Close-Up On One Cute Couple

Love teams could as well be the first sign of utopia. From worn-out fairy tales, romance flicks, cheesy paperbacks and TV shows, the love conquers all scenario is immortalized into every man and woman’s dream. But, in all reality, it is way short of perfection. Whether having conflicting tastes, clashing personalities, or simply irreconcilable differences, couples are in for the roller coaster rides of their lives. And yet, they hold firm.

Just like the most basic pair of all—white top and denim jeans—turn out to be the most flattering. It complements each other, without overpowering one another. And however you put it, it just snugly fits.

So, here it is, a toast to the cutest couples who decided to outlive the fairy tales, Hallmark cards, endless hours of phone calls and petty fights. Best wishes and good luck!

Brad Turvey

Everybody loved The Bodyguard. Sure, it may seem like a decade ago and both Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner surpassed their expiration dates, but still, the whole modern fairy tale concept never failed to captivate us.

In this lifetime though, the whole Hollywood Cinderella mentality is far from happening, and all the girls are complaining. Or, maybe not. Perhaps hidden in those killer smiles set on 2D towering billboards is the bodyguard who’ll be willing to make his heart fall target to all the love ammos shooting point blank. If that were true, then make an appointment, quick! We have found your personal bodyguard.

Brad Turvey was a trained bodyguard back in his Outback motherland. Equipped with black-belt knowledge in all known martial arts and a keen sniping sense for the bull’s eye, this yummy hybrid of Chinese, Australian and Scottish influence could as well be the perfect date companion to the clubs—no pushing, shoving or snide remarks could go unpunished. "But that’s the wrong concept of being a bodyguard. In this country, it seems more like a status symbol, the flaunting of power. Bodyguards here are more like terrorists," he said, defending the craft he decided to take on for a diploma. But honestly, he couldn’t, in any way, fit those descriptions.

So, maybe that’s why he didn’t apply for the job here. Rather, he decided to stick with his other assets—the chinky eyes, the saintly features and shiny white teeth—to safeguard the successes of the MTV Penshoppe Youth Council and the newest Close-Up ad, thanks to his booking agent Tina del Pozo and manager Jacob Fernandez. "But I’m generally shy. I still can’t adjust to all the popularity. The industry is so new to me, that’s why I’m just taking it a step at a time," coming off as a surprise from his Close-Up confidence reputation, but his smile, glaring white nonetheless. And, however he puts it, passive or otherwise, he is gearing to be one of modeling world’s hottest item.

Now, that could spell a big turn-off to a lot of girls. Models have a bad reputation of living in the excesses of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Good thing he was fast to throw defense: "To set records straight, I don’t smoke, drink and definitely don’t do drugs." A definite turn-on to the few remaining virgins scattered around the metro…and what’s to stop the wild women out ther from wanting to be tamed by this gorgeous angel?!

All of Manila is sure to engage in topsy-Turvey mayhem, as he’s currently on the prowl for Ms. Perfect. Tall order, isn’t it? "I’m actually more of a passive searcher. I just wait for the right girl to stumble in my path. I’ll know she’s perfect when I meet her."

So, once again, I repeat, anyone for appointments?

Stephanie Keinle

We’ve already met the bodyguard, now, you ask, who’s the lovely superstar subject? Unsurprisingly, she’s a superstar. Timeless like the finest Swiss watches, sweet and luxurious as the most exquisite Belgian truffles, passionate and feisty like the Spanish salsa, and most of all, she’s that of simple charm as a Filipina. She’s Stephanie Aragon Kienle, the other half that makes the Close-Up kilig factor whole.

She is only 16 years old, a decade of which was spent in the limelight. Starting off as a tiny girl whose image of beauty was a sweet milk teeth smile and long, soft hair knotted in pigtails, Stephanie immediately became a star. "But I had to stop. My parents wanted me then to focus in my studies," she says of the time she left the tube and the Cosmopolitan Modeling Agency for the books. But the life of a celebrity couldn’t be put down. Those years she wasn’t in the spotlight earned her a spot in the center stage instead. From dance recitals, singing competitions to Repertory’s gala presentations, Stephanie’s skill for show surely shone. And now that she’s in her Junior year at the Euro-Campus, her biggest break ever found its home in her confident killer smile. "At first, it was so astounding, being a really big project and all. But I’m really enjoying it a lot! I’m so thankful," Stephanie beams, showcasing the set of pearls that got her there.

