49
{ }
c h i k k a
w a n d e r l u s t
Bitten
by the
travel bug
Tales from the Friend Zone
creator Ramon Bautista is
hoping to add more places to
his been-there list
INTERVIEW BY
CHARMAINE BAYLON
HE’S A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
who
also does comedy and mock news for GMA
News TV’s
May Tamang Balita.
But Pinoys
also know Ramon Bautista for his tongue-
in-cheek advice on love via
Tales from the
Friend Zone
(
TFTFZ
)
on YouTube.
“
They approach me and tell me that they
are learning a lot from
TFTFZ
,
that being
in
Friend Zone
is a special experience,”
admits Bautista, who answers letters on
the show he created with director RA
Rivera. “People, especially the youth, are
obsessing too much on love. We want to
remind them that there are other things to
live for aside from romantic feelings.”
His tip for a broken heart? “Traveling —
it’s an awesome way to move on. It’s also
an opportunity to find yourself, forget about
being ‘friendzoned’ and enjoy the many
things life can offer. We should all look out
the window when on a plane to remind
ourselves how big the world is.”
Not bad for someone who considers himself
“
a late bloomer traveler”. “[Traveling] changed
how I looked at things and made me realize
we all have to see the world," he said.
FOOD TRIP
“
Osaka is such a superb destination. The
food is awesome (I tried the ramen) and
the people are interesting. We went to
Kyoto too, to visit the castles and cherry
blossoms.“
TWELVE HOURS IN BACOLOD
“
The taxi fare from the airport to the city is expensive, but the driver tells you how much you need to
pay in such a warm Ilonggo accent that you’ll just smile while paying him. I got to see Bacolod’s
vast sugarcane fields, old houses, many beautiful girls and was able to taste non-fast food
inasal.
“
FREQUENT TRAVELER
“
I’ve been to Cebu many times now. Every
time I go there, my heart fills with joy
—
and the fat from the
liempo
and Cebu
lechon.
My favorite visits also include the
Binisaya Film Festivals, which showcase
the films made by Visayan filmmakers.“
At the ruins in Bacolod
Magellan's Cross in Cebu
