My Coffee Love

I feel that we're far into this digital media age than ever before. It's a quick sand pit and before we realized it, we are neck deep inside. Why am I saying this? Well, for one, there's nothing called Privacy any more. I'm seeing who is eating what, where and with whom. Okay, well, people choose to share this information with  me. Can't complain, can I? Let's look at what digital platforms are doing. Ever used Google Maps to navigate? Have the app on your android phone? It may come as a surprise to you but Google is literally tracking your every move. Don't believe me? Check out https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0 (log in with the account that you have synced with your phone). You'll say that there's nothing harmful in this. Well, if there isn't anything harmful, why is Google storing all your data? Why not erase it from it's server after you have reached your destination? Of course, we all have heard the rumors about Google keeping...

Since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections have started in India, every news channel is donning the hat of Ekta Kapoor. There's drama ("Modi ne Priyanka ko beti kaha"), there's plotting and planning ("Modi not allowed to hold a rally in Banaras!"), direct confrontations ("How did Priyanka Vadra's secretary get entry into Amethi's polling booth") and ofcourse the normal "Nahi, Nahi, Nahi" reactions. Instead of heavy make-up and jewellery, we see everyone in the cotton saree/kurta-pajama (and muffler) look. Each hour of news looks like it is scripted for more masala. Only the inner voice/thoughts of the politicians are missing from the voice over, thankfully so! Here's a quick look at what's happening on Indian News Channels: Verdict against the Culprit Each News Channel hosts a debate wherein the moderator of the debate and the anchor of the sow turns into a typical saas, throwing allegations at the guest who has been...

Off-late every radio station has a song singing praises of Modi, every hoarding has the face of Modi, every person's Facebook and Twitter feed is filled with comments about Modi. I'm sure most of you guys also feel taxed about this! Wherever we go, Modi follows! Thankfully he's not present on my cuppa coffee (phew!!) I don’t have a problem with any party promoting a particular individual as their Prime Minister. In fact, it shows that the party is pretty sure about what it wants. My problem is with BJP's positioning  for this election. BJP has NO other positioning except vote for Modi. Highlighting a few key points as to why this is a problem for a common man: Modi has been talking of Gujarat! What he forgets is, if NDA comes into power and he becomes the PM, he will have to govern the entire country and  not one state! Modi believes that the Gujarat Model of development will work for all states. I'm not even getting into the fact that m...

So I finally got some time off for myself and decided to write a blog. Would deviate from writing about  my coffee experiences but then I'm writing with a cuppa coffee in my hand :) Well, we're obviously in the election season and things are as heated as a cuppa cappuccino! While I was considering whom to vote for in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, I reached out people who actually see progress (or don’t see progress) at grass root levels. This is when I realised that in Maharashtra, the government in the last 10 years has been doing a lot for the people; things that you and I would generally overlook or wouldn’t even bother trying to find out about. These 2 things really impressed me. Some of these experiences are my own while some of them have been shared by various people around me (I wouldn't name them in order to respect their privacy). To start with, I was amazed at what all the government is doing in the state-run schools. All of us are aware that educati...

So I’m getting married in November and all the wedding preparations are going on in full swing. With office on weekdays and shopping on weekends, I have not been getting enough time to spend with Rahul (either he’s out shopping or I’m out shopping!). Moreover the pressure of wedding, too much work at office and the most hateful activity on earth (shopping) have started taking a toll on me! Rahul finally decided to take a break from all this and realized how much I need to talk to him and spend time with him to ensure that I don’t go completely mad (more than before)! We made an impromptu plan last Sunday. He gave up his cricket for me (partly because it was raining :p) and we went to Phoenix Market City, Kurla. While we were too early for dinner, we decided to spend time in a coffee shop. What better place to spend time than in Di Bella! Curved Cup for Flat White I’ve been to Di Bella before and really like the ambience. It’s quiet and nice and their cutlery is amazing. W...

Ok, I’m back after a long time! There’s been too much happening at work and in personal life and the only “me” time I’m getting is my coffee time! Even as I start writing this, I get a message saying there’s an issue at work! :( Off late, I have been interacting with people and talking to them about coffee (well obviously) and the sad part is that not a lot of people know about the nations which grow coffee beans. So I decided to put together this list of coffee-growing nations so that we all are on the same page! Before I start ranting off the names of nations, here’s what you should know about coffee. There are various kinds of coffee, the most popular being Arabica and Robusta. The lesser known kinds of coffee are   Kape Barako  or Kape Baraco, (English: Barako coffee), a  Liberica which variety grown in the Philippines , particularly in the provinces of  Batangas  and  Cavite . Well, obviously most nations produce Arabica and Robusta since ...

For quite some time, I have been thinking about quitting the rat race and moving to more idle pastures, doing what I like doing the best – drinking coffee! Well, drinking coffee alone will not get me the mullah, so I am wondering about setting up my own coffee shop. I would like to share this dream with you and may be you can motivate me to actually take that leap! Here’s what my dream looks like – a quaint little shop in the corner of a nice street. The smell of freshly brewed coffee, comfortable seats, a big library of books that people can choose to read while sipping on the coffee, melodious songs playing the background… This will be a place where you will not want to look at the clock! This is a place where you would want to unwind after a long day at work. This is a place where you know the café staff by their names and they know your favorite orders. The menu will give you a plethora of choices in coffee but you won’t find flavoured coffee. No Hazelnut or va...