KAVA
Kava, kava, kava. Accent on the first syllable. It was more than a mantric chant. It was a way of life. The Ukrainian word for coffee. Feminine in gender in Ukrainian, talkative, communicative. Something slow and relaxed. The word was masculine in Russian (kofe) even though it had a neuter ending. The concept was more neutered and neutral in Russian and less essential to being. The same was true for the word in English – coffee. You can take out coffee in the US. It was a practical necessity, not an art form or life experience.
Nicholas hated Starbucks back home – the unpleasant burnt taste of it kept him from enjoying it. He preferred individualized coffee shops with a bit of character to the chain of mermaid madness and triply-overpriced lattes. As chains went, he preferred Dunkin
