bleachers fixtures chat with mikee

A chat with Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski

Rick: Hi, Mikee. What made you decide to get into your sport --

riding?

Mikee: Some of my older cousins were taking riding lessons. Since I

wanted to be "in", I thought I should do the same. I was eight then,

and my parents refused. But I was persistent, and two years later, I

finally got my way!

Rick: Did your parents influence you in any way?

Mikee: I guess so, because my Dad had racehorses. He would take us to

the races or have us meet him at the training stables on our way back

to Tarlac. You could say I was exposed to them, though I didn't have

much interest at all. Maybe that made me very comfortable with them.

Rick: Why riding and not another sport?

Mikee: I still ask myself the same thing almost everyday!

Rick: What is your most memorable game/match, tournament, and win?

Mikee: I have a few. But the most memorable, of course, is the

Showjumping event at the Busan Asian Games in 2002. Others would be

the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and the 1996 Chiang-Mai SEA Games

(because of the stress...just ask Toni Leviste!!), the 1996 Pacific

League World Cup Qualifier Finals (because I tied for third with my

coach who ended up winning the whole series after that third place

finish), the 1997 Brisbane Royal Grand Prix (because it was my first

clear round in a top level Grand Prix) and the 1999 Sydney Royal Grand

Prix and Olympic Qualifier where I finished equal third, jumping

Olympic height, earning a Certificate of Qualification for the Sydney

Games (unfortunately, I needed two to actually qualify, but didn't get

the second one).

Rick: What made your triumphs most satisfying?

Mikee: The feeling of triumph in victory as well as loss because of

the lessons I learned through them, the result of working and giving

so much of myself to attain that specific goal (whether or not I got

it), how much I challenged myself and overcame physical, mental,

psychological and spiritual issues, appreciation from my countrymen,

and more than anything, if I was able to come out of those experiences

as a better athlete and person and sharing this with my family and

loved ones.

Rick: What is it like to represent your country in international

competition?

Mikee: I have always been a proud Filipino. Wearing the Philippine

flag on my chest has always been an honor, and a source of

encouragement and inspiration.

Rick: How much preparation do you put into riding?

Mikee: Always in duplicate. Whatever it is we need to do as riders to

keep ourselves in optimum shape for competition, we must do for and

with our horses. Especially when we are competing overseas with our

horses, we monitor them 24-7. And even now that I would consider

myself semi-retired (well, compared to how much time and attention I

spent on my sport before), I ride about 5 times a week. Any pre-game

or pre-match rituals as well? I pray. I also like to be dressed early

for my event so I don't have to think about it later on. My warm-up

for each horse is also pretty routine on competition days.

Rick: So how would you like to be remembered in Philippine sports

history?

Mikee: What I would like is not necessarily to be remembered in a

certain way, but rather, if people would remember me at all and

suddenly think of me, that they would feel a sense of national pride,

a certain closeness to God and have the desire and confidence to

continue to aspire to better themselves, their lives, and to share

this with those around them so that they may do the same. It doesn't

even matter to me if they don't realize that the feeling and idea

started because they remembered or thought of me. As long as it helps,

even in a little way, to make someone's day better and hopefully,

eventually, make this world a better place to live in. Pay it forward.

Rick: Any athletes you look up to? Any particular reason why?

Mikee: Many. Where do I begin? Some are: Michael Jordan (he was

effective, shone without trying and was a team player in spite of his

fame), Tiger Woods (he has always been an amazing athlete who I'm glad

to see is human and has had his own share of defeat but was able to

pull himself out of his losing streak), Annika Sorenstam (so

consistent!), Vicki Roycroft (my coach - it's amazing to see such a

tough competitor who is so committed to the sport have to deal with

every single detail related to it as well as day to day life, yet be

so focused in the ring) Do you have any sports idols (well...not

exactly IDOLS) (when you were growing up)? Lydia de Vega, Elma Muros,

Bea Lucero, Rocky (well, hehe, the idea of him anyway!), Greg

2007_09_01_archive

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY

Once upon a time in Israel - especially in Jerusalem - you could count

the really good restaurants on the fingers of your hands - and still

have some fingers left over.

