On 1 Ion
Mincu Street, hidden between the cement buildings lies a magical place where
time is the most valuable thing. Seneca Anticafe, for this is its name, is the
first place in Romania that promotes the concept of “anti-cafe”, firstly
initiated in Russia and then adopted by other countries, like Germany, France
and Italy. Founded by Anastasia Staicu and Victor Alexa, this little piece of
Heaven distinguishes itself from other cafes through its purpose: the value of
time.
As soon as
you step in Seneca Anticafe you feel yourself get rid of all your worries,
stress and problems you have at that time. You even leave your name at the door
and become a new person, even though it is for a short period of time, a
celebrated person, such as Cicero or Seneca. Each visitor receives at the
entrance a bookmark which has the name of a philosopher or writer inscripted on
it, which is then registered in a computer. This way, from the moment you enter
this place until the moment you leave this place of wonders, you have been
reborn.
After this “ritual”
is finished, you are the master of your own time. It is up to you how long
you’re going to stay here or how you’ll make this time count; in Seneca
Anticafe you can do a multitude of things. You have at your disposal a vast
collection of books carefully selected that are waiting to be read, computers
or tablets on which you can work without being bothered by anything, Internet,
unlimited Wi-Fi connection and many others. There is even a separate room,
where silence rules over, a perfect place if you desire to study of if you want
to have a relaxing conversation with a loved one. Or, if you’re in the mood for
a snack or some freshly brewed tea, you are welcome to use the small kitchen,
where you can find all types of delicious tea, biscuits or even heat up your
packed food.
But how
much does the access to this place cost? If you think you’re going to spend a
small fortune, think again. In Seneca Anticafe you don’t pay the consumption,
but the time; 8 lei (the equivalent of around 1 pound 50) for an hour. And if
you don’t feel like leaving this magical place, no worries: after 5 hours the
time “stops” and you won’t need to pay any fee.
“We tell
our guests: look, the price for one hour is 8 lei, but you’re the one who makes
your time valuable” explained Anastasia. “For us, it is more important to come
here and put accent on the productivity, and not the consumption” added her
colleague, Victor. This is the reason why the two founded the first anti-cafe
in Romania; to make people realise how precious time is and convince us to make
the best out of it. We live in an era when time is essential to us, but we
waste it on trivial things, without enjoying a few minutes of relaxation. In
such times, the appearance of this place is like a breath of fresh air.
Being very
new in this country, at first romanians did not completely grasp the concept of
an anti-cafe and therefore, considered this charming place as just another
regular cafe, where you could eat and drink as much as you could for a cheap
price. “Some viewed this place as a tea house where you fill yourself with food
and drinks for an hour... But this is not about that”, said Victor. “We don’t
tell people not to consume - of course they can! It’s just that we don’t want
this to be the main attraction of this venue.” However, slowly but steadily,
romanians found out the real purpose of this anti-cafe and happily accepted
Anastasia and Victor’s ideas.
The two
owners continue to improve this outstanding place and promise us to host a
variety of events, like philosophy seminars or art exhibitions for young artists.
Meanwhile, Seneca Anticafe awaits its beloved visitors every day of the week
from 10 am to 8 pm.
(Photos belong to Mediafax)
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