In a can, either from a vending machine or a convenience store, coffee costs about bodega prices. In a cup at a table, the sky is the limit. Quite a few nearby cafes serve different brewed options, from "French blend" for about five bucks, to Guatamala for eight, to some mythical bean called "Blue Mountain" for 12 to 15 dollars. This is for a single six ounce cup, no refills, served with a little plastic tub (or dollhouse metal pitcher) of bomb-shelter grade fake creamer. Granted, they often use some fussy method of preparation that involves a bunsen burner or a saucepan, and usually the sugar comes in brown lumps or crystals with a twee wooden spoon. But. It's still a very small cup of coffee that gets cold fast, and this type of cafe is often smoky.
So now, in a strange turn of events, for a generously sized coffee served with real milk and no cigarette smoke, Starbucks is the clear winner. A tall is only 3.30, and is at least double the size of the froufrou places. The chairs are comfier, and the music is better. And there are usually at least four or five people in green aprons behind the counter, all doing some kind of cleaning busy work, and they all say Konnichiwa to each customer, staggered half a beat for an echoing hello. Then, when an order is placed that goes to the barista, the person at the register repeats it right away, and then everyone behind the counter repeats it, almost in unison.
So it sounds like:
Toru aisudo ratte.
Toru aisudo ratte.
Toru aisudo ratte.
..Toru aisudo ratte.
...Toru aisudo ratte.
Toru aisudo ratte.
.....Toru aisudo ratte.
And so on.
Upon leaving, someone has twice intercepted me at the trash cans (separated into liquids, paper, and plastic) to throw away my cup. The entire staff then rallies for a grand, disconcerting send-off round of Thank-you-very-much!es.
Japanese people seem to hear these effusive greetings as so much background noise, but my instinct still demands a "you're welcome" when someone says "thank you." (Thanks, ma.) My instinct doesn't know what to do with five background people saying thank you at once. So even though I know it's not necessary, I can't help sort of almost waving and half smiling and nodding and my way out the automatic sliding doors.
3 comments:
See, I would be paranoid that they hate saying anything, and would then feel guilty about going there in the first place.
that must be why they bow so much; you can sort of address a bow to an entire area of the room...
Every day I frequent the Excelsior coffee shop in my office building. It's the highlight of my day. 4 or 5 good looking female barista's greeting me with a gentle Irashaimase. Upon which I go "ohayou" or konichiwa, depeding time of day. I bought my own cup, so I get a 20 yen discount on the 330 price, seems they copied everything to the micron from Starbucks, and made it more Japanese.
The same when I walk out of there.. the chorus of Thank You's always makes me turn around, and half-smile nod my head. Thanks for the energy boost. I think that is what I will miss most from Japan... most other things are obtainable elsewhere, but this.
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