Navigating the obligatory parade of Volvo and Saab wagons, my morning bike ride is a smooth sail through islands of free tabloid newspapers and flyers. Where else could I be but Berkeley campus, searching for the little piece of hope that just may wander between the students in hoodies, coffee-sipping professors with tucked-in bellies, and somehow constantly stunned, ethereally dirty homeless guy with the endless cigarette butt. It’s like caffeine for the eyes. I lose myself in the random reading, both my feet and my eyes wandering for a while.
Evetually I wandered into Sufficient Grounds on Durant. You’ll find the basics: coffee, muffins, fruit -- how is it that bananas are ever-present in North America again? Maybe it’s Obama’s fault, like gas prices – (a short article about a weird ad campaign from McCain’s new commercial, somehow blaming Obama for the rising oil prices..). They’ve got WiFi, and you can plug in, which is a must to keep yourself entertained. The best thing about this place is the jabber-jabber (ok, maybe the coffee is better than I thought…) of the barista, a goofy house dj who spent most of the morning introducing himself to everyone who came in (“I’m really bad with names, but…), pouring dance music knowledge into every cup free of charge, and giving a heart to an otherwise sterile room. If you need a pick me up in the morning, this place is sufficient. If you’ve graduated from college, or just from wearing hooded sweatshirts, you may want to seek new ground.
As for the headlines, it’s like listening to a promotional mix-tape a la People’s Park: “Promoting Racial Harmony” and “Ending Urban Renewal.” Is there a link? We’ll have to ask the wandering professors and homeless. Somewhere between harmony and renewal brews the truth, and it just may come from a dance party run by today’s barista.
Dance on, everyone, and enjoy your break slow. After all, if the front page dj’s the next party, it’ll be finger pointing and broken hope. Perhaps the barista has some ideas where I should wander next…
Breakfast in the Bay: Making sense of waking up since Tuesday, 2008.
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