BINALIKAN ni Maui Taylor ang naging experience niya noong makatrabaho ang veteran Korean actress na si Youn Yuh-jung na nanalo bilang best supporting actress sa nakaraang Oscar Awards.

Nakatrabaho ng dating Viva Hot Babes so Youn sa 2012 South Korean film na The Taste Of Money. Maid ang role ni Maui na nagkaroon ng illicit affair sa amo niyang lalake na mister ni Youn.

Ginawa ni Maui ang naturang movie noong pasimula pa lang ang hilig ng mga Pinoy sa K-dramas at K-movies.

Apat na buwan na ginawa ni Maui ang Taste of Money sa South Korea. Bumagay si Maui sa role niya dahil mukha raw siyang Korean at pati ang kutis daw niya ay hindi nalalayo sa kutis ng mga Koreans.

Hindi naman daw nahirapan na makipag-communicate si Maui noon dahil halos lahat daw sa set ay nagsasalita at nakakaintindi ng ingles.

‘Di naman daw niya malilimutan ang unang eksena niya with Youn. Ang scene ay sasakalin siya ni Youn at nagdalawang isip pa raw ito dahil baka masaktan niya si Maui.

Doon lang daw nakausap ni Maui ang future Oscar winner dahil naunahan daw ng hiya noong pinakilala siya rito. May kanya-kanya raw kasi silang trailer sa set kaya walang chance na makaluwentuhan sila.

Noong gawin daw nila yung choking scene, nagbiro pa raw si Youn para mawala ang kaba ni Maui sa eksena nila.

***

KABILANG si Keempee de Leon sa cast ng Bagong Umaga na nagkaroon ng COVID-19.

Nagkahawaan daw sa set nila kaya pati sina Sunshine Cruz, Tony Labrusca, Nikki Valdez at Heaven Peralejo ay nagkaroon ng kanya-kanyang isolation.

Sa kanyang Facebook page, nagpasalamat si Keempee sa Diyos at sa kanyang pamilya na hindi siya pinabayaan. Inamin niyang natakot siya sa nakuha niyang sakit dahil hindi raw niya alam ang gagawin niya.

“Thank you Heavenly Abba Father My Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ for being Faithful and for being there for me for hearing my prayers every single day when i was so scared and thinking what’s going to happen to me the next day. 

“Abba Father My Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ thank you for Healing me and for my BU Fam for supporting me when i got sick last month from Covid. 

“Thank you Lord for Recovering me for Healing me till i get well and get back to work. Thank you for Covering me with your Precious Blood  Your my Healer Thank you Abba Father My Lord God  and Savior Jesus Christ! I owe you everything especially My Life Amen.”

Thankful din si Keempee na may naghihintay na trabaho sa kanya noong maka-recover siya sa COVID-19.

***

NAGBIGAY ng sisterly advice si Miss Universe 2013 third runner-up Ariella Arida sa kakatawanan ng Pilipinas sa Miss Universe 2020 na si Rabiya Mateo.

Aware si Ariella na nakakatanggap ng ‘di magagandang comments si Rabiya sa social media. Pinagdaanan din daw niya iyan noong siya ang Miss Philippines.

“It’s hard to please everybody. Maniwala ka na nand’yan ka, pinili ka, at nakitaan ka namin na you can carry the flag. Represent the Philippines the best way you can,” sey ni Ariella na umupong judge sa preliminary competition ng 2020 Miss Universe Philippines.

Full support din ang ka-batch ni Rabiya sa MUP 2020 na si Billie Hackenson na naging 4th runner-up.

“Nakikita ko kapag uuwi na siya, tapos pagod na pagod na siya from training, ‘yung drive niya talaga nandoon. Sobrang motivated siya to bring our fifth crown.

“Biyang, you know that the whole Philippines is rallying behind you. I know that you can bring the fifth crown to the Philippines,” sey ni Billie.

INAMIN ni Kobe Paras sa post niya na dumaan din siya noon sa matinding depresyon na maituturing na lowest point ng kanyang buhay.

Isang screenshot ang ibinahagi niya na may caption ng, “When I moved back to the Philippines 4 years ago, I was at my lowest. I was depressed, suicidal. I just felt so lost. Until now, there are days I don’t feel like me.

