Marks 11-12 - We Grow Older, But Not Necessarily Wiser

Mark #11

Place: Starbucks Coffee, Corinthian Hills

Date: January 6, 2010 - 7:31PM

Order: The dreaded Grande Dark Cherry Mocha (dreaded cause it really tastes like medicine if anything. The other holiday drinks are amazing though)

Mark #12

Place: Starbucks Coffee, Metrowalk

Date: February 4, 2010 - 12:59PM

Order: Tall Brewed Coffee

The late posts just keep on coming, I'd guess. Blame the schedules that I have to keep, but finally I got some time to regularly update the blog as much as I can.

It's been more than a month since I've gone through the MMFF motions, and I do have to say about this: Wapakman has become a new standard in terms of how to unanimously fail in the world of Philippine film, much less the entire media industry in general. In fact, of the years that I've been supporting the MMFF, this has truly left a taste in not only my mouth, but in the mouths of many people as well. I support Manny Pacquiao, the boxer. Hell, I do pray that one day, he would humble Mayweather, Jr. for not only ducking that fight with dela Hoya, but chickening out of the Pacman superfight as well. But please, do not make movies anymore. I would have used my PHP150.00 for a lot of things instead of wasting around an hour and thirty minutes. In fact, I would have thrown the money instead of watching the film, period. The other movies are amazing though. Otherwise, that's a mistake I can definitely place in my book.

And that's the thing I guess when it comes to mistakes: do we ever truly learn from them? One time, I was reading an enlightening book that was shared to me called "The Rules of Life", which speaks for itself when it comes to the synopsis of the book. One of the rules that really stuck to me was this little food for thought: "We grow older, but not necessarily wiser". And if we were to look at the history of the world, yeah, it's pretty much true. Did people learn from history's mistakes? It's a 50/50 deal. But the one point that I learned from reading that section is that we shouldn't really beat ourselves up if we make mistakes. Heck, everyone makes mistakes every day, so shouldn't we learn to at least tolerate even the littlest of mistakes and know when to forgive people? I'm no God, and I'm far from being a genius, but perhaps if we know how to do that, it'll be a step closer to having a much deeper understanding when it comes to dealing with people as well as accept who we are. We're not perfect, so let's at least deal with that. =D

Also, please do check out my new Formspring page (courtesy of my shobs, Rachel. Salamat ha! =P). Feel free to ask anything you want. =D

http://www.formspring.me/ldctong

Marks 5-10 - Because Christmas and New Year happened, and officially setting the record to beat

First and foremost, a long-overdue Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone! Apologies for not being able to keep up with the blog due to many "holiday-related" reasons like keeping up with the blessings brought about by vacations (which include family outings, get togethers, gimiks, and etc) along with a little something called World of Warcraft. I guess that's my way of saying you should all check out the December issue of GAME! Magazine, out now in your favorite bookstores everywhere =D

Originally, I was supposed to talk about this year's Metro Manila Film Festival and a certain tradition I always make a point of doing, but I'll wait until it is officially over, that being on January 8 when we finally get to see Sherlock Holmes. That being said, it is also a great opportunity to see how the sleeve has changed during the course of the entire vacation period. So without any further ado...

Mark #5

Place: Starbucks Coffee, Tomas Morato

Date: December 13, 2009 - 3:28PM

Order: Tall Hot White Chocolate Mocha

Mark #6

Place: Seattle's Best Coffee, Trinoma

Date: December 21, 2009 - 5:18PM

Order: Medium Hot Cafe Mocha

Mark #7

Place: Starbucks Coffee, Metrowalk (pics taken at my house since we were busy that time)

Date: December 27, 2009 - 12:35AM

Order: Grande Hot Toffee Nut Latte and Cinnamon Roll

Mark #8

Place: Seattle's Best Coffee, Trinoma

Date: January 2, 2009 - 4:40PM

Order: Medium Hot Almond Mocha Joy

Mark #9

Place: Starbucks Coffee, Trinoma

Date: January 4, 2009 - 1:53PM

Order: Tall Hot Brewed Coffee

Mark #10

Place: Seattle's Best Coffee, Metropolitan Hospital

Date: January 5, 2009 - 2:50PM

Order: Medium Hot Brewed Coffee

Remember what I said in a previous blog that Seattle's has a record on the most number of times a sleeve is used? Well, according to their sleeve, 84 is the number to beat as shown in the blurry fail of a pic below:

Looks like I have my work cut out for me this year. =P

Mark 4 - Fine Lines

Mark #4

Place: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Trinoma

Date: December 5 2009 - 11:25PM

Order: Large Swiss Mocha Latte and one Honey Bran Muffin

Before anything else, some shameless plugs for you guys to check out:

Guys, please check out our booth, Mashbox, at the 9th World Bazaar Festival located at the World Trade Center from December 4 to 16, 2009! From Beef Sundaes to fries and all else in between, you'll definitely get your fix right there! See you there, and prepare to enjoy awesome!

