Welcome 2012! A New Place for the New Year

We will be opening on January 9, 2012 at our new location at Arla's (5024 National Highway, Brgy. Batong Malake, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines). See you all there!

New Operating Hours (trial): 12 nn to 9 PM (Tuesdays - Sundays)

It's Never Too Late to Start All Over Again...Goodbye LB Square

Special guest band, Sunday Radio from QC, started Cafe Antonio Sessions XXX with a bang!

The CAnton Staff (L to R: Armyl on acoustic guitar, Noel on drums, Wats on vocals and glockenspiel, Jabez on lead guitar, and Elmer on bass) performing "All My Bells are Ringing" by Lenka.

The CAnton staff and the CAntoneers posing for a shot during the Christmas party after Cafe Antonio Sessions XXX last Saturday, December 17, 2011.

The cafe in LB Square was vacated yesterday, Monday, December 19, 2011.

We're now looking forward to moving to Arla's compound in January 2012.

The Stuff of Legend

Poster by Grace Osio

Copy and paste the link to watch the video on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150372715401580

Video by Noel Casubha

Send us your own DAKO! fan art by e-mailing us at cafeantonio_elbi@yahoo.com or cafeantonio.elbi@gmail.com

Kung Mahal Mo Siya, Ililibre Mo Sya sa CAnton Buong Taon!

Give your loved ones DAKO-lest Christmas Gift Ever this holiday season!

Cafe Antonio Beverages Prepaid Packages:

Package A (Php 1500)
- entitles you to one (1) FREE Flavor of the Month for each month of the year 2012.
- comes with one (1) FREE "DAKO-fy" upsize card.
- comes with one (1) 20% DISCOUNT Card for your next purchase of DAKO-lest Christmas Gift Ever!

Package B (Php 750)
- entitles you to one (1) FREE Flavor of the Month for six (6) months of the year 2012.
- comes with one (1) FREE "DAKO-fy" upsize card.

Package C (Php 500)
- entitles you to one (1) FREE Flavor of the Month for three (3) months of the year 2012.
- comes with one (1) FREE "DAKO-fy" upsize card.

We Found Our Appetite!

* We had a hard time looking for the November issue of Appetite Magazine in Los Banos. So we bought a couple at SM Mall of Asia. Thank you very much Appetite for featuring ELBI establishments in your publication, we're very happy! Guys, grab a copy now and RIPRIZINT!

Exhausted Fan

Hey Owltonio, drive for me, owl! Drive for me!

* October 31. Oh I envy those who are asleep in their beds. Those who are parked in front of their laptops watching downloads of TV shows I haven't heard of. And those who are outside just enjoying, uh, the outside. World. Outside world.

* 12:30 PM. Enjoyed my first official layyyyy-zeeee morning of the year. It felt good. But only for a while. Zombie-fied, I trudged towards my backrest-less swivel chair, turned on my old Dell DeLapTop (hybrid of a laptop and a desktop, an actual downgrade) and opened the best software program created by man...MS Excel.

* Your work should work for you. And not the other way around. We shouldn't be slaves to our work. We shouldn't be controlled by our jobs! But alas, what has to be done needs to be done and should be done. It's a "now or never" moment. It's a "let's get it over with so I can move on with my life" movie scene. 

* After 16 hours of toil and countless episodes of Phineas and Ferb, Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, and three episodes of New Girl playing in the background and put on shuffle, I have finally finished, what I like to call, "Home Office Work." Or "boring adult stuff that nobody cares about."

* The next morning, I was supposed to clean my apartment. Just to show off to my new housemates, Tim and Elmer, how good a big brother I was. But when I was about to start, I fell to the floor (I just really laid down), looked at my ceiling and my Gossip Girl poster. It was apparent. I was tired. No, I was EXHAUSTED. All caps for emphasis.

* My definition of "exhausted" is tired body and willing spirit. I finally came to a point where the Optimist Prime in me wasn't able to use its worldly body to do things. I was amazed and bewildered. I'm actually tired, man, I can't believe it.

* What's the lesson here? My sister, Grace, told me this: "Rest and give yourself a break. Don't wait for God to force you to rest." I should know, the last time I was in "work-ka-adik mode" I injured my right wrist and I was in a sling for 1 month. No playing guitar, no barista work, no driving for me. 

