Trenta Plus Life

Kiong Hee Huat Tsai

2008-02-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's how the Chinese New Year greeting should be, not "Kung Hei Fat Choi". Most Chinese Filipinos uses the Hokkien dialect here in the Philippines thus, "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai" is more appropriate.

But then again, what does the common Juan do during this festivities?

Well personally, I observed that Filipinos are the type of people who wants to celebrate a lot. So just like celebrating fiestas, Filipinos embraced this new found festivity (i think this caught up during Cory Aquino's term since she's with Chinese blood).

As for the rest of the Filipinos like me, we muse and shrug our shoulders, asking "Why celebrate? I'm not Chinese?". But then again, why spoil the fun?

Chinese New Year!!!

2008-01-29T20:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I return to this site to blog.

I missed blogging period, period, period & period.

There were times that I wished I could share and blog about Christmas time but I had plenty of office reports to finish.
There were times that I wished I could write about the New Year's event in Los Banos but then again, too tired.

Now I dont want to pass anther opportunity coming - Chinese New Year!!!

Unfortunately, I'm not Chinese! LOL! But then again, who cares?!!

It's just good to celebrate and enjoy being "alive". That's what makes living so good!

Now surfing more about my fortune this coming new year is indeed interesting.

Being born in the year of the Ox, I found out that I will have an auspicious time this coming year of the Rat!

That's good news to me, as I plan to migrate away this year.

I'm seriously considering this option... I'm not getting any younger nor richer in this country.

So where am I at? Well, let's keep it a secret at this point in time.
But wow! I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!!

My birthday is coming!

2007-11-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my kids greeted me in advance on my upcoming birthday. They even volunteered to pull out those white hairs that keep sprouting madly on my head. Funny how they also try to conceal my age, out of love perhaps?

And yes, I’m being persistently pestered by the thought that -
Oh my! My birthday is coming! I’m growing old. I’ll be losing points in terms of marketability! Yes, I’m downgrading and degrading!

Another year to add to this earthly body - another wrinkle, a dash of white hair and some ailments naturally found on a mid-thirty guy. And yes, I have to give up that Fabio type image next year, but I wouldn't be caught looking like Hagrid, promise!

It's really funny what age can do to you - it makes you wiser and smarter but at the same time, frail and vulnerable. Nothing is perfect.

Perhaps, it’s one way of God saying to his creatures that this life is temporary. Go and search for eternity!

And here I am now cleaning my ears…

Down by a Virus!

2007-11-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

It’s been a week that I wasn’t able to release toxic yet relevant ideas to my blog site and the culprit is a -- horse! A Trojan horse virus beat the hell out of my PC rendering me helpless with the usual slow opening of programs and momentary yet very distracting switches in system application.

The creative juice just needs to be drained today that is why I sent my hard disk to some of my IT friends yesterday to do the scanning and cleaning. Yes, I have been irresponsible in taking care of my system. I didn’t get any protection – no antivirus, no schedule in defragmenting, scanning, etc.

I’ve learned my lesson and it feels good to be back on the game.

My 31st day...

2007-10-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have completed the 30 day challenge of blogging!

And it's quite a challenge to go through those days thinking what to write next or what subject would be good to post.

Overall, I felt that I've overcomed the challenge.

It is very fulfilling indeed.

And though, I am considering of not blogging today, I felt obliged that I need to. It's addictive.

Addictive to write about your thoughts, passion, experience.

After some time I awakened to a renewed thought - that life, my friend, is beautiful.

Coffee and College

2007-10-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

Study shows that coffee helps to improve alertness, attention and wakefulness and by that means, it facilitates relevant learning. When the study is tedious, boring and not motivating, coffee helps to give you the energy to study and to make the best of it. The caffeine in your cup of coffee helps you process the information from your study books and the lessons you follow.

Drinking coffee will also help to focus your attention to the main task, when there are many things around needing your attention. It draws attention to what you need to learn and leads to less distraction although doing different things at the same time may in itself be stimulating enough.

Two large cups of coffee, containing a total of 200mg of caffeine, can reduce significantly the tendency to sleep and increase alertness. This effect can be sustained for 5 to 7 hours.

I will recommend that you go with this dosage. I remember having more than 5 teaspoons of Nescafe before an exam and instead of getting a conditioned mind, I ended up jittery and nerved wrecked.

Bean Gone Roast!

2007-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Roasting green coffee beans takes skill, and passionate professionals on this line work are recognized as Master Roasters. This title is given by The Roasters Guild (a Specialty Coffee Association of America Trade Guild) to those individuals who finished their Master Roaster accreditation level. The Master Roaster accreditation is for experienced, highly skilled coffee roasters who are regarded as experts by their peers. This Master Roaster accreditation level is designed to be particularly complex and multifaceted, and requires substantial individual learning related to coffee, manufacturing, and business topics.
Basically, the bean that you get in pouches are roasted in this process:
1. First, green beans are introduced to a gas-heated, rotating drum wherein they are spun and heated (400 C).
2. After about five to seven minutes, the green beans begin to lose moisture, turning a warm yellow color and emitting an almost buttery aroma. The roaster uses all his senses to guide the developing beans, monitoring temperature, time, aroma, and color. He is also listening for a special sound.
3. At about the eighth minute, the “first pop” is heard. The bean expands to nearly twice its size, and the pop is the cracking sound of the moisture turning to steam inside the bean. The beans begin to darken to a light brown color.
4. The beans continue to roast, losing more moisture until they darken and become shiny with their own oils. After ten to fifteen minutes, the coffee pops again, concluding the roasting process.
5. The beans are stirred in a large cooling tray to ensure consistency and evenness as they return to room temperature.
Beans are then packed inside specially designed pouches that “de-gases” the coffee (see blog title: valve in coffee packaging), this is preserve freshness of the bean.
There are coffee shops, however, that have raised the idea of freshness to the next level. Bo’s Coffee, for example, purchased roasting machines and placed them inside their stores. Whether they employ master roaster or not, it sure wouldn’t hurt to try a fresh brewed coffee as they advertised it.
Toast or roast?

Processing the Bean!

2007-10-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Coffee process is the method in which the fruit of the coffee cherry is separated from the green coffee bean.

Basically there are three methods used to process coffee, each method contributes directly to the flavor of the finished product. Though the basic steps of each method are similar from country to country, there are countless variations based on tradition, environment, geography and machinery.

Washed (Wet)
In this processing method, ripe red coffee cherries are picked and quickly taken to a wet mill. Cherries are loaded in to a receiving tank where water and gravity pre-sorts the coffee. Cherries that are not fully ripe will float to the top and be skimmed off. Next the coffee cherries go through a pulping machine where the bean is separated from the fruit. The bean at this stage is still coated with mucilage.
Beans are then moved through a washing channel to a fermentation tank. These tanks are often open concrete receptacles which vary in size depending on the processing volume of the mill. The coffee remains in the tanks from 18 to 48 hours depending on a number of factors including climate, altitude and tradition. During fermentation a series of enzymatic reactions occur which break down mucilage layer and help develop the bean’s acidity, flavor and aroma.

