the birm*

The best…ever !

I was at Hunter Christian School the other day for some casual (relief) teaching (which was great and felt the same as it was 2 years ago, except all my old students were taller and older…) and my mate Monkie made me a coffee.

So what? I hear you say. Let me explain. The school invested in a professional coffee machine a few years ago, which allows students to do a type of barista course for a fraction of the price. The school also has an on-going contract with a local coffee roaster/supplier, which means that they always have fresh roasted beans. Evidently Paul (Monkie) has been trained in how to make these bad boys and has had plenty of practice over the last few years (teachers, believe it or not, have made sure that the students get plenty of practice…). So he made me a morning Latté…

Now if you’re a coffee connaisseur (that’s connoisseur for Australians) you probably enjoy a good, fresh cup of java. If you don’t drink coffee it’s going to be hard for me to explain. For this particular cup from my first sip to the end of it I was surprised and amazed at what I was experiencing. As soon as the brew hit my lips and the front of my mouth it was a sweet taste. I asked Monkie if he’d sweetened it or if he’d sweetened the milk…but he hadn’t. The beans were so fresh (must have been roasted recently and were ground in front of my eyes) that the aroma was sweet in the front of the mouth, powerful and strong passing to the back of the mouth and all the way down the throat, leading to a sense of bitter-sweetness with no aftertaste. Amazing! thanks Monkie, that was truly the best Latté I’ve ever had. The only problem now is that I’ll be disappointed in the future…