BEFORE we get on to the business of talking-up some of the soirees that draw the usual suspects in the party/society scenes like moth to a flame, sweetie, my mind just wandered mere moments ago wondering how this poor little princess might be doing following the recent downturn in her personal affairs that had all the town buzzing. Has she gone back to that marvelous loft she once shared with her then seemingly significant other, whose...uhm...“significance” contributed to unraveling of what once appeared to be pretty solid coupling, if not exactly the stuff of fairy tales? Has our poor little princess forgiven her one-time very close girlfriend, whose plastics business she had helped become a huge success only to be repaid by a not-so-insignificant betrayal? Maybe not, sweetie, if  a drive through the highway is any indication; perhaps even never.

Of course, there have been talks that our poor little princess is trying to work things out with her very “significant” other within the privacy of their once and, perhaps, future love nest—doesn’t that sound so ’60s, sweetie?—but more persistent are talks that the poor dear has taken up residence—temporary? permanent?—in a very tony high-rise where people are under strict orders to say not even a whisper about their very important resident.

Whatever, sweetie, let’s speed along to other things.

Guests to the Petron XCS launch party, held recently at the NBC Tent, were treated to a blastoff not usually seen in the staid oil industry. After all, how does one get excited about—of all things—gasoline?

Well, sweetie, while I suspect that my handsome fantasy Romeo—that would be the utterly lickable Leonardo DiCaprio, who seems to become even more shaggable with age—might not exactly cheer, the crowd that night was certainly madly excitable, especially when it was announced by Petron advertising manager Charmaine Canillas that the company has roped in to endorse the new XCS such racing hotness as Tyson Sy, Matteo Guidicelli and Mark Bumgarner.

Adding to the hotness that night, sweetie, was the presence of Miss Earth 2006 Hil Hernandez of Chile along with Miss Philippines-Earth 2006 Catherine Yu Untalan and her court.  Now, I realize how ironic this thing reads offhand but, really, maybe it’s not: according to Petron officials, the XCS is the first-ever gasoline with an earth-friendly organic additive so as to not contribute to the further pollution of the environment.

Hosting the event was Epy Quizon, who appeared in the first Pagudpud-Sorsogon Petron Xtra Unleaded commercial with Philippine motorsports legend Pocholo Ramirez. With him was Korean DJ/host Sam Oh—you can catch her on Rated Oh! at the Entertainment Channel—an increasingly ubiquitous fixture in the corporate events landscape.

Flying in from the UK and Singapore were Innospec executives Dr. Miltos Papachristos, regional director for Asia-Pacific fuel specialties; and Lawrence Chia, regional sales director for Southeast Asia and Oceania. Innospec is the global market leader in fuel-additive technology to improve fuel efficiency, boost engine performance and ensure cleaner emissions.

Meanwhile, sweetie, I’m sure that fashionistas are thrilled that British fashion authorities Topshop and Topman now provide them with an edgier and more fashionably unique shopping experience at the opening of their newly renovated joint flagship branch in Robinsons Galleria.

The posh new outlet is a fuss-free shopping haven with its well-lit interiors and sleek clothing racks carefully laidout in all of 300 sq m of luxurious space.

Boasting of the best and most complete collections, shoppers can be assured that they’re not missing any new trend that hits the streets and runways of London. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Topshop here will also be carrying the collectibles that notorious supermodel Kate Moss put together for the brand, which has turned out to be a huge success. Not that their absence from the Topshop store around these parts will cause me fashionable despair. Sweetie, at my age and with my waistline, I’d have to be shoe-horned into Kate’s eclectic little dresses.

And with this outing, we bid adieu to the merry month of May—but not before we give props, sweetie, to the Congregacion del Nombre Santissimo del Niño Jesus, which again  organized the fabulous Flores de Mayo 2007 parade for the 28th time. It featured the Fashion Designer Association of the Philippines, with the cooperation and sponsorship of Unilever, the Department of Tourism and the City of Manila. Rosa Mystica was Camille Villar, daughter of Sen. Manny Villar and Rep. Cynthia Villar. Her gown was designed by Nolie Hans.

The Flores de Mayo winners include (Reina de las Flores) Samantha Lewis, escorted by Janvier Daily and designed by Richard Papa; (Rosa Mystica) Lotus Van Heddegem, escorted by Carl San Pedro and designed by Francis Calaquian; (La Flor de Manila) Paula Kris Salivia, escorted by Neil Quevedo and designed by Rholand Roxas; and (Gandang Pilipina Award) Kim Rose de los Santos, escorted by Richard Morales and designed by Gener Gozum.

George Clooney and the gang strike again

DIRECTOR Steven Soderbergh says that he hadn’t even completed work on Ocean’s Twelve when he began thinking about ideas for Ocean’s Thirteen, the third installment of the hugely popular series. 

Gab Fab: Mark has moved on

POST-JENNYLYN Mark Herras says of former real- and reel-life love interest Jennylyn Mercado: “We sometimes talk...but that’s about it. She has her own life. We’ve both moved on.”

Long on spectacle, short on sense

THE third Pirates of the Caribbean has plenty of...It’s possible that someone, somewhere, has put together a flowchart or diagram tracking the many plots, subplots, digressions, divagations and flights of whimsy in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, which, depending on your tolerance for Byzantine complication for complication’s sake, might have been alternately titled At Wit’s End.

Shaken&Stirred: All revved up

BEFORE we get on to the business of talking-up some of the soirees that draw the usual suspects in the party/society scenes like moth to a flame, sweetie, my mind just wandered mere moments ago wondering how this poor little princess might be doing following the recent downturn in her personal affairs that had all the town buzzing.

Cooks: Easy ‘Callos’

THE reason callos takes so long to cook is in the nature of the meat. Offals (or organ meats) are certainly not cousin to tenderloin, so they have to be tenderized by long slow cooking in order to soften the tissues and render them chewable.

Kids, how about being more hospitable?

BESIDES the landscape of Philippine politics, the Laurel clan also distinguished itself in education by establishing and managing Lyceum of the Philippines University. Lyceum president Roberto P. Laurel has continued to pursue the ideals of the late statesman, former President Jose P. Laurel, by injecting dynamism in the 54-year-old institution through an emphasis on information technology and the hospitality sector, two of fastest-growing sectors of the Philippine economy.

How do you solve an 8,000-pound ‘problem’ like Maggie?

THAT question has been bugging the Alaska Zoo board of directors for quite a time now, as it came under increasing pressure to relocate the South African elephant that has delighted thousands of people in Anchorage for 24 years now.

Learning how to ‘die well’

MARIAN GRANT believes her fellow baby boomers, all those millions of 40- and 50-somethings preoccupied with staying young, are ready to adopt a new mission. Join the movement to change the way Americans die, she urges. Let’s make “dying well” a national priority.