BYAHILO and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Experience


Last night, I went to the tea appreciation workshop at the Coffee Bean and Teal Leaf Coffee Shop. The event was lead by the world’s tea master David de Candia who brought with him some select variety of tea where we had the privilege to be the first to try.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

De Candia said that the world’s best tea leaves come from India, Sri Lanka, and China. We were able to closely examine tea leaves of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and we got to see the difference as compared to its competitor.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

We also had a rare chance of doing the cupping process. It’s like a wine tasting, but with the tea. We got to sample at least four varieties of tea.

The last tea that we tried was winner, hands down. Sweet aroma, golden yellow color and the fruity flavour is just perfect for me. I love this variety. It’s just so me. This tea variety, called African Sunrise, will be available starting this June 2008. I was just so lucky to be one of the very first to try to warm beverage.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

The friendly and warm people behind the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf have also unveiled a new promo for their loyal patrons. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf lovers will get a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles by sharing their most memorable experience while enjoying their warm cup of coffee or tea.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Share your story over a cup of coffee for a once in a lifetime American Vacation. Go and tell your Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Story!

WARNING!!! If you are reading this from another blog, it is possible that this has been copied without my permission. BYAHILO: Ito ang Trip Ko!

BYAHILO and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Experience

The Philippines’ best spots for surfing

Jericho Rosales & Mo Twister

… and I don’t mean the internet, silly.

Surfing, as well know, is that sport where you get to ride the waves using a surfboard or some other equipment.

You ask avid surfers like movie star Jericho Rosales, and he’ll probably name the following places as the Philippines’ best places for surfing:

Lanuza, Surigao del Sur - one of the best-kept secret surfing places. Went here in 2004, where I gave up on its ‘remoteness.’ It was still a good six hours or so by land from the Butuan airport! Here’s my archived article in the Manila Bulletin and here. However, there should be no harm going here if you’re seriously into the sport!

Siargao, Surigao del Norte - Undoubtedly the Philippines’ premier surfing destination. “The waves curl like a bowl, so you ride inside it.”

San Juan, La Union

Baler, Aurora Province

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Virac, Catanduanes

Thanks to Mr. Mooney Castro, EVP of Aloha Boardsports, for these inputs on the Philippines’ best surfing places. Aloha Boardsports in Rockwell is a one-stop shop of leading surf and skate brands like Volcom, Lost and Dakine. They also carry a comprehensive line-up of boardsports equipment and accessories from Webber Surfboards, NSP Surfboards, Anacapa, FCS Fins, Southpoint Surfboards and Sticky Bumps.

Photo of Jericho and Mo Twister is from the Aloha Boardsports opening.

Do you know the way to Bauan’s Sampaguita Beach Resort?

bauan shoreline

There have been a lot of searches on this site about this ‘virgin’ white sand beach in Bauan, Batangas called Sampaguita Beach Resort. I stop short at calling it a resort since the facilities are quite crude, and it was just a quiet cluster of huts the last time I went there. Still, this beach remains largely unadvertised and undiscovered. Although I don’t know what happens after you people read this blog D

It’s been almost two years since my family went to Sampaguita Beach, as evidenced by this post. Luckily, a young lady, Alleli-Ann Castillo, who claims to be the grandchild of the owner emailed me to point directions in going there:

” When you reach the diversion road in Batangas City, you just go ahead until you reach the Municipality of Bauan, then you enter Bgy. Manghinao. You will then see the Bauan Doctors Hospital and adjacent to it is a wide bridge. You turn left on the way to Anilao. You just go straight, when you reach Bgy. San Pedro, you will see a store, turn right here. Remember that the store is before a school. Then you just go straight, going to a mountainous area. The sea is on the foot of the mountain.”

Thank you Alleli-Ann. This blogger really can’t provide directions the way she did. We Went to Sampaguita Beach through a pumpboat. Still, if the directions fail you (remember, we don’t have a sketch here), call the resort caretaker Carina at 09163749536.

What other secluded, uncrowded beaches do you recommend for the summer??

Revisiting the old but Glorious Intramuros


It’s not my first time in Intramuros. Definitely not. I have been to this historic walled city for a countless times already and for a various reasons, too. Press conferences, Festival Performances, Trade Fairs, hear mass, or just simply walk on the walls. Under the heat of the sun or braving the heavy down pour. Been there done that. But I went there again last Sunday.

Intramuros

The reason? I met my officemate Angge and Ryan when I was still with SYKES Asia. Both are also into photography and are just starting to blog. So we tried to walk just half of the wall (the south side).

Intramuros

We started from San Agustin going further south to Baluarte de San Gabriel where we had a spectacular view of Manila with the Intramuros Golf Club at the foreground.

Intramuros

We walked further passing through the pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) then to the Manila Bulletin office at the Muralla street. We then headed to Recoletos street where some cannons still guard the walls today. The cannons sare facing the Manila City Hall. Perfect angle for photographs, I must say.

Intramuros

From there, we left the place and headed to the Manila Zoo for another adventure.

