BOOTS ANSON ROA'S TRAVEL TALES IN MORE THAN TEN WORDS By Edu Jarque Philippine Star, 08/20/2002 Lucky, or shall I say blessed, is the author who will one day write the book on Boots Anson Roa. In addition to being an accomplished woman in the different fields of diplomacy, education, arts and culture, performing arts, cinema, television, radio, journalism, media and communications, sales and marketing, advertising and public relations, she is a well-respected lecturer on issues on women, family, public and human relations and values and is the recipient of several much-coveted awards, honors and citations such as being chosen as Parents of the Year to One Of The Ten Outstanding Women in The Nation's Service. Recently, we got together at her home to share travel tales and reminisce our days in America - she as press attache, cultural officer and special assistant to the Philippine ambassador for media, community and cultural relations in Washington, D.C. and I as tourism attaché of the Department of Tourism at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. And once again, I marvel at what she has done and continues to do and admire even more the person she has become today - a genteel, gracious, caring lady for all seasons. While we are still waiting for the book that has yet to be written, listen in to part of our conversation. Philippine Star: What do you remember most of your first trip abroad? Boots Anson Roa: It was so baduy. I was the baduy - not the trip. I went to Hong Kong to meet up with my husband Pete, who as one of Geny Lopez's bright boys in the Sixties, had just finished his training with WGN in Chicago complete with an observation tour all over Europe and was finally on his way home. We were then married for three years and his being away for over two months seemed like a long time. A third honeymoon in a foreign land I must admit sounded like a great idea. I was so excited for my first trip abroad. On departure day, I had a brand-new three-piece suit and someone gave me a fresh corsage. How baduy, 'no? I was scheduled to be gone for only a week, but my family, the entire clan, in-laws and friends saw me off at the airport. Since we were already performing on television, we were given the royal treatment - the courtesies of the airport including the use of the VIP lounge. What a send-off! What won't you leave home without? An old favorite rosary I had bought during one of my earlier trips. More recently, I can't leave home without this little crucifix with a St. Bernard medal encrusted into it. It is a gift from Fr. Jerry Orbos. Other than your spouse or members of the family, who would you like to be seated next to on a flight? Khalil Gibran. I read him a lot, learn a lot from him and draw a lot from his works. I quote him verbatim during my talks on my thoughts regarding parents, children, relationships, loving, giving, sharing and other relevant topics in today's world. Besides, he didn't look bad at all, judging from old photographs I have seen of him. Who is your ideal traveling companion? I guess it's Pete. After all these years, I am most comfortable with him. He is a good listener, while I am the makulit type. A man of few words, his one liner says it all, while you drop from your seat. I am quite the opposite. I go on and on. But just before I start, he smiles and gently warns me, "Please, in 10 words or less..." We both end up laughing. Name your favorite city abroad. Exciting New York for its round-the-clock activities and the plays both on and off Broadway. Beautiful Paris which I associate with enriching learning experiences during different stages of my life. First as a tourist, next as a garment manufacturer and trader, then as the Philippine delegate for many years to the several international conferences on media and communications which are really down my alley at the UNESCO headquarters and lastly, as a traveler. Imposing Washington D.C., replete with history and culture, which was home for 11 wonderful years while in America. What is the first thing you do upon checking in at a hotel? Inquire from the concierge - even before going up to the room - the exact location of the nearest Catholic church, hopefully an easy brisk walk away, and the schedule of their services. Deposit my valuables and travel documents in the hotel safe. Once done, unpack my suitcase and organize my things in their proper places just like back home. Then read all the available literature - tent cards, flyers, newsletters and other publications - to familiarize myself in the new surrounding I am in. What would you consider a must-do activity in every foreign city that you visit? I may miss out on some days, but I try to attend Mass regularly on a daily basis, as often as possible. Let's talk favorites now. Favorite restaurant? There is this particular eat-all-you-can Japanese restaurant in Arlington, which we frequented right on the boundary of Washington, D.C. and north of Virginia. The entire family are all sushi maniacs and hearty eaters without exception. Lugi talaga sila sa amin. They used to charge $11.95 per guest. Then it was raised to $14.95 - either they wisened up or it was because of us. Favorite museum? The Smithsonian and the Louvre. If you could take home a piece of art, which one would it be? One of the angels on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Favorite hotel? The Western Hotel in Nice on the French Riviera, right on the boulevard across the beach. It is a beautiful hotel and the service is impeccable. Favorite landmark? I am still amazed by the Great Wall of China. What can I say, it's really great. Though I walked quite a distance - from one tower to the fourth one - I know I could have done better, for I feel I didn't have enough of it. Favorite musicale? Ang dami. Camelot and Phantom of the Opera are among my favorites. There's also Les Miserables - so powerful, so memorable. Oh, there are several others. You see, for two years, I worked part-time as a subscription agent at the Kennedy Center, marketing and promoting the shows. This gave me the rare opportunity to watch and enjoy most of the plays, concerts, ballets, operas at the Eisenhower Theater. One play I cannot forget was Private Lives with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. A cousin and a friend were visiting Washington D.C. so I invited them to the theater - third row, orchestra