[At left is the photo of the recently proclaimed and crowned Miss UNIVERSE 2018, our very own Miss Catriona Gray; while at right is the photo of my son Walter Anthony E. Young, who for a time did gigs singing in parties and events as a hobby and as and by way of supplementing his income. I just learned from Anthony that TWO (2) years ago,  in one of his gigs, he happened to croon and sing before an audience which included Miss Catriona Gray. ]  

 

‘Twas a surprise to learn just last NIGHT¹,

That my son ANTHONY^1a had a beautiful SIGHT…

Of our country’s entry at Miss UNIVERSE², this YEAR;

That’s CATRIONA GRAY, whom I adore and REVERE!

 

 

 

It was at the Manila Polo Club, 2 years AGO…

When TONTON³ had regular gigs and did sing in a SHOW,

With guitar in his hand and BRUNO MARS⁴ as his MAN…

CATRIONA came up to him and requested a PSALM⁵!

 

 

 

‘Twas ADELE’s⁶ song that CATRIONA WISHED,

But TONTON said that the song is not in his LIST…

Little did TONTON know that the alluring Miss CATRIONA…

Will someday walk the ramp to be a beauty pageant WINNAH⁷!!!!

 

 

 

 

She’s a DAME from the town of OAS⁸ in ALBAY⁹…

Her full name I learned is Catriona Elisa Magnayon GRAY;

Her DAD is an AUSSIE from CAIRNS¹⁰,

Her “SLO-MO”¹¹ walk is so fantastic when she do those TURNS!

 

 

 

 

When I saw at the polls via YouTube¹²,

CATRIONA was leading as I watched  our office’s TUBE¹³…

She’d be a cinch as the UNIVERSE 2018 QUEEN,

Her evening gown¹⁴ gave it away, all the others will surely CAREEN¹⁵!

 

 

 

The crown is the Philippines’ FOURTH¹⁶,

And Misses  South Africa¹⁷ and Venezuela¹⁸ will be part of her COURT¹⁹;

And CATRIONA indeed exuded much APLOMB²⁰,

It has brought JOY to Filipinos as though a LEMON BALM²¹!

=======================================================================

[Legend: 1 – It was on the eve of the FINALS/CORONATION night (i.e. December 17) of the Miss UNIVERSE Beauty Pageant when my son Anthony told me about his chance encounter with Miss Catriona Gray at the Manila Polo Club, two years ago.

1^{a —} ANTHONY – Anthony is the second name of my only son Walter Anthony Evangelista Young.

2 –  Miss UNIVERSE – The 2018 Miss UNIVERSE Beauty Pageant which was held in Bangkok, Thailand.

3 – TONTON –  Tonton is the nickname of my only son, Walter Anthony Evangelista Young.

4 – BRUNO MARS is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and dancer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship and for performing in a wide range of musical styles including R&B, funk, pop, soul, reggae, hip hop and rock. Mars is accompanied by his band. Tonton has patronized Bruno Mars’ songs in his regular gigs before where he would sing songs in parties and events.

5 – PSALM means a SONG.

6 –  ADELE  is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins who is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006, Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year. In 2007, she received the Brit Awards “Critics’ Choice” award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll. Her debut album, at 19, was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success. It would appear based on my son’s recitals and Miss Catriona Gray’s FB page that ADELE is Miss Gray’s favorite.

7 – WINNAH  is a corruption of the word WINNER and is used in this FUN RHYME blog to achieve some RHYME.

8 – OAS  is officially the Municipality of Oas in Central Bicol and is a 1st class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 67,960 people. It has been pejoratively bruited about that in OAS, it has allegedly become the practice that if a child is born within the municipality of OAS, if the child is a BOY,the child will become a PRIEST someday. However, if the child is a GIRL, she will surely just land in a job in the entertainment industry such as a guest relations officer, among others.

9 – ALBAY (to be pronounced with some kind of foreign intonation as AL-BEHY, to achieve some kind of rhyme with GRAY) – Albay is a province located in the Bicol Region in southeastern Luzon of the Philippines. Its capital is the City of Legazpi, the regional center of the whole Bicol Region, which is located in the southern foothill of Mayon Volcano, the symbol most associated with the province.

 10 – CAIRNS (pronounced as CARNS, with silent “I”) is the birthplace of Miss Catriona (having an Aussie for a father and a Filipina for a MOM) Cairns is considered the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and is a tropical city in Far North Queensland.

