Been awhile…

Tranquil, peaceful, pleases my eye, creative, cool, refreshing, beautiful, serene, friendship, good coffee, sharp, fancy, sweet, and inviting.
Although some may find it busy or it makes them feel dizzy, this floor is subjective.
Who knew this tile floor could make me feel this way… Is this how intelligentsia courted me? I am in love, this floor captured my heart. Is this how love at first sight is??? ;)

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It’s nice to see this floor again, and to have a special coffee drink…. Perhaps a macchiato?

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I am completely satisfied!
Un beso!

The Glass…

Can the glass in which you drink your beverage define how you feel? Or the way you should feel?

A goblet, a long stem wine glass, a pint beer mug, a short wine glass, martini glass, a brandy glass and many more.

These glasses are especially made to maximize the aroma and experience of what you are drinking. But I think it can also make you feel fancy.

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I usually don’t like martini glasses because I always spill my drink….which is why I always ask then to transfer the drink into a regular cup.

At Pete’s Cafe in downtown LA, while drinking my coffee martini, I feel rather dainty, and composed. Only grabbing the stem with my first two fingers and thumb, it’s a perfect way to sit, sip and just relax.

What is your favorite glass to drink out of?

Un Beso.

Still a Happy Friday!

Some mornings I go to Handsome coffee roasters in downtown Los Angeles. I see it as a special treat especially this Friday morning. Finding no place to park and being pressed for time, I park illegally. I park at a commercial loading zone….
Meanwhile at Handsome:

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I did get a beautiful parking ticket. But you know after every sip I take from my latte it keeps me smiling.
It continues to be a Happy Friday!!!
Un Beso!

The sip that took my heart.

Juan Valdez

Juan Valdez

I didn’t really start drinking coffee till I went to Colombia to visit my grandmother during winter break in college.  My grandmother loved coffee and that would be our social event to go drink coffee together.  And Juan Valdez would be a place we would stop and have a cup of coffee together.

Juan Valdez Café will always have a place in my heart. Even though it is the starbucks of Colombia, there is cafe in almost every corner, it will always be special to me.  Maybe it is Juan Valdez himself and his donkey Conchita, or the fact that they brought my grandmother and I closer together. Or how it brings lots of people together to go out and have a social experience with someone and have a cup of coffee.

where I order

where I order

Juan Valdez steals a small piece of my heart with every sip of coffee I take.  It is that long distant love that is never forgotten, I think about it when I am away and how special a relationship we can establish if I lived in Colombia.  But I do know that when I come visit I will be able to go to Juan Valdez cafe, and start off where we left off.

sitting next to me

sitting next to me

Juan Valdez and I

Juan Valdez and I

I do love my specialty cafes here in Los Angeles, but Juan Valdez cafe will always be unique to me and basically one of my first love of coffee in Colombia.

cool building i saw when I went to Juan Valdez

cool building I saw when I went to Juan Valdez

And Today is my dear friend Diego’s birthday!! Feliz Cumpleaños Diego!!

dedicated to my dear friend

dedicated to my dear friend. Feliz Cumple! tqm.

Un beso.

Bread and Butter.

Pan y Mantequilla

Bread and butter

Bread and butter en Colombia (pan de queso con mantequilla y un cafesito)

What is your bread and butter?

In order to start the day my coffee is my bread in butter to get through the day.  Having a positive attitude in things that I do, in goals that I have, and just to set an example for myself is also part of my bread and butter.  In my profession I have to care for people, rehabilitate people, help people stay positive. And throughout my years of practice I have learned to accept people for who they are and to treat myself to small things in order to lighten up my day.  Treating myself to some coffee after lunch is always a piece of love throughout my day. It gives me that nudge to finish my day at work with meaning and love.  In other words its my bread and butter to finish my day with a SMILE!

All those local coffee shops by my job are lucky cause Cafesita will be coming by.  Jones Coffee Roasters being one of my places to fulfill my afternoon delight.

My grandmother bread and butter is also coffee <3

My grandmothers bread and butter is also coffee <3

with the help of some coffee ;)

with a little help of some coffee ;)

un beso

The love of Green.