* So I played with my nephew and niece today. Oh it's 12:17 am, so it's yesterday. I love them. 

* Rest and peace. RAP yo! I'm going to sleep now...after re-posting this on Facebook. Thank you and good night. Don't forget to pray!

Cloudy with a Chance of Spam and Eggs

* At the beginning of the week, I had this very vacant, vacant feeling about the cafe. Maybe because we didn't have activities planned for the week. After a few minutes of brainstorming and joking around last Monday, we decided to have another movie marathon. And yes, it was very successful once again. Thinking of activities is pretty challenging stuff. One friend told me, having many activities has become a trademark of CAnton. Yeah, I agree. Keep those suggestions coming, guys! Thank you!

It's One Owl-of-a-Town!

* We just love our mascot, Owltonio. Photo taken at BioSci last Tuesday, where I used to buy Milo and sandwiches before class.

Movie Night Tonight!

Everyone's invited to watch and hangout! We will sell freshly popped pop corn, only 10 bucks per bag. Show starts at 4 pm.

We're Alive!

* Hello blog readers! I'm very sorry for not blogging for almost a month. Most of you have noticed. But, yes, this blog is still alive! I've been very busy with work and school, that's why I wasn't able to write blog entries. Our Facebook account is very active, thanks to my new admin and to all the customers and fans who have been keeping that page alive. 

* Some news: the DAKO is doing very well. I'll write an article about that soon and all the past and coming activities we have in store for you for the BER months. And we have a new Facebook account: CafeAntonio Los Banos II. Our first account has already reached its limit of 5000 friends. PTL! See you!

A Contest, a Drink, a Mascot, and a New Series

CAnton people love to use weird words. Here's a quick guide to some of the cafe's terminologies:

1) DAKO - means "big" in Bisaya. In CAnton, it's the new 64 oz size for all cold drinks.

2) PAK PAK POOM! - a monthly epic breakfast meal contest consisting of Spam & Eggs, Bacon, a Waffle, French Toast, and a 16 oz Mocha Frothiccino. 

3) OWLTONIO - CAnton's official espresso-drinking Owl mascot.

4) BORN TO BREW - the "Cafe Antonio Sessions" of the barista world where we will be inviting baristas from all over the country to talk about their profession.

Masarap Nga! Woohoo!

(L-R): Yane Bonita, Mark Fellizar, Lougee Basabas, Wats Bonita, Rick Jason Obrero
(photo by Dan Sta. Romana)

* We're still recovering from last Saturday's gig. Delara, Aspen Way, and Yield Avenue rocked the house down and there was a legion of ELBI people in LB Square. It was a majestic sight to be seen. Oh my. Thanks to our friend, Khat Trinidad, for organizing the event. One mega-apir for you!

* We have a bunch of activities for you this week and for next month. The PAK PAK POOM contest just ended and we hope we could launch it again some time in late October. But the combo meal is still available, you can order it for Php 300 pesos. Appetite Magazine was in the house last Saturday to photograph the epic meal, hope to see it on its November issue!

* We have this new series called The Born to Brew Series. It's kinda like Cafe Antonio Sessions but it's the "coffee version". Instead of bands and artists, we would be inviting baristas and people from the coffee industry to talk about their coffee experiences. The first episode is on October 6 featuring Vanessa Caceres, grand champion and finalist of many barista competitions here in the Philippines. Fifty bucks gets you in plus you get a free brewed coffee. So for those who would like to become a barista or get into the coffee shop business, this series is for you! 

* Our Facebook page is on fire. Thanks to my new admins who's been working online when I'm at the cafe. Get updated about our new food and drinks and check our pages regularly. 

* I would like to give kudos to our CAntoneers, the CAnton Volunteers! You've been a very big help to us. See you this week!

* It's getting late and I've just finished some afis wurk. I have to be at the cafe at 7 am. I have to prepare drinks for an SP presentation.

* And yes, FROTHICCINO TO THE DEATH! It's our new promo, unlimited Frothiccinos (mocha, white chocolate, caramel, and strawberry) for only 200 pesos! Checkout our Facebook account and/or page for more details!

PAK PAK POOM?!

