february is just the beginning.


reading the last question of this article about marvel studio's visit to the country in the hopes of looking over expansion possibilities in the country, caught my eye and reminded me of how challenging it is to collaborate with another person on a writing project.

you see, in co-writing a story there are so many elements that come into play -- plot, characters, consistency, coherence, differences and agreements and the worst -- other priorities and obligations. i can just imagine the enormous challenge these two guys had in weaving good omens into a modern literary classic.

but collaboration isn't the exception to the rule in writing great stories, nor in music and art. musicians and songwriters ian zafra , jude gitamondoc and cattski know what it means to collaborate -- the challenges, suprises and ultimately, the satisfaction it brings.

i'm not really sure if rob does any work with his brother john , but just imagine the possibilities there. and if proof of the partnership is in the blooming, strawberry is an apt example of how alexa and jude's collaborative journey has borne much fruit.

february is just the metaphor we use for remembering the romantic partnerships we have with loved ones. as the month ends, so does our celebration of social, artistic and cultural partnerships, collaborations and everything in between, begin.












penumbra uno: thank you for the use of your photos in this post -- alexa, jude and ysai perez by way of ian z. . salamat kaayo! :)

penumbra dos: coming in from a desk job and taking on freelance work full-time is not easy, let me tell you. in the last ten months, i've crashed and burned so many times, that in every single day, i'm praying and hoping for a miracle. every single day, God provides. thank You for the lifelong collaboration.

sunday roast chicken

12.12NOON. my wife is fussing over the roast chicken (garlic, rosemary and thyme) while i fussed over the local channels looking for where i may be able to view the donaire-montiel showdown.



i had just finished reading through jingo quijano's insightful last round column today and stoked at being able to witness this fistic fest, i turned to tv. alas, my skills on the computer keyboard are no match at searching through channels and decided to wait out for the results. while my wife's roast chicken was still in the turbo broiler, i indulged in some little mma reading.

boxing and mma are just of two sports that enjoy a strong following in the country, and especially in cebu where there are numerous boxing, yaw-yan or kickboxing, arnis and mma gyms and schools around metropolitan cebu. if you're a fan of at least two of these sports, it wouldn't be a surprise to you that cebu is rich not only in cultural and social history, but in the martial tradition and heritage, as well.

i had come across an interesting essay about the philippine yaw-yan foot boxing league, which caught my attention as urcc was starting to gain more and more attention and i was looking for more information about the then-fledgling domestic mma competition.

among the sports that were featured were boxing and yaw-yan -- yaw-yan being a filipino kickboxing style that has made a successful transition into mma, just as boxing had. there is one team that has had a lot of crossover success in the leading domestic mma competition.

in boxing, cebu has become the center for serious professional boxing training. the island cosmopolitan is where one of the most successful boxing gyms outside of the capital is based, and has produced many champions and boxers in both on the international and domestic level.

the success that our filipino athletes have showcased on the international stage is something we are all proud of, and do expect and look forward to continued success. personally, i believe that filipino mma athletes are very, very capable of competing in the international stage, and have done so in many mma and bjj competitions. for ufc president dana white to say that the philippines may be the first to hold the very first TUF International Series is an opportunity for the country to showcase the best of what our mma athletes.

already, the cultural exchange of martial styles has been well-received, if not in the country, here in cebu. there are two schools of brazilian jiujitsu in Cebu city, both in my home city of talisay --john acosta's gracie jiujitsu school in robinson's lawaan -- and deftac in asiatown it park.

i've been able to visit both schools and was most impressed with them. to be there personally and to see how the teachers and students interacted was a great experience and i hope to be able to enrol in a class soon -- something that many fans of the sport should one day take to enhance their knowledge and passion for the sport. who knows, it may just add to your experience of watching mma on tv and enjoying home-cooked garlic and rosemary chicken.






(penumbra: thanks, by the way, to friends, rob carin, and the sports alchemist for the donaire-montiel update!)