The metropolitan capital of Manila is a city whose growing fascination with specialty coffee seems to closely rival its obsession with karaoke ballads — that’s saying a lot, considering old school love songs are the norm on even the most rickety jeepney ride. Since the coffee rust invasion of 1889, the Philippines has largely remained …
Anybody who’s been there once knows it’s unlikely to be a one-off trip, and I certainly got the bug to make it a regular destination for work and pleasure over the years. My last trip was specifically to look more closely into the specialty coffee movement and to visit what may be the heart of …
Long rows of palm trees, arranged flowers, incredibly clean streets – these are things I associate with Singapore or Switzerland, but there they were! The streets were so clean and green, I found myself wondering if there was even any dust to be found. I first came to Rwanda in 2013, looking for a place …
As a prelude to the conference, I had the opportunity to visit Flores, a large island about 300 miles east of Bali that is a source of high-quality Arabica coffee. Flores is less well known than some other Indonesian origins; however, it is beginning to make a name for itself. On this field trip, I …
This man-made island is an extension of the Al-Saadiyat natural island on the Arabian Gulf, Abu Dhabi’s major hub of education and culture: it is the home of the New York University campus as well as several museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum. Back then, my quick glimpse of the …
Despite Sicily’s profound traditional and cultural attachment to coffee, JENN RUGOLO has never harbored any expectation of finding the same concepts applied to coffee. An unexpected encounter – at a traditional bar in a tiny town in the south east of Sicily – made her question those expectations. Once the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Sicily …
Johannesburg is a wild and electrifying urban jungle, bursting with creative energy and a growing specialty coffee scene. The pace of the Johannesburg Central Business District is thrilling – minibus taxis and humans crowd the streets as informal traders stake their claim to the sidewalk, providing every service from snacks to a fresh haircut. Here, …
RICHARD STILLER and INGIBJÖRG FERRER share their experience of Guangzhou in Issue 4 of 25 Magazine. In this big conglomerate of old and new where long-standing structures mix with striking new edifices, and parks and skyscrapers cohabit in densely populated areas, the most eye-catching buildings are the iconic Canton Tower and the Guangzhou Opera House designed …
This welcome and openness became increasingly important to me as I grew up, moving from Somalia to the UAE, and later to Denmark. You greatly appreciate it when you receive a warm-hearted reception in a new country. MOHAMED NOUH GES, a director of the Somali Coffee Association and advisor to the Somali Ministry of Agriculture, …
Interview by CHEE LU for Issue 2 of 25 Magazine Though Taichung is quite big, I always walk when visiting downtown. If you are planning to visit this beautiful city, I recommend renting a motorcycle. Ride around and you too will find a favorite corner. There are many great places to visit in Taichung and top …