Danderma's Blog, page 117

Al-Noury Blog's Graduation Gift…

I came to the apartment yesterday to find a tiger print bag on top of one of my tables. Surprised, happy, and a little suspicious I grabbed it to have a look!

Inside was a lovely card from Al-Noury Blog congratulating me on my coffee graduation

Al-Noury couldn't make it to my coffee graduation because she was out of town so she sent me this gift instead. How considerate of her! What's inside the bag?

The tiger theme did remind me a lot of Mira Tiger Mood :p Inside my tiger clad boqsha was this lovely thing…

A beautiful coffee addict mug filled with patchi chocolate Now Al-Noury how did you know I am a coffee addict :p

Thank you dear Al-Noury for the very thoughtful gift. It was a really nice gesture and I loved drinking my coffee in it while nibbling on the strawberry cheesecake patchi chocolate O the size of the mug is just perfect, yallah eye eb rasi this amount of coffee :*

Vote 2012 Initiative

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I received an email from our dear Ansam who is starting a mini campaign to encourage Kuwaitis to vote. We are all frustrated. We are all thinking what's the point, nothing will change. We are all too tired to go and stand in line and vote only to see the same faces again without resolve or any improvement. But we must vote. We have no choice but to vote and keep the faith. Above is my contribution to this campaign which I've posted in Instagram.

If you are interested check out Ansam's post (link) and do your mini contribution and let Ansam know. We are all on Instagram, Twitter, and facebook and we all can do something for Kuwait. The more creative you are the better, it only shows how much you care for Kuwait. What say you?

10 Things that Happen to you When you Dine Outdoors in Kuwait

1- Its always either abnormally cold or melting hot. Even if you wear everything in the cupboard you would want to sit next to the heater. Sadly every place has one of those tall pyramid heaters with the tall flame that looks very pretty but emit absolutely no heat.

2- If you manage to wear your fur, you sit down and you are attacked by hordes of flies! Small or big, buzzing near your hands, food, phone, you name it. After a while you either ignore them or just move inside. You need a Pif Paf.

3- You feel warm, no flies around, you are eating an suddenly a furry thing passes by your leg. You jump up in the air when you realize its a stray cat. O yarba b3d. You shoo her but she just stares at you defiantly and she mews b3d. She is shooed again and again, only to circle the block and come back to haunt your table. Why are there so many strays in Kuwait? Once a stray dog attacked us in spoons b3d!

4- No cat? Then a zarzoor 7alay would do the job! He will jump to your table, we9 we9ing y3ni I am cute feed me. You shoo him away and he doesn't fly! Courageous little things that just won't leave you to your meal!

5- If its cold and the waiters don't feel like going back and forth they will keep asking you if you change your mind and want to go inside. "Are you sure ma'am?" "Inside ma'am?" "Are you sure ma'am?".

6- Your meal finally arrives, only for the wind to start blowing at that exact same moment to haul everything off the tables. You must have some weight to place on every item being used or else it will fly away.

7- Someone from the table besides you after finishing his meal decides to have his daily treat of cigarettes, thus blowing the smoke in your direction and choking you. It is OK for him to eat and finish in peace but for others they have to suffer his smoke. G63.

8- You are just about to dig into your meal when a poor child with something to sell approaches you and looks at your food with big sad eyes then thrusts whatever he is selling at you demanding you buy it. A 1 KD for a bag of stale 7abb shamsi mathalan or a 5 KD for a tiny smelly car air freshner!

9- If it gets a little crowded and women begin waiting for a seat they love to stand on your head while you are eating. Huffing and puffing and giving you the eye inah yallah gomaw. Etha ma3ahom an older lady mako moshkila she grabs a chair from your table and sit y3ni waiting and guilting you into finishing and getting out of there.

10- Number ten is for you. What makes you rue the day you decided to dine outside in a restaurant in Kuwait?

Picture of the Week: Reflection

Can you tell from the reflection of this glass if the cup is half empty or half full? What about when you reflect on the actions of your life? Is it as easy?

Event: My Coffee Graduation Day

I will let you in on a little secret: at 11 am yesterday I was wrapped up in my blanket on my couch watching The Simpsons when I had an epiphany: I am not going to my own graduation! I chickened out, yes I did. I was terrified to my core. I wonder if being a wimp is one of my personal traits. Maybe it is. Anyways I scolded myself in my mind and said I have to go. Even if I mess up people would still drink the horrible coffees I will be making and forgive me, mo?

