“Come and Drink Coffee” by Zeena Osman
Banner image: Two days after my birthday, we invited my host sister to come over to drink coffee and eat leftover cake that my host mom baked for my birthday party. Photo credit: Osman, 2023.
“First morning, you hand me a cup of coffee,
I say “No thank you.”
And to my surprise, you ask again.
I say, “I do not like coffee.”
The next morning, you invite some guests,
You hand me a cup of coffee,
I say “Fine”
And to my surprise, I ask for more.
The morning after that, I invite you,
I say, “Come and drink coffee.””
This fall semester, I decided to study abroad in Amman, Jordan, which is very different from where I grew up in Maryland, United States. I had some idea of what the culture could look like due to my Sudanese ethnicity, however, I was still shocked by the welcoming environment. If I am going to be honest, before I left the United States, I did not like coffee and would always avoid it. I did not understand why people would drink it since it did not give me much energy to stay up for my college classes or exams. This was something that I would have to reconsider when I arrived in Jordan.
As soon as I arrived in Amman, I was introduced to my host family and I soon realized I would only be living with my host mom. My first impression of her was that she was very hospitable and caring. When I started to have regular meals with her, she would be very insistent on me eating more and making sure I did not leave the table hungry. This played a big role whenever my host mom would invite her daughter or other family members to her house. Inviting family and friends over was something that happened quite often and it allows them to keep in touch and form close bonds.
Whenever family members did come over, the first thing my host mom would ask them was if they wanted to drink coffee. Obviously, they would say yes and sit together in the living room. She always asked me to join them and also handed me a cup of coffee. The first time I gave in and drank the coffee she offered me, I was shocked. I actually enjoyed drinking coffee and it was very different to what I had in the United States. Also, I think being able to drink coffee with my host family made it even more enjoyable. I found myself drinking coffee more and more with my host family.
In my opinion, I believe that this offering of coffee symbolizes the great hospitality that influences the culture of Amman. Not only is it a way of bringing people together, but a way of showing respect. So if you ever plan on visiting Jordan, come and drink coffee.
Zeena Osman attends Kenyon College, and participated in the Area and Arabic Language Studies program in Amman, Jordan in fall, 2023.
