Tea (not Coffee) in China
There are a lot of things that I miss from home, but the one thing that I miss more than anything every morning in my cup of coffee. In China, people are very concerned about their health and well being so many (most) of them choose to drink tea. All kinds of fresh teas. As you walk into the cafeteria or dining area, almost everyone has a clear container filled with hot tea (even when it's 100 degrees out). At home, however, coffee is the drink of choose (for many) in the morning. For many it helps to get the day started - including me.
Every morning at home I have at least one cup of coffee. It just seems to get my day off to a good start. I will even get up 15-20 minutes early to be able to drink my cup of coffee out on my porch. One of the first things I notices when arriving in China is that it's really hard to get a coffee that tastes good. We have free coffee (all day long) in the lobby of our hotel, but for those of you that have tried it, it's REALLY hard to choke down - at times chunky, cold, and bitter. For this reason, I went on a hunt for coffee and just recently found it at the grocery store across from the business school. Now while I am not an instant coffee drinker at home, it tastes better than great here!
I even found a brand that I recognize (Nescafe) and that comes with just a hint of cream and sugar already added. It's perfect for a trip like this. The first couple days without coffee in the morning was ruff, but now I am eagar to get up and enjoy my cup in the morning.