OLR's One-Man Machine

On Friday morning, I got an email from our 8A basketball coach informing me of the game schedule for this week, as well as the remainder of the regular season. I really thought that there wouldn't be any game this weekend, at least for 8th graders, because of the scheduled HSPTs at different Catholic high schools in the Bay Area. I was wrong. Somehow, the scheduling gods decided it wasn't too late to send out game schedules the day before.

As soon as I read it, I immediately sent out an email to the team about our Sunday game. It was a good thing we had a 2-day notice. Sigh.

The game was against Our Lady of the Rosary, or shall I say, one player -- their star player. The 12:00 noon game also messed up my scheduled reading at the 11:00am mass. I had to do a little scrambling myself to find a willing replacement at such as short notice. Fortunately, someone volunteered (Thanks, Rebecca).

We were the first game of the day, and it was at Moreau's main gym. I like it when we get to play there because it's spacious and friendly for spectators. We had a little miscue when our assigned scorekeeper did not show up on time. We were given a technical for it. They got 2 free throws off the bat. We were down 2-0 even before the ball was imbounded.

Whenever we play OLR, we basically just play against one player. Everyone else is a supporting cast. This player even acts as on-court coach, yelling out instructions to his teammates, more that their bench coach would. This fellow is big and looks old (I mean, mature) for an 8th grader. I think he even looks older than a high school kid. He had played up all these years, and it's the reason why we're only seeing him this year. He's their star player. Rather, their only player.

I'm surprised the coaching staff has tolerated him all this time. I don't care if he tries to carry the weight of his school on his broad shoulders. It is not the essence of sportsmanship and team play. Certainly, not CYO. He is free to do and say anything he wants. And it appears like his coaches are toothless and have given him their blessings. Obviously, it has gotten to his head (not to mention his father's, too), and the ire of at least a parent of his teammate. Remember the ugly scene that took place at the St. Bede Christmas tournament? It certainly didn't speak well for any of them, much less OLR, as a Catholic school, in general. It was nasty and so ghetto.

After the first half, we were down by as much as 12 points. Despite this (and all the noise and sense of animosity in the air), our boys focused and regrouped. They did what they've done all season long. At the start of the second half, the boys were all over the place. The next thing you knew, they were leading and they never looked back. The parents and friends I invited to watch the game were not disappointed. There was a momentary scare, but, in the end, it was all good.

The win further improved the team's record to 7-1. In the game that followed ours, arch rival St. Anne won over St. Edward, keeping them in second place. With 2 games left, our boys need to win both to assure them on an automatic seed and one of 2 spots in the Oakland Diocese championships.

Day of Reckoning

After months of agonizing, the wait was over. Today was the day my son determined his fate in his young, bare hands. It was the day he took his HSPT at Bell.

As we began to prepare his application to Bellarmine, the anxiety of this day hovered over our heads throughout the holidays. I think we, his parents, were more stressed than he was. The pressure was there, but we only want what's best for him. No second choices. It was Bell or bust.

My son needs some form of structure. He isn't a self-starter. He needs prodding. Maybe pushing is a better word. We enrolled him in an HSPT prep class in anticipation of this day. Most of those we spoke with swore by its effectiveness. I hope it worked, too, for him. We also got him 3 books to use for practice. I think he was only able to go through a book and a half.

Like most kids his age (I was the same when I was his age), there was a little cramming. He waited till almost the last minute to pound those books and maximize the resources he had. To his credit, he did do what he was supposed to. I understood. It was difficult to focus. It was the holidays. He was on Christmas vacation. I guess by the last week, he was so tired of hearing us remind him to hit the books and practice. But I sensed that he knew the importance of doing well in the test. This morning, he was still reviewing some math exercises, despite me telling him to rest and relax.

I woke him up after 9:00am, then had him have bagel and milk for breakfast. At around 11, I cooked him a couple of hotdogs and fried eggs, with rice, for an early lunch. His classmate, Nick, arrived and rode with us to Bell. We passed by my son's BFF, Coby, and took him with us as well. By 12:10, we were at Bellarmine. Call time was 12:45, and the exam was to start at 1. My son wanted to be there early so they can relax a little bit. And that's what we did.

We had wanted to say a prayer at the chapel, but it was closed. So we hung around by the quadrangle nearby, as we watched the entrance to O'Donnell Hall get filled with other 8th graders ready to take the same exam. I decided to take a picture of the 3 boys as a little souvenir on this important day. As the call time drew near, we proceeded to the hall, and were met by 4 other classmates and friends. At 12:45pm, the boys slowly walked in.

It was the day of reckoning. And all we wished was for him to do his best.

Meanwhile, the wife and I had a late lunch at Left Bank in Santana Row, then a little shopping. We crossed Stevens Creek to Valley Fair, then came back for some frozen yogurt at Pinkberry. We had 3 hours to kill.

It was close to 4 by the time we reached Bell. Other parents were already milling around waiting for their own children to come out. About 15 minutes past the hour, the boys started coming out, one by one. Those who were assigned on the first floor rooms got out first, while those on the 3rd floor were last. My son was on the second floor. As he stepped out, he looked OK. He said it wasn't bad, but he didn't say it was easy either. But he did say that the prep class helped. It seemed like they had more time allotted per module than it was during his prep class. He managed to answer all the questions, with enough time to spare. I just hope he answered them correctly.

It was a relief now that it was over. And we kept telling the boys that it's more of a relief for their parents than for themselves. Now, it is a matter of waiting. And the stress and tension will build up as the projected release day nears. For Bellarmine, it's March 15. This is the day we'll all know if my son is accepted at Bell or not. If we get a thick envelope in the mail, that's a good sign. A thin envelope is NOT a good thing.

It's strange how roles are now reversed. About 35 years ago, I was taking the same test to get into a Jesuit school in Manila, and my parents were on pins and needles, as we were today. As the old adage goes, history repeats itself.

Good luck, son. I pray that you, and your classmates, make it.

My Birth Day

It was a bit chilly this morning. I woke up like it was any ordinary day. Not a whole lot of expectation. I guess over the years, I have learned to appreciate each day, birthday or not, and be thankful for it. And this day was no different, except that I am 47 years old.

Frankly, I really don't think like I am 47, but maybe younger. Maybe because I don't want to feel old. Who does? Whether we like it or not, it's the body that reminds us we are getting a little older. That we shouldn't ignore.

Anyway, there wasn't much activity at work today, except for a one-hour meeting till noon. After that, I walked to the Cathedral to hear mass. Like any other ordinary day, there were a sprinkling of devotees who hear mass regularly. Mass ended sooner than I expected, so I had to text my peer to come meet me at our building lobby for lunch. We wanted something quite different and narrowed down the selection to an Asian cuisine. It was either Hawker Fare or Vo's. We chose the latter.

The rest of the day was dead, at least for me. I just literally counted the hours. I was so checked out. Earlier in the morning, my son did receive his Student of the Month (for December) award during the morning assembly, along with his BFF, Coby, who got the Blue Ribbon award for academic excellence (also for December). What's funny was that both of them received similar awards 2 years ago in 6th grade.

The night before, we were trying to figure out where to go for dinner today. We zeroed in on Santana Row, but still debated on where. We finally chose a lighter fare because I prepared steak for dinner yesterday, and having red meat on back-to-back days probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. We went for Pizza Antica.

I've never been to this place, but my wife has. I checked their menu online and it wasn't big. They're suppose to have good pizza, but I didn't know what makes theirs different from any other "artisan" pizza place. They had a few appetizers, pastas and entres, which sounded good. But the only way to know was to try. All I can say is that I need to go back, try it again, and write about it. The pasta dishes we got were so freshly made that I couldn't remember when was the last time I've had anything as fresh or if I've had any, anywhere, period. Really fresh and simple.

Being a school night, we headed home right after dinner, stuffed.

As the end of the day neared, I paused to thank the Lord for the day, and the year that passed. I wished that the coming year would be better, brighter, safer, and more peaceful, not just for my family, but for everyone else.

Salamat.

The Day Before

It's the eve of my birthday, and half the day is gone. I just got out of my weekly 2-hour staff meeting, which I presided. Actually, we take turns running these meetings, and this month is mine.

For the past few days, I have been thinking about little stuff related to my birthday. I normally don't plan anything, except for dinner with the family. I treat my birthday just like any other day. Keeping it low key. If you ask me how old I am, I'll need to do a little mental math because I stopped counting after I hit 25 years.

A family dinner is usually the only planned activity, but I have not even done that yet. I just can't decide on what I want (to eat). I want to try something new or different. Since I don't give it the attention it deserves, we typically end up going to some place we've already been to or somewhere convenient. The way it looks, we're headed in the same direction, unless I do something about it NOW.

Another thing I threw out there was to host a little birthday bash among close friends -- the mafia (a term coined by a school parent/friend of ours referring to the tight group of Filipino school parents/friends) and the "whites" (or everyone else not classified as "mafia"). And since we're talking about a sizable number of families, I thought of having the celebration off limit to kids. Don't know how that's going to work, but I know it has been done in the past. If ever it happens, it won't be this weekend, but probably no sooner than 2 weekends out. At this point, I am still undecided.

At our staff meeting this morning, my boss brought in some bagels to share, plus a little card from the team. It's been a tradition within our group to "celebrate" a birthday with a cake, pastries, and, yes, bagels (and a variety of smears) during staff meetings. And if you're lucky, you may even get treated to lunch by some of your peers. Yup! I've been invited to one.

As far as my calendar goes, I don't have anything major planned at work tomorrow, except for a one hour meeting at 11am. I've blocked off the next hour to hear mass at the Cathedral (of Christ the Light), which is literally just steps from my office. Then, there is the lunch treat from a couple of my peers. In the evening, my son has a basketball practice from 7-8pm, which just messes up any decent dinner plan. If I eventually come up with something, he may have to skip practice. Can't have a late dinner on a school night.

And there's one more thing. Last night, we got a note from my son's school, informing us that he is a recipient of last month's theme award, and that the award will be given tomorrow during the morning school assembly. How cool is that? I do want to attend, but I know I will have problems getting parking at BART if I arrive after 8:00am. I tried to get a single-day parking at the Fremont station just for tomorrow, but none was available. Good thing my wife can make it.

For now, I have a lot of thinking (and deciding) to do, and I don't have a lot of time. SIGH.