The Little Things: Coffee

If you ever get the chance of meeting me/talking to me/bumping into me/or looking in my general direction before I get a cup of coffee in the morning, all I say to you is: Run and call the cops!!! I morning person I am not, so no use in hiding it. However, the idea of being awake IN the morning is a good thing apparently, according to my boss or the California Highway Patrol. Bah. I oblige by injecting caffeine in my veins on a daily basis. You can see the track marks on my Starbucks gift card.

This little thing has such a long history that I need more coffee just to have energy to write about it. But I already had my cup in the morning, so I wont go at it to that extent. Coffee beans have been the cause for turmoil, rising and falling of nations/economies, and cultural change the like only a few things other entities can claim (Jesus, is one of those who can claim it, too). Most Central American countries live off the bean, and China is now being seduced by the sipping delight over tea. Colombia is known for java as much as it is for coca, and Starbucks is now as American as Uncle Sam and Led Zeppelin. Coffee is everywhere.

(Side note: In a battle of Americana supremacy, McDonald's is now challenging Starbucks on their turf, bringing premium coffee to their menus, right next to the Quarter Pounder AND the Quarter Pounder With Cheese).

A thing I find so intriguing about this little thing is how much of a message it carries with its use. An example that comes to mind is what the tradition of drinking coffee says about a country. Americans love to drink their coffee now that it is so customizable. Grande Mocha Soy Half-Caff Latte with a double shot of vanilla. Um, yeah. I have heard longer orders, but I didn't have a notepad with me at the time. There is also the enfatuation with Grande this and Venti that, when the sizes of our coffees are only so much bigger than in other countries, including old-school coffee sipping countries. And of course, the fact that you drank a cup of coffee in the morning is no reason to not drink another 3 hrs later, and then another, and another. What does this say about America? Hey-zeus, man, a whole lot. It is so interesting how much of our sense of individualism, love of uniqueness, proclivity toward excess, and pride in overworking ourselves, goes into our coffee lifestyle.

Mexico is another example. Ask any Chicano who knows a little bit about their heritage, or any Mexican who lived in Mexico for some time, and they will let you know what Cafe con Leche is.

Couldn't find any chicanos or mexico natives? Ok, fine, I will tell you: It means Coffee with Milk. But not just a little bit of coffee with milk. It should be more like Milk with Coffee: you add about an inch or two of coffe into your cup, and the rest is filled with milk. A ratio of 1:4 or so. The coffee is always had in a ceramic cup or mug of some sort. Only recently has the coffee on the go way set in, thanks in part to Starbucks growing in popularity over there. But usually coffee is served in small ceramic mugs, with way more milk than coffee, and only had at breakfast. So what? This can also be seen as a microcosm of Mexican culture:

-The coffee is diluted with milk, making it more of a pleasurable drink, rather than a utilitarian one that is meant to wake you up and get you going. It is actually a PART of the meal. --The easy-going attitude in Mexico.

-Mexicans use ceramic mugs rather than to-go coffee mugs, or buying their coffee in a fast-food fashion. They stay where they buy it, drink it, and then leave. --The more leisurely pace of the Mexican lifestyle.

-Coffee in Mexico is essentially reserved for breakfast, and is hardly ever had after. --Instead of focusing on constantly being on caffeinated and alert, Mexicans focus on getting a good start on the day and making the best they can out of it. The rural tradition to close up shop at an un-American hour (earlier than 4pm) is another example of this. The day was a productive one, now it is to relax and ENJOY it.

You can easily dismiss all these extrapulations as overreaching, or infering too much out of so little. But little things like this often fall in line with the greater cultural context it is a part of.

I am tired. I need more coffee. Git outta my way....

lhp