One Aaron Ramsey

This lad has been taking a lot of stick from some of Arsenal's faithful, that I am so inspired to write a sisterly letter to him.Dear Aaron,

 You may not know me, but I'm one of those Arsenal fans who still put my faith on you. I have noticed you've been taking a lot of criticism from some of the fans lately, so I decided to write you a letter of comfort and support.


It's your first full season since some guy named Ryan Shawcross broke your leg, and you've got big shoes to fill now that Cesc has gone back home and Samir went up north in search for more money, trophies (Well, that's what he still insist.).



Your season kinda start abysmally, well the whole team was. You lost your partner, Jack Wilshere through injuries. Both of you looked like a promising partnership, as I have seen your pre-season games. And then the hammering at Old Trafford, the embarrassing 4-3 lost to Blackburn. You forged a triumvirate with Alex Song and Mikel Arteta that carried on the team to the group stages of the Champions League, even scoring the winning goal at the death in Marseille.

But the season is hard and long, the team's form suffered a blip in December-January, and I have noticed fatigue in you. The clamor for your axing from the first XI was so resounding in the whole Arsenal blogosphere, that I almost gave in to join the bandwagon.

You are trying your very best while on the pitch, but you seemed to be not playing a Aaron Ramsey. We can blame the media or the fans for the hype. The manager tried to play other midfielders with other than Arteta and Song, but it was not good. Remember the poster fans made for you, "One Aaron Ramsey"? There is only one Aaron Ramsey, and that is you! You can never be Cesc, or Samir, or TR7 or Mikel, but you are Aaron Ramsey! You're the captain of your country! Arsene Wenger plucked you out from Fergie's red nose because you're that good to be a part of his masterplan.

Basher's are noisy when you're not at you're best. They chirped on every mistake that you made, and even made you as a scapegoat when things don't go so well. Prove them wrong, Aaron. Just proved them wrong.

Sincerely,
Achi Ling2x

PS: Just cut the backpassing. Just keep it simple.

The Vet Med Review

Five years ago, I attended my veterinary medicine licensure exam (VMLE) review class in my alma mater. I have to say, I passed on my first take of what is one of the toughest licensure examinations in the country (It is reported that passing percentage will not exceed 40%.).

One thing I will never forget about during the review classes was the question, "What is the louse of a whale?". Upon hearing and reading the question, I was like, "What the heck?! Whale have lice?!".

Oh yes, the whales have lice: Isocyanamus and Cyanamus. 

The Arsenal Breakup Diaries : The Princely Spaniard

I compare Arsenal's victory vs. Manchester City last night to a break up diary, although I've never read any of Meg Cabot's books. Although the match benefited Manchester United in their quest for their 20th title, but it has some personal undertones particularly to someone named, Samir Nasri.

Let's compare Arsenal to a fair maiden who battles different domestic and continental clubs for trophies. She has a general named Arsene Wenger, and has a 25 man pawns led by a brilliant Dutch commander, Robin van Persie. The fair maiden had a favorite lieutenant named Samir Nasri, whom she fell in love with. The young French lieutenant was the likely tactical successor of the Catalan commander who went home to join his childhood friends to battle the forces of Mou. Unfortunately, the lure of money corrupted the young French Lieutenant, and went to join the circus that is Manchester City, a club backed by the Oil Baron from the desert. This hurt the fair maiden so badly. General Wenger suffered some setbacks amongst it's troops with the injuries of the promising squire named Jack Wilshere and the Belgian deputy commander, Thomas Vermaelen, the Fair Maiden suffered the most embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Red Devils of Manchester. She had no choice but to let Gen. Wenger buy the a squad of players who he thinks will fill the gaps. One of them was a Princely Spaniard named Mikel Arteta.

You left her not for trophies you, jerk! But for money!!!!!!

A prince in shining er, armor.

The Princely Spaniard was one of the prized knights of the Blue half of Merseyside. He is a handsome man with a perfectly gelled hair, who plays beautiful passing football which he learned as an apprentice in Catalonia. Unfortunately, he never tasted success as a Toffee, that when an offer to join the Fair Maiden, his general let him go with a heavy heart.

