exciting opening...... not!

Deym! past 9 am na wala pa akong tulog.  Yeyyyssss, binantayan ko ng buo ang opening ceremonies ng London Olympics na mabuti naman at kahit wala sa ESPN at Star Sports (I wonder why) ay pinalabas ng TV5 ng halos walang interruption compared to Solar Sports na sinisingitan ng santambak na TVCs (mas mayaman talaga si Manny Pangilinan kesa kay Wilson Tieng!)

And was it worth the puyat? A big NOOO!!!  Para sa akin, after being wowed by the Beijing edition and even the Athens and Sydney versions before that, London’s offering pales in comparison.

Overall, Boring with a capital B ang program na directed pa naman daw ng Slumdog Millionaire director na si Danny Boyle.  The program started with a production called Isle of Man where the stadium turned from a rural to industrial setting complete with ponies to sweat-breaking blacksmiths.  Yes may kwento.  Yes, gusto nilang ipakita ang culture nila.  But the visuals, aside from being crowded and cluttered, is so damn dowdy I felt depressed and at times, confused. There's just too much goin' on on stage!

At parang nanadya, ang sunod na eksena ay mga kama na may mga batang nagtatalunan hanggang matulog! Sus gusto ko na ring tulugan ang kahunghangan ng palabas na ito!  And what’s those kids in bed for?  Para pala ma-introduce si JK Rowling na nagbabasa ng bedtime story kuno.  Enter frame ang mga mala-Harry Potter na creatures.  Tapos eto na nagliliparan na, bumaba galing sa langit ang dose-dosenang Mary Poppins para protektahan ang mga bata.  

Dark JK Rowling critters, Nannies in all-black...  even Kenneth Branagh is in black suit with matching top hat! Why do I get the feeling that I'm watching Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Van Helsing altogether in one screen? Isn’t this supposed to be festive?  Why do I feel damn dreary instead?

There was an attempt for comedy pero para sa akin, bokya. Bad taste pa nga sa akin yong drama na sinundo kunwari ni Daniel Craig (as James Bond of course) si Queen Elizabeth, nag-chopper papunta sa Olympic stadium at nag-parachute instead na i-land ang chopper.  Seriously, what’s funny about that? Ok, Rowan Atkinson has made me laugh many times before pero luma na at sobrang gasgas na yong eksenang sumakay sya ng cab to get ahead of the other runners in the Chariots of Fire number.  Jeezz... are fresh ideas really hard to come by these days?

As if hindi pa nakuntento sa pagka-boring ang mga hunghang, nilagyan pa ng isang interpretative dance starring a boy and (supposedly?) his father with a celtic song in the background.  Come on! I love Enya's music but it's best to soothe the soul, not to excite spectators!

The only saving grace in this segment is the drama of the five Olympic rings na kunwari ay pinanday nong mga blacksmiths, lifted separately at medyo sumabog-sabog ang fireworks na kunwari ay talsik ng apoy ng nagbabagang bakal.  Because of that, hindi ko na tinuloy ang tulog ko. Baka naman kako may maganda pang kasunod.

But after that, walang kwenta ang sumunod na sayawan na may concept pa ng web connectivity to honor the inventor of the internet (Timothy Berners Lee).  Doon na dapat mag-upbeat ang tempo ng program but still napa-"walang kwenta" ako.  They should watch ASAP or Party Pilipinas para malaman nila how to create a party atmosphere.

Then came the parade of athletes.  Buti naman at yong anchors ng TV5 (Chiqui Roa –  if i remember it correctly - and Dennis Principe- not sure with the spelling) ay medyo informative, obvious na pinaghandaan ang coverage because of their trivia for each country kaya na-enjoy ko rin yong pagkahaba-habang parade.  Kaso towards the end medyo napagod na yata kaya yong ibang countries sa bandang dulo hinayaan na lang dumaan sa screen, wala ng kwento kung saang lupalop yon, kailan sumali sa Olympics at naka-ilang medals na like what they did earlier on.

