Food for thought.

Have been reading another reading for my urban design paper - about why it's so appealing and good for the soul to constantly hang out at cafes:

"The public culture of buying and eating food in public spaces brings vitality and conviviality to urban life. People may join people whom they already know, finding in restaurants and cafes the space to eat and converse with friends and family that is not available in their small apartments. Or they may simply enjoy the presence of strangers.

Eating venues offer a 'third place'; that is, neither home or work [or school..]. Within the fast pace of life, anonymity and large scale spaces of the modern city, food venues give us a sense of intimacy, a place to pause at an eminently human scale. In many cities, new food venues are the fore-runner or urban re-generation. Food is a mechanism of change in a great variety of ways -for entire neighbourhoods and individuals."

I like that bit about enjoying the presence of strangers... pretty much says everything I've ever thought, everyday.

IL eloquently remarked how it's so seldom acknowledged that having people around is just good in itself, irregardless of whether you talk tothem or whatever... "fuck me your degree is relevant!".