Dear Gyro

Remind me five years from now what video game console you wish to have for either your birthday or as a Christmas gift.

I'll also support any artistic or athletic endeavors you may develop interests in --- play the violin, or your dad's saxophone, or swimming, or peewee soccer, or taekwondo. I enjoy wargames, mountaineering, badminton, wall climbing and recently, ultimate frisbee. I'll tell you about the time your dad and I played some wargames in the housing compound and how we ended up being surrounded by a platoon of real soldiers.

I'll hand you your first comic book as soon as you are able to read. I'll explain to you why Batman is the most kick-ass superhero around, and that you should idolize him.

I'll tell you to go to Tito Emer if you want to widen your musical perspective. He's the dark dude in the photo.

I'll introduce you to Tita Val, so she can tell you how to be popular among girls. She's the other woman in the photo.

The Chinese guy in the photo is your Tito Jay. At all costs, you should not believe in everything he says. Verify his statements either with your dad, mom or me.

Be sure to be obedient to your mom and dad. They are really good people, and they know what's best for you.

That being said, welcome to the Christian world!

- Ninong Stip

Sunday

This Sunday:

1. I'm attending the christening of Gyro Benavidez Pamplona. Born last Dec 28th, looks and makes faces exactly like his dad Glenn. Gyro will be my third godson. Of course, I'm very honored to have been picked by Glenn and Janice to be their firstborn's godfather.

Hehehe... I cas see myself spoiling Gyro as he grows up.


2. First game day of the New Year League.

I'll admit it... kinakabahan ako about this league.
Because we're playing in pool A. There are a lot of other players who are in the lower bracket, pool B, who are much, much, much better than I am at playing ultimate frisbee.

Because we're like a bunch of Davids going against a horde of Goliaths.

Oh well, if I'm gonna get battered with the rest of my team, I might as well enjoy the league. It's going to be a really challenging experience.

Funny Story

This is the first funny story that I've heard this 2009.

"Ahhhh... We're at Paris, dude!"

First time namin ni Butch pareho sa Paris. So excited kami sobra to get up to the Eiffel Tower. Kahit sobrang lamig, takbo kami paakyat sa tuktok! Sira kasi yung elevator... peste talaga yang mga Pranses!

Finally, when we reached the top, we were surprised pare! Tired as we were, we got shocked and awed at the same time!

Number 1: There were many people on top. Check.
Number 2: All the people at the top of the Eiffel Tower were COUPLES!
Number 3: Nobody was using the telescopes, and nobody was taking in the magnificent view of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower!.

Biruin mo yun, couples left-and-right were cuddling, kissing and some were even groping each other! Geeeessh...

After being stunned and realizing what the other couples were doing there, slowly nagkatinginan kami ni Butch and nag-meet yung mata namin....

"F*ck you, pare! Don't even think about it!!", we blurted out simultaneously with our fingers pointing at each other.


There's supposed to be a lesson behind this story, but all of us at the dining table were laughing so hard by then.

- as narrated by Cris Taga, aka "Johnny Bravo" in our group, over a small reunion dinner at the Aganda household. Cris is still currently a bachelor (although we seriously think that his happy days are about to end soon. *kindat*)

RIOT, Squeaky Clean

1. RIOT

Arrgs... The frisbee league is starting on Sunday. I'm excited about it, but at the same time a bit anxious. Our team is moving up in the pool bracket, and we're going against the more elite players in the disc community. Our team has merged with another team and decided to brand ourselves Team RIOT for this tournament.

We played pick-up games with three other teams at the Sunken Garden last weekend. Ang daming tao! Seems like the whole frisbee community is preparing hard for the first league of the year.

Blue, the captain of the other team that merged with us, taught us a complex drill --- a "2-man go-to" drill. It was fast-paced, required some nimble footwork and more importantly, precise passing.

But, it wasn't my best day for frisbee. I twisted my ankle. I fumbled the disc four times in a row (which my teammates noticed).

But at least my passing was decent.

After the games and drills, we went to Shakey's for dinner and Cantina for drinks, and had ourselves a RIOT kind of time!

