Chemical Dependence

I was almost tempted to call this entry "My Chemical Romance" but I don't think I'm ready to live up to that kind of cheese just yet (not that I don't love me some MCR), so yeah. Today I satisfied my need for a lot of things that I'm chemically dependent on.

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 For instance, I ran out of coffee grinds here at home and had to go to a cafe this afternoon with Keavin because I was getting a headache (I suspected) from not having drank any coffee and damn, that was some good shit. I realized today (not that it was too big a realization lol) that my personality is extremely obsessive/addictive and there are days when I just have to get my fix of whatever it is that I'm craving for (coffee, a cigarette, yogurt). 

 Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of restraint as well: I know that you can't get your way all the time and that if you try and get everything you want, every time you want it, you'll end up fucking your life up but you also hold off for too long and you miss out--and then the pain of restraint isn't worth it and kind of defeats itself. I spent today lazing around my house with Keav and watching Duck Dynasty (good show, I swear), then getting some coffee, spending a couple of hours in the bookstore and then heading out for (the very rare) drinkaritas with my girlfriends (and Keav hahaha).

 We hung out at our favorite Pub (with entertaintment that doesn't disappoint--although I've been going there for ages and every time the band doesn't know how to play Don Henley's Heart of the Matter, which I've been requesting for months) and just had a great time catching up. I'm a pretty straight-up rum or wine kind of girl myself, but I must admit: the occasional skinny bitch drink is definitely refreshing.

At the moment, Keav and I are sitting on the living room floor, waiting for Game of Thrones to download. Sleep < Westeros. Aaand there's another battle lost to chemical dependence. I figure, if it's worth it and you don't die, then go do it. Goodnight, folks! I hope this made sense. :))

Pick-Me-Up

The thing about coffee is that it has the ability to simultaneously a) calm my nerves and b) keep me awake even when I don't want to be--never the good without the bad. A bad I'm willing to put up with. 

One of the things that I love about Vietnam is their coffee: it's unflinching in its bittersweetness. You won't ever get coffee here that's sickly sweet or coffee that's totally bitter--even their espresso is pretty fragrant. This is terrible for my nerves and for my figure (not to mention my colds + cough) but I've developed an addiction to Cafe Sua Da or Vietnamese iced coffee (espresso + a shot of condensed milk). It's served in small servings with lots of ice (to cool the espresso) and is great post-light breakfast or while lounging around on a hot hot hot afternoon. I figure the fact that it's served in tiny portions is a good thing given how strong it is but the part of me that wants wants wants the precious can't help but fantasize of Cafe Sua Da in a Venti tumbler. Le sigh. Thank heavens there's no Starbucks here.

So far the best Cafe Sua Da I've had was in Zip Open, a coffee house in the Phu My Hung area (Sky Garden) which is a very, very pretty hole-in-the-wall. Visiting this place this morning made my day. A glass of this stuff is only 35,000 VND or 70 PHP. :)

Aaaand here's to another night of late-sleeping.

It's Been A While

I haven't gone on a self-date in a while--which is a funny thing to say because I'm alone a lot of the time. This is something that I like to do every now and then to try and gather my thoughts and relax and not take myself too seriously (I can be a very intense person). Being around people is fun and I really enjoy interacting with friends and readers and stuff but when things like the CT shooting happen, it really messes with my head. I'm extremely sensitive to things like that and hearing about these people and how often we seem to forget the simplest things about how to treat others, I spiral into a very sulky, angry depression that gets in the way of well--life. I understand the tendency toward recluse. 

So today, I took myself out. I went to Town Center and watched The Hobbit again--although I was with my mom for this part--then I headed over to Powerbooks and was extremely happy to learn that there is now a cafe inside Powerbooks so you can browse and read and have your coffee. The coffee place is called Illy and wow, they serve a mean Americano. I was in love with the dainty espresso cups and how you get to choose how much water you want to add to make the shot an Americano. Plus, they take BPI EPS Debit cards so--whippee for the cashless! (And tears for my bank account.)

While having coffee, I read a couple of stories from a book by Italo Calvino called Difficult Loves. Please people who are reading this, do not buy it. There is only one copy left and I desperately want it. :)) (Kidding--I hid it.) But yeah--there were some wonderful stories in that volume. I especially loved this one called The Adventures of a Reader which talks about the struggle between reading (which can be so much more interesting and soothing and nourishing than real life) and participating in life (which can offer an escape from the intensities and tediousness of reading); it was so well-written. 

I'm still a little bit perturbed by a couple of things but I think this self-date definitely helped calm my nerves (at least a little--I don't think coffee can cure everything). Tomorrow I"m going to channel all my anxiety into something more productive. :)) Goodnight, guys! I hope you're all having a great weekend so far.

Caffe Ti-amo

Yesterday, I had coffee with Marz and we went out to buy adorable berry-pink-and-black stands for MoarBooks (we like to call it investing) to use at BLTX and other events this year. After a long two hours of perusing aisles and aisles of Daiso (because we are indeed, indie cheap-asses) stock, we decided to have a little coffee break at Caffe Ti-amo in Greenbelt. I'd seen this place a million times before, on my way to the nearby Watsons but I'd never actually been inside--the high ceilings and faux-warehouse interiors are really nice. So, yeah. I had a Caramel Macchiato while we sat ourselves down and computed and computed and computed away at investments and predicted returns and wow, this place has excellent coffee. 

