Adeus, Lenda

You probably know my F1 story this year.

From knowing nothing to a somewhat paddock protege.

Well, not purely "knowing nothing" though, as some names of the sport's legends had always been exposed to my ears since forever.

Michael Schumacher.

Juan Pablo Montoya.

Giancarlo Fisichella.

Then when I began following the tournament, apparently, there were names I was familiar with, that were still competing.

Sebastian Vettel.

Kimi Räikkönen.

Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton.

And of course,

Felipe Massa.

Pic's from here.

Long before, when F1 was just still something I gave no credits to, name Felipe Massa on the other hand, always came to my recognition. I wasn't really sure how he had been doing in the sport and even which team he drove for but, what I knew was, that he was among the notable drivers.

Then I started binge-watching the sport. I was so excited by the time I caught his name on the grid in the 2016 Australia GP, because it made me realized that wow, I didn't notice that F1 is blessed with so many famous names! So I began to expect much on him. To give fights, and make the podium less Mercedes-ish.

However as the year went by, he didn't impress much. I was disappointed, and if it were any other kind of sport, and fans like me were of that typical kind of a bandwagon who's just looking for the best performer to be cheered upon, he might had long been dumped already.

But that's just not how F1 works.

It's not just numbers of races you won, or championships you bore.

It's about progress, and consistency. And all the races and tournaments you entered, before you finally tasted the luxury of an F1 seat.

And I knew that Massa had been through it all.

Otherwise how would I keep knowing his name during my F1 clueless era?

It's just, I missed it. I missed it when Massa was on his glorious days, and I caught him in his last acts which turned to be his not-so-nice time of career. It's normal though, really, in the world of sport, to lose your grip after dedicating your life for so long. That's why, there's always the option to retire.

Which Felipe Massa eventually took.

Which I really wasn't pretty amused about.

Because I honestly wished to see more of him.

But all and all yea, that's okay.

At least I got to see it: A Legend's Last Races.

And how the world bid him a farewell he really deserved.

He deserves all the claps from all over the world.

That last home race was heartbreaking, yes.

The tears shed in Brazil were touching, really.

But then it shows just how dear this Felipe Massa is.

So, Senhor Massa.

You've received your sweet goodbyes from your old, loyal fans.

It's time for you to hear it from somebody so new, but really adores you.

"Obrigado, Felipe.

E adeus, Lenda"

Bully

Okay so no F1 Grand Prix this weekend.

I know, sucks, but I have a good idea.

Let's talk about one topic that has been really much talked about lately.

Yea, it's

"VERSTAPPEN vs FERRARI"

(I like how it all starts with the sound of "VER"s)

So happy I could find such beautiful photo of them three. It's from here though.

Collision between the teenager and the two F1 legends happened all the way back before the summer break, if I'm not mistaken. But of course, the most recognized occurrence, the one where it all began, took place in Belgium.

Pic's from here.

Spa is one of my favorite Grand Prixes. Hamilton's blast from P20 something to podium, Magnussen's big crash, clashes all around the places and then, there were Max vs Kimi.

The two was going on a fierce battle all laps long. And this was actually the time where the trend of Max's underbraking started. Oh yeah the kid played dirty many times in front of the Finn. And boy he was was totally pissed.

And he started to be all in rage and kept on swearing on the radio. I even reached the point where I thought after the race was finished, Kimi would come to Max and beat the crap out of that kid. Because dude, it's Kimi Räikkönen. You don't want to mess with him.

It's like a school drama. Where the big guy felt intimidated by spineless guy who apparently is brighter than him. And he begins to be filled with rage. While the smaller one could just defend himself, in an obvious fear.

And when I thought this was hilarious enough, Mexico served some other comedy.

Pic's from here.

Even better.

Because this happened exactly on the last lap. The whole race was so so but THIS happened, exactly on the last lap, thanks to the drama of Max vs Sebastian.

The junior was on P3, the latter was on P4. It was a virgin-tight close head-to-head catch-up until suddenly, on Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's infamous turn one, Max slipped and rode off track to get a 'privileged' shortcut, leading him to a podium.

But everyone knows that he'd be given penalty so Seb, being an annoying jackass of his own, interrupted Max's celebration by giving him a super "no, no, don't be happy yet, kiddo" gesture while driving along the then-3rd winner.

