Donut you like promos? It’s the “Ber Months” again in the Philippines which means sales and promos are again aplenty due to the coming Christmas season. One of my favorite promos is the discounted donuts of Krispy Kreme! You can choose from different promos ranging from donut and coffee combo to half a dozen glazed donuts or a dozen mixed donuts which are a great treat for families or friends. To make things even better, they also offer the Originals Card. It is 195 php and you can get a free half a dozen Original Glazed donuts upon completing your registration. On top of that, you can get the same freebie on succeeding orders of a dozen donuts with a maximum of 6 freebies a month. You will also get 3 free donuts on your birthday. The card can also be used for other discounts in all Max Group restaurants. …
Busy streets, stressful work, tiring school life, daily ritual movement.. It’s suffocating, right? You deserve a break! Thankfully, the Philippines has a lot of good things to offer you. Nuvali is one of the perfect places to visit. It is a master-planned residential, commercial and recreational development complex that has great things for everyone. It is located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, just more than 30 minutes away from Tagaytay, accessible through vans for commuters, more or less 150 Php ($2.88) back and forth. Here are some of the tranquilizing things you can do in Nuvali: 1 Koi Fish Feeding If you are with a kid or you are a kid inside, Koi fish feeding will be the best for you. It is one of the most popular activities you can do in Nuvali. Koi are ornamental and omnivorous fish. They help to keep the lake clean. You would be …
Where in the world would you find something for free? In this era of the world where everything cost an arm and a leg, it is difficult to find something free of charge. In the past, people survived because they were dependent to nature especially when it comes to food, however in the world today, people depend on technologies to live. Reminiscing the past, it was truly great to learn that people used to focus in developing agricultural products as a form of livelihood, but people today are transforming those agricultural lands into industrial subdivisions, parks, malls, condominiums and resorts. Because of this, natural resources that used to be free became exclusive. The fast pacing industrial development of the world affected the growth of agrarian products and it leads for natural resources to become scarce. Fortunately, Face to Face main dormitory, which we called the Red House is surrounded by …
I remember it was a rainy Tuesday evening as I was my way home. At that time, I didn’t want to go home yet. Then it came across my mind of having something to drink. I passed by a local coffee shop. I didn’t realize it is a café at first because of its unique name. Out of my curiosity, as I entered the vicinity, I discovered an astonishing place. I was impressed with how well organized it was. New location: Hillcrest Plaza, Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Junction South, Tagaytay City ‘Kuuma’ means ‘hot’ while ‘Kaakao’ means ‘cocoa’ in the Finnish language. The store itself means ‘hot cocoa’. Don’t get me wrong, the store also offers cold drinks and mostly, Filipino delicacies. Wondering why it’s Finnish? I guess the owner got inspired about the country–Finland. It is actually one of the top three coffee-drinking countries in the …
The Philippines is known to have a vast marine biodiversity and beautiful beaches, a destination for newlyweds, a peaceful place for retirement and one of the best places to study English. It is comprised of 17 regions and each region has unique offering. Tagaytay City, which is in Region IV, is one of the most favorite spots for leisure and English learning. Its high altitude provides cool climate and windows to magnificent landscape and the scenic view of the Taal Volcano. Tagaytay City has a lot to offer. It is one of the best places for wedding receptions, recreations, retreats, summer vacations and studies. Its location on the mountain ridges gives everyone access to all the main highways going to the main city like Manila in approximately two hours, to the nearest breathtaking resorts in Batangas for about an hour and a half, to many amusement parks in …
“Goals are like bananas, they come in bunches” Coming here in F2F is a first step to achieve your goals. While you’re staying here, you’ll also discover many things that will surprise you. Just like about bananas. Banana is one of the agricultural products here in Tagaytay. We can easily grow bananas in backyard gardens. Here’s what we can do with bananas in the Phil. 1. Sweetened Bananas It is a traditional Filipino dessert. Ripe saba bananas are boiled in a mixture of brown sugar and water until it gets thicken. 2. Banana cue Banana cue is made with deep fried bananas coated in caramelized brown sugar. The bananas used for this recipe are Saba bananas, which are very commonly used for cooking in the Philippines. It is usually skewered on a bamboo stick, and sold on the streets. 3. Turon Turon is a popular Filipino snack …
Whenever you are around in Tagaytay make sure you don’t miss to eat Bulalo. One of the most recommended dishes. It’s A massive beef bone soup and I’m pretty sure your mouth is filled with Saliva. You could just imagine the beef has been stewed for a long time ..so good and so tender. They are some vegetables in there ,Chinese cabbage, green onions, corn, chayote, garlic pepper corn.. it would taste a lot better if you put some chili, lemon and then mixed. Who cares about plates, spoon and fork when your eating with filipinos We used to eat with our hands, “kamayan” style. As long as your enjoying our food just eat it with your heart out.. it’ll be great! oh Yeah , The best sawsawan for bulalo is PATIS(fish sauce) + calamansi + sili (chili) . Soy sauce is ok but patis is the bomb.
