When I’m in the Philippines I love hanging out at my favourite cafe, originally it was to cover coursework for my Bachelor of Training and Development. When I completed that qualification, I then without reason undertook more pain with a postgraduate qualification.

When I was hanging in the Greenbelt mall, this was without a doubt The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, I could spend hours there with my textbook, a folder full of required readings, documents and journal articles. My drink of choice was their double espresso, when Mecky would arrive she used to drink a macchiato, her tastes changed somewhat as she now preferred a double espresso as well

Shangri La Plaza offers a few choices as they have a Starbucks, a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Toby’s Estate, Dome Cafe and Mary Grace as dedicated outlets along with all the restaurants. Forget Starbucks – no need, there are so many better options with a greater product line. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is the best option, their double espresso is a great drink served in a proper coffee cup. As a person concerned with environmental issues, no way would i purchase coffee in a cardboard cup.

My trips overseas we less than lightweight, dragging all this gear around was cumbersome and a greater burden than needed at times. But, what a location to study? When I was in Mandaluyong it was the Dome Cafe, they once again had a WiFi connection and I could spend hours working away refilling my long black every now and again.