the-egg-benedict

[the-egg-benedict]

Coffee troubles

In my previous entry, I mentioned that I liked spending my time in coffee shops so that I could focus on my homework. This was especially true when I was in high school, when I still lived full-time in Pampanga. On the weekends before big deadlines, whole days would be spent in a coffee shop and I’d persist until my papers are finished. I’ve had one particularly bad experience in a coffee shop that had me temporarily stoping my frequent coffee shop squats for a few weeks.

If I’m not mistaken, at this particular day I was working on a chemistry paper that I wasn’t really well-read on so I expected that the writing session would last until early evening. By noon, another cup of coffee had been ordered and I have only just started actually writing my paper. As usual when I work alone and with silent peer pressure from a coffee shop, I’ve sped through my paper until three and by then, my outline was solid and the content was already half-way done. I was feeling really weary but this was the point of no return for me - everything was else was supposed to be a breeze and I had just needed to keep writing. The momentum would be lost if I put this momentarily put this away. Regrettably, I got my last cup of coffee for that day.

A few sips into that cup got me a throbbing headache and I started to feel hot hot. Eventually, I laid my head down on the table to concentrate on getting my shit together and it took me attempting to stand up and failing before I realized I was in trouble. I sent a text to my mom to come get me, put my phone on the table, and laid my head to rest once again. My mom was never really the type to look at her texts ASAP, so it surprised me that within the hour she was already calling to say that she’s outside. With my bag in hand, I powered through the walk outside the cafe and into my mom’s car. Thankfully, that day I’d chosen a coffee shop that had its own exit and that my mom chose to wait for me right outside, but even then I got to the car struggling to breathe properly. The rest of the day was spent on my bed, trying to catch my breath and failing to fall asleep. Come midnight, I was in the ER.

Even with me being sick and all, this is a memory I remember fondly because it made me realize how much I could rely on my mom, who’d come to save me on such short notice. This wasn’t at all my shiniest moment, and reflecting now, I see that even then I’ve been exerting myself too much just to get all my requirements done on time.  I long for the day when there aren’t any deadlines I’m supposed to be meeting anymore and I can finally get to relax with a clean conscience.

[7/50]

📷: https://edspace.american.edu/ff8568a/2017/04/30/caffeine-overdose/

[the-egg-benedict]

My weak-ass coffee taste

Hanlo, readers! 

So much for “daily blog updates”. Before I start with the actual blog, I’d just want to let you know that I still try aiming for one article a day, so if anyone there is actually reading this, please reprimand me if I haven’t posted anything yet. Also, deviating from what I through the blog entries should contain, I will now be focusing on fun anecdotes as it’s with these types of content that my writing seems to just flow out. Anyway, on to our regular programing - 

On the last update, there was a bit where I mentioned that I used to camp at random coffee shops whenever I am home at Pampanga and seriously need to amp up my productivity. Truth be told, I am not much of a coffee fanatic. A lot of hot coffee beverages seem indistinguishable from my taste. Practicality-wise, two bottles of Kopiko 78 already gives me the kick I need to pull off an all-nighter (sadly, three-in-ones do nothing to me). My stay at a coffee shop is for the ambiance, and the coffee I get is for the caffeine. That said, I do have my default picks of coffee when I squat at coffee shops. A quick disclaimer though - I am not at all a coffee connoisseur and I like my coffee only in the ways that I can actually discern and appreciate.

That being said, I do love my caffeine and for this reason, frappes are a complete waste of money. My tendency is to choose hot coffee beverages over the iced ones because it gives me a better “coffee shop” experience and iced coffee eventually dilutes with water. Also, milk is non-negotiable in my coffee; I’ll have my coffee creamy or not at all. With all these preferences of mine, my go-to espresso drink is a flat white. It has a smoother texture than a latte or a cappuccino and I get a stronger taste of espresso. As a naive customer, I’ve always chosen latte by default but having tried a bit of the other espresso-based drinks, I only really got stuck with this drink in particular. It also sounds cool - ‘Flat white’. The drink also a nice change because a lot of big coffee shops like Starbucks or CBTL don’t have it so I really only get it occasionally.

The go-to drink that I actually order regularly is, as I’ve mentioned, the Caffe Latte. It’s a really safe pick for a coffee naiveté like me, but I do genuinely like it, else I’ve had started looking for other coffee drinks. I am also a milk-lover, and sometimes I feel that a latte (literally meaning milk) is just an excuse for me to drink milk while getting my dose of caffeine. There are places that float the espresso on top of the milk - my favorite way to have a latte - and in this case, I drink it unstirred. The flavors differ as you go further down the drink and it gets more interesting iced because the espresso initially stays hot and it contrasts with the cold milk (the only real excuse for me to have coffee iced). This is really quite peculiar of me although I think a fellow milk-lover would understand the allure. 

My third go-to drink is the Caffe Mocha. I feel I’d get hate for this ‘coffee’ choice but hear me out first - I do like the taste of coffee in my own way (with milk) and I’ve reiterated this a lot earlier. The Cafe Mocha is for when I’ve drank too much coffee, am slightly sick of the taste, but still need another fix of caffeine. It’s typically a second drink I order, having spent half a day already in the coffee shop. And what’s really not to love about chocolate?

My coffee choices are really blunt and mediocre but at the end of the day, I really just need them for the caffeine. At one point, I’d want to try expanding my coffee preferences and have a try at brewing coffee at home. Considering that I’m just a college student living in a cramped apartment though, I’ll probably be sticking with these choices within the near future.

[6/50]

📷:https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2019/02/tips-to-turn-your-coffee-shop-into-a-must-go-destination/

[the-egg-benedict]

COVID-19 Quarantine Update

Hanlo readers! The original plan was that i’d start writing and posting articles daily but I really haven’t been able to keep a properly productive. This is due in big part to the fact that there’s so much else I could do at home (which I do anyway against my best judgement). Usually, whenever I’m at Pampanga, I hide at the corners of some coffee shop and rely on quiet peer pressure from other productive students. However, having been trapped home for the past few weeks, I’m resolved to start fixing a daily schedule so that I could start doing more acad and org work.

The biggest thing I’d have to fix in my schedule is my sleeping times. As it is right now, my sleep at night is at 4 am to 8 am and I continue this sleep on the afternoons at 2 am to 5 pm. While I do get enough sleep, this schedule left me groggy in the mornings and it stops me from being continuously productive during the day. Hopefully, I’ll start sleeping by 12 am and stop sleeping during the days.

Another change I’d be adding to my quarantine routine is exercise. I’ve lived my life without any proper regular exercise - I get the bare minimum from my PE classes and my daily roundtrip walks to school. However, now that I’m basically confined at home, I have had flat-out no exercise. Combined with the excess of food I’m eating, it’s already certain I’m going to gain weight. I also feel that the lack of activity in my routine is keeping me from being fully mentally alert. I’ve found some cardio routines over the internet that would suit my stamina and hopefully, I’d sustain this until the end of the quarantine.

The last thing I’m fixing on my schedule is movie-watching times. Most of the week, I’ve been distracted on a lot of things and I haven’t been productive at all. I need the movies to conclude my days because it gives me a sense of accomplishment - especially at a time when a lot of our deadlines are still uncertain. It’ll give me a good head start rather than facing all of my workload right now head-on and it will let me do work at my own pace without immediate burnout. A separate entertainment schedule would also at least become clearly demarcated from my productive time.

With all these things, I am sincerely hopeful that I do get some things done during the quarantine period despite the alarming number of things we should worry about with the pandemic. I’m really open to more suggestions as to how I should be fixing my isolation routine so please do share me your advice! 

[5/50]

📷:https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation

[the-egg-benedict]

The petty burdens of living close to school

Everyday, past 7 am, as I wait in panic for the elevator to reach my floor at Berkeley, the holding area gives me a picturesque view of the National Science Complex and right at the corner is the site of my dreaded first class, the National Institute of Physics. I don’t deny my stupidity here - It is ridiculous that, living within visible range of NIP, I come into class everyday just in time for the last few examples and to take the quiz. Friends of mine have actually had to drop this class due to the impossibility of the long commutes coupled with heavy traffic, whereas I only have to walk to class. Despite living very close to campus, the travel to school isn’t always easy. I’d like to include a disclaimer that this is not to excuse my tardiness at all, nor to invalidate any of my friends’ more legitimate reasons for being late; most of these issues could be solved by me leaving my flat earlier than I usually do - a perfectly sound solution that I have not had the initiative to do.

Inevitable walk

I would first like to establish that there really is no getting around this 750-meter stretch other than a 10-minute morning exercise. This is best summed up by a friend who had once described the distance between Berkeley and NIP as “too close for commute, but just too far to walk”. Taking a Katipunan jeep only cuts this journey to 600 m; this method even takes a lot longer since the jeep first tours you around campus (not to mention the futility of trying to hail a jeep near our building at rush hour). A tricycle is a slightly better option as it can take you to NIP Gate, which is just 250 m away from the entrance. However, the latter sets you back an unreasonable Php 50.00 and because the tricycle is also trying to wade through the early Katipunan traffic, the time taken while traveling is the same as if you’d walked all the way through. Unless you’re lugging along with you some heavy materials for class, you’d end up regretting taking the trike in the first place. Even if you’re athletically challenged like me, walking is clearly the best course of action in going to school when you’re this close.

Rough terrain

Observing from the safety of a car, Katipunan Ave seems like a haven especially when you consider the extent of pollution here in Metro Manila. However, having trekked through this land multiple times, I warn that anyone traversing Katipunan must always be vigilant with their surroundings. There will be a lot of foot traffic. Majority of the walk won’t even be on a clearly defined path - sometimes it merges with the road or the parking of establishments - and, at times, having to walk on the road lanes is unavoidable. At 7 am, stretches of road with actual pavements are conquered by motorcycles drivers that side-glance at passing pedestrians as if to flip them off (like pedestrians shouldn’t be on the pavement). The road itself also has a lot of obstacles, from puddles that can be untraversable without getting your shoes wet to dog fasces. At one occasion, I was unfortunate enough to have witnessed my favorite French chef Remy cannibalizing on his friend Emile on the sidewalks of Katip. Katipunan is wild and it isn’t as calming to walk through as, for example, inside the NSC.

Mental alertness

The lack of sleep is a trouble for all commuters and I want to point out that it’s also a trouble for those of us that walk to school too. Walking to NIP alone, I cross by three roads, one of which is CP Garcia. CP is troublesome to cross because the cars are usually within the Goldilocks-range of too fast to cross over but slow enough that the car behind it, of frustratingly equal speed, catches up. This road also has unsynchronized stoplights from both directions, so you can’t just always wait for CP to be cleared of cars to cross it. Usually, patience and wit are enough to get me through these roads unscathed but there have been times when I feel like my mind isn’t entirely present. In these cases, the walk to school becomes a hazard because I’m not alert enough to do the quick decision-making I need to cross roads. This also applies to the other obstacles in Katip, especially the motorcycles along the pavement that have to be dodged. Once, after an all-nighter, I remember mindlessly stepping onto J Escaler and hear the sudden screech of a car. It took me a few seconds to process that I had almost been hit but by then I’ve already crossed the road. Situations like these make me hesitant to go to school that early with no sleep and make me long for a time, back in high school, when I just climb up the carpool and sleep until I reach school.

These are the reasons why I find traveling to school dreadful bothersome even though I live this close by. These still aren’t reasons for me to be late though so if you do share Physics with me and find me marching up the steps past 7:30 am, do me a favor to berate me because a lot of us have it worse. Anyway, I hope you found my anecdotes entertaining and will remember to put up my next updates soon. Thanks for reading!

[4/50]

📷: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katipunan_Avenue

[the-egg-benedict]

Blog Revival

Hanlo to my few readers!

As you guys are very much aware, I have not posted in well over a month. On top of papers, exams, and org work, it has been difficult trying to fit writing blog articles into my schedule (unless of course, you’re interested in reading my lab reports, in which case just tell me and I’ll gladly post them for you). However, I still do need this blog to reach 50 entries so that I have something to submit for my writing class. In light of this, I’m making some changes to this blog to make it easier for me to reach the quota.

