Coffee, Starbucks and me

Just came back from the CCD (Cafe Coffee Day) outlet which has opened near our apartment. While Shaurya and M enjoyed chocolate doughnut and Kiwi Lemonade, I sipped into an excellent Cappuccino - the simple classic one. Whenever I have coffee in such cafes, I always remember the time I used to hate their coffees. 

Since young, I had always associated 'Coffee' with the delectable milky and 'relatively' strong Nescafe one that my mom used to prepare at home. We used to love them as it was always made late at night during rainy season! Since my father is a businessmen, he usually works late into the night tallying the finances and other work. On regular days, he (and we kids) used to drink milk. However when it used to be rainy and chilly nights, Papa often used to ask Mummy to prepare coffee. Obviously we used to ask for the same too! Mummy would prepare the coffee and all of us used to be sitting curled up on the bed enjoying the coffee in those cold rainy nights! It used to be awesome. As a result, I always associate coffee with rain :-)

One of the first time I had the cappuccino and espresso types was when I started working in Bangalore. I still remember how much I hated it. I found it very bitter; my mom used to prepare s little sweeter versions and though they were strong, they were not as strong as the ones made by cafe shops with freshly ground beans. Hence at the start, I used to avoid them. I developed the taste for these type of coffee only when I went to US. Few of my colleagues in office used to drink regular cappuccinos/espressos and even dark ones (no sugar-no milk/cream). I tried my first dark coffee on the flight to US. ( I just took a sip and threw the remaining :-D) 

Anyways I had my first Starbucks coffee there. I can't really remember what I liked about it, but for some reason I enjoyed it thoroughly! Maybe all that choices that they give you when you enter into a Starbucks just impressed the hell out of me :-D. From then on, I used to have it regularly so much so that a Latte and Cinnamon Bagel was my regular breakfast there (I know not very healthy but then I have never been a healthy eater.. something I hope to change gradually now). Even my last breakfast before returning back to India was a Starbucks Latte and Croissant. Once back in Bangalore, I used to miss Starbucks a lot (It wasn't there in India at that time); however I started liking the ones available in Barista and CCD outlets in Bangalore. Looks like they weren't so bad after all!  

Now we have Starbucks in India too and I get to enjoy it with M. You see apart from the lovely childhood memory associated with Coffee, I also have fond memories (and countless future memories to be made) of enjoying it with M. One of the first and best ones I have is during our courtship days, when M used to fly to Bangalore often (from Baroda where he was working at that time) to see me. One night, it was raining (as usual) and we were back in my apartment after watching a movie; M was dilly-dallying so that he could delay going back to his friends place & spend some more time with me ;-). To help him, I made some coffee and we enjoyed some beautiful moments together sipping the coffee and watching the rains on the terrace.

So Coffee time for me is always a small celebration kind of time.. whether with friends or family! Some people even have life changing events or memories associated with it as is the real life story of Michael Gates Gill in 'How Starbucks saved my life'. (Yup I have even read a book with Starbucks on its cover.. though Amu is to blame for it, she is the one who suggested it.. :-). It's a decent read.). I haven't had such profound experiences yet.. just enjoying my regular cuppa now!