Category Archives: Coffee

Ben coffeesurfing with Gabriele Galimberti

Coffeesurfing

Y’all know what a big fan of illy coffee I am…

A few months ago, the illy Coffeesurfer, aka world renowned photographer Gabriele Galimberti, came to Seoul and I was excited to share my story with him & have him snap my picture in one of my oases of small pleasures.

Now you can read all about it here.

It was a pretty cool experience just to talk to someone who’s couchsurfed his way around the world multiple times and even made his way to Cayman as part of his ‘Delicatessen with love’ series. His work is impressive, but I was more impressed with his stories of how he’s married his love of travel with this love of photography.  Check out his work here.

Safe travels, my friend.  The next time we meet, the illy’s on me.

 

 

Go To Your Happy Place

What happens when someone says “Go to your happy place” and you don’t know what that is?

I no longer have that problem. I got it now.

Last night as I was falling asleep not only was I anxious as usual, but I heard myself saying that above the inner cacophony.

It was then that I figured it out, and it says something that I was able to remember it this morning.

My happy place is a Sunday morning sitting outside in the warmth, gazing over the Caribbean Sea while sipping an iced coffee out of a colored plastic floral pint glass as Jennifer reads a book on the lounge chair to my left and Rooney lies there under the chair eyeing the iguanas down below. I know that we’ll have to shower and get dressed for brunch with our friends in an hour and we’re both looking forward to this little weekly ritual of chuckles and cuisine. I breathe deeply and can taste the lingering flavor of Irish cream on my tongue before taking another swig of the drink, being careful so as not to chug it too fast and have an ice cube or three try to escape their fate.

That’s my happy place. At least for now.

Bring on the Benedicts.

Suji-gu storm grate

One month down

Jenn & I have been in The Republic of Korea for slightly over one month.

I joked that we left the Rock for the RoK.

I don’t remember what 24 August 2006 was like in Cayman after a month had elapsed, but I will remember 28 August 2013.  And not just because of this blog.  I went for a walk through the same area that Jennifer and I visited the night before for dinner at a Korean BBQ place with a colleague and his fiancee.

So many coffee and cake places it’s truly staggering.

While on the way to that Lotte Department Store, I had interesting experience with a random older Korean man.  I was waiting to cross the street and I knelt down to stretch my leg muscles.  All the walking I’ve been doing has definitely taken a toll and my body is adjusting the best it can… By tightening up.  So as I was going thru the motions to loosen up, this gentleman says, “Tired?”  I look up and smile and reply, “Tight.”  He smiles and we cross the street.  As I walked out of the store with my backpack on, another older man starts speaking to me, and I shake my head in a ‘I don’t understand.”  He sticks his hand out, and I reciprocate.  With an iron grip this little Korean man asks, “Where you from?”  I say, “Philadelphia.”  He says, “America?!”  I say, “America.”  He says, “Good to meet you.”  Pointing to myself, I say, “Ben.”  He told me his name, but the grasp this man has on my hand is the only other thing I remember from that trip to Lotte.

And this:

Good Day Carebian Nut - Konglish at work

Good Day Carebian Nut – Konglish at work

 

 

 

espressamente by illy in Shingsae

No matter where you go…

… there is coffee

With apologies to Buckaroo Banzai, of course…

espressamente by illy

espressamente by illy

As I sipped my illy iced Americano in espressamente illy @ Shinsegae Department store, I wondered if my coffee sense had been tainted by all the Starbucks, Paris Baguette, and numerous other slightly better (CoffeeMama) and much worse (GS25 or the crappy Kirkland Colombia CostCo blend that was in our crappy automatic coffee machine) coffees I’d drunk since leaving my beloved Francis Francis X7 (thanks Alicia!) in Cayman.

Francis Francis X7 in situ in Cayman

Francis Francis X7 in situ in Cayman

A half hour earlier I’d had an iced Americano at the Starbucks on a higher floor and I’d like to think that I could taste the difference but to be fair, I’m not quite sure.

Starbucks in Shinsegae

Starbucks in Shinsegae

Iced Americanos aren’t as true a representation of the coffee as much as, say, an espresso shot, with which I’m sure I could distinguish a good coffee from a not so good coffee. It’s probably for the best because if all the crap I’ve been drinking had been so obviously crap, I’d be much more of a grump.

I will say this about the illy iced Americano, the barista here did it proper shakerato style. Propers for that my Korean friend.

Iced Americano prepared to perfection by illy.  Shakerato!

Iced Americano prepared to perfection by illy. Shakerato!