LAOAG CITY GYMNASTICS GROUP TAKES COUNTRY THROUGH LEAPS AND BOUNDS

LAOAG CITY GYMNASTICS GROUP TAKES THE COUNTRY'S ATTENTION THROUGH LEAPS AND BOUNDS

The LAOAG CITY GYMNASTICS GROUP took the country's attention with a heart-stopping and awesome performance on December 18. LCGG was declared GRAND CHAMPION on ABS-CBN's "Showtime Season 2" and took home 1 million cash prize. The group has been consistent in winning first place, from the daily competition to the weekly and monthly finals. Everyone waited for the grand finals. Laoaguenos were extraordinarily proud to watch LCGG thrash the other groups with their world-class performance.

WATCH THE WINNING PERFORMANCE OF LCGG by clicking on this link :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcfA-I6tx94

Laoag City Gymnastics Group: PAR EXCELLENCE!!!

WE ARE STILL EUPHORIC after the the Laoag City Gymnastics Group scored perfectly in ABS-CBN's noontime show, "Showtime". The group is composed of students from the school where I teach, Ilocos Norte College of Arts and Trades (INCAT) and a nearby school, Shamrock.

Bagging first place in 2 consecutive days made every Laoagueno proud. It was awesome, unmatched by any other group they competed with. PAR EXCELLENCE, indeed!

Feast on the eye-popping, jaw-dropping, hair-raising performance by clicking on this link on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcqfZ1lhuRE&feature=related.

INCAT: CHAMPION IN THE DIVISION SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE

INCAT emerged Champion in the Laoag City Division Schools Press Conference. The 2-day confab ( Nov. 29-30) wrapped up today with jubilant INCAT student journalists. The school raked in more than 80 points from the different contested areas ( editorial writing, news writing, copy reading, editorial cartooning, sports writing, feature writing, photojournalism and radio broadcasting). Behind the success was the concerted effort of the trainers and coaches. I handled the broadcasting teams in English and Filipino. We romped away with Best News Presenter (Filipino) and Best in Infomercial ( English and Filipino). The sorry thing was the inferior sound system we used which badly affected the general output of the English Team. But I believe that the broadcasters in English were the coolest. The Filipino group was cool too.

Kudos to INCAT!!!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS !!!!

Yes, we are the CHAMPIONS in the Laoag City Division English Olympics which was held and concluded today. The school bagged First Place in Spelling , First Place in Essay Writing and (!) First Place in Reader's Theater. I was the coach in Essay Writing and Reader's Theater. I am very happy because we'll be taking the road to Pangasinan next week for the 2010 Regional English Olympics. My school bested 8 other high schools. Our victory stems from our concerted efforts. I have to work on polishing my team before we compete next week. I am soooo tired but I am very happy. I can't help but smile and thank the Lord.

When I broke the good news to Mom over the phone when I got home, she was very proud and said, " You're really my daughter. I see myself in you." Right she was! Mom is a writer, she was also a radio presenter, a declamer, stage actress, dancer ( she particularly fancied tap dancing and ballet when she was a stude ). I thanked her for being my Mom.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY !!!!!!

A TEACHER'S DAY SURPRISE

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY TO ALL TEACHERS AROUND THE GLOBE!!!

We celebrated twice today. One was at INCAT this morning and another at the Laoag Amphitheater in the afternoon. The latter brings a smile not only because of the party attended by all teachers in Laoag but because of an unexpected award given to me. Well, I was one of the mentors given recognition by DepEd. I was particularly cited for "invaluable support and cooperation to the programs and projects of the Department of Education and her services beyond the call of duty specially in improving the competency and proficiency of students in the English language". I was totally clueless before my name was called. I have been feeling so tired after weeks of preparation for our school's English Olympics which was held yesterday ( my Reader's Theater team from the Junior Class won 1st place). I was one of two awardees for English today.

But there are other things that supersede the award. I have received greetings from former students ( both from P.I. and abroad). The most striking gift I received is a poem given by my former student, Gladys Gacho Domingo ( currently the Principal of Ablan Elementary School).

BLESSINGS FOR A TEACHER

To Mrs. Ritchelle Blanco Dejolde

May your gift of teaching awaken
minds to new ideas and expand
hearts beyond boundaries.

May your desire to educate evoke
the unique gifts of each student
and the deep desires of each heart.

May your love of learning lead
students to awe and wonder at
their participation.

May your story-telling inspire
imagination and creativity and
your example lead those you teach
to be generous and noble.

And, as you bless your students on their way,
may you delight at the gift your life
offers to the future.

Thank you dear Teacher,
You are part of who I am today.

sgd. Gladys G. Domingo
World Teacher's Day
5 October 2010

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY TO ALL TEACHERS AROUND THE GLOBE!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! WE LOVE YOU AND ALWAYS KEEP YOU ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS.

