Let's talk about drinking coffee. 喝咖啡。

I am a coffee addict. Everyday I consume at least 2 cups of coffees, well, at least on working days. Can't remember when did I start drinking coffee, but for sure it was during my business trips to Silicon Valley.

I still remember during those good old days, I was a fresh graduate working for a Silicon Valley startup's sister company in Hong Kong, so I got some opportunities to travel to and work in Silicon Valley. Every morning, after settling down in the office, first thing my colleagues did was came to my seat and said "Let's go and grab a coffee!" Then we would go to our cars and drove to nearest Starbucks and bought a cup of coffee.

我是個每天都要喝上兩杯以上的咖啡的人，起碼在工作天是跑不掉的。 是什麼時候開始這個習慣的？我已經忘了，應該是我在矽谷出差的時候吧。

那些年，作為一個剛剛畢業的大學生，為一家矽谷初創軟件公司在香港的姊妹公司工作，令我可以經常到矽谷出差。 還記得那時候在矽谷，每天到達辦公室，安頓好之後，同事們總是跟我說：「去買杯咖啡吧。」之後就是一班人開車到最近的一間星巴克去買咖啡。

Having a coffee to kick start a working day became a habit to me since then. I stopped this for awhile because of weight control, instead of coffee, I drank Chinese tea every morning.

I moved to my current company 4 years ago and my colleagues here seems to be all coffee drinkers, so I pick up daily coffee again. Having coffee then changed from physical and mental needs to social activities. Apart from the first cup of coffee that kick start the day (usually from breakfast), there will be the second or even third cups in the afternoon. Not because of the need of caffeine to keep me awake, but because of the need of chit chatting with colleagues during the 10~15 mins of walk to and back from the coffee shop.

自此，每朝早上一杯咖啡便成為習慣。有段時間因為要控制體重而改喝中國茶。幾年前轉工到了這家公司之後，又因身邊的同事都喝咖啡的關係，我又重拾每朝一咖啡的習慣了。 不同的是，喝咖啡已經由一種身理和心理上的需要，慢慢變為社交活動。為的並不只是一杯咖啡，還有來回咖啡店那十至十五分鐘的路程上的對話。

I also followed my colleagues to change coffee shop as well. Started with Starbucks, then for a short while, we went to The Coffee Academics, and we recently settle down with a French patisserie, Dalloyau.

同事們亦影響著我買咖啡的選擇。由一開始的Starbucks星巴克。短暫的轉到公司樓下的The Coffee Academics. 以至最近我們都喜歡的法國精品糕點咖啡店， Dalloyau.

Being asked to be more weight conscious, I switched from Caramel Macchiato to Americano, or Long Black or Black coffee if you like. Plain coffee without sugar and milk is my default choice, but when you have different kinds of cuisine, you want different favors of coffee. Just like this Monday, I ordered a Vietnamese coffee to go with Vietnamese Pho for lunch, of course with the condensed milk.

醫生要我小心體重(增長),所以我亦由喝焦糖瑪奇朵改成美式黑咖啡，或者黑咖啡。這些沒糖沒奶的咖啡亦是我當然之選。不過當你正在享受不同美食的時候，你又會想要一杯相互配合的咖啡。就像星期一我午餐時，我就要了一杯越南咖啡來配合越南河粉。當然，沒有煉奶就不是越南咖啡了，所以管他的體重控制。

What is your way of drinking coffee?
你喝咖啡嗎？你的選擇又是如何呢？

Bon Appetit!