My Journey with Food
When I was a little over a year old my parents decided to move our little family over from a big, bustling city in India, to a small town in Ohio named Marysville. However, this didn’t stop my family from enjoying our cultural food at home. Every weekend we would go to the closest Indian store 30 miles away in Dublin to get spices, vegetables, rice, meats, and most importantly, snacks. Dinner was always a shared meal, so phones and TV’s were not allowed. During dinner, we would sit around the table and just catch up with each other. I loved dinner time with my family as some days, especially the older I got, it would be the most time we got to spend with eachother.
Being Indian has a huge influence on the food I ate. Almost every meal consisted of Indian dishes with main dish meat or fish eaten with a type of naan and rice. We were big meat lovers that would eat beef, pork, chicken, mutton chops, fish or whatever craving we had for the week. Although my family was Hindu, my parents weren’t very religious which didn’t place any dietary restrictions on what we could eat. The ability to eat anything easily allowed us to meet people from other cultures in the US, and food is a great way to make friends. We would eat Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Korean and middle eastern food.
The only restrictions my parents place at home were the sugary snacks. Oreos, ice-cream, chocolate chip cookies were all okay but no sodas and absolutely no Little Debbie snacks. I remember begging my dad to buy me cosmic brownies and he refused. “If I read you ingredients from the back of the box and you can tell me what they are then I’ll buy it for you” he challenged. I was a little confused, but I accepted. As he read off the ingredients, I was shocked that at what was in the brownies. Half of them were just an assortment of colors and random numbers. When I asked him what it was, he simply told me chemicals and that was the end. It did deter me from trying a lot of those snacks again as a kid.
Being Indian has a huge influence on the food I ate. Almost every meal consisted of Indian dishes with main dish meat or fish eaten with a type of naan and rice. We were big meat lovers that would eat beef, pork, chicken, mutton chops, fish or whatever craving we had for the week. Although my family was Hindu, my parents weren’t very religious which didn’t place any dietary restrictions on what we could eat. The ability to eat anything easily allowed us to meet people from other cultures in the US, and food is a great way to make friends. We would eat Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Korean and middle eastern food.
The only restrictions my parents place at home were the sugary snacks. Oreos, ice-cream, chocolate chip cookies were all okay but no sodas and absolutely no Little Debbie snacks. I remember begging my dad to buy me cosmic brownies and he refused. “If I read you ingredients from the back of the box and you can tell me what they are then I’ll buy it for you” he challenged. I was a little confused, but I accepted. As he read off the ingredients, I was shocked that at what was in the brownies. Half of them were just an assortment of colors and random numbers. When I asked him what it was, he simply told me chemicals and that was the end. It did deter me from trying a lot of those snacks again as a kid.
As I got older, my family moved around a lot more, and finally landed in Troy, Michigan. This is where my first real conflict with food started. In the elementary school I had gone too before all lunch’s K-12 were free. So, every day I would eat a school lunch just like everyone else. After moving to Troy this was no longer the case and so my mother started packing my lunches. She would pack all my favorite Indian foods and I would eat them while everyone else ate their lunchables or pb&j sandwiches. Although I knew my lunches were different from the rest, I never paid much mind to it, until one day a girl at my table said my lunch looked like dog food and was gross. I was so embarrassed that I threw the rest of my food away. The awful feeling that results from something you love being disgusting was put best by Fan, “Shame and fear flood your body, as involuntarily as the disgust face, until a kind of self-disgust takes root” (10). Later that day I went home crying to my mom to not pack me Indian food anymore and that I just wanted “normal food” like everyone else. It’s not that I was repulsed by my favorite food suddenly, but the hurt from having something you love to be call gross was not something I dealt with before. Since the I have learned to not shy away from such ignorant words. I love to share my food with others that have never had the opportunity to try Indian food before.
Today my food habits have drastically changed. For years I’ve been wanting to become a vegetarian, but since my diet mainly consisted of meat it was really difficulty to give that up. I remember when I was younger my mother would want us to have a vegetarian dish occasionally and I would throw a fit until she would eventually give in to her unruly child with some meat leftovers. Last summer I finally decided to take the first step to becoming vegetarian and cut out beef and pork from my diet completely. Although this may not be a big deal to some it has been an extremely difficult journey for me. As Fagan writes, “Make the meat the guest star of you plate, not the main character”. This for me has been experimenting with fruits and vegetables. Discovering the foods that I once despised, like pickles, are now one of my favorite things to add to my meals. My food journey still has a long way to go but I’m excited for all the new food I get to try along the way.
Food was a major topic of conversation in school, but it was never a topic of debate at home when I was growing up. As a result, I have a skewed connection with food. I ate tasty cuisine and got relatively inexpensive groceries. This course has transformed not just the way I think about food systems, but also how I engage with food in my daily life. I've realized that the reason I didn't identify with the food pyramid and my plate in school was because I didn't think it applied to me. As Wozniacki argues in should the Dietary Guidelines Help Fight Systemic Racism?”, “One of the reasons that the Dietary Guidelines are not making much of a dent in improving health of communities of color may be the fact that they don’t reflect those communities” (4). Because the foods displayed to us in school presentations were nothing like the traditional Indian meals I was consuming at home, so in turn I trusted my parents to provide me with nutritionally sufficient meals. Furthermore, we bought the bulk of our food at home from huge supermarkets such as Koger and Costco; for a busy family, this looked like the natural choice for a convenient and efficient shopping trip, as well as the lack of access to farmers markets. These ideals have remained with me throughout my college career, but this class has taught me the worth of understanding where your food originates from.
I've been exposed to various different sorts of food markets since moving to East Lasing, and I've even started shopping at the Horrocks Farmers Market. This type of farmers market is different from the ones we saw in class since the farmers aren't selling their products directly to the customers, but it is in a setting where I feel comfortable spending time. It also assisted me in realizing that my belief that buying food locally was more expensive was incorrect. I've been able to get my food at a lower cost than most large supermarkets while also knowing that I'm helping small farmers. Furthermore, understanding where my food comes from has altered my attitude about meat consumption. I've been trying to become a vegetarian for a number of years since I don't agree with how animals are treated in the food chain, but the road to vegetarianism is much more difficult than I anticipated. Eating meat is an expression of emotions or impulse in humans, as Foer discusses in "Eating Animal." When you've grown up eating meat almost every meal, there's not much left to get thrilled about. This, I feel, was merely a battle I'd have to fight in order to satisfy my moral intuitions. This is another perspective of mine that has been influenced as a result of our final group project. I was astonished to learn that Professor Laura Thorp, a prominent champion for animal welfare, nevertheless eats meat on a regular basis during our conversation.I learnt that there is a way to eat meat that is sustainably obtained with the correct information and study into farms and their treatment of animals. Although I feel that if I ever return to eating meat on a regular basis, I will have to adjust the manner I include it into my diet. I'd limit myself to two to three servings of meat each week and, as Fagen advises in "How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother," "make meat the guest star of your plate, not the main character" (92). This perspective, as well as access to this information, is required to change the way the meat business influences not just how we see our food, but also how it affects our climate. We think of meat intake as a human tradition, yet we're no longer hunter-gatherers surviving on the occasional unusual animal that comes our way. The meat industry is very industrialized, and it uses a lot of land, grain, and water to create meat for our supermarket shelves. The problem is that as the world's population of meat eaters expands, so does the quantity of land accessible for producing cattle, poultry, or pigs. Meat eating is a major source of CO2 emissions from animals, and livestock production (particularly cattle) produces methane gas. Consuming red meat has a huge carbon effect that isn't often obvious to consumers. When it comes to food education, there is a lot of information concerning not only the meat business but also nutrition that is not adequately translated. We could radically transform the way people throughout the country see and engage with food systems if we could introduce a more thorough and culturally accessible kind of food education into our K-12 curriculum.
