After a while of being unable to get out of toxic thoughts in my head and my surroundings, I found myself seeking comfort in alcohol. I went from one familiar bar to another, and drank from 3-4 times a week, if not at home then at a bar. I thought I might be on the edge of becoming an alcoholic, but then I realized, I was there more for the feelings of being safe, rather than the alcohol itself.
We all have different ways to deal with pain and trauma. Some are easy to talk about. Some aren’t. For me, alcohol has been an easy escape lately. I drank, and I drank just to be able to sleep easier at night, and sometimes, it calmed my panic attacks.
Through my traumas, I found a bar hidden behind a closet, located in Binh Thanh District, very close to my house. The story of why the owner opened the bar was quite interesting. He was hiding from his past traumas by hiding in the closet as a kid. Every guest came to Tu Bar with a desire to rest their pains and at least forget about the stress for a couple of hours while they were there.
Tủ doesn’t offer a menu, but the bartenders make the drinks based on asking them what they like in their drinks. It was quite interesting because every drink came with a side snack that complemented the drinks so well.
I usually sat there for hours and just stared at the dark space, and let my mind run free from all the thoughts and negative energies. When I was there, I felt safe and comfortable. From time to time, I talked to the owner and learned more about his traumas and how he overcame them. We shared our past experiences and cared for one another as friends or customers vs. owners.
