Rushing to the posh Cafe Adriatico in Malate, I couldn't compose myself especially when my eyes got caught in the aura of this lady seated by the window-simply beautiful and glowing. Smilingly, I approached her and she welcomed me with the same warmth I have only familiarized myself with through the songs she sings. I was face to face with Ms. Zsa Zsa Padilla! Was I ecstatic? Oh, yeah! Altogether, my senses shut. I got lost to the excitement eating me up and I heard myself mumbling, "Don't tumble now! You'll be alright..."

On my way to our rendezvous, I found myself humming "Kahit Na" alternately with "Hiram" while going over the notes about her I jotted down for reference (actually what I had were scripts for different situations with the singer I imagined myself to be in). Nervous, I really didn't know how to start the interview. Finally, sitting beside her, I clumsily took the menu and started running my fingers through it without really reading or choosing anything. I gazed at her and she had this smile and poise that calmed me down.

She projected the elegant aura she's so identified with and the charm she oozes out is plain magic. Everyone in the room was staring! (I swear I could've melted. The awkward feeling I had was terrible). Looking radiantly young and fresh in a candy-striped shirt, sans the makeup and with her lustrous hair worn down naturally, she exuded such glamour that she stood out. She was aware of this hush-hush audience whispering, "Si Zsa Zsa..." But the spotlight doesn't affect her (like the way it was killing me) because she is familiar with it. It breathes to her face and she shines in it. With graceful motions, I watched her at the corner of my eye, reminding myself several times that my job asks me to squeeze out some juicy Web info off her... and not scrutinize her appearance for the readers. But, I couldn't stop myself. She looked really perfect!

The cafe was the most convenient place for her because she preferred to stay near her kids' school in Pasay. She needed to attend a Parent Teacher Conference. That's part of what keeps her busy when not being glorified as a diva. Her personal life and their endless travel escapades are her priorities.

What eats up her time these days? "If I have any good offers I try to take that into consideration. But, we travel a lot. Most of the time I would just stay home and read," she said. The biggest thrill she can consider is reading a good book , "Or shopping with the kids," she said. But, not until the Internet clawed its charm unto her. She got addicted to it the minute she laid her hands on the chat sites. "I've been using it for a year now. I think I started October last year. I got a basic Mac for the kids," she said. But, nowadays, she can't do away with the notebook she got as a Christmas gift from the man of her life (as if you don't know who). "I bring it everywhere I travel. I cannot go through the day without it. That's how I start my day. I'll have coffee, turn on my PC, check my mail. I actually have three servers. That's how bad it is! I have to be online constantly!"

She's impatient and she knows it too well. That is why she chose to maintain three servers, two local providers and one international. "So, I could stay online anywhere in the world I go. If you only have one server, sometimes it's down, or mabagal. I have no patience so I shift at once to another (server) if I can't wait," she said.

Laughingly she blurted, "I went directly to chat. I didn't even surf. I was chatting for 8 hours, but finally I went into surfing and e-mails because you spend so much time. You're totally hooked on to your PC just chatting. But, after a while my kids were complaining na and Dolphy would say, "You're always at your computer!"

Naturally for her, the sites she usually visits are showbiz-related. An admirer of other singers as well, she visits the Sony site to check out the latest news about artists like Mariah Carey. She constantly gets news items from CNN which she subscribes to and which also includes showbusiness stories. She complained though that one time it took her a long while to find Gary Valenciano's site through Yahoo. I asked her if she knew any local search engines-she said no and was really surprised and amused when I informed her of Yehey and EDSA. (And then I spotted a grin on her face while seemingly thinking, "Yahoo in the US, Yehey here...of course!").

In between bites of the fresh salad she ordered, her energy shines and one couldn't help but stare and watch her talk.

As she tossed her hair back and the highlights started to flicker, she confessed, "The reason why I got into it is that I usually don't socialize much. My work is my social life, that's what I always say. When you work, you meet your friends. That's the only time I get to socialize."

She paused. (I followed her brown eyes and I saw them concentrated to the dessert being enjoyed by a nun and another lady seated across our table)... "I love my water," she said, seemingly telling herself it's the best replacement for all other caloric temptations she can think of. "That's a sin... sister!" (grinning as she turned back to me).

She recalled that whenever there were tapings of "Familia Zaragoza", a primetime soap-opera, she said she would face her computer in between takes, but she felt anti-social. "It's like putting yourself away from your co-artists." This was the same complaint at home so she decided to minimize her usage of it. E-mails from friends and fans are important to her so she reads them everyday and replies. As for IRC, "I don't get to chat that much anymore. I do visit to see some friends, but I don't know a lot of them there na. But a lot of my friends are online. I use a nick, you wouldn't guess it's me. They (her friends) know it's me naman na eh!"

In one of her Limited Engagement shows in GMA-7, I overheard her announcing her Web address, instincts dictated that I rush to see the site. And I did. She promptly replied to every e-mail I sent her. Amazingly, she could be the first celebrity with her own domain name (www.zsazsapadilla.com) thanks to her webmaster, Ronnie Miranda of Storm Visualization and Imaging, Inc.

The Zsa Zsa Padilla site, constantly updated and religiously maintained speaks of the artist, her achievements and so much more. For the fans, it is a gateway to her world of sheer sophistication. She feels though that the site needs more of her photographs. "I'm tamad with pictorials, kasi eh," she said. But, acknowledging the importance of photos to fans, she implied that a good set of photos is needed.

"I wanted it to be informative. I need a lot of photos. To promote myself as a singer, there should be more materials there. We have audio files, and video files are in the works. Probably old concert files will be included," she said matter-of-factly. She has high praises for Ronnie, the person who maintains her site.

The Web site announces her shows and this includes guest-hosting A.S.A.P., the noontime on-the-air party at ABS-CBN Channel 2 and the special one-and-a-half-hour theme program, Limited Engagement on GMA Channel 7 which has lined up a series of six spectacular programs to showcase her talent and a host of other artists.

The angelic voice that has captured music lovers now has an alternative medium. The style and elegance in all the curled-up notes she has recorded can be heard online through her Web site. Real-Audio samples allow visitors to listen to her hit songs. With a new album in the works, "teasers" or samplers of her new songs will soon be posted for Netizens to clamor for.

As what she has done through several years of her stay in the business, Ms. Padilla is excited about her next major concert. "Paki-plug na rin...(she giggles) This will be a Valentine's show at the Philippine Plaza on February 13 and 14. It's called Divine Madness. I'll be with Martin Nievera for the first time. The whole concert is laid out already." Details of the concert will be available online.

The career that skyrocketed in 1983 after saying goodbye to the Hotdog band has indeed gone a long way. It has reached this pinnacle where only the most respected artists are. The voice of splendor-that of Ms. Zsa Zsa Padilla, undeniably magnificent and splendidly soothing is reaching farther now. "When we talk of promotions here I think it is pretty much covered by TV and radio. But, probably, I should say, reaching out to much wider audience is the edge of the Web. They would know the latest news about the artists. Friends and fans from different parts of the world can keep in touch. We get a lot of mails from the US, Canada, Japan," she said.

While admittingly she said, "I'm very much into it! (Internet technology), she knows that many are still not encouraged enough to get into it. But, "technology is there. Sooner or later people will start using the Net. It is something you can't deny. It's a good way for promotion. If a company is interested in your work, the site can serve as your folio," she exclaimed convincingly.

Is she addicted to it? "Yes!" And that's why we have an unlimited engagement to keep with her.