Alun...had I not gone into business, I always think that social-anthropology would have been one of my areas. Incredible how the homo sapien disperses seed all other this globe. It's about 930p here, and I'm going to shut down soon. I was loading a couple more songs onto my playlist. I'm still getting a kick out of this site. I may be "over doing it" just a bit, but I've got a huge collection of Brasilian Bossa Nova and Samba. Every trip South I buy Music DVD's or CD's I can't get up here. Oddly, I have more Brasilian music than any of our Brasilian family or friends. My background interest has always been percussion, and I get a huge kick out of anything that has a great bass line beat. Music is one language that is truly universal, and sharing music has been one great joy. Anyway, maybe we can hook up over MSN, SKYPE or the phone sometime. Chatting with you, now I feel this urge to call Harry and see what he's up to. He and Inga usually travel back to Jakarta regularly. As for Margaret's family in Wellington, I'll get a maiden name for you. Later.............

Alun, regarding the parents of my son in law, I keep asking them for the name of the city in which they now live, and then I promptly forget. It is on the North shores of the South Island. I think it starts with "I".....? Must be age. My area of interest is business management, and more specifically, customer service and marketing/sales. When I travel to another state, or out of the country, and I have an opportunity to visit specialty coffee retailers or any entity within the industry, I do focus on the business as much as the coffee. What little I know of Indonesia through my friend gave a the impression that there was a very distinct seperation or class seperation; both based on income level as well as religion. I do know that Harry's family and his wife's family, both professionals, suffered from the anti-Chinese culture of the country. One of Harry's in-laws is a principal of an international teak furniture company. Without nameing them, I do know that one of their clients here in the US was COSTCO. Is the coffee industry well integrated and inclusive of all cultures in Indonesia, or is there a distinct stratification or identifiable demographic?

Thank you

Alun...very pleasant surprise hearing from Indonesia. A very close Chinese-Indonesian friend of mine was the one almost 20 years ago that introduced me to what little I know about the country. BTW, my son in law's Mom is originally from Wellington. They go back often and have home on the North end of the South Island. I haven't read yet, but do you get here to the West Coast? I'm close to the SCAA offices in Long Beach, and was lucky to attend the Long Beach Int. Show and the Seattle Fest. My core work has me traveling throughout the Western US, which is great for visiting coffee haunts.

I may be planning a holiday back to bali some time next year so i might pop over, thanks for all the insight!

Im not exactly sure which PNGs i am using, due to the fact it is a blend supplied by campos coffee and they arent giving away their secrets quickly. Im just startingh to become more aware of the many differnt flavours of each single origins and im keen to try some of the south east asian coffees before venturing on to the african and south american origins. Id like to get into roasting futher down the track so i am sampling all assortments of coffees to try to aquire all different flavours of the different regions of the world.

hey thanks for the add. I see your very passionate about your south east asian coffees. Ive been interested in tasting some more coffees from that region. At the moment i am working with a PNG based blend. Would i get simalar flavours from other coffees in that region, specifically indo coffees?

For sure...yes let's keep in touch. I'm sure I'll "run into you" quite a bit around here. Thanks for the add by the way. Your travels sound exciting! I'm headed to Costa Rica for the first time this November. Going to take lots of pics, and bone up on my Spanish. Talk to you later!

Hi Alun. That is great - you are doing what I love to do and hear about others doing. I am working with some private roasters here in Colorado Springs and we are interested in buying some green beans. Your operation sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of work but at least it is a work of passion. I had a friend who used to do some work with some nonprofit organization over in Aceh. He is not over there any more he is in KL doing some business. I hope you are having a great day.

Hey Alun - you are just popping up everywhere I go on bx! How do you find time to do all this...read, comment, travel, run your business?? Amazing! If you're still planning to be in the Detroit area over the holidays and have any extra time, send me a note and I'll treat you to the best coffee I know of in the area. It would be great to spend an hour with an industry pro like u! Cheers!
Teresa

Thanks Alun. Your pictures of Indonesia are great! Where are you located there and what is your primary business?

I would have went I have been in situations like that before but my client and the US government ACDI/VOCA would not allow it maybe soon. My son and Have always wanted to dive Micronesia

When I got my chance to go to Sumatra there was a blood bath and my trip got cancelled so Indonesia is the last place for me to go

Hi Alun. I forgot to ask which booth in coffeefest will you be in?
Hope to meet you there.
Neo

Hi Alun.
I want to, but I do not know if I can make it. I have some certain obligations in these days where I still do not know if I can postpone in order to I accomplish. We will see…
You be there?

I just read the register confirmation email and it seems that I can't even enter because I'm under age lol

:O Coffeefest? Is it only for those in the industry?
I will certainly join if I can.

Speaking of pioneers, there is a small roaster here.Although they don't make a fortune out of coffee, but they are still roasting fresh beans for us. I hope one day people start to realize how great coffee can be.

Hello,
Thanks for the comment. However, there's something i wish to point out. Although a lot peope love going to starbucks, but some(most?) people don't go there for coffee but to show that they are able to afford it.
yeah it's strange but it's ture.