Although I share their observation na hindi lang parade of athletes ang nangyayari dahil sa dami ng nag-gagandahan (at nag-guguwapuhan na rin) na mga athletes na flag-bearer, para din daw beauty pageant ang pinapanood mo.  Good thing our contingent looked good (Rajo Laurel pa raw ang nag-design ng national costumes nila?) at gandang Pinay naman ang ating flag-bearer na si Hidilyn Diaz (mind you she’s a weightlifter!).

Now back to the program itself...

After makumpleto ang mga athletes, may kaunting intermission ang isang banda saka lumabas ang mga naka-bike na may luminescent wings.  At hindi ako nagkamali dahil isa sa kanila, pinalipad na naman sa ere.  Stunning?  Naaahhh! Tanggalin mo yong pakpak at walang pinag-iba sa eksena sa ET ni Steven Spielberg! Haaayyysss!

Buti naman at very short lang ang opening speech ni Sebastian Coe at Jack Rogue (Philippine politicians should learn from them).  Pero kung maigsi ang speech nila, mas laconic si Queen Elizabeth dahil isang linya lang ang sinabi – I now declare the London 2012 Olympics officially open!  Hahaha...  pagod na siguro ang matanda (but seriously ganon lang talaga ang role ng head of state ng host country, walang epal --- and again, our politicians should learn from this)

Now the highlight I was waiting for – yong lighting ng Olympic flame.  

Para sa akin tops pa rin yong ginawa sa Barcelona (the precision arrow, remember?) so I was curious if London can come up with something spectacular.  And no, David Beckham on a speedboat carrying the torch isn’t my concept of spectacular.

Did it beat Barcelona?  Hmmm... yes and no. Iba eh. Yong sa Barcelona kasi, is the manner of lighting that is  impressive.  The cauldron is just that – a cauldron.  Dito sa London, walang drama or magic yong lighting but instead, they came up with a bright idea that finally made me go “oh wow”!  Buti na lang ganon ang nakita ko or else it could have easily been a 4-hour waste of napakamahal pa namang kuryente! 

If you haven’t seen it, panoorin nyo na lang sa mga reruns ng TV5 (o ayan Mr Pangilinan ha, dapat may royalty ako from you!)

After the lighting, there was a brief display of fireworks which, again, fails miserably kung ikukumpara sa mga fireworks na nakita na natin sa previous Olympic events.  Nagmukha lang itong kiskis ng posporo kung nakita mo yong fireworks na ginawa nong opening ng Burj Khalifa sa Dubai.  Oh well, budget constraints siguro, nagtipid.  Mahirap nga naman ang buhay. (Trivia galing sa TV5 anchors: US$ 42 million lang daw ang budget dito compared to Beijing's US$ 100 million kaya tama ako, nagtipid!)

Kumanta saglit si Paul McCartney – na traditionally ay umpisa ng party mode ng mga athletes where they will mingle and exchange pleasantries bago sumabak sa competition.  Pero hindi na yon pinakita at kung ano pa man ang sumunod dahil doon na pinutol ng TV5 ang broadcast.  

And yes, pasado alas-nwebe na pero hindi pa ako natutulog.  Nalipasan na ng antok kaya naisipang mag-blog.  At mailabas ang mga comments na hindi pwedeng hindi ko i-share sa inyo.  Para que pa at naging Dante speaks ang blog na to! 

manny's house... ya know...

found this in yahoo and i'm sharing it for two reasons:  manny's awesome interview (hehehe) and most importantly... that palatial house.  eh alam nyo naman ako, nangangarap ding magkaron ng mansion kaya i'm green with envy!  pwede pa kaya akong mag-boxing!?? hehehe

seriously, kahit hindi ako fan, i salute this guy for having achieved such humungous honor. and fortune of course. kelan nga ba laban nya?  hope he makes it 8.  

