Saturday, June 30, 2007

A cup of coffee is remembered for forty years…



Coffee isn’t just a beverage; it’s an infusion of flavor that is indescribable. Some people might think Java City is just an ordinary café. But its not, it’s extraordinary. Java City isn’t just your average coffee shop. It was a place full of reminiscences and memories. It’s a very big disappointment that it has closed down. There really isn’t any other coffee shop that can suffice.

Starbucks is on every corner and every turn, its been practically dominating the whole world. There isn’t an airport or shopping mall that doesn’t have a Starbucks nearby. Sometimes there are even three Starbucks within a one mile distance. A little bit too over-rated, don’t you think? Many people take coffee shops for granted and do not know how special they are until they close down or go out of business. Sorry to say but I had to experience this type of loss. Sometimes a really good cup of coffee is just impossible to find.

Java City was the one place where you could go and just talk about your worries and try to find possibilities for them. It was a place full of hope and familiarity. Every time you went, it was almost inevitable that you would make a new friend. The most striking thing about Java City was its immense diversity. You could always find people from so many different cultures and nationalities. And proof of that, was if you listened really carefully you could hear so many different languages and sometimes try to decipher what they were saying. People would play chess, meet with friends and family, do homework, and just relax and sit back while looking at the passer byes.

You wouldn’t know what the coffee shop was like until you have actually been there. As you open the door to the coffee shop, you instantly smell the strong scent of coffee beans and freshly baked sweets. Looking around for a chaise lounge, you find a vacant seat while you are waiting for your order to finish. The atmosphere is calm, until night becomes near, and all of the night owls approach and the café is filled with people. As you look outside the window you spot someone familiar and wave. You decide to sit outside and greet that person. As you take a closer glance, you notice that you have never seen her before. You ask if you can take a seat, and she kindly says yes. Surprisingly, you both seem to have a lot in common and talk for hours. Would you like a piece of my almond croissant? You both enjoy it and keep conversing about this and that. Suddenly, you look at your watch and notice that its half past midnight. But still decide to stay just a little longer. Drifting off in a long utter of nostalgia you tell stories about your longing for a finjan qahwa ( a small cup of Arabic coffee). And how your mother used to serve you coffee with crushed cardamom, as you arose from your midsummer nap. Fresh kaak with sesame seeds was always a must with your coffee. Slowly fading away and about to close your eyes, you awake from your vision and notice that its closing time. You gather up your things and say your goodbyes, wishing everyone a pleasant night. Steadily making your way back home you think about tomorrow and your next cup of coffee.

A cup of coffee is remembered for forty years…

[Turkish Proverb]

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