Manny Pacquiao's Triumph is Filipino US Immigrants Bliss

It started as a lazy Saturday evening of April 14. We just finished setting up the living room. The center table is full of Filipino delicacies. There is the all time favorite "lumpia" (Filipino version of spring rolls), rice cakes and "Boy Bawang" (it's dried fried corn with lots of fried garlic). Most of us ate heavy dinner already. The delicious "kare-kare" (ox tale with peanut sauce and vegetables) and "sinigang na bangus" (white milk fish with sour sauce), was the main course of the dinner. We are all supposed to be sleepy after the big meal but I guess we are all oozing with energy.

I was invited in San Jose California by my room mate for an informal gathering. She and her two brothers, her mom and dad, two more relatives and 3 other house guests gathered in the living room in front of the 60 inch television. It's the boxing match of famous Filipino boxer Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao against Mexican fighter from Guadalajara, Jorge "Coloradito" Solis over the International Super Featherweight title.

My friend's youngest brother is busy collecting bets from everybody. We are betting on what round Solis will be knocked out by Pacquiao. We Filipinos already believed that "Pacman" will win the game; the only question is "What Round is the Knockout Punch?"

Some bet on Round 5, 7, 8, 10 and the last round. Everybody is so anxious to let the fight start. After the Filipino National Anthem, were her grandma forced everybody to stand up and sing, we sat still and continued to watch. We were all quite but only for few minutes.

The noise in the house is just unbearable at times, especially when left hook punches from "Pacman" hits Solis in round 4. But Solis powerful right hand hit Pacquiao on the left hip that took him for a few seconds to recover.

My room mate's uncle and dad who both bet on the 7th round were disappointed when Solis is still up and fighting for his title. However, the undefeated Mexican fighter had received series of straight left punches in the head and his body which seems to weaken him already.