Campeones: What Makes a Champion?

 

We have seen a lot of underdog movies. But in Campeones, perhaps underdog is just a matter of perspective.

Marco Montes (Javier Gutierrez) a second coach of a national basketball team, is at a low point in his career. Due to an unprofessional act, he was fired from his job. On top of that, he has to do community service as part of his sentence.

You’d think it would be easy because he will serve as a coach for a struggling basketball team called Los Amigos. But the circumstances do not agree with him. The players are differently-abled and are not easy to train. Montes claims to not have the temperament to deal with this kind of group.

Their first few meetings are challenging because the players understand the instructions differently. And Montes does not know yet how to teach the group. But as Montes starts to get to know the team, he finds a way to reach out to them. He gets input from Julio (Juan Margallo), the center director.

At some point, one of the characters said that they are normal, too. They only have different skills. They are also aware of what people think of them. Marin (Jesus Vidal) even said that if he has a choice, he would want to have normal offspring.

Eventually, Montes found a way to get the team to listen to him. They now follow his instructions. It is a good thing because the team qualified to join the Paralympic national league. The proof is their winning streak in the basketball competitions.

During the championship round, almost all the characters’ issues have been fleshed out. As the Los Amigos team walk towards the court, you will feel the excitement. The lighting, the background music, and the character’s posturing will make the audience sit up and expect a happy ending.

After watching, you might ask yourself what constitutes a normal person? Does the ability to hold a corporate job makes one normal? What about those who met an accident and had their life changed?

Finally, this movie also touches on the effect of drunk driving. I hope that drivers learn the importance of not driving under the influence after watching this film.

Not Another Boy Meets Girl Story

You don’t always see a movie about a handsome guy falling in love with a not-so beautiful lady. If there were any, the protagonists are sure to encounter challenges along the way.

In Harry and Patty (Ahron Villena and Kakai Bautista), we see Harry as a handsome and wealthy guy falling in love with Patty who is a complete opposite. Guy meets girl. Guy falls hopelessly in love with the girl, despite their incompatible looks.

Understandably, Patty is incredulous. But to her benefit, Patty is cool about Harry’s declaration of love. She even said that guys like to place bets on girls and she doesn’t want to be a part of that.

Besides, Patty is still pining over her childhood friend, Adonis. She brings up her friend in almost all situations, which makes Harry jealous.

So, what gives? What does Harry see in Patty? As it turns out, the two go way back. Once the director reveals this information, we understand why Harry fell for Patty.  

In short, Harry is not some handsome guy who feel for Patty despite the difference in their looks. And we just let them continue with their love story because the movie is about to end.

The supporting characters help in the development of the story.  Their father (Bodjie Pascua) may be blind but he still knows what’s going on with his children.
It is also good to pay attention to their shirts. These reflect the current emotions of the main characters. Hashtags play a supporting role in this movie.

There are laughable scenes. Kakai Bautista is really funny. It might help if they get Kakai to sing, too.  

Pandemic Diaries Entry # 3

 

I recently listened to a webinar about COVID and chronic illnesses. One of my key takeaways is the term "COVID Prevention Triad," composed of wearing face masks and face shields, hand washing, and observing physical distance.

Since I have discussed the importance of face masks, let us now talk about the importance of handwashing in preventing the spread of the COVID virus. Also, which is more effective in cleaning the hands, soap, or alcohol?

Germs, Don't Pass it to Others

Did you know that you can introduce germs to your body if you touch a contaminated surface and touch either your mouth, eyes, or nose? If you eat without washing your hands, you spread germs to your body as well. On the other hand, if you use your contaminated hand to touch other surfaces you will spread germs to other people.

Do you know what will happen if you use your hand to cover your mouth to sneeze, and you touch other people? You’re right! You passed your germs to them as well. So, what can you do to prevent this from happening?

Mommy says, “Wash Your Hands”

Any soap, even an inexpensive one, can kill the germs that we might be carrying in our hands. Soap and clean water is the best combination to have clean hands. You know the drill:

·      wet your hands with water

·      rub your hands with a soap bar or liquid soap

·      scrub your hands

·      rinse your hands with clean water

·      dry your hands with clean tissue or cloth

You need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds to effectively remove any germs in your hands. You can sing "Happy Birthday" twice while washing.

Washing hands should be a habit, with or without the pandemic. Since the beginning of time, our mothers have been reminding us to wash our hands before eating. We are also reminded to wash hands after using the toilet.

You should wash your hands often when you are cooking. This is an effective way to prevent the spread of germs in the food.

Since the pandemic, I prefer staying at home. I only leave home to get to work. And I try to complete my grocery list so that I won’t have to go to the store often. If I have important transactions, I try to do as many as I can so I don’t have to go out again.

And for those rare occasions that I need to go out, I promised myself that I would bring my own liquid soap. This means I won’t have to worry when the soap in the public restroom ran out. I’ll never have to experience wanting to wash my hands, only to find out that there is no more soap in the dispenser.

Soap versus alcohol

You might ask, "What if I'm outside my house but I don't have access to soap and water?" Your other option would be to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands.

If you are outside, you might want to wipe with alcohol the surface you’re touching. When I’m doing the grocery, I would spray alcohol on the cart handle (and wipe it with a tissue) before I use the grocery cart. On the other hand, I spray alcohol on my hand before I touch the ATM and other similar machines. After the transaction, I spray alcohol on my hands again. I know I'm not overreacting.

But which is more effective in cleaning your hands? Let’s look at this video from TedEd that I found on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7KKkElpyKQ

Although water and soap are still more effective in washing hands, taking along a bottle of alcohol with you also helps.

Pandemic Diaries Entry # 2

 

Wearing face masks is our basic line of defense against the COVID virus. It is one way to protect us from the virus. And if you are a carrier, you protect the others around you from getting infected.

There are different kinds of face masks. There are surgical masks, N95, washable masks, etc. Experts have advised which are effective in preventing the virus.

For surgical masks, wear 3-ply for better protection. And make sure that the chin, nose, and mouth are covered. Wearing surgical masks is advisable if you are taking care of a sick family member.

For medical workers, wearing N95 is advisable if they will come in contact with aerosol droplets. N95 provides a snug fit and gives better protection for the wearer.

Surgical masks and N95 should be disposed of properly. These should be thrown in a separate and covered trash bin. We don’t want the virus to spread further. During the early months of the quarantine period, it has been a concern for garbage collectors because the face masks are thrown together with the ordinary garbage.

Washable masks are for everyday use. I think that washable masks would lessen the expense of buying masks because you can keep washing the one you have. Of course, make sure to wash it properly. Either scrub it by hand or put it in the washing machine. But use enough soap and water to remove the virus.

Who can wear face masks?

Initially, face masks are fitted for adults. The ones available on the market are for adults. And you either have to go online or specialty shops to buy a smaller size. After all, children are supposed to remain indoors for their safety. Younger children might find it difficult to breathe through a mask. So you might think that there’s no need to provide a mask for them, right?

With the easing of quarantine restrictions, some circumstances make it okay to bring the children outside, like going to the doctor. But I still won’t advocate going out of town with the young ones, even if they stay inside the private vehicles.

Going back to my topic, I have seen super cute face masks for children. These are even printed and come in different colors. It’s a bit pricey compared with the regular surgical masks, though.

How to remove masks

And now it’s time to remove the masks. When you get home, have a dedicated trash bin for your disposable masks. Remove your mask from the strap, and fold it without touching the outer part. I would recommend tearing the straps before discarding since there have been reports of other people re-using face masks found in trash cans. I haven’t verified the accuracy, but you can never be too sure.

But what I’ve seen in social media are individuals reusing the masks to plant seedlings. There’s this one on Facebook, where the lady cleaned the masks she used before planting in them. Now, this is one idea I don’t mind replicating. Number one, we lessen wastes. Number two, we plant more so we can produce more oxygen for the Earth. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Wearing masks in social media

Speaking of social media, I have seen posts in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter about the importance of using facemasks. Here’s the one that I like, it’s simple but direct to the point.

Photo Credit: Master Sardines Facebook Page

Baguio is calling

The other day, I dreamed that I went to Baguio with my family. And then I woke up and remembered that due to the pandemic, unnecessary travel is not allowed. 

So since I cannot go to Baguio now, allow me to reminisce. 

I was a university student when I first went to Baguio. I remember that Baguio was just a side trip at that time. It was the last stop after going to Ilocos. And I think we sped walk along Session Road just so I can say that I've been there. It's like being a contestant on  The Amazing Race, and I didn't have time to enjoy the view because I have to do my task fast. 

As a member of the workforce, I was able to go back to the City of Pines four more times. There's always something fun to do in Baguio. It's just that the place is quite far from Laguna. About a decade ago, buses do not have their own comfort rooms. So long-distance travel meant learning to hold your pee or not drinking a lot so there's no need to pee until you get to a pit stop. Thankfully, some buses now have comfort rooms so there's no problem if you have a sudden urge to pee. 

Although I still believe that it is very far, the new expressway somehow makes the trip easier. When you get to SCTEx, it's only a few more hours before you get to Baguio.

A piece of advice though. Make sure that the bus is still along the expressway when you use the toilet. It can be challenging to use the toilet when the bus is already on the national road because of the frequent need to step on the breaks.

I'm going to leave the first part of my post with this photo from Baguio City Guide:

(Watch out for Part 2!)

Pandemic Diaries. Entry #1

I know that I am quite late in the game, by writing my stories about the pandemic at this time. But any stories about this extraordinary event are worth writing about. This is something the next generation can learn from.

The lockdown was announced in late March 2020. Sectors that were affected were students, workers, and even travelers. It was indeed a difficult situation for almost everyone.

For university students, the school year was not yet over. Some of them were still in their dormitories, and have nowhere to go. The parents can't even send an allowance because they lost their income. The proposed solution is to conduct online classes, but not everyone has access to the internet.

Work, for most, was suspended. And for workers who are under the "no work, no pay" classification, this created a problem. They have no salary, and yet, they still have to eat and pay for their utilities. to be fair, some companies released the 13th-month pay earlier. And some companies allowed the "work from home" scheme.

Utility companies also extended the payment period without penalty. Even landlords and other lessors did not require payment during the quarantine period.

It is also important to look back at the sacrifices of the frontliners. The hospitals admitted those who are sick with COVID. Patients recuperated, and there were some who did not make it. This is also the same case for health workers who got sick.

As of today, this is the latest tally from the Department of Health :

Spice Girl

Before I went back to the Philippines, I tried Nando's, which was located at City Center It was quite a unique experience. It's not everyday that I eat skewered chicken in this big metal thingie.

We ordered peri-peri chicken with rice. And if I remember correctly, it has fries as well. The rice and fries were cooked just right. The chicken was juicy and tender, but it was so hot! I'm pretty sure I ordered the mild flavor, but as I ate my meal the spice creeps in. I almost consumed the whole bottle of water. I think I'll go back there if I have a chance. I just need to bring maybe a gallon of water.

I took a picture of the menu. And I wonder why I found it important to document the menu instead of the food I ate.

Back home, I found some products of Nando's at an SM Hypermarket. I didn't buy any, because I'm not sure if I can control the amount I will use.