hey dreamers

[Pia Montemayor]

Hipsters!!

So it's been 16 days since I've been back in Manila. 

The good: jetlag's gone, weather is actually quite pleasant (22C when I wake up!), AND I have so far found 4 new cafes that make really good coffee. My next mission is try out the new bars that have sprouted up in the past few months :)

The bad: there is a 90% probability that I won't get to use my return ticket to Madrid next Thursday, because...

The ugly: I might start working next week. I say "might" because I haven't submitted all the pre-employment requirements, and frankly, I'm a bit hesitant to, hoping that a better offer will come up. 

Anyway, it's a Senior Research Analyst position for a company called Baker & McKenzie. It sounds like a good opportunity, but it's 100% a desk job and the compensation is not even all that great. Plus it's in a different city as those new coffee places, haha!  I think I accepted it because I'm getting bored already and I need to start paying bills. Also, at least it will afford me real market research experience, while I wait for opportunities from abroad.

But that's not the reason why I wrote to you guys. I had a lot of time to think this week (and dream, of course) and I finally realized, with 100% certainty, what it is I really want to do. Can you guess? ----  specialty coffee! This dream was set in stone after watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lltlClnUdWo&sns=em (warning: it's 12 mins long)

As in:  in a perfect world, I would fly to Australia tomorrow (never mind if it's 43C currently) and take short courses about coffee fundamentals, and maybe try my hand at being a barista for a few months. Then I'd fly to California  to visit the specialty coffee meccas, then to South America to go to coffee farms and really learn about the beans and coffee production. The goal is to set up shop, I just don't know where yet - Manila or Madrid or Zurich or Lebanon or Puerto Rico or San Salvador haha!

Sadly, it's not a perfect world we live in, and that dream needs funds, so I have to be a corporate slave for a while.

What about you guys? How are you all doing? 

If only we can all have this conversation in person, like we used to...

[Fernando Espinoza]

OMG Pia!! Every great thing starts with a dream. And the second part of your e-mail certainly sounds more exiting than the first. I don't need to tell you that you have my support in all the steps of your journey cause you know it. I have been a barista in the past and its really exiting and truly an Art. When you reach the part of your journey when you are ready to learn about cofee production El Salvador is the perfect place to learn and I know the people who can teach you. I haven't seen the video yet but I will. Lastly, Im sure your dream will come true, even if it has to start from a desk, thats just the starting point!! YOU WILL HAVE GREAT SUCCESS! But don't go to Australia! Its too far from uss

Best,

Fernando

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[Marcela Restrepo Gomez]

OMG Pia, I just saw this e-mail!! I never go into my ie e-mail account anymore, but I'm so glad I decided to check it out today. Love to hear from you.

The coffe shop idea sounds great, just like Fer said you also have all my support and help avaliable with anything it is you might need, for real!! 

We should try the hipster hangout this weekend so we can at least talk and see each others faces. I'll do a doodle later to try and find a time when we can all talk. 

Besos!!

Marce

[Carolina Ortiz Rosso]

Pia!! Just saw this too! Pleaase write me on my personal gmail as I never check this one either. This sounds like the perfect dream for you. The coffee scene in PR is pretty great so if you come, I can set you up with tours/courses etc. Just say the word!!!! We have some beautiful coffee farms here. Miss you all!