senses overload

A friend of mine and I were talking the other day about how there are places that used to be hip and happening and where people interacted and contributed to the whole vibe and ambiance, and that are now full with recluse folk immersed in their cellphones, computers, iPods and the like. The whole attitude there has changed dramatically: people do not interact at all and find refuge in their electronics at a public space. That reminded me of Marc Augé's take on the non-places.

I have always wondered what people write about at coffee houses. I see people with and without webcams; some with headphones maybe trying to listen to another kind of music than the one playing at the shop, or maybe listening to chatter or a podcast. And it all depends on what neighborhood one is, they could be writing a movie script, a subversive essay for an obscure paper, or a call to "defend" marriage values at their megachurch.

I decided to give it a try, you know, to see what it feels like. I am at a Starbucks writing this post and I took a picture using my cellphone. The smell of coffee and spices lingers in the room, and I couldn't get past the pastries next to the cash register. They had to have pumpkin scones left from this morning... I try to keep my focus while sipping my gingerbread snap latte, which so deserves two snaps in a circle.

The music here is excellent, Beth Orton is in the background, so I am really glad I don't have my headset with me. I love Beth Orton, especially her stuff from the late 90s. In fact Stolen Car is one of my favorite songs, and perhaps what makes her even more special is her haunting voice that is full of melancholy and this deep sense of loss.

I have realized now after sitting here drinking my coffee and nibbling on the scone while I listen to the music and smell the coffee, that I am too perceptive to focus here. My senses are so aware of what is going on and I find it hard to write about something else than this brief chronicle. I can't stop looking at all the patrons when they come in and out of the shop, not because I am keeping control of them, but rather because of my observant nature.

This is definitely not the place where I'll come to write my best-seller. This is where I'll come for the inspiration.