Their love story is straight out of a telenovela.
Flashback: Christian Bautista, 39, and Kat Ramnani, 36, were introduced to each other by a common friend six years ago at the Escape Room or Breakout Paragon Place, a recreation Center in Mandaluyong City. It’s a game room where you and your friends discover ways and clues to reach the next room.
“It just so happened that later on in life, we were looking for each other,” recalled Christian at that time. “We became friends first.”
They were a good match. Christian was already an awarded singer and Kat (1/4 Filipino, 1/4 American, 1/4 Irish and 1/4 Indian) was working as an executive (still is) at a telecom company. She holds a Business Marketing & Communications degree from Santa Clara University, a private Jesuit school in Silicon Valley, California, U.S.A. and worked at Google and then at Apple and Facebook before coming back to the Philippines.
They began going steady in November 2015 and got married in Bali, Indonesia, the same month in 2018, their third anniversary as sweethearts.
Why Bali? Said Kat then, “Because that’s our first out-of-country trip. We fell in love with the place.”
But it was in Venice during their European tour where Christian proposed to Kat, not in the “dramatic” style other showbiz celebs do to attract attention but at their hotel while sharing slices of leftover pizza.
Christian reminiscing just before they got married, “I planned to do it at the cliffs in Santorini or in the ancient sites of Athens or the romantic city of Florence, and we ended up at the hotel.”
Are you on an extended honeymoon?
Christian: “In a way, yes. We are both enjoying our marriage and getting to know each other during this season. Prior to this, our schedules were so different, so opposite. Kat was very busy during the week, and I worked nights and weekends, it was rare for us to have one week together. During this time, we find joy in the small blessings.
“For the last six months, we have been blessed to be able to have lunch and dinner meals together and see each other most of the day. When she is on a call, I can pop into her office and give her a hug, and vice versa. It’s so nice to be able to grow with the one you love.”
What have you discovered about each other that you didn’t know before you got married?
Christian: “We are discovering similarities and differences, and how to complement each other, how not to press the wrong buttons, how to charm, how to argue, how not to argue, and many other things. I’ve recently learned that my wife can cook anything, anything at all...she manages to make it happen. We have also discovered I can make bread, so far, I’ve made milk bread and plain white loaf. Next on my list is pan de sal.”
How is your day like during this pandemic?
Christian: “Some days I need to do audio and video recordings for All-Out Sundays or The Clash or other GMA events. Sometimes, this requires Zoom performances for corporate events and online shows. For content creation, I try to create content via gaming streams regularly on my Xtianbautista Facebook page in partnership with game developers.
“I also do live streams as well on the Kumu app or on Instagram during the pandemic. I’ve also set goals where I am trying to put more content on YouTube. Lastly, I manage my personal businesses to ensure that we prioritize the health and safety of our staff, and pivot to ensure we are serving the needs of the new normal.”
(For Kat) Does Christian sing you to sleep (with just one song or something like a mini-concert)?
Kat: “No, not every night. But when I am stressed, or under the weather, he is ready with a comforting song and a back rub.”
What have been the major changes in your lives since the lockdown?
Christian: “For Kat, it is the work-from-home life. For me, it is the challenge of how to navigate the new reality of how the entertainment industry has pivoted; in terms of safety and operations. I’m consistently on the lookout for new businesses to help boost our country’s economy and help Filipinos to navigate the new normal.”
What do you have in common (preference in food, etc.)?
Christian: “We love to talk and converse about our days as well as share our dreams and goals. It’s an open kind of conversation about business ideas and the vision of a utopian society. Sharing ideas is something we love to do. We love to eat. She’s a great cook, I am a great eater so it works out. She is more detail-oriented and I am more of a big-picture kind of person, so we work well on projects together.”
When do you plan to have a baby and how many do you want?
Together: “Pass!!!”
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)