In an attempt to lose myself in someone else’s story to gain perspective on mine, I was compelled to stop at my favorite coffee shop/diner to get breakfast. I’ve never been there early on a weekday before, and as it turned out, the place had the antidote I was looking for.

In an anticipation of some sort of adventure, I wore my uniform of choice to fly under the radar, exist unobserved in a public environment—baggy jeans, layered band T-shirts and a man’s knit cap. Usually this manly garb influences perception and behavior to the point where I’m mostly ignored, so I was surprised when I walked in and a handsome, tall stranger sitting at the first booth obviously dug my appearance. I ignored him though; I didn’t like the arrogance his energy projected.

I strode on to the front counter where the “loners” sit, and it took quite some time to get service. Ahhh, now my uniform was starting to work. Meanwhile, I watched the beautiful waitress work her magic. No ordinary waitress, this girl was posh, genuinely enthusiastic and enamored with her job. Black hair, blue eyes and unostentatiously dressed to kill, she served more than food. Calling everybody by name, asking them for daily updates on mundane details in a casually intimate way, she paid everybody equal attention, making all from the pompous businessman, to the self-assured and hip architect/restaurant owner, the 80-something Latino and the poor, stinking middle-aged woman feel what everybody wants to feel—special. She even embraced the odd lesbian look-alike poser sitting at the end of the bar unabashedly taking everybody in. When she served the tall drink-of-water asshole his food, he called her “dolly,” and she blushed and hustled back to the serving area to update the cook. Both cast giggling, coy glances from the kitchen and the narcissist’s sense of manhood was restored.

While I wait for my food, I contemplate the bits and pieces of these people’s stories that I know. I used to deliver the aged Latino’s paper every day. He lives right next to the Post Office and was the first delivery on city route No. 2. He keeps a nice, maintained house, loves to care for flowers, gets the New York Times every day and has a beautiful, twenty-something grandson who helps him in his garden sometimes.

The architect/restaurant owner next to me is well-respected in the town. His current wife is my former boss/mentor’s ex-wife who left him when he cheated for the man I’m sitting by now. With his distinguished silver hair, chiseled jaw, tall/lanky frame and air of quiet confidence, he bares a striking resemblance to my old boss. Curious indeed.

The lady to my right who stopped in briefly for takeout is a failed, wannabe academic who settled instead for running the local bookstore. She emanated disappointment for life. She knows she could have done better had the circumstances been right, and she’s bitter because she thinks she’s smarter than all of the poor saps around her, so why didn’t she succeed?

The owner, who stops in briefly and says “hi” to all the clients at the counter, is middle-aged but still looking gorgeous in a small-town, yet affluent, sort of way. She has done well, running two successful restaurants in town with her husband, but she’s not happy because she and her husband haven’t been in love in a long time. In fact, she rather loathes him now but stays with him because of their mini-empire and kids. She once made out with my former co-worker who was in love with me, but he didn’t let it go any farther because she was a horrible kisser and he couldn’t bide that.

By the end of my meal, I’ve interacted with all of them in a barely acquaintance sort of way. I wonder if they know my story, if they know where I fit in, but I get the feeling from most they sort of recognize me but can’t quite place me. … I am incognito after all.

By the time I left, the rendezvous has done the trick. I was inspired to write this piece and no longer thinking about my own story. I escaped and stepped back for awhile. As I passed by the dude who thinks he’s all that at the last booth, he tried one more time, and I didn’t look. I sensed him prickling at the brush-off. He probably would be shocked to know he became part of this story.

Hi, just saying that the newest pin is a Hot Chocolate pin and you can find it at the Coffee Shop.

Laterz!             P.S please don’t copy the following pic it took me ages to do this it kept going wrong!!                                                  

 

finals coffee house

Originally uploaded by redroofventures

The college ministry at First Evan Church has a pretty cool idea. During finals week they host a late night coffee house. Just a place where students can come and hangout, drink coffee and worry if they studied enough This is the shirt they provided.

