THE GREEN LOGO

      Haven't you noticed how star bucks has taken the place of megamalls , theme parks and fast food chains ? .today star bucks spells gimmick .Suddenly everyone is mad about coffee and is willing to spend a whoing hundered bucks for one tall mocha frappe or one Grande iced coffee , everyone claims its different, its something to die for .Instead of catching a nice flick at the cinema, the Filipinos new idea of fun is to voluntarily park their buns at the cafe shop and gulp all the caffeine they can muster. No one knows exactly why star bucks has become the hot spot , when what they serve is just a foamed version of cheap coffee you buy over a typical grocery store for crying out loud .Oh try pointing this out to star bucks fanatics here and you can expect getting lambasted-to-

death on how little you know about coffee .get ready with the answers like "duh! star bucks isnt just coffee ! they're ground beans and processed chocolate and skimmed milk !what do you know about that?"

    

 They have a point there , though because even in the united states ,when you talk about coffee ,star bucks comes first ,their ingredients are never questionable and if I'm not mistaken star bucks is an established -since-year-brand. In short star bucks is the authority .But it ends there .Star bucks is coffee PERIOD. Certainly not the gimmick place to hangout with of some sort , not convincing enough as an alternative for the mall .this I repeat is the case in the united states.

      But star bucks invades manila and here it becomes an obsession. As you may have already seen, The interiors of star bucks cafes are all designed to create a distinct ambience .Notice the Italian-tiled flooring, to the cowboy-motif wall covering , to fancy shmancy lamps, tables and chairs crafted like those only seen in home magazines .of course who would have missed the complicated bar counter , behind which all the grinders and blenders are displayed as if to remind you they really do process your cappucino .

Me and Starbucks

    

 I mean who can resist frequenting a posh place like this ? Instead of worrying about other important things , The typical Fashionista wannabe teenage Filipino puts on her best dress , and with her fashionista friends goes straight to star bucks where she orders "one tall caramel frappe please!" This takes time to prepare , which is fine to her , she feels rewarded by the fact that the ethical barista would shout her name all across the room by the time her frappe is ready.After she claims it,she heads for the self-service corner where she takes excessive packets of extra sugar ,extra cream, an inch thick of starbucks tissue paper for her souvenir. Then she sits by the front window ,hoping someone she knows would pass by and see her drinking expensive coffee .She takes remarkably small sips in order to prolong her stay , like a real smart-ass

    

 During the entire process there is the obligatory flipping and flaunting of her nokia cellphone ,the constant eruptions of "YEAH" and "sure" here and there .You get the impression everyone in the room, is from the elite society Sector. Pathetic as it is , the Starbucks atmosphere is so contagious that it simply brings out the social climber and hypocrite in one .

    

 You have to admit that the philippine franchiser of starbucks-whoever he is- deserves credit. He's certainly not stupid and sees through us filipinos and definitely knows how to flatter us .Mr Starbucks is aware of the average filipino desire to be associated and considered among the elite because well, in reality , the average filipino is far being that .The average filipino home is less attractive that a place like starbucks, the average filipino meal is without garnishes. The average filipino environment is less comforting and convenient than the service of starbucks. But when inside Starbucks , the average Filipino is instantly made to feel hes in new York , or las Vegas or Paris or anywhere else but in manila - one probable reason why we Filipinos buy this flick .we are total suckers for anything that is western in concept .but Starbucks has gone beyond colonial mentality ;It has become a pure escapism It helps us forget about the harsh realities in life like poverty and chaos , anything that offers oblivion and temporary indulgence sells fast no matter how costly it is.

   

  With their little creativity in repackaging. The Starbucks concept is no longer just coffee , its already a religion in which we Filipinos practically worship that green logo .It is from us The promise of Starbucks very payday