Taking Care of a Simple Relationship

Juniper Face the Corner

Satori

Yield Avenue

* Sorry for the late blog everybody! We've been busy all week preparing for the Philippine Barista Cup held last night at the SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia. If I tell you about it right now I have nothing to blog about next week! In a nutshell, it was a very good learning experience for Neil, Ramhil, and I. Even though we all blacked out during the contest.  The other baristas and the organizers were very helpful and very supportive. Can't wait for next year! Dan Sta. Romana and Al Labadan will try to upload the videos and pictures on Facebook this week (add us up: CafeAntonio Los Banos)

* Last Saturday, Cafe Antonio Sessions just had it's 3rd gig! The young project has been getting a lot of attention thanks to the support and participation of "first time" guest bands Satori and Yield Avenue. They performed a number of alternative rock covers plus a handful of originals. Juniper Face the Corner was also there to showcase their own brand of acoustic punk. August 14 (Saturday) is Dave Matthew's Band night! Eric Lenard (aka Soundhole) and JFTC will perform renditions of DMB classics and new songs. So be there to watch! 

* We're liking how things are going right now at the cafe. The Sessions are doing great and the barista cup got us all pumped up and inspired to do better at our profession. As for me, it's who and what I want to be, a barista and a musician. If we keep this up, hopefully the coffee-music relationship I was talking about a couple of blogs back would finally work out. Hopefully. Thanks for praying with us. All for His glory is our story.

Cafe Antonio Sessions

* We didn't expect to be so exhausted after the Soundhole gig last Saturday night, July 24. The energy was so high, we couldn't help but sing along and dance even to the mellowest of songs. They were that good. I didn't know that "1, 2, 3, 4" by The Plain White T's can produce as much energy and excitement as, let's say, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." 

* A lot of people came to watch Cafe Antonio Sessions 2, thankfully. The first gig was an intimate, "sa-sala-ng-kaibigan-ko" kinda performance, only the crew and a few friends got to watch. But this time it was epic. Well, that was epic for us already, we only have a few tables anyway.

* Cafe Antonio Sessions is a series of gigs conceptualized for the purpose of enabling bands with similar musical genres to play together in a single venue (wow, ang tagal kong inisip yung wording nun, haha).

* The first two gigs featured veteran acoustic/alternative band, Soundhole (but from now on let's just call them Lenard Eric) and newbie, piano rock/acoustic punk band, Juniper Face the Corner. The former covered songs by Tonic, John Mayer, Howie Day, Dashboard Confessional, and Dave Matthews Band. While the latter covered piano anthems from Snow Patrol and Augustana, and acoustic renditions of emo/pop-punk hits from Anberlin and Cinematic Sunrise. 

* This Saturday, JFTC will play another gig at the cafe, this time with, pop-rock band, Yield Avenue. Their sound reminds me of a combination of Sugarfree and Silent Sanctuary. They're the soft-rock, OPM department of Cafe Antonio Sessions, since Lenard Eric and JFTC prefer covering foreign alternative and indie bands. If you already have their CD, you can come and watch them live this Saturday night, 8 pm. Click the link below to watch their music video, "Hanggang Dulo." The video was shot at the old site, so the song really means a lot to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1s6a_R4p7g

* August 14 is Dave Matthews Band Night, that would be Cafe Antonio Sessions 4 already! We'll be having tribute nights every once in a while wherein all the participating bands will perform their own renditions of the featured artist. Last week, Eric Lenard and JFTC chose DMB to be the first band to be featured in tribute night. 

* Great start! Hey, if you're a band, a duo, or singer-songwriter and you listen to any of the artists we like (checkout our Facebook and MySpace page) just visit us at cafe. 

"what's good about music is that you can never say enough is enough and i'll stop when it's over coz it's never gonna end" (CafeAntonioElbi Tweet, July 26, Sunday, 11:04 pm)

The Opposite of Insight is A Sizzling Plate of Sisig

* This afternoon I caught myself mesmerized and listening intently to my friends, Gelo and Mike, as they told me about (of all the cool things available for conversation) Breaking Dawn and the Twilight Saga over a plate of sisig. That was very educational, thank you guys. Light moment

* I literally had nothing to do last night. We slept late, as we celebrated our friend Joyce's birthday at Burger King after work in the wee hours of a very cool Sunday morning. I brought home the free Whopper Jr. to eat for lunch. When we got home, I fell asleep watching Underworld 3. When I woke up at 4:30 pm I watched Date Night, then A-Team, then The Losers. Then I listened to a few songs while reading a Paste feature on Belle and Sebatian's Stuart Murdoch before I went to sleep. Very informative.