Following the fermentation and a final washing, the coffee is dried by placing it on patio or in a mechanical drum dryer, this step is collectively referred to as dry milling process. In the patio drying process, the coffee, still in its parchment is raked or pushed along to ensure uniform, even drying. This process can take from three to seven days, depending on the weather. In mechanical drying process, coffee is placed in a tumbling cylindrical drum where heat is applied to dry the coffee.

Once dry, the coffee is stored in its parchment for several weeks to develop a consistent, uniform flavor. Prior to shipment, the coffee is hulled to remove the parchment from the outside of the bean. Once it is hulled, the green coffee is sorted using specialized machinery designed to sort beans according to their density and size. After final sorting has been completed in the dry milling process, coffee is placed on jute sacks, weighed and readied for export.

Washed-process coffees are known for their crisp flavor and acidity. This process is generally used by Latin America coffee producers.

Semi-Washed Process

In this process method, ripe coffee cherries are washed and cleaned then pulped using hand pump machines. Once the fruit is removed, the coffee bean is washed thoroughly then laid out to dry in the sun.
There is no fermentation used in this processing method. After the coffee has partially dried and is still soft to the touch, the parchment is removed the green coffee beans are laid out again for final drying. Once dried, the green coffee is sorted and graded before bagging and export.

Coffees from Indonesia are usually associated with this type of processing.

Natural (Dry) Process

This process doesn’t rely on fermentation to develop the coffee’s flavor rather the flavor develops from the cherry drying completely on the bean. Coffee cherries are harvested or collected then allowed to dry on patios or tarpaulins before the cherry skin, dried fruit, and parchment are removed

Because of varying degree of ripeness and harvesting techniques, natural process coffees can be unpredictable and inconsistent which produces flavors such as cocoa, berry, fruity, earthy and spice. Natural process coffees have also been used when lack of water has necessitates an alternative method of production.

Organically Grown Coffee

2007-10-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Coffee is often grown organically. While in many parts of the world pests are often controlled through the use of the pesticides, Arabica coffee is grown in mountainous areas that are significantly higher in altitude than most pest thrive in, meaning less need for chemical pest control. The high altitude and sometimes foggy and moist environment, however, can make the coffee crop more susceptible to fungus, which is sometimes treated through the use of fungicides.
Many people refer to coffee as “organic” when pesticides and fertilizers are not used. These coffees are not legally recognized unless a third party (group other than the farmer and buyer) has certified as organic.
Only a small percentage of coffee worldwide is actually “certified organic”. The process for a farm to become certified organic is lengthy, taking as many as three years to implement. Furthermore, the farm’s coffee yield can decrease as much as 50% during this transition. The result is that when a farm changes to certified organic farming, it is subject to a large and time-consuming investment.

My thoughts:
In order to produce and supply more coffees, farmers use fertilizers to keep up with the demand. As a chemist, I see no negative effects to in using recommended/ample amount of fertilizers to crops except that it helps them in their growth and reproduction, just as human beings uses vitamins. What is detrimental perhaps, is the over usage of fertilizers which can leak through the water table thus causing environmental effect.
For pesticides, there are chemicals that deteriorate and decompose in the number of days when applied to plants. An example of this is cypermethrin- active ingredient insecticides which exist no more than a month or so. I cannot generalize that all pesticide is safe but a judicious use and control should always be carried out to sustain both the needs of man and environment.

Shade Grown Coffee

2007-10-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

Around the world, coffee grows in a variety of conditions, from full-shade forest to open sun. Old style Arabica coffee plants, valued for their elegant flavor; grow best in partial shade conditions under the canopy of trees that provide protection from direct sunlight.

Shade trees also offer environmental benefits by supporting the biodiversity of birds and wildlife; reducing soil erosion and the need for chemical fertilizer by naturally improving soil quality; protecting against frost damage; and maintaining moisture. Fruit bearing shade trees can also contribute additional food products to the farm.
Conservation International (CI) encourages the production of shade grown coffee and now works to about 30 countries. Their aim is to protect global biodiversity and to demonstrate that human society can work with nature harmoniously.

Farmers participating in CI’s Conservation Coffee Program are rewarded through better coffee and an increasing market demand for coffee grown in environmentally friendly ways. This creates greater economic stability and ensures environmental sustainability for the farmers’ communities.

Shade grown coffee ranges in price from $8 - 12 per pound for roasted blends. Although more expensive than regular coffee, there is far less cost to the environment.

Glorietta at Ground Zero

2007-10-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Besides having the usual blues in the office, somehow I had the feeling that this day would not end the usual way.

Come around at 2PM an explosion happened in one of the cities busiest mall, Glorietta Mall. Glorietta mall is famous for catering to high end consumers, drawing them with stylish and expensive goods. Believe me, the common Juan wouldn’t be caught here except when window shopping.

For me, the site of the explosion is very familiar as this is a block away from my bus terminal and also, five meters away from one of our coffee outlets. One of our store partners who witnessed the event recounts hearing a booming sound that shook the entire store. The explosion was so loud and earth shaking that the store’s front glass windows and door were shattered. As a small part of the building crumbled, debris of glasses and rocks can be seen scattered on the site. After the incident, our store chose to close early, as management put people first before profit.

The explosion killed 8 people on the spot and wounded 90 others. Initially, it was reported that the cause might have been due to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as the source of the explosion came from Luk Yuen restaurant. But after further investigation, police found out that the restaurant doesn’t use LPG in their operation of cooking food. Besides that, the explosion was too immense to be caused alone by an LPG. Bomb experts agree that the blast was greater than a grenade explosion.

Already, some political analyst believes that the present government administration staged this incident as some public officials try to veer the masses from the current bribery scandal the administration is facing. Others, however, are speculating that this is caused by a terrorist group.

Terrorists or not, innocent victims were killed and hurt today, a point raised for everyone to take extra care these coming next days.

Coffee Tasting Terminologies

2007-10-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Some helpful terms to help in describing coffee:

Balanced – a coffee that features a harmonious mix of flavor, acidity and body; no one characteristic dominates the cup.
Berry – A flavor and aroma familiar to blackberries & blueberries. Coffees from East Africa and Arabian peninsula possesses these traits.
Bitter – refer to the basic perception perceived primarily at the back of the tongue.
Bright – An assertive flavor with tangy acidity perceived at the front of the mouth; denotes high quality and high altitude coffee farm.
Buttery – A smooth, rich flavor and texture usually found in Indonesian coffees
Citrus –a lemon or grapefruit note that is present due to the coffee’s natural acidity; very desirable characteristic, denoting both quality and high altitude cultivation.
Clean – high quality coffees that leave little aftertaste
Cocoa - a texture and flavor reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa powder, leaves a dry but very pleasant aftertaste in the mouth.
Complex – a coffee with an array of flavors, rather than one dominant taste.
Crisp – clean coffee with bright acidity
Earthy - a texture and flavor reminiscent of fresh, fragrant soil or forest mushrooms.
Elegant – luxurious mouth feeling and intriguing flavor.
Exotic – unusual aromatic and flavor notes, such as floral, berry-like or spicy
Floral – fresh, sweet aroma that is fleeting and delicate
Fruity – berry or tropical fruit-like flavor or aroma
Intense – a singular, potent attribute- such as earthiness or smokiness
Mild – coffee with soft flavor characteristics
Nutty – an enjoyable flavor reminiscent of walnuts, almonds, etc.
Smoky – the darker the roast, the more smoky the aroma and flavor
Spicy – the aroma or flavor of a spice, from sweet to savory
Sparkling – coffees with bright acidity that floats on your tongue before it quickly dissipates
Stale – coffee when exposed to oxygen for extended periods of time loses acidity and becomes flat and cardboard tasting
Sweet – a positive coffee description associated with pleasant flavor and mouthfeel
Syrupy – thick coffee with a lot of body that leaves a lingering aftertaste
Wild – exotic flavors with extreme characteristics
Winey – a taste similar of a red wine or having a fruit quality

Plenty, right? Actually, that's not even half of it. There are more specific words to describe the experience but for the moment, let's just take this one cup at a time. Agree?

