One of the many joys of working in the nightshift is that you get to leisurely enjoy your breakfast– something that I can’t say when I used to be a dayshifter.
If you are young enough to remember, there used to be a TV commercial which shows a husband who, when accosted by his wife on whether he’d like to have breakfast before he goes to work, replied guiltily- ‘Coffee na lang, Dear’.
While it may have been a marketing success, truth is, that commercial is a true picture of thousands, if not millions, of Filipino employees(we now number around 88Million++ so this is entirely plausible) all over the land. Working stiffs, those who must bear the crime, grime, & traffic jam of a daytime Metro Manila, can easily relate to that husband’s predicament.
In one hand, the husband wants to share some meaningful morning moments with the wife, while on the other, the unpleasant prospect of reporting to work late. In the end he had to settle with a compromise, ergo, ‘Coffee na lang, Dear.’ This is a classic solution that gives the impression of giving in to all parties concerned, albeit totally unsatisfactory. As my shrewd Significant Other time and again says to me – ‘Dearie, love is love, but business is business.’
ooOoo
I am having breakfast at KopiRoti (hence the title) as I’m writing this– churning out sentences in between sips of a robust Tehtarik and nibbles of Kaya toast. The poached eggs that go with the set is also just right. I have tried this meal before when a friend introduced it to me in a KopiRoti place KL. It’s a very light meal that is surprisingly very satisfying. That’s why when I saw this cafe open near my office, I couldn’t be more happier.
As I continued to nibble on my toast, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of schadenfreude in watching the scurrying workers trying to beat their designated time-ins. I could imagine that some of them would already be pretty stressed by the time they reach their cubicles even at this early hour, which is a crying shame.
Oh well, c’est la vie. Char.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this place and thus, I’m adding it to my list of places to try on my next visit to Manila.
While you’re leisurely sipping tea, some of your colleagues are enjoying their cold beer somewhere early in the morning. Ibang klase!