There was "A La Gondola" on King George; "Chez Simon" on Rehov Shamai

and "Mishkenot Sha'ananim" in Yemin Moshe. And that was that. All are

gone now.

If you wanted to make the trek into Tel Aviv - and it really was a

trek lasting some two hours, more or less, each way - through Latrun

on a two-lane road and then via Ramle, and driving through orchards if

there happened to be an accident along the way and you needed to get

past the traffic tie-up - you could find a few more "good" restaurants

- the very pretentions "Versailles" which I think was on Allenby,

"Toutoun" in Old Jaffa and "Alhambra" on Jerusalem Boulevard also in

Jaffa.

We've really come a long way, baby. In Tel Aviv - to be sure - there

are a plethora of seriously fabulous restaurants - restaurants that

really make my mouth happy. But it's Jerusalem that's the big

surprise. We have "Arcadia' and "Cavalier", which can stand up proudly

against any restaurant in the world - non-Kosher - and we also have

wonderful Kosher restaurants that I voluntarily go to - "Canela", and

"Gabriel" and "Tzachko" - for instance. I say voluntarily because

although my kitchen is Kosher, my stomach isn't - but these places are

absolutely worth eating in - Kosher or non-Kosher.

Today, my great and good friend Yoav - who is a "feinschmecker" by

anyone's standards and knows and loves fine food and wine although he

can't cook worth a damn - took me out to lunch - as he often does. He

is such a gentlemen that he gave me my choice of restaurants - among

which was a fairly new place called "Colony". I've been hearing only

wonderful things about the restaurant - but, someow, never managed to

get there - until today.

What I've been missing. The restaurant is in an absolutely

non-descript area which is fast becoming one of the "in" places for

fine food and entertainment. There is "Colony", "Pini Etzel Hatzer",

which opened two weeks ago after being a Jerualem fixture in the

center of town for years, then moving to Tel Aviv and then back here,

"Schmiel", a dairy restaurant whose marvelous youghurt soup I copied

when I got home, and the "Ma'abada" - where I saw Shalom Hanoch and

Ninette perform recently.

The restaurant - which bills itself as "Salon - Bar - Restaurant" - is

imaginatively decorated - and has seating both outside and inside.

There is a long bar, lounge seating on some of the most beautiful and

interesting chairs I've ever seen, a dining terrace, a lounging

terrace, and seating on three levels inside. As it was very hot today

we chose to sit inside - as did all the patrons.

And now to the best part - the food. There is an imaginative menu -

with only a few of the items not terribly original I must say - but

all beautifully presented. And judging from the completely empty

plates that went back to the kitchen - all the food was superb. Yoav

began with a gazpacho, served in a gorgeous bowl - which looked

beautiful, and which he said was delicious - and I began with a whole

hatzil baladi - a small roasted eggplant - which was obviously burned

on an open fire as it should have been, so that it had that

distinctive smokey taste - served in a bowl on a bed of creamy tehina

and harissa - a somewhat spicy relish which was the perfect foil for

the mild eggplant and tehina. My mouth was singing. As was Yoav's -

since he tasted - and tasted - my eggplant.

While we usually try to order different main courses when we dine

together - today we were both in the mood for the special - two

fillets of bouri - which is close in taste to American striped bass -

served on a bed of perfectly spiced and seasoned quinoa - and which

had flakes of sea salt, not just as a seasoning but as an integral

part of the dish. My mouth continued singing.

Of course, we drank a bottle of Gamla Chardonnay - perfect and light

to suit the day and the food. It's easy to finish a whole bottle of

wine when the conversation and food are good - and lunch goes on for

several hours. There was an individual loaf of good dense bread on

each table - and we finished with intense dark expressos, as we are

not dessert eaters but like espresso after a meal.

Naturally, we looked at the other tables to see what people had

ordered. We were sitting on a raised level and it was easy to see what

was going on. Most tables ordered the hatzil baladi as one of their

starters, the pastas were original and a lot of people ordered that,

and several people were eating entrecote steak with potato puree -

whose aroma was intoxicating. The table next to us had some kind of

dessert which looked divine - I'm not sure what it was as I didn't

even glance at the dessert menu but I will next time.

