Lina Brevikinternational political economyLina Brevik from Norway loves coffee. She says it’s part of her morning routine. She changed this once, though, one month after the Covid19 pandemic started. She was at her home in Norway with her housemates and they were bored of sitting and spending time together. ‘One morning I woke all of my housemates up and we went to the seaside at 4 AM to have our morning coffee and see the sunrise. The coffee tasted so good! It was even better than usual’, Lina says.

Sebastian Wittag communications and information studies Sebastian Wittag has a hate-relationship with coffee. ‘The first time I tried coffee I hated it and I still do’, Sebastian says. ‘It is too hot and I need to wait before drinking it.’ But that’s not all. ‘I also hate iced coffee’ He prefers a classic apple cider to anything else. ‘I am German and I like what tastes familiar to me, so I’ll just continue my relationship with apple cider.’

Todor Shkodrovinternational business Todor Shkodrov sees coffee as a memory from home: Bulgaria. ‘For me, a cup of coffee is not simply a cup of coffee, but a connection with my grandfather. It is a memory of how we spent afternoons together listening to jazz while sipping coffee. When I was moving to the Netherlands, he sent me a set of cups and dzezve (a traditional coffeemaker from the Balkans) so I could keep in touch with home’ Todor says.

Pedro Pereira Agostiinternational business Pedro Pereira Agosti, from Brazil, remembers that, when visiting Brazil, he joined his dad on a business meeting. ‘I will never forget sitting with my dad and his colleague over coffee. At a point, the man’s phone rang. His wife was in labour. He hangs up, turns to us and says that before going to the hospital he’ll first finish his coffee.’