The bitter smell of morning coffee
It was from a very early age that I developed my love for coffee. Apparently you cannot recall anything prior 3 years old, or so the scientists say, but ever since I can remember the bitter smell of morning coffee has been in my life. When I was born, my mother was still a student and so I had to stay home with my grandparents all week. She'll travel back and forth to see me just during the weekends and this went on up until the age of five. Because of this, I had the opportunity to be raised by my grandmother and so my very first memories are of her. Her voice, her soft hands and her beautiful naturally shaped nails which I luckily inherited. Her stories of the black and white balls she got to attend by being the mayor's daughter were captivating. But what really stayed with me without my even noticing it was the smell of coffee and cinnamon.
When I was five, mom was finally done with school and I had to move out of my grandma's. Mother has never been a coffee fan, she can't even bear the smell. Unfortunately, this meant no more coffee for me. The lack of coffee in my life went on for the following 10 years ( can you believe this!!!!!!!). Even when I would go back to visit grandma, mom would never let me have coffee, she would always say only adults were allowed to drink it. And so thats how I forgot the taste, the smell and how much I enjoyed having a little pastry with it in the afternoons.
By the time I was 17, I was in my 6th year of ballet school and somehow I had managed to get a scholarship to one of the best ballet schools of North America. I moved to Philadelphia, PA. and happily became a full time ballet student with no academic obligations whatsoever. It's important to notice that I did not speak any english other than dog, cat and where is the bathroom? at the time. Of course at that age we tend to be fearless and I was way to exited for my first weekend in the big city, until I learned the word curfew... On that day, we all went out in a big group to this new place (for me) called Starbucks. Can I have Tall, Non-Fat Latte With Caramel Drizzle one of my friends asked. And the only world I recall to understand was Caramel. I was next in line and I was nervous, it was going to be my very first time having coffee or so I thought. All those American kids seemed to have years of experience in this coffee ordering business.
They didn't take to long to have my order since I only asked for coffee. When I finally tried it, it was familiar, it felt like home and it was almost as if I had never stopped having coffee a day in my life. Soon I realized it was missing something, I looked around and most of my friends were having frappuccinos, so that was not much of a help on the search of the missing ingredient. How was I supposed to know that there were many different ways of having coffee! Anyways, somehow I discover the little metal shakers they always have. Chocolate seemed ridiculous to add, it would only sweeten my drink. Nutmeg was a word I did not understand at all. Cinnamon was by process of elimination the only one left and so I went on and added it to my drink as if I knew exactly what I was doing and as it turns out, that completed the familiarity I was looking for.
Many coffee discoveries have happened to me since then, I learned that I was not ready for an espresso the first time I tried one. Cafe de olla is the tradition in my country and Irish coffee can definitely finish you off for the night. And still I consider myself a virgin of the coffee world. That is why I have taken the liberty to start this little blog, the amazing drink that keeps me in a good mood every morning deserves a little respect from me and because of that I'm determined to learn as much as I can about it. I hope you all come with me in this journey and all the knowledge and feed back that you can share with me will be much appreciated.
