End Credits

Thank you sooo much for visiting dropsofjune.blogspot.com.
We're now officially brewing at www.brewingsessions.com.

Warming Up

We've been grinding a batch of roasted beans for more than four weeks now. And we're going to brew it this month. Hotnessss. ;-)

Super thanks to Nats and broe for the kickoff tips!

Floaters

We gave Gabi three choices for her 3rd birthday celebration: Jollibee, Bahay, or Pool. She would repeat those options with her three fingers up in the air, imitating how her tito enumerated them. And she would end up with "Pool!".

Our initial plan was a resort with pool in Puerto Galera. But due to the rescheduling of my company's major product release and the bad weather in the past week, we let go of our first choice, and started looking for a place closer to Manila. We came up with a short list covering Tagaytay, Batangas, and Rizal. After several inquiries and my backing up, I convinced him to convince Nay to try Club Manila East. I was positive that Gabi, Nay, and Giselle would enjoy because I had seen the place during my Trend Micro years.

So it was a CME trip for Gabi's birthday last June 10.

Travel Mug:

From Robinsons Galleria, we rode a GLiner Bus going to Taytay, Rizal. After an hour, the driver dropped us at the main gate of Club Manila East. Since the resort strictly prohibits bringing of food inside, we decided to eat lunch first before going in. After a swift Chowking meal, we headed to the jeepney mini-terminal at the gate, and made a short ride to the main resort.

Our transporation allowance (one-way): P120 taxi going to Rob, P26 (per person) bus going to Taytay, P7 (per person) jeep going to the resort.

What's Hot?

The place is definitely huge. It is designed to cater corporate events, family affairs, and other group activities. Aside from pools, CME has function rooms for conferences, conventions, parties, and other occasions. It also provides a 2-hour basic surfing lesson for P1,500 inclusive of the surfboard, instructor, and pool entrance.

For daytime stay, guests can choose from any of the following accommodation:

• Cabanas - P2,500
• Huts - P2,000
• Beach View Cabin - P2,200
• Picnic Area or tents - P310

Each package includes an accommodation for up to five persons, and use of all pools and kayaks. An extra person only costs P260.

For overnight stay, guests can stay at one of the following villas:

• Doña Luz Villa - P3,300 (up to five persons)
• Don Renato Villa - P3,050 (two persons only)

Each package includes an accommodation for two persons, breakfast for two, use of all pools and kayaks. An extra person only costs P700, which also gives him/her the mentioned perks. We stayed at Room 506 of Doña Luz, and Gabi still passed the height limit of 3ft for free entrance. Woohoo!

CME also boasts the following oversized water facilities:

• Beach Waves
• Ocean Waves
• Easy River
• Lap Pool (for swimming lessons and training)
• Kiddie Pool with waterfalls and fountains (part of Fun Lagoon)
• Adult Pool with a giant 3-looped slide (part of Fun Lagoon)
• Boating area for kayaking (part of Fun Lagoon)
• Sun-screened Pool (part of Fun Lagoon)
• Bean-shaped pool

We weren't able to try the Lap Pool, Easy River and Ocean Waves, which only opens during weekends and holidays. Oh, guests are required to wear proper swimming attire. When we were there, those guests wearing something made of cotton, like shirts and shorts, had been requested by the lifeguards to leave the pool. That was a downer.

In the evening, we held an exclusive small bash for Gab, hehe. She loved blowing her candles over and over again, and all of us fell for the cake. :)

What needs warming up?

The resort has only one in-house restaurant that operates from 6AM until 9PM. But there are other available booths, like Jollibee, Chowking, Shakeys and Itallianni's. These booths, however, close at 6PM. As expected, the price of most items skyrockets by more than 100% inside the resort. Even the cake has a corkage fee of P50 for small and P100 for big.

Our food allowance per person: P100 (per snack, twice), P130 (per dinner, once), free breakfast!

Another not so-hot thing about the place is the customer service. I think they need more improvement in that department. The staff were not so snappy. We needed to ask (or wonder) first for some basic things, like someone who would usher us to our villa or a printout of their restaurant's menu for room delivery. I think, it would help if they could provide some sort of "freshmen kit", which contains a visual map of the whole resort, the opening and closing schedules of some pools, booths and the resto, and some suggested activities, to every registered guest (or in every room).

How many bean stamps?
8 out of 10.

