To the Sojourners Abroad:
Is there life before coffee? There is NO life before coffee. There is life AFTER coffee !!
Sometimes I think this quote fits appropriately with the "regulars" that come into Starbucks. You know, the ones where the Barista sees them walking through the door so we know exactly what they are getting and it better be made this exact way otherwise they will freak and die. Oh, and I'm not joking about the freaking and dying.
I've been at Starbucks going on my third week now. Its enough time to start associating the faces to your "regulars" and start memorizing their orders. It's also enough time to figure out which ones are complete nuts, addicted and just mesmerized at the Starbucks taste. Lets start with the nuts: These are the people who come in thinking they know exactly what they are talking about. They assume I can override computer transactions and make things cheaper with a snap of my finger. These are the people who ask if the shift lead is going to make their drink or if I am going to make it. They are the kind of people who order Macchiatos and what they REALLY want is a cup filled with foam and espresso poured right over it. These nuts literally pull out their hair (I'm not joking) and yell at the Barista if something is not to their liking.
Who knew coffee could be such a life or death matter? I know I didn't.
The addicts can be worse than the nuts sometimes. They can taste every granulated sugar you drop into that drink. They know their Americanos verses their Drips. They know when they want a Black eye or a Red Eye. The addicts know every letter that should go on that cup and can taste the difference between every bold blend (flavored coffee) in the store. If they applied for the job they would be the Albert Einsteins of coffee. FYI don't even think about steaming their milk the "wrong" way. When they say no foam it means don't even think about putting a bubble in that drink. These people take advantage of refills (which most people don't know about amazingly) and have a Starbucks gold card. They are the everydayers that jump around from store to store. Addicted they are and they could never give up their coffee.
The people who are mesmerized by the taste of Starbucks tend to come up to the counter asking you what is in every drink and stand for 10 minutes deciding what to order. To be honest...I don't mind. I enjoy explaining flavors and different drink options. I enjoy explaining what the word "curdle" means to people. They are the people who come in saying "I want something chocolaty with no espresso and whip cream. You pick". They know they enjoy a Starbucks every now and then but their taste buds have not quite adjusted to the taste of coffee unlike the addict who can tell you what part of the acidic taste goes to in your mouth. I love these people because they make me laugh and you have to explore what their tastes are. Its people like this I enjoy because a cup of coffee should always make you smile.
I thoroughly enjoy my job. I laugh at all three kinds of these people. I noticed that I am kind of all three but not nearly as much of a nut. I enjoy having people tell me that I add the right kind of foam or that it is the best "color" foam they have seen. People who pick up their cappuccinos and grin because the weight is exactly as it should be is exciting for a new Barista to see. Some people really get into the mood of the Baristas and enjoy laughing with them. I've seen little kids come in to order their creme based fraps. and WWII veterans come in with their sweethearts sharing their timeless story with us. Its exciting...but the nuts tend to be overwhelming...welcome to Starbucks.
Love,
Corrine Pilar
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
When Eddie just becomes too much.
To the Sojourners abroad:
My friend tonight told me a story from one of those "everyday life story" sites and it totally applies to this post. Listen up.
"Today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming that she wanted me to be more like 'Edward'. I asked her who Edward was. She held up a copy of the 'Twilight' book. She was talking about a fictional vampire."
When my friend told me that story I about died. The worst part is when I went to the site to check out the quote 31857 people agreed that he deserved it. Are we kidding ourselves here?
As you walk through our mall past Forever 21 you pass a shirt cart that does graphic tees and embroidery. One distinct shirt in my head is the big white and pink shirt that says "The future Mrs. Edward Cullen". Dont get me wrong. Ive read the books and have thoroughly enjoyed them and the movie and yes even the music but at what point is it too much for our guys?
My mom has coined her little saying for women that coincides with the Harris boys term for men who dont grow up, otherwise known as Peter Pans. Keeping up with the Disney theme my mom termed her women who dream of their knight and shining armor riding up on his white horse to whisk us women away as Cinderellas. Im going to however coin my own little something for the modern day knight in shining armor. Welcome to the Eddie Cullen syndrom.
Edward is perfect. He speaks like hes from another time era. Hes protective over Bella. Traditional. A gentleman. A little bit of a thrill seeker. Gorgeous in all matters of the term and seems absolutely flawless even when he is wrong in what he states, because after all he is just looking out for the woman he loves right? He has a sense of humor and can play the piano. Oh and did I mention he writes his own music? He can seranade, swoon, run ridiculously fast and be so compassionate, yet sometimes angry. The list of his characteristics is endless. This is just what I picked up from reading the books once, yet alone some people have read them 3 times.
Ok so take these characteristics and apply it to the modern day man. For the most part he gets tired and isnt all that much into watching you sleep because well duh he has to sleep too. Somedays hes not absolutely gorgeous cuz he doesnt shave...hmm major turn off? Somedays he doesnt get the hint to be overly protective of you when you need it the most. Gentleman? Not during football season. Speaks from another time era? Sure but it definitely is not English. Musical? Not in the slightest. He can barely serenade, swoon and run ridiculously fast because he is out of shape, yet alone run with you on his back. Hmm sounds attractive right?
