CRISTY IN THE CITY

Thursday, November 21, 2024

It's amazing how Iloilo City has become a coffee town almost overnight. After the pandemic, cafes and pop-up coffee shops started sprouting everywhere. The burgeoning cafe culture was largely driven by the millennial and Gen Z market who are after a curated, IG worthy coffee experience. For Gen-Xers like myself, I would rather relax in my jammies and enjoy my favorite brew in the privacy of my own coffee corner.

First things first. If you love coffee because of the caffeine and motivational fix, you are better off making a coffee corner at home. It will give you due satisfaction and save you a lot of money in the long run. Indulging in your favorite Starbucks coffee on a regular basis can dent your budget but making your own gourmet coffee is a good return of investment. Find a corner in your dining room or kitchen where you can set up a mini coffee bar and acquire the essentials bit by bit.

The essentials

Coffeemaker or espresso machine

Moka pot

Coffee dripper (Kalita brand is a good one)

Unbleached coffee filters

Coffee cups and coasters

Electric water kettle or an old-fashioned kettle

Coffee beans or ground coffee (grind may vary for espresso, drip or coffeemakers)

For Japan made coffee accoutrements, visit Domo Domo Japan Surplus. They have a curated section of quality coffee accessories.

Coffee 101

Check out excellent coffee making manuals such as Jeff Hoffman's How to Make the Best Coffee at Home and The Home Cafe: Creative Recipes for Espresso, Matcha, Tea and Coffee Drinks.

Decorate your coffee bar

There are cute and collectible coffee inspired decor and coffee ware that you can add to your coffee bar. Look out for some seriously coffee accessories on Instagram and even on Temu.

Choose your beans

Coffee connoisseur or not, you can explore the world of coffee right in your own home. If you're feeling timid about what beans to choose, you can try local gourmet brands available in grocery stores. Check out local gourmet brands for refined choices or scour Shopee or Lazada for local and international brands. A 250 grams bag of ground coffee usually makes 20 cups. If you're feeling fancy, consider Illy or Lavazza ground coffee. Compute the amount you pay for a standard cup of coffee times the number of cups you can make from a bag of ground beans. Do the math! It's practical caffeine fix in the long run!

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Under a gingko and maple sky

Autumn's remembrance lingers like a sweet daydream. Imagine russet maple leaves framing a sunset sky and soft breezes rustling through golden gingko trees. Imagine filling your lungs with pine-scented chilly air, soaking in the view of trees and foliage in peak autumn color. That is my autumn memory from last year's November trip to one of Tokyo's parks and temples. I don't know why I am so drawn to this dark, melancholic season that preludes winter. There is just something about nature's last hurrah-a strange explosion of color before it closes shop for the season. The hibernation that follows has a beauty all of its own. As a midlife woman, I feel a special kinship to autumn more than ever. It's amazing how our physical age mirrors that of nature and we are invited to embrace change in a cyclical kind of way. Yes, midlife is autumn and I am loving it.

Just as sakura or cherry blossoms symbolize spring, the foliage of maple (Japanese maple in particular) and gingko trees celebrate traditional autumnal beauty. The shape of maple and the gingko find their way into ceramic arts, handmade crafts, home decor and seasonal lore.

Autumn will always mesmerize us with her mystery. All we have to do is look up to that deep blue autumn sky and embrace our own kind of magic as we transition through the seasons.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

November to remember

Ahh, November. No season sweeter than you! Aside from it being my birthday month, November is full of autumnal magic with Halloween and Dia de los Muertos spreading mystical, enchanting vibes. My Persian cat Hana Grey is turning one as well so that's the cherry on the cake!

Suman rice bday cupcake

It's also my last year in my 40's era so I'm feeling grateful and nervous of what the next decade will bring. Sometimes I don't feel as young as I used to but I try to keep my inner child happy and free.

I'm grateful and blessed for this life. The best is yet to come.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Pet Express at SM City Iloilo

When I'm in Manila, I usually drop by Pet Express for hard to find cat food brands or accessories. I've been hoping the store would open a branch in Iloilo City to cater to the needs of a growing furparent market. For people with pets that are fussy eaters or need special dietary regimen or pampering, Pet Express offers all kinds of local and mostly imported pet food and supplements as well as pet carriers and cute furniture.

