Project J.Co

Working within Eastwood City has a lot of perks, one of those is my weak spot - FOOD. And it helps [or doesn't? Haha!] that I have friends who are more than willing to try out any food joint that tickles our fancy and tastebuds.

To welcome the new year back at work, we originally planned to do some damage at Sambokojin. But due to matters beyond our control [READ: uncooperative wallets!], the first food stop for 2013 was the newly-opened J.Co Donuts & Coffee.

Cross the street from McDonald's, and you're there. Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to this donut place's other branches, so I can't compare its space and interiors to them. But I'm surprised that for a donut place, it's extremely spacious. Couches outnumbered the usual tables and chairs, and if you're a big group there's no chance of feeling cramped even if you sit by the farthest corner. 

The one consistent thing I hear about this place is the insanely long lines - and it's true!

Maine and I were in line for about an hour, no exaggerations. We were saying to ourselves that the donuts better be worth wait and lining up. 

There are about more than a dozen flavors to choose from. Our group's [myself, Maine, Janelle and Dulsey] first choice was to get 'J. Pops', which are 24 mini donuts with different flavors [Php 250]. But as we got nearer the counter we had this feeling it wasn't available, so we went for Plan B - a dozen regular-sized donuts with a variety of flavors [Php 350]. Problem was, which ones to get? 

I guess the major cause of the long line is trying to decide which flavors to fill your box. But when it was our turn, Maine and I were surprised at how fast we picked out what we want. Since not all donuts had their names and descriptions [which was a bit of a down side], we just had to do a little 'Ano 'to?', especially for the not-so-ordinary-looking ones. 

And the chosen 12 are:

On a side note, why are there only 11 donuts in the breakdown?!

The three girls bought frappes, but I opted to just stick to water since I figured there was a guaranteed sugar overload waiting to happen.

The three that I sampled [from left to right] were 'Mr Green Tea' [but tasted nowhere near green tea? I just fell in love with the almonds!!!], 'Sugar Ice', and 'Jcoccino'.

LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

Sugar Ice had melt-in-your-mouth sugary texture, and I'm so glad that the base donut's sweetness wasn't so overpowering. Jcoccino is coffee-based, and with almonds too! #doesahappydance 

                                           

The last four donuts [clockwise, from top left]: 'Oreology', 'Caviar Chocolate', 'Coco Loco' and 'Al Capone'.

I got the Alcapone, which is topped with Belgian chocolate and almonds. I heard this is their bestseller, and I regret having this last!

Look at my fork!!

I got all the flavors that had almonds in them because Maine and Janelle didn't like having nuts in their food. #doesanotherhappydance

#bloggerproblems while waiting for the frappes

Happy kiddos: myself, Maine and Dulsey - the birthday girl! [photo from Janelle]

THE VERDICT: 3.5 / 5

The place is nice and comfortable, smelling of freshly-baked donuts all over. Their donuts are priced at Php 40 to 45 per piece, while the beverages range from Php 120 to 155. Reasonable enough for me, also because the price justifies the taste. They were definitely worth the long wait. [You can read up on how the other flavors fared on Janelle's blog].

The service could use some improvement though, as the cashier got Dulce's order wrong [frappe, instead of hot], and Maine and I sensed a bit of confusion from the barista preparing the drinks. And like I said, it would help if the donuts had labels on the tray or if there's a mini-menu that people can pick up while waiting in line. I think it will save a lot of time and avoid long lines. 

Definitely going back because it makes great pasalubong for the family, and perfect to bring to mini get-togethers with friends.

Merci, au revoir

This year is best described as a blessing in disguise for me.

I thought I wouldn't make it for the first six months but hey, I lasted for a year! And it would not have been possible without the people I worked with, who eventually became really close friends. 

I spent the entire year [literally, day in and day out] with these guys - drinking, eating [a lot!], laughing, crying, and simply being crazy. I don't know how my year would have turned out if I did not take that risk in December 2011.

Though there were a few twists and bumps, I'm glad we're all still friends despite different LOBs, shift and rest days conflicts. 

Thank you 2012 for the good, the lovely, and the bad. There a few I wish I didn't say or do, but I'm thankful for everything and everyone that came my way this year. 

If this year's lessons were to be summed up in one line, it would be: one day at a time.

I learned this the really hard way, and along the way I found out it not only applies to the situation I was in at that moment, but in life in general. 

It looks like a promising 2013 for me, and though I also know that striking a balance in all aspects of your life is next to impossible, you can find ways to make things work. 

THANK YOU for another year.

THANK YOU for and to the people who came into my life this year. 

THANK YOU for a job to close the year, and for a new one to usher in the next. 

2012 was definitely a year worth looking back on. No regrets, just love.

Whatever side of the planet you're on, I hope you are welcoming the new year in the most festive way. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS! Cheers!

App-crazy

FINALLY, AN UPDATE! Consider it a hiatus of sorts. Okay, okay, I just made 'lazy' sound profound. But well, I'm back and my blog will be in full swing as well, soon. This post is to wipe off the dust that settled on my blog over the last few months.

So I just recently inherited Mama's Samsung Galaxy Y. I don't really have much need for it - I'm Blackberry-dependent. My entire social media life is there, plus my three e-mails that are synced [two personal, one work]. So why did I decide to still go for the Galaxy? One simple answer: APPS.

Let's face it, the BB is great and all, but not all apps are available [especially for me who's stuck at OS 5]. So once I did a makeover of the phone - theme, display settings, etc. - this app-eager girl went to the Play Store to well, play.

Here are the apps that I most frequently use:

INSTAGRAM - So call me a late-bloomer, haha! I see a lot of the friends, bloggers and celebrities I follow have their own accounts, and it kind of bummed me that I don't have one. Some photos they post were just for their Instagram followers, and it's a hassle to click on a link and wait for the photo to download. Now I don't have to do that! Plus the filters are kinda cute, too.

MUZY - Because I want to make collages. And they look cute, too.

LABEL BOX - An app that lets you add funky labels to your photos.

FRUIT NINJA - Seriously. Who doesn't play this game?!!

4SHARED - for music downloads on the go.

MOON+ READER - Probably my favorite among the apps. I've so far downloaded JK Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy. I'm currently reading The Fault In Our Stars. 

REMINED - Did you know there's a company here in the Philippines that develops apps for iOS and Android? Well, now you do! The ReMINEd app is very helpful for shopaholics out there [or frustrated ones, like me]  who see an item, want to buy it, but for some reason can't have it at the moment. Just take a snap of the item you want, set a goal date for yourself when you would or should buy that item, and set an alarm on that date. Nifty, huh? Stuff you 'want' can range from as simple as a designer bag to your dream house. It's a cool goal-setting app.

So those are what's on the home screen of my Galaxy Y phone. I know it's small and not as advanced as the other gadgets out there but hey, it's making me get by with the apps I can't have in my BB. 

#Ismellanupgrade HAHA! ;)

How about you? What's on your list?