Cebu's F-1 fans

There indeed is a huge following for Formula-1 racing in Cebu and the staff and jocks of FM station 92.3 Killer Bee can attest to that.

The station staff talked to some members of the media last Monday about the Bee Travel Radio’s F-1 Night Race Promo. This offers a trip to the Singapore Grand Prix to the winner.

The promo started last week and will continue until Friday where they would qualify ten people per day to the grand draw set this Saturday.

Those above 18 and hold a valid passport that will expire not earlier than March 2010 are qualified to join. In order to do so, the caller must answer a Formula-1 trivia question on air.

The staff of the station said that they were very surprised to know that many would even call using their mobile phones while they are in their cars.

F-1 really has a huge following here and you see many of them wearing the colors of their teams – mostly the red of Ferrari – around the malls.

The winner of the promo will surely be one lucky person as he or she will get not just a trip to Singapore, but also a three-day pass for practice day, qualifying and the race proper.

One thing I learned from going to such races is that you have to watch your budget. This is because you can’t help but pull out your wallet when you pass the booths selling the authentic F-1 merchandise and they’re not cheap.

I do know of some people trying to arrange for a trip to Singapore next month to watch the only night race in the F-1 circuit.

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I felt young again last weekend when I joined my brothers and my sisters for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Tao Brotherhood and Sisterhood at the grounds of UP Cebu in Lahug.

There was a lot of running for the younger ones and those who thought they were still young enough in the parlor games that saw our sister Raquel Capio, former softball MVP back in her college days, becoming the star of the afternoon hands down.

More than the action, which I preferred to just capture with my camera rather than join, there was also the feeling of coming back home to a place where you can simply laze around on weekends.

This explains why many took to the field last Saturday afternoon not to play but to lie down on the grass, which we often did many years ago as college and high school students during breaks in our sports activities or simply to stretch our worries away.

To all those who came home to join the activities, it was fun to feel young again and laze away our troubles even for a weekend.

Let’s do it more often.

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MILESTONES: Belated birthday greetings to Michael Parcon and Rowena Duarte, who both turned a year older last Monday.

I also extend the same to Sito Ugarte and Atty. Dalisay Chavez Ohdate, who celebrated yesterday.

Happy birthday to my classmate for four years in high school, Gene Cagas, who turns a year older today. The same goes to Roby Amor, lifestyle writer Rachelle Marie Dangin, former sportswriter Lito de los Reyes and to Bradley Estenzo.

More power to all of you! (THE FREEMAN)