Me and my sister managed to talk a bit yesterday over coffee (frappe, actually) at Beanstalk Cafe at the 5th floor of the Calamba Executive Center, fronting Mart-One grocery at Crossing. Meralco Foundation Institute’s new branch and a Globe Business Center is housed in the same building. When I first came in, I couldn’t believe how many establishments they can pack in there..it’s a really small one, you know. Beanstalk naturally occupied the last floor. I thought I wouldn’t like it. But, boy I did. The frappe was good. The guys serving coffee were all nice and friendly. But most of all, it had a nice view of Mt. Makiling. It made me think about the irony of life — that while we strive to be as hip and “high-tech” as we can possibly be by surrounding ourselves with gadgets, it is still our nature to seek calm and serenity; that as hurried & busy we all have been, we still desire to stop & reflect. P.S. I’m blogging from my mobile phone. :-) Now, if only they had wi-fi there…hmmm.. :)
I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.
I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.
On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.
Music
HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.
By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.
While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.
“Stuck Home Syndrome”released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.
On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.
For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.
A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.
Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.
Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.
Contact
For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com
RJMarmol.com 
One response to “Beanstalk Cafe: Inspiring a Natural View”
[…] from 4pm-12mn. Last order taken at 11pm. Check my other previous post about Beanstalk Cafe Calamba here […]
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