Meeting Echo was a nice way to begin the month.

It was a welcome respite from a busy, emotion wracked but neverthless blessed February. We were at the Discovery Suites yesterday afternoon on assignment from the paper. What can I tell you — he’s real, he’s nice, very well-grounded and such a simple and sensible young man.

P was with me, she took these pictures and she was quite impressed with him too. Very articulate, he made no qualms about his background and says he lives his life with no regrets. Turning 30 this year, three things he is very passionate about — acting, singing and surfing. The latter he indulges in everytime he has two free days off in a row - “I’m off to Baler this week-end,” he grins.

Ah Baler. I tell him that we fell in love with him in that movie and that he was so deserving of the best actor award. “You really should have gotten it,” I tell him. He grins and replies, as he acknowledges my unabashed compliment of his portrayal of the ill-fated and dashing Celso Resurreccion — “Well, there’s my trophy right there.” *sigh

These Bicolanos sure know how to flatter. I know. I married one