Of the three ships Christopher Columbus used to set sail to the "New World", the Niña was said to be his favorite. The Pinta was faster but smaller, and the slower Santa Maria ran aground and was lost. The spunky little Niña not only made the entire First Voyage but two subsequent trips as well, and Columbus loved the Niña so damn much, he logged 25,000-plus pre-Industrial Revolution miles on the woody chassis and purchased a half share in her. Too bad he never got a chance to meet this Niña.Residing in Los Angeles, by way of Manila, Philippines, Niña Mascuñana has a hotness that could launch a thousand ships. A self-proclaimed sex fiend and a lover of steak and Angelina Jolie, unlike the average model, mortgage broker or banker, Niña holds down a day job. A nurse, she's professionally trained to care for people, and only delves in serious relationships. Like a Honda, a partner with the clap or Columbus' ship, this is someone you're going to want to be in it with for the long haul. Like infected blankets however, beware! This is a girl who knows exactly what she wants in a man. In fact, she has an entire checklist. But not to worry, we've got Niña to divulge the map to her heart-the rest is up to how big your boat floats and the motion of your ocean.
How fun was it hanging out at Garage Boso?
It was my first time ever shooting at a garage and I had a blast. They had a bunch of really cool cars and all the guys were really nice. They even brought us sushi!
Ross and Frank are super cool. Plus all 20 guys hanging out at the shop didn't ogle-too much. [laughs] On to the Qs, let's start off by starting at the beginning; where were you born?
I was born in Manila, Philippines and moved here to the States when I was seven years old.
Ah, explains the slight-but-very-cute accent. Do you remember much about the homeland?
I remember everything! I visited the Philippines about three years ago, and one of my favorite memories was on this amazing island called Boracay. The one place that relaxes and helps me unwind is the beach, and Boracay's white sand, turquoise water and tropical setting is one of the most beautiful in the world.What's a good pick-up line in your native Tagalog?
Actually, I don't speak Tagalog, I speak Visaya.
What's the difference between the two? Are they dialects or totally different languages?
They're different dialects. I was born in Manila where they speak Tagalog, but I grew up in San Jose and Dumaguete province and Visaya is what they speak.
So then, what's a good pick-up line in Visaya?
[laughs] I've actually never heard anyone try to use a pick-up line in Visaya so I don't know of any.
Boo! So you can speak it, but more importantly for us males, can you cook Filipino food?
I would be lying if I said yes. I can barely cook, but I'm always open to learn-in fact I want to learn!
What constitutes "barely" cooking?
I don't want to sound like I'm bragging here, but I can cook breakfast, rice and tilapia.
That's plenty good enough for us. What's your favorite food?
I am such a carnivore-I love steak and prime rib. My absolute favorite is a gigantic, soft, juicy and wet prime rib with lobster, and a side of mashed potato and gravy with an apple juice. Yummy! I'm starving just thinking about it.
Soft, juicy and wet. Best. Adjectives. Ever. What's your sign?
I'm a Scorpio.