Remember that game from the 80s? You know, the little character that would eat the dots? They even had a Ms. Pac Man...
Well, I am not going to talk about video games today. Instead I am going to talk about Manny "Pac Man"Pacquiao. Manny is a hero here in the Philippines. He is an actor, a singer, and probably one day will be a politician. Oh yeah, he is also a boxer!
Today, I joined what seems like the whole country in watching him fight Eric Morales of Mexico. The fight was being billed as the Grand Finale to the Trilogy of Morales-Paquiao. (That means they fought twice before...each fighter winning once.)
The fight was being fought in Las Vegas, but Glyn and I headed up the street to a restaurant/bar (they call them restos here) called The Wine Shop (a wine and Spanish tapas restaurant...er, I mean resto) to watch the fight live on the big screen. The fight was also being shown on commerical TV here in the Philippines. However, because of commericials, anyone watching it over "free TV" was seeing it an hour or two behind.
So at 8:00 in the morning, we walked in and sat down at one of the tables. However, we found out that the tables were already reserved. So we sat at the bar to watch the fight. There were a total of 3 fights before the main event. So we had breakfast at the bar and watched all the fights, which started at 10:00 am here.
We even ordered a bottle of wine before the big fight. I know I am going off on a tangent... those who know me well would say that this is normal for me to do...I could not get over how cheap the wine was. The bottle that we ordered was 210 pesos, which is just over $4.00 US. In fact, it is cheaper to drink the wine in the restaurant than to take it out!
Anyway, back to the fight...What a great experience it was. The place was packed! They played the Philippines, Mexico, and US National Anthems before the bout. I was impressed at the great reception the US National Anthem got in the bar when it was played. The crowd was into every punch that Manny threw! They would roar with every good hit, and they erupted at the end of the third round when Manny won on a KO (that is knockout to the uninitiated).
It seemed like the whole country celebrated this victory! The priest even talked about Manny during his homily at Mass. (Hey, he knows how to play the crowd!)
Honestly, I cannot tell you the last time I watched a boxing match, but today it was a real joy to celebrate with all Filipinos the Pac Man's victory.
It's Tim!
- Tim Watson
- I am an INFP. INFPs are quiet, creative, sensitive and perceptive souls who often strike others as shy, reserved and cool. These folks have a rare capacity for deep caring and commitment--both to the people and causes they idealize. INFPs guide their behavior by a strong inner sense of values, rather than by conventional logic and reason. Forced to cope with this facts-and-figures "real" world we inhabit, INFPs may appear to have been imported from another galaxy! They gravitate toward creative or human service careers which allow them to use their instinctive sens of empathy and remarkable communication skills. Strongly religious, spiritual or philosophical people, INFPs may see the purpose of their lives as an inner journey, quest or personal unfolding. More practical or rational types may tend to discredit the INFP's sources of understanding as mystical. The search for a soulmate is a preoccupation for many INFPs, who must balance their need for privacy and peace with their yearning for human connection. If there seems to be an air of sadness in the INFP's spirit, blame it on this type's longing for the perfect in all things.
2 comments:
wow... that sounds like it was a cool night. I would of loved to have been there!
you wrote this last 2006, I just discovered your blog. You guessed right hahaha, He's really a politician now ...
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