Say you have met someone who is worth a little more of your time. What do you do? No way can you jump straight to a dinner meet without sounding like a desperado, right? So what should be your approach? Java, by Jove!
Clearer than “Let’s have dinner” and less suggestive than “Let’s grab a drink” — the phrase “Let’s do coffee” signals something casual and yet intentional. There can be no better way to shift the gears of a relationship out of inactivity than a carefully planned coffee date.
Mae West famously said, “If I asked for a cup of coffee, someone would search for the double meaning” — but a coffee date does not always signify romance. In fact, it can do a lot more than cause the fluttering of hearts. It creates a bond (with strangers who happen to be there) or is a great hangout (with friends) or simply gives you the perfect setting to rejuvenate your brain cells. “Let’s meet for coffee” today occupies a very important place in the social network and is perhaps the most unique and socially accepted suggestion — and quite rightly the most accepted tool of human interaction and socialisation all over the world.
There are no two schools of thought when it comes to discussing its genuineness or objective. It causes no eyebrow-raising or smirks and neither does it suggest dishonest intentions and if you need reconfirmation of that, do a quick re-run of Friends.
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Black or bitter
“We are busy. We have a mile-long list of things to do, eat on the run, our weekends are filled with chores spilled over from work week. Dinner, you say? You got to be kidding,” says Stella Okunya. “Coffee meet-ups win over lunch and dinner anytime, chiefly due to its style and the elusive element called time. Not to mention that it is easy on your wallet and diet too.”
Coffee is one of the oldest drinks to connect itself to a social activity; the social activity of drinking together as a group is, in fact, an almost uniquely human activity. Drinking, at some point in human history, came to be the most acceptable forms of human interaction and socialisation all over the world. Plus, no one is going to raise a frown if you repeated your coffee runs with new people. After all — “it’s only coffee”.
“How many times have you said, let’s do lunch and it never happened? And, I am single. The only way I can even meet new people is over coffee. A lot can happen over coffee, but not enough to put you off from going on another coffee date,” says Elmer Reyes, oozing confidence only a regular coffee lover can manage. “Coffee also helps stimulate conversation and puts you in a better mood while you enjoy it, because you never know what or who have fetched up any way. Coffee makes things easier.”
Almost every adult on this planet has visited a coffee house at some point of his life, even those who do not like coffee or do not even drink coffee are aware of coffee houses being a place of socialising and meeting. It is interesting that coffee, one of the world’s most popular drinks, one that is consumed in such large quantities in different parts of the world, would become a centre of gathering for people. But it has paid off.
“I am not the most social person and tend to get wrapped up in family and work often. Never really get the chance to meet people unless there is any major event or occasion. But usually I am okay for coffee — one, it is quicker, informal (and you do look stylish sipping coffee rather than having to suck up the long noodle strands or chomp away on pizzas), two, it is a great socialiser and, three, it is not a huge investment of time.”
“It’s just a few minutes and if the meeting isn’t going well, no worries — it will be over in a few minutes — or faster if you can gulp down the brew. It is also warmer and more personable than sending emails,” according to Supreet Dhiman.
Bonding over coffee
In the fast-paced city of Dubai, the coffee culture has added to the sense of social security and bonding. With people having less time for themselves the sprinkling of thousands of coffee houses/shops around is really a great thing. Every building has a coffee shop where you can pop down for a cuppa and bond over the aromas.
Coffee meets are not always about catching up with friends. Pink slips have been handed over a steaming cup of coffee, new employees are introduced to coworkers, networking takes place and writers have brought out their better side with the aromas cheering them on.
Coffee shops are everywhere, and clearly coffee drinking is an international habit — some countries even value their local favourite coffee as a national treasure with different perspectives on coffee drinking. Today, the coffee houses/shops are a much more relaxed version of the ancient coffee houses — the world stops for a moment when savouring a cuppa or enjoying the company of other people, even stran-gers that happen to be there. No matter which way you look at it, nothing brings people together like coffee does.
Choosing the right place and time
While meeting new people, prepare yourself for the half-hour of casual chit chat and asking/answering questions. We don’t need to tell you what to say, but saying the right things are important. Discuss, if nothing else — coffee. You can’t go wrong with that! Then, move on to questions, the answers to which will not make you uncomfortable. Don’t worry about answering everything right. Of course, this could backfire if the person is inflicted with a self-important personality, but at least you’ll know more about the person, and it’s only 20 minutes of your life rather than an entire evening or worse.
If you must leave, always thank the person for the ‘coffee’ — your coffee mate should have this type of definite end to it, so there are no hard feelings and uncomfortable confrontations later.
Why coffee?
For one, it takes the stress out of looking your best for a dinner or movie.
- Great way to meet friends you never get to see otherwise
- Great way to size up a potential date. You won’t be looking at your watch or looking for an escape
- You can meet with purpose, or without one
- Coffee meets are informal and hence less stressful
- 1688 — Coffee attains its status as New York’s most popular brew
- It was discovered by a goat — now you know why they are frisky!
- There are 50 varieties of coffee — though Arabica and Robusta are the only commercially sold varieties
- It is the second-most traded commodity, after petrol
- Coffee drinkers that get a “cup-to–go” will wait in line for nearly a full work week a year
- Interesting facts of coffee that will make you appear well versed:
