23 - Things you can never teach your little girl

"Wow Tita this room is awesome!" my 8-year old niece exclaimed, her eyes full of admiration at all the panda stuffed toys and pillows all over the place. Her gaze focused on the 3-feet tall panda plush on my bed and when she found out who gave it to me, she said,

"Ohhhh he really likes you a lot. Didn't he?"

For a moment I was dumbfounded --my mouth hanging, my throat dry with words; a 'yes' barely escaped my tongue, but a resounding 'no' was playing at the back of my mind. Heck, how do you explain to a kid that a boy could give you everything you want on earth, but still not love you enough? 

I chose to stay quiet. Some things, you can never teach your little girl. 

22 - Dining with Pandas, Giraffes & Tigers

MAKATI CITY is probably one of the busiest areas in the Philippines. I've often heard people say this is our country's equivalent of the NYC considering that people in business attires seem to be walking and rushing all over the place. Amid all the chaos, pollution, tall buildings and honking of cars, herein situated is a haven where one could take a break, even momentarily, from the buzz of corporate life.

Zoo Coffee brings with it the serene ambiance of an animal-themed cafe where a lot of cutesy stuffed toys and furnitures would greet you at the onset. It is a Korean-franchised Cafe which opened its first (and only, as of this writing) branch at the ground floor of Alphaland (near RCBC). Outside boasts a towering life-sized giraffe while inside you will be greeted with stuffed pandas, white tigers, as well as monkeys hanging on artificial trees. They surely would love to dine with you! The cafe is decorated in zebra stripes as well.

The menu does not fall far from the origins: it's Korean! Smoothies with yogurt, ades, frappe, waffle, teas, specialty coffee, pastries, ice cream, sandwiches - chicken and hotdog with your choice of flavor (there's teriyaki, there's bbq). Pasta was not yet available as of this writing but they will be, soon!

Here's some snaps of our brunch:

You can choose between having the sandwich ala-carte, or with salad. And look, even the latte art screams zebra!

Hello there! You should come visit me soon. I give free hugs! - Panda

You should go and try it for yourself!

-Cheng

21 - On Double Chocolate Green Tea, Curfew & Magnetic Poetry

21 - On Double Chocolate Green Tea, Curfew & Magnetic Poetry

Every now and then, Starbucks is offering us new beverages which are available only for a limited period of time. This summer, they created entirely new beverages from our old favorites - one of which is the Double Chocolate Green Tea Frappuccino! Coming from the recipe of the Green Tea Creme Frappe, they added two layers of chocolate sauce for us to enjoy. I am definitely in love with this blend! Well, I know a lot of people do not appreciate strong tea flavors thus kudos to Starbucks for adding the chocolate to counter this. A must-try! I encourage you to try it, you will not regret it! 

Because YES. Everything is possible with chocolate and tea <3 

Photo grabbed from Starbucks PH website.
E kasi naubos ko na before I can even take a picture :P

Here’s the price list:

Tall – ₱ 175; Grande ₱ 185; Venti– ₱ 195

I ordered it “to-go” at around 9PM last June 23, 2016, then roamed around a little bit at the Plaza. I was observing the by-standers and in all fairness, there were no children wandering on the streets. The night before, I volunteered to join a group of people responsible for ensuring that the 10PM curfew is being abided by the citizens. Surprisingly, the streets were without minors! I was kinda expecting a little bit of drama, but hey this is a good sign that the people are actually taking this seriously. I have heard stories that when they first enacted the curfew, they were able to pick up a lot of minors roaming around past 10PM. It has been what? A week or two since then? Just wow. We’re so close to being a real child-friendly city. Kudos to our hardworking government employees, and of course, I’m giving credits to our incoming president. Keep the good change coming! :)

Going home with tea on my hand, what’s left to do but poetry? Weeks ago, I met with my college friends in Katipunan and whoa the changes since we graduated last 2013. We visited the Common Room PH, where artsy and cute stuff were being sold. What caught my attention is the black poetry magnets kit, costing around P350. (Thanks Eula for the magnetic board P180). I was actually lost at first. I cannot seem to think of any coherent thoughts with the limited availability of words. It took quite some time for my right brain to function and here’s the end results...

