Ms. Universe Philippine Candidate, my English teacher at Expert Guides…

Ms. Anna Theresa Licaros, our very beautiful representative to the prestigious event, Miss Universe pageant was my english tutor at Expert Guides, a tutorial center here in the Philippines. I encountered her as my english teacher because I was enrolled at Expert guides for my review for college entrance exams. She was so good at speaking english as well as teaching us. I still have no idea how she was chosen to be our countrie’s representative to that event. What I know is that she is very intelligent and good-looking. (what people say “Beauty and Brains”). She’s tall and I’m saying that despite my height. Maybe she’s tall because I’m small??? No, she’s really tall. She’s really beautiful, despite the fact that I only saw her three times(because each subject in the review program has three meetings and three tests as well). It’s so sad that she didn’t make it to the top. But still, she won the Ms. Photogenic Award in the pageant. Still, she still became a teacher to me and she’s amazing. She helped me pass the entrance exams. Ma’am Tere, you’re our Miss Universe!

Gran Turismo HD

High Definition? Maybe! It’s seems that the “HD” logo is the same with Sony’s BRAVIA Flat screen TV. Gran Turismo HD will be the latest racing game to come in December under PlayStation 3 Format. What’s amazing now for Gran Turismo as well as Sony Entertainment is that they finally got the license every Gran Turismo enthusiast longly awaited for. Finally, they’ve got in their hands the precious license in putting Ferrari GT cars into their famous simulation game. Yup, they already have the license from Ferrari and the flagship car is the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, a Grand Tourer car with the Enzo’s V12 6-liter engine. The GTHD had a big leap from their GT4 graphics and physics engine. To try that, you have to own a PS3. How can you try the game? Well, people say that you can download the demo of GTHD although I have absolutely no idea how to use the download file since I cannot afford a PS3 unit at the moment. There are only few cars available at the demo.

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Toyota Celica Rally Car ‘95

Mazda Eunos/Miata roadster ‘89(the one with open-up hidden headlamps)

Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec-II (R32)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR ‘05

Lotus Elise 111R ‘04

Suzuki Cappuccino

Honda Integra Type-R ‘04

Infiniti G35 Coupe ‘06

To show you how the game looks like, here’s a video of the game. Although online video uploaders such as Google Video and YouTube cannot show the full capacity of videos such as this one that runs at 8Mbps, the graphics might not be as good as what I’ve just saw. If you want, you can go to Gran Turismo Japan to watch this movie, including the other clips of time trials and drifting runs available. Here you go:

Gran Turismo ROCKS!

Header!

Yes! Thank you very much to Winterheim HDD because he made my header! I learned a lot from his techniques!

By the way, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV in my header is not REAL. It’s a taste of what Gran Turismo HD can give us! Yes, it’s not real, it’s just graphics and it’s from Gran Turismo HD (High Definition?). To make you believe, check out the helmet of the driver, it has the GT logo at the mouth side.

AE86 Fest!

OKAY! Back to IDAS3 matters, I ca add these cars to my target list! (Hey Paul, I think this is a good idea…)

To be honest, these picks are all “underpowered” cars. So first, we start with the famous..Trueno!!!

Yes, I did not pick up the delivery vehicle of Fujiwara Tofu Store. Instead, I took the variation tuned by Ukiya Shokai. Although I still don’t know how the engine performs, the B and C setups have the “Upgrade Racing Engine” as its last puzzle piece for the customization. The Tofu delivery vehicle had the TRD-tuned, group touring A, naturally-aspirated, 11,000 rpm rev engine. The D setup will be installed with a turbocharger. That makes it very interesting because I will also get this one:

Yup, it’s the Levin of the same tuning group, Ukiya Shokai! It has the same tuning parts as the Trueno above, including the turbocharger installation. It’s so challenging because the D setup for this car still has the toughest rival, which is setup A. Setup A is the setup that follows the setup of the car of Aki, carrying a supercharger and carbon fibre hood as well. So, I will get two AE86, one with flipflap opening headlamps and one with permanent open lamps, both will be installed with turbochargers and both will obtain silver Watanabe RS rims. So nice…

Initial D Arcade Stage 3…

Yes, my friend here, Mr. Paul Aoanan just recently requested me to purchase his cars at SM Megamall. One of those is the very controversial (For me) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 7. I don’t know yet the best set-up so what I did is to base my decision on the records in the machine. Then, I came up with a conclusion, to choose the safest set-up, “B”. Here’s how it looks like:

It wears rims with Enkei logo in it.

