Cat cafes . To my delight . Buffing it

Cat cafes are growing in number here in the Philippines. More in the direct Manila area, to my slight distress. This however do not deter me from coming to them, like a cat attracted to tasty treats.

I've gone to two out of the three cat cafes that is currently trying to snag the scene from the lovely and outgoing realm of Barkin Blends (been there two times already, and probably will make an article of my experience to it some day or maybe I've done it before...*re-checking*). The list of cafes are: Miao Cat Cafe, Cat Cafe Manila and Bengal Brews, the list in order of who came first.

I've never been to Miao Cat Cafe, which was the first cat themed cafe in the Philippines. But I remember getting so hyped about it but never got to come there due to a friend of ours who can't go because of her allergies towards our lovely felines.

Therefore I will only state my experiences from Cat Cafe Manila and Bengal Brews, the latter I just recently visited.

Cat Cafe Manila

Source: My older siblings facebook, sadly cannot disclose her details XD.

This cafe is just a small little sweetie in a nice building along Maginhawa street.

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My mother wanted to tour us along Maginhawa street, where the night before, she and her office mates, and her sister which is our aunt (yes, duh), had decided to have some bonding time. Opting to visit the famous eating street somewhere near the premise of UP. Eating in a steak restaurant, which I remember named White Elephant (please don't sue me for forgetting, somewhat). Then visiting the cat cafe on the second floor of the same building as the steak resto.

The next week, our mother invited me and my older sibling to visit the said place, just for experiences and at least we would add the information of knowing how to go and where the place is.

Skipping all the other laughable details, like getting lost. Stating while we're lost that our mother was sorry and couldn't remember exactly, using the "the place looks different at night" excuse. Eventually we got to the place well and good.

Entering we we're welcomed by sweet napping cats that looks like our common mongrel cats walking all around. Except the ones in the cafe are in good health. The ambience was fairly good, the space isn't that inviting though since it's small, but who am I to complain when they're just starting, hey! Food, I guess is typical but buying them is for a good cause, for the cats.

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The cafes aim isn't just to establish a cat cafe just for ambience and relaxation, it's also a means for others to be exposed to the mongrel cats in their care to be adopted. I heard while my mother and sister were talking to the people in the cashier, assuming they're the owners, that some of the cats in the roster for that day are already new since the others have been adopted in a previous month or so. Hearing about it made me feel warm all inside, even if I wasn't directly the one conversing with the owner. Since I felt shy (yeah, right).

Bengal Brews

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The latest animal themed cafe escapade is in Cubao, Manila. A specific kind of cat breed themed cafe named Bengal Brews. Literally all the cats in the cafe is Bengal, which is really a breed, wow! (yea, I know of the breed, never seen an actual one before though, ka-shin)

Source: potato halfs' picture archives XD

I was invited by my potato half since it was near the place he's currently living in and it, again, is one of the most calming experience I've encountered. My system is always a dramatic hype, even though I don't really show it out but my mind is plagued of it, of sorts! And this is another recommended place to hang out. The interior and space is perfect for the cute lovelies, and seems to be suited for a handful of people staying in.

Source: potato halfs' picture archives, again XD

I personally can't say I like having a lot of people in a cafe, but of course it's nice to have a crowd giving attention to the cute bengals. Although I prefer they keep the volume of noise to a low. Like my cat, Winmi (one of these days I'm going to tell a story about her), it seems like this breed isn't that friendly with noise as they often avoid loud sounds. However, I might be wrong, and that somehow they're just wary of people.

Con-close-sion

In the end I'm a fan of the concept and WOULD LOVE to spend my days almost every week in the presence of the cafe, that totally defeats the purpose of my cat at home (cue laugh-out-loud). Sadly, my horrible truth is, I won't be able to spend that much time to go the distance and spend money to stay in a gorgeously interior designed cat cafe.

Instead I will be spending it as often with my friends when we get the time. Especially in spending it in a well maintained cafes with animal themes.

Kudos to these cafes and hope they get the attention they deserve, especially the aim of Cat Cafe Manila.


Cat Cafe Manila > come and meow with them (main site)
Bengal Brews > play with meow!

Podcasts . Reality . Variation of it

I've been trying to explore different kinds of podcast channels lately, ranging from crime scenes to game related, something of a short range for my taste. Of course the range of choices won't go beyond what peaks my interest. Laughable as how low my thirst for discovery is at least I found interesting ones.

(Although as I have stated several times in my short span of listening to such things, I end up not fully listening to a lot of episodes due to my brain not withstanding that unpleasant weirdo head ache from so much information. Carrying on...)

