A boisterous display of culture and fashion is happening in St. John’s today, made all the more special as the bearers of those traditions have come from all around the world, but have all chosen to make Newfoundland and Labrador their home.
The day started with an Eritrean coffee ceremony.
https://twitter.com/HawthornVOCM/status/1141325231329566721
https://twitter.com/HawthornVOCM/status/1141327632702889986
The drink is slowly brewed in a clay pot, called a jebena, with water added slowly as it comes to a boil.
Coffee is poured for guests, in this case us, through a straw filter and served with a hearty bread called ambasha, which feels similar to toutons.
https://twitter.com/HawthornVOCM/status/1141331138495037442
https://twitter.com/HawthornVOCM/status/1141332500217810944
There are several hundred Eritreans in the St. John’s area. As she helps prepare it, Simret tells me they would do this perhaps three times a day.
Simret shows off a wheel of ambasha bread.
The coffee is not bitter at all, but strong and rich. Simret says she still prefers it to Tim’s.
It’s just one of the activities for Refugee Week, at an open house full of colourful displays and personal stories took place at the Association for New Canadians’ ESL training centre this morning.