* Is this for real? Do I really have nothing to do? It scares me, it creeps me out. I'm not used to it anymore. Before band practice, I told Gelo that I get scared when things are peaceful. The moment of peace is just a "rest period" for another "big one". I asked God last night what my attitude should be towards moments like these. I should be thankful, definitely. But I have an attitude problem. I don't like hassle but when it's gone, I miss it. I would always tell my staff, "Kelan ba magiging mapayapa ang buhay ko?" Then when everything's good, "Anong meron?!"

* During the storm last week, Retz, Jeg, and I were stranded. Our apartment was flooded and all entry points to both of my sisters' homes were blocked by trees and waist-deep flood water. We were driving around campus like scared children. We parked the Multicab in front of Mini Stop until our friend, Julius, told us we could stay at their place. When we arrived at their place, there were at least 30 injured and dead birds in front of their door. We had to rescue a few. I've never seen so may dead animals in one place. It was like a massacre.

* Calamities aside, our promos clicked last week, that was good. I'm very thankful for that. We worked very hard to develop our lunch combos and our new products. We're also very glad a lot of Yield Avenue and Meliora CDs were given away.

* It's a difficult situation to be in. I'm happy and thankful but there's a part of me that goes, "ehh..." 

* It's cold. It's a phase. It will pass.

CAFE NEWS! 

* Have you heard of Alf Likes This? If not, you can type it on Facebook and check it out. We're part of that and we want you guys to join. I'd like to explain it here but the blog would be too long. And I'm a bit sketchy right now. I just woke up from a nap at the cafe. That's me and Gelo with Al Labadan II of Alf Likes This (see photo above).

* Gigs! On Saturday, July 24, my band, Juniper Face the Corner, will play a few songs together with Lenard and Eric (Soundhole). If you missed the gig last time, now's your chance to watch us again! And on July 30, Yield Avenue will also be playing at the cafe. Be sure to bring your friends!

* Lunchtime is getting busy these days at CAnton. Come to the cafe from 11 am to 3 pm to try our affordable  Lunch Combos! And from 5:30 pm onwards, you can order our newest pasta, the Pesto Alejandro!

* We will be replenishing prize stubs at Carajo's tomorrow. When you order at least 100 pesos worth of food at Carajo's you can pick out a prize at our box on their counter. You can avail those prizes from 11 am to 3 pm.

* Hopefully this will be a good week for all of us. Stay safe and God bless!

Thy Shall Come at Eleven to Three

Sorry for the late blog entry! Obviously the storm a few days back really disrupted the rhythm of our daily lives. But here we are back online and ready to dance once again. We've got a lot stuff prepared for you guys this week. 


NEW LUNCH COMBOS
We've got 7, yes, SEVEN, lunch combos for you available from 11 am to 3 pm only. Free ICED TEA on all combos!
Combo 1 - Choice of Pasta and a fruit salad from COOLERS AND SHOOTERS (Php 70)
Combo 2 - Choice of Special Sandwich and Choice of Waffle (Php 70)
Combo 3 - Choice of Pasta and Tuna Melt (Php 90)
Combo 4 - Choice of Panini and Choice of Cupcake (Carrot or Choco) (Php 100)
Combo 5 - Choice of Pasta and Chocie of Waffle plus Choice of Special Sandwich (Php 120)
Combo 6 - Choice of 2 Pastas plus Choice of Panini (Php 230)
Combo 7 - Choice of 2 Pastas plus Ham and Egg Sandwich and Choice of Cupcake (Php 230)

CARAJO'S PROMO
Order at least 100 pesos worth of meals at Carajo's and pick a prize from our gift box on their counter. You 
can win a free iced tea refill, 10 pesos off on a Frothiccino, or a FREE Flavor of the Month! Claim your prize at Cafe Antonio between 11 am to 3 pm only!


