Coffee is an integral part of any breakfast in Miami. Of the many different coffee drinks available, none are as native to the Miami culture as the colada -a bittersweet Cuban espresso shot served in diminutive styrofoams cups meant to be shared with friends, co-workers or even strangers.
Coladas are usually served in the small walk-up windows- or "ventanitas"- of the restaurants that populate South Florida.
Miami writer and photographer, Jake Katel knows all about coladas, or "jet fuel," as he referred to it. He has visited over 100 ventanitas, ordering coladas and hobnobbing with the workers and customers.
The result of his colada adventures was "Cuban Coffee Windows of Miami," a 417-page book, where he detailed his experiences of visiting the ventanitas along Calle Ocho and beyond.
Katel, 36, son of Russian-Jewish parents, first tried the bittersweet taste of a colada at age 20, according to him it was a true formative experience.
He was motivated to write his book after meeting people at the ventanitas, talking to them about the quotidian matters of life in Miami and experiencing the fashion in which coffee brings people together.
"The main thing is that this is a cultural phenomenon specific to Miami," Katel said about the manner in which coladas are enjoyed throughout Miami and South Florida.
These factors allowed Katel to familiarize himself further with the unique culture of the city.
“I tried to find the gems in everyday life and represent them properly,” Katel said, “I want to do Miami stories that resonate globally.”
The best part of this experience was meeting other people and talking to them and vice versa, he said.
His journey also led him to photograph sugarcane fields in the West Palm Beach areas. "I went to where [sugar] is grown wild and to where it is grown corporately," he said.
The person working at the ventanitas yield all the power and can ensure that you have a pleasant experience when ordering a colada.
"Always be kind to the whoever is working at the ventanitas," adviced Katel.
A Different Kind Of Triple Threat
How easy is it to turn a blind eye to atrocities? Michael McKeever's new play The Camp explores the concept of how human beings can become blind to reality.
The Camp is a drama set in a small German village in the Holocaust-era, where American soldiers discover the reality of civilians being systematically murdered in a concentration camp.
"I'm a huge fan of history," McKeever said. "The whole concept of an entire country ignoring these atrocities has always fascinated me. What I did is that I took that concept and made it very small and intimate."
the underlying theme of play examines the manner in which humans behave when dealing with powerfully negative situations.
While most theater performers can act, sing and dance, McKeever is a different kind of triple threat. He is a playwright, actor and set designer.
In The Camp, he plays the villain of the play, a German mayor who surrenders to the American soldiers and claims ignorance the concentration camps are discovered. "Very seldom do I work as an actor in my own play," he said. "But in this particular play, that part fits me well." McKeever was eager to work with the play director Michael Leeds, who convinced him to act in the play.
McKeever, born and raised in Miami, he earned his degree in advertising and design. He wrote his first play when he was in his 30's. His plays always have their world-premiere in South Florida. "To me it is a very warm and very comfortable place," he said. "I know the theaters here and I have relationships with them."
This episode of Sundial was originally aired on Dec. 12th, 2017.