coffee – hippiegrrl explains it all

28 December 201315 January 2015

Being Bohemian

While walking through our favourite neighbourhood in Toronto, the writer and I strike up a conversation about bohemianism. I contend that he could “never be truly bohemian. Never just get up one morning, pack two bags, and leave.” By which he responds – “I could if there was a list and a plan” (presumably written before bed the night before this fictional exodus.) Precisely. True bohemianism is hard work for those of us tied to things. It is difficult just due to the virtual connections we have established throughout the last decade. Purchasing cell phones and beginning email relationships with family members has complicated the ideal of the road. To travel with two suitcases, sans electronic equipment, is absurd. To be untethered from technology seems impossible, even though it was the norm ten or fifteen years ago. It would certainly be liberating to unplug, but also scary as it denotes a trip into the unknown. Joblessness, low funds, and repossession may be the only facilitators of this life that used to be something to aspire to. With age comes containment and debt ties us to an address.

So how would one do it? Disconnect from the grid and the money system and be a drifter. Can drifters be married to one another? Or to non-drifters? Can drifters have computers or would the typewriter come back into fashion? What about phone communication? The world has been accelerated in such a way that it seems nearly impossible to not be “online”. But, being offline, if only for a short time, may be a soothing change. Being unreachable, except by home phone or letter would be refreshing. However – being a “true” bohemian is about doing what one wants to do regardless of societal norms. It isn’t about running from debt or unplugging, but just being.

If this is the case – to just be is the goal – how is this achieved? What of those that are perceived as bohemian, but have an address? Those that are professors, but still have the mindset of a free spirit? How is bohemianism rationalized within society and, more closely, in the realm of education. Without bohemianism we would have no art or music teachers. Without the free spirit streak we would lose poetry and prose and have to learn how to be content without the arts in our lives. After a few generations, this would be normalized, but in the interim it would be a sad state of affairs. Living through the removal of the arts in the public school system, I can see this trend beginning. Creating little beings that are only trained to work for others and never even know about the life of the mind. Training children to simply strive for money and not worry about the “frivolous” things such as art, dance, music and such. Bleak future.

But this is not how it has to be. We can keep the bohemian ethic alive in our public life. Being bohemian isn’t about how you dress or act. Being bohemian is a state of mind. Do you care about the future of art, literature, and culture? Do you want to live in a world that is full and rich, where people are able to be free from the chains that bind them and move forward with love and trust? How can we keep this feeling alive? How, in the midst of gentrification in the name of neighbourhood improvement, can we continue to save our culture from sameness?

In Buffalo, we have a bohemian atmosphere that continues to surface and thrive, despite the push toward yuppie values. The bohemian ethic thrives in neighbourhoods that tend to be lower income and once those neighbourhoods gentrify, the bohemians move elsewhere. We need to find a a way to retain the bohemian element within a gentrified land. Buffalo is changing rapidly, and if we don’t find a way to retain the bohemian mindset, it could go the way of disco. A fad of hippie idealism that dissipates with the wrecking ball. Hoping that this will not happen is not enough. We need to push forward and continue to keep the bohemian community alive through art, music, culture, and coffee. This is the only way to hang on to the diversity and spirit that comes with the bohemian ethic. Otherwise, Buffalo will be a sanitized yuppie heaven without style and tradition. Keep Buffalo weird!

Peace,
Chantale

If you enjoyed this article, please pass it along! Sharing is super bohemian.

11 November 201315 January 2015

Things I Learned at the Caffe

The scent of coffee lures you in, while the camaraderie you experience from the patrons makes you want to return and, perhaps, become a regular. In all public spaces, there are annoyances to be had, but in the caffe these annoyances become quirks. In this environment, all people are equal, and we co-exist in a space where improvement is inevitable. Here are a few things that I have learned, over the years of hanging out at one particular establishment in the hip area of Buffalo, NY. You know it, right?

The customer is never right
This is adverse to everything we know as customer service employees, and yet, caffe workers can get away with it for some reason. Being rude is an essential part of the job description and you rarely get in trouble for talking down to customers.

If you want to have a private conversation, go somewhere else
If you are looking for a place to discuss important matters and you don’t want the opinions of complete strangers, this is not the place to be. However, it is always possible to get new insight from the regulars. If you need to discuss private matters, this may not be the place, but if you are just discussing the events of the day, where input is welcome, feel free!

Exes can coexist in a space without fighting
There is no ownership of the caffe by any individual customer. If you go there with your significant other and then you break up, you can still go without it being weird or awkward. It is the only small space in the city that you can coexist without there being a fight. Vortex of caffeine ends animosity.

Always bring a book, even if you are not going to read
A book can be a wonderful distraction. This does not mean that you should choose a book you would not be reading in actual life, but you may not actually get through any of it. You may end up reading the same chapter three times and still not comprehend the material, but it can certainly give you a way to ignore that particular person you were hoping not to (but expecting to) see.