WARNING!!! If you are reading this from another blog, it is possible that this has been copied without my permission. BYAHILO: Ito ang Trip Ko!

Revisiting the old but Glorious Intramuros

Oh, what a revelation!

In the span of 1 day, I’ve been demoted/promoted (depends on how you look at it) from blogger to shrink.

Yan ang sabi ko almost 2 weeks ago.

Pero ang totoo niyan, nauna akong naging shrink bago ako naging blogger.

It’s nothing new na marami akong kaibigan na nagco-confide sa akin dati, when I was younger. Sabi nga nila, ako ang ultimate choice pag hihingi sila ng adviser ng mga nakakakilala sa akin. Malupit daw ako magbigay ng advice; sagad sa buto at tagos sa puso.

Psychic nga ako kung tawagin ng iba dahil alam ko raw kung may problema ang isang tao kahit hindi niya sabihin. Malakas ako makiramdam pagdating sa feelings ng ibang tao. Maingat.

Pero lahat yun ay naglaho nung nag-3rd year high school ako (syet, dramatic).

Marahil alam ng iba kung anu-ano nangyari sa akin nung 3rd year that eventually led to my stopping school. Na-alienate din ako sa father’s side ng family ko dahil sa mga nangyari na yun, pero buti na lang at kahit papano ay tight ang bond namin ng mga insan ko kaya hindi rin ako masyadong nahirapang mag-cope sa mga pangyayari. Pero yung mga tito at tita…it’s another story. Lalo na nung ni-reveal ko sa isang Friendster bulletin ang mga sentimyento ko noong mga araw, linggo, at buwan na lumayas ako ng bahay at natutong mabuhay mag-isa, sa tulong na rin ng nanay ko at ni ate Susan. Si lola, iniyakan lang ang predicament ko at sinabing mag-stay na lang ako sa Marikina (iyakin kasi talaga yang si lola…sa kanya ako nagmana, hehe). Nanirahan sa isang boarding house habang nag-aaral (although fluctuating yung attendance ko…50% ng school year ay di ako pumasok), nagpunta ng Baguio ng isang buwan para “magpahinga,” umiyak araw-gabi para ilabas lahat ng hinaing ko sa mundo.

Simula noon, naging…callous…ako. Manhid, to a point. Malaki ang pinagbago ko, at maraming tao ang nakapansin nun. Di na ako ang masayahing si Shari. Para na akong wa care sa mundo, basta mag-survive lang ako bawat araw ng hindi nasasaktan ang feelings ko ng sobra. Naging maingat ako sa pakikipagkaibigan. Naging maingat ako sa pakikihalubilo sa ibang tao. Naging maingat lalo na pag involved ang feelings ko.

May mga tao na, when I most needed them, eh inabandona ako. Kung kailan ko kailangan ng understanding, dun sa punto ng buhay ko ipinagkait yun. Kaya ngayon, kakaunti lang ang matatawag ko na kaibigan. Samantalang dati, naive ang definition ko ng kaibigan, dahil lahat ng tao, para sa akin, ay kaibigan ko (except for the leeches they call politicians). Na dahil nandoon ako para sa kanila all throughout the storms in their lives, in-assume ko na ganun din ang gagawin nila para sa akin. Pero hindi pala, may mga hangganan pala ang suporta at pang-unawa.

Nagalit ako sa mundo. At blogging lang ang naging solusyon ko para mapahupa ang hindi kaaya-ayang pakiramdam na yun. Mahirap kasi magdala ng galit sa puso eh, mabigat sa pakiramdam.

Ang hirap pa ‘run, ang galit ko ay mostly directed sa sarili ko. Lahat ng nangyari, kasalanan ko rin naman. Kumbaga, sa lahat ng problema ko nung bata ako na tinago ko kung ano ang tunay kong nararamdaman, sumabog lahat bigla dahil sa iisang pangyayari. Di ako proud sa naging reaksyon ko. Noong mga panahon na yun, ang inisip ko lang ay kung paano ako makaka-survive sa punto na yun ng buhay ko nang hindi magbe-break down ng husto.

Oo, inaamin ko, suicidal ako. Ilang beses na rin akong nagtangka during the years na naghihirap ang puso ko. I didn’t know pa’no ihandle yung ganuong problema, kasi sanay lang akong ihandle ang problema ng iba. Hindi ko akalain na yung mga nangyayari sa iba ay maaari rin pa lang mangyari sa akin. Kasi shempre, alam niyo naman, madaling magsalita pag hindi ikaw ang agrabyado.

Inamin ko sa sarili ko na mahina ako. Di ako kasing tatag tulad ng iniisip ng iba. I’m an emotional and psychological mess, to put it simply. Kaya ang nagiging scapegoat ko ay ang blogs ko, dahil kahit papano, kahit di man ako maintindihan ng mga tao, at least may’ron akong mapaglalabasan ng mga iniisip at nararamdaman ko.

I want someone to listen, not just merely hear what I have to say. And I think I’ve found it in the form of blogging. Even if my blog can’t talk back, the notion that it’s “listening” is enough of a comfort for me.