the real spidey

here's the latest stunt of alain robert, the french spiderman. he climbed a 33-floor skyscraper (approx 152m) in paris as usual, with his bare hands (and feet).

actually it looked like a simple warm-up for this guy. maybe he's just practicing his skills for something more grand. afterall, he's already conquered a lot of tall buildings including the grand dame, the petronoas towers in kuala lumpur.

here's spiderman sans harness and camera tricks...

tracks and bolt

The 12th IAAF World Championships concluded yesterday and I was glad napanood ko halos buong 8 days which started last week (including the 4-day bed rest that I had). IAAF kasi is one of the sporting events na tinututukan ko like Olympic Games, the four grand slams of Tennis, ISU’s European and World Championships and FINA’s yearly championships in swimming and diving. Ganyan ako ka-sports minded… hehehe.
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At kahit RaiSport lang ang nagbo-broadcast sa free channel, pinagtyagaan ko talaga kahit Italian ang commentary coz I had no choice. Kahit napakadaldal ng mga anchor na hindi ko maintindihan except for molto bene at allora (or was it al hora), at kahit lagi nilang pino-focus ang mga athlete nilang puro naman talunan, tyaga pa rin ako. At least I’m catching the action live from Berlin’s beautiful Olympiastadion.

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I love the blue tracks. It’s quite a refreshing change from the usual red tracks. Ganda rin ng elevated stage nila where the medal ceremonies are held. Galing ng nag-design nong stadium. At syempre, Germany yong venue kaya the technical aspect, particularly the camera works – be it manned or robotics, magaling. Nakakatuwa din yong mascot nilang si Berlino who is so hyper – dancing, hugging athletes, carrying them on his back, and always clowning around.

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But the best part of this championship is the track events itself. Sa dami ng highlights para ka ring nanonood ng soap opera. It’s one exciting show sa dami ng dramang nangyayari on and off the tracks.

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Like yong elimination sa 4x100 mens relay where the US men team were disqualified dahil sa maling change-over ng baton. Double blow sa US team dahil na-eliminate din ang women's team nila coz one of the runners fell coz of some muscle cramps. And what about Felix Sanchez who’s earned a few gold medals in his career but this time finishing somewhere in the tail of the pack. Even my favorite Roman Sebrle na ilang gold na rin ang nakuha sa decathlon, halos nangulelat this time. And there’s the pangde-dedma ni Jeremy Wariner sa team-mate nyang si LaShawn Merritt sa finals ng men’s 400m. There’s a whole lot of tension out there na kahit sa Tv ka lang, mararamdaman mo.

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Abu Baker Kaki of Sudan tripped in the first heat of the men’s 800m qualifying round. He brought down with him runners from Netherleands and Poland. Pero kung sya na-patid, si Burka (Ethiopia), tinulak at gumulong sa tracks in the women’s 1500m event. Kaya instead na gold medal ang inuwi ni Natalia Rodriquez (Spain), kahihiyan dahil na-disqualify sya. Kitang-kita kasi sa playback, siya ang tumulak kay Ethiopia para ma-take over ang lead.

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18-year old Caster Semenya from South Africa won the women’s 800m event by a large margin. Okay, so what’s wrong with that? Wala naman. Except IAAF governing body is asking Caster to submit herself for gender test. Kailangan daw ma-verify kung talagang girl sya! Hahahah! Pero nakakaawa si Caster. Porke ba mukha syang lalake, hmmm…

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Dynamite comes in small packages. And that’s Allison Felix of USA who is so dainty-looking yet fiery on tracks. She won gold in the 200m women’s event, a sweet vindication from her defeats in the Athens and Beijing Olympics – both in the hands of Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown who placed second here.

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On the side of the tracks, the queen of women’s pole vault Elena Isinbaeva (Russia) was sleeping off her competition. Sige ng katatalon ang mga kalaban nya pero sya dedma lang. She chose to start her jump kasi at 4.75M. Maning-mani sa kanya yon coz her record was far higher than that. But, lo and behold! Drama of all dramas, hindi nya na-clear ang bar in her first jump. She tried again but this time, tinaas pa ang bar to 4.80 huh, Sabit. Tried again. Sabit pa rin. Ayon, talo sya. Crying baby ang Elena!

