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  Malibu Rising. (Made my blood pressure rise too, I think.) (Daughter's POV #5) For my first July read, of course, it was another work from Taylor Jenkins-Reid. I am just so obsessed with how she writes and how I get immersed with it.  And, Malibu Rising did not disappoint me. This book might just be my favorite novel written by TJR. The drama, the love, revelations, and confessions just makes this book such a masterpiece. With each page I read, I actually find myself daydreaming as if I am also part of the story. How I feel and connect with each character- especially Nina. How this book tackled her relationship with her father was just heartbreaking. All her life her father was absent, and then he showed up out of nowhere, earned her trust and love, left again for another woman, then showed up years later because he’s already old, lonely, and needs his “family” and their “forgiveness.” The anger and sadness just mixed and my emotions were literally all over the place. How pr...

More Than Blue (Daughter's POV #4) If there is anything I love about Filipino films, it’s how dramatic and cringy they could be yet it still gives you the feels. I’m well aware that More Than Blue was a remake but I’ll refuse to acknowledge that for now since I haven’t watched the original one yet. For the Filipino remake, I will admit that they did a great job in casting JC Santos. He is a very phenomenal actor and his crafts are one of the best I’ve seen. Films with him are just so good. So I really was looking forward to watching More Than Blue.  A screenshot from the trailer  I watched More Than Blue with a friend of mine. It was clear to me that she really enjoyed watching the movie. Only with a few complaints that the movie never stated the time frame we are in. Just a while ago they were in high school and then cut-! they’re working already. I had the same sentiments since I got confused too but it wasn’t really that hard to catch up with what the film is trying to co...

          Kaulayaw  is a Tagalog word for "close companion". And, as a coffee drinker, coffee is always my  "kaulayaw"  when doing something or just thinking of anything.      But do you know that there is actually a coffee shop named  "Kaulayaw Cafe"?  I only have known it through my sister. It is shown on her vlog/youtube channel. You can watch it here :      The Kaulayaw Cafe is located along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City.   It has a very nice interior resonant with the kind of cafes or restaurants you can find in Tagaytay or in Baguio. The third floor has an open-air dining area where guests could feel the unruffled waft and they could also immerse in the green scenery of Rizal Province as well as the skyline of Metro Manila.      The Cafe serves coffee made of coffee beans from Mountain Province such as in Sagada and Benguet and they also have their own blend the...

(Daughter's POV #3)             I have been very fond of Greek gods & goddesses, myths, stories, etc. ever since I was introduced to it. So to find ‘The Song of Achilles’ delighted the “fan” in me. When I first saw the title, I thought it would only be how Achilles proved how he was the best. It was kind of true, but it also gave me, the reader, more. So when the book arrived, I immediately flipped off the first page introducing me to a new world that would make me question, cry, and reach out to a love I found in the book.   Patroclus’ life was what the book showed first. He was Achilles’ “ philtatos” as what Achilles answered when asked who Patroclus was. His life as a young boy seeking for his father’s validation really got me. He thought of himself as less than average, and it hurt me that someone so young could really think like that of himself. He was a prince too. Just how bad it is to be put in a situation wher...

  (Daughter's POV #2)       I was around 10-12 when I loved reading novels and fiction. There’s this joy I feel whenever my mother would let me buy a book that I took interest in. Going to malls meant I could go to the bookstore, and stare at countless book spines and covers. I romanticized my life at the time. Imagining I’m in the universe the book took place in. As if I’m a minor character in the story or just someone who helps the main characters get to their senses. But now I am turning 18. I moved past that. All those books I bought, the feeling of contentment and accomplishment whenever I finish reading a 300 paged book were now forgotten. My priorities changed, and maybe reading stayed there in the depths of the list. And I wanted to feel everything I felt back then again. I wanted to be that 12-year-old girl who never had anything to care for but her own space and books. And I came across The Alchemist. Maybe I was kidding myself. It had been years since...

  (Daughter's POV #1)  A short review (kind of) on the Korean thriller series: Happiness.   Aka, me, ranting about how I loved the show. Totally not because of Park Hyung-sik.  [ No spoilers! Trigger warning! ] One thing to point out about me is that I’m a sucker for thriller shows from Korea especially if it involves zombies. It’s so interesting to see the characters develop into something more in-depth and how said characters could survive such catastrophic and traumatic events. I mean, just imagine laying down on your couch, phone in hand, scrolling through TikTok or Twitter, then suddenly you hear a “bang” in your door, screams outside, and a surge of undead humans run after familiar faces. Right. I probably would survive a week or two if I lock my doors, have enough food, and there’s still power (if there isn’t, I’m doomed for sure.) I’ve actually been thinking about these kinds of scenarios, I even dream about them. And of course, Korean shows will be there to ...

 -part 2 of Bangkok Trip Our first travel together was so much fun. And I admit we were missing someone then.  It was actually a month to be celebrated. It was our birth and anniversary month. I turned 40 and it was our 15th. My daughter had her staycation in our hotel (we stayed in Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam ) She has to wait for me to finish my training before we could go out and explore Bangkok. A glimpse of our Hotel Room: the view of the "MARKET" from our Hotel Room I went to Bangkok to have a week of work-related training and our only chance to go around Bangkok is in the afternoon from 5pm onwards. It is just good to note that our Hotel is in the middle of the Bangkok shopping area and nearby good tourist spots/ attractions. We travel a day before the training and we arrived early in the morning, we had to take a na...

