How to break up with someone? And everything you've been with for more than 3 years?
There's no easy way to break someone's heart.
But sometimes it's easier when they broke yours first.

Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace

When I see a place I like so much and I have the time to ponder about it, I would definitely blog about it. See, looloo (it's an iPhone app but you can access it on your browser as well) has been taking up most of my food comments. This time, it's about the place and well, okay, a little on the food. Another gem along Maginhawa Street is Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace! Yay!

Cutesie! But no aircon, boohoo.

"SHOKOT means TAKOT. But WHAT is the meaning of THIS?!" is printed on a shirt they were selling. It's inspired by the movie Zombadings and they have dvds of it for sale! (I restrained myself from buying right then and there.)

Zombadings DVD!!! HOMERGERSH!!!

Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace is my new favorite place in Maginhawa. It has that cozy cafe feel inside with a small garden outside sharing the space with a few more restos. Oh oh, they have stools by the bar! You can sit there and stare at their quaint open kitchen while they whip up your food.

They also have this suspended coffee initiative wherein you can pay for the coffee or sandwich of someone else (homeless, etc, up to you). Charity begins at home.

You can sit by the bar! Yay!

Although it might be a little maalikabok to you (open air, hence, no aircon!) and the place is not that fun during summers (init much) and to lamok-heartthrobs like me, the set-up is clearly targeting the local indie and art freaks, or plain hungry people. They also sell shirts, dvds, and cds. I recommend that you walk and take a look around the area (unless you have pilay or something) to enjoy the place. Tralalala I enjoyed it, okay?!

As for the food, they have vegetarian options!! Hurraaaah!! Food were priced at Php100-200 so they're kinda light on the budget. I had tofu steak (Php100) and blacksoup salad (Php100 please hold the adobo flakes for the vegetarian!), while my friend got their fish burger (Php140). All were really good considering the price. My friend liked the fish burger and I believe her palate. Haha. Next time, I'll probably try their vegetarian "You Won't Be Single For Long" pasta which has vodka mix in it. *smug face*

Blacksoup Salad with the adobo flakes on the side!

Definitely coming back to my new home!!

YAY: Food; Interiors; Exteriors! Haha.
NAY: Lamok; No Aircon


Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace
154 Maginhawa St, Sikatuna Village, QC
435 2549 / 0915.3055480
Open for lunch and dinner (12 noon-3pm; 6pm-9pm) but may open earlier and close at a later time for special reservations. (As stated in their Facebook page)

Tell Me Wine

There are cheap wines and expensive wines. There are good wines and there are grape juice that pretend to be wine. Also, Monday is the new Friday or not really since every night is a possible Wine Night. It's already June, the rainy season is supposed to be here. We all want to be warm but then marshmallows on top of your hot cocoa is too fattening. (What the heck did I just type?!)

First is Adega de Pegoes semi-sweet white at 11.5% which tasted like there is a significant amount of alcohol in it even if it was chilled. The taste was balanced, as it was a little sweet (it's semi-sweet after all) at first until the alcohol makes itself known (aka bitter after-taste). It's a white wine blend of three grapes (thank you research) - muscat, arinto, and fernao pires. Priced at just around Php130 (I think my friend got this from Puregold), you can buy one and bring for your friends who haven't tasted wine yet so you can tell them, "if you don't want it, let's just smash the bottle. Whose head are we sacrificing?" It's a good introduction to a balanced wine as it has the right sweetness and bitterness in one.

*Promise I'll make an entry about cheap wines. They are a surprise. Haha.

Next would be musso's syrah (2009 bottle!) which tasted like it lost its purpose in life as a wine. Or it never really thought of being a good wine in the first place. It didn't taste like anything, was flat, and nothing to absolutely take note of except that there is alcohol. When you drink it, it's just alcohol. Syrah is also known as shiraz and this would be the lightest shiraz I have tasted (not that I have tasted a lot of shiraz though). It's a red wine, so I'll just get back to you on that like in the next 6 months.

White on the left.
Red on the right. With a man staring back at you.