But when the powder room door closes, and the curtains drop, when she is free from make-up and the drowning lights, Stephanie becomes Steph, her simple, carefree alter-ego. Her Broadway musical turns into hip-hop and only then will J Lo and Ja Rule take the bow. Once the costumes are off her knees, they become denims, from low-hugging hipsters to her handy denim jacket. When her face is cleared, she only retains one sacred ritual. "Lip Gloss. That’s the only thing I wear." Well, it’s not as though she needs the makeup load anyway. Her face looks innocent as her unpierced earlobes. "My parents preferred that I don’t have them pierced. It’s a good thing, actually, that it’s free from ostentation and it remains humble," she talks of her earlobes as if they were her.

As for her love life, it remains warm, cute and cuddly. Who’s the lucky one, you ask? "My mini poodle called Nike. He’s so cute and he’d run so fast around my room. I just love him!" Luckily enough, Nike doesn’t bark with envy when he sees Steph and Brad together on TV…probably he just runs away from it. "Brad is like my best friend. I could always run to him for advice and he’d always be up for coffee. We love talking with each other, pulling jokes and all. It’s really fun," she says of her best bud, brother and bodyguard all rolled into one.

For an over-achieving celebrity, Stephanie brings in a new burst of light minus the dreaded star complex. With a face of fine porcelain, a smile that is radiant no less, and confidence that couldn’t be less than addictive, Stephanie remains simple and true. With that, it’s not really hard to see what you love about her.

How were you chosen by Close-Up?

Brad: First of all, I was pretty relaxed in the final casting that’s because I’ve known Steph for a long time, and it just made my life a lot easier.

Steph: They probably saw from the beginning that we both knew each other, because when we were there, we just had fun, had our share of laughs and insults. We just seemed comfortable with each other.

Brad: Yeah, they already knew we were close and thought that it’s perfect for Close-Up…closeup, get it?



Er, yeah! And how are you both as a love team, so far?

Brad: So far, so good, I guess. We’re very comfortable.

Steph: And we just have a knack for helping each other in front of the cam. It’s really nice.

What do you think is that spark you have as a love team?

Brad: We’re both down to earth. We have no pretensions with each other.

Steph: Yeah, and we’re very open to each other. Insults included! (Laughs)

Brad: Yup, the insults come because we’re just so comfortable with each other.

Comfortable in what way? Spill the real score!

Steph: Well, we just hang out as friends.

Brad: Yeah, so there’s nothing juicy about that! (Laughs)

Sure…but do you hang out together?

Brad: Yeah, we do. Usually, under the sheets, getting naked (laughs)…no, but seriously, we always go out for coffee and movies.

Steph: Yeah, that’s why we already call ourselves ‘kwento partners’.

Brad: It would take us forever in Starbucks just talking.

Talking about?

Brad: Girls and guys, respectively!

Steph: And some dating advice and all.

Brad: Which, as you can see are bad advices, since both of us are very much available!

Indeed. How would you describe each other?

Brad: Let her go first. She seems to have a lot to say about me!

Steph: Yeah right! Honestly? Well, he’s pretty outgoing, easy to talk to, down to earth and funny…in a way…

Brad: Whew. I was waiting for that negative remark! Well, as for Steph, she hits me every time I insult her. But really, she’s very easy-going, witty, so loves to laugh and loves to goof around!

Christopher Tuason Y Celine Gabriel

"Opposites do attract".

Among the worn-out clichés, this is the truest. In Celine and Christopher’s case, aside from the letter-C name openings, it could as well be their mutual comic genes.

Celine is what you can tag as the typical girly girl. Her job dictates so, working as a PR for a brand that is consumed in vanity and all things beautiful. And just to be more specific, she colors her hair every two months. Christopher, on the other hand, has Smith and Wesson monogrammed on his resume, being a General Manager of an international wholesaler and manufacturer of good old-fashioned guns. Pair them together and you get an explosive mix.

As for personality check, there are more things to doubt. Celine is very free-spirited and spontaneous as Christopher couldn’t be any more obsessive-compulsive and anti-septic. Her style is what she could call shabby chic, a mix of vintage pieces, homemade jewelry and modern-day store-bought stuffs, or, for lack of better words, its Kate Moss minus the eating disorder. "Or, I can just get a pair of scissors and cut away—pants, tops, whatever." And why not? It couldn’t be any more convenient for her rather impulsive suitcase packing sessions. "There’s this one time when I went to Mexico and told my dad the day itself," reveals her hippie outlook, which hopefully had the nerve to send her confused Daddy some postcards."

