As we continue to navigate the world from our homes, the seemingly mundane cup of coffee is drawing out a visceral experience sans the complicated nature of a world we once knew.
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Whether you take it as a casual pick-me-up to enjoy every once in a while or rely on it as a steady lifeline to your everyday, the fact of the matter is, nothing quite stirs the senses than a cup of coffee. It doesn’t even matter if you prefer it piping hot with fragrant ribbons of smoke swirling mid-air, layered with steamed milk and foam, and blended, whipped, and stirred to decadent and chilled submission. For as long it gives you that jolt of energy enough to course through the network of veins in your system and sustain your soul, then that is all that matters.
Of course, part of the allure of the coffee experience is its inherent ability to ground you in a welcome routine that typically props the tent of your day to a scale of awe-inducing heights. It could be anywhere and anytime, depending on your tolerance, of course—at home in the morning to wake your weary self or in a quaint café with your go-to quick on the draw. However, as life would have it, this shared ritual seems like a far distant memory by now. With the brute force of the pandemic besieging us, forcing us to retreat to the safety of our houses, the joy of a mid-day exhale and an excuse to come together with friends huddled in your usual spot at the coffee place has been completely eliminated. And those expertly prepared beverages with so much inscrutable attention to detail poured into them? Well, it isn’t quite as convenient and accessible as it was then.
With the aggressive crashing of the tides of truth in our collective realities, a lot of the things we were used to have become more and more of an insular exercise than ever before. Following physical and social distancing, the visceral undertaking of coffee has relented its penchant for the collective and simplified its efforts of enjoyment from the safety of our homes. Now, this isn’t to say that it has acquiesced to being, well, basic, because as it stands, there is much to take from this significant shift in our history. Standing its ground as a necessity, an anchor to a semblance of normal, an inescapable point of control amid everything that has slipped through our fingers, it has not only made us quick to adapt, where we gained inspiration from the dregs of mulled insights and contained creativity, but it has also accorded us more reason to finally give in to that gnawing desire to upgrade the standard coffeemaker for a state-of-the-art innovation that will take the regular cuppa to the swirl that has become a requisite to our day-to-day.
Who knew there was so much more to learn from a cup of coffee?
A Cup And A Story
In an effort to encourage creativity in a multitude of formats and range of narratives, Nespresso has once again celebrated the vision, passion, and resilience of the Filipino talent with the recently concluded 5th edition of the Nespresso Talents 2020. An avenue to cultivate the ingenuity and abilities of a new generation of filmmakers, this platform proved to be even more relevant as it was situated in the pandemic, where its theme, Virtuous Circles, highlighted the world’s need for hope and a future worth living for despite the challenges that will certainly always be lurking at the corner waiting to pounce at a moment’s notice.
“That’s the fun part of filmmaking—that you can never do the same thing over and over again. Part of the joy is that there is a demand for change,” says award-winning director, screenwriter, author and educator, Joey Reyes, one of the five jurors for the competition. Rendered in a mobile-ready vertical format, the top 10 of all the films submitted was a diverse and distinct assemblage of points-of-view that saw a visual journey run the gamut from traditional storytelling to experimental executions. As varied and as exceptional as it all turned out to be, the top 3 films had to go through the wringer under the watchful eyes of the rest of the jurors, including Fabio De Gregorio, Nespresso South East Asia Regional Business Development Manager, Patrick Pesengco, Novateur Coffee Concepts Managing Director, Director Antoinette Jadaone, multi-awarded writer, director, and producer, and Marc Nelson, Nespresso Philippines Recycling Partner Advocate and WWF & World Vision Ambassador. With endeavors such as the Nespresso Talents 2020, interesting hypotheses are formulated, offering an alternative viewpoint from outside the box of tradition. “This kind of filmmaking—the vertical format—makes the filmmaker think of ways to tell stories na hindi nakasanayan dati. So, what’s interesting and what’s exciting is that mas nag-e-evolve ‘yung process. We are not only limited by the aspect ratio,” explains Antoinette Jadaone. With the rigors of the process, it only became crystal clear how the medium is malleable when the intent of the exposition is rooted in essaying the honest truth of the pervading context. For Reyes, the films such as My Brother by Massah Gonzales-Gamboa (3rd place), Cheat Day by Ramil Lantican (2nd place), and the winning entry, Tsinelas by Charlene Tupas, stood out because of its effective portrayal of the Filipino people. “I’m so happy that the best films were not glamour films. People look like people. This is the Filipino humanized and not glamourized,” expresses Reyes. “At the same time, talking so much about being Filipino and expressing their experience.”