Tasting and Describing Coffee

2007-10-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ultimately the key to tasting is to compare and contrast. Tasting only one coffee at a time does not create any context. But if you taste two or three, you can discuss them in terms of preference, aroma-acidity-body & flavor.

Aroma signifies the way the coffee smells. The scents actually are often directly related to the actual flavor of the coffee. Take note that certain aromas can be quite subtle and challenging to perceive for the novice coffee taster. Still, it’s important to begin each of your tastings by smelling the coffee, since much of what we perceive as flavor is directly captured by our sense of smell.

Acidity, to us chemist, refers the actual pH of a certain liquid substance, which is entirely different for a coffee master. Acidity is the lively, palate-cleansing attribute of its flavor profile. When a coffee is said to be highly acidic it means it has a bright, tangy and crisp finish. Coffees with low acidity feel smooth in your mouth and tend to linger. Usually, you can experience acidity on the side and tip of the tongue.

Body is the “weight or volume” of the coffee. This is very similar when you try to compare tasting whole milk from nonfat milk. A coffee with light body will feel light on your tongue and flavor will not linger. In contrast, a full bodied coffee’s “weight” will remain longer in your mouth.

Flavor refers to how the coffee tastes. This characteristic seems to register in different parts of the mouth. Some will be subtle and some will be very evident, they simply vary. A few example of flavors would be citrus, cocoa and berries.

One last helpful tip in coffee tasting when comparing two or three coffees, it is would be wise to always taste lighter bodied coffees first and progress towards fuller bodied ones. This aids you to identify and characterize each and every cup of coffee mush accurately.

How to get that perfect cup of coffee – part 3

2007-10-16T21:29:00.001-07:00

A cup of coffee contains about 98% water!

Now imagine if the water is unclean or impure, what do you think will your taste buds tell you?? Not so good right, huh?

So never,never,never underestimate this very important fact because no matter how fresh or flavorful your coffee is, the cup is basically worthless.

Thus it is important to use only fresh, clean, pure water when brewing coffee. Avoid water from softeners, distilled water, municipal water that tastes like chlorine, or well water that taste like sulfur or iron. Excess minerals content (Fe, S, etc.) affects the taste of water. If local tap water tastes good, then it will likely make a good cup of coffee. Otherwise, consider using filtered or bottled water when brewing.

Also besides making sure it’s clean and pure, ensure that the water is at it’s best temperature when brewing. Water heated to almost boiling (90to 96 C) is perfect for extracting the coffee’s full range of flavors. Any cooler and the water can’t effectively extract.

Superman Returns on HBO

2007-10-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Nelo & I watched last night’s premiere show of Superman Returns in HBO. Nelo was very much amazed with the superpowers of this Kryptonian as he is much more of a Batman fan. Actually, I try to bond with my kids by playing along with them especially when it comes to superheroes. When Justice League came out, Nelo was Batman & I played out as Superman.

Come to think of it, Superman was my superhero when I was at Nelo’s age. I told Nelo while we were watching that I’m fan when I was 6 years old. Back then, I was watching in Agrix cinema the first Superman movie starring the late Christopher Reeves. Wow! It was amazing to see someone fly, use laser vision, super strength and most especially x-ray vision to defeat his enemy and save the world! IT WAS GREAT!!!

Nelo begged that I tell more about my childhood. I told him that I also watched Superman 2,3 and 4 with my cousin in a cinema. Back in the 80’s cinemas were a hit! Back then, cinemas were fully air conditioned and well maintained as moviegoers are very enthusiastic in coming there every Fridays and weekends. There were no VCDs, DVDs nor home cables yet. Betamax was a fad but it was very expensive with very limited movie selection.

Back to Superman, I remember watching at 4 TV series on the Man of Steel but it was a bit dry and the costume was not that lavish because we had a black and white TV. Now as for the Superman movie, it was a smashing blockbuster hit. While I was working with Warner Home Video, the demand for this movie is still a hit selling VCD & DVD format – and that was after 2 decades ago.
Nelo and I watched until 11 PM. Yes, I was sleepy but the movie was too exciting to miss & I could see the excitement in Nelo too. We would have occasional laughs as I try to imitate Superman flying with two arms stretched and one leg supporting my balance which looked like a ballerina gone mad.
I told him that Superman & I were alike. Superman has a little kid and so do I.
Like Superman, I love my little Nelo very much.

During the show, I can tell that there were so much bonding between us – father and son.

I guess Superman has more powers than I expected.

How to get that perfect cup of coffee – part 2

2007-10-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

In the 1940s, an organization called the Coffee Brewing Center did a consumer research that invented the “brewing recipe”. The recipe for the great coffee is (take note) two tablespoons of ground coffee for each six fluid ounces (180 ml) of water.

Coffee is made when hot water extracts, and mixes with, the flavor components in the ground coffee. The proper proportion allows the extraction of the coffee’s full flavors and yields a rich aromatic cup. Keep these proportions constant, regardless of the quantity you make.

The best way to make a “weaker” cup of coffee is to add hot water to properly brewed coffee. For a variety of reasons, many attempt to make a weak or milder cup of coffee by altering the proportion of coffee to water, most often by using significantly less coffee. Though this approach may be intuitive, the result is usually thin, very bitter tasting coffee – the very thing most coffee drinkers wish to avoid.

Using too little coffee means that more water passes through the grounds, continuing the extraction process long after the desirable flavor components have been pulled out. This is why we recommend diluting full-strength coffee if a milder cup of coffee is desired.

Karylle – The Last Backyard Bird

2007-10-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Next to coffee, I enjoy and relax watching my pet chickens. No they’re not the fighting cock types, rather those types that just roam in ordinary Philippine household.

Unlike most chicken lovers who put them on cages, mine roams free. Free to eat anything they like, go where ever they like, poh-poh anywhere they like (LOL). They’re free like Adam in the garden of Eden (our backyard).

Karylle happens to be the last surviving chicken. She’s (I consider it more than a thing) a white type leghorn or so it seems. She’s part of the 10 chickens my father got for free from a friend. I tried to raise them up in a cage for my mother’s birthday party, but unfortunately, due to health reasons their numbers dwindled.