center. A scene in the play calls for La Taylor to throw a croissant to Burton. But guess what happened? The croissant landed on my cousin's lap! Without saying a word, she quickly stood up and cried, "Richard, I love you." The production stopped. Everyone froze - on stage, backstage, even the audience. The croissant ended up in the freezer back home and my cousin was thrilled to death. Favorite store? Marshall's the discount store is my all-time choice. Saks and Nordstrom are favorites too, but only when they go on sale - not just any sale, but the last grand sale of the year. Who or what do you miss most when you're away from home? Pete and the family. It's harder for those who leave home than the ones who stay on or are left behind. I really miss them when I find myself alone in a new, strange milieu. What is the best travel advice you can share? There's a lot of wisdom in traveling light and part of the secret is to plan your wardrobe with care. I work around coordinates and have my basic uniform traveling clothes which only get "adjusted" according to the season. A major achievement would be to travel with just one bag and a pair of shoes. But I must admit, this rarely, seldom happens. We somehow wish to be fashion plates when and while we travel. So this is a continuous dilemma. Describe your most memorable trip. In 1976, Pete and I, together with Lilia Andolong and Teodoro Valencia, took a dozen or so actors, actresses, singers and musicians on a balikbayan roadshow sponsored by the Department of Tourism led by then Secretary Jose Aspiras. Among the entertainers were Joseph Estrada, Vilma Santos, Amalia Fuentes, Gloria Diaz, Vic Vargas, Elizabeth Ramsey, Carmen Pateña, Jonathan Potenciano and Rod Navarro. Other showbiz personalities residing in the area joined us like Bert Leroy Jr. Pete directed while Bert Marcelo and I co-hosted the spectacular palabas. We hit 14 states in less than a month and performed in such desirable venues as San Francisco Opera House, the Scottish Auditorium in Los Angeles and the Carnegie Hall in New York. I recall singing a duet - New York, New York - and I said to myself, "I've done Carnegie, I can die now." I also remember Leila Benitez was so touched by the entire presentation, she brought a bottle of wine to celebrate. A no-no in the theater. We got reprimanded by the security guard. It was a terrific show and everyone in the audience cried in the end. There was a lot of bonding among us. I even became the official planchadora. A cry I would hear several times a day was "Tita Boots, please plancha my barong." Another memorable trip was in 1983 when the Philippine Embassy in Washington D. C. hosted 90 or so performers for the June 12 Independence Day celebration which coincided with the inauguration of the Washington Convention Center. Some of the performers from Manila were Kuh Ledesma, Leah Navarro, Celeste Legaspi, Imelda Papin, Gabby Concepcion and Basil Valdez. We were stranded at the airport in San Francisco due to a storm and had to wait for hours for our connecting flight to Washington D.C. They were getting impatient, restless and started to make kalat around the airport. But before it really got to them, they organized themselves and rehearsed their numbers, all this in the middle of the airport terminal at two o'clock dawn. All the stranded passengers watched. It was a wonderful, spontaneous show. What is the strangest thing you have done on a trip? I visited Moscow in the early Eighties in connection with the Philippine-Russian Friendship Society. The other members of the Philippine delegation were Nestor Torre, Jr., Tommy Abuel, Pitoy Moreno and his models and the Bayanihan Dance Company. During a speaker's forum hosted by the Russian Minister of Culture, the obligatory toast was proposed at the end of each speech. Speech, toast. Speech toast. Speech, toast. This went on and on. By the time it was my turn as the last speaker, I stood up and found myself sitting down once again almost instantly. The vodka! My first taste of it and it finally hit me. I very quickly recovered in seconds. Ever so poised, as if nothing had happened, I stood up for the second time and went on to deliver my speech in a manner you would have been proud of, had you been around. Name an event anywhere in the world you would like to participate in? The canonization rites of a saint or the election of a Pope. What are your pasalubongs - inbound and outbound? Outbound - pagkain or food items, pastillas de leche, polvoron, hopia. Inbound - religious items. Name a city you have never visited but would like to someday. The city of Prague. I am a devotee of the Santo Niño. Once upon a time, I had a collection of Santo Niño images and before we left for the States, I distributed them among members of my family. Name a country you wish to explore. South Africa. If you could be transported anywhere in the world right now, where would you like to be? Washington D. C. where two of our children reside. We have an apo we have not cuddled. Looking back at your travels abroad, what would you say is your biggest regret? Not being able to visit and go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. As our aircraft landed in Tel Aviv, there were confirmed reports that a plane somewhere in the world had been hijacked. We were kept within the airport terminal for the longest time as the authorities were strict on tourists and travelers crossing in and out of their borders. So after some hours, we were informed our entry request was denied. Very disappointingly, we had to fly out of Israel and headed back home via Bangkok, cancelling our stopover in Athens. Perhaps someday soon, visiting Israel would be a dream come true. Name your favorite spot in the Philippines. My father's family ancestral home in Camalig, Albay. It is situated on the fringes of the main town plaza, where sitting on the balcony offers a majestic view of the Mayon Volcano whose natural beauty I am always in awe of. If you could reside anywhere in the world aside from the Philippines, where would it be? Our old neighborhood in Mclean, a beautiful piece of land in the state of Virginia where among your co-parishioners at St. Luke's are Ethel Kennedy, Alexander Craig and Pat Buchanan and your nakakasabay in the dry cleaners could be then Secretary of Defense and now United States Vice President Dick Cheney, an interesting community.