Beware of the stalker

The friends' drought is really beginning to bite. So I've taken to hanging out in the Church Of the Lonely Ex-Patriate (Starbucks) hoping to land some new ones. So far I've had no biters. Usually the COLE is full of wistful-looking English speaking females but now I'm beginning to think they've all gone home. There are a lot of Dutch people though.

I know we're all meant to hate Starbucks, it being a global company that displaces local enterprise etc, etc, but when it opened in Lausanne I rejoiced: out went the tea shop with fluorescent strip lighting and orange plastic chairs, in came the leather sofas and lounge tunes. Now I have a nice warm place to park my sleeping Glorymouse in the afternoons (it's about the only time and place you can actually find her asleep) and a hot, caffeinated mug of froth to keep me from total collapse. Shame it's so expensive, but some things are worth stumping up for...and if it brings me a new pal then it will have been a good investment.

No friends yet, unless of course I learn some Dutch. And that would make my head explode.