Starbucks for the old (in) Manila

At HIZON'S Bakeshop—an old restaurant along Bocobo Street in Arquiza Ermita, Manila—I'm enjoying a cup of perfectly delicious coffee partnered with grilled ensaymada, the store's signature dessert. The place is empty, save for two gray-haired men who look like they've been retirees for a long while now. I realize I like spending a lot of time alone: my thoughts become louder, and I'm able to think things through. I should've brought my Bible, or a thick book, because reading requires much solitude, perhaps the only time when I'm actually silent. Hizon's may well be the Starbucks of the old, and I feel that I fit right in.