Mmmmm Chocolate [274/366]

For this week’s speedlink, we venture into a culinary tasting, run for miles on end, dive into semantics, till some soil and finally quit our jobs. Let’s get started.

Most people like chocolate, but very few people actually know much about it. Lesley Chang recently went with her boyfriend to experience the Xoxolat chocolate tasting on Burrard Street. Before my dinner at Atithi Indian Cuisine earlier this year, I also tried the chocolate tasting class at Xoxolat. You really do learn a lot not only about how chocolate is sourced and made, but also about the subtle differences you find with small changes in sugar content or where the cocoa is raised. The terroir is just as important here as it is with wine.

After much training and preparation, Betshopboy participated in the TMBT ultra trail marathon in Borneo. This kind of running is very different than what you’d get with paved roads, so he found himself at river crossings (up to waist-deep for shorter participants), many uphill climbs and swaying bridges. He endured unbearable heat and even violent storms, but it was all worth it. There are plenty of photos in his post too.

If you think that you get served the same at any bar, think again. Roy Marvelous outlines some of the clear differences in what a pint of beer really means. In Canada, it’s legally defined as 568 ml (20 Imperial ounces), but a pint in the United States is only 468 ml (16 US fluid ounces). And yes, US ounces and Imperial ounces aren’t the same thing either. The next time you order a lager, you might question exactly how much of that golden nectar you are receiving.

When most people think of a farm, they think of something out in the countryside. As Karly Pinch points out, though, there are plenty of farms in the city too. In fact, she got to enjoy some great tours of urban farms recently, giving us a glimpse into what it means to grow your own produce amidst what may otherwise be a concrete jungle. There’s even an urban farm where they raise chickens and cheep, as well as ducks, goats and a pig. Have you ever tried to milk a goat?

Have you achieved financial independence? Where is the balance of power? Trent Hamm asks whether you think you could quit your job on Monday morning without having a panic attack. It’s a good way to gauge whether you are in good financial shape. Also, if you know you could quit tomorrow, that shifts some power toward you and away from your boss. In many situations, your boss knows you can’t quit, because you rely on that paycheque every couple of weeks. If don’t fear being fired (and you’re not easily replaceable), that makes your place in the company far more valuable.