Well, starstruck was more like it. Before me was a roomful of people I had only either read about in magazines and newspapers or seen on TV and the silver screen. But there they all were before me, in the flesh. The two stars that I zeroed in on were Martin Nievera and Kris Aquino. They seemed to me larger than life. But they acted so normally. And were both so nice. Still, I was starstruck.
Martin, after Richard had introduced me to him, casually offered (between bites of food) to write a wedding song for us, a promise he saw through without anyone bugging or reminding him about it (thank you, Martin!). The whole time he was talking to me, all I could do was smile, stare, and nod speechlessly. Kris, who was seated in one of the big round tables, flashed a big, bright smile and said she had seen us earlier that day on TV. She asked me something but I remember that all I could do was smile, stare, and nod speechlessly.
That was seven years ago. Through the years, both Martin and Kris have proven to be two of the sweetest, most genuine persons I have had the pleasure of meeting from the world of showbiz. And yes, although they still awe me with their talent (I know they always will), I have come to know and appreciate the person sitting at the core underneath layers of celebrityhood. Kris, most especially, has become a dear friend.
That has been the case with many of the people I have met from showbiz. They cease to be stars and instead shine brighter as real people, doing the same little things you and I do, going through their own hills and valleys. They are a happy, interesting mix of characters and perhaps there will never be enough anecdotes to share about them. Especially when I go back to the province, the question I am often asked is not how all these local stars look in person but how they are in real life.
I had the twin pleasure of traveling and stargazing when GMA Pinoy TV was launched in San Franciso. From day one at the U.S. Embassy until we all said our goodbyes at the lobby of The Hilton Garden Inn in Burlingame, it became apparent how normal and casual even the biggest of stars actually is.
At the US Embassy the stars queued up and waited for working permits and visas to be processed, some of them sleeplessly coming straight from tapings/shootings that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. No special treatment was given, none was even expected to begin with. The stars lined up, waited, and waited some more until their respective turns came. Several schedule delays, a cancelled flight, the belated release of some travel documents, traffic jams, hectic work schedules in between – none of these spawned tantrums. Yes, they worried, got exhausted but everything was tempered with a sense of humor. It is perhaps one of the most laudable Filipino traits, having the heart to smile, laugh, and toss faithfully up in the air setbacks both big and small.
Beneath the polished images, the stars we read about in Yes! magazine are normal, real people. They, too, fall in love in big ways, get hurt, adore sales and good deals, buy pasalubong and fill up balikbayan boxes like there’s no tomorrow. They can comfortably eat from paper plates with improvised utensils, with their hands even, if need be. Like every other Juan and Inday, they, too, start to long for adobo, tuyo and sinangag on the third day away from home and their eyes light up at the sight of saging na turon.
I saw the stars doing their own makeup, coming down to the breakfast table with either wet or tousled hair, still sleepy or entirely sleepless, dark circles under their eyes. They expertly pressed their own clothes, carried their own bags, and found creative ways to entertain themselves during long bus rides. At times the alarm clock could not wake them up, and they gained weight after having one too many Krispy Kreme donuts and burgers from In N Out.
Longing is the residue of being far away from home. And that was what the GMA Pinoy TV launch was all about. Bringing home closer to the hearts of many Filipinos offshore. With every smile given and returned, with every warm handshake, every affectionate gaze, each grateful heart, a relationship is established. One draws inspiration from the other, in different but personally significant ways.
At the end of the day, the San Francisco Filipino community had two faces, both intrinsically bathed with the same sentiment. A Filipino from the audience, away from home for years, goes back to the quiet of his home, tired but happy, thankful that the stars came and with them, a familiar picture of home. A star, after his great performance, in town for just a few days, retreats back to his hotel room, thankful that the Filipino came, perhaps nameless in a faceless crowd but a reminder nonetheless of the responsibility – and yes, humility – that comes with being in a spotlit position that inspires. Both are away from home but, through and with each other, they know there were many precious moments when they actually felt closer to it than they could ever be.
Here is another proud-to-be-Pinoy moment to relish: Comcast, the cable carrier of GMA Pinoy TV in Northern California, has reported that in the first month since its launch on August 1, they experienced the highest call volume – and generated the most customer sales – than in the first 30 days of launching of any other international channel to date. That is one more thing to smile about.