Weekend discoveries

When was the last time you discovered something for the first time?

Last weekend was full of discoveries thanks to Nescafé and Nuffnang. Instead of spending my Saturday in the comforts of our couch or in front of my computer at home, I was actually out there, doing something. Nothing wrong about the former of course since I spend the whole week working and my body does deserve some rest and relaxation, but when I received the invite I knew I just had to say yes.

What made it more exciting was that the invite didn't really specify where we were going or what we were going to do, all it said was to come at our meet-up point wearing our best exploration-ready or casual resort-wear outfits (Ehem ehem I almost wore a bikini ha ha)!

Mom & Tina's along C5

You know a day's going to be great if you get to have second breakfast ;)

After getting our fill, we were ushered into a coaster to begin our adventure/ field trip!

Our pretty host Joanne Ignacio

While in the coaster, we had mini games that made us even more excited. It didn't take us too long to reach our first destination though as it was only less than an hour away from the city: Antipolo!

First discovery: Crescent Moon Café

Crescent Moon Café makes and sells handmade ceramics; if you have ever eaten in restaurants like Sumo Sam, Yabu, and Red Crab then you have seen samples of their work. The café also serves food so you can enjoy eating while being surrounded by nature. It's a really beautiful place where time seemed to stand still.

As with other crafty stuff, I've always wanted to learn pottery so I was really excited for this pit stop. I've already visited a pottery studio before when we went to Ilocos but it was my first time to see someone use a potter's wheel in person.

Lanelle Abueva-Fernando making a vase from a lump of stoneware clay

Who knows, maybe next time I can indulge this interest and actually enroll in a pottery workshop.

Second discovery: Pinto Art Museum

Not far from Crescent Moon Café is another beautiful secret garden I can't believe is just an hour away from the city: Pinto Art Museum. With the whole place - all 1.2 hectares of it - milling with paintings, sculptures, and art installations, it is definitely every artist's kind of wonderland. I can never be a painter (drawing is one skill I never learned as a child) but it was one of my many childhood dreams, so you bet I also really appreciated that we went here.

SOLO tank top and Aeropostale shorts to beat the heat, red socks and Kickers boots to ensure comfortable feet, Billabong bag to house my necessities, and Anagon Collection cat's ears headband and Krissyfied necklace for a touch of quirk = my perfect exploration outfit

An excellent panoramic shot of one of the galleries
Photo by Helga

School Service by Elmer Borlongan

Liga by Ferdinand Montemayor

Oblivious by Stephanie Lopez

We took a quick break for lunch prepared by Bizu and Nescafé.

Third discovery: Bianca Gonzalez as the new Nescafé-in-a-Can endorser

There are some celebrities who are all goody-two-shoes on TV and social functions but whose attitude do not translate well off-camera, whereas there are some who are well-rounded, sincere, and authentic. When Bianca walked in, she really felt like a breath of fresh air. She is probably one of the prettiest and most down-to-earth celebrities I've ever met, and kudos to Nescafé for signing in such a perfect match to their product.

The exploration continued after lunch.

I missed the name and the artist (sorry!) but this looked like a 3D painting! Made in honor of Lolong, the world's largest crocodile (may he rest in peace), this seemed to literally pop out of the wall.

When you need moments of calm and serenity, walk into this room and feel all your troubles fly away. It felt, looked, and smelled like a forest. Going in really felt like Mother Nature was cradling me; it was amazing.

Please Handle with Care, version 2 by Pam Yan-Santos
As I mentioned in my previous post, this was my favorite installation as every single thing (even the things inside the drawers and cupboards) were covered in words.

As you may have observed, majority of the pieces are about religion, slice of life, nationalism, satire, or social commentary. This pit stop was really enriching for the mind, heart, and soul, and the time we spent there was probably not enough.

I would really love to come back.

Fourth discovery: Nescafé-in-a-Can

With the super adorable Nescafé-in-a-Can Espresso Roast mascot

Nescafé-in-a-Can comes in three flavors: Mocha, Latte, and Espresso Roast. They can be found almost everywhere: supermarkets, drugstores, groceries, even convenience stores by gasoline stations! It is so easy to pop by any of these and get your caffeine fix. Perfect for long drives, especially if you're going away from the city for long weekends! My favorite is Latte, what's yours?

Not really a new discovery but something worth mentioning: It's always great to experience and discover new things with old friends and new ones.

With Ana and Helga
Photo from Helga

Ana and me with varying shades of lipstick increasing levels of tiredness.
Very well worth it, though!

Group photo!

Let me be completely honest when I say I love receiving free stuff in bloggers' events, but if made to choose, I definitely prefer campaigns that are more "experiential" like this Weekend Discoveries trip prepared by Nescafé and Nuffnang because aside from learning new things, I also get to be in settings out of my normal comfort zone thus making me more aware and letting me discover and appreciate more things about myself and my surroundings.

My winning Instagram photo (I won an art set for this, yay!) made into a ref magnet and my personal chiller with "supplies".

Thank you so much Nescafé and Nuffnang!