Tara na Byahe Tayo! ( Papaitan, Lugaw, Dyamengo, Adobong Pusa, Lucy Express atbp.)

Tamang byahe muna tayu. Makamiss nang umuwi sa Baler ay. Isa siguru sa pinakamahirap na parte ng buhay ng isang tiga-Baler (at halus lahat ng tiga Aurora)ay ang ang pagluwas. Ang maganda lang pag nakakaluwas, medyu pumuputi ng kaunti ang balat, na nabalik din naman pagkaraan ng mga ilang araw pagdating mu pagkagaling sa Maynila. Ang pagluwas ay synonymous na rin sa Manila o Cabanatuan, dahil duun halus "naluwas" ang mga akkaw. Balik tanawin natin ang mga karaniwang pangyayari, tao, mga bagay at lugar kapag tayu ay naluwas. Itu lang ang medyu natatandaan ku.

Si(la) Suki. Ay kilalang kilala itu ng mga tiga baler. Kahit nung sa may lumang palengke pa lang ang paradahan ng mga Bus at Jeep na paluwas, at de pa pwede daanan ang Canili, tau na sila. Sila yung nagtitinda ng suman na mga tiga buhangin(?).Yung isa yung kulut na medyu makapal ang make-up sa mukha at yung isa naman yung kulut din na medyu chubby ( may premyo ang makakahula ng pangalan nila). Sila ay si Suki, dahil suki nila lahat ng pasahero. Peru de naman sila kagaya ng mga nagtitinda sa terminal ng Cabanatuan na pag tiningnan mu lang o nagtanung ka ay babayaran mu na yung tinda nilan Zest-O o mani, pag de mu binayaran, nanghaharass sila, masyadung mga bayolente. Mabait sila suki kahit medyu pabagu bagu ng presyo ang kanilang tinda. Pag akyat mu ng Bus, aalukin ka ng suman, P30 isang tali (ang isang tali ay sampung pirasu). Pag medyu alam na nilang paalis na ang sasakyan, makukuha mu na lang ng P15-P20 isang tali. Regular figures pa rin sila hanngang ngayun sa terminal ng Genesis sa Duongan at sa terminal ng Van at D-Liner sa palengke.

Mahirap lumuwas nuun. Lalu na nung wala pang Genesis. De aircon ang mga sasakyan. Nasakyan ku pa dati yung Pantranco (tama baga na may Pantranco dati?) Yun yata yung nahulug nuun sa bangin ay (o ibang Bus Line iyun?). Peru nung may nahulug na Bus sa bangin, medyu nawala ang mga Bus Company sa atin. Jeep ang naging hari ng Villa. Nung mga panahun na iyun, naging tanyag ang Lucy Express. Tanda ku pa, ang pinakasikat na Lucy ay yung Lucy 4, bukud sa mabilis na, daring pa yung driver, kaya ginagawang balikan ang Baler-Cabanatuan.

Nuun din, sa Villa lang nadaan ang mga sasakyan. Kung medyu mahina ang sikmura mu, lantang talung ka na sa may Stopover pa lang. Dahil sa de pa nuun usu ang Bonamine at Bonakids, ang tanging pangontra lang sa hilu ay "dyamengo" at citrus(pwedeng amuy amuyin habang pinipisil ng mahinahun ang balat ng citrus na sabi nila ay may healing property daw, wag lang itapat sa mata at iyun ay nakakaiyak). Oras na humintu ang sasakyan sa Stopover sa Villa, akyatan na ang mga tindero/tindera, may bitbit na bilau na may laman na assorted candy(stork, white rabbit,la pa nuun max), Chippy(la pa nun Piattos), Snacku, Richee, Cheezum at kung anu anu pa. Kasabay nila ang mga tindero/tindera ng "dyamengo" at citrus. Ang "dyamengo" ay tatlu sampu, libre na yung asin.Kung biyahilo ka, yan lang ang pwede mung kainin. At kung medyu kaya mu namang bumaba, pwede kang kumain ng lugaw o mainit na sabaw ng papaitan sa mga restaurant.

