I'm sitting at Moca Ca Phe in hanoi. humid air (somewhat dispersed by the antique fans overhead) is coming through the large open street-facing windows, along with the roaring of the morning motorbikes. sitting on the marble cafe table in front of me is a vietnamese "white coffee" which means a cup of strong coffee poured over a dollop of condensed milk which sits beneath the coffee until you stir the two together. along with this is a plate with delicious banana pancakes.
sitting in the corner is a rack of cheap english-language books of dubious provenance, an ancient coffee grinder which looks like it can also be used for basic automobile maintenance, and a message board with postings in 3 different languages. one english language post lists a land cruiser for sale: contact the embassy of denmark to arrange to see it. a french posting appears to be for a independent film about hanoi in 1906, and directs people to see it (as far as i can tell) at the famous metropole.
i scuff my feet on the tiled floor, which apears to (and probably does) date from the colonial era, as i watch a man wheel what appears to be a large talking scale through the street.
i am suffused with contentment and a quiet joy at being here in the moment -- i feel at home for a few minutes.
sitting in the corner is a rack of cheap english-language books of dubious provenance, an ancient coffee grinder which looks like it can also be used for basic automobile maintenance, and a message board with postings in 3 different languages. one english language post lists a land cruiser for sale: contact the embassy of denmark to arrange to see it. a french posting appears to be for a independent film about hanoi in 1906, and directs people to see it (as far as i can tell) at the famous metropole.
i scuff my feet on the tiled floor, which apears to (and probably does) date from the colonial era, as i watch a man wheel what appears to be a large talking scale through the street.
i am suffused with contentment and a quiet joy at being here in the moment -- i feel at home for a few minutes.