11 – SLO-MO – Miss Catriona has won praises and lauds with her now famous “SLO-MO” twirl wherein she would do a turn and the sight would virtually be like here doing a SLOW MOTION walk.

12 – YOUTUBE  did a live-streaming of the polls on as to who will be crowned as Miss UNIVERSE 2018 and Miss Catriona was the consistent leader.

13 – TUBE is slang for TELEVISION.

14 – Evening gown – Miss Catriona’s awesome and dazzling evening gown which was designed by Filipino Designer Mak Tumang was idiomatically and figuratively the “last straw that broke the camel’s back” in favor of Miss Catriona win as 2018 Miss UNIVERSE.

15 – CAREEN is VIRTUALLY used to mean to die down or to perish and would specifically mean in this FUN RHYME blog to the effect that Miss Catriona has truly emerged as the WINNER.

16 – FOURTH, The Philippines has won to date FOUR (4) Miss UNIVERSE crowns: in 1969, then in 1973; thence 2015 and most recently in 2018.

17 – Miss South Africa is the 1^st Runner-Up in the Miss UNIVERSE 2018 Beauty Pageant and her name is Tamarybn Green.

18 – Miss Venezuela is the 2^nd Runner-Up in the Miss UNIVERSE 2018 Beauty Pageant and her name is Isabella Rodriguez.

19 – COURT means the place where a QUEEN or a KING hold office or the QUEEN’s of the KING’s household. COURT is issued in the FUN RHYME Blog as a Miss UNIVERSE is considered and is in fact a BEAUTY QUEEN.

20 – APLOMB means  self-confidence, calmness, and composure.

21- LEMON BALM – is a fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin. Indeed, every time there is a Filipina or Filipino winner in a competition, it unites the whole country and it serves as some kind of a LEMON BALM effect; soothing and healing whatever conflicts and dissension within our nation.]

]

 

 

 

[The STARTING 5 of the UP MAROONS would surely have more promise and prospect in UAAP SEASON 82 as it would include KOBE PARAS….UP FIGHT!!!!]

 

 

 

Ang paligsahang  sa darating na MIYERKOLES,

Siguradong mapupuno ng  FANS at mga PULIS;

Mga FANS na tuwinang magsisigawan ng CHEERING…

Tunay na ang laro magiging JOYFUL at EXCITING!

 

 

 

 

Mga PULIS syempre ay tutuon sa PANGHUHULI…

Ng mga SCALPERS na halos ay sobra nang NAWIWILI…

Magkano kaya ang magiging PRESYO,

…Ng TICKET sa GEN AD; pwede na ba SAYO?

 

 

 

 

Naku si THIRDY RAVENA dapat MAGUYARDIYAHAN…

Wala kasing MINTIS, pag BOLA’Y NAHAWAKAN,

Ang galing talagang humawak ng BALLS si RAVENA;

Kelangan talagang si RAVENA’y mistulang MAKADENA!

 

 

 

 

 

Pati si MUNSAYAC, halos ako’y NAIYAK;

Akala ko’y BASKETBOLISTA lamang syang PAYAK…

Itong si MUNSAYAC, kahit PAPAYAT-PAYAT,

Lintik din pala sa SHOOTING, 3-points LUMAGAPAK!

 

 

 

 

Sa palagay ko ang LABANANG SEGUNDO,

Pagbibigyan din naman tayo ng TODO;

Ang POONG-MAYKAPAL nais din ng KASAYAHAN…

Lalo na’t KAPASKUHAN, GOOD LUCK ating ASAHAN!

 

 

 

 

Ang harapang ito ng MAROONS at EAGLES,

Parang lumalapang ng GRILLED LIEMPO, the BEST of DISHES…

Habang LARO’y tumatagal, kagat nama’y LUMALALIM;

Sarap papakin ang BUTO, sawsawang suka sarap din ang ASIM!

 

 

 

 

Ipagdasal natin si DESIDERIO na Captain ng TEAM,

Pati na si DE LIANO, pati na rin yong MAITIM;

Si AKHUETIE YON, na kasing-tunog ng SUERTE…

Suwertehin sana tayo para magka-GAME THREE!!!

 

 UP FIGHT!!!!

 

 

 

 [This is the team-tandem of the RED TEAM’s high-skilled players in the persons of Ms. KATTIE SY, Immediate Past President of ASPAC, and my youngest brother WARREN T. YOUNG. The RED Team placed 1st Runner-Up which our team, the YELLOW Team placed 2nd Runner-Up.  This RED Team won over the THREE (3) other teams including our YELLOW Team.]

