Cute Tea

Cute Tea finally opened! It’s one of the kiosks by the path in the newly-renovated Ateneo JSEC. These drinks are so perfect for the heat of the summer. For only a price range of 45-60 pesos, you can get quality milk tea and other drinks—no need to get out of the school for milk tea! Warning: They do a layered style for some of their tea mixes, so the drinkers really need to MIX WELL (or suffer the inconvenience of stinging, syrupy first tastes).

Photos!


Their drinks are sooo addicting. My personal favorite ones are the Autumn and Winter milk teas. Also, I love their Matcha and Blackberry italian fizzes! I spent yesterday just drinking from their stall. Throughout the whole heat of the afternoon, I bought both Autumn and Winter, and a Blackberry fizz, for the sheer yumminess of it all. I was about to go to Starbucks for a drink, but I figured, why buy just one drink when you can have three of Cute Tea’s for the same price? 

Can’t wait to try out more flavors! 

Some more beach pictures…

Dear world,

I can’t sleep tonight (not surprised), so I wanted to share some more of the pictures I took on the beach (this time, not with my ITouch) when I went there with my parents last March.


This is my mom…
and this is my dad.
Aren’t my parents THE cutest? They went home to the Philippines for my graduation. I’m glad they got to spend a week of vacation in a hotel by the beach. They do almost nothing but work when they’re away—cue for much-needed R & R.
The downside of my parents being really enthused to take a vacation is that they slept through most of the time in Bora. :| Really, they did. So there was nothing else for me but to scour sunny Stations 1 and 2 for something to do. I took the longest walks with my camera while my parents were snoozing in bed. Not that that’s any punishment at all. I’m one of the sappy ones who love ~long walks on the beach~ (with singsongy voice and hearts). 
BTW, Hawaiian Bar-B-Que’s really really yummy. I recommend anyone who comes across it to eat there. Their ribs plus pineapple rice are a treat when shared with friends.

I have a favorite roadside shop in Bora which sells dreamcatchers. I love dreamcatchers, and as far as I know, that shop’s the only one which sells those near the area. The dreadlocked lady who owns it seems like she lives on the beach (lucky her) and is super nice. They sell these fun tribal idol things too, and cute unique pens. :)
That time my parents and I were in Bora, there was a wedding. Actually, there were three weddings. It was pretty cool. The beachfront of the hotels where the couples got married were almost right beside each other, and their hotels were beside ours, so we had no trouble peeking and seeing what was going on. It seems fun to get a beach wedding. Only, I wouldn’t personally prefer to in Boracay, ‘cause the last time I was there, I saw one wedding take place right beside a pre-party (read: super rowdy kids), and I don’t think it was a nice experience for the couple.
The thing on the right of the photo above is the sleeve of my dad. He wanted to get a photo shot with the marrying couple behind him. Sheesh. -.-
^ Super heart-aching sunset. I wish everyone could see this in person. I took pictures as the sun went down, but I’ll just post one of the prettiest ones.

I don’t think I’ll be seeing Bora again anytime soon. I really hope for another beach trip before summer ends, though. Actually, I just hope for someplace new I can take more pictures of. Incidentally, my mom and I will be going on another adventure this week—so, yay for bonding and new photos and places. :)

I shall go to sleep now.

Love, Mindy. 

Beachy 2

Never thought my ITouch could make pictures this okay-looking for Instagram. Now, if I could only have IPhone quality ones…

So…

…I started painting again.


Sunflower.
Booboo. 

Summer is here. (Or as Jussy put it, a period of joyful unemployment. -.-)
 

Bare 2012

The last time I saw Bare was in a smallish, almost-damp-from-heat room with linoleum flooring, and I was bathed in sweat though Iwata fans surrounded the place (sorry Ateneo, Exhibit Hall does kinda suck). That version of me, three years less wise, was seated on a monoblock chair along with around two hundred people (not counting those who were standing), yet the discomfort and the late hour did not prevent me from shedding a few shy tears.

For this run, I was in the front row on a plush seat, in a *legit* theatre in Greenhills with a camera I was poised to shoot with in my hands—and as much as the setting where the same production was held changed, I realized that my pride of being a part of the talented org that puts up these wonderful shows has not lessened in any way.

Here are some of the pictures I was lucky to take of the first act of Bare 2012 in its first Saturday matinee: 


Haha. I took kind of a lot.

Anyway, will never forget this org. Still, summer’s here! I wonder what’s in store for next season…? :)

Information Design Seniors’ Exhibit

Last January 30, the ID seniors put up their thesis exhibits at the Gonzaga Exhibit Hall.

Here’s were a few of the projects:

This was my friend, Abi’s. It’s a board game for kids.

…my classmate, Amy’s ^ It’s an app that teaches Chinese!




This one’s Bibo Reyes’ ^ For theatre people like me!

^ Here’s a nifty one I like. It navigates through Divisoria.




^ This one’s my friend, Jeki Ona’s. They’re books for kids about health myths (i.e. a tree will grow in their stomachs if they swallow fruit seeds. ^^)




This one’s my favorite. It’s a project that helps students take good notes by doodling, by Claudine Delfin. (Visit it at sketchofrenzy.com.)


Here’s mine! You can visit it at wix.com/design_for/site. (<- plug)


^ ID Seniors!


My cute profs.


^ Parker!


…and my friend Abi Snowball.

Haha! Though I’m super relieved thesis is over, I’ll miss all of this.

Been super burned out this week, and I’m gearing up for this weekend because we’re setting up the exhibit. I don’t know how I want it to look like yet, honestly, and I’m really scared.

I want me some milk tea.

Here’s to hoping for the best!

