There's something indescribable about the rich, deep aroma of well roasted coffee beans. That pungent, roasty scent of hot coffee especially in the morning does unexplainable things to my nasal sense.
I don't indulge in soda drinks or alcohol when my thirst can be sated with my favourite beverages - tea and coffee. But can I make a choice between the two? No. First, let me tell you how my love relationship started with coffee…..
I did not grow up liking coffee, I just stumbled upon it and the rest, they say, is history.
I was an undergrad at the time and I had a complicated course that a lot of students had failed and were carrying over at the time. My classmates were determined not to be among the 'carryovers'.
A day before the exams, most of my classmates boasted they would stay awake all through the night to study. Some planned to put their legs in cold water and read while others planned to take coffee to stay awake.
My curiosity was stirred….
I'd never taken coffee before and I had studied already for the exams but did not want to appear unserious. I wanted to join the crowd so I could boast the following day that I drank coffee!
So I bought one sachet of Nescafe instant coffee, boiled some water, and poured the entire contents into a mug. It was thick, black and smelled good. No sugar or milk added. I think I fell in love at that moment.
I could not stop sniffing the aroma. When the coffee was warm, I climbed into my bed, drank it all, shivering a little from the slightly bitter aftertaste.
I was impressed with myself and confident I had taken the 'stay awake all night' drugs. You would not believe that I did not know when I dozed off. Not only did I sleep, I slept all through the night and woke up groggy at 6 am the following morning!
I felt betrayed! I was angry with myself and with coffee because the exam was fixed for 8 am that day and I had not studied as I intended. I rushed to school, quickly revised what I had studied before and sat for the exam. When I told my friends about my experience with coffee for the first time, they had a good laugh at me.
I returned home and gave the coffee another try. This time around I stayed awake for part of the night because I drank it in the late afternoon even though I had no exam. I enjoyed it.
You are wondering, did I pass the exams? I did with a B though and we still had lots of carryovers in our class. I have now become addicted to coffee. I hear it's the juice of the gods. I don't know how true this is but the antioxidant benefits attached to it makes it one of my favourite beverages.
Do I experience insomnia from drinking coffee daily? Nope. This is because I stop drinking by afternoon unless I have a heavy workload and need to stay awake. When it's almost bedtime, I wrap up my day with a hot cup of chamomile or rooibos tea. It always puts me to sleep fast!
What was your first time like? I mean with coffee. Hehe. Thanks for visiting my blog.
This is my entry to the Coffee and Coffee Shop Moments: A Posting Contest hosted by and
. You are invited to participate.