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Green (English)

vert (French)

verde (Italian and Spanish)

grün (German)

glas (Irish)

зеленый (Russian)

grön (Sweedish)

According to Wikipedia….

“Green is the color of emeralds, jade, and growing grass.  In the continuum of colors of visible light it is located between yellow and blue.”

Green

Green

Green is the color of lots of things I love. Emeralds, trees, grass, nature, and leaves from a coffee tree.  Green gives me a sense of peace and tranquility.  While in Colombia when I leave the city Bogotá to any surrounding cities in the country side I am bound to be surrounded by the color green. This is when I become trigger happy with my camera. Not only do I get the eye candy of green pastures and green hillsides but I also get the treat of some good places for food and have a “Tinto”.  Tinto in Colombia means a small cup of black coffee.  If I were to order Tinto in Argentina they would bring you red wine just FYI.

Here are some pictures that make me happy on my way to Subachoque, Colombia.  Some will be similar but I could not help it, they all make me smile, and hey its Valentines day!

Cows with their grass

Cows with their grass

Picking potatoes

Picking potatoes

green hillsides

green hillsides

beautiful

beautiful

Food Intermission on the road.

Pit stop on the way to Subachoque

Pit stop on the way to Subachoque

 

snack

snack

 

Arepa, queso, chorizo, y una lima.

Arepa, queso, chorizo, y una lima.

 

Cafesito after the chorizo

Cafesito after the chorizo

con una bolita de queso

con una bolita de queso

clouds

clouds

old streets

old streets

Tio abuelo

Tio abuelo. lo amo

My favorite green picture taken by me

My favorite green picture taken by me

Hope you enjoyed the green pictures. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day! Tell someone that you care for them whether its to a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member. This day is basically to stop your busy day and do something special for someone. Of course its good to do this everyday but why not have fun with this day. It never hurts anyone.

love

love

My traveling buddy in Colombia. Austin

My traveling buddy with a cone in Colombia. 

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

Un beso

 

Mercado de las pulgas con cafe.

Cuando voy a Colombia el domingo siempre voy al mercado de las pulgas en Usaquén.

The Flea Market!

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It is a MUST!  Usaquén is a residential and commercial locality (district) in northern Bogotá, capital of Colombia.   Its contains most of the original buildings and streets.  And in these original buildings contain modern stores and restaurants.  Many tourist that go to Bogotá, usually end up there on a Sunday to buy gifts for people or bring back something “Colombian” home.  There is food, handmade items, colombian cultural artifacts, and of course coffee. It is my Domingo ritual!

original streets and buildings

original streets and buildings

Mercado de la pulgas

Mercado de la pulgas

This is probably my favorite stand.

This is probably my favorite stand.

Arequipe. (dulce de leche)

Arequipe. (dulce de leche)

My coffee place at the Mercado de la pulgas. Cafe Campesino

My coffee place at the Mercado de la pulgas. Cafe Campesino.

freshly ground beans

freshly ground beans

Azucar

Azucar

el flor de mi cafe

el flor de mi cafe

oops I spilled.....

oops I spilled…..

I also love vintage cars

I also love vintage cars

So if you ever get a chance to visit Bogotá, Colombia go to Usaquén on a Sunday. Buy something nice for someone or maybe just buy yourself something unique. I can’t wait to go back. Maybe this time I will not spill my coffee.

Un beso.

Out of the routine..

Some things throw us off track sometimes. Even though I am off track at the moment I do still drink coffee.  Coffee is my habit.

How long does it take for a routine to become a habit?

Here are some things I am off track, exercising 3 times a week (even though I exercised yesterday), painting more regularly, blogging more (yay today I am blogging).  But mostly not exercising regularly is what bothers me most.  When I start to workout more regularly I eagerly wait till it becomes a habit like drinking coffee or taking a shower.

I want to wake up and say “I can’t wait to work out” , not “I have to work out cause otherwise I will feel all my aches and pains”….

I must say I do always feel better about myself after working out. Endorphins!

But maybe this makes me more discipline the fact that I am doing something that I don’t want to do but know that I will be happy in the end.

Am I building character? haha!

a cup and saucer

a cup and saucer

Who wants to sign up for a 5K with me?

Un beso