Susan LaffertyPause in the afternoon.
Fix a small teapot of darjeeling. Or steep ginger herbal tea in porcelain cups.
The simple cultural practice learned in other lands remains in my life today.
Taking time. Away from chores and computer and concerns. Sitting quietly or visiting with a friend.
Daily pause. To breathe.
Simple shelter. Close quarters with eclectic decor. Spare furnishings.
She welcomes us in. And starts the fire on a small charcoal stove. Takes her sauce pan and pours in the green coffee beans, newly washed.
And so it begins.
The slow, deliberate way of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Traditional hospitality. With laughter. And conversation about life.
Daily and eternal.
During our second month in Pakistan, our family of three traveled north to Murree. For a month of intensive language learning and cross-cultural adjustment.
We stayed in one of several flats (apartments) that made up an old house on the side of the mountain.
And began learning new patterns for living.
Language study. Shopping for groceries. Cooking with new ingredients. Boiling our drinking water. Washing clothes and hanging them on the line.
Breathing fresh mountain air eased the adjustments. New friends helped us find our way.
