151/365: I Know It's Saturday And I'm Supposed To Post About Churches But…

31st of May

I just finished watching the Game 6 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA and “my” team won!

So… You know I’m a HUGE fan! forgive me I just need to shout this CONGRATULATIONS to MIAMI HEAT – the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals Champion! The  FOURTH! 



Of course a HUGE congratulations also to our very own pride the Philippine AZKALS!

 
Don’t be in despair guys for not getting the gold. We are so proud of you for just merely playing at the AFC Challenge Cup Finals! We know that it was not an easy challenge! The gold will come soon just go on believing!

Watch out for an exciting guest post tomorrow from  the“Viking from the North” about an extra-ordinary church.

Photo credits: Google images

The Bourne Identity is in. The Blogger is Out.

Wow... the first week of the New Year 2012 is over!  Why everything seems to be going past forward?

I am counting the passing of the month by marking what was my activity during the weekends so as far as I can remember I was watching the Azkals Sendong Charity Game Dili Kamo Nag-iisa during the first Saturday of January, and I am sure that it was just few days after the holiday specifically considering how the Azkals team (Azkals Alyansa) played against CF Internacional de Madrid.  They seem to haven't shaken off their holiday blues.  After the game, I was confuse on whose team has celebrity players?  Aside from the obvious fact that CF Madrid’s team are excellent football players, they won the hearts of the football fans with their charm.  They patiently rounded the whole stadium waving, talking and communicating with the fans with their sincere smiles plastered on their oh soo good looking faces :)

Anyways back to that Saturday, before I knew it I found myself caught up on a Monday traffic catching a flight for an out of schedule / out of town trip. While the procession of the Black Nazarene is not moving somewhere along it’s processional direction, I am trapped and not moving as well in the EDSA traffic on my way to the airport.  As the devotees pray for miracle from the Black Nazarene, I had my miracle freeing from that horrendous EDSA traffic and able to catch my flight.

The Black Nazarene procession I found out from the news later, took 22 hours to finish and it is said to be the longest procession ever in the history of this annual tradition.


So I’m outta town!
As I was enjoying my “buko halo halo” so far away from Manila, I learned from the news that the The Bourne Identity cast has started shooting in Manila! Oh no! A little birdie told me that shooting will start by mid-January not now!  I want to personally watch that movie shooting and blog about it. It’s on my list!


The cast who’s now in the Philippines are movie leads Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton.  There’s also a rumor that Rachel Weisz James Bond husband Daniel Craig will also be coming over to visit his wife.

David Archuleta is coming in also while the Scottish pop group Simple Minds is done with their concert.

Geez they’re flocking in while the blogger is out!  

Behind the Beckham Bend Experience

Married to a “futbolista” I am somewhat assuming (but not expecting) that we will have complimentary tickets to the David Beckham and the LA Galaxy Team vs. The Philippine Azkals.  The “assuming (not expecting”) is simply because it’s a DAVID BECKHAM game so I kind of doubt that there would be a lot of complimentary tickets.
In “”my world” I am sort of known as a BIG BECKHAM fan.  “Known” is bragging about it in all my social media profiles, mentioning about it in some of my blog posts where I usually call him as “my oh so dear David” and I think he’s the only celebrity who’s face is in my shirt which I am frequently being photographed wearing. However, no matter how a big fan I am, buying a David Beckham ticket is out of the plan simply because the ticket cost is out of the budget.  It’s the Christmas season hey! I haven’t completed my gift list for obvious reason so how can I consider this ticket prices?
Bleachers: PhP 2,000, PhP 5,000
Grandstand: PhP 9,500 , PhP 10,500, PhP 12,500, PhP 15,500
But anyway amidst my doubt, my husband automatically got a complimentary ticket .  So wearing my favorite Beckham shirt off we go to the Rizal Football Stadium and here’s sharing my (maybe) once in a lifetime experience watching David Beckham played live in a Philippine football field .

The event caused horrendous traffic along Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard and all the roads in the vicinity.  I’m just not sure if this is the same traffic that caused the Distinguished Gentleman from Sarangani and pound for pound boxing king Manny Pacquiao to arrive late.  Anyway, even if he’s late he still got Beckham’s jersey and a crowd winner as usual.  I think the crowd’s cheer on his arrival is as equally loud when David Beckham and his team marched to the field.

There was just one major entrance which is in Vito Cruz.  I’m not sure if this is the reason why the line is so long.  The double stretch reaching DLSU in Taft Avenue.  But I was also thinking maybe because of the last minute sale of tickets. The news said the tickets did not sell well.  They cut the price to 35% and gave away most of the tickets as complimentary in the last minute before the game. I told you people it’s the holiday so budget, budget, budget.  Better give away those tickets or it would be really unpleasant seeing unoccupied seats in a Beckham game. 

The event gave another chance for the “enterpreneuring Pinoys” who took advantage of the event selling merchandize of all sorts like shirts, key chains, etc.
 

Professional camera is strictly not allowed.  Good thing that I’m a “professional digicam user”.  However, I missed taking photos of the game highlights because I am watching, shouting and cheering most of the time.  I’m just really not sure to whom I cheered most.  Now I know that I’m better watching soccer than covering it.  I’m a certified football fan by heart.

David Beckham exhibited his famous BEND in the 20th minute. I was standing in awe witnessing him scored. It was PRECISE and PERFECT.  A sharp and direct to the corner goal.  I doubt that even if its my favorite Azkals’ and one of Fulham’s best goalie Neil Etheridge is the keeper could make a “save’ from that excellent goal from David Beckham.  There’s really no one else that can BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM!
That score from David Beckham proves that he’s being diplomatic since the beginning of the game.  He could have scored lots of the same kind of goal but… football lovers knew better.  He’s just being diplomatic for not scoring more than one goal. Thanks David!  However, the LA Galaxy’s other best players and the reserved players as well are not as diplomatic when they “play around” with Philippines finest footballers and scored five more goals.

Phil Younghusband satisfied the Philippine fans and Azkals fanatics (and himself I’m sure) scoring the lone goal for the Philippine team.  Well, scoring against the great Beckham team does not often happen to an Asian futbolista so that one is really considered a great score.  The Philippine Azkals played their best but it is very obvious that they are still too far way behind a team as great as the LA Galaxy.

I considered myself lucky having seated in the bleachers than those who are seated in the more expensive seats.  The bleacher where I was sitting is directly across the left corner where David Beckham repeatedly do his corner kicks exhibiting his famous bends.

All in all the event was successful.  Another best thing was there was free apple after the match.  So fresh, cold and crunchy apple!  Thanks to the organizers, that was really sweet of you having to think of this free apple. 

More traffic after the game but not a problem for me, I can run 10K why not walk the 3K distance back home. 

Here’s some more of  Dream Cup photos courtesy of a friend and a co-futbolista-wife.

Dream Cup 2011 Philippine Azkals vs. David Beckham and the LA Galaxy VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL