Morning Coffees

IN my previous life, my morning coffee referred to my quick sip of hot nescafe in the morning before I rushed to work and let me tell you, I was always rushing for work (no matter how late work started!), or if I missed that, it would mean nescafe ais in the office canteen with a plate of very oily combination of mee and bihun goreng, reading my favorite newspaper Harian Metro (yes, we got it early but only if I get to the office by 9am or else all free copies would have been snatched by the morning cleaners!). Or it could also mean, coffee in hotels waiting for my press function to start.

In this current life, morning coffee is a gathering of a group of ladies for 2-3 hours, eating away various kinds of food, courtesy of the ladies of course, and the host of the event. In my case, it never involved any coffee. It does involve some cooking/baking, arrival hugs, eating, chatting, eating, pictures taking, eating, laughing, eating,tapau-ing and lastly departing hugs.

This month, there have been too many of them. (May has always been my favourite month cos I am a May baby, and back in college, it meant summer holidays around the corner and a road trip was going to take place.) I think almost every week, got morning coffee. I have attended three, and declined two and it's only middle of May! And I wondered if the two invitations I declined, the host felt kecil hati. I hope not because it was really nothing personal. I had promised myself to go to the gym three times a week since April and more than anything else, I want to stick to it. Morning coffee kinda spoiled this plan of mine. So I said no to two.

One thing I noticed here is there are some ladies who never went to any morning coffees that I have attended. And from small talks and whispers, I kind of assumed they are a) not coffee drinkers, b) they'd rather drink coffee at home, c) they're not the pot-luck kind of people or d)they're just not game for the hugging, the eating and the picture taking thingy.

I wonder about these ladies...why are they a no-show? Maybe they have turned up at some events where I was a no-show but at events/gathering where I have attended, I have seen their husbands and children but never the wives.

I wonder about them... are they not happy here and their absence is like a sign of protest? Or are they too happy that they don't need to be around other people to feel more happy? I just wonder about them and sometimes wonder if I could be like them? Because sometimes I do like being all by myself. Can I be like them?

Now, let me get myself another cup of coffee, log on to Harian Metro website and as Ella the Rocker would say, ENJOYS my time alone.... one thing for sure... I miss my morning coffee at News Cafe. Alone.