It was an intense podium switchings.

Verstappen was there already, chilling with the top 2 -which is of course, the Mercedes guys- while suddenly his face changed. That face. Fuck, so funny. A face of somebody being rejected. And to make it even better, it was a kid's face for God's sake. Yes, he was given 5 seconds penalty, causing the German to be the 3rd in Mexico.

Back on track, Seb was being paraded by his fellow Ferrari crews. Oh my God this was so colossal. The young Dutch was out already, and the podium was all for Vettel.

Shit, man.

Verstappen's face.

And Vettel's parade.

It was worth my slept-early-and-woke-up-late-at-night-because-Mexico-is-like-12-hours-later-than-Indonesia sacrifice.

Just look at Max's face when Vettel's moving towards the podium. SO PRECIOUS.

Lol. This bully.

I actually imagined that scene where Verstappen parted ways with his friends (his team), and his brother (Ricciardo) goes away from some other business. He's riding a bike through a slum dark alley, and the Ferrari gang, co-led by Kimi and Seb, is there already, waiting to beat him.

Ha-ha.

Well. I'm not here to judge who's right or wrong, because obviously Verstappen was being unethical but it was just natural to defend himself. And no I'm not on Max's side because my fave is Daniel it has nothing to do with his partner. I'm bringing this up because I never thought F1 would be this much entertaining.

It's just so funny to see how the Red Bull rookie acts.

And it's even funnier to see how the reds react.

But beware, Ferrari.

You can be the bully off-track.

But it's pretty clear so far that on track,

The kid is your fiery, red bully

P.S.: You do know that the plot twist of who gets the 3rd podium didn't end there, don't you? Yes, Vettel was given 10s penalty for underbraking Ricciardo while fighting with Verstappen so eventually, the 3rd place was for the Australian. Fuck MexicanGP. Best one yet.

How Mind Works

"On one fine morning, there was a lean guy riding a cab to work. He was on his way to his client's office for an early meeting, when suddenly he wondered about, how fun it could be, if what he does for life, is covered on the media. What a weird fantasy, he then told to himself, while tossing a dumb smile out of the car window."

That lean guy, was me.

It was actually a silly thing, that thought. It randomly just popped out of my head. Well, not so random because by that time my cab was passing in front of one of my friend's building where he works for a notable local radio station. He's a pretty successful friend of mine, an announcer, also a rapper. I remembered just earlier this year, he was invited to a hip TV station to perform, and yes, it all made me having this weird fantasy of appearing on a media.

Well, there's no harm in dreaming yes?

And so I went on with life, acting as if that was just another typical morning thought of mine—some leftover from last night's dream.

Only this time,

The dream is much more powerful than mere night's dream.

Walking out of the client's reach, thank Gooodness, I could finally reach out to my phone. Lots of texts were there already, and I was kind of expecting those were from work. But not really.

Two of those texts are unusual—they came from non-regular texters of mine. One was even unknown. The other one being from my publisher, which always gave me a mini heart attack -of joy- seeing her name on my messenger. So I opened her messages, and was startled like a spineless little boy encountering an aligator by the swamp.

It was an invitation.

To a local radio station owned by the publishing house that published my books. Oh yes, it was about my book really. They wanted to interview me for my newest book, in their "Book of the Week" section on the following day—that day's next day. So I didn't think twice. And turned to the unknown texter whom apparently the one I had to confirm my availability to.

All set, and I was just standing there. Still at my client's office. Just standing there, doing nothing, smiling, trembling, with some tears clogged around the corner of my eyes.

It was shocking to me figuring out that I was actually embarking on the life I had been dreaming about. That what I had been working for this past two years was starting to open more paths in my writing career. That I'd be like my friend had been doing.

But that's not just it.

There's something else beyond just "dreams come true"

That made me stunned and speechless to the core of my soul.

It was my mind.

I really don't know how it works. To have the scheme came to reality just several hours after the wondering, it scared me more than amazed me. And I'm not telling you any lie here. I literally had that weird thought of me being covered, just before I received the invitation. I literally envisioned myself being on that TV show, instead of my rapper friend, and got asked this and that about how I did whatever I did.

But let's just be grateful and clear-headed here.

At least it was something good, that became true.

