the church of Mocha.

I have finally found sanctuary where I can come and relax and feel relieved and refreshed. It is not a church belonging to someones god, but rather a small cafe called Mocha, the first truly calm and sophisticated place in this whole city. I am here with a borrowed laptop, [I am still kicking myself for not bringing my own], using the free wi-fi and I plan to sit here all day long because it is Saturday. I don't have to hurry and get to a classroom nor am I paying per half-hour to use the Internet and I don't have someone telling me to hurry up. Here, I can count on being left alone for hours at a time because the service here is terrible and none of the locals will bother me. All I have to do it keep ordering mango cakes and lattes and I can count on some peace and quiet. Plus, this place is air conditioned so I might just park myself here for the rest of the weekend.

Mocha has a huge (and pricey) menu of all the fancy coffee drinks that I have gone so many weeks without. I am sitting on a small bean bag chair in a little booth and there are hookahs adorning the walls and sparkle curtains separating booths for people that want more privacy. I am all alone in this half of the cafe because there is a flat screen tv in the next room and everyone is crowded around it watching the latest cricket match.
Inside the cafe, the lights are kind of dim and it is a little hard to see the anything but my blaring computer screen, it is dark in here even though it is noon and bright outside. In addition, they are playing the most cliche cafe music ever invented, Coldplay, Jack Johnson, Regina Spektor...

Outside on the patio there are tables full of kids smoking sheesha (flavored tobacco) under painted balconies and there is a small waterfall full of lotus flowers running through the middle of the courtyard. It is so pretty... something from a tourist magazine, full of all the stereotypes on what South India should look like.

I am stoked to have some time to chill. I have very little time here in India to be alone and do whatever I want. Even on our days off we often travel in groups to other towns and we have to work around each others schedules and priorities. I have forgotten how much I like being able to decide when and where I will do something. I think I am going to do this more often.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/12/22/stories/2005122200460100.htm

Link to an article about Mocha in The Hindu. I think there's a picture in there somewhere.


My mango smoothie has arrived! Gotta go.

-S