Day three (the part you missed because I was too tired to write :)

Day three started off with me being at the office nice 'n early (45 mins to spare), becoming 007

:)

and catching the last part of the speeches done by the visiting presidents.


We also learned that Starbucks lost one of it's partners in the Japan earthquake/tsunami. The store she worked in as a part-time shift supervisor was destroyed and will be rebuilt in time. Lots of branches have substantial damage, but I'm relieved to have heard all partners will be receiving salary as normal, whether they are working or not.
Both Starbucks global and Starbucks Japan have donated large amounts to the Japanese Red Cross and if I understood correctly, in every branch, partners (and customers) can donate to aid the Starbucks families affected.
Now THIS is a company I'm proud to be a part of!!!


Then the rest of my team arrived and we all waited till the end of the speeches/questions for us to resume our training. We needed the canteen area, you see :)


As we were preparing everything for our first coffee tasting of the day (House Blend, French Roast, Kenya & Sumatra), Lucy (responsible for the Starbucks Experience part) came in to join us and to finish what she had started the day before.
She also answered the questions some of us posted on the board and I was thrilled that my question - even though I'd heard from Angie (my shift supervisor) that the answer WOULD be negative - got a positive answer:
As an exception - being the starting team - we WILL be given a tour of the roasting plant!!!
I remember visiting the roasting plant my uncle Chris had on Tenerife, and I thoroughly enjoyed that :D


Silvi (the assistant store manager) continued our training and by the end of our long day, we all had prepared the espressos needed as a base for 85% (I'm guessing!) of our products and made frothed milk. The latter is soooo much easier than both Angie and I had learned previously, as the machines are well designed! The pipe that steams up the milk is NOT hot and weird enough, the steam isn't either...
However, the milk obviously DOES heat up and there's a built-in safety for the temperature, so we don't destroy the proteins.

Espressos!!!

I must admit, that everything taught after 22:00 hasn't stuck well and I only remember fragments :)


We finished with the sampling of the 10 teas Starbucks has and it's funny to see that (just as with the coffee) everybody has his/her likes and dislikes.
The Rooibos was a big hit!
I'd been filling my tumbler with that one on the days before, so it certainly is my favourite (at least in the afternoon!).


At 23:05, we all rushed out as my partners had to catch the last bus going from the office to the Sloterdijk station.


Then...I got stuck in an awful traffic jam and it took me double the time to drive home :S
Welcome to working outside the home again...


Sooo, now you're up to speed and I can get ready to celebrate my sister-in-law's 40th wedding anniversary which will be held in the Arnhem Zoo (Burger's Zoo).


Have a great weekend!!!


Sundae