Then upon my arrival in Gloria Jeans Coffee and just as I was to open the door I was hit by another insecure terror: No one would show up! Everyone would say they had some emergency and cancel up on me! I will be left all alone with no one to make coffee to! But as I pushed through the door I found my dear Swera sitting there waiting for me and so were Q8 Path and El Padrino. I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief!

Soon enough the orders started coming in and I overcame my fear and started making coffee. It was me, the coffee machine, the milk jug, and the drinks I was making! I was happy, tired happy but happy! It was so much fun except for a hiccup when my own husband and el padrino decided to order something that wasn't on the menu and I freaked out a bit. But then I liked the drink so much I made one for me!

I look relaxed with the coffee machine. Of course that was near the end of my shift as I made a lot of drinks and greeted my fellow bloggers who arrived one by one with smiling faces and made my day! Thanks to each and every one of you who made it.

Then it was time to graduate! Mr. Subhi the store manager and Ms. Gloria my trainer gave a speech about my course and presented me with my certificate! At last

My fellow baristas Winnie and April who were exceptionally patient and tolerant of my mishaps behind the counter got their employee of the month certificates as well. Congratulations guys!

By the way my dear Pink Girl came with a graduation cap for me to wear when I receive my certificate which I totally did! Such a funny a very thoughtful gesture! Pink? I love you :* O I stole some pictures from her blog ;p

The winner of my Gloria Jeans Blog Quiz was also present, its my dear blog follower and avid commenter Hafsa and I was so glad to meet her! Here she is getting her quiz gift. I stole the picture from Pink too. Ma etgool shay akhayte

I went home with a camera loaded with memories and sore muscles plus this red plastic coffee cup cover where you sprinkle chocolate over your frothy drink and it will spell out your blog's name! Every blogger who attended got one. Such a nice gesture from Gloria Jeans marketing team indeed.

Thank you Gloria Jeans Coffee for allowing me to tick one of my 2012 new years resolution. It was a course to remember and I am going to miss every body! Gloria feels like home now!

Thank you to my fellow bloggers who made my graduation and took time of their cherished Saturday weekend to be there fore me. Thank you is not enough wallah!

You can read my fellow bloggers coverage of the event on these links:

Q8 Path http://www.q8path.com/kuwait_life/gloria-jeans-q8path-cappuccino-made-by-danderma/

965 Malls http://www.965malls.com/?p=3648

Swera http://crazyyetwise.com/2012/01/28/dandermas-coffee-course-graduating-gloria-jeans-coffees/

El Derwaza http://elderwaza.com/amer/events/dandermas-coffee-course-graduation-day/

El Padrino http://elpadrinoq8.com/2012/01/29/dandermas-graduating-gloria-jeans-coffees/

Pink Girl http://pinkgirlq8.com/?p=15045

and I can't wait for the rest to go online

Today is my Coffee Course Graduation Day!

I made it! I passed my coffee making course and today I am going to serve coffees directly to customers while trying NOT to mess up!

You can see me in action and enjoy the coffee I made today from 12:30 – 2:30 PM at Gloria Jeans Coffee – Salmiya Branch. It is exactly opposite what used to be Cinema Salmiya and is now Geant.

If you can't be there then please wish me luck as I am a nervous wreck! See you later

P.S. I need someone to take pictures for my graduation post with my camera. Any volunteers?

Gloria Jeans Coffee Course Day 5 & Quiz Winner

Today is my 5th and last day of my coffee course. I've never been so sad to finish a course before I am going to miss being around coffee so much but then I still have my coffee graduation this Saturday to look forward to, kinda like my final exam

Yesterday was purely behind the counter experience serving real customers. I wore my very own Gloria Jeans outfit and my Gloria Jeans trainee badge and went in. I stood with the baristas as they got the daily briefing from the store manager Mr. Subhi and I was assigned the tast of B1 as in Barista 1 that is in charge of making the coffee shots for the drinks.

I was also shown the hygiene checklist used for the start of each shift to make sure that the food and drinks prepared and clean and the checklists they use to keep track of the food daily. Running a coffee house is a LOT of work.

Then I got around to making the drinks for real customers! Luckily it wasn't overly crowded at night. The first drink I made was a double espresso for a very nice woman. Then I got to make this… a caramel latte!

Eyshaweg moo? There was a very good chance that I'd grab it and drink it instead of the customer! If you are coming tomorrow for my graduation you might want to order this one. Then I made a blended drink (yay me!) and then I made this mocha.

