Danke Michael

Really couldn't say enough Danke Michael. It's a few hours before his last race, and just as he said, this time, it looks like it is a permanent good bye to Michael in Formula One racing. 

I've said this before and I will say this again. We are lucky to witness the career of one of the best racers in this lifetime. I believe it only happens once in a lifetime to experience and see how a man changed a sport. He became the benchmark for everyone to beat. Even when he was not doing well during his comeback, 2nd career as some might say, the drivers on track still want to beat him whether they are fighting for podium, points or way down in 15th or 16th places. But his comeback was not a failure. As one blogger said (Siebens from tumblr), statistically, it may have been a failure, but his comeback allowed us to see a different Michael. A more relaxed, human Michael. As Siebens said, who would have known that the "Robot" they called before would now be waving and winking at the cameras during qualifying. His 3-year comeback allowed us to understand and see the real Michael. The person, not the racer.

Michael, you say thank you to us for sharing your passion with you. But it is us who say thank you to you for doing what you love best, and allowing us to see how one's passion can turn dreams into realities. Indeed you showed us that dreams do come true. Achieving 7 World Driver's Championship in the highest pinnacle of motor racing and in a span of 21 years in the sport is but a dream to any ordinary person. But you were able to do it. And the best thing is you never forgot the people around you. You were always a team player and have always said that without the team, there won't be any victories to celebrate. 

Cheers Michael! In 2006, I didn't say goodbye. I said I'll see you around. And this time, I'm doing the same. See you around Schumi! Remember today, as you cross the finish line for the last time, an era in motor racing ends but your legacy lives on. 

http://gabobito.tumblr.com/post/36503680047/his-comeback-was-always-going-to-be-a-two-edged 

Leverage - Let the Games Begin

The longer it takes for TNT to announce the fate of Leverage, the scarier it gets. Seems like they really are walking towards the path of cancellation. I hope the producers and creators will find a way to keep the show running. If it means going to another network, then be all means, do it! They have a solid fanbase and it would be such a shame to let go of this awesome ensemble. 

Anyway, my first video for November and this was inspired by Nate's statement in TNT's promo for the remaining 5 winter episodes. Enjoy!

 

Thank you Lord

The past 3 days have been very hard. Very down. 

I have been having these bad thoughts..Depression feels like quick sand where the more you struggle the harder it is to get out.

A desperate soul asked God to just give me something..a sign that everything will turn out fine. That everything will soon be alright. 

And then I got this from my facebook application. I know it is computer-generated. But it hits the spot. 

On this day of your life, Tet, we believe God wants you to know ... that everything will be alright.

It may seem dark at the moment, but don't lose hope. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, keep moving and you'll get there. God won't abandon you; let God be your light. It may take some time, but in the end, everything will be alright.

 

Thank you Lord. Thank you. 

Leverage - All These Things That I've Done

So this is my third fanvid in a month! Yep, I'm enjoying that Windows Live Movie Maker is able to recognize mkv and mp4 videos. And yes, it shows that I'm obsessed with Leverage right now. Well, as said before, I loved the show when it first came out, but due to our network not supporting it, I got lost and fell behind. But having caught up, I rediscovered my joy in watching the show. 

So more about this video! There's not much to say really. The title, the song and the clips say it all. A killer song (Killers' song? no pun intended) for a bad-ass show! Oh, and Kaniacs will love the bridge part of the song.

Hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed doing it! 

Nate/Sophie - What About Now

Okay, my creative juices are running on an ultimate high for the past few days. Maybe because I also want to forget the worries for awhile and think about something else. Whatever is the reason behind it, my latest creation is this Nate/Sophie fanvid.

Since I have rediscovered my love for Leverage in the past few weeks (as I stated in a post below), I can say that the love story between the Mastermind and the Grifter is one of my favorite story arc of the series. The writers made a great job of pacing their relationship in the 5 seasons that the show has been airing. This allowed the characters to grow, get to know each other, and the audience was also able to understand them better. Tim and Gina just have awesome on-screen chemistry, thanks to the fact that they both admitted that they are indeed best of friends off-screen as well. And they are just terrific actors because they don't need to say something to actually convey a message to the audience. The subtle looks, the longing looks, the frowns, the smiles and the tears they both share when they are in the Nate/Sophie moments tell the whole story about these two characters. They are the best at the work they do, but in the end they tend to always need each other and find each other when the going gets tough. They know each other's flaws and understand each other..probably much better than they understand themselves. 