Why choose Tagaytay? Simply because everything is just around the corner. Especially, if you love to try different kinds of food, here is the best place that you should visit. From fancy restaurants to street foods, we’ve got it all for you! You won’t feel hungry or bored. There are many places to go to. Transportation is accessible. If you want to have more adventure, just walk along the highway, for more excitement and sight-seeing. People are so approachable; you won’t hesitate to ask. You’d better book now a flight to the Philippines and see you soon!
Drinking coffee is a very common past time here in the Philippines. Having been blessed with rich lands suitable for farming coffee, this bitter but oh so energizing drink has been a staple since the pre-Hispanic era. In modern times, coffee has been commercialized by the arrival of multinational companies, lead by Nestle. There are different types of coffee beans and various ways that they are brewed in several regions of the country. There has also been an abundance of coffee shops in the cities and major tourist destinations. Having said that, Tagaytay is one of the cities with the greatest number of cafes, both foreign and local. Starbucks and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) are the biggest coffee franchises in the country. Tagaytay has numerous branches of both companies but let’s focus on CBTL. It has been a trend in recent years to drink iced coffee …
A sari-sari store, or neighborhood sundry store, is a convenience store found in the Philippines. The word sari-sari is Tagalog meaning “variety” or “sundry”. Sari-sari, by the way means all kinds or various. The store sells all kinds of everyday essential goods in miniature packets, or as a single item, which is commonly referred as “tingi”. An individual can purchase a small amount of cooking oil or a piece of egg according to your budget. Even a cigarette can be bought by the stick. In Tagaytay, the sari-sari store could also be a good place to hang-out. Commonly found outside the stores are wooden benches for customers to consume their purchases like snacks and their favorite drink. One distinctive thing about the store is that the customer is outside the store. The customer must pinpoint the goods he wants to purchase and the goods are transferred …
Do you Love outdoors like Hiking? Trekking? mountains? lake? swimming in a hot-spring? Horseback riding? Taal Volcano is Perfect! If you are heading to Tagaytay, one of the things that you definitely can’t miss is hiking Taal Volocano and enjoying the views from the top or explore beyond than that. Taal Volcano is the second most active volcano in the Philippines. And Tagaytay is a very popular destination in the Philippines because of the good weather. The weather in Tagaytay is warm during the day but not so warm like in you’re in Manila. And at night the temperature goes down, but it’s refreshing without the feeling of it being too cold. So yes — Absolutely! perfect weather. We had so much fun with great outdoor activities, and had an amazing time in Tagaytay. If you have been thinking of which places to visit then hang-out with me here. …
Tagaytay is of one of the coconut producers in the Philippines. In the Philippines,”buko” means young coconut and buko is always used for many foods ingredients. You can easily find coconut trees here. Students are usually surprised when they hear or see coconut desserts here in Tagaytay. What can we do with coconut flesh and water? I’ll tell you what we can do. 1. Buko pie Buko pie is a Filipino-style coconut pie made of fresh, young coconut meat combined with a creamy filling and enclosed in a flaky pie crust. The pie is a favorite pasalubong item mostly bought from the area of Tagaytay and Laguna. Stores such as Colette’s, Amira’s and Rowena’s have become iconic destinations for this scrumptious pastry. 2. Buko Juice/Shake Buko juice is very popular in the Philippines and most Filipinos love to drink it, aside from being a refreshing drink it contains health benefits. …
Ever wonder how teachers and students spend their free time? Since there are boarding teachers at Face To Face, it is beneficial for the students to practice English 24/7. There are tons of activities they can do together and here are my top three things I definitely love doing with students. Watching movies Action, romance, adventure, sci-fi, thriller, coming of age, horror, drama, or what have you! Name it, we watch it! There is nothing better than having pizza, soda, beer, potato chips, cozy sofa, friends and family next to you while watching a movie. See the person sitting next to you shed a tear, or hear the one sitting in front of you scream, or watch yourself as you hold your breath on the edge of the seat! Play games I can’t even enumerate all the possible games you can play with students and teachers here. May it be …
