TRULY Filipinos are award-winning and talented people, not just nationally but also internationally.
We have Manny Pacquiao in boxing; Lea Salonga in singing; Michael Cinco in fashion; Monika Santa Maria, the first runner up in the third season of Asia's Next Top Model; Pia Wurtzbach, who was crowned as Miss Universe in 2015, among others.
And recently we have Michaela Ruazol of Rise Fitness, who was hailed as the 2018 UAE (United Arab Emirates) National Barista Championship winner.
The UAE National Barista Championship, hosted by the UAE Coffee Events and Dubai International Coffee & Tea Festival, is an event that highlights the skills and knowledge of the finest baristas from UAE.
The competition involves each barista to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four original espresso-based signature beverages in a 15-minute performance set to the music of their choice.
As they ready their coffee beverages, contestants engage the audience, explaining their actions and selections, while expertly working on the espresso machine.
The winner of the UAE Barista Championship will receive the highest national honor for any barista and will be sponsored to represent UAE at the 2018 World Barista Championship in Boston, USA in 2019.
Asked what was her reaction after winning the UAE Barista Championship, Ruazol, in an interview with SunStar Cagayan de Oro, said she was honored and at the same time relieved and grateful.
"I am so honored, however to be honest with all of you, I am so relieved and grateful that all my hard work together with my team prosper with such a title," Ruazol said.
According to Michaela, the preparation she underwent for the competition was a long process as she needed to choose what kind of coffee to use to make a great story to tell to the judges and the audience.
"Then of course the stressful part is looking for all the necessary equipment I’ll be needing. And just so you know, this part is the one giving me pressure, as somehow you can’t find the right equipment on time," Ruazol said.
"For the spiel, I’ve been doing it for at least one month before the competition itself. And somehow, the right words will just pop out on your mind, so you need to change again. That’s how it is with me," she added.
She also shared how she practiced with her team everyday, only having two hours of sleep a day.
"That’s why we are so happy that we got the title. It’s not only me who won, but the team who helped me to get through it," Ruazol said.
The 24-year-old barista is a Bachelor of Science in International Travel and Tourism Management graduate in Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila in 2015.
She became a barista a year after when she met Lyndon Recera, whom she considers as her inspiration and companion.
"He is my inspiration, my companion. He has this energy that you will be wanting, because he loves what he does so much that you want to feel that as well. So I started joining coffee friendly throw downs around UAE, then I saw what a great Barista Community we have here," Ruazol said.
"Then I continue to learn and learn more. Until one time, I decided to join competition which was last December 2017, so luckily we won for the first time as Dubai International Brewers Cup Champion 2017," she added.
At present, Michaela is working in Rise Fitness Boutique, a fitness gym with a juice/coffee bar, in Dubai, UAE.
"Being a barista for me is an everyday learning process, everyday another opportunity. It gives me the freedom to express myself through coffee that I am serving. With coffee, I realized that there’s more to learn. And it’s a great honor to serve people with an amazing coffee from the heart," Ruazol said.
"Meeting new people, with different types of personalities, that a person in front of the house should manage as we are in a hospitality industry. I love being a barista, so struggling is really a challenge that I know we can all overcome. The right people and the right attitude towards work and passion I think is the key," she added as she recalled all the struggles she underwent and the hard work she did while training as a barista.
And for those who wanted or dreams on becoming a barista, Michaela’s advice for them is to "make yourself open for new learning, opinion, and ideas."
"Accept and put into action everything. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you will learn from it. If you have any free time, make the most out of it, research and try to do things in terms with coffee. Ask other coffee enthusiast about something you want to know about coffee, and for sure they will give the answers freely. The best coffee is the coffee that you like most," Ruazol said.