Kris wants 'bato' for new fence, not Louis Vuitton

"Humingi ako ng bato," answered Kris Aquino when asked what her husband James Yap gave her on their second wedding anniversary last July 10. Everyone at the press junket of Facial Care Center—which Kris is now endorsing—was puzzled by her answer. The reporters asked if she was referring to diamonds or methamphetamine hydrochloride. Methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" is called "bato" in street jargon. "Shabu is called bato?" she said, a bit confused. "[I'm talking about] bato, sandstone for the house we're building!" Kris and James are building a house in an exclusive subdivision in Pasig. She narrated: "[Si James] umiikot daw sa mall sa Taiwan tapos nakasimpleng damit lang daw sila, so nung pumasok daw sila sa Louis Vuitton, sa Prada, inisnab daw sila kasi mukha daw silang walang perang pambili. Gusto talaga niyang mag-surprise at bumili ng bag. "Tumawag siya, tapos tinanong kung mayroon na ako nung LV na L-O-V-E. Sabi ko, ‘Don't buy na. Ang mahal. For the value of what you'll buy there, pambayad na lang natin ng pader!' "Kasi mayroong ordinary cement tapos tatapalan mo nung sandstone mas gaganda talaga. So sabi ko, ‘Yon na lang ang iregalo mo, tutal magka-value ang bag at pader. Doon na lang ako sa pader!'" Kris said she is making an effort to live more simply. "Kasi nung nag-move house kami—we're staying now in a rented place kasi nga habang tinatayo ‘yong house namin—less talaga ‘yong space so nakita ko na ang dami-dami kong bagay na hindi ko naman nagagamit talaga. Mas importante talaga ‘yong mga things na mas tatagal," she explained. She admitted, "Malustay talaga ako, so ngayon talaga [hindi na]. Dati talaga feeling ko reward ko sa sarili ko pag darating, ipapadala kasi nila sa house [‘yong mga things] tapos mamimili na lang ako kasi wala akong time pumunta... Tapos shopaholic ako, bili lahat. Ngayon, hindi na. Proud ako kasi kanina, apat na supot ang ipinadala ng Rustan's, pinabalik ko. Sabi ko, ‘Cost-cutting. Walang bibili ng mga damit. Walang ganyan muna.' Tapos dati, maluho ako. Gusto ko dati ‘yong tubig na imported na naka-bote, Evian. Sabi ko, ‘Yong mga magaganda, ito ang iniinom.' Ngayon, local na! Tubig is tubig, tantanan na!" Kris added that even her older son Josh—fathered by actor Philip Salvador—is also learning how to tighten his belt. "Kay Josh, ‘yong sa Timezone [arcade] na card tapos load lang nang load, kasi dati hindi niya inaawat ang sarili niya. Ngayon, ni-limit na ang allowance kasi kung hindi mo ini-instill ‘yon habang bata, hindi mapapanindigan pag matanda na," she said. - Philippine Entertainment Portal