Figaro opens at Ayala Fairview Terraces

Coffee plus cakes plus movies equals: sublime happiness. 

Now you can grab your favorite hot latte or brewed coffee to the movies with Figaro's newest opening in Ayala Fairview Terraces last August 4. Have a nice coffee date with your loved ones and friends with Figaro's hot espresso or chocolate cookie frost and cheese, blueberry or chocolate muffins (P70 each).

You can also try their crisp and sumptuous asado or tuna pies (P60 each). Sugar cake rush? Try their traditional and bestseller red velvet cake (P119 a slice), carrot cake, triple chocolate cake or sansrival cake slices before you grab your pop corns to watch your favorite movies. Figaro is strategically located beside the movie houses in Ayala Fairview Terraces in the fourth floor for customers to enjoy and indulge in coffee and movies at the same time. Figaro's latte will definitely soothe your soul while you cry or laugh at the lines in the blockbuster movies you want to watch any time.

Chocolate cookie frost (P140)

Figaro Buttermilk Cookies (P55/piece)

"From coffee to cup." This has been the signature line of Figaro, which was first born in 1993 in Glorietta, Makati. It took the company and the group of coffee enthusiasts to establish their passion for cafe in the Philippines for two years, which aims to promote natural brewed coffee served directly in the cup. The coffee crescendo continued to inspire coffee enthusiasts as the company expanded to a whopping 82 branches all over the world--from the Philippines, China, Saudi Arabia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia.

There are many ways on how to produce good coffee and Figaro definitely is a master of natural brewed cafe served in a cup. Pure coffee beans are brewed and roasted to perfection to capture the natural and aromatic essence of coffee that customers will definitely enjoy.

with musician, OIC Marketing Department Ms. Joan Cortez
and Business Development Officer Carmela Tecson

The new branch of Figaro in Ayala Fairview Terraces had a nice ambiance with a pianist playing both classical and contemporary songs like Titanium and Rolling in the Deep. Having a cup of coffee while waiting for your favorite movie definitely defines the beauty and perfect combination of coffee and movie.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich (P189)

Pesto Pasta (P179)

Make your next cup of coffee even better with Figaro.

Thank you very much to Ms. Annesy del Mundo!

Now Showing: "The best fights are the ones we avoid"

New place. New culture. New enemies. New lessons. New bestfriends.

In a whole new environment he couldn't control nor understand, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is in for the biggest fight for his life--to accept his and his mother's new life in China, overcome his fears and earn the respect of the juvenile kids who are expert in kung fu at school.

The Karate Kid (2010, directed by Harald Zwart) is the movie that actually inspired me to take judo classes as I used to get jealous at Jaden Smith having learned karate at such a young age. On the other hand, the movie imparted the true meaning of such sport and how one wimpy kid can even change the life of someone who gave up in living.

His bonding with this rather mysterious maintenance man and kung fu coach Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) truly moved me to tears portraying a father-son-like relationship, especially in the scenes when Xiao Dre slept on his lap after the training, when Mr. Han helped the 12-year-old kid to win back his friendship with Mei Ying (Wenwen Han) and Dre comforted the old man about the death of his family. I loved its amazing and dramatic cinematography in the scene showing only the shadows of Xiao Dre and Mr. Han practicing kung du moves for the tournament.

I was inspired at what Xiao Dre said that he's still scared that's why he still wanted to fight despite his injury during the finals tournament, because "whatever happens, at least he won't be scared anymore."

Not One Less: The last of the white chalks

This is the deal: not one less.

Write the lecture on the board, let them copy it and no one leaves until that bell rings. For 13-year-old substitute teacher Wei Minzhi (Minzhi Wei), it seemed an easy task to earn ten more yen for her exceedingly low salary. And so begins an untold true story buried under the depths of first world China, where classrooms resemble chicken coops and a class of 40 outnumbers the chalks needed for a young teacher to write the whole book on the board.

I’ve watched this movie only once, and after six years the chicken coop classroom suddenly popped into my head as I watched a documentary film with students boxed in a classroom literally made with only four big ply woods and a roof to close it. Starred by the same people in real life, Not One Less (1999, directed by Yimou Zhang) was the very first movie that made me cry as I reflected on how one young girl became so dedicated at searching her naughty student amidst the alienating city.

Due to extreme poverty the initial 40 students of Shuiquan Primary School were eventually trimmed down to 28, and Wei was warned not to lose any more. After losing one talented student recruited by a sports coach, Minzhi tried hard not to lose one again, and eagerly searched for 10-year-old Zhang Huike (Huike Zhang), the naughty but witty boy who disappeared one day in class because he had to find a job in the city to pay for his parents’ debts.

Probably at first she was so frustrated she wouldn’t get her bonus pay after letting go of Teacher Gao’s (Enman Gao) two students, but her search to find the boy who suddenly meant so much to her became her life-changing journey to finally realize hope exists after all.

After a lot of trials with the help of her other students, and she was already staring at the circular lens of the media camera, Minzhi failed to hold back her tears while telling Zhang to come home.

Fortunately Zhang’s cook manager saw the show and they were reunited. Hearing the story, one company generously gave their school boxes of colored chalks and other supplies.

I remember myself crying when Minzhi stared at the camera like she was staring at Zhang, tears flowing because words couldn’t describe how she felt. I also remember the scenes when Minzhi’s students helped her ride a bus without a fare. They had to raise money by working at a construction site to buy pen and papers to find Zhang. Unfortunately though, the papers she still had to post at every corner of the city were brushed away by a street sweeper while she was sleeping by the sidewalks.

Sometimes forcibly finding someone is actually finding heaven along the way.