A Cup of Coffee Has Magical Powers

Heard about my family in Guatemala yesterday, they are all ok. The rest of the country is picking up the pieces.


Let me just inform the world that I love to dance. I like to pride myself of knowing how to dance, fairly well, in merengue and salsa. So when the dance instructor was trying to re-teach me the dance steps yesterday in front of all my students, you can imagine the horror I felt. Let’s just say by the end of the class, I redeemed myself and moved my hips like ya.

The students loved the class. They learned the basic steps of merengue and all the twists and turns. The dance instructor provided a little cultural context explaining how the dance floor is more like a "war zone" with “Latin Lovers” competing for the space and the girl. As soon as he said that, my students looked at me and I responded with an affirming nod. The dance floor is where the magic happens. If you can get down tonight, then it’s all over. The instructor claimed that most Latino couple meets on the dance floor. I wouldn’t doubt it.

I’m pretty sure most of the students blushed a little when he explained the concept of “Latin Lover”. Then he busted some smooth moves that left some of the students with their eyes wide opened. I just smiled.


After that eventful afternoon, I calmed down with cafecito. Ah, yes...pure bliss. One of the main reasons why I love being in Latin America is cafecito. Believe it or not, I think we have the same concept in the states in an American context. Instead of meeting in a house, we would go to Starbucks or a local coffee shop. Of course, it’s not the same experience but there are very similar concepts.


Number one, coffee is involved. Hands down, boom.


Number two, loud noises are involved. In a coffee shop/Starbucks settings, it’s the noise of the espresso maker and/or coffee orders being shouted. In the Latin American setting, it’s the chattering of 3 or 4 people speaking over each other and/or children running around playing.


Number three, discussion. In both contexts, talking has to happen. It depends on the people you are meeting with. From business to love to relationships to the exchange of recipes or the latest weight loss tip, people are talking.


Number four, with people you love. In both contexts, you are spending time with people you care about. You are making an effort to continue to develop the relationship with that person. You are spending it with your family, neighbor or a close family friend. It’s like a cup of coffee has magical powers of bonding the two or more people together. Weird.


You can see why I enjoy cafecito time. It’s not only to feed my caffeine addiction, but also to take the time to stop and enjoy life.


Stop, drink some coffee, talk and listen.