PESTO ALEJANDRO
Yes, the name of this pasta dish came from Lady Gaga's song, if ever you were wondering. It's also a nice name to go along with his older brothers, Alfredo and Antonio. You can order this dish from 5:30 pm to 1 am on Mondays and Fridays, and from 4 pm to 1 am on Saturdays. It's a Cafe Antonio dinner exclusive!

FOM: BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BLENDED CREAM
Three weeks to go! Don't wait for next year to taste this FOM orignal!

NEW TEAS
Aside from our Peppermint Tea and Earl Grey Green Tea, we have added Pure Green tea, Green Tea and Lemon, Green Tea and Mint, and Jasmine Green Tea.

Unflipping the Facebook

* I make sure that I spend a few hours online at least once a week. It's part of my job as the self-appointed blogger of Cafe Antonio Elbi. I remember last Monday I was on a writing spree. I started slow then I got into a groove...boom, two articles. But that was it. I didn't had the desire to go online again last week. It was my birthday last Friday, by the way. I just turned 24. We're still trying to finish off the chocolate cakes. Anyway, sometimes I get this feeling that I don't want to know what's happening around me for a change. Maybe I was just searching for the "bliss" in the "ignorance" or maybe I just don't want to say  online what we're up to.

* Facebook is a good thing. It gives us prep time and material for hardcore barkada and/or family bonding. But sometimes we get to the point where we try to tell someone something and all you'll get is, "Ah, nabasa ko nga sa Facebook." And you go, "O nga naman".  You either build up things from there or just end the communication process entirely. It goes either way. If I were still a sociology student, I'd make a study about "the evolving social exchanges of people as determined, influenced, and/or hindered by the social networking site, Facebook." That title is up for grabs, improve on it.

* It was just a breath of fresh air just to realize that my life isn't dependent online. Although our business relies heavily on online presence and activity. Ironic.

CAFE NEWS!!!

* Lenard and Eric (formerly known or sometimes known as Soundhole when they're a full band), performed last Saturday night at the cafe in front of...well, the staff and a handful of people. Well that's okay. It wouldn't look good if we were full anyway, there's nothing indie rock about that. Zooey Deschanel in Yes Man comes to mind again. My band, Juniper Face the Corner, started the night with four songs. We hope we could develop our "Cafe Antonio Sessions" (inspired by the AOL Sessions, thanks Kuya Jeg) in the near future and have a performance regularly. If you're a singer/songwriter or a band that plays similar music as ours (you're in if you know Ingrid Michaelson and Josh Kelley) then you're welcome to join us in our mini sets. Be warned, it's cramped in here! But I think "cozy" or "intimate" are better terms.

* FoM! Yes it's back! Our first ever FoM was created out of boredom sometime in July 2008. The product of that boredom was the Blueberry Cheesecake Blended Cream. It has no coffee, so I guess this is our most accessible FoM. It has white chocolate and real blueberries blended with ice and milk. But the real treat here is the whipped cream, crushed grahams, and blueberry preserves on top of the drink. It's a blueberry cheesecake transposed to the drinkable tune of a milkshake. So I hope you guys enjoy it this July.

* Lots more to come! Can't tell 'em all here! Haha! Thanks blog readers.

Making a Simple Relationship Work

* So here we are, it's our fourth week at LB Square, CAnton's new home. I could say that life for us has changed a lot...uhh, but not really, it's been modified, I guess. Having two shifts is like having two branches. For me, I can't help but visit the morning shift every once in a while. And staying all night at the cafe has become a habit for me. I have nothing to do at home anyway. 

* The pressure for me is to keep things fresh. As I've always said in this blog, complacency is a sin. I get nervous when I feel relaxed. An empty "To Do List" is not a life well spent. Something always needs to be done. There are many holes and cracks to be filled. 

* I have lots of free time, honestly. I'm a bench player. I play when someone's tired or injured. But at the same time I'm the coach. So I think that makes me a playing coach...yeah. I don't want to leave my team on the court or on the field. I always want to be on the sidelines watching. But I guess these guys need to learn how to play on their own. Retz and Neil, they're our managers together with the occasional Ate Marisse of ours. They've worked long enough at the cafe to handle a day or even a week's worth of operations. But of course, I still need to be there. I have a vision for the cafe that's hasn't come true yet. It's something I can't explain without the use of hand gestures and facial expressions. 

