Author's Note. As an adventurer and traveler, I have met many artists in big cities. This is a sequel to a previous StarGazer article, Three Pinoy Artists — the Fourth Pinoy Artist.

Rome, Italy. Circa 1985. It was hard hitchhiking in Italy because motorists preferred to pick up soldiers in uniform than long-haired Oriental backpackers. It took me the whole day to hitchhike from Firenze (Florence) to Rome, which was only a few hours ride by car.

I did not have the address of a good friend, Jimmy Resurreccion. I had an ingenious plan. I looked for Pinoys at Rome's central train station and asked if they knew Jimmy. After about 15 encounters, an attractive Pinay replied, "Ah, si Mang Jimmy. Good friend ko yan." She scribbled his address and off I went.

Jimmy and I hugged and I met his family, a pretty Italian wife, and two kids, a girl and boy.

ME — Your middle name is Hidalgo. Is it true the great painter Hidalgo is your grandfather?

JIMMY — Felix Hidalgo Resurreccion. Great-grand uncle or something.

ME — It's in your blood, that's why you're so good.

JIMMY — I just arrived from Poland. I hate Polish women. They are so aggressive. They all wanted to rape me.

ME — Because you're so sexy.

JIMMY — Sabagay (True.)

ME — Ulol (Crazy). It's no longer rape if you give your consent.

JIMMY — Sabagay. I have been commissioned by the producer of the movie, The Agony and the Ecstasy, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo. I was asked to do replicas of frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel for the movie set.

ME — Wow, big time. Big pay. Not an easy job doing frescoes.