Christopher, in contrast, could as well let his nail biting and nervous kicking speak for themselves. "My brain races the whole day. I think too much." Indeed, but not as much as his bathroom breaks. "I wash my hands fifteen times a day and drink liters and liters of water.", he says of his germ-free living. And to cap it all off, he sleeps on the left side of the bed, every time.

Subconsciously or otherwise, at least, he now has someone to fill the other side. Even though she belongs to the far reaches of the other pole.

How did you guys meet?

Celine: Oh boy! That’s controversial already!

Christopher: What’s controversial about that? Go tell him!

Celine: Well, we met through a mutual friend.

Christopher: Used to be…(Laughs)

What’s the clicker in your case?

Celine: Hmm…my intelligence and his wit…(laughs)

Christopher: My shattering good looks.

Celine: My pleasing personality and sexy body.

Christopher: It’s the butt, actually. So you could say it’s a physical thing!

Celine: (Laughing) No, it’s basically our sense of humor!

No doubt! So what spells your QT?

Celine: Watching videos.

Christopher: That’s her quality time, not mine. It’s more of a hassle for me, actually.

Celine: Ok, then. What’s our quality time?

Christopher: Take me to the beach, baby!

Celine: Yeah, going out of town. And him cooking barbecue for me!

Did you court her?

Christopher: I charmed her, swept her off her feet!

Celine: Did you court me?

Christopher: No, baby, you attacked me!

Celine: I don’t know. It’s just an instant thing. Next thing I knew, I was telling everybody that he’s my boyfriend.

Christopher: My charms worked!

How do you see your future together?

Christopher: Well, she’s potentially "marriable".

Celine: Like a potential marriage material?

Christopher: You are, baby!

Celine: If so, I want it to be at the beach!

Christopher: We’re mutual there, baby! By the BEACH!

Celine: What beach?

Christopher: Doesn’t matter, as long as you show up!

Jose Leonardo Tañada Y Alexis Abello

Love is all in the heart, people say. It’s either they’re into the hallmark-brand of romance or they failed elementary Biology. We all know that the body’s biggest muscle is only good for pumping blood and to keep you alive, not that they’re unimportant functions, but clearly, love isn’t one of them. It’s more of a mixture of the mind and the right hormones. Brain signals senses, hormones signal attraction. In that case, it is becomes easier to fathom why people see smarts as the ultimate aphrodisiac. At least, it’s a better love connection to understand than two heart-stamped greeting cards only good for Valentine’s Day. Need more proof? Here are Alexis and Joleon. They should know better.

Basically, they’re two smart people who met, clicked with good conversations, and never stopped loving each other since. They’re in the same brain wavelengths, and that means everything. They like each other’s taste, talk about the same things, could understand each other’s differences—and most importantly, could last the longest time just exchanging outputs. Now, that’s pretty rare. Who are they, anyway? Do they belong in the same planet we do? My apologies for making them sound like super computers, but to reiterate, they, indeed, make super lovers.

Alexis is a 19-year old Ilongga lass, fresh from Bacolod. She is not what you could call naïve, though her innocent features and silent demeanor could dictate otherwise. She’s got intelligence encoded in her systems to withstand her IT course in UA&P. That could be true, but she doesn’t look a bit nerdy, clearly evidenced by a long strand of admirers in her home campus. Well, now, all they could do is marvel.

The same goes with Joleon, who could come off as the regular Joe. Not until you get a peek into his transcript which would read a course in International Studies with a major in American studies, and a prime slot in La Salle’s debate roster. Adding on that already impressive IQ turnout is his share of design smarts, particularly on architecture and design. By now you’re picturing a boring guy who’s only idea of fun is downing chapters after chapters of skyscraping books. Too bad, he’s not the type. He could outdo you anytime in a roller hockey game, and that’s a promise.

So what makes the clicker for them anyway? Believe it or not, it goes farther than their intellects. "We’re both obsessive compulsives.", Joleon says, which isn’t exactly the reply I’m expecting. OC’s are a disaster waiting to happen, everything has to be in order, which in return creates a whole mount of disorder. "The thing is, we both think the same with how we want things done, so there is really no spark when it comes to that.", Alexis defended.

Perhaps, that works well for both of them. Their love life is in so much order that one would think it’s a smart move. Now, believe me, it is.

So, guys, how did you meet?

Alexis: We met at the Young Star fashion show.

Joleon: Yeah, we modeled there, together.

Alexis: During that time, I still had a boyfriend.

Joleon: And you know what’s cool? I waited. Then they broke up. Just as I was starting to call her, they got back together again. So, I waited again. Patience is indeed a virtue!

Alexis: He waited for five months!

Joleon: Galing noh? But believe me, I’ll never do that again!

But before that long five months, what was the initial attraction?

Joleon: Her simplicity. Besides that, she’s so quiet and that made me want to know more about her. It intrigued me.

Alexis: He’s so friendly and he just started talking to me. I think that’s it.

Joleon: Just that, friendly?

Alexis: Yeah. What do you want me to say?

How did you date?

Alexis: Usually, we go out after dinner.

Joleon: Actually, our first date was weird. We didn’t even know it was a date.

Alexis: It wasn’t.

Joleon: No, I meant that time we went to the movies.

Alexis: Oh, yeah, it was.

Joleon: Yeah, it’s more like movies and coffee afterwards.

Do you fight a lot?

Joleon: We fight but we say sorry right after.

Alexis: It’s more like petty fights over the littlest things.

Joleon: Yeah, like, she makes me wait a lot. But she hates fighting, I hate fighting, so we just reconcile right after.

How do you describe each other?

Joleon: Can I say that she’s like the beach? She definitely calms me down and she’s just home to me.

Alexis: I can’t think of anything (Laughs). Well, he’s very sweet, very malambing, you know, I can talk to him about anything.

Joleon: You make me seem like a dog.

Alexis: No! He’s actually very smart!

Joleon: Actually? You doubt that I’m smart?

Alexis: No! Ok, he’s funny and he gets along with my friends.

Joleon: Like a dog?

Alexis: Whatever!

Jon Yulo ©Georgia Schulze

"He treats me like a princess, and I’m lucky for that.", Georgia starts on as she slouched back on a chair . Why not, right? She does belong to the Revilla monarchy of lookers, and now, she is reigning princess in the younger modeling world. And her prince is Jon Yulo, that Atenean knight-in-shining-armor.

You might say that it’s a modern-day fairy tale, triggered by many Meg Ryan flicks, Sidney Sheldon covers and cheesy 80’s female ballads, and neither one of them would take it against you. Georgia would just blush, not because of the mushiness of it all, but the secrets it reveals. "One song I really like is Eternal Flame. I love singing to it, it’s just that I can’t", she laughs at herself. That’s until Jon came into the picture, coming in a room filled with gorgeous women, his eyes comfortably placed on and only in his royal highness. Send me an Advil, I’m having a toothache from all the sugar-load!

And who would’ve known that all that came from a puppy love set-up of some four years ago? They belonged in the same neighborhood, met, went out a little and the next thing they knew, they’re blowing their 4^th anniversary cake. It was indeed a young-love-sweet-love scene, the only difference is that they have more than the expected air time.

Now, it’s more of fighting all odds for their sake. They’re surely done with the getting-to-know-you dance, yet, too early for the wedding bands. They’re stuck in between: two colleges, traffic, and separate career plans. "I’d often tell her that it would be nice if she belongs to the same school as I am, being the hot freshman that she is. And me, being her senior boyfriend. But as for now, I just bear traffic and all to pick her up in school, go to her place in Alabang and all, and it works well for both of us.", says Jon aboard his white horse named Ford Explorer. Indeed, in the most geographically undesirable circumstances, they see each other through.

And now that Georgia is in the limelight, things couldn’t be any better. In fashion shows of tons of gorgeous female models is where Jon finds himself, his charm in tact, ready once again to sweep her off her feet. "Of course, I still can’t help but find other girls attractive, but I don’t see other girls in the same level as her. I put her in a pedestal.", he says with both submission and worship. "See, that’s my point! He’d always say things that would make me feel good!", counters Georgia, clearly in dire need of an Advil too.

Now that they’ve grown up together, nothing, it seems, will tear them apart, come rain, high water, the evil stepmother, the dragon, or long distance relationships. But are they nearing the next step? "We’d talk about our future sometimes but we don’t go as far as planning. We have separate plans. I’m thinking of going to Europe to study after my graduation and she’s talking about going to Australia with her friend to study cooking. We believe that we need to spend time separately to spread our wings and to see what is there for us. But we’re pretty confident that we’ll be back with each other when the time comes.", closes Jon. Indeed, with a fairy tale they have, a happy ending isn’t really too far away.

How did you guys meet?

Georgia: It was summer and I just got home from the beach…

Jon: Yeah, you were dark then!

Georgia: Not dark! I was tanned then! Anyway, when I went in the kitchen, he was there. I really found him cute then and he was picking my sister up since they’re going to church together. The weekend after that, we spent the whole day together!

Jon: We met in the start of summer and we got together July.

What do you think makes you click?

Georgia: We’re really different. When people see us, they’d think that he’s the quiet one and I would be the more talkative one.

Jon: Yeah. You could say that we neutralize each other.

Now that you’re on your fourth year, how do you spend your anniversaries?

Georgia: I’d be more like the type who’d choose what to give him since he’s the type who’d give me stuff practically the whole year, without any occasion. I usually get him anything he likes, but I never get him clothes. I always put a lot of thought in what to give him. Like recently, I gave him a mango cake I baked myself, since I really love to cook.

Jon: She’d remember anything I mention that I like. The way I do it, I work it through occasions. For her birthday, I usually get her what she really wants. For Christmas, I tend to be practical, giving her gifts she could use the whole year. On anniversaries, I usually give her jewelry. It usually lasts.

What’s your typical mush-fest?

Georgia: We’re not really the drinking type so we usually end up in the movies. Almost every Friday, we’d hang out in his condo in Makati, have dinner with his family and then watch movies. Saturdays, we go out of town since I really love long drives. Just kick back, relax, have picnics or go to the beach.

And what do you do on those long drives?

Georgia: Laugh. He’d just say things that require me to laugh and we’d sing in the car and we just have to laugh about that. And talk. We could go around talking about anything. Even in the phone, we’d go on talking for two hours with no particular topic.

Jon: It’s just that we love analyzing things, like random people or our friends. We love doing that.

Georgia: But whenever we do, we usually disagree and fight about it sometimes.

How do you fight with each other?

Georgia: I’m more vocal, so I’d go around and tell him that I hate him. I do that sometimes, and it makes me feel so bad! That makes him the better person because he forgives and forgets.

Jon: Yeah, but when we fight, there’s a lot of screaming involved.

Georgia: But that’s usually because of me. He often becomes the subtle part. He gives way, and that means a lot.

Lui-g Villanueva Y Kathy Teves

We tend to be cynical with the whole notion of love at first sight. If analyzed, it could come off as the worldly side of love—the one with a gorgeous face to match the godly body—the same shallowness that makes hormones tinker. So, I guess, no, that’s not love, but it’s also a four-letter word that starts with the 12^th alphabet (go figure). But a wise man once said that "the only way through a man’s heart is his stomach." In that case, this couple proves the probability of love at first bite.

Kathy and Luigi are both busy on their first business venture together, a modern Asian restaurant and tea salon called Good Earth. Their baby isn’t yet to be opened until mid-September, but the buzz is already on both of them for the christening. One has to perfect the kitchen, while the other has to prepare the room—of course, in the traditional way of balancing the chores.

A chef trained in the global art farm that is New York, Kathy will be responsible for the restaurant’s Asian-fusion menu. Luigi, on the other hand, armed with his Architecture degree will be loading up on the elbow grease for the tearoom’s interiors. So, that may seem as their presently frequenting quality time.

But hey, all work and no play spells bad company, and that they know pretty well. So, they both devised a scheme to make TLC-time come off as work. How? "Well, right now, we’re very much into trying out new restos We’re educating our palates and mushing up at the same time.", says Kathy—her strong sense of direction for even the quaintest hole-in-the-wall eateries could be associated with her first diploma off UP’s College of Tourism. Also, when both aren’t busy getting themselves full with new food finds, Luigi keeps his modeling career sacred. So, you might have already spotted him in an arroz caldo ad doing his favorite pastime—eating. But don’t get the couple wrong, as shown through their tiny waistlines, they’re not exactly pigging out. "Although, I don’t exercise as much as I want to, I just stick to a good diet. I love veggies. I could eat them for the rest of my life.", Luigi shares the secrets of maintaining a good model figure and a chef girlfriend at the same time.

Although it may seem that all their six years of delicious romance hadn’t seen its share of sourness comes a good helping of reality check. They have had long distance relationships on separate occasions, one, when Kathy went off to culinary school eastward, and two, when it was Luigi’s turn to go west to San Francisco. "We’re both in the States then, but we’re on the two opposite points.", explains Kathy of their Griffin and Sabine phase. So now, to prevent hungry hearts and frequent email flooding, they now vow to have their passports stamped together. "We want to go backpacking in Europe and check out all the historical landmarks," says Luigi, "and of course, the restaurants.", finished Kathy.

Whether it’d be building a restaurant, eating out in other restaurants or having plans of trying out all the restaurants around the world, one thing remains certain, Kathy and Luigi are each other’s soul food. And that’s as delicious it can get.

You guys have been together for six years, how did it start?

Kathy: Well, his friends are my carpool mates back in UP. That’s how we met.

Lui-g: But I kind of knew her way before that. I knew her name but we weren’t formally introduced then. During that time, I really wanted to court her but she still had a boyfriend.

Karen: And so did you! You had a girlfriend then!

What about your quality time, how do you spend it?

Kathy: We usually go to the movies. Eat out.

Lui-g: Yeah, may I stress on that, we like eating out!

Kathy: And we go out of town a lot.

Lui-g: In the beach, most of the time. But right now, it’s only during special occasions do we get to go out.

Kathy: Yeah. We’ve been busy these past few months.

In the long time that you’re together, has your relationship been challenged?

Kathy: Oh yeah. Our relationship has really been tried and tested. We’ve broken off two times already.

Really? Whose fault was it?

Kathy: It was his fault. He had his "I wanna be with my friends" stage, so I let him be.

Lui-g: Well, I thought it was a normal thing. But I wooed her back anyway.

What do you think makes you last after all these years and break-ups?

Lui-g: We’re really close friends to start with, and that’s why we understand each other very well.

Kathy: Yeah, we know each other well. To be honest, I know him well enough to know what he’s thinking.

Is marriage part of what he’s thinking?

Lui-g: Actually, she’s the one who wants to get married. She wants it in the beach.

Kathy: Yeah, that’s really my dream!

Lui-g: But we need to do it in a church first. There’s an ordinance that already prohibits weddings outside churches.

Kathy: So, there goes my dream! I guess it’s ok as long as we travel first before getting married!

Martin De Guzman Y Stephanie Zubiri

Love for one’s culture is called patriotism. Love because of one’s culture is still undefined, but if ever Sir Webster has plans, he has Martin and Steph to thank. They created the definition, leading a romance full of culture, class, and cozy hugging. If love has an A-list, this is it.

Steph would always talk about the romance of Paris, making it seem one and the same, leaving me bluntly redundant. "They have this ferris wheel there, near the Arc de Triumphe, and it’s just so beautiful. They’re planning to tear it down when I was there and I really felt bad. I wanted to show it to Martin first before they do," she said although no tears were visible, you could see her point. She just had a short vacation in Europe where she spent her time writing during the gray days, and basking when the warm European sun was out. "There are a lot of cute guys there. Tanned and toned bodies, the works. And they’re so romantic," she shares with spontaneity that could put the Lonely Planet tour guide to shame. For a moment there, it seemed like it was Martin she was describing. He could fit Steph’s Parisian picture anytime.

Now I know why Steph wanted Martin to see the already demolished ferris wheel in Paris. Originally, he dreamed of being an architect, but being the typical Math-hater, he resorted to Ateneo’s Communications Technology course, where he is now on his 2^nd year. Not that it had already stopped him from being one. It wouldn’t be long before he’ll go back to Australia to pursue his dream. But much before that, his time is devoted to Steph, Jazz CDs, books and thinking. "I think a lot. If I see something interesting, I’d take time to think about it. That’s why Steph tells me to write them down, or I’ll get crazy". What goes on in his mind, who knows? Perhaps their next dinner date the night after or where they’d go on one of their traveling sprees. Or, perhaps, what Steph would cook for him the next time they saw each other. "She’d cook me these interesting dishes, like risotto with cheese and wild mushrooms. Dinner with her is always a treat," he says.

That dinner would mean spanning their whole long-distance set-up, if you would call the Alabang to Ortigas trek that. Since then, Steph had a reason to love traffic and long drives. "I even do my homework in the car already. I eat in the car, and sleep sometimes," she quips, making the Manila traffic seem oh-so luxurious that rush hour is starting to sound like the perfect time to be out.

So, how exactly did your paths cross?

Steph: Through my classmate and his family friend. It was kind of a set-up thing that we both didn’t know of.

Martin: Actually, I knew.

Steph: You did? How did that happen?

Martin: She asked me who I wanted to date, and I saw you and I told her that I wanted to date you.

What had drawn the two of you together when you first met?

Martin: Her smile. It’s like sunshine…it’s very bright, and whenever she smiles, her eyes light up as well.

Steph: Well, when I first started talking to him, it just felt like I knew him for a very long time. We just went on, talking and talking and we just felt so comfortable together.

Did you court her?

Martin: Yeah, I did.

Steph: But it’s not like the usual boring courtship ritual!

Martin: Yeah, since she was in love with me the first time she saw me.

Steph: Yeah right!? He courted me, but none of the formalities. We just took time to get to know each other.

What do you think makes you a good pair?

