During our short stay in Seoul last month, we were able to try out many a coffee shops - Holly's Coffee, Cafe Jass, Hello Kitty Cafe, Beans Bin, Ediya Coffee, and so many others - but we failed to try Caffe Bene. Good thing they've opened up franchise branches here in Manila. So, one rainy Saturday afternoon, my sisters and I found our way to the Eastwood City branch (Citywalk 2).

Caffe Bene in Manila looks just like any Caffe Bene in Seoul - spacious and comfy!






As a person who insists on the importance of ambiance, I must say I loved the pretty interiors and the high ceilings. So perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon.

As for the menu items, I had a caramel frappuccino while my sisters had iced blueberry lattes. My frappuccino was too sweet for my taste but the lattes my sisters ordered were really good. Aside from the many drink options on their menu, Caffe Bene also has many dessert choices! They had bingsu (shaved iced treats) and gelato, cakes and waffles, honey bread and so much more. I will have to come back to give the other items on their menu a try.

Sadly though, Caffe Bene doesn't have goguma (sweet potato) lattes, which we had in Seoul and absolutely loved. Goguma lattes can be found at Holly's Coffee though - yet another Korean coffee shop franchise that has found its way to Manila. Unfortunately, there are no Holly's Coffee branches in my area yet. I think my sisters and I should plan a trip to the south one of these days solely for a cup of Holly's Coffee goguma latte - yes, they are that good.

So Big Bang is bringing their Alive tour to Manila on October 24th at the MoA Arena. I am beside myself with excitement. They are, quite possibly, my favorite k-pop group ever. Sadly, I have about 4 months left to save up for fairly decent seats to the show. Aside from money, I will also be needing to find someone to watch with me. It's really quite unfortunate that I don't have any VIP friends.

Anyone out there in the blogosphere with the same dilemma? Camown! I can't let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass! Omo.

Christmas is in the air in Makati City!

Since we don’t have any other holiday between Halloween and Christmas, Christmas decors go up as soon as the ghosts and cobwebs are swept away. But the city of Makati takes it a step further with their lights and sounds display at the Ayala Triangle. It's so pretty!

This video was taken last Friday night when my officemates and I passed through the Triangle on our way to dinner at Kaya.

Now the weather better follow suit. December is a few days away and it's still so freaking hot in Manila. What.

Being fans of Korean food, Aia and I tried the Korean restaurant Shin Dang Dong in A. Venue last night before we headed home. I read about this place on some random tumblr blog and decided to give it a try. Shin Dang Dong is known for their ddeokbokki which you yourself can cook at your table. But they do have the regular bibimbap and ramyeon on their menu as well.

Unlike myself, Aia likes ddeokbokki. I'm not its biggest fan. Maybe it's the spiciness, or maybe it's the rice cake itself... I don't know. Nonetheless, Aia and I decided to give it a try.

Headed to Bonifacio High Street with family yesterday after Sunday Service and we bumped into four baby English Sheepdogs. Yes, those are BABY sheepdogs. They were just around a year old but they were so huge!

I definitely wouldn't want to have one as a pet (I mean, imagine how much shampoo and dog food they must go through in a week! Also, imagine all that fur on everything you own...) but they are just too cute for words.

I realize, though I love dogs, I'm just not cut out to be a dog-owner. I hardly take care of the dogs we already have and leave it up to my sister and dad to do all the work. It's just too much responsibility. And we know how lazy I am. Sari jokingly mentioned yesterday that were I a dog, I'd probably be a Shih Tzu -- who are known for being fairly lazy. And she's right.

It would probably be best to give me a pet rock. Or you know, a Tamagochi. The reset button is there for a reason.

By some stroke of luck, we ended up trading in our Lower Box and Upper Box B tickets for 4 second row Patron seats. Unfortunately, expecting to be seated miles away from the stage, none of us had proper cameras. We had to rely on camera phones. Ah, well.

No one screamed louder than Ramona, that's for sure. But seeing as she's celebrating her 17th birthday not 2 days from now, I'll give her that. I'm deaf in one ear but I'll consider it as a birthday present to her. I had bequeathed upon her my sense of hearing.

My mom was also beside herself with utmost flailing and dancing around. At one point, she even urged my younger sister Sari to get closer to the stage -- Sari refused. To which my mom said, "Paano kayo magpapakasal kung ayaw mo man lang lumapit sa stage?" Clearly, my mom isn't quite as in touch with reality as we had expected her to be.

All in all, we had a pretty kickass night. David Archuleta is a top performer, and such a sweet kid, too. And damn, he's growing up spectacularly. Did you get to see those hands? I stared at nothing but those hands. Okay, maybe also his face and his butt. I am a perv. Not sorry to say. :)

P.S. I had to steal a photo off of tumblr for this post. I'll try to post original media as soon as my sister uploads her stuff.