Amor!

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility." – Leo Tolstoy

Friendship blossomed into true love for Carlos Balcells and Diana Cua, who were recently united in holy matrimony at Carlos’ hometown of Talisay, Negros. At Henry Zabarte’s birthday last year, your columnist saw that Carlos and Diana looked good together and I jokingly hinted at the prospect of the two spending the rest of their lives with each other. That prediction rang true when, a year later, Carlos and Diana exchanged vows at the private chapel of the General Aniseto Lacson Ancestral House. Soon after, they flew to Barcelona for their honeymoon and for Diana to meet the rest of the Balcells clan. What a very happy ending, indeed!

Best wishes!

Johnny says, ‘Check this out’

The Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP) will hold their annual fundraising ball entitled Carnevale Venezia on Nov. 8 at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio, Global City, Taguig. Proceeds will be used to support the National Museum, Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Performing and Visual Artists. This fundraising project is headed by chairperson Helen Ong, ably assisted by FCCP president Mellie Ablaza and director Nene Leonor.

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Wear your best Halloween costume and join the pre-Halloween concert dubbed Thrillogy on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at The Rockwell Tent, Makati. The concert is for the benefit of KYTHE, Inc., a foundation that helps cancer-stricken children, and supported by Crossover 105.1, Rockwell Land Corp., Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and DPC Yellow Pages.

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Ginoco Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, an ingenious health product by Gina Bartholomi, wife of Fridays Boracay’s Philippe Bartholomi, is a premium grade potent healing food and massage oil made straight from Agdagan, Quezon. This oil keeps all its nutrients and can truly be called virgin because Ginoco does not apply any heat process in its production. It can be used to reduce risks of heart disease, promote weight loss, fight viruses, improve digestion and relieve stress; or for food preparations such as kinilaw, salad dressings, marinades and flavorings.

(Contact 776-7037 or check out www.ginoco.com for details.)

GREETINGS

Happy birthday to our celebrators today, champion golfer Cora Suntay and superb diva Verni Varga.

Advance birthday greetings to Manila Bulletin’s Crispina Martinez-Belen, columnist Danny Cuevas, Junjun Ablaza, Manila Standard Today’s Ramon Tomeldan and Flavors’ Raffy Zulueta, Oct. 24; UNIFEM’s Olga Severino-Martel, Oct. 25; Blue Mountain and Arts’ Harry Limtong, Oct. 26; socialite Techie Velasquez, Oct. 27; Precy Psinakis, Titang Montinola, Silverstar Communications’ Louie Kierulf, photographer Lorna Llanes and PR lady Jeanette Reyes, Oct. 29.

So, how was your week?

(For comments and inquiries, please e-mail me at jjlitton@indanet.com)