The first thing on any morning is our Coffee. We normally buy coffee by the kilo. When the ‘special’ comes along, we buy 4 or more kilos. I know that coffee producing countries pay miserable wages and people often work under slave conditions but us not drinking coffee is not going to make it any better. I must say, I never drink coffee to save the world or help poor people. Far from it, it is one of the most luxurious habits we can engage in without having to worry about a world going to the dogs. (sorry Milo; good boy, good boy!)
In any case, Brazil is booming and likely to outrun the economy of Australia soon. They have enough money to give the world the Olympics. Perhaps, the coffee bean is now mechanically harvested because the price of the coffee seems to be as it was more than ten years ago or even cheaper. What has gone up is the price of a latte or cappuccino in a café. From $1.- to at least $3.50 within 15 years.
I read yesterday about the decision of US owned General Motors to pull the plug on our own Australian Holden car. It is estimated thousands will lose their jobs. The Government is in panic mode. Our national airline Qantas is going broke as well. Someone suggested there ought to be more to life than ‘market forces’ and ‘profits’ above all. We could subsidise Holden car and Qantas by everyone donating about $10.- a week which is the price of two and a half lattes. If it keeps thousands employed it seems a reasonable price to pay.
Yes, turbulent times ahead. I noticed Australia is heading towards having its own tea party but…
with the influx of so many continental Europeans into Australia, I am surprised we don’t have a ‘coffee party’. Surely a tea party is a bit Anglo? Haven’t we moved on since John Howard’s days who was forever seen sipping a cup-o-tea?
How often are people being denigrated as ‘ you are nothing but a latte sipper’, that’s apart from being ‘rusted on’ as well. Rusted on what? Only two years ago, those on the left of politics were accused of being ‘chardonnay drinkers’. It’s odd how a relaxing time with friends sitting around talking and drinking a beverage is still seen by some as, apart from being a communist, engage in ‘sinful, waste of time or very bad’ behaviour. The English House of Lords has a lot to answer for.
It is time for the latte imbibers to unite and start a political party based on the humble coffee bean. The choice of either ‘coffee party’ or indeed the ‘espresso party’ could be worked out at a Balmain Town hall meeting.
The revolution has just started. Carry your flag proudly, march forward!
Tags: Brazil, Cappuccino, General Motors, Qantas, US
Oosterman Treats Blog 
December 13, 2013 at 2:59 am |
Great post Gerard. I love coffee as well and my parents allowed me to drink what ever coffee I wanted. back ages ago. I drank coffee, hot or cold tea and milk. I learned about 20 years ago that I am allergic to milk and now must use soy. Not neearly as good as milk or goat milk though. I drink instant since it is only I that is drinking coffee for last 3 years. I can not driink any caffeine due to atrial fibulation.None the less I like the taste of coffee even if it is not the full real deal and not brewed.
Too bad about GM. My pickups are both GMs. I hate the thought of all those people who will be out of work. The political and social structure of our mutual countries- awfully depressing.
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December 13, 2013 at 4:00 am |
We make coffee using a plunger. For two cups I often use two tablespoons of ground coffee. The first one at about 8am and the next one around 9am. Rarely do we go for a third unless we are in town and like to sit somewhere.
We hardly ever drink tea, only when our dear friend Tessa visits us. She lives in the same town-house complex as us and comes from England. She is fussy with tea, doesn’t like Earl Grey and prefers us to pour the tea while she watches if the tea is weak or strong enough. If it is too strong she will stop us and we then put some more boiling water in her cup. If too weak we let the pot of tea stand. Leaf tea only for Tessa.!
No sugar and just the right amount of milk. We put the milk in a Finnish Arabia milk jug. Never straight from the container. She is 80 years old, so, at her age a bit of special care with her tea is a just reward, don’t you think?
Yes, the GM deal made in the US to shut down GM Holden in 2017 in Australia was done overnight by a telephone conference. The workers are devastated. Some have worked there for forty years. GM shares in the US went up as a result. It’s a tough world!
Sorry to hear about your body not able to accept some foods. Hope you can eat at least some foods that you enjoy.
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December 13, 2013 at 5:14 am |
I think the best with the morning coffee is a “news free” environment. I love a continental bread roll to go with it. Luckily our “local” baker, from Vietnam, I may add, provides them.
But one can’t escape the news and one can’t avoid switching the radio or TV on. The Treasurer Mr. Hockey dared GM and they complied. We live in a globalised world and the old rules don’t apply any more.
During the GFC when GM almost went to the cleaners there was talk that they would close or sell Opel in Europe. But the deal fell through when GM did not want to hand over the patents.
Perhaps Australia should consider buying back Holden. Now that they closing production they would be of very low value. But you know how it is. As soon some one shows any interest the prise goes up.
If the Australian public really want Holden they could buy shares in a new Holden company.
The tragedy is the fate of the workers. Many of them. the over fifties, will join the ranks of the permanent unemployed.
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December 13, 2013 at 6:34 am |
I though I was patriotic and bought a Holden Diesel Cruze. It turned out it was made in Korea (2008/9 model). It did not have a foot rest. The rest is history. We now have a Peugeot.
