well done, port adelaide!

Anton Lee: "Hmmmm.... hmmmm... I think I might now consider rooting for Daddy's team."

P.S. Sorry, Anton, this is actually one of the areas in which you do not have a real choice. Check out the word "pre-determined" in the dictionary. Even before you were born, Daddy said we had to be for Port Adelaide. As he has been for the past 42 years. Also look up the word "steadfast" in the dictionary.

election season



Anton Lee Thomas reacting to news that
 Jinkee Pacquiao is running for Vice Governor

Mommy is aghast. Splashed on the news are reports that our favourite boxer’s wife is running for a Vice Governor position in the Philippines. That’s not all.  Pacquiao’s brother has also been said to be eyeing a seat in the House of Representatives.

From the Christian Post:

Maria Geraldine "Jinkee" Pacquiao, the wife of Filipino boxer and congressman Manny Pacquiao, is reportedly filing for a certificate of candidacy for vice governor of Sarangani, Philippines.

The decision for Mrs. Pacquiao to run for office reportedly came one hour before her husband decided to file his own certificate for candidacy for Sarangani representative. Malapatan Mayor Alfonso Singcoy reportedly said that the suggestion for Pacquiao's wife to run for office was made by Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez, according to Sun Star reports.

The suggestion was reportedly made after several mayors disagreed over the decision to have another candidate, Juan Domino, running with Vice Governor Steve Solon. Pacquiao's mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, agreed that her son's wife should take on the responsibility of being involved in the politics of her country.

"She should no longer be shy in public," Pacquiao's mother said in the Sun Star report. When Mrs. Pacquiao first met her pugilist husband, he was a struggling boxer while she worked in sales and promotions for cosmetics at a department store. However, her husband has grown to take on the responsibility of being a civil servant for his country and she may be following suit.

While Pacquiao is known for his boxing skills worldwide, the congressman said that his political role is equally important. Before the town of Glan in Sarangani was declared to be under a state of calamity due to the flooding of several villages last week, the boxer said he was passionate about improving the lives of his constituents.

Don't be surprised, Little Pebble, if Mommy won't be in such cheery mode today. While Mommy was not ecstatic when Manny Pacquiao ran for public office three years ago, she did not join the ranks of Pacquiao supporters who scoffed at his political ambitions. But Pacquiao's wife and brother joining the fray in 2013 is another matter and smacks of nepotism and traditional politics which have have taken repulsive proportions in this country.

 

Too much, too much, Manny Pacquiao.

happy father's day!

Port Adelaide gave Daddy a wonderful present for Father’s Day. Today, in their last game, our team tied up with Richmond. Wooohoooooooo!!!!

We’re now on our official countdown, Little Pebble – 15 days to go! We went to the doctor last Tuesday as Mommy has been having tummy pains for two days.  The doctor told us to take it easy little one, we don’t want you coming out before Daddy arrives on the 13^th.  Anyway, the doctor gave Mommy instructions for symptoms to watch out for, and whether we like it or not, we need to rush to the hospital, if she experience any of these signs.  We don’t want to upset Daddy, ... so hang on there until he arrives, ok?

Because Daddy likes seafood and it's his special day today, Mommy made today seafood pesto pasta for us.

Seafood Pesto Pasta

¼ kg shrimps

Tuna (200 grams)

1 bottle pesto (200 grams)

Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (about 40 grams)

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic, chopped

Olive oil

Butter

Olives

Capers

Salt and pepper

1.       Heat olive oil in skillet

2.       Brown onions and garlic

3.       Add butter

4.       Lightly cook in shrimp

5.       Add tuna

6.       Slowly add in pesto

7.       Add cheese

8.       Add olives and capers

9.       Add salt and pepper to taste

You definitely love your pasta, Little Pebble. Mommy notices that you even start getting active now even while she is cooking. Seems you’ve really gotten used to your weekend treat.

We’re really, really, really getting near to having you, dearest.  You cannot even begin to imagine how excited Mommy and Daddy are. All we do is keep talking about you now.

olympics

Anton Lee Thomas, you’ve got 6 weeks and 4 days and then Mommy and Daddy will get to hold you!

You are now 31 weeks and according to “Pregnancy from Preconception to Birth”, your arms, legs, and body are continuing to fill out and at last are proportional in size to your head. You are looking more like a newborn now. You weigh in about 3 ¼ pounds and measure about 16 inches from crown to toe.

While our baby book says that you may not be moving out so much now because you’re running out of space, Mommy feels that this is most your active ever. Last night, Mommy and Daddy we’re laughing because you seemed to have gotten yourself in such a strange position. Mommy’s right side of her tummy was so much bigger than her left side!

Your Tita Cristine thinks you may have joined the Olympics in Mommy’s tummy. See how special you are little one. The Olympic games, which can be traced back to the 8th century BC, only comes every four years and amazingly, this year’s summer Olympics falls on your birth year. London (its 3rd time since the modern games started) plays host again this year.

the people's champ

Do you remember little pebble when Mommy took you to watch the Pacquiao vs. Bradley fight and Mommy became very upset after because Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight title? Well almost two weeks after, a five-person panel formed by the WBO came up with a review saying that it was Pacquiao who won and not Bradley.  Bradley, however, gets to keep the title and the belt.

