I remember this artwork from One Tree Hill because today my dad left for New Zealand. He is our king in here but he would always rather give it up. Now he lives there alone. He does dishes, washes his own clothes and irons them after, cooks his own food and eats them all by himself - things he would not do but has to. All for me and my dreams. 

We may be used to this leaving-and-going-home cycle but one thing's for sure - I'd rather have him here even if he does not allow me to drive and buy all the shoes I want because nothing compares to the feeling of us watching tv and having dinner together, buying groceries during weekends, bringing me to my dorm on Sundays and fetching me every Friday. I'll miss him. Wala na naman ako aasarin. :)))

Caffe Bene

My friend and I were looking for the perfect place to study last final exams week. I suggested that we try Caffe Bene - the leading coffee shop chain in Korea. It was established in Korea in the year 2008 and brought to the Philippines just last year. 

I did not know if the place would that be conducive for studying but since I really wanted to try Caffe Bene, my friend and I took the risk and did give it a try.

Welcome to Caffe Bene!

I love taking #shoeselfie (haha i really had to type that with a hashtag :D) and I regret not wearing more photogenic flats

The first thing I noticed about this place was the high ceiling, which I totally appreciate 'cause it makes the place look spacious. Well, this coffee shop is really quite big (it even has a second floor, which, as of the moment, is my preferred study spot) but I don't know, high ceilings just make every place look grand. 

The bar or working area, with its friendly and helpful staff. :)

Waffles, Cakes, Breads, Bottled Drinks

For ice cream fanatics out there, Caffe Bene also offers gelato. They have what they call Affogato which is basically gelato drizzled with a shot of espresso. That sounded so tempting right? Imagine the cold, sweet taste of gelato and a little hint of that bitter-tasting espresso. I wanted to order it but I failed to because of the so many other things I wanted to try. We were there for two days. Yes. Still, I was not able to have it. I guess, I really have to be back. And I would be. 

To the second floor...

Even the stairway is huge!

And my favorite study spot...

I love it first because it's not crowded. Second, this area is on a second floor, which makes it far from the unpleasant sounds coming from bar/working area. Also, the lighting is not too bright nor too dark. I appreciate that each table has its own spotlight, perfect for reading! 

What we had during the first visit: 

I had a hot Caramel Macchiato (Php 140), which was okay. Nothing extraordinary. My friend had one of their specialty drinks, hot Misugaru Latte (Php 145), which is a roasted multigrain beverage. It was good and tasted like pinipig drink to me. 

That square-shaped bread below is called Garlic and Cheese Honey Bread (Php 165). It's a must-try everyone! I was expecting it to be kind of rough and hard and that all the flavorings will be concentrated on the bread's top portion. But I was wrong. We were all wrong. It was so soft and yummy. Every portion was flavorful. It was so good we had it again the next day. My cousin even ordered another to-go.

Caramel Macchiato. 

This was actually what I had for myself - Caramel Banana Cream Waffle (Php 145). With the right amount of sweetness, again, this was a good one. I heard that the waffle was made using a dough. 

Sorry the whipped cream in this photo fell off already because I failed to take a photo immediately after it was served.

My two cousins had Hot Caramel Macchiato, White Mocha Frappe and Chocolate Cake.

I had a bite of the chocolate cake and after tasting, it was appropriate to say that everything in this cafe was delicious! I have tried so many chocolate cakes and this is one of the best I've had.

Like I said before, we went back at Caffe Benne, this time bringing two friends with us. And of course, they had to try the Garlic and Cheese Honey Bread. :) :) :)

This is the Blueberry Cream Cheese Waffle (Php 165). We were asking for it on the first day but sadly, it was unavailable. We were so lucky it was offered when we came back. Ahhhh it was divine! Promise, you won't regret having this. 

For our second day, I ordered hot Caffe Mocha (Php 125) and my friend had large, hot White Mocha (Php 155). The baristas politely asked if we wanted our drinks to be put in a mug, which they call the Kiss Mug. It did felt as if you were kissing someone because the mouth of the mug was molded like a lower lip. If you want one for yourself, they are selling it for Php 435 each.

Of all the hot drinks we had from day one, I say that the White Mocha and Misugaru Latte stood out. So if you're visiting Caffe Benne anytime soon, you know what to ask for. :)

It was so funny that there was a coincidence when we brought the same color of hoodies and jackets. Well, except for my one friend, Patricia who went all emo wearing black (oh yes that's not dark blue guys). Haha. (Thanks to my cousin, Aleth, for taking this photo.) 

Thanks for reading. Have a Good Day! 

Caffe Bene

Eastwood Citywalk 2,

Quezon City,

Philippines

Business Hours:

7:00 am - 1:00 am (Mon-Thu)

7:00 am - 3:30 am (Fri and Sat)

10:00 am - 1:00 am (Sundays)

Tel. No. (02) 708 - 0410

www.caffebene.com.ph

Like them on their Facebook Page!

My Blessing in Disguise

Have you ever thanked a bad moment in your life? Yes, you were so down it happened. But then later on, you were so thankful it came up. Because right now, I am in that moment. 

Who knows how much a bad thing can be such a blessing? 

Credits: www.superlifestylecoach.typepad.com

Last semester, I had to take the removal exams TWICE, for my Pharmacology class. Removal exams are  given to those who are not able to reach the passing rate for a subject. Luckily, I only had to take the removals for my Pharma class. However, I took it twice - the pre-promo removals and the the post-promo removals because I did not pass the former. 

I was dispirited by the fact that I only had to take one exam while the rest had to take two or three, yet I did not pass. I mean, those who had to take two or three exams can have an excuse for not passing. But for me? There's just none.

And so, those who passed was able to enroll for the next semester while others, like me, were still left in the battle, demoralized. But I have to fight back, MORE, that time.

And yes, I made it. I was finally able to pass that one thing hindering me from reaching third year.

I enrolled, and as much as it is unbelievable, I had the chance to pick my section, which the outright passers and the pre-removal exam passers did not not have. With just that, I was so much grateful since I had the rare chance of choosing the best schedule possible, and of course, the section where most of my friends are. I weighed my decision, chose sections B and D, where two of my closest friends were but ended up picking section D since the schedule was more favorable. 

Fortunately for me, I made the right choice. Our section did not only have the best schedule. We also had the best, the kindest, the "student-friendly",  the "MERCIFUL" professors. (Haha!) Plus, I think I went with the best class. :) :) :)

And so this semester, I passed ALL my subjects - outright, partly because I was in the class that had the more convenient schedule, the class that was blessed to have the most considerate professors. And I thank that post-promo removal exams in Pharmacology for leading me to the best section a third year medical student of FEU-NRMF can ever have. 

On top of it all, I thank God, my only Savior, the Man up there who continues to work in mysterious ways. Truly, we just don't lean on our own understanding. We must at all times, trust in Him - that there's a reason for everything happening in our lives.

Credits: www.shyjumathew.com

So to all those who are down or in sorrow, remember that God is with you always, and that He gave you that burden for a reason - maybe to keep you from something else that is more troublesome or just to strengthen you or mold you. Who knows that just like what occurred to me, that bad thing can pave the way to something that is so much better? And for those who are still waiting for that reason, just trust in Him, be patient, and keep going because there really is a reason. 

Love always and all ways,

Shiara