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Andi Eigenmann: Her Fairy Child

Our first cover story for May 2018 introduced our Mermaid Mom, Andi Eigenmann, and her advocacy with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in raising awareness and educating the public about protecting and conserving our oceans. Prior to being a volunteer for the DENR, Andi has already been vocal about giving back to Mother Earth and to the locals who have helped shape who she is today.

” The secret to being happy is being kind. As long as you know that you live a life, that you’re not harming others, whether it’s plants, animals, or other humans, then you’re good. “

Choose kindness, as tattooed on her arm and seen in our editorial video, is one of her top mottos in life. “The secret to being happy is being kind. As long as you know that you live a life, that you’re not harming others, whether it’s plants, animals, or other humans, then you’re good,” she shares with us during our interview while celebrity makeup artist, Jake Galvez, was working on her second look.

While you could see the glimmer in her eyes and passion in her voice as she talked about how important it was for her to really care for our oceans and Mother Earth in general, both senses definitely heightened when asked about
what life is like with Ellie, her Fairy Child, as Andi fondly calls her on her blog, Mermaid Wanders.

And that’s exactly what we focused on this week, as Andi shares what’s a day like with the Mermaid Mom and her Fairy Child! Continue reading our interview below.

In your Instagram last December 2017, you mentioned that you and Ellie have begun doing everything yourselves and have started living simply. Can you tell us more about it and what made you decide to shift to this lifestyle?

So in my house, it’s only been Ellie, me, and my partner, Emilio, since September? And that was actually not a conscious decision. It was just that my personal assistant wanted to take care of her daughter already, and I wasn’t really busy with work anymore. So she asked to go on a vacation, but she didn’t know when she was coming back. So I let her, since I wasn’t busy—and then I realized, instead of hiring a new companion at home, I decided to just try to live without a nanny for a while. But eventually, I realized the changes that it gave me and Ellie in terms of character development—especially that she started growing to become more independent. She learned how to do chores and to pick up after herself. Every time she wants to play, she knows how to keep her toys, and whenever we leave (because we don’t have a nanny), I have to bring her with me so she’s not left alone at home. I have to bring her with me to work.

And that also taught her. She used to be so shy—like she wanted to be by herself all the time and just stay beside me, and it was really hard because of course, I have to work! Like I have to leave her, for example, in a room first when I go out for a shoot. But having no nanny taught her also to learn to make friends by herself, her social skills really improved, and her sense of responsibility went up a notch or by a mile. (laughs) It might have been hard at the beginning, but this has only been nothing but helpful to our lifestyle and to our character development, so I decided to keep it that way. And eventually, when we learned to adjust, it became easy because now, we already know how to go about it. We work as a team. So we kept it that way.

Were there any factors that made you change to this lifestyle?

I realized that maybe the reason I wanted people around me is because that’s what I’ve gotten used to. I grew up knowing that in every family, there’s a companion. Like it’s okay to have help. But I realized also that there are other families that don’t live that way and if they can do it, so can I—and I did. (laughs) I was able to succeed in it, and it made me happier as well because I just feel like I gained. I learned how to be more organized in life and in terms of household stuff. And also, my mind became more organized that I only wanted what I needed. It filtered out the things that I didn’t really need in life, and when I started living simply, that’s when I learned how to love life even more and to enjoy it—the simple joys. And I feel like it also is the same case for Ellie.

You mentioned during our lunch meeting that you preferred a progressive school over a traditional school. Can you give us an insight on the differences between both?