 

Napasarap ang naging LABANAN,

Ng apat na  kulay na KOPONAN¹;

Mayroong DILAW, at may BUGHAW…

Lahat ng magtutunggali, halos ay UHAW!

 

 

 

UHAW na makamit ang KAMPEONATO…

Syempre may DATONG² ito at cute na TROPEO,

Meron ding malaking KALABASA,

Pero lahat syempre 1^st PRIZE ang PAGASA!

 

 

 

Aba yaong KOPONANG PULA³,

Umpisa palang ay nanunukso NA;

Ang sabi ay yong DILAW na TEAM YELLOW…

Sigurado na daw ang syang PAGKATALO!

 

 

 

Yong ORANGE TEAM naman PARE…

Si LITO REYES⁴ ang syang RUMEPEKE,

Siya ang nag-DONATE ng KALABASA…

Sa huli’y, sa kanila din pala ito MAIPAPASA!

 

 

 

Aba’y ganadong maglaro ang LAHAT,

At halos ay ayaw nang MAG-PAAWAT⁵…

Dahil BRAND-NEW ang BADMINTON COURT;

“It really made them LOVE the SPORT”!

 

 

 

Ang galing kasi pati ng COORDINATOR⁶,

Professionally-crafted parang PINTOR⁷;

Maayos din ang naging TAMBALAN,

Pero si DINO⁸ may ANGAL DYAN!

 

 

 

Meron ding TUMUMBALELONG⁹…

Dahil ‘di ayos ang PAG-URONG SULONG;

Dapat ay GUM-SOLED¹⁰ ang rubber SHOES,

Kelangan yon ang suot, “as it’s customarily USED”!

 

 

 

Pero ang pagkakatumba ni TESS CORDERO¹¹…

Parang bumagsak na KALDERO;

Tumapon man daw ang SABAW¹²,

Pero walang halos ALINGAWNGAW¹³!

 

 

 

Napabilib ako kay SALLIE LIM¹⁴…

Ang galing pumalo’t bola’y TUMULIN,

Pero FIRST TIME lang NAGLARO…

Kaya’t napamangha kanyang KALARO!

 

 

 

Si JOMAR REVILLA¹⁵ po NAMAN,

Naging paksa ng HUNTAHAN¹⁶…

Pinagbigyan mga kalaban daw KAYA?

Dahil ang RED TEAM nya’y NAKATAYA!

 

 

 

Kaya’t sa eksena’y pumasok si KATTIE SY¹⁷…

Ang sabi ay: “HEY! JOMAR CAN’T YOU SEE!”…

“We’ll lose if you stay GOODY-GOODY and PRETTY…”

Kaya’t sa mga request, JOMAR was placed in QUANDARY¹⁸!

 

 

 

 

Syempre ang pinamahalagang KABANATA…

Ay ang kainan na  ‘di MASAWATA¹⁹;

Syempre BOODLE-FIGHT²⁰ style ang KAINAN,

Yan kasi ang PROPOSAL ng aking IGAN²¹!

 

 

 

Salamat sa lahat ng mga LUMAHOK,

Salamat din  kay FE²² na syang aming COOK…

Salamat kay TINA²³ na syang TOURNEY COORDINATOR;

Salamat kay Prexy DWIGHT²⁴ na syang BIG-TIME DONOR!

 

 

SALAMAT SA LAHAT NA NAGLARO NG SHUTTLECOCK!!!!

 

=========================================================================

[Legend: 1 – KOPONAN  is the Tagalog term for TEAM. There were FOUR (4) teams that competed in the 3^rd ATENEO SCHOOLS PARENTS COUNCIL (ASPAC) Badminton Tournament, namely: the BLUE Team, the RED Team, the YELLOW Team and the ORANGE Team.

2 –  DATONG  is Tagalog slang for MONEY. ASPAC President Dwight Hilarion M. Ramos donated a total of Php 15,000.00 which was supplemented by another Php 3,000.00 cash donation from ASPAC COMELEC member, Ms. Isabel Sanchez; and which eventually formed part of the CASH PRIZE, a total of Php 18,000.00 (i.e. Php 10,000.00 for the Champion; Php 5,000.00 for the 1^st Runner-Up and Php 3,000.00 for the 2^nd Runner-Up).

3 – KOPONANG PULA is RED TEAM, which ranked 1^st Runner-Up in the TOURNEY.