I don’t know about you, but once I find a company that stands for everything I believe in and offers amazing products, I like to brag about them.  I first heard about Larry’s beans through a good friend and one of the present owners of a coffee shop in Houghton, NY- Java101. They use Larry’s beans for their regular drip coffee and grind, tamp, and steam Larry’s Secret Espresso Blend for delicious lattes and cappuccinos.

Larry not only sells his beans wholesale to coffee shops around the nation, he also sells to household buyers and everyday consumers like myself.  There are lots of reasons I buy from Larry.  The three most basic reasons- all of their beans are fairly traded, organic, and they are an independent small business.  Larry was even a founding member of Cooperative Coffees (a group of independent coffee roasters who purchase beans directly from fair-trade co-ops).

Larry’s products are GREAT.  The beans are roasted to perfection, espresso rich and creamy, and there is a large variety of depth and flavor represented in the varying blends pleasing petty and powerful palates alike. They offer fun merchandise for purchasing including t-shirts, mugs, and ‘at-home barista supplies’.

.

Some more reasons to love Larry?

They have a ‘transparency policy’ in their coffee purchases which means that all documentation during the purchase of the bean is posted online.  You can track every single bag of beans back to the original farmer from which it was purchased and view the payments which took place during the change.

Larry also has a dedication to freshness.  The bag of beans you purchase online today are actually roasted after your purchase and then shipped as soon as finished.

Still not convinced?

Larry started this project called the Sustainability School- a website dedicated to teaching interested persons about local sustainability, alternative energy, globalization, water conservation, recycling, and all things fair-trade.  There are articles and links which provide lots of useful information for sustaining our world and improving our environment.

https://www.larrysbeans.com/sustainability-school/

Along with the school, Larry has done a lot to make his business as ‘green’ as possible.  They transformed their ‘Bean Plant’ by using solar and wind power, harvesting their own rainwater, and delivering all of their local products in a crazy cool bus which runs on recycled vegetable oil (pictured below in a scan from this magnet they sent me along with my most recent coffee order)

All this to say…

If you’re still hearing the ‘clank’ from your can of Chock-full-of-Nuts, or Folgers blend in your shopping cart, check out these articles and hop on the conscious caffeine wagon.

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/01-25/organic-coffee-shade-grown-fair-trade-coffee-article.htm

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/

Go to: https://www.larrysbeans.com/

The Park Slope Restaurant, on Fifth Avenue, is a neighborhood greasy spoon. When it’s open and serving food, the interior looks cheerier. The food is exactly what you’d expect.

A.B.C Trading Co.Ltd
RMZ Ecospace 2
Near Pratham Motors
Marathalii
Bangalore – 560037

Barista
Click here to locate a Barista centre

Café Cofee Day
Click here to locate a Café Coffee Day centre

Chaiwaala Foods & Beverages
HP Tech Park
Mahadeva Pura
Near ITPL Outer Ring Road
Bangalore

Coffee Day Express
# 331
Ksheema Building
Lalbagh Road
Bangalore – 560027

Coffee World
Click here to locate a Coffee World centre

Flava
No 217,
M.G. Road
Bangalore – 560025

Jayess Confectioners
# 107
Wheeler Road
Coxtown
Bangalore – 560005

Kalmane Koffees
Old 156, New 175
11th Cross
Sarakki Main Road
Near Indira Gandhi Circle
1st Phase
Bangalore – 560078

Lee Café
# 13, Hosur Main Road,
Krishna Nagar Industrial Layout
Near Christ College
Bangalore – 560029

Nest Café
Click here to locate a Nest Café centre

Qwikys Coffee
467, 80 Feet Road
Opp Bus Depot
Bangalore – 560095

Hey penguins a New Pin has been released! It’s the Hot Chocolate Pin! Check it out!

It is located at the Coffee shop! That’s all for now!

-Cloneguy800

full version (short version below)

I sat down with Deborah Synnot, one of the owners of Kelowna’s newest Bean Scene coffee shop in Rutland (207 Rutland Road N) to talk about what sets her coffee shop apart. I never realized how much care and attention went into my cup of coffee (tall decaf americano) or that coffee could be such an art. I think you’ll find this video really interesting.

short version (full version above)

Hey everyone! The new pin is out! It’s the hot cocoa pin. Location: Coffee Shop

Hope that helps! Icy out.