When using a computer, the person next to you WILL look at your screen
This is simple logistics. The tables are in very close proximity to each other. Very European. So, if you are thinking you will have privacy, you are mistaken. You can do whatever you like, but just know someone is always watching.

Anyone can be a barista, but not everyone can be a barista
Pulling espresso is an art. It takes patience to learn the correct, Italian, method. This does not mean that that one cannot learn, but not everyone has the capacity to care. Some baristas are rude, but as long as they pull a great shot it makes no difference. No amount of niceness, though, can make a bad shot, better. Therefore, the quality of the beverage trumps the poor attitude. A great shot of espresso can make you forget any snide remark that comes from the other side of the counter.

Culture is created, and revolutionized, in the caffe
History is filled with caffe culture. In the Paris of the 1920’s, art, writing, philosophy, music, sociology, dance, and intellectualism came together in the caffe’s. The great ideas of the 20th century were hashed out over shots of espresso or cups of java. The caffe provides a third space (or place), as discussed by Ray Oldenburg in The Great Good Place. This concept revolves around community building and allows for the idea that most people have a first place (home) and second place (work), which leads to the need for a third place (community space) to gather and socialize.

Prior to the internet (and wi-fi) this third space was somewhere that the majority of individuals went to share ideas and build community. This community building has declined with the advent of small computers/tablets and the ability to be in a crowded room, alone. However, there is still potential for community building, provided by these spaces, and they are invaluable parts of our neighbourhoods. Without caffe’s, there would be nowhere to gather, therefore erasing the ability to share ideas and create new concepts and expand intellectualism. The classroom is a start, but without a social space to open up the discussion, many current day concepts would fall to the wayside.

Life is worthless without time spent at the caffe
This may not be the case for everyone, but it certainly is for me. Even though you could most likely do the same activities at home, for a lot less money, nothing replaces the ability to sit in a crowded room and be alone. The level of inspiration that comes from being in public is irreplaceable. This can certainly be accomplished in other places, but nothing can replace the sights, sounds, and scents of the caffe. If you have not experienced a caffe or caffe-like setting, please do. I think you will like it. If not, at least you will have a little buzz for your effort. Take the caffeine and carry on.

Peace and Java,
Chantale

Agree? Disagree? Something I missed? Comment below to let me know YOUR thoughts!

11 December 20127 November 2014

Creativity

Over the years I have lost sight of my creativity. It still exists and once in a while I use it, but overall I feel like the day to day creative is gone. Music, writing, web design, dance, beading, barista. There are so many creative ways in which I am able to express myself, but I tend to put all those creative outlets on hold for work. Work that is boring and droll, but necessary. If only there were ways to take my creativity and parlay it into a career.

I know what you are thinking – there are plenty of creative opportunities in the world. Why have I not pursued them? One word – debt. The debt of credit cards and the debt of schools and the debt of cars and insurance and life. Debt has kept me in banks and kitchens for the past 10 years. I am on the road to debt freedom though and hopefully when I reach the end I will be able to be free to work on creative things. Free to live a creative life without the demands that debt brings.

So, you may ask, what is the goal and how can I achieve it? I have decided that a list is the best way to map out the road ahead and have accountability. Also, I love lists. So here goes…

1. Write a little everyday – this is a goal that I have set for myself many times over and it seems to fall to the wayside. Not because I do not have time to write, but because I choose not to make time. When I come home from work, I usually take a shower, eat dinner and then fall into a vegetative state on the couch until bedtime. This is not what I should be doing. Each day I should be writing a little bit for my future. Each day I should increase the output until I am writing full columns for magazines or articles for journals or a book. So, the goal begins with writing a little everyday and work up to writing all day, everyday, as a career.

2. Bead once a week – beading is another activity that has been placed on the back burner in order to do other things. These other things are not career things, but lazy things. Watching television or surfing facebook or playing online games. Not that these activities should disappear entirely, but certainly be done less. Beading is something I can also do as a career in the future. I have always been in touch with online crafters, but have never fully put my own work out there. Believing that it can be sold and that it is worthy of a price tag is step one, but once I can overcome the pricing dilemma the rest is cake. Make necklaces, take pics, put on etsy, sell to happy buyers. This is a small thing, but it could help me to be able to make a little extra money toward debt and get me closer to the finish line.

3. Join a choir and practice – singing is something I did every single day for 5 years of my life and then it just stopped. School was a motivating factor for me. I was a voice major (mezzo-soprano) so I had to be on top of my game. I needed to do a good job in front of the crowds so I practiced (a bit) and I improved day to day. Since graduating, in 1997, I have let that part of my life slip into the background. Yes, I joined an alumni choir and did a bit of singing for a couple years with them, but nothing like the every day practice that I used to have when I was enrolled in several music ensembles a semester. Singing in the shower and the car does not count! I must join a community of singers to be fully engaged in the practice.

