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

"Akala nyu kayo lang ang may picture kasama parents nyu :)) hahahaha ma pa this is for you and i hope that you are proud of me :))" - Kevin Villanueva (photo taken from his instragram account)

Admittedly, at many times I was jealous of how free Kebong was in my own perspective - being able to go out of town, stay up late at bars and do anything he wants without parents and/or guardians to scold and ground him. But then my mom told me about this touching photo of him that turned the picture upside down (figuratively). This made me realize how lucky I am, and how I should appreciate every little thing in my life - because he (Kebong) did so even in the absence of his parents; he loved and valued family, he saw things in a different perspective, he saw the glass half full and unceasingly strive to reach his goals.

Kevin, I know all these are pretty overwhelming, nevertheless I will never stop telling you that you all deserve these - this actually may be the graduation gift you get from your mom and dad, for all the hardships you went through, for triumphantly achieving your dream(s) and for continuously inspiring people. I know that your parents, despite their absence in flesh, are very much proud of you. You have become the person they wanted you to be. You are, by far the greatest representation of The Script's "The Man Who Can't Be Moved".

A slow clap for you, Kebong! *winks*

It has been a while again since my last post, and the reason behind it is already pretty obvious.
These past few days have become so overwhelming that I didn't even knew it was happening, it was as if I was in a trance, a dream I have dreamed a long time ago.

At last, I am now a graduate. After 15 long years of my academic journey, it has finally come to an end. All the sleepless nights, headaches in memorizing dates for my history subjects, elements for chemistry and formulas for algebra and physics. The endless lines of codes in programming electives, a bucketful of technical terms in network and system electives and the heart-stopping thesis are all part now of a wonderful memory of my days as a student.

And of course, these will not all be possible without the grace and guidance of our Lord whom I am very much grateful. To my parents, mom Raquel and dad Russell who have supported me morally, spiritually, emotionally and of course financially throughout my education, loved me unconditionally, accepted and  understands me for who I am, my gratitude and love for you both is endless. To my teachers, mentors and professors who have not only treated me as a student, but as a friend and as a son - thank you for teaching me not only about what's on the syllabus but also the life's lessons. To my friends from kindergarten to college, Mean Girls: the best girl friends I have, to my colleagues and acquaintances, your mere existence gave a lot of thrill during my course of stay in the school, thank you. To the awesome food in the cafeteria served by the best cooks in the Colegio, I will never forget you (the ham sandwiches and Mang George's chicken). The list could go on and on and on, this post isn't even enough to show how thankful I am for having these people around me, who made my everyday a joyous one and made me feel loved, again thank you.

Lastly to my Alma Maters; Ususan Elementary School (UES), Pateros Catholic School (PCS) and Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) - thank you for molding me into the person I wanted to be. I will make you proud!

My graduation might have put an end to my academic life as a student, yet it also marked the beginning of my life, now as an equipped and grown-up man ready to take on the challenges of life and work (or am I, really?). All the lessons and learning, experiences and sufferings, joys and pains will all be remembered and be put into good use.

Now, it's time to take this up a notch.

I am now ready for you, world!