This is the funniest "wine" I have ever tasted. I mean I know I bought a Carlo Rossi because it's a red moscato and I'm very intrigued by it, but this is Novellino. Novellino is a big sweeeet joke with 4.5% alcohol and working at a Php200-220 price range. It was very sweet, it's sparkling, and the alcohol content is for kids. (Kids, please don't drink till you get to college. Or, never at all if that's okay with you.) Seriously. It's sparkling grape juice with imaginary alcohol. Well, it's okay if you just want to get warm, soak your teeth in sugary drinks, or just get a blanket instead. Swiss Miss can provide you warmth, too. I'm just not the target market for this "wine".

Don't dare talk to me. You, sparkling juice, you.
I'd rather mingle with the water flask at the back.

Then just recently at a friend's celebration we had our first taste of a white zinfandel... which is colored pink (or light rose if you want to make it sound better). It was really sweet it can probably battle a moscato but it has more alcohol in it (10%!). Beringer has its share of white and red zinfandel wines. We had a 2011 bottle and zinfandels as I've heard, are the type to be paired with pesto pastas but I'm not sure if that's applicable to the white one since it can pass off as dessert wine in itself. Its aroma was great and it tasted smooth. It's very easy to finish a bottle of this. Locally, it's available at S&R and Duty Free (around Php500++). Certified good wine. :)

There's a paper penguin with a hat. Why?!

So, what's next? This lovely box houses three beautiful bottles of white [yellow tail]'s. I love you, S&R. We got the last box of whites for Php999. I swear we were all smiles when we bought it. Mwahahaha!

There's a kangaroo on the left, in the middle, and on the right.

We love kangaroos!

*We are not alcoholics. We just like wine. But you know, alcoholics are always in denial. 

Night Run

The first night run Energizer sponsored was last year and I ditched it because of some reason while the last run I have joined was last year's Nike Run... and the rest was history. My fitness probably glided downhill afterwards. *insert teardrops here*

The Eye of the Tiger and some of the famous landmarks of the world.
My tiger eye glows in the dark, btw.
(Thanks, T, for the photo and F, for drawing it.)

Prior to the event, I haven't run nor have done any exercise for the past 2 months. After February, my motivation decided to take a break somewhere off to the middle of the earth. Weight training (i.e. eating a lot) was the only thing I have done and oh, aside from driving around the Metro. Oh wonderful. I decided to do some running (okay, jogging with a little sprinting) two days before the Night Run, so I can lose all those "breakout sweat" I experience whenever I decide to leave my sedentary lifestyle after some time. The first time I ran around Greenhills at 11pm was deadly. I wanted to stop after just 1.5km HAHA. Just when I was starting to slow down, I noticed a car coasting alongside me. I looked right and saw my friend, windows down, blaring "Eye of the Tiger" from the car speakers really loudly while cheering me. It was horrible and hilarious at the same time! I tried to run away, away from the shame of me walking and from my really "supportive" friend. -.- Joke's on me since I shared before that it would really be funny if you boom "Eye of the Tiger" from your car and someone is running or biking (uphill for the ultimate challenge) beside you and then you shout, "Goooo, Kuyaaaaa!!!"

For your reference, this is the song you've probably heard all your life.


And here's the front and back designs that glow in the dark (spot my name). That was pretty smart since I thought I would fall face-first flat on the road and someone would just discover my body 2 hours after. But of course, I won't be posting this if our time wasn't good enough. HEEHEE. Either it wasn't a real 10km run or 52mins is the new standard?

Happy Grap(e)s!

When initially you think you're just drinking too much caffeine (coffee and tea), now you're suddenly worried if you've become an alcoholic. You ditched the idea of buying a wine bottle stopper because you can finish an entire bottle anyway with just one friend drinking with you. Two folks finishing an entire bottle and neither got buzzed or anything? The liver is stronger than you think but the mind is more powerful in wondering, "Zermenggerd (this is OMG in some language), am I thisclose to being an alcoholic?!"

We all just want some happy graps!

