Showing posts with label teacher's village. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teacher's village. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Tea Places in Maginhawa St.

I was a milk tea shop hopper in Maginhawa St. for four months now, and I must say I have my favorites. To tell the truth, I sometimes don't go there for the tea, but for other things... :) These are my picks:

Zentea
from http://adf.ly/R5d9C

They have the friendliest staff, plus it's open until 12. I love to order green tea (with no mix) there when I'm feeling less of a sweet tooth. 
They also have the steadiest wifi connection and you can plug your laptops free of charge. They're popular though so the place can easily get full. I'm almost there everyday. XD
Summary: Best for wifi lovers.

Infinitea
from http://adf.ly/R5eB0

What I really love here is their chewy pearls. Be afraid not of eating powdery pearls there ever. It's a must try. Plus they have the coziest interior and seats. :) 
I would have visited them more often if not for their lack of wifi connection. 
But if you want a variety of choices for drinks (they have coffee and lost of milk tea flavors), you're in for a treat.
Summary: Best for pearl lovers.

Tea Please
Jasmine green with coffee jelly

The most tea-flavored tea of them all is in Tea Please. Meaning, it's the least diluted (that's what I think though). :) 
It also has the cheapest regular tea (P35 for a medium sized basic tea). What I usually order here is basic jasmine tea with coffee jelly. They have internet connection, though it's a bit moody. You must be there at the right time. I also love their Cake Middleton. Actually, I adore it. Truly for a sweet tooth. 
Summary: Best for tea lovers.


What's your favorite tea place/ Maginhawa restaurant? Let me know their best dish. :)

Friday, May 10, 2013

Cool Beans Cafe at Maginhawa St. UP Village (updated! :D)

(At long last, I visited Cool Beans again! This time, they're no longer in soft opening mode. See my update below the original blog. :D )

Been dreaming of having a coffee shop with a mini library inside? Cool Beans Cafe (FB page here) just made it come true for you! Located at Maginhawa St., they had their soft opening last April 2013. J and I tried it last April 22, and  we loved the experience!
Menu (Still costing)



We ordered two Kalinga roast coffee - mine without syrup and J's with Hazelnut syrup (additional Php20). We sat on a comfy couch on a tableset for 4+ because it's near the books.
My coffee :3

The place, having a theme of Northern Philippines, is cozy. It's best for studying, especially because the ambiance does not  invite loud conversations. It is also a good dating place; if you lack conversation topics, just pick a book and you're good to go. :)
BOOKS!

They had an amazing collection - with books about Marcos, graphic novels, arts, bestsellers (S.Collins, G.R.R Martin, Pratchett, Tolkien), a book about the history of beer in the Philippines, and Bro Code, among others. They also had this National Geographic magazines corner. (How cool is that place?)

We were fixated on this one red book (Icelandic) entitled "Should You Be Laughing At This?" by Hugleikur Dagsson. The book is out of this world. I think it would be a blast if we read it while being drunk. And I love the fact that they had two copies of it. :D

Their playlist (with Sigur Ros songs which J loves so much) enhanced the awesome ambiance that it had.

Can't wait to have coffee there again! :)

Summary:
Service: 
Price: 
Taste: 
Ambiance: 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE! After n years, I visited Cool Beans again! 
I missed you!

After their soft opening, they're jam packed whenever I passed by, so I haven't got the chance to visit until one Saturday afternoon. 


The final menu (see the list here).
I ordered Philly Cheesesteak, Kalinga Roast and Balikutsa :)


Brunch. NOM.

Kalinga roast. 
Can't stand drinking coffee with cream, so I bought balikutsa (only Php5 each). Waaaay better than coffeemate. Warning: Addictive.

The food was amazing! The prices are reasonable especially when you're going to stay there to read (because we don't want to rob them with customer space, don't we?)

And, my, their library grew larger! I picked a Terry Pratchett because every sentence of his book is hilarious.


They already have their own book classification :3
Truly LOL'ed reading this. Must have a copy of Equal Rites ASAP.

I was alone when I went there so I couldn't stay for a little longer (I always have this feeling of hogging the seats when I stay at a cafe after I finished eating). I will need to go back there, this time with friends, so I could finish the book. :) 

I think they need to have larger space to accommodate more books...and more customers, of course. ;)


This helps, though.
Gods I love this place! <3



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Late UP Freshie Tips




1.Pag nagbigay ang instructor ng readings o references, basahin mo. 

Kahit na 'suggested' readings ang tawag nila sa iba, readings pa rin yan. Malaki ang role ng readings sa recits, quizzes at exams. Para sa mga GC, ito ang daan mo para sa mga uno. May maeencounter kang mga tanong na mismong galing sa readings, bonus pa kung given na ang sagot sa likod ng libro. Mas bonus kung isa pala itong example sa libro. Hindi sapat ang magpaphotox, kahit pa ipabook bind mo, kung hindi lang rin ito mababasa. 

(Noong undergrad pa ako, excited akong bumili ng makakapal na pirated readings sa SC, pero hindi ko talaga ito natatapos basahin. Hindi rin ako mahilig humiram ng libro sa library para sa references na nakasulat sa syllabus.) 


2. Itago ang mga iningatang photocopied readings at notes (kung mahilig kayong magnotes) kahit na tapos na ang sem. 

Kung maaari pa'y ipabook bind ang readings. Kung ito ay galing sa majors nyo, maaari mo itong gamitin bilang reference sa mga susunod sa pang subjects na kukunin mo. Kung sisiw lang sa iyo ang subject na iyon, pwede mo itong ipahiram sa friend na nasa lower batch na kukuha rin ng subject na iyon. Pagkakataon mo nang maging OT (old testament; n. lumang notes, exams, problem sets.) master kaya go! 

At dahil itong sem na ito ang ultimate GE sem n'yo, ilandaang piso rin siguro ang nagastos n'yo sa mga photocopied readings. Hwag mag-alala, pagkatapos ng sem, pwede mo itong ibenta! (Syempre sa mas mababang halaga wrt original price sa SC) Kung mag pagka-OC ka, mas malaki ang halaga ng notes mo. Ang maganda rito ay malaki ang market mo kaya malaki ang chance na mabibili ito. Kung hindi naman palarin sa pagbebenta at may orgmates ka na sa , ipahiram mo ito sa kanila, to establish camarederie. Sayang naman kung sa junk shop lang mapapapunta ang mga ito. Kung wala kang pang org, 


3. Sumali sa org

Ang college life ay mas makulay kung may barkada kang kasakasama sa pag-aaral, pagluluksa sa singko, pagfoofoodtrip sa Maginhawa St. at pagtambay tuwing breaktime. 

 Isa kang maswerteng nilalalang kung 10 kayong magkakaklase noong high school ang nakapasa sa UP. Mas maswerte kung iisa ang college o course n'yo para sa matitinding group study sessions sa McDo Katips o Philcoa o kahit saang 24hrs na fastfood chain. 
 Pero kung wala ka nito, malaking tulong para sa iyo ang pagsali sa org. Hindi lang sa kaibigan marami ang org - nandyan ang matutututo kang makitungo sa iba't ibang klase ng tao. May weird, nerd, emo, super wild o forever horny--- halos lahat ng klase ng ugali makikita mo rito. 
Isa pa, magaganda ang tambayan ng mga orgs dito sa UP. Kung puno na sa Casaa o sa canteen sa iyong college, itakeout mo na at gora na ang lafang sa tambayan. Malaki rin ang oportunidad para maenhance mo ang leadership skills mo, existing man ito o hindi. Pero,


4. Unahin pa rin ang pag-aaral. 

Corny?  Itanong mo kay Ginoong Ramon Bautista, hindi ako nagkamaling i-tip ito. ;)  Ok lang ang maging BS Org sa mga may schedule ang buhay, pero kung 'go with the flow' person ka, ah, mahirap 'yan. Bawal pa namang madelay ngayon, 1k na ang isang unit. 



5. Alamin ang freebies sa buong UP at i-avail ang mga ito. 

Dahil freshie ka, hari ka ng freebies brought to you by USC at marami pang orgs. Noong freshie ako, naka-avail ako ng libreng C2, dirty icecream, isaw, planners, sakay sa ikot/toki at nakatatlo akong libre concert (check out for Giniling Festival). 

Pero hindi nagtatapos sa pagiging freshie ang freebies. Maraming libreng sine sa UP FI para sa lahat, may mga free rides ding sponsored by UP orgs, at libre pagkain pag nag-open tambayan sila. 
Marami ring seminars, talks at lectures sa bawat college o department na libre; maging mapagmashid lang sa bulletin boards para sa schedules. 


6. Ikutin ang campus. 


Inikot ko ang campus noong graduate na ako, at nanghinayang ako dahil marami pa pala akong hindi natatambayang libraries na may free wifi, hindi pa nakakainang siomai stall (e.g. sa FI. Hindi pa rin hanggang ngayon), at hindi nakikitang magagandang CR (ehem University Hotel) na dapat ay noon pa lang ay nalaman ko na para sa mas masayang stay sa UP. Kaya go na kasama ang blockmates at hanapin ang heartbreak hill at AIT.



7. Umattend ng ACLE (Alternative Class Room Experience).

Hindi ito inorganize para makapagTrinoma ka. Umaapaw sa knowledge ang kalahating araw na ito kaya sugod ka d’yan. (Malas lang kung nirequire kayo ng instructor/prof n’yo na umattend ng ACLE ng org/dept. n’ya - hindi ka makakapamili.) Sa ACLE ko narinig ang mga payo ni Jon Santos, at d’yan ko rin dapat nakita sina Brilliante Mendoza, Ramon Bautista, Jim Paredes, at Kryz Uy kung nabalitaan ko lang agad. 
Mula sa pagtuturo kung paano magmake-up (plus make-up freebies), hanggang sa panonood ng mga indie films at Zeitgeist, hanggang sa pakikinig sa mga powerhouse speakers, hanggang sa kung paano gumawa ng DIY rocket, nandyan lahat sa ACLE.


8. Sagarin ang pagkuha ng PE hangga’t libre pa. 

'Holistic being' ang status goal natin, kaya  magPE every sem! Isa pa, 'freshie' = priority sa CRS. Kaya piliin mo na ang pinaka-in demand na PE (masaya ang floorball :]) habang may chance ka pang makuha ito.


9. Magsummer class, kahit isa lang.

Maganda ang UP campus. Mas maganda ang UP tuwing summer (fire tree at cotton invasion). Saka mas madali (raw) ang ES (Engg Science) subjects at mas kakaunti ang readings sa GE subjects pag summer mo ito kinuha. Plus plus pa kung may field trip. Libre bakasyon care of allowance whattup.


10. Sumama sa GE field trips. 


Sobra ang panghihinayang ko dahil isang GE field trip lang ang nasamahan ko sa buong college life ko, at whole day lang siya. Sayang ang pagkakataong magtravel galore para sa karununganchos at habang may allowance pa, kaya go lang nang go. Plus points din yan, kaya GC alert din ito.