Out and About While On The Cohen Program: At Da.U.De Tea Lounge

I am not just surviving on my Cohen Eating Plan, I am enjoying it.  Sure, there are many restrictions, but instead of feeling deprived, I feel quite the opposite: I feel privileged whenever I get to go out to order something out of a menu, something allowed, something I can consume without having to measure precisely.  I find myself appreciating stuff I used to take for granted.  So much of the food I eat these days is home-cooked, that "dining" out is really a treat. Not that I don't enjoy the food I'm eating - because I do. I have no complaints about eating good stuff - like lean meats and fish, and fresh fruits and greens... but I do miss going through the motions of stepping into an establishment, soaking in the ambience, perusing a menu, and anticipating the arrival of my order. I also miss socializing with good friends in pretty places. So imagine my joy when my friend Ana suggested we meet up for a catch-up chat at Da.U.De Tea Salon in Fort Bonifacio.   It's that kind of place that excites the senses and touches the soul, and let's one get away with an indulgent experience without the guilt-inducing glut.  I only had tea, nothing more. But in this kind of establishment, that's the best thing.  After all, it is a tea salon.

I first found out about Da.U.De when we received one of their box-sets as a gift for Christmas.  The set contained an elegant tea steeper and 2 canisters of loose leaf tea (the more popular Green Tea; and the exotic blend called "Pu-erh" - which smells and tastes the way it sounds).  I found that tea set intriguing and impressive - the name Da.U.De struck a chord and stayed in my head.  One day early this year, we drove by 26th street at the Fort, and saw the newly opened tea salon in passing.  I made a mental note to check it out sometime soon. So when Ana scheduled our meet-up this February, I was so excited to visit the tea salon that I checked out their website in advance so I could plan my visit - being on the Cohen Eating Plan has taught me to prepare ahead.  I always leave my house with a clear game plan.

I planned my schedule so that I'd eat at home right before heading to the Fort, that way I could focus on the flavors of the tea and the flow of conversation. And here's the great thing about going to Da.U.De, the act of drinking tea is an indulgent experience!  Choosing from their dizzying selection made me feel like a kid in a candy store.  There were jars of loose leaf tea waiting to be sniffed... I loved going through the motions of flicking the lids off the jars, feeling the rubber rim snapping off the glass, hearing the soft shuffle of tea leaves as I give the containers a gentle shake.  I inspected each candidate visually, I looked at the hues, and shapes, and finally, breathed in to get a dose of flavor based on each blend's unique scent. It was a tough call, choosing a winner out of all the contestants begging for my patronage.  But I had a Cohen-based criteria for narrowing my options: no flavored teas - just black tea or pure herbal ones (and even with such criteria, there was still a lot to choose from).  I ended up indulging in 2 kinds of Cohen-compliant tea, ordering a cold beverage first, and a hot one, next.

The tea arrived in such lovely packaging, I felt giddy-good.  The cold tea came in robust paper tumblers   with bold prints in eye-catching black and white.  The lids had sleek silver rims, and crisp white tops - and the straws - oh my, these uber-cute, solid-sturdy, oversized, firm paper straws in sliver stripes and black dots - I loved them!  They were F.U.N.   And the hot tea came in a tea accessory described in Da.U.De's website as the "Tea Maker" or this "fabulous lightweight tea steeper" that works like a nifty gadget, it "features an auto shut-off valve that is activated whenever the tea maker is lifted away from your cup".  It was not the usual teapot, that's for sure.  It was fun to use, and fabulous to watch. 

So I went out, and all I had was tea - and it was wonderful!  It's a far cry from the usual experience at other restaurants where having tea means getting a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the side. Nope. At Da.U.De, having tea is an event!  Getting to savor the taste and flavor of artfully crafted tea happens after  one goes through a most appetizing selection process - that of partaking of the visual and olfactory buffet offered by the array of tea on display.  With so many things forbidden on the Cohen Eating Plan I find myself looking for ways to elevate my enjoyment of the things that are allowed.  Tea is one of them. And at Da.U.De, one gets the most indulgent tea-drinking experience, in an elegant setting no less.  I felt no deprivations, only privilege.  

Da.U.De's Website:
http://we.lovedaude.com

Their Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/daudetea

Guijo's First Haircut at Cuts-4-Tots

Haircut in progress - fussy Guijo, somewhat calmed down by a toy.

