I had Starbuck's last Sunday. I don't know why I feel the need to "confess" everytime I partake in a product from a big American chain. I was in Switzerland at the train station, and Leslie, SwissChris, and I sat down for a drink before I jumped on the train back to Milan. It was my first time in a Starbuck's since leaving America. There are none in Milan, but the only reason I would ever go there over an Italian joint would be if I was feeling homesick and just needed the feeling of a warm disposable cup in my hands. (Also, there's the conversation I'm having with my Italian friends about how there's no place to meet to have a meeting. There are coffee places everywhere, but a place where you can sit down for an extended period with a cup of coffee and a book doesn't exist. Tragic.)
I ordered a Hazelnut hot chocolate. In the land of Swiss Miss there are 4 kinds of hot chocolate on the menu. I guess I shouldn't be surprised...give the people what they want. The hot chocolate was rich and gave me a bellyache and a headache for the majority of the train ride, so much so that I couldn't read "The World is Flat" a book on globalization. Coincidence?
Instead I watched the scenery go by---lush green grass covered with patches of crisp white snow---the sky sunny and blue, the Alps in the distance. Along the rail there are walking trails. I saw Swiss people with winter coats and red noses pushing baby strollers and riding bikes, out enjoying the sunshine. I was jealous.
If I had to pick one word to describe Switzerland, I'd choose "Clean." From the air to the buildings---even the bathroom on the Swiss train was cleaner than any bathroom I've encountered in Milan.
I appreciate the Swiss ideal for cleanliness in their homes and the outdoors. However, I think this idealism can come out in a negative way in many Swiss personalities. There's a tendency to care more about if the house is cleaned the right way than if a guest is taken care of. I kind of look at it as the Martha syndrome over a whole country.
I asked Chris who is planning to propose to Leslie very soon, if his mom likes Leslie. He said, "She likes her, but she doesn't think she's the right one for me because she doesn't clean the Swiss way." I couldn't believe that could be given as a legitimate reason to say she's "not the right one." And for some reason I don't believe this is just an extreme case.
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4 comments:
katie told me a story last night about two hipsters who come into the starbucks on fremont every morning and order a shot of espresso each. each time they act like they're just a little too cool to be there and how stumptown is so much better. but they continue to come into starbucks every single morning. i doubt any of their friends know about their secret forays.
much like mcdonald's french fries.
the world is flat...thomas friedman? if you're looking for more info on globalization (and sound econimic analysis at that) he also wrote a book called 'the lexus and the olive tree' on the subject. i'd highly recomend it. :)
first of all, why would anyone go to starbucks to get a shot of espresso?
second of all, the first word that jumped into my mind when thinking of life in switzerland was 'expensive.' but maybe that's just a manifestation of my pathetic penny-pinching and depression-like frugality.
i trust the trip in the great white north with familiar faces proved to be therapeutic. it sounds like you needed that.
the little ponies around town are asking about you. what should i tell them?
I just finished a fine cup of Mom's famous Folgers. I can see why you appreciate the cleanliness of Switzerland--you always kept your room soooo neat. Papacoffeeo
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