Christmas Tournament

My son's 8A basketball team participated in a Christmas tournament over the holidays, hosted by St. Bede Catholic School in Hayward. This was the third tournament the team has participated in since the start of the 2012-13 boy's basketball season. Like the 2 others, at Bishop O' Dowd in Oakland prior to the start of the season, and at St. John's in San Lorenzo over the Thanksgiving holiday, this tournament was played outside the team's Mission Valley League games.

Our coach liked participating in these kind of tournaments, particularly those sponsored by schools outside our league, in order for the players to have an opportunity to play against other team's from different leagues, since they're pretty familiar with the brand of play within Mission Valley. I guess some teams have the same idea because most of the teams participated in the 3 tournaments we joined this year, as well as in past years.

For the Christmas tournament at St. Bede, I was not expecting a full compliment. It was understandable that it was the holidays and families may be traveling or just plain unavailable for whatever reason. The tournament was spread over 3 days, with the first game being played in the evening the day after Christmas. Teams were guaranteed 2 games, and if you won the second, you get to play on the third day for either championship or the finals in the consolation bracket.

In the first game, there were only 6 players from the team. Being a no-league-bearing tournament, two players were "borrowed" to beef up the team -- a center from the 8N-Blue team, and another center from the 7A team. The team played Transfiguration from Castro Valley, but lost by 10. They had a BIG center, who simply played low post and just barrelled himself to the basket whenever he could. The game became a little exciting during the last 2 minutes when our boys put up a late charge and scored 8 unanswered points, coming to within 10, before the final buzzer sounded. It was a good effort, considering the team didn't have their 4 regular players.

Game 2 on Saturday, the 29th, against St. John was different. The team still wasn't complete. They lost one from Game 1 and the 8N center, but one regular came to play. The team blew away St. John by over 20 points. The boys were relaxed, and they all had fun. It looked like they couldn't seem to do anything wrong. With the win, the team played in the finals for the consolation bracket the following day.

The final game was against Mission Valley League team, Our Lady of the Rosary (OLR) in Union City. The team had played against them during the league's first round games, so they were familiar with their style of play, and knew who to watch out for. OLR had a small team, and they relied heavily on one player. I didn't expect the game to be close. Our team just couldn't pull away. OLR even lead by up to 4 points in the second quarter. Then, something unexpected happened before the end of the second quarter.

One parent from OLR made a comment directed at this one "star" player. The father reacted and came charging down from the stands to where the other parent was. Cooler heads intervened, but the parent who made the comment continued his tirade and challenged the father to settle their dispute outside the gym. The instigator decided to leave the gym because he "couldn't stand watching this kind of game." On his way out, he continued to taunt the father, calling him an "old man", and even gave him the nasty finger. After a couple of minutes, the instigator tried to come back in, as he called on the father to come out, but was prevented by tournament officials. The latter headed back down, but was, likewise, stopped from leaving the gym.

With the resumption of the game, the team played much better. They were more fired up. This one "star" player tried so hard to carry his team on his shoulders , but we all knew this would never work. And that was what happened in that game, as well as in the past games. All the "carrying" took its toll, and this player was no longer reliable. Meanwhile, our boys continued to deliver and slowly pulled away. The team won by more than 10 points.

It was a great win for the team. Unfortunately, it was marred by bad behavior of adults. If there is one thing that I could be truly proud of is the fact that ALL the St. Joseph CYO teams are well-behaved, well-mannered, and are the epitome of what good sportsmanship and true Catholic & Christian values are all about. And I can attest to this in the 7 years that I have been involved in SJS CYO sports, as a coach and parent.

Excellent job everyone. Go Courgars !!!

The Holidays With Friends

The holidays is always festive. It is probably one of my favorite time of the year. There are lots of customs and traditions associated with this season, and we try to replicate them wherever we are. Aside from the usual gift-giving, the highlight is always about the eating and the drinking. We believe that food (and lots of it) on the table represents abundance and good fortune, especially for the coming new year.

I don't have any family where we live, nor does my wife. Her closest kin is in southern California, and so is mine. But we do not make the drive down south. We'd rather stay where we are and be among friends. They are our family, and they've treated us as their own as well. For the past so many years, this is how we celebrate the holidays.

Christmas eve was spent with, what I would call, fairly new found friends over the last couple of years. They're a school family as well, and very active in both parish and school communities. It was our first time celebrating Christmas eve with them, and their immediate families. Personally, I enjoy their company because it brings me back to the type of friendship I have established back home. Easy going. Unpretentious. Casual. Being a great cook and gracious host, we feasted on a variety dishes that were true to the occasion, as we ushered in Christmas day.

After attending mass on Christmas day, off we went to our "second" family -- the family of our godchildren. We've known this family for quite sometime, even before the wife became pregnant with their first child. As a matter of fact, she was my mother-in-law's physical therapist. That's how we met. Now with 2 kids, both of whom we are godparents to, they are who I would consider our "second" family. We try to see each other as often as we can, with or without an occasion. And the event that bonds us together? You guessed it. Food.

A mean cook in her own right, this mother of 2 does not hesitate to invite us over to eat and catch up, or to simply hang out. The eldest daughter is growing fast, and the 7-month old son is a joy to play with. The dad is a crafty handyman, and has helped us a lot, especially during our last move. It was a Christmas day we all chilled, figuratively and literally (it was about 43F and raining that day).

For New Year's eve, it was a different "family". We were invited by one of our closest school families. A family whom I consider real, grounded, honest, and sincere. I always enjoy their company, no matter what the occasion is. The evening was shared with a few other school families, and we each brought a dish and favorite drink to share. Our kids have been classmates for the last 9 years, and each promised to continue to get together even after our children have graduated and moved on to high school. I think we will. I know we will. As Ryan Seacrest counted down the ball dropping from Times Square, we all ushered in 2013 with shouts of joy, hugs, and a toast of champagne and Martinelli's.

The holidays here will never be the same back home. But you adapt and make the most out of it. What's important is that we do not forget what we're celebrating during this season.

Have a wonderful 2013 to all of you. Cheers!!!

Always Last Minute

I am not a shopper, and never will be, regardless of what the occasion is. I'm the type that would go out and know exactly what to buy, then I'm out. Quick and easy. So, I rely on my wife for all things SHOPPING.

On Christmas eve, we did a last minute trip to the city to complete our fairly long gift list. Instead of trying to figure out where to park, we went straight to Westfield and had our car valeted at Nordstrom. I think the $20 was worth the hassle. Besides, I'd probably pay the same at other parking structures, and I have to park the car myself.

