Living a dream

Although I am not playing in the 29th Coral Invitational at the Cebu Country Club, this did not stop me from heading to the Cebu Country Club yesterday to get a glimpse of the action and take in that feeling of being in a place that feels very relaxing.

Well, relaxing when you are there not trying to shoot pars or save those precious bogeys, but to shoot pictures.

I’d love to go back again today until the final round on Saturday, since it is truly an escape from the busy streets and the noisy malls this Sinulog season.

Since my duties in the paper require that I stay in the office in the evenings, I look forward to being on the field to cover events, which helps relieve stress.

The reason why I have remained a journalist for almost 21 years now is the fact that I am a sportswriter more than anything else. It is doing something I love and the newspaper pays me wages for doing such. It’s truly like living a dream.

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With the gun ban in effect many shooters would be craving for the smell of gunpowder and the thrill of hitting targets at the range for the next five months.

While I don’t believe that the gun ban really ensures that the elections would be fair and without violence, we have to comply with the law or face several months in jail.

I suggest that those who really want to shoot to pick up their cameras and start shooting pictures instead.

You can also take up golf and realize that hitting a target that is perpendicular to your position during address can be very disappointing, but a lot of fun.

In our country whether it is election season or not and anytime of the year, we can play golf, which is probably the reason why even those busy preparing for the campaign like Mon-Mon Mitra of the Nacionalista Party took time out to join the Coral Invitational.

He is paired with his good friend Bob Gothong of Gothong Southern Shipping and their flightmates yesterday were Jufil Sato and Nilo Seno.

News about the ruling of the Supreme Court on the winner of the congressional race in the 4th District also features prominently two people, who I know also love to play golf – Rep. Benhur Salimbangon and former Bogo Mayor Tining Martinez.

I worked with Rep. Benhur in the organizing committee of the MSY Cup, which is a project of his sister Mariquita.

Tining and I are also teammates in the La Salle golf team in the annual tournament against Ateneo. His cousin, Nino Bascon, who is now vice mayor of San Remigio, has also been captain of the La Salle team several times.

I just hope that the conflict would be resolved peacefully.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to my long-time buddy Atty. Vicente ‘Vic’ E. Fernandez II, who turns a year older today. Vic and I go a long way from back our college days as ROTC officers, soccer players and judo enthusiasts. He is now president of the Philippine Amateur Judo Association-Cebu Chapter.

The same greetings go to Ina amor-Mejia and to my classmates Madonna Ponce and Michael Gambito.

Advance greetings go to Fiscal Lineth Lapinid and Frederick Borinaga, who turn a year older tomorrow. Belated greetings go to Atty. Marigold ‘Goldie’ Zaballero of McMedia, Inc., who celebrated last Tuesday.

More power to all of you! - THE FREEMAN