Starbucks

I'm sitting in a Starbucks when typing this blog. People sitting around me are playing with smartphones, laptops; some are reading newspapers and few and chatting. Tiny tables, accompanied by two chairs each, make enough private space for individual customers and small groups. Office workers hurry to and fro, grabbing a coffee and sometimes a sandwich. Occasionally travelers also stop by, taking an afternoon tea in the sofa with their luggage standing by. Starbucks makes itself a great supporting facility for a busy city, even though the coffee it provides is terrible.

The first time I went to Starbucks was in 2006 in Tokyo. At that time, Starbucks had already become popular in China, emblematizing modern life styles and decent tastes. Think of the fact that most Chinese people only had access to Nestle instant coffee at that time, Starbucks was much better. Accordingly, the price was quite decent too. The coffee price of Starbucks in China, if converted into US dollars, was much higher that its equivalent in the US. Taking into account of the income gap between US and China, Starbucks was luxury, and only rich people could afford it. I was a poor master student at Peking University at that time, and it never came to mind to spend 4 bucks on a cup of coffee while I could get more than 100 packages of Nestle instant coffee at the same price. So when I was in Tokyo, and found the Starbucks there was much cheaper than those in Beijing, I was thrilled. I ordered the first Starbucks in my life in Ikebukuro, sat by the window and watched pedestrians walking around. The coffee wasn't that good as I recalled, but it was absolutely different from any instant coffee I drank before: no sugar or milk inside! (Well I didn't know they should be self-served at that time.)

Then I was back in China. I soon got a coffee machine and made coffee with beans given by friends. The coffee was no less than Starbucks, and the cost was low too. But gradually I started to quit coffee due to the occasional stomachaches caused by caffeine. When I came to the US, I left my coffee machine home, aware that I would get cheap coffee here. And it's true. There is a Starbucks on Nassau Street, which served as an asylum from school during the last two years. As a fan for plain coffee, I spent no more than $2 and spend a whole afternoon reading books or working on problem sets. Later I found campus clubs had equally cozy rooms and free coffee, then it came to the end of my connection with Starbucks.

Two years ago, I was shown to the first Starbucks in the US when traveling in Seattle. The queue was so long that I decided it wouldn't pay off to wait for half an hour for a cup of coffee which is no difference from its kind in any other chain stores. I'd rather take the long queue as customers' own way of paying respect of s to the great chains, who successfully made itself byword for coffee in the world. Peet's Coffee is probably a better choice for those living in north California: the same price, but better coffee. However for some reason it hasn't become as popular as Starbucks. I was trying to find a Peet's this afternoon, but only saw two Starbucks during my 5-min search. Not surprisingly, I gave into the mermaid: it's not about the coffee, but the accessibility and convenience; and for some people, lifestyles and identifications.