Aftermath: The Strada Club Philippines' 3rd EB

[ianmitsulancer]

Galing talaga ni ian! Paglaki ko gagayahin kita....

*Ooba99, TheFLAMINGPatriarch:

OMG! uhm... di ba malaki na kayo?!?!

anyway, pag sa tingin na "grown up" na kayo, tutulungan ko kayo magsulat sa SCRA at sa Medical Journals! ok! hehehehehehe! joke.

thank you very much BOSBs!!! i'm very greatful for your kind words!

ALWAYS drive inspired, ianmitsulancer

[ThePatriarch]

Natawa ako dito, ah. hahaha

Ako din, ttio ian, gaya rin kita paglaki ko, hehehe

hahahaha, mas natawa ako sa post mo doc!

[mikko_018]

teka... eh parepareho na kayong malalaki ah...


sir Ian ako din ha... para mag enjoy sa pagbabasa ung mga Instrutor ko sa Narrative ko... ha!ha!ha!

[av8or5]

great job ian,

And to all that made this activity possible, we will always look for this fun times in our future gatherings.

kudos to all, especially our beloved members and soon to be members.

[moxxxs]

Ang husay mo Balbas ganda ng aftermath. keep it up.


as requested by doc ooba99, paki post na lang dito sir ianmitsulancer yung article sa thread. hindi ko na-post kasi mahaba. Ayaw ko naman putulin into two kasi I dont know where to cut that very engaging article. So you decide where to place the break in the article na lang. oks. you have the better judgment naman sir. thanks.

*pauland

post ka naman bro dito ng mga ilang pix. pwede siguro yung group pix sa church. thanks.

[ianmitsulancer]

Ang husay mo Balbas ganda ng aftermath. keep it up.


as requested by doc ooba99, paki post na lang dito sir ianmitsulancer yung article sa thread. hindi ko na-post kasi mahaba. Ayaw ko naman putulin into two kasi I dont know where to cut that very engaging article. So you decide where to place the break in the article na lang. oks. you have the better judgment naman sir. thanks.

*pauland

post ka naman bro dito ng mga ilang pix. pwede siguro yung group pix sa church. thanks.

naku po! i have been baptized! moxxxs (TT Guru) said Balbas, Ooba99 said Scribe! actually, nag shave na ako.

yes, i will cut-&-post. this goes for the 2nd EB article as well.

drive inspired, ianmitsulancer

[ianmitsulancer]

Note: This article is the 4th of the Aftermath Series.

The Sequel: The Bond of Brotherhood Begins! 02/24/2008

By: ianmitsulancer, baguio city, philippines

As The Strada Club of the Philippines evolves to reality, Ianmitsulancer had the Golden Opportunity to witness it all. Pasok!

As the best keeps getting better, The Strada Club of the Philippines (TSCP) with its Band of Strada Brothers (BOSB) continued to give their enthusiastic and constant participation by sharing their experiences and inquiries on various topics. Fellow BOSBs also welcomed new members out of their curiosity asking if they can join in. They must have felt the contagiousness the thread has due to everyone’s lightheartedness and brotherhood. At the same time the thread was a witness to fellow members who finally purchased their unit after patiently waiting for weeks and even months! All these made the page count swinging upwards reaching 200+ pages from 130 in December 2007.

It was also at this time when Club officers converged for periodic meetings via Chat Conferences with the Core Group consisting of Pres Av8or5, VPres Thepatriarch, VPres Moxxxs, Sec. Pauland and wisdom of members Ooba99, DonT and myself as Ianmitsulancer whom I fondly call The Strada Esquires. After 3 conferences have been made, The Strada Esquires were able to answer countless questions on how to manage the club by setting guidelines, to agree in a decision by voting and volunteering for work to accomplish in time for the best interest of the club. The fruit of these conferences made were the Club Stickers, Shirts, the Organization of Eyeballs and proposed projects for future EyeBalls (EB).