We basically knew what we wanted to buy so it was a matter of going to the store and choosing from a variety. We hit 5 or 6 stores, up and down the mall, till we completed the list. Westfield wasn't as packed as I thought it would on Christmas eve. We were pretty much done with lots of time to spare. We proceeded to the food court on the lower level for a bite to eat.

Since we had the car valeted, we couldn't leave the stuff we bought in the car. So we lugged everything as we headed to Union Square. First stop, Niketown. A couple more stores later, then we're done. We went back to the mall for our last stop at Tory Burch, only to go back out again on Union Square, at the store's other branch, for a final purchase.

Before darkness engulfed the city, we were on our way home.

Espetus: The Day After

My displeasure from my meat-ravaganza on Friday haunted me the next day. I was requested to take photographs at the parish's Simbang Gabi (Dawn Mass) festivities on Saturday at 6:00 in the morning. So I hit the sack a little bit earlier than I normally would on a weekend.

At around 3:00 am, I felt queezy. The next thing I knew, I was headed for the bathroom and was throwing up. I didn't know what hit me. I've never had this feeling before, ever. The last time something similar happened was when I had one too many Johnnie Walkers more than 20 years ago.

I had a bad feeling after that, but I didn't want to disappoint. I had a commitment to fulfill, and if I can muster enough energy to get through the day, I will complete the task at hand. I woke up my son and prepared for the day. We were on the road by 5:10 am.

There was a storm and rain was pouring hard. And it was darn COLD. 39F. My son got off as he needed to prepare to altar serve, while I sat in the car. I planned on going into the Old Mission church at 5:45 to prepare my gear before the mass started. Suddenly, that queezy feeling came back, and I knew what was to happen next. I got out of the car, dashed inside the parish hall and into the bathroom, and discharged. Darn!!! Strike 2.

I composed myself. Asked around for a hard candy to suck on, then off I went to the Old Mission. I did what I came to do. I managed to get some photographs as the mass progressed. During the homily, Mr. Queezy sneaked up on me again. By then, I was already exiting the side door. Then, bam!!! Strike 3.

Like baseball, 3 strikes meant I had to go.... HOME. I texted the wife and told her my situation. I went back in the church, packed up my gear and headed to the hall. I had to wait for the mass to end and for either my son or wife to come out so they could get my son's backpack in my car. As soon as they did, I left.

For the rest of the day, I was out, asleep, and had nothing to eat. Whatever bug hit me was so bad because I've never had this feeling before in my life. And that's a bit scary.

So, if you'd ask me again if Espetus is worth all the meat?

(SILENCE. Poker face.)

I rest my case.

Espetus: Is It Worth The Meat?

Our 15th anniversary was December 20, but we planned on celebrating the day after, with a BIG dinner at Espetus, a churrascaria or Brazilian steak house in San Mateo. I made a reservation a week prior for 7:30pm.

It was my son's last day at school before he went on Christmas vacation. I worked from home that day so I could pick him up since there was no after-care. The rest of the day was pretty quiet, but it was raining.

I had planned on leaving at 6:45pm, but it was close to 7 by the time we got rolling. With the rain and the Friday traffic, we got to Espetus at 7:40. We had to call to let them know we were running late. I dropped off the wife to check in, while I looked around for street parking. Luckily, I found one pretty quickly. After 10 minutes or so, we were seated.

I (and my son) haven't been to a churrascaria, but my wife has, so she knew the drill. Nevertheless, our server was kind enough to give us a crash course on the art of meat-eating. With drinks ordered, we were off.

I did my homework before arriving that evening. I checked their website so I had an idea of what to expect. I proceeded to the buffet and looked at what they offered. They had rice, beans & pork, paella, a fish stew, and other side dishes on one table. On the other were the salads. For a while, I thought that a vegetarian would be on seventh heaven (from how the salads are described on their website), but I think it's a disappointment. I didn't see anything interesting or extraordinary. Except for the mango salsa (the mangos were not ripe and chewy), mozzarella & tomatoes, egg salad, and blanched asparagus I tried, there was nothing else attractive. It was so forgettable I don't even remember the rest. Well, it's a meat place anyway, so the salad is secondary.

Now, the meats.

Servers with various cuts of meat on skewers approach each table and offer a sample (or piece) to the diner. A marker is placed on the table to indicate whether you want more meat or not. Rotating the marker with the green side displayed meant more meat, while the red side meant you've had enough.

I tried practically every cut of meat that looked delectable. Of the 8 or 9 cuts I tried, one (maybe 2) was worth a second or even a third piece. I liked the sirloin steak and the top sirloin the most. It's probably the best of them all, for my taste, but still not enough to die for. Everything else was dry or salty.

The pork and chicken sausages were super dry, while the chicken hearts were just a little overcooked for me. They were kinda tough. The beef wrapped in bacon was dry as well, and the bacon didn't help enhance the flavor. The lamp chop was too fatty for my taste buds. I love lamb chops (and lamb, in general) and I've actually baked lamb chops a couple of times, but this one didn't do me any good.

When the flap steak was offered, I declined. It just didn't look appetizing. The beef ribs were rolled around on a cart because of its size. It was the only meat not on a skewer. I tried it, but it wasn't as tender as I wanted it to be. The grilled shrimp wasn't too bad, but not exceptional either. And the grilled pineapple was a nice palate cleanser. I actually had 2 servings of it.

In talking to one of the servers, he suggested trying a typical Brazilian staple of white rice, black beans with pork, and sprinkled with yuca on top. As I was putting it together, it looked yummy. But I was disappointed because the beans & pork was salty, and it seemed like it lacked flavor. I had pictured the taste of the South's rice and beans, but this didn't come near it.

When it came to desserts, we asked for recommendations. Off the bat, another server suggested the 2 most expensive ones on their menu -- Dulce de Leche Crepe and a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Why not?? Let's make a killing??? Nothing else looked interesting so we went with these 2.

After a hearty, meaty, cholesterol-filled meal, the last thing you need are super-sweet, diabetic-inducing desserts that'll take you straight to the emergency room. I am no sweet-tooth, so these 2 desserts didn't work for me at all. As a matter of fact, it didn't work for any of us. We barely ate half of each. And for $11.95 each, it was a lot to waste.

So, is Espetus worth all the meat?  NO!!!

For $55.00 per head, it wasn't worth the money. My wife had a glass of merlot for $14, and the sodas my son and I had were over $3.00 each. And it wasn't even an 8 ounce bottle. The $11.95 desserts weren't worth a penny. For the over $250 tab that evening, I would have enjoyed a truly sumptuous prime, dry-aged porterhouse steak at Peter Luger in Brooklyn, plus a bottle of a primo vino.

