Tea Tea is ubiquitous, everywhere anytime. From early morning pick-me-up to late evening gathering, there's always a cup of tea ready. I guess people would feel awkward if they don't have a thing to drink, just like those smokers' tinge feeling when their hands are empty. The mainstream tea are green tea and flower tea, but you can always be different by selecting some unique ones. I haven't got a chance being a snob at a high-end teahouse, pretending I've got class, yet, but it is equally enjoyable to step in any teahouse by the street, as long as the setting is reasonable, clean and warm (important in winter time). So tea is like Sichuan cuisine, it is for everyone, never mean to be a lofty social event, even you could make it that way. Some freaky westerners are shocked that Chineese people have the leaves directly into the drink, probably that's part of the fun for drinking tea. You have to wait to have the best serving time, while the boiled water cools down, the tea leaves stretches in the water, the color deepens into lovely warm orange or light green, the weak but detectable aroma spreads out of glass, it is just perfect to decorate your mood. Tea is a laid-back symbol for Sichuan folks, or Chinese people at large. It must shape our personality somehow.
Coffee There are quite some coffee shops around the corner of the street. Amazingly, whatever they label themselves, their logo is more or less of a circle with green background. Can't their enterprise image design go a bit further than a lousy Starbucks copier? I don't try any of those yet, but I did try a real deal in Shanghai. The Starbucks store is located at a relatively slow street, Beijing west Rd., the setting is similar, just a few customers scattered around the place. A grande coffee costs 18yuan, compared to 2-dollar in the US, it actually tastes better. The barista did all the adding, it covers the bitterness of raw coffee, smooth and agreeable, no edgy feeling afterwards, I wonder if they lower the caffeine.
Rice wine My buddy said there's something called liquor culture. He refers to the way we drink rice wine, or white wine. The strong liquor represents our masculineness, our tightly forged brothership, our most sincere blessing and our deep honor making new friends. If a woman likes to join, more than welcome. A bottle of a good rice wine is very costly, don't be surprised if the wine expense is twice of that of the food of a meal. Rice wine is like a fire, burns the stomach and dizzy the brain. It easily draws a guy into the bordeline of subconsciousness. Soon you don't know who you are, what you worry, yet you don't care. You speak out, you whine, you sing, you confess you loved another guy's wife before, blahblah, very manly and entertaining. 'How many times can you get drunk in a life', a song goes like that. This seems to tell people in another word, 'please, at least let loose for once'.
Hot beer The first time I was served a hot beer was on a cold moutain resort. The beer was poured out from a kettle, in which some gouji and bottles of beer were heated to boiling point. It tastes more sweet than a bit sour, very weird feeling. Later in numerous situation, I saw hot beer on the table, until a friend of mine told me this has been for a long time, didn't I find this was not neo phenomenon. This must be a beerman's genius invention for prompting beer sales during the cold winter time in Sichuan, while in many resturants the heating is not strong enough to have the guests to stand the cold drink. But still, this would have American guys jaw-dropping, becuase they would complain his beer is 5 degrees Celsius warm. Hot beer is indeed hot.
Coming up, entertainment at home, soul story at home(?)...
With nearly 50 days back-home trip ending, I'm back again. Back to my own business.
So many faces are still haunting in mind, so many songs are still humming. This is the other side of life, I can barely imagine unless I was there, being with my good ol' pals. They can't imagine my life, either. They have the curiosity of my daily routine, either dull or exciting, exotic or rather estranged, they want to have a comparison, then settle themselves down. So far I have the luxury to taste the life in totally different world, human nature is mutual, yet human personalities are so not the same.
And who am I? I am the wanderer enjoying walking between hearts. Until I am getting tired of this, I will keep prying your sentiment and probing your well-hidden secret.
(this sounds too much metaphor and detached. Okay, only this time.)
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