Frannywanny

My US trip last February was really memorable. For one thing, it was my first long-haul flight and I was so proud that I've survived! You see, I easily get airsick that a short flight to Hong Kong or Singapore would normally make me want to throw up. My Dad found a great solution by giving a pair of ear plugs as the high cabin pressure makes me dizzy. Still, I wasn't so sure if my ear plugs will work wonders all throughout our 12hr+ flight....well, it did and I had a great time enjoying the food and walking around the plane from time to time. Another thing that made my trip memorable was that it started as a business trip and ended as a fun 1.5 week long personal trip for Paul and yours truly. We were able to reunite with our California-based relatives and to bond with them given the short vacation time we have. Nothing beats spending quality time and catching up with family. Lastly, it was also the first time that I've experienced what 9 degrees Celsius feels like. I...

Back when I was working for the Green Siren , I learned how to mix my own drinks. Along the way, I learned to be creative. Adding a shot here and there, combining two syrups to create a new flavor or changing my milk to lessen the calories. Those, however, were only limited to espresso based drinks. With the cold Frappuccino blended beverages , we can't do as much. Back then, all Frappuccinos had a pre-mix base thus it's either you want it cream or coffee based. From there you choose your flavor that determines the syrups that will be used. I guess the farthest customization that I've done with my Frappuccino is to add more syrup into my Strawberries n Cream Frappuccino or adding a shot to my Mocha Frappuccino. That's basically just about it. It has been almost three years since I've professionally bid the Green Siren good bye. Thus my visits have lessened as opposed to my bi-weekly store visits before. It was only just recently when I dropped by our favorite ...

Who would have thought that you can enjoy your favorite cup of Starbucks coffee even when there's no Starbucks store nearby? You can literally take your coffee with you up to the top of the mountain or to the farthest point of the island and you can still enjoy the same Starbucks experience minus the jazz-y music and the sound of blender going on and off every other minute. At first, I thought it was a joke when I heard that there will be a Starbucks instant coffee. "How can that be possible", I thought. After working for the Green Siren for more than two years, my mind was set to think that Starbucks will always be about freshly brewed coffee or fragrant espresso-based drinks handcrafted by your favorite barista. However, the news is true and the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew has arrived here in the Philippines following the first market launch in Japan. It comes in three flavors: Italian Roast , Decaf Italian Roast and my personal favorite, Columbia . I was excite...