Thanks to different time zones, Alice Dixson will be spending two Christmas Days this year. She arrived last Wednesday from Vancouver where she and husband Ronnie Miranda (a ‘web whiz’) have been staying for almost 10 years, which is the number of years they’ve been married. She’s leaving on Thursday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day, and she’s arriving in Vancouver also on the same day.

“So, dalawang araw ang Christmas Days ko,” smiled Alice who looked as pretty as ever, retaining her 1986 Bb. Pilipinas-International figure. (She and Ronnie don’t have a child.) “I’m spending the first Christmas Day here with my mom and the second Christmas Day in Vancouver with Ronnie. Isn’t it nice?”

The last time Alice came home three years ago, she attended to family matters (disposal of some properties, etc.) after her father died. She also didn’t stay long.

“My mom cannot travel far, so I have to be the one to come here,” said Alice.

In Vancouver, Alice works for RE/Max Advantage Realty of which she’s the (licensed) assistant. The Business Adminstration degree she earned at San Sebastian College comes in handy. But before becoming a full-time realtor, Alice for a while worked as an apprentice at a TV station in Vancouver.

Asked which is harder, being a realtor or being an actress, Alice said it’s being the former.

“As an actress, all you have to do is memorize your lines and ‘feel’ your role,” explained Alice (who got a Best Actress nomination for her performance as the title role in Regal Films’ My Other Woman, with Christopher de Leon and Lani Mercado). “As a realtor, you have to be good at convincing a client to buy, and it’s not really that easy.”

Four years ago, Alice announced that she was quitting showbiz and joining Ronnie for good in Vancouver. That was after she starred in the GMA soap Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw with Lorna Tolentino among her co-stars. The experimental set-up – Ronnie there and Alice here – didn’t work.

And what would make Alice change her mind, a juicy offer maybe?

“I will make up my mind when that situation comes up,” said Alice.

On Sunday, Alice Dixson is leaving after more than three weeks here, purposely to sort out the papers of the family home which she and her mother are selling.

“I just realized how painful it is to sell a house you grew up in,” said Alice who has been based these past few years in Vancouver with husband Ronnie Miranda. “Our house holds precious memories,” added Alice, tears welling in her eyes. “It has been regularly renovated through the years and, in fact, we have converted the place into a three-door apartment. But still, the memories are there. Part of me doesn’t want to let go of the house because it feels like discarding those beautiful memories but we really have no choice.”

With her siblings also now residing abroad, Alice came home to help her widowed mother dispose of the property after Alice’s American father died last January. Alice’s mother is migrating to the US.

“My father was a sailor, he loved the sea,” said Alice, “so, as per his last wish, we scattered his ashes in the Manila Bay. But to please our mom, we also buried the urn with some of the ashes in the cemetery.”

So does it mean goodbye to showbiz for Alice (who was last seen in as a “guest” in the Vic Sotto Metro Filmfest starrer Enteng Kabisote and, before that, in a GMA teleserye)?

Not really. The good news is that Alice might be back in a few weeks to finalize negotiations for a movie. After Funfare came out with an item about her recent homecoming, Alice got an offer for a soap from ABS-CBN.

“But then,” said Alice, “tempting though the offer was, I had to say no because that would have made me stay longer. You see, I have to attend to important matters in Vancouver.”

Life as Mrs. Ronnie Miranda is hardly boring as what some people might suspect.

“Do I miss showbiz?” Alice asked. “If you mean the tsismis and the intrigues, my answer is no. But if you mean the acting part, my answer is yes.”

Before flying back to Canada, Alice will first proceed to Florida and learn from her sister the tricks of a business she plans to put up in Vancouver.

“I’m also helping my sister run her real-estate there,” said Alice.

Not many actors easily are willing to take on roles that are actually older than their real selves. To many, especially women, asking them to play a mother, or a grandmother on either the big or small screen, could be the greatest insult you can hurl on them.

Not to Alice Dixson, though, who is making a big comeback to the movies via a role that was once made famous by the late Charito Solis.

“Why not?” she asked. “I’m 36 and I could be a mother myself.”

