I just heard a news feature on the radio this morning about coffee culture in Italy which reminded me of an incredible experience I had in Rome whilst on a business trip there a few years ago.

Working in Rome has been filled with many little, yet impactful experiences just like this, so it was a pleasure to have this memory pop into in my mind this morning and I couldn’t wait to share it.

It was early evening, after a long days work at the office and I was tired and wanted to grab a quick cuppa before heading back to my hotel. I popped into a nearby cafe/restaurant intending to do just that and asked for a take away cappuccino. However the answer I received and what happened after that was totally unexpected – and a complete eye opener into Italian culture – and myself too. I guess I should have known – coffee can do that!

The waiter explained to me patiently that actually they did not have any take away cups which was really surprising to me. Surely they must cater for this very common need was what I was thinking and so I asked “Well, how come?” He smiled and said to me in a calming, encouraging tone:

“Because coffee you must sit and enjoy. Come, just take a seat here, I will bring your coffee to you. ” 

At first I was annoyed (Coming from England and in my mind was my mantra “Every self respecting restaurant knows that they should….x,yz!”) but something told me to let go and see where this goes. So I sat down and waited for my coffee.

That’s when I started to look around me and for the first time observe where I actually was, who were the  people here sitting at other tables. I remembered I had my travel notebook with me and excitedly took it out and started writing. I realised then that this was actually turning into a great idea. I could catch up with my writing which I was meaning to but wasn’t finding the time to. I could enjoy cappuccino from a real cup, not a paper throw-away version. And how nice to be served and taken care of – even for a little while.

That simple encounter taught me some valuable lessons – number one : to slow down. (not so easy for Miss Multitasker  Extraordinaire, with five to do lists and 50 unread emails to respond to at any given point!) But this was exactly the lesson I needed to learn at that very moment. The world is not going to crash if I take fifteen minutes of time-out to revive myself and enjoy a simple pleasure. Alhamdulillah what a surprising little occasion that has remained with me for life.

Oh and cappuccino in Italy is like no other. You can never be disappointed. Not even with the machine ones at the office! And they always have “decaffeinato” as an option (not to be underestimated as I later learnt as it’s not always available,  for example in Turkey!)

Grateful for the little things, one cappuccino at a time,
Muslimah by Design
MbyD