Simply Sunshine

When you’re as in demand as Sunshine Dizon is, how would you pamper yourself on a free day? She proves that she need not resort to extremes to shine her brightest. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio and courtesy of GMA Network. Pasta perfect Sunshine is actually a wannabe chef whose “blockbuster recipe” is a tomato-based concoction of tuna and bangus, straight from the can. “It’s fish, but it doesn’t taste like fish,” she proudly says. “It’s my patsamba-tsamba. We call it the ‘pa-tsams!’ And I perfected it through the course of time.” She recalls how she was banned from entering the kitchen as a little girl, because her parents feared that she might injure herself. She soon realized years later that cooking has become one of her most relaxing activities, aside from driving alone. “I learned how to cook through my nose,” she explains. “I smell it, I try to memorize everything my mom would cook. Tapos little by little, pag wala akong magawa, (mage-experiment ako sa) Lucky Me instant pancit canton! Blockbuster ‘yun sa bahay! Promise!” She adds with a twinkle in her eye, “When my friends come over, ‘O sige, we’ll have wine, chika-chika,’ tapos I’m always like this: ‘O, can I cook now? Can I cook now?’ I’m always excited to cook! When I cook, I cannot cook for one. Parating batallion! Pero I’m kinda getting the hang of it na, medyo alam ko na ‘yung proportions for single and double.” Unlike other cooks, Shine doesn’t like tasting food while preparing it. “I’d know kung ano kulang through my nose. If the bawang is kulang, if the onion is kulang. Basta, I don’t know, I cannot taste, kasi if tikim ka nang tikim, eventually your palate will be manhid na! Hindi mo na malalasahan. Or I (can) ask someone to taste it for me.” Her favorite dish? Pasta, of course. “Siguro kasi, it’s the fastest and it’s sort of easy for me to cook. Angel hair, two minutes lang! Sauce, in 15 minutes, mayroon na akong fabulous pasta for (my friends!)” Aside from cooking, did you know that Shine also loves to dance? “My mom’s always mad at me, because she thinks that my way of relaxing is different daw from a normal person. ‘Cos I like going out – I like to see my friends, not actually partying, but you know, most of my friends, they enjoy going out, dancing, and all that.” For her fans “I felt bad because some of my fans visited me (when I was hospitalized). ‘Yung mga super close na mga fans. I slipped Friday night (May 11), e. Saturday morning, I was supposed to have this little get together with my fans in my house, and I was supposed to cook for them. So everybody’s so excited na, planado na lahat. Nag-prepare pa sila ng mga games.” The accident Shine is talking about is her much-publicized hospitalization caused by slipping in the shower. (Click here for more info.) “Nag-shower ako, I finished na, and ewan ko kung bakit bigla akong nag-decide na mag-scrub ng paa – katangahan!” she says with a laugh. “So ‘yun, literal na sinasabon ko ‘yung paa ko, tapos kabila naman, sinabon ko rin! Parehong soapy! Pinatong ko pa – may balance pa ako, e! Pagpatong ko ng sabon, doon ako nadulas. I hit my hip area, which is actually very bad, because I have a back problem.” She continues, “It’s called a disc bulge. One wrong move, and it could turn into a slipped disc. Actually they call it a ‘herniated disc.’ My discs are not like the normal discs already. Let’s just put it like it’s brittle. What they explained to me is it’s like an egg, and the yolk is bulging, so naiipit na ‘yung mga nerves.” Shine clarifies, however, that there’s nothing to worry about, and although she may have been in pain, the medication she’s taking is helping her cope with it. As for the cancelled meeting with fans, she says that she doesn’t do get-togethers like these often because it’s more of a personal thing for her, not really a “Fans’ Day.” She speaks fondly about one of her supporters named Janelle. “I think she’s about 17 now, and she’s the one who created my web site, ‘yung sunshine dizon.org. And it’s so nice – it’s always updated – all the pictures, the screen caps, kumpleto talaga. Ang tagal tagal ko na kasing hindi nakakabitan ng DSL sa bahay, so I normally check through my phone! I kinda felt bad, kasi hindi ko naa-acknowledge minsan, but Janelle would text me naman, kasi iniiba-iba niya ‘yung look ng site! So ngayon, summer ‘yung itsura! It was my way sana of acknowledging them, and at least trying to get to know them better na hindi ‘yung thrugh message boards lang.” Un-kikay Shine “I’m not that kind of girl,” Shine says, when asked about her beauty rituals. “I’m the kind of girl who uses soap and water lang, but I know I should (be more conscious already). I started, actually. I’m endorsing Marie France right now, and they’re nice enough to include (facials). I’m not endorsing facial care, but it’s a sister company I think. So I have facials there. They have great lasers, ha, I swear!” Shine showed us her laser-treated underarms, and proudly said that after just one treatment, she already got exemplary results. That’s the farthest that Shine gets to being kikay, because she describes herself as a “shirt-and-jeans type of girl.” “I only go to the mall when I really need something to buy. Hindi ako nagtatagal. My stylist just brings clothes, magpu-pull out siya. And kunwari, I like this shirt, I tell the stylist (na lang). I’m not so much of a stylish type, I’m practical.” When it comes to love, Shine seems to like things simple as well, and even says that she’d prefer to have a non-showbiz boyfriend if possible. “(I want) someone who’s mature, someone with a decent job, someone who’s man enough! Alam mo ‘yung ganoon? And someone who’ll understand my work. I don’t want to ask for so much din. I always pray lang na sana I find someone who can love me...Respect and all that. Someone who’ll share my dreams, and hindi magiging hindrance.” Text SUNSHINE to 4627 to Feel the Fun! (PhP2.50 per message for Smart, Globe, and Talk 'n Text; PhP2.00 for Sun) Check out other iGMA features on Sunshine! Sparkling Sunshine The Sunshine of our lives