I've been exposed to various different sorts of food markets since moving to East Lasing, and I've even started shopping at the Horrocks Farmers Market. This type of farmers market is different from the ones we saw in class since the farmers aren't selling their products directly to the customers, but it is in a setting where I feel comfortable spending time. It also assisted me in realizing that my belief that buying food locally was more expensive was incorrect. I've been able to get my food at a lower cost than most large supermarkets while also knowing that I'm helping small farmers. Furthermore, understanding where my food comes from has altered my attitude about meat consumption. I've been trying to become a vegetarian for a number of years since I don't agree with how animals are treated in the food chain, but the road to vegetarianism is much more difficult than I anticipated. Eating meat is an expression of emotions or impulse in humans, as Foer discusses in "Eating Animal." When you've grown up eating meat almost every meal, there's not much left to get thrilled about. This, I feel, was merely a battle I'd have to fight in order to satisfy my moral intuitions. This is another perspective of mine that has been influenced as a result of our final group project. I was astonished to learn that Professor Laura Thorp, a prominent champion for animal welfare, nevertheless eats meat on a regular basis during our conversation.I learnt that there is a way to eat meat that is sustainably obtained with the correct information and study into farms and their treatment of animals. Although I feel that if I ever return to eating meat on a regular basis, I will have to adjust the manner I include it into my diet. I'd limit myself to two to three servings of meat each week and, as Fagen advises in "How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother," "make meat the guest star of your plate, not the main character" (92). This perspective, as well as access to this information, is required to change the way the meat business influences not just how we see our food, but also how it affects our climate. We think of meat intake as a human tradition, yet we're no longer hunter-gatherers surviving on the occasional unusual animal that comes our way. The meat industry is very industrialized, and it uses a lot of land, grain, and water to create meat for our supermarket shelves. The problem is that as the world's population of meat eaters expands, so does the quantity of land accessible for producing cattle, poultry, or pigs. Meat eating is a major source of CO2 emissions from animals, and livestock production (particularly cattle) produces methane gas. Consuming red meat has a huge carbon effect that isn't often obvious to consumers. When it comes to food education, there is a lot of information concerning not only the meat business but also nutrition that is not adequately translated. We could radically transform the way people throughout the country see and engage with food systems if we could introduce a more thorough and culturally accessible kind of food education into our K-12 curriculum.
Recipe Reflection
When planning my move to East Lansing my parents were shocked by the lack of kitchen utensils and tools on my packing list. The took me straight to Walmart to purchase a huge set of pots and pans, a rice cooker, blender, vegetable slicer and many other kitchen things I thought I would have little use for. Since moving out here, I have used my rice cooker a handful of times and only one pan. I have yet to touch many of the other kitchen appliances. However, having my own kitchen and set of tools came in very handy during this project as I was able to cook and prepare the food on my own time with stuff I had already bought.
For my family recipe I chose one of my favorite dishes, Indian butter shrimp with rice. When I asked my mom for our family recipe, she told me she doesn’t have it written down anywhere and she could just tell me the ingredients I would need and the steps. This is way of cooking is often a common theme with my family. Growing up I don’t think I’ve ever seen my parents use an actual recipe or really measure the ingredients they use. My dad calls it “cooking with a chef’s attitude” and he says it makes the food taste better when you play by it ear and taste it as you go. Luckily for me I was able to find a recipe online that had quantities for the ingredients my mom had said and doubled checked with her before continuing.
For my family recipe I chose one of my favorite dishes, Indian butter shrimp with rice. When I asked my mom for our family recipe, she told me she doesn’t have it written down anywhere and she could just tell me the ingredients I would need and the steps. This is way of cooking is often a common theme with my family. Growing up I don’t think I’ve ever seen my parents use an actual recipe or really measure the ingredients they use. My dad calls it “cooking with a chef’s attitude” and he says it makes the food taste better when you play by it ear and taste it as you go. Luckily for me I was able to find a recipe online that had quantities for the ingredients my mom had said and doubled checked with her before continuing.
As for my historical recipe I chose a turnip soup from 1811. I found the cookbook “Recipes of Old England” by Bernard N. Bessunger at the MSU library. It contains English recipes from 1580 – 1830 with the reprinted original recipes along with a transcription of the recipe to make it easier to understand. This book contains everything from delicious pastries to pigeon dishes. Luckily for me my turnip soup contained mostly vegetables, no pigeons. The recipe seemed easy enough although I did choose to not add any bacon as I don’t eat pork.
For both the recipes the prep work was simple as I did have most of the ingredients at home, although finding a time to go shopping wasn’t as easy. Seeing as I am a full-time student with 2 jobs, who actively participates in 4 different clubs, trying to plan time to go run to Kroger and cook started to wear out my enthusiasm. Looking back, I realized how convenient the local supermarkets are as they "supply more than two-thirds of the food we eat” (11, The American Way of Eating). I was able to plan the grocery store trip only ten minutes away around my own busy schedule rather than having to check where local farmers markets are or rush to community-supported agriculture buying clubs hours. This privilege is something I’ve really taken for granted living in the Midwest.
