I'm currently incredibly yet pleasantly intoxicated while typing this. I don't want this to turn into addiction, but drinking vodka while eating dinner actually helped me sleep better, and I don't feel bad in the morning - in fact, I actually feel better and more active for some reason. I reckon it happens whenever I get a good night sleep with pleasant dreams, which is what vodka had been doing for me in the last few days. I tend to sober up pretty quick too, so I guess that's why I don't get a bad hangover when I wake up.

Anyway, thanks to being able to finally sleep well at night, I've had very nice dreams. I couldn't remember most of them, except for one, which is probably my best dream yet - I won the preliminary fight in "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show! Anyway, this is how it went:

The dream started at the second round of the fight, when my corner is tending to me and telling me how to win the fight, although I never really heard what they said. Anyway, seconds out, and the cornermen are asked to leave so that the second round will start, so they all packed up their stuff to get off the octagon. Unfortunately, my corner left too much of a mess, and the referee called them for it to clean it up, so the second round got delayed in a bit. After they cleaned it all up, the referee finally signaled for the second round to start. As the round starts, I was still distracted over the corner incident, and I was out of focus at the start. My opponent noticed that, and took advantage by charging right towards me with a one-two combination. His left straight barely missed but his quick straight right punch hit my cheek. I flinched from that a little and then comes a right left combination, which hit me, but at least I was able to defend them.

After being punished for my lack of focus, I became concentrated into the fight again. My opponent tries to throw a combination of punches again, but now that I'm focused, I ducked and stepped from his left straight and countered his punch with a right uppercut to his spleen, quickly followed by a left straight punch aimed for his chin, which did hit, but only a little as his shoulder partially got in the way of that punch. It didn't stop me from following up with a right straight to this cheek; left straight to the nose (partially blocked by the opponent's shoulder again); right hook to the body; left hook to the ribs; right straight to the body again; left straight aimed to the body that was partially blocked with his forearm; left knee to the midsection; right elbow partially blocked by the shoulder again, but still hits nicely on the face; left uppercut to the chest, which was blocked but pushed him back a bit; right straight to the face, which hit but isn't as damaging as he was leaning back; left low roundhouse kick to his legs, which got him off balance and made him lean a little towards me; left hand clinches the back of his neck as I throw a right hook, which hits him square on the face; he falls down, so I bent down to pursue him; right overhand punch to his kidney; I leaned on his shoulder using my left hand to put myself in a better position; right straight to the kidney; left uppercut to the face; he stands up a little, so I threw a left knee to the side of the body (which is allowed, since he's not in a three points of contact position on the ground); right uppercut elbow to the spleen area; a couple of left uppercuts to the face followed with a left straight, which nearly hit the back of his head; I base up to throw a right straight to the spleen again, and I intend to follow up more when the ref (who is apparently Herb Deam) stepped in, calling a stop to the fight. All those strikes happened in quick succession, within the span of 20 seconds btw. I walked to my corner with my right hand raised, celebrating my total victory.



And thus, I won at around the 1:40 mark in the 2nd round via TKO (referee stoppage). Now that's a great dream! Now if I just make it reality :P

It's been more than a month since I last put in an entry, and A LOT of things have happened all November - most of 'em not so good though. I'll try to keep it short:

- I still don't have a job (I've applied in a lot of places... didn't think unemployment was this bad...)
- Joined a BJJ gym.
- Took a few classes. Foot still hurts, but I tried bearing with it.
- Got sick with a flu - I initially thought it was swine flu, but it wasn't... not that there's a lot of difference between the two anyway.
- I tried to cancel my contract. Too late... in order for me to cancel, I have to pay half the total price, which is $900. *Facepalms*
- My savings are running low from my recent binge buying. I really should control myself...
- Last EDD check, and I didn't know it. *Facepalms again*
- A certain paypal transaction didn't go through twice, and the amount got deducted a little due to the invalid transfer.
- My foot still hasn't fully recovered, and I can't kick with it yet, let along run or job without showing a limp.
- Fighting depression. I don't think I've gone as far as being depressed, which is a good thing even after all that happened.
- My friend may have gotten her home back after the flood, but it was in bad condition as there are some damage to the house and there's a bit of a pest problem now with rats coming in and out.
- I've been looking for a job all this month, with no results.
- I need to get a job in a week to be able to make the payment for the contract cancellation...


