The Higher Road.

Our hero Manny just lost the fight and it truly feels sad. Because primarily this time its a national thing, at a worldwide stage. Sometimes you just need to step out of your comfort zone, those nice rooms, good looking cars and lavish lifestyle and simply be a Filipino at heart. To support your kababayan, even if it doesn't bring any benefit to you. To shout, cheer and rejoice even if there is no gain or exchange. I'm truly amazed by my friends on Facebook who show admiration, camraderie and love for Manny. But at the same time entertained and amused by people who would rather post stuff that makes them so indifferent, so irrelevant, would rather talk about his car, or a trackday/funrun, his job or downplay Manny or the fight. I mean, come on, how one dimensional can you get. Just for one day pwede ba ang attention ay wala muna sa iyo sa halip ay kay Pacquiao muna? Are you truly that in love with yourself? Sometimes kailangan lang natin magpakatao and give our heart for someone who exhibited so much greatness in himself by coming from nothing and being at the pinnacle of everything. I admire him so much because in my own self, I never ever asked capital or cash from my parents as much as others would think of. I just started with 4 digits and a couple of Spoon parts and thankfully I am where I am. Hard work though usually unannounced will always reap the most rewarding benefits.  Our heart goes out to you Manny. Easy 100million dollars for you at least. And that is of course, is and always well deserved. 

"Projects chosen to the point of exclusivity, of not having a local body counterpart. Or something unreleased locally. Projects motivated by importation or a vision of pure track monsters or real garage queens."

Now thats a project isn't it? During the course of a journey of an enthusiast. its always unavoidable to run into an idea of creating or building a project such as that. For car guys its the higher road since you get to experience stuff that usually do not happen on a newer car, you get to learn new skills and data, things you wouldn’t ever get on a modern project. Hard to find parts, plans of making a catalog or replica car from Japan. Slightly illegal cars, or completely illegal. Cars that gain the equal attention of both enthusiast and the highway patrol. Cars that clearly stand out from the lot of tuner cars and have the admiration of real people you look up to. Stuff like that gives me the chills. If you notice I’m not naming any cars because I want you to read between the lines. Im pretty sure you get it and such cars are for keeps. 

Clarkson, Topgear and a wheel called life..

Just a quick reflection during afternoon drive: "With Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman out of Top Gear, I think the soul is out for the show or the franchise' entirety. That whatever attitude our local Top Gear tries to project, or vulgar or brash statements at Top Gear's (Hoy Gising-esque) Facebook page or Magazine, it will appear as half baked, ill-conceived or lacking that unique punch it always had."

I simply had this thought when I was browsing through a display rack, buying cold drink at 711 Tagaytay. I came from delivery at Sta. Rosa and simply urge to just to go up, things you miss perhaps. Fresh from an uphill climb, using our the shop's trusty service car a 2liter Manual FD. I kind of related to how Clarkson narrates each review and test with such passion and enthusiasm, and of course do not forget his eloquence and deep root comparison which is only possible if you got good brains and a healthy record of driving the best cars in the world for how many years already.

I always believed that the best car reviewers are the rich people. Simply because they have insight on a variety of cars in their lifetime. People like Leno and Clarkson are in my opinion the best of the bunch. I won't delve too much on this as not to offend the media people but just ask this to yourself. Who would narrate best? Mr. Soong or that regular at your dad's favorite Sunday Newspaper? That is of course set in an ideal world so no harm done I guess....

Taking him out of Topgear is like the Bulls without MJ, Nintendo without SHigeru Miyamoto. Or Extreme Games without Tony Hawk or as simple as Jolibee without their Langhap Sarap Burger. 

So if you observe, the Topgear post on Facebook aren't that too much vulgar and offensive or even strong anymore. Maybe its because Jeremy is out? Or a shift in how they project themselves? Or just maybe the people behind Top Gear PH's keyboards realize that its pretty much futile and has no impact if they stay the way they are when the real image bearer (Mr. Clarkson) is out of the picture. 

So whatever happened to the Alyzza Agustin stuff, or the 8-Plates, or the Power! cars by the Networking people, or lovers who were either hated or loved because of their couple car shots and all. That in the end tuloy ang ikot ng buhay tulad ng aking pagtakbo sa UP kani-kanina lang. That in the end, we live by phases and there are things which we may be proud of, or things which we regret doing in the past of such phase in our lives. Things we wished we could alter or things which we have done that are simply dictated by the current setting our of lifestyle, or set of friends, our financial status during that time. Phases moved and influenced by media, our mentors, professors, bosses and idols. 

Tayo'y sumasabay lamang sa agos ng panahon, and that is the most perfect Tagalog phrase to describe it.

