The differences between Lolit & me

The Philippine STAR had an extremely successful bash last week to mark its silver anniversary. Unfortunately, I missed out on the Makati Shangri-La Hotel dinner last July 28, but Baby Gil told me they had a ball.

However, I did relish the anniversary issue that must have weighed a ton — what with so many sections. The instruction given to the writers and columnists was to come up with a list of anything 25 related to our respected beats.

 What I found most amusing were the joint pieces of the husband and wife tandem of Claude and Mary Ann Tayag, who write for the food section of this paper.

I have yet to meet the couple, but I am familiar with the useable art pieces churned out by the multi-talented Claude. For my birthday a decade ago, the wish list I sent to my friends included a Claude Tayag wooden clock. I had changed homes since then, but the clock is still in my possession and now hangs in the dresser of my bedroom — a simple, functional, but elegant piece of artwork.

So what did the couple write about for this paper’s anniversary issue? It was a he says/she says article about how it is to be married to a cocinero (Mary Ann’s article) and Claude’s rebuttal.

What they wrote inspired me to do the same and I’m now writing about how it is to be working in a show with Lolit Solis (who, if you didn’t know, belonged to the old STAR family — when our boss Miguel Belmonte was still a child and he would be put in her care). As for Joey de Leon and Ricky Lo, we never have arguments about work and respect each other’s territories.

It’s different with Lolit though, who remains the only existing Startalk host who was already with the show from its inception in 1995. (I was a late recruit.)

And so what are our differences as co-workers? Read on and find out.

• Lolit believes it is better and more practical to give cash gifts to the staff. I say it is in bad taste — the lazy way to go. I really exert effort to make a trip to Rustan’s — a huge sacrifice on my part since I am no mall rat and shopping had never been a favorite activity of mine.

During the first Christmas party I attended for Startalk, Lolit and Rosanna Roces went to the venue (in Tomas Morato Avenue) carrying a wad of cash, while I had to make several trips to the car to bring in neatly-gift-wrapped presents for the staff.

While Lolit and Rosanna never found out how their cash gifts were spent by the recipient, I still get thanked to this day by some of those who received fancy gold-plated and glass cake platters that they say are displayed prominently in the china cabinet.

Of course, there is the possibility that those recipients were simply being polite. I’ll never know. Maybe Lolit is right after all. Cash gifts could be more practical.  

• Lolit berates me for shopping at the last minute and whining about my holiday stresses. I tell her that I need to get into the Christmas spirit and personally select each and every item to suit the personality of the recipient, while all she did was wait for a gift to be delivered to her and all she had to do was rip out the card and scribble a new note to send to another person. In the Philippines, that is called recycling, but in the US it is re-gifting.

But all that has changed now. Lolit now rarely gives recycled presents and spends a fortune of Santi’s goodies that she distributes among us as her Christmas gift.

• Lolit isn’t exactly in the pink of health and I nag her to be careful with what she eats. She insists that it’s too late and she may as well enjoy what remains of her life.

I say, on the contrary, she should watch her diet to prolong her life. I want her to live longer because I will miss our petty arguments over our differences.

• Lolit believes that you should put your makeup on two hours before show time to allow the foundation to blend in. I say it depends on the skin type. Mine is acidic and I end up shining, shimmering splendid if I have my face done even half an hour before the show goes on. And so I let the makeup artist work on me only minutes before we go on air.

But in recent years, I discovered that I am able to get away with mere powder, which is easier to wash off after the program. And that allows me to come in five minutes before the show and still make it to the opening.  

• Lolit at least got it right when she said that I am the type who will appreciate the weirdest food — exotic dishes or rare pastries very few Filipinos would consume. But we did get into an argument once after she returned from an L.A. trip and gave me as pasalubong candied kundol (breadfruit). I didn’t know they make that in the US.

• She has this habit of forcing people she can control (obviously I am among them) to give contributions (to various fund-raising affairs) without asking first if you are amenable to the idea. Of course, I will give, but I hate it when I am being obliged and not allowed to make a decision for myself. That had always been my quarrel with my mom, but she always wins in the end.

I allow Lolit to get away with this because, well, I have no choice. She is my mom in Startalk.

For all our quarrels on-cam and off-cam, we genuinely love each other. Startalk is turning sweet 16 this October and we had been together for 12 years in the program. In spite of our differences, how do you think we manage to stand each other? Surely, it must be love.