Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The mark of the beast

The evil of all corporate evils has descended upon our neighborhood - a Starbucks has opened nearby. But that isn't the scary part. The scary part is that their prices are actually comparable to the local cafes. Now I don't know when it happened that Starbucks stopped being the most expensive coffee in the neighborhood, but the fact that it isn't must be a sure sign of the apocalypse. I'm sure this guy might agree with me.

An even bigger irony - I never set foot in a Starbucks until I moved to Greece. I should be ashamed of myself.

4 comments:

Emily said...

You know, I left Thessaloniki for ten days, and when returned for goodbyes and packing I got off the bus at e kamara, saw the Starbucks and actually let out a shriek. It was just automatic. I was most displeased. I came to the conclusion that when I leave, everything goes to hell, and thus, I had to stay.

Unfortunately, I got on a plane three days later. Doubly depressing! Now I am in New York, drinking mountain tea and I might have Starbucks ice cream for dessert. It's ironic, yes.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy Starbuck because it's one of the only smoke free sanctuary in Athens. I enjoy reminding my fellow Athenians of that point too! (with the help of my friend--the big, the BAD barista named Costas...)

Plus, it's one place I can speak English and feel like I'm at home. Even at the US Embassy, I feel like I'm in Greece. So, I move to make Starbucks the Official haven for homesick Americans in Athens.

kate said...

I was kind of exciting when Starbucks started appearing in Madrid, but it was just a couple of yeras ago and therefore post-kids, which meant that my opportunities to hang out in a coffee bar, even a smoke-free one, were just about nil. We have been to the one out at the superplex with Ikea store, and the kids had muffins and tried to run wild in the small shop while I attempted to enjoy my coffee experience. It just wasn't the same.

kate said...

um, kind of excited, I meant. Oh well.