Civet Coffee aka kopi Luwak

I was able to get hold of some Civet coffee beans and was able to produce some 600 grams of coffee powder. Can you believe 600 grams when a kg of this exotic beans are priced $ 350 and above (US$33.00) per cup. The beans were painstakingly collected over a span of 1 year. The worst part is, the beans are not available throughout the year, You get it when it rains. And secondly thou coffee is extensively grown in chikamaglur, civets are more common in coorg. A very good friend of mine has an estate in coorg and thanks to them that they collected the beans for me.

This rare coffee has the distinction of being consumed before the connoisseur has even taken a sip. The palm civet (Kaadu bekhu/Mungusi), a cat-like animal also called a luwak, ingests fresh coffee cherries but doesn't digest the beans inside. The civet smells & eats the ripest and tastiest of the berries. After the beans pass through the civet's digestive system, The dung is collected and bean are washed and dried. Supposedly, the civet's digestive enzymes make the beans less acidic, improving the coffee's flavor. Most of the beans that are collected in Indonesia are exported and in India the beans are never bothered.

Well getting it roasted is a difficult job, it should not be microwaved. And there is also a risk of civet powder getting mixed with other powder if you get it done outside. My mom hand roasted the beans in a vessel with sand in it to get the right color. Once done it was grinded in a Mixer. We did not mix any chicory and the coffee was prepared the way a filter coffee is prepared.

I thought a civet coffee party (Coffee with Chandan) would be a good reason to invite people home and the party was yesterday. It was fun and everyone loved the coffee. It is very smooth and the aroma was heady. The flavor remains on your tounge for hours if you dont eat anything in between. Its not just me, everyone had some really good opinion about it. I still have some powder left, any coffee lover in Bangalore can drop in and have a cup for free. Do E Mail me before 03.07.09 and you 'll hav to give me one good reason for why I should invite you.

P.S. My mom told me lately that my granddad had a coffee farm long back and those were the days when money was hard to come by. All the produce were sold. However they were using civet beans at their place as they were considered to be of the lowest quality and did not hav any market value then. Just imagine, my mom and uncles grew up drinking civet coffee every day. The beans are called hanuklu in kannada

Right to live

Lately I watched the movie Transformers for the nth time and the following dilogue from the movie kept me thinking.

Ironhide: Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primitive and violent race.

Optimus Prime: Were we so different? They're a young species. They have much to learn. But I've seen goodness in them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.

So true, Every living being has the right to live. We human beings, the dominant species are suppressing other species. We are disrupting the evolutionary cycle or controlling the evolution to some extent. If other animals are given an opportunity to evolve, they may be of some benefit to us. I'll talk about the benefits later. We know south America is sparsely populated as compared to other continents and at the same time it has Amazon jungle where flora and fauna is diverse. We will have to relocate existing human population and spread them across the world. Thou relocation to a new place in short notice is a bad idea south Americans will benefit from being upgraded to a developed nation. Now South America will have to be declared neutral continent and should not even be visited by researchers. From then on we should let the continent evolve. The biggest issue will be relocation of tribes who are leaving in jungles. We will have to select suitable evergreen rain forest across the world and hav to relocate them there. Some people may perish or may not be able to survive, It'll be a small sacrifice as we are promoting something bigger.

Now if something bad happens and the entire human population is wiped out from the face of planet; We will hav an entire continent which is set in a state of evolutionary process devoid of humans. This may sound crazy but imagine, instead of things starting from scratch, we will have it start from say 5% or 20% of completed evolution. You may also say that existing forest are sufficient. But I strongly feel that the constant human interaction with forest has made it useless and we are shaping the living organisms to our benefits and the evolution is not happening the way nature wants it to happen. So we require an uninterrupted evolution somewhere out there in south America.

Now the advantage part, How many times do you think someone from a different planet has landed on earth and tried to bring back dinosaur to life ? Well I don't think that has ever happened. However we are very close to bring back woolly mammoth to life and are even capable of bringing back dinosaur if we get the right set of DNA from right set of fossils. Its a know fact that its much easier for a life form from earth to bring back life to an old life form of earth. So in an event of catastrophe we can expect a faster evolution in the neutral continent of south America and animals there may one day dig out fossil of humans and inject life to extinct homosapeians. Its something like we helping other species who may help us out in an event of disaster.

Its just a far fetched concept of mine. There may be better ideas floating around. But at the end of the day as optimus prime tells, Freedom is the right of all sentient beings

The Book of Family Records

Being born into a big family has its own advantage or rather disadvantage for people like me. There is a not so interesting game that is regularly played in our family circle. The game is called "who has got how much marks". The rules of game is very simple, compare your marks or to be more precise your academic performance with that of your cousins, friends and siblings. Well there is no prize for winners. The game becomes tough when you have really good performers as competetors. Since I was the eldest of the lot there was a huge expectation of what target I would set, but ironically after few years I was declared retired from the game and now I'm a mere spectator. As you can see, 70% average marks will not make you eligible in the game. So getting in is also tough. But I do hav a set of record that will remain intact for years to come, i.e. " Maximum number of flunk in Math Tests". Well the game has a very dark side, wish there was a better way of recognising talent.

Solitude

I just don't get it. Some people, for no apparant reason stops talking to you. Its just like a chineese puzzle inside a brain twister. I may be bit paranoid, as they might be really busy with something more important then a casual talk. Nevertheless no matter whome you are with, you are as alone as you were on the day you were born. When you most need them, they are not there. Its good not to expect any thing from any one which I feel is a more practical thing a person can do in his life. But strangly, I've started enjoying doing things alone. I don't mind going out for movies alone or having a dinner in solitude or even go shopping. Never confuse feeling alone with being alone. They two are at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. At times solitude is bliss. Well today I need to vote for a candidate whome I feel is best among the worst. Anyways, I'm not sure Advani is the right person. But given the political chaos, if I had to choose between Manmohan (aka Sonia with beard), Advani and Mayawati (or the entire breed), I think I'd go with Advani. Well in my constituency I'm unable to find a single candidate whome I could look upto.

Life Update

Friends around me are dropping like flies, of course - the girlfriend pandemic or its more serious complication - marriage - has been busy “getting” practically everyone I know. There goes another, I tell myself everyday. Fare thee well, friend. To be more precise, friends are getting farer and fewer everyday. Most of the conversations i have recently are about inquiries about my woman-less life and in their minds life-less existence..The question of marriage & girlfriends, I find, is a bit like non-vegetarianism. Meat-eaters and pro-marriage freaks both seem to think that it’s all a question of finding that perfect chicken, and once you’ve had it, you’ll never go back to your old ways - conveniently ignoring the fact that there are millions of people who lead perfectly content lives that are chicken-free in every possible way. Well yet to update my blog about my trek to Amdhikal and a 10 day trip across India. Till then ciao.

Levis rules

My most uncomfortable Levis is more comfortable then the costliest wrangler I have. I've tried many brands including Pepe, Lee. Somehow they are not as comfortable. In btwn, I wonder why people buy button fly over a zipper. Wont it take more time to answer the natures call. What exactly do people find so compelling about button flies, anyway?

Culture Shock

I have witnessed a fair share of champagne moments in a grand prix, a cricket match and with friends. This new year I was with my family & close relatives and it was fun, but i had never expected a champagne to be popped in front of family and in front of my granny. It was a culture shock to me. Wat's more interesting is, every one was fine with it including my granny. The shock was due to difficulties in accepting the new culture, causing difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not, as alcohol was a taboo in an bram community like ours. But must say I'm not against it altogether. Well did I raise a Glass ? I still haven’t raised the glass. I'm still waiting for the right moment, and tell myself how tasty it will be if I ever accomplish something special in my life. All in all when I look back, 2008 was very gloomy and I could have done much better in whatever I did. Looking forward to a new year with new hopes.

Love, Peace and Harmony

WOW...who would have thought it would happen so soon. It is hard to believe that she is old enough to be getting married... My sister got married yesterday. But I think that I can safely say that it was a great time to reunite with my family, and watch our lovely bride step into married life. It was a beautiful day for Chaya and Ramu and all those who came to help celebrate their marriage together.

SAK

Got myself a original Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. A very costly key chain to sport, but worth every penny. I particularly liked the matt outer finish, feels so good to handle. The brand "Swiss Army" has arguably achieved near iconic status and is said by some to connote the best versatility, dependability, and quality. Thou a basic model, a very handy tool to hang around with. Also thought of buying an imitation at national market, but donno how good they are.

Will blogs survive ?

Was just thinking about it, Blogger's enthusiasm is fueled by expected comments. In the long run, however, the small fan following wouldn't stick with the same personal blogs. Earlier when I started my blog, the amount of comments pouring in was high and I used to blog frequently. Well now I update only the information which I feel I may require later, mostly travelogues which I'm sure will be fun to read, mabbee after 30 years from now on. What will survive are the blogs that add value to the reader. A blog that gives information about new things that are unavailable elsewhere. Just imagine an author of a blog receiving hundreds of comments to receive none all of a sudden. Will he have the same enthusiasm to continue writing as before.

Also imagine another scenario. You have a blog buddy whose blog you frequent often. During the course of time you had a online-buddy to whom you used to call and relate things and share information that you thought were very personal. Lets imagine that there was a strong healthy bonding between you two whom you never knew personally. Suddenly he stops blogging and it is normal to feel the sense of loss. You call him to hear some one else voice informing you that he is dead. HOW would you feel to see his blog once active now idle with just the memories left behind. HOW would you like to see your comment box empty with no comments from your buddy who used to comment every articles you published. NOW MY QUESTION IS " WILL YOU HAVE THE SAME ENTHU TO BLOG AS YOU WERE DOING BEFORE ?"

Movie update

"A person's a person no matter how small", Well what more can I say. I watched Horton hears a who day before yesterday and must say, An amazing piece of work. For the records, this was my first animation movie that I remember watching in a theater. Jim Carrey plays Horton, No one can fit into the role of Horton other than Jim Carrey. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Horton crosses the bridge, I wish theaters had a rewind button.

Also watched an Italian movie Malena. Simply superb. But anyways, you sure can watch the movie for Monica Bellucci. She is completely, absolutely, fully, drop-deadedly WHOA! One of the most gorgeous screen babes I have seen. I bet you would never see a beautiful woman the same way and believe me when I say this, Its a sin to be good looking. A very touching movie.

The culprit

I have been out of blog-action for a month now. The reasons are very existential sort actually: My body decided to crash, And then it was usual "Eat-Take Medicine-Puke-->Try to sleep-->crash again-->repeat" cycle which took fair amount of my time.

Now, coming back to the previous post's discussion, what really caused my vehicle to skid. As assumed it was not the sand that really caused the thing. Upon closer analysis it was the road markings that triggered the unexpected fall. Have you ever tried to ride over the markings with a two wheeler, then you must have noticed a substantial drop in the road grip and upon braking the vehicle would not stop immediately. Phew! I wonder what is the type of paint that is being used to mark roads.

Once in a while

The weather was just superb. I always enjoy bright sunny weather just after it has rained and was on my way to office. It was just about fine, but the sand was just about dry sufficient to make the turning slippery. I rammed my brakes a bit too fast and found myself kissing the road in a matter of nanoseconds. But I showed some amazing skills in getting up back to make sure that no one had noticed. This was number _ _ _ (counting) in the series of minor accidents that I have had in last few decades (road accidents, that is. My personal life itself is an accident, otherwise). Last accident I remember was at Kanakapura main road where I had found myself lying on the road, looking into eyes of the dog which had just hit Amogh’s bike (Well that was Amogh’s mistake). Apart from honing my driving skills, these accidents have also lent support to my arguments of why I should not have a girlfriend. My flashy new bike sustained a few scratches.

Kumara Parvatha

There was certain something missing from past two years as I was unable to make some time off to go out on a long trek. Occasionally I would visit few hills nearby but that never had the zing that Western Ghats used to offer. Last weekend I had been to a place popularly known as Kumara Parvatha. I usually talk about how intense I find Bangalore and how everything in Bangalore is noisy and fast-paced and high-energy, and when I come back home at the end of the day, I feel drained. And it's nice to escape to the relative calm of trekking for a while.

We begin to notice the first time we step into the bus that it was a bad idea to plan a trek in short notice as we ended up with seats at the rear end of the bus. I don't know about other places but this journey was a rollercoaster ride and in all probability we were suspended in mid air most of the time which officially classifies our group to people who trekked Kumara Parvatha right from Bangalore. I was impressed by the casual adroitness with which our courageous bus driver would navigate the maddening maze of pot holes and non existent roads.

Kukke is an extraordinary place in terms of Geographic location, Right from a temple located in the foothills of Kumaraparvatha to the very beautiful river Kumaradhara flowing through the city. It also acts as a base camp for many trek routes to Bisle Ghat, Yedukumeri and KP. I couldn't help but marvel at the mist covered place as soon as I got down from the bus.

There is an unwritten rule for trekkers, if you do not bathe once in three days you are foolish. If you feel like taking bathe every day, you are crazy. I'm not sure if it's worse to be foolish or crazy, but I guess I fall into the first category. We couldn't help but to understand the usefulness of Deodorant as we did not bathe for 48 Hrs. I often found myself complaining about the amount of trash found on the trek path. I wish people to be more educated towards waste disposal. The good thing was, higher we climbed lesser were the waste.

No matter which trek route you select, there is always a nice surprise round the corner. In our case we had never anticipated the vastness of the mountain so were we lacking in preparation which took its toll and forced us to take rest every few minutes. I was rather amused at the speed at which our Glucose powder was depleting. We were relived when we reached Bhatara Maane which is an isolated house on the way to KP which serves as a pit stop to have lunch.

Water streams are rare especially during winter and summer, and where they do exist we need to fill our water bottles. We came across them near two places one near a ruined dolmen (Mantapa) and the second almost near the peak. So I suppose, I could not stop washing my face in the ice cold water in the scorching heat that constantly pushed my sweat buds to perform at its fullest. But there's something about distance and height of KP (2nd tallest mountain in south India) that can wear you out. In fact 2 people from our group were so tired that they ended up losing their way and had to spend the night inside a forest, creepy isn't it. But I was amazed at the speed at which localities used to climb without any difficulty.

So yeah, finally we were almost near the peak and we got to see the most breath taking sunset in all its glory. One moment you would see the bluish sky and suddenly you would be surprised to see your friends faces turning orange and then red. We then started embarking on what is sure to be a risky trek as it was turning darker. So was the trek rather gloomy at the end as we had left behind two of our friends whom we thought were slowly trekking towards the peak.

You say hi to a random trekker and he graciously introduces himself. It's easy to make friends on a trek especially when you are enquiring about your missing mates; they were sympathetic and very helpful. I find it compelling, most of them are from many different walks of life, and are interacting as if they knew us from the day we were born. It was dark and we stopped to cook dinner near a stream. From a distance you could see light from fire spread across the stream and occasional laughter that would shatter the silence of forest. Finally after a small ascend we reached the peak. Pitching the tent itself was a Herculean task. On a peak like Kumara Parvatha it require a bit of courage to sleep as I constantly kept wondering when our tents would fly away. After sunrise we finally managed to reunite with the lost friends and headed back. Taken together you would feel like doing this trek again and again.

HMT's

Who can forget the importance of a towel after reading Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy. A true galactic traveler has to carry a towel which is very important for his survival. A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have... You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta…wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat…wrap it around your head to ward off noxious fumes. Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

As you can see, people of Karanataka especially in Mandya belt are true inter galactic travelers. They invariably carry their towel over their shoulders. Recently I had been to a nearby village and was curious to see so many intergalactic travelers around. They are fondly referred to as Hegal mele towel alias HMT's (Babel fish translation : Towel on shoulders). This HMT's might be something very similar to the mice in disguise who were actually using humans as laboratory creatures. Who knows ? ;)

Being perfectionist is sin

I feel my best character is my worst enemy. I somehow do not have the ability to tolerate imperfections. As a result I do not study if I feel that I'm unable to complete 100% of the syllabus,Replace my wrist watch glass if there is minor scratch and so on. Thou I'm not perfect, my pursuit to perfection has really driven me crazy. At the end of the day nothing gets done. Sometimes I'm stressed to a point wherein I can barely function. Hence from today onwards I've decided to tolerate 10 - 15% of imperfection in things that I come across. This reminds me of deliberate mistakes that were allowed to be purposefully made on temple carvings, worrying to get 100% of the things right is not worth the effort.