Comfort of the familiar

Many of us draw comfort from the familiar. Sometimes we might long for adventure and new experiences but nothing compares to the tried and tested as our respondents this week made perfectly clear.

A voracious reader, actress Beauty Gonzalez said her favorite things are books.

"I really love books, all genres like self-help, horror, investigative. I always have a book in my bag," Beauty said.

The actress recently starred in an episode of "Magpakailanman" and will soon appear alongside actors Gabby Concepcion and Carla Abellana in a new show on GMA.

"I always have books in my car, beside the bed, everywhere. Actually, nagagalit na nga 'yung asawa ko kasi iniiwan ko kung saan-saan."

She prefers reading books over doom-scrolling on her phone because the latter makes her anxious. "The reason why I also love books is because I get to use my imagination a lot. It's really helpful for me as an actress because aside from reading the script, I also have to imagine myself in the character and situation."

When she and her husband travel, she fills her luggage with books and doesn't mind lugging them around. "Whether it's a new or old title, I don't mind as long as the story catches my attention.

Morning routine

Beauty also buys from different local bookstores and is known to give books as gifts to friends to also encourage them to read.

"I also love newspapers. Not a lot of people still read newspapers but it's part of my morning routine. I prepare my coffee and read the two newspapers our newsboy delivers then I'll start running."

Sparkle talent Martin del Rosario chose coffee as his favorite thing and can drink as many as five cups spread throughout his day. "It alters my mood; I start the day happy. That's important for me because it sets the rhythm of the day," Martin said.

The "Voltes V: Legacy" actor now prefers his coffee black but admitted that it was an acquired taste as he used to like it sweet and creamy. His mother was the one who introduced him to the perks of freshly brewed coffee.

"I'm at a shoot now and am having my third cup of the day. I might have another cup later," he said.

For beauty queen Meiji Cruz, the one thing she can't live without is lip balm. The Miss CosmoWorld 2022 titleholder who was one of the guests at the launch of Watsons' annual summer campaign said she swears by Vaseline lip balm. "I have dry lips so it's really important for me to keep them hydrated and smooth," Meiji said.

She has tried other variants including cult favorite Lucas' Papaw lip balm from Australia to plain old petroleum jelly but said that Vaseline is the one that works for her. "I always keep a tube in my bag and reapply throughout the day."

'Chocoholic'

Popular host Issa Litton has long loved "anything chocolate" and was delighted to further her knowledge during a daylong chocolate seminar in Sydney, Australia—a gift from a friend over a decade ago.

During the tour, Issa got to sample different types of chocolate including Swiss, Belgian, French, American and Australian.

"It was a great tour because the chocolates we tried were unwrapped so as not to cloud our judgment. I was able to taste the differences between the samples we tried. Belgian chocolate has this grit and richness, Swiss is smooth while French chocolate has a fragrance. The French pay attention to the other senses so there's a luxury feel to it."

Here in the Philippines, Issa is partial to artisanal variants like the ones made by Auro and Theo & Philo.

"Whenever friends who travel abroad ask what I want as pasalubong, I always ask for chocolate. Not the ones from the airport but those discovered in unknown, quaint and quiet shops. I'm salivating now just talking about it (laughs)."