Yes, it’s embarrassing (and disgusting) to know that after 2 months of rearing I realized that Karylle and her batch mates are not leghorn types that are good enough to be eaten after 45 days or so. And when there were only three left (Karylle included), I choose to just let them out of the cage to roam and scavenge for food.

Prior to Karylle and batch mates, I had sixteen Kabir type chickens. I named these chickens after the SOP hosts in GMA 7, so there were Janno, Ogie, Regine, Jaya, etc. because it’s easier and entertaining to call them those names. My friends would always had a good laugh when they understood the reason behind the names. They were plump and heavy (2 kilos minimum). They had an appetite that are above normal chickens as I would feed them household leftovers like fish intestines, meat, rice, etc. It was fun and relaxing looking at them running like big bosomed babes in the beach as they have a big esophagus that juggles and shakes. Also, they were very friendly and because of their unusual weight, they were slow and easy to catch. I’m also amused that these chickens are the first ones to greet me in the morning as they were expecting some food from me. In return, I didn’t expect meat from them – no that’s too cruel! I expected them to produce eggs. Kabirs are bad egg caretakers as they usually just lay eggs anywhere with no consideration at all if the place has protection for their delicate young. So it was hard to increase their number as I still need to cheat native chicken to rear Kabir eggs. Unfortunately, all my chickens died that after three years. To date, exact cause of death still unknown, but we suspect it was caused by some rat poison or perhaps due to viral infection. Yes, my wife and children felt sorrowful because of the incidence. My wife cried as we buried them.

Now, I’m left with Karylle, the last backyard chicken. I’m not sure how long she’ll last but I’m considering already of buying new stock of Kabirs this coming Christmas season to make our backyard a more cheerful and relaxing place.

Want another decaf?

2007-10-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

The other 2 ways of decaffeinating coffees are
1. The Swiss water process – begins by soaking green coffee beans in water to create what is called “flavor-charged water” This is step occurs only once, and these original beans are then discarded. The flavor-charged water is then run through a carbon filter, which traps only the caffeine molecules ion the carbon’s pores. Next the flavor charged water , now decaffeinated, is circulated over the green coffee beans and by simple diffusion the caffeine naturally flows out of the beans. Because the water is already saturated with flavor components, flavor crossover or removal is minimal. The flavor-charged water is again run through the carbon filters to remove the caffeine. This process is continued until 97% of the caffeine has been removed. After this, coffee is dried and sent to the roasting plant.

2. Supercritical CO2 - if it sounds that the process is so unstable, you’re right as it uses you’re not so normal carbon dioxide. Supercritical CO2 is forced through the green coffee beans and then sprayed with water at high pressure to remove the caffeine. The caffeine can then be isolated for resale to, for example, the pharmaceutical industry or beverage manufacturers by passing the water through activated charcoal filters or by distillation, crystallization or reverse osmosis

Now that you know how decaffeination works, it might be time to consider if you really want a decaf. Toast!

How to get that perfect cup of coffee – part 1

2007-10-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

The most common mistake people make in brewing coffee at home is grinding the coffee too finely. This practice is rooted on the belief that a finer grind will result to more cups per bag of coffee. The result of this practice is indeed more cups per bag , but each cup is bitter and over-extracted, as this allow overly fine grind to stay in contact with hot water for too long.

All commonly used methods of brewing coffee basically work the same way: hot water passes through ground coffee. Among the many variables, the size of the individual particle of the coffee is very important.

Basically, if is ground “too fine,” then the water lingers too long for contact resulting to over extraction. If grind is “too coarse,” the coffee is said to be dilute or watery (under-extraction). The appropriate grind is a function of the brewing method.

Three basic methods are popular:
1. Drip coffee – machines use either filter paper or mesh filters, which can be shaped such as flat bottomed or cone shaped. Cone shape type filter usually uses a finer grind.

2. Espresso – pump driven machines; water pressure is calibrated to push hot water into a container of ground coffee at a specified time. “Bad shots” or bad tasting coffee happens when pressure, water temperature and/or amount of ground coffee are incorrectly set up while using the machine.

3. Coffee press – also known as French press, are containers that has plunger screen which separates coarse ground coffee from hot water after it steeping time.

Overall, the fineness of the ground coffee determines how much time the water and coffee are in contact, which in turn determines exactly what is extracted from the ground coffee.

Barako - the bold Philippine coffee

2007-10-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

In the Philippines, when you are called “barako” it means you’re a hostile macho type guy, “beasty” mean attitude associated to the wild boars found in the country. The type of people you don’t want to get messed up with, otherwise, you’re going to get hurt.

Philippines’ coffee, Barako, is a coffee varietal grown found in provinces of Batangas and Cavite. It belongs to the species Coffea liberica, very much known for it’s particularly strong taste, powerful body, and a distinctly pungent aroma.

Famous Barako coffees are:
• Batanggas Brew
• Cafe de Lipa
• Figaro
• Kape Amadeo
• Siete Barako
Decades ago (remember my post about my lolo’s coffee farm?), the Philippines used to earn at least US$150 million a year in coffee exports. Now, the Philippines has become a net importer of coffee.
Why? Well, many farmers cut their coffee trees, including Barako, and switched to other cash crops. The main reason for switching is farmers in the Philippines do not have control over coffee prices. Prices are influenced by large exporting countries (Latin America). A coffee farmer cannot be guaranteed of a profit. Thus other profitable crops with more stable prices have become more attractive to produce. Other reasons include technology problems, lack of good roads, and the recent lifting on the ban on coffee imports. These are several reasons why Barako coffee is in danger of becoming extinct as most Filipinos now patronize imported coffee than their own.
It is good to know that some companies/foundations, like the Figaro Foundation Corporation has a program called The Save the Barako program. It’s a cooperative project of and other agencies aimed towards the revitalization of the local coffee industry and Barako farming.
Perhaps someday, Barako again will join the pack in becoming one of the most exported coffees in the world. We can all help by getting a cup today.

The Art of Coffee Tasting

2007-10-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

I had to stop bragging about coffees, as I’m not sure if you can relate to me about the subject. One cannot fully appreciate each and every cup of coffee without understanding the process of coffee tasting at this point.

Coffee tasting (as for some, they call it coffee cupping) is an art similar to wine tasting.
When we were at a young, school taught us the four basic taste we perceive with our tongue which are: salty, sweet, bitter and sour. After that, we are left to experience other tastes like piquant, acrid, bland, tangy, sharp, earthy, etc. I repeat we were left to experience those taste but never really understood what it is or how to identify and differentiate them from one another in varying degrees or intensity.

So in coffee tasting, we are going into a process or a procedure on how our tactile sensory could identify those tastes. Here our tongue is placed on a taste er,… test, in identifying each coffee.

