Start:	Apr 19, '08
End:	Apr 22, '08
Location:	Cebu City, Philippines

2nd Philippine Convention of Tetada Kalimasada sponsored by Cebu.
Immediately followed by the Refresher Course from April 20 to 22, 2008.

Something weird happened today in class.  Maybe it's because I've been sick but for some reason I completely drained 3 sets (that's 12 pieces) of AAA batteries.  When the first set of batteries got drained I figured maybe it was just a while since they'd been charged.  Then I replaced them with batteries that were recently charged.  Five minutes later the batteries are completely drained.  Then I replaced THOSE with the spares (regular batteries).  Those lasted longer ... maybe 10 minutes, then died.

This has never happened to me before.

Weird.

This photo was taken during the Latnas held in Bali Indonesia in July 2007

It is a sad day for Tetada Kalimasada in the Philippines.  Our (local) founder, Mr. Leo Villarosa, passed away yesterday from a heart attack.  April said that he has been suffering from chest pains for some time but refused to go to a doctor to have it checked.  I assume that he must have attributed the pains to heartburn or thought he was just tired.

Ibu Ida told me last night that the incident happened in the morning, but my dad said that he was told by other TK members that it was 5pm.  We will know for sure later at the wake.  Several charter members of TKPhils. and current members of TKQC will be visiting after 5pm onwards.

In Ibu Ida's text to me she said that he will be cremated on Friday (16 February 2008) and will be returned to the chapel to continue the wake until his funeral on Tuesday (19 February 2008).

I cannot tell you what Pak Leo's age was because kalimasada members appear younger than they really are but I would estimate him to be in his mid 50s to early 60s.

For those who would like to visit Pak Leo and commiserate with his family and friends, he now lies in state at the HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY CHAPEL at the corner of Bulletin and Daily Mirror Streets in West Triangle, Quezon City (not too far from Examiner Street).

Safe journey, Pak Leo.
Salam, Tetada Kalimasada!

Start:	Sep 1, '07 08:00a
End:	Sep 1, '07 11:45p
Location:	North Greenhills Clubhouse

This is the 12th anniversary of Tetada Kalimasada in the Philippines and delegates from all over Metro Manila, Subic, Cebu, and Cagayan are expected to attend.

Since Friday, I've been online to update my multiply (post my Zsazsa Zaturnnah review and respond to responses) and nothing else.  With a subscription to 50 different mailing lists (besides my regular mail) it is overwhelming to think about how much email I am going to have to go through when I get around to downloading it.  And that still isn't happening today, even though I am online now.  Technically I could read my mail online but OC that I am, I hate reading mail when they aren't organized (filtered) into their own folders.  The soonest I see myself downloading my mail is tomorrow.  So, folks, if there is anything urgent, in the meantime I suggest you text me instead.

I am leaving for Bali in a week and will be gone for approximately 10 days.  The thought of how much mail I will have by the time I get back is mind-boggling!  (To say the least!)  Unfortunately, I will not have any internet access while I am there.  But maybe that is a good thing.  It means I will be able to focus on the Latnas and the Pelatih training and not think of what is going on at home.  This will be the second time I will be going to Bali and I'm really excited!

I'll just deal with the mound of mail when I get back.  I can already tell that it will take me a while to download it all.

---

Men are fascinating creatures.  Women are often accused of being illogical and contrary but to my experience, there does not seem to be any gender barrier when it comes to illogic and contrariness.

Men are said to be ruled by their intellect.
Women are said to be ruled by their emotions.

BIG falsehood, folks.  Men are just as emotional.  They adapt a mien of stoicism and give the impression of deliberating on a subject but often their responses are highly emotional but masked behind a spew of rational discourse.

Women are, perhaps, more impetuous in general.  An emotion hits us and we go with it.  We don't supress.  This doesn't mean we don't think anymore, on the contrary, a lot of thinking went on (that's why we got emotional in the first place!), and perhaps, for some, to their detriment.

Personally, I have been accused of being too cerebral, too ... vulcan.  "People like me" are said to think like a man and work things out and explain myself like a man and oftentimes, this throws people off.  At times I am told I am too outspoken it makes people uncomfortable.  It just isn't normal behaviour for a woman!  I could of course downplay my thoughts and pander to the ego of the people I am speaking with but, really, what's the point?  This is me, love it or leave it. 

They say like recognizes like and thus I tend to gravitate to people who tend to be more logical and are not afraid to express their opinions, but are tactful enough to know when to hold their tongue.  It isn't always a perfect match but then, perfect would be boring.  My interests are diverse and I have thoughts on varying topics and it pleases me when I encounter people who are able to match some of those interests and with whom I am able to hold lively and interesting conversations.

Conversations range from ...
... simple to sensual
... silly to serious
... hilarious to soul-searching
... stupid to brain-twisters

Conversation changes from person to person, from mood to mood.  And this is why I like smart (and witty!) people.