Martin: She’s really smart and likes the same things I do. She’s very well-versed and cultured.

Steph: He’s so funny. He may not know it but he makes me laugh. He takes time to go visit me in Alabang from his house and he’s so caring. He gets along with everything. We can eat out in a fancy restaurant and he’d fit in, he’d know what to order, and he knows very well how to appreciate good food.

Speaking of food, I heard that she often cooks you dinner.

Martin: Yeah. She cooks like these really gourmet stuffs.

Steph: I don’t think I’ve ever cooked him a plain meal. Well, it’s not as though I know how to cook Adobo, or something…(Laughs)

Then that’s how I saw the whole picture. They both make each other appreciate the finer things in life. If it couldn’t cut in as fine, they learn to adjust and appreciate it just the same. For all we know, they are each other’s lives’ finest things.

Patrick Garcia Y Bianca King

By now, all the girls are in an uproar. They saw the picture and didn’t like it. It was bad, hideous even. Now, all the questions are running from ear to ear. "Who’s that kontrabida in Patrick’s arms?" Well, ladies, since you asked for it, it could come off as a hard pill to swallow. She is Bianca King, and you may hate me for saying this, but she is Patrick Garcia’s current other half.

Bianca Charlotte King is a 16-year old commercial model, 5’5" tall with vitals of 32-24-33. "I’m probably vainer than the average girl," she says as though putting up a challenge. "But I can goof-off one moment and be poised the next. I’d like to think that I’m a girly girl but more than that. I’m very easy to please. I guess I’m an extreme of both," she counters. Indeed, her face reeks of the finest porcelain that’s angelic one moment, vampy the next. But all throughout, she’s a fun-loving girl worthy of a cowboy hat. And that could be what Patrick saw in her the night that they met in the Porch.

We all know Patrick as the boy-next-door, the resident gentleman, or worse, the neighborhood seminarian. Maybe that’s what makes him the hot commodity. What we didn’t know was that he’s a man of many frustrations. He’s a frustrated mechanic, being amazed with lights and likes to tinker with wires and electronics. He’s also a frustrated singer, doing self-made MTVs of creative duets, all by himself. "I remember, at the height of Moulin Rouge, I did an MTV of Nicole Kidman’s duet with Ewan McGregor, wherein half of my face is made up like Nicole (Kidman) and when I get to sing her part, I turn on that side and lip-sync." He showed it to his sister, which in turn showed it to her friends. Suffice to say it earned all the laughs and leads us to his next frustration of being a cameraman. "But I have no plans of being a director. Or at least, none yet," he was fast to add. For his other frustrations, he turns to writing poetry and drawing houses.

Maybe we should give them a break, girls. A guy couldn’t be frustrated forever. In the confines of showbiz, all the lights, cameras, actions, and love teams, an actor could get a little lonely too, sometimes. So maybe that’s why Bianca is there now, on his side, wrapped around his arms, to fill his void and hush his frustrations.



How exactly did you meet?

Bianca: Through mutual friends.

Patrick: Yeah, in a bar, we were introduced and I got her number and started calling her.

Bianca: Make that now defunct bar! (Laughs)

So you mean, Patrick Garcia has to go through courtship?

Patrick: Of course. I went through it the old-fashioned way of roses, chocolates and meeting the parents.

Bianca: Yeah. And he used to go to my school and watch my cheer practice. The first time I met him, I’ll already knew that we’ll either end up together or become best friends. It’s because the moment I met him, I actually thought he was gay.

Really? Why?

Bianca: He was playing gay stunts with his friends.

Patrick: But Troy (Montero) and Miko (Palanca) are gay too…(Laughs) No, seriously, we do that for fun since we’re so close already.

How do you both handle the pressure of being a hot item?

Bianca: Well, if it’s the envying fans, I just stand straight, head and chin up, and walk on.

Patrick: But she makes reklamo with the love team, especially if there are kissing scenes.

Bianca: Well, I kind of whine about that a lot because he’d always take a while to assure me that it’s ok, or tell me not to get jealous. He keeps firm about it. That’s why I whine a lot.

How do you spend your quality time then, when you guys are free of taping or pictorials?

Patrick: We watch movies a lot.

Bianca: Yeah, and eat out after. And when we do, we tend to eat a lot. We’d eat dinner first then eat more after the movie.

Patrick: And whenever she goes to the beach with her family, I always follow.

How do you see your future together?

Bianca: We have such a long way to go.

Patrick: Yeah, and we just take it day by day.

Bianca: We have further plans but we don’t really take it seriously. We just talk about it when we already have nothing to talk about, but obviously, that is still so far from happening.