Get a warm cup of coffee now because here’s how it goes:
1.Smell – waft the aroma of the coffee towards you and don’t be shy if you need to put your nose closer to the cup to describe what you are experiencing. Somehow, the smell reminds you of something from the acrid scent of burning plastic to a rotten egg and even the scent of an old wood in the forest, perception always helps you identify what it is. It is at this point that your nose “refreshes” you on memories on where you got last hold of that experience. Actually, the nose had already helped you in identifying the taste as it is capable of identifying and differentiating thousands “scent signals” with or without you knowing (believe it!).
2.SLURP – don’t sip! Slurp is a technique wherein you force air with liquid towards your tongue. The sucking technique creates an embarrassing sound (yes, I know) but that is necessary. As you slurp, the warm liquid is distributed immediately to all parts of the tongue causing instant signals of different taste intensities. It may take 2 or more slurp before you capture the “perceived taste” as you brain tries to figure out identifying it.
3.Here’s the hard part. Try to locate where it hits your tongue. Don’t be confused as others point out where their tongue was hit and got burned by the hot coffee. What is you should point out here is how the coffee lingered in what part of your tongue. Some would describe it to be on the side, back or middle tongue as each coffee is unique in delivering its flavor, acidity and body to a taster.
4.Lastly, create a story that got relived while tasting. Why? Well it is essential that you verbalize the experience you had while tasting and one way of memory recall technique is by creating a story. It’s called “reliving the moment”.

It’s not easy to get it all right the first time, hence practice is important here.

One more thing, try to do 2 different cups for each coffee tasting session, that way you can identify clearly what is not and what it is.

With that said and posted, hope next time I write you can relate and share your experience. I welcome your comments though you will disagree as one needs to share info in order to learn.

Happy coffee tasting!

The Coffee of Choco Lovers

2007-10-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

In my experience in coffee tasting, only one coffee stands out to fit and tame the tongues of choco lovers, I am pertaining to Starbucks' Guatemala Antigua.

This coffee is one of the coffee commodities of Latin America. Guatemala, the westernmost of the Central American nations, borders Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Antigua is in the south-central part of the country. The coffee is grown and surrounded by three inactive volcanoes which heavily contributed to the rich soil (high nitrogen content) of the area.

The coffee’s refined acidity is balanced with a subtle cocoa powder texture and soft spice flavors thus you get that elegant and complex flavor with great depth.

Try pairing it with chocolate – just sipping a warm Guatemala coffee while melting the chocolate in your mouth produces a unique burst of cocoa taste that lingers.

It’s no wonder baristas pair the coffee with brownies and chocolate cakes. And it’s no surprise that Starbucks' buy more coffee from Guatemala than from any other coffee-producing country.

The National Fist

2007-10-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today the Filipino people celebrate another boxing history as Manny Pacquio victoriously defeated Mexican slugger Antonio Barrera.

Filipinos from all walks of life took time to get stucked on tube as the "pambansang kamao" or "the national fist" pounds with euphoria one of Mexico's finest boxer.

When Barrera sneaked a punch after the referee briefly stopped the fight in the 11th round, many Filipinos both in the those stuck on their TV and hose in the coliseum booed, showing how deeply riveted they were by the game.

Although many expected another knockout victory from Manny, all yelled in joy when Pacquiao's victory was announced after the 12 round bout.

The judges scored the fight this way: Jerry Roth, 118-109; Glenn Trowbridge 118-109; and Tom Schreck 115-112.

To us, Manny remains to be an inspiration - an inspiration that if an individual gives out his heart for the best, one gets nothing less but the best.

Post game news :
> Roach(Manny's coach) rated him 8
> Barrera, now 33, had announced that this would be his last fight before he retires
> The fight brought many Filipinos at home that no traffic was experienced by
commuters that day!

The Chemistry of Coffee(part 1)

2007-10-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what’s “inside” your cup of coffee? Yes, you stare at it, and it’s just black. Get closer and you smell the aromatic scent. Be daring, and you slurp the drink! Followed by some insinuation and you end up drink the whole cup. And after sometime, you wonder, what was that you drank?

Coffee, as others put it, is mysterious. But not for chemists who can unravel the drink!

Before further discussion, we will just tackle here the volatile components or the unfamiliar composition of coffee. We will set aside the other components (for another blogging session) which are carbohydrates, caffeine, chlorogenic acids & carboxylic acids.
The volatile components of coffee are the ones easily percepted by our nose. The smell of the coffee already sends out signals to the brain regarding the familiarity of the drink. These volatile components usually derived from pyrolysis or from reactions occurring during the roasting of the raw bean. These reactions involving sugars, amino acids, organic acids and the phenolic compounds during roasting, give rise to the characteristic aroma and flavor associated with the different types of coffee. The nature of the volatile compounds and the exact composition found is dependent on a variety of factors that include the location during growth (e.g. climate and soil conditions), the storage of the beans (both during harvesting and subsequent to roasting) and the roasting conditions used (type of equipment, period and temperature).
To be able to scrutinize the constituents of coffee, analysts may use the following laboratory equipments:
GC/MS – Gas chromatography/Mass spectrophotometry
HPLC- High Performance Liquid Chromatography
These equipments are able to “dissect” or separate and identify the component of volatile substances.
Research shows that the following chemicals were found in coffee:

Methylfuran
2-butanone
2-methylbutanal
2,5-dimethylfuran
2,3-butanedione
pyrrolidine
2,3-pentanedione
2-methylthiophene
trans-2-methyl-2-butenal
4-methyl-2,3-pentanedione
3-methyl-1-hydroxybenzene
pyrazine
furfurylmethylether
2-methylpyrazine
2-butanol-3-one
1-propanol-2-one
2,5-dimethylpyrazine
2,6-dimethylpyrazine
furfural
ethyleneglycol diacetate
furfuryl formate
2-acetylfuran
pyrrole
1-(2-furyl)-2-propanone
furfuryl acetate
5-methylfurfural
furfuryl alcohol

The amounts, of course, of the chemicals above vary from coffee to coffee and the treatment of roasting one applies. That’s (partly) the reason why each coffee has unique taste and aroma.

You may ask then, is it safe to drink coffee? That my avid reader we will discuss in another blog session.

To afar I go….SLEX away!

2007-10-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Many of my co-workers cannot help but chuckle when at the end of the week day I bid them – “I’ll be going out of town, see you tomorrow!”

To many, the statement posed a kind of break from the daily grind, while I ride off to a relaxed, less frantic surrounding such as Makati.

Frankly, it’s the opposite. You see, I commute home to Los Baños daily! My hometown is about 64 kilometers south of Manila. It takes about 2 up to 2 ½ hour traveling time (hassle of getting a bus included).

The bus I ride daily threads on South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the only sensible road connecting the southern Luzon area of the Philippines to its capital industrial city.

This road is roughly used for about 45 years with its last rehabilitation last four years ago. Currently, the Arroyo government is undertaking road rehabilitation and widening of the South Luzon Expressway. Rehabilitation started early this year and hopes to cater more than its current capacity of 150,000 vehicles which carries about a million passengers a day and also 60% of the south’s produce to both markets and ports(sea & air) of Manila.