 PAK PAK POOM Participants 

(From left to right: Ogie Frio, Juni Frio, Arwyn Rubio)

* I know I haven't been blogging for the cafe for almost a month now. That's because I work 6 days a week again at the cafe as manager/barista/busboy. Just like the good 'ol days in early 2008.  I'm still adjusting to my schedule but I'll try my best to revive this blog that will be turning 4 years old next year on March 15. 

* So what have we been up to lately? A lot! Last night we had two events happening at the same. We had the PAK PAK POOM! Late Breakfast Chow Down and Cafe Antonio Sessions XXVI featuring The Sunday Brew, Juniper Face the Corner, and Riki. The cafe felt so alive that night. You didn't know what to watch! For the first time, our customers really had actual options regarding what to do. And there was also a photo exhibit by the UP Photographers' Society. It was a food, music, and arts mini-fest!

* What is the PAK PAK POOM? The name of the contest was actually inspired by Manny Pacquiao's practice sessions, when he would say "PAK PAK PAK" when practicing his jabs. It's actually a "jab-jab-hook" combo. The first "pak" is the meal of Spam & Eggs, Toast, Bacon, and a Waffle. The next "pak" is a dessert of French Toast with peaches and/or mangoes. The "poom" or what we would like to call "the clincher" is the 16 oz Mocha Frothiccino featuring a shot of Cafe Antonio's espresso. Last night, two big boys finished the challenge. The first one to accomplish the feat was Ogie Frio (bassist of Pathway) with a time of 4 minutes and 55 seconds. The second one to conquer the combo meal was Arwyn "Wyn Radio" Rubio with a time of 4 minutes and 30 seconds, the best time so far. Other contestants who attempted to win a t-shirt and get a free meal were Juni Frio (vocalist of Pathway and younger brother of Ogie), Ara Bagunu, Jing Fresnoza, Herbert Osio Jr., and CAnton's Senior Barista, Ian Soliven. Ian was the first to attempt the challenge when we had our time trials. The contest was originally set at 10 mins but we figured that it was too long. Ian finished in 6 minutes and 30 seconds making him the first and last winner of the 10-minute challenge. Herbert, upon seeing the time trial, was the first to attempt the 5-minute challenge. Lenard Gabriel served as our official time-keeper in last night's challenge. My brothers-in-law Herbert and Mark Fellizar helped our crew in the kitchen and the bar.

* This week will be the official start of the PAK PAK POOM Late Breakfast Chow Down. See our Facebook page for more details or text us (0906-455-0522) ahead so we can prepare your MvF-inspired monster meal.

* We would like to invite you to watch on Saturday for Cafe Antonio Sessions XXVII. The gig will feature DeLara, one of the hottest indie bands right now featuring former members of pop-rock band Mojofly. Indie bands Aspen Way and ELBI's very own, Yield Avenue, will open the night. Special thanks to our friend, Khat Trinidad, and Ali Alejandro of DeLara for organizing the event. We hope to see you all on the 24th! ADMISSION IS FREE!

UP Photographers' Society Sets Up Exhibit at CAnton

 (photo by Ja Fernandez)

On September 6, Tuesday, 7 pm. See you there!

http://theafterhours-redux.tumblr.com/post/9744867927/hard-work-pays-off-fun-productive-day-with

My Life Began When Your Coffee Break Started

* I can't believe it. We're actually opening Cafe Antonio again for the third time in 3 years! I would like to ponder on that thought for a moment. Actually, my head is throbbing right now. I had a long day. So I think I'll just reflect on that thought for a few days and get back to you guys as soon as possible. I hope to see you all later at 4 pm.

What is Cafe Antonio, Los Banos?

BUSINESS IDEA

Indie music & arts cafe and espresso bar with professionally trained baristas dedicated in the science and art of coffee preparation and coffee education.

MISSION

To become a prominent gourmet coffee brand in the Los Banos community while being a place well-known for its dynamism, creativity, innovativeness, youthful exuberance, and strong sense of community among its customers and clients as we serve the best possible coffee our skills and resources can offer.

VISION

1.)               To accommodate and develop not just merely customers but loyal customers who would support and sustain us even in the presence of a number of establishments that offer the same products and services.

2.)                To gain loyalty from and be the source of pride of the residents of Los Banos, specifically the UPLB community (students, alumni, employees, and affiliates).

