Juniper Face the Corner
Gabes Torres
Latte Art Jam with Pinoy Barista
* Every year I experience major physical exhaustion especially in the “ber” months where all the “stress-zoids” (stressors the size of Zoids) usually chew away at what is left of my 7-11-sponsored sustenance. The two barista competitions (Philippine Barista Cup and Grand Barista Cup) we participated in last month really gave us a lot to think about and definitely a lot to work on. The training and practice, together with the rigors of daily living, café life, and band rehearsals, gave me bloodshot eyes, irregular sleep patterns, unexpressed frustrations, and non-stop streams of creative thinking.
* It’s been awhile since I’ve done a reflective blog. It’s also been awhile since I’ve written a blog on time, on a Monday evening. Well, maybe because I’m, or we’re, in a stage where the wheels are really rolling fast. Café Antonio is in a stage where we’re developing two of our main thrusts: 1) making good coffee and barista development through exposure and participation in the local coffee industry, and 2) creative expression through music in the form of the Café Antonio Sessions. We’ve talked and bonded with a lot of people this past month. We’ve met interesting and talented artists in Sessions and we’ve made good friends with fellow baristas from different cafes in the past two competitions. These new relationships led to a barista jam last week and three Café Antonio Sessions gigs this month. Aside from that, we’ve also pimped our food menu and we’ll also throw in an UNO Stack-O Tournament next week for good measure.
* My sociable exterior usually hides my quiet chewy interior (by this I mean locking myself up in my room and watching Gossip Girl). What freaks me out is my increased social exposure due to the café’s sudden involvement in a lot of things. Ironic because I’m a Sociology major and being with people is our forte. I’m not saying exposure is bad, don’t get me wrong, it’s very good especially for a business. But being in the forefront all the time is a recurrent and awkward position for me. I’m the personification of an oxymoron. I do what I don’t like and always find myself doing what I don’t want to do. It’s a riddle.
* The lesson here is that I shouldn’t run away from my responsibilities. God isn’t forcing me to do things. Instead, He encourages me to do more of what He has entrusted me to do. And I still firmly believe that this café is my earthly assignment. So if life’s challenges give me more than what my personality can handle, I know for sure that my attitude towards life can always step up, thanks to the Big Man upstairs.
CAFÉ NEWS!
September 11 - Café Antonio Sessions VI featuring Yield Avenue, Satori, Code Name Adobo, and Neil & Ralph
September 13 – Start of UNO Stack-O Tournament
Flavor of the Month: Caramel Raspberry Confusion (with Gummi Bears!) – Php 130
Pasta of the Week: Spaghettini with Tomato and Mozzarella
Sixty Time Snack Sets (from 3 pm to 5:30 pm only) – Php 60
- - Tuna Pita Wrap (2 pieces with 8 oz regular iced tea)
- - Chicken Mayo wrap (2 pieces with 8 oz regular iced tea)
- - Pita Pizza (with 8 oz regular iced tea)
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