Some facts about the SLEX rehabilitation:
the project cost for the 30-kilometer South Luzon Expressway currently estimated to cost to about a whooping P8 billion!
has three phases :
1. rehabilitating of the Alabang viaduct
2.widening of the expressway from Filinvest in Alabang, to Calamba in Laguna province
3.connecting the SLEX to the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road extension from Calamba to Santo Tomas in Batangas province
From the budget alone, expect a more that a 100% increase in toll fee (just like what happened in North Luzon Expressway).

Worse, target completion is on 2008!

Oh well that the price of progress! Let’s just all hope that majority of the Filipino people benefit from this project.

Playing Fair

2007-10-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Do you know that not all good coffees come from big land owners or production group?

Small coffee farmers with excellent coffee products had been given equal leverage with big production owners by Transfair USA. Transfair USA is an independent non-profit organization which monitors and certifies Fair Trade products in the United States. Buying Fair Trade Certified™ coffees means that you’re buying quality products at the same time ensured that the small coffee farmers who grew them are paid with a fairly reasonable price thus providing them with a decent living wage. Just to clarify, Fair Trade doesn’t provide alms or charity rather promotes self reliance and quality for growers who are disadvantaged under present trading conditions. Under the guidelines of Fair Trade, they exist to assist in building direct trading relationships for farmers, and also ensure that standards which addresses decent working and living conditions, freedom of association, sustainable farming practices that protect the environment, and access to capital are met.

So every time you buy quality coffee and you’re really concerned over workers and farmer’s condition, check out the Fair Trade Certified™ label on its pack because in a way, you’re extending out a helping hand.

Want it decaf?

2007-10-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Coffee is a very complex beverage, and has been the subject of countless pieces of medical and general scientific research. Caffeine, found in coffee, is a mild stimulant found in more than 60 plants including coffee and tea, while the presence of caffeine is part of the reason some people drink coffee, it is in fact a very small part of coffee’s intrigue and personality. Though caffeine (trimethyl xanthine) is slightly bitter compound, it plays virtually no role (believe it!) in the flavor of coffee. Once removed from the green coffee bean, caffeine is a white powder.
These studies indicate that moderate consumption of coffee poses little or no risk to the average person. For some, coffee with less caffeine may be the best option, while some find caffeine’s stimulating effect unpleasant; others prefer to drink decaf at night.

Decaffeination is the process by which caffeine is removed from the green coffee bean. Because green beans are hard and dense, all methods of decaffeination begin by soaking the beans in warm water. This softens the beans and increases the moisture content.
Another method is called the direct contact method wherein, it best preserves the flavor of the original coffee bean, as the process selectively removes the caffeine. This happens when the beans are sufficiently soft, a decaffeination agent called methylene chloride is added to the mass of wet coffee beans. The caffeine molecules bond with the methylene chloride, leaving the bulk of the coffee’s flavor intact. After the beans are rinsed and dried, they are ready for roasting. The caffeine is separated from the methylene chloride and the methylene chloride is used again. As caffeine is an ingredient in many painkillers and soft drinks, much of the caffeine removed from coffee is sold by the decaffeination facilities to pharmaceutical and soft drink companies for use in their product.

But you ask, what happens with the methylene chloride? This has been an issue since mid-1980 and the explanation is wuite simple. Because methylene chloride has a very low boiling temperature (approximately 40C to 104F), lower than the temperature at which coffee is brewed (approximately 93C or 200F) and much lower than that at which coffee is roasted (approximately 204C or 400F), hence, there is no detectable methylene chloride in a cup of decaf coffee.

Valve in Coffee Packaging

2007-10-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why there's a valve in coffee foil bags?

After being roasted, all coffees need to “de-gas”, the natural process of releasing carbon dioxide. If beans are left to de-gas in an open bin, they will soon become stale because of exposure to oxygen. On the other hand, if the freshly raosted beans are immediately sealed into the container without a way for the gas to escape, the pressure of the carbon dioxide being released will cause the container to burst.
Thus roasting plants utilize packaging systems that allow coffee to be sealed in bags directly after they are roasted. This process protects the coffee from oxygen, light and moisture. Additionally, all packages of whole-bean coffee include a one-way valve that allows coffee gasses to escape while keeping oxygen out. This process helps ensure that the coffee tastes as great as the day it was roasted.

Cha's Birthday

2007-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Two days from now, Charie (my wife) will be celebrating her 36th birthday. My two kids are planning to surprise her and take her out to Pizza Hut to treat her out on her favorite snack – pizza!
How sweet, indeed! Having these two kids really are a blessing from heaven.

I just hope Charie would appreciate how she will be treated that day as she is more worried on current finances due to her mother’s worsening kidney condition.

It was two months ago that we found out that her mother has damaged kidneys due to previous strokes. They were left unattended by her doctor and that worsened the condition. After that, everything changed. Medicines and dialysis became a necessity to keep her well and alive.

It would have been very easy for all of us if we had the money to sustain her condition as dialysis is a costly treatment for patients with renal problems. Fortunately, we were able to avail help a month’s free service of dialysis from PCSO.

There were a lot of lessons here, but I would highlight in my story the best one that I could find, and that is - love your mother.

Hold her, tell her, show her and let her feel all the love you have for her.
Not sometimes but every time.

Two days from now Charie will be celebrating her birthday. Come that day, I know she’ll be happy with my kids.

Coffee Cherries and Coffee Beans

2007-09-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

During the harvest season, coffee trees become full with bright red coffee cherries. Ripe cherries are slightly larger than a blueberry. The unroasted green coffee bean is actually the pit, or seed, of the coffee cherry.

The skin of the coffee cherry is thick with a slightly bitter flavor. The fruit beneath the skin, however, is sweet. The texture of this layer of fruit is similar to that of a grape. Beneath the fruit is the parchment, covered with a thin, slippery, honey-like layer called mucilage. The parchment of a coffee cherry serves as a protective layer for the coffee bean. Removing the parchment will reveal two bluish green coffee beans that are coated with a very thin layer called the sliverskin. While the most coffee cherries contain two beans, 5-10% of the cherries contain only one bean. This is called a peaberry.

The burden of hypertension part 2

2007-09-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

High blood pressure is one of the main reasons why heart failures occur. Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, happens when the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s need because one or both ventricles are not functioning properly. Some are the scenarios:
The heart can’t pump with enough force (systolic heart failure)
Inability to draw enough blood into the major chambers of the heart (diastolic heart failure)
The weakened heart competes with constricted arteries and veins hence must exert more effort to push blood throughout the system.

In the past, there were only two main classes of drugs for the treatment of heart failure:
Diuretics (water pills) which gets rid excess body fluid by increasing urine flow and
Digitalis (Digoxin; from the fox glove plant) which tends to widen blood vessels and increases the force of heart beat.

Today with the advent of more drugs, the future of treatment looks better for patients. One of the winning drugs in the market is known as angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. It has been the single reason why heart failure has become a treatable condition rather than a death sentence to patients.

ACE inhibitors acts to block the synthesis of angiotensin, a substance that constricts blood vessels, raises blood pressure, and puts a strain on the heart. As a result they slow down the deterioration of the straining heart muscles.

Studies show that a heart failure especially in the beginning of the treatment can often be controlled with an ACE inhibitor and a beta blocker in combination of exercise, diet and other lifestyle changes.

