Pediatrician by day, barista by night: Saudi balances his profession and hobby

Saudi Gazette report

Jeddah — He is a pediatrician by qualification, but a barista by hobby. Bassil Al-Tami, a Saudi national hailing from Qasim region, does not find any contradiction in the two vastly different jobs.

In an interview with Al Arabiya, Al-Tami said that his love of making coffee spans several years before he ever made it in the medical profession. His relatives encouraged him to hone his hobby and use it as a source of extra income.

Al-Tami spends the first part of his day treating young children at the hospital where he works.

But in the evening he swaps his stethoscope for a barista apron.

Al-Tami’s duties as a pediatrician ends at 3.30 p.m. By 4 p.m., he heads to his second job which starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. He prepares coffee and deserts.

Al-Tami stresses that he is refining his skills in the art of making coffee to supplement his income as a doctor.

He said that he did not consider his decisions to work two jobs as “something wrong to be blamed for.”

Such views are exactly the reasons behind the high unemployment rate among young people, he said, adding that today’s youth consider it infra dig to take up jobs which their parents and grandparents practiced with dignity.

Al-Tami told Al Arabiya that the first few days of working both jobs were “physically and mentally exhausting,” but with time management and enough practice, he was able to overcome difficulties.

“One can achieve his dreams only with determination, persistence and overcoming barriers,” he said.