hello benj

Hello, from my work desk!  I missed Blogger's blank page so much and I'm getting all kinds of good, giddy vibes while typing this. Anyhoo, here's a Life Lately post for you to binge-read on if you want to. It will probably be long (long actually is an understatement) but I hope you have fun reading it! So, a bunch of different things had happened in my life for the past few months. Some moments are happy. Sadly, a good chunk of the moments are sad and, dare I say, tragic. I won't go into much details but don't worry, you'll know what you need to know. Work is still work If you've been following me on Instagram (shameless plug @hellobennj) , you'll know that I've been dabbling with freelance work lately and I'm extremely grateful for it. It gives me an escape from my nine-to-six job which is... mundane but very challenging. I am slowly but surely growing and learning a lot from the tasks I am assigned to. It's challenging me ...

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...

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...

When looking for a coffee shop to hang-out and lurk in, the first  quality I look for is the feel of home . I'm not entirely sure if that makes any sense to some but for those who feel me, raise your mugs.