This does not come as a surprise then with my latest project. It has always been a dream of mine to open a cafe or a bar, and to serve my family and friends my creations. Great conversations have always found their place with a good cup of coffee, a swig of beer, or with a martini glass. There is just something cozy and alluring with a well set up shop that allows you to power through a busy morning or afternoon, or to relax and unwind after a long day's work.
I have always looked up to baristas and bartenders. Their smiles and personalities always shine through and I love to talk to some that I like. Starbucks baristas for example, no matter how rehearsed their spiels are, never fail to momentarily seize people's attention to wake them up from their monotonous grind. The way they prepare coffee and tea mixed with the aromas emanating from the grinders and espresso machines continue to enthrall me to this day. Bartenders are the star of the night at the pubs and bistros I visit to. The backdrop of glasses, bottles and caskets of different wines and spirits give them a commanding yet inviting aura, as if they're inviting guests to watch their show of mixes and lights. The men and women behind the bar for me, day or night, never fail their performances.
It's for these reasons that I am on my way to be a part of this special group. I cannot express how much joy and how grateful I am that my parents allowed me to go to Barista school at BCAA. With the savings I have, I embarked on my journey to be a top flight barista. Yet, one week of training later, it has been a bitter-sweet experience so far.
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| Some of the drinks made by our instructor, Mr. Mike Canlas on the first day! |
The procedure and science of good coffee is easy enough to learn. Learning about the history and knowledge of coffee beans and coffee processing was never a problem for me, as I am really into the stuff. The technical process and timing of making good coffee meanwhile, are an entirely different story.
You see, the process of making a cup of coffee is called the 'barista dance'. Its when a customer has requested a beverage, and the barista starts whipping up the drink of choice, whether it be an espresso, americano, or cappuccino. Having a high level of technical skill, while also being very knowledgeable of the science of coffee are signs of a good barista. At first, I thought I had the entire process down to every single move, and that I could execute everything with speed and precision. The pride of making the perfect shot of espresso and creating that perfect foamy texture for the milk washed over my mental canvas.
But it was in the practice runs and in the final technical and sensory exams where everything started to unravel. I'm not being dramatic or anything, but I had to step down from my ivory tower and head back to terra firma. The facts were staring at me like a filled up chalkboard. For one, I did not have enough time to practice. I was too caught up and wasted a lot of time in experimenting and creating a signature beverage. Aside from making cups of espresso and cappuccino as part of our evaluation, we had to come up with a creative and original concoction to show off our creativity and innovation for coffee. Aside from that I had some problems in the tamping of my coffee beans and in the steaming of my milk for cappuccinos. I thought I had the process down and I could just practice it with repetition and muscle memory. True enough, the lack of practice time and lack of focus led to me having lower than expected scores. I even had key deductions because I went over my time.
If there was one thing that I have learned in my "defeat", is to remember to owe up to your own failures. As I saw the majority of my classmates receive their certificates of graduation and their BCAA aprons, I felt elated and depressed for them at the same time. I thought that because I had my passion and love for coffee with me that I could power through the course and get the best marks in the finals. I though that I could come up with perfect espresso and cappuccino drinks for the judges, impress them with both my efficiency and careful stress for detail. I thought I could enthrall my classmates and the audience with how I constructed my signature beverage, and that it would be unique, refreshing, and most of all, the best damn coffee drink you will ever have. I thought that I could have it all, be a star, and move on to better things.
Here I am, slightly out of sync with myself and still a bit depressed from yesterday. I sit here thinking what could become of me retaking the practical exams again on Friday morning. I have no way of practicing before then, and I still have some things to finish on the business side of my plans. Talk about having to wait for the end. But in my reflections, and with the help of positive media, I start to see a light in this dark room.
I am reminded of a special anime series I have recently finished. Titled Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, or Your Lie In April, it tells a story of a young pianist prodigy broken by the sudden passing of his pianist/mentor mother (along with the emotional baggage that comes with said passing) meeting a destructive yet cheerful violinist girl. The violinist girl challenges and leads on our young hero to re-discover his love and joy for playing music on the piano. She constantly says to him, "For whom are you playing for? We are musicians, and we have to perform with all our heart!"
Save of the ending which I will not tell, I find myself now in the shoes of the boy, looking, feeling and trying to love someone who I could perform for. After all, I am a performer, and I have to give it my all with all my heart.