First, I stayed loyal to the exact words available:

I'm OKAY.

Home :)

Second, I added a little bit of creativity by forming words with the available letters like below:

Rage

Lyrics from "Fight Song". Too much feels when I watched this being
performed in America's Got Talent. You guys gotta see it!
Check on youtube. 

Drowning

This new toy keeps me up at night! If you’re interested, visit Common Room PH at Katipunan OR order online through Poetry Magnets PH web below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoetryMagnetsPH/?fref=ts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poetrymagnetsph/

Love,

Cheng

PS. Coz wordporn & foodporn are the only porns I love :P

20 - Traveling Solo & Exploring Baguio

I have always wanted to try traveling solo. I dream to become a backpacker and see the world and wander and decide for myself where home is. But things, as always, happen. It’s like I was suddenly living a life tied up with circumstances that I can never change. Circumstances that do not allow me to live as I see fit. Suddenly, I felt old. It was like one day I woke up and reality hit me, brutally hard, on the face. When did I let myself get tangled up in this toxic adult life? Going to work five to six days a week, spending the weekends doing chores and errands. Repeat. It was so frustrating. It was a routine. It was lethal. I had to stop doing it. So one day I woke up, packed my bags and rode that bus going to Baguio. And man, I’m telling you it was liberating. It was worth it.

So here are the things that I’ve learned on this trip:

1) You do not need an expensive hotel to stay at, especially if you’re out on the streets for most of the day. In Baguio, there are a lot of transient homes and dormitories/hostels that are cheap but have good reviews. You may book and check with Agoda. I’ve seen dormitories that offer P500 or less for one night, while a standard room in hotels range from P1k to P3k per night.

I would’ve booked for a bedspace in a dormitory but I had a last minute cold feet about the idea. Roughly two years ago, I had a horrible experience of bed bugs in a condo in Makati which costed me a fortune, thus my kaartehan when it comes to beds. My skin is very sensitive to insect bites and the scars have not fully healed yet. I do not want to risk it. Cringe. Also, if you are a sucker for soft fluffy beds and have no itinerary (and are considering to just waste away on a bed in a hotel), and for the life of it cannot YET stand the thought of common bathrooms, then you may opt for the more expensive ones. Yep, I have so many issues that i hope I could move on from so I could stay a little longer in the places I wish to visit. Comfort doesn’t have to come too high a price (I wish). 

While I’m at it, I would recommend the place that I stayed at: Casa Vallejo. Located at the Upper Session Road, the place is accessible and is near SM Baguio, Burnham Park, Baguio Museum, Harrison Road (where there’s a night market from 9pm to 12 midnight), and different restaurants and spas. I booked this through Agoda for 2k per night (expensive for a solo traveler but not so much if you have someone to split the costs with). The room comes with a bathroom with hot and cold shower, a television with sky cable, and complimentary breakfast for two at The Hill Station. Check-in time is at 2:00pm while check-out is at 12PM. I was surprised though that Casa Vallejo doesn’t have any airconditioned rooms. They just have these giant wooden ceiling fans installed in each room. Nevertheless, you won’t be needing the ACs since it’s plenty cold already. Must add, friendly staff too!

