Coffee

When I came to Suriname, I brought a coffee press, expecting that the bounty of the mountains of Columbia and the awful lot of coffee in Brazil would spill over to the neighboring countries. Imagine my profound disappointment when I learned that the only brew to be found came in the form of instant coffee (hereafter referred to as “mud”) imported from Europe. Imagine my delight when, after much searching, I discovered real Surinamese coffee and found to my amazement that it was cheaper than instant mud!

Though I know the difference between mud and coffee, I am by no means a connoisseur. The test of the quality of Surinamese brew came when my sister, who is very much a connoisseur, came to Suriname. She approved. To conserve funds and cooking gas, I limit coffee mornings to two days a week, but every Wednesday and Saturday I am religiously more hyper than normal.

The popularity of mud demonstrates an unfortunate point about Suriname. Obsession with the former colonial power often hurts the economy by reducing the demand for better, cheaper local products in favor of European things. While as an economist I admit that what you buy is a matter of personal choice, I stand on my soapbox twice a week and declare with mug aloft that real coffee tastes better. The only advantage of mud is the difficulty of finding a coffee maker for the interior, as we have no electricity most of the time. For the Surinamese, an objective step back and a larger perspective, perhaps over a good cup of coffee, could do some good.

The River Congress

During the past week, the Gaanman summoned the chiefs of the Tapanahony to a major conference on gold mining rights. The problems of illegal gold mining by Brazilians have escalated recently, including pollution of the river with mercury used in irresponsible but easy refining, and rampant murder in the gold bush. To make matters worse, some chiefs have been taking bribes to protect the illegal activities. The event, centered in my village, is headline national news, and the Minister of Regional Development came to express his commitment to expel the illegal miners by force. As a result of the four-day conference, several chiefs were punished on charges of corruption, and continuing deliberation on what to do next is the principle subject of conversation.

In an earlier generation, the Ndjuka would meet every year for a congress known as “the River” to discuss issues and problems affecting all the villages. This was a unifying concept, and all the traditional leaders were held accountable in decisions made by the River. The congress dissolved, as common issues became national issues or disappeared. Perhaps this minor crisis will reestablish an old tradition.