. Haha Nashock si ate kasi mas magaling ung Amerikano sa Bisaya kesa sakin. I hope I can be as adventurous as he is... and that I can find it in me to just go... just go and enjoy the experience...

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Mr. Moon Is Smiling

11:55 PM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

Guys!!! Look at the sky, Mr. Moon is smiling with his twinkling starry eyes cute!

--> That was my message to everyone last night. I was on my way home to Karl's place in Proj. 7 when a lady was telling me "tingin ka sa langit! ang ganda oh. nakasmile ung buwan". I was hesistant at first because she might hypnotized me and get my valuables BUT the stubborn me looked up anyway.

And i was like... "waaaaaaaaaw!!! -with my huuuge smile". I took out the cam but sad to say it wasn't able to capture its beauty. Just goes to say that somethings are meant to be seen by your own eyes.

I lingered for a while then continued walking home while looking at the sky from time to time. I passed by the lady who told me about it and saw her telling everyone to look at the sky. It also shows that somethings are meant to be shared.

The funny thing was, my friends had different reactions towards it. Some thought that something was wrong with me, others thought I'm in love -- haha loko kayo ah. I told them I'm serious and just look at the sky.

SAD for the others because their part of the sky was cloudy. -- areas in Davao, CDO, QC, Las Piñas and Solano. -- ang nasabi ko nalang: "Ay! Sayang. Ganda pa naman".

Others gave me info, like Jam and Davie: the two stars that formed the moon's eyes are Jupiter and Venus.

Heggy might just have the best experience since she lives in Batanes. I told her na dapat kasama niya si "boyfriend" punta sila sa burol ng Batanes, humiga at tingin sa langit. I had a laugh when I read her reply: "Aynako.. Ganun nga ang balak... Andun na kami sa park kanina, kaya lang di nakisama ung motor, flat tire.. Bitin haha..."

Last night was a night of awe, wonder and savoring the beauty of creation for me... Hope you enjoyed Mr. Moon and his twinkling starry eyes, too.

*photo courtesy of: Mr. Ravi Dixit.He also made this entry to give smiles of hope to what is happening now in India.

--> it just shows how such beauty can unite people, paint smiles of hope in a world of chaos... Let us continue to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in India, that no further harm will be upon them and also those who are in Thailand.

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What is in a Name?

9:33 AM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

Everything. Your name accompanies who you are or how people perceives you. A name gives you identity so do your character.
It is embarrasing if you happen to forget a person's name. I am sure all of us, at some point, pretended to know the name of someone. At the start of the conversation, we listened but at the back of our mind "ano ulit pangalan niya??? Kilala ko to eh. Saan nga ba kami ulit unang nagmeet?". And as the conversation progresses, we are hoping we can get hints and clues on the person's name or even constructed questions that will lead to his name.
Example: (During my college years)
Naglalakad ako sa Dorm Complex going to the Navs Tambayan:
Unidentified Friend: "Ui Cha!!! Kumusta ka na?" (beso-beso)
Cha: "Ei! Ayos lang. Kaw ba?" (mental blocked--- kilala ko to eh... Classmate ko sa Kas1. San nga ulit nagstart name niya???)
Unidentified Friend: "Ayos lang din. Thesis mode ako ngayon eh." blah blah blah...
Cha: "Ah, talaga?! Kaya mo yan. Ajah!" (still mental blocked--- kilala ko to eh... Classmate ko sa Kas1. Ano nga ulit nagstart name niya??? ggrrr Ano naaaaa.... alam ko na...)
Cha: "Ano ulit pangalan nung seatmate mo sa Kas1? Ung kakulitan din natin?"
Unidentified Friend: "Ah, si ********. Di ko na nakikita un eh."
Cha: "Ako din eh. Di ko na siya naging classmate ulit. Diba may tawag siya sayo???!!!"
Unidentified Friend: "Hahaha!!! Oo, lagi niya akong tinatawag na ********".
Cha: (yes! eureka! That's it!) "hahaha funny nga un!!!
Unidentified Friend: "Ui, sige cha, punta pa akong Lib. See you around!"
Cha: "Nice to see you *******. Godbless sa thesis. Ajah!"
-------
Another example is when a person knows you by someone else's name.

My boss is really bad in remembering names. Add to that the confusion between Cha and Jam. In fairness to him, he is not the only one. Our Director would sometimes call Jam "Jack" and me "Cham" (waaaw! pinaghalong Cha+Jam). Even my close friend Bettie would mixed our names. --- Ang layo naman ng Cha sa Jam aaaahhh!!!!
Our boss sent a Thank You email to those who were assigned at the Manila Hotel Event for the Hope Christian Alumni Homecoming.
I was not included in the list but Jam was (and she was not assigned to that event). To put a stop to this, here is my email to my boss:
Hi sir!
I would like to let you know that I am Cha and not Jam =)
and his reply:
ha ha ha :) (I) am hopeless
When I entered his office to get a fax, he asked me "You were the one who sent me the email?"
I answered, "Yes, Sir" then smiled.
He said: "Damn." and even punched his table.
The next day, I was surprised with what I received from my boss:
Hi..
Hope I got this right this time around...
Regards,
*******
the attachment:
*a picture of me during the event. hahaha forgive my look. Harassed na yan.
6am call time and we weren't able to eat anything till 3pm (and no time for sitting).