The first podcast channel I've ever gotten into was the ever famous "Welcome to Nightvale", due to their interesting world and how sci-fi slash supernatural everything is in their realm. Eventually I've gone and just gotten myself bored of it, even though I go back to it every now and then just to have a good different content to listen to. Don't get me wrong, WTNV is a truly wonderful experience, not including the Cecil-Carlos (or any other) fandom mind you. The realm of Nightvale is mysterious and intriguing, something out of the dream box and just up and out with the normalcy of life. How the morbid can just be something as pleasant as a newly baked pie, without it being overly anything in particular.

WTNV is truly a kudos, something I really am thankful for, especially introducing me to the joys of story based podcast. Even if its comparable to radio dramas, to this i LOL.

Next, after immersing myself to a lot of Jeff Clement stuff from Aural Stimulations, which by the way-ing of the ways a very inspiring experience to Jeffs' production talent, is the Selected Shorts community.

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LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

Selected Shorts is probably the best cup of tea I have ever found. Their aim, to feature short stories or excerpts from selected works by acclaimed, budding or just plain preferred authors.

To me, the Selected Shorts community will be something of a dream. I've enjoyed my life when I was younger telling stories and doing dramas just by the aural kind. Good voice acting, or modulation, or just plain voice it self is captivating in it's way.

Although some story tellers in the podcast was kind of bland to my ears, it didn't hinder me to the wonder of the stories content. Hearing that tinge of enthusiasm which to my thinking probably might be not in their at all and just me hearing things. That is just the grandeur of it, how deceivingly pleasant our minds are. However I am not joking when I do hear how enthusiastic and clear their voices are in telling stories they didn't even write. Which to me I completely understand, especially if they loved the book they were reading.

Next we've got the famous Serial, according to all those blogs I read about good lists of podcast channels. They weren't wrong, just a tad celebrated, but the content of this mystery-drama podcast is good. Better to the ears of my friend though. I just hope she doesn't go and do a thing I do sometimes when I don't like the voice casting or background sound. Quitting half of the story.

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LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

The scenarios though is gripping enough mind you. The investigation and social interaction of the detective (lets just say I nailed the lead voices' character) throughout is good. Just I don't  like listening to the episodes in one go, refer to reason in first enclosed in parenthesis statement.

Up next is another cup of my tea, I am getting well caffeinated in my journey for good podcast channels, in the name of Imaginary Worlds. A podcast by Eric Molinsky, and yes I remembered to edit the name (victory pose, cause it used to say Simon-something...).

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LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

The channel is dedicated to the realm of observational opinions on selected topics under geek-dom. The geek-dom type I can follow, like RPG related games, comics, movies from comics, anything under the sun of the established geek-dom I am slightly well acquainted. Not in a manner of specifics.

He discusses his adventures in the world of Tabletop RPG games, that I never really got the hang of until now, some discussion on trending in the loop of society topics and so on. His inputs are agreeable and some of the people and topics he discuss are the things I rarely hear about, which is good!

My selection isn't too bad but I need more input to fully get the brunt of their content. The type of full content that either enriches me, in a way that maybe one day it would help me while hoping that I won't forget the content in a blink of an eye.

Inevitable . Antisocial? . Onision universe

This may sound weird, but people who give advice and has an official title to give so for specific parts of life in general is respected. You gain a sliver of trust due to that established societal method of acceptance, which I pertain is the title acquired from years of studying and practice.

The issue I see here is the distribution of or who you choose to trust.

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Recently I've been smothering myself with Onision videos, specifically his outspoken opinions about topics he is asked in his website or forums under the YT channel Onisionspeaks. I collectively view all his videos in that channel as his point of view alone and to whoever gives a fuck and for his fans or listeners, they're free to listen to it. Listen, regardless of whether his opinion or conclusion to the topic would match the listeners P.O.V. or not.

Again, since I'm kind of immersing myself with stuff about him, I tried going back to some of his videos disregarding all the questionable and dramatic content. Curiosity is one thing that won't be taken from man I tell you.

I discovered one of his life dramas, namely the one about his ex-girlfriend Shiloh. Who I discovered is a singer before she got involved with Onision, lets just call him Greg. (In context with Shiloh, I like her music. I hope she comes back, as I hear she hasn't done any since 2005/9(?). Kudos to her career)

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That sources' article is funny, but intriguing *shrug*.

