Q&A: Hans Lopez-Vito is in the hot seat this week.

What is your current state of mind?
Panic! It’s planning season right now for many of our clients in China. So, planners are really in demand these days. And yet here I am writing this…

What is your greatest fear?
Irrelevance. People do need to feel needed.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My fear of being wrong.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Being afraid of being wrong.

Who is your hero?
My wife.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
The ability to multi-task.

On what occasion do you lie?
When telling the truth would hurt someone’s feelings.

Name one thing about yourself that few people know.
I have the attention span of an insect.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Indeed.”

What’s your most evocative childhood memory?
My mom’s home-made chorizo.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being able to mentor some great people, and learning more than a few things in return.

What is your most marked characteristic?
The calloused knuckles on my right hand (remnants of my martial arts days).

Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?
Andres Bonifacio, fiery leader of the (failed) Philippine revolution. I agree with his politics, though not always with his methods.

What makes you happy?
Coming home.

When did you last cry and why?
While watching The Family Stone. Who wouldn’t?

What is your greatest regret?
Buying real estate in Manila right before the bubble burst.

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
A receding hairline.

What’s your best joke?
The three signs someone has been in China too long:
1. When he has not actually seen half the DVDs he owns;
2. When he is amazed every time the sky is clear;
3. When he can cleanly de-bone a chicken leg by using only his mouth.

This article was originally published in the 25 February 2010 issue of Media.