Throughout the years, I have watched and followed creators that have gone astray or been revealed to be very problematic. For example, I was well into beauty content when the infamous dramageddon happened. While I still occasionally watch tea (gossip) videos and do spend so much time watching dark stories, these comfort channels actually provide much-needed good vibes.
The common theme among these creators, I think, is the fact that they're very passionate about what they do which does show in the content they put out and they're generally unproblematic. Which YouTube channels feels like a nice warm cup of tea or hot chocolate for you? Share them in the comments below!
Safiya Nygaard
I have liked Safiya's personality even back in her Buzfeed days, but I believe she shined more when she started her own channel. Safiya is one of those people who you know is very intelligent, just based on how she speaks, what she says, and how her content is laid out. She is very entertaining, and I do learn a lot from the videos she puts out. I even watch her videos on topics that I don't gravitate towards.
It was only until I put this list together that I realised Sophdoeslife is the only almost purely makeup-related Youtuber that I still watch. I no longer overconsume cosmetics and skincare, and unsubscribing to many beauty vloggers has helped kerb that wasteful habit. However, I do still watch Sophdoeslife because I found that I can consume her content without actually consuming what she puts out.
She just genuinely enjoys makeup and is not pushing it down her viewers' throats. She's just obviously very happy with what she's doing. Sophdoeslife radiates so much positive energy, which still keeps me tuned even today.
I don't talk about many private things, but only my husband knows the ungodly amount of hours that I have played my cozy games. Especially The Sims. Even though I know how capitalist all those expansions and packs are, I still end up craving the next good one I find.
With that, I also enjoy watching gameplays of other players. Sims is a simulation game so I think it does take some good personality to make these videos entertaining to watch and I can really vouch for Whiny Brit on this one.
From what I see, I think she has an amazing personality. Her gameplays are very entertaining to watch and she does have many takes that often makes me laugh.
Mia Maples is always a ray of fun and positive light. What drew me to her were her cute thumbnails and home interiors, but I stayed for the lighthearted, though still very honest, reviews. Mia's style and personality show through her aesthetics genuinely, which is one of the things I really like about her channel.
She often reviews popular products as well as celebrity brands. We are not of the same body type, but I still watch her clothing reviews because they're as fun as her other content. She also has a great relationship with her mum, whom she regularly sees in her videos.
While I watch a fair amount of commentary videos, I personally do not look to them for comfort. I even sometimes skip them for weeks just to avoid heavy topics. However, I could not say no to comedic commentary, especially for movies and TV shows. For that, only one channel stands out for me, which is Alex Meyers.
When watching movies, we sometimes need to suspend our disbelief really hard to enjoy them. Alex Meyers takes all those thoughts if we were to watch movies logically and presents them in a very funny way.
I am easily drawn to all the endless food reels and photos on the internet, but the call for this came stronger than the rest.
I undeniably love the texture of mochi and other similar desserts. When I saw the ad for MINIMONO Cafe on Instagram, my thought was that I just had to have it. Right there. Right then.
I have not seen them in the food delivery apps that I used, so I assumed they just did not have any deliveries. I messaged them on Instagram if I could just have my order picked up by Grab, but they did not respond. I did not take this negatively, though. A few hours later, out of a whim, I searched for daifuku on Grab, and lo and behold, I found MINIMONO!
Mochi Wrapped Ice Cream (Matcha)
Mochi Wrapped Ice Cream (Matcha), Php 180
The matcha ice cream was a little soft (almost melting), but it was understandable because it was a delivery. I live around 15 minutes away from the cafe.
Everything about this dessert is divine. The matcha ice cream was so delicious. It was very creamy and not sweet at all. I personally like that my matcha is not sweet because the flavour is richer that way. The sweetness can sometimes overpower the matcha, but in this case, it did not at all. The mochi complements the ice cream really well.
This is just a little difficult to eat with a plastic spoon because it does not cut through the mochi easily.
Mochi Wrapped Ice Cream (Matcha), Php 180
Mango Cream Daifuku
Mango Cream Daifuku, Php 80
I also really loved the texture of both the mochi and the cream in their mango cream daifuku. This even has real fruit bits with the mango-flavoured cream!
I honestly could eat multiples of this in one sitting. It made me regret that I only ordered one. 🙈
The only thing I was not so pleased with was that the mango flavour of the cream and/or the fruit was a little sour. I don't know if that was intentional or just a case of a sour mango. Nevertheless, I would be more than happy to order this again.
Mango Cream Daifuku, Php 80
Mochi Bites (Plain)
Mochi Bites (Plain), Php 120
I ordered this because I wanted to have a taste of their plain mochi as well. I honestly can and am very willing to consume mochi, plain or bland. This did come with cream cheese and crushed Oreo dip.
For the plain mochi, there's not much to say, but it was no surprise to me that I really loved it. It was very well-made, and it's a fun snack.
Mochi Bites (Plain), Php 120
As much as I loved the plain, the cream cheese and Oreo dip were very great additions and took the dessert to another level. I have not had this combo before, but I also ended up enjoying it too.
Shakerato
Shakerato, Php 130
I also got myself iced coffee just to balance out all the mochi overload. I found that coffee is perfect with mochi or daifuku.
This is an iced shaken cold brew. It was sweetened, but just the right amount. If you're planning to order this, make sure to note if you want it unsweetened.
The coffee had a good, rich flavour. It was not watered down to oblivion, which was just to my taste.
In conclusion...
I am so happy to say that I enjoyed everything I ordered from MINIMONO. The only teeny-tiny qualm is the sourness of the mango, but it didn't throw me off that much. The coffee was also very good.
