I cried on 31st Dec 2009

Why? Because I saw MAGIC unfold in front of me.

On the Oprah show.. Yes people, I am a big fan of the Oprah show.

Oprah had a show on all the brightest and most talented kids she has met.

One of them was a tiny Filipina girl, age 17/18, who loves singing.

She appeared on Oprah show about a year a ago. I don't know how Oprah came to hear about this girl from the Philippines who lives with her home and brother.

They have no home or car of their own. But Charice PEMPENGCO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charice_Pempengco) loves singing.

Someone heard her sing and sent a note to Oprah's producers, and long behold she was on the show.

She sang Celine Dion's song "My Heart Will Go On" and I happen to watch that show in 2008.

She was fantastic. Oprah had tears listening to this girl and was awed by this little Charice.

To see something so great coming out of something so tiny.

Guess who pops up via satellite and softly tells her that it was beautifully sang.

The diva Celine Dion herself.

You should see Charice's joy and excitement. She was trembling with disbelief.

To put the icing on the cake, Celine promises Charice that they will sing together in one of her concerts at the Madison Square Garden.

A year later, after "being found by Oprah" and singing all around the world including singing with legends like Andrea Bocelli (opera), Celine Dion, and a movie role in the Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel (yes its spelt that way)...she reappears on Oprah.

This time with her own song written by the legendary songwriter Diana Warren and produced by another legend David Foster.

Charice belted out this song called "A note to GOD" 

I was actually working on www.hooha.asia in my home office and I had my TV volume in my living room just loud enough to hear what was going on.

I do that for the Oprah show (only) because there are some great hooHA moments in that show that I don't want to miss.

And thank god I did that because I saw Charice sing that song.

Sorry she was not singing, she was touching my life with her song, with her voice and lyrics.

Here I am on the 31st December 2009, preparing to go to the One Mile Dash New Year Bash and being mindful about all the goals that I want to achieve in 2010.

I was thinking about how am I going to grow as a person in 2010. What and how am I going to give to society through my services?

And this girl about 4 foot tall and 17 years old, through her song, made me cry. Uncontrollable tears. I had tears just rolling down my eyes (I am still tearing as I am writing this article).

The song was, to me, about what life has given me and taught me. How I sometimes forget to be grateful for my blessings and gifts.

The song is also about hope. To Charice who came from a poor unknown place in the Philippines and experienced domestic violence just less than 18 months ago is singing in front of the world achieving her dreams... gives me hope.

So, I am grateful that I had the TV on, saw Oprah, watched Charice sing and had the humility to cry to acknowledge the emotions that I was feeling. I willed myself to step into 2010 with hope and dream.

So, what has this got to do with sports or hooha.asia, you ask?

Sports is about hope and dreams. Sports lift you up. Charice's story and singing is about hope becoming a dream becoming a reality.

I wish you all
"HOPE", "DARE TO DREAM", "HAPPY NEW YEAR", "HOOHA!!!"

Be a superstar on hooHA!

THE ORANGE MAN