The French have a word for people watchers “Flaneur.” I’ve always liked that word, and definitely consider my self to be one. Its funny to me that one of my favorite things to do when I travel is something I do almost every day here in the Los Angeles. Find a cafe or coffee shop, sit and just take everything in. I’m not denying that a big part of this is my huge caffeine addiction, but truth be told I think I would still enjoy this experience even if some kind of shift in the magnetic poles or a comet colliding with the Earth forced me to drink decaf. In the last year I’ve been fortunate enough to be a flaneur while drinking Turkish Coffee in Istanbul and the fabled Colombian Coffee at a Juan Valdez in Medellin. Sitting in a foreign country sipping coffee is a great way to people watch and observe the subtle differences in other cultures. It’s relaxing and it helps me get a sense of what the everyday people in the culture are like. What are you simple pleasures? Something tells me that there is a unique take on them in other societies so take the time to seek them out.
