Seen around PDX this week:
On Stark Ave, of course
Keep it Weird
Sometimes, Portland just makes you chuckle.
Go Herbie go
Coffee in Pictures: Tree to Cup
As someone who grew up in agriculture, I realize how little we know about some of the foods and drinks we consume. For me, it's always fun to find out where foods come from and how they are produced, so I thought I'd share with you some pictures that give you a better idea of how coffee travels from tree to cup.
Coffee trees growing in Panama. Photo by Gilian on Flickr.
The coffee tree produces a delicate white flower that has a jasmine or orange-like smell.
Coffee flowers in Indonesia. Photo by Deepak Bhatia on Flickr.
Seen Around PDX
Here are a few things I saw around town the last couple days.
The Hawthorne BridgeBetween the blue sky and the blue water, I couldn't resist taking a picture.
At PSUBattles with (foam-covered) medieval weaponry. A PSU physical education class, perhaps?
Why Would Anyone Want to Study Chinese?
Some of you have asked me why people come to BLCU for a one-month (or longer) intensive Chinese language study. I’ve been meaning to write about the topic for a while—sorry for the delay. Here are some of my classmates’ stories (unfortunately, I didn’t have pictures of everyone).
The first student I want to introduce to you is Lee Dong-Deuk. Lee is a 53 year-old businessman from Seoul, South Korea. Twenty years ago, he started a business importing wall coverings into South Korea (the company’s website is here). Lee is taking a month off from the day to day operations of the company to come here and study. Lee has studied Chinese in Korea for the last two years with an online Chinese teacher. He is studying because he likes languages and also because he sees potential business opportunities in China. He knows that being able to speak Mandarin will help him build relationships and conduct negotiations with Chinese buyers and suppliers.
Lee