Sunday, August 21, 2016

Coffee Matters


I have realized that Tea drinkers simply do not get the concept of coffee. Tea drinkers wake up bright and cheery at some unearthly hour like 5am and drink their tea meditatively while watching the sun gently rise up in the sky. In contrast, coffee drinkers, night owls that they usually are, groggily stagger to the kitchen at about 8 am, more or less incoherent until they’ve drunk their first coffee of the day. Then they tackle life with energy and gusto until the mid-afternoon crash whereupon they need to be revived drip by drip with a second coffee.

My hints to my Kerala host (would you like me to get you good coffee powder from Banglur?) simply did not ring a bell. The first morning I was given what I considered a cup of milk mildly flavoured with coffee. Not wanting to seem a demanding guest, I mumbled that it was just fine and we made our way to Fort Kochi.



Until mid-afternoon when we stumbled into Kashi Art Café, I must have been in a semi-awake stupor. When I read French Press coffee on the menu, I mentally gave it a thumbs up. It came with hot milk on the side. I poured the exact amount of each into the cup. The coffee was strong, robust and very good. When my host took a sip of my coffee she practically fell of her chair and glugged down an entire glass of water immediately afterwards to mitigate the effects. After that she kept looking at me drinking my coffee with a mixture of awe and terror and then managed to take this photograph where I am giving her the eye.

                                 Photograph by Sajana.J



The next morning at breakfast, my host pushed me down on the sofa and commanded, “Wait!” Then, like the waiter at Kashi Art café, she emerged from the kitchen with a tray which she placed before me. Placed on the tray was a mug of super strong black coffee, a small cup of hot milk and a dabba of sugar. I was ordered to drink what she had prepared. I think the expression of satisfaction on my face was enough for her. She simply said, “I used FIVE spoons of coffee powder in the filter this time!” and then she left me to drink in peace. I drained my coffee, my brain staggered towards clarity and then I looked down into my empty coffee mug and decided I was very, very touched by this thoughtful gesture.



14 comments:

Whizkid said...

hahahaha :D :D :D
coffee drinkers are from another planet i say

priya vadhyar said...

Hilarious and so true!

pRiyA said...

Whizkid: It must certainly seem like that, but I assure you I am an earthling. A mere earthling fueled by caffeine...

pRiyA said...

Priya vadhyar: I know you need your fix too. I've seen the discreet mugs of coffee lurking in your instagrams, I've read your enthusiastic appreciation whenever I've posted a picture of my coffee ...I also knew I'd get your comment for this post.

Coffee drinkers unite! Raise your mugs!

Julie said...

I'm surprised that the Mushroom Hunter hasn't commented this post yet? I love your description of the coffee tribe; humoristically accurate!

pRiyA said...

Well you would know Julie, you are living with the King of Coffee Drinkers - five espressos a day! o_O
The Mushroom Hunter was given a privileged preview of this post because it was a coffee matter. I assume he is probably too preoccupied waiting for his mushrooms to bloom.

Aarthi said...

What a beautiful write up and your friend is a true friend :)

Ms, Plainspoken said...

Such a great post and I absolutely know what you mean by the difference between the tea and coffee people !!!

pRiyA said...

Aarthi: Isn't she?
Thank you for your nice comment :)

pRiyA said...

Ms, Plainspoken: Thank you :) I'm glad you know what I mean.

silviabes said...

ahahahahah :)

pRiyA said...

I am laughing with you Silvia :)

The Mushroom Hunter said...

Grok!

pRiyA said...

Grok!
:)