Observations at a Café on a Friday Evening

Last night, my boyfriend and I went to one of the cafés in town to hang out for a while with the owners, friends of ours, and play a few games of Chromino without the stupid dog jumping up and upsetting the pieces. We get to the café, sit down, order and break out the forest green bag.

Now, I know I've had my fair share of café conversations where I probably sound like a loud twat to the people sitting nearby. We all have those conversations - loud, random, somewhat intellectual but mostly just predictable conversations with people, be they good friends or those with whom we just start talking cos they're there, that are kind of fun but mostly just familiar (How can you NOT like (insert book, author, movie, director, etc)? or I know, it was SO great about (random political and/or cultural event)...

I actually like having conversations like these, even if they are ultimately kind of vapid and pointless. And I think they're necessary, especially for people with academic interests, to feel like they're not just rotting away in their own mental masturbation. I can safely say that after 8 years of being a regular patron of various cafés in Boston, Montreal, and now here in Guanajuato, it's a haven that I am not willing to relinquish. You get a break from your usual apartment surroundings, from the feeling of confinement that comes from being somewhere you know far too well. You take out your book or notebook, or find the newspaper or an old magazine, and settle in. Someone is there to immediately make you a nice drink, and you never know who or what you will come across.

For better or worse.

So, anyway, we start to play Chromino, and the only other people in the café, seated in the corner just would. not. shut. up. For, like, an hour and a half. Some of their topics of perambulating, intentionally inoffensive "let's make friends cos you have a Mac" conversation included, but were not exclusive to

1. A hatred of trivial formalities and useless chatter (ironically)
   
2. Various zodiactic musings
3. The importance of life not being too "easy" (defined as being able to run errands and transport your groceries in a car)
   
4. Needing to make the most of every day i.e. not sit at home when there are Things to be Productive About
   
5. Not dwelling on negativity but being ready to, quote, move on to the next thing before the negativity happens
6. Russian women and inherent hotness therein, yet, somehow, they are so emotionally distant, and what's with that

Participants in this discussion were: Young Mexican Man with a Mac, Older White Gentleman Who Has Experienced It All with a Graying Pompadour, Much Younger Mexican Girlfriend of Older Gentleman.