Rockstar.

I want †o go to Baguio, Bataan or Ilocos in a motorcycle, something I have been contemplating about since last month. One my day-offs which I take once a month since I do not have any sundays or weekends as you call it, I wanna go out and feed the environment and the view straight to my face and there is no other medium in achieving such feat but by riding a bike. Hopefully this year we can achieve that. All I need is a 400cc + Austrian and a utility box behind for my stuff. 

Sunday, what a Sunday. I was blessed with a good Saturday and even more on a Sunday. We got a few glitches here and there with regards to our spring installations but nevertheless we got to fix it and had the job done. Again, our shop is a recipient of a father and son project. I am at awe on how supportive the dad is to his son's aspirations, it kinda left my jaw at the floor. As you know, I am always inspired by such since you would assume that I had the same experience with my dad, but no, he actually despised what I was doing during my online days and he basically hated it. He'd rather see me working under his wing and never have me any form of assistance or financing. Maybe through that that I had a sense of great pride. Of surviving and making it on my own, painfully, surely, gradually.. through the years. I think I can recall every meetup from all the Gas stations, malls and deliveries around the Metro. It was quite a roller coaster ride if you ask me, I then had a girlfriend then who was studying and I would basically budget my time in a pie, juggling my relationship, time on the road, my work under my parents and JDMselect. I would often joke about simply living in Australia and working at a fast food resto or even as a gradeschool teacher, something which I really dream of. I'd discuss how I would rather live in a very organized and orderly country and have just the right amount of pay, than being in the Ph. My parents would hate such brash comments and I can always remember my friend Mark Luna saying "mas maganda pa din sa Pilipinas mabuhay" and narrate its benefits as compared to living in other countries. #rockstar

I just had an attachment with the scene in Australia, or in plain view, the setting. AE86 with SR20 sitting at the garage, cool and cold turbo weather. Nice roads, no humps. right hand drive straight from the motherland. Clean builds, Nissan Skylines and Supra's blasting through the roads with much tone and vigor but easing off to maintain the speed limit #blowoff #wapishh, Such things, of a car culture so distant, so alien to me, but somewhat familiar. An everyday sight, but it clearly leaves a mark. 

So here we go again, its summer. I lack sleep since we have been so busy lately for I think 4 consecutive days and I had to transport a couple of stuff from our Marikina paintshop to the branch at 2am in the morning. A bit later I need to meet a client for our 3rd install of a Jazz GK RS Mugen Kit. I'm glad the paintshop is doing its purpose nicely, all the equipment was worth it. The workforce involved just right, the skill level, always high. 

Thats it for now. Don't forget your sunscreen and barkada. Vacation is a night's sleep away. 

Hard Core Line.

You have to be clear with what you are basically doing. What your focus on, or your origin. Are you really a shop that sells parts or you just loving hanging out. Do you see yourself taking pictures of models too much, saving them on your computer and even texting them often or are you hardcore and making enough money to feed your hunger to build cars. I think the socializing thing should come naturally to you and it would be too obvious if you were forcing it. It has to be clear you know, because in today's scene, the line gets a little blurred. Just a quick thought as I went home on a tiring Saturday night, got my fries and burger on the way home and proceeded to my garage to work on something with laptop on my side table with the youtube guide, and of course Franco's Soul Adventurer playing.

I do believe today's car scene has created multiple personalities with regards to being an enthusiast. Some hard core, some like the selling side of it, others are into the hard to find parts, some on the other hand lean towards to motor sports side of it, some have evolved into photographers, others enjoy the social side of it if you know what I mean. So in hindsight, in what category do you belong?

I got reminded again of this as I was passing by a JDMU gathering, and greeted a few friends , at the same time more importantly checking out the cars and just seeing how much love and labor is put unto these machines. Never ending discussions online, mini gatherings, parts swapping, saying it straight up what works, what does not work, whats cool and whats a bit overboard. All these done in between and in my opinion the essentials in making everything clean and classy.

In complete contrast, have you seen Jurassic park and the vehicles that they used to tour the turista's? (hint hint). That.

Father Time.

Life can be a routine indeed if you think about it. At a certain time the jeepney barker calls for its share of passengers at the corner signalling and letting you know thats its that part of the day. I guess that's part of life if you think about it. That no matter how you would want to move or stray away from the parallels of life in general, you are still bound by its time. No mater how hard you do the extra curriculars or the stuff that you would proudly exclaim as unconventional or not boring, father time plays its role into sucking the life out of you, thats the feeling I mean, and you find yourself sitting at a corner of a coffee shop or waiting while the stoplight moves as you stare at its counter. I sometimes think that my life is bound even by the stoplight's counter, that even in those 50-60 seconds of wait, I have the sense or urgency or need to answer a few texts or make some calls.

