A Coffee Shop Christmas

No, we didn't celebrate Christmas after New Years, it just ended up being the way I posted.

Our 20 lb bird that was just about right for the 23 people that came.

Our staff and some friends

After dinner and a game of white elephant we proceeded to back sugar cookies and let the staff and their friends decorate them.

Artists at work. They definitely got into the decorating as we spend a few hours just decorating the cookies.

Someone, I won't reveal who, decided that by skipping the cookie part more sugar, icing, and candy could be directly consumed.

New Years Bash

December 31st, New Years Eve, marked one full year of coffee operations. We celebrated as any coffee shop would.

Customers enjoying our free coffee tasting. The coffees available were Colombian Suppremo, Ethiopia Jimma, and our Holiday Blend.

As far as we know we hosted the Kunming's first Barista Championship and we opened it to any Kunming area barsitas. 10 competed by preparing one shot of espresso and one cappuccino for our three judges.

We are hoping to raise awareness of the art of coffee making as well as encourgaging local baristas to improve their trade.

Less of an art and more of a science was our Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza Eating Competition. 12 competed for the rights to pizza eating champion.

1 KG of deep dish pizza left a few more than overwhelmed.

Some of the Chicago Coffee Crew

12:00 AM 01/01/2009

A English Corner Miracle. Love proposed by two of our English Cornerians who met a few months ago through our Tuesday Night English corners.

2008 Kunming Barista Champion- Doug (top left) 2008 Kunming Barista Runner-up- Carol (top right) 2008 Kunming Pizza Eating Champion- Guo Chao with a time of 5 minutes & 23 seconds (bottom left) 2008 Kunming Pizza Eating Runner-up- Jeff (bottom right)

Debunking Myth #3: When in Rome...

As the year has now come to a close, I have begun to reflect more and more on this first year of the coffee business. I certainly drink more coffee than I did before and I certainly won't view business in China in the same way as before. But there is one thing that really stood out to me that I felt deserved to be mused about.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Although the idea of adapting to the culture and customs that you are immersed in is certainly true there is only so far we can take this idea. Because the ends dont justify the means. What I mean by that is that it doesn't matter if you consider yourself to have a higher calling or not we should not practice the same corrupt or devious or dishonest practices that the "Romans" excelled at just because we happen to be Rome. It does not matter what you are doing or what your purpose, there are still some things that are wrong and it will never matter how much you try to sugar coat it or paint it with a fresh coat of paint.

I see so many people and businesses that follow the same corrupt practices that are entrenched in this city and it sickens me. Yes that way is the easy way and leads to the fastest success. But is it the success that we should be striving for? Is it the success that we will proud of 10 years down the road?