Brew House

Just got back from a little field trip down to the factory at this place I'm working....it was really crazy a million things going on at the same time, but it was kind of awesome because you see this stuff on the store shelves everyday. I got to have a behind the scenes look.

So, not that any of you is interested, but this is what I got from my little tour...and no I'm not sharing any recipes or secret ingredients, just generally....so don't quote me on this or try this at home and say some blogger told you. Basically I don't take any responsibility/liabilty and this is more for my own recollection than anything else.

Source: theoatmeal.com via Kara on Pinterest

First we have barley, malt or sorghum from the silos that's heated up, dried and cracked so we can have those fine enzymes that we're gonna need to grab sugar out of. There's a machine for that...I can't remember what its called...

Then, we go to mashing. Here we mix the grounded up barley with hot water, this activates the enzymes to start releasig the sugar. (The logic behind this is that grains are starch, and starch broken down brings sugar). After this we drain the water from the mash which is now full of sugar. This drained mash is called wort...

Third, now we have our wort, which is boiled for about an hour (different times depending on the brand). We also have hopps at this stage which is a sort of bitter spice added at different intervals during this process.Hopps is also a natural preservative.

Fourth, after the spicy wort is all heated up, its cooled, strained and filtered.Then they're led to a series of sealed tanks where yeast is added to them...the yeasting process is also a process, because you buy a small amount of yeast and you have to sort of multiply it...yeast can be recycled and used up to 8 times. At this oint the brewing is over and fermentation depends, which also varies brandwise in time. But since we make lager, the temperatures have to be very cool...(ales are at room temp) Fermenting basically is the yeast breaking down the sugar and releasing carbon dioxide and alcohol.

Now we've got the "bright" which is basically alcohol thats flat and at too high an alcohol level, so we carbonate it and dilute it to whatever level the brand requires.

I'm sure I'm missing a step, but anyhoo...next we go to packaging. Empties are de-palleted, de-cased, washed in tons of levels of detergent...inspected, de-labelled, re-inspected...its a process, then the liquid is filled in and crowned, then re-inspected for over/under filling or missing crowns.

Then there's pasteurization where basically the botles are sprayed with gallons of hot water to make sure anything that could be classified as bacteria is killed and the liquid is safe for human consumption.

Then we head to the labelling. The batch number is also put in at this stage and you can trace every detail about the liquid, down to who the person incharge of that batch was.

Then the bottles are cased, palleted in stacks of 6 and taken to the warehouse.

Ok, I think thats generally what I got from my little tour. It was totally fun and I can tell you firsthand what you see on the shelves in restaurants and stores as 1000000% high quality stuff.

Source: perpetualkid.com via Donette on Pinterest

But, sober girl that I am, I'd go with the donut, lol!

xx

Raha

An Ode to the Best Job in the World

This is the last week of my internship, and I can honestly say I had the best 3 months of my life. I remember one of my co-workers telling me, this job would change my life. Apart from adding one big, fat paragraph to my resume, a lot of other amazing events have happened.

First, I understood exactly what it is to have a desk job. .

Second, I realized that I didn't want a desk job for the rest of my life, and I decided to not only have my finance/accountancy under my belt but to also get sales/purchasing and supply credentials in the next year or so. I am so psyched about this and I feel like it's an area that I'm really/have always been passionate about but I've never had the cahunas to step out of my sister's shadow and the path she carved out to do it.

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Third, I made amazing friends and I truly have something to look forward to coming back here next year, God-willing.

Fourth, a million hours of free internet...need I say more.

Fifth, a confidence boost I definitely needed..

Sixth, some extra shopping/road trip money...

photostock

I will really, truly miss this job, the people I met and the fun I had. On the other hand I am so happy and thankful that I got this chance and I look forward to what the future has to hold. 

xx 

Raha

Lesson on E.S

Lately I've been thinking about how to argue effectively. Yeah, I know I should be thinking of how to love better, how to make my relationships last longer or that kind of stuff and I do, but arguing is important too.