The music I used in the video was Westlife's What About Now. I was actually originally going to use the Daughtry version, but found that the Westlife version just had enough "cheesiness", if I may call it like that, that provided the perfect dramatic touch. Their version seems to just have more longing and desperation that fit the clips that I included. Clips were more from the earlier seasons of Leverage, when Nate and Sophie were still trying to patiently know themselves and each other.

So there goes another creative attempt. One really gets to do a lot of different things when there is just so much time in their hands.

Michael.

I saw it coming when Mercedes announced last week that they have closed the deal with Lewis Hamilton for a drive in 2013. 

I thought I will be ready for it as it is the second time around, but apparently, I was not. It still hit me hard. Hit me strong. Like a blow to the stomach and a crushing feeling in my heart. I felt sick and gutted. 

I really never understood my passion for Michael. Never understood why I follow him with so much intensity. But I love the way he makes me feel, makes me feel alive whenever I watch him race, battle, or just a simple wave or wink to the camera. I guess his passion for his sport exudes him that we are able to feel it and see it whenever we see him. 

I blame Michael for making me feel this way. His comeback opened up the fire inside of me and his magic captivated me again. And now, he breaks millions of hearts again for the second time around, and mine is not exempted. I thought 2006 will never happen again, and I was happy to be able to finally move on from the great emptiness and void that Michael left during that year. But here we are again, just like deja vu. It's all happening anew and it is just as painful as it was 6 years ago. I had moved on, Michael. But you came back. And then you leave us again so soon? I hate you for doing this. But you know, for this time only..the saying "the more you hate, the more you love" applies. That is just the way I feel.  How can I hate the one I look forward to every fortnight, stay up late if I have to, just to see you finish the race? Your announcement to retire came at a time in my life where everything felt like falling apart, and I was able to gather strength from your retirement speech on "how losing can be both more difficult and more instructive than winning..that you have to live your convictions." I always felt you were special, but this just made you extra special. You were able to reach out to someone without realizing it. And for that I thank God for you. 

I have written before of how thankful I am for all the things you did for me, and I write it again this time. I thank you for making every other weekend a weekend to look forward to, for making each race exciting (whether you are up there in the front or way back), for making me forget my worries once in a while. I thank you for coming back and allowing me to watch you race live, meet you and feel star-struck for the first time in my life. So star-stricken, that I forgot what happened and couldn't speak clearly when you were right there infront of me. Good thing, I got my souvenir signed so I thank you for that as well! And simply, I thank you for being the hard core racer that we knew all along. It's hard to be your fan, to defend you from the intense Schumi-haters, but I never regretted being your fan and will do it again and again if I have to. 

And so, I look forward to your remaining races. I desperately wish you win one because you truly deserve it. This comeback may not have been successful statistically, but always remember, you are a 7-time Formula One World Champion. You've got nothing to prove to anyone. Danke Michael.   

Leverage

So, I rediscovered my love for the TV show Leverage these past few weeks. I've been off the loop for the past seasons and finally caught up with the latest episodes. I found out why I enjoyed watching this series several years ago, way back in 2009 when they started showing it in our cable TV network, AXN Asia. The stories, the characters, the drama, the humor and the wit are combined in the best way possible and it gives a relief to the usual crime series that we see in television these days. Don't get me wrong, I am an NCIS fanatic (not NCIS LA, I find it trying too hard to be NCIS), but Leverage sits right up there with NCIS on my list of best television series. 

I just hope that TNT continues airing this show and renews the show for at least another season or 2. We are just in the 5th season ("just" compared to the 10 seasons of NCIS) and the characters and their relationships with each other are just getting more interesting. I'm a Nate/Sophie fan, but I love the chemistry of the whole team. I believe when the cast and crew says that they really are great friends because it shows in the onscreen performances of the Tim, Gina, Christian, Beth and Aldis. Their banters are hilarious and their dramatic moments are intense. 

As we await for the renewal of Leverage for a sixth season, I channeled my anxiety to do a fan-video to plea for a 6th season. Be kind, as this was a spur of the moment creative attempt and I did it within 2 hours, so don't expect fancy things with it :)

Enjoy and kudos to the Leverage Team! Looking forward to more cons!