3.)               To be an active participant in food and/or coffee industry-related activities and establish a recognizable and distinguishable coffee brand and product image. 

"Prep Hard. Play Harder. Pray Hardest."

Our Core Values

·       We acknowledge that there is a God and our success is dependent on Him.

·       We strengthen our community by helping others and developing meaningful friendships.

·       We think of others’ needs first before thinking about ourselves.

·       We believe that having fun in one’s work and in life is the key to a successful business and a satisfying life.

·       We see our purpose and direction in life through our work and through the lives of people we work with.

·       We stand firm in our choice to be DIY (Do-It-Yourself) and preserve the indie culture that sustains our integrity and sincerity in everything we do.

·       We believe that every cup that’s from the heart is a work of art.

See you on September 1 for our re-opening!

After a Long Blogospheric Silence

Coffee Shop Brews Life Back into UPLB Music Scene

by Cyrus Fernandez

August 16, 2011

Alcohol and rock 'n roll go together by default. Pay a visit to any bar gig or rock concert and you’ll find at least a dozen or so people with bottles, glasses, or cups of liquid courage in their hands.

But coffee?

The combination sounds kind of weird, a bit absurd for some even. But for young entrepreneur Jabez Flores and his team at Café Antonio Los Baños, it’s just another day at work.

Enter Café Antonio Sessions, a music-related operation of the caffeine-based business co-owned by Flores. Its mission is simple: to support the UPLB music scene.

Jabez Flores (center) with some of the Sessions artists

Café Antonio Sessions traces its beginnings to a coincidental meeting between Flores and musician Eric Soliven back in 2010. Flores knew Soliven from a few years back because the latter’s band Soundhole (later renamed Lime) used to play frequently alongside Flores’ own Spoonbridge at the now-defunct Kofiholics Anonymous (K.A.), a local venue that musicians and music enthusiasts used to frequent.

“Hindi pa kami friends noon ni Eric, but we knew na kami yung tumutugtog dun (sa K.A.) dati. Nakita ko sya sa old site ng Café Antonio. Namukhaan ko siya," recounts Café Antonio Sessions’ head. “Nilapitan ko siya the next time na nagpunta siya, tapos tinanong ko, ‘Di ba ikaw yung gitarista ng Soundhole?’ After that, friends na kami."

When Café Antonio was moved to its current location, the idea of having shows at the shop dawned on Flores. He presented this idea to Soliven.

“Balak ko talagang bumuo ng (music) community like the one we had in K.A. way back," narrates Flores. “So, sabi ko kay Eric, ‘Buo tayo (ng sessions). Buhayin natin yung UP music scene dito.’"

Things took off from there. Inspired by the America Online (AOL) Sessions, they built up on the idea of having shows. The idea eventually materialized on July 13, 2011 when the very first Café Antonio Sessions night was performed to an intimate Saturday night crowd at the coffee shop.

Café Antonio Sessions gives its artists full support, including free photo and video coverage of their performances such as that of Segatron.

Fast forward to 2011: at the time of this posting, Sessions nights have already been staged a total of 24 times spread throughout thirteen months.

True to its intent to help homegrown talent, all these Sessions shows featured performances from mostly local acts around the University of the Philippines in Los Baños area

Aside from organizing events, the Sessions team now dabbles in artist promotion too, helping the members of its regular roster – namely Lime, Juniper Face the Corner, Gabes Torres, Yield Avenue, Segatron, Sweet Symphony, Pathway, Riki, Crossroads, From the Author, Komiko, Satori, Playground Nostalgia and Codename Adobo – spread their music via the use of social networking sites on the Internet and having their physical merchandise displayed and sold at the café.

The Sessions team manages to come up with nice ways to make their shows more appealing to the UPLB audience.

Flores offers an explanation as to why they decided to branch out to artist promotion.

“We want to be known as a springboard for artists from LB," Flores says. “We offer start-up musicians our full support and we make sure na may mapupuntahan sila. Tsaka, we’re really all excited na i-share yung music galing dito. Kasi, parang hanggang ngayon, best-kept secret pa rin yan."

But Flores is quick to clarify that their arrangement with the artists is not exclusive.

“They can come and go freely. They can stay kasi they want to stay. Pero, kung hindi na nila feel, okay lang na umalis. At least, dito sila nagsimula."

