One wonderful surprise I got last week was when I received a Whatsapp message from Pinay celebrity, Bianca King. We were messaging a few months back about seeing each other but the lockdown happened. I thought that she was able to catch a flight back home which apparently did not happen.

 Bianca King started as a commercial model for different brands. Her career “took off” with the GMA mega hit “Mulawin” where she played Aviona with Angel Locsin and Richard Gutierrez in 2004. The following years were filled with a number of “teleseryes” and movies alongside her generations’ brightest Pinoy celebrities.

 

We met in 2006 when I shot her underwater video for the then new UHF Channel QTV (now GMA News TV). This led to us doing our Advance SCUBA certification with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). So after several years of not seeing her, it was great catching up and finding out about her lockdown experience here in Sydney.

Bianca arrived early in March for a bit of respite from her busy schedule. Aside from her TV appearances, hosting events and shooting online content for her official website (http://www.biancaking.com) which features her travels, her adventure into cooking and baking and celebrity interviews (She recently interviewed some of the cast of the hit US TV Series, “Orange Is The New Black”).  For quite some time, Sydney has been her go-to place for rest and rejuvenation. “I like having nature so close to where I live and living in a walkable city. I love the endless dogs and babies in the parks and the scenic walks,” says Bianca.

AF: What was your reaction when you heard of the strict lockdown laws which prohibited you from leaving the country?

BIANCA: “I knew it was going to be a while before things felt close to normal.  It wasn't a shock to me because I am always home anyway.  I enjoy staying home and know how to be productive at home.”

AF: What was your lockdown days like?

BIANCA: “Nothing out of the ordinary.  I read, I edit photos, I work on my current project, I cook and I bake.  In between that, I go for a long walk and listen to a podcast.  I also meditate and do yoga a few times a week.  Sleep early, wake up early, repeat.  A few times a week, I do zoom meetings and calls with friends and family.  For a while, I read the news everyday but it wasn't good for my mental health.  So I tune out and only do it once a week now.”

 

(Bianca is a graduate of AB Digital Filmmaking from the De La Salle, College of St. Benilde and is a music video director. Currently, Bianca is on the entrepreneurship road creating eco-friendly products which we hope she’ll get to launch here in Sydney soon.)

AF:  What were your thoughts while you were in lockdown?

BIANCA: “Just reinforced what I have kept telling myself for the last few years:  Live well below your means, save way more than you spend and spend your energy on practical and essential things.  I'm not very frivolous, I am also pragmatic.  So that was just reinforced during this time.  It pays to be healthy.  If you know you are taking care of yourself, that you're well enough to ward off viruses or recover from them, you will be fine.  You have nothing to worry about.  It is empowering to have wellness at the centre of your life.  Not only are you confident about being less prone to disease but you can also manage virus fear-mongering better in your head.”

AF: What is your take-away from this lockdown experience? 

BIANCA: “To create a structure that works for me and be forgiving when there are days I just want to mope around and be a slob.  It's ok to be slow but set small milestones you can work at.  The world will be in shambles for a while, it is uncertain how long.  So don't feel rushed to pick up the pieces.  But work on knowing what those pieces are and work on them one at a time.”

AF: Are you ready to go back to the Philippines? What are you looking forward to?

BIANCA: “Yes I'm going back soon.  It's ok that life is a little more complicated there than Sydney.  I'm ready for it.  I'm looking forward to getting out of the hotel quarantine and seeing my dog.”

AF: What are your expectations when you go back to Sydney?

BIANCA: “Well first I have to wait for the borders to reopen.  Hopefully sooner than later.  My mind isn't there yet.  I'm just focusing on what I need to do when I'm in Manila again. “

For readers in the Philippines, you can catch Bianca King on Netflix with the ABSCBN series “Pusong Ligaw” (search for “Lost Hearts”)

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