Aloha!

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

HONOLULU, Hawaii–After 10 days of a fruitful and memorable stay in San Diego, California with my daughter Lavinia, we flew here to Hawaii to visit my other daughter Lahlah and her family. We took a Hawaiian Airlines flight for a five hour, 35 minute-boring journey. With God’s help we arrived here safe and sound and saw this scenic place again whose seashore is very rich with white sand, sugar and Macadamia nuts.

My trip includes a get-together with my two Guam basketball buddies: Mabalacat, Pampanga-born Carlito Capanang (his father is from Bautista) and Bugallon-son Mariano Soriano, a good friend and former basketball teammate of University of Luzon coach Renato “Jack” Vidal and Fred Ramos of Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City. The five-foot-eleven Soriano is the uncle of the famous and now retired PBA player Marlou Aquino of Sta. Barbara.

I used to play with these two cagers during our stint in Guam way back in the 1980’s in a league exclusively for Filipinos donning the color of the Pangasinan Community of Guam. I remember winning some, losing some as well. “The ball is round” as the saying goes in basketball.

Before we flew in to this picturesque state of America, I was able to watch one bicycle road race in southern California last March 19. The event dubbed as “Bulldog Road Bike Race 2011” was conducted in Camp Peddleton, a U.S Marine station located at Oceanside City and a 50-minute drive from San Diego. My new friend and also a cycling buff Manny Santiago, formerly from Olongapo City, took to the steering wheel while I and Sual cyclist Gerald Valdez sat comfortably.

It was a short 27-mile (roughly 45 kilometers) up-and-down and wet course due to sporadic rains. It was participated in by around 250 riders and was done in eight age categories, 18-29, 30-39,40-49,50-59 and 60 and above for men and three divisions for women. Unfortunately, none of the five Filipino cyclists who joined the affair led by Ramon Samaniego previously from Los Banos, Laguna landed in the top five. The Caucasians dominated the road battle.

I surely wished I still have those legs of mine that propelled me to three championships because if I did I believe I would have conquered that event. No kidding.

After a brief chitchat with the five after the race, Gerald, Manny and I proceeded to Mira Mesa, California and got together with some members and officials of the Mira Mesa Cycling Club led by their president, the tall and handsome (ala Richard Gomez) Marikina native Edgar Ortiz. And there I met too some members of the well-known Ligeralde family of Binmaley, including Felipe, Ponce, Ralp, Vito, and Epi together with Nestor Abiva from Olongapo City and Regie Ignacio of Metro Manila. Each of these Filipino riders owned high-tech bicycles like the ones being used now by the cyclists in the Tour de France. These people are definitely rich to be able afford to buy such bicycles either for their competitions or for their physical fitness. And majority of these bicyclists here are from Pangasinan. This is to show again, and I am proud to say, that we Pangasinenses are the most addicted persons to this two-wheeled sporting event. No doubt about it. Aloha.

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My congrats to Arnel Quirimit for topping the two-day 2011 Tour de Hundred Islands bikefest held March 19-20. Also to the Pitaki Boyz of my son Jazy for winning the overall team competitions. Carry on the good work guys. We are proud of you.

Likewise my kudos to my daughter Raisa for being elected as the head of the Mangaldan SK Federation Sports Committee held March 19. It was a close win, a margin of one vote over her nearest rival.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And God Almighty said ‘You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off among his people. ‘Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Exodus 31: 14-15

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