Going out for a coffee is more fun during these days in Saigon. As an alternative to hanging out at the Sun Wah Café Central, or perhaps lamenting endlessly at the sound of Trịnh Công Sơn music, with languor and nostalgia at traditional coffee bars, Saigonnese have transformed themselves into "Highlanders". Not to be mistaken with Christopher Lambert armed with a sword in the "Highlander" movie. They are just having coffee, Café Trung Nguyên brandnamed as Highland Coffee, undeniably in Crayola-colored chairs, with pop music soundtrack and a trendy ambiance.
The "Starbuck mania" seems to sweep the whole country, from Saigon to Hanoi. It's Highland Coffee shop at every street corner, and one cannot resist the temptation of having a cup of coffee at a price nearly one US dollar, a luxury only middle class citizen can afford. Globalization has found its way to Vietnam!. But it has no way out.
It has been observed recently that Highland Coffe is never served on major flights departing from Vietnam: either it's Chinese tea, English tea or just 'coffee'. Never once, I was offered a cup of Highland Coffee (*). That is how far the globalization goes. Vietnam has done its homework to be accepted as the 150th member of the World Trade Organization. Of course global economic cooperation has its own rules: while some are written, the rest are still fuzzy and too ineffective to withstand traditional preferences. But I am convinced that procastination has no place in globalization and soon little good thing like Highland Coffee, will be part of the menu as a welcome gesture in this exchange debut.
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(*) I was joking when I insisted to be served with Chinese coffee. The Cathay Pacific stewardess kindly replied to me there is no such thiiing! Only chinese tea. She laughed afterwards to realize that I was teasing her. Of course, I said: only Highland Coffee. And I promised to take her out for a cup of coffee next time I fly home again. She insisted that I must fly Cathay. Affirmative, I assured her but on one condition: Highland Coffee must be served on all the flights inbound for Saigon...(to be continued).
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