Would I go back? Definitely not. Would I recommend it to anyone? Well, if you haven't tried the novelty of being served meat on skewers directly at your table, then go for it. But if you're after excellent steak, then this place is certainly not it. And I would skip the desserts all together.

Author's Note:  Espetus Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House is located at 710 South B Street, San Mateo, CA 94401.

Mini Anniversary

My wife and I celebrated our 15th anniversary today, the 20th. It was an ordinary day in the sense that the Pacific ocean didn't part nor was there a ceasefire in the Middle East to make it an extra special day. But I think what you do of the day, the little things, make it different.

We didn't have anything planned because it was a Thursday, and not a weekend. Plus, our son had a basketball practice at an ungodly hour, 8:00-9:00 that evening. So any plans of a decent dinner of some sort was out of the question.

At the office, it was pretty quiet. No meetings. No phone calls. In between bites of my bagel, I made a quick call to the florist, The Flower Shop, to confirm my order and delivery time. By early afternoon, the wife texted me with a photo of the flowers I sent her. Delivery confirmed (check!).

We had planned on a "bigger" celebration the next day at Espetus (read a separate post on this), but my wife also wanted some "us" time that evening. The plan was to drop off our son at his BFF's house so they can ride together to basketball practice, while we went to Vida Y Vino, a small wine bistro in Fremont. I haven't been there but my wife has. I heard that it wasn't fancy nor great, but it was local. And that'll do.

When my son got home, he complained of his knee, which he bruised while playing basketball during lunch break. This meant that he couldn't attend practice that evening. We were debating if we should just have dinner or go on with the plan. Knowing my son, he'd rather stay home so he can go online, watch TV, and text with his friends all night, as long as we brought him back something good to eat. And that's what we did.

Off we went to Automall Parkway. Since I've never been to Vida Y Vino, I didn't know where it was. We drove passed it but never saw it. As we got up close, there were people inside but there was no sign. And what was inside didn't look like a wine bar, but a parlor. The darn thing was CLOSED. And to think that I even checked their website before I left the office. Bummer!!! So, what now?

We drove two blocks west to Kaenyama, a Japanese restaurant and lounge. We got in at Happy Hour, so appetizers were 50% off. What a steal!!! We got a bottle of merlot, and a variety of Japanese treats, including Hamachi Caparccio, Fresh Oysters, Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Tuna Tartar, and Hamachi Kama. I think the closure of Vida Y Vino was a blessing in disguise.

On our way home, we grabbed something for our son. We told him where we went, and he said "nooooooooooooooo !!!!"

Last Christmas Pageant

Tuesday, December 18, 2012. It was the annual Christmas Pageant at St. Joseph School. It was also the last pageant that my son will participate in.

For the last 9 years, we've been diligently watching this holiday event put up by my son's school. Students from kindergarten to 8th grade filled both sides of the church, as well as the altar, as they sang Christmas carols to the delight of their families and friends. In between songs, a mini skit on the birth of baby Jesus was performed by 2nd to 4th graders.

This show is a much-anticipated activity that both parents and students look forward to during the holidays. The pews get filled up at least an hour before show time, with each guest trying to get the best view of their little one. And parking can be a nightmare.

The entire affair has been conducted by the school's music teacher, Francine Zeppa, with the help of other faculty members and school staff. Mounting an event like this is a feat in itself, so my hats off to Mrs. Zeppa and her crew for pulling this off each and every year.

I don't want to sound too sentimental (I hate it), but it never dawned on me that THIS was my son's last  year doing this pageant. And each year, we did drive up to that school on those cold winter nights to listen to children singing Christmas carols.

For a while, I chronicled each one, but stopped midway (I'm never good at doing this). You can see how the kids have grown over the years, from being five-year olds to young teenagers. Where have all the years gone? Everything's so fast. Despite the missed photographs and videos of the revelries, all the memories will remain in my mind and heart forever.

Great job, son!

Another Crazy Weekend

The past weekend was just crazy. My son had to be at his HSPT prep class 15 minutes earlier on Saturday so he and another classmate (and teammate) could leave 20 minutes earlier for their basketball game at Newark Junior HS. The gym was cold, and the boys lost in overtime by a basket. We shouldn't have lost. There shouldn't have been an overtime. There was confusion in the scoring towards the end of regulation because the scorer (a lady who happened to be from the opposing team) failed to record a couple of shots we made. This was why there was a discrepancy on the lighted scoreboard (which was manned by a parent from our team) and this lady's tally sheet. Our team had a separate statistics person (that tracked team stats for all our games), who had the same score as in the highlighted scoreboard. This just proved there was something wrong with the lady's tally sheet. Even the referees noted that the total score by quarter did not add up to the running score -- both of which were being tracked by this lady on her tally sheet. It was just bizarre. But I didn't want to get stressed about it. I'm not the coach.

From Newark, we headed fom Sacramento for the last tournament of the boys club volleyball season -- the Power League Regionals. On our way, we stopped by Amici's in Dublin for a late lunch. Then, a frozen yogurt treat next door at Blush. By the time we left, it was past 4pm. On our way, it rained. With the late afternoon traffic, it slowed us down a little bit. We went straight the McClellan Convention Center, the site of the tournament, hoping to see the boys play their last game for the day. But we were too late. It was almost 6pm. After exchanging pleasantries and some banter, the team gathered for a group dinner at a nearby Mongolian restaurant.

We were billeted at the Lion's Gate Hotel, just a quarter of a mile from the convention center. This was were most of the tournament participants and families stayed for the 2-day Regionals. I managed to book early and availed of the group discount, which saved me at least $40. I thought it was a pretty good deal because it also included a hot breakfast. After we checked in for the night, I had wanted to sit down and have a few drinks. Unfortunately, there were no takers. I ended up having a soda and some chips, while watching replays of ESPN and reruns of Chopped on the Food Network.

The boys had breakfast together the next day, and walked to the playing venue immediately after for the 8:00am call time. Meanwhile, the parents slept in a little bit and met for breakfast around 9. By then, the servers at breakfast already had attitudes. It's either they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of rowdy boys from the tournament all having breakfast at the same time, or it was just their inherent nature. Some of the moms wanted to call them out and give them unsolicited advice, but it wasn't worth the energy and the stress. For a small town of North Highlands in Sacramento, I don't think there are lots of jobs to choose from. These servers should be thankful they have jobs, so a little positive attitude, especially in the hospitality industry, shouldn't be too much to ask.

The venue for the Regionals was probably one of the better ones we've been to this season. It was a large complex, which was able to accommodate all 31 teams in the 16-and-under division. There were sufficient playing courts and enough room for the individual team tables that were spread across the convention center. No need to pitch tents and unfold chairs. Parking was aplenty and free. No charge, too, to enter and watch the games. But then again, we still had to drive up to Sacramento. I wonder why most of the tournaments were held up there since most of the participating teams come from around the Bay. I've heard lots of NCVA (who oversees and runs all volleyball tournaments in Norther California) horror stories, so I am not surprised.

