Roland Garros 2013 (aka the French Open) has just started today. We've already had a match where the winner came back from two sets down to win in 5 sets ([15]Gilles Simon, FRA def. Lleyton Hewitt, AUS), and a teenager upsetting a seeded player (Monica Puig, PUR def. [11]Nadia Petrova RUS)
Anyway, here are my predictions for who will make the quarterfinals in the men's and women's side:
[1]Novak Djokovic, SRB vs [12]Tommy Haas, GER
[3]Rafael Nadal, ESP vs [9]Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
[5]Tomas Berdych, CZE vs [4]David Ferrer, ESP
[6]Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs [2]Roger Federer, SUI
Winner: [3]Rafael Nadal, ESP
[1]Serena Williams, USA vs Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
[14]Ana Ivanovic, SRB vs [5]Sara Errani, ITA
[6]Na Li, CHN vs [3]Victoria Azarenka, BLR
[7]Petra Kvitova, CZE vs [2]Maria Sharapova, RUS
Winner: [1]Serena Williams, USA
I'm also predicting that our winners will be defeating the #2 seeds on their respective draws pretty easily in the finals.
I'm not seeing any huge upsets for this tournament (although Kuznetsova is not seeded, Roland Garros is one of the two grand slam titles she has won, so a sudden QF run for her shouldn't be *that* surprising. Ivanovic, another former winner here, looked shaky in her first round match, but I expect her to go through that part of the draw over the struggling #4 Radwanska. Of course, this is Ana, so she could lose in the very next match.
I'm hoping Dimitrov pulls of another upset over Djokovic in the 3rd round, just as he did in Madrid a few weeks ago. But beating the world #1 in a grand slam tournament is a totally different thing, and I expect Djokovic to be sharper and be better prepared this time. 35 year-old Tommy Haas is having a great resurgence, and while he has generally underperformed in grand slams (he's never been past the 4th round in RG, and has "only" been to 4 grand slam semifinals), the former #2 is playing as well as he has ever been the past year.
So by the end of this tournament, I think we'll be seeing Rafa winning his record 8th Roland Garros title, and Serena finally adding to her lone Roland Garros title from 2002(!).
Monday, May 27, 2013
#RG13
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Labels: French Open, tennis
Sunday, May 26, 2013
7 Minutes to 3 am
It's Sunday. Seven minutes to 3am. Might as well be a time to think about what I really want.
Here I am sitting in my bed in my small room in our apartment in Mountbatten. 13 months ago I was in a pretty similar situation; at a fork in the road, being utterly confused about what to do and where to go. As much as I would like to think that I'm a year wiser, I'm really still having a hard time making a decision on whether I should go back to Manila or have another go here in Singapore.
I have a lot of doubts and worries right now. I would just have to face up to each one of them one by one until my head is clear.
Maybe a trip somewhere where I can go offline and unplug from the rest of the world will help me. Or maybe that will make me go psycho. I think I should just watch Up In The Air and Midnight In Paris again.
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4:10 AM
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Labels: awesome movie, personal
Monday, December 31, 2012
It's The Yearly What Happened to My Year Update
So I haven't written much in here this year. What better time to catch up on blogging than the last day of the year. That's kind of my style anyway.
It's been a very eventful year. I'm really not sure how I can classify it really, so I'll just go ahead and call it a mixed bag. It was a fantastic year for travelling, no doubt about that. Maybe not so much on the job-front.
I finally got to visit Thailand this year, which was pretty cool. It was a great travelling experience. I was living out of my backpack for about 3 weeks, with no clear itinerary. We were basically deciding whether to stay put or move to the next destination almost every other night of the trip. It was great. (It wasn't a flawless trip though, I experienced a tsunami scare right before our flight to Indonesia, but that's a story I've already told on my Facebook page.)