And the interview on the next day, it went really well. I had to leave my work for a while, as it was held after lunch. But I didn't care, this was a stepping stone to me. And everybody was there to see me stepping that stone. My family tuned in from home, my friends raided me with supports, and, this is the best part for me: my co-workers recorded the show and forced me to hear my super annoying voice back in the office! Haha!

All and all, it was an experience I'll always cherish.

With the radio announcer!

---

"On one fine morning, there was a lean guy riding a cab to work. He was wondering about how fun it could be, if what he does for life, is covered on the media—yet apparently the exact next day, his so called fantasy turned literally real."

Well.

Sometimes I just can't stop thinking

About how my mind—no. It's beyond that.

Sometimes I just can't stop admiring, about

How God works

四代目 — Fourth

In the world of Naruto, there were four respected forefathers.

Heroes of the ninja village, honored even before the anime started.

The first one was the pioneer. Powerful, admired, someone everybody look up to. The second one was dependable. Quiet yet impactful, supporting what was lacking from its predecessor. The third one, was full of potentials. Determined, and timeless. And the fourth one, was the most dynamic, and the star of the village.

Ahh, the fourth one. My favorite.

Everybody deared the fourth one, for his high quality.

And that's exactly what I wish to have, in my fourth baby.

"Cheating Central Japan"

Don't ask me how I did it, because I barely believe myself. To have a fourth book while my third one was still fresh from the oven, it was beyond expectation.

And this one is about my best trip so far. The trip I had always been dying to have. To a country I had always been dying to visit. Doing lots of things I had always been dying to experience. All those stuff I did, now is in a form of a book.

Well I'm not going to tell how I did the book, and how I showed them to my family in our favorite surprise-I-am-having-another-book-now corner -it all happened just the same with previous ones. I'm actually here to state how I wish this baby can bring me to a new level of, being an author.

Because it's Japan.
Everybody loves Japan.

And having this one can provide me to a wider range of readers. They who are seeking to have the same experience I had, they who are longing to enjoy the wonder I felt—and I'm sure there are literally millions of them. No wonder why my publisher didn't think twice accepting my script.

And having more readers can allow me to unlock more doors in me. With their encouragement, their criticisms and suggestions, their supports, and of course, their money. Until eventually, all will lead me to more and more places on the globe I can visit, and more and more babies I can give birth to.

So, am I done?
Of course not.

I'll be having the fifth, the sixth,
And it'll be going on and on even after
Naruto loses its counts

Three's A Party

The last two months have been a skyrocketing time of life.

Between works, friends and family, passion and interest,

All juggled in balance, and I'm starting to get a hang of it.

Sounds like something to celebrate eh?

Yeah, and for that, enter my third book.

Cheating Philippines in a form of "Let's Go to Philippines"

This one underwent a crazy long journey.

Finished right after I gave birth to my first book, only a couple of months after I arrived from Philippines. Sounds easy? No, because although I have the script done so quick, the search of the publisher wasn't of that easy. But yea, all the struggle was worth celebrating.

And the process wasn't so bad, though. The writing part relived my journey. Then after my first rejection, I found another publisher in which bringing me new air, new hope, and... New task, too! Why, they wanted me to make the script their way so, I had to revamp it all the way. But who cares, because this meant that I had to get in my Filipino Party once again! It eventually led to a second rejection, though, but hey, it was all fine. Until finally, after my second book was released, I found the one that I've been looking for: THE, publisher for this book.

Two total major revisions.

Two years of editing and waiting.

But again, all the struggle was worth celebrating.

Because all my sacrifices finally paid off. And rereading, retouching, also reworking my script made me not only once, twice, but four times doing my Philippines pistas over and over again.

Moreover, this book celebrates so many aspects in my life. About how productive I am—and my family couldn't be prouder to see me striking three books in three consecutive years -oh and yes, of course, I brought them to a surprise bookshelf visit thing, just what I did last year and two years ago. About how cool I am—and My friends applauded me for this superb achievement. And about how I am now more and more connected to the world of writing and publishing—the publisher, being so different and so supportive from the previous ones, kept in touch with me and my precious work through social media.

Can't say much about this.

I'm truly proud of myself. I so am.

Beyond grateful of what I've achieved, too.

Because I now have three (plus one) babies.

And I feel like there are more to come.

So yeah.

One's a company,

Two's a crowd and

Three's a hearty