Our kiddo was so enthusiastic the whole time. Nay and Giselle liked the place, especially our room. My buddy had several "great hug" moments with Gabi. I was trigger-happy on the first day, and enjoyed the beach waves on the second day. And I didn't notice that I would be taking a very, very long weekend. :D

*****
Happy birthday, Gabi! Love every bouncy bit of you.

And thanks for my neat SuperProxy tee, buddy ko. :-)

Squeezed In

It was another "sandwiched" occasion for us— it's when our day of the month (or any special day) slots in another family event. We had Nay's birthday last Valentine's day, Mother's day last month, and Gabi's birthday this June. What we usually do is either mark the day with a cheap to run date, or celebrate two affairs in one activity.

For this month, we tried the Commons located along Valero Street, fronting my office building the Citibank Tower in Makati.

What's hot about this resto is the ambience. My buddy said that it's a cafeteria, sports bar, fine dining place all rolled into one. The first floor is a blend of a canteen and a bar feel, and the second floor looks like an intimate area for dating couples as a well as a good spot for sports enthusiasts (because of the giant screen showing a sports event projected on the opposite wall). The place is relatively small but its high ceiling and the tall mirror mounted on the wall of the stairs make it appear spacious.

Another good thing about this place is its menu— a fusion of Filipino, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish cuisines. You can bring a date or an expat without worrying about your order because you have lots of choices here.

What’s so hot about this resto is the customer service. We have tried other restaurants that also have polite and attentive staff. But in this particular eating place, almost every attendant near you would take his/her time to stop at your table, and check out if you still need anything without being pushy. They wouldn't wait until you empty or even half your bottomless beverage before they give you a refill. They would top up your soup bowl just on time.

What needs warming up about this place is the price relative to the serving size and taste of the food. I mean, the food that we ordered were not bad. But they were just OK. [This is my second visit, and on my first visit, I had the same assessment of the taste. I just didn't pay much attention to the receipt because it was my boss' treat, hehe.] A cup of plain rice costs around P60 (or P65?). We sampled the Crispy Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baka, plus two cups of plain rice, and a bottomless iced tea, and we paid around P1,000 (including service charge and VAT). Our bill was almost similar to that of our Agave's visit, but our experience with the latter was way fulfilling and didn't hurt our pocket.

How many bean stamps?

6 out of 10.

I would still recommend this place if you have a date or a foreign visitor, and you prefer an unruffled atmosphere during peak hours (and, of course, when you're already in Makati area). But for a normal lunch break or if you're on a budget, try to stroll along Valero Street for more options (or just go to Greenbelt or Glorietta instead). :)

*****

Happy 46th, buddy ko. *kugos*

Good Food All Day

Snatched my attention, as painted on the wall. My buddy watching some shows as foreground.

We dropped by Flapjacks, an all-day breakfast place, at the ground floor of Greenbelt 2 last May 9. At laaast. I'd been nudging him to check out this resto (the one in Robinsons Place) since late last year.

Took these pics using my N77, which has a lousy capture quality.
Made me miss my Sony Ericsson.

What's hot?

I was eyeing for their High Protein Tuna Sandwich but my buddy had been very persistent with the Double Blueberry Pancakes, which I thought was too much even for the two of us. But he had this good convincing mood going on, so there— double blueberry pancakes (P245) and a bottomless brewed coffee (P85) for me. I loved their pancakes! And, yeah, I enjoyed the caffeine-high I got there, too (although I still prefer Mesa's over this one). Two awesome points for him for the prodding. Their serving reminded me of that of Heaven 'n Eggs. The only difference is that the latter supplies you with their assortment of syrup choices. He ordered the Boneless Bangus (P395), which is also another hit.

[Their menu also consists of varied selection of soups, steaks, and salads. Next time, I might try their Country Chicken Fried Steak. :)]

The place is quite small but has a very cheerful feel— must be the interplay of red, orange, and yellow. It looks a little intimidating from the outside, considering that it is at the same row where Italiannis, Pepato, Mezze!, and Temple Bar are situated.

The customer service is notable as well. The attendants are accommodating and patient. You could take your time, without being bothered by a waiting attendant, in choosing which food to take. And your attendant would know the right moment when to come back to get your order.

What needs warming up?

I think the price is a bit steep for eating out on a daily basis or on ordinary days. But considering the serving size, taste and service, this breakfast place is worth a try. Also, all prices are already inclusive of VAT and subject to 10% service charge.

