#cafe luca

As with the previous ones, this is pretty much unplanned. To be honest, I'm not really keen on documenting this since I don't feel like doing it anyway. But I have to, considering that this year's POF event is their tenth POF event since its inception, not to mention this will be the sixth POF event I've attended so far.

At My Favorite Hangout Place (April 26th)

I decided to begin this year's #T4YP with a visit to my favorite hangout place. Right now, one of the cafes I frequented post-pandemic (Daily Ground Coffee) has closed, so is it Cafe Luca, Drip'n Coffee, or maybe Teafanny & Co.? Or maybe a surprising new addition to the ones I've frequented so far?

Of course, I ended up going to Cafe Luca, which is obviously my first choice anyway. Besides, my favorite spots at the other cafe, Drip'n Coffee (the window seats), were already taken at the time. Anyway, I just had a tall iced blended coffee jelly (a frappe), a brownie, and a nice view of the alfresco area. I mostly took selfies and Instagram uploads, but I also took a moment to order a 4-day pass to the upcoming POF event, which is just five days away. I was too distracted to do some writing at the moment, so I just read some of my story drafts saved on my smartphone instead.

Later on, I visited the three malls nearby and checked some of the shops. I had a beef gyudon bowl at Tokyo Tokyo (Robinsons Novaliches), but the excess sauce saturated the rice, and it was a bit too salty for my liking. I also did a little grocery shopping, and I ended up buying a Magnum ice cream bar, a strawberry panna flavor (a panna cotta, I assume). I did some hilarious selfies with it, just like what I did with the Magnum Gold bar from 2014 and the Halloween Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen back in 2012.

Anyway, now that I have the 4-day pass, I must do some serious planning if I want to make the most out of the event. Who would've thought that another otaku event would be held at a neighboring mall (Fairview Terraces) on the same weekend as POF's (Robinsons Novaliches)?

Pinoy Otaku Festival 2025: 10-Shūnen (May 3rd-4th)

I’ve documented the entire POF event in a separate post (The Keihancarl Diaries: May 3-4, 2025), so I’ll just feature a summary here.

This is where it gets even more complicated. There's also uncertainty as to whether I get to visit the event or not. I was so anxious at the thought of it. Luckily, I managed to attend the last two days of the POF event, the tenth-anniversary themed 10-Shūnen. On the same weekend, an Ozine Fest event, From The Streets Of Harajuku, was held at Fairview Terraces, which I only found out while checking my Facebook feed. And that's how I managed to squeeze my time visiting two events on the same weekend. On both days.

I managed to take some selfies with cosplayers (most are from the Ozine Fest), bought some merch (mostly manga books), enjoyed watching performances from idol groups (Aidoru Hour) and some of the guests, and watched the Cosplay Championship League and the Love Live! Muse fashion show. While I somehow find it underwhelming due to fewer congoers and cosplayers and missing out on some event highlights, I managed to enjoy the POF event just the same. I never got to witness some of the event highlights at the Ozine Event, though.

After this, it'll be Mother's Day next week, and I have plans for that weekend that are not related to the T4WP. It's also the weekend before the 2025 Senatorial Elections in the Philippines. The third part of T4WP was scheduled on the 17th of the month.

The First Mall-Hopping Trip For 2025: From Monumento To Ermita (May 17th)

The corresponding post is right here: (The Keihancarl Diaries: May 17, 2025).

I haven't done any mall-hopping trips since last year's Manila International Book Fair, so I decided to do just that. So I decided to visit the Monumento and Manila (San Lazaro/Binondo/Ermita) areas, which was a last-minute decision. It was all worth it, as I did ride the new-generation LRT trains not once, but twice. Also, I get to see Rizal Park's amazing new look, particularly the part within the museum complex (which is, by the way, closed to visitors at the moment).

I only bought some manga books at the Booksale branches in SM San Lazaro and SM Manila, and did check out much of 168 Mall for the first time since 2016 (subsequent visits were only limited to the ground floors due to the mall being too crowded with shoppers). I also took some interesting pics as well as selfies. Too bad I never get to visit the Cloverleaf and the former Baywalk areas due to time constraints.