But of course, she couldn’t be mother to someone of Kristine Hermosa’s age who plays her daughter in the Metro Manila Filmfest entry Enteng Kabisote…The Legend Continues. “Well, I could if had given birth when I was 12,” she said followed by a hearty giggle.

Alice became a household byword as Faye, the fairy wife of Vic Sotto in the top rating ’80s sitcom Okay Ka Fairy Ko. She played the role for three long years, and the only reason she quit the show was because her then fiancé was getting jealous thinking about Vic Sotto trying to steal Alice from him. Which of course never happened. So, the lovebirds decided to migrate to Canada after they got married.

Husband Ronnie Miranda would have loved Alice living all her life beside him. But showbiz is like a potent addictive substance. Alice couldn’t just kick it out of her system. So, in 2002 she came home and found work as one of the stars on the soap, Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw opposite Christopher de Leon and Richard Gomez. This was followed by Hanggang Kailan where she shared top billing with Christopher de Leon and Lorna Tolentino.

She said that she’d make Canada her base from hereon. In fact, she’s looking for an alternative career so she could use her time more productively. ‘I’d probably be in real estate,” she declared, “although I’d still be in the movies if there’d be offers, or TV if the offer would be long term. Otherwise I’d e with my husband in Canada.”

She agreed to do the Ina Magenta role for Enteng Kabisote…The Legend Continues if only to satisfy her urge to be in front of the cameras again “plus the chance to work with Vic (Sotto) again.”

As the original Faye, did she have any difficulty adjusting to a role that even up to this day is still associated with the late Charito Solis?

“Actually, I was feeling awkward at the beginning. I also had reservations doing the role.

For Tita Chato that’s why I accepted the role. Actually, I should’ve been in last year’s installment. This role had been offered to me two years ago, but they got someone else. This time, I accepted because it’s a role close to my heart. I feel I did a good job naman, eh!”

How is it different from Charito’s portrayal?

“I tried to recollect all her mannerisms before although I also have may own nuances. Perhaps, what I brought together was my experience as Faye and the way I saw Ina Magenta as my mom. It’s like I merged two roles into one. It’s exciting and I hope the public likes it.”

Now you see her, now you don’t.

Alice Dixson, I mean.

Last seen – yes, fleetingly – last June when she came home from Vancouver to attend a family affair, Alice will be seen again, this time on the big screen in OctoArts Films/M-Zet Productions’ 2005 Metro Filmfest entry Enteng Kabisote…The Legend Continues, top-billing Vic Sotto.

Alice plays Magenta, the role originated by the late Charito Solis both on TV (in the fantaserye Okey Ka, Fairy Ko) and in the film.

"She could have done the role in last year’s Enteng Kabisote," said OctoArts boss Orly Ilacad, "but she was nowhere to be found. This time, when we learned that she was here for a family event, we lost no time in contacting her."

As Funfare readers know, Alice and husband Ronnie Miranda enjoy a simple life in Vancouver where they migrated after their wedding a few years ago. There, Alice is comfortable being a private citizen, first working at a department store and then taking up a writing course at a local college. One time, she even worked as production assistant at Canada’s CTV 9. It was a dream come true for Alice who initially wanted to work only in television and not in movies. Of course, Alice has amply proven herself to be a capable actress (memorable as Christopher de Leon’s mistress in The Other Woman).

"Vancouver is like a wonderland to me," said Alice, 36, who suffered a miscarriage a few years ago.

She’s leaving for Vancouver on Nov. 20 but will be back to help in the promo for Enteng Kabisote.

Since she left Manila to settle in Canada, actress and beauty queen Alice Dixson has not exactly been idle.

Last February, Alice became the first Filipino-American to be accepted in the Union of British Columbia Performers (UBCP) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) based solely on her foreign credentials.

"I applied under the unions Professional Reputation guidelines, submitted my portfolio and after a few months I received an invitation for membership. I am very excited, as these organizations are the equivalent of the Screen Actors Guild in the US."

Armed with a new talent manager in Vancouver, Alice will soon try her luck there. "I have no illusions of grandeur" Alice said, "I know it is a tougher market. But I love acting and if I can continue it on the side, then, lucky me."