Day 2, Sunday, was long. It was more waiting than playing. On Saturday, the team won 3 out of 5 games, and on the last day, they won 2 out of 3. Not bad. I thought the boys played much better than at their last tournament in Florin. Except for one, the matches they lost were very close. Our last game was suppose to be played at 2:30pm. Of course, it didn't happen. It was more like 4:00pm. But we couldn't leave because we still had to officiate. There were only 3 teams left in the entire venue. And with luck on our side, the match went to 3 sets. It was 6:00pm and they were still playing. As soon as the game ended, we helped tidy our table and off we went.

Dinner on the way home was a toss up between a Japanese restaurant in Dublin and a Mediterranean cafe in Pleasanton. The former won -- Amakara. The place was recommended by friends, but we thought it was overrated and a bit pricey for what they offered. Portions were pretty large, but, for me, it lacked flavor. Even my son commented on the lack of flavor of his chicken teriyaki take-out lunch the next day. And the sushi rolls at our favorite, Tomodachi Sushi Bistro in Hayward, were way better.

It was a (very) long day, and even longer weekend of driving, walking, waiting, talking, and eating. By 10:30pm, I was out.

Author's Note: Lion's Gate Hotel is located at 3419 Westover Street, North Highlands (Sacramento), CA 95652. Amakara is located at 7222 Regional Street, Dublin, CA 94568, while Tomodachi Sushi Bistro is on 24123 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 04545. Amici's and Blush have multiple locations in the Bay Area.

The Week That Was

I haven't fully overcome the horrendous knockout Manny Pacquiao suffered from the hands of Juan Miguel Marquez more than a week ago. I didn't even want to see photographs or watch videos of it. Everything sort of stood still for a while. I just couldn't believe it. I guess I was used to his winning streak for the last 7 or so years. Each time, our little Filipino community here in Mission San Jose/Fremont got together to watch the fights and celebrated his wins.

But life goes on.

Last Sunday, I turned in my son's application to Bellarmine. We made sure the essay flowed smoothly and made sense, and the responses to the 3 questions were direct and concise. The next day, a scanned copy of his Baptismal Certificate was emailed to Admissions. Everything completed before the December 14 deadline. I had to do a little scrambling myself. I had to complete a Non-Academic Recommendation Letter for my son's best buddy, who was also applying at Bell. On Tuesday, I mailed it to meet Friday's deadline as well.

Also on Tuesday, our extended team at the office of NF Compensation and Executive Compensation had a holiday lunch at Pican, one of Oakland's finest (if not THE finest) restaurant for great Southern cuisine. We were seated at a corner room, large enough to accommodate all 21 of us, with more room to spare. We had a prix fixe menu of Southern Ceasar Salad, a choice from 3 entrees (salad, chicken, or pork), and a lemon pudding-like dessert and some dark & white chocolate with dried fruits. Being Southern, practically everyone went for the fried chicken with gouda mac n' cheese, like I did. You'll never go wrong with fried chicken prepared the ol' Southern way. At the end, we raffled off $10-worth gifts, which each one brought.

The gout attack on my right foot continued. I had to ask my office mate to take me to BART on Wednesday immediately after our staff meeting because the pain persisted and my foot had swollen (again). With a quick call to my doctor, I was able to pick up my medication on my way home. The next day, I decided to work from home to rest my foot. I had 3 scheduled meetings that day, with one beginning at 9:00am. I also completed my self-assessment (of my 2012 goals), which was due Friday.

A day's rest and some medication did help. I was able to move around with lesser pain and swelling, but still unable to apply too much pressure on my foot. No matter what, I was determined to go to work. It was our small NF Compensation team's holiday event. I was tasked to plan this event about a month or so ago, since I also planned last year's, which the team enjoyed. For lunch, we went to Chop Bar for a light fare. Next stop was Pan-American grill, Bocanova for some cocktails. Both were in and around Jack London Square in Oakland. But for some strange reason (which I still cannot figure out), the mood of the day changed from what should have been festive to let's-get-this-thing-over-with. We finished lunch quite early, just around 1:30pm, and our Bocanova reservation wasn't till 3pm. It was a good thing we were seated right away. By 3:15pm, we were done, and practically everyone headed back to the office. I didn't because I didn't plan on doing so. And it was the reason why I chose a Friday (which everyone agreed  to), so we could just forget about work for the remaining half of the day and enjoy. Too bad. The  atmosphere went totally south. As for me, it's probably the last time I'm planning anything like this.

This evening, my son had their junior high dance. Being in student government, he had to arrive earlier to help set up the hall, and leave later to help clean up. He said the dance had its share of miscues, particularly with the DJ and the sound system. By the time the dust settled and everything was "acceptable", there were only 30 minutes left before the dance ended. Bummer! After I picked him up, we grabbed a quick bite, then headed home.

Author's Note: Pican is located at 2295 Broadway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612. Chop Bar is located at 247 4th Street, #111, Oakland, CA 94607, while Bocanova is on 55 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607.

Fight Night Disaster

On December 8, 2012, Saturday, the unthinkable happened. Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines' pride and the world's only 8 division boxing champion, was KNOCKED OUT cold in the dying seconds of the 6th round, against his ring nemesis, Juan Miguel Marquez, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

That pretty much summarizes what happened in that bout. 

That Saturday was pretty packed. Still agonizing from my gout attack, I drove our son to his HSPT prep class in Milpitas in the morning. After breakfast with the wife, we proceeded to run some errands, which included picking up an altered jacket and doing grocery shopping for the evening's fight. By the way, we were hosting this 4th version of the Pacquiao-Marquez fight. The hours went by quickly, and we had to swing by Milpitas to pick up our son from his class. Then, off to lunch and more errands. 

We got home with a few hours to do whatever we needed to do. We unloaded the groceries and tidied up the house. Out came the paper plates, cups, plastic spoons & forks, napkins, and other party paraphernalia.  White wines were chilled, reds were rotated, glasses were washed, ice bucket cleaned, and cork screw set aside. Peanuts, chips, and even bags of chicharon were all neatly stacked on one side. Although I ordered food for that evening, I had to cook on dish -- steamed fresh shrimp, then quickly sauteed in sesame oil. 

Our boy's 8A basketball team had a scheduled game that same afternoon, but, for some strange turn of events, it was postponed to a later day. Good for us because, for one, 3 of our players weren't available to play that game, plus we didn't have to cram and stress out preparing for this party. I guess our opponent requested the cancellation because their coaches were Filipinos, too, and probably had their own Pacquiao party to go to. It was a blessing in disguise. 

