I Got This Damn Coffee Served On A Silver Plate

Summary

The author reflects on the privilege of enjoying a simple luxury like a coffee in a cafe amidst global suffering and conflict.

Abstract

The author, despite feeling unwell, chooses to work from home to avoid spreading illness but maintains a routine by visiting a local cafe for coffee. This routine highlights a personal luxury that the author has indulged in regularly for 24 years, amounting to a significant financial investment. The enjoyment of this daily coffee is juxtaposed with the author's awareness of the less fortunate, including those affected by conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine, as well as global issues of hunger and poverty. The author feels a mix of appreciation and guilt, recognizing the disparity between their comfortable situation and the hardships faced by others around the world.

Opinions

The author values personal interaction and prefers working in an office environment for their well-being.
Despite being ill, the author appreciates the ability to work from home and the option to visit a nearby cafe for coffee.
The author is conscious of public health concerns, mentioning the lingering "Covid Mania" and the social stigma attached to coughing in public.
There is a sense of loyalty and routine in the author's choice of cafe, evidenced by the significant amount spent on coffee over the years.
The author experiences a moment of reflection and guilt, acknowledging their own privilege while others suffer from war, poverty, and hunger.
The author empathizes with victims of conflict, including those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, and other parts of the world, as well as with the less fortunate in their own country.

How many people did not get their coffee served at all, this morning?

created with Canva by the author

I had a severe cough and did not feel well at all. After dragging myself to work for many days, I finally decided to work from home and not go to the office.

I do not like to work from home. I feel much better in the office among my colleagues. Having personal contact is quintessential for my wellbeing.

But I was not completely dead yet. I was still able to cycle to my cafe nearby to get my daily brew. I just needed to avoid coughing. Nowadays people would look at you if your cough would sound too scary. The Covid Mania was still sitting deep in peoples mind.

“Small Latte?”, the waitress asked me at the counter. She chopped my coffee card and I tapped my debit card for payment.

I enjoyed sitting at my favourite place near the window on the bench with my back to the wall. I prefer benches and back rests at my age. But I liked them already as a young adult.

This cafe alone earned a staggering 52 weeks times every workday times one coffee from me in just one year. That calculates to around 260 times $6 SGD, which adds up to 1560 SGD a year. I am 24 years in Singapore. Wow, I spend about 36 thousand Singapore Dollars just for coffee on workdays.

Why do I mention this?

Well, the moment the waitress served me my “Small Latte” in that beautiful glass in that beautiful cafe-house, which was just around the corner, I felt deeply appreciative but guilty as well.

Am I living in paradise?

Suddenly all those, who could not afford to have this kind of luxury cafe experience this morning came to my mind.

There are a hell of people out there suffering, hungry, thirsty, alone, hurt physically and mentally.

I was thinking of the innocent people of Palestine, suffering under Hamas and bombarded by the soldiers of Israel. I was thinking about the people from Israel and other countries who have been massacred by Hamas just a few days ago. The young Russian soldiers came to my mind, who were forced to fight a senseless war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people suffering from the Russian soldiers’ atrocities. Kids starving and dying and suffering from hunger in many countries around the world. Let alone the people in our own countries, who struggle to make ends meet.

And I am sitting here as if I would be one of the selected ones.

Safe and well and sipping my coffee.