My love affair with the country has only become more intense since I started working in coffee, but I can also attribute the love to two other facets, food and music. Have you heard of the Ethiopiques collection? Several compilations put out with years and years and years of fantastic music. Today I have had on #21 - Ethiopia Song, Tseguy-Maryam Guebrou. An amazing female pianist... seemingly fit for the overcast day.
Anyway,
Crystal is finally certified, and she's rocking out awesome beverages on the bar. Now that she's making drinks, I can spend some time practicing for the southeast (will it ever happen!?) and work on small edits around the shop. No rest for the wicked; it feels great to be doing research again. Everything from processing and trade to water quality.
Though, at times, I feel stifled. As if the internet isn't offering enough, and so I delve back into dusty shelves of Georgia State (where they wont even let alumni check out books). Once when speaking to a regular customer about keeping up with music, he said it was perhaps a trend that when you get older and can no longer find the time to search out all of the latest new bands, you find yourself diving back into roots (he was referring to the Everly Brothers). The analogy works here. and though I am nowhere near the definition of "old," I have found a subject I used to loathe -History- more appealing every day. How can I understand current trade and export regulations in Ethiopia or Kenya if I know not of its political history? Coffee is a commodity to us, but to the farmers in Guatemala who were given land during the Arevalo administration in the 50's, it was a blessing to their family.
Context is everything.
2 comments:
interesting, because i used to hate history too. increasingly, though, it's becoming clear that one's view of the past heavily influences (makes up?) one's view of the present.
so suddenly, layers -- context -- becomes a rich treat. next thing you know, you end up wanting those large, tasty history layers with your beer and coffee.
Things that are cool about Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the only African country never colonized. They were briefly occupied by the Italian (?) army from 1936-1941.
They had a long established Monarchy that lasted for over 1500 years until the last emperor, Haile Selassie (whom the Rastafarians believe was an incarnation of God), was deposed by a military coup in 1974.
The country is the believed to be the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant where it is kept safe by an ancient order of monks and priests. It is kept in a tabernacle that is based on guidelines put down in book of Exodus...fel9
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