Recent Thoughts

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

The butterflies on my coffee cup*

Of all the Starbucks shops I've been to, the one is SM Pampanga definitely has the worst crowd! Aaargh!

You see, I am an avid customer of Starbucks. Proof? Well, I gobbled down 21 frappes for two straight Christmases just to get their posh planners. And yes, I do fancy signature brews of coffee. But I am not the rich kid type who visits so often that he already has his own mug at his favorite shop and is on a first-name basis with the baristas and the guard. Let's just say that Starbucks for me and my friends is pretty much like a movie. You know, it costs so much, even if you can actually consume one at home at a cheaper price (pirated DVDs = instant coffee on sachets). But you do it anyway, because it's a chance to hang out with friends and besides, the high price is sort of worth it. Nothing beats the big screen and Dolby Surround speakers especially on effects-ladden movies, right?

Starbucks Katips is unofficially my favorite shop -- mostly because of geographical reasons. It's the one nearest to UP. I even review for exams there, when I have extra money to spare. It's a room full of chatting people but the ambiance is conducive enough for Ateneo and rich UP students. It figures, the branch is near two of the leading universities in the country.

In terms of visits, Starbucks SM Pampanga would come in second. But gawd, I hate the ambiance there. That's why I usually take out my frappe and go home. (Malapit na rin naman kasi yung jeepney terminal). Why? Well, it's really not Starbucks' fault, it's the crowd's. Especially on Saturdays, it's teeming of preppy teenage kids. They actually dress the part. The girls wear Havs for flip flops (which are probably fake). The boys wear shirts under their polos and even raise the collar. It's very trendy actually. (Think Avril Lavigne). One would think these kids are from the metro. But alas, if only their non-flawless and ordinary faces didn't betray them. And to top it all off -- they lie around the couches for hours, without even ordering a single shot of espresso. And that is what pisses me off! Especially when there are no other seats available. Just like last Saturday.

There was this group of girls seated on a table and there was this one boy seated on the other table next to them. He's probably courting one of the girls, haha, because instead of facing his own table, he sat facing the girls. And yes, he came in (and eventually walked out) and didn't order anything. There was even a Japanese guy who looked like a business man. How can a decent customer like him (and a foreigner at that) stand for minutes on end just because some kids wanted to show off and raise their socio-economic status by 'sitting' on a Starbucks shop? Where's the justice in that?! Haha! Okay, mababaw na ako kung mababaw. Nakakainis kasi. So sobrang inis, napa-code switch pa ako. Haha!

The teenage boy left and so I was able to occupy the table next to the group of preppy girls. Judging from their table which lacks from used tissue or coffee cups, not one of them ordered anything from the shop.
And I eavesdropped a little on the girly conversation. It turned out that they were waiting for someone else. (Read in conyo manner, please, haha!) Siguro they like thought it would be sosyal to wait and meet up at Starbucks instead of the food court noh. Because syempre, that place is full of jologs. Unlike here, the people who sit and eat here are so sosyal! Syempre, Starbucks!

Aaargh, trying hard preppy teenage kids annoy me immensely! And it's not because I am already old, haha! I hate the way they strut their butts off as if they know and have experienced everything life has to offer already. Ask them and the worst of their problems would probably be as superficial as to what they will wear for prom or whether or not they would date the equally retarded school jock. And they had to thrash Starbucks. That was the end of the line... haha! Joke. These kids should worry about their grades which will affect their performances in entrance exams which they must nail in order to get into decent colleges or universities with decent courses. Because if not, what does the future hold for them? For the country? The youth is the future of the nation, right? Haha! Yun yun eh, para may social relevance ang mababaw kong reklamo, haha!

Anyway, seriously, aside from showing basic resto courtesy, these social climbing kids should know their place in society. In Tagalog and in a teleserye contrabida tone, dapat marunong silang lumugar! (Evil laugh). Joke. What I meant is, these kids should not pretend to be someone they are not (socio-economically, in this case). If one cannot afford expensive things (food, in this case) like Starbucks or say Sbarro, why pretend that you can? Just because you can get away with it (I mean, as if the friendly Starbucks baristas are gonna shoo you away), it doesn't mean it's okay.

As for me, I know that Rockwell, no matter how glamorous the place is, is never gonna be my place (well, not until I get rich myself). For now, I am contended with SM or Robinsons. I guess Trinoma would be cool as well. Mabuti na lang at hindi ako mukhang dugyutin, haha! And I would never walk in a restaurant and not order from their menu. If the food is too expensive, I wouldn't eat there in the first place. Or instead of bottled mineral water or their special brew of iced tea, tap water na lang for drinks, haha!

*Thanks to Jigs for the title

My Blog List

Quick Thoughts


Powered By Blogger