Think about it, a healthy, happy, fun relationship should be composed of two individual people with their own sets of values, beliefs, opinions, wants, needs and preferences. Those might ideally match, but they won't ever be exactly the same. Differences arise and you need to figure out how to solve them.

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In the past, I'd try as much as possible to avoid confrontation, mostly because I feared judgement and I didn't want to be a nag etc. As a result, I was really, really, really unhappy. At the end my relationship wasn't the better for it, in fact at the end my complacency and being a door-mat and in his words, being a "people-pleaser" is what made it end so badly.

Arguing with your loved one doesn't mean you hate them. Think about it. You like a certain hat, but he doesn't like it when you wear it.

"You selfish scumbag, I can wear whatever the hell I please"

"Babe, I love you but I like this hat and unless you have a valid reason why I can't wear it, I'm wearing it"

Response 1, gets you in a huge fight. Response 2, makes it a safe place to air your opinions, and he might actually be saving you from looking like an idiot going to work in a floppy sun-hat and jeans.

So, Emotion Seperation, or as I like to call it, E.S means remembering this line, "I'm angry now, but I have to keep in mind that I love this guy, and this silly argument won't matter 2 years from now." Luckily if you are being too demanding, your guy will be rude suicidal unfair honest enough to tell you, you're being too persistent.



xx
Raha

Sunday Snippets

Today started out pretty bad, with a stupid nightmare/panic attack...but quickly picked up after a couple of sweet gestures from my family...such as my mom making me a toasted ham sandwich for breakfast.

Church was amazing as usual. The worship was great, the drummer was on point especially during this Damita Haddon song, "It all belongs to you" Wow, that band has crazy talent.

The sermon was a wrap up of this months series, "Whatcha Momma Didn't Teach You About Money" which I have to buy and listen to over and over again. Four points were covered, lets see if I can remember them,

Free your heart
Don't work for money

O.K I blanked, you just have to go to the website to find out. I was totally inspired by every interview I saw this past month, not just because they're all millionaires, but because these are people making money out of living their dreams, not working for money. Also because, they'e ordinary people who started with ordinary means.

I pray quite a bit, and one of the things I pray for that me and my future hubz won't be in our 30's 40's in the same old job, working for the same old bosses, relying on that same old pay check to take us to the next month. Instead we'll fond something we're both passionate about and have that up and running and successful. In the words of Pastor M, "There's no virtue in being poor."

In the meantime, I have a little project that I'm working on that is hopefully going to be a little fun and exciting and hopefully make a profit. Just working on some proposals and trying to sort the fine print with my business partner so to speak...I can't wait to tell you all about it. How was your weekend?



xx
Raha

Weddings

I've mentioned before how much I love weddings and how I'm the girl who spends hours fantasizing about weddings despite the fact that I'm still very much single...

Style Me Pretty

There's just something about weddings that is so magical and romantic, and I dont think it's wrong for me anyone to think about it. Think about it, if you're lucky, you'll only get married once, so plan it to the full and milk all the benefits you can out of it.

Style Me Pretty

So, if you're on Pinterest and you see how most of my Pins are on wedding ideas, you'll know why.

Any one like me out there? Even better, any one plannng a wedding or who has planned a wedding, any advice on patience and how to wait for the right guy and not give up would be greatly appreciated.

xx

Raha



Love Is

Love is.....

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....a 2 minute phone call with no words, just laughing till you cry.

xx

Raha

Just after I went on about how amzing the weather was and how strident blue the sky was, it got all humid and oppressively hot and this could only spell one thing...rain!!!

It's my mum's birthday today! Happy Birthday mummy! I love you sooo much even though I sometimes dont show it especially after we get into our arguments...but honestly, I would be lost without you. I's cliche but I just have to say, you are my anchor, when the winds of life, love and work blow me every which way, I'm so lucky I can always run home to you. God Bless You!

Speaking of birthdays, doing some serious brainstorming on what I can buy a really close friend if mine for his 26th birthday next week...any ideas?


xx
Raha

Don't Freak Out...It's Still Me!!!