4. Practice dance and/or yoga 3 times per week – this goal covers to things for me, creativity and health. I have let myself go over the past 10 years. My turn around, physically, began when I quit smoking. It has been almost 4 years since that event and at the time I vowed to also get into shape. At the time of quitting cigarettes I felt that I needed to give myself some time to be fully into non-smoking before trying to exercise or diet. This past summer has motivated me to be moving more, if only by the nature of my job in a kitchen/deli. I do not have time to sit as much as I did in school or at the banks, so I have started to lose weight. I also have a Wii sitting idle, waiting for me to return to the fit program and do a little yoga, so that is what I must do. Yoga a couple times per week and tap dancing on the weekends. This is also a nice way to visit with my mom and get us both up and moving a little.

5. Create a better path for web design in my future – my current MLS program is helping me to better understand the nature of information and how we share knowledge. Within this program there is an outlet for web developers to be emerging tech librarians. This is the path that I hope to pursue. With this goal in mind, at the end of my program I will be able to work in a library setting, at a help desk or on a creative team, focusing on web development and content creation. Being a web developer has been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old and went to computer camp. Back then the web did not exist, but the beginnings of it did and for a kid that love to write lines of code (I know, nerd) the future was bright.

6. Leave food service, but retain my barista roots – there will always be a tug at my coat tails from the coffeehouse industry. It is a “what if” that I will always wonder about. What if I opened my own place? Would it be profitable? Would it bomb? In the end it is really all about the coffee and not about the business itself. So, in order to retain this passion, I will research coffee and write about it. I will go to coffeehouses as a recreational activity (as I already do) and I will enjoy my espresso without the worry of projection analysis and profit margins. Coffee is something that I love and leaving it up to others to make money is the best option for me. Enjoying it at home or in a cafe is something I can do without jumping in to another business and leaving behind the other parts of my creative life.

I have taken a couple detours on the road to success, but now I feel my path has straightened and I can move forward knowing that in the end I will be able to write, read, code, design, sing, dance, bead, and drink java within the scope of also making money and having less debt. Tall order, but I am going to try my best to make it happen. All it takes is a little creativity.

Peace,

Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

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9 December 20123 July 2017

2004.2.4 – no coffee for you!

Aria had been serving these yuppie scum for years now and not one could remember her name. It was apparent that they didn’t give a damn about the low wages of the barista or how the beans that made their concoctions were picked by migrant farmers being paid next to nothing. None of this mattered, ofcourse, because yuppies don’t care about the little inconsistencies in life.

All for me and none for you and I don’t care!

That was the moniker that Aria had attached to each dreadful one of them. The whole lot made her nauseous, but she had to keep pulling shots or she would be on the streets.

Unbelievably, this was a good day. For each nasty customer there were two or three cool people that walked in that morning for a cuppa joe and so she was feeling melancholy. More than that would strain her, so melancholy it was.

As she sat behind the register, reading the latest Janowitz book and dreaming of being someplace else, she nearly missed the hipster that entered her space.

“Hey Aria. Can you get me one of those death mixture things?”

It was Harley
“Aria? Are you awake? C’mon chicky, I need to get back to work.”
“You don’t work Harley.”
“Well, I need to get back to life then. Can I please get the death mix?”
“I’m a little busy right now.”
“Are you not working today Aria? I mean, you look like you are working. You have that lame apron on and you are sitting behind the counter, so I just assumed…”
“You know you should never assume Harley.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get me the damn coffee.”
“Well, now I definitely won’t be getting it for you. I don’t serve scummy artboys.”
“So you would rather just deal with the lame yuppies and not the deck people?”

A line had begun to form behind Harley and the people waiting glared at this last remark.

“Deck? Oh, you are so hip dude. I can’t stand it. Tell me more oh holy hipster one.”

The customers began to look more and more impatient.

“Fine, Aria. Be that way. Just don’t come crawling to me next week when The Walkmen are in town and you want to mooch a cover charge off me.”
“Later Harley.”

Aria motions to the next person in line and begins making a latte. Harley, seeing Aria alone at the other end of the counter, stands behind the espresso machine and continues to talk to her.

“Aria, why are you acting like this? What the hell did I do to you?”
“You really don’t know, do you Harley?”
“Um, no. All I wanted was a coffee. The special kind you always make me.”
“Well, maybe now you can cop the special kind off that bitch whore of a girlfriend that you have been seen around town with.”
“What? I don’t know what you are talking about. You are my only bitch whore Aria.”
“Nice Harley, real nice.”
“You know I am just joking. I really don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever. I have to get back to work, some of us actually work for a living.”
“Hey, don’t act like that. Trying to squeeze those dollars out of my parents is hard work. Besides, you could quit if you really wanted to.”
“How would I pay bills if I quit? How would I live? How would I eat or smoke?”
“You could talk to your parents about it. Just tell them that you are trying to find yourself and they will front you some cash.”
“It isn’t that easy Harley. Not everyone is like you. Not everyone has naive parents that will…hey…you totally changed the conversation. Why don’t you just leave me alone and go find that slutgirl.”

