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C
“If you remember why

you have that dream,

and be stubborn

The elegant floral fragment transitions to the cof-
fee beans’ fruity and floral aroma at the beginning. The
rough feeling when holding the warm coffee cup instant-
ly transformed into the silky taste of a signature drink and keep going at it,
full of honeydew, watermelon, and sage the moment the
judges took the sip. The prepared color-coded coasters
and menu cards helped the judges forget about their mis- it will happen.”
sions of note-taking for a few minutes. The music of In-
terstellar slowed the tempo. The judges closed their eyes,
breathed deeply, and enjoyed an excellent cup of Pana-
manian Geisha. Everything was carefully and perfectly
woven together in the show to give the judges as well as
the audience a unique “mindfulness” coffee experience.!
However, as Jasin pointed out in our interview, the Spreading Change
concept of mindfulness in the presentation is not just
about the big idea and the concretely built plan but every Now that he is the world barista champion, Jasin is From left: Yoshua Tanu, Mikael Jasin,
single thing in the show. “I couldn’t talk about all the looking forward to delivering the message of mindful- Yessylia Violin Angkasa, Daryanto Witarsa
details on stage, but everything was intentional.” Said Ja- ness, the message of coffee being the agent of change, to Photo / Bayu Prawiro
sin. For example, Jasin avoided breathing between words a bigger audience group that he couldn’t reach before. He
when speaking into the microphone, a technique he also wants to use the platform he has now to tell stories
learned from his daily physical exercises to make his de- for people who don’t have that platform, such as the local
livery smoother and calmer. He stirred the espresso for coffee farmers in his homeland, Indonesia, and new ris-
the judges to let the judges concentrate on the medita- ing local baristas.
tions. Moreover, even the spoons were specially chosen. Jasin encourages all the baristas who want to
The rubber materials made no sound when Jasin put the compete in the future or who want to make a big splash
spoons down after stirring the drink. in the coffee field to dream big. And once they start
“I think a lot of the time, especially in barista the dream, they need to work for it. However, what
competitions, the innovation is directly related to the matters most is always remembering why you have
extraction process just before or just after. However, that dream so that you can stay disciplined and robust
people might forget that when you actually drink it, you until you fulfill it. “For me, it is 10 years. For other
have to create an environment that allows you to enjoy people, it might be faster. If you remember why you
that drink. So things like closing your eyes, taking a deep have that dream, and be stubborn and keep going at it,
breath, or maybe having some sort of floral aroma or us- it will happen. You cannot know when or how, but it
ing a customized cup matter. These innovations are also will happen one day.” Said Jasin.
great because they make the coffee taste better. Vice ver- Jasin’s advice is probably also the reflection he
sa, once we have a better-tasting coffee, we need to take has for himself after working in the coffee field for 10
a moment to enjoy it.” Jasin reflected. Nowadays, coffee years. Even though the quest to the top is filled with
often functions as an efficient drink that people grab and thorns, he never gave up. From the moment he stepped
go on their way to work. However, Jasin’s presentation into the coffee field, he knew it would be his career. And
at the WBC this year reminds people that good coffee he would be the best. For Jasin, coffee is more than just
deserves appreciation. And this could be a new wave for a drink. Beyond the taste, it is also more than the cof-
coffee. We will probably have more exciting coffee ex- fee experience he delivered at the competition. Coffee
periences in the future that not only focus on the taste changed his life, and he used coffee to help change the
itself but on all senses in coffee shops. lives of others.

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