At around 5:30pm, I went out to pick up the food I ordered, and bought 2 bags of ice on the way back. As soon as I got back, I proceeded to cook rice, then seasoned my shrimps for later. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and our first guests arrived.... an hour too early. I thought they were just dropping off their dish before they headed off to a prior commitment. But it was cool. I led them in and told them to make themselves at home, while I took a quick shower. 

There were a lot of activities happening that evening and it all conflicted. Most of our guests were attending a Christmas concert at St. Joseph church, while the others were coming from different Christmas parties. This was why the invite was for 7pm, instead of the usual 6. Knowing that those attending the concert won't be back till close to 9pm, we all hoped that the main fight won't begin till then. Fortunately, it did. All three undercard fights went the 12-round distance, and the guests started milling in as the national anthems for the main event were being sung. Perfect timing. What else could go wrong? 

Then, it happened. 


Pacquiao received a right hook from Marquez that sent him down in the 3rd round. We were all shocked. We couldn't believe it !!! He picked himself up quickly and was raring to go, his eyes were raging with anger. The battle became fierce. Marquez got a taste of Pacquiao's fury, as his knees buckled and was counted for a knock down in the 5th round. That added fuel to the fire as Pacquiao became even more enraged. The exchanges became more aggressive and violent, until he careless swung and missed, and headed straight into the full force of a vicious right from Marquez, which sent the fighting Congressman, from Saranggani province in the Philippines, crashing face first on the canvass, with just one second left in the round. 

For at least 20 seconds, he was motionless. His wife, Jinkee, was crying as fight promoter, Bob Arum, comforted her.

It was a disaster. A horrible nightmare!!!

Thoughts and images flashed quickly in my mind. No more Pacquiao nights. No more parties. No more get-togethers. It was the end of a tradition. What are we to do???

I didn't mean to be selfish, but it's true. I think Pacquiao is quite selfish, too. With back-to-back defeats, it's a clear sign from above. I think it's time for him to hang up his gloves and just concentrate on being a statesman and philanthropist. He has already made a mark in history by being the only 8-division world boxing champion. And he has tons of money, for even his children's grandchildren to spend. What else does he need to prove? 

Knowing Manny, he will take a break, regroup, and come back, even if he has to work his way up again. But for what? Fame? Money? Pride? Are these consistent with this "new road" he has taken on his spirituality?

Mayweather is certainly no longer interested in him at this point. And a 5th sequel to the Pacquiao-Marquez drama is outrightly pure GREED to me. At the end of the day, it is all about money, including this last devastating encounter. For a bible-preaching, self-proclaimed Mr. Clean, he's talking on both sides of his mouth.

Where do you draw the line between the love for (more) money and the love for your Creator??? Practice what you preach. You decide. As for me, this is where I stop.

What about a Donaire night? Sounds promising to me.

An Inspiring Hawaiian Evening

Last Friday, my family and I watched a truly wonderful and memorable concert. It was a night filled with unforgettable stories of hardship and despair, of joy and happiness, of success and triumph, and a whole lot of Hawaiian music and some mean slack key guitar playing. It was the Hawaiian Holiday Concert at the Mission.

That Friday wasn't as chaotic as in past weeks. The only family activity lined up for the day was this concert. I wasn't able to go to the office that day because I was suffering from another gout attack. Obviously, I had difficulty walking, but I mustered enough energy make it to the evening's festivities. In the weeks prior, we heard that tickets were selling fast, and we knew that the place would be packed. So we left the house at 6pm to grab a quick bite. By 7, we were at the Mission for the 8pm concert.

Concerts at the historic Old Mission San Jose church in Fremont, CA are always divine. With its high ceilings and relatively narrow yet long structure, the acoustics are just exceptional. A perfect venue for any up close concert or musical event.

I attended the concert with no expectation whatsoever. Aside from whatever Hawaiian music I've heard in the past, I have no idea of what was to happen. As a matter of fact, I've never heard of slack key guitar playing either. Let's just say that I was more curious. At the very least, I hoped to be entertained. It was a concert after all, right? From what I've read, the performers are big players in slack key guitar playing and in Hawaiian music, in general. This made me excited. I was in for a treat.

LT Smooth

This concert was the brainchild of Patrick Landeza (more of him later). The master of ceremony was his equally popular brother, Fr. Jason Landeza, who was a former associate pastor at St. Joseph. Currently, he is the pastor at St. Felicitas, and the chaplain of the Oakland Fire and Police departments.

Bill Griffin

Opening act was big hitter LT Smooth, probably one of the Island's best slack key guitar player. Accompanying him was ukelele luthier and mandolele player and instrument maker, Bill Griffin, and 7-time Grammy nominated producer Chris Lau. One interesting note. LT Smooth flew in from Hawaii just for this special concert. He arrived the day before the concert and had to fly out the morning after for an engagement back at the Islands. And airfare and accommodations were paid for by a close benefactor, who wanted to remain anonymous.

Chris Lau

LT Smooth started the evening with a brief narrative of his horrid, painful past, beginning at the tender age of 10, growing up in New Zealand, as he quietly plucked the strings of his guitar to a soft melody. Barely into his story, I was already in tears. Really!?!? I didn't care because I knew that I wasn't the only one. I was asking myself, "what's going on?" I came to be entertained, not cry. And the tears kept flowing as he continued on to sing his rendition of "Amazing Grace." His one-liners and good sense of humor did help lighten up the evening in between sobs.

Patrick Landeza

Next came the big kahuna. The main man himself, Patrick Landeza. He also shared some interesting stories of his childhood, growing up in the "Island of Berkeley" (California, that is). Particularly touching was his narration about his late father, how he strived hard to provide for the family, and how dearly he was missed -- a segue to beautiful song dedicated to his father. Tears started to roll down again. Patrick was funny. His interjections of humor made the evening lively and light. His music selection was appropriate for the evening and the season. Traditional and well-loved Hawaiian tunes filled the air.

A 15-minute intermission ensued. This allowed the audience to stretch, exchange pleasantries, and wipe off any remaining tears. It was also an opportunity to purchase homemade fruit jams, CDs of all the musicians at the concert, as well as some other memorabilia.

The evening also showcased local talents from St. Joseph School. Catherine, a 6th grader, sang the classic "Silent Night" while her father, Khac-Quan, played the violin (himself a virtuoso). Four 8th graders (Bianca, Ashley, Matthew, and Dana) performed an original Christmas composition (by Dana) to the delight of the audience. Another special number was a duet between Patrick and fellow newbie SJS middle school math and science teacher, Neil Sugay (and Holy Spirit Catholic church's music director, too), with their rendition of the popular "I'll Be Home For Christmas." In another piece, Patrick invited his mother, Frances, to sing with him a traditional Hawaiian song.

