The Head and the Heart

     A prominent "0" stands under the Win column of the Philippines' standings in the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball.  As the group stages come to a close, however, it's prominence is overshadowed by something else.  The Philippine Men's Basketball Team, Gilas Pilipinas, has captured the world's attention.

     Oftentimes, we are warned that letting our hearts decide over our heads is a prescription for disaster.  Being too emotional leads to poor decision-making; it clouds judgement.  The head is stable; it protects you from being hurt by telling you to avoid any possible pain.  To live with your heart on your sleeve is to open yourself to tremendous hurt.  Yes, following your heart to pursue your passions, your childhood dream, your one great love, is a recipe for incomparable heartache.  

Read more

Perils of Being a Visionary

     Being a visionary is tough. By definition you alone (or at most, a couple of people) see the vision of greatness you have in mind and most of the time, you're labelled as insane, arrogant or foolish. (Props to you if you get all 3.)

     When Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) took over the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), he saw a grand vision. He then put us on the road to that vision by setting up the Gilas program. Gilas 1 was the 1st crack. Rajko Toroman, himself a trail blazer who led Iran to the Olympics, gathered a group of amateur stars to form a national team who would play only for the national team. It was ambitious. Gilas 1? A fourth place finish, courtesy of yet again a heartbreaking loss to Korea, was the Philippines' best FIBA Asia finish since 1985. No Olympic berth? No PBA stars? Internet 'experts' and 'pundits' had a field day.

     "Insane, arrogant and foolish," they said. They didn't get it.

Read more

Fifty Peso Shots: October 2010

First of all, I'd like to invite everyone to watch my cooking demos daily on the Lifestyle Network or online on this link and on this one as well. Help make me Lifestyle Network's 1st Star Chef by voting for me.  Send an email to lifestylenetwork@thelifeyoulive.tv and type VOTE SHARWIN on the subject box.  You can vote as many times as you want as voting is unlimited, even from one email account!


Now, some shots (good and bad) from the cheap seats:


The Good:

• Kudos to the new UFC Heavyweight Champ Cain Velasquez.  I was among millions who doubted him, but he sure proved us wrong.  He showed tremendous quickness and cardio which allowed him to move well and escape from his back.  I think that was his key to defeating Brock Lesnar.

Read more

The Wait: Over

     I'm not bitter about how the "World Cup fever," encouraged pretenders to claim how obsessed they are about football.  I will be bitter, however, if Filipino sports fans miss one of Philippine sports' most touching moments because of a World Cup we aren't even participating in.  That's why I'm doing my part to make people notice.

     Filipino pool ace Francisco "Django" Bustamante was recently crowned the 2010 WPA World 9 Ball Champion.  The man with one of the most powerful breaks in the game finally got the title that eluded him for so long, beating Taiwanese star "The Little Monster," Kuo Po Cheng, 13-7 in the final match.  Bustamante, who defeated fellow Pinoy  Antonio "Nickoy" Lining in the semi-finals, called the World 9 Ball victory as the one that, "completed" his illustrious career.

Read more

A Wish Granted?

The biggest bowling news lately is how American cops endangered the arrest and incarceration of a suspected drug dealer because they played Wii bowling in his house after they raided it. In the side of my bowling world, however, no news is bigger than the headlines made last Friday.

Last Friday, legendary Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno notched another bowling victory by earning the right to represent the country in the 2009 AMF Bowling World Cup, which will be held in Melaka, Malaysia from November 14 to 21, 2009. The 52 year old placed 2nd in the 64-game elimination round and then blasted his much younger competition in the stepladder finals. Paeng first faced Paolo Valdez and smashed him, 244-236 and 213-181. He then brought the pain to top seed Benshir Layoso, whipping the national team bowler 217-201 and 242-195 to earn his 16th trip to one of bowling's most hyped tournaments. Paeng's enviable record at the World Cup (an unprecedented 4 titles in 15 attempts) plus his record of 118 overall titles is what he plans to bring to the table come November.

While this piece of news is more than enough for me to get excited for November, another older, but no less important piece of news added very dry wood to the already raging fire of my excitement.

Read more