And also...

Please vote for Joan Ison in the Solo "Discover You" modeling contest! Thanks! =D (she's certainly 5-star material)

Link to her entry: http://www.solo.com.ph/postermaking/gallery/violet-vintage-vogue

That being said, my friends and I had a great time at Red Box, being able to sing and have fun (and all that jazz) before going to La Mesa (see, told you it was a popular spot =D) and eventually drink coffee at Coffee Bean. And to boot, I even tried out their Honey Bran Muffins, and I can say this much, it goes well with a hot Mocha drink.

But days before the fun and awesome day, I was a bit disturbed about something I've been seeing on the net for a while now, moreso on Facebook.

You see, having been exposed to journalism since as early as Grade School, I slowly gained a valuable understanding on what it means to be a journalist and how integral they are in allowing the people to be exposed to all sides of the story, which they have the right to know. And yes, I was one of the people who were truly disgusted with what happened with the whole Ampatuan ordeal. It is a shame that the worst mass murder of journalists had to take place in the Philippines of all places, and at this point, I really do not have to talk about all the details since you can check the news from almost any form of media, from newspapers to the world wide web. And yes, I also want to witness justice being served so that the families and friends of the victims would have some sense of closure.

But you know what did not feel right throughout the call for justice for the past number of days, in my opinion? It's the fact that pictures of the fallen bodies of the victims were actually posted online. Now, don't get me wrong. I do understand the rationale of posting these pictures and I do agree that it was a terrible act among terrible acts that no one can argue about. Yet was it really necessary to post these pictures at this point? Could you imagine how the relatives of the victims would feel if they saw the fallen bodies over the internet, which has already become a mega-paparazzi machine in its own right? And since we can virtually find anything on the internet these days, I would not be surprised if friends and relatives are to see these pictures and feel disrespected right then and there. What more if the children of the victims were to see it?

If you ask me, it is sufficient enough for news on television to show these pictures in a pixellated (censored) form. But to actually spread these pictures online, which can easily be spread in a matter of seconds? I believe there is a fine line in this case. Justice must be upheld, but in expressing our feelings of anger and sadness, we should be a little bit tactful and careful with how we do these things, like everything in life. And in this moment of grief, especially near Christmas, the last thing they, the family and friends of victims, need to see is a constant reminder of that shameless and blood-stained event that had befallen their loved ones, much less see these online.

Mark 3 - The Vegetarian Inuman

Mark #3

Place: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Trinoma

Date: November 29, 2009 - 11:02PM

Order: Large Caramel Macchiato

When it comes to all things impromptu, we're usually pretty good at handling these things with pin-point accuracy.

So it was no surprise that my friends, Charles and Mark, invited us to a huge sale / event held by HeyWhereYou.com as per below:

So we met with Ian, Charles, Mark, Chen, Obie, and the rest of our friends there and we checked out some of the stuff they were selling. And to say that they left empty handed, well, that'd be lying, and lying is wrong. Right, Mark's new shirt and Charles' new jacket? Haha!

For the record, The Bar is the best drinking buddy that ever came out in recent memory. Big bang for the buck, and tastes just as awesome. Especially their new apple vodka. But who knew that would eventually be the "appetizer" of sorts?

So we eventually made our way to La Mesa Grill after the event and had an impromptu gathering. ALL IN, GUYS!!

La Mesa Grill is certainly awesome in many respects. Why? There's a little story to that...

You see, one day, when me and my friends were in Trinoma after a great gimik, we decided to look for a good place to drink out. And beer towers have always been a bonus to any place we decide to drink at. Then that fateful moment came in, when we saw La Mesa Grill in Trinoma, near Pancake House in particular.

We first ordered a beer tower, which was the order of the night. And we also check out what we can order so we can also fill our stomachs at the same time. Our eyes saw this one interesting order that made us decide that La Mesa was the place to be:

TOFU SISIG. FOR ONLY PHP90.00. +PHP10.00 if you prefer to have egg on top of that sizzling tofu.

