Over a cup of Coffee

I wrote this blog last year. Coffee is an integral part of my day. I love coffee in any form. What makes it extra special for me is the thoughts it brings and the understanding I gain sometimes about life. This is just the begining and there will be more. Read on.

More than what meets the eye

I love drinking this dark heavenly concoction, be it the very sweet coffee from the dispenser in the Bangalore office or the creamy frothy super expensive drink at Starbucks or similar outlets. Coffee for me also means spending some time chatting with friends or reading something interesting or working on something or just thinking a bit gazing into nothingness.

On my 1st couple of trips to Singapore, I was staying at a nice hotel, where they have a scrumptious breakfast buffet (Its so nice when you dont have to make your own breakfast, isnt it). So every morning before starting my day, I used to stop by at the restaurant for some fuel. I am very specific about the type of coffee I want in the morning. People who have travelled would know that continental hotels serve black coffee, I don’t mind but I like mine with milk and sugar, the very Indian desi style. So my standard request used to be coffee with warm milk (they put cold milk in it and it’s not the same scalding taste). Day after day this was what I asked for to the extent that the stewards knew what I needed and got it without asking.

I was happy with the routine and the attention I was getting, come you would be too with all the attention. One day there was a new steward and when I told him what I wanted, he asked “Would you like to have a cappuccino instead?”, "You serve capuccino's? Well yes, of course" I said, now this may sound dumb but I just assumed that black coffee was what was available in the morning and asked for milk where as there was simpler and better way – just order a cappuccino. Simple, isnt it.

It made me think, how many times in various situations, work and life, we just assume something at status quo without questioning or asking if there is a better option available or even thinking that there may be something more than what just meets the eye – simpler, easier, better, available out there which we never bothered to ask about. We just become very comfortable with simple black coffee and keep asking for milk, falling in the routine.

This made me re evaluate my surroundings and make some changes in the way I look at things, its not easy or immediate but takes practice and I am getting there with practice every day. Not accepting status quo, I ask questions and I am surprised as to how many people are more than happy to help. It has surprised me as to how many times people have been wrongly judged when we don’t know what is going on in their life or minds.

So go on, look deeper, there is more than what meets the eye in most of the cases :).

So long, till the next cup of coffee.