The 3-hour long musical was fun to watch (the least to say); it was not a spectacular/explosive show that you would see in Cirque du Soleil performances, but what the show promises is an experience that we Filipinos can relate to. An experience that will make you feel and miss home.

Mely Moran (played by Bituin Escalante / Frenchie Dy) represents millions of Filipinos who would, without a doubt do everything in her power to help and alleviate her family's situation - gambling through a competitive environment in the metro, with co-aspirants  half her age and with higher educational attainment. Yet Mely kept her cool, stayed true to herself with her cute Filipino-English accent. Her strong will landed her a job, and did her well, very well.


The comic relief brought about by the scenes from Viva Moran (Mely's quirky sister played by Kim Molina / Natasha Cabrera) has got me laughing off the edge of my seat (which was by the way a good spot from the Balcony). And not to mention Senyor Blanco's funny interjections (ie: "The true will set you free" and "They always make fun on me"). It was such a treat watching Nar Cabico's comedic performance. He literally brought the house down. Several times.

The Fuwerza Filipinas and the Kayumang-gilas added such powerful scenes in the play that gave me goosebumps. Their look, hair and make-up, and their act made it believable that they are the children of the sun and the stars - and they're here to protect us.
Have I also mentioned how awesome Madre de Dios' (played by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo) abs were? Oh I swear her tummy looks a hundred times better than mine! And please, Leading Man lived up to his name very well. Markki Stroem is such an eye candy!

The music, lighting, and acting were just astounding. I ought to give a standing ovation at the end of the show but I was too shy, so.

Overall, the show has achieved the feel that they're ought to give to the audience - the Filipino culture and all sides of it. Our family-orientation, our fondness over "showbizness" and the Westerners, our funny nature despite all odds, and most of all, love.

I know I have not seen much stage plays out there but for sure this has got to be one of the best - Filipino artistry at its finest! KPANLL is definitely a game changer!

So, find time to watch the show with your family, friends and dear ones! It's a must-see play that you'll definitely love to share to everyone!


"Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady" by Dalanghita Productions is a creation of the brilliant Carlo Vergara, Music and Lyrics by Vincent de Jesus under the direction by Chris Martinez.

The show runs until June 7 at the PETA Theater Center, No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City.
For tickets, call Ticketworld at 891-9999.

'Till my next entry!
- Nik

It was during the last days of March when I posted about my recent interest in searching for third wave coffee shops around the Metro. If you haven't read it yet, go ahead and take a peek here.

It's funny how all these seem like a Harry Potter adventure; me, looking and hunting coffee shops as if they're horcruxes. Yeah, I know that wasn't really funny; my humor goes offline during the weekends.

So, to kick-off nikcoffee's #ThirdWaveCoffee series, I have invited a few friends for a morning coffee and breakfast at one of the loveliest coffee shops I have yet to visit. Just an hour past the store's opening, my best friend and a very close friend of mine tagged along in experiencing the environment and vibe of the shop indie folks are talking about, that is Commune.

Situated along the corners of H.V Dela Costa Ave. and Valero St., in the heart of Makati CBD lies Commune - a quaint little shop which serves quality food, coffee and wonderful experience - be it with your best friend, a large group of barkada, your partner or your family.

Commune \kə-myün\, as illustrated in one of the store's wall (which by the way was wonderfully drawn) basically means to communicate, as its root word. It can also be defined as a noun : a place where you have great coffee.

It was past 8 when I met my friends at the Ayala Triangle gardens, walked a couple of blocks along lots of chit-chats which made us quite busy, all the way to Commune. Luckily, we were the first customers for the day so we had the privilege to choose our seat and be entertained fast. So, we ordered our food and drinks and chat our way while munching our breakfast.

The store's interior was carefully planned and detailed; you would think such stores only exist in the movies or abroad, but since this is a #thirdwavecoffee and #artisanalcoffeeshop, the design was just fitting.

Check out the photos after the jump:


The overall experience was 4/5 for me.

The store definitely lives up to its name; my friends and I spent about 2 hours tops, enjoying good food, good company, lovely atmosphere, smart conversation and some.

Would I consider going back to this place? A big YES!

So if you're planning to visit Commune, make sure to tag along some friends and have taste of experience, that is Commune.

Check out the store's website for more information:
http://www.commune.ph/

'Till my next entry!
- Nik

The South has always been a haven for the Metro people like myself. Aside from it's very much near the cities of Manila, its untouched beauty despite modernization stayed the same over the years - or so what I see, for now.

Batangas, the land of the barakos where the well known and well loved locally produced coffee comes from; serves as one of the top summer destinations for those who cannot afford to go on leave from work for more than a week. A quick and short-stayed getaway to a quaint town will leave you wanting more.

Team buildings, outings and such does help in getting people together - literally and metaphorically; it's a very effective medium in promoting camaraderie, cooperation and developing that spirit of teamwork, which, in turn helps the company grow more.

So, to stray away from the business-ish tone of a post; last 18th and 19th of April, the Emerson Manila IT Resource Center drove south for a much needed weekend getaway; miles far from the city.

Our HR team as well as the events committee (myself included, partially) and of course the upper management did a pretty good job with this year's summer outing.

Club Balai Isabel served as our home; a very cozy, lovely place. An ideal choice to stay in during a short vacation.

We've had lots of games which I, honestly enjoyed. And the view, it was just breath-taking. And oh, don't get me started with how the party went.

Check out the photos after the jump:

I have been a coffee person ever since time immemorial. And I have loved the taste of coffee ever since my taste buds were introduced to it.

Way back in high school when I had very limited resources to buy 'branded' coffee, I needed to save just so I could buy a cup. But now that I'm earning myself, I have vowed to go on a coffee journey and experience what is out there, and how intoxicating that experience is.

I was made to believe that the only good coffee are those from Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to name a few of the foreign brands here in the Philippines; but little did I know that somewhere in the outskirts of Metro Manila lies quaint little coffee shops that serves locally produced and very much delicious coffee.

That idea and my love for the art of coffee driven me to go on that 'journey' and drag along some friends to share the experience with.

The upcoming posts on this blog will feature third wave coffee shops that I (and some friends) visited a couple of months back, some reviews and basically share the story so you too could, perhaps sometime make a visit and try the experience yourself.

Watch out for my next entries!
- Nik