Category: Celebration

Lion dance is a sports activity integrated with martial arts, dancing and music. It is commonly exhibited in the streets during Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival. But it is not only during these times that lion dancing is performed. Most Chinese (and Filipino) business owners also invite lion dance troupes to sashay in the opening of their new stores and establishments for blessings and for scaring the evil spirits away. Usually, there is only a single lion dance group that can be seen performing in one event; rarely do we witness several ensembles in one.

Yesterday we didn’t have to look far for more, as we attended the 2nd Philippine King of Lion Dance championship 第二屆菲律賓舞獅之王錦標賽. The event was held at the ground floor of Robinsons Otis, Manila from 2PM to 5PM. Admission was for free.

Sponsors comprised of Robinsons Otis, Ariel Javelosa Photography and Video, IBC 13 Chinatown TV, Mr. Mario Tan 陳德通 King Bee Chinese Food, Deutsche Motogerate Inc., Manila Divisoria Lions Club, Shine Gaz, Coach Shirt and Jeans and 菲律濱延陵吳氏宗親總會.

So another record in the world of lion dancing was made in history. Now I just feel compelled to write about it. Actually, I was one of the participants… Me, a lion?

Not quite; I was one of the emcees. ☺

The Judges and the Rules

As always, in any competition, perspective is tricky player. So, strict rules were implemented for every judge to follow.

Chief judge was the president of Philippine Dragon and Lion Union himself, Shifu Arnold Buenviaje, who happens to also be my shifu in wushu.

Timer judges were Shifu Jeffrey Lock and Shifu Manuel Sy, who had to oversee the duration of every performance. Time limit was set at a minimum of 10 minutes and a maximum of 13 minutes. Deductions were given for any fraction of a minute that was over or under the time limit.

The panel of scoring judges was composed of Shifu Victor Mapa, Shifu Gilbert Tan, Shifu Christian Sheldon Buenviaje, Shifu Benjamin Villaran, Shifu Leo Cheng, and Shifu Kenneth Sy. They had to base their judgment on the five aspects, which total to 10 points:
1. The outer look of the lion, the costume, the etiquette, the design of the props, the arrangement of routine (low and high) ~ 1 point
2. The coordination of the head and tail, stance, and footwork ~ 1 point
3. Lion and Music coordination ~ 2 points
4. Shape performance ~ 3 points; and
5. Difficulty ~ 3 points.

The total score was deducted from 0.1 to 1, depending on the number of mistakes the lion will committed during the routine.

In charge of tabulating the scores from the judges were Cheri Ladd Lu, Anne Tan, and Abigail dela Paz. Their role was to compute for the final net score, disregarding the highest and the lowest scores and only taking the average of the remaining three scores.

Special Guests

Special guests were also present. Just to name-drop a dash, they included Mr. Tan She Ling 黃福清先生, President of Wushu Federation Philippines 菲律賓武術協會理事長; Mr. Julian Camacho 吳華彬先生, Treasurer of Philippine Olympic Committee 菲律賓奧林匹克委員會財政主任; Mr. Mario Tan 陳德通先生, Chairman of Ming Sheng Wushu Association 明勝武術會董事長; and Mr. Alfred Fernandez, Executive Director of Chi Ching Wushu Association 菲華志清學會武術社.

The King of Lion Dance Competition Proper

After the contestants had gone oath-swearing, the audience broke into cheers and applause as Mr. Julan Camacho banged the gong to officiate the start of the competition.

First team to compete was Mantis Wushu Philippines 明忠螳螂武術會 (light yellow lion) with members:
Team Leader: Anne Tan
Head: Psylyx Paras
Tail: Alfon Ang
Drummer: Scott So
Cymbals: Ashlyn Mae Tanojera
Cymbals: Leslie Guerrera
Gong: Jesse Yap

Second team was Chi Ching Wushu Association 菲華志清學會武術社 (violet lion) with members:
Team Leader: Alfred Fernandez
Head: Erwin Loo
Tail: Mark Co Reyes
Drummer: Matthew Laurenaria
Cymbal: Jo Danielle Advincula
Cymbal: Erica Chua
Gong: Reylwin Ngan-Oy Cana

Third team was Pagoda Philippines Athletic Association Team A 菲律濱寶塔體育會A 隊 (orange lion) with members:
Team Leader: Benjamin Villaran
Head: Ervin Zerna
Tail: Nino Jorge Amarille
Drummer: Johannes Cirilo
Cymbal: Jackylyn Laurence Medina
Cymbal: Felix Salvador
Gong: Kimbelyn Joy Palisoc

Fourth team was Sukuang Wushu Center  曙光武術中心 (green lion) which was made of up members:
Team Leader: Christian Sheldon Buenviaje
Head: Reylwin Ngan-Oy Cana
Tail: Alvin Thompson Tan
Drummer: Matthew Laurenaria
Cymbal: Marigold Go
Cymbal: Jo Danielle Mei Advincula
Gong: Devin Tan

Fifth team was the Lotus Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe (pink lion) which had the following members:
Team Leader: Cheri Evangelista
Head: Joseph Dal Jr.
Tail: Rhyan Ang Sy
Drummer: Jackylyn Laurence Medina
Cymbal: Johannes Cirilo
Cymbal: Felix Salvador
Gong: Kimberlyn Joy Palisoc

And last but not least was the sixth team, Ming Sheng Wushu Association 明勝武術隊 (yellow gold lion), with members:
Team Leader: Mario Tan
Head: Scott So
Tail: Charles Ivan Po
Drummer: Derwin Tan
Cymbal: Leslie Guerrera
Cymbal: Jessa Aparejedo
Gong: Jesse Yap

As you may have noticed, there were some members who took part in more than one group and joined in the musical accompaniment. This is because there had been recent manpower problems pertaining to the pullout of teams. Hence, the organizer allowed the borrowing of troupe members to ensure the continuity of the competition.

Visually Striking Lion Dance

“Wow” is that one word that sums up the performances of all contenders. Made up of two people forming the head and the tail, each of the lions jumped up the chairs and tables and did wonderful stunts and stances to please the judges and audiences.

Being cloaked inside a heavy garment while shivering in cold out of nervousness was a challenge in itself. Working their way from the initial signaling (four clacks) of the drums to the end and dancing without falling to the ground was another feat. Each team must complete their routine and remain in sync with the rhythm of the drum, cymbals and gong.

Each lion performed creative and original choreography, with each starting off with a highly dynamic performance embarking on a journey to find the cheng (a flower). For spending two months to train for this competition, it must have taken them sheer determination and strong passion to showcase the art of lion dancing.

Thankfully, no one got badly injured, although there was one team which accidentally fell from the platforms. Still, the show must go on; they continued and finished their presentation despite knowing that they’ve lost significant marks already. The addiction to the thrill of the challenge may have also contributed a lot to power up their persistence and confidence. Thanks to Soler First Aid team volunteers, their injuries had properly been taken care of afterwards.

In essence, regardless of how complicated the sequences of kick after high kick after high kick went, they had to put everything under control. Rightfully, I commend them for managing to master this juggling act. My heart was pounding in every performance, as I could feel both their stress and pressure throughout. This was apart from me together with my co-emcee, Janet Tiu—thinking what ad-libs we’d throw in our next lines.

Granting of Certificates and Awarding Ceremony

While waiting for the score of the final team to be out, Mr. Mario Tan gave out the certificates to participants of the competition. I was surprised to also have one.

The awarding ceremony followed suit. Third-runner up was Chi Ching Wushu Association; second-runner up was Lotus Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe; first-runner up was Sukuang Wushu Center; and the [returning] champion was Ming Sheng Wushu Association.

Photo credit: Camille Po

Congratulations to all winners!

Bravo to the participants, for the entertainment and inspiration you have given to the next year’s competition ahead.

This weekend I played the dice game at two different occasions. One was with 明勝武術會 (Ming Sheng Wushu Association) held at Uno Seafood Wharf Restaurant last Friday at dinnertime. The other was with 旅菲南海九江同鄉會, our Cantonese family association, held at Crown Prince Seafood Restaurant today at lunch. Funny thing was these restaurants are just adjacent each other along Escolta Street near our place in Manila.

In both meals, creatures of the sea were mostly served, making my tummy happy. There were repeat items such as the suahe (river shrimps), the noodles we can’t veer away from and buchi—a rice cake made from sweet rice flour that is molded into shape with a sweet bean paste filling and sesame seed coating, which is absolutely one of my favorite desserts.

Here are the pictures of the food:

From Ming Sheng:

From Nam Hoi:

I will not further elaborate on each dish because this post is not meant to be a food or restaurant review but a sharing of the Mooncake Festival’s dice game.

Mooncake Festival (中秋節) is one of the most celebrated events in the Chinese calendar. The moon is at its fullest and roundest at this time. Family and friends gather to gaze at the moon, feast, eat mooncakes together and play the dice game.

Game of Luck Chance

The mooncake dice game or Pua Tiong Chiu was actually invented by pirate-cum-patriot Koxinga in Fujian, China to keep his homesick troops occupied. The tradition of playing this fun-filled game has been passed down to several generations. During the mid-autumn festival which happens in September, Chinese families compete for mooncakes by throwing six mahjong dices into a large porcelain bowl to win prizes.

When you have one four dots, you take home the smallest prize. When you have two of these four dots out of the six dices, you get the next smallest prize. Respectively, you attain the medium prize when you have three four dots. You become the winner when you get the four four red dots or five dice of the same kind regardless if it’s four dots or not. Special prizes (e.g. next to the jackpot prize) can be claimed when you get the dices 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or when you get four dices of the same kind.

People say that when preparation meets opportunity, luck happens. But with this game, you can’t really prepare and practice to get a good result of the dice combinations. All you can have are chances. You can try to throw with different styles, if you believe certain fancy dice-throwing techniques and hand movements will make you “luckier”. Just make sure there is no dice that bounces out of the bowl because by so you’ll lose a turn. Click here to know more about how to play the dice game.

In traditional Chinese homes, prizes offered are cookies and mooncakes. In modern settings and among the elite, there are technical gadgets and appliances that are given away. In our case, mooncakes were out of sight; prizes were all snacks and money! I won one Soyfresh cappuccino-flavored soy milk, one Soyfresh chocolate soy milk, bread pan and PHp 360 after about two hours of playing in each game. ♥

This is another repost from Multiply.

Date: May 1, 2009, Friday
Venue: Trinoma, a local mall that has become one of the crossroads of assimilation, stomping grounds for opinion and an unfolding drama of telenovela proportions

“Kayo na ba?”

Followed by faces dying to know the answer, this was the million-dollar question people have been asking/nagging me of sooo many times before like a broken record. Hanging them by their tails, I just shrug them off with a smile—every time.

Upon reaching Trinoma [at 3PM], Louie pulled out a big plastic bag from the car front seat. When asked, he said that it was a birthday gift for a friend we’ll be meeting at around 9 or 10PM. I thought to myself, “Ang late naman, di ba uwian time na un?” Nevertheless, I didn’t utter anything back and instead countered with a second thought: “Sige na nga, okay lang… siya naman kasama eh.”

As he had not eaten enough for lunch, he first quenched his hunger by eating a regular-sized shawarma. Then, we strolled along the crowded passages of the mall, talking about anything under the sun as usual, with topics ranging from the stolid to the sentimental.

When the clock ticked to 20 minutes past six, we moved our way to T.G.I. Friday’s for dinner. After dinner, we’ve carried on with our sweet nothings and some random things—until 9pm came. He asked me if I wanted to see the gift (in the plastic bag) before he hands it to his friend. I said okay, and before I knew it, he had torn down the scotch tape and removed the staple wire plastered on the bag. Whoa! How would he repack the gift and return the plasters back in place when he had not brought any of the materials for packaging?

With a devilish look on his face which seemingly tells “O! Na-trick na naman kita!”, he said that it was actually a gift for me. Again, I was caught by surprise.

He let me guess what the box contains. I had no idea. Like a cake box, it was square, colorful, bright and girly. I was sure the gift was neither edible nor easily perishable because he had been carrying it the whole time. After shaking the mysterious box, I felt that it contained something like a book. I wondered what book he would he possibly give me after letting me read a copy of Les Misérables. One thing I was certain: as much as it was interesting, the gift was something special as he had made it with myriads of shades of heightened swirls and convolutions.

Keyed up, we opened the gift together.

It was a scrapbook of our memories—page by page harking back from the day we had our first conversation (January 11, 2008) and recollecting the events and moments we’ve shared, until the very last page which was marked “May 1, 2009, the day where it all begins.” To cut short, the last line read that it was time. Time for what?

This would be better described if I use his words:

“Surely, this was time for something. Then, Louie moved closer to Roch. This was definitely the time for it.” Finally, Louie asked…

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

And the rest was history.

ipili wrote on May 2, ’09 hehehe. i’m happy for you,roch 🙂

frrraaan wrote on May 2, ’09 Aww, Roch 🙂 So happy for you! 🙂

andrewmelliza wrote on May 2, ’09 whoaaaa grbe louie is that you??? hahha wow congrats sa inyo dlwa hehe ang sweet

andrewmelliza wrote on May 2, ’09 CONGRATS ROCH AND LOUIE heheh akalain mo yun si louie hahaha

blissfulangel wrote on May 2, ’09 aww, congrats!:D:D:D

paperstainer wrote on May 2, ’09 Congrats Roch!

dboogeyman wrote on May 2, ’09 YEEEESSSSSS……. sila na ohh….! BAGAY!!! congrats! :))

kae44 wrote on May 2, ’09 wow!! congrats!!! 😀

sheramf wrote on May 2, ’09 after the long wait….natalo niyo pa ata wedding nila juday at ryan e.. :)) wish you all the best!=)

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 andrewmelliza said CONGRATS ROCH AND LOUIE heheh akalain mo yun si louie hahaha haha di nga akalain :))

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 thanks all 😀

iszhatot wrote on May 2, ’09 omigod.. kilig!! 🙂 im so happy for you roch! 🙂 congrats 🙂

okelli wrote on May 2, ’09 congrats ate roch and kuya louie! 😀

katetung wrote on May 2, ’09 congrats roch! sweet nmn nia!=)

moochiedg wrote on May 2, ’09, edited on May 2, ’09 congrats!!!!!! God bless you two!!! power couple! cool!!!

jacqchin wrote on May 2, ’09 OMG! had goosebumps while reading this. dalaga ka na talaga. we couldn’t have been more happier than atsi dolly. hehehe. basta cherish every moment, especially yung many firsts together- the kilig moments. (yuck) cause pretty soon, the “kilig” stage will wear off so enjoy it while it lasts. have fun together!dapat pala hinuli ko kayo sa trinoma! hehehe.anong tawagan nyo? bikoko din ba? hahaha

ainetherese wrote on May 2, ’09 roch!!! ang sweeetttt!!!:D:D congrats!:D how are you na?:D

hautechick wrote on May 2, ’09 SOOOO CUTE!! The genius and cute couple! 🙂 I didn’t know that Louie can be so sweet! HAHAHA. Roch inferno, your love story’s written as if it’s an article ready to be published on our school newspaper! HAHA.

hautechick wrote on May 2, ’09 And meron pa talaga “Bitin” factor, nasa ibang blog pa. HAHAHA. I’m so happy for you!! 🙂

gwatsmiles wrote on May 2, ’09, edited on May 2, ’09 Rochie ah!! hahaha di mo ko binalitaan, ngayon lang rin ako nakaonline. But before anything else…..CONGRATS Louie-Roch! 😀 Sabi na nga ba eh…hahaha nahulaan ko na! I’m so happy for both of you! 🙂 Also, the idea of the gift is very romantic 🙂

jamiee wrote on May 2, ’09 haha katuwa naman =)

wilexander wrote on May 2, ’09 gratz2x.. Godbless sa inyu.. =)

stargazersss wrote on May 2, ’09 awwww… so sweet 🙂 Congrats Roch and Louie! stay happy 😀

ongr wrote on May 2, ’09 haha i couldn’t believe louie could be like that hahaha be happy just don’t get married to early hahaha

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 jacqchin said OMG! had goosebumps while reading this. dalaga ka na talaga. we couldn’t have been more happier than atsi dolly. hehehe. basta cherish every moment, especially yung many firsts together- the kilig moments. (yuck) cause pretty soon, the “kilig” stage will wear off so enjoy it while it lasts. have fun together! dapat pala hinuli ko kayo sa trinoma! hehehe. anong tawagan nyo? bikoko din ba? hahaha haha wala, by name lang 😀

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 hautechick said SOOOO CUTE!! The genius and cute couple! 🙂 I didn’t know that Louie can be so sweet! HAHAHA. Roch inferno, your love story’s written as if it’s an article ready to be published on our school newspaper! HAHA. haha grabe school paper. haloo tls, di eto for publishing ah :))

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 ainetherese said roch!!! ang sweeetttt!!!:D:D congrats!:D how are you na?:D thanks. i’m fine. ojt na. yee onga ang sweet :))

negative8 wrote on May 2, ’09 rochkirstin said haha grabe school paper. haloo tls, di eto for publishing ah :)) Sayang naman kung di natin ipupublish! Haha, joke!Napa-“awwwww” ako sa kwento mo. Good luck sa inyo! 😛

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 gwatsmiles said Rochie ah!! hahaha di mo ko binalitaan, ngayon lang rin ako nakaonline. But before anything else…..CONGRATS Louie-Roch! 😀 Sabi na nga ba eh…hahaha nahulaan ko na! I’m so happy for both of you! 🙂 Also, the idea of the gift is very romantic 🙂 kahapon lang un. sobrang antok na ako kagabi para magbalita sa bawat isa :)) thanks, g. miss you na! wahaha

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 negative8 said Sayang naman kung di natin ipupublish! Haha, joke! Napa-“awwwww” ako sa kwento mo. Good luck sa inyo! 😛 kakatuwa ka naman. thanks. miss ko na rin tls, jeff!, and ikaw! haha di na ako makabalik ng school 😐

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 hautechick said And meron pa talaga “Bitin” factor, nasa ibang blog pa. HAHAHA. I’m so happy for you!! 🙂 syempre para maiba naman haha. thanks nadj. 🙂

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 dboogeyman said YEEEESSSSSS……. sila na ohh….! BAGAY!!! congrats! :)) mukhang tuwang tuwa ka glenn haha :))

hazecie wrote on May 2, ’09 yeees dalaga na ang anak kooo!! ^_^ stay happy =)

andrewtan10 wrote on May 2, ’09 hay nako late na ako pero i have 2 comments! 1. anak ng tokwa hahahahha nambitin ka pa hndi pa tinuloy!!!! ahahhaha 2. Well grabe super astig kayo! hahaha Ingatan nyo isa’t isa ha 🙂 o ang Pride will always be here for the TWO of you haha 😛

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 wow thanks naman andrew :)) di ka pa late nuh haha ung ibang Pride mas late

jcbi7 wrote on May 2, ’09 yikee kakilig uber hehe. 😀 god bless and congrats hehe. stay happy and grow more with each other! hehe. 😀 nakakakilig tayu kayu hehe. may bitin-bitin pa hehe.

whattamenjapo wrote on May 2, ’09 ouch.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA =))congrats sa inyo 😉

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 whattamenjapo said ouch. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA =)) congrats sa inyo 😉 ouch? awww jp :)) hahaha thanks

whattamenjapo wrote on May 2, ’09 rochkirstin said ouch? awww jp :)) hahaha thanks di ko inexpect eh. nasurprise ako mxado.biglaan sobra. HAHAHAHAHA

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 whattamenjapo said di ko inexpect eh. nasurprise ako mxado.biglaan sobra. HAHAHAHAHA haha kaya pala un ang status message mo??

whattamenjapo wrote on May 2, ’09 rochkirstin said haha kaya pala un ang status message mo?? hahaha yup yup! ako n lng single sa group! :(( hahaha

patty02 wrote on May 2, ’09 congraaattss roch! 😛 kinikilig ako for u. HAHAHAHAHA 😛

milts wrote on May 2, ’09 Congrats Roch and Louie!Antayin ko nalang yung weddding invitation nyo ha? Hahaha!Wish you all the best! God bless!

germaineteh wrote on May 2, ’09 Wow congrats Roch! XD

rochkirstin wrote on May 2, ’09 okelli said congrats ate roch and kuya louie! 😀 thanks dcee haha kuya louie lang, hindi “ate” roch 😛

pochiquieng wrote on May 2, ’09 stay happy=P

omimiw wrote on May 2, ’09 yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. : ) pakilala! : ))

1anism wrote on May 2, ’09 really great story 😀 weeee!

febieznayn wrote on May 2, ’09 awww, cuuuute! congrats 😀

dumdee wrote on May 2, ’09 Very thrilling yng narration may pabitin pa with the link =p haha Congrats to you both =) Haven’t met you yet Louie pero heard a lot from ure cousins (Siocos) nakoo matutuwa mga yun =) This will be a story that I’ll follow =)

jeffesperanza wrote on May 2, ’09 Congratulations!!!Andrew & Roch: Magpapa-HelpDesk Announcement ako sa DLSU… hahaha

falconite wrote on May 3, ’09 jeffesperanza said Congratulations!!! Andrew & Roch: Magpapa-HelpDesk Announcement ako sa DLSU… hahaha haha jeff, nasa maling site ka ata :))

falconite wrote on May 3, ’09 dumdee said Very thrilling yng narration may pabitin pa with the link =p haha Congrats to you both =) Haven’t met you yet Louie pero heard a lot from ure cousins (Siocos) nakoo matutuwa mga yun =) This will be a story that I’ll follow =) cousins? really? like who? haha

falconite wrote on May 3, ’09 rochkirstin said thanks dcee haha kuya louie lang, hindi “ate” roch 😛 haha, bata pa ako 😛

rebanene wrote on May 3, ’09 NAKS! Congrats to you both!! 🙂

naughtyallie wrote on May 3, ’09 what else can we say… hehe.. CONGRATS!!!! Stay happy!

rochkirstin wrote on May 3, ’09 omimiw said yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. : ) pakilala! : )) haha maybe next time.

rochkirstin wrote on May 3, ’09 jeffesperanza said Congratulations!!! Andrew & Roch: Magpapa-HelpDesk Announcement ako sa DLSU… hahaha haha help desk? :)) nakakatawa naman eto.

rochkirstin wrote on May 3, ’09 milts said Congrats Roch and Louie! Antayin ko nalang yung weddding invitation nyo ha? Hahaha! Wish you all the best! God bless! thanks milts! matagal pa aantayin mo hahaha

andrewtan10 wrote on May 3, ’09 whattamenjapo said ouch. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA =)) congrats sa inyo 😉 ow no JP??!! hahaha

allie22 wrote on May 3, ’09 aww.. ang cute naman.. Stay happy! =)

carouy wrote on May 3, ’09 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.kinilig ako! hahaha ganda ng pagkakwento! i’m soo happy for you! yeekiee!

migxz wrote on May 3, ’09 OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! honestly! kinikilig ako ngaun!!!! hahaha.. super! congrats roch!! haha.. sa inyong dalawa! haha.. wooohooo!! 😀

desjane wrote on May 3, ’09 awwwww 🙂 stay happy!! 🙂 miss u rochelle!

vanzmarco wrote on May 3, ’09 I’m last again haha…well that’s coz I went out of town this weekend haha…no worries, I’m still one of the first to “realize” something existed bet. you two hahaha. Plus, formality lang toh…matagal na “kayo” hahaha 😉 There is only one thing left then…when will you give out the invitations on “YOUR” day? wahahaha

rochkirstin wrote on May 3, ’09 migxz said OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! honestly! kinikilig ako ngaun!!!! hahaha.. super! congrats roch!! haha.. sa inyong dalawa! haha.. wooohooo!! 😀 haha naffeel ko nga pagkakilig mo migxz! kakatuwa ka :))

rochkirstin wrote on May 3, ’09 vanzmarco said I’m last again haha…well that’s coz I went out of town this weekend haha…no worries, I’m still one of the first to “realize” something existed bet. you two hahaha. Plus, formality lang toh…matagal na “kayo” hahaha 😉 There is only one thing left then…when will you give out the invitations on “YOUR” day? wahahaha hai vinci di ka talaga nagpapatalo ever hahaha 😛

rochkirstin wrote on May 3, ’09 ongr said haha i couldn’t believe louie could be like that hahaha be happy just don’t get married to early hahaha yes boss 😀 haha

chopin09 wrote on May 3, ’09 speechless . . . . . . .

bebsy wrote on May 3, ’09 wow! parang wedding proposal na!!! joke lang! that was sooo sweet! soo happy for you, you’re blooming! =D

alexiz428 wrote on May 4, ’09 hahaha atsi at last lumabot na heart u whahaha. Good Luck sa inyo. kay ahia louie dapat makilala ka na namin tsk tsk hahaha kami ba wla copy? whahahaa. so sweet naman! wish you all the best..

xtiandavid wrote on May 4, ’09 hands down! lufet ng proposal!:)

rochkirstin wrote on May 4, ’09 alexiz428 said hahaha atsi at last lumabot na heart u whahaha. Good Luck sa inyo. kay ahia louie dapat makilala ka na namin tsk tsk hahaha kami ba wla copy? whahahaa. so sweet naman! wish you all the best.. at last lumambot heart? haha bakit di ba? :)) tska anong copy?

gwatsmiles wrote on May 4, ’09 rochkirstin said kahapon lang un. sobrang antok na ako kagabi para magbalita sa bawat isa :)) thanks, g. miss you na! wahaha so panu ba yan, next na pagkikita natin…dun dun dun….hahaha as couple na kayo! miss you too! 🙂 yahooooie =p

collectivity wrote on May 4, ’09 ok.. as usual.. late na nmn ako sa balita.. hahaha! congrats roch!.. and give my regards to louie n din.. =D

starbfly wrote on May 4, ’09 awww.. late ako sa balita.. HAHAHA.. congrats sa inyo!!! God bless..:)

rochkirstin wrote on May 5, ’09 @steph and lee: ok lang nuh. thanks! God bless 😀

vanzmarco wrote on May 5, ’09 rochkirstin said hai vinci di ka talaga nagpapatalo ever hahaha 😛 YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT wahahaha…when I’m right…I’m left haha…ok I know it’s corny but you know what I mean 😉

rochkirstin wrote on May 5, ’09 vanzmarco said YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT wahahaha…when I’m right…I’m left haha…ok I know it’s corny but you know what I mean 😉 yes of course i know you well 😛

mkaryl wrote on May 6, ’09 nasira ko ba moment nyo nung ginulo ko kayo? :)) super dikit na dikit si louie sayo nun ah! hahahahaha!

henshel8 wrote on May 15, ’09 Congrats, grabe.hehe:) buti naman at kay louie napapunta si roch.hehe:)) good luck sa inyong two! sobrang dami ka ng ikkwento sakin roch. grabe.. spill more details ah.haha:)) see you!

bumibumi wrote on May 28, ’09 suspense naman ung click here to read more =)) sobrang natawa ako dun ha hahaha :))

bumibumi wrote on May 28, ’09 oh shucks ang sweet pala ni louie >:) =))

peterpiper00 wrote on May 28, ’09 Congrats! hahaha

falconite wrote on May 29, ’09 bumibumi said oh shucks ang sweet pala ni louie >:) =)) yah, you should know, ur my avp 😛

lextra wrote on May 31, ’09 Hahahaha Roch-ang..sorry ngayon ko lang nabasa itong blog mo! Ngayon ko lang naalala! Haha….schweet ha!!! =) You finally found THE guy…took u yrs, sweetie! I’m happy for you! Malapit na birthday mo! Let’s meet up so i can do a house call or something. =) Miss u!

rochkirstin wrote on Jun 1, ’09 bumibumi said oh shucks ang sweet pala ni louie >:) =)) haha sweet din naman kayo 😛

rochkirstin wrote on Jun 1, ’09 lextra said Hahahaha Roch-ang..sorry ngayon ko lang nabasa itong blog mo! Ngayon ko lang naalala! Haha….schweet ha!!! =) You finally found THE guy…took u yrs, sweetie! I’m happy for you! Malapit na birthday mo! Let’s meet up so i can do a house call or something. =) Miss u! sure haha miss you too

somethingfishy wrote on Jun 7, ’09 hi roch. I’ve always wondered cause I’ve been seeing his pic. as your ym avatar. i was just too shy to ask. haha. kinilig ako sa nabasa ko. :> congrats, roch! (late na naman ako as usual). 😛

rochkirstin wrote on Jun 7, ’09 somethingfishy said hi roch. I’ve always wondered cause I’ve been seeing his pic. as your ym avatar. i was just too shy to ask. haha. kinilig ako sa nabasa ko. :> congrats, roch! (late na naman ako as usual). 😛 haha ok lang nuh. thanks ice 😀

Since Multiply is shutting down as a social networking platform soon, I have to migrate my photos and blog posts to Facebook and Blogger respectively. Starting December 1, 2012, Multiply will focus only on its niche of being an e-commerce portal.

Stefan Magdalinski, Multiply CEO, has issued this formal announcement:

This is a repost from one of my Multiply photo albums. 

Date: February 14, 2009, Saturday
Location: Serendra

We were not girlfriends and boyfriends back then yet. Louie has not been to our house. On this Valentine’s day, he planned for a surprise—meeting me at our very doorstep. Unfortunately for him, his plan didn’t turn out the way it should. At 2:16PM, he said through he was sorry for he will be an hour late (4PM instead of 3PM). But nine minutes after, he sent a text saying that it was only a joke. Actually, he was already waiting outside our house.

I went down and looked for his car.

Left. 

Right.

Clearly, it was out of sight.

So I called him up. He said he was right outside our door—on the right floor but wrong tower! Good thing he did not ring the bell. We met at the lower ground parking lot, and he was carrying a humongous bouquet of flowers. I left the flowers at home with him then rode our way to Serendra.

It was raining then, but as if the gods and goddesses of the skies had casted spells on the weather in a split-second, the rain had stopped the moment we arrived. The place was a sublime sight even for the bleary-eyed.

It was a day away from the ordinary.

Oh, scratch that.