So yeah... ARRGHHHHHH! Haha writing can be a bit of a stress-reliever though (and so is drawing and training by hitting the punching bag), so I guess even with all my problems, even with the sleepless nights and restlessness, I was still able to compose and relax myself with these recreations.

Best MMA fighter of all time:
Fedor  Emelianenko


Best punches:
Igor Vovchanchyn

Best kicks:
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

Best overall striking prowess: 
Anderson Silva

Best muay thai clinch:
Wanderlei Silva

Best Tournament Fighter:
Igor Vovchanchyn


Best submission artist:
Kazushi Sakuraba

Best ground & pound: 
Fedor Emelianenko

Best Slams:
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
Matt Hughes

Toughest fighter:
Nick and Nate Diaz
Takanori Gomi

Best Jiujitsu:
Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

Best Judoka:
Karo Parisyan

Best Wrestler:
Randy Couture

Best Boxer:
Nick Diaz

Most Elusive:
Lyoto Machida

Best Champion Reign:
Fedor Emelianenko
Bas Rutten

Best Lightweight:
BJ Penn

Best Welterweight:
Georges St. Pierre

Best Middleweight:
Anderson Silva

Best Light Heavyweight: 
Lyoto Machida

Best Heavyweight:
Fedor Emelianenko

Best K-1 Fighter:
Ernesto Hoost

Most Easily Highlightable Fighter:
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

Best Chin:
Mark Hunt

Best Hairdo:
Heath Herring

Most Recognizable Fighter:
Chuck Liddel

Best Defense:
Lyoto Machida

Biggest Upset:
Kevin Randleman VS Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic 1

Greatest "Bad Blood" Feud:
Tito Ortiz VS Ken Shamrock trilogy

Best taunts:
Frank Shamrock

Best Provocation:
Nick Diaz

Best Entrances:
Genki Sudo
Kazushi Sakuraba

Best commentating voice:
Mauro Ranallo

Best color commentator:
Joe Rogan
Bas Rutten

Best play-by-play commentator:
Mike Goldberg
Stephen Quadros


Most knowledgeable commentator:
Stephen Quadros
Bas Rutten

Most entertaining fighter:
Kazushi Sakuraba
Genki Sudo
Nick Diaz

Most unorthodox fighter:
Genki Sudo
Shonie Carter

Most deadly fights:
Frank Shamrock VS Igor Zinoev
Scott Morris VS Pat Smith
Gerard Gordeau VS Teila Tuli
Corey Hill VS Dale Hartt
Renato "Babalu" Sobral VS David Heath

Favorite Fights:
Fedor Emelianenko VS Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira trilogy
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic VS Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic VS Igor Vovchanchyn
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic VS Aleksander Emelianenko
Nick Diaz VS Robbie Lawler
Nick Diaz VS Takanori Gomi
Nick Diaz VS Frank Shamrock
Nick Diaz VS Scott Smith
Anderson Silva VS Ryo Chonan
Anderson SIlva VS Forrest Griffin
Anderson Silva VS Rich Franklin I & II
Kazushi Sakuraba VS Carlos Newton
Wanderlei Silva VS Quinton "Rampage" Jackson trilogy
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson VS Ricardo Arona
Aleksander Emelianenko VS Ricardo Morais
Dan Henderson VS Michael Bisping
Dan Henderson VS Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
Dan Henderson VS Wanderlei Silva
Fedor Emelianenko VS Gary Goodridge
Gerard Gordeau VS Teila Tuli
Bas Rutten VS Masakatsu Funaki
Takanori Gomi VS Ralph Gracie
Randy Couture VS Chuck Liddel trilogy
Randy Couture VS Vitor Belfort
Randy Couture VS Tito Ortiz
BJ Penn VS Jens Pulver
BJ Penn VS Sean Sherk
Igor Vovchanchyn VS Francisco Bueno
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic VS Gabriel Gonzaga
Chuck Liddel VS Tito Ortiz
Scott Smith VS Pete Sell
And many, many more!