Casa Vallejo

giant ceiling fan

standard room for 2pax

There are three choices for the free breakfast at The Hill Station, Pinoy Style, Country style & Omelette. The meal comes with either coffee or juice. The regular cost of the meal is P200.

by the window @ The Hill Station

Omelette with bacon & onions, potatoes & bread
with strawberry jam + butter on the side

2) Google maps is the best companion, ever. Download it in the app store NOW. It got me to places and saved me from the trouble of searching blindly. I walked around the city proper since the hotel I was staying at is in a good location. Saved me a lot of taxi fares too. If possible, try to learn how to commute via jeepneys. The jeepney terminals are located at the public market. I still recommend taxis though especially if you’re traveling as a group. Taxi drivers in Baguio (in my experience) are very disciplined and would not ask for you to pay more than what is stated in the meter (unlike in Manila…). When I went to Ben Cab Museum, I asked for the driver to wait for me while I roam around because based on online blogs that I’ve read, it’s hard to get a ride back to Burnham Park - which I could kind of attest to considering that when I got there, there were groups of people hailing my cab. Even when I was leaving, a lot of people are outside waiting for a ride back. 

Entrance to the BenCab ecotrail

Here are some of my favorite pieces in the museum: (I won't be posting much. You are encouraged to go see the beauties for yourself! :) )

"I think, therefore I am." - R. Descartes
Thinking Man

Gaze

3) Check the hourly weather forecast on your travel dates. This is so you could plan where you would be if the rain falls. With this being said, ensure that you go to Tam-Awan Village BEFORE the rainfall. The Garden in the Sky is a refreshing experience, though the climb was really physically exhausting, and muddy too. After exploring the village, I treat myself to a strawberry shake and Tam-Awan Cafe’s pride: Highlander Pasta. The pasta is a 4/5 for me! It’s oil based, with lots of tomatoes, plus smoked meat too!

Exploring Tam-Awan!

The Dreamer: Exhibit at the Tam-Awan Village

Tam-Awan Village: Garden in the Sky

Rest mode @ View Deck 1 after an exhausting climb

DREAAAAM CATCHERRRRR :))))

Well instead of eating it in the confines of a coffee shop, I had the Highlander Pasta wrapped for take out so I could eat my lunch under the tree at Burnham Park.

Highlander Pasta P220

Burnham Park

Swan Lake @ Burnham Park; Brownish water is due to the rain

One of the few times I wish I know how to ride a bike
@ Burnham Park

4) Put your money in different places: have some in your bag, in your pocket, in your wallet, heck even in your undies if you want to. Just don’t put it all in one place. First, this is so when you lose your wallet or something, you will still have enough money to go back home. And second, this is an additional measure so I could restrain myself from splurging too much. Hehe! It works!

5) Do not wear slippers or sandals. Wear comfortable shoes please. Have pity on your soles. You may travel with style but my dear, how could you enjoy the beauty that is not you if you are constantly worrying about your dying feet? I wore my sneakers during my trip but hell I’d be wearing rubber shoes the next time I go here!

theviewfromwhereistand

"Mabato man ang daan, hinding hindi kita iiwan" whuuut #hugot

6) It’s okay to stick on a budget when traveling, but I hope you’re not spoiling your happiness by keeping tabs in everything you spend. 

7) When it comes to food, GO OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! You do not go to Cafe by the Ruins and order pesto or spaghetti meatballs, you have them in cafes at your hometown! Eat food that are not available elsewhere. Eat food that are tatak Baguio.

Cafe by the Ruins is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Well, the weather is cold so walking for 10mins with a sweater on is okay. :)

Cafe by the Ruins

Iced Ruins Coffee & Chicken Adobo Terrine

While waiting for the night market to open at 9pm, I went to Majic Oven (1minute walk from Casa Vallejo) and tried their strawberry cake. It was really cheap, costed around P70 if I remember it right. 

Strawberry Cake + Tea @ Majic Oven

Nightmarkets in Baguio also mean... foodtrip!

Try their binatog. It's good!

You may also want to try Tsokolateria's champorado! The cafe opened 2015 and is located at the higher upper session road, near Casa Vallejo.

Champorado with bacon, chicharon & espada on the side!

And of course, the visit won't be complete without the famous strawberry taho! I was able to buy one at the Mines View Park.