First of all, I’m shifting the theme of this blog from ATLA to my boring life as a whole. I have decided that it is risky trying to focus on niche topic for a blog where I’d have to reach 50 posts. Any excitement I’ve had toward writing for this blog when it was announced to be a requirement is gone; writing articles here is a matter of survival to me now. These topics could still include ATLA, but I’ll be sure to write about my current hobbies and opinions on random things. As to what these things are specifically, we’ll just have to see in my following posts.

Another change I’ll be doing for my blog would be deleting my other ATLA related posts (three in total). Although this seems counter intuitive, I reviewed the previous posts and decided that they were too long (1k+ words). Considering the effort I need to exert in order to match that length and the time spent for research/reviewing material, matching that level of writing would not feasible. A lot of the conclusions I also made were pretty subjective (despite my lengthy arguments) and I’d prefer that tone of my blogs are consistently unpretentious.

I hope that, despite the changes, you will still keep reading my blogposts and be ever supportive of my writing. Thank you very much!

[3/50]

📷: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/egg-laying-hens_n_59c3c93fe4b0c90504fc04a1

[the-egg-benedict]

Struggles of adulting: Eating well

For the past few semesters, I’ve been living away from my parents’ house and my sheltered ass has no idea about living alone for long term. One of the worst things I’ve struggled with was having food to eat that’s sustainable, diverse, and healthy. I've been away from the house and my parents for weeks at a time for school, but back then my mindset was that I was on a ‘vacation’; I’d just eat out when I’m hungry and look for other places nearby when I got sick of the food.

But now that I live alone, this is my new everyday life. I’d lose money if I keep having food delivered and I can’t just keep opening a can of spam when I’m hungry. I think my parents also haven’t got the slightest idea of this struggle because when I moved here in Quezon City, they gave me an induction stove and a frying pan, thinking that I’d have enough time to cook a decent meal, sit down, eat, and clean up on top of my school workload every single night. I didn’t even have a microwave.

I’m starting to sound like such a privileged kid (and yes, I agree that I’m privileged), but let me set this straight - I am grateful for that stove and I still use it almost everyday. It’s just that it doesn’t give me the easy leeway that a microwave provides. If I need something heated via a microwave, I’d just put it in a bowl, turn the knob on the microwave, and then wait for it to ‘ding’. Compare that to stovetop heating, where I’d have to fry or boil something which could take a while, and then I’d have to wash the pan along with utensils I needed. I’d also have to factor in the defrosting time of the food I’m heating (back when I didn’t have the microwave to do that for me). Even heating water felt like a chore.

Also take note that the function of the stove when I got it was just to reheat food and not cook from scratch. Cooking food from scratch is just a hobby I got to do more often throughout the sem and it’s time consuming. The idea was that I’d bring in food from home and keep the stuff in the fridge ‘till I needed to eat. The reason I forwent the microwave was because my mom told me “ohh but food tastes better cooked on stovetop”. Of course it does and I really liked the thought of having nicely reheated food every night as if I were just at home. It's just that when I have homework piling up that’s due the next day, I think the minimal prep, pathetic microwaved food would already be more than enough for me.

I don’t really have anything to conclude because I just started writing and kept writing with no particular direction, but I guess my takeaway for anyone reading this is that if you live alone, don’t forget to get a microwave.

[2/50]

[the-egg-benedict]

Introduction (First Post)

Henlo! This is Andrew and I’m doing this blog for my MBB 100 class. This is probably going to be an ATLA analysis blog - because I watch it too much and I might as well just do this as well - and it’ll be interspersed with whatever topics I want to write about (I have to reach 50 posts wtf). If I run out of material to write about, I’ll start watching a random show for more content and I’ll shove my opinions in here as I go. That might not be too far off because I'll probably get bored this semester really early on. Anyway, get ready for A LOT of random posts cuz ya boi is gonna spam this blog up. 

Edit by Future Andrew: HAHAHAH bold of u to assume you’d have the time for this 😝

[1/50]