Year of the Tiger

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

As we welcome the Year of the Tiger tomorrow, I wish everyone the best of health, prosperity and of course peace in our homes.

Of course, Happy Valentine’s too!

***

Ironically, the Year of the Tiger seems to be starting on a low for golf superstar Eldrick ‘Tiger’ Woods. In golf terms, his going out of bounds from his marriage has caused him more than just a stroke and distance penalty.

Although many say that Tiger can come back knowing his ability to get out of trouble on the golf course, nobody can really tell exactly when he will return.

The legendary Tom Watson had given very sound advice when he said that Tiger ought to humble himself when he gets back to playing and many equally esteemed local golfers think so too.

The absence of Tiger is bad for golf, because his presence has always brought up the TV ratings and the galleries to the tournaments. Even those who know nothing about golf would go to tournaments and get a feel of what it is to watch Tiger using those paper periscopes due to the thick crowds.

This is not the first time that a sports superstar was caught in such predicament. But then this is probably the first time that some people have turned such into an opportunity to earn like the one who manufactured those golf balls with the faces of the women printed on them.

That was something that was definitely in bad taste. 

Enough with the brief history lesson as these things happened several weeks ago. All I want to say is that I hope Tiger comes back soon and all would be well again.

***

Since I never got the chance to watch the movie Eskrimadors, Vince Colina, who made sure he could make it to the premiere, has been kind enough to share with me some of his insights into the film.

He said that the project was mainly successful because it presented stick fighting not just as a form of combat, but most importantly as an art.

This is probably something that many wannabe martial artists haven’t taken much into consideration – there are two words martial and arts.

Eskrima, which is the Cebuano term for the martial art, which is also referred to as arnis or kali, is a very graceful activity and not just merely brandishing a stick and trying to hit your opponent or simply doing a dance number with the stick as a prop.

This form of martial art is well-accepted and respected in many parts of the globe and I hope that Filipinos would soon embrace it as a part of our culture and practice the art as another way of expressing our nationalism.

Vince said that during the premiere at SM Cinema, the grand masters of eskrima were there and he was also very surprised at the enthusiasm shown by those who attended.

“You missed a lot,” Vince sent me a text message after he watched the movie.

I still am looking forward to getting a DVD copy of Eskrimadors, which I hope to find in the legitimate sellers of DVDs and CDs soon.

***

MILESTONES: I would like to congratulate Capt. Marvin Santiago and my foster sister Rose Mary ‘Roma’ Villareal, who will be tying the knot tomorrow at Grove 55 inside the PMA at Fort del Pilar in Loakan, Baguio City. I will be at the wedding to show my support to my family in Baguio, the Villareals, who took me in like one of their own more than two decades ago.

Happy birthday greetings go to Fr. Julian Hernando SJ, ABS-CBN’s Kara Mae Noveda, Mickey Palao and The Freeman’s Angging Ortiz, who are all celebrating today.

Advance birthday greetings to those celebrating tomorrow like choreographer Val Sandiego, Marcianito Ymbong, Lexerian Andrino, and Janette Pacaña-Yap.

More power to all of you!   (FREEMAN NEWS)