These combinations of treatment do wonders, both relieving the symptoms of the patients and the helping them live longer productive lives.

Which bean is better? Arabica vs. Robusta Coffee Beans

2007-09-28T02:07:00.000-07:00

In the Philippines, there are 4 famous coffees: Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa & Liberica.

But worldwide, there are two commercially significant coffee species: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (robusta). Arabica coffee accounts for about 70% of the world’s coffee production and grows best at altitudes above 450 meters (1,500 feet). Arabica coffees, referred to as “milds” in the coffee industry, have more refined flavor and contain about 1% caffeine by weight.
As the name indicates, robusta coffee is a robust species, resistant to disease, with a high yield per plant. It flourishes at lower elevations and produces coffee with harsher flavor characteristics. Robusta coffees contain about 2% caffeine by weight, twice the content of Arabica.

The taster would have to be the one to decide which coffee bean reigns supreme, so it is but necessary to be able to conduct proper tasting techniques to evaluate the drink.

Coffee Trees

2007-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, coffee trees grow in the equatorial band between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The fruit of the tree is referred to as a coffee cherry. Remember, geographic conditions such as soil, climate and altitude all play a major role in developing coffee’s flavor.

Here are some interesting facts:
• The coffee tree is a relative of the gardenia, an evergreen shrub commonly found in gardens.
• Coffee trees generally blossom or flower once a year. Once these jasmine-scented flowers fall off the coffee tree, small cherry cluster forms, which leads to a fully mature, ripe, red coffee cherry. It takes nine months for the process from flowering to harvesting to take place.
• Most coffee trees have the potential to grow between 9-12 meters (30-40 feet) tall, but are often kept shorter to encourage higher yields and for ease of harvest. Pruning coffee trees encourages them to concentrate their food supply to fruit production rather than leave production.
• The average coffee tree produces enough cherries each season to produce 450-680g (1-1.5 pounds) of roasted coffee.
• Roughly 2.27kg (5 pounds) of coffee cherries are required to produce 0.45kg (1 pound) of green coffee.

My grandfather once had a small coffee farm in Los Banos, Laguna which I recall to produce 20-50 sacks of coffee beans a year. However, after he died, the coffee trees were left unattended and thus produce little harvest.

Each time I go to his farm, I remember his passion in coffee production.

Looking at myself today, I see myself to continue that passion but in a different direction.

The Coffee Belt

2007-09-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Most people laugh but yes, there’s such a term as a “coffee belt” and it’s very similar to the “pacific ring of fire” and “earthquake belt” rather than what most people think that it’s something worn by Batman.

The coffee belt exists between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, from 23.5 degrees above the equator to 23.5 degrees below it. Native to Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula, coffee is now grown at these latitudes in 50 different countries, from Indonesia to Guatemala to Kenya, on family farms and large estates.
It is in this region that the most flavorful types of coffees are grown, produced and harvested. The coffee belt region is known for its fertile soil and tropical climate which both adds to the unique character and quality of each coffee grown bean.

The yellow bell

2007-09-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

I went on leave today due to a fever. Out, it was a dark gloomy day as dark cumulus clouds enveloped the sky. I spent sometime drinking a warm cup of coffee in my hand while I observed how this day will probably progress. Staring out from our house, hours pass by.

Of course short chills are but normal as the breeze blew lightly, but viewing our garden from where I sit makes you may wonder -- was it the coffee or are those yellow flowers really glowing?

It seems but a year ago, those yellow bells(Ranunculus glaberimus) were planted by my wife. It was not planted on a good soil so I thought then that it would soon wilt away. But somehow it grew, climbed over the fence and shoots off those remarkably bright yellow petals, though it seems to exhibit some sort of an afterglow. It was amazing to behold as its yellow aura color contrasts with its dark green leaves.

Yes it was a sight to behold, allowing no weather to cover its glow, wonderfully, on a gloomy dark day.

Makes me think - don’t you wish we can all be like the yellow bell?

Coffee now!

2007-09-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

After having another mad drinking session with my friends yesterday that ended at wee hours in the evening(or was it morning?), I’m carrying over today here in the office a bad load of hangover. Good thing I’m working for a coffee company, having multiple cups of coffee for free is indeed a benefit in this situation. Caffeine overdose jolts my senses in this dreary day. Current caffeine intake just sufficient bringing a smile on my face and convincing me to take again that “just-do” attitude.

Sigh….Coffee….the drink that makes the world go round these days.

Considering where it came from, Ethiopia, makes you wonder how a goat herder’s beverage (well, according to the legend that is) could be one of the chosen drinks of businessmen & celebrities.

Imagine according to one statistic report, world coffee production in 2005-2006 was at 113 million bags!

And it all started from one cup of coffee.

Bañamos!

2007-09-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 392nd foundation day of Los Baños and at the same time, the town’s celebration for Bañamos.

Being 392 years old, Los Baños still preserves and carries most of the Philippines’ diverse flora and faunas. The place also boasts to carry reputable educational and research institutions that are known for advances and contribution in scientific studies in the world.

What’s with the name? It all has to do with the location, location and location. Situated in between Laguna lake and Mt. Makiling, hot springs are very predominant, add to that the tropical climate and you’ve got a place where you’d always like to take a bath.
In spanish “baño” literally means a place to take a bath, hence Spaniards named the place Los Baños or “the bathe”.

Going back to the celebration, the town's mayor Cesar Perez invited ABS- CBN (a local TV network) this morning to cover today’s kick off to a week’s long of celebration. The schedule seems hectic, covering a civic parade, symposia, a beauty contest, buco pie eating contest, exhibits and lastly, a dance party of revelry.

He invited this morning Senator Loren Legarda to a tree planting project in the town proper. Dressed in blue jean and a pink long sleeved shirt, the senator gladly shook everyone’s hands during the civic parade.

There will be other activities within the week to commemorate this event but the tree planting activity will be the most symbolic as it represents growth and maturity in balancing both nature and man in one community.

The black apron & pin

2007-09-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Coffee masters are Starbuck’s resident experts who have pursued additional coffee training and education in all areas of the coffee field, from the farm to the espresso machine and everything in between.

Very much like in the martial arts world, where the master wears a black belt, coffee masters are distinguished by the company by wearing black aprons! Hence, they are more knowledgeable and erudite on the craft than the usual regular green wearing apron baristas.

A barista, to be able to be given the title of coffee master, must be able to excel in a series of tests and rigid interviews to demonstrate their knowledge about coffee - taste identification and differentiation, relation to origin, and the creation of a perfect cup to customers and afficianados.

Let me impart with you pictures of my black apron and coffee master pin which I received a year ago.

Then allow me to share to you a story for each coffee, as we say in Starbucks, one cup at a time.

