Caffè sospeso

 

caffe_sospeso_bassadef

“A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world.”

— Muhammad (570 – 632 CE)

We entered a small coffee shop with a friend and ordered. As we were walking towards a table to sit down, two other people entered and ordered: “5 coffees please; 2 to go, and 3 suspended”. They only took 2 coffees and left. I asked my friend: “What is this suspended coffee about?” He smiled and replied: “Just wait and you’ll realize”.

More people entered. Two girls ordered one coffee each and left.

The next order was 7 coffees from 3 lawyers–3 coffees to go and 4 suspended coffees.

As I was thinking about this “suspended coffee” and enjoying the beautiful sunshine, a man with ragged clothes lethargically entered the coffee shop. With kindness, he asked the cashier: “Do you have any suspended coffees today?”

It’s simple! You pay the price of two or more, but only pick up one. The rest will be ‘suspended’ at the store as an act of charity.

This tradition started from the city of Naples in Italy, and slowly spread throughout the world.  This summer in Edmonton, an anonymous customer paid for 500 suspended coffees at Tim Hortons.

“How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment; we can start now, start slowly changing the world!”Anne Frank (diary entry, 1944)

By Ghazaleh Alamaki

Residence Advisor

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