---

Dating, as defined by most people, is not really something I do.  I go out with friends (singular or plural) to have a cup of coffee, share a meal, watch a movie, etc.  We talk, we laugh, we kiss at the end of the evening (often a buzz on the cheek) and that's it.

It's not that I don't get it.  It's just that I don't think I've ever really experienced the whole dating cliche ... flowers, chocolates, fetched and brought back to my house, dinner, wine, music, candlelight, a fancy show, and to top it all off --- a breathless kiss before I leave the car.  I've had days when a guy has managed to make me feel special, and THOSE I definitely count as dates.  But it has happened so rarely I could still count them in one hand.

I'm going out for a movie date with a handsome man in the next few days.  And before you even ask, no, it isn't one of those dream dates.  Once again, it is just watching a movie with a friend.  It's a movie date that has been postponed several times due to schedule conflicts so hopefully we get to push through before I leave for Bali.

I like those dates.  They're comfortable.  I have nothing to fear, no expectations to meet.  At the end of the day I watched a good show, shared a good meal, and had great conversation.

---

Every other morning (for almost a month now) Kasuy and I have been taking kali lessons from Mr. Romy (Macapagal) and we are having a blast!  True we have multiple bruises on our hands (knuckles, fingers, etc.), sides, arms, knees, etc.  But they all occured in the midst of sparring. 

Mr. Romy is a member of TK, just as I am, and has occasionally taken instructions on TK from me.

Mr. Romy says we are making good progress.  As of yesterday we have learned the basics of fighting with 2 weapons.  FunfunfunFUN!  It amazes me how much we still have to learn and every session we are taught something different.

I remember Mr. Romy saying that he doesn't really take on students ... not generally, so I was really honored and ecstatic when he agreed immediately when I asked him if he could teach me and Kasuy a few things.  Actually, I just asked him for help in choreography to make sure that Kasuy and I can perform convincingly.  He decided that the best way for us to come up with a plausible choreography is if we actually learn how to do what we are supposed to know how to do as the characters we will be.

I asked a couple of male friends who happen to be kali enthusiasts to join us in assisting Mr. Romy --- in other words they were our dummies --- and they were happy to be asked.   It meant that they were going to receive instruction from Mr. Romy as well! hehehe  

Last Friday Mr. Romy told us something that really made us feel special.  In all the years he has been teaching, Kasuy and I are his first ever female students.  Wow!  And he seems quite happy with our progress.

I hope we do him proud at the con.  Speaking of which, rather than hurt or injure people, Mr. Romy suggested that he, Aya, and Jon will be our opponents in the Xenaph presentation.  I'm glad it came from him.  I couldn't be more excited!  At least we are familiar with the people we are sparring with, phew! And these guys know how to take our thrusts and cuts.

After Kali, I end each MWF with TK class.  Boy, are my days LONG!  But you know, I haven't been this happy or energized in a long time.  So ... hectic or no, with Mr. Romy's permission, Kasuy and I will continue to learn kali for as long as we can.

Start:	Jun 30, '07
End:	Jul 1, '07
Location:	Grand Bali Beach Hotel on Sanur Beach, Bali

National Convention of Tetada Kalimasada members worldwide. TKQC is sure to send a delegation again this year.

Here are some members in the Dasar level (level 2) doing the newspaper lifting application. Galing! They were able to lift up to the waist!

Start:	Dec 23, '06 3:00p
Location:	Kamuning

'Tis the season to be partying! And to be thankful for so many things.

This is an invitation to all tetadans (kalimasadans) who, at one time or another, were (or are) instructed by the Angeles family (Fred, Bing, Penny, Gigi). It is a potluck event, so people, please come bearing food and drinks! Gifts optional, hehehe. There will be eating, talking, and singing!

We start at around 3pm and we end whenever we feel like it. Please RSVP so we have an idea who to expect. Hope to see you all on the 23rd!

Start:	Oct 30, '06 11:45p
End:	Oct 31, '06 12:45a
Location:	IBC-13

Jarius Bondoc interviews me and Col. Tem Rodriguez about Tetada Kalimasada

The last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic. First it was a project about a very interesting place to visit. I enjoyed the project so much that I wish I could go there for a vacation or something. I would definitely love to visit the places I was writing about.

Whenever I felt that my brain was about to explode I would do something in a different artistic direction. And so another multiply theme was created.

In the last few days, however, I have been extremely busy writing (yes, I said writing!) a series of books for TETADA Kalimasada. They will be available for purchase at the LATFIL (for sure) on December 2, but we hope to have them on the shelves of bookstores soon after.

Gosh! I'm a published writer, with a vengeance! I'm supposed to write 7 books (feeling JK Rowling tuloy). Except JK Rowling had years to write the books and I only have weeks to finish all of them.