Our standards for the men we love are set high...but fictional character high is not realistic here. Unfortunately like the story above there are girls who dream of actually marrying someone LIKE edward cullen. Men are not perfect, just like girls arent. So why would it be fair to make such outlandish comparisons?
We need to be compassionate when they fail just as we do. We are no (insert gorgeous woman here). I was gonna say Megan Fox but I dont think shes that pretty...fyi. :] So ladies, go over your wants for the future guy you want to end up with Lord willing. Some of Eddies characteristics may so happen to come up...I mean sometimes my boyfriend speaks old English. No Joke! and yes he even plays guitar. But he wants to be Matt and he wants to be mine...not some fictional character comparison.
As much as I have enjoyed the Twilight books I will not venture to say they are the best i have ever read nor state they are the worst. I have thoroughly enjoyed them and even have become slightly addicted to the characters and the story line, but that doesnt mean I can expect anything more or less from Matt.
Edward Cullen is fun to watch and read about...but dream about...now that is an entirely different story.
Corrine Pilar
My friend tonight told me a story from one of those "everyday life story" sites and it totally applies to this post. Listen up.
"Today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming that she wanted me to be more like 'Edward'. I asked her who Edward was. She held up a copy of the 'Twilight' book. She was talking about a fictional vampire."
When my friend told me that story I about died. The worst part is when I went to the site to check out the quote 31857 people agreed that he deserved it. Are we kidding ourselves here?
As you walk through our mall past Forever 21 you pass a shirt cart that does graphic tees and embroidery. One distinct shirt in my head is the big white and pink shirt that says "The future Mrs. Edward Cullen". Dont get me wrong. Ive read the books and have thoroughly enjoyed them and the movie and yes even the music but at what point is it too much for our guys?
My mom has coined her little saying for women that coincides with the Harris boys term for men who dont grow up, otherwise known as Peter Pans. Keeping up with the Disney theme my mom termed her women who dream of their knight and shining armor riding up on his white horse to whisk us women away as Cinderellas. Im going to however coin my own little something for the modern day knight in shining armor. Welcome to the Eddie Cullen syndrom.
Edward is perfect. He speaks like hes from another time era. Hes protective over Bella. Traditional. A gentleman. A little bit of a thrill seeker. Gorgeous in all matters of the term and seems absolutely flawless even when he is wrong in what he states, because after all he is just looking out for the woman he loves right? He has a sense of humor and can play the piano. Oh and did I mention he writes his own music? He can seranade, swoon, run ridiculously fast and be so compassionate, yet sometimes angry. The list of his characteristics is endless. This is just what I picked up from reading the books once, yet alone some people have read them 3 times.
Ok so take these characteristics and apply it to the modern day man. For the most part he gets tired and isnt all that much into watching you sleep because well duh he has to sleep too. Somedays hes not absolutely gorgeous cuz he doesnt shave...hmm major turn off? Somedays he doesnt get the hint to be overly protective of you when you need it the most. Gentleman? Not during football season. Speaks from another time era? Sure but it definitely is not English. Musical? Not in the slightest. He can barely serenade, swoon and run ridiculously fast because he is out of shape, yet alone run with you on his back. Hmm sounds attractive right?
Our standards for the men we love are set high...but fictional character high is not realistic here. Unfortunately like the story above there are girls who dream of actually marrying someone LIKE edward cullen. Men are not perfect, just like girls arent. So why would it be fair to make such outlandish comparisons?
We need to be compassionate when they fail just as we do. We are no (insert gorgeous woman here). I was gonna say Megan Fox but I dont think shes that pretty...fyi. :] So ladies, go over your wants for the future guy you want to end up with Lord willing. Some of Eddies characteristics may so happen to come up...I mean sometimes my boyfriend speaks old English. No Joke! and yes he even plays guitar. But he wants to be Matt and he wants to be mine...not some fictional character comparison.
As much as I have enjoyed the Twilight books I will not venture to say they are the best i have ever read nor state they are the worst. I have thoroughly enjoyed them and even have become slightly addicted to the characters and the story line, but that doesnt mean I can expect anything more or less from Matt.
Edward Cullen is fun to watch and read about...but dream about...now that is an entirely different story.
Corrine Pilar
Saturday, July 25, 2009
A message from the coffee-aholic.
To the Sojourners Abroad,
My life right now consists of two things mostly and the one that makes me laugh the most is just this: COFFEE. This quote from You've Got Mail makes me laugh:
"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino."
I like to think of coffee as a hobby these days. Its not just my job, its a little bit more than that. Coffee gives me something to laugh about. People come in spending more money on something they think they know when essentially they could get it cheaper if they would just change their order. For example, a regular lady comes in wanting a 3 shot machiatto. To her, machiatto means fill the whole cup up with foam and pour my shots. Shes a wee bit of a nut case too, and I cant say that I would say that about a lot of people either.
