Written and Edited by Kha Den De / Lera
Photo by The Library Specialty Coffee
Have you ever thought about getting involved in your local community? - I certainly have.
After adapting to a new city and establishing a good friend group, I made it my next goal to become a part of a neighbourhood community. I've always wanted to be a regular at a shop, or be friends with a neighbour - I wanted to experience that feeling of belonging.
My first attempts took place when I moved to a new area. I started by exploring the surroundings to find places I gravitate to. Eventually, I discovered a couple of local businesses, including THE coffee shop. While I am happy to report that I started having friendly conversations with owners and employees of several local spots, the closest relationship I've established is with a barista in now my favourite cafe.
An occurrence that prompted me to write this post happened last week. Coffee in that place is always excellent, however, THE barista is particularly good at making matcha. For a bit over a year, I've been telling all of my friends that THE barista is making the best matcha latte in the city. So I came there with my friend, we ordered matcha and were chatting with THE barista. Meanwhile, another employee was going to start preparing our drinks, but THE barista stopped them saying: "I'll do it, she is my customer."
Being called 'my customer' felt really heartwarming. I suddenly realized that I was not the only one who considered this friendly relationship special. As discussed in my previous post 'People and Places', the community is what makes you feel at home, since being part of the community brings social fulfillment and simple everyday joy.
Like this coffee shop, any place can create a canvas for joy. So when designing a district or a public space, we should never forget about its occupants and what would make that space special for them.