I made the sojourn into campus this morning to have some coffee and talk shop with a colleague. We had an enjoyable discussion for an hour in the recently opened library branch of the global abomination that is Starbuck's. Can someone explain to me. . . Why on earth do cities like Vienna and Rome even need them?
I am of two minds here. Starbuck's is handy in a lot of instances. The coffee isn't bad. Somewhat better than what is sold in the competing, campus owned and run Sparty's. And the space in the library, occupied by a branch of Sparty's until early last May, is redesigned, bright, airy, and clean with plenty of new tables, chairs, and outlets for laptop computers, tablets, and recharging phones. All very convenient.
Yet it is locally owned, non-corporate cafes that have the character and quirkiness that makes them interesting places in which to kill time, work, and people watch. Why the campus town adjacent to my employer does not have a better selection of cafe spots given the size of our institution remains a mystery. I know. I know. First world problem.
The attire for today features many of the usual suspects but includes, for your viewing pleasure, a few drips of coffee that I noticed only while perusing the lower photograph. Grrrr. The strange irony is that I just dropped off a different pair of cords with the same problem at the cleaner's on the way home.
All of which goes to show that those darn plastic lids, which are supposed to stop or at least minimize drips, don't really work very well. Sigh.
Still, it's Friday! A bottle of wine with the Grand Duchess by the hearth this evening and possibly a game of Scrabble.
-- Heinz-Ulrich
Starbuck’s is truly an unAmerican company. They threatened to not accept legal tender cash, they fired an employee who defended another from attack, etc. I agree with you that European cities with their wonderful establishments hardly need Starbuck’s.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, at least here, there is something about going there that gives one a lift. I cannot explain it. I get my wife a hot chocolate twice weekly and sit and read the news on my phone while they make it. And I like the days when I have to wait, and just sit there. In addition, they are open on holiday mornings, even Christmas, so I can get her drink — and tip very well — so that is nice.
They also have a system that really cuts the wait time in comparison to local shops. I prefer, if I am going to sip and read alone, a local place called Wayfinder’s, but they are terribly slow, and always overcrowded. Two-person and larger parties do the very rude practice of getting out of line to go and save seats while those singles ahead of them in line then have no place to sit when their order is ready. My local (well, a better word is ‘closest’) Starbuck’s does not seem to have that problem.
Corduroy? The washing machine is your friend, surely?
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