Thursday, July 03, 2008

Kokology: When Your Tastes Have Grown Up

This is from Kokology 2 by Isamu Saito and Tadahiko Nagao. Play along!

Coffee may be the quintessential adult drink. That rich aroma, that slightly bitter edge, the feeling of warmth and mellow anticipation as you blow the steam away before taking your first sip. It’s an experience you learn to enjoy as you leave childhood behind and serves as a sign that you have entered grown-up world. Somehow, despite the caffeine, in the proper setting, coffee soothes the nerves and relaxes the mind. A seat in a secluded corner of a coffee shop with a good book and some jazz playing softly in the background provides an ideal environment for many to take a step back from stresses and strains of work, studies or life itself and enjoy the true luxury of doing nothing at all, if only for the time it takes to finish a cup.

You work hard enough. Take a moment now for yourself and enjoy one of the privileges of adulthood. Will it be French roast? Rich Colombian? A decadent mochaccino? Go ahead, indulge yourself. You’ve earned it.


1. It’s that rarest occasions, a day with nothing on the schedule, and you decide to enjoy some quality time with yourself with yourself in a coffee shop. Describe the atmosphere and ambience of the shop you choose.

Kid: I’ll probably go to my favorite Starbucks early in the morning, so the atmosphere would more or less be friendly, relaxing and elegant.

2. You order a cup of coffee. What do you do while waiting for it to be brought to your table?

Kid: I usually take my laptop with me in coffee shops, so I’d probably be setting it up while waiting, if not then I’d be reading a book.

3. When the waiter delivers the coffee you ordered, how does it taste and how is its temperature?

Kid: It’ll be really HOT! It’s essential to blow and let it stand for a couple of minutes before I sip it. This is Starbucks coffee, so it’ll definitely be the best coffee experience. Mmmmm…


The Results

Coffee in general and coffee shops in particular are closely linked with ideas of the adult world and social relations. Your responses to the questions in this scenario tell us something about the ways you perceive and manage stress in your own adult relationships.

1. The atmosphere you described is actually what you seek most in your workplace (or school). Some thrive in a lively environment elbow to elbow with other like-minded people. Others value quiet and solitude. Then there are those who don’t care what the atmosphere is like as long as the coffee comes in a bottomless cup.


2. The thing you did while waiting is related to a major stress or concern in your life.

Did you just and sit and watch the other customers? You’re a little too nervous about what others are doing, saying, and thinking. Just be yourself. Everyone else is.

Did you pull out a magazine and start reading, or look at the menu? You may need to get your nose out of the books and try a little more physical activity.

Did you sit and wait without doing anything at all? It’s a sign you crave more stimulation from life and are looking for something to occupy your time.


3. How did the coffee taste? The flavor and temperature you imagined corresponds to the level of stress that you needlessly create for yourself. The better your coffee experience of the coffee, the less stress you add for yourself. If you imagined it was lukewarm, weak or too bitter, or scalding hot, you make problems where there are none to begin with. In your dreams, you can have anything you imagine, why not at least treat yourself a nice cup of coffee?

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