Media Overload

Not being able to travel this weekend, I settled for catching up on reading and listening.

Reading Kafka's Soup by Mark Crick. If you've never heard of the book nor the author, neither have I before this. I just happened to be drawn to the book cover so I grabbed it on the way to the library checkout. It is a compilation of stories set/revolving around the kitchen/food preparation and all written "ala" a famous writer (which is appropriate considering the book cover is ala-Warhol). Have started reading and it's good; not something for the permanent collection but not a waste of time either.

Meanwhile, I finished a Dilbert book "Thriving on Vague Objectives". I keep wondering when Scott Adams will run out of material but I guess there is so much absurdity in the workplace, he is probably set for life.

On the side, went of a CD listening binge (less calories than ice cream, if you dont mind the film on top). On the playlist: Third Eye Blind, Manhattan Transfer, Ray Charles (Genius and Friends- gotta have it!), Aaron Neville, Rod Stewart, Johnny Mathis. - Hmmmm, I think that dost reveal my age too much.

Now excuse me while I fan the fumes from the CD player with the Kafka book.

Bean There

I have to shift my list of favorite US cities around to make room for a new addition: Boston.

Cathy and I spent this past weekend in this East Coast city. What can I say, the city was beautiful, steeped in history and very picturesque. Whole streets showcased architecture that hearkened back to the 1600's. The fact that the city is set beside an ocean (and river) also appealed to me. It also didn't hurt that the city buzzed with young people seeking intellectual enrichment.

We kept to the beaten track: trolley tour, historical sites, stops at Harvard/MIT/Boston University. We even chanced upon a riverside festival near Harvard Square. Another high point was when we met up with Fannie (my mentor from high school) and her hubby Jordan who met us at the sailing pavilion. Cathy and I chickened out of sailing on the river (darn!). We had fun chatting and reconnecting over dinner (in Chinatown) and a post-dinner walk through the North End (Italian section of town) for dessert.

I made a promise to myself to go back. I suspect I might end up readjusting my list yet again to make room at the top.

===============================================================

BTW, the title isn't a typo. Boston calls itself Beantown, apparently alluding to a local specialty: baked beans. Too bad, we weren't able to try it. Otherwise, I could have said: Done that.

P.S. I needed to tie it together, right?

Mixing them up

Colors, I mean.

It's been two months since my yellow belt. I tested on June 8 for my next belt- orange. It was an accelerated schedule (it takes 4 months to move belts) but was able to swing advanced testing. Below are two videos from the test and another required essay.

Ah, orange - how sweet it is!

What is the Definition of Taekwondo

The literal "the way of the foot and hand" simply did not cut it. True computer geek that I am, I turned to the internet for a definition:

"Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind." - World Taekwondo Federation Website (http://wtf.org/site/about_taekwondo/intro_taekwondo.htm)

I found this particular definition interesting because it deviated from the other definitions presented in other sites largely evolved around "kicking", "combat sports", and “martial arts”, In particular, the word 'systematic' used in this definition resonates with me. It’s been my experience at the Cincinnati Taekwondo Center that forms start from the very basic to the fancy/complex. Starting off with mooshim which involves basic stretching movements, forms like danggun start to get into foot patterns and more involved hand movements (diamond block, anyone?). Still, as one progresses, he keeps coming back to basic elements taught in the earlier forms that reinforce the notion that there progression is based on a foundation and a system is at work here.

The phrase "body and mind" also stands out. In the flurry of arms and legs that comes from practicing taekwondo, it is easy to forget that Taekwondo also promotes tranquility. I initially found it interesting that there is a requirement for upper belts to meditate and that most classes start with a few minutes of just 'clearing the mind'. I have come to understand that one finds harmony in motion. The discipline of standardized forms lends itself to stillness in thought. The mind focuses of each small movement and this engenders a comfort in the familiar.

For one who wishes he never has occasion to use the physical fighting skills component of Taekwondo, there is a lot of comfort to be taken in going beyond viewing Taekwondo as simply being ‘the way of the foot and hand’.

Allowing oneself to dream - priceless.

Kellogg, Harvard, Stanford...

The iviest of the ivies, the uber-schools.... acedemic (study wall) equivalent of the Pamela Anderson (college dorm) pin-up. The ultimate in bragging rights. ['Ah, so you went to Harvard'; 'Why yes. Didn't you?' (withering stare)]

Another life, another time, what I wouldn't give to be able to add an MBA from one of these schools to my credentials.

(Pix 1: At Northwestern, to celebrate Carmina's graduation from the Kellogg EMBA program-- no.1 in the US. - TJ and Rodel, Carmina, Cathy and Ian)

(Pix 2: Posing with the University of Chicago GSB sign.)

Houston, We Have Takeoff

We finally did it-- a mini-reunion in this hemisphere!

Last May 25 - 28, John, Meann, and Cathy and I visited with Suzanne and Nenen in Houston. We are all friends from work in Manila and had since moved companies, locations, etc. With Meann in the US for meetings, it was hard to resist the four-day holiday's (Memorial Day) promise of a fun-filled weekend of (mis)adventures, bingeing and a whole lot of ribbing.