We Celebrated Mom's Granny Day On My Birthday

How's that again?

Yup... on my birthday, Sept. 12, we trooped to the mall to celebrate. My hubby (Anthony), our nephews (Toby and Brian) and my septuagenarian Mom ( Mama Chita) anticipated a Sunday afternoon of fun and food. After checking out the stores, some ballroom music blasting from an enclosed activity area at the groundfloor caught Mom's ears. She showed some interest and we found ourselves ushering her to join other senior citizens shuffle some steps. Wow, Mom could really dance! She still has the grace, her back is much straighter than any woman her age. Of course, she was in high heels. Boxes of donuts were given to her and the other grannies. There were doctors waiting on tables, offering free eye check-up, gluco check and hearing test. A large tarp spread the words --"Grandparents Day". My heart went out to Mom as I patiently walked her to the eye doctor. My heart sank a little when the lady doc told her she has bilateral cataract on both eyes. The doctor made things lighter by telling us that was expected because of Mom's age. I had to assure Mom she would be okay and we would go for further tests. So, we continued to do the rounds at the mall until we got hungry. So, we helped ourselves with some pizza at Pizza Hut. We happened to be given a table juxtaposed to four people in animated and noisy conversation. I thought the accent coming from the nearby table was familiar as it was Singlish (Singaporean English). Sure enough, a couple ( both Singaporean pastors of a progressive church) were facing Imee Marcos (current Ilocos governor) and her long-time Singaporean boyfriend across the table. While waiting for the pizza, I leafed through the resto's old mags. What jolted my selective attention ( I did not really want to pay attention to the other table) was Imee's loud Singlish accent. Was that her talking? But I later ignored it and came to realize that, really, when you love someone, you somehow become alike...accent included.
Back to Mom. I just love the thought that we celebrated Mom's Granny Day on my birthday. It was a double celebration. We headed home with smiles on our faces. Later, we watched a video (of a dog dancing the merengue) which we downloaded from Youtube. That dog could have been taught by Mom too because Mom is a great dancer.
An afterthought: I got my terpsichorean ability from her.

Name-calling After the Manila Hostage-Taking

What a bunch of idiots! Nincompoops! Eggheads! Such incompetent,lame and stupid cops!

Woooh...that can be a mouthful, huh!

Days after the hostage-taking incident in Manila, we are left wallowing in shame. It will take generations before that tragic incident will be buried in oblivion ( we hope).

If we burrow into the core reason why such a disappointing incident happened and shocked the world, it's poverty of the spirit. When man walks away from God and embraces materialism, corruption, disobedience, arrogance and sin, he is ready to jump into his death hole. Mendoza did just that.

Another thing that did the whole nation in is the insatiable need of people like Lim, other officials and the media to irresponsibly grab attention and credit. Add to that is the glaring lack of training of the police. Watching them was like viewing a movie that flopped.

But the final blow that gave every Filipino an ugly shiner is the untimely silence of the new leader we thought would be competent to handle the situation. He only surfaced after lives were taken. Was his ocular inspection of that ill-fated bus needed? He even smiled at one instance! How could he, with the sight and smell of blood infront of him. It would have been better if he made the rounds of the hospitals where the victims were taken.

Shall I label him too with ugly names? What do you think?

A Brief Shoot With "Outrage" Director Ace Cruz

Ace from his IMDb profile Ace directing Michael Madsen in "Outrage "


That's me (2nd from left) standing next to Ace after the shoot of "Marcos Buddha" for abc's "Unsolved Mysteries" in 1991. Watch these guys on Youtube. Click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty43S7Nc8r4 for Part 1 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhlJeqmCRpE&feature=related for Part 2.
*added pictures from the shoot are shown at the end of this blog post.

Ace Cruz! Is this the same Ace Cruz I briefly worked with in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1991?
Last week, while I was doing the laundry, his name suddenly caught my ears. He was on TV Patrol and the correspondent excitedly announced Ace's presence on Philippine soil. He is here to promote his biggest movie ever, " Outrage". The film won the Best Sci-Fi Movie in the Cannes Film Festival. It stars Michael Madsen who will be arriving on August 12 . The red-carpet premiere of the film is scheduled on Aug. 14 at the SM Megamall Cinema 10. Ace, of course, will be there.

I remember... someone named Brock Smith left a message on my phone telling me that he was from ABC's "Unsolved Mysteries" and he wanted Ritchelle de Leon Blanco ( hey, that's me, I was single then) to report for some work regarding the Marcos Buddha. I did not know what to expect. After planning how I would divide my time attending my classes at Hawaii Pacific University and my program at KNDI Radio, I found myself in an office seated, sandwiched by two Americans, a lady and a gent. I was in a 3-man panel which auditioned Filipinos and half Pinoys who wanted to be in the cast of " Marcos Buddha", a documentary film for the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries". I then realized that my agent recommended me to work with them primarily because I was a Filipino, an Ilocano...and I could help look at the script and pick out the actors ( extras). It felt funny when one of those who auditioned shook my hand, thanked me, and asked if I was the producer. Might have been my being Pinay and the fact that the story was about Marcos.