It was an ordinary day; he just made it special. ^^

46 Comments

midsh wrote on Feb 15, ’09 Awww. . sweet 🙂

hautechick wrote on Feb 15, ’09 YICCCCKKEEEE. HAHAHA. :))

teejskiepoo wrote on Feb 15, ’09 happy

migxz wrote on Feb 15, ’09 ooooooooooooooooo mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm gggggggggggggggggggggg!!!

ok, exagge ng reaction ko! haha.. :))

sweet! 😀

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 migxz said ooooooooooooooooo mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm gggggggggggggggggggggg!!! ok, exagge ng reaction ko! haha.. :)) sweet! 😀 haha migxz exagg nga 😛

blissfulangel wrote on Feb 15, ’09 Ayiiiiiiie! I still can;t get over his “See you on the 14th” message to you. And his harana too. Ayiie!<3

andrewmelliza wrote on Feb 15, ’09 wow nice one hehe kala ko di nmn ma witness ano nangyari sa date nyo hehe buti nlng nag pic ko hehe

milts wrote on Feb 15, ’09 perfect combination la la la la la! hahaha! yun parin masasabi ko =p

whattamenjapo wrote on Feb 15, ’09 wow! bago ba toh??!?! bat wala ako alam?!?!?!? HAHAHAHA

gwatsmiles wrote on Feb 15, ’09, edited on Feb 15, ’09 pag nagkita tayo rochie, i’ll just give you a smile…=Dayieeeeee. so sweet 🙂

jfdelacruz wrote on Feb 15, ’09 dapat gabi kayo pumunta…nandun kami nung gabi…mas maganda nung umaga…kasi nandyan din ako nung umaga hahaha… nung gabi may kumakanta sa itallanis and dami doggy and malamig hehe

sheramf wrote on Feb 15, ’09 goodluck sainyo roch!=)

ongr wrote on Feb 15, ’09 I KNEW ITTTTTT HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. why didn’t you wanna tell me man?

prettykim04 wrote on Feb 15, ’09 louie’s the man!

collectivity wrote on Feb 15, ’09 yikeee! omg.. happy vday to d both of u! =) kakakilig nmn

paperstainer wrote on Feb 15, ’09 nice…

“petals from the helicopters”

saya nman nun!

starbfly wrote on Feb 15, ’09 yihee!!! happy valentines day!!! 🙂

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 jfdelacruz said dapat gabi kayo pumunta…nandun kami nung gabi…mas maganda nung umaga…kasi nandyan din ako nung umaga hahaha… nung gabi may kumakanta sa itallanis and dami doggy and malamig hehe haha di maintindihan kung anu talaga mas maganda, gabi o umaga 😀 dami ngang dogs

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 whattamenjapo said wow! bago ba toh??!?! bat wala ako alam?!?!?!? HAHAHAHA anong joke yan? :)) haha kaw nga yata ung umalahokan (town crier)

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 blissfulangel said Ayiiiiiiie! I still can;t get over his “See you on the 14th” message to you. And his harana too. Ayiie!<3 onga, super unexpected :))

jeffesperanza wrote on Feb 15, ’09 louie… team contract violation, failing to inform your C/O about “this” hahaha… Good Luck for both of you!

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 jeffesperanza said louie… team contract violation, failing to inform your C/O about “this” hahaha… Good Luck for both of you! haha kasali ba un sa contract? tsktsk :))

hazecie wrote on Feb 15, ’09 ayiiiie roch… dalaga ka na tlaga!!! ^_^

vanzmarco wrote on Feb 15, ’09, edited on Feb 16, ’09 *no comment*…ok I can’t help it…4 words…I TOLD YOU SO…I am rarely wrong when it comes to my gut instincts…wherever I go, BABALIK AKO FOR…you know what 😉 WAHAHAHAHAHAHA

kae44 wrote on Feb 15, ’09 aaahhhyyyiiieee..=D

falconite wrote on Feb 15, ’09 nice caption :P. Chaka “Actually ordinary lang ung day.. he just made it special. ^^” awww… 🙂

pengfei wrote on Feb 15, ’09 goodluck to the two of you =) hehehehe super kakatuwa… =)

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 falconite said nice caption :P. Chaka “Actually ordinary lang ung day.. he just made it special. ^^” awww… 🙂 “nice caption”syempre haha 😛 mumuness

negative8 wrote on Feb 15, ’09 Sweet namaaaan!Baka may magselos. :))

jcbi7 wrote on Feb 15, ’09 yikee!!! more power to you guys!! hehe. 😀 cute cute niyo together!!! 😀 sweet mo roch!! 😀 yikee. hehe.

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 15, ’09 negative8 said Sweet namaaaan! Baka may magselos. :)) hahaha we’ll see :))

jennylynso wrote on Feb 15, ’09 hahaha… roch:) swweeeeett….

bumibumi wrote on Feb 15, ’09 yikee

jeffesperanza wrote on Feb 16, ’09 falconite said nice caption :P. Chaka “Actually ordinary lang ung day.. he just made it special. ^^” awww… 🙂 louie… team contract violation, failing to inform your C/O about “this” hahaha… Good Luck for both of you!

omimiw wrote on Feb 16, ’09 awwwwwwwwwwww. 🙂 cutiepay sangyboo… 🙂 very happy for thee! :DDD

omimiw wrote on Feb 16, ’09 kamukha nga niya talaga yung pinakita ko sayong vid ng friend ni justin :)) sabihin mo baka related sila. hahahahaha

falconite wrote on Feb 16, ’09 jeffesperanza said louie… team contract violation, failing to inform your C/O about “this” hahaha… Good Luck for both of you! haha… whatever 😛

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 16, ’09 omimiw said kamukha nga niya talaga yung pinakita ko sayong vid ng friend ni justin :)) sabihin mo baka related sila. hahahahaha di na nga yata kamukha haha

stargazersss wrote on Feb 16, ’09 awwww 🙂 super sweet! 😀 i’m kinikilig hahaha.

