Holidays 2025: Practicing the Art of Slowing Down

"Sa travels natin, let's be intentional in having a slow pace. Enjoy the present and savor the moment. Time has this ability to sneak up on us, at magmamalay na lang tayo na matatapos na naman pala ang taon."

Nov 4 (Mon): This year, I slowed down at work. I realized that how I'm valued as an employee is not equal to how I do my tasks compared to my teammates. I still hit targets and deadlines, but that's it. I'm only doing what's expected of me. I'm not quite quitting, as a matter of fact, I love my job. I just don't want to rush things anymore.

At home, I appreciate slow mornings more than taking only a minute or two to finish my cup of coffee. I now take my time when taking a bath, enjoying more the smell of my body wash than rubbing my skin with my body scrub in a rush. I feel so refreshed when the cold water from the shower slowly and steadily washes away the shampoo in my hair.

On the left is a snap from one of our slow dinner cravings, shy lang ako d'yan. I can still vividly remember that dinner; there was no rush to finish our food, just my partner and I savoring the Vietnamese flavors in our order. I'm enjoying this Thai Tangerine Tea, not so Vietnamese, huh?

Nov 6 (Thu): Here I am in my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, enjoying my hot Spanish latte and chocolate chip cookie while trying to figure out how I will move forward with my three process documentation projects and two course creation projects. Also, nakakatuwa kapag ganitong month na. Super light sa pakiramdam at nae-excite ako sa isiping I'll be able to meet my friends again over coffee and some pastries, catch-up malala sa mga ganap namin sa buhay bago matapos ang taon.

Nov 09 (Sun): Just finished working. I was still able to do some household chores. Well, may parating na super-typhoon named Uwang, and Metro Manila is already on Typhoon Signal #3 while my hometown is already in #4. God help us! Despite the weather forecast, it's still very calm outside, so hopefully ay hindi na matuloy si Uwang at malusaw na lang sa karagatan.

Anyway, last Friday night (Saturday, really, at 12 AM), my work friends and I went to Tagaytay to catch up, have dinner, and enjoy some coffee. Then, uwi na rin. Hahaha. Very quick indeed pero enough na for us to decompress from the stress we're getting from work, chill lang pero puro tawanan sa kung anu-anong bagay na napag-usapan.

Here we are posing for a photo while waiting for our orders: inihaw platter, seafood soup, and mango shake pitcher. Sulit din ang experience namin sa 24-7 restaurant na 'to. Hindi masyadong malamig pero grabe ang fog papunta at pauwi. There were spots where the road was no longer visible. After this, we had coffee at Hiraya, a Starbucks Reserve. Sa dami ng tao, we just opted for a to-go order and just enjoyed our lattes in the car.

On the way home, we bought fruits sa hilera ng tindahan sa kalsada. It's been a long time since nakakain ako ng guyabano. I also bought saba for my rice substitutes.

Anyway, I gotta prepare now. I have a badminton game from 8AM to 1PM. Sana, hindi na talaga matuloy si Uwang dito sa Pilipinas and just totally dissolve in the ocean.

Nov 24 (Mon): Another manic Monday! My partner and I watched the second part of the Wicked movie last Saturday. For someone na hindi fan ng play and source literature itself, sakto lang yung movie. Maybe it's the action-movie-lover in me, nakulangan ako sa main conflict scene ng movie. Anyway, I really booked the movie kasi gustong-gusto nang mapanuod ng partner ko, and that's good enough for me to actually watch it.

Dec 11 (Thu): Long day at work, but managed to squeeze in a 3.50-kilometer walk. Not much, but a perfect start after being idle on this morning routine for almost a month. I tried a new route today, the one that crossed borders between two cities. I also found a specialty coffee space named Satori.

Dec 16 (Tue): Yesterday was something that I hope not to experience again. But who knows? Anyway, this week is kinda very uneventful for me since ang huling badminton game ng club namin ay last Sunday na, and we'll resume with regular games on the 4th day of next year na. I plan to walk-run daily, starting tomorrow morning, to shake off the holiday laziness I've been feeling since last week. I also want to get a haircut, maybe tomorrow afternoon. But today, I wanna get done with the second module of the course that I've been targeting to finish by the end of this year. Wish me luck!

Jan 09 (Fri): The holiday dust has finally settled in our household: ang mga pagkaing nasa ref namin ay finally paubos na, clothes worn during our vacation and Christmas events sa wakas ay malapit nang malabhan lahat, and my pre-work routine is almost back to normal. Ang post-work routine ko na lang ang kailangang kong maibalik sa dati.

