Endless Line

Chakang Starbucks Barrista!

This afternoon, Kuya Al’s coffee press beaker was broken so he asked me if I could go to Starbucks and ask how much a replacement costs. Since my room mate and I were going to La Salle to volunteer, I told Kuya Al I’d do it and dropped by Starbucks Technohub on our way to MRT.

At the queue, I noticed that the guy behind me kinda looked like the actor Sam Milby, but I really wasn’t sure because he was wearing shades and he kinda had bad skin. (As in lots of red blotches.) At any rate, I ignored him since I didn’t care about Sam Milby anyway (except when Kuya Feps is imitating him).

Apparently though, the barrista and I do not share the same sentiments. She totally ignored me and proceeded to serve Sam Milby. And when she called out Sam’s beverage, she was like “One blah blah blah for Sam! Hi Sam! San ka pupunta?”

In my Boss’s words, the nerd the babaeng yon! At hindi pa jan nagtatapos. As I said, I really didn’t care about Sam so I didn’t bother to listen to what he answered, but my roomie says he said something like he was going to ABS CBN. The barrista then pointed out at Sam’s drinks, “Tatlong drinks? Dalawa date mo?”

It’s a good thing that the senior barrista had led me away to get my order or I would have clobbered that girl in front of her beloved Sam Milby. I mean, is that it, you just shove other customers away whenever a celebrity comes in? Can I see a little professionalism here?

After Sam left, the barrista finally noticed that we were actually there. She gave us our drinks, although she didn’t say “Hi Nic! San ka pupunta? Dalawang drinks mo? Sino ang date mo?”

My roomie, ever so kind and patient, just remarked, “Na-mesmerize ka yata kay Sam Milby.”

And you wouldn’t believe what the barrista answered.

“Hindi naman.”

I like it when you say 'Kata'

I Miss Marco :((

I lost my phone Marco tonight. Apparently he fell off my pocket during the taxi ride to Tandang Sora where I and my friends were to have a slumber party. The driver called Pau, the last person I called using Marco and told her that he was going to return the phone. He never came and my number has been out of reach ever since.

Marco hasn’t even spent a year with me. I bought him last November when we went to Singapore. I named him Marco because the sales guy who assisted us when we were buying Marco looked like Marco Lansangan. Marco, a 7610 Supernova, was actually my second choice of phone, but since the Nokia store ran out of the model I wanted, I got him instead.

I developed a really deep emotional attachment with Marco nonetheless. All my contacts, dear images and appreciated messages you guys sent (from birthday greetings to questions of where am I) were all in him. He was also my notepad, calculator and alarm clock. Literally he had been the closest thing to me ever since I got him.

The thought that I would never see him again breaks my heart. But I guess it’s my fault, I should have been more careful. As my parents said, wala na tayong magagawa. Maybe I’ll just go back to using Raikkonen (my old 3650 phone) until I find the next phone for me.

Marco, wherever you are, I’m sorry and I really really really miss you.

And to that taxi driver, see you in hell.

Color Me Orange. Again. ^_^

I had 6pm coffee and 7:30 dinner with Kuya Al tonight. ^_^

The coffee is my payment for the peppermint almond mocha he made for me last week. As you all know, I'm utterly helpless in the kitchen so making coffee for him, no matter how much I want to, is not an option. Instead we had his favorite beverage, iced Almond Mocha frappe, at Starbucks TechnoHub.

Kuya Al likes his coffee bitter so I ordered a quad venti Almond Mocha frappe for him. I almost laughed at the barista's reaction - "Quad venti?" he repeated, eyes wide. (It reminded me of Kuya Rex's reaction when I told him that Kuya Al likes his ventis with four espresso shots: "Quad? Sobrang pait na non. Di kaya magpalpitate na sya?) When I nodded, the barista laughed and said "Ah okay. Para sa mga kailangan talagang magising." I laughed with him and, pointing at Kuya Al, said "Ewan ko sa kanya.”

We had identical drinks so Kuya Al made sure that he got the coffee that had the four espresso shots label. Unfortunately, the barista made a mistake and my almond mocha was the one they added extra espresso shots to, even if Kuya Al's cup was the one that had the four espresso shots label.

I'd taken two sips from my super bitter coffee before we realized the mistake. And what can I say, I don't think I'll ever drink a quad venti again. It's really bitter. And Allandail Rivera, if you ever read this, I want you to know that I will never take on your challenge of drinking a pure espresso shot. ^_^

Kuya Al reminds me a lot of my brother Ryan and Kuya Rex. Actually, hanging out with Kuya Al is pretty much like being with Kuya Rex – it’s like we never run out of things to talk about, and they both share the most interesting stories. Tonight I was told about the adventures of little Allaindail and the crazy, mean dogs he hates so much, his barely passing physics scores, how to properly cook pasta, when to and not to talk to an ex and his lactose intolerance among many others.

