Mark and I joined a wine appreciation group! Our first outing was a tour around one of the Finger Lakes, an absolutely gorgeous, pastoral area of NY State. We visited 6 wineries, tasting at each until the wine / heat combination made us very very sleepy.



Our companions were a diverse group of Syracuse-area oenophiles; a fun retired couple, an SU employee, a local winemaker, and a young, active couple. This last couple we soon discovered we'd already met. In the middle of the tour, the woman says to me suddenly, "are you a runner?" I reply in the affirmative. "We've seen you out running, back in the spring I commented on your tattoo as you passed us!" Sure enough, we remembered them. She had seen my tattoo and put the two together. Besides enjoying wine, we also got treated to some amazing food. Impala pate from South Africa, rosemary walnuts, a great assortment of cheeses and crakers, and prosciutto-wrapped melon. Not to mention the awesome server at the first winery who ran off to get us some dark chocolate to try with our port!


Upon returning to Syracuse, we joined the philosophy gang for a free BBQ at the Grad Student bar, and then headed downtown to Clarke's pub. It's been a very social few days, so today we're recovering. . . if you call a sub-10min/mile 6.4 mile run a recovery! (That one's for you, Dad!)

Needless to say, there won't be any wine involved in our festivities tonight. (Unless we go to the Eucharist service at St. Paul's.) Over and out!

We celebrated our 6 month anniversary on June 29th, and, true to form, Mark presented me with a very thoughtful gift: a hot-air popcorn popper! This little popper however was destined for bigger and better things than corn; for we would soon christen it with the shiny green beans of the coffee plant.


















That is, if we could find them. In a fun-filled, adventure-packed day, Mark and I set out to find all the tools we needed to turn our ho-hum popper into a home coffee-roaster extraordinaire (courtesy of instructions on coffeegeek) Our travels took us to kitchen supply stores from Osborne to Ferry to Polo Park, searching in vain for a small, cheap candy thermometer that went higher than 450. The next day (oh yes, the search was epic), we found one at Russel Kitchen Supply on Ellice for 6$. A few hours later and with only one drill bit injured in the process, we had our roaster ready to go!

Finding green coffee beans to roast also proved difficult. So far, we've found only two places in Winnipeg that carry them: Black Pearl Coffee on Dufferin (but you'll have to get through the owner first, he's protective of his beans!), and the Cannery on Osborne. At not much cheaper than the final roasted beans, I think we'll try to find a better deal on the internet.

Lastly, we needed a large colander to quickly cool the hot, roasted beans. This we ended up scoring for 10 bucks at Superstore.

It took us one batch to discover that we LOVE roasting coffee. (Jen: "This is SO FUN! I LOVE this!" Mark: all smiles, laughing at my enthusiasm.) You become part of the whole process: watching the beans begin to heat up and turn tan, smelling the sweetness of barley and "burning organics," listening for first and second "crack," and timing out the different stages and temperatures. So, the moral of the story is, be nice to us and you might be eligible for a pound of the freshest roasted coffee around! (Even fresher than Starbucks...it's true.)

"Sir, which country you from? ... Ma'am ..."
"Canada"
"Torontovancouver???"
"No, Winnipeg."
"Ahhh, very very nice place."
"Yup, (wave and smile) bye!"

-A typical exchange between us and various people in the marketplaces, usually occuring between 10 and 15 times a day. Paul, a British guy we met last night while dining on the Mehran Fort's noble terrace, told us that he's started making countries up to stave off the boredom. Sounds like a good idea.

We both seem to be back in functioning order, feeling at least 95% ourselves again. The Norfloxacin 400's we picked up for a dollar (maybe MB health will cover the bill) seem to be doing their job, or at least our stomachs are getting used to all things Indian.

And it's hot, friends, very very hot. As we type in a strangely humid-cold basement of an Internet spot, the temperature is soaring towards 43 degrees celsius. It is amazing what the human body can take.

A few hours left here in Jodhpur until we board a night train for Delhi, and then another for Shimla, a northern city promising respite for our sweat-soaked brows. Rajasthan has charmed us with its desolate beauty, beguiled us with its frantic momentum, and endeared us to its colourful people. That said, the nickname that's been applied to Westerners who come here in the summer months seems apt; we are feeling more and more like "mad dogs."

Namaste, we'll write you all from the footstools of the Himalayas.

Jen and Mark

...so far! It's Sunday in India, and our first official day on our own. Jonathan greeted us at the Delhi airport, and was our faithful host/guide all day yesterday. This morning we embarked just the two of us (on a local bus filled to the brim with people) and arrived in Jaipur today at around noon. It's about 38 degrees celsius right now, but we survived yesterday's 40 so we should be alright. Off we go now to find some cold drinks and fresh mangoes...which, incidentally are in season right now.

Last night we had the priviledge of being able to watch a Hindi marriage ceremony. We were allowed into the huge buffet (it took place in our hotel), and served by one of the staff. This morning we woke up to discover that the party was STILL not over! (Thanks for the earplugs, mom) As we sipped our "cold coffees" (Nescafe, sugar and milk), we watched the tearful bride say goodbye to her families.

More to come!

(by Jen)

While talking to a well-traveled friend today, she said "travelers say that you haven't really traveled until you've been to India or China." Well, even though I don't agree with the statement, I do know what the intention behind it is: Get ready for adventure.

A few other people have weighed-in on our upcoming trip (we leave on the 3rd! this Thursday!). While my dad was here over the weekend he read us from Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. All I remember is "each breath was like a tiny victory." Another friend-of-a-friend: "Why are a white girl and her white husband going to India in MAY?"

Because we got married and when people get married they go somewhere hot, and so we picked the hottest place on the planet. 42-45 degrees Celsius, or for all you Yanks, 107-113 Fahrenheit. Well actually, I have this wee obsession with mountains, and so Mark is taking me to see one of the greatest mountain ranges on earth. The food, adventure, and eye-openers will top it off, to make it soooooooo much better than your standard tropical vacation. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

So check in for updates. We'll try to get to a computer whenever we can, but no promises. Off we go!

Labels: pictures, traveling

Yes, that headline does read: "Storm-Tossed Coast"

As some of you have heard, the north-east got a big snow storm last night. Here in Syracuse it has continued into today. As I write it is still snowing.

Here are some pictures of what we woke up to today. First, the street in front of our house.
This is the "snow-tunnel" sidewalk by our place.
And a pretty tree across the street.
Finally, there's Jen at our front window. She decided to stay in where it was dry and warm while I ventured out into the snow.

Labels: pictures, Syracuse

The ten kilometre race, affectionately known to runners everywhere (even in the archaic, imperial-measuring USA) as the "ten-K." This race is a milestone for any runner. Usually, it's the first significant race an amateur runner will enter. On Sunday, Mark and I will attempt the 26th Annual Skunk Cabbage Classic, in Ithaca, NY. A 6.2-mile jaunt around the stately Cornell-University town shouldn't be too much of a problem. We'll just have to wait and see.

So please, on Sunday at 10:30 Eastern Daylight Time, send up some runnerly vibes on our behalf, as well as on behalf of our new team, the Syracuse University Philosophy Department Running Club (creatively named by Mr. Mark Barber himself).

If we meet our time goals, Mark might even reward himself with an espresso by Zahar (our favourite Ithaca barrista), while Jen may choose to indulge herself in a Moosewood curry extraordinaire. Check in for results!

Brought to you in part by the PDRC: Run Fun, Run Well, Run Thoughtfully

Labels: running