~Icy6784~

Hey CP Surfers! The new pin is Hot Chocolate! Mmmmm! it is located in the Coffee Shop.

~Qx4 Penpal

The new pin is finally out! Its the Hot Chocolate Pin, and you can find it in the coffee shop! It was weird because I was up very late last night waiting for Club Penguin to update. But yet I was not able to stay up late enough for them! So sorry its late everyone!~KFPM Main~

Hey CP, there is a NEW pin out today!It is located in the Coffee Shop and it is a hot chocolate!

Thta’s all!

~Thunderman87~

Follow Thunderman87 on twitter!

Location: Coffee Shop
Release Date: November 20, 2009
Last Day to Collect: December 3, 2009

To find this pin click on the Map on the left hand side of the screen. Then click on the Town and walk into the Coffee Shop. Walk over to the pin on the map and it will ask you if you want to pick it up.

To display the pin click on Edit Player on the right side task bar at the bottom of your screen. Then click the blue arrow to open your inventory and click on the sled pin to add it to your player card. If you want to remove the sled pin from your player card click on the sled pin displayed on the player card.

The new pin, the Hot Chocolate pin, is located in the Coffee Shop!

This is the message you will see when you walk up to it.

That’s all!

~Powerflare

Beans is a game you can play in the Coffee Shop to earn coins. The game is open to free penguins and member penguins.

Visit the Coffee Shop and click on the sack of Beans to start.

Move the mouse left and right to move on the screen. Move underneath a bag of beans to catch it then go to the platform at the left side and click the left mouse button to unload. Make sure you dodge the anvils, fish, and flower pots as you lose a life. You can also lose a life if you try to carry more than 5 sacks at a time. Extra lives sometimes fall as well that you can catch. There are 5 trucks that you need to unload forming 5 levels.

Level 1 – just beans
Level 2 – beans and anvils
Level 3 – beans, anvils, and fish
Level 4 – beans, anvils, fish, and flower pots
Level 5 – beans, anvils, fish, and flower pots

If you unload all 5 trucks you get a 60 coin bonus.

I say “lonely hearts” with a pinch of salt here!

People always underestimate the power of the coffee shop as a tool for self healing.

Personally I find any cute cosy coffee shop, Starbucks included the most fantastic place for slef preservation and discovery. So I found myself passing a local Starbucks outlet the other day with a couple of hours to spare, and seeing as I’d just done well on an essay I thought I’d congratulate myself with one of their Christmas drinks. I walked in, and at first suddenly became painfully consious of the fact I was alone. It’s a pretty small outlet so I could quickly gauge that I was pretty much the only person in the room alone. I got my drink nonetheless and sat down on a sofa. It had been a tough week so I actually found it a nice experience to just sit, with no demands from work, people, whatever. As the time wore on I picked up the newspaper, something I should do far more often to keep in touch with the world around me, and before I knew it an hour had passed. I had completely lost track of time, and the fact I was alone, and had become comfortable with myself and my surroundings.

The next day I returned, armed with trusty book and another £3. It was the nicest feeling just to sit, listen to soft music, drink a comforting drink and read. Just read. Well,. for a while I observed people: much to my interest, today I was not the only one alone. Two other people sat alone also, doing their own thing, but both looking equally content.

The intellectual connotation of a laptop and coffee *sigh.*

It got me thinking. What is it about coffee shops that makes certain people feel better? Feel relaxed and at home? Sure places like Starbucks make good drinks but they also drain you dry! This week I’ve spent nearly £10 in there, a habit I’m sure has to stop!

Perhaps the ambiance of the space, set up obviously to encourage you to stay, but which allows free thinking, freedom to relax, which so often is missing in our busy everyday lives.

Perhaps, the connotations of those “cool” people who “hang”in coffee shops, of the 90’s “Friends” cliche. This is where it’s at.