“Whatever you’re going through, find a purpose and stick to it. It’s not easy at all. Only you can save yourself.”

May panawagan pa si Kobe, “Be kind; Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

“I am not posting this for pity, but to show (you all) I’m human, and we all go through sh*t in life.”

Narito naman ang naging reactio ng netizens:

“Nahihirapan siguro syang sundan ang yapak ng ama nya. Nandyan din kasi ang comparing.”

“Kaya mo yan. Buti na lang nailalabas nya yung saloobin nya ang hirap pag ganan tapos lalaki pa. Pray lang. Godbless.”

“Not posting for pity but for attention. Get a therapist not a panel of social media audience.”

“We all have our own way of fighting and dealing with stuff. Let him be.”

“That’s true kaylangan ng attention ng mga taong suffering from mental health issues. Hindi naman natin lahat alam what goes on behind the camera and imposible na hindi sya mag seek ng treatment at pabayaan ng magulang nya. Pinost nya yan para sa mga taong tulad mo na ang kitid ng utak na walang ginawa kundi ijudge sya or sila na wala naman alam sa struggles na pinagdadaanan nila just to get better.”

“Saying this is so harmful to anyone struggling mentally. Yes, personal problems are best shared with professional help. Though you’re clearly missing the point of his post I think. He’s just encouraging his followers to take care of their mental well-being. Have some sympathy.”

“I am currently experiencing anxiety and is fearing that this may lead to depression. Kahit paano gumaan pakiramdam ko reading kobe’s post. Knowing na people regardless of who the are, are similar sa akin in terms of feeling down/depressed.

“My mom has depression and is on medication. For depressed people, takot nila ung malaman ng ibang tao na they are depressed. When I see post like this, gumagaan loob ko. I want people to normalize depression kagaya ng ibang sakit. If people post about their struggle with cancer, for example, most of us feel it’s inspiring. Sana if someone post about depression, ganun din. It may not be a physical pain, pero mental pain is still pain.”

“Hugs to this big man! You I’ll get through this! Pray!”

“Wag puro bash yung iba dyan. He might save someone by sharing his own mental battles.”

“It take guts to admit one’s failures even more so to admit that you almost gave up on life.”

“Bakit ba sya nade depress, he has the looks, career, lovelife may family naman?”

“Siguro pressure tsaka posibleng nadiscriminate sya ng teammates and/or coaches kasi nga pinoy sya. Asians are not that welcome in tha basketball world in the US, based on Jeremy Lin’s experiences.”

“Hindi sapat sa taong depressed lahat yang binanggit mo. Wala sa itsura, pera, lovelife… nasa mental health talaga. It’s deeper than you can probably comprehend.”

“iba ang atake ng mental. You think kababawan but it really is not. More understanding and compassion sana to people who suffer from depression. Because IT IS REAL.”

“I feel Kobe. Mahirap magsabe how low we can feel one day. I went through severe anxiety nung nagkaron ng cancer anak ko. Cant sleep, cant eat. Halos umiyak ako everyday. Masarap umiyak kasi napapagod ako hanggang sa makatulog. Ang hirap magsabi how I feel kasi baka sabihin umaarte ako or dagdag sa problema namin ng anak ko. But now, i just take it one day at a time. I try not to think of any negative things. Hindi namin kelangan ng awa, kelangan namin is understanding and prayers.”

“He is brave for admitting this and it also gave a message to others that it is normal to feel depression but you need to be strong.”

“Ang layo nila ni Andre. Si Andre kenkoy, ito seryoso parang medyo mataray pa.”

Samantala, pareho nang desidido ang magkapatid na Kobe at Andre Paras sa paglalaro ng basketball para sa kani-kanilang respective teams.

Natupad na ang matagal nang dream ni Andre na makapasok sa Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tulad ng amang si Benjie Paras.  Nabigyan siya ng two-year contract (worth P3 million)sa koponan ng Blackwater.

Nagpaalam at nagpasalamant naman si Kobe sa University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons dahil kailangan na niyang mag-training sa Amerika sa ilalim ng sports management na East-West Private sa Cincinnati, Ohio (ROHN ROMULO)