How many bean stamps?

7 out of 10. ;-)

*****
It was an easy afternoon. Happy 45th, buddy ko. :) *kugos*

Blueberry Tart

My buddy came home last Tuesday night with a box of six unassuming blueberry tarts from Amira's Buco Tart Haus in Tagaytay. Although I'm a huge fan of blueberry cheesecake and blueberry muffin, I was quite hesitant to try the tart right away. From the looks of it, I assumed that it would taste too sweet. But I was totally mistaken. Ah, my judgement these days, really. It tasted sooooo good. Neither sweet nor bland. The crust wasn't like that of the pili tarts that I usually buy in Bicol— small and with relatively thick coating. The texture was like that of the base of a nicely done mango graham cake or tiramisu— spongy and with dense fillings. Yummm!

I ate two big tarts in a row, and another one the next day. Basically, I ate half of the box, hehe.

Adding this to my list of blueberry favorites. :)

*****

Ayan, kulet, bili mo ko nun ulit ha? Sige na. :)

Spread

We made a swift follow-through on our previous Mesa visit. After watching Angels and Demons last Friday, we agreed on getting a table for two. It was already crowded inside. So, instead of waiting for our turn, we chose to dine al fresco. No one was smoking anyway.

We tried the Salpicao Ostrich, which looked like a steak. We weren't able to take a snapshot of it, though. It has the same texture and color of beef. It has an aftertaste if you eat just the meat; it tastes good if you eat it with the button mushrooms and a small amount of sauce. But my buddy said that it would taste even better if you eat it with wine. We also ordered the Asparagus Tips, which I initially underestimated. Shame on me, tsk, tsk. It is in fact appetizing— must be the sauce. Mesa's freshly brewed coffee is memorable too. It has a very mellow and distinctive taste, almost crossing the hot choco tang. Loved it.

Overall, that Friday was an easy night out. =)

=====
If you haven't watched Angels and Demons yet, please do not proceed.

The movie has more surprising twists than the novel. Perhaps Ron Howard made those turns to lessen holes on the screenplay, which Dan Brown possibly allowed.

Though I am open to not sticking faithfully to the original story, understanding that no filmmaker can show everything from the book in two hours, I still can't find justice in changing the characters' involvement in very crucial scenes. It might be OK for those who have read the text because they have basis of truth. But for those people who simply watch the film, they wouldn't know the key events.

Here are the major content changes, as far as I remember:

• The discovery of Vetra's ruthless death by Vittoria. She's supposed to be the last one to know about it. It's acceptable if it's not emphasized that Vetra is her adoptive father. But Robert Langdon and Maximillian Kohler, who have been keeping the truth away from Vittoria, should be in the same room when she sees Vetra. Or, maybe, they cut the scene where the three characters are in that little bedlam. Still, it should have beeen emphasized that it is Kohler who discovers the crime at CERN.


• Where is Kohler, the powerful head of CERN in an electronic wheelchair?


• Kohler gets in touch with Langdon first, and not the Vatican.


• Vittoria's father has just died in a very wicked way, and she could already smile and pitch some jokes? Hmmm..all right this one is forgivable. It must be the acting.


• Missing BBC reporter and his camera girl. I think the media plays a significant role in the story. The duo has the direct account on the events after being contacted by the hassassin (hired killer). They also bridge the reality between the politics inside the Vatican and that of the outside world by feeding their network with the raw footage straight from the precise locations where most of the killing happen.


• Robert Langdon should be in the helicopter with the Carmelengo (Papal chamberlain). He also takes that huge sacrifice you know, and his is genuine.


• The truth inside the Papal room should be revealed through Kohler's handycam, and not through the security camera being monitored inside Commander Olivetti's room.


• Vittoria should be captured, dragged to the Church of Illumination, and almost harassed by the hassassin. And Langdon is supposed to save her.

Had they put a disclaimer informing an audience that some scenes have been modified for some reason, all these loopholes could have been bearable.

The film, however, also flaunts some plus points:

• Howard showcasts a fast-paced sequence. There are lots of chase scenes, preventing you from yawning or taking a pee or getting more popcorn.


• The cinematography is generally remarkable. Howard unreservedly takes you to the streets of Rome. [I'm not just sure about the scenes in the Vatican, knowing how strict and conservative are the laws there.] On the whole, most frames are grand and colorful.