Perhaps it’s the warmth and comfort that people entering without company can find in discovering they’re not the only one. And for some reason, it’s just acceptable to sit and drink coffee by yourself. You’re allowed to be cool and mysterious in a coffee shop whereas you’d just look odd un a restaurant.

In our modern lives, where social status is almost as important as…well, other very important things, having company is of utmost importance. We must always have someone to talk to, tell things, discuss with.  Being alone is almost pitied or frowned upon. But perhaps in always talking, always telling, we have lost the chance to be ourselves, be alone with ourselves and discover how we really think and feel.

Just a theory.

But try this one thing for me: this week, take an hour out of your day, take a book/work/anything you like and sit for an hour in the comfiest cosiest coffee shop you can find. Treat yourself to the nicest drink you see and relax.

I did this just once, and suddenly felt better.(well after an hour and a toffee nut latte.)

Take time to reflect if you will on what it means to be alone with yourself and happy about it.

Must we always be talking to others? Sometimes it’s okay just top be with yourself.

Coffee mug as big as my head holding delectable Gingerbread Latte

Sometimes I forget to practice what I preach, and begin to underestimate the delightful inspiration that can come from simply changing your setting and atmosphere.  Generally when I write, I am standing at my kitchen counter, lounging on the couch in the dead of night, or most popular walking on the treadmill.  But settings get stale, and so too does the inspiration to keep writing, because underneath it all, the mind is bored and seeking entertainment.

It’s a challenge to write in a crowded place such as a coffee shop. There are many contradictions – you have a warm drink at your side which is comforting. But there are other people all around you!  You have a table to yourself in the corner where there are no distractions and all you can do is sit and relax.  But it’s so noisy between the jazzy music and the people talking over it!  The reason, I think, why writers flock to coffee shops to write is because while the logical part of the brain is busy working out mediums in all these contradictions and challenged by the change of scenery, the inspired part of the brain is then left free to let the words flow.

So shall I share a few lines?

A snap of a whip and a shriek of terror, pain, ripped the air apart in flames.  As the smoke and blur dissipated, I pushed the thought from my mind that it was my voice screaming, my body in pain.  “How many of them were there?”  Whip.  Sting.  “How did you murder them?”  Whip.  Cry.  Rage.

I caught my breath, looking down upon myself.  My arms spread to each side in shackles against the wall where there was no escape, no shelter for my everlasting beauty.  Across my bare chest, crossing lines of blood where my skin had been torn apart.  Cross me.  Cross me, I said in my mind.  I can’t do it when I’m bound this way.

“There were eighteen.”  I whispered, lifting my gaze as high as could, holding my head as proud as I could manage.  “I drained the blood of eighteen women who came to me for comfort they couldn’t find elsewhere.”  I wanted to confess what I had done.  It made me powerful.  “What is your name, samurai?  I believe I trained with you once.”

Somewhere, and lightly, I had touched him.  “Takayama.”  He lowered the whip as if his arm would give me rest.

I smirked though every inch of me burned.  “Yes, I trained with you.  I offered you my comfort as well, and you took it.  You took it with such earnest I could have sworn you had fallen in love with me that night.”

A slap to my cheek, I was used to it, it was nothing to me, and I laughed as I spat the blood from my mouth.  “Do you have no defense for yourself?”  The samurai asked me.

“None what so ever.”

Arrest in Edo (now Tokyo) was a brutal ordeal, and this is one scene from Seishin’s arrest.  It would consist of the accused being dragged through the public streets in humiliation, then thrown into a crowded jailhouse and tortured until confession.  After the confession came the purification, and usually, death. Shinto was a rebel religion.

this place is absolutely wonderful. a living room of sorts, home to english majors who write ten-page papers about poets, home to math majors who play chess-like games i have never heard of, home to architecture students who need an escape from flourescently-lit studio cages.

i feel no judgement here, and i feel no inclination to judge because this place catches people at all stages of life — a pastor and his children chat one table away from a college couple clad in black. i am thoroughly impressed.

