The Greatest

MGM Grand

He was a respected fighter, a reigning champ. But he was downed in the 3^rd by a right, then by the killer left hook in the 4^th. Those 2 knockdowns dictated the tempo of the rest of the fight, which was total domination. Cotto was clobbered, bashed, hammered and beaten by that son of a speeding bullet who stood still in the middle of the ring twice, first to test his opponent’s strength, and once again in exasperation in pursuing a fleeing fighter. He is considered the greatest fighter ever lived, and I need not even mention his name. Phenomenal.

Startled

Willits

When we came, a patch of mountain was already cleared to let sunshine, in this dense woods. We moved heaps of tree trunks cut in one meter logs to be used as steps in the terraced slopes. Matt was resting after being stung by yellow jackets nesting in the ground. I lifted a log to the wheelbarrow when I heard hissing. I looked down. Out of reflex, I dropped the log and jumped because a rattlesnake was taking aim to strike! I guess with my sudden movement, it was also jolted and coiled back. Funny, we both startled each other.

Ripping

La Union

I was paddling back to the breaks when a set came. He ripped the first wave. I was struggling hard to get away from his path. He was splashing cutbacks and floaters. I watched in awe at the speed and skill of this promising short boarder who is undoubtedly one of the best surfers we have in the country. It is only a matter of time before I rip waves just like him, that guy, Luke.

Fountain Of Life

Molave

Dad was terminally ill. No known medicine can cure him, but we’re not ready to throw in the towel yet. We tried herbs, chants, rituals and such. Then I suggested urine therapy. I learned that aside from water, urine is composed mostly of excess vitamins and minerals, but more importantly, it contains antibodies to cure any illness, proof to the age-old claim that the body will heal by itself. In fact, it is the elusive fountain of life. I told Dad to consider it.

Though very weak, Dad gathered all his strength to say, “I’d rather die than drink that.”

Skydiving

Camotes Island

I was watching a BBC special on Rio and paragliding in Pedra Bonita. It made me remember the first time I took that jump from the sky at 6000 feet.

We used a 4-seater Cessna plane. I was seated by the open wall where there used to be a door. As we climbed to higher altitude, the air turned cold. With anticipation, it felt colder. Having learned I’d be the first to jump, made me chill. I looked down at the drop zone, just a tiny line on the island, nothing like the airport runway that it was.

Morning Service

Quiapo, Manila

It fell on my eyes, my lips, my nose. I looked at everybody else. They were all smiling, and wiping their wet faces. Blessings, blessings. I looked around and up. There were mute statues, flowers, the altar. Birds fly in the high ceiling. The space, the vibe, the people. Faith is a wonderful thing.

Bad Boy From Togo

Sete, France

I brought along souvenir Cebu shirts to give away as presents. Cyril, my roommate also had tribal clothing from his home country in Togo, Africa. Subtly, I hinted that it would be nice to bring one home. With a big smile, he handed one to me. I was delighted. This is something special I thought to myself. Then I took my shirts for him to choose from. To my dismay, he refused to get one. I said, What can I give you in exchange for this? He said matter-of-factly, 15 Euros.  

Lake Cruise

Monterey, Cali

Cliffs soared around us as we cruised the lake around its bends. We stopped for a dip in the bayou where we picked up wild blueberries. The sun was shining but the air was cold, and the water even colder. It was a pleasant ride. But I thought lakes are too limited compared to the vastness of oceans. The boat somehow felt like being caged in this mountains-confined watery world. To my mind boats are supposed to sail freely to distant horizons, toward endless possibilities, un-chartered territories, and the unknown. 

Incredulous

Abu Dhabi

My connecting flight was delayed, and so was everybody else’s. Too foggy. Zero visibility. We were crammed at Abu Dhabi airport in the United Arab Emirates all constipated and desperately needing a shower. I went inside a shop to buy toiletries. The salesclerk suddenly lectured about airport anti-terrorist policies relevant to liquids and such. It was apparent she wasn’t keen on selling. It’s all right, I said. My plane is leaving for Paris anytime soon. Her eyes bulged in disbelief. She thought all Filipino travelers are bound for work in the Middle East. I suddenly became interesting to her.

Pleasant Evening

Monterey, Cali

Tom’s front lawn has a grapevine. Reason enough to linger while I munch on those sweet, green globules. He has an orchard in his backyard, and vegetable gardens. We picked up tomatoes and lettuce then shook trees for almonds and pecan nuts. This was a pleasant evening with gentle breeze blowing. I settled on a chair. The barbecue grill crackled as the girls giggled. Wafts of almost done barbecue filled the air. My mouth watered. At the time, we were chewing on freshly picked and cracked nuts while downing refreshing-can’t-put-down-ice-cold beer.