I loved the many different shapes of plates they used - each shape

perfectly complementing the food being served. And did I mention the

service? Warm and gracious and competent without being overbearing or

intrusive.

I don't know what lunch cost as I was a guest - but judging from the

menu prices and the wine list - which is relatively small but well

thought out - I would imagine that lunch cost approximately 200

shekels per person - which, when you think about it, comes to about 50

dollars American - much less than it would cost for a comparable meal

in New York.

Even their business card is classy - and I'm putting it into my card

2007_05_01_archive

MY COUNTRY, MY CITY...MY GOODNESS

I once had a French teacher, Benedict D'Arlon, (well, his name was

really Benjamin Schwartz but he felt that wasn't an appropriate name

for a French teacher) who used to say "the world is going to hell in a

handbasket". I never quite understood that - I don't even know what a

handbasket is - but his meaning was loud and clear. And that's the way

I feel today.

As I do each morning - I picked up my newspapers from my mailbox, made

my first cup of tea of the day, lit my cigarette (yes, I smoke) - and

began to read. You must all know by now of the political problems we

are having here. To add to our woes - Hassan Nasrallah opined that our

Winograd Commission Report now says conclusively that we lost the 2nd

Lebanon War. We really needed to hear that from him. Avigdor Yitzchaki

resigned....only to be replaced by Tzachi Hanegbi who is under

indictment. Ehud Olmert refuses to resign. Tzippi Livni wants to be

Prime Minister. Shimon Peres wants to be....anything - just elect him.

Moshe Katzav wants the rape charges against him to be dropped and Azmi

Bishara - an Arab Member of Knesset - is being charged with treason

for helping the enemy during the 2nd Lebanon War.

Tzippi Livni wants Olmert to resign - she, however, will not resign.

Amir Peretz says he doesn't have to resign because the Winograd Report

didn't blame him as much as it blamed the others - Olmert and Dan

Halutz - he says - "true - I have no Defense experience but I'm

learning". Did you ever hear such "mishugass" (craziness)?

In the meantime, Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the United

States says that the Syrian military is undergoing its largest buildup

since 1973 - remember the Yom Kippur War? Vos noch? (Yiddish - what

else?) And that was only on the front page!!

Closer to home - closer to my home, that is - the traffic in Jerusalem

has become more and more impossible to deal with. Some little smug,

self-satisfied functionary (Kobi Bartov if you want to curse him

personally) says that he can't forbid people from driving into

downtown Jerusalem but he can - and will - make life miserable for us

drivers. And he is doing that - with a vengeance. By the way - he also

says that he doesn't care what people say about him - "write what you

will" he said to the journalist who wrote the article telling us about

his plans for the traffic.

To add to our traffic woes - Jerusalem is erecting a Calatrava Bridge

at the entrance to the city. Work goes on day and night - both at the

entrance to the city and along the highway. When we drove home from a

party in the North at 11:00 last night we were stuck in the kind of

traffic jam you expect to see only during rush hour. The bridge will

help move the traffic along that Mr. Bartov doesn't want here.

And to add the cherry to the icing on the cupcake - the weatherman

said yesterday that the rain would finally stop. After two weeks of

not having my car washed - yesterday dawned bright and sunny. Shachar

- my car wash guy - said all was well - go ahead and wash the car -

finally. The car wash was jammed - full of people like me who want to

drive in clean, shiny cars. I waited - I had the car washed - I was

happy. And then this morning - when it wasn't supposed to rain, mind

you - it RAINED - for only two minutes - those big, fat raindrops with

a grain of sand in each drop - and my lovely white car is - once again

2007_11_01_archive

I APOLOGIZE

Does anyone remember the song "I Apologize" sung by Billy Eckstein?

If I told a lie

If I made you cry

When I said goodbye

I'm sorry

From the bottom of my heart, Dear

I apologize

Does anyone even remember Billy Eckstein?