Senioritis

We’re almost graduating, and in the Seniors’ Facebook Group, one of the more inspiring people (at least, for me) in our batch posted this:



Here are some of the responses (if you’re reading this and wrote any of these, I hope you don’t mind me quoting you. :):

“Med school, specializing in cardiology or gastroenterology, with plans of making a healthcare business. Tapos kung naging stable na ang career at gaganahin pa, magfi-film school on the side :D”

”Marami akong pangarap. :)) I’m not yet graduating, so nothing’s final and my options are still open. :) But among my many dreams are to teach Math to GS/HS kids, go JVP, go to China to learn more Chinese, work in a company and/or setup my own business to earn money so I could setup a leadership training camp and an orphanage– all these while being the best mom and wife that I could be to my future family :) “

”Law School and bring justice to the Phils :) Especially to our brothers in jail who were deprived of justice and voice because they are not as privileged as the elites. I want to change the justice system and make it equal. I want to make this world a better place :)”

”Tutuparin ko ang Ordo Amoris ko. Seriously.”

”Well, visit my immersion family in Bataan again. Afterwards, if not JVP, travel muna. as in not the conventional places but places that aren’t normally flocked by tourists, backpacking and all :)”

”I’m really excited to enter medschool and work in a doctorless community in our country and improve their health systems for maybe 1-2 years after passing the licensure exam. After that, I’ll specialize in either endocrinology or cardio surgery.”

”For what it’s worth, my dream is to become a strategic planner/creative director and generate giant ad campaigns like Milo’s “Help Give Shoes” or Coca-Cola’s centennial campaign (one of its promo material is the video with the 100 year-old lolo from the province visiting his apo sa tuhod in the city). Basta something moving and inspiring. Yeah, still marketing, but I wanna show the world capitalism can be something that could drive people towards (selfless) action. I just wanna try my best and apply what I learned in Bobby Guev’s class. :)”

”…i wanna be a stylist/visual merchandiser/brand or retail manager of brands like D&G, H&M, Topman. Massimo Dutti and the like. and hopefully put up my own clothing line for men here in the Philippines someday… someday :”>”

”Will spend 2 weeks in Bohol with other Ateneans under the SA Dept. to help with the town’s heritage conservation and preservation. And when I get back, will hopefully land a job at GMANewsTV and work for Howie Severino’s i-Witness documentaries.”

”I think I’ll work immediately (kelangan pag-aralin ang kapatid) then pursue an MBA or Masters in Eco. Gusto ko rin magturo in as many ways as possible, create music (or at least jam) and write plays na rin. And be the best dad if given the chance.”

—————————-

It’s amazing to read these young, super idealistic and hopeful plans for the future. We might not really be exactly where we want to be in 5 years or 10, but I’m thinking great things start with putting our intangible and jumbled dreams into words. I think, that way, we end up taking itty-bitty steps towards those dreams without even knowing it.

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On that note, check out the Information Design Seniors’ Exhibit coming next week at the Gonzaga Exhibit Hall, 3rd Floor! Here’s the ad:

We’ve been slaving for this. Come, one and all!

Theatre and Company Call: BlueREP at 20

When I was 7, my sister—who was 12 then—joined Ateneo Children’s Theatre. Their play was Gregorio Del Pilar, Ang Batang Heneral, and being the ducky little sister I was, I sang along with her as she rehearsed, watched her do her choreo at home and ended up memorizing all the songs. I knew the play almost by heart and had flipped through her souvenir programme only too many times.

Consequently, when I was 11, I joined ACT, too. I got in as part of the ensemble of AGYU (the lead role of which was played as an alternate by a then straight Amos Francia). I had so much fun, I decided to join again the next year, when the 12-year-old me played Dorothy in The Wiz.

And the rest is (my theatre) history.

Who would have known that a lot the friends I made then would still be my friends now, ten years later? Who could have known that the audition I did when I was 11 would lead me to going back into theatre in high school even amidst my never-ending dance rehearsals and academics, even when I had to take a cab every night and go home at 10 pm and still had to study after? Why have I let it lead me straight into an exhausting rehearsal schedule, even now, in college, as I grapple with my thesis, when I could be doing or trying to get better at any of the other things I love like dancing or drawing or sleeping?

Because there’s nothing else like it, that’s why. Theatre, especially in blueREP, is a journey of different stages with different levels of fun, depth and difficulty meshed so well together, one can’t help but just enjoy and learn from it.

I’d like to pay tribute to theatre and its by far the most helpful teacher to me, this wonderful org, by giving my all in the concert for its 20th anniversary, Company Call: BlueREP at 20. It’s time to give back! The rehearsals and my performance are my thanks for the lifelong lessons and relationships I got from blueREP and theatre.

Here are my orgmates (and the alumni) and I having fun during our photo shoot and rehearsals, blueREP style (rehearsal photos shot by Boo Gabunada):

If you’re reading this and are not part of the cast, do catch this spectacle we’re preparing for. Not only will it be (theatrically) star-studded, but full of heart and young talent as well. Here’s a blurb from Clickthecity.com:

This year, blueREP is celebrating its 20th season with Company Call: blueREP at 20— a concert showcasing various numbers from productions staged through the years, since the organization’s beginnings. From Pippin to The Fantasticks, Footloose to Stages of Love, All Shook Up to Hair, original cast members from these productions will regale you for one night only in this celebration of musical theater.

Directed by Toff De Venecia (blueREP’s Freakshow and Little Shop of Horrors), with musical direction by current blueREP artistic director Ejay Yatco (blueREP’s Edges) and choreography plus additional direction by Jim Ferrer (blueREP’s Rock N’ Rule and Black Prom) Company Call: blueREP at 20 will be held in the Henry Lee Irwin Theater, Ateneo de Manila University, on February 11 at 8PM.

Contact Ant Almonte at (63 926) 716-4395 for ticket inquiries.

See ya there!