Ping Pong: continued

I've been meaning to include this in yesterday's post...

One of the favorite topics that Class A table tennis players discuss is the paddle...like what brand and type of rubber is good for a certain player or style of playing. It's funny though but they do take it seriously. Like for example when a player announces that he just bought one rubber (or two for both sides), then everybody would stop whatever they're doing to inspect it, give comments and ask how much and where (especially when they think it's a bargain!) and then proceed to attaching it to the wood. They do it ceremoniously too ^_^ Really! Having a good paddle is important to them.

One day, when a situation like this happened again, I was really curious. I wanted to know why so much ado about a paddle???? So after the commotion died down, I asked Sir Bitoy, (one of the top players in Bohol) about it. He explained that when you're a good player, you also have to have a good paddle -meaning, the best that you can afford. And also, he continued, you have to know each rubber and what it can do to augment your style of playing. A paddle contributes so much to the outcome of a game of table tennis. To sum it up: good paddle + good player = good performance.

How about the wood? I asked again, this time, Sir Peter. Good thing he was more than glad to explain..afterall, it's his favorite topic!!! He explained: The wood is just as important. It has to be rigid so when you whack it for a fast ball, it doesn't vibrate much. So we can't use an ordinary wood? No. It will break easily. No solid wood that thin could withstand a rough playing. Ordinary plywood? Not good either...(but I can't remember what he told me). So what makes a paddle wood much better? Sir Peter stood up and took his paddle and showed me the siding of the wood. See this black layer at the middle? This is carbon. So if your wood has this, then you have a good wood. So, to recap: good wood + good rubber = good paddle; and good paddle + good --..okay, okay...you got the drift...

adios, mi amigos y amigas...hasta la vista!!



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Ping Pong, anyone?

Actually, it's table tennis. We just say ping pong because it's easier to say hey! let's play ping pong! Two syllables versus four. ^_^

Well, anyway, whichever way you call it, the players love this sport. They play; they watch; and they talk about it enthusiastically. It's fun just listening to them talk about -what else? pingpong! and watching them play and do a certain backhand stroke that makes a ball spin wildly up and far off the table when an opponent doesn't know how to counter it, makes me smile a smile that could eat a banana sideways LOL...and say to myself, I can do that...ahem.

The class A players, I found out, are always practicing. They have to keep it up so they play at least three times a week but some of them play everyday for at least two hours every time. The class B, which are quite good players too, are the younger ones...mostly students, therefore, practice less because of lack of playing time and money. Some are lucky to have supporting parents who practice with them and pay the bill.

There's never a dull moment when they play. It's quite interesting to see each serve style and how it spins or stops the ball somewhere near the net. One Class A player,Sir Opong, sometimes do an antic serve that never fails to make everybody laugh and set the mood light and enjoyable. And the good thing is, no matter how the opponents take the game seriously, and inevitably say the f*** and s*** words when they miss a ball, the game always end up with high fives or a handshake. It feels good to observe such sportsmanship and camaraderie in action. Come to think of it: Politicians should PLAY table tennis to ward off ill feelings towards opponents!!

There's one thing though that bothers the current Class A players who also are the officials of their table tennis club. There are not many Class B players to choose from to become Class A that would in years to come, be the officials of the group. They lack funds to keep up with expenses for tournaments. They need sponsors and sponsors are hard to find. I asked Sir Peter, the president of the BTTC, why he thinks tournaments are so important and he said: Tournaments are a motivation to be better players, Tournaments are something to look forward to. Tournaments are a natural way of choosing officially who among the Class D would become Class C and who among the Class C would become Class B and so on...which would answer to their quest for future leaders of BTTC (Bohol Table Tennis Club) when the time comes that the officials are too old to stop a spinning a ball. I'm not saying that the need is urgent though...the current officials are still young to even think about retirement. It's just that becoming a Class A table tennis player is a long process. We are not talking about months of playing but years...lots of years and lots of tournaments and competitions to win. It's not just how well you play. You have to prove it. Now that really is something to think about.



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i don't remember getting older but when I look at Paipai and Epol

I realize I am. It wasn't long before when I saw Paipai struggling to stand and have her first step and also I used to sing to Epol and had him finish lines of his favorite song and now he talks in complete sentences. He talks and asks questions... lots of questions.

fast food syndrome

the shopping malls here are almost always full of people...people who want to buy, people who want window shop, people who want to watch the movies, people who want to sit down and watch other people pass by and of course the hundreds of mall employees and workers AND they all end up getting hungry.! ^_^ no wonder the fast food centers and restos are full almost all day long. You always feel hungry after standing for a long period on a queue because as you pass by the lobby, the aroma of fries and roasts wafting in the airconditioned air makes you feel really tired, thirsty and hungry.

i'm one of those who frequent the malls not really because i have something to buy or something to buy it with :( but going there is fun. i'm one of those who sit and watch but somehow end up inside greenwich or kfc or jolibee..hehehe...well, as i've said, i'm one of those who sit and watch and to my friends' amusement, i told them that more than 80% of the people who frequent the malls have the fastfood syndrome. most of them have bulging waistline..



we have such big appetite otherwise they would not think this would attract costumers.

Untitled. Who needs one?

I would never be a professional artist. Why? Because I don't have perseverance, that's why. I only paint or draw when I feel like it...like this morning, I felt the urge as I opened my windows. The sky was luminous blue and the tree looked dark against it. Then its foliage caught the first rays of the sun. Everything was still and beautiful...yes, far more beautiful than this pastel drawing.

My apologies to nature.

in the mood again

bird of paradise

this one's for those who need cheering up...

i do believe that most of the time, it only takes a little to cheer us up...like how Paupau's smile brightens up my day or even Epol pretending to snore like his Papa...or even his no, papa, no when asked to stop playing with mama's cellphone.

so this original pastel drawing is for all of you...you can even copy paste this one..if you want to..with my permission as long as there's no intention of reproducing it for the purpose of selling. ..i know, i know..i can almost hear it..but who'd possibly want to buy this...this thing?

so, bye for now, folks. see you sometime soon..