Wish I could’ve stayed a little longer. I’m sure to go back here one day soon and try the other cafes I haven’t had the luxury to visit, as well as go to Sagada (where broken hearts go). Lol. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience! But like all other life moments, this, too, shall end.

Chasing the sunset. MNL bound by 6PM.

Love,

Cheng

PS. I am very thankful to the Lord for taking care of me this whole trip. It was not possible without His guidance. To tell you the truth, I am a coward when it comes to sleeping in hotels alone. I had to turn on the TV the whole night and watch Adventure Time haha! You had no idea how much courage I needed to pursue this life goal. Now that I did it, I am looking forward to more solo travels in the future! (But first, I have to find a job so I can finance myself :P)


Anyway, here's a breakdown of the costs/expenses:
Fare from Cubao to Baguio and Baguio to Cubao: P1,000
Hotel (Casa Vallejo - 2k per night) P2,000
BenCab + Baguio Museum + Tam Awan Entrance P200
Taxi Fare (BenCab, Tam-Awan & Mines View) P500
Food and others est.  P1,300

19 - Sunday morning rain is falling

It is when you're breaking down and you have no one to turn to that you will realize how helpless you are -

It is during mornings when you're lying and crying your heart out on your bathroom floor and no one answers the phone;

It is at night when you lull yourself to sleep, hugging tight your pillow and kissing goodnight your dried tears;

It is at random days when you feel pain in your chest, and sobs turn to wails but there is no one to hold on to.

Sometimes you ask yourself why is it that people only love you when you're happy? 

What about when you're lonely, or in grief? Ahh. But who wants a broken toy when one could easily put his hand on a new one? Who wants to see a lover hanging on to dear life on a bathroom floor when there's someone out there who would sing in karaokes with him? Good times. Who would want to kiss away tears on nights when he could just rendezvous and taste that someone else's happy lips?

When all else fails, who would be there for you when you need it most?

And when all else fails for someone else, will you be with her, all the way?

18 - On Tabletop Games & Free WiFi

We live in a time where facebook/four-square check-ins and snapchats are cool; and importance is measured in the number of likes and followers that one could get in social media. While internet has paved way for us to connect with everyone who’s online, it has also disconnected us to the ones we are physically close to. I often see people hang-out in coffee shops and restaurants with their heads on their phones instead of engaging in a conversation with the ones they are with. They are browsing their facebook feed perhaps looking for the latest chikas, snapchatting their food or taking their selfies, tweeting their opinion about whatever’s trending, and so on. We seem to have this dire need to “connect” and showcase whatever’s happening in our lives. Thus, telecommunications companies are now offering affordable MB packages and “unlimited” internet to their users. It is no secret however, that connections can get really crappy at times. With this being said, one of the frequently asked questions when visiting a coffee shop/restaurant/hotel is this: “May free wi-fi po ba kayo?” (in English: Do you have free wi-fi?). We just cannot last a day without checking our social media accounts!

It has also come to my knowledge the tragic outcome of a recently held music event. What this generation has failed to understand is the fact that you can be sober and still have the laugh of your life. Yes people, it is possible. I grew up playing table top games - chess, visionary, word factory, millionaire’s game, bingo cards, even tong-its and pusoy dos. I grew up with ISP Bonanza and dial up connections wherein you only get to “friendster" and check your mail when it is important. I grew up knowing how to communicate with the people I am dining with. Even now that I am in my 20s, I am still collecting tabletop games for my sessions with my friends (my latest buy was “Battleship”) because we are past the drink until you drop stage. So, you probably cannot imagine my joy when we discovered “Lanterns Game and Grub”, a newly opened resto in Antipolo. What differentiated this cool hang-out place from everything else is this: their table top games collection which you may pick from once you’ve placed your order! Yaaay! <3 Located at the 2nd Floor of E-Max Building, Circumferential Road (near Ynares Center), it is the first board game resto in the city. The gimmick is so “fetch”. :D 

For the place it is a 4.5/5 (even though there was no free wi-fi. I believe it is just right because guys, you seriously have to interact. Upload the damn pictures after the visit okay? This could’ve been a 5 but when we visited, the room temperature was a little bit warm for my liking. Summer in the Philippines is just … )

Also here’s a good look on their menu for your reference. Note though that this is a newly-opened resto and they are still building up their menu:

P.S The doodles make a really good background. :D 

Here’s what we ordered… [I did not rate those items that I did not taste test. But I wrote my playmates’ opinion(s) on the subject].

