a seat at the stools
stools in hanoi, vietnam
You can come upon them and see them seemingly unarranged, that is until your imagination gets the best of you, as it always gets the best of me, and you begin to wonder who sat in them, who drew one closer to another, who sat alone, who told another a secret, or a revelation like, ‘I like you.’ these chairs get you low I saw them as a symbol of humility for being in a position, to be served a drink, from the bosom of a country that represents the worlds’ second largest producing destination for coffee.
The French brought coffee to Vietnam in 1857, and it’s proliferated and prospered since, developing its economic process by means of a plantation system – I didn’t know that until visiting here.
next to rice, coffee is the most valued home-grown product of Vietnam and why I, and you and the more than 13 million tourists a year that come to Vietnam and literally find it everywhere.
here, I’ve indulged in a coffee not often praised or served in America at specialty coffee shops: Robusta. most days, I ordered as many cups of coffee as pictured by the number of these stools to immerse myself in a drink prepared Vietnamese style.
There’s nothing like tasting a coffee and it’s culture for one’s self, for myself. I know a teeny bit more about Robusta and how beautiful it can be because I sat at the feet of shops serving its beans. I invite you as you travel locally or abroad to do the same. coffee is more than beans, it’s a seat at a culture’s table.