And damn, it was extremely good! We loved the tofu sisig so much that we kept on ordering and ordering more and more together with our constant refill of drinks. It was heaven in a plate, my friends! Tofu sisig and drinks make a complete package in of itself. And the best part, besides promoting a vegetarian alternative to pulutan in drinking sessions? Your wallet will thank you. You'll feel very good by the end of your session, bank on that. You'll thank me afterwards.

Let me repeat: Tofu Sisig + drinks at La Mesa Grill = MECCA. No wonder tables in La Mesa are constantly full and that people (including us) prefer to leave after closing hours.

And that's what we had, and some of our friends wanted some other orders like the TAHONG! Fantastic!

Unfortunately, due to their Sunday schedule and that the next day is Bonifacio day, La Mesa closed pretty early. So we had to look for another place to hang out.

Enter Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

(^ Looking good up there! But that's still my drink. Haha! =P)

When I say I'll use the sleeve on any drink as per the stipulation I set up in my first entry, I wholeheartedly mean it. You name the place, Coffee Bean, Starbucks, Figaro, Seattle's, or any other establishment you can think of locally and internationally, I'll use it.

It was a great night for all. Here's for more!

Marks 1 and 2 - When Inspiration Hits / RRRAAAAAIIIIINNNN!!!!!

To celebrate the debut of the blog and this new endeavor, why not have a double entry? Best to start it in a big way, like how things are supposed to go when they start up, yeah?

And also, to ensure and retain the validity of everything I am doing here, I will not only mark my coffee sleeve to account for the number of times it's used, but also keep every receipt to record all of my orders and correspond to the number of times the sleeve is used.

Mark #1

Place: Starbucks Tomas Morato

Date: November 26, 2009 - 02:15AM

Order: Hot Tall Cafe Mocha, no whip, no foam, non-fat (and you'll be seeing more of this, more likely than not)

You know how things pop up in times you'd never expect it, and that everything you do somehow has a purpose, even if you wouldn't even know it at that time? Life certainly works in mysterious ways.

You see, my friend, Gon, invited me to Zirkoh Tomas Morato to have a good time with our friend, Charles. At that night, Allan K was the main attraction, and he certainly delivered when it comes to comedic impact, something that should not be a surprise by now. Let's just say Charles has also made quite an impression, being on stage twice. What can I say? He's lucky, I guess. Haha!

Later that evening, we decided to go to Starbucks at Tomas Morato and give ourselves some time to chill. They made their orders while I made my usual order that is somewhat of an SOP every time I go there: Tall Hot Cafe Mocha, no whip, no foam, non-fat. And after taking in the soothing environment of the cafe following our comedy-filled night at Zirkoh, we decided to go home and retire to bed.

For some odd reason though, the coffee sleeve was in my pocket when we left Starbucks. The same one I used when I drank what would become THE first drink. The moment I woke up, the first thing that came to my vision was that coffee sleeve, and after some serious thought over the rest of the day, it happened.

The day inspiration came is the day this idea is conceived, and alas, the rest is (current) history.

It seems as though that while life works in mysterious ways, they also tend to open up new possibilities when you least expect it. And that just when you thought you had all the answers, the questions keep on changing.

Okay guys, I know this (look above) is super fail when it comes to my photographic ability, but if you look closely, I've placed my first mark to signify the beginning of the entire adventure, if you will. This'll be important at the very least as far as solidifying it during the entry on the second mark is concerned. And to be 100% sure, I owe you guys the picture of the receipt as proof.

Mark #2

Place: Starbucks Glorietta 4 (near the cinema)

Date: November 27, 2009 - 05:13PM

Order: Hot Tall Cafe Mocha, no whip, no foam, non-fat

Say hello to the second mark, and due to the fail of the first mark, I asked someone from Starbucks G4 to help darken the first mark and add in the second mark as proof. In fact, I've decided to make it a point to have them mark the sleeve just to be sure.

Yes, I know the spelling is wrong, but it does sound like a sort of Middle Age mercenary or something. I don't know, that's just me. Sounds awesome, though.

And unfortunately, I never really knew what was supposed to happen during that time. Guess I was a bit too early to ever finding it out. A performance or a book reading, perhaps?

