Sunday, September 17, 2006

A Tribute to My Husband

Tag Category: A Badminton Story

It's my husband's birthday today and I must admit that with all of the things that have recently happened in our lives, I was not able to prepare anything for him. I could not even cook for him because my olfactory senses simply could not stand the smell of cooking. So my husband is out right now buying food for the guests. By the way, we're not just celebrating his birthday....it's also been 5 years from the day I officially said yes to his proposal for us to date exclusively. Hahaha...uso pa ba yun ngayon? Kids these days are usually less formal. Di na uso yung panliligaw. I have to admit that I come from a different generation and I'm not familiar with the dating patterns of teens these days. But I digress.

I was surfing the net deciding on what my entry for today will be when I came across the site of Badminton Chronicles. I was reminded of this article written by Mr. Victor Belizario about my husband. I don't know Mr. Belizario personally but I was truly touched by his article. It is a fitting tribute to my husband who's celebrating his birthday right now. It also proves the importance of observing court ethics while playing badminton, and that a little help goes a long, long way. I would like to share this article with you. And to Mr. Belizario, whoever and wherever you are, my heartfelt thanks to you for sharing your story with the whole world. Here's to Jojo *toast*! Happy Birthday Honey and Happy Anniversary!

The day ee played against RP singles no. 1
By: Victor C. Belizario 17 January 2006 2:08 PM

One Sunday morning back in the early 1990s, we heard that Mang Tony was coming to join us in our weekly badminton game. He was a kababayan, a badminton buddy of my father and my uncle, but was then residing in Manila to tend to his business. He arrived with his son, Jojo, a tall and lean chap in his 20s. He's a very good player, we were told. Everybody in his family plays badminton. Hmm... that may be so, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's THAT good. Turned out that Jojo Mance was RP Singles No. 1 at the time and he was going to play with us weekend warriors! All right, I take it back. He must really be THAT good.

The venue was formerly a pelota court so only two sides were buffered against the wind and the rays of the sun. Good badminton courts were hard to find then, especially in Biñan, Laguna so we made do despite the additional opponents – Mr. Gusts and Ms. Glare. True enough, nobody could withstand the father-and-son team. As there were practically no televised badminton matches during that era, it was my first time to watch a player move – no, glide on the court - swiftly and effortlessly, it seemed. Compared to this display of finesse, our footwork seemed like that of chickens – the decapitated variety. And his deft and deceptive strokes were remarkable to us yokels. Not to mention the hard smashes he occasionally let loose. But more astounding was his demeanor. Aggressive, but not loud-mouthed. He was no android either; he affably acknowledged good plays of his partner and even his opponents. We didn't see tantrums or self-berating scenes whenever a less-than-perfect shot was made. Which is quite rare nowadays. After the oldies, we (younger players) were next - to have a whack at it, as it were. But this time, he went one-on-two with us. Uhmmm … maybe we have a chance to beat him after all, we mused. That thought quickly vaporized when the game started and he quickly piled on the points. As my partner and I were basically all-power-and-no-strategy players then, we virtually telegraphed our intentions to him during every rally. Well … not every rally, really … there was one point when we finally got to serve. Jojo anticipated a short serve so he was poised to lunge at the net for the kill when I had begun my service motion. But I executed a pretty good flick serve, which surprised him (and most of all, me!) The shuttle sailed in a textbook offensive arc just beyond his reach and landed just inside the service court. Uh-oh. Instead of being elated, I thought grimly – now, you've done it. He's going to whip you and your partner for that. Lintek lang ang walang ganti. But surprisingly, he just laughed softly at himself and nodded at us in recognition of the point. No grimacing. No menacing grin. He even returned the shuttle to us for our next serve properly. Kakaiba talaga!? These days an opponent might slam the bird into the net in disgust or begrudgingly hit the bird back to you, i.e. hit it out of your reach. Anyone out there who could relate? Okay, okay … you can put your hands down now.

