Nike Basketball - #PlayPinoy

With the FIBA World Cup underway in Spain, Nike Basketball unveils a beautiful ad that shows just how deep the Filipino love for the sport runs. When you think about it, basketball could be a religion in these parts. Fervent devotion, congregation, a bit of a performance element, the signs are all there. And just like the church and state, our love for the sport is inseparable - no matter how hard we try. 

Press play and see if you can't get caught up in a wave of national pride. Don't forget to to tune in to local channels to show your support for Team Gilas Pilipinas as they push on with their FIBA World Cup Campaign. 

Manila Ramen in Pictures.

With so many local and international ramen houses that have set up shop (and more to arrive), Manila's love for ramen has hit an all-time high. However, the sheer amount of places one can get a bowl can leave people spoiled for choice.

I don't keep a food blog, but this series of pictures below is dedicated to both seasoned ramen vets and folks looking to get in on the dish their hip friends keep clogging Instagram feeds with. Below, in no particular order, is a collection of ramen houses as seen by the broth-filled bowls I've had the fortune of eating. No descriptions of taste, just addresses and how to reach them on social media (if possible), because the last thing Manila needs is another ramen expert.

Ukokkei Ramen Ron -  Unit 1-2, Upper G/F, Tesoro Building, 822 A. Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road), Makati City.

Ramen Yushoken - Molito, Madrigal Avenue, Muntinlupa City
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Wrong Ramen - Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
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Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen - Level 5, East Wing, Shangri-La Mall/2nd floor, SM Aura Premier/Ground floor, Rockwell Powerplant Mall, Makati (soon to open)
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Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - Ground floor, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati.

Mitsuyado Sei Men - #22 Jupiter St, Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City.
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Butao Ramen/Ramen Nagi  - Okay, this picture wasn't technically taken in Manila, but Ramen Nagi will be coming to SM Aura very, very soon.
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Again, I'm no expert, but they're all worth a try for different reasons. There's definitely more out there  , so go ahead, seek each place out, and savor each bowl before ramen goes the way of pearl shakes, frozen yogurt, and milk tea! I sincerely hope not though!

Pulso

The first time I got to listen to Pulso was when me and my girlfriend Dylan went to the opening of Heima's Brixton store in Kapitolyo. They were the first of many bands that played that night. I don't go to a lot of gigs, so I didn't really have an idea of who they were, aside from the fact that I recognized guitarist Robby Mananquil from his modeling gigs.

Having no previous idea of the band and what they sounded like, I was left to form my own presumptions. My mind had pretty much written off as some pogi-rock band (a horrible generalization, I know), up until they started playing. 

In the place of all the pilit pogi-rock posturing I was sort of expecting came some tight instrumental passages that were some parts dreamy, some parts heavy, and all parts fun to listen to. It was the kind of music that takes you places in your mind, no small feat for a band composed of only 3 members. I can imagine how tough it is for a band to achieve such a full sound with only a few members, but they certainly did that. Best of all, they were having fun just playing music. Needless to say, I immediately a became a fan  after their set. 

To my luck, I've managed to catch them at a few other gigs around Manila, and they've never failed to put on a good show. Below are some other pictures I managed to take from the Heima Brixton opening, Terno Inferno at 19 East, and the Dr. Martens flagship store opening in Bonifacio Global City. If you hear about a gig of theirs, go for it. They're a great live band that's definitely worth the watch and it won't be soon before long before they make it real big.

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Pulso is composed of Robby Mananquil, Franco Malaya, and Matt Warren.

Pulso on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pulsomusicph

Pulso on Twitter - https://twitter.com/pulsomusic

Terno Recordings on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TernoRecordings

Terno Recordings on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TernoRecordings