Tessie at 53: Life is even better

Others say it begins at 40. But for Tessie Tomas, host of the ABS-CBN mid-morning show Teysi, life becomes even better after 50. On Oct. 31, Friday, Tessie is turning, ehem, 53 but she insists that she feels like "35 forever."

"My pace is more leisurely now," says Tessie who’s married to marine biologist Roger Pullin (himself a survivor of a first failed marriage). "I have nothing more to prove."

In short, Tessie is enjoying the fruits of her long years of labor.

Her only son (by a previous marriage), 27-year-old Robin, is a fashion designer based in New York. One of Roger’s two children (both girls), Alice, will give birth to her first child soon, making both Tessie and Roger first-time grandparents.

"Alice and Lucy (Roger’s other daughter) call me simply Tessie. Very British, di ba? Parang friends lang kami. They also consider Robin like a real brother."

She and Roger jibe perfectly well because Roger is fulfilled and accomplished in his own field.

"He isn’t insecure at all," says Tessie. "When we go out and people recognize me or ask for my autograph, he steps back. He’s my No. l fan. He watches my shows over and over again, as in every performance."

So what makes Tessie feel like "35 forever"?

Five "S’s", namely 1) Sex, 2) Spirituality, 3) Show (Teysie, etc.), 4) Social Work, and 5) Stand-Up Comedy ("On which I plan to concentrate in 2004").

For what she and Roger have been up to lately, I’m printing excerpts of a letter written by Tessie herself...

Wow! I can’t believe Teysi has been on air for eight months now.

If you will recall, Teysi was launched on a 10:30 a.m. timeslot, back-to-back with Morning Girls with Kris & Korina last Feb. 3. However, in April, management decided to do some programming changes and Teysi was moved to an 8 a.m. timeslot. My initial reaction was: "Bakit 8 a.m.? Sobra yatang maaga?" Well, I was in for a lot of surprises and discoveries. The general feedback from fans is that they prefer the new timeslot. Most of them, especially the working women, can watch me in the office or shortly before they leave their homes. I think I have also become more relaxed, cheerful and lighthearted in the show. After all, I can make or break their day. (Sa Tagalog, masisira ko ang araw nila) if I am so serious or masungit di ba?

I am so proud of my staff especially my headwriter Joel Mercado and my supervising producer Ethel Espiritu for being so driven and committed to the show. They have weekly brainstorming sessions and they drum up new portions and pakulos every month. It may look simple watching it on the tube but Teysi, with its myriad of segments, takes a lot of work. But at the end of the day, what matters most is the audience’s feedback: "Hoy ang ganda ng show mo kanina Ms. Teysi. Nakakatuwa –naaliw ako!"

In April, Roger and I flew to London for a week to attend the wedding of our daughter Alice Pullin (who works as Vice President for Deutsche Bank) and Don Squires (who works for Meryll Lynch) last April 27 at St. Mary the Boltons in Chelsea.The reception was held at the Wharf facing the River Thames. There were about 150 guests. Robin flew from New York. Class na class ang wedding at na-practice ang English accent ko!

In July, I flew to Cotabato in my capacity as PRO for CFSI (Community & Family Services International) to be the guest speaker for the Imug-ug Elementary School and also to visit some evacuation centers. CFSI continues to help rebuild the lives of women and children displaced by the war in Mindanao.

Last August, Ka Roger launched his album of all original Gospel songs entitled Travellers in Time at the Tavern on the Square. Parang mas ninerbiyos ako sa kanya pag nagpeperform siya live. Stage mother talaga!

In September I was cast in Buttercup as Erlinda, the mother of Meg (Claudine Barretto). It was great to be doing something else besides Teysi. Pinag-usapan ang pulang buhok ko.

In October I performed for two nights at the Comfort Room, Si Teysi sa CR with Jon Santos. It’s so nice and enjoyable to go back to stand-up comedy. I feel like I’m flexing my creative muscles again. Dinadaga ako bago pumanhik ng stage, pero pag nag-init na, ayaw ko nang bumaba ng stage!

I will be leaving for a one-week break in Sydney, Australia to see some friends from UP. Roger is going to Bangladesh for an aquaculture project. Robin, my beloved son, is based in New York and working as a fashion designer. I do miss him so much and I look forward to seeing him this Christmas.

So there you are my friends. Life is hectic. Life is good!

Will King live up to his name?

Like his younger sister Nina, 22, 23-year-old new singer King doesn’t use any surname because, he says, it’s hard to pronounce. Yes, Girado.

"It was my sister who encouraged me to try professional singing," says King who joins two other new singers also from Star Records, Divo and Michael "Josh" Santana, in a three-in-one album, each with four songs, released successively. King’s songs are Maybe, which is now getting extensive airplay (the Maybe MTV is No. 6 on the Myx Hit Chart, No. 2 on the Kool on Cam’s Video Chart and No. 2 on the Top 30 Overall OPM Radio Chart); Tuloy Pa/Iyong Iyo, from the original soundtrack of Star Cinema’s romance-drama-comedy My First Romance; Hindi Mo Na Ba Minamahal? from Weekend Love (to be released next month); and It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve from the Brightest Stars of Christmas album, soon to be released by Star Records. (Maybe is a revival of the Neocolours song.)

Although the three of them are together on the album, King, Divo and Michael (of the ABS-ACBN soap Bituin) are pursuing individual careers and must not be mistaken for a trio.

"Is there any professional jealousy between Nina and me? None. We compare notes; we give each other moral support. Nina is even the one who teaches me the dynamics."

Brother and sister come from a musically-inclined family. Their father, Filbert, Sr. (King is a junior), was a member of the Bayanihan Vocal Group while their mother, Dawlet, plays various musical instruments. Their brother Patrick is a musical director and their youngest sister, Dawanne, is a member of the Lipstick band.

"Music is in our blood," says King who is a Medical Technology graduate from FEU.

(Note: King performs back-to-back with Rivo Tuesday nights at Suburbia in Malate. Tomorrow, Oct. 25, he’ll have a show with the Elements Band in Lipa City. On Nov. 4, he’ll share centerstage with Nina in Acoustic Siblings at Hard Rock Café, starting at 9 p.m.; and on Nov. l4, with the acoustic band MP3 and again with Nina at the Island Cove Open Field in Cavite.)

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