Our Awesome Dinner

Monica & Bry, Carlo, Cat, Me having Pork Roast and Couscous

Last night was supposed to be the return match of last Saturdays doubles tennis. We couldn't play because of the rain so we just decide to move to dinner. It was also the perfect time to discuss our next adventure which is camping at The Basin.

Our menu was roast pork, perfectly cooked by Migs, couscous made by Cat, which she claims to be her specialty, it is also her first of many dishes that she wants to share with us. We also had salad and roast peppers. Mon and Bry brought chocolate cake for dessert, which is great because we don't usually have desserts in our place.

It was an awesome dinner and a fun night, food was excellent. Then we were drinking wine while listening to blast from the past music. And played the guitar while others sing along. 

We will definitely have more of these coz everyone agrees we should do it once a week.

Coaching

I've been playing tennis for quite some time now and the whole eight years of me being on the court almost everyday no one has every asked me to teach them the sport. But just last week i was given the opportunity to teach my flat mates Miguel and Carlo and my newest friend Cat Juan to play tennis.

I don't have a lot of experience teaching the sport so i had to check youtube for tips on how to hit the ball correctly and then teach it to them. I didn't mind teaching them coz i want them to get into the sport too and it wasn't so difficult to teach them because they have played a few times before so they know the basics. Days before that I sent them links to videos that would show them how forehand and backhand is done.

Anyways, we were to play against a very competitive couple Monica and Bryan who invited us to play at their place on saturday. Apparently the two bought new rackets and had been practicing everyday. We on the other hand had only one  chance to practice since there were no available courts except for that one hour i have reserved weeks ago. There was also intense trash talking going on in facebook that added more pressure to everyone.

So, Saturday came and we woke up early around 7:30am to prepare for the match. I made breakfast of spam, fried eggs and garlic rice. I figured we needed to eat a lot so we'll have energy till afternoon since we were told that the game will be at 11am till 1pm. 

We arrived at Monica and Bryan's a little late maybe 10 mins late and started playing around 11:30am. It was a hot day but still everyone was so excited to play, there was a time 6 people were inside the court. Everyone was practicing their strokes while at the same time gauging the skills of each other. It was very clear that Monica serves really well and i told Carlo and Cat to watch out for that. I also advised them to relax and try to control the ball instead of putting power. At this level that is how tennis should be played. It felt like i was a real coach saying all that and to be honest i was nervous too because i want my team to win.

It turned out to be a very close match, they had some really good rallies and a lot of deuce games. The game was tight until 5-5 in the first set and i thought it would lead to a tie break game. But my team broke the Monica serve and got the set at 7-5. Second set was a little one sided because it was already 2:30pm it was very hot and everyone was already tired. Carlo and Cat eventually won the match with the score of 6-2 in the second set.

I was very proud of the two. I was very proud that i am their coach. I was so glad they followed my instructions and it worked. It was a real team effort and it felt good. With only 1 hour of practice they were able to play magnificent tennis. I promised them i'd give them something if the won.

I had to fulfill my promise so i took everyone out to lunch at a place called El Janna in Grandville. We all enjoyed the yummy champions meal!

The system that works

Right after my vacation last December in Manila I have decided to move out of my brothers apartment. I now share an apartment with some friends. I didn't really have to do this right away but I'm very glad I did.

Our living room

We found a very nice place that is only 15 minutes away from where I work. Its got 3 bedrooms,  a huge living room and a big balcony. The apartment is located at Homebush Bay which is very near the Olympic Park. Perfect because I love sports and now I can do everything in one area.

View from the waterfront

The compound has all the amenities like tennis courts (which is literally across our doorsteps), an indoor swimming pool (I don't really like swimming, but my niece Tati does), Gym and Spa (I haven't used them but maybe I should soon). 

They also have Bars and Restaurants around the area where I can just hangout when Im not doing anything. And best of all, the place has a Bay Walk and a Park were I can go jogging, biking, play soccer or volleyball and also invite people to have drinks and bbq's.

My Flat Mates

Migs, Carlo and Me

Since we moved, my flat mates and I have agreed on a system which i think is perfectly working. Everyone's got his own role that he likes doing so nobody complains.Miguel, the youngest among the three of us, is a crucial part of the system. His job is to cook our food. He is very passionate about his cooking and is very meticulous with ingredients he use. He also enjoys all the compliments he gets from us after eating his delicious dishes. Miguel  loves being the chef of the house so i think he is fit for this role.

Our Kitchen, this is where the cooking and the washing of dishes happens

Carlo, the most organized person in the apartment, is tasked to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen after we have all eaten. He is the only person who likes to do this job, just give him a pair of gloves and he's all set. Without Carlo our kitchen wouldn't be entirely spotless.

Me, the all around guy, is responsible for all the handyman stuff. Whenever we have new appliances I'd be the one assembling it. I also fix anything thats broken, from internet connections, networks, electrical devices and more. I don't mind doing this because i enjoy being the handyman.

My room when its clean

With this setup sharing an apartment isn't such a hassle. We all have equal roles and we get to keep our apartment always nice and clean.

Reasons for blogging

This is something really new to me and people who know me well would tell you that I'm not the type of person who would have a blog. I never write. In fact I hate writing but since i moved to Sydney last March I realized i have been doing a lot of things i don't normally do, things i hate doing like watching a movie alone, eating by myself, washing my own clothes and staying at home for more than 5 hours doing nothing. 

So, I finally  decided to create my own blog and before i arrived to that decision I thought of reasons why I should.

1. I will make my father proud by writing. Since my dad is a very good writer I'm pretty sure he will be very happy to know that I am following his footsteps or at least trying.

2. I may not know it but maybe I have it inside me. I have discovered lots of new things about me since I got here. I have done things I never thought I could. So I'll never know unless I try it.

3. Life isn't  boring anymore. I've always thought life here in Sydney is a bit boring but no, lately I've had so much fun. I have lots of new friends now and have been doing a lot of fun things together so think its about time to document these events.

4. Learning everything. I know if i keep writing I will eventually become good at it. Just like how I am learning guitar, poi and salsa through constant practice.

 5. The Magic 8 Ball said so. This is probably the biggest factor that made me decide to blog, I asked my flatmate to ask his magic 8 ball  if i should start blogging or not and the answer was "Yes. Definitely". We all know that the Magic 8 Ball speaks the truth.