When I finally made the trip out to Kroger, I was again surprised that my ginger, red onion, lemons, tomatoes, turnip, and celery all together only cost me $5.76. McMillan argues, “[S]eeing good food as a luxury lifestyle product has been so deeply embedded in our thinking about our meals, we barely notice it” (2). I purchase these vegetables regularly but when I go shopping my final price is normally a lot higher as its also mixed in with my highly processed food. Seeing this price breakdown really opened my eyes to how little it would cost me to eat healthier. For my garam masala and turmeric powders I took a trip down to my local Indian store. East Lansing surprisingly has quite a few Indian stores and since I’ve moved here, I’ve tried out a couple just to see which ones have the best snacks. According to the U.S. Census, Asians are the largest minority in East Lansing making up 12.5% of the population (census.gov). This could account for the many Indian and Asian restaurants and grocers in the area.
First up to cook was the turnip soup. The recipe called for creme to be added to the soup but being very inexperienced in the kitchen I could not figure out what exactly this cream was for the life of me. So, I bought a can of Campbells cream of celery soup and used it as substitute. I blended my turnips, onions, head of celery and water, and white peppercorns. After, I boiled this combination while adding my diced turnips and cream. The recipe did also call for a French roll in the soup but instead I toasted some bread to have on the side. While the soup looked pretty good, the same couldn’t be said for the taste, with every spoonful all I could taste was the blended onions and celery and I finish the first half of the project feeling pretty let down.
Next up was the Indian butter shrimp with rice. I want to note that the recipes roughly took about the same time to cook and prepare and most of my time in the kitchen was just spent cutting up my produce. Since this recipe will be shared on the class recipe blog I won’t go into the detail of the instruction. Unlike the historical recipe, I knew what the finished product should look, smell, and taste like so I felt as though I had a lot more control over my cooking. This was also my first time making real Indian food on my own, so I was very excited to show my parents the delicious, finished product. In “How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother”, Fagen argues “[M]uch of our generation regards home cooking as simultaneously scary and far too much of a hassle. This costs us deeply in our own connection to our food” (88). Cooking a family recipe made me feel extra proud of my finished work and helped me feel more connected to my food.
For both the recipes the prep work was simple as I did have most of the ingredients at home, although finding a time to go shopping wasn’t as easy. Seeing as I am a full-time student with 2 jobs, who actively participates in 4 different clubs, trying to plan time to go run to Kroger and cook started to wear out my enthusiasm. Looking back, I realized how convenient the local supermarkets are as they "supply more than two-thirds of the food we eat” (11, The American Way of Eating). I was able to plan the grocery store trip only ten minutes away around my own busy schedule rather than having to check where local farmers markets are or rush to community-supported agriculture buying clubs hours. This privilege is something I’ve really taken for granted living in the Midwest.
When I finally made the trip out to Kroger, I was again surprised that my ginger, red onion, lemons, tomatoes, turnip, and celery all together only cost me $5.76. McMillan argues, “[S]eeing good food as a luxury lifestyle product has been so deeply embedded in our thinking about our meals, we barely notice it” (2). I purchase these vegetables regularly but when I go shopping my final price is normally a lot higher as its also mixed in with my highly processed food. Seeing this price breakdown really opened my eyes to how little it would cost me to eat healthier. For my garam masala and turmeric powders I took a trip down to my local Indian store. East Lansing surprisingly has quite a few Indian stores and since I’ve moved here, I’ve tried out a couple just to see which ones have the best snacks. According to the U.S. Census, Asians are the largest minority in East Lansing making up 12.5% of the population (census.gov). This could account for the many Indian and Asian restaurants and grocers in the area.
First up to cook was the turnip soup. The recipe called for creme to be added to the soup but being very inexperienced in the kitchen I could not figure out what exactly this cream was for the life of me. So, I bought a can of Campbells cream of celery soup and used it as substitute. I blended my turnips, onions, head of celery and water, and white peppercorns. After, I boiled this combination while adding my diced turnips and cream. The recipe did also call for a French roll in the soup but instead I toasted some bread to have on the side. While the soup looked pretty good, the same couldn’t be said for the taste, with every spoonful all I could taste was the blended onions and celery and I finish the first half of the project feeling pretty let down.
