IS THIS COFFEE SEASON?

The season is hot. The weather is hot. At least that’s what the folks at the weather department want us to believe. We begin to wonder.

The meteorological (met.) department (the ones that stick a finger in their mouths, pull it out of their mouths, then stick that finger in the air to find out the direction of the wind), say the weather is going to be scorching; the next moment all hell breaks loose with some of the fiercest electrical storms lashing over Subang Jaya.

On the other hand, when they say it is going to storm; bring out the camels, as the weather is going to be parched dry.

Just in jest with the met. people. It isn’t true when they say that the met. people have a dry sense of humour.

So, speaking of dry weather spells, it has been a period of very hot, humid weather temperatures over the past couple of months, though it has not been without rain. There are thunderstorms thrown in for good measure. All this takes place during most days. By nightfall, temperatures start to climb. Most Malaysians aren’t used to the very warm nightfalls.

All this talk of weather makes one thirsty. One of the best beverages to have whether it be morning, afternoon or early evening is coffee. It offers an experience if you are in the right place and setting (very important).

Although I drink coffee almost throughout the day on my own; I do visit the various cafes in Subang Jaya and P.J. mainly for a change of scenery, meet friends and new people and to try something new in the coffee world, wherever possible.

Over the last two days, something new in the coffee world, at least to me, was made possible by Joanne. Yesterday, I walked into the coffee shop and said to her, “Make me something that you like with coffee. I want a cold drink.” She said she would think of something.

This is coffee with whipped cream (I think). What I found most unusual was a big cube of ice to keep the drink cold. Looking at the picture below, it looked like coffee with coconut milk and gula melaka. It was not.

This is coffee with whipped cream (I think). What I found more unusual was a big cube of ice to keep the drink cold.

The coffee was at the bottom of the glass with the whipped cream on top, latte style. The big cube of ice kept the drink at a constant cool temperature throughout, while the drink, was still in the glass. The meant that I could take my time sipping at the drink, knowing that it’s temperature would be constant. I thought it a novel idea.

The next day, that is today, I got into the cafe just before the rain came pouring down hard. This time, I requested Joanne to create a warm coffee of her liking.

The drink took a tad bit longer to make because she was making the perfect coffee. When the coffee arrived, whoa! It did not just look stunning, it was stunning! It was espresso with cinnamon among other ingredients. I could get the aroma of the cinnamon from afar before the drink arrived. When I had my first sip, the coffee was superb.

The perfect coffee while I got some work done on the Fold. I had the Bose buds to keep me company with some of my favourite music. The noise cancellation on the Bose buds is fantastic. Now, this is an experience.

You can see the heavy rain pouring down outside. A great coffee helps set the mood to get some good work done.

A great combination: The perfect coffee to keep me company while I get some work done on the Fold. At the same time, listening to some of my favourite music on the Bose buds.

Like Joanne is to coffee (barista) with her lovely creations; there are many people in their own fields wanting to share their talents with all of us. Invite them. Have fun.

CALAMANSI COOLER

The weekend came and went in all fury. It was so fast, that we did not even feel it. Feel may not be the right word. I think a better word is “experience” it.

So, if the word “experience” is a better choice, “Why don’t you edit (is a better word for “making a correction”(?)) it?” you may ask.

Too much work to do so. If I change that word, I would possibly be swayed (by myself) into editing the sentences or paragraphs or even changing the whole meaning in this paragraph, which may in turn cause a mood swing. Haha.

It was one of those (now) infamous sweltering afternoons that we are (I dare say) getting used to. Or are we? The sun is blazing hot. A while (long while) later, the rain and thunderstorms come pouring down on us to the extent that certain parts of the Federal Highway begin to flood with a few inches of water.

On this afternoon, however; it was dry. Jeannie, my wife and I; did a few errands in the morning, had brunch and thought we’d go to our common (more like my) hangout: Good Ground Bakery (GGB).

We were greeted as usual, by Joanne and Monique. I told Jeannie that we had to try their fantastically refreshing drink: Calamansi Cooler. And Joanne makes it super nice. We both ordered a calamansi cooler. I opted for this drink instead of my usual coffee order (It is usually an americano though of late, I go for the flat white, too – both great drinks from here, at the GGB).

I don’t know how they get this drink to this level, but it is an awesome thirst quencher. It was a good drink to keep Jeannie and I company as we chillax, something that we enjoy and is quite rare to us because of our hectic daily schedules.

The Pecan chocolate cake. It is delicious.

GGB is famous for it’s…you’ve guessed it: bakery. It makes great breads and pastries, never fails to delight. It’s testimony is by its constant flow of customers, both dine in and takeaway.

People come to establishments like this for the experience. They have the space to do their own thing. You will see many people of all ages come and read books, real books i.e. at a leisurely, calm pace. Or, work on their computer with whatever they are doing and you will notice that they are not stressed out as otherwise would be a common sight. Or they meet with family or friends over a mugga (as in “cuppa” for tea) coffee.

It is mainly an experience each time I visit a cafe or an establishment like Good Ground. I like observing people mainly because everyone is different. And I could be looking for that unique characteristic someone might display that I can use for my book that I am writing (work-in-progress). I find it absolutely intriguing that everyone seems different.

Here, I am penning, or is it S-Pen stylus(ing?) some ideas for an article down in the Fold.
Using a metal straw. It keeps the drink at the same temperature when it leaves the glass to the time it gets in our mouths, perhaps? This drink is awesome!

We ordered a slice of Pecan Chocolate cake to go with our drinks. We shared this cake as it was too much for either of us to finish a whole slice each, by ourselves. It was delicious. Sarah, the owner of GGB, is a fantastic pastry chef. You will see that she, together with all her staff; are dedicated to providing the very best in all they offer, to their customers.

Notice the tattoo? That’s a swagger (1) pose.😁😂

It was a nice hour and a half or so that Jeannie and I had. We left, somewhat refreshed, to continue the rest of the day. As we left GGB, we felt some rain drops falling. Dark rain clouds were forming, readying for a thunderstorm. A cool evening, perhaps?

NOTES:
1. Meaning of “swagger” : walk or behave in a very confident or self-important way.
If you see me write, “I will take you somewhere swagger”, it means I will take you or show you
somewhere smart or fashionable in my writing, like here, at Good Ground Bakery.
2. There is an attempt here, sometimes as usual, to challenge subtly, the written English language to past
its boundaries to add “colour”.