Alice is grateful for each new learning opportunity that comes her way. In fact she landed an internship last March for The Vicky Gaberaeau Show, a Canadian talk-show counterpart to the popular Oprah Winfrey.

"I went to CTV-9 Studios downtown, applied and weeks later got a call from the production manager to report for taping. I was able to work with and meet local Canadian celebrities like crooner Michael Buble, David Usher, Jan Arden, Elvis Costello and jazz diva Diana Krall. I never knew that a lot of the popular US mainstream actors and artists are Canadian," she said.

"In the short time I worked on that show, I gained valuable experience and realized how much I truly enjoy and appreciate the creative side of television production."

Confessing that she is "studying part-time" and busy being a "full-time wife" to businessman Ronnie Miranda, she apologizes for not having any "baby plans" yet. Then, in the next breath, she goes on to say: "But I really want an Italian Greyhound puppy!"

Alice is back in town, although she originally came home to promote "Kumain Ka Na Ba" for the Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival this August. The Japanese film did not make it as an entry finalist, but it’s not Alice’s loss, since she has more than enough work to keep her busy. She will be doing mall tours for Bigen Speedy as its official endorser, pre-production for an independent film, and some endorsements for Cosmetiderm, and Sarangani.

Aside from working on her schedule for TV guestings, Alice is also coordinating between activities for her family’s month-long reunion. "Some of my relatives have never been to the Philippines. I will try to make it a memorable visit for them, despite our dismal political scene.

"After all," she points out, " no matter where I go, whatever I do, I will always call the Philippines home."

Planet Philippines

Alice Dixson is putting her showbiz career in Manila temporarily on hold and returning to Vancouver to be with her husband Ronnie Miranda, a systems analyst. Two years ago, she came back to Manila to accept an offer from GMA 7 to star in a soap. Reports then said Alice missed acting so much that she decided to temporarily leave her husband in Vancouver. When I sat down with her recently at a coffee shop, she told me that the primary reason for accepting GMA-7’s offer was monetary. “We had already depleted our savings,” says the actress. “Ronnie’s earnings (then) were not enough and I had no source of income. The easiest way to make money was to go back to the Philippines and accept acting jobs.”

Alice signed up for a year-long contract to star in “Ang Iibigan Ay Ikaw” where she co-starred with Christopher de Leon and Richard Gomez, two of her former leading men in the movies. Although her husband would sometimes come over to visit her, the long-distance relationship was a difficult one for the couple. Thus, when the series did very well in the ratings and GMA offered Alice an extension of her contract, she had to think long and hard before saying yes. “Ronnie more or less gave me the freedom to decide. After some sleepless nights I decided to do the extension,” she tells Planet Philippines . When she said “more or less” I can see that Ronnie wasn’t 100% behind her decision.

Come September when her second contract expires, she plans to fly back to Vancouver and resume her life with Ronnie. Even if Alice receives a tempting offer, she is decided to resume her life in Canada. She talks about a business venture involving computers that she and Ronnie will jointly manage. She will, however, not turn her back on acting because she still has an agent in Canada. She hopes to audition for projects closer to her home.

When I ask if these plans are definite, she confounds me with her reply: “Nothing’s definite but those are my plans. Ronnie might come back to the Philippines if he finds a business opportunity here or somewhere in Asia. If that happens, we’ll have to leave Canada.”

How did she get to Canada in the first place?

At the tender age of 15, she joined “Eat Bulaga’s” “Reyna ng Santacruzan” contest. This was during her third summer in the Philippines. Although she didn’t win, Alice caught the eye of talent manager Jojo Veloso who convinced her to join the Bb. Pilipinas beauty tilt. Jojo brought her to the screening without telling her dad. “My dad had no choice but to say yes when Jojo told him later that I was one of 35 candidates who made it to the contest,” Alice recalls.

Before the actual pageant, Alice was an early favorite (she was chosen “Miss Photogenic” by the media photographers) so she was confident about winning one of the three beauty titles that were at stake. She won the Bb Pilipinas International title and represented the country in the 1986 Miss International pageant held in Nagasaki, Japan. She made it to the semifinals because, according to her, this was the year of People Power and the Philippines was very much in the news. I chided her for underselling herself, explaining that she placed in the top 15 on her own merits. She did not protest.

