“Changing your mindset is more important than changing your circumstance.”—Akiroq Brost

We have the power to change our minds and control our destiny. Enlightenment begins when we change our mindset so we can positively move forward and live purposefully. After months of a personal setback, I have finally embraced the challenges and resolved the obstacles with a growth mindset, insightful meditation and fervent prayers.

Surrounding myself with empowered women, I get inspired listening to their life stories and engage in interesting conversations on relationships and love. At the Tatler dinner for its March issue, Tatler editor in chief Anton San Diego hosted the beautiful and dynamic cover ladies—Tootsy Angara, Kath Pimentel, Em Villar and Audrey Zubiri—at Manila House.

Besides being friends, these gorgeous ladies head the Senate Spouses Foundation (along with 15 others), which helps the underprivileged with legacy and new projects.

At the intimate dinner of sumptuous food at Manila House, Audrey shared her passion for Bukidnon and goals to increase projects in their hometown. Tootsy shared her excitement for her TV stint coming up soon, while making sure her hubby Sen. Sonny Angara is attended to.

Kath shared her thoughts on world peace while being the perfect wife to Sen. Koko Pimentel. Em shared for vision for Hope For Lupus Foundation, which Red Charity Gala also supported last year. We both agreed to continue this partnership this year for the 12th Red Charity Gala, featuring our first lady designer, Lulu Tan Gan.

Other guests included Gladys Pimentel, Michael Leyva, Audrey’s daughter Adriana Zubiri, Pamela Chua, Tim Yap and Erica Concepcion Reyes. Here’s to Tatler as they celebrate the best of the country and the world.

Strong women

For my episode on “Family Feud,” airing this March 20, I chose strong women to be part of Team Sea Princess—Nova Veluz, Shelly Lazaro and Dr. Rica Cruz. We had an absolute blast as we played against Team Juana Change—Mae Paner, Kate Torralba, Richard Merck and Leon Flores III. It was quite exciting, as the last time I joined years ago, I gave the craziest answers and the funniest comments. We again had a great time with host Dingdong Dantes.

It was wonderful to meet Juana Change. Mae has been an artist/activist for most of her life. She is a funny woman with a heart as big as the sun. She is a published author of two books—”Kwentaxi” 1 and 2—producer, film director and actor with multiple awards. Her career in advertising was three decadeslong. Do you remember her in the Boysen ads?

She won this year’s Inquirer Women of Power award with 38 others. She has fed more than 260,000 meals to the homeless, persons deprived of liberty, political prisoners, children and elderly with special needs and survivors of natural and manmade disasters through her community kitchen, Kawa Pilipinas. She is quite a rock star!

Mae put it so well: ”Hunger is an issue of the heart. The good news is that we all have one. Can you imagine how we can nourish bodies and transform lives if we connect to this power within us?” Please support Kawa Pilipinas Foundation Inc.

Just like Mae, I am passionate about helping in whatever capacity I can. I believe I was exposed to charity early on through my lovely mother, Marixi Rufino Prieto, and my Assumption College education. It was wonderful to attend the feast day celebration of St. Marie Eugenie at the Assumption Chapel. It was nice to see other former Assumption nuns.

Starred chefs

Celebrating with all my girlfriends has kept me busy and enjoying my new freedom from past conflicts. Our Zumba Zbabes mother Elena Coyiuto hosted a big lunch bash for birthday girls Steffi Chiongbian and Marilu Batchelor. It was great to reconnect with all of the Zbabes after being absent from Zumba for almost a year.

I saw Marilu again with her hubby David Batchelor at the “Solaire: Still Dazzling at 11” celebration at Finestra Italian Steakhouse. To celebrate Solaire’s 11th anniversary, a special dinner featuring three Michelin-starred chefs was prepared for the media preview. The three chefs are Cristina Bowerman, Goh Fukuyama and Xu Fan.

Chef Bowerman has turned her entire life into a journey against the grain. Born in Cerignola, a small town in Puglia, Italy, she moved to San Francisco in California after graduating from law school to pursue her legal studies and work weekends at the Coffee House Higher Grounds.

In 2010, she received a Michelin star, the only woman in Italy for that year, and in 2020 she received the Three Forks from Gambero Rosso (consistently reconfirmed in subsequent years). In 2023, Forbes listed her among the 100 successful women whose commitment and leadership skills have contributed to Italy’s growth.

Xu Fan is not limited to tradition. He has visited four places where ingredients are produced, communicated with outstanding chefs from all over the world and gained more knowledge and choices in cooking techniques. He found a balance between inheritance and innovation—innovation keeps classics alive; classics are the foundation of innovation; and inheritance is the soul of innovation and classics. The form is pure and meaningful, which is enough to show the uniqueness of Sichuan cuisine and the diversity of tastes.

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1971, Fukuyama embarked on a journey in French cuisine straight from high school, training at a French restaurant. His career as a chef began in 1995 at a wine restaurant. In 2002, he ventured into entrepreneurship by opening his own restaurant, La Maison de la Nature Goh.

This establishment achieved significant recognition, being ranked in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for the first time in 2016 and consistently from 2018 to 2022. It also earned a Michelin star, further solidifying its reputation in the culinary world. INQ

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