As I sit in the quaint, inviting coffee bar, rain is falling in the streets of Florence, but nobody seems to care as they enter the shop with their conversations in full swing, shaking off their umbrellas and hanging up their overcoats. I watch the proprietor chat it up in a familiar way with the some patrons standing with their espressos or Cafe Americans (only two choices since they don't order cappuccinos past noon) at the "belly bar". Seated at tables, I observe a foreign sight; folks chatting with each other; some are laughing, others seemed engrossed in what they are debating, there's a buzz of human energy in the air; it's a cornucopia of social scenes around this little haven.

It's Florence, Italy March 2009.

As I sit in the quaint and inviting coffee shop, the 82 degree sun is shining. Nobody seems to care as they enter plugged into their devices, silent and focused on somewhere other than here, avoiding eye contact at all costs. I watch a line of people waiting for their custom coffee drink, each that take careful instructions to order, while they chat on their cell phones or text to folks not here. Seated at tables, I can see folks chatting... on cell phones still; some are plugged into i-pods, others seem engrossed in the laptops they brought, there's a buzz of electronics in the air; apparently I stumbled into somebody's office, mistaking it for a coffee shop.

It's Anywhere, California March 2009.

Loving and Learning From Italy, March 2009 "It's a scene man!"