On her return, she signed up with Regal Films where she made a spoof of “Robocop” called “Bobocop” with Joey Marquez in the title role. Then, she was chosen by a beauty soap company to promote its product. Her “I can feel it!” commercial was a big hit and her popularity grew. She got more exposure when she starred in the sitcom “Ok Ka Fairy Ko’ which got very high ratings during its run.

Her busiest year was 1991 when she made 15 movies with the industry’s leading actors — Dolphy, Christopher de Leon, Richard Gomez, Rudy Fernandez, Aga Muhlach. Later, she would even star with Fernando Poe Jr. in a movie called “Walang Matigas na Tinapay sa Mainit na Kape.”

Alice was so busy that the staff of “OK Ka Fairy Ko” could not squeeze time in her schedule to tape her sitcom. They had to wait for cancellations in Alice’s movie commitments to do this. She confided that she would call in sick even if she wasn’t so she could rest. Despite the hectic schedule, she got real sick only once – during the shooting of “Dyesebel,” one of her more popular pictures.

She admits she was not very choosy about her projects. She was also under contract to Regal Films so it was Mother Lily who chose her assignments. Of her many projects, she is best remembered for movies like “The Jessica Alfaro Story,” “Isang Araw Walang Diyos,” “To Saudi With Love” (which got her a nomination for Best Actress in the 1997 Manila Film Festival) and “Sambahin Ang Ngalan Mo” where she won the Best Actress award in the 1998 Manila Film Festival.

In 1995, after close to 10 years in the business, Alice felt that she had already reached her saturation point. “I wanted to learn new things. I wanted to grown in another direction,” she says. Then an opportunity arose which would enable her to study in the US, where she grew up.

It was at this point that love intervened in her plans. She met Ronnie in 1996 while she was still in Manila. Ronnie pursued the actress and proposed marriage. She said no at first because she had other plans. Alice went to the US to follow her dream. Ronnie was persistent and followed her. Again, he proposed marriage. She said no for the second time.

Ronnie decided to find work in Canada. Later, Alice realized she really loved Ronnie and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. So she moved to Canada to be with him. They got married on May 28, 1999.

In Canada, she enjoyed being anonymous, moving around Vancouver without anyone fussing over her. Of course, once in a while, newly arrived Pinoys would recognize her and ask for her autograph. She especially loved going to the libraries where she could read all kinds of books.

I ask Alice if her married life is what she expected it to be. Her nadid reply: “I didn’t know you had to work real hard at your marriage for it to work. I knew this, of course, in theory but when it comes to the actual thing, it’s hard pala . An important area is communication. The husband wants to do one thing. The wife wants to do something else. You have to find a common ground.”

Her advice to single couples contemplating marriage: “Know your spouse real well before you get married. Go for a long engagement. If you get married right away and you haven’t really been dating long enough, lalabas ang quirk s ng partner mo that you may not like.”

So is she in favor of live-in arrangements? She says she is as long as the couple don’t have sex. When I tell her this is almost impossible, she says “That’s why it’s better to just have a long engagement.”

Alice is against premarital sex because she believes “a part of you stays with your sexual partner and if you have sex with several partners before marriage, there’s very little left for your husband. So it’s better to save your virginity for your husband.”

Despite the long distance relationship, she says she and Ronnie are still together, debunking rumors that the two have split up. When she rejoins him in September, having a baby is a possibility but she says this is not a priority. “Children will not make or break a relationship.” The actress, who turns 35 this year doesn’t want to be pressured by people who say her biological clock is ticking.

Exactly what kind of stuff do people keep in their bag for a day of practice or a tournament?

Never gave it much thought. If you’re like me, just toss in there whatever feels necessary.

But perhaps what’s in the bags of seasoned players, like members of the national team, or celebrities who frequent badminton courts would be more interesting. What secrets do they keep in their carryalls?

On assignment for Badminton Philippines, I found myself rummaging through the bags of three national athletes one Friday morning at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall. To further satisfy my curiosity, I likewise peeped into the bag of celebrity and TV personality Alice Dixson when I met up with her at Valle Verde Country Club.