Despite the buzz that Sessions has generated from its activities in the past year though, its members agree that they still have to maximize the potential of the movement they started.

Their most immediate concern is the day of the week when they do their shows. For now, Sessions gigs are done every third (and in some cases, also the first and/or second) Saturday of every month. Flores thinks it will be more effective if these were to be moved to the weekdays. Most of the artists that play their gigs are students after all, and would therefore be more effective when exposed to a crowd that can identify with them and vice versa.

Eric Soliven (left) and Lenard Gabriel (right) of Lime performed at the very first Café Antonio Sessions night last year.

“Wala pa kami masyadong nape-penetrate na crowd to tell other people about what we do," says Flores. Kasi, yung Saturday crowd namin, usually puro dayo at alumni. Wala kaming student crowd masyado."

But all that is starting to change. The team is starting to get more attention for their work. Nowadays, they are getting more invites from student organizations that hold events frequently, therefore giving them, and more importantly their artists, access to the audience they primarily want to reach.

This attention has inspired them to come up with more plans to help foster the community spirit even further.

“We also want to hold midweek sessions for student bands na hindi part ng roster," Flores reveals, “just to show the students sa LB na merong scene dito."

Things are getting smoother for Flores and company. Being the first organized group in the area’s recent memory to champion the music scene actively, their efforts have been beneficial to the community of musicians in the locale. At this point, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the student and town population sees the music scene in plain view again.

The Sessions team doesn’t even mind having to pull resources out of all their pockets. After all, according to them, they do this for one simple reason.

“We just love it."

- YA, GMA News


Café Antonio is located at LB Square along Grove Avenue, Brgy. Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna. For more information about Café Antonio Sessions, visit cafeantoniosessions.tumblr.com

All photos courtesy of Cafe Antonio Sessions

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/229587/lifestyle/coffee-shop-brews-life-back-into-uplb-music-scene

A Speech and A Half

Blog Playlist:

01 Elephants as Big as Whales - PlayRadioPlay!

02 Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy

03 Hear - Moonpools and Caterpillars

04 Slice - Five for Fighting

05 Always Love - Nada Surf

* Wow. This blog's been dormant for quite some time now. Here's a thought: I spend a lot of time and effort getting organized. Does that mean I'm messed up that bad? I just turned 25 years old a couple of weeks ago. Five years more I'm gonna be 30. Five years ago, I was 30 pounds heavier. It's the age when you're old enough to be young and young enough to be old. And so it's a struggle. It's a stage that lacks definition. 

* The cafe is enjoying its new crowd right now. We've made a lot of new friends since June. And after 3 years of being in the coffee business, I've finally grown to accept that people do come and go. Just like karma chameleons. We're like faculty members in a school watching students grow and go away after graduation. It's a painful cycle indeed. But that's how life is. And maybe that's why I'm mega-impressed with the people who have been loyal customers since 2008. Kudos to you guys!

* And here we are, slowly "converting" new people into CAntonnites. I don't know exactly how the cafe was able to develop its own culture but it's very flattering for us to hear people call themselves CAnton People or recognize themselves as part of the CAnton Gang. If I still had a trace of sociology left in my body I would have analyzed this. But it's gone. I'm completely academically detoxed.

* There's something in this coffee shop that I can't exactly describe. How do you tell people about the cafe online? Cafe Antonio is something you have to experience first hand. 

"Always love, hate will get you every time" - Nada Surf

Activity Schedule for July

7 PM, THURSDAY, JULY 14 @ B-SIDE, MAKATI

featuring LIME, KJWAN, MALAY, SOIL & GREEN, LETTER DAY STORY, DASH BETWEEN DATES

7 PM, FRIDAY, JULY 15 @ LB SQUARE 

ACOUSTIC NIGHT 

featuring DAN STA. ROMANA & MARGRET BONITA

 

7 PM, SATURDAY, JULY 16 @ NCAS AUDITORIUM, UPLB

featuring GABES TORRES, THE SNICKETS, LIME, PATHWAY

8 PM, SATURDAY, JULY 23 @ CAFE ANTONIO, LB SQUARE

featuring PATHWAY, KOMIKO, GABES TORRES

Oh My Gulay This July!

