It only took Mark Caguioa spitting gum on the hard court, thrusting the ball to the floor much too strong, and getting ejected, for me to become a Ginebra fan.

I could never forget his angas na two technical fouls ang kapalit.

And hindi rin mabubura sa isip ko kung paano sinubukan ni JayJay na kargahin ang team mag-isa nung na thrown out si Mark.

That particular game changed my life. Chos pero true.

After supporting Alaska in the early 90s, and Talk 'N Text in the mid 00s, I finally found a new home with Barangay Ginebra.

And boy, it's been a hell of a ride supporting this team. Az enn.

Almost 7 years na akong nagpapaka-gaga sa Ginebra. So far, so good pa naman.

But if I could turn back time and tell my dancing queen young and sweet only 17-year old self, I would tell her my "5 (five) important things I should have known before I became a Ginebra fan".

Kung matagal tagal ka ng fan, wow bilib ako sa'yo at nandito ka pa rin. Congrats! Cheers to more years!

Pero kung baguhan ka pa lang, swak 'to para sa'yo. At sana makatulong sa life goals mo. Chos

Number 1 - RESPECT ALL LIVING THINGS

Respeto.

Para sa players? Dapat.

Para sa coaching staff? As much as possible.

Para sa kapwa Ginebra fan? OO. AS IN, OO.

Why?

Wag kang mag deny dyan teh. May ibang fans talaga na minsan talaga ewan ko na lang talaga.

Ay nako day, stressful na nga ang true to life mo, dagdagan pa nitong fan na ito.

Actually multiple choice of fans ang meron tayo.

A - I'm walking on sunshine fans. #KeepTheFaith #BawiTayoNextGame #NeverSayDie

B - Nega pointer fingers fans. #TaloNaNamanWhatDoYouExpect #SiCoachKasi #IpakoSaKrusSiPlayer

C - Somewhere in between fans. #hashtagokaylangyanperosanakasi..

At nowadays, since love na love nating i-express ang selves natin on social media networks, hindi natin maiwasang mabasa ang mga commentaries ng ating co-fans.

Kahit saang anggulo mo tignan, minsan medyo mahirap talagang lunukin ang pinagsasabi ng ating kabarangay, pero dapat respeto ang ipairal mo.

We can't please everybody in this whole new world.

Yung comment mo, di type nung isang fan.

Yung comment niya, di ko naman peg.

Pero at the end of the day, may sari-sarili tayong opinyon about some things. At entitled tayo to our own views and opinions.

Kung gusto niya magreklamo tungkol sa player na yun, hayaan mo. Account at opinion niya yan.

Kahit di ka agree sa mga tweets o posts ng fellow Ginebra fan natin, respetuhin mo yung kagustuhan niya.

Tandaan! Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you.

Gugustuhin mo bang pinapakailaman ka ng ibang tao? Hindi diba? It works both ways.

Kaya kung gusto mong tumagal as a Ginebra fan, learn respect.

Number 2 - DON'T HATE, APPRECIATE












As much as possible, it's better to appreciate than to hate.

Alam kong minsan (or most of the time) mahirap i-appreciate ang good things kapag natatalo ang Ginebra.

Yung hinagpis na nararamdaman mo lalo na kapag Purefoods ang nakatalo sa atin? Ay jusko.

At gets na gets ko kapag may mga hate rants tayo. Yung tipong #CAPSLOCKPARAINTENSE

Yung mura tayo ng mura. Yung halos ipako na natin sa krus yung player na nagkaron ng crucial error.

Lahat tayo pagdadaanan yang "teenage angst" phase bilang Ginebra fan.

Pero trust me, nakakadrain yan. Sarili mo lang ang pinapagod mo, pero choice mo yan. lol

Hindi ko naman sinasabi na bawal madisappoint kasi kung bawal madisappoint, baka wala ng Ginebra fan na matira haha.

What I'm just trying to point out is that, instead siguro na we focus too much (keyword: too) sa kapalpakan ng team o particular player, eh i-appreciate natin yung nagawa nila/niya na tama (sana may nagawa lang talaga hahaha).

Kasi alam mo, when you get to learn how to appreciate more than hate, life as a Ginebra fan will be more fulfilling. Azzziiiinnn

Number 3 - SELECTIVE AMNESIA FTW














Ilang taon na nga uli since last nag-champion ang Ginebra?

6 years.

Ilan?

Six. Anim. Sais.

Ha?

Tangina mo. Anim nga. Since 2008.

Since 2008 ang alin?

Sa panahon ngayon, especially ngayon, kung gusto mong maging die hard never say die hard Ginebra fan, kailangan mo ng selective amnesia.

You need to forget na six years ng hindi nahuhulog ang balloons in our favor.

PERO! Selective amnesia. Hindi ko sinasabing kalimutan mo lahat.

Wag mo ng alalahanin yung fact na six years na nating hindi naiaangat yung championship trophy.

Pero wag mong kalimutan yung pain at sadness na kaakibat ng anim na taong 'yan.

Kasi, by God's grace at maawa Siya sa atin at nag-champion tayo, mas matamis ang panalo kapag maalala mo yung hapdi ng sugat na ibinigay ng six year drought.

Reccommendation: Pwede mo rin isama sa selective amnesia mo ang mga haters. Para less stress ang buhay Ginebra fan mo.

Number 4 - LEARN HOW TO KEEP THE FAITH















Prayers move mountains.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Throw a wish in the well.

Hindi mabilang yung mga times na ginusto kong kumalas sa Ginebra.

Nung na-injure si Mark. Naknamputa. Halos di na ako manood ng game.

Nung kapag tinitignan mo yung bench tapos napapailing ka na lang.

Nung halos lamunin tayo ng mga write up na "the past and the previous".

Minsan naiisip ko baka part of growing up and maturing as a person yung i-let go ko yung pagiging fan ko.

Pero alam mo, thankful ako na hindi ako bumigay.

Hindi kasi dahil nanalo na tayo ng championship uli (which has yet to happen by the way, as of posting), pero dahil it gave me the wonderful opportunity of meeting other die hards.

Yung mga I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender fans.

Yung mga fans na di ko inakalang magiging kaibigan ko at makakachikahan ko ng bonggang bongga.

Oh diba? That's something positive na bunga ng pagkikeep mo ng faith as a Ginebra fan.

So yung #NeverSayDie na motto na yan, hindi lang yan para sa players at games, most importantly, para din sa ating mga fans 'yan.

Number 5 - STRONG HEART IS NEEDED










Ilang beses nang binasag ng Ginebra ang puso ko.

After all the years of pain and losses and sadness and all that jazz, my heart is covered with bandages and stitches and paste and anything just to keep it together.

Pero alam mo, kahit na gusgusin na yung porma ng puso ko dahil sa Ginebra, my heart is happy.

Being a Ginebra fan is not always about rainbows and butterflies and those glittery stuff you used to post on MySpace.

Sometimes it's about rainstorms and cockroaches and boring old Times New Roman, too.

The Ginebra life is both bad and good. Awesome and meh. Highs and lows.

It's about making the most out of the present situation.

It's knowing what to do with whatever is handed to you.

It's about learning and acceptance.

Sa madaling sabi, it's life.

It has its ups and downs, because if it doesn't, all you have is a flatline.

Ibig sabihin nun, dedo ka na.

Kaya keep your heart strong, kabarangay.

And there you go. Those are the five important things I would like to tell my younger self.

At sana kahit papano may napulot kang aral at higit sa lahat sana'y napangiti kita kasi talo na naman tayo huhubels

Pero wag ka nang malungkot, do or die lang 'yan. Kayang-kaya (fingers crossed)