80's National Hero

2007-08-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

Today, the proud Filipino people celebrate our National Heroes Day, commemorating the sacrifices our ancestors contributed to proclaim our country as independent of foreign rule.
Just a week ago, one of those heroes was also remembered, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. He was the hero in the 80’s, a man whose influenced spark the minds of the masses on the challenges imposed by dictatorial leadership against the rule of democracy

As a high school student back then, I could not fathom the meaning of his dedication in fighting tyranny, as I witness then the turmoil that erupted after his fatal death. Although I noticed back then the growing gap between rich and poor, the cronies lifestyle versus the men in squatter’s area, the suppressed media against the one cry one out that only his voice must the only be one heard. No, I relied alone with what has fed through rumors, as press was not allowed to spread and inform the truth.

Oh I how remembered what was televised - the reverberating gunshot footage of Ninoy, the funeral that brought out millions of Filipinos to the streets, the alarming number of rallies with yellow confetti - which all eventually evolved in the much known EDSA revolution.

He was a modern day Jose Rizal.

Looking back those times, one can only ask – is this present day, the day those national heroes aspired for this generation to cherish?

A resounding YES.

The coffee master speaks...

2007-08-12T01:31:00.000-07:00

The Black Apron

Coffee masters are Starbuck’s resident experts who have pursued additional coffee training and education in all areas of the coffee field, from the farm to the espresso machine and everything in between.

Very much like in the martial arts world, where the master wears a black belt, coffee masters are distinguished by the company by wearing black aprons! Hence, they are more knowledgeable and erudite on the craft than the usual regular green wearing apron baristas.

A barista, to be able to be given the title of coffee master, must be able to excel in a series of tests and rigid interviews to demonstrate their knowledge about coffee - taste identification and differentiation, relation to origin, and the creation of a perfect cup to customers and afficianados.

Let me impart with you pictures of my black apron and coffee master pin which I received a year ago.

And next time, allow me to share to you a story for each coffee, as we say in Starbucks, one cup at a time.

The burden of hypertension...

2007-08-12T01:18:00.000-07:00

Essential hypertension. First time I heard it was from my internist at age 24.

Until now I don’t understand why it was coined as essential when in fact it is a liability.

From my research, essential hypertension (primary hypertension) indicates that no specific medical cause can be found to explain a patient's condition. Hypertension as you know, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. Blood pressure is "normal if it's below 120/80" but that "some data indicate that 115/75 mm Hg should be the gold standard" that is according to Mayo Clinic website.
My doctor attributes the cause of my hypertension to work related stress and with this, I spend about P700 every month for my medication just to maintain the desired 120/80 level.

Now I didn’t stop there, no I couldn't.
Now that I’m on my thirties, I’m dealing with hypertension more seriously. Besides taking Norten 10mg as maintenance drug, I do attend to my annual medical check up, indulge in the prescribed low fat diet & take regular cardio - exercises.

Now if you’re on your thirties, I suggest you too take your health seriously, as there are great blessings going on to your forties without a disability.

Writer’s block

2007-08-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Happens everytime. Writer’s block as they call it.

Stuns you that you’ve been staring at the monitor or paper for so long at no reason at all. Thoughts, perhaps too overwhelming, that a writer stumbles on organizing it into proper context or sequence. Sometimes though, there is no thought at all, just a blank stare – waiting for any concept that may fall from the sky.

How to keep it from happening?

Simply write.
Write. Write. Write.

Are those with thoughts with sense at all?

Probably not, but you can browse over it next time to organize and put a story behind it.

One thing to remember and put to mind especially when you’re thirty - time waits for no one. My friend, maximize every moment.

Along came a blogger…

2007-08-02T01:43:00.000-07:00

It was hot that day. Its 7:30 and I’m definitely late for work.
The bus passed by full of passengers, too full to allow this late employee to squeeze through and snuggle.

“Is this all this day could offer?” I mumbled as I wiped the sweat on my forehead. Sigh.

As I waited for another bus to pass, I recognize an old time friend in college also in the crowd of commuters. We greeted each other with a “Hoy! Kamusta na?” opener. After that, stories poured in like rain. Stories about a friend of a friend and the classmate of a friend which now is working in a different country along with friend, and such with much ado in the conversation trying to connect what happened in-between the gap in college graduation and the life as we know it.

Glo Gamat. My sis in ChemSoc, my classmate in all organic chemistry subjects and my friend during drinking session. That’s how I knew her then. Now she tells me she’s a blogger, a problogger, to be exact.

Now picture this before I continue my story, we were in college during the early 90’s and at that time, students only go to internet cafés in UPLB to have their reports, thesis and term papers typed and printed. Only that and just that. Why? Well, first there were not too much information then to cross check and surf for academic topics. Second, it’s expensive (costs me a day’s allowance that time).

We do have at that time terms like e-mails and personal websites but not blog. No, absolutely, no blog (except perhaps the thud sound when you fall).
And here I am talking to someone telling me she’s a blogger.

Flabbergasted, I just had to show my ignorance to understand, so I dropped the question, “What is that?”

Then she explained to me what she does in five minutes. The full five minutes.

I listened (I’m sure I did) but I didn’t grasp the idea. Although I’d like to ask more, my bus finally came, summoning me as if it was the last trip to work. Hurriedly, I asked for her e-mail address. She gave it, plus the website where she blogs.

After a dozen email exchanges and website surfing, I finally understood what she meant, what she does, and what she’s worth.

My amazement to her work is simply one of the reasons how this blog site came to be.

“Is this all this day could offer?” Looking back at that day, I just can’t help but answer back the question I threw with, “No, each day offers more especially when you meet friends along the way”.

Meet my friend and problogging mentor at http://daragang-magayon.com/ , I’m positive she can inspire you too.

Senescence – remember age is just a number!

2007-07-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

If you’re on your thirties or nearing your thirties, let me congratulate you.
Congrats! You’ve reached another peak!

Let me share to you the blessings that you can count on when you’ve reach this milestone. One is that you’re not that yet susceptible to rheumatism, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and other 40s & 50s diseases. Ergo, your body is actually at its prime (that is, considering you’ve taken good care of it while you’re in your teens and 20s)! Okay, it won’t be in that state that it’s too energetic, but neither is it that too lethargic.

Second is that your hormone overdrive has reached its plateau state – no more of that fling type relationship this time. You are more sociably mature to choose your mate and friends, more professionally in control of your career and more passionate with what you want to do with the rest of your life.

So what do you do when you’re thirty?
First, praise God and consider it a blessing.
Second, think that you’ll only pass it once so do everything that you consider a must to progress.
Lastly, cherish the moment! It’s time to make life’s journey, more enjoyable.

Again, congrats!

It all started with a realization....

2007-07-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Blogging is really not my cup of tea.
I mean think of it, sharing your life and opinions to the rest of the world. HELLO!
I'm a bit selfish on that part. I prefer putting some parts of my life in secret. Keep it really personal. Sort of like Batman (you know, minus being a billionaire).

So you ask, why then am I posting?

Well thinking it over, with so much tossing and turning plus the sleepless nights mixed that with the passion of writing, I came to a realization.

A realization that some parts of my life can be shared, perhaps to provide some helpful insights on what transpired in (what I consider as) my era.
All in all, I do hope I can be an inspiration through my writing.
So, I'm not that really selfish after all, huh?

And considering the limit of the world wide web, well, you'll never know who can get blessed...