UCC Ready-to-Go Drip Coffee

Origami coffee is what Starbucks dubbed it as. Here we have the UCC Special of drip coffee with pre-ground beans packed already, sans the "Origami" name.

This is useful when the coffee vendo just can't wake you up and you can't bring all your coffee paraphernalia. Just open a pack, lock it on the sides, and start pouring hot water. Wait (it's kind of therapeutic, too) and then enjoy. 

Next cup please. 

Wave Back and Forth - Baler, Aurora

Oh snap, man! I haven't posted anything in almost a month! Last 25-27 November, I ventured out with my friend to Baler, Aurora and it was a hell good of an experience.

How do I freaking get to (and from) Baler?!

For convenience, book via iwantseats.com.ph or pinoytravel.com.ph and score some JoyBus tickets. At around Php700 each, you get to ride at Genesis Cubao station and have some reclining seat (it's not LaZBoy okay, but it reclines and that's good enough!), a blanket, a bottle of water, a piece of mamon (we got Regent Ube Cake haha), and your own restroom in the bus. 

After 5-6 hours (depends on road condition) of non-stop travel, you get to be at the station where there are trikes that can bring you to your lodging. This is also the place if you requested for pick-up assistance. 

Getting back is the same. Remember to book your return ticket in advance unless you have time and money to spare. 

What to do in Baler?

There are a lot of sites telling you what you can do in Baler. I did all my research but the trike drivers know the stops where they will bring you. You get to pay Php600 per trike and the tip is up to you. There are falls, there are hills, there is a humongous tree, and there are islets and museums you can go to.

This is the view waiting for you at Ermita Hill.

One challenge is the Dicasalarin Cove. You have to be either part of a tour group which has a van to be able to go there. No trikes nor single motorbikes are willing to get there. You can get a boat though. Entrance fee is Php100 if you're staying at Costa Pacifica and it's Php200 if you're from elsewhere. We were not able to see it because it is ridiculous to rent a van when it's just the two of us. 

You can NOT go to Baler and NOT surf. That's like going to a Persian resto and not ordering Persian food because you're afraid to try it. That may not be a good analogy but I know you get my point. Bottom line: Surf.

Surfing is around Php350 per hour, board and instructor included. Perfect for beginners as the shoreline is spaceous. You won't get to kill anyone's brain cells when you fall off your board and get washed away. 

Where can I stay?

There are lots of places where you can stay! There are also lots of food options around Baler so it's actually worth a try to get a taste of what the shops offer. 

We stayed at Costa Pacifica because I was trying to impress my friend likes beautiful places. Costa Pacifica is a pretty gem in Baler. It's kind of pricey though, since you'll be out almost the whole time. The people are accommodating, we killed the ping pong table, the place/resort is beautiful, and the food is great.

The sand at Baler is fine but it's far from white. Definitely a surf beach, you can still do a lot of stuff with a long shoreline and a wide beachfront. If you have cruiser boards or longboards with you, please bring it. You can use it here. We thought we won't be able to use it and left our mini-cruisers at home. What a pity.

Problems we got from the trip? Muscle pain. Dang it. I'm no push-up queen and my shoulders hurt. It was a painful reminder of the fun I had. Hahaha. Baler is definitely the place to go to if you want to experience the sun, the sand, and the waves. 

Not So Green Pastures

I have been wanting to visit Green Pastures at Shang for quite some time. It's because they offer vegetarian burger that has been racking up good reviews. They also offer fresh, organic, farm-to-table food. Well, that's what they say and a lot of people are swearing by it. First and second visits didn't allow me to experience this, but on our third try we finally had the chance! Movie was at 9pm and so we had the patience to wait. Thirty minutes in and we're seated!

Ah. Such a pretty sight! That's a vegetarian burger with good ol' fries. So how was everything else?

Service was not good. They take their sweet time, but they had smiles on their faces. Okay, forgiven. No one was beyotching around. Food was not exemplary, except if being fresh means tasting like supermarket (this one's for their pan-seared swordfish), then no. No thanks. 

Worst is that when I sliced the burger in half, there was a hair embedded inside the patty. I touched it with the knife to check if it's inside the patty or it just flew there. It was dim at Green Pastures so I used my phone's flash and there it was! In all its glory. Hair. Long hair. There was even resistance when I used the knife. Someone knows her protein. My appetite rushed out of the door. We returned it and they just said they'll replace it. I said no, I don't want it anymore. I should've kept the fries though. They were good. 

I'll still be checking out this vegetarian burger soon. When I completely forgot about my organic hairburger. :(

You Are What You Plant

Okay. I totally missed out posting an entry this November. It's still on the early half of the month but you know, when you forget to do things, you'll totally forget about them. :/

Anyway! Found out these new cutesie bottled plants. I have three cacti under my care already but you can never have lots of plans. Then there's just the lure of putting something in your office area because stress and all and they are just so nice to look at.

