Sunday, March 29, 2009

Hi from Serbia

When i tell people that i'm going to Serbia, i always get a reply 'where is that? why are you going there?' Well , it is the hometown of our head coach Rajko Toroman and he has organized several exhibition games with professional teams here. Formerly known as Yugoslavia, it was split up to form the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro in 2003. In 2006, both Serbia and Montenegro declared independence.

It is our 2nd day here in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Glad to have arrived in one piece despite the extremely tiring jetsetting, a total of 24 hours which included stops in Hong Kong and Frankfurt. Weather is beautiful ranging from 10 degrees to 15 degrees and relatively quiet and laid back for a capital city. Our hotel is called the Srbija Hotel, i would say it's about 3-star with decent rooms. But my favorite is the free use of internet in the lobby area with a total of 6 computers. Most of us players hang out here during our free time. Food is served in the 18th floor of the hotel and we all eat together, players in one table, coaching staff in another.

Rooming assignments were assigned by coach. Two to a room. Guess who my room mate is! No other than JVee Casio :) After this whole Ateneo-La Salle fairytale, we're now teammates/roommates in the National Team AND in Hapee in the PBL. Coincidence? Such a nice, silent and humble guy with occasional humorous comments! Cool huh!?

We arrived 12 midnight of Saturday and spent Saturday resting most of the time during the day. We had a light practice in the afternoon then went for a walk in the city center at night. Because of our size and Asian features, we kinda stood out in the crowd and many would have a curious glance at us? I guess it's because of the scarcity of tourist and foreigners in this city. Plus we have players who are 6'6, 6'7, 7'0. Quite tall compared to the average Serbian but nothing compared to the Serbian basketball players.

For today, we just have practice and our last chance to go around the city tonight because we will be having games everyday starting tomorrow! I'll update you soon!


Chris

70 comments:

mikee2009 said...

hi chris!

its a good thing that even you are very far away, (honestly i dont know where serbia is...lol), you find time to update us....


its a good thing that you are enjoying there together with the whole team...

and with regards to your roommate, hmmm, i know you feel very excited... hehe... after all, its a very exciting thing to befriend someone who maked ur life a bit hard ( of course only on the hardcourt)...


hope you stay safe and the whole team also....

good luck..


just wanna ask if the Smart Gilas will be competing in the SEABA tournament or in the SEA Games this december?

do you have exhibition games when you return here in manila???


thanks....

cat said...

are you with dylan ababou?

Anonymous said...

this is one of the reasons why i like reading your blog... sharing interesting information and ideas:) together with your cool experiences with us.

jv is such a nice guy :)

be safe always! >",<

almira said...

nicee. training at the same time visiting an unfamiliar country to most of us. cool.

and the fact that your roommate is Jvee adds coolness to your trip. there's no ateneo-la salle rivalry barrier anymore.

take care,captain! :)

CONAN EDOGAWA said...

No way! ur roomy is JV Casio.

that was sweet... what an irony!

maybe ur right about the blue-green color thing... it's really just the color

no one knows you might be the best budds in PBL like jj and mark sa PBA!

hahaha

well anyways, it looks like you've having tons of fun there!!!

hope u enjoy and please update us with ur adventures kc alam mu kua chris when u are the one writing ur experiences it seems na ang ganda talaga nung places...

take care

Anonymous said...

Hi Kuya Chris!

You really inspired me in your every action. I truly hope that I can see you in person!

Good luck to your upcoming games....
wish you the best in everything you do!

I LOVE YOU TIU MUCH!

Vianca said...

It's always nice to hear from you, Chris :) I'm not really a fan of basketball, but I watch games because of you haha. Just continue to be a role model to us. You're doing a great job! You never stopped inspiring me and watching you just gives me a reason to improve myself everyday. Hope to see you up-close really soon.

kaRlUckyme said...

hOw cUte..
HEHEH..
take caRE!! :)

Anonymous said...

I think it's really cool you're roommates with JVee Casio. You have a really cool coach. =) Have fun in Serbia! :D

jopoy said...

wow! bonding moment kayo ah. gluck sa inyong Phil Team stint. haha btw, im jopoy, admu oct 05. u have nice insights btw, keep up the good work =).

ellaine :) said...

well then GOOD LUCK! :DD.
wish you guys the best!

