Coffee houses , Cafes and the Contrasts:

What if there was a world a little different then it should be......

then would you call it wonderland 

or never care to see?

Any one of my friends, acquaintances or family is sure to be familiar with my romance with the Hot cuppa coffe, and anyone who has frequented a café with me knows that the what delights me the most is a hot espresso, simple, bitter on the tongue,  and preferably unsweetened with any sucrose or its substitutes. While people would tag me an absolute addict, I beg to differ. For the difference between my passion for the beverage and an addiction is as obvious as the one between a gourmet and a glutton, a connoisseur and a hoarder. I do not drink merely out of a habit, I drink out of love. Coffee to me is an indulgence. If chocolate is molten cocoa bean and is known as ambrosia, then coffee, the liquid caffeine should be labeled elixir. In fact if I were to chose between Godiva and the finest Arabica, I would give in to the beans and be happy with the treasure.

Though I have stocked on a variety of beans besides the widely manufactured Nescafe classic, (Nilgiri, Arabica, Brazilian and would love to add some more) and even got myself the old style brew kettle( all of which was gifted by my father who knows my taste). Its often that I find myself going to the nearest Barista or CCD for an exclusive experience, So whenever we decide to meet up, old schoolmates, or hang out with my friend from college or just for a shopping trip with the best buddies I find the perfect excuse to chat over a cup of coffee. Nothing is more delightful if there’s a cup of fine tasting coffee before you and an interesting company across the table. No wonder coffee dates are so popular, the feel good factor of the coffee and add to that a romantic flavour . 

Coffee and its love can actually take me places and after visiting a few cafes around my place, I zeroed on my favourite hangout where I generally go for the best coffee experience. its absolute nirvanas to sit there thinking of nothing, listening to the chatter and the soft subdued music. I have been there with company but do not mind being left to myself as long theres an endless supply of coffee. Though I am always open to experimenting and would not leave any accessible café unvisited(one is on my mind now a days and I might land up there soon).

 One such quest on a shopping trip took me to a coffee house .  If CP has been your destination quite often and you have aimlessly wandered the inner circle and  walked past the emporiums, window shopping and admiring the wares, there’s a great chance that you might have passed by ‘the Madras Coffee House’. I never tried to dig up the history of the place and if you require that you may search the Google maps and then Google it to find out the precise dates but it seems like it has been there for no less than three decades.

 The place is pretty plain and dull so it would not be a big deal if it went un-noticed.

Now most of you like me might land up there and feel like you are lost because the interiors were an absolute contrast to the air conditioned , tasteful furnishing, bright colours subdued by matte finish and mood lighting that we are used to in the more popular cafes. In fact it seemed more like an ordinary  college cafeteria if you happened to increase the floor area and seated elderly gentry instead of a pack of robust college kids. Yes the place was full of senior citizens , those who seemed to have retired from important positions in the government services and had the leisure of time . The coffee was again  basic, no froth patterned with intricate designs in craft, but well made , brewed from one of those old style kettles and a fraction of the cost that I would have shelled out at a Barista. So I sat there noticing the conspicuous ceiling fans hanging from the tall ceiling with a very pale coat of off white paint and walls that were banana cream yellow and stained with spots of coffee. The windows were large and had glasses that appeared milky and scratched like most of the things, unlike the spotless glass doors we are used to walking in and out of at the modern day eateries. the place had nothing to add to the sophistication that existed in the atmosphere, the crowd too was bubbling chattering and effervescent like a fresh brew being poured into a cup. I don’t know what to say of the stares though, it  seemed to me that the older women were neither used to nor amused by the presence of an odd one(which was me) and there glares seemed to be drawing an invisible line that I felt I had crossed by trying to mingle with the rest. That was until I looked around and noticed the people rather than the ambience, myriad cultures mixed in the potpourri, no divides of class or even nationality . I saw students from Buddhist monasteries seated next to me , rude as it may have seemed to them but I could not help looking at how amused they seemed relishing a plate of Idlis. At the other table there were foreigners , the backpack tourists who travel in a limited budget, sipping on coffee easily melting into the commotion. All people having animated faces with smiles, none able to hear the talk at the next table, different discussions, different classes , ages, nations and yet brewing together a perfect brew at the coffee house. I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I observed it all, but was quick to don back the stoic look because suddenly the whole table of the auntys had started staring at me. I was wondering if I should take my stuff and head to the nearest CCD , but I decided to stay , as I helped myself with another cup of coffee from the counter.

the coffee house experience was refreshing from the usual ones at the other places that I frequent. Not that I am not fond of my regular spot anymore but the contrast between an old style coffee house and a café is hard to miss. Sometimes I find the cafes rather boring, with people trying to make soft conversations, an air of formality due to the office crowd or the usual sweet nothings being whispered (not that you can hear them, but you can easily guess what’s being said) .  All said  and done , I guess I am more comfortable in this routine. But next time I happen to be around, who knows I might just feel like reliving the old style coffee house ;)

today’s confession , I would like to end it with the little thing I heard from the aunty ji table:

“Kids now a days. Why would they come here, they have all, money, taste , class, such places are not cut to suit them”… well maybe she was right, or maybe not. But no harm in trying something a little different from your taste, is it? J