Having my first cup of black coffee on a cold & windy Sunday morning. Sip…ugh!

I seem to have lost my black coffee making skills. The last few days, whenever I’ve made a cup of coffee for myself, it either turns out to be too sweet or too strong & bitter.

What’s wrong and how could I have lost the skills? It’s the spoon! Is it the spoon? I’m using a different spoon for the coffee powder – that must be it. Can you blame the spoon for the weird tasting coffee? Maybe I should try milk with coffee.

When did Starbucks start selling its wares in India and that too in Kerala? How come this is without my knowledge?

Well they actually haven’t and I have been waiting for them to announce that the Seattle based craze is going to start opening branches in India (there has been talks but I don’t know when is the date of their launch) and in Kerala in particular. Cause I live in Kerala. I’m dying to try out the different types of coffee that Starbucks create. I would be willing to sell you my liver for a few cups of the coffee bliss.

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The reason for this post is that I saw a smashed Starbucks paper cup (like the one on the left) near my office yesterday. Since the company doesn’t sell their stuff in India, I’m wondering how it got there. Is it possible that some guy came from the US (or any country where they do have Starbucks) came all the way to Cochin with a cup of Starbucks coffee with him, drove to the Kalamasserry area, saw my office, knew that I work there and left the smashed cup to mock me? You know, because he has access to Starbucks and I don’t! That bastard!

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Starbucks isn’t doing all that well? At the beginning of the month the BBC had an article that states that the coffee chain giant has plans to shut 500 stores in the US on top of the 100 closures it had already announced. Up to 12,000 full and part-time jobs will go, although Starbucks will try to move some of their staff around the stores that are doing well. Starbucks said it was closing stores that were either not profitable or likely to struggle in the future as economic conditions deteriorate. While they close these stores, Starbucks is also going to open another 200 more in other US locations. I’m just wondering when they can get to Cochin – the company has plans to open their stores in India but it will probably be cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta (with their coffee culture it will be a perfect match), Chennai and Bangalore (oh most certainly so) that get them first.

As most of you readers know, I love coffee. For the others, just click on the category named Coffee and you will know.

I enjoy my cup, whether hot or cold, and I like taking my time with it, unlike a lot of people who just gulp it down in a couple of seconds (how do they do it with hot coffee, I shall never understand). What I want in my coffeeshop is excellent coffee in various different styles. Some cookies, brownies & little snacks to go along with the coffee. A tasty looking menu that has actual images of the type of coffee that are available. Lush carpeting or wooden paneling. Comfy sofas and chairs with neat tables. Attentive & knowledgeable waiters. Decent pricing (I don’t mind spending premium cost on the coffee if its good).

Ofcourse the coffeeshop must be in a easy to reach location. Must be air-conditioned and roomy. Should be big enough that it doesn’t get crowded if 20 people are sitting at table there. And oh, even more important than the coffee’s taste – do not play stupid Hindi music or dance music and certainly do not play recordings of 3rd rate Indian bands trying to murder rock classics! It was so bad today at Cafe Coffee Day.

On Friday evening after I reached home to spend the weekend alone, I realized that I didn’t have coffee or sugar! What is that word that fits for the moment when you are confronted with a terrible catastrophe, a disaster, a terror, a calamity, a crisis? Name that word and you have the situation that I was in. I had reached late and the shops next to me were closing as I was walking on by. So there was no way that I could get any and I badly wanted a coffee at that time, since it was cold & raining.

The next morning, Saturday, I had to wake up early to get to office before 8 am. The alarm went off at 5 am and I dragged my butt out of the covers and brushed my teeth and washed my face. Barely alive, I made my way to the stove and put the kettle on to boil water and open the cupboard for the coffee & sugar and found both empty and …..aghhhh! Cruel, cruel way to start the day!

I went back to my room and switched the computer on (cause the radiation from the monitor acts just like any stimulant) and tried to read motivational topics and inspiring quotes. It didn’t work, so I went to the bathroom and did my duties. I came back when the back up alarm went off (5:30 am) and sat for what felt like an eternity. Slowly I went back to shave and take a warm bath. I decided to go straight to the office, since I was now running late and as soon as I reached there, I flung my bag on my desk and headed straight to the pantry area so I could get my fix. Ahhh! Disaster avoided.