Two nights ago, Luke and I were invited to our neighbor’s room for coffee.  They are visiting Pakistan from Saudi Arabia to help victims affected by the floods.  They taught us the traditional process of making Arabic coffee.  Before entering their room, we followed suit and left our shoes outside the door.  Reti joined us as we sat in a circle on the floor.  They brought their own coffee supplies from Saudi Arabia - all of it was lined up on top of the radiator, like a coffee bar.  The only thing they bought here is a mini propane tank with a little stove on top to heat the water.  The entire coffee process takes about 15 minutes.  When it’s finished, it’s poured into a tiny cup (much like a sample size).  But, the flavor is so strong, it’s better to drink a little at a time.  There are only four ingredients: water, tan-colored ground coffee, cardemom, and nutmeg.  It was such a familiar scent, I was having a hard time figuring out where I smelled it before.  The nutmeg reminded me of Hot Apple Cider at Christmas time. 

I feel very grateful for this experience.  It’s not everyday, I get the chance to learn traditional Arabic coffee-making from a man doing it 20 years.  We shared sincere conversations.  I never thought of visiting Saudi Arabia, but after meeting kind people from that country, I would like to go there someday.