The club recognized the effort that Tsikot.com made: The merging of two threads: “First Drive: Mitsubishi Strada” and the “2006 Mitsubishi Strada”. It is indeed an evolution from the portals of their forum website and thus, invited us for their Grand Eyeball Party. The Strada Esquires were quick to consider this invite and there was no better way than to meet up with fellow BOSBs first for an EB of our own then meet up with the rest of the Tsikot gang! It was very inquisitive for the BOSBs to hit two birds with one stone.
Last Saturday, February 23, 2008, the BOSBs agreed meet for a few hours before the tsikot EB proper. The 3rd TSCP EB assembly was held at Mocha Blends along Ortigas Ave. Extn., Taytay, Rizal not too far from the Mitsubishi Motors Philippines assembly plant- (the depot of Thai-imported Stradas before heading off to dealers.) As the BOSBs met together, all eyes were on the new faces as well as their trucks!

Arvin Cristi was the first to arrive at the meeting place while relaxing over coffee. His Red Strada GLS is indeed a work horse since he uses it for his construction endeavors. His truck belongs to where it should be- the Mud Pit! His unit also beamed the Tarpaulin Streamer made by Pauland during our short fun run up to Antipolo church! The accessory that caught my attention was the cargo net hooked with the holes that came with the bedliner. His technical background and experiences using four wheel drive systems answered all questions the BOSBs had. Bow to you my friend.

The Strada Esquires were able to meet at Pauland’s house prior to the EB meeting time for lunch and to finalize the details of the EB as well as installing stickers and wearing of the official club shirt that came with the registration fee.

Pauland’s Strada GLX had a new add-on! Carryboy’s Motorized bed cover was installed and became an attention grabber with its showroom like finish! The Strada was indeed a fit for him since he had several bits and pieces with him- his DSLR camera, coupled with a tripod as well as the Club paraphernalia! It was with his truck where I got to take a close look at the aftermarket fender flares- the cut was made for the pre-existing mudguard! It was only at this time when I observed that his license plate had the numbers 143- representing his love life which BOSBs still have to find out. Hmmm!

ThePatriarch’s add-on this time was the armory of body cladding! It proved to be an excellent combination creating an elegant two-tone atmosphere for the Lawyer he is! The 4x4 exclusive map lamp and sunglass box was a welcome add-on as this gave his truck an upscale functionality. He also accompanied Pauland to the Tsikot EB that morning to install the Strada Club banner to the delight the tsikoteers. It was also a clear sign that the Club will be publicly identified for the first time thanks to that. His sideline of selling alkaline water should be considered especially by the health conscious!

Yours truly as Ianmitsulancer got the go signal from my boss on the last minute and chose to remain silent until the EB date came all the way from the City of Pines. I left Baguio at 1:00am and arrived at my Aunt’s house to freshen up. I agreed to meet Av8or5 at the Mandaluyong Suzuki showroom- not too far from where he lives. Av8or5’s Strada GLX had a touch of chrome on the door handles and I enjoyed listening to his cool sounding horn. As I was talking to him like an old friend I was enjoying the music videos on his Fidelity DVD Head Unit. What also amazed me was the reverse camera- I was about to give him two thumbs up when I saw the reversing scene from his camera because I liked the roving movement. He also shared with me the projects of accessory installations he plans for his truck very soon.

Moxxxs (alias: the (Turbo Timer) TT Guru) came with the biggest club sticker ever seen. With the help of the Defogger grid that served as his guideline, the sticker was placed right on the middle of the tinted glass. His Strada GLS was washed right after meeting up with The Strada Esquires and Arvin Christi giving more time for the other BOSBs to catch up. Moxxxs was the BOSB who arranged for the Club Shirts and distributed them among paid members. I was so relieved that he had an available XXL size due to my recent upward trend weight-wise! Bless the Speedy Gonzales he is!

Eslonblue was perhaps the happiest among the BOSBs. His baby, a 5-day old Strada GLS Sport A/T proved that all good things come to those who wait! Prior to the release of his unit, he raised concerns on what shade of tint he plans to install – we shared our insights and his truck look great with its dark shade giving it a cozy atmosphere inside. He may feel that the 245/65R17 tires may look small, but I advised him that it may be the right size considering its vertical increase. He prefers to wait for the stock tires to wear out first.

