For the 3rd Quarter of 2021

JOB WELL DONE JEFF!

As your class president, may I take this opportunity to commend our indefatigable classmate Jeff Tupas for his unceasing support as secretary of our class. In a span of three years Jeff performed exceptionally well without any complaint and even went beyond his job description by running errands and doing tedious coordinations with dispatch to accomplish class projects and activities. And… we never dozed off in the class call! Such a feat indeed. His usual line that accompanies his smile whenever I request him to do something is, “ok mistah basta for the class.” He requested to relinquish his position because of mounting business and professional workload. Thank you Jeff for being such a big help to the class.

EDMUND IS NEW CLASS SECRETARY

Let’s welcome Bai Edmund who is also the class representative to the PMARAI, formerly BIRC. As such, he can relay any disseminations directly to the class easily and without delay.

JLO: GUEST CONTRIBUTOR/WRITER

For this issue of the Cavalier Magazine, Bai Edmund begged off to write in the class call as he is preoccupied with very important matters. He promised to write in the next issue, hence, I requested Jess Lomeda to fill in.

Canada/August 11, 2021

WHAT DO YOU CALL A PERSON WHO IS HAPPY ON A MONDAY?

SIRIT? I’ll tell you the answer at the end of this class call . . .

We are now going to our second year of COVID-19 pandemic and there is no clear forecast yet in sight. There are new deadly variants coming out. Let us all get vaccinated and be protected (to include our families and love ones)! We have seen the pictures of Paco, Rainier, Emil, Jojie, Sammy and Gil Pacia getting vaccinated. For the others, show your pictures in our Viber Group… by seeing and knowing that you are done with the two-dose vaccination is breathtaking and a great relief for us, your mistah!

Let us all thank Mistah Raymund Yap for offering and facilitating vaccinations to our dependents that are not in the local government pipeline or priority lists, without any cost.

Birthday greetings to the following mistahs celebrating this 3rd quarter of the year 2021. This is now the period that one by one of us is reaching the age of 65. If ever, you are that person, please do not forget that you are eligible for an old-age pension at PVAO for being a veteran! Just show any proof that you have serve the AFP for at least two tours (i.e. 3 years per tour)…

July: 07 – Joel Marayag, 11 – Ed Escueta, 11 – Arnold Perez, 13 – Jun Ancheta, 17 – Gene Enriquez, 24 – Vic Solomon, 27 – Ariel Bernardo, 28 – Jufel Adriatico, 28 – Tony Joco, and 29 – Noel Manabat.

August: 08 – Angelo Palmones, 13 – Ed Tamayo, 15 – Emil Gupana, 17 – Manny Amat, 18 – Ma. Elena Aquino Cruz, 21 – Ager Ontog, 21 – Bobby Ramos, and 31 – Mon Muyargas.

September: 02 – Nolet Ojeda, 06 – Rainier Cruz, 06 – Eugene Velasco (+), 08 – Ces Ordoyo, 12 – Gerry Layug, 15 – Hermie Navarro (+), 16 – Alex De Guzman, 18 – Bong Cabantac, 19 – Nes Bernardino (+), 23 – Dante Balao, 24 – Paco Francisco, 25 – Juni Carbonell, and 28 – Mike Rodriguez.

Bai Lleno said, “The purpose of senior golf is for exercise, to socialize, and most of all, have fun. Otherwise, we should be in the PGA Tour.“

For playing golf and having fun together for so long already, these senior Mapitagan Golfers (MG) have developed their own lingo and have coined many new words, namely:

1. Visa – permission given by wife to play golf.

2. Cobeers – beers from Cobar of Asian Brewery.

3. Pacoing – golfer na mahilig mang- indyan; nagsignify na maglalaro, pero hindi sisipot.

4. Colining – Nine holes lang and tataposin. Oops!

(Paano daw kung si Balao, di ang verb ay “Balaoing”?)

5. UNLIGAN or ONELLIGAN noun – unli (unlimited) mulligan.

6. GEORGE RULE noun – Mapitagans’ version of winter rule…

7. PAR MULLIGAN – sexclusively applicable only to Herr Onell

8. Sammying, noun – not signifying in the playing list, but showing up before tee off time and playing (antonym of Pacoing)

9. Jarque Distance – one putter length from the hole, take or give na!

10. Emil Rule – tanong mo si Emil! hehe

11. Emiling? Verb: Progressive tense = taking advantage of the situation

… and now the answer to my riddle on “what do you call a person who is happy on Mondays?”

The answer is a RETIRED person!

For working people, Mondays are usually the time for office meetings to discuss progress reports, a cause for nervous breakdowns. However, for a retired person, it means more time with friends and family, more freedom and less stress, observing those happy-feelings come a lot easier . . .

For the Mapitagans, we deal on what we need to do to create our own “Happy- Life”:

* We surround ourselves with positive people (no pun intended hehe, not referring to covid);

* We practice gratitude;

* We start our day off with positive intentions;

* We stay focused on the present and enjoy every moment;

* We bring humour into our lives every day;

* We quiet our brain with meditations or deep breathings; and

* We transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk!

Our Mapitagan Viber Group describes us a lot. We can find these descriptions of a happy life there. We are surrounded with supportive mistahs, practicing gratitude. We greet mistahs on the exact day of their birthdays – letting the greeter rouse or say silly things. On the other hand, the birthday celebrant is obliged to thank one by one all the people who greeted him on his special day.

At the start of our day, positive intentions are on the right track. We can see the daily “good morning” greetings of Jardi Mantele; followed by a picture quotation from Angel; and then a response from Dante B. There is always a morning prayer from Bong C, and sometimes from Ces O. After reading the motivational essay of Fr. Art Ledesma posted by Hermie, our minds are occupied with positive thoughts to proceed our day. Sometimes, from time to time, wonderful words coming from Sammy.

We always stay focused on the present and enjoy every moment during fellowship telling same old stories with mistahs, eliciting laughters. At the end, taking out ziplocks to bring home leftovers and the remaining cobeers. We bring humour into our daily lives by texting jokes. Even during this solemn time of pandemic, jokes from corny mistahs are quick witted. Ces believes that covid came from bats because people are becoming “panicky” hehe. Paco likewise said that during quarantine at home, we have to check our aircons because they might be “Carrier”.

We quiet our brain with meditation or deep breathing. There are still many mistahs that their presence are not felt – hindi nagpaparamdam, even nasa directory siya ng Viber (to check out who read your comment in Viber, press long on the comment and a scroll menu will come out. Select info and you can see the names who have seen your message and the people who made a reaction emoji – such as “like”) Perhaps these people are quiet because they are just meditating and deep breathing what response to make? hehe

Finally, we transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk. With the knowledge of sickness and death in the family, Mistahs are quick to send their condolences and sympathies, offering healing prayers.