So - I apologize to you. I was just about to close down shop - I wrote

and wrote and never received any comments from anyone. I thought that

no one was reading me anymore and no one cared.

And then - yesterday - on my email I received lots and lots of

"comments" - all dated weeks and weeks ago. I then "found" a whole

page on which there are lot of other "comments" - all dated a long

time ago - and which I cannot open. Have these "comments" been

floating around in the ether all this time? Where have they been? They

have certainly never reached my Blog or my email.

I apologize to all of you who have written for not replying to you. I

didn't even know you were there and now that I do know I can't

retrieve the messages. I click and click and nothing seems to happen.

I think that my computer has a mind of its own.

My CM (computer mumche) seems to have disappeared for the nonce. I'll

try him once more and then I'll try a new CM whom Yoav suggested I

use. Maybe he - they - will come up with a solution for me.

In the meantime - if you want to get in touch with me about any of my

2007_03_01_archive

A PASSAGE TO INDIA or THE RAJ QUINTET

I wanted to post a note telling you all I was going off to India, but

my computer decided - for a change - to stop functioning. Not to worry

- my trusty CM (computer mumche) came to the rescue when I got back

and put it all to rights. Actually - it's not his fault - I switched

servers and television cable companies - and the whole thing went

kerflooey. And all because my original cable provider, HOT, threatened

to discontinue BBC Prime and I couldn't have that so I switched to

YES. But the computer was linked to HOT and the HOT technicians

disconnected the computer - nasty nasty people - and it took forever

to get it all together again. And to add insult to injury HOT decided

to keep BBC Prime in the end!!

So back to my trip to India. It was my fourth trip there - my third

with my friend Myra - sans Arnon this time. There were five of us -

all women. Don't even ask. I have to say though that on the whole the

trip was fine - and interesting - and fun - and I now know more about

some of these women than I ever wanted to know - or needed to know.

Who complains - who is cheap - who is generous - who is "gameesh"

(flexible) - who is a swift pain in the butt - which ones I will never

travel with again - the list goes on. After all - FIVE women!! But all

in all - I'd do it again - only with some men next time as leavening.

Haven't you noticed? I have. When I serve on a Board of some

organization and it is mixed - men and women - there is almost no

infighting and sniping. Women tend to personalize everything.

Anyway - we flew to Mumbai - went to visit the Hare Krishna Temple

between planes - nothing like not wasting any time - then flew on to

Varanassi and then on to Delhi - where we picked up our car and driver

and spent the next few weeks driving to Agra and Fatehour and Jaipur

and Pushkar and Ajmer and Jodphur and Jaisalmer and Osian and Ranakpur

and Udaipur and then flew to Mumbai and then home. By the way - all

those "-purs" are in Rajasthan.

Distances are vast in India -we spent hours and hours on the road -

but we had a fabulous driver who really knew the country well - and

loves his country - and he took us to see all sorts of places that

weren't even on our itinerary. He even took us to his home to meet his

wife and to have some tea and cookies. Salaries are very low in India

- most couples have no more than three children - usually two - so

that they will have the money to educate them. Education is very

important - many of the drivers, in fact, are very highly educated.

And all of our guides were college graduates - many were already

lawyers or studying law.

And the icing on the cake - my friend, Cecelia from Rochester, New

York - was in India at the same time as we were and we managed to meet

up twice during our travels. However - she found the country boring -

a word I would never use in relation to India. The one thing we never

were was bored. Cold? Sometimes - the weather was unusually cold and

rainey for this time of year. Wet? Sometimes. Exhausted? Often - we

ran from morning to night...our choice as we wanted to see as much as

possible. But bored? NEVER.

I'll tell you more about the trip as time goes on - the fabulous

2006_10_01_archive

THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK

The dog ate my homework. My grandmother died - for the third time this

year - and I had to go to the funeral. My computer was down. Pick any

excuse. The truth is - the computer died - not my grandmother of

blessed memory - life got in the way - the Holidays came and were duly

celebrated - I am, once again, the Rosh Va'ad (head of the Building

Committtee in case you forgot) ---- nevermind - here I am again.

