Lunch with Piolo, dinner with Boy George 

The text message came on a Sunday while I was in Singapore for my birthday. Producer Tommy Ng was looking for a modern house to shoot a print ad in with either Piolo Pascual or Claudine Barretto. I offered my home

When I got back to Manila, Tommy came over for a look and approved. Then he says, "O, whom do you want: Piolo or Claudine?"

"What do you think?" I shot back

"Claudine?"

"Tommy, do you honestly think I can brag about Claudine to my friends?" Na-ah

So while reading the Star the next day I came across a press release saying Boy George was playing at the NBC Tent on Saturday night with DJ Mark Vedo

Boy George, my high-school crush, my idol! I used to dress like him, put on makeup like him (I still do), paint T-shirts and murals of him, and was in denial that he was gay

"Boy George ruined your life," my Dad told me on Mother’s Day.

"Why?"

"Because you dressed like him and became like that."

I looked down at my torn and holey Comme des Garçons skirt and Converse shoes. Yes, Dad, I became a Fine Arts student, a writer and fashion designer. Not exactly a productive one

The night before I had been at the Tent at 1 a.m. waiting for Boy George to arrive. They said he would play his set at 2 a.m. and I waited till my tired body could wait no more

Designer Mimi Tan, an old schoolmate from Assumption, was part of the event, having taken care of Boy George and his group in Manila. She saw me and told me they were planning a dinner for him before he left and would invite me

With that exciting thought, I went home and had a few hours’ sleep before our Piolo call-time at 9 a.m.  

Piolo

At 7:30 a.m. I woke up and went straight to work to fix the location

Piolo arrived shortly. He was amazingly friendly, down-to-earth and easy to work with, not to mention impossibly gorgeous

During our lunch break, Mimi Tan called to confirm the dinner: 9 p.m. at Sala. I screamed into my cell phone, "I love you Mimi! Thank you! Thank you!"

I went straight to Juan Sarte, makeup artist to the stars, who was sitting next to Piolo in the dining room

"Juan, makeup-an mo ko please. I have a dinner with Boy George!"

Juan said sure

At 7 p.m., while I sat in front of Juan’s big-ass makeup kit in our makeshift dressing room, Piolo was changing for the next shot. He was wearing black cargo jeans, two kinds of shoes on each foot, and no top. He was asking Juan which shoes to wear

Now, Piolo is half-naked, I’m sitting there looking at his feet and discussing the merits of each shoe style. I am trying not to look up and stare at him. This reminds me of the time I styled for Bench and Diether Ocampo and Joe Vince Cañizares stripped for me

Lord, please give me some strength, I silently prayed

Piolo settled for the blue Converse and went back to work

After a few minutes, he came back in to use the toilet but not before teasing me on my "date" and my makeup.

"Uy, transformation!" said Piolo

Piolo Pascual, the hottest actor in the country, was teasing me to freaking Boy George

At 8:30 p.m., after taking my requisite artista fan photo with Piolo, I rushed out to Malate, taking care not to have a heart attack en route. 

SALA 

I got there at exactly nine. No sign of Boy George, only three tables with foreigners and our host, chef Colin Mackay

Leah Puyat and Anton Barretto arrived. Then Pepper Teehankee. Then Liza Ilarde and Elbert Cuenca.

To pass the time we talked about New Wave bands. I told them that Mimi warned: Do NOT bring up the ’80s to Boy George. He doesn’t like it

At past 10, they all came in: Mimi and her sister Juliet Tan with a bunch of white people, and as soon as I saw him, I let out a small scream: "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" It was a Nora Aunor moment. I had misty eyes

Boy George sat in front of Pepper who was sitting next to me and we shook hands and introduced ourselves. I told him I was a writer and fashion designer

"What do we call you?" I asked

"George," he said simply

A bread basket was on the table. Although my last meal was at 3 p.m., I could not bring myself to touch it, while George ate with great gusto. How could I? Here was the biggest influence of my teenage years and I was tongue-tied, paralyzed

George must’ve noticed something strange, because he looked at me and Juliet tried to explain: "Cecile is… is…"

I finished her statement: "I love you." I looked into his eyes. "I super love you," I told Boy George. Let me clarify that I’ve never done that in my life, not even to my dear husband. I’ve never looked at anyone dead-on in the eyes and said I love you like that

"Thank you, thank you," said George, then changed the topic

At that moment I felt like a dork and wanted to ostrich (read: bury my head in the sand).

I became so quiet, the person next to me had to ask, "O, ba’t hindi ka nagsasalita?" (Please refer to ostrich reason and a personal motto from Robert Morley: "Better shut up and look stupid than open your mouth and remove all doubt.")

More people arrived, like Rhett Eala, Angelo Villanueva, RS Francisco, Tim Yap, and Hindy and Gippy Tantoco

Hindy apparently is a huge fan of Boy George. Upon shaking his hand Hindy said under her breath, "This is a dream come true."

"What’s your dream come true?" asked Leah Puyat

"The man I love," said George. And then he sang…

Maybe I shall meet him Sunday

Maybe Monday, maybe not

Still I’m sure to meet him one day

Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day… 

New York

After teaching him basic bad words in Tagalog, we listened to his funny statements about Elton John, David Gest, and Cyndi Lauper. I wished I could’ve taken down notes, but Mimi had told us not to as George was very wary of press people.

George has been living in New York ("near Canal Street") for one and a half years, having moved there to stage the musical Taboo which was based on the ’80s club scene, about the story of George and club icon Leigh Bowery.

George provided music and lyrics. It was nominated for four Tonys but didn’t win

"It’s nice to be nominated for the Tonys," he said, "but it’s nicer to win."

He can walk around New York without being recognized. "I don’t get dressed every day, I just look like a scruffy guy. It’s so easy to get attention but I don’t like attention. After 24 years it’s no longer a novelty." 

He talked about the flop event at the NBC Tent, saying only two people danced (apparently Hindy and her friend), the rest were just standing. "I think all these rich people came in and just stood there like they were so uninterested. I don’t understand. It’s like going to a flower shop when you don’t even like flowers."

From the Century Park Sheraton where they were staying, he walked unrecognized to Harrison Plaza where he saw a lot of "cheap stores."

He hates the hot weather because "it does not agree with drag." He thought Manila was like India, where one saw a mix of modernity and poverty, but said he liked it and wanted to go back next year. 

B-Rude

And then he talked about his new clothing line called B-Rude which was launched last October 2004.

While living in New York last year, George began to make customized clothing for him and his friends, teaching himself how to silkscreen, hand dye, iron-on, and appliqué. The result is unique one-off pieces with witty slogans and bold images

"B-Rude is my emotional rage with a dash of ‘tongue in chic’ in fashion form," said George in his website. "I design clothes for those who like their reputation to arrive in the room ahead of them."

At one point George asked me to fly to New York and do something for the line. He said he needed a designer of women’s wear, which I am. He said he would send me a package from London, and take it from there. In addition, he promised to e-mail Tim Yap and send RS Francisco a DVD on his life

Hindy, who was familiar with B-Rude, told me the clothes were right up my alley, and she’s right

I have to thank Rhett Eala for pushing me to give George my calling card just as he was leaving Sala. Juliet said George wanted to stay longer but they had an early flight that morning to continue their tour in Jakarta, Singapore, Tokyo, London, then back to New York

Will George still have my card when he’s in London? I’m here wondering and praying and so psyched, though Mimi said he’s very sincere. I really, really hope so