Memorable ‘conversationalists’

Life is like a box of chocolates. Doing Private Conversations is like a box of chocolates. I don’t know what I’m going to get every time I do it. (Private Conversations with Boy Abunda is aired every Wednesday, 11 p.m. on ABS CBN). In my two years of having not-so-private-conversations, I still don’t know what to expect from my guests. Some are engaging conversationalists. Others are shy and timid. But I always learn a trick or two in all these verbal encounters. It takes two to tango. I only blame myself when a good question should have been asked or a logical follow-up got lost in the noise or silence – whatever the case maybe, a guest who clammed up in the first gap, etc. I’m still learning and I’m having a great time. The best conversations are yet to come and I always pray to God that the worst may never happen.

Here is a list of guests I’ve had the privilege of talking to in my show and the things I remember from our private conversations.

• Deepak Chopra – New-Age philosopher who teaches that the gifts of the universe are available for everyone. Shortly before the interview, he lost his belt and had to buy a new one. What the mind can do, the body can. And he spoke about Ayurvedic medicine. He has never been sick in all his life. It was his stillness and inner kindness that made me immediately relax.

• Neale Donald Walsh – Author of Conversations with God. He was in the abyss of personal suffering. Things were bad. He wanted to kill himself until one dawn, he started to talk to God. I was caught off-guard when he cried after I asked him if he had remained faithful to his wife after his first encounter with God. I gave him the chance to cry silently. It was one moment on TV when silence spoke a thousand words.

• Dong Puno – Newly appointed Press Secretary, he talked about plugging the leaks in reference to the leaks allegedly coming out of the Erap Palace. He said he was advised to watch his back carefully. He added that he also had to watch his front.

• Inno Sotto – Talking about designing clothes for mistresses and wives, he said. "If the mistress comes to me first, I will not do the clothes of the wife. If the wife comes to me first, I will not do the mistress." He disclosed that he uses shampoo used by horses to maintain its luscious, shiny hair.

• Joker Arroyo – He said Erap was smarter than Marcos. He goes to Precy’s for his hair. Integrity, simplicity, love for country were written all over Joker’s face. And he was surprisingly a fun interview.

• Kris Aquino – She talked about pain. She was bitten by a dog when she was a young girl and she could not walk for months. For the first time she talked about physical and emotional pain even before her father Ninoy was murdered. Kris, in that conversation proved that she’s heart, body and soul every minute of her life. She sizzles when she opens her mouth. She has given me the invaluable gift of friendship and laughter on and off the camera.

• Ming Ramos – Spunky, funny and smart. When asked to comment on Ms. Baby Arenas, she blurted, "Next question please, hijo." (I’m looking forward to having a private conversation with Ms. Arenas in the near future.)

• Mark Jimenez – For the first time he set foot on a studio, and he talked about media’s propensity for wedding. And he talked about Clinton’s White House with authority and familiarity like he were the official White House chef. I was very impressed.

• Fr. Cirilo Nacorda – He talked about the collusion between the Abus and the Military. He shyly spoke about his lovelife before he became a priest. He told me that he carries a gun with him anywhere he goes. He is a very charming priest.

• Sr. Christine Tan – She was a marvel of strength and simplicity. She didn’t know who I was and what the show was all about. She was pressured to appear on the show by our persistent staff and she declared some of the most unforgettable lines like, "I went to live with the squatters not to help them but to help myself." She didn’t mince words about Erap and co. I became a fan.

• Vicki Belo – Unquestionably the top dermatological surgeon in the country, she came out vulnerable on PCBA sharing her struggle about her own adoption. She unabashedly cried during the conversation. I too cried. Vicki is one of the loveliest persons I know inside and out.

• Manny Villar – He was not much of a talker but he has definitely evolved into an effective communicator. In Private Conversations with Boy Abunda (PCBA), he talked about business, economy like Nancy, my cook talking about the fluctuating price of galunggong in nearby Nepa-Q market. Manny is a business wizard who has a past that he is extremely proud about.

• Rose Hancock-Porteous – Wearing a classic $20,000 Chanel dress, she looked smashing. Under sedatives we talked about her court battles versus Gina Rhinehart, daughter of multi-millionaire Lang Hancock, her dead husband. She married Willie Porteous, her husband’s best friend five months after his death. Now, news is out she is divorcing him claiming that she has remained a virgin for a number of months.

(To be continued)