battle of the beans

hi sis,

here's something to entertain you while you nurse your newly broken limb :( ...

yesterday, i attended the starbucks version of the olympics.  it's called the ambassador's cup (because the winner becomes the 'coffee ambassador' for two years until the next cup).  it's done all over the world -- and the super thing is that it actually started here!  it was called 'battle of the beans', until the international office took notice, evolved it and made it global.  go philippines!

ANYWAY, it started with a few speeches like this one (woohoo!)

Then in come the 12 contestants (finalists from the rigorous company-wide elimination rounds).

the questions were so difficult.  chickitout -- photo above shows the first and supposedly easiest question.  it reads "according to coffee experts, the most desirable taste is achieved when coffee is _____ soluble solids.  (a) 1.1 - 1.3% (b) 1.15 - 1.35%, etc...."  (wuh!??).  not to mention there were other challenges like coffee tasting, explaining, etc.

then of course there were the intermission programs (this number's latin american representing latin american coffee -- oye!)...

back to the competition, 5 left after a few rounds... 

the winner!

in 2010 again!