Living out what I only used to daydream about - that's what's happening to me now that I'm a mom.  It's all those little things, mundane everyday stuff - like taking my little boy for a haircut!  I remember walking by Cuts-4-Tots at Glorietta countless times back when I was still single and dating, and I'd always imagine taking my own kids to this cute kid salon someday.  That someday happened last weekend when we took Guijo for a cut!  It's our first time to patronize Cuts-4-Tots because, as luck would have it, my mom owns a beauty salon, and her establishment is like a second home to us.  Our little girl, Narra, has had her crazy-curly tresses trimmed there, so she never had the Cuts-4-Tots experience.  Oliver goes to his own barber though, and he wanted Guijo's head to go under the hair clipper.   

Guijo, happily deposited by Oliver into his "car" seat.

Cuts-4-Tots has such kid-friendly interiors, with brightly painted walls, playful seating for companions, and best-of-all: the seating for the tots - the converted toy cars installed on hydraulic poles - kids love sitting in them, and the steering wheel gives them something to grab, not only for stability, but also to keep their hands busy.  Adjusting the height of the seat is a fun process, it makes it feel a bit like a carnival ride for the kids.  Narra was equally entertained as she waited for Guijo to get his hair done.  She sat happily in her chair throughout the process.

Oliver, explaining the kind of cut he wanted for Guijo.

The haircut goes for 350 pesos.  For kids going for their first haircut, the salon offers a cute certificate (195 pesos) which displays "before" and "after" pictures, and a lock of hair.  Parents have to return for the certificate after 2-weeks, it takes them a while to get the pics printed and the lock of hair mounted.  It would be much cheaper to take our little boy to a regular barber shop, but we wanted Guijo's first haircut to be fun and playful, so we took him here.   Unfortunately, his fun was rather short-lived.  Guijo started to cry as soon as they put him in this yellow gown. It was quite a struggle to get him prepped.  The staff offered various diversions: toys, bubbles, and they turned on the dvd with Barney singing cheerfully on screen (that did not help much).

Guijo, started to cry as soon as they started to wear the salon gown on him.

Guijo cried.  Well, no. That's an understatement. He bawled. And screamed.  My easygoing and calm kid was crying out loud, we had to ask for a time-out until he could calm down.  Obviously, we have no photos of those tense minutes.  What's even more horrifying - a new set of customers came in as Guijo was throwing a fit.  I felt bad for the little kid and his parents who just came in... their happy haircut moment may just have been ruined by my son's angry vibe.  I bought a lollipop for sale in the counter, and offered it to my son.... I figured, with candy in his mouth, he's bound to be quiet.  It sort of worked, but not quite.  With lollipop in his mouth, he continued to cry (which only meant a sticky stream of candied saliva spilling onto his salon gown...thank God its the washable kind).

The rest of the haircut was a blur.  I heard the hair clipper whirring, as my son kept sobbing-with-lollipop-in-his-mouth, and Barney kept singing on tv.   I heard another song on the radio playing in the background, and toys rattling, and there were bubbles flying around, and there was this other kid running around the salon.  Yikes. Emotional vertigo.  This was not the scenario I daydreamed in my head decades ago.  I imagined a hallmark greeting card scenario, with kid smiling, and parents looking proud... instead, what we got was this harried experience in a pretty place.  Don't get me wrong, I liked Cuts-4-Tots.... it is a pretty place that looks fun and playful...  no amount of their preparation could guarantee a pleasant experience though.  A kid's temperament is beyond anyone's control.  Guijo, my lovely kid, who smiles so sweetly first thing in the morning... my calm kid who chills out beautifully, and laughs so easily all the time, turned out to be one of those guys whose hair you do NOT touch.

   

The result.

We paid and left as quickly as we could.  The farther away from the hair clipper we got, the calmer Guijo became.  Despite the stressful process, we were thrilled with the results!  Guijo looked like a fresh recruit with his crew cut.  Whew!

Preparing for Pre-School: Toddler Enrichment Options in Serendra and Bonifacio High Street

E.nopi Serendra

It seems that nowadays, with the new K-12 curriculum in force, kids are expected to learn more at an earlier age.  When I took Narra to St. Paul Pasig for her entrance exam, I found out that she'll be joining Nursery 2 (and not Nursery 1 as I originally thought). Grade 1 is now at age 6 (instead of 7 yrs. of age, like it was in my time in the early 1980's).  The guidance counselor at St. Paul advised me of the curriculum of Nursery 1, and which skills Narra should already have by June, when she starts Nursery 2.  For instance,  I have to get her to learn the alphabet in lower case (she only knows upper case letters).  She also has to learn to write numbers (she only knows how to read them for now).  

