A heartwarming famille affair

When I think of home, I think of a place where there is love overflowing...

So goes the lyrics of the song, Home, palanggas, one of debutante and UP Dentistry student Mara Bianca Picornell’s favorite songs, and they may as well remind her of her debut.

Held at the posh Manila Diamond Hotel’s ballroom, dahlings, Mara’s debut was not your usual coming-out party. To the guests, it was an unforgettable celebration of famille warmth, love and affection.

Mara’s doting parents, palanggas, Central Azucarera Don Pedro (CADP) Senior Vice President for Operations Ramon Picornell Jr. and the former Marge Vista, left no stone unturned to make the debut one that clearly showed just how loved Mara is by her famille and friends.

Ramon and Marge themselves annotated the audio-visual presentation, dahlings, which turned out to be one of the evening’s highlights. Tracing Mara’s birth, her growing years at Manresa where she was a consistent honor student, and her entrance to UP where Mara is now a college scholar, Ramon and Marge regaled the guests with their banter, inevitably revealing just how fond they are of their daughter.

In a touching moment, Ramon shared that he and Marge had at times lamented having been "absentee parents" since they had to spend many of their days in Nasugbu, Batangas where CADP is located and where Ramon works. They also expressed their deep gratitude to Mara’s yayas Eden and Doreng, who helped raise their daughter. Still, palanggas, judging from the fine young lady Mara turned out to be, one wouldn’t be able to tell that her parents have been away at all! Moi believes they have done an even better job than many parents who may be physically present everyday but do not actually attend to their children, di bala, palanggas?

Mara’s grandmother Pilar Picornell flew all the way from Florida for the the debut. Other personas who made the event memorable were Marge’s close friends (who are virtually her sisters, palanggas) Cynthia Lejano and bank manager Edna Lejano, who warmly attended to the guests; the versatile Zozi Evasco of Lian, Batangas who not only designed Mara’s white debut gown but also did the make up of the cotillon members whose dance he also choreographed; Baby Limjoco-Lucas who designed Mara’s pink gown; architect Chito Puatu and Dr. Ruel Villafria who designed the eye-catching ballroom decor; and engineer Mark Mulingbayan who not only did the musical arrangement for the tres unique CD souvenir entitled Un Recuerdo de Mara (which feature Mara singing songs close to her heart) but who also performed a classical piece on his flute that night.

Other helpful personas were Amor Ilao who prepared the AV presentation; Mara’s ninang Daisy Le Mercier who gave the special cake; Diamond Hotel’s coordinator Cherry Ann Cruz; over-all coordinator Tess Catapang; Rene Garcia of Hotdog Productions who did the souvenir CD’s sound recording and mixing; Tony Coronel of D’Strings quartet; and Danny Ignacio of Vignette Photo and Video.

The Picornells were also grateful to Nora Antay; Pamela Brewer; Edna Nerie; the Lejano famille; Rey Seña; and Virna Gutaran, Nenette Fernando and Susan Urbanozo who joined Edna L. at the reception line; as well as all their relatives and close friends, many of whom came all the way from Batangas to attend the event.

The program was spiced up by the repartee of emcees Nenette Apuya and Chito P. who later did a duet with Mara accompanied by Mark M. on the piano. The emcees were introduced by Mai Natividad. Rev. Fr. Manolo Fernandez, OSA delivered the invocation.

Besides the cotillon de honor, the dance of the 18 roses, the presentation of 18 gifts and the ceremony of 18 candles, other high points of the night, dahlings, included the loudly-applauded number performed by Mara’s little sisters Mia Katrina and Micol Zuleika who gamely danced, cart-wheeled and tumbled on stage; the presentation of the Picornell ring to Mara by her dad; the birthday toast led by Ramon’s mentor, Miguel Angel Gaspar, president and COO of CADP and La Carlota; and Mara’s heartfelt "Thank You" speech and rendition of Home. Movie Queen Susan Roces and Señor Gaspar, the "Matron of Honor" and "Honored Gentleman," respectively, warmly welcomed Mara to society in their messages.

Mara P. may treasure her debut for many things, dahlings, and moi am sure one of them will be for its having been a heartwarming famille affair.

Cheers, palangga!

De-Lee-Rium de luxe

Lee Denim U. S. of A., dahlings, staged the fabi De-Lee-Rium, a sensational summer spectacle that made the mercury zoom to record heights. Lee mounted a one-of-a-kind, three-in-one triple whammy–a rock n’ roll concert, fashion show, and dance bash all rolled into one.

Because Lee has a clear grasp on youth culture, palanggas, De-Lee-Rium was jump started by hot neophyte band Greyhoundz who played head-banging, hard-rocking music to accompany the sneak preview of Lee’s "provocative" summer collection.

Greyhoundz, awarded a platinum record for their debut compilation, Seven Corners of Your Game under Sony Music that night, had the Glorietta crowd swinging to their electric beat.

