IT?S QUITE obvious that ABS-CBN teen star Empress Schuck looks at the world through rose-tinted Ray-Bans.

Pink, she enthuses, is her favorite color of all-time.

Her room is filled with pink?down to the drapes and bed sheets.

She loves her private quarters, her comfort zone, she exclaims.

?I have total freedom here. I feel very comfortable in my room. It?s bright and airy. I can really relax here,? she gushes.

Plus, she?s surrounded by her favorite things.

Also displayed in the room are a pink stuffed toy from her brother King and pink Coach bag from her manager Becky Aguila.

The star of the afternoon soap ?Rosalka? also surfs on a pink laptop, uses a pink cell phone and strums a pink guitar.

You get the picture.

It?s not all dainty stuff, though.

Whenever she hits the gym, she uses fuchsia boxing gloves?displayed in a glass cabinet in her room.

Not all girly

Don?t let the girly-girl stuff fool you; Empress packs a mean wallop in the ring.

?I used to box at Elorde (gym). Now I go to Body Works. The sport helped me trim down?especially my arms and legs. I also do kick-boxing and taekwondo.?

Apart from helping her ?burn calories and lose weight,? she was able to make fine use of her fighting skills in the Metro Manila Film Fest 2007 movie, ?Resiklo.?

?I had a little background in martial arts. I?ve always wanted to be an action star,? she jests.

At home, she indulges in the more sedate hobby of guitar-playing. She owns four guitars?the oldest one, the very first, is a pink Weinstein. ?A friend taught me to play. Every time I learned a new piece, I?d gift myself with a new guitar,? she says.

Whenever she?s free from work, she holes up in the pink room and practices her guitar-playing. Or she surfs the Net.

?Facebook, Twitter. I also go on Pinoy Exchange to keep in touch with fans,? she says. ?I don?t bring my laptop to the set because it can make me lose concentration and break out of character.?

When she?s home, all she does is ?sleep and eat,? to recharge after the draining thrice-a-week tapings for ?Rosalka.?

She tries to watch her show regularly, to keep abreast of the latest plot twists and turns. It?s not uncommon for her to get stunned by each cliffhanger, she explains.

Dramatic changes

She confesses that her life has changed dramatically since the launch of ?Rosalka? last May, but she makes it a point to spend quality time with her family.

She lives with her German father Hans and Filipino mom Gina and four siblings in this Quezon City residence.

It?s a full, bustling household?complete with two precocious pups, San Mig the Shih Tzu and Homer the beagle, who seem to have the run of the place.

The Schucks? home has a lived-in, comfy ambience. ?We moved in here three years ago,? Empress recalls. The house is filled with positive vibes, she says. ?Maaliwalas. It?s quiet and we feel safe here.?

Although the neighborhood has a rustic, laid-back quality, she insists it?s very accessible. ?It?s near ABS-CBN and our different taping locations in the city.?

And while she?s a self-admitted homebody like the rest of the Schuck clan, Empress is also a certified mall rat, like most girls her age.

?Even when I?m tired from work, I?d go out with friends?to watch movies, have dinner or coffee in Eastwood or Greenhills.?

East meets West

The cross-cultural nature of the Schuck family is also evident in the ?East meets West? décor.

Mom filled the place with both Asian knick-knacks and Western trinkets.

In the living room is a collection of ceramic eggs, Swarovski gems, a crystal chess set and porcelain angels, along with a smiling Buddha, Chinese vase and huge Virgin Mary.

Empress admits that she and her mom Gina have a fondness for angel figures.

A chorus of angels is also displayed on Empress? bedside table, alongside Halloween characters.

On her TV, witch and Frankenstein dolls stand guard.

?The witch doll was a gift from a friend. The Frankenstein was given by my mom,? she says.

Doesn?t she get spooked by the scary toys?

?Not at all. I find them cute pa nga,? she quips.

Everything?s fine and rosy for this pretty Empress.

E-mail bayanisandiego@hotmail.com.