I also got to visit Cebu and Bohol for the first time this year (can you believe it??) And those trips were nice too. I loved Bohol, and I really, really liked Cebu (especially the food, went there twice this year.) However, I think Cebu has some curse on me; no matter how awesome each Cebu trip was, it always manages to end up badly, haha. I had plenty of quick Manila trips too, and a nice Boracay trip just before I started with my new job. Boracay is still the best beach out of all the beaches I visited this year.
The best new destination I went to this year, however, was Mui Ne in Vietnam. That place is ridiculously awesome.
I was also able to go back to Siem Reap, which is my absolute favorite Southeast Asian city, (and Ho Chi Minh City) after 4 years. I loved that trip. I also got to squeeze in a couple of trips to Hong Kong and Macau (once on my own, before I flew to Thailand, and a second time with my awesome Manila friends)
It wasn't such a great story on the work-related front though. I started the year jobless, since there was no budget for a next project. The bright side to that was I was able to find time to travel, so I guess it wasn't that bad, haha. And I also got to find a new job at a new company after my Hong Kong - Thailand - Boracay adventure, but I will withhold comments about it while my contract is still ongoing. :-)
So that's pretty much why it was a mixed bag. Basically, 2012: Leisure = Awesome, Non-Leisure != Awesome.
I also went through some rough patches with some personal relationships, which I won't elaborate here, because I don't do emo drama shit. But suffice it to say, I learned a lot about friendships and relationships, and I'm still learning (because I'm usually on the losing end of things, lol.)
But who am I to complain? I had so many great moments with great friends both in the Philippines and in Singapore, and that's really all I can ask for when I look back on what happened to my year. Maybe I had some rough times with work and with some friends, but that's all part of what we have to live through. We deal and we move on, and then a new year comes around.
Maybe the coming year will be better, or maybe it won't. The main thing we have to remember is it's new.
Happy new year, you.
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Saturday, April 21, 2012
Like Clockwork Without the Accuracy
Through the years, I'd like to think that my life's philosophy has always been: focus on the now. Focus on what's in front of you and enjoy it.
Many times, I've been tempted to think of the what ifs, the what could've beens, and the what should bes. That's unavoidable for someone like me, I guess. I'm neither an idealist nor a pessimist. I'm a worrier in my mid-20's. I'm in a stage where life can take me anywhere. And I've figured that the answers to the questions (or uncertainties, depending on the side of positivity you lean on) worrying my mind will never be answered conclusively. What makes sense to me could be a complete puzzle to Person B, and the light bulb that sparks Person B could simply be an empty box to Person C.
My point is, if what's in front of me makes me happy, then I should stick with it. And the moment I realize it no longer is capable of putting a smile on my face, is the moment I should accept that I should move on.
And yes. This is one of those moments. I should move on and find another that will put a smile on my face.
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Saturday, December 31, 2011
Life in a Study Room
Been quiet here the past nine months. Just to recap: it was an awesome nine months. I loved every part of it, most especially the people I've met and re-met. From the old friends from HP who have also made the same move, to the new friends from ING (the Pinoy Mafia, and our honorary non-Pinoy members), and all the other folks I met from here and there (and there). I realize I'm doing a disservice to the awesome period of my life by writing just a measly paragraph about it, but I'm far too lazy this Saturday afternoon to actually write a long ode to the very significant April - December 2011 part of my life. I guess the important take-away is this: it's always the people that make experiences extra-awesome.
2011 was a life-changing year for me, in more ways than just moving to a new country. I learned a lot about life and what I should be doing with it, and found out some things about myself that were pretty unexpected (although I'll have to admit that some things still continue to confuse me, haha.)
I was talking to one of my newer friends yesterday while riding the taxi to our respective dinners, and I admitted that after making a quick trip back to Manila for Christmas, I realized that maybe going back there (and I mean permanently, in the immediate future) might actually be a good idea. A month ago, I would've dreaded it, not because I dread Manila, but because I really was enjoying my life in Singapore. But now, if I got a good job offer in Manila, I would seriously consider packing things up here and taking it. My mind is so fickle.
So yes. As life-changing as 2011 was, I'm actually thinking that it might not be so bad to change it back.
Alright 2012, let's do this. I'm ready for you.
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1:01 PM
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Labels: new year
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Life in a duffle bag.
Life in a duffle bag. Eating pancit canton cooked by my mom. Emo at 4am.
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4:07 AM
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Labels: leaving, personal, Singapore, things that make me sad
Sunday, March 20, 2011
So Fucking Happy I Could Kick a Puppy
March has been really, really hectic. And it all started off with a job interview on the evening of Feb 28. All I can say about that right now is that I'm completely surprised and ecstatic about how fast things has happened. Within three days, I found myself getting interviewed and then getting an offer and then resigning from my current company to take the new job. Awesome.
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1:23 PM
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Labels: Boracay, Couchsurfing, Manila, work
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Don't Call Me Lovelorn
I've been abusing youtube's play button lately, listening to these songs:
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feedalvin
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9:58 AM
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Labels: Adele, Biffy Clyro, The Black Keys, youtube
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Gujab Chieffy!
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12:03 AM
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Labels: Azkals, Chieffy Caligdong, football
Monday, February 7, 2011
Blogging From My X10
Ok, just testing out this bloggerdroid app before going to sleep. Good night!
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2:44 AM
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Sunday, January 30, 2011
Aussie Kim


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11:10 PM
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Labels: Australian Open, Kim Clijsters, Li Na
Sunday, January 23, 2011
6-4, 1-6, 16-14.
- Russian Ekaterina Makarova edged out Serbian former #1 Ana Ivanovic, 10-8,
- Another Russian Regina Kulikova beat Slovakian (and personal favorite) Daniela Hantuchova 9-7,
- Former top ten player Alicia Molik of Australia defeated Italian Roberta Vinci 8-6
- Chinese Shuai Peng beat Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 8-6
- Another personal favorite Maria Kirilenko ousted Italian Romina Oprandi, 8-6
- Francesca Schiavone (who we'll be talking about again) surviving Canadian Rebecca Marino, 9-7
- and Ekaterina Makarova again, this time beating out fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, 8-6
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9:01 PM
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Labels: Australian Open, Francesca Schiavone, Svetlana Kuznetsova
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Split Racket and Some High/Lowlights
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Labels: Agnieszka Radwanska, Australian Open, Dinara Safina, Hewitt, Kim Clijsters, Nalbandian, tennis
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tween.
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9:49 PM
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Labels: Australian Open, Federer, Hopman Cup, tennis
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 Others
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2:02 AM
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Labels: awards, awesome movie, bye 2010, TV, viral
2010 Sports
2010 sports was definitely dominated by the World Cup, and while the teams I rooted for fell by the wayside one by one (France, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands...) Spain was undeniably the best team in South Africa. Of course, in the last few weeks, our own Philippine Azkals also made waves here in Southeast Asia. Maybe it's too soon to think about seeing our boys play in Brazil 2014, but hey, there's nothing wrong in dreaming of seeing them maybe in the next World Cups in Russia and Qatar, right?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2010 Travels
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11:56 PM
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Labels: awesome places, bye 2010, new year, travel, vacation
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Thursday, December 23, 2010
What Happened in December
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
One Woof For the Azkals
After Manny's epic win over the bigger Margarito last month, we have another awesome news for Philippine sports with our Philippine football team, the Azkals, making it to the semis of the AFF Suzuki Cup for the first time in the tournaments history.

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Another Year
It's been almost a year since I posted this. Sadly, both issues are still unresolved.
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11:52 PM
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Labels: health, Maguindanao Massacre, RH Bill, things that make me mad, things that make me sad
Monday, November 15, 2010
Gujab, Manny!
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2:00 AM
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Labels: boxing, Manny Pacquiao, sports