Karylle finds a new partner in Akihiro

Author: Malaya
Column: Entertainment

Those who think that Karylle is still nursing a broken heart after the much-publicized split from Dingdong Dantes should do some re-thinking.

The singer/actress who calmly weathered the storm took the occasion to make some dramatic strides after the break-up.

First, she decided to join her mom Zsa Zsa in the latter’s home studio. She also emerged looking refreshed after testing her acting and singing chops in the successful remake of "West Side Story" where she teamed up for the first time with Christian Bautista. Now, she further hones her acting ability as she plays Helen in ABS-CBN’s teleserye "Maruja."

If all these crucial transitions in her personal and professional life gave Karylle untold struggles, the difficulty doesn’t show whatsoever — the star exudes a youthful glow and calm demeanor.

"The transfer from one network to another was surprisingly easy because I’ve known some of the people there even before because of my mom. Kaya kahit noon nakakasama ko na sila. In a way, if felt like coming home din," Karylle tells.

Her new environment offered Karylle to take a fresher look at her career, allowing her to take new challenges that would make her grow as a performer. Thanks in no small measure to her dedicated management team led by stage veterans Carlo Orosa and Audie Gemora.

Aside from "Nasaan Ka Maruja?" Karylle has also inked another deal to star in a new show, details of which the singer/actress refuses to divulge as of yet. She is also looking forward to her first European gig with no less than Concert King Martin Nievera. The show will give her the chance to touch base with Filipino fans in London.

The busy career front is not of course without the attendant sacrifice. On a typical working day, Karylle has to haul herself out of bed as early as 5 a.m. to get ready for taping. She takes a quick breakfast and takes catnaps on the way to the location. The taping takes pretty much the rest of her day, which sometimes last until the wee hours of the morning.

But on days when her schedule allows it, Karylle indulges in her favorite activities — one of which is doing charity work. "My childhood was not a fairytale, so I know how it feels to be young and face difficulties. Kaya whenever I have the opportunity to share my time and talent to children suffering from poverty or health problems, I do my share to raise funds for them," informs the star.

In fact, Karylle has just finished a concert with some of her industry friends to raise money for poor children suffering from cancer.

To recharge and keep her body in shape, Karylle attends Pilates classes and swims. She also pampers herself by going to Blue Water Day Spa and gets a massage or a facial.

"I felt so happy when the officials of Blue Water Day Spa asked me to be one of endorsers this year because I really go to the place even before. In fact, whenever I walked in and see the photos of their endorsers on the wall, I used to ask myself, ‘Kailan kaya ako magiging endorser ng Blue Water Day Spa?’ I felt honored when they asked me to endorse the spa," she reveals.

It was not hard convincing the star. Karylle was an avid fan of Blue Water Day Spa for a long time already. "I like going there because the place is so clean and the staff is well-trained—magaling talaga silang mag-massage. Another thing I love about it is the privacy it offers –it’s very exclusive and going there feels like going to my own private spa," she informs.

Karylle goes to the Blue Water Day Spa for her favorite treatments like the Brazilian Crystal Massage and the Relaxation Massage. "I also recently tried the Herbal Pack Treatment from Thailand. It is a combination of shiatsu and Swedish massage with herbal packs. I enjoyed it so much because it soothes and relaxes tense and overworked muscles," she says.

The decision to ink a deal with Blue Water Day Spa brings Karylle together with Akihiro Sato — her partner as the spa’s latest celebrity endorsers.

Standing a little over six feet tall, the gentle hunk cuts a dashing figure on the ramp, in print ads and billboards that show his handsome face and chiseled body to the max. It was, however, in famous TVCs such as the Nescafe and Close-Up where the public first developed a crush on Akihiro.

Looking every inch like a Filipino, Akihiro is actually a blend of Brazilian and Japanese. "My father’s father came from Japan after World War II when Japan’s economy became very bad after the war. So he tried starting over again in a new land and fell in love with Brazil. My father was born in Sao Paolo and married a Brazilian—that is the long story why I look like a Filipino," Akihiro laughingly relates.

Becoming a model was not even a remote dream says the gorgeous Akihiro who was studying Physical Therapy in the university before modeling beckoned.

"I was interested in becoming a very good physical therapist because of my older brother. He was born with paralysis and that inspired me to study about helping people regain their body’s movement," he says. "But one day, while I was walking in the street, an agent asked for my profile and told me I could become a model. That changed my life."

Akihiro’s baptism of fire on the runway came in the form of the Sao Paolo Fashion Week where he had to put on a lot of swimwear—Sao Paolo being a resort town. That prompted the once bulky teen to adopt a rigorous training workout and a disciplined diet.

"I lost at least 20 pounds because I realized that to become a good model, one has to maintain a well-toned physique. So now I go to the gym almost everyday for two hours to do my work out," Akihiro informs.

The once rice-and-beans fanatic also had to change his eating habits. "It was difficult because I loved to eat—rice, beans, barbecue, chocolate… you name it!" he says amused.

Likewise, a big part of Akihiro’s physical regimen is to go the spa regularly to keep his body toned and his skin in perfect condition. "That’s why I love going to Blue Water Day Spa. They introduce new treatments very often, which allow me to sample new techniques and therapies. Also, the staff is very courteous, hospitable and well-trained—they’re very professional," Akihiro discloses.

Recently, the ramp hunk has become addicted to the Traditional Filipino Massage—a serious deep tissue massage with ventuza to physically break down muscle stress, relieve pain and restore body movement. "It helps me because as a model, I have to be able to move perfectly on ramp or in front of the camera. Modeling can be stressful to the body and this massage really relaxes me," he says.

To keep his skin camera-ready, Akihiro also goes through the FPL Laser Hair Removal, a non-invasive laser light source hair removal that is faster and gentler on the skin.

Karylle and Akihiro’s entry into the Blue Water Spa family forms part of the spa’s continuing development program. A big component of this is introducing new treatments that involve groundbreaking technology and procedures. Blue Water Day Spa is introducing four innovative services that have been meticulously developed in reputable spa centers in Europe and America: Athlete’s Massage, Tibetan Meridian Fire Therapy, Comfort Zone Monticelli Mud Treatment and Biovegetal Enzyme Skin Peeling.

This year, to put a new twist to the practice of wellness and beauty, Blue Water Spa has introduced the Spa Theatre. Located in a sprawling complex in Ortigas Avenue, the Spa Theatre puts all the elements of a modern Cineplex—such as state-of-the-art screen and projector system, the latest speaker technology and acoustically designed walls—for superb movie viewing.

But in lieu of theater seats, this massage center has installations of modern spa chairs to allow viewers to fully relax while watching their favorite movie. Here, the weary can recharge by indulging in Blue Water Spa’s relaxing foot spa, or a foot massage.

"This unique concept is a Blue Water Day Spa exclusive," says Blue Water Day Spa’s young vice president Francis Ryan Simisim. "The Spa Theatre allows total relaxation because clients can get our signature foot spa treatments and foot massage while being entertained visually with our wide screen movie presentations."

He adds, "This is an essential part of Blue Water Day Spa’s unrelenting effort to make going to a spa a totally enjoyable experience."

The Spa theater is of course available for bookings for private parties and corporate functions—indeed a unique way to bond with family members, friends and business colleagues.

Source: Malaya

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