Hasta La Vista Nits

Former The Freeman publisher and editor-in-chief Nito Jabat was instrumental on my being a sportswriter.  Although I was part of the school org. in  La Salle Bacolod that published our weekly newspaper “The LaSallian,” I never dreamed of becoming a journalist in a well-respected newspaper.  As I mentioned in my comeback column, I wanted to quit writing after 28 years but the clamor of my friends, Nito included, made me decide to continue.  Yes, it’s been some 30  years that I’ve known Nits.  We lived not far from each other, so on some occasions, I pass by his house while jogging to Fuente Osmeña via Banawa. Every Chinese New Year, Nits never fails to greet me “Kung Hei Batchoy.” Well, Nits of course knows that we operate a fastfood that specialized on Ilonggo food, thus the “Batchoy.”  I’ll never forget the time Nits was hospitalized. When I visited him, there were lots of fresh flowers in his room and he said “It’s really great  when you can smell the flowers  beside you. “ He said he knew of a friend who was lying besides the flowers but couldn’t smell them. Even when hampered with his mobility, he still sees to it that he attends The Freeman’s functions like anniversaries.  Nits was really a funny man.  There was a time when somebodys mispelled  his name to Mr. Juanito Abat and he said “Maayo lang dili  ungo.” Also one time, his name was spelled “Jabal” and he said “Dili ko pahabal ha?.”   Nits, we’ll miss you and as always I don’t say goodbye “It’s always Hasta La Vista.”

Tiya Felisa

As I write this column, a beloved aunt, Tita Felisa Gepilano, stepmother of former University of Visayas Marine Engineering dean Enrique Gepilano Jr., also joined her Creator at age 96.  I wanted to fly to Manila for the burial but a killjoy named “Lando” prevented me to do so. Rest In Peace Tiyay.

Elvisaya

I’m really excited for my upcoming guesting as Elvisaya in the Hanoi to HaLong Bay Cruise in Vietnam next month.  My siblings Dr. Jun, Chiquit and Cherie and yours truly will go on a much needed break.  We depart for Bangkok then fly to Ho Chi Min City before boarding the cruise ship.

Did you know?

• Clint Eastwood was drafted in the US Army in 1951 but en route to Korea, his plane crashed.  He survived by swimming several miles to the shore.  He was made swimming instructor at a boot camp.  In 1986. he was elected mayor of Carmel, California and re-elected in 1988.  Clint is a jazz musician and self-taught piano player. He played three songs in the movie In Line of Fire.  He owns beer “Pale Rider Ale” named after his 1985 Western “Pale Rider.”  He is also part owner of the famed golf courses At Pebbie Beach.

• Every year, Slazenger sends 42,000 tennis balls to Wimbledon, 15,000 for practice, 21,600 for tournament play and 5,400 as backups.

• Elsie McLean at age 102,became the oldest person ever to make a hole-in-one in regulation golf course.  She used a driver on a par three, 100-yard  hole.

• Henry “Bunny” Austin shocked the Queen of England in 1932 when he became the first player to wear shorts in Wimbledon.