I don't think I've heard many people talk about this cafe, though I do hope more people discover this gem soon because they have some good dessert!
Disclaimer:As you can tell by my not so poetic description of the food that I am not a food critic/expert nor have I ever claimed to be one. This is out of personal experience. Your experience and preferences may differ from mine. This review is not written with the intention to harm any individual, group or business. This review is not sponsored nor is it in any other type of x-deals.
In light of two gold medals for the Philippines in the Olympics recently, there was also an avalanche of family controversy just laid out for the public to feast on. If you know, you know.
This controversy brought forward sentiments from those who believe that children should live out their entire lives for the sake of their parents, the exhausted breadwinners, and those who sympathise on either side left in between.
The Toxicity That Many Children Grow Up On
In the Philippines, even to this day and age, it is very common for people to think that one should have children so they can be well taken care of when they get older. There are children grow up in the belief that they will soon get their parents (sometimes even an entire family) out of poverty.
This clip from a segment in Eat Bulaga before shows a very common expectation of many parents in the country:
Even at a very young age, many children will start hearing about what is expected of them, what college degrees are most profitable, aiming for jobs with the highest possible income, and eventually earning enough to support the very family that their parents started.
These are expected of those children for the mere fact that they owe their lives to their parents and have been provided for since they were born, which is obviously the parent's legal responsibility for choosing to birth new humans into the world. Heck, even those who have been abused or not provided well in childhood are expected to give back to their parents as well.
It is a generational curse that will get one under hot fire if they try to go against it or even talk about it.
Children Are Not Investment and Retirement Funds
If you visit forums on Reddit like r/adultingph or r/panganaysupportgroup, a very common sentiment is how the parents stop working the moment their oldest child gets a job at any point in their lives. This brings them forth as the breadwinners of their families, supporting their parents at a very young age. They are also expected to pay for their siblings' education, build their parents a nice home, pay for vacations, etc.
Many young adults in the Philippines are burned out at a young age because of the heavy responsibility passed on to them. They are not only having difficult times making ends meet, but they are also weighed down by the lack of direction in their own adult lives. How can they save up and plan for their own future when they are forever paying for responsibilities that are not their own?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to give back to your parents if you can. I am placing very heavy emphasis on the phrase "if you can." The thing is, most children are demonised for not being able to do so or not wanting to.
Children are not tickets for their parents's retirements. They are not investment bonds that are only kept alive for future returns. If you, as a parent, want a comfortable life after retirement, you should make it a point as an adult to work on that yourself. Even if the child has hundreds of millions in the bank, it is not right to expect them to give back a percentage of that to anyone if they don't want to.
Expecting a child at any age to assume an adult's responsibility is exploitative and abusive. I said what I said.
A Debt That Can Never Be Repaid
Dani Barretto, a celebrity mum and influencer, went through hot fire for her sentiments on utang na loob (debt of gratitude) towards parents. She said, "Hindi ka pwedeng magkaroon ng utang na loob sa mga bagay na dapat nilang gawin para sayo." (You should not be indebted for the things they should be giving to you.)
She is talking about how some parents would use the arguments that they have made sacrifices just for their children to have good lives as justification for their expectations that one day, their children would do the same thing for them.
This is attributed as utang na loob by most parents.
Dani went on to emphasise that her point, which many people missed, was that children should not be obligated to give back if they cannot.
Hypothetically, if it is a valid argument that children should give back as their utang na loob for getting to where they are or even just for being alive, how will they ever repay that? When will it end? Are there calculations? The answer is no. If the things parents did for their children (mostly their legal obligations) are to be accounted for, the child will never be able to finish repaying that debt.
The children will never be able to start preparing for their own adult lives if they spend their entire early adult years supporting families they did not create. The risk of repeating this toxic cycle and passing on the responsibilities to their own children is too high. For many families and young adults, this is already their reality.
For the Children Who Feel Guilty
If you, as a child, have been in the crossfire of not earning enough for yourself or your own family and feeling guilty for not being able to give back to your parents, I hope you try as much as you can to start freeing yourself from the guilt over a responsibility that is not yours in the first place.
Children who feel guilty over this are children who have at some point in their lives or are continuously assuming the responsibility of their parent. The video below describes this perfectly:
Feeling guilty for not being able to provide is a parent role. If you are feeling this as a child, you may have been stuck in that role all your life.
I hope one day, you too, will be able to start to free yourself and take off that load of guilt you have been carrying all your life.
Cutting The Cycle
Many people say that we should be celebrating the gold medals the athlete won for the country, and this issue should not be dragged through the mud. I do agree that their family issue is something that should have been dealt with publicly.
However, what this issue brought to light was the many sentiments from the children, who are just so exhausted from carrying a similar type of responsibility all their lives.
Many people say that we should be celebrating the gold medals the athlete won for the country, and this issue should not be dragged through the mud. I do agree that their family issue is something that should have been dealt with publicly.
However, what this issue brought to light was the many sentiments from the children, who are just so exhausted from carrying a similar type of responsibility all their lives.
I hope this is not something we aim to pass on to our future children, even though we are also very aware that cutting this cycle takes so much. Wanting to do something to get out of this toxic generational curse will risk someone being demonised across an entire family tree. But just imagine the reward of being able to start a new path for yourself or your own future family. A path where you take on the responsibility for your own adult life and choices. A future where your children, if you choose to do so, are able to build their own futures because they are not carrying the toxic burden of utang na loob.
This is a very uncomfortable topic, and if somehow the Facebook keyboard warriors find their way here, I know this will leave a sour taste in their mouths. I do stand on this, and I will continue to believe that, for goodness' sake, let your children be children.