ALICE DIXSON’S GEAR

GMA-7’s Alice Dixson has lately become a regular figure at the Valle Verde Sports and Country Club badminton courts where she indulges in her current favorite sport.

“I started playing badminton only in September last year. My friend Sol Salao of Smash Island in Pasig introduced me to the game, and I was hooked and obsessed ever since,” says Alice.

Although serious with her game, she says she’s not yet ready to join in any competition or tournament. Right now she’s just happy to play and enjoy the game.

Alice’s weapon of choice is a Yonex MP99 badminton racket, a gift from her husband.

Also stashed in her bag is a small vanity kit, or “kikay kit,” containing a brush, pressed powder, and bottle of cologne. In addition, she has a separate shoe bag for her Asics, a tumbler filled with iced water, lots of extra shirts, cloth diaper, car keys, wallet and cell phone, as well as three bandanas or head scarves that she wears while playing.

That’s all we have for now. Watch out for more “What’s in the bag?” in the coming issues.

Actress Alice Dixson stashes in her bag a small vanity kit, or “kikay kit” along with a Yonex MP99 racket.

IS Alice Dixson separated from husband Ronnie Miranda?

“I’m not,” says Alice. “It’s true Ronnie is in Vancouver where he works as a systems analyst while I’m here because I’m now doing ‘Hanggang Kailan’ for GMA-7. Our situation is similar to that of Ogie Alcasid

who’s working here while his wife, Michelle, and their kids are in Australia. I’ve realized it’s not the best of situations for a married couple and I already made a choice. I’m working here with Ronnie’s consent, but after ‘Hanggang Kailan’ ends in September, I’ll fly to Canada to give priority naman to my marriage and not to my career. It’s also about time we have our baby and start our own family.”

She married Ronnie on May 28, 1999. “So we’d soon have our fifth anniversary,” she says. “He might come over here to celebrate it with me. Because of my work, it’s been a long-distance kind of marriage, but we do communicate everyday through e-mail or by videophone.”

She’s happy to play Lorna Tolentino’s half-sister who marries Christopher de Leon, LT’s ex-boyfriend. “I’ve worked with LT before in ‘Nagbabagang Luha.’ Doon, I was the one who stole her husband, Gabby Concepcion. I’ve also worked with Christopher in one of the best films I ever did, ‘My Other Woman,’ for which I got nominated as best actress. They’re both excellent actors so it’s a joy working with both of them and with our director, Joey Reyes. ‘Hanggang Kailan’ is a TV drama I can be proud of.”

A new teleserye entitled Hanggang Kailan premieres tonight on GMA 7, topbilling an all-star cast that includes Lorna Tolentino, Christopher de Leon and Alice Dixson. Not many people know that it might be Alice’s farewell TV starrer because she’s determined to rejoin her husband, Ronnie Miranda, in Vancouver come September when her contract with GMA 7 expires.

“It’s about time Ronnie and I started resuming our married life together,” Alice told Funfare. “I think I should start concentrating on my marriage and put my career ‘on hold’ for the time being.”

Because she has been staying here and Ronnie in Vancouver (where he is a systems analyst and runs his own business, Active Computers Canada), Alice has been hounded by rumors that they have split up.

“Not true,” clarified Alice. “I’m here because of work. My situation is similar to that of Ogie (Alcasid, also a member of the Hanggang Kailan cast). Ogie is here because of work while his wife (Michelle van Eimeren) and their two daughters are in Australia. It’s a tricky situation. Sooner or later, you really have to choose – you know, family or career.”

Like Ogie, Alice would take time out from work to visit her husband, the last time having been late last year when she and Ronnie spent the Christmas holiday like honeymooners.

“We’ve been married for five years now ,” continued Alice who got wed to Ronnie in a simple ceremony on May 28, 1999, attended only by a few members of their respective families, “but all in all, siguro we’ve spent only two years together; the rest, apart. At most, it has been some kind of a long-distance marriage for us. But we do communicate every day through video-phone or by e-mail. I’m working here with Ronnie’s consent, of course.”

After their marriage, Alice tried leading a simple and quiet life as plain housewife in Vancouver, until juicy showbiz offers back home came her way.

“What they say is true – once an actress, always an actress.”

