Over a Cup of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Hustle and bustle need not necessarily be on the streets. It can invade an otherwise, quiet cafe; on a cold winter's night. Every man for himself. And every other hot drink on the menu, his coveted companion.

The jazz music in the background; with its prominent saxophone piece.  Hot, piping cups of Americano, Latte or the ever-needed Espresso shot for a reality check. Haven in three different sizes yearning to be held by the customers; for the insane winds beyond the cafe, not only lashed at the shivering trees but also took its shot on the poor men, much poorly equipped for the crazy winter.

To the left of the barista's counter, was an ever enthusiastic, probably high on sugar elderly male. He never once took a break from his talking. His listeners included a plump, short haired lady and another middle aged female with much shorter hair but red in color. They were such good listeners. Or actors for they did appear as if every Chinese word the older man said held power. 

Abruptly, the older man's words came to a halt. A younger lady had just joined the crowd and it was her turn to share her thoughts. The man instead kept himself occupied by turning to his right, sharing a smile with a girl in a sky blue hoodie. As, he left to leave with the rest of the females, he again gave a "good-bye" smile to the girl. All there was to it was a smile and people were acquainted; even if it was for a brief second.

Image does not belong to this site so bless the soul who took this shot.

About a meter from where a new friendship took birth, were seated a pair of young chinese dudes. Looking all cool and hip, they were discussing about Obama and checking out a girl simultaneously. Politics in the air. Fashion in their wear. Hot Cuppucino in their hands and eyes towards the really tall, almost cow-girl like lady who seated across from them. Multi-tasking?

Another group settled in the middle of the cafe grounds. All five of them had similar features and exact same blonde hair. They were a family from a non-English speaking European country. The three sons can very well be triplets if not for their varying heights. The family were probably on their way back home from fetching the kids from school. Such massive backpacks, with only the children owing one each, spoke so much of school than a camping trip.

While their bright yellow hair shined under the orange lights of the cafe, a bright red coat made its presence felt. It was worn by a young chinese female, presumably in her mid 20s, with hazel colored hair. For the first time, a traffic post, with the stop signal was witnessed inside a cafe. 

Middle aged ladies in their colorful scarfs and middle aged fashion statements occupied the tables closest to the barista's counter. 

A group of Caucasian men with receding hair lines, took the seats furthest away from the women. Deliberately? Stock Markets, dilemmas over property investments, Sydney or San Fransisco, etc. were their train of thoughts while their poor lattes stood waiting patiently.

A young bespectacled chinese dude, whose dressing style suggested a creative mind, settled into the seat nearest to a power point. He had his precious Mac. A cup of hot chocolate and his eyes were glued to Apple's screen.

All of this took place, approximately 45 degrees from where me in my sky-blue hoodie and my beloved Caramel Macchiato were comfortably positioned.