If you’re looking for a new adventure near Tagaytay, one of the best places to visit is the national heritage site in Taal, Batangas. It’s just two bus rides away from Tagaytay. Take a stroll around this town to visit Taal Basilica-Asia’s largest Catholic church, numerous museums, hundred-year-old houses, Balisong (butterfly knife) shops and many more! There’s definitely something that will interest you. What’s the best thing to do after going around the historical town of Taal? Indulge in food of course! Lucky you, the food park trend has reached this far south. Taal StrEAT is one of the latest installments in the Batangas food scene. This new food haven is conveniently located along the highway, right beside an elementary school. It is humble in size but will definitely accommodate your cravings with it’s variety of food and drink selections. There’s even a live band performance almost every night. One …
Who wouldn’t have thought of buying souvenirs when visiting a foreign country? Here in Tagaytay City, there’s a one-stop shop where you can grab some Philippine-made products. Kultura Butik is located at Taal Vista Hotel. Even if you didn’t check in, you could still go there as walk-in. ‘Kultura’ mainly means ‘culture’ and ‘butik’ is ’boutique’. Anything that you can think of as a rare collection or unique stuff, this ultimate store has it for you. Whether it’s a shirt, customized items, or keychains, there’s a variety of them that you can choose from. Another interesting thing is the delightful delicacy that our country has to offer. Most foreigners love eating dried mangoes for snack. Good thing, not only do we have yellow mangoes, but we also have the green ones. You’d better try them for yourself to see the difference. One of my favorites is the virgin coconut shampoo. …
It’s true that when we visit a place, we’d like to experience their local dishes. However, one of the things F2F students miss as they study in Philippines is their homegrown food. They’d utter “samishi” out of the blue. Well, be sad no more because here in Tagaytay there are some places you can visit to enjoy some Japanese dishes. Tako MagiIt’s located at Magallanes Square, Maharlika East, Tagaytay City (Less than 10 minutes from F2F school) They offer Takoyaki, Ebiyaki, Ramen and a lot more. (You can refer to the menu below). Aozora (New) This is located in Sungay West, across from Tagaytay Southridge Estates. The Newest of Aozora Restaurants. The best part is that they are affordable. You wont have to miss Japanese food anymore for they are now available in Tagaytay.
It is an abandoned theme park in Batangas or near Tagaytay City. The construction had long stopped years ago. It was never opened to the public. It seems to have been surrender due to the Japanese owner’s financial problems. Today, the main castle still stands magnificently over green hills like it’s stuck in its own fairy tale thriller. The park was never completed but it has become one of the famous landmarks in Batangas. Yes! Batangas. It is contrary to a popular misconception. Fantasy World is NOT in Tagaytay City. It is located in the middle of the rolling hills of Lemery, Batangas. On the other hand, many visitors stop here to take photos. Actually, Tagaytay City is the fastest way to reach the park if you’re coming from Manila. The entrance fee is Php 1000.00; good for up to 10 people. Most of those who would park in front …
Do you consider yourself artistic? Are you into crafts and DIY projects, or would like to give it a try? Well, you’re in luck! Tucked conveniently along one of the main roads here in Tagaytay is a place where you can try your hand at crafting, shop for some artsy souvenirs and enjoy heart meals; all at the same time! Dreamland Arts and Crafts Cafe is a popular pit stop in the city and is actually open ‘round the clock. Yes, that’s right. This cafe is open 24 hours a day, so you can drop by anytime! You only need to pay an entrance fee of PHP 100, which is also consumable for food, drinks and even the crafts they sell. The cafe has actually been renovated and upsized recently. What used to be the main cafe area is now the craft and souvenir shop. They also have a bed …
Life in the countryside ha always been relaxing and really laid-back, but once in a while we crave for the noise and vibrance of the city life. It might be a short day trip or a weekend stay just to feel refreshed with urban energy. I’ll share with you a unique find at the heart of Makati. It’s a 50’s inspired American diner called The Filling Station. It’s located in Burgos, which is actually the red light district, but don’t let that monicker fool you. Burgos boasts of some the best food spots in the whole metro. Getting to Makati from Tagaytay is really simple. There are buses that go straight to Ayala Center in Makati’s business district or you can take any bus passing by Pasay, get off there and take a taxi. You can go straight to The Filling Station that way or through the Grab App. Since …
