Coffee Culture

Isn't it amazing that there is a whole culture and language associated with coffee? This coffee culture looks and sounds something like this:

Inhabitants enter their caffeine habitat and form a long row, each facing the back of the next. They stand in silence, occasionally searching the clear glass vessels containing sustenance for the morning meal. Their eyes move from the glass vessels to tablets placed above them. They appear to ponder over their next move and how they are going to be successful in their hunt for nutrition and hydration. In turn, each steps forward until they are facing another inhabitant at the front of the row. The only sound heard is when the two communicate in a language understood only by other members of their culture. The language appears to only consist of adjectives, but somehow the communication is clear. The inhabitant in the line exchanges some currency - usually made out of some type of plastic, and within minutes, the morning hunt is complete. The inhabitant proceeds to either a designated eating area where an electronic device or informational material is observed; or to their transportation vessel where then they partake in fruits of their hunt - still in silence. -Mozilo, 2008

Different Brew

As I entered my usual coffee spot this morning, I came upon a big yellow school bus parked outside the front doors. Now I have seen students before, in fact, I see some students there almost every morning. But never before have I seen them bussed in.

I watched them as I enjoyed my cup of java and bagel.

They sat in groups at the various tables. The groups seemed to represent many of various "high school culture" groups. There were some with brightly colored hair and piercings, some that looked to be athletes, some that looked to be what we used to call the preppy group.

As they ate their various breakfast selections from the bagel/Kids, pastry case and drank their coffee drinks, sodas and juices, they chattered away in their teen language. Some of the conversations were mellow and quiet while others were spirited. Still some were melodramatic, carried on in the way that only teens can get away with.

I am not sure what the group of teens was doing there, but I have to applaud them. Although they were in a big group and among their peers, they were polite and respectful to those around them. They cleaned up after themselves, and conducted themselves with maturity while they were there. They were quite a different brew than what I often observe in large groups of kids.

I wonder what the bus ride was like after the caffeine and sugar kicked in......