Body Talk with Daiana Menezes

Yes, Daiana Menezes is finally making a clean breast of it. But so sorry, what she’s going to reveal has nothing to do at all with the domestic issue swirling around her and the politician she married in Las Vegas in December last year. It’s about the “breast augmentation” procedure she has just undergone at The Belo Medical Clinic, proudly displayed in giant billboards around the metropolis (check one of them at the Timog-Morato Rotunda, Quezon City, a stone’s throw from TBMC).

“I saw Daiana and I told her that she needed some lifting up here,” Dr. Vicki Belo told Funfare, indicating her rich resources “up there.”

Daiana agreed with Vicki.

“I wasn’t satisfied,” admitted Daiana, looking none the worse (or trying to look it) even as she faced unresolved issues that has left netizens arguing the pros and cons, calling her “the girl who cried wolf,” referring to the boy in fable. “I was always feeling like I needed some more. When you’re posing for a pictorial, you have to be proportioned, right? Before what was the norm was to be skinny. Now, what’s ‘in’ is to be voluptuous.”

The Brazilian who has learned to love the Philippines as her second home (she speaks Filipino fluently) appears taller than 5’7”.  She weighs 105 lbs. and her vital statistics are now 36-24-38. A Gemini (oops! does that make netizens raise their eyebrows and exclaim, “No wonder!”?), Daiana turned 25 yesterday (June 20) but I doubt if she found a reason to celebrate. Instead, she quietly slipped out to Hong Kong for a breather with her mom (said to be a newscaster in Brazil) who has rushed here to wrap her dear daughter in her comforting arms.

Daiana is a fashion designing graduate from a school in Brazil. Her mother is a journalist and her father is a shoe-designer. “That’s our business, a factory of shoes,” said Daiana who is an only child from the marriage, with two half sibling by her father from another relationship.

Any other part of your body that needs improvement?

“That’s up to you guys to say if there’s a part that needs improvement. I have my own insecurities regarding my body but I won’t tell you. All I can say is that I’m not perfect; nobody is.”

What part of your body is most vulnerable?

(Thinks awhile) “Hmmm, I think it’s my…conscience. I mean, I look at myself in the mirror and I don’t see what you guys see. I was born this way and when I look at the mirror, I still see that I’m just a normal girl and I want to improve parts of myself that need improvement.”

What part of your body is your favorite?

“My brain! Hahahaha! Charot lang, I’m kidding! It’s not even my body; I guess I’m proud of something that I can’t deny — you know…” (Pointing to her well-endowed butt)…” like Jennifer Lopez. I’m Brazilian and I can’t deny it. It’s part of my genes.”

And what part of your husband’s body is your favorite?

(Thinks hard) “Oh my God! Right now, I’m very sensitive to talk about it. It’s not really the right time to say it. But okay, I must say that it’s him being human himself. He sometimes acts differently but if you’re the one staying with him, you would know na totoo siyang tao.”

Are you convinced that you knew him enough before you agreed to marry him?

“You know, during the courtship stage you think that you know each other very well, until you start living together and the differences between you start cropping up, part of the adjustment.”

Any health regimen that you follow?

“I take vitamin C. I’ve started treating myself with Obagi.”

What diet do you have?

“None! I eat anything. I don’t take three regular meals a day and I eat only when I’m hungry. I don’t force food into my body even if they say it’s time to eat. I don’t like when people make me pilit to eat.”

Favorite food?

“Filipino food, especially adobo and monggo.”

How much sleep do you get per night?

“A minimum of seven hours every night.”

Less than that, do you get cranky?

“No naman.

How many pillows do you sleep with (aside from the human pillow)?

“Human pillow? Hahahaha! I sleep with just one which I hug while I am nakadapa. I sleep on the right side of the bed and I watch TV before turning in, mostly drama series. But with my partner, I watch the newscasts.”

Last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

“I pray. I’m a devout Catholic. And then, even if we have had a worst day, my partner and I kiss each other on the forehead.”

And the first thing that you do as soon as you wake up?

“I wake up earlier than my partner does. I freshen up…you know, the usual morning routine that everybody else does. Then, I check my schedule and plan my day.”

How do you cope with stress?

“I listen to music. I like Beyoncé. On my way to work, I turn on the car TV and watch a Beyoncé video. My mom would say, ‘Oh my God, Beyoncé again!’ But listening to Beyoncé relaxes me. She’s a great performer.”

Favorite hideaway?

“The beach. Or I go to church and light a candle. It has been a ritual for me and my mom, and my friend.”

Favorite city?

“Manila. Yes, Manila!” 

Outlook on life?

“I’m a realistic person.”

Do you have a temper?

“Yes, I have a short temper for people who cannot get things straight. Alam mo ‘yung ganoon. That’s why I express myself all the time and I do it in a straight-forward manner. I come from a conservative family. If I dress up a bit sexy, my father would protest. If he sees that Belo billboard, I’m sure he would get mad at me.””

Are you God-fearing?

“Yes, of course, I am. Oh by the way, I was baptized in the Philippines two years ago. I go to church regularly.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)