Sonny & Tootsy Angara find love in Greece, food in Rio, life in London

In the days when many local families’ anointed sons went to the United States for their undergrad degrees at Ivy League colleges or universities within an international milieu complete with global exposure, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara dared to be different.

He established residence in London, did his A levels in Douai School and then attended the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science where he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Economics and International Relations, Second Class Honours, Upper Division.

Thus solidifying his love affair with the United Kingdom.

Being his father’s son, Sonny decided to return home and was soon enrolled at the College of Law of the University of the Philippines while serving as a legislative researcher at the Senate at the Office of Senator Edgardo Angara. Later he became a news reporter for the Business section of the Philippine STAR.

Now an attorney with the Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) law offices, Sonny chose to go on a sabbatical leave to pursue a Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Back home, it was just a matter of time before this young, well-regarded descendant of a service-oriented family held office, and in 2004 Juan Edgardo Manalang Angara was elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the Lone District of Aurora.

An erstwhile Deputy Majority Leader and vice chairman of the Committee on Rules, third termer Congressman Angara, currently chairman of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, has principally authored several laws such as the “Magna Carta of Women”; the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) Act of 2008 which promotes 401K retirement plans; the University of the Philippines Charter of 2008; and the Aurora Special Economic Zone Act.

He also helped file the Tourism Act bill which promotes a national policy on tourism to spur investment and employment, and House Bill JR04, a four-year plan to adjust public sector pay and approximate private sector salary standards. In fact, the 38-year-old lawmaker has filed over 200 bills presently pending in the Lower House.

Once on this island: The couple during their honeymoon on the picturesque island of Santorini in Greece

Ask him about his share of the controversial “pork barrel” congressional funding, and this is what he has to say: “Since I became the Representative of Aurora, I have used my development funds to build over 170 classrooms, 14 gymnasiums, six libraries, provided college scholarships to 891 students, distributed over 500 computers, donated medicines and extended medical assistance to more than 8,000 patients and built skills and training centers for the 436 out of school youth and the jobless in preparation for employment.” And I believe him, for I have known this gentleman since his early school days in London, where we both resided within the Boroughs of Chelsea and Kensington, when I was based as a tourism attaché and regional director for Europe of the Department of Tourism.

This recent recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for 2010 for outstanding performance and achievements as a legislator acknowledges both his parents Ed and Gloria Angara as his mentors and he readily admits his wife Elvira “Tootsy” Echauz-Angara, mother of his two adorable children (with a third coming soon), to be his soul mate and an inspiration in everything he does.

Tootsy, a former student of the University of the Philippines in Baguio City and of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, a BS graduate in Marketing Management from the De LA Salle University, completed her master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications at the reputable Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

After serving as the sales manager of Channel 2 Entertainment she is currently sales head of the ABS-CBN Cable Channels and Print Media Group.

Without a doubt, Sonny and Tootsy have full daily schedules due to their fulfilling careers. They lead busy, happy lives. Read on.

What do you remember most of your first trip together abroad?

SONNY AND TOOTSY ANGARA: Had a blast! We celebrated Halloween in San Francisco and spent the weekend in beautiful Carmel (California).

What won’t you leave home without?  

BOTH: Guidebook. Credit cards, cash and cameras.

Describe your present passport photograph.

SONNY: Unflattering. The words “mug shot” come to mind.

TOOTSY: Dorky-looking.

How do you pass the time at airports?

BOTH: Visit the bookstores, last-minute shopping in the Duty Free Shops and eat the local food such as sticky rice and mango at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and eel sandwiches at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

Who is your ideal traveling companion?

SONNY: My wife. She is fun-loving, eager to try new things and fairly relaxed at the same time.

Visas in order: Sonny and Tootsy carefully maneuver by the mighty roaring Iguazu Falls which border on three countries, namely Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

TOOTSY: Sonny. He is diligent about planning and researching about a new place, he frames the itinerary complete with meals and he’s great fun to be with.

What is the first thing you do after checking in at a hotel or at a resort?

SONNY: Organize the schedule of the days ahead, since most of our holidays are not that long.

TOOTSY: Immediately check out the bathroom and lie on the bed.

What would you consider a must-do activity in every foreign city that you visit?

SONNY: Walk around the safe neighborhoods and sample the local cuisine.

TOOTSY: Try the local drinks — caipirinha, ouzo, soju — and eat street food.

Describe your most memorable trip.

BOTH: There have been many, but we agree, for sentimental reasons, it has to be our honeymoon in Greece. We spent a few days in Athens and then took our first cruise around the islands to include: Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and others. Unforgettable architecture and such rich history.

What do you miss most when you’re away from home?

BOTH: Our kids — that is, of course, when they’re not with us.

What is the best travel advice you were given?

BOTH: In Rio de Janeiro in Brazil: “Hold on to your kids, because if you lose them, you won’t ever find them again.”

What is the strangest thing you have done on a trip?

BOTH: Ate snake in Taipei.

Let’s talk favorites now. Name your favorite city abroad.

SONNY: London and Paris. These two cities have everything. Though they’re not exactly the cheapest cities, but they’re well worth it.

TOOTSY: Tokyo. Love the gentle demeanor of the Japanese and their cuisine.

Name your favorite spot in the Philippines.

BOTH: Any of the beautiful beaches in Baler, Boracay and Palawan.

Favorite airline?

Ready, come what may: The Angara four — soon to be five — in Osaka, Japan and all equipped for the snow, the rain, the wind or the cold.

BOTH: We don’t really have one. We’re happy with both Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic Airlines. They’re good. Emirates Airline has excellent entertainment.