Some highlights:

May 25 - Intimate with the airport.

Cathy and I, John, and Meann flew in on separate flights. We tried to synchronize our flights but having used miles (except for Meann), we have limited flexibility. Anyway, Meann was the last to arrive at 10pm and we had our bit of fun with her (e.g. she probably could have changed her flight but didnt, and she had checked in a bag, counter to instructions not to). Meann could have worn a dunce's hat for all we cared-- she would be the butt of our jokes for the next few days, much to Suzanne's relief.

May 26 - Wet and Wild at Kennedy Space Center

No, they havent installed a new ride. As fate would have it, that we were in the trolleys when rain started pouring. We were soaked right down to our 'unmentionables'. We hied off to the souvenir shop and bought KSC shirts. We must have looked like overeager tourists (I would have frowned on me) but appearances were lost on us. We did the rounds of KSC's cool exhibits (i.e. touched a moon rock, toured the actual command center, saw an actual rocket). Suzanne deserves credit for making a command decision to skip the last ride else we would have gotten soaked again in another surprise downpour. - We ended the day by walking on the beach of Galveston and sampling the seafood fare at Gaido's. We got back early and ended the day by playing board games where the "competitive" team-- Ian, Suzanne, and John Q-- lorded it over the "uninvolved" Nenen, Meann, and Cathy in a game of Family Feud and Scene It.

May 27 - Pirated

Bingeing (A dimsum feast-- courtesy of Nenen and Suzanne) and Mass (I am not Catholic but didnt mind going in the spirit of ecumenical exploration), set the stage for Sunday.

Afterwards, we wrestled with two options: shopping or battleship tour. The group was split in the middle with John and I opting for the tour, vs Meann/Cathy pushing for shopping. The weather tipped the balance when it started falling again. John and I finally relented, not knowing whether the battleship was indoors. I refused to budge on driving three hours to the outlet mall three hours away (supposedly voted the 'third best shopping' IN THE WORLD; as you can imagine, it called out to Cathy and Meann like the mothership to ET). Indoor mall it was. Everyone else spent most of the afternoon shopping while I got some shut-eye in one the soft seats in the atrium.

We toasted on a successful reunion at Perry's with a bottle of red wine, which went well with the top-notch food. (great steak, escargot, and dessert). - We hied it out of there in time to catch Pirates of the Caribbean, which was fun overall but left us all tired from tying all the stories together. I was the first to hit the sack that night, while everyone else tied up their loose ends (e.g. trying to change Meann's flight, consolidating pictures, copying music, etc).

May 28 - Milestones / Departures

Meann had to leave first (surprise!) . [To her credit (peace!), she was being charged a few thousand dollars to change her itinerary.] Nenen took Meann to see the site of the house she and Suzanne are buying before heading off to the airport. The rest of us were escorted by Suzanne to view the site and the model, before we met up with Nenen just before a leisurely Texmex lunch at Pappasitos (not before we got rained on again).

John, Cathy, and I (and Meann's luggage-- don't ask) were on the same flight. The rains caused our flight to be delayed so we lounged around the Houston airport. It gave me time to wonder at how much change we (and our group) were going through -- Pau/Gi having their first baby with Raffa/Joh's on the way, Suzanne/Nenen/Meann/Pia buying houses, *people* relocating, etc). This being a time of milestones, it was hard not to feel suddenly old.

On the other hand, we all didnt seem to have changed much - still laughing at the same sophomoric (yes Suzanne, that is not a made-up word: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sophomoric) jokes, babaw as ever, and occasionally mali-mali (ok who's got good translations for these?).

Fun, after all, IS universal, no matter which hemisphere you're in.

PS Thanks to Nenen and Suzanne for being such gracious hosts!

PPS Next trip - hopefully San Fo in November-- John Q, up to you to make this reality

PSS Suzanne's fave anecdote from the trip:

Chef: Are you enjoying your food?

All: Yes, very much, thanks.

Chef: Good (starts to walk away)

Suzanne (trying to be cute): Are you the chef?

Chef: Very good, thank you.

Ouch, talk about being shut down! (ok, he probably just heard wrong).

Bite Me

I should never be left to roam alone in the grocery.

Roaming around the Bigg's aisles the other day, I came upon my type of sale-- Haagen Dazs selling for USD2.50/pint. That's still not cheap per se but hey, it's haagen dazs and it's usually USD3.50. Not willing to pass it up, I bought three for myself (Cathy can share but she --horrors-- happens not to like ice cream. Her loss, my gain.), choosing the 'stranger' flavors - Mayan Chocolate (the tagline went 'The Original Chocolate'-- how can I resist?); White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, and Almond Hazelnut Swirl. Yum, yum, and yummmm.

Before anyone berates me, I should say I've counterbalanced the indulgence by EXERCISING my self-control by not eating them all in one go; I WORKED OUT my budget by buying when it was on sale, and I LABORED on this entry to work off my guilt.

Speaking of guilty pleasures, don't get me started on McDonald's Hazelnut Iced Coffee.