French, then Argentinian Spanish. Vos sabes, I’ll be floored if you say you have taught yourself to speak Esperanto too.
Actually Argentineans (like Chileans) still speak Spanish, with slight Portuguese lilt in some words (I could tell). Esperanto is another world. It’s tough enough to learn 3 or 4 common languages, but to learn a language that’s hardly used like Esperanto – it’s insane. I don’t think it’s even officially recognized.

What is your most treasured possession?
Material possessions? Probably because I like music – my CD collection of Bach and Mozart: sublime evidence of man’s artistic creativity. I also kept with me and lugged around through the years old pictures of family and friends, especially those of my parents and UPLB mementos.

I get my Mozarts from my cellphone ring tones. What is your greatest extravagance?
I can do away with all the material things in this world, if you are referring to that. Because I had traveled extensively all over the world I indulge myself with mental travel anywhere and anytime, and do it cheaply. That’s the luxury of imagination and I pamper myself in that a lot. I can just sit or lie down and re-live every city in the world I’ve been to, for each trip with its people and events. Of course, having the pictures or actually re-visiting a city is not bad either. I once arrived on a business trip to Paris famished, but too early for lunch. I charmed and talked my way to the lady owner (in her language) to open her restaurant, and got served a very sumptuous meal. Not cheap, but filling in every way. She had a great conversation and listening ears for company, and I got my fill. I plead guilty to a little hedonism.

What is your greatest regret?
That I could never be a funny cartoonist – because I am too serious (you can wipe the smirk off your face now) and I cannot draw. Double whammy! Levity aside – one should just pick up and go and learn from every hurdle one encounters. I don’t have the luxury to mope around and be a poster boy for manic-depression so common in US society (especially in Oregon winter). Time is too precious for that. I look back at yesterday, but I live for today and tomorrow. Life moves only forward for me.

What are some of the tracks in your iPod?
A lot of French and Spanish music (collected from various trips – Helene Segara, Francis Cabrel, Florent Pagny, Chayanne, Christian Castro, Luis Miguel, etc) for mental exercise. (I always translate things and events I see and hear in at least 4 languages, just for the heck of it). For physical workout at the gym (3-4x a week in winter) I listen to techno/dance music (Hed Kandi, Buddha Bar, Renaissance, etc) to keep the juices flowing (pump it up baby!)

I had fun doing this interview. Did you?
I tried – but ask me again when I am 80 – you’d get better answers since I’d be older, bitter and crankier!

I better. If you still have the same viewpoints at 80 you will have wasted 31 years of your life. Months from now you will be saying goodbye to your fourth decade and has remained a free spirit. Do you have plans of reformatting and possibly contribute to efforts to stem the graying of the American population? (I hope you won’t ask me to re-phrase my question.)
Yes I do have plans – I just won’t grow up! Either that or die young and stay pretty! What the heck is this question? We will all get old – repeat after me – We will all grow old. No amount of plastic surgery or Botox treatments or hair transplants or tummy tucks will work. Unless you eat properly, exercise regularly, avoid alcohol and drugs, listen to your Mother or spouse, not get stressed out by work, give up your children for adoption, etc – we cannot reverse nature’s reminders (but then again us geneticists – we’ll have gene therapy to cure all our worries!).

I have to rephrase. Actually, the question is, when are you going to get married and make babies?
Well, quit beating around the bush! Been there, done that. I was married before, then got smarter. It was simply a case of her having champagne taste, and me with a beer budget. After dealing with the kids and teenagers at the Big Brother’s program for a while it was untenable for me to think of raising kids here. I suppose it could be rewarding, but could also be traumatic. But you never know.

Yes, raising kids can be part joy, part guerilla warfare. Oh, before I forget, is there a mouse for the left-handed?
Yes there was in the pre-historic days of computers (1990’s). However – as a matter-of-fact – I am left-handed with the mouse. I trained my left hand for the mouse in the early days of PC’s (1984) since I use my right for typing. Pretty neat! Now when everybody asks me if I am left-handed, I always just reply that I am ambidextrous. Most clients will just look at me and shake their head. Like one time one diver asked – what do you call those words that read the same forward and backward? I said palindrome without batting an eyelash, then walked away. They were still shaking their heads when I looked back a few minutes later. (Don’t even get me started on numbers and dates!)

I won’t. It’s enough for me to know that “First Ladies rule the State and state the rule: ladies first.” Merci beaucoup.
(You’re welcome! No hay de que! Il n’y a pas de quoi!)

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Last Updated on April 11, 2021 by Tudla_Admin