 

 I sprained my ankle last week friday, and the main reason why I had been inactive online for a week, seeing as I had to lay down most of the day with my affected foot raised above heart level (and in using the computer, staying on a seated position too long will make the blood flow towards my affected ankle, which in turn will slow the healing process and make the blood clot around the affected area). This is what my foot looked like for the from the time it got affected up until today, when the clotting pretty much faded:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c140/Desdinovaa/Chupa%20Tequila/Ankle_2.jpg.
Note: that is not my foot (as I had just found that pic in photobucket) but it does look similar to mine, with the blood clot and all. 

Now that it's recovering, I can gradually go back to training again, although this time, I have to start slow in order to not only prevent relapse, it's also to prevent further injuries, as I had my fair share of bad luck this year. I also impaled my palm on a loose bed spring when I lost balance and fell on top of my bed, hand first, and I had this small hole on my hand where it bled for a couple of hours after that. That, and a few things I can't control that's happened in the Philippines makes this quite a sucky year that I hope will be made up this Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But yeah earlier, my bro and his friends decided to do this backyard boxing match here at this house, with one of his friends against another, using the gear (boxing gloves and karate protective helmet) I've bought throughout the week. Given that those two who fought are clearly new to boxing, and both of them complained over the small hits they've received, it was pretty much declared a draw, as the both of them didn't want to fight anymore. After that was finished, I went out and trained a bit, since I can walk, and my bro sparred with me. His friends saw how the both of us fought, and even in this weakened state (due to my ankle and inactivity for a week) and me wearing boxing gloves (thus, I can't grapple), and my bro being unable to throw strikes since he's not wearing gloves at the time, my bro's friends saw what we the Relleve family has got when it comes to fighting (and my bro wanted to match his biggest, bulkiest friend against me, and that dude didn't want to after he saw me train). Nobody wanted to spar with my bro as well, seeing as he's quick and he learned a lot of good moves at an astounding rate (may it be boxing, kickboxing, wrestling or jiujitsu... I'm actually amazed at how good he became in a short time!)

Anyway, it's also too bad that I was short on money, because if I'm not strapped for cash right now, I would've bought tickets for UFC 104, coming at the nearby Los Angeles Staples Center tomorrow at saturday, Oct. 24. It's too late now, as the tickets had already been sold out, so it's a shame since I was hoping to have enough money to but tickets for my whole family (I know my bro and my dad would greatly enjoy it, and it would make a perfect family quality time between us men). Hope UFC comes by in LA again soon, because I really want to make my first attendance in a big MMA event soon.



Speaking of UFC 104, it's the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida ,VS Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championships headlining this event. If some of you read a previous blog entry of mine regarding Lyoto Machida, you'd see why me and more than 85% of the fans are expecting Machida to win, although I wouldn't count Shogun out that easily, given his dominating performance back when he was still in Pride FC (and if by chance Shogun won, all those that bet on him will be getting a sweet payoff).

How I wish I was training in Wanderlei Silva's gym in Las Vegas:


You know, knowing that I know a lot of my friends is suffering and my family making little, only enough to survive, it always gets me down recently, and I feel that I really should do something about it. Now that I have this punching bag set, I can finally go back to serious training, and the only time I feel truly free is when I train or spar. I can relax by sleeping or taking a nap, but the only time I can feel truly relaxed, with my heart and mind free is when I strike the bag with my punches and kicks.

The thought of making a living fighting always did occur to me, but given my build, diet and habits, I am certainly in no fighting condition whatsoever. But I always feel the need to change all that - give up using the computer (outside of keeping in contact with friends and family) and playing videogames, as these not only does not give me the happiness I want, I no longer enjoy doing this as much as I used to, and I feel like I'm wasting time, wanting to get up and go crazy, whenever I sit my butt somewhere too long. But now, with not only having enough gear to train hard again, I have a lot of fighting reference books to instruct me in MMA to an extent, and I have two men in the family whose blood are boiling for a fight. With that, I'm now more likely than ever to be serious in fighting and see how far my will and body can go, since I dream of being good enough to be a pro fighter. I mean, I don't really have anything much holding me back anymore, other than my out of condition body and old habits. 