I was at Starbucks G4 at that time while waiting for Joan and Chad to arrive so we can watch Ninja Assassin. Yes, that movie with Rain. To be fair, prior to watching the film, I've had my curiosity at a highly peaked level. Granted that Speed Racer was somewhat of a failed attempt to reboot an animation classic last year, Ninja Assassin has that chance to show the fans that the very ones who helmed The Matrix Trilogy can deliver.

The verdict? I'll say this much: the plot may be a bit formulaic especially by this point in time, but wow, did the fight scenes deliver! Now, they may be almost close to violent in the way gory Japanese movies are, but the battle choreography in general is certainly impressive by any means. One can say it's the fight scenes, no matter how violent (and censored, in a few cases) may be, that is the best selling point of the entire film. As a matter of fact, looking back, I'd even go far as saying that...

Rain is the Asian Kratos! Yes, that Kratos from God of War. Hmmm... come to think of it...

Who'd win in a fight, Rain or Kratos?

And besides, it's either New Moon (which Joan already saw and I don't have any intention of watching), 2012, or Paranormal Activity. And Inglorious Basterds is still coming out in December, although it's gonna be limited to Robinsons Malls. Well, at least it's showing anyway. Let's hope there won't be too much censors.

But no matter what happens, this is still the best encounter Rain has ever had, IMO:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Rain Dance-Off
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

"Great things come from small beginnings..."

Many of you might recognize the preceding quote from the popular Milo commercials and is one of their most popular taglines, but no truer words have been said.

Today, the world is not in the kind of light we want to see. You name it, violence, bloodshed, the evils of politics, and all that jazz. And while these dregs still exist in many forms, let's not forget one of the most pressing issues humanity is currently facing: how to save the environment.

Sometimes, we say what the objective is, and it's easy to just blurt it out with gusto. But if there is anything I've learned over the years, it's that saying and declaring is one thing, execution is another. And sometimes, it is easy to think that such a grand responsibility is a responsibility too great for the average Joe to handle, especially when it comes to changing the world for the better. Actually, if you ask me, all of us are capable of great things, no matter who you are or where you're from. And that's what I'd like to prove in this blog. We've seen a lot of initiatives done by many artists and organizations over the years (such as the outstanding contributions of U2). We've seen SOP's like CLAYGO being taught to schools and various public places. We're also used of the 3R's (reuse, reduce, recycle). But there is something else we as a united front can do. Especially for coffee enthusiasts.

I'm no genius, but you can probably imagine how many of these coffee sleeves are being used all over the world every day. They've certainly become quite handy and has caused the prevention of hot-handed situations many times over. But it's quite unfortunate to see that these things are seen to be disposable after a great perk-up session with yourself or with your friends (as it's being intended for "single use"). So you can probably imagine how many of these are being thrown away in one day. Now, imagine in a year.

So as a way for me to contribute to the environment and help in ensuring a future for not only ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren, I will use the same coffee sleeve and make it a point to conserve. This is to:

1.) Contribute to the 3R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,

2.) Hopefully inspire people to learn from this practice and apply these experiences in other applications, be it in life or in business, and

3.) Hopefully, break the record that was set for the most number of times a single coffee sleeve is used. I remember seeing this in a Seattle's Best outlet somewhere before. Well, anything can happen.

Think about it: Anyone remember the last time all lights were shut off in a given hour in the Metro? Can you imagine how much was saved because of a simple action done by multitudes of households? Imagine being able to save the environment by applying the 3R's in your favorite cafe or hangout, particularly, the use of the same coffee sleeve and not throw it away. And why the Christmas theme? Because it'll be a constant reminder of how this whole thing began during the holiday season. Besides, wouldn't it be refreshing to see this being used during the rest of the year?

The following guideline will be followed, and would see modifications depending on circumstance:

The sleeve will only be used on hot drinks placed in plastic cups, like the usual coffee, tea, and whatnot. And the place you'll order it from will not matter, just as long as you'll be able to use it to protect your hands from the heat. If for example you plan to order two drinks and you plan to use it twice, it'll be considered used for two times.

Every time the sleeve would be used, I will mark it in the sleeve as proof that I have used it. Not to mention, I will chronicle the events of the day the sleeve is used. I've used it earlier, but I will chronicle the circumstances of the events later on.

Hope you guys will enjoy this, ehem, perky ride. Let's get this started!

Oh yeah, my name is Lance, a writer for GAME! Magazine and just your average everyday guy.

PS - Will fix the layout of the blog site soon. Thanks!