Random hits on the keyboard

Every alternate day, I stay home in the morning. The days are for stretching and Callisthenics. I had back pain my entire life, and now, for the first time in my life, I have a painless back. I wake up at my usual time, before the city wakes up. I complete my exercise, and  I brew coffee in my moka pot—and I can tell, I’m getting better at it. I fill the bottom chamber with warm water, just below the valve. I buy beans from a particular cafe. I grind the beans in my manual crank pot. I fill the filter basket with medium-fine grounds loosely. The pot goes onto the stove and a small flame. I wait. As coffee starts to pour, I further reduce the flame. After a while, I remove the pot. I don't let the moka pot gurgle in the end.  When I pour coffee into a cup, it is strong, balanced for my taste. It is not perfect - but better. I sip it by the window, watching Kathmandu, waking up or struggling to wake up. I see what many don't see: a quiet Kathmandu - a city that is waiting to se...

The days in Addis Ababa are phenomenal - because of many adventures, like being able to access the internet all the time, making calls, meet with many of my country's people and Dal Bhat after 2 centuries. On top of all the reasons, I went to Tomoco coffee, the first coffee exporter in Addis.  I can not explain the aroma and taste in words. The coffee ...... The aroma and .....

'The first' is overhyped. The first of its kind, the first to be on ....... The first to climb to .... The first person to drive................ The first to reach.... etc etc. And here is 'the first' week after my return. I can't help myself to further hype 'the first'. I am readjusting myself to this dry air, windy evening, and cool morning. The coffee once again starts to start the daily routine. The morning is beautiful today. It is sunny for a while and gets cloudy by 2 o'clock Ethiopia time (which is 8 o'clock). Cloudy means we put on our jackets. It is seriously cold. Getting out in a street and having a bit of a walk early morning is refreshing. More greenery is around because of the rain. Being from a monsoon-hit country, I am trying to overcome my belief about rain - rain does not have to create flooding and landslides.  Local cafes began to open and an aroma of roast coffee fills the street. The cafe is decorated with local grass on the fl...

Many things have changed  - businesses are resuming, and new buildings are being constructed. Restaurants are crowded and more vehicles are on the street. It feels like COVID does not exist but.. it is going to hit.  I am suddenly pressed by the piles of pending work and 24 hours a day seems not enough. I wake up, take a walk, and then and in the afternoon Daily life keeps on adjusting to the changes.  The local coffee once again rejoices in my day. Injera is a daily food once again, at least for another 40 days. The Covid has made traveling difficult. And we adjust and we keep ourselves busy and keep ourselves happy.🙏

The recent few visits have been amazing. The vast dry land, bare, a very little vegetation, they are the wonders of nature - but the life here is certainly very difficult. There is not much water, some small borings holes downhills, and an oasis. Though the beauty of nature is priceless, the beauty of nature has its price. The beauty explained by a 'tourist' is not necessarily true for the locals, and the smile on the face of locals do not say much about the harsh living conditions. I feel as a tourist. I am being selfish to enjoy the views, the scenery - and I say they are majestic. I forget about the heated sun, dry air, and skin scale. I continued,  "The never-ending plateau, the vast open land, and the  hills are rocky." and  Suddenly, I am stopped by my Ethiopian Friends, 'My friend! they are mountains, not hills.' Ops! my apology, I am being a tourist. I have to leave my Nepal hangover. I correct myself, "Sorry, right! they are mountains. The mounta...

Coffee is the first thing in the morning and the last thing before dinner. Here, coffee is everywhere, just like tea in Kathmandu. The coffee shops on the footpath are the best. It is now evening and the curfew is about to start. On the way to my hotel, I stop in a 'café'. And..... While I wait, I watch tampu, they call it Bajaj, rushing on the road. Toyota Hiace, called minibus, overtaking Bajaj ruling the road - exhausting a thick smoke. The wind brings the smoke toward me but soon an aroma of coffee takes over. Few kids approach, to sell ground nuts. I signal them no. The kid smiles at me and says hello and bye instantly. And the coffee is ready. I forget the count but maybe it's my fifth or sixth coffee today.  The whole day's fatigue simply vanishes with a slip of a coffee. Someone rightly said that we must save our earth because it is the only know planet to have coffee.  My nose is super dry then. Maybe, it is because of a hell lot of coffee, or maybe...

Early morning, small chairs and benches are arranged outside cafes. Many small cafes are erected on roadsides. Coffee beans are roasted. The smoke of beans fills the surroundings. As the customers arrive, the hot roast pot is taken around the customers, fuming the whole café. The customers seem to enjoy the cloud of coffee smoke. What a wonderful tradition.  The freshly roasted coffee is ground. The whole café turns lively with the coffee aroma. Coffee is served in a small cup, with local incense on a tray. The serving lady sits and serves with a big smile and pours from Jebena until it is just about to overflow. There is no rush, time simply stops in these cafes here. Every sip of coffee is magical. Every single drop of coffee carries history. Forget Starbucks and forget illy Caffe. The main Ethiopian food is Injera, and it has many varieties. I am trying to get used to it. I was planning to bring Injera but I dropped the idea after knowing that it needs to be fermente...

I decided to resume my blogging (monologue). I will be publishing my old blogs soon. It is important to capture the experiences when they are fresh, I feel my recollection of old Afghanistan days has gone mild. Let me have my Ethiopia experience live. Additionally, it is always fun to share how I see the world. And here we go..... I came to join a new job in Addis Ababa on 1 March 2021. Ethiopian Coffee has always been on the top list followed by Ethiopian food. Let's talk about travel first. The Kathmandu airport was a mess. The PCR report has to be signed at the airport by an official, who probably is only obeying orders from higher authorities to do so. The top officials perhaps did not think enough that this would create havoc. There was a long winding queue at the entrance and who knows some 'super spreaders' might have been around. The rest of the journey was nice, except for the pain in my neck while trying to get some sleep. The hills around Addis Ababa airport remi...