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Obviously, the star of the 8-day event was Usain Bolt who won 3 golds – in 100m, 200m (both in new world records) plus one more for the 4x100m relay where he ran the third leg but had difficulty in the baton turn-over (it was Asafa running the anchor who sealed the win). 3-gold medals. Quite impressive. Though it’s just a confirmation of his Beijing Olympics win where he bolted out from nowhere.

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Although I don’t think I’d be rooting and clapping for him everytime he’s in competition. Masyadong in-your-face kasi. Parang nakaka-irita. Mayabang. Sige lang, enjoy ka lang. But don’t expect sympathy from me when time comes na may isang mas mabilis na runner na tatalo sa yo. Or one day there’s this announcement that your speed is borrowed only from some designer drugs. Marion Jones, remember?

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And what’s with the Jamaican runners by the way. Parang this year, they were lording it over. Mapa-lalake, mapa-babae umaani ng gold medals kaliwa’t kanan. The perennial kings and queens of US team must be beating themselves. They’ve got to do some serious training para maagaw ulit ang glory sa mga Jamaicans. Worse, they probably have to find new talents para may pang-sagot sila sa mga Usain Bolt ng Jamaica.

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Anyways, The US team finished on top of the heap with 10g, 6s and 6b while Jamaica had 7g, 4s and 2b for second place. Kenya, Russia and Poland round up the top 5 spots.

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And oh by the way, it’s interesting to find out na meron palang delegation ang Pinas. Nakita ko lang sa official site ng IAAF that we had Henry Dagmil and Marestella Torres both for long jump na hindi ko naman nakita kahit anino sa Tv. Hay naku we still have a long way to go bago pa tayo maka-diskubre ng isang Bolt, if ever we have one.

the best of 'em all

it's official: roger federer is the greatest tennis player at the moment with 15 grandslam titles neatly tucked under his belt. this after he won his sixth wimbledon crown in an epic battle with andy roddick. the 4hour 16minutes play and 5-7, 7-6(8-6), 7-7(7-5), 3-6 and 16-14 score was dizzying. i bet both players were drained down to the last drop of their body fluids they'd need some serious redhydration after the game.

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i caught the last few minutes of the action when they were battling out the tie breaker of the 5th set. and even if andy is also a favorite, i was really praying that roger win it. coz to andy, it'd be just another win. a lot of trophies are still waiting for him. but for roger, it's not just for the win, but most importantly for the books.

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and when the unassuming swiss finally hit the matchpoint, i cheered with delight knowing that one of the most respectable and talented players got what he finally deserved.

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sampras, my favorite and the greatest of recent past, was in the gallery to watch the momentous occassion. i'm sure he felt a bit disappointed when finally his record of 14 titles was overshadowed by roger's win. but knowing how genuinely nice pete is, i'm sure he's also happy to see roger achieve such huge honor.

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congrats roger. cheers from me and the rest of dantespeaks gang.
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(as if naligaw naman at nag-basa si roger ng blog ko! hahaha!.)

pacman fever again

in a few days manny pacquiao is at it again, slugging it out with the bigger and much heftier oscar de la hoya. something that made me raise my eyebrows as high as the eiffel tower the first time i heard of it. just thought to myself well, maybe manny's fame has gone into his head already. squaring it off with a taller opponent? with longer reach? he must have gone nuts.

not that i care. i never liked boxing so i never liked manny. though i always say i respect him for what he has done in his life. his story was one of cinderella and all that stuff.

anyways, let me see if you can predict the result of their match. be a madam auring just for once. cast your vote on that thing somewhere in the right panel of this blog. you only have until dec 5th. whoever gets the correct result will win something from me..... awww com'n, you know i'm just kiddin hehehe!

but really, me know what you think of that match. vote now!

anabel's diamonds, pacman redux

And so huminto na naman ang mundo ng mga Pinoy kahapon (or kanina, depending on which side of the globe you're in). Lahat siguro ng mga mata, ke singkit, duling, banlag, naka-salamin o naka-contact lenses ke plain o kulay orange, naka-tutok na naman sa Mandalay Arena sa Vegas. Coz Manny is at it again. Up on the ring (bakit nga ba ring ang tawag dito eh square naman sya? Hmmm?) and doing his thing again.

