Starbucks

More than just coffee.

It's taken awhile but Starbucks has recently earned a special place in my heart. Not because they serve some decently nice coffee but rather , I've fallen in love with the soul of Starbucks.

Starbucks has been flirting with me for the past 9 months. His attempts weren't always successful though, especially in the initial stages where I felt y'know, the pinch.

I mean look- milk, sugar and coffee for 12 bucks? That's enough for a large healthy meal in college.  Why would I spend so much on a gold digger?

However, my really good friend and mentor, Kar Fei, is infatuated with Starbucks so bumping into Starbucks every fortnight or so was inevitable. As time went by, I began to enjoy Starbucks' company. There was something about the double shots of espresso that sent me on a euphoric high. Still, one must keep such addictive acquaintances at arms length lest one loses the ability to distinguish between needs and wants.

Definitely wanted to have fun, definitely didn't need it from Starbucks.

That is until, I heard about Starbucks' human story, so very human story.

The story of..

Howard Schultz

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." - To Kill A Mockingbird

Did you know? The current CEO of Starbucks (not to be mistaken as the founder but he did nonetheless revolutionize the ubiquitous franchise) had a dream, a vision for Starbucks. 

To be That Third Place in Your Life.

The First being your home.

And The Second being your workplace.

Schultz aspired to create a Third Place where the paths long lost friends converged once more, where family bonds were fostered and memories forged, where small pockets of communities merged to form even stronger larger ones.

That People Place- for the people, by the people. 

Of course, Schultz's integral sense of community-centred values was a result of his upbringing. His father was a lowly-paid worker who didn't enjoy the healthcare privileges that many Americans today enjoy. And so, it was his greatest wish to create real jobs where anyone could sign up. White, black, gay, straight, male, female, rich, poor- work 20 hours a week and you and your unofficial spouse would be entitled  healthcare privileges. Everyone was a Starbucks Partner and everyone was part of this colossal family.

Nowhere else in the world can you find such a successful café franchise with The People at its core. Their meteoric climb is staggering but volume has failed to dilute their values.

Heck, their values even hit our shores.

I smell it in the dark meticulously-brewed espresso swimming in my frapps, cappuccinos and americanos.
I see it in my name specially written on every plastic cup.
I hear it in every

"MsYauWouldLikeATallEspressoFrappDoubleShotNonFatMilkNoWhipCreamTwoSachetsOfEqualSugar" 

uttered like the flow of the high-pressured steamed milk, smooth and never breaking.

Heck, I sometimes feel like a Starbucks Partner myself.

So much so that, I've recently found my butt much too frequently parked nicely in their plush sofas.

In the Hartamas Mall branch,
"Hellos" turned into "How are yous",
"How are yous" into "How was exam",
"How was exam" into "Can I have your Twitter handle",
"Can I have your Twitter handle" into "When is your next class break"
"When is your next class break" into "Just for you"
"Just for you" into "Between you and me, I'll give you a discount"

In retrospect, my goodness, this sounds a lot like exchanges between two budding lovebirds HAHA!

Fortunately or unfortunately, this was between me and three of their baristas! And today, I had a nice chat with Faris about how SPM results doesn't determine everything. He heard my story, I hope to hear his soon. He said it was a long one.

Let's face it, I'm madly in love with Starbucks. It has so much sentimental value to me. I loved every meeting I had with Kar Fei because it always left me grinning ear to ear, powerful advice in hand. Looking back, I've transformed so much since I first met him in January and I'd like to believe Starbucks enabled that aided transformation.  #LOLSoundLikeBimbo

Nowadays, my #StarbucksMoments comprise more of me reflecting in solitude, breaking homework records, making new uplifting discoveries and many more! Every moment is a transformation in itself, be it small or big and I'm so glad to achieve them on my own! #WOOOO

I've become more and more introverted, in a good way. :)

"Gave in and had a coffee fix. Brain just couldn't take lack of sleeeeep. #BrainFart" I was working on something epic the night before!

Found some mind-blowing insights while reading in isolation. :D

Tomorrow, I will invest in a glittering Starbucks Tumbler so I can enjoy 2 bucks off & park my butt there more often  my future! 8D

Sorry la if this seems like I'm spending unnecessary money. I believe we need to enjoy ourselves sometimes and I personally feel like Taylor's College Sri Hartamas is an unconducive cesspool teeming with negative vibes. Starbucks = Form of Escapism.

Happy Days Ahead,
Yau Hui Min