Blog Entry #2 - 22/09/2011

COMMUNICATION - Today while I was making barista coffee's, I focused on the communication aspect of it all.  As the cafe became busier and busier, the place was suddenly becoming flooded with conversation and communication.  As another staff member doubled up with me on the coffee machine, I noticed how we communicate with each other to get the coffee's out as quickly as possible, but also ensuring that they are to their usual high standard.  I was preparing the coffee's and doing the shots, while the other barista was preparing the milk and pouring it in to the coffees.  Our conversation is very short and sharp and clear, so that we understand where each other is at and there are no confusions.
Our typical communication sentences were like this;
"I'm doing shots for three have here cups, 2x cappa's and a flat white so I need 3 blue milk done", and "Theres two takeaways; a large trim cappuchino and a small trim hot chocolate, so you do the green milk and ill do the next order for the soy latte and long black."


I noticed when I looked around the cafe that everybody was engaged in conversation with each other looking very happy, sipping away on their hot drink.  Customers were socialising with each other, sharing similar interests, and enjoying their time around there coffee's.  Collins, S. Timothy (2011) is a barista himself and said, "Working as a barista is a great occupation and an opportunity to join others in the spontaneous and natural enjoyment of friendship and conversation around a cup of coffee."


I smiled as I noticed how this activity was bringing people together to socialise and share a sense of connection.



I read a quote from Visser (1992) which said, "We use eating as a medium for social relationships: satisfaction of the most individual of needs becomes the means of creating
community".  I understand that yes we do use eating as a medium for social relationships, but I would like to challenge this quote as to adding that we also use drinking as a medium for this also.  As I have broken the activity of making coffee down, I now understand the relationship that the activity can bring people in to.  The satisfaction from drinking a coffee, certainly becomes a means of creating community within, and relationships that form.



REFERENCE LIST


Collins, S. Timothy. (2011).  Barista coffee humor.  Article Source, retrieved from: http://EzineArticles.com/5718631

Visser M. (1992). The rituals of dinner. London: Viking, The Penguin Group