2008 NBA Madness Experience

Napadaan ako sa Glorietta nung nakaraang Biyernes para magpalipas ng oras at sa aking pakagulat meron pa lang NBA Madness Tour nung panahon iyon.

Dahil adik ako sa basketball at mahal ko ang NBA, tinanong ko yung isang crew kung paano ako makakasali sa mga pakulo ng event na ito, sinabi niya na hindi na daw puwede sa “2 Ball Contest” dahil patapos na yun, siyempre naman hindi din ako makakasali dahil mag-isa lang ako, pero pwede din siguro. Hehe.

Kaya tinanong ko na lang ulit siya kung saan games pa ako puwede sumali, at sumagot naman siya sa mini basketball shoot out na sponsored ng DHL, ang matinding kalaban ng FedEx. Medyo na excite ako dahil makakasali ako at naging interesado ako sa premyo na makukuha ko, isang ring maliit na mini-basket ball court. Ngunit biglang napawi ang saya ko dahil sabi ng isang crew doon hindi daw ako makakasali dahil kelangan daw dalawa ang registered, buti na lang mas biglang sumulpot na mama at sumigaw “Sige, pare sali ako para dalawa tayo”, at tuloy ang ligaya. Inaantay na lang naming ang aming time para masimulan na pero biglang sinabi ng crew na wag na daw kaming sumali, ang ginawa niya binigyan niya na lang kami agad ang isang piece sa kanilang mini puzzle para i-solved. Unang tanong ko agad sa kanya, “Brad, may prize ba kaming makukuha dito?” Sabi naman niya ay “Oo, sir pag nabuo niyo yan meron kayong premyo”.

Tuloy ang ligaya.

Pagkatapos nun ay kinilala ko na ung lalaki, siya daw si Al at sabi ko naman ako si Tan. Tanong pa niya, Instik daw ba ako? Haller?!? sabi ko sa sarili mukba ba akong Chekwa?hehe Sinagot ko na lang siya na pinaikling name ko lang yun sa Tristan.

Matapos yun ay hinanap naming ang mamang may sukbit na basketball sa likod para sa next step ng puzzle, madali naman naming nahanap si Boss Chief at binigay ang susunod na direction na sagutin ung isang tanong about sa NBA. Buti na lang at magaling din sa NBA si Al at siya ang nakasagot ng tama, kaya last step at na kami sabi ni Boss Chief ay punta daw kami sa True Value sa Park Square One, pasok sa loob nun at andun ung DHL para kunin ang aming premyo.

Habang papunta dun ay konting usap muna, chikahan muna kami ni Al, tanong ng mga trabaho at kung saan galing.

Sa wakas, nasa claiming area na kami ng DHL, pero may kaunting problema, ang inaasam-asam kong mini basketball court ay puwede lang pag isa ang kukuha, kung gusto namin tig-isa kami ng premyo, ang makukuha namin ay ang makulay na notepad ng DHL Express.

Siyempre, dumiskarte muna ako ng rason, sabi ko “Paano yan pare, pano gagawin natin? Parehas nating gusto to? Sagot naman niya ay sige jock en poy na lang daw kami, medyo natawa ako sa idea niyia pero sabi ko icip pa tayo ng iba. Alam kong parehas kaming interesado sa basketball court na yun kaya walang gusting magbigay, typical Pinoy na ugali pero siyempre kung notepad lang un ibibigay ko na un. Hehe Nakaicip pa siya ng isang paraan, toss coin na lang daw kami, pumayag agad ako at dali-daling sinabi na Heads ako.

Pag pitik ng piso, medyo kinabahan ako dahil ayokong masayang yung oras ko sa wala buti na lang ang lumabas ay Heads kaya akong ang nanalo, buti na lang at sport si Al at binigay sa akin ang mini-court. Hehe

2008 NBA Madness Tour

Pagpirma sa claiming area, sabay shake hands kay Al at sabay sabi ng “Thanks Pare”.

Tuloy labas ng True Value na nakangiti at sabi ko sa sarili ko at naka-isa na naman ako at sumakay ng bus papuntang Crossing.

Salamat sa 2008 NBA Madness at mga sponsors lalong-lalo na sa DHL, mayroon na akong mini- toy na magagamit dito sa office ko pang-alis ng stress.

2008 NBA Madness Coveted Prize

Sa susunod ulit na NBA Madness.

Blog Update

Almost a month that I haven’t updated my blog due to following reasons:

- It took me a week to take the loss of one of my favorite teams – Los Angeles Lakers to eventual 2008 NBA Champions Boston Celtics. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and the reserves faltered big-time, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher did their respective jobs in leading the team but we all know that winning a Championship requires teamwork, well in most sports it does. Thanks to the comments of Mitch and Martin. Ha-ha

- Been very busy taking care of my baby Timothy Kobe and finding a new Yaya to take care of him while Kat and I are working.

- Work, work, work - finishing all the audits, QA of the hotel websites that was given to me, taking the Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2000) test, which I completed today. Also went to IPO Dam for Tree planting activity last month (see photos here). Add to that some free lance work.

- The never ending setting up of Microsoft Vista and Linux OS at my laptop, I am so thankful that it’s done now after one grueling month of fixing it. Thanks to my officemates Toto, Carlo and Sir Mike.

- The stress that Globe Broadband and Land line connection gave to me. Fuck to this Internet Provider. Globe should change their slogan “Globe: May isang salita” to “Globe: Walang isang salita at walang kuwentang serbisyo”. People from Globe Broadband and Land line are just good in receiving payments. Again, fuck to all those persons that I’ve talked to. Globe Broadband Sucks!

Basically that’s about it; these four activities ate most of my time, until my next posting. Ciao!

The greatest comeback in NBA Playoff history

It’s not the win of Boston Celtics in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals the greatest comeback in NBA Playoff history but the Los Angeles Lakers roaring back and win the NBA Championship and deter the “Big Three” of Boston Celtics to their first ever NBA Championship.

Kobe Bryant will lead his squad to a Game 5 victory, probably he will carry his team and be the same old Kobe that we all know- a ball hog. He has given his teammates the chance to prove themselves but they all falter, especially the two international players - Pau Gasol and Sasha Vujacic, both of these players disappeared defensively in Game 4. It only shows one thing, lack of experience and youth on their part.

For sure coach Phil Jackson will make the necessary adjustments and motivations for his boys in Hollywood, as of this writing, when I checked the news at Yahoo! Sports, the Lakers did not practice today instead they just watch the last game and probably want to figure out what went wrong.

I am still pinning my hopes with the Los Angeles Lakers to win it all and beat the Boston Celtics.

This is Kobe Bryant’s magical year, it’s not because I’m a big Kobe fan but I want to see him win another Championship and prove that he can lead a team with him being the leader of the team. He is the closest heir to Michael Jordan not LeBron James nor Dywane Wade or other superstars in the NBA.

To add this is also the second chance of Phil Jackson to surpass the late Boston coach Red Auerbach with most wins as an NBA Coach, both have 9 rings.

Yeah we all know that Celtics also made some changes and see where they are now. Celtics have the worst record last year and made the biggest turn around of wins this season.

In the end, the greatest comeback in NBA Playoff history belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers, trailing 3-1 in a best of seven series and winning three straight at the expense of the Celtics.

This may sound a cliche but according to Adidas - Nothing is Impossible!