First on the drinks: I ordered Chocnut Banana Shake P120 (3.5/5), while my playmates ordered Chocolate Shake (3/5), Cookies and Cream (4/5), Lemonade Tea (unrated) and Mango Shake (unrated). Well we definitely enjoyed our milkshakes, except that one of my playmates commented on the mango shake as somewhat “lacking". We had to ask one of the staff to have this remedied. I have to give them a 5 for the very friendly staff - our comments were well-received and they were very patient with us when we asked them to teach us how to play some of the unfamiliar tabletop games). Other than that, everything else is good. (Note, cookies and cream is still the best! It is not yet in the menu since it was an addition after the soft opening.)

Cookies and Cream on the side while enjoying a good game of crocodile whatever

Banana chocnut loving while building our own cat tower

Kuya is patiently teaching us how to play this Game of Thrones board game.
It was a pain in the ass but really looked fun.

Amazed at this Jenga-like game titled Suspend.

Second, on the appetizers/finger food/grub: We ordered Pulled Beef Nachos P180 (3.5/5), Onion rings P160 (3.5/5), Blueberry Waffle P120 (unrated), White Truffle Cream Pasta P190 (4/5) and Margherita Pizza P250 (unrated).

Pulled Beef Nachos drizzled with cheese, bacon and jalapenos

Onion Rings P160

The onion rings were crunchy and fried to perfection! It was a little bit too oily however, and the onion strips were thin. But so what, I'm definitely getting this again on my next visit. Finger foods go well with "bored" games!

Blueberry waffle P120

My playmates enjoyed this very much, they might be willing to give a 4 or 5 on this! (plus, it's cheap).

White Truffle Cream Pasta P190

I am not a fan of cream based pasta but when I took a bite on this one, well I can't deny it was good! Will definitely try their chicken pesto next time.

Margherita P250

I would've tried this one, sadly I ate two slices of Papa John's pizza before going here. My playmates were insisting it was good. Will definitely try this when I come back on Saturday (yes, this Saturday. I just can't wait to come back here and play all the games lol)

Here's a snap of their tabletop games collection:

Some of the games we played:

Tic Tac Toe x Lift it! x Cards Against Humanity x Suspend x
Cat Tower x Game of Thrones x Telestrations

And some fun shots during our game night:

Kagat labi while "lifting it!"

Roma's moment of glory

playmates!

playmates v2

Life is a game of tic tac toe... Lolwhut?

Happiness level 9999999999999. Will definitely be back! And I am sharing this place with you guys so you could come visit and experience the fun! Tara, laro tayo!

Love,

Cheng

P.S We need places like this. Places where we are not slaves of our mobile phones and free wifi is not needed and the only use of internet connection is to google search the mechanics of an unfamiliar game.

UPDATE:

As promised, I've been visiting this place since we've discovered it & I've been trying out the other choices in their menu.

First, they added strawberry milkshake yuuuum! Baguio feels right here <3

And of course, as a self-professed pesto lover, I tried their pesto pasta. While in all honesty I really loved the pesto sauce, the chicken I did not like so much :P (3/5)

But the best I've tried so far is this, s'mores! <3 Grabe sweet things talaga are <3 <3 <3
Giving this a 5!

My new favorite board game would be this, Ticket to Ride! Saw this in Lazada and they were selling it for around P2k plus. HUHU I promise pag-iipunan talaga kita.

Some of the photos during my subsequent visit (with a different set of playmates):

with our baby playmate

support system since HS!