It Would Seem as Though I’ve Been Stood Up
Judging by the contents of my table at the coffee shop, I’ve been stood up. This is because there are two iced drinks at my table: an iced chai with soy milk (my all-time favorite this time of year)* and an iced latte (also with soy milk, although not nearly as good as the chai).
Why do I have two drinks? I wish I could say it was something dramatic—something like having been stood up—but the truth isn’t nearly as interesting. The barrista simply heard my order incorrectly and thought I’d asked for a soy latte instead of a chai latter with soy milk.
Usually I don’t make a fuss when this sort of thing happens; I’ve worked retail and I never, EVER want to be the sort of problem customer who I used to rant about when I worked at The Shop.
But it’s hot.
So hot that the Philly schools closed early two days in a row last week.
I want my iced drink.
And I want the iced drink I ordered.
So I ask, politely and apologetically, and I’m instantly granted a new drink. I’m also told to keep the old one, which is why I now look like a L-O-S-E-R who’s been stood up.
But enough about my drink. Let’s talk about the ol’ stand up, shall we?
As far as I can recall, I’ve only been stood up once. It was in high school, and I think it was more a case of mixed communication (coupled with my rather delusional notions of romance as a teenager) than anything else.
His name was Noé. At least that was the name he’d selected for himself upon arrival at Concordia Language Village Spanish Immersion Summer Camp (I picked “Otilia” for myself). He was assigned to Casa Argentina and I was in Casa Uruguay and whenever both of our cabins were on kitchen prep together, we totally hit it off. So much so that we exchanged emails at the end of the week and made tentative plans to meet up in New York sometime.
Mind you, they guy-to-girl ration at the Concordia Language Villages is way off. Despite my phenomenal Shakira impersonation during the camp-wide talent show, some hoochie mama from Casa Espana (the other all-girls cabin) kept “volunteering” to help with kitchen prep whenever Casa Argentina was on dinner detail.
Nevertheless, I hatched an ingenuous plan. I contrived to take a day trip to New York a few weeks later, took class at Broadway Dance Center (back in day when Broadway Dance Center still existed) and spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for Noé to turn up. Surprise, surprise, he never did.
I’ve since learned that although “sometime” might mean the Saturday after next to a teenage girl, it means something entirely different to a teenage boy. I never heard from him again.
In retrospect, I’ve been pretty lucky. Aside from a few crazy mix ups in grad school (most of which were due to my unfortunate taste in men), I’ve been fortunate. None of that sitting around by myself with two coffees and only one person to drink them—at least not until this little chai latte mix up, which, as you know, is an entirely different story.
*My actual all-time favorite this time of year is the Dark Berry Mocha Frappucino from Starbucks—a scrumptious combination of raspberries and dark chocolate— but they don’t make them in this country. Evidently, Starbucks doesn’t think the American palate is sophisticated enough to appreciate the Dark Berry Mocha Frappucino (which is why they’re only available in the UK) but I’d like to beg to differ. In fact, if you’re reading this and you have a direct line to the Starbucks CEO or whoever it is that decides which drinks to serve, please tell him/her that I would like to order a Dark Berry Mocha Frappucino please. Thank you.
Kat Echevarría Richter 
11 Responses to “It Would Seem as Though I’ve Been Stood Up”
I don’t have a DIRECT line to those people but I DO have a few contacts I can ask about it. And there’s a place on the sbux homepage that you can leave suggestions at. Just bombard them, and have everyone who reads your blogs bombard them, and at some point that may bring it over. It’s happened before. And that sounds similar to the Dark Cherry Mocha we had a few years back. It did’t do well unfortunately. But that’s probably because the cherry tasted like cough syrup. Anyways, good luck!
Yeah, I think the raspberry vs. cherry is a CRUCIAL difference 🙂
So sorry you were stood up. That sucks.
I don’t remember this guy at Spanish camp and there for I think he was just a figment of your imagination to get through the horrible 2 weeks of camp. Anyway, did you confirm the plans via email a day or 2 before? If not, you were not stood up.
Haha! He was totally NOT a figment of my imagination… and we never did confirm plans so I don’t suppose it really counts. Also, remember how you ate the birthday cake that Mom mailed to you to give to me? HAHA 🙂
Starbucks in the States does have Raspberry syrup… you could add it to a Mocha Frappucino and achieve a similar result since the Mocha syrup is a dark, bittersweet chocolate. They just don’t advertise the combination. You could also try an Iced Raspberry Mocha (same delicious taste, way healthier); people order them all the time at the Starbucks where I work. Hope this helps!
Good advice– I guess I just have to get a bit more creative when placing my order?
Oh my! Dark chocolate and raspberries would have to be my favorite flavor combination. How dare they say only UK palates are sophisticated enough to enjoy it. Up here in Canada I’m wiling to bet I wouldn’t be the only one lining up to buy one of those. Fortunately Rachel’s suggestions sound way easier than attempting to change Starbuck’s mind.
Pat
I soooo want a dark berry mocha frappucino. I’ve never tasted them but it sounds delicious. I wonder if they have them in the Belgian airport…..no Starbucks in Brussels city center. 😦 I’m suggesting that you run a weekly feature onyour blog on beverages. You have great taste.
You just brought back great memories to me. I spent two summers high in the Swiss Alps as a counselor at the English language camp. My ‘casa’ was “O’Connell” Street and it was there (strangely enough) that I was introduced to all things American as the majority of the staff came from the States. Also, the Starbucks-es here in Ireland are full of dark berry frappucinos. Thats not where its at though: you need to get your hands on an iced orange mocha only available in Bewleys in Dublin.
Oh man… I think a trip to Ireland is in order!