The night was capped by a jam (no pun intended) of all musicians, headed by LT Smooth on guitar, which included Bill Griffin on mandolele, Chris Lau on upright bass, and St. Joe dad, Khac-Quan, on violin. It was LT Smooth at his wildest slack key guitar playing. I have never seen any guitar player detune multiple guitar strings while playing a piece and still sound GREAT. Didn't sound off key to me. It was just an unbelievable site (and sound).

For those not in the know, like me, Patrick Landeza is considered one of the top slack key guitar style performers. He has learned from the great masters of this guitar playing style, and is the Bay Area's own slack key master. He had been nominated and had received numerous awards in the area of Hawaiian music and slack key guitar playing. Last January, Patrick performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC in Listen for Life's "Power of Eight" concert, which promoted peace through music. He has recorded a number of CDs, and continues to do concerts all over the Bay Area, and beyond, as he shares his brand of music and guitar playing style.

Aside from his music, Patrick is also a middle school social studies and religion teacher at St. Joseph in Fremont, CA. Prior to St. Joe's, he taught at St. Elizabeth High School and St. Martin de Porres in Oakland. For his hobby, he makes fruit jams. In his first year at SJS, Patrick has embarked on a service project for his middle school students. The 6th graders helped prepare a Thanksgiving meal for the underprivileged in the community, while the 7th graders are putting together care packages for homeless shelters. And the 8th graders are providing toys and other goodies for a sister school in Oakland. The proceeds of this concert will help support these service projects as well.

It was truly an amazing night of music and fabulous guitar playing all around. The $20 was definitely a steal. The concert was able to generate a sizable amount of money that would help fund the various middle school projects of St. Joseph. Kudos to Patrick Landeza for an exceptional undertaking. I'm sad that it's my son's last year, but I'm glad he had a chance to work with this teacher and have this experience. The school and the community need more Landezas !!!

Fr. Manny ?!?! Mrs. Cooper ?!?!

By the way, I heard that a luau is on the drawing board for next year. If it happens, make sure you're there. Aloha !!!

(The author would like to acknowledge Ewa by Gentry Community Association, kanileaukelele.com, Liko Puha & Hawaiian Music and Culture Summit-Folsom, sonomanews.com, landezapresents.com, and Gina Mehta for some of the photographs used in this blog.)

Our Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving weekend is always filled with lots of activities in almost every household. It starts off with Black Friday, which signals in the start of the holiday shopping season.

I am not much of a shopper, and Black Friday was never an event I got excited about. That Sunday, though, we did check out Paragon in Livermore to see what everyone's talking about. You already know what my sentiments are on this.

When we got back from Paragon, we passed by this lot a couple of blocks from the house which sold live Christmas trees. We decided to get an early start on the holiday preparations and planned on stopping by. First, we had to drop off our son at home, then did a quick grocery run.

Last year, we were in NYC for Christmas, and in Manila the year before. And because of these, we never bought a tree, and didn't decorate. In years prior, friends bought trees for us. This year, we made sure we did it ourselves. And so, the excitement.

On the way back, we stopped by and looked around. After a brief education on the type of trees available, we went on our search for the perfect tree. Up and down the 3-4 rows of trees of different shapes and sizes could be a little confusing. They all looked alike to me. I let the wife do the choosing.

Her first choice, I thought, was HUGE. It was a 6-7 footer, but it looked more than 8 feet to me. I convinced her that we wouldn't be able to fit the tree through the door. Next, was something smaller. It seemed perfect, but it looked a little different. It looked dry.

Time was running out. We needed to make a choice soon because we still had to take our son to his volleyball practice at Mission HS. Finally, we found one -- a decent 5-6 footer (close to 7 feet if you asked me). We had it set aside, but promised to return after 10 minutes or so.

We did come back and paid for it. We also found out that those trees were being sold by a non-profit organization called, Young Life, who's objective is to keep young adults from going astray. With the tree, plus a matching metal stand, we added a little more and made a donation to this organization.

Since the tree was BIG, we needed a pick-up or an SUV to haul it in. Our friend, Mike R, was so gracious enough to help. I met him the next day after work to pick up the tree. He brought his Suburban and the tree fit just perfectly.

Up for more than week, our tree had not been decorated. The weekdays were just too long, and the following weekend, we were in Sacramento for the volleyball tournament at Florin HS.

We got a break in the week, and, finally, decorated it, as well as for the rest of the house. As a final touch, our son placed the star on the top of the tree, and the task was completed. The Christmas tree stands by the window of the front-facing living room for everyone to see.

A Florin Nightmare

This is what happened at Florin last Sunday.

Rain was pouring hard, and we managed to get a parking spot not too far from the gym entrance. As soon as we got in, we were greeted by bad news. The roof of the gym was leaking and only ONE court was playable. What?!?!?! Whose smart idea was this?

This leak in the roof had some ripple effects. Two divisions were suppose to play at this venue. But because only one court was playable, they had to move one division to another location. One division has 8 teams, which were further divided into 2 pools. To accommodate all the matches, games had to be limited to one set of 25 points. For our Endline team, this didn't work to our advantage. Our players are like diesel engines. It takes them a while to warm up before they can reach their potential. You cannot achieve this by playing one set.

The team had more breaks than actual playing and officiating combined. And like a diesel engine that's constantly turned off, maximum potential was never reached. That pretty much summarized the events in the morning. The team lost all 3 games in the pool.

By noon, the sun, and all its glory, came out and quickly dried almost everything its rays touched. There were no more leaks, but only one other court was used. It was better than just having one. By the start of the bracketing matches, teams were able to play best of 3 sets. Our team had hope. But it was short lived. We lost both remaining matches, and we placed last in the division. The matches were close and not lopsided. I guess the long breaks took its toll on the boys and they just didn't overcome.

It was a sad day, for both players and parents. We managed to stretch the last 2 games to 3 sets, but it just wasn't enough. The outcome could have probably been different had there not been any problems with the playing venue and the leaky roof. But who knows.

As we left Florin, I can't help but ask myself why did the organizers of this tournament, NCVA (Northern California Volleyball Association), allow these things to happen. With a storm in the forecast days in advance, did they even bother to check if the roof was leaking? With 2 divisions, 16 teams, and 4 pools, why did they choose a venue with only 3 courts? Logic will tell you you'd need 4 to play 6 games per court. Conservatively, at 45 minutes per game (including warm ups), that's already 4.5 hours just on pool matches alone. Then, there's probably an equal number of bracket matches in the afternoon. This is why these tournaments end past 6pm.