* I'm in a creative slump right now. I'm a streaky player like Ray Allen. I set a finals record one day then I don't make a single shot the next day. These slumps are unexplainable. Is it the weather? Is it the social conditions? (haha)  I just can't figure it out! 

* I formed a band just this afternoon with my young friend, Gelo. We call ourselves Juniper Face the Corner. We're an indie synth pop duo. Retz will be our occasional drummer. The formation of the band is somehow a venting out of creative frustrations that I just couldn't  fulfill. Playing an instrument with another musician just feels so good. It's a drugged state. It's floating in a wall of sound, a sea of notes. 

* Where am I getting to? Maybe I just want to reconcile two of the most important things in the world for me: coffee and music. It's not a weird combination, it's the norm. They're like husband and wife. And I'm getting frustrated I couldn't get them to marry. Wow, writing really makes me see things. It's just like thinking aloud. I really have no idea what to blog tonight. 

* Coffee and music. It's a simple relationship that I just can't figure out. At least for now. When I say music, it's not just the stuff we play at the cafe, it's a culture. By the way, props to those who appreciate the playlists I painstakingly put together during weekends. The mixes are a day long, so you really have to stay all day to hear them all. There, I have a title for the blog. Thank you Reflection for the idea.

* I think that's it. 

Pets are Angels

* Last week, I received news from my sister, Joyce, that her old dog, Leia, was dying. I came to their house immediately and saw the poor dog lying motionless inside her travel bag. I sat beside her, petted her head and gazed at her blind eyes. Yes, she's a blind old dog that my sister met when she was still working in a clinic in Singapore. Leia kept my sister special company when they were still in the land of the Merlion. My sister considered Leia as her own baby.  

* Leia is special to me too because she kept me company when I was training to become a barista in Singapore way back in 2007. I would always tell my sister to bring Leia home with her when she decides to come back to the Philippines permanently. She eventually did and now Leia is a Filipino citizen residing in Marymount Subdivision. As I looked at her in her sad state, memories of previous pets came back. I recounted the number of times my heart was broken when different pets I grew up with died or was taken away. As of now, Leia is slowly getting better. It is solely by God's grace that this 12 year old dog is still alive. Maybe she has one last task to do in this Earth.

* Today, a special pet passed away. He's not my pet, he's Ate Marisse's cat, Mac. You may have seen him several times at the cafe sleeping on the floor or just playing with the customers and crew. He reminds me of Garfield and my Siamese cat, Sam (she passed away a long time ago). They all share the lazy, fat cat persona, which I truly adore in a cat. Ate Marisse loves Mac very much, she always keeps her nails and her ears clean. And he would always smell good when he comes to visit the cafe. It's sad that Mac (he's our cafe mascot, by the way), didn't have the chance to visit the new site. I remember Ate Marisse always telling me that she would bring Mac one of these days.

* Pets are here for a purpose. They love their masters and we love them back. We learn a lot from each other and a special bond is forged that the relationship between pet and owner becomes equal to that of a friend or a family member. When I looked at Leia's eyes, it led me to believe that pets could be angels sent by God to take care of us. I would imagine that I would see my pets in heaven in a different form and talk to them and thank them for what they have done for me. Of course, this has no Biblical basis. But every pet owner hopes and prays that this is true. Mac brought the best out of Ate Marisse and the same goes to all the people he met in his long life. He taught us to care and love and in return we get a warm feeling or a sense of comfort and goodness in his presence. 

* Mac, may you rest in peace, I know you're up there and we hope to see you again someday. I'm really hoping to.

* RIP to Fluffy, Bingo, Sam, Sweetie, Friskie, Woogie, Oreo, Hi-ro, Cream-O, Leonardo and Michaelangelo. I love you all guys. 

Adjustment Period

* Most of us are sick today. I think that's just adrenaline from last week wearing off or just stress taking over. Last week was just crazy, the grand opening, ribbon cutting and dedication, Open Mic Nite, showtime Friday...whew! Thanks to our photographers and Facebook, pictures of the events have been uploaded already to keep you guys updated. Well, I think it will take a few more weeks for our bodies to adjust to the early opening and the late closing. 

