ORDINARY COFFEE OR POOP?

January 09, 2008-- It was around 9:00 in the evening. I and Marlon have just arrived in the dormitory after seeing the fascinating Marbeleno Mardi Gras which was held in front of the KCC mall of Marbel. We immediately entered the room of our GENIUS DORMMATE Kuya Jude and told our experiences about the night streetdancing and field demonstration. "Bitin man ako, uy.....," Marlon said, frowning. Suddenly Kuya Jude thought of having some hot coffe in U3 Cafe to fill the incompleteness Marlon felt.

It was my fist time going into a cafe (since there are no cafes in our town) and my companions' first time in U3 Cafe.
Dressed decently, we felt being rich as we step out of the tricycle.

There were so many people in the Alunan Avenue since it was the eve of Koronadal's Hinugyaw Festival. The U3 cafe which rests in front of the DPWH building really looks as a den of fiesta goers and socialers. The people in the cafe gazed on us as if we were celebrities. Actually, we dressed in a semi-formal manner. That is, the three of us have different fashion statements but all were polo-dominated. Marlon wore a polo-shirt, Kuya Jude with a polo styled under his shirt, and I with a shirt and polo over it.

As we sat on the chairs prepared for the customers, a waiter came on us. He then asked our order as he handed to Kuya Jude the menu. Kuya Jude told us that if its your first time in a cafe, restaurant or any other establishments, always ask for the "SPECIALTY OF THE HOUSE". He asked the waiter and then the waiter pointed 2X ESPRESSO under the Coffee Alamid category. Marlon and Kuya Jude decided to taste it while I'm thinking if i'm gonna taste it or not (my concern is on the price). Then i finally decided to have it also. While waiting, Kuya Jude took pictures for his blog for the U3 experience.

After ten minutes, we were surprised when we saw the three mugs served to us. The 3 little cute mugs which could possibly contain 100 milliliters of liquid looks dissatisfying. I mean we were just shocked because we expected that the mugs were larger enough to give justice to the coffee's price. I suddenly felt that i've wasted my money just for a P286 100ml coffee.

We prepared our excited tounges to taste the costliest coffee of U3 cafe. Then we started sipping it. Abruptly, the COOKING MASTER BOY ( a cartoon show in ABS-CBN) flashed in my mind. I remembered one of its episodes where the judges tasted Mao's (main character) PANDA MAFO DOFU and that the judges were very delighted that as if they were surfing in the sea of flavors. In relation to that, I felt as if I'm drowning in the ocean of coffee. The rich taste of coffee penetrated me but in a negative sense. That is, if you did taste it, you would wish you never tried it.

The workers in the cafe kept on looking and grinning on us. In my perception, I thought they were teasing us that we ordered their premium coffee not knowing the real savor of it. And i felt really disappointed for that.

Ordering a P286 100ml mug of coffee with an execrable flavor, wasn't that stupid? Maybe that could be the reason why I'm doubting earlier if I'm gonna do so.

Anyway, it was not the right time for disappointments because we were there to enjoy.

We had the same feelings about the coffee except Kuya Jude. He said he had read a magazine before featuring the most expensive coffee in the world. He thought it might be the Civet Coffee- the handpicked beans from the poop of civet cats. These picky cats, since they only eat those sweet berries, were native to us and their beans are said to be exported to US and other foreign countries resulting to a higher price that could surely menace your pockets and wallets.

THE CIVET CAT or ALAMID (local name)

Unexpectedly, Kuya Jude noticed a tarpaulin in front of the cafe showing a cat and coffee leaves with the words --Philippine Civet Cats and U3--. He trotted to the posted tarpaulin and read it. He then came to us with an exceptional smile as if he won a million in a lotto. He said to us that what he was telling to us earlier was definitely the coffee that we were hardly devouring.

It was amazing, the feeling was great. Facing the challenge of U3 cafe is like facing the challenge of world and indeed, we made it. For me, it's an accomplishment. I mean, Americans were spending $50 (more than P2000) just to taste it and now I'm grooving with it for just P286 or P2.86 per milliliter.

After being proud of my accomplishment for the day, I felt displeased as I remembered that it's feces. The yucky thing came into my mind and I tried hard to suppress it but still it's running on my mind.

It's the best coffee. It's the most expensive coffee ever. But still it's POOP.

So i challenge you! Would you dare to drink coffee made from POOP OF A CIVET CAT ?

Or just stick on your ordinary coffee?