NBA Playoffs: Day1/2

So the Phoenix Suns have been eliminated from the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year now. This means I am yet again without a team to root for in the playoffs. The advantages are: 1. no heartbreaks (haha) 2. I can enjoy the playoffs from purely a basketball fan's POV. 

Most of the results have been expected. The ones that were surprising were Boston VS Atlanta & Clippers VS Grizzlies. 

Boston VS Atlanta

Yes I know, it is Atlanta's homecourt, and judging from recent history, they've been known to surprise us all. BUT this is the Celtics! I expected more from them! And the 2 Technicals slapped on Rondo will only serve to make things even worse for them (as of now, it's still unsure whether Rondo will be given a one-game suspension). I suppose Ray Allen sitting out cost them a lot more than I expected. 

Clippers VS Grizzlies

I didn't watch the game. I was just checking the scores from time to time. The game was initially a blowout. With Memphis leading by as much as more than 20 points. So imagine my surprise when I found out that Clippers actually won the game by 1 point! Talk about a comeback! They're calling it possibly the best playoff comeback ever. The Clips made a 28-3 run from the 9:13 mark of the 4th Quarter. With Nick Young nailing 3 treys cutting the Grizzlies' lead to 3 points with just 5 minutes left to play. 

The D-Rose Injury

How unlucky can you get? While the Bulls have managed to win without him in the regular season, this is different. They might win the series, but just how far can they go without Rose. I'm predicting a second-round exit at the most for the Rose-less Bulls.

Predictions
1st Round:
Spurs over Jazz in 5
Clippers over Grizzlies in 6
Lakers over Denver in 5
OKC over Mavs in 6 (sorry achi :P)
Sixers over Bulls in 6
Boston over Hawks in 6
Indiana over Magic in 6
Miami over New York in 5

2nd Round:
West
Spurs VS Clippers (Spurs in 6)
Lakers VS OKC (Lakers in 6)

East
76ers VS Boston (Boston in 6)
Indiana VS Miami (Miami in 5)

Conference Finals
Spurs over LA in 7
Miami over Boston in 5

I therefore conclude or more like predict that the NBA Finals will be between San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. These predictions are all based on the current line-ups of the team. (I'm assuming Ray Allen will suit up for game 2). Should any more injuries surface (hopefully not), depending on how serious the injury is plus depending on who will be injured, some of the predictions might change.

9 quick hangover cures that actually work

Not that I'm an alcoholic, but I'm sure this can come in handy. I've been a victim of a hangover a few times and IT IS NO JOKE. I don't know how effective these are though, so perhaps you can try them for yourselves. :D

Source: Yahoo (The link to the original post)

http://ph.she.yahoo.com/photos/9-quick-hangover-cures-that-actually-work-slideshow/curing-hangover-with-orange-juice-eggs-common-eatables-photo-1327896574.html

1. Orange juice is among the commonest of home remedies for hangovers. It performs the function of rehydration with great intensity and the Vitamin C acts as a counter to that nauseating feeling. You can combine this with a few boiled eggs and slightly toasted bread. This might sound strange but the protein from eggs helps the liver to filter the toxins of alcohol faster while toasted slices have a charcoal-like effect, preventing bloating or vomiting caused by alcohol.

2. Your mother might have repeatedly told you about the benefits of ginger tea for relieving nausea, cold and cough. However, what she didn’t tell you was that it is an excellent aid for hangover headaches. It can alleviate that typical head-splitting feeling induced by hangovers apart from helping the stomach digest the alcohol better without suffering cramps.

3. Get hold of any granulated antacid that you can easily consume by just pouring it in a glass. This eases the body ache caused by hangover. Most antacids contain some form of sodium bicarbonate that helps to neutralize the excessive acidity caused by consuming too much alcohol.

4. Vitamin drinks are easily available in most super-marts today. Just ensure that there are always a few bottles in the fridge. Vitamin drinks are loaded with water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B and C that get absorbed and work towards eradicating the hangover. Just ensure that your vitamin drink doesn’t contain too much sugar. If you already know when the next bar binging trip is scheduled, try to take a few over-the-counter multi-vitamins on a daily basis. This will ensure that your body has a better degree of preparedness against the hangover. You can dilute the vitamin drink with some water for better rehydration.

