A Little Pick Me Up

This weekend was a VERY rough weekend for me.  I think perhaps I hit some sort of a wall as the newness of things is wearing off and the frustration of certain things that I just cannot figure out is weighing heavier.  Top it all off with being scammed by a couple of Chinese 'tourists' for about $120 and I was in a pretty foul mood.

I reached my breaking point and realized it was time to cash in my get out of jail free card and figure out how to call to the U.S. from here (non-Skype).  Why?  Because it is just so much easier and certain people I need to talk to refuse to use Skype.  So I broke down and called my friend Ryan and was able to vent some of my frustrations.  I'm not sure it made me feel much better about living here...or the situation...but it was just really good to talk to an old friend.  I also wrote a Blog entitled 'What You Really Need To Know About China'.  It was really good.  A poetic masterpiece some might say.  But I sent it away to a few editors who advised me to keep it in my back pocket for awhile.  At least until I was 100% certain that it was what I really wanted to say.  So I'll let that one ruminate awhile...you might see it some day...but for now I'll stick to safer subjects.

Like I said, talking to Ryan helped a little...but I was still in a funk...so I did what every parent would do when their child is cranky...I went to bed.  I woke up this morning feeling better...and then I looked over at my desk and felt a lot better...I saw this

For those of you that have been deprived all of your lives and don't know what that item on the right is...it is a French Press...a glorious French Press!!!  Not only is it a coffee maker...it is my favorite type of coffee maker!  And right next to it...a coffee grinder...and to its left...coffee beans!!!  In the badness of the weekend I almost forgot...my friend Rob (who really has been too good to me since I've gotten here and has taken care of me like nobody's business) GAVE me the French Press and the sack of coffee beans.  Wow!  What an amazingly nice thing to do.  Apparently he 'inherited' them from somebody who was here until the end of last Spring and doesn't drink much coffee...so he passed them on to me.  Can we all take a moment and say THANK YOU ROB!!!

The coffee grinder is not mine but Arielle (who lives right down the hall) had her friend send it to her...so now we have all the key components to make coffee!!!  I also found that I can purchase more fresh coffee beans at a Starbucks which is close...they are not cheap...but worth it in my book :-)  Now all I need is a nice mug for my coffee.  All of the mugs here are so small.  They couldn't hold a good cup of coffee if they tried...and plus...the majority of them around here come with Hello Kitty on them...not going to work.  So I went out and splurged.  There is one type of coffee mug that I love...and I knew where to get it...

O.k. so 90 RMB is a little pricey for a coffee mug here (but at $12 is about what it would cost at Starbucks in the states)...but it will also make a great souvenir...right?  Yeah, totally worth it.  And now I have a mug big enough to make tea in as well...yes!!!  So with this incredible pick me up staring me in the face, how could I not have a better start to the day?  Yes...today will be a better day :-)

Above:  The French Press in action at 8:30 P.M. tonight...yes that's a little late for coffee...but that is when I got all the pieces together...the beans, the grinder, the press...and I figured...I had some blogging to do, so why not?

Zaijian,
Gary

Bonus:  Learn Chinese.  No-Boo or Mayo (as in no we don't have).  Two good words to know.