Life is Kulayful ...

Monday, March 14, 2016

Starbucks Coffee College

The last time I attended a class was back in 2003 which was roughly 13 years ago. I remember it being fun, challenging, and most important of all, informative. When Starbucks invited me to attend Coffee College, I knew that I would be reliving my school days and that this would be a fun, challenging, and informative class. I guessed right.

You can never say that you are a true coffee lover if you don’t know anything about the history of coffee. I’m not saying you need to know everything but a few basic information helps. It makes you appreciate the coffee that you are drinking.

The highlight of the day though was when coffee was paired with food that we had. This was not your usual brunch thing bdw. It wasn't the normal rice meal Filipinos have for breakfast that is usually paired with coffee. This was your regular lunch or even dinner kind of thing.

The grilled shrimp salad was so fresh and the edible flowers and arugula it came with was so good. Paired with the Starbucks Ethiopia Clover Brewed Iced Coffee, the salad actually tasted a lot better. It was weird because I never thought of pairing coffee with salad but it actually worked.

The Seafood and Eggplant Cocido was very different. I loved the seafood part but I didn't eat the eggplant because I really don't care much for eggplant. This one was paired with a Starbucks Tribute Blend. This time around, my mind was adjusting to the whole coffee pairing thing and I was actually enjoying it.

This Adobo sa Balsamic was a little too strong for my taste but thankfully the Starbucks Tribute Blend that came with this balanced out the taste of the balsamic. I may be unfair here though because I was never a fan of balsamic.

This is definitely the winner of the day. The Turon sa Halo-Halo drizzled with Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Colombia was absolute perfection. Initially, I placed only a few of the coffee grounds but upon tasting it, I had to pour at least half of it on the ice cream. It was just so heavenly. Who knew that coffee grounds could taste so good?

Afterwards, the Starbucks Coffee College taught us the proper way to brew Starbucks coffee. They also taught us how to do the cold brewing thing which was quite amazing. I think I'm actually gonna go ahead and give it a try.

The Starbucks Coffee College was very educational. Thank you to Starbucks for always ensuring that we have something to look forward to every day.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

MILO Sportsclinic

B has never been a sporty kid so I had mixed feelings bringing him along to a MILO Sports Clinic. He plays volleyball and a little badminton but he shies away from basketball and soccer. During the sports clinic though, he made a promise to me that he would try almost everything and he kept his word.

They were all divided into groups and for B's group, the first thing they tried was TENNIS. They were taught how to catch and pitch the balls. B showed great potential and was actually commended by the trainers. When I asked him which of the sports he tried on were his favorite, he said that part of his top pick is tennis.

After almost 20 minutes doing tennis, they were sent off to CHESS. It wasn't B's favorite but because his Aunt K loves chess, he knew a little about chess and could play a little of it. B listened to the teacher but they were not able to play due to time constraints.

3rd stop was PINGPONG. B liked this one. It seems that he likes anything remotely related to badminton. He knew how to balance the ball and he was able to follow suit on the movements without any problems. If I didn't know it any better, I would say that given the chance, it seems that he could be very sporty.

Next stop would be VOLLEYBALL. B definitely had a knack for this and he was able to hit all the volleys sent his way by the coach. I feel really happy about this because I played volleyball when I was in high school.

B then tried on basketball where again, he seemed to have a natural talent. I'm not being a stage Mom here. It's just that the people conducting the training noticed it too and they have recommended that I should let him pursue these sports.

I loved that B was almost to try on everything except GYMNASTICS. He tried it but then his chest started hurting so he asked if I could stop. It seems that he is not for gymnastics. I'm just happy to see my son exploring and doing activities that did not involve gadgets. Thank you MILO and I'll make sure that my son has sports activities this summer. After all, we have enough MILO to drink everyday and build champions.

The MILO program has over 700 venues nationwide that will offer a total of 17 sports - Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Chess, Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Skating, Karatedo, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Touch Rugby, Triathlon, and Volleyball.

For registration and class schedules, go to http://www.milo.com.ph for more information. To sign up, just visit the website, download the registration form, and submit to the organizer the sport of your choice together with an empty 1kg pack of MILO.

Prestige Cruise

This is the ship of Prestige Cruise. It is not so big but it is still very impressive. It looked stable and something that won't easily sink which mattered to me since I actually have a little phobia because I cannot swim.

Yesterday, my family and I boarded the Prestige Cruise to go around Manila Bay and watch the Pyro Olympics competition featuring Australia and Canada. I was really happy about this because my Mom loves going around Manila Bay and this was something that she has been wanting to do for quite some time.

This is what greeted us when we stepped on the Top Deck of Prestige Cruise. I have to say that it looked pretty nice and very promising.

This is the view. I have to say that Manila Bay is still amazing.

Once we started the cruise, there were safety guides and precautions that were announced. I listened because again, I cannot swim to save my life.