Together with that, my craving for testing each car and its behaviour went back again and gave me new targets for new cars.

I’ll be getting the classic Mitusbishi rally red paint job with the Evo VI rally car stripes and the mitsu logo at the spoiler. Sadly, if I’m going to have this car plain but with the muffler of its current driver in the story, I have to sacrifice the spoiler and remove it. But I’m not gonna remove it! What I’m going to do is to get its normal setup and wait for a parts change for mufflers! Although I still have no idea which brand of muffler I will get.

I’m driving these cars for the moment:

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV RS [CN9A]- Iwaki Seiji spec

Savanna-Mazda RX-7 Infini-III [FC3S] -Takahashi Ryosuke Redsuns spec

My RX-7 FC is color black with contrasting silver Watanabe R.S. rims. Or simply, opposite to the one above.

I’m also trying to finish the customization of:

Mazda RX-7 Type-R [FD3S] – Takahashi Keisuke Redsuns spec

Also, one of the cars that I want is this:

Toyota Celica GT-Four Setup B [ST205]

I’ll be getting a black one since I already have the combination of White 6-spoke Volk wheels with my Evo4.

Well, here we go again, trying out new cars and see how they perform. But as usual, I’m just gonna drive it for Time Trials and finish the story one time only. I’m chasing for glory in that game. There’s a lot of better places to put your reputation on rather than having it in a game. I’m just playing it to experience realism in games, also just for fun. If people are saying that I’m not a match for this player beside him, so what? I just want to play by myself and I will challenge someone if I want to. So that’s it. I hope I can get the cards!

Exclusive: Regina Spektor – Samson

It’s a very good song, just click the play button to load the song..

“Samson”

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met

Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of wonder bread and went right back to bed
And history books forgot about us and the bible didn’t mention us
And the bible didn’t mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came fallin’ on our heads
But they’re just old light, they’re just old light
Your hair was long when we first met

Samson came to my bed
Told me that my hair was red
Told me I was beautiful and came into my bed
Oh I cut his hair myself one night
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I’d done alright
And kissed me ’til the mornin’ light, the mornin’ light
And he kissed me ’til the mornin’ light

Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
Ate a slice of wonderbread and went right back to bed
Oh, we couldn’t bring the columns down
Yeah we couldn’t destroy a single one
And history books forgot about us
And the bible didn’t mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first

Driving Stages : PART 1

Venue(s): Ateneo de Manila Universtity, Lagro Subdivision

Vehicle in Use: Mitsubishi Delica StarWagon Turbo-D 4WD

So, why the so-tall Mitsu Delica 4WD? It was a good thing that it wasn’t a bubbletop one or else it will really make it taller which look, well, @#$%^&!!!!! There are only two venues for this stage. This stage includes the training for clutch adjustment and levels and at the same time the turning angles. For this part, I’ll only talk about my learning in each component of a vehicle, accelerator, clutch, gear lever and how to operate them and so on…

First stage: Components

(at front of PIPAC’s lobby)

According to dad, you must first understand each component for the car to move. Necessary ones of course is your key for ignition, engine, gearknob, accelerator, brake, and clutch. Other fields of concern are the side mirrors, rear view mirrors, “and blah blah blah….-dad”. Learning each part of the engine was hard that’s why it would be better for you to learn it yourself rather than forcing me to write here what I know about it. Basically, you know it sounds louder as you floor down the gas pedal. This was tough because I’m practicing in a van, a long very dull boxy body with fat offroad tires and high ground clearance…

Second Stage: Movement

“Ok… i-primera mo…” He said that I floor down the clutch so that the gear will shift safely with none of its teeth grinding on other gears. (watda?) And when I already shifted to first gear, he asked me to release veeeery slowly the clutch. You’ll be able to know you’re moving when the pin in the revolution gauge starts to lower down a bit as well as the engine’s sound. He said to release it slowly so that I will not shut down the engine. The vehicle will cope up with the engine’s rotation speed as time passes. Just keep the engine pushing the vehicle by releasing the clutch slowly and when the engine slows down, step back at the clutch a bit then do the release again. Pretty soon, I’m running at idling rpm (Our van’s idling or steady rpm recording when the accelerator is not used is below 1000 rpm or the ideal. dad-”i want the idling because it saves money” he has a point though…). Pretty soon, my dad told me to shift to second gear and do the same thing still without stepping at the gas pedal. And so I did and it was successful. And when dad noticed that it was fine, he asked me to go again around the parking lot of PIPAC and this time with the synchronization of the clutch and gas pedal. With that, I can now drive without shifting the gear that makes the vehicle jerky when shifting. I also got used with the turning angles and quick turns and quick maneuvers such as reversing and more. That was fun!