The milk that Aria is steaming is beginning to make that high pitched “it is time to turn off the wand” noise, yet she continues steaming. A customer yells for her to hurry up and she shoots him the finger. He proceeds to leave, but not before asking for her name, rank and serial number.

“See what you made me do Harley? Now that guy is gonna call my boss and I’ll be fired.”
“Who gives a shit. This job is so beneath you.”
“Fine, whatever, leave.”
“Alright, but I swear there is no other girl and I’ll prove it. Meet me back here after your shift and we’ll go get coffee.”
“Yeah, that is just what I want to do after a six hour shift at a coffeehouse.”
“Fine, dinner then. ?Somewhere that we can sit and talk this out.”
“Alright. Be back at nine o’clock and I’ll be waiting for you.”

As she is saying this to him Harley notices a girl in his peripheral vision. His goodbye trails off slightly as he leaves the shop and walks down the street towards the other girl.

“Hey Andi! Wait up, it’s me, Harley!”
“Hey Harley. What’s goin’ on?”
“Nothing, just a little tiff with the girlfriend. No big deal. Are you on your way to meet me?”
“Yeah. I am running late, but I’m here.”
“Well, I thought we could just hang out at my place anyway if that is deck with you.”
“That’s deck Harley. Anywhere you are…”
“Deck.”

Back at the coffeehouse Aria continues to read her book and thinks that perhaps Harley is being truthful. After all, they are living together and Chara gets things wrong a lot of the time. Maybe she just thought she saw Harley, but it was someone else with that girl. Her reading is again interrupted, this time by Chara, her friend from art school.

“Hey Aria. How are you doing? Sorry about Harley.”
“You know Chara, I think you may have that situation wrong. Maybe that wasn’t Harley that you saw the other night.”
“No, it definitely was. I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I actually just saw him again outside.”
“Yeah, he just left. He is coming back later to pick me up for dinner so we can talk.”
“But Aria, I think that is just an awful idea. He is definitely cheating on you and you need to get out now while you can.”
“You can’t be sure of that. I trust him completely and you are planting seeds of doubt in my head. Sometimes I think that maybe you have an ulteriour motive of your own Chara.”
“I don’t have any motive. Only that you are my friend and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“He couldn’t do that to me. We have been together for 3 years now and he seems content with me. Not ecstatic, but who really is anymore?”
“Well, I think that he is content, but maybe because of this other person.”
“I can’t listen to you anymore Chara. You are doing this on purpose. You just want Harley and that is why you are trying to make us split up.”
“Why would I want Harley?”
“Well you are always around and you talk about him all the time and you are giving me these ideas about him. Plus, last week you offered to let me stay with you if we broke up. It was as if you knew it was going to happen and you would just love that wouldn’t you?”
“No, because it would hurt you and I don’t want that for you. There are better people out there for you Aria. I know that for a fact.”
“Oh yeah, who? All my other male friends are gay. Who could I possibly find?”
“Well…”
“Well what Chara?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be looking in that department.”
“Yes, I know, I should cut out the fag hag stuff and start looking for straight guys, right?”
“That isn’t EXACTLY what I meant Aria.”
“What then, be celibate? Be alone? Join a convent? What?”
“What about me?”
“What about you Chara?”
“I mean…”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Um. I never thought of that. Well, that would kind of make sense I guess. Why you have been telling me all this horrible stuff about Harley.”
“Aria, I was doing that because it is true.”
“You are gay? Wow…that is a shocker. Not that I’m opposed to…I mean…oh, I don’t know.”
“It’s okay Aria. No pressure. No worries. I just want you to be happy.”
“I guess I really have to think about this now.”
“By the way, I know you still don’t believe me, but I saw Harley walking down the street with that girl before I came in here. I wasn’t going to tell you, but…”

Aria takes off her apron, locks the register, calls to the manager that she needs to leave for a little while and bolts out the door. After running for a few blocks she decides to hail a cab. She doesn’t want to be totally winded when she confronts Harley. In the cab she tries to get her head together and think of what she will say to him when she enters the apartment. Their apartment. The apartment they have shared for 3 years. The apartment she has decorated and made into a nice home for the two of them. A sick feeling begins to form in her stomach and her eyes begin to tear up. The cabbie asks her if she is okay and she can only murmur out a weak yes. She tells him to pull over and pays him for the fare. One more block and she will be at the building. Climbing the stairs she finds her courage and as she opens the door all her hopes of Harley’s faithfulness fall to the floor.

“What the hell is going on?”
“Aria. What are you doing here?”
“I live here Harley. What is that bitch whore doing here?”
“I can explain.”
“I don’t want you to. I would leave, but I have nowhere to go, so just pack up your shit and get out of here. NOW!”
“You don’t understand Aria! Let me explain.”
“How can you explain this? Chara was at the shoppe. She told me. She has been telling me, but do I listen? No. Why would I…”
“Chara? What the fuck Aria? Why would you listen to that chick. She is so hot for you it isn’t even funny. She has been looking for something for years. Ever since art school.”
“Well now she has found it Harley. Did you not hear me before? Please leave now.”
“Aria. Please please calm down and listen.”

