How many trendy coffee bars are there in your town? Too many Starbucks to count? I wouldn’t be surprised. Starbucks shops seem to sprout from street corners like weeds.
In my daily commute, I pass at least five Starbucks on Robson Street (no exaggeration). I especially like the corner of Robson and Thurlow where there are two Starbucks kitty-corner to each other. Add to that the scores of Blenz, Second Cup, and independent coffee bars on the same street. Imagine the volume of coffee that is consumed daily in this city. Everybody must be so completely wired that I wonder how Vancouver has a reputation for being really laid back.
I don’t understand why people linger on the sofas, reading the paper. Can’t they do that at home? Some are meeting friends over a coffee, which is pleasant, but most are alone on the sofa or in the corner. And there’s always the artsy type with the laptop, typing up the next great novel to be rejected by the publisher. And the grey-suited guy reading the business section of the Globe and Mail. And the mother with the stroller, reading in the tabloid about Prince Harry and his alleged pot habit while the little one is distracted with a biscotti. And the unknown actor with the Georgia Straight, intently searching the personals for someone without warts. And the woman with the bifocals, reading a Danielle Steele novel between sips of chai.
Thanks to the blessed coffee vending machine, I can get caffinated for free while I’m at the cube farm. Otherwise, I only drink coffee at home. Am I missing out on something?