Nuud din (ulit), pag bumagyu, kalbaryu ang ibig sabihin sa mga pasahero. Kahit kaunting ulan lang, madulas ang daan at delikadu bumiyahe. Naguhu ang bunduk kaya de advisable na lumuwas. Pag may matigas ang ulu na mga pasahero at driver (dahil de naman talaga aalis ang sasakyan pag walang pasahero na makulit), maydun pa rin naluwas kahit masama ang panahun, ang resulta, stranded. Most common used term dati sa Baler ang salitang stranded pag may bagyu.

Adobong Pusa. Medun aku dating nakainuman, may restaurant sila sa stopover sa Villa. Karaniwang ulam na nilulutu nila ay adobo, kaldereta, pritong bangus at tilapia, paksiw na bangus at kung anu anu pa. Nung siya ay nalasing, kinuwento niya na yung mga karne na nilulutu nila ay hinahaluan ng karne ng pusa. Akkaw sarap. Pati yata papaitan, hinahaluan. Kaya kung nakainan mu lahat ng restaurant sa Villa bagu sila natabunan ng gumuhung bunduk, malamang nakatikim ka na rin ng pusa.

Can't do without me :)

“The cLOSER”

Sir Charles called Kobe “The Closer”, for some obvious reason, his ability to takeover and closeout ballgames. He swept Allen and Carmelo and the Nuggets first; advanced to the second round by beating the Jazz at the Delta Center and almost single handedly whipped Tim, Manu Tony and the Spurs in five games. But it’s a different story against the Mighty Boston Celtics.

With so much history between the two franchises, the Lakers were the favorites to win the 2008 NBA Finals. Lakers in six, most experts predicted. It went the other way.

Yes, the Maurice Podoloff trophy and the regular season is his to keep (KG don’t need that anyway, he already has one), but he don’t get the most important one this time, the Larry O’Brien trophy and a championship ring. Although he already has three rings, he got those when The Diesel is still around. Post Shaq era, Kobe has none. And Shaq already got one in Miami, his fourth, and maybe never again…

Some said it’s “Kobe Karma” and Phil is cursed. The Zen is still searching for his tenth ring to surpass the Great Red Auerbach for most championship ring won by a coach in NBA history. He got two chances, same result.

So doe’s The Black Mamba still has something to prove? There’s a lot actually. At the post-game presser after that Game 6 nightmare, he’s obviously disappointed, and as he speaks and answered every reporter’s question, I thought he would ask Jerry Buss to trade him once again.

After that disappointing, shameful act in his first NBA Finals appearance since Shaq decided to leave Hollywood, where’s KB24 now? At the Gym maybe, practicing his killer jump shots or at home watching tapes of their disgraceful performance and still wondering what went wrong.

Only the silhouette and the number of His Airness, could be copied and duplicated, that’s for sure. Ask the “Chosen One” and he’ll give you the same answer.

For now we can call “The Closer”, a “Loser”. Maybe Sir Charles, being one of the biggest losers knows better.

Same time next year Kobe.

Ubuntu

(Kevin Garnett photo courtesy of NBA.com)

" I am, because we are". That's the Celtics' battle cry. Not even the Chosen One or the Black Mamba and the Zen could stop them from winning their 17th Title, KG, Ray and Paul's first.
Danny Ainge, (for bringing Ray and my main man, KG to the Beantown) and the ghost of Red made this one possible. Doc and the boys did the rest. With so much expectation and pressure since the opening night,or should I say since the big trade happened, they played like a real champs, winning 66 games (from 24 wins last season,) and earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs . Maybe those Muhammad Ali tapes, the Duck Tour and the Trip to Rome helped a little bit.

Keep it Bill, KG already has one. He deserved it.He waited 11 long years for this moment to happen, and now we can call him a champion.

Inip na baga kayu?

Wala pa pong maisip na bagung idea ang ating mga webmaster. Na mental block na yata sila.

there can only be one (or two)

nakatuwaan lang, habang nag-aabang ng game 1