She sits down on the couch and then moves to the chair before finally standing up and pacing the floor.

“Aria, this is my sister Andi. She is in town this week and we were going to surprise you at dinner tonight. If I had known that you were talking about her before at the coffeehouse I would have said something, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. She just got in a couple days ago and has been staying with our cousin Pez at the complex on Fifth Street.”
“You are kidding right? Do you actually think I believe that crap Harley?”

Andi takes her wallet out and shows her id card to Aria. Aria is visually embarassed and slumps onto the couch. After a few moments she hugs Andi and attempts an apology.

“You know that I didn’t mean to call you a bitch whore, right?”
“Yes, Aria. Don’t worry about it. I would have done the same thing.”
“Oh God! I just completely ran out of work to come over here. I have to get back. Can we talk this out over dinner. I’m really sorry again.”
“Sure. I’ll still be here. You can’t scare me away that easily.”

Aria decides to walk back to the coffeehouse so that she has time to think up a good excuse for her quick exit. She returns to the screams of her manager and the continuing acts of cruelty from her customers.

Back at the apartment Harley and Andi continue the movie that was interrupted by Aria’s entrance.

“That is quite a girl you got there Har.”
“Yeah, she is pretty great. I just wish that I could stop cheating on her.”
“What? You really are a pig then. So that little scene was warranted really.”
“Yeah, yeah. When did you ever know me to be faithful Andi?”
“Well, I had rather hoped you had grown up, but I guess for someone who is still living off the parents, this is just par for the course.”
“Whatever, just don’t tell her okay. I’m getting around to it, I swear.”
“I don’t get involved in your life and you don’t get involved in mine. Besides, there is a bigger and better bomb to drop at dinner when Chara shows up.”
“Chara?”
“Yeah. She is my girlfriend. We are getting ready to tie the knot, as it were.”
“Wow! I didn’t realize that you knew Chara.”
“Yeah. She is crazy about me. Not sure why she would tell Aria that you were with me, as if she thought you were cheating with me, unless…”
“God. Chara really did see me with the other girl, not you.”
“Yeah, but why would she say that she saw you with that girl tonight then?”
“Well. Before I went in to see Aria, I kinda met up with Lola.”
“You are kidding, her name is Lola?”
“Yeah, whatever, anyway Chara must have seen us walking down Pier Ave.”
“I’ll talk to Chara. Everything will work out brother. If she is into Aria then we have a way to keep her quiet, right?”
“Deck, sis! You are truly the best.”

And so it goes…

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

8 December 20123 July 2017

2003.4.1 – where do you fit in?

Do you ever feel out of place, everywhere?

Lately, I have been visiting a coffeehouse, on my lunch break, that I used to hang out at when I was in college. I sit there, drink my coffee and read or write. This would be a relaxing experience but for the cold stares of the freaky deaky clientele.

The coffeehouse is across from U.B. – now being made infamous by MTV’s Sorority & Fraternity Life shows. Since I take a relatively late lunch (2 or 2:30pm), I am often in the midst of high school kids on their way home or students from the aforementioned college, skipping their 2 o’clock classes to play pool or shoot the proverbial shite.

Surrounded by these people I feel totally odd. I have lost touch with what I thought was my generation. In my job, I am required to wear suits, rather then the preferred uniform of angst.

At the point I begin to see the grounds in my coffee cup I pack up my stuff and head back to work. Pulling into the bank parking lot confronts me with the notion that I will again feel apart from my surroundings.

My hippie wool gloves, sweater and doc martens are not exactly what the “establishment” feels to be proper. Even in a suit, I still look less than the others. My beaded necklace and straight, center-parted hair are a little too left of center for corporate America. The fact that I am not trying to work my way up the ladder is a bit of a turnoff to my co-workers and superiours.

I realize now that I haven’t really fit anywhere since college. In the 6 years since graduation, my persona has skewed slightly from comfortable. This is what being a hippie is all about though. The ability to hold a decent conversation with pretty much anyone is overshadowed by the fact that I never quite look “correct” in any given place. At work I’m too liberal, while at the coffeehouse I appear conservative.

Comfort is obviously not an option at this point in my life. In two years I will be leaving my twenties and I will have to learn to be an adult. You would think that being 28 would afford me the tag of maturity by default, but that isn’t the case.

I still want to skip out on life to go have coffee.

I still want to drive around town with my stereo cranked up.

I still want to go to concerts, instead of work.

I still want to read for pleasure, rather than pay.

I want to be able to look at the world through rose tinted glasses and see my future as a canvas waiting to become a masterpiece.

With all this in mind, I leave behind a piece of me at that coffeehouse, in the hopes that whatever I choose to do next will be my destiny.

