There are those things that you can only do when you have the time in your hand

It was early morning when work was cancelled. There’s no electricity in the apartment so my housemate and I still opted to go to the office hoping that we could finish some last minute work. Ho and behold the electricity in the office was cut too—all because of typhoon Pedring. The wind was howling and our umbrella were not spared from the strong winds. Nowhere to go, we opted to find refuge at the mall. The mall was operated by a generator so some of the stalls were closed, the main mall was like an oven in medium range. We went to all the bookstores we could find and practically spent the whole day in a coffeeshop reading the books we bought.

I been wanting to do this—spent a whole day in a coffeeshop reading a book. Life as they say is a moment. And you get to do this only if you have the time in your hands. After some hours in the coffeeshop, cups of cappucino and americano, I finished the book and felt happy for that one particular, stormy day. Perspective is everything. :-)

Inspirational books--very timely for such a stormy weather.

I had 2 cups. I am starting to love this coffee shop. :-)

------

[random thoughts...]

I will be in Bukidnon next week for a 4-day coverage. I hope every thing works well. The 'segment producer' will not be around so I'll have to make amends.

-----

"Perspective is everything" -- a mantra I choose to chant every morning.

-----

she fights, like a loyal soldier she does
in minds, in spirit--she fights
sometimes she wins,

in most cases she (just) gives in

never for the lack of will,

never for the lack of hope,

she gives in because she got tired--

tired of waiting.

* someone wrote in my journal, a girl I know in spirit (only)*

The problem with sleeping (really) late...

...is that you get really, really sleepy when you are attending a meeting. No amount of caffeine could make this silly head awake. My head was drooping all the time. My eyes were shutting down on its own. Why do they have to schedule a meeting at two in the afternoon. Geezus.

--------

In between a cup of coffee

He sipped from his cup and instinctively continued our conversation which was momentarily abrupted. He was talking about his adventures in Palawan and his celebrity friends: Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion. I asked him if they're really an item (as the news insinuates). He smiled and told me to be the judge. He took his ipod touch and showed me the photos he took while they were on location. Apparently, the two celebrities were chosen by his client to be their endorsers. I listened while sipping from my cup. But I was multi-tasking. I was entertaining other thoughts in my head. I was thinking of another person (the one whom I wished I am sharing this conversation with).

The guy changed the topic and talked about our common friend, my classmate from college. Then he asked me: “How about you Rayts, do you have a husband?” I almost burst into a laugh. Good thing I already finished my cup. I gave him a crooked smiled. “Yes, I do. But only in my mind.” He doesn’t seem to hear what I (just) said. He knew I am single; he knew I have no husband. I wanted to ask him back: “How about you? I believe you are 38, how come you don’t have a wife?” Does he even appreciate levity in a moment of misunderstanding? I guess. As I have heard from his brother, he’ got the best sense of humor.

-------
[PS]

I went to see The Little Fockers the other day with Miks at Trinoma. Geezus, it was freezing cold inside the cinema. The weather has been fairly strange the past few days. It's colder now in Metro Manila, the wind is numbing on the cheek when you take a stroll at night. Inside the cinema was worst. I had to give my sweater to Miks. Between the two of us, I have higher resistance to cold (i think). By the time we finished the film, I could hardly make it to the exit. My feet were ice cold. Brr.

The movie sucked by the way. Sorry. But I could only count the very few times I laughed. The movie was cheesy, it broke the humor. I like the previous 2 Fockers flicks. =)

It’s funny how everything and anything reminds me of you...

...including a 16 oz. of Figaro’s piping hot brewed coffee.

---------

[postscript]

random...

...been out the past few days. 3 weeks of overtime is no joke. every bit of me is aching (physically). i've been having this cough and colds for two weeks now and i am growing sick and tired of it. people must have gotten used to hearing me "bark!" geesuz.

...yesterday, i went out to have a date with myself. i wanted to spend the whole Sunday visiting bookstores, watching a great film and enter a coffee shop doing nothing but watching the people passing by. that's the old me. i enjoy doing these things. i did and it was nice. i visited powerbooks (they have a new outlet at the other building of megamall, a smaller one, i like their old place though). i planned on buying a really nice book but opted not to because i am afraid that i wouldn't be able to read the other books in my shelves which are begging to be read. i also went to see Ben Affleck's The Town which was surprisingly good. I wanted to watch Eat, Pray, Love but the time wasn't conducive. I did stay inside a coffee shop, just watching people's shoes. I sipped and I watched them passed by. shoes. all kinds.

