The untouched coffee bean
A poem/short stroy about a coffee education program in Brazil founded by Erasmus +. How an international experience to exchange the love of making coffee made me grow.
Before I took part in the program, I was like an untouched coffee ban
unroasted
unground
not ready yet
to unleash my full potential.
I arrived to Brazil and met people from 12 different nations. But there was one thing that united them: their passion for coffee. Speak to Francois from Belgium, sit down with Ester from Italy or have an Espresso with Carmen from Spain – you would not notice any difference when it comes to their love for coffee. The only difference to me? I hadn’t had any clue on what “good coffee” really is about.
I was like an untouched coffee bean
yet to be roasted
yet to be ground
not ready yet
to unleash my flavors.
They took me into their world of coffee. Andrej from Italy, who would explain over and over again the preparation processes, Pieter from Belgium, who showed me how to prepare a cappuccino - from every participant of the mobility program I would gain so many different experiences and learn so much. Day in day out I slowly understood what makes coffee a “good coffee”.
And I was picked up
slowly roasted
slowly ground
yet waiting
to unleash my flavors.
My experience, however, wasn’t limited to learning about coffee – there was so much more to it. After a few days, we began working on a coffee farm with people from a social project. We mingled with them, worked hand in hand, had coffee together.
And I was picked up
slowly roasted
slowly ground
getting ready
to unleash my flavors.
Meeting these Brazilians from the social project and sharing the experience of working in their coffee farm and learning together how to prepare a good cup of coffee was what has really touched me. We didn’t speak the same language, so we couldn’t use words to communicate. But what we had was precious: We had a group with flavors from all over the world, together creating a unique taste of an international Erasmus+ experience.
And I was picked up
slowly roasted
slowly ground
poured over with water
to unleash my flavors to the world.