Yeah, the blog looks very different...not only looks, but is...with a new name and everything....

I've been talking so much about how I've changed, how I want the blog to be a reflection of that, so this is the new fun, flirty, feminine, home-maker, pretty girl, amazing girl (friend) side of me, with the bright colors and girly fonts and everything.

The new blog description is from the Skillet song, Awake and Alive. Such a great song for a new day/ new beginning...

I debated whether or not to bury 20th Paradigm and start all over again, but this blog already has so many memories that have kind of shaped me immensely, so I didn't want to lose that.

20th Paradigm was such a mouthful of a name, http://www.rahaandlife.blogspot.com/ is so much easier to tell your friends, right :-)

Don't get me wrong, I kinda figure all my blogs are umbrellad under that one big name, 20th Paradigm, my business will probably be called 20th Paradigm, but that's a ways down the road....

Hope you like it so far and that you join me in this ride.

The new blog description is from the Skillet song, Awake and Alive. Such a great song for a new day/ beginning...


xx
Raha

Taking It Back

........I’m on my way back home
Already packed my bags can’t wait to get home
Clear everything else away
Don’t wanna do nothing else but walk my way, I’m going
Back to Kenya, back to the fine weather
Back to grandma, ain’t nothing else I’d rather
Sit on the porch and drink grandma’s porridge
Talk to my elder, listen while they speak knowledge...........

This song says it all! September is here, and as much a Pastor M said at Church that if you don't like the cold/rainy weather it shows just how you're not invested in Agriculture....or something like that....I love September weather..the sky is gorgeously blue, its infririatingly hot and dusty but still, it's bright and cheery and I like it. (Just as long as I'm indoors and away from the heat between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.)

So here for your listening pleasure is Stella Mwangi (STL) coming back to this beautiful country with absolutely fly weather.

xx
Raha

New Life Lessons

So, over the last couple of days, I have learnt that I have a very short temper and I get mad at the smallest of things really easily.

But, today I pledge to make a conscious decision on what my reactions will be to every day decisions. Will I get angry and storm off or go silent on people, no. What I will do is stop, take a breath, try to see if the action deserves that level of reaction, and move from there.

I also learnt that people need to talk about stuff, not just assume the other party knows what their thinking. It's an unfair and unrealistic expectation that leads to arguments and resentment. Most problems can be solved by a nice sit down and the freedom and the safety and the trust it takes to be completely honest with someone.

I also learnt that my family is very different from others. When I grew up, voices were loud and emotions and thought were scattered. Other people, not so much...I can't change who I am, I'm the girl that talks too much, and over-analyzes her thoughts and feelings. I have to try and make a conscious effort to realize that not everyone can be like that...and even when people are sweet and gracious enough to listen and even understand me, I should try to take a breath and tone it back a little.

Anyway, I'm thankful for patient friends and family, and a chance to learn and grow more comfortable in being myself without fear of being judged or punished...thankyou and I love you!


xx
Raha

Just For Fun

I found this cute little questionnaire online that I was planning on doing.....

1. What are your middle names?
2. How long have you been together?
3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?
4. Who asked who out?
5. How old are each of you?
6. Did you go to the same school?
7. Are you from the same home town?
8. Who is the smartest?
9. Who majored in what?
10. Who is the most sensitive?
11. Where do you eat out most as a couple?
12. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
13. Who has the worst temper?
14. How many children do you want?
15. Who does the cooking?
16. Who is more social?
17. Who is the neat-freak?
18. Who is the most stubborn?
19. Who wakes up earlier?
20. Where was your first date?
21. Who has the bigger family?
22. Do you get flowers often?
23. How do you spend the holidays?
24. Who is more jealous?
25. How long did it take to get serious?
26. Who eats more?
27. What do you do for a living?
28. Who does the laundry?
29. Who’s better with the computer?
30. Who drives when you are together?
31. What is "your" song?

Cute, right? I'll see whether I can get to do it at some point in the near future.

 

 

xx

Raha