Friday, December 30, 2005


another surprise from andrew b!

and i arrived at my office today to find yet another fantastic surprise package from the amazing andrew b. of ecco. included were his prize-winning brazil, yrg, and reserve espresso.

all these coffees are noteworthy -- i can't wait to rush home and brew 'em all up. thanks again, andrew!

after my wonderful experiences in sydney, i just have to stop and reflect at the generosity, kindness, and cameraderie that marks the global specialty coffee community. you absolutely couldn't invent these people; only the passionate love of fine coffee itself could be responsible.

yay, us!

it was also quite helpful to get back to my regular yoga classes yesterday, because in my experience, nothing beats jet lag like yoga. i nearly kissed that blessed wooden floor.

by the end of my yoga classes in sydney -- the vast majority of which took place on concrete floors -- my right wrist and elbow had just had it. ouchie!

alas this prevented me from taking yoga at silky oaks or in port douglas on my trip to the great barrier reef. (which by the way is a place every single person should travel to if only to remind themselves of exactly how beautiful and miraculous nature is -- nothing beats hanging out with the fish, trust me.

it doesn't sound as amazing as it is until you do it yourself; there's just something miraculous about the coral sea. it will also cure any lingering doubts you may have about global warming -- you can see the result with your own 2 eyes.

in the past the reef has adjusted to the slow pace of natural climate change as the earth has incrementally moved from ice age to warm age, etc. it's the speed of the present unnatural, human-enhanced change that's stressing the reef to its limits, along with other human-made problems, such as over-development and poor agricultural practices.

but i digress. . .as i often say, politics is boring, while coffee is interesting. . .)

i think the reason so many yoga studios in sydney have these concrete floors is just a function of the fact that most buildings in sydney aren't old. most modern construction features concrete floors, after all.

unlike new york or san francisco, sydney just doesn't seem to have a strong stock of ancient former textile mills or other old factories of light industry that leave behind large loft spaces with gorgeous wide-planked wood floors and giant windows. these are the kinds of spaces in which most of the yoga studios with which i'm familiar exist.

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