Episode 1: Basketball is EVERYWHERE
Episode 2: the PBA and the Ginebra mystique
Episode 3: LIFE is Basketball
(taken from BLOG: Pacific Rims by Rafe Bartholomew - my odd reaction and note of thanks )
NOTE OF THANKS....
Dear Tio Paeng...
In our very first interaction, you said thank you (TATLONG LIBONG BESES) for the PBA uploads. Now I'd like to express my own thanks.
For a guy who, 10 years ago, barely knew anything about this country, you've definitely made great impact.Through your book (and all the extras you do for us), you pushed our country towards progress more effectively than 98% of our elected policitians.
You were a kid when you first arrived, but you showed us that if we approach anything with an open mind and alot of patience (plus a dash of daring) you can immerse yourself in a culture, develop relationships, and create a home for yourself anywhere. You came as a foreigner and left 3 years later as a local.
My thanks is not because you wrote and published a book about Philippine basketball. It is because you keep trying to tell the world about us. It is because you are fighting for Philippines to gain the admiration of the rest of the basketball world, totally convinced that if they just take the time, they will also fall in love with us, just like you have. It is because you are showing the Filipinos around the world that we can be proud of our basketball culture despite not dominating in the global area. It is because you refuse to say anything bad about this country (like the overly crowded MRT) and choosing to see the good and positive side of every situation. It is because you show no signs of stopping your personal mission to get the basketball world to love the Philippines as much as you do. (like National Geographic's "Pinoy Hoops").
And after all the crappy things that this country has been through in the past decades, you've come and made us realize that our basketball culture, which we took forgranted, is something very special and unique and this is something to be proud of (and at the same time, telling the Filipino football crabs who try to bring it down to STFU).
So Maraming Maraming Maraming (tatlong libong) Salamat po, Tio Paeng, and more power to you!
Sincerely;
Aimee Grace B. Tapeceria
P.S. On a personal note, I want to thank you for being so nice when we met last August, in the MOA Arena during the FIBA Asia Championships. I remembered shouting at you from the lower box (you were seating behind the ring, in the patron seats). You turned, came close to the edge, and accepted the book that I was asking you to sign. When it since I couldn't take a picture with you, you offered to go out to the lobby to meet me. I thought you already knew who I was, but when you asked for my name (to put in the dedication), you exclaimed "Oh! You're Aimee... sori I didn't recognize you because you look dif from your twitter profile (I was wearing my rarely used eye glasses) and then started to scribbling on the book till you filled up the first page. hehe. Now, I have an awesome super personalized autographed book about Philippine basketball and you can be assured, it will be with me till the day I... (ahem).
NOTE OF THANKS....
Dear Tio Paeng...
In our very first interaction, you said thank you (TATLONG LIBONG BESES) for the PBA uploads. Now I'd like to express my own thanks.
For a guy who, 10 years ago, barely knew anything about this country, you've definitely made great impact.Through your book (and all the extras you do for us), you pushed our country towards progress more effectively than 98% of our elected policitians.
You were a kid when you first arrived, but you showed us that if we approach anything with an open mind and alot of patience (plus a dash of daring) you can immerse yourself in a culture, develop relationships, and create a home for yourself anywhere. You came as a foreigner and left 3 years later as a local.
My thanks is not because you wrote and published a book about Philippine basketball. It is because you keep trying to tell the world about us. It is because you are fighting for Philippines to gain the admiration of the rest of the basketball world, totally convinced that if they just take the time, they will also fall in love with us, just like you have. It is because you are showing the Filipinos around the world that we can be proud of our basketball culture despite not dominating in the global area. It is because you refuse to say anything bad about this country (like the overly crowded MRT) and choosing to see the good and positive side of every situation. It is because you show no signs of stopping your personal mission to get the basketball world to love the Philippines as much as you do. (like National Geographic's "Pinoy Hoops").
And after all the crappy things that this country has been through in the past decades, you've come and made us realize that our basketball culture, which we took forgranted, is something very special and unique and this is something to be proud of (and at the same time, telling the Filipino football crabs who try to bring it down to STFU).
So Maraming Maraming Maraming (tatlong libong) Salamat po, Tio Paeng, and more power to you!
Sincerely;
Aimee Grace B. Tapeceria
P.S. On a personal note, I want to thank you for being so nice when we met last August, in the MOA Arena during the FIBA Asia Championships. I remembered shouting at you from the lower box (you were seating behind the ring, in the patron seats). You turned, came close to the edge, and accepted the book that I was asking you to sign. When it since I couldn't take a picture with you, you offered to go out to the lobby to meet me. I thought you already knew who I was, but when you asked for my name (to put in the dedication), you exclaimed "Oh! You're Aimee... sori I didn't recognize you because you look dif from your twitter profile (I was wearing my rarely used eye glasses) and then started to scribbling on the book till you filled up the first page. hehe. Now, I have an awesome super personalized autographed book about Philippine basketball and you can be assured, it will be with me till the day I... (ahem).