Last Friday, I was walking along the busy streets of a downtown market. There were a lot of people and stalls due to the upcoming festivities that week. There were also some beggars, usually along the bridge. One beggar struck me the most: she was holding out a Starbucks cup to the passers by.

The scene was perfect. The glare of the sun at noon. The people passing by. The newly-painted but poverty-specked bridge.

The irony of that Starbucks cup in a beggar's hand.

Imagine how a symbol of the elite --- Starbucks --- became a mere vessel of pity and mercy from strangers to a beggar. It made me realize something... When an average person carries around a cup of Starbucks coffee, it gives him/her the impression of being elite --- high class. The Starbucks brand carries the person. But in that situation, Starbucks fails to uplift the status of its beholder.

It was perfect.

I wanted to capture that moment, but I didn't have a camera with me. All I have is that picture in my memory.