Saturday, August 28, 2010

Little.

The little things…


It always is, isn’t it? The little things…although seemingly little at the time…it changes, manipulates and influences almost all the biggest decisions and events…like the little stone in the hand of Shepard boy David that brought down the giant philistine Goliath, like ‘little boy’ that blew Hiroshima to smithereens, like a little raindrop that causes floods that sweep whole villages away…its always the little things, isn’t it? They can make you and they can break you…


The little things makes a lot of difference you see...like, have you tasted custard left just a little too long on the stove? it either congeals too much or it burns...or if you add just a bit too much salt to food, how it blocks every other flavor...and you think to yourself, if only I came a second earlier or if only I put in a little lesser...


Or remember the time you woke up 5 minutes later or couldn't find the keys or maybe stopped to let an old lady pass or even stopped to pick up a coin on the road only to reach the bus stop and find that you have missed the bus by a fraction of a second and had to wait aeons for the next one...and you think to yourself "one second, just ONE bloody second..."


Then there are the little words or gestures that are said and done..or even unsaid and left undone...like when you receive a call from somebody offering a job which you have waited for, for like months and saying everything you knew you had to say and then, the moment you hang up, you realise that you forget to ask them their name and when you call back, you don't know who spoke to you...or that time when you waited months for a call back, and the day they decide to call you, your phone battery dies because you left it on a minute too long, or charged it a minute to less or maybe it was just that one day that you decided charging can just wait a little longer coz u were too lazy to do it...


The little things can be mean at times...like when you see a chick fall out from its nest, and just when you're about to reach it, a cat swoops down on it for dinner...or when you see a glass too close to the table's edge, and you tell yourself "nah...it won't fall" and then it just does, when somebody accidentally flicks it with their little finger...


The little things...they really go a big way...the little smiles, the little sorry's, the little touch, the little memories...the little things...seemingly small when you have them, leaves a big impact only when its lost...

Friday, August 20, 2010

My coffee Experience...

My coffee experience..


I just want a bloody coffee!! That’s what I really wanted to scream, the first time I stepped into STARBUCKS..who wouldn’t if this happened…


Barista: Hi welcome to Starbucks (excitedly..)
ME: uhh..hi..(somewhat hesitantly..obviously it wasn’t a good day..)
Barista: So what would you like today?
ME: Just coffee please..
Barista: OOOkaaay..(Now with a look that said “Really? Just coffee? Is there even such a thing? Hello!! )we actually have a few types of coffee..would you like it black or…
ME: Owh..with milk please..
Barista: So would you like to try a latte, cappuccino, macchiato or just an Americano or brewed coffee with milk on the side?
ME: Err..I guess I would have the coffee with milk on the side (with a face that I think that a Neanderthal would have when spoken to in English…)
Barista: You must mean the brewed coffee then…short, tall, grande or venti?
ME: I’m sorry, what?
Barista: I mean the SIZE ma’am..what s-i-z-e would you like? (showing me cups in different sizes like I was Martian and he was the earthling trying to communicate)
ME: That one! (pointing at the smallest mug)
Barista: Ok..would that be hot or iced?
ME: Hot.
Barista: Having here or take-away?
ME: Having here…
Barista: would you like room for your milk?
ME: Yes..(when I really wanted to say, “no I prefer a whole house”)
Barista: Would you like an extra shot?
ME: Ermm..No (shot? Was he going to shoot me??)
Barista: Would you like to add on any syrup?
ME: Maybe?
Barista: Vanilla? Hazelnut? Caramel?
ME: erm…vanilla I guess…
Barista: would you like your milk steamed?
ME: no please (with a look of horror…why would I want it steamed? Wouldn’t it vaporize?)
Barista: Would you like to have something to eat with that?
ME: No…just the coffee…
Barista: Would you like to purchase a reusable tumbler? You would enjoy a discount every time you use it in our stores…even now…
ME: No thank you…maybe some other time…
Barista: That would be RM 6.95…would it be cash or credit?
ME: Cash…(handing it over…)
Barista: Your drink would be ready in a minute…
ME: ok…
Barista: enjoy your drink and please come again (I don’t really think he meant the second part)
ME: Yeaaa thanks I guess…


That event scarred my life... “never was I going to Starbucks again”, or so I thought…but the addiction had already set in..a few years later, the addiction reached a peak. I needed my caffeine fix more often than before and ‘normal’ coffee just wasn’t cutting it…I was spending more and more on a cup of coffee than on whole meals…so when I got an opportunity to work at Starbucks, I jumped at it…free coffee and I get paid at the same time…but, I told myself, I would never be like that barista whom I had met years earlier…until…

(after a few weeks at starbucks…)


Customer: Could I have some water please?
ME: Hot, cold or plain water, ma’am?
Customer: Cold please..
ME: Would you like it in a mug or take-away cup ma’am?
Customer: a mug is fine…
ME: What size ma’am?
Customer: The small one will do…
ME: do you want ice with it?
Customer: yes please…
ME: Would you like me to add the ice into the water or put it separately?
Customer: Put it in, put it separately, or DON’T PUT IT AT ALL!! CAN I JUST HAVE A BLOODY CUP OF WATER!!!!
ME: Of course…here you go…enjoy your day (smiling…)
Customer: Finally!! Thank you…


And all that…just for a cup of water…