After the decoration I thought the face resembled something familiar but I couldn't put my hands on it. It was only later on Instagram that someone suggested it looks like Ansam's logo and they are right! It does!

logo piz

After about 3 hours of working behind the counter it was time for me to go home. I left gloria jeans covered in Cocoa powder and smelling like a cup of freshly brewed coffee and I minded at all. Went for dinner then came back to sleep like a baby. Its like being in the gym for 3 hours but it is a lot more fun -and less sweat g63-.

So now all is left out of my coffee adventure is the Saturday work shift behind the counter from 12-2:30 PM. I truly hope I do well and not screw up :S

As for the Gloria Coffee Quiz, we have a winner! It is my dear blog reader and avid commentor Hafsa KQ Congratulations Hafsa and see you tomorrow at 12:30 insha2 Allah

Shino '3adako Elyoom?

Hello and welcome to the weekend! Its Thurdsay! Half term just started and everyone is taking a plane out to somewhere! Take me with you to Bahrain or Dubai!

What is your lunch for today? Is it like the rest of the us working in our offices? Bel zwara? On the plane? In the car while you are taking a road trip?

Today I am craving Nachos! Not cinescape's horrible smelly nachos no. Good crispy nachos topped with sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and jalapenos! Not from American chain restaurants either that use blocks of butter disguised as sour cream no. Real tangy greek yogurt like sour cream and everything heaped up on top of each other. You take a piece of nachos and its drenches with everything! Hmmmmm its been a while since a good Mexican place has opened up in here

So shino '3adakom elyoom?

Rant: Please Retweet?

When you are minding your own business lost in whatever you are doing, then hear your iPhone bleeping with the sound of a mention in Twitter. You open it and you find several mentions from several followers telling you that someone you don't know is on some TV channel, then asking you to "Please Retweet"?

Excuse me?

Oh so you know how to use the word please eh? Now wait a minute. Who on earth do you think you are telling me to retweet something? Eb amarat shino? Do you understand how twitter work? Do you know me? Do you know my political interests? Do I care about that man on TV? How DARE YOU ask me to retweet about him? 3la ay asas? Do you think by adding the world please baste7e o basawee retweet? o ana shako feeh?

Eb kaif mino ana asawe retweet? Eb kaifi. Why do I retweet something? If I like it, or think its important some how according to my own set of rules and likings, then I will retweet it out of my OWN FREE WILL! You have no right, absolutely no right, in asking me to retweet about anyone. You do NOT own me. All right?

I am not liking Twitter at the moment. Bad layout. Too many creeps, too many politics, too many people coming in for the first time and lecturing us about "what to tweet and what's not", and too many people thinking they have the right over you to tweet or retweet whatever you want. I miss Twitter back in 2009 when there was a handful of tweeps you knew and you could rant or spill out your life and you'd still be anonymous. 7safa 3la twitter wallah :'(

Gloria Jeans Coffee Course Day 4

Time does fly by fast when you are having fun! Only one more day of the coffee making course to go and I'm definitely going to miss it with all my heart!

Today started by me inviting over my husband to rerun yesterday's testing on him. Now I am certain I can run the coffee tasting and tuning on every one I want :p Afterwards The Operations Manager Mr. Wessam Wafa gave me a briefing about Gloria Jeans Coffee franchise scheme.

Basically Gloria Jeans Coffee is franchised from Australia to operate in Kuwait. But they themselves allow sub franchising for coffee enthusiast who would want to start on the coffee business too by providing them with full support which in my opinion is a brilliant idea. Maybe you will see me operating my own Gloria Jeans Coffee soon, don't be surprised if I do :p

Again I left Gloria Coffee with a gift: A big white mug, a stainless steel tea infuser, and a cute cute koala bear hugging my cup! Isn't he cute?

All that is left now is tomorrow which is going to be an actual coffee making training day where I will be making beverages that are sold to customers in preparation for my graduation shift next Saturday. If you happen to pass by Gloria Jeans coffee Salmiya branch tomorrow after 5 there is a good chance that I will serve you a drink you've ordered

Now I leave you again with the Gloria Jeans quiz. Winner of the quiz will get his or her prize next Saturday! Stay tuned!

Gloria Jeans Coffee Quiz: 

What is the difference between a regular cappuccino and a regular latte at Gloria Jean's Coffees?

1) Amount of foam

2) Weight of the drink

3) Strength of the coffee taste

4) All of the above

5) 1 & 3

Think carefully and place your answer here (link). Good luck!

P.S. Shasamee my koala?