* With a runny nose, I type this entry, I'm not really feeling "creative" right now nor "reflective". My laptop's broken, my phone's broken, my break light's broken. The challenge is to take the punches as they come. Somehow I've longed for this moment to come. It's inevitable. When good things start an 8-0 scoring run against the bad things, the bad things will rally for a comeback. But of course, the good things can always win with a game-winning three. 

* Thanks to all the people who came last week to support our first week at LB Square. We had a great time. We hope to buy a new air-conditioner to serve you better. Peace out.

New Place, New Food, New Drinks, New Baristas

* And definitely a new life for us all. Starting tomorrow (June 7), we will be open from 11 in the morning until 1 in the A.M. to better accommodate all our customers, both old and new. Neil Rebua, Mon Bayani, and Margret Bonita will be our morning crew while Retz Causapin, Joyceann Damian, Ramhil Malabanan, and Jeg de los Reyes will be making your evening cup of joe. As for me, I'll be there the rest of the day, keeping things in check.

* Last week's dry-runs and soft opening ran very smoothly. As expected, familiar faces greeted us at the new site; our loyal customers definitely missed us a whole lot over the summer break and we missed them too. Our friend TJ and his DevCom friends even made a documentary about our first day at LB Square. Thanks!

* Right now, we're still quite overwhelmed with the fact that God has blessed us with a cafe this big--the kitchen, the bar, the al fresco--everything was just amazing! The Japanese eatery, Eat Sumo, is also a convenience for us. They've saved us from eating ihaw and silogs for the rest of our lives, if you know what I mean.

* We love the old place and we certainly miss it. We took care of that little shop and we gave everything that we have to keep it running. We didn't belittle the old cafe. We maximized it to it's fullest potential. We didn't factor in our floor space to stop us from holding activities and events. We took care of it like it was the best thing that we could ever have. And I think there's a lesson here.

* It's not bad to dream impossible dreams. Whatever's given to you at the moment (whether it's talent, money, a bike, a pair of skinny jeans, time, a job, whatever) you should use it, cherish it, and love it like it's the best thing that you'll ever have to help you achieve your dreams. And when God sees how faithful you are in these little things He would certainly give you so much more. And I would like to give the cafe as an example. Most of you guys have experienced and read about our journey for the past two years. God has certainly been good to us. Thanks for the prayers and support.

NEW STUFF

* We have 3 new sandwiches created by Edu Foronda and Marisse Bonita. The Veggie Panini, Ham and Bacon Panini, and Lemon Chicken Panini. It's very very good. Just ask the people who tasted it last Thursday.

* We have 2 new Frothiccinos, Double Dutch and Choco Hazelnut. What's new also is that our Frajellis are now topped with either whipped cream or ice cream and they are available in all our Frothiccino flavors. We recommend you try the Black Forest Frajelli. 

* We also expanded our Affogato line. Affogato is ice cream drowned in espresso. It's available in all our Frothiccino flavors. Try the Rocky Road Affogato!

* We'll be gradually adding new items to our menu, so just wait for it as we try to utilize the full potential of our kitchen.

* Once again, the CAnton crew would like to thank everybody for making all of this a reality. May we always give our 100% in serving our community. God bless everyone!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Back to Square One at LB Square

* This blog has been silent for almost two weeks! Sorry for that. Well, here we are again and we're getting ready for the big day on June 8! Yes, June 8 (Tuesday) is the day we will officially reopen our doors to our beloved Los Banos community. We've certainly missed working and serving you guys. We're all very excited to show you our new place!

* The past week has all been about conducting training, preparing lectures, memorizing terms, answering quizzes, Robinsons food court snacking, going to bed early, watching movies, and Dashboard Confessional. That has been our week in a nutshell. We had our share of tense moments especially during quizzes, and light moments, when we try out every stall in the food court after class, which is lunchtime. 

* And now a new chapter is about to be written. We're now in LB Square and we've decided to open the cafe a little earlier...11 am! We have five new baristas to serve you during our 2-shift service period: Retz, Joyceann, and newcomers Jeg, Wats, and Mon. All five of them have undergone an intense one week coffee bootcamp. Next week we will start tidying up the place. After that, we may hold spontaneous dry runs. We'll keep you guys posted about that.

* That's it for now, we will see you soon! Thanks for waiting!