I don’t know how all those European car makers are going. Anyway, even an Australian owned Goggomobil would be better than nothing.
We have a coffee sometimes with a French croissant on Saturday morning.
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December 13, 2013 at 7:22 am |
You could always buy fair trade coffee.
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December 13, 2013 at 8:18 am |
Yes, we do and …from Aldi’s. ‘A coffee grown by producers in developing countries for a sustainable future’, and it is organic.
It was even cheaper than Victoria coffee.
It has a grade 3 in strength with 1 being mild and 5 being strong.
Do you have an Aldi in Gibraltar or in Spain?
Same sex marriage was thrown out of Australian federal Court yesterday. I believe that even in very Catholic Spain they allow same sex marriage. Love is love no matter between whom and if they want marriage, so be it. The more the marriager. 😉
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December 13, 2013 at 9:24 am
I bought some organic fair trade tea from Clipper. It was vile. I made partner use it up taking it to work. Current teas of choice are Twinings breakfast and Assam. Our coffee is a local Gibraltarian one, Saccarellos, and we buy a colombian one I think, except we haven’t drunk coffee for ages. In Spain we buy Mercadona’s own brand espresso. Aldi in Spain, not in Gib, but I don’t go.
Yes I think it is allowed in Spain, and they were talking about bringing it in here in Gib too (also Catholic) but I’ve lost touch with that. What people do in their private life and in their personal relationships is their business not mine. I also don’t think it is anyone else’s business whether I am married or not, except for the tax office as we get a married person’s allowance 🙂 apart from that I use my birth name, wear no rings, and am definitely not MRS. And don’t ask me why I got married because after 28 years I still have no answer to that one.
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December 13, 2013 at 10:32 am |
We don’t drink tea but when we do it is leaf tea not dust tea that seeps out of a sachet. I suspect it is laced with some kind of dye giving it an appearance of being ‘strong’. You partner is brave taking tea to work you think is vile. How did you manage that? Did you tell him?
H and I are married but don’t fuss about it. Our friends ring up and congratulate us each year. A bit of a hoot.
We do care and get on very well. We married for love. 1965
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December 13, 2013 at 11:36 am |
I make my own tea at breakfast. Twinings. Sometimes English Breakfast, sometimes Darjeeling. I flirted with Orange Pekoe for a while. Coffee is usually a mid-morning reviver. I can drink it any time. Doesn’t keep me awake sadly. Old joke: should married couples be frank and earnest? Or should one of them be a woman? (Who cares).
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December 14, 2013 at 7:44 am |
Frank and earnest? Sure makes one think. Is same sex marriage a go in HK? Here it has just been banned. I suppose Aussies just like the straight and narrow unable to accept variety in people. I think marriage is lovely no matter if the sex is same or different.
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December 14, 2013 at 7:47 am
To be perfectly honest Gerard I have no idea. I suspect not. I think Chinese culture would cope badly with the idea but I may be wrong.
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December 14, 2013 at 7:56 am |
Apparently ‘civil union’ is acceptable but the conservative Hong Kongers would have great difficulty accepting same sex marriage. This I just read. Andrew, you are right. I think it would be a difficult issue.
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December 14, 2013 at 7:27 am |
I love reading these comments and as I do so I’m sipping my first tea of the day from an enamel mug which I like because it’s large and there is an element of risk involved in not burning my lips on the hot rim.
Tea/coffee. I’m a tea drinker and I don’t mind whether it’s tea bags or loose tea just so long as it’s strong with a little bit of milk. I make a pot of coffee at breakfast and then that’s my lot for the day coffee wise. More tea again in the afternoon and very. very occasionally I’ll have coffee after a meal.
I love the thought of Andrew flirting with Orange Pekoe – I’m not mad about Earl Grey but I adore Lapsang Souchong. The trouble is that I can never find someone who loves it enough to share a pot with me.
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December 14, 2013 at 7:47 am |
We’ll share any pot with you Lottie, lap song or whatever. How’s the Espanja going? Christmas is getting near and there is a tenseness in the air. No running yet, just a kind of palpable tenseness, furrowed brows etc.
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December 15, 2013 at 1:10 am |
“Christmas is getting near and there is a tenseness in the air.”
This reminds me how Christmas shopping does exhaust me. And the doctor told me I have to relax and stay calm otherwise my blood pressure goes up again! We do not give each other a lot of presents anymore. When the whole family meets at our place on Christmas Eve (Heiliger Abend) each person gets only one present from ‘Secret Santa’ and that’s it! 🙂
I love espresso, but I also love all sorts of teas, black teas as well as herbal teas. Jasmine tea is great with a Thai or Chinese meal! 🙂
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December 15, 2013 at 2:02 am |
We give the kids presents but as they get older it is ‘money’ present that is most welcome. We usually get together somewhere and share food. The adults we don’t give presents. I am at a loss what I could want. I notice Berlioz has an apple ‘tablet’. I am curious what a tablet is used for. I believe it is a mini computer and capable of sending and receiving e-mails and it has GPS and you can find where you are, never get lost again.
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