Leisure talk: Wake up early and have a cup of coffee

Every morning I wake up early because the birds on the porch sing their songs. But I don't mind because I have more time to enjoy the splendor of the earth and sky after six long months of cold.

I start my day with a cup of honey, lemon, and ginger tea (sometimes with lemongrass) as I have done for the past few years since the Covid-19 pandemic. The longer I stay in the US, the worse my pollen allergies get, so in addition to medication, that cup of tea also helps me keep my fragile throat warm. Then I make coffee, soak oatmeal mixed with yogurt and nuts for breakfast. Then I clean up, change clothes, prepare to take my grandchild to school, run to the company, and start a busy day with mountains of paperwork and hundreds of phone calls.

Like many other Vietnamese, my passion for morning coffee is endless. I have tried many types, from instant coffee from Vietnam, Guatemala, Malaysia, to pre-brewed coffee in the freezer or instant from Colombia, Brazil, or canned coffee imported from home... Finally, I returned to my "home" dish - roasted filter coffee brought from Vietnam, served with Ông Thọ milk and crushed ice. Pour a bowl of boiling water to cover the cup with milk. Put the coffee and pour boiling water into the filter. Let the milk cook until the coffee is delicious. Watching each drop slowly fall makes my heart flutter. I learned how to make it from Miss Bay Can Vat in the play "The Life of Miss Luu" by Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chau. It is still effective after decades.

I went out to the balcony, sipped coffee, ate oatmeal, and watched the sun rise. It felt light and relaxing, although I still craved the feeling of friends texting me to go out to a cafe to drink coffee and talk about all sorts of things.

I often joke that whether in the US or Vietnam, the earth still takes 24 hours to rotate around its axis to form a day. But it feels like time in the US runs much faster than in Vietnam. Days in the US seem shorter even though the sun doesn't set until 9pm in the summer. People are always busy, rushing, out of breath, juggling books, meetings, family, children. The pressure of making money to pay bills is almost always on their shoulders. I live in the quiet suburbs of Washington DC, but every day I have to count every minute, every second so as not to miss a beat. My friends in the city center, or New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, run as fast as they can. Sometimes being late by one minute means missing the train. Perhaps that's why, to serve the needs of Americans, most fast food companies originate from the US. Every morning, passing by McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, seeing people rushing to buy coffee, breakfast, then stepping on the gas and eating right in their cars makes me feel tired.

Amar, an Iraqi employee who just returned from a two-week trip to Vietnam, bragged to me that he had just bought a ticket to come back for the fourth time next year. I guessed that Amar had a girlfriend there but kept it a secret. I asked Amar what he liked most about Vietnam. Without having to think too much, he said he really liked the energetic mornings of "boss Tai's" homeland. At five in the morning, whether in Saigon, Hue, Hoi An or Hanoi, people were already out on the streets having breakfast, drinking coffee, and doing vigorous exercise. The streets were always bustling with life. He could sit for hours, drinking a few cups of cheap but delicious coffee and watching the crowded streets without getting bored.

There were many nights when I slept soundly in my blankets and mats, wishing for the morning to come quickly, so I could wake up and make myself a cup of tea or coffee and leisurely welcome the day. Perhaps, that was the rare moment when I felt relieved and at peace in the long months and years of being away from home.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhan-dam-day-som-va-uong-mot-tach-ca-phe-185250412185828387.htm