AWAKE & DREAMING: Coffee Shop Culture

I am so glad to see that the Coffee Shop culture has finally hit my city in a big way. Before it was only a few fancy hotels, that were 3 or usually 4 star in ratings, that anything remotely tied to the western world concept of a coffee shop. Like the one in FRIENDS where you can sit for hours chatting with your buddies and drink coffee and where you always will find a seat. For a few years we had the odd fast food joint, which did not really serve you more than three or four varities of coffee that play that role for the youth of Kochin.

Before all we had that somewhat resembled the coffee shop enviornment was limited to the confines of big restaurants, that were 3 or usually 4 star in ratings. Only the very rich kids could afford to hang out there. Then for a few years we had some fast food restaurants that substituted for the coffee shop. Ones like Hot Breads or Canopy they usually severed pale & bland versions of burgers and pizzas. Normally the sandwiches would be good but then even a moron can make a decent sandwich. My favourite place was Breadline, although sad but true they closed down a few months ago as the owner was either not intesrested or not making enough money to justify continuing. They had a big place and had good burgers, pizzas or footlong sandwiches which you could wash down with either a cold coffee flavoured milksake or a huge hot latte - depending on what the weather was like. I would normally spend an afternoon there with a magazine or a novel plus they had good music always playing in the background.

About the time that they opened up, Coffee Beans started their outlet in Marine Drive. I have been there exactly twice but it is always crowded and noisy. You have a bunch of posuers over there trying to show off to their female counterparts who all look alike and talk alike. Man I was outta there after a short time. And now, I think I have found my place - Cafe Coffee Day had opned up a franchise near Shenoy' Juntion about two months ago. I didn't get a chance to visit it till today as I had an hour to kill at 9 am. So I spent an hour with my cold coffee slush which was real good although a little too thick for my liking. I still enjoyed it tremendously though, as I read the scores & reviews of the previous nights NHL matches on my cell. By the way, the picture on the right is of Starbucks but mine did look a lot like it!

Babe of the week - Crystal Beddows