My Father is Retired

There are some days when you should never reveal your father’s livelihood. Today was one of those days.

North bound to Kintamani, the local guide pulled off to Tampaksiring and decided that I should visit a family-owned coffee plantation.  Nyoman, the youngest of three siblings represented his household to introduce me to the family’s pride – the Abian Sari Coffee Plantation.

"Ma’am, do you know the difference between a female and male coffee bean?”

"Err, no.”

"So, look around, can you tell me which bean is ripe?”

"Err, nope.” (Am I supposed to be seeing beans?)

"Do you go to coffee plantation before?”

"Err, no.”

After showing me around for a bit more, Nyoman led me to their makeshift outdoor kitchen to sample the different types of coffee, tea and cocoa. Here, I met the rest of the family.

"Ma’am, here we also roast coffee. First, we clean beans before roasting and then we grind beans. Have you seen coffee roasting before?”

"Err, no.”

"We also have vanilla, rosella, cocoa, ginseng, cinnamon and passion fruit”, he said in one breath while pointing at several directions. I wasn’t even sure I was looking at the right thing and secretly hoped he did not notice.

"Ma’am, your father own business too in Malaysia?”

"My father is retired.”

Thank you Nyoman, for suffering fools like me.

So, now I know.

These are NOT ripe.

(Dad, if you are reading this and just so you know, I already know what you are about to say.)