They have a variety of plant types such as mini-strawberries, daisies, love grass, sunflowers, and I forgot. There's a bath tub design and a cup design, too. We got the bottle design. It's an interesting piece of useless item hahaha.

Daisy, Sunflower, and Lucky Grass set!

And then it would look something like a tampon this. We got it at MindWerks at Fisher Mall, QC, and I'm excited to start growing my Lucky Grass on my office table. Wooot woot!

Oh, hello!

Acuaverde - Laiya, Batangas

Still the easiest place to go to when you want a quick beach trip, Laiya, Batangas is a mere 3-hour drive from Manila. It just gets a little tricky when you reach Lipa, but it will be a wonderful ride as long as you can manage overtaking some tricycles and jeepneys which stop wherever. It's their place, we're just visitors, so shush and just think of the beach for some peace of mind.

Acuaverde was the chosen place for this trip. Our previous destination was La Luz and going there again is just plain biased. Time to choose a new spot! Acuatico was a tad too expensive for a day trip at Php 2,000+  while Acuaverde (under the same company handling Acuatico) offers Php 1,050 with lunch and afternoon snack and full use of their amenities. Believe it or not, our main question was if they had a pingpong table and when they said yes, inclusive of the payment, ZOMG, let's pack our bags now! They had beer pong tables as well - one that looks like the original beer pong table and the other looked like a basketball court. Set-up depends on you, as long as you get beer.

They also had Foosball and darts. The staff was really kind and accommodating, their bar though offered "kiddie" alcoholic drinks - I can't taste the alcohol! The restrooms were clean (major requirement!!!), had bidets (omg, I'm in love!), and were well-stocked with toilet paper!

See, we tried almost all of their items. Their table tennis and Foosball were very much utilized, then went on kayaking until the guard blew his whistle. Apparently, we were going too far from the shore already. (Haha.) He said their manager was shocked when they saw us really far and quickly ordered him to blow the whistle and call us out. The water was so clear and beautiful you just wanted to keep on paddling away! (We're not suicidal. The water was just really beautiful. So blue, so calm, and so deep.)

We also rented jetskis for Php 2,000 per 30 minutes (Subic offers it cheaper but the beach here is more beautiful anyway). This was a third party provider but just go down to the beach and you have the jetskis and other water sport items readily available.

Oh by the way, the area around Acuaverde is a swimming beach. The water is clear and you can just lounge lazily or even take a swim around. There are no painful rocks you might step on and the water was, I repeat, really clear. I was actually surprised the beach was this clean and nice!

It.
Was.
Amazing.
<3

The beach was wonderful. The sun was out, the sand was fine, and the water was inviting. It was a perfect day with perfect company. :)

Japan Invasion! Kansai Special

Oh. So we went to Japan last week. It was so beautiful and the people are lovely. Everyone should go to Japan at least once in their lives. You won't be disappointed.

Our Kansai Trip: Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Osaka. 

I'll blog about the trip soon (when, I don't really know).
And yeah, I love jump shots. :)

By the pond? No problem. 

Bamboo Grove? Of course. 

In front of Tetsujin 28? Yeahp. Got it covered. 

Universal Studios? Uh-huh. 

Rustic Mornings by Isabelo and The Breakfast Thought

Breakfast places are everywhere now. 

There are different categories that cater to every one. Lavish buffets can be found at hotels while cheaper breakfast buffets are also available (Somethin' Fishy) around the corner. 

Breakfast spots usually have exemplary interiors. They offer something new, something refreshing. Maybe to set your mood in whether you come in in the morning or just want to have breakfast food any time of the day. 

The Breakfast Table at Maginhawa offers denim place mats while Milky & Sunny at Kapitolyo has pastel colored walls and cutesie decors. Pi Breakfast and Pies's interiors are more similar to the 3rd wave coffee shops with its neutral hues and finishing. Then you have Early Bird Breakfast Club which has cutesie interiors as well but their food presentation is the one people pay so much money for. Speaking of budget, Kanto Freestyle Breakfast can be found at Mandaluyong, Kapitolyo, and Eastwood. They offer cheap(er) breakfast food (I think they have the cheapest espresso-based drinks, too) but of course, don't get your hopes way too high if the price of your Eggs Benedict is less than a tall caramel macchiato. 

Then if we're talking about setting, Rustic Mornings by Isabelo at Isabelo St., Marikina City wins. The place inside is full of pretty artsy decors. There are colored bottles, sliced glass, chandeliers, and chimes made from what you thought of trash-I-can-sell-to-junk-shops. The place was set-up surprisingly nice, it reminds me of Marcia Adams at Tagaytay, but this place can be found just within Metro Manila, specifically at Marikina. The parking can be difficult but the place is really nice. They change their menu when it reaches around 5pm. It becomes Isabelo's. Just like that. Nice, right?

