A slow connection

When I first thought about starting a cafe, the thought was inspired more by the feeling around a cafe - a meeting place for people. For them to sit together, spend a few hours talking, connecting, relaxing and being themselves. And the more places I visit, and more I observe people, it only reaffirms this feeling.

Juhu Beach, Mumbai 2013

For me none of the virtual social platforms can come anywhere close to meeting people physically. 

And the biggest reason for this is the fact that as humans we all have layers. And not just that, we also have images, complexes, presumptions and very little attention span.It takes time to be ourselves. It takes courage to have a meaningless conversation which may eventually lead to something deep and true.What we think we may not say explicitly, what we say, does not necessarily mean exactly that.140 characters really cannot begin to contain our personality.The pictures of our surroundings don't necessarily reflect our true emotions. And I guess this attempt of over-simplification and extreme acceleration of 'connectivity' between humans to some extent puts me off popular social media as a means of really connecting with people.

Popular 'chaat' places on Juhu Chowpatty

Nevertheless, I cannot deny the obvious benefits of the medium and it's best feature being a global online address book. (I am told, one should always let the computer do, what it is good at.)

Left on my own, it is far too easy for me to just drift away. In fact after a while, the drifting is so automatic, that I don't even realize it. But every so often, sitting around people, some of whom I only see once a year, some far less frequently, some with whom I may have shared a cup of coffee or a 'cutting' chai in the past, (with the addition of a relatively slow internet connection), I feel suddenly grounded and in a not so scary way.

Sell Coffee, not your soul

Featuring Thadi Cafe

As we walked down the narrow but lively streets of Hauz Khas village, my friend and I saw this old looking and not very attractive building which had a sign of Thadi Cafe loosely hanging outside it.

After some debate of whether it is 'safe' to go in ( I can attribute the fear to the paranoia which I seem to have developed just by not spending enough time in my own country), we finally voted that we should give it a try. Also I had a read a few lines in a blog earlier this morning, and I really wanted to see the place.

So we followed our heart, and the signs, and kept climbing up the stairs of this mysterious looking place, all the time guessing what could be in store for us. When we finally reached the terrace (which is where the cafe was located), we were so thrilled, that we almost cried out in joy. The view from the terrace was awesome. This terrace-cafe looked over the Hauz Khas water tank giving a person like me who had no idea about the place and this lake such a pleasant surprise.

While my friend sat soaking in the ambience (the view, the caned chairs, painted walls, posters about art concerts etc), I went in to carry out my own investigation, under the pretext of ordering food. My second surprise for the day awaited me inside. The owner (one of the four, as I found later) of the place was also an engineer, who opted for doing something different with his life. Needless to say, there was an instant connection, and I spent quite some time chatting away with him. I found out that the word Thadi meant a small vendor of tea and coffee from the Jaipur region where the guys had studied. I found out about the aspirations and reasons behind the conception and implementation of the place. I also managed ordering some food by the end of it.

So in conclusion:
Ambience: Fantastic, the view from the terrace and low seating arrangements inside gave a double dose of character to the place. The music system was a good one, which to me personally was a plus! My friend loved the diwali lights which were turned on at dusk.

Food: We had the Thadi chai (tea) and a veg grilled sandwich, both were decent. My only crib, why didn't the waiter leave the pot with left over tea behind, I would have loved a second round!

Pricing: Very affordable. (Especially when I find almost everything super expensive in India!)


Sell Coffee, not your soul

Soul searching in Delhi

So continuing with my new vigour, I have finally managed to make that trip I always knew I had to. I am now in Delhi for a month with the intention of going out there in the real world and meeting more amazing people, taking stock of my own life and designing a sort of life I would be happy to live. And of course like all other countries and cities I have been to, here as well my cafe hunt continues.
Today's day was very well spent at Hauz Khas Village in Delhi, a place which is thriving with art and culture. A walk through this village and occasionally peeping into its many boutiques and art galleries left me feeling light headed and dreamy. It also helped that I was with my very good friend, someone who I am able to share the zillion thoughts and emotions which usually floods my mind when I am experiencing such strong and wonderful emotions.
I also discovered two different cafes in this area, the first being Thadi cafe. Although after my research back home from Cambridge, I had wanted to start with Kunzum Cafe (the second one of the day), a quick google search just this morning, made me want to visit Thadi Cafe first. Both cafe visits were very educational and left me feeling very satisfied by the end of the day.


Sell Coffee, not your soul

Cafe experssions

The search for soul mates apparently does't stop when you find your girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife. It continues in your daily life through your actions, dreams and aspirations. It propagates through your desire to meet like minded people who speak to you in a different language, a language you want to instantly respond to.
Sometimes these strangers gradually move into your world and become friends, at other times they are like flashes of common sense when you needed it, and then they eventually fade away into the universe where they came from. But they will always remain your soul mates. Someone who you bump into after ages and can still speak the same language to.

In my recent search for others who have gone down the road I am contemplating going, I met someone who is very inspirational. I am told he had started his own Cafe and magazine in Nashik, my home town. You can find some of his thoughts and ideas here at Cafe Bulletin.



Sell Coffee, not your soul

Location hunt

I seem to come back to my idea over and over again. And my question is always when will I take the plunge. To my mind, I am confident that I will at some point.
With the last few days of hard core thinking, I have managed to zero in on the fact that physical location of SYB will have to be India (still need to do a lot of research for where in India though). Now that I have said it aloud, it feels like the obvious choice. But sometimes the hardest choice is the most obvious one.
I know in the past I have adorned the cold and unaffected mask and said I will never go back. I am not afraid to even say that I was scared at the thought of going back. Scared of the people there. Scared of the thought that day in and day out I may meet people who will tell me they don't care. That they cannot help it. That this is their culture. That not doing things in a certain way is a taboo. That they are helpless. That it is all hopeless. That it is all the government's fault.
I was also scared of the pollution. Will I have to wear a scarf around all the time? Last time I went jogging in the morning I was coughing my lungs out for the rest of my India trip.
I was scared that family and friends will start expecting me to behave in a certain way, and that I will be forced to conform. And that I will be emotionally blackmailed to conform. Not for my sake but for the sake of the few people I still love.

But then again I think, if I haven't learnt to be strong, then what have I learnt in the past years?
I know I still care, and I know I want to make a difference. I also know I can remain frozen within the icekle of pretend ignorance and comfortable life.
The question is when will I choose to melt down and brace myself for the pain. I have to remember that pain is not a bad thing. Pain indicates that I am still alive and still feeling.




Sell Coffee, not your soul