“Where are you REALLY from,” Sellman-Leava’s voice booms as he imitates another peer; his voice echoes off the walls of the small theatre. Joe Sellman-Leava is the writer and star of a solo show called “Labels”, which chronicles his raw and authentic story as a mixed-heritage boy growing up on the rural side of England […]
There are many cultural differences between America and England. For one there’s the money: The British and the Americans have many different cultural aspects, but one aspect in particular is the way the British use their money. Firstly, British pounds come in different colors, sizes and shapes. Taxes here are included, not added. Tipping is […]
slow and steady wins the race a couple of my friends and I decided to go try out a pub (For my first time) in oxford (since we are of drinking age) the first pubs we walked into..i had left my ID back in my dorm after retrieving it, we went out again and this […]
A couple days ago, I’ve acquired the “Oxford Lungs”. It’s an euphemism for saying that I have caught a cold. The built up stress (from falling behind in class), eating too much (yes i consider this a factor), and the weather (drastically colder than Italy and the states). During the second week, I’ve been trapped […]
Adieu Arezzo! Yesterday was the day I left Arezzo and here was how I made it to Oxford! 8:00 – Wake up. Pack. Leave landlady, Germana, a thank you gift 9:30 – Walk towards the train station 10:07 – board train: Roma Termini 1:00 – board the Leonardo Express 1:30 – Arrive at Fumucino Airport […]
OCHEM in 4 weeks – 3 midterms – 19 quizzes and 2 finals. WERE FINALLY DONE If there’s one thing I’ve learned from a month long study abroad program of organic chemistry: it would be to pick up my feet when I walk. I’ve met some of the most authentic people on this trip that […]
Culinary Post #6: Cultural Reflection Who would’ve thought there was so much chemistry in the art of culinary especially in Italy. From the cutlureal wonders of the authentic Italian wine to the dark elixir of coffee beans straight from the venders themselves–I’ve expierenced the upmost culinary and cultural experience of italy in a month. Life living […]
BOOM! The first canon goes off. The day has come–it’s only 11:45am and everyone in the city of Arezzo is gearing up for game day. All throughout the week, they have been pounding their drums and tooting their horns down the streets of the historic Arezzo barricaded in the wall. BOOM! Second canon strikes at […]
Throughout a month studying abroad with a twenty other students, the most common question that we exchange is, inevitably, what we miss the most. As expected, the predominating answer is simple: home. But…is it that simple? What defines a home? “Iced drinks.” “My room.” “Air conditioning.” While I don’t endorse materialism, to be completely free […]
Last week our class got to tour a local coffee roastery called caffe River. I had seen this coffee around arezzo and I was excited to get to see behind the scenes for the first time! When we got there one of the owners greeted us and we all got to have an espresso shot. I have begun to really like espresso. I have always been a black coffee drinker and I truly see how much better coffee is here than most of America. After our espresso shots we went to the coffee bean “lab” where we learned how they check the quality of coffee beans. I learned that coffee produces red or yellow berries and that it can be hard to get the bean out of the berry. Caffe River checks the size of the beans and make sites there are no defects. Surprisingly I learned that even just one defect can spoil your cup of coffee.
Next we headed further into the plant and got to see the roaster. It was quite an amazing machine. The beans usually roast for about twenty minutes and then are cooked in the rotater. What was very interesting to me is that the beans have no flavor or smell to them until they undergo oxidation and mature. Luckily though coffee beans mature very quickly.
Next the coffee is weighed and cleaned through machines. The machines also sort the beans with light to get rid of any defected beans. Next the computer makes blends for the different coffees and are roasted homogenously. After it is blended it heads to the packaging department where it is packaged to be sent out. I really liked how dedicated the owner was to his company. You could really tell how passionate he was about making caffe River the best it could be and how he truly believes in his product. The visit definitely gave me more appreciation for coffee and the process it takes to get it from bean into my daily cup.