Secondly, working at a coffee shop allows you to meet the teenagers who are in that "cool" stage but really...they are just teenagers thinking a cup of joe is so awesome. These two girls the other day were sitting out on the tables and were talking and laughing. Basically having a grand ole time, while i was doing a Trash run (AKA: cleaning every garbage can in the area, thats like 6 cans). I hear from them "hey you should ask her, she looks like shes done it before".
Im no dumby but I have to admit I was extremely curious, and were they even talking about me. 2 seconds later: "Hey can I ask you a question"? More giggles. I lean up. "Sure. Whats up"? They look at each other hesitantly. One of them is slightly more pressing than the other. "Umm have you ever eaten jello with your hands tied behind your back and whip cream on top?" What do you even say to that? Yeah all the time cuz I have so much free time? "No. I cant say that I ever have. Why do you ask?" More giggles...great.
"Well we just did it". umm what a way to leave me hanging there. "As in just for kicks and giggles or was this for some dare?" smiles. no giggles this time. Just flat out smiles. "No. we were really bored and we needed something to do." I couldnt help but laugh, ok, maybe more like chuckle. I cant be rude. "Maybe you guys should stick to reading some books or watching movies". They look at me like I was from the stone age. Really? Am I that old already? Im pretty sure Im still young..."Well the reading books thing not so much but we should do movies".
I finished up doing my trash run thinking this shift could not get any more bizarre. Only later do I realize that I stuck chai in someones mocha frap...for the second time. Im thinking of labeling the chai pump in big bold letters. Yeah...that sounds good.
The second thing my life consists of right now is school. School and music. Its a simultaneous thing basically. I cant study without music and well actually I can listen to music while studying. Summer vacation has been non-existant and I cant wait for the two week break to start before I head into another semester of school. Theres not much I can say about school except for the fact that I am horrible at it, despite whatever smartness I may have acquired. seriously? me and smart. Its more of a joke. I like to think that I am just...well blessed. I am a total clutz and sometimes not the brightest light in the room. I cannot debate or communicate to persuade thousands of people to take my lead. The one thing I think I do well is write, ok and read, but even those subjects are up for major debates. :]
So the summer has been eventful...extremely. but memorable? mmmm...who knows.
Corrine Pilar
My life right now consists of two things mostly and the one that makes me laugh the most is just this: COFFEE. This quote from You've Got Mail makes me laugh:
"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino."
I like to think of coffee as a hobby these days. Its not just my job, its a little bit more than that. Coffee gives me something to laugh about. People come in spending more money on something they think they know when essentially they could get it cheaper if they would just change their order. For example, a regular lady comes in wanting a 3 shot machiatto. To her, machiatto means fill the whole cup up with foam and pour my shots. Shes a wee bit of a nut case too, and I cant say that I would say that about a lot of people either.
Secondly, working at a coffee shop allows you to meet the teenagers who are in that "cool" stage but really...they are just teenagers thinking a cup of joe is so awesome. These two girls the other day were sitting out on the tables and were talking and laughing. Basically having a grand ole time, while i was doing a Trash run (AKA: cleaning every garbage can in the area, thats like 6 cans). I hear from them "hey you should ask her, she looks like shes done it before".
Im no dumby but I have to admit I was extremely curious, and were they even talking about me. 2 seconds later: "Hey can I ask you a question"? More giggles. I lean up. "Sure. Whats up"? They look at each other hesitantly. One of them is slightly more pressing than the other. "Umm have you ever eaten jello with your hands tied behind your back and whip cream on top?" What do you even say to that? Yeah all the time cuz I have so much free time? "No. I cant say that I ever have. Why do you ask?" More giggles...great.
"Well we just did it". umm what a way to leave me hanging there. "As in just for kicks and giggles or was this for some dare?" smiles. no giggles this time. Just flat out smiles. "No. we were really bored and we needed something to do." I couldnt help but laugh, ok, maybe more like chuckle. I cant be rude. "Maybe you guys should stick to reading some books or watching movies". They look at me like I was from the stone age. Really? Am I that old already? Im pretty sure Im still young..."Well the reading books thing not so much but we should do movies".
I finished up doing my trash run thinking this shift could not get any more bizarre. Only later do I realize that I stuck chai in someones mocha frap...for the second time. Im thinking of labeling the chai pump in big bold letters. Yeah...that sounds good.
The second thing my life consists of right now is school. School and music. Its a simultaneous thing basically. I cant study without music and well actually I can listen to music while studying. Summer vacation has been non-existant and I cant wait for the two week break to start before I head into another semester of school. Theres not much I can say about school except for the fact that I am horrible at it, despite whatever smartness I may have acquired. seriously? me and smart. Its more of a joke. I like to think that I am just...well blessed. I am a total clutz and sometimes not the brightest light in the room. I cannot debate or communicate to persuade thousands of people to take my lead. The one thing I think I do well is write, ok and read, but even those subjects are up for major debates. :]
So the summer has been eventful...extremely. but memorable? mmmm...who knows.
Corrine Pilar
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