Greenatheart said...

whoa! first comment??? I hope so! haha. anyhow. Hope you're having fun there, wait are you?haha i bet you are.haha O.o And thanks for the infos.haha.

-airen

Anonymous said...

ALL THE LUCK FOR U MR TIU

jv casio as room mate?

hahahaha

well there is no difference between green and blue nga eh :)

+AMDG+

http://gmaseven.blogspot.com/

D. said...

great to hear. have fun chris! ;]

Cla Oyco said...

WOW. JUST. WOW. JV CASIO. WOW. MUST HAVE FELT REEEEEEEALLLYYYY AWKWARD. MAN. WOW. RIGHT.

weng10282000 (",) said...

hi chris...

it's ME again... how are you? it was a nice trip to serbia (formerly yugoslavia), right? may i ask you kung gaano katagal ang training and exhibition games nyo at kelan ang balik nyo with RP team to manila? (baka abutin pa ng HOLY WEEK dyan... heheh)

i'm happy for you for being room mate with JV Casio, i think that we're going to be close friends to each other despite as rivals in Ateneo-La Salle games... :)

chris, could you please upload some photos during your serbia trip in your blog? at least, for sharing some fans here.

i'll praying for you and RP team for your safety in the next training and exhibition games in Serbia. i share you with my thoughts: "what you are is GOD's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift of GOD..."

take care, GOD bless and... i miss you, chris... :)

kalliepepper said...

yay! two of my fave UAAP players in one room?! haha! i was thrilled when i received ur fanatxt yesterday. casio's one of my 2 fave captains for last yr's UAAP season - the other one's you of course. i kept that phil star issue with both of you in the headline photo. ^_^

tnx for your update Chris. enjoy your stay in Serbia! ^_^

faye said...

Chris! Thanks for the updates!:) I think coach has his own purpose on his room assignment.. No pillow fighting for you guys! (Silly thought!)

Nothing much to say, I just want to be visible in your blogs. Enjoy your stay (but come back soon!) Thanks again for keeping us posted!:)

ainan said...

OMG! I learned something new today, i haven't knew that Yugoslavia is now two separate countries... I am so proud of you mR. Tiu and i'm happy because you're serving as a tourist guide to us. Your stories serve as a glimpse what the world looks like, you made us experienced travelling just by reading your Blog..

Nice one Chris!!!

Take care & Goodluck!

Pau Mendoza said...

So JVee will now be playing for Hapee in PBL? Cool! Now I'll get to watch both of you guys in the same team. Well good luck there in Serbia :) Train hard but stay injury-free haha :)

Anonymous said...

Good luck Chris! Wish you guys the best of luck!

Nica said...

Wow! I find it ironic for you to have JVEE Casio as your roommate. But I guess, it's time for you to know each other more =)

What can I say? Just take care of yourself and enjoy your stay in Serbia!

Anonymous said...

wow! sana ako na lang ikaw, room mate si casio, saya nun! haha

chris pics ha? kung kaya isingit!

-JONA

jamy said...

Serbia?WOW..you're lucky.A very interesting country indeed.God bless and have FUN.=]

ian laput said...

Animo Smart Gilas! Go Fight with Pinoy Pride! Religio, Mores,Cultura. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.Every color, every hue is represented by me and you....in this kaleidoscope world.

eRicksOn said...

gUdluCk aNd kiP safe.. wE LoVe yOu kapuSo!! enJoy!!!!

Anonymous said...

,,, kuya chris???
kmusta na po kau jan???we really misses ur presence a lot...we ol know nman na gnawa mo sa sa bnsa nten.. kaya proud na proud kme sau sobra,,,


kuya chris, bhem po ung name q 15 yrs. old san po ba pwedeng mbili ung jersey nioh ng mejo mura kc i cant afford p ung mhal ehh..tnx

kng ntatandaan nioh p po aq ung nagpapirma sau ng portrait mo ung 2nd game mo sa pbl against pharex,,,

sna mkareply k po kc sobrng tnpid q ung money ko sa skul; pra mkabuy ng jersey nioh po...thanks a lot and im hoping na masingt nioh ko sa oras mo...

take care..god bless

yoleen said...

kelan balik nyo chris?
hehe, just forget na lang the ateneo-lasalle rivalry.. mukha namag mabait si jayvee eh..hehe..

yoj said...

wow..
thanks for the info..
really helped a lot in my proj..
lol..
by the way nice moves..
XD..

tita kay said...

