How you doing, Amber?

I am not a big fan of coffee. So unlike some of my friends who can have tirelessly talking about coffee and it's virtues, I go silent. In fact. I am silent about my preference, too, which is tea. I would rather have a cup at regular intervals than talk about the tea and it's positive effects on mankind.

Let me go back to where I started. The coffee. I love Starbucks despite my indifference to coffee. It is not because of their business strategy to sell coffee at an insanely high prices. It is because of giving me a familiar icon in any land within a few minutes of arriving. To be honest, I feel the same way about McDonalds too. These days, finding one reassures you are in the midst of civilization.

Unlike McDonalds, Starbucks is a great social enabler. It provides the much needed icebreaker. For instance, I met Amber because of Starbucks. Amber is a beautiful girl who loves coffee. Because of Starbuck, I could glide to her as elegantly as possible and also could have initiated a conversation. Where we came across each other was not inside a Starbucks shop. We met in the Underground on Bakerloo line. Amber was carrying a Starbucks grande cup. Her name was prominently displayed on it. Starbucks is known to show their creativity while writing names. However, I am pretty sure they didn't apply any creativity while writing Amber's name.

Sometimes, we advertise ourselves without knowing. In this case, the packaging is so convenient that we can carry our coffee anywhere. Little do we notice our names written on it. Although it is not as serious as writing our financial information or contact information on the cup, it is still a very personal information we don't want to advertise. Sometimes, anonymity is the greatest boon!

This also makes me wonder if you really give you real name in such situations. Do you? Please don't tell me yes. If you do, then I will be wondering if Amber's real name is Amber or not!

Tags: Musings,Starbucks,Coffee,Name