Jumping Bean Cafe@18th October 2008

The date 18th October 2008. Today's the official opening of the jumping bean cafe over at Tampines West Community Center at 5, Tampines Avenue 3.



Jumping Bean Cafe@Tampines West YEC









Tuck in a quiet corner within the community, what could be a better way to announce the existence of this wonderful cafe meant for youth than a rock concert by youths?

So, today, we have managed to get 3 bands to perform to give the cafe a rousing start.



Shaun announcing the start of the concert@Jumping Bean... And so we were treated to a two and half hour gig by youth band like CMI, Rock # 2 and Band #3.



CMI... playing to the crowd.



Band #2



The Shannon Star...I managed to find them on myspace! Here's their url...

Many YEC Members, namely, Joanne, Matthew, Shaun, Easmond, Linda, Caroline and husband were on site to help out. And of course, myself doing the photography part. The cafe conception is largely meant for youth to test out their entrepreneurship and it is also a place where youths can come and mingle have a cuppa of cafe cappuccino, latte, etc and truly a place where they can identify with themselves.

Before I go any further, some food for thought, "A number of studies have indicated that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's". Well, not something you associate with youth but you get the gist, coffee can be really good for you, so come on down to the cafe and help yourself to some gourmet coffee drinks.

C.M.I doing their final tuning before their gig starts.



The bands played to a large crowd attracted by the loud music. The atmosphere is electrifying!

What I can say? Youth these days are very different and really original indeed, not only they were able to play tunes that are made famous by bands like Maroon Five, Jason Mraz, Green Day. They were equally good in composing and playing their own music with their original lyrics to boot!

You can imagine in time to come, how good they can be. Truly, the sky's the limit.



The crowd obviously enjoyed the performance!

To sum it all up, it was indeed a very successful event as the cafe manage to attract a large crowd and announce its presence in the community center in a loud way so to speak. What's next? More frequent performances to come? Well, we got to keep the business going!



She's enjoying her drink at the jumping bean cafe. And so should you! So, come by the cafe, get a drink and chill. More pictures can be found here.

Tigerlive!

http://www.singaporesights.com/virtual-tours/attractions/tigerlive-3

I should probably state upfront that i am not an alcholic nor a avid social drinker, but i don't mind the occasional cocktail, so when i visited TigerLive!, I wasn't sure I wanted to advocate visiting this place, which obviously hopes to sell their product. The person-in-charge did highlight that Tiger supports drinking in moderation, but even then I wouldn't want to be responsible for my friends' interest in alcohol. On the other hand, I have to admit I am very impressed by the successful marketing by the brand that led to its global success. The TigerLive! centre, Singapore's 'first state- of the art multi-media brand experience' indeed wowed me. The showcase of the beer's history and what makes it success was entertaining and impressive, though some parts rather corny (like how the factory staff said they would recommend all their relatives to work for Tiger Beer cos it is great company). Still, I am proud to say Tiger Beer is one of the successes of Singapore.

If you are keen to experience TigerLive! (my fave part was the beer-tapping experience :P), do join us on 6 Dec, Saturday, 4pm to 8pm (the actual experience is from 4pm to 5pm but you may wish to stay at St James Power Station, or enjoy dinner at Vivo City or even Sentosa) at TigerLive! Transport and free beer (or soft drink if you don't fancy getting drunk so early) included! For more details, pls call Tampines West Community Club at 6783 7910 for tickets.

All together now, breathe in..breathe out

Yes, recently very STRESSED. the economy ain't doing too well and being super not financially savvy, I left my financial say to my insurance agent and it was really not a wise move. It is definitely a lesson for me. To take control of my own finances as well as learning to take things in stride. Luckily, I take yoga lessons. All the deep breathing techniques work! :P

Before I research and share with you guys about good financial management, i think we should all learn to manage stress better! At Tampines West, we will be holding a series of events to do with sports, music, health, and so on. Don't be stressed out unnecessarily! Learn to relax and have fun! :D

In any case, if you ever get too stressed out, by falling stock indices or an aggressive and backstabbing colleague, or bad traffic and rude service staff, remember, stop before you scream and take a few deep breaths...all together now, breathe in, breathe out... breathe in, breathe out.

Check out health promotion board's website www.hpb.gov.sg for more tips on stress-busting :P

Love, Jo :D

Roarrr For Singapore!

Have you seen the website www.mysingapore.sg? It is a website that aims to garner support from Singaporeans or just about everyone else who loves Singapore, for Singapore! There are some really cute stuff such as a link to ilove.sg website where you can pledge your support for all things Singapore-made, from films, music, design and the arts. There is also the banner to support Singapore by putting it up on your website, facebook, friendster,myspace accounts etc and get people to click on it! It is really cute! Do click on the lion and show your support for Singapore! ROARR!

Mentoring Training

12 wonderful, giving, sweet, amazing, selfless… (You get the picture =P) volunteers gave up their Saturday on 5 July to attend the training workshop for mentors. These mentors will be involved in the mentoring programme where they will each guide and tutor three to five Primary 5 students.



These volunteers learnt the different personality types of mentors and mentees, which helped them gain a better idea of the various learning styles of young students, as well as themselves. In the process, the mentors also had a lot of fun, finding out that a person can either be seen as a confident person, or bordering on arrogant and overbearing. Another who is usually seen as sweet and accommodating may be deemed negatively, as a pushover too. Nonetheless each personality style can learn to work to his or her advantage by understanding how his or her mentee’s personality style is. In addition, the mentors had a great time with the role-playing and discussion sessions.



