Feeling good and looking better

Has it been a year since Sen. Jinggoy Estrada practically inaugurated the then newly-opened Blue Leaf in that posh section of Taguig City?

It was the good senator’s birthday party and friends that time still had difficulty looking for Blue Leaf. Not anymore.

Last Friday, the Blue Leaf was again booked for Sen. Estrada’s birthday celebration and you didn’t need a map to get there: Just follow the other vehicles.

There was more reason to celebrate this time — especially since the senator was in and out of the hospital during the past month due to infection that just wouldn’t go away.

During one confinement (at the Cardinal Santos Hospital), he was put in the same room (though not on purpose) where buddy Rudy Fernandez also stayed for a long time last year. Sen. Jinggoy didn’t mind staying in the same room and even on the same bed. In fact, he felt happy being there because that was where he spent a lot of bonding moments with the then very seriously ill Daboy. (Sen. Jinggoy is the type of friend who would be there for you in sickness and in health — and until the very end.) But when he wouldn’t get well, he got a bit worried and asked for a change of room.

He can laugh at this now that the crisis is over. If there’s one good thing that came as a result of that ailment is that he lost 25 lbs. With that much weight loss, I have to say that he looks so much even better and younger.

And so he looked fit and trim for his birthday party in a cherry pink shirt that got drenched with sweat (he had to change to a light-colored polo) after moving around to greet guests. On hand to help him entertain, of course, was his lovely wife, the former Precy Vitug, who sported a salmon-colored top (must be by Paul Cabral) and parents, former President Joseph Estrada and Sen. Loi.

As in any of the family affairs organized by Precy, food is delicious (by Le Souffle). At the buffet table, I was on the same line as Tirso Cruz III, wife Lyn Ynchausti and their very well-mannered kids (I always have to say this because Pipo and Lyn’s children are so respectful and courteous).

Surveying the chafing dishes, I saw a whole chicken with a slightly burnt and toasted part and I was hoping that Lyn, who was ahead of me in line, would miss it. She didn’t and headed straight to that much-desired spot of the chicken. When she heard a little yelping from behind her, she quickly got the message and was considerate enough to leave part of that burnt portion for me.

I was actually assigned to table No. 20, but when I saw Jojo Gabinete in one of the tables and he said that there was a vacant chair beside him, I ignored the seating arrangement and joined him and Kuya Mar ‘D Guzman Cruz.

But much as I enjoyed the company and the food (the best chocolate cake I ever had — it was on the bitter side, which I like), I had interviews to do for Startalk. And so I met up with the staff, Josie Manago and cameramen Romy Punla and JR Dimapilis, and we were immediately on the prowl for celebrities with current issues.

 Unfortunately, Gretchen Barretto was a no-show last Friday, unlike in Sen. Jinggoy’s party last year when all eyes were on her and Tony Boy Cojuangco. But I did have a nice little story about Johnny Delgado’s miraculous recovery from cancer. And I also got an update on Lorna Tolentino.

Yes, it’s always a joy to talk to Lorna and we did a little catching up with each other that night. Although she insists that she has already gained weight, I still find her to be a little thin. Oh, but she is still lovely. And best of all, she was already laughing heartily, which I really missed because she hadn’t done that in a long time — since Rudy passed away last year.

Late into the night, the crew decided to pack up and I was free to leave. I was tempted to go, but good company kept coming in. I saw Phillip Salvador and we gave each other a nice hug (he had always been such a warm person).

Then I bumped into Anthony Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa, one of my favorite showbiz couples, except that they’re never showbiz. In fact, what we had that night was real, honest conversation between friends. When Maricel found out that I was suffering from stress, she asked her husband to teach me what to do to de-stress (that is actually his job) and that was so nice of them. I’m now slowly putting to practice what Anthony taught me and I swear it is helping me a lot.

I could have stayed all night at the party, except that I still had to do Startalk the following day and I had to cover live the dedication rites for Marc Pingris and Danica Sotto’s son, Jean Michel.

Compared to last year’s party, this one was more sedate in spite of the fact that the attendance seemed to be bigger (the venue was full and the party later even spilled out into the garden at the back). And I noticed that this was more fun and it looked like the guests enjoyed themselves more (at least, I can say that I did).  

The party would have been complete, except that Daboy was no longer there. We all missed him at this party and especially so for the celebrator, Sen. Jinggoy, who will always be his best friend. But knowing Daboy, he must have been partying with us from up there.