Favorite airport?

BOTH: Changi in Singapore is exceptional. So are the Hong Kong and Dubai airports as well.

Favorite museum?

BOTH: We like the Musée Rodin in Paris. Though it is rather small, comparatively speaking, it is housed in a charming old mansion with pretty, lovely gardens. The stunning sculptures, including the famous “The Thinker,” are artistically scattered all over, truly enhancing the entire place.

And if you could take home a piece of art, which one would it be?

BOTH: We don’t really want to take home any piece of art, but we wouldn’t mind having the Musée Rodin as our residence!

Favorite hotel or resort?

SONNY: The Fairmont in Banff, Canada. It’s not so much for the rooms, which are rather ordinary, but for its spectacular location in the mountains, surrounded by captivating lakes. The entire setting is quite awe-inspiring.

TOOTSY: Hotel Arts in Barcelona, Spain. Just love it.

Favorite landmark or building?  

SONNY: As far as landmarks go, it’s the Great Wall of China. It is mind-blowing for its sheer scale. There’s a small building by architect Frank Gehry in Prague, Czech Republic nicknamed the “Dancing Building” — very ingenious piece of architecture. It is less spectacular than the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, but beautiful nonetheless.

TOOTSY: The imposing Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Favorite musical or play?

SONNY: I’m not a big theater guy, but Rent had good music.

TOOTSY: The Lion King.

Proud moment: Surrounded by family members and award organizers, Congressman Juan Edgardo Manalang Angara receives from President Benigno Aquino III the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) trophy for his outstanding performances and achievement as a legislator.

Favorite mall or store?

SONNY: I spend a lot of time in bookstores wherever I go. So a few stand out — Strand in New York City, Waterstones in London, Kinokuniya in Singapore. Tokyo likewise has some very unique stores, both the boutiques and the department stores.

TOOTSY: The Mall Outlet in Florence, Italy — like everyone else I love a bargain — 10 Corso Como in Milan, Italy and the different shops in Seoul, Korea.

Favorite restaurant or bar?

SONNY: Por Cao, a churrascaria in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Really, really superb meat of all kinds — steaks, ribs, chops, sausages — brought to your table, perfectly grilled and in copious amounts. Even our son, who’s not a big meat eater, stuffed himself silly. When we find ourselves in Boston, we always go to the ice cream places — especially JP Licks.

TOOTSY: We tried a wonderful restaurant last December. The name is Nahm in Bangkok, Thailand.

Name an event anywhere in the world you would like to participate in?

BOTH: An art fair such as the Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland. Maybe the annual film festivals in Berlin or Cannes or even the Sundance in Park City, Utah, in the US. Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be great to watch the Summer Olympic Games when we win our first-ever gold medal?

What kind of pasalubong do you buy — inbound and outbound?

SONNY: Outbound, I like to give local products like picture frames made of mother-of-pearl, shell or wood. Inbound, it depends on where we came from. If it’s Italy, then it’s leather or some religious items for the older folks.

TOOTSY: Inbound, we love to buy our children ethnic traditional costumes from the countries we visit. Local crafts — matrioshka dolls from Russia, ceramic cows from Holland, kimchee-flavored seaweed from Korea. Outbound, it’s map-designed T-shirts from Colleziones or Pinoy Lab.

What is the worst souvenir you ever brought back from a trip?

SONNY: None, really. But we kind of have fun with our kids by buying them the national costumes from the countries we have just visited.    

TOOTSY: Dutch wooden clogs. I’m sorry they were heavy, bulky, uncomfortable and I doubt if I’ll ever wear them.

Aside from unpacking your suitcase, what is the first thing you would do upon returning home?

SONNY: Shower and check on some people.

TOOTSY: Take a shower and eat adobo.

Name a city you have never visited but would like to someday.

BOTH: It’s quite a long list. Cape Town, Dubrovnik, Marrakech, Reykjavik, Dublin, Istanbul, Cairo, Hanoi, Budapest, Havana, Krakow.

Name a country you wish to explore.

Bless the day: Birthday boy Sonny, together with wife Tootsy, share blessings during his 37th celebration in Baler, Province of Aurora.

South Africa and Spain. We’ve never been on a safari and our Spanish adventures have only brought us to Madrid and to Barcelona.

What would you say is the best part of travel?

SONNY: Resting. Discovery. Learning. Getting new perspectives. As a public official, it’s seeing how we compare to others and how we can improve by adopting best practices.

TOOTSY: Family. Bonding. Learning the heritage of different countries and exposing our kids to different cultures.

What would you say, then, is the worst part of travel?

SONNY: I guess being a victim of crime. I had my camera stolen off my neck in a Southeast Asian capital. So I trust you have to take the necessary precautions.

TOOTSY: Getting ripped off by a cab driver in a Latin American country.

If you could reside anywhere in the world aside from the Philippines where would it be?

BOTH: London. Without a doubt.

SONNY: I spent my university years there, so it’s extremely familiar to me. I find its contrasts very attractive and appealing — it’s conservative and yet avant-garde, it’s traditional, but very rock and roll. It’s the city of the Queen, Royalty and the House of Lords, which represent tradition and continuity, but it’s also the place that gave birth to several movements in music and art, like punk, the British Invasion and New Wave music. It also produced the Young British Artists or the YBAs at the beginning of the close of the previous century, artists like Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and many others.

TOOTSY: It’s also an amazing, great walking city with many extraordinary beautiful parks. There are remarkable cultural and sporting events and venues. And we must not forget it has excellent bookshops.

BOTH: But, of course, nothing beats living in the Philippines.