Morning Espresso: A small pleasure within the challenges of Living In India

Sometimes small pleasures like a decent espresso can be a good way to kick start your day when living in India.

Living in India is beautiful as challenging, what can be better than starting your day with a decent espresso?

I just moved into a new apartment with my best Italian friend in Bangalore and, since I lived before in an closed apartment complex, there are some new things that I am trying to get used to. The new house is very cozy and comfortable in a quiet neighborhood right in front of a park.

The first things I noticed is that I have to stand dogs that you see sleeping all day just to bark endlessly during the night. Once I am able to sleep, the next thing that happens in chronological order is people playing in the park around 6:00am.

I haven’t figured though if they are playing cricket or soccer, but that’s irrelevant, it’s still noisy. I remark the possibility about them playing soccer because for the lack of sport spaces it’s been months since I don’t play and I would like to join them… in the afternoon of course.

Next to the house there is a small kindergarten for which between 8:20 to 8:45am there is some traffic. The problem is of course not the cars dropping kids for school, but the fact that people have no respect whatsoever for residential areas and they honk like if there was no tomorrow, regardless weather if they are parents, auto/taxi drivers or motorbikes.

So once I get up in the morning I feel already a bit tired of not being able to get good sleep at night. The good news is that the house is literally a three-minute scooter drive to my office, so I can “wake” up a little later than before. Moreover, I have one of the most decent coffee shops in town around the corner on my way to work.

At this point what is making up my day nowadays is when I arrive to the counter and say “Hi, can I have an Espresso, one shot please…”, for what the nice and gentle Indian lady answers me back: “Sure sir, would you like it single or double?…”

You know what?, just get me a chai!