Clue: The hitherto "mystery man" was seen strolling with Keanna at the Baywalk a few days ago. They were lovey-dovey, holding hands, and bystanders familiar with the men romantically linked to Keanna were teasing her as they walked by, "Keanna, Keanna, nasaan si Andrew?"
Yeah, Andrew, where were you when Keanna was acting as "tour guide" to the very good-looking foreigner with a movie-starish aura?
Are you, sob and sigh, the last to know?
No problem there, especially if you believe what Keanna said that she and Andrew are not into a serious relationship, contrary to rumors that they are living-in (and that Keanna is Andrew’s "sugar mommy"; he’s 21 and she’s, according to her, "only 36, going on 37").
"My relationship with Andrew is open-ended," Keanna confessed when Funfare "cornered" her yesterday at the Meza Bar & Cafe (off Tomas Morato Ave. in Quezon City). "He can go out with any girl he wants and I can do the same."
Keanna was at first mum on the "mystery man" in her love life, unaware that Funfare did some "sleuthing" before putting her under some kind of a "lie-detector" test. Funfare’s "fashion-embedded" DPA furnished me a few facts about the guy: He’s a French model named Sofian, in his early twenties, 6’1" tall, with green eyes and brown hair. His measurements: waist line is 31"; hips, 39"; and shoe size is 10 inches. Based in Hong Kong, Sofian is here for a vacation and, why not, a possible modeling career if there are offers.
Caught in a fix, Keanna had no choice but to "confess."
Yes, she said, she and Sofian have known each other for more than three weeks since they met for the first time at the Embassy at The Fort (the same bar where all the high-society brawls are being "staged" every once too often). They exchanged phone numbers and before long, they were dating.
Better to make a clean breast of it because, according to Keanna, people might have nasty ideas when they see her and Sofian together in public.
"Alam mo naman ang mga tao," said Keanna, "pag nakita akong may kasamang foreigner, iisipin nilang nag-i-escort-service na naman ako."
Asked if they’re living-in, Keanna said, "No, not yet."
She’s soon moving into a condo unit in Mandaluyong City, swapped with the house and lot in Valenzuela City which was her part of the prizes she won from the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition.
"Ako lang ang titira doon," Keanna added. "Walang ibang lalaki, except my two sons when they transfer from Cebu to Manila when they enter college."
Turn to the inside pages and your eyes will pop out in disbelief. Is this the Pops that we used to know, short of baring intimate parts of the body she had taken so much care of not to show? What has gotten into her pretty head to pose in this manner expected only of bold stars starving for public attention? What is she trying to prove?
On national television, Pops tried to justify her "coming out of the cocoon" by encouraging women like her, pushing 40, to show that they have still bodies to die for and are still desirable. Could you imagine how long the queue of women-pushing-40 would form to the FHM office if women her age followed Pops’ "well-meaning" piece of advice? Have you ever wondered how the adolescent children of women-pushing-40 would feel seeing their moms in such state of undress in a glossy magazine pictorial? Wouldn’t they get into a fight being teased in school?
If you ask me, I prefer the old, wholesome Pops Fernandez who, even without making a splash on the pages of FHM, still attracted guys much younger men, including Troy Montero, Piolo Pascual, Brad Turvey, Jacques Dupasquier and Jomari Yllana (oops? did I miss out a name?), compared to ex-husband Martin Nievera who has been linked to only one girl, Katrina Ojeda (set to deliver their first child, a boy, in October).
Pops’ FHM derring-do reminds me of Hollywood good girl Meg Ryan who self-destructed when she went daring and baring in the movie In the Cut after she broke up with Russell Crowe. Fans, me included, loved to see Meg Ryan with clothes on and not in bed au naturel with a man. I’m not saying Pops has gone that far; I just feel that the effect on her fans (me included) by her FHM (mis)adventure is the same as that of Meg Ryan’s drastic change of image.
Oh, well, I guess Pops got the attention that she must have (desperately?) wanted. But was it worth it?
After winning the top prize at the recent Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, Mike Sandejas' Tulad ng Dati (Just Like Before) will have its international premiere at the 11th Pusan International Film Festival from October 12 to 20.
Director Mike will be competing for the New Currents Award. This award aims to promote and encourage emerging film talents from Asia by selecting the best new film by an Asian director. Eligible are the first or second time directors of a feature film. An international jury, made up of eminent film professionals, judges films for the competition with the award guaranteeing a $30,000 cash prize to a winning director. I am not quite sure about this but I think Mike is the first Pinoy director to compete in this section.
Tulad ng Dati features the members of The Dawn: Jett Pangan, JB Leonor, Francis Reyes, Buddy Zabala and Caloy Balcells; Ping Medina plays the role of Teddy Diaz and Angel Aquino is Beth, Jett's wife in the film. Mylene Dizon has played a very special role.
Jeffrey Jeturian's award-winning film Kubrador (The Bet Collector) has also been invited in Pusan. It will screen in the A Window on Asian Cinema section.