As opposed to the soda and coffee dominated culture in the US, I would have to say that Tea is the most abundant beverage in this part of the world - followed by juice -, and I have been (for 37 days now) scouting for my favorite kinds since my arrival! Specifically, I am referring to the chilled beverages available in vending machines, convenience stores, and grocery markets.
Now this may sound like a simple task, but let me break it down for you:
Average 7-11, Family Mart, or Hi-Life convenience store...
(my guess...) +/- 65 beverages in the refrigerators with labels containing the Chinese character for Tea (<--- which I recognize!)... maybe more?
+/- 10 out of the 65 also have English writing on the labels...
+/- 3 out of the 10 English labels are flavors I know I like...
That leaves me still with at least 55 unkowns... or more?
And usually standing in front of the cooler doors completely dumbfoundeded as the locals scurry around me to grab one of thier favorite bottles...
My mom was laughing this morning as I was explaining to her how surprised I am sometimes when I take a swig of a new drink! [For example, I really wish that the 'milk' here tasted like milk to me... but that is a different story!] There are black, white, and green teas. Herbal teas. Oolong tea. Flower teas. Fruit teas. Teas that are supposed to make you skinny... but the one I bought (accidentally), I didn't care for. Milk teas. Trust me the list goes on! Then there are sweetened vs. unsweeted (those are some Chinese characters I wish I knew how to recognize... I actually prefer the unsweetened tea most of the time, since the sweetened is typically a bit overkill...)
Luckily most of these cost between 50 cents to $1 US, so in times of desperation I toss a bottle and move on to the next - but, I hate wasting perfectly fine drinks and money! So, here's hoping that I continue to find more flavors/types of tea that are to my liking...
Cheers :)
I've been catching up on about a month of posts today, Liz. Sounds like life is going pretty well. I agree about never leaving home without your attitude set. It takes a lot of nerve to do what you're doing!
ReplyDeleteI am also very proud of you, and your work. It IS exciting and worthwhile to be involved in your current project. Keep us posted!!!
And I got really tickled at your story about the 44th floor. Yep, there's definitely a reason for your apartment being available....they saw you coming, sweetie. :)))