2. Shower shower shower... shower

I technically had to take four baths yesterday. Hahahaha!

I practically spent most of my free time soaking myself under the sun. The chilly and cloudy weather for the last few weeks at Batangas made me appreciate it.

Ten Circles of Hell

I was cooking some chili late last night when I decided to pop-in a DVD on my player and watch a Hongkong horror movie. I bought the movie many months ago but hadn’t had the time or interest to watch it until last night. It was Neraka 19.

Neraka is Hindu for hell.

The movie has its selling points – an interesting storyline, good acting, and some pretty nice girls. The only disappointment for me was it wasn’t a hair-raising, voice-muting horror movie. Japanese horror movies are much better.

Anyway, what fascinated me about the movie is that apparently there is a Chinese belief that there are 18 gates of hell, and that there are cultists who believe on the existence of a 19th gate. Hence the movie title Neraka 19.

Yeah, I know. I have a slight interest in this religious-occult genre.

I tried to do some research on these 18 gates of hell, but I couldn’t get a good match so far. But based on what has been presented in the movie, there is only one good parallelism between the Oriental belief of the 18 gates of hell against the 9 Circles of Hell presented by Dante in his Divine Comedy.

Both concepts of hell distinguished between an Upper Hell and a Lower Hell.

In Dante’s hell, as one goes lower and lower into the further circles, the space becomes smaller and smaller. Like a funnel. In the Chinese concept of gates of hell, the “hell” beyond each gate is limitless. Dante’s concept was based on the gravity of the sin at each circle – the higher the gravity of one’s sins, the deeper he goes into the circles of hell, and the more severe the retribution is. The soul carries out the punishment at his ultimate circle only.

In the movie, the Chinese gates of hell have to be passed successively for all souls. The belief was that beyond each gate of hell, one needs to survive the retribution waiting for him. The punishment is equivalent to the sin (well, as far as the movie and artistic concept implied) --- for example, the first gate of hell is “The Torture of Tongue-Cutting”. Those who have used words to offend others will find themselves cutting off their tongues themselves if they are guilty of this sin. Those who are innocent of this sin are guided on to the next gate.

Because of this, Dante’s concept of hell is eternal damnation. There is no redemption. In the movie, it was portrayed that there is a chance of redemption. If your conscience remains clear at each gate, you pass the test of the gate. When one clears the 18th gate, his soul is redeemed.

Now what happens beyond the 18th gate? Is there really a 19th gate? Based on the movie, there’s none.

The parallel question to that is what if there was a circle of hell? What punishment will be there? In Dante’s 9th circle, Lucifer is there, conscious but unable to move, frozen in ice along with the souls of the sinners “worthy” of accompanying him.

I think, just to toy with the idea, someone more evil than the devil himself would be found at the 10th circle.

This brings to mind a local joke here at our office which names a few personalities more evil than Satan. Hehehe.

Ultimate Weekend - 2009

* groan *

My battle scars last weekend:

A stiff left forearm,
Really tired hamstrings,
Sore calf muscles,
Tense shoulders,
And a hurting shin at my left leg.

The 2009 season for ultimate frisbee has started! Wahoo!

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The team came over to our place in Batangas last weekend for some practice games and a party afterwards (Jungle-themed). I really can’t figure out which thing is our team better at: playing or partying, hahaha.

We played a couple of games at a field here in Batangas --- really great field for diving, lay-outs and rolls. I think the whole team was really excited in the weekend’s practice game. Everybody was running faster, passing better and making some awesome catches. The enthusiasm level was so great that it didn’t stop anyone from playing despite some minor injuries incurred by some players during the game.

My highlight: intentionally blocking off JP’s running lane during their side’s 1-2 play. Unfortunately, JP didn’t see me when I positioned for the block so he rammed into me (and his cleats dug into my shin). Sent me flying on my back, and the momentum was so great that there was enough for me to execute a back-roll and get back on my feet. The adrenaline rush was good, and for the rest of the game it dulled the ache on my left shin and ankle.

No pain, no gain.

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I was surprised to find out that Orange, Vern and Erick can sing superbly well on Rockband. Astig! I found myself a new set of jammers!