Stay tuned for more news on the mentors as they embark on their mentorship programme!

Interview with Our Cafe Manager

Yo this is Shaun, your resident YEC publicity IC reporting for our YEC blog! I was thinking of what or who could i possibly feature in the next post for our TWCC YEC blog - and then *DING* a bulb lit haha! Let's interview our Jumpin' Beans Cafe Manager, Zar!




He was rather warm and friendly the first time i met him, so an interview would just be awesome! So here it is! =D Hopefully this will soon be featured in the CC's newsletter and give our cafe even more publicity! *rubs hands with glee*




Okay, so it was a friday evening and i cycled over to check out the cafe. And boy did it look different when i first saw it in the "prelude-to-operationally-ready state". There's an automated shelter even to cover the "makan" area (my apologies that it is obscured in the picture) to protect the customers from the rain! =D Okay okay i shall not bother you any further and get down to business!

The Interview!

Shaun: You've had quite an interesting job as a Cafe Manager at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaves, what made you give that up to be our YEC Cafe Manager?

Zar: It's been my ambition to open up my own cafe, therefore with this opportunity, its one step closer to realising my dream. The challenge of setting up a new cafe, relatively unknown to the community makes it even more worthwhile.




Shaun: Do you have any fascinating requests previously in the "line of fire" (as a cafe manager) to share with us?

Zar: Alot... In the F&B line, customers expect to be severed according to what they paid for. Hmmmm... *pauses for a while to think* Once a customer wanted an espresso that is "not too strong" - How do can you make an espresso "not too strong"??? Pulling an espresso takes about twenty seconds, the longer the time, the weaker it'll be in terms of body and flavour. Cos an espresso single or double shot (1oz/2oz respectively) is meant to be strong as traditionally drank by the europeans. any longer then the beverage would be called a 'Lungo' or 'Long Black'. It is possible to make an espresso not too strong but it wont taste as nice as a traditional espresso. Come to the cafe often and i can teach you a thing or two about coffee and how to make a good cup of cappuccino! Another customer wanted a tea latte using just milk, likewise it is not possible to extract the latte without using hot water. We need the water to bring the flavour out!


Shaun: Tell us more about yourself!

Zar: I'm 27 and I'm single!!! *laughs* I've been in the coffee line for four years and this job as a barista has been the best i've ever had!


Shaun: What was the preperation like to get the cafe equipped, furnished and decorated etc.?

Zar: The challenge is to find equipment, furniture and ingredients within our budget without compromising standards and quality. It gives me a big headache of what to get and where to get them!




Shaun: Any die-die-must-try items to recommend our readers?

Zar: *laughs* Our YEC chairwoman Joanne likes the Grenadine Fizzler. If you ask me, you have to try the Vanilla Malt Ice Blended and Lime Ice Blended. Both retail @ $3.50 (not taking into consideration the 10% cafe opening discount)




Shaun: Are there any developments in the future for us to look forward to?

Zar: Well, we already have a FREE wireless internet hotspot available at our cafe!



Zar: We are going to organize activities at the cafe such as chess competitions, outdoor mini gigs, to name a few. And of course, we are working on "upgrading" the ambience. Well, look at two of our customers currently battling it out in an epic chess game (which eventually spanned 45 minutes *wipes sweat off forehead* phew!)




Shaun: "Jumpin' Beans". A rather interesting name eh? Who came up with it!

Zar: One of our YEC members did! Jumpin' - to tell people of the youthful energy we have and beans - well, because of the coffee beans!


Shaun: Thank you so much for your time Zar! May i now interrogate your staff too?

Zar: Yeah, sure sure go ahead! *proceeds to call for them*




Okay so yeah guys that is part one of the interview! In case you were wondering, no we did not ask him to come down just to pose for the picture, it so happened he popped by to take a look at the cafe! Hey, MPs are busy people! =D

The next post will be the interview with Khaleeda and Farhan, our cafe staff!


This is Shaun signing off - till next time!

Our Upcoming events

1. Opening of Our YouthCafe!

We will be ready to serve by 25 May 2008. You will be able to utilise our free wireless network and play board games while savouring our snacks and drinks such as coffee, tea, ice blended specials. Stay tuned!

Opening Hours: 2pm to 10pm except on public holidays.
Address: Jumpin' Beans Cafe @ Tampines West Community Club, 5 Tampines Ave 3.

2. Free-style Dance Competition @ DXO

A fun night out for youths, the event is open to all 15 to 35 years old. Do join us on 5 July, 8pm to 10pm. Early birds get better rates!

3. N.E.X.T Challenge 2008

(Click on image to view full sized banner)
We are very excited to inform you that the N.E.X.T (North East eXTreme) Challenge is here again! Running for the 4th year, N.E.X.T Challenge 2008 promises to be just as FUN and EXCITING!

Participants, in teams of 5, will put their endurance, creativity and team spirit to test through the many challenges and obstacles. RACE against time and visit the hidden treasures of Singapore in the night! Use your wits and strategic planning skills to get through the various checkpoints island-wide.

Date and Time: Saturday, July 26, 7:30 PM to Sunday, July 27, 4:00 PM
Official Website: http://nextchallenge08.events.live.com/
For more information or enquiries: nextchallenge08@gmail.com
Deadline: 7 July 2008