I was scrolling through my feed on social media when I saw this picture:

Apparently, Amix Coffee, the flooded fish cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was established with the zest to revolutionize animal cafes, introducing a new method of human commune with animals-having fishes indoors.

I couldn’t help but cringe while watching the fishes swimming around chairs and tables, probably wondering WTF was going on around them, especially with the constant leg traffic.

Now, for my questions:

• WTF! What was the owner of the cafe thinking? How is this normal? Isn’t this putting the health of all concerned at risk?
• Isn’t having to change the water constantly just an unnecessary chore? Added with the fact that they have to cater to customers
• Will fishes be on the café’s menu? Wouldn’t that be like patrons are eating one of them!
• What if the fishes bite the customers?
• What if they mistakenly put electric fish in the water?
• Do customers wash their feet before walking into the cafe?
• Didn’t someone tell this person what a stupid idea this is?

Then my imagination ran wild:

Imagine if this happened in Nigeria, people will say the owner is doing ogu owo (money rituals).

Just imagine how it will be eating catfish pepper soup and one of them swims past your feet with dole eyes.

And you know how lazy the staff at some buka joints can be, cleanliness is not their forte, which means the fishes will probably die from unhygienic conditions while everywhere will stink!

Nigerians will have louded it, claiming how they saw the restaurant owner turning to mami water one evening.

Surely, one might catch a cold while sitting with bare feet in cold water in an air conditioned room.

Imagine the frenzy from the fishes if food drops on the floor.

Well, thumbs up for innovation. Sadly, some work and some don’t. My verdict? This doesn’t make the cut. It might lead to some better innovation though.