Doc Ooba99’s Strada GLS Sport A/T, a fellow Strada Esquire who went directly to Mocha Blends may have a small scratch at the left rear fender flare due to a muddy break-dancing session in his front yard. The first project is to install a pair of reverse sensors soon. And speaking of reversing his truck on parallel parking method, Doc gave me the scare of the day by reversing quickly and promptly stopping some 6 inches away from Arvin’s truck with a hand and voice signal from ThePatriarch! Yes, I have just seen Strada Stunt Driving 101.

Boybit’s fully-loaded Strada GLX made it this time with another add-on: a front bumper garnish with foglamps and wheel well liners were added that made his truck more purposeful than before! As always, he had yaya duties with his daughter around who seemed to enjoy the company as well. What I failed to see from his truck was his fabricated cargo box. But he later on disclosed that he usually goes to Baguio on the occasion of his job- and that will give me a chance to closely inspect his unit! He was able to invite his friend, a 1st Gen. Strada Owner who is seriously considering purchasing a Strada 3.2 GLS Sport in the coming months.

At the same time, Docglen who continues to amaze everyone with his monster truck tires. As I grabbed my cell phone to picture the wheels, I took note that his front mudguard had to be removed since his big tires were already hitting it. As a result mud was seen splashed on the lower part of the door. The overall impact of his truck is still simply amazing, that Doc Ooba99 initially wore a shirt with his truck on it. It was a working logo within crystal ball shape outline that Mr_Incredible made right after the 2nd EB.

Jeff’s Strada GLS Sports was also a looker! Aside from the only gray truck, it may have the usual upgrades like what other BOSBs have in mind, but the main attraction was the sticker “Strada Battery Powered Vehicle”. In all honesty, it is battery powered indeed. The stock battery was in fact, a topic at the thread due to reliability issues. Jeff, who still needs to register at the Tsikot forums, was joined by his wife and only son. They all warmed up with the rest of the gang.

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[ianmitsulancer]

Aside from the usual meet and greet of the BOSBs and the time it took looking at each other’s unit, the Club Officers organized a short Fun Run. BOSBs who came ready with walkie-talkies distributed the hand-held units to the Officers and selected members. As everyone was on their way to Antipolo City led by Pauland and sweeper Moxxxs, the BOSBs were quick to react to any obstacle that could break the line despite the headlamps, hazard lights, and pulse horn blowing. As the entourage entered the city boundary, I was amazed on how narrow the streets are! Thankfully, with the Strada’s size that is just right and with the essential power steering feature, maneuvering it was a breeze!

The priest welcomed the Club and swiftly went through the procession. What some BOSB thought was a sermon for coming in almost an hour late, the priest instead asked the Lord Almighty for Strength, Honor and Guidance as we go about with our endeavors with our trucks. Later, he instructed all the owners to pop-up the hood and open all the doors for blessing with his Liter-sized holy water bottle. As each truck was blessed, the owner was blessed as well. A Kodak moment for Doc Ooba99 was found on ThePatriarch turn. He was stunned with Holy Water droplets for some reason leaving a funny reason to smile. Also as Pauland’s truck was about to be blessed I helped him open up his truck while doing his photography duties. While the trucks were a unique visual delight to the locals, vendors nearby offered their wares as Moxxxs couldn’t resist something baked and tasty! The BOSBs got a photo session from Pauland despite his humorous coaching lines for posterity with onlookers and cars passing by.

As the BOSBs left the church, Antipolo City got one last look of the dashing trucks roaming the narrow streets. The onlookers saw it as a sight to behold since it is the first of its kind. They may have been familiar with the Mitsubishi brand since the plant is located at the foot of their mountain, but the convoy of happy Strada owners spelled the difference! On the way back down to Taytay, Rizal, the BOSBs made fun of more obstacles the cut through the entourage- from small tricycles, delivery trucks and a very, very sinful Isuzu D-max!

