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The importance of a local cafe


Do all universities have a particular coffee shop favoured by many staff and students to work and/or meet others? I know for me at Waikato, it is Kahurangi, affectionately known as Stacy’s after the excellent and personable Barrista  who leads the team there. Stacy listens to people’s joys and woes as he makes excellent coffee, all with a smile on his dial. I go there in the morning to sort through emails, meet colleagues there for regular meetings, and sometimes just go there to write outside the four walls of my office.

My café of choice here in Tucson is Bentley’s just on the outskirts of the University of Arizona campus. Most mornings I head there to sort through my email and do a bit of writing, before heading to the Worlds of Words library. As I am living on my own here, the buzz of human conversation, and the brief but pleasant interactions with the staff is a very welcome start to the day.
I see some professors there every morning, probably doing the same as me- emails and writing. I have also overheard tables of adjunct tutors with their professor, discussing the start of teaching for the new semester. There is an older man who is there every day with French language textbooks, doing some language learning, and a myriad of students studying or just catching up. I’m told other community members meet there too, including groups of parents planning parties for their children who are graduating high school. It is a real community hub with a great atmosphere, including changing exhibitions of local artists.

The menu includes some items we don’t see on a New Zealand menu, including a breakfast taco, and lots of varieties of iced tea. My preferred option is two eggs ‘over easy’, (i.e. soft) with wholemeal toast and a bowl of fruit. It feels like the perfect start to the day with a decaffeinated café latte using ‘skim’ (rather than trim) milk. I still have to concentrate quite hard to get the terminology right (especially in the morning), but it is starting to come out a little more easily.

Classes have started back up here, and last night I attended a class which I have been waiting for called 'The Art of the Picturebook'. It has a very strong reputation and is being co-taught by my host, Professor Kathy Short and Dr. Seemi Aziz. Each three hour session on a Wednesday includes time for thinking about the picturebook, and then time for trying out different techniques relating to the art in the picturebooks in a studio. Absolutely fabulous! I can't wait for the next session.

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