This lapse in columns has been brought to you by the leader in computers that crash, which will remain nameless for fear of lawsuits. I have installed the new hard drive and will be updating regularly once again!

Chat is always fun, so come visit me whenever you get a chance…Just click the chat link in any of our wonderful backwash communities!!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

1 May 20122 July 2017

Slackers Unite!

Troy: what happened to your normal clothes?
Michael: wow! Lelaina, look at you. You look…where’d you get that dress?
Lelaina: Oh, um… I don’t know. I just bought it. But I think I’m gonna go change because…
Michael: No, don’t. You look beautiful. You look like… You look like…
Troy: A doily.
Lelaina: I’m gonna change.
Michael: No, don’t change.
Troy: And don’t go thinking for yourself either, Lainie.

[scene from “Reality Bites”, universal pictures, 1994]

The Art Linklater film “Slacker” has been considered the generation-x answer to “Easy Rider”. Although it is not a road movie, it most definitely defined (or redefined) a generation. If this is truly the case, then we must also consider the movie “Reality Bites” as a defining moment in cinema history for gen-x. Both movies depict a world in which the most intelligent and creative among us become lazy and complacent. In “Reality Bites” the main character, the valedictorian of her graduating class at university, ends up having to work a minimum wage job to be able to make ends meet. Her roommate, who has also completed university, works at the gap and their friend, who has only one class left to finish, would rather loaf on a couch than complete his degree. Philosophically, what is the point of the piece of paper? That is the question asked in these movies and, unfortunately, they were not just defining a generation, but also foreshadowing the future. Smart people with no direction.

How can we better understand our current circumstances through movie depictions of our generation. Of course, we are not characters in a movie, but some movies strike right at the heart of real, living, breathing, humans. The characters in “Reality Bites” are not 2-dimensional caricatures, but fully formed characters. People that we, off the screen, can actually relate to and maybe see in others of our generation. Generation-x, that is. Those of us between the hippies and the hipsters. Those of us born in the 70’s who have really tried to make this country work for us. We are the main demographic for advertising now and we actually have always been. We grew up with MTV, but had to work for our media. We are the generation that was raised with sound bites and short attention spans, but didn’t have ADHD diagnoses to blame for our problems in school or life. We were told to try harder, not take the easy way out by popping a pill. If we wanted to talk on the phone we had to dial a number, but we have also adapted to our current surroundings. Generation-x may be considered a lost generation, now, looking back, but we are still here. We carry with us all the debt the 80’s created and the disillusionment of the 90’s. We carry the weight of the baby boomers as they move into social security years and the burdens of the hipsters who steal away our chances at success in new media industries, even though we were on the forefront of those technologies.

An outcome of slackerdom, or simple complacency, is the pull to stay in one decade. For gen-x, that decade would be the 90’s and, believe me, I have that bug. I would love to wake up at noon each day, go to a coffeehouse, hang out and read a good book, walk back home, stopping along the way to pick up a few items for dinner, and then work, after dinner, on a book or a libretto or something creative that pays the bills. Writing this blog and getting paid for it. Making espresso and getting paid for it. Reading and writing and getting paid for it. But getting paid enough to afford the things I need and want, not scrounging. Back to the days of $1.13 gallons of gas and free meals, 29 cent stamps and Fiona Apple. Back to The Counting Crows and Jewel and Puff Daddy. When Kurt and Left Eye, Biggie and Aaliyah, Tupac and Layne were alive. Back in the day.

So how can we make the 90’s happen in the teens? First things first. Find a job that makes you happy. Never settle for doldrums. If you have to scrimp and save and scrounge for a bit to get to where you want to be professionally it will be more than worth it in the end. Working a job you hate just to pay the bills ends you up a bitter person with a sad life. You will look back and only see the paychecks, not good times. Once you are on the road to a better existence though work happiness everything will look sunnier. Each morning will be one that you want to rise to the occasion for, not a struggle to get out of bed.

Next – stop beating yourself up for the things that you have not done or may not do that others wish you would do. Your life is your own and if you do not live it the way you want you will be unhappy in the end. You are living for you, not anyone else, and you have to put your needs and wants first, not those of others. You cannot take care of others unless you take care of yourself first. You cannot love others unless you love yourself first. This includes having children. Children are a huge responsibility and if you are not personally ready to enter into the realm of parenthood it is never a good idea to move forward. Let go of the things that people say or request of you and move forward with what YOU want. Positivity and moving toward goals will bring you everything you really want in the end and the guilt of children not being in the equation has to be let go of in order to move forward. You only get one life so you should live it how you want and not how others think you should.

Finally – always make time to be creative. If you have a talent, use it. The spent doing the things you love will make you a better person. Time spent alone, concentrating on a creative outlet wil make you a stronger and more well rounded individual. Always keep your mind open to new things and do not dismiss the opinions of others. You do not have to agree, but you should at least listen. From one human to another, this is all we really want from each other. To be heard.