How could you not want to go here?

You can opt to eat outside with the scenery or inside with the blue and white decors. Breakfast places have this relaxing soft vibes in them. I wonder how I'd decorate my place if I decide to open one. 

The open area is a refreshing place to be at in the morning and late afternoon.

Pray those bottles don't fall over your head.

The food is okay. I mean it's breakfast food, there should be no complication to that! It's easier to make compared to their lunch or dinner counterparts. Bacon done 3 ways is easier than making pad thai.Well, cooking is difficult when your bed is calling for you to come back and snuggle. 

It's their waffles with buttered cream and homemade syrup. This thing is marvelous!

Eggs, hash, and bacon. The potato got me interested in trying to make one.

So back to the question: why are breakfast places all over now? Is it because it's a very nice date place? You know, at any time of the day you and your date can go to these places and it's a sure-fire conversation starter - how the walls are so pretty, how the chair is so uncomfortable, etc. Easy-going vibes all over? You're sure of eating something you like (comfort food)? Or it's just a sure place where you can spend money instead of cooking on your own.

Adult Responsibilities and Liabilities

So. I finally brought in Noah the car today at the Service Center (hurrah!! hurrah!!) and I walked back and rode a jeepney to Greenhills. Not bad. First time riding a jeep after some time. You see, it is interesting to commute when you don't have to do it every day. It seems like an adventure and not a chore. So that's why I was kind of excited that I have to do it again when I pick up my car later before their office closes. (I just rode one jeepney and walked. Is that cheating? The weather was perfect for walking!)

While I'm on my way to Greenhills the chief mechanic called me up to ask about brake pads. "Ma'am, hello?" "Yes, kuya?" "Nasa school po ba kayo?" HAH! I laughed on the inside, so papasa pa pala akong student. Not bad. Fast forward to the pick-up time, receptionist told me they thought I was 15 years old. Okay. Now, I'm not sure if I'll be happy with that. What I'm sure of is that when my credit card bill comes, I'll be crying like a baby. Dang. Now I have to think of my bumper that the motorcylce driver hugged with his bike. 

Btw. Dear manong,

The Story of Mini-Cruisers

The cruiser (and mini-cruiser) board has been quite a sight lately. Skate parks and nicely paved areas are around the metro already bringing in more skaters into the scene. Skateboarders and longboarders have been around for some time but the cruisers are making a splash more recently. 

The first time I saw a cruiser board was when I was at Bagasbas Beach, Camarines Norte. I thought how fancy the board looked like and it wasn't that long like a longboard or a skateboard. The dude was carving somewhat seamlessly along the sidewalk. My fascination stayed at Bagasbas after I went back home to Manila as I saw that there were only a few online sellers of cruiser boards and they were at a whopping Php7,000++ back then. I could already book a trip to Palawan with Php7k! (And I did go to Palawan.) 

Fastforward to when I went to Melbourne, Australia. Man! It was everywhere! Melbourne had a laid back and outgoing lifestyle and I got to visit it during summer. The pathways swarmed with scooters, bikes, and boards. Cruisers were everywhere! I swear I wanted to purchase one right there, I just don't know how to bring it back home. I was already overweight by 5 kilos. Ha. Ha. 

After a year, the price has normalized. It means it's not freaking overpriced anymore! It's not a very cheap ride/toy/device, but it being priced that much a few years ago was unreasonable. 

Today, the local price is the relatively the same as their Amazon or official online price. You know what that means, right? Time to buy one and start the peklat process!!! 

My friend got the plastic Penny mini-cruiser at Php4,700 while I got the ecowood Fluidsurf mini-cruiser at Php3,500. Mind you, the Fluidsurf is a local brand. I used to purchase rashguard of their brand because it's locally made (and cheaper).

Okay, so we know the price. Now, how do you compare the ride?

That's not a feather duster, that's a... rooster.

I felt proud that we can make boards locally and they look competitive. Just look at mine, white trucks, red wheels, and just plain beautiful. Then you try kicking it. It does NOT go straight! My board is not going straight. (-__-) Wheel or truck alignment? I have no idea for now. Well, interim solution is to just adjust when you're riding it. You have no choice for now. The Penny (Aussie-made) rides smoother and it's easier to turn. The Fluidsurf ecoboard is more stable though and is perfect if your balance is as good as the Lochness Monster - a mystery. A friend says the ecoboard is better at carving but really, for now all I'm thinking of is to not fall on my butt, or face, or elbow, or basically fall.