Meet my friend/ Lessons learned from a month in Atlanta’s coffeshops

So, sorry that I have been bad about blogging.  But - don't worry - I have a ton good blog topics coming up. So, I have a special treat for you today - a guest blogger. So, meet Missy.  Missy is a person, she has brown curly hair, she was a dancer for a big chunck of her life, and she is in med school in Isreal.  She came down to Atlanta to spend time with her sister and to study.  Here are here lessons learned from a month in Atlanta’s coffeshops

"I spent a little over a month living with my sister in Atlanta and studying for Step 1 of the US Medical Licensing Exam; most of my studying was done at various cafes throughout the city.  What I first thought was reverse culture shock since I go to medical school abroad, became a working list of lessons learned through encounters observed.

1.      Apart from the occasional patio, cafes are indoor spaces, which means indoor voices.  Apart from the occasional voyeur, people in cafes are usually there for their own reasons and don’t need to be party to the conversations around them.

2.      Nobody likes bananas poked, poked in their faces.

3.      When productivity is drawing to a lull, there are two options for continuing in a café: the blended coffee beverage or, if already shaky from caffeine, the 2 for 1 cookie special.

4.      Running lines for a production in a cafe is only acceptable when done in a language other than English.

5.      HR confrontations should probably occur in confidential locations—a cafe is not one of those.

6.      When it is over 85 degrees outside, wearing a wool scarf as a fashion statement might be met with: ‘oh, hell to the no!’

7.      If things are going wrong in life, it is probably a direct result of ignoring God’s very clear message to go do development work in South Africa.

8.      The decision to take a 2 hour work call on a cell phone at a cafe should be followed by treating tablemates with to a delicious beverage.  While teleworking is an important alternative to being in an office, there are more stringent rules of decorum; it is highly inappropriate to assume that it is socially acceptable to subject other patrons to business meetings.  Although, in all fairness, who ever really wants to listen to any one-sided cell phone conversations.

9.      Internet variability within a cafe offering free wi-fi is unacceptable, but the staff still has a moral obligation to report that to the clientele.

10.  White male privilege can be described as many things, but ‘oh, you know’ is not one of them.

"

My two favorite were the HR confrontations and the wool scarf!  My other friend here in Atlanta has a rule that for each hour or so you are there, you should buy 1 item. What coffee shop rules do you have?

Also - I want to start a blog feature called "what is in your purse/ wallet/ bag" - you know what I am talking about they are always asking famous people to look in their bag and see their fancy beauty products etc.  So I asked Missy - what is in your purse?

"I don't carry a purse, but I'm happy to tell you what's currently in the bag I carry most days:

Nalgene
Peruvian small shopping bag holding the tupperware from my lunch
Bills that I need to pay
White coat
Stethescope
Packet for history and physical in Hebrew
"Rapid Interpretation of EKGs"
Small notebook for writing down all of the things I have no clue about in the day

White cardigan
Mint mojito gum from the States
iPod
Hand sanitizer from Trader Joe's
Pens
A shell from my mom (probably from Cape Cod)
My wallet
A giant bobby pin

That's probably more than you needed/wanted to know.  And it sort of looks like I'm more studious and medical than I really am."

My favorites of these were the giant bobby pin and a random shell!!

Better be careful, I might pick on your next - what is in your bag?