I did enjoy the trip so much that I'm looking forward to another revisit. While I'm at it, I might consider concentrating on the Ermita and Intramuros areas in the future, as I only get to visit the former during the late afternoons, and I've yet to revisit the latter after my first trip to the area 13 years ago.

And Back At My Favorite Hangout Place (May 31st)

It's been a month since my last visit to my favorite hangout place, so I decided to spend the last week of T4WP there. And at the same cafe, since I didn't feel like going to the other cafe(s) at the moment.

As usual, I decided to order a tall iced blended drink, the caramel one, and a white almond donut. A hearing-impaired staff member was manning the counter, and she took my order without any problems. I sat down by the window, enjoying my drink and the donut with a smile. Outside, the sky is showing signs of rain. Yup, the rainy season is on its way.

After that, I decided to check the shop selling second-hand items (mainly from Japan). Once I got out, there was a parade, and then a sudden rainfall. I decided to wait for the jeepney to arrive and make my way to the Fairview malls (except Robinsons Novaliches).

I bought a new pair of shoes at Planet Sports (Fairview Terraces) as the ones I'm wearing right now are a little worn out, and I had a ramyun dinner after that (the stir fry this time). I initially planned to buy a new pair of pants at Uniqlo (SM Fairview), but I held off on it for now. Same thing with getting a new screen protector for my OnePlus phone as well. Might probably do the latter once I get back from Cebu. And that concludes this year's #TheFourWeekendPlan.

Postscript

Of all the post-pandemic T4WP, this is so far the best one ever. I enjoyed every single one of them. The interval between the otaku events, the mall-hopping trip, and the recent cafe visit took longer than expected. Considering that I only get to have my me-time moments every other week since the pandemic, this is expected.

After this, the future of T4WP is uncertain. Depending on where the next POF event will be held, as well as the possibility of reclaiming my entire weekends once again, there's a chance I might discontinue this for a good number of reasons. If it does, then this will be the end of T4WP, but I'll still continue documenting both the POF event and the mall-hopping trip after that.

The Cebu trip is only a few days away. I won't be documenting this one, just like what I did on the Baguio trip last year, but I'll upload some pics on my Instagram account. So there.

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After the coffee frappe and pasta, I then went on to SM Fairview and head straight to Owndays so I can check which of these frames would suit me better. I was actually hoping to get a new pair of glasses, as I’ve been wearing my old pair of glasses for nearly fifteen years and I had trouble seeing things clearly with it. I managed to get a new pair a couple of days later.

I did the usual thing of checking some of the shops, and nothing else. I only bought a box of Nescafe Cafe Creations, the strawberry latte flavor which is only available on select supermarkets (mainly Robinsons Supermarket). Well, nothing much, except that I took a glimpse of the venue, where the upcoming Pinoy Otaku Festival 2023: Shizen will be held. I was pretty excited and nervous at the same time.

That’s how it all went, nothing special. I was actually hoping for this entire Four Weekend Plan to proceed as planned, even though nothing is set in stone yet, given the uncertainties.

Pinoy Otaku Festival: Shizen (May 19-21)

I’ve documented the entire POF event in a separate post (The Keihancarl Diaries: May 19-21, 2023), so I’ll just feature a short summary here.

Finally, for the first time since the pandemic, the Pinoy Otaku Festival is making a comeback, held at the same venue as the last time (Robinsons Novaliches). As usual, the socially awkward self managed to attend all three days of the event, though I missed most of the performances (including the Aidoru concerts), competitions, and games. I did catch Anime Feud, Cosplay Championship League, and Lolita And J-Fashion Competition, plus I get to see HIBANA Wotagei’s performance. Anyway, I bought some souvenirs (mostly anime pins and a couple of stuffed plushies) and had selfies with some of the awesome cosplayers. It was a fun weekend.