So, maybe being from gen-x is not the worst thing in the world. We have a good handle on the future, based on the past, and we are able to overcome obstacles. Environmental issues? No problem! We will reduce, reuse, and recycle like rock stars. Bad economy? Please! We will downsize until things bounce back. Need a new tech? Of course! We will be working on the future of the tech that was introduced to us as children, because that is what we do. We are problem solvers and we will not quit until we have found solutions for everything. Moving forward, making the future brighter, this is what we slackers are all about. Don’t think that slacker is a negative nickname. It is the fuel that we need to change the world. And, mark my words, we ost certainly will. We should embrace the titles that older generations have given to our generation. Coffeehouses and grunge music were the beginning of our enlightenment. Don’t worry, Eeyore can still be our gen-x mascot. We will just make the Eeyore in each of us see the future in a brighter light. Eeyore can still be a downer and a doer at the same time. It is possible to be a walking contradiction and nobody knows this better than those of us born between 1965 and 1980. Go go gen-x! Rock it out and leave the boomers and the millenials in your dust!

Peace and Happy Fixing!
Chantale aka hippiegrrl

Links apropos
so maybe the slackers had it right after all
how generation x got the shaft but can still keep everything from sucking
eeyore

18 March 20122 July 2017

Rochester NY or The Place To Be

“I’m a pixie, I’m a paper doll, I’m a cartoon” Ani Difranco

Music has always had an effect on me. It brings memories rushing to the surface, good and bad. When my iPod shuffles to an Ani D song that I have not heard in a while, most likely my thoughts will turn to Rochester, NY.

This past week, there was a flower show in the “flower city” and a few people that I follow on twitter were in attendance. In an attempt to make sure they enjoyed their visit, I suggested a few establishments to peruse while off from the show. Unfortunately, they were unable to visit these places, but I want to highlight them here, for future visitors to one of my favourite cities. Even though I retuned to Buffalo, NY, for work, I still miss Rochester and hope that the writer and I will be able to return some day and make our life work there.

In the meantime, we are only an hours drive away from some great restaurants, art galleries, film houses and cafes. Here is a sampling of some great places to see the next time you visit RaChaCha.

Those of you that know me probably figure that the first place I will talk about is Java’s on Gibbs. This is one of my favourite places to hang out while visiting, but the last time the writer and I were in town we found a place that I enjoyed even more, amazingly enough. That place was Boulder Coffee Company on Alexander Street. The atmosphere was very relaxing and the coffee was wonderful. I did not get that usual acidic reaction, like I do at Javas, where I have to quickly reach for my papaya tablets to fend of agita. I was able to drink the whole cup without incident and the sandwich was extra yum. I did not feel like I was in the way, as I usually do at Java’s, since the tables and chairs were set up in a good proximity to one another.

Let me stop for a moment to talk about this phenomenon of feeling “in the way”. This is something that women have to deal with, on a conscious or unconscious basis, daily. Men do not seem to have this issue, usually. This relates to the power dynamics that still persist in our society. Men are looked upon as being powerful, and this is normalized, by taking up as much space as they need and want. Women, for the most part, often strive to make themselves smaller. Either through the crossing of legs, the squeezing into girdles and spanx, or by not eating to become smaller mass-wise. These are ways in which women have had to live in order to not make a “spectacle” of the themselves. When a woman sits “like a man” with legs uncrossed she is either given dirty looks, in order to make her comply, or she is looked upon as “masculine” as if this is a bad thing. The norm, in American society, is for men to be in power and women to be subordinate. Even in these days of feminism and moving toward equality, these ideals still persist, under the surface. They rise up at times to push women back into their proverbial cubbyholes and, in essence, keep them in line with the norms. Two steps forward, one step back. This is the plight of feminism in the 21st century. I will continue this in my next post, on Ren Faires, so stay tuned. In the meantime, back to Rochester…

A place that the writer and I love to eat is on Park Avenue. Actually, there are two favourite places on Park. The first is Hogan’s Hideaway and the second, Magnolia’s. Hogan’s has the best Reubens and Crabcake sandwiches that we have had and the beer selection is sufficient. We enjoy hanging out in the bar area or sitting in the dining room as the atmosphere of both spaces is very relaxed.

Magnolias has the best paninis and pizzas in town and a great selection of craft beers to drink with lunch or to take home in six pack form. While living in Corn Hill, the writer and I made the effort to visit Magnolias many times. The service there is very homey and the food is fantastic. The seating is not the most comfortable, but the summer months bring one of the best patios in the city, well worth the trip.

If brunch is more your style, Jines is the place to be. Also on Park Avenue, this establishment has the BEST stuffed French toast you will find in the city. A few other diner locations, such as Gitsie’s, Jay’s, or Mark’s all serve awesome breakfasts, but for brunch I would definitely recommend Jine’s. Even if there is a wait to be seated, it is well worth it.