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 16, ’09 vanzmarco said *no comment*…ok I can’t help it…4 words…I TOLD YOU SO…I am rarely wrong when it comes to my gut instincts…wherever I go, BABALIK AKO FOR…you know what 😉 WAHAHAHAHAHAHA wahaha sweet mo naman 😛

carouy wrote on Feb 16, ’09 awwww….ang ganda. kinilig nmn ako! hahaaha roch, im happy for u =)

rochkirstin wrote on Feb 16, ’09 carouy said awwww….ang ganda. kinilig nmn ako! hahaaha roch, im happy for u =) haha kakatuwa ka. it’s been long since iv last heard from you 🙂

azraelcc wrote on Feb 16, ’09 Congrats Roch! Panalo Valentine’s mo! hehehe!

mkaryl wrote on Feb 17, ’09 woohooo! yay for you 😀

carouy wrote on Mar 8, ’09 rochkirstin said haha kakatuwa ka. it’s been long since iv last heard from you 🙂 oo nga e… one day we will meet again! =D

paulgarilao wrote on Apr 19, ’09 congrats

Today, we celebrated the sixth founding anniversary of Philippine Ming Sheng Wushu Association. The event was held at the grand ballroom of Manila Grand Opera Hotel and Casino in Santa Cruz, Manila from 12NN to 3PM. I came in not as a wushu performer or anything of that sort but as a host. I was very honored and proud to be selected by the 明勝武術會 chief instructor himself, Shifu Arnold Buenviaje, who I closely regard as another father. I only made my script last week and translated it to Chinese together with Janet Tiu, my co-host, yesterday!

Special guests and speakers were:

• Philippine Ming Sheng Wushu Association Chairman Mario Tan 菲律賓明勝董事長 ~ 陳德通先生 (for the opening remarks)
• Wushu Federation Philippines President Mr. Tan She Ling 菲律賓武術協會理事長 ~ 黃福清先生
• Philippine Olympic Committee Treasurer Julian Camacho 菲律賓奧林匹克委員會財務秘書 ~ 吳華彬先生
• International Sar Ping Lion Dance Confederation leader grandmaster Siew Kee Chan 國際沙坪獅藝同門聯誼總會 ~ 陳绍箕掌門
• Singapore Wenyang Sports Association Chief Instructor Jeffrey Tan 新加坡文揚龍獅運動協會總教練 ~ 陳慶賢師傅 and his team who flew from Singapore last night just to be part of this occasion

In Chinese culture, any traditional skill can be passed down from the master to its disciples, thus forming a lineage. Becoming a disciple forges a unique bond between the disciples and the long line of ancestors who forged the tradition before them. It is a very special relationship between the master and disciple, full of ritual and meaning. In essence, when this is done, a family is founded.

Following this “ritual” was Sar Ping (Lu Clan) Lion Dance confederation’s registration of their lineage name and the passing of the discipleship ceremony officiated by Grandmaster Siew Kee Chan. Participating disciples were Ming Sheng Wushu Chief Instructor Arnold Buenviaje, Instructor Christian Sheldon Buenviaje and Dragon and Lion Dance Instructor Kenneth Sy and Jeffrey Tan.

Other ceremonies that took place were:

• Application of Ming Sheng Wushu Association as a member of International Sar Ping Lion Dance Confederation
• Brotherhood ties agreement of Ming Sheng Wushu Association and Singapore Wenyang Sports Association
• Application of Tacloban Chamber Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe as a branch of Ming Sheng Wushu Association
• Symbolic dotting of the eye ceremony to bring the spirit of One Golden Dragon alive
• Dotting the lions to scare away the evil spirits and chase the negative energies as well

Highlight performances were:

• Cymbals and beats (十八路鼓) by Grandmaster Siew Kee Chan, Christian Sheldon Buenviaje, Kenneth Sy, Marigold Go and Scott So
• International Sar Ping Lion Dance Confederation’s performance of lion dance
• Wushu: Saber and sword, Tang Lang Chu Dong, Shaolin Fist, Shi Ba Sou, Seven Star Mantis Kung Fu, Thunder and Lightning Broadsword, First Road of Summary Set, Beng Bu, The Combat Between Open Hands, Seven Star Sword, Piercing Strike, Pi Chui, Wheel Fist, 5 Tigers Killing a Flock of Sheep and Shuang Shou Dai by Philippine Ming Sheng Wushu Association’s students
• Singapore Wenyang Sports Association’s Shao Lin Fujian Dragon

We’re glad that everything went smoothly. Congratulations, Team! 加油!

“I’m a Mommy’s girl.”

This one’s for my Mom who celebrates her birthday today. With her young looks, it’s hard to believe she’s sweet 18 – 29 years ago, right? :p Here are descriptions that mark her as the mother we’re blessed to have:

1. Organized