So, next Sunday, the WCE descends on Dublin for meetings about the WBC and other prestigious coffee events. It is a rare occurrence to have so many luminaries in Ireland, probably being the first such occasion, and is unlikely to be repeated until 2013 when Ireland hosts the WBC*
So – welcome. I shall be marking the occasion by flying to the west coast of the US. It’s not you, it’s me. Read the rest of this entry »
As many who read this and who know me personally will be aware, I am a scientist. I have spent most of my adult life in active research, both during my PhD and subsequent work. For the last number of years, as this blog and other activities will testament my passion for speciality coffee has grown exponentially. There are times when this ate up so much of my time that it became like a second job (albeit without the pay) and the aspect of my life that tended to lose out was that with my (terribly understanding) family. This was never desirable for me, and as my young family has grown it has become less and less acceptable. Something had to give.
It has long been my desire for this consuming passion to somehow coincide with my work. I’m delighted to announce such an opportunity recently arose, and on January 4th I sit down for work at my new desk in the Marco R&D Department. Read the rest of this entry »
Writing this now, without a clear grasp on its final direction, I fear I may stray into self-indulgence. My apologies in advance if it goes that way. It was for me in many ways a significant year, bittersweet at times, a lot was learned.
This time a year ago, 3FE was very much finding its feet in the most unlikely of venues. On the day its doors opened though, it immediately set a new standard for this country. Looking at it a year on, I’m delighted to find a thriving coffee shop, and orbiting around it, the first green shoots of a putative scene emerging. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve asked myself this question a couple of times over the last week or so. It concerns my emotional attachment to coffee. What do I get in return, what do I experience? While I get great satisfaction from coffee, the beverage, I’m not sure if my range of emotion ever extends to joy. Pleasure – yes, intrigue, frustration, disappointment, comfort sure. Joy – I’m not sure.
There can be much joy derived indirectly from coffee though. From people. Shared cups. Conversations.Unexpected kindness. Achievements. Triumphs. Read the rest of this entry »