Hello Chris,

Greetings from the Philippines!

This sounds like a very interesting trip because you are in a country that is not a usual tourist destination. Thanks for updating us and giving us bits and pieces of information about Serbia (though I know it more as Yugoslavia). Please feel free to be our virtual tour guide ha ha

Well, I'm happy to know that your team will be tested against ballers of Serbia, the hometown of Coach Toroman. I am sure that he knows the Serbian teams well and he knows whether OUR team is evenly matched with the opposing teams that you will be up against.

Btw, it's good to know that JVEE CASIO is your roomie. Imagine, two of the best shooting guards in the UAAP in one room!!! Hmm, VERY INTERESTING.

I guess Coach Toroman really wants you to bond, bond, bond, although we know that there was nothing personal between you and JVee. The "rivalry" was a creation of media and the fans because you were naturally pitted against each other, being the leaders of your respective teams.

Btw, my 13 y.o. daughter still keeps the Chalk Magazine (July 2008) and the Phil Star issue with you and JV on the front page. She also has the Dec 2008 MEG with you on the cover and the November 2008 Lifestyle Mag with the Blue Eagles.

Anyway, enjoy your stint in Serbia and may the entire team gel and blend together.

arrie said...

Hey Chris!glad to hear from you!
well,it's nice that you're updating us from time to time.anyway,wherever Serbia is (haha)I hope you'll have a great time practicing and winning your upcoming games!i was amused when you said that JV is your room8!I guess it's awkward but just enjoy being with each other!take care there and god bless! =)

Unknown said...

haha. its been a long time since a put a comment in your blog... so Serbia? what's with that place? so Yugoslavia doesn't exist na?

♥ alyssa mari ♥'s 17 said...

hello there Chris!

super na-curious ako dun sa Serbia, huh.. kya ng-research acuh about dun! hehe!
thanks for those info!

felt so excited for the next PBL Cup knowing that Jvee Casio will be joining the Hapee team!
Cool!
alam mu ba, he's one of my favorite players in UAAP (coz i think that he's the only La Salle player na di mayabang!) LOL!
pero Solid Ateneo tlga ako! hehe!
sympre, you're my most favorite, noh!

Good Luck to your games there!
enjoy!
ingat!

Anonymous said...

don't forget to eat your vegetables && have 8-hours of sleep, also 8 glass of water everyday too :)

rEiNe said...

hi chris...
thanks for posting again...
be safe there...
:)

haylin said...

hey chris!!
thanks for updating us especially when you shared infos.btw, It's so nice to hear from you that you're with jv casio!huwow!that's amazing!hahaha, I guess there's nothing wrong with it.its so cool!!:) anyhow, goodluck to your games.

Stay safe and cool!!

Nette said...

honestly nag search pa ko kung saan ang serbia..haha!..

sana may pictures..

Godspeed!

joy m. said...

hope youre doing great there. hindi ko masyadong kilala si jv casio but i know that he is a La Sallista and its nice to know that you two are going well. anyway, have a safe trip!

Anonymous said...

serbia! Well, thanks to tennis and I know of its existence. :P Yay for the hometown of Djokovic, Ivanovic and Jankovic!

Anonymous said...

yay! JV casio as a roommate! cool!!!!

bitter me said...

Casio???seriously...

well...i hope you'll be back (in one piece) soon...lol...

myv said...

hi!!

..its good to hear from you if though you're far away..hehe.. thanks for sharing this stuffs.. your blog is very informative..hehe..:)

..by the way, i just want to wish you well in your upcoming games..goodluck!

.take care and godbless..

jesse said...