While a lot of people say this is Pacquiao’s vindication, Mommy thinks there was really no need to form such panel.  No one really believed Bradley won.  Moreover, Pacquiao has won 8 titles in different weight divisions. Nobody has achieved this in boxing history. He may eventually fail to defend these titles, after all he is 33 years old and it will become tougher for him to go against athletes in their 20s like Bradley, but unless somebody manages to win 8 or more than 8 titles, Pacquiao’s reign in the ring continues.

And here’s what the Nevada State Athletic Commission can never take away from Pacquiao and the Filipino people: Pacquiao’s shining example that no matter how poor a person is, by hard work, determination, and taking timely advantage of opportunities that comes one’s way, one can rise from poverty and make his mark in this world.  Dear little pebble, Pacquiao came from a family who had not enough to eat and yet he managed to become a world class athlete, educate himself, and get himself elected to Congress. His interests have branched out to community service, entertainment, and even religion. Although some people may think Pacquiao is spreading himself too thin, Mommy thinks that Pacquiao is just showing to himself and to everyone else, that poverty is not a hindrance to success.

There is another important thing that Pacquiao has shown the Filipino people: They are capable of being united.

Philippine history is marked by divisiveness.  We have Filipinos telling against Filipinos during the Spanish colonial period, Japanese occupation, and during the Fil-American War. Present-day politics is more about private and self-serving interests rather than public service. Yet, whenever Pacquaio has a bout in faraway Nevada, there’s a hush which permeates the streets and highways of the Philippine archipelago, Filipinos dispersed far and wide abroad gather in pubs, and in one voice, cheer for their hero.

This is why, little pebble, Manny Pacquiao is and always will be, the People’s Champ. We don’t need a five-person WBO panel to tell us that.

sportsmanship

Mommy took you today to watch the Pacquiao vs. Bradley match.  You seemed quite excited little pebble, you kicked a good deal in Mommy’s tummy!

Mommy is devastated. Her favourite boxer, Manny Pacquiao (that’s OUR favourite boxer… you and Daddy’s too) lost today his WBO welterweight title.  He had a total of eight titles to his name (now down to seven) in eight different weight divisions. Little pebble, no one in boxing history has held such a number of titles at any given point.

Pacquiao lost to a strong and younger opponent, Timothy Bradley.  Bradley is such a good fighter that in his 28 matches, he has not lost a single fight and was able to knock down 12 of his opponents.  He was a worthy contender to our Pacquiao (Pacquiao has had 54 fights of which he lost only three and knocked down 38 of his opponents). 

While Mommy is very sad about the outcome (Pacquaio has not lost a game since 2005), we have to respect the decision of the judges.  That is how it is in sports or in any other contest. Judges are appointed to decide who the winner will be and that the players have to abide with the judges’ decision even if they think that such is not correct.  Of course in extreme cases, the decision of the judges can be contested but that is the exception rather than the general rule.

Despite Pacquiao losing today, Mommy is still quite proud of him.  He fought a good fight and he did not show any fear.  When the decision was announced, he gallantly went to Bradley’s side to congratulate him.  He did not say any bad words against the judges nor did he raise a fit. He didn't forget to say a prayer and even remembered to thank his supporters. That is sportsmanship dear little pebble which Mommy thinks is much more important than winning. Winning is not everything.

Little one, losing in itself is not dishonourable.  It is not possible to win all of the time and there will be times that you may lose.  The important thing is that you did your absolute best and that you prepared well for the game. If it happens that someone else bested you even if you did all you can to win, go to your opponent and shake his hand. Of course you can cry a bit when you get home but what you absolutely cannot do is to lose your temper in front of everyone because you lost.

If you really think that you are better than your opponent, practice harder, analyse why you lost in your last game, study your opponent’s technique, and improve your strategy. Then in the next game, you can show the world that you are by far the better player.

POSTSCRIPT: Daddy liked Mommy so much after he met her that he came with Mommy in Adelaide to watch with her the Pacquaio vs. Cotto fight in November 2009 notwithstanding that he did not know who Pacquiao was and that he did not care for boxing (Daddy is a football and soccer man).  Daddy even made Mommy a special poster from that the Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight.

Guess what Daddy gave Mommy as wedding present in their Adelaide wedding? Not flowers nor jewellery but an authentically signed boxing glove of Manny Pacquiao! Daddy and Mommy did not go to Paris or Florence after their Adelaide wedding but went to the Marion Hotel to watch Pacquiao vs. Marquez.

One day, they might go to Las Vegas to watch a live fight at the MGM Grand Arena… of course you're coming along little pebble.

third time's a charm

Daddy is ecstatic (ecstatic means extra happy, like you want to dance, twirl around and somersault because you’re very thrilled at something).

You see little Pebble, this is the third weekend that Port Adelaide has won.  Daddy has been upset the past few weekends as his team (sorry, that's Our Team) has been losing badly.  Last year was even worse; Port Adelaide did so poorly that Daddy said a lot of harsh words about the coach.  Mommy asked Daddy last year whether we should change teams.  He was horrified.  He could not even believe Mommy raised the topic!  (Seems like football in Australia is really different from politics in the Philippines. In the Philippines, if a political party’s head, usually the sitting President, is no longer influential, the members switch to or form another party).

Since you came along, Port Adelaide, however, has been on a roll. Some people believe that third time’s a charm.  But Mommy thinks you, our dear little one, is Port Adelaide’s charm this season.

P.S. That’s Mommy’s cap on the photo. Am sure Daddy will get you one too. Afterall, you cheered quite hard  for Port Adelaide, Mommy felt your strong excited kicks the whole afternoon!