saturday coffee.

(posting late)

i've been living in this neighbourhood for almost two months, and have been well aware of the locations of various cafes within walking distance from my apartment. after spending a solitary saturday holed up in my room, i decided to swing by a nearby starbucks to take part in the lovely coffee shop ambiance.

of course, i could've made myself a cup of hazelnut coffee, put on some billie holiday, and simply brought the ambiance into my own livingroom. actually, i would've preferred doing that 8 out of 10 days. somehow, tonight, i needed the hustle and bustle of an actual cafe. i needed to watch people and make up stories about why they are here at this particular time and day. i needed to listen to the music they're playing and decide that i want it for my own collection. i needed...

to get out, basically.

anyway, tonight the house is not packed. there is a group of muslim women wearing their traditional attire happily chatting away in some foreign language. the best table is occupied by a couple happily nestled in each other's arms. a miscellany of other characters are scattered around the small place. i, however, am lucky enough to get what they call the "conference area" which is actually just a medium-length table with two library lamps in a secluded area of the cafe. one side of me feels like a student studying for a big exam. the other part of me feels like a sophisticated city rat who has chosen caramel macchiato and a good book over a party at some nightclub.

i think i'll swing by here more often and maybe get to know the baristas well enough for them to have my preferred order ready by the time i arrive.