* This is just to inform you that we're still alive! The past few weeks machine-gunned us with events and I can't find the time to sit down, go online, and write. Anyway, this is just sorta like a Tweetmore blog. The sked is really really tight. We also have to budget our sleep. I'll come up with a blog late this July to tell you all about what happened at CAnton. Golly, it's almost mid-July. The clock's on fast forward!

My Caffeinated Romance

* Everyone deserves to taste good coffee!!! 

* Drinking good coffee is a experience that should be shared with everyone. The problem is that we define "good" coffee differently. And why is that? Maybe because we have different taste preferences and maybe because we are still generally inexperienced coffee drinkers.

* FYI, coffee doesn't possess a "standard" taste. Meaning there are a myriad coffee blends and varieties that taste very differently from one another. Each is unique, each is special, and each can address a specific taste preference.

* How do we tell this to people? I mean, how does something so beautiful go unnoticed? We've had four coffee workshops at the cafe since summer. And we hold impromptu "Coffee 101" segments at the shop every now and then. If you're lucky, you can just stand there and listen at the counter and then maybe you'll get to sample the stuff we're making. These are the things we're doing to help educate people about the beauty of coffee and the things that people are missing out when going to coffee shops.

* They say that Los Banos is ripe for coffee culture, but in my personal opinion, I think we're still very very young for real coffee culture to manifest. The first thing to do is help people develop a discriminating taste for coffee. The same discriminating taste that ELBI people have on buko pie, chocolate cake, siomai, and to some degree, sisig.

* The search for excellent coffee is not a project, it's a quest. And our baristas at CAnton has this "Fellowship of the Ring" kind of quality in them, one that can embark on an epic quest. Be part of our journey and try starting your own personal coffee journey. It's a long one, I assure you!

ACTIVITY REVIEW

June 17 - LB Square Talent Night

* Our barista, Margret Bonita, and photographer, Dan Sta. Romana, represented CAnton in LB Square's first ever inter-stall talent night! They performed two songs with Margret on vocals and Dan on acoustic guitar. We're all very proud of you guys!

June 18 - Cafe Antonio Sessions XXIII: Powered by Isaw Wreckords

* We started late due to some technical difficulties but we also finished early because everything went very smoothly after all the hangups. Thanks to resident bands Segatron and Juniper Face the Corner and to our guest bands, Skyflekes and Riki.

June 19 - Issey's Birthday Party

* Our friend Issey Ronquillo, celebrated her birthday at the cafe with a Monsters Inc. theme. Thanks to all the CAnton friends and family who prepared the food and the decorations. Everyone pitched in and had a great time. The Boys defeated the Girls in our game of charades!

June 20 - Coffee Cupping Workshop with Pinoy Barista

* After a very long time, our friend and barista coach, Lanz Mirondo went back to CAnton and imparted valuable coffee wisdom to our friends and baristas. We cupped 4 single origin coffees (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ethiopia) from 5 Senses Coffee and the 40 Hands Coffee House Blend. Cupping is a sensory evaluation of coffee, kinda like wine-tasting. Thanks to all who participated, Mervin de Roxas of Chillet and Bean Hub, JC Mendoza of Luca and Tosh Coffee Lab, Chrys Pinol and Kris Reyes of UPLB, and our baristas, Neil Rebua, Joyceann Damian, Margret Bonita, and Jegar El Drey! Thanks once again Sir Lanz! It was a very enriching experience for all of us!

ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

June 29 - Alapaap Travel Guide Party at Cafe Antonio, 5 PM

June 30 - CAS Freshmen Representative Selection with music from Cafe Antonio Sessionistas, Gabes Torres, Pathway, Sweet Symphony, Yield Avenue, Segatron, and Juniper Face the Corner

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

* Happy INDIE-pendence day! Filipinos aren't hardcore nationalists so independence from whom or what, I guess is more of a personal thing for us. Anyway, here's a suggestion to help promote our "love for country": FOOTBALL.

* During one of our idle pensive moments at the cafe, one of our baristas told me that the universe has its way of effin' things up. I guess we all can relate to that. Haha. The idea led us to talk about having our Ms. Universe talk to the universe and plead to give us mortals a break! I guess that's why we have the Ms. Universe Pageant. That's where the world selects its ambassador to celestial and galactic matters. Kinda like Star Wars. Anyway, that was just crazy talk. The kind of conversation you have when you close early and sit helpless against a dark, gloomy, supposed-to-be-Showtime Friday night. Yeah, we have our share of disappointments but that shouldn't stop us from trying. We have something worthwhile here, and it has to be shared!

