Café Stories

Since I’ve been back in Graz I’ve already been way too often my favorite café, the Café Promenade (now you know where the name of this blog is loosely derived from.) And the longer I come here, the more and more I learn about people, their everyday struggles, experiences and enjoyments that make us all human.

At the moment of writing this paragraph I am witnessing the ongoing torture of a young couple not far away from my table. They have been sitting here for over an hour and although I am not able or willing to follow every sentence it is clear that she embarrassed him during a Christmas celebration and he was about to break up with her. Every time she muttered a word with her broken voice he jumps at her “what?!”. She bursts into tears, he softened and pronounced the matter closed, only to dig it up all over again, she in tears again — it’s horrible to watch. In the end both agreed that “it never happened” and after another hour both were laughing again.

I like the diversity of events taking place in the café. People are sitting alone, reading, writing, together with some loved ones or just with business partners for a quick espresso during a break.

Alone today I witnessed an interview of an old Professor for some young student’s master’s thesis, who was eager not to miss a single word while taping and taking notes the words from the elder.
I witnessed three people analyzing small businesses in Graz, talking and discussing their own point of interest over and over again and finally agreed to found a company.
I overhead the conversation of a local project manager with the head of department of a German heart-disease research center discussing about funding and course of actions for 2009.

I really like sitting in the café doing my work, because I discovered long ago that I like to be alone among others. When developing photos in Lightroom, painting in Photoshop or just working on some of my pet-projects I like other people around minding their own business and talking to each other.

Interesting stories unfold in long conversations, evocative images in the tale an exchange student was telling to her friend or small but entertaining everyday-events take place in the cafe. It is a mix between listening to audiobooks and watching TV, all with an interactive and social touch. It seems that is why so many artists and especially essayists have found in the café fertile grounds of inspiration.

Since I've been back in Graz I've already been way too often my favorite café, the Café Promenade (now you know where the name of this blog is loosely derived from.) And the longer I come here, the more and more I learn about people, their everyday struggles, experiences and enjoyments that make us ...

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