The photo below looks like a scene from the movies. It is definitely something that is pretty awesome to see. When I took this shot, I couldn't help but marvel at how pretty the night was, how Prestige Cruise managed to bring to life a simple boat into something picturesque.

This is the view at night. It may not be as pretty as the Hong Kong night sky but I'm gonna say that it's still very pretty. I appreciated it.

Finally, the fireworks display started and I have to admit that watching it from the deck of Prestige Cruise was definitely one of the best seats in the house. It was so nice seeing the full effects and I love that even though I stood up to take these photos, the ship was very steady and didn't rock one bit. There were times even that I forget that I am on a boat.

Once the excitement of the fireworks subsided, it was time to focus on the food. Prestige Cruise is now catered by Barbara's which makes me very happy because the food would be familiar to me. It's not spectacular nor will it get a Michelin star but it is definitely good and for the price, it is totally worth it.

The braso de mercedes alone was noteworthy. My family and I probably ate an entire platter all to ourselves. It was so good. They also served beef, pansit, chicken, lumpia, and even pavlova. We all had 2 to 3 servings which just proves that we did like the food.

It was truly a relaxing night. My family and I played catch up and even with a live acoustic band, we could easily talk. We went around the Manila Bay area and because the ride was so very smooth, we were just surprised to find that we were already fronting Roxas Boulevard. The staff was quite attentive and even with a lot of people on the deck, they didn't have to be reminded twice when we ask for something.

Overall, this was one of the most relaxing nights we have had as a family in a long time. My Mom even said that this was her favorite so far in our recent family trips. If you are looking for something to do on a weekend in the city, book a cruise with Prestige Cruise. It won't kill your budget and as they always say, it feels good to disconnect and just enjoy the view and time with the family.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Footzone Day Spa in Greenhills

At the back of Virra Mall in Greenhills lies a street full of day spa as well as beauty centers. I think I counted over 10 but the one that stood out for me was Footzone Day Spa. Perhaps it is because of the lights that showed it off, the spacious lobby, or maybe, the fact that it has been in existence for 15 years and is always swamped over the weekend. Whatever the reason was, I found myself drawn to the place. The weekend that passed was a crazy one and I was in need of a massage. I heard nice things about this place and since a friend whom I haven’t seen for so long lived nearby, I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone.

Mian at the Grand Ballroom of Marriott Manila

Yesterday when I had coffee at Crema, I passed by Mian at the Grand Ballroom of Marriott Manila and I was intrigued. The exterior looked enticing and its situated directly across the main entrance of the Grand Ballroom. I remembered thinking to myself that I would never guess there was a restaurant inside the Grand Ballroom. Boy was I wrong.

This place is VERY spacious, well lighted, and it's just really, really nice. I was actually in awe because it wasn't one of those intimidating restaurants where you become too careful with your movements. This was one of those places where you do your OOTD, where you hang out with your family, bring a client, a date, or hold a party. MIAN was that kind of place.

Mian is the Chinese word for noodles but do no fret. They serve not just noodles but also rice, desserts, and even the Ilocos empanada. It's pretty diverse for a small menu but I gotta say this and I gotta say this with feelings.

I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH MIAN. FOOD, AMBIANCE, and SERVICE!

We had two appetizers to start our lunch; the Pork Jiaozi which is chinese chorizo wrapped in flour dipped in soy calamansi and lime dip and the Sausage Empanada which is local sausage and egg in vinegar dip. I loved the empanada though the dimsum was also pretty good. Its just that the empanada blew my mind away. I sort of wished that the empanada was all mine and that I didn't have to share it with anyone else.

For the main course, we had the following: Chef's Beef Noodles (Php395), Pork Miso Ramen (Php295), Beef Caldereta (Php395), Stir Fried Clams (Php395) and Braised Pork Belly (Php375.)

The Chef's Beef Noodles was very tasty and the beef was really soft. It was crazy soft. Okay, it was unbelievably soft. The flat noodles made me feel like I was in a little kiosk in Thailand sipping noodles while people watching.

The Pork Miso Ramen was pretty okay but nothing outstanding.

The Beef Caldereta on the other hand was impressive. The beef here was the same as the noodle when it comes to softness of the meat and the taste was spot on.

STIR FRIED CLAMS. I don't even know where to begin with this one. The egg noodle, the sprouts, the clam ... everything was just so delicious. It really was. We all wanted to put aside our orders and just gorge on this. It was so good. I don't even know how to tell you how good it was except to tell you, IT IS SO GOOD.

The Braised Pork Belly was another great dish. The noodles reminded me of lomi but with the braised pork belly sauce, it took an entirely different personality. I liked it. It was interesting and I think it's something I can do at home.

The Halo-Halo they serve costs Php220 and it is HUGE. Actually all of the servings were pretty big which was impressive.

I have to say that MIAN was one of the best places I have eaten at in a long time. Service of the staff, quality of food, price, and the place was all very impressive. Hats off Mian! HATS OFF!