 They also duo as a gelato shop and have a lot of espresso-gelato hybrids as well but sugar makes me crazy so I didn't think it'd be a good idea to try those out so late in the day. But yeah. Wow. I will definitely be heading back there the next time I'm in Makati--it's also a lot cheaper than your regular designer coffee: it was around P90 for the Macchiato whereas the Macchiato's average price elsewhere is around P135 a regular cup. :D

Come on, Caffeine!

The past week has been coffee-less both because I've had a terrible case of sore throat and because we ran out of coffee here at home--I've stopped drinking instant coffee because it's really more sugar than coffee and just seems like a waste of money and nerves; there's something relaxing about brewing something before drinking it. So yeah. Yesterday, I dropped by the new Metro Gaisano supermarket here in Alabang and gave their coffee section a looksie; they have everything! I got the 100% Batangas Baraco coffee which goes for P180 bucks/hooj pack. :) I also picked up my favorite creamer--the Caramel one by Coffee Mate. :) 

I'm spending today resting and then heading out to a Cello concert with my mom tonight, so yeah. I'm really excited for that. :) This day definitely started off right. Have a good day, everyone! We're half way through the week already; it's crazy!

Brightside Entry | To Be Loved

Alright, so I cut the title of this post just so because it is sweet to be loved--not just by your boyfriend or significant other but also by your family, friends and (perhaps most importantly) yourself. Today was pretty well-balanced for me and it really helped me appreciate the great people around me. :D Today began with me dropping my mom off at Makati and being accompanied by our dear driver Kuya Will to my job interview in QC (right at the edge of NLEX, I kid you not). Because my family isn't usually the kind of family where free rides are given often or assistance is lent you when it comes doing what you want, I was thrilled that my mom allowed me to be driven to my interview. I was not relishing the prospect of arriving via train to a place I have no idea how leave, to head to a place I've no idea how to get to. I'm also super thankful to Kuya Will,who's been with us since I was three years old. He was uber patient despite the traffic and kept cracking funny jokes even if I a) forgot the piece of paper the address was written on and b) brought the tiniest map ever made.

My interview lasted around 20 minutes and then poof! I was free a whole hour or two before I'd expected to be so I called Keav up and we decided to meet at Greenhills. After Kuya Will dropped me off at the Promenade in Greenhills, I decided to treat myself to coffee and macarons at Bizu. And while I used to like their macarons, I don't think they're as good as the ones from La Vie En Rose Sweets; these were more expensive and just not as tasty. The coffee was alright as well. While part of me is tempted to regret buying the macarons, I'd like to believe that time shouldn't be wasted on regret--especially over passable macarons.

I spent the better part of an hour reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. This book is pretty good so far. I like John Green's language and he's made a character that is angsty but is innocent and vulnerable too and that's definitely something I like. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of Perks of Being A Wallflower in that they both deal with the same things--being thrust into new friendships, disenchantment with love, etc. But of course, I've yet to finish it so I don't quite have the material to form a solid opinion yet. :)

Keav arrived after a bit and we spent the day together--this was wonderful for me, as we'd been apart all of last week and most of this week and I really, really miss him during weekdays. It was so much fun just to goof around and catch up and tell stories of the things we'd been doing while we were away from each other. :) Later in the evening, we also hung out with our friends Karlo & Flexy, who just got enganged--congrats Karlo & Flex! It was so nice seeing them again and being able to hang out and laugh at funny internet stuff even if I could only stay for a bit because Alabang is a pretty long commute away from San Juan.

Brightside Entry | Coffee Date!

Today I went up north to QC and spent the day with Keav and our dear friends Coppi & Bea. :) It was a great day and I discovered this awesome cafe called Highlands Coffeehouse on the ground floor of Coppi's building--they had the best hot white Mocha I've ever tasted in my life.  Plus, they have a mini internet cafe and usage is free for their customers. 

Anywho, today was spent doing silly things like taking weird photos and laughing about the most ridiculous things. We also went up to the 38th floor and took crazy pictures in a wind tunnel (will post these when they're up). So much fun! Photos below. Also, for those of you who click under the cut, there's one particular goofy photo that ya'll might enjoy. Yes, sometimes I think I might be just a little bit insane. :))

Click under the cut to see more, more, more! :))

The Acacia Breakfast Chronicles 1

I have spent a lot of time pondering how to blog about the Acacia Breakfast Buffet because I am but one pocket-sized (as my friend Alain would say) girl and I can't eat my way through a buffet in one sitting. Since I'm staying here for a couple more days with my sister, I thought I'd do a chronicle of posts on this massive buffet--they have almost anything you would want for breakfast, from Arroz Caldo to breakfast Cereal.

So, yeah! Today, I decided to go for a pretty light breakfast since I was in a hurry to get to the bus station and head to school--which by the way, the wonderful people here were lovely enough to help me with; they have a car service that'll bring you anywhere you want to go in Alabang for free so long as you're a guest. 

