Mary Grace Cafe: Everyone's Reunion Cafe!

On my first visit to Mary Grace cafe in Serendra during my Christmas vacation in the Philippines in December 2010, I met Mary Grace herself! That was the day I brought over Bae Young-Joon to her cafe. Grace was very warm and friendly. I was introduced to her by her sister, Cielo, whom I met in Seoul (and through Facebook!). Cielo and her other 'sisters', Jenny, Itchay and Marlu were in Seoul last year to visit the locations of their favorite Korean dramas. I call them the Seoul Drama Queens.

Going back to the cafe.

There's something about the cafe that makes people want to visit again...and again...and again.

While the interiors look very homey and welcoming, it's the baked goodies that also make people come back for more.  Whenever I fly home (to Victorias), my Mom would always make me a hot cup of tablea tsokolate with pinipig. (I put pinipig into the tsokolate and enjoy it one cutcharita at a time!). 

So, having tsokolate at Mary Grace cafe always makes me feel at home (without my Mom having to use her batirol and batidor! Ha-ha-ha!).

And on these few visits to Mary Grace cafes in Serendra and Greenbelt, I noticed that most of their customers are in groups: families, barkadas and old classmates!

I guess it's a reunion place for me since most of my visits were always to meet up with friends during my vacation!

And on my last visit to the Mary Grace cafe in Greenbelt last weekend (my last lunch in Manila before I flew back to Seoul that afternoon), I noticed a dozen ladies on the next table who were probably high school classmates having a reunion, while we (Cielo, Itchay, Arlene and I) on the next table were also busy catching up and talking about their dramas, Korean and otherwise.

That afternoon, as my Cebu Pacific plane bound for the Incheon International Airport was busy taking off, I was also busy burping from the Chorizo and Green Olive Pasta and Mango Bene (which was always an O-M-G dessert!) I had for lunch.  Luckily, I didn't need to buy myself some inflight meal as I was still full. I just had another 'dessert' on the plane: that very yummy ube jam from another friend, Fay. (I have to ask Fay where she got this treat. It tasted better than the one sold in jars).

I don't know when I'd be flying back home again. Maybe December in time for Christmas? Although I have a feeling it would be difficult to get a table at the cafe, especially during the holiday season, unless you reserve a table.

But with or without reservations, those baked goodies, especially the ensaimadas and the fruit cakes are always welcome!  Throw in the Valencia Hot Chocolate (love the hint of orange flavor!) and you're home!

(The Seoul Drama Queens enjoying dinner)

                           (My note for Mary Grace, which I left on a
                    table at the second floor of the Greenbelt cafe)

I guess, on my next visit, I won't only see ensaimadas and hot tsokolates; I will also see friends (Ha-ha-ha!).

                 (my ube dessert with the prize I won at 
               Cebu Pacific's inflight 'show-me' game)

The Crazy Rave Party @ Korea's Boryeong Mud Festival!

Move over, Haeundae Beach!

Boryeong's Daecheon Beach has a better party!

For everyone heading down to the Boryeong Mud Festival,  joining the rave party at the Daecheon Beach is a must! 

 With thousands of party people all muddied up, and just letting loose, bouncing up and down to the DJ's techno beat, everyone was having a blast! 

The energy of the place was just electrifying! You don't even need to be all muddied up just to be in the mood! All you need was just to feel the energy of the party and you are ready to jump up and down and up and down....

                         (According to Cyndi Lauper, 
                         "girls just wanna have fun!")

This is the biggest party I have attended ever! (Of course, the people at 2002 World Cup gathering at the Seoul Plaza weren't half-naked and dirty with mud.)

Everyone was here to have fun dancing, drinking and just being themselves!

With the mud festival staff hosing everyone one down with water, nobody cared if it was mud water or booze! 

So, if you're free this weekend! Do catch the last weekend of the Boryeong Mud Festival!  You don't have to bring a lot of clothes with you. Or sunblock. Or shoes.

Just make sure you got some cash for food, the entrance fees and of course, the booze!

See you there!

                (Thousands of revelers at the mud festival!)

                (The DJ spinning his music and the crowd!)

                  (Muddy photographers. Be careful with
                   those expensive cameras, guys!)

(They just can't get enough!)

Here's the mud festival's official website:

http://www.boryeongmudfestival.com/

All Muddy Roads Lead To....Boryeong!

With these rains in the middle of a sizzling summer, all roads are wet.

And all roads at Boryeong are wet and....muddy! 

                            (The mud race competitors ready to run!)
A couple of years back, I was at Boryeong Beach to enjoy the mud festival. And going back there was always in the plan. 

                             (Mud wrestling for the ladies!)
And this time, after about two hours of sitting on the bus heading to South Chungcheon Province at the west coast of the Korean peninsula, the beach, the fun and a lot of muddy people greeted me (along with the exfoliating properties of the Boryeong mud! Ha-ha-ha!) when I got off the bus!

                                           (Mud wrestling for guys, too!)

It looked like it was so difficult to squeeze on all this fun in just one weekend. And even more difficult to squeeze in all that fun in just one blog.

                    (The incredible rave party at the beach!)

 So, I have decided to write separate blogs for the mud marathon, the 'military-style' fun at the mud beach, the rave party at the beach, and everything else I enjoyed during the Boryeong Mud Festival weekend!

                                  (The Boryeong Mud Festival concert)

                                                     (The festival grounds)

But before I do blog, I need to clean myself up from all this mud.

                          (Together we stand...muddy!)

I will be right back!