Next up was the Indian butter shrimp with rice. I want to note that the recipes roughly took about the same time to cook and prepare and most of my time in the kitchen was just spent cutting up my produce. Since this recipe will be shared on the class recipe blog I won’t go into the detail of the instruction. Unlike the historical recipe, I knew what the finished product should look, smell, and taste like so I felt as though I had a lot more control over my cooking. This was also my first time making real Indian food on my own, so I was very excited to show my parents the delicious, finished product. In “How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother”, Fagen argues “[M]uch of our generation regards home cooking as simultaneously scary and far too much of a hassle. This costs us deeply in our own connection to our food” (88). Cooking a family recipe made me feel extra proud of my finished work and helped me feel more connected to my food.
Work Citied
U.S. Census Bureau. 2021. QuickFacts East Lansing city, Michigan. [online] Available at: <https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/eastlansingcitymichigan> [Accessed 27 September 2021].
U.S. Census Bureau. 2021. QuickFacts East Lansing city, Michigan. [online] Available at: <https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/eastlansingcitymichigan> [Accessed 27 September 2021].
McDonaldization in Starbucks
For my project, I decided to interrupt the McDonaldized process at Starbucks. Starbucks' menu offers a variety of drinks ranging from brewed coffees to iced frappuccinos to guarantee a product for every customer that walks through their doors. Baristas can prepare drinks within minutes to create a quick and easy process for their customers. I am not the biggest coffee drinker myself and with my lack of coffee knowledge, Starbucks has always been somewhat intimidating for me. I’m always afraid of sounding like I don’t know what I’m doing, taking too long to order, and holding up the lines. This has often resulted in me panicking and ordering something I don’t like. So for this project I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and talk the barista into making a drink unique to my tastes.
Although this task may not seem like a big deal for some people, it was extremely uncomfortable for me. I didn’t want to come across to the baristas or the other customers as stuck up for having a drink catered to me rather than just ordering off the menu. Since I didn’t want to back up other Starbucks orders, I decided to go at around 1pm because I assumed the morning rush would have cleared. Wearing a mask in the store also helped boost my confidence a bit just knowing that most of my face would be hidden. When I walked in there were only a couple people ordering coffees and three Starbucks baristas. Luckily while I was waiting in line no one else came in, so that helped me relax a bit.
When it was my turn to order I explained to the barista that I really wasn’t sure on what to order since I often don’t like what I pick. I told her I would love for her to make me something special of her choosing. To my surprise, she seemed really excited at my request and started asking me about my favorite flavors and the type of coffee I like. I told her I wanted a sweet cold coffee since I don’t really like the taste of coffee, with a shot of espresso. While she prepared my special drink, I asked her a little about herself. I learned that she had been working for Starbucks for almost four years. She started working at her local Starbucks outside of Grand Rapids and loved the environment so much that she applied to the Starbucks near campus.
Her creation for me was a nitro cold brew with a pump of mocha and hazelnut syrup, a shot of expresso, topped off with a caramel drizzle. The barista was more than excited for me to take a sip and I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed the coffee. The barista told me how happy she was that I liked it and that she really enjoys getting to make unique drinks for people as normally she’s just making the same few drinks of the menu. The article “The McDonaldization of Society” argues that as the world continues increasing its pace of life, it becomes impossible to go back to a world where restaurants are run by chefs free to express their creativity (16). I found this to be more than true since my barista clearly seemed to have a knack for coffee but her skills are often put on the back burner so Starbucks can continue it's McDonaldized process of predictability, efficiency, and control.
Through this interaction I was able to disrupt the elements of predictability, efficiency, and control. By ordering of a coffee exclusive to my tastes, I was able to put a hold to the control element Starbucks places over their customer through their limited menu. By giving the barista the ability to create her own mixture for my drink, I was able also to break the predictability element of Starbucks as her idea for my ideal coffee would be different than if I were to go to an alternate Starbucks and ask a different barista. Lastly, I was able to break the efficiency element since telling the barista my preference and working with her to create my perfect drink takes more time than ordering through the app or going through the drive through would. The element of the McDonaldized process that I haven’t mentioned yet is calculability. This element was difficult to disrupt as Starbucks pricing can be broken down quite easily. For example, the drink the barista made me wasn't explicitly written on the menu, so I was charged for a nitro cold brew and then the syrups, espresso shot, and caramel were charged as add-ins. This pricing is likely so that Starbucks can continue with its high-profit margins.