Last Saturday, November 10, 2018, my colleagues and students at Face to Face had a plan to organize a picnic lunch just right on the front yard of Brown House, one of the dormitories at our school. Why? I think the better question is “Why not?” The weather that day seemed to be perfect for an outdoor activity, but at the same time, my friends and I didn’t have enough energy to go anywhere farther than the vicinities of our house. Haha! What is more, we were kind of short of budget. That was why a picnic right in front of our house was the best option we had. And so we did! First, Teachers Mafe and Jiezel together with our ever generous and enthusiastic students Lawa and Akari headed to the nearest supermarket to purchase some groceries. They bought chicken, veggies, corn, fries, rice, and four pieces of fresh …
Why are there many churches in the Philippines? The Philippines is one of the countries in Asia having a substantial portion of the population professing religious beliefs. Our nation has the third largest number of Catholicism in the world (Brazilㅡthe first; Mexicoㅡthe second). Most people go to church on Sundays. I guess it is a usual practice of the Filipino families to bond and pray together. Traditionally, people do Visita Iglesia during the Lenten season commonly known as the ‘Holy Week’. It is a steadfast custom to visit seven churches amidst this season. Travelers would say that Filipinos are the world’s most devotional individuals. People come with personal requests and gratitude for their answered petitions. There are also some events for devotees which they consider as an act of intense piety. The churches are not intended for showcasing architectural designs as they are built beyond history and culture. Tourists get …
~ Aia English is very hard to learn. No one ever started to be very good in this language. However, there’s one thing that I would guarantee. Learning English at Face to Face language here in the Philippines is ever fun. Not just Philippines has a lot to offer, the first one is hospitality. Filipinos are well known as hospitable people. We always offer warm welcomes. Face to Face English school has also exciting and fun activities. Every Tuesday and Thursday night starting from 7:30- 9:00, students are invited to join EOP ( English Only Policy) wherein it helps students go out of their comfort zone and try to mingle with others. With this policy students are not allowed to speak using their native languages instead they must use English the whole period of time. They play games that would help to practice their English.
by Teacher Jefelyn Studying another language can be fun and exciting though you are in another country like the Philippines. Many foreigners think that learning is full of difficulty and hardship, but I make sure to you that your stay in this beautiful country would be full of fun, excitement and wonderful learning not only about English but also life and culture. Learning is always fun! fun! Fun! Studying would never be stressful if you keep the positive spirit in learning. Always rem ember that the more you laugh and enjoy what you do, the more knowledge you will gain fro m the class. Why study with a frowned face if you can smile throughout the class. “Carpe diem!” Teachers love to joke around and make their students laugh during Grammar class. Explore the life of the locals Learning is …
The Philippines has a long tradition of revelry and this of course includes drinking. We have our own customs when it comes to alcohol, for example, using a single glass for drinking instead of having one glass for each person. This custom symbolizes unity and trust and is the main reason that the Filipino language lacks the proper term for “Cheers!” or “Toast!” Being a melting pot of different cultures mainly due to our strategic geography in Asia and colonization from Spain and the US, Filipinos have acquired and inculcated in our culture modern and foreign traditions. This is very evident in our drinking habits and preferences. Oktoberfest is actually a festival held in Germany, the Beer Capital of the world. However, many countries have done their own take at this famed celebration. Who doesn’t want a ready made excuse to drink, right? In the Philippines, Octoberfest is …
As soon as “ber” months step in the calendar, there are observed changes like cooler breeze and shorter days. For Filipinos, it’s the start of making-a-busy decorating their houses, schools and workplaces some Christmas ornaments. Carols are being played almost everywhere. Filipinos are festive by nature that they celebrate even the smallest of the things (getting perfect score in a quiz will mean long hours of drinking session). Insane, right? Well, here’s more insane: These Parols “Farol” (spanish term for lantern) has been on sale since early September. Tricycles in Tagaytay has a project to give PWDs and Senior Citizen a free ride. (September 16, 2018 – January 06, 2019) Some of our delicacies you can only buy this season. Thinking of how to spend your Winter vacation? We invite you to study here in F2F language school and spend your holidays the Filipino way.
