At the start of the interview, Rei warned me that she has a squeaky voice. Not! In addition, she inquired about how to use foundation, blusher and eyeshadow. Believe it or not, this woman does not own makeup save for one lipstick. And if you think she looks good in pictures, she looks great in person.
She is an extraordinary woman. She’s pretty enough to be a model, she’s smart enough to run her own business Piedra, and get this  she relaxes by riding a motorbike. For more on Rei, read on:
Young STAR: Tell us about Piedra.
Rei Guzman: Piedra has been around for the last eight or nine years  almost a decade. We branched out with our own showrooms about three years ago. We generally sell wall claddings, exterior tiles, wall finishes, and anything that has to do with cement. What God created cement not to do, we make it.
How many branches do you have?
We have three. The main store is in Mandaluyong, the branches are in Ortigas, Makati and Fort Bonifacio.
Who are your clients?
Robinsons, Ayala Land, ShoeMart, which was one of the biggest deals we had last year.
Will we see you driving a cement mixer?
No, I haven’t gotten my license for trucking yet. (Giggles)
Are your materials manufactured here or do you import?
The materials are manufactured here; we don’t import. We export to countries like Japan, Thailand and India.
Why Piedra?
I did some research on this. (Smiles) Years ago, when the galleons left Spain, the boats were weighed down for balance. When they got to their destination  say Manila, they remove the balance and fill the galleons with food, gold, whatever. Now the balance were made of Piedra Tsina, a type of rock, which they left in Intramuros. Fort Santiago is paved with Piedra Tsina. This is where we got our name.
Do you love your work?
Honestly, it’s very interesting because it forces me to learn about Filipino culture. Since I grew up in the US, I took for granted that American and Filipino cultures are similar. I had to learn a lot of things Filipino like the Pinoy sense of humor, nuances of the language, the psychology  things like that  in order for me to be effective in sales.
Are you Filipino?
I’m pure Filipino. Although I grew up in the States. My mom is Ilocano and my dad is Manileño.
Do you have a background in construction?
None whatsoever. I do have experience in sales. I think you can sell anything as long as you know the product and if you believe in the product.
What was your major?
Chemistry. I didn’t finish though. I am now enrolled in UP taking up Engineering. It’ll be more applicable to my current field of work.
What do you do to relax?
I ride motorcycles and I play PlayStation 2.
You ride but you don’t race?
Correct. It’s therapeutic. It’s relaxing. It’s very Zen.
What’s therapeutic about it?
When you drive a car, you’re insulated from your environment. When you’re on a motorcycle, you’re part of the environment. You’re like five inches away from the asphalt. You have to pay attention to everything you do. Where you look is where your bikes goes. You have to be one with your bike. You can’t think of anything else. It’s just you and your bike. Your bike and you. No one and nothing else.
You can run, er, ride away from your problems?
Yeah. Most of the time, even if you don’t want to think of your problems, they just pop up in your head. You’re doing something and suddenly you remember all of them!
How do men react when they find out you’re a biker?
They ask, "Do you have any friends?" (Giggles) I’m like, "Oh yeah, a lot! When in fact, when we ride, we’re just five or six people.
Do you bike to work?
Ah, no. I bike around the neighborhood. I prefer to ride on the tracks.
How often do you ride?
As often as I possibly can. But with work catching up with me, I’ve been riding less and less. If I could, I’d ride everyday. Everywhere. Anytime. Rain or shine.
Isn’t it dangerous to go motorbiking?
That’s why I don’t have the balls to drive on the streets. (Giggles) Big trucks wheeze by and you’re just in your little bike. If I can’t ride, I back ride. When you hit 200km/hr and the bike’s vibrating under you, it feels good!
What are the disadvantages of being female and a biker?
Well, for one, I don’t have the strength to lift my bike once it falls. If I ever crash my bike, I can’t carry 300 lbs. I’ve dropped my bike twice. I keep my helmet on. Maybe no one will notice I’m a girl!
Isn’t there a stereotype of women bikers? They’re clad in black leather . . .
With tattoos, body piercing, chains? Harley girls lang yata ’yon.
You mean, there are different types of bikers?
There are different types of bikes. There are cruisers, sportsbikes, and what nots. The Harley people, they usually have the look of a motorcycle rider.
Do your parents know you bike?
Yes! My father finally knows I bike after about four years.
You kept if from him? Why?
I wanted to race since I was 16. I’m 27 turning 28. But I never lie about my age.
Other interests?
I was a photography buff in high school.
Apparently, I can’t develop film properly. (Laughs) It’s an expensive hobby. You spend a lot of time in the darkroom with chemicals and when you get out, you smell awful. So finally, I gave up and studied PhotoShop. Nandadaya na lang ako sa computer!
You’re also into PlayStation?
PlayStation 2 totally rocks!
What are your favorite games?
I like strategy games and fighting games. I like Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, mostly RPG’s.
My last question is something like a psychological test. If the following things happened to you simultaneously, which would you would do first, second and so on: One afternoon, somebody rings your doorbell as if there’s an emergency. Your phone rings. It starts to rain and your clothes, which are hanging out to dry, are getting wet. Your baby starts crying, and you just remembered you left the faucet running. Rank them according to what you would do first.
Baby, faucet, phone, person at the door. Let the laundry get soaked. It’s too late, anyway. There is such a thing as a dryer. The person ringing the doorbell is already at my doorstep, so he or she won’t just leave, right?
These are the things you’re looking for in a relationship. Baby means personality, faucet means material things, phone means conversation, person at the door means openness, clothes represent physical attributes.
Hell, yeah! That seems accurate. Oh man, does that mean I’m looking for an ugly guy?