Starbucks Planner 2014


December 16, 2013

Wow,  I never expected that it's been 4 years already of having a Starbucks planner. Starbucks was just a place of a simple get together with friends and kinda became the best hangout! First, I just wanted to have at least 1 planner of Starbucks then I've haven't noticed, it became a collection!

Color green (my favorite color) is out in 2014 planner, so I was thinking of Black but on December 11, to my surprise, Rich handed me the Starbucks Planner 2014 with color Magenta. Um, wait, I don't know how to react! To be happy coz it's a present or be sad coz I don't like the color? I don't know! Of course I'm thankful coz I don't have to buy more drinks to get a planner. I did not break the seal for me to have a chance to change the color but SM Megamall refuses to change it for the reason it was not redeemed there. Sad but its okay, I can work with it, besides its a present, it would be enough!

 2011 Earned: November 22, 2010 @ SM Marikina with Leo, Ms Girlie and Edlen

2012 Earned: December 19, 2011 @ Robinsons Galleria with Ms Girlie, Ashie, Matchang, Jay and Edlen

2013 Earned: January 07, 2013 @ Robinsons Galleria with Edlen (fresh from Puerto Galera), Jay and Ms Girlie

2014 Earned: December 11, 2013 from Rich

The Limited Edition Starbucks Planner 2014 is available in four (4) colors:  yellow, brown, magenta and black and it comes with a coffee icon bookmark. The four coffee icon bookmarks are Coffee Bean (yellow), Kape Vinta (magenta), House Blend (brown) and Starbucks Cup (black).

How  to get this planner?
From November 2, 2013 to January 8, 2014, ask the cashier that you want to collect stickers for the planner then you will be given a promo card. You must accumulate a total of eighteen (18) stickers compose of nine (9) Christmas beverage plus nine (9) core beverages (except bottled drinks). One (1) sticker is awarded for each Starbucks beverage purchase.

And accordingly, you can also get one instantly of these planners by simply buying a P5,000 load in your Starbucks Card or P5,000 worth of GCs. Hmmmp, I can't confirm this info but you can inquire about it at the counter!
This year's choices of Christmas beverage are:

Toffee Nut Latte (personal favorite) - has the rich, buttery flavor of sweet toffee combined with toasted nuts, blended with smooth espresso and velvety steamed milk. Topped with whipped cream and toffee-flavored sprinkles.

Gingerbread Latte - freshly baked gingerbread combined with perfectly roasted espresso and steamed milk. Classically topped with whipped cream and ground nutmeg.

Peppermint Mocha - combination of espresso, steamed milk, bittersweet chocolate and peppermint flavor. Topped with classic whipped cream and crushed candy cane.

A Traumatic Homecoming!



August 29-September 20, 2013

I love going to Zamboanga every now and then because I consider it my home, and I have family there to visit. This time, my mother asked me to come home because my father was sick. I was thinking about staying for good, as I had been out of work in Manila for a while, but something happened that made me seriously consider going back.

September 9—which happened to be my birthday—turned out to be the most traumatic day of my life. The MNLF attacked Zamboanga City and took hostages. As early as 5:00 AM, a neighbor shouted my sister's name to wake us up, telling us that the city was under attack! We could see smoke rising from nearby Barangay Sta. Catalina, the ground zero. Our location was Barangay Tetuan, which is adjacent to Sta. Catalina, and we could hear heavy exchanges of gunfire. That very day, I could barely breathe—it felt like those movie scenes where people have severe anxiety attacks. It’s hard to describe just how terrifying it was. From morning until 5:00 PM, we were practically crawling around the house, staying close to the concrete walls for safety.

The entire city was on lockdown. The airport, seaport, and bus terminals were all closed, meaning no one could enter or leave. When commercial airlines scheduled special flights on September 19, I immediately booked my return to Manila—which was originally supposed to be on September 11.

Before all of this happened, I had taken photos around the city intending to write a blog post promoting Zamboanga, but now isn't the right time for that. Instead, I am sharing a few moments of "me time" at Paseo del Mar, spending time with my father at Fort Pilar, and my visit to R.T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Paseo del Mar, Zamboanga City
With my Tatay at Fort Pilar, Zamboanga City
Arka sa RT Lim, RT Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay