How to Make a Cappuccino and Why That's Important.

Before I left for New Zealand, I read a little of a children's book I liked when I was younger:

Now in New Zealand I think of this book quite a lot. In "The Light Princess" a princess is cursed by a witch with a lightness not only of being (she floats to the ceiling of all rooms (close the windows!)), but also a lightness of personality (she is perpetually laughing). Strangely enough, sometimes I feel a lot like this in New Zealand. My laugh has turned into this chatter that I set on and off when I am happy and even when I am not. My laugh is not extraordinarily loud, or perpetual, but nonetheless, I do often feel a little like the light princess. You should read the book if you haven't, I think this point might be more sensical that way.

On a slightly less abstract note, this is a New Zealand cappuccino:

This is how you make a cappuccino (considering I can't even spell it, it's quite an accomplishment I can make one) skip to the next dots if you already know all of this:

-Grind coffee beans and put them in a little cup, press the cup down with a tamp (use all your body weight), wipe off excess coffee, put into the espresso machine, get a cup, press the button for one cup. If you've done it right the coffee will come out a carmel color. 

-Here comes the hard part. Pour milk into a pot and stick the milk heater from the espresso machine into the milk. Not too far or you'll get bubbles, not out of the milk or you'll spray yourself in the face (I did this). With your extra hand test the temperature of the milk through the pot, at exactly too hot to touch, stop the milk heater. 

-Pour the foam in first, dole it out with the spoon onto the coffee.

-Then pour the milk without the foam into the center of the cup.

-Then put more foam on top.

-Decorate with chocolate (in some geometrical pattern, luckily I passed geometry).

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I went on a trial run today at the Mannequin Cafe. It was insanely busy when I went in, and I just picked it up, started busing tables, cleaning dishes, and learning without asking much. I wear black pants and a black shirt that says "MACS" with an apron. I served one table full of Kiwis and had a real problem the accents (or accInts, as Kiwis would say it), I had to make them point at the menu for the food. Pretty bad. 

Regardless, Janna (the manager) took me aside afterwards, and told me that even though they had another person coming for a trial run, and 100 resumes in their drawer (I think she wanted to let me know that no bullshit would be tolerated), that I'd been hired part-time (29 hours a week), and that I would come sometime next week to get a full coffee training. This coffee training will include making 100 cups of coffee until I've gotten it right. Simon offered to come by and drink all the coffees, but I told him he'd probably be on the ceiling by the time he'd finished. 

So, I've got a job. Which makes me feel a lot less like "the light princess", and a lot more like I actually exist here. I'm touching down in Dunedin, and it feels really nice. 

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You may be wondering why I haven't posted a lot of pictures. The answer is that, stupidly, I do not have a battery-charger for Emily's camera. I'm working on this one. When I get one expect pictures of the flat, my neighbor's flats, the cafe, Baldwin Street, and the collie with two different coloured eyes that lives four flats down.

Tonight Piet picks us up to go to Simon's Mum and Dad's house, I'm making my Nana's famous coleslaw (Sam gave me the recipe). I'll update more after this weekend, hopefully about buying a bike or some form of transportation. Hope all is well with you.

Cheers,

Abi