Cafe Luca + The Fairview Malls (And Some Shopping) (May 27)

That day was supposed to be a mall-hopping day, but the impending typhoon (affecting the eastern parts of the country) made me shift to just spending an entire afternoon at a cafe and visiting the three Fairview malls. Not only did I enjoy the ice blended coffee caramel and the custardy cinnamon roll, but I also enjoy the cafe’s ambiance as well. This is the perfect place to write a story, while sitting by the large windows. Of course I could do this at the other cafes, such as Drip’n Coffee, but the place is kind of relaxing and peaceful, not to mention that the garden alfresco area adds to the relaxing atmosphere of the area. While dining, I noticed that some of the staff are communicating in sign language, and upon seeing the sign that lists down some of the most common phrases in sign language, they actually had hearing-impaired staff working at the cafe. It was really heartwarming.

Later that day, I decided to replace my selfie stick as the wire that’s connected to the shutter button had been frayed, though it is still useable. Luckily, I was able to buy one at a Mi pop-up store in Fairview Terraces, and in my favorite color too, which is black. I wasn’t particularly successful in finding some plain black shirts, though, as well as white and gray ones. Probably on my upcoming mall-hopping trip, perhaps?

The Mall Hopping Trip In Manila, Plus Stopovers In Valenzuela And Caloocan (June 2)

I’ve covered this in a TKD post (The Keihancarl Diaries: June 2, 2023).

Originally planned for Saturday, I decided to go a day earlier. Believe me, it is really weird for me to go out on a weekday, and for a mall-hopping trip. I wouldn’t have this issue if I lived all by myself. Anyway, proceeding with my plan, I have to deal with traffic going to my first stop, which is SM City Valenzuela. I also get to visit SM City Grand Central for the first time since its opening more than a year ago. And yes, I finally get a new Beep card since my old one expired during the first few months of the pandemic.

I bought a comic book and a couple of anime shirts, as well as visiting and taking pictures of some malls, interesting places, and tourist attractions in Manila. Everything went well, save for the traffic part. That also concludes #TheFourWeekendPlan, which is kind of unplanned (except for the planned visit to the POF event).

And Then A Bonus Weekend, At Daily Ground Coffee (June 10)

Well, I could always use another weekend at a cafe so I can finally begin rewriting some of the stories for the upcoming Literary Special. I decided on Daily Ground Coffee. And this time, I’m gonna stay longer than usual.

Wearing the newly-bought beige Naruto shirt from the previous week, as well as the olive green belt that I bought the night before, I set off to my intended destination. I decided on a blueberry cheesecake and dark cocoa coffee frappuccino. I took some selfies and photos, which I immediately uploaded to my Instagram accounts. Unfortunately, my mobile internet connection is incredibly slow so it took longer than expected for the photos to be uploaded. I decided to work on a couple of stories, yet I ended up writing a few paragraphs and lines for two new stories. Not exactly productive, I say, but I’ve got lots of ideas in mind.

I took a moment to visit the three malls in the area, visiting a few shops for some possible reads or additions to my wardrobe. So far, I bought nothing. I wasn’t able to buy a box of Nescafe Cafe Creations strawberry latte either, as I didn’t any see any on the shelves (the remaining ones are already bundled with big packs of powdered pure coffee), therefore there’s a possibility of it completely disappearing from the shelves. I hoped not, as it is my favorite, with caramel and double latte as runner-ups.

I decided to have a bowl of ramen at Kyu Kyu 99 Ramen, and proceeded to check the clothing shops for some plain colored shirts. Well, like I said earlier, I never bought anything in the end, save for a bottle of Pocari Sweat to rehydrate myself.

Later on, it rained so hard that I find it impossible to continue my writing at the rooftop garden of Fairview Terraces. Instead, I ended up writing a few more paragraphs at one of the benches at the third level, near the wellness shops.

I suppose this bonus weekend ended with the quick check at Puregold Fairview Terraces and HMR Trading. It was a typical weekend, a somewhat boring one compared to the pre-pandemic days. The coffee shops in Lagro surely helped me enjoy my weekends once again.

Postscript

So far, this year’s #FourWeekendPlan is pretty satisfactory, considering that it was a last-minute plan, except for the otaku event, which I’ve been preparing for months since the announcement. Next year feels kind of uncertain, as it will depend on the [current] situation.

I suppose this is where I’ll conclude (finally) this year’s #TheFourWeekendPlan. Well, let’s hope that things will go back to normal before the next one. Until next time!