Coffee

I have been drinking coffee on a regular basis for a year now; ever since I did the worst touring show the world has ever seen. I’m not addicted but the craving for coffee is there more days than not. But I’m having a problem with ordering coffee in London. I can never really get what I want. To save money over the last year I traded lattes for regular coffee. This doesn’t really exist here, and if they do have regular coffee- which they call filter coffee- it’s usually more expensive than an Americano. Which is the reverse back in Canada.

Sure, I could brew my own at home, but I’m already cooped up in my bedroom long enough each day (I’m writing in there.. it’s very inspiring), and sometimes I need caffeine as much as I need sunshine.

Aside from the price (if I do the conversion it costs about $3.25 for a filter coffee or $3 for an americano), the whole experience of ordering coffee has been a bit of a fiasco. Rarely do cafes put milk on those little mixing tables they stock with various sugar, chocolate powder and other accouterments so if you want milk in your coffee you have to ask for it “white.”

I think there is something ingrained in North Americans that makes us want to have total control, even though I am paying someone to make coffee for me I want to put the milk in myself. Sure, you can ask for it on the side but that just seems wasteful.

The other problem I’ve been running into at cafes is that most often the people working there are not native English speakers, so my accent mixed with their ESL adds to the confusion. But just throw in a smile and the cute Greek barista is sure to stamp my frequent coffee card a few more times than he should.

Of course I didn’t come to England to live like I did back home. I am learning new things and these challenges only make me... stronger? more cultured? open-minded? international. Yes, that’s me the international coffee drinker. Just wait till I have to order it in another language. Je voudrais une caffe s’il vous plait...