...tomorrow i have to be in Pampanga for another mind-numbing meeting on biotechnology. i had to fill in for my boss. i miss my cube. i wish i am just in my cube for the next few days. i miss travelling. never on official business.

...i miss being on top of a mountain. i miss the cold air there.

... i dread christmas.

I am sleepy most of the time that I’ve been missing "valuable opportunities" to be with you

I value sleep a lot. Give me a straight eight-hour sleep a day and I will be happy. I hate going to work, facing my pc, having to write an article or a speech and I am sleepy. It’s a good thing that we always have coffee in the office. I am getting by somehow.

----------
The story of the sleepy-looking girl [part 1]

One late night at Starbucks somewhere in Quezon City.

A sleepy-looking girl was standing in front of the counter. She was scouting for the names written on the menu although in her mind, she already knew what drink to order. She always order cappuccino so it should not take her long to decide. But at that particular moment, it took her some time to make up her mind.

The guy at the cashier had a smile on his face, patiently waiting for the sleepy-looking girl to say her order. The tag on his shirt says, “Mar”. He had a green apron on top of his shirt.

“One cappuccino tall please,” finally the sleepy-looking girl said to the guy. She looked at him and noticed the mole on the tip of his nose. It suits his face, she thought.

“Will you be drinking that here or to go?” he answered back still smiling. His teeth were awesome white, she thought.

“Here,” she softly answered.

“Can I get your name, ma’am?” he asked again. The smile on his face remained.

The girl was silent for a moment. She blushed a little. But she wasn't sure. She could not look at him. She usually doesn’t give her name. Usually, it’s “Joey” or “Sarah” or “Anne” or any of Murakami’s protagonists or "Naoko" or "Ayumi" because she likes names that have a Japanese sound to it. But that particular night was different. She felt like giving away her real name.

“Margarita” she finally said.

“One cappuccino tall for Margarita coming up!” he said it in a template-ish, mechanical kind of way. But the smile did not fade which made the sleepy-looking girl all perk up and alive.

The sleepy-looking girl looked back before finally settling in her table. She was surprised to see him looking back.

She decided: tomorrow she'll have the Cafe Americano, same time, same coffeeshop, same name.

Mug with a heart (not really a post valentine entry, i am too "bitter" for that)

It’s always been the eyes that are at fault.
They tease the senses and send a message to the brain—
that something is sweet just by the looks of it,
not knowing the slight bitterness
— that lingers after it touches the tongue.

-------

Breakdance ‘to behbeh ko!

No meaningless randomness here, just historical contingency, hehe.

For those who have seen the film, you know what the heck my title means (and the humor). Oh yea, I am so ‘jologs’ I watched the film twice. Haha! I think I will be having two more invites for the next few days and I was thinking…”why not watch it again, and again.” Especially if the tickets are for free.

The first time was with my two office buddies, Deb and Etch. And because we could not contain our feelings, we went "starbucks-ing' afterwards.

DEB: Hmm, should I watch it again? I must admit, the movie was funny I almost farted from my seat, nyehehe!

ETCH: I will join you for the next round. No need to beg me, Rayts.

DEB and ETCH (rolling eyes) : Yes, we will watch the movie again!

DEB and ETCH (Chinese eyes) : We told you, we will watch the movie again!

MARGARITA's CUP: I am ready for my third! Anyone with a free ticket there? :-D

If you want entertainment, this movie will crack you up. Other than that, I don't think there's need to be all intellectual and analytical about the plot. :-D

------

I live for coffee and a mouthful of indigestible words for breakfast

Boring meetings, they could get you down to your deepest core. Thank god for coffee! I could have snored in the middle of the discussion. My boss is in Spain hoping to ride the night train to Germany and I was here, cowering in the midst of fireball and flurry.

--------

LAST NIGHT IN CAMBODIA: A Vietnamese dinner with Toe

Part 1: Jumping from the virtual world

So it was our last night in Phnom Penh.