I do not like or patronize the action of posting too personal stuff online, since I am generally a private person. But, come on, who doesn't like the drama (and it's the person who's posting the private thing is the one at fault for deciding it generally). Any-many, I saw a lot of mental and emotional stuff enough for me to re-watch it just to confirm that what I heard was what I heard. 

Messy and sad comes into my mind. Greg's choice on how to handle his problem, involving the opinion of several people who is allowed to view his videos made me think every single break up he has gone to is just an act. But who am I to be confirmed of this, personally I'm not going to go deeper, but it was sad.

Moving on to that sad thing is the tons of criticism he received with his "advices". I watched one video, from KSicFlip, about Greg giving an advice to one of his patrons who is thinking of killing their self because of their abusive mother (got a shock that the Onision video linked in reaction video I watched is incorrect, or sort of incorrect since their wasn't even any mention of suicide, but KSicFlip must be just generalizing the whole style of how Onision advices). KSicFlip is against Greg's words in the video. Later maybe I would post the video of the critic for me to remember everything (I did!).

Personally, the only thing I did want to say was, everyone has selective anything. And to me the person who made the criticism just did selective anything. I remember listening to the video, and I know Greg noted in the middle of the video, at the end of some parts of what he said and at the end of the video itself that the only method is to ask for help that's why he pointed out the hotlines.

That's the only thing I want to point out, and possibly the only thing I saw that Greg wanted to pin. However I do agree with the critics other words, giving advice on holding on ones life and trying to take a hold of it and stuff, when I heard Greg say those things I remember myself when I give advice to some of my friends who have issues about something.

I know I'm just spouting words to give them a smidgen of confidence for them from what they feel. But it doesn't mean we're dismissing the severity of the situation when we say it, and if the situation does need help greater than a boost of life confidence giving them information they need that might help is the next best thing.  I do feel guilty of saying it to them harshly, but I had good intentions to the person. However it wasn't her cup of coffee, it hurts that they perceive it differently but I can't control what anyone would think once I spout the words I intend to help (defensive, eeeeey!).

I guess each one has their own opinion that they know can help, same as with the KSicFlip and the one Greg gave to the person who asked help. But in the end these are just words and options given to the person who needs it.

Personally I'd rather look for it myself, especially if it's gonna be hard to decide when you hear peoples opinion of the situation. Sadly not every single being rolls like each one, so as a small whisper of hope for the good that they get to stand and decide it for themselves whatever the method. Or you can just go end everything. Not much choice if one person begins to think drastically towards the brink of life. (reason why people act involuntary acts of kindness, but thats another story)

Edit: Kinda realized this is a slightly biased rant for the side of Onision more? Oh, well, hypocrite and a fan *shrug*. What can I say.

OnisionSpeaks >> join him

jacksepticeye . appreciation . mundane

These days, after my sickness horror and now my paranoid head trying to recover from "something", I've recently spent my ass watching on youtube tons of videos that would and could entertain me in a sense. As I have said before I am completely new in the realm of youtube and so far I have neither that many of subscriptions to anyone nor any content on my youtube(would never dream of putting anything in it, besides playlists and personal entertainment stuff from other awesome people).

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The first youtuber I spend myself wasting my day and watching videos was from Pewdiepie, as I said before as well. Now I have at least five or tons more added in my list of youtubers and currently on my top of the list is Jacksepticeye.

Theres a reason why I like him now more than Poods, besides being bored now of watching some of Poods old videos that doesn't interest me anymore. Its the reality that Sean, his real name, has unique or taste that are slightly inclined towards the same taste as two of my close friends, and my boyfriend. That attracted me to his videos, till I immersed into most of it that wasn't a constructing or science technical game.

His taste for games and eagerness feels genuine, plus I really liked his style, being all over or loud as EF. There is no comparing in reality, his style is unique that people appreciates the uniqueness. He isn't intentionally rude or abrasive or aggressive towards his fellow game youtuber, and like them is quite eager. Plus he has a segment that catches everyones hearts, the Read Your Comments. Which is very practical interaction with his fans.

Also I think I like him because I'm attracted to his charm, cannot deny that. Because I only like a minimal of the games he's played through. As I said his taste is like the same with my boyfriend and two of my close friends. Something that is a plus to my radar.

At this point, I think I understand why most of their fans now are generally thankful and very clingy to the existence of their videos, towards game youtubers I mean. And it's true, even I am thankful for his efforts in keeping up with something arduous as editing a video and spending time to play a game through to its fullest. That is one effort I miss doing.

Now I can't play any game to the fullest anymore, I don't think my level of patience will allow me to do so since my time to do work would lessen. The reality of being an adult.

Jacksepticeye >> join him