chai/coffee

yes, it's been 6 months since i last updated this... and i know my fans are quite upset... all 4 of them. this one goes out to you guys! :P

so here's this favorite-topic-turned-pet-peeve of mine. coffee shops in bombay... they're everywhere... EVV-AAARI-WHERE! that's not the problem though. it's the fact that they aren't really coffee shops... not like starbucks, where you'd go to converse, read a book, do your hw... or write something :) ....they're flames for wannabe-moths, who have enough money to splurge.

given 3 months in bombay, i had the opportunity to spend some quality time in these coffee shops... talking to my ppl, trying to know them better... dare i say, impress a girl on a date?! :D baristas, ccds, cafe mochas... all of them are pretty kool. they've managed to instill the coffee-culture in a predominantly tea-drinking nation... impressive.

now, am all for loud discotheques and pubs, but coffee shops are where you go to talk man... hold conversations. well, in most cities anyway.... not in good ol' bombay though! these places were really rough; could barely hear each other over the cacophony of people jabberin away. the young-adults were bad... n the adults? worse! hehehehheehe besides, the coffee, was avg at best. and why the hell don't they serve no good chai man?! CHAI! i wanna see gooooooood chai there!

a total let-down was cafe mocha though. sittin in their bandra outlet with paul, discussing h1s and our bangalore/goa escapades, we found it really funny that all people there did was either make-out on the couch, or have hookah. ok fyi, i HATE the hookah fad... i mean, if you luv it, more power to you. but i detest it... i mean how stupid do you have to be, to be a "non-smoker" n "smoke" a hookah? but that's how fads work....heheehehhe! wat's next? teenage girls in spaghetti-tops smoking beedis? or better yet, spittin paan inside the restaurant. heyy! c'mon now! it's the "KOOL" thing to do, right?.... riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight! i dunno man; am as much a youngster as the next pre-teen that hates the world... but seeing people making out next to me in the middle of the afternoon, in the midst of hookah-smoke, just ain't my idea of a good time.

my favorite coffee-shop in bombay is undoubtedly "prithvi cafe"... the age-old, out-door venue run by prithvi theater. the ambience is to die for and you can see the who's-who of the theater/tv world there... it's just teeming with talent... real talent. they serve some super snacks there. AND, they serve the best chai ever (yeah, yeah i know, its famous for the irish coffee thing... still!). during the best date of our lives (yes, i cross-checked with her), dips & i ordered some food along with the aforementioned, infamous hot beverages. for the 2nd evening in a row,

the waiter said: "sir, that isn't available".
me: "no problem, get item 2"
waiter: "sir, that isn't available either"
me, jokingly: "did you guys know i was stopping by, & decide to NOT make all that i ordered?"
dips: "so what's the matter? what all do you have?"
waiter, smiling wryly (and no, i'm not exaggerating): "actually we're closing down......"
us: "OH!"
me: "are you'll renovating? or is something else coming up here?"
waiter: "sir, they're opening up a cafe mocha here"
us: "............................................"

so that's that. prithvi's gone, and it's gonna be replaced by a hookah-joint also known as make-out central... ladies and gentlemen.... cafe mocha. (knowing prithvi theater, they'll prolly control that... it's still annoying though :) )

"coffees and conversations"...? nahhhhh! gimme "chai and gupshup" anytime!