Today I decided to go for the french toast, an assortment of cheeses (including Brie, my favorite cheese in the entire freaking world), a strip of bacon (my family is transitioning into vegetarianism) and some coffee. 

 Pretty satisfied with this, except that I would've liked it better if their french toast was a tad crispier on the outside; they're alright as they are but I personally prefer a little crunch. 

 My no coffee diet lasted less than a week. Their coffee is alright--your standard brew. It isn't bad but it's not something that I'd go craving for either. :) If you need a wake up fix in the morning, this is great. Also, free refills so while it's not benguet coffee or anything, it'll do.

 A little panorama view of The Lobby at Acacia; I love that you can look out onto the Alabang traffic and watch the cars go by. Yes, I am a huge Snow Patrol fan.

I also love the pattern on their chairs; I couldn't resist taking a photo. More entries to come! :) Hope everyone's starting the week off with a smile!

Favorite Things | Cafe France Coffee Bun

This morning I went with Ate Audrey and my brother to Asian Hospital so that my niece, Presley could get checked--she's come down with this terrible, terrible cough (although turns out it is just a normal cough and there's nothing to worry about, thank goodness). Anyway, the doctors' office was very cramped so I decided to go get some coffee since I wasn't really needed. Instead of the normal Coffee Bean route that I usually take (Vanilla Latte + Cheese Muffin), I went to Cafe France at the lower ground floor instead. :)

I'm a huge fan of Kopiroti and haven't really found any other place that does coffee buns quite that well, so I was definitely pleased when I bit into Cafe France's take on the Kopiroti bun and it was delicious. They're able to build the coffee coating so well; the outside is crunchy and the inside is soft and just buttery enough (most varieties of this pastry tend to take the butter a notch too far). I also ordered an Americano, which went splendidly with the Coffee Bun. Coffee on Coffee sounds odd but it really, really works out. :)

This Week's Snappies

I took most of these photos with my phone--I've been on the run and haven't had enough time to pull the camera out. :)) Hopefully, even more photographs next week; this will probably be the case as school starts next week. Very good week for me!

 The photos above are from the day that me & Keav got the rings. :) We had lunch at the Peppersteak place in his office building. Very, very good lunch date indeed. Also, in the first photo--I apologize for my flesh double-chin. *shudder* But yeah. Keavin says it's cute so, whatever. Might as well. xD

 Yeahhh. I spend a lot of time bumming around in Coffee Bean--best combination so far: Chicago cheesecake + Vanilla Latte. :)

 Had dinner and drinks with two of my favorite people in the world last Thursday. <33 Outback's happy hour is a pretty good deal. 

 My ring was catching a lot of sunlight and I swear it looked like I could control the cosmos. :))

That's it for now! :)

Favorite Things | Membership Coffee

Alright, so I was pretty hesitant toward this concept before and (Sulky Ron, my friend if you're reading this, I finally gave in) it took me a while to warm up to it but the concept of it is reallyreally practical. I subscribed for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL)'s Swirl Card and really, the possibilities are endless. Not only do you get unlimited wifi, but you also get points for every purchase which is as good as cash. :) Good going, CBTL! 

Anyway, this is how I'm spending most of my day. :))

Brightside Entry | Coffeeee

At the moment, I am at Le Coeur De France at the Alphaland Southgate Mall, waiting for Keav's lunch break and they make a splendid Cafe Mocha. I am quite the coffee-holic and get very picky with my coffee. Usual orders include: a cappuccino, an americano or a cafe mocha. Today, I decided to spring for the mocha. 

And definitely no regrets there--the thing I hate about cafe mochas gone wrong is that they pump it up with too much sugar so you end up thinking "might as well have gotten hot chocolate". But here at Le Coeur De France, they were able to perfectly balance the chocolate and coffee aspects of the cafe mocha. Muy delicioso. Presentation wasn't bad, either. Plus they gave me a free cookie. :3 mmmmm, nuts!

P.S. A shout out to Hana Ras, who I ran into here! :)) 

Favorite Things | Mornings

I am definitely a morning person. I've gotten a lot of crap about this from my friends because every time we have a sleep over or go on an out of town trip, I'm always up and about and hyper while everyone is still rubbing sleep from their eyes. 

Mornings just feel so fresh. And in all honesty, I think there is a part of me that likes being alienated in that most people aren't up and about by 7:00 am. There is something serene about sipping a cup of coffee and reading a book at an empty dining table, while the house is still deep in slumber. (I just imagined a snoring house)

Today was a very nice morning. I woke (quite reluctantly, as I slept late last night) to Marz telling me to wake up because we had to take photos. One quick shower & a couple of outfits later, we were in the garden having fun with the camera. I took a couple of photos with Marz--I love what she's wearing today; they're launching MC Accessories tomorrow at the Ayala Westgrove Heights Sunday Market (which I'm still sad I won't get to go to because of a unfortunately scheduled business meeting) so she's really pumped for that.

And after, breakfast--Strawberry Strudel from SNR, biscotcho & coffee. Can't go wrong with that. :D Psyched for a productive day.