hello benj

This charming, quaint coffee shop stole my heart. Tucked in behind St. Patrick Square and Saint Theresa's College , this place is a hidden gem worth the visit. It has such a  homey f eel (which is what I personally look for in a coffee shop) and it's simple, modest interior and artsy mural made me feel just right . And the fact that they take their coffee seriously here just sealed the deal for me. I take my coffee like them,too. Black and seriously. Very seriously.  It was such an honor to be working with Sarah (Bintana's owner) for July's posts. Thanks for indulging my coffee curious mind! She gave us a mini lesson on how to properly make a cup of good ol' black coffee. I am definitely signing up for their next Coffee Appreciation Class . She also talked a little bit about how the cafe that she had in mind was turned into reality This made me more inspired to have a cafe of my own. Someday... maybe someday :)  We loved that she was willing to sh...

Last Saturday night, I was invited to Birdseed Breakfast Club + Cafe to watch Cuppa Folk again. Hanna had 2 sets ready for her time to sing and I listened with their Iced Kopi Jelly in hand. Their coffee blend is to die for and their interiors feel so homey and warm. It reminds me of Brique but Birdseed is more modern (in a way). Some screenshots of my Instagram story. Follow me  @hello.benj. I might visit Birdseed again soon because I actually want a different post dedicated to their food and service. But for now, here are just glimpses of it through the event and the *always* filmed photos of this post. I was with Mikee, Chin, Cire (Hanna's company) and (my company) Zaira and Lai. I don't have them in photos but I might sneak one soon. mehehe  Cuppa Folk  is a monthly * I think* event organized by 22 Tango Records. 22 Tango is an independent record label here in Cebu. They mentor and sign local artists and help them s...

I have been playing hide and seek with my creativity these past few weeks. With our thesis defense and our futures on the line, I can't just frolic around and blog to my heart's content. I had shit to do. Although now that the defense is done, I still couldn't find time to shoot on purpose and create something more than just an update from my very mundane day to day life. Nevertheless, here is a Where Am I? entry for you to have a little something to read on. I did put in a lot of effort to the editing of the photos because 1. I love process and 2. The photos put me in an editing mood. They're one of the most "blank canvas" photos shot by Hanna Banana. A little info about Tom N Toms: 1. 24 hours open (yay) 2. Great food 3. OK drinks (coffee specifically) 4. Amazing interior 5. Slow service 6. Moderately fast Wi-Fi That's all I have so far. It was my first visit after all. Say h...