5. Another world-famous hangover cure is a strong cup of coffee. However, not many people realize that you need a cocoa-rich variant of coffee for neutralizing the hangover. Rather than having a huge serving at one go, have many smaller cups of coffee throughout the day. Caffeine raises the blood pressure that helps the body to metabolize the alcohol faster apart from providing some relief from the drowsy feeling and headaches.

6. There are a number of rehydration solutions and powders that are sold at your local chemist. These are excellent rehydration sources, usually prescribed for children who are suffering from an intense case of cellular dehydration due to illnesses. These are packed with a high concentration of electrolytes that instantly replenish the vital minerals that have been wasted due to drinking. Just dilute the solution more and drink it slowly throughout the day.

7. This hangover cure requires the greatest degree of determination. However, exercising here doesn’t refer to hitting the gym hard. Something simple as running on the treadmill combined with a few push-ups can help. The sweating induced by exercising followed by rehydrating yourself with a low-sugar sports drink helps to cure hangovers.

8. Every household is bound to have some sort of over-the-counter analgesic or painkiller. These are excellent for relieving the pain and discomfort induced by a hangover. When back home, just pop an aspirin or Aspirin or Ibuprofen but don’t overdose yourself. It is better to start with just one pill and wait to feel its relieving affects.

9. More than a hangover cure, this is a hangover prevention aid. Here, you need to be a bit quirky and eat a few bananas before you hit the bar. The potassium in the banana and its complex carbohydrates has a rehydrating and coating effect on the intestines respectively, helping you recover faster from the alcohol excess.didn’t tell you was that it is an excellent aid for hangover headaches. It can alleviate that typical head-splitting feeling induced by hangovers apart from helping the stomach digest the alcohol better without suffering cramps.Vitamin drinks are easily available in most super-marts today. Just ensure that there are always a few bottles in the fridge. Vitamin drinks are loaded with water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B and C that get absorbed and work towards eradicating the hangover. Just ensure that your vitamin drink doesn’t contain too much sugar. If you already know when the next bar binging trip is scheduled, try to take a few over-the-counter multi-vitamins on a daily basis. This will ensure that your body has a better degree of preparedness against the hangover. You can dilute the vitamin drink with some water for better rehydration.

My Newest Addiction :D

40+ days of no milk tea. It's been one of my "sacrifices" for Lent for the past few years. In case you missed a previous post, I am a milk tea addict.

It used to be that we had to make sure we would be able to get our milk tea fix for the week. Our (me and my sister) favorite has always been Happy Lemon's Pearl Milk Tea. Though comparatively speaking, the PMTs here (as we fondly call it) are no match for the ones we had in Hongkong. The local version seems "watered down" and lacks the richness that the Hongkong version has. Since it's the closest to what we've been looking for, we have to settle for it.

These days, it's like we're being taunted. It's almost ironic that we've been going to places where there is a Happy Lemon, when we can't have our milk tea fix! *sigh*

Anyway, since I haven't been able to get my usual fix, I needed to find a suitable substitute. It would be for the days when I need a pick-me-up. I've tried many drinks, from Gluteany's Lemon Yakult, to different types of teas in different places. As of my last count, there are now 11 tea places in and around the Banawe area alone. There's only 1 place so far that we haven't tried. So you could say that I've done my research.

One drink that I've come to like is Gluteany's RSC (Rock Salt & Cheese) with Black Tea. My first taste of RSC is from Happy Lemon, but I find that the RSC Cocoa Mix is just too rich and a bit too sinful as well. Plus, the last two times I had them, I wasn't happy with the drinks. Consistency has always been Happy Lemon's problem for me, and this time, it's the same thing. Their other options (Green Tea & Coffee) don't sound to appealing to me either. Gluteany's RSC, on the other hand, lacks the sweetness that Happy Lemon's RSC had. It's like they forgot to add in the sweetener to the mix. The 3rd time I tried an RSC-type of drink was in Gong Cha. I've tried Gong Cha before, but I only tried their milk teas. I didn't really know they had that type of drink. But theirs is called Milk Cream instead of RSC. So one time, I finally got to try their version. Gong Cha Milk Black Tea. I liked it immediately. But Gong Cha isn't as near. So the chance to get my fix wasn't as often as I would like. When needed, I settled for Gluteany, but it became clearer to me how much more I wanted Gong Cha's than theirs.

So in the past two weeks, I've been craving for Gong Cha. I had one two times last week. And once, so far, this week. I'm assuming the craving would die down as soon as Lent is over. When I could have milk teas again. I wonder, if given the choice, which would I pick?