Perspective Practice- Ashlyn

 The smell of freshly ground coffee beans permeates the air, the sounds of milk whistling while it steams mixed with the little conversations going on at every table are the only things to be heard. I try my best to pour some fun design into the latte I’m making, only really being successful at some sort of floral-y design. When I call out the drink, probably something like a dark matter latte with soy, nobody comes to grab it off the counter. I yell again, louder, “DARK MATTER WITH SOY,” and someone finally grabs it. The tip container next to the register is jam-packed (yesss), the dish bin is empty, the sandwich case is flipped into new containers and rewrapped. There’s finally some calm after hours of nonstop espresso pulling, milk steaming, and bagel toasting. It’s about 5:15pm, I’ve been here since 9:56 and have about an hour and fifteen to go. My coworker, Emma, asks me what I’m having for dinner tonight as she does every time we work together. “Probably sticky soy chickpeas or tofu with coconut rice and broccoli,” I reply. 

The cafe is relatively calm and quiet for the amount of people in here, many are quietly talking amongst themselves or working on their computers with their air-pods in. I’m sitting, drinking this dirty chai that had an attempted latte art design that was almost phallic looking. The sound of milk screaming as it aerates and the coffee and espresso grinders going are the most noticeable sounds. The two people behind the bar seem pretty calm even as they take order after order, working to get each one out as quickly as they can. The one with the brownish hair and bangs yells out for some dark latte with soy milk, nobody comes which is kind of awkward. They yell out again, the cafe gets a little quieter as people actually begin to listen, and this time someone sitting at the table next to me gets up to grab it and take it back to their table. As the last customer in line receives their order, I see the two quickly but efficiently cleaning up the area behind the bars and bringing the big black bin of dishes into the backroom. They seem to be having some small talk happening, but I can’t hear any of it or make out what they’re saying. I notice that it’s already 5:20, so I start to collect myself and my drink to head out.