Cafe Society

Life goes on (#1) - click for larger pic

The scene: Evening, a branch of Coffeebean & Tea Leaf at our neighbourhood mall Bishan Junction 8. Ampulets being nosey and no-life.

J: [Right after the girls beside us leave] So, so, did you hear what they were talking about?
Y: Yup, bits of it. I think the girl who's sitting on your side, she's heart broken.
J: Oh, is it? I heard the other one girl say "I really want that job."
Y: Yah, I heard that too. But most of the time, she was giving her friend advice about what to do with that no use boyfriend. Funny, the things she said...I mean, not humourous-funny. Anyway, I don't think her friend really heard any of what she said.
J: Those 2 guys over there look like they were saying something pretty interesting too.
Y: [turning around to look] Hmm...
J: Hey, all these conversations going on everywhere, I always find it strange how many of them are talking about similar things or topics - and sometimes I think what it'll be like if we can connect them!
Y: What do you mean? (is this another of your silly ideas again, J?)
J: Connect them, like an operator...
Y: Oh, I get it. Like with the girls just now, we can introduce them to the guys over there, and say - "you know, what you were saying just now, he has the same problem but he's got a new perspective on that! Maybe you two should talk."
J: Yah, like a chatroom with these strings of conversation that can be linked.
Y: That's not too bad an idea...
J: I was also thinking of making these recordings of the noise at all the different cafes, of all these bits of conversations and music mixed up together, then label them individually and play them back at home... cheaper than coming out here for a coffee! Actually if you listen, all the places sound quite different, and depending on the time of the day and week.
Y: Seow ah! (crazy!) You mean when friends come over to our place for coffee, we can ask them - "So, what do you feel like today? do you want Starbucks on a weekday night? Or the coffeeshop downstairs in the morning?" Then you will play the recording as background noise?!?
J: Don't you think it'll be quite interesting, all these different sounds...

Well friends, next time when we ask you over for dinner or a post-dinner coffee, whatever you ask DJ TOHOA to play... it won't be another elevator compilation of Cafe del Mar.