Of life and coffee

I remember sipping my first cup of instant coffee given by my roommate during matriculation time, it tasted so bitterly horrible and that I had to gulp it down, naively believe that it can help me stay up that bit longer to study for exam, soon realized it to be the worst coffee experience ever - vomiting right after.
And from that bitterness, I had this hatred towards coffee, I never understand why someone can be so addicted to something bitterness level ranked right next to Chinese herbal medicine, I have this impression that I am allergy to coffee, if I drink coffee, I'll vomit. I have been constantly having this narrow mindset for a long time until someone buy me my first Frappucino.

So my Starbucks story begin, my regular visit to this said to be overrated expensive coffee shop. Soon I realized it more than the coffee that attract me, its the people. I somehow have this intuition that Starbucks people are so highly enthusiastic and very passionate to coffee and their job. Not long after that I got myself a part time job at Starbucks at my hometown, then joined them at the opening of a 2nd store there.

Needless to say, its one of the best experience in my life, getting my first coffee tasting, being tricked to eat coffee waste, black coffee is still bitter. Days at Starbucks are celebrated by having Frappucino everyday for the first month, until I gained more weight and suffer bad menstrual cramp. Soon, caramel macchiato is a favorite to replace the freezing Frappucino.

Having coffee tasting every now and then in Starbucks, as coffee tasting means you drink black coffee, French pressed, then share the taste and thought. I soon begin to taste more than bitterness in coffee. Coffee starts to have weight, sourness and different aroma. And from that caramel macchiato to now that I can't accept tasting sweetness in my cup of coffee. It is almost a year since I first started to work at Starbucks and quit few months after, my impression towards coffee changed so much and how this black liquid manage to add colors to my life.

Life is like coffee, you think it is bitter, hence you add many substance to enhance its flavor, its vary from milk and sugar, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate or vanilla - the choices are unlimited, until you then notice it is better without it and realized that its not only about the bitterness, every cup has it unique flavor, it is more to explore beyond the bitterness.