Built Upon The Rock

If you put up a charity game, they will volunteer to play.

That’s what Asi Taulava, the 6’9” hardcourt hunk found out when he teamed up with Swatch big boss Virgie S. Ramos to hold a Charity Basketball Game for the benefit of the flood victims of Bulacan, Pasig and Rizal where some areas remain “unreachable and unhelped” up to now, more than two weeks after Habagat vented its fury.

“I was overwhelmed by the response from the PBA, basketball stars, celebrities, sponsors, the media and the public,” said Asi at the mini-presscon held Wednesday night at the Constellation Room of Diamond Hotel. “So many players were volunteering to play but we could only accommodate some.”

The Asi Taulava Charity Basketball Game: Built Upon The Rock (Sama-Samang tutulong, sama-samang babangon) will be held on Sunday, Aug. 26, starting at 7 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, with a specially-organized Swatch Team (only for the night) pitted against the Blackwater Team coached by Jimmy Alapag.

With Asi (coach) at the presscon were Derek Ramsay, Billy Crawford and Chris Tiu who are among the 20 members of the Swatch Team, also including Matteo Guidicelli, Carlos Agassi, Jon Hall, Chris Lutz, Mac Mac Cardona, Ren Ren Ritualo, Arwind Santos, Chris Ross, Kelly Williams, Marcio Lassiter, Dylan Ababou, Denok Miranda, Mark Barroca, Gerard Francisco, Doug Kramer and Jay Jay Helterbrand.

“When I thought of organizing the charity game,” added Asi, “the first person that came to my mind was Tita Virgie. I knew that she wouldn’t turn me down.”

In fact, Virgie has been spearheading charity projects for years sans fanfare, oftentimes donating proceeds from sales of commemorative Swatch Watches (for some schools including UST when it celebrated its 400th anniversary last year) to charity.

Swatch big boss Virgie S. Ramos with Asi, Derek, Billy and Chris during the presscon Wednesday night at Diamond Hotel

“Asi and I have been friends for three years, we were together in the national team,” said Chris who is a Swatch endorser like Derek, Billy and Matteo. “He was like our big brother watching over us. When he asked how we could help our kababayan badly hit by the monsoon rains, a lot of people came up with several suggestions. Asi said, ‘How about coming up with a charity game?’ The response was terrific; everybody was excited about it.”

Yes, of course, they could just have easily pooled their resources together and donate the money to the Habagat victims.

“But we said no,” Chris explained, “we wanted to hold a charity game. Asi and I and the rest of the players are not doing this for personal glory but in our sincere effort to help those who lost their houses and everything. This way, we can also encourage people to help in their own little way.”

Billy: “It’s nice to have fun and help the community at the same time. It helps us to relax. That’s the Swatch family. When Mama Virgie texted and called everyone of us if we were available, well, how could we say no? Thank you, Asi, for getting the Swatch family involved in this historical event. Asi and Mama Virgie are such a great tandem.”

Fresh from London where he covered the Olympics, Derek said that when the Habagat hit the country, he wanted to come home and do his bit in helping the victims.

“This is the right time to do it,” said Derek who, upon coming back, donated clothes and other goodies to some victims. “I have to reset my schedules for this game. It’s a must, something that I hope will be held as often as needed.”

Virgie’s blurb for the event goes: Push the button of fun as Swatch pushes the button for caring.

(Tickets to the Built Upon The Rock game are priced at P1,000, P200 and P100, available at the Ynares Sports Arena.)

What the Smashing Pumpkins ate at Little Asia after the concert

Did the Smashing Pumpkins guys eat, uhm, pumpkins after their recent concert at the Big Dome?

Guess again.

Charlemagne Lim of Little Asia, which presented the concert together with Russian Standard Vodka, has the answer.

“Little Asia was also the official caterer of the Smashing Pumpkins,” said Charlemagne. “We served our new dishes as well as our signature dishes to Billy Corgan and his crew.”

To wit:

• Spicy Hunan Chicken — Diced Crispy Chicken Covered in Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Onion Leeks, Chili Flakes and Roasted Peanuts

• Sichuan Chicken — Diced spicy chicken tossed in our salt and pepper spice mix with Thai chili

• Pork Ginger — Sautéed Thinly Sliced Pork Mixed with Ginger, Soy Sauce and Mirin

• Shanghai Spinach Tofu — Pan-Fried Tofu Topped with Chopped Spinach with Oyster Sauce, Rice Wine, Shitake Mushrooms, Ginger and Onion Leeks

• Beef Rendang — Braised Australian Short Ribs Simmered in Coconut Milk, Lemongrass, Herbs and Spices

Little Asia owner Charlemagne Lim (third from left) with Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan (center) and (also from left) Johnsen Li, Charlson Lim, Calvin Li, Jordan Ong and Matthew Li. (The Li brothers are the distributor of Russian Standard Vodka which presented the SP concert with Little Asia.)

Little Asia just opened its fourth branch last Aug. 15 at Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila, with no less than Pres. Noynoy Aquino presiding over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Little Asia is the only restaurant in Lucky Chinatown that is open until 11 p.m.

“Little Asia has its own entrance besides the mall entrance. People can enter the Chinatown Walk and eat there even if the mall is closed already,” assured Charlemagne. “By 9:30pm, we start playing R&B songs so people can just hang out there and drink. We have beer bucket promos (six bottles for only P180) and all our liquor bottles are 50 percent off. You should try Little Asia’s Crispy Spring Chicken for only P265 (one whole). The chicken is so tender since it’s so small. People should really check out the interior of our new branch.” 

The good news is that Smashing Pumpkins ticketholders can still avail of the 20 percent discount in all Little Asia outlets until Aug. 31 once they present their tickets. 

Incidentally, the Smashing Pumpkins concert lasted for two hours and 40 minutes. 

“Billy Corgan told the crowd that that was his reward to them for flocking to the venue despite the rains and the flood,” said Charlemagne who decided, with the band’s suggestion, to reset the concert the next day. “He personally told me that was one of their longest concerts ever. He sang all his greatest hits and sang songs that were not on the playlist anymore. Many fans told me that it was the greatest rock concert they’ve ever watched and that Corgan’s voice was still exactly the same.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)