But yeah if I ever train enough to become an amateur fighter, I'll dedicate every second training and fighting to my family and my friends, who had always been there with me. The pain that may be inflicted on me is nothing when compared to knowing how much each and every one of us had suffered to an extent, and only in facing this pain and conquering myself would I feel more alive. Some people might object me fighting since it'll damage my face, but at this point, I no longer care about that anymore, since I am more comfortable at being able to fight than being able to look good.

Anyway, I hope this is a dream I can finally get serious on, seeing as I've dreamed of doing many other things, but they never gone past my mind's drawing board. It seems that in the end, despite my many interest, my major interest still lies on Martial arts and Art.

Oh and I ordered a few more stuff in TitleMMA.com, and they are:
- Vinyl Sauna Suit: To sweat more and cut weight
- Two mouthguards : For me and my bro, just in case we decide to spar with people.
- Weighted hands 6 lbs: Because I don't like lifting weights if it won't make me punch better (with that, lifting weights won't make you punch harder if you don't practice punches). With weighed gloves, it'll increase punch resistance, and therefore will improve punch speed and power.
- Speed wrap: Because I hate taking the time to wrap my hands with hand wraps.
- Protective Cup: To protect my family jewels from illegal blows.
- Adidas Extero Boxing Trainers:  I need good, strap-on shoes that are easy to put on for training. Because I no longer want to have blisters on my feet from training on rough concrete barefooted and I don't want to wear my geta (Japanese wooden sandals, which I use as my regular home footwear) since it's hard to move around with it when training.

You know, I've mentioned before that the only time people will see my cry is whenever I saw a fighting scene so awesome I become overcome by emotion and would break down in really happy tears (I'm not kidding lol). With that, I've loved fighting so much I have a lot of empathy for fighters, as they experience varying degrees of overwhelming emotion whether they win or lose [Note that there are potential MMA event and fight spoilers in this blog post].

With that, I will tell you some of the most emotionally overwhelming scenes I've seen in MMA events:


Tito Ortiz VS Randy Couture, for the Light Heavyweight Belt - UFC 44 : Undisputed: This is one of Randy Couture's most dominant fight, as it's clear that not only is Randy Couture the a way better wrestler than Ortiz, but he's also a lot better conditioned, has better demeanor and strategy, and is many years more experienced (and to think Randy Couture is 40 years old at the time!). And to think everyone that was asked in the crowd thought Tito would win, thinking someone as old as Couture cannot handle a young, wild fighter like Tito. He took Ortiz down as soon as each round started, and Tito is visibly demoralized as he cannot get Randy off of him as Randy takes his time dominating and pummeling him (as Tito loses his will to fight as every second counts down). Randy was so dominant in position that he even took the time to make light of the fight, by spanking the completely immobilized Tito's ass the way his daddy probably does when he's being a bad boy.

Eventually, Randy Couture won, and Tito is pretty close in being in tears and is throwing a childish tantrum over the overwhelming loss he had, yet he's sport enough to actually give Randy the belt, wrapping it around Randy's waist as the ringside interview is taking place. He had completely accepted defeat and Randy Couture's champion-level fighting ability, which is an inspiring sight to see as he's 40 at the time! This was one of the most memorable moments in MMA I've ever seen, as even someone shows himself to be not only able to keep up with the younger, stronger and faster fighters, he dominates them with his technique and strategy!


Pride FC Total Elimination 2004: Pride FC was simply the best MMA organization during most of the early 2000s, and this event was definitely worth getting not only because it has Fedor taking on Mark Coleman, it shows the Sergei Kharitonov's most notable win, the first appearance of the "Anaconda Choke" submission, and the legendary Kevin Randleman VS Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic upset fight! The thing is, the most awe-inspiring moment other than the fights was the very end of the event, when all the winning fighters are on the ring, together for a picture arm-in-arm! It was quite a sight to see! I'm trying to look for this picture of the net, but for some reason I couldn't find it, which is a shame, seeing as this picture could be one of the best MMA-related photograph ever! I mean this really saw the friendly side of fighters, and that even if they fight in the ring, they're all friends when they're not fighting, and even hardened fighters and champions can't help but genuinely smile.

