Meet Paquito Principe Bautista - the coolest guy on Earth.
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That’s my grandpa (or my "lolo", in Filipino language). This was taken the morning after I arrived. You can’t really tell from the shot but I still had a really bad case of jetlag. I didn’t care, I wanted to see him.
Everybody has a "hero" in their life - someone they try to emulate, to seek advice from. For me, it has always been him. Don’t get me wrong, my parents are wonderful people, but my lolo is just the perfect example of the kind of person I want to become when I get older. He’s educated but has enough street smart to outwit anybody this side of Tondo. He’s classy yet tough, and I MEAN TOUGH; you don’t wanna make him angry. Trust me on that.
Did I mention he makes the best shrimp omellete in town? ^__^
I have the highest respect and admiration for this man like you wouldn’t believe. I love hearing his stories when he was at his prime, particularly about when he used to work as a Senior Accountant for RVQ Productions, one of the Philippines most famous movie companies. This allowed him to rub shoulders and become friends with some of the icons of the industry - Paquito Diaz, Panchito, and the "King of Comedy" himself - DOLPHY, just to name a few.
He’s even starred in several films with them. When I was six or seven years old, I remember my grandpa showing me pictures of movie stills where he shared a scene with some of the top actors of his day. And I’m not talking about "movie extra" stuff. He’s played small but very vital roles in some of the movies he was in. Not too bad for an accountant; perks of the job, I suppose. ^___^
I highly respect his advice and his opinions about life, love, and work. During the course of my visit that day, I got the chance to have a one-on-one chat with him that afternoon. That really was, and still is, one of the highlights of my vacation. We spent over 3 hours just talking about life and work and he gave me advice on how to balance both. He told me to enjoy life and to give importance to family above all things, to give your all in any task that you do. He told me to reach for my dreams and to be the best person I can be.
I didn’t want the afternoon to end. Getting advice from someone you admire is just one of those things you don’t get to experience everyday.
This entry is my most personal to date. This vacation is more than just an excuse to relax and forget responsibilities, but is also an opportunity to re-connect with people I hold dear. I really don’t know when I’ll be getting the chance to have a vacation like this again. Even if I do, there’s no guarantee that my grandparents will still be there to welcome me back.
My grandfather is a good man, a great man, and I feel extremely lucky to have been given the chance to know him.
To those of you who still have grandparents: get to know them while you still can. This is a great chance for you to get to know your roots and I’m certain they still have some great wisdom to share.
And for those of you who grew up without any grandparents: ask your mom and your dad to tell stories about what it was like while they were growing up with them. See what kind of person your grandparents were like through your father’s and mother’s eyes.
That’s all I have to say about that.
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