Overall, I can understand why many people lean on convenience in the fast-food industry and the appeal of time saved through the McDonaldization process. For when you’re running late to work and need a quick pick me up or when you have to stay up studying for an exam, convenience can be a great benefit. But “[w]hen we let convenience decide everything, we surrender too much”. We gloss over the importance of human interaction especially in the fast-food industry (Tyranny of Convenience, 2). Workers in this industry are often belittled to their jobs and experience rude customers on the daily who believe they are entitled to services despite their nasty attitudes. Thinking back, I was more afraid that other customers, rather than the baristas, would be upset at my long orders. In the end, I’m very thankful for the positive experience the barista was able to offer me and her aid in this project.
Although this task may not seem like a big deal for some people, it was extremely uncomfortable for me. I didn’t want to come across to the baristas or the other customers as stuck up for having a drink catered to me rather than just ordering off the menu. Since I didn’t want to back up other Starbucks orders, I decided to go at around 1pm because I assumed the morning rush would have cleared. Wearing a mask in the store also helped boost my confidence a bit just knowing that most of my face would be hidden. When I walked in there were only a couple people ordering coffees and three Starbucks baristas. Luckily while I was waiting in line no one else came in, so that helped me relax a bit.
When it was my turn to order I explained to the barista that I really wasn’t sure on what to order since I often don’t like what I pick. I told her I would love for her to make me something special of her choosing. To my surprise, she seemed really excited at my request and started asking me about my favorite flavors and the type of coffee I like. I told her I wanted a sweet cold coffee since I don’t really like the taste of coffee, with a shot of espresso. While she prepared my special drink, I asked her a little about herself. I learned that she had been working for Starbucks for almost four years. She started working at her local Starbucks outside of Grand Rapids and loved the environment so much that she applied to the Starbucks near campus.
Her creation for me was a nitro cold brew with a pump of mocha and hazelnut syrup, a shot of expresso, topped off with a caramel drizzle. The barista was more than excited for me to take a sip and I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed the coffee. The barista told me how happy she was that I liked it and that she really enjoys getting to make unique drinks for people as normally she’s just making the same few drinks of the menu. The article “The McDonaldization of Society” argues that as the world continues increasing its pace of life, it becomes impossible to go back to a world where restaurants are run by chefs free to express their creativity (16). I found this to be more than true since my barista clearly seemed to have a knack for coffee but her skills are often put on the back burner so Starbucks can continue it's McDonaldized process of predictability, efficiency, and control.
Through this interaction I was able to disrupt the elements of predictability, efficiency, and control. By ordering of a coffee exclusive to my tastes, I was able to put a hold to the control element Starbucks places over their customer through their limited menu. By giving the barista the ability to create her own mixture for my drink, I was able also to break the predictability element of Starbucks as her idea for my ideal coffee would be different than if I were to go to an alternate Starbucks and ask a different barista. Lastly, I was able to break the efficiency element since telling the barista my preference and working with her to create my perfect drink takes more time than ordering through the app or going through the drive through would. The element of the McDonaldized process that I haven’t mentioned yet is calculability. This element was difficult to disrupt as Starbucks pricing can be broken down quite easily. For example, the drink the barista made me wasn't explicitly written on the menu, so I was charged for a nitro cold brew and then the syrups, espresso shot, and caramel were charged as add-ins. This pricing is likely so that Starbucks can continue with its high-profit margins.
Overall, I can understand why many people lean on convenience in the fast-food industry and the appeal of time saved through the McDonaldization process. For when you’re running late to work and need a quick pick me up or when you have to stay up studying for an exam, convenience can be a great benefit. But “[w]hen we let convenience decide everything, we surrender too much”. We gloss over the importance of human interaction especially in the fast-food industry (Tyranny of Convenience, 2). Workers in this industry are often belittled to their jobs and experience rude customers on the daily who believe they are entitled to services despite their nasty attitudes. Thinking back, I was more afraid that other customers, rather than the baristas, would be upset at my long orders. In the end, I’m very thankful for the positive experience the barista was able to offer me and her aid in this project.