Second Stage: Movement->Public Roads

(Front of our gate)

For a taste of public road run, the best place to do it is in our subdivision. I went to a certain place and got back home again, safely (good grief)

Learning to drive is really fun. Although accidents might come but if you really train yourself, you can even evade a piece of shit in front of you on the road without looking at it. So far, after these sessions, I’ve only learned how to make a car move, maneuver it at quick time and experience the usual village traffic, vehicles going around usually 4 or less. The next part is the outside world and the full operation and manipulation of the vehicle’s performance.

Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX

Now, it’s time for me to talk about one of the famous (and also my favorite) Japanese vehicles of all time. It was well known as it appeared in the series “Initial D” as the car of the very skilled Fujiwara Takumi. The car was used as a tofu delivery vehicle and at the same time was heavily tuned for street racing in its pasts. It was also known as the “Drift King” Keiichi Tsuchiya owns a TRD-tuned and drift-spec car like this one. It was also known when it carried the name for defeating the highway monsters of Japan. It is the Toyota Sprinter Trueno.

It’s also known for carrying the nickname “86″, “AE86″. It’s brother comes under the Corolla category, the Corolla Levin. The Levin has the same body contour of the Trueno but doesn’t have the pop-up head lamps. Instead, it has the permanent open headlamps at front. According to Gran Turismo’s database, the AE86 series was considered to be the last lightweight Rear-wheel drive Sportscar of its time. The GT-APEX trim which can be found on the two cars, Trueno and Levin respectively, brings the two-tone color scheme that brought Trueno to its identity as “panda” due to its White main color and black as its contrast. Both cars carry the same “4A-GEU” 4-cylinder twin-cam 1.6 liter engine. The engine produces a maximum output of 130 PS (97 kW) and maximum torque 103 ft·lbf (140 Nm). Lower models such as the SR line-up carries a SOHC (Single Over Head Cam) and produces around 80 horsepower. SR line-up engine has the nick “3AU”. In Japan, the Sprinter Trueno and Corolla Levin comes in two body types, coupe (the one with the trunk, two door) and the hatchback (the one with the sloping back, when you open the hatch at the back the whole rear window comes with the hatch, two door).

So why the AE86? The Japanese vehicles have been known for producing quick and agile sports cars. Although the joy killer is that the laws limited the cars’ production power limited at 300 horsepower. So, the reason behind the same power output of Mitusbishi Lancer Evolution and Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 is their law. Although when the fit in tune-up parts, these machines get more exciting and better than the standard production vehicles in other countries. The AE86 suddenly became famous after the release of Initial D series. But it became more famous after being followed by more impacts that arrived. The D1 Grand Prix or the International Drift competition, started by the Japanese carried one exceptional driver whose name is Katsuhiro Ueo, who drove the one considered as the “Fastest Sprinter Trueno/86 in the world”. It defeated Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7 and other Japanese highway monsters. And since the agility of the rear-wheel drive chassis is so good, when the car is brought to a corner, it goes around it!

Although the car didn’t posses a high performance engine at the start, the vehicle can compete with the other fast cars in mountain passes with everything’s stock. It can outrun cars with its agile movement and high grip due to its layout, FR(Front engine rear-wheeldrive). Just like the story behind Porsche 911! They say that all you have to with the car is tune it up to 200 HP, and make the car as light as possible and tune-up the car’s suspension and it can defeat high-speed cars even in a straightway. So there you are, I’ve told you everything I know about this car(so far). Maybe I’ll tell more later.

Katsuhiro Ueo’s AE86 D-spec

Initial D’s Akina’s 86 in white and black with its famous R.S. Watanabe Rims.

BandaiNamco Games joins the battle of New Generation

Sega had already released the new-format Initial D Arcade Stage 4. The game that carried the improved realism of the previous version and the handling physics of the game Ridge Racer. Taito already released their very impressive and “too realistic” Battle Gear 4 : Tuned with 6-speed real shift gearknob and a CLUTCH pedal and also a rollcage. If there’s one developer that’s missing in the new generation, well that is BNG or BandaiNamco Games. They’re the ones responsible for the simulation of the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 1 & 2 and also the kid-magnet Mario Kart Arcade GP. If we will put the new generation ones with these two, these ones from BNG will be kicked out of the list. But not anymore:

YEEES, what else could it be? It’s the MKAGP 2! I haven’t played this game yet so if you want some ideas about the game, just click the image to enlarge it.

Next?

yup, sure is. That’s the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3~! It’s now available but not yet here in the Philippines. It still carries the 6-speed realshift gearknob with no clutch but now, you can modify the colors and DECALS in your car plus new cars are now added like the 997 series GEMBALLA (Porsche modifiers). Beware of the Devil Z for the Third time..

And so life goes on…

I can’t really tell what’s bugging me yesterday. It feels strange because by the end of the day I realized that the filtering for the water supply wasn’t accomplished, there are other things that should be collected by the garbage collector but still intact and so on. I don’t know why but it really feels strange yesterday. That’s why as night came in my mom kept on scolding me due to those unaccomplished tasks. Man, if only she notices that she’s eating up my free time before college comes. For one month and a half, I’ve spent all of my time staying at home all day, keeping an eye to the construction workers outside the house and doing the same house chores that are usually done by a maid. To complete it, I’ll just have to wear an authentic “house boy” uniform. Sheesh. Am I a maid to them or a son? Hahaha! If we start to argue with it, we’ll just end up in a mind of potential embarrasment.

By the way, the long awaited NON-PROFESSIONAL LICENSE is about to arrive probably this week! OMG!! I can now drive the two-tone Super White-II, Silver, 2.7 Litre Turbo-Diesel Mitsubishi Delica 4WD! Hahahaha! This van of ours really amazes me. Imagine how good japanese people when it comes to vehicle maintenance. Our van is already running for 5 years with the alternator as its annual problem report. The rest is still working fine. So fine that I can tell you now that this van, imported from Japan, had its conversion of the steering and replaced dashboard from a Hyundai Grace, was manufactured in the year 1986! To be honest, that’s my elder brother’s birth year. The license is a very big help especially that my dad might go abroad. And the only people left to operate the Super White tank are the two ambitious children, one with fading colored hair and one that lacks height. Well, I hope I can drive after waking up when school comes. I usually sleep with the turbo’s whistling sound as my dad thunders along Sauyo road at approximately 100 kph. That’s overtaking speed and he overtakes three to five vehicles, considering one of them is an Isuzu Elf, the one used usually by construction material dealers. And he overtakes them in one blow. Turbocharged Delica, huh? My dad said that when you’re at city cruising speed, you can’t really feel it, especially the Rev limit of the vehicle is around three to 4000 rpm. But when you really flat out, say at the North Luzon Expressway, you will feel a sudden jerk as the boost from the turbocharger kicks in. I haven’t tried that yet because I’ve only driven around EDSA, East Avenue, the whole Commonwealth stretch, DMMA, Regalado, Ateneo roads (all of them, with no license or student permit in hand, ssshh~!) at cruising speed. You cannot thunder along EDSA due to MMDA’s and traffic battlenecks. But one of the most enjoyed experience in driving was the Fairview-Litex route which made my left ankle and knee hurt the whole day. I drove at that stretch while trying to catch the class practice at my classmate’s house at Filinvest, near Batasan. They actually asked me why I was late and they didn’t believe my excuse, it was traffic and I was under my dad’s supervision of military style of driving lessons. One of those good moments was the dirt trail for vehicles at the back of Ateneo High School. There’s a secured path from the road before you enter AHS that leads you to the back of the covered courts and the carpentry. It carries some Baguio-style zig-zag dirt roads with tall thick trees that will kill you the first time you ran out of talent. When I drove there, I thought: “rally….” and then I floored down the accelerator. My dad didn’t mind at all, he enjoys watching me shifting the gearknob like the one in the anime Initial D. I even put the revs into its limits. So nice that I can now drive by myself. (Sorry Migs, student permit ka pa lang, buwahahaha!) But still, I can admit that my younger brother is better than me because he’s driving the van from AHS to PIPAC by 5pm everyday. That van has a lot of memories, and it will still carry more because my younger brother and I haven’t finished with it YET. That said, I can tell you about my agony in learning to handle the steering wheel as well as my younger brother’s. At the moment, my younger brother is still driving from AHS to PIPAC and is driving the PIPAC Director’s Honda City sometimes. I’m still here at the house wasting my vacation writing here in my blog. Next Post: Driving: Parrenas way (No need for driving schools, that’s just a waste of money when you can learn here with my undefeated Delica-dad <–yeahright, labs ya!)