• Ewan McGregor's portrayal of the soft-spoken Carmelengo slash Janus is pretty much satisfactory.


• Tom Hanks as Langdon is sporting an improved hairdo. He looks younger. =)

What I learned from film production classes is that when you watch a movie, especially when it is based on a book, always lower your expectation. Before the reel starts to spin, condition your mind that you are not going to see exactly every single detail that you read in the book. Watching this film was not an exemption. I could wholeheartedly accept the cast's performance. I could even let go of a lousy direction (I'm not saying that this is a lousy one) or a loose script. But removing the essential parts of the story was a total deal breaker.

*****

I still respect Ron Howard's craftsmanship. It's just that, I don't know, there must be something...

Table for Five

After our quick O' Noodle stall hunt in Mandaluyong last Saturday afternoon, we headed to Ayala for the family dinner. We took our reserved couch area at Mesa in Greenbelt 5 to celebrate Mother's day in advance. He'd been raving about this resto since he read about a certain good food review.:)

We experimented with Hito Flakes on Spoon for appetizer. Hmmm...so-so. Maybe next time we would try the Baked Scallops with Garlic Butter.

We had the Sinigang na Salmon Head for our soup. This one is OK.

From its Hito menu, my buddy tried the Crispy Boneless with Mangga Salad, another so-so. Giselle ordered the Baby Squid Adobo in its Own Ink— this one is yumyum. Nay ordered Seafood Pasta for Gab. But the kid didn't dig it that much. My buddy, Nay, and I ended up sharing the plate. Nay said that the pasta was salty. She was even proud of Ming Tree's version. :) My buddy and I, however, agreed that it was actually delicious.

He still wanted to order the Salpicao Ostrich but worried that we might not be able to finish everything. I was curious about Crispchon but I think we had had enough.

Our bill was reasonably priced. Our a la carte plus two bottomless iced tea, one ripe mango shake, one mango juice, and six cups of rice cost us only P1,500++. That was fair considering the location. The resto is strategically situated on a corner, near the middle ground floor entrance of Greenbelt 5, almost across Seattle's Best in Greenbelt 3. The exterior looks a bit intimidating, imposing a formal dining aura.

But the interior has a modern Filipino look and feel, reflecting a very casual tone. Personally, the orange (or is it flaming red?) couch sections are more comfortable and private than those seats on the other side and at the center.

We recommend making a reservation since the place is not so big, and has the tendency to be crammed full at peak hours. Also, if you want to dine al fresco and listen to music from the Greenbelt Park or nearby restaurants, you could occupy one of the few tables that Mesa provides.

Mesa is worth a second visit. ;-)

*****
My humor has been quite nostalgic for the past three nights. I've been missing home all of a sudden, weird thing. I'm not so sure if it's just the time of the month or some things have been simply sliding, as you would expect. But I hope it's the former.

I woke up that Saturday morning slightly raring to go, anticipating to spend the first half of the day outside, under the sun or the mall atmosphere, and the second half of the day with the family for our advance Mother's day treat. But it took us late in the afternoon to really get going. I was already a little bummed out. It must be the unsympathetic weather. Or the stubborn WiFi connection that he had been configuring since 12PM. Or, maybe, the day was basically droning.

But we shoved off anyway.

We looked for his group's O'Noodle trial stall along Barangka Drive. It took us several minutes of walking and a modest share of bad mood before we got the exact location. [He'd been very patient with me I knnnow.] We tried its cup of noodles with siomai toppings and cup of gulaman juice for our late lunch. Not bad. Or were we just hungry? =) I so hope it clicks.

Thank you so much for the 45 months, buddy ko. I'm so sorry for moping and for being extra sensitive today...*kugos*

10K Week 1

I nailed my preliminary goal of 5357 steps per day. Very sweet.

My initial plan was to change routes with increasing number of steps each week. But since I had already exceeded my target for the Alaska Military Highway trail, I decided to switch to a new route, the Appalachian Trail, on the fourth day. Hehe, angas.

Start of the footfall.

Switched trail.




Now I have a very healthy reason to roam around the mall. :P

10K

All right. Starting tomorrow, I will be counting my steps. :)

As part of my company's Well-Living Program, the second annual 10k-A-Day Challenge will kick off tomorrow. And since the company has distributed this interesting device that you need to wear on you waist to log the number of steps you take (also known as pedometer), I've signed in. Ambisyosa naman, hehe.

