Not For All the Tea in China

Well, after a few days in the bustling "East meets West" metropolis of Hong Kong (stay tuned for a detailed report), I realized how much better life would be if I got back into the habit of drinking coffee.  For two months, I've been almost exclusively on tea, usually chrysanthemum (which technically is not tea and has no caffeine).  Since decent coffee is so hard to find here and quite expensive, I figured I'd take the opportunity to kick the habit.  I believe I can call the endeavor a success, despite the current circumstances.  For two months, I drank almost none at all, save a cup here or there before a long day of sight-seeing.  My teachers were particularly encouraging.  When they'd see me yawning in class, they would often giggle and say, "加油!" which literally means "add fuel," but is actually used more to cheer for your team at a sporting event.  I indeed could have continued to live without it, but after that first really good cup in Hong Kong, I realized that I just didn't want to. So, when I got back to Beijing, I went straight to Starbucks, bought a French press and some coffee grounds, and started brewing.  Ask me now if I'd give it up again, and I would tell you, literally, not for all the tea in China.