what’s the next best thing to watching the up pep squad compete at the 2008 uaap cheerdancing competition in araneta coliseum? it’s giving your tickets to a good friend who loves the pep squad even more than you do.

and that’s what i did last night. i gave my tickets (lower box a; a bit too close to the performance area, but getting any kind of ticket was next to impossible) to g. (he is such a fan of the up pep squad, that he is, right at this moment, actually considering shaving his head into a mohawk like the ones the up pep squad boys are sporting).

so this afternoon, as my celebration lunch was winding down, i got a text message from g. that the competition has started. i made a quick exit to take a peek at a television and got to see the dlsu pep squad, ust salinggawi dance troupe, and up pep squad do their routines. the dlsu squad’s routine was, i’m afraid, rather unremarkable. what struck me was their zaido-inspired jumpsuits in dull horrible green. up next was the one team that the up pep squad can call competition. but i was surprised by the quality of performance of the ust squad. they didn’t strike me as as confident as they used to be, and their routine was safe and, as expected, derivative. the up pep squad’s routine was really difficult and, as is expected, original. but maybe it was a little too difficult to perform. the execution, though some sections left me breathless, was, all in all, rather sloppy. last year’s performance was so much better. still, they kicked ass. i wanted to stay in front of the television, but as the lunch was in my honor, i had to go back right away. so enter g. into the picture. i had him text me the results as they unfolded.

here’s our slightly annotated text exchange:

g: watch kau. wil start in a few

me: ox

[butch makes a quick exit and finds a television]

me: pang-ilan and up?

g: d sinabi. lasal 1st

g: ust na

g: ang layo ng degree of difculty. am hapi. bsta di magkamali. . tayo na nxt!

[after butch watches the first three routines, he returns to the luncheon. after what he considers enough interval for the rest of the teams to perform, he texts g.]

me: who won?

g: ito na aftr d cmmrcl. la pa

me: tense!

me: ano na?

g: wala pa. replay pa ng routines. eto na. .

me: balitaan mo ako agad, ha?

g: yup. di ako makapag concentr8 may cute

me: ano na, bading? mamaya ka na umalembong. magupdate ka na muna.

g: 2 feu

g: natatae na ko

g: 1 ust we won!

me: winner!

g: wa poise ako

g: w e w0n! uste 1 feu 2

me: happy yan, super. yehey, yehey, yehey!

g: thanx 4 d tix butch grabe

me: ikaw una kong naisip na isama nang malaman kong nakahanap sila tita lita ng tickets for me. alam kong love mo ang pep squad.

– the end of a happy afternoon –

congratulations, up pep squad. you guys rock!