Funny how this diminutive, rather ordinary looking guy has become such a gigantic figure in the sporting scene. Such a giant that in a stretch of his rather short arms to deliver a blow to his opponent, eh hindi lang yong panga ng kalaban nya ang tinatamaan. It also delivers a blow that wipes out boundaries and tear down divisions – at least for a moment.

O di ba at nag-declare pa ng ceasefire ang Philippine Government against it’s fight with the leftist group. Both the military and the insurgents wouldn’t dare miss his fight. Break muna sa barilan at pugutan ng ulo. Let’s enjoy Pacman muna. Have a break, have a Pacman (sounds familiar ba!).

Kahit mga holdaper, mandurukot, bank robbers and all the other petty offenders, nag-day off. They’d rather watch their idol on tv kesa rumaket sa lansangan ng Metro Manila. Ayan at for the second time eh nag-declare ang mga kapulisan na zero daw ang record books nila for street crimes in the metropolis. Hindi ko lang alam kung talagang walang nandukot o nangholdap. O nakatutok lahat ng pulis sa tv kaya hindi nakita ang mga nangyayari sa kalye.

Even Gloria who should be thinking of ways how to get herself out of the quagmire she’s currently in, ayun at talagang pinanood daw yong 12 rounds. Sa akin, palibhasa wala akong hilig sa boxing, that would be a total waste of 2 or 3 hours of my life. Afterall, ang importante lang sa akin eh malaman kung nanalo sya o natalo.

But of course a bigger number of the 86++ million Pinoys will disagree with me. Baka nga batukan pa ako dahil hindi ako nakiki-simpatya, cooperate and lend support to the Pambansang kamao. Parang KJ ako to the max coz I don’t share the frenzy of support the Pacman is being accorded.

Ayan nga at ang mga mapeperang pulitiko, negosyante at lalo ang mga artista, they all flew in droves to Vegas. To lend support daw to Manny. Pero sa totoo lang, gusto lang makita ang mga mukha nila on world-wide tv. Aba, HBO nga naman yon noh, something that they will never be able to do, kahit artista pa sila. So mas mabuti nang sumabit sa laban ni Pacman and get some exposure. Kahit split seconds lang.

What’s funny though, is what I read in Pilipino Star Ngayon na yon palang mga artistang nagpupunta sa laban ni Pacman, si Pacman ang nagbabayad ng mga plane tickets nila. Hindi lang nabanggit kung pati hotel kasama. But I was so appalled dahil all the while, akala ko mayayaman itong mga ito at patriotic yong reason nila for being there. To support Manny. Yon pala, libre ang tiket nila. Siguro hindi lahat huh. Pero Anabel Rama? Why would you buy a plane ticket for Anabel Rama eh mas malalaki pa nga ang diamonds nyan kesa sa mga flood lights ng Vegas strip!

But more than that, ang tanong ko, bakit parang inilalagay ng mga Pinoy sa balikat ni Pacman ang pag-asa ng Pilipinas? Parang nawawala sa tamang perspective ang mga bagay-bagay? Like politics. And priorities of the nation. Bakit nakahinto lahat dahil kay Manny? Are we saying that as of now, dahil sa kawalan natin ng pag-asa sa mga pulitiko, and some, even sa catholic church, si Manny na lang ang natitirang ray of hope natin to achieve something glorious and ecstatic?