COOL!!! that's all I can say. especially Chris Tiu having JV Casio as his roommate. how cool is that?! haha.

but seriously, i really feel glad that two of my favorites in UAAP are now teammates/roommates. at least more time for you two to get close so that there won't be green and blue anymore. just... grue? bleen? HAHA. corny. :))

anyway, just do your best in your training. do make us proud, Chris! :)

Anonymous said...

hey chris,
wow hmmmm? just stay safe and God bless always.
good luck on your games. wish you all the best.

somebody ;p

sabriaü said...

Thanks for the infos about Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia), Chris. I was also wondering where exactly the place is located. Now I was enlightened. Haha.

Yeah, you also mentioned thru fan-a-txt that JV Casio is your room mate. OK yan. It's a great chance for the 2 of you to bond and get to know each other more.

I'm guessing it's your first time in Serbia, right, Chris? That's another bonus for you, or maybe most of you. Other than being able to practice & train well there, you'll also be able to witness another culture and socialize with Serbians, plus you'll have more focus because you're far from all the distractions & other commitments here. Also, the weather's pretty cold there huh. Nice getaway from all the summer heat here in the Philippines.

Uh, I'm just curious, who are your other team mates? I just know that you, JV, & Ford are a part of the Philippine team. But who else? One more thing, how long will you be staying there? I hope you'll find the time to answer.ü

I wish you & the rest of the team the best of luck. Hopefully, and of course with the Lord's help, you'll be able to reach your ultimate goal- to make it to the Olympics.ü

Stay safe & injury free, Chris (although I know you're aka as "made in China" hahaha!) Make us prouder. & we hope to hear more from you in the coming days.ü

Anonymous said...

hi..its my 1st time to comment here! hehe have a great week in serbia.. nice ah jv casio ang karoommate!hahaha sana pati lasalle and ateneo ay maging katulad mo at jv para wala ng rival factor...sana manalo kayo sa lahat ng games.... goodluck and take care always...

3xie said...

jst enjy there kuya chris :)))

pham said...

wahhh.......

i'm missin' u already(haha, close?)

well, gudluck n lng..

tska minsan try mung magtagalog pg nag send k ng fanatxt to us...

kc ang sosyal sosyal mung mag english ee..hehe(pero cute nmn,kea lng,pra kcng ang hrap mung mareach pg nag e english k..)

and say ur regards to me huh..
hehe..

my name is pham..

kittykath_17 said...

where is dat place.... hehehe! never heard kasi eh.. nweiz, nice to hear na magkaroom mate kau ni JV..hehe! so nice.. bka pag-uwi nyo eh best buddies na kau..hehehe! kip safe there! godbless u!

Anonymous said...

hi, i was trying to send you sms but it says "service temporarily unavailable" but still they charge me :( and also it says keyword invalid... its CHRISTIU (message) right?

anyways, hows the game today? i hope you guys had fun and injury free :) by the way tomorrow will be the last day of your fanatxt, so does this mean we cant receive anymore updates from you? :( hope they can extend it even for some more days or months??? hahaha

keep safe >",<

Anonymous said...

Hello Mr. Chris Tiu!
It's nice to know that you always find ways to update us always eventhough you had a very hectic schedule or in a very far away land.
Anyways ka-vo-vote ko lang sa iyo sa Top Teen Awards for TOP TEEN MALE HEARTTHROB.
The link is here: http://www.topteenawards.com.ph/Voting.aspx
We're hoping na ikaw ang mananalo para masundan kaagad yung Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award mo.
Godspeed sa 'yo!

Anonymous said...

yo chris!
where do you get your blue contacts :)

PLEASE REPLY :)
THANKS

diam. said...

hi chris!!

thank you for keeping us updated with what's happening with you now there in Serbia. Hope you can post some pictures here. :) :)

it was surprising when you said that JV and you are roommates! what a coincidence! haha.

Thanks for sharing some information and we hope that your team will do well in all of the games! :D :D

Keep Safe!
God Bless!
Keep in touch! Haha. ;) :)))

janine de gracia said...

.hi,chris.
.glad to know you are enjoying you're stay there with the rest of the team.
.you're teammates are quite tall.
.hehehe.
.actually,serbia was not that familiar with me.
.about your roommate.
.ahmm,maybe you had a mixed emotion?.
.hmmm,but even with the situation in the past i know that you will get along together.
.hope you stay safe there.
.enjoy the training.
.looking forward for your updates.
.take care.