Then you think maybe there's just too many brands and wonderful kinds of wine out there and it's a pity not to taste them all. You're doing the world a favor. Vodka? Whiskey? Meh. You can taste all of those and you'll be done with the good brands in less than a month (certified alcoholic). Wine is a different story altogether. And that is the problem, too. You have friends who call/text you or send photos of what they're drinking and they think it's a good brand that you'll have to try together next time. You'll get phone calls like, "I saw (brand + type of wine) here in the grocery! It costs less than the one we saw before at the other store!" A Php60-saving is a big deal if you buy wine or actually, anything in particular. Mind you, that's 6 hours of parking in the office already! Remember the wine stopper we initially thought of buying? Here's the thought, "It's a nice-to-have item but we could use the money to buy a good bottle already." See? A bottle over a possible restraining device. Priorities, you know.

First Time Tasting An 18 Year Old

Nakatikim ka na ba ng disi-otso?
Have you tasted an 18yr-old? Yes? No?
Well, I have! My first time!

Meet Monfort (Village), a Semillon Semi-Dry White wine 1995 from Israel. Stashed somewhere only my friend knows, this bottle has faced a very interesting experience from its journey from the north to the center of the earth.

Notes:
Monfort
Semillon 1995
Semi-Dry
White Wine
Alcohol Content Unknown (ooooh)

This is one case of wine that was left to age for too long. White wines are not supposed to be kept this long. The full-bodied color was a little dark and the cork - oh my. The cork has softened tremendously and it split in the middle while my friend was pulling it off. Oh the beautiful panic that ensued afterwards was entertaining. We rushed to get some containers and the finest coffee/tea filters were brought out. We basically transferred the whole thing from the bottle to the tumbler. Trying to only taste our 18 year old and keep the rest, we ended up finishing the whole thing. Two people emptying one bottle of wine has become very common.

The taste was really good. It was my first time tasting semillon and this is waaay better than the next bottle we had. Not sure if all semillons are like this, I have one unopened from Australia but not sure if it's also because of the age? The semillon was very easy to drink, you can finish one bottle without noticing it. I can't say if it's the same as drinking your favorite beverage while watching the constellations above and seeing a shooting star in the process but boy, it was that good!

When I saw Wine Folly's color chart, I quickly identified it to be the one in the middle. Upon zooming it in, it's perfect - the full-bodied color of the wine was for semillon.

Zooom zooom.

Next bottle on the list is a very new Terra Vega Chardonnay 2012 sealed with a cork. Terra Vega also offer a sweet version of Sauvignon Blanc and the sales person was talking me to buy it over their Gossips Sweet Lips (Moscato) because the latter only has 5% (for kids). Unfortunately, I grabbed the chardonnay instead of the sweet version of sauvignon blanc. Reading labels should be easy, right? Not when you're in a hurry, though. :/


Notes:
Terra Vega
Chardonnay 2012
White Wine
12.5%

My friend says this one tastes better than Hardys as it doesn't have that sour after-taste. Chardonnays can be drank alone (referring to food not to solo-drinking, you alcoholic reader) but when it's not that chilled anymore, you can actually taste the kick of the alcohol. 12.5% is good with white meat or salad, although it's best enjoyed with awesome company. I would probably get another bottle of Terra Vega just to prove my point, compare it side-by-side with other chardonnays, and finally know which bottle is good for bringing to parties even if no one drinks wine in that party (at least you can drink it if no one wants it!).

Sounding Like A Mini-Boss

In the middle of creating a list as to how would you know if you like someone (wherein my friend and I are stuck in a rut), I woke up one morning with some materialistic love pack seated on our couch. Immediately, my focus shifted (I don't blame ADHD) from the list to the package. Ha! What a way to know one's priorities.

Amazon, I love you.

