Coffee, Huts and Sheep

January 18th, 2016

Coffee
Right after Christmas, our coffee machine broke. We started using a bodum. Then, when I was shopping for groceries, I saw an espresso machine on sale. I bought it, read through the instructions and experimented with it. Our coffee beans were not strong enough. I invested in some delicious espresso beans and I was on my way. Now, every morning, my husband and I drink strong, foamy, beautiful coffee.

I can't recall my very first cup of coffee but I love it! My favorite things to do are: 1) read a great book while I sip a hot coffee, 2) meet with a friend and chat over a mellow, milky cup of coffee and, 3) do some writing while I savor a Latte. I have completed so much work in coffee shops from writing to work meetings. Brewed Awakenings and Geronimo Coffee Shop are my favorite hangouts in town.

Huts
When I was a child, I always drew circular homes. I wish I still had the many detailed drawings of round homes. I also imagined myself living in a tree house with animals and vegetation all around me.

Sheep
If you asked me what I was going to do when I grew up, I knew without a doubt that I would be a shepherdess. Here is the weird thing, I had lived in Vanier, Ontario my whole life, no round houses and, certainly no sheep. This puzzled me until I did some research on Ethiopia for one of my psychology classes.

It turns out Ethiopians love their coffee, it is not uncommon to gather and socialize over a strong cup of coffee. Many Ethiopians become farmers or shepherds and, I almost fell over when I saw the round huts. The thing is, my father is Ethiopian but I never met him or anyone related to him. I was raised in a white family and was never educated about the way people lived in other countries. My mother tells me I look and walk like my dad. Again, this boggles my mind. How can I walk like someone I never met?

It fascinates me how much of who we are has to do with nature over nurture. This is particularly evident in research on twins who were raised apart. I once read a study that demonstrated how twins who are raised separately are more alike than twins who are raised under the same roof. The researcher speculated that it may have to do with the fact that they don't feel the need to differentiate. When they live together, if one of the twins develops his talent for music, the other twin may decide to pursue a different interest. If they don't know each other, they may both become musicians. So interesting!