:)

angel 17 ^-^ said...

hello chris!!
so how's serbia? did you win yesterday? thanks for updating us from there..we love hearing your stories and experiences! jv casio's your roomy?? who woud have thought? hahah.. just 6 months ago, you were bitter rivals on-court and now your teammates and roommates! ironic huh!

anyways, good luck and god bless.. when are you coming back? we miss ya! hope your trip is productive and worthwhile..=)

your eyes last night in ripley's are blue!! blue-eyed blue eagle?? hahah..

have a safe trip back home! xoxo..

-kate

nurse jane said...

hi from pampanga..:) haha!
thanks for the updates, chris..:)
hope you could share photos too..
take care..^o~

Yong's world said...

thank you for updating us regarding your time in serbia. i missed you but atleast you still have tv shows and tvc here in the phils. and it somehow compensates the sadness. hehehe!!! i am looking forward to your games and i know that your experiences in serbia will be helpful to you and your team8s. goodluck my TIUperman!!! take care always!!! godspeed!!!

Anonymous said...

you're such a nice person. =)

more blessings.. god is good.

EIEN17 said...

hi chris?
- well, good to hear that you're okay and enjoying your stay there...honestly when i received your update in fanatxt that youre off to Serbia..i blurted out "where is that?" ^_^..i have to google it pa..
- nice to know that after the most heated ADMU-DLSU rivalry, there you are with JV Casio, who would think that one day you're going to be teammates!!! Are you guys get to talk about what happened last UAAP? just curious.
- well, goodluck on all of your games. Really proud of you.
+AMDG+

chamie♥17 said...

what's the color of your contact lens???

Anonymous said...

wheww!! seems like your in a far away land?! ope your fine and please update us once in a while^_^ take loads of care chris..

btw, you're a really improved host now! keep it up!!! ^_^

Anonymous said...

Chris! Thanks for the updates!:) I think coach has his own purpose on his room assignment.. it's nice that you're updating us from time to time.anyway,)I hope you'll have a great time practicing and winning your upcoming games!i was amused when you said that JV is your room8!I Good Luck to your games there!
enjoy!
ingat!

eLai said...

gud luck sa games...inagtzzz lagi and God Bless you, isasama kita sa prayers koh...promise!

hanep nga pala yung History ng Serbia, from Yugoslavia pala sya... hahahh...elementary pa kasi ako huling tumingin ng listahan ng official countries and members of UN...hahahah...

ingatzzz ulet! ~_~

Ling said...

Go Smart Gilas!

Erine said...

hehehehe...wow... your room mate is Jvee CAsio?! I dont think its a coincidence... I think your coach were just trying to kill the rivalry you both had during the UAAp years.. Its just the color... HE seemed to be a good guy..

YEah... When I read that the Rp gilas team was going to UHm-I-Dont know-country, (Serbia.. I actually researched about it.. hehehe.. But its nice you posted some facts about it..), i said to myself that Kuya Chris will be making his fans wait again for a post.. Good thing!!! Cherish the freebies like the net access.. hehehe..

Stay safe!! We will be waiting for your exhibition games ... Xiao..(=';'=)

Trisha said...

WOAH! sounds cool that JVEE casio is your teamate as well as your room mate, what are you guys talked about? HAHA! interesting huh.

Goodluck. ;)

dearblogspot said...

hi
while reading your blog, I just realized that you have the potential to be a teacher,haha you always have a dose of facts, anyway this entry makes me laugh, especially the room mate part:)by the way you're one of the nominee in top teen choice award by pure 'n fresh, here's the link:http://www.topteenawards.com.ph/Voting.aspx

keep safe there!

Anonymous said...

hi! chris...

wow...
roommates kayo ni jvee casio
coincidnce talaga...

enjoy your staying in serbia...
and good luck to your training...

♥PRINCESS♥

Anonymous said...

hi chris!
youre so cute and talented talaga!

your so goood in playing basketball too..

goodluck in your career

Anonymous said...

hello chris!!
i hope you could answer my question...
how could we get an akomismo dog tag???
by the way i really love your blog..
hope you update us more...
take care always..sholi