thoughts

The house smells of chocolate - I am baking chocolate cake from a box but I don't think it really tastes good - the smell is exhilirating though and if it's not worth eating at least I enjoyed its scent.

October is almost over and this weekend I am going to do my- hibernation from the world also known as essay writing. I've been living the last 8 years here in Germany and it dawned on me while I was talking to a friend of ours who we have known since I came here  that since they knew me - I have always been studying! The last 8 years ! When I met them I couldn't even speak German yet. I was studying German. After I have learned German and passed some profiency exams. I still  couldn't find work so I went to another course which could tell me what to do and do some practicum to find what I can do. These friends would listen to me now speaking in  German about my plans and options.  But yet I still went to school everyday!

After that this school advised me  do a career change and study again. So I went to find another school and started studying to be a kindergarten teacher -yes all in german! My friends would always think of me and wish me all the best for my exams. After passing my exams and doing all my practicum and some exams again - I've gotten a job and didn't see much of my friends. But we talk once in a while.

Yesterday we went to their house and they asked me the same questions just like from the very  beginning of my life here and  I realised that I am back to where we started years ago - I am studying again and it seems like forever! I am really not a studious person! My mom told me I am an intelligent girl then again what kind of mom would she be if she doesn't tell me that I am  not intelligent or beautiful ? Is it possible that the brain starts to lose its intelligence -  I mean is there still some left after studying so much. I find myself forgetting tiny glimpses and moments in my past life which is really sad - those brain nerves must have been taken over by conjugated german verbs and theories of childhood development.

Oh and I've finished this post and the chocolate cake is not so delicious so I put some american chocolate frosting which we all know is also not real chocolate ;) Gotta go now for some real freshly grounded brewed coffee with a not so chocolatey but very brown cake..

Tale of Two Espresso Machines

I am an avid coffee drinker. From what I can remember I started drinking coffee when I was about 13 years old, not much but once in a while. Later during high school it became my breakfast, sometime during college my partner in crime - especially whenI needed to be awake due to pending papers, homework and upcoming exams, or to get me through till that last class. Since then my coffee intake had dramatically increased. Just a few weeks ago, I told The V. I would like to get us a real espresso machine, one that does all the work, with just a button. The big question is - which machine and up to how much do we want to pay for it. Let me tell you, the prices of those espresso machines are sometimes unbelievably expensive. I don't get it why they cost more expensive than the most expensive washing machine ( a miele high tech machine where clothes come out dry and needn't be ironed!!!). After all, they do just make coffee.

After reading reviews and discussion in forums which machine is suitable for us and our budget. I found this nice machine. It has lots of extra function and looks relatively good. Here it is a Delonghi Esam 3400. It cost a bit more than what I originally wanted to spend but heck, I will indulge on this one. At home, machine tested and made a few cups.. wow. this is just like in a posh cafe. The next day though The V. found it leaking. Somewhere, somehow. We brought it back to the shop and ask if we can get a new one. Unfortunately, that was the last one they've got and the shop gave us our money back.

With this experience we decided to forget about Delonghi and go for a different model. This meant going to the shops again and researching in the internet again!!!) ... finally, we found a new model. A Bosch TCA54F9.

Went home, made a cup of coffee.. yummy ... and then saw something unusual. After each rinse cycle , we had a feeling that it just disposes too much water. We didn't want to panic and decided to call the service hotline the next day. The guy at the other line told The V. that we need to send the product for repair. That water is just too much. So we went to the shop(again!) and this time we just asked to have it repaired without getting the money back. We're done with that option, we just decided to stick with him through thick and thin.

So patiently waiting for that machine we went back to our old boring filter coffee. That is not easy let me tell you after being spoiled with freshly grounded beans and espresso or cappucino with milk froth. After almost 2 weeks, got the call from the shop and went to pick up our machine. They claim there isn't something wrong with it which we doubt but heck, that extra water doesn't do any harm, we just want to drink good coffee again. Got home, drank our espressos and cappucinos.. well until a few days. The machine started to blink and wanted to do some decalcing and cleaning. Huh?? After about what, 15 or 20 cups??? We thought, yeah maybe because of the tests done with it. But hey, that wasn't it, it just won't do the cleaning. So what to do? Pack the machine, brought it to the shop, sent it for service (again to nth time!!!).

Now we're back to our filter coffee, it tastes bland, almost like water. Funny , it never tasted so bad before. I guess that's how it is when you've tasted real, good coffee. This story has no happy ending yet but hopefully I can go back to this entry in 2 weeks (that's the procedure with service) with a good cup of coffee on my hand. What about you, do you have any coffee stories to share??