A one-time Best Actress awardee (Metro Filmfest, for Regal Films’ Sa Ngalan ng Ama), Alice has worked with Hanggang Kailan co-stars Lorna Tolentino (Ishmael Bernal’s Nagbabagang Luha, etc.) and Christopher de Leon (Sa Ngalan…, etc.). The plot of the three-season (nine months or longer depending on how the public will react to it) Hanggang Kailan goes this way: Forced into an arranged marriage as payment for her father’s debt, a younger Valerie (Lorna) is separated from her one true love, Dado (Christopher). Unfortunately, Dado failed to fight for their relationship and Valerie was taken away to live a life of misery with her rich but cruel husband. Years later, Valerie is divorced and herself wealthy. She and her children (Jake Cuenca and Nancy Castiglione) return to her hometown only to discover that her half-sister Thelma (Alice) has married Dado. Valerie vows to reclaim him, leaving Dado torn between the love and hatred of the sisters.

“I love this kind of role,” said Alice who was greatly disappointed when she failed to bag a Best Actress trophy for her role as a mistress (of Christopher) in Regal Films’ The Other Woman. “I used to be bothered by my (American) accent but not anymore. Wala na akong accent.”

Once she’s back in Vancouver, Alice hopes to finally have a baby. She also plans to work at a TV news station (she finished Masscom at San Sebastian College) either as researcher or field reporter – “My original dream,” she said, “rudely interrupted by showbiz.” She has her own agent in Vancouver and she’ll leave everything up to him, according to Alice.

Won’t she get bored, again, resuming that kind of life out there?

“I’ll have my hands full, I assure you. I’ll help Ronnie in his business. In my spare time, I’ll again go to the library which was what I did before. Somehow, we all have to make choices. I’m choosing my marriage over my career.”

The much-awaited drama that is bound to captivate Filipino viewers’ hearts will air today, March 8, within the primetime GMA Telebabad block.

A series of a different kind, “Hanggang Kailan” is infused with a rich balance of light and dramatic moments that is reminiscent of everyday life. GMA’s newest series boasts of a casting coup top-billed by Lorna Tolentino, Christopher de Leon and Alice Dixson in a stunning love triangle-plus television’s newest dramatic finds.

Lorna plays the role of Valerie, who was a vengeful woman who returns to her hometown to collect her dues, after leaving the country for many years. Forced into marriage with a rich man as payment for her father’s debt, Valerie is now divorced and is set to use her acquired wealth and power to get back at Dado (Christopher de Leon), her first love. Conflicts arises as Dado is married to Thelma (Alice Dixson), Valerie’s bastard half-sister.

“Hanggang Kailan” will also showcase today’s exceptionally promising talents. Talented young actress, Alessandra de Rossi is back on the small screen showcasing her dramatic prowess as Jennifer, the rebellious and materialistic daughter of Dado and Thelma. Playing the role of her kind-hearted sister Angela is Maxene Magalona, who has elicited accolades for her performances both on television and on the big screen. The characters of the two sisters are poles apart. For unlike the obedient Angela, Jennifer is in constant conflict with her parents.

Playing Valerie’s children are upcoming matinee idol Jake Cuenca as Warren and Nancy Castiglione as his deaf sister Tara. Its young love against all odds for Warren and Angela (Maxene Magalona) who believe they are first cousins. Both are drawn into conflict as they vigorously fight for their feelings. Nancy on the other hand, takes on a different acting challenge, sans the use of the spoken word. She worked long hours with a language instructor to prepare for the role.

“Hanggang Kailan” also weaves music into its rich tapestry with the dramatic TV debut of Aiza Seguerra and Ogie Alcasid. Aiza takes on a dramatic turn as the rebellious Gina, who fights to protect her younger brother Lito (played by Janus del Prado) from their abusive father. While lighter moments can be expected from Ogie Alcasid as she plays George, an aspiring singer-composer and proprietor of Tambucks a stylized bar cum café. Sharing the comedic antics is Obet the humorous Tambucks cook played by versatile young actor Boy 2 Quizon.

Witness the birth of a different kind of drama on Philippine television. Don’t miss the premiere episode of “Hanggang Kailan” tonight on GMA-7 Telebabad block.