Most of my work this semester is research and papers. I'm taking two classes, History of Japan and Conflict Transformation and Peace Building, both of which essentially consist of writing research papers for the end of the term, one on Japanese-US relations pre-WWII, another explaining the failure of the Dalai Lama's International Campaign for Tibet. In my internship too, I'm basically set to research political theory on participation, citizenship, and trust. I like this style of working, because I have more free time and get to do projects in which I am interested.
This also means I spend a lot more time at cafes than last semester. I've always admired the European cafe culture, the sitting for hours on end ordering one coffee and reading an entire book. I think cafes are especially good for getting work done. I work better in public spaces, because I feel like I ought to be doing something, whereas when I'm in my room I get distracted by garage band and ...blogging about stuff...
Us Americans are really good at the coffee part of cafes, but perhaps exemplified by my own utilization of cafes for constructive ends, I don't feel like we entirely understand the European idea of cafe culture. We go to Starbucks or if we're lucky some independent cafe, use their wifi, check our email, write papers, all in our little bubbles.
In India, the idea of the cafe is still relatively new. Where us American student types are beginning to get really good at spending hours in cafe's ordering just a coffee (because we're broke and we want faster wifi), cafes in India haven't really evolved into this role. Likely this is because the first cafes weren't grassroots independent businesses, but chains like "Cafe Coffee Day," commonly referred to as CCD, and Barista who serve quick meals like fast food. The only cafes with wifi are more like nice restaurants, or bars (which I'm a bit confused as to why you'd put wifi in a bar).
While the US, or at least many of my friends, enjoy mimicking the European cafe ideal, I'd say that India is adopting the US coffee culture, which is on the one hand understandable (a developing country wanting to adopt the efficiency and regularity of the United States) and on the other hand confusing as, at least as an American, so much of Indian society seems slow, relational, and process-oriented. But maybe thats just the bureaucracy.
This also means I spend a lot more time at cafes than last semester. I've always admired the European cafe culture, the sitting for hours on end ordering one coffee and reading an entire book. I think cafes are especially good for getting work done. I work better in public spaces, because I feel like I ought to be doing something, whereas when I'm in my room I get distracted by garage band and ...blogging about stuff...
Us Americans are really good at the coffee part of cafes, but perhaps exemplified by my own utilization of cafes for constructive ends, I don't feel like we entirely understand the European idea of cafe culture. We go to Starbucks or if we're lucky some independent cafe, use their wifi, check our email, write papers, all in our little bubbles.
In India, the idea of the cafe is still relatively new. Where us American student types are beginning to get really good at spending hours in cafe's ordering just a coffee (because we're broke and we want faster wifi), cafes in India haven't really evolved into this role. Likely this is because the first cafes weren't grassroots independent businesses, but chains like "Cafe Coffee Day," commonly referred to as CCD, and Barista who serve quick meals like fast food. The only cafes with wifi are more like nice restaurants, or bars (which I'm a bit confused as to why you'd put wifi in a bar).
While the US, or at least many of my friends, enjoy mimicking the European cafe ideal, I'd say that India is adopting the US coffee culture, which is on the one hand understandable (a developing country wanting to adopt the efficiency and regularity of the United States) and on the other hand confusing as, at least as an American, so much of Indian society seems slow, relational, and process-oriented. But maybe thats just the bureaucracy.
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