Dayanara self-help book

• Let yourself feel the pain. A woman who hasn’t cried after divorce is a woman who hasn’t healed.

• Let go of regret.

• Don’t rush into a new relationship. Wait until you’re in a happy, healthy peace.

These, according to a story in a recent issue of People magazine, are some of the tips from Dayanara Torres’ self-help book titled Married to Me which she co-wrote with her sister Jeanette “to inspire divorcees” and remind them that “the journey (isn’t) easy.”

Now 33, the former (1993) Miss Universe from Puerto Rico married fellow Puerto Rican, Salsa King Marc Anthony in 2000, at a wedding in a Las Vegas penthouse suite with only 15 persons present, an affair so hastily planned only the day before that it caught the bride by surprise.

The marriage ended in 2004. Soon after, Marc married Jennifer Lopez whom he dated briefly before he married Dayanara who has two sons by Marc — Cristian, seven, and Ryan, four — living with her in L.A. Marc and Jennifer have twins, Max and Emme.

“You don’t plan the end of your marriage,” People quoted Dayanara (who was romantically linked to Aga Muhlach during her career-driven life in the Philippines) as saying. “I dreamed of finding my prince, but it doesn’t always happen that way.”

Marc and Dayanara had been prevented by the court to discusss details of their failed marriage, so her book is more “self-help” and not “tell-all.”

According to the People story, after the divorce, Dayanara found herself barely able to get out of bed. “You go through hell,” she said. “I cried until there were no tears left — until I was numb. I didn’t want to eat; I didn’t care to get dressed or take a shower. I just wanted to lie there,” until she was brought back to her senses by her son Cristian who walked into her room one day and asked her, “You’re crying again?” Added Dayanara, “I felt embarrassed that they saw their mother being weak. I woke up. I realized I’d been crying for all the wrong reasons.” So she pulled herself together and tried to set things right. “I didn’t want them to choose sides,” said Dayanara who, according to the People story, keeps photos of Marc at her home for the sake of their sons. “He’s not someone we need hide — he’ll always be their father. And to this day, I don’t think they’ve seen our divorce as a bad thing.”

She’s all right now, at peace with herself and the world, and with her “ex.”

For a while, Dayanara was romantically linked to Terrence Howard (Crash, etc.) and then to Prison Break star Amaury Nolasco with whom she has broken up and has remained friends.

The People story didn’t identify the Philippines and only referred to Dayanara as having starred in 13 “foreign-made” films after she won the Miss U crown (she starred with Aga in her first, Basta’t Kasama Kita). She stars in a Latin soap aired in the US and will start shooting a boxing drama anytime now.

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Avril Lavigne at Big Dome Sept. 3

Rock princess. Grammy nominee. Certified chart-buster (with 30 million albums sold worldwide). And, last but not the least “title,” Everybody’s Rock Girlfriend.

That’s Avril Lavigne, also touted to be the biggest-selling female rock star of all time, who is being brought back for a solo concert (her first, in 2005, was with Simple Plan), The Best Damn Tour, by Viva Concerts & Events and Midas Promotions at the Araneta Coliseum on Sept. 3.

Born on Sept. 27, 1984 in Ontario, Canada, Lavigne in 1998 won a competition to sing with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain on her first major tour. At 16, Lavigne was signed by Arista Records which released her debut album, Let Go, which was released in 2002 and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide (certified six times platinum in the US). Her second album, Under My Skin, sold eight million copies; and her third, The Best Damn Thing, more than five million.

Lavigne co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson hit song Breakaway which Clarkson also recorded for the soundtrack of the movie Princess Diaries 2. She made her film debut in the animated movie Over the Hedge as the voice of Heather. In 2006, she married her fellow Canadian Deryck Whibley, singer-guitarist of the punk band Sum 41.

(Note: Ticket prices to the 2008 The Best Damn Tour Concert are P6,750 for Patron A and B; P5,250 for Lower Box; P2,850 for Lower Box A; P1,400 for Lower Box B; and P600 for General Admission. Call Ticketnet at 911-5555 or Viva Concerts & Events at 687-6181 local 620 or 745.)

Kurap competes in New Delhi fest

Ronaldo Bertubin’s second feature film Kurap (Blink) will have its world premiere in the Asian and Arab competition section of the 10th Osian’s Film Festival in New Delhi from July 12 to 20.

At stake are $50,000 for the Best Film, $20,000 for Best Director and $5,000 each for the Special Jury awardee, Best Actor and Best Actress.

Kurap stars GMA contract artist Sherwin Ordonez in his first mature role, and newcomers Jojit Lorenzo, Ashley Rhain Arca, Christian Burke and Jeff Luna. Written by Romualdo Avellanosa, it is the first film produced by Silangan Pictures with Antonio de Guzman Jr. as producer.

Two Filipino films are competing in the First Feature competition section (with $5,000 as prize), namely Jim Libiran’s 2007 Cinemalaya entry Tribu, and Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Dahis Antipuesto’s 2007 Cinema One Original Confessional.

Attending the filmfest are Kurap director Roni )whose first film was Sikil, shown in filmfests in Mexico, Spain and US), stars Sherwin and Antonio, and Funfare’s Toronto-based “international correspondent” Ferdinand Lapuz. Their tickets and accommodation are courtesy of the filmfest organizers.

Filipino films that have competed in the New Delhi Filmfest include Mario O’Hara’s Babae sa Breakwater (2004), Jeffrey Jeturian’s Kubrador (2006) and Brillante Mendoza’s Foster Child (2007).

Kurap is also slated to compete at a filmfest in Europe in October and one of the Filipino films that represented this year by Ignatius Films Canada.

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