Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Hello Kitty Cafe

While we were in Daegu this weekend for a little (read:  3-month supply of Western perishables) Costco shopping, we happened upon this little coffee shop, and I just HAD to share it with you.  Now I know that Hello Kitty has quite the following - in America and especially in Asia.  But I really had no idea...



Wow. It's just... so... PINK!


So much to poor Blake's chagrin, I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to document (photographically speaking) this unique little twist on Starbucks.  I have since discovered that there are a few more of these located around the world, but c'mon, how many have you ever seen?


And I have to admit, while I'm not really a Hello Kitty fan myself, they really did an amazing job.  Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against her.  She's a cute little cat really, but I'm more of an Eeyore kind-of girl.  And before you go knocking Eeyore, let me just say that he is not a pessimist, he's a realist.  Besides, pink has never really been a driving color in my life - my favorite color is blue.  So it works.  But I digress...


It was hard not to be impressed with the myriad ways they managed to include her head and/or bow in their decor and even their beverage options.  I would imagine that any Hello Kitty enthusiast would be thrilled to enjoy an afternoon sitting in this shop, sipping a caramel macchiato flaunting that feminine, feline face in its foam.


I took several minutes for me to explore all of the areas, and really only one thing gave me pause...


The men's restroom.


Do men actually come in this place?  Even as I was snapping this shot, Blake stood on the curb outside waiting for me to finish.  He wouldn't even come in long enough for me to take pictures!  And the place was full of girls and women of all ages.


But then I remembered that this is a country where daters often wear matching outfits while out together (and not for Sadie Hawkins) on a random Saturday night.  Or Tuesday night.  Or Thursday.  And it's fairly obvious which gender chose the outfits on pretty much every occasion.  So, guys, the next time your significant other asks you to hold her purse while she's in the bathroom, quit you're griping, hold it like a man (between index finger and thumb at arm's length, like it might burn you with its powerful female magic), and be thankful you're not wearing her blouse.


And then I wondered how many poor guys have sat in this place wearing Hello Kitty t-shirts identical to their dates', while this little cat with a bow stared mockingly at them from their mugs.  Poor fellas.  No wonder Blake didn't want to come inside.


Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did.  It's amazing what a little imagination and a whole lot of pink plastic and pleather can do.



4 comments:

  1. That is TOO MUCH! Hahaha love it.

    And I agree...Eyore is a realist ;)

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  2. Thank you. No one ever believes me on that! I feel that he doesn't prescribe to either the "glass is half empty" or the "glass is half full" philosophy but rather leans toward the more matter-of-fact "there are X ounces in this glass and the portion taken up of the glass is kind of irrelevant" line of thinking. In my humble but accurate opinion (as my former pastor likes to say), Pooh is not very bright, Owl is pretentious, Rabbit is too uptight, and Tigger's just an inconsiderate pain in the butt that goes around knocking everyone and/or their homes (e.g., Eeyore's house of sticks) over all the time. So contrary to popular opinion, Eeyore is by far the best the Hundred-Acre Woods has got.

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  3. Hey, found you through Misti's blog, lol! Oh my gosh, that cafe is crazy. Sooo glad you documented it, though! Did you get one of the drinks?

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  4. Unfortunately, no. I felt bad leaving my husband standing out in the cold, so I didn't. Maybe next time we go I can talk him into sitting inside with me long enough to drink one. He can just leave a perturbed look on his face the entire time and people will know it's my fault. :0

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