I don't know who did the math on this, but it just didn't add up right !!! And this is just the boys league. Imagine the girls league, which begins immediately after, with 10 times the number of teams !!!

I'm glad the season is almost over. But there is one more trek to Sacramento. I just hope everything turns out well. Fingers crossed.

Where The Heck Is Peet?

Yesterday, we had our 5th club volleyball tournament in small town, Florin, just south of Sacramento. Call time was 7:45am. Left the house at 6:00, but we still had to go get coffee. We were expecting a storm all the way up to Sacramento, and it poured as we hit the road. My concern, obviously, was the slower travel time because of the rain, and whether we would get there on time.

Off we went to the only Peet's Coffee & Tea in Fremont on Paseo Padre Parkway. I was surprised there were no cars. I thought it was just too early for coffee for a Sunday. Then, the unimaginable. They were closed, and won't open till 6:30. I knew it was going to be a long, tough drive to Florin without caffeine.

Starbucks could have been an alternative for others, but not me. At least, not that morning. Don't even ask my wife. My taste buds have gotten so used to the Peet's brew that all others seem watered-down. I take my coffee black so you could imagine how that tastes. It will surely make any chest hair rise.

We managed to get through the storm and arrive at Florin without a cup of Joe. But as soon as we dropped off our son at the tournament site, off we went to find the nearest Peet's. It was in Elk Grove, about 5.5 miles from where we were. The sky became dark and there was a sudden downpour. Visibility was bad, but it didn't deter us from getting to where we needed to go. Somehow our GPS directed us through back roads and all through the town. After zigzagging the main drag to avoid potholes and puddles, we finally saw it, tucked at a little corner of a small commercial complex.

With all the driving and waiting, I deserved more than a medium black coffee. I rewarded myself with a Mocha. There was hardly anyone in the store so we got our coffees pretty fast. I couldn't imagine anyone being out in a storm just to hang out at a coffee shop, except for us. We found out from the barista that it was the only Peet's in Elk Grove. How lucky can we be??? And as an added bonus, he even showed us how to get back to the tournament venue faster via the freeway.

With our coffees in hand, we headed back to Florin High School for another long day of boys volleyball. What happened that day .... in a separate post. Argh !!!

Paragon Mania

Prior to its opening, I had heard whispers about some outlet going up somewhere close by. Since I'm not a shop-a-holic, I wasn't interested in hearing more about it. Then, the whisper became louder until it became irritatingly noisy. This outlet finally had a name and an exact location. Everyone was talking about it. No way to avoid it. Even covering your ears didn't help.

Dang !! Another outlet. Expect mayhem and grid lock. And an excuse to shop.

On November 8th, Paragon Outlets in Livermore Valley, CA opened its doors to a herd of hungry shoppers, eager to avail of the bargains and discounts these stores had to offer on opening day. From what I've gathered in the news, the place was packed. The atmosphere was merry yet chaotic. Shoppers had to wait 45 minutes to an hour at the cash registers. That's just crazy. And traffic was backed up on the 580 freeway (by the El Charro exit), and facility's management had to use the wide open dirt spaces around the complex for parking. It was that many.

The smarter shoppers decided to stay home for days and waited till the crowd thinned out. When the novelty of being one of the first shoppers has died down, things became more manageable. On Thanksgiving Sunday, my family and I went to Paragon to check out what the fuss was all about. We  walked around to see what stores they had. My son and I stopped by the Nike store hoping to find something for him, but we were disappointed. My wife peeked inside one store and got some apparel, then off we were.

As you know, outlets do not carry the premium stuff. They're what I call "discards" of these retail stores. The outlet stores sell items that don't sell at their regular stores, and pass them off as "sale" items. So, if you're looking for a nice black Prada man-purse, like I was, you won't find it at Paragon. Instead, go to the Prada store in Union Square in San Francisco if you want a better selection. But if you aren't too picky, then an outlet should be OK.

For me, I don't need to travel far for an outlet experience. There are many near where I live. Whether its Gilroy, Great Mall in Milpitas, Napa, Cabazon, Orlando, or Woodbury Common in New York, an outlet is an outlet. They are all the same. For the experience, it wouldn't hurt if you paid Paragon a visit. Maybe you'll find something you like.

Author's Note:  For more information about Paragon Outlets, visit their website at www.paragonoutletslv.com.

Another Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving isn't a traditional festivity I am accustomed to. Growing up in the Philippines, there was no thanksgiving to speak of. The most festive of all occasions, which I would equate to as a Thanksgiving equivalent, is Christmas. It is a time to be with family and friends, to be thankful, and to share. It is probably the longest celebration ever observed. It begins with the start of the "ber" months, which is September, and ends in January. As soon as the clock strikes 12 midnight of September 1st, you'll hear the first Christmas carol being played over the radio. But since the US has become my home for so many years, I have adapted and have partaken in its own rich heritage and tradition.

I am not particularly fond of turkey. I think it's the driest bird ever cooked. It is only during Thanksgiving that I even eat turkey, but I don't think I am missing out on anything. Many moons ago, we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for some friends. We did away with the usual dishes of a Thanksgiving meal. We didn't have turkey. We had chicken instead (TWO, as a matter of fact), plus some other special treats typical of any Filipino feast.

The days that led up to Thanksgiving was quick and full of activity. The workweek was shorter than normal, and I was able to leave work early on Wednesday since there was hardly anyone in the office. Later that evening, my family and I had dinner at our favorite Szechwan/Hunan restaurant, Jing Jing, in Palo Alto, before we watched the Stanford Women's volleyball team play their last home game of the season (they won against Colorado, 3-1).

I knew it was going to be a long day, and there will be a lot of eating. So it was important to pace ourselves. Our Thanksgiving day started with a mass at. St. Joseph. I was a bit surprised to see that there weren't many parishioners that morning. Quite unusual.

As a family, we started some sort of a tradition for ourselves. For the last 3 or 4 years, we celebrated Thanksgiving lunch at Maggiano's in Santana Row in San Jose. They had a prix fixe family-style menu that included traditional Thanksgiving fare and all the fixings, plus some other Italian favorites. There was just a lot of food. If you have been to Maggiano's, you know what I mean. Obviously, we had tons of leftovers, some of which we barely touched.

We planned on taking a quick nap before we headed off to the evening's activities. On our way home, we stopped by a local Safeway. At the door, a homeless man on a wheelchair was soliciting. My wife (with my son) gave the man some money, then went inside to shop. As we left, the man was still by the door. I looked at him, and felt that he was tired and hungry. When we got back to the car, we sorted out the leftovers we had at lunch, and gave the man something we thought he would enjoy. My wife made sure my son was around to see her hand over the bag of food so he understood what he needed to be thankful for and to share what you have.