This first week at work is so chaotic and disorganized. Ang kaunti lang ng mga nagawa ko per shift pero parang pagod na pagod ang katawan at isip ko. Hopefully, it's gonna be different starting next week.

Jan 26 (Mon): So far, my January has been both boring and exciting. Boring because I feel like I’m stuck in one place, yet my mind and body can’t seem to find a way to move forward. I’ve been feeling demotivated, made worse by the cold weather, which has been giving me a hard time. I’ve had a common cold since Wednesday last week and have been having difficulty breathing—a clogged nose is one of the things I dislike the most.

On the bright side, my partner and I were finally able to experience Sinulog. Although it wasn’t all sunshine and roses, our overall experience was pleasant. Lastly, I’m already seeing improvement in my badminton games. During my game last Saturday, I won all six of my matches. As for my game yesterday, I won six out of seven.

Jan 30 (Fri): Today is the last day of my manager in my full-time job. I'm sad. I don't want to say goodbye; I'm never good at saying goodbye kaya parang ayoko ring um-attend sa farewell call for her later today. Although sabi naman niya eh we can reach her any time on WhatsApp. She's been one of the best managers that I ever had since I started working in 2013. I pray that she'll have the wisdom and strength to go through this phase in her life. And I just hope na maging friends kami outside of our work set-up. Alam kong mabait at mabuti naman siyang tao.

Feb 03 (Tue): Closing this 2025 Christmas tradition today. I'm not satisfied with the number of entries I have for this year, but life happens, and that's totally fine.

Cheers to a more productive 2026!

A Toast to Friendship: The Exploderz Brunch Diary

"Gawin na kaya natin 'tong monthly? This getting strong tradition of our friendship started with that one statement."

Ang sarap sa feeling na kahit na super busy kami sa kanya-kanya naming mga buhay, we still find time to catch-up over food, coffee, and sometimes cocktails. So here's a post dedicated to my best buddies as we explore gastronomical places in and out of the metro. We usually have two places in one brunch but let's focus on the main venue. Why? There will be another time for the second restaurant to be the main venue. What to expect? Little side stories before, during, and after our brunch, my impression of the place, their service, and their food.

Side Note: The Exploderz ang pangalan ng college barkadahan namin nina Migs and Vic. Kaya any lakad that involves at least one of them, I consider The Exploderz lakad.

JAN: Cafe Breton | Ground Floor Greenbelt 3, Ayala Avenue, Makati City

Our original plan was Greenbelt, nothing specific, hanap na lang kapag andoon na. Art and I already had something in mind, mostly si Art, and ito ang Cafe Breton. For a few minutes, naghanap-hanap pa kaming dalawa habang naghihintay kina Jhinie and Migs. Ultimately, sa Cafe Breton pa rin kami napunta.

Although Alou didn't make it, it was still a great time. Ang daming kwento since lahat kami eh kakagaling lang din ng travel. Kami ni Art eh from our Christmas vacation in Sagada while Jhinie and Migs spent their New Year with Migs' fam in Japan. We love their pasalubongs and their ganap chikas. I hope nagustuhan din nila ang #SlowDayBag that we made at home.

So this cafe... ganda ng ambiance, very brunch vibes talaga, perfect talaga for tito-tita bonding time. Hindi kami sa table na 'yan originaly nakaupo, sa isang small round table lang kami pero napansin ata ng waiter na medyo cramped na ang situation namin when Jhinie and Migs arrived. Kaya ayun, inilipat n'ya kami. Kahit na medyo mataas mas comfortable ang upo namin compared sa original table namin na medyo malamig din to our liking dahil super tapat sa air con.

For me, the highlight of their menu was the mozzarella burger, at least from what we ordered. Sarap din ng sausages nila. Kung presyo naman, I think it's reasonable considering the taste and servings.

On an ordinary day, I'll definitely go back here lalo na on my #MeTime. Sobrang nakaka-relax talaga, tipong hindi ko na rin iisipin kung mag-isa lang ako since ang dami din namang kumakaing mag-isa sa cafe na 'to. That's beside the fact na dati ko pa namang ginagawa ang kumain mag-isa sa restaurants.

After our meal, we decided to grab coffee and cake somewhere in Glorietta naman. As far as I remember, we had crepe cakes of different flavors. Ang sarap din sa place na 'yon.

FEB: Spotted Pig | 109 Esteban Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City

I was totally unaware of this restaurant until I searched for weekend brunch places in Makati. As I browsed through their Instagram account, na-excite na kaagad ako. Very aesthetic ang place and by the looks of it, mukhang masarap din ang food.

