KAMAKAILAN LANG ay nagbalik-Pinas si Sandara Parkwith the other members (CL, Park Bom, and Minzy) of her girl group 2NE1 para sa kanilang successful concert sa SM MOA Arena. Hindi maikakailang in na in pa rin sa puso nating mga Pinoy si Sandara (who arrived a few days earlier than her groupmates) dahil kahit saang ABS-CBN shows siya nagpunta gaya ng It’s Showtime, PBB All In, PBB Uber at Gandang Gabi Vice ay dinumog at pinanood ang mga ito ng kanyang mga tagahanga. Nakakatuwa itong si Sandara dahil kahit sobrang sikat na siya bilang si Dara (of 2NE1) ay hindi pa rin niya nakakalimutan ang Pilipinas at ang mga Pinoy.
I first met Sandara during her Star Circle Quest (SCQ) days. I was one of the judges in the reality show together with Direk Lauren Dyogi and Ms. Gloria Diaz. Looking at her now, she has transformed into a powerful young lady. Magaling pa rin siyang mag-Tagalog. In fact, when she guested on Aquino and Abunda Tonight, she requested me to interview her in Tagalog. That night, she wore a black dress and an oversized hat na paborito raw niya at baon pa mula Korea. “Na-miss ko po kayo,” bati niya sa amin ni Kris. Masaya raw siya at sobrang na-touch sa mainit na pagtanggap ng mga Pinoy sa kanya.
Nang bumalik sila ng kanyang pamilya sa Korea, she underwent rigorous trainings to become a K-pop star. She worked for two years without pay. It was a gamble on her part. Luckily, all her sacrifices paid off dahil ngayon, she is a global superstar and a member of 2NE1 na nagpasikat sa mga awiting Fire, Go Away, Lonely, Can’t Nobody, Clap Your Hands, I Don’t Care, I Am the Best, among others. They have a new album titled Crush.
Sandara remains in constant communication with her Filipino friends at nanonood siya ng mga Pinoy films sa DVD. Ang huli niyang napanood ay ang pelikulang This Guy’s In Love with U Mare.
I asked her kung gaano na siya kayaman ngayon. “Hindi po ako masyadong mayaman,” sagot niya. Sabi ko sa kanya ay natatandaan ko pa na mahiyain at matatakutin siya when she joined SCQ pero ngayon ay ibang-iba na siya. Palaban na siya. Pero feeling daw niya ay hindi naman siya nagbago.
When we talked about K-pop ay tiyak na mababanggit ang tungkol sa fashion. Sandara said that it takes two to three hours para ayusan siya. On A & A Tonight, natuwa naman kami ni Kris sa magnet earrings ni Sandara so we tried it.
Sandara talked about her younger brother na kilala na ngayon bilang si Thunder ng Korean idol group na MBLAQ. Naaalala ko ang kanyang kapatid dahil sumasama ito dati sa kanyang ate.
Isa-isa ring sinagot ni Sandara ang mga kontrobersya. Una: Justin Bieber kissed her. What’s the story behind that? “Bumisita siya sa Korea para mag-concert and then wala lang. Hi! Papicture tayo. Bye. Ganoon lang,” she explained.
Pangalawa: she did a commercial with Korean superstar Lee Min Ho. Did he court her? “Hindi niligawan. Trabaho lang. We’re friends”
I’m really proud of Sandara and of what she has become. Masaya ako because we are part of her journey to what she is today. Dugong Koreana man pero may pusong Pinoy si Sandara. Hanggang sa iyong muling pagbabalik, Sandara!
Kaibigan, usap tayo muli!
Points of Boy
by Boy Abunda