A few meters away from the Gate, the BOSBs lined up for a Grand Welcome to the Tsikot Grand Eyeball. This was the first of many “30-seconds-of-priceless-moments” to come. As the 10 trucks entered the driveway to look for a parking space with Lights, Horns, Moderate Speed it turned out to be the biggest attention grabber of the event. The tsikoteers at the party were amazed at the strong presence of the club only to find out that there were no more slots available therefore settling at the (B)back of Mocha Blends. It was also at this location where we got to meet two more BOSBs:

Wakeboarder who considers Lake Caliraya to be his second home was accompanied by his two sons and followed up to the Open Space at the back of Mocha Blends. As his boys were fooling around with an electrifying pen that gave anyone a jolt, the BOSBs were amazed on how he customized his Red 3.2 GLS Sport: The Ralliart Mags coupled with extended bolt-on fender flares gave the Strada a Dakar inspired theme. The roll-type bedcover may have been first seen at the 2nd EB but still made jaws drop because of its sturdy construction- although Wakeboarder still admits he will still have to experiment its worthiness. The two add-ons that struck me the most were the roof mounted Thule Evolution cargo box as well as his customized bracket that held four Hella fog lamps together. The installation was clean without the messy cable attachments.

Cool Dude Ericsiomai may have parked his Red Strada GLS with the rest of the Tsikoteers at the EB party place, but quickly joined us at the parking lot with a smile. As he quickly fitted the Club shirt, he was walking around introducing himself and asking questions about the add-ons he saw on the other trucks. When I got to see his truck later that evening, he is the 3rd BOSB to sport the Ralliart Mags. What surprised me was his deletion of the standard stepboards. Initially the first impression I got for removing it was to increase his ground clearance for hard core off-road journeys. He intends to install a new step tube of stainless steel construction that should be sturdy when the going gets tough.

As more BOSBs started wearing the club shirts and shared experiences with their trucks, the main topics that got everyone together were Arvin’s curiosity of how the Turbo Timer works. Fellow BOSBs were quick to add that he in fact has one. Arvin initially didn’t consider using the feature since his truck was immediately used for his livelihood. Moxxxs, the (Turbo Timer) TT Guru was wiling to demonstrate his mastery of the device. A few clicks on the transmitter left Arvin amazed on what he can do from now on as he can get out and lock his car while his engine is running for a few more minutes. And what was running through my head while Moxxxs was demonstrating was the lengthy pattern that I had to do to attain 40-lives on the Nintendo Computer Game Contra (up, down, up, down, left, right, left right B, A, B, A…). With everyone’s pardon he had to leave to meet up for another commitment.

As I called the BOSBs for another class picture, the BOSBs quickly gathered for what could be magazine material. It was also considered to be of press quality – something that will build the club and for generations to come.

As the BOSBs arrived at the Tsikot EB party, Mikko_018 finally showed up after enjoying a long bus ride from his dormitory! As the youngest who made it to the EB, Mikko whom I personally call the shyguy was still the friendly, silent type among everyone in the crowd. He was also pleased to see the likes of me and other new comers as well.

As the BOSBs have settled at one corner of Stop’s Diner, The BOSBs felt relieved with Air-conditioning after being exposed to the hot and humid scene. The club was greeted by Tsikot Grand EB participants. Tsikot moderators and administrators whom we only see by the posts on our thread are finally seen in the flesh. As they thanked the club for joining in, we in return thanked them for creating a forum website that sparked the interest of several professionals for the common interest of the truck! Also, the club exchanged hellos with representatives from the MitsuLancerPH crew, The Avanza Club Pilipinas and other clubs that focused on customizing cars from stocks to blings of magnitude!

As the BOSBs settled with their orders of Sisig, Burgers, Iced Tea, Overflowing Beer and pica-pica, Mr_Incredible dropped by and received a warm hello from us. In a light conversation with his wife, he sports a White Strada GLX 4x4 the only unit of its kind in the club. Other noted add-ons were the Carryboy Canopy and Window Visors. Aside from using their Strada for their personal use the couple found the truck handy since hauling their Dogs is a perfect fit for them. Other installations they had in mind would be an air conditioning unit for the back. Little did I pay attention in the past that Carryboy will use the built-in condenser and evaporator of the current passenger cabin air conditioning system and they will provide the blower. Later on, I realized the system being used in other Mitsubishi Vehicles like the Adventure.

