Long Lost Friends

I have had two pleasant surprises the past few days. Two friends whom I got separated from due to distance have suddenly renewed contacts with me.

The first one was a very good buddy I had when I was still in LA. This guy I shared the same room with at the office, day in and day out, for about two years. He was also my partner in crime when we curiously checked out the strip clubs in LA. When I went home here in Manila, we still managed to continue our contact thru email. We even went out when he visited Manila a year after I have gone home. But somehow the email exchange between us took a break. Email addresses unfortunately got lost.

So, when we finally got into contact again I was totally surprised when he answered my question: Musta na?

My friend already got married. And his wife just gave birth to their first son a week ago.

Gosh, was that really how long we lost contact with each other?

Second surprise came in the form of a text message early this morning. It was from a dear friend whom we gave a desdedida to last year when he migrated to Canada. He was a good friend since high school. We shared the same passion for music, home theater and DJ stuff. Surprisingly, we never heard from him since the despedida.

I don't know what his story is -- why hadn't he contacted anyone of us, his friends since high school, to update us on his Canada experience. But that will come in our later email exchanges. For now, I'm just glad that my DJ buddy is finally back in circulation again after a few months of hibernation.

As I always tell my wife, people should invest in friendships continuously. Just like in many things, you need to put some time and effort in building friendships. Otherwise, time may just allow you to drift apart.

It is true that a deep friendship may guarantee that even after a long period of non-contact, you can still bring back the good old times just like it was yesterday. But isn't it sweeter to let the good times keep on going?

Even if you're separated by distance. Even if it's just through the miracles of cyberspace.

Burnham Park

Watching the late night news on GMA-7, I chanced upon a short feature on the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio. And one of the more popular places in Baguio is Burnham Park. But do Filipinos really know who the Burnham in Burnham Park is?

The news reporter who made the feature asked people around Burnham Park. One lady's answers sent me into a laughing fit.

Reporter: Sino ho ba si Burnham?

Lady: Si Burnham? E di si Burnham... Park...

R: Ahh... apelyido ho nya yung Park?

L: Oo.

R: Eh sino nga ho si Burham? Sino ho sya?

L: Siya ho yung may-ari nito dati... Pero ngayon di na yata...

R: Ah ganun ho?

L: Oo. Iba na yata nagma-manage dito ngayon. Di na siya

I almost woke up my wife with my laughing.

Jon Tupaz

When God feels like partying with us mortals down here on earth, He assumes the form of a DJ. And he goes by the name Jon Tupaz.

Last Friday night, on our way home in our car, I chanced upon a mix set by famous Philippine DJ Jon Tupaz on the radio. I believe it was partly to promote a major party happening the following weekend at the Metrowalk. An 80's party featuring some 80's bands alongside some 80's DJs. And when you say 80's DJ, no one could have ever come close to the Jon Tupaz.

Jon Tupaz was a god for me when I was still learning how to mix. I remember having his mixtapes back in high school and I would desperately try my best to imitate his mix sets. He was simply phenomenal on the decks. Way back then, I have attended countless parties held in various clubhouses here in the metro where he was the DJ. He made DJ mixing sound so effortless. And hearing him once again on the radio spinning tunes that are all too familiar with Gen-Xers like myself, simply brings back the memories.

Maybe I'll drop by Metrowalk this weekend. Maybe I'll get the chance to hear him spin live once again.

After all, deep inside, I am still a fan.

Volleyball = Powerplay

Summer season in the Philippines has always been associated with ligas or sportsfests. Generally, there are two sports which dominate these sportsfests -- basketball and volleyball. Take our village for example. We have ongoing sportsfests in basketball and volleyball for residents, both the young and the not-so-young. And I, trying to bring back the athleticism that has been seemingly lost for quite some time, joined the volleyball tournament. So, for now, my badminton game has taken a backseat for a while.