Ganon na ba ka-desperate ang sitwasyon ng mga Pinoy?

Siguro nga. Dahil wala na tayong makitang matinong politicians that we can truly admire and respect. Siguro nga dahil kahit mga bishops ngayon ay tinatawag nang ugok ng isa pa namang supposedly high-ranking public servant. Siguro nga dahil kahit ang dapat na tinatawag nating Ina ng masang Pilipino ay nababalot ng kaliwa’t kanang akusasyon ng pangungurakot, katiwalian at pagnanakaw sa kaban ng yaman ng namamatay na sa gutom at hirap na si Juan dela Cruz.

I've always declared na hindi ako kabilang sa statistics ng Pacman fans. Pero hindi man ako fan ni Manny, I always thank him for his win. Particularly this one. Hindi dahil nagbigay sya ng karangalan sa Pilipinas. Winning a boxing match happens not only in a blue moon. Maraming nananalo nyan. In any corner of the world. In any title na pinag-lalabanan. A boxing championship belt is no longer a rare find.

Pero ang epekto ng panalo ni Manny sa masang Pilipino, that’s what I’m thankful for. Dahil binigyan nya ng rason ang mga Pinoy to celebrate and forget whatever gigantic problem the country is facing. Kahit 3 or 4 hours lang, it was such a relief sa bugbog-sarado nang utak, katawan at buhay ng mga Pinoy.

At least, sa 3 or 4 hours na yon, nakalimutan nila ang init ng araw na kailangang tiisin para anihin ang palay sa kalinangan. Sa maiksing oras na yon, marami ang nakalimutan ang baho ng basurang kailangan nilang halukayin para makakita ng pagkaka-kitaan. At sa maiksing oras na yon, marami ang nabingi sa pag-kalam ng sikmura nilang hindi na nasasayaran ng pagkain ng tatlong araw. Ang importante, lumalaban si Pacquiao. At bonus pa na nanalo sya.

Such a joyous occasion all Pinoys should be proud of. Eh paano kung natalo?

a sporting note

It looks like the start of 2008 is not good for most of my favorite names in sports.

Justin Henin, to me the best in women’s tennis circuit these days and seeded 1st at the Australian Open, got stumped by 5th seed Maria Sharapova on their quarterfinals match. I was hoping she’d win the first grand slam of the year but there she was, defeated quite early on.

I knew her draw was tough – she will face Serena Williams next if she got past Maria. And when Serena was beaten by Jelena Jankovic, a Henin-Jankovic match would have been a different story coz Justin had the better stats between the two.

But hey, to most oglers in tennis, the championship match was the best – Sharapova vs Ivanovic – two of the youngest (both in their 20’s) and sexiest players in the women’s tour. Sharapova has long replaced Ana Kournikova’s posters in men’s locker rooms while Serbian Ana Ivanovic was touted by journalists as the Catherine-Zeta Jones of tennis.

But still, it’s about tennis, not a beauty pageant. And I would have enjoyed it more if Henin is playing. Her forehand and backhand volleys are a lot sexier than Ana’s short skirt and Maria’s annoying grunting.

The biggest disappointment was from the Men’s division where my top two faves got trounced. My number one, the divine Roger Federer who was also the top seed, was outplayed by 3rd seed Novak Djokovic on their semi-final round. It would have been a glorious win for Roger if he captured this year’s Aussie trophy because this will put him at one win closer to tying the grandslam record of Pete Sampras who has 14 trophies to his name.

My second best after Roger, Rafael Nadal (2nd seed) was humbled by an unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also on the semis. That’s a double blow to my pride! And oh yes, it hurts!

To top it all, my favorite in men’s figure skating, France’s Brian Joubert, faltered in his free skate program and finished 3rd in the final standing of the European Championships in Zagreb. Tomas Verner (Czech Rep) got the gold and Switzerland’s Stephan Lambiel got the second place.

