Even though done on autopilot every single day, the trudge to work can feel like the most arduous and treacherous thing you have to do all day. In between being pressed up uncomfortably close to the drama-watching Auntie, to trying not to throttle that Ah Beng blasting ‘Gangnam Style’ through his headphones on your commute, all you dream of is a decent cup of java. Presented with only two options – the god-awful instant coffee machine in the office pantry or the Kopi-gao from the coffee shop downstairs – you just want to run home and jump back under the covers.
 
That’s when it hits you… Since when have we turned our noses up at good ol’ Kopitiam Kopi? You then realize that you crave not only the caffeine, but the entire coffee-drinking experience. Welcome to the advent of hippie coffee joints in our culture.
 
Because mainstream is too unappealing, and anti-establishment is the way to go, the most popular coffee joints today are always nestled in obscure areas, along nondescript streets. Everybody is jumping on the bandwagon and as much as we try to resist it (simply because we do not follow trends, we set them), we can’t help but love it so much. We need the caffeine to sustain, we gorge ourselves silly with the all-day breakfasts and pastries, and we adore the atmosphere. There really is nothing much we can say to defend ourselves at this point. So we are going to grab our Kindles, Instagram the entire time, and just embrace the hippie.