Sidewalk iced tea and the value of community. — Photo courtesy of Andrew King (@an_kingphoto)

Alex Reeves (@afreeves23)

One of the very few things that travels further in the modern world than the impacts of American politics, is tea. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit it took upwards of thirty years to learn the etymological origins of the world’s second-most consumed beverage. Tea if by sea, or ‘cha’ if by land, simple.

While many of us buckle up, processing the potential ramifications of yesterday’s US presidential election result, as I write this it's hard to think about much else that can be considered news today, or tomorrow for that matter.

As you read this at the back end of the week, the Western world will be knee-deep in the fallout of what a Donald Trump presidency means for the status quo. So, what to do as the individual ego-quake with the most seismic of global ripples, is determined by a comparative handful of minds?

In only a few electoral battlegrounds on the other side of the planet, a decision was made, the tremors of which will be felt as far and wide as here in Việt Nam and my homeland of Britain. Well, back in dear old Blighty, the most likely answer would be to sip on a cuppa and wait for it all to blow over.

Tea, in the loosest sense of irony, played a surprisingly central role in the US' path to independence from Britain, a symbolic and financial flashpoint in the escalating conflict between the colonies and the British government. And look where that’s got us.

To any ‘expats’ here sifting through the day's ideological hubris and terror, I suggest you do the same. Easily the calmest spot in town to sit back and wait for the drama to roll in is at your local trà đá stand. Easily locatable by getting out of whichever building you’re currently occupying and wandering down the road.

These little kerbside sanctuaries are the perfect respite from the stresses of everyday life and I dare say that you’ll be in the absolute minority as the local population of Vietnamese civilisation take refreshingly little interest in the commotion dominating the headlines back west.

Trà đá vỉa hè (sidewalk iced tea) is a culture all of itself, with these much-loved and usually modest set-ups existing not merely for their thirst-quenching qualities but as a social lubricant, bringing together everyone from students and office workers to elders and entrepreneurs. Cutting through the social, political and economic differences that divide us most.

For a few thousand đồng, you can indulge in a cup of iced tea which is as surprisingly refreshing as its caffeine content. A little buzz, dialled down compared to the street around you, will assist in staying alert while navigating the day's political talking heads.

Nobody is excluded from trà đá vỉa hè, it’s a utilitarian and inclusive concept. Class, race and finance prove no barrier to perching on a small plastic stool and engaging in the gossip and flow of the community. Regardless of affinities, days like these prove the starkest of reminders for the importance of such spaces and the impact of their scarcity back home. — VNS