For as long as I can remember, we've always been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner. Since we don't have any family close by, we are fortunate to have really good friends who treat us as their own. They are OUR family. This year was no different. We had multiple invitations, but it was just impossible to say yes to all of them. Somehow, we managed to do so for a couple. It was on a first come, first serve basis (or was it more like first invite, first go?). The only thing I didn't like about it was that we had to eat at both places we went to. You certainly didn't want to upset your hosts by not having a bite or two of the food they tirelessly prepared for hours. We barely had digested the HUGE lunch we had, and here we were, having dinner, TWICE !!!

As much as we wanted to stay on, the body had given up. All the eating had taken its toll. It was time to raise the white flag. Another Thanksgiving had ended, as we paused to acknowledge all the graces and to be grateful for all the blessings.

A Long Day At Galt

I have never been to Galt, CA. Never heard of it either. But we went there for the Boy's Volleyball Power League tournament #3.

Google Map said it was an hour and 35 minute trip. With some luck, that's about an hour and fifteen trip for me. This meant we had to be up by 5:00am and on the road by 6:00am, in order to make it to the 7:45am call time, with some time to spare. We were on the road at 6:00 alright, but we weren't hoping on the 680 freeway. We still had to get coffee and something to eat. It was 6:35 when we entered 680N. We arrived 7:44.

The drive was uneventful, as in the previous trip to Sacramento 4 weeks earlier, except that there was rain in the forecast. The rain came in spurts and it didn't slow us down. But it poured as we arrived at the venue. Galt is a small town, and it didn't seem like there was much to do there. Volleyball is probably a favorite sport in this town because the tournament venue belongs to a local volleyball club. It has 4 courts and a little food counter.

What I didn't understand was that the facility charged a $4.00 entrance fee (except coaches and players), and you couldn't bring in any outside food or beverage. Since the facility was located in a business complex, the team "stations" had to be erected around the perimeter of the building under the cold rain. Our team's tent was located at the back of the building, right next to the warehouse shipping dock. And I would think that this volleyball club also charged the tournament organizers for using their facility. What a way to make money!!!

Our boys played 3 games and officiated 2 games in their pool. The games were close, but they lost all 3. After a quick lunch, there were 3 more games to play in the bracket. The last 2 games were critical because it determined whether the team stayed in their division or would move down. Although the 4th game was not crucial, a win was a win. It would give the players the needed boost. Unfortunately, they lost another close one. That was 4:00 in the afternoon.

Our club's director was concerned that all the games were behind schedule. With 2 more games to play and 1-2 more games to officiate, we would be up there all night. After some discussions with tournament officials and team coaches, it was agreed that games, goingforward, would be played with one set, to 25 points. For teams whose outcome would determine their eventual standing in the division, they would play best of 3 sets.

Realizing that there was work that needed to be done, the boys went on overdrive. With renewed vigor and energy, they won game #5. It was after 6:00pm. Somehow, there was confusion in the scheduling because the next team we had to play was still officiating. More discussions with tournament organizers resulted in some of our parents volunteering to officiate, so the team we were suppose to play next could warm up and be ready to play sooner than later.

It was after 7:00pm and we started our last game. I guess the long day had taken its toll, particularly for our opponent, that the game ended quite quickly. Our boys won game #6, and stayed within the division. As a matter of fact, they moved up a couple of notches in the standings. It was past 7:30 in the evening.

It surely was a (very) long day, and I didn't even play. And I never expected to be in such a "remote" town this late at night either. By the time we hit the road, it was almost 8:00pm, headed to Lodi for some Moo Moo burger (see related post).

Playing With The Bigger Boys

Since my son has learned to (truly) love volleyball, I have been a much happier camper. He's played CYO basketball since he was in 3rd grade and still does so as an 8th grader. I introduced him to volleyball in 5th grade (start of CYO boys volleyball program), and has begun playing competitively this year since he joined Endline Volleyball Club. I told him that he has a much better chance of playing high school volleyball than basketball, so he needs to hone his skills this early.

He tried out last year, also with Endline. He got accepted. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough players to form a 14 & under team, so they had to dissolve the team. This year, he tried again, hoping that there would be enough players. To our surprise, he was offered to play for the 16 & under team. Of course, he accepted. He is the only 13-year old and 8th grader in the team, composed mainly of high school freshmen and sophomores (and even a junior). Endline did form a 14 & under team for training and development purposes, and not for any competition. I guess the coaches have seen my son's potential and felt he was ready to play with the bigger boys.

During summer, he attended a volleyball camp at James Logan high school, which ran for 2.5 hours a day, 4 days a week, for 7 weeks. This was actually a good preparation for my son when he tried out for Endline. The club volleyball season for boys starts August and ends in December. Beginning February, the CYO boys volleyball season starts until late May. Then, the cycle begins again with the volleyball summer camps from late June to early August.

With my son's acceptance at Endline, I had mixed feelings. I am happy that his skills are recognized and that he will gain more experience playing with older players and be taught by seasoned coaches. On the flip side, I hate the road trips to what I consider distant tournament locations. We were briefed at the start of the season to expect travel to as far north as Sacramento, and as far south as Fresno. So far, we have been to Sacramento twice, with at least one more next weekend. For now, we're also looking at the Regional tournament (a 2-day event) also in Sacramento. Venues have changed in the last minute, so we're hoping it's closer, like San Mateo. For now, the team in planning to drive up Friday night, and spend the weekend up there.

Being in club volleyball means spending all day at a tournament. For the qualifying rounds and regionals, these are 2-day events. Teams play at least 5-6 games, and officiate 2-3 games each tournament day. That's a lot of volleyball. Even I get tired watching (and waiting). This also means the team needs to be fed and be well hydrated. Sandwiches and lots of fruits are what keep the boys going all day. In between, they snack on crackers, cheese, and chips. What makes things a little bit complicated is that there are no lunch breaks. Everything is dependent on when they play and officiate.

On tournament day, each team sets up their own "station", typically, just outside the playing venue. Teams jockey for the closest spot to the court entrance so there is less time getting to and from the station in between games. Just imagine a (very) scaled down version of a tailgate, minus the cooking, grilling, and drinking.

Club volleyball is a commitment. For us, it is a new process different from CYO. It is fun as it is tiring. But, at the end of the day, I think it is all worthwhile.

Author's Note:  For more information about Endline Volleyball Club, visit their website at www.endlinevolleyballclub.com.