So I had this whole serious blog post planned for tonight, but since my eyes are bugging the heck out of me (time to visit the doctor again for my abnormally dry eyes), I’ll keep this short and sweet.

Here are two things I spotted in Makati today that made me smile. Should you even be surprised that both of them have something to do with coffee? I don’t think so.

One of the things that made my day–a photo teaser of Starbucks’ third quarter feature drink: Dark Mocha White Chocolate Pudding. The white chocolate bit alone’s enough to get me excited about this drink, and the dark mocha’s a plus. Not too sure about the pudding part, but I’m game to try unique coffee concoctions. Could this be the Frappuccino to restore my liking for blended coffee drinks?

Watch out for my review next week! Monday  Tuesday can’t come soon enough ❤

Also spotted in Greenbelt, this time in UCC–paper straws. It befuddled me at first. I thought it was a normal plastic straw, only with something like a sticker wrapper. So there I was, trying to peel off what I thought was protective covering. Then I realized that I was tearing the edge apart.

I’m not sure if this is only done in UCC or if it’s a Makati thing, but it’s nice to see people being more concerned with lessening plastic waste. The paper straw takes some getting used to, especially since it kind of melts in your mouth (or in your iced coffee) after a while. Still, if it’s good for the environment, it’s good for me. I’m hoping to see this practice adopted nationwide, though it might just prompt sales of those Starbucks reusable iced coffee tumblers with straws. Cheers to more practical, eco-friendly solutions!

And on a side note…

This might seem weird, but I find myself unusually interested–you could say intrigued–by the saga of Edward Snowden. I even wrote about it for one of my recent SEO articles, and I quote (myself):

His story sounds like it came straight from a thriller, with elements of espionage, a global manhunt and a hero that many people can’t help but root for. Add in a proposal from a Russian spy-turned-model on the ubiquitous Twitter, and you’ve got the makings of a box office hit.

Yes, I’m one of those people in Snowden’s camp. I’ve got to give him major props for risking life and limb to stand up for what he believes in. And so, I was happy when he received several offers for asylum. According to my CNN app notifications, there have been reports that Snowden has accepted Venezuelan asylum, though these are as yet unconfirmed. I hope he does accept it, and that he’ll be able to make a successful transfer from Russia to Venezuela.

And yes, this did get me curious about Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. Is the transit area really that massive that Snowden was able to elude a whole fleet of reporters and investigators?

Just another reason to push through with plan Russia/East Europe 2015.