Anyway - I got through Rosh HaShana without too much damage to my

(perennial) diet and without spending too much time in the kitchen. I

was invited out for meals, and although I came with my contributions

toward the dinners and lunches it still wasn't the same as having to

do the whole thing myself. I survived the Fast of Yom Kippur - very

easy this year I must say, as the weather wasn't too hot - and did no

damage to my diet at all.

So, yesterday was back to real life - although Succot began last night

- and Marallyn and I went out for our usual Friday morning breakfast.

We missed last Friday as it was erev Yom Kippur and we had a lot to

catch up with. I mentioned how much I love to be in Israel for the

High Holidays. We're all on the same page - so to speak - you know

that almost everyone will be celebrating in some way - some of us go

to Beit Knesset (synagogue) - some of not - most of us will be

attending festive meals - many of us will have been cooking and

preparing and shopping and shopping and shopping - and eating and

eating and eating - and on Yom Kippur the whole country is observing

this Holy Day. And while not everyone fasts and while not everyone

goes to Beit Knesset - no one drives and everything is closed down.

All restaurants and shops and places of entertainment are closed,

there is no radio - no television - no one drives - the normally very

busy streets are absolutely empty except for people walking and kids

riding their bikes. (That's another crazy custom that has begun here -

kids go out bike riding on Yom Kippur because it's safe - there are no

cars on the roads. But somehow this year there were fewer kids than

usual on their bikes.) In short - Yom Kippur here is like no where

else in the world.

As we were talking - Maralyn and I came to the conclusion that in

order to really know Israel and the Israelis you have to be here for

three particular days. Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day for our Fallen),

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut

(Independence Day). On Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaShoah the whole country

is in mourning. The television plays - and replays - films of our

fallen soldiers and films depicting life as it was in Europe and in

the camps. Restaurants and places of entertainment are closed as these

days are not times for celebrating. Can you just imagine a day where a

siren is sounded in the morning and wherever you are - whatever you

are doing - you stop. If you are at home you stop whatever you are

doing and just stand and remember. And if you are in your car you stop

- get out of your car and just stand and pay hommage to the dead until

the siren tells you to go back to your life. The whole country just

stops. And when Yom HaAtzmaut comes along we Israelis go back to being

the way we always are - caring, loving, rude, sensitive, insensitive,

brash, loud - and always hungry. The whole country barbecues - and

eats and talks, and laughs and eats some more - and we get on with our

lives until next year - when, once again, we remember. Actually - we

2006_12_01_archive

THERE GOES THE DIET - AGAIN

I have really been trying to stick to my diet - I promise you - I

really have. Even yesterday, when some friends and I went to a concert

at the Dormition Abbey and there was that ever-present Arab selling

Arab Bagelach (than which, I promise you, there is no better smell and

taste) - I just drank my water and sucked on my sugarless candies.

Booor-ing! But I felt so virtuous - and thin.

So today - not only was I dieting - I was also working at my desk

trying to clean up all my paperwork (I tell you - my papers have

babies even while I sleep - sort of like wire hangers which seem to

proliferate in the clothes closets overnight). My phone rang. My

friend, Joey. "Do you want to go out to lunch?" "No" I said - "I'm

doing my paperwork" - feeling very virtuous yet again. "OK - I'm

bringing lunch to you - I found us a great treat."

And a short time later my doorbell rang. "Meals on Wheels" announced

Joey. And then we went to town. Joey and I both keep kosher - at home.

There was a time when we didn't keep kosher - so we know what

non-kosher tastes like. Well - I still know what real non-kosher

tastes like as I eat all kinds of "treyf" outside (things like bacon

and prosciutto and shellfish). Joey doesn't.

So what did he bring for lunch? Kosher bacon. It's really veal - but -

I swear - it tastes like bacon. We never even bothered to sit at the

table. We just scarfed down bacon and mayonnaise sandwiches while

standing over the sink. Not even with lettuce and tomato. And Joey -

what a goyishe thing to do - he brought a loaf of white bread which he

didn't even toast! I, of course, was semi-good and ate my sandwiches

on seven-grain "leham kal" (diet bread). Toasted.