I might be late from the time everyone almost had portable speakers with them (not like it's strapped to their bodies anyway) but each time we go to the beach or decide to have a good time on the outskirts of civilization, one whips out his/her player (iPod or a mobile phone) for some good music and... And... And it ends there. The music is good for 5 sleeping people!!! Nobody can't freaking hear anything (acoustics hello)! Even huddling together doesn't make it any better, c'mon, seriously? Why would you do that? A group of 6 would put their heads real close to each other so they could all try to listen to music? Just listen to the crickets or the howling wolves. Then someone would finally snap, "who brought some frugging speakers?!" This question will (almost always) be answered by, "inom na nga lang tayo...nang madami."

Btw, if you can see in the photo, that's Tegan and Sara's Heartthrob CD which I ordered from Amazon. A few weeks later, a friend told me it's available in the local CD stores. OH WOW. Mainstream goodness and I just practically saved PHP 16. That's like an hour for parking. -____-

The Vegetarian Cat Meets Up With The Rat

Oh, to add to the number of my posts/entries (but it's a good one anyway), here's a story about a vegetarian cat reportedly penned by Haruki Murakami . Source here.

A cat met up with a big male rat in the attic and chased him into a corner. The rat, trembling, said, "Please don't eat me, Mr. Cat. I have to go back to my family. I have hungry children waiting for me. Please let me go." The cat said, "Don't worry, I won't eat you. To tell you the truth, I can't say this too loudly, but I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat any meat. You were lucky to run into me." The rat said, "Oh, what a wonderful day! What a lucky rat I am to meet up with a vegetarian cat!" But the very next second, the cat pounced on the rat, held him down with his claws, and sank his sharp teeth into the rat's throat. With his last, painful breath, the rat asked him, "But Mr. Cat, didn't you say you're a vegetarian and don't eat any meat? Were you lying to me?" The cat licked his chops and said, "True, I don't eat meat. That was no lie. I'm going to take you home in my mouth and trade you for lettuce."

Thanks Rough, the Murakami-fan, for this!

Me and My Tsinelas

A friend mentioned that my blog has been stagnant for quite sometime. He's clearly not a fan of subtlety. So I checked when was the last time I actually barfed out an entry, and OH. My blog? Stagnant? *checks blog*

Let's look for a topic that we can digress from. Hmm. Oh wait.

My parents were not fans of my "tsinelas get-up" back when I was still in college (this is not eons ago, OK?). They think the straps would just one day give in and I would be forced to walk home with rubber bands or masking tape or I'd be suddenly advocating that "barefoot walking is actually good for our health". Well, walking around in your tsinelas is not really advisable when you're in Manila. The streets are just full of good things surprises. The pavement doubles as spittoons, garbage cans, urinals (applicable to both people and animals alike), and other things that don't make you happy.

Thanks to DISCS for the materials and to Anna for being a good foot model friend.

I remember this "prototype" my friend and I did way back February 2010 (oh college life). It was finals season and everyone's stalking the whereabouts and lurking around the areas where the copy machines are. It was so warm (hello open Ateneo grounds) and we were desperate for a photocopying machine to have all our reviewers well, photocopied (no duh). The nearest and most available place would be the library. *cue in the sound from the dagger-in-the-shower-horror/thriller scene* Problem? There is a frigging dress code! Minimum rule: no spaghetti straps and slippers/flip-flops. Yes, that's a dress code already, and you got it right (you're a genius!), I'm not a fan. No one's actually a fan of that dress code, I mean come on?! Zeee flip-flops is the staple footwear of the summer (or of most Ateneans)! How could you take that away from us??

What to do? Go to your home department and get some freaking straws and wrap around your slippers. #instasandals

With the current weather the Philippines is feeling sweaty about, my dehydrated brain suddenly thought of...slippers. Like tsinelas. Habayanas. Flip to the flops. And how I want to buy a new pair right now! Iamthisclosetobuying a pair before my wallet goes dehydrated, too. I won't get one with so many embellishments although it could be a very good weapon when you feel violent and want to do a roundhouse kick on someone. To be honest, I just churned out this entry because aside from having an entry for April, I am thinking of buying a new pair of slippers. If other folks crave for TJ's Cookie Butter or some milk tea, I might be craving for slippers. Ohh.