THROUGH the invitation of adorable, cyber-smart and vivacious Christine Rojas, I attended the super fun opening of the prestigious law firm of Zulueta, Puno and Associates (ZPA). The dinner reception was in honor of smart, southern gentleman lawyers Inocencio Ferrer Jr. and Deinrado Dimalibot, who were named partners, palanggas.

The founding partners of ZPA, lawyers Antonio M. Zulueta and Renato V. Puno, welcomed an interesting mix of namedroppable personalities who all enjoyed an exquisite menu by the master chefs of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

During cocktails, I chatted with newly named partner, lawyer Ferrer and Christine R. about the former?s term as undersecretary of the Department of Finance.

Dimalibot, on the other hand, served as the undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and undersecretary of the Office of the President.

?We are sure that our two new partners will contribute their knowledge and expertise in the various fields where they have made their individual marks,? said the happy host, lawyer Rene Puno.

There was a lot of chitchat on the present issue of the many men who went to Moscow and tons of gossip among the lawyers present, but the best remark I heard was when one lawyer related a case he was handling.

When a judge asked his client, ?Have you ever been cross-examined before?? he answered, ?Yes, your honor, I?m a married man,? which made everyone, even the judge, laugh. On that note, it was time to move for a quick night cap at Embassy and Members Only, dahlings.

With the admission of new smart partners, Zulueta, Puno and Associates will now be known as Zulueta, Puno and Ferrer law offices, naturellement.

Step to adventure

Since taking the fantastic plunge, super adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow has scaled the highest mountain in each continent, conquered the icy terrain of the South Pole, survived the journey to the North Pole, and fulfilled his long-time dream of climbing Mt. Everest (take note, palanggas) twice!

?People always ask me why I do the things I do. And I always tell them that it?s simply because no one has ever done it before.?

ROX (Recreational Outdoor Exchange) jetted in this world-renowned adventurer and speaker to the Philippines. And being the biggest outdoor sports and recreational hub in Asia, ROX was the perfect venue for Khoo to share exciting stories from his expeditions and inspire others ?to step out from behind their desks,? dahlings.

?You stare at that square long enough and sooner or later you start to become one. So I quit my stable, high-paying job and decided to follow my passion.?

ROX and Khoo are two elements that inspire cubicle dwellers to chase their dreams and dare the most avid adventurers to challenge themselves more.

?This is my first time in the Philippines and I can?t wait to see what?s out there,? said the modern-day Marco Polo, dahlings.

Yeah, it was totally an inspiring afternoon adventure for me as well, palanggas.

ROX is the biggest adventure travel superstore in South East Asia that carries brands like Coghlan?s, Columbia Sportswear and The North Face. ROX is at B:1, Bonifacio High Street, Global City, Taguig. Call 8564639; e-mail rox.cs@ primergrp.com; or visit roxphilippines. multiply.com.

Regain your youthful skin

?Relax, refresh, and rejuvenate.? These were the three inviting words during the fantastic unveiling of L?Oreal Paris Derma Genesis held at The Spa, Bonifacio High Street, dahlings.

To promote youthful-looking skin, Glowie Ramiro-Robillo, L?Oreal Paris marketing manager gave a short talk about ?how L?Oreal Paris continuously brings out the beauty every woman deserves.?

Sep Cimafranca, junior product manager for the brands Dermo and Body Expertise, took us through the two key complementary ingredients of this anti-aging skincare range: Pro-Xylane and Hyaluronic Acid.

?Together, these two ingredients help create new cells for visibly young skin,? he said.

Consultant dermatologist Flordeliz Abad-Casintahan explained, ?Aging takes place as early as in the 20s due to stress and excessive sun exposure.? Ouch!

Then it was time to booze it up during cocktails and yummy finger food from CAV. Guests were also pampered with spa treatments from The Spa.

That was when one hot male guest told me, ?Look around, Maurice. Do you notice how all these women are standout beauties??

?Yes,? I said.

He continued, ?It?s because they are all pretty as a picture as you?d say, and well-painted. No unattractive women were invited.? The guy was right. Now that?s great marketing, di bala, palanggas.

The biggest bazaar south of Manila

It?s going to be the biggest, grandest bazaar to hit Ayala Alabang, Cuenca Community Center and St. James parking lot with 550 awesome concessionaires in attendance, dahlings. It?s gonna be a Christmas shopper?s paradise on Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

The public can also dine in at the Food Pavilion, with loads of good food from Las Paellas, major sponsor Swifts Hotdogs, Barrio Fiesta and Roasted Calf, palanggas.

This colossal bazaar is for the benefit of St. James Foundation, natch.

Chairs are the mother-daughter tandem of Mimi and Nikki Valerio, no less. Committee members include Manny Gonzales, president of St. James Foundation; Ricky Presa, Parish Pastoral Council president; Edza Gonzales; Titang Montinola; and Msgr. Ernie Joaquin, parish priest.

The bazaar?s highlight will be a grand raffle of valuable items, dahlings.

Major sponsors are Unilever, Fundador, AC Corporation, Tentworld, Saladmaster, Play & Display & Pronto. BPI ATM machines will be available.

Your gas is on us

That night, I was all pumped up during the launch that started with a zoom-zoom, palanggas. The All Stars dancers gave a jaw-dropping dance number that shook the floor to intensity 9, dahlings.

The dynamic Bong Fadullon, Shell?s general manager for retail in the Philippines and North Pacific Islands, dished out Shell?s plans and the success they share with Ferrari.

Francis Lumen, MTV Philippines managing director, told the crowd about Shell?s and MTV?s new exciting offer. Putting it a notch hotter, hot celebrities like Maui Taylor, Andrea del Rosario and Geoff Rodriguez unveiled the exhibit of limited-edition Shell Ferrari key-ring masterpieces. Feeling their five minutes of fame, the invitees posed at the photo wall and took home awesome prizes.

Fasten your seat belts, palanggas, as Shell and MTV Philippines bring sheer exhilaration with Go Artsy, Gas for Free campaign.

Check out how easy it is to win a cool P100,000 worth of free fuel!

These promos are in celebration of Shell V Power?s 10th anniversary. Promo runs until Nov. 30. Take a picture or a video of your magnum opus and upload your entry to www.mtvphil.com/shell or e-mail Shellkeyring@mtv-phil.com.