His first match was a lost in a skirmish in Blackburn. The Lancaster Rose were lucky to score 2 offside goals and 2 own-goals from the Welsh Squire and the French Buccaneer. But slowly the Fair Maiden and his knights got up and fought the hard and won. The Princely Spaniard did what he does best, made sure to hold on possession and defend. His contributions to the match may not seem to be elegant as that to his compatriot who is now in Catalonia. The Princely Spaniard was there and was counted in the moments when she seemed to be down and out. And sooner or later, the Fair Maiden forgot her love of the French Lieutenant.


April 8 is the penultimate battle for the Fair Maiden and the Oil Baron from the Desert. The Oil Baron wanted to catch up with the Red Devils of Manchester, while the Fair Maiden will try to hold on to third after victories of the Chicken from the Craphole and the Russian Oligarch the previous day. The Fair Maiden lined up her best eleven knights, the same knights who gallantly defeated the Chicken in the hollowed pitch of Ashburton. On the other side was the Baron lined-up his trolls that included maiden's former knight and her lover, Mons. Clichy and the French Lieutenant. The Fair Maiden's knights were all out from the get go, but lack in the killer blow. The Oil Baron's men, tried to get into the game and break-up the tempo by committing fouls,  particularly his court jester Balotelli, almost injuring her knights. Every time the French Lieutenant touches the ball, her supporters jeered at him, and rightfully so. Her knights continue to barrage their attack, until 3 minutes before time, the Princely Spaniard took a shot and BOOM! GOAL!!!!!!

The Fair Maiden finally got her revenge to the French Lieutenant who was anonymous during the match. And what a better goal scorer than her current love, the Princely Spaniard!

Yeah, it was a great match. Some anxious moments but my instinct told me that Arsenal will win, and they did. I did not care if I lack sleep, but an Arsenal win will definitely perk me up. Yeah, sorry for treating this match as a break-up saga. But really, I can compare Samir Nasri's betrayal to a bad break-up. Arsenal bounced back and moved on with a better man (Ahem, Mikel Areta!), who was with her through ups and downs.

PS: Unfortunately, if fan girls are to believe, the Princely Spaniard has a thing on either the Dutch Commander or the Belgian Deputy.

Bukidnon on My Mind

This photo above was taken last 2003 in Lake Apo somewhere in Bukidnon. You may ask what made us to this place during the time of insurgency and stuff. Well, we were doing our farm practice, and Bukidnon is the perfect place to get our exposure in cattle, poultry and swine raising.

Instead of feeling nostalgic, this is rather a travel post on what to do when you're in cowboy country.

1. Bukidnon has poised itself as an adventure destination with Dahilayan Adventure Park that boast the longest zip line in the whole of Asia. But way before the zip line arrived, Bukidnon has been a mecca of adventurers particularly the mountaineers. Mt. Kitanglad is always on the list of the mountains to be conquered in the Philippines. At the top, they said, you can see the provinces of Agusan, Misamis Oriental and Lake Lanao.

2. Well since it's "cowboy country", you can channel you inner cowboy and join the famous cowboys of Impasug-ong. You can round up a cattle, ride horses. Impasug-ong is located just outside Malaybalay City.

3. In a landlocked province, we were able to have fun with water. There's Lake Apo. This is a caldera, and legend has it that every year the lake will claim 1 life. Good thing none of us are still alive and well. Edlimar Farm and Beach Resort and MGM Pool outside the university town of Musuan  was our destination for water fun. Edlimar has 1 huge pool with mini pools, too. And finally, there's Nasuli, a spring near an airstrip.

4. Food. Pineapples are synanymous to Bukidnon, as Bukidnon is synanymous to pineapples. Pineapples are harvested every July.

5. Drop by the Monastery of the Transfiguration. The church was designed by the  famous Leandro Locsin, with it's signature pyramid roof, it's not very hard to miss. This monastery is run by Benedictine monks and are famous for their "Monk's Blend Premium Coffee".

