Street

When I think about communal living, I am reminded of street food in South-East Asia. 

In countries like Vietnam or Thailand where living in the street is part of the local culture, the public space belongs to family business owners trying to make a living. Street food, in particular, is at the heart of local community building.

I remember fondly sitting on a plastic chair in Saigon at the crack of dawn with uncles going to work, eating a bowl of dumplings soup and watching the scooters driving down the street. Or strolling down the streets of Penang in the evening to find my favorite Mee Goreng stall, right next to an open air karaoke club.

There is just nothing quite like it in Europe where I come from. Eateries are way more expensive in comparison, and simply unsustainable for common folks. I think this is a huge loss in the diversity of the urban landscape when regulations trump organic movement.

Walking around in those Asian countries is an entirely different experience, where your senses are challenged and adventure comes your way in unexpected yet mundane situations. You could visit the same street every day for several months and still keep on learning new things. This is what being street smart should be like.