Despite my attempts to rationalize why I should'nt spend
$4.00 plus everyday on my chai fix, I find myself giving equal justifications
for why I DESERVE to spend at least THAT much on myself on a daily basis.
But the beauty about being alive is to know that these sort of challenges
are there to be dealt with, AND that whatever decisions are made for or against
is purely by self choice.
I have always been a connoisseur of great, strong, flavorful chai; being somewhat of a snob towards weak and anemic tasting versions of the same...scoffing at and passing over cafes which I thought would not have what I was looking for. So, as readers know from previous blogs, my regular stand-by is Peet's Tea & Coffee.
I pretty much know the locations of a Peet's in the Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda areas of the East Bay; and am somewhat familiar with several spots in San Francisco -- Besides its' great taste, what draws me to the steaming hot soy chai latte is knowing that it allows me for a very brief moment to have an alter ego.
Picture this scenario. (Early morning coffee crowd, queued in line for the next barista): "Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Peet's, we will be with you shortly".
I have always been a connoisseur of great, strong, flavorful chai; being somewhat of a snob towards weak and anemic tasting versions of the same...scoffing at and passing over cafes which I thought would not have what I was looking for. So, as readers know from previous blogs, my regular stand-by is Peet's Tea & Coffee.
I pretty much know the locations of a Peet's in the Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda areas of the East Bay; and am somewhat familiar with several spots in San Francisco -- Besides its' great taste, what draws me to the steaming hot soy chai latte is knowing that it allows me for a very brief moment to have an alter ego.
Picture this scenario. (Early morning coffee crowd, queued in line for the next barista): "Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Peet's, we will be with you shortly".
(My turn in line for ordering, a chipper voice loudly greets): "Fatimah, good morning. How are you today?" I look behind me to see if there was a Fatimah-looking hijabed-wearing person...noticing nobody fitting that description, I take it that the warm greeting was directed towards me...smiling ever so serenely, I answered back, "Oh, I am just great!...will even be more so after I get my cup of soy chai..." Thus, began my "other" identity -- the chai persona of Fatimah.
Whenever a barista asks for my name, I simply say "Fatimah". Today, I was asked if that was with an "h" or "without the h at the end?"...Ha, I am Fatimah with an "H", I said to the young man behind the counter; smiling secretly to myself, I felt like a fugitive with an alias.
So then, last night I walked in to the same Peet's Coffee to purchase my stash for an early morning flight out of the Bay Area, and guess what? This barista recognized me from previous visits, and before I can give her my name, she said, "Aiesha"!