Hanging out with Kuya Rex and Kuya Al is a lot fun. ^_^ It just makes me sad because I don’t get to spend that much time with Kuya Rex because he doesn’t study here anymore, and next sem is Kuya Al’s last sem here in UP. It’s like the happy times are so fleeting.

Actually, I don’t know how to end this entry. Maybe I’ll just say thanks to Kuya Al again, and tell Kuya Rex for the nth time that I miss him so. ^_^

Mmmmmmmm. ^_^

Today’s story begins with a YM chat last night. “What time ing class mu tomorrow?” Kuya Al asked. “I’ll bring some coffee. Makagawa from here. [sic From at home in Pampanga] Go, request naka!”

I never really hung out with Kuya Al until recently, so it’s just now that I learned about his passion for cooking and making gourmet coffee. That makes us opposites since the kitchen isn’t really my place in the house, but I seldom pass up an opportunity to eat or drink. So I took on his offer, and before we said goodnight I had a peppermint almond mocha with my name on it due the next day.

If I tell you that this day is beautiful, you know I’m shitting you because I don’t like rainy days and it’s the day of my second Econ 131 exam. To put it in Dana White’s words, this day is fucking terrible. So when Kuya Al and I met up at SC for lunch today and I finally took a sip of the well-heralded peppermint almond mocha, the only thing I could say afterwards was “This is the loveliest thing I’ve had today.” ^_^ And I meant that.

I only tasted a hint of the almond flavor and a bit of the chocolate, but I’m not complaining because the heady rush of the minty aftertaste was enough to keep my eyes twinkling and my mouth tingling. ^_^ Kuya Al said that the coffee wasn’t suited to his taste because it wasn’t as bitter as he would have wanted and it was way sweeter than he would have preferred, but I guess that’s just him because it tasted swell to me.

He brought just a tall tumbler, (which wasn’t even filled full since Kuya Al took sips from it when he got bored during the bus ride back to UP this morning) but I liked the coffee and its mintiness so much that I took only small, frequent sips so I could taste the caffeine mint as many times as possible. And guess what. The beverage lasted me a whole afternoon!

I drank it when we ate lunch, I drank it while we waited for the OUR offices to open so Kuya Al can submit his dropping slip, I drank it during my Natsci 1 class and finally emptied it at nearly 5:30 as I left Econ after my 131 exam. If I took on Kuya Al’s offer to cut my class and exam and hit the mall with him instead, that’s still probably the time it’ll take me to let go of the coffee. ^_^ Needless to say, I enjoyed it much.

In our YM chat I promised Kuya Al that I would blog a review about the coffee he made, (“magpakaplastic ka naman at sabihin mong masarap”) but heck, who am I kidding? I’m not a coffee connoisseur. I’m not even a millimeter of the coffee drinker that Al Rivera is. My opinion would be worthless.

But for whatever it’s worth, I’d give Kuya Al four thumbs up. More if I had any more thumbs to give. I lovelovelovelovelove his coffee, and I appreciate him even more for sharing so many things with me today. ^_^

Will I pay him back by making coffee for him too? Uh, let’s not waste precious coffee beans. Let’s just go to Starbucks one of these days. ^_^

It could have been a happy ending

...but she hates being left behind way too much to compromise, and he loves the freedom of solitude way too much to commit.

Doesn't really matter how everything else seems to be perfect.

This, sweetheart, is what you call LIFE.

Kay Birthday Girl

Janine,

The truth is, like most of my dearest friends, I don’t really remember a lot about the first time I met you. It must have been during one of our earliest floor parties, the one where we played backstabbers, because I remember how hard you laughed when you read that someone said I look like Nick Carter and Joyce looks like Joyce Jimenez.

I don’t remember how we got chummy. Yes, we were classmates in Econ 11 but we never came to class together because back then I was too GC so I went to class 30 minutes before time while you were too lenient so you went to class 15 minutes before dismissal.

I don’t remember how we became friends. You used to drop by my and Janice’s room a lot but we never really talked much about stuff because you two would speak in Bisaya and I’d have no idea what you were talking about.

I don’t remember how we became members of Lambda Gamma. The only thing I know is that we were eating together and making fun of Lucky Manzano being a booger and somehow we had so much fun together so we decided to form a group that we called the Lucky Girls.

I don’t remember how you became such an important person to me. Maybe it’s because we spent too much time together. Or maybe it’s because we laughed at too many jokes together. Still maybe it’s because you treated me to too many meals. It’s too difficult to point an exact reason out.

But I guess it’s okay not to know why and not to remember how.

The important thing is that I know that you are going to be my friend forever, even though we don’t live under the same roof anymore, even though you accuse me of being GC and even though I’ve missed to many UP Fairs with you guys.

The important thing is that I know you will be there the next time I need a friend to talk to, the next time I need a hand to help me out and the next time I need the latest scoop about Rafael Solis.

The important thing is that you know that I will be here for you anytime and anywhere you need me – because that’s what real friends are for.

The important thing is that I remembered your birthday and you’ve got a cake with not just your name but also your face on it. ^_^

Happy Birthday, Ma’am J9!