When is the best time to visit? Preferably in March since the whole province will be having it's annual Kaamulan Festival. It's a month long celebration in honor of the 7 indigenous tribes of Bukidnon. So expect every thing Bukidnon has to offer on this event.

Flying Kitty Airlines

This is definitely on my Bucket list! No thanks to Travel and Living host, Janet Hsieh for sharing her experience on board the Hello Kitty Airlines

The Return of the King

Tolkien's "The Return of the King" was the climax of his literary masterpiece, "The Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) trilogy, wherein the reign of Sauron was finally put to an end, and the return of the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor.

I am not blogging about LOTR. I am blogging about the Thierry Henry's return to the club that made him a global football superstar, Arsenal. My love affair with Arsenal began with Thierry Henry (But I have no intention to end it with Thierry's impending departure at the end of this week.). He may have left the club for Champions League glory, but he is a Gooner through and through.

His brief second spell as a Gunner are stuff that fairy tales and/or Hollywood sports movies are made. Unlike the LOTR's, Theirry's return is not the climax of Arsenal's 2011-2012 season. I must say his return served as a band aid to the club's beleaguered line-up due to injuries, out-of-form players, and players on-duty for their respective countries.

Thierry's first game was versus Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup. He started from the bench. Arsenal fought a gritty Leeds United team who were playing for a draw at the Ashburton Grove in order to attain a replay at Elland Road. Just as we thought that this game was going to end in a goalless draw, Thierry Henry scored a goal that was reminiscent to his Arsenal heydays.

That goal brought tears in my eyes. I could not describe the feeling, as if that moment was already written in the stars. I had high hopes with Arsenal's next fixtures in the Premier League now that the legendary player who was cast in bronze last December, came to life with the same clinical precision with his feet.

Unfortunately, Arsenal failed to win their fixtures vs. Swansea City, Manchester United and Bolton. One time they were sitting on seventh place, the lowest rank that they have ever  been since Arsene Wenger took over the reigns of the club (at this time of the year).

But on the first fixture for the month of February, Arsenal thrashed Blackburn Rovers 7-1 at the Grove. The club's present captain, Robin van Persie, scored a hattrick. Thierry came on as a substitute. In the 90th minute he exchanged passes with van Persie, and scored the 7th goal for the Gunners. That goal seemed to remind me of his partnership with Dennis Bergkamp, van Persie's now retired compatriot.

Just this weekend against Sunderland with scores tied up at 1-1, Andrey Arshavin delivered a lovely cross to Thierry Henry's foot, and snatch a hard fought victory almost at the death (and not to mention a very patchy pitch).

Goal # 229. That could be Thierry's last goal for Arsenal in the Premiership. He he will have to return to his present club, the New York Red Bulls, for the coming Major League Soccer season. But before he goes back, he'll have to face AC Milan at the San Siro in the knockout stage of UEFA Champions League. Thierry competitive as he is, will always stand up in any huge occassion. I remember how his teammates then thrashed AC Milan's bitter rivals, Inter Milan, at the same stadium, when qualification for the CL knockout stage was on the line. I still remember that scoreline, 1-5.

They say I am too old for fairy tales, but because of Thierry, I still believe in them.


Au revoir and merci beaucoup, Titi! Bonne chance!

PS: I am quite disappointed that he will not play vs. Tottenham on the 26th. He is fond of scoring goals against them.

Finding Consolation. Thank You Mr. Hornby.

As a football fan, you have to stick to your team, no matter what.
After loosing against Swansea last Sunday, Monday in my time zone, 
Gooners are demanding for the manager's head, the players' head,
and even a spat between a returning club legend and a fan.


I find consolation by reading the book written by a certain Nick Hornby, 
who himself a Gooner. In his memoir, he wrote the highs and lows of being an Arsenal fan.
He was able to keep his faith on a club that went barren for 18 years, then won the league title again in that magical night at Wembley.

My copy of this Nick Hornby book is full of dog-eared pages and receipts marking his favorite highs and least favorite lows. I always carry this book wherever I go, his and Haruki Murakami's.

PS: Here's a quote by Dennis Bergkamp, "I really like Arsenal. But you, do you really like Arsenal? Or just Arsenal with trophies?"