The next day, I was in a van with the UM crew. I was asked to take a look at the script while waiting for the actors to arrive. We set up the shoot in a rustic place similar to Mt. Province in the Philippines. They informed me that if the lady who played Roger Roxas' wife would stand us up, I would be thrown in for the role. I ended up helping some in the cast rehearse some scenes before the director, Bob Wise (I hope I got the name right) would actually say "Action!".

The lead actor was Ace Cruz ( Roger Roxas in the docu) who flew in with his special friend, Jackie Castillejos (yup, the sister of ABS-CBN's sportsdame Dianne). The shoot went smoothly. In between breaks, Ace and Jackie would eat with us. Ace was quiet, Jackie was more spirited. Jackie even climbed a mango tree and picked some fruits. She tasked me to catch them with my shirt. I don't know if she still remembers this but I am still keeping photos and the business card she gave me. I had a brief talk with her on the phone when she was back in LA and I moved to Hayward, CA. and worked as a columnist in a Fil-American newspaper, aptly-named, "Maharlika". She was a trainer in lawn tennis and a stage actress ( Jackie, correct me if I'm wrong but that's what is on your card).

I'm back here in Laoag teaching and only my family knows I had a close encounter with Ace Cruz. After I saw him on TV, I had to look for my old files to prove to myself that, indeed, the guy who is taking media attention nowadays is the same guy I briefly worked with. It's OUTRAGEOUS!!!!The following pics were taken while we were setting up for the scene showing Roger Roxas (portrayed by Ace) and his friend removing the head of the golden Buddha. Of course, you know that the Buddha allegedly contained diamonds.

Pilipinas,Think of These On Election Day !

I want to share some lines before we elect on May 10. Think of these and get yourselves ready.

"We have to serve the truth as candidates for public office and not mislead, misguide, misdirect the people merely to provoke emotional responses and win votes that way."
---Adlai E. Stevenson

So, what have you got to say to that Noynoy and Villar followers?

"Elections are a must in a democracy. But they must be meaningful. They must not be a change of men, but a change in men."
----Alejandro R. Roces in "Roces and Thorns",1992

Well, I don't mean Gloria Arroyo should stick her ass unto the Malacanang throne forever but whoever grabs the seat is secondary to what that leader can do for the country.

"Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other."
----Oscar Ameringer

Need I mention who among the candidates adhere to this hook, line and sinker?

Let us pray for peaceful elections. Pilipinas, don't let the whole world watch you fail in the country's first ever automated elections. We're deeply covered with too much flak already. The Maguindanao massacre is on top of the disgusting heap. Let's pull ourselves out of the mess which our leaders have irresponsibly dumped on us.

SBTC Sizzles for the Summer !

SkyBlue Talent Center sizzles again with summer classes! SBTC classes are now on and here are some pictures. Keep following, keep checking on this site.

It's Our 16th Wedding Anniversary!

My,my,my...it's our anniversary month and we just think of love, love, love. We celebrate two wedding anniversaries. One on the 2nd of Feb. for our civil rites and another on the 18th for our church wedding. And in between is Valentine's Day. You'd think it's such a mushy, cheesy month. Yup!

The ties that bind us together are much stronger, tighter. We can read each other's thoughts and feelings like some fave book. We still get excited with traveling, listening to jazz music, completing our new abode, eating out, reading books (especially the Bible), devouring new magazines and other reading materials, building friendships, discovering new opportunities, teaching, sharing, helping. Well, we are growing old and happy together.

There may be low moments but the high times drown them. That's what happens when we put GOD in the center of our relationship.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!

IT'S ANOTHER YEAR!

It's 2010, the Year of the Tiger! Psychics and other self-proclaimed criers of doom and progress do not matter. What matters is what the inner self believes and desires. I have resolved to set my eyes on positive things that will happen in my marriage,family, career, mission work, business and other interests. Everyday, I praise God for a new day and anticipate big sales for our food cart, I envision good learning experiences for my and my husband's English classes, thank God for providing avenues for mission work and sharing our talents. Evenings would find me whispering "thank you" to our Lord for walking with me and my husband, for guiding us on how to go through the day. I always picture our unfinished house as already complete and worthy to receive guests at the patio for Bible studies and seminars and our proposed business space for the ultimate dream...English Learning Center and Seminar Square. I mentally hear people buzzing excitedly to learn and enjoy intellectual trade. I quietly thank Him for the trips we will be having for this year here and abroad. The most important thing is I NEVER FORGET TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!