Cute ni sir, bumabawi.

For reference: This is ChaJam a.k.a Cham :)
*our Kopi Roti moments with Sheena and Bettie :)
Note:
They say that in order to remember a person's name, look into his eyes then repeat his name on your mind thrice. Hmmm...

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Usapang Chicken

10:09 AM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

Did your mom ever tell you that it was impolite to stare?!? Well my mom didn't so I would usually stare at people (not in a disrespectful manner though).

Since I was alone that night, merrily strolling in Glorietta/Greenbelt, I would usually glance (o sige na nga stare na talaga) at people's get up or attitude in general. I would say "Check" on my mind if I saw a nice ensemble that I would also love to wear. Sana lang I can have a marker and put a biiiig check talaga --promise waterbase naman siya (for sure gusto rin ito ni Sheena).

From my "checking" spree, I realized something...

Hot Chick vs Cool Chick (eto na ung usapang chicken)

I would rather be known as the cool chick --- No offense meant to hot chicks out there.

The chick who is one of the boys, cowboy (pinasosyal na kaladkarin -- hehe pwedeng kaladkarin kahit saan)... not mindful of strict diets (waaaaw all those mouth-watering food!) but should also watch out for her health -- hhmmm dapat di tumitigil sa physical activities (hehe sana di na ulit ako tamarin).

The chick who can be your big time friend through and through without malice.

The chick who loves adventures - doing things I thought I can't and things that really challenges my capacity.

The chick who wants to build up her strength but is also not afraid to show her vulnerability.

The chick who can pull off a printed top, pants and chucks -- waaaah I lost my white chucks. I need replacements.

The chick who doesn't live in some ridiculous boy fantasies but who lives in a tough world.

Well, I have my girly days too and I also love dressing up from time to time. But it still feels nice to go to work wearing slippers instead of heels.

P.S.
I love hot and spicy chickens though

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AYAAAAH! (Karate Kid Diary 2)

11:41 PM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

I can feel that I'm growing stronger due to karate. I can put my feet on top of my head while lying down, I can do 30-sec hand stand (but someone has to hold my feet pa hehe), I got stomach punches while doing crunches and it doesn't hurt that much when Sensei steps on my stomach. I have to improve my push ups though.

I am now practicing for my promotion this December. I just hope the promotion day doesn't coincide with my December plans. Thanks to my classmates who teaches me after training. Learning all the Japanese terms are quite hard so I just listen carefully every time Sensei commands us.

Erratum on my previous blog: Orange Belt comes after White and not Yellow Belt.

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OSU (Karate Kid: Diary 1)

3:11 PM | Posted by cha_jedidiah

D
Did you watch the Karate Kid series?! If you haven't, you missed a great chunk of your childhood life (bwahahaha). As for me, I enjoyed watching almost all the martial arts films there is. I especially love watching Karate Kid when I was in grade school. I will never forget Mr. Miyagi's face (played by Mr. Pat Morita).
It seems fun to know all the moves and cool to watch someone do it. But as they say: no pain, no gain.
My muscles are all sore but I don't mind. I'm just glad that after all the hesitations and laziness of deciding , I finally enrolled at a Karate Class (it took me 4 months before I went to the Dojo)
There is no such thing as a beginner's phase (well of course they teach you the basics) because my first night of training was intense already. They haven't given me my training manual yet so I just followed what Sensei/Sempai did and even the words he spoke.
I had an overview of all the punching and kicking techniques. Karate requires a strong center so I did push ups & sit ups for the front and back (just glad they didn't punch my stomach while doing the sit ups since bago palang, as for the others, they got both). Sensei/Sempai also stepped on my stomach while I was lying down then kicked my sides afterwards. I never had a strong upper body (I so admit that) so I was shocked when we have to do hand stand with our body straight up (glad again my classmate hold my feet while I was turned upside down).
BTW, I had cute little classmates. There's this chubby little boy beside me whom Sensei/Sempai is fond of and I suppress a smile everytime he held the kid's kimono to help him finish the sit ups. Our class is composed of kids, young adults, yuppies and even parents (meron pang buong pamilya talaga hehe cute).
I am also learning Japanese since they usually use that for instructions and counting.
OSU!!! A word you always hear in a Japanese Dojo. Everytime you say the word OSU you have to cross your arms then drop it to your sides while bowing. At first, I can't clearly understand what it is but through observation I learned that OSU can be used in different things:
when you enter or leave the Dojo
when you greet the Sensei/Sempai and even your classmates
when you agree to Sensei/Sempai
when you have to do what Sensei/Sempai instructed
when you finished arranging your kimono after every set
when the training is over
it is also a form of respect (these are just my observations, so corrections are highly appreciated)
...to further understand it, I searched the net and found useful articles regarding OSU.
*White belt are for beginners. Our promotion is quarterly so I do hope I will be able to do all my trainings (and sana makayanan ko! ajah!) ... hehe gusto pang hingin ni Sheena ung future yellow belt ko nyahahaha

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