My Brew of Civet Coffee

Hello coffee addicts!

Probably you already heard the story behind this coffee or even tasted it. As for me, this is my first cup of joe and I’m truly glad that my friend sent me this.

Civet is not a fancy brand like Starbucks or Figaro. It’s actually a wild cat that is mostly found in the jungles of Indonesia. The connection of this cat to the bag of coffee that I have here in this photo will truly amaze you. 

Ready for action!

Civet cats love to eat coffee cherries. The pulp of the fruit gets digested but of course the coffee bean remains intact until the cat eliminates it from their body. The beans (now in the poop) are gathered, cleansed and processed, and sold as kopi luwak. Because of this unusual preparation, civet coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world. Imagine having a cup of coffee at the price of $35 to $80 and one pound bag of beans costs $100 to $600!

Image grabbed from: http://bit.ly/1QYwEZJ 

Preparation

My friend told me to visit this site on how to properly brew a perfect cup. My kopi luwak is already ready for brewing. I had my French Press ready and prepared to brew for 2 cups – one for me and one for Didi.

The directions said 1 ounce of coffee to 450ml of fresh hot water – never boiling water. I measured my coffee with the use of the espresso shot glass (this is equivalent to 30cc or 1 ounce), put it in the French Press first. Pour water inside the French Press and let it brew for about 4 minutes. Make sure that the lid and plunger of the French Press are pulled all the way to the top. If you like it stronger (like I do), you can have it stay a little longer to achieve that ideal coffee kick.

The longer you brew it, the more bitter and stronger the coffee becomes.

Now, push the plunger down to the bottom as the coffee grounds will be pushed down to the bottom as well and gets separated from the brewed coffee. Pour your freshly brewed coffee into your favorite mug and enjoy!

The Moment of Truth

The moment I’ve been waiting for --- to sip and taste the unique taste and aroma of civet coffee:

• Taste – since I brewed it for almost 6 minutes, I experienced bitterness and a little bit of tanginess on the side. But no crude after taste. I did not put any creamer or sugar because I wanted to taste its natural flavor. And it did not failed me. 
• Aroma – from the time I opened the sealed bag of coffee up to the time that it was brewing, its strong smell emanates a powerful energetic aroma that I really like.

I’m no coffee connoisseur (I just love drinking coffee), but I can say that this coffee holds its true mark of being the most expensive coffee in the world. I love the flavorful and bold taste of civet coffee. I hope I can more supply next time. :)

If you love to order this coffee, feel free to contact me. 

Your NSO Certificate Delivered At Your Door

Everything is now accessible when you have internet connection. From shopping online, food delivery, and even your NSO certificate delivered at your door.

Last February 27, 2013, my daughter Gabie texted me that she needs a copy of her birth certificate (NSO copy) to comply with graduation requirements. Being far from her and negating the thought of asking my Nanay for help in getting a copy, I ran to my computer and searched for the online services of NSO Birth Certificates.

3-Easy Steps

The webpage have 3-easy steps to follow:

Step 1: Application 

I entered my name as the person who requested for the birth certificate. Then I entered the birth data of Gabie. They will also be asking for the place where you want it delivered. I specified in the application that it will be delivered to the province so that I will no longer send it separately.

Step 2: Payment

After you have finished everything, you will now pay the for the requested document. As you can see below, the document requested can be delivered not only in the Philippines but also to other countries. Of course, variation to the payment will entail.

So, I paid for my document thru BDO bank at Php315. That was also done on same date I applied online. If you have credit card, no need to go out and pay over the counter. 

Step 3: Delivery

Once payment has been processed, they will send you an email regarding your transaction and the estimated time of delivery of the said document.

They were able to receive the document March 8, 2013. That's 6 working days since I made payment. Not bad, right? The service is indeed time-saving and very appropriate for those who are not able to go directly to City Hall or NSO offices.

Aside from online, NSO services are also available in some malls within the Metro.

Images credit: e-Census National Statistics Office Philippines

The New and Improved Taste of Nescafe

Who does not love coffee in the morning?

For me, it's my bloodline. It's the voltage of electricity that will put me to life. Every morning when I wake up, the first thing that I do is make me a cup of coffee. I just wish that I can do this everyday with freshly brewed coffee. But with lacking coffee maker and coffee beans, I resort to instant coffee blends. Nescafe is my brand.

Just like any ordinary mornings, I made my coffee today. As I began to sip it, I tasted a different flavor and the aroma seems different too. I just refilled our coffee container this morning so I immediately looked for the packaging to find out if there's something that I missed that could shed light to this early morning coffee mystery. On top of the foil, there's a label that says"New and improved taste*". The asterisk will lead you to read what's written below the packaging which says, "vs. previous Nescafe classic." 

