Chubby Bunny

The Cafe du Monde Mechanism: coffee –???–> math

A week ago I had a little something called a coffee craving. My best excuse to drink coffee is when I need to focus on a good amount of math or difficult problems (namely…proofs.)

But sometimes I’ll have a little coffee for “wrong” reasons like the assurance that I can stay awake as well as be hyperactive or really enthusiastic (even when there isn’t much to be enthusiastic about.) Or drink coffee simply to kick back and enjoy coffee as the bittersweet concoction that it is.

Speaking of math and coffee, Lindsay has added me to her blog roll. I must do the same later today.

Back to the coffee episode. So I’m dancing around my room, celebrating that I want coffee and I can has it. And I find my coffee filter, my Putnam mug and the ever important coffee grounds.

Before leaving, I asked Mom if she could pick up a can of Cafe du Monde coffee and chicory. This preference is many-fold: Cafe du Monde is pretty reputable (especially in New Orleans!), Vietnamese-style coffee is made with it and the Chinese bakery that I frequented for iced coffee also uses it.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly a coffee expert. But the chicory adds an interesting depth to the coffee. Like a smokiness of sorts. It’s coarsely ground, so most of it is held nicely by the coffee filter I used. This is what four dollars can buy me.

So my water was pretty much boiling when I removed the plastic lid, anticipating that there is something like a pullback tab that would allow me to access the deliciousness held within. I was excited, thinking that I’m almost there, just one more step.

Then I found that it was literally a coffee can.

I was rather disappointed. It’s a can. There were moments of “I can’t believe this is happening” mixed with “I should have looked at this when I was at home.” Did I have a can opener handy? Where would it be? I remembered Mom mentioning that there was a can opening she’ll pack with my kitchen supplies that was left behind by my brother’s former roommate when they were UG students.

Eventually, I found it.

After a quick rinse and drying, I let the blades of the can opener bite into the can. A reassuring hissing sound followed, indicating that the contents of the can were as fresh as could be. Slowly, the can opener traveled the circumference of the can; my happiness rekindled.

Behold– the many grains of coffee beans and chicory awaiting to be turned into mathematical theorems.

Sadly, I left the condensed milk at home, even though Mom said I should bring it (no one else uses it for anything in my household.) Alas, skimpy 2%, hormone-free milk will have to suffice.

(A little note about the title of this post:

Viktor was telling me that there was a report out on the news saying that caffeinated beverages were “bad” or being misused, etc. I defended caffeine (who would have thought?) and said that coffee turns into mathematical theorems. And Viktor said I should determine they organic chemistry mechanism to justify it.)