Is idle time so hard to find nowadays?  Does life nowadays really move that fast?

Sunday you were just at Church, and suddenly you find yourself listening to Magic 899’s Friday Madness. I wonder if kids encounter the same phenomenon. I wonder if much weight from the world unto our shoulders would effect how we perceive of time. 

As I am typing this, there are dozens of couples at my right. Starbucks, 12:00am, finishing up with my work, a movie ending and people are heading to their respective parking lots. I’d like to compare how these inter-relationships work out for them, and how this is compared to the various cars and groups which we encounter over our lifetime. Truly there are better relationships, good women, the ones who know how to cook and the ones who don’t. The ones who love you like its the last day on earth and the ones who are cold as stone, the ones who hug you tightly and the ones who text and call in front of you. The ones who text you goodnight and absolutely always beg for your attention and the ones who sneak out to go out with friends at night, and in complete correlation are groups, cars and builds. In our lifetime I’m pretty sure that you’ve encountered groups that are way too organised, that serve as models to other groups to follow as far as venue, organisation and execution is concerned. And don’t forget the sponsors. On the otter hand, we cannot blame other groups that feel like a barkada, comfortable in hanging out, not too grandstanding, steady, enjoyable, and lax. 

How about cars that are built the right way from the start, fast, agile, hassle free, got all the right functional parts and the like. As compared to builds which seem to start with the wrong foot, from purchasing parts then immediately selling them because the owner feel it does not match or a complete incompatibility or wrong judgement. As I’ve always said to my friend Von, Oras lang any Katapat. Time changes everything and through it we learn stuff that makes us better, it makes us decide better may it be parts, or cars, or builds, to purchases to timing.

In essence its always sweeter the second time around. The same way we can handle next, past or present relationships better, or our next project better. Information has always been key may it be an emotion-less assignment of building or fixing car, or the difficult and maze-like task knowing how to handle a person.

Time to catch some shut-eye. Good night. be good.

Father and Son reaches Top Gear Level!

Today's highlight is my friend and client making an appearance at Top Gear Magazine. Top Gear of course holds a special place in my heart for various reasons as my close friends will understand hehehe anyways, its a City GM3 that started out from a set of Eibach Springs to various parts from coilovers, strutbars, seats, to a brake kit to various performance parts and neatly painted for show purpose by Autobot. During the cars earlier days, we were keen into providing performance upgrades on a canvass that usually was usually massaged with only exterior and aesthetic upgrades. In hindsight, it was after the goal I had in mind. In summary the parts where countless and each represent a time in progress on how this father and son project bloomed to what it is now. ‪#‎jdmselect‬

Use Facebook to Create a New You!

Facebook and Instagram. Aren’t those two amazing? No I’m not talking about how you get to sell stuff, or promote products and services or maybe how you connect to loves ones and family, and cool stuff such as the pics, videos , music and location services.

No, its about trying to project an image. Making it a totally separate reality. 

We all have the posers and the haters and we;'re pretty fed up with those. Im going to talk about something deeper.

I’m totally entertained when someone suddenly acts like zen-like on Instagram #Ilovetravelling #nodrama #peace #nature #loyal , after she freaki’n cheats on her boyfriend in the most fabulous way possible ala telenovela. Or someone who posts life quotes everyday about doing good with business and making a difference after well, asking for almost 100k from my friend for a website, which for 1 year hasn’t been realised (thats definitely not legit. wink wink). Or maybe someone who had a very bad reputation even before the Facebook era, to fellow suppliers, shops and individuals and you later on encounter him trying to attach himself to a very well known brand from Japan. Yes, his face was printed out and stuck on a wall.

No matter how hard you try to self yourself on Facebook, the quotes and the hashtags, the pics, it will never ever change who you are. It can be a band aid solution actually but people are smart, they know better. I guess some individuals are so absorbed by this social network stuff that they actually fail to realize that there is “real” beyond it, and they had a life before it. 

Kaya mahal ang reputasyon, thats why people die and bleed because of it. People work late hours, go the extra mile, strive for excellence, because of something called “reputation”. It cannot be simply bought, or built by simply having that amount of followers , a thousand likes and some fancy pictures, touching quotes and hashtags. 

Let’s not talk about how God forgive because that is a totally different dimension altogether. 

I’m sorry if this entry is a bit hard, but this is a topic which we must all discuss and expose. Especially in today;s world where we heavily rely on social media and and deep connection with everyday life. 

Na ang panunulat na ito ay nagsisilbing pampagising, taga remind, o di kaya alarm clock.