I miss my friends. I just found "Coffee Talk: A Celebration of Good Coffee and Great Fiends" - a little book I purchased probably 5 years ago, with the intention of giving it to them. We've shared Au Bon Pain's Urban Blend and La Colombe's Corsica. Now, one of them is in California, one in West Virginia, and one in Delaware. Occasionally I will meet a friend at Starbucks, drink a Caramel Macchiato, and share a slice of lemon pound cake....but it's not the same.
The Saloon, Third Places, Happy Hours - are all places that friends gather for fellowship and a nice beverage. There are tea houses and coffee shops all over the world that serve the human need for social drinking. But I'm "Bowling Alone." I've been brewing lots of good coffee - Allegro, La Columbe, One Village, but there's no one to share it with. Even my Teavana blends go unappreciated.
Someone recently asked about the different ways women relax around the world. Frankly, I think it's having a great conversation with a couple of good friends and a nice cup of tea. In the Emirates, every majlis has a fawla (dates, coffee, fruit, tea, fruits) that greets visitors - and you must oblige the host. I miss that kind of hospitality.
A few weeks ago, I asked Abay to make timtimo...my first authentic tasting - cooked down to almost a paste. After lunch, I asked my friend to make her tea - a tea bag brewed with cardamon pods and cinnamon sticks, sweetened with agave. We sat around chitchatting and drinking tea. Abay perked up and said, this is like being back home.
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And West Virginia misses you and the rest of the "crew". Our times together have become part of the collection of Saunders-Lawrence family legends! I haven't really tried to recreate it here, because it doesn't come close. I think it is the mix of women, who we are, what we study and hold important that makes our group so special.
ReplyDeleteThere is a sweet little place, all natural wood, soft jazz, and big windows in the center of town. It is called Good Natured and they know Isa and I there, almost by name. Anyway, they have a vast array of teas, coffees, and deserts that are unreal. Many are vegan and made with local ingredients. We invited another couple there and they didn't like the food, felt the environment was nice, but didn't understand why we were so excited. I know if you were here it would become a constant stopover like ABP was for us, or Cosi salads after a 38h Street drive-by. See you under the bridge in 15.
I drink coffee for pleasure, not caffeine. I like to unwind with a cup of fresh brewed coffee and a pastry. I prefer heavy cream in my coffee but will settle for light cream, and half & half in a pinch.
ReplyDeleteI had much more leisure time (undergrad) when I was drinking coffee with the friends I mentioned in the post...in fact, we all did.
My current local friends are just as busy as I am...so coffee breaks are few and far between.