There is nothing beyond daintily sipping a hot filter coffee to start a day. You name any other beverage. Black tea? Nay, nothing can replace hot filter coffee. I think many of you agree with me. You may call me coffee aficionado or any other name. I am proud to be one hardcore coffee lover.
Brewing a fresh frothy hot coffee is indeed an art. Making coffee is not everyone’s cup of tea. I admit I am no connoisseur of coffee but I can easily judge its taste by the mere smell of it. Aroma emanating from a hot cup lifts my taste buds to the extent that I drool like my pet dog Shero. Each coffee lover prefers his or her own genre of coffee. Some like black coffee, some like it with less milk and more sugar, some want it frothy, some with less chicory and so on. But there are some like me who enjoy anything that looks and smells like coffee, no matter how or where it is made.
I am sure there are many who fit into this groove. But the hitch is we can’t do without it. No substitute that sates our craving; only coffee, nothing more, nothing less. This is where we have trouble in places where coffee is not a popular beverage. When I have to travel to such places, I make sure that all coffee paraphernalia is neatly packed in my baggage. Absolutely no risk taken because there are at least three "must have" coffee times in a day that are not to be missed. Missing them aggravates the craving, thus spoiling the joy of the day.
In the house of a relative or close friend, you can demand coffee, but not when in a business meet or in a not-so-close friend’s house. It is difficult to say no to tea or say "I don’t drink tea", for there is a common assumption that those who drink tea also drink coffee. So, your host in all probability will insist that you accept what is offered. This is one of the very difficult situations to be polite in my life. I try to find all sorts of excuses to foil their bid to appease me with anything other than coffee.
Coffeeholics never call it an addiction. If you call it a physical compulsion, then it is far from the truth for only a true coffee lover knows what every sip of it means. While I drink coffee, especially in the morning, I never watch TV or read newspaper. It is an exclusive "coffee time" to relish every sip. All else come later.
One of my relatives gets perturbed when someone greets him with "Did you have your tea?" He prefers to correct him by saying "not tea sir, coffee", and walks past swiftly. Indeed a very amusing confrontation to experience in the morning.
A few months ago, an officers’ club in our town organised an opinion poll for its members to choose the best beverage. We coffee lovers were apprehensive and a bit worried that our beloved coffee would come a cropper. Much to our delight, coffee topped the list. Needless to say, we rejoiced with a mug full of coffee.
I do wonder why there is a rivalry between coffee and tea lovers. But, it is a healthy one at that.
