The other side of Tuesday Vargas

It was in 2003 when, together with my husband Paul and balikbayan guests out for a good laugh in a comedy bar at Quezon Ave., I saw for the first time the very young, then relatively unknown Tuesday Vargas. At first sight, I thought she was one of the gay comedians (I swear!) and thought, “what a beautiful gay comedian this is!” As the night wore on, she managed to steal the show by simply playing with her eyes with those long lashes and making flirty glances at the audience. She was very witty, outrageously wacky, gracefully moving and dancing with her lithe body, and had long beautiful legs males in the audience ogled at and obviously enjoyed. She was crazy in a cute way and obviously in her element, having so much fun making other people have fun. When she did her song number, I was bowled over; “My God! This comedienne really can sing,” I said to myself. Right then and there I knew that with the combination of a beautiful voice, her gift of comic timing and natural acting prowess (especially in her mentally challenged character impersonation and as a babaeng-bakla) Tuesday would make it big.

Fast forward to the present, and my initial impression has proven true; she did not disappoint me as I watched her, this time as Arnell Ignacio’s co-host at the Christmas party of Manny Pangilinan’s MetroPacific Investments Corp., and I saw for myself how far she had gone. She had evolved into an extremely funny, insightful and confident emcee who also sings and dances convincingly. The young, standup, gay-looking comedienne is now a perfect and accomplished host for corporate events.

I have always maintained that someone without native intelligence can be an effective comedian. It therefore did not surprise me to learn that like Giselle Sanchez, Jon Santos, Willie Nepomuceno, Arnell, Candy Pangilinan and Nanette Inventor, Tuesday is another product of UP Diliman. Sans make-up at the Tropezz, Greenbelt 3, she still looked like the young student of the UP Institute of Mass Communications studying Film and Audio Visual Communications, a course she managed to finish in four years despite an unplanned pregnancy. Neither did it surprise me that after being properly handled by manager Olive de Jesus, she became a much-sought after artist on TV and in the movies, garnering several awards, including the 2006 Awit Awards for Novelty Album of the Year for her single, Babae Po Ako (Di Ako Bakla). I rooted for her when she joined the Shall We Dance celebrity dance competition in 2006 where she emerged over-all first runner-up. I knew she would win the championship in the 1 Million Peso Videoke Challenge celebrity videoke competition.

Having the opportunity to get to know her better, I got the surprise of my life to find out that Tuesday, this hilarious personality who seemed to be the most happy-go-lucky person on earth, was in real life very much into developing her mind, body and soul. She is (hold your breath!) into Buddhism, is active in marathons (training thrice a week in UP) and is an avid photographer with several exhibits under her sleeve. With her undying love for music, she remains active with her band, the Top Junk which is about to come out with its debut album.

As a photographer, she has focused her interest in Lomography. This writer, being probably the most low-tech person in the country, was dumbstruck when Tuesday elucidated thus, “Lomo is a brand that originated in Russia whose line contains the HOLGA, LCA+ and the fisheye cam to name a few.” Lomography, Tuesday continues (as I remain dazed), “emphasizes casual, snapshot-like-photography which produces unique photographs with high saturation and emotion.” (My jaws dropped. Huh? Come again?) To better make me understand her passion for photography, Tuesday painstakingly explained, “I believe a photograph puts a moment in posterity. It is a piece of time, a memory on celluloid.” (My jaws hit the floor; time to discard my old camera!)

All the more was I astounded when Tuesday started talking about Buddhism. “In the summer of 2006, I went to Thailand with my partner Coy (of Session Band) and discovered Buddhism. We were greatly inspired by the Buddhist way of life and then and there, decided to convert and adapt it. I practice the Theravada School of Buddhism which advocates the teaching of analysis. This simply means I create my insights based on my own experiences, critical investigation and reasoning, other than blind faith. I try to stay away from desire for it brings about defilements, such as anger, greed, lust and envy among others. I simply live a life where I try my best not to harm anyone and promote benevolence.” (By this time I am so stunned, I am rendered speechless! Tuesday, is that really you?)

She went on to share that she is also very athletic, joining marathons and doing yoga on a regular basis. Tuesday continues to shock me as she rationalizes, “I believe that your body is a temple and you should build it into a strong foundation of your faith. Running is a spiritual experience for me; I race for myself and not for anyone else. It is a solemn feeling to be one with the road, hearing your heart pound with every step and every kilometer you consume.” (For one who only runs to get to the subway on time when in New York, Hong Kong, or Singapore, I am now about to faint.)

We end our interview as I ask the waiter for a glass of water. I never, ever, expected to see this side of Tuesday. Trite as it may sound, I have to say we really should not judge a book by its cover. I thank my stars for giving me the opportunity to see Tuesday Vargas in a very different light. Tuesday is not only intelligent, talented and beautiful. She is multifaceted; she is profound; she is totally amazing. Aside from getting laughs from her, we could also learn a lot from the way she has chosen to live her life.

(E-mail me at [email protected] or text 0927-5000833)