Urban Vancouver

14 days of moving

By babykarret on December 2, 2005 - 2:08pm

#14. Hot beverages.

Lychee tea, chrysanthemum tea, ginseng tea, passion tea, chamomile tea, chai, pumpkin spice latte, ovaltine with cream and cane sugar, caramel macchiato, sugar cane drink in little packets, Lipton tea, green tea with rice, vanilla latte, tea at dim sum...tea with lemon, Hong Kong-style coffee (coffee mixed with tea, milk and way, way too much sugar), almond drink, even the little boxes of bitter Chinese herbal medicine for the flu--I have a hot beverage for every conceivable mood, meal, moment.

My highly shameful Starbucks habit will become somewhat problematic once I'm off of the west coast. Ironically enough, I anticipate needing a bigger thermos once I'm in Toronto, seeing how cold it's supposed to be and all. People tell me there are more Second Cup's and Tim Horton's there. Notice how nothing on that list is actual plain coffee?

It won't quite the same as getting the mug with the little plastic lid from my mother, telling me to eat the ginseng for the umpteenth time because it helps me sleep. Or having tea with moon cake (it just doesn't work without the tea) and arguing over how to split the yolk. Or going to the congee restaurant on 41st and staying for the lychee tea. Or late-night "omg you won't believe what happened" chai and cookies with my best friend at The Grind on 25th and Main. Or work meetings and chit-chat at JJ Bean.

(You might even say, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.)

I'll have lots of hot beverages in Toronto, to be sure; but it's all a mystery to me as yet, how to stay warm.