4 – LITO REYES is Engr. Joselito Reyes, an active ASPAC parent-volunteer, and who is the incumbent Municipal Engineer of Binangonan, Rizal. LITO brought with him a HUGE CALABASA which was intended to be awarded to the tail-ender team in the Badminton Tournament. It turned out unfortunately that LITO’s Team, the ORANGE Team landed as the TAIL-ENDER and the recipient of the CALABASA/KALABASA Award.

5 – MAG-PAAWAT is Tagalog term which means cannot be prevented or cannot be restrained. Those who got so mesmerized by the exquisiteness and attraction of the brand-new badminton court got so addicted into playing the game. Even after the FOOD was served BOODLE-FIGHT style, those who got so attracted to the new badminton court stayed on playing till 2 PM.

6 –  COORDINATOR is the Tournament Coordinator in the person of Ms. Cristina Bigornia Andaya aka Tina. Tina is a skilled badminton player who opted to just serve as the TOURNAMENT COORDINATOR as the team to where Tina will be lined up as member will be a sure winner. Thus, to equalize the chances of all to win, Tina opted not to play anymore and just focused on serving as Tournament Coordinator.

7 – PINTOR is Tagalog term for PAINTER, which was derived from the same Spanish term. I used the term PINTOR to denote the wisdom on how Tina combined and grouped the players into some kind of equal level of winning opportunities, as though putting in harmony in a jargon of colors. Tina even came up with a multi-colored (i.e. color-coded) line up of the teams.

8 – DINO is Dino Palomar who is a skilled badminton player from the Court of Appeals in Manila. Dino was reportedly not satisfied with the team-up of the players. I told him however that his level was that of a tandem of a skilled and a beginner-player.

9 – TUMUMBALELONG is a Tagalog slang-term which means to fall down.

10 – GUM-SOLED is the description of the rubber shoes that is suitable for badminton as it has a better grip and/or traction and could avert possible falls or tripping while at play.

11 – TESS CORDERO has been an active ASPAC parent-volunteer and who was the Chairman of the committee which brought about the publication of the first ASPAC coffee-table book. Tess has announced that she will train hard in badminton as she aspires to be the female LIN DAN of badminton in the Philippines. LIN DAN is a highly skilled male Chinese badminton player.

12 – SABAW  is actually the broth of soup of a dish; but the term is used to refer to one’s perspiration when indulging in sports like badminton.  Though TESS CORDERO fell down, no untoward aftermath incident ensued as there was no substantial injury or pain which was experienced by those who accidentally fell like Tess Cordero in the heat of the exciting badminton game.

13 – ALINGAWNGAW is a Tagalog term which connotes some kind of adverse or unwanted publicity or news. The falls experienced however by some of the players did not result into some kind of worse or even bad aftermath.

14 –  SALLIE LIM  is an ASPAC parent-volunteer who now serves a board member of the ASPAC. It was amazing to see SALLIE playing badminton so passionately as though she has been playing the game already for years. It turned out that she just started playing the game on Friday, November 30, 2018 on very BADMINTON TOURNAMENT date.

15 – JOMAR REVILLA  is one of the Paralegal Assistants of the YOUNG GAMBOL & MAGAT Law Firm. Jomar was member of the RED TEAM with Ms. Kattie Sy, ASPAC’s Immediate Past President, as the RED Team Captain.

16 – HUNTAHAN is Tagalog slang-term which means TALK or CONVERSATION, in general.

17 – KATTIE SY is as earlier discussed, the Team Captain of the RED TEAM.

18 –  QUANDARY – Jomar was placed in a quandary as Jomar was deluged by ASPAC parents-volunteers’s requests, especially those who are personally known to Jomar and eventual opponents during the Tournament; for him to take it easy on the play  and not to score high and to hit the shuttlecock with a relatively soft touch and not a hard smash.

19 – MASAWATA is a Tagalog term which means to pacify or to limit especially with respect to eating food.

20 – BOODLE-FIGHT is “a military style of eating,” in which food, piled on top of banana leaves laid out on long tables, is to be taken with bare hands washed with water from jugs prepared on the side, which “eating combat” begins when the signal is given.

21 – IGAN is Tagalog slang-term for FRIEND.

22 – FE is FE TOBIAS who is our efficient and innovative cook in our Law Office.

23 – TINA is the 3^rd ASPAC BADMINTON Tournament Coodinator.

24 – PREXY DWIGHT is ASPAC’s incumbent President for School Year 2018-2019. Prexy Dwight donated a total of Php 15,000.00 as part of the CASH prize. Ms. Isabel Sanchez donated another Php 3,000.00 making thereby the total pot at Php 18,000.00]