Konted's Make My Day: February 2012

2.23.2012

Wednesday Lunch At Andy's Place

Wednesday Lunch At Andy's Place

It was like a pendulum swinging back and forth. The date kept on changing as adjustments were made to suit one's schedule. First, it was February 11, as Andy suggested, as this would coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. And at 6pm for an early dinner at Andy's place in New Manila.

A phone call from Greg moved the date to February 8 as Feb 11 would be a hectic day for him. Greg still works part time at the Philippine Women's University as professor. I agreed even as the color coding scheme would affect me. That was no problem. Francis, too, gave his nod. As the appointed day was nearing, I got a text message from Francis that it was rescheduled to Feb 9 as there was conflict in Andy's schedule. And from dinner, it would be lunch for the four of us. Last Sunday's call from Andy was like the banging of the gavel -- Feb 9 was the final choice. At our age, we seem to have acquired the positive quality of being flexible.

Feb 9 was a Wednesday. I left at 12 noon as it was supposed to be a late lunch, taking the Kamias-Kamuning route and driving at a slow pace. The original plan was for me to meet Greg at the Welcome rotunda. But there were changes too at the last minute. Francis volunteered instead to fetch Greg and I was to proceed directly to #12, 13th Avenue, New Manila. This explains why I was taking it easy on my way to Andy's place. Again, these sudden changes were manifestations of our being flexible. Or was it being fickle minded? Never mind !

Like the old houses of the old rich in that area, Andy has maintained and preserved that 1960's architectural design that makes one nostalgic and yearn for "years gone by and for days of long ago." Enhancing that quaint beauty is a rectangular swimming pool situated between the house and another structure that serves as Andy's office. At the eastern tip of that pool is an old mango tree with roots deeply bound. But my choice spot is the Lanai where one gets that relaxing mood, where one is tempted to take that lazy seating position, grab a book and let the rest of the world go by. Also noticeable is a classic Mercedes Benz at the garage which, I suppose, binds Andy to the memory of his late father. And, yes, the old basketball court is still there.

We had our lunch at about 1:40 pm with Andy's wife Letty assisting us and making sure we had what we wanted. We feasted on Chicken Cordon Bleu, Shredded Beef and Baked Macaroni which were cooked by Mrs. Jimenez. The cooking was so good that Greg forgot that he was on a diet. The same with Francis. I concentrated on the Cordon Bleu and got my third piece when no one was looking. For dessert, we had Peachy-Peachy which old folks call Balanghoy.

Done and satisfied to the fullest, we moved to next long table as Andy served ice-cold beer for Francis and Carbonated water for the rest of us. After the usual taking of pictures, FLASHBACK TIME began. I broke the ice with my anecdote of how Mr. Roderos caught me in the act of returning Francis Roldan's test paper after copying the answers in our Algebra exam. For which I got a grade of 65 and had to take summer classes elsewhere. Greg remembered how the class would sing in unison as Mr. Varona would enter the classroom: "Rain, rain, go away, Little Varona wants to play." That made me laugh. Andy recalled our G.S. graduation at the Aristocrat in Cubao where we sang "When you walk through a storm, keep your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark." On his part, Francis recounted the time when a rugged military truck would enter the school compound just to fetch Ed Castro and Arturo Sabado and their brothers.

The exchanges shifted to our classmates. Of Herbert Sy being good in basketball, of Jerry Singson as the younger brother of Chavit, of the Ututalum brothers, of Rod Salazar driving his own grey Valiant, of Antonio Lumanlan as being the son of the Chief of Police of Pampanga, of Perry Santos, who used to live in the same area, as splitting my Spanish book into two whenever an inspection was made, of Joseph Manapat's family as owners of Green Valley Resort in Antipolo in the 70's, of Manuel Pinto as a son of the co-owners of Max's Chicken, of Mike Velasco as a tough guy, of Manuel Montemayor attending an LSQC homecoming, of Jonathan Garcia as Provincial Commander of Cavite province, of Eric Cammayo being sighted somewhere in Katipunan in the 70;s, of Fadul and the Olizon brothers....and many, many more.

The stories, vividly recalled, amused us no end that we didnt notice that twilight had come. We were so engrossed that everybody momentarily stopped being time-conscious. But it was now time to say goodbye, to say "thank you" to our generous hosts. As we walked past the driveway, I took one last shot of the basketball court. It was my linkage to Andy in the 60's. And it will continue to be as such.

Greg and Francis boarded Francis' Honda City as I maneuvered my car near the far end of 13th Avenue. I turned left at Broadway and turned right at Espana Extrension with the intention of driving to Marikina Riverbanks for some pirated DVDs. I turned left again at Tomas Morato Avenue but just as I was approaching the traffic lights, I made a sudden U-turn. I had a change of mind. I opted to proceed to Cubao instead and had my hearing aid checked and cleaned. Again, that was a sign of being flexible. Or was it being fickle-minded? Here we go again!!!

- Konted

Pool between the main house and Andy's office

A covered walkway connects house to office

2 storey -office of Andy

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Baked Macaroni

Tender Beef

Peachy-peachy

Part of Andy's physical fitness equipment

With Andy

Mrs. Letty Jimenez ready to assist us

Francis P, Prof Greg, Mr. & Mrs. Jimenez

Another group photo

A late lunch

A toast to our classmates

Classic cars

Just couldn't beat Andy in our grade school days

2.20.2012

Seize The Day

Jeremy Lin

Seize The Day

Seize the day. Grab the opportunity, for it may not present itself again. Do not squander it. And that exactly was what Jeremy Lin did this month of February in a series of spectacular performances in New York Knicks' games that has propelled him to super stardom. From a virtual unknown to a newsmaker, from a fourth-stringer to a starting five, Jeremy Lin has grabbed the limelight in the sports world as he continues to make waves in what most sports writers call as a "'phenomenon".

