Jackie Lou Blanco

When I used to work for the the little man with the black ears, I travelled to the Philippines a few times. When I used to go there, it was advised that I be on high alert. I was instructed not to travel on the 15th or the 30th of each month as most people were paid their salaries in cash on these days and subsequently many people were robbed or held up and I was advised not to wander the streets by myself. Being the anxious type that I am, I perhaps took this advice a little too literally, and didn't leave my hotel. I was fine with that though. I used to stay in the 5 star Peninsula Hotel and just cruise around the foyer and hang by the pool. I must admit, I was starting to get just a little bit anxious when people were looking at me, taking double takes and whispering - "What's the problem here?". On my first trip there, a colleague met me in the hotel the day after I got there. He was Filipino and could speak Tagalog, so I was very happy to have him on board.

As I walked in the buffet breakfast restaurant (something I do very well), I gave the familiar staff a bit of a nod and a wave, went to the omelette station, sat near the window, put on my dark sunglasses and sat contemplating another round of breakfast sausages. My friend came down and was standing at the omelette stand speaking to the omelette man, turned to me, pointed, laughed and carried on. "What?". When he came over I insisted he relay the whole conversation. Why were people looking at me all the time? Yes, I am short, yes, I'm a little out of proportion, and yes, all that room service was for one person. I was hungry. He said apparently everyone in the hotel thinks you look like a famous Filipina called Jackie Lou Blanco. Hilarious I thought. Had no idea what she looked like, but rolled with it. It now made sense. The staff at the hotel, my driver who kept looking at me in his rear vision mirror and the customs officers that looked through my passport thoroughly- it all made sense. When they would look at me strange I would say "Jackie Lou Blanco?" which would be followed by an "aaahhh!" or an "aaahhh" in unison if it were a group of people that had been starring. I was one of those annoying people for them who people would look at and look at again as if to say "who do you look like again" and then the penny would drop.


So I did a little google search on this 'Jackie Lou Blanco' character, hoping and praying that she didn't look like Ricky Lake who people used to say I looked like. Now that was a compliment. At least it was post weight loss. I soon learned that Jacqueline Lourdes Blanco Davao was born February 11, 1964 and is a well known celebrity in the Philippines. She is also daughter of famous Philippine singer Pilita Corrales who is that character in red to the left. Jackie Lou should also not be mistaken for Betty Lou (to the right) who came up on my google images search.



So this is me. The one to the left. Maybe, just maybe in this small pixelated picture, I might look like her. And you know what she's doing with her arms just there is quite rude in the i-talian culture. I also soon learned that in 2001, Jackie Lou Blanco won the Slimmers Fitness World's Miss Great Body fitness contest. Needless to say I was flattered and needless to say, even in this other small pixelated photo, there's a resemblance issue. For now I'll take it and run with it.

So now here I am in Dubai, and there are loads of Filipinos everywhere. Instead of turning around and saying "do you want a a piece of me?" every time I see them whisper and stare, I just know that apparently I look like this Jackie Lou Blanco. The ladies in reception of my building now call me Jackie Lou as I made the mistake of helping them pinpoint who I look like. But what took the cake was when I went to the service station the other night with the giant, to get his chocolate milk and some chocolate for me, the lady behind the counter proved the theory correct that they really do talk about you in their language right in front of you. As she was serving me, head down and scanning my items she said something to her crew in Tagalog, but I managed to pick up on the 'Jackie Lou Blanco' she dropped in conversation. Before she could scan my 'Snow Flake', I said "I know everyone says I look like Jackie Lou Blanco". She turned pale. Was in a state of shock. She quickly tried to back track, and I made out like I could understand. It was a beautiful moment. Maybe I should go and try to make it in showbiz in the Philippines. Just maybe.