The packaging of the New and Improved Taste Nescafe. 

I also noticed that the color of the coffee is much darker. I captured a photo of this inside the container. If you cannot distinguish the difference because of my phone camera settings, better buy new and improved taste Nescafe now and see for yourself. :)

The New and Improved Taste Nescafe on top of the previous Nescafe classic.

Well, true to its words, the new Nescafe offers a new flavor to my taste buds. The strength of caffeine makes my neurotransmitters spark like fireworks. Its too delicious to describe! This is much closer to having a freshly brewed coffee straight from a coffee machine. Now my mornings will be more exciting as ever! Just as I am writing this blog, I am into my second cup...

Trying Out Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN

A Beauty Sacrifice

When I got pregnant, it was the end of my beauty experiments. Momentarily.

There are a lot of things that a woman sacrifices when she gets pregnant. One of which is her beauty regimen. It's not really depriving your personal hygiene, but there are some harmful ingredients in some beauty products that can also harm the baby. Although you can always ask your OB-GYN for professional advice on which products are good for you. In my case, I totally banned facial creams, astringents, and any beauty products. I only used kojic soap and drank a lot of water so as not to dehydrate my skin.

Well, I am not not a kikay kind of girl. Even before, I don't have a tremendous hoard of beauty products to put into my face. I only use kojic soap (from time to time), and before pregnancy, I used the Belo facial products. But I love to try beauty products and find out what's best for my skin.

Getting the Miracle

I made a promise to myself that after I deliver our baby, I have to take care of myself that includes getting myself a manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, and a probably a new set of make-up. Top of my list is to get a new set of facial care. So last January 1, when we went to SM Megamall we passed by Watson's and I checked what's the latest facial care they have.

My attention was caught by the Pond's promo girl who is holding a box with the face of Cheska Garcia-Kramer on it. I went to her and immediately asked what's inside the box. She started to talk about the product that I was asking her and she seems very excited and confident that I will be getting one. For the price of Php699.00, I will be getting the Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN Facial Wash and the Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN Day Cream. Plus....I will also have a limited edition of Rajo Laurel clutch bag!

Wow! The clutch bag is really a treat for me. Nonetheless, it's one heck of a miracle to have this kind of promo. So I decided to take the box (and the clutch bag) and of course in order to complete the line, I also bought the Night Cream (@Php699).

My complete set of Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN + Rajo Laurel's clutch bag.

The logo of Rajo Laurel inside the clutch bag.

I'm excited to look 10 years younger as what the product promises. Just stay tune and maybe I'll be able to blog about the results soon.

My 2014 Power Planner

This is the first page of my 2014 planner. Can you guess what planner is this?

A few days more and 2013 is about to end and... we will start to live another year ahead of us.

If you are like me, who likes to write down everything my mind is able to conceived, then getting a planner is definitely a major part of your must-have list. As early as October, I already surfed the net, visited bookstores and searched for what kind of planner will I be having for 2014.

The "Planner" in Me

I am not an O-C (obsessive-compulsive) type of person that cannot live without his/her planner or organizer. I don't get freaked out or suddenly be out of control when things are not in order. I guess the habit of writing things down and going through those lists everyday composes me and make me feel secure to know that I have some work to do for the day. It's my way of gauging my productivity level. Sometimes, I make my planner as a journal (an art journal in particular; just like what I did to my 2013 planner) where I post some inspirational thoughts, sayings or quotes that affects me, and even some recipes that I am willing to try. I also keep my payslip in my planner, my daily expenses (though not religiously), some savings, records of my online jobs and finances, and other knick-knacks that I can think of. Basically, the planner that I am looking for does not only suits my lifestyle but can adjust to what my life should be.

Last year, I had a Belle De Jour Power Planner. My first actually. My previous planners are all courtesy from companies' Christmas giveaways (of course! I also considered the money aspect in buying a new one). If the planner is very pleasant to my eyes, have more writing space then I settle for it. It was just last year that I bought the BJD Power Planner because I read its reviews and I want to give it a try.

And it did not failed me. So, this coming 2014, I decided for another BJD Power Planner. But this time I opted for the leather type to enhance professionalism and entice more professional work coming my way this 2014.

"Live life to the fullest!" ~My 2014 Power Planner complete with Lifestyle Card and stickers

Freebies

I ordered my planner online and paid via PayPal. If you visit the BDJ site, they are offering you a freebie of Pantene products the moment you purchased your Power Planner. Why not?! I registered online and I received them yesterday. My first freebies from BDJ!