Lee chose Greyhoundz because they epitomize what’s cutting-edge in youth culture and what is world-class in Pinoy music. Greyhoundz’s song, Even, was included in the soundtrack of the Hollywood mega-blockbuster, Spider-Man, would you believe?

Top models sashayed on the catwalk sporting the latest Lee Denim USA collection.

Slinky and sporty, saucy and sassy, the Lee collection is casual wear that’s chic and cocky; it’s streetwear with tons of attitude. Hot pants are aflame with passion; psychedelic colors burst with excitement. For a touch of nostalgia, ’70s icons like Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevarra and rocker-poet Jim Morrison were immortalized on tees that are ideal for malling, skate-boarding, beachcombing or partying!

Popular babes and dudes, palanggas, like Bianca Araneta; Kenji Marquez; ABS-CBN’s Patrick Garcia; and MTV’s Sarah Meier and Anna Shier lit up the stage in classic ’70s attires.

Edgy and funky, Lee’s collection has five thrilling themes: Scandal, Road Trip, Old Movies, Denim Queen and Vertical Limit.

Hotshot celebrity fashion-watchers, palanggas, included Janice de Belen; TV’s Queens of Mean, Carmi Martin and Mylene Dizon; dreamboy Christian Vasquez; Candy Pangilinan; Passage band member Ira Cruz; and hunky brothers two, Zoren and Kier Legaspi.

The de-lee-cious extravaganza was envisioned as the climax of the Philippine Fashion Week a new moon ago.

Apres the Lee summer collection presentation (famed fashion director Joey Espino combined rave music and laser lights), the night segued to the fabulous dance party masterminded by DJ Dizire Dubfire and The Divaz of Drag Tour 2002.

Flying all the way from the UK, Dizire Dubfire and her flashy gal pals, Chrissey Darling, Twiggy and Maxi Malone played a titillating mix of vocal, erotic and chunky house music. FYI: The divine Miss Dubfire has strutted her stuff in such world-famous superclubs as Miss Moneypenny’s, Speed Queen and Ministry of Sound.

Partyphilies who rocked the dance floor were fashion director Robbie Carmona; MTV VJ Derek Ramsey; NU 107’s Atom Henares; models Bianca Valerio, Solenn Heussaff, Nicole Hernandez and Cutie del Mar; Benetton gal Rissa Samson; Alfie Marcos Araneta; Daac’s designers Mimi Juliet Tan; and STAR’s hip columnist, Celine Lopez. Also seen were hotshots Faith Amigo-Lavarro and hubby Richie L.; Telisha Jean; Tina Pamintuan; Rochele Barrameda; Samantha Lopez; and beauty queen-turned-makeup artist Joanne Quintos-Primero.

It was a de-Lee-cious, de-Lee-ctable, and de-Lee-rious summer spectacle! Wow!

Thai inaugurates new office

The "Smooth as Silk" Thai Airways Intl.’s general sales agent, Asia Pacific Chartering Inc. (APC) dahlings, moved to a better and more convenient location at the ground floor of the Manila Midtown Hotel right in the nucleus of the country’s travel-oriented establishments.

Thai Airways’ well-respected GM for Philippines and Guam, Khun Chertchai Methanayanonda and Thai Ambassador Busba Bunnag led the ceremonial ribbon snipping assisted by THAI-APC president Lino Bondoc and THAI-APEC passenger operations manager, Marilen Dinglasan.

Composed mostly of travel agents and members of the Thai community, dahlings, the invitees checked out the well-designed and comfortable interiors of the new office. The friendly Thai staff had their hands full seeing to it that the guests enjoyed the sumptuous buffet of excellently prepared Thai specialties. A colorful fireworks display also marked the occasion.

"This new location will definitely give the airline a renewed impetus, making their services more accessible to the traveling public, especially those who are raring to sample Thailand’s amazing wonders," explained to moi by PR man par excellence of Thai Airway and president of IdeazPlus, Bob Zozobrado, palanggas.

Thai’s new office is at HG-8, ground floor, Manila Midtown Hotel, Pedro Gil cor. Adriatico Sts., Ermita, Manila and may be reached through tel. nos. 522-5472, 522-5477, or 522-5481.

Check them out. After all, palanggas, exciting Bangkok is only two hours and 45 minutes away. It’s so much fun. The food is to die for and you can shop there without making your wallet cry.

A successful trade fair

All the actions took place, dahlings, at the SM Megamall where the successful Trade Fair was opened by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was so impressed with the huge amount of products on display.

The event was a fantastic three-day affair, palanggas, that brought tons of visitors to the site. Many said that the fair should have lasted for a week and not just three days."

The Trade Fair was a good way to show off our local products both to our countrymen and loads of foreign buyers who jetted into town and who were tres pleased at the quality we the Filipinos produce.

The Trade Fair was such a huge success that the organizers are already planning a bigger and better fair for next year.

Have a happy and safe weekend. Remember, palanggas, drive carefully. See you!