Intelligentsia Coffee

Each time I visit Chicago, I try to make a stop at Intelligentsia Coffee. I first discovered Intelligentsia through my friends Doug and Randy who just started a media production company in Chicago called Advocate Creative. Doug introduced me to the coffee, but then, another friend introduced me to an actual Intelligentsia coffee shop.

What’s so special about Intelligentsia? Well, there is a degree of showmanship, and science that appealed to the analytical chemist in me. As I started my career, I worked as an analytical chemist at MylanPharmaceuticals, and so my world was filled with extractions, beakers, flasks, and balances.  Believe it or not, Intelligentsia is similar.

When they are brewing a cup of coffee, they use a pour over method for brewing to optimize extraction of flavor. The average pour over takes approximately 3.5 minutes to complete, and uses a specific weight of water and coffee (they literally pour the water over coffee grounds on a scale. They heat water to 210 degrees, and begin the pour over knowing that after filtration the brewed coffee will be at about 185-190 degrees.

Their shop is filled with coffee mugs, filters, beakers, and flasks, and no matter how you slice it, they brew a pretty incredible and flavorful cup of coffee.  If you like coffee and find yourself in downtown Chicago, I suggest giving them a try. And if you go on Tuesday, you can buy a bag of their coffee for $2 off and get a free cup brewed as well. I typically like my coffee with half and half or heavy whipping cream, but Intelligentsia is so rich and flavorful, that I enjoying drinking it without any additions.

Hope you get a chance to enjoy a cup!

Thinking Back To September 11 2001

The day started like any other day for me at Mylan Pharmaceuticals. I was an analytical chemist working in quality control. I had walked from my apartment which was just about a mile from Mylan, and arrived slightly before 7AM the way I had walked many times before that day. I had written up some work from the previous day's testing, and was beginning sample preparation for some more tests. We used to listen to the radio in the lab back then, and we were stunned in our workday when we heard the first news broadcast at slightly before 9AM. I don't think any of us knew how to respond to it. How could anyone? What we were listening to was so foreign to our ears. How could any of this have happened? And then, as the day went on, we continued to do our work as we listened attentively to update after update, each one stirring us freshly. What was happening to our world?

I remember in the early afternoon that I made the decision to post a note on our break room door for a time of prayer for anyone who was interested. It seemed like the one thing that was within our power was to call upon the Creator of the universe to share our fears, our concerns, and our deep sadness over what we had heard over the radio over the course of the day. As I walked home at the end of the work day, I wondered about all of the people who had been in those towers. I grew sad as I thought of families and friends who would never be reunited in this world. I grew angry at evil and injustice.

When I arrived at the apartment, I found my roommate sitting in the living room, his eyes glued to the unbelievable images on the television. Was this really happening? I remember phone calls going out, to say that our church, like many communities of faith,  was having a special time of prayer for our nation and for our world that evening.  We were all stirred to our core as we tried to comprehend what we had witnessed on television and over the radio waves that day.

I remember seeing images in the days after the event of missing person postings as people wondered if their loved ones had been among the survivors or not. I even remember seeing, for a moment, what I thought was a photo of one of my high school classmates, Mary Lou Hague. Unfortunately, Mary Lou was among those whose lives were lost on that day. I mourn the loss of a friend, but I can't begin to imagine what her family and the families and friends of so many others continue to feel every year as this day approaches.

So much has happened in all of our lives since that day. I have watched a number of friends graduate from college, start new careers, move to new locations, and even get married (and I've actually done those myself). We have buried loved ones, and watched new technologies develop at a remarkable pace. We have witnessed changes in our lives and in our culture that at one time we could not even imagine.

When flying before the events of September 11, I remember sitting with friends and loved ones as I waited for my plane to arrive at my gate in the airport. Since that time, I have learned to say my goodbyes enroute to the airport. I have many fond memories of saying goodbye or hello to family and friends at airport gates, but since September 11, no new memories like that are possible.  And as I walk into a variety of hotels and other buildings, I am reminded, as I empty my pockets to walk through metal detectors, that today's world is very different. Today, various agencies work tirelessly to insure that our lives are safer, and that an event like what happened 11 years ago does not happen again.

