I was nervous and excited in equal parts to see Ruffa Gutierrez and Tita Annabel Rama after three long years since we got embroiled in a controversy. Show biz is such a small world. It?s pointless to burn bridges.

Ruffa hugged me as soon as she saw me. Tita A waved at me from her table and I approached her when the press con was over. They were both so warm that I completely forgot we were ever at odds with each other.

Ruffa refuses to dwell on ?The Buzz? issue anymore. ?I?m moving on and moving up,? she beamed. ?I?m happy in my new home TV5 and with my new endorsement of Nokia N97mini. Imagine ka-level ko na si Rihanna who also is a Nokia Girl (giggles)!?

Meanwhile, she wants to clarify reports about John Lloyd Cruz. ?It?s none of my business whom he dates. And nakakatawa ang news na pinag-shopping daw niya ako. I don?t need a man to do that. I?m an independent woman. I can afford to buy what I want and need.?

All Ruffa ever wanted has been granted by the court. She was given sole custody of her daughters Loren and Venice. ?But I won?t deprive Yilmaz from seeing the kids. We are civil with each other. I don?t oblige him to give financial support but I?ll welcome it if he does,? she explained. ?As much as possible I shield my kids from intrigues. I want them to have an ?unshowbiz? childhood.?

The single mom is in full bloom. ?Wala akong love life kaya walang sakit ng ulo,? she said. ?Maybe that?s why they say iba ang aura ko now. I closed the past so I can open the future.?

And that?s exactly what Ruffa, Tita Annabelle and I did. Friendship is indeed lovelier the second time around.

***
Ryan Agoncillo is savoring the joys of being an expectant father. ?Nataranta ako when Juday was craving a particular kind of chicken which can be bought only from a certain resto,? he says. ?Closed na ?yung resto when I got there so I had to make pakiusap to the
manager na magpaluto ng chicken na ?yun.

The moment I found out she was pregnant, I shouted for joy, ?Yes! It worked!? With their teamwork, marriage and parenthood will never malfunction for Ryan and Juday.

***
Could it be true that Lovi Poe recently asked Jolo Revilla to buy her a set of jewelry worth P150,000 and P250,000 worth of condo stuff? A common friend of Jolo and mine tipped me off about it.

I texted Jolo for the story behind the story but at press time, there was still no reply. Most likely, he and Lovi won?t admit this since she?s now seeing Ronald Singson.

Were those Jolo?s ?goodbye presents? for Lovi? When emotional investment fails, would financial investment do the trick?

***
I remember the time Arnel Pineda and I hung out with my BFF Cesar Montano at Bellisimo. Arnel gamely sang all our requests and Buboy jammed with him.

Arnel is not your typical rock star. There?s nothing loud nor flamboyant about him. My heart went out to him during the recent controversy over his singing the National Anthem in Las Vegas. I wish people would put more weight on the honor he has brought the Philippines by being chosen as Journey?s frontman.
Itinayo ni Arnel ang bandera ng Pilipinas sa mundo. That surely beats a perfect rendition of the Pambansang Awit in paying homage to our nation and countrymen.

***
Ogie Alcasid can?t ask for anything more. He?s got it all, just like the seasoning brand he endorses with Michael V ? Del Monte Sandosenang Sarap All-in-One seasoning mix.
Perhaps if there?s one thing missing in Ogie?s life, it?s a baby with Regine Velasquez. ?False alarm ?yung news that Reg is pregnant,? he says. ?The baby will come when the Lord blesses us with it.?

Will he be a part of Regine?s kantaserye ?Diva? since his guest appearance has added spice to the show? ?More of an irregular regular (laughs). I?ll just pop in and out with surprise numbers.?

He is also cooking up a big surprise for GMA 7?s new Sunday noontime show, ?Party Pilipinas.? The party can never be over with Ogie around.

E-mail wateringholeshangrila@yahoo.com