Leaving behind food and drink, let me tell you about a few entertainment venues that are not to be missed while visiting RaChaCha. If you are looking to see a great indie film, the Little Theatre on East Avenue, is the place to be. The Cinema, on South Clinton at South Goodman, offers low prices for second run movies and a great old theatre to view them in. This theatre was, and most likely still is, home to the R.I.T. Film studies program senior project screenings. The writer’s classmates had their senior screenings here and it was the perfect venue for these events.

The George Eastman House is a great tour to take while visiting and if you time it right, you can also partake in a screening of an old or indie film. Just wandering the house and gift shoppe are a great way to spend the afternoon. The second floor has a very interesting, although morbid, case that tells a bit of the George Eastman history that is not to be overlooked. Eccentric and fabulously wealthy, George Eastman was nothing if not ostentatious and this tour proves it.

As museums go, the Memorial Art Gallery has an excellent collection to view. Located on University Avenue, it is connected to the University of Rochester and houses several collections of fine and craft arts. For the kids, the Strong Museum of Play is a great place to spend an afternoon. Many interactive displays are present and will keep the kids and the adults busy.

If walking is what you enjoy, Rochester boasts several parks and recreational areas right in the city limits. A favourite, from my time living in the city, was Highland Park. Movies in the park are put on at the Highland Bowl in the summer months, as well as Shakespeare in the Park. The Lilac Festival is held here in mid-May each year and the lilacs themselves are a wonderful addition to any walk through the park. An afternoon in the park with a journal to write in, a good book to read, or an excellent cup of coffee can make any week more enjoyable.

For live theatre buffs, the best place in the city is the Geva Theatre. Celebrating the 40th season this year, the Geva has been putting on excellent regional theatre productions since 1972. If you are looking for a great performance, look no further than the Geva. For great live bands, the place to visit is the Bug Jar, on Monroe Avenue. This venue hosts dj nights as well and, if nothing else, it is worth a trip for a beer and a gander at the “bug fan”.

I hope that you enjoy your next visit to Rochester. Writing about it has made me want to pack up the car and get away. Maybe next weekend, see you there!

Peace and happy day tripping,
Chantale aka hippiegrrl

22 November 20112 July 2017

from the archives – we love coffee! 11 october 2007

coffee is one of the best reasons to get up in the morning. at least that is how i feel about it. it was quite easy for me to become addicted to this liquid while working in a cafe. one free pound of beans per week and as much coffee as i could ingest during my shift was enough to get me hooked. who wouldn’t get addicted?

at that time, in the mid-late 90’s, i must admit that i was pretty much in the dark about coffee. i knew nothing about fair trade, shade grown or bird friendly coffee. i didn’t realize the effect that the coffee i was drinking had on people in hot climates picking beans for less than $1.00 per pound.

then one day the mail came and there was a coffee trade magazine in the mix. since we weren’t that busy i decided to sit and read up on the coffee industry. i came across this great article about an organization called “coffee kids”. their mission was simple –

to help coffee-farming families improve the quality of their lives.

reading on in the article i learned the following –

•Coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world economy, after oil.
•The global coffee industry $60 billion annually. Coffee farmers earn as little as 4 cents a pound for the coffee they pick by hand.
•For every pound of gourmet coffee sold, small-coffee farmers receive between 12¢ and 25¢.
•25 million families around the world work in the coffee-fields and totally depend on the coffee crop as their only source of income.

these statistics are mind boggling, considering we were selling pounds of coffee at our cafe for anywhere from $9-$15 per pound (and even higher for types such as kenya aa ($25/pound) and jamaica blue mountain ($30/pound). after reading the article, i spoke to our district manager to find out if there was any way that we could start looking into fair trade coffee. i was told to speak to the owner of the cafe i worked for. a few days later i had a conversation with our owner and was told that fair trade coffee was too expensive. this answer coming from a lady that drove around in a bmw and lived in a good size home while paying her own employees well below the standard for baristas in the coffeehouse industry. i’m not sure where i thought i would get with my suggestion, but i had hoped to see a little bit of goodwill on the part of the company i worked for.

needless to say, this was the beginning of the end for me at that particular coffee establishment. it was sort of the last straw to find that my employer wouldn’t even consider something that would make the company better global citizens and, in the long run, help many people in need. fair trade is important. it saves lives and mends families.

if you are a coffee drinker (or tea totaller, cocoa consumer or chocolate fanatic) please consider buying fair trade for these products. whenever you visit your favourite coffeehouse be sure to ask for fair trade products. if each of us does our part to keep up the push on these coffee places, eventually everyone will carry the best and most conscious products available. and believe me, the cup of coffee that you know helped the whole supply chain better their lives is the best cuppa java you will ever sip!

peace – hippiegrrl

links of use for this topic…

frankenbucks campaign from organic consumers
fair trade federation
global exchange
make trade fair from oxfam international

where to find fair trade products in Buffalo and Rochester –
Lexington Co-Operative Market
Abundance Co-Operative Market
One World Goods
The Coffee Connection
Java’s
Lori’s Natural Foods