In line with my volleyball mindset, I am currently watching a volleyball game on TV. I believe it's a replay of the Philippines vs. Indonesia match held a few weeks ago in Cebu City. Watching those jumpserves, the power spikes, and the playmaking tactics of the setters pumps up the adrenaline in my system. The volleyball fever has stricken me. How I wish I could still try to imitate those plays. Wishful thinking. I know.

Volleyball, in my honest opinion, is a power game more than basketball is. The Jordan wannabes, the LeBron play-alikes, and other macho players of basketball in this basketball-crazy country may disagree with me. After all, since we were young, volleyball has been associated with sissies and gay people. Back in grade school, the common thinking was if you are not good enough or tall enough to join the basketball team, better try out for the volleyball team.

But when you get to watch real competitive volleyball, let's say collegiate volleyball at least, you would know what I mean. Once that leather spheroid gets airborne, no one among the 12 players oncourt can take his concentration away from the game for just a single second. No one would want to get hit by the ball in the face and suffer a broken nose, right? Once that ball goes into play, there goes a series of digs, dives, tosses, tremendous vertical leaps, power spikes, quick spikes, feints, fakes and blocks. Backliners should always be alert and quick-reflexed on defense. While frontliners should always be ready for a series of leaps which could rival the vertical jump of any slam-dunking basketball player in the NBA. And the cerebral setter may be volleyball's equivalent of the point guard in basketball. Volleyball is a game of power, athleticism, quickness and smarts. It's not a game for sissies.

So, the next time I step into that volleyball court, I hope to remember what these guys I'm watching on TV are doing. I know I can't be like them. But at least, I can try to remember how this game is supposed to be played. It is powerplay.

Of Carnappers And Stupidity

Have you noticed that there seems to be fewer and fewer incidents of carnapping being reported in the news lately? Two theories: (1) the carnappers have already shifted careers, or (2) carnappers have become stupid.

A few months ago, two separate incidents of carnapping were reported. Luckily, both cases were solved immediately. But that wasn't what made my day. It's the way both cases were solved.

Case #1. A young carnapper successfully steals a vehicle from its owner. But after just a few meters of driving the vehicle, he hits the canal, stalling the vehicle, eventually leading to his arrest. Apparently, the carnapper does not know how to drive. Joskoday!

Case #2. A group of carnappers forcefully takes a van from its owner in a town in Rizal. A few days later, they were already in the process of selling the carnapped van somewhere in Pasig. Somehow, the prospective buyer of the vehicle got suspicious and reported them to the police. The carnappers got arrested following an entrapment operation by the police. You wonder what the catch was why the buyer got suspicious? Well, it's just that the carnappers were selling the van for a measly 10,000 pesos. Geez, what the hell were they thinking?!

This Is Still My Playground

Concentrate.

This should be purely mechanical for me.

I practically grew up playing this game. Learning the basics of the sport at around age 7, I started to love the game. And ever since I first stepped on that service area, I don't recall having any sort of problems getting the ball into the opponents court. Damn, I even had my killer serve. I might have looked like the 7 year-old totoy that I was, but I knew how to control that ball like I was holding its remote control and telling it where I wanted it to go to. Sure ball, as they say.

But that was then. That was roughly 25 years ago when I first touched a volleyball. And it has been approximately 10 years since I last played competitively.

Dribble the ball.
Feel its weight.
The controlled lift.
The killer hit.

What went wrong?

I was getting frustrated. Four services and I still couldn't get my rhythm. It wasn't as if I lacked the power to get the ball across to the other court. Heck, I could even launch that ball over the fence and make it land on the tennis court beyond the volleyball court.

It was a problem of control. Somehow, I didn't possess it anymore. Somehow, I couldn't command that volleyball the way I used to.

Must be the age.

No! I may have gotten a lot older. But I refuse to believe that I now suck in this game I have excelled in all my life.

I'm just a bit rusty. My timing is off. That's all. It will all come back to me. Give me one more game at the most. The form will be back. The control shall be mine again. Admittedly, I may have lost some quickness and agility. And I have also definitely lost some lift. But I have gained more power and still maintain the smarts for the game.

This is my game. This is my court. This is still my playground.