Body Talk with Akihiro Sato (re-post)

FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo
Updated April 20, 2009 12:00 AM

The day before this interview, Akihiro Sato said that he started having formal lessons in Filipino under a personal coach. (He’s also taking lessons in acting and the English language.)
“Gusto ko talaga matuto mag-Tagalog,” he smiled.

It’s a good start for an “imported” star-in-the-making serious about pursuing a showbiz career here.

Half-Brazilian and half-Japanese, Akihiro came with the wave of Brazilian models who have helped lit up the entertainment scene. He has appeared in a few commercials (for, among others, Greenwich, Ayala Land and Penshoppe, and soon for a spa to replace Piolo Pascual as Marian Rivera’s partner) and TV shows (TV5’s Shall We Dance?, etc.) He has just wrapped his scenes in the indie film Handumanan in which he plays a Brazilian model searching for his long-lost mother, with Chin-Chin Gutierrez and Jason Abalos as co-stars, directed by Seymour Sanchez.
After this interview, Akihiro was scheduled to meet with the executives of a TV network possibly for a regular show or, why not, a movie.

“That’s why I’m learning to speak Tagalog,” he repeated. “I like it here because the people are like Brazilians. They are warm and friendly.”

His mother is Brazilian-Italian and his father is pure Japanese. He and his four siblings grew up in Brazil where he finished a course in Physical Therapy while working at his father’s seafood restaurant.

Akihiro came to the Philippines last year for a month-long vacation — and decided to stay.
“I started working as a model in Brazil,” said Akihiro, speaking in English with a Japanese accent. “And then I stayed in Bangkok for three years while I traveled around Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.) working as a model.”

He’s 24 (a Virgo, born on Sept. 12, 1984). He stands 6-foot flat, weighs 175 lbs., and wears large-size shirts, size-34 briefs and 11-inch shoes.

Are you vain like most good-looking guys?
“As a model, I always look at the mirror to make sure that I look good. Is that being vain?”

How do you take care of your body?
“I like to work out a lot. I go to the gym and do boxing, jujitsu and cardio exercises. I also play football; I play every Sunday at the Colegio de San Agustin. Also, basketball and surfing. In Brazil, our house is near the beach, so I surf a lot.”

What part of your body do you think needs some improvement?
“My chest.”

What part is most vulnerable?
“My stomach. I eat too much vegetables and salads, and too much chocolates, so sometimes I get a stomach ache.”

And what part is your favorite?
“My smile. Is it part of the body? Yes, my face where my smile is. They say that I have a happy smile...that I’m always smiling.”

Can you win a girl’s heart just by smiling at her?
“Yes, I can.”

What part of a girl’s body do you look at first?
“The eyes.”

What part of a girl’s body do you like most?
“The boobs. Just kidding. Hehehehe! I like girls who are serious with what they are doing.”

And what kind of girls don’t you like?
“Those who wear too much make-up and who talk too much.”

How do you cope with stress?
“Usually, I go to a spa and get a full-body massage. Or I work out at the gym. Or I listen to music.”

What kind of music do you listen to?
“The songs of Coldplay, Bob Marley and U2. I also read books.”

What kind of books do you read?
“The Alchemist and other books by Paulo Coelho, a popular Brazilian writer.”

You’ve been to a lot of places. What’s your favorite city?
“One place that I like very much is Hong Kong. But I don’t want to stay there, just for vacation. I stay for three days and come back to Manila. I also love Bangkok; I can stay there longer.”

Favorite hideaway?
“The beach where I can go surfing, like Baler in Quezon which is perfect for surfing. I want to go to Siargao which is very famous in Brazil because a world surfing competition is held there.”

How’s your diet?
“I eat three or four times a day. I eat one kind of food only once in a day. If I eat chocolate in the morning, I don’t eat it in the afternoon or in the evening. Same with other food. Every week, I change my diet. For dinner, I take only salads.”

Favorite food?
“Mexican food; spicy food. I love Bicol Express; it’s so good! Hot and spicy.”

Snacks?
“French Fries. Peanuts.”

How much water do you take per day?
“Three liters.”

Vitamins?
“Vitamin C and Ginseng.”

How much sleep do you get per night?
“A minimum of six hours.”

Favorite sleepwear?
“Underwear, nothing more. I sleep alone.”

Never in the nude?
“Only when I am with a girl. Hahahaha!”

Do you snore?
“Sometimes.”

Do you talk in your sleep?
“I do.”

Do you sleepwalk?
“Yes. One time, I walked in my sleep and I broke my leg.”

What’s the last thing that you do before you go to sleep?
“I pray. I’m a good Catholic. I ask God to give me strength to help others.”

And the first thing that you do when you wake up?
“I listen to music.”

How’s your nightlife?
“I don’t like going to parties. I’d rather go to a bar, drink a little and go home.”

Your love life?
“I broke up with my girlfriend three months ago. She’s Brazilian.”

And your sex life?
“I avoid it because I’m studying. Otherwise, I wake up late and cannot concentrate on my studies.”

What’s your favorite fantasy?
“Doing it with three girls at the same time. Hahahaha!”

Name three girls you think have nice bodies.
“Angelina Jolie. Mariah Carey. Jennifer Lopez.”

And three men...
“Marc Nelson. Keanu Reeves. Robert Pattinson.”

Using only body language, how would you make a girl know that you admire her?
“I just keep on looking at her straight in the eyes.”