How would you like to work in this kitchen? This dear lady did our laundry every Monday at our house in Haiti. With five women living in the house, we had quite a pile. We had a wringer washer that she used, and we were so grateful for the time that she put in helping us.
When my husband and I visited Haiti the year after we were married, one of my housemates took us out into the countryside to visit some of the Haitian families. At every home that we entered, the first order of things, after the warm greetings, was to have coffee.
My husband was not a coffee drinker, but he graciously swallowed it with a smile.Do you think you would be gracious enough to offer coffee to someone if this is the way you had to make it...roast the beans, grind the beans, heat the water, pour it through the bag, finally serve it, smiling all the time.
When we arrived at the fourth home, and the lady of the house excused herself to make coffee, we said, "Oh, madame, we have had three cups already at other houses. You really don't have to make us coffee."
Her response? "Amen, amen." She was so relieved.
The next time you scoop out the coffee, put it in your coffeemaker, pour in the water that has come from your faucet, and push the button, think about what it could be like.
Visit Carmi's site to see other links to "kitchens," his photographic theme for this week.