So one day last week, I set aside important tasks at hand and watched New York's game versus the highly touted Los Angeles Lakers. I wanted to see for myself if this Asian American is really made of sterner stuff and if he could hold his own against a star studded team made up of Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum and Paul Gasol, among others.

And, guys, this 6ft3"' cager really can play. A good dribbler, he had complete control of the ball as he created, time and again, scoring opportunities for the Knicks. In several instances, he would slice the middle and score on twisted layups as he eluded the stretched hands of behemoths Gasol and Bynum. And to extricate himself out of difficult situations, he would step back and shoot with a fadeaway. He outscored the more illustrious Bryant, 38-34, in leading the Knicks to victory.

I am not a fan of the Knicks. I am a Boston Celtics die hard. The last time I rooted for New York was in the 1970 finals when Walt Frazier, Earl "The Pearl"Monroe, Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere and Willis Reed fought it out with the favored Los Angeles Lakers whose line up included the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. But the situation is different now for the Knicks. Its offensive thrusts are presently anchored on Asian point guard Lin as the high scoring Carmelo Anthony is still in sick bay.

This story of Jeremy Lin is an extra ordinary one. Booted out last year by the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets to make adjustments in their salary cap just to accommodate their highly paid cagers, Lin was recruited by the Knicks but with no guaranteed contract. The first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA since 1954, Lin was virtually a bench warmer. In games he was sent in, he played for a few minutes.

Until that day this February when he was asked to play because most of the team's key players were indisposed. Not only did he deliver. He sizzled. He created a stir as the whole world took notice of this Asian American as he led the Knicks to a 7-game winning streak. He no longer sleeps in a couch in his brother's apartment. With a guaranteed contract of $788,872, Lin now has a condo unit at Trump Tower in White Plains, New York. And the security guards at Madison Square Garden no longer question him as he makes his way to the gym for practice sessions.

Now, this brings to mind a book I enjoyed reading in the past which, unfortunately, was lost in the fire that razed our Antipolo house. I am referring to the book"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" which was written by Richard Bach. It is a story of a seagull that was not content with just being a typical seagull that, day in and day out, would fly low near the shores and look for food on the ground.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull knew he had the potential and wanted very much to actualize that potential. Jonathan, with sheer determination and perseverance, tried and succeeded in transcending his limitations, most of which were merely psychological barriers or obstacles. One day, he learned to fly higher. Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Jeremy Lin has the potential, has succeeded in actualizing that potential and, triumphantly, has surpassed psychological limitations imposed by others. He is an Asian, just like you and me, showing his basketball prowess in a premier league dominated by Afro Americans. And there is no stopping to Lin's meteoric rise to stardom.

- Konted

Jeremy Lin in his first game with the New York Knicks

Lin in a game versus the Los Angeles Lakers.

This time against the Dallas Mavericks, with the Knicks winning 104-97

Sarah Palin holding a Jeremy Lin shirt.

A Fan Sign

Jeremy's Taiwanese Parents

Jeremy Lin dunking the ball

My own slam

** pics from google files

2.13.2012

Calle Alix at Club Filipino

Calle Alix At Club Filipino

Calle Alix at Club Filipino was just the right venue for our first get2gether for the year 2012. It has a bar, videoke with wide screen and a complete band instrument set. Calle Alix has a historical significance attached to its name. It was the site where the original Club Filipino was established in the 1800s. This explains the old posters hanging on its walls, depicting a bygone era. Calle Alix was renamed Legarda Street.

There were new faces this time. Ed David, who now stays at Ayala Heights in Quezon City, was the early bird. Dodie Puno, best remembered for bagging a medal in the Voice of Democracy tilt, surprisingly came. He is presently doing business with another classmate, Vic Fadrilan. Mediatrix West, representing her late brother Louie, arrived a little past 5 pm with photography expert Dennis Araneta. Tony Jocson followed a few minutes later. Jocson is a permanent resident of Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Tony Olizon, Ted Aquino, Club Filipino board director Albert Castro, Greg Calixto and Francis Pacheco were exchanging notes, I was busy discussing with Andy Jimenez and Ricky Xavier the merits and demerits of the on-going impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. I was stressing a point when somebody informed me that the defense panel of CJ Corona was holding a press conference several rooms away. Defense lawyers were accusing Malacanang of dangling P100M per senator in exchange for a favorable decision on the TRO issued by the Supreme Court. The impeachment trial is really dividing the nation.

After a short prayer led by Ed Dela Rosa, it was chow time at about 7:30 pm. Served on stainless trays and neatly arranged atop a cloth-draped long table, there were 5 viands: ox tongue or lengua, shredded beef with ampalaya, tempura, callos and pancit. The food really tasted good and there was more than enough for everybody. For drinks, I had Iced Tea.

Always conscious of the time, I looked at my cellphone's watch. It was 8:11 pm.

I knew that my son was waiting at the theater mall of Greenhills shopping complex.

Just about this time too, Ricky Xavier was singing an old song. Reminiscent of the late 60s and 70s. Which was our time. I planned to leave but couldn't do so as I wanted to listen to Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind as sung by Ricky. He knew the song by heart. And I was all ears :

"How many roads must a man walk down,
before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove fly,
before she sleeps in the sand?
And how many times must a cannon ball fly,
before they're forever banned?

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind."

- Konted