It is clear as day, I deserve a slice of chocolate cake.
Our second issue, Inter Vivos, was poised to answer one question: what does the future have in store for us? Whenever I’m asked the same question, I would avoid saying anything related to law school and instead, focus on two hobbies (and maybe soon, lifelines), which I earnestly dedicated time to during the pandemic–baking and brewing.
I could easily give references about baking, on how dough rises when you let it rest, or how lightly tapping a bowl of brownie batter downwards can help improve its texture; how espresso shots have their precise ratios for extraction, how milk becomes sweeter by frothing. In contrast, I do not have any qualms or sentiments that are as in-depth regarding my life as a law student, and that scared me because it felt like the lack of examination and introspection towards the biggest part of my life, presently, would compromise the future I dreamed of having.
But then, before the dough is palatable and molded to its desired form, it is placed under a lot of pressure–temperatures rising at a certain point in time–waiting for us to say it’s ready. Ironically, even after being taken out of the oven, the dough is still allowed a few minutes to set or rest.
Because we are never fully ready, but it does not mean we are half-baked.
Adding salt to finely ground beans will help elevate the entire brew to have a sweeter flavor profile, and allowing coffee grounds to “bloom,” or in layman’s terms, waiting patiently before adding volumes of water to the grounds, will result in a more balanced-tasting cup.
Seeing Inter Vivos being filled with stories of human rights defenders, rising stars in the legal profession, and generations of Bedans passing on the tradition of excellence and grace made me realize that at some point, even if we have already achieved several milestones and gone through a slew of (mis)adventures, we all return to being dough or we begin again as freshly ground beans.
No one can say what the future has in store for us, but we all have stories to encapsulate our best efforts on a regular basis. Our interviewees express it through running, legislating, or educating. For me, it’s baking and brewing, and trying to get by.
To do so, I’ll get myself a slice of chocolate cake, and in the next few months, maybe some bags of flour and a 500-gram pack of whole beans. That is how I introspect.
EIC’s note: To the outgoing Editorial Board, we may not always be everyone’s cup of tea, but you’ll always be my coffee in the morning. Thank you for a wonderful and productive publication year.
THE BARRISTER 