MANILA, Philippines - My profuse thanks to the esteemed members of Gawad Tanglaw for declaring me as Best Entertainment Columnist. I am overwhelmed! I must admit that there were times I felt like giving up when I got embroiled in one controversy after another. The GT medal is my reward for staying on when I would have rather left.

Entertainment is supposed to be fun. But it?s not always so. There are just some characters who spoil the fun and turn everything into a nightmare. Behold the credible and the incredible! You just have to grin and bear it, and go on with the show.

Allow me just this once to confess my quirks as a writer. I write better under pressure. I love the adrenaline rush when it?s almost deadline time. I seem to get writer?s block when I have to write my column in advance. I like doing things at the last minute.

Funniest moment

Unlike most writers, I neither smoke nor drink coffee. But while typing, I must chew Orbit gum till I?m done. And I twiddle with Kleenex as I gather my thoughts. So after every column, my desk looks like a field of tissue and a mountain of gum. My kids keep teasing me that I should be the endorser of Orbit and Kleenex already.

I don?t take notes when I interview celebs. I just listen to what they are saying and what they?re not. If their answer is worth writing about, then it should stand out in my memory.

One of my funniest moments during an interview was when I mistook one young actor for another. I was firing away with my questions and the poor kid was clueless. He was too polite to tell me that it was a case of mistaken identity.

They say this is such an ungrateful business. But an award like Gawad Tanglaw makes it all worthwhile. May we all remain bewitched, entertained and bewildered.

Wrong spelling

Gretchen Barretto sent me this text: ?It?s Dody not Dodie and Tony not Tonee. So funny ?? She was referring to the names of the two people close to her heart that were inadvertently misspelled in a previous column. She makes it seem like a simple name game. Whose name is at stake, anyway?

No gimmick?

GMA 7 turns another classic Pinoy movie into a compelling TV series in ?Sine Novela Presents Kaputol ng Isang Awit,? which premieres today on Dramarama sa Hapon.

Based on the 1991 blockbuster about two women from different worlds who seek the same dream, the series stars Lovi Poe, Jolo Revilla, Glaiza de Castro and Marky Cielo.

Wasn?t Jolo and Lovi?s romance cooked up to pave the way for their team-up in the series?

?Jolo?s been courting me for four months now,? said Lovi. ?It?s no gimmick.? What has Jolo changed in her? ?He has taught me not to be judgmental.?

Leave the judging to l?amour if their hearts are worthy of each other.

Sentimental Freddie

Freddie Aguilar goes senti in his new album ?Love Songs.? (produced by FAME?Freddie Aguilar Music Enterprise and distributed by Ivory Records). It features collaborations with artists whose lives have crossed paths with him along the way. Like his duet with Nora Aunor in ?Ikaw Lamang? and ?Hindi Magbabago? with the soulful sax of Pete Canzon. Does he aim to have another worldwide hit like ?Anak?? ?My priorities are different now,? he said. ?I?ve reached my peak and I don?t think I have to prove myself anymore.?

The allure of Ka Freddie?s music is truly like an ?anak? that knows how to get to you.

E-mail wateringholeshangrila@yahoo.com.