*  Enough talking in code. Let's go back to the real world.

* Last week was momentous for us because it's our first time to go inside the UPLB Campus as Cafe Antonio and not just as students and alumni. It took us 3 long years to finally properly introduce ourselves to the students of UPLB. In the past we were just like a viral online link that people just click and try out. But now we finally had the courage show our colors to the world! Orange and black riprizint! 

* Thanks to Sir Mark Lester Chico of CDC for letting us distribute flyers and leaflets during the Campus Tour (June 7)  and for allowing us to setup a booth at the Student Union building where we had the opportunity to sell some cupcakes and some iced coffee. CAnton baristas, Ian and Wats were with me the whole afternoon. Special thanks to our friends who visited us during that warm afternoon. Gelo, Dan, John Ron, Calai, and Gabes, thanks!

* The following day was the AlmOSAlan (June 8). It's where the Freshmen get a lot of free stuff from UPLB orgs. It was very early in the morning and it was a rainy, rainy morning. It was raining so hard, the event had to be relocated INSIDE the SU building. Golly, it was like SM Calamba on its first day inside SU that time. We didn't set up a booth in this activity because another coffee shop was sponsoring the event. So we had to go under-the-radar for this one. UPLB orgs, UP Photos and UPLB ComArtsSoc, helped us distribute 100 special packages to the Freshmen. The package contains a sticker, a map, a sampler menu, discount coupons, tickets to a free CD, an actual free CD, and a free mug. I hope they didn't throw the packages away!

* For this endeavor I would like to thank our contacts and sponsors, Gelo of UP Photos for the CDs, Padeys of ComArtsSoc for the network, Ate Grace for the leaflets, Kuya Rodel of Koinonia for the free mug and calling cards, and Neil for the delivery flyers.

* New Services! We're now available for deliveries! But only around the UPLB Campus and Grove area. For a minimum order of Php 250, you can text or call us during these times: 2 to 4 pm and 9 to 11 pm. Remember this number: 0916-POGALFY.

* We also cater to parties, meetings, and other events. Just text or call 0906-4550522.

* The school year holds a lot of promise for us. Although most of the time, it's hard to see the light when it's dark. You just have to keep your eyes peeled and look for it because it's always there. Three years of experience in the coffee business has taught us a lot, the exciting thing here is that it's still very early in the game! God is merciful!

Activity Schedule for June:

June 17 - LB Square Talent Night

June 18 - Sessions XXIII: Powered by Isaw, 8 PM

June 20 - Coffee Cupping Workshop with Pinoy Barista, 10 AM

June 30 - CAS Welcome Freshman Party

* Thanks Switchfoot and Dig Radio for the background music. Photo Credits: Ian Soliven

When It's All Bean Said and Done

* First of all, I would like to thank Globe and its new office at SM Calamba for putting us back online. Clap clap, apple sauce. The last time I blogged was 2 weeks ago, that was May 15. I think it was still scorching hot back then. But now, it's raining! And with the rain comes showers of blessing! RECAP TIME! (Open planner and review past activities)

* May 16 - Juniper Face the Corner's first out-of-town gig as a four-piece band at Conspiracy Garden Cafe! Lesson learned but still not applied for the past few gigs: WAG NA KASI MAG-COMMUTE! (see related story at www.cafeantoniosessions.tumblr.com). JFTC performed three original songs, Fast Forward (download it for free on Facebook), Free Hearts (online release is on June 1), and Awoken.

* May 17 - Summer Coffee Workshop Day 3. For the first time, Ian and I taught the class with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation! And we had the espresso machine turned around facing the dining area so that the participants could see the demos better. That session was especially challenging because it rained and the humidity changed. You see, humidity is a factor in extracting espresso. It took Ian and I about four tries before getting the right grind for the espresso demo. The attendees for that class were Al Labadan, Chrys Pinol, and Kris Reyes.

* May 18 - CAnton LB Investors Meeting. For the first time this year, the investors of the Los Banos branch finally got together over dinner and catch up with this year's happenings at the cafe. More power to us!