I hope he does better at the World Championships. I’d love to see him again kill unconventional routines like his Matrix and James Bond programs – more powerful and more masculine than that of the just-recently retired Plushenko’s ballerina-like skating.

I hope my favorite track stars fare better when the athletics season start. I’d have to watch closely how Russian Yelena Isinbayeva and Jamaican Asafa Powell will do on the track later. Hope they’re luckier.

pac-yaw

note: i wrote this after pacquiao had his fight in manila with... i don't even remember who, and ages before he dipped his toe into politics which, as we all know, was one big reality check for the guy. never sent this one out coz i thought i would offend some of my friends who are pacquiao fans. but i guess i just have to post it here and wait for their reactions!!!

Some of you already know that I can't keep my mouth shut when I've got something. At the moment, it's about Pacquiao ---

I don't know, I just feel inundated lately with the Pacquiao brouhaha where his fans just couldn’t seem to get enough of him while on-lookers and by-standers like me wanted to get to the top of the tallest building in Ayala and shout ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!

Obviously Pacquiao fever in the Philippines is hotter and more prevalent this time compared to his previous fights in the US. Because this time around, more of his adoring fans got to see the action live rather than watch a sometimes hazy satellite transmission on a boob tube. That Araneta ticket is of course a knock out compared to a plane ticket to the US – something most of his fans simply couldn’t afford. It’s only the filthy rich and politicos who can join him in Vegas and get a hotel suite even bigger than what he gets.

And so bringing the fight home and making it accessible to thousands of his fans, plus winning it decisively, has fuelled the Pacquiao mania into a wilder, crazier frenzy. Everybody talks about him. His face is everywhere – Tv programs, magazines, broadsheets, billboards. You name it – his face is stamped on it. The five-peso bill? He’s on it. Well, at least an the jokes being tossed around via e-mails. And at least, for the meantime. But who knows, maybe not for long. Judging by his popularity, he could easily be sanctified by the bootlicking politicos and make that five-peso bill officially his. Though I would suspect Emilio Aguinaldo would be turning violently in his graves!

So, yes, I am not a big fan. No, not even a fan. As I said I’m just an on-looker. Happy and content seeing other Pinoys go gaga over the not-so-cute boxer from the South. Go, kabayans, enjoy the moment! Celebrate! Let’s forget about the continually plummeting economy of our beloved country. Let’s forget the political bickering that these politicos orchestrate themselves for their own personal motives. Just forget everything and soak up the moment. It’s one glorious moment we all have to bask upon, it comes just once in a while – that is, if he’s not losing or drawing the fight.

But don’t get me wrong. I don’t disdain the man. And in no way am I being contemptuous here. On the contrary, I only have nothing but respect for him. I may not be a fan, I don’t like boxing at all. But I salute him for what he has achieved. I wish there’s more of him to surface in such times that our country needs a shot of hope, honor and glory – no matter how fancy and sensational the source maybe.

It takes a lot to get to where he is standing right now. We all know his humble beginnings in an obscure town in GenSan. And of course we know how hard he trains. But do we really understand how hard it is? Can we honestly say that yes, Manny, I do understand the sacrifices you have to bear just to get to where you are now. And we do feel for you.

Nah, most of the people around him just love him for he is glowing with fame and fortune at the moment. Nobody gives a damn what he has gone through just to get that arm raised by the referee at the end of the fight.

He must have shed barrels and barrels of blood, sweat and tears – actually, not figuratively – not only in his fights but also during practice sessions. Instead of spending time with his family, he must have spent more hours training, skipping ropes, sit-ups, punching not just bags or sparring partners but even the air around him. He must have suffered and endured all the pain, bruises, broken bones and cuts anywhere within the boundaries of his typically small pinoy face and his typically small frame.

He must have blown his top many times when he can’t go anywhere he wants because he has a schedule to follow, a program to fulfill. He must have ranted in despair when he can’t have a portion of his favorite food because it will make him one gram heavier during weigh-in.