Richard Alvarez Y Alexi Alunan

Movies always provide us with celluloid dreams of the perfect romance formula: the popular homecoming queen and the coveted resident jock. Much as we hate to admit, we became over-willing patrons of this set-up, patiently waiting for Freddie to propose to Buffy. Little did we know that such cheesiness is melting away in the university crust of superstars and sports stars that we don’t have to line up for tickets anymore. We just have to watch on and drool away for a bite.

Scene 1: Humanities class, Alexi, the quiet heartthrob seated at your front, falls oblivious to the adoring stares of the greater male chunk of the classroom and the envying whispers of the neighboring ladies. Camera focuses on her long mane, svelte figure, and diabetic smile, toying with her flowery blouse, looking radiant, true to her name as Shining Moon Woman in American Indian lingo.

Scene 2: The UAAP games, you cheer on as Rich made a score. Besides, he’s the only reason you’d kill for those tickets, you thought. So with homemade blue pompoms on hand, you cheer on. The bald head, the 6’4" vertical frame, the Ateneo Blue Eagles Jersey…how you wish the scene turns to the locker room.

CUT! Back to harsh reality, the camera now focuses on the two, together in front of me, over gourmet pizza, paling in cheese factor compared to their holding hands and stolen kisses, all acts worthy of ant-worship,

"I’m the tallest girlfriend he ever had.", Alexi said of the 10-inch height difference. "He even had an ex who is 4’11." Apparently, Rich digs petite girls, possibly attributed to his domestic stays in the land of the rising sun and vertically-challenged women. "I was born in Japan, lived there for five years, and went back there again for high school." Now that he’s back in the local scene, he’s on his fourth year on the UAAP courts as an Eagle forward. And although he can’t speak any syllable of Nippongo anymore, he’s still very much into Jap music. "I could even break dance to them if you ask me to." Sure Rich, that would be great in cleaning up the courts after every game.

So, there it happened, in Ateneo’s hallways and gym did the tall-short, girly girl-manly man love affair began. And although Alexi couldn’t be spotted in the blue U’s halls anymore, having bagged her Humanities diploma just recently, it is left to linger even in the most trivial problems of where to eat out. "I can’t stand steak and roast beef! All that beef, yuck," she says of her pro-cow manifesto as Rich smirks at the thought. "Ey, I could eat 6 Big Macs in one sitting." Ah, how proud the ‘Golden Arches’ must be of him.

But regardless of the high-low situations of elevation and dining convictions, they still reserve a comfy spot for commonness. "I love classical music. Playing the piano encouraged it," says Alexi in good notes, of which, Rich was quick to duet, "I can play a bit of Beethoven’s "Pathetique" on the piano, thanks to her." Enough proof that they both make good music in a game they both score well in. Indeed, fact is stranger than fiction.

Spill, how did you guys meet?

Alexi: Well, the first time I saw him, I already liked him, but he only knew I existed until nine months after, when a friend introduced us.

Rich: During that time, I decided to wait since I heard that she didn’t want a boyfriend then.

Alexi: It was such a long wait that I thought he didn’t want me anymore, but then he just wanted to give me all the space I needed. That’s what I appreciate most about him.

What do you think made both of you a good match?

Alexi: I have no idea, but we just do. I guess it’s just that we appreciate the same things. We are not picky with what we have to do and where to be.

Rich: Yeah, we both just want to have a good time.

Alexi: And we share the same values and we really prioritize them. We really believe in loyalty and we practice it on each other. But we’re very much different in terms of inclinations, I mean, he’s more athletic and I’m not at all. But I think it all boils down to respect and appreciation of each other’s wants.

And now your nearing your first year. How do you spend your good times?

Alexi: He’s really busy now, with school and basketball, but when he has time to spare, we usually spend that whole day together.

Rich: We’d spend it in my house, watching TV, movies or playing the computer.

And the bad?

Rich: Well, we fight about where to eat, usually.

Alexi: Yeah, we fight about the dumbest things. He gets jealous, I get jealous but in the end, we’re fast to realize that we’re being so petty.

Rich: It’s usually the moments of silence that tell when we’re fighting.

Alexi: The cold shoulder and the unnerving silence…I hate them!

Rich: But we end up together, anyway. It’s just a matter of who says sorry first.

The future?

Alexi: We always talk about it and we really have plans…serious ones. But, you know, I still have to give him time for school and basketball.

Rich: Hopefully, in the next couple of years…

Alexi: We’ll what…go say it…

Rich: We’d be happily married. I hope!