Better than Starbucks

Stars & Bucks Cafe is better than Starbucks because there is no Starbucks in Bethlehem. Coffee Palestinian style. Free Wi-Fi.  They also offer juice, ice cream, desserts and much more. Also, they sell their own “You Are Here …” mug. … Continue reading →

Seriously!

It was a warm start of June. I was sweating and starving. My blood sugar is at the lowest. I need something quick to feed on before I pass out. The closest cooling place I could find is Starbucks at … Continue reading →

Memorial Day

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Today, May 28, 2018, is Memorial Day in USA. Today, in America, all Starbucks are CLOSED. I could here the groaning and moaning and screaming of citizens of US defending on their caffeine jolt. Nothing to fret, you are welcome … Continue reading →

Location Counts.

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Location, location, location. This is the motto of most businesses. Where I live, in Metrotown, there are at least five Starbucks in one big area of Metropolis. A great location. Starbucks seems to have a strong sense where the money is. … Continue reading →

Let me get this off my system.

Let me get this off my system.

If you are looking for Starbucks in India, good luck! You can only find the coffee shop in the Airport, departure area.

And if you are looking for a freshly brewed coffee, there is no such thing! Everything is instant coffee in India. The famous one is Nescafe or Folgers. Kate Crimmins  are you rolling your eyes yet?

It was a problem, a very big problem for me. But hey, I am a pilgrim, this is not Club Med.

So, what is Indian Coffee? Pretty basic:

• Instant Coffee – two packets if you want it strong
• Hot Water – very small amount to dissolve the coffee
• Warm Milk –lots to combine it with the dissolved coffee
• Sugar – if you want it sweet.

Oh, some make it frothy to give it an espresso look. There’s hardly any coffee in this cup but bubbles.

I was kicking myself to get a “caffeine kick” to it. There’s hardly any caffeine in an instant coffee. Drinking two or three cups of this first thing in the morning is my form of “flagellation” for seventeen days to wake me up. I survived.

The minute we arrived in Canada, we stopped over at my sister’s place and I asked for a real good brewed coffee, mug size.

Aaahhhh…. good to the last drop followed by a refill.

I am so glad to be home.

Science or conScience: On Donating

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Money cannot buy happiness but how you spend it differently will make you feel better and happier. Michael Norton experimented on making people spend money on others rather than on themselves and measure their happiness as shown at TED.  Michael went … Continue reading →

The rain in Spain…

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

Really?

Somehow this cloud does not look promising on the first morning of staying in Bilbao, Spain. The sun was struggling to break through the thick clouds.

It’s rather a warm day, the sun won, the rain lost, the clouds remained in the horizon giving a soft white fluffy cottony texture,

I found a corner bar that is open first thing in the morning. It is actually a coffee bar by morning and  serves stronger beverage by night, if you get my drift.  Here I decided to have my morning Java and a simple breakfast.

Ah coffee. Coffee tastes much better in Spain than Starbucks in Canada.

In the background, I could hear music playing to the tune of “It’s a Wonderful World. It seemed to me that it was coming from across the water,

After coffee, I decided to follow the music and crossed the bridge. At the other of the bridge, I found the lone player and people were passing, in a rush, and continued walking.

Well, I have all mornIng and now he has an audience of one, me.  I requested if he could play the “It’s A Wonderful World” again. And he did.  What a beautiful way to start a day. Of course, he deserves a good tip for making my morning memorable,

I walked away and he was playing the classical hymn “Ave Maria.”

Good Morning, Spain!

Naramata – God’s Country

During the last 1980’s, riding the car with no boys but female bonding was the in thing.  Tripping around is a trip from place to place; pure adrenalin devoid of drugs, sex and rock and roll.  Should there be marijuana, it’s all for recreation use only; let’s smoke a “J” is what we said.  Destination: Naramata, British Columbia, Canada. 

Janet, a friend with Russian family in the country side wanted to visit them.  I have car, why not.  Those were the times of footloose period from Brian Adams to Bruce Springsteen.  We visited the Russian Doukhobors and Freedomites.  Can’t really tell which one is which for all I know they are human being just like me.  Being introduced to Babushka who are so hospitable and all we did was eat their Borscht.  This was my initiation to a Russian family.  Lovely people.

