A rosary and a love for reading

Shuvee Etrata

Being away from one’s family for work can be a challenge, particularly if the bond between its members is strong and tight. For five months now, Shuvee Etrata has been living in Manila and taping for GMA’s new series “Hearts on Ice.”

The self-proclaimed “island girl” with 2.3 million followers on TikTok moved to the city from Bantayan island in Cebu to pursue an acting career. “Hearts on Ice” is the Sparkle talent’s first teleserye and while it appears like she has taken to it like a duck to water, she admitted it still takes some getting used to.

“Nahirapan ako at first na tumira dito, but my mother’s gift to me gives me hope and faith that I’m not alone,” Shuvee said.

Etrata’s rosary beads

Sense of security

Her favorite thing is the rosary from her mother. “Even if I’m not with [my family], may bagay ako na napanghahawakan [as a reminder] that I’m doing everything for them.” Shuvee keeps the white rosary made with large beads at home. When she prays, she wraps it around her hand, and it gives her a sense of security.

She also sets aside time to reflect on the whirlwind events in her young life. “I’ve been in the industry for five months, but I feel like 10 years na ako dito. This rosary gives me hope that I’m not alone kasi mommy’s girl ako, nami-miss ko siya. So to remind me na kaya ko pa, ‘yun po ang hinahawakan ko.”

Hannah Arguelles

‘Liberating experience’

For her costar Hannah Arguelles, who plays the younger sister of lead actor Xian Lim in the series, her favorite thing are books because they calm her and help her de-stress. “For me, reading books is a liberating experience. It’s also a good way to learn,” Hannah said.

On her nightstand is “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It’s set in a Tokyo café that has been serving coffee for over a hundred years, but the main draw for customers is the chance to go back in time.

“It’s a compilation of stories, so it’s not that hard to digest. That’s what I love about it, too—it’s a quick read. The clients go back in time, but they can’t change anything, and they have to be back at the café at a certain time before the coffee gets cold, hence the title.”

“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” trilogy

The books were a gift by her older brother on her birthday because her family knows that she enjoys reading. When she received the books, she said she was “the happiest I’ve ever been in such a long time.”

“I love it so much because we, as human beings, are curious if we could go back in time. What if we could observe ourselves and the people around us? How would that affect us as people today?”

Hannah takes special care of her books. Aside from keeping them in a large bookshelf at home, she dusts them every so often. “Although I do like the vintage look because it adds character and life to it. It shows that you’ve lived with the book.” “Hearts on Ice,” directed by Dominic Zapata, airs weeknights at 8:50 p.m. on GMA and at 11:30 p.m. (Monday to Thursday) and 11 p.m. (Friday) on GTV. Viewers abroad can also catch the program via GMA Pinoy TV.