Why did Jericho shed tears of joy?

Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa are two of the best-looking young stars in showbiz. Their movie, Forevermore, opens today in theaters all over the country. If the full trailer of the movie is an indication of how interesting it is and how interested people are about it – then Forevermore is a blockbuster.

Last Sunday, in The Buzz, Jericho shed a few tears. He said they were tears of joy. He and Kristine were in the show to promote Forevermore. On hindsight, I’m not quite sure what made Echo cry. Was it the question, "How well do you know each other for you to be able to defend one another from your detractors?" Or "Will you give up your life for one another?" or Kris, "If you were to give your heart to save the other, would you do so?"

What struck a sensitive chord in Echo’s hidden feelings? I saw Kristine almost immediately wiping Echo’s tears with her bare hands. There has been no doubt about how much Echo and Tin-Tin love each other. But is there truth to the rumor that they have cooled off? That what we’re seeing is actually part of the promo of Forevermore? Or it is indeed true that they’re so much in love but they have to pretend they’re not, so as not to displease some people? (This reminds me of Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan while they were promoting Got To Believe. Who would have believed they’ve gone separate ways months back before it was shown?)

So what is the real score between Echo and Kristine? Only time will tell. If you want to see for yourself the spoken and unspoken nuances, watch Private Conversations with Boy Abunda tonight after Headlines.

Desiree del Valle’s US experience

Young actress Desiree del Valle is back from an eight month hiatus from show business. When she left for the US, rumors were rife that she was pregnant, that she had an abortion, that her family didn’t approve of her romantic liason with young, brilliant actor, Paolo Contis, who was never shy about his undying devotion for Des.

The real reason, according to Des herself, was that her dad was quite sick and she needed to spend time with him. While in the US, she worked for a shoe salon. She started as a cashier, then worked "on the floor," attending to clients. The fact that she likes shoes helped her perform her job very well. Some Filipinos would recognize her and thank God, no one was nasty. Most of them expressed admiration that she was actually working in the shoe store.

"It was a humbling experience, plus I learned how to appreciate the value of money and hard work," Des enthusiastically said in my interview with her on The Buzz. I also told her that she and many other young stars should count their blessings: the work and compensation they enjoy, the love and attention people shower them with, the fun they derive from the glitter and splendor of showbiz. Some young people wait for tornados to bring them down before they actually start to see how blessed they are.

Des del Valle is one of the prettiest young stars we have. She is earthy and sensuous. She’s also a sensitive actress.

Too bad, I heard she and Paolo Contis have gone separate ways!

Thai In A Box at the malls

Thai-food lovers can now enjoy malling as Thai In A Box has recently opened its first two mall branches, one at The Podium and one at the Cyberzone of SM North Edsa.

After satisfying Thai food lovers all over the metropolis with its three branches (Pasig, Makati and Tomas Morato), Thai In A Box now ventures into the malls to give shoppers a taste of their authentic Thai cuisine at very affordable prices.

Have a bite of Thai In A Box’s mouth-watering recipes like Thai Steak, Chicken Pandan, Pad Thai Noodles, Bagoong Rice (the all-time favorite!) and many more plus its exciting array of luscious desserts guaranteed to give you a fitting end to a most satisfying meal.

Visit Thai In A Box at any of its branches: at the Gold Park Center along Meralco Avenue in Pasig; at 804 Pasay Road in Makati; at Tomas Morato (in front of Osteria Italia), at the 5th Level of The Podium and at the newly-opened Cyberzone of the SM North Edsa.

Ito Ang Batas new timeslot

Feisty, hardhitting and "dangerously" charming lawyer-broadcaster Atty. Aga has a new time slot, 5 to 6:30 p.m., for his radio program Ito ang Batas on RMN News, Manila (Monday to Fridays). We are tuned in, Atty. Aga!