So I went in search of enrichment programs to help prepare Narra for the coming school-year.  I confined my selection to one area: Serendra/Bonifacio High Street in Global City.  And I found a number of exciting options to choose from to prepare 3-year olds for formal schooling. I had to choose among the following:

1) KUMON (Located at Bonifacio High Street)

More well-known as an after-school math and reading enrichment program, Kumon also has an early learning program for children as young as three years of age to help them acquire skills before formal schooling.  Kids are given worksheets to complete on-site, as well as at home. Sessions can be 2 to 3 times per week, at 30 - 45 mins. per session, depending on the child's attention span. Cost is at 1,800/month, per subject.  

Website: http://ph.kumonglobal.com/

2) THE LEARNING LIBRARY (Located inside Gymboree, 2nd Floor of Serendra)

This is a literature-based enrichment program in either English or Filipino to help kids acquire skills in reading comprehension, writing, and oral communication.  The physical setting is a children's library, with a collection of attractive books which kids can use on-site, and also borrow to bring home.  Sessions are 2-3 times a week, from 30-45 minutes, at 3,500 per month in most branches.  The cost in Serendra is slightly higher.  

Website: http://www.learninglibraries.com

3) TUTORING CLUB (Located at Bonifacio High Street)

Their pre-kindergarten program focuses on reading skills so young children can learn to recognize letters and the sounds they make.  For 3-year olds, only the Reading program is offered (no math enrichment programs yet).  The cost will depend on the length of the program you choose to enroll in - if you choose a bigger block of hours, the cost per hour will be less.  Approximate cost is at 500 pesos per hour (but could be less if you enroll for a longer period). 

Website: http://www.tutoringclub.ph

4. GYMBOREE (2nd Floor, Serendra)

The School Skills classes to prepare children for school, or enhance their learning experience if they already go to pre-school. There's the Learning Lab class that acquaints kids with letters and numbers; and the Science Fun class to encourage exploration and inquiry, as well as observation and analysis. Costs would depend on frequency of classes (3,200/month if 1 class per week - the rate per class gets cheaper if it is 2x or 3x per week).  They also usually have a "Kindercamp" for summer, but they were unable to give me the details yet, when I called earlier this month. 

Website: http://www.gymboree-ph.com/

5. E.NOPI, or EYE-LEVEL (2nd Floor, Serendra, Facing Market Market)

Now called Eye-Level, E.Nopi (as it is more popularly known) provides basic learning skills programs in English and Math from ages 3-16.  Sessions are twice a week, for 30-45 minutes (depending on the child's attention span).  The child completes workbook exercises under the supervision of a teacher, and reinforces lessons learned through homework supervised by parents/guardians at home. Cost is at 1,980/month per subject. 

Website: http://www.myeyelevel.com

So where did I end up sending Narra? E.nopi (Eye Level) won the contest! And here's why:

a) I already sent Narra to Gymboree's Learning Lab before. She enjoyed that, sure, and she learned a lot, but there was no homework, no workbook to complete at home. Besides, she associates Gymboree with playing, so I thought a change of scenery was in order. 

b) I wanted her to learn both English and Math, so Learning Library and Tutoring Club which focus on Reading only, and not Math, were out of the running. I was left with Kumon and E.nopi as my top two options.

c) So why did I pick E.nopi over Kumon? It all boiled down to convenience. Kumon required that I wait for the Parents' Orientation/Briefing scheduled once a month before I could enroll, which meant a two-week wait before Narra could have her assessment test.  E.nopi's process was more straightforward, I was able to schedule a skills assessment test immediately, and the parents' briefing was held right after Narra's assessment. 

It's been 2 weeks since I enrolled Narra, and so far she's excited to complete her workbook exercises, whether in school or at home.  She goes to the center twice a week, and I supervise her homework daily.  So far so good, Narra and her mama are happy :-D  I am not a sales rep for E.nopi / Eye Level, I'm pretty new to the scene, but I thought I'd share this info anyway, there's an on-going promo! 

2-Week Free Study Promo