(Spoken Poetry) Nangarap ako ng isang masayang Pamilya. Happy Family kung kami ay tawagin.  Sinikap ko na maging maayos. Ngunit sabi nga nila kung hindi ukol hindi bubukol.  Kung para sayo, para sayo, anuman ang mangyari. Maraming naganap. Ilang taon din naman ang naging pagsasama. Kadalasan mga araw naging maligaya dahil kasama sya. Buo ang pamilya. Pero kahit ano pa ang gawin mo kung magluluko, magluluko, kung mang iiwan iiwanan ka talaga.  Nagmakaawa ka na, nagpakababa pa, sa huli ikaw pa nga ang may sala. Masyadong masakit hanggang ngayon ramdam na ramdam pa.  Panahon na ang lumipas, mahaba na pala.  Pero damang dama dahil sobrang lalim pala. Andun ang takot hindi lang para sa sarili pero para rin na rin sa anak Sa tuwina ang saya parang pilit na lang.  Nakikita mo kasi sa mga mata ng anak mo ang lungkot.  Nararamdaman mo ang kanyang lumbay.  Nasasaktan ka kasi pakiramdam mo parang wala na syang pangarap.  Takot na takot ka  na ang t...

(In Sissy's Vlog (#1))  Sissy Cafe Quattro. This vlog was uploaded 2 years ago on my sister's Youtube Channel , it just so happen that I'm playing her playlist, and I came across this content on coffee. While watching, I can't wait to try it myself and enjoy the refreshing taste and aroma of the coffee they are serving. The look of the sliders and the frappes is so inviting. I hope I could have the chance to try and have a taste of all they are serving. You may watch it  here . or you may play the video below: Enjoy watching with your own blend of coffee.

"Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient, and the best things come to those who don't give up"  -  my mantra when I'm in my bumpy days. Well, I'm in the mood of rekindling moments while having a cup of coffee.  It might be the weather that makes me overthink🤔 again. Or maybe because of the messages that pops-up in my notifications.  Anyway, it was a week ago when we had a very long weekend. We had to work big time, but it was all worth it. We were able to finish the day and had a fun-filled night party. We did sing and dance, we laugh out loud, we drank and had a party. (It is not all the time that we do it. - defense😜) . The night gives us time to be in nexus with people we look up to, as they are humble enough to hum and hop with us.  One of the songs they sang is "Where do broken hearts go?" And they are actually all pointing it at me.  It was only then when it came to my senses that it is already more th...

  When we try to skip a portion of the daily happenings of our life, we often call our friends and go somewhere else to talk about anything and try to release whatever uncertainties we had in our thoughts. We have this place we often visit to have a sip of coffee and chat about things we seldom talk and share about in our chatbox. We always try new flavors but of course, we have our all-time favorite, the Salted Caramel Macchiato. How could I forget the taste, it's sweet and salty. And I can't stop comparing it to the friendship that we have, to the things we used to do, to the place we traveled, to the food we ate together, and to the things we shared that made us cry and laugh together.  I actually miss them and I wish we could have again the luxury of doing things we used to. I am hoping that my qualms about what is happening now will end soon. Our life is sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. At times it could be salty, but no matter how it is, don't forget to be grateful ...

Bangkok, Thailand 1:  This is the first part of our Bangkok Trip.  Let us travel together and have a cup of coffee as we go along. June 2019, the first airplane ride of Clare.  I had a one-week training in Bangkok, Thailand last June 2019, I tag along with my daughter. It was her first time traveling abroad and it was also her first airplane ride. I saw the excitement as we wait for our flight to be called.                                             Going to the waiting area But before going to the waiting area, we need to freshen up and have some coffee first, so we tried Seattle's Best Coffee at the Airport. Clare ordered the cool and refreshing Java Chip Javaluca. The taste is good and really stimulating, for we need to be awake while waiting for our flight (we had a night flight). But do you know where Seattle's Best Coffee originated? From our google ...

 Happy Valentine's Day! Today, people are celebrating this special day of St. Valentine.  They prepared lunch or dinner, have dates in fine-dining restaurants, send and receive balloons and flowers with chocolates, went to beaches and different tourist destinations with their family to enjoy the occasion and celebrate the day. Others received fancy gifts as well as long and sweet messages. But of course, not everyone got the same. It might only a simple and ordinary day that will just pass by. But do you know the origin of this special day?  In some of my readings, it says that this day actually came from a platonic sacrificial love displayed by the most honored Saint Valentine. Well, it is not actually a spark from romantic love. In History, during the 3rd Century,  Saint Valentine , who was a Catholic priest, lived in Rome.  In his time,   many Romans were converting to Christianity, but Emperor Claudius II was a pagan and created strict laws about w...

  Let's brew in! It's almost 2 years now when we got the chance to try the perfect blend of   OldTown White Coffee  at Johor Bahru in Malaysia.  The taste of the White Coffee is just perfect and it compliments the weather at that time. The aroma made us want to have another cup and actually made us bought packs of the instant coffee of the brand. It comes with different flavors that you could surely enjoy. Here are some of the pictures we got when we tried the coffee.                                                                       with my friends, Jane, Ann and Lyn                                               ...