And what about wanting to get crazy just like the others, boozing and partying all night? It must be utterly frustrating to go to bed just to follow a ruthless schedule while others tiptoe out of the hotel room to go down to the bar and enjoy the adrenaline-pumping music, the dizzying lights, the heady smoke of cigarettes and the intoxicating liquor being poured by a scantily-clad waitress.

And what about the sex? Maybe his punches are more lethal because it is laced with anger and frustration for not having released his sexual urges the night before. I bet he does as most athletes do. Well, poor Pacquiao, the things he has to give up just to realize his dream.

But realize his dream he did! Here he is, arguably the most recognizable face in the Philippine islands and to the millions of Filipinos scattered all over the globe. Winning his fight, collecting millions of prize money, gathering more fans and sycophants alike. And of course, earning respect from people like me who sees through the man wearing a pair of boxing gloves and ad-studded pair of short pants.

The man realized he has a God-given talent. He harnessed it. He dreamed. And used that talent to reach glorious heights. What could be more respectable than that.

How many of us realized we have talents but never dared to develop it and use it to get to where we actually wanted to be? Admittedly, I am one of those. That’s why I respect Manny a lot. It takes courage, guts, raw determination and a whole lot of conviction to make your dreams come true. Sadly, we are lacking most of it. But not the boxer.

He dared to dream. Despite being physically average – with his typical Pinoy height and looks. He dreamed. Despite his lack of education – he can’t even come up with a simple, gramatically correct english sentence. He dreamed. Despite his being what the Manilenyos call “Bisaya” - he still speaks with a heavy accent and proud of it. He dreamed.

Now he’s reaping the rewards of dreaming and working hard. VIP’s, celebrities, businessmen and top politicos troop to see him and be near him. They listen to whatever he says, no matter how funny the heavily accented Tagalog is, or how absurd the english sentence he is trying to concoct.

He’s got the moolah - a big house, fancy cars, and millions-worth of properties. A beautiful wife who, if he was not a star pugilist, would be frowned upon by most people and asked “what the hell were you thinking marrying that guy?”

And don’t forget that controversial “other woman”. Who could knock a girl and give her a son, beamingly deny his guilt, get discovered by the entire nation and get away with all of it? Only the Pacman can do that. And I bet ya, more and more women are finding him attractive each day because he has proven just as lethal inside the ring as well as in bed. I’m sure that scandal did not even hurt his popularity one bit. In fact, it must have contributed more to his machismo, making him a real stud and proving his virility. Something women swoon about and men get jealously envious of.

But seriously, I just wish the youth of today takes inspiration from him. Not on the “studly” image but on his sport. Just like when Efren “Bata” Reyes won international competitions a few years ago. Millions of our young men (and women, for that matter) focused on billiards rather than gang wars, teenage pregnancies or drugs.

This time, I hope they will do the same and try to emulate Manny. Get into boxing where we, short and stout Pinoys can definitely excel. Not in basketball! That game is for the towering Westerners! When will we ever realize that, for goodness’ sake!

On second thought, it may not happen. Billiards might have gained tremendous popularity among the youth because it is a non-contact sport and can be easily turned into a gamble – something that appeals strongly to the young boys to skip their classes and use their lunch money as bets. But boxing? Maybe not.

It will deform their nose, cut their lips or forehead and leave scars on their faces. Their faces that they value most in their young life. Because they’d rather join male beauty contests or talent search and become a commercial model, tv actor or movie star. That’s a lot easier, more fashionable, hip and cool than being a boxer. Vanity seem to be more attractive than masculinity nowadays. I don’t know. The world must be turning queer by the day.

As for you Manny, I just hope you learn life’s lessons quickly enough like your lightning punches. If you don’t, it would be sad to see you 10 or 20 years from now turn into another Navarette.

But for now, go ahead and enjoy the shimmering laurels of fame and fortune. Live up to your name, afterall you’ve got it all. You know - fame, fortune and everything - PAKYAW, isn’t it?!