For one, I just want to give a disclaimer—I’m not traditional and I’m not Catholic. It’s also that I’m not traditional that I feel it’s better to put her in a progressive school, but of course, it’s just my opinion, my personal opinion. But I just feel like because in a progressive school, Ellie’s able to learn in a way that she is most comfortable with. There’s less students, and so I feel like she’s able to build relationships with teachers more in a way that they understand what will be easier for each other, that there’s no pressure in the child in terms of making sure that she has high grades. After all, because being that I’m not traditional, I also believe that her character should not be measured by the number or by the grades that she gets, but by the experience and also the quality of her experiences. It doesn’t matter to me if she turns out to be an honor or she turns to be a gold medalist in whatever sport she wants to try, as long as she’s happy doing all of them. My goal is for her to just be able to enjoy every environment that I put her in. When she’s not happy, I don’t like that because I feel like as a mom, my job is not to be able to dictate or to force her or to pressure her into becoming a certain type of person—but to be able to be a guide and to be able to raise her as a person that has a big heart, that cares about other people, that believes that the way to live life is also to learn how to be generous and give back to ALL forms of life, not just to people, and I feel like our lifestyle, the lifestyle that I chose for ourselves, is a perfect way to be able to expose her to that.

Do you have any other philosophies aside from the ones you just mentioned?

Well for one, I just believe that equality, that kindness is everything. It’s in my arm. (laughs) That the secret to being happy is being kind. As long as you know that you live a life, that you’re not harming others, whether it’s plants, animals, or other humans, then you’re good. And also because this life, Mother Nature, is one of the most important things that we should take care of. That without them, we won’t be here as well. And if we love the life that we live, we should first show and give back to the things that give us, that provide this for us. So I’m all about nature. (laughs)

Ellie is growing up to be such a charming character. Can you tell us more about what she’s like? What are her likes and dislikes? What’s a normal day like with Andi and Ellie?

Well, Ellie is an artist. (laughs and pertains to Ellie on the bed who’s painting) As you can see, she super loves art and at the same time, she likes doing it. I’m really happy because she also likes doing the same activities, the physical activities that I love to do. So she also skates and also surfs, but she’s more comfortable with skating. She is a really good gymnast. She’s a medalist. And a really good swimmer as well. I believe in her. Although she doesn’t believe in herself in terms of swimming. So that’s how she is. She’s super girly. She’s a girly-girl. She’s a pop kid. She likes all those famous YouTube people. But at the same time, she makes that perfect balance of still living like a 90s kid, like I was. I just feel like I should never not share that, just like my mom who was always so generous in terms of stories from when she was growing up in the 60s, 70s, up until the 80s. I feel like it’s also going to be nice that she’s aware of our time, and she is, and she really loves it as well. She loves 90s films, so she’s met the perfect balance of living the way we used to and us playing together the way I used to when I was her age. And also, living in the now, the new age, I also have to understand that things are different and so I let her. Other people, they give them schedules in terms of using the iPhone or the iPad, but I don’t have to anymore with Ellie. Just because if I say that, “Ellie, you’re using it too much.” She’d really understand, and she’d be like, “Okay, Mom.” And she’ll find a different way to keep herself entertained!

What’s your favorite beach to go to together?

Andi: Siargao! Ellie, what’s your favorite beach?
Ellie: Siargao!
Andi: Siargao, no doubt about it. (laughs) And Baler. Just because I need something that’s drivable and another one that’s more of a destination.

If Ellie can read this 10 years from now, she’d be 16, what would you like to tell her?

I’d probably just be like, “Oh, Ellie, look at what I’m saying. Did I succeed?! Did I achieve my goals as a mother to you? Are you the type of person that I wished you would be?!” And then I hope she’d be like, “HAHAHAHAHA! Mom, you’re so funny.” (both Andie and Ellie laugh) We don’t take life too seriously, obviously. (laughs) We’re just both laugh-y people. (Andi and Ellie laugh together again) Parang six pa lang siya pero naiintindihan na niya eh. Hindi na niya kailangan mag-wait until 16.

Cover Story By: GRETCHEN GATAN
Art Direction: MARGAUX CORTEZ AND MING BAGAFORO
Editorial Assistant: MAAN FERNANDEZ
Videographer: ANDREW APUYA
Photographer: ERWIN CANLAS
Makeup: JAKE GALVEZ
Hair: MONG AMADO
Stylist: POY VILLAMONTE AND YZZA HABLADO FOR THE STUDIO GREY

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