And what could be a better way of spending our final night than having our last dinner with a fellow blogger, Toe. Yes, I have mentioned her here quite a few times ever since we started this Indochina adventure. But way before I started visiting and commenting in her blog, I used to be a frequent lurker since I kinda see myself traveling in that part of the world one day. And knowing that she is a Filipino working there helped me a lot, particularly in getting a first glimpse of how it is living there. But little did I know that I will one day meet her in person.

I did tell her that we will travel via Phnom Penh going to Ho Chi Minh City. But I didn’t quite expect that she would actually invite us to meet her. Honestly, I was flattered. But I was hesitant too. I haven’t actually met someone from the virtual world and the idea of actually meeting someone from that world is still a strange idea to me. No, don’t get me wrong, I am ecstatic to meet Toe I just don’t know if she would be thrilled to meet me. I just hate disappointing people especially those who have prior notion of me (physically, mentally, spiritually). I might not be the person they thought I would be. And that’s a real spank on the ass, to tell you the truth.

The thing about blogging is that, people read your thoughts without judgment, just an honest-to-goodness curiosity that other people may really find interesting or useful for them. What I am trying to say is that, there are no expectations. This is because at the back our minds, we never really entertain the idea that one day, we will actually see these people in the flesh and that we have to make a solid, good impression on them. Okay, this is just me and my thoughts. I don’t know about you, but I have always looked at blogging not merely as an outlet but also as an extension of myself. And being at that, you somehow expose yourself to a certain "risk" that the people you know in real life will read your thoughts and haunt you back. A vulnerable stage.

As an apathetic blog reader, you merely rely on what kind of information is being fed to you, and that’s where the clout of the blogger comes in. You form an image on the bases of that. And it sticks to you, no matter how shallow they maybe.

So anyhow, I have gotten over this ‘groundless anxiety’ and decided to embark on my first blogger eyeball (EB). Toe actually wrote a very engaging entry on our first meeting in her blog.

Part 2: Meeting Toe

Like any first meeting, I had my own thoughts on what Toe would actually look like in person. This is crazy but I was in a real deep thought that night, sitting at the corner of the guesthouse's lobby while waiting for her to arrive. Oki was reading a magazine at the other end of the seat looking so cool about it. Between the two of us, she handles this kind of situation more unfussy. She’s good with people (conversing most especially).

I was in an awe thinking how the hell am I going to introduce myself and how to reassure her that I am not a bad person. I really have the weirdest thoughts when I am anxious. I feel really edgy meeting people on the first day because this is where “first impressions” are formed and usually, people get the wrong impression of me during the first meeting. This is precisely the reason why I am not fond of EBs and blind dates. Also, I am really shy and I am not a very sociable person. But I get over that once I know the person really well. Most of my close friends are those that I didn’t get along (so) well during our first meetings. They usually have the wrong impressions of me and vice versa.

Toe arrived in a cozy-looking Hyundai Tucson. She was wearing a skirt and a blouse and she had this little, cute clip on her hair. As I approached her, she belted from the window of her car something like: “Rayts!?” The greeting was so warm that it really put me to an ease.

She looked exactly like what I have imagined. Pretty much close. Chinita-looking, fair skin, and really pretty. Her fair skin made me look like a real nog-nog having a sunburnt skin due to our travels in Siem Reap the previous days. Amputi ni Toe nagmukha tuloy akong Kirara sa kaitiman! And may I just say she’s prettier than Bea Lucero! No wonder her honey is so patay na patay to her! Well, I am biased as I have special affinity for Chinese-looking people.

Part 3: A Vietnamese dinner

Toe drove us to a Vietnamese Hole-in-Wall resto, I believe it’s their favorite restaurant. The place was not crowded which was good and I for once, felt I was already in Vietnam having those skinny Vietnamese waitress clad in ao dai greeting us.

Digging from Toe’s previous blog entry, this Vietnamese resto is called An Nam which I don’t know the meaning of. Talking about “ideas and concepts that jumped out from the virtual world” I found it odd that we’re actually dramatizing a somewhat scene from Toe’s entry. We often read about this particular resto and the food there in her blog entries.