Brought together and inspired by coffee and how it is inextricably linked to the human condition, Nespresso proves to be more than just a steady pace of sips, but rather an integral link to the more encompassing celebration of life and the necessary stories that fill in the gaps.
Watch the Rewards Ceremony and view the winners’ creations here.
A Cup And A Home
Apart from taking inspiration and manifesting it in the art of film, coffee claims a rightful stake at home, more so in this unceasing pandemic, where the physical aspect of the café is virtually non-existent for the time being. On the strict account of adhering to the mandate of staying in the house, not only has the order of things changed, but we have also gone through so much in a considerable span of time that we have at this point discovered, perfected, and internalized so many skills to better equip us our lives. From baking, fitness, and horticulture, one of the many realizations we have uncovered in quarantine is how much simpler our lives can be without the distractions of convenience. When backed up against the wall, it’s surprising how adept and agile we can be, adjusting to the necessities and limits of the times. Needless to say, what others can do, we can do, too—perhaps even better at some point.
Navigating the everyday in a speed of time that oscillates between obscenely slow to mind-numbingly fast is a challenge, but for some, there exists a firm grip on the normal with what was once a mundane cup of coffee. For many of us who have long subscribed to the frenzied preoccupation of what once was, this is truly a disconcerting and uncharacteristic pace to operate on. A most pleasant and welcome shock to the humdrum of a life pre-pandemic, we have found a wedge of privilege to enjoy the time that we have on our hands, creating new memories to cherish with family at home and even with friends at a virtual distance. For the likes of entrepreneur and new addition to the father’s club, Nico Bolzico, Sunnies Studios co-founder Bea Soriano-Dee, and private dining chef and restaurateur Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, it all is anchored on the peace, quiet, and focus they get with their coffee—Nespresso, of course.
“Nespresso aims to delight our customers by providing premium coffee experiences and a drop of extraordinary everyday, like today. This is what the Nespresso lifestyle is all about—sharing special, authentic moments everyday,” begins Patrick Pesengco, Chairman and Managing Director of Novateur Coffee Concepts Inc., as the trio, later joined by host, Chico Garcia waxed poetic about their love for coffee and despite the constraints of movement, how they were all able to be their own barista.
Whether it be a frothy cappuccino using the Aeroccino 3, Ispirazione Venezia and New Citiz by the now expert, Nico Bolzico, a cinnamon-sprinkled whipped macchiato with the Ispirazione Arpeggio Firenze and a touch of cinnamon through the Nespresso Lattissima Touch for Bea Soriano-Dee, an electric iced coffee featuring the intensely delicious limited edition Freddo Intenso and New Citiz, and the highly indulgent dose of caffeine that combined Vanilla Éclair and Caramel Creme Brulee with the trusty Nespresso Pixie for Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, it was as if their cupped delights were made by a professional barista served on a wooden counter under a warmth of lights and surrounded by a cacophony of chatter. While there was none of the usual communal context for now, the spirit of the experience powers through with the be your own barista campaign of Nespresso, which aims to “to enable anyone to create the perfect cup of coffee at home conveniently and consistently,” according to Melissa Roque-Valdez, Marketing Head of Novateur Concepts, Inc.
As we further learn to live life pared down from what we were once privileged to, the more it becomes certain that we really don’t need much to be happy. Sometimes all it takes is an aromatic and robustly flavored cup of coffee to savor. It wouldn’t be too long until you notice yourself smiling in between gulps. No complications necessary, really. All it takes is a touch of a button and happiness is all ready for you to enjoy at home, naturally.
From August 28 to 30, 2020, customers can enjoy 0% credit card installment up to 6 months where they can get a complimentary Aerocinno 3 with a purchase of 30 Nespresso coffee sleeves during the 3-Day Ultimate Weekend. Finally, as part of the promotion, those who will purchase a Nespresso machine along with coffee sleeves will also get a chance to bring home premium gifts. For your own #NespressoMoments, you can head on over to its website, the Nespresso Boutique at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, or any of its pop-up stores around the metro at your convenience.
