SO RANDOM!

Check out my new page. It’s there to add a little excitement to your visit when you have some time to kill and perhaps I haven’t updated in a while. Push the button and it’ll take you to a random post in my archives; there’s nearly 1 and a half year’s worth of posts to delve into and my journey of thoughts has been interesting to say the least – in that time I have considered relationships (past and present), anxiety attacks, novel writing, body confidence, my time in Newcastle UK, emigrating to Wellington New Zealand, job hunting in a recession and a newly discovered obsession with small and furry critters. Definitely so random.

CONFESSION TIME

I may have fallen off the decaffeinated wagon. It’s very hard, when you work in a cafe that allows you as much free coffee as you like, to resist. So I haven’t. In my defense, I haven’t had a cup of instant coffee at home since the beginning of Lent – I’ve drunk decaffeinated teas; I bought some vanilla chai tea, cocoa chai tea and a lemon and ginger herbal tea so I had plenty of variety to keep me going. And I do love tea – if my addiction to coffee hadn’t gotten in the way, I’d be an avid tea drinker. But instead I got into the habit of drinking what felt like 10 cups of shitty instant coffee a day. Because I craved it. Even though I wasn’t particularly keen on the taste of it, for some reason my brain decided it MUST have REGULAR caffeine shots. But not any more, now I have just one cup of freshly ground coffee every other day and I’ve found time to rediscover my taste for tea. So even though I failed at giving up caffeine, I have successfully weened myself off instant coffee. And this is something I will stick to.

In other news, it appears I woke up this morning in another dimension, an alternative world, where I am twelve years old again and subject to the disapproving thoughts of concerned parents. I received some unexpectedly stern words in an email regarding my choice of nasal piercing. I was asked what influenced me and why? I answered:

I was influenced by myself – it’s something I have thought about doing since I was a teenager, and I’m a ‘do-er’ rather than a ‘think-er’ so I finally got it done. I have a long list in my mind of ‘things I’d like to do in my life’ and this is one of them. There’s a lot of things on this list that I feel I can’t do due to my anxiety attacks, so this is a relief from the constant feeling that I can’t do anything I’d want to.

My close friends know that it’s pretty impossible for me to be influenced by anything other than my own will and want. I am too independently-minded and stubborn to follow trends – it’s almost like just because something is “in fashion” then I automatically take a dislike to it. If anything ‘influenced’ my decision, it was simply my own appreciation for the type of piercing I chose. In Asian culture it is considered beautiful, and I’m very much influenced by Asian culture – it inspired my tattoo designs, it inspired my studies, it’s a culture I am in awe of -  it’s colourful, foreign, exciting and a whole world away from my own. Perhaps this is my little piece of India.

Another parental concern was how it would affect the way people saw me in a professional situation, had I considered that it would affect me getting freelance work. I said:

You are right that there are people who will judge me for it, but I’m happy to let my professional skills speak for themselves. And if the piercing still affects their judgement then so be it.

I’m sure some people will be prejudiced, but then I don’t want to work with these kinds of people. And I work in the creative industry, so it is going to be very rare that I come across anybody who would be concerned by my outward appearance; creatives often appreciate a creative exterior – it presents someone in touch with their own artistic nature.

Far from making excuses for my decision, like a naughty schoolgirl, I think the most important thing here is that I love it, I think it is subtle, I think it’s cute and I think it suits me.

KAFFECCINOS COFFEE

There’s a caffeine kick on every corner in Newcastle from numerous big brand cafes such as Starbuck’s, Pret a Manger, Cafe Nero and Costa Coffee. But they serve a disappointment in every cup if you’re a coffee connoisseur, as the British seem to have failed to learn the art of making a decent coffee. However freshly ground, Fairtrade or organic your coffee beans are, it makes no difference once it’s in the hands of an amateur. Every sip tastes bitter, as they either use too many ground beans, scold the mixture or use days old stale water from the bottom of a limescaled coffee machine.

“I’m not a big drinker, I’m a virgin in recreational drugs and I don’t smoke – coffee is my vice of choice”

I’m not suggesting I am a connoisseur, but – as I’m not a big drinker, I’m a virgin in recreational drugs and I don’t smoke – coffee is my vice of choice so I know a good cup when I have one. If you’ve been to Spain, France or Italy, you’ll have experienced the smooth, velvety taste of a coffee brewed to perfection, no matter where it’s served it’s always good. Not so back in the UK. We’re led to believe the likes of Starbucks and Costa Coffee are as good as coffee gets. I’d beg to differ, I’m not a fan of the strange chemical aftertaste in their ‘flavoured’ syrups and how even a plain latte leaves me feeling a little queasy. Perhaps it’s the full fat milk – maybe I should request a ’skinny’ cup, but now I’ve gone off the taste I’m adverse to going back.

I was beginning to think that I’d have to arrange my annual leave around getting a pleasurable caffeine fix from the sunnier side of the continent – I’ve already been to Paris and Barcelona this year and I’m heading to Ibiza in a couple of weeks time. But not so long ago my bad coffee days ended – I discovered Kaffeccinos on Newcastle’s Grainger Street, and it’s a revelation.

Its values are built around giving customers a real ‘European’ coffeehouse experience and true to form, the coffee is perfect. The café is sophisticatedly decorated, with high tables and bar stools for sitting in the window and people watching, plus a few sofas for lucky punters to snatch up as they become free, in
which to loll away an hour or two nursing a brew and one of their delicious muffins or pastries. They even provide a selection of books and tourist information leaflets to peruse while you relax. The lunch menu is fantastic if you’re after more than a sweet treat, with a selection of jacket potatoes, paninis, sandwiches, salads and organic soup made using local produce.

“crusty on top, soft chocolate sponge, white and chocolate chips and gooey chocolate sauce in the centre… drool”

If you’re in Newcastle, take a trip to Kaffeccinos for your coffee fix and whilst you’re there I recommend you treat yourself to one of their double chocolate muffins – crusty on top, soft chocolate sponge, white and chocolate chips and gooey chocolate sauce in the centre… drool. In fact, you’ll probably find me there – I’ll be the one slumped on a couch, with aforementioned chocolate sauce down my chin, looking crazed after a shot of caffeine.

I’m looking forward to getting to Wellington, where I hear the coffee culture is great and I’ll be spoilt for choice. If you’re Kiwi, leave the name of your favourite coffee places below, so I know where to head when I get there!