The Media Exposure of the Club was unbelievable. As the BOSBs were enjoying each others company, a roving camera dropped by asking for everyone’s attention. While the camera made everyone numb in cheering, Doc Ooba99, in all his glory roared “Go Strada, Go!” and immediately uplifted everyone’s adrenaline. Also, the Tsikot.com forum leads called the BOSBs twice for the recognition of the most number of members in a participating thread with a box of STP power steering fluid to boot. It was here where Drey was recognized as the ninong of the Club as he sparked the thought that the Strada Owners should meet up and share their experiences- the outcome that post that started it all was the 1st eyeball last December 29, 2007. The second time was when the BOSBs were requested to troop to shout “Hi, we are from the Strada Club of the Philippines and you are watching Stoplight TV!” This left the BOSBs struck with a blush and are looking forward to that 10-second-clip-of-fame to be shown on National TV.

Some of the interesting conversations of the club came about; Arvin’s stories like his tales on the job with his Strada was not suffice to get him out of the mud pit. The 4H and 4L of the truck’s Easy Select 4WD the lack of the locking center differential of the Pajero’s Super Select 4WD where wheel slippage can be controlled. If mud-plunging strength is what he needs, he has his Land Cruiser FJ40 under his sleeve, and the argument he had with a writer concerning the Strada’s jaunty ride according to her context. The deletion of ABS on the 2007 2.5 GLS and the possibility of adding it on the models that didn’t come with it.

The Demography of members was indeed interesting. Among those who attended, everyone acknowledged that the BOSBs are professionals consisting of: two lawyers, one doctor, one dentist, three IT professionals, one contractor, one advertising practitioner, one heavy equipment contractor, three businessmen as well as three students giving the club a spectrum of ways on how to serve the community in future projects. With the beer coupons abundant and Pres. Av8or5 won a gift certificate for additional goodies, the BOSBs made a toast for the success of the club. As off-topics came about, how to purchase a gun, impacted tooth extractions, medical trivia and the attraction to the opposite *** ran for hours until the Tsikot bikini party made all eyes open wide!

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[ianmitsulancer]

Some of the BOSBs left due to prior engagements but the Tsikot Bikini Babes made other adikted BOSBs stay! The Bikini show caught the remaining BOSBs Docglen, Boybit, ThePatriarch, Ooba99, Eslonblue, myself, Mikko_018 and Arvin Cristi with their eyes wide open wishing that the boys can escort the ladies over a quick date. The tease was all on Mikko_018 as the BOSBs made temptation pass him by. It was all up to him as he did his best to practice self-control despite the visual delight.

I really felt sorry for asking Doc Ooba99 to pull himself out of Temptation Island since he earlier volunteered to bring me to the Bus Station shortly before my 1:00am trip back to Baguio City. I sincerely thanked him for the lift as I was able to catch my seat on time despite the multitude of chance passengers waiting for a ride to the mountains.

In a nutshell, the 3rd EB was indeed a blast for the officers and members. It wasn’t long enough that the forums continued to add-on from members who wish to share their experiences with co-BOSBs. As the 4th EB was immediately a topic on the thread, we were overwhelmed with something that actually works and what they define to be a lot of fun!

DonT once asked in one of the conferences among The Strada Esquires: What’s in store for a member of the Strada Club? This was actually a question that struck The Strada Esquires to this date. But the officers are gearing up to a definite answer. But in my opinion, considering that most Strada owners are professionals, they may have recently purchased the Strada thinking this would be a set of four wheels that can lead them from Point A to Point B. But with nothing but my bare eyes, this was where I saw the said fact actually turned into fiction! The truck drew strangers together in the Spirit of Brotherhood trekking its way upwards to new heights that other people never knew existed. It may have been a sort of stress relief for some, but at the same time, gives the BOSBs a sense of fulfillment that incorporating the club is an immense achievement. Indeed, The Strada Club of the Philippines proved itself once again, that being Drive Inspired is not limited in words, But with deeds as well in a whole lot of Fun! And that DonT, is my answer to your question.

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drive inspired, ianmitsulancer

ps...
OT- im hoping for my Rank 2 soon... paging tsikot mods... thanks po

* TT Guru moxxxs- pls share with us what inspired you to give the term Aftermath . Thanks

[ooba99]

Uuuy, CONGRATULATIONS, ianmitsulancer.

In a few minutes, you will be conferred the title TSIKOTEER, a full blooded one. Amen.