Understanding The Caf? Lifestyle Worldwide

Written by Damian Papworth

Sunday, 18 October 2009 11:01

by DamianPapworth

Clueless about the best way to meet people and get to know a new city? There's a simple way to figure out where the best spot to go later in the evening is, or better yet, to understand how things work. Just head to a local cafe, and get the best insight on how the country you're in operates. Learn if people are leisurely or rushed just by watching them drink some coffee.

In fact, it's easy to learn about a place by studying the caf? lifestyle. For example, if you're in the United States, in most any city that's not a New York or a San Francisco, you're going to find that the way that most people do coffee is as fast as they possibly can. From driving through the window at the local Starbucks to a number of to-go options in malls and shopping centers, coffee isn't so much an experience to be savored, but a substance to be consumed as quickly as possible. It seems that Starbucks has been responsible for introducing concepts like flavors and soy milk to suburban areas, though, and even Dunkin Donuts has had to step up their game and finally offer espresso.

One spot in the United States where the caf? lifestyle is slightly more thriving that isn't New York or San Francisco is Portland, where the rain and dreary weather make it pretty much essential to cuddle up with a warm, caffeinated beverage. A lot of places in the world have coffee as a major part of keeping warm, including in The United Kingdom, where a cup of tea might be preferred, but coffee, especially Italian espresso, is finding its stronghold.

In western Europe, the culture of France and Italy depends greatly on having time to sit and have a coffee, and leisurely public beverage consumption there is a thing of legend. For example, it's not uncommon to see restaurants in small plazas all over Rome with outdoor seating, even in the middle of a hot summer, where the locals and tourists alike are hanging out, sipping espresso or cappuccino, and perhaps snacking on a small cookie. If you go during the afternoon time where everyone it seems is in a cafe, it's also likely that you'll get a snack, like some peanuts, too.

The concept of snacks coming with a coffee isn't just something that happens in the Northern Hemisphere. Down south in Argentina, a country of immigrants, cafe culture is also alive and bustling. But in Argentina, especially in the capital city of Buenos Aires, it's about more than just sitting down and having an Italian-style coffee. There's usually a small glass of soda water, three or four cookies, and even in some bars, some chips or a small sandwich. It's a pretty great deal, and no wonder that it seems that from the hours of two until eight in the evening, cafes all over the city are packed with everyone from young soccer fans to elderly couples hanging out and enjoying their coffee and snacks.

It says a lot about a country when snacks come with your coffee. Because if someone's serving you enough food to nibble on for a couple of hours, they are not trying to throw you out. They're saying to stay, to sit awhile, to just relax. And that's an incredible and welcome change if you're used to a society of to-go and delivery. People genuinely do seem more relaxed places where the caf? lifestyle allows for leisure time. Everyone, from businessmen to aspiring young writers and artists, takes the time to sit down and have conversations or enjoy some private time. There's no societal penalty, it's just a legitimately nice time.

And there's just something more relaxing about the time to sit and talk for awhile. Even though that culture might not exist in your home country, or perhaps the pace of work is threatening it, but it's an important relic of a time where life was about more than just work, even when everyone was working. And work might actually save the caf? lifestyle. Because now, if you have a laptop, you pretty much have an excuse to sit as long as you like, in a public place, under the guise of work.

But wherever you are in the world, get to know a little bit more about the city you're visiting by heading over to a well-worn looking spot. It might have waiters in bow ties, it might have beat-up looking wooden tables, but all that matters is it has a nice view of the street, and a few customers. You now have the best seat in the whole city to learning how things work. Just don't rush off now, you hear?

About the Author:

Damian Papworth adores coffee. As such he launched the One Cup Coffee Makers website. On this sitee you can read up on your 1 cup coffee maker