The goal is to encourage everyone to take an average of 10,000 steps a day for 28 days. However, the program is considerate enough to provide four different "trails", depending on how active or inactive you are.

• Alaska Military Highway — Average 5357 steps a day
• Appalachian Trail — Average 7643 steps a day
• Highway 50 — Average 10975 steps a day
• Lewis and Clark Trail — Average 13214 steps a day

You can swtich routes anytime. I've chosen the first one. I-test ko muna ang aking powers. :P

2:59

Two huge knockdowns in the first round. A surefire, brutal knockout in the second.

The English fighter fell to the canvas, too down for the count. The knockout artist knelt down in the corner, too humble for the feat. And the crowd was at a standstill for several seconds until referee Kenny Bayless waved his hand.

It was one of the most stunning episodes in the history of world class boxing.

*****
After lightweight, super-featherweight, light-featherweight, featherweight, flyweight, and the latest belt light-welterweight, what's next? :)

Up Northwest: Zambales II

DAY ONE was Anawangin. :)

DAY TWO. After our satisfying breakfast at Nora's, where we had a yummy and generous serving of tocilog for only P100, we started our itinerary before 7AM— Capones Island then Camara Island. [Sol and her friends weren't able to find a bus ride to Zambales.]

First drop was Capones Island.

Nice fine sand and shoreline. But we couldn't see the famous Faro de Punta Capones (Capones Lighthouse). Manong informed us that it's on the other side of the island. Hay, bat di nga naman namin nilinaw. Pero di ba yun ang main attaction ng Capones? The other boatmen told him to bring us there and let his "assistant" guide us to the trail. "Entertain the visitors, " sabi pa nung isa. So there, sakay ulit kami ng bangka.

[We had another option: to treck from the east side of the island to the lighthouse. But it will take us an hour or so to reach the place. And since our time was limited and we only had our flip flops, we opted to ride the boat again. Oh, they say that some scenes in the TV series Marimar were shot here as well as in Punte de Uian Resort back in Pundaquit. :D ]

The ride to the other side was a challenge because of the strong waves and rocky shore. [Boats cannot just dock there.] The treck to the Capones Lighthouse was not easy either. The way up is a bit steep and, during that time, slippery because it rained the previous night. Aside from the uneven rock surfaces, there were too many leaves scattered on the unmarked trail, making the treck more devious.

[We wouldn't recommend taking the treck to the lighthouse during rainy days, unless you have the right trekking gears.]

But when we got there, worth it naman yung less than 20-minute climb. The spot was romantic and peaceful. A 360-degree view of Capones and the nearby islands boasts a good photo-op material.

My buddy was persistent to resolve his kite flying frustration from our Rizal Park's visit. Dala dala ang P60-saranggola all the way from Manila, hehe.

We went down and returned to our boat at around 830AM.

Our next stop was Camara Island.

We were welcomed by a picturesque rock formation, and fine off-white sand. The island somehow reminded us of Shimizu Island in El Nido, Palawan. And like Anawangin Beach, it also has strong undercurrent but with gradual rocky slope. My buddy had his chance to snorkel. I didn't; the current was too strong for me.

We had the chance to use the Flip-float that I got from my WWA 2009 coverage. Imagine the effort it took us to inflate that raft manually. :P

The sun was already piercing at 10AM. After several camera stunts, we went back to the main land.

By 1230PM, we hired a tricycle back to San Antonio then catched a bus heading to Caloocan. It took us four hours to reach Manila. Oh, our bus ride was fun. :)

*****
We're both beach persons. And our recent coastline trip is not one of most favorite beach destinations. Most probably, not his, too. But what I appreciate about it was our attitude towards the whole thing. We didn't take the flaws of the trip as off-putting. Rather, we found ways on how to inject gratification into each downside we met by chance. I think, this time, 80% of the trip's fulfillment came from each other's company.

Are we coming back? For a trekking and camping adventure, yes. But for a good unruffled swim, we both think one visit is enough.

Thank you very much for the weekend, buddy ko. *kugos*

---------------------------------------------------
Day 2 Overheads (for two persons): P2452

Anawangin-Capones-Camara Island Hopping = P 1500
Food = 400
Tricycle fare from Pundaquit to San Antonio = 50
Bus Fare from San Antonio to Manila = 502