I was able to work on most of the first 2 books while Pak Eddy was here. I just had to stop and rest, though. As soon as Pak Eddy was on his way to the airport yesterday I got "struck down" with fever. I guess the stress of his visit was too much for my body to take. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had a laptop, then I could have done a bit more work while I was there with him. But as it was, I often felt my time would have been better put to use if I had stayed home and just continued writing the book.

My fever broke this afternoon so I have my nose on the grindstone again. I hope to be able to submit books 1 and 2 to my "editors" by tomorrow. All this stress for unpaid work. I will surely get good karma. Back to the grindstone.

This happened last monday (October 9) while we were doing our self healing and tafa kur. The person in the forefront of the picture is Alfian, one of our members in Ayala. The picture itself was taken right after tafa kur but the incident started twenty minutes before during self-healing.

When we finished our jurus it started to drizzle so we (in Ayala) took shelter at the landing. As we were doing duduk nafas the rain got progessively stronger but not strong enough to wet us. It was strong enough, though to form pools of water and for those pools to overflow and start to wend their way to where we were sitting.

At first I was thinking of having Alfian move so that he won't get wet but I decided to see first if the water will reach him. The water pools in front of him and then a foot away it starts to veer to the left. Again I watch him to see what will happen next. The water appears to keep a respectful distance of a foot from Alfian until it reached beyond him, then it started to veer right --- once it was a foot past! After which it speeded up and flowed behind. Jill was originally seated behind him. I asked her to move when the water was barely an inch away. Meriaty, who was further back, was sitting on a rubber mat, so I did not ask her to move at all, and the water reached her, too.

What does this picture show then? It means that Alfian has good shielding and that he was doing this unconsciously. This is a very good sign and bodes well for him.

Start:	Sep 10, '06 3:00p
End:	Sep 10, '06 6:00p
Location:	DAR Gym

We are one connection away from the Latihan Filipinas, Woohoo!

Ibu Ida and Pak Eddy are arriving a few days early to prepare for the upcoming Latihan Filipinas in December. Our connections are normally on a Saturday, but this September is an exception to accomodate their heavy schedule.

Start:	Dec 2, '06 01:00a
End:	Dec 3, '06 01:00a
Location:	UP Vanguard, QC

First International Convention of Tetada Kalimasada will be held here in the Philippines. Delegates from Europe and Asia will be attending.

Start:	Jun 17, '06 3:00p
End:	Jun 17, '06 6:00p
Location:	3/F UP Vanguard Bldg, UP Diliman, QC

This connection both Pak Eddy (Grandmaster) and Ibu Ida (Chief Instructor) are coming. Everyone is moving up a level. I have students who will be experiencing Adu Pancar for the first time so this is an exciting connection for the TK Ayala group.

I'm pooped! And with good reason. Aside from the daily ballroom classes Tina and I have been giving to our friends, Myk and Joyce (who were just married yesterday, congratulations again!) there are all the Kalimasada classes I teach.

6 days to connection day ... From the time November came in, my schedule has been super hectic. It seemed like everyday was packed with classes.

Monday and Wednesday is the usual 6:30pm to 8:30pm class in Makati.
Tuesday and Thursday is the usual 6:30pm to 9:00pm class in UP Vanguard.
And then the weekend starts ...

Note:

1. Meriaty and Colleen's attendance on weekends is not a special make-up class. That is their regular session with me.
2. Each class lasts for 2 hours.
   

Nov. 4 (Friday):
- special make up class for my students in Makati. We had a session at Park Square
Nov. 5 (Saturday):
- 3pm class with Meriaty, Colleen, Jon and George
- 6pm class with Jon, George, and Duds
Nov. 6 (Sunday):
- 3pm class with Meriaty and Colleen
- 8pm class with Duds and Dek
Nov. 11 (Friday):
- 3pm class with Josie and Alan
- 8pm class with Bu and Duds
Nov. 12 (Saturday):
- 10am class with Meriaty
Nov. 13 (Sunday): TODAY!
- 2pm class Meriaty, Ely, Josie, and Alan
- 8pm class with Bu, Duds, and Dek

And those are just MY Kalimasada classes! Mom and dad have students of their own. A family of 3 has been coming over at 7:30am everyday and on Friday and Saturday mornings, 2 brothers come over.

In other words ... weekends are TK training days in Casa Angeles!

This application is done by students in the Dasar (2nd) level. This particular clip shows one of my students, Jon, demonstrating the application. To read more about his kalimasada experiences you can check out his blog at http://jammerkiai.i.ph.

From a cinematic point of view I think the guy taking the video should have stepped back so that we could see Jon's hands. so we could see the application properly. We did see it briefly when the bottle actually broke, though. hehehe
The video was taken using a cellphone so please forgive the resolution.