on extremely babaw things
i'm a sticker away from getting the 2009 Starbucks planner. I've been an avid follower of the planner craze for five years. The first one was back in:
2004 (planner year: 2005). my first one was the very first one that Starbucks released, with the pretty postcards and the freebies. (i did a quick search on the internet, it seems that no one remembers this particular planner. i'll be rummaging through my stuff to unearth this and i shall upload pictures. um, is this first Starbucks planner just a figment of my imagination? i'm pretty sure Dandi has one of these - i remember filling out postcards with her)
2005 (planner year: 2006). the second one i liked for its simplicity: a simple planner in brown hardcover, with a satin (or was it silk? i can never tell the difference) lace to mark your days.
2006 (planner year: 2007). the third planner was when people started jumping on the bandwagon. it came with a hard leather case and a pen. it was pretty cool, but still no freebies.
2007 (planner year: 2008). the fourth planner was perhaps when the craziest of all the planner crazes happened. i witnessed *very* long lines, almost extending to the street (okay, i exaggerate) at my favorite Starbucks nook. when i got my own, i found it grossly overrated. maybe i just didn't like the soft leather case, the uber-thin paper (and the mess it left on the inside backs of the leather case), and the weird garter. but i had to admit, it looked nice.
2008 (planner year: 2009). this year, it appears that they're going back to the theme of 2006. it's hardbound, with thick paper, and the only variation is you get to choose the color of your planner: navy blue, black, and red. i wished they released a white version - i would have gone for that.
anyway, in my five years of observing the planner craze, i can safely say that people who get these planners belong to any of these three categories:
1) i know i'm not alone when i say that i only get the planner so that at least i would feel less guilty about throwing my money away for expensive coffee. planner or no planner, i still go to starbucks anyway. might as well get something for it. (*heart toffee nut frap! thank you red cups!*)
2) there are those who only go to starbucks for the planner. i find this pointless. why not just buy one from the bookstore? are you honestly wowed by the design, or are you just looking for fun, or are you after the 'prestige' of having the two-tailed mermaid logo on your planner?
3) those who don't bother 'working' to get their planners. rather, they pull connections with corrupt baristas who sell the planner at a reduced price. again, what's the point? why not just buy something cheaper from the bookstore? are they honestly wowed by the design, or are you just after the 'prestige?' really. these people i despise.
i should direct these questions to myself. why buy 105-peso coffee when i can make my own with little more than 10 pesos?
ah, well. there is no direct answer to that. suffice it to say that i find sitting on those familiar tables refreshing. i doubt that i would be a Starbucks regular if it weren't for those beautiful memories made on each and everyone of those 7 tables in my Starbucks nook.