It strikes me that I ought to be ashamed about the indulgence of this webpage - nothing more than the self-gratifying movement from one culinary delight to another. How is this helping to make the world a better place, I wonder? Can I truly live with this hypocrosy?

I think I'll have to ponder that one over one more cup of amazing caphe, kopi vietnam, the amazing, buttery brew that is as intoxicating as it is thick.

It is worth noting how caffeine, in its many forms, plays a part in every culture that I have lived in and travelled through. And yet, each place does it in a unique way, with a unique taste and serving a unique social purpose. Like in Aceh, Indonesia, the cafe (which, in Hanoi, seems to grace every other street corner) serves as a gathering place, a place for social interaction.