In the eleven year wake of September 11, 2001, one thing hasn't changed. I believe that people have not lost hope. We have not lost the opportunity to do good in our world. Every day, we have opportunities to love our neighbors, to practice kindness, and to strive to be a help to others. As you read these words, I ask you to consider how you might help make the world a better place. We live in a world that is still hurting, but we have not lost hope. This hurting world needs people like you and me to actively pursue ways in which we can work toward a better tomorrow. May we all consider our how we can contribute to a brighter future, and may we never grow weary in doing good.

Remembering September 11, 2001

I woke up this morning, and I felt an overwhelming compulsion to write. Yesterday, I attended the WVU football game, and mixed throughout the game were a variety of points for reflection, for singing, for remembering, and for grieving the events that changed our country and the world on September 11, 2001.

I remember so vividly ten years ago. I was working as an analytical chemist at what was then the world's largest generic drug manufacturer in the world, Mylan Pharmaceuticals. We were listening to a small radio when the music was interrupted with an announcement that brought our work to a temporary halt. A plane had just flown into the top of one of the towers at the world trade center. We all continued working as discovery after discovery was made. A second plane flew into the other tower. We then were confirmed that this was not an accident, but a deliberate attack on a symbol of our nation's financial wealth. An attack that took thousands of lives.

And as the day progressed, we all continued our work in the lab, and were shocked as more and more news came over the radio. Four planes in total. The third flew into the pentagon, and the fourth landed in a field about an hour away from us. As the work day ended, I invited all of my coworkers who wanted to come to join me in our break room for a short time of prayer. None of us were sure what exactly had happened, but we all felt a desire to cry out for answers, and to intercede and help, the best we knew how, on behalf of the people who had lost their loved ones, and on behalf of those who were first responders across our world.

I had planned on giving my two weeks notice on September 12th, 2001. I was starting a new career in ministry, but I couldn't leave just yet. Mylan was giving away a proprietary burn ointment to victims in need in the aftermath, and it just happened to be among the drugs I was working to test. I felt that it was my contribution to help in the aftermath.

Our country has gone through a series of changes in the aftermath. I remember flying for the first time as I was starting my new job, and no longer could one go sit at the gates of the airport with family and friends. I miss those days. I have some very special and emotionally loaded memories with being greeted or saying goodbye at my plane's gate. But much more changed for me beyond that.

I feel like I became more keenly aware of issues around the world. My eyes were opened in a far greater way to the hurts of the world, from slavery, to human trafficking, and from political injustice to extreme poverty, I began to see the world through a different lens. Actually, I think many of us did. No longer were problems of the world seen as far away, and not our concern, but rather we began looking for ways to help our neighbors around the globe.

Years later, I made another career change to begin working with my friends at Nuru International.  I was reminded by my friend Jake's Story (in the video above) of just how connected everything is. During his times of service in Force Recon, he saw a connection between terrorism, insurgency, and extreme poverty. He also came face to face with suffering and desperation to which most of us living in the west have no comparison. Those unshakeable visuals have led him and many others to begin working to serve others by equipping them with the tools and resources they need to lead their communities out of the desperate conditions of extreme poverty.

And so, as I remember the events of September 11, 2001, I feel a myriad of emotions. Even yesterday, while attending the football game, I felt a little disoriented. I wanted to be in the moment of celebrating a Mountaineer victory, and then I wanted to be in the moment of grieving and remembering as we took time as a crowd to spend a moment in silence, and allow the memories to flood in. But as I've had time to process it a bit more, I feel overwhelmed by hope.

Why hope? I believe that as much as our world has changed since September 11, 2001, collectively, we have become more caring about our world. Over the last ten years, I have met several people who have been willing to leave lucrative careers in an effort to dedicate their lives to the service of others. I have also seen more and more people become generous with their hard-earned income in a challenging economy, because they see the needs of others, and they want to help their neighbors, whether locally or globally.

