About two months a go, on one cloudy Saturday morning of October, I was sitting in a small cafe alone. Thinking of what should I write and/or to post in Cafeist and the Black Gold Connection, Cafe Rouge, CityCafe and all cafe-coffee related groups that exist in other social networks that created by my friends of the Cafeist?

After being offline and not being connected with them for months, it was like huge chunk of my social life being missing... There was an empty space to fill... Therefore I felt the need to write something to share with them, despite -and I know that- my grammar is crap...puccino:).

That time, the cafe was relatively empty. Perhaps people were hang out with their family at their home after dealing with their daily life business of the week. Only one table was filled by five people, two boys and three girls.

The cafe owner, a very nice lady was having a tiny break because she had nothing more to do that time. The empty tables and the cups were washed and wiped clean, she fixed her self a cup of capuccino. And then, she came to me and talk a little bit about her cafe business, her trip to Italy and what she was doing during her trip there.

Time goes by, I talked a bit about my daily stuff, how the hours, days, weeks, months, went by so quickly. Before we know it, 2010 is already waving at us at the corner only two month away. I also mentioned to her that I was thinking of to create some fictional figures, perhaps as a monthly writing (as a Blog or to be posted in Cafe and Coffee groups in Cafeist and/or other social networks) She gave me a suggestion about the names. So, the figures are Marko and Marla or Darko and Darla. Depends on how many figures involved.

A few minutes later, there was one young girl... Well, only several years younger than me, she is an university student by the way. A loyal costumer according to the cafe lady, came into the cafe. The cafe owner introduced me. But in this short writing, I would call her... Darla! I guess the cafe lady would be, Marla.

After some light chat here and there, Darla told Darko that she is studying -and has interest- on the ´Eastern´ cultures. She told Darko briefly about the outlines of Zen and Tao, and what the differences between them.

Darko is not particularly literated in any religion and/or cultures what so ever. But he is not against any -both labelled or not labelled- kind of faith.

For what he concern, any kind of institutionalized faith is okay too. The thing that is very unfortunate matter for him is, when -so called- faith, after being institutionalized -ofcourse we called it ´religion´- hijacked by the political and or economical purposes. And then before we know it, it became ´ideology, to kill or die for´. Darko also quoted Lennon´s ´Imagine´ lyric to Darla.

He espressoed his opinion that any faith and it´s teachings are more or less completed, and nothing new under the sun. But it doesn´t mean that there is no more space in between. And that (the space in between) somehow could be filled by some of the songs lyrics for examples. Or any kind of Art forms. The other words, the window to the creativity and or the discovery field is still widely open.

The conversation was getting more exciting, when Darla asked Darko, is it possible still to discover a different kind of faith?

´Why not?´ Darko replied.

´You can start it with asking a question that has no answer yet. No matter if that question sounds rediculous or stupid... But what for?´ Darko said, looking at his -almost empty- cup.

´Maybe, just for fun?... A rediculous and stupid question like what...?´ Seems like Darla was being intrigued.

´Like... ´ Darko thought for a moment, as he was sipping his black coffee. And then he said, ´Can a donut be a symbol of a religion?´

´A donut?... You´ve got to be kidding!´ Darla laughed. So did Darko...

Because it was Saturday, none of them have something so serious things to do, they were still have enough empty time.

In order to continue their ´cup to cup chat´, the empty space in Darko´s cup was filled again. Actually Marla brought to him a new cup filled with his ´morning ritual´ liquid scripture: Black Coffee...

Filling the empty space...

So, their morning coffee chat goes on...

´More or less like the completed teachings of any kind of faith, so do the ´secular´ teachings. Secular konwledges and/or teachings, more or less are also ´completed´ along with their ´empty space´ here and there in between.´ Darko said, while having his first sip of his second cup.

´Well, actually the secular teaching has some space for the intangible subjects and put them under category of... Culture, for example.´ Said Darla.

´Yes, okay... But still there is some empty space here and there.´

´For example?´

´Just a brief example. We currently living under ´commodity´ and ´logic´ rezime. Therefore, I would like to ask a question. Is there a subject called ´commoditiology´ to be thought in any university and/or academy? Nope...´

´There is a crack in everything... Thats how life gives in...´ Leonard Cohen´s fascinating song and voice is playing nicely from the CD of the Cafe. Darko cannot wait to see him in ´Live Concert´, on March next year here in Zagreb.

