para llevar

san telmo, buenos aires

among the disappointments i have encountered here must be included el alboroto surrounding the opening of the nation´s first starbucks. lines around the corner, articles in the newspaper, and general chatter among the masses has been bestowed on this agent of globalization and i find myself bothered. sure, the process is inevitable and i enjoy the occasional latte from time to time. but not aca.

this is one of those great places where cafe is everywhere but to-go cups are scarce. you are supposed to enjoy your cafe con crema (espresso served with a dollop of sweet cream). you are allowed to savor your cafe con leche and to eat the little biscuit that is served with it. but to ask for your coffee para llevar would be nothing less than an affront in this culture, and i believe with good reason. there are certain things that are too be enjoyed in life, ¿and why should we not allow ourselves to enjoy our caffeinated syrum in the mañana (or tarde)?

i almost find the american to-go obsession similar to a linguistic barrier i´ve noticed with the spanish language. you can translate that you are looking forward to something, but that would only indicate where your eyes are directed. you can say that you are excited about something, but the literal translation has a more lascivious implication. you can say that you tengo ganas, but that is about the only phrase the spanish use, and at a more modest clip than we yanks.

maybe we should stop looking forward to things, stop being excited about some future event, stop being eager for the next thing. we should wake up and smell the coffee, but take pause to enjoy drinking it as well.