Monday, February 2, 2009

Coffee House #1


The concept is a simple one. I take my recorder into a coffee house somewhere on the planet and secretly tape conversations. Then I decide which is the most interesting and edit it to fit by blog. These are candid moments from the mouths of unsuspecting strangers all over the globe. This is my first attempt and I traveled to a seedy part of Chicago. The coffee house is called "SCARbucks". It is a lot like Starbucks, only rougher. I will refer to each person generically to maintain anonymity.

Male: "I am really glad to see you. Hope this place wasn't too hard to find!"
Female: "No, I just had a little trouble finding a parking spot."
Male: "Have you told him yet?"
Female: ". . . Who is that guy over there? Do you know him?"
Male: "What guy?!"
Female: "The one pretending to read the Bible...see him? He has a recorder on the table and he is pointing the microphone in our direction!"
Male: "HEY YOU!"
Me: "Are you talking to me?"
Male: "Yeah...are you recording our conversation?"
Me: "Maybe..."
Male: "Do you see this scalding hot Guatemala House Blend I'm holding in my hand?"
Me: "Maybe..."
Male: "Well, if you don't get out of here right now you are going to have this in your face!"
Me: "Sir, I am a man of peace. I am going to post this on my blog. It's called Calvinistic Cartoons. Ever heard of it?"
Male: "No...now get going!"
Me: "I'm not finished yet...and it's a free country!"
Male: "I warned you!"
Me: "AAAAAAAIIIIiiiiiiiiiii THAT'S HOT!! ARE YOU CRAZY? AAAAAAIIIiiiii yiiiiii"

...as you can see, my first try didn't go so well. I hope to do better next time. See ya then!

4 comments:

  1. We are much amused? Wow the royal we you so rarely see that now a days.

    Any way I'd like to point out that with current technology you should be able to record using a much smaller device than the one you are portraying. I suggest you visit your local radio shack and explain your difficulties.

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  2. Good advice, P.D., I've heard of this "Radio Shack". Didn't someone write a novel by that name? Y'know, the one where doctrine is discarded for the sake of emotional bonding with the author's imagination?

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