Bata, Matanda, Dalaga, Binata
sa lugar na ito lahat ay nakikita,
tipunan ng samu't saring tao
hiyawan sa bawat pukol at bato.
paligsahan sa lansangan ng halo-halong kabataan
samahan mo pa ng magugulang na may katandaan,
kadalasang kinararatnan ay hamunan at pustahan
pakatandaan na ito'y isang laro lamang at di seryosohan.
Simpleng saya ng tao ay di matatawaran
pagiging mababaw ay di' dapat pulaaan
kung minsan nga ay mas ramdam pa ang ligayang totoo,
sa mga bagay na payak at di komplikado.
Kung tutuusin ay ganito dapat ang larawan,
ng tunay na pook palaruan
lugar para magpakabata at makipag tawanan
ng walang pag-iimbot at alinlangan.
photos and words by: jeklog
@ San Ildefonso, Bulacan
It will always be a common thing to see “half courts” or half of a basketball court installed ingeniously in every corner of a typical Flip alley. People gather around these places not primarily to show their ball handling or shooting prowess, but most of the time, it is all about having fun. The spirit of competition is a given in street culture but beyond this, is the genuine aim to have pure and uncomplicated fun. This is the kind of enjoyment that the “now” generation fails to appreciate. Everything seems to be so governed by the online armada of social networkers that we forgot how real social networking ticks. Gone are the days that the bliss of being physically in a group and spending time with each other in the streets is the way to go. Now, the information super highway that is The Internet, is our street. Back then, “shout outs” literally mean “to shout out” and the perfect place to experience this is the Half Court. The sudden gush of emotion to up your team’s morale or to destroy the opposition’s ego is the meaning of “shout out”. As a street-eye, I would like to take more photos of these subjects. Is it just me being of age? Or do I just miss the good old days when the perfect picture of fun is to play ball with a bottle of “Pop Cola” on the line?