Picture courtesy of Naramata’s office site.

The best part is Naramata.  We stayed in a cabin of Janet’s cousin, in the middle of an orchard, on top of the mountain, overlooking the Okanagan Lake.  The air is so pure and intoxicating.  Smell of lavender, cherry blossoms and apples blossoms permeate the atmosphere. 

But I was dog tired from driving around that day.  Hit the sack, lights out and nothing, literally nothing could wake me up the following day.   

In a deep slumber, I can smell a different aroma all too familiar that tops the natural sweet scent of Naramata.  JAVA… java… java… Ah, definitely, I am in heaven.  Starbucks was not in the picture then.  The smell is so close to my nose and I heard this dulcet voice calling me over and over again “P-e-r-p-e-t-u-a”.   I must have responded “Yes, Lord, here I am.”  

I opened my eye, Janet holding a pot of coffee at my bedside.  Now that’s what I call heavenly delight.  JAVA and Naramata: God’s country.  

Naramata, here I come. 

Related Links

• Hello BC:  Naramata Culture and History
• Naramata: Things to do
• Doukhobors
• Freedomites
• Naramata Centre

 

Comings and Goings of March 29, 2013

It started with an early phone call from Room 203; she wanted to visit and it’s only 9 a.m.  Still in her pajamas with coffee, cheese and crackers, as well as her cat Riley, I let her in. 

This is the first time Riley is visiting my place and he is very scarred.  Have you ever heard scared cat cry?  It’s  blood curling cry.  Maurice and Lucy were scared and went into hiding.  So did Riley.  By the time they left is was close to noon. 

Next, I went next door, Room 307 to ask her to make me real coffee.  I supplied her with a Starbucks coffee grind.  Life is good with real coffee.  I took some pictures of her potted plants. 

It is now 1 pm and time to visit Mother.  She’s resting just down the road.  I picked some narcissus, fern, sage, rosemary and yellow flowering branches from my garden to bring to Mother. 

Room 203 in pajama

Maurice hiding in the closet

Lucy hiding under the chair

Riley hiding under the bed

Potted garden

Bouquet for Mother

The road where Mother is resting is downhill.  Going downhill sure beats uphill.  I’ll worry about that later. 

It’s a busy day mostly for Chinese family.  They sure know how to party with their dearly departed.  I laid a few flowers for this young man, this is the first time I’ve heard of bullying, year 2000,  the same year Mother died.  Mother’s site sure looks pretty with the bouquet I placed on her gravesite. 

Then I visited the pond with a lonesome drake, a couple of turtles and plenty of fishes. 

See that building on top, I live across that.  See that 45 degree road, that’s the hill to get back home which is not a problem if only I am 13 years younger. 

I came across with a worm.  Then, I took refuge underneath a tree and scared the living daylight out of me, an evil thing lurking above.  Sakura is in full bloom and then life is a bowl of ???.   But look, I found a $10 gift certificate, my lucky day.

Finally, I’m home.  That’s the yellow flowering bush.  The baby artichokes are waiting for me to cook.  By the look of the size of the artichoke, even though I bought two dozens, I will still be hungry.  Thank goodness, Room 307 came over for tea with Polish salad. 

Chinese gathering

RIP

Mother’s resting place

Turtles and Drake

Fishes

I live across that building on top

45 degree road

Worm crossing

Life is a bowl of ???

Holy Molly!

Sakura

Found

Yellow Bush, I’m home

Artichoke ~ Dinner?

The salad was my dinner.  As for the artichokes, it ended up in the garbage.  

Life is grand.

 

 

Hello my name is

FLANGIPROP – A bold, earthy, and aromatic flavour of new Starbucks blend.  Coffee beans that is ethically grown and in a fair trade market, grown by the indigenous Filipino hill tribes.

 

The coffee of the future.

February Coffee Blend: Source Starbucks

 

This is in response to Daily Prompt: Flangiprop.  Come and join us, it’s fun.