s o u l i z b l o g

…and Stones Throw and Intelligentsia know it. Their new collaboration is Stones Throw’s Ethiopium blend. Taking orders now till October 31th. Here’s the profile on the cool beans:

Varietal: indigenous, typical sub-type
Region: Yirgacheffe, Sidama
Altitude: 1700 – 1900m
Harvest: December – January

The Flavor Shouts Out: Tilahoun Gessesse
The Acidity Reminds Us Of: Alemehyu Eshete
And The Finish Is All About: Mulatu Astatke

Yeah, I have no idea what all of that means. I’m no coffee guru (there’s just too much to learn, i just like to drink it), but all I know is that I love Intelligentsia. It’s LA’s equivalent to Gimme! coffee in NYC and Blue Bottle up in Norcal. Nothing else compares! The weather in LA’s been a bit chilly these days, it’ll be great to start off one of these mornings drinking a fresh brew of Ethiopium, with a Madlib beat or Mayer Hawthorne’s soothing voice playing in the background. Oh, i guess theyre selling an Ethiopium mix too, by Oh No. Coolest collab ever!

waking up at 530 isnt a normal thing for me. i used to do it to go to morning prayer once in a while, but i realized that its just not realistic for me to get up that early and stay energized throughout the day, especially since i usually have things to do until late at night.

but today i woke up early and made the hour long commute from LA to riverside for school. i had a 7am discussion class. my teacher looked tired, and i was tired. what i dont understand is why he just doesnt reschedule our classtime together, especially since i’m the only student enrolled in his class. yes, i sit alone in the middle of the classroom, weekly, as he presents his powerpoint slides to me and only me. and he usually only has about a couple of points to make, then ends the class only about 20 minutes into it. although i like the fact that me being the only student in this class doesnt change the structure or the quality of the lecture, i dont appreciate the fact that i go through so much trouble to get to school early for a 20min class.

so now im passing time at a coffeeshop in downtown riverside until my next class at noon. coffee depot, have you heard of it? it is located by the train tracks and the new metrolinnk station on mission. actually, this place looks like it might be an old railroad station turned coffeeshop! my friends and i used to come here when we were freshmen in college (about a century ago), so im reliving some memories as i study here this morning.

i realize that riverside has a very vibrant coffeeshop culture. some of my favorite coffeeshops like this one, coffee depot, and another called back to the grind, are located in riverside. these independently owned locations all come with mismatched furniture, local art and shelves and shelves of used books, with open mic nights or some other event going on nightly. charming, isnt it? riverside can be quite nice if you look past the drugs, crimes and prostitutes, things people usually associate this city with.