Just what do you give someone who seems to have everything? Fishball, a friend suggests. Chocnut? Ma'am Mega herself insists she'd be content with cheeseburger, stationery, magazines and books. Although she wouldn't mind receiving pink diamonds. Even stars take five. Between takes, music researcher Eloisa Matias and vocal coach Olive Isidro catch up on the latest chika with Miss Mega who is being given a hand massage by a female alalay. Miss Mega is visibly frazzled: just this morning, she wrapped up work on Madrasta, a grueling activity that began at three p.m. and ended at seven a.m. the following day. Despite the exhausting schedule, Sharon in the recording studio seems serene. Almost beatific. Perhaps it's because she is surrounded by friends. As far as Sharon is concerned, work is also time to catch up with longtime pals. "She is very serious about her craft," reveals Olive Isidro, Mega-Vocal Coach for the past 11 years. "Whether it's singing, acting or TV hosting, she endeavors to do her very best. But when we're working, she also considers it fun because that's the only time we see each other. We both have busy schedules, so when we do get to see each other in the studio for the recording of her songs in TSCS, instead of going straight to work, she'd go: 'Hoy, mare chika muna tayo!'" For Sharon, work no matter how hard, is made a little bearable when spent with buddies. "She's a very good singer. She can finish recording five songs in less than an hour. So most of the time we spent in the studio is devoted to chika." Sharon and Olive started working way back in '83-'84. "I sang back up for her in her first major concert, Sharon Solo....With the Boys, with the TUX at the Araneta Coliseum. Olive and Sharon are kumares. Sharon is the ninang of her twins. "She used to come to my house in Blue Ridge and I used to visit her in her own house, sa Twin Towers pa siya nakatira noon. We're very close." In fact, it was from Olive's sala that art director Jojo Isorena plucked out the now legendary Jun de Leon portrait used in the Mega Concert poster. And how does it feel to be Mega-Friend? "Sometimes you can't help but think: 'Wow, she's the Megastar!' But when we go out, we treat her as one of the girls." Miss Mega prefers it that way. "She's very simple," Olive describes her Mega-Buddy. "Ang babaw ng kaligayahan niya. Bigyan mo lang ng fishball masaya na yan." Another devoted pal, photographer Jun de Leon, claims a pack of Chocnut would suffice, though Sharon herself would say she'd be content with cheeseburger, stationery, magazines and books. "Although she wouldn't mind receiving pink diamonds," Jun jests. "A happy domestic life is all Sharon wants," according to Olive. "That she would have someone to come home to, someone to talk to, someone to love." With Kiko, her friend found peace and happiness at last. "She tries to be the best mother to KC," Olive opines. "She was able to maintain a close relationship with her daughter. In fact, one big factor why she married Kiko is that KC likes him a lot." Though they may not see each other as often as before, Olive professes that Miss Mega can still count on her. "She can always turn to us," Olive asserts. "For me, most of the time it's emotional support. That's what I can offer her. Kasi, I'm older than her. I've experienced more than she has. I've gone through similar problems. She used to be a single mom like me. Hingahan niya kami."   BACKSTAGE VOICES "Totoong tao siya. Very transparent. Kung ano ang nararamdaman niya makikita mo sa mukha niya." - Anonymous PA   on the set of TSCS "We've known each other since March 6, 1988.... the very first episode of TSCS on ABS-CBN 2. I really like her. Everyone says she's sweet.... but not everyone knows that she celebrates Valentine's Day by giving gifts to all her friends and co-workers. So even if you don't have a Valentine on that day, you are guaranteed to receive cards and chocolates if you know Sharon. Kahit mga technicians sa recording studio, binibigyan niya ng chocolates. For her, Valentine's is not just for sweethearts. She considers it a day of love." - Eloisa Matias   Music Researcher and   Executive Producer,   TSCS "Yes, she's a Megastar, but it's not hard working with her. I can understand why the production trainees, after their training, still come back, eager to work with her." - Cathy Ochoa   Former Associate Producer,   TSCS "She's moret. Loka-loka. Out of the blue, she'd crack a joke. I just don't know kung saan niya dinudukot 'yong mga punchline niya. Every week (usually every Friday), Olive and I work with her for the TSCS recording. You could say we've been the person behind the Megastar. We've seen her laugh.... really laugh, totally devoid of glamour. We've seen her cry buckets. We've seen her eat fishball off a stick. The studio is usually where we catch up on the latest news about each other.... girl talk." - Eloisa Matias   Music Researcher and   Executive Producer, TSCS "Sharon gets very attached to her co-workers." - Olivia Lamasan   Former Executive Producer,   TSCS "They call her Take-One Baby. In the sense that inaaral niya talaga yung song bago mag-recording. With Sharon, mahaba na ang 10 minutes for recording a medley. She can memorize after listening to the tape twice. By second listening, she'd start humming the basic melody. May cue na siya. She'd start improvising: may kulot ba o sustained? After three or four na pasada, take na. Bilib ako sa musicality niya. The way she attacks a song, may puso. Soulful. Hindi siya belter, pero she sings from the heart. Mayro'n siyang touch. Kahit napakabaduy na kanta, napapaganda niya." - Eloisa Matias   Music Researcher and   Executive Producer, TSCS "The TSCS staff is like one big family. We're all very close. We used to go out and have dinner after the show. In fact, at that time na nililigawan siya ni Richard Gomez, chaperone niya ang buong staff. Sinasamahan namin siya, kasi ayaw niyang lumabas nang mag-isa. So every Sunday, nililibre kami ni Goma." - Olivia Lamasan   Former Executive Producer,   TSCS "We go to restaurants in Greenhills, an Italian restaurant in Quezon City." - Manny CastaÒeda   Head Writer, TSCS "Walang kasing babaw. Shawarma lang, masaya na si Sharon. Sometimes for dinner break during recording, we'd ask her : Where do you want to eat? Saisaki? Aristocrat? She'd go: 'Alam mo yung tindahan ng squidball at quikiam sa may JUSMAG, okay na 'yon. She's very easy to please." - Eloisa Matias   Music Researcher and   Executive Producer, TSCS "Although people stare, whenever she enters a restaurant, wala kay Sharon 'yon. C'est la vie. She continues whatever she is doing. Soon enough makakalimot na ang mga tao. Whenever fans approach her, she acknowledges them properly. She says hello. What we do is we position her in such a way that she is facing a wall, so she wouldn't be noticed by fans." - Manny CastaÒeda   Head Writer, TSCS "We go to Saisaki, Dean Street, Angelino's. Whenever we have the live band on TSCS, she treats the whole Mega-Band out to dinner after the show. We spent the whole night chatting.... until 2-3 a.m. Kahit madaling araw na kami umuwi, hindi pa tapos ang kuwentuhan. Masama pa ang loob niya kahit kami na nga ang nagsasara ng restaurant. With Sharon, hindi mo mapapansin ang oras. Funny thing is, by the time we leave the restaurant, 'yong mga uniformed waiters, naka-civilian na, ready to go home. - Eloisa Matias   Music Researcher and   Executive Producer, TSCS