Our eyes have shed many tears since that fateful day, and they have been opened to tragedy after tragedy, but they have also been opened to hope and dream of a better world, and to put forth the effort to change those dreams into reality. As you and I remember the events of 2001, may we be filled with the desire and the discipline to be part of creating a better world.

Superbowl XLIII

Superbowl XLIII, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Well, another Superbowl has passed, and now the Pittsburgh Steelers have one a record six superbowls. And what a game it was! It was exciting right to the end, and had a few things gone differently it could have been a different outcome.

But isn't that the way with everything. You never know how things "play out" until they "play out". We would love to know the future with certainty, but it's never ours to know. And as much as we would 'love to know' it, there's a certain measure of faith that grows as we make decisions and as our life unfolds.

I remember 8 years ago when I was working as an analytical chemist with a promising future at Mylan, I had no idea what I could expect from a career in ministry. I had no idea if I could afford the career change. There are always risks to life, ya know?

Even if I hadn't changed careers, there is no way I could predict what my life would have been at Mylan either. And yet, at times we find ourselves wondering.

What if Harrison hadn't intercepted a pass and run it for a touchdown? What if the penalties hadn't flown so high late in the game? What if Santonio didn't make his stellar last second catch?

We never get to find out the alternate endings in any story. We just keep walking by faith and we see things unfold in the present.

Maybe that's why God's name is "I AM". Maybe He knows about our tendency to worry about the past or the future,and He wants to keep us rooted in the present. Maybe He knows that tomorrow has enough worries of it's own.

Whatever you are doing today, may you walk in faith that the God of all creation is walking with you. In the present. Moment. by moment.

Tagged

Tagged, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

So I guess there's a new trend of "tagging" blogs. I was tagged by three of my friends (at least, I'm just discovering this because I had a little time to catch up on a few of their blogs.

So here are the rules.
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

Here's my attempt.

1) I had cereal with fresh blueberries and yogurt mixed in it after running at 630AM with my friends Joel and Ricky.

2) I've been packing my lunch and eating smaller portions of food when I do eat out for the last three weeks. I recommend you try the same thing. Portions are too big when we eat out anyway.

3) I use facebook to stay connected to people who I haven't seen for a while (and some I see regularly). I even saw a junior high math teacher on it--you should sign up!

4) I used to sing the national anthem (with a group of three other guys) at WVU basketball and baseball games during my undergrad. I even auditioned for the University Chorus my freshman year and was accepted--I just couldn't fit it into my Engineering class schedule. And now, I neither sing or work in engineering. How bout that for random?

5) I used to test dope for a living. (legally!) I was once an analytical chemist for the world's largest generic drug manufacturer, Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Each day I would test several (sometimes over 100) samples purity, consistency, potency and a few other measures. Mad scientist? That's me I guess.

6) I like eating Act II Butter Lovers microwave popcorn with my dad. It's a little tradition we've had for years. Any time I'm back home, at the end of the evening he'll microwave a bag as a late night snack and we'll split it.

So now I've gotta tag 6 other people. So here they are. Even if they don't do the tag, I'm gonna include a link to their blogs, because I think they are pretty interesting reads.

1. JR Woodward JR is a writer and very active blogger who leads a faith community in Hollywood, CA.
2. Noel HeikkinenNoel has one of the most active blogs of anyone I know. You can always count on interesting images, videos, sounds, etc. to be coming from this blog.
3. Michaelanne Harriman Michaelanne works in North Philadelphia teaching young children art and encouraging them to use their creative talents.
4. Todd Watkins Todd's a friend who I met while serving on a mission trip in Amsterdam--he's a pastor of a church there.
5. Becca Ward She's from Tennesee, but lives in Morgantown and is working on her PhD in cancer biology.
6. Eric Asp Eric is also a pastor in our sister church in Amsterdam--I think he should consider writing a book.

Actually, I think any of these folks could write a quality book, if they did, I would read it, and I'd encourage my friends (like you) to do the same!

Enjoy reading!