i'm absolutely taken by this idea of the Conversation Cafe...

"Why Conversation Cafés? Because when you put strangers, caffeine and ideas in the same room, brilliant things can happen. For that very reason, the British Parliament banned coffeehouses in the 1700s as hotbeds of sedition. Might we brew up a similar social liveliness now? With democracy, critical thinking and "the ties that bind" all under siege, this may be the most radical cup of coffee you ever drink."

i really miss having witty debates with like-minded friends (such people like my dear friend Lynn who is now studying the brain in the UK), where we can banter into the wee hours of the morning on a million and one topics from religion, politics, friendship, relationships, dreams, travel, and anything that comes into our minds.. better still, we come up with funny and imaginative new ideas, new ways of thinking about the same things and challenge each other on our philosophies, ideas and plans.. debates can be such fun if they are between two equally open-minded, imaginative, child-like, intelligent people...

as they say in the Conversation Cafe website...

"....your mind is such a beautiful thing. It would be a shame to waste it."

so true... i am so in need of great mental stimulating conversation now.... somehow, studying and thinking during work, while being mental stimulants as well, somehow just don't seem to do the job entirely...