Over a Coffee

Coffee – a universal drink. The start into the day… a break in-between… a social occasion, meeting people, talking, chatting, debating. At home, on the street, in the car, in office, in a train, while sitting down, ‘to go’.

In India coffee is sold from small, shaky, street stalls. Water boiling in simple kettles or pots, then mixed with spices, coffee powder and milk, poured back and forth before served in small glasses or tiny ceramic mugs. For take-away coffee is poured into small plastic bags and wrapped with a rubber band. On trains or at markets, coffee wallahs are roaming around with huge thermos flasks – ‘Chai, coffee – coffee, chai!’ – the readily made drink is in high demand and enjoyed between piles of potatoes and garlic, fruits or flowers.