Coffee shops has been my transient abode as a student, spending most of my quality time reading and people-watching simultaneously. My attention span and concentration has several times been questioned by friends as I spent most of the time studying in coffee shops rather than the library or at the comforts of my home.

Hence, watching students loitering and some studying in one of the "interesting-finds" coffee shop situated at the second Floor of Reyes Building, Estrada Street corner Taft Avenue, Manila, across the De La Salle University, is a trip down the memory lane for me.

Korean music along with arts, paintings and installations greeted us as we step on a wooden stairway of a somewhat century-old building leading to a cafe named Noriter.  The coffee shop's name literally means a playground in Korean language.

Indeed, a creative playground it is.  Contrary to its dull facade, the interior's colorful and artistic installations on each corner of the coffee shop was a sight to behold.  Decorated and plain paper cup installations were just so amazing complemented by "semi-regulated" vandals on selected walls and corners.

The choice of where to sip your coffee, chat with friends and study all depends on the customer.  You can even lie on the floor or be situated on a mini-playhouse creating a playground ambiance, adhering to to the coffee shop's name.

What's served?

I am no coffee drinker.  With the irony of being a coffee shop loiterer comes the generalization that not all who wanders inside a coffee shop are coffee addicts.  Quite a sweeping statement that holds true at least on my world.

The Korean culture may have been the inspiration for the establishment of the cafe, yet the fusion with the Filipino culture is apparent.  Approximate to dorms and the universities, though it caters to the students who needs caffeine-intake for reviews and extra-curricular activities in school, the coffee shop is definitely a must try to all who wants to relax, chill and do some life pondering.