Helen Gamboa holds birthday bash on Mother’s Day
(May 20 Monday)
HELEN GAMBOA’S BIRTHDAY IS
on May 7 and this year, she spent her natal day in Baguio City with hubby, former Senate President Tito “Tito Sen” Sotto, and their two daughters, Apples Sotto and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairperson Lala SottoAntonio. Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto and youngest Ciara Sotto could not make the trip to the City of Pines from May 6 to 8, but Megastar Sharon Cuneta and daughter Miel joined the celebration. To make up for their absence, Gian and Ciara surprised their mom with a boodle dinner when she arrived in Manila on May 8.
For her “dabarkads,” Tita Helen hosted a Chinese dinner at the Red Lantern restaurant in Solaire hotel last Sunday, May 12, Mother’s Day. This was quite appropriate since Tita Helen has always been very maternal in her love and devotion to those near and dear to her. And she communicates her love by feeding friends delicious food, which she sometimes even cooks herself.
It was my first time dining at Red Lantern. Tita Helen had reserved a private room for us with two round tables, each of which could seat 12. The first table was occupied by our “dabarkads.” Tita Helen was flanked by Senator Grace Poe to her left, and Maricel Soriano to her right.
Also at our table were Shirley Kuan, Law Tan, Veana Fores, Gelo Jamias, June Rufino, Baby K. Jimenez (who had just arrived that day from Canada), Paul Cabral, and the children of Tita Dolor Guevarra, Jaypee and Anes. (Unfortunately, Tita Dolor couldn’t be there because she was not feeling well.)
At the other table was Lala with husband Mike, Apples and boyfriend Rafi Reavis, basketball player for Magnolia Hotshots. Gian was with wife Joy and their children, while Ciara came with her son Crixus. Tito Sen arrived later since he came from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation awards, where he and his TVJ buddies Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon were honored with an award.
As expected, the food was sumptuous and sublime. For starters, we had marinated jellyfish and shredded white radish with spring onion sauce. This was followed by the heavenly steamed shrimp dumpling “har gau” with black truffle, and the spinach and fresh crab meat soup with egg white.
Of course, what’s a Chinese meal without Peking duck? I downed at least three pancakes with sliced duck, onion leeks and hoisin sauce, but who was counting? The main course consisted of sauteed scallops with asparagus, salted fish in sweet chili sauce, homemade braised bean curd with black truffle and Lingzhi mushrooms, wok-fried diced angus beef with shallots and black pepper sauce, stir fried duck meat served in lettuce, yang chow fried rice, and wok-fried misua with seafood and egg for long life. For dessert, I had two pieces of the “deadly,” deep-fried avocado rolls.
When it was time to blow the cake, the celebrant had three beautiful cakes to choose from: a fondant cake, a huge caramel cake from Paul Cabral, and a spectacular sponge cake filled with fresh, giant, succulent strawberries with blueberries from Lala (who refused to divulge where the cake was from). Of course, Tita Helen made sure we all had a slice of each cake. As a combined birthday and Mother’s Day dinner for Tita Helen, this was a wonderful evening filled with peals of laughter, abundant and delicious food, and intriguing conversations. Thank you, Tita Helen GamboaSotto, for the gift of your motherly friendship and for celebrating your lovely and blessed life with us.
Cusp of Gemini Season The cusp of a season is like an old-school phone call. You may feel the last phone call is over, but unless you disconnect, you cannot make the next one. Put in all the new numbers you want, but the connections won’t take. All you’ll get is beeping. Once you hang up the last call completely, the line is clear and ready for fresh conversation. ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Even though you’re a bit nostalgic for the past, you fully realize that the best time to be alive is now. Your opportunities are numerous, and your ability to seize them has never been better.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You notice when people are saying something that clashes with what they really mean. You’ll not only notice but you’ll make a plan based on what you feel is true rather than what someone says is true.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Relationships help you develop yourself. Your participation in a group will promote curious aspects of you, the sort you will be examining in private moments of reflection for years to come.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). When it doesn’t look how you thought it would, you will proceed undeterred. This is the glory of you -- a person who keeps their cards close to the vest and doesn’t see glory at all yet somehow gets it in the end.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You think about what other people might be thinking, and this gives you an advantage. Social acuity benefits every part of your life. Today, it will help you figure out what to delegate. It would be inefficient to do everything on your plate all on your own.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You can’t give to everyone. Save your resources until you are compelled to give them. Your resources are wide-ranging, the most precious being your attention. That is also the most difficult to wrangle, but you’ll do a good job.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Friendships have taken a different form in recent years, but don’t forget the shape of the old form because it’s the best and most fortifying one. A hundred digital friends can’t compare to one lunch at the same table.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have tricks up your sleeve. While seeming like you are minding your own business, you’re really quite nosey. You pay attention, read the room, and figure out what’s happening and how you might fit into it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Because you really care about the puzzle at hand, you’ll do what it takes to unravel it. Research gives you a huge advantage. The best wins are group wins, so involve as many as you can.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re ready to face something you’ve long ignored. It was good that you didn’t deal with it back there. It would have taken too much from you. Now you can handle it swift and pretty, with grace.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Love yourself, please yourself, save yourself. There is no saving anyone else. You can help, and you can love, but today is a day when saving is a thing that each person must do individually.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There’s a group you’d like to fit into. You won’t have to change anything about yourself to be accepted there, but it will help to highlight certain aspects of your life and leave others out of mention.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (May 20). This trip around the sun, you will be cherished, valued and loved beyond measure. Laughter echoes through the halls of your heart. A fresh responsibility will bring out the best in you, amping up your creativity and talent. More highlights: a journey with several legs, mastering your game and winning matches, and seeing the fruits of your labor ripen and multiply. Libra and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 10, 4, 14 and 18.