Toe ordered ca kho me, a fat fish in caramel and tamarind which we savored in all its goodness! It was really, really rich in flavor. We also had chicken pho complete with lemon, herbs, and bean sprouts; and of course spring rolls! To top it all, we had Vietnamese coffee with milk which was wickedly bitter and sweet. Oki loved the food and the coffee that we tried finding them again when we were in Vietnam. We had the ca phe sua da but we couldn’t find any ca kho me simply because we don’t know how to say it.

Here are some photos. Not really a top notch. I am not as good as Ferdz when it comes to food photography. I didn't use a flash and my hands were shaking. :-(

I am basically a chicken and noodle lover so much so that I enjoyed this chicken pho. Pho 24, the one in Rockwell, has perhaps the best chicken pho, next to the authentic one I had in Vietnam.

Ca kho me, a fat fish in caramel and tamarind. Toe's favorite. Our favorites.

Spring rolls! We ordered spring rolls in Phoa Hoa and the taste and the coating were not the same. Even the texture and the presentation.

Rice and herbs. I love their sticky rice and their fresh garnishing.

Toe paid our bill, which made me sank to my seat. Oki and I promised a payback dinner when she comes back in the country. :-D

After making our stomach happy, Toe gave us a ride in her Hyundai Tucson with a Bon Jovi music at the background, which was the coolest. She gave us a night tour and brief background of Phnom Penh. She and Oki were talking most of the time while we were having the tour. I enjoyed looking at the city which was totally different at night having all those colorful lights and sights.

Thank you Toe for this wonderful experience. :-)

---------

Hanging out at My Crib

After I finished covering the event at UPLB, I texted Crim and asked her if we could grab a cup of coffee somewhere before I go back to Manila. It was was around 10am and the weather was already scorching hot. Not really a good time for a sip but well, it is coffee we're talkin' about here so I really don't care.

We went to My Crib, a nice and cosy coffeeshop, a few walks away from the main campus. I've heard it from a fellow coffeeaddict and she's been recommending me to go there if ever I passed by the campus again. This trip made it possible. Love the place and the ambiance.

I immediately spotted their little signage on my way from the main road (Grove).

That's the mother of the owner-manager of the shop talking to Crim. She's been getting our orders since we got there. She's friendly and accomodating too.

That's the friendly barista preparing our coffees. I love how the place was designed. If My Crib was already near the area during my college days, this would have my favorite hangout.

This is one of their sample menus. Their coffee blends look really promising. But Crim and I ordered the classic cappuccino (tall of course!). I am a cappuccino addict. Yeba!

The inside interior of My Crib. It looks and feels very homey. And since it is airconditioned, even the carpeted floor is conducive for a quick nap.

This is their TALL cappuccino. I call this JUMBO cappuccino. It feels like sipping from a soup bowl. Nyarr!

The room is filled with these soft, orangey bean bags and huggable pillows.

This is Crim getting ready to go online. She wants to show me a video presentation of their Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) project campain which is a part of her MS study.

I decide to go online myself. I love their flat screen. At the left side, there's a viewing room wherein you can watch dvds all day long.

-------

Of betting, coffee, and cheesecake

Oki and I went to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf the other day so she could collect her prize from our latest bet—a mug of coffee and a slice of cheesecake. I am one habitual loser. I’ve had at least five bets with her and I only won once (with a sweating effort). We usually bet when we can’t agree on things, from the most trivial things to some of the most decisive issues we discuss out of whim.

Betting is never borne out of a habit but more of a necessity to prove a particular point (especially if the other person has the greatest conviction). Say for example, Oki and I were on our way home and we talked about the coming boxing fight of Manny Pacquiao and Golden Boy as promoter of his Las Vegas fights. Oscar dela Hoya came into the discussion and why he likes the attitudes of Filipino boxers over the Mexicans (in reference to an interview he made in one of the local televisions). And out of the blue a question is popped: Isn’t de la Hoya of Mexican descent? Oki said, “No, he’s Puerto Rican!” I said, “He is Mexican.”

Since we have no way of knowing who is right and who is wrong we’ll turn it into a bet. If you think about it, my reason for betting that Oscar is of Mexican descent is not logical. Dela Hoya liking Filipino boxers over the Mexicans and he is of Mexican descent isn’t in any way consistent. But anyway, I told Oki I've read it somewhere. But I wasn't sure then. Betting with her makes me feel (so) unsure in most cases. But I bet nonetheless, just to prove my point.

Anyway, I won this bet. The only bet I’ve ever won so far. Lessons learned: never bet if you’re not sure about what you are betting on. Or as Peter would usually say, don’t bet at all.

The most expensive coffee in the world comes from the poop of a cat

…to be precise, this coffee comes from the poop of the Asian Palm Civet, locally-known here as alamid. This cat-sized mammals are fond of eating ripe coffee berries, which they excrete with the partially-digested beans in their poop. Thus, the name Civet coffee.

In Indonesia the coffee is known as kopi luwak, in Vietnam it’s synonymous with their weasel coffee, in the Philippines it’s known as kape alamid.

Coffee beans from the poop of the civet.

Roasted Civet coffee beans in jars, ready for grinding.

The other week, Oki texted me that she was having a cup of civet coffee somewhere in Makati trying to wind away the time. She expected it to be expensive but she was affronted by the price anyway. She said a cup of civet coffee cost her 250 pesos (around $5 a cup). But she loved it.

----

Postscript: I might change web address again. I am setting up a new site, mainly for photoblogging. ;-)

Not so much of a photographic merit but a mere choronicle

The past few days have been a hullaballoo. My father was in the hospital due to a kidney problem (or so, that was the diagnosis) but he was confined because his fever won't tire out. I was there practically the whole weekend. I never liked hospitals (who does?). I hate everything that it stands for. If I could get away from it, I would. I even hate doctors and going to them. It sounds foolish but I have been like this since forever.

So anyway, when you're inside the hospital, you're bound NOT to sleep. I was with my mother and often times, I would leave the hospital for coffeebreaks. The last 2 days, I have practically sort out and tried every coffeeshop I could find around the area. Drank every last drop of what they could offer me. Just to stay awake for the rest of the night.

Around 10pm, I was still scouting for my third cup.

I didn't bring any book when I was there so I went to the nearest BookSale shop and found this book by Rachel DeWoskin, Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China. An interesting read for a price of 40 pesos (less than $1). I've finished a third of the book before I headed to the bus station at around 3am.

Going to South Expressway, the bus got busted and all passengers were stranded at the side of the rode at 4:15 am. The next bus comes around every 15-20 minutes. What's up with that? Most of the passengers were men so there was a slight chance that I could fight my way in for the next bus that would come along. Or so I thought.

When the next bus came, I was really gunning for it. The coffee I drank made me all awake and all-ready to fight. After the running and the struggling, me and my backbacp made our way in. I was in Quezon City around 5:15 am.

Barako coffee anyone?

Barako...the Aguinaldo blend.

A bag of these Barako coffee costs a hundred pesos (less than $2).

She's giving me my bag. "Nang, libre na lang please?!"

ABOUT THE PHOTO:

I bought one of these bags of Barako coffee yesterday during a fair exhibit sponsored by the office. I had a mug of freshly brewed this morning. Ah, it's perfect. I am all perk-up and invigorated just smelling its aroma. The office is organizing this fair exhibit (almost) regularly to showcase various products from different regions of the Philippines. These are products research ready for commercialization such as health foods like organic sugar, organic veggies, wine from fruits, etc. I went to the Cavite State University booth and found what I was looking for…barako!

Barako is a Liberica-type of coffee which is native to the Philippines and grown particularly in Batangas and in Cavite. This type of coffee is known for its particularly strong taste, powerful flavor, and a distinctly pungent aroma. It has a big demand among Filipinos (particularly coffee-addicts) that any local coffee shop, resto or home wouldn’t be complete without it.

The barako beans are indigenous to the Philippines, although the trees can also be found in Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia. Of the four identified species of coffee, liberica has the largest cherries and therefore, bigger beans. Liberica is now predominantly grown in the province of Cavite.

------------

Would you have coffee with me? Please. (do i really have to beg)

I don't mind if you don't talk. The thought of sharing a mug with you, in one table, facing each other is simply surreal. But what would it costs you? Perhaps some minutes of your time. :-)