A Café with consciousness – Le Café D

On hearing a lot about this new café shop in our own Coimbatore city, I decided to give in to my curiosity and pay the place a visit. For many years now, coffee shops have been the go to place when you prefer to have hour long conversations and discussions, especially on political and business related topics. Business deals worth billions worldwide are closed in such coffee shops. In the 1800’s and 1900’s, cafés played a major role in the political changes that happened in the Eurasian countries. When my friend and I visited Le Café D situated in the eastern end of the city, I was awestruck with its similarity to country side café that I spot in the bohemian region.

The ambiance and food:

I was ready to expect a usual air conditioned café with the standard menu, but to my surprise the café turned out to be something completely different. Every single piece of artifact and tables in the café oozed with creativity. There are two tables painted in vintage green color in the outer area to enjoy the evening breeze. While one table has been fashioned using an old cradle as its base with a table top, the other one is made out of a vintage block of wood with flower motifs from wooden pillars on the top and bottom of the table.

Once you enter the café, there is ample space to walk around and enjoy watching the surroundings or even the kids who skate near Decathlon. The table at the cash counter is a traditional one with drawers. The eatery area has a long glass top table that has been remodeled out of a vintage font storage box from a printing press. Each of the partitions has been filled with sorted stones, which shine under the night light.

In one corner, there is a wooden vase again colored in the same vintage green shade. Upon closer inspection, you realize that the vase is actually a dead vintage Mridangam (a musical instrument). Another artifact, an old lamp, is in the process of being installed in the pavement area to add to the café’s ambience. Thus, the overall design of the café gives the feel of zen interior design by staying minimalist and comfortable.

The menu was pretty interesting and diversified ranging from American burger and European pastries to our own Indian tea, making it the perfect place to share thoughts and experience.

The man behind the creativity:

Mr. Vijay, the CEO of the coffee shop is the person behind its creative décor. In today’s world of consumerism, business owners have a tendency of assigning the decor and design of any place to a third party. But Mr. Vijay worked on the ambience himself, giving importance to each detail, in order to add value to the shop and also to stimulate creativity in the minds of all his customers. The core concept of starting cafés was to encourage communication and engagement among people, giving them a different outlook about life. Le Café D proves to be a perfect example to this concept.

Teak - Part of Millenniums old Dravidian Culture

          We visited a furniture shop a few days back, where we heard the sales executive talking to a customer about the superiority of teak based products. Most of us do not question the quoted price and quality of teak products due to lack of adequate knowledge in that field. Hence we decided to do some research and present certain facts about teak wood.

About Teak:

           The word “Teak” originated from the Tamil word “Tekku” meaning the same. It is found in abundance in the tropical regions, especially in South and South East Asia, Africa and Colombia. Teak falls into the hardwood category, along with rosewood and ebony. The outer layer of teak is yellowish white in color, while the inner region is golden brown or dark brown with black lines on it.

History:

           Teak has been a part of most households in the Dravidian region, mainly Tamil Nadu and Kerala, because of its strength, beauty, durability and medicinal purposes. It also has resistance to termites and other pests, owing to its high oil content. History has evidence of Romans being interested in teak wood for building their ships and also for medicinal purposes. Teak was exported to Rome in exchange for gold, ivory or wool. Teak wood was primarily used in our region to make kitchen utensils as well as home décor products. During the British Rule, teak wood was used extensively to make furniture which are strong and stable even today.

Types of Teak:

          Teakwood is categorized based on the region in which the trees are found. In India, the two major types of teakwood available are forest teak and plantation teak. Forest teak is obtained from trees that grow naturally in the forests and are ready for use after 14 years. Plantation teak, on the other hand, can be used after it is 8 years old. Natural teak is preferred over plantation because of its quality and beauty. The popular teak wood categories in our country are Malabar Teak, Konkan Teak, Nagpur Teak and many more. The price of a teak wood product depends on the variety of teak that it is made from.

Points to remember:

·         Ensure that the product is actually made out of teakwood not just by the color of the product but by observing the straight grains that would be visible on its surface, which is unique to teak wood.

·         Confirm with the seller about the teak variety used to make the product.

·         Teakwood products must be refurbished once in two years, to increase their life.

·         Try to avoid chemically treated wood types like rubber wood and compressed wood since they can cause health hazards. However, apart from being eco-friendly, natural wood products have an ability to absorb Co2, thus making the home a better place to live in.

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