because the architecture here is not impressive at all.

once-white paint is aging into a respectable yellow, the windows are boasting with their unfinished wood moldings, and these light fixtures were undoubtedly purchased from a 1970’s sear’s catalog. the wood flooring is an exception. it has aged well, echoing the sound of foot steps in the way i’m sure God designed our feet to sound–we are all travelers with agendas, and yet we all wander without any real clue.

how do you design a place as wonderful as this: a place that catches restless five-year-olds and studious graduate students, coffee lovers and tea lovers, happy-go-lucky chatterboxes and somber space cadets? we are all caught and content here, by an architecture that is subtle and an architecture that instantly induces “at home” nostalgia.

it is whispering incredible secrets.

…

Every student has experienced it, at least by this point in the year, a night when the only answer seems to be that irresistible shot of our favorite java. Yes that cup of coffee is essential but if you are going to have any coffee why can’t it be good? Organic? or fair-trade? Here are some great spots around town, where do your lips part to take in that magic elixir?

Best Caffeine Fix?
(polls)

Capital Rock City #81 was a fun and special production.  This week the show comes to you live from the Black Stilt Coffee Lounge.

Download: CRC 81 LIVE From the Black Stilt

***

DJ Notes

Sadly, I don’t have a set list, but the order of performers goes like this.

01) Jason Walsh – Download his set
02) Doc Currie – Download his set
03) Liz and Simon – Download their set
04) JP Maurice – Download their set

Cast of Characters:

Principle Organizer: Tyson Elder
Sound: Scott Lougheed
Poster: LadyMix
Door: MissAllyB

Thank you for all your work and help in putting on the event.

Tyson is already dreaming up the next live event.

I hope you enjoy the production and if you like any of the tunes please share the link with a friend.

Go with yourself.

One of the many great things about my new found freedom is being able to work from practically anywhere, anytime.  I just need my MacBook, my Canon, a pen and my notebook, a good book to read, and since I work well while caffeinated and in a sugar high, a tasty cup of coffee and some sweet treats would be preferable.

And so, I have been spending a lot of time lately making the rounds of the coffee houses in the city to come up with my list of the coolest cafés.

Let me start with the one closest to home, Farley’s at 18th Street in Potrero Hill.

Farley’s is truly a cool neighborhood coffee shop with lots of community events and activities like the Annual Pet Fest they host every Halloween and their evenings of live jazz and standards played by local artists.

Another cool thing about Farley’s is their wall where they display the work of local artists and photographers. For November, they are showcasing the charming photographs of the pets and kids in costumes at the Pet Fest taken by “Photo Booth” photographer Christopher Irion. Stanford actually made it to the wall! Can you spot the red corgi?

Farley’s beans are hand roasted by a local coffee company in the East Bay.  My favorite Farley’s sweet treat is their rich and yummy brownie.

Other notes: a cup of coffee is $1.75; wi-fi is free; there is outdoor seating; cookies and pastries are available and you can grab a sandwich nextdoor at Hazel’s Kitchen and enjoy it at Farley’s.

“Connection”

This painting was a little slower than some in coming but it makes perfect sense to end the Coffee Shops series with this image.

We don’t really go to coffee shops for the coffee. We can make that at home. We go to find connection with other people, or even to be with other people.  I hear that freelancers and writers and other work for yourself types frequent coffee shops just for that reason (or it could be the Wi-fi).

 The ambience doesn’t hurt but it is the relationship that is the primary need.

I like to push computers to maximum productivity, this time I as was working on a 1.7 GHz Pentium4 Celeron PC equipped with 512MB of RAM, here are the applications I was using:

• OS – Windows XP
• Virtualization Client – VirtualBox, with Xubuntu Linux (an Ubuntu derivative) as the guest OS, which is running:
  • Haskell compiler – GHC (not shown on the screen-shot)
• Web Browser – Qt Demo Browser, a WebKit-based light-weight web browser, and is one of the examples shipped with Qt
• Media Player – Media Player Classic
• Code Editor – Notepad++
• In addition to an active broad-band internet connection