If it weren't for the ring and the love of fighting, these great men wouldn't have met one another and become buddies from all over the world, which is also interesting to mention seeing as you have two Americans, two Japanese, a Dutchman, two Brazilians and the legendary Russian fighter, all side by side, race and nationality didn't matter anymore, as they are all the same breed - fighters! I mean if I could just find a photograph of this, I'm definitely going to want to get a copy of it and frame it as inspiration!


Pride 32 : The Real Deal: The image above is probably the most heartwarming and also one of the most iconic photographic in mixed martial arts, and that's another one coming from the Pride FC organization! You see, this was the first Pride FC event in the USA (All of Pride FC shows are usually set in Japan), and it's main highlight is the first US appearance of who may be the best MMA fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. The main card is Fedor Emelianenko VS Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, which is a rematch between the two of them after Coleman's loss in Pride Total Elimination 2004. One notable thing to mention is that Mark Coleman brought his two daughters to the event, saying that he'll come back to hug them as a champion!

The event was a slight success as it leads up to the Fedor VS Coleman. Fedor's fights are, as usual, legendary, and although Mark Coleman tried his best, he was simply outmatched in nearly every second in the match. Coleman was pummeled with Fedor's killer punches, and Mark Coleman can only hold on to dear life by holding on to Fedor's leg up close, which is a Greco-Roman wrestler's natural habit to grab unto. Fedor eventually set Coleman up with an armbar, which is embarrassing considering that Coleman also lost via armbar in their first fight (and it also shows that Hammerhouse, Mark Coleman's camp, are exposed to having terrible submission defense).

Having lost badly, as well as beaten, bloodied and heavily bruised, Mark Coleman is in terrible shape after having gone through a fight with the legendary fighter. Fedor was announced as the winner, defending the Pride Heavyweight Title belt, when suddenly, Mark Coleman's two daughters came up to the ring running up to their daddy and hugging him, crying their hearts out since they are worried about their daddy (pictured above). Coleman reassures his daughters that "Don't worry, daddy's going to be alright", as he hugs his daughters back. Coleman then proceeds to introduce her daughter to the "nice man over there" (Fedor), and Fedor also shows that he's actually a very nice and gentle man, as he smiles along to the heartwarming sight and tells Coleman that her daughters are beautiful, and he also has a daughter waiting for him at home in Russia as well. Coleman and Fedor had always been friends, and even though they fight each other, when the fight's over, they're still friends! Even the audience were awed at this sight, and it goes to show that these two are family men, and it also shows how fighters are with their family!

You know what, I can name more if I want, but I guess I'll end this entry for now. It just goes to show how involving MMA is for me, and how much it means to me, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

"That which does not kill us only makes us stranger." - Trevor Goodchild (AEON FLUX). Quoted for teh lulz, but totally unrelated to this blog post.


I will never, ever use checks to pay off for something again. Good thing I updated my card to the correct, current address, something I thought the bank already did before, as I've written up my current address for them to put on my check. But yeah after weeks of waiting, my punching bag set had now been shipped last week friday, and if things go right, it'll arrive sometime this week! 

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of research on all the nearby martial arts schools/gyms here in California, and most of the good ones are 2-3 hours away from where I live (I don't have a car ATM, that's why). After all the time I spent looking over all these schools/gyms, only to get disappointed when I saw that they are either 2-3 hours away, or they suck, I've come across a certain school that is not only very near here (probably less than 30 minutes away!), it's owned by one of Bruce Lee's former Jun Fan Institute student! I'm not even talking about those fakes who claim they were taught by Bruce Lee, because this one is legit, as even Dan Inosanto (Filipino Martial Artist extraordinaire and Bruce Lee's most famous student.) knows this sifu. I might give this one a call and check on their rates, but I'll only mention this academy's name once I decide to get into it. :D

Don Frye is the toughest man in MMA, no question. He has one of the most intimidating staredown in MMA, he's gone toe-to-toe with some of the toughest opponents without showing pain and weakness, he never backs down, and he was able to fight off a painkiller addiction in favor of family (and it's the kind of pain that'll make you writhe uncontrollably in pain). If you want to see how tough he can be, check out the above video from an MMA match. If something's related to manhood and manliness, his words are gospel:


Given that, I actually share the same opinion as Don Frye's in that video, given how soft and pussy whipped Americans had become over the years compared to Russians and other countries that are suffering and lacking in conveniences available in most First-world countries. In countries with people being in tough times, being a man in the face of difficulty and adversary is a necessity, because being any less than that would either make you someone's bitch or have a shorter life. What the heck happened to the rugged, manly image the good ol' USA had over the years? I guess times a' changin', and with those changes, some men here are ashamed of being men, due to how society and popular culture imparted both genders with the negative perspective on men for being "sexist, chauvinist, all brawn, no brain, stupid".

Well, I might as well accept that, since the world had not gone crazy - it's always been crazy and we're part of this well-organized mess.

Just a random Garouden manga (scanlated) page lol.

The interest in fighting is really in my family's blood. My dad has an uncle who is a Shotokan Karate black belt (who was also the person who taught my pops a few tips in fighting, and with that, my pops gave him his nunchuks in return), who has a son who is a Tae Kwon Do black belt (I don't know much about him, but I've heard that he had won at least one Tae Kwon Do tournament in the Philippines). My direct lineage doesn't have those credentials, but my great grandpa is a strong man who at one time considered boxing, my dad and his brothers are street fighters (unlike those who claim to be street fighters, my dad and my uncles had to fight and be good at it to survive the encounters they've had) in the rough streets of Sta. Mesa (IIRC), and although not a fighter, my aunt (my pop's sister) once had an argument against this gossip who kept spouting bad things about her. Out of rage, my aunt gone home, and that gossip thought my aunt backed down. What my aunt really did was she took two balisongs (Philippines butterfly knives), tosses one balisong in front of the gossip, then challenged that gossip in a knife duel. Needless to say, that gossip was scared shitless, and never talked bad about our family again. Although they no don't share my family name, I have two nephews who has potential to be strong as well. Now I'm glad to say that my bro is now added to the mix, as he has garnered interest in boxing.

My bro just looked up the basics of boxing in some web page, and what do you know - he's got good moves and can hold his own against me in a boxing match, due to his speed and outboxing style. I still have an edge when it comes to grappling though (when we sparred lightly, I loled when I was able to pull off a figure-four leglock on my bro, a move that's really hard to pull off in a fight), but my bro has potential, as usual, so long as he maintains his interest in things he's good at (he's also amazing with the piano, but is now out of practice).

As most of you can already tell by now, my love and passion is martial arts, even when I was a still a kid who was mesmerized watching kung fu flicks. Heck even if I am also interested in drawing and art, it actually complements with my interest in martial arts rather than detract it, as I've done another piece via Facebook's Graffiti app:

I love high roundhouse kicks. Cro Cop's signature move is also my signature move.

And currently listening to this:

Hokushinkai Chairmans (Shozan Matsuos) Office -

Hello again everyone. It's been some time since I last updated, so I guess it's finally time to post my thoughts again. No pic in this blog post unfortunately.

I am glad to say that everyone I know is alright, and at the very least, safe. One friend is quite unfortunate to have lost her home though, so she and her family are currently taking refuge in a nearby church, even after the flood already subsided (and given all the trash and mud that got washed up, they surely won't be able to go back to where they used to live anytime soon). Although I am thankful that this second follow-up storm that was supposed to hit the Philippines didn't hit the same place twice. It's quite unfortunate for the people in North Luzon, however, since they're the ones that got hit next, although I have no update on how they're faring (I know for a fact that millions of dollars worth of rice got destroyed by the flood, which will really take quite a hit on the economy). 

In any case, I guess I'll leave it at that and try not to worry about it much. Although deep inside, I'm still very worried about this friend and the family she has, since they're rendered homeless. 

In a lighter note, I'm thinking of buying a new webcam since this one I currently have is crap, and I want to post my face, especially how I groom myself now. You probably all know I'm a bit vain deep within. I mean honestly, nearly everyone of us are vain, particularly those who look good in the first place... *ahem* lol ego trip.