Little things
Montreal Old City is a very unusual place to visit. Well, it has those little things that make you wonder and that unique and unforgettable feeling of a pleasant surprise in most unexpected situations as the one below. I guess that is why we love visiting it so so many times.
One unexpectedly preoccupying subject is chairs. It is one of those items we take for granted and notice mostly if the chair is uncomfortable. We focus on our conversation or checking our phones and sit down where we find a place available. Then we suddenly might feel a bit discomforting and hit that aha moment. Well, I found that there is something more to it.
For a start, there are those classical chairs in the restaurants. They are prevalent in Paris. It is interesting how restaurant owners love to stack them up every night and then put them back every morning. Is it to keep their equipment safe, or is something else behind that ritual?
People love these chairs so much that they made a newer version. Admittedly, they still stack them up every night. I loved those simple geometrical forms and how the chairs played together. The angle is calculated perfectly for chairs to fit when stacked and comfortably sit. It made me think of a golden ratio — an equation for a perfect balance. I could not realize how much people love geometry. In another restaurant, I found a few other chairs standing out with their minimalistic frame. I still can’t figure out the formulae used to design them, but I found them very comfortable. I thought, next, what if I try a different category of businesses? To my surprise, I discovered the obsession with geometry was universal. I found different shapes that would be most uncomfortable at first sight. I put my ideas to the test and got beaten to the ground. The chairs were comfortable to sit in, as it was painful to my pride. What puzzled me was that one would not design a chair for a specific person. People of different sizes would use them and claim to find them comfortable. It again led me to hypothesize that designers use a formula when making these chairs.
That mystery did not puzzle only me. A few artists captured the art of sitting and shared it in the local galleries. As I watched these paintings, I thought about the correlation between a pose and a chair. Are those related? Would you get a different chair for a posture you’d like to take?
As some know, Montreal is a great place to experience a European boutique. So, there is that boutique that specializes in dresses. Yet, for some reason, dresses one would love are available only in a limited supply. Why is that? For some reason purchasing there, one gets an incredible feeling of uniqueness but at a value price. That was one of my partner’s favourite places, which is another puzzle for me to solve.
Supporting our partners is not always easy. It was incredible to find out that someone appreciates our sacrifices. On that day, we stepped into the store, and as usual, I was tired from a long expedition studying so many chairs. The air conditioner was excellent, and then I noticed that unusual chair. We were the only customers in the store, and the salesgirl was chatting with my wife. I saw a chair and decided to sit down. As I took a seat, I suddenly lost myself in my thoughts. Not sure why I got into that feeling of being in the zone. If you are an intellectual worker, you know what I mean. I sit and think calmly. You can visualize your goals, hear so clearly and stay so focused. One of those excellent and super productive states we can be in makes us feel so happy and fulfilled. I started getting so many thoughts about a few projects I wanted to do. I got to imagine building these, putting some notes, and time flew by so fast. Suddenly, I heard: “We got to go. We have a reservation.” Wow, I thought to myself! Is it magical?
I can’t say I was looking forward to those shopping experiences. Yet now, I keep asking my partner when we return to the store again. Suddenly, something completely unattractive became so pleasant. It is about those little things that make a big difference for us, like a comfortable chair.