* May 19 - Summer Coffee Workshop Day 4. The last day of the Summer Coffee Education series! Ian and I were more prepared and we already knew what to do...after three classes. The attendees for that class were Al Santillan, Clancy Read, and Ephraim Quinones.

The series of workshops encouraged us to focus more on educating our community about the complexity of preparing coffee and the joy of drinking coffee.

Coffee Culture in the Philippines and in Los Banos is just beginning. There are a lot of things to learn and we want to share and spread what we know about coffee in our immediate community. We believe that it is our duty to provide a venue where coffee can be experienced as an important part of our daily lives. We would like to thank our friends from Pinoy Barista for continually inspiring us to do well in our profession. More power to you guys! Let's continue to support and encourage each other.

* May 20 - Catering at Brent-IRRI. It's our second time to cater at Brent-IRRI, the first one was a year ago, during Jethro's 1st Birthday Party. My sister, Grace, invited the CAnton baristas to prepare kiddie drinks for their year-ender party. With me at the catering gig were baristas, Ian and Wats. Ian made the Special Edition Brent Milkshakes (with chocolate and strawberry ice cream!), I prepared the Granita Blush and the Blue Crush (the Blue Crush was their favorite), and Wats served the Red Velvet and Chocolate cupcakes that Ate Marisse baked. We all had fun serving the kids and watching them dance to hip versions of nursery rhymes. Who would have though that Bah-Bah Black Sheep had a rock version? Good times!

* May 21 - Sessions XXII featuring Gabes Torres and KomiKo. Starting this June, Cafe Antonio Sessions will be held just once a month just to make it  more special. The Gabes and KomiKo gig was cancelled last May 14 and was moved to the 21st due to an unexpected event in LB Square. So finally, the gig pushed through and it was a success! Thanks to our new friends, KomiKo, for coming all the way from Paranaque to play in Los Banos! (see related story at www.cafeantoniosessions.tumblr.com)

* Caio Cadiz and I just opened a mini-record store at the cafe. It has no name yet. He was on a roll last week and did some carpentry work for the CD display rack. We also went to SM Calamba to buy materials. Unfortunately,we didn't get anything from SM. Everything we needed was in LB. So much for the gas and and the 30-minute order at Mang Inasal. Hoho! The record store selection includes albums from: Yosha, Hemp Republic, Cooliedread and the Microphone Commanders, Mike's Apartment, Yield Avenue, and Gabes Torres. Text 0916-4550522 for advanced orders and reservations.

* May 28 - Sessions XXIII. This was a GV gig for all of us. Khat, LIME, and Yield Avenue put on a splendid show. Amazing indeed. We had friends who came all the way from Manila just to watch. It was a good feeling. And the old skool Sessions crowd were there bringing back memories of the Sessions back in 2010. Special shout out to Roy and Pipoy of UST and Cafe Antonio Dumaguete, Dada and Verna, Mako and Nestle, Grace, Herbert, and Jethro Osio, Mon and Jenni, RiKi, Butch and Doi, Caio and Jena Baril of ICs Bar, Kams and her friends, Maya's officemates, Sessionista breads, Mac Atienza Photography, Junipers, and welcome to Kit of Yield Avenue! One comment: Dharma, ang bigat mo talaga. GOOD TIMES!

THIS WEEK:

* It's June! Time for the new Flavor of the Month. June showcases the one and only Frajelli FoM of Cafe Antonio, the PBJ Frajelli. All the goodness of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a ice-blended drink. Sounds weird, I know, but it's tastes better than it sounds!

* June 3 - Hemp Republic featuring LIME and Segatron at IC's Bar.

THIS MONTH

June 8 - Catch us giveaway CAFFEINE TICKETS and free stuff to Freshmen during AlmOSAlan. Thanks for to the UPLB Photographers Society and Gelo Arboleda for the support!

June 20 - Coffee Cupping Workshop with Pinoy Barista, 2 pm. Admission is FREE!

OTHER NEWS

* Read my article, Cafe Antonio Sessions: Building Hometown Confidence in Los Banos, featured on the Indie Band News Webzine at www.indiebandnews.blogspot.com. Thanks to Sir Wizzy and my co-admins for the support!