´And... Uhm, you hear the song that is playing right now?... You see, Art is also a great great commodity... Well... Since commoditiology is not -yet- exists... Then, how about ´Artology´? Nope... For one reason, the secular knowledge doesn´t always work that way. It is not like those coffee beans produced from different countries could be mixed with sugar and cream provided by the other countries.´

´Well, put it this way... There is no Cafeology, either.´ Darla was gigling.

´Probably... That we simply cannot mix the terms, between the Greek terminology (like ´logos´) with English terminologies (like ´commodity´ and ´art´) then stirring them up inside our cup, in order to produce the ´drinkable´ and teachable secular subject or knowledge... We called them, Theology instead of Godology. Or Psychology instead of Personalogy, Emotionalogy or Soulogy.´

´Hmmm...´ Darla said. Then she ordered a glass of water. By the way, she has a huge cup of capuccino...

´And ofcourse the other -obvious- reason is, that there is some field, is not and/or not yet ´drinkable´ by ´logic´. Psyche for an instant, is not a three dimensional object.´ Darko sipping his black coffee again.

´Aunt Psyche and uncle Amor are a ´caricatural´ tale of an ancient Greek era.´ Darla added.

´ Then perhaps, it is ´reasonable´ to draw a caricature called ´Psycaricature´? If so, then what would the caricature look like?´ Darko asked.

´Maybe reasonable, but is it logical? Thats the question... Anyway, are you undermining Psychology?´ Darla asked.

´Nope, dont put it that way. But put it this way, where and what is the limit and the edge of Art? Any form of it... Scientificly speaking, that question –the edge of art- has no answer... Yet.... So, in this context, that is caricature, it could or perhaps should touch any subject, isn´t it?... There is an article about a study of neurology through Art...Considered as a new era of neurology, the article said... ´

´I don´t know, for me caricature is an entertainment... Anyway, there is an exception in term of not mixing the English term with the Greek term. Like ´Scientology´. The English termonilogy -science- is mixed with the Greek terminology.´ Darla said.

´Fine, but as we can see, this particular subject of ´logos´ is not to be thought and it is not considered as a secular knowledge and teaching. It is a ´belive´ that has it´s own Church.´ Darko said.

´´Is it tends to fill the empty space of ´science´? Darla asked.

´What the bliiiipp do I know?´ Darko was gigling. And continue, ´There is also an exception that the subject cannot be formed by -simply- mixing the Greek termonology with Greek terminology within itself.´

´Democratiology for an instant, is not and/or not yet exists as a secular subject and knowledge. Is there any Professor of Democratiology exists on this planet? I don´t think so... But, please let me know if they are actually exist, tho. I am very open -and funky- minded person.´

´Open minded? Me too, I guess...´ Darla said and then continue...

´So... That there is still a huge empty space or huge HOLE to be filled and yet barely –or maybe cannot- be filled, on every corner of our life. Just like a donut that has it´s hole right in the middle of it.´

´A hole to be filled? I have mine too, I guess...´ Darko said as he pointing to his mouth while sipping his coffee. Darla was laughing, as Darko continue...

˙Yup! Life is like a donut, it has hole right in the middle of it... You see, even so called ´life´ can be caricaturized... As a donut!... The hole of it, is probably could be categorized into Shakespeare´s ´to be or not to be´ question. We just eat the donut, enjoy it... We don´t really care if we actually eat the hole in the middle of it ... or not... Thats the way it is.´

Despite the cafe was relatively empty that morning, the cafe lady, Marla, seems to be pleased. She doesn´t really catch every piece of Darko and Darla´s coffee chat, but she was enjoying the fact that those two people could be in a very good mood, involved in the topic of a... hole? Or was it... The donut is a symbol of religion in ancient Greek era? Who the funk knows... But they´re seems like a couple of old friends even thought they were just met in her tiny and exotic cafe.

Thanks to Marla, Darko and Darla celebrating their life one cup at a time, in the cloudy Saturday morning...

I hope you enjoy the reading...

Cafeist