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Monday, October 31, 2005
The aroma of dream
By Edgar Dignadice Cadiente
LiVe Pen (Lithe & Velvet Pen)
NESTLED in a snug beige seat, I started to dream...er, drink. Must be the effect of the iced mocha. Or could it be the rich coffee scent that greets you at the door. Or probably there's really not much difference between dreaming and drinking here. At least that's what the poster on the wall promises you; "Grab a latte. Dream. We make your dream come true to you". Hmm...talk about concept and packaging that delivers.
It was early evening and the charm of Coffee Dream enticed me. The newest addition to the growing string of coffee shops in General Santos City, does that to you. Not that I was transported literally into a dreamland while sipping my iced coffee concoction, I just caught myself stimulated to dream while I did. Leafing through a glossy home magazine, I dreamed of my dream house. Since it was early for a hot brew, I ordered a chilled blend and matched it with a slice of choco-flavored cake. The pair did not fail to stimulate my senses.
Talking of stimulation, I couldn't help but yield in to a tempting thought. If I may, I'd like to segue this...I don't know if you have encountered this personality test where you are asked what you would associate coffee with. I remember my answer to be coffee as stimulant. According to this test, the coffee symbolizes your sexual psyche. Such that how you perceive coffee indicates your sensual view. I still have to research if coffee drinking has any relation to population growth. Because if it's any indication, I won't be surprised why Philippine population keeps on burgeoning. Filipinos are reputed coffee lovers, anyway, and coffee's aphrodisiac power is evident. Coffee and overpopulation? Interesting subject for a paper. (How did I ever come up with this bizarre idea? I must be dreaming.
Seriously now. Coffee Dream, at the third floor of KCC Mall, is a soothing space of beautiful contrasts; the rousing drink blends with the calming air. Once inside, the aroma of coffee envelopes you, metaphorically, like the velvety clouds in a dream sequence you see in the movies. It simply has taste - spatially and palatably.
Except for a lone lady, I had the space and sensation all for myself, which I enjoyed immensely. Though I continued fanning the magazine (and continued composing my dream house in the process), I kept glancing around. I sat at the corner-most recess giving me a vantage angle. Posh. That's how I'd describe its interior make in a word. Its industrial set elements of wood, glass, chrome and leather are contrasted by bright kaleidoscopic hues splattered on the wall posters.
Service was as neat as its space and taste. The staff was kind enough to personally deliver me my change to where I was seated. Service with a personal touch didn't escape me. You experience this kind of service here and there and on a sporadic fashion. So, to come across good service, especially from a new establishment in the city, is quiet a delight. Needless to say, aside from food quality and space convenience, excellent service is a premium in this industry. The kind of service required in the competition arena, especially because the city is grooming itself as global city.
I am certain this Coffee Dream service is a component in its packaging. If all establishments in the city carry out this kind of service delivery, it is almost a dream come true. For me, at least. I have always been hoping that human resources in the hospitality, food, beverage, and all other tourism-related enterprise, deliver pleasant and excellent service. These are frontline industries which handle tourists. Impression on service matters a lot. But this is another story, probably in future episodes.
Meantime, my dreamlike state was interrupted when a couple of acquaintances entered. They spotted me immediately and pleasantries were exchanged. We chatted until I finished my chilled mocha. This is another character that a coffee shop must have: beside coffee or latte, it must be conducive for tête-à-tête. So even when my "dream sequence" was aborted, the little chit-chat inside Coffee Dream was actually charming. Besides, I more or less, finished constructing my dream house in my mind when I left the home magazine on the table.
By the way, call it coincidence, but I actually saw a falling star on my way home. What did I wish for? The dream house I just composed, what else.
Coffee and an aromatic dream. Not bad for a respite at the end of the day.
You may send e-mail to my_eyeview@yahoo.com
(October 31, 2005 issue)
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