I think this was the first time na on time kami. Although hindi naman issue sa amin ang ma-late ng ilang minutes kasi it's a Saturday and we're supposed to be sleeping pa given the exhaustion from a week's work. Also, chill day din namin 'to kaya hindi naman kailangang ma-stress pa just because we're running late for a few minutes.

Anyway, Art and I were there first and pumila na rin kami while waiting for Jhinie and Migs. After a few minutes, dumating na rin naman sila. We were then seated at our table for a little over five minutes. Ang bilis ng service nila, after 20 minutes, na-serve na lahat ng order namin including our coffee.

From what I ordered, I loved their cortado. Although not shown in any of the pictures I uploaded on the gram, bet na bet ko ang aesthetic cup it was served in, syempre eh masarap din. Now for the salmon teriyaki bowl that I ordered... Medyo malansa pa ang salmon nila. I was not sure if that's because hindi pa gaanong luto or sadyang ganon ang pagkakaluto no'n. Anyway, hindi ko na rin inalam, medyo nahiya na akong magtanong kasi ang dami na ring customers na dumating. It's a little my fault kasi sana eh itinanong ko na lang rin, kinda regretting it now.

For our after-meal coffee, we went to this cafe bakery a few minutes away from this restaurant. We had apple pie and red velvet cheesecake together with smoothies. Okay din ang idea na mag-dessert sa another place na walking distance lang from the restaurant, I want to believe na nakakatulong to sa digestion. Very rural folk, 'no? I know!

After our dessert, syempre uwian na. Art decided to get a haircut before going home kaya naglakad pa kami ng ilang minuto after Jhinie and Migs left. Once we got home, ano pa nga ba, eh di catch up naman ulit sa tulog.

MAR: Antipodean Coffee Roasters | 111 Paseo de Roxas, Legazpi Village, Makati City

I found this place on Google too. When I saw their Instagram account, I knew it was our next brunch venue. For this month, medyo late kami. Around 11:30 AM na kaming nakarating and was able to order our food almost 12:00 PM na kasi ang tagal naming nag-decide ng oorderin.

So the place... Cozy and chill vibe. Medyo mainit lang sa loob despite the ACs and fans sa loob, medyo sablay lang siguro ang ventilation ng kitchen. But I think ang ganda sa al fresco tables nila.

As for the menu, it's written on the wall behind us. You can also scan the QR codes taped on the table. It's a bit overwhelming sa sobrang daming options. I was torn between big breakfast and all-day breakfast, turned out both were somehow wrong options for me.

Since I was not satisfied with my all-day breakfast, I ordered their Wagyu burger. Yummy! I was super satisfied, 'yong busog ko, grabe. I also got a taste of boyf's order, chicken satay. It's very flavorful. Although may mas masarap pa akong chicken satay na nakain before.

Maybe sobrang busy lang talaga ng place na 'to on weekends from breakfast to lunch kasi nga it's a perfect place talaga to catch up with family and friends. I'm not recommending this place kung more than four ang group n'yo lalo na kung gutom na kayo, titirik talaga ang mata n'yo sa gutom. Hahaha. But it's perfect kung #MeTime mo or maybe early weekend date with your jowa or a brunch catch-up with your three other friends.

After paying our tab, we decided to have dessert in another cafe within the same neighborhood. We had turon a la mode, chocolate cake, and a somewhat deconstructed bilo-bilo. We also ordered their specialty drinks.

Around 02:30, we decided to go home. A funny highlight of this brunch was the anxious feeling for Jhinie and Miguel na baka na-clamp rin ang car nila kasi ang daming na-clamp sa mga street na nadaanan namin. Thankfully, hindi naman.

APR: Rustic Mornings | 11 Isabelo Mendoza Street, San Roque, Marikina City

Way back 2021, we went sa Marikina to visit Pinto Art Museum. Bago pumunta, nasa plan namin na mag-breakfast muna sa Rustic Mornings. But that time, need pa nila ng reservations for dine-in kaya sa iba na lang kami kumain. Kaya this year, we're giving ourselves the second chance to enjoy their food.

Unfortunately, hindi kami ulit tuloy due to busy and conflicting schedules. We're supposed to go there a day before birthday ni Art, kaso naging very long weekend na kaya we took

advantage of it and left the city a day before ng planned visit namin sa Rustic Mornings.

Kaya for this month, we just decided to have an afternoon coffee sesh sa Ito Kish Design Food. Very last minute, tipong Jhinie and I decided lang on it Thursday before the Saturday meet-up. Ang sarap ng mojicap nila with shakshuka. Then to cap the night off, we had coffee sa Tyler's Cafe na naloka ako kasi super hindi na naman ako pinatulog the following night.

MAY: Rustic Mornings | 11 Isabelo Mendoza Street, San Roque, Marikina City