A New Beginning in Canada

When Liza left Jakarta in 1999, she stepped away from a bustling city of 15 million to arrive in Victoria, British Columbia—a quiet, coastal town that felt almost too small in comparison. However, the city was still warm and welcoming, with strangers chatting on buses and communities eager to connect.

“Everyone was very welcoming. In Victoria, you could meet someone on the bus and they’d start a conversation—that was very different from Jakarta.”

Within months, Liza and her young family moved to Vancouver, chasing better job prospects and beginning a new chapter in Canada. Back in Indonesia, Liza had been working full time. But in Vancouver, she shifted her focus entirely to her children.

“The first few years were all about caring for my family. We didn’t put our kids in daycare, so I put my own aspirations on hold.”

The transition from a working professional to full-time caregiver was challenging—but it also became an entry point into Canadian life. She joined a parent-participation preschool, forming community ties that would anchor her early years in Vancouver. Navigating parenthood in a new culture also brought unexpected lessons. Liza soon realized that the values she was raised with didn’t always translate for her Canadian-born children.

“Some of the values I thought were good for my children weren’t always relevant here… We had to unlearn and relearn how to connect with them in a new culture.”

Letting go became part of the learning curve—especially when her eldest daughter decided to study across the country in Ontario. “It was hard,” Liza recalls. “As Asian parents, we often think, why leave Vancouver? But we realized our children are not ours to keep.”

In 2017, Liza opened Nusa Coffee in Kitsilano to share the distinct flavors of Indonesian coffee with Vancouverites. “We wanted to offer more than coffee—we wanted to create an experience rooted in culture,” she explains. Although the café closed during the pandemic, Liza has continued her mission by importing specialty food products from Indonesia.

“Food connects people. When people taste something new, they ask questions—and that opens up friendship and understanding.”

Indonesia’s coffee is deeply connected to its geography. The volcanic soil, smallholder farms, and distinct growing regions across its many islands contribute to unique, bold flavors. Through her café, Liza introduced Vancouverites not just to these flavors—but to the stories behind them.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Nusa Coffee pivoted to selling packaged goods and snacks. The business temporarily paused in early 2021, but Liza’s vision never faded. She reopened a new location in downtown Vancouver at 310 W Cordova St. When you visit the store, you can find specialty coffee, tea, spices, and other agricultural products directly from Indonesian producers.

Through her business and community work, Liza hopes to grow not just awareness of Indonesian products, but also a stronger sense of cultural identity among the Indonesian-Canadian diaspora.

“With every product, we’re telling a story. It’s not just trade—it’s about who we are, where we come from, and how we share that with others.”

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