Compared to your neighborhood veterinary supplies store, Pet Express offers an extensive array of vitamins, food toppers and pet food brands that you will only find online. Cheers to that kind of convenience!

Visit Pet Express at the 2nd level of SM City Department Store (near the cooking and bakeware section) to explore products your precious fur babies might enjoy.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Rainy reflections

October was the rainiest month in recent memory. With La Nina fueled weather patterns and back-to-back typhoons, it was hard to enjoy the rainy season which I usually love. October usually marks a lovely transition to cooler Amihan months but this year, it's an extension of the wet season which normally ends in early September. It's hard to romanticize the rainy season when a 24-hour downpour is equivalent to a natural catastrophe, at least in this country. What's important is that we keep our spirits high and our hearts warm and cozy.

Sometimes there's nothing we can do but just allow the rain to rain! Feel the rain, be one with the rain. Here's my favorite short poem about rain from one of my favorite poets Robert Louis Stevenson. When it rains, it falls on everything and there's no escaping. Put on that raincoat, get your biggest umbrella and jump on every puddle you see.

RAIN

The rain is raining all around,

It falls on field and tree,

It rains on the umbrellas here,

And on the ships at sea.

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Sunday, October 27, 2024

The cats of WVSU

Cats of WVSU on Instagram

October 4 is Kindness to Animals Day by virtue of Proclamation Number 537. This month, let's think of the cats of West Visayas State University.

Just like any other university around the world, West Visayas State University is home to a dozen or so feral/stray cats. The cats make their presence felt the moment you enter the front gate. Lady Guard, a short legged female tabby is the designated leader of the security guard cats. She lets out a soft meow to alert you of her presence. Her sweet, munchkin kitten like appearance often delights visitors and the security guards alike. You would often find her sleeping near the entrance gate or lazing in a sunny spot near the WVSU Cultural Center. Then there's Bogart, a black and white cat that not so long ago got adopted but was promptly returned to the campus. Apparently he is more suited to be a campus cat rather than be a house cat given his love for people watching. You can find him loafing contently on the covered shed facing the cultural center. He loves the gentle pats that the students give him and the occasional treats. If you are lucky, you might spot the sassy, cheeky semi-orange cat Melo. When he sees a familiar face, he enthusiastically sidles up to ask for head pats or food. Of all the front gate cats, Melo is the devout eater and attention seeker.

Other buildings in the campus have their own cat colonies and are lovingly attended to by volunteers. Looking after the cats however is purely voluntary and often depends on the resources of people who have committed themselves to caring for these gentle yet helpless animals. Fortunately there's university based group Campus Stray Care that seeks to generate financial support for the care of the WVSU campus cats.

If you're a cat lover, student or alumni of the university and would love to support the the WVSU campus felines in your own way, Campus Stray Care is open to receiving donations in cash or in kind (cat food, medicines, vitamins and the like). Adoptions are also welcome.

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Bustling Binondo

For good eats, quirky finds, bargain shopping and more, nothing beats Binondo--the world’s oldest Chinatown established in 1594. As one of the biggest epicenters of commerce, be prepared for the hustle and bustle and the merry cacophony of sights, sounds and flavors. The best, authentic Chinese food can also be savored in this district from fine dining restaurants such as President’s Grand Palace to hawker street stalls. Of course, a visit to Binondo would not be complete without taking home goodies such as Eng Bee Tin hopia, Lord Stow’s Portuguese egg tarts, HK/Taiwan/Japan gifts and confectionery as well as lucky charms and traditional Chinese medicine.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, there’s the mega shopping malls in nearby Divisioria such as 168 and 999 malls for pure retail and wholesale shopping pleasure. Binondo is best this time of year for seasonal offerings such as autumn fruits and pastries. For a definitive guide on Divisoria’s shopping streets, check out this article from Grid Magazine.

As we were pressed for time on a limited itinerary, we were not able to do a proper food crawl. I'm curious of the vegetarian kebabs and surgarcane juice that the Gen Z kids were lining up for. As any foodie would tell you, the food is good if there is a long line!

A few hours is definitely not enough to explore the vibrants streets of Binondo. Can't wait to be back soon!