Saturday 11 February 2012

So Close, and Yet So Far

 Coffee shops have incredibly small tables, generally speaking. So small that if you lean across, the small circular space you and your partners’ noses can touch. Touch, see, and smell: three things that we hardly do anymore. What do I mean by this? You might be wondering. Well, in the digital age; the age of enhanced communication via technology; we have become so close, and yet so far. Far enough that it takes multiple steps to finally reach face-to-face interaction. As if we have created a social etiquette for communication boundaries wherein some people are worthy of our “real time” and others are only deserving of a status update, constructing an endless stream of miscommunication and distant discussions.  We can reach each other and send messages through social media outlets, BBM, texting and even see each other through mediums like Skype and Face Time (the option of video chatting offered by the iphone) and yet we are so far from one another. The need to connect has created a series of digital communication streams that ultimately lead to an inherent disconnect.

Solution: The Café or Coffee Shop.

            Whether you are dating, want to meet new people or just want a space to chat; the coffee shop, depending on its design, gives us a chance to escape the lonely world of digital communication and physically connect within the same space and time. It offers us a real room where we can connect and communicate through spoken  word and body language. But more importantly, we can reach out our hands and touch, we can lean across the small circular table and kiss noses.



Saturday 4 February 2012

A Place to De-Stress “Stresses Spelled Backwards is Desserts” ☺





            I consider the coffee shop something of a middle ground; a space between home and work. A place where there is too little to do to distract me, and enough going on to keep me interested, focused on my work and somewhat de-stressed. I recently saw this picture (see above) and realized that yes, the key to de-stressing is finding something pleasant to distract you from the stressful things in life. We should all find our middle ground and enjoy those moments where dessert is the perfect remedy. For me it’s a sweet drink, during the day this could be the usual London Fog (also know as the Earl Grey Latte), Vanilla Latte, Tea with milk and sugar, or a treat like; hot chocolate, or a mocha. A night a cool Pinto Grigio does just fine.
            Whatever you consider to be the “dessert” or sugar in your life, whether it be a sweet drink and some time to calm down in your middle ground, or cookies and milk with your favourite book, just remember that “Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts,” so enjoy yours and take time to de-stress!