Anyway, after our single-game match, he gave us tips on footwork, grip, strokes, strategy .…. in a casual, unassuming manner. But what he didn't mention, we learned by example. Sportsmanship. Character. Play hard but still be agreeable to your opponents. Yes, even to your doubles partner….especially your doubles partner.

As we bid each other goodbye after the game, we thanked father and son for playing with us. Today, at 45, I thank them for helping me sustain my love for the sport. Just a little kindness really goes a long way, doesn't it? The final score? Ahhh ..….. oo nga pala! Jojo whipped us 15-3. Yet somehow, we all went home winners.

42 comments:

Abaniko said...

Greet your hubby a happy birthday for me. If I were him, I won't mind you not cooking at all if I get to order from restaurants with really yummy food. Don't forget the pansit... :-)

Anonymous said...

HELLO! may I know who might u be? how did u came to know about my blog anw? LOL. the owner of www.salsarox-.blogspot.com here. xP

Anonymous said...

Wow! RP's single no. 1. Now that you're married so I presume RP's double no. 1? LOL I'm really impressed, ladybug, because badminton is one sport I would have indulged in if it were not for my knee injury. Happy birthday to your hubby!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to your hubby and Happy Anniversary to both of you!

The story really is touching.

(:

Have a great Sunday, Ladybug!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to him and happy anniversary to you both. You've got quite a catch there ladybug. Take care. :-)

ipanema said...

MisterBug, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! and to you both...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! Wish you have more to come! Enjoy your special day.

ladybug said...

abaniko> Thanks. That's precisely one of the food he ordered -- pansit. Di talaga mawawala to pag may birthday -- for long life daw. :-) Hahaha...hope it's true.

ladybug said...

salsarox> Hi there! I was just bloghopping when I came across your blog. I found your sketches about math quite interesting and I'm glad you also enjoy playing badminton. :-) Good luck and thanks for dropping by. :-)

ladybug said...

bugsybee> Hahaha...double na talaga ako...hahaha. Anyway, that story happened early 1990s pa so medyo matagal na panahon na yun....lagpas na isang dekada. Thanks for the greetings! :-)

ladybug said...

kyels> Thanks for the greetings! :-) I'm glad the story touched you because it really touched me. I enjoyed my Sunday...hope you enjoyed your weekend too. Can't wait for this weekend to come...lol! :-)

ladybug said...

niceheart> Thank you very much. Hahaha...I'll tell my husband about you said. Anyway, hope you enjoyed your weekend. :-)

ladybug said...

snglguy> Yup! Hahaha...nakasulit ako. Alaskado nga ako sa mga friends ko dahil ang corny ko daw...sinagot ko siya sa birthday niya. They told me that if we end up together, it will be a memorable birthday for him. But had we broken up, it would have been a different story. His birthday would also be memorable but in a different way -- lots of bad memories....hahahaha! Anyway, everything turned out for the best. I found my soul mate and I was not letting go. :-) Thanks for the nice wishes.

ladybug said...

ipanema> Finally, someone came up with a moniker for him. That sounds about right MisterBug...hahahaha! Thanks for the nice greetings! We definitely enjoyed our special day. Hope you also had a nice weekend. :-)

Rey said...

Hey, happy birthday to that hubby of yours. It is when others write things about us that we know we did something good or bad-- and in this case, your husband's character on the olive-green court. RP no.1 pa... galing nyo naman. congratulations.

5 years since dating? hmmm.... that means mas nauna kami ni Jean ng 7 years sa inyo. hehe.

Anonymous said...

Belated happy birthday to your hubby. And siempre happy anniversary din. Hindi na nga ata uso iyan ngayon but i want my son to learn the value of respect for women. Well, matagal pa iyon kasi ayaw ko munang magligaw siya, pakialamerang nanay ako e (lol).

Anonymous said...

Ladybug,

This week will pass by --- fast, definitely and soon you'd be resting and enjoying your weekend again! Hehe.

I did enjoy my weekend and I hope that you did have fun as well!

(:

Señor Enrique said...

Belated Happy Birthday to you hubby and Happy Anniversary, too!!!

Honney said...

Hello, Ladybug! Thank you for dropping by my blog. So you're into Badminton pala noh? And you have a Celebrity husband! Wow, that's awesome! :-) Anyway, pls extend my birthday greetings to him!

OH by the way, Happy Anniversary too. GOd bless!

ladybug said...

rey> Thanks for the greeting and the nice words. You're right...it truly amazes me that something my husband did more than a decade ago still continues to touch the lives of others. I'm still continually discovering these nice things about him. He's now happily in retirement.

Yup....5 years mula nung sinagot ko siya. So, nakaka-12 years na kayo. Hanep! I hope your relationship becomes stronger as each year passes by. Thanks again!

ladybug said...

lani> Thanks for the greeting! :-) I'm glad you're instilling respect for women in your son at such a young age. Yan na yata ang kulang ngayon. Hayaan mo, kung lalaki ang magiging anak namin yan din ang gagawin ko. :-) Concerned mother ka lang lani, hindi pakialamera....hahaha. :-) Siguro mas malala pa ako sa iyo.

ladybug said...

kyels> Thanks. Hahaha...three more days after this one and it's weekend again. I'm definitely feeling the effects of pregnancy.

ladybug said...

eric> Thank you very much for the greeting. :-)

ladybug said...

snow princess> Thanks for dropping by my blog too. :-) Yes, I'm definitely into badminton. Hahaha....I wouldn't call my husband a celebrity. In fact, retired na siya eh. Thanks for the nice greeting. :-)

Lazarus said...

Belated happy Bday to your hubby! I read that article somewhere! Great man he is!

MarchBabYy said...

happy anniversary! n happy birthday to ur husband! By the way, how did u get to noe my blog link? Cheers :-D

Anonymous said...

Please say my belated happy birthday greetings to your hubby! Happy anniversary also! Now that you mentioned food again, I'll be having my breakfast. Yum, yum. Ingat!

Anonymous said...

I came in late. Anyhow, Belated Happy Birthday to your Hubby and Belated Anniversary too.

This one would not be late - Happy Weekend.

God Bless.

shopgirl said...

hahaha didn't read the italicized part.. too long too lazy hahaha anyway.. belated happy birthday to your husband and belated happy anniversary thing.

i don't know. nagligawan din naman kami ng boyfriend ko hahaha so.. i guess for some people uso pa ang ligawan.

JMom said...

Belated happy birthday to your hubby! :)

Anonymous said...

belated Happy Birthday po sa hubby nyo..u..god bless po!

ladybug said...

lazarus> Thank you! I'm truly touched by your comment. :-)

ladybug said...

i'm my lil devil> Thanks for the greeting and for dropping by! I was just bloghopping when I came across your site. Glad to meet badminton enthusiasts in the blogosphere. :-)

ladybug said...

waddup> Thank you very much for dropping by my blog too! :-) I'm truly touched by your greeting. Hope to see you around. :-)

ladybug said...

jv> Thanks for the greeting! Sige, kain ka mabuti. Ikain mo na lang ako ha. Medyo mapili ako sa pagkain ngayon kasi naglilihi ako eh.

ladybug said...

myepinoy> Thanks for the greeting. Huli man daw at magaling naihahabol din. :-) Hahaha...sobrang aga naman. SIge, ikaw din -- happy weekend! :-)

ladybug said...

cornflake girl> Thanks for the greeting. Hahaha....sensha na. Haba rin kasi ng italicized part eh. I'm glad to know na uso pa ligawan ngayon. Hahaha. Sana maging strong din ang relationship niyo. Good luck to us! :-)

ladybug said...

jmom> Thanks for the greeting! :-)

ladybug said...

david edward> maraming salamat sa pagdaan at sa pagbati. :-)

ladybug said...

whatever you're> Thanks for dropping by my blog too! :-) Don't worry, whenever we get the chance to visit Singapore, I'll ask my husband